Challenge II, D17: Surprise!

At the time this post goes live, I will most likely be snuggling Gracie, unpacking 10 bottles of wine, breathing in the familiar smells of my home and falling, exhausted into my own bed, for the first time in a week.

…As some of you may have guessed, this past week I have been busy … in California!

Quite frankly, my plan was to blog like normal (you know, a tricksy-let's discuss real life except for where I am right now- normal ;) …and then my body didn't really adjust to CA time and I was passed out by 8:30 every night ( *sigh* I wish I was kidding…) …and then our internet availability was pretty much non-existent … and then I realized, 'Hey, this (unintentional) blogging break is just a damn good excuse to unplug & spend some quality time with my husband'… and then? Life was good.

Needless to say… I have SO much to share with you. San Francisco & wine country were every bit as amazing as I dreamed they would be. It was a fantastic time … and a big part of me isn't ready to be back yet :)

This next week I am going to be blogging a mini-series entitled "Travel Diaries", to share some of the pictures & stories. I hope you enjoy reading about what we were up to during my week AFK…. and I think I am really going to enjoy sifting through my pictures (I don't even know how many I took… but I was very proud of myself!) and my memories for the 'best of the best for the blog' ;)

Because our trip started on Sunday, I will start my recap on Sunday, as well (after I recover from my 22 miler in the morning…. almost taper time…. almost taper time….)

But in the meantime, here are some teaser pictures from the trip:












Happy Saturday!

Wrangling:{Promises}

(A weekly round up. Each week I am going to “wrangle” my life's happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days.)

Hi, friends-- Happy Thursday!

I feel like I haven't had the chance to sit down & write in a really long time... which isn't particularly true, but I haven't "wrangled" in some time, and the life that I want to share with you has been piling up in my memory bank. This morning I sift through the piles of memories and bring you only the best :)

Unexpectedly, it's been a really busy month at work for me, and I feel like I am have been scrambling every evening to piece together all the necessary life pieces of the the work-life puzzle. It's been chaotic, to say the least, but it's been so good. There have been more than enough moments filled with laughter, long hugs, and staggering moments of realizing the beauty around me to balance out the fatigue & frustration.

Here's a peek into the past couple weeks in my world (this is gonna be a long one, so grab a cup of coffee & settle in!):

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First of all, I want to say thank you for all your supportive comments on my marathon reveal post. I'm so excited. I'm so nervous. I have no doubt that this is going to be a life changing experience for me.

I'm still working on developing a training plan (thanks, Heidi for the hints!), but in the meantime, I've challenged myself to a 30-day (hopefully) habit forming challenge -- The SWSU Challenge, to be exact. To find out more, click on the challenge tab... or just click here.

But first, because she's so cute, a picture of my little workout buddy:

(As soon as I put down the camera she stood up, moved completely onto the mat, and executed a perfect downward facing dog. No big deal... Cats are amazing...)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After what felt like 2 months of steady rain, this week has provided a welcome break. We've had rain, yes, but lots of sunshine interspersed throughout. I'm soaking up every drop of sunshine I can. ... And carrying my umbrella religiously.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Gracie helping me set up my bedroom furniture. Clearly. She's sitting in the dresser.)

Going back in time a bit: I spent my birthday weekend moving. Oof.

I've had it on my Amy-Do list for quite some time now to move my childhood bedroom furniture over to our new house (you know, for about a year, now!) A mindset that I am rather proud of, although it has the tendency to overwhelm me more often than not is, "I need to do this now, because I know if I don't, I'll keep pushing it back & pushing it back. Why wait?" So it was, I found myself the day before my birthday, sorting through piles of dust treasures in my room.

