According to the Howell paper....

....the course was long for the Fantasy 5k. All the more reason I really should be happy with the "offical time" of 27:32. So, probably the Memorial Day dash & the Preds 5k are still my personal worsts, who knows....

Due to a sinus migraine I asked for a raincheck on breakfast...I'm slowly getting out of MI today. Blah!

Fantastic Friday in Waterford & Howell

So, after I finally decided to take a shower today. Patti & I met up with Joe at the Lion's Den restaurant in Waterford. Great pizza, Patti's Julienne salad was awesome, & the hot fudge cake was sinful. Someone should have beat us for ordering that! Thanks for lunch, Joe. :) Tomorrow morning, we're having breakfast with Joe's family before we take off for Ikea somewhere in Cincy, then to Nashville. We took off for Howell, MI which is about 50 mins away shortly after 3pm. It's got the cutest little downtown area with quaint shops. We did some power shopping for about an hour & a half before we got ready for the race in the car. Yes, we must have been a sight to see changing in the car & to beat it all, Patti dropped her drawers next to the car to pee. She is a TRUE runner at heart! There were no timing chips. Apparently, the new thing is to put these "arm band" looking things on your shoe laces. The thing I LOVE about this parade race is that they give out cool swag. Three years ago, we got gloves. This year we got Fantasy 5k headbands. (click on pic to enlarge) My unofficial time: 27:??....I just know it was well under 28 mins, which was faster than I thought I'd do that's for dang sure, but yet a personal worst 5k. I started out slow n' easy thinking I was doing a 10+ 1st mile pace, but he called my 1st mile at 9:20. Then the 2nd mile was 18 mins flat. shesh! The 3rd mile got me with the slow, mild incline. I've not hill trained in forever, ya know... When I saw 27 & change on the clock, I reeled it in, hair slinging wet with sweat going down my back into my two layers of moisture wicking shirts. NICE! Patti, me, & Patti's good friend & coworker Lori.

We got some cool stuff from the street vendors. I thought I was going to have to body slam Patti for the "Santa" sweater but she was nice enough to let me get the last one. ha! This guy was selling handmade wool garments for VERY reasonable prices. He rocked! I swear I get the GREATEST deals from the streets...New York, Nashville, Howell, MI, etc... Screw the malls!

Happy Black Friday from the streets, yall!

Thanksgiving, yadda, yadda.....

My Aunt & Uncle dropped me off early. They didn't want to get caught in the rush hour traffic, especially this close to a major holiday, which was fine with me. I ate some fabulous Quizno's broccoli n' cheese soup while sitting next to a guy & his teenage daughters. He looked strangely familiar & the daughters had on Father Ryan sweats. Anyway, the girls started to remind me of "valley girls" so I got up & walked around. Turns out they were on the plane with me.
Fastforward to yesterday's game...the man I saw with his daughter's is affiliated with the Titans. He's not a coach but I have yet to figure out who he is... I knew he looked familiar. When he walked out of the tunnel during warm ups, I told Patti, "That guy was on the plane Tues evening."

I had not flown since June. I was pleased to see the construction was finished at the airport. NICE. I snapped a pic of the "Tootsies" they have copied from downtown & put in the airport. My flight left maybe 5 mins early & we landed right on time. I got my bag within 15 mins while Patti circled. We got to bed sometime close to midnight, I think...I was exhausted. I had been up since 5am trying to get out the door to work.

Wednesday morning started off with the best intentions of going to Bally's gym, but we had too much on the agenda. Patti had to drop by there to pay her trainer & then we dropped by Ross Fine Candy where my Aunt Diane works. Her best friend, Janet, used to own it but she died of breast cancer a few years ago. Aunt Diane helps Janet's kids run it now. It's a chocolate lover's dream, trust me. :) Aunt Diane & me in the candy store. Me with SOLID chocolate Santa. He was heavy! Two little old ladies at the candy store. :PPatti pretending to lick the caramel. Yes, there's a HUGE vat of warm caramel in the back of this place. It's like walking through the chocolate factory. Crazy girl!!! This is also her KISS impression too.
Patti with Mr. Chocolate Santa. At the risk of being politically incorrect. I joked that there should be a white chocolate Santa sitting next to him so they could be "Ebony & Ivory living in perfect harmony" in Ross Fine Candy store. :P

We went to Patti's first visit with her holistic doctor, Dr. Tent. I waited in the waiting room for almost an hour & a half. I didn't mind at all but they had his latest seminar running for those waiting. I hated the sound of his voice, which is high pitched whiny. Patti had been waiting for 6 months for an appt with him because he came highly recommended. He gave her a bag of stuff to help with memory sharpness & away we went to eat a very late lunch at Bahama Breeze. It was cool. We got tropical drinks & ate like pigs. Then we stopped at what I think was Twelve Oaks mall for just an hour or so... We got back here at the house for some family time & to get ready for a long Thanksgiving day, which started at 6am. No gym time but I'm ok with that. I hope to walk on Sunday with Joe & get back to "normal" on Monday. :)

We got out the door in our game gear about 7:30am. We paid $10 to park at the Greektown parking garage. I had to pee so we went in the casino area. The front desk guard told us like 3X that you had to be 21 to go in & we kept saying, "Ok". She wouldn't come right out & ask for our IDs. Finally after the 4th time of me looking at her puzzled & telling her that I was almost 42, she asked for my ID. She "regrouped" with the comment, "Oh....well, you look good." She let me go in & then Patti went in...gesh! I'm taking it as a huge compliment but getting yelled at that early in the morning made my stomach hurt. :( Maybe she HATES the Titans, who knows...

