Welcome Jill, the MAC, & more photos from CMM

BIG shout out to Jill! Your blog will be very interesting...so much to tell. We can't wait. :)

I went to the 'boro to get a key from Hannah tonight & figure out how, where, when to feed Zorro. So, we headed off to the MAC afterwards. I'll probably work out there a couple of times while babysitting Mr. Zorro & checking on the house. It's basically a much bigger, nicer version of my gym in Tullahoma. I was the small fish in the big pond tonight. Felt like the new kid at school. ha! I did 1 hr elliptical while talking with Hannah about our June NYC girls ONLY trip. Then I did yoga ball crunches & free weights on my arms. I think I do like their weights better.
They don't have free tanning like we do. :( She pays about $5-7 dollars more a month than I do but I think after she gets married they'll have a better rate.


My Michigan cousin, Patti, partied at the CMM 1/2 like it was 1999 & Prince was on the course with her.... This was her 2nd half. She did Detroit in the Fall. If all my plans fall through, I may head up there for that half or full, who knows... I do know that right now, I'm spending Thanksgiving there, doing the Detroit Turkey Trot 5k, & we are going to see the Titan's vs. Lions Thanksgiving day game. I'm am the PLANNER, baby. :)


Wayne has signed up for Chicago this year.
I hope I can get in on a few long runs with him this summer/fall.
This photo is one of few where he doesn't look like he's having fun.


Terry is bleeding here on his shirt. I'm pointing this out purely to annoy him. ha!
He's currently contemplating his next marathon. I think he has 29 states(+Boston), but possibly 30-32 marathons total, not sure. If you call his cell & you get his voice mail, it says, "This is Terry. I'm probably out running, leave a message...."


What people don't know is that if Chuck had left his watch at home, he would have BQ'd again. Seriously, in nearly every pic he's checking his watch. ha! Did you have to be somewhere? Nice legs, Playah? (hugs to you Chuck!) ha!


Pam is going to try to talk her husband, Tim, into doing the 1/2 with her next year. I thought that was cool that she enjoyed it that much.

Tomorrow, I will stop being the slacker I am this week. I will run!

Not a Soy Fan!

Bocaburgers leave a nasty after taste if you don't cook them just right & add cheese. The soy cheese is just ok. I don't love it. The veggie burgers are ok but I don't want them but maybe once every week or two. Healthy eating is hard to stick with, especially when you can smell REAL burgers on the grills while running. The thoughts of eating real beef sort of makes me sick, though. I've not had a hamberger since November or December. I still eat a lot of chicken, some tuna, tinsy bit of ham, tinsy bit of turkey...only when I get Subway sandwiches for lunch.

I push mowed for about an hour & half after work. (my cross training)

American Idol:
I think Brooke & Jason are in trouble this week. Neither did well tonight but who knows...
It goes without saying, David Cook, is definitely the MOST talented of this bunch. His voice is like "buttah". I was "verklempt"!!! Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic; why doesn't Simon Cowell change his shirts?

Busy Monday

Did some crunches, stretches, & 1 hr on the elliptical. I had a massage at 5:30 plus some quick grocery shopping. (I yakked it up too much at the gym instead of really working out! ha!)

Wild Thang 9 mile trail run: 9am Saturday at Long Hunter State Park
Yep, I signed up last week. It may not make my heart sing, but I'll do it. I volunteered at this race after doing the '05 CMM & thoroughly enjoyed myself. My goal is NOT TO FALL. :)

I'm checking out Hannah's gym on Wed night. I'll be getting a pass to use during the last week of May while I house sit & keep Zorro company. I think it's the Murfreesboro Athletic Center but don't hold me to that.

NFL Draft:
I was out of the loop this weekend but my Japanese football crazy coworker tells me the Titan's didn't do well at all on their picks. Gesh, Jeff Fisher just doesn't listen to us! ha!
I was told that Erik Ainge went to the Jets. Guess he'll be back up for Chad Pennington, who incidentally is a former Knoxvillian.

I'm hoping to mow the yard tomorrow. It is looking like "Alice in Wonderland" out there. :(

Terry Q's Race Report

Terry Q. may be on the Ellen DeGeneres show! ha ha! I called him for his views on the race. There's always a story there! ha! Apparently, while in the Belmont area, there was a cyclist that kept swerving in front of him, behind him, & to the side of him. He got so annoyed that he almost asked the cyclist if they were going to go on or what! Megan Cooper, who was running near him, apparently, told Terry not to mind the cyclist because she was filming her for the show. He said he moved to the other side of the road. Too funny!!

CMM Photos

"Unofficial photo" (3 first cousins, me, Patti, & Pam)



Michele E. glowing from her sub-4 marathon & me glowing from my diet coke. :)



On the shuttle FINALLY!
I really wish Wayne would get more excited about running the Full. ha!



3 Stooges wait on the shuttle at 5:30am. Yes, we threw away the orange shirts. blah!



Patti in the Saturn at LP Field. (She's a ham!) ha!



Michigan cousin, Patti, took a photo of the naked statue. ha! (Musica Statue)



Posing with Pam's bib at Expo on friday.


Patti will take a photo of ANYTHING!



Leanne Rhimes & Jon Bon Jovi Thur night at the Sommet Center.



Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi, & one of the Big & Rich dudes.



Daughtry!!!!



Before Daughtry got started thur night.



My Favorite place to sit in the Sports Bar across from the Sommet.

Goals

1. Drop about 3-5 lbs permanently!
2. Regain some speed, especially on hills
3. IF I'm in NYC, start the long runs every other weekend this summer.
4. IF I'm not in NYC, concentrate on getting a "good" half this Fall somewhere, somehow...

Possible 1/2's: Evansville, Music City, San Antonio, or Detroit Free Press) Any suggestions?

Found out at the Expo that San Antonio Full/Half may be capped off at 21,000, but the Rep. said they may raise it to 25,000. If I don't get into NYC & San Antonio sells out, I'm screwed. :(

Famous people seen this weekend

Daughtry, Bon Jovi, Big & Rich, & Leanne Rhimes all at the concert Thurs night.
Frank Shorter & Denise Austin at the Expo on Friday
Jeff Fisher at the Children's marathon Friday afternoon.

Daughtry/Bon Jovi Rocked, Hotel was great, met a Legend, race morning chaos, my time sucked, but it was FUN!!!

No need for an iPod Sat morning. I still had "Bad Medicine", "Wanted Dead or Alive", & every other song Bon Jovi has ever done in my head! My ears were ringing as we left the Sommet Center Thursday night. We jumped up & down, screamed, & at one point I almost jumped on the railing in front of us. We had awesome seats!

