It's 4:15am. We've been up since 3:30am and thus far things aren't going very smoothly, but hopefully that will change. Last night wasn't a very smooth sleeping night, surprise surprise. I think David and I would have done fine by ourselves but the dogs were pacing and wanting in and out of the room. Something tells me they know something's up.
Then when I got downstairs the first thing I noticed was that the ziploc bag I had Viking's glucosamine chews in were on missing. Great, I figured the cats probably knocked them down and then Viking ate them all. It wouldn't make him sick per se but probably some diarrhea. Not a good thing since he's going to the 'rents today. I found the bag with a hole. For the most part the chews were still present, just crushed up with some teeth marks.
Then, the bigger problem we found. I ran the dishwasher before going to bed last night. Well, the dang thing decided to leak. And I'm talking all over the kitchen floor. The rugs all soaking wet. At this point we've cleaned up the mess and will deal with the possibility of a broken dishwasher when we come back. Something tells me it really isn't broken. We started to run it last night then figured we both had to take showers and wanted hot water, so we stopped it and then started it again over an hour later. I'm wondering with the suds and water sitting in there if that caused an issue. Dunno. We shall see, just not now.
It's about that time. Mom will be here in about 10 minutes then we'll be heading to Cleveland for our 12 hour plane trip (4hrs 1st leg, 7hrs the next). We will have Internet access at the hotel so I may surprise ya'll and make a post or two while we're there. God grant us traveling mercies. Rock on! Aloha Hawaii!!!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
1 More Sleep
The alarm went off this morning and I think it's the fastest I've gotten up in a longtime. My head popped up ready and raring to go. I realized it's the last day of work before vacation. I've waited for this day for an entire year. I really don't know if I'll get any sleep tonight. And considering we'll be getting up around 3:45am it's not like we'd be sleeping well, anyway you look at it. We've got a 12 hour trip, hopefully I'll be able to sleep. I'm not one for sleeping in moving objects, especially an airplane. It's just uncomfortable. If you tilt your head back you tend to have the open mouth, sore neck situation. If I use the table and lean over I feel I can't breathe and my arms fall asleep (I never slept in school, on a desk, why would it be any different now. So the position I usually end up in is leaning forward with my head to my knees and the top of my head touching the seat in front of me. I'm sure I look real cute. Everyone says to take a sleeping aid even if it's Tylenol PM. The thing is I'd hate to take it and feel so very exhausted but unable to sleep. That'd make a cranky Heidi let me tell you. We shall see. I'm also not one for wanting to use the lavatory while on a plane. I swear everytime I do we hit turbulence. Yeah, that's fun. Women have a hard enough time in public restrooms, try it on a plane. I'll tell you this...the whole "squat over the toilet instead of actually sitting on the toilet" technique is thrown out the window. And there's always a line for the lavatory even though they say not to line up in the aisles. So my question is, if I have to go do I follow the rules, waiting, hoping that at some point there's not a line? And race to it when someone comes out in hopes that I beat someone to it? Or just break the rules and stand in the line as everyone on the plane watches you? Ah, the joys of flying. I shouldn't be complaining. At least we don't have to drive or take a boat.
I was also explaining to a coworker how I see tomorrow in steps/goals. Once I'm on the road one layer of anxiety is taken away, then once we check-in, one more layer, get through the check points, another layer, and so on. The whole airport process can be exhausting. I've flown enough that I should be a pro at it, but considering all the changes that have occurred since 9/11 it makes it more of a challenge. You never know what to expect since laws and restrictions are constantly changing. And going through the checkpoints. Geesh. Do you ever feel like a cattle going to slaughter? You wait forever only to get to the check point and be pushed through faster than you can think. I always forget to put something on the conveyor belt and get yelled at, whether it's all my paperwork or my hoodie sweatshirt. I know they're just doing their job but I always feel like crap after going through them. Who likes to be yelled at first thing in the morning? Not I. Once again, the joys of flying and what we get to look forward to tomorrow. But the outcome will definitely be worth it.
I hear Hawaii calling our name. We're coming. We're coming.
I was also explaining to a coworker how I see tomorrow in steps/goals. Once I'm on the road one layer of anxiety is taken away, then once we check-in, one more layer, get through the check points, another layer, and so on. The whole airport process can be exhausting. I've flown enough that I should be a pro at it, but considering all the changes that have occurred since 9/11 it makes it more of a challenge. You never know what to expect since laws and restrictions are constantly changing. And going through the checkpoints. Geesh. Do you ever feel like a cattle going to slaughter? You wait forever only to get to the check point and be pushed through faster than you can think. I always forget to put something on the conveyor belt and get yelled at, whether it's all my paperwork or my hoodie sweatshirt. I know they're just doing their job but I always feel like crap after going through them. Who likes to be yelled at first thing in the morning? Not I. Once again, the joys of flying and what we get to look forward to tomorrow. But the outcome will definitely be worth it.
I hear Hawaii calling our name. We're coming. We're coming.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
26 Degrees
I couldn't believe my eyes when I woke up this morning to see on our thermometer that it was 26 degrees outside. I mumbled a word that I cannot post on here and moved, getting ready to head outside. I couldn't believe I was about to willingly go outside and run in the cold. And something to keep in mind...it's only going to get colder. Ah well. We laced up our shoes, did some stretching, and away we went.
Not so bad. It's the weirdest sensation as you run. My legs were immediately chilled as the wind hit them. I had my good 'ol tights on. Yes, the running tights. I dig 'em. At 1/4 mile the cold moved to my face. The burning face sensation. Keep going Heidi. By the time my face had adjusted and felt normal, that's when my fingers started to burn. That was at about 1/2 mile. Keep going Heidi. Although my legs never fully adjusted to the temperature, the rest of my body and extremities did by the end of the run, and all in all it was a great run. I wanted to keep going but we had already decided on a route. And considering David had already made it home, I didn't want to take forever getting home and have him worrying where the heck I was.
The past 2 days we've been cutting our runs shorter. Instead of keeping at our 3 miles we've backed down to 2 miles. In all honesty we should be kicking it up with the vacation right around the corner, but shoot, the vacation gives us more incentive not to wear ourselves out this week. I want to be rested for the vacation so we can go out and do a ton of adventuring, all the while we enjoy warm Hawaiian weather. And we're not expecting to eat as much on this vacation as we did at Disney. Oy, that was A LOT of food at Disney. The Dining Plan is a great idea, just too much food. Since we don't have a "dining plan" for this trip and we have our eating portions in check, we should do fine.
It's going to be quite and adjustment to have warm weather and then right back to the frigid weather here. It should be fun. I've already mapped out some runs to do while in Hawaii. Heck, we may not even stick to a set plan. That's what the Garmin's for. Run until your tired or the Garmin says so.
Can you tell I'm getting excited? We're so pumped and ready to go.
By the way, David's still running in shorts. Yes, running in shorts in 26 degree weather. Can you believe it? He's crazy.
Not so bad. It's the weirdest sensation as you run. My legs were immediately chilled as the wind hit them. I had my good 'ol tights on. Yes, the running tights. I dig 'em. At 1/4 mile the cold moved to my face. The burning face sensation. Keep going Heidi. By the time my face had adjusted and felt normal, that's when my fingers started to burn. That was at about 1/2 mile. Keep going Heidi. Although my legs never fully adjusted to the temperature, the rest of my body and extremities did by the end of the run, and all in all it was a great run. I wanted to keep going but we had already decided on a route. And considering David had already made it home, I didn't want to take forever getting home and have him worrying where the heck I was.
The past 2 days we've been cutting our runs shorter. Instead of keeping at our 3 miles we've backed down to 2 miles. In all honesty we should be kicking it up with the vacation right around the corner, but shoot, the vacation gives us more incentive not to wear ourselves out this week. I want to be rested for the vacation so we can go out and do a ton of adventuring, all the while we enjoy warm Hawaiian weather. And we're not expecting to eat as much on this vacation as we did at Disney. Oy, that was A LOT of food at Disney. The Dining Plan is a great idea, just too much food. Since we don't have a "dining plan" for this trip and we have our eating portions in check, we should do fine.
It's going to be quite and adjustment to have warm weather and then right back to the frigid weather here. It should be fun. I've already mapped out some runs to do while in Hawaii. Heck, we may not even stick to a set plan. That's what the Garmin's for. Run until your tired or the Garmin says so.
Can you tell I'm getting excited? We're so pumped and ready to go.
By the way, David's still running in shorts. Yes, running in shorts in 26 degree weather. Can you believe it? He's crazy.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Counting Down
We're one more day closer. Yes. I'm fully packed to the point of last minute things. And I have my to-do list in full swing. Everything down to the last day. I can't wait. We're both so ready. When we went out for our run this morning David said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to have a good night's sleep until we're on vacation." Well, let's hope we get some sleep on vacation.
I've gone back through 2 of the 3 Hawaii books, making notes. I'm not 100% comfortable yet. It's more the whole idea of getting around and what to do when. I'm sure that will come with time and being there. Unlike Disney, we've never been to Hawaii so we're not sure what to expect. And although tourbooks have "how to do Disney in 3 days", etc. it's pretty much a no brainer when you go there. You get up and go. Don't have to worry about transportation with the Magical Express and all the shuttle busses. Of course I still did some planning when we went to Florida like when the best days for what parks were and things like that. Basically for this trip I've printed out tons of maps and directions, made notes in books, then have basic notes as to what we would possibly like to do when we arrive. That's it. Really nothing special. We haven't planned any tours or anything. That's more because of a money thing, but also, you have to book so far in advance and I just want to get there first and check things out. I'd hate to be tied down and not be able to do what we want to do. And if we get there and can't get on a tour that we'd like to be on, so be it. I'm sure there's plenty of other things to fill our time.
I'm already dreading leaving the "kids." I know they're just pets to most people but they are part of our family and for us it's like leaving a kid behind. I know they'll be fine and they could hardly care that we're gone, but it's still so hard to leave them. It's just getting through that first night or two and then I get better. They'll have a heck of a time with Nana and PawPaw though. Viking and Lily will definitely keep them on their toes.
I believe I've finally conquered the problem of sending my school checklists in. I was having problems last week with sending them to my professor. Well, come to find out it wasn't just a problem with 1 class, but 2. I still don't think it was a attachment size issue but I ended up getting my professors' personal email addresses and sent them that way. After hours of attempting to send emails with attachments, last week and last night, I have not received any back from all the ones I sent last night. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I just want it to be complete, that way it's one less this to worry about this week.
Well, it's off to work I go. Only 3 more working days. Yes.
