Try, try again

It's been awhile

2010-07-29T06:57:00.002-05:00

Fifteen months, just about. I'm looking forward to writing again, if even no one reads what I have to say. Writing is good. Good for the mind, good for the soul.

And then there are the pictures! I got a camera (one of those fancy-schmancy ones) about a year ago and have so many photos to share!

See ya real soon!

Desiderata

2009-05-01T17:45:00.000-05:00

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

The bolded part of this poem is on a sign the I hung on the soffit in the basement right above the elliptical.

I have looked at it and pondered the truth of it many times during the last 4-6 months. I decided to see where the quote came from and discovered that the rest of the poem speaks of most things I desire.

My current arch-nemisis

2009-04-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

They look all sweet and sunny here but really they're more like this:

And THIS nasty little thing....

They follow close behind.

The price one pays for organic lawn care?

Tendonitis.

Not adding to the 6-legged frog population:

Priceless.

All good things come to an end

2009-04-16T07:16:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had one of those RARE moments in parenting where everything went right. It was a nasty April day -- gloomy and spitting cold mist -- so what better way to spend the afternoon than bake cookies!

The mini-muffins were ALL about that (who wouldn't be??) so they helped me mix the batter cooperatively and nary an egg shell ended up in the bowl! They cheerfully licked whatever spoon or beater I gave them and then miraculously sat on the couch looking at an anatomy book I had recently bought for them.

Brennan was "explaining" the inner workings of the human body to Logan and Logan was in turn asking more questions. It was really quite cute and it took only a few minutes before I settled into a blissful state of semi-awareness. Humming to myself, I started the frosting, imagining the cutest spring-themed sugar cookies ever.

Moments later I heard

"I'm turning the page."

"No! I'M turning the page!"

whhhiiiine

"I'M turning the page!!"

louder whhhhiiiiine

RRRRRRIP

Thank goodness for the soothing properties of sugar cookies.

1st Annual Running

2009-04-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

It's fitting that I give a long overdue running update on the day of the first running of the Illinois Marathon. VERY exciting stuff! I would have LOVED to participate but there was no way that was going to happen this year....maybe never....I'm not sure. As ONO aptly said to a neighbor who asked if I ran the marathon, "She has the aerobic capacity, but her body probably couldn't take the physical wear and tear." Part of what comes with being 45. Although, I read recently that frequent sex helps maintain healthy joints. Hmmm.....

Although not a marathon, I did run today, and it was FABULOUS! I ran roughly 5.5 miles in the rural parts of town, just east of our house, to a nursery that I have become quite loyal to. It was a cool, breezy, SUNNY day and there were lots of interesting things to look at along the road. But more than that, it felt like I had small springs in my legs. It felt GOOD to run a little harder and faster! I thought about going farther but listened to my Super Ego for once and stopped. ONO and the boys met me there after I had plenty of time to cool down and choose stones to make a walkway from the front of our house to the back yard. Also came home with a nice variety of shrubbery. Yes, gardening is in full swing at the Haake house! But more on that later.

I have been running about once or twice a week, schedule permitting. Of the injuries that plagued me the end of last fall and through the winter, the shin splints have disappeared. YAY! The plantar fasciitis rears it's ugly head now and then -- more after I use the elliptical than after I run (weird, huh?) so I stretch and rub and if it's a little too noisy, I just dope up and go anyway.

My goal this year is to complete a 1/2 marathon. I can see myself doing that. College Muffin asked if I would do one with her and I got really excited. How fab to train with your daughter and run a race together! I totally enjoyed doing that with Stud-ly Muffin. However, Bethany has had some significant health concerns this year so we're not too sure if the 1/2 will be a joint venture or not.

Along with the 1/2, I plan to run a 10K and then some other races of shorter distances but with interesting venues. First one coming up is the Lake Bloomington run which takes you 4 and some change miles around -- you got it -- Lake Bloomington and then after wards there is a big party! My friend/neighbor/running pal Tara suggested it.

So, in the last 6 months, I've decided to change some things up. This winter I added weight training to my routine and liked it, especially when ONO and I did that together, so will continue. (That would be a big, fat, DUH! huh?) And, I'm definitely NOT doing the trail run this year because it's put me out of the game two years in a row now. I really want to focus on increasing my distances to see if my 45 year old joints really can't take it. Buy stock in Advil now, people!!

Oh, and, I've decided to never skimp on shoes! I love, LOVE, LOVE my new Asics Kayano 15s with the asymmetrical lacing. Best shoes I have EVER worn!

I'm going to get another pair and this time special order them in pink. Yes, PINK!

5 MUST reads

2009-04-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

This is my current list:

5. The Tao of Motherhood

4. The Miracle of Mindfulness

3. Full Catastrophe Living

2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

1. Eat, Pray, Love

If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think. Happy reading!

C'mon, get happy

2009-04-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't a tribute to the Partridge Family -- sorry to disappoint.

This is a tribute to my current MUST READ: "eat, pray, love."

If you haven't read this book, I HIGHLY recommend it. If you have, then you already know what I'm talkin' about! Here's a very brief plot synopsis to set the stage for the following excerpt:

A 30-something year old woman, Liz Gilbert, finds herself in a pool of tears and snot on her bathroom floor after a difficult break-up and a deep sense of hopelessness and lack of direction. In the midst of her pain she reaches out to the Universal Divine and believes she is directed to take a year off and search for meaning and happiness. She goes to Italy, India and Indonesia. The rest of the memoir is definitely a page-turner.

Teachings about happiness that Liz got from her guru while in India:

"People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's now how happiness works.

Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.
You fight for it,
strive for it,
insist upon it, and
sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.

You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.

And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment.

It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

This I Believe

2009-04-07T14:00:00.004-05:00

Yesterday while driving back to the office I was listening to "All Things Considered" on NPR. For my more conservative readers, NPR is a news network that, unlike some other networks claim, reports information that is actually NEWS WORTHY and does it in a FAIR and BALANCED manner.

Anyhoo, I got caught up in one of the features that has been included occasionally on All Things Considered called "This I Believe." This has grabbed me before, but yesterday it REALLY got me, probably because I had left the house with a chronic family struggle stuck in my craw. I was trying to be a little quieter in myself so I could gain better perspective on the situation -- doing deep diaphragmatic breathing and the like -- so, true to the promise, this semi-meditative state opened me up.

If you have the opportunity, you check out the This I Believe web site. Basically everyday folks (just like me and you!) have shared their life philosophies in a personal essay.

Yesterday's personal essay was written by Muhammad Ali. That didn't do much for me but what did was the montage of excerpts from previously aired personal essays. This is the one that's had me thinking, HARD, for the last 24 hours or so:

"So I keep watching what I do to see what I actually believe."

Whoa.

I decided to do the same and will be reporting back. Care to join me?

Back for another try

2009-04-04T13:41:00.000-05:00

It's April, FINALLY, and despite some mucho stress at home, I'm feeling a bit better....FINALLY!

Whew! What a winter.

Hope everyone out there is alive and well.

I missed you!

Top Five Friday

2009-02-13T17:16:00.000-06:00

Top Five Reasons I'm a vegetarian.

Ok, I'm really more of a "Flexitarian" in that I eat meat occasionally and I eat fish regularly.

5. I really don't like the taste of meat.

4. It saves money.

3. It's healthier than eating meat.

2. It's good for the environment.

1. It's one of the easiest way for me to live out some of my morals, values and ethics.

Doesn't that look delicious??

Some suggested reading:

Vegetarian Meals make you Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Omnivore's Dilemma

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Sheesh

2009-02-10T17:35:00.002-06:00

Wish I felt like posting more.

I do actually have things I care about and have quite a bit to say regarding said things.

I've been waylaid by the "I couldn't give a crap about anything, just get me to April" demon.

Yeah.

It's been pretty bad.

I hope to be back soon.

If you have sunshine and warmth, please send some my way!

Ain't nuthin' like it

2009-01-24T14:30:00.004-06:00

After what seemed like eons of elliptical training I FINALLY got out for a run this morning. Going out the door I thought "sure hope I remember how to do this!" Fortunately, running comes naturally to our species, what with the large toothy animals and rival clans that we had to get away from in our evolutionary history.

The run went pretty well. There was the tiniest pain in my heel at the beginning and a miniscule pain in my right calf but it went away after a bit. I took it slow (mostly) and remembered to shuffle my left heel most of the time. It's paradoxical to me that a change made in my left foot/leg would make a huge difference in my right foot/leg. Hmmmm....yet another example of the amazing interconnectedness of all things. You know, the butterfly effect thing.

I'm probably going to stick with the elliptical for the most part. Oh, and I added lower body weight training during my running exile so I'll keep doing that and add a run about once a week, until I am certain that I can continue. But I gotta tell ya, it's SOOOOO tempting to get out there EVERY DAY.

Today I came back half frozen (It's 10 degrees here) but with an ear-to-ear grin. ONO asked how it went and I said "Pretty good. There's just nothing like it." He said "Not even the love of your husband? Not even sex?" I said "I didn't say it was better than those things, there's just nothing like it."

Smile

2009-01-13T10:42:00.004-06:00

Go ahead, do it.

No, really! Go ahead and smile.

Yes, even if you don't feel like it.

Your mom and Nike are right. Just do it already! You'll feel better when you're all done.

One of my favorite quotes from my favorite philosopher is:

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but
sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

This ancient piece of wisdom has now been "proven" by the scientific method.

Turns out, a bunch of those wackos in the ivory tower have been studying this stuff. And sure enough, just the mere act of smiling, even if you don't feel happy, changes the brain's functioning. Don't believe me? Here are a couple of links to check out:

One is more readable,

the other is written in all that scientific gobbledy-gook. Just skip down to the "Discussion" section.

I know! Crazy, huh?!

But really. You should try it.

I did a couple of days ago, when we were having yet ANOTHER gray day (I lost count of the exact number), and the mini-muffins had serious cabin fever which caused them to launch into frenetic physical activity every 2 1/2 minutes or so, and as much as I nursed, babied or bullied it, my right leg and foot continued to hurt like hell, even if I used the eliptical! I was in a bad, bad, state. For some reason, I'll call it Grace, I remembered this idea and went ahead and tried it.

Laughter, or just smiling, really is the best medicine.

Top 5 reasons I'm a Negative Nelly

2009-01-09T14:39:00.004-06:00

5. I'm on a diet
4. I'm injured
3. It's cold
2. It's dark
1. I'm not running

Stretches of Silence

2009-01-07T14:45:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd explain why I'm not writing.

