Week 11: Christmas wrapping was a lot easier... before I got the grey cat.

Aaron is a drill this weekend so I thought it was a fine time to start wrapping his Christmas presents. This year we're keeping things a bit smaller due to the fact that we're currently paying on two residences and I'm not working due to clinicals. We've even got a smaller tree. I'm allergic to pine so we always have an artificial one. All our Christmas decorations are still 2 hours away at our house in Mount Pleasant so we picked up this little one at Mejier for 16 bucks (fully lit!) and a few decorations from a shop downtown. Usually we end up tying the tree down because of Strider, our current grey cat. Christmas seems to be his favorite time of year. He is constantly in and under the tree and lying on the wrapping paper as I try to wrap. It seems that no matter how many times I shoo him away... he always comes back. This year may be a little different. He has still been all over the wrapping paper but he has only knocked down the tree once. We didn't have anything to tie it down to and none of the ornaments are breakable so we just let it be. However, today I did try to bolster around it with Aaron's gifts so maybe it would keep it from falling.

I've decided that December is definitely a transition month. My leg is getting stronger but it is still a long way off from being ready for any serious training. My main focus is still building up leg strength and endurance (and getting these two legs to match). I do want to start doing some more structured training though. Right now I am doing close to two hours of heavy leg training including 40 minutes which involves working on my knee extension alone. The leg extension is getting better so I am hoping that I'll be out of the chair after another month. Other than that and working on my range of motion, I've been riding an exercise bike when I have the time and continuing to work on bending my knee so that my heel touches my but. Last night, Aaron and I hit 3 inches which is the best since Dale last bent my knee over a month ago (which was before that stupid cortisol shot). I'm running out of time on the knee bending so that has to be my primary concern outside of strength training. However, I do want to start working on my cardiovascular training so I'm going to try to get two swims in each week as well as at least 3 bike rides. The bike rides are either going to take place on an exercise cycle at the gym or on my trainer which will hopefully get here this week. Finally!!! I'm nervous about the swimming part. I haven't gone to the pool in at least 6 weeks since I realized that I didn't have enough strength in my legs to tread water. That scared me. I haven't been that vulnerable in a pool since I was probably eight. I chickened out on my trip yesterday but I do plan on making it over there today.