And, while I grumbled multiple times to my father that I was going to have to type up a post titled, "Confessions of a former pack rat", over all, it was a very cool experience. I did throw out bags of trash. ... Multiple bags of trash (seriously, Amy?! why did you ever think it was a good idea to save "Pick & Save" receipts from your time in Neenah? And you first ever utility bill stubs? Not exactly of sentimental value...) But I found boxes (relax Jon... shoe boxes) of treasures. I found the encouraging note my mother wrote to me when I got braces in middle school, and was certain that it was going to be the end of me. I found the scrap of paper Jon gave me his phone number on... all those years ago before we had the slightest idea that we would be WE until death do us part. I found little "love notes" that Saundra used to leave taped to my computer screen when we lived together our sophomore year of college. I found letters from my grandpa, written in his signature blue sloping script; envelopes tucked with newspaper comics he had cut out for me. Treasure.

Needless to say, it was an exhausting (emotionally & physically) weekend for me. But it was one of those where I can look back and say I was really present in every moment. ...And, silly as it sounds, years from now, I know this is how I'll remember my 25th birthday.

My mother's comment was, "Gosh, Amy - your 'big birthdays' have been spent cleaning ..." And she's right: my 21st birthday was spent sneezing in my grandpa's attic. My 25th birthday was spent (sneezing) in my childhood bedroom (closet). ... Let's see where 30 finds me. I'm hoping I'll be cleaning for a baby... or a puppy... or, you know... cleaning our new vacation home in Hawaii ;)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Last Thursday I had an exceptionally wonderful lunch break.

...While I realize it's not environmentally friendly (uh, or wallet friendly, with the soaring gas prices...), I have been coming home for lunch lately ... it's good for my soul. On Thursday, in addition to some always-appreciated Gracie-snuggles, I had a package waiting for me on my front porch. I opened it to find this lovely & thoughtful gift from Jenny:

Does this girl know me or what? This week I am so thankful for good friends.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you follow me on twitter (this means you, Hannah!), you all ready know that I spent this Tuesday traveling for work. The trip ended up being a lot longer than we had anticipated (ie: left the office at 8am, arrived back at the office at 7pm. Woah.) But we got to travel through Hocking Hills (Logan County, OH)... which, in my opinion, is some of the most beautiful country ever. The landscape (rolling hills, fields of flowers) feeds my soul. Since I wasn't driving, here are some pictures from the trip (the barn at the top of the post is from Logan County, too!):

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was going to say that this text required no explanation -- it just made me laugh ... but then I thought maybe it deserved a little background. So here you go: I have no idea why, but for some reason, several months ago I started receiving the magazine "Working Mother" (perhaps somewhere I indicated an interest in "work-life balance" issues? ...Not a clue.) Anyway to take things a step to the more awkward, not only am I receiving this magazine at a time when motherhood is still a few years away... BUT! ... the magazine is coming to my name at my parents' house. ...Needless to say, this has inspired some interesting conversations!

...And for the record, "grand kitties" would only occur due to divine intervention ;)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And with that, I think I'm about typed out, and I want to hear from you!

What is the best road-trip location near you?

Tell me about one of your favorite unexpected birthday surprises!

Stay tuned for:

• A special "love letters" post, coming tomorrow.
• A date recap (spoiler: WINERY!) coming at you this weekend.

Wrangling: {Welcoming the Dawn}

photo credit

(A weekly round up. Each week I am going to “wrangle” my life's happenings into a post filled with pictures, lists & general tidbits about the past 7 days.)

Hi friends, happy Friday!

(Oy. How on earth did it get to be Friday all ready?)

I feel like lately the weeks have been spinning by faster and faster, but this week has been in a league all its own. I've been busy at work, trying to get about a bazillion projects wrapped up in anticipation of my trip to Denver next week.

With the exception of yesterday, it's been a rainy week, perfect for nesting & getting the 'homey affairs' in order. We've spent our evenings in the kitchen, and snuggled under blankets on the couch. It's been chaotic, it's been frustrating and it's been emotional, with a bit of heady euphoria, joy and laughter. In short, it's been a beautiful, life filled, normal week.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(First off, a Love Letter.)

(photo from April & TJ, the proud parents)

Baby Aurora,

On Sunday April 17 our worlds, hearts and lives were changed for good.

Welcome to the world, sweet girl.

