Gettin' Down & Dirty

Last fall my running pal, Heather, and I drug our men to a little event called The Warrior Dash.  We had all kinds of dirty fun and left feeling really badass.

This year those crazy lovebirds are already signed up to do it again, this time in our home state, but I waited too long to decide and now it's full on the day they're doing it.  I procrastinated because the race is the weekend after my 40th birthday and I am thinking about throwing myself a birthday bash that weekend.  And since the race is a couple hours away from home, I wasn't sure it would work.  So basically the fates decided for me.

This year, via the ol' Facebook, I learned of a different dirty race.  And since my mud buddies are already signed up for it, there was no way I was gonna miss out.  This one is the Survivor Mud Run and it is the weekend before the Seattle Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon.  Unfortunately, there is no fire to jump over at this race, but there appears to be a heckuva lot more mud.

Can I tell you how much I love that since mentioning this on Facebook I've had multiple friends grab me and say "I wanna do that mud race!  Can I come too??"   Seriously, I have the raddest friends.  And we're all gonna get down and dirty together.

Chasing Pavements

I'm happy to report that I've been pretty consistent with my workouts the last few weeks.  With the weather being nasty and cold, I go to the gym on the mornings that Zoe has preschool (which is Tues/Thurs).  Then I try to sneak a workout in on the weekend.  With the addition of modifying my eating and really keeping track of what I put in my mouth, I am feeling GOOD.  The scale has remained steady at a number that makes me happy and yet I don't feel like I'm heading into "scary thin" territory.  With the workouts I've been doing, I've been consciously making an effort to eat enough protein, cut my carb intake down a little, increase the fiber and calcium and keep taking my vitamins.  I've recently added fish oil to my vitamin repertoire after doing a bunch of reading on the benefits of it.  And considering we aren't big seafood eaters, and the fact that I don't care for salmon, I need to get my Omega 3s somehow.  I've even started giving it to the kids in liquid form. But that's another post.

The last week or so the weather has been surprisingly spring-like.  While California is getting hammered with storms and tornado warnings, those of us in the Seattle area have had lovely days with temperatures in the 50's.  I'm not sure it's going to last much longer, but I've sure been enjoying it.  I even caught myself starting to think about my flowerbeds and garden and thinking "I need to get started figuring those out!" and then I caught myself and remembered it's still January.  Duh.

Craving a little fresh air and wanting to test myself a bit, I headed out for a walk/run on Thursday.  I've been doing some intervals on the treadmill at the gym but wanted to see how actually pounding the pavement felt.  So I headed out, warmed up by walking the first 3/4 mile then actually managed to run the next mile!  Without stopping!  And there weren't even any rabid dogs chasing me!!  Go me!  (And by "run" I mean that geriatric amputees could have passed me.) Even more impressive was that I managed to make it up a decent hill I encountered without having to stop to hork up a lung.  After that, there were two baby hills that I showed who was boss then it was flat to the mile marker.  I walked the mile back, then ran the 3/4 mile home.  And then I collapsed and died and my 4 year old did CPR and revived me. 

Then on Saturday my friend Paula came out to run with me.  She has been a great encouragement and motivator in my desire and attempt to become a runner.  I took her on the same route that I went on Thursday but we went even further.  I was able to run that same mile, up the hills and everything, even though Paula did kind of smoke me on the uphills.  It's okay.  I know I'm just starting out and it's not a race.  Yet.  :)   She gave me all kinds of pointers and tips, although I'm not sure I really was able to put any of them into practice mid-run, what with not being able to feel my legs and all.  We completed about 5 miles, running probably at least half of that.  I came home tired (and ravenous), but feeling proud of my effort.  I have to confess, it was my first time running with someone.  EVER.  I probably didn't give Paula much of a workout, but her company was certainly appreciated and enjoyed.  I hope she'll run with me again. 

