For those of you who celebrated Hanukkah last week, we hope you had some good family time and were able to enjoy yourselves with friends and loved ones. And no matter what holiday you are celebrating this time of year, we love you all and hope to be a part of your health and fitness journey as we round out this incredibly awf...er...awesome year.

1) Our Toys for Tots and Community Fridges of Boston donation boxes were a huge success! The kindness and generosity of the individuals in our community really shows when we partake in initiatives like this. If any of you have movements or organizations near and dear to your hearts, and you are looking for an incredible community to get involved, shoot me a text or email and I can mobilize our PEX family!

2) The MyZone Heart-Rate program is still not installed. I take full responsibility for this. If I am being completely honest with you, I am not 100% sure I will be able to get it going this week, either (please revert back to the introduction of the newsletter for better understanding). The good news is I received the first month free, as part of an end-of-year-special, so I don't feel too bad about keeping it completely unopened in the box until I start getting charged for it.

3) With the next two weeks being holiday weeks, please reach out to your coaches to make sure your schedules are NSYNC.

I will be gone this Thursday evening until Sunday night, and I will be doing the same for the following week. If that means I don't see you for awhile, try not to miss me too much. Also, don't burn the place down while I am gone.

4) Covid numbers are on the rise in our area. We have all been doing a great job, and we have been doing a great job for awhile. But now is not the time to ease up in our vigilance, unfortunately. We ask you to please be responsible and safe during the holiday weeks. There will never be any late-cancelation charges associated to Covid issues, so please do not feel like you have to come to the gym if there is even the slightest question in your mind. It is much better to be safe than sorry in this particular instance. And remember, we can always transition to virtual sessions if anybody's health is in question, so please do not feel like you have to take any chances!

5) Speaking of Covid, make sure you check out the website LetsGetChecked! They specialize in at-home tests, including Covid, and can send one right to your doorstep. Easy to administer, and easy to return. You can use my referral code here.

6) If you find yourself stressed out this week, take a listen to Dan Gibson's "A Celtic Christmas Story" album on Spotify (or whatever music app you use). It is downright beautiful. Magical, even. I am actually listening to it right now as I wrap up this incredibly thoughtful and informative email newsletter.