Love,
Aunt Amy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Have I ever told you about Thursday nights? For pretty much as long as I can remember, when I was growing up, Thursday night were the busiest nights of the week for us. When we were little, we had children's choir practice on Thursday nights; by the time I reached high school it had shifted to cross country practice followed by guitar lessons. For at least 2 semesters when I was in college, Thursdays consisted of a day in the lab, followed by tedious organizational meetings.

And at some point, I promised myself that someday I would LOVE Thursdays.

Last night, as I sat wrapped in a blanket, drinking a well deserved glass of wine and blasting AC/DC through my headphones while Jon watches Fam.ily Guy... I realized, I'm here. I love Thursday nights and their promise of relaxation before the final push. Just knowing that Friday-- and perhaps more importantly, the weekend is on the horizon -- sustains and comforts me. I look forward to Thursdays now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(shower photos courtesy of Kaitie)

(Coffee bar: take a mug, fill it with whatever suits your fancy. It was a hit!)

Sunday was a rush. The whole weekend was, really. I've discovered that I absolutely live for entertaining. I love the planning and cleaning & anticipation of welcoming others into my home. I think that hosting a dinner party a month for the rest of my life would be heaven to me.... (Anyone in the Columbus area want to take me up on that?)

Sunday morning I woke early and lay in bed excitedly rolling through the details in my mind. At 10:30 am, my friend and co-host Kaitie arrived, and we spent the next several hours prepping decorations and favors.

(My other favorite "finishing touch" was the pillar candles in hurricane vases, surrounded by coffee beans. Looked cute, smelled amazing.)

We wrapped silvery wrapping paper around water bottles and tied ribbon around the handles of coffee mugs, we brewed countless cups of coffee and twirled crepe paper.

Although the invitations said 2pm -4pm, once Saundra, her mother and sister arrived, the party started. I think we laughed for 3.5 straight hours. It was wonderful. Being surrounded by a group of warm, witty women who were gathered to celebrate my best friend was truly uplifting.

And after everyone left & it was just the three of us: Kaitie, Saundra & me? That was awesome. The only thing better than sharing 1 super fun sophomore year of college living together has been gathering together 5 (wow) years later and catching up; reconnecting.

Being Saundra's bridesmaid (and more importantly, her friend) has blessed me in so many ways, and I am honored to be a part of her special day. ... Looking forward to June 25!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A couple weeks ago, when Jon & I were attending a family birthday party, I got a chance to sit and talk with my brother-in-law. (Read: I had relegated myself to the basement with the boys because the windows were open upstairs and I was hot; and I think Dan took pity on me because I was pretty much oblivious when it came to the gaming conversations. Truthfully, I wasn't phased. I'm used to being clueless about that stuff, haha. I was just enjoying my cake & ice cream and spacing out, content & comfortable with the company :) And while we were talking, he said something to me that totally caught me off guard. "I almost envy you, Amy," he said (I paraphrase.) "I mean, you run all the time ... and you like it."

I am absolutely floored that this is one of the ways others might see me & define me. Because in real life? This is something I struggle with on an everyday basis. I want to be a runner with every fiber of my being. But I struggle with the idea of calling myself a runner-- I feel that I'm falling short in so many ways. For example, I don't run every day. I never have... But some weeks? Some weeks I run once. I've pledged to myself that I am going to run a marathon in October, but I have a lot of anxiety about that. Quite frankly, I'm worried that I am going to slack too much on training and sabotage myself.

I know that I need to love myself in my imperfections, and to believe in my own abilities. I know that I need to push forward and not let the fears and the what-ifs hold me back.

...But sometimes that's easier said than done. I'm a work in progress, and this is definitely at the top of my "work on it" list. Between the rain & the fatigue, this has not been a "follow the plan running week" at all. But I am looking forward to a fresh start.

It's never too late for redemption.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As you might have picked up on, this week has been kind of a dark & contemplative one for me. I think it's the natural "ebb" (ya know, versus "flow") that comes at the tail end of a bunch of good stuff.... where all of a sudden you realize that your world has stopped turning upside down and you are left seated in the quiet emptiness thinking, "hey. what on earth do I do now?"

