weekend past

in 48 hours:

6 third grade basketball games

12 halves of basketball

240 minutes of basketball

1 techinical foul

5 wins and one loss

300 miles of driving to said basketball games

18 hours spent in Newton, KS

4 Redbox movies

3 stops at McDonalds, 1 stop at Wendy's and 1 dinner at Applebees

reward: 3rd place!

off the wagon

Image from www.nataliedee.com

It's official, I am off the wagon and on the Diet Coke again. I need to do a cleanse again, anybody up for that?

re-entry

The view from our back door

I returned from Colorado Tuesday night about 6pm. The last passenger had been dropped off, and Molly came running down the street to greet me. Cool-as-a-cucumber Carson walked up and gave me a big hug, careful not to show too much emotion, as he is almost 9, you know. Todd was waiting in the kitchen for me with open arms.

My re-entry to the real world had happened. Right away we started in on homework and got ready to go watch the town rivalry basketball game. I had on my new keens and away we went.

All day long I thought about all the wonderful experiences I had over the past 5 days:

Penni, Katy, Susan and me getting ready for a morning walk

• Our 7-hour drive to Colorado seemed like 30 minutes or so. It is amazing how quickly time flies when 5 women are in a car chatting away. We even stopped 4 times to go to the bathroom, and once for lunch, but there were no men to get mad at us.
• A long walk in the cold Colorado morning is so refreshing, especially when it is snowing a little.
• Laughter is indeed the best exercise for your abs. Mine are in great shape after this weekend.
• I learned more about my friends that I ever imagined. Some of them are so quiet, but almost every comment they make is hilarious. Others are very private, but honest and inquisitive. One of them suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, but never ever lets that get her down. Another is the most talkative, creative person around. Finally, one friend who couldn't come at the last minute was in out thoughts the entire time.
• Spending hours upon hours at a bead store is the best way to both have a great time and to help someones struggling business.
• You don't have to spend much money at all to have a good time in the mountains of Colorado. Walking by the river, climbing rocks, going to St. Elmo, lunching in Salida, and watching a movie all cost next to nothing and provide hours of entertainment.
• There is nothing better than having someone else cook for you. We ate blueberry coffee cake, apple-butter bacon, white chili, honey-butter corn bread, french toast with bacon, chili-cheese-egg bake, cheeseburger casserole with bacon, broccoli quiche, and cranberry scones. Yes, there was a lot of bacon, and it was great! All of this was in addition to the spiked hot cocoa, spin-artichoke dip, heart shaped sugar cookies, trail mix, Chex mix, puppy chow, peanut butter cookies, and occasional glass of wine.
• Running at 8000 feet is really, really hard.
• A short 6 mile drive can turn into the most wonderful morning filled with many photos, a winding river and even a little spur-of-the-moment rock climbing.

Self portrait of me and Margy

This little vacation/girls trip could not have come at a better time. We are already planning and looking forward to the next one!

What the Fuck Wednesday

This image from I Suwannee, original from I don't-know-where.

I know this was on Jamie's post, but It has been burned into my mind ever since I saw it. I can't stop thinking about it. Really. What the fuck? It HAS to be photoshopped.

leaving...again

Bright and early this morning I am leaving for Buena Vista, CO with 5 other girls. In October I bought from the Salina Art Center the use of a home for a $950 donation. I will admit, I did bid on it behind Todd's back. He kept getting up and wandering off during the auction, so it wasn't really my fault!

Image Credit: Greg Burke via here

It was really easy to gather 6 girls together who were looking for a few days away in the middle of the winter. My friends Cara, Katy, Penni, Margy and Susan are going with me. We are leaving at 6am and driving the 8-9 hours to BV. We will spend all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday hanging out, eating, drinking and just generally enjoying each other's company. We will drive back home on Tuesday.



We divided up into pairs and each set of us will be responsible for breakfast and dinner on a particular day. Margy and I are bringing a blueberry loaf and making wonderful bacon for our breakfast, and we'll make white chili, and the best cornbread ever for dinner. Of course we will have mimosas with our breakfast and a glass of cold Kim Crawford at dinner. I can't wait to see what everyone else has planned for us to eat! Tonight I made a big batch of puppy chow to share in the suburban on the way there.



We are all bringing our "girl" movies to watch as we lounge. I got The Sex and the City movie for Christmas, and have been saving it for this trip! I also saw that on Lifetime this weekend, we will have our pick of any romantic movie ever made. There are hot springs nearby, as well as skiing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing activities to do. There are several fun little stores and galleries to visit. Right near our place is a great little trail to go exploring on.



I am really looking forward to hanging out with the girls and doing as little or as much as I feel like doing. I am taking my camera and hoping to spend some time alone with it. Maybe something good will come of it!



I'll miss you all, but will check in from time to time I am sure!

open letter to the running gods

monday's run was long
5 miles to be exact
it was warm and windy
and almost the death of me

why do you insist in challenging me like this?

upon leaving the house
I felt like I could run all day
but after that first hill
I could not get enough oxygen into my lungs

why do you insist in challenging me like this?

the dog was running along with me
and for once hadn't stopped to poop
her tongue was hanging out
but she never once slowed down

why do you insist in challenging me like this?

I was afraid I would have to call Todd
at the half-way mark to take me home
but when I turned around, wind at my back
I felt great again, like Artemis had jumped off my back

now I know why you challenge me like this...

today's run way a measly easy 2 miles
out and back from my house in only 20 minutes
no hills, no traffic, and a full moon rising
you were only preparing me for today

thank you.

What the Fuck Wednesday

WHAT THE FUCK?

Look closely, look very closely. It's not what you think it is.

Of course...from here.

basketball and chili

This was a strange weekend. Molly left Friday night to travel with my mom and nieces to Houston. She was over the moon about this trip. I hope it meets her very high expectations. Todd, Carson and I went to the local high school basketball game. They won by like 40 points.