We ate at the Sport bar across the street from the Sommet & then hung out at the Hilton for a short time taking note of all the women in glittery clothes. Neither one of us could bring ourselves to wear the beaded shirts. ha!

Our hotel room was EXACTLY what I was told it would be...2 King beds, one rollaway "couch", microwave, & frig.

I don't know what we would have done if we had not been right there across the street from the shuttles.



This years race was chaos at the start. Once on the shuttle, we were dropped on the very edge of Centennial, & we waited in line for a portapottie for probably 35-40 mins. It was insane. I think the race is just almost too big now. We brought our shoes/socks in plastic bags. I had old running shoes in the trunk that we threw away. To me the rain was not that bad, nowhere near as annoying as Tom King race day. It definitely seemed to clear the air for me to breathe. My only struggle was the hills. I probably walked/shuffled 3-4 of them for my slowest half yet but I'm not complaining. I could breathe for the most part. My speed on hills is definitely lacking for sure! Time to start working HARD especially if I change my mind about Moon Pie. By mile 9, I started fading fast & by mile 10 both 2 hr pacers past me like I was standing still. ha! I felt like I drug myself in the last 2 miles of the race. I had absolutely no kick left for the final stretch but at least I wasn't wiping crap off my face like the last 3-4 races I've done this year. Yippee! It took FOREVER to get through the food shoot. I had to wait in line to get my chip cut off, which was a first for me at this race. I guess I didn't realize just how crowded the 1/2 really is every year.... It took a while to even get out of the post race area & then it took another 15 min for me to find the car. By the time I got to the bridge, more than likely everyone had already past that I knew....I only saw Wayne & then later Pam. I'm so proud of both her & Patti, considering they both were sick with "everything" this winter & barely trained. Neither one of them had done a jog/walk more than 7-8 miles & I knew the hills would be a challenge for them.

Pam at finish (her 1st 1/2)

More pics to come when everything's downloaded...but I have to say, the highlight of the weekend along with the concert was meeting a running legend. What a doll!

Before I forget, congrats to everyone who did well & met their goals Sat morning. Holly, for a first marathon, you did GREAT! Michele got her monkey off her back! Saw Lana, Jill, Wayne, Michele, & Old Man (saw you on the course) glad you guys had good races. :)

My Brilliant Weekend so far....

It was a brilliant idea to get Bon Jovi & Daughtry tickets 2 nights before the CMM event. It was Fabulous! Jon Bon Jovi could seriously run a half marathon easily with all that energy he had on stage. We watched him sweat through 3 outfits! Daughtry played 45 mins & Bon Jovi played 2.5 hrs!!! It was freaking AWESOME! I felt like I grabbed back a little bit of my youth. :)

Also, I have a serious crush on Frank Shorter now. I was in awe! I had Wayne take my photo with him. I went back later with Patti & Pam so she could get her photo with him, too. He's a bit of a flirt, but hey...he's allowed....he's hot!

Pac is going to the big "D".

Wonder who the Cowboy's will give up in that trade?

Too bad we can't get their quarterback as a back up for VY.
Oohhh, Romo is hot!

It's almost here! :)

Sat will be the first time I've NOT run the CMM full since '04. When I finished last year in the heat, with a sick stomach, & later a massive migraine, I said, "No more CMM fulls for me." I love the race itself, but the journey to get there was more fun than the actual race for me last year. I believe the main problem is the timing of the race. (& that dang accelerade!) If it were in early April, we might stand a better chance at guessing the weather even 2 days out.

When I did the 1/2 in '04, I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever, (2:01:46). When I did the Full for the first time in '05, no expectations, (4:23:46). '06 was different, I had been running lots of long hills, but only one 18 mile training run, (4:17:11). In the last 4-6 months, I've been asking myself, "Where is that woman that did somewhat respectable times without really following any kind of plan at all?" I really think that for some of us, a break is truly needed or we burn out, injuries occur & reoccur. This is why I know that this year I will only do ONE Full (if I get into it!). Otherwise, '08 will be known as the "halfer" year for me. (and the Phlegm year, too!)

I've not had much enjoyment running this year so far, but I keep banging my head/sinuses against the wall & I keep going. It's an addiction like no other...the need to move, to be in motion, to just be....whether it's in my neighborhood, near the middle school I actually attended, on base in the woods, another runner's neighborhood, Tim's Ford state park, or downtown Nashville in a strider's training run....it's fun! It's the scenery, ability to breathe (sometimes!!), to work up a good sweat, solving problems, releasing the day's stress, & a way to escape reality for most of us. I love it but it doesn't love me sometimes & I'm ok with that. :)

I'm saying a prayer for all of us Sat morning. Some of us will be out there for the first time. To some of us, it will be just the same old familiar course, just much more crowded than normal. Some of us will get new PRs, some will just finish, but I hope that all of us have a great time, wind, rain, heat, etc... We are all in this together & to everyone I know running, Godspeed!

BUSTED!!!!

Yep, we got busted alright...Carla, Chris, & I got in trouble with security for running near the construction equipment on base. What the...? We've run here so many times! :(

Carla & Chris take off before I get there because they have dinner plans with her dad. So, here I am taking off trying to catch them on the Marine Corp course that's across from the golf course on base. I didn't double tie my left shoe so that was stop number 1 for me. I decided that I only wanted a little over 4 miles since I wasn't in my trail shoes. I could definitely tell the difference after running in trail shoes on this course a few times. My shoes were not grabbing the rocks very well at all. (I was in some adrenaline running shoes instead of my adrenaline trail shoes).

About mile 2.6, this white truck comes up behind me beeping. I thought to myself, "Wow, Chris & Carla are finished already & they've driven their truck in here?!" I didn't turn around until the truck was right up on me. The guy sort of scared me at first. I mean, you NEVER see actual vehicles on these roads while running after 5pm, ya know... He stopped me & explained that they are not allowing runners back in there near the equipment. They are apparently getting rid of some asbestos in some buildings somewhere near there. (I wasn't aware there were buildings that close to that particular area anyway) He apologized for having to stop me & was very nice about it. That was stop number 2 for probably 1-2 minutes, I think...

At about the 3.55 mile, I had the sudden urge to use "nature's toilet" again. (Sorry, Old Man, it happened again!) 2 weeks in a row, I'm dropping the shorts again only this time, I didn't go near those trees. I'm afraid of what might have been near them. Believe me, I looked for signs of the security guy before I did this...stop number 3! I caught up with Chris & Carla at their truck to find out he spoke to them also. Man, for only 4.18 miles it sure was eventful, gesh! With the 3 stops, it was a 9:47 pace. ha!

