Wordless Wednesday....

You might be wondering why I posted these pics...well it's because they remind me of hot, sunny Summer days in Michigan. I can't wait for warmer days. I was speaking to my mother-in-law yesterday and we were talking about how difficult March and April are because we're so ready for it to warm up. In my opinion Michigan is positively paradise in the Summer. I'm not just saying that because I get to run outside either. These pictures were taken over the last two years when we took our annual trip to Mackinac Island. We love it there.

The 10 Minute Trainer....

OK, so I was telling you the other day about the 10 Minute Trainer DVD’s that we purchased with the famous physical trainer Tony Horton who is magically suppose to transform our bodies and it’s going to get done in a shoddy little 10 minute dvd (LOL). I’ve been skeptical to say the least. But since it has a 30 day money back guarantee, what can we lose? I was thinking, I’m in pretty good physical shape, I can barely break a sweat in 10 minutes. The program comes with a series of workouts that you do on alternate days.
1) Total Body
2) Upper Body
3) Abs
4) Lower Body
5) Yoga/Stretch
6) Cardio 1
7) Cardio 2

So we decided to tackle the total body workout and the lower body (my problem area). You have to complete the workout with these resistance bands. OK…..SO……Let me just say……. I woke up with morning with the first thought of….dear God…..please let me be able to walk, remove myself from bed….possibly make small infantile moves without screaming out in agony. I guess I’m not so in shape after all. I am lame, weak and got my butt whipped! But the sad part is that I feel a heck of a lot better than my poor little hubby who can barely lift his arms to shampoo his head. It’s comical! No, let me re-phrase, it’s hysterical. I’m debilitated by the soreness I feel in every last square inch of my puney body. So, I’m not so skeptical anymore. I figure if I paid a trainer at the gym to spend an hour with me ($60.00) I would never be this sore. So whenever I’m finally able to wipe myself without contorting my face in misery I’m going to try again.

I believe after 3-months of doing these dvd's consistantly, we WILL be in better shape.

Get ready running world here comes Sean......

I have never really talked about my husband in my blog. For those of you who really know me you know that Sean and I have a long history of friendship. We are two very likeminded people and we are truly soulmates. I love my hubby deeply and passionately and I am blessed to have such a devoted and loving husband. We are similar in many ways and we’re polar opposites in other ways. When I ask him if he’s read my blog his reply is typically, “I don’t have time to read that book”. Sooooo I can write whatever I like about him :) hahaha. About a week ago Sean and I purchased the 10 Minute Trainer through one of those infomercial with Tony Horton. We laughed at each other as we ordered it because we tend to be very competitive in challenging each other. Tony Horton is the guy who developed P90X. It superstacks muscle exercises for faster results. Anyway, last night when I got home Sean started telling me how he’s just GOT to get in shape for when we go to Florida because he’s ashamed of his giant gut (WHATEVER!!!!) so I told him I would let him borrow the treadmill for the night to run on (aren’t I nice). He’s so funny. So after dinner (mistake #1) he hops on. I had asked him if he drank enough water during the day and he replied that his body is used to minimal amounts of water (mistake #2). Then I ask him how fast he’s going because it seems to me that he’s gasping for air and breathing uncontrollably like he’s having an asthma attack. He told me, quite seriously that he’s going 13mph and I can hardly hold my laughter in because I know by just the sound of the treadmill that he’s going between 4-5mph. So I walk over to him and the display reads 5mph (mistake #3). I told him he needs to work up to 5mph, he shouldn’t overdo it on the first run or he’ll never want to run again. I walk away knowing he’s going to have to learn from his own mistakes….o’well. I only run hundreds of miles a year and race each month of the summer….who am I to give running advice. So I start hearing this craaaazy lunatic sound like he’s gargling or coughing or choking. I don’t know, it was a sick noise and then he’s half whining ohhhh noooooo (mistake #4). He wants me to get him a cup to spit in because he’s choking on his own phlegm. He’s the poster child on how not to run, showing classic signs of overdoing it. While I’m playing with Evan I am listening to my hubby run, gasp, cough, hack, wheeze and then he slows the treadmill down to a walk and tells me (after about 10 minutes) that he thinks he’s going to vomit (mistake #5). He tells me his legs feel like they’re going to collapse from under him and he’s shaking all over and his head is spinning and it won’t stop….ahhhhhhh. I looked at him lovingly and told him to quickly sit down so he doesn’t pass out and bong his head on a sharp corner. Then I said….welcome to the world of running.

Wordless Wednesday.

Memory lane Monday....

When I was a little girl my dad would do this pretend thingy where he used his big hand to make believe that their was a starving bird and the bird would swoop into my hair and he would wiggle his fingers all through my hair and pretend the bird was finding worms in my ears, neck and hair and the combination of tickling my head while whispering things like, "this bird is so hungry, it's looking for worms to take home". I would literally beg my dad when he'd come to my bedside, "do the bird daddy." He would always do it, even if it was for a few seconds. I love the saying, "the best things in life are free" even though in my opinion, "the best things in life are generational." So here is a picture of my dad tickling Evan, "doing the bird", as we say. This picture is priceless to me. I absolutely love it that the first thing Evan says to me every morning is, "do the bird mommy".