Saturday morning was leisurely, but we had to leave the house by 11am to head to Hutchinson, KS for yet another 3rd grade basketball tournament. Carson didn't feel great when he woke up, but after a few tylenol, he was good to go. When we got there, we watched as the officials lowered the goals to 8'. Our boys practice and play on 10' goals, so it looked like we might be able to dunk it!

image from here

The boys won their first game handily, and we left the gym for Freddy's Frozen Custard for lunch...them's some good steak burgers! Carson stayed in the suburban and took another Tylenol as he was starting to feel puny again. It was obvious during the second game that he was really feeling badly. Good thing they played a second grade team as he didn't have to put forth too much effort. We came straight home and put on our jammies and watched Space Chimps from the Red box.


This morning, Carson woke up with a fever, headache and sore throat. I called the coach and told him that Carson wouldn't be able to play today. They didn't call someone to replace him...which makes me feel good, like they'd rather have nobody than to find a replacement for Carson. The team lost the first game today and won the second. Apparently several other boys were not feeling well either, but didn't have fevers yet. I no longer feel so bad about keeping him at home. When the team returned, a few of the boys went over to my in-laws (Carson was on their couch for a few hours this afternoon) and took Carson the medal he earned from the tournament. How sweet is that? He really does have the best coaches and friends.

After lunch I cooked some ground beef and started a pot of chili. Man, was it good. It was cool, but humid here today, and a warm bowl of chili just hit the spot. If we only had more cheddar cheese, I would go have myself another bowl!

image from here, but my chili DID look like that!

The rest of the evening will be spent changing the sheets on Carson's bed, making him toast, and just hanging out on the couch with him. Looks like he will be home from school tomorrow. Good thing my father-in-law will be home. I need to work a few days this week before I go on my next trip...with the girls to Colorado! Jealous?

hmmm...

Does it piss any of you off that there are these "brilliant public servants" out there who keep having to withdraw their names from nomination due to unpaid back taxes?

Come on? Do these people think they are better than the rest of us? Why do they think they don't have to pay but the rest of us do?

and ps...why didn't the Obama people know this before they were nominated?

7 years and 2 months

Correctly tied shoe Incorrectly tied shoe

Tonight was a banner night. My Molly (7 years and 2 months old) finally learned to tie her shoes tonight. THANK GOD! I know, I know...that's way too old for learning how to tie her shoes.

You see, Molly has one heck of a temper, and any time someone tried to help her, she got mad. So, I finally bucked the system and MADE her do it. We only yelled at each other 3 times. Hooray! We haven't had Velcro shoes in our house for about a year now, but tying her shoes has gotten old. It takes her a mighty long time to tie, but it's worth the wait.

ps, pictures from here...and go there if you want to learn more interesting facts about shoe lacing and tying!

in my head

I am home from my fabulous trip to Miami...but more on that later. I woke up yesterday with a bunch of snot in my head and I had started losing my voice. This morning I woke up with no snot and no voice. As my boss said "it's a little like an extended vacation...for us!"

I have always had a "unique" voice. Some say it is Demi Moore-like. Others think it's cute, others have said it's sexy. I lose my voice quite often. In my younger days, when I went out to the bars and drank beer and talked over music, I would wake up with a really raspy/hoarse voice. On my wedding weekend, I had to be careful to not drink much beer as I was afraid I would have no voice with which to say I Do.

As I have gotten older, I don't go out to loud smoky bars and drink beer much anymore. However, when I get a cold or get sick, I almost always lose my voice. Sometimes, like today, I just wake up with no voice for no reason. Actually, I think there is a reason. I think my body is telling me to enjoy the silence. It is my way of just being in my brain without always having to be out loud.

So...for today, enjoy the silence!

Image from here.

What the Fuck Wednesday

Since our dear friend Sarah Palin has been in the news again...here's a recent family reunion photo of hers!

From Here.

I'm Off!

Here's a cheesy greeting-card type photo for you to say that I am off to Miami for the week. I am going with my friend Cara who said a few weeks ago "I wish someone wanted to go to Miami with me, I am staying in this really cool hotel." Of course, I invited myself straight away! I had miles to use up on Delta, so my flight was gratis too.

We're staying at the newly renovated Eden Roc hotel. I am planning on spending a lot of time doing nothing while Cara is working. I have my kindle all loaded up, the tunes on my ipod, and my running shoes packed. 3.5 miles on the beach can't be THAT bad, can it? I think I will have a massage, and maybe a facial. The temp is supposed to be in the 70s all week (compared to the 15 degrees it feels like here today!) and the sun will be shining.

I'll take my camera and try to remember to take a few photos. As long as it doesn't get in the way of my doing nothing!

Finally! The last question!

5. do you think your half marathon will lead to a whole one and then on to triathlons and iron(wo)men races? are you on the slippery slope of super athlete-dom here? or did you suffer a blow to the head over the holiday that you're not telling me about. ;-) (ok that wasn't a very serious question, but i am interested in knowing what makes someone want to run when they're not being chased.)

I hope the half-marathon will lead to a whole one, but I kind of doubt it...but maybe someday. Honestly, I run for the challenge. I am truly a wimp and this is a way I can challenge myself and see if I am up to it.

Several years ago when I was in Hawaii I went to a seminar about Chi Running. I had read and studied about it, and I was lucky enough to be able to attend a seminar. The basic theory is that the principles of Tai Chi are applied to running. Thus, you concentrate on balance, centering, core and your chi. I was recovering from plantar fascitis, and had gotten to the point that the doctor ha said no more steroid shots into my foot any more. I figured I would have to quit running. But after I started applying the practice of Chi Running, my injury went away. That was about 3 years ago and I have been injury free ever since. If you want to know more about Chi Running, go here. Don't forget. I am a fairly new runner, so it was not hard to "change" old habits.

