Teddy's House

2009-04-01T13:49:00.001-04:00

sometimes I am not sure what takes more discipline, the daily running or remember this blog?

June update... I am having blog thoughts again, although I am currently resisting...

beginning the count down

2009-03-23T08:48:00.003-04:00

I am starting on the official training regimen for this years' big race - the covered bridge 1/2 marathon in June.
Despite this weeks many obstacles - my freakin' toe still hurts! and I have had a minor break up with my running partner, which hopefully will blow over quickly, I am off to a strong start training wise.
Early Sunday morning, after deciding that it was a perfect skip church day, I ran with Lee. As planned we ran the first 3.5 miles together, and I kept up a pretty good pace (10:30ish). I was not able to talk much, mostly I just acknowledged his comments with a nod or a grunt. Still, someday I would love to be able to really run together, so this was little run was really great.

Lee kept going, he would end up doing nearly 18 miles on Sunday - gulp! I turned back and finished my run at 7.8 miles at a 11 min/mile pace - good. Even better than getting through the long run, was that I was not completely beat for the rest of the day. I did do some stretching and I used the roll-bar massage when I got home, which really felt good. I stretched out on the couch for an hour.. but I also got up and cleaned the garage and did laundry.

I am following a different training method this time, which has me running only 3 times a week and cross training 2 times (my swim class).
Sunday went so well, that I will keep to the schedule and try not to worry that I am not running "enough", quality over quantity, or something like that.

2009-03-10T07:11:00.000-04:00

It is so hard to figure out when and where to run each week. I spend over an hour total throughout the week looking at my calendar and trying to find the time to squeeze in some exercise.

Today is typical of a winter running day. It snowed and sleeted yesterday, so the sidewalks are not safe. I am thinking I will run during Teddy's piano lesson, there is a nice 3 mile loop around the school. I just have to be ready to run in the street, where there is very little shoulder along the side of the road to run in.

I will be happy to see all the snow gone for good!

Training schedule begins!

2009-03-02T08:09:00.006-05:00

yikes, it is hard to think about training outside on a day like today, it snowed 10 inches of snow last night!

Today might be a good day to make friends with the treadmill. I haven't tried to run inside since I hurt my toe, and even before that I wasn't very happy at treadmill running, but on a day like today there is really no choice.

I love these "Spring Break" days

2009-02-27T07:06:00.002-05:00

I know that winter is from from over here in NE, but these kind of days - the days when the sunshine heats up your back - are my favorite. Other than all those warm days in June, July and August I mean.
Teddy was thrilled that I didn't make him wear his "puffy" winter jacket, apparently puffy jackets are very uncool in middle school.
I will have to resist from a run today. I got all anxious about taking days off, but tomorrow will be my first long run (I am hoping for 6) in a month. My 1/2 mary is in 15 weeks, plenty of time to train but I am anxious to start!

Winter break is over

2009-02-24T07:06:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking about this poor little blog for a few weeks, and then I get stuck in the Facebook time warp and have no energy left for this. Except that I do care about keeping my blog going, so without expectations I am back into it.

I had a busy winter at work. The slow down of the economy and the poor health of my partner have kept me very focused at work (hence, no time to blog from my desk!). We seem to have a reached a good balance and are keeping up with the cash flow issues. Let us all hope that this downward spiral ends soon!

I missed my first race of 2009. The Super Sunday 10k would have been my first "repeat" race since I started running last year. I was so well trained and ready, determined to beat my time and finally be a little more competitive and run with "the pack" instead of behind them. Except that all the planning in the world could not have prepared me for my first real injury - not even a running injury. I dropped a chair on my foot and nearly broke my toe. I hobbled to the race on Sunday morning, I still had to go in and support my friend Suzanne. There was no way I could run, I was barely able to walk - complete and total bummer.

That was three weeks ago, and after two unsuccessful attempts, I finally ran a few miles on Sunday. I was so glad to be out there again, but so frustrated by how much I had lost in 3 weeks. In January I was doing 6 miles every week and a few 3 and 4 milers.

Sunday, Suzanne and I went about 4+ miles, but I had to walk a few times.

Really I am not going to let this get to me too much, except I can't wait to go for a long run this weekend and really see how far I can go...

2009 Race #1

2009-01-30T12:45:00.003-05:00

My first race (a 10k) of 2009 is this weekend and I am starting to obsess over the details.

It is a race that Suzanne and I did together last year and we were surprising fast (for us!).

What time should I wake up? Give yourself plenty of time to do all the morning things, and not be rushed on last minute race stuff. Don't wake up so early that you are tired and hungry before the race even starts...

What time should I leave my house? I still have to pick up my race packet, so I need to go through registration, and of course there is the porta-potty line to consider, and it's going to be cold out so I don't want to be there too early and standing around.

And the most important detail

What should I wear? I really obsess about this, and not just for races, but for any winter outdoor running.

I love to run in the winter, it is much easier for me to breathe and I find the cold air to be energizing, as opposed to running in Florida which is like running through pudding, or something.

So tonight I will look through my running clothes, and do some laundry and try on different pairs of socks and check the weather report about 10 times.

Making plans for 2009

2009-01-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

On a Monday morning in early December my running partner Suzanne im'ed me before 9 am at work... very unusual for Suzanne. Most of our communication in the past has been via email and was kept to when/where/what route we were going to run that day, we saved all our real talking for the runs together - Suzanne talks, I huff and puff and grunt along side her.

Anyway, we were im'ing away and she wondered why I hadn't responded to email from the night before about running another 1/2 marathon in the spring, and specifically the Covered Bridges 1/2 Marathon. Nope, I hadn't gotten her email, and besides after my disastrous debut in the 1/2 marathon last year.. no way was I doing that torture again...

Except that Suzanne sent me the link to the website.. and the reviews and the course description (it goes downhill!).. and the registration opens this morning and fills up in less than 2 hours. Suzanne was in, and I don't think she was even telling me about it to ask if I would run with her. Ugh! Of course, given the competition to register before the spaces were filled I had to try. It only costs $40, which is a cheap registration fee and I was in by 9:15. The race closed before 10 am. Of course I am feeling flush with victory!

Yikes, except that I have the first race for the 2009 calendar.. and it is a 1/2 marathon - a race that is at the outer limits of my ability.

It turns out that this is the beginning of my 2009 resolutions.. not that I will be faster, but that I will continue to push myself, to new races and new challenges.

The middle of the pack would be a nice goal for '09.

2009-01-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

Teddy's House is undergoing a renovation for 2009. As amused as I am sure all of you were by the daily updates and pictures of what me and my kids were doing at Teddy's House, we were bored and boring.

So, to reflect my newest passion and my favorite discussion topics, 2009 will be the year of blogging about running and races and my training to complete and compete in triathalons.

So far I have only penciled in the 2009 race schedule and have only registered for a few events. It is early in the year but I am off to a strong and enthusiastic start.

officially on vacation

2008-12-22T14:10:00.003-05:00

After struggling to finish a post this month, I have decided to give in and take an official vacation for the rest of the year.

I have many draft postings that I haven't been able to complete. I will be in the Florida Keys for the next week - yippee! - and might try and find some quiet time with my laptop to do some writing.

Have a great holiday everyone and Happy New Year!

Grocery store frenzy

2008-12-19T18:02:00.004-05:00

In anticipation of the big storm and our holiday party on Saturday night I went by the grocery store on the way home from work today. I needed a few things for the party and thought that I might do some baking in the morning, while the kids went out in the snow (such a fantasy day dream).

I do not go to the grocery store very often, as my hubby loves to shop and loves to cook, so I indulge him and let him do the weekly shopping. Occasionally it is nice to walk around the aisles and stare at all the packaging, as I did today. I was very casual... my kids were home with Lee and I had no reason to rush, so I didn't, But all around me was a frenzy and like a shark swimming through a school of minnows,

I began to frenzy!

Why do I keep doing this?

2008-12-16T07:08:00.003-05:00

In case you do not have a garage and you are not sure what you are looking at, let me explain..

This is my car after I drove into the garage with the Christmas tree still tied to the roof...

Yes, it is funny and what is funnier is that it is not the first time I have done this,

I wrecked a Thule a few years ago...

How would you know that there is puppy in the house?

2008-12-10T07:13:00.009-05:00

I am not sure how long a dog can be called a puppy, but perhaps like the youngest sibling who is always called "the baby", Gypsy at nearly 2 years old remains the puppy.

She is quite a wonderful little thing

except for this.....

and this....

and this

and this...

Running through the NE seasons

2008-12-08T07:10:00.005-05:00

As I become more and more of a "real" runner, and have been running every day, I find that the weather can effect my run more than anything else. The change of seasons are such a part of the life in NE and each season has its own running challenges.
In the middle of July when I try and run a few miles around the block, I can barely breath after 5 minutes. I swear that this is the worse season to be a runner. The only thing enjoyable about summer running is the ease it is to go... no gear, no layering... sneakers, water, sunscreen and go..

I ran home from basketball on Sunday afternoon. All day I had been studying the skies, measuring the snow fall and monitoring the wind speed. I contemplated the drudgery of the dreadmill, for I know that my days of dreadmill running are nearly here. I studied the sidewalks, and looked for other runners so I could judge the measure of cold and pain on their faces.

I knew that I would end up running outside, but mentally all that contemplating was necessary. So, after many discussions of what to wear, how much to wear, which route to take and how much daylight I had before I would be running in the dark, I set off.

The course from the high school to home is a straight 5 miles down the bike path, through town and out to our neighborhood. There is plenty of traffic in case I needed help, and plenty of friends' houses along the way in case I had an emergency.

Honestly, from my warm chair, looking back it was not that bad and I got my run in and over with.