I've gone back through 2 of the 3 Hawaii books, making notes. I'm not 100% comfortable yet. It's more the whole idea of getting around and what to do when. I'm sure that will come with time and being there. Unlike Disney, we've never been to Hawaii so we're not sure what to expect. And although tourbooks have "how to do Disney in 3 days", etc. it's pretty much a no brainer when you go there. You get up and go. Don't have to worry about transportation with the Magical Express and all the shuttle busses. Of course I still did some planning when we went to Florida like when the best days for what parks were and things like that. Basically for this trip I've printed out tons of maps and directions, made notes in books, then have basic notes as to what we would possibly like to do when we arrive. That's it. Really nothing special. We haven't planned any tours or anything. That's more because of a money thing, but also, you have to book so far in advance and I just want to get there first and check things out. I'd hate to be tied down and not be able to do what we want to do. And if we get there and can't get on a tour that we'd like to be on, so be it. I'm sure there's plenty of other things to fill our time.
I'm already dreading leaving the "kids." I know they're just pets to most people but they are part of our family and for us it's like leaving a kid behind. I know they'll be fine and they could hardly care that we're gone, but it's still so hard to leave them. It's just getting through that first night or two and then I get better. They'll have a heck of a time with Nana and PawPaw though. Viking and Lily will definitely keep them on their toes.
I believe I've finally conquered the problem of sending my school checklists in. I was having problems last week with sending them to my professor. Well, come to find out it wasn't just a problem with 1 class, but 2. I still don't think it was a attachment size issue but I ended up getting my professors' personal email addresses and sent them that way. After hours of attempting to send emails with attachments, last week and last night, I have not received any back from all the ones I sent last night. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I just want it to be complete, that way it's one less this to worry about this week.
Well, it's off to work I go. Only 3 more working days. Yes.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Long Weekend
I've been slacking with the posts the past few days. Give me a break, we've been busy. The day after Thanksgiving we headed out to do a little shopping at 10am. Nothing big and just checking out any deals that were left. We got a little Christmas shopping done and got a few things for ourselves. While we were driving out to meet the 'rents we were the victims of our first road rage of the season. A car turned off into a plaza, I turned on my blinker to change lanes and take the place of that car. While I was moving over this guy in a truck ran up on me and beeped his horn throwing his hands up in the air. Ah well. He moved over to the other lane, went around me, then moved in front of me. After all that we still found ourselves following him into a plaza. As we entered he heard a horn beeping and David said, "Is that the same guy?" I said, "Nah." But then it happened again. You bet it was the same guy. There was no reason to be beeping at the car in front of them as they were going the speed limit. Geez. Bah humbug to you too man.
We finished up our shopping and chilled the rest of the day. That evening we met up with David's old friend Brian Hughes and his girlfriend. We headed downtown for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, then to the Kalahari Candy Hut, and finished the night listening to the Breakfast Club over at Nick's Roadhouse. Yes, you heard right. I spent time at a different bar this weekend. That's just crazy. Ha. For those that know us, we don't get out all that much, especially to bars, so it's kind of funny to know that I've made it out to a bar the past two weekends. It's not that we have anything against it, it's just that it's just something we don't find ourselves doing all that much. Once again we were in good company and had and enjoyable night. I must say the whole smoking ban makes it much more enjoyable. You don't feel like you have to strip down immediately upon entering your house after going out anymore.
Yesterday we woke up at an early time to freeze our butts off during a run and then continue freezing them off as we put up our outdoor lights. Note to self: if you have decent weather in early November, put up your lights early, just don't light them. I've felt so "out of the spirit" when decorating this year. It's as though I just want to get it done and don't appreciate the moment. I must say it's kind of hard to enjoy it when you can't feel your fingers though.
We then decided to spend the evening up in Cleveland with Sita and Alpa. Originally we were going to go see the Tree Lighting, but decided to go to the Lake Erie Monsters Hockey (AHL) game. David was determined to get to the game since it was "fleece blanket night" (he's a sucker for giveaways) but in the end I'm glad that we went. Actually, I look forward to going again. It had been awhile since I had been to a game and I had forgotten how much I like hockey. And for $10 a ticket it's great entertainment. Too bad it's an hour away because I could definitely see us going to games more often, just like when we lived in New Orleans and went to Hornets games. And it's very family oriented with free hair coloring, tattoos, sign making, etc. Very fun. We'll definitely have to go again.
Today has been a bumming type of day. We haven't done all that much but I am slowly getting things together for our trip. Right now I'm uploading songs to our MP3 players (early Christmas gifts). I definitely enjoyed the long weekend we had. A well-needed rest. I can't wait for our even longer break that's just right around the corner.
We finished up our shopping and chilled the rest of the day. That evening we met up with David's old friend Brian Hughes and his girlfriend. We headed downtown for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, then to the Kalahari Candy Hut, and finished the night listening to the Breakfast Club over at Nick's Roadhouse. Yes, you heard right. I spent time at a different bar this weekend. That's just crazy. Ha. For those that know us, we don't get out all that much, especially to bars, so it's kind of funny to know that I've made it out to a bar the past two weekends. It's not that we have anything against it, it's just that it's just something we don't find ourselves doing all that much. Once again we were in good company and had and enjoyable night. I must say the whole smoking ban makes it much more enjoyable. You don't feel like you have to strip down immediately upon entering your house after going out anymore.
Yesterday we woke up at an early time to freeze our butts off during a run and then continue freezing them off as we put up our outdoor lights. Note to self: if you have decent weather in early November, put up your lights early, just don't light them. I've felt so "out of the spirit" when decorating this year. It's as though I just want to get it done and don't appreciate the moment. I must say it's kind of hard to enjoy it when you can't feel your fingers though.
We then decided to spend the evening up in Cleveland with Sita and Alpa. Originally we were going to go see the Tree Lighting, but decided to go to the Lake Erie Monsters Hockey (AHL) game. David was determined to get to the game since it was "fleece blanket night" (he's a sucker for giveaways) but in the end I'm glad that we went. Actually, I look forward to going again. It had been awhile since I had been to a game and I had forgotten how much I like hockey. And for $10 a ticket it's great entertainment. Too bad it's an hour away because I could definitely see us going to games more often, just like when we lived in New Orleans and went to Hornets games. And it's very family oriented with free hair coloring, tattoos, sign making, etc. Very fun. We'll definitely have to go again.
Today has been a bumming type of day. We haven't done all that much but I am slowly getting things together for our trip. Right now I'm uploading songs to our MP3 players (early Christmas gifts). I definitely enjoyed the long weekend we had. A well-needed rest. I can't wait for our even longer break that's just right around the corner.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Turkey Dash Follow-Up
Ready For Hawaii!
As stated in a previous post, each race brings a new experience along with memories. The Turkey Dash was definitely an experience. The morning started out being windy with a steady mist. Okay, more like droplets than a mist. It was cold. I think Erika, David, and I were all thinking, "Why the heck did we sign up for this?!"
The route was basically in the form of a figure 8. The first quarter I felt like my face was going to freeze off. I kept thinking to myself, "Man! My face hasn't been this cold in awhile. Am I going to be able to go the entire route being this cold?" But then I hit mile one and looked at my time...10:00. "Hmmm, good job Heidi. You're doing better than you thought you would and better than you've been training too." That gave me inspiration to keep going and keep up the pace that I had set.
As I entered the second half trees must have been blocking the wind, and at that point I felt warm. Almost too warm. Time to unzip the outerwear. At mile 2 I was still quite pleased with my pace and found myself running neck and neck with an unknown female. There was no talking but it was nice to have "company" that continued to drive me. I'm not going to lie. The entire time I was thinking, "Yep, we'll run together for now, but I'm going to kick your butt at the end!" That's the competitor in me I guess.
We turned what I thought to be the final corner and I started to kick it out. For some reason I didn't see the end of the race though. Finally we had someone hollering at us, "Just under the bridge then you're finished!" "Under the bridge? What bridge?" Then a quick descent came upon us. Not too safe considering it had been a mixture of rain/sleet the entire morning. I did fine then started up the hill that followed the underpass. That's when I saw KD. As usual, I flashed my hang loose sign and continued on. All the while I'm thinking to myself, "Where the heck is the finish?" I wasn't so much tired but was confused as to where I was going. Ah ha! There it was in the distance . I kicked up my already kicked up pace and finished strong with David and Erika waiting for me at the finish.
According to my Garmin I kept up my "good" pace and was quite proud of my finish time, which was 10 seconds faster than my previous best 5K time. Recently my times have been much slower which I attribute to more clothes and the change in elements, so it was a pleasant surprise to have a better time and a much better average pace. Now I can say that I participated in a Turkey Dash/Trot. I think I'd like to do it again next year and hope that we don't have the same elements. It made it much easier to swallow all the food we ate today knowing I had already burned some of it off. And as always we were in great company with Erika and KD. We definitely have to get up there and visit them. Take a night out. It'd be fun.
The rest of the day was truly an enjoyable Thanksgiving. It was relaxing and cozy. Being with family and not being too hectic. Eating just the right amount of food and enjoying it. And then finishing up the day with a glass of sparkling juice and "The Holiday" with David. Couldn't ask for a better day. One more reason to be thankful.
I'm not sure what our plans are tomorrow. I'd like to go shopping but truly we have nothing to buy so I ask myself, "Why would I be so insane to fight the crowds for nothing?" It's fun I guess. Once again, the competitor in me. We shall see. I'll tell you this though...I sure the heck am not going to be up at 4am. Hey, I got the day off, I'm going to try to get some sleep.
Oh yeah, and by the way I did kick butt and beat the unknown female that was running next to me during the Turkey Dash. Rock on!
Happy Turkey Day!
Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. It's 6:05am and I've got my oatmeal in my belly. Yum! Erika and KD will be here a little after 7am and we'll be heading to Avon for our Turkey Dash. I'm hoping the weather will hold out, as we had all that rain yesterday. Cross your fingers. I love to run in the rain, but that's in the summer. I'd definitely prefer snow if we must have any precipitation today.
This will be my first year ever that I won't be watching the Macy's Day Parade. Wow. But that's okay, because each year I get more and more bummed after getting my hopes up before, then it's a dud. I guess that's what happens when you grow up. This just aren't as cool as they used to be. Ah well. Time for a new tradition.
After the run we'll be off to Sita and Alpa's for lunch then it's to my 'rents for dinner. A day full of eating. Kind of scary for two people who are watching what they're eating. We're not all that scared though. You just use the tactics you use everyday, and you should be fine. And if you slip up, what's one day?
It's about that time to start getting ready. Hope everyone has a wonderful day whether you're with friends or family. Gobble Gobble!
