Dear Me, I think I am actually doing a half marathon

Yesterday, Bill and I got out butts out of bed and did the Galloway Training run. We met at the designated training area by 7:00 am yesterday morning. That means we woke up at about 5:45 am. On a Saturday. On a Saturday that was a little chilly and cloudy. On a Saturday that threatened rain. Even with all of those negatives, I am really glad we went.

I found my friend, Lesley, at the beginning of the run. I decided to go with the group she was running with - the 13:00 pace group. I was scared at first that I would not be able to keep up with this group for the scheduled 5 mile run. It turned out to be the best group run I have ever done.

We started off with a good 5 minute warm up walk. After syncing our watches, we began the run by doing a one minute run, followed by a one minute walk. We kept up this routine for the entire run. At first, I felt silly stopping after just one minute. I felt like I really wanted to keep going, running faster. But, I stayed with the group and enjoyed the camaraderie. People talked and got to know each other. They would ask about your goals, and you would ask about their training. We talked with the group leaders about their Galloway experiences, and I felt a real connection. We stayed together for the whole course, something I have never been able to do with other groups. At the end of the run, they told us to "run for the barn." I sprinted the last 100 yards at a pace of an 8:00 mile. I have never been able to sprint at the end of a run as I have never had the energy. I felt so great at the end of this run, I was able to open the flood gates and take off. It was a great feeling.

The overall run ended up being 5.89 miles. I finished it in 1:27, and felt wonderful. Remember, I finished the 10K (6.2 miles) in 1:22 at a full run. I can already tell that there really is something to this method that Jeff Galloway started. I was so excited at the end of the run, I signed up for the full training course.

Yes, It looks like I might be running a half marathon by the end of the year. I am a little bit scared, but not as intimidated as I was before yesterday's run.

PS - Bill felt great, too, after his run. It was his first time back in many weeks since his hip injury. He is walking and doing well today, and has put a marathon on his goal list for the end of the year.

The Day Before the 3 Day

The problem with the Friday before a three day weekend is that you just don't want to work. All you want is to get out of the office so your special long weekend can start. You sit all day hoping beyond hope that the miracle will happen - the boss will say you can leave at 3:00 pm.

It didn't happen for me today. The morning went by quickly, but the afternoon has dragged on and on. It is now an hour until leave time and I know I won't get any free passes out of here early (unless the boss man leaves really soon!). Still, I would not give up my three day weekend for anything. I just wish it were a four day weekend.

So Proud of my Hubby!

Look who is almost to the Ring of Honor. Yes, my husband has had 197 of his 200 beers to get his plate on the wall of The Flying Saucer. Tonight could be the night, although he has been trying to limit himself to 2 beers per visit. Still, we will be having his unveiling party soon!!

Young Penguins, Old Wings

The Stanley Cup Finals are now set with the Pittsburgh Penguins getting read to take on the Detroit Red Wings. I will have to admit that I have not been watching the playoffs since my beloved Canes were eliminated from the playoff picture, but this match up does intrigue me.

The Penguins are a very young team. Their captain, Sidney "the Kid" Crosby is just 20 years old. He is joined by a slightly older Evgeni Malkin. These two players made be young, but they are among the most talented players in the NHL. Pair them with veterans Marian Hossa, Darryl Sydor, and Sergei Gonchar, and you can see why the Penguins won the Eastern Conference. Heck, they even have a Staal (Jordan) on their team.

The Red Wings are old school. They have been here and they have won it all many times. Their roster is like a who's who of the best of the NHL. They dominated the Western Conference for most of the regular season, and had a relatively easy path in the playoffs.

Will youth trump experience? Will the veterans show the young ones how a Cup is won? I don't know, but I sure think it will be interesting. I just may have to watch.

The Stanley Cup Finals begin Saturday.

No More Gossip for Me

I am so totally done with Gossip Girl after last night's season finale.

There were 4 couples in the middle of the show, but none of then were together by the end. It was so ridiculous!! Each couple broke up, then moved on. It seems that they are all spending the summer with other people - like a mix and match to give you an idea of who may end up with whom next season. They all seemed OK with their fates as well. I was terribly disappointed.

I like romantic comedies and chick lit. They reason I like those two things is that I want a happy ending. I want to see the boy and the girl get together after they battle whatever it is that is keeping them apart. That did not happen last night, and that is why I am giving up the show.

