Snow days

On the last day of what has been a spectacular vacation, you'd think I'd be sad, unhappy at the prospect of returning to our routine of work for Jeff and me and school for Ali. But I'm not. The time off has been so good that I know if the fickle gods of fate figure it out that they'll smack me a good one just to keep me in line.

Ali and I went dress shopping in Maine because we get to be in my sister-in-law's wedding this summer. It was such a great time. I love Jen, and I'm beyond thrilled that she's asked us to be part of the ceremony. I have four sisters and I love them all, but none of us had a say in our relationship. Jen doesn't have to do anything but tolerate me a couple of times a year but she's great and I wish we lived closer to each other.

We spent some quality time with all the Reeds in Maine. I always toy with the idea of moving there. It's easier to come back home to Indiana when we visit at Christmastime because it's almost always colder and snowier there than here. Jeff and Ali went sledding on a particularly windy and frigid day when I didn't want to put a toe outside. I went on the day the sun came out and the wind abated. We ran into a group of kids who'd put a couch on skis. Ali and I cadged a ride down the hill on it. It was tremendous. You don't see that kind of snow ingenuity back home...


This morning, as the coffee brewed, I looked out my window to see the NY Times sitting in the middle of my perfectly poured, unbroken driveway! After a 60-degree Friday, it's back to being winter here and while I might have tried to convince Ali that a walk in below 30-degree weather would be great, it would have been struggle for both of us.

Since we've been home, Alison has had a series of play dates and sleepovers and the house is still echoing with their giggles and laughter. She's starting to want "alone time" either with her friends or just herself, but she will still crawl into my lap and snuggle, and she'll still hold my hand. Even in (gasp!) public.

And even when I'm annoyed with him, I recognize that I stumbled into a bunch of luck when I met Jeff Reed. He's been reading my Weight Watchers cookbook to help keep me on track and still indulge his need to be No. 1 Chef at Chez Reed.

Finally, the prospect of getting back to work isn't bothering me so much, in part because I like to work, and I like my job. But there's more to it than that. My friend Jim, from work, posted on Facebook the other day how the company gym and policies about being healthy have been the primary push behind his great weight loss and fitness this year. He's dead on it, too.

Sure it's work -- as in there are daily pressures and the stress that goes with any j.o.b. -- but there's more than a paycheck at Angie's List. I know I wouldn't have been able to keep at my own fitness plan without the job, the convenience of an on-site gym and more importantly, the push to use the thing.

I'm a lucky, lucky girl. But keep it on the down low. No need to remind anyone in any position of power and the ability to mess with me that my life is good....