Wordless Wednesday....

Memory Lane Monday...

This is a picture of when my sweet nephew (Brodie) was born. It's so surreal to me seeing a baby in the flesh when moments before they were inside the womb. Just another way I'm in awe of God and his creativity. Anyway, Brodie was picture perfect in appearance; 10 fingers, 10 toes and he was a healthy weight and we were there minutes after he was delivered and it was such a happy time, we were celebrating and then everything drastically changed. Dr.'s and staff kept coming in and out of the room wanting to listen to Brodie's heart and we all were scared to death. I held my sisters hand while they delivered mind blowing bad news that Brodie had to be rushed by helicopter to Children's Hospital and we were told he "MIGHT" live. He was born with congenital aortic stenosis. A VERY serious heart disorder that he would have died from but my Lord and Savior swept in and saved the day and now this is Brodie (see below). He's strong and smart and brave beyond any 2 year old I know. He's had multiple heart surgeries and one full blown open heart surgery and I just wanted to remind myself, family and my legions of readers (ha ha) we never know what we'll get in this life. We are not promised happiness and if anything is guaranteed it's that we'll experience unimaginable hurt, heartache, disappointment and pain.

Sean's aunt Sonja sent me a little quote that I'd like to share, it's from the book Purpose Driven Life, "This is the true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." (Page 33)

Look at Brodie below, whom God saw fit to give us more time with and I'm so incredibly loving every second with him.

100 things about me...