I'm not running much and I've realized that I compose blog postings while I run.

No running = no blog posting.

Hopefully things will turn the corner soon.

Top 5 things I want to do before I die

2008-12-26T12:57:00.001-06:00

100 Things

I found this list on another blog -- I can't remember which one, but it's floating around out there. It's a list of 100 things to do (sort of like the "bucket list"). I've bolded the ones I've already done and at the end I've put which 5 I REALLY want to do. Here goes:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea -- does Lake Michigan count?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Vacationed in Italy
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud With 3 boys? Yeah.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (Holly Hobbie)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating -- don't ever see this happening BLECH!
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee -- 63, in fact. All at one time.
100. Read an entire book in one day

5. Buy a stranger a meal at a restaurant
4. Play in a band
3. Go rock climbing -- in Southern Utah
2. Vacation in Italy -- preferably stay in a villa for a month or so, near Florence
1. Run a Marathon

OK blogger pals. It's your turn!

When irony enlightens

2008-12-20T07:02:00.009-06:00

With one kid attending a private college, another kid injury prone and growing like a week, two more kids growing like weeds and in child care five days a week, and the sour economy, there’s been a significant clog in my cash flow of late. I'm pretty crafty so I had this great idea of saving money by making gifts for my parents and Sis, which I did.

I found a quilt square that my Nana (Mom’s Mom) had pieced together a long time ago. This is the design but in red, white, and blue. I don't know the circumstances of, or plan for the project…..I wish I did. My mom gave it to me back in the day and even though I had a vague plan for doing something with it, it got lost in the many, many moves made over the years. When it turned up this fall while I was cleaning out a closet in the basement, I thought “Oh! This would be the perfect thing for Mom’s Christmas gift!”

The quilt square is old and fragile so I decided to frame it. That way it could be displayed but not damaged, unlike a pillow, which was my first choice. Unfortunately, the square is an odd size and it took me FOREVER to find a frame that would work, for a price I was willing to pay. But I did.

After lots of thinking and trial and error (translation, a LOT of time), it was done, it was perfect, and it was nicely wrapped. Now all I needed was a shipping box that it would fit into.

Of course I didn’t have anything like that at home so I spent a decent chunk of time running in and out of stores looking for a box. I found all the other stuff I needed, like packing tape and bubble wrap, but no box. I started to feel just a wee concerned, then thankfully a light bulb came on. I’m brilliant! I thought and I hurried over to a hobby store to the framing department. They’ll have a suitable box for Mom’s gift! I mean, they get frames shipped to them to sell surely they’d have a couple of those shipping boxes just lying around!

But no, they didn’t.

At about this point the blood pressure is on the rise because the deadline for shipping to arrive by Christmas is TODAY and I have to get this done NOW before I go see clients, because after that I get the mini-muffins from school and then there’s no getting anything done!! Aaaagggghhhh!!!

OK. Deep breath.

The lady at the framing desk suggested I go to UPS. Not only would they have a box to fit, they would wrap it up all safe and sound. I wouldn’t have to do a thing!
Spirits revived, I trot over to the UPS store and hand over the precious finished product to the perky ladies with Santa hats on. My shoulders start to relax down to their anatomically correct position while I fill out the shipping form. It’s all going to be ok.

Then the nice lady with the Santa hat on says to me “To get it there by Christmas, you’ll want to send this overnight, and with the size of this package, it will be $169.50.

“$169.50?!?! Are you serious? I could buy my Mom a cashmere sweater for that! What are my other options?”

Many choices were offered me but I kept refusing until the wrapping and shipping were under $50. I was told the package would probably be delivered on Christmas Eve, but there’s no guarantee, not with the storms and all, you just never know, this seems like a really important gift you want to get to your Mother for Christmas, are you SURE you want to send it this way? Ok, then please sign here indicating that you understand there’s no guarantee that it will be delivered before Christmas.

Ok then. It’s done.

wow.

Very disheartened, I called ONO and told him how my grand money-saving plan had been COMPLETELY thwarted, with a bucket-load of stress thrown in to boot. In his concise, matter-of-fact way he said “It’s a nice thing you did. Not many people make personalized gifts like that any more. I’m sure they’ll really appreciate it.”

Of course. It’s not about the money. Not how much you spend OR how much you save. How wonderful the Universe is to gently whap my head with a 2X4 of irony. I am sincerely grateful. Really!!

And Mom, even though you will anyway, I don't want you to have a moment of bad feelings. You were/are completely worth it.

Running Update

2008-12-15T17:17:00.000-06:00

If you're a regular, you've notice that I haven't posted much about running, or anything for that matter. Recently I discovered there's a connection there, but more on that later.

After the Allerton Trail Run in late October I've been plagued with shin splits (again!) in my right leg and an obstinate heel pain. I'm sure the two are related. I can't quite figure out if the heel pain is Plantar Fascitis or a bone bruise, or maybe even a stress fracture. ONO says that's unlikely but I'm not ruling it out.

I took about a week off and then tried running. The run itself went great but the pain afterward was pretty bad. I took almost 3 more weeks off, waiting until there was absolutely no pain in my shins. There was just a scooch of pain in my foot but I decided to go ahead. Again, pretty good during the run....pretty bad after. And the next morning? OY!!

I'm trying not to get too bummed about it. It's hard. I'm clearly not going to meet the mileage goal I set for myself last January. Unless you count all the elliptical miles I've put in. But don't think those count. But more importantly, running is really the only thing I really like. It gets me outside and away -- from myself and all the other annoyances in my life. It makes me grateful to be alive and able to move.

I've decided to invest in The Stick, a weight training book for runners, some shoe inserts, and maybe a foot log. All of that is about $100. If it works, that's definitely well-spent cash.

Top 5 things I like about Carter

2008-11-28T10:31:00.008-06:00

Today is Carter's 17th birthday. It's really hard for me to believe that he's this old and so big. I remember so well him being about 4 weeks old and delighting in his lopsided newborn grin that reminded me of Harrison Ford. He was a big baby -- 8 lbs, 10 oz. -- but now he's nearly 6'2".

So today, it being his birthday, I thought it fitting to devote this posting to him, my first born son.

Let me say at the outset that there are many, many things that I like about Carter. I'm just picking my top five faves to share.

5. His intellect. His memory (for the things he's really interested in), is AMAZING; he could do simple arithmetic around age 4 and has been able to understand and apply complicated concepts for quite a long time. And this isn't just his Mom bragging!

4. His inquisitiveness. Always, always curious about things. As a little kid I could hardly keep up with him, and I'm pretty curious myself.

3. His athleticism. Regular readers already know how much I enjoy this about him. He could ride a two-wheeler (no training wheels) at 3 years old. He's played hockey, soccer, basketball, and run track competitively. He's good at moving his body through time and space....that whole male, spatial thing.

2. His emotional intelligence. Even as a very little boy Carter could read and interpret accurately (most of the time) the emotional landscape. When he was about 6 or 7 he was helping me clean the bathroom (which is pretty remarkable in the first place). He and I were chatting away, him asking questions and me answering, and then one of those out-of-nowhere depressive thoughts invaded my brain space. Carter said "What's wrong, Mommy? You got all dark."

1. His sense of humor. Carter is just plain HILARIOUS. Unless you know him and have experienced his quick-moving, sharp-as-a-tack funny bone, these pictures won't quite capture my favorite thing about my oldest son, but will maybe give you a glimps:

He's the one in the middle with white socks on.

Happy Birthday, luv!!

Black Friday

2008-11-28T10:14:00.004-06:00

I'm not going out there.

You can't make me.

You know who you are

2008-11-27T08:45:00.001-06:00

for all the family and friends, near and far, who make the foundation of my rich and meaningful life.

Thank you.

Top 5 Friday

2008-11-21T14:21:00.009-06:00

Because last week had a negative tone, I'm going all happy on ya this week.

Top 5 Favorite Places

5. Bay Area and north, California. Spent a summer in the Napa Valley and along the coast and fell in love.

4. Downtown Chicago. Just can't beat the lake, the museums, the eating, shopping opportunities, the architecture, and the music. Fun, fun, town. I lived there for two years, which was hardly enough, but at least I got that opportunity!

3. The Indiana Dunes lakeshore. Not only is it beautiful, it holds special significance for me and ONO. It was one of first dates where we hiked, he let me take him exploring off the beaten path, and he demonstrated his thoughtfulness by bringing grapes and water. Also, he grew up going to these beaches so they hold lots of memories for him.

2. Northeastern New Mexico. Specifically Santa Fe and Taos. Again, very, very beautiful, but more importantly, this is where we got married and honeymooned. We got married here. If you go to the site, you can see how amazingly beautiful it is, but we were also able to rent the entire facility for ourselves and small wedding party and guests. Cool!

After spending a few days in Santa Fe, we headed up to Taos and stayed here for our honeymoon.
One of the best parts of our time together was hiking down into the Red River Gorge and back out.

1. Southern Utah -- preferably very close to one of the national parks.

It would take too long, and you'd grow bored, if I shared all the reasons why this is my favorite place. And honestly, I don't understand all of it myself. In large part it's the place where I experienced some coming-of-age, and it represents a place for wandering, contemplating, finding things, never being bored. Peaceful, yes, but not bored. And best of all....it's almost always warm!

For Nana

2008-11-19T07:50:00.000-06:00

Like most children of the male persuasion, the mini-muffins like cars. And of course they like sugar. So their Nana knew what she was doing when she sent Logan a car-shaped cookie decorating kit for his birthday. It just doesn't get better than that (if you're 3 years old).

Both boys LOVE to help make stuff in the kitchen. I'm convinced it's about the whirring machine and the opportunity to lick the bowl. Oh, and they really like cracking eggs.

For this project we had to mix up the bright, blue frosting. Luckily I caught Logan before his outstretched tongue actually touched the butter. It's also a little tricky keeping their hands out of the bowl, even when the mixer is on!

Next came the actual decorating. I coached them on spreading the blue frosting on the cookie cars, which they tried, but the knives spent WAY more time in their mouths than on the cookies!

All in all, it was a fun afternoon project with a very sweet outcome.

Thanks Nana!

Dances with snowflakes

2008-11-17T07:28:00.001-06:00

That's what I did today. At least it felt like dancing. And yes, there were snowflakes. Lots of them, actually. And lots of wind.

Why does this matter? Two reasons.

