So cold!

Who would have thought that a person could possibly freeze to death in their own office? That is my story today as I sit at my computer with mismatched gloves on my hands (one is better for typing which is why they do not match). It is about 23 degrees in DFW today and we are very tired of cold. Texans only get a handful of truly "cold" days each year and so far this winter we've had a blizzard (by TX standards) which provided our first White Christmas since like the 1920's and several LONG weeks of cold. The temps starting yesterday thru the weekend are supposed to hover in the teens to upper twenties. We just don't do this kind of weather in TX!! I was born in Ohio, lived in Kentucky and Indiana so I know cold. I've lived thru winters with snow drifts that covered parts of your windows and doors. Snow so high that you could build forts and igloos and 8 ft tall snowfamilies. Gosh was that fun when I was probably 10 years old. Fast forward to 40 and Heather don't do COLD!! As a matter of fact - I despise cold. It is my least favorite temperature. I live in Texas because Texas don't do cold. Stupid Global Warming!

So why am I freezing at my own desk? Because we sometime after we signed a five year lease renewal the building managers decided to stop fixing things like heat and air. This summer we baked (well my coworkers baked - I actually enjoyed being warm at work for the first time in my life). Now we are freezing. The air is actually blowing but no heat is coming out. We are all wearing our coats and I'm also wearing my gloves. It is ridiculously cold in this office. I lost feeling in my nose an hour ago. I went to lunch today in search of a place w/ a fireplace to sit near. After lunch, I sat in the comfort of my car for 30 minutes while trying to convince myself to come back in the arctic confines of my building.

If I don't survive the day.....tell my children I loved them! Send Cocoa!

Tennis

When my darling daughter was just over the age of three, she announced "I wanna do tennis ball lessons". Since no one in the family played tennis, I thought the child had lost her mind. Where had she even seen tennis players or tennis balls for that matter? Luckily, my mother took her seriously and found peewee lessons at the Country Club. Since this was between Ash and my mom, she even paid for the lessons for the first several years. Next thing I know, peewee drills turned into semi-private lessons and then private lessons. Next was Team Tennis. Then tournaments at our Club. Then tournaments at other tennis centers locally. Eventually, it worked it's way to where we are at today: weekly private lessons, drills most nights of the week, tournaments all over the state, Team Tennis on Sundays in the Fall and Spring and now Middle School tennis in the Fall and Spring.

About 4 years ago, my DH decided he might like to take up tennis himself. He started going to Thursday night mens drills at the Club. He loved it, we bought him the 'gear' and now he plays in leagues on Saturdays. He and Ash play in Parent/Child tournaments at the Club. They seem to really enjoy it.

Then there is my baby boy. He was raised at the tennis center. All the kids and coaches were around when I was pregnant and were there when he spent hours in the stroller at each match and tournament. It was only natural that he take up tennis himself. About a year ago we started taking him to drills and now he also loves tennis. Ash even helps out at the peewee drills he attends and he loves having her there. He's actually very good and if we took him on a more regular basis - he might be even better.

So where am I in all this tennis madness in my household? Firmly planted on the sidelines where I belong....that is until last night. Yep, after 9 years of watching tennis - last night I actually went to my very own beginners drill. When I say beginner - I mean beginner. Yes, I can keep score and I totally understand the rules of the sport but besides being silly on the courts as a kid - I've never actually played. I've never had a lesson. It was harder than I thought. So many things to remember....watch the ball, point at the ball w/ your left hand when hitting w/ your right, kept your wrist firm and your racquet squared, plant and step into your swing, keep moving.....it just goes on and on. But you know what???? I did it. It wasn't pretty and I'm glad there is no video to prove it but for one hour I had an absolute blast hitting with Ash's coach and one other tennis mom. The other mom used to play varsity tennis in HS so it's not really fair to her to have to do drills with me but we are friends and she didn't laugh at me so I think we will be back next Tuesday to do it again. One advantage I found was that I keep moving between shots and that is the cheerleader in me (thought I'd buried that B*&^% a long time ago but there she was bouncing her little heart out between shots)! I am also amazed that I am not sore. I have been completely sedentary for almost 6 years and just knew that every single tiny muscle in my body would be revolting today but that is not the case.

You wanna know the weirdest part....I broke out in a sweat and actually liked it. :-)

2010

Hmm.....let's see....there was Thanksgiving which included a visit from my Grandmother and Great Aunt. It also included several successful trips to Winstar Casino in OK with the two of them and my father. I was able to pad the Christmas fund with a few hundred extra after those two trips (thank you 3 card poker). Then there was the madness we like to call December. It was a whirlwind month that included several band concerts and field trips, a multi-vendor open house at my house, a day trip to Paris so my DH could feel connected to his roots, a quick visit from my Uncle from NC, a long visit from my mom's mom and the overall joy of the Christmas season. Lots of shopping, gift wrapping, stressing and more stressing (it's what I do best every December like clockwork). Every year I swear I'm going to be more prepared for the next Holiday season but that never ever works out for me.

So here's to 2010!!! Another chance to GET IT RIGHT and BREATHE thru the stress!!!! Which brings me to my word of the year. During my fabulous weekend at a Ladybug scrapbooking retreat with T this past weekend, I realized I had not decided on my word of the year for 2010. I had given it some thought but drew a complete blank when T asked me what I'd chosen. Our dear friend K had chosen "Hope" several weeks ago. T had recently chosen "Joy". While their 'theme' seemed it necessary for me to choose "Faith" or "Love" - I just wasn't "feeling" those two words at all. I kept coming up with "Achieve" but T turned her nose up at that word saying it sounded too sports related. I also felt a need to rhyme with my two previous words of the year "Create" and "Appreciate". Although, that brought together a very funny diaglog in my head about words that end in "ate"......nothing seemed to fit. Finally on our 2nd night of the retreat and with pressure mounting (if I wanted T to make me a beautiful sign incorporating my word I'd have to come up w/ something while we were still at the retreat).........I chose "Believe". Why? Because I feel like I need to believe in myself and my abilities more. I need to believe that when I set a goal I can actually "Achieve" that goal. I need to continue to strengthen my belief in God and all that he has in store for me and my family. I need to believe that my family and friends have my best interests at heart. I also like Believe because it sounds close to the word Breathe which is something else I plan to do more of in 2010!!!!

Believe that if I Breathe I will Achieve!!!!!