...Add that to a whalloping dose of hormones, and I had Jon throwing his hands up in the air saying, "I just. don't. understand. women." (Yes, my love, I know. That won't keep me from trying to explain to you to get you to empathize :)

So, there were some tears, there was dark chocolate consumption and there commenced some 10+ spiral notebook pages worth of soul-pouring. But even in the midst of the dark days, even as I ached & yearned for more, I could not be oblivious to the good. I've found that life is never exclusively black or white. The good has a way of creeping in and coloring the bad; blurring and softening the edges-- painting lifetimes out of days and moments; the shadows beautifully contrasting the vibrant colors and light.

Even in the darkest night, I believe light will return. And when the sun begins to rise, I welcome it with open arms.

Today, I celebrate & welcome the dawn.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Good List

1. Jon. He is my anchor.
2. 100 watt light bulbs
3. Head phones, and dancing around the kitchen during dinner prep.
4. Digging through the archives for a sure-fire pick me up: Wedding Memories

5. Spending some quality time gardening this past weekend.
6. this post
7. Spiral notebooks. I appreciate technology, but sometimes there's nothing like putting a pen to paper. Spiral notebooks & legal pads are my favorite :)
8. Double sided tape
9. Lighting candles to chase away the gloom of a rainy evening.
10. "Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." --Sarah Ban Breathnach

Your Turn: Any good weekend plans -- or special Easter traditions? How are you welcoming the good in your week?

Truth be told ...

picture by Laurie

• I was never a cat person before Jon got Baron... if Jon & I were not together, I probably still wouldn't be.
• I hate doing laundry. ...With the fiery passion of 1,000,000 burning suns.
• On a not-unrelated note, I am terrible at ironing. Jon made the mistake of asking me to iron his shirts once. ...He's bought 'non-iron' shirts ever since.
• I own festive socks for Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day and St. Patrick's day. Consequently, sometimes I wear Halloween socks in the middle of March.


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• I cook (& bake) better when I've got a glass of wine in my hand :)
• If I was rich, I think the first 'help' that I would hire would be a hairdresser. I'd love to have "just walked out of the salon hair' every day, and, after at least 10 years of attempting it myself, I know I can't do it myself :)


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• I know for a fact that I am capable of giving up coffee & surviving ... But, why?
• I love to read at night, but typically, I am only capable of reading 3 pages before I pass out. So realistically, even when I say "I can't put this book down", it takes at least 3 weeks to finish.
• I love the way running makes me feel once I'm done... but while I am out doing it? It's really hard. The 2.5 miles I did tonight darn near killed me.
• ...it's kind of the same with yoga :)
• We've lived in our house for over a year now, and we still haven't figured out how to use our fireplace. Inexcusable.


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• Another dream of mine is to someday own a bookstore, like 'The Shop Around the Corner' in You've Got Mail. ...of course, without the whole 'big business put my cute little bookstore out of business' bit.


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• I'm kind of in love with 50's, Betty Draper style.


• Some people 'dream in chocolate'. ... I dream in cupcakes :)

Hint, hint....

Stayed tuned for a special post coming at you tomorrow morning.

I'm super excited about this post for many reasons, one on them being that it kicks off a new "thematic series" that will continue throughout this year.

Pssst: here's a hint...

Traditions

Source

I’m sure this might surprise you, (after I’ve spent the past few months waxing poetic about the glories of fall…), but this is the time of year when my heart feels most at home. I think it's because at this time of year my thoughts are consumed by memories of Christmases past.

When I was a little girl, my family would pack up our little white dodge caravan every December and trek up to Carlisle to spend the holidays with my grandparents. As often happens, my memories of those days are now just a joyful melding of feelings, scents and sounds: the sound of laughter as I decorated the tree with my cousins; the sounds of muffled clinking in the kitchen, when my Uncle would wake early every Christmas morning to bake fragrant coconut muffins in the shape of Christmas trees; the smell of Christmas morning: coffee, coconut, orange peel and pine; and warm feeling of comfort I felt as I stood with my family singing a candlelit 'Silent Night' on Christmas Eve.