When I was outside with the wind and snow swirling around me I felt like a foolish, crazy, idiot. The first 2 miles were fine, I was overdressed and stopped to take a layer off and take off my hat. The third mile was long and tiring and the sun went down and I found myself in the dark. Mile four and five were foolish. The temperature was below freezing and the bike path went in and out of the woods and up and down a few rolling hills, which were now frozen and slippery. I have been too cheap to buy a second pair of running shoes, the kind that I need to run outside in the winter, goretex with some traction. So, in my web mesh uppers I went sliding in to home for mile 5, in the dark and the wind and the snow.

It is a run like this that does make me feel like a real runner. Despite the fact that it took me nearly 60 minutes to make it home, I was out there, running like a crazy person.

Saturday morning 5k, Jolly Jaunt on Boston Common

2008-12-06T12:11:00.001-05:00

aren't you glad it's Friday?

2008-12-05T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Holiday spirit is coming...

2008-12-03T18:44:00.005-05:00

I am a slob.. and rarely can anyone tell. My house is clean and the counters are always clear of "stuff", but I have a few messy secrets, like my Christmas lights.

I am sure that it is the same way every year, with every family. I think we all have intentions of packing away the lights in a neat and orderly fashion, but suddenly it's March and the snow is grey and dreary and it is all that I can do to get them off the tree and out of sight. So, here they are...

And it is a beautiful warm day, so it was finish raking leaves (yuck) or put the lights out.. a little better. Here they are after I sorted and untangled for long time,

The I strung them around the bushes, even getting them on the prickly bush - that I hate and vow every year to chop it down, or pay someone else to chop it down. This picture actually makes it look dead,

I am very proud of my work. I am the first one in the neighborhood to get the lights up. Lee even came in complaining that I deprived him of the annual torture of stringing lights. I'm a nice wife that way, depriving my hubby of torture.

2008-12-01T17:37:00.005-05:00

I ran away from home for a few days and went to visit my cousin Jules in Woodstock, NY. It is always so nice to be away from driving kids around and doing laundry and feeling responsible. Instead I got to sleep in (I actually only made it until 7:30, which is kinda' sleeping in for me) and hang out with my cousins and just hang out. How nice.

We got a chance to see each other, which although we keep in touch quite bit through email and facebook and sometimes a phone call, really nothing can be the same as being together. I meant to take some pictures, and I even brought my camera and then just couldn't get motivated to get the camera out. The sunrise on Saturday morning, coming up over the mountains was quite spectacular, you will just have to take my word for it. I also thought I might take some pictures of snow, since they already have some, but nope, couldn't get my camera out.

I really enjoyed the freedom of driving on my own, stopping whenever I wanted and only when I wanted. I brought some book on tapes and some snacks... overkill, she really doesn't live very far away and I have never been able to get interested in a book on tape for very long. I did get a chance to sing.. my kids won't let me sing to the radio if they are in the car.. I am that bad.

So, when I got home yesterday it was back to reality. Sometimes having a few days away makes you appreciate what you have at home, and appreciate your time away even more!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T14:21:00.002-05:00

Here I am at 7 am, heading to the turkey trot. It was a lot of fun, now that it is over.

I finished in 52 minutes.. I am getting a little faster!

2008-11-26T07:12:00.008-05:00

Today's headline says "new cases of cancer decline in the US" . I am immediately suspicious. So I keep reading, and what I hear is that over the last 15 years the rates ofnew cases of cancer has been falling, almost 1%. 1% doesn't sound like a lot, but it is a trend in the right direction. I keep reading, and find that not only are there less new cases of cancer, the death rate from cancer is falling... wow, this is all really good news.

Last night I had a long discussion with a friend who is a college biology professor and one of the things that she teaches is Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth". She is often depressed over the state of the earth and the near impossibility for humans to reverse global warming. I never would have believed that Americans had the ability to make positive changes in their lifestyle, enough to make a difference in cancer rates.

Of course, some of the trend is due to better research and medical advances. Still, it seems like we have a handle on smoking, and early detection and healthy living.

Is it possible for humans to erase the start of cancer - not just figuring out how to cure cancer?
What kind of world would it be if the causes of cancer were eliminated? no plastics or cleaning solvents? clean manufacturing?
Think of what a different world this would be. It might be the kind of world that could stop global warming.

2008-11-25T07:18:00.004-05:00

I am running the local Turkey Trot (5 miler) with my neighbor on Thursday and I have been getting more and more nervous about running with a new partner. My friend S is going away and she has been having injury issues, so I needed to find someone new to go to the races with.

My neighbor is fast and competitive and has been running in races for years and years. I know that she will support me no matter how slow I am, but it is going to be hard to be last when I am all alone. (I never mind being last when I am with S)

So, I have been trying to push myself a little harder and get a few miles in at a respectable pace. I remember how hard it was a year ago to run those first few miles without stopping or passing out, and this might be harder. I keep finding myself slowing down and getting back into my old rhythm of 12 minute miles.. not fast enough for Thursday.

I have really focused on what it is that makes running so special. No matter who you are, what you are or what you used to be, the road doesn't judge. When you are running you only have yourself to please and you are alone in the moment.

The jump from running to racing is the jump from running for yourself to running in front of a crowd. I need to keep reminding myself that the road during a race still doesn't care if you are first or last, you are still faster than all the spectators ... you are faster than all the people at home on the couch.

I know that on Thursday morning just the act of leaving my house at 7 am and running for an hour will be badge of respect. That I am healthy for another year is what I will be thankful for.

Twilight - Movie Reveiw

2008-11-22T09:09:00.015-05:00

Let me start out by saying that Lee and I do not often go to the movies. I really like movies and movie popcorn, and sometimes goes to the movies without Lee, but when we have a night out together we usually find something else to do that is not the movies.

I also love to read all things trashy. I like to read classics, and best sellers, but I always goes back to trashy. I can clearly remember reading (devouring) VC Andrews series, "Flowers in the Attic", the first trashy series that really wasted my time. So, it was with great joy that I read through Stephanie Meyers "Twilight" series this summer. I read them all in about 2 weeks and would be the first to admit that they are the worst kind of books - teen porn - full of teenage first love and angst and (of course) vampires and werewolves.

Twilight, the movie opened at the theaters last night, and I figured out that it would be the last free Friday night that we would have until 2009..

Surprisingly, Lee agreed to go to the movies. He really had no idea what he was in for. However, I read the Boston Globe review and Lee listened to the NPR review, and although the reviewers all agreed that it really was a movie for 13 year old girls, that it was still an entertaining movie.

To make the evening more palatable, we went for some fine dining first, and having plenty of time before the movie went to the theater to get good seats. Upon arriving at the theater more than 40 minutes early, we had to rush to find seats, as more than 50% of the seats were already occupied. Lee sat next to a guy that looked surprisingly like Neil from The Bigggest Loser. Neil looked more unhappy and uncomfortable than Lee, they obviously were both here as mercy dates.

After sitting in the theater for an agonizing 30+ minutes, listening to the hoards of teenagers file in, scream, hug and make bad teenager noises, it was time for the preview. As it turns out, this might be Lee's favorite part of the entire night, getting to see the Harry Potter preview. After 15+ minutes of previews it was time for the show.

The movie, having to fit 500+ pages into 2 hours starts out incredibly slow and never really picks up the pace. The background that has to be given so that the movie can proceed is done as a narrative through the voice of Bella and in their attempt at making her a moody teenager, makes her a bit inconsistent.

Having read the book I was able to fill in the blanks in the movie, except that some of the more interesting dialogues in the book seem to be missing completely. I was not, however interested in the dopey teenagers, I wanted to see the lives of the vampire family, which was not to happen. A few of the scenes were done well, Edward and Bella exploring the forest at top speed, the vampire family baseball game and the hunt of the tracker vampire.

The saving element of the movie is probably the filming technique which makes it more X-files than Beverly Hill 90210. The stark white skin and the red lips of the characters are interesting as is the very close shots of the two teenagers.

Throughout the movie Lee and Neil moaned and groaned and sighed and stared at the ceiling and checked their watches and formulated their revenge on their wives. I realized early on that I should have left Lee at home, but was happy to have his company anyway.

We left quickly after the movie, eager to get away from the high school hallway that was the movie theater at 11 pm last night.

PS - This review would not be complete with out a few words about Edward Cullen (aka Robert Patterson aka Cedric Diggery). Edward Cullen is completely teen heart throb material. He is hot, and moody and sexy and wears lip stick...

I got really busy yesterday,

2008-11-20T11:20:00.003-05:00

and forgot all about posting!

Stolen from one of my favorite sites

2008-11-19T14:41:00.001-05:00

2008-11-18T07:11:00.001-05:00

I plugged my camera into the computer this morning, ready to download the pictures from the weekend... hmmm. 126 pictures? So, here is a brief look at what was on my camera this morning,

*Note - this is my new, expensive camera (chris - I still love it!)

So, not to go on too much about my childhood vs. their childhood, our kids have it soo different.

My boys will have no idea about so many things.. record player, typewriter, non-cordless phone(except I think they still have a few at school), and film cameras.

They can pick up a camera and take 126 pictures and no one cares (I care a little that it was my new camera).

Gone are the days when you have to develop all your film to see if you got any good pictures at your kids' first birthday - and if you didn't too bad,.

My kids can take a picture, edit it Photoshop, put it to music and upload it to Youtube, in about 10 minutes...

Mom, what was so great about the '80's?

2008-11-17T07:11:00.013-05:00

I really laugh when Teddy asks me this.

Whitney Houston and REO

my permed hair and Lee's mustache

Micheal Jackson, Micheal Knight, Magnum PI

Van Halen, Rod Stewart and Battlestar Galactica

Dukes of Hazard, Baywatch, 21 Jump Street

I could just go on and on about how great the 80's were and no other decade can even come close to having so much talent - Did I mention 21 Jump Street?

