Closet Fears

Ever feel afraid of something but think, oh man is that ever stupid, so you don't tell anyone about it? I call those closet fears. Things that I'm just a little worried about but I don't really want anyone to know 'cause it's kind of silly. Well, I've got one that I just feel compelled to confess. I wonder how many of you out there will have to admit that it worries you, too?
Here's what scares me...now that the weather is colder our city has had a repeat of an annual problem. The temperatures drop & scads of crows move into town. I'm not talking about starlings or anything like that. These crows are the size of bowling balls. They are noisy & they are messy. But I'm not afraid they're going to attack me. I'm afraid of something else altogether. Recently I've been needed to make local deliveries for work. The first run goes out at 6:30 in the morning. That's when all the crows are stirring around. Seriously, it's like a black cloud overhead. And here's my fear...it's just a matter of time before I get nailed by you-know-what. And when it happens, I'll bet I get hit multiple times. Yuck just doesn't begin to cover it. That's my closet fear.
Anybody out there ever get 'hit'?

A Little Christmas Cheer

Every year my dad spends a lot of time & energy shaping this bush into a snowman. I hope you can tell from the picture that he is holding a Christmas tree which is also decorated complete with a star on top. My mom loves snowmen so my dad makes sure to get this one ready for her every Christmas. What a guy!

I have to say that I think their house is the best decorated house in town!

*Sigh*

For the last year or so I have had some struggles with my feet as a result of my running. I have a bone spur on my left heel & I've had some tightness & swelling in my right foot. Niether problem has been all unbearably painful, but it's been consistent enough that I wanted to ask my doctor about it before I committed myself to the 2008 Indianapolis Mini Marathon. So I went to see him on Tuesday. What's cool about my doc is that he is a member of the same running group that I have joined this year so he understands why I want to participate again. The bad news is that he doesn't want me to run again AT ALL until March 1st. Yikes! That seems like a long time away. He did advise me to go ahead & sign up for the training group as a walker & then ease back into running slowly for the race in May. Until then I'm restricted to walking & yoga. Yoga = yuck! So boring...pose, hold, breathe...over & over & over again. I'm going to check into maybe taking a class so it will be a little less dull. Anybody out there a yoga enthusiast? Got any tips for me? I just don't want to get totally out of shape between now & then & I do want my feet to heal up. I've still got a long way to go with them!

White Flag

I haven't blogged for a seriously long time & Erin has tagged me to get me back online. I was resisting at first (rebellious attitudes are hard to shake) but I decided to hoist the white flag & answer some questions. Here goes...

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was a Junior at Northland Baptist Bible College. This was also the semester that my Uncle Gary lost his battle with cancer. Not one of my best years at school, but the Lord taught me SO MUCH about His goodness & mercy.

What was I doing five years ago?
I was just getting ready to start work at the nuclear pharmacy. I had been working part-time selling jewelry at Fred Meyer for just over 3 years & I had just finished a period of cleaning houses & business part-time.

What was I doing one year ago?
I was seriously considering buying a house & I was looking for a second job - a part-time deal at a retail pharmacy. I was also getting ready to head down to Greenville for Missy's wedding.

What was I doing yesterday?
I went to church in the morning; ate lunch with my parents; went on a Holiday Historical Homes tour with Mike; went to evening church (enjoyed a wonderful Communion Service); & then went to Mike's house to eat pizza & watch The Amazing Race.

Five snacks I love:
Pumpkin Seeds
Reese's Pieces
Animal Crackers
Granola Bars
Apples

Five places I would run away to:
Hawaii
Vienna
My sister's house
My Grandma & Grandpa's
Work (I know that sounds crazy, but no one bothers me there)

Five TV shows I like:
The Amazing Race
E.R.

Five things I hate doing:
Dusting
Cleaning the Bathroom
Vehicle Maintenance
Anything where I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing
Listening to conference calls (I've got one coming up in about 23 minutes - yuck!)

Five biggest joys of the moment:
Spending time with family & friends
My jobs
Running
Getting ready for Christmas
Extra vacation days


There you have it - the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment. Erin, I hope this pleases you :-)

I'm not going to tag anyone b/c I'm not sure that anyone even reads my blog anymore!

Disgusting Development

I have this super favorite Nalgene bottle that has been with me for at least 5 years. It has 3 terrific Hawaii stickers on it - one for Makaha Beach, a turtle (my favorite Hawaiian symbol), and one for Ocean Concepts (a scuba diving place Justin used to work for) - and one other sticker that is the state flag of South Carolina (one of my favorite vacation spots). Anyway, love the stickers, love the bottle, love the convenience & supposed unbreakability. Hence the disgusting development. My Nalgene has a leak! A slow one, but a leak nonetheless. Guess it's time to start over with a new bottle.

It's For Sale!

Long time, no blog...I know, I know. I just have a second to post a little item for sale. I'm interested in selling my car. Here are the stats:
2005 Toyota Corolla Sport
Red with moon roof, spoiler, & ground effects
Mileage - just under 40k
Price - $11,000

I have the opportunity to buy my boss's former company car at a steal of a price which would be wonderful for my budget (plus, it's a Ford Escape & I love SUV type vehicles!).

Anybody interested?

**I promise that I will blog about my Vienna trip - complete with pictures - very soon!

Guten Tag!

I'm actually on my way to bed, but I wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that I made it to Vienna safely & I'm having a wonderful time! I'm typing on Missy's laptop right now and everything is in German which is making things a bit difficult for me but that's all right. I'm visiting my friend Missy & her husband Kai. He is a pastor here in Vienna and they have an intern right now whose name is Ludwig. Today the four of us hopped on a train and went to Durnstein, a small town east of here. We had a picnic by the Danube, took a bazillion pics and ate grapes right off the vine from the vineyards that were all around. Tomorrow the boys are back to work and Missy and I are going to explore the city. My German is hopeless, but I do have some new vocab to share with those of you I will see when I return home. Some of the new words come complete with sign language complements of Ludwig.
Gute Nacht (which I have learned has to be said with the right amount of throat scraping or you don't say 'good night', you say 'good naked' - oops!)

