The Misadventures of a Coastie Wife

Manic Monday

2012-02-13T09:13:00.002-06:00

In the life of a stay at home mom (which I currently am for a few more days), Mondays are pretty much the same as any other day with one excpetion: husbands go back to work. And with them go the extra set of hands.

For all you men out there (which I am sure there are none), an extra set of hands is not all you are. However, for moms, it is a large part of it.

Today, I have a plan to get a lot done. A large portion of which means I have to leave the house. If there is one thing I have learned now that Mr. R. is here, it's that leaving the house is a production. I have to make sure I have bottles, a change of clothes, diapers, pacifier, jacket, all the things I need to actually run my errands, etc. So, to leave the house, it takes me an extra 20 minutes or more. Inevitably, Mr. R. decides he's either hungry or needs to mess his diaper at the exact time it is to leave. For a person that is usually anal-retentively on time or early, I am now perpetually late.

On top of needing to leave the house, which requires me to shower, get dressed, and actually do my hair and make-up (until I lose this extra 20 lbs, the last 2 steps are a necessity to feel normal), I am applying to grad schools. One application is due tomorrow. Working on completing that is important too, especially since I just paid one of the 2 application fees.

The only thing getting me through: I might be able to watch Twilight tonight with the Coastie. Wow, this is what I now look forward to...

So far, I have successfully showered before Mr. R. woke up fully, I had 1 cup of coffee (more to come), ate breakfast, changed a dirty diaper, and actually let the dog out and fed her. I call today a success already!

Hope everyone has a Manic Monday just like me!

Mr. R turns 1 month old

2012-02-03T21:06:00.003-06:00

Today is officially Mr. R's 1 month birthday. Yay, Mr.R, you made it this far! Wow, I rhyme. I hate people that rhyme.

Anyway, I am having mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he is growing up. On the other, I don't want him to. I had a wonderful day of cuddling with him. I know he won't stay this small for very long. I just want to enjoy it as long as I can. So far, this month he has lifted his head more and more, slept longer at night, and started making cute little noises. He is a finicky eater and a Mommy-cuddler. Overall, just pretty darn cute!

However, I'd much rather enjoy it while running the local streets. Unfortunately, since that is not possible at the moment, I am enjoying it from my local couch. And walking the local streets.

Also, today was my 2nd time out of the house without Mr. R. I got to go to a bar and have a drink, which is fantastic! Before anyone says anything, I am not breastfeeding, so drinks are allowed. And before I get flogged for this, yes I have a good reason for not breastfeeding.

Things went reasonably well. Mr. R is currently asleep and I am not, which I should be. So, good night all!

Return from a hiatus

2012-02-01T11:31:00.009-06:00

I have been MIA, once again. So much for becoming the greatest blog on the web. However, I have an excuse, and a pretty good one at that (I think).

This is my son, Mr. R, on his birth day wearing his party hat. He was 7 lbs 10 oz & 20.5 in long on 1/3/12. He is the reason I have been MIA. Or so I tell myself.

Unfortunately, after a long day of labor & pushing, his journey ended in a c-section. Mr. R just did NOT want to come out. This is proven by him being 8 days late and never descending (hence the c-section). Apparently, my womb really is the greatest place in the world.

So far, however, he has been coping with being in the real world. He's sleeping at night now, which is a big feat. Not so much on sleeping through the night, but that's ok for right now.

So, due to the c-section, I have not yet been cleared for exercise. So, I have this awesome running stroller that I cannot run with yet. I have been walking with it and all I can say about performance so far is that it maneuvers well & has some pretty good shocks.

I plan to write more about my daily adventures with Mr. R, The Coastie, and of course running, when I'm allowed. Hopefully someone out there finds it interesting besides me.

Thursday is Question Day!

2011-02-17T15:02:00.003-06:00

I want to start a trend here on Misadventures. Every Thursday I will ask a question to those of you that are my loyal followers. I expect answers...well, not really expect....hope...plead....you get the idea.

Why Thursday, you ask? Because today is Thursday and today is the day I actually had an idea...I would call it an original idea, but I am not sure that it is.

So the question of today is:

If you could be sponsored by 1 company (or whatever/whoever can sponsor people), who would you be sponsored by and why?

My answer would be Nike. If you asked why, I would first have to answer that it's by default. I was organizing my running clothes today and realized that 80% of what I own is Nike. The rest is a hodge-podge of other random companies including what I believe was a Walmart Special...or was it Target? My usual running outfit looks something like this:

Note: Nike hat, shirt & shorts. I am not always so matching...minus the pink hat...that is more like me. I distinctly remember the Disney 2010 half marathon where I actually threw on everything I owned to keep warm. The basis of the outfit was still Nike, coincidentally.

On the more serious side, Nike does support women running. They had the Nike Women's Marathon last year. I couldn't find info about one in 2011, though. So, I'm not sure that there is one...I would assume so, but that cannot be confirmed, nor denied. They have tons of women's running apparel, as I have illustrated and currently own.

But really, when it comes down to it, who can resist the swoosh...either wearing it or saying it. Just say it...go ahead...you know you want too...SWOOSH! HAHA. Makes me laugh every time!

P.S. If you are a Nike rep and would like to sponsor me, please respond...I would be happy to accept any and all free gear you may have. (I would also happily spread the word about women & Nike & running)

I'm Baaaaaacccccckkkkk!

2011-02-16T16:51:00.002-06:00

I've been absent. I'm so sorry. Not that there are many of you out there to care. However, I care. I have had some health issues going on that unfortunately are too personal to share with total strangers or the internet world. At this time, I'd rather leave it as "health issues".

My first entrance back into the running world was the 26.2 for Donna Marathon Relay last Sunday. I can honestly say that I ran a total of about 2 miles to train for my 5 mile leg. Oops. Maybe should have done more than that.

It went surprisingly well. I finished my 5 mile leg on the beach in an hour. Which is right on par with past running experiences. So, I was excited about that. Especially with my walking breaks.

My one issue was with the Galloway-ers. I was hunted down and left in the dust by the 5 hour pacer group. Semi demoralizing considering I was tired I couldn't keep up with their running. They would pass me, then I would catch up when they were walking. Then I would get behind and pretty soon...I couldn't catch up anymore. However, they did finish before 5 hours....sneaky people.

But, I did actually see Jeff Galloway finish....pretty cool!

I got the bug again. So, I went out running today. It was overcast at the start, and then started raining. I always thought people that ran in the rain were either crazy or hardcore. I'm now officially leaning towards crazy because if I hadn't been a mile and a half from home when it started, I would have stopped and gone home immediately. Conveniently, it started about 3 steps from my turn-around. No miles lost. Just my common sense.

I plan to train for some up-coming races if I can work them into my work schedule as well as my doctor-y stuff. I will run until he actually states that I need to stop.

Screw Tempo Runs & Chafing

2010-11-03T12:46:00.004-05:00

Today was attempt numero dos at an outside Tempo Run. No bueno! (For those that don't speak Spanish, that translates into I suck!)

I was supposed to do a Tempo Run with a 1 mile warm-up & cool-down and 4 miles at 11:30. (For those that are faster than me...don't hate...I'll beat you one day!) However, once again, Tempo = Fartlek for me. I ran my warm-up, which sucked...how can a warm-up suck? I should have just stopped there. But, I'm too dang stubborn to do that and if my calendar says 6 miles, 6 miles is what will be done, one way or another. Unfortunately for me, the latter was true. Mile 2 was great at 11:31, then it was 11:50, 12:30 & 12:17. With some walking at the beginning of miles 3, 4 & 5. The cool-down however was much enjoyed!

So, for me, I say SCREW THE TEMPO RUN! I can't seem to get it. My body is perfectly happy doing this on a treadmill. I guess when you're on a machine and your options are either keep up or fall off the back, you tend to keep up. Besides, the fact that the treadmill kind of pulls you along helps too. Maybe, I can hire someone to attach a rope around my waist and pull me the whole 13.1 miles of my next race! I might keep up then. Or have an attack dog with big fangs follow me...I'd probably keep up then too. Or...I may decide around mile 8 that rabies is more appealing than the chills that come after me getting really hot, along with my vision getting blurry around the edges and the dizziness that I experienced today. (If I remember correctly from nursing school, these were the signs of heat exhaustion, or stroke or something like that...Oops.)

One the run was over and I jumped in the shower to get rid of the running stink, the water burned me. Yay for chafing. It always occurs under my boobs, where the sports bra elastic is. I'm starting to wonder if the reasoning for this is the fact that my bra is about 8 - 10 years old. I recall reading something that says that you should replace sports bras every 6 months. Do you know how much money that would cost? More than I'm willing to pay. I'm also now putting together that my bra may be restricting my breathing...maybe that's the latest excuse for me not being able to complete a Tempo Run.

Either way...Screw Tempo Runs and Screw Chafing. Or, I could just suck it up an call myself a runner...these seem to go with the territory.

Hot Blooded vs Cold Blooded

2010-11-01T18:33:00.002-05:00

You know those people that are just naturally cold all the time?

Well...that's me...just ask the Coastie. My feet have the ability to suck all the warmth from his whole body with the touch of one toe in the middle of the night.

My patients would tend to agree as well. Apparently hands like ice can be felt through latex gloves....who knew? However, I have on my side the fact that my hospital keeps the ER at about 60 overnight. (Do they not want our patients to stay too long? Or is it their conniving way to make us stay awake? The world may never know...)

So, with all my reinforcement towards such, I believed myself to be somewhat Cold Blooded. Not in the killer way so much, but in the I need sun and a hot rock to be comfortable way.