Perhaps the memories have more to do with turning 21 in 1987 and the 80's were truly the decade of my youth.

oops, I can't move on without mentioning Dirty Dancing

I need to just stop this post right now, because the more I surf the internet the more I realize that the 80's were also pretty bad,

Boy George - what is he all about?

So, I will just leave you with some good 80's memories.

my heart swoons....

Guest post today

2008-11-14T07:05:00.002-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by Teddy, soccer player, basketball player, piano player, drum player, guitar player... and newly - Middle School honor roll student (I think I need a bumper sticker!)

I love my handy hubby!

2008-11-13T13:01:00.003-05:00

I might have to go back and add a sound recording to this post so you can hear the hum (loud hum) of the dishwasher. It has been nearly 6 months of no dishwasher.

If any of my friends had told me that their dishwasher was broken for more than a few weeks, I would have thought they were crazy, until it happened to me.

I am not a huge fan of dishwashers, and often will just hand wash the dishes to that I can dry them and put them away. Except that it does get a little tedious when you have to hand wash everything.

I'm not sure why it took so long to get this thing fixed... it took about 4 months for "call dishwasher repair place" to make it onto a "todo list". Then after about a month of talking about calling, Lee finally did call. Then he couldn't make an appt. because he didn't know when I could be home to meet the Maytag guy.... then he made the appt. except that is was big bucks!

At Teddy's House we have been really trying to save our bucks and be cheap. Happily, Lee embraced this idea and ordered the part on line.. and a week later we had the part!

So, last night was a happy one at Teddy's House and noisy also, as we listened to the dishwasher wash.

2008-11-13T07:10:00.004-05:00

Had a near disaster yesterday... my morning routine consists of checking my email, reviewing the headlines from a few different news sites and then updating my blog. During the day I jot down different blog ideas or take pictures of what is happening at Teddy's House so that I can come up with an entry every day (I try!) without it taking too much time.

Yesterday my world was all upset - no computer! I had some kind of disk error and the computer wouldn't start. Last month I couldn't log in because Lee was doing some routine maintenance , de-fragging. This was an entirely different kind of disaster.

Of course, we all know better - back up your computer because when it's gone it's gone. That is what I thought of all day... All my pictures, with no negatives to go back to.
How could I be so stupid and have no backups??? I hadn't run a back up since I got my new computer, for Christmas, four years ago!

Anyway, disaster was diverted. It turns out that I had the system disk for my laptop, which is also an HP brand. My computer is happy again, and of course I spent 2 hours last night making a complete backup of all my pictures - 7 disks full of pictures.

My kid likes to twirl

2008-11-11T17:33:00.001-05:00

he twirls all the time, fingers entwined in his hair, almost always left hand, left side of head

when he is really tired he will twirl two hands, both sides of his head.. twirling twirling

he twirls in his sleep,

Imagine a world without cancer

2008-11-10T07:07:00.006-05:00

Inititially this journal entry was titled "Happy Anniversary", marking today as my two year cancer free day. However, despite my treatment being over and my scans clear and my voice strong, cancer remains all around.

My business partner, who is only 47 years old, is unlikely to live to be 50. A mom at school and a college friend, also likely to die within a few years. I completely understand that people are living longer and treatments are more effective and easier on the quality of life... except that why are more people getting cancer?

Sometimes I have felt like a completely freaked out mom, acting as if my kids are allergic to plastic and high fructose corn syrup and sugar free anything. Except that can't tell us the entire picture. There are cleaning agents being used daily in schools, there are high levels of hormones being found in drinking water, Teflon from the waffle maker, and a life times' use of the most basic shampoo and hair gel. Could all these things be piling up inside our children's bodies, just waiting for the kids with the crack in the wrong strand of dna to develop a brain tumor?

If that is true, then is the old argument "there is nothing I can do about it, so I might as well enjoy my ______ " - fill in the blank - cigarette, Doritos, hair dye.. valid?

Lung cancer and skin cancer are a kind of cancer that we can all be smart about and do our best to prevent. But what about brain tumors and leukemia?

When you google cancer you get 31,500,000 hits, google cancer sucks gets 265,000 hits.

The first few pages of cancer sucks links are for sites that are selling cancer sucks stuff... with a portion of the proceeds going to cancer research (of course!). It is big news when a celebrity gets breast cancer, but not so much speculation as to why we get breast cancer and why we aren't doing more to prevent it.

Could the Avon Corporation actually be more effective in their fight against cancer if instead of fundraising for cancer awareness they put all that money toward eliminating the toxic chemicals used in nearly all their products?

So, I will have a healthy day, and be so grateful for my strong voice and my fabulous doctors. I will also be aware of those around me that have not been so lucky,

TGIF

2008-11-07T07:07:00.007-05:00

What is it about Friday that makes me nicer to my kids and willing to make pancakes?

The morning routine is absolutely the same, the bus still won't wait for you if you are late, lunch money, homework, gym clothes and off to work. Except there are pancakes and syrup for breakfast and a much more relaxed momma. What ever it is that needs doing I don't have to stress about it on Friday because I still have Saturday to get it done!

Saturday doesn't even mean that I am any less busy or stressful, it is just a better busy, busy going to soccer and football games and not doing homework (in case you can't tell I hate homework more than the boys).

Friday's mean pizza for dinner and the babysitter will be here at 6:30 and I'm going out! Sometimes it means cereal for dinner and we're all in our pj's by 6:30 and watching a movie....

yummy!

14 Days

2008-11-06T07:10:00.004-05:00

since I have had chocolate... wow, I didn't think that I was going to make it more than a few days. That is not to say that I haven't been eating plenty of junk. Halloween was a junk food train wreck, I think I ate about 100 sweet tarts and then some twizzlers,

Teddy won the "guess how many candy corn" contest and so I have been eating those (457 was the winning guess - Can you believe Teddy won a math contest???)

I am going to keep up the no chocolate rule until it seems like I am eating so much other junk, tricking myself into thinking I am better off.

I need to hide the Halloween candy. Last year I put it all in bags in the downstairs freezer, until Josh discovered it and I was finding candy bar wrappers in his pockets. This year there is a frozen pizza box in the freezer, and I will hide the bags of candy inside the frozen pizza box, thereby tricking Josh.. and maybe me into thinking that all that heavenly candy is gone.

48 days until chocolate covered waffles on Christmas day, really not so long.

and now back to regular blogging

2008-11-05T07:07:00.009-05:00

Every year our (Lee's) garden produces at least one big big pumpkin. This year Lee took control of the pumpkin carving and we watched ( a little boring for us, but Lee enjoyed himself). Here is what it looks like,

We roasted pumpkin seeds, which I burned, Josh and Teddy ate a few, then I threw them away when no one was looking.

Pumpkin bread made from the pumpkin pieces,

2008-11-05T07:02:00.002-05:00

Rejoice! - one of my favorite words!
I gladly, cautiously went to bed last night and then woke up a few times and stared at the ceiling. Should I go downstairs and watch election results...??? No, I told myself, there is no way my team could have lost.. and yet, I wasn't able to rejoice until I got on line this morning and studied the map and read the NY Times.. and now REJOICE!
I am really hopeful for the country, for the economy, the soldiers, so many things... the manufacturing sector - keep my small business busy!
Historic and meaningful and it feels really good to be a part of this change,

2008-11-03T09:09:00.001-05:00

I couldn't really resist a little "then and now" picture,

Our first halloween in the new house - 10 years ago!

The Candy Rappers

2008-11-01T10:36:00.003-04:00

Just when I thought Halloween was a "done" holiday at Teddy's house - meaning it would be a night of candy grabbing and friends and no longer a fun family holiday, Josh comes up with the rapper idea. He recruited Teddy and his friend Chip to join him, no doubt the easy costume was the hook.

Josh and Chip spent the afternoon making up the rap, practicing the chant and the beat box for all the neighbors and made me listen endless number of times.

At last it was dark enough to begin the door to door begging. Teddy was off with friends for the night. Lee and I and Josh and Chip, along with Lexi and Gypsy (dressed as Tom Brady and Randy Moss, with ballet tutu on) began on our street. The rap was given before candy, as Josh quickly learned that extra candy was given for performances. We made it around our street, but it was more painfully slow than you can imagine, so we had to stop rapping at every house. For the next 4 streets and 1.5+ hours we only had to hear a little rapping between houses...

We left Chip off at his house, a few streets away, and the three of us with dogs slowly walked home, encumbered with the heavy pillow case of candy. The weather could not have been better and we all agreed it was one of our best Halloween nights!

2008-10-29T07:26:00.003-04:00

I have my annual CT scan this morning, which means no breakfast and NO COFFEE. Actually I am having black coffee, which I do not prefer but it will be enough to keep the caffeine headache away until I can have a DD on the way home.

Anyway, I am trying not to dwell too much on the test today, the good and the bad, and I will make it a topic for blogging next week when I have the results.

Today I will distract myself with one of my universal pet peeves, littering. When I am queen of the world anyone who litters will go to jail (and smot pokers can be free). I have a few memories of being scared to litter when I was growing up. And some memories of tv commercials talking about how bad littering is for the earth and memories of fines for littering.

Do kids these days not grow up with that rule? (I love that phrase "kids these days"!!) I am confused when I watch a car pull out of a parking space and leave behind a pile of trash.

Also, one study (in Northern Ireland) shows that young teenagers will not listen to laws/rules/parents, however, they are influenced by their peers and by their affinity to animals... so, how's this to get kids to stop littering?