I finished up my evening on the elliptical for 1 hr 10 mins slowly watching "A.I". It was an interesting show with Andrew Lloyd Webber songs. (mainly "Phantom" songs) David Cook & Syesha Mercado were by far the best tonight. That girl was AWESOME & David was his usual "winner" self. Tonight's show made me want to hurry up & get to New York!!!!!!!!

I'm not ready for 80 degrees yet! (Titan's Schedule)

I just broke a sweat heading out during lunch to fill up the Civic. I LOVE the 70 degree weather. Anything over 80 degrees is a waste unless you are in the ocean or the pool. Blah!

It's official, it now takes anywhere from $30-35 to fill up the Civic. I'm not griping because that full tank will last me anywhere from 5-6 days depending on if I make a trip to Nashville. :) Thank God for Hondas!

Little Eli got married to Native Tennessean, (Brentwood), Abby McGrew.
He's got a wedding ring & Super Bowl ring now. :)

2008 TENNESSEE TITANS PRESEASON SCHEDULE
OPPONENT DATE KICKOFF+ TV

ST. LOUIS Saturday, 8/9
7:00 p.m.

OAKLAND Saturday, 8/16 7:00 p.m.

at Atlanta Friday, 8/22 6:30 p.m.

at Green Bay Thursday, 8/28
7:00 p.m.

2008 TENNESSEE TITANS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
OPPONENT DATE KICKOFF+ TV

JACKSONVILLE Sunday, 9/7 12:00 p.m.

at Cincinnati Sunday, 9/14
12:00 p.m.

HOUSTON Sunday, 9/21 12:00 p.m.

MINNESOTA Sunday, 9/28 12:00 p.m.

at Baltimore Sunday, 10/5 12:00 p.m.

BYE WEEK Sunday, 10/12

at Kansas City Sunday, 10/19
12:00 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS Monday, 10/27 7:30 p.m.

GREEN BAY Sunday, 11/2 12:00 p.m.

at Chicago Sunday, 11/9 12:00 p.m.

at Jacksonville Sunday, 11/16 12:00 p.m. *

N.Y. JETS Sunday, 11/23 12:00 p.m. *

at Detroit Thursday, 11/27 11:30 a.m.

CLEVELAND Sunday, 12/7 12:00 p.m. *

at Houston Sunday, 12/14 12:00 p.m. *

PITTSBURGH Sunday, 12/21 12:00 p.m. *

at Indianapolis Sunday, 12/28 12:00 p.m. *

+ All Kickoff Times Central
* Times subject to change

My 3rd sister (or she should be...)

There are many years of fun in our past & so much more fun in our future. :)

Poked & Prodded on May 13th

I have my appointment with the allergist at 7:30am.
Man, I dread this...4 hrs of poking, pricking, etc...Yuck!

Tonight's work out:
1 hr 5 mins elliptical
yoga ball crunches
arm weights

Lance's Boston

2:50:58 - Lance Armstrong

I really like him and that's putting it lightly. :)

Tim's Ford Sunday run

Somehow I think the photo that my grandmother took of us as toddlers in her front yard might look cuter. We did 5.76 miles by my Garmin. (I didn't make her run with the rubber bands like I threatened to yesterday morning in pilates! ha!)
It felt GOOD & the lake was beautiful! My legs seem to hang onto the short, choppy hills going out, but it was slow going coming back in from the point. The first 3.5-4 went real well for me as far as my "issues" go, but I swallowed a bug for the first time ever! After gagging for a while, I was ok. I noticed today that when I stopped to clear the throat & walked for 15-30 secs, I can then take off no problem, no nausia... Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel with this "crap". Later I did 35 mins elliptical & 20 mins on the bike SLOWLY at the gym to loosen my legs. I also got in some light leg weights, too.

I made my weekly call to San Antonio only to hear my sister still on her Spurs game "high". They took the boys to the playoff game this weekend against the Suns. Needless to say, the double overtime win got them extremely excited. She said the Spurs were behind for most of the game but it went into overtime.....then Tim Duncan hit a 3 pointer that put them into a 2nd overtime. She gushes about basketball like I do football. Too funny! Go Spurs!

Back up race in case I don't get into NY:

I also informed my sister that if I don't get into NYC's marathon that I'm considering doing the San Antonio 1/2. Not that I schedule EVERYTHING around football but the Titans will be @ Jacksonville on the day of this race. :) I could fly in friday afternoon, fly out late Sun night.

I'm not a big hockey fan but I'm disappointed the Preds loss today to the Red Wings. I figure it was a huge surprise to everyone that the Preds even got into the playoffs in the first place. Better luck next year!

Ahhh, yes, Deana Kastor...truly amazing!

I'm not even going to look at next Saturday's weather until Wed. If it rains, it rains, it's not like I have never run a 1/2 in the rain. The plus side to rain for me right now.....it will help hide the condition, ya know the gross stuff could be washed off my face as I run. (ok, I'm grasping for the positive here!)

Busy, yet relaxing weekend so far

I got a GREAT stretch in during pilates yesterday & afterwards jumped on the elliptical for 35 mins. I had a ton of errands to run, which included grocery shopping. I am a bargain hunter when time allows so I hit up "Light house grocery" & "The Sonshine Shop". Both are great little discount food stores that usually carry a lot of organic foods. The key is to watch the expiration dates. (The bargain shopper lady probably knows all about these places.) When I'm in the mood, I do try to watch what I eat. The last 3-4 days, I've been paying attention & I'm now just below 125 according to the scales at the gym. (Just a few less lbs to haul around next Sat, I guess) I'm not obsessive about my weight but I can always tell when I creep up above 125. My short frame can't handle it.

Got a card in the mail from Quest Expeditions reminding me about my credit from last summer when I had to cancel some reservations. I LOVE white water rafting! Who to take?!

I'm heading to Tim's Ford state park with Carla & her daughter Erin. Should be pretty out there!

I've got to get things together later this afternoon for next week. Work will be a little crazy, which means I probably need to get to work earlier than normal a few days next week. I'm taking off at 12:30 to pick up Patti at the airport on Thur & taking a vacation day on friday.

I'm calling my doc for the referral tomorrow morning.
I'm tired of messing around with this mess.... :(

Strategy for the CMM 1/2:
Gargle at every water stop to get the crap out of my throat & run like hell when the throat is clear. :P

A sloooowwww 8 miles

I'll spare you all the gory details for once but let's just say it was a 10 min paced 8 miles. I had to gurgle watered down gatorade to be able to breathe, had to tie my shoe, & take a bathroom break. My first 3.1 was exactly 28 mins but it was downhill from there. At about mile 7.5 I felt sickly that's when I went to the bathroom. Luckily I was at the ball fields at East Middle. No trees today, honey!