(Randomness: the Coastie just made a berry smoothie as thick as a sorbet and gave me a small cup with some whip cream on top! AMAZING!)

Much to my amazement, this self proclaiming Cold Blooded Non-Killer may not really be so Cold Blooded. How did I come to this conclusion, you ask? Tonight's run. It's about 70 degrees out. Not humid. What most would consider perfect running weather. So why on an easy 2 mile run can I get so freaking hot? And not sexy hot either. Red faced, look like I'm going to pass out, call the ambulance now, hot. Lovely...

I leave you with this question, then: Can I be both a Cold Blooded Non-Killer & Not Sexy Hot Blooded at the same time?

A Day with the Dogs

2010-10-24T17:46:00.004-05:00

Disclaimer: No, I am not in the dog house. Well, not yet anyway...the night is still young.

I worked last night.

This means I took my standard 4 hour (-ish) nap to convert back to normal-people time to spend a Sunday with the Coastie. The day started after a great lunch made by said Coastie and a Red Bull for me.

If there is ever one thing you need to know about me it is that I have a love affair with caffeine. Caffeine = HEAVEN. I cannot start a day without it (nor make my way through a night shift). Coffee, Diet Coke, energy drinks....it doesn't matter. As long as it has caffeine in it, I must consume it and I must consume a lot of it. If you want to be my friend, bring me anything from Starbucks or anything caffeinated.

Anywho, back to the story. The Coastie and I took our doggy Mac to the dog park for the first time. Mac has never been to a dog park because the old South Texas town we were in is NOT dog friendly (I'm convinced).

She did very well. She didn't snap at too many dogs, but she is a girl, so there were some....but all in all she did great. We stayed there for a couple hours...

Then, we went home, had a shrimp salad for dinner and are now watching a movie...well, watched a movie...with wine...which means I should probably not be writing right now...

Until tomorrow....

Hawks...are they really dangerous?

2010-10-22T16:49:00.002-05:00

I attempted my first Speed Workout today.

I should just end it there rather than put my embarrasment of the actual result of such an attempt. However, that would not leave you anything to read. Nor to laugh at. So, here is my account of my first Speed Workout.

I went to the base to run on their "track". Yes, that would be track in quotation marks. Wonder why? Well, when asked exactly how long the track was (at the last Base, it was 1/2 mile, so I have learned to ask), the lovely lady with the beard & mustache told me that 3 3/4 times around is equal to 1 1/2 miles. Say what? Can you put that into laps per mile for me please?

Thank goodness I brought Garmin, because I was not finishing this without it. I walked out to the "track" after moving my car closer because not only is it not a real track, but it goes around 2 baseball fields where you lose visability of any belongings you plan on placing around it. The car became necessary to reduce petty theft.

Warm-up Mile

This was a great mile, slow enough to just warm me up, took about 2 and 2/3 times around (who know actually, more than 2, less than 3).

Speed Mile

This was supposed to be in 10:31. I finished in 10:35. Now, that looks like I pretty much did it, but it's deceiving. I walked a few steps twice during that time. Yes, I realize this means that I was actually going faster than intended. Oops.

800 rest

Enough said. I walked it!

Speed Mile

Again, supposed to be 10:31. 11:17. Yuck! I had to walk like 3 times. This could be a combination of the heat, the fact that I drank too much water on the rest and the fact that they were cutting the grass on the baseball fields (I'm highly allergic). Or, it could just be that this was my first attempt at Speed and I was tired. I'm gonna go with number 1, that ok with you?

800 rest

Yay, more legitimate walking. No self deprication here! Although, on my last time around I was nearly attacked by a Hawk. He was sitting in the middle of the baseball field when I was making my last round for my rest and right when I was passing by, he flew to the fence right next to me, trapping me between him and the trees. I had no way out! I picked up the pace a tad, prayed, and barely escaped his talons. Phew!

Cool-Down Mile

What? You think I did that with that Hawk out there? You're crazy! I had a plan to duck between the baseball fields, cutting my loop in half to finish up. In fact, I did it once. But, then I looked down at Garmin and realized that I had hit Stop instead of Lap and what's the point of doing a cool-down mile if you can't prove you did it anyway. I was at the car, might as well stop. Besides, I saw that Hawk eyeing me.

As I was leaving, I saw a few other runners coming out. I looked at them longingly and mouthed "Good Luck poor souls". I sure hope they know Hawk self defense!

Excedrin is my friend

2010-10-20T16:17:00.003-05:00

On my days off I have this horrible habit of not drinking enough water. Which is usually ironic because we have a water bottle cooler do-hickey in the kitchen specifically for the purpose of giving us more water to drink. Normally, this is great, as I have the Coastie home to refill said water bottle for me to stop the incredibly annoying beeping and blinking light that ensues when it becomes empty. I am in the unfortunate predicament that I am both off work for 6 days and without the Coastie.

This morning I woke up with the worst headache. OK, I'm exagerating. It was not the worst. Just bad. And dehydration enduced. You would think being a nurse, I would have a wonderful way to get rid of headaches. I do. It's called Excedrin. You would also think that I would take this immediately and drink some water. You would be wrong. It took me until 3 PM to take anything. I did take it with water and am now on glass numero tres. My headache is cured, but my lack of motivation to go running is not.

To keep myself honest, I am going to PROMISE to y'all that I will actually run tomorrow.

The Social Network Review & My Run Today

2010-10-16T15:49:00.003-05:00

The problem with being both a Military Wife and a Nightshift Nurse is that you rarely see your husband. The Coastie and I managed to finally have a weekend evening off last night. He surprised me with a trip to the movies to see The Social Network.

This movie is Amazing!

From the first scene with the fast talking banter to the last where it finally all comes together, it was fantastic. You must go see this movie. I was not at all planning on ever even renting it. It looked lame. Not so. The main character is hilarious!

My run today was interesting. My first attempt at a tempo run turned into a fartlek run. Mile 1 was a warm up...went well. I was actually not winded at all...I have finally learned what a warm up is supposed to feel like. Miles 2 - 4 were to be tempo miles at 11:08. I almost made mile 2 on time, but at 1.9 miles I had to stop. I think my goal of 2:30 at the half in December is a bit too lofty. At leat to start training for it now. We'll see. I made it, however! All 5 miles.

Hoo-AH

2010-09-11T15:33:00.002-05:00

I ran my very first offical 5K. I say official, as I have ran the distance numerous times since I started my running adventure. Since moving, I have not really run that much. This is unfortunate. However, I felt that despite that, I put on a good showing.

35:38 @ the Warrior Run 5K

It was a tad hilly, once again something that lacks in the area of town I live in. But, the scenery more than made up for it. It was one of the ritzy neighborhoods south of the city. The type that have greco-roman pillars holding up oversized balconies that most likely attach to massive master suits. Between mini-mansions you would catch glimpses of the water with docks and expensive boats. Quite breathtaking, I must say.

I was very happy with my performance, and even more happy to show my support for an amazing cause. So, here's to remembering our injured soldiers who fought for Sept. 11 and those who are still fighting.

Forcing myself to change

2010-08-31T22:35:00.003-05:00

It's 11:35 on Tuesday night and I'm sitting on my couch trying to find ways to stay awake. Switching from a day schedule to a night schedule is hard. My night shifts at the hospital start tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to the inevitable crash at 6 AM....1 hour premature.

1. I went to the gym. I'm back to lifting, at least I hope I am. I'm going back to my old favorite, the New Rules of Lifting for Women. I figure, I'll start there, get back into it, and then branch out to what I really want to do...one of those plans that is chest this day, arms that day, etc. I need a foundation before I do that. I know me, I'll quit.

2. I read a magazine about exercising. Yay for Women's Running and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines. Lots of inspiration!

I do have to say...I was in the best shape of my life when I was working nights...well, ok not really the best...that was when I was crazy person getting up at 3:45 AM to make it to the gym at 4 because I refused to be late (on time) to work at 8. That was the best. But, other than crazy person, night shift was where it was at for exercising.

After 2, I'm out of ideas of what to do. No, 3. I wrote my blog entry. Ok, now I'm out of ideas. I was hoping to stay up until at least 2 or 3. Not so much.

Maybe it's time for some TV and hoping it doesn't wake up the Coastie.

Old Friends and New Ideas

2010-08-17T16:03:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here after getting off the phone with a friend from Texas. I blinked and I have been in FL for a month. Yikes...where did the time go? It's so great to talk to friends that know you after being surrounded by people that don't. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not, I can just be. I'm working on just "being" here in FL with my new job and new friends. It's hard. However, I feel like the people I have surrounded myself with will very much allow me to be myself.

I can't help but wonder, though, if new ideas come from new situations. For example, I am having a very hard time keeping up with the running. I ran yesterday morning, but it left much to be desired. I am going to try running this evening (hopefully). I'm trying to mix it up a bit to learn where I will end up here.

I have a vision of myself and this tall, skinny, runner-chick that dresses in running related clothes all day everyday (minus the scrubs at work) and still look amazing. At 5'3", I'm sure the tall thing is not happening. However, the dream of being skinny may never go away. I do, unfortunately, have this eating problem. Since I got home last night, I have tried to eat my weight in snack food and continue to sit an complain about not being in the shape I want to be. Do you see the problem here?

So, I need to make a change. A change to go along with all the other changes, new state, new house, new job, new friends...same me. Change 1: run. None of this saying I'm a runner and not really putting in the miles. I'm going to actually do the work and then be proud of myself when I reap the rewards of my hard work. Change 2: eat healthier...notice that it does not say to eat healthy, but rather healthier. That is because there are certain things I may not be able to give up. No, that's not right, there are certain things I am not willing to give up!