We then headed over to Ford Field where we immediately ran into some Clarkville people who drove up for the game. They were incredibly nice. We got a few boos & tons of "Go Titans!" screamed at us as we walked by. Lots of people liked my pants, lots of strangers wanted to take our picture. Some didn't even want to get in the pic with us they just wanted to take our picture. Odd? You would think this town never saw "away fans" dressed up. Oh yeah, I think the sign got lots of attention on the street too. Duh!! We watched the parade after getting some coffee, walked into some building where there's a "Hard Rock Cafe". I stared at a few rockstars outfits while trying to get warm. A family approached us. They introduced themselves but right now their names escape me. Turns out the wife just moved here from Fayetteville, TN. I said, "oh, you were just 40 mins from Tullahoma from me." I could tell she was pretty homesick for sure, bless her heart. The scene sort of reminded me of the times I'd go into the Nuremburg Army Exchange. I would start speaking & someone would come up to me, hug me, & ask me if I were from TN. Being away from "home" does that to people.

So, off to the parade the "Away Fans" went... 1st float of parade.2nd float of parade. I love Elmo! Me with Turkey outside of Detroit Hard Rock Cafe. My face is slighly frozen. :P
We took photos of Tiger stadium, which looks REALLY cool. I'd love to come back for a game sometime even though I'm not a huge baseball fan. Watch out for that paw! We strolled over to the Fox Theater, too. After the long awaited start to the parade, Hard Rock, & some fast sight seeing, I was getting antsy so we headed back to Ford Field where we stood in line answering questions, talking to folks, & just basically hanging out until they let us in... The flag had to be dismantled. Turns out they don't allow people to bring in flags on "sticks". No big deal but it's ironic that I got that flag as a "giveaway" at a Titans game. LP Field didn't consider them a "weapon". ha! So, away we went with our pom, poms, & sign. Yelling "Go Titans" to our fellow TN fans...some local & some that had driven or flown in.... We were with "Family". :P At one point I almost said, "Hannah, follow me." to Patti. ha! Hannah & Jeff couldn't make it to the game. They drove in late the night before. Loved his "turkey ref hat". He got it online so I'm sure you can google it.
How high does he think he can kick it? :P Watching warm up. After getting a big ole grin out of Finnegan, we walked around to the tunnel area. This stadium has ONE tunnel. We saw "Roary", Fisher, & dude from the plane. Joe & his dad came in about that time.

The Jesse McCartney half time show was ok even though we were behind him. I swear I took more photos of this but they didn't download for some reason. Stupid me didn't realize he is Paul McCartney's son, duh! We had a great time. We spent the first half in our seats, then during the 3rd qtr, we moved to two empty seats next to Joe & his dad. Before the end of the 4th qtr, I wanted to get just a little closer with the sign. My 2nd altercation of the day came from some ill mannered security woman who didn't want to let me into the WIDE OPEN empty seats vacated by the Lion's fans. So, we sneaked over a section or two. Patti said the woman saw us & was pointing us out to another security person. The other security person probably told her to get a life because they never did make us move. I've NEVER had that problem at LP Field but I've only been an "away fan" twice so whatever.... :P We had a blast & we were home by 5pm to eat turkey & pie.

Today, so far is laundry & being lazy. Patti had a dental emergency that she had to tend to at the office with Dr. Baetz. (That's the only reason I had time for this blog entry) It's almost noon & I still haven't had a shower. ha! Later this afternoon, we'll eat a late lunch/early dinner at the "Lion's den" & then we'll head to Howell, which is like Mayberry. At 6pm, we'll be doing the Fantasy 5k. I had forgot how slow I run in tights even when I haven't been injured so it will be a miracle if I even come close to the 30 min goal I had originally planned but oh well...it's just a fun 5k that kicks off a parade. :) Tomorrow, is the 8 hr drive back to Nashville with Joe. whoo hoo!

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!!!

In case you didn't know....Titans beat Lions today.

I believe the score was 4,238 - 10, probably. Seriously, I think Fisher should have put Vince in much sooner than he did. I won't put up all the pics or write too much because I'm too full on FOOD but here's a few pics to start with...
Right outside of Ford Field when we first got there. A Clarksvillian & his wife took our pic. They drove up for the game & were so nice. We should have had our pics taken with them.
Me trying to avoid the Tiger paw.
I'm trying to get the cheese off my teeth as Patti snapped this photo so I look gooberish. :(

We were in the stadium almost 2 hrs before kick off. I snapped this photo & then held up the sign. He looked over while doing drills & grinned the biggest grin I'd ever seen him do. It was cool! ha! Apparently, I'm not the first to do this sign because someone asked me if I had this sign at the Jets game last Sunday. ha!