Something tells me that I'll be calling Lynn Kehler, Vanderbilt ASAP sometime next week.

Shake n' outta bed & a Titan's Legend retires

Had a yahoo instant message at 5:30am from April in the 'boro. "Did you feel that?!!" Apparently, at 4:40am she felt the earthquake that came out of Evansville, IN. That Lodrane 24 has me sleeping like a log so I don't feel or hear anything. Leland Statum said that he had calls out of Atlanta from people asking if it really was an earthquake that they felt. Thank God nobody was hurt.

I was not surprised at all when the news announced last night that Air McNair is retiring. To me he retired the day he had to put on the Raven's uniform. He's been banged up a lot over the years. Before he left the Titans he said in an interview that he wants to retire early enough so that he's able to still throw a football to his son without pain. He's doing just that. I will never forget his scramblings in the 4th quarters with the 2 minute warning hitting Mason for a touch down. His timing with "DeMase" seemed like a rehearsed ballet performance. A question was posed on the news as to whether he should come back here, be VY's back up & mentor him. I say, let him throw only to his son now. :)

Thanks, Steve, for getting us on our feet in the final minutes of the 4th quarters!

Hypochondriac & a poem from Scott

The shin pain came back just before I left work. The ibuprophen wore off, I guess... I even called my college roomie to ask her what her symptoms were last year when she got the blood clot in her calf. I seriously don't think that is what it is but I'm covering all bases. She scared me to death last year with that because she's a relatively healthy person. Anyway, I'm icing again tonight & hoping tomorrow will be a pain free day. Yep, go ahead think it. I'm starting to believe I have Hypochondriac tendencies but I've been known to ignore pain. (see marathon finishes that were close to 5 hrs!)

I did 40 mins moderately-hard on the elliptical, crunches, & finished the mowing. I should probably get out the hedge trimmers this weekend then I can mulch the first weekend in May. Yardwork is very therapeutic for me for some reason. (not much of a cook, seamstress, or scrapbooker...just give me a rake, flowers, gas for the mower, & I'm a happy gal!)

Scott sent me a poem below in honor of my recent health issues. He recited it to me while adjusting my back this week & I shrieked with laughter. :)

When you go to kiss your honey
And her nose is kinda runny
You may think it's funny
but, its snot

Love,
Scott

TGIThursday everyone!

No pain on the right shin today. I iced it to death last night. I really think I just hit it on something because it looks a little bruised looking now. I just don't remember where/when I hit it. I'm going to cross train tonight for an hr at the gym & finish up the yard. Tomorrow, I will shoot for 8 miles after work unless something drastic happens.

This Lodrane 24 sure makes me not want to get up in the mornings. I've felt like I'm dragging ever since Tuesday morning. I am taking it at night, obviously. If there are no REAL changes in the "condition" (I'm tired of typing the gross "P" word here!), then I'm calling for my referral next Tuesday or Wednesday. Yesterday (2 days into taking it) there are no good changes, but it's only been 2 days.

Listened to a little bit of the democrats last night. Seems like they are trying to apologize for some recent stuff they've supposedly said. The future definitely looks interesting to say the least. (FYI, Please NO Bush Bashing comments on this blog, they'll get deleted. Have some respect.)

The lady next to me just said that there's Daughtry/Bon Jovi tickets for sale on some local online classifieds. I'm so glad I got mine the day they went on sale! Crazy Insane, man!

Although my running sucks these days & I'm cursing everytime I have to run with a rag in my hand, I'm feeling really good about life in general. Spring does that to people. Fall does it for me, too. I'm feeling GOOD changes all around me. Good Karma, baby! Maybe the friggin' Lodrane 24 has me "high" & I'm too stupid to know it. :P

Nature's Toilet

For whatever reason, I REALLY had to go to the bathroom when I got to Wood's Reservoir. Afterall, it wasn't good enough that I went before I left work & literally drove minutes to Wood's & still had to go. The dang bathrooms were locked. I know that last May they were open so with the beach being closed & all, why not keep the bathrooms locked, too?! Anyway, I changed into my running clothes & found a tree. :)

All day long, I kept looking at a small, swollen area on my right shin. I even rubbed some icy hot on it. It really hurt but I was determined to run a little anyway. Instead of the planned 6, I did just 3. During the first mile, I almost turned around, it was that painful, but I decided I wanted at least 3 rolling miles for my trouble & all. Saw two cyclists & Chris P. was there running. I then push mowed for an hour & picked up the yard (cross training), & iced my shin.

Kristi Lee Cook finally goes on "A.I." I'm not that surprised. At one time I had doubted she would make the top 10, much less the top 7. She's had a few really good weeks & in all honesty, she could come to Nashville & give Carrie Underwood a run for her money.

Cross training to...you guessed it, "American Idol"

I did some pilates, stretching, free weights on my arms, some light leg weights, & 1 hr 25 mins elliptical. I feel good even though I have a sore little place on my right shin. I must have banged it on something.

David Cook WILL win "American Idol". If he doesn't, it's a damn crying shame. He is already a star! It was Mariah Carey mentor night. She gave them some great advice & it appears they all followed it. Nobody was bad. David was just awesome with his version of Mariah's "Be my baby".

Tomorrow I'm shooting for 6, where...not sure yet but the Mach Tenn course is calling my name. I'll add 2 miles to it if I decide to head over there after work. I drive near it on my way home. So, I'll change in the car & go for it, most likely, who knows....

Life is good! :)

NFL Schedules are out!

About a month or two ago, when I saw that the Titans were playing Detroit on the road, I told Patti, "If we play you on Thanksgiving, I'm coming up so be prepared to get us GOOD tickets." I'll be darned if my instincts were dead on! Ford Field, here I come...gobble, gobble! Just wonder if we can squeeze in that Festival of Lights 5k in Howell, MI the day after Thanksgiving. That would be cool to do again!

2 wks worth of Lodrane 24 & Veramyst

Why do I suddenly feel like my Granny Cook with all these meds?
(laugh with me Patti, Pam, Faith, etc...)

I was 126.6 on the scales at the dr's office. I knew my short self felt a little phglem heavy!

I'm on Lodrane 24 for 2 wks but I am to call my doc back in 1 wk to see if this stuff is working at all. If not, I get my referral.
Thank you, Jill M. for giving me the information on who helped you.
(Lynn Kehler, Vanderbilt)

Got a text from Wayne's wife, Erin, that THS's stadium is condemned. It's locked up!
Holy crap, is it that bad? Guess we shouldn't risk getting arrested by going over the fence in a condemned stadium/track, huh?

