Friday, November 28, 2008

A Good Thanksgiving

We had a really good holiday. It is not the big things that matter, but the little things.

Both Bill and I were able to go for a run in the morning before we came home to cook and clean up. Bill's parents came over late afternoon, and we had some great appetizers and good conversation. Around 5:30 pm, we had our big Thanksgiving dinner. My sweet hubby is a wonderful chef, so he made a great turkey with all the trimmings. I was able to use all of the good stuff - my mom's Heron china and sterling silver as well as all the serving pieces. After dinner, our girls, Misty and Lily, got to sample their first ever Thanksgiving dinner. They got a little bit of everything in their bowl. As you can imagine, it was a big hit with the puppies.

After all the dished were washed (trust me - there were a lot of dishes), we watched TV and saw the movie Fred Claus. The movie was pretty good and a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

It was a really good holiday. Family was around, the food was great, and the day was relaxing. What more could you want from a holiday?

Monday, November 24, 2008

To Read or Not To Read

Tomorrow night is my book club meeting. We meet once a month (skipping December and the summer months) to discuss a preassigned book that the whole group has read. Tomorrow, we are reading my picks, Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, and I am the discussion leader. That sounds all fine and dandy, but I still have about 160 pages of the book to read.

I really love the people in my book group. They are all really cool people, and I enjoy the social aspect of getting together each month. Most of the group is older than me, some are retired. So, everyone has usually gone on interesting trips or done something cool that they share with the group. The only downside to the club is having to read a darn book.

Maybe is it the part about the book being assigned. Maybe it has to do with trying to make an intelligent point about a book. Maybe it is just trying to remember the plot points. I find the whole thing to be full of pressure. All of the members are so smart. They make smart insights and comments while I am left with "I liked it." It is hard for me to find time to read the books as well (or anything else for that matter - you should see the stacks of magazines by my bed!)

So, what should I do? Should I stick with it or should I bow out? Do I go for the pleasure of the company, or do I quit yet another activity that is hard to fit in my schedule? I wish I knew what to do.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Yep, it was cold

Today is the regular day for our Galloway running group. We usually run about 10 miles (sometimes more) on Saturdays. Normally, hubby and I would both go, but this week was a little different. B had a procedure done on his foot this week (nothing major) and was told not to run for 1 week. So, it was all me this morning when the alarm went off at 5:45 am.

To top the early hour, it was also a little chilly. It was in the 20s this morning when I left the house. I thought about calling off the run, but I went anyway. Luckily, once you start running, you warm up pretty quickly. After about 2 miles, the gloves were off. About a mile later, the jacket was off. Of course, when we took a long walk break, everything went back on for at least a little bit. I did run/walk for 10.6 mile this morning. I'm glad I went. I am still a little cold now, but I'm sure I will be warm soon.

Dirty Sexy Money - NO!!!!!!

News broke yesterday that ABC canceled one of my favorite shows - Dirty Sexy Money. DSM is the story of the wealthiest family in the US, the Darlings, and their family lawyer, Nick George. There is corruption, extravagance, jewels, intrigue, and humor in this show. It was one of my absolute favorites on TV, and I don't watch all that much TV. Of course, the show is just starting to get really good. The storyline has really picked up and you are never quite sure who is on which side and how it will all work out. I just hope that there will be some sort of conclusion to the show and loyal viewers like me won't be left hanging.

I have written to ABC and E! online. I am so upset. This news is about as bad as when Cashmere Mafia was canceled last year. It makes me not want to watch new TV shows at all.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Post #400 - I feel like a traitor

This morning, my boss asked me to get some information for him, and I didn't want to do it. It wasn't unethical or illegal, it just made me feel bad. Without getting into too much detail, the request was to find out more information about a job incentive that one of my colleagues earns. The bosses seem to be thinking about removing this perk. My problem is that I think my colleague deserves it.

I feel horrible for being part of this potential situation. I want no part of it. I wish I could tell my supervisor what I think of this request and how wrong I think it is, but it is really none of my business. I just get to sit here and feel bad about it.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I am such a slacker

I have not been very good at updating my blog lately. It just seems that so much is going on these days with work and personal life. There just doesn't seem to be time for everything, and my blog has been suffering. I decided the heck with it - I will take a few moments to update it today.

It is hard to remember where I left off, so I am just going to start with this past weekend. It was another good one. We are so very lucky to have such great friends in our lives. We were able to relax and watch a movie Friday night at home with our pups to get ready for the weekend ahead. On Saturday, The Junior League held their annual Holiday Market. My good friend, Rebecca, and her friend Laura joined me again this year for the event. We each found something cute for a holiday present for a loved one. After the market, we all went to Chapel Hill (Laura's college stomping grounds) for a nice lunch and a walk around downtown Chapel Hill. After I left them, I went shopping on my own, something I haven't done in a very long time. That evening, we went to our wonderful neighbor's house for a evening of drinking and games. It was so much fun, and I really hope we get to do it again soon.