My Birthday Cake

Anybody out there have a fabulous pumpkin cake recipe? My birthday is tomorrow & I want a terrific pumpkin cake. Help me out! :-)

They're Baaccckkk!

Every year at my work place we have a big swarm of cicada killers flying around. They are a little intimidating at first because they are big & look like they could just get mad enough to sting you to death. But according to Wikipedia (and they are always right as we all know!) they won't sting people. This is the 5th summer we've had them outside the door and flying into our windows & so far no one has been attacked. It is hilarious when delivery guys come to the door. They get as close to the door as they can & look over their shoulder at the cicada killers with fear in their eyes. I'll answer the door & they come running in usually demanding to know what in the world kind of hornet we've got flying around. It's probably not very nice that I get a jolly out of their fear, but I just can't help it!

A Poll Question

I was wondering if my readers would like to weigh in with their opinions, horror stories, happy ending stories, etc. concerning blind dates. Unleash & let me know the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Ahhh...the weekend!

Just like everyone else out there, I love a good relaxing weekend. I had to work both jobs on Friday so I didn't get off to a fabulous start, but I went to bed & fell asleep reading (my favorite way to sign off for the day b/c I sometimes have lots of trouble actually getting to sleep). I got up early Saturday morning & headed out to get some square donuts. That's right, square donuts. They are somewhat of a novelty & point of pride for my hometown. They are also essential food for yard salers. Autumn & her two sisters, April & Abby, were having a yard sale on Saturday. So I took them the donuts & found some great bargains for my niece Madison. Then I was off for a run. Three miles down & then I spent a few hours cleaning & messing around at home, including a run to the farmer's market on my bike. One quick shower & a stop for an iced cappuccino & I hit I-70 East. I headed over to Indy to visit with Heidi (Coston) & her boys for the afternoon/evening. She's 8 1/2 months pregnant with their third son & I did my best to wear her out & walk her around so that she could maybe go into labor (her idea). Didn't work. But I did find a great bargain on a pair of jeans at the Gap & I also found a great tour book of Ireland (hopefully next year's destination).
Today I enjoyed a wonderful time of worship & communion at church. My pastor has been preaching out of Micah and this morning's text was Micah 6:6-8

Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

An excellent reminder that the Lord is more interested in my obedience than my sacrifice or worship. If only I would love the Lord as I ought, obedience would fall into place. Definitely something to ponder.

After a nice dinner with my parents I met up with Stew & Mike. I went to high school with these 2 brothers. Stew was in my sister's class & Mike was in my class. We've all been friends since band camp of my sophomore year. They are also my bike riding buddies. We set out on a ride around downtown with a special objective. The city has put together a parade of colts (just like they had the bulls in Chicago, the horses in Lexington, etc.). I've seen some of the bulls and most of the horses, & now I've seen all of the colts. This is where the Colts football team comes for their training camp so it's quite appropriate that we have colts all over town, don't you think? We took some pics for your viewing pleasure...

Amish Friendship Bread

Chris, one of my co-workers, went to our Indy lab last week where one of the techs had brought in starters for Amish Friendship Bread. He brought one back for me because he thought I would like it. I think that actually translates into, "If I bring a starter back for her maybe she'll make it & bring it to work & feed me!". I don't mind all that & I'm ok with baking it & taking it in to work for the guys to munch on. My only reservation was that I wouldn't be at home this weekend to "mush the bag" & release the air bubbles. So I put the big ziplock bag in a bowl with a lid & left on our trip. My concern was that the air would build up & pop the ziplock. Here's what I found on the kitchen counter when I got home tonight.

Kentucky 2007

This weekend my family got together (I know, again!) & went to visit our cousins in Kentucky. I hadn't been down to Beaver Dam since I was 17 years old. My cousins have both gotten married & had children since the last time we were all together. We had such a great time! Friday night we gathered at Shana & Daniel's house for a cookout & then we went to David & Linda's to soak in the hot tub (decadent!). Saturday morning Shana, Beth, & I got up at the crack of dawn to go work out at the fitness center - there's nothing like breaking a sweat all together! Then we loaded up & headed out to Rough River Dam State Park where David & Linda keep their pontoon boat. We spent the rest of the day toolin' around on the boat & swimming. All of the kids got an opportunity to drive the boat (with Captain David's assistance) & they just loved it. A powerful storm rolled in late in the afternoon & it sent us scurrying for the marina. I managed to lose my favorite Splashin' Safari visor to the wind. Before I knew what had happened, it was off my head & sinking in Davey Jones's locker. Very sad.
Today we just hung out at the house, played some cards, & went for a walk in the rain. Then it was time to head home already. Now I'm gearing up for a long work day tomorrow. Back to reality. At least I like my reality 9 days out of 10!

The Girls

While we were standing in line for a ride on the Turkey Whirl (and to make sure that my camera still worked after skidding across six feet of concrete) we took some pics of the girls.

Thank God, the camera still works!

Family Vacation

We managed to have a fabulous time as a family at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. Now don't get me wrong, I love my family. We're close (some would say a little too close) but I don't generally enjoy holidays with the fam. It's always loud, crowded, & a little hurried so that all the marrieds can see all the branches of family that they need to. So I truly look forward to these little vacations we've started taking. The little cousins get together & have a blast. My siblings & I get to play together again. It's great.

I decided this year that I wouldn't drive myself so I tagged along with my parents. Sometimes driving with them isn't too much fun. My dad hates driving distances but no one else can drive if he's in the car (if you know what I mean...). So I packed my ipod & player & it turned out to be a very good idea. We jammed along to Don Williams, Johnny Cash, & Willie Nelson - all the songs I grew up on. My dad is a classic country fan & it totally cracked me up to hear him singing along with 'Folsom Prison Blues'.