This will be my first year ever that I won't be watching the Macy's Day Parade. Wow. But that's okay, because each year I get more and more bummed after getting my hopes up before, then it's a dud. I guess that's what happens when you grow up. This just aren't as cool as they used to be. Ah well. Time for a new tradition.
After the run we'll be off to Sita and Alpa's for lunch then it's to my 'rents for dinner. A day full of eating. Kind of scary for two people who are watching what they're eating. We're not all that scared though. You just use the tactics you use everyday, and you should be fine. And if you slip up, what's one day?
It's about that time to start getting ready. Hope everyone has a wonderful day whether you're with friends or family. Gobble Gobble!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Ahhhh.....Done
Well, it's 11:33am and I feel as though I've had a very productive morning. Our alarm was set to go off at 5:15am but we decided to roll over and go back to sleep. Yep, that's right, no running for us today. I must say though, that extra hour of sleep wasn't really much. Once again, for some reason I've been battling waking up. It's been starting at about 4am and I go in and out of sleep. I'm having some whacked out dreams during the process too. I'm figuring David was in and out of sleep too because he got up at about 6am to do some crunches, etc. Then I got up at 6:30am. I didn't have to go to work today but I figured I'd get started on my to do list.
As of now I've taken all my exams, organized my schoolbooks, dusted, dry mopped and cleaned the hardwood floors, mopped the kitchen floor, changed all the litterboxes, washed all the dog bowels, stripped our bed, done 4 loads of wash, and worked on Christmas presents. I've even finished up my project I had started the other day which included patching an area in the bathroom that had previous water damage near the shower. It's patched, sanded, and painted.
I also unexpectedly had decent weather this morning too so I figured I'd get the raking/mowing done, that I had planned to do later this weekend. So our yard is all nice and beautiful and now I don't feel so bad for not running. I worked up a hardcore sweat out there. You could've fooled me that it is November. I had perfect timing too, because as I came inside it started to rain.
I'm sitting here now, trying to get my checklists sent to my professors. I actually had already sent them this morning but the attachments were too large. So now I'm reconfiguring the attachments and resending them. It's a pain in the butt. Hey, it's not my fault we have 15 pages of checklists for each class and they no longer want us to fax our papers in.
Now what shall I do? I have a few more things on my list but I think I may hit the shower, tan, head to the mall for a bit, and possibly fit some reading in there somewhere. I'm not sure what our plans are for dinner but it looks like we'll be heading to BW3's tonight for a family get together. Having our 5K tomorrow we won't be getting our chow there, but it will be nice to see family. For those of you from the Roth Family that didn't get an email, we're all meeting 6:30pm tonight at BW3's.
As of now I've taken all my exams, organized my schoolbooks, dusted, dry mopped and cleaned the hardwood floors, mopped the kitchen floor, changed all the litterboxes, washed all the dog bowels, stripped our bed, done 4 loads of wash, and worked on Christmas presents. I've even finished up my project I had started the other day which included patching an area in the bathroom that had previous water damage near the shower. It's patched, sanded, and painted.
I also unexpectedly had decent weather this morning too so I figured I'd get the raking/mowing done, that I had planned to do later this weekend. So our yard is all nice and beautiful and now I don't feel so bad for not running. I worked up a hardcore sweat out there. You could've fooled me that it is November. I had perfect timing too, because as I came inside it started to rain.
I'm sitting here now, trying to get my checklists sent to my professors. I actually had already sent them this morning but the attachments were too large. So now I'm reconfiguring the attachments and resending them. It's a pain in the butt. Hey, it's not my fault we have 15 pages of checklists for each class and they no longer want us to fax our papers in.
Now what shall I do? I have a few more things on my list but I think I may hit the shower, tan, head to the mall for a bit, and possibly fit some reading in there somewhere. I'm not sure what our plans are for dinner but it looks like we'll be heading to BW3's tonight for a family get together. Having our 5K tomorrow we won't be getting our chow there, but it will be nice to see family. For those of you from the Roth Family that didn't get an email, we're all meeting 6:30pm tonight at BW3's.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Running Camaraderie
Yesterday was a ton of fun. I'm so glad that I signed up for the Pigskin Classic 5K with Erika. We all had perfect timing arriving in Cleveland and had no problem finding each other. The morning was quite chilly. Chilly enough to make our teeth chatter. Brrrr....Even though it was chilly we all enjoyed the pre-race atmosphere at the Tailgate along with Erika and KD's friends, Jen and Ian. After waiting around for a bit the race finally started 15 minutes late due to organization problems.
When the race started Jen and Erika did their thing while I stayed back and did my own thing. Upon starting out I had the numb foot feeling. Not to the point of hurting, but the kind that when your feet strike your feet feel tiny. Know what I'm sayin'? I didn't know what to expect with the race course. I had looked at the map, but considering I'm not all that familiar with Cleveland, it didn't help much. However, I was hoping that it wasn't going to be as hilly as OROC. For the most part OROC was uphill the first half, then downhill the second half. Boy, was I in for a surprise! We rounded the first corner and started heading downhill. You know what that means, if you're going downhill, you know that you're going to have to go back up that hill to get back to where you started. Basically this race was the opposite of OROC. Downhill the first half, and uphill the second half. Man.
So the first 1/4 was downhill to the Browns Stadium, it wound around the stadium, headed back uphill, then in front of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, downhill and to the airport. It was a down and back course, meaning you basically turn right around and go the opposite direction. Considering that, Jen and Erika passed me on their way back. I gave them a quick wave as they hollered "Heidi Henry!" at me. I felt great at that point. It's always an awesome feeling to hear your name called out in encouragement. That was when I started focusing on the second half. I was dreading that final hill, knowing it was going to kick my butt. However, the wind wasn't too bad considering we were right on the water, so I just kept telling myself, "It will be ok." That's when a second surprise came. Upon turning the corner of the Browns Stadium to head up the final hill, I hit a wall of wind. Gosh. That's when the hardcore self-talking had to kick in. Once again, just like OROC, I found myself near a young boy. He was trying his hardest to go up that hill. He just gave up and started walking. When I caught up to him I told him, "Come on man. You're almost there. You can do it." He picked up his pace and kicked it out. Awesome. It's amazing how when you encourage someone else, it inspires you to keep going too.
The last quarter of the hill I kicked into overdrive. I focused in on my goal of passing "that" person ahead of me. When I met that goal, I focused in again on the next person, then the next person. I rounded the corner, heard my name being yelled, flashed my quick "hang loose" sign, and finished it out strong. I felt good.
Every race thus far has been different in a multitude of ways. This race brought it's own new experiences and fun with it. I must say, races are even more fun when you know other people who are running. Just in racing with new people, I now understand the camaraderie that goes along with the racing world. The pre-race and post-race fun, just enjoying each other's company. It was a blast. The coolest thing is that it's a chill type of atmosphere.
After the race, we tailgated a bit more then headed into the bar to hang out. Although there were a ton of people there was enough room for everyone, and for the most part it was a positive atmosphere. I've never been all that close with KD so it's great to get to spend some time with him and Erika, and get to know them better. And getting to know their friends/coworkers is even better. I look forward to many more experiences. Thanks to KD, Erika, Jen, Ian, and Brian for including me in on the fun. And by the way, the shirts are really cool. The coolest race shirt to date, for me.
After all the fun I drove home to find a happy husband, since OSU won. Go Buckeyes! I took a quick shower then we headed to Fridays with Sita and Alpa. After arriving home I should've taken it easy but we decided to start our Christmas decorating. Hey, why not take advantage of the time? We turned on the Christmas music and away we went. By the time 10pm came around I was about to fall over from being tired.
My legs hurt some yesterday but boy did they hurt today. I couldn't believe how sore they were when I woke up. I decided to take the day off of running while David headed out for a short route (making me feel guilty). For the first time he took the Garmin to measure his speed. Goodness gracious....as I thought, that boy can move! The Garmin measured him at an average pace of 7:50/mile. Let's put this into perspective....my average is 10-10:15/mile on a good day. Now I know I'm slow, but he's still fast. And I would consider that a bad day for him since he was struggling with the cold and his asthma today. Ah well. I can't be jealous as it took him some time in the Marine Corps to get to where he is and he's worked VERY hard at it. I'm proud.
The rest of the day was quite uneventful. I spent some time bumming around with Sita, but we had to cut it short with my legs killing me. I can only guess the aching is coming from the lack of adequate stretching, cold weather, the uphill incline, and the amount of standing we did yesterday. If I feel like this after a 5K what am I going to feel like after my someday marathon? I don't even want to imagine. It's okay, I'll get there. That's why I do what I do. According to the Marine Corps, pain is weakness leaving the body, right? Thankfully I have a mother-in-law who's a massotherapist in training and I get to be the guinea pig. Yes! And better yet, they're learning athletic massage right now. Ooh, after she worked on me, I feel much better.
I think that's about all for now. Today is a short week for work. Only Monday and Tuesday. Sweet. My exams should be posted by tomorrow, so I'll be able to get those out of the way at some point this week too. Then Thursday, Turkey Day! David and I will be running the Turkey Dash 5K with Erika, then spending some time with family. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and you're looking forward to the upcoming holiday.
When the race started Jen and Erika did their thing while I stayed back and did my own thing. Upon starting out I had the numb foot feeling. Not to the point of hurting, but the kind that when your feet strike your feet feel tiny. Know what I'm sayin'? I didn't know what to expect with the race course. I had looked at the map, but considering I'm not all that familiar with Cleveland, it didn't help much. However, I was hoping that it wasn't going to be as hilly as OROC. For the most part OROC was uphill the first half, then downhill the second half. Boy, was I in for a surprise! We rounded the first corner and started heading downhill. You know what that means, if you're going downhill, you know that you're going to have to go back up that hill to get back to where you started. Basically this race was the opposite of OROC. Downhill the first half, and uphill the second half. Man.
So the first 1/4 was downhill to the Browns Stadium, it wound around the stadium, headed back uphill, then in front of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, downhill and to the airport. It was a down and back course, meaning you basically turn right around and go the opposite direction. Considering that, Jen and Erika passed me on their way back. I gave them a quick wave as they hollered "Heidi Henry!" at me. I felt great at that point. It's always an awesome feeling to hear your name called out in encouragement. That was when I started focusing on the second half. I was dreading that final hill, knowing it was going to kick my butt. However, the wind wasn't too bad considering we were right on the water, so I just kept telling myself, "It will be ok." That's when a second surprise came. Upon turning the corner of the Browns Stadium to head up the final hill, I hit a wall of wind. Gosh. That's when the hardcore self-talking had to kick in. Once again, just like OROC, I found myself near a young boy. He was trying his hardest to go up that hill. He just gave up and started walking. When I caught up to him I told him, "Come on man. You're almost there. You can do it." He picked up his pace and kicked it out. Awesome. It's amazing how when you encourage someone else, it inspires you to keep going too.
