I did 10......sort of

It was an out-n-back run today, with a total mileage of 10.26, but I'm not sure if walking "counts."

Out was awesome! Lonely, country roads, temps in the mid-70s, and breezy -- the wind was definitely my friend. And there's just something about running eastward...into the sun. Monsieur Soleil definitely can pull me along.

Back was brutal. I walked 1/3 of a mile during mile 7, another 1/3 during mile 9, and probably half a mile during mile 10. I also sat for about 10 minutes to check on some blisters forming. One on my left pinkie toe was burning like a tiny, red chili pepper. (The smaller they are, the hotter they are…..chilies, that is.) So I took off my shoe and dripping-with-sweat sock, let the foot breathe a bit and then wrapped the toe in a soft, fuzzy leaf. At first it made the blister sting a little more, but then the heat and sting went away! Perhaps a placebo effect? Maybe, but I really don’t care. Whatever it was, it helped.

While I shuffle-ran I thought about medicinal herbs and remembered that I have some Bee Balm growing at home. I wondered if it would help the blister. A few hours after I got home (and could walk again) I Wikied it and found that, sure as you’re born, it’s been used as a poultice for minor wounds. It’s also been used as a mouthwash.

Anyway, the last few miles that I actually ran were awful. Maybe it was the increase in temps, running on asphalt, not enough hydration, not enough calories, the blisters, or just plain, NOT READY FOR 10 MILES.

I had to resort to visually marking some spot in the road to run to, and then marking another spot and another spot. I think that helped me go at least one more mile, which is all fine and good, but I haven’t had to do that since the early days. I was also sore in ways that I haven't been in a long time.

Hmmmm. Perhaps this was training.

Awwww....sweet

Here's how I found my pseudo-Crocs this morning.....



Mine are the dainty, sky-blue size 9 ones on the left. Just to clear up any confusion.

In. The. Zone.

Today's run was AB FAB!! I finally figured out that I could keep one morning a week free to do what ever I want while the mini-muffins are at "school." Monday mornings have officially become my "weekend." It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with my beloved family....it's just that, weekends really aren't what you'd call restful.




Today I decided to drop the M-Ms off and then park somewhere on the U of I campus and do a long-ish run. My course led me through this, which is a part of the University's arboretum (a pretty nice one, actually), past the Japan House, where I noticed that someone had knocked over the beautiful pagoda statues. It almost disturbed my Zen state but being in a Zen state would mean I'd let that go. (Buddhist humor -- ha ha!)

I continued on some gravel paths through one of the Ag science areas that includes an apiary in a small stand of trees. I turned west and went about 1.5 miles past crop science fields. Apparently these are the oldest research fields in the country. I only know this because there is a sign stating this fact.

Then I turned north, into some newer campus development where a series of sprinklers watering the manicured lawns welcomed me. Ahhhh! Refreshing!

A couple more miles to the Armory for a quick potty break, and a moment of silent pity for the poor ROTC schlepps who were running inside....around a TRACK. Blecchhh!

After this my energy started to wane a little until I took careful note of where I was on campus. I realized that I was on the course that I ran for the 5K in March. Yeah. That one. The one where the temp was around 0 with a frightening wind chill. Remembering that race held my attention for a while until I hit one of the main campus arteries and calculated that I was about a mile away from my designated stop.

Nice little 7-miler.

The incredible increasing speed of life

My traveling muffin got back last Monday night. For all except Logan, the reunion has been warm and poignant. (He was only 20 months old when she left and really doesn't know what to do with her).

During the last week we have been busy, busy, busy. There was the unpacking, the doctor's appointments, the hair appointments, and the at-first-very-interested listening, and then the tolerantly-polite-trying-not-to-yawn listening to the seemingly endless list of Venezuela wonders. There was lots of Venezuelan candy and cookies to eat, a driver's license to get replaced (her purse was stolen while there), and MOUNDS of correspondence from Boston University to go through.....did you know that the beds in the dorms require extra long twin sheets? I didn't.

And then there's the emotional work; getting reacquainted (cuz we all have changed), some minor psychological trauma from a lunch with the ex-boyfriend, and some moderate psychological trauma from not being able to fit into all the clothes that she left here. But the biggest emotional trauma has been leaving "Mi amor de vida" (the love of my life) back there. She is definitely suffering all the symptoms of one separated from her beloved.

I honestly tried to get her to stand in front of this sign so I could take her picture, but she was constantly flitting away to meet another friend to catch up. And now she's gone again. She and the stud-ly muffin went on a week-long mission trip with their dad's church to Tennessee. She'll be back. I know this is true. But somehow this separation is a little harder -- maybe because I just got her back and then had to let go. But really, even when she was here, she wasn't really here. Any of you Empty-Nesters reading this know what I mean. She loves us, is happy to see us and be together and all that, but there's a different kind of separateness....and unto herself-ness that wasn't there before she left for the exchange. I KNOW this is what's supposed to happen. It's still a bit of a shock.