We got checked into our King Size RV's. I stayed with Beth & Brennan while Mom & Dad stayed with Andy & Valerie. We met at our mutual picnic table for dinner & then headed off to Lake Rudolph's pool. And then it was on! Andy, Beth, & Mary Ann racing laps. So much fun!

Then we enjoyed two days at the parks. Here are some picture highlights...

Aidan's first Smore!

Hangin' out at the RV, watching some 'toons.

Dad, Mom, Beth, Brennan, & Caleb lined up for a little water squirting race. I opted to capture the moment on film. I think I got some good angles :-) Look how intense they are! I was totally laughing at them!

The big winner! I have to give Caleb a little credit here b/c he could have chosen one big prize for winning. Instead he opted to take two of the smaller prizes so that he would have one to give to his sister. What a champ!

Second Annual Family Vacation

Tomorrow afternoon my entire family will descend upon Lake Rudolph in Santa Claus, Indiana. By whole family I mean Charlie & Mary Lee, Andy & Valerie, Whitney & Aidan, Beth & Brennan, Caleb & Madison & me (Auntie MeeMee). We have all of Saturday through Tuesday to loaf around as a family & enjoy all the excitement that Holiday World & Splashin' Safari can afford. We never really took vacations when I was a kid so last year when we embarked on this little adventure it was the first time in about 12 years that all of us had been somewhere overnight together. Planning to do the trip again this year was a no-brainer. And we've upgraded from two cabins to two King Size RVs. I'll let you know what they're like. Instead of sleeping on a futon, I think I get my own bed this year - yeehaw!

Right now I'm imagining hours floating along the lazy river, jumping waves in the Bahari wave pool, riding the Turkey Twister & the Voyage...we know how to do it up right! Good times all around & pics to follow!

Happy Anniversary, B 'n B!

On June 6, 1998 my sister Beth married Brennan. Nine years, one little boy & one little girl later, they're still one of the cutest couples I know. Love you guys! Happy Anniversary!

Tuesdays

Tuesdays used to be my favorite day. It's usually just a one job day & I use it to catch up. Go for a run, do some cleaning, blogging, hanging out with friends, maybe watch a movie & go to bed early. Today, not so much. First, one of my bosses is on vacation so one of the pharmacists from the Indy lab comes down to fill in from 8am - 3pm. That's fine; actually, I like it b/c I get to do a lot of extra little things that my boss normally does. It makes the day go a little faster & it makes me feel more needed :-) The chaos started after work. I had an appointment to meet a realtor to look at a condo. Before you think I'm loaded with cash, let me say that this condo is by no means new & the price is very right (about $42k). I had some reservations before I saw it b/c the price was so low. Truthfully, it's really not SO bad. It has a fabulous blue tile shower/tub with matching blue toilet & sink, new carpet, & lots of closet space. A couple of things that I didn't like were that you could confuse the kitchen with one of the closets b/c it was so very small & cramped, I cannot even describe how undesirable the view is from the living room windows, neither of the bedrooms nor the living room had overhead light fixtures, & there is no washer/dryer hookup. So, I had all this muddling around in my head & all that confusion always makes me ready for a run.
I headed out on my run & made a couple of discoveries. First of all, I always kind of thought that I needed some tunes with a little extra oomph to get me through my mileage. I had put my ipod on shuffle (like always) but when some sacred music or instrumental music came on I didn't fast forward right through them (like I usually do). I found out that running to Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance or the Pettit Team was quite enjoyable. I also noticed that the wind can make a tremendous effect on the amount of effort that goes into a run. When the wind blows against you it's very obvious; the wind makes me work much harder. Today as I was looping around town I wondered why I never seemed to feel the wind at my back pushing me along. That's when I realized that the wind at my back was a much more subtle presence, but it was there helping me out. It seems to me that trials in my life & the grace of God are a lot like that. The trials are obvious & painful. God's grace is just as real & just as powerful; I just have to take a moment to recognize that it is there helping me. Just a thought...
Ok, so I got done running, made myself presentable again, said hello to my parents, had a bite to eat, & headed to church to help with the visuals for VBS. I love going to these little art sessions! I can't teach or help during the school b/c of work obligations, but I always try to get in on the decoration creation. We make murals from the visuals in the VBS material by blowing them up with an overhead projector. First we trace them in pencil, then we outline them with Sharpies, paint them, & then redefine where needed w/ the magic Sharpies. I was the redefiner tonight. About 3 hours bending over a Sunday School table will make you ready for a massage, let me tell you! But it's worth it. I love VBS. This year it will be very different for my church b/c we no longer have a bus ministry. Please pray that kids will still find a way to get there!
Tomorrow is another 2 job day; I'm totally looking forward to our little mini vacation this weekend!

Little Notes

I'm in avoidance mode. I have several phone calls I need to make, I need to get ready for tomorrow (a 2 job 14 hour day), & I have some dishes to wash. I just finished making snickerdoodles to take in to work tomorrow for a co-workers birthday. Since I'm the only girl I try to bring in a some goodies to help celebrate the birthdays. Actually, it's been so fun to make them. My parents have been in the process of remodeling their kitchen so I haven't really been able to cook much for a long time. Tonight I made the cookies in the new kitchen! I'll have to post before & after pics soon. I've got to get my digital camera back from my sister's kitchen counter where I left it this weekend.
This evening I received a tremendous blessing at prayer meeting. My pastor asked me recently if I would be willing to do a Bible study/discipleship thing with a girl who got saved a couple of years ago & has been coming to our church really faithfully ever since. We met for the first time tonight. I'm really excited about it. I'm getting the opportunity to know her better, I'm being challenged myself through a new channel of accountability, & I know the Lord has many things He wants to show us. Such good stuff!
I also found out today that b/c I am an employee of Cardinal Health, I get a 15% discount on my Verizon Cell phone. Yahoo!
All right, it's almost 11...time to get to work on my chores. Does anyone else out there get tired of the constant maintenance of life? I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I think maintenance is the gist of the curse. Leave things alone & they do not stay the same; things will dissolve into utter chaos. Already the level of fitness that I had attained for the Indy Mini is slipping. I haven't been able to keep up with the 20 + miles a week that it takes to 'maintain' that level. If you add up all the time it takes to maintain our bodies - feed them, clothe them, remove hair, style hair, on & on & on. If only we didn't have that (or vehicle maintenance - don't even get me started on that one! or relationship maintenance...now there's another doozy!) stuff to take up our time & money - wahoo! What a wonderful world! Not that I'm complaining...I'm just musing. And now it's off to work *sigh* then sweet dreams for me...for at least 5 hours :-)