First, it's November 17, and while a part of my brain is conscious of this date, the rest of me still thinks it's summer. Well, mid-September maybe. I mean, the grass is still green and some things in my flower beds are still blooming (I don't pay attention to those brown, withered things). So seeing this apparent blizzard (ok let's call it a squall), threw me squarely into reality.

And what did I do? Did I get my cozy woobie, some cocoa and a book and huddle up near the fireplace? No, I promptly when outside. And ran.

My original thought was to walk for an hour. After dutifully using the elliptical (AND lifting some weights) for nearly two weeks, the desperation to get outside was very high, so on went the cold gear and out the door I went.

I did walk....about half a mile, but then I noticed that my leg didn't hurt so I thought "what that heck!" and went for it. Of course then my leg DID hurt, but not enough to make me stop.

After about a mile I was feeling pretty darn good -- like I was dancing with the snowflakes.

Come on, Old Man. I'm ready for ya!

No More Babies

2008-11-16T09:44:00.005-06:00

And ya know what? I'm ok with that!

Logan James Haake turns 3 today. As munchable as he is, he has taken care of any more personal desire for babies or very young children -- FOREVER.

Admittedly, Logan is cute. The kind of cute that would melt the heart of Satan.....or Dick Cheney. And, he has a killer personality.

I mean that literally.

When he's angry or upset, any hope of tranquility or a "win-win" solution is put to death. He came into the world this way and spends roughly 50% of his waking hours in this state (no, I'm not exaggerating.)

But when he's happy.....sadness, boredom and gloom are banished from the world of the living. He is definitely a ray of sunshine -- when he's happy.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Top 5 Friday Addendum

2008-11-14T16:14:00.002-06:00

My original list was posted this morning....before I had lived through nearly an entire day and was reminded of things that annoyed me even MORE than the other things.

But in order to not come off like a complete shrew, I'll share only one more.

This one easily ties for first place: boom cars. You know, the cars with the VERY loud bass, that rattles the window glass when they pass your house? I guess I should appreciate the generosity of those people who so willingly share their so-called music. I mean, that's what the world needs more of, right? Generosity. In this case, I'd take consideration, thoughtfulness, courtesy. I suppose it's too much to ask for.

I found this that might help. I don't know.

Maybe Obama could do something?

Top 5 Friday

2008-11-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

I've become bored with my own blog -- definitely a problem -- so I've decided to institute something new.

Today is the first of many and varied "Top 5 Fridays." Let's start with this:

Top 5 Pet Peeves

5. Commercials

4. Finding containers that, for all intents and purposes are EMPTY, left in the pantry or fridge.

3. Whining

2. One sheet left on the roll.....again, IT'S EMPTY!

1. Chewing with your mouth open, gum popping, lip smacking and other assorted mouth noises. Sends me Right Over THE EDGE!!!!

What are your peeves?

2008-11-12T11:09:00.002-06:00

Carter recently went to Boston to visit his sister. Here are some pics:

I think they've both missed their callings.....they should be in the THEATRE!!

Sidelined.....for now

2008-11-09T09:46:00.005-06:00

Well, it appears that running the Allerton Park trail run causes

weeping,
wailing,
and gnashing of teeth.

Yes, the slippery, slimy mud, which caked onto my shoes, and the giant puddles I tried to jump at first but then just slogged through, along with my lack of training (probably the largest factor), has once again given me serious shin splints and I can't run without doing one or all of the above.

It really, really sucks.

It means I didn't run the 10K I had planned as my penultimate race for the year.

Did I say sucks yet? Yeah.

I will be using the eliptical for at least two more weeks and will try again around Thanksgiving -- just in time to work off all the Halloween candy, birthday cake, and other fatty, yummy stuff that's omnipresent this time of year.

At least I got a cool T-shirt.

My shoes? That's another story.

Guide my thoughts and ways

2008-11-07T10:12:00.001-06:00

If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart,

If someone's burden was lighter because you did your part,

If you caused a laugh that chased a tear away,

If tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray,

Than your day was well spent.

Emerging Emotion

2008-11-05T07:35:00.001-06:00

Today I looked at our nation's flag and wept.

For joy. And with pride.

Some more photos taken during my most recent junket, at which time I fancied myself a talented photographer

2008-10-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

Near Boston Public Library

My highly photogenic daughter looking out the main entrance doors of the Old South Church

Boston Public Garden

National Botanical Garden

NBG

Travelin' Fool Part 2

2008-10-29T14:21:00.005-05:00

SO.

It took me a while to figure out what to do about missing the train. Unlike flying, this mode of transportation doesn't allow for rescheduling a couple of hours later.

My two options were waiting until Monday at noon and taking the Lake Shore Ltd. back the way I came. Or, I could wait until that night and leave at 9:45 pm for Washington, D.C. In the interest of time and ONO's sanity, I opted for the route to D.C. and then back up to Chicago. I was initially very upset by this change of plans, but it turned out to be a wonderful thing.

At first I tried to get out to Worcester, a city 40 miles west where we lived from 1-7 grades. Turned out I'd missed the last commuter train to Worcester for the day, AND I'd only have 3 hours with a car rental. I decided to go back to Bethany's room, run along the Esplanade, shower, eat some dinner and then get to the train station LONG before the train left.

What a FABULOUS run! It was sunny, not too cold, and the view of the Charles River and then the harbor was spectacular! I decided to venture into the downtown and look for historical stuff that I hadn't had the chance to see the day before. I asked for a lot of directions and people were helpful. I ran up Charles Street to Boston Commons. Then I went back down Charles and circled around a big hill. Turns out it was Beacon Hill, and if you've heard anything about the homes there, it's all true. Here are some pics:

I don't know if you can make out the incline on this street. It was QUITE steep. Needless to say, I didn't try running up that hill. I wanted to enjoy my way home.

I found the Public Garden and snapped some pics there and then realized I was on Commonwealth Ave., and that took me right back to BU.

At 9:45 pm I got on the Northeast Regional and headed for DC. This train was a commuter train, with the seats much closer together and much less comfortable. It was difficult to sleep for that reason, and because the lights were never turned out. In the long run, it didn't matter because I was in our nation's capitol, and I had 9 hours there all to myself!

I swigged a giant mug of coffee, snarfed some Au Bon Pain, tidied up a bit in the very public bathroom, and stashed my bags for the day (and for $15). Then I headed out.

I spent about an hour wandering around the Capitol and the Supreme Court building. There were a LOT of security personnel and I could tell they didn't take much to wanderers. It was sad to me to see this and all the barricades, etc. I have been to DC a number of times since I was 12 and this really spoke to how things have changed in my lifetime.

After a while I pointed myself to where I thought the Smithsonian was. On the way, I happened upon the National Botanical Gardens and was in absolute heaven for about 2 hours! Many pics were taken and something of an important spiritual experience was had.

I also toured the new Native American museum, part of the Air & Space museum (had to take pics of space rockets for Brennan!) and finished off with one part of the National Art museum. Boy did my feet hurt, but what a wonderful day!

The train ride back was less enjoyable, mostly because I'd run out of food and cash, and was forced to sit next to a woman who was drunk and continued drinking from a wine bottle she'd stashed in her carry-on bag throughout the journey. Her mother had died and she was traveling to the funeral. That was sad but she wanted to talk (and talk, and talk) to me about it and I'm sorry! but I was on vacation! I almost asked the attendant to find me another seat but I found one late Monday night and stayed there the rest of the trip.

Despite the annoyances, the train itself was pretty cool. It was one of those double decker deals with a real dining car and sleeper cars. There was also a "Club Car," which had big comfy, swivel seats that you could turn towards the windows and chat with your cronies (if you were traveling with cronies).

I arrived back home at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, exhausted but very satisfied. It was a FABULOUS trip. My one big disappointment about the whole thing is that Carter played what turned out to be his last soccer game while I was gone. They lost in the first round of playoffs, although I heard they played very hard, and very well. I'm pretty sad about that. I really enjoyed watching him and the team play.

Travelin' Fool Part 1

2008-10-24T11:49:00.021-05:00

I had the opportunity to visit Bethany during parents' weekend at Boston University.....so I went!

I chose Amtrak as my mode of transportation for a number of reasons:

1. Traveling this way would give me at least 48 hours of alone time to read, sleep (or so I thought), and just look out the window if that's what I chose to do.

2. Traveling by train is slightly cheaper than flying.

3. Most importantly, traveling by train would mean NOT needing to be shot with a tranquilizer gun in order to arrive at my destination. Yes, I'm afraid of flying -- a bona fide phobia. Isn't that ironic?? Yeah. A therapist with a phobia.

So, I drove to the tiny town of Dwight, IL, smack dab in the middle of the state, and hopped on the Lincoln Service 304 to Chicago around 7:30 pm. I've been to Union Station many times so that was a cinch. I got on the Lakeshore Limited 48 at 10:00 pm and we headed east. I was fortunate to have a row (2 seats) to myself so I could kinda stretch out and I did sleep a bit.

Most folks kept to themselves, but in a friendly sort of way. I did have a few nice gentlemen offer to help me with my bags. The train ride was very interesting, mostly due to novelty. It was clean, including the bathrooms, and the train attendants were friendly and helpful. Here's what I saw if I was only looking forward:

By daylight we were in the eastern part of Ohio. I have to say,
the route along the Erie and Ontario great lakes, and then the rolling wooded and farm lands in Pennsylvania, New York state and western Massachusetts provided me with some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen in a long time. Here are some pics I snapped from the train. They by NO MEANS do it justice -- what I saw was absolutely stunning! Add the sound track to Into the Wild and those few hours were nearly idyllic.

At 3:30 pm, the next day, I switched trains in Albany, NY and finished the trip out with 6 more hours of train ride into Boston.

Bethany met me at the main train station in downtown Boston around 10 pm. We dragged my bags down a bunch of flights of stairs and got on the "T," yet another train! It was a brief, but CROWDED, ride to her stop near where Commonwealth Ave. and the Mass turnpike meet. It's right on the Charles River and you can hear the sculling coaches starting at 7 am in the morning. I called them the "yellers."

The next day we rolled out of bed at the crack of.....late morning. We met her friends and had late breakfast, early lunch (i.e., brunch) in one of the BU cafeterias. The food wasn't that bad!

Then she took me on a tour of west campus. I saw her school and one of the administration buildings.....this school has a LOT of money.

Off to Newbury St. for some shopping, the Boston Public Library, which has some stunning architecture and art, hopped the "T" to Cambridge and walked around there, back on the "T" to downtown.

