Love it when we're in the funny papers!

http://www.gocomics.com/thebuckets/2011/09/28

Motivation...

Getting back into the rhythm of school and running hasn't exactly been smooth.  It's still hot and I'm having to make choices between running in the heat at 9 am or hanging out in a quiet house that I have all to myself for three hours.  I gotta tell ya...some days? Sitting on the couch for three hours is awfully tempting.  My body is still in recovery...sorta...and still dealing with other issues.  My attitude towards running has sorta been "meh."

Then earlier this week I read this...a fellow runner and a-MAZ-ing baker who was also feeling meh regarding her running.  Seriously? Anyone uses "must outrun zombies" as a motivation is a Role Model in my books!

And then there's this girlie...

The whole reason I started down this crazy road to begin with! Sheesh.  How much trouble would I be in if I let her down?!

So...I'm back to lacing up the running shoes whenever I get the chance.  This morning was 7:30 in the rain.  It was short.  But it was still a run.  And running my neighborhood was like running with an old friend.  I seriously have no desire...no fire...for another 13.1 miles or beyond.  But there are shorter races on my horizon.  I want to finish strong.  Because I have to.



PS...not only are we as a family recruiting team members for this year's National Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell 5k, I'm also privileged to be a member of the planning committee for the event.  If anyone wants to know how they can help out, please feel free to email me at smplydori (at) gmail (dot) com.

Whilst on the subject of pets...

While he hasn't been a constant all summer, Snack T. Bat makes an appearance every so often.  He appears to be in good health and he still stays home on rainy nights.  It's still a delight to watch him throughout the day...

And, yes...if you look closely, that is the reflection of my fantastically awesome R2D2 Droid phone.  And ignore the unkept yard.  It's been raining.  A lot.

A pictorial post on cats...and why I need a living room door...

Cutting out the fabric for the wee girl's cape required using the living room floor as a cutting board...I had a little "cat-ervision"...

Don't know how I would have completed the project without them!  

A night out on the town...

Family tickets to opening night of "Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream"? 

Free, courtesy of a local magazine drawing!

Snazzy princess dress? $6 from a local children's clothing resale store...minor alterations and repairs were needed, but, since I happen to know my way around a sewing machine, it was well worth the bargain price!  

Red cape for the girl and new black cape for the boy? 

$6 in fabric...and scraps were turned into a big red hair bow! 

Kickass princess shoes? $1.50 from another resale shop!

Entertaining ourselves with the phone camera during intermission? $0

And $0 spent on Disney merchandise!

Daring to dream? Priceless!

The thing is, we were going to buy tickets--but just for the wee girl and her dad.  Call it an early birthday present. And they probably would have been the cheap, suck section tickets as well.  I always enter contest for stuff we/I want and I never win.  Ever.  And then, somehow, in the past month? Just about everything I've entered for the kiddos we've won!  So from now on, I'm totally entering their names on everything.

I've held a love/hate relationship with Disney for years.  They've totally and completely screwed up every single fairy tale they've touched and it pisses me off.  And don't even get me started on the whole needy, non-self rescuing princess crap.  Ariel, not only changing species, but giving up her voice for a man? The biggest, stinky-est load of bull ever sold to little girls.  In the past couple of years, however, there's been a change in the wind.  A new crop of strong, independent leading ladies with actual personalities has come up.  

Proof that the 'verse has a sense of humor? I spawned a princess loving girlie girl.  I don't fight it.  After all, I was given the freedom to be the tomboy when my own mother (Hi, Mama!) would have much preferred a girlie girl.  We will, however, equip her with the tools she needs to be strong, independent and self rescuing.  Wanting a prince to come rescue you is all together different from needing the rescue.  And learning how to kick a little butt along the way certainly doesn't hurt either!  

Kilted...

September is Prostrate Cancer awareness month...

and all the cool kids are donning kilts to let everybody else know...

Well...kilts and tutus.  Maybe next year we can have a Tutu-ed  to Kick Cancer.  I, for one, would like to see that fashion show, or at least the bit with Kiefer Sutherland.  

Anyway...head on over to his blog for more links, details and a donation link.  And remind your man to get checked...or remember to get checked yourself, if you're plumbed that way.  Me? I'm going to keep admiring the picture...

Warning...cuteness overload!

But if you're going to overdose on Cute, then what better way to go than watching a wee 3-year-old dance?

They're boogying to Dan Zanes playing up on stage! We had already enjoyed a great local band (one of the band members used to be with Carbon Leaf).  

Kiddo music festivals are so much cooler than the grown up versions!  Loads of free crafts and hands on play stuff.  We shared a funnel cake (much to His disappointment since he had work stuff and wasn't able to join us for the fun)...I haven't had a funnel cake in years and it was delicious! Coolest part? I had won us free tickets to the festival through one of the local kids magazines, so the whole day only cost us $10 for snacks!  And then won their drawing for tickets to Disney on Ice Dare to Dream show which is in town this week.  So...basically? Best Day Ever.  

One year later...