Yay! I've been tagged! Now I'm supposed to list 8 interesting/weird facts about myself. Thanks to Alicia for tagging me (maybe that should be #1 on my list - I actually like being tagged, but it makes me feel a little more a part of the blogging community). Here goes...

1. I have lots & lots of gray hair already so I get it colored on a regular basis. I've been everything from almost totally blond to dark brunette to very red (but not Ronald McDonald red). I'm also kind of like cats & dogs; when I get really stressed I loose a lot of hair. That can be scary when it goes on for a while.

2. I have lots of weird eating habits. I love ketchup on tuna. I also love cottage cheese, celery, & black beans rolled up into a whole wheat tortilla. Yum!

3. I almost always drink at least 8 cups of water daily. Usually a little more (unless I'm driving in the car for hours).

4. I have a terrible time with my ears when I fly. I have to use those Ear Planes ear plug things & I still can't hear when the flight is over. Totally killed all my aspirations of being a flight attendant.

5. I love crossword puzzles & word searches. I know that totally contradicts my cool girl image, but it's true. But I hate board (read, 'bored') games/card games. Short attention span or something.

6. I'm totally OCD about some things... for example, the vacuum cleaner cord must always be looped around the hooks properly, not just looped over the handle & dragging all over the floor.

7. I've dated lots of delivery men (could this be just b/c they are the only new guys I seem to meet?). From FedEx to even a couple truck drivers (this is not as bad as it seems; one is the son of a pastor I know & respect, the other was just a bit of a mistake but still a respectable guy). I have forever sworn off dating any more men who regularly say, "Please sign here," & hand you a little plastic stylus.

8. I am extremely cold natured most of the time. That can make it really miserable to work with 7 men. It's not uncommon to see me at work any time of the year wearing a big fleece hoodie (sometimes even over the top of a wool sweater!) drinking a cup of coffee.

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 people to continue this craziness. Problem is, I don't think I have 8 people reading my blog! So here goes...Erin, Bekah, & Adele - you're all tagged! Plus, I'm totally calling you out, Andy! Amoke' has ratted on you & I know you read this blog to keep tabs on my life. So it's time to get a google sign-on & start leaving your comments, massive lurker! You can start by listing 8 things about yourself (or list 8 things about Amoke'; maybe then she'll read my blog, too!). Adam, I think you're lurking out there, too. And anyone else...time to get posting & let me know you've been here!

Random Things I Love...

*I love talking to my grandma. I've got her on the phone right now & I'm wishing her a happy 85th birthday! She's such a steady, precious testimony to me & I love her so much. I love my grandpa, too. I can hear him in the background practicing his saxophone. So cute.
*I love Daylight Savings Time. I used to be a staunch opponent of switching times b/c I liked how Indiana was different from everyone else (I know, kind of silly). Anyway, I am totally in love with the fact that I can go running at 8:30 at night & still have enough daylight to get in 4 miles. Added bonus = the light is dusky enough that (I hope) passersby can't really see me totally lip syncing to my music :-)
*I love the fact that I live right in town, but I still can go only 2 blocks & see bunny rabbits out getting their evening munchies.
*I love hot bubble baths after a long hot run.
*I love having all my stuff put away & my space all dusted & swept (I hate the process & it doesn't happen often enough, but I love the end result).
*I love SheDaisy. I know, I know Goat Rope (aka, Country) music is not a fabulous genre, but with lyrics that go like this - "Twirl me like a trailer park in a tornado!" - how can you not just crack up!
*I love my ipod. It was an impulse, retail therapy kind of purchase, but I love the fact that it has over 2,900 songs on it. I can literally set it on shuffle & listen to it for days & not hear the same song twice. That's good stuff.
*I love "The Pirates of the Caribbean" & I am totally excited about Part III. I know the critics were disappointed in it, but who cares! Jack Sparrow is in it (& I know you all think I'm loopy for liking Johnny Depp, but I just can't help it!).
*Most of all, I love this blessed life the Lord has given me. When I really ponder the gifts He has bestowed upon me - salvation, family, a wonderful church, the opportunities to serve Him, & so on - I am filled with gratitude. What a loving God He is!

I did it!

