Race Weekend, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

Growing up I was never what you would consider to be even close to athletic. With a club foot as a three-four-and-five year old, running was definitely not a sport that was on my radar.

My mother (always ingenious) had the solution that doctors didn’t quite come up with to fix my directionally impaired foot dilemma, and as a result, I spent the next seven years of my life as a highland dancer (and yes, those swords are sometimes actually sharpened). To this day, I still have perfect turnout.

In high school, I wanted to be as cool as all the varsity kids, but with a lifetime of the highland fling behind me, my ability on the lacrosse field and volleyball court was limited. I did, however, become a referee. To this day, I can still score a volleyball game without paying much attention.

At twenty, I discovered recreational sports, and ignited a life-long passion for soccer and team sports and well….sweating….that had never before existed, and continues to this day. Forgive me while I pause for a moment to lament the UTTER LACK OF WOMEN’S SOCCER in Montreal for summer 2010. It makes me very sad.

Last year, in a fit of “If I don’t do something physical my job is actually going to eat me alive”, I joined a training session at the running room. I had never run before, other than up and down a soccer field, and above and beyond the physical challenge, it was a mental stumbling block for me – one single activity for a prolonged period of time. Good luck with that, someone who doesn’t sit still.

But today, nearly ten months later, I ran my first ever five kilometre race. And while I didn’t quite get the time I wanted, I finished (40:10, and 5772nd place out of 7500+ runners). And now I can work harder to make it better and faster and easier.

Sometimes meeting goals can feel really fantastic.

almost, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

Earlier this week I tweeted that we were almost unpacked and nothing was broken. Yay! Except I cursed it by even thinking that. The next box? My favourite white serving dish, with a giant chip on its shoulder. Oh! And Angus just broke a candle holder. Just now. As if he could sense I were writing this. Good job, cat.

But here we are. Nothing is where it should be, our cat is miserable, and we are both just bordering on some sort of move-induced meltdown due to exhaustion (and working at our day jobs while moving, too!). Thank GOD it’s a long weekend.

So far Montreal is lovely, the weather is beautiful, and I am already looking forward to a nice long bike ride this weekend.

ha!, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

a blast from the past, courtesy of a surprise visit to Huck’s house on the weekend before we moved.

Sadly, I forgot to snap photos. But he is still awesome (and stripey!).

Oh how I miss fostering wee little baby cats.