The last quarter of the hill I kicked into overdrive. I focused in on my goal of passing "that" person ahead of me. When I met that goal, I focused in again on the next person, then the next person. I rounded the corner, heard my name being yelled, flashed my quick "hang loose" sign, and finished it out strong. I felt good.
Every race thus far has been different in a multitude of ways. This race brought it's own new experiences and fun with it. I must say, races are even more fun when you know other people who are running. Just in racing with new people, I now understand the camaraderie that goes along with the racing world. The pre-race and post-race fun, just enjoying each other's company. It was a blast. The coolest thing is that it's a chill type of atmosphere.
After the race, we tailgated a bit more then headed into the bar to hang out. Although there were a ton of people there was enough room for everyone, and for the most part it was a positive atmosphere. I've never been all that close with KD so it's great to get to spend some time with him and Erika, and get to know them better. And getting to know their friends/coworkers is even better. I look forward to many more experiences. Thanks to KD, Erika, Jen, Ian, and Brian for including me in on the fun. And by the way, the shirts are really cool. The coolest race shirt to date, for me.
After all the fun I drove home to find a happy husband, since OSU won. Go Buckeyes! I took a quick shower then we headed to Fridays with Sita and Alpa. After arriving home I should've taken it easy but we decided to start our Christmas decorating. Hey, why not take advantage of the time? We turned on the Christmas music and away we went. By the time 10pm came around I was about to fall over from being tired.
My legs hurt some yesterday but boy did they hurt today. I couldn't believe how sore they were when I woke up. I decided to take the day off of running while David headed out for a short route (making me feel guilty). For the first time he took the Garmin to measure his speed. Goodness gracious....as I thought, that boy can move! The Garmin measured him at an average pace of 7:50/mile. Let's put this into perspective....my average is 10-10:15/mile on a good day. Now I know I'm slow, but he's still fast. And I would consider that a bad day for him since he was struggling with the cold and his asthma today. Ah well. I can't be jealous as it took him some time in the Marine Corps to get to where he is and he's worked VERY hard at it. I'm proud.
The rest of the day was quite uneventful. I spent some time bumming around with Sita, but we had to cut it short with my legs killing me. I can only guess the aching is coming from the lack of adequate stretching, cold weather, the uphill incline, and the amount of standing we did yesterday. If I feel like this after a 5K what am I going to feel like after my someday marathon? I don't even want to imagine. It's okay, I'll get there. That's why I do what I do. According to the Marine Corps, pain is weakness leaving the body, right? Thankfully I have a mother-in-law who's a massotherapist in training and I get to be the guinea pig. Yes! And better yet, they're learning athletic massage right now. Ooh, after she worked on me, I feel much better.
I think that's about all for now. Today is a short week for work. Only Monday and Tuesday. Sweet. My exams should be posted by tomorrow, so I'll be able to get those out of the way at some point this week too. Then Thursday, Turkey Day! David and I will be running the Turkey Dash 5K with Erika, then spending some time with family. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and you're looking forward to the upcoming holiday.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Go Buckeyes!
Rise and Shine!! I'm up bright and early to take a small roadtrip to Cleveland for the Pigskin Classic 5K. My alarm was set to go off at 6:15am, which would give me plenty of time to get ready, but of course my body wanted to wake up at 5:30am. Ahh well. You can't really fight that anxious feeling. You know the one that you have the night before vacation or a big day. It's the find of feeling where you wake up and must be running on adrenaline because you are bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on the world. And why am I like this today?? Dunno. It's not like this is a big race. It's a 5K and I'm not even competitive. Yes, THE Game is today, but as for me, that doesn't really get me all that anxious...that is until I start to watch it and it gets intense. If you can remember back I didn't know what to wear for the race today, given I wanted to support the boys in Scarlet and Gray. I finally gave in and got a red Cold Gear Under Armour. I have multiple Heat Gear Under Armour and love them and even have one of Nike's Cold Gear tops. I really wanted something red for today so I broke down and bought the red Under Armour....thanks to the help of the Dick's gift card from J and Cass (THANKS!) I debated weather to get the longsleeved Heat Gear or the Cold Gear. I went with the Cold Gear because it has the mock turtleneck and it looks like it's going to be quite chilly today. Not to mention I don't have all that much warm weather stuff for running. If I get too hot I'll just take my jacket off. I'll also be wearing my black Adidas jacket/pants and wearing my "Beat Michigan" pin.
In other news, I officially started our Christmas shopping yesterday. We had a significant amount of downtime yesterday at work so I did my usual dirty work around there, tearing areas apart, cleaning, then organizing them. After that I still had time so I took advantage of it and started ordering gifts online. Thank God for the Internet. I had already mapped out where I was going to purchase the items, so all I did was basically went through with ordering. So at this point we have 3 people down and I believe 5 people left. We don't give out huge gifts, but I do like to make them thoughtful, and thus far I think I've done a pretty good job with ideas. We shall see. This is when I get all excited and ready to give everyone their gifts. Receiving's always fun, but giving, now that's the best part, especially when you put time, thought, and energy into the gift.
This morning I also purchased David a book for our trip. He's been showing interest in Tony Dungy's "Quiet Strength." After reading the reviews I think I may be interested in it too. And with Amazon.com I got a great deal on my purchase again. Gotta love that. I love great deals. This week we went to JCPenney and purchased a fleece-lined zip up hoodie for David. It was originally $50, on sale for 50% off, then I had a $10 off coupon for using our Mastercard. So we got a $50 piece for $15! Sweet. And to think, I almost threw the coupon away. I thought you had to use a specific card or spend so much, but all you had to do was use a general Mastercard (not a JCPenney card) and spend at least $10. I definitely inherited the bargain buying gene from my mom...the TJMaxx Queen.
I have a little bit more time before it's time to take off but I think I may make a cd for my trip. See ya'll later! Hear we go Buckeyes, Here we go!!!
In other news, I officially started our Christmas shopping yesterday. We had a significant amount of downtime yesterday at work so I did my usual dirty work around there, tearing areas apart, cleaning, then organizing them. After that I still had time so I took advantage of it and started ordering gifts online. Thank God for the Internet. I had already mapped out where I was going to purchase the items, so all I did was basically went through with ordering. So at this point we have 3 people down and I believe 5 people left. We don't give out huge gifts, but I do like to make them thoughtful, and thus far I think I've done a pretty good job with ideas. We shall see. This is when I get all excited and ready to give everyone their gifts. Receiving's always fun, but giving, now that's the best part, especially when you put time, thought, and energy into the gift.
This morning I also purchased David a book for our trip. He's been showing interest in Tony Dungy's "Quiet Strength." After reading the reviews I think I may be interested in it too. And with Amazon.com I got a great deal on my purchase again. Gotta love that. I love great deals. This week we went to JCPenney and purchased a fleece-lined zip up hoodie for David. It was originally $50, on sale for 50% off, then I had a $10 off coupon for using our Mastercard. So we got a $50 piece for $15! Sweet. And to think, I almost threw the coupon away. I thought you had to use a specific card or spend so much, but all you had to do was use a general Mastercard (not a JCPenney card) and spend at least $10. I definitely inherited the bargain buying gene from my mom...the TJMaxx Queen.
I have a little bit more time before it's time to take off but I think I may make a cd for my trip. See ya'll later! Hear we go Buckeyes, Here we go!!!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Great American Smokeout
The Annual Great American Smokeout is today. Who are you going to help quit? I got 2 names on my list who are very close to me.....Mom and Dad. I declared it this summer that my goal was by the 1st of the year they will have quit smoking. As you well know, I don't like to fail. And if I have a goal, I will accomplish it. Of course, they must be in on the plan too, which is close to impossible to do. And anytime I bring it up I get the usual, "I know. I don't want to talk about it." I know they've made multiple attempts throughout the years and have not succeeded but this I know, they CAN succeed. The thing is, all they have to say is, "Yes, we want help and support," and they'd have people surrounding them, encouraging them through the process. I can't do it on my own and I can't force them to do it. It must be their choice. I've already researched information through various channels, and it's sitting, waiting to be read. Not waiting to be read by me, but by them. It will continue to sit but will always be ready when they make the decision that they're ready.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Is It Really Fall?
Last night, before going to bed, I checked the weather to see what it was going to be like for our morning run. According to weather.com it would be 53 degrees at 6am. Given that information I can assume we'll be around that mark at 5am also. 53 degrees is a little warmer than it's been but nothing big. When we woke this morning we found it to be 58 degrees outside. Say what? What's the deal? Is it fall or actually spring? With all of this decent weather I'm totally confused as to what time of the year it is. It's very hard to get in the holiday spirit with it being so warm. It's the weirdest thing. I wouldn't be surprised if we had a blizzard by Thanksgiving though. That's just the sort of weather we have here in Ohio.
For the most part when I rise in the morning I have a slight nauseous feeling, which I attribute to my birth control pill. After beginning our run I start to feel better and by the end I'm usually fine. But let me tell you, those first few minutes are kind of tough. And I don't let me even think, see, or smell something gross. I have yet to vomit, but dry heaves aren't fun either. And I've also learned to take the pill a little earlier in the evening as to help with reducing morning nausea. So anyway, upon going to bed last night I noticed I had missed Monday's pill. Son of a.....Ah well. This happens once in a blue moon. You do the usual thing, instead of just taking that day's pill, you take both of them. Well, that also means double the nausea....not so fun. I've had 2 pills knock me out for a day. Not knock me out tired, but knock me out sick. Taking both the pills last night, I dreaded today. Surprisingly the nausea hit me in the middle of the night. I can't say it's any better at that time but at least I'm not fighting it while running. But instead of getting a good night's sleep I was tossing and turning, feeling sick. I felt a little weird waking up this morning, but the run went well. However, after the run the nausea kicked back in and I got the dry heaves. I'm feeling fine now but by abs feel like I did 5 times the normal amount of crunches I usually do. You know, that slight burning feeling. It's fun. I can't believe that I still think that getting up at 5am to run 3 miles is fun. Maybe not exactly fun, but it's in me. I've got the bug. I've always wondered why runners/athletes do what they do. I vividly remember just over a year ago we were driving home late at night, when it was cold outside, and we saw someone running. David and I just looked at him and both said, "What drives them to do it?" And to be quite honest, although I'm now one of them, I still can't pinpoint exactly why we do it. We put ourselves through pain, less sleep, and push ourselves to the limit, yet we find that it feels "good". I'm now one of those people that when David says "Let's go for a run" and it's 10pm I say "Let's do it!" I LOVE it.