Today I actually followed through on something I have been planning for almost a year. I rode my bike to work. I know that doesn't sound like such a big deal & why would I need to plan so much & so on. I bought a bike last summer with the intention of getting down to South Carolina at least one time to mountain bike with some friends down there. I was also planning on biking some & not running quite so much (especially in the really hot days of summer). I never made it to South Carolina but I did ride my bike a lot last summer. Over the winter I started thinking about parking the car & trying to bike more instead of drive. What all does that entail? I needed equipment (helmet, lock, lights). I got most of that for Christmas. I also needed to plan my route. The city completed a major bike path over the winter that takes me at least 1/3 of the way to work. I drove around a bit last week & came up with a route (the way there is different from the way home because of the traffic patterns). Autumn & I made a test run this past Saturday. It's about 9 miles round trip. We completed the run without any mishaps. So this morning I set out at 6:15 a.m. One good thing about having an early work schedule is the traffic is a lot lighter! I only had one snag. On the last leg of my route I have to cross Highway 41. It's 6 lanes in this particular spot but I didn't think it would be any problem because there is a traffic light. The only difficulty was that there was no traffic going my way; I had no way to trip the light. I sat there for a couple of minutes (long enough to get a bit antsy) & finally squeaked through on a turn arrow cycle. Tomorrow morning I'm going to go a bit out of the way to a different crossing that should have a little more cross traffic. We'll see how that goes.
I was blessed several different ways today on my ride. First of all, I was able to get up & out the door on time. For those of you who know me well, you understand that such a simple thing for most people is an act of God for me (I don't know what I'll do if I ever get married & have kids!). Then I didn't get railroaded on the way to work or the way home. That's practically unheard of in my town. Also, I noticed things that I've never noticed before. I drive these roads all the time - some of them literally every day, but since I had to take a slower pace I saw all kinds of things. It made me wonder, what else do I need to be slowing down to notice? I enjoy a busy schedule; hectic is my pace. But is that really how I should be? What is the Lord trying to show me or teach me that I'm missing because I have my head down, getting this thing done so I can move on to the next thing on the list? As I was enjoying the hot sunshine on the way home I couldn't help but mull these things over. I was also thinking about how easy it is to drown out the Lord's still small voice with the noise of my life. It's possible to never be quiet - & I don't just mean that I talk too much (which is probably true). I mean all kinds of noise from TV & music to conversations that are not glorifying to God.
All in all, I think it was a profitable ride; I think I'll do it again tomorrow!

Our Last Day on Oahu

Sad but true, all good things must come to an end. We wrapped up our Hawaiian vacation with one more day on Oahu. Autumn really wanted to go to Pearl Harbor. I agreed that it was very important & even though I had already been there, that was where we started our day. Pearl Harbor is a very hard place to visit. It is so historically important but it is an incredibly sobering experience. We threw a little levity into the mix by getting our pic taken with some sailors (totally Autumn's idea!).
From Pearl Harbor we head to the Pali Outlook. It's the top of a cliff where a huge battle took place a long time ago (I'm saying it all so vaguely so that I don't have to try to spell any more Hawaiian names...they're hard!). Anyway, the view is spectacular.
Then we went to Kailua. Autumn managed to really provoke a little Asian woman with her driving. There were lots of hand gestures & meanie looks thrown our way. Quite scary. Anyway, we made it to Kailua on the windward side of the island & as you can tell from the pics, this side is much more lush than Waianae. The water is an incredible teal color. We had lunch at a very nice restaurant (I ordered some kind of Asian salad & I have no idea what I really ate, but it was very good & let me tell you, I'm getting skills with the old chop sticks!). Then we went to the beach for a quick swim. I love the water so much...we wrapped our day up with a little more shopping & then it was back to Cody's to pack up. We flew out that night & I've been dreaming about going back ever since!
Mahalo to Justin & Cody for showing us such a great time! Until the next time...aloha!

Maui

Right now Maui is my favorite island. Maybe it's b/c I've been to Oahu 3 times; maybe it's b/c I only got to spend one day there; maybe it b/c it's the only island with a Krispy Kreme. I'm not sure, but I do know that I really want to go back.
Since we only had one day to experience Maui we tried to be really smart about what activity we chose. Lindsay, one of Cody's roommates, decided to come with us (& we're so glad she did!). We flew in, picked up our rental car, & headed to K-Mart for some munchies.
We stopped in Paia for a little window shopping. We found a shop with a Santa Claus outside it's front door & stopped for a photo op. A kind, golden Australian surfer boy stopped to take the pic for us. Such nice people in Hawaii! :-)
We had decided that we would drive the Road to Hana with the help of Cody's tour book, "Maui Revealed". This is an excellent book that I would wholeheartedly recommend. Armed with granola bars, raisins, water, & m&m's, we hit the road (this food came in so handy later!).
The Road to Hana is about 40 miles of road cut into the mountainside along the coast. It is very windy & has more one lane bridges than I could count. Thankfully I was the only one in our group who has any tendency towards motion sickness so I could drive the whole way & we all were able to ride in comfort. Autumn kept tabs on the book & told me where to pull over. We saw Rainbow Eucalyptus trees (they only grow on Maui - nowhere else on earth) & we saw waterfalls. The first falls was a quick 3 minute hike down a little path. We were higher than the falls & looked over a valley to see it on the other side. So beautiful & it was really cool because we could hear it before we could see it. We hopped back in the car & headed out to find another falls that promised to be private & lacey - definitely worth the hike. We found the spot, locked up the car (toting our purses with us b/c of the theft problems) & ran into some people just coming back from the falls. They promised us that it was worth the hike. We discovered minutes later that we would be hopping boulders the whole way. After about 30 minutes of rock hopping in flip flops we reached the falls. So beautiful & lacy. Water trickling down so far to land in a deep almost completely still pool. The falls was so high that I couldn't really take a picture of the whole thing. We managed to make it all the way in & out without any real mishaps. I thought we were going to have to piggy-back Autumn out more than once b/c her flip flops kept having blow-outs!
We then headed to Hana & the black sand beach. The contrast between the almost navy blue water & the black sand was remarkable. To say it was beautiful just doesn't even begin to describe it.
We wandered into Hana hoping to grab some dinner before turning around & heading for the airport. I was starting to feel a bit of time crunch b/c it would have been BAD if we had missed our flight. So we ended up at a mom & pop kind of restaurant w/ a walk-up order window & outside eating area. Lindsay ordered a sandwich (which she got right away) while Autumn & I ordered the dinner special. We waited for something like 20 minutes & still no food. Long story short, Hawaiian people are sometimes too laid back. They had put our order together & just not bothered to give it to us. I got a refund (no way could I eat it & drive). We loaded into the car & headed back to the airport while I munched on a granola bar :-) But we didn't miss our flight!