I've already started on Change 3: Be the best nurse I can be!

Crazy TV Shows

2010-08-09T14:30:00.002-05:00

I just got finished watching a 2 hour Criminal Minds and I am left with 1 question: Who thinks this stuff up? I'm more worried about encountering the people that are paid to sit in a room and think up crazy stories to put on this show than I am of running into one of their characters. You have to be seriously crazy to have all that running around in your mind! From serial killers who eat their kills to people that hurt children...I'm not sure I could deal with being the person in charge of creating all that craziness!

On a more important note, the Coastie and I are safely in our new "home" in Florida. From the east coast to the south to the east coast again. It's going to be me seeing the country on the government's dime because we have moved so many times! We are currently searching for a gym to help me lose these 10 lbs I've gained while not running and dealing with the stress of a move!

I also start my work back in the ED tomorrow! Orientation was not great, but tomorrow I am back on the unit. Gotta love patient care!

Wow...time flies.

2010-04-30T15:40:00.003-05:00

I changed my blog, stated my aspirations to be the best blogger out there, and all for naught. Life got in the way.

I have been amidst a struggle with my health (I am fine), but some "issues" arose that have not only taken all of time and effort, but every last emotion I have. I have not run & realized yesterday that I miss it. I miss the alone time. The time to think & process what's happened that day. The shape I was in was nice too...a shape that is not round. Battling these hormones is like fighting off the end of my girlish figure. Awful!

We are moving to Jacksonville, FL in the summer due to The Coastie's job. I'm excited & sad all at the same time. I love my friends here. But, I am happy to be on to something new. Unfortunately, that means finding a new job. Not hard when you're a nurse...a bit harder when you refuse to work nights. I'll find something.

Also, I passed my nursing certification exam today. I am officially a Certified Emergency Nurse...as my Dad says...3 more letters to add after my name...Becky, RN, BSN, CEN. Gotta love it. He once told me that nurses needed tri-fold business cards to hold all of their credentials. That's my goal. To have SO many credentials after my name that I need another business card just to hold it all.

That may take a while.

I am looking into running groups in Jacksonville & have determined that joining one could be interesting. Has anyone (if anyone reads this anymore) ever been part of one? It is fun? Exciting? Please let me know...

Well, I plan to start being more active on here & my other friendly runners blogs. Now that my test is out of the way, I may have a bit more time to myself...plus if I can start running again, then I'd have something to write about.

Give me back my hour...and noone gets hurt

2010-03-14T08:31:00.004-05:00

Daylight Savings Time...man's creative way to make daylight happen at the time he wants it.

I read from a friend on Facebook that it's not so much saving time, but redistributing it. I whole-heartedly agree. It's a sham. If it worked so well, everyone would do it, but there are still those smart areas like Arizona or Indiana where people refuse to buy into the governments idea that changing the clock will make any bit of difference.

This morning, I have a perfect example as to why when we are doing it, it's done on a weekend, not on a work morning. I set my alarm clock forward last night before bed. I woke up this morning to my husband's alarm going off. I just happened to look at my clock to see what time it was and FREAKED thinking it was now 2 hours later than it was yesterday morning. So now, not only do they expect us to bump our clocks ahead, they make alarm clocks that will magically do it for you, but they don't tell you that. You are none the wiser and so the conspiracy begins to get you to wake up WAY before you are supposed to. A nice swift kick in the butt in the morning just before spring when people are tired and starting to drag because winter won't end. But, I beat them! I didn't actually set my alarm...so HA, I woke up at exactly the correct time without your conspiracy!

Now, I just need to keep the adrenaline rush going to get through my 12 mile run today. If I can do today, I should be good for the race in 2 weeks...minus my lack of training and 10 extra pounds...but that's a story for another day.

It's a Wild Wednesday

2010-02-03T19:40:00.004-06:00

I've noticed of the course of the last year that Wednesdays tend to be a lot more strange than any other day. Is it that God decides to throw you some crazy curve ball to show you that you may think the week is over, but in fact he made it 7 days long and baby, you're only half way there? Or is it that I tend to be tired around this time of the week so things bother me more?

While that's worth contemplating some day...right now...not so much the day.

Today was nothing short of a Wild Wednesday for your beloved pink blog girl. (that's right...pink, not blue anymore...happy colors) It started out with a meeting bright and early. Had I known it was going to turn out the way it did, I would havehad my coffee before the meeting, not during...you'd think I'd learn.

Alas, I haven't. Well, it was "let's attack Becky" day at the meeting and no one disappointed. Just wish I was on that memo-list so I could have had that coffee and brought armor. (Note to self: bring armor to ALL meetings) Needless to say, physicians are FANTASTIC at making you feel like crap. I left feeling like I should quit and go away to Mexico (however, due to recent events in the news...maybe a nice country would be better...Australia anyone?).

I'm supposed to be asking God for wisdom. I'm sure today I could have used some of that in my meeting, but what I need more than anything right now is patience and perserverence. I'm very much feeling like I don't want to stay still. I want to move forward. I want to move towards the next steps in life...new job, larger family, another half marathon...

So, God, please help me to stay patient and perservere through my slump...and if you have anything left over after that...could you give me more speed too?

P.S. I will run tomorrow...I will, I will. As long as it stops raining. Or the Coastie comes home to take care of the doggy.

Revamp needed

2010-02-02T19:25:00.003-06:00

My blog needs a new look. A new image. Let's be honest...it needs a new life. Neglected. Alone. Blue (what was I thinking).

Think wrinkled old lady that needs a face lift. Not me...the blog.

I have a vision. A vision of the most amazing blog on the net. One that people come to for inspiration in running, life, and spirituality.

My parents always told me that I could do anything I put my mind to. I want to put my mind towards blogging. Hear that, God? I need help blogging. He totally knows what that is...I think.

My life has taken a slight turn for the different. I have plans! Plans to run (more than I have been), lift (more than I have been), read the Bible (hey, you get it, more than I have been), and blog (you know the drill).

So, I'm breathing new life into this here blog. A new beginning calls for a new look & a new feel. I plan to let the world, or those of you that actually read my blog, my thoughts & feelings on how I am progressing toward my new goals, as laid out here.

You with me? Gosh, I sure hope you are.

New phone.

2009-12-16T13:01:00.001-06:00

I got a new phone...a Droid Eris. I'm attempting my first post from it. I'm hoping this means that I will post more frequently. However, this seems to be more time consuming than expected.

Running is coming along. I haven't run as much as I'm supposed to this close to the race, but I have another.long run coming up this weekend that I do not intend on missing. The issue once again is that The Coastie is gone again this week. But, no excuses. It's on me if I don't finish the race.

So, I'm signing off for now to post again another day.

So, that's what they mean by pain...

2009-12-07T08:19:00.003-06:00

I learned something yesterday...exactly what people mean by "running hurts". I know the burn of lactic acid from rowing in college & weight lifting (although I suspect that is a different kind of burn). However, I had yet to fully feel the burn from running. Sure, my legs are tired when I'm done. Sure, they get sore. But, downright hurt...hadn't felt that up until yesterday.

I logged my longest training run to date at 12 miles. The first 6 were not a problem. Had a Cliff Power Shot at mile 5 followed by the world's fastest pee break (thank you Valero!). Mile 7 started the pain. Knee pain. Friendly, sharp, feels like someone stabbing me in the kneecap pain. However, this is common of my left knee and stops when I stop running. Mile 8 brought on the same pain in my right knee & prompted a "wow, pain, you're new..." thought to run through my head for the entire mile. Mile 9 was "pain...stop now...I need to finish". Mile 10 brought on the celebration, as my last attempt at this distance was a disaster. However, that was quickly followed by "I hate pain". The last 2 miles were pure agony. I actually feel into a nice reverie of "pain, pain go away, come again another day" & "I'm going to beat you pain...I will finish".

Needless to say, I did finish & in just under 1:30 (a nice pace for me, as a first time runner). Here I was, thinking I was done with the pain.

I promptly called Crazy Running Mom (CRM) & told her of my accomplishment & that I was in excrutiating pain. The nurse in me was screaming that I just destroyed all cartiledge in my knee & that's why it hurt so bad. CRM said to take Ibuprofen & a cold shower. I was already cold...that was not happening.

So, I took my warm shower & due to increased pain, ended it standing in freezing cold water that was directed at my legs. Ahh...relief.

I have felt the pain....now I say bring on the race!

Post-Thanksgiving & New Plan

2009-11-30T08:23:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving - the holiday full of food...and lounging...and more food.

It's one of my favorite holidays...but I hate the after effects.

I have already been carrying around about 10 extra pounds. Pounds that I have been trying to get off for years. Now, I have 14 exta pounds to take off.

I'm going to do it. Even though running doesn't help. Running is making me fatter. Yuck!

But, I'm gonna try my darndest to get it off!

8 miles - I love you!

2009-11-23T08:38:00.001-06:00

I have a favorite distance now....8 miles! It's a long run by my standards, gives me lots of time to myself (since I run slow), but not too long that I die (which is what happens at 10 miles right now).

I'm sure in the future my favorite distance will change, but for right now, I love my 8 miles!

Also, running after a HUGE rain storm = mud all over me. I'm hard core now....NOT.

Friday

2009-11-20T08:18:00.002-06:00

No matter how much I try to keep up with blogging, it just doesn't seem to work.

Lately, life has taken a bit of a beating.

I had a major certification exam for nursing that...I failed. I don't fail things. That's not who I am. I took it hard, but after about a 5 minute reflection time, I realized I didn't study. Well, I did...for a day. So, no wonder. The Coastie was so sweet & told me that I have never actually failed anything I put my mind to. So...there's a fire under my butt! I've already sent in my money (freaking $200!) to take it again and will NOT fail next time!