I went to my friend, Scott's office, for a back adjustment so I didn't make it out to East.
My workout was 5.75 on the the fretmill. My shins were fretting a little, but it was a good sweat.
15 mins elliptical slow stretching my legs & the AB machine.

Referral Today & the past smacking me in the face...

At 4pm, I'm getting my referral for an allergist. I'm also going to pick up some free, high dollar, nasal sprays. Before someone else tells me not to have the tests done before the 1/2, calm down. I'm not getting poked & prodded before the 26th. I know my limits. I can't even give blood to the Red Cross without grief about the mad cow disease.

You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames

From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany (I lived there for 2 yrs--30 minutes from Nuremburg)
From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.

Probably a good thing since I nearly hit the floor the last time I had blood taken. I'm a big wuss so this pokin' n' proddin' will be a huge ordeal. I'll have to lay down for sure. I still remember a coworker's arm when she got it done. OUCH!

Going for a run out East area today provided it's not raining. Don't know how long, how fast, or exactly where my legs will take me. I just know that I was only slightly stiff yesterday, which means I didn't work hard enough on Saturday, I would guess...

Because of the internet, I truly believe our world is getting much, MUCH smaller, & even smaller with these blogs. ha! I talked to someone last night who not only knows one of my best friends through his current job but he was stationed at Ft. Hood during the years I was there. (The Cowboy Super Bowl wins, David Koresh, & the Luby's shooting years) Just another example of my past coming back to remind me of another life. ha! You know you always seem to remember where you were when stuff like this happens. I watched on TV in my living room with my little fox terrier in my lap in shock at the Branch Davidian complex burning to the ground. We were technically on our way to TX during the time of the shooting but our apartment manager was there. Someone had the good sense to push her into the kitchen & out the back door to safety. She was pregnant at the time. Makes you think & appreciate every day as a gift. :)

Lazy but productive rest day

WebMD, Yahoo Heath, & Google:
I've done enough net surfing today (& just plain messing around)to last me a lifetime. UGH! I posted a question about my condition on yahoo health. I already have TONS of replies. Wow!! Bottom line, I just need to get to the root of the condition, which will require tests obviously. One guy even said that he has to gargle with listerine before his runs/races & he still has a problem with it to a certain extent. And YES, William, I did find that I could be suddenly allergic to dairy. If I have to stop eating dairy you might as well put me on anti-depressants, seriously. I hate to admit but I've noticed that my tummy gets upset after I eat yogurt or OH MY LORD, ICE CREAM! There, I admit it! Anyway, I just need a test to confirm this is for sure my problem. Next step is to get poked & prodded.

It just doesn't make sense to me that this would come about now. Why didn't it happend 1 yr ago, 4 yrs ago, etc...? As Chuck put it to me today, "Phlegm causes gag reflex and nausea." That's what I'm feeling when it's there & I'm trying to push the pace down. It's weird because it doesn't get bad when I'm between 9:30-10 min pace. Sure, my endurance & speed have gone to hell since the end of '07 but not being able to breathe does NOT help. The wind dried that mess on my face yesterday so bad that I had to pour water from a water bottle on a rag and wash my face. Just GROSS!

Post BBQ party:
Chuck emailed me an evite to a post-CMM bbq. It might be fun to go to after a shower & some rest. We'll go if Chuck is coherant after he does the FULL & wants to escort us. :)

On a personal note: straight out of Jonesboro, AR
Ok, you guys who knew about the Matthew T. "saga" sit down for this one. He contacted me today to tell me he's getting married. (Bless her heart if this is true! ha!) I wished him well & he went silent. I'm trying to figure out what his point was in telling me when it wasn't that long ago that he wanted me to come to AR. ha!

MORE NYC planning:
My former Ft. Campbell coworker, Annmarie, might join us in NYC now. She lives in Philmont. I have not seen her since 1997. I hope she does the 5.5 bus tour with us. She & I worked for a United Way funded program with low income preschoolers. Those kids are in their teens now. Sweet kids!

Well, it's time to emerge to the outside world for grocery shopping & a NEW episode of "Desperate Housewives" finally.

Proper Concert Attire by Patricia in Michigan

This is why I love her......she's nuts like me!
I bought her this years ago probably about the time Madonna did her "Drowned World" tour. I have the exact same top in brown. Ummm, maybe the pumped up 80's hair isn't such a bad idea. "ooohhhh, she's a little runaway!"

Cheryl in the "city" with Ozzie & Sharon

My friend, Cheryl, was in Madame Tussaud's wax museum in NYC yesterday with her daughter, Jill. She said that the facial expressions were amazingly similar to the real life versions. I've never been in a wax museum, but it sounds cool. Can't wait to see Cheryl in June! :)

Results

Well, shoot!
If I had ran my time from last yr's Purity 10k, I would have won my age group! Oh well!

Lots of thinking.....

I have come to the conclusion that I need to be checked for allergies. My genetics is NOT good when it comes to allergy issues. I had them horribly bad as a kid in the Fall but as I got older, they seemed to go away for the most part. My misery seemed to start mid-Jan of this year. I had a big time sinus infection. It took 2 trips to the doc to finally make the infection go away, but the phlegm as you all know has not gone totally away. When I try to push my pace down, it rears it's ugly head.

Bottom Line: I need to breathe when I run! For the 2nd time in 2 wks, I had to stop during a 10k race because of this condition. I ran another PW. I think I ran my 1st 10k slightly better than this but I couldn't swear to it. That was 2002 & I was well then! Anyway, long story short...it was a fun day, but not a good race for me. After I have the CMM 1/2 behind me, I'm heading to an allergist. If it means taking a pill or shot for the rest of my life to get this under control, then it's time. :( As I discussed with Arlene today, my 41 yr old body is changing. I could have asthma for all I know. I've not mentioned this on the blog yet but when I do speedwork, I've noticed that I have a wheezing sound. Ok, is that normal? Heck, I don't know but I plan to find out.

Lots of congrats to give & I hope you guys don't mind me posting your pics. I'm proud of ALL of you. Jeff & Hannah both did better than their Preds 5k times. Korley C. got 3rd in her age group (35-39)! As for pictures, you all lucked out. Elly didn't snap you at today's race. :P I held my phlegm rag to my face when I ran past her so no disgusting pic of me today. :)

Congrats to William on yet another 5k PR. I hope that you don't curse me during your HARD training sessions because of a "suggestion" in Dec. ha! I know I left a comment on your blog, but I'll say it here too. Get the knee well & keep running! I think it keeps us all young, healthy, & somewhat sane with the exception of those who did the Tom King this year. ha!



Congrats to Wayne on a HUGE PR! I'll be screaming for you to go UNDER 5 at the 19 mile mark at LP Field on Apr 26th.