2008-10-28T06:44:00.003-04:00

Living in NE

2008-10-27T11:08:00.005-04:00

Generally, I do not love the weather in NE. I am happiest when the temperature is 85+ and I can be near the beach.
However, there are a few exceptions to that;

I do enjoy running when it is cool outside and this is the time of year when running outside is the most joyful. Last week I went out for a few dinner time runs and came home in the dark, which is really relaxing and meditative. On Sunday I went out for my weekly long run. It had just stopped raining and was still very early and there was practically no traffic and no one else outside, really great. The park was empty,

The beautiful leaves signify the end of summer, which makes me so depressed. The dying trees and the bare branches, just getting ready for winter and snow and cold. Very very depressing,

I spent Sunday preparing for hibernation, getting out the flannel sheets and the turtle necks. I wasn't quite ready to start raking, that will have to wait until the last possible minute. This is the last week of football and soccer, then we start with the winter sports (ugh!).

2008-10-24T07:00:00.008-04:00

Everybody hates a bully and loves the underdog. Underdog = popularly expected to lose. I am cheering for the Devil Rays because they are the underdog.. and this has nothing to do with the fact that every time (two times) the Phillies have won the World Series a Republican President gets elected.

I am also cheering for Matt Cassel because the Patriots are finally interesting to watch again. I certainly love Tom Brady but he is too perfect and I wish that he could have lost a few times, (except for that last game last year). There really was no reason to pay attention to the Patriots. They just won every week. This year I am paying attention, similar to the year that Tom Brady took over, I want the new guy to win.

So why is it that the underdog is popular? Does everybody have hidden inside them an idea that they are underrated and they could perhaps be the underdog? Like a sports drama movie or a sports fantasy weekend, we all think that given the right opportunity we could be the come back kid or hit the grand slam to win the World Series.

All underdogs seem to have a hidden streak of self confidence. They all seem to know that they are going to win, and maybe are surprised that other people think they might be a long shot. That might be the difference between and underdog that wins and the regular opponent that loses.

I know that we all like to dream about the day that we come from behind and against all odds, surprise the enemy and surprise our friends with some fabulous hidden talent.

When Josh goes to bed, he likes me to send him off to sleep with a good dream. Generally these dreams have consisted of a sports or music fantasy. He becomes the skateboard/bmx bike/football/baseball hero in the Superbowl. Or he is pulled out of the crowd at a rock concert and asked to play onstage with Axl Rose and then gets to join GunsNRoses for the world tour.

Because it is Friday and I get to rest for a few days, here are a few random things I came across when I was reading the news this morning;

McCain thinks he is the underdog. The New York Times quoted some high ranking Republican this morning saying "the 2008 cake has been baked".

Dr's are giving their patients placebos (vitamins etc..) and not telling them. I don't know what to think about this. It doesn't sound all bad. What are they billing the insurance companies for?

I really like this story; Warm Hands, Warm Feelings. There is a study that says that after holding a warm beverage you are more likely to be nice toward a person. It might be a good idea to hold a cup of hot coffee while you are having a fight with your spouse.

Also, for anyone that has fond memories of Underdog cartoons, here you go..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgG0fhzjRfk&NR=1

No more DC

2008-10-23T09:57:00.005-04:00

Two years ago my entire life was changed and some of those most drastic changes were to my diet. Of course I have been "on a diet" forever, except that bc my diet was a bag of Doritos and 3 vodka tonics (20 points in weight watchers).

So, when I got sick I went completely overboard in the other direction. I started eating broccoli every day and even considered wheat grass shakes (yuck!). I stopped using plastic bottles and plastic in the microwave and gave up my beloved microwave popcorn. I gave up a lot and to be honest mostly I don't miss it except for the darn diet coke.

I swore off all "diet" foods that contained any kind of manufactured sweetener - I wanted to stick to the basics as much as possible and diet coke does not have any redeeming qualities.

Very very slowly diet coke has crept back in to my life. Part of the reason is that when I go out I need something to drink and believe me the soda and cranberry thing gets really old.. especially when you are trying to fake yourself into thinking it's a real drink. So, the bad habits of bc are back, right up to having half empty diet coke cans filling the cup holders of my car.

Another bad habit that is back (or is a new bad habit) is the vast amount of

chocolate... candy bars, dark chocolate covered almonds, chocolate ice cream....

the chocolate is all over my house... and I really need to get a handle on it.

So, I am publicly announcing that I will not eat a single bite, slurp, lick or nibble of chocolate until Christmas day.

I am not quite ready to give up the dc, yet.

Lee - I would like some Turkey Hill Mint Oreo Chip ice cream to go on my waffles on Christmas morning - thank you!

Makin' Pie

2008-10-22T06:57:00.009-04:00

Our usual morning routine took a turn for the better today, Josh was up and outa' bed early so that he could make pie!

Last year Teddy and Josh won the school pie making contest with a chocolate graham cracker crust filled with vanilla pudding and sliced bananas.

This year (at the last minute) Josh decided to compete alone and will be making 7 am pie. The pie will consist of a regular graham cracker crust filled with devils food chocolate pudding and topped with bananas!

Any kinda' cooking that the boys want to do that I don't have to help with, even if it is making instant pudding - then I am all for.

I dream that someday my children and my husband do all the cooking...

I will post the final pie later today. The pie needs to sit in the fridge all day and the bananas will go on at the end,

2008-10-21T06:43:00.004-04:00

I love swimming in the early afternoon at the YMCA. I try and schedule my swim for the time when the preschoolers have gone home for their afternoon naps and the school kids haven't arrived yet. Some days I can be in the pool by myself with only the lifeguard in the room with me. It is incredibly peaceful and soothing. Yesterday, I swam slowly and stretched out my sore shoulders - I still haven't figured out why they are hurting so much, but no spinning this week. The only sound that I hear is my breathing (or panting) and the very quiet splashing of my kicking.
It is easy to let my mind wander when I am in the rhythm of doing laps.
I thought about the first time that Teddy and I came to swimming lessons. The pediatrician had given me some ideas of ways to bond with Teddy when he arrived home and I loved the idea of swimming together. (The entire changing room fiasco is a memory for another day!) I remember the faces of all the little babies when they felt the water on their legs and figured out how to splash. Also, how afraid they all were at the loud echoing noises that the voices made inside the huge pool room.

Last week we celebrated Teddy's gotcha day - 11 years that he has been home with us. 11 years is not so long and yet I cannot really remember what Lee and I did before Teddy. 11 years since those first swimming lessons.

Recently Teddy asked if I thought he might be part Mayan Indian (reminds me of when he used to tell people that he was born in a volcano). He is still trying to figure out how to answer the question "What nationality are you?". In school yesterday he didn't know how to respond - is he the nationality of his parents (Lee and I) or is he his birth nationality? I told him he can answer however he wants to, but actually that wasn't really giving him an answer. What nationality is he?

The Heat is on!

2008-10-20T08:12:00.004-04:00

Rejoice! I had the best of intentions to wait until November 1 to turn the furnace on, except that I found that I could barely move around my house on Saturday bc I was so darned freezing.
I had read a few articles last month of ways that families were delaying turning the heat on and then only keeping the thermostat at 60 degrees or some other very cold number... and I wanted to be that family. I wanted to be warm in my slippers and sweatshirt and feel good about the crisp air outside and inside. I found that despite my good intentions I could only crawl under the blankets on Saturday afternoon. It truly was too cold for me to move. Ok, so I didn't try jumping jacks and jogging up and down the stairs to warm up - is that a little ridiculous? Or is that the way that we are finally going to reverse global warming?
I rolled over at about 2:30 am and heard a comforting sound, the warm air coming up from the furnace...
It is so easy to turn that heat on and now I am so much happier in my house.

How's your chi?

2008-10-16T08:36:00.004-04:00

Ch'i (pronounced "chee") is the Chinese word used to describe "the natural energy of the Universe."

My chi is not with me this week. There is no natural energy going on from within me and certainly no chi is apparent at Teddy's house. This could be the result of traveling all weekend and having no time to organize and relax. It could be the result of the school honeymoon being over and the drudgery of the routine has taken over. The boys have been tuning me out all week - I have turned into the background noise...

I researched Feng Shui this morning to try and learn how to rearrange my surroundings so that Teddy's house can be more naturally peaceful and relaxed. Feng Shui is the idea that you live with nature, in harmony with your surroundings. Fengshuitips.com is a good resource for learning, except that nothing has been published on it since 2003. Is that the last time that Feng Shui was trendy? (In my scattered mind this makes me think of all the web sites and blogs that get started and then drift into the back shelves of the web library and nobody ever checks out those books anymore...)

The website suggests tips for creating harmony in the home - to take all good with gratitude and accept the bad, and then let it go.. that's seems like good advice for me today. It also suggests silly things like sleeping in red sheets if you are feeling sluggish and placing a dragon on your desk if you want to be powerful at work. If only life were that easy - just rearrange your office and sleep on red sheets,

So many things in the last few weeks have upset my harmony - just the stress of watching the news, or if you dare to look, the balance of your 401(k) account. Yes, Lee and I won't be retiring for 227 years. easy come, easier gone.

My conclusion from my brief research and discussion is that you have to balance your chi yourself. If things aren't feeling right then make the moves to work it out. Chi and Feng Shui harmony do not happen on their own, one must make deliberate steps to correct your missteps and deliberate steps to move forward, at home and at work.

I need to start off with dusting my bamboo plant.

Running update

2008-10-15T07:00:00.007-04:00

7:05 am
I am proud to say that one year ago I ran my first real "race" - the Tufts 10k. I ran with my very very good friends Michelle and Suzanne and the three of us have continued to run together for the entire year. Suzanne and I made it through 13.1 miles in May and Michelle and I "tri-ed" together twice, with plans for more next summer.

