Excitingly Busy

Huh - I missed making a post last week.

Things are starting to get back in balance, but it's been "excitingly busy" around here - which is Ali-speak for stressful.

My team at work is running super lean at the moment, so every day has been a hit-the-ground-running-don't-ever-stop kind of day.

I'm putting the finishing touches on one volunteer gig while also putting in the hours to help another one get off the ground. After seven years of producing the monthly newsletter for my daughter's school, I am more than ready to pass it off to someone else - which has involved documenting the processes for the incoming volunteer as well as putting together the June issue.

My new volunteer gig? My neighbours, husband and myself have started a "Friends of" community advocacy group for our local park. It's been a whirlwind two weeks of laying the foundation - research, park audits, maintenance grids, steering committees, social media strategies. Next steps - engage the City Councillor and Parks Supervisor and start with community consultations.

Have been booking summer vacation...day camps...overseeing school projects...supervising piano practice for the end of year recital...

And not sure what possessed me, but I spent the better part of a day cleaning my garage from top to bottom. It's been a couple of years and it was getting scary. Cobwebs, spiders, dirt and old leaves everywhere, as well as a few years' worth of clutter. Yuck. The kids got involved too - they finally realized that they have outgrown many of their old outdoor toys and got rid of about 75% of them. Filled my car to the brim with items to drop off at Goodwill, put a big pile of miscellanous stuff on the front lawn for people to help themselves to (all gone within 24 hours), took a pile of excess sand toys to the sandbox at the park, and filled my garbage can to the top with broken, non-recyclable junk. Swept everything out, hosed things down and then stood back to admire my work. Unbelievable how satisfying that was.

Excitingly busy, indeed!

We also squeezed in a trip out of town to my husband's aunt's new home for a day. That part was more exciting than busy.  Especially because her backyard looks like this:

Tell me again why I live in the city?

Very happy daughter

Son and my sister-in-law

On the exercise front, there have been dog walks, a couple of trips to the gym/bootcamp each week, a run with the dog this week (4.1K), leisure swim and lots of whiffle ball with the kids.

Early Sunday morning at High Park. There are new holes to investigate.

What's up next? Well, a trip to Boston for work for 4 days. Taking my running shoes and swim suit, you can bet on that. Followed by the Spartan Race on 6/24. 

How have you been?  Aside from racing, is June a busy season for you?