And in case Finnegan says "yes"....Patti is ready.

Look for this sign (with us under it screaming!)

I hate snow. :P

check list

Long Johns for Detroit parade ck
Running shoes for Fantasy 5k ck
Cold weather running gear ck
Lions tickets ck
Flags are barely in suitcase ck
Pick up nasal spray during lunch ck
Migraine meds ck
Patti's "surprises" ck
gym clothes ck
boarding pass printed ck

Yes, I do have some regular clothes in there other than running & game gear!

No gym bag in the car!!!!

I was hopping mad at myself when I drove all the way from Exit 114 to Exit 105 to the Rec Ctr for spin class & I realized I left the gym bag next my suitcase. Doh!! So, I headed home, changed clothes, & went to Harvey's for 4 miles on the deathmill. I jogged 3.5 in 35 mins & then walked the last 1/2 mile. I zipped back home to cram stuff into the suitcase. I was going to do some ab work but I just don't feel that happening. At 8:15pm, I'm starting to feel like bedtime. :( My body knows it's got a long day ahead tomorrow, early to work, fly to MI, then late to bed. I've packed everything from long johns to migraine meds. I hate being headache disabled & cold. :P My uncle keeps the heat on really high so we'll all be walking around in little to nothing trying to beat the heat until we leave the house. I can't wait to see these folks because they make me laugh until I cry, seriously!

Packing...

Everything is in the living room. It should only take about 20 mins to get it organized in the suitcase. The flags will go in last diagonally. After doing a small load of laundry, I was OUT before 9pm last night. Tonight I hope to be in bed no later than 9:30. I'm coming into work at 7am both days this week. I'm leaving at 2:30pm instead of 3:30pm as I orginally planned due to my aunt's requests. The civic will be in Nashville for Thanksgiving while my butt's in the cold state of Michigan. I spotted a bruise on my right hip in the shower. I suspect that's from the 1st fall in the gravel. Amazingly enough, I'm not sore at all & I plan to do my normal Monday workout with spin class & ab work.

Ok, confession, we were already drinking yesterday when we didn't recognize Dirk. (That's the story & I'm sticking to it.) :P Now if I can figure out who was screaming, "Hey, Tullahoma" at me, then I won't feel so much like a dork.

Happy Thanksgiving Monday!!!!!!!!!!!

Looonnngggg Sunday

Ok, I will start by saying that I do like the fact that Brett Farve is 39 & can still play excellent football, but I DO NOT like the fact that the Titans finally lost today. Yes, it's been close the last couple of games but now it's 10-1. :(

My day started at 4:05am when my alarm went off. I was ready with bike loaded & heading down the drive way by 5am. I was drinking coffee at the McDonald's at Centennial Park by 6:15am. I followed Jill to the starting line of the "Monkey". My gosh, it was colder than I thought it would be but my core never got cold. My finger tips & toes were another thing. Thank God, Jill had an extra pair of gloves that I put over my "one more mile" gloves & bike gloves. I have to say it was exciting to see everyone get ready to run but I was glad I wasn't running, seriously. Maybe I just don't have it in me anymore, who knows... We chatted with various people & one guy came up to us who neither of us knew but apparently he knew I had a stress fractured shin. He asked me how it was coming along or if it was healed yet. Strange because I couldn't place this man for the life of me, but nice that he was concerned. I was too embarrassed to ask him his name. :(

I was off to a rough start by not being able to get going on my bike smoothly. It's like I forgot how to take off or something. My 1st fall was on take off in the gravel. Seriously, I know it's been well over a month since I had my bike out but it was as if I was getting on the dang thing for the first time ever. I decided to hang back while the runners ran past me because I sure didn't want to fall on anyone. I heard Dirk say my name & then Chuck said "hi". Then a small cluster of people yelled, "Hey, Tullahoma!" at me & I didn't know any of them. Am I in the "Twilight Zone" or what? Nobody from Tullahoma ran this race.

My 2nd fall came several miles into the course. A car pulled up next to me & I had about 25 runners about 15 feet in front of me. I kept struggling to get my feet out of the pedals before I HAD to come to a complete stop. The car wasn't moving & I was closing in on the runners. So, I just very gracefully toppled over, which of course startled a guy who was running behind me. He ran up & stopped to offer help but I told him there would be more to come so beware. :P I got off and pushed for a while up the rest of that hill. You see, I'm bike gear illiterate. According to Jill, I was riding the hardest gear my bike had up hills. I'm so used to getting out of the seat on hills, changing gears by feel, & just meandering along I really wasn't paying that much attention to the gears or how I got to them in the first place. Stupid, yes, & it's my fault for not really listening that well to instructions so it's time to get serious with learning how to ride, good grief!