It feels good to be challenging myself this way.  I like focusing on my health and my fitness.  I've always loved physical challenges and pushing myself to see what I'm capable of.  I grew up being very active, played sports all through high school and played softball and soccer in my early to mid-20's.  Now that my kids are a bit older & independent, I'm hungry for those challenges again and the sheer fun of it.  And I'm trying to set a good example for them by living healthily and taking care of myself.  They and their daddy are, afterall, my main reason for living.

At A Loss

I just learned that a childhood friend who has been battling cancer for the second time in her short life has lost her battle. 

Please, if you have any prayers or positive thoughts, could you send them to Trina's family?? 

I'm at a loss for words.

Trying my hand

I just had the pleasure of helping one of my BFFs update her new blog.  I really am pretty clueless as to this blog design/html stuff....I just know why my eye likes.  And fortunately her eyes agreed and she's got a new pretty blog.   Take a peek and tell me what you think!

Thanks Chelle for letting me play around with your new "home".  :)  Love you!

Now I want to update my blog...

Edited to add:  What do you think?  Is the green too green??
Edited AGAIN:  How about now?

13.1

At the start, waiting to go...

At the finish, feelin' proud...

My hard-earned medal...

I did it.

I did it faster than I hoped, I ran more than I thought possible, I pushed myself harder than I've ever pushed myself. And I've seriously never been prouder of myself.

I can't wait to do it again.

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

I can't post this without giving a shout out to my training partner and pal, Heather. I'm so incredibly impressed and proud of you, Heather. You are made of the toughest and most determined stuff and I'm so glad we did this together.

Good Times

Our Memorial Day Housewarming Party was a smashing success. It was a fantastic day and so much fun. My pulled pork turned out well and everyone brought something to share. My island was covered with food, as you can see, so no one went hungry.


I was a bit concerned that everyone would have a good time because we had a mix of people here: old friends, local friends and work friends. But, as I should have known, everyone got along fabulously, introducing themselves when I wasn't available to do so and mingling effortlessly. The kids raced around outside, inventing various games (usually Star Wars themed) and generally having a great time. It made my heart happy to see them all out there, laughing and playing. And wearing themselves out.

We started up a bonfire in the evening and, like moths to a flame, we all gravitated to it. When the sun started to go down, things cooled off and the warmth of the fire felt good. Even the smallest party attendee seemed to enjoy it.

My sweet chub of a nephew, Kieran.

It was a really nice day, one that Josh and I had been dreaming of when we were building this place. We imagined all our friends over, everyone talking and eating and laughing, kids racing around in the grass, and everyone gathering around a bonfire toasting marshmallows.

Turns out dreams do come true.

Party!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Today we're having a BBQ and get-together with friends who have yet to see The Big Red House. Should be a good time. We've got a keg of beer coming, 12 lbs of pork butt smoking on the grill, a ton of other food and beverages, and some of our favorite people coming. I get to love on my ever-growing nephew, Kieran, who is now 6 months old (my favorite age) and the sun is shining brightly. Woo-hoo!

It's gonna be an awesome day.

Hope you're enjoying your's too!

Preparations

Tomorrow is Bunco night and I'm hosting. So today I'm getting ready, which translates into agonizing over the menu and planning what house-cleaning needs to be done tomorrow. (No point in doing it today when all my hardwork could be undone in a matter of minutes by my resident whirling dervishes.)

I think I've got the menu figured out, and by menu I mean a bunch of appetizers and munchies. The gals don't require anything fancy, mostly just drinks, but I tend to obsess over menus and food when I have people coming over. It's just who I am. Of course, I totally reserve the right to change my mind, and I probably will, considering I'm heading to my boyfriend, Trader Joe's, place in a bit to see what kind of goodies he has to offer.

You should know that I LOVE Trader Joe's. I waited rather IMpatiently for his arrival in our town for three years, having had the insider knowledge that he was coming, even when the Corporate people were still denying it. And I'm not ashamed to admit, I was there on Opening Day, bright and early, to hear the marching band and be one of the first to grace his aisles. I won't, however, tell you that I actually got a bit teary as I was making my way inside. Or that I parked three blocks away and had to tote my purchases, as well as my fussy children, all the way back. And I did it HAPPILY. Again, I'm a dork.