The moral of the story (for me, mainly), is that when the mini-muffins are driving me ABSOLUTELY INSANE, I try, try, try, try, try, try, try, TRY, T R Y to remember that it won't be long before they are in a space unto themselves.

Experiencing technical difficulties

Today was the day that Befy was SUPPOSED to come home. We had changed all the rooms around, again, so she'd have her room back. I got the "Welcome Home" sign, and the bouquet of balloons to make her airport arrival more festive. The mini-muffins had been expectantly making black Xs on the calendar.

SIGH.

Her dad called at 7 this morning letting me know that she wouldn't be coming home today. Apparently, the travel agency that Rotary works with did not carry through Befy's change in her return date of June 15 to the airlines. So when she arrived today to check in, the airlines had a seat for her....on July 1, the Rotary return default date, but nothing for her today.

Fortunately for me, Befy's dad is the kind of person who enjoys making righteously indignant telephone calls, and I'm confident that he will contact every person with the tiniest bit of connection to this gaffe and give them what for.

Unfortunately for me, I have to wait ONE. MORE. DAY.

Round 3

This week the Mini-muffins and I have been battling yet more illness.

On Sunday, the day before ONO left for a 4 day trip to Baltimore, Logan got another fever. I predicted he'd have to stay home from school and he did. That evening his temp shot up to 105.5, and that was AFTER he had a dose of Tylenol an hour before. We spent the next 2 1/2 hours in "Convenient Care", which included a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. Thank goodness that was negative!

That night Brennan was up about every hour with a fever and crying about his ears hurting. Another day at home, another trip to the doc. When I complained to the doc about all the illness, she said it's either now or when they start public school, AND some kids have problems for a year! GEEZ! Yes, he had infections in both ears and is taking his first ever antibiotics.

The kids are on the mend, I'm back at the office and ONO returns today. But I'm starting to wonder if this child care thing is worth it.

Mama got a new pair of shoes

Anyone who runs knows how important the shoes are. And if you're a woman who runs, they're DOUBLY important, because....well, because shoes are as important to a woman as her hair. Ladies, you know what I mean!!

I'd been a Saucony girl a few years back when I was running before I got pregnant with Brennan. That pregnancy was "assisted" and produced TWO embryos -- one of which became a "Vanishing Twin." But before the vanishing happened, my OB/endocrinologist said I had to stop running. Of course I did.

When I decided to start running again in January of '07, I thought I'd just pick back up with my Saucony's. Maybe my feet changed a lot with those last two pregnancies, or maybe Saucony significantly changed the design -- either way, those babies HURT! I kept getting blisters on my insteps. NOT a pleasant experience!

I trotted back to the store where I bought them and the kind, patient sales guy hooked me up with some Asics Kayanos, size 9. They were like butter. After a few months, when I had enough money for another pair, I went back. This time a skinny blond talked me into a size 9 1/2 of the Kayaon 14s. The first pair were Kayano 13s. Those 14s never, ever quite worked. It's frustrating because that's a LOT of money AND it meant less than enjoyable runs when I switched off.

This year I went back to the same store for new shoes and a kind, patient, skinny blond guy helped me. This is what I went home with:



Asics GT-2130s. Nice, nice, nice. They're the kind of shoes that once they're on, I don't even notice them.

What I want to know is WHY do shoe companies keep changing the design of the shoes???? WHY???? I say, just change the styling! We want PRETTY running shoes -- maybe pink and purple with sparkly things and/or flowers. Maybe something like this


or this

just the uppers. Not the soles of course. I would TOTALLY wear these shoes!

You know they have the technology. They just need a woman in charge.

Here's what we did this weekend.

One of my gardening/green goals for 2008 was to landscape the front yard. This project had been in the "thinking-it-out" phase for a LONG time. We started digging last weekend but got cut off by a good amount of rain. This weekend was warm and sunny -- fortuitous for finishing the project.

I should say, the major framework of the project is done. The actually planting won't be done for a while.....or maybe never! That's one of the joys of gardening. It can always be a work in progress.

So, with a minimum (well, actually moderate) amount of bickering over how to do it, what the other one actually meant, how long to keep working, etc., we got it done.












That really, really awesome, Southwestern-looking tree on the right is a False Cypress Pom Pom tree. Coolest tree EVER. It looks kinda like this





but bigger and thicker.




The tree on the left is a Snow Fountains Weeping Cherry. It's supposed to bloom with white flowers in the spring.



Is that not beautiful?!




So ONO and I are standing around admiring our handiwork and he turns to me and says:

"It's June 1 and this project is done. What are you gonna have me do all summer?"