After the 3rd Fall, Jill got on my bike & adjusted them for me, bless her heart. (Thanks for baby sitting me, Jill! ha!) I have to admit the steep downhills were scaring me to death but once I was in the right gear for climbing, I could do a seated climb with no trouble at all. I refused to clip in for fear of a 4th fall. I told someone at one point that we really weren't drinking but if anyone asks, just tell them we were.... That's my story & I'm sticking to it! ha! As for scrapes, all I have is a scrape on my right knee so I think I'll live. I believe I knocked some tape off the handle bars. I'm taking the Fuji in during Christmas to get a check up. Maybe I'll find time to clean the dirt off during Christmas from my rainy ride a few months ago, too.

By the time we got off the bikes, a few runners had already come in so we hung out a little over an hour cheering. It was fun but I had to get out of there. Joe & his little ones were waiting. It was a nice afternoon even though we watched our favorite team finally lose. :(

Now it truly is a race to Thanksgiving...Patti said there's a "chance" of snow all the way up til Thursday. So, we shall see... I totally forgot to give Joe my flags but I'm thinking I can squeeze them in my suitcase anyway.

Thanks for the goodies, Jill (and the shirt).
Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Joe. :P

Saturday's stiffness, buying, & packing...

Since I forgot to buy some things on my grocery list friday evening, I decided to buy something at the Tullahoma Junior Women's club Christmas Bazaar instead. A BAKE SALE! 4-5 yrs ago, I did a middle school afternoon program at East Middle. Well, I just couldn't resist buying some goodies today at the bazaar from some of my former middle schoolers. They're all in high school now. Some I hadn't seen since they were in 6th grade! Anyway, needless to say, I refuse to go back to the grocery store so I have "Monkey Bread" for the "Monkey Marathon tomorrow. I'm sure there will probably be a dozen others bringing it but if it's left over, they can feed it to the monkeys.

This morning I did some stretching & some yoga ball crunches before the 1 hr spin class. My quads are sore from squats & possibly from the dreadmill. I did head to the gym right after work on friday for 65 mins of a jog/walk, then 20 mins on the elliptical. I had to since our office raided the engineering department's Thanksgiving dinner. ha! I felt so guilty that I ended up doing a little more then I was planning on friday. So, spin was a bit of a struggle this morning but I survived the hour.

Instead of taking a bullet, I decided to use a JCPenney coupon to buy some sweaters this afternoon. I really did need some new stuff since I have purged my closets twice in just over a year. I ran into cousin, Pam, & the kids in the mall. The mall here seemed somewhat busy but I think most people were in Penney's & Goody's, not Dillards or the mall area. You can tell Christmas in the air here for sure.

Ok, back to work on packing......

Thursday Night Strength & Weekend Planning

I did all my usual weight machines, plus free weights.
I'm feeling stronger than I have in probably over a year, seriously.
45 mins on the elliptical was all the time I could spare.
So much to do do, so little time...
Instead of a "rest day" from the gym, I'm going to sneak in a 1 hr jog/walk on the dreadmill before I hit up Kroger for a few things after work today.
The plan is to get a few things done tonight & head to bed early.
1 hr spin is the plan for the morning. The afternoon will be packing, cleaning, & some baking.
A slight change of plans will bring me back to the house Sunday evening, which is A Ok with me.
I am still not believing that the holidays are really here. It seems that the year flew by incredibly fast!

It's Mexican lunch today for the work gals & me. Happy Fabulous Friday!

Top 10 Reasons Titans NEED to beat the Jets

1. I'll never forgive Farve for making me cry the 1st time he retired on national TV. NO MORE!
2. I HATE wrangler jeans. Levis would look much better on his tush!
3. He needs to retire & do a sequel to "There's Something About Mary".
4. 11 - 0 just sounds better than 10 - 0.
5. The Titans blue uniforms look WAY better than that Jets green.
6. Ok, I'll accept the antacid commercials but what's next viagra commercials?
7. His middle name is "Lorenzo".
8. He's 15 months younger than the the Jets coach, Eric Mangini.
9. 6 ft 2 inches just isn't tall enough to be THAT good. Everyone knows that NFL quarterbacks have to be 6 ft 5 inches tall with laser rocket arms. (See P. Manning commercial from several years ago if you don't believe me!)
10. AND Finally.......Brett always looks like he has a mouth full of copenhagen. YUCK!!!

It was time for a "test"

And I passed.....
I decided to skip weights yesterday & go ALL cardio.
I set the deathmill flat & took off.

Goal 1: DON'T WALK
Goal 2: See how close to 30 mins I could get for 3.1
Goal Met: 3.1 miles in 29:32
Yes, that's snail's pace for what I would've done like 2-3 yrs ago, but it was a straight, flat run. For someone who's not run 3.1 miles straight since early June, I'll take it.
As for the shin, I felt a tingly sensation on it by mile 2 until I finished.
It was weird. I then jumped on an elliptical for 45 mins for some calorie burn.

This morning I did the early morning spin with no soreness from the deathmill run at all. It actually felt quite good!! Tonight: weights, ab work, & maybe some elliptical.