Apparently the Boston Transit ("T") System is the oldest in the USA, as announced in this mosaic at one of the stations:

We happened upon a open air fruit and veggie market and bought a box of strawberries for $1. We mosied through Faneuil Hall and Marketplace.

Here I am at one of the many "You are here" red pin markers -- very clever!

By late afternoon/early evening we landed at the open common area near the Government Center where a giant pumpkin festival was taking place. I have never seen SO many jack-o-lanterns in one place at one time....literally hundreds -- maybe one thousand! It was very, very cool, and the proceeds went to support a pediatric illness foundation. Here are some of my favorite pics:

By 9 pm we got back to Bethany's room and I thought I was done for the day but we ended up going to see the 10 pm showing of "W." It was ok -- not a GREAT movie but pretty good.

Our plan for Sunday morning was to get up early, work out in BU's FitRec Center, have brunch in the "good" cafeteria where you could get a crepe and/or omellette made to order, and then get me to the train by noon for the return trip. It's a good thing I'm flexible because we ended up sleeping in (despite the "yellers"), walking a bit on the Esplanade and seeing some scullers and then having scrambled eggs and a muffin at the "good" cafeteria.

Even though we adjusted the schedule, I arrived at the gate at 12:03, and I watched as the Lake Short Ltd. pulled out of the station.

To be continued.....

What I did on my vacation.....

2008-10-23T11:07:00.003-05:00

Contemplated
Relied on the kindness of strangers
Soaked up my surroundings
Captured beauty
Experienced spiritual awe
Ran
Adjusted my expectations
Listened
Stretched myself
Sat

Doesn't too exciting? It was perfect for me.

I traveled to Boston to visit the college muffin (who is very college-y). I had not been away, by myself, overnight for 3 1/2 years.

I should do this more often.

Pics and more details to come. I just have to get back into the swing of things.

Staring down Middle Age

2008-10-07T15:29:00.005-05:00

A couple of days ago I turned 45.

FORTY-FIVE.

That sounds really, REALLY old to me. Like empty-nest-near-retirement old. Well, I'm close to that....I mean, I DO have a kid in college and another very close behind. And I AM thinking about retirement, every now and then, when I'm not thinking about how to pay for college. That alone causes wrinkles and gray hair!

But then I also have these mini-muffins and most of their friends' parents are 10 to 15 years younger than me. We do a lot of "younger people" stuff (not even sure what that is, but whatever).

I try not to think about it too much and usually there's just too much to do and keep track of to dwell on my aging.

Most of the time I feel GOOD (read "young"), but I do get a shock when I look in the mirror -- especially when I first wake up, and just before I go to bed, and at various times during the day. OK. Pretty much all the time I look in the mirror. Like John Mellencamp says: "I look in the mirror.....what the hell happened to me?!"

So, everyday I reach into my "don't look too old yet" arsenal and pull out the various weapons in there: the hydroxy skin cream, the tinted moisturizer with retinol, my hair stylist/colorist, "artful" make-up application, youngish-looking clothing (but not TOO young looking because I don't want to be a joke), glasses (when the bags under my eyes are especially heavy), and of course, a pretty good diet and exercise regime. Particularly running.

I do think both the teens and the minis keep me young. You have to be sharp and active to stay on top of it all. But the running gives me that little extra "something." It gives me challenges that I can overcome most of the time. And although I'm not very fast, I'm plucky, and I keep at it. Doggedly. Just like I will with all the rest of the stuff that makes up this life. A life that is very rich and for which I am very grateful.

So I'll stare down Middle Age, but with a smile. Because I'm pretty sure that's a big part of aging gracefully.

Running etiquette

2008-10-06T11:39:00.004-05:00

You're running on the road (there's no sidewalk), and you're struggling up a decent-sized hill, having already gone 5 miles, and a funeral procession comes by. What do you do?

Out of respect for the dead I wondered if the proper thing was to stop running and stand there until the procession was finished. But, out of respect for the nearly dead (myself), I kept going -- slightly shame-faced. I just kept my eyes on the ground, about 10 feet ahead, and trudged on. Was this bad form?

BTW, today's mileage was 8.5. A little raggedy towards the end, but I went the distance. That 10K coming up should be a piece of cake!!

The commentators must have ODed

2008-10-03T15:05:00.002-05:00

on Sarah Palin's folksy-ness. That HAS to be the reason because there is no other way she could be see as doing well at last night's debate.

I'm sorry, people, but you do not do well in a debate by consistently answering questions that were not asked.

OK. I'll give you that she came out on the offensive (not sure that's a good thing, actually), and that she didn't stumble on her answers. But if that has become the definition of doing well in a debate, then we, as a people, have sunk pretty low.

It's like a teacher asking a student to solve a math problem and the student proceeds to go through the spelling list. If you were a teacher, would you pass said student? Or would you suggest the student be assessed for a possible learning disability?

I'm just as disappointed in Sen. Biden. Although he managed to keep his answers "crisp" and "to the point," he let himself get hooked by Palin's non-answers. I guess I was hoping for a dialogue -- the kind of conversation that actually goes back and forth, wherein you hear the positions on each issue compared and contrasted. So sue me for wanting a higher level of representation!

In the long run, it doesn't really matter. I still know who I'm voting for.

Fair to middlin'

2008-09-29T13:15:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was my 10th race. Tara asked me to race with her and I agreed because it was for a good cause. The Women's Law Society of the U of I Law School sponsored this race to benefit the local domestic violence shelter/organization. Tara is the HR director of said shelter/organization, and they, like all other not-for-profits, are really hurting for funding. I was happy to run this race to support the increased safety and empowerment of women.

For some reason I got VERY nervous before leaving the house. It made no sense to me whatsoever, but then, that's the nature of anxiety. When I got there and did my warm up, it was a little better until I noticed that the mean age of the other participants was approximately 22. Great. I'm going to have a re-run of my first race of this season. The one where I almost finished last.

I didn't care quite so much this time because Tara and I would be running together and I decided since I already had broken my PR TWICE this year, I'd just run and see what happened.

Apparently law students are not as fit as environmental studies students because we both finished in the middle of the "pack." It wasn't my best time, but certainly not my worst either. And, the actual running felt GOOD -- very strong, controlled, smooth and focused. I LIKED that!

Here we are before the race:

And after:

Tara asked me about the trail run coming up in October. She was a little concerned about the distance (5.5 miles) but said she'd start training and give it a try. Teasingly I asked her if she'd run the 10K with me in November. She said "No. Not this year. Maybe next year." I said "Right! That can be next year's goal for you, like the half is for me next year!" She "Sure, but I'm never going to run a marathon." I said, "That's what I said last year."

We'll see.

Down the slippery slope

2008-09-24T11:28:00.002-05:00

Being the Mom means managing most of the food intake for the family members. (I guess because I have boobs and have used them to feed my offspring, I'm supposed to be an expert on food an nutrition?) Anyway, I try to limit the junk intake in our house because I DO care about the health and well-being of my loved ones. I also try not to be TOO Nazi-esque with junk food because it can lead to dangerous binging.

I once had a friend whose mother was a nurse and wouldn't let her eat things like chips and ice cream because of the potential damage to her health. This friend admitted that she once snuck to a corner market near her home and bought a can of Pringles with her allowance. She then proceeded to shove as big a stack of Pringles that would fit into her mouth and chew and chew and savor the salty, fatty, crunchy goodness.

My mom was also a nurse and while my Sis and I were growing up Mom was a careful monitor of the family's food intake. We had treats, but they were divied up and rationed out. Mom would put the treats for the coming week into the large freezer in the basement so we wouldn't snarf everything at once. One of the rare times my Sis and I were ever in cahoots was to look for the freezer key so we could sneak some of the treats.

We also got to have a few more treats when we were on vacation. That was definitely a special time. We didn't get to go hog wild or anything, but the restrictions were relaxed a bit.

Earlier in the month ONO and I took the mini-muffins on a little vacation. It was the only official one of the year. We spent a night camping at the Indiana Dunes, a day at the Dunes beach, and then a night in a hotel (ONO is SOOOO smart!) And, true to form, I relaxed the snack restrictions for the sake of the vacation. Being mostly vegetarian, meat is a big treat. So for camping we had hot dogs and brats and for breakfast we had some sausage. We also had those little powdered sugar donuts as well as Smores. How can you not have Smores camping??? At the beach we had TWO kinds of chips and a taco dip and ONO and I each brought along a 6 pack of our favorite soda. His is diet Coke, mine is full-powered Pepsi.

I REALLY enjoyed our get-away -- in many ways. It was a mostly relaxing, fun time with few worries. But, even after a few weeks, I'm still struggling to claw my way back up to the top of the Food Pyramid.

Here's what we all know we're supposed to be eating:

Here's what my eating habits looked like on vacation:

Of course it would be "Pepsi" not "Coke," but still, the image is about right.

The problem with this slippery slope is that it's so nice and squishy (or crunchy, depending on your cravings) down at the bottom. But I keep reminding myself that I really don't need anymore squishy than I already have.

I had floppy jowls!!

2008-09-18T14:37:00.004-05:00

You might wonder why I would be so excited about this. Usually I'm bemoaning the "falling" of my face. It's all fine and dandy to have chubby cheeks when you're young. Then, you're cute. But as I've gotten older, those cute, chubby cheeks have started sliding downward like a Salvador Dali painting, or a basset hound's face. See those jowls?!?!

Anywho, I managed to get in an impromptu, sort of longish run today -- 7 miles and some change. By the end, I was feeling pretty great, trucking along and I noticed, to my delight, that my cheeks were flopping!

This has only become important to me since watching the Olympics track and field events and seeing the runners' cheeks bounce as they ran. One of the commentator's mentioned that this was a sign of very good running -- relaxed and smooth, even with the stress of racing in the Olympics.

It's not hard to tell when you're having a good run and when you're not. Sometimes it's really hard for me to switch from the strained, forced running movements during a bad run to the smooth, relaxed, almost sliding form of a good run. But now, I can add my cheeks to the list of the points I focus on to stay soft and loose.

Let's just hope the spit don't fly!

All soccer, all the time

2008-09-14T14:37:00.000-05:00

Since the start of the season, Carter has played 11 games and we have watched him play in all but one. He's a starter, a co-captain, and a senior so I made a commitment to try to go to all of his soccer games this year. It's the last year I'll be able to do that and I'm going to take advantage of it.

So for now, until either the end of October or sometime in early November, I'm a mini-van driving soccer mom.

