I did it! I had the wildest and most amazing marathon retirement party ever! But first, let me start with this…

I didn’t make my goal time. I aimed for a 4:40 finish. I trained for it, even left some cushioning in my training for a 4:45 minute finish. I ran in temperatures over 100 degrees. I ran in wind. I ran in rain. I trained in the Texas summer heat. I cross trained through Camp Gladiator and followed Coach Sara’s plan each week. I tapered like I was supposed to. I sought chiropractic relief. I altered my hydration and diet, too. In my training, I gained back the confidence to run a 10mm pace for a half marathon. I had the confidence to run a 10:30-11mm pace WITH HILLS. I lost weight and shook off a large chunk of depression.

I didn’t make my goal time. My finish was 5:10:51, a full 11 minutes slower than 7 years ago for my other time of running this.

BUT…

I did it! This race was EVERYTHING I needed from a final race. It was brutal! Why? The conditions were low 40s with 20-30 mph winds. The winds were so high that they didn’t even allow the handcycles to start in Staten Island, cutting off the Verrazano Bridge entirely for them. I opted to walk that bridge, braving the masses, but staying on the side out of harms way, or so I thought. I was pelted with discarded gloves, water bottles, makeshift windbreakers from garbage bags, a race bib (!), a fuel belt, and sweat shirts. I fought against the wind to get this image:

See those white caps. See those clouds? Brrr…(my lungs started wheezing moments after snapping this. Inside I cursed them and said, Not today!)

And we fought through that wind, running against it for about 20 of those miles, and then we were faced with uphill, no sun, tired legs. Before that, though…

I caught those unicorns I’d been chasing for a while!

I sat in that huddle of people to stay warm before the race. Robin Hood, you guys continue to touch my soul!

I stood in my corral waiting for that BOOM of the cannon and Frank Sinatra to belt out “New York, New York” while we ran past.

I nervously chatted with a local gal, a gal from Atlanta, and 3 women from Argyle, Texas! Wow!

I humbly wore the discarded Dunkin Donuts fleece hat that I had to cut a hole out of the top so my hair would fit.

At mile 13 I took a selfie in the sun!

At mile 15.5 I knew I was still plenty strong.

At mile 19.5 I took another selfie in the sun.

My face hurt from smiling so much! I ran strong! I ran my race. I ran with so many strangers cheering me along the way. I ran while my loved ones cheered me on both in person and through social media. I ran for all of them and for myself. The race was what I needed. It was a metaphor, a true test of determination, strength, endurance, and will. I didn’t really hit a wall. My lungs did feel like they wanted to collapse at one point. I lost feeling of my 3rd toe on my left foot around mile 8. At mile 9-10, I ran alongside my Teej! I saw her and nearly knocked her down because I was so happy to see her. I cried and cried, and squeezed so tightly. She ran in the crowd next to me, and when she hit her street, she hollered “Go!” and I went. At mile 11, I saw my Beloved!! He’d landed and made it to me. At mile 13 I messaged my beautiful friend on bedrest, who was cheering me on, texting me messages of support along the way! I hopped on social media at mile 15-16. I saw a few more familiar faces and beautiful souls at mile 17-19! At mile 20, Robin Hood’s block party erupted in cheers when they saw my shirt! I felt like such a celebrity! I had a pinched nerve in my right shoulder starting at mile 21. But I kept right on pushing. I ran to the Asian drummers beat. I high fived one of the rappers who was performing. I high fived as many kids as I could along the way. I held hands with a gal who was running to honor her mother at mile 23---she’d died on October 28th from cancer. I hugged a Swiss guy whose legs were giving out. I was going so fast, I missed My Michael at mile 24, but I saw my Beloved again at mile 24.5.  I put my phone away after that and focused on finishing. I happily ran under the foliage of My park, Central Park. We emerged out of park a bit after 25 and I saw the GM building…Maverick! I’ve walked MANY times to Columbus Circle, time to pick up the pace! (Screw you, lungs, stop sucking air, we have a race to finish!) I spotted people to try to reach and pass and I did. When I hit mile 26, I shouted BRING IT! and took off at an accelerated pace for that last quarter mile. I passed so many people and felt so light. When I crossed, I didn’t cry in my photos. I just beamed with the biggest smile. That was it.

I did it! 5 hours, 10 minutes, and 51 seconds of happy…happy that isn’t artificial, genuine happiness from achievement and support from more than 200 people! All 200+ of you that know me directly who reached out….

THANK YOU, MERCI, GRACIAS, DOMO ARI GATO, DANKE, GAMSAHBNIDA, GRAZIE!!!

The lady who handed me my medal, she was an older woman, and I just stared at her, and asked her for a hug. And she hugged me tightly like my abuela, and told me that she was so proud of me! Thank you strange lady! Thank you for being proud of me and giving me such a hug! And then I sobbed. Big, fat, joyful tears of happiness and sense of accomplishment.

The trek to my room was a journey all by itself. But I got to see my Beloved again before he headed out to the airport. I was able to laugh and recover with My Michael and Gen at a tea place. I was able to talk about the journey with my running friends and hosts after they returned themselves. The next day, I was tight, but I walked around my park for a while capturing engagement photos (yes, I had an engagement photo shoot and it was amazing!!). I had some amazing food, I had a blowout, and then I came home.

I’m tight, but not overly sore. Only my toe is really hurting, but I feel fine. It was a great retirement and the perfect way to say goodbye to my final endurance run. And now, I pass on the torch to everyone else who is able to do so! I will cheer them on!

Coach Sara…you helped me earn every single bit of this race! THANK YOU! Coach Mark, our time so far has been brief, but you helped me, too! Running friends, thank you for pushing me, even when you didn’t know you were. Mom, thank you for throwing me in the deep end and telling me to swim. Daddy, thank you for never slowing down when we raced! Thank you NYC for showing up, like you always do. I know I can make it anywhere!

Look for the light

"Mama, why are you taking a picture of the sky?"
Look baby, right there. See that break? There's always light. You don't always see it, but it is there, I promise. See how the sun makes the clouds pop, giving them texture and definition? The light is what defines, so always look to the light.
"Mama, I'm gonna need some more white to add to my paintings. The light really does make everything so pretty!"
Yes, Sugarbug, absolutely.

___________________________________________________________

Even though we were running late, I took a moment to stop and stare at the beauty before me. I was mesmerized, and to my daughter, I’m sure she sat in her seat wondering what was happening, hence our conversation. I took a deep breath, and drove her to school. Our commute is short. Carpool line drop-off makes it fast. But today, I pulled up much slower than normal, grateful to all of the pedestrians. I stared at my little one in the rearview mirror, unapologetic for the tears that were forming in my eyes. She was wearing a navy shirt with pink and white writing, a turquoise skort, her long hair in braided pig tails. Her eyes bright, her heart full of love, her spirit inquisitive. How did I get to be so blessed? Where has the time gone? Every single day, I give a little more silent thank-yous to my parents. In spite of all of the internal struggles I had, despite all of the difficult life-lessons, they were there to hold me close, love me—even when I didn’t think they were there. They were, without hesitation.

Happy 2nd Birthday Tesla Jane

Another year has passed, another year filled with adventures! I can't believe time has flown by so quickly since that first year.

My dearest Sugarbaby,

Today was your second birthday. It is cold and rainy outside and a Wednesday. On Monday, afternoon, I received a call from your school that the dreaded pinkeye had caught up to you and I needed to come get you. At the doctor, the infection was confirmed, so I made plans to work from home on Tuesday. Little did I know just how grateful I'd be for that pinkeye bug.