Re-thinking next week's workouts.....

Monday should stay as usual, 45 min spin, some ab work, maybe some time on the elliptical.
I was going to do the early Tuesday spin class but the fact that I'm leaving work at 3:30pm just won't allow for it. Besides, I don't want to leave the house at 5am in the dark wondering if I got everything loaded that I need for Thanksgiving. Joe has agreed to take my red Titan's flag for me because there's no way I can get that thing in the suitcase. I mean, can you see me walking onto my southwest flight Tues night with a big red Titan's flag that's on a long stick!? :P They may consider it a weapon!

Cousin Patti, wants to hit her Bally's gym on Wed morning & Friday morning. I've been ordered to bring my bathing suit so I suspect we'll use the sauna and/or pool... Friday night at 6pm, the Fantasy 5k kicks off the Howell, Michigan parade. She & I will slug our way through it as best as we can... I've not run a straight 3 miles in MANY months so this will be interesting. My goal? Ummm, if it's snowing/icing.....just get through it. If it's fair weather, try to get as close to 30-35 mins as possible. Saturday will be a long car ride. Sunday, depending on how we feel, a stroll on the 5.8 route through PW.

My fabulous brother in law, Mark....

Go Air Force! My very busy brother in law, apparently, did the San Antonio half. (He never tells me these things!) :) I can't wait to see him & the family during Christmas.

The race to Thanksgiving week....

I'm not liking the cold right now at all when I leave spin class. I'm soaked & I have to put on dry layers before I leave the building. For someone who hates to wear coats, this is annoying. I'm so soaked from sweat that my sport bra makes a thump sound when I take it off & throw it on a hard surface. It's that heavy with sweat when I leave class, seriously!

Tonight I cranked out some crunches on a yoga ball & jumped on a treadmill for just over a mile to get warmed up. The more I think about it, I may just keep the membership at Harvey's in addition to this one at the Rec Ctr. You cannot stir these people with a stick & I hate the TV set up. What's it going to be like in January?! The last time I checked, I didn't have kids to put through college so I just may keep both memberships next June. It's only about $41 for both anyway, unless one goes up next year.

I've decided to throw together some sage sausage/cream cheese croissants for the "Monkey" this weekend. So, while packing on Sat, I'll do a little baking. I need to pack everything but the kitchen sink this weekend. Next Tues evening cannot get here fast enough. I also decided to cancel my return trip & ride back with "the vacuum guy". He's so entertaining that thoughts of having to wait on him in Nashville to drive from Lake Orion, MI just seemed stupid. I think I can stand about 8 hrs in the car with him. The real question will be if he can stand me in the car that long. :P

Early birthday presents....

First the fabulous Jill red purse....that's what I'm going to call it. :)
Now a new vacuum, which I asked for, from Joe S. (Joe the vacuum guy)
Happy Early B-day to me. I'm going to really like turning 42 on Dec 2nd. :P

Cute Red Purse-Thanks Jill!

Yes, it's really a deep red but on my cell it looks burgundy. I can't wait to use it! :)
Perfect with my bow barrette.

Still a fire!

They shook Jag nerves & they rattled their brains
The long drives drove them all insane
They broke their will, oh what a thrill
Goodness gracious great footballs a fire!

Well, it didn't help that "Desperate Housewives" centered around fire last night. I had a hard time sleeping after all that. I just knew the creepy old lady in the Solis lives was a gonner.

I've run my mouth way too much about the "Marry Me, Finnegan" sign for Thanksgiving day so we have to do it. Otherwise, nobody will see us. I even told my Farm Bureau agent on friday & he laughed himself silly. We're going to try NOT to blend in too much with the other fans. Here we go again, trying to get on TV. :)

I did read some of the last chapter in "Every Second Counts" last night. It's mainly about team work. I've enjoyed this book but you can tell from the hints of personal problems that the marriage was suffering some then when Lance Armstrong wrote it. He paints a very positive picture of Kristin (Kik) Armstrong. She's such a GREAT runner these days. I used to love reading her columns in "Runners World" but I let my subscription run out because it seemed like she was the only thing I ever read in there anymore.

Projected week of exercise (Sat I have to pack most of my stuff for Thanksgiving!)
Today: Rest
Tues: 1 hr spin & ab work
Wed: jog/run, weight machines
Thurs: 45 min spin, elliptical, ab work
Fri: Rest
Sat: 1 hr spin, elliptical
Sun: bike some around PW

In the words of Jerry Lee Lewis...

..."Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!" During the 1st Qtr I was calmly sitting on the couch. At the end of the 1st Qtr, I was doing ab work, pilates, 5 lb free weights, etc....I even got my foam roller out for my hip that wasn't hurting. I had to or I would have been scratching the paint off the walls. At one point, I told myself, "It's ok for them to lose because it would take the pressure off." Then I thought, "Nah, damn it, this is the Jags!" Then they started planting Gerrard's butt on the turf, Lendale went back in, & Kerry's arm went to work. Thank God!