I should get one of these:

That might help me feel like I don't quite fit the stereotype.

Are you a giant?

2008-09-08T15:45:00.002-05:00

Here are the lyrics:

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky
And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny
In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene
In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been
So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky
Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

When I saw Geneviève I really liked it when she said
What she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff
She said 'I like giants
Especially girl giants
Cause all girls feel too big sometimes
Regardless of their size'

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road and run and jump into the ocean in my clothes
*I'm smaller than a poppyseed inside a great big bowl
And the ocean is a giant that can swallow me whole

So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul
But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado
So I flip to my back and I float and I sing
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

So I talked to Geneviève and almost cried when she said
That the giant on the cliff wished that she was dead
And the lemmings on the cliff wished that they were dead
So the giant told the lemmings why they ought to live instead

When she thought up all those reasons that they ought to live instead
It made her reconsider all the sad thoughts in her head
So thank you Geneviève, cause you take what is in your head
And you make things that are so beautiful and share them with your friends

We all become important when we realize our goal
Should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole
And yeah, rock and roll is fun, but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
And I don't wanna make her cry
Cause I like giants

"I Like Giants" by Kimya Dawson

A few words about Sarah

2008-09-05T16:21:00.003-05:00

Govenor Palin has made a big splash in the political world. Despite our political and fiduciary differences, it does warm my heart to see a woman achieving success in a male-dominated field.

Out of curiosity, more than anything, I watched her RNC speech and I heard her now-famous self-identifying statement:

"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

Definitely an attention getter.

I can see how a lot of women from a certain generation would find that statement appealing. My mom, for instance, was of the generation that started the first tentative tapping on the glass ceiling. These women had to fight and fight, get snarly, and be just as mean as the men. I really do understand, and appreciate the hard work they did.

That still doesn't change the fact that a pit bull basically can't be trusted with the safety of small children or other defenseless creatures.

And no amount of lipstick can pretty that up.

Birthday season starts today

2008-09-02T13:35:00.006-05:00

Between now and Christmas, our family will celebrate 7 birthdays:

ONO's
Bethany's
mine
my dad/Granddad
Logan
Carter
ONO's mom/Grandma

And 3 major holidays which feature high levels of food consumption.

Sugary, fatty food.

So every 2 weeks, roughly, there will be some extra form of temptation in our house -- staring us RIGHT IN THE FACE!! (Note the operative word EXTRA because we are well versed in the sugary/fatty-snack-while-watching-TV-at-night ritual.

SIGH.

Oh well. Who ever heard of birthday broccoli, anyway?

Apparently, these two people:

Personally, I'd choose the one on the right....it's an actual cake. The other one is a meat loaf cake, "frosted" with mashed potatoes, and decorated with broccoli florets.

Now THAT'S a creative person!

With hands clasped and eyes raised to the sky

2008-08-28T21:50:00.004-05:00

Coming home tonight after some retail therapy I happened upon NPR's coverage of Obama's acceptance speech. I almost switched to a CD but found the voice and the ideas melting away the ice around my political heart. Pretty soon I was sitting in the garage, engine turned off, because I wanted to hear every word he had to say.

A part of me couldn't believe what was happening -- I'd become jaded, and emotionally "unhooked" from politics and politicians -- but I decided to just go with it. After a while, I made a run for the house and the TV hoping that Carter and/or ONO would be watching it, or that TiVo was catching it. None of that happened but it was all good. The TV broadcast was a few minutes behind the radio.

By the end of the speech I was in tears. I know. Crazy. Those are usually saved for intense spiritual experiences and poop on the floor), but maybe that's why Rush Limbaugh and others are (disdainfully) calling Obama "the messiah."

Of course I don't think of him as the messiah, but I do think I experienced a redemption of sorts -- back, whole-heartedly into the emotional part of the political process.

Even after learning first-hand how incredibly complicated, slow and diluting the political process can be, I find myself half-believing, half-hoping that he'll actually be able to accomplish what he delineated in the speech. I'm mentally pleading with the Power(s) that be -- please, please, PLEASE, let him win! PLEASE let it be different this time! PLEASE let me be proud of my country again!!

But even if the Power(s) ignore me, this speech re-opened the place in my psyche for political hope.

Keep Hope Alive. Because without hope, the people perish.

And....she's off!

2008-08-25T15:16:00.009-05:00

Again.

This time 1076 miles north-east to Boston University.

She'll start with a week of orientation and then officially begin classes on September 2.

Interesting mascot.

Not being a dog person I suppose terriers can be vicious.

This is where she'll be living:

Yes, in one of those AMAZING brownstones. (I'm slightly jealous.) She got into the "Spanish House" because of her fluency in Spanish. She thinks she may be able to stay there all 4 years.

I really hope this is wonderful experience for her.

A slightly smaller footprint

2008-08-21T15:45:00.001-05:00

Check out my new energy saving device:

It also doubles as an energy expending device......all for about 40 bucks.

Sooooooo close

2008-08-19T15:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I planned to do a long run. It had been a hell of a few days and the alcohol just wasn't cutting it as a stress reliever! I woke up in a funk (haven't been sleeping well lately) and just decided to run as long as it felt ok, even if that was only 2 or 3 miles. I just didn't care that much what happened, I just knew I needed to get out there and burn off the cortisol deposits that had been left in my cells.

Turns out I had one of my best runs EVER! I ran through campus, then by my office for a quick potty and water break. Besides that stop and one to manage a mini-crisis for Bethany, I ran the rest of the way.

When I mapped my run, I had gone 9.85 miles. 9.85

I was happy that I'd gone so far, and disappointed that I was THAT close to 10! And it wasn't like I couldn't have pulled out another one and a half tenths! I could have easily.

Geek Girl Misty was right. It definitely gets easier!

Let's play a game

2008-08-12T16:34:00.008-05:00

Here are a bunch of pictures. After looking at them all, complete the following phrase:

America: Land of the Free, Home of the _______________.

Yes, all of these pictures were taken in the U. S. of A.

Come on lurkers.....you know you want to play!

Problem Solving

2008-08-10T13:27:00.002-05:00

Brennan to his dad: "Can I have a cookie?"

Dad: "Sure. You can have one cookie."

Brennan: "Can I have two cookies?"

Dad" "No. You can have one cookie."

Brennan: "But I have two hands!"

My apologies

2008-08-10T13:25:00.003-05:00

It's come to my attention that there has been an unusual focus on bathroom humor/functions in my latest postings.

Please keep in mind that I live with 4 males.

Sorry.

A blase event that I ran well (title by ONO)

2008-08-09T10:52:00.003-05:00

Even though I said I wouldn't, I ran another small town festival race this morning. I did it only because my friend Tara asked me to after she ran the Fisher Fair 5K with me last month.

It was a pretty good time. The race could have been organized a bit better but overall it was a good experience. We decided to run with each other through the race and both got PRs. It's both encouraging and challenging to have a friend by your side. She's still faster than me but it's ok. I have almost 20 years on her.

The only thing that marred my experience was a visit to the porta-potty. Ugh, I hate those things! I didn't get up early enough to complete my typical morning routine. Tara had this FABULOUS idea that there should be "Pee-only" porta-potties, and that if anyone did anything else, an alarm and flashing lights would go off. I think she's got a lucrative idea there! If that doesn't take off, maybe this will:

Here's the link in case you want to buy one.

Second try

2008-08-04T07:31:00.001-05:00

Of course I'd pick one of the hottest days of the year to try 10 miles again. There was a heat advisory announced shortly after I left for the run.

I had high hopes for today. All of the factors that I thought contributed to the last 10 mile bust were carefully considered and changed:

Thicker, moisture wicking socks
More food
More water
More shade
Less asphalt

What I didn't have control over was the humidity.

I walked a LOT on this "run." I didn't even care. I almost asked a cop for a ride back to my car, but decided to at least walk. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to do the 10 miles, and when I got back to the car my feet felt like hamburger and my body like it had been hit by a Mack truck.

It was VERY discouraging. My consolation was reminding myself that I'd exercised for 2 1/2 hours and a pile of Cheetos.

I love Cheetos.

I'll try again. I mean, that's what I'm all about. But it won't be until after Labor Day. For now, I'm looking forward to running another 5K with Tara this Saturday.

Colossal!

2008-07-31T17:03:00.006-05:00

Given our family's current preoccupation with poop, I think a trip to the Indiana State Fair would be a fitting vacation for us this year.

"Indiana??" you ask. "But you live in Illinois!" Yes, this is true. But the Illinois State Fair does not have the Coco the Colossal Colon exhibit.

I am not making this up. Here's a picture of Coco:

You may not be able to tell from that picture, but Coco is 40 feet long and 4 feet high -- tall enough to crawl through and check out what the inside of a colon looks like....both a healthy colon and a diseased colon. Like these ladies did!

And here's a link to the brochure advertising the Indiana State Fair.

See? I swear I'm not making this up!

So if you think all of THIS is fascinating, there's a club just for you.....The Colon Club!! If you want to see more pics of the inside of Coco, click here. From there you can check out the rest of the web site....and join the club if you want! Actually, if you want to join the club, that probably means you have lower GI "issues" and that's definitely NO FUN. So if this is you, I hope you're not offended by this post and are taking it in the spirit in which it was meant -- just some good clean colorectal humor.

Here's the poop.....

2008-07-29T18:27:00.001-05:00

WARNING: For those with delicate sensibilities, please skip to the next posting (although it's not much better.)

Logan is getting closer and closer to being potty trained. Here's how I know:

The other day he and Brennan were outside playing in the back yard. They would go from wrestling in the grass to splashing each other in the pool, to eating a snack at the picnic table. Being with them is like being in the middle of a pack of LARGE puppies.

Anyway, I let Logan do all this naked so he can pee in the grass if he needs to go. I put a little potty chair out there but he'll have none of that, that BABY stuff. He sees his brother pee in the grass, so why can't he? He's doing pretty well with this, actually, and has asked to pee-pee in the potty a number of times.

So this particular day he kept pointing to his bottom saying "poop." As one might be when surrounded by a pack of puppies, I was slightly distracted and just trying to keep from getting bowled over. He kept saying "poop" and I kept saying "Yes, that's your bottom, that's where the poop comes out." All of a sudden Brennan said, "Mom! He's pooping!" And yes, indeed, there it was, making it's way out and towards the deck floor. I grabbed it in one hand, Logan in the other hand and RAN to the nearest potty. Logan was all for sitting down on it and I put the poop in the potty. I've been waiting and hoping for an opportunity to make a connection between Logan's creation and where it's supposed to go. This was it!!