Running has been great! Well, except for last weekend. I attempted the double digit run...wow, that sucked. I ran into the wind for the first 4 miles. Wind here, mind you, is a nice 30 mph. So, the rest of the run was a combo of walking and running. It was bad. I did, however, make it home before the Coastie went out to search for me...I made it 9.66 miles. He was quick to point out that I did make it...without quitting. So, score for that!

I just need more mo-jo...again.

Am I hooked?

2009-11-03T08:02:00.002-06:00

This post should have been for Sunday, but with work....and life...that was not going to happen. I hate that.

Anywho~

Sunday was my long run. (I'm ecstatic that I can finally say "long run". That in itself, feels good.) It was 8 lovely miles. I ran the same route as last weekend, only this time, it was less than what was needed & had to run 1/2 mile around my neighborhood (past my house) to finish. But....I finished! The only time I walked was to have some gel stuff. My choice was Cliff gel in Mocha. It was better than the tangerine PowerGel crap I tried last weekend that made me gag after 2 bites (sips? swallows?). It worked! No stomach issues, and it carried me through the second half.

Needless to say...I may be hooked finally.

You take away the pain (the last 2 miles I thought my legs would give out), the injuries (I had massive knee pain & a bleeding toe), the neuisance abrasions (think hickies from my ipod, my bra, my garmin, etc), and the fact that I think running makes me gain weight and you've got me hooked.

Also, I think I have to retire my first pair of running shoes. They're about 3 years old, but I've only been running on them for about 1 1/2, and not many miles at that. But, I think all my walking around in them & working out in them have worn them down. I'll let you know at the end of the week if that's what I decide to do.

Weekly Recap

2009-10-26T08:20:00.005-05:00

You would think I'd need a busier/more exciting life to warrant a weekly recap. However, since life in the Coastal Bend is less than interesting, this week warrants one. As, I think it might be the best week since we've been here.

Monday started out just fine, as Mondays go. I went to Bible Study. Worked. Ok, so boring as usual.

Tuesday, I came home to the Coastie cooking a mean meal after my 3 mile treadmill run. He poured some wine, and then announced during his "toast" that he made the list for Lieutenant. I almost choked on wine...but what a way to go! However, this doesn't really happen until May. They apparently put a list out that tells everyone who is going to make it. As we were sitting down to eat, we checked the message on the answering machine. I have become immune to the annoyance that is the red flashing light on the machine, but the Coastie can't ignore it. I wish he had. My neighbor died Monday night. Yuck. We went to show support and the whole neighborhood was there. That means wine. Once we left, the rest of the neighborhood stood outside drinking wine. The Coastie included. He had 1 (maybe 2) too many. Fun times.

Wednesday, I actually don't remember Wednesday. I ran...I know that. 3 miles. Treadmill. I also think there was wine again.

Thursday...no running. Yay! I went to the viewing of my neighbor. And at the risk of sounding morbid, he looked like he was sleeping. SO good. After that, the Coastie and I went to our neighbors house for wine. Wow, we're drunks. The Coastie once again had 1 too many. Wow, have the roles reversed or what.

Friday, we had Happy Hour at our house. MORE WINE! LOTS MORE! Man, those people can drink us under the table. I refrained from too much, as I had my first long run...that I was going to attempt outside. The Coastie yet again had 1 too many. Fun times.

Saturday...HOLY CRAP! I had a 7-miler planned, for outside. Without being sure I could do it, I headed out with my i-pod, handheld H2O device, and my Garmin (I need to name it). The first 3 miles were amazing...the weather was cool, not really sweating, no difficulty breathing...nice. The next 2 were still nice. I ran through some mansions (well, outside, through the neighborhood that had mansions) and was thinking how nice it would be to run there again. Mile 5...HOT! Is it me, or did it seriously just warm up about 10 degrees? This is also the time that I conveniently lost the sidewalk & shoulder of the street. Note to self: to avoid running on the grass, check your loop before you run it. That was a not-so-fun mile. Mile 6: yay, sidewalk! Mile 6.75: Am I done yet? Mile 7: STOP. Mile 7.25: OMG, did I just do that. Me, jumping up and down, arms flailing wildly, pumping the air. I'm sure some poor soul in a car was about to call the people with the straight jackets on me.

So, that was my week. I ran more than I have ever run. I ran further than I have ever run. I proved to myself I could do it. I'm actually looking forward to next weekend's 8-miler.

Shoes make all the difference!

2009-10-22T08:07:00.004-05:00

People say that accessories make the outfit. However, I disagree. Shoes make the outfit!

I am coming out of the closet. I am a shoe whore. It's no wonder that the Coastie and I have a deal that for every new pair of shoe I buy, I have to get rid of 2. He's trying to dwindle down the number of pairs that I have. I think he may resent the fact that my shoes tend to breed like rabbits and are rapidly taking over his side of the closet. My thought is that it serves him right for taking 50% of the closet for himself. I mean, really...do you have that many clothes? Unfortunately, he does. I think he's secretly a clothes whore, but that's my opinion. Who cares if 1/2 his clothes are government issue & navy blue. Should have thought of that before you signed your life away!

I am currently sitting at my desk with my newest pair of shoes. Shiny black flats. I bought them for comfort (joke's on me) and for the pants that I own that are a tad short. (I have come to realize that I am not considered petite when it comes to pants....5'3" and I'm too tall for them). I had to put band-aids on to get them to stop hurting this morning, but nothing was going to stop me from wearing them.

But, shoes have the ability to make you feel beautiful, flirty, fun....invincible. For example, my leopard print stilettos. I wear those, and I feel edgy. I feel trendy. No one is going to make me feel bad about myself when I have those suckers on!

However, I had a realization yesterday at the gym about how great a pair of shoes can make you feel. I was in the locker room changing...guys, get your mind out of the gutter, women's locker rooms are not that great...and I started to lace up my running shoes for my easy 3-miler (it was going to rain, hence the treadmill) and I looked down and realized I was in love....with my running shoes.

My Brooks Defyances are a beautiful shade of blue. The color reminds me of the clearest blue sky you could imagine on a slightly cool spring day. Continuing to lace them up, I realized that these shoes are my favorite. I use them solely for treadmills right now, as I have their predecessors as my outdoor shoes. These shoes are the ones that make me feel invincible. I'm not a fast runner, nor a long distance runner (yet), but with these shoes on, I feel that doesn't matter...I'm a runner. These shoes can take me beyond what I thought my limits were. They take me past the pain, past the tiredness, and to a place of euphoria....a place where I feel like I could run forever. These babies are truly amazing

Shoes....make all the difference!

Am I dead yet?

2009-10-11T12:53:00.002-05:00

WOW!

I'm at work on a Sunday...

Going on 3 weeks straight with 1 day off...

12 hour shifts since 9/30...

Holy crap am I tired!

No running, no life, no happiness. Well, ok, there is happiness in there periodically.

I just want my life back.

So, that's the ramblings of a tired, over-worked, delerious me.

Hectic Life

2009-09-23T08:32:00.003-05:00

This week is bitter sweet.

I am ridiculously busy at work. Ya'll can tell from my countdown that I have 7 days until life as I know it is over. It's ok. I'm proud of my project. I take pride in all I have accomplished. However, my project manager doesn't seem to understand how hard I work with the few resources given to me. He's opted not to keep me on full time after it's over. Piece of crap! So, I will be heading home to the ER. I'm actually excited. I miss my sick kiddos. Not wanting to go back to be a lowly staff nurse after busting my butt for the last year, I took it upon myself to apply for a coordinator position. I had my interview with my director and the other coordinators yesterday. I think I got the job.

I'm not too sure, though. It was not said that I did, but it ended with deciding where my desk would go. And then, when I thanked my director for meeting with me, she said all she needed to do was talk to my project manager and put in the promotion paperwork. I don't want to assume, but I'm kind of excited!

Also, I have the opportunity next time we transfer to travel as a consultant for what I'm doing now. Plus, I want to go back to school for it. So, we shall see.

On the running front...I am heading to the gym after work to do my 3 miles. It's small to those of you that run marathons, but I'm just starting training for my first half marathon. And to me, 3 is still a milestone. Heck, I ran 5 for the first time ever on Sunday!

I love the feeling of every week being a first. It's very motivating.

And it helps me keep the weight off. My tummy's coming back!

So much for feeling healthy...

2009-09-20T20:06:00.001-05:00

I went for my 5 mile run! YAY! Had to walk 3 times in the second half for lack of training...oops. Came home, drank a very healthy protein shake. Then I puked an hour later. So, I feel like crap. Will write more tomorrow.

Saturday, Saturday!

2009-09-19T20:07:00.002-05:00

If you're anything like me, you just had cheesy 80s music running through your head. The Coastie's not home until next Friday. This means a weekend to myself. With all intents of running and cleaning the house and completing all necessary chores that come with owning a home, I woke up at 7:30 for puppy (alarm went off at 7:00, but hah, it's Saturday). I took her out, met pretty much the whole neighborhood, was accused of child abuse (jokingly) for not having already fed said puppy. Went inside, made us both breakfast, had coffee, and promptly sat my butt in front of the TV and did not move until I had to go to my hair appointment. Yay for motivation!

So much for work.

Hair appointment went well. I am now a darker brunette with some red splashed in....with bangs (yikes!).

Decided to get a massage. TOTALLY worth it!

Bought puppy & kitty food and the like. (My one errand actually completed)

Purchased some Raw food books to see if I can tolerate eating about 80% of my diet as raw. I can do more when the Coastie's not home. But, once he comes home it will be chicken or steak for dinner with pasta or some cooked veggie. So, I will leave dinner to be the one non-raw meal. Well, that's the goal. I have to get through the books first and go grocery shopping.