For the most part when I rise in the morning I have a slight nauseous feeling, which I attribute to my birth control pill. After beginning our run I start to feel better and by the end I'm usually fine. But let me tell you, those first few minutes are kind of tough. And I don't let me even think, see, or smell something gross. I have yet to vomit, but dry heaves aren't fun either. And I've also learned to take the pill a little earlier in the evening as to help with reducing morning nausea. So anyway, upon going to bed last night I noticed I had missed Monday's pill. Son of a.....Ah well. This happens once in a blue moon. You do the usual thing, instead of just taking that day's pill, you take both of them. Well, that also means double the nausea....not so fun. I've had 2 pills knock me out for a day. Not knock me out tired, but knock me out sick. Taking both the pills last night, I dreaded today. Surprisingly the nausea hit me in the middle of the night. I can't say it's any better at that time but at least I'm not fighting it while running. But instead of getting a good night's sleep I was tossing and turning, feeling sick. I felt a little weird waking up this morning, but the run went well. However, after the run the nausea kicked back in and I got the dry heaves. I'm feeling fine now but by abs feel like I did 5 times the normal amount of crunches I usually do. You know, that slight burning feeling. It's fun. I can't believe that I still think that getting up at 5am to run 3 miles is fun. Maybe not exactly fun, but it's in me. I've got the bug. I've always wondered why runners/athletes do what they do. I vividly remember just over a year ago we were driving home late at night, when it was cold outside, and we saw someone running. David and I just looked at him and both said, "What drives them to do it?" And to be quite honest, although I'm now one of them, I still can't pinpoint exactly why we do it. We put ourselves through pain, less sleep, and push ourselves to the limit, yet we find that it feels "good". I'm now one of those people that when David says "Let's go for a run" and it's 10pm I say "Let's do it!" I LOVE it.
Monday, November 12, 2007
To-Do List
For the past two days I've wanted to sit down and write a post. I just haven't had time. Now, when I have a few moments to write, do you think I can think of something to write? Of course not. Nothing all that exciting happened this past weekend. However, I must say I filled my time with tasks. And isn't it amazing how you can find something to do when you're wanting to put a task off. For instance, school work. I'm so close to the end of the semester that I can taste it and I just couldn't seem to focus in on finishing up my assignments this past weekend. I finished them all today and have 2/3 of my checklists signed. After that I'll have to make sure that I finish all 3 final checklists, have them signed, and turn them in. And lastly, I have to take my final exams. I must finish everything before going on vacation, which I know I'll do, but it's just riding on me. I can't wait for the exams to be posted so that I can complete those. I'll have a few days off in a row coming up here the next week, which should hopefully help. But I'm sure I can easily find something to do other than school work. Having those days off also drives me to get everything accomplished and signed at work. Patience Heidi.
I can't believe our vacation is right around the corner. Whew. I've made our packing list along with my traditional "to-do list" of items/tasks to do the week up to our departure, so I'm ready for it to come. At the same time I remind myself to sit on my hands and once again be patient. I'm still a cleaning freak like always, but I try to pace myself during this time. I do a THOROUGH cleaning before leaving in hopes of coming home to a clean house, but I don't want to do everything now and have to repeat it again in 2 weeks. I also have to remind myself that I will have plenty of time to get it done and everything will come together. But of course my busy mind likes to think it all through and make a gameplan (a gameplan that more than likely will not go as I have planned in my head). Ahh the fun of being obsessive compulsive with anxiety. Actually I'm doing real good with it as time goes by. This time last year I wasn't as laid back. And as my Florida trip a few months back showed, I had very little anxiety. Shoot, I wasn't even packed until 48 hours prior to the trip. Yes, I know that's what normal people do. And in all honesty I see me being quite laid back as our wait time dwindles and gets closer to our vacation. It will all fall into place and I'll enjoy the journey. That's part of the fun.
I'm gearing up for Christmas shopping too. I haven't officially started but I have all of my gifts chosen for everyone and mapped out where I'm going to purchase them. I just have to pace myself. Once again, I try to space things out so it's not such a huge hit to the pocketbook at one time. I'm big on that. For Halloween we purchase candy the entire month of October. A few bags here and there, which add up to a big amount by the time trick or treating comes. Same with Thanksgiving. I try to purchase a few things each week prior to the big day. It just works out better that way. Now I just need to get some fire under my butt to order the gifts. I'm especially excited about one gift this year. Stay tuned....
Totally changing the subject...you know how I've been looking for the Roloff book? Well, come to find out it's out of print. Bummer. However, I checked online at mattroloff.com and found that I can order it straight through the family. Even better, I can have it autographed. How cool is that? It put a smile on my face. I got to order it. I received my Switzer book on Friday but have yet to start it yet. I'm so ready to start it but am keeping my priorities straight with getting other more important things finished first.
This is one crazy post that really has no point. More than anything it's me rambling, showing my weaknesses. Sorry guys. I better head upstairs. It's 9:41 and I'm already over 10 minutes late for bed. Gotta get up at 5am to run tomorrow morning and David's hollering at me, "You're going to be tired tomorrow!" I'm coming. I'm coming.....
I can't believe our vacation is right around the corner. Whew. I've made our packing list along with my traditional "to-do list" of items/tasks to do the week up to our departure, so I'm ready for it to come. At the same time I remind myself to sit on my hands and once again be patient. I'm still a cleaning freak like always, but I try to pace myself during this time. I do a THOROUGH cleaning before leaving in hopes of coming home to a clean house, but I don't want to do everything now and have to repeat it again in 2 weeks. I also have to remind myself that I will have plenty of time to get it done and everything will come together. But of course my busy mind likes to think it all through and make a gameplan (a gameplan that more than likely will not go as I have planned in my head). Ahh the fun of being obsessive compulsive with anxiety. Actually I'm doing real good with it as time goes by. This time last year I wasn't as laid back. And as my Florida trip a few months back showed, I had very little anxiety. Shoot, I wasn't even packed until 48 hours prior to the trip. Yes, I know that's what normal people do. And in all honesty I see me being quite laid back as our wait time dwindles and gets closer to our vacation. It will all fall into place and I'll enjoy the journey. That's part of the fun.
I'm gearing up for Christmas shopping too. I haven't officially started but I have all of my gifts chosen for everyone and mapped out where I'm going to purchase them. I just have to pace myself. Once again, I try to space things out so it's not such a huge hit to the pocketbook at one time. I'm big on that. For Halloween we purchase candy the entire month of October. A few bags here and there, which add up to a big amount by the time trick or treating comes. Same with Thanksgiving. I try to purchase a few things each week prior to the big day. It just works out better that way. Now I just need to get some fire under my butt to order the gifts. I'm especially excited about one gift this year. Stay tuned....
Totally changing the subject...you know how I've been looking for the Roloff book? Well, come to find out it's out of print. Bummer. However, I checked online at mattroloff.com and found that I can order it straight through the family. Even better, I can have it autographed. How cool is that? It put a smile on my face. I got to order it. I received my Switzer book on Friday but have yet to start it yet. I'm so ready to start it but am keeping my priorities straight with getting other more important things finished first.
This is one crazy post that really has no point. More than anything it's me rambling, showing my weaknesses. Sorry guys. I better head upstairs. It's 9:41 and I'm already over 10 minutes late for bed. Gotta get up at 5am to run tomorrow morning and David's hollering at me, "You're going to be tired tomorrow!" I'm coming. I'm coming.....
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Oohrah!
Happy Birthday to all of our Marines out there. I can't believe it's been 4 years since our last Marine Corps Ball. My, how time flies. Oohrah Devil Dogs!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Voting
I had hoped to post this a few days back, but as with most things, you get side-tracked. Tuesday was voting day. I hope everyone got out and voted. As for me, I was there first thing in the morning to put my 2 cents in. And for only the second time, David even voted. I must say though, it's getting harder and harder for me to vote. Although it's "my say" it never ends up the way I had hoped. And I can honestly say that about each election I've voted in. I'm starting to think, "Maybe I should vote for the opposite way I want things to go, and then it will turn out right." I've always marched to the beat of a different drum, and tend to go against the grain, so it's no big surprise. And it's not about me trying to be different or being liberal. It's just the way I am. If I believe in something, that's just the way it is. However, I must say it's no wonder why it's hard to get young people to vote. No matter how hard MTV tries with Choose or Lose, it basically comes down to the older generation that calls the shots. Yes, when you vote, you "voice your opinion", but why do it if you feel as though it falls on deaf ears? To go even deeper, it's the haughty upper class that call the shots. The individuals that have never been in the situation that most Sanduskians are in. They don't understand the community. And I'm not talking about the city...I'm talking about the individual people in the community. The people don't know the lifestyle, the values, or the goals that people need and want. And since they've never been there, they will never understand. The thing is, it's not even about having to live where those people are. It's about understanding and taking a leap to try figuring them out. Basically reaching out and not forgetting about them.
I see Sandusky in a mindset. The mindset that they've always been in. And it's not changing. You know the theory, if it's not broke don't fix it. Well guys, it's broke, and definitely time to be fixed. I'm talking about Sandusky, the mindset, and the direction the city is going. It's frustrating to see individuals voted into office when they weren't even out campaigning. You can say, "Well, people already know them and what they stand for, that's why they got voted in." No, it's the people in the community being complacent. I want people from all walks of life in office. Individuals with new, fresh approaches. The sad thing is, there were people on the ballot with these new, fresh approaches. They could've made huge steps for our city/schools. What's even sadder....there have been people on the ballot in previous elections and there will be people on the future ballot, all with amazing ideas. Will they get voted it? Nah. But why? It's change. Sanduskians can't seem to handle change for some reason. Step out of the comfort zone, and whew, better watch out.
Straight up, I've been on the fence with the Marina District. Actually, I'm still on the fence in regards to my feeling on the whole thing. In the end of voted no. And it's not so much that I don't want the change. And it's definitely not because I was afraid of losing Battery Park. I'm not totally sold on going the tourist route in our future plans, but Lord knows we need something in Sandusky. So going into the final week of campaigning I was for the change. I figured there are two ways to look at it, kind of like the Field of Dreams....If you build it they will come. Or do we wait and allow people to come, then build it? And I also felt, if someone wants to put their time and money into it, and it fails, I'm not out all that much. Then something hit me. I almost felt that the individuals that were pushing the Marina District had a personal agenda. And they weren't trying to pass this so much for doing what's right for the community, but what's better for them. Like, how will this help them individually? Or where can I stick my foot in to get my chunk in this? It's the individuals that are pushing the Marina District that will get to enjoy the Marina District. Whether it's the activities or the income that the Marina District provides. As for us average civilians, we'll be able to see others enjoy the district with it's condominiums and marina, while we serve them and dream that maybe someday we'll be at the point of being able to enjoy it too. But don't bet on it. Working in a service job won't get you very far. I could be totally wrong. But this I do know, I've always been taught to follow my gut and my gut said "no." Of course, we now all know that it was passed and developments will continue. We shall see what happens.