Sunday was a race day. Bill and I both ran in the Old Reliable 10K in Raleigh. It was the 25th running of this race. We had always wanted to do it. What made it even better was that several friends were running as well. After a 20 minute delayed start t move the timing mats, we were off. It was another hilly Raleigh run. Bill did very well finishing the 6.2 mile course in 54 minutes. He was very happy. I finished in an expected 1:19, but was disappointed that I was so close to last. Still, the disappointment didn't last that long as we all headed over to the Flying Saucer for post race drinks.

Monday was Monday. Tuesday was better as we were all at our fall team meeting. All of our employees from around the country are in town. Since we are all together, it is also time for our holiday party. Last night, we went to the Angus Barn for a wonderful dinner in The Pavilions. It was lovely and the food was wonderful. Our chef was none other than Chef Walter Royal. Some of you may know him from his appearance on Iron Chef America. To this day, he still holds the highest score from a competitor on that show. He made us a special dessert - his grandma's apple cobbler cooked in a dutch oven over an open fire. It was as good as it sounds. After dinner, we all danced the night away to the sounds of the DJ. Almost everyone got out on the dance floor to shake their booty at least once. It was just a fantastic night.

Well, that's my update. I hope (but can't promise!) that I will be able to update more soon.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Quote of the Week

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” John Bingham
I really like this quote. I think about this quote quite a bit. I thought about it last week when I was talking to my sister-in-law (SIL). We have finally put aside our political differences now that the election is over (OBAMA '08!!), and we are back to normal. Hubby and I will be going to Orlando for the Disney Half Marathon in 2009. I mentioned to SIL that she should run with me in 2010. As far as I know, she has never been a runner. I thought she might laugh off the suggestion or say "yeah, right, " but I was pleasantly surprised to find her saying yes.
She has started to look at different walking and/or running groups in her area. Before we even finished our e-mails, she had spoken to a local store that was able to suggest a group for her to join. She even asked me when we could sign up for the run so she would have a goal race. I am so excited for her and so please to have a running buddy. Sure, sometimes training stinks. Sometimes it is cold outside or dark or wet, and you don't want to go. Sometimes it aches to run that far. Sometimes you wonder what the heck you were thinking. But, just as John says, it is not the race or finishing the run, it is the fact that you started at all. You can do anything you set your mind to do. The hardest part is starting.
Watch out Disney Princess Run 2010 cause we are coming!!

Monday, November 03, 2008

One More Day

One More Day. One final day, and it will be over. I am talking about the 2008 elections. In a mere 24ish hours, we will know who will be our new president for the next 4 years. Boy, will I be glad when it is over.

I know this election will be historic. No matter who wins, it will be a first for this country. I know this election is important. Every vote counts as we come down to the wire. I will do my duty and vote tomorrow morning. I will vote for the man I believe will steer this country in the right direction for the next 4 years, and I will feel good about it.

I will be so happy to have the political commercials behind us. I will be glad to have another topics of conversation beside the elections. I will be so happy to not have to talk about the candidates. I will be glad that my friends and family who are voting for the other party will have no more to say about the process anymore. I will be glad when things are normal again.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

A Marathon and A Half

Last Sunday, Bill ran his first marathon ever. He ran in the 33rd running of the Marine Corps Marathon in DC. He wasn't alone, either. There were over 30,000 runners in that race, and about 50 of them were from our running group here at home. Bill ran all through Georgetown, along the Potomac, around the Lincoln Memorial and the Mall, through Arlington, and finishing at the Arlington Cemetery. I could not be more proud of my husband. He has been training hard all year, and this race was the culmination of that work. The race was long and tough, but he did finish. We even had a great weekend in DC enjoying the huge race expo at the armory and visiting an amazing bar. We went to a place called The Brickskellar that has the most amazing selection of beer I have ever seen. They have over 1000 beers in bottles, and the food is good, too. Not a bad place to spend a Friday afternoon. Too bad it was a race weekend...


This morning, I competed in my second half marathon. I did the City of Oaks half marathon in Raleigh. Unlike my first race, this one was on a very hilly course. I started out fine with about 10 other member of my running group. I felt good and was keeping up the pace. It was great to be running with friends - we kept joking it was like a regular weekend run. Sadly, my stinking watch gave out at mile 5, and so did I. I started feeling more and more tired. I started falling back from my group. Luckily, I had our friend, Jon to cheer me on at various points along the route. Bill was working at a Galloway water stop right around mile 10. Seeing him and knowing he was proud of me really helped me to finish the race. I was shocked to see when I finished, I set a new PR. I actually knocked 8 minutes off my time from VA Beach. About 30 minutes after the race, I started to think about the next race. It seems that, like pain, you forget how much something hurt when it is over and all is well. Crazy! At least I know I will sleep well tonight.