All other errands are for tomorrow!

P.S. Still haven't run.

Biggest Loser as a motivator?

2009-09-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

I'm The Biggest Loser's mos fanatical fan. I was going to say biggest, but totally not. Even in my own mind, I'm not that big. While watching, I did some thinking. Why are people so motivated by this show? Is it the screaming? Crying? Heart-wrenching stories? At the risk of alienating all....6 of my followers, I am going to tell you why I think it motivates so many people. And as you know, my opinion, really is the only one that matters. At least on my blog.

Biggest Loser motivates people because...

(wow, I feel like I'm back in 5th grade grammar coming up with a sentence)

I feel totally awful watching other people work out while I sit on my couch drinking wine. It doesn't bother me so much when I've worked out that day, but I (yet again) didn't sleep last night and thus (did I just use thus in an actual sentence?) did not wake up for the gym at 4 AM. And, due to puppy (awww) did not go to the gym after work.

I meant to go this evening when I put puppy to sleep....but, do I need to mention the wine again?

The first thing they did on the show was "run" a mile. ON THE BEACH! Good Gosh people. NBC execs...who do you think you are? That's just plain mean! I mean, a mile is tough (I know, I just crossed that milestone a year ago), but on the beach? "Do the words 'Cruel and unusual punishment' mean anything to you?" (Random movie quote...where was that from again?)

Anywho...after watching them run, I may have to drag my sorry butt out of bed in the morning to do my part to make myself feel better that people 3 times my size can do it and I am too lazy.

Life Lesson from the Gold's Girl

2009-09-14T20:57:00.003-05:00

What I learned from Gold's Girl

1. You don't have to be skinny to be sexy. She's jacked and makes me want to be jacked too. Well, maybe not jacked, but definitely close to it.

2. I am what I eat. I knew this, just reinforced some more. Like that doughnut I want...My butt will look like that when I'm done eating it.

3. Food = Fuel. You only put the best gas/oil in your car to make it run, so why not do the same for your body? I've started eating more organic and when I want something sweet, I try to eat something else to take my mind off of it.

4. Gaining muscle and running may not be easy to do together. Running burns muscle. No bueno. Oh, well, check the ticker at the side to see how much time I have left before I can lift more often.

5. I am embarrassed to show people what I eat. So much so that I will not write it down in my food journal. Ha, I'm even embarrassed to see it myself!

6. Beefy guys (and girls) usually get there by using steroids. Really? I thought they were illegal. Or maybe that's just in the Olympics. Who knows...I didn't even know they made them anymore.

7. Supplements - maybe not so bad. Bought myself a few more. Reviews to come.

8. 5 AM sucks. You know what sucks even more? 4 AM!

Yes...I am a slacker

2009-09-13T18:50:00.005-05:00

It's been a ridiculous last 2 weeks. Between working so much and the Coastie being gone, it's been a bit tough. Granted, he was here this past week. So, life should be good, right? Well, it is...for now. So, how about a recap!

Lifting: Did it, missed a day and tried to fit it all in to one....NOT a good idea. Jello arms anyone?

Running: Flaked...totally. I suck. Oh, and training starts tomorrow. YIKES!

Work: See new count down at the side of this blog to know just how close to losing it I am. Oh, and did I mention my mangers forgot that they under-staffed my team with....just me. So, that means 14 straight days of 12 hour shifts. Life sucks. However, 88 hours of overtime may just make up for it!

Life: SUGARLAND ROCKS! Went to their concert and I am officially a pseudo-lesbian. Not really, but I may qualify if I have one more girl crush. Jen is pretty darn sexy!

This week will be lots of work. But, I'm gonna get up at 4 AM to work out every day! I am! I am! Or shall I say, I think I can, I think I can.

You know who motivates me? This woman! I have no kids, only furry ones, and I can't find any time to do anything. How does she do it? And she has time to come up with fabulous give aways! Needless to say, I love Nuun too, and have similar stomach issues.

Too bad work stopped my ability to read blogs at work. Otherwise my motivation would be way up there right now. Tomorrow, stay tuned for a recap of my learnings from Gold's Girl.

Fantasy Football & Gold's Girl

2009-08-30T20:38:00.002-05:00

If you have ever seen those girls at the gym that are jacked...this post is for you.

I had a slight girl crush on this trainer at the gym. She's RIDICULOUS! Strong, built, amazing. God says we are not supposed to covet what other people have. But God made her, so he's got to know other girls want that. Anyway...I have watched her every day I've been at the gym. When I went through my lifting faze, I almost worked up the courage to talk to her to ask her what she did to look as good as she did. I say almost, because I never did.

The Coastie's ship all decided to participate in Fantasy Football this season. I get to "manage" his team. LUCKY ME! Not. It was an interesting concept until I realized they had draft parties for this type of thing. Weird. Men. And some women apparently. So, we went to the party last weekend to get our team. Much to my surprise, my girl crush happens to be one of the guys from the Coastie's boat's "girlfriend". It's in quotes per some stuff I learned from her yesterday. It's appropriate...trust me.

Well, can I tell you I was floored! SO excited. So, she and I got to talking about stuff and she said she'd help me reach my goals. I met with her yesterday and brought my training plan for running to have her help me figure out how to balance lifting and running to get the body of my dreams. I'm back to hoping to look like a fitness model (she actually is, I have learned...and does shows). She asked if I actually want to be in a show. As of right now, the half marathon is priority. After that, I'll think about it. First, I have to get into halfway decent shape.

The plan is to totally change my body by the time the Coastie gets back from being away for 6 weeks. He does come back for about 2 weeks total within there. So, by the time he's back the second time (1 month) I hope to have a big change in my body. She says it's possible. But...and here's the kicker...my nutrition has to be spot on. I have been eating clean for 1 day now...haha. Wow, one day. But, it's a start. I will bring her my food journal for today to critique. I'm sure she'll be harsh. But, I need help.

So, back on track. I will have to pray on that one.

MIA, AWOL, and the Like

2009-08-10T07:58:00.002-05:00

I have been an awful blogger, awful runner, and awful wife. Well, maybe not the last one, this is me we're talking about!

I have a plan! A woman with a plan! That happens to me a lot. I am a woman with a plan about 90% of the time. I am fantastic at planning. Not so fantastic about sticking to it, however. Note to self: work on that!

But, since I have a plan now, I do plan to stick to it. I got up this morning at the ungodly our of 4:30 AM. I made it to the gym. Was told by the Coastie to run for 10 minutes before my planned lifting session. That requires 2 pairs of shoes for 1 gym visit. That ratio is just off to me. I need my running shoes (the treadmill ones) and my lifting shoes. I do not see myself doing squats and step-ups in running shoes. It just sounds like it would kill the cusioning in them. No bueno! So, elliptical it was.

So, here's my workout:

10 min warmup on Elliptical (interval setting - cause that makes a difference when it's 10 minutes!)

15 squats @ Olympic Bar (45lb) x 2 sets

15 pushups
15 Seated Rows @ setting 4 (40 lb? - never have figured that out)
10 pushups
15 Seated Rows @ setting 4

15 Step-ups each leg @ Height of 6 stepper-riser thingys w/ 20 lbs total
12 Stability ball crunches w/ 8 lb Coreball
15 Step-ups each leg @ Height of 6 stepper-riser thingys w/ 20 lbs total
12 Stability ball crunches w/ 8 lb Coreball

So, yay for that! In other news...I lost my Polar HRM strap. Have the watch. My Garmin is the GREATEST! However, no bueno for inside. So, I have no idea how many calories I burned. Hopefully enough to burn off the bit of Movie Theater popcorn I ate yesterday.

P.S. Harry Potter Rocks!

Delayed flights are like my running

2009-07-23T19:35:00.003-05:00

Sitting (on the dock of the bay) here at the airport waiting for my flight to take off, I have come to a major conclusion. Many things in my life, like running, eating healthy, chores, are like delayed flights. Let me explain...

First the flight gets delayed by an hour. You start to think, thank goodness, I was going to be late anyway, and now God has smiled on me and I will not only make my flight but be early enough to actually use the restroom in the airport rather than the on the plane. This makes you happy because naturally a toilet that doesn't move around due to turbulence is much better than one that does. You ignore the fact that it's a toss up on which one is actually more sanitary. In running, I delay it an hour due to having to use the restroom after getting home late from work (or not wanting to wake up quite that early in the morning). Fantastic, I think to myself as I take the time to use the restroom.

Second, the flight gets delayed another hour and a half. Is it weather you ask? No, it's stupid air traffic control combined with weather. Really? Air traffic control is the reason? Did they just decide my plane was not going to land on time anyway and delay it further? Do they really know 4 hours ahead that they aren't going to let us land? Do they sit up in their tower playing plane roulette? "We'll delay........this one!" They say with their eyes closed and their finger floating over the green radar screen as it lands on the unsuspecting blip on the screen. "Ah yes, this plane it is." Again, much like running to me. I decide to delay the run again with my eyes closed and my finger floating over my weekly calendar saying, "I'll decide to delay.....this run further."

Third, the flight is then delayed another 10 minutes. Really? 10 minutes? You had to actually post that it is delayed yet another 10 minutes. Because in the scheme of things, like a delay of 2 hours and 55 minutes, actually having to tell us that no...no...in fact it is actually now 3 hours and 5 minutes is really going to make a difference. I couldn't be more upset if they cancelled the freaking flight. (Oh, God, please don't do that). Keep in mind, I'm only 1 hour and 45 minutes into my now 3 hours and 5 minutes delay. Run....still to be continued.