I awoke on that normal Tuesday morning, walked to the living room and set up a makeshift office until you were up for the day. I was able to log a couple of hours before you were up. I was also able to log a couple of more while you watched "How to Train Your Dragon." My favorite part was when you climbed up into my lap, snuggling in. Typing out emails to my office hadn't been that fun in a while! We went to have lunch. The sky was overcast and you surprised me by remembering a bronze ox in the park. You pointed and stated, "Hot" while refusing to go near it. You didn't have any issue with climbing up on the bronze ducks!

We then went back home where you had a monster nap. Not before I was able to snuggle with you a little more before tucking you in. That evening, I watched as you busied yourself with your sister when she got home. And in that moment I was so, so, so very grateful to have shared your last day as being 1 with just you for most of the day.

You further surprised me with a bear hug while saying, "Te amo, Mama!" This after earlier in the day when you'd held up a yellow piece of chalk and proclaimed, "yellow!" I spent time showing you how to draw a T, and after the 5th try, you did it. Then you went back to drawing your favorite hash marks on everything. You enjoy helping me do chores, and watch me like a hawk in all that I do. You are absolutely inquisitive and extremely independent! Your father and I have our hands full between you and your sister. Oh and the bond that you two share!!! Melts my heart!

Today, you went back to school. You insisted on having your coat worn just so and you HAD to have on sunglasses, even though the sun was not out.

When we stepped out, you burrowed into my shoulder and said, "Chilly dog, Mama! FFFfrriooooo!" When I covered you with my scarf, you happily said, "Thank you, Mama." You were happy to be with your friends, and I told Bren and Baylee that it was your birthday. Bren told you, "happy birthday!" You two year olds crack me up!

I had warm chocolate chip cookies delivered from Tiff's Treats for your afternoon snack. I tried my hardest to make it to that impromtu party for you, but all of the meetings I'd postponed on Tuesday caught up with me today. It was ok, because when I got home from work, you were so excited, happily dancing and moving to your internal song.

You were able to talk with your Nana and Skype with Nina Dani, Nono, and Grandfather. As you were going to sleep, I played the voicemail from your Bisabuela, but not before your big sister sang you a birthday lullabye.


I love you so very much, baby! I am looking forward to these tremendous twos with you!!

Love you,
Mama

Kroger Cart Busting Sale: Preparing for Cooler Weather

I live in Texas. Up until last week, we have been having 90 degree weather. All of my summer clothes have been out and I've been happily (mostly) wearing my flip flops enjoying the last bits of summer. In reality, I knew Autumn would roll in fast. That's how it happens here. One day, it's nice and warm, and by that evening, the wind has blown in the cooler weather, the leaves change color and fall in a matter of days, and next thing I know I'm surrounded by hoodies, closed toe shoes, scarves, and colored tights. It's exciting and fun! 

The only drawback for the cooler weather...sickness! The changing of the seasons always forces some kind of cold. For us, we've already had bouts of sinus infection and yes, even bronchitis for the Sugarbaby. Yikes! To prepare, we stock up on plenty of Hunt's Tomato Paste for fideo and Vick's, especially their Dayquil to help us adults get through the day! 

Wanna make your own fideo? Well, here's how we do it!

Fideo (fee-day-oh)--goodness for the soul

1 package of angel hair pasta nest

1 onion diced

3 cloves garlic

1 can Hunt's Tomato Paste

2-4 cups water

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp of cumin (I love cumin!!!)

Pinch of salt

Oil

Fry up your angel hair pasta nests in a bit of oil just to get them brown. If you have plenty of time and want to turn on your oven, then lightly coat the nests in the oil, place on parchment paper, and bake at 300 for about 10 minutes (just until it is brown)

On medium-high heat, in the oil, fry up your onion and garlic. Once brown, add your cumin and stir until coated with oil. Next, add your pasta and immediately add the tomato paste and the water. (You might need to add a bit more water. Use enough to cover the pasta. We tend to add more to ours because we like it soupy.) Go ahead and sprinkle a bit more salt and add the remaining cumin. Stir and bring to a boil. 

Lower heat and cover. Letting it simmer until your pasta is al dente and ready to eat. Enjoy!

For added flavor, you can add some demi glace and saffron if you have it on hand. (Don't we all have such things on hand? Right??<---stole that idea from Chef Primo) If we are wanting extra spicy, I will add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes or dice up a bit of serrano to add to it. 

YUM!

This post is sponsored by the Kroger Cart Busting Sale going on from October 7th to October 20th! Visit this site each day for different savings (shown below). Download a digital coupon for a different product each day straight to your shopper card at the Cart Buster site for great deals on your favorite products at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores! 

Participating Stores include: 

• Kroger
• City Market
• Dillons
• Food 4 Less
• Food 4 Less Fremont
• Fryís
• Gerbes
• Jay C
• King Soopers
• Owenís
• Pay Less
• QFC
• Bakerís
• Fred Meyer
• Ralphs

Download a digital coupon for a different product each day straight to your shopper card at the Cart Buster site for great deals on your favorite products at the Kroger Co. Family of Stores!

****I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.****

Costa Rica–The Adventure to Montezuma

It was Father’s day and the first time ever that I was unable to talk with my father. It was a bit tough to swallow, but I did my best to concentrate on the amazing things surrounding me. I’d gotten up early to catch the end of the sunrise and journal some thoughts while I enjoyed some coffee overlooking the vast valley from our balcony. it was also my friend Gen’s birthday and having coffee outdoors is something she enjoys and so with each sip, I said a silent prayer for her.

Don and I took the carrito down for the last time to the restaurant. We loaded up on breakfast. Two coffees, banana pancakes, 2 eggs with hashbrowns, and traditional Costa Rican breakfast. That was probably the best Americano coffee I’ve ever had. It was so good, I had almost 3 cups.

Anyway, we bid adieu to our little romantic getaway and prepared ourselves for not only a journey, but another location that would be a bit above camping. A far cry from the luxury resort we just left. ha ha! Let me break it down for you:

We were going to travel from Liberia, south about 190 kilometers (gotta love the metric system) or 118 miles to Punta Arenas. From there, we will have to hop on a ferry with our car and travel an hour and a half to Parquera/Tambor. From there, we were to travel another 60 kilometers or 30 miles to get to Montezuma. We were told the trip to Punta Arenas would be about 2 hours and the drive over to Montezuma would be about an hour.

We left Liberia at 1PM. Sure enough, it took us about two hours to get to Punta Arenas. The road was well-paved, but because it was only one lane on each side, you were at the mercy of the slower lead cars. There were many, many times it was too difficult to pass. The drive over was filled with pleasant conversation. Great conversations was one of the reasons why I fell in love with Don, early on. We were both feeling quite content with the trip! And then, just as we were approaching the ferry, an older teenager jumped in front of our vehicle with a ferry sign. He proceeded to force feed us information about the ferry and where we were going, tips and tricks, that sort of thing. Then gave us a sob story about how this is his job to work in the heat giving information and that he wanted the 10000 colones for the time. We had yet to convert currency, so he jumped into the rental and navigated us over to a bank to exchange dollars. Then, when we finally got back to drop him off, he said, ok, 10000 colones…each! I just said, whatever and shrugged him off. We handed over the bills and afterwards, Don leaned over to me and let me know we just paid the guy $40. Then there it was, that nasty pit in my tummy. It could’ve been worse, right? Lesson learned, but it doesn’t feel great to be taken advantage of.

We had an hour to kill and found a steak taqueria to enjoy a quick lunch. Our server was an older gentleman from the Dominican. He was feisty and I liked that. I’d recounted the story of what had just happened to us and I could tell that he was physically getting a bad taste in his mouth. He was doing this grimace with a spit motion. I dunno, he was getting upset. He went on to tell me how in his 10 years of living in Costa Rica, he, himself has had similar experiences. But then he made a scrappy-fighter gesture, gesticulating heavily as if to say, “don’t mess with me, you don’t want none of this.” And that was the end of the story. I was slightly rejuvenated in my spirit.