I've had multiple individuals say that I should run for a public office. Oh, I just couldn't even imagine. First of all, looking at the history of Sandusky, I wouldn't get in. I don't have a big name, don't have a ton of money, or a flashy job. A few things that are a must have for people that are elected. And if for some reason I would be elected, I can only imagine the heartache I'd go through with troubles and the inability to produce the change that I'd like to see. Something that happens when you get involved in politics and actually have a heart. I'll never rule it out, but don't see it in the near future either. I'll end my post with something I've always told myself....Conformity is a state of mind. Rise above it.
I see Sandusky in a mindset. The mindset that they've always been in. And it's not changing. You know the theory, if it's not broke don't fix it. Well guys, it's broke, and definitely time to be fixed. I'm talking about Sandusky, the mindset, and the direction the city is going. It's frustrating to see individuals voted into office when they weren't even out campaigning. You can say, "Well, people already know them and what they stand for, that's why they got voted in." No, it's the people in the community being complacent. I want people from all walks of life in office. Individuals with new, fresh approaches. The sad thing is, there were people on the ballot with these new, fresh approaches. They could've made huge steps for our city/schools. What's even sadder....there have been people on the ballot in previous elections and there will be people on the future ballot, all with amazing ideas. Will they get voted it? Nah. But why? It's change. Sanduskians can't seem to handle change for some reason. Step out of the comfort zone, and whew, better watch out.
Straight up, I've been on the fence with the Marina District. Actually, I'm still on the fence in regards to my feeling on the whole thing. In the end of voted no. And it's not so much that I don't want the change. And it's definitely not because I was afraid of losing Battery Park. I'm not totally sold on going the tourist route in our future plans, but Lord knows we need something in Sandusky. So going into the final week of campaigning I was for the change. I figured there are two ways to look at it, kind of like the Field of Dreams....If you build it they will come. Or do we wait and allow people to come, then build it? And I also felt, if someone wants to put their time and money into it, and it fails, I'm not out all that much. Then something hit me. I almost felt that the individuals that were pushing the Marina District had a personal agenda. And they weren't trying to pass this so much for doing what's right for the community, but what's better for them. Like, how will this help them individually? Or where can I stick my foot in to get my chunk in this? It's the individuals that are pushing the Marina District that will get to enjoy the Marina District. Whether it's the activities or the income that the Marina District provides. As for us average civilians, we'll be able to see others enjoy the district with it's condominiums and marina, while we serve them and dream that maybe someday we'll be at the point of being able to enjoy it too. But don't bet on it. Working in a service job won't get you very far. I could be totally wrong. But this I do know, I've always been taught to follow my gut and my gut said "no." Of course, we now all know that it was passed and developments will continue. We shall see what happens.
I've had multiple individuals say that I should run for a public office. Oh, I just couldn't even imagine. First of all, looking at the history of Sandusky, I wouldn't get in. I don't have a big name, don't have a ton of money, or a flashy job. A few things that are a must have for people that are elected. And if for some reason I would be elected, I can only imagine the heartache I'd go through with troubles and the inability to produce the change that I'd like to see. Something that happens when you get involved in politics and actually have a heart. I'll never rule it out, but don't see it in the near future either. I'll end my post with something I've always told myself....Conformity is a state of mind. Rise above it.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Cell Phone Issue
A few things to update you all on. We received David's new cell phone battery. As of this moment there has been no change, meaning it's not fixed. Time for another plan I guess. We've been wanting to change cell phone providers but don't want to pay a cancellation fee. And ever since we got cell phones (over 6 years ago) we've never finished a contract yet. There's always been changes made or broken phones, that lead right into a new contract. And in order to get a phone you have to pay an arm or a leg. They never run specials anymore either. Of course you have the option after so much time to get money towards a new phone, but that hardly helps. Anyway, as I posted awhile back we've been thoroughly annoyed by Sprint and their customer service that it'd be great to change providers. Looks as though our contract doesn't end until January. And for some reason they said both of the phone contracts end in January. I think that information is wrong. We'll have to go to a sprint store to verify. Ah, frustration. I can't see David going without a phone for 2-3 months. Then if he changes to a different provider I would also want to change providers (which wouldn't be a problem if the representative's information was correct with my contract also ending in January, which I don't believe). We'll just have to see.
In much better news, David had to purchase a new pair of jeans, again. He's now in a size 34....the smallest he's ever been, even after bootcamp. Just amazing. And better yet, he got a deal on a pair of jeans at Aeropostale. Only $19.99. Sweet!
In much better news, David had to purchase a new pair of jeans, again. He's now in a size 34....the smallest he's ever been, even after bootcamp. Just amazing. And better yet, he got a deal on a pair of jeans at Aeropostale. Only $19.99. Sweet!
Pigskin Classic 5K
After waivering back and forth I've decided to join Erika for the Pigskin Classic 5K. David won't be participating due to not wanting to miss any part of the game, but I thought it'd be fun. I'm not looking forward to Cleveland's hills but that's okay. That what makes it fun. Now I gotta find something to wear to support the Buckeyes. Of course I have TONS of OSU stuff but I'll have to make sure I have something to wear while running. Yes it's true, cotton kills. This should be fun!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
My Minnesota Trip
Hey! It's David. I bet you never expected to see me write on the blog. But I figured I'd fill you in on my Minnesota trip....
I had a great trip to the beautiful state of Minnesota with my Dad this past weekend. We made it to the Mall of America just in time to watch the Buckeye game at the Stadium Club restaurant, just so happens there were seven other guys (all Vikes fans) there to watch the game as well. After that we walked the mall and saw Viktor the Viking. I know he’s more for kids but I thought he was cool. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Metrodome, in the morning we came to find that we were right next to where the bridge had collapsed. I can’t even begin to think how horrible that must have been, and seeing it up close makes it even that much more terrifying.
Sunday Morning, the reason we made the trip. I couldn’t help but think, “ I just don’t want the Vikes to be slaughtered." We left our hotel room very early to make sure we saw all of the pre-game festivities. But before we did that I had to meet up with an ESPN Board, Viking Army, MSZ Board and current Viking Nation Legend. Tom aka Supa was there along with other friends as well. It was really cool to hang out with Viking fans and talk Vikings football. Hopefully we can meet up again.
The Game!!! The first half was horrible. The second half was absolutely amazing. It’s so much fun watching Peterson run. My Dad and I try making it to Detroit every year and I remember as a kid having to watch Barry Sanders run all over the Vikes. Now we have that type of player and I could watch that ALL DAY! We witnessed history and I will remember that for the rest of my life. I loved seeing and hearing all of the little things that some of you guys might take for granted. Seeing the playing field, Ragnar, Viktor, Cheese Free, Spiking Viking, the huge blow up Viking ship, and every fan wearing Vikes gear gets me so pumped and excited about the Minnesota Vikings. Most of the time I’m in enemy territory but not today. Then you add in the crowd noise, the intro of Led Zeppelin, the Viking horn, and the best part, singing Skol Vikings. I know the Metrodome has seen it’s better days and the Vikes don’t have the best record, but I still love being a Vikings fan. The future of the Vikings looks very bright and I can’t wait to come back, maybe next year? Until Then Skol Vikings!!!
I had a great trip to the beautiful state of Minnesota with my Dad this past weekend. We made it to the Mall of America just in time to watch the Buckeye game at the Stadium Club restaurant, just so happens there were seven other guys (all Vikes fans) there to watch the game as well. After that we walked the mall and saw Viktor the Viking. I know he’s more for kids but I thought he was cool. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Metrodome, in the morning we came to find that we were right next to where the bridge had collapsed. I can’t even begin to think how horrible that must have been, and seeing it up close makes it even that much more terrifying.
Sunday Morning, the reason we made the trip. I couldn’t help but think, “ I just don’t want the Vikes to be slaughtered." We left our hotel room very early to make sure we saw all of the pre-game festivities. But before we did that I had to meet up with an ESPN Board, Viking Army, MSZ Board and current Viking Nation Legend. Tom aka Supa was there along with other friends as well. It was really cool to hang out with Viking fans and talk Vikings football. Hopefully we can meet up again.
The Game!!! The first half was horrible. The second half was absolutely amazing. It’s so much fun watching Peterson run. My Dad and I try making it to Detroit every year and I remember as a kid having to watch Barry Sanders run all over the Vikes. Now we have that type of player and I could watch that ALL DAY! We witnessed history and I will remember that for the rest of my life. I loved seeing and hearing all of the little things that some of you guys might take for granted. Seeing the playing field, Ragnar, Viktor, Cheese Free, Spiking Viking, the huge blow up Viking ship, and every fan wearing Vikes gear gets me so pumped and excited about the Minnesota Vikings. Most of the time I’m in enemy territory but not today. Then you add in the crowd noise, the intro of Led Zeppelin, the Viking horn, and the best part, singing Skol Vikings. I know the Metrodome has seen it’s better days and the Vikes don’t have the best record, but I still love being a Vikings fan. The future of the Vikings looks very bright and I can’t wait to come back, maybe next year? Until Then Skol Vikings!!!
My Awesome Husband
David got home in the wee hours of the morning. I was fast asleep but was woken up when he crawled into bed. It's nice to have him home. I can't wait to sit down tonight and talk about their trip. I'm sure he's got stories. I got up for a run this morning and let him sleep. I looked everywhere for his suitcase and it was nowhere to be found. I figured maybe he just left it in the car. Then I went to the basement to find that he had already unloaded the suitcase. Not only had he unloaded but he had sorted his dirty clothes AND started a load of wash. Say what? Such an awesome husband. I think he's starting to take after me with the whole unpacking before even going to bed thing. That's something I'd do. In addition to that surprise I also had a small bag waiting for me in the bathroom when I woke up. It was a Swarovski bag and had a new piece to add to my collection...a little ladybug. Once again, I have an awesome husband. Then to add on top of everything, we were talking about all he had purchased while in Minnesota and boy, let me tell you, he restrained himself or something. He only put 3 things on the credit card with one being the rental car. All the rest he used his cash. Sweet! That was a very pleasant surprise. He's awesome. Can you tell I love my husband?? He gives me more and more reasons everyday.
Hope everyone has a great day. As for me, we have 3 surgeries today. Don't forget to vote!!
Hope everyone has a great day. As for me, we have 3 surgeries today. Don't forget to vote!!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Little Wonders
I really like this song and the lyrics.