My friend Cara and I have talked many times about doing a triathlon, specifically the one in Chicago. Perhaps after i get OKC under my belt I will be willing to try something else. I was a swimmer in high school, and still do a little swimming, so I think I could manage a mini-triathlon for sure (1/10/3 I think).

Do, for a short answer, I run for the challenge. I am a recreational runner who needs an event to train for in order to keep me honest and get me out there regularly.

Now, off to write those interview questions for those who asked for them. I'll let you know when their answers are up!

What the Fuck Wednesday (on Thursday)

For those of you in to decor and stuff...may I recommend this for your next client?

From the annals of here.

quatro

Question #4:

4. tell me about your book club...who picks the books, how often do you meet, how does it work, who is involved and how did they come to be involved?

Ahh, the book club. I have such fond memories of the book club. You see, it was started several years ago by a friend and me who wanted to get an interesting group of women together to talk about books. We intentionally asked women that we didn't know terribly well. We purposely picked people who didn't necessarily run the the same circles. We chose people who were honest but not necessarily people we knew were big readers. It was the perfect group! There were 7 of us. We got along famously.

We have always gone from one to the next person in the group for the book choice. If I pick the book this time, Cara would pick it next time, and so on until we got back around to me 7 months later. This has allowed for all of us to have the chance to read books we might not have chosen ourselves. We have read everything from The Great Gatsby to No Country for Old Men to Valley of the Dolls. Every book we have read has provided great discussion.

But the book group has evolved (as most things do, I guess). We started out meeting monthly on a weekend night (we have been called wine group by our husbands) and now rarely meet any more. There have been some issues with scheduling. There have been other issues with personalities. Others of us have just needed a break. Our group started out so strong, and bonds and friendships grew and we got to know each other so well through our monthly meetings.

However, this group of women has a total of 11 children still living in our homes, and one grand child. 3 of us work full time outside the home and 4 work full time inside the home. Several of us travel regularly. Our kids ages range from first grade to 22 years. Admittedly schedules are hectic. Some of us are nostalgic for the old days of wine and discussion. Others of us just want someone to talk about a book we are reading. So we are currently at a little bit of a hiatus with our book group.

I think this is natural and needed. I am sad it has happened, but I have developed some beautiful friendships from this group of women, and have made it my mission to continue to get together with these women on a regular basis. I frequently see one on the weekend with our families. Another I have lunch with weekly. Another's kids babysit my kids so we chat often. I love all of these women and am thankful for the time we have spent together. Groups develop, grow and change. Ours has and will continue to. I look forward to the next incarnation of our group!

The Big five-oh

Image from here.
According to my spreadsheet, I have officially logged 50 miles in my training for the OKC half-marathon.
Sheesh, that's a lot of miles on these feet!

the third

The third interview question:

3. you recently threw a party for charity, which i think is just about the most awesome idea i've come across in a long time, and i'd like to know a little bit more about the actual nitty gritty of organizing it...sort of a how-to for others who might want to do something similar. (plus, i'm not sure you got enough publicity/credit for this, you see.)

My friend Cara and I talked about having a cocktail party over the holidays. I had seen a few ideas in Real Simple magazine for fun parties like a gift wrapping party, and other things, but Cara had in the past had a party to benefit DVACK (domestic violence association of central kansas) in our town. I loved that idea, but was unable to attend that party. Cara said that while it was fun, not as many people showed up as she would have liked.

We decided to have our party but this time benefit the Emergency Aid Food Bank here in our town. I wanted to be sure we were very specific with folks about that they should bring for a donation. I have learned over time that the more specific you are about what you need, the more likely you are to get it! I called the EAFB before we did our invitations and learned that they were in need of flour, rice and noodles, as well as any kind of canned vegetables except for corn and green beans. I decided that it was simpler to just ask for the flour, rice and noodles.

I had read in Real Simple about the site called evite. It is a really easy way to send invitations thru the email. As Cara and I started going through our address books and sending invitations, it became obvious pretty quickly that we had invited A LOT of people. Like over 120 people. Crap! But almost as soon as we sent the invites we got responses. We got many, many compliments on the idea, many RSVPs and just a few regrets. Most of the folks who regretted brought donations by even though they couldn't be there. The only hitch in the invite process was that some people assumed it was a couples thing (which it wasn't intended to be, but we would have been fine with men coming.) Suddenly our 120 people could have been 240! My recommendation is to be certain your invite is clear if you intend to only invite women.

The party was a great success. It was from 6-8pm on Monday, Dec. 22nd. I think the closeness to Christmas was good for us. Those who were still in town came, and it was easy because only one person of a couple need attend. No babysitters required! We served only finger food like walnut-bacon-blue cheese tartlets, spicy mixed nuts, a great different take on chex-mix. We had chardonnay, savingon blanc, and shiraz wine. We bought a little beer, but one of our friends donated a whole bunch of different flavored beers for us too. We also had a "signature" drink: lemon juice, cranberry juice, gran mariner, and champagne. It was a hit!

We were unable to count how many actually attended, but I think it was between 70 and 80 in those 2 hours...even with sub-zero temperatures, and the remains of an ice storm a few days before. Some folks stayed the whole time, others just dropped by on their way to other events. We parked a van in the driveway so folks could just drop their donations off on their way into the party (and so we didn't have to schlep everything back out to the car).