He saw it and made all the happy, LOUD, exclamations that one makes when one is appreciating one's work, and then he wanted to flush. I told him to say "Bye, bye, poop!" like Joshua does in Once Upon a Potty, and he happily waved and said "bye, bye, poop!" He watched the water stop swirling, leaned WAY over to look in and said "It's gone!" I said yes. He said "I want it!"

Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you're the parent in the throws of potty training), there's more where that came from.

It's all in the wrist

2008-07-24T13:35:00.003-05:00

Bethany broke hers last night at a community soccer camp.

This is not Bethany's hand, but this is what it looked like:

The large muffins seem to have a penchant for breaking wrists -- Carter broke his two years ago, also at soccer practice.

Poor kid....we made her wait until morning to go to "Convenient" Care and get it x-rayed.

Yup. Broken. In two places and maybe a third. If there is a third break, it will likely require surgery. We'll know in a few weeks after a follow-up x-ray.

In a weird twist of fate, this injury happened when Bethany was playing goalie and blocked a goal attempt made by her ex-boyfriend, Michael.

When he apologized profusely, she said "consider us even."

Unabashed

2008-07-18T19:12:00.001-05:00

My medal came in the mail today. I'm going to wear it to bed.

Not really.

Just around the house for a few hours.

Wild Geese

2008-07-15T21:30:00.002-05:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Mary Oliver

Same race, one year later

2008-07-12T21:20:00.001-05:00

Today was the Fisher Fair 5K (say that 5 times fast). I was looking forward to it for a number of reasons.

1. This is the race I PRed at last year so was hoping to do the same this year.

2. The Traveling Muffin said she'd run it with me. Study-ly Muffin ran it with me last year. It’s cool when your teens will actually be seen in public with you, much less run a race with you.

3. I enlisted a friend/neighbor Tara to run it with me. A newbie to running, Tara agreed to do this race one night after we'd had 1 too many blueberry martinis AND I agreed to take a class on Reiki.

The 3 of us left the house around 6:55 and drove north-east towards Fisher, and towards a very big and very DARK storm front. You could see lightening flashing in the clouds, and half-way there the wipers were necessarily on the high setting.

Things weren’t much different when we got to the fairgrounds. Bethany stated loudly and firmly that she WASN’T running this race, she’d just take a nap in the car. Tara and I decided to make a dash to the registration building and found a surprising number of other soggy participants. We were all glad to hear that the race would start around 8:30 when the storm had moved out of the area.

Tara and I agreed we weren’t going to try to pace each other – we both assumed that I would be ahead and finish before her. Just after the first mile water station (first split was 8:48) I stopped and walked briskly while I drank. And Tara cruised right past me. I never caught up after that.

Mile two marker (10:06 ) came and I walked a bit more for water. I’m not sure why I needed so much water….the muggidity was very high. At any rate, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to go sub-30 this go ‘round so didn’t really push myself. But then I got to mile 3 and heard the time keeper say “28 something” and realized that I COULD go sub-30! I sprinted the last tenth and gasped my way over the finish line. I barely heard someone say “good race! You kept me going!” I just needed to catch my breath. What I didn’t hear was my exact time but I knew I’d broke 30. That was good enough for me.

Sunday I got a phone call from one of the race organizers who told me that they had made a mistake with the finishers for my age group. Originally they had me as finishing third but found that my time actually put me at second. They would engrave a new medal and send it right out to me. That’s FUNNY – if I came in second, then there were some pretty slow 40-somethings running. What I really was interested in was my exact time. So I asked.

29:29.

YAY ME!! And now I get my pink running skirt!

THIS is why we wish it away

2008-07-08T11:33:00.005-05:00

This morning the mini-est muffin woke us up at 4:00 am demanding "JUICE!" and "WARM!" (code for warm chocolate). This is actually an improvement from the nightly midnight, 2:00 am, and then 4:30 demand, which had been going on for a couple of weeks. It was like having a newborn again, something I'm pretty sure I don't want to do again!

I finally pulled my thinking out of my sleep-deprived brain and realized that as long as I gave him a reason to wake up and demand, this would continue. I also realized that this probably started when we were all very sick with fevers and coughing and pain from ear infections and the goal was to JUST GET EVERYBODY TO BE QUIET SO I CAN SLEEP A FEW MORE MINUTES!!!!

What this means now is that we're going to have to "help" him return to the habit of sleeping through the night with the ability to self-soothe. Sounds reasonable and caring and appropriate. Until you add the "Logan Factor."

Logan is what we euphemistically refer to as an "intense child." (This IS the reframe!) He came into the world this way, literally tearing his way out in less than 4 hours (not enough time to get the only epidural I ever asked for, thank you very much!!)

This dramatic entrance set the stage for life with Logan. Don't get me wrong, he is very, very cute.....and it's a good thing! Otherwise, he'd probably be in someone else's care, if you get my drift.

So, this morning, after lying calmly (said through clenched teeth) in Brennan's bed and not responding in anyway to "JUICE!" or "WARM!" or "DADDY!" and occasionally dozing, Logan was done for the night at 5:40 am. So we got up. Bleary-eyed I made some coffee, made first "JUICE!" and then "WARM!" and snuggled with Logan on the couch while he watched some TV thinking hopefully "maybe he's waking up so much because he's not getting enough Mommy-time?". I went upstairs to take a shower which meant more crying and pleading and, of course, that woke up his brother.

I went ahead with the shower, a little worried about what might be happening out there. My fears were justified when I discovered a diaper on the bathroom floor but no Logan. I hurried downstairs, towel-covered and dripping, wondering how much pee I'd have to clean up.

Logan met me with a you-know-what eating grin. I mean that literally. He held out his hand and said "Poop!" with much pride and excitement. Then he said "Mouth."
There is no word in the English language that effectively conveys how nasty/gross/nauseating/disgusting that is.

It took me a while to find all of it, but I did and cleaned it up after giving Logan an unwanted bath. All this before 7:30 am.

Fun times.

I did 10......sort of

2008-06-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

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

2008-06-24T07:09:00.000-05:00

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.

2008-06-23T15:52:00.003-05:00

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

2008-06-22T07:16:00.000-05:00

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

2008-06-15T13:22:00.004-05:00

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

2008-06-12T07:20:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-03T07:04:00.004-05:00

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.

2008-06-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

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?"

Resolved

2008-05-31T14:51:00.000-05:00

To run only before 10 am from now until mid-October (or whenever it starts to cool off).

FI-nally!!

2008-05-30T16:41:00.006-05:00

After weeks and weeks of a big tease, it started to feel a bit like summer today. The temps got into the 80s. I can't tell you how GLAD I was, and GLAD definitely beats SAD any day!

Of course there's a downside. After dodging many meteorological bullets this spring, Central Illinois is currently under a tornado watch. Even so, all I can say is

WELCOME

WELCOME

WELCOME!!

Welcome sticky popsicle faces, that sunscreen smell, running through sprinklers, lightning bugs and needing a bath every night.

Welcome painted toe nails, that slight, tight stiffness from a little too much sun, flip-flops, flowey skirts every day, and smoothly-shaved legs.

Welcome sweet frozen drinks with umbrellas, oodles of garden produce, watermelon, salad for supper, corn stuck between your teeth, and dripping ice cream cones.

Welcome trips to the water park, family vacation, slowing down cuz it's SO hot and humid, insects droning, and watching thunderstorms on the porch.

Welcome summer! My favorite time of the year!

Update

2008-05-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

OK. Here's what kept me out of the blog-o-sphere for so long:

The mini-muffins had their second change in child care arrangements in 2 months. Our fabulously energetic and unbelievably cheap child care provider (who just happened to live right across the street from us) decided to accept an offer to make personal training DVDs which have the potential to go nationwide via the backing of the Trump Corporation. I'm not sure why she chose that over our 2 wonderful boys....it's really a brain bender....

Anyhoo......now they are going 5 mornings a week to a NAEYC accredited child care/pre-school center. I had put their names on the waiting list over a year ago and the spots came open not long after we had hired an in-home provider for a lot more money and with much less energy than our aforementioned provider. Needless to say, I jumped at this opportunity. I figured, if I'm going to be paying through the nose, it's gotta be worth it.

So, after three weeks, we had all settled into the new routine....mostly....which was no small feat, considering the mini-muffins had been pretty insulated from the wider world until now. And I had gotten quite spoiled with lounging around in my "lounge" clothes until around 10 am 2-3 days a week.

It was pretty miserable the first couple of weeks. There was much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth -- and you should have heard the kids! Seriously, it was exhausting to manage two tantrums AND get to the office and compose myself before my first client every single morning, but I hung in there because I knew it would get better. And it did.

Then came the predictable day care induced illness fall-out. During the next 3 weeks we went through two rounds of colds, one much worse than the other. We're all STILL coughing two weeks from the onset. Again, I'm hanging in there because I'm told that the illnesses now will build stronger immunity in the future.

Brennan still asks why he has to go to school "so much," and I tell him because his dad and I have to work "so much." I'm helping him put together the idea that going to work means we have money to pay for things, like his Lightning McQueen wardrobe and chocolate milk habit. He now understands this idea so well that frequently when I pick him up he asks what I bought today. Thank you, Capitalism!!

That takes care of the little ones. Now for the big ones:

The studly muffin, being a 16 year boy, has been busy keeping us on our toes with a variety of 16 year old boy-type behavior -- most of them extremely stress producing for parents. As much as I'd LOVE to go into details, I won't. For one, it's too painful to have to tell the stuff over and over, and two, I guess I don't want to embarrass the kid too much.

ONO called this phase of parenting the "limbo phase" because you can't really do any "hands-on" parenting, but they're not old enough to send out into the world with a friendly swat (or swift kick, depending on the kid) on the butt. So you just try to continue to offer support and empathy when they fall flat on their faces, try not to take too much of it personally, and believe that they'll be ok in about 5-10 years.

Hmmmm. That sounds a little like a prison sentence.

At least I tried

2008-05-23T22:56:00.004-05:00

ONO came home early today and I took advantage by going out earlier than usual (thanks, ONO!).

I'd like to run more in general (who wouldn't???) AND vary the types of runs to improve training, especially speed and endurance. So today I decided to try a tempo run, even though I'm still hacking and wheezing like someone in a consumption sanitarium from this "cold" the mini-muffins brought home from school.

