"I just kept running"

Landon and I ran our second 5k this year on July 17th. He was a little irritated this time and was not happy halfway through the race. The last one he finished around the 28 or 29 min mark, but this one he (once again left his mother in the dust when the gun went off) let me catch up to him. When he saw me coming, he kicked it up time after time and then gave up. I slowed and asked him if he wanted me to run with him kind of cringing at the idea, but he looked at me with a look so vicious and said, "no" very politely. I guess he thought he'd get me in the end.
I am not as humble as some other people I know, and so I have to say, I TOOK SECOND PLACE.
However, there are a few factors that MAY need to be considered here.

1. It was for my age group
2. It was a very small racing group
3. I'm pretty sure there weren't very many people behind me, especially in my age group.

Who cares! I'll take it! I am now the proud owner of a fake silver medal that says 2nd Place and then on the back says, "female, age 30-39", something about that takes away from a medal you know?

We are gearing up for the next one in Florence, needless to say, I think these sporadic 5k's are the only exercise I'm getting this year. 3 times in 3 months isn't bad, right.

Hailey opted out of this one, but all of the fam cheered me and a friend of mine (who raced her very first time on that day and did GREAT!) on from the back of the pickup. It was awesome! We goofed all day, and I have to say this is the most laid back and wonderful summer ever.

Runners Ure

July 4th. Landon, Hailey and I ran their first 5k. I ran it last year along with a few others, but this year the kids wanted in on the fun. It was sooo much fun. After spending the entire evening before at a double feature at the drive-in and getting home a little after 2am, we woke up to get to the race by 7:30am. I told the kids they could run as fast as they wanted to ahead of me, but that if they needed to rest, I would not leave them behind. Words that would make this the most painful/peaceful run I've ever had.
Landon took off and I never saw him again until we crossed paths while he was on his way to the finish. Hailey on the other hand (who, by the way has run with me before over 3.5miles) made it one mile and complained the entire rest of the way. I found us walking about 3/4 of the rest of the way. I finally had to bribe with running to the next street sign and walking to the next. I changed from "I won't leave you behind" to "We will not finish last, even behind the walkers!!" By the time we ended and she started hearing the random people who were cheering us on she was beginning to feel a little better and stopped complaining about her heart (which was near her right shoulder), her legs and even her feet. She remained ticked until we made it home and then she began feeling invincible. She and Landon played with their prizes of water bottles and cherished their running bibs and when Hailey said, "I can't wait till next year," I knew we would run a little more together beforehand.
We continued with parades, BBQ's and hanging with lots and lots of friends who didn't condemn us too much for inappropriate behavior on the sabbath. Landon also received 2nd degree burns that night from some fireworks I still cannot talk about. Not our fireworks, not our house, not self inflicted. He thinks it's cool. Mom is not impressed.

Animal Lover

Ireland with a friends cat and with our puppy who is now taller than she is. Hey, at least I got two up!

Somethings Gotta Give!

Ready for way personal...See, I know how to drag you back in whether you want to read or not. I think today I'll share my insight with the world (HA!), in a no holds barred sort of way. You ready???
Ok, well recently I've had kind of a real relationship with another....place. Dr.'s Offices. We all know the jokes about the waiting, the rude receptionist, the bubble head receptionist, the phone calls where you think you swear you're gonna die and they say , "UGH, can you hold"? I picture that said with one raised eyebrow and a sole finger scratching a wigged head. There is a reason for this..One time I was thrown from a horse into a metal fence. My head was split down to the skull...I was pouring blood, was carried in, and the lady looked at me, went green and while stuttering asked if I could have a seat in the waiting room. Meanwhile some guy with a brain pushed me into the back onto the nearest table. Whew...Then he asked...."When was your last menstrual period?'" What the....!!!
Well, in my world I struggle with such different things that I'm not sure are normal.
You know when you go in because you think you have...oh, say broken a toe. Well, if you're a woman, they have one of two requests of you... can you guess?
1. When was your last menstrual cycle? OR...
2. We'll need a urine sample.

Now while you're trying to explain that while you're uterus is very important, it's a TOE! I don't get it. Then comes the next request....

"Undress from the waist down, "

Or if you're really lucky,

"Ok, if you could please remove all your clothes...including your bra."

Now I guess most problems must be solved by the normal woman's menstrual cycle obviously including but not limited to:
Colds
Flus
Broken Bones
World Hunger and the like
I missed that day in school and I am MAD! If only I had known sooner!!

Well, again, I have grown so very tired of this and so I find myself being very inappropriate every time I have to go in for some very serious things and heaven help me if they are not serious.
While filling out a questionnaire it says, Name:_____________
What do you prefer to be called Name:_____________

I know all of the reasons for this, but seriously, it's the DR.'s Call me back is what I want, but still I manage to write "starfish" on every one.