I did MORE shopping today, plus 65 mins on the elliptical. I would have done more but oh well... Just ran out of time. Tomorrow is a rest day for sure.

10 - 0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday Rainy Activities

Sat morning workout:
30 mins elliptical
1 hr spin class
(note to self: spinning is really hard when you've already been on the elliptical for 30 mins)
Paul S. was there even though he was on sinus infection meds & not 100%. I told myself if he could get through it, I could. Bless his heart, he's tough. I was tasting my salty sweat & I remembered the dill pickle potato chips from Friday evening. Blah!

Linda trimmed my hair & we played with it. She & Gena are selling jewelry with Murona (sp?) crystal in it. It's pretty cool & actually bought to wear to a company Christmas party (not mine, Joe's). I bought several pieces as gifts & a hair barrette for myself. Suddenly, the urge to Christmas shop took over. I went for it. Tullahoma was bustling & the Coker building was decorated. I got a vanilla latte & realized, "I think I'm in the mood to shop." Most of you know I'd rather take a bullet than go into a mall so this was big & I went with it. My barrette is small & shouldn't weigh my hair down. Yeah, I do try to look like a woman sometimes, I promise. :P I fell victim to a new pair of shoes, got a box ready for Jersey, & bought things for my Aunt Becky's Dirty Santa party in Nashville on the 13th. I have very few left to buy for & most of them are in San Antonio.

I've decided that I'm definitely coming to PW to ride & cheer the monkey runners with Jill until 11am. Hannah, Jeff, & I are watching the Jets game in the 'boro at noon. Since Hannah & I will likely not see each other on our birthdays (1st wk of Dec), I'm giving her a fabulous butterfly necklace. You see, I talked her out of buying an overpriced necklace in New York City this summer & this necklace sort of reminded me of it. I laughed when I saw it because this necklace is literally a fraction of what that one cost on the SATC tour we took. Sure this one wasn't designed by someone for celebrities but it's really cool. I can't wait for her to see it & right now she's too busy to read this blog so I think I'll surprise her! :P

Raining down on our Saturday

Dill pickle potato chips, obviously, have crack in them because I couldn't put them down last night. I ate way too many & I dare say I was almost sick. Blah! I think I brushed my teeth & gargled about 3X before I got the taste out of my mouth.

I did hit the elliptical for 60 mins & I walked for 30 after work yesterday at Harveys. I was in bed by 9:30pm so obviously, I'm up & ready to hit the Rec Ctr. I do NOT like their TVs in there. At Harvey's each individual machine has a TV. All you have to do is plug in & you are in control of what YOU want to watch. At the Rec Ctr, they appear to be set FOREVER on the same channels way up on the wall in front of all the machines. You have to tune them in on a radio, I presume. I don't like that at all. If I'm on an elliptical for an hour you can bet I'll channel surf. That's something I'll dearly miss when I let Harvey's expire at the end of next June. *Sigh* Is it sad that I'm already starting to miss this gym that I've practically lived at since March of 2003? If there were a way that they could add some spin classes, I would totally stay there & not renew the Rec Ctr.

Is it me or has this week seemed like it's "Seattle" here? We saw the sun peak through for maybe an hour yesterday. That's pretty sad when the office gets excited about a little sun.

I started a game at work yesterday afternoon called, "Baby Fantasy". Sorta like football fantasy but NOT... We're tweaking it still. My Japanese boss is expecting. Most of us think it's a boy. She'll find out next month. So, we've got a pool going there. Another gal just got married & we're guessing which month she'll be "pregnant by". Yeah, we really are busy in there, seriously...I promise. :P And yes, we are actually hiring a new person in our office. I wouldn't want the job myself but I've been pulling resumes out of my bosses box for a couple of weeks now. A lot are from Murfreesboro, some from McMinnville, & a few from Tullahoma. I hope he gets someone that "fits us". I know in my interview many moons ago, he told me that he thought I'd fit right in with my personality. I didn't know how to take that but obviously I got the job. He has described me in my reviews as quiet, unassuming, & when I do say something it's usually funny. So, I'm ok with that. :)

Well, I guess I'll start my swim to Manchester for some calorie burn. As for the hair this afternoon, I've decided to keep it. (Just a trim!)

Happy Rainy Saturday!

Everything that I've read says.......

......."stop that Jacksonville run game". Well, they need to stop "Thunder & Lightening" & the Kerry Collin's much improved accurate arm. :P I hope I remember to breathe after 4:15pm on Sunday.

Full Circle

For months I've had a feeling that DLAG (Dead Last in his age group or Swinger, whichever fits him at the moment) was lurking in the shadows. My very good friend, Elaine, confirmed it this morning. With this blog being private, I can now say this....what truly goes around, comes around. It takes some people a while to realize what they gave up, took forgranted, etc... Yes, this person has realized it now. :P Too late, so sorry, & get lost is my reaction. I've been destined for way more than what this person ever had to offer anyway. I. AM. HAPPY. This person will never have any say in my happiness (or lack there of) ever again. I must admit, it sure feels good to hear that he's suffering because I gave all I had & it wasn't good enough. Someone else will get all that & then some, I'm sure. ha!

