... funny things are everywhere: 5x5 Friday (March edition)

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Hey, I'm back. :)

Last night, I found a credit card statement with the Typepad annual fee on it, and I had a bit of a "use it or lose it" panic attack. I know I haven't been blogging enough to warrant paying the annual fee, but the thought of shutting this blog down didn't sit well either. My years of writing here have helped me sort through lots of stuff, connected me to some new friends and, most importantly, made me realize what a wonderful (albeit extrememly busy) life I lead.

So with that in mind, I'll think up five lists of five things that I think I might want to revisit at some point in the future. (Because blogging for the memory-keeping is where it's at for me...)

.....

Five things that made me happy this week
1. A friend of mine started taking tennis lessons, and she LOVES it. I hope she'll want to hit with me on the outdoor courts this summer.
2. Watching the dog run around with other dogs in the field behind Thomas' school made me realize how much I love having a dog... and how lucky we are to live in a great neighbourhood where there's lots of space and an abundance of friendly, responsible dog owners with friendly, playful dogs for mine to socialize with.
3. Finding new songs iTunes makes me happy - it's great to have new music to listen to on the bus and to mix into my spin playlists.
4. We've broken the daily high temperature records for almost an entire week running. It was warm over the weekend, and then it got crazy HOT on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Mid-20s is unheard of in Ottawa in mid-March! The average daytime high is 4 degrees Celcius in mid-March.
5. I ran outside for the first time this season. It was a nice, easy run along the Ottawa River at lunchtime. That 4 km felt really, really easy - I guess all that spinning has helped keep my cardiovascular fitness at a decent level over the winter.

Five things I'm looking forward to
1. ComicCon is coming to Ottawa, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is going to be there. Jamesie will be sooooooo excited. Me too! :)
2. Thomas will finally be tall enough for a new bike this summer. I'm looking forward to longer rides with him on a bike that's big enough to go at a decent speed. I think he'll enjoy it too.
3. Lemon turns one year old this weekend. I'm going to look up a doggy cupcake recipe and stage some birthday portraits. I wonder if she'll sit with a party hat on... hmmmm...
4. It looked like they were going to put the nets up on the outdoor courts at the club this week, but it didn't happen. Two nets are up but they haven't been cranked tight yet. Such a teaser! I'm really looking forward to hitting outside in a month or so.
5. It's Friday, so the weekend's nearly here. Yay! I'm looking foward to relaxing and getting some sleep this weekend. :)

Five things we're reading at our place these days
1. Graphic novels (Bone) and comic books (Archie, Calvin and Hobbes, etc.)
2. Study manual for the YMCA's indoor cycling instructor certification *sigh*
3. Tennis magazine - the latest issue, and the boys reread back-issues too.
4. Whatever offerings the Scholastic Book Club had in last month's order forms.
5. Stuff on my iPhone and Mike's iPad (news, blogs, etc.)

Five fun things that don't involve screens
1. Jamesie and I have been playing Star Trek: The Next Generation Monopoly.
2. Thomas played in a squash tournament a few weekends ago, and Jamesie and I went to watch. That goofy photo above was taken between matches.
3. James and I were doing some cross-training (boot-camp style!) just before March Break. I wish he were a little more serious about it. I think he could use a little extra muscle on his tiny frame, and it'd probably improve his tennis game.
4. I've spent time on court with both the boys lately, and I've done a few drop-in clinics too. Tennis rules!
5. Running. I'd forgotten how much I love running outside. I want to sign up for a race with the boys. Must check into that soon so we can start training together.

Five things I've eaten today (some of which I shouldn't have)
1. President's Choice Decadent chocolate chip cookie (only one...)
2. Homemade fruit smoothie spiked with vanilla latte powder mix
3. Breakfast cereal
4. Two cups of coffee
5. Babybel cheese (yum!)