However, here's hoping the plane is only delayed and not cancelled, as all my runs have been for the past 2 weeks. Can you say funk? Get me out of it!!!!!! Help!!! Motivation.....please!

TIART and Crazy Running Mom

2009-07-09T07:59:00.002-05:00

Todays TIART is about what music I think would play in the movie of my training. Seeing as I haven't run that much yet and don't consider what I am doing "training" yet, it's hard to pick the song for my movie. But, my dad says my theme song for life is Limp Bizkit's My Way or the Highway. So, I think I'll go with that. It's suitable, for now. I do require my body to do what I want as well. And, if it doesn't, it gets to run (the highway).

That all sounds lame. So lame in fact, I don't think I should have written it at all.

On to my visit with Crazy Running Mom. It was fantastic to see her. However, it meant I had to run...a lot. We ran the 4 for the 4th race on the 4th of July (go figure, right?). I run slow...so slow I'm almost ashamed to put my time on here. But, I finished 4 miles in 51:09.

BTW, there are no hills in South Texas. In fact, it may be so flat here that some of you would feel like you are running downhill constantly. However, there are hills downtime. I learned that during the race. There were about 5 of them. To those of you that run hills, they may be considered speed bumps. To me...they are HUGE! And I ran up every single one of them! Wahoo! So, race #1 is complete. Time to start thinking about others to participate in for the future!

I am losing my mind!

2009-07-02T08:52:00.003-05:00

I noticed on Tuesday that some post-its were missing from my desk. Now, normally post-its are not that important. However, these were given to me as a gift for graduating from nursing school and have been pretty-ing up my desk at home for the past few years. I have had no use for them since graduating. What does a nurse need with pink and purple heart shaped post-its. Now, of course, I do use them being that I am at a desk all day. And post-its come in handy!

But, they are missing in action. Someone stole them (or I lost them, whichever). I want them back. No one has returned them as of yet, despite my mass e-mail to my entire department pleading and offering a reward to get them back.

Well, yesterday I lost my cell phone too. Yikes! I need my cell phone. So, I assume since that's two ridiculously important (yes, post-its constitute ridiculously important) things lost in two days, it's probably me. I am losing my mind! I hate it when that happens. And, this is a secret, so shhhhh, it happens a lot.

I have been managing to keep to my running schedule pretty closely. Due to the Coastie being gone this week, I had to skip spinning because puppy is running my life right now. Poor thing with the tiny bladder and no control of it. Please tell me as dogs get older, if they are well trained, they no longer run your life. Because that would be fabulous.

I ran 3 miles yesterday on the treadmill...piece of crap, I mean, it was fun. Today was supposed to be another 3, but my legs were still sore from yesterday (left knee pain continues). Hopefully, I will get it in later today. Crazy running mom gets in today and my even crazier neighbors are picking her up from the airport. She'll be drinking wine before my meeting at work is over (the reason I'm not picking her up).

So, my running continues...and hopefully I will survive the race on Saturday. It is going to be HOT and HUMID. Yes, it deserves capital letters because it's that bad here right now. Why did I want to move to Texas again? Oh yeah, I like heat...supposedly. But, I didn't run before I moved here. I liked it much more when I was inside and inactive.

So, happy almost a holiday weekend to everyone! Be safe. Don't blow your hands off with fireworks. And stay cool!

Ouch, my knees.

2009-06-30T07:54:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was rough. I did not want to wake up to go to the gym to run (since at 4 am, it's still to freaking hot). So, I told myself I would go after work. And, I did. Had to leave early from work to do it...too bad, right?! Nah, that was the nice part.

The bad part...1 mile in, my left knee started hurting...again. It did this the other day when I was running on the treadmill, but the nurse in me said to ignore it. (Because the nurse in me hates doctors...so she must ignore all minor, and sometimes major, issues). However, by the time I was done (3.75 miles later) I could hardly walk off the treadmill once I stopped it. Normal aches, right? Maybe...we shall see.

The run was boring enough, since I was at the gym, on a treadmill, staring at the gym sign on the other side of the wall to keep focus on something other than my hurting knee. I was able to complete my desired mileage without having too much trouble breathing. Thanks to my previous lightbulb moment. However, the burning leg sensation was somewhat new. It was pretty much constant the entire time. And, I have a feeling had I not been on a treadmill, that I would have stopped running.

After my run, I took a "runner's shower"...or just changed, whichever way you put it, and headed over to my friend's house for Mac's first play date with a dog about 10 times her size. Picture my small terrier mix running around with an Italian Mastiff. Kind of funny actually. Poor thing almost got stepped on numerous times. However, after the initial insecurity, she came around and started playing like she knew the dog forever. So cute.

However, back to work.

Light bulb moment

2009-06-28T14:11:00.003-05:00

I had this light bulb moment yesterday. Or, as the Coastie called it, a blonde moment. For the record, I have dark brown hair that I recently highlighted with a light brown. I am not at all blonde. Disclaimer: I have no ill will towards blondes. I am readying Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield.

It's a wonderful book for people of all running levels. It's for extreme beginners such as myself to the elite atheletes. It talks about the best approaches to each type of run you will use during training. So, i decided to test the principle on my 4.5 mi run yesterday. Granted it was a treadmill run because it's too freaking hot to run outside, but the principle for long runs worked. The slower you run them, the longer you can run. Ha! I felt like the biggest idiot because you would think this would be common sense. However, I have this unofficial goal of averaging 12:00/mile on my half marathon. I felt I should run this pace on my long runs to train myself to do it. Apparently, you run slow on long runs just to add miles and run fast on tempo runs to gain speed. Go figure. Glad I bought the book or I would probably never make it to the race.

Other neat news! Crazy Running Mom is coming to town Thursday and has talked my into running my very first race. No kidding, I've never even run a 5K before. So, my intro to races is a 4 miler. It is likely to be too hot and too humid, but she will be right there next to me helping me along the way. I hope to finish in about 50 minutes. More so, I hope they haven't closed the finish line by the time I am done so I can enjoy the true end to a race. I have no hopes of ever running fast. Or, as some would say, Half Fast. I plan to be utterly slow for most of my running career.

So, hopefully I can make it through yet another week of running, working out, working, and taking care of my kiddos.

TIART

2009-06-25T22:00:00.002-05:00

Take it and run Thursday's theme is: Yeah, no one ever told me this about running....

So, no one ever told me how much time it takes.

As those of who actually follow me know, I'm extremely new to running. My Crazy Running Mom (yes, that's her name) got me into running. And running is not something I actually enjoy yet. I enjoy it when it's done. Yes, the time I stop is my favorite part of my run. From my understanding, running is not supposed to take much time. You are supposed to be able to go out for a "quick 3 miles" or a "short run". However, when you start, people fail to tell you that these "short runs" are actually quite time consuming. That is, when you run an average of a 12:00 minute mile.

So, my "quick 3 miles" are 35 minutes. And my "short runs" exceed 30 minutes. That, to me, is not quick. Now, I am not new to hard exercising. I have lifted, I have spun, I have done it all. Well, not all per se. I have done a lot, or at least, I have done something. But, I got a dog. Well, puppy. And puppies take time. LOTS of time. So, running taking time right now, seems like a lot more than I can afford right now.

On a positive note, this is the first week I have actually stuck to my plan. Except today. Yesterday I took my spinning class (the first time in a month...or the first time since we got the puppy, your choice) and the Coastie said I should rest today and not run this morning (the class ended at 7 pm last night). So, this morning I did not run. Tonight, I did not run. I drank instead. More about that later. So, tomorrow AM is my 4.5 mile run (that's long to me, shut up!).

Today I worked 1/2 a day at the office and then traveled to Houston to see another Hospital. I was intending to meet my CNO (Chief Nursing Officer) here to meet with my counterpart at this Houston Hospital. But, I ended up eating (and drinking) dinner with my CNO, the CNO of Houston Hospital, both their husbands, and the CFO (bean counter) of Houston Hospital. I'm an ED nurse. A staff nurse. These big wigs kind of scare me. That and I'm young enough to be their children. In fact, I think the CNOs graduated from nursing school when I was 3. Talk about out of my element. However, both run! YAY! Running connections!

So, I'm in Houston. Tired. Slightly drunk. And needing to run in the AM. It is good night and T.G.I.F. tomorrow to you all!

Wow, time flies!

2009-06-24T07:52:00.003-05:00

In my job, we have a group/mob of people that come in from out of town to help us. This happens about every 3 weeks or so. While they are here, it seems like a tornado hits in our office. We are all running around like crazy people getting massive amounts of work done. However, this means I lose track of time.

In fact, I planned on posting this morning before they came in, but they are here already.

So, more about running later.

The wonderful rest of Sundays

2009-06-21T19:18:00.003-05:00

So, Sundays are rest days for me. However, when you lack the willpower to stick to your schedule the other 6 days, it really means nothing, but yet another rest day in the flow of rest days.

Sundays in our house are cleaning days. And laundry days. Today was both. Neither of which got done. That makes it sound like Sundays are more about accomplishing nothing in our house. Wow. Awesome. Because since last Sunday, the plan had been to play golf.

Oh well. I did, however, decide that I am going to attempt the morning run again. Wish me luck!

Saturdays...Love them...Wish there were more of them.

2009-06-20T12:15:00.003-05:00

So, puppy is normal again! YAY! Do have to say, she actually likes children's benedryl.

Running, the real point of all of this...