***

Truthfully, the celebration began far before the yearly pilgrimage to PA. Early on I learned that there were two unmistakable beacons of holiday cheer which (for the most part) appeared in early December: the first snowfall and the arrival of the first Christmas card. And since I’ve all ready expressed my joy at the first snowfall of the season, today I focus on the latter :)

I love real mail. I always have, and I always will. While I am enamored and excited by the seemingly endless advances in technology, there are two things that I hope will never change—at least (I say completely selfishly and unapologetically) not in my life time. Those two things are libraries—filled to the brim with real paper books; and snail mail.

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What fun it is to rush to the mailbox in the afternoon to see what treasures it might hold! I think sending Christmas cards is just one symbol of the way people reach out to each other in love during the holidays, and for that reason alone, sending and receiving cards at Christmas time is just one of the traditions I love.

And so it is with a wee bit of shame that I admit to you : I haven’t sent my cards yet. Actually: I haven't bought my cards yet. But I have been drooling over perusing my options:) Lately I’ve been loving the picture holiday cards – and this is where Shutterfly comes in. I want photo cards that I can put multiple pictures on-- and I want them to be true to my personality. And these babies deliver - my, oh my do they!

Check them out for yourself here and here. Bloggers: Shutterfly is running a holiday card promotion where you can submit a blog post and receive 50 free cards! Read more here!

(These are a couple of my favorites ... I'll let you know what I pick!)

I love the simplicity of the first-- and the second is "classic Amy" :)

And if you're all ready set for cards this year -- they also sell calendars. Hmm... would it be in terrible form to make & give a calendar as a Christmas present to myself?! I’d love to have one of these for my office at work …

And now, just for fun, here are some of the outtakes from our mini-photo shoot on Saturday. (Good heavens it's hard to get good pictures of cats!)

How about you: Do you send Christmas cards? Christmas letters? How do you display the cards you receive?

Anticipation

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"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" - J. B. Priestley

Well, hello December!

Yesterday Ohioans ushered in the new month with a day of continuous (if not sticking) flakes. ...And it was good :) I know that in a couple weeks months I will be sick & tired of winter weather (although, to be fair, by mid-January we're pretty much done with snow, and well into the season of slush. Yuk.)-- and, frankly, I hate shoveling snow as much as the next person-- but to me, the first snow is magical. I love the way it softens the whole world, the way it brightens up the night, and the comfort it brings me, as I remember holiday seasons past.

We decorated the house this weekend (we meaning, of course, my sister and I, as J happily hands over the decorating tasks and resigns himself to playing video games in the 'man cave' for the duration of such projects ;), and it really puts me in the Christmas spirit to come home and light the tree -- I think it takes away a little of the heartache I feel each day when the sun sets at 5 pm.

And, in addition to decorating the house (pictures to come!), other things are happening over here, too. BIG things, as a matter of fact :) Assuming that you aren't google-reading, you've probably noticed that Amy Around the Corner has experienced a little face lift! (Do you approve?!) As anyone who has ever watched a small child knows, long periods of quiet rarely mean that nothing is happening :) There's been a lot of dreaming and scheming going on over here (in addition to ... you know.. attempting to have a life), and the dreams began to come to fruition last evening, with the help of a few fabulous seasonal beers, a little chocolate, much consultation of "the googles" for html help (note to self: add "learn html" to next year's goals.) and of course, my fuzzy sidekicks:

(Clearly, "help" is a relative term. Heh. Actually, Laurie took this picture on Saturday!)

Granted, I still have quite a bit of work to do, but I'm pretty bounce-off-the-wall excited about the whole thing. (uhm. And in the spirit of complete honesty, I just took a 30 minute break from writing this post because I have another blog window open, and I was reading past posts, courtesy of the new links. ... I may or may not have cried when I stumbled upon this post. I was clinging to every word. This is why I write this blog.)

And now, I'd love to catch you up on November in typical Amy-style:

Good List

1. J. I think I fell in love with my husband all over again on Tuesday night. No kidding. I had been having a bad day, so when I came home, I headed straight to the kitchen for a glass of wine to cook dinner. By the time I had finished up with the homemade cranberry sauce (YUM), J had arrived, and we stood in the kitchen and talked to each other for over an hour. The deep soul-searching, soul-growing kind of talk. It was incredible, and it reminded me once again how absolutely perfect he is for me.