With that many invitees, you are bound to have a great mix of people, and that we did! We had way too much wine and beer and food, but we were really pleased with the outcome, and more pleased with the kind donations. I would definitely recommend that each of you try something similar. The impact we made was tremendous, and it was relatively easy to pull off!

three rolls

this image and other funny ones from here

We have 3 bathrooms in this house. Yesterday I changed the toilet paper in each of them. It was just that kind of day.

ode to the treadmill

oh how I hate the treadmill, oh I do
with all of the bells and whistles and lights glowing blue

there are only three things you are good for:
holding my sweat towel and my water are the first two
and third is the softness of the tread on my shoe

I only step on you when the temperature is 10 degrees or below
or of course, if the wind is starting to blow

the heartbeat monitor is never right
as soon as I step on it says I am about to take flight

Some say you are great because you keep my pace
others love you because you allow for a tv in my face

the rest step on you to talk with their friends while they race

all I have to say to you dear treadmill

is that you have a lot of work to do

to convince me I need to spend more time on you!

image and treadmill workouts here.

question #2

On to question #2. Sorry I missed yesterday...it was my first day back in the office for a few days, and with payroll and all...



2. how is it to live in the town you grew up in? (i'm asking this because i occasionally try to picture myself in my hometown and envision what my life would be like.) what are the pros and cons?



Todd and I moved back to the town we both grew up in after Carson was born in 2000. It was like as soon as he came out of the womb kicking and screaming we both knew we wanted to move back. Both sets of parents still live here, and we knew that we wanted out kids to grow up near their grandparents.Both Todd and I knew our grandparents well (although grandparents today just aren't the same as they were then...) and loved that relationship and wanted it for our kids.



After we moved back I had an incident in the post office where a gal who CLEARLY knew who I was said hello (even addressed me by name), and I had no idea who she was. To this day, I still can't find her in my yearbook. I think I went to high school with her, but who knows. That kind of freaked me out. Then, not long after, while shopping for bras in Target, I run into a guy who I went to HS with. I know what I was doing there, but don't ask me why he was with his mother and grandmother in the bra section. Anyhoo...he had just gotten out of jail and was "back at home." WTF? What had I done returning to my hometown?



Initially I had this strict dichotomy in my head of those who grew up here and those who had moved here since I left. I kept all of these people straight in my head and classified everyone I made contact with accordingly. Then one day I realized that this was a lot of work for nothing, so I quit. Now (after we have lived here for almost 9 years)I have to stop to think "are they from here, or are they transplants?" We had always talked about having a big party after we moved back and inviting all of us who had moved back with their spouses so everyone could meet everyone else. When the list got to 90 of us who had returned (not including their spouses!) we decided it was too big of a task. There were too many people who moved back here for the same reasons as we did.



I love living where I grew up. Seeing this community thru adult eyes is a whole different thing. I am on committees with my high school friend's parents. I am seen as an adult. I am seen as myself, and not so-and-so's daughter. My kids go to the same elementary school as I did. They will go to the same high school. Some things have changed: we now have a middle school that I didn't exist when I was here the first time; we have a bus route now; we have an Old Navy now; most everything is on the "south" end of town. Lots of things have stayed the same: the east part of town is still called "the hill"; there are still stores worth going to downtown; that's my Dillons is still here (although I don't like the remodel); scary Dillons still exists; Todd's folks still live in the same house he grew up in.



So, for what it is worth, I love living in this community. It feels comfortable and right. There are good days and bad days. Sometimes I feel like I am "keeping up with the Jonses", but if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't change a thing!

Participating

I am participating in a 5-question interview that I read about over at Moments of Perfect Clarity . The questions Julie asked me are all so thoughtful and insightful that I decided to do a series of posts with my answers. Plus also, I always hated those really long papers I had to write in school. I was always better at biting off little chunks at a time.

First, the rules:

1. If you too would like to participate, leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.



It is kind of a fun thing and I would love to ask any of you interview questions...so comment away!



Julie's first question is:

1. if you could have any job, without worries about the logistics of family/pets/expectations of others, what (and where) would it be?

I love this question as it is something I really do think about quite often. First, I have to say that I have the best job in the whole entire world. I have worked for Propane Central for the past 8 years (longer than I have done just about anything in my whole life, by the way). I work for a family who have become MY family. They successfully raised 3 boys while running their business, all the while encouraging, developing, and being family to all of their employees. The business has grown tremendously over the years, all due to the way they treat both their customers and their employees (plus also buying out some other companies along the way!) We now have about 70 employees.

I have the freedom to come and go as needed. I am encouraged to attend my kids' activities. I am asked to participate in community events and organizations, and I get to do a little bit of travel. I am challenged at my job daily. Sometimes I don't love the challenges, but they are there. If I get overwhelmed, I can say so. If I am bored, I let them know. In short, I love my job and the people I work for and with.

That said, it is a little hard to think about what job I would have if I could have any job. After thinking on it for a few days (while running of course) I know that I would have a job which would involve the following: travel (both in the US and overseas), mission work, my family, outdoors, conservation/sustainability, and education. I have always wished that I worked in the mission field(s) after college (and before "real life" began). I see myself working with families and children, perhaps teaching about farming and agriculture. Maybe I would work to establish family gardens for malnourished families. Maybe I would help to start "school gardens" at elementary schools around the country. Maybe I would help families learn about crops in their area to raise and sell for hope for their future.

I love thinking about this stuff and one day will do something like I described above. Maybe it won't be my "job" per se, but it will be my activity for a period of time. I would love to block out a whole summer in which my kids and I could be gone from home and doing these kinds of things. You see, I feel so fortunate to be able to have the life I do. I only want for others to be able to have that feeling too.

Next post:
2. how is it to live in the town you grew up in? (i'm asking this because i occasionally try to picture myself in my hometown and envision what my life would be like.) what are the pros and cons?

Pushing Yourself

marathon runner from here

So if you are getting tired of hearing me talk about my current running regime, you might want to stop reading her, but maybe not. You never know where I might wander...

Last night was the "short run" of the week. It was a measly 2 miles. I look forward to these because I usually pepper the short run with a few hills just to keep me honest. I realized last night as I was running (in a perfect 43 degrees) that most of the time when I run I put just enough effort into it to finish, to get it done. Don't get me wrong, I really do love to run, but I sort of set my body on auto pilot and let it do it's thing. This way, I can disengage from the physical part.