In my life, I've had my fair share of disappointments & believe me, it's not all been running related. I thank God every day for being blessed with good friends & family who "have my back". I truly hope in some ways I give that back to them. Happy Sweet Justice Friday!

On a gym workout note:
I was stiff as a board this morning. I'm sure it was the 45 mins of straight climbing yesterday morning in spin class. When she announced we'd climb the entire time, she wasn't joking! That & what I did last night made me stiff but not really sore. Wow, I have missed this feeling!

Just in case we need it...

I have reserved a room with two beds at the Ramada Inn LP Field for Apr 24th, checking out on Apr 25th. I'm only doing the half and so is Pam. Patti is still undecided as to whether she can come down. If we don't need the room, I can cancel. Always best to be early with a booked room for the Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon, especially since it's the 10th yr for the event in '09.

Finishing the day....

.....with 20 mins elliptical, 40 mins jog/walk (3.52 miles), & 45 min spin class early this am. Tomorrow I do plan to hit the elliptical after work sometime. I plan to hit it hard this weekend with my "To Do List" & the gym. I found out our Christmas party was cancelled, which is really no big deal to me. Ahh, times...they are a changing....

The consensus in the hallway today between my engineers & me...we are worried about the Jag game on Sunday. Ahhh, fingers crossed!!

Thursday morning thoughts....

***Coworkers who bring in doughnuts should be fired on the spot & led out to their cars at gunpoint never to return.

***I'm converting slowly to an early morning workout person...so don't have a heart attack when I write that I did weights at 5:30am.

***Metallica is the only thing that totally wakes me up in the early morning spin classes.

***Erin S. told me that Jesse McCartney is the half time act at Ford Field on Thanksgiving day. I'm not a huge fan but all the more to stay on my feet yelling, screaming, & dancing. (Alchohol will have to be involved.)

***I have something new I want to buy, "compression socks". After reading Lana's blog, I've decided that they may be something I've needed all along.

***Depending on what I get done this weekend, I'm tossing around the idea of taking my bike to PW to watch "The Flying Monkey Marathon" on Nov 23rd. It would be cool to cheer some folks on....I would be the one screaming, "Get done before kick off!!" (Jets play that day in Nashville) I'll just have to see how the next week or so goes....until I commit.

Dec 6th: Tim's Ford State Park race and Shelbyville Parade 5k

I know most of the Looney Tooner's from the state park races & some locals will be at the Tim's Ford race but Shelbyville is kicking off their parade at 6pm with a 5k. I won't be at either since I'll be in Nashville that day/night & the next day at the Brown's game.

http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1651487&assetId=73CFF1CE-97D4-4170-A300-F13C885E0060

Feeling Thankful early.......

Our company has had to pull some business from some smaller companies to keep from laying off anyone on our lines. We don't have temps anymore right now & as far as I can tell, we're ok, which is saying a lot for an interior auto parts supplier. I really believe that it will get worse before it gets better but at least gas is down below $2.00 right now. A lot of folks thought it would never get below $3.00. It only took about $22.00 to fill my empty Civic tank up the other day, which made me pretty excited. :)

I'm feeling pretty good physically even though I look banged up. ha!
In addition to the early morning 1 hr spin yesterday, I did 30 mins on the elliptical last night, some weight machines, & free weights. Tonight MORE of the same with 65 mins on the elliptical. I think I'll wait till Thursday to try to "jog" on the deathmill. I'm thinking I need to sneak a friday work out in this week, too. (Calorie Burn!!!!!)

I'd like to get the leaves up out of the front yard on Sat but dang, it's only going to get up in the upper 40's from what the news says...brrrrr.... I'll get in the 1 hr spin & then a haircut. I'm about tired of the straight mess yet I don't want anything too drastic. Ummmm......

My chiropractor lined me up pretty well last night. She's not been out of school long & I can tell because she acts like she cares. The last owner of the place scared me with her adjustments. She would throw me around the room or so it seemed. I'm glad the Estill Springs office sold to a very good, reputable doctor because I sure didn't have much respect for the last owner. I won't go into what I know but some doctors run you in like cattle just to make a buck & just don't seem to care what's going on with your body. Let's put it this way, my adjustments used to last less than 10 mins. Now they last more than 15 mins & she doesn't stop until she knows everything is aligned. This new gal has me lay face down so she can measure where my hip lines up with the back of my heel. She adjusts me until she's satisfied with the way it looks. The former docs were too busy trying to hurry up & get out of there. I'm thankful for a chiropractor who cares.

I'm hoping to finish, "Every Second Counts" by Lance Armstrong this weekend. The first book was very inspiring but this one sure opens up my eyes as to what he's gone through post cancer & with the allegations he was a doper. Shame on those French, they not only can't swim but they can't bike either. Lance spent many a snowy day in those mountains when no other cyclist was to be found anywhere. The fact that the French believe he was given some kind of illegal miracle drug during chemo is just down right stupid.

Happy Hump Day Wednesday!