I have so many milestones in the fall - I am nearly two years "cancer free". Last night Teddy and I went for a run together and he kicked my butt and we only went 2.5 miles! He has come a long way in the last month (since joining the cross country team) and I have progressed only in distance and not in speed. I am thinking that I need to find a coach this winter and start working on being a little more competitive.

Walking around Chicago all weekend with runners everywhere inspired me to continue to compete and enter races. All those marathoners look at eachother with a very self satisfied smug look - I am in the club, are you in the club?

I'm not in the club, and I never wanted to be in the club, but suddenly I am thinking about the club...

10:43 am

I am back at my desk and decided to finish up my post for the day.. I just went back and re-read what I wrote this morning.. before coffee and reality had set in...

I do not want to run a marathon - let's be very clear about what I was fantasizing about. I do not want to run a marathon. I think it is very cool that other people (emphasis here) enjoy the silly sport and I enjoy watching them. I do not want to run a marathon.

and we're back!

2008-10-14T07:02:00.004-04:00

Had a great time in Chicago. It is a beautiful, tourist friendly city and we went all over the place. Lee had a good run - 58 seconds from his personal record, in 84 degree heat. Of course I had no time to write this weekend (really, what was I thinking? like bringing Beowulf on springbreak). I will try and provide some more details later this week,

Off to the races!

2008-10-09T14:19:00.005-04:00

So, we leave this afternoon for the windy city. Lee is well trained, well rested and well fed. This should be a great weekend for the family and exciting to watch Lee add another state to his 50-state marathon quest.

I had been considering bringing my lap top because I would love to have time to play with my photographs and take time to learn more Photoshop tricks. But, given the quick trip and the busy days I probably won't have a lot a time to myself.

I am going to try and blog in from my phone, so we will see how that goes. Look for a full race report next week!

what can I say about this?

2008-10-09T06:56:00.008-04:00

Josh and Julia have been working all week on Josh's campaign for President of the Street. He is running unopposed and I do not quite understand the election process or the role of the President of the street.

However, it has kept them busy and creative, so I am just going with it,

As a side note regarding presidential elections, last year Teddy had to write a persuasive paper and decided to write a letter to congress outlining all the reasons to change the rule that says that one must be born a US citizen to become president. Teddy and Josh were not born US citizens, they were naturalized (your citizenship lesson for today) and think it is completely rude and unfair when they are told at school that anyone can grow up to be President.

Here is Josh's campaign speech,

Let me know if you would like a poster for your yard , or perhaps the top of your car.

testing...from my phone...

2008-10-08T18:18:00.001-04:00

testing...from my phone...

Defragging

2008-10-08T09:59:00.005-04:00

Main Entry:
de·frag·ment
Pronunciation:
\(ˌ)dē-ˈfrag-mənt\
Function:
transitive verb
Date:
1985
: to reorganize separated fragments of related data on (a computer disk) into a contiguous arrangement
— de·frag·men·ta·tion \-ˌfrag-mən-ˈtā-shən, -ˌmen-\ noun

Above, is a cut and paste from Mirriam-Webster online dictionary.

This morning I had to "blog" by paper and pencil - because I was defragging (a word that is way younger than me).

I was defragging or my computer was defragging or I (via Lee) was causing the computer to defrag ??
I am not too sure. What I do know is that despite my computer only being a few years old it can have days where it is harder to wake up then nearly-teen Teddy.

It appears that it is just too much of a community appliance - I have an enormous number of photographs, including the many copies of my photos that I make when I am playing around with Photoshop.
Then there are all the Youtube videos that the boys make (incessantly!) and balk when I suggest that once you upload it to to Youtube you can erase it. This is something I just need to do when they go to bed, while I am eating Fruit Loops and ice cream.

I was thinking that defragging would be a modern way to express "spring cleaning".

My house could use some serious defragging right now. I can't go out tonight because I have to defrag. Lee has a list of defragmentation to take care of this weekend. My neighbors are such slobs - they haven't defragged in years...

So if anybody is looking for a new business opportunity -

North Shore Defraggers, Defragger & Sons, Defragmentation Corporation, iDefrag,

Figure in the sweet potato

2008-10-06T20:10:00.005-04:00

There has been quite a lot of media coverage this week involving a window in a local hospital. The window has some unusual mineral deposits that appear to look like the Virgin Mary to spectators standing outside on the street.

I have been thinking about it at random times all week.

Is it like cloud watching, and you can make various pictures appear to suit your vision, while staring up at the sky on a cloudy day? Can you find a picture in anything, and then using the power of suggestion relate your picture to someone else, until you are all convinced that you are seeing a miracle? Or, is this truly a sign of the Virgin Mary - and if so, what is that all about?

I was peeling potatoes for dinner last night and I saw a manatee....

2008-10-06T07:08:00.019-04:00

This is not an online photo album, but for a few days I have been quite nostalgic for a time when the boys were young and cute.

Please do not confuse this with a desire to go back to a time of toddler-hood.

I love having older children and I love the more active life that we currently have. For example, we went on our annual pilgrimage to the Topsfield Fair yesterday. (we don't really make it every year, but annual sounds better).

This is what we did,

(ok , I lie - I didn't do this, but Josh did it twice)

(bad picture from the camera phone, but the ride is called FREAK OUT - yikes)

Instead of this,

Lee and Teddy did this;

instead of this;

and we all left happy and not crying and kicking the stroller - how 'bout that?

She looks so happy!

2008-10-02T12:37:00.005-04:00

Yes, it is a commercial and she is supposed to be cheerful, but it does make me think that there are actually some women (and some men) that actually enjoy being in the kitchen...hmmmm...

I feel like I am always in the kitchen, but I am never there because I want to be there or because I am doing something enjoyable. I am there doing bad things.. washing dishes, making macs and cheese, making cereal (haha, couldn't resist that one), washing dishes, and pushing paper around on the "mail/junk counter" (you know what I mean bc everyone has one of these!)

In Teddy's house it is never Teddy who is in the kitchen... King Teddy prefers to sit at the counter and say things like "I wish I had more milk". He says this bc then he knows that I will stare dumbly at him for a few seconds and then with a look of incredulity pull the milk jug from the fridge and with great dramatic flair proceed to fill his empty glass.. while he tries not to laugh, and all the while knowing that once again, King Teddy is being served.

King Josh however loves the kitchen. I have no doubt that this goes hand in hand with his love for food. He likes to be involved in putting groceries away and he looks to open the cupboards and stare at the food. He also (ugh!) likes to bake and make things. This happens often when he is bored or when his friend Julia comes over. They so enjoy getting out the flour and the baking trays to make bread...edible only after Josh completely covers it in butter or sugar or honey or syrup...

One of those things that I would do if I ever won the lottery - I know I don't play the lottery, so I am never going to win - but just say that I did play and I did win, I would so get a personal chef and they would have to think of what was for dinner and make my specific food craving every day and I would never ever go in the kitchen. I would not even know how to get to the kitchen.

2008-10-02T07:05:00.013-04:00

There are some things that I can remember very distinctly (the other 90% is part of the whole NARFiness problem). I really really remember "cereal battles" with my brother. A cereal battle can be a few different things, but generally it is a battle for control of a box cereal.

It is very important to be the one that gets the first serving of a new box cereal. So, if you know that there is a little bit left in the box, you let your brother help himself first and he would have to finish the old box (yucky) and you could be the first one at the new box (taste better - don't know why). Also, if there is an old box of cereal, even if it is your favorite cereal, after a few days it cannot be consumed, too stale, too yucky. You would have to leave the old box in the cupboard with 1/2 serving in the bag and move on to a different box.

I clearly remember the lecture that my mom used to give (that I am practicing to give to my boys any day now) "I will not be buying new cereal until the old cereal is gone!"

I also remember my mom eating a mish mash of all the cereals just to use up the old boxes and clear the shelves.. guess what my late night snack was last night?
Honey-Puffins-Flakes-O's with raisins...

Joyful!

2008-10-01T08:16:00.002-04:00

Private Joy

2008-10-01T07:02:00.014-04:00

A good friend of mine called me last week and the subject of her hubby's new found happiness came up, his girlfriend. The girlfriend is a motorcycle and it seems that this hubby has been quiet and complacent for many years.
He stood by and let his wife direct the family and dutifully went to work each day to pay the mortgage and the vacation bills. However, it seems that he had a secret passion for motorcycles. Apparently many years ago, when his children were babies he discussed the purchase of a motorcycle and was easily talked out of it...however, he never let that quest disappear.
One day this summer he quietly made the deal and with very little fanfare came home with a motorcycle and began to ride it to work everyday. My friend had little to say about this, because her hubby was suddenly joyful. He didn't mind so much going to his job; a job that was not very fun or exciting.
He had happiness in his voice when telling his wife about having to ride home in a sudden downpour. And my friend really understood that everyone needs a little private joy, a little something to look forward to outside the regular life that we all have.
Mothers can find their joy in the faces of their children. I am still smiling at the memory of Teddy's face when he came across the finish line at his cross country meet this week, and Josh's face when he is on his skateboard or coming home from football practice.
Without a little joy there is no doubt that the incredible monotony of life would sneak up and get you and then you would really have no reason to get out of bed,

NARF

2008-09-30T06:58:00.006-04:00

I am the world's biggest hypochondriac, but here is one that we all have. Normal Age Related Forgetfulness.
Please do not confuse (ha, good word) this with Alzheimer's. NARF is not about forgetting the faces of your family or what year it is. NARF is standing in the basement for a full 30 seconds with no idea why you are there and no idea how you got there!
My research tells me that there are lots of reasons for NARFing, the most easy to cure being not enough sleep, too much stress, poor diet and exercise - so tell me something that I don't know, right?
Actually there is a way to prevent NARFiness, brain exercises. I read that and I panicked! That can't be true - I cannot be reading this in September. September is the absolute lowest month for brain exercises.. all the new shows premiere. How can I be doing the NY Times crossword puzzle in pen if I am watching Survivor? Does eating fistfuls of popcorn while staring intently at The Biggest Loser while flipping over to a prerecorded episode of The Amazing Race count as exercise??
Alas, the mental olympics shall have to wait until January when all my shows take a break. I can do Soduko's during American Idol.