You see, I didn't start running until I was in my 30s. I could never really do it (or so I thought). I always had my asthma excuse. Then I had the "walking is so much better for you excuse." Then I had the "I'm in college and need to be doing aerobics with everyone else excuse." Then in my 30s, I didn't have enough money to join anywhere to do aerobics, and I thought that walking just wasn't doing it for me, so I tried running. I was in pretty good shape to start, so that was a great help.

As I began running more and more, I discovered that the thing I didn't like about running all those years was hearing myself breathe. Yes, you read right, breathe. Hearing myself breathe hard indicated that I was working really hard (too hard) and made me want to stop. As I think back, it was never about my legs hurting, or my back, it was always about breathing. So, to combat that, I started running with a Walkman (and now my ipod!). Voila! No more listening to my quick or laboring breath!

Running then became for me my way of being alone. My way of being away from the family for a little bit. My way of escaping. It is still that escape. I let my body go on auto pilot; disengage from the physical side and just let my mind roam. Sometimes I think about work, other times about the kids. Often times I think about all of you, and what you have said lately. I think of what I want to say to you. I think of funny stuff, I think of serious stuff, and I think of sad stuff.

Last night, however, my mind was just not having it. So, I decided to push myself. Imagine that, actually concentrate on the physical side. What a run it was. It was exhilarating. It was hard. It was helpful. It was awesome! For the last 3/4 mile, I just concentrated on my muscles, and pushed them. I ran hard. I ran fast. I had good form. I was breathing. It was great!

I vow to do that more often, to push myself. However, I also know that for me, first and foremost, running is my escape. I need that time to be alone with my thoughts. To be alone in the cool dark Kansas winter night. Things happen for me while I am running, and I am not willing to lose that alone time for a few stronger muscles!

What the Fuck Wednesday (on Thursday)

So, there is this site that has all kinds of tattoos on it. I found this one there:

WTF?

I might be a little obsessed with what people do to their bodies with needles and ink. Maybe it is because I just don't get it. Whateves.

Hmmmmm

So, what is today all about? I am in a sort of hazy, but not lazy mood. A little tired, but not sleepy. Not grumpy but not excited either. I feel like I want something meaningful to happen today, but I can't settle on just what that would or could be.


I am meeting of of my greatest friends for lunch today, so I am looking forward to that.

I think I will do what any well brought-up woman would do in this situation, I am going to get ice cream!

I love it when...

I get to go an a four-mile run on a Sunday. I love it when it is overcast and 27 degrees. I love it when my feet don't hurt and I don't feel like I have an iron lung. I love it when my dog, Emmy runs alongside me without pulling. I love it when I look pretty cute when I am running too.

children

C - christ, why didn't I remember to use birth control?
H - hello, is there anyone else out there willing to help me raise these heathens?
I - I don't think there are any working parents on our school board
L - like for instance there were 17, yes 17, days off this holiday
D - darn, if I could only have like 20 minutes to myself in the bathtub
R - routine, what routine? Stay up late, sleep in and our lives are all topsy-turvy
E - errands have become inposible due to the "mom I want"s and "mom can I have"s
N - naw, I really do love them, but I am ready, oh so ready, for school to start tomorrow

edit:
**and gosh darn you blogger, I can't stand your spacing issues. I gotta figure that out.

Quote

"How much more interesting life is when one has an occasion to write about it, or someone to describe it to."

From A Family Man written by Amanda Brookfield. That's how I feel about you, my friends. Thank You.

Fry Day

image

We went over to by bosses house yesterday for a little New Year's Day fun. I often call my boss and his wife my 3rd set of parents. I love them dearly and am so fortunate to work for them. We have become social friends outside of work as well (which I don't do very often...socialize with work friends), and they are marvelous cooks, so we always enjoy when we have been invited over to their house for some vittles!

Yesterday was deemed "Fry Day" due to the new fryer Dave got for Christmas (and due to the fact that he is starting on his new year's diet on Monday). Here is what was prepared:

• home made potato chips




• home made corn tortilla chips (seasoned with salt and cumin)




• home made flour chip sopapillas (seasoned with sugar and cinnamon)




• fried green olives stuffed with blue cheese




• hand battered onion rings




• baked then fried chicken wings with Frank's wing sauce




• hand battered and fried shrimp




• arincini (risotto balls stuffed with fresh mozzarella and sausage)




• hand battered corn dogs




• fried steak fingers




• battered and fried Snickers




• sweet potato fries

If that wasn't enough there was black eyed pea soup (for new year's good luck of course) and twice baked potatoes.

The grazing started at about 3pm and lasted well beyond 6pm. Needless to say, I went to run after and went to bed without dinner! Umph!

Verklempt

Ok, so I am feeling a little verklempt. The lovely and talented (and wonderful friend all the way over in Denmark) Julie of Moments of Perfect Clarity won some awards and she has so kindly passed them on to me. I have been mulling over what I want to say in my acceptance speech, so here goes:

Ladies and gentlemen (if there are any of you out there reading), it wouldn't be appropriate for me to accept these awards without first thanking God (otherwise known as Scented Glossy Magazines). She (god is a female in my world) got me started on this whole blog thing, way back in February of 2008. I have come such a long way because of her, and I can't thank her enough.

Second, I need to thank my very first blog friend, Jessie of The Lucky Stone. Jessie and I have chatted for many hours know because of our blogs. Now that she is back in the world of the employed, we don't get to chat nearly enough, but she's only a few hours away from me, so we WILL get together again soon.

Third, I need to thank my friends here at home who don't have their own blog (yet...you know who you are!) but read about my escapades faithfully. One of them has finally learned how to comment, so maybe, just maybe we will get her to start writing too!

