So I have a weakness for cheese. And fries. And the two put together. In Montreal, where I will be next week, they have a specialty called Poutine. Essentially, it’s french fries covered with cheese curds and gravy. Count me in!

While it looks a little like french fries covered in marshmallows and syrup, I am sure poutine is delicious, given its popularity. There are variations, like an Italian version with spaghetti sauce. Or Mexican, with sour cream and guacamole.

I am making it my mission to seek out the poutine and experience it. Multiple times. And photograph it. And report back here.

Stay tuned. I know you can’t wait. Me neither.

I don’t know if I’ve even really told you, but the Hub got us tickets to go to Montreal and Mont Tremblant to go skiing next week. So excited. Never have been. And we’re learning to snowboard too, which appeals to my former skateboard-loving self.

Valentine’s Day is our 11th anniversary of being together. Obviously this one is special because a few months ago we weren’t sure we were going to make it to this one. I’m really excited to take our first vacation alone in 5 years (er, the last time was when we eloped in Vegas. A story for another day) and to learn something new.

I always feel like I can’t afford travel. I put it at the bottom of my list. But not any more. I am so excited about this trip, and I know that it doesn’t have to be the only trip I/we take. It’s all in my mindset. Still working on that about money.

So wish us well. Max will be contentedly nestled between two grandmas while we ski the slopes…or fall down them. At least there’s hot chocolate spiked with alcohol to look forward to, next to a roaring fire.

And I can use my French! Because, of course you know they speak French in Montreal. You knew that, right??

I have always prided myself on my lack of interest in working out. Yoga is awesome, but that’s about all I ever do at our local YMCA.

Totally what I look like. Bringin’ it back.

Then the hub gave us a trip to Montreal for Valentine’s Day to go skiing. Great except…I don’t want those mountains to kick my ass. So right after the New Year I started my 2nd project of walking 5(ish) miles every day and not eating carbs or sugar. Fun times. Plus it’s cold out, which means I can’t walk in my neighborhood the way I like. So I go to the Y.

And I stay there for 2 hours. It takes me about 1 hour and 15 minutes to walk my 5 miles. If there’s yoga, I do that too. Hub introduced me to a fun but brutal thing called the Bosu Ball. So I tear up my ab muscles and try to stay balanced on that for a few rounds of exercise.

I see the same people every day. I jet past the old people on the track (look people, if I have to walk 5 miles every day, I do NOT want to be there all day! Get out of my way!). I see the same meaty guys working out. We nod quietly to one another, more focused on our desire for health/fitness/poppin’ muscles than socializing.

And then I step back and look at myself and say, “Who the hell are you and what have you done with flabby, no-exercise Su?? 2 hours a day of exercise?? You’re crazy.”

And I am. But I’m also trying to lose more weight. Primarily because I bought ski pants that are a lot wee uncomfortable and  I need to fit in them or skiing will be no fun.

So whoever I am, I like it because it’s working. I feel fit, and I weigh less than I have in 10 years (with the 6 month exception of breastfeeding but I can hardly compare eating 2000 calories a day and losing weight to what I’m doing here, now can I?). I now wear a size 10 and am pretty damn close to a size 8. I like that. Today I bought my first pair of skinny jeans. Who’d have thunk?

So you know what? Being a gym rat ain’t so bad.