This morning...it sucked. And by suck, I mean super suck. The 4 mile loop was the plan, but didn't happed. I finished it...with 4 walking periods. Who would have thought that 8:00 AM was too late to run. Too hot. Way too hot. That mixed with no food = this nurse went no where. I would even like to say I went nowhere fast, but I went nowhere really really slow. So, another crap session.

I either need to run at 8:00 PM and eat dinner at 5:00 PM or run at 4:00 AM and risk being one of "those" people. I used to go to the gym at that time. Something about running around in the dark kind of scares me. Any pros have some thoughts on that? I'm guessing just don't wear headphones so you can hear things. Things like creepy guys running after you.

Oh! Highlight of today is I got my hair cut finally. I feel like myself now. The "new" me. The running me. The runner me...dare I say. That and the Coastie thinks it's sexy...score! Hopefully figuratively and literally! (Hey, I'm still young, no judging!)

Happy Saturday!

Lumpy Bumpy Puppy

2009-06-19T08:47:00.003-05:00

So, this post will not be about running...sorry.

If you check out this post you will see my kiddos. Well, the canine kiddo got stung my something yesterday. Now, I am the first to admit, I am not a dog person. So, that means I know nothing of their ability to get sick or anything. My first assumption was always that it was very different than humans. Give me a human, and I'll do whatever is needed. Dogs, not so much. Well, I called home before leaving work and talked to the Coastie. He said that she was throwing up. She had drank a lot of water, projectile vomitted the water back up, and proceeded to throw up bile a few more times...4 maybe? Sorry for the weak stomached...it's the nurse in me.

First thought: silly puppy drank too much water too fast.

So, I decided to skip my planned trip to the tanning salon and go home to see if she was ok.

She was sleepy (not usual...she's a puppy after all). And she came and crawled in my lap on the floor and proceeded to look very strange. Fur got all mottled...face looked pathetic. Within seconds...puppy was bumpy. Dogs get hives. Didn't know that. So, I freaked out and called the vet and took her right in. Luckily the vet that saw her was her vet, so she knew this was different. The vet tech said it best when she called Mac a "Lumpy, Bumpy Puppy". So, one Benedryl shot and one steroid shot and $135 later, she was cured. Sting of some sort, apparently.

All I can think of now is, I wish I had a picture. I'm a horrible Dog Mommy.

But, it looked something like this, except ALL OVER HER BODY!

T.G.I.F

The Local Fleet Feet

2009-06-18T09:46:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, I went to my local Fleet Feet store to find one of those handy water bottle belts. You see, south Texas is....well...hot. Not just hot, but stifling hot. Humidity should not be allowed to get above 80 %. Especially if it hasn't rained in say...weeks, months...ever. But, God failed to tell South Texas about this rule. On my run last week (which I managed to run most of my 4 mile loop), I was dizzy by the end. Like trip over my feet and bite it dizzy. So, I had an epiphany...WATER! I've always heard water was necessary during a workout. But, I finally felt it was time to test this theory out.

Needless to say, Fleet Feet was out of them. The very nice and super knowledgeable girl talked me into a hand held H2O container. 3 color choices! Black, red, and pink. Well, naturally I chose pink, and now I can't pawn it off on the hubby since running while holding something is the STUPIDEST idea ever. My back hurt, my arm hurt, my hand was dripping with sweat. Yuck! That combined with my lack of running of a 3 mile loop meant disaster. But, Fleet Feet girl redeamed herself! Nuun. Lemon-Lime. Yum. Sort of. So, I am a product of the KoolAid era. Drinks are supposed to be sweet. Think chewing your liquid. So, it's not. But, it does flavor my water nicely and help me from feeling too hot.

Could this new product be the reason I was able to run 5 miles yesterday, on a treadmill, with no music or TV. Spinning was full...piece of crap gym...so I ran...until it was over!

2009-06-09T07:30:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a crazy day at work. I think I may have a nervous breakdown if it doesn't get better. I came home looking for a fight. Luckily, my Coastie is the greatest! He got be sushi and almost bought me flowers (I ruined that by asking for them). But, let's hope today is a new day.

My Kids

2009-05-19T08:24:00.005-05:00

So, I am a cat person. Hubby and I have the greatest cat in the world. I think so because he is so loving. He loves to be held and cuddled and kissed. Hubby likes him 'cause he acts like a dog. He fetches, sits on command (for treats only), follows you from room to room, etc. All in all, his mommy thinks he's perfect. Just not all that personable to people other than me.

But, we decided to get a puppy. She is 15 weeks and super cute. She's laid back, loves her loving, and is curious about her new home. She wants to love on and play with her big brother, but he wants nothing to do with her. He yells at her, and the other day while she was just sitting there, he walked right up to her and smacked her on the nose and then walked away. No claws. She didn't cry. So, I guess he's establishing that he's in charge. However, their interactions are pretty humerous.

We are very excited about our kids. But, since Hubby is underway this week, I have them to myself. Very much like having actual kids...to me anyway. No offense to you "real" mothers out there, I totally believe you all are saints.

Anyway, off to the vet for puppy's first visit!

Pretty proud of myself....yesterday

2009-05-02T08:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was rough. I was tired, so didn't get up for my usual workout. Slacker, I know. Plus, my parents were coming in to town. However, they left late and that granted me the perfect opportunity to go out for my 2 mile run. I headed out with my Garmin and no ipod. Nothing to keep me company but my thoughts. It was actually quite nice. Got a tad dark and windy by the end.

But, to the proud part, this is the first time I have given up lifting for running. It's progress! I will still lift this week end, but my running just took priority, well, I hope it did anyway.

Thanks to John "Penguin" Bingham and No Need for Speed for the added motivation. Great book, I highly recommend it!

While you're reading...read this blog too! Fitnessista

Disinfection Perfection

2009-04-30T21:21:00.004-05:00

So...Swine Flu. Yucky. I happen to work at one of the hospitals that has confirmed a few cases. The hubby being in the Coast Guard, and (if you do your reasearch) in our area one of our fabulous coasties has gotten it as well. Have yet to find out who, if I know him, and better yet, if I've come into contact with him recently.

So, at work, I work in the ER (sort of), flu city. I was already avoiding it like the plague because JCAHO was visiting, but now I'm really avoiding it. I don't want to get sick. Everyone at work is going crazy disinfecting everything. No one is shaking hands, no one at church is holding hands during the Lord's Prayer, it's quarantine time here. School closings, parade cancellations, well, half way, and overall mass hysteria. I decided on my way home from work to stop and pick up some hand sanitizer for home since my family is coming in from out of town and I don't want them to get me sick or this place to get them sick. Would you believe that I stopped at 2 stores and both were completely out of it. Not one bottle left. Not even a bottle of antibacterial soap. I find that hilarious. First, antibacterial kills, well, bacteria. The flu is a virus, people! You need to check stuff to make sure it kills the flu. I was able to find some Clorox spray that says right on the bottle that it kills Flu A & B.

My house is sufficiently sanitized for my protection. Now, I need to mandate everyone that comes in use one of the million hand sanitizers I have or soap. Or, if you're me....both! I also have this kind of funny headache going on now. Clorox in closed spaces may not have been a good idea.

I did however find out how it got started...

Kinda funny, right. But so wrong on so many levels.

Wow - I'm beat.

2009-04-29T09:53:00.004-05:00

So, yesterday officially ended our big Build Fest at work. It's software build - very boring for people who aren't me. I'm a nurse and doing software build - kind of funny. Anywho~it's over! And, I made it. That may not seem like much, but I'm proud. The team for our hospital was put together last summer. Everyone was trained and certified (not certifiable, like I believe I am) before I even came to the team. I started my training the last week of October and was completely certified by December 11. By the time I got back, that was 1 month. I'm proud to say that means I got certified faster than anyone on our team (maybe with the highest scores too). We expected to not be on track with everyone else because of how much later I got started, but we met the deadline of the entire team. Sorry, I have to toot my own horn here because I very rarely am proud of myself.

However, I am now exhausted. I haven't slept very well for about a week. My eating has been shot to heck due to massive cravings of donuts and the like. I've been praying to get back on track, but sometimes my stomach speaks to me a tad louder than God. Sorry, God, I swear I'm trying. Today, it has all caught up with me. I woke up with a headache that is finally subsiding. I needed coffee, so I stopped at Starbucks, which also means an Apple Fritter. YUCK. I love them, enjoyed it, but I'm not enjoying the after effects of the sugar right now. In fact, it may be the reason for my lack of sleep.

On the up side (roller-coaster today, I apologize), I was able to run my allotted 3.3 miles yesterday. Downer - did not get up for my morning lifting today. Upper - I will go after work and complete spinning. Upper - rest day tomorrow. Upper - will go to sleep really early tonight and take something to ensure I get the sleep.

So, yay for me. Yay for life. Boo for tiredness.

Crazy Week!

2009-04-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

I've been gone...and I know all 2 of you who may or may not read my blog are totally missing me right now. However, I have an excuse. Albeit, probably not a great one.

So, crazy deadlines at work suck. Without going into the details of my work (cause it's boring to everyone but me) we have to build stuff using our software for the hospital. Every time I speak with my nurses about something I have built for them, we end up on a tangent about some other things they want and all of a sudden I have more work to do. people don't seem to understand the idea of deadlines. April 28th is looming and our people are coming in from Madison from Tuesday to Thursday. So, that's a few more days of not being able to build what I need. In the meantime, I've become a building machine. I sit at my desk with my headphones on (which, by the way, I need new music on my phone) and type away. So much fun!