Technical Downer

2008-09-29T07:02:00.006-04:00

Occasionally, Lee will agree to watch a movie with me. It is not that he does not enjoy movies, he does(I think).
I love to watch movies and could have movie marathons every weekend if my kids would let me stay in my room the entire time and not feed them or drive them or watch them play sports in the rain, a subject for another day!
Lee just really has other things to do and he is always busy on the weekends... running and sleeping and watching the boys play sports in the rain. This weekend all sports were cancelled due to the deluge of rain that has been over NE for the past three days. It was a very timely weekend to get completely rained out; there was a lot of homework to get done at Teddy's house. Perfect for me - I can direct the homework assignments from the couch while watching whatever movies I could find, and hopefully convince Lee to watch with me. Yep- another topic to consider - Why are movies better when watched with someone else?
So, here is a list of broken electronics at Teddy's house..

pendant light in the kitchen - this has been broken for so many years it might not be fair to include it
dishwasher - yes, true we have been washing dishes by hand for a few weeks with no plans to get it fixed
the dvd player in the family room - last nights movie was watched on the laptop
keyboard of my computer - suddenly there is no SHIFT KEY! no biggie, right? Without a shift key it is absolutely impossible to do anything! This entry for example, is being typed on my laptop.. I couldn't sign in without the shift key... no shift key pretty much renders a computer useless. Teddy's house cannot function without a minimum of three working computers..

hmm.. I know that I will think of several more broken gadgets throughout the day today..

Welcome to the family!

2008-09-26T07:02:00.007-04:00

We have a new member of the family here at Teddy's house...

No - not another dog, (wouldn't that be fun?!)

This is not so much fun, although it has some potential...

Welcome Josh's Trumpet

Germ Wars

2008-09-25T07:02:00.007-04:00

I have this secret motherly pride - my kids have never been really sick. I say really sick because they have never missed school because they are too sick to go. This means no throwing up - How lucky I am!!!

However, every September we all get colds. This year I tried so hard to escape the school germ cold. Every time we walked in the door, wash your hands, wash your hands. I have the purell on my desk at work, the kids take it to school in their pockets and it is handy from every seat in the car.

Sadly, like the state of the middle east, the terrorist germs have gotten through. They haven't won, we are all still on our feet and going to work and school, but we are feeling the effects. Lots of kleenex use and lots of sniffling and coughing. The boys will make it to school all week, but just barely.

I am hiding this until the boys go to bed...

2008-09-24T07:09:00.002-04:00

How can anyone resist?

2008-09-24T07:08:00.005-04:00

Open up my freezer on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and occasionally on a Wednesday and nestled gently among the frozen veges and sandwich bread will be the ice cream.

Lee grocery shops most Saturdays or Sundays (thank you Lee!) and brings home the ice cream - rejoice! Lee is currently burning an extra 3000+ calories a week - just another reason for me to keep up with the daily run. The entire family can now grab a spoon at nearly any time of day or night and have a big creamy spoonful of chocolate..nuts..carmel...oreo cookie.. the flavor can change weekly. A few weeks ago, despite our attempts at keeping the grocery bill from skyrocketing, we began eating through two 1/2 gallons - before Wednesday! yummy... delightful...

Until Thursday - then we have to eat fruit or instant pudding. Life is so unfair.

Change of Season.... Honeymoon is over

2008-09-23T07:10:00.001-04:00

I was lying in bed this morning waiting for the sound of the heat turning on. It didn’t happen yet, but any day now the routine and rhythm of the house will change once again. The soothing humming of the window fans will be replaced by the heat turning on and off. I love summer so much that this is a very hard time of year. Good bye beloved beach!

September is also the school honeymoon month. (If only my honeymoon had been a month long!) The reality of nightly homework and the grind of the routine starts to set in and the thrill of a new teacher and classroom fade quickly at Teddy’s house.

We closed the pool on Sunday and the when I look out the kitchen window the expanse of the black cover taking over the backyard is startling. This weekend I will have to move through my closet and fold up all the capris and shorts. Of course, those running shorts get to stay out a few more weeks. This is really the best time of year for running.

I pretty much took last week off from any exercise and when I went out on Sunday my body completely protested! It is not fair to only run long runs on Sunday and ignore my legs for the rest of the week. My run was predictably slow and painful. This week – the honeymoon is over! – every day I will train.. I just need a race on the calendar to train for… something easy?

Dog fight

2008-09-12T07:06:00.019-04:00

I have been having fun with my new camera. I upgraded from the classic point and shoot to a more professional digital slr.
I sat outside on the front steps the other day trying out the settings and the different light values. The dogs followed me out (of course) and after realizing that we were not going for a walk started fooling around... Lexi constantly surveys our yard. However, she has a memory of the electric fence and the zap collar so she rarely chases any of the wildlife in the woods across the street. Generally, Gypsy will stay with her and not wander away,

Lexi is such a good looking dog,

Here is Lexi, starting the fight....

and the chase begins.. I am so happy with the clarity of the shot and the focus on Lexi,

more of Lexi beating up on the puppy. They really are happy when they are biting eachother.

Gypsy trying to get back a little. She is no match for Lexi.

2008-09-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

Yipppee! I did it again!

2008-09-08T08:08:00.003-04:00

Not wanting to be a one hit wonder, Michelle and I hit the road to Hopkinton for another sprint triathalon. Sooo much fun! It is better than any running race by about a million times. The variety and the socializing and the moving through each event, keeps the time from feeling too long. The horrible 1/2 mary from the spring was long and lonely and miserable and I was feeling so dejected when it was over. By contrast, the tri's are fun and I am not alone out on the course!!

I am sad that the tri season here in New England is over and I will have to wait until spring to start racing again. I am already filling up my summer calendar with plans for next years races...

race report to follow!

Winding down

2008-08-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

The wonderful summer is winding down at Teddy's house. We had one last vacation with M and Abi, which turned out to be a lot of fun,
M hadn't been hiking in the white mountains in 20 years and it was so nice to be able to get back up on the mountaintop with her and allow her daughter to experience the fatigue of a long climb and the joy of the summit! Even Josh admitted that it was pretty fun. We did have to coax him down the last 1/2 mile with starburst.
Laboe day at Teddy's house means a day on the boat and Lee's annual 25k around Rockport and then the real school week begins. With football games starting the week after that, the weekends are nearly completely given over to sports.
My triathalon is in a few weeks, but after that I will have to think carefully about committing to another race before spring. The training time and pressure really takes a lot more planning than I can manage to squeeze into the schedule these days,

Another family 5k!

2008-08-08T07:51:00.004-04:00

It was a rainy night and we headed over to Lynch Park in Beverly,... none of us wanting to get wet. The skies cleared breifly while we stood in line to get our race #'s.. Josh and I agreeing that there was no way we were going to run in the rain.

But, of course we ran and it was cool and misty, which was just right for a nice 3 miles. Lee ended up with his fastest time ever - 23 minutes. Teddy also had a fast run, 32 minutes and Josh and I ran our slow and steady 12 minute miles, and we didn't stop once.

In fact, Josh chatted happily for the entire run! It was one of our best yet, and then we went out for some big yummy ice cream cones!

Mount Major, NH

2008-08-04T07:50:00.002-04:00

Lee and I have such a hard time getting through a weekend without a lot going on and with something fun planned. This weekend, of course we were completely busy, but only busy with busy work. We need to have some sort of adventure in the schedule to work toward.

With nothing really going on and sick of looking at the kids lying around being lazy (that's what summers are for, right?) We packed up snacks and dogs and boys and drove north into NH. Realizing that NH is full of mountains and lakes and wonderful day hikes.. we fell back to a hike that we had been on before, Mt Major.

We hadn't been here in a few years and weren't exactly sure how far a drive it was or how far the hike was to the summit.. but as it turns out it was perfect and exactly what we needed!

The boys were quite grumpy on the drive north and didn't stop until we left the parking lot with the challenge that they couldn't make it up to the summit and back to the car without grumbling. The reward being a mini-golf.

Mini golf has been outlawed in our house for a few years... we have never been able to complete a round of mini golf without fighting, crying, punching, cheating, yelling, .. well, that is the idea. So Lee and I declared that we would never again take the kids out to mini-golf.. until now.

They made it up and down the 4 mile hike smiling and happily munching on blueberries...

look for the mini golf posting soon, we'll see if we can make it through without a fight...!

Backyard Cook-out

2008-08-01T07:53:00.002-04:00

It is really feeling like summer here tonight. We finally unpacked the little campfire that Lee got for Father's Day and made a fire out on the patio. Hot dogs and marshmallows followed, with bouts of swimming in between. It was nice to have just the four of us home and in the backyard, relaxed. This really doesn't happen enough,

I am a tri-athlete!