I was ok for the first 2 miles but then I got really, really tired. My legs felt very heavy and I felt like I couldn't breathe very well. That's probably because I wasn't breathing very well. For the last 4 days my chest has felt like there is a tickly, sticky web of flem and mucous, capturing every molecule of oxygen and holding it prisoner in the top part of my lungs.

So much for breathing from the belly!

Look what "sprung up" in the garden last week

2008-05-21T16:14:00.009-05:00

I was checking on the nascent strawberries, hoping to find at least ONE red, ripe juicy one, but I found this instead:

Thinking a bird had made a nest in my garden, I started angrily yanking all the soft stuff away. But it wasn't a bird's nest. Can you tell what those are?

Let's all give a collective "Awwwww" for the cute little, baby bunnies.

Once their eyes were open I evicted them. I'm not in the 24 hour, all-you-can-eat, bunny buffet business.

First Fruits

2008-05-19T07:42:00.000-05:00

I love, Love, LOVE this time of year!

At the last minute....

2008-05-18T13:45:00.001-05:00

Carter decided to go to prom.

He looks good!

She does too....I don't think they're an "item," but then I wouldn't know if they were. He keeps pretty much everything close to the vest.

Maybe he looks so happy because he's with his friends, or a pretty blond is hanging on him, OR he got to drive the car!!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

Here's my Mother's Day haul:

Flowers and chocolate....what more could a woman ask for?

But really.....here are my true gifts:

I'm still here.....

2008-05-08T07:12:00.001-05:00

Just really, really swamped with family stuff.....mostly.

Notice anything missing?

2008-04-25T07:32:00.003-05:00

No posts about SAD for TWO MONTHS!

It was definitely a "white-knuckle" kinda winter. Even ONO had a hard time.

Here's a little somethin-somethin for him:

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T13:11:00.003-05:00

Today I savored the sugary smell of spring.

Didn't happen

2008-04-19T14:55:00.003-05:00

I did NOT run the planned for race today.

I thought I was coming down with strep throat yesterday (Carter has it) and felt generally icky. A 90 minute trip to "Convenient" Care during which a 5 foot long Q-tip was rammed down my throat reveled that I was not positive for strep. However, I came out of there feeling ickier than when I went in....probably had something to do with managing the mini-muffins in a child-unfriendly environment.

And this morning turned up windy, rainy and cold.

Maybe I'm a wimp.
Maybe I'm not as committed to running as I thought.
Maybe I'm not as nutty about running as ONO worries I am (or will become).
Maybe it's ok to not run a planned-for race.....

There's always another race.

Just look at their eyes...

2008-04-16T09:54:00.002-05:00

NPR is doing a week-long series on soaring food costs around the world. What I heard today was about the rising demand for meat and its toll on the environment.

(Listen to that report here.)

This isn't new information. It's one of the main reasons that ONO and I decided to be flexitarians (mostly vegetarian.) So listening to this report, and the results of a specific study, gave me one of those self-gratifying moments -- "Cool! Already doing that."

I know some of you are starting to glaze over and others have already clicked on to something WAY more interesting and sensational. But for the rest of you still reading, CHECK THIS OUT!

According to that study, reducing your meat consumption by 20% is like trading in your Camry for a Prius. Can you believe how easy that is?! That's SO easy!

Here's what reducing meat consumption translates into in practical, every day terms: If you eat two meals a day that include meat, that's 14 meaty meals. Reducing by 20% means dropping meat from roughly 3 meals a week. Not that hard. And, you have to admit that reducing meat consumption is a lot less expensive than buying a Prius. In fact, doing that will SAVE money -- maybe $10-$15 week by my rough estimate.

So if the soft, brown, innocent eyes don't get ya, maybe that "cha-ching!" of your bank account will.

For more info, check out this site.

2008-04-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by GeekGirl Misty. Here are the rules:

1) Write your own six word memoir.

Knows when to shed her skin.

2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.

3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.

4) Tag at least five more blogs with links.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. (That means YOU, Bobinnie!!)

5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blog=

Less than a week out

2008-04-13T21:42:00.006-05:00

In preparation for my first 10K next Saturday, I ran nine miles today -- nine long, painful, COLD miles.

The weather totally SUCKED today. Fortunately I decided to dress like I had dressed back in February....it was a good thing! Temps hovered around freezing and the winds were 15-20 mph. I chose today for the long run instead of yesterday because yesterday the winds were gusting up to 50 mph. I got rained on, snowed on, sleeted on, and blown on REAL good. And early on I strode (strided?) out too far and got that strained, pinched feeling in the back of my left knee.

I ate an excellent breakfast (another of ONO's magnificent omelettes) so I'd have plenty of slow releasing calories to feed me energy through the 9 miles. I worked hard at starting out slowly and checking my pace frequently so I'd last the whole time. Now I'm wondering what the run would have been like without all that careful planning and checking. I blame the blasted wind, against which I ran, UPHILL, for mile 5 and half of mile 6.

Before you get all impressed, remember that I live in Central Illinois, The Prairie State, and that there is only 64 feet difference in the lowest and highest elevations.

I almost gave up after mile 7 but MADE myself continue sludging along to the mile 9 marker. Then I jelly-legged it back home, quite slowly.

I've never had this happen before but while walking the 3/4 mile home, my lady parts felt like they were going to fall out. I have no explanation for this but am comforted to know that I'm not the only one. Geek Girl Misty who writes Athena Diaries has shared her trials and tribulations with this. It's a scary thought. I'm just waiting for all that stuff to realize it's not needed for baby-making anymore and peacefully retire to Florida.....maybe that's what it's doing....heading south, so to speak.

So I'll do one more run this week before Saturday's race. I'll work out twice on the elliptical and completely rest on Friday. Stay tuned for the race report.

Whew!

2008-04-12T20:14:00.006-05:00

Aren't you glad that man pregnant with quadruplets is gone? Too, too scary.

Here's a pretty picture to reestablish order in your brain:

ONO and I got married here....not in THIS exact place, but in Santa Fe. We actually got married at Crystal Mesa Farm, just south of Santa Fe proper. The web site doesn't do it justice -- it's a STUNNING place. And we still think it's the most beautiful spot on earth.

What insomnia can uncover....

2008-04-10T00:26:00.004-05:00

Stumbled on this pic while Net surfing at 1 am.

Just might be the scariest thing I've ever seen.

Maybe this baby's his relative?

WOW. That's a big crab.

Where can I get one of these??

Yes, that's a dress made out of balloons

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2008-04-09T18:04:00.000-05:00

This recipe has quickly become one of our favorites. It is SO easy it's ridiculous. I decided to try it after getting a hankerin' for California Pizza Kitchen a few weeks ago. Oddly, CPK doesn't offer this pizza any more. It was what I ordered every time I went there.

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza

1 refrigerated pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
6-8 slices of Provolone cheese
2 pears, thinly sliced
6 oz of Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Mixed salad greens

***********************************************************************************

Spread pizza dough out on lightly greased baking sheet
Lay Provolone on top of pizza dough
Top with sliced pears
Sprinkle walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese on top of pears

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees. All cheese should be melted and bubbly and crust should be golden brown.

Top with mixed salad greens.

Enjoy!

Wii-ly Funny

2008-04-08T07:54:00.003-05:00

Since he was a little kid, Carter has enjoyed playing computer games (what kid doesn't?) As he got older and the games he liked switched from problem solving (e.g., the Oregon Trail) to slash and burn (e.g., Call of Duty) I've expressed my concern for his exposure to and participation in violence, albeit cyber violence.

Shortly after we got the Wii, he sent me this article.

If you like that, check out more of the Onion. The political satire is some of the best.

Return of the Chub Rub

2008-04-06T13:30:00.003-05:00

This morning after loading up on a 2 egg, onion, pepper and feta cheese omelette, and a cranberry-walnut bran muffin, I set off on this week's long run. It was a beautiful day -- the best kind of weather (in my opinion) for running -- a little breezy, full sunshine, and about 50 degrees. I decided to wear shorts, the first time this year.

This in and of itself was a wonderful thing -- there's nothing like the breeze and sun gently caressing your pale, dimply legs. But, I forgot about the extra layer of fat that I had laid down on my inner thighs for the winter. Actually, that extra layer of fat is an all-season layer. I hang on to it in the (unlikely) event that the planet is thrown into a surprise Ice Age. I'm a survivor!!

This run really came together for me. It helped restore my confidence after Friday's sucky tempo run. I had planned to run a timed 5K to see how I was doing with that goal. I guess I started out a little too fast,(1st split 8:40) because I got really slow on mile 2 and 3. And, I had miscalculated the distance so where I thought I was only at mile 2, I was actually at mile 3. When I checked my split, I got really discouraged and blew the rest of the trial. Oh well. Live and learn.

Anywho, only a few things marred this otherwise FABULOUS run:

1. a bug in my eye (at least it wasn't in my mouth)

2. a pair of very large, not chained, dogs who came bounding out of a yard headed straight for me. I was maybe 1/3 of a mile from my turn-around point and almost decided to chance it, but fear won and I turned around right there.

3. a group of insolent adolescents who, despite seeing me coming at least 100 yards away, continued to loiter on the side walk. I kept on going, prepared to plow trough the group if necessary but only slightly grazed one who had her back to me.

I kinda noticed the consequences of my chub rubbing together about the last mile. It was really bad after I got home and took a shower. OUCH!

I guess I'll be walking like a saddle-sore cowboy for a few days.

Help, anyone??

In the not-so-cold ground

2008-04-05T17:22:00.002-05:00

So my experiment with the milk jugs didn't work. They kept blowing over in the windy-ness of March and they didn't stay moist and warm enough for the seeds to sprout. Next time I'll remember to weight the bottoms and make sure I have all the lids for each container.

I would have re-planted long before now except that for the last week the weather was entirely uncooperative. Thankfully, today Mother Nature gave us a nearly cloudless day with temps in the 60s. All I can say lady, is.....IT'S ABOUT TIME!

We got a bag of mushroom mulch from our fave nursery and I "worked the soil." As always, there was a lot of "help," mostly in the way of finding big, fat juicy worms and telling me where I should put them. No, not in that sense -- Brennan just has a strong sense of where things should go ("Back in the garden, Mommy! Not in the compost bin!") This one apple sure didn't fall far from the tree!

Here's what should be poking their cute little heads up above ground in 7 - 10 days:

Sugar Peas

Spinach

Red Russian Kale

Radishes (one of ONO's favorite)

chamomile (I had no idea it was such a pretty flower. Gravy!!)

basil

cilantro

[If you're not a gardener, these probably all look like the same green stuff. Sorry to bore you.]