Fourth, I would like to thank one of my new blog crushes, Mary at The Eleventh. I am loving getting to know her thru her blog, and as a fellow Midwesterner, I can just tell we'll be fast friends!

And finally, I need to thank Julie. She has become a fast friend, and if she ever comes back to the states, I will do everything I can to meet her in person.

The Superior Scribbler Award

Love Your Blog Award

I am honored to accept these awards, and it is my pleasure to pass them on to those above who have so influenced me. SGM, Jessie and Mary, come get your awards, and pass them on.

PS: The rules are simple. Link back to this post and then pass 'em on!

PPS: Julie, you too would get one of these, had you not already been bestowed one!

Dear Todd

Todd,

Thanks for asking me daily if I am running or training today. Your asking tells me that you support me and are encouraging me to get out there and run. Thank you for not making it a big deal to get my exercise in after work and between basketball practice, dinner preparation, and various kids things.

With your help, I will get this training done and finish the damn race!

Love,
Amanda

thoughts after christmas

So you might be wondering (or not) how, after this post, Christmas went in our house. If you're not wondering, stop reading here. I'm currently at home alone with a glass of wine and this delicious Spaghetti Squash with Lemon and Capers cooking away, and I thought I would fill you in while I had the time.



So, Christmas was actually ok. I know that is anti-climactic, but oh well. As far as the gifts go, I did all of the shopping (excepting a few gifts for grandfathers purchased on Christmas Eve). I did all of the wrapping, and all of the stocking stuffing. However, I did not feel one ounce of guilt when I wrote "From Mom" on every gift to my kids. Christmas was as much of a surprise to Todd as it was to the kids. Although I don't like it like that (remember how I want Todd to want to help with the shopping and wrapping?), I didn't ask for any help, and none was offered up, other than the obligatory "do you need any help?" I think the kids liked their gifts, and I am happy to say that we didn't go overboard with presents this year.



Now, as I said earlier, Todd likes the idea of staying at home and not going anywhere during Christmas. Although we had invitations to attend my mom's family Christmas as well as my dad's side, I didn't force the issue. Todd had originally made plans to go to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play on Sunday the 21st (why? He HATES the Chiefs), but he decided to stay home and go to my mom's family Christmas. I in no way made him feel guilty about this except to confirm that my mom had sent an email in November about the date and time, so he couldn't use the excuse that he didn't know when it was going to be. We didn't go to my dad's family Christmas on Christmas Eve. But we did go to church with the kids, came home and ate enchiladas and watched the old Parent Trap. We then drove around and looked at Christmas lights. It was nice, and I didn't miss seeing family too much.

Christmas Day was fun too. We got up and opened presents in our PJs. Just our little family of 4. We hung around and ate Lucky Charms and then got around to starting lunch for our guests. My folks arrived with gifts at noon and Todd's folks at 1, with Great Aunt Helen in tow. We had a wonderful meal and lots of great conversation and puzzle-putting-together. The kids played with their new things, and the men took naps on the couch in front of football and the fire. Everyone left about 5:30, just as the kids were saying "what's for dinner?" (what's that about? We just ate, 4 hours ago, a ginormous meal, and they are asking for food!)

So, I must say, that all-in-all, Christmas was fun. I mostly kept my mouth shut (which is a real exercise for me sometimes) and just enjoyed things the way they turned out. It is a lesson for me that my expectations are not always the only way things can be. Others in this family are allowed to have opinions and to have those opinions respected. I learned a lot about myself this Holiday. I know Christmas won't be easy each year for me, but maybe it will get easier each year. Here's hoping, anyhow!

You are what you eat

I don't know about you, but for me Christmas is all about the food. I love it. I love whatever anyone wants to make. Since this Christmas was a little different for us (we didn't travel anywhere...not even up the street to my parents or down the hill to Todd's parents) we had a little bit of non-traditional food on Christmas Eve, and a more traditional meal on Christmas Day. For your pleasure, our menus:

Christmas Eve:

• beef enchiladas (with enchilada sauce and nacho cheese right out of the jar, Pace brand)



• Spanish rice (out of the box)



• refried beans (straight from the can, but for fancyness, we warmed them on the stove top, instead of in the microwave)



• beer leftover from the party on Monday night

Christmas day:

breakfast:

• Lucky Charms (only because I forgot to buy sausage so we couldn't make the overnight egg casserole. The only way my kids would have even eaten egg casserole is if it had sausage in it to distract from the eggs.)

Late Lunch:

• Prime Rib (it was so yummy, Todd did an excellent job thanks to his talking thermometer/remote thingy he got for Christmas last year that told him while we were opening gifts that the meat was finished)



• Horseradish Potato Gratin (recipe from Real Simple...it was the first time I made it and it was delish!)



• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (yes, they are from Rachel Ray, but really, they ARE delicious!)



• Rhodes rolls (I even cut them up and made Cloverleaf style)



• Texas Potatoes (for the kiddos. If you don't make these, you need to. Hash brown shreds, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, onion, sour cream...HEAVENLY!)



• Delicious cherry chocolate brownie cheesecake stuff....mmmmm.



• Home made pumpkin pie with real whipped cream

For a late snack while we were working on the Christmas puzzle, we had coffee with these Rolo thingies. It was the perfect end to a great day! (Until the kids asked what was for dinner at 5:30!)

After Christmas Shopping for my Friends

For Julie:

By Etsy seller dottieangel; nellie gets known vintage butterfly drapes

(I have a feeling you could find some place wonderful for these in your home)

for tangobaby:

By Etsy seller amerimagesbytim; As Far as the Eye can See

(I hope one day you can come to Kansas and take beautiful pictures)

for Steph:By Etsy seller FuzzyBrat, Marathon Runner Finisher Time Hand Stamped Charm Gift Necklace

(I'll buy it for you when you run with me in OKC in April!)