Little Wonders~ Rob Thomas
Our lives are made in these small hours
Let it slide, let your troubles fall behind you
Our lives are made in these small hours
All of my regret will wash away some how
Time falls away, yeah but these small hours
Time falls away But these small hours
Little Wonders~ Rob Thomas
Let it go, let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know the hardest part is over?
Let it in, let your clarity define you
In the end we will only just remember how it feels
Our lives are made in these small hours
These little wonders, these twists & turns of fate
Time falls away, but these small hours,
These small hours still remain
Let it slide, let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine until you feel it all around you
And I don't mind if it's me you need to turn to
We'll get by, it's the heart that really matters in the end
Our lives are made in these small hours
These little wonders, these twists & turns of fate
Time falls away, but these small hours
These small hours still remain
All of my regret will wash away some how
But I can not forget the way I feel right now
In these small hours
These little wonders, these twists & turns of fate
These twists & turns of fate
Time falls away, yeah but these small hours
And these small hours, still remain, yeah
Ooh they still remain
These little wonders, oh these twists & turns of fate
Time falls away But these small hours
These little wonders still remain
Life Before Cell Phones
As everyone knows David's cell phone went kaput in Minnesota. So David's been using Alpa's cell phone during the trip. I talked to him shortly yesterday. Enough to know that they enjoyed the game and that they were eating Chipotle and Quiznos in their hotel room, watching the rest of the NFL games. I stayed up waiting for a phone call later in the evening. Unexpectedly, I received a phone call from Sita saying that Alpa's phone was almost dead, and to conserve minutes she was telling me goodnight from David. At first I didn't understand, then finally realized he didn't take his charger with him. I guess his cell phone tends to keep a charge oftentimes up to a week so he didn't think it'd be an issue. However, as what I thought with David's phone, I'm sure both of their phones were searching for service the entire time they were in the Mall of America and that runs your battery low. Just a guess. So that leads us to today. I received another phone call from Sita telling me that their flight was probably going to be delayed by an hour. At this point the phone is basically dead, because as they talk it's beeping telling them it's about to run out of battery life. After our conversation my mind started reeling, because they have a layover in Chicago and have a very short period of time to get from one gate to the next. I just figured they're more than likely going to miss their connecting flight. Before jumping to conclusions I hopped online to check the status of their flights. Looks like their fligh left only about 40 minutes late and their connecting flight is running on a 1 hour delay at this point. Whew. So hopefully they won't miss a flight, but will just end up getting home later than planned. I don't know when we'll hear from them or even if we'll hear from them.
This whole cell phone thing ircked me to begin with. However, being a part of the "Analyzing Family" I started to analyze and pick apart the situation. Now I'm just thinking to myself, "How can we learn from this?" As for the phone dying, you can't do much about that. And the obvious answer that comes to mind is to take your cell phone charger. But I'm looking at it even deeper than that. What did we do before cell phones? We survived. Yes, I know, hard to believe, but we did. Don't get me wrong, I think technology is awesome and I couldn't imagine life any other way. It has made life so much easier...or has it? I hate the feeling of walking out the door and if I forget my phone I feel as thought I'm missing a limb. Or if the internet doesn't work you feel like your world's going to end. Oftentimes it can become more frustrating than helpful. Not to mention it's made us even more needy of individuals. We expect our friends and family to be available at a drop of a hat whether it be for them to call you or you to be able to reach them at any time. And vice versa. So all this analyzing begs to question, what would happen if you just stopped using your cell phone cold turkey. I'm sure you'd have withdrawal and some anxiety first, but then would get used to your old ways. Maybe you'd become less needy, and not expect so much from those around you too.
This thought process then lead me to think about something else. I've always wondered and pondered the idea of simplifying my life. You know, the minimalist type of mindset, where individuals have just what they need and nothing more. It's an interesting concept. However, thinking about the idea makes me feel that it'd close to impossible for me to be able to get to that point. I'm sure it'd be a heck of a lot cheaper though. But it's something that you have to go fully into and not just halfway. Kind of like being a vegetarian. I know in other's eyes you have different levels of being a vegetarian but in my mind it's either or. Hmmm...something to think about.
Enough analyzing for now. That is, until my mind is taken over by another situation which leads me through the entire process of pondering and analyzing again.
This whole cell phone thing ircked me to begin with. However, being a part of the "Analyzing Family" I started to analyze and pick apart the situation. Now I'm just thinking to myself, "How can we learn from this?" As for the phone dying, you can't do much about that. And the obvious answer that comes to mind is to take your cell phone charger. But I'm looking at it even deeper than that. What did we do before cell phones? We survived. Yes, I know, hard to believe, but we did. Don't get me wrong, I think technology is awesome and I couldn't imagine life any other way. It has made life so much easier...or has it? I hate the feeling of walking out the door and if I forget my phone I feel as thought I'm missing a limb. Or if the internet doesn't work you feel like your world's going to end. Oftentimes it can become more frustrating than helpful. Not to mention it's made us even more needy of individuals. We expect our friends and family to be available at a drop of a hat whether it be for them to call you or you to be able to reach them at any time. And vice versa. So all this analyzing begs to question, what would happen if you just stopped using your cell phone cold turkey. I'm sure you'd have withdrawal and some anxiety first, but then would get used to your old ways. Maybe you'd become less needy, and not expect so much from those around you too.
This thought process then lead me to think about something else. I've always wondered and pondered the idea of simplifying my life. You know, the minimalist type of mindset, where individuals have just what they need and nothing more. It's an interesting concept. However, thinking about the idea makes me feel that it'd close to impossible for me to be able to get to that point. I'm sure it'd be a heck of a lot cheaper though. But it's something that you have to go fully into and not just halfway. Kind of like being a vegetarian. I know in other's eyes you have different levels of being a vegetarian but in my mind it's either or. Hmmm...something to think about.
Enough analyzing for now. That is, until my mind is taken over by another situation which leads me through the entire process of pondering and analyzing again.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Reading
As my schooldays come closer to ending (hopefully! I'm guessing only 2 more semesters) I'm having more and more people ask me what I'll be doing with my time when I don't have to worry about school work. I've always said, "I'll find something!" And as you all know, that's not hard for me to do. As this weekend progresses I've been at a loss for things to do. Actually, I can't say I've been at a loss considering yesterday I spent the day with Sita, then got tons of stuff done today. But as I sat here during the afternoon and the evening I've just been straight up bored. And it's not boredom from David not being here. Mind you, it is easier to keep things cleaner when it's only me around, but not having school assignments or tests for me to do while I'm home leaves me with the feeling like there's gotta be something for me to do, but what? Almost all that's left for school are my final checklists, which consist of tasks that must be performed at work, and final exams. So in place of doing schoolwork, I've transferred pictures on the computer to CD, checked everyone's blogs, readied my quotable for tomorrow's post, checked my school site for updates and grades, and listened to music. However, the bottom line is you can only look at the computer/Internet for so long. The same goes for cleaning. On Friday I scrubbed the bathrooms, moved everything in our bedroom and vacuumed all the "ghost turds" aka hairballs, and got together some stuff to donate to Salvation Army. There's always room for cleaning, but I've come pretty close to not having anything to dust, scrub, or vacuum. Then I think to myself, "well, maybe I should look through my Hawaii books." But since I've already read each (3 of them) at least twice I thought I'd wait another week or so, so it's all fresh in my mind. So what is there for me to do??
This leads me back to my original subject of what I'll do with my time once I'm done with school. Read books. And not just books that are required reading such as Tortora's Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. I'm talking about books that interest me that I can read at leisure. I've never been at a place in my life where I could just read to read. In high school there was required reading. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy what I read, but it was still required and I had no choice as to if I wanted to read it or not. At the end of last semester I was able to get in 2 books during my "off time" from school. I liked it. I wanted more of it. After coming back from Florida I tried to take up Angela's Ashes but didn't have luck. I don't know if it was timing or what. For the time being it has been tabled. I plan to go back to it, but just not now.
Over the past 2 months I've kept a list of books I've been interested it. These include:
Kathrine Switzer's "Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports", Jacqueline Sheehan's "Lost & Found", and
Matt Roloff's "Against Tall Odds: Being a David in a Goliath World."
I've mainly been looking for the Switzer and Roloff books at every bookstore with no luck. And then our Waldenbooks closed in preparation for our Borders opening (November 8th!) so I couldn't order it in. So with the time on my hands tonight I was looking at Amazon.com and realized they had the Switzer and Sheehan books available for super cheap. I swiped them up. For less then $16 (including shipping) I got 2 books and I'm pumped to read them! I shouldn't have spent the money, but it was a deal, and I'll be able to use atleast one of them on our long plane trips to Hawaii. As David says, "if you're going to spend the money, why wait?"
This leads me back to my original subject of what I'll do with my time once I'm done with school. Read books. And not just books that are required reading such as Tortora's Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. I'm talking about books that interest me that I can read at leisure. I've never been at a place in my life where I could just read to read. In high school there was required reading. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy what I read, but it was still required and I had no choice as to if I wanted to read it or not. At the end of last semester I was able to get in 2 books during my "off time" from school. I liked it. I wanted more of it. After coming back from Florida I tried to take up Angela's Ashes but didn't have luck. I don't know if it was timing or what. For the time being it has been tabled. I plan to go back to it, but just not now.
Over the past 2 months I've kept a list of books I've been interested it. These include:
Kathrine Switzer's "Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports", Jacqueline Sheehan's "Lost & Found", and
Matt Roloff's "Against Tall Odds: Being a David in a Goliath World."
I've mainly been looking for the Switzer and Roloff books at every bookstore with no luck. And then our Waldenbooks closed in preparation for our Borders opening (November 8th!) so I couldn't order it in. So with the time on my hands tonight I was looking at Amazon.com and realized they had the Switzer and Sheehan books available for super cheap. I swiped them up. For less then $16 (including shipping) I got 2 books and I'm pumped to read them! I shouldn't have spent the money, but it was a deal, and I'll be able to use atleast one of them on our long plane trips to Hawaii. As David says, "if you're going to spend the money, why wait?"
V-I-K-I-N-G-S!
Vikings Won!
Skol Vikings! Let's win this game.
Skol Vikings! Honor your name.
Go get that first down, Then get a touchdown.
Rock 'em, sock 'em,
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! FIGHT!
Skol Vikings, run out the score,
You'll hear us yell for more!
V-I-K-I-N-G-S
Skol Vikings, let's go!
And what's even better, David and Alpa got to see Adrian Peterson set a new NFL Rushing Record.