Happy Veterans Day (& a small rant...)

1st of all "Happy Veterans Day". I know a lot of Vets & lived with one for 10 yrs so I totally appreciate what they do or have done for our freedoms. :)

2nd of all, I had to send out an email to some folks who really like to text message a lot. :P
I love each & every one of you guys but because of the election, my cup has run over with the texting. I had enough sense today to check them. My coworker was griping about getting too many & it made me start to wonder. I got a lot during the election week most of which I didn't even open (in email, too!).

I HATE forwarded emails with a passion unless it's fitness or running related. The "girlfriend's day" forwards drive me crazy! Or "send this to 10 of your friends in 10 mins or you will suffer 10 yrs of bad luck". I mean seriously, who has this kind of time on their hands these days? I know I don't. Sure I have time for this blog but it's usually 7:15am or lunch time at work when I log into this blog. So anyway, good ole fashion phone calls seem to be a thing of the past. Sure, texting is easy when you don't have time to talk. I send quite a few when I'm trying to get a point across, find out when/where I'm running with the running folks, etc... That's how it all started with me a few years ago. Sending a blanket text message to folks I was running with at the time was easier than making 4-5 phone calls. So, I'm guilty & I'm going to change my ways!

So, FYI to those that text me or send text message forwards, don't!!
If you have something important to say, call me or send me an email. I have a blackberry with internet so I never miss an email that comes into my charter account. Besides it's always nice to hear a voice even if it is just for 5 minutes.

My Tuesday Lunch Rant is over.......carry on with your regularly scheduled blog reading.
I'm Lisa Smith & I approve this message.

Backing it down a little.....

I survived 45 mins spinning with the banged up knee, some ab work, & 30 slow mins on the elliptical last night. I didn't do the intensity that I normally do with the tension on the bike but I still got in a good sweat. We had a FULL class just like we did on Sat morning. I'm so glad I can get there somewhat early to grab a bike & throw my CMM towels on it. :P

Since I had to move a chiropractor appt around, I realized yesterday that I needed to get my butt up for the EARLY Tues spin so I did. I backed it down a little there too since it is a whole hour. I will go to Harvey's for about an hour tonight for the weight machines, stretching, maybe some time on the elliptical. It's all about burning calories right now for me...no real training for anything. I'm not allowed. :(

I will say I do like the fact that my legs do seem stronger & I have a chest these days. The free weights have given me a little more definition than I had back in the Spring/early Summer. I cannot complain too much but would still like to drop some weight before the Thanksgiving getaway to Michigan. I cannot wait to see cousin, Patti & the rest of the Harris family. :)

Oh yeah.....and that little thing we're doing on Thanksgiving day should be a total blast.
Go Titans!!!!

Not sexy

Black n' blue Trail knee. I took this photo while at my desk with the bone growth stimulator machine attached to my shin. (What a sight I am!) I'm still going to spin class tonight. :P

What I like about this time of year? Fall & Football!

9-0! 9-0! 9-0! Javon Kearse fixed is #90 jersey to fit the current record by putting a piece of tape in between the 9 & 0. It is the year...for the Titans not to tip toe into the playoffs but go long, run long, run short, & kick their way into the playoffs. Much like the Packer's game, the Bears were difficult to beat. Joe & I watched it gritting our teeth the entire time. Letting go of the run game when they did was a smart move because I got tired of screaming "Stop handing it off!" Anyway, I've come down off my high now. Next week, they're still on the road & in Jacksonville.

"The Blue Chair" is so charming, so bright, colorful, & the food was really good. Going there on a Fall day just made it seem that much better I think... We had chicken wrap sandwiches, a smoothie called "Church Lady" & a piece of divine pecan pie with low fat frozen yogurt on it. Thank God, I had sweated myself to death in the Sat morning 1 hr spin class.

Me in THE blue chair. Joe S. in THE blue chair. The Lemon Fair. (Reminded me of the shops in Bell Buckle)

We drove around campus trying to find "The Bridal Veil" falls. After hiking about 1.5 miles, two women assured us they couldn't find it. They suspected that it was dried up. So, we settled for what I called, "little flower girl waterfall". (See pic of Joe next to it. If you squint, you can see the water. Click to enlarge)
I'm such a genius I start jogging a little on the leafy path & fell, of course. (It was too tempting) I now have a goose egg on the side of my right knee. As long as it doesn't keep me from spinning, I really don't care but gesh, that hurt! My core got so warm I started shedding some layers but by the time we got to the Cross, it got windy & the temp seemed to drop. Joe by tiny "little flower girl" waterfall.
Joe under the Cross. I'd post some of me but I was wind blown & cold. I felt fat after eating such a big lunch & my knee hurt but we had a great time. It was a like being in a Fall Fairy Tale land. If you've never been to Sewanee or Monteagle in the Fall, go!We saw "Madagascar 2" at the Montana Drive In Sat night. It wasn't near as good as the first one. I just remember the penquins being a lot more funny for some reason. We ate Drive In pizza & had fun anyway. :)