I'm a little disappointed that things didn't work out as planned, but even with this "traditional" planting we should be feasting on our own tasty, organic produce by late May to early June. Delish!

Nobody said it would be easy....but Sheesh!!

2008-03-31T08:17:00.005-05:00

If you're a regular reader you know that my oldest, my only daughter, is spending a year in Venezuela on a Rotary exchange. She turned 18 last September. That means, that according to the U.S. military, Voter's Registration, tobacco and credit card companies, piercing/tattoo joints, and pretty much everyone else except bars and liquor stores, consider her an adult. (Actually, in Venezuela, the legal drinking age is 18, so she's 100% an adult there).

I'm not sure how/why 18 became the age that was deemed the starting line for adult decision-making. It seems kind of arbitrary to me. In fact, one prominent brain researcher is finding that the human brain hasn't reached complete development, with typical adult decision-making abilities, until around age 25. (Interestingly, the amount of grey matter doesn’t peak until age 30, and the amount of white matter doesn’t peak until age 45!)

In my work I find myself explaining these concepts to lots of parents of adolescents. They're usually convinced that their kid is being an idiot ON PURPOSE. I tell them that Sally and Johnny really aren't able -- they do not have the brain equipment -- to make wise, reasoned decisions like they are. Their brains just aren't done yet. They might look like young adults, and talk like young adults, but their brains are not there. I had one dad who interrupted me mid-brain development lecture and say "I know....they're turkeys." I said "what??" He said "you said they were weren't done growing yet -- like taking a turkey out of the oven too soon."

It's all fine and dandy when I'm talking to other parents about their kids' stupid decisions and lack of insight. It's easy for me to be compassionate and calm and reassuring to other parents, but when it comes to my own, it's a different story.

My daughter recently revealed that she's fallen in love with a young Venezuelan man. This really isn't a huge surprise -- she's a lovely young woman with a healthy interest in the world around her. And, she'd already had a minor romantic fling shortly after her arrival to South America with a fellow high school student.

The young man she's interested in is also interested in her. Well, more than interested. He thinks she's all that and a bag of chips. This should be a good news to me, right?? Most moms want their children to grow up and find love....soul satisfying love, gut wrenching love, the kind of love that brings an atheist to his knees in prayer. Of COURSE I do! But, (you knew that was coming) not when she's 18. First there's the whole brain-not-done-yet, thing. And, trailing close behind is this other thing. The young man? He's 28.

This just isn't ok with me. And I don't really care that it's common in Latin American countries for boyfriends/husbands to be much older than their girlfriends/wives. That's in Latin America. And my daughter is not Latin American. She's as white bread as they come!

But I digress. The real issue here is that whatever decisions she's making about her future really aren't founded in solid decision-making capability.

Sweetheart, you're a turkey. I mean that with all the love in the world. And when you're done, you are going to be even more amazing than you already are. Mom.

PS This stuff has taken up quite a bit of my mental and emotional energy lately. I hope that explains the lack of regular posts. If I could just find a way to chain her to her bed and throw away the key to her chastity belt.

Random (not deep) thoughts

2008-03-29T17:46:00.002-05:00

I ran 8 miles today. That's my farthest yet. Good for me.

Why is it so hard to have a reasonable conversation with a 16 year old boy?

I love Cheetos.

If only I was a 16 year old boy.

How many Cheetos can I eat after running 8 miles?

There should be a support group for moms of 16 year old boys.

I should marry Cheetos.

Better run tomorrow.

Romance is not dead!

2008-03-26T21:03:00.001-05:00

I get home from the office around 7:30 and the mini-muffins are in the bath tub throwing water on each other and the floor. ONO is running around trying to "get stuff done." My better self is bested and I grumble slightly that the mini-muffins are still up and harshing our post-bedtime mellow.

I go upstairs and start changing my clothes so I can wash the boys. ONO is following behind saying "Really! It's a good thing that I waited on getting them in the tub." In the middle of disrobing he gets that look, comes over, starts to grope me, and says "Logan had a huge poop just before you got home." I say "You know I love it when you talk dirty like that."

Celebrating resurrection

2008-03-20T09:50:00.005-05:00

It was fitting that we planted seeds today, it being the first day of Spring. And the sun was shining, which truly seemed miraculous. It's been a long, LONG, winter.

I had lots of help, which I'm actually quite grateful for. I'm always wondering which kid (or kids) will carry on the green thumb gene.

Here's the finished product:

And this, my friends, is what gardeners live for.....

the miracle and mystery of rebirth.

It IS the elliptical!

2008-03-18T08:48:00.001-05:00

About 30 seconds after getting on the elliptical I felt the niggling pain in the front left part of my knee and a bite in the back left of my knee.

I want a treadmill.

Seemingly Effortless

2008-03-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

In preparation for the 10K I've signed up for in April, I'm trying to extend my long runs even longer. I've had this niggling knee thing for a few weeks so I was a little leary about how things were going to go. I'm very happy to report that it went really, really well. Here's why:

1. The weather was pretty good -- temps hovered around 32, no precip, and only a little wind (5-10 mph).

2. I had a kick-butt play list. For a while I had been using music to pace but some of what was on my play list was so BORING it felt like drudgery. I decided to put music on that just gets me going, regardless of the tempo. It worked like a charm!

3. I brought a snack sized Zone bar with me and stopped at the prairie restoration park to eat it and hydrate. The 80 calories was just enough to keep the blood sugar up through the second half and not start to drag like I usually do.

The only problem was the water fountains were turned off and the bathrooms were locked, so no water! WTF?!? Like people stop needing to pee and hydrate because it's winter???

4. I had zero knee trouble -- ZERO! Not even a twinge. What's up with that? I'm not complaining....it made for a fabulous run, but it's down right confusing.

5. I ran by lots of beautiful nature stuff. I saw a little creek with no garbage in it, some trees that were just starting to bud, some bunnies and a blue heron.

I got to the end of my planned route and headed home. I would have, and could have continued on, it was going that well, but I was wanted at home. The whole thing got me thinking, though. Maybe my quest for a faster 5K time is a misdirection of energies. I mean, what does being fast mean, anyway? That you're healthier? Stronger? Have better form as a runner? Does it make you smarter? A better parent or partner? Isn't it just as "good" to go long, and more importantly, enjoy it? That's what I'm thinkin'.

4 years already?!?!

2008-03-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

It's really hard to believe that four years have gone by since Brennan's birth. We are SO happy to have him in our family. We worked, and worked at his conception, "failed" to conceive by the standard method so had to resort to getting assistance. I never forget that, even in the darkest moments of being his mother (and they're not really that dark....or that frequent).

In keeping with his "Lightming Aqueen" obsession, Brennan asked for a red birthday cake, which you see here:

The icing looks like blood dripping down the sides to me, but he liked it.

Here's the inside of the cake:

I know.....pretty scary. I searched and searched on line for some non-chemical way of making a cake red, and actually found some options, but they required lots of work and even more time. And, being the thoroughly modern mother that I am, I waited until the last minute to take care of his cake. So, I broke down and bought a package of red velvet cake mix. I figured with the amount of red dye #2 in the cake mix and that icing, we'd just take Brennan over to the hospital and ask them to hook him up to a line of chemotherapy -- a preventative measure, so to speak.

Mommy and Daddy love you, Brennan! From the moment you were born.....actually, long before that.

A few days old

1 year old

2 years old

Tagged

2008-03-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Donita tagged me to share 5 interesting things about myself.

So....here we go:

1. I went to seminary for a year. (anyone interested in that one can ask for more info.)

2. I like bugs. Yeah, really! I think they're pretty cool. However, I do have a short list of bugs that really bug me: flies, gnats, mosquitoes, Japanese beetles (but even those are cool to look at -- I just hate what they do to my garden). Here's one of the coolest bugs EVER!

3. I really don't like to swim. I mean, I like to play around in the water but I don't like to SWIM swim so I don't think I'll ever be a tri-athlete. I could see myself as a duathlete, though, because bikes are great.

4. My parents were Home Missionaries for the Southern Baptist Convention. My dad was a Christian Social Minister and has a Master's of Divinity. So my sister and I grew up on the "mission field" as MKs (Missionary Kid) and PKs (Preacher's Kid).

5. I think Feng Shui makes a lot of sense and I would be happy to "Feng Shui" your house or bedroom.

I really DO love my children

2008-03-11T06:48:00.002-05:00

So I'm heading out the door to the office and Brennan says "I don't want you to go to work." He says this to me more often than not and I patiently (usually) explain to him that I go to work so that we can afford his "warm hot chocolate" habit.

He's really insistent this time and ONO says "Maybe Mommy should be a full-time stay-at-home-mommy and never leave the house."

I look at him real quick, see that he's sort of smiling, breathe a sigh of relief and say "I would need a lot more drugs to do that. Lots and lots of drugs. Did I say LOTS?"

Season Opener

2008-03-09T07:49:00.002-05:00

I ran my first race of the season yesterday. It was the Earth, Wind, & Fire 5K sponsored by the Illinois State Geological Survey at the U of I. I chose that race because 1) the proceeds were for a good cause (digging wells in developing countries); 2) it was on campus; and 3) it was in March. That third factor was important seeing how it's been a long, cold winter. Back in January, the thought of a race in March gave me hope for spring, sunshine, etc. Well, there was sunshine yesterday, but it might as well have been January.

When I got up and checked the weather I had to rub my eyes, then put on my glasses to make sure I was seeing correctly. The temp was 13 degrees and with the wind chill, it was 0. wow.

I sort of have this "rule" (call it more a guideline) that if it's below 0 with the wind chill I won't run outside. Exactly 0. Do I go or stay? Ugghh. Woobie blanket in big, soft bed? or 5K race in frigid temps? Alright, I guess I'll go.

They say running is a mental sport, meaning runners are insane.

Which is what I said to myself as I got in the car and drove to the race. "This is insane. This is TOTALLY insane!" And yet I went.

The race wasn't that much different from other races I've run except that it was on a university campus (kinda interesting) and with lots of students who were WAY faster than me. At one point I thought I was the last runner -- one of the race volunteers was waiting for me to pass a pylon before removing it from the course. Even with my slowest time I have never been last! I wasn't in this race either.....but it was close! It's weird, too, because my time was 30 seconds shy of a PR. I gotta start finding races for old farts.