We finished lunch, hearts of palm salad and fried yucca for me and grilled chicken, beans, tortillas, and fried plantain for Don. We went to the ferry, waited in line for a ticket, walked to the office to pay for the ticket, then drove the car into the hold of the ferry. We walked up to the sun deck to watch the journey.

While there, a small framed German girl sat next to me and we struck up a conversation. I’d seen her hop out of a tourism bus labeled as Montezuma. Turns out, her name is Klaudia and she is from Germany, living in LA studying to be a journalist. She will be staying at La Escuela del Sol for a month to learn how to surf and speak Spanish. In a few ways, she reminded me of our friend Toch, back home. Any way, there we sat, taking in the beauty of it all. We neared the port and while they were docking the ferry, the downpour began.

At this point, Don and I had to split up since they only allowed the drivers with the vehicle. I carefully climbed the two flights of stairs down in the rain, ever so grateful to my sister for giving us a wetbag to keep my cellphone and documents dry. I stood shivering in the holding area for about 10 minutes until Don appeared. Then it was chaos! With a strong prayer, we set on our journey, following a bus because well, it seemed it knew what to do. I remembered the boy mentioning going left when we came off the ferry, the same direction as the bus. In that downpour, we snaked along this incredibly winding road for about 15 kilometers before the bus pulled over and we had to keep pressing on. We knew we were going the right direction by the signs, until we came upon a set that didn’t have Montezuma listed. But, it did say Cobano and Don remembered the boy mentioning us to take a left to Montezuma from Cobano. So we pressed on in that direction. The rain had slowed to a trickle, but the road was effectively one and a half lanes. I said aloud, I miss lines painted on the road. I miss street lights. I miss reflectors. I miss sidewalks (because there were SOOOO many people and dogs walking in the middle of the road…at night…in the rain…in the pitch black). My hands were gripping the handle so tightly, they were cramping. My right leg stretched out, bracing myself. It wasn’t that Don was driving so fast, it was that the turns were so sharp and I wasn’t sure which side was the coast and which side may or may not be a valley for us to roll down. Again, no guard rails. I get anxiety just thinking about it all over again.

I kept counting down the kilometers from the odometer. I tried to relax a bit, but most of the relaxation came when the English music station played a song I was familiar with. I sang along and was distracted long enough for us to reach Cobano. Just 7 short kilometers to Montezuma. They were having some sort of festival/party in Cobano and on any other day we would have stopped. We kept going to Montezuma. After wandering around for about 10 minutes, we stopped and asked some locals for help. We found the spot and were so happy to be in our room. It was 10 minutes before 8PM. At 8PM is when Empanadas y Amigos welcome orientation began. We dined on the empanadas, said some hellos, listened to the information, and went back to the room. We settled in for a long day that began at 8:15 with Poi and Surfing at noon.

We were supposed to stay at the school until Sunday morning, but after that journey, we elected to forego that stay and head back closer to Liberia on Saturday. We just couldn’t chance missing our flight.

That night, we slept soundly as the rains continued to pour down for the next several hours.

What a crock!

I love the slow cooker.

Growing up, I remember my mom using it every now and again, but it wasn't one of those go-to kitchen gadgets. When I graduated from college, I packed up my things and my mom gave me the ol' crockpot. She told me she never really used it, but that I might like it. I happily took it and piled it in the box with my brand new hand mixer (bought with the generous gift card my former co-workers at the ice company gave me), can opener, and all-purpose pan.

It went mostly unused until that first year of marriage. It was at this point that I was looking for easier meals that were semi-healthy, but good. Not to mention, meals that wouldn't require that I clean several pots and pans and scrub the kitchen...which, let's face it, is what any kitchen that I cook in usually looks like. Then, my sister introduced me to a simple easy chicken recipe* that not only satisfied, but was EXCELLENT on the pocket book. Woo-hoo!

At this point, I'd also acquired Don's slow cooker through our marriage. When my brother graduated from college, I bought him a cookbook solely for crockpot recipes and insisted it be one of his first purchases for his place. I think he might have used it once or twice and shoved it in the back of his cabinet. It wasn't long after that he asked if I wanted it and I said sure. So that is how I found myself with three slow cookers. On cool days like today, or weeks where I know I'll be much too busy, like this week, I will take out my little family of crockpots and put them to work. (what is going on with Texas that it was in the 40s today! Not complaining because soon enough we will have those triple digit temps, but whoa! Cheers to procrastination and not putting away the kiddos winter wear.)

Far left (and the crockpot that became mine after marriage):
Braised short ribs with button mushrooms and egg noodles in a marsala sauce 

Middle (newest crockpot from my brother)
Whole chicken, with garlic and pepper, a bit of onion and celery...this will make a great base for a meal 

Far right (the oldest crockpot, and quite possibly my favorite)
Pot roast with potatoes, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic

Usually when I cook with the crockpots, I like to use a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner. Don is concerned about cooking the food in a plastic liner, but I'm living in ignorant bliss. Maybe they are bad. Maybe I should care, especially because I'm obsessive about so many other things. Maybe I hate scrubbing the slow cookers after wards. Yeah, that's it and it totally trumps everything else...for now.

*Easy Chicken Dinner, aka Salsa Chicken
Whole Chicken
1 jar of your favorite salsa...get crazy with it and try something with pin eapple or mango

Add chicken and entire contents of the jar to the slow cooker. Cook on low overnight. Your chicken will be tender and will fall right off the bone! I usually take off all of the chicken meat from the bone and will add a bit of water to the "juice/sauce" and it can be a pretty delicious and spicy chicken soup. Enjoy!

Do you cook with a slow cooker? If so, what is your favorite recipe?

Weather in Texas: Snow with a Chance of Ice

We buckled down and got ready for the Arctic Blast that would hit our area. Neither of us like to run the heater on very high, but Saturday night around 9:30, I asked Don to crank up the heat and break out our space heaters. He did one better and started a fire. Mari was eager for the snow to fall and accumulate because she loves playing in it. I remember liking the snow as a child and then within 15 minutes being tired of it. This kiddo could be out playing in it for hours. She is definitely her father's daughter.

Anyway, I had a marathon of a day, completing 8 loads of laundry. Isn't that just the way things go? You make a new goal and you start off with a bang! While my laundry is completed and most of Mari's, I still have a ways to go in terms of catching up, more specifically, laundering all of the towels and bedding, but we'll get there.

Meanwhile, Don was busy packing up the office and moving it to the den. Our office was a catch all of sorts. It was his office, spare bedroom, and storage for random things that somehow got lost over the years. He spent all day Saturday and Sunday sorting, cleaning, throwing away, recycling, and boxing up. And we're still not done! Actually, he may very well be close to done, but there's a giant pile of mess that is mine that I have to go through and choose what stays or what goes. It is going to be tough! The last time we changed office rooms, our garage was rendered a permanent storage spot instead of a garage to park the vehicle. I guarantee you I was missing the garage when I was thwacking the snow off the car.

Lucky for me, the remote start had melted any ice that had accumulated, so all I had to do was get rid of the snow. Anyway, our street didn't even begin to look like the snow day we had last year, but the ice was bad enough that school was delayed or even canceled!

Back to the office. I'm going to share the plan with you for two reasons. One, to keep me accountable for my part in this and two, because I'm so excited!!! Our den is a nice sized room with decent natural light. It was one of the first rooms that underwent a make-over. We'd ripped up the carpet, stained the concrete, repainted, and repainted bookshelves. It was very nice. (And when I say we, I mean Don and his mom and I picked out swatches of paint.) It will now act as office/craft room/spare bedroom. Hence the reason for purging and clearing out. I'm very excited to see how it will all come together. I've been scouring the internets for ideas and I think I have found some shelving and organizing solutions that will fit our needs. The old office will become Mari's new room, which we will have to paint and change out the lights. Mari's room will become Tesla's room. Whew, such changes!