1. I’m very fun loving.
2. I’m incredibly cool.
3. Wait, #2 is a lie. I’m so not cool.
4. Great, now I wasted #3…..back on track.
5. I have the most vivid incredible/ridiculous dreams. I’d probably be institutionalized if I told a therapist about them.
6. My favorite store is Salvation Army.
7. Although I have no animals I consider myself an animal lover.
8. My animal of choice is dog since I’m sure all cats are a little evil.
9. My favorite Bible story is David and Goliath. I tend to root for the underdog.
10. Americas Funniest Home Videos is my favorite TV show currently on TV.
11. I have zero talent of any kind but I can do quite a few things decently.
12. My dad always told me what I lack in talent I can make up for in ambition.
13. I am completely un-superstitious.
14. I don’t let Sean touch my navel. When he does, he thinks it’s a party.
15. When I was in second grade, I wanted to be an ice cream scooper so I could eat free ice cream.
16. Then, when I was 15, I was told I had mind for business.
17. I hate wearing pantyhose, they put me in a bad mood and suck the very life out of me.
18. Every time I run long distances I think to myself…”I must be crazy”. It’s incredibly hard.
19. I like being a little naïve.
20. I absolutely love life.
21. I’m pretty sure my boss is the most unfriendly human on the planet. It confuses me because he claims to be a Christian.
22. I think it’s healthy to keep some secrets.
23. If I were to do drugs, my drug of choice would be nitrous oxide (from my dental office).
24. I hate it that judgemental people never think they're judgemental.
25. I’ve never been addicted to anything.
26. I’m a very hard worker.
27. I’m a total daddy’s girl which is why I think a lot like a guy.
28. I love spending time with my family.
29. I once saw a 3 year olds poop that was the weight, width and size of a brick…and it wasn’t soft. It was the sickest thing I’ve ever seen.
30. I absolutely hate the game Trivial Pursuit but I love Monopoly.
31. When I was about 7 my sister ate my fish out of my fish bowl. It just destroyed me.
32. Also when I was 7, I ran over a baby frog with my skateboard and conducted a full blown funeral. I was very sensitive.
33. O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song and it makes me cry.
34. I only fantasize about my husband and my sister thinks that’s ridiculous.
35. I love flossing my teeth.
36. I met my very best friend on my first day of college.
37. I worked every summer of college for a bankruptcy attorney who kept telling me I’d make a great attorney. I hated law but still got an A in Business Law...go figure.
38. I hate shopping.
39. While I was pregnant I craved Salt n’ Vinegar potato chips and ate an entire bag in one sitting and burnt all my taste buds off my tongue and couldn’t taste anything for weeks.
40. I don’t initiate friendships very well but I’m a very friendly person.
41. I love it when people try to get to know me but it very rarely happens.
42. I’m grateful for everything.
43. I always have a multi-purpose tool in my purse.
44. I love movies, but I never go to the movies.
45. The older I get the younger I want to be.
46. I honestly don’t have a favorite color.
47. I love to color in coloring books.
48. I multitask all the time so you probably never have my undivided attention.
49. Running has helped my sex life (firmer body) and hurt my sex life (too tired from training). 50. I try to be polite - society as a whole needs to be more polite.
51. I hate politics.
52. I never want to affiliate myself with just one specific political party.
53. I don’t have any tattoos and I probably never will. I have lots of reasons.
54. I’ve been known to eat an entire bag of peanut m&m’s.
55. I drink water like a camel and therefore pee constantly and it’s annoying.
56. Golf is the most challenging sport I’ve ever played.
57. I am very unromantic. I once tried to plan a romantic candlelight dinner and half way through I had to turn the lights on because I hated eating in the dark.
58. I am a very passive person. It takes a lot to anger me.
59. I run much faster to music I love.
60. I can balance my body in a few strange positions.
61. I wish I would have gone to nursing school.
62. I love to laugh and to make others laugh.
63. When I fart in bed, I fluff the covers. I don’t want to baste in my own stink.
64. I think zodiac signs are the stupidest way to generalize people.
65. I absolutely need to get 7 hours of sleep.
66. I have my motorcycle endorsement but I sold my Suzuki Katana motorcycle when I had Evan. Parenthood changes lots of things even though I swore to my youthful self it wouldn’t.
67. My favorite physical activity that I can see myself doing the longest is running.
68. I’ve made lots and lots of BIG mistakes that I regret deeply.
69. I once took a dance class with my sister that taught poll dancing. We laughed super hard!
70. If someone offered me a million dollars to re-live ages 9-13 I wouldn’t do it.
71. If you would have told me 2 years ago that I’d be training to run long distances, I would have looked at you like you were a crazy person.
72. I don’t intimidate very easily.
73. I got my first cavity when I was in college.
74. I once got very badly choked on a tootsie roll and thought I was going to die. I’ve never seen my dad that scared.
75. I don’t read as often as I’d like to because I sacrifice my wants for Evan’s wants, but I do make time to read the one-year Bible each day.
76. I’m very optimistic and encouraging.
77. I think the only piece of real truth that’s left on this planet is God’s Word...The Bible.
78. I’ve never thought of myself as pretty but I don’t think I’m ugly either.
79. One of my biggest disappointments in life was finding out Santa Claus wasn’t real. I really believed.
80. I’ve had every hair cut and every color hair imaginable.
81. I truly believe Jesus Christ died for this world’s sins. Why don't people get that?
82. Nothing hurts me more than to see children suffer.
83. My dad and mom almost named me Heather and every girl I’ve ever known named Heather is really pretty.
84. I don’t believe brilliantly intelligent people are balanced.
85. I’m extremely flexible and it comes in handy.
86. I’m a very forgiving person. I don’t hold grudges.
87. I can’t stand runners who listen to their iPods so loud that they can’t hear a polite "On your left" while on the trail.
88. I’m cheap.
89. I do not enjoy cooking but I do enjoy eating.
90. My favorite pop is Faygo Rock n’ Rye. I’ve loved it since I was a kid.
91. I couldn't live without fresh fruit.
92. I've passed up lots of opportunities that would have made me rich but I would have sacrificed precious time with family so I think I have good priorities.
93. I don’t know if we’ll have another child even though I loved everything about being pregnant and having a child.
94. I’m an obsessive list maker; in my mind, if it’s not on a list, it doesn’t exist.
95. I enjoy all the seasons but I just wish winter was a little shorter.
96. Sometimes, I’m mean and a little harsh and then I feel guilty.
97. My son is so blessed to have me and Sean as parents.
98. I do NOT enjoy getting dressed up in fancy clothes.
99. Knowing all you know about me now, I hope we can still be friends.
100. I like receiving comments (who doesn’t?). Please leave me a note if you’d like. Thanks for reading all (or some) of this!

2009 here I come....

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. Busy, busy, busy. Baking cookies, cookie exchanges, entertaining, going, coming, talking, laughing, loving all the way! What a very, merry Christmas we all had. Relaxing, fun and all around terrific. We enjoyed all sides of the family (Anderson/Combs/and Gladding) and that's the best part of Christmas to me....getting together! I won't bore you with what was given and what was received...it was just so great being together. I'm happy it's 2009. It's time for new memories, goals and achievements. I was reflecting a bit on 2008 and here's what I can offer:

• I spent quality time with family, friends and neighbors;
• Chopped off all my hair;
• Took up running thanks to my good friend Ruthie;
• Took off 15 lbs.;
• My sweet little niece got sick and it hurts my heart when little people hurt;
• Ran 805 miles in 10 months;
• My Grandma Leffew and Grandma Hancock passed away :(
• Started attending a new church which I LOVE!!!;
• Ran my first three races; 5K, 10K and then half-marathon without dying;
• Had the greatest vacation of my life with BFF Michelle and her family;
• Reconnected with one of my bestest friends from high school (Heather);
• We finally finished our basement;

• I watched my Grandma Combs slip considerably to dementia;
• I got a computer at home with high speed internet service whooohoooo;
• Moved my mom back down state where she should have been all along; and
• Made a new and wonderful friend....Laurie :)