Congrats to Tom P. on a 10k PR & thank you for adding 5 miles with me after the awards. We needed that! Tom & I took off slow but steady for 5 miles into a smelly part of town for our last longish run for the CMM 1/2. It was a 10:30 pace but after doing a 10k race, I was totally ok with that pace. So, we had 11.2 for the day. Tom, you will do GREAT with those legs, don't worry. :P
Also, thanks for getting my BHS 10k mug. (It may be my only age graded award for '08.) ha! You are too NICE! :)


I had a wonderful late lunch with Arlene. She is probably one of the best friends I'll ever have...a fabulous person. She is getting married in May to a 45 yr old man who seems so RIGHT for her. She's a young 60 yr old. I learn so much from her & if I am 1/2 the person she is at 60 I will be very happy. We can talk about anything & the next thing I know we are giggling like little girls. Today's subjects included religion, her upcoming marriage, his kids, my sinus condition, work, the housing market, etc... She really educates me in a lot of different ways. I've been talking to her & my cousin about religon a lot lately. Actually it all started when I had a conversation with someone about 2+ yrs ago, who had been studying all types of religions. You know how some people get when they hit the 40 yr old mark? We start searching for things, for answers, for reasons, for truth... Not to get too deep here but I'm trying to make sense of what I believe these days. My cousin, Patti, & Arlene both say that their religion seems to make the most sense to them. So, I'm widening my thoughts on that these days. Ahh, the 40s, a time of change, not only physically, but mentally.

Purity Moooosic! Moooo!

Well, looks like the bad weather stayed north of T-town last night but the heavy rain is heading this way soon. I just heard some news about tornados in the Nashville area. I hope things calm down by tonight/tomorrow morning.

Apparently, the Purity Race has doubled in registrations this year. Good for them!
Can't wait to do it because it was fun last year. I just hope there's not a lot of congestion going up onto the greenway area next to the river. If there is, it'll just help me hold my pace down a little at the beginning. I don't expect much but I do expect to be faster than last week for pete's sake. I did a 53:19 last year but my 10ks were A LOT FASTER last year at this time.
Bottom line: No expectations but FUN & ice cream! :)
I want my pic made with the cow this year, dang it!

I'm adding miles after I spend about an hour recovering. Probably no more than 5 slow miles. I may just do the greenway again.

Good Luck to those racing tomorrow! :)

I'm looking forward to seeing Kirby(massage therapist)after work today.

The countdown continues via text message....

Cross training to American Idol

I stretched my calf, did arm weights, & 1 hr 35 mins on the elliptical...I'm HUNGRY!

I'm also shocked! Michael Johns did NOT deserve to go this week. Everyone had Carly Smithson going. Gesh! I had Johns picked for the top 3-4. He's been so solid. Am I going to have to start voting for REAL now? ha!

Where has the year gone?

We are already on the 10th day of April & I just got a text from Patti saying, "14 more days, Hooch!" (until she gets here) We are barely just over 2 wks from CMM.

Notice Mr. Brady posted on my board. A Japanese coworker thought he was just a model in one of her magazines. She posted them on my board when she realized he was a football player. I laughed for 1/2 an hr over that!

Idol Gives Back

The show is wonderful tonight (Idol Gives Back).

Icing & using the stick on my right calf. 3.25 miles stretching every .25-.5 was a bit annoying. I worked up a sweat in the heat & did the stadium stairs at THS. 30 mins bike, serious stretching, & crunches rounded out my night.

Girl's Rock!

Of course most of you know I'm talking about the lady Vols. 8th Championship for Pat Summitt. Just awesome! :)

And of course, I'm also talking about the Lady Wildcats beating Manchester last night. My coworker B.B. is the proud father of one of the players. You see, she got cut from the Manchester team at tryouts. She was so heartbroken that he is now paying tuition for her to attend THS so she can play ball. Boy, did she ever show the Manchester coaches last night what they passed up. (Nothing like a beaming, proud father!) Go Wildcats!

Dizzy Starvin'

My hill repeats bit the dust. The right calf wouldn't cooperate. Just too stiff!
So after 4 slow hills, I decided to turn it into a 5 mile recovery run.
I finished off the evening with 1 hr 15 mins on the elliptical.....slowly, watching American Idol.
My guess is that Carly or Brooke will go this week. Kristi Lee sang Martina McBride's "Anyway" like an angel. David Cook was just ok this week but he was due an "ok" week. The dreadlock cutie pie sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow". He's just as talented as he is cute, seriously. It was inspirational song night with tomorrow being the "Idol Gives Back" show.

I was so hungry when I left the gym that I was dizzy & almost sick to my stomach. I feel like I eat all day long at my desk but I'm one of those people that has to eat every 2 hrs anyway. So, I'm eating two veggie burgers with cheese & an ice cream sandwich. YUM!

CRAP! "Grey's Anatomy" returns the exact same night as the concert.

1st Preseason game

The Titans open the preseason at home against St. Louis (weekend of Aug. 8-10).
Ummm, a chance to see Drew Bennett again. :)

Curiosity

Out of curiosity, I emailed the Brentwood Rotary about the age group awards. Yes, it was a commemorative mug for their 1st 10k. He said he'd send it but I hate to have them waste postage like that. Asking Tom P to pick it up at his convenience. (You just never know, it could have been a gift certificate. The coolest age group award I've ever won was a $10 gift certificate to FF at the McMinnville 1/2 in '05)

Out of curiosity, I've been checking on flights for Memorial Day weekend for MI cousin Patti.
Apparently, right now priceline.com has a nonstop round trip flight for $139. You can't beat that!

Out of curiosity, I checked my credit card account. I've been fully reimbursed for my hotels.com fiasco on friday. Thank you, God. :)

Not sure what to do for tonight's work out.....speed, hills, or tempo.
I do know one thing the elliptical will be mine for an hour for A.I. :)

Go Lady Vols!

Waggoner Park into Base & back for 6.2

Yes, my training run was slightly faster than my race on Sat. I took off from Waggoner Park & headed into the base for 3.1 miles, turned around & came back to the car for 6.2 miles (56:45). I did this thinking that the base would be fairly flat & it was for the most part. There are several LONG, SLOW uphills that go downhill coming back. I was drenched & choking on the drainage when I finished but I was glad I did it. I'm getting better at pushing myself alone, I hope...
I finished off with 40 slow elliptical mins & 20 slow mins on the bike to stretch everything out.

Go Tigers & Go Vols!

