Joy and coffee

I usually take Fridays off running.

Usually.

It's been a heckin' week, what with not knowing for the first two days whether or not I was still employed - the stress and fatigue from putting in long hours (even for me) working through all the Record of Employment requests I had from clients. I did my best to get them out the same day, because that was the only thing I could do to help all of the people for whom I was preparing them; I felt awful that they were losing their jobs, and wanted to try to get them support as quickly as possible.

It has not been smooth sailing this week.

I was too exhausted and stressed on Tuesday - when I didn't really get a lunch break, though I did manage to get in a bit of a walk - so no run happened. It would have to have been after work, and I just didn't have it in me anymore.

Sometimes you just gotta take a day.

Lunch runs happened the rest of the week, but I actually managed to get clearance to work from home - I'm apparently essential - for today.

Hallelujah

It was a long day. One just filled with problems. I did my best to solve them, and watched the sunshine break through the kitchen windows after chasing the cloud cover away.

I got to see our few crocuses - one of which is past its best - open for once!

It hit 10c (50f) with just the lightest breeze. To heck with "day off" - I was out the door moments after the end of my theoretical workday, which had started half an hour earlier than usual and had been without a lunch break. 

It's all road to get there and back, but there's about 100m of trail up in the high rent district.

I've run for so many reasons over the years. I've done it just as training for races (which are all cancelled for the foreseeable future), for challenges, for transportation, for health & fitness, and just because it's the only thing that ensures my trousers will still fit.

Today, I ran for joy.

The sunshine was glorious. I won't say I was floating - a lovely spring day doesn't improve the conditions of my legs at all, and they've been a bit tetchy lately - but I honestly didn't even mind the bit of soreness as I bopped up the road.

It's not trail, but a sidewalk will do.

A little less than 8km later it was back to my laptop and a pile of paperwork - grinding away long after the sun went down. I finally put it all away - not because I was done, but because I was getting to the point of doubting the quality of the work of which I was capable. I'm grateful for having that three quarters of an hour of sun-drenched happiness to carry me through.

These are tough times, and I hope you all get to do something that gives you joy. It doesn't have to be running, or even something active - I hope you read good books and create amazing things with fiber or flour; that you write and draw and paint things that may or may not be seen by anyone but yourself but that make you smile.

Waterfalls are definitely a source of happiness for me.

I hope you can find joy in small things and not let the stress wear you down. I wish you peace in your mind and hope in your heart, as spring begins to take hold around us. 

For those times you may need a little pick-me-up, I'm throwing in a totally random review of something I've just tried.

Alpine Start Coconut Creamer Latté 

Instant coffee usually sucks. I've seldom had a cup that isn't terrible, which has led to us sporting along a lot of space and weight's worth of coffee brewing equipment when we've gone into the backcountry, and spending a bit of time getting a cup together. French press, moka pot, percolator - it's all wonderful coffee, but it's not particularly quick. 

Since I'm allergic to dairy (and even regular non-dairy creamer has sodium caseinate in it, which is derived from dairy protein and gives me vicious stomach cramps), even most latté mixes are off limits. 

When I saw this stuff, I figured I'd give it a shot. The preservatives aren't great, but there didn't appear to be anything that would mess with me. I found the package in the cupboard today (we bought a few months back in anticipation of camping trips to come), and ended up trying a cup at nearly 10pm this evening...because where the heck do I have to be tomorrow morning?

It's not what I'll call awesome coffee, but it has a nice creaminess to it from the coconut creamer - which gives it no coconut flavour, if you're leery of that - but it's drinkable. No gut rot, and just enough caffeine to keep me alive to write this post.

I'll let you decide whether or not that's actually a positive.

It's not cheap - we paid about $13 for a box of 5 sachets from MEC - but for a fast-and-light backcountry trip, or even just when I need a really quick shot of caffeine, I'd buy it again. It's still cheaper than a latté from a café, and infinitely more flexible. Heck, I may just stick one in the UltraCooler™ if I need a lift during a race; while they often have coffee at aid stations for long races, they seldom have dairy-free creamer, and I'm not a black coffee fan. These just need hot-ish water; they dissolve really well with a quick stir, and even give a wee bit of foam. Super simple, and I think simple is something we can all appreciate right now.

Wishing you joy, and good coffee.