In all seriousness, I need to come up with a plan for this blog. It was meant to be more of a chronicle of the things I do on a daily basis in relation to being a military wife. However, life in that regard has taken a small detour. Let's face it, he's just not gone that much anymore. This is good, despite how that last sentence sounded. So, I thought I'd go the workout and eating route. Not so much for me, I don't think. Unless I double post from Livestrong, there's no more typing about working out. At least not while I'm at a standstill in that department. Too much temptation. So, I'm at a loss. I may just decide to pick a random topic and go there for the day. Overall, I'd like to just post everyday. But, life spent on the computer is a life I have not gotten used to yet.

Back to it!

2009-04-02T08:25:00.003-05:00

I went home last night after a long few days of work and am SUPER excited. Last weekend, the hubby and I spent the entire weekend planting and digging up our backyard. We wanted it to look beautiful. And it does! However, I am not a gardener, so I had no idea how much manual labor that really entails. A LOT!

So, anyway, we planted palm trees, removed them due to how big they were going to get, moved some of them and took others back. Then we planted some hibiscus, bulbs, and sage. I kill things, though. You've heard of the "brown thumb", but I have the black thumb of death. Every plant I have ever owned or come into contact with has died. My husband is extremely good at reviving them, but he shouldn't have to. I told myself that I was going to do better this time! I was going to take care of these plants and flowers to make it pretty outside. I realized though that I forgot to water them on Tuesday. So, I went home yesterday and watered them. Much to my surprise, there were already flowers!

I was SUPER excited! Here are a few of them:

These are Apricot Hibiscuses. My personal favorite! Look! 3 flowers!
This one is my husband's favorite. I forget what kind of Hibiscus it is, but it's red - his favorite color!

So, I am going to keep trying to take care of these puppies so they can be beautiful for a long time!

Interesting Week

2009-03-20T13:03:00.003-05:00

So, this week has been busy. Busy at work, not so busy in life, but it's been tiring.

I have had ZERO, and I mean ZERO energy this week. Keeping up on workouts has been forceful. I used to pop out of bed in the morning excited to go to the gym before work because that meant that after work I had time to just sit and enjoy the great weather. However, last week was raining and really shot my motivation for getting up in the AM. So, this week was spent trying to get back to my morning routine.

I was able to wake up, but not make it to the gym. That piece was done after work. I even had to bring my stuff with me to work so that I wouldn't stop home first. If I did that, I'd never make it to the gym.

Yesterdays workout was after work, but was much more productive. I was able to do my NROL4W Stage 2 B2 workout and run my 2 miles without too much difficulty. Partly, I believe, due to the fact that I broke my eating plan and ate some junk (beef enchiladas and cookies). My energy level felt normal again after that.

See, I've been doing this "clean eating" thing for the past 2 weeks to see if it helped my stomach issues. Well, it did. I never, NEVER, knew what it felt like to eat and not feel anything afterwards. I always had a harsh full feeling, loud, noisy, disgusting stomach sounds (I know, TMI), and pain....lots of pain. Gone! All of it! I have the occasional gurgle now, but gone!

Gone was the energy this week because of it too. Maybe not the quality of the food being the blame, but the amount. I wasn't eating enough. I'd get around 1500 - 1600 calories for the day tops. I'd finish the day, with only dinner left with 1100 calories eaten total. So, I think my body was craving more calories, and the only thing I could do at work was eat crap. So, I did. I am going to strive to eat things that are healthy but higher in calories. Like nut butters, avocado, olive oil, etc. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Today, I think I'm projected to be up to 1200 calories before dinner. My total calorie goal is 1900 - 2000 on days I don't workout and 2200 on days I do. I'd like to net right around 1800 - 1900. High enough to build muscle, IMO, but not so high as to make me gain weight.

So, here's to health, wealth, and happiness (the middle one being the one I don't have yet)! And, here's to a better me!

Who knew running was a bloody sport.

2009-03-04T10:55:00.002-06:00

So, funny story. Well, kinda funny. I've taken up running recently. I've been trying to make it to a 5K for a while, but the new goal is a 10K! This is great progress. However, I have run into a bit of a interesting problem. One of my left toes bleeds around the nail every time I run more than a mile or so. Usually it's only a little bit, nothing that really worried me, just pissed me off because I have to clean my sock. Last night, though, was a different story. I ran my 3 mile loop, came back home to stretch, looked at my shoe and it was SOAKED with blood. WTF! The weird part is that it never hurts, just bleeds. This was no different. I took my shoe off, looked at it, and learned that I now have a cut on the inside of one of my toes. So, I had to soak my sock, shoe, and the shoe insert (yes, I bled through this too).

Lifting today, due to that dilemma, was painful. Piece of crap running. Why did I decide to conquer you?

Speaking of lifting...I did my modified special workout from NROL4W Stage 1. I was tired and without motivation. So, I think it was crap. I thought I hated Mondays, apparently I hate Wednesdays more.

Finished Stage 1!

2009-03-02T16:00:00.005-06:00

So, today was my last day of regular workouts for NROL4W Stage 1. Sitting at work today at a desk makes me realize how sore I get from not moving around so much. Life in the ER was all about run, run, run. Here it's sit, sit, sit. Then I go home, and yep, sit some more. I'm trying to get out of that rut. At least on the weekends.

However, today was interesting with eating. I brought my lunch, for one. That, of course, means I didn't want it once it came lunch time. I went to the cafeteria and really wanted a burger. Got a chicken sandwich instead. So glad I got that, so WISH I'd gotten the burger. The sandwich was GROSS! Cold, dry, tasteless. YUCK! But, it kept me on track for today.

So, totally not doing my homework for my Bible Study. I should, but I don't. Not really following my Lenten promise of reading scripture everyday either. Makes me sad. I should be able to do that. But, alas, I forget and a week goes by and then I remember I never did it. Ugh!

So, another rant on not following through with things. Such is my life. Always have high hopes, never stick with it. Like my new goal of wanting to see my abs by the summer. This means a reduction in body fat, and eating really healthy (don't even get me started on eating clean). So, yesterday my husband and I went to the movies and I brought a healthy muffin that I stashed in my purse. I ate it, and half my husband's popcorn. So much for that goal. He says I need to treat myself and that I do eat healthy most of the time. I feel that I don't eat healthy most of the time and treat myself ALL of the time. Only God knows the truth. Eating Clean was a new goal as well. HA! Do you KNOW how much processed food is out there? It's everywhere! AHHH! Save me from the processed foods!

BAH! I've got the Mondays!

The Workout Plan

2009-02-03T20:05:00.003-06:00

I am in the midst of my 2nd week of workouts. I'm following the NROL4W (the New Rules of Lifting for Women) book. It's great. Even after 2 weeks, my butt is less gross. I know TMI, but as most women know, this is actually very important! Hubby notices. Which means good things for me. Wink.

Anyway, having some issues with the eating plan. It advises (for my size) that I eat 2000 calories a day on days I don't workout and 2200 on the days that I do. They give good reason for this. However, I was doing great. Down 5 pounds. Now, back up to the same I started with. I know, I know building muscle. Bull Crap! I don't want to gain weight. So, back to eating like I was, screw the plan on it....for now.

Also, have a running plan. Was supposed to run 2.25 miles today. Only "ran" 2.07. Walked about 3 mintues in there. I have a feeling this was due to the fact that I ran the first mile at a 11:30 pace. Which I'm used to running at a 13:00 pace. Hard to run that slow outside. So, we'll see how I continue to do. Hopefully, I'll start to learn to slow myself down so I can complete the whole thing!

For My Husband

2009-01-29T11:29:00.002-06:00

Monday I started a Bible Study at a new church my husband and I are attending. It's called: For Women Only. It's about how to do some one sided changes in my life to help my relationship with my husband to grow and change. So, for example, my homework this week has been to show my husband respect without expecting anything in return. It's hard.

I'm really enjoying reading the Bible more and am excited for next week's session.

However, all of this has brought up some personal issues that I have started to discuss with my husband. I am Catholic. I converted before we got married because he is Catholic. The church we are attending is more non-denominational. It's one of those new age Christian young people churches. I always thought they were cult-like. But, it's fabulous. My fear is that all my work to become Catholic will become void if we spend so much time at this new church.

But, the important thing is that we're going to church and that you get something out of the service, right? We are wanting God in our lives more now. And for the first time, my husband is participating in church, which makes me extremely happy.

Just a lot to take in. A lot of decisions to make. However, I am going to pray on it and try to open my heart to God to allow him to show me which way is the right one for me and for us as a family.

Been a While

2009-01-23T14:53:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm back. I've been doing some journaling on paper the last few days. I wonder why. I started this for that purpose. Craziness. Anway, things have changed a bit. Or not. I'm starting a new plan on Monday to lose weight. I'm down. Just want to look amazing. For the hubby. And, actually for me. I am a strong person. I need a strong body to go with it.

Also, the crazy mom struck. Has me and hubby signed up for a half marathon. YIKES! I think it's funny. I can run maybe 2 miles. And I've signed up to run 13.1. Excited for the accomplishment once it's done. Until then, it's just funny.

Day One

2008-10-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, sitting here in the living room while my husband (home for once) cooks dinner. I'm spoiled, right? I've been thinking I need to start journaling again. But pen and paper sounds so middle school to me. So, here I am, trying blogging for one of the first times...yes, done this before and given up. I have a commitment problem when it comes to things like this. Hopefully this goes better than before.

Well, it's later than before....about 2 hours. Great dinner! Fan-freaking-tastic! Wine. Converstation. Great times. However, I sound like an add for a restaurant. Forget that!

So, my life. Starting a new position at my job soon. Normal hours, better pay, better work. Last 2 days of mandatory RN work ahead of me. Pretty darn cool!

So, here goes with the blog. I was witty before, I think, but due to the wine, have lost that ability a bit. No harm, there's always tomorrow, right?!