1 Hour Gained
Alright, so we gained an hour of sleep last night. Could've fooled me. I do have to say as I get older springing ahead does have an effect on me but the whole falling back thing doesn't seem to matter to my body. I woke up at 8am and figured that was as successful as I was going to get to sleeping in today. I knew I had to get up and moving because I wanted to get some things done including a run, take down the Halloween lights outside, tan, and grocery shop. I got up and did my usual tidying up and finally got to the point of getting my shoes on. I was sitting on the kitchen floor, stretching, and here comes Lily wanting love. She gave me the puppy eyes, then Viking got into the mix. Then I figured, what the heck, why not get the dogs out for a walk today. Lily's weight has been continually weighing on my mind and the bottom line is she's just got to get moving. And they both love to get out and run. The problem is Lily's usually gimping by the time we get home. You can only imagine that she has to take 3-4 times the amount of steps to fill my stride. So just our trip around the neighborhood, which was close to 1 mile, would be like me trying to run 6 miles instead of my usual 3 miles. Get what I mean? So we all went out and did some speed walking. It's not running, but it's something and it was nice to get the dogs out and enjoy their company. After that I got everything done on my to-do list including spending some time with the 'rents out and about. We'll probably be meeting for dinner later on, but for now it's time to blog, fold some clothes, and chill with the kids.
Right now David and his dad should be at the game. Last I checked it was tied, so hopefully they're seeing a good game. I talked to him early this morning. It sounds as though they're having a great time (Minus the cellphone mishap. Still not working by the way...I ordered a new battery online for cheap. Let's hope that works. If not, we're not out tons of money and we'll just go from there.) Also, if they look out their window they can see the bridge that collapsed. I guess they were going to go and check that out before the game. I'm anxious to hear all that they did before the game. The plans were up in the air when I talked to them. Not sure if they were going to shop or go tailgate. I know they were also hoping to get down to the Metrodome to watch the players as they arrived, just like we did last time. Knowing them, they did it all and are soaking up the experience. We shall see.
I think I may sneak a quick nap in. Zzzzz.
Right now David and his dad should be at the game. Last I checked it was tied, so hopefully they're seeing a good game. I talked to him early this morning. It sounds as though they're having a great time (Minus the cellphone mishap. Still not working by the way...I ordered a new battery online for cheap. Let's hope that works. If not, we're not out tons of money and we'll just go from there.) Also, if they look out their window they can see the bridge that collapsed. I guess they were going to go and check that out before the game. I'm anxious to hear all that they did before the game. The plans were up in the air when I talked to them. Not sure if they were going to shop or go tailgate. I know they were also hoping to get down to the Metrodome to watch the players as they arrived, just like we did last time. Knowing them, they did it all and are soaking up the experience. We shall see.
I think I may sneak a quick nap in. Zzzzz.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Don't Worry About The Future
I worked this morning and then in the afternoon Sita and I headed out of town to search for scrubs. We were lucky to each find something and for decent prices too. I was amazed at the store's selection/prices and will definitely go back for future purchases. Afterwards we ate dinner at Fridays, stopped at The Cheesecake Factory to take home some dessert, and had a night in with the movie 13 Going On 30. It was nice to spend some time with her and just chill. Thanks Seeter!
For some reason I've had an unknown source of anxiety for the past 24 hours. I don't know where's it's stemming from but it's driving me nuts. And with the anxiety comes emotions. It's as though any little thing will feel like the end of the world for a few minutes. Then reality kicks in and I'm fine. Maybe it's just hormones. Dunno. I can only guess that the anxiety is coming from a multitude of sources and is just piling up. School is winding down, however I do need to finish up so large tasks for my classes. As for work, it doesn't look like it's going to be a fun upcoming week. Monday and Tuesday are almost already booked solid. Which means that we'll more than likely be double booked with emergency/sick animals. And David and his dad left for Minnesota this morning. I stayed away while he was packing, but I still have a checklist in my head of things I hope he didn't forget. Having David's trip and our trip this month I also have our finances as a top priority on our list. I know we'll be fine, but I just want to be able to enjoy our trip and do things and not have to worry that much, especially since Christmas is right around the corner. On top of that I received a phone call from David this evening saying he thinks his cell phone died. Great. I guess it just turned off and a red light came on. I'm hoping that the battery just went dead. Considering they were in the Mall Of America for awhile maybe the phone was searching for service so long that it wore out the battery. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but at least it will keep me sane until he calls tomorrow to let me know if charging helped. Wherever and whatever the source may be I just hope it goes away soon. Or I could just take the advice of those around me...just deal with problems as they come and don't worry about the future. Ha! If it were that easy for me I obviously wouldn't be in this dilemma, eh? So much for their advice. Maybe a run tomorrow will help. I can hope.
"Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. " Baz Luhrman
For some reason I've had an unknown source of anxiety for the past 24 hours. I don't know where's it's stemming from but it's driving me nuts. And with the anxiety comes emotions. It's as though any little thing will feel like the end of the world for a few minutes. Then reality kicks in and I'm fine. Maybe it's just hormones. Dunno. I can only guess that the anxiety is coming from a multitude of sources and is just piling up. School is winding down, however I do need to finish up so large tasks for my classes. As for work, it doesn't look like it's going to be a fun upcoming week. Monday and Tuesday are almost already booked solid. Which means that we'll more than likely be double booked with emergency/sick animals. And David and his dad left for Minnesota this morning. I stayed away while he was packing, but I still have a checklist in my head of things I hope he didn't forget. Having David's trip and our trip this month I also have our finances as a top priority on our list. I know we'll be fine, but I just want to be able to enjoy our trip and do things and not have to worry that much, especially since Christmas is right around the corner. On top of that I received a phone call from David this evening saying he thinks his cell phone died. Great. I guess it just turned off and a red light came on. I'm hoping that the battery just went dead. Considering they were in the Mall Of America for awhile maybe the phone was searching for service so long that it wore out the battery. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but at least it will keep me sane until he calls tomorrow to let me know if charging helped. Wherever and whatever the source may be I just hope it goes away soon. Or I could just take the advice of those around me...just deal with problems as they come and don't worry about the future. Ha! If it were that easy for me I obviously wouldn't be in this dilemma, eh? So much for their advice. Maybe a run tomorrow will help. I can hope.
"Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. " Baz Luhrman
Friday, November 02, 2007
55 Miles
I just got done calculating our mileage for the month of October. It's our highest month to date at 55 miles total. Pretty cool. I hope our trend continues on as the months go by. Brrrr, it was 38 degrees for our run this morning. I love this new shirt I got from Target. It's a wicking material that has a half zipper and a higher neck. That's not even the cool part though. It's long sleeved and at the end are these cuffs. Well, if you pull them down over your hands they make mittens. It's awesome and so creative. Kind of reminds me of when little kids have their gloves or mittens attached to their winter coats with clips. One less thing to worry about losing while you're running. We usually don't run on Fridays but on Wednesday night/Thursday night our sleeping night was full of interruptions. From Viking wanting let in and out of the bedroom to waking up with a Lily vomiting in the bed (yep, fresh clean sheets that were just changed the day before) I just wanted 45 more minutes of sleep. Actually there were even more problems during the night but it's just too much to go into on the blog. So Thursday ended up being a day off, which led to us running today. It was tough to get up. All I wanted to do was stay in the warm bed and sleep in knowing that I don't go in until noon today, but we got up and got our butts moving. Which leads me to where I am now. Sitting, writing. I plan to head upstairs to do some cleaning before heading into work after I'm done here.
I believe David is all set and ready to go to Minnesota. It's fun to see him excited. However, I must say I'm quite jealous at all the planning he's putting into this weekend trip. I'm not mad by any means, however do you think he does any planning for any other trip we've been on? Heck no. A week in Disney...did he crack a book or look things up on the internet? Nah. How about Hawaii coming up. Does he seem interested and want to plan things? Nope. What's the deal? I guess it's a man thing. He's going to see his beloved Vikings and it has to be perfect. As for our trips together he knows that I'll have everything figured out along with directions printed and ready to go that he doesn't have to worry about it. But I will say it'd be nice if he'd at least show a small hint of interest in planning our trips, even if we don't have any set plans. I'd just like to have some of his input as to what he wants to do and have him know what's available. Ah well.
As for me this weekend, I have to work tomorrow morning then I'm planning on going up to Great Northern with mom and sita. We're going up to a scrub store then probably will do some shopping here or there. At night we'll probably just chill and watch or go to a movie.
Okay, time to get moving on the cleaning. Hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday!
I believe David is all set and ready to go to Minnesota. It's fun to see him excited. However, I must say I'm quite jealous at all the planning he's putting into this weekend trip. I'm not mad by any means, however do you think he does any planning for any other trip we've been on? Heck no. A week in Disney...did he crack a book or look things up on the internet? Nah. How about Hawaii coming up. Does he seem interested and want to plan things? Nope. What's the deal? I guess it's a man thing. He's going to see his beloved Vikings and it has to be perfect. As for our trips together he knows that I'll have everything figured out along with directions printed and ready to go that he doesn't have to worry about it. But I will say it'd be nice if he'd at least show a small hint of interest in planning our trips, even if we don't have any set plans. I'd just like to have some of his input as to what he wants to do and have him know what's available. Ah well.
As for me this weekend, I have to work tomorrow morning then I'm planning on going up to Great Northern with mom and sita. We're going up to a scrub store then probably will do some shopping here or there. At night we'll probably just chill and watch or go to a movie.
Okay, time to get moving on the cleaning. Hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday!
NaBloPoMo
So it's National Blog Posting Month, eh? Hmmm, we shall see what happens. I feel I already do quite well posting at least once every other day or so. It's amazing what a journal/blog can do for you. I'm not trying to preach that everyone should get a blog, but writing helps me a lot. While David was at bootcamp I kept busy writing letters to him and keeping a scrapbook of every letter I sent to him. That way it'd be a keepsake when he got done and we'd be able to look back and see what all happened during that time. In addition, if there were any letters he never received or if they were lost while at Parris Island, he'd be sure to have them when he got home. After bootcamp I went into writing withdrawal. I didn't know what to do with my excess time or thoughts so I decided to start up a journal. Then when we got married it got put on the back burner. I thought, "Why do I need it now?" However in starting a blog over a year ago I found that it's a place where I can "let go." It allows me to post what I want, it motivates me, it keeps me sane, it allows me to keep family and friends up to date on what's going on in our lives, it helps me to feel organized, and allows me to plan. I can't say that at this point in my life I'm trying to fill my downtime with "something" as I had been trying to do while David was away. On the contrary, my life is very full and writing on the blog should be the furthest thing in my mind. But I be sure to make the time to post. It's kind of like running. It's been good for me in so many ways, that it'd be hard to stop now. Of course I'd also like to think that not only do I like to write on the blog, but that others enjoy reading it too.
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