If you do have to undress, what do we do? Undress very carefully, fold our clothes like they are being inspected by the Queen, and try to hide our underwear. Well, if you are like me, my bras are IMPOSSIBLE to hide. It looks like I've hidden a small animal in my purse or something.
How about when they ask
Do you drink a lot of coffee?
Soda?
Do you smoke?
Drink?
Hard Drugs?

Well, when they ask in that order, I have to answer yes to the last one and explain the others are just to bad for ya. Wanna try them in the other order, pal? They inevitably look up stunned while I nod and then sort of smile and I see the real concern..not for my health, but why I would ever question their methods. Well, I have plans for my next unanticipated visit, but until then, I know some of ya have been wanting some pictures sooo....Shoot, still can't get them up...they're coming.

MUST SEE!

There are lots of words people have used to describe me, but the one that I can post and not "protest too much", would be a bleeding heart. Knowing this is true, I can't help but let everyone know..


WATCH "THE COVE"

It will make you sick and aware....two great things to be, right. Trust me..go get it and watch. Pass it on!

If Ever

This may draw some serious fire, BUT... sometimes I am forced to think of the many ailments that seem to afflict either myself, a family member, or a close friend. These are things that are awful and not much fun...thyroid problems, eye problems, knee and joint aches and pains and so on and so forth. Of all the problems we all seem to be afflicted with, it would appear fair to me that we should be able to at least pick one ailment with which we could trade or try out and if we like it better we could keep it. We should be able (in an ideal world) to say, "you know, a cold won't really work for me this week because I have a week long church event and while typically we are forced to bow our heads while in prayer (which, by the way, adds insult to injury if we think rationally about the times we are most likely to cry...ie..a funeral during prayers) which will cause my nose to run even more and I would like to trade that for laryngitis which will make people quit talking to me and therefore limit me from talking back." We could be handed a receipt for and exchange or something and somewhere else in the world a very happy person could trade their laryngitis for our cold.
Why does this matter , well because I have a laundry list of ailments that just plain bug!
Knee pain I would trade for turrets...How awesome to be able to shout and curse and have an iron clad excuse...and yes, I think it is only fair to exaggerate any given illness in the company of those who have been living in a way that clearly deserve what's comin at em.
Ulcer I would trade for narcolepsy...I am sorry, but what a fascinating disease! I know it sounds lighthearted, but I am clearly not coming from a light-hearted place. I find myself currently in some very long and exhausting meetings. What if in the middle I go limp and my head hits the desk with a resounding, "plunk" and I'm done. How could I ask for more. (Exaggeration also to get across a point of sheer boredom, but one would never know..this could be used any number of places
1. phone calls that last too long that you can't seem to get free from
2. Anyone trying to sell you something
3. Meetings
4. Church
5. While waiting in traffic (your head could land on the horn)
6. clogging...ok, now that was just for fun..because...seriously.. a hilarious picture in my head
you get my point.
I know people with these diseases would think it unfair and berate me for not thinking how devastating it is to be stared at and judged as a person who is clearly crazy...well, let me tell you....they look at me like that anyway! :)

Oh Happy Day!

I am such an easy girl to keep happy. Today Shem and Angelo worked on our backyard fence. Bless Angelo for showing up at 7:00am and working his little tail off with my honey and getting sooo much accomplished. I fixed them breakfast, snacks, and kept the water coming until they were ready to stop. As if this hard working husband isn't enough, I took my two girls and myself out for a pedicure (well technically, they just got paint but still). Talk about a great day!!!
BUT..
When I get there they ask, "Massage?"
I nod yes knowing she will walk beside me and turn on the vibrating chair but OMGosh! Immediately I felt what can only decently be described as being lifted out of what I have now decided is the Cadillac or wrecking ball of massage chairs (I'm thinking Maximum Overdrive..remember that show), by a very large rock, dead center in my BUM. I look over frantically to try and find the seat button to stop this madness as I feel it slowly start to move. I can't find it and it doesn't matter because all at once I feel myself pounded right on my upper left shoulder, now right, now left, now right...I literally look like I'm doing a very inappropriate dance in a chair. Is this training school for pole dancers or strippers??? I am jiggling (boy how I hate that word) all over. By then I am open mouth laughing so hard that I am sadly drawing the attention of the 5 people in this very small business. They look over glancing at first and then with crinkled foreheads and half hidden smiles and I'm sure they're wondering why even this girls neck is looking like a Thanksgiving Day turkey's. I am not kidding..this was the jackhammer of all massage chairs.
I will not let the goofy chair wreck my perfect day even though I am home and still feeling the broken tailbone chair mishap.
Well, I better go. Where did I put that post-partum pillow anyway?