There are enough problems in this world. When I watch TV, I want to escape to a happy place that makes me feel good. I do not want to wake up at 4:00am obsessing about a stupid TV show. I am done with Gossip Girl.

Half Yearly Sale for Women & Kids

Guess where I will be tomorrow morning at 7:00am?

Yes, I will be at my favorite store, Nordstrom, for the famous half yearly sale. It is my favorite place to shop for shoes (among other things). I love getting there early and checking out all of the merchandise on sale. Maybe I will see you there!!

Our Annual Car Show

This past Saturday was our annual classic car show. Bill and I woke up at 5:10 am Saturday morning to head out to the lake where we have had the show for the past few years. It was a long, long day, but a gorgeous one weather wise.

We had to setup our registration table in the cold of the morning. Luckily, our food committee brought us sausage biscuits and coffee to take the chill off. By 8:00am, we were ready for the first cars. We were steadily busy for the first two hours. We seemed to get the cars in groups, but not too large a group that people had to wait forever. My job was to do the data entry of the registration info into the club spreadsheet. By 10:30 am, but shoulders were tired! We closed registration at about 12:15 pm. After making sure all was well with the data, Bill and I finally got to walk around a bit and see all of the beautiful cars in our show. We had 102 paid cars, plus about 36 club cars. It was great fun to see old favorites as well as the first timers to the show. I helped with the awards presentation , and before we knew it, it was time to wave goodbye to all of the participants. Bill and I went to The Sauce for a celebratory beer (or two) before heading home to an early night.

As you can imagine, we sat on the sofa for most of the day yesterday. We watched TV and movies, we napped and we read. It felt great to do nothing after our Saturday. I am already looking forward to this weekend where we have 3 days to enjoy ourselves!

My Nephew is a Star

My nephew, Tyler, has been modeling for awhile now. He did a print campaign for Macy's and a few others. It is great for him, and he is already putting away some bucks for college. Here is his latest work for Children's Place. Isn't he a cutie?

Kettlebell Workout

Last night, I participated in a tryout class for Kettlebell Training. It was a class that a friend in the Junior League put together for several of us to try. As a matter of fact, the instructor is a Sustainer in the JLDOC.

The class is based on moving with a weight called a kettlebell. We learned two different movements, then arm swing and the front squat. The arm swing has you holding a kettlebell with two hand while bending and swinging it through your legs. The squat is a down to the floor move while holding the kettlebell in from of your chest. I definitely feel both moves now.

The arm swing really got our hearts racing, while the squat worked my quads and my glutes. It was a pretty good workout, and you could see the results on Betsy. That woman has barely any body fat and her arms are very well toned. She says that it is all from the kettlebells. She has been a group fitness instructor for a long time, but I admit that I do not remember her looking so trim and fit.

I would consider continuing the training, but the program is pricey. Also, since I am really trying to devote myself to running, I think I need to stick with one thing at one time. Still, if you are looking for a different and unique workout, check out kettlebell training in your local area.

So little to say

When I started this blog, I told myself that I would make an entry each day. Now that I have been doing this for almost 2 years, I know that it completely unreasonable. I don't have that much to say. Sometimes, I have something to say, but not enough time to log in and type it out.

I had thought of a post I wanted to write on Monday, but I never got around to writing it. Now, it seems like old news. It isn't even worth writing now, so I need to think of something new. That is how this post came to be. Oddly enough, as I am typing this entry, I have thought of something else I could post. Watch out - it may be a two entry day today!!

Lazy Butt

Yesterday, Bill and I were supposed to get up to be at the first Galloway training run by 7:00 am. Bill signed up for the group to train for his upcoming half marathon, and I am considering joining the group as well. They are very kind, and said that folks were welcome to the first few runs before they had to decide if they wanted to join the group. Well, Bill is still injured so he can't run. He said he would go with me and walk if I wanted to go. I decided to to sleep in, and I had regretted it ever since.

Sure, it was nice to have the extra sleep, but I felt like I was rushed all day long. I felt like I didn't have any time to get anything accomplished, and everything took a long time. I never even exercised. I should have gotten up, ran my 3 miles, and been home around 8:30. I would have had time to relax, then get to work on the things that needed to get done.

Bill and I both got up at about 7:15 this morning. He went on a 25 mile bike ride, and I ran 4 miles. We have both felt good all day long, and got a few things done before heading out to spend Mother's Day with his parents.