In retrospect 2008 was full of good times and hard times and isn't that just how life is? So what can I say about it all. God is still so good and I am so grateful to live a blessed, grace filled life. I have no doubt that 2009 will be full of good times and hard times and I'm choosing right now to praise God no matter what comes my way. Here are some of my goals and things to look forward to for 2009:

• Spend quality time with family, friends and neighbors;
• Let my hair grow out and try not to look ugly;
• Run 1000 miles;
• Tone my soft parts and not shriek at the site of myself in a bathing suit;
• Watch my sweet little Scarlet recover and be healed;
• Become more involved and get to know more people at Bridgewood (my church);
• Run at least 5 races and obtain PR in all of them;
• Run a race with a family member;
• Turn 38;
• Stay employed and try not to go postal during these economic times;
• Go on a family vacation to Florida where I can run around w/Evan and pretend I'm 3; and
• Read the entire Bible with my church and understand it better.

I would like wish all my fellow blog readers a very Happy New Year!

God loves me like this...

Have you ever seen a sweeter face then this one right here my friends?

The other night he said to me, "you're nice to me mommy and I'm glad you're my friend." Truth be told...I love him SO deeply, profoundly, unexplainably. He has no idea how words can not express my love for him. It's the kind of love that can conquer things and that makes me think about how God loves me, just like this and everything is perfect in my world for that moment.

Thanksgiving, I'm thankful....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This post is a little late but what a near perfect week we had in South Carolina. This year we had the entire week off...ohhhh 9 blissful vacation days and sleeping in with sunshine. Happy, happy, happy me. Evan did much better then I expected in the car for 12 hours thanks to the DDD player, as he calls it. I went to the library and loaded up on dvd's. He fell in love with Shark Tales where I thought he'd be crazy about Monsters, Inc. The weather was very nice during our visit, 60's during the day and crisp and cool in the evening. I woke up early Monday morning and decided to go running before Evan or Sean woke so I threw on my running gear and headed out into the crisp fall air to pound some new pavement which is thrilling but after a few steps I realized my body was in mutiny for it is NOT used to the steep hills and valleys that the path held. My heart was pounding, I was breathing treacherously and my heart monitor was beep, beep, beeping away. I really need to get some skill behind climbing hills. If you would have seen these hills people you would die. They were LONG and STEEP. But the best part of my run came around mile 4 the weather was nearing perfect and the fall scenery could not have been matched. It was so nice to just get out and run for fun and not because I had to train. The only thing that spoiled the run was the three rotten little motherbleeping Scottish terrier's that charged me and nipped me on the ankles. While I was wearing my favorite Nike Dry Fit Pants....NOT THE PANTS DOGS!!! Those stupid little nasty, nippidy dogs deserved a sound kick or two so after I maced one of them and it went yelping off the best I could do was do a couple of lame mule-kicky things with my feet that I think glanced off its snarling jawls, yappy little head. Stupid $#$!@*! dogs! The flood of adrenaline that resulted from basically being attacked made me a little light-headed and my heart rate zoomed up. I spent the rest of the run at a faster pace as I thought of creative ways to take revenge on those nappy dogs. I later found out that the path I took lead me straight into a redneck infested, crazy people land with meth houses and skinheads. NICE! Grant quickly redirected me in a different direction for the remainder of my runs, so I took the safe route.

Thanksgiving Day. Ohhhh whatttt a dayyyyyy.....We get dressed up in our ball gowns and tuxedo's and sit down to the finest classical music while we statuesquely partake of the bird and trimmings...NOT! I've attached some pictures to give you an idea of what it's like with 51 family members crammed into an 800 square foot house trying to eat, grab and divulge at the same time (LOL). But let me just say, the food is unmatched and laughter is abundant. It's butterfest extravaganza baby! Here's my "pastor" father-in-law carving the turkey in a towel. I caught him eating more than he carved and put a stop to that. It's each man, woman, child for himself and stab what you can with that plastic fork.

My friends...I ate. Ate some more. Ate a little more. Then I actually thought of gagging out some sweet potatoes and dressing discreetly into a napkin so that in 10 minutes I could then eat some more....this entered into my mind. Then I took a few trips around the dessert counter, then waddled over to my spot on the couch to watch the rest of the family eat and eat while I tried to push some escaping M&M’s off my chin and back into my mouth before my head fell back asleep over the back of the couch. My food encrusted jowls are DONE..before long, I'm fast asleep in a food induced coma with chocolate spittle running out of the corners of my mouth, my body called in reinforcement enzymes to process the food through my system. At some point, I was awakened by the combo belch/fart that snaped my head from the back of the couch into a dazed, lip licking consciousness. The children were frightened from the sudden noise. My eyes wandered back to the desserts as I took a quick internal analysis to determine, like a game of food Tetris, do I have enough room now to work in that extra 7 layer chocolate cake wedge. I am thankful!!!

TAGGED....