So for now the Bunco menu is this:

~Meatballs in Yoshida's sauce

~My yummy cheeseball with crackers

~Rosemary Roasted Cashews courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa

~Olive Bread courtesy of Pioneer Woman

~Cruditès (aka Veggies & Dip)

~Wine

~Hot Apple Cider (I may naughtify it a bit: Goldschlager & Ice Cream...mmmm)

~Cinnamon bun popcorn

~Possibly some cookies, if I can get them made & hide them from the other members of my household

I'm looking forward to having all my pals over tomorrow night. We have such a great group, and we usually end up chatting and yapping for the first hour and then remember we're actually there to play Bunco and finally get started. Should be a fun night and I totally plan on winning - so watch out!

Busy Days

Man! The days are just speeding by! We've been so busy lately that I'm having a hard time keeping up with everything. Life always seems to speed up in the summer, and with our house-building project going too, we're extra busy (and burning gas like we own an oil field).

Thursday morning the weather turned cold and rainy. I had a full day of schlumping around the house planned when I received an email from my pal Heather, inviting various friends over to hang out in the afternoon. Well, she didn't need to ask me twice! I had a couple errands to run, then we headed over to her house. Brooke and a couple other friends, Maggie and Beka, joined us. We shooed the kids all downstairs to play, and settled ourselves in around the coffee maker and snacks. The hours flew by as we chatted and laughed, and before we knew it it was dinnertime! I tell ya, I have the best friends. What a totally indulgent afternoon it was - several hours to myself to just hang out with friends. Even though the kids were there, they're all old enough now to pretty much play and do their own thing without interrupting us, so it really felt like "me" time. Thanks Heather for opening your doors to us! What a great way to spend an afternoon...

Friday, hubby went out to the property to do a few things while I put the finishing touches on my 4th of July grub. In the afternoon, we headed out to Whitey's house for a BBQ. Another enjoyable afternoon ensued, where we consumed way too much food, a few beverages, and took alot of pictures. When it got dark, we brought out the fireworks and started the show. The kids all got to have sparklers and take turns helping light some fireworks. I think I prefer doing fireworks at home with friends than going to a big show, where you have to battle crowds, parking and traffic. It was really fun and the kids got to participate. Next year, we'll be able to host the party - I'm already looking forward to it!

Today I awoke with a bit of a headache and general icky feeling. Hmmm. Maybe one who is used to drinking 1-2 beers a night should rethink having a cocktail following by 4 beers. Needless to say, I got off to a slow start this morning. But after a couple cups of coffee, some Excedrin and some cinnamon toast, I was about good as new. The kids and I packed up and headed out to the house where Josh was already working. I finished putting the waterproofing sealer on the foundation, as tomorrow they will be backfilling it. The rest of the day we spent at home, relaxing and puttering around the house. I managed to do all the laundry, clean both the kids' rooms, wash the sofa cushion covers, and vaccum.

I have some pictures to post but for now, my bed is calling my name. Tomorrow will probably be just as busy and 5:30am comes awfully early, which seems to be the time when Zoë wakes up and starts calling me, or else wanders into our room and crawls into bed with us. Why can't that girl sleep IN?!

Friends

Friday dawned a clear day, with blue skies as far as the eye could see and the promise of temperatures above 70°. I was determined to get out in the newly-arrived summerness and enjoy it, so the kids and I decided to head to the lake to play in the sun. That morning, my friend Heather emailed and said she and her kids were heading out to enjoy the sun too, so I quickly replied with our plans. We agreed to join forces and meet at the lake.

It was a gorgeous day and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They played so well together and allowed Heather & I to sit back and relax and snap pictures to our hearts content. We chit-chatted, snacked, and generally just enjoyed ourselves.

Brady and Sam worked together, creating some kind of intricate moat/waterway along the water's edge, digging with their shovels and buckets. Zoë and Natalie alternately snacked and played in the water. It was so fun to watch them, developing their own little friendship. Heather and I about melted when they walked, hand in hand, down to the water to dip their toesies.