2008-07-28T10:44:00.003-04:00

Here is my quick race report – I was so nervous at the swim start and walking down to the beach. It didn’t help that we were delayed 40+ minutes, except that I got to talk to some of the other survivors which is always so inspiring. I was lucky going into the swim to be in the front of the pack, after the first buoy I found a good groove and was able to actually do some crawl. I was so happy with my swim time and felt good when I got out of the water. The transition was a little bumpy, I had forgotten to adjust my bike seat so I had to stop a few times and get it in the correct position. I have the least experience on the bike (I had to borrow one for the race) but with that in mind I just put my head down and kept pedaling. I did not get off that bike – went into granny gear for the hills and kept repeating “I am a gorgeous athlete”. The mantra worked and although lots of people passed me on the left I felt good about my ride. The ride to run was the hardest and my calves were stiff for the first mile. I am a very slow runner, but really enjoyed this part of the race. I was finally able to look around and feel the love from the crowd. Again, my goal was “do not stop”. I was able to run my slow pace the entire way up and down those little hills and by the last ½ mile was feeling so good that I even kicked it up a little! I am so smiling today!

Triathalon in seven days

2008-07-21T12:37:00.002-04:00

I think that I will give in and officially admit that I am on summer vacation. The amount of driving this summer is quite horrible, esspecially given the $$ of gas. The kids are back and forth at different camps and the beach and the pool... and no time to blog!

The triathalon is on Sunday ... eeks! Ready or not...

Vacation post - The hike

2008-07-11T06:53:00.010-04:00

We thought that we had a reservation to go kayaking on Monday except that upon arrival at the kayak store we found that we did not... hmmm... I am not very happy when events do not go according to my expectations... I got grumpy, Josh got grumpy, Teddy got grumpy, Lee walked us down the street to get ice cream.. all in that order.
During the ice cream ordering the idea occured to Lee to let the boys order whatever they wanted, adding up the miles which each "piece" of their order. Josh's went something like this;
Waffle cone = 2 miles, scoop of coffee ice cream = 1 mile, toppings = 1mile. Josh "owed" Lee a 4 mile hike and the biggest catch was - NO COMPLAINING would be allowed!
We consulted the map of the park and Lee immedialty chose the 7 mile hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain. I was uncertain of his choice but we all agreed. The boys of course only hearing "3.5 miles to the top" and not quite understanding that it also meant 3.5 miles back down.
We filled our water bottles and left a hot and sunny parking lot for the "death march" - with NO COMPLAINING!
It was a truly wonderful event. We marched and laughed and joked the entire time. There truly was NO COMPLAINING! It is hard for me to remember - it is just outside of my imagination, but I know that it happened. It became the highlight of the trip, here are the pictures. Note - although it was quite sunny at the bottom, most of the hike was in the wind and the fog. Definetly Maine weather,

The veiw from the top is quite spectacular!

Vacation post - Maine-ly flowers

2008-07-11T06:30:00.002-04:00

I love taking pictures of flowers. In my next life I would like to be a landscape designer or own a flower shop, but in this life I can't seem to keep up with the weeds. Here are my pictures from vacation,

2008-06-27T08:11:00.001-04:00

still at work....vacation begins in 4 hours. For the first time I have left Lee at home to pack the kids and the dogs and the boys while I have gone to work. It is hard to give up control but I am so glad not to be in charge of the packing this year!.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

It's been a long time

2008-06-23T11:44:00.001-04:00

I had gotten so used to blogging nearly every day that I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic – I had forgotten about my beloved Teddy’s house blog! It seems that the end of school was so dramatic for us at Teddy’s house, with recitals and graduations and school plays and baseball baseball baseball that I had forgotten to keep my on-line thoughts updated. Well, I’m back. I am sure you are wondering what brought me back – it’s all bc of Grandma. Thanks G’ma! The boys are spending 2 nights and 2+ days with G’ma and G’pa.

What a treat for everyone – but mostly for me.

I won’t tell G’ma that Josh discovered the phone in the guest room and has been calling me every few hours to tell me that he is homesick but does not want to come home. I can completely agree with him! I miss him, but I do not want him to come home!
Normally Lee and I would be off to a hotel in Boston or a B&B in Vermont, however this weekend we find ourselves with no dog sitter and no gas money and the desire to hang out at our own house. We did a lot of bike riding and some running and napping and movie watching and out to dinner and trips to the bookstore. So it was a real weekend of doing what we wanted. And now I am ready to see my kids J

Saving gas

2008-06-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

I rode my the company bike to work today! I do not actually own a working bike and I did not win the free bike from my favorite blog, crankyfitness.com. However, for reasons still unknown to me, one of my partners here at work bought 2 bikes last summer (with the company cash). I think he wanted a new bike and justified his purchase by buying some extras. So, anyway I have adopted one of the bikes. After much consultation with Lee as to the route that I should take and also much packing and repacking of my backpack (it feels so heavy – and yet has nothing in it!) I rode the 4+ miles to work. Ok, so not a very long distance. In fact it took me barely 20 minutes. I haven’t been this early to work in a years. The hardest part was negotiating the traffic and the train tracks. There are a few potentially fatal intersections between home and work, and even in a car they can be suicidal. I tried to be smart and still look “cool”.. ie.. not ride the entire way on the sidewalk. I wanted to be a real rider… hmm… except that my helmet is completely broken and sits on my head sideways…J Now, I just need to get me and the bike home.

Sunday lunch on the boat

2008-06-09T09:29:00.001-04:00

It is really hard to keep up with the save the environment talk when we have so much fun out on the boat. At the same moment that I disparaged anyone who would drive a Hummer, my husband mutters comments about our twin 150's, hmmm. It is hard to be a consumer loving American and still preach to my kids about turning out the lights and recycling. I am sure that there are many families that would make the choice not to own a powerboat, especially with the high gas prices. Is it enough that we are willing to forgo our "tear arounds"? These are basically Lee driving the boat really fast out around the islands off the North Shore while the kids hang out in the front of the boat and laugh into the wind at the high speeds.

We have some of our best days out on the boat. Would we really be able to give that up?

For example, yesterday during a lull in the fishing, while Lee was working on the fishing gear, Teddy complained to me that he was sooo bored. I agreed, that I was also kinda' bored. But then I reviewed the alternative with him - we could be home doing homework, laundry, dishes, fighting with your brother. Instead we were out here together - trapped with your family. Although I know that the boys are still young, I also know that they each increasingly want to call their friends and be away from me. The time when they won't spend the day on the boat with their parents is coming, so we are going to enjoy a little boredom together until then.

Why is it that I can start with this?

2008-06-04T17:38:00.011-04:00

Why is that I can spend hundreds of dollars on cookbooks AND cooking magazines at the grocery store and still have nothing to cook?? I watch the food network nearly every night. I love cooking challenge shows - my favorites being Food network Challenge and Top Chef. I can sit on the couch for hours every night and page through pictures and post-it note recipes and discuss ingredients. I can surf the Internet for hours and email recipes home to myself and print out long discussions of how to prepare.

I have even gone so far as to plan menus and add ingredients to the shopping list. I can imagine the dinners that will be served to my family every night. I have occasionally convinced Lee to cook for us and agreed to do the planning and buying...

Except that if you know me for 5 minutes you know that I do not like to cook and then if you know me for 4 more minutes you know that I do not like to shop. Life at Teddy's house is best when I leave the grocery store to Lee. I get impatient at the store.. I had to spend that much money all at once, only to go home and feel like I didn't get what I really needed, or that there is still nothing for dinner.

One reason is that I am so cheap that I often don't buy all the stuff. For example, do you really need fish sauce to make Pad Thai? Do you really need expensive smelly cheese to make fettuccine? Because I think you can get by with stir fry and mozzarella.

hmm... so after all that energy and imagination on gourmet food... this is what Teddy gets for dinner tonight... scrambled eggs and toast... and he had to make it himself....

Teddy's Star Wars Recital

2008-06-03T08:12:00.003-04:00

Oversharing

2008-05-31T07:48:00.000-04:00

There is a new vocabulary word bouncing around the blogosphere, oversharing. Oversharing is a blogger that reveals so much of themselves and their loved ones that it causes dysfunction and breakup in their personal life… which of course, leads to more midnight blogging of family secrets.

Some bloggers document their daily life and mundane routines in such a way that there is no need to change the names of the innocent. For example, the many cute family/workout/diet blogs that I love to read. Some bloggers change their names and the names of everyone in the blog, my personal favorites are Crabby and Merry from crankyfitness.com. They reveal only a little of themselves. Although this year with their move across the country I have learned so much more about them.

My blog really started with Carolyn’s Cure, where I was basically copying my daily journal online. This worked because my topic was so very focused each day and each experience was new and “newsworthy”. These days Teddy’s house is just my friendly little quips of stupid suburban family life. I have thought of actually putting my journal entries up there for all to see (haha – joke’s on me).. except that documenting the painful aspects of raising two boys and working on an 18 year old marriage just seems to be out of place with the best interest of my family. Maybe my blog is just my space to keep it light and anonymous and merely to document that a boring life is still a life. J

The good, the bad and the ugly

2008-05-28T11:39:00.007-04:00

So, because I know that it is healthier to view life from the positive side, I will begin with the good. Good that I made it through a 13.1 mile half marathon road race. Good that I trained and was prepared and good for me that I have achieved a milestone. It feels good to be able to tell people that "I did it".
It feels bad to think about how totally slow and miserable I was. I really have never considered myself a complainer, but omg! - that was really hard. It was hard to be out there alone for so long and it was hard to keep running... I didn't always keep running either... I sometimes walked and that is bad. I am trying to stay focused on the good, on the accomplishment and on having it over with. However, sadly I know that I will have to try this again, because my time was really bad and really slow, even for a slow mama like me.
The race was hot and I have been nervous for days... it was long! I stayed with Suzanne, my fabulous running partner until about mile 7, and then we had to break up. I just couldn't keep up with her. She is insisting that my issues are all in my head and my body was completely prepared to run with her.
The ugly is my toes. Especially ugly is my big toe on my right foot. Interesting because my toes on my left foot have been blistering for a few weeks. I have been keeping my shoes tied fairly loosely so that my toes don't cramp or get stiff and I think that my toe got bruised or something from so much trauma (yes, trauma!)
It has been a few days since the race, and the complete pain of it is fading.. I even went spinning last night. I am not quite ready to put another 13.1 miles on the calendar.. hmm.. but I might.