I'm a newbie at this but I'll give it a shot.
1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I need coffee.
2. How much cash do you have on you?
$30.00 and that's a lot for me
3. What’s a word that rhymes with “DOOR?”
Floor, I implore you to adore...ha ha ha.
4. Favorite planet?
Poor little Pluto that got downgraded..I always root for the underdog
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Renee (co-worker)
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
As if I give a rat's behind about ring tones, there are starving people in Africa...right?
7. What shirt are you wearing?
I'm draped in a hot red negligee...nah, it's just my boring suit jacket.
8. Do you “label” yourself?
Yeah, I label myself a dork
9. Name the brand of your shoes you’re currently wearing?
Enzo Angiolino
10. Bright or Dark Room?
Well I guess I'm glad I don't work in a cave.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
I love people who give me any excuse to stop working and think on mindless activities
12. What does your watch look like?
Silver/Gold Movado my husband gave me two Christmas's ago
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
I heard Evan saying mommy, mommy so I went and checked on him. Most kids sleep with animals but mine sleeps with a flashlight and he'd lost it.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
Get me food!!!
15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
Is that some type of blond joke?
16. What’s a word that you say a lot?
run, run, run
17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
My family tells me all the time.
18. Last furry thing you touched?
My husband
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
I tried to mainline coffee but my co-workers looked at me funny.
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
I believe there is roll in my old camera somewhere. Wonder what is on it?
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
Hmmm, 25 was pretty cool I guess.
22. Your worst enemy?
Time.
23. What is your current desktop picture?
Me and Sean on our way to Emily's wedding...he looks HOT!
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
My friend Heather from high school and I had lunch together and we said "bye"
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
Teleportation is the future. I'll take the million bucks.
26. Do you like someone?
Can you repeat the question.
27. The last song you listened to?
Happy Tapping With Elmo...Elmo's Greatest Hits.
28. What time of day were you born?
6 AM
29. What’s your favorite number?
Ohhhh pllllleasssssseeeee
30. Where did you live in 1987?
At home with my dad and mom. Still a silly high schooler.
31. Are you jealous of anyone?
More so amazement then jealousy but fast people amaze me
32. Is anyone jealous of you? why?
That is just funny, funny, funny....God NO!
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
At work, gathered around the meeting room television.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
Push the buttons frantically a couple dozen times in the vain hope that the machine is just teasing and will see how serious I am about getting my money back. Hasn't worked so far.
35. Do you consider yourself kind?
Yes
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Small of my back
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
How 'bout Latin? Not particularly useful but at least you could read all those clever slogans on governmental buildings, currency, and law books.
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
Sure.
39. Are you touchy feely?
Yes
40. What’s your life motto?
Every knee will bow and Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Wedding ring, Hair and skin
42. What’s your favorite town/city?
Orlando, Florida
43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
I bought lunch last week $7.00
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
I sent a short note to Ryan, my friends son who was in boot camp
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
Yes. Pretty easy really. Drive into this building...command that the oil is changed...provide a form of payment...drive away. Not much more to it really.
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
I just heard that he works out in Rochester at Lifetime Fitness.
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
I know one half of the family came to the US from France in the early twentieth century while around the same time the other half came from Germany. Somewhere since then the two halfs merged eventually creating this beautiful specimen. Thank God for immigration!
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
I hate dressing fancy but last time was a summer wedding and I wore a J Crew sundress.
49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
All systems go.
50. Have you been burned by love?
Yeah you could say that but God had it all worked out.



I suppose at this point I'm to 'tag' another party? Alas, no one really reads this blog and the only two bloggers I have actually met before have already been tagged. I'm sure I'll be breaching some blogger etiquette here but I'll let this grape whither on the vine...

It snowed again and it's 22 degrees outside...

It has been a two cup morning. I slept poorly for no particular reason and the first thought that popped into my head when I opened my weary eyes was...COFFEE. The second thought was how sore I am because I ran too hard, too fast yesterday and let's just forget that I was actually going to wake up at 5:00 A.M. to get a few added miles in on the treadmill. Everything from my ankles to my teeth hurt. I don't make coffee at home in the morning because that takes time...time that I spend sleeping. So my anticipation builds as I make my way to work for my COFFEE. As I was scurrying out the door with Evan, his toy cars, his snack, his milk that doesn't have enough chocolate in it, my coffee thoughts build to epic proportion then I remembered the new Cinnamon Hazelnut creamer that my darling husband picked up at the market. So I ran back inside and poured the creamer carefully into the only thing that I could find with a lid, which happened to be a stupid sippy cup. I bounce my way back out the door with all things attached now with yummy creamer thoughts in my mind....I was EXCITED. I make my way through a half hour of worthless traffic to drop Evan off and get to work only to find...yes, my sticky, white, wonderfully delicious creamer spilled over into my purse to create the unimaginable mess.