2. Crafty, Home made (home baked) goodness. As we focus our energies inside for the winter months, I am finding so much joy in creating, whether it be baking, writing or, in the most organic sense of the word: crafting. Here's a picture of the diaper cake I made for my SIL's baby shower in mid-November. ... I know it's not perfect (I like to think the slight lopsidedness adds charm :), but I was very proud of it.

3. Christmas comes early for our (extended family) this year, as my SIL and her husband are expecting their first child (a BOY!) in mid-December. I'm so excited to meet and hold the little man... he is so loved all ready. I'm going to be an aunt!

4. Anticipation. Both my biggest source of frustration, and my biggest blessing. Right now I'm riding high on the blessings, and working hard to squash the lingering doubts.

5. Adrenaline. I've decided that 2011 might be a year of risk for me-- or rather, a year of taking risks. It's said that sometimes with the greatest risk comes the greatest reward, and I'm ready to take a couple (big for me) leaps of faith. I'm scared, yes... but more excited to see where these things might lead.

6. New (super cute) boots. Delightful.

7. Family. J and I were blessed with a very family centered Thanksgiving weekend: Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's, Friday night dinner with Jon's sisters and their families (including bambinos to be!), and Saturday was decorating & dinner with Laurie. Good, good stuff.

8. Fabric softener. This stuff almost makes me want to do laundry. Almost. (Although, while we're on the subject, I had quite the mountain of laundry to tackle this weekend. It's a miracle blessing that that's done!)

9. Letting friends (including blog friends!) motivate me. I'm taking a cue from Bobbi and doing a 31 day yoga challenge during the month of December (so far, so good!)

10.

This . It just makes me happy :)

picture source

All right, your turn! What have you been up to? Is there snow where you live? What has been the best part of your holiday season so far?

Milestones.

Happy October 30, bloggies!

Holy. Goodness. (Can someone please explain to me how it got to be the end of October all ready?)

Lots has happened since my last post. I've ventured into realms of cooking that I've never explored before (stuffed acorn squash? check. Bohemian Wedding Cake-- ala eatliverun? check.) endured tornado-like winds (thankfully, there's no exciting story behind that-- no damage to the house, and the kitties were not blown away... I was momentarily worried that I'd have a permanent ringing in my ears due to the tornado sirens, though ;). I've dabbled in canning (inspiration from the lovely Julie), tested out our whirlpool bathtub for the first time (I am a wee bit ashamed to admit this, as we've lived in the house since April... but, Oh, tub. Bathing in you positively eclipses my lifetime of bubble baths before you...), and survived my 1st cold of the season (actually... I still don't feel like I've totally shaken it, and I've heard similar stories from friends.... there's something nasty out there, y'all...) Life's been busy, but ...aside from the whole sickness thing life's been good. Tonight I'm going to give you a little glimpse into this crazy-busy-good life, via stream of consciousness...

Bits and Pieces:

