My middle school aged niece was climbing a tree this weekend. She got half way up and turned around; her shorts had JUMP printed across the back of them. I got a great picture, but I don’t want to publish my young niece’s backside, so you will just have to trust me on how funny it looked.
Archive for May, 2010
Cheer Irony
Posted in General on May 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Crazy Squirrels
Posted in General on May 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
My young adult son and I were driving home from church yesterday when a squirrel jumped from the grassy median and under my car tire.
“Mom, what were you doing?” my son exclaimed.
“Driving!” I replied. “If an animal jumps into the road, you can’t lose control of your car to avoid it. You have to keep driving, even if that means you hit the animal!”
“That is the second squirrel you have killed since we moved here!” he said, rather upset. We moved here nearly 12 years ago.
“Well I can’t help it if there are suicidal squirrels in this neighborhood! He jumped off of the curb. What was I supposed to do?”
I am just glad there was a dresser in the back of the SUV so I couldn’t see in the rearview mirror.
Ruff Cake
Posted in General on May 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »
My husband’s birthday fell on Mother’s Day this year, so he had to share his day with all the mothers in our family for lunch. He was a very good sport about it. My 21 year-old son, Brad, and I felt badly that Terry hadn’t gotten a birthday cake, so we went out to get Chinese for dinner and stopped by the store for a cake to surprise him. We couldn’t decide which kind of cake to get, then Brad said, “Isn’t German shepherd cake is favorite?” I literally Laughed Out Loud in the store, so loudly that people turned to look. Laughing, Brad put his hand up to my mouth. I couldn’t stop; I just kept laughing, loudly. I finally gained my composure. Then images of German “shepherd” cake came into my mind: a cake with pointy ears on top, a cake with fur stuck in the icing, etc. and the laughter would start again. I won’t even discuss the possibility of what a German shepherd cake would taste like. I finally quieted down at the store, but I still laugh when the thought of a German shepherd cake pops into my mind.
After we ate the Chinese food, Brad put candles on the chocolate fudge cake that we had settled on. We had gotten trick candles (re-lighting kind), but I didn’t know that he was going to put the entire pack of trick candles on the cake. As he walked into the family room, the candles sputtered like sparklers on the 4th of July. Terry laughed; he knew what was up right away. They were burning quickly, and the room became smokey. We had to take the candles off and throw them into a glass of water to get them extinguished. The stench lasted for hours. It only added to the image of German shepherd cake.
Well, it started out as a birthday almost forgotten in comparison to Mother’s Day, but ended up being one of the most memorable birthdays Terry has had.
Happy Day
Posted in General on May 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Good things filled my day:
- Waking up to a thunderstorm (would’ve been better if I could have slept in)
- Starbucks decaf, non-fat, no whip, mocha
- Swimming for the first time in two weeks
- I had a lane to myself the whole time
- The sauna was empty and I could put it on any temperature I wanted
- My fruit snacks pack had FOUR orange pieces (my favorite), usually they only have 1 or 2
- The evening was calm and just the right temperature for no jacket
Thank you, Lord, for putting the happy things in my life!
Running Thoughts
Posted in Fitness, General on May 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I ran my fastest half marathon today: 2:24:12…and that was in 48 degree temps with a windchill of 38 to 40 degrees and wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour! Brrrrrrrr! The other 30,000 people kept it somewhat warmer while we waited to start, but my teeth were still chattering. I might not be able to walk tomorrow, but it was so fun!
I asked my husband if he ever thinks about things, or if his mind wanders, while he is running. He said he just strategizes and tries to pick someone close to his pace and tries to get ahead of him, and then he picks another person, and so on. Not me! I think of lots of things. Like today:
- Miles 1-4: These walkers are killing me! I can’t get my pace! This is the most miserable Mini ever! Can I squeeze between those two women? Why do people throw their sweatshirts, plastic bags, etc. on the course when they take them off? I hope I don’t trip on them and fall; that would be just like me.
- Mile 5: I feel more comfortable. I have my pace, and I am warming up. Hey, that guy is really tall. Should I sip some water or Gatorade at every station? What if I have to go to the bathroom?
- Mile 6: I am almost halfway. I promised myself to run the first half and then run/walk the second half. This watch is awesome!
- Mile 7: More than halfway, but I want to keep running. How far do I have left? Let’s see…5 miles…no wait, 7 miles…no that would be 14 miles…6 miles, hmmm, that’s still a long way to keep running. The track is crowded (500 Speedway). I know I’m not supposed to run on the grass, but I have to pass these people. Oooo, the grass feels nice! Okay, off the grass, there is guy warning people to get off of the grass ahead. Those cheerleaders are sure perky!
- Mile 8: Wow, I am still running! I am going to eat my cookie at the end and enjoy it with no guilt about calories. I think I will text Terry (husband) how well I am doing, in case he goes back to the car to get his phone. Oh, oh. My foot is starting to hurt. Should I stop and stretch? Wow, if I keep my pace up, I can qualify to get a preferred start next year (finish in less than 2:28). I need to stretch and re-tie my shoe. Okay, that didn’t take long.
- Mile 9: I can feel my big toenail; it is feeling a little sore. Hello big toenail. I hope you don’t turn colors again. I guess I will keep getting water; I shouldn’t need a bathroom break at this point. My pace is still good. Texting Terry my time so he will know when to look for me. I sure hope these new bib timing devices work. I will be really pissed if I push myself and they don’t have my time.
- Mile 10: Only a little more than 3 miles to go. I can do this. My foot hurts again. Should I stretch? I have time. My foot still hurts a little, but Terry said sometimes he has pain, but he just keeps going. I will keep going. Hey, I feel like a real runner!! I wonder if Dad can see me? (father-in-law that recently passed away). If you are there Dad, run with me awhile. I imagine him laughing. Brad (son) calls around 10.25 miles and asks, “How’s it going?” I yell over my iPod, “I am running the Mini!” After he responds, “Yeah, how are you doing?” I tell him my time and say, “Gotta go, love you!” and hang up.
- Mile 11: Run, walk, run, walk…keep moving! Oh, that guy I passed is passing me; I am going to pass him back. Still on track with my time. I smell donuts, must be a bakery. I will run for donuts!
- Mile 12: Almost there! I am good on time; I think I will walk a little. My favorite running song is playing on my iPod; I will run, again! Some lady is yelling like a drill sergeant to keep moving. She would make a good drill sergeant. Okay, time to run some more. I see the finish line! Run, run, run! I am good on time; I am going to make it! There will be big trouble if this timing device doesn’t work!
- Mile 13.1: I did it!!! Woo hoo!! This feels great! Where are the foot things? Oh yeah, the timing device is on the bib. Where are the cookies? Yum! They have my results; the timing device worked!
I told my husband some of the things I think about and asked again if he thinks of anything other than the race. He said, “No, I just think about beating the next guy.” Wow, maybe I will get to that point, but I doubt it.
Better to Laugh 