My legs were feeling tight, so I decided to get a massage. The next day my left leg felt great, but my right leg was hurting from my hamstring to my plantar fascia. I went running the night after the massage; I felt like I could run a half marathon with the left leg, but the right was really hurting. I wonder what that half marathon would look like. Would I be running in a circle? Would I look like a pirate with a peg leg? One thing is for sure…I am not trying it just to find out!
Archive for February, 2010
Hurts Not So Good
Posted in Fitness on February 28, 2010| 1 Comment »
Fresh Air Running
Posted in Fitness, General on February 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »
It has been cold for so long! I run inside when it is below freezing; this winter I have been running inside a lot. Usually there are more 35 to 40 degree teasers in February. We got a couple of those days last weekend. I ran outside on Saturday; it felt wonderful to breathe in the fresh air! I wanted to run on the middle school track, but when I got there, I found it still covered with snow. So I headed back home to run on the Monon Trail, an urban greenway. My husband had already decided to run the Monon. By the time I ran to the entrance of the trail, it was dusk. I was only running about a mile of the trail itself, so I wasn’t too worried. As I got to the entrance, my husband was leaving the trail. He said he didn’t realize it was me at first and thought, “Who is that crazy person getting on the trail at this time of day?” Then he realized it was me and answered his own question, “Oh, it’s my crazy wife.” We smiled as we ran past each other, and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “What are you doing out here?” After he had gotten his miles in, he back tracked and ran my last 3/4 mile with me; he’s just sweet like that. I can’t wait for more outdoor running days!
Seeing Spots
Posted in General on February 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I am still getting used to wearing glasses. Some things are just very aggravating; now I know why my husband has gotten frustrated with glasses all these years. They fog up, smudge, slide down your nose, and mystery dirt gets on them. Oh, and be careful what you wipe them with so that you don’t scratch them or smudge them worse than they already are.
Today, I went out with some students to get music stands out of my SUV. I ran through the snow flurries with my hand above my eyes so that I wouldn’t end up with wet glasses. One of the students asked if I was cold. “No, I am trying to keep from getting spots on my glasses,” I said with exasperation. He laughed and said, “I don’t even think about it.” Then I realized that three out of the five students wore glasses, and they weren’t paying any attention to the snow. Boy, did I look silly! Still, I just can’t seem to let the spots go, yet.
Two Guns and a Bat Exterminators
Posted in General on February 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »
My mom and dad have had a raccoon living in their fireplace for some time now. Before I get hate mail, I know it is a cute, furry animal, but it is also wild. Raccoons have been known to attack humans, so for the safety of the grandchildren (and my mom), it had to go. My mom recently heard of a woman that fell running from a raccoon, and it started gnawing on her leg after she hit the ground. Besides, they can’t use the fireplace with a raccoon living in it. WARNING: If cute, furry animals make you all warm and fuzzy inside, then you might not want to read on.
The male brain trust of our family (my father, brother, husband, and 21 year-old son) huddled up to discuss the best way to get rid of the animal. It isn’t like my father hadn’t tried to get rid of it (poison), but this is one tough raccoon. So, they decided to take drastic measures. They chose two high-powered pellet guns as their weapons and a baseball bat for backup. They had my dad and son with the baseball bat in the living room to light some paper and smoke him out of the chimney, while my brother and husband climbed on the roof to shoot it when it climbed out. I was upstairs with my camera, ready to capture the moment. By the way, it was about 38 degrees and raining, so I really thought the moment would be one of them (or both) falling off of the roof. The smoke worked, the raccoon came out, jumped on the roof, and my brother shot it in the butt. Now, I am no hunting expert, but I don’t think the butt is a kill shot. Anyway, it jumped on the next level roof with my brother and husband in tow. I could hear the pounding as the three of them jumped and ran across the roof. They each got another shot, and that pretty much did it in.
To sum it up: How many men does it take to rid the fireplace of vermin? Apparently four men, two guns, some smoke, and a baseball bat. How many women does it take to do the same? One woman and one phone…to call the local, professional exterminator.
Trapped
Posted in General on February 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I decided to get the salt washed off of my car yesterday. I used the automatic car wash. I felt a little claustrophobic, which was weird; I have never felt like that in the car wash before. Then, just as I got to the rinse, the power shut off. I sat stunned. It was eerily quiet with only the sound of dripping water. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t get out. For one thing, what if it started up again and I wasn’t in the car? That would not be cool if my car got to the “Go” light without a driver. I sat there for about a minute, watching the suds run down the windshield. Then, the power came back on. It took a few seconds for it to get to full power, which sounded like something from a scary movie. I’m glad it didn’t take too long to get going again. I didn’t even have any snacks in the car; I left my Girl Scout cookies at work. I don’t mind being trapped, as long as I have the necessary supplies.
Better to Laugh 