Results of BHS 10k

racenashville.com posted the results this morning.
I did what I thought I did.....56:51. (not a PW but far from a PR)
There was no chip start so I'm guessing maybe I lost a big whopping 5-10 secs, who knows...
The start was crowded with a hair pin turn as we got on the road in front of the school.
I just remember thinking to myself, thank goodness, Purity is much flatter.
On the plus side of this....I really did NEED the hills anyway. :)
I got 2nd in my age group so the fast 40-44 yr old women were somewhere else Sat morning. My guess is that when I stopped at the 2nd water station to gargle & spit it cost me 1st in my age group. ha! What did I win? Who knows....I was stuffing my face with a mickey pancake. :)
(but it was all in good company.)

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44
1 169 110 Stephanie Richardso 41 Brentwood 56:42
2 172 124 Lisa Smith 41 Tullahoma 56:51 (woman who stopped to spit)
3 180 104 erin paul 40 brentwood 57:46
4 189 203 CAREN WILLIAMS 40 58:53
5 198 189 F MIYASHITA 42 59:25
6 199 75 Derby Jones 42 Brentwood 59:27
7 200 78 Leah Klingensmith 43 Brentwood 59:30
8 202 69 Andrea Jackson 42 Mt. Juliet 1:00:04
9 204 27 Traci Calhoun 43 Brentwood 1:00:07
10 223 187 RENEE SHELTON 41 1:02:59
11 229 96 Sharon Mosier 40 Murfreesboro 1:04:38
12 233 5 Sheryl Ault 40 Brentwood 1:06:52
13 245 43 Kathy Eckhart 43 Franklin 1:11:14
14 250 86 Kim McPhail 42 Nashville 1:14:16
15 252 193 TAMMY SPEARNOCK 40 1:14:21
16 253 192 TERRY BICKEL 43 1:14:21

Tiny picture dilemma, mowing the swamp, & planning

Here are 2 tiny pics of Terry Q. & Kathrine Switzer at the Atlanta marathon expo. I'm not sure what he took these photos with but for the life of me, I can't seem to figure out how to blow them up without distorting the pictures. :( I'm going to get a friend at work to look at them. Terry did say she's a "good hugger"! ha! I'm sorry but I would have had to hug her too.

Here comes the sun (du du du du)

Here comes the sun

And I say

Its alright

Little darling

Its been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling

It seems like years since its been here

From the sweet words of George Harrison, yes, it appeared but not long enough to dry the swamp out completely. There was one section of yard that I could not mow & I could not get within 3 feet of the fence either. After about 2 hrs of cleaning up & push mowing, the yard does look better. I'm waiting till May to mulch.

I did make it to the gym for 1 hr 5 mins slow on the elliptical, some stretching, & crunches.

Tomorrow, I really need to get in a good 6 mile run. I've decided that I will attempt at least 11 the weekend before the half. Patti, Pam, Michelle, & I are working out logistics. Patti & I may run into the Expo Thurs for packet pick up before we eat & head to the concert. I told her we would go back Friday & leisurely look around if we did that. I'm planning on using the guitar shaped pool at the hotel friday morning to help loosen up. Pam will arrive Fri at approximately 5pm at her mom's house 10 mins from Gaylord. We're picking her up & taking her to the Expo & then we'll try to hit a restaurant in East Nashville fri night. Rae, what do you recommend? :)

Sat morning, we'll be busting butt to get everything in the car & across the street. I want us to be in line at the shuttles by 5:30am. This is the part I really do like! The standing around, yawning, & chit chatting with people that have been there, done that, or this is their first time. It's bonding time. I plan to run with my flat nathan belt (not bottles) so I can zip the blackberry in it. I have always wanted to take photos during this time but never had the phone or the sense to do it. I cannot wait to see Patti's face when she sees Centennial crawling with approximately 30,000 runners. The most she's ever seen at the starting line is the crowd from Detroit's Free Press & it's not this crowded from what I've been told.

Tom P. admitted that he signed up for the 1/2 two weeks ago. I'm sure he'll do well. I'm betting he hits the 2 hr mark if not sub 2 hr for his 1st 1/2. I can tell, he's psyched!

I cannot believe how quickly April got here!

Before you know it, Memorial Day will be upon us. I'm trying to find a good deal on a round trip plane ticket for Patti in case she wants to fly in then, too. Why does she want to come back a month later? Well, we want to see the "Sex & the City" movie together. It releases that weekend & we've both been in withdrawals ever since the last episode aired. ha! I also want to see "Smart People" with Sarah Jessica Parker & Ellen Page. It just looks great!

The 10k, Pancakes, & Wedding Shower

Pancakes with Piancake. I got a mickey pancake. :)

Hannah & me (I'm clean & with dry hair!)

Excited Bride to be... :)

Most of the shower attendees.

You can barely see it but April gave her a cool little omelet skillet & pan.

Hannah holding the cake platter I got her. Everyone signs it & you bake it at 350 degrees for about an hour to seal in the signatures.

Look closely at the frozen grapes on the tooth pick that I had added. The Bonefish staff LOVED the cake!

Sarah, (Hannah's sis), Hannah, & me going over details.

I'll start with my 5:30am trip to Brentwood. I cranked up Daughtry all the way there. I think I listened to "What I Want" featuring Slash about 10 times. I LOVE that song! :)

I LOVE my Garmin GPS in my car. It showed me a route I never would have thought to take... I got to the school about 6:40ish & parked on one side of the school & then ran to the other side. Little did I realize we could park around back which I later did thanks to Tom P. From 6:45-7:05 I waited on everything to be set up. Nobody had preregistered bibs out anywhere. Everything else was just about out but not those & I couldn't get anything without the bib. Some nice ladies allowed me to stand with them inside a concession stand until that was squared away. It was COLD this morning but I was glad I didn't bother with the tech shirt during the race. My hair was soaked with sweat when I finished. I made a point to comb it out so it would dry faster this time around. My time was nothing special simply because of the hills that started at about mile 2 & the usual drainage problems. Whoever said this 10k was going to be flat needs to be shot because it was NOT flat. We had some long, climbing hills, & on one of them I actually stopped to swish water in my mouth so I could spit out phglem in order to breathe. The more I pushed up the hills the more my drainage became a problem. I've decided that it's about time to face reality. I really need to be checked for allergies. My family history is rampant with bad allergy problems. I finished under 57 mins but I have no idea what my official time is right now because we totally missed the posting of the results & awards. Tom & I spent too much time at the pancake breakfast gabbing, apparently. He passed me around mile 2 & never looked back so congrats on setting a new 10k PR on your 2nd 10k Mr. Tom. :P I took a pic of him but I'm afraid to post it since he's a part of the witness protection program. ha! Nah, he's wasn't looking at the camera & would probably not talk to me again if I posted it.

The Shower:

"Bonefish" is a GREAT place to have a shower/party of any kind. They went above & beyond. Everything went smoothly. We had 3 no shows, so 14 showed up, which was a nice little gathering. See pics above.