• I had this ideal that J and I wouldn't "cave in" and turn our heat on until November 1. And then yesterday J played the cat card. "But, Amy.." he said, "The cats are cold. I came home and they looked like little porcupines (all fluffed up to try and stay warm). And their little paws are cold." ...We totally turned the heat on last night.
• Honestly, though, until yesterday our November 1 goal seemed totally doable. Because Ohio weather has been a little kooky, even for Ohio. We've been having summer like 70-degree days that make it seem like, surely, the summer has not yet ended-- when in fact we are 1 month and 8 (?) days in to Fall, thankyouverymuch. (...Sigh. I'm notreally complaining about the 'heat'... but, seriously? I would have felt seriously jipped if we don't get at least several weeks of real Ohio fall-- cool 50's, with grey skies and crisp breezes. *Shakes fist at the skies* Hellooo.... this isn't Florida -- I want my 4 seasons, please!)
• I've been feeling very homey lately... with all the pies and meal planning and (erm) vacuuming (maybe because it's been so warm the cats have been shedding overtime?) I even had my first "gardening" attempt (I transplanted some mums into our front flower bed. If I manage to not kill them, perhaps I'll move on to tomatoes next year...) As of now, the mums are still stubbornly hanging in there... so there may be hope for me yet.
• Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention another (HUGE) milestone that occurred in tandem with the cold/sickness milestone. I actually was feeling crummy enough last Friday that I took the day off work, to spend the day curled up on the couch under 2 blankets with a tissue box :) Somewhere between hours 2 and 3 of my self-prescribed Grey's Anatomy marathon (Side note: I've never been an avid fan all by myself.... but I loved to watch it with friends in college. Until last Friday, I don't think I'd watched an episode since I graduated-- but you know what? That's some darn good "sick-tv"...) --BARON HOPPED UP ON MY CHEST, BURROWED UNDER THE BLANKETS, AND SNUGGLED WITH ME FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES. Needless to say-- for the cat who, most of the time tolerates me at best-- this was huge. I suppose it might have had something to do with the fact that it was cold in the house (read: it was in the 30's outside. I told you the weather has been temperamental....)-- but I prefer to think that he knew I wasn't feeling well, and was comforting his Mama the best way he knew how. (Furthermore, if that was the case, it worked. It warmed my heart all day long :)
• It occurs to me that this is becoming a very cat-centric post....
• So on a non-cat related note: I've been loving the "hibernation mode" that we have so naturally fallen into as the daylight wanes earlier and earlier. Although a part of me aches for the times when it is still light when we sit down to dinner, a larger part of me rejoices in wrapping up on blankets and snuggling into the couch after dinner, starting a new season of must-see tv together :)
• I LOVE HGTV.
• But I'm not terribly fond of the commercial that says, "Food Myth #X: Chopping & Peeling can be kind of relaxing at the end of the day..." ...Call me crazy, but to me, it is :) I'm loving coming home to chop(!) and create a warm meal. It's a fantastic way to decompress after a long (some longer than others) work day.
• I love that Gracie comes in and hangs out with me in the kitchen while I'm preparing dinner. She lies on the floor and watches me intently, close enough to "keep an eye on things", but far enough away that I don't have to worry about stepping on her. Sometimes she gets so happy she rolls onto her back and watches me upside down, purring all the time. I think she enjoys our nightly ritual as much as I do.

And with that, I do believe that we're all caught up :)

Your Turn: Any good Halloween plans?

My answer: We are being deliciously low key this year (ie: tonight we're chilling at home, eating stuffed peppers and watching Dexter, hehe :) -- no parties or anything. I did get into the spirit on Thursday evening, though-- which was trick-or-treat night. My favorite costumes of the night were those of our little neighbor girls (about 1 and 3 years old) who dressed up as Little Bo Peep and Little Miss Muffet (Miss Muffet was the tinier one, wearing squeaky shoes and carrying a spider candy bucket)-- I about died of the cute :)

Spirit of Columbus 1/2 Marathon Recap

Hello, hello -- and happy Monday :)

I was trying to "save" this post until I had an official time to post for you (and, loyal blogger that I am, I have been checking the website all day ...) but, as of the time that this post 'hit the presses', results have not been posted. Suffice it to say, I was not "removed from the course", and my garmin (which, being caught up in the moment, I started late and stopped late) reads 2:57:46.

So... let's jump right in, shall we?

As a general rule, I never sleep well before races-- which, I believe, is probably caused by the overwhelming mix of nervousness & excitement that sets in the eve of "race day". Still, I did okay -- bouncing out of bed at 5:00 5:30am, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to run.