The Island of Kauai

Also known as Justin's Island. Or so he thinks just because he's working for the District Attorney's Office there. Anyway, we caught a morning flight to Kauai on Tuesday. We landed & picked up our rental jeep - a hard top model that we put together & took apart more times than I care to mention, but it was so fun to drive. I wanted to come home & sell my Corolla immediately & get a Jeep. Then the reality of gas prices being $3.49/gallon set in. Moving on...
We drove across the street from the airport & saw the new court house where Justin will have an office. Then we crossed the street again to see where he would be living. The dude doesn't even need a car - he can bike everywhere!
We commenced to take a whirlwind driving tour of the island. I can't even tell you where all we went, but it was great. Kauai is very rural; the total population is somewhere around 60,000 people & 74,000 chickens & roosters. They are seriously everywhere.
We hiked back to a waterfall on a river. It was very pretty & very much reminded me some places here in Indiana. It's funny how I traveled half way around the world to see something different & I was elated to find a place that looked like home.
We hit the town of Hanalei (made famous by the song "Puff the Magic Dragon"). That was where I made my total impulse purchase of a Sunrise Shell necklace. It's absolutely beautiful. The strand of the necklace is made of Niihau shells & the pendant is one full half of a sunrise shell. These shells are only found on Kauai so they are very rare & valuable - at least to me :-)
We also went to the Pali Coast. We had to 4 wheel it for about 35 minutes to reach this beach. Once we got there we decided it was totally worth it. Note - Justin wanted to camp out on this beach that night. Autumn & I decided a hotel was worth the $35 or so each. Anyway, we walked for ever just enjoying the surf & good conversation among friends. I found one stack of rocks. The Hawaiians believe that there are evil little people (Menehune) who stack up the stones. If you knock them over you will be cursed. Kind of like their version of leprechauns & pots of gold. While we were walking on this beach we ran into a group of nekkies. The first time I've ever seen nude people at the beach. Yikes!
We also stopped by a resort to check out prices for one night. $540! And it was off season. We decided not to stay there (big surprise!). But we did hang out for a while & checked out their beach front, pools, etc. Are you familiar with the movie, "Six Days, Seven Nights" with Harrison Ford & Anne Heche? In that movie they are marooned on a deserted island & have to jump off of a cliff into the ocean to escape some drug smugglers. We saw that cliff. Justin has actually jumped off of it. I sat on the edge. I'm just not too nervy sometimes :-)
Justin warned us that all of Kauai rolls up at 9 o'clock. I wasn't sure I believed him until I realized that literally the only thing to do that evening was languish in our hotel room or go see "Blades of Glory". We elected to go for the movie. Although funny, I wouldn't truly recommend it; something about Will Ferrell gives me the shivers.
Kauai definitely has a pristine, unsettled beauty that Oahu seems to have lost. I loved it b/c it was kind of hickish & hippy-ish. I'm glad I have connections on this island now, too!

Aloha Days Part II

Finally getting back to blogging & my smurfy vacation. Let's see...we're up to Monday on Oahu. Autumn & I rented a car & headed into Waikiki on our own. We didn't have any issues figuring out where to go - we were headed for some shopping! The plan for the day was to see the waterfront, shop, & hike Diamond Head. We stocked up on souvenirs & we were ambushed by a Maui Divers Jewelry salesman at the International Market. I got suckered into picking an oyster to open for a pearl. I ended up finding twins in my oyster. Then Autumn got going. I think in all she got about 6 pearls. I got 4 (2 sets of twins). Then we had to decide how to set them. I didn't have too much trouble deciding how to set them (I'm kind of opinionated since I worked in jewelry sales for 5 years); I just had trouble deciding if I wanted to spend the money. Autumn had trouble making decisions of all kinds. So we were there for quite a while. In the midst of all this I turned around to look for an ABC Store (I seriously need a Diet Coke) & you will never guess who walked by - Ed from the plane! He was headed back to his hotel after surfing. He stopped & helped Autumn make her decisions & then he hung out with us for the rest of the afternoon. Then we left Waikiki to hike Diamond Head. Ed wanted us to come back & have dinner with him & his buddies before heading to the airport for home. We agreed on the condition that the guys didn't show their appall at our post-hike state :-)
As the pics show, the view from Diamond Head was fabulous. I love going to place like that at the close of day. The light is so golden. The hike was fabulous - not too challenging at all. I would like to go back & trail run it. The worst part was the stairs. They were steep & scary. It was very windy at the top & even though I look all relaxed in the pics, I was so ready to get down. I felt like I was going to get blown off!
We drove back down to Waikiki & met up with the guys. We met Ken & Joe. I asked Ken where we were going to eat & he told me we were going to go to a place called Ryan's in Ala Moana. He explained that it was a chain kind of place & we would probably just order a bunch of pupu & share. Hmmm...I was thinking, I do not like Ryan's Steak & Buffet (something about all you can eat is just gross) & I was totally sure I didn't want any pupu! Actually, it was a very nice restaurant & pupu means 'appetizers'. We had a very nice dinner & then dropped Ed & Lee off at the airport.
Back to Waianae to get some rest for the flight to Kauai on Tuesday!

Aloha Days on Oahu Part I

Yay! I successfully put together my first slide show! All in all I took 187 pictures over the course of my trip to Hawaii. I won't bore you with them all, but I will highlight the major things we did.

We left the Indy airport on Friday morning and arrived in Honolulu at about 5:30 that evening. I had a voicemail from Cody when we landed to let me know that they were all tied up in a soccer game so I could just rent a car and drive on out to Waianae. Well, that thought had crossed my mind but I knew we wouldn't really need a car until Monday so I wasn't too excited about the idea. Never fear, Autumn's outgoing personality had made friends with a guy who sat by us on the plane and the buddy that came to pick him and his friend up was more than happy to give us a lift. Getting in cars with total strangers (three men at that!) is not my normal behavior but we took a chance and arrived safely. They even fed us once we got there. It was sushi and mostly inedible to me but Autumn liked it.