I'll be sure to take photos and update our progress. In the meantime, for all of you who have a craft space, I would love it if you would snap a photo of it and show me how you have organized everything. Thanks!

Indoor Heating During Winter

borrowed from http://laughlikeadork.blogspot.com/

This post was inspired by a question that I recently posted. Well, first of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who responded with both tips and commiseration. It is good to know that we aren't alone and also, that maybe there's hope.

Backstory: For as long as I can remember, I have dreaded cold weather because of the way I feel every morning. Invariably, I haven't had a restful night. I'm up before the alarm clock because I can feel my sinuses "waking up" and the yuck-factory gearing up. I awake with a fit of sneezing. I'm a massive fountain of endless snot. My skin is so dry, it is screaming for any kind of moisture. My nose is raw from the constant blowing. I shock pretty much anything I touch (static electricity much?). I just have this general blech feeling all over. Not to mention all morning is filled with stopped-up dialogue where my head feels like an over inflated balloon. Don't even get me started on the actual puffiness of it all.

I dread turning on the heater. I like a warm house, but I don't like what a warm house does to me. Never had. Doesn't matter the house or even a hotel for that matter. I just don't like it and I don't like what it does to me. With that said, here are some things that have worked for me and I wanted to share:

• Don't turn on the heater. Are you crazy? Do you know what the temperature is outside? Ok, yes. We turn on the heater during awake hours, but I'm all about lowering the temp to 50 degrees while we sleep. That cool air keeps the sinuses happy.
• Use a humidifier. The extra moisture in the air helps with the static electricity. It also helps to keep the skin somewhat moisturized.
• Invest in a space heater. When the central heat is off, the space heaters kick on. Close the door and keep them going. Of course, make sure they are in a safe place and if they are knocked over, you have the kind that will turn themselves off to prevent fire. SAFETY FIRST folks!
• Vaseline, more than just some petroleum goop. I apply a bit of this stuff to the insides of my nostrils, even when I'm not pregnant. When I need an extra bump in softness of my feet, I'll rub some on and wear some uber-comfy squishy socks to bed. Of course, the socks are never on my feet in the morning, but my feet are definitely softer.
• Drink Water. Like they say in the running and workout world...hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. This is essential and I'm made all to aware of how little water I've had when my hands are feeling especially dry and my lips look like the Crypt Keeper.
• Use a Saline Solution. Sinucleanse, Neti Pot, Sinus Rinse, they all do similar things, which is clean out the sinuses. I do this before bed and in the morning, although, the extra stuffy days I can say that it actually burns a bit. Not from the solution, but maybe the pain associated with all of that mess being swollen? Who knows.
• Have plenty of tissues. I think nearly every room in our house has a box of Kleenex. I need to get more of those travel Kleenex packets. I can't use a handkerchief. I go through it too quickly.

Those are some of the tidbits that have helped me. I hate that my poor husband has to suffer being cold to keep me comfortable. Although, this year, I have discovered that the Sugarbean has inherited my respiratory tendencies, so she too benefits from these tips. Looks like Guapo (the living heater) will be joining Don in bed soon. Plus, I may have to buy some XL footie pajamas for him too!

Here are some tips from friends that I hope to try out:

• Clean your air ducts. Usually, you can take advantage of the $99 special that can be found in mailers.
• Baby Oil in the Bath. Add about a teaspoon of baby oil to the bath and your skin will be renewed and refreshed with the added moisturizer.
• More moisturizer for your hair. My hair is plenty of moisturized (about the only thing on my body that is.) and the added oil my scalp produces helps to lock in moisture. However, I do apply a dab of conditioner before styling to keep the flyaways and frizzies at bay.
• Ayr Saline Gel. I gather this will work similar to the nasal rinse and other saline drops and other ointment. I detest any drops in my nose. I'd rather having a gushing fountain of saline instead of a mist or even a spray. Mari, on the other hand, loves her saline drops. Can't get enough of em. This gel sounds intriguing, though, so I'm going to be in search of it for the next time around.

So what about you guys? Do you have any more tips you'd like to share? Do you suffer from this as well?

HDMR: How to Train Your Dragon, An Education, and Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

This week's installment includes a couple of films from our friends across the pond,  a product review as well as a link for an opportunity to win some cool stuff! Ratings are done in leftover Easter Candy.

How to Train Your Dragon
This is the latest Dreamworks animation film, still out in the theaters. Like I previously mentioned in the prior (ahem, embarrassing, cough, cough) post. Truth be told, I really only saw the first 10 minutes and the last 20, but that was enough. This was a cute movie. I think Don liked it more than I did, but I can honestly say that by the end, Mari had enough. This surprised me for two reasons: 1. She LOVES movies, especially in the theater. 2. She LOVES dragons. Movies with dragons seemed like a no-brainer, but she had absolutely no interest in the end. We should've waited for the rental and taken her to see Alice. She still asks me to play her the trailer on youtube. Anyway, if you have kiddos and you like dragons, I would recommend this film. It was very cute and there was a moment in the film that got me a bit choked up as a parent. I can totally see us adding this to our video collection. I just wish I would've waited to see it while on video instead of in the theater. I rate this 3 mini peanut butter cups.

An Education
This powerful film is set in the 60s in England. It surrounds the life of a 16 year old gal who is on the fast track to Oxford when she meets an older gentleman who woos her and gives her a very different sort of education. I didn't know much about this film going into it other than Carey Mulligan was nominated for an Oscar, was/is involved with co-star Shia LaBeouf, and is slated to be Eliza Doolittle in the remake of My Fair Lady. I knew Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson were in it, but I didn't get to see them nearly as much as I would have wanted. Also, Peter Sarsgaard does an incredible job as a silver tongued conniving leading man. He's a mother's worst nightmare and every school girl's dream. *rolls eyes* It was slow at times, but definitely worth watching, even tough at times because everyone can relate to disappointment and heartache. But my most favorite thing about the film...THE COSTUMES!!! This includes the hairstyles and make-up as well. ooooh how I wish I knew how to fix my hair like they had in the glammed up bits because it would so love it. I rate this Robin's Eggs with a single Dove Chocolate egg.

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging
Ok, this is a waaaay teenie bopper flick. With that said, I loved it. Mari and I watched this together, well, in the sense that she sat on the floor and played Barbies while I watched. Anyway, this is a total cutesy film about a 14 year old gal and all of the antics that surround being 14 going on 15. It was very teen angsty, but it was fun to learn new British slang terms. I swear, I feel like I'm going mental most days. (that was one of the obvious ones.) My other favorite one was Sex God. Don is my total Sex God! I digress. I fell in love with the lead actress in this micro-woman chick flick. I rate this a chocolate bunny with the ears bitten off.