Next time we have a Saturday run we can do, we are going to get up to do it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

It is not Mexican Independence Day, you know. Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of a victory in a great battle, but not against the Spanish. It was a battle in which the outnumbered Mexicans beat the French. Still, it is a great excuse to drink cerveza and eat Mexican food.

Our fun team at work had a small Cinco de Mayo party today. We had Coronas with lime, chips, 8 different salsas, cheese sauce, guacamole, 7 layer dip, sangria, and non-alcoholic beverages. It was great fun for the group - a good pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon (unless you drank 2 beers like me and would actually like a nap now). We also had a pinata that we attempted to whack open with a stick. The poor ass was beheaded, but no candy fell out. We took care of that problem from the ground. Tonight, Bill and I will continue the theme with a burrito dinner.

Hope you all have a wonderful Cinco de Mayo, too!!!!!!!

Too lazy to get up

I was supposed to go for a run this morning, get cleaned up, then go to Pottery Barn for a free class on the art of botanicals. Instead, I slept in and ate waffles with Bill for breakfast.

I think part of the problem is that I have not slept in much lately. Last weekend, I did the Angels Among Us Race and woke up early, followed by the slumber party where I did not get much sleep at all. Yesterday, Bill and I were up at 7:00am so we could go to the kick off of the Jeff Galloway running program. Galloway was there himself to talk about the program and explain how you can run injury free with faster recovery times. It was such a great group. They seemed really warm and open to all runners of all paces. They seemed to have fun, even in a meeting. Bill has already signed up for the program, and I am seriously considering it. If we do participate in the program, I will be waking up for 6:30 to 7:00 am runs every Saturday until December. Guess I need to get my sleep now.

Work - A Waste of a Beautiful Spring Day

Today is a gorgeous day in NC. The sun is shining, but it is not too hot. There is a slight breeze blowing in to keep you cool. It was so lovely this morning, I just had to run. It was a pleasure to run 4 miles on a day like today. But, then I had to come to work.

It is tough to be in accounting at month end. Either you are so busy you can hardly get anything done or you are waiting. I am in waiting mode now. I am waiting for reports to generate and waiting for invoices to enter. It is difficult to wait when I know it is so wonderful just outside. At least I know that I will be enjoying the weather soon. I will be out of here in less than three hours. In about three and a half hours, I will be sitting on my back deck with Bill and Sammy, enjoying the great weather with a beer in my hand and burgers on the grill. I will have two glorious days of freedom ahead of me as well. It makes me feel better about missing out right now.

Slumber Parties - Not Just for Kids

This past Saturday night, I did something I have not done for a very long time. I went to a slumber party.

My dear friend Michelle is getting married in June. She decided that for her bachelorette party, she wanted to have a slumber party at her house. We all went over at about 7 pm to get the party started. After an early round of margaritas followed by mojitos, we had a dinner of salad and pizza. We talked about everything from what we would wear to Michelle's wedding to bikini waxing. It was great to just hang out with the women and talk about all the things we never say in front of guys.

After our meal, we played Cranium. Michelle and her partner, Laura, dominated the game. It was good for her to win as she was the woman of the hour. Those of us who decided to stay over then changed into our pajamas (brand new jammies for Michelle and me) and did face masks while watching the classic romantic chick flick - Casablanca. We soon all fell asleep on Michelle's floor in our sleeping bags. In the morning we got up and went to a nice brunch downtown.

Michelle had a great idea for her party, and I am really glad I was able to be there. We may be getting a little bit too old to sleep on the floor, but the margaritas did help with that.

Indian Cooking

Bill and I have recently found out that we really enjoy Indian food. So, I thought it would be fun for us to take a class together in Indian Cooking that I saw at a local community center. We finished our final class this week.

The class was not exactly how I expected it to be. I imagined a beautiful kitchen setting where there were many stove tops for cooking. I thought we would partner up and make a meal for each class. Well, it wasn't quite that. There was a kitchen, but it was very small for the 10 people in the class plus the teacher. We were each assigned a dish, but you only made that one dish in the class. At the end, we would all eat the dishes that were prepared. There were only 4 burners, and you had to find your ingredients and cooking ware in the cabinets.