Saturday morning Autumn and I walked down to the beach and took some pictures and let the sun soak in. It was so nice. That night was the Kokua Festival. It's basically a big outdoor concert to promote environmental protection for the islands. I just wanted to see Jack Johnson. If you're not familiar with his music I would describe him to you as mostly acoustic, kind of a laid back Hawaiian sounding James Taylor. You should check him out; he's one of my faves.

So, great concert & then off to church the next morning. Then we hit the Aloha Swap Meet (kind of like a Hawaiian Covered Bridge Festival) followed by a fast tour of the North Shore. I included a picture of Pipeline Beach. That's where they hold the big annual surf competitions. The water was so rough that day that the lifeguards wouldn't let you in the water unless you looked local (i.e. you couldn't be a white dude!). We hit Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haliewa on the way back. It's a must for any visit to the North Shore. Always get ice cream with it and someday I'm going to have to go back and try it with beans, too.

That pretty much covers Friday through Sunday. I'll get back with you bit by bit and post the rest of the trip. I promise, it gets better & better!

The Indianapolis Mini Marathon

I know everyone wants stories and pictures of Hawaii, but I only have a couple of minutes so I'll fill you in on the race. This past Saturday we lined up for a 13.1 run. Crazy as it may seem, I had so much fun! Autumn & I cruised together running and walking for the first ten miles. That got us past innumerable garage bands, a couple groups of bag pipers and cheerleaders, and around the world famous Indianapolis 500 Race Track. That part is always my favorite. At the 10 mile mark we split up and I fairly sprinted the last 3 miles. I felt really good and my foot wasn't bothering me at all (praise the Lord!). We wrapped up the day with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, I wasn't sore at all the next day (although very tired), & I'm all pumped for next year! Anybody want to do it with me???
Here are my stats:

Overall Place: 18967 out of 29213
Division Place: 1817 out of 2831 (Ages 25-29)
Gender Place: 8073 out of 15245
Time: 2:39:41 (you can subtract about 8 minutes for bathroom breaks, believe it or not!)
Pace: 12:12
5 Mile Split: 1:00:48
10 Mile Split: 2:08:07
Last 5k: 31:34

Alo-HA!

Those of you who know Mike Manor will recongize his song, "She'll Be Coming Round Honolulu When She Comes" in my title. Every time I say, "Aloha!" I think of singing that silly song. So much fun.
Anyway, I made it back from Hawaii & we had a super fabulous time. I'll have to get some pics & stories posted ASAP. Let's just say that the tan, relaxed me barely made it through the jet lag. I started the week off by patching up a relationship that almost completely imploded over the course of my trip (some of you know what that it all about!), working both jobs my first two days back, easing back into a little bit of running, & taking my turn cleaning our church (with my sister's help). Whew! And tomorrow is THE RACE! I would like to say that I'm super excited, but I'm a little tired, I have the sniffles, & my leg is still misbehaving. I'm also a little concerned about the weather b/c it's supposed to be in the 50's & rainy. Like a typical girl, I just don't know how to dress! Running shorts/pants/capris? My running team's singlet (basically a tank top) w/ a long sleeved T over or under it? The options are mind boggling. Autumn & I are headed to Fazoli's to carb load & then we'll head over to Indy to stay with Heidi & Dave. I'm so excited to see them and the boys! Heidi is getting so cute with her pregnancy tummy...yeah, now I'm getting excited. I'd better get done with this little post and start packing!
I'll let you know if I run across the finish line or if I have to do it gimping or crawling!

I'm Almost All Packed!

I was considering titling this blog "Things That Make Me Go GRRRR!" You know, things like empty coffee pots, getting phone calls when you're in the bathroom, my car getting whacked in the parking lot at work & me having to pay to get it fixed, etc.
Then I decided that was a little too negative. My second choice for a title was, "Sidelined." That's what happened to me this week. I had a 13 mile run last Saturday. It went so well. I went to run with the group all by myself & I felt a lot of pressure to stay with the group (I'll admit, partly b/c of my pride but also partly b/c we were running on old country roads & I didn't really know the way). So I ran pretty fast & honestly I felt pretty good. I finished the thing in 2 hours and 13 minutes (or so). I was feeling like I was turning a corner with my running - moving faster, hurting less, all that good stuff. On Sunday I was a little sore but nothing too extreme. Monday I had to work both jobs (a 14 + hour day) & by the end of the day my right leg was swollen from mid-calf to the top of my foot. It wasn't really sore but it was definitely puffy. So on Tuesday I called my doctor & he insisted on a test to be sure I didn't have a blood clot. I was thinking, "For reals - a blood clot?!" So I went in yesterday for a Doppler test. When she had the paddle on my leg I could actually hear the blood moving through my artery - weird! The good news is that I don't have a blood clot (no surprise to me); the bad news is that my leg is still swelling. I totally annoyed my doctor's nurse by bugging her about when I could run again (I asked her like 4 times during the course of all our phone calls). Let's just say that for now I'm sidelined. GRRRR.
And that brings me to my final choice of titles, "I'm Almost All Packed!" It's a much happier kind of title, don't you think? I decided that I am so not allowed to complain about anything since I am headed for a fabulous vacation in Hawaii. But the getting there! I am actually the world's worst packer (sometimes I just get appalled at all the stuff it takes to make me look like a girl!). I also had to work both jobs today so I didn't get started dealing with the piles of clothes and sandals until almost 10 p.m. Then I was packing, painting my toe nails, & juggling phone calls all at the same time. I like to think I can multi-task fairly well, but this evening's activities were stretching my ability. Hence the 1 a.m. blog post. But, thankfully the suitcase is almost zipped & the carry on is almost stuffed (full of goodies like almonds, raisins, & granola bars so that I don't have to eat airline/fast food). Our flight leaves in 9 short hours & I'm more than ready to get outta Dodge.
I'll miss checking in on you all. It's gotten to be a rather comfy coffee break routine. You'll have to forgive me for trading those coffee breaks in for things like snorkeling, 4 wheel driving on Kauai, & hiking Diamond Head. Have a great week & I'll post some pics when I get back...hopefully I'll be all tan, relaxed, & sun-streaked!