Lush Retread
Ummmm...ok, for those of you not in my inner e-circle, you weren't aware that I spent last weekend in East Texas romping around outdoors. Lucky for me, my hair LOVES the outdoors in Texas in the Spring. You know, it shows this by being SUPER frizzy, and outrageously curly, and unruly. I <3 my hair. Seriously, I do have big love for my hair, and often, my hair shows me BIG love. After the rehearsal on Friday night, I spent part of the evening indulging in a bath that lasted longer than 10 minutes. I know, I know, I was out of control with my bad self. Lucky for me, my gal pal gifted me with a nifty sample of this stuff. Since I didn't pack any bit of hair product (who does that?), I opted to use my sample instead of resorting to making that late, late night trek to the Wal-mart in town. I generously worked it in my hair and I could honestly feel my hair slapping my fingertips while it said shutyomouf. Then it relaxed and actually was pleasant the following day. I would've worn it down had I not been hot and working. (everyone who knows me knows that when I work, I work...which means the hair is pulled back. I can't think creatively if the hair is down. Just can't do it.) So if you have amazing awesome frizz-tastic hair that has a total mind of its own, treat it to a spa day with this amazing elixir! It ain't cheap, but then again, magic does cost some money. Go out and have a bake sale if you need to. --->and let me know so I can enjoy some cupcakes. No, wait, no cupcakes for me. I have a bridesmaid gown to fit into in less than 3 months. YIKES!

Peanut Butter Contest Time
(do any of you watch Family Guy? did you get my reference?)
Finally, the contest! You may have skipped all of the rest of the nonsense and came directly to the bottom to figure out how you can win free stuff. Ok, ok, ok...here you go: Remember the gal who recommended the magical elixir from above? Well, she's having a contest over at her blog. Rules are simple. Become a follower and leave a comment. Easy peasy. And the prizes...wowsa! I want to call on my multiple personalities just so I can have multiple entries! Ha ha! Good luck to you.

Sorry if this blog was unusually wacky. I'm hopped up on some serious pollen, mixed with a healthy dose of amazing homemade pot roast infused with delicious demi, and a splash of Bianca's Special Allergy Medication (squirt + Titos=gitouttamuhfacepollen!). I hope you were enjoying this amazing weather despite all of the plant sex going on. I thought it was beautiful even though I couldn't really breathe. Small blessings!

Soon enough, you'll get your Mari-J fix too. We have some rockin' pics to share!

oh and P.S. in the even the FTC actually catches wind of my little blog, I wanted to be in compliance. In no way am I being compensated for stating my opinions. If I EVER get the delightful opportunity, I'll be sure to say it, but for now, no one has willingly paid me for my opinion.

Snow day!

Are you a survivor the epic 10 - 12 inch snowstorm of DFW? Well, we are. It came. It snowed. It made everything gloriously white and frozen. And in Mari's opinion, it was the very best birthday gift she could ever receive. She LOVES snow. She gets that from her daddy, I tell you. If we were living in Colorado, I know I wouldn't see him on the weekends from the first snow fall to the last. But that's another tale.

In any case, I'm way late on the posting game. I've not been lost, just been juggling quite a bit of things, all very, very good things.

You are all in my prayers!

Habitat for Humanity

The day began early, but I was extremely grateful that traffic was light and easy. I didn't get any coffee today. Last time, I'd eaten McDonald's and it was unsettling, so I was just going to indulge in a donut at the site.

I ate a chocolate covered french creuller. Gluttony at its finest and yet, it still felt really heavy, so I need to rethink my breakfasts for these things. Anyway, the storms were going to come in and I was prepared wearing my black rubber boots. For random things, here's a cosmetology head lingering underneath the truck. She was later put on the stick and reminded me of the severed heads that served as a warning in Braveheart, but that was a bit too dramatic for me on such a gloomy day, so instead I named her Shirley. Hi Shirley!
Here's our task list for the day. We didn't quite finish the siding, but we did about 14/16ths of it. We did finish the shingles, garage door trim and external trim. And, I did a fair amount of caulking, so I did start the paint prep.
Here is the before shot of the house (I didn't get an after, sorry!)
After working non-stop for three and a half hours, we paused for a quick lunchbreak. See our muddy feet? Fun, fun, fun!
Then we kept going and I'm happy to say that I didn't fall off the ladder. I did break rule number 2: Do Not Get Hurt. I was the only one. I am such a rebel. In the matter of seconds, my injury happened (don't they all?). Here's the story:

I leaned over to grab the main camera to snap a picture of the gal who always gets our pics at the volunteer events. Meanwhile, some random guy in the corner away from us, was in a flow with his nail gun and I only assumed he was building some sort of utility shelf. Anyway, he didn't see me, took a step back, which tipped over a solid wood shelf, about two inches thick, 4 feet long, and about 2 feet wide. It bonked me on the head and when my ducked away, it caught my shoulder and on the way down, the corner made a sharp cut from the top of my thigh to halfway down my tibia. Yep, it left a nice mark. I wasn't gushing blood, but I was bleeding. Immediately after grabbing the photo (yes, my injury wasn't going to be in vain!), I ran to the first aid kit and cleaned up the injury. Hopefully, it won't leave a nasty scar.

At the end of the day, here are my muddy, muddy wellies. You can see how my legs are covered in mud. The best part of the day, aside from the obvious in being able to help build a home for someone, is the fact that the heavens opened up and sent down a gentle, yet heavy downpour. Everyone scurried for shelter, but I danced in the rain, and sent some puddles soaring. Sometimes, you shouldn't pass up the opportunity to play in the rain.
Hope you all had an amazing and blessed day! Oh and I might add, all of these photos were taken with my camera phone. Not too bad, huh?

Before the storm

The storms were returning, so we knew we had a bit of time to enjoy dusk before the clouds broke open and waxed wet on earth. I grabbed my camera and we headed outside. Mari has been cutting another lower canine and has been ebbing between frantic fussiness and vicious happiness, which is not unlike me when I've gone days without my caffeine and chocolate. :) Also, she's been undergoing a fierce growth spurt, her legs look so much longer!

For your viewing pleasure, behold , toddler in action...
She's running from Daddy who is chasing her. By the way, on the sidewalk in the distance, there are fresh acorns that have fallen from the tree. Like me, she loves to step on them and make them go crunch!
Look at that tongue, that wild hair, the pointed foot...she's so focused on fun.
And a rare moment, a family photo. What makes this photo great is that Don and I are in focus and looking at the camera. Mari is trying to make a mad dash out of the picture and Guapo (not pictured) is trying to jump in Don's lap.
Hope those of you in the area are enjoying the storm!

Quick Don, Come Here & Look!

"It's bending! OMG!! Do something!!"

Yes, that's what I seriously yelled when I saw this tree split. Last night, we took Mari Jul to swim lessons. I think we were all pretty exhausted, but we all loaded up anyway and headed out to the aquatic center. Mari stared hesitantly at the water and went from calm, melancholy baby to pissed-off-why-on-Earth-are-you-torturing-me-like-this-Mommy baby. *sigh* Yeah, the water was cooler than I would've liked, so I know she really hated it. I couldn't warm her fast enough. I'm certain Mari knows how to pray, because no sooner were we in the water than we heard the loud sirens.

We filed out of the pool and sought shelter by the showers, which were totally enclosed in thick cinder blocks. It was quiet and became even more eerie when all of the kids started singing to calm their fears. We had no cell phone to call our friends and family to let them know we were ok. Less than 10 minutes later they called us out and cancelled class. They assured us that we had 20 minutes before the storm would hit. All of the parents filed out towards their mini vans, SUVs, and compact cars. We headed home while the dark gray clouds crept towards us, taunting us with a violent dance.

Before we got home, I told Don that I needed to run over to Michaels to get something right quick. He shot me an are you kidding me look and firmly said, "No." Now Don is never one to forbid me from doing anything. He's usually laid back about my crazy ideas, but when he does voice an opinion, I tend to listen to it, even if I don't agree. I shrugged it off, muttering something to myself when he pointed to the sky. There were 20 shades of gray staring right at me and all of a sudden I thought the world was going to be swallowed by a sea of black and white with all sorts of shades of gray. Our freshly mowed lawn POPPED cheery green and our trees in the front yard defiantly stood firm, aware of the battle to come. I hurried inside, grabbed some water to put in our safe room aka hall bathroom. I started lighting candles and grabbed my phone. I had missed calls and texts from San Diego, California to Rochester, NY and every place in between. (Thanks friends & family for being concerned, because clearly I was unaware!)