I went back to the chiropractor last night. I was pretty messed up after a week of stress, painting and lifting 5 gallon buckets of primer and paint. That's not including the horsey rides I was giving Evan while playing all weekend. So after a few snaps, crackles and pops I was good to go. It doesn't help that I am STRESSED. I'm probably losing my insurance in a few months and the economic situation just keeps getting worse and I'm genuinely sick of bad news.

Love and Respect...

I am incredibly blessed to have an amazing husband who first and foremost loves God and loves me so that takes care of a lot of problems but in a society where 50% of marriages end in divorce I'm not willing to take any chances so we are seeking to divorce proof our marriage by attending a series through our church called "Love and Respect" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. I know what you're thinking...It seems silly to attend a marriage seminar if your marriage isn't in trouble but I think quite oppositely because I truly believe Satan (I hate him) is out to destroy families (especially Christian families that love God) and I do not have a perfect, problem free marriage. I have my days and he has his where we don't feel particularly lovey dovey, if you catch my drift? So last night we're sitting in a room packed with our new church friends and I hear about this Crazy Cycle (see picture above) which simply explained goes like this: 1.) Love is her deepest need and respect is his deepest need. Based on the Bible. Ephesians 5:33 "Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband." Consequently...2.) Without love she reacts without respect, and without respect he reacts without love...crazy cycle. There is a love and respect connection. It was a real eye-opener for both of us. Their basic philosophy, drawn from the Bible, is simple but insightful: Men are not motivated by the same things as women. Just as a woman is motivated by unconditional love from her husband, a husband is motivated by unconditional respect from his wife. If either spouse is denied this basic need, a cycle can spin towards divorce. Suppose a husband fails to show love to his wife. She will react by treating him disrespectfully. Then as she fails to show him respect, he will react by treating her unlovingly. Breaking the cycle is hard work because often women don't feel their husbands are worthy of respect, and often husbands don't feel their wives are worthy of their affection. So the greatest examples were given during the class a story was told about a late night city bus ride where a father and his 3 unconrollable children sat in the back of the bus and the children were jumping, screaming and running up and down the isle disrespecting other passengers, acting like wild houligans so finally one of the extremely disturbed passengers gets up and angrily goes over to the father and says, "would you mind controlling your children, they are disturbing everyone on this bus, I have children and my kids would NEVER act like this". The father looks up at him sad and shaking and says, "I am SO sorry, I just don't know what to say to them, we just came from the hospital where their mother died". Suddenly mortified the passenger just stares at him....O. In one instant everything changed, but nothing changed. This is marriage. You say your spouse changed, you say it's beyond fixing, yadayadayada. Then they put this analogy on the board....GODISNOWHERE....you can read it to say, God is no where or God is now here. Neither is right or wrong but things can be easily misinterpreted. Can't they?

This is how the bail out works...

Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day he drove up and said, "I'm sorry son but I have some bad news, the donkey died". Chuck replied, "well, then just give me my money back." The farmer said, "I can't do that, I went and spent it already." Chuck said, "ok, then just bring me the dead donkey." The farmer asked, "what are ya gonna do with a dead donkey?" Chuck said, "I'm going to raffle him off." The farmer said, "you can't raffle off a dead donkey!" Chuck said, "Sure I can, you just watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead." A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, "what happened with that dead donkey?" Chuck said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 raffle tickets at $2.00 a piece and made $1,000." The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?" Chuck said, "just the guy who won. So I gave him his $2.00 back". Chuck now works for Lehman Brothers.

Why can I write what I can't say...

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Spiritual battles are being waged in our lives. Including my family, my friends and fellow believers. Who is prepared to deal with it? We know there are obstacles keeping us from having more intimacy with God, but we are in the dark about how to recognize and conquer them. These obstacles are often spiritual strongholds.
What is a stronghold? The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explained it in 2 Corinthians 10:5. A stronghold is any argument or pretension that "sets itself up against the knowledge of God." The wording in the King James Version draws a clearer image of a stronghold: "every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." A stronghold is anything that exalts itself in our minds, "pretending" to be bigger or more powerful than our God. It steals much of our focus and causes us to feel overpowered, controlled and mastered. Whether a stronghold is an addiction, unforgiveness or despair over a loss, it is something that consumes so much of our emotional and mental energy that abundant life is strangled—our callings remain largely unfulfilled and our believing lives are virtually ineffective. These are the enemy's precise goals.
Where is the battlefield? In any warfare waged by the enemy against the individual believer, the primary battlefield is the mind. The goal of our warfare as stated in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is to steal back our thought life and take it captive to Christ instead. The enemy's chief target is the mind because the most effective way to influence behavior is to influence thinking. Our minds are the control centers of our entire beings. The enemy knows far better than we do that nothing is bigger or more powerful than God. That's why everything that "exalts itself" in our thought life is called a "pretension." Satan is a pretender. He can only pretend because he lost all rights to presume authority over the believer's life when Christ, "having disarmed the powers and authorities,...made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col. 2:15). Unfortunately, Satan is very good at convincing us to believe his pretensions because he has had so much experience.
Repeat after me: nothing is bigger or more powerful than God! Absolutely nothing! Not even the strongest addiction or feeling of rage. The weapons described in 2 Cor. 10:3-5—those that are not of the world, that have divine power, that are associated with the knowledge of God, and that help us take our thoughts captive to Christ—help us downsize anything that has a hold on us until we have, in effect, commanded it to bend the knee to the authority of Christ. Spirit-led prayer and the Word of God, especially when combined, are our most effective weapons to demolish spiritual strongholds.