For Leslie: By Etsy seller johnwgolden

(We all need reminding from time to time, huh?)

For SGM:

By Etsy seller Clevergirl, Word Balloon Set of 2 Moleskine notebooks

(for all those notes you take during your tv viewing)


For Jozette:

By Etsy seller threeredtrees; dogs in bad sweaters note card set

(dogs and bad sweaters in the same place...awesome!)

I've got a lot more reading to do!

Guess what my mom got me for Christmas? An Amazon Kindle! It is the most awesome thing evah! How did she know that I would want that? Maybe it was the 3 stinking library books I took with me on vacation to Florida (which put me over the weight limit on my bag I am sure). Maybe it was the fact that both my kids got ipods and Todd got a Garmin for his car, so I needed something cool and techie too. Whatever, I love it!

Who knows, but I plan on spending ALL weekend (after I go to work today) fiddling around with it (and after I load up my kids ipods with appropriate music!).

Here's to a wonderful weekend full of reading!

Merry Christmas to You (and me too)

Hope this finds all of you sufficiently stuffed and enjoying whatever holiday(s) you do this time of year.

no, I don't wear this type of shoes..strange

For Christmas this year I gave myself an entry into the Oklahoma City marathon. Actually, the 1/2 marathon, but whatever. A few girls and I are going to enter and train and then go together come April 26th. Why do you care? Well, because this is my way of being accountable for what I commit to. It seems that if I tell all of you (and post training progress on my blog's side bar) I might actually do it.





So far this week, I have followed this training schedule to the letter (I know, it' s only Thursday, but still!) My dog comes with me on each run and she loves it too. I forget how good it feels to get out there and run. I used to hate running. I couldn't even go a block. My longest run ever was something like 7 miles. If I can do this, it will certainly be an accomplishment. I could use some accomplishment in my life.





So, for now, that is my gift to myself. And until I can be less tired and more able to write coherently...merry and happy!

What the Fuck Wednesday

tongue mohawk

from here

what the fuck?

Charity

Last night my friend and I hosted a cocktail party. I was going to invite you all, but I forgot, and besides, most of you would have to travel a long way to get here!

So anyhow, the invitations (which were sent via evite, which is awesome) said Christmas Cocktails and Contributions. We invited over 100 of our friends. I don't say that to sound all cool and like "we have over 100 friends, we're so cool..." but because of what we wanted our friends to do. We asked everyone to bring a donation for the local Emergency Aid Food Bank. Yeah, like doing something nice for those less fortunate during this time of year.

So many wonderful things happened as a result of the party. First, the comments on the RSVPs were so touching. "...what a wonderful idea..." "...this is a great thing to do this time of year..." "...you two are so creative to think of doing this..." Just reading those made it worth while. When you call or write someone to RSVP, a little note or compliment goes such a long way.

Second, around 4:30 (1.5 hours before the party) a kid from one of the beer distributors showed up with 2 ginormous coolers and 2 more cases of beer for the party. One of our invited guests is "friendly" with the owner and wanted to send over beverages for the party. My friend and I almost cried. Seriously, how generous is that?

Third, the donations, holy cow for the donations! When I called the food bank to ask them what they were needing, the gal said flour, rice and noodles. So naturally, we put that on our invitation. Man did our friends show up with donations. We parked a van in the driveway with the back doors bedecked with red ribbons, and left them wide open. This way our guests were able to just leave their donation in the van before coming in the house. You can see below how generous our friends were. There were so many donations from guests who couldn't even come to the party. There were HUGE, industrial bags of noodles, cases of minute rice, and 25 pound bags of flour. See for yourself!

I think our party was a huge hit. Of course there were those who didn't come. Those who are never seen in charitable capacities, those who don't give of their time to not-for-profit boards, those who generally think they are above this kind of thing, but I am not going to let them get me down. Next year we will not invite them, and invite some others who will want to come and have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life.

I think each and every one of you should have a party like this next year. Do something good for your community. It doesn't matter if you invite 100 or 5, the organizations you choose to support will be so grateful, and you will feel pretty darn good yourself...after you have loaded the dishwasher, taken your shoes off and had a drink yourself!

What the Fuck Wednesday on Friday this week

I have been feeling a bit "down" due to the holiday (and due to the 400 plus posts I feel like I should look at in my reader since I was gone for 2 weeks). But this caught my eye today:

image from here of course

There are a whole bunch of people who failed English in elementary school apparently. There are so many signs, publications etc. with fucking stupid errors!

invention

image

I would live to invent a group of about 7-10 red staples at the end of each "strip" of staples. That way when you are stapling away, you have a little warning that you are about to run out.

Anyone have any ins at the US patent office?

thoughts on christmas

Christmas has become a hard time for me. I don't know why, really. Well, maybe I do. Over the past few years, Christmas has become a real sticking point in our marriage. Last year, things came to a head, and I can honestly say that it was the worst Christmas on my life. So this year, I have been thinking about that and what I/we can do to change that; starting with identifying the issues.



My issues:



1. Why am I the only one who does all of the "thinking" (and buying) about the gifts? Granted, we don't go overboard and we don't exchange gifts with our siblings, but there are the kids and nieces and nephews. Christmas is really about those kids, and to see them open what Santa brought them (we still believe around here) is a joy. I just want Todd to want to be involved and think of fun, meaningful gifts for the children in our lives. I want him to want to help me wrap and decorate for the fun of it.



2. Am I the only one in the world who loves to get holiday cards? Especially the ones with the photos of the kids and families on them. One of the things I do love to do during the holidays is to design our holiday card. It is the one really creative thing that I can do. I don't use a service, or a printer, I do them all myself. I get compliments on them every year. But when they are done, I would like a little help. This year, they all were printed and addressed before I left for my trip to Georgia. The only instruction was to seal them, stamp them and mail them. Guess what? Wasn't done. I could use a little help here, and I know there were plenty of hours spent sitting on the couch while I was gone...