My MIL had the news on and I saw that giant splotch of red moving across the screen. WOWZERS! Meanwhile, Don and MIL were pulling things in from the outside and working away. I stood there, mouth agape, dialing my sister. She was out of power. I told her to keep me posted. Called up Primo. They were without power too. And then I heard it. The faint whhhiiiirrrrrrrrrr. I threw a look to my MIL and asked, was that the siren? No, I don't think so. So I ran to our dining room to look out of the window. (Yes, in hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest idea I've had.) I saw a tiny gaggle of teenage boys wearing oversized jerseys doing their very best to stay upright and jog away. Leaves blew by, then tiny branches, I seriously expected to see a llama from the nearby farm to fly by, then I heard the loud WHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR and I looked up at our trees. Stay put guys, c'mon, you can do it! And did they. They just kept pushing back, almost like they were having fun dancing with the 70+ mph winds. Across the street, though, was a different story. My neighbors tree was flapping back and forth. Both of them, actually. That's when I yelled, "Don! Quick, come here and look. The tree (pointing), the tree, it's bending! OMG...Do Something!" *Like really?? I'm a rational person, but clearly I wasn't thinking straight.* Don is quite amazing at many things. Fixing things and preventing things from breaking are among his strengths. Speaking of strength, he's pretty strong too. BUT he is not capable of stopping a tree from toppling over or splitting in half. At that very moment, though, I believed he could. I shot him a look of desperation and dialed the neighbor. No answer. I called the house line and they answered. I told them of the tree and she told me they were in their safe place. The concern in her voice wondered why I was in the window watching, when a loud CRACK thwacked above us and I saw two neon dazzling arcs electrically painting the street. The energy zapped and all was dark except the incandescent glow from the living area. Mari screamed because her three adults were irresponsibly staring through the windows like we were watching a full feature film. Our baby, alone in the room, scared. I hollered at her to reassure her. Don reached her first and she reached out for me. I enveloped her in my arms and buried the rest of her in kisses. It's ok, everything is ok.

I asked Don to pour me a glass of wine because that was certainly enough excitement for the evening. We had reports from our other neighbors and friends in the area of their trees that split, trees falling on their houses, trees falling on cars, fences blowing down, and all sorts of random debris strewn across the lawn. Broken skylights causing flooding houses, roofs destroyed, shingles all about, and some of the cars suffering damages from the wind and flying tree bits. Everyone was ok. No one was injured and that's what mattered most.

whoa...

Instead of being glued to the weather, we opted to watch Gran Torino with a couple of glasses of vino in hand.

MOVIE REVIEW: Gran Torino
Wow! No really, wow. Clint Eastwood is a badass. Always has been and that's just the way it is. But this movie even further cemented his acting chops. Some of the other secondary characters, not so much. But him, he was fabulous. Yes, at times the movie was a bit slow. But I really enjoyed it. I'd never heard of the Hmong community (shows how sheltered I am). It was a great tale, very well written, and even better executed. There were amazing dialog points, the cinematography was wonderful and I swear I could smell that food they were eating and was hungry for it! It was definitely worth the rental. And when it goes on sale at Blockbuster, I'm definitely buying it on their 3-fer deal.

That's all. I hope you all are safe and have a great Thursday!

Cheers to You Mr. Shirtless Blue Shorts Wonder!

Hello friends! Some of you may remember that on Tuesday nights, we head on over to the track to log some running miles. Today was sprint workout day, so that means it was chock full of sucking air. Yes, I'm far from where I should be, but I'm closer than I thought I was. Plus, yesterdays wind and humidity was so fierce, that all of my little hairs were wildly blowing like tiny Medusa tendrils! Yikes! (I'm just happy that in my excitement and zippy running, I didn't have one single "accident," which has always been a problem for sprints. I have that situation under control for distance running, though! woohoo!)

Anyway, while the track was working me, I saw some of the regulars: Black shirt , redheaded lady, with OBAMA written across her chest in Swarovski crystals. (Who said you couldn't be glam while sweating...I mean glistening?) Then there's the black shorts twinkies, a couple of middle aged men who zoom around the track for a bit, throw on some shirts and walk around the school, only to return to the track to take off their shirts and do a few more laps before finishing up with stretches. I like to tell them "good job" and give them a thumbs up for their efforts. But yesterday, there was a new face (cue some old school Ray Charles "What I say")...

Dark haired, sunglass sportin' (even though it was so overcast, sunglasses were FAR from necessary), ipod wearing, bright blue shorts, with a tan so unnatural that Speidi would be jealous. He was doing his best to work that track. Sprints, shuttle drills, pushups, excessive heaving and huffing, more twists and turns, followed by old school leg stretches that I've only seen performed by professional sprinters and soccer players PRIOR to a workout, but whatever. Dude was out there and owning that track! My favorite part was when I would start to come up on him on my sprints and he would go a little faster to catch up to me. It made me go just a little faster for a little longer so I could "beat" him to the next line. Silly, I know, but it's good to have someone that competitive out there because it pushes you to your limits. Cheers to you Mr. Shirtless Blue Shorts Wonder...hopefully I'll see you next week!

And then I pulled up and decided to play with Mari and push Don with his workout. I was very proud of my MIL who not only went out there with us to walk, but she also got in a few sprints of her own! Then, Mari was a little wiggle worm, itching to get out of the jogger and get in her own sprint workout. Wouldn't you know, Little Miss ran an ENTIRE lap!! Yes, folks, her little legs moving at a fast pace, her arms pumping wildly, she was in charge, only distracted a few times by the grass, a discarded styrofoam cup, or the concrete sidewalk. But I was really proud of her. She wanted to go further, but we had to get going to head to the grocery store since it threatened rain. After we got back from the store, she passed out and slept straight through the night, completely uninterrupted despite the thunderstorms and the transformer down the street exploding! :)

Happy Wednesday!

not strep, but sinusitis

I've been suffering the better part of this week under the weather. I've been doing my best to psych myself out. What especially helps to lift the spirits are reconnecting with long lost kindred spirits. Like phantoms, they fade from your life, but you are so very, very happy when they reappear. LOVESIT.

Tonight, I noticed angry tonsils covered in little white spots. It was like a bacteria party all up in there. I panicked and insisted on going to the minor emergency clinic. We opted for CareNow and upon arrival, I was taken aback. I couldn't believe that Bella's Lullaby from the Twilight soundtrack had made it to muzak. But then I looked up and realized that they were playing Twilight on the TV in the waiting room. I settled in thinking that maybe waiting around wouldn't be so bad. Less than 20 minutes later and I was whisked away into the other waiting room. I was uncomfortable knowing I'd gained 5lbs this week. And this is because I was actually attempting to diet. Horrible. Oh well. I sent Don home with Mari because we'd forgotten the diaper bag. I laid down and by this point, the movie was over and Shrek had started.

The Doc walked in and swabbed my throat. She left me and another 15 minutes later she came back. No strep throat (hooray for not being contagious!), but I did have an acute case of sinusitis. I left with 3 prescriptions in hand, wishing I had a giant bottle of chloraseptic! Ugh...

In any case, I'll be back at work tomorrow nursing my ailment with plenty of hot, hot tea, antibiotics, and cough drops. Wheeee!! I heart allergy season! How are all of you holding up?

I keep on falling....

We've had a lot of ice. It started sprinkling the ground last night. In the faint moonlight, it was like tiny glittering diamonds in the backyard. I knew the excessive crevice next to our front curb was freezing over. When we'd gotten in for the night, it was a 4 inch puddle of ridiculously cold water. I'd carefully avoided it and wondered if it was smart to park our car in the middle of it. But hey, it's an SUV, so it should be fine, right?