Get Ready Road here I come...

Woooohoooooo!!! After 4 chiropractic visits in the last week I am cleared to run. I asked Dr. Bosman my usual question, "can I run yet" and instead of his usual, let's not push it, he asked me, "how far do you plan on running"? I said excitingly, "well....I promise to take it super easy and only run like 3 miles". I mean it's not like I want a defunked pelvis tilt for the rest of my life cutting off the the very blood vessels and veins that feed my left leg. Funny how 3 miles seems like a warm up nowadays. He quickly replied, "you can cut that in half". So I'm going to run a whopping 1.5 miles tonight. I'm literally giddy, excited, elated. Holy moly I get to breath in crisp fall air and feel crunchy leaves under my feet. I might cry. Naaaaahhh.

Halloween was great. I have the sugar ring permanently stuck to the corners of my mouth to prove that I have been indulging with enthusiastic zeal. I knew I needed help this weekend when I mainlined all of the butterfingers and Snickers from Evan's candy bag. What a rush. The whole family came to our house for a change. We ate, laughed and ate more. The little neighborhood beggars were out in full force. I had good intensions of only having a few pieces but I was weak and I indulged. Whose to say if I give up everything sweet that I still won't have old farts passing me in my next race.

Ohhh and I'd like to give Paula Radcliffe a big shout out for being super unhuman. I have no qualms that one day she will be revealed to be a robot or have bionic blood or some strange crap like that.

PATTY MY SISTER....

Now that I have a few followers who read my blog you have to know that this blog is, in fact my soap box. Some things in life have to be screamed from mountain tops. One of those things is my unequivocal love for my sister. My sister, Patty, Patricia, sweet little pumpkin head. Very few things in my life stir such emotion within me like my sister. We have been through so much together. Long before husbands or children ever came into the picture, it was me and Patty learning about life. Let me tell you about her....She’s positively contagious. Nobody can NOT like her. She has a personality people would kill for. She's an incredible mother to my two nephews whom I love so dearly. She's vibrant, smart, full of adventure, honesty, exuberance and when you're loved by her you can't help but to feel lucky. She's the kinda person you pray to have as a friend and I get as a sister. She's the only person on the face of this planet that I can be myself with (bad or good) and she loves me all the more. She can always make me smile and we've had more than a few things to NOT smile about over 33 years. I have no doubt our relationship will stand the test of time. I don't ever want to know life without her. She has blessed me more than I can truly explain. She's my biggest cheerleader, as I am hers. She's the one to sign my blog and post how much she loves me when nobody else will. So I found some sister quotes that illustrate undeniably one of the most meaningful relationships that I will ever form with another being. Allies, partners in crime...we fought, we patched up. We've laughed at jokes that no one can understand. We've defended each other when nobody else would understand. We did some of the silliest things together and there's so many stories to be recalled when we are together it's like living all over. I can never spend enough time with her. Through some of the darkest times (Brodie's open heart), we became unexplicably stronger and bonded to one another.

Do you have a sister? If you do, you'll know what I mean. If you don't know what I mean then be the first to let the ice thaw over your heart and warm up next to your sister and tell her you love her. What can be said about your unbreakable sister bond!

• A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.-- Isadora James
• A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.-- Marion C. Garretty
• A younger sister is someone to use as a guinea-pig in trying sledges and experimental go-carts. Someone to send on messages. But someone who needs you - who comes to you with bumped heads, grazed knees, tales of persecution. Someone who trusts you to defend her. Someone who thinks you know the answers to almost everything.-- Pam Brown
• Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister. -- Katherine Mansfield
• Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.-- Amy Li
• How do people make it through life without a sister?-- Sara Corpening
• Husbands come and go; children come and eventually they go. Friends grow up and move away. But the one thing that's never lost is your sister.-- Gail Sheeny
• I know some sisters who only see each other on Mother's Day and some who will never speak again. But most are like my sister and me... linked by volatile love, best friends who make other best friends ever so slightly less best.-- Patricia Volk
• I smile because you are my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it!-- Author Unknown
• If we believed in the media we would think the only significant relationship in our lives is a romantic one. Yet sisterhood is probably the one that will last longer than any other... a sister will always be around.-- Jane Dowdeswell
• If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.-- Linda Sunshine
• In thee my soul shall own combined the sister and the friend.-- Catherine Killigrew
• Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister.-- Alice Walker
• It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on!-- Author Unknown
• It's hard to be responsible, adult and sensible all the time. How good it is to have a sister whose heart is as young as your own.-- Pam Brown
• More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you've been bad and good.-- Linda Sunshine
• Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.-- Susan Scarf Merrell
• She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.-- Barbara Alpert
• You keep your past by having sisters. As you get older, they're the only ones who don't get bored if you talk about your memories.- Deborah Moggach

Snap, crackle, pop into running...