One year ago I dropped the wee girlie off for her first day of preschool, drove to one of the local parks, set my interval timing on my ipod and ran/walked by way through a mile and a half.  Week 1, day 1 of the Couch to 5k training program.  And I didn't die.

It's amazing and just a little surreal to look back over the year and see everything as a whole...the accomplishments, the stumbles and the getting-back-ups.  Since this week last September I have logged over 600 miles, run three 5k races (one of them being the insane Rugged Maniac) and a half marathon.  I've dealt with 98% humidity, rain, snow, freezing temperatures, searing heat, dog bites, a nasty back injury, girl plumbing issues, the defeat of having to drop out of the 10k race only to bounce back and finish strong (for me) in a half marathon.  And I'm still not dead.

The lesson learned is this...if one is stubborn enough, bull headed enough and just a little bit crazy one truly can accomplish just about anything and reach insane goals, even without being "gifted".  I do not come from an athletic family.  My mom was a fairly decent athlete in school, but that was one of many of her genes that did not get passed along to her daughters.  But she passed along the tenacious gene in abundance!

I have at least four more races before the end of the year...two 5k's, a 10k and just maybe another 1/2 (I've mentioned crazy already, right?)  The mornings are turning cooler...I'm heading back out to my beloved trails to train and simply run for the joy of running.  Who would have ever thought I'd write that last sentence?!

With Liberty and Justice for all...yes, All...

 

How we do hurricanes...

You may have heard of a little storm we had roll through here two Saturdays ago.  

Woke up to rain Saturday morning.  The wind picked up and we were in tropical storm strength winds from early afternoon until wee hours of the morning Sunday.  Kiddos managed to sleep with the wind rattling the roof above them.  Downstairs we had windows open for the air and with the mighty storm raging outside one not-so-fierce Bella T. Doggie decided to forgo her bed and went for the narrow sheltered spot on my side of the bed.

Sprite T. Kitty was perfectly content as long as she had her blankie.  The storm drove the mama cat into our room for the night as well.  She typically sleeps on the office chair.

Of course, after the night we had, coffee was as much of a necessity as ever!  No power, no problem...

We spent the morning out in the front yard cleaning up...lots of branches came down.  Some bigger than others.  Our Narnia lamp may never be the same.  Visiting with neighbors who were also doing the clearing.  Making sure everyone came through okay.  

Our block of the neighborhood was somehow spared from the devastating damage that happened all around us.  Our 80-year-old oak trees remained standing.  Many others in our area weren't so fortunate.  We lost power Saturday evening but had it back late Sunday night.  It took another week to get our internet/cable back.  I became very familiar with what my trusty little Droid can and cannot do! However, a smartphone is only as smart as the user, really.  Again, it was a minimal inconvenience compared to the fact that neighbors the next block down didn't get power restored until three days ago.  It's going to be months before all of the downed trees are finally removed and destroyed homes repaired but at least all power lines are restored and streets are open.

Sometimes...I imagine at least six impossible things before breakfast...

But Sunday morning, I only needed to focus on one...

Finishing 13.1 miles...in this crowd...

And I did...I crossed the finish line on the boardwalk at 02:57:49.  The crowd was immense.  The energy was overwhelming.  Live bands at just about every mile marker and streets lined with cheerleaders and loud spectators.  

My equally nutzy, determined, fabulous and fellow global nomad cousin flew in just so we could run the half marathon together!  Love you, Jenn!  

 Very sparkly finisher medal...because when you rock 13.1 miles? You better believe everyone gets a medal!

Jenn currently lives in a land locked state.  When I said I wanted seafood after the race, she didn't argue.  She and I stayed with one of the most amazing friends anyone could ever be blessed with.  Not only did Amy feed us the night before and shuttle us to the start line at 6 am and meet us at the finish line on the beach with balloons and our own wee cheer leaders, she let us in on one of the best kept local secrets:  an amazing seafood restaurant/dive right on the bay....the shrimps were swimming with the fishes just that morning.

My own personal reward...Magic Hat #9...and the glass even saluted me!

Cleaned up.  Full.  Happy.  Content.  And sore.  I have muscles I didn't even know I had introducing themselves.  But, dang, if we aren't both proud of ourselves!

The elite runners were awesome.  Of course a Kenyan won...we had just crossed the 5k marker when he passed us going the other way.  Crazy fast.

But the group of runners that most impressed me? The ones I was running with.  The ones who were running to prove something to themselves.  Running for a personal cause.  The ones who were struggling with keeping one foot in front of the other and still kept on going.  The ones who wanted to quit, but didn't.  The ones who stumbled, fell, got back up and kept running and finished.  Those are the ones who I'm proud of.

So why do I put myself through this?  Because I believe in parenting/teaching/living by example.  My children will know that they can do anything they put their minds to.  And they've been gifted with the tenacity to see it through.

Things are labeled Impossible just because it hasn't been done yet.  A year ago I couldn't run a mile.  Sunday I ran/walked 13 of them.  I threw up at the end.  But I finished.  Three weeks ago I suffered a ruptured ovarian cyst.  Derailed my training just a bit.  But I still ran.  And finished.  Because I said I would.