We don't have any space to park the car in the garage. With moving the office to the now guest bedroom/office, converting Mari's room from the office, and tucking away my craft space anywhere it would fit, all that was leftover moved to the office. When Don started to clean out the attic to nail floorboards down, most of what was up there moved to the garage. Needless to say, we have our very own U-haul personal storage, but I do miss the garage...especially on days like today.

I got up extra early to make it out and be at work early or on time. I was listening to KLUV oldies station when they announced all of the traffic jams. I figured, ok, I'll delay leaving just a little bit. I took out the flat iron and killed some time. Half an hour went by and the traffic jams multiplied. I sighed and went into my closet to decide what to wear. I heard them say it felt like 9 degrees outside. Great, I thought, as I stared at the bleak closet, upset that I still didn't have my clothes back from the dry cleaners. I had some capri pants that I didn't want to have to make work, but I didn't have much of a choice. I slipped on some thick opaque tights and work my black capris. I didn't want to wear my knee high boots, so I slipped on my gray booties and thick gray sweater. I didn't care about the traffic jams, I just needed to get on the road. I go outside to start the car and get it good and warm, but what happens? The doors are frozen solid!! I can't even pull it open. Nothing. Bleh!!

I march back in and fire up my laptop. I guess I have no choice but to work from home until the sun comes out to melt the ice a bit. I said a quick prayer asking God to let Don and Mari sleep in so I could get some work done. Today, I really needed to focus as best as I could. I knew any little thing could be a distraction. ADD was on high alert! I got in two solid hours before my hunger kicked in. I made breakfast for myself and Don and went to get him up. Mari still slept. I asked him, so do you think I can go in to work now? He looked at me quizzically, but just kept on reading. I mentioned the frozen door and how I couldn't open it. I could hear water dripping outside, so I thought, sure, it should be melted by now. Oh, I should mention that when I discovered the frozen car, I came inside, peeled off my layers of clothes and when I was stashing them away, I found a sneaky pair of trouser pants that were hiding in the back and I was oh-so-grateful they were there!

I went to change and put on my trouser pants and a different sweater. I said screw the shearling and tossed on my yellow ski jacket. I had on my Crocs and opened the door. Success!!! I started the car and put everything on full blast. I tied up some loose ends on the laptop, kissed Mari and headed out the door. When I made it to the car, I realized I was still wearing my bright red Crocs. I turned around and went back in to change shoes and grab my gym bag. To err on the safe side, I opted not to wear heels and put on my black shiny flats. I threw my bags in the front seat only to discover that the front windshield was a thin block of ice floating on melted water. My windshield wipers were frozen to the bottom, so I knocked the one on the drivers side loose, and much of the ice on the windshield began to shift slowly downward.

I stepped off the curb to walk to the passenger side and lost my footing. My right foot slipped to the left and my left foot followed suit from the curb, but it also flew back some. I felt myself about to land face first into a couple of inches of solid ice. I freaked out enough and jerked my body just right to land smack dab on my right backside. OUCHMUTHAF------! My right ring finger was the only part that was scraped, the rest of me fine, except that I had the air knocked out of me. I caught my breath and heaved out a loud moan. I took inventory of everything and cautiously stood up. There stood Don at our door, mouth agape, staring concerned. I shook my head and he asked, "Are you ok?" I looked at him and nodded. Embarrassed, I thought to myself, "I just freakin' fell. Are you kidding me?" But instead of having a pity party, I dusted myself off and acknowledged I was more embarrassed than anything. I laughed it off and recounted my story to him.

Then I remember, I used to fall A LOT! And those times hurt quite a bit more than this one. I thought two things when I was falling: 1. Don't fall on the left arm, b/c then you can't hold Mari and have your right arm free. 2. Don't land on your face. Actually, falling when I tried learning to snowboard hurt a helluva lot more than this one incident, so I figured, 'eh, I was ok.

I made it into work and one of the really cool things today was when I walked down to Starbucks to treat myself to a little happy. Initially, I was a little freaked out when I read the sign posted on the door cautioning us for falling ice. I figured, "just my luck to be nailed by a huge chunk of ice on the way to Starbucks." Lucky for me, it didn't happen. But I did catch a glimpse of a beautiful bride in the lobby of the Crescent hotel. It is a rare occurence to see a bride on a Wednesday on such a cold day! I felt special, but probably not nearly as special as she felt.

Anyway, I hope all of you aren't nearly as clumsy as I was today! Be safe and stay warm!

Amazing Day!

Today's day really started with last night. It was yoga night and I told myself that no matter what else I had going on, I was going to make it. I'd packed my clothes on Monday and had 'em in the car for Thursday's class. I was knee deep in work, but forced myself to stop.

I'm glad I went, even though it was tough. It really opened up my shoulders and doing those headstands and backbends really showed me that I'm a teeny bit more flexible than I thought I was. Of course, some of those poses showed me how "soft" my muscular parts had gotten, so I really need to concentrate on lifting more.

Anyway, I slept really well last night. This morning, I woke up and even though I was running behind, it wasn't so bad because my mom was there. No stress from having to drop Mari off at school. She actually woke up earlier than normal and watched as I got ready in the morning. Happily contorting her face to match mine while I brushed my teeth and applied a little bit of makeup. She watched intently as I put on my jewelry, delicately running her hands over each piece after it was set in place. I held her closely and tightly and walked to my mom's room to give her a heads up that I'd be heading out soon. I made Mari's bottle and that's when Don returned from his That Man is You meeting from church. He finished prepping the rest of the day's bottles and the cloth diapers while I took Mari to my mom. I nestled her in tightly next to mom while she smiled at me and shoved her bottle in her ravenous mouth. So sweet.

I walked outside and IT WAS GORGEOUS!!! It was a lovely 55 degrees and I was so happy to be able to wear my sandals and skirt! Today is going to be a great day, I thought to myself.

I get in and the sun started to peek out from behind the overcast clouds. I don't have a window in my office any more, but I can do a slight lean to see outside and it makes me happy. For lunch, we had sushi! Do you know that I've been craving sushi for weeks? Do you realize how utterly happy I was to eat sushi?? AND THEN...one of the ladies here had a milestone birthday, and she's not a big fan of cake, so they brought in a cookie cake. Do you know how long I've been craving a DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookie? Actually, that one has only been since Wednesday, immediately AFTER I ate one of those heavenly delights from Potbelly, but still. MMMmmmmMMMMmmmm...Good!

And maybe tonight, just maybe, Don and I will head to the movies and watch a new release! I'm not holding my breath, though. I'd be perfectly satisfied with renting Zoolander. I've been wanting to see that again ever since Brother mentioned it a few weeks back. Speaking of silly comedy movies, is anyone else excited that Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Tropic Thunder? He was really good in it! No, like really, really good in it. I swear, I love how he gets lost in his roles. When he played Chaplin, I saw Charlie Chaplin, not RDJ. Is that just me? Yeah, I have a mild crush on him, but no where near compared to the one I have on this guy.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Suddenly It Split Into Three Whirling Masses of Destruction...

Early this morning, Mari woke up hungry. This entire week, she's been up at 5AM famished. We give her a bottle and she'll pass right out. Since Don is in training, he was out running, so Mari joined me in bed for her early morning snack. Immediately afterwards, she snuggled in tightly and fell asleep. I didn't need any extra persuasion, I was off dreaming again. This time, it was too real, though.