Well, I went to a chiropractor. After moving my mom this weekend it wasn't good when I could no longer put pressure on my left leg without screaming helplessly in pain. It was starting to affect my sex life....ahhhh. Maybe it happened when I slipped off the slippery truck ramp with boxes in my hand or maybe it was when I lifted a 3000 pound sofa with 2 recliners in it. I'm out of alignment, hurt or out of whack (whatever you call it!) and so I went to the chiropractor and told him to fix me so I can run. He thought that was funny. I thought it was funny when I asked him what he was doing and he said I'm adjusting your sub-livial spinal depourum to increase circulation to your clavial subtraumbicialtribial...ok...whatever....just do it. But the amazing thing is that he fixed me. I'm still a little soar and I need some fine tuning but I'm feeling better. I'm afraid of people that make me snap, crackle and pop. I told him that too and he laughed. This man no doubt kept telling me how funny I was (LOL). Not being able to run again is not a laughing matter. I've got my sites on my next run and my next half-marathon. I have not decided on the marathon yet...give me time. Anyway, he worked on me for an hour, pulling and pushing and stretching while I was popping away. It wasn't too horrific but I did have to promise to NOT run or lift for a week, maybe longer. I'll let you know what becomes of my deviated spine.

Get in my belly.....

One of my favorite old Monty Python sketches is the one where the inhumanly fat guy goes into the restaurant and proceeds to eat a small buffet of food before announcing to the maitre d’, “Get me a bucket, I got to puke.” And then he pukes. Everywhere. On himself, on the table, on the maitre d’, on the other diners. He fills the bucket…and the floor...and people are slipping and sliding all over it. I am laughing so hard I'm practically vomiting. It's so sick and so funny. The entire restaurant is covered in green and brown vomit. Yes, I find things like this funny. I also chuckle during eye surgery shows on the Discovery Channel. Watching a cornea get owned is hilarious!

Last night I went out to The Melting Pot with my good friend Jeanine and I ate like the inhumanly fat guy. I literally devoured a 5 coarse meal. I feel a little like this fat guy this week. I can't run yet and I’ve been consuming M&M's like they’re amphetamines at a Grateful Dead concert. Probably some time next week, I’ll get back into the regular schedule of running, crunching, and push-upping but post race I like to see just how close I can get to a cholesterol induced heart attack. I was talking with my friends recently about running and weight. It’s true, most of the top marathoners are pretty svelte. They could double as broomsticks. Carrying less weight around while toting your body for 26.2 miles certainly would seem to be easier than carrying more weight. I read all of the time that the main reason some folks run is simply so they can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. True. But you could also eat whatever you want as a bulimic without nearly the same amount of effort. So, being “in shape”, which roughly equates to “being faster”, must mean something to you. I take note of the folks passing me in a race. I’d like to think that everyone is in tip top shape…no extra flab anywhere…cut abs…long, strong limbs. But, you know what? Many of them pretty much look like regular people you pass on the way out of Burger King. They might have a little belly. They might be tall and skinny…short and round...horizontal and parallelogram. They definitely have a smug "Look How Fast I Am" sneer projecting through the back of their head because they’re jerks for being faster than me. If they don’t need to crunch abs to exhaustion and dine on vegetables and gagalicious protein shakes to pull off a 2.17 half marathon, then why should I? I’d love to see a study of race times and human weight to see the improvement as the pounds are dropped (all other variables – including training effort – remaining the same). I’m sure it’s been done. If it hasn’t, I now own the idea and you scientist’s will need to pay me for it. If it has, then, why didn’t you tell me before I wrote this ridiculous post? The way I see it, if you want to maximize your race time potential, you do what you can, as a regular human runner, to balance eating healthy and training as hard as you can within the time you have. If your weight decreases and, finally, stabilizes at a certain level and you’d have to take extra, extreme measures to continue losing (think cheese grater to the abdomen), you’ve probably hit that point where you need to ask yourself if it’s worth the additional sacrifice. This is my normal, human runner race weight. You may as well look to your training now to maximize your speed. I’m not kidding...people 50 pounds heavier than me zip by me in a race. I doubt they’re thinking “Boy, if only I lost a few, I could really fly by that bubble butted little chic even faster.” No, this will have to do. I’m not getting lipo or cutting off body parts. I’ll just train a little harder if I want to be faster. For now, though, keep the bucket handy and the small, whole-chicken-resembling babies away from me. Anything I can reach that reasonably smells like food goes in my pie hole. Don’t look now but I spy a Twizzler lying innocently on my desk. Or is it my ink pen? We’ll soon find out…Happy trails.