The Vicious cycle

I'd like to wax philosophical for a moment about how frustrating the cyclical nature of stress/exercise/mood is.

I should probably establish that I always feel best when I've done something physical - I know that sounds desperately cheesy, but even hubby notices it - whether it be a long hike, a bike ride, a horse ride, exercise class, whatever, I'm always happy when I get home.  I know it's not rocket science.  Runner's high, whatever you call it, the body-wide and mood altering effects of exercise are WELL documented.

The problem arises when I get busy.  Busy = less time to play.  Oh, and less time to exercise.  However, busy also = stress.  If life were fair at all, stress would = desire to go jogging, because that's what I really need.  That's what would help me sleep better, maintain my focus in class better, have more energy to better make it through long days.  Yeah, if life were fair.

But it's not.  So for me....

Stress = CHOCOLATE
Stress = LAY ON THE COUCH
Stress = ORDER PIZZA
Stress = WANTS FOOT MASSAGES

Why is that??!?  Why is it that the thing (exercise) that would actually help me relieve stress the most is the thing I least want to do??  How does this make any biological sense?!?!

WHY ARE WE WIRED SO BASSACKWARDS???

*sigh*

On an entirely different note, here are photos of Cato finally.  You can see she's not bald, so no worries that she's freezing.

She always balls up like that!  Even when she had all her hair! 

We also go LOTS of snow out of the storm that hit yesterday - it was beeeee-utiful! (I was born in Michigan - love of snow is in my DNA).  It was also the perfect kind of snow b/c even though we got over 8 inches, it's been so warm that once the plows went through, the roads melted in no time!  Being a student, you might think I would be hoping for a snow day out of a storm like that, but I'm too familiar with the academic system.  Big universities will only shut down for the worst of the worst...it's too costly and difficult to shut down an entire 30,000+ machine for some measly 8" of snow.  Doesn't mean I don't enjoy it any less!  Will try to get some pics of the snow up soon.