We did make some interesting things. We made a vegetarian lentil soup the first week, followed by peas pullov (green peas with spices in balsami rice) the second week. For our final week, we made the dessert - carrot halwa. Each dish was interesting to make, but the list of ingredients was long. There are many spices needed for each dish - things you would not normally find in an average American kitchen. I don't know that we will make many of the dishes, but it sure was good eating for these past three Tuesdays.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Yesterday was Earth Day. Ever since we have had this water shortage in our area, Bill and I have been trying to conserve more. We watch the news most every night and see stories from around the world about the shortages in food, the price of fuel, and the harm that is being done to the environment. There is no one to fix these things but ourselves. It is important that we all be a green as possible.

We have:
1. Changed our bedroom lights to energy efficient light bulbs
2. Bought a rain barrel
3. Gotten canvas bags for grocery shopping
4. Recycled everything we can
5. Both use mugs at work instead of using paper cups

We have been trying to do more and more. We have talked about getting a compost bin as well.

Do you have any ideas for being green? Please share whatever you have done - I would love to do more to support our environment.

What a Weekend!!

We had a packed two days this past weekend.

Bill and I went to the APS of Durham's annual gala event on Saturday night. The event was held at The Washington Duke Inn in one of their lovely ballrooms. There were tons of silent auction items (Bill bid on a pack of gift certificates for a local go kart racing place and won! I will have to practice my driving) and even a few live auction items. We saw a friend there and I ran into one of my old neighbors from the townhouse. It was so good to see her and to catch up on neighborhood events. We drank, ate a nice dinner, and did good for the animals. Who could ask for more?

On Sunday,we went to visit Bill's dad who is in rehab (he is recovering from a bout of pneumonia and fluids on his lungs - he is not a drug or alcohol addict). We visited with him for about two hours, then saw Bill's mom as well when she came to visit. We had to head home pretty quickly because we had tickets too see Spamalot.

Spamalot is a musical loosely based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It had all the best parts of the movie (the Black Knight, the migrating coconuts, the Knights who say "Ni", the killer rabbit, "fetche la vache") mixed with great songs and new characters. I really enjoyed myself and laughed quite a bit. I would highly recommend it.

We also managed to watch a movie (The Wedding Singer which I had not seen), drink a few beers at The Sauce before the show, and go to the grocery store. Bill rode 41 miles on his bike (yes, 41 MILES!) while I went shopping (got 2 great skirts, new jammies, earrings, and a top) and had my haircut. I also managed to work on the newsletter a little bit, and catch up with my dad and dear friends Devi.

WOW - I can't believe we got all that done in TWO DAYS!!

Cheap Ass Canes

Since the Canes did not make the playoffs, I was able to ask for a refund for the ticket I had already purchased. I made the request, and was surprised to receive a check in the mail (I had made a payment on my credit card and thought they would refund it). The check was for $10.00 less than the amount I paid. I reviewed the authorization form that I sent for permission to charge my card, and did not see anything about a refund fee. So, I contacted my ticket manager.

Karen is a lovely person. She kindly explained that the $10.00 was a handling fee for the tickets that were sent to me. I told her how much I appreciated her getting the refund for me so quickly, but I was objecting to the withholding of $10.00.

My feeling is that I did receive the tickets. However, those tickets are completely useless now. I was thinking of putting them on the wall as decorative streamers - that is all they are good for at this point. I told Karen that I held up my end of the deal. I went to all of the games and cheered as loudly as I could. I don't feel that it is right that I be penalized for the team's inability to make the playoffs. It doesn't seem like an appropriate way to treat season ticket holders.

I am awaiting a response. I have a feeling I will be getting my $10.00 left.

The Monday Blues

I have a bad case of the Monday Blues. Or at least it is the blues and they just so happen to be on a Monday.

I just feel listless and sad. I don't feel like doing anything, and everything seems too hard to accomplish. I just want to go home and crawl under the covers.

I really don't know why I am feeling this way today. Maybe it has something to do with yesterday. Yesterday was supposedly a lovely day here. I never really got outside. I was in front of the computer most of the day working on the final JL newsletter for this year. It took about 4 hours, then it would not print to a PDF file. When that happened, I decided that I needed a break. I went to the post office, library, and the grocery store. When I got home, I figured out the problem, and got it to print properly.

Both Bill and I sacrificed our days yesterday. We were doing things that needed to be done for other people, not things we wanted to do. We did get to have fun Saturday (we went on a brewery tour of the Carolina Brewery and tried some free beer), but Sunday was a work day. Maybe working all day yesterday, then coming to work today has just worn me out. This too shall pass, and hopefully, I will not be blue tomorrow.