A good amount going on and it's been a busy few months here at Chez-Duquette. Honestly, it feels like Merinda and I have been travelling non-stop for most of the year and to be frank, I'm ready for a break, Yes, it's fun to travel and do different things, but it just feels like a whirlwind of activity. Let me try to catch you up...
- I hurt my hip when I was in SF, and haven't been able to run since. It's still somewhat painful and I'm pretty sure that a new hip is in my future. If anyone wants to donate one, I'll gladly accept it :)
- We went to VA to see our new grandson, and my MiL came over to visit too. I got to fly home with her and spent a week in Ireland and finally got to do some sightseeing. Giants Causeway is absolutely stunning and worth a visit. I brought home a suitcase of crisps, which are finally gone.
- We spent a little more time up there because Merinda hurt her knee and had to get it sorted amongst other things.
- Merinda went on Celebrity for the first time
- We went on Carnival Vista so Merinda became diamond and had a great time.
- Happy Thanksgiving, we actually got to spend it at home which was a relief. Dinner was pretty tasty too :)
- We both went on Celebrity and it blew me away. I doubt we'll be booking any more Carnival cruises for a while. Not that Carnival is bad, it's not, but Celebrity is just nicer. In almost every way. The food, casino, boat are all substantially better than on Carnival. The only thing I like better on Carnival is the Alchemy bar. I already have offers from Celebrity and I expect we'll be going on them next year.
- I got to go scuba diving again. Fucking amazing. I *will* get certified after the holidays.
- We're going on Carnival again in February, and possibly for the last time. This time I'll get diamond and we have drinks everywhere, so I'll be found at the alchemy bar.
That's what we've been up to. On the exercise front it's been a bit of a struggle. I did the Ride for the Animals, but had a tire blowout at mile 50 and withdrew. Yes, I could have patched the tire, but it was going to take a while and I was cramping. I'll do better next year.
Not being able to run has severely impacted my exercise regimen. I won't be doing any 5k's for the foreseeable future, nor any triathalons. This has sapped my desire to push myself, but I've been trying to stay active. Distance challenge is going on again, and I'm participating, but it's been a struggle. I'm hoping that I can either heal, or get fixed, so I can do some training. I really wanted to run the NYD 5k again this year, but it's just not a good idea. It will allow me to get dive certified, which is something I very much want to do.
Weight has been mostly stable. I did pick up a few pounds, but I don't think it's a concern. I'm starting to focus on a lot of endurance and zone 2/3 training which should help me lean out again.
Other than that it's been a lot of the same. Very disillusioned with some of my "friends" and even more concerned about the state of the country. I'm optimistic that things will improve but sometimes it can be hard to stay that way.
I'm just in a kind of malaise, and not sure how to get out of it. I haven't felt like writing for a while and I've been feeling overwhelmed with life and don't know how to deal with it. I'm just hoping 2026 will be a better year. I'm going to try and get back to journaling again and moving in a positive direction.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Festivus or whatever you celebrate. I'll be back soon.