After such strenuous play, they retired to the wagon for a picnic. Again, nothing cuter. Except maybe that Natalie, when she couldn't remember Zoë's name, would simply call her "Friend".

The boys, meanwhile, braved the cool waters of the lake. But only for a minute, before they came racing back out. It was pretty chilly.

It was an extremely pleasant day, even though Heather and I both ended up burnt to a crisp. True Pacific Northwesterners we are - at the first glimpse of sun, we rush right out to soak it up, failing to remember that our bare skin hasn't been exposed to such bright sunlight in about 7 months and may be a bit unprepared for such a extended dose of UV rays. I've been limping along for two days now, with shins that are painfully burnt and feel like they have been sliced with white-hot razor blades, so you can be sure I'll remember to slather the sunscreen on next time.

There really is no place better in the summer than our town. The temperatures are generally pretty mild, rarely hitting 90°, the days are extraordinarily long (the sun doesn't set until about 9:15pm and it's not truly dark until about 10pm), everything is SO lush and green, the air is clean, and there's always lots of outdoor activities to enjoy. There's really no place like it in the summer.

It's days like this that make the long, miserable winter a distant memory and will sustain me thru the next one to come.

Guess Who's Blogging?

My pal Brooke (aka Whitey) has finally caved to the pressure and started a blog! She says it's to chronicle her summer adventures but I know it's really because she wants to be cool like me and throw her life out to the interwebs. I've apparently touted the addictiveness of the blogsphere to her one too many times and now she's been sucked in. If you get a minute, swing by and say hi to her and make her feel welcome! You can find her at http://www.thegatclanchronicles.blogspot.com/.

Brookie & I met almost three years ago thru our local MOMS Club. She had recently become a full-time SAHM and was looking for activities and friends to keep her busy and get her out of the house. When we met, our little ones, Dane and Zoë, were 6 weeks and 3 weeks respectively. As the months went by and we found ourselves at activities together frequently, I grew to admire and appreciate her razor sharp wit, her easy-going manner, generosity, and her overall joie de vivre. We soon discovered we had more in common than just babies the same age.

~We both adore being moms yet sometimes crave our old "freedoms".
~We both love to be on the go.
~We both were a bit wild & crazy in our younger days.
~We both like to dream big and shoot for the stars.
~We both love coffee and baked goods.

~We both have "Martha" tendencies (although I'll admit, she's a much better hostess than I).

~We both need sunshine and warmth and dream of living somewhere tropical.

The list goes on and on, but it all adds up to a really fun and special friendship. Being friends with Brooke is just easy. She makes me laugh, she's always ready to lend an ear, she's honest, she's creative and energetic, and she's comfortable in her own skin. She's a helluva gal and I love her. I know you will too.

Visions of Summer

With the advent of slightly warmer temperatures and the rapidly approaching end of the school year, my thoughts have turned to summer. I've started making a mental list of all the things I want to do. I live for the summers when the kids and I can be on the go and out of the house. We have our standard activities that we do every year: a trip to the zoo, berry picking, the annual campout of folks I grew up with, 4th of July BBQs, and multiple trips to the local Fair.

My main partner-in-crime, Brooke, is as much a go-er and do-er as I am so over the last couple years we've had lot of adventures together and are already cooking up more for this summer. We are more than ready for some hot, sunny weather and the freedom from school schedules. (We both have been languishing miserably thru this long, cold winter we've been subjected to.)

And this summer our youngest kids, who are only 3 weeks apart in age, will be almost three years old and much more manageable when it comes to our outings. We've been looking forward to this particular summer since they were babies, knowing they would be at the age where they were more independent and easier to drag around. And, like every summer, we'll look forward to "next summer" when they'll be a year older and even more fun. But for now, we'll start dreaming of our lazy days at the lake, picnics at the park, camping adventures and whatever else strikes our fancy.

What are your plans or favorite activities for the summer?