13.1 Miles - Finished!

2008-05-26T16:11:00.001-04:00

My fab hubby ran the last 1/2 mile with me..I was so ready to be done with running - actually I was ready to be done at mile 6 but couldn't find anyone to give me a ride home. He met me at the top of the bridge that is the edge of Boston and leads into the south end - waterfront area. It was nice that all the runners that had finished and were walking to their cars were cheering me on, not for a minute to any make me feel bad about being so slow. Someday when I am faster I will have to make sure that I stay at the race and cheer all those people finishing behind me.. a girl can have a fantasy, right?

So Lee was great, except that he started asking me questions and then I had to gasp at him "I can't talk right now"... so then he kept talking and babbling and then I had to gasp at him again "please no more talking". At this point I really just needed to get to the finish line, which kept getting farther away...

Josh caught a fish at the canal!

2008-05-23T19:31:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt this tired?

2008-05-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

This couldn't be me!

2008-05-22T10:48:00.000-04:00

What the rest of us were doing

2008-05-20T10:45:00.004-04:00

when Lee was being the human tractor... well, actually Josh was helping, I just didn't get a chance to take a picture. I was moving dirt from the endless dirt pile at the end of the driveway and Teddy was... well, you can see what Teddy was doing.

Need I say more?

2008-05-20T10:39:00.005-04:00

He doesn't need a tractor... this is cross training. I should let everyone know that he did just get back from a 10-miler and it is hot outside..

Tractor fantasy

2008-05-20T10:25:00.015-04:00

My dh, Lee is quite a great worker bee around the house. Give him an unscheduled morning and the right tools, and most importantly no access to his boat and he can accomplish much around the house.

It all started last week, when the water cooler talk at work turned to lawn care. I was lamenting the poor state of our grass. Although Lee and I would be thrilled to have a beautiful lawn many thing keep us from that.. time, having no idea what to do, and the hesitation to use chemicals where our kids and dogs play..also - we do not have the proper equipment. Not having the proper equipment is a frequent complaint from Lee at our house. So, we were discussing our lawn woes at work and I mentioned to my friend Bill, that he had two aerators in his garage. My husband had spotted them on a drive by his house earlier in the week...

Friday afternoon when no one was home, Bill dropped off his extra aerator at our house. We not only do not have the proper equipment we also do not have alot of "lawn care knowledge". But, given the aerator was delivered, I figured we should use it. hhhmmm... I study the aerator and I consult with Bill. It turns out that the aerator requires a tractor! what! We do not have a tractor despite my husbands desire to own a large John Deere and many acres. What the heck do we do with this piece of farm equipment??

The final coutdown

2008-05-14T08:18:00.001-04:00

10 days left until the big race…my legs are tired today and my 5 miles last night was not great. In fact, I am not sure that I actually made it 5 miles. I ended up at the track at the middle school and there was some sort of running club practicing their sprints. So, I would plod around the track and pretend that I didn’t notice the large group that would engulf me on all sides as they sprinted past. It was a little depressing to be moving so slow and and to feel like an elephant plodding through a dance recital. I stayed focused on my breathing and I had a good podcast on my ipod and I was grateful that I was able to be out running at all.

I am anxious about the next 10 days but very impatient to have this behind me so I can run for fun – OMG – I cannot believe that I actually just said fun and run in the same sentence with “I”….what is happening??

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-12T19:24:00.001-04:00

Shoe burial, good bye smelly sneakers!

2008-05-09T13:32:00.005-04:00

After many many years of virtually living in these sneakers all night and day, Teddy was at last able to hold a burial and say good bye to the beloved sneakers.
Don't think however that Teddy was able to part with his shoes because his mother, father, brother, family, friends or strangers pointed out that they were disgusting and smelly and should not be allowed to enter the landfill. Nope, he started limping a few weeks ago.. and it got worse. He tried icing his ankles at night, but would come home every afternoon limping down the street from the bus stop. He refused to believe that his beloved Etnie's - the preferred sneaker of all famous grundge skateboarders could be the source of his trouble. hmmm... I thought that I might try and just throw the sneakers away and deny any knowledge of said lost sneakers. However, I know that Teddy would have to make this transition himself. Something like moving from a crib to the big boy bed. Also, I knew that if I attempted to foist any number of other new sneakers that I had purchased for him over the last 3+ years he would rebel and refuse to go to school without the proper foot covering. After I gently pointed out that he was spotted limping in the outfield at his last baseball game, he agreed to try a different pair of shoes for school the next day. Actually, that was all it took.. he flew down the street the next day. His feet as happy as baby birds who have finally mastered the sky! Then, on trash day we solemnly held the burial. You can see how sincerly sad his brother is.. trying hard not to smirk. Or maybe they are both laughing at me because I insisted that we document the shoe burial with photos. Josh did make an excellent point when he asked about the etiquette of picture taking at funerals...

My morning as Tony Soprano

2008-05-06T13:36:00.004-04:00

Look at the ducks that were swimming in the pool this morning. I reinacted the Tony Soprano love affair with his birds. Mine were not as pretty, and they also flew away when the puppy went a little crazy and tried to jump the fence and get them. I managed to take some pictures and watch them enjoy the water. Then, ala Tony, I kept looking out the kitchen window, waiting for them to return...
PS - also about birds - our robins' eggs hatched this weekend and we have three little birds in the azalea bush by the garage. I will try and take a picure of them this week. I had to blockade the end of the bush to try and keep that puppy from jumping up to get them.

Gypsy Jo

2008-05-06T07:20:00.000-04:00

Baseball and more baseball

2008-05-06T06:35:00.002-04:00

So, other than having only 20 days until the half marathon, my life has been completely about baseball. For me that means keeping the car packed with snacks and water and chairs. I also have to keep track of who is playing at what field and at what time and do I need to remember to pick up anyone else in the car pool? I realized last night as I sat at yet another game that I had been at the same field 5 nights in a row! I think that during the busy sports weeks I just get on auto pilot and each day kinda’ blurs with the rest – once the routine is set I cannot afford to vary from it or I will risk losing my sanity and the very careful balance within the house.

So, with all that going on, when am I possibly going to be able to gear up and get those final long runs in? Honestly, I have no idea. Lee and I have a wedding on Friday afternoon – what a silly time to get married. I am looking forward to a nice night out with the hubby and having a fun party to go to, but I need to run 5 miles on Friday.. and don’t think I could run to the wedding and change my clothes in the car as I have been known to do…

I am starting to actually look forward to the race… no silly – not because I am excited to run 13.2 miles, I am excited to have my life back. I am excited to not feel the pressure of a training schedule and I am excited to run when I want to and skip a day when I want to, and not feel panicked that it will ruin me on race day…only 20 days and about 100 miles left, yikes!

213 miles and 27 days left

2008-04-28T13:55:00.004-04:00

Holy carp – only 27 days left until I attempt the longest run of my life – the half marathon! It took weeks of discussion with S until I would actually register. The commitment, not only to the run but that I would run with S is daunting. Strangely however.. as it gets closer I am more and more prepared. I know that I will certainly not be fast and that I will struggle and be miserable until the end, however, I am beginning more sure that I am actually going to be able to “go the distance”.

I added up all the miles that I have run since 1/1/08 – 213 miles year to date. Yes, I am keeping a running journal, my new substitute for years of obsessive food journaling. There is so much satisfaction in looking back on the pages and seeing the numbers going up. For example, on January 6 I wrote “5 miles to the high school –omg”… and yesterday I ran to the high school … and then I ran home! omg! What a great feeling!

Teddy at the Chase the Gorilla down Argilla Road 5k

2008-04-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

How to stay young

2008-04-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

I just entered an online contest to win a bike.. I am already dreaming about where I am going to store my new bike and how great my first triathalon is going to be with me on my new bike. I will not have to ride the old sears bike that is in the shed with 2 flat tires. And I will not have to ride the company bike that I frequently borrow but then I feel guilty because the bikes are for the employees and I should certainly be able to go get my own bike instead of stealing the bike out of the company cafeteria.

Anyway, to enter the contest you had to write a few sentences on how to stay young. Of course, I immediately thought of food and all of my “food preaching” that I so enjoy – no plastics in the microwave, no plastic water bottles, local organic produce, no lunchables or sugar cereal (sorry Josh). Except that when I read the other entries I realized that everyone was basically preaching the same sermon – the contest is of course on a health food site.

Hmmm… what do I do to feel good (younger) that is different? Well, honestly if there is one lesson to be learned from getting cancer it is that you really do find out who your friends are. Without friends, you will not stay young. Everyone needs at least one person, and preferable 5 or 6, to call at all times of the day or night and repeat the same tragic or funny or pitiful story to. I am lucky enough to have a husband who can always be counted on, unless of course the story is about him and then I can call my sister who is always available to provide enough therapy that I am pretty much guaranteed to stay young forever.

Except for right now I can’t call her because she is writing her paper.. and no phone calls can be accepted on paper writing days – I have to wait for her to call me, which is a bummer when I really need to talk.

I also have a circle of 4-5 other good good friends and I can almost always find at least 2 or 3 of them to tell my story of the day to. Of course, I call them so that I can hear their story of the day also. So, unlike vegetables that you eat and feel young and then move on, friends are a renewable resource. You can replenish the friendship every day with a walk or a phone call – or if it’s my sister, you can call 10 times in one day and it would be fine.

I am going to look really young talking on the phone on my new bike J