Err... Right. Actually I was just really grateful that I had the foresight to set the programmable coffee maker the night before. 1 cup of coffee later (which I apparently did not consume quickly enough, as I carefully poured myself 1/2 a mug-full of creamer, and almost peanut-buttered Gracie, who had her nose in the wrong place at the wrong time... Gahh.. I couldn't make this stuff up, bloggies)-- things were looking up :)

Or, rather, down. These new socks were a joyful addition to my race day attire :) Fun socks are like fun underwear (sorry, Dad)-- no one but you knows that you are wearing them, but they make you feel a little extra special all day long :)

Breakfast was consumed (PB+J on toast .... and another splash of coffee), J was awakened... and we were on our way. (... after one dead car battery... which was handled with grace & minimal panic on both of our parts. Really, it was a blessing, as J's car does not have working air conditioning, and it was awfully nice to blast the air on the way home... but I'm getting ahead of myself :)

We arrived at the start line a little after 7am, and met up with my parents, who had come to wish me luck (my father also took on the duty of my personal paparazzi-- the next couple photos are credited to him!)

Then, since we had some time to spare, (and.. well, nerves, you know?) I decided I'd use the bathroom one final time ... which turned out to be a pivotal point for the entire race for me.

Now, lest you think I am going to launch into a diatribe about the evils of coffee (NEVER!) and how drinking a cup of coffee before the race was a mistake (which it wasn't, thank heavens :) -- I'll tell you standing in line for the porta-potties was a good thing not only for the obvious reasons-- but, even more so, for the woman I met while I was waiting.

(me & A. in the blue hat)

I can't remember who started the conversation-- and really, it doesn't matter-- the important thing is that I met her. We made a little small talk; I found out that this was her 1st half marathon, and inquired whether she had a specific goal. She told me that she was aiming for 12:30 splits. In a burst of uncharacteristic bravery (which, perhaps I can attribute to my mother's presence -- she's always been able to talk to anyone), I asked her if I could run with her for the first couple miles (my thinking being that if I could give myself a little cushion in the first few miles, I would be less likely to be eh-hem "booted from the course" later.)

And just like that, a friendship was forged.

I have to say... although I've always aspired to be a faster runner (remember my goals for a sub-8 minute mile, a 24 minute 5k, and a sub-2 hour half?!), being in the mid-back of the pack has blessed me immeasurably. I've found (and I wonder if it's like this at the front of the pack too... I just honestly have no experience :) that when you are not as focused on beating your neighbor to the finish, you have time to cheer them on. And that's incredibly wonderful.

I was able to stay with A. for 5 (!) miles-- and I am incredibly proud of that. We cheered each other on for over an hour-- sharing stories, goals, and encouragement. I didn't get a chance to meet up with her at the end, but J told me that he saw her cross the finish line. It was truly an honor for me to be able to run with her during her 1st half marathon. I only hope that I was able to be good company for her as well-- and that she might have an idea of what a difference she made for me yesterday.

Of course, after A. and I separated at mile 5, it was a bit of a struggle. It didn't help that the last 6 miles were a straight shot down S.R. 33 into the city (read: no shade)... and by the time I hit mile 10, I was hurting a little. But it was still good. Every step was a blessing. I chatted with the other women who were racing around me, I waved at the police men who were directing traffic around the racers, I yelled thank-you's to the volunteers, and (because I was one of the last participants in) I took 2 cups of water at each water station :) It was hot (HOT), and it was hard (and I have the aches and blisters today to prove it), but I am so glad that I did it :)

I actually beat my goal time (3:15 ish.... 15 min/mile)-- but J made it to the finish to watch me cross, and that meant a lot to me :) We drove home (in the air conditioned car-- hallelujah!), and I lay on the floor and contemplated the meaning of life for a while with Gracie (ughhh.... I'm not sure what the deal was... apparently I didn't fuel quite right and my salt/water/food ratios were off... I felt like I had the worst hangover EVER... poor Gracie didn't know what was wrong with her Mama, and hovered close by to keep an eye on me), before I showered and ate a mac & cheese recovery lunch :)

And today? Well, quite frankly, I had forgotten how much this stuff hurts :) My back and my ribs hurt, I have a blister between my toes, and I'm walking like a little old lady... but I'm happy, and I'm really proud to add this race to my list of races & life experiences.

What's next? A sub-2? An all walking half? A marathon? I have no clue. But I promise to keep you posted...

For now though, this tired girl is peeling herself off the couch and headed to bed...

Have a fantastic Monday night ;)

What is one of your proudest accomplishments?