First snow

We got our first snow up here today, it started coming down early in the afternoon. Hard to believe just yesterday I was golfing, getting in a round on the last day that the course was open this year. Most of the snow just melted away throughout the afternoon, but the last of it to come down has stayed on the ground.

The prospect of the looming winter is bringing me down, as it means there will be no golf or riding the scooter for the next 6-7 months. Every year at this time I wonder why I still live way up north here. The summers are beautiful, not too hot and long daylight hours. Winter, on the other hand, is bitterly cold and it's dark when I get up and dark when I get home from work. This year I find myself dreading winter even more because of the fact that I won't be able to ride the bike. I suppose it's a good time to work more and save the money to take a long vacation once the summer arrives again.

Today marked 7 weeks cigarette-free for me, a milestone I really didn't think I would reach. The cravings have been quite intense in the last few days as I struggle to picture a future free of cigarettes. I know in the long run deciding to quit will be worth it, but it's been hard to stick to the plan. The money that I've been putting away every week is starting to build up, almost as quickly as my weight has shot up. I've gained around 10 pounds since giving up cigarettes, something that I need to deal with.

I haven't felt good about the weight gain, or about how out of shape I've become. To try and lose weight and get my cardiovascular strength back up, I ordered a water rowing machine. This will give me something to focus on during the long winter months, and I'm actually really looking forward to the challenge of getting into better shape. I don't have too many expectations as far as weight loss, but if I could find a way to lose at least 20-25 pounds by spring I would be very happy.

Looking around my place, I can tell there are a lot of things that need attention, but were pushed off as I tried to make the most of the last good weather. I guess it's time to tackle some of them now. Hopefully we get a few nice days yet in the next couple weeks so I can take another ride or two before winter shuts riding down for good.