I was sitting in our office boardroom having a meeting. We were talking
about a current project and such. No big deal. In the boardroom, we have this
large window that I do my best to sit with my back towards it, because I find
myself looking out too much. This time, I didn't make it to the meeting early
enough, so I was facing the window. The sky was gorgeous, but I was asked a
direct question. I was so wrapped up in the conversation that I didn't look
outside. When I paused to look out, there it was. I gasped and grabbed Richard's
arm. His eyes followed my gaze and he quit talking for a moment, then proceeded
to calmly say, "We need to get out of here now!" I jumped up and ran down the
hall. I hollered at Jenna and said, "Get your things! Don't ask, just go NOW!" I
pointed out of the window and she looked. These beautiful, puffly black clouds
began to drop in the distance. I sprinted to the other side and grabbed Deidre
and Laura. I asked them about Xochitl and they said she'd already left for the
day. I told them about the sky, all in a matter of seconds. We ran to stairwell,
where I left them to run up the stairs. I needed to tell the guys! I passed the
window again, on my way up and saw this huge funnel cloud drop from the sky so
gracefully violent like a spider falls from the silken web strand. My heart
raced and I ran into Tom. "Tornado! Exit now!" By this time, everyone had poked
their heads out and we could see it creeping closer to us. Before I hit the
exits, I saw that it had given birth! It had suddendly split into three whirling masses of destruction. A tornado family, angry and hungry. I could see the flashing lights of firemen and rescue crew in the distance. I heard the sirens as I took the stairs two by two.

I didn't know what to think. I didn't really know where to go. Why was I
going down the stairs? This is what we do in case of fire, but what about a
tornado? We didn't practice that! I didn't read the manual for that. What if the
building collapsed, do I really want to be stuck at the bottom. In any case, I
made it down and ran to the 1st floor bathroom. Surprisingly, there were only a
couple of other women in there with me. We huddled together, quietly, shaking,
and praying.

And then I woke up. Heart racing so fast, I was certain it would wake Mari. Before me stood my beloved, about to kiss me awake. I nearly shrieked, but I swallowed and my morning voice, cracky and sore, I told him my nightmare. He just stroked my face and said, it was just a dream. It's ok. I calmed down, but I can't shake that image. So big and beautiful, but dangerous. And now I'm looking up instructions of what I need to do in case of a tornado!

Fog Caroling Mari

There is some serious fog out there folks! Driving to work this morning felt like a scene straight out of a horror movie. I kept casually looking over my shoulder expecting to see some sort of zombie. Thankfully, I saw none, but it didn't make it any less freaky. I glanced out of the window at work and snapped this photo at lunch time. Spooky, huh? You see that building in the distance, but you don't see the million other buildings in the distance. (And I'm on the 18th floor, I should see quite a bit!) This week was full of the most random weather. Cold, cold, cold, brrrrrrr weather, then rainy nastiness, and now this. I just hope it clears up before Christmas. I'm off to check the weather after this.

Today we had some very special carolers from St. Philip's School and Community Center swing by to perform 3 environmentally friendly Christmas Carols. They were going around to raise environmental awareness. They did such a snappy job and I was thoroughly impressed! Far from conventional, but I still felt the Christmas spirit. They were kiddos from 2nd to 4th grade, wearing their school uniforms (blue plaid skirts for the girls, khaki pants for the guys, blue button up shirts for both, and a navy blue sweater) and atop their heads was a homemade felt hat in the shape of a Christmas tree. It looked like they made it themselves. I was very proud of them and reminded the importance of song and dance in our daily lives. I'm glad that I'm a silly momma in my morning routine, singing and dancing for Mari while I get ready.

Speaking of the little one, here is a scan of the photo card I made for her teacher. We are going to give that to her as part of a Christmas gift we are putting together for her. I snapped two of these last night and she just wasn't having a smile! The one I caught on camera, I had low light, so there was quite a bit of blur! Blech! Oh well, these faces are just as prevalent as her smile. I can't believe how long her hair is getting. When I was brushing her hair yesterday, it actually had some tangles in it!! So moms, what did you use in your little ones hair? (lucky for me, she likes getting her hair brushed!)

Hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!

9 Next to an Aussie

This morning I struggled to wake. Last night, I knew that it would be tough. To prepare, I quickly made Mari's lunch: chicken & brown rice with carrots (pureed together), fixed her bottles, placed my clothes out, and attempted to calm myself long enough to slumber for a bit.

At 2AM she stirred and so we gave her a tiny bottle of water and she quickly went back to sleep and so did I. Thanks to Don for getting out of bed, though. I slept for another three hours, nearly, and fought that space between sleep and awake. I had to shake off the sleepies, and boy was that hard. I yanked my running tights on, pulled on my long sleeved Robin Hood shirt, and laced my shoes. My head was bobbing while brushing my teeth. I kissed my beloved goodbye and kissed my baby goodbye. Both were fast asleep and resting. I met up with the group and I was so very, very glad they were there.

it was cold.

Yes, it was so cold that the above statement warranted its very own sentence. It was a nice 44 degrees out. I was ever so grateful for my skinny scarf and Dollar Tree gloves. We IMMEDIATELY took off running. Jennifer, I'd met before, was the friendiest and most awake of us all. Then there was Frank and Gene (I think that was his name). Jenn had remarked how fast Frank was, so I was certain he'd probably take off. Right when we were about to leave, he disappeared, then reappeared again wearing short sleeved shirt and shorts. AYFKM??? Wow...he's hardcore, I thought. I heard him say something to Gene and there was that fabulous accent that I'd heard everyday for week more than 5 years ago.

I was whisked away to Rome. Every day, I walked up the flight of stairs and there was this curly haired friendly young gentleman, smiling at me and greeting the day. He worked the front desk at the Hostel where we were staying. I don't remember his name, but I remember his voice and his face: dark curly hair, blue, blue eyes, a boyish face, and that oh-so-luscious Australian accent.

Anyway, it happened that I was paired to run with Frank and Gene and Jenn were together. I thought, oh well, this cold weather is enough to make me run faster! So Frank and I got to talking and next thing I knew, we were at the halfway point. I hadn't noticed how fast we were going, but at the halfway point we were still sticking to the 10 minute miles and that was with the walking/water breaks. He was here as a consultant, getting somethings implemented. I gathered that he was only here for another month before heading back home to his family. It must be tough to be away from them that long. We continued chatting about cultures, life, and what not. The last two miles, my belly was aching and not cooperating. I prayed to not have to stop at the gas station. I know I can make it home! Frank started talking about Australian football. Similar to our very own football, but different. I was quite intrigued and LOVE learning about international sports. I did a quick search on The Google (ha ha...thanks Jenna for the "W" reference!) and found some delightful eye candy. Next thing I knew, my legs were taking me to the end and I was at home in the warmth.

I took my shower and let the warm water wash away the cold. Again, taken back to that wonderful place in Rome, no, no, no...get your dirty minds out of the gutter! The showers there were quite spacious and made of pink Italian Marble. The shower heads were fantastic there and the water a perfect temperature for me. Since the hostel wasn't very crowded, you didn't have to wait and didn't have others impatiently waiting for you. My showers there are in my top 5 best showers ever!

I love greeting the day in that unique and special way. It's so refreshing and perfect. Only 9 days to race day. If I think about it too much, I literally get sick, but I'm as prepared as I'm gonna be. I feel great and it really is a weird feeling to thing that 6 miles is just a warm-up.

And after I was dressed, Mari awoke in a friendly happy way. I'm so very glad to have my happy baby back! Poor thing hasn't been herself and this morning it seemed like she was back to center. I remembered thinking, oh my...how big she's become! She looks like she went through another growth spurt and she's outgrown ALL but 4 onesies and a few pairs of her fun socks. Looks like I'm going to have to do some shopping soon!

BTW, has anyone listened to the new Coldplay album? I've finally started listening to it (yes, I know I'm behind) and it sounds great. What do you think?