Can't believe that the end of November is here

Another whole month without posting.  Not because there wasn't anything going on. 

I got in some riding, which was good but not as much as I would have liked.  The cold weather is really putting a damper on going out.  I have a hard time breathing in the cold air.  I did get a power lung and I plan to work on my aerobic capacity throughout the winter.

I am also working with a dietician to figure out what I should be eating for the different stages of the year. 

Even though I am now technically in the foundation stage, I think I need to eat a bit less.  My weight has fluctuated but it is not at a level I am happy with.  I need to put my eating schedule on the refrigerator and use it to make the right choices.

We went to Phoenix last week to see my mom and have Thanksgiving with Bob, Janice and Jack.  It was fun but I wouldn't want to live out there.  The traffic is terrible, all expressways and very busy. Nothing is close to anything else and although the public transportation has improved, it isn't great.  Bob and Janice live in Peoria, so that was a fairly long drive and, while their subdivision is nice, they are out in the middle of nowhere.  Champaign-Urbana is definitely a better choice for us.  If we could find a place that had all the amenities and a better climate, I might be persuaded to move.  As it is, I just have to live with the cold (and the humidity in the summer).

Last night I did the training for being a Krannert volunteer.  I think it will be fun.  Now I have three volunteer things--WILL, Krannert, and the Illinois Radio Reader. My plan for next year is to rejoin the Illinois Club (former University Women's Club) and maybe rejoin AAUW.  Not that I am not busy.

We just did the final payment for the Morocco trip and I plan to apply for the NEH summer institute in Venice. I know that is a long shot since it is bound to be popular but I really want to do it if I can.  It would mean putting off RAGBRAI and GITAP for another year but I would love to spend five weeks in Venice as a student rather than as a teacher.

So the December plan is to work on the Polar Exploration course for OLLI, do the application to the NEH, ride as much as possible, and work on losing weight.  I should add more regular blogging to the list. That should be plenty of goals.  My calendar is pretty full and I expect it will get even busier as the holidays approach.