Hannah got some nice things. I think I liked her spa gift certificate the best!

Chicken with head cut off!

I got in such a hurry tonight to get things done for tomorrow, I banged the side of my head into a closet door. I have a nickel size goose egg on the left side of my forehead near the temple. OUCH!

Things are packed & ready to go. (You know I think it's rather rude to RSVP to an event 24 hrs before the event.) :( I've left two post-its out in obvious places so I don't run out without the cake in the morning. Michele C. did a great job! She's going to put "Cheers to Hannah & Jeff" or "Cheers to the future Mrs. Hauser" on it. I'm going to ask for a couple of frozen grapes on a toothpick to put on it. ha! The games, give aways, & candles for guests are in the trunk along with my shower clothes. I'll throw the rest of my stuff in my gym bag in the morning. I'm only getting up 1 hour earlier than I do during the week. I should be at BHS by 6:45am at the very latest. I hope we don't have rain but at least I already know that I'll live if I have to run a race in it & it's ONLY a 10k. :P ha!

I'll be heading to April's in the 'boro to shower, then to Party City for last minute stuff, & then Bonefish. I could use a martini right now just thinking about tomorrow! ha!

I'm looking forward to the race with NO expectations. I know I won't get a PW because my PW is just over 58 minutes from '02. My last two 6.2 training runs had one just under 56 mins & the other just barely over 57. I won't be anywhere near my PR that's for dang sure! I figure this race & the Purity 10k will give me an idea of where I am on this distance. It should give me an idea of my finish time for the CMM 1/2. I just opened up my paperwork from them just now. I'm in corral 8.

I'm a little disapointed that the Jeff Fisher Charity Softball game is the 28th of June. I'll be in NYC then. I sure wish they would move that event back into May. :(

I have to admit, as the concert of the season approaches, I'm getting excited!! I cranked up my Daughtry in the car earlier. I know 2 women who will be swinging from the rafters of the Sommet center Apr 24th!! ha! I can't wait to see you, Patti!

I'm going to toot Patti's horn here for a minute. She's been on weight watchers since the beginning of January & she's been trying to train for the CMM 1/2. She's lost over 20 lbs!

Cheers!

Was it Friday the 13th on a Thursday???

Ok, today might have balanced out yesterday in a big way but all is settled now, thank God. :)

Negativity: Part 1
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER prepay a hotel room on hotels.com & then expect to call & make any changes or God forbid inquire about an extra night. They will SCREW you!
I'm seriously tired of talking to customer service reps who can't speak nor understand English. When I called, I could tell it was going to be like pulling teeth to get the information.
You see, I have the Ramada @ the coliseum booked for the 24th & 25th of April. The ONLY purpose of my call was to find out what the 26th would cost me IF I added it. When she told me that the extra night would be $290, I said, "Heck no, don't want it. That's too expensive." She put me on hold & then came back with $80 less & I said no again. She put me on hold AGAIN only to come back with $175 as the price. I said no yet again & told her to leave the reservation as is....then I got off the phone only to receive an email 5 mins later on my blackberry telling me I've been charged $290 for an extra night at the freaking Ramada @ the coliseum. I called back & was put on hold for nearly 20 mins so I hung up. I called back again & somehow got cut off. I called back a 3rd time & finally got someone who seemed to understand what happened. He proceeded to explain everything & how I would be credited within 30 days. I'm sorry but that's not good enough. I told him it was not my fault that this happened. He apologized, etc, etc... Anyway, he did what he could to cancel it, I called the credit union, & I went online to cancel the entire reservation myself. Sorry, but I do NOT trust Hotels.com anymore. I was so MAD! I then called the Ramada directly & explained the entire scenario. The woman said they didn't have any rooms available that weekend which is no surprise but that she would check the fax to see if my cancellation had come through yet. It was right there!! Apparently, when I cancelled the entire reservation online, it threw the room out there for someone else to book but somehow they had a much better room open. I held my breath when she told me the price. Originally, we had 2 nights for $269.00. (taxes & all) This room had 2 queen beds & a hair dryer. That's it. The room that I ended up with for the same 2 nights has 2 KING beds, a rollaway, refrigerator, & microwave in it for $270. (taxes & all) $1 dollar difference & I won't be charged for the room until we check into the hotel. I will NEVER book online again with hotels.com. I will just call the hotel directly. I'm going to watch my credit card closely for not 1 but 2 refunds. The refund for the original $269 on the first reservation & the $290 that they added today. Talk about a total screw up that woman is....she really needs to be fired. I cringe when I hear the commercial on TV now. So, I'm trying to look on the bright side...much better room for basically the same price! :)

I got in a good cross training night with 1 hr 5 mins elliptical at a much more moderate pace than normal, free weights on the arms, some stretching, & 15 mins of power walking on the treadmill. (I was going for some calorie burn tonight!)

Negativity: Part 2
As I'm heading home, I realize I haven't slapped the seat belt on so I reach down to pull it on & then literally 5 secs later, I see blue lights. (Did I mention that I sometimes feel people watching me? Odd?) A state trooper had seen me at an intersection just up from the gym without my seat belt on. Can you believe that? I ALWAYS wear my seat belt but I have to admit, I'm bad about backing out of the drive way & getting 1/2 mile up the road then I buckle up. I realize there's no excuse for it. I should buckle up before I even turn on the ignition. Anyway, after almost begging him not to give me a $20 ticket, he finally agreed to a warning. I actually thought the ticket would be way more than that. So, FYI, they are out looking at you in your cars at intersections, please buckle up, it's the law. :) I thanked him for my safety & took off.

I'm ready for Friday!! :)

more positive things...

My boss told me that I'm very easy going today & I really liked that. I also like the fact that there are a lot of people who view me as an "open" person who isn't going to judge them if they have a problem. I've been told that I'm "everybody's friend". I think that is one of the greatest compliments ever given to me, especially at work because seriously we ALL spend a lot of time at our jobs! :)

Carla & I ran in her neighborhood down to West Middle & back for an easy paced 5 miles. We talked all the way so I know it was easy. (9:35 pace but it felt like 10:00) :)
I stretched & did the usual crunches to rush home to "A.I". My prediction came true, poor little Ramiele. You can't help but notice how close these contestants get on the show. So sweet!

Tomorrow will be an easy cross training day for me or I'll mow. The weather once again dictates my afternoon but dang doesn't everyone's grass look marvelous?! We took note of all the green on our afternoon run. It felt good outside even though I spit a little too much & my nose ran a little but it was a good run. My legs feel a little stronger & I'm giving credit to the cool/cold soaks in the tub.