Does this sound like a Todd tirade? It really isn't, it is more of a vent about Christmas as a whole.



3. Family. Oh, dear family. This is the hardest thing about the holidays. I love going from place to place to see all of the family and friends who are in town and who we haven't seen in the past year. My dear spouse, however, hates that. Christmas to him should be staying at home in your robe all night Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and eating when you feel like it. He wants a fire in the fireplace, a glass of wine in hand, and a long, relaxing day on the couch.



It's hard, you know, this holiday. For all we have done to pare down and make it a meaningful holiday, there are still core issues that we (and every family, dare I say?) all have to deal with at some level. Throw children into the mix, and there are a whole new set of issues that come up.



Do you enjoy the holidays? What are your issues? Any advice?

heard

As I was working this morning (and reading blogs) I heard in a whisper from down the hall:

"awesome...spsh sppe cool, do you think...look, pshch spsh..."

We had several inches of beautiful snow overnight.

I love children.

heard:

This was heard coming out of my mouth mere seconds ago:

"What!?! It's 12:11 already? What have I been doing all morning?"

As you can see, it's been that kind of day already. Hope to be back later with stories about this weekend!

What the Fuck Wednesday

What if this was on the table at your company holiday party? WTF?

It's from here.

M.I.A.

Cool image of the paths of air traffic visualized in color and form from here.

No, I am not missing in action. I have been around the world and back (or so it seems.)

We left beautiful Captiva Island, FL on Friday morning and flew thru Atlanta to Wichita. This weekend, I was really productive, including getting the Christmas tree up and decorated (actually I let the kiddos put all of the ornaments on this year, and it was so much fun just watching them. I didn't move one ornament!) We got all of our decorations out, baked some cookies, and went to church. I spent several hours at the office on both Saturday and Sunday.

Today I drove back to Wichita, got on another plane and flew thru Memphis to Jacksonville, FL. After a little shopping and dinner, I drove on up to Waycross, GA to settle in for a week of work here.

Phew! I will not be in my office for 2 weeks straight. It is a little bit of a strange feeling, almost like I don't really work anymore. I kinda like that feeling. Except for the airplane air, missing my family, and rough hotel sheets, I could get used to this. Not really.

I caught one!

Yesterday's excitement was catching fish. Both Carson and Molly caught fish off the T-dock. We used shrimp as bait, and both kids actually were patient and caught a fish! Hooray!

We Interrupt this Vacation for an Important Confession

I just have to tell you this: My daughter Molly is about the hardest person to like right now. Don't get me wrong, I love her...I really love her. But right now? I want to pinch her head right off. She is so selfish, self centered, whiny, a complainer, and pretty much no fun at all. Is this what having a daughter is all about? Because if so, I need to rewind this life and go back to nap time on St. Patrick's Day, 2001 and un-conceive her. Yeah, she was a mistake; unplanned pregnancy; already had a 9-month old napping in the other room . I'm WHAT?

Molly is everything a middle child is purported to be. You see, however, she is NOT a middle child. I always wanted 3 kids, but that was not something that was going to fly with Todd. He was dead set on having only 2, and was visibly and physically relieved when the sonogram showed that Molly was going to be a girl (besides that, we didn't agree on any other boy names.) A friend of mine once said that it had to be a 2-person decision. I like that. Having kids has to be a 2-person decision. But right now, I kinda wish we hadn't made that mistake-decision. Not really, but you know what I mean?

But, back to the confession. I threatened Molly at the beginning of this trip that her first warning meant that she was going to come back to the room and go to bed early (which we have done each night but one.) The second warning meant she was going to have a babysitter while we all went to dinner or some other fun thing. The third warning meant that we would figure out how to get her home alone (back to Kansas, that is) on the airplane and her dad would pick her up at the airport and her vacation would be over. I know, I know. Why threaten with something that I would never do? But you don't get it. I would have done it. I so would have done it. If we weren't getting on a plane to go home on Friday anyhow, I would have sent her home today. My parents would have had to put me in a straight jacket after, but it would have happened.

THIS MORNING I TOLD MY KID TO SHUT UP. There it is. I said it. It's out there now. I don't get her. She right now is so frustrating to me, that I had to do something to surprise her into being quiet. It worked for about 15 minutes.

No teacher at school, no friend's mom, no athletic activity coach has ever told me anything but good things about her and her behavior. So, my question is: WHY ME? Why does she feel that she needs to have these fits, whine, and just be awful to me? She gets something in her head about how it should be, and by god, if it doesn't happen that way...watch out! Just last night she had a 20-minute fit in her bed because it didn't look like she wanted it to. Seriously, she did.

So, to God, and my 6 readers out there, and Molly. I am sorry. I am sorry for yelling at you, I am sorry for saying that to you, and I am sorry that for some reason you are going thru this phase.

Please God, help me to get thru this phase. Please give me patience to get thru this phase. Please help me be more loving towards Molly and help her to figure out what we need in this phase. Medication? The Chiropractor? Mommy to retire? What ever it is, reveal it to me. PPPPLLLLEEEEAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEE???

Cold and Windy

Yesterday at the tip of the island, it was cold and windy. My parents took all 4 grandkids (ages 8, 7, 2.5, and 8 months) to Chuck E. Cheese and the Children's Museum in Ft. Meyers. My sister-in-law and I did this:

Today we are off to the pool, then a little fishing off the dock this afternoon...ta ta!

yesterday at the marina

I had a little time to myself yesterday to read (Portrait of a Marriage by Nigel Nicholson) so I went to a table by the marina. The weather yesterday was pretty windy, and overcast with a shower or two (one as we were getting ready to leave the pool...we got SOAKED!). The sun peeped thru a few times, and we had a great time flying kites by the ocean.