Hey, we're living the dream of both imperial and metric in Canada! The weather must be in metric, along with gas and speed limits. Body weight and height must be in imperial, expect at the dr's office when they measure you in metric, and they you have no clue what your height and weight are. 🤪

Right now I'm pretty contented now, but last February I was longing for the green vegitations and warm ocean beach of Costa Rica I had just visited. It was horrible returning to a cold and colourless northern world. I've since bought a dozen tropical plants and hope that they're still alive by February to help me out this winter. 😉

Are we talking some sort of construction project where a couple extra set of hands was needed, and your and dd ended up in a situation of potential physical injury? Was your option to refuse to do the thing and this person would either do it themselves, try to find someone else to help them, or has discovered that something else needs to be done and/or by someone else?

I wouldn't be too keen on the overnight part as much as the solo driving. It just opens up a whole other world of situations that could be awkward or worse. However, if the overnight was going to go ahead, I'd want her to have the safety net of having a vehicle or someone nearby to go to if needed. My "compromise" would likely be that she drive the whole way there and back to gain that driving experience, and I'd come along and stay at a nearby hotel (or visit friends if they happened to be in the area).

Agreed. I dislike the longer dark periods, but perhaps it's also due to it being a lot colder as well. I really love the long light periods in the summer when it's warm, though! Down south near the equator, it is kind of disappointing to have the sun set at around 6pm when it's still so warm and lovely out.

Soft bags that are small enough to be a "personal bag" so there is no additional charges. I prefer a backpack as it's easier to go hands-free at the airport. And a backpack can be used for a lot more than just travel.

So fun! Brilliant idea getting a good tuner, too. I love the sound of live music in my house! It's fun for the musician, but also nice for the audience. 😉

Took the dogs for a walk in the woods with dh. The puppy is very entertaining, the woods look and smell amazing, and it's lovely to get outdoors and stetch the legs with a loved one!

I would be really temped to make a post-it note and somehow slide it in among hers. Mine would read, "I can read your post-it notes. Better make them smaller so you don't look like a b!tch." Anyone who can read those notes may think this of the women. She should be told. It's extremely unprofessional, and if a participant in the class read them she (and you as a co-leader) could face some negative feedback. Not to mention that she is acting like a pain-in-the-@ss spoiled kid. Maybe she's a friend, but an immature one. At least now you know. Sorry you're in this situation.

They are cool to see, and I've had fairly large labs and German Shepherds in the past, and have experienced the challenges of slow-developing, heavy and powerful dogs. It's hard on my body to even manage an 80 lb dog, and hard on the patience to have to wait really long to see the full benefits of training. Not to mention their relatively short lifespan and the medical issues the giant breeds tend to have with mobility as they age. Ramps for getting in and out of vehicles, braces for joints, etc. are things I see giant breed owners needing for their dogs. I'm super happy with our smaller and very smart border collies. They're small, smart, and aim to please their handler, though require a lot of exercise and stimulation. They definitely aren't for everyone. They are super adorable, especially as puppies (bonus photo of our pup), and they lure in too many people that find out later not to choose a dog based on looks alone.

@Soror That is really exciting to hear about your dh's journey and how it's bringing you together for hikes and healthy eating. It is so much easier to have a buddy on the journey to provide mutual support and motivation. My dh and I have been doing daily walks in the woods with the dogs, and it is very positive in so many ways - stress reduction, time to chat about things and relax together, and stay active. We also play tennis together and separately, and this is obviously more strenuous fitness, which has its benefits, but it's not as relaxing as walking and talking. 😉

I'm gumpy about the quality and presentation of most news sources (e.g., TV, radio, online). TV news tends to have way too much going on the sceen, online has ads everywhere, radio repeats the exact same little blurbs all day. That's not even getting into the bias, and lack of varifying "facts" before reporting (or gossiping, which might be the more accurate word).

@Laura Corin Safe travels! @Soror Glad your allergies are improving. I hear ya with not knowing if one's physical condition will ever be better/back to the old normal. I'm so glad to hear that you are able to do so much, but it's still worrying to know what the new normal might be. I'm wondering about my gluts/hamstrings and if they will improve once I can start PT. @BusyMom5 Glad you are eating well and exercising! It stinks when meds and such cause weight gain. I played some really fun ladies doubles tennis this morning after two weeks of no tennis. I was able to hit the ball ok, and improved a lot throughout the 2 hours. I can feel my legs are sore and stiffening up already, though. Walking in the woods with the dogs is so much easier on my body, but I really want to keep up with more intensive activity so I don't lose all my muscles and fitness level. 😉

I love the dog's glasses and notebook needed for this serious discussion of his needs. 😂

You have an amazing memory! I have struggled every fall for several years now with weird symptoms that all seem to be allergy related. As soon as the first snow comes they all tend to disappear. I've been really proactive with allergy meds this year, and have been pacing my physical activity, but the new puppy was the wrench in my plans. He's starting to sleep better at night, and my energy seems to be returning as well. @Laura Corin Your suggestion from a different thread related to challenges getting back to sleep at night has really helped me! You shared a link to an eye cover with headphones, and I thought they looked great. I bought some and have been so pleased with them! They block out the unwanted sounds of puppy whining, dh snoring, etc., while I enjoy listening to relaxing music all night. THANKS!! 😀

I've been getting in one or two hikes in the woods with the dogs the last few days. It's always a pleasure getting into the woods!

Super cute and very creative! 😊

So glad this adventure is over. I can understand some concern about cushions and carpet being left behind when the new buyers were already scared about mold issues. That's kind of a no-brainer to dispose of those easy targets, IMO. I wouldn't want that left behind. I know the OP was really busy. I complete get that. Old carpeting and cushions are just icky to me due to allergies.

@Soror Sorry about the annoying client, but happy to hear you are nearly finished having to deal with them! Great job getting in all that physical activity! I'm so impressed. I'm struggling to just get in my daily walks. They are wonderful, but my energy levels are really low right now - probably lack of sleep due to puppy. He's worth it, though. 😉

@Laura Corin Enjoy your break from work! Sorry it's been so stressful for you lately. Dh and I walked the dogs twice at the woods. It is so nice for both our mental and physical health, and the dogs love it, too!

Welcome back! Congrats on the weight loss!! Sounds like a great season of physical activity coming up with 5k races and taekwon-do! When I was running 5k, 10k + races I noticed that my age category of women 40, 50+ was super fast - faster than the 20 and 30 ladies. My theory was that the younger women were busy with families and other sports, while the older ladies had the time to train hard. As a homeschool mom, I had no time to train, and didn't care about my time compared to other runners. The most statisfying goals for me were finishing the race and improving my previous times.

Still managing to get in my dog walks in the woods at least once a day, sometimes a bonus second walk! There's no tennis this week due to both rain and cold temps. I am trying to remember to do daily stretches.

I have a couple hoodies that I wear infrequently for reasons similar to the OP. I kind of wish hoodies were more cozy for me, but they seem to end up being too much bulk of material in many places, with limited flexibility for quick cooling when needed. 😉 I end up wearing more cardigans or jackets with zippers as they offer more flexibility. My dd wears hoodies almost daily, and they are fitted to her petit size. She seems to love them. My boys wear hoodles quite a bit. My dh wears them almost daily.