We are SUCH nerds!

Let me start by saying, I love my job! Ed, my buddy here at work, & I have a little tradition. Things are a little slow this morning so I took a few minutes to tidy up...sweep the floor, gather the trash, etc. We had two bags of trash & as I was walking out the door to haul them out to the dumpster, Ed was just coming back from making a delivery. I offered him a bag & we walked out to "the spot" where we both wound up & tossed the bags at the dumpster. Both of us missed - we are woefully out of practice on our trash tossing b/c I don't go outside in the winter cold if I can help it - so we tried again, and then again. Eventually we just gave up & had a good laugh. Just a nice little moment of levity in our work day. I'm grateful to have such a great group of guys to work with!

A Little Too Much Star Wars?

My family was gathered around the table for an Easter dinner last Saturday night. My dad had grilled pepper steak and we were all enjoying the time together. Madi (my almost 4 year old niece) piped up and asked, "Can I have some Obi-One Sauce, please?". We all cracked up. I guess when your hero is Lute Stywakter (that's Madi-ese for Luke Skywalker) it's easy to get A-1 confused with Obi Wan!

A Stupid Question

I love strawberries. When I was a kid, I wouldn't eat them. I didn't like the little prickly hairy seeds on the outside. I've since overcome that aversion & I think strawberries are about the world's most perfect food. As I was munching on some strawberries at lunch today I couldn't help but wonder, why do strawberries have a hollow inside? There is a hole in the middle of every berry. Why?

A Good Day To Run!

The training group that I have joined to get ready for the Indy Mini has a group run on Tuesday nights. I have skipped a lot more of these runs than I have attended. I usually run earlier in the afternoon by myself if Autumn has to work late or has decided not to go. This week I decided that I would go to the group run. It's one of the benefits of membership (which wasn't cheap) & I had joined the group with the idea that it would be fun to meet some new people. The problem is, I don't like the idea of running all by myself surrounded by a bunch of people that I supposed would be all grouped up. I got there just in time to pick up my singlet (which unfortunately doesnt' fit quite right, but oh well) & it's so funny how the Lord works things out. I drove into the park right behind my boss's wife. She is in the advanced group but we were able to chat & catch up on the news before the run started. If you couldn't already tell, I hate that feeling of being alone in a crowd so I'm really grateful the Lord worked it out so that Kelly would get there the same time as me.
Today's run was a 5 miler. We got going & I think I really reached a turning point in my running this evening. I didn't time myself (I hardly ever do; it just makes me nervous) but having all of those other runners around me really caused me to push myself. I have this strategy of not starting out in the very front of the pack. I hang back a little bit, pace myself, & then I'm able to start passing some other people instead of being the one who is getting passed. All in all, it was a completely invigorating run & I also was able to learn a new route in my neighborhood that covers a 5 mile distance. This week we're supposed to cover 24 miles, so only 19 to go! And only 25 days until the race! It's going to be so fun...believe it or not, I can't hardly wait!

Help! I Need Somebody!

Help! Not just anybody...
Sorry about getting that Beatles ditty stuck in your head, but I do have a question for all you experienced bloggers out there. If someone leaves me a comment (and there are a faithful few) how can I comment back to them so that they will know? I'm guessing the answer is fairly simple, but I haven't taken a lot of time lately with my blogging endeavors and I only have time to post this question because the friend I am meeting for dinner had to put in some overtime tonight.
So now I'm off to Fazoli's (love, love, love their Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad) and I eagerly await your instruction.

Aloha!

The good news around here lately is that Autumn & I were able to find some reasonably priced plane tickets to Hawaii! We'll be leaving on April 20th to visit Cody & some other great friends in the sunny paradise of Oahu. The additional good news is that they are having price wars on the air fares between islands. Here's hoping we manage to hit Maui & Kauai. I can't wait to get all tan & relaxed. We'll get to be beach bums for a whole week...living on Hawaii time...I love it!

Training Update

This past Saturday morning was our 10 mile day. I am now officially a member of the 10 Mile High Club (I've even got the t-shirt to prove it!). However, it was probably the hardest run of our program so far. I had been having a niggly little problem with my right knee. I was trying to run through it because it wasn't swelling or anything and it honestly felt like a kink that needed to be worked out. By the time we had finished about mile 2 I was in some serious discomfort. My running partner, Autumn, was having some difficulty as well. So we decided to stretch and work in some walking breaks. Eventually the walking breaks got longer and longer and the running stopped. We were both a little frustrated and a bit concerned. The further I went the farther the pain in my leg traveled. It started just below the knee cap and then spread down to the ankle; eventually it traveled up my thigh to the hip. Fun! So at our 10 mile high party, in between slices of pizza, we talked with one of the coaches about our difficulties and he decided that we most likely had a problem with our ilio-tibidal bands. It's a tendon that runs from the hip to the ankle and it can get really tight (and I mean tight! I couldn't straighten my leg after the run was finally over... talk about a weird feeling). So it's been lots of RICE - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. I am happy to report that I went for a 4 miler tonight and I was easily able to run half with only the slightest twinge in my knee. I'd call that progress. Is anyone out there a runner? Ever had a similar problem? Any recovery/prevention advice?

Blessings & Difficulties

I have been quite the absent blogger lately. Days seem to slide by and I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up. Part of it has been sickness, part of it has been the busy schedule, and part of it has been an increase in our mileage (training for the Mini). But through it all the Lord has been so good to sustain me and He has been faithful to answer many prayers for my family.
The sickness part of recent difficulties involves my sister. She began to feel icky about two weeks ago. Her daughter was just getting over a little stomach virus so when Beth developed a low grade fever with fatigue she figured she was next. However, the next few days had the whole family on a roller coaster of anxiety and confusion. Her symptoms were very mysterious. She kept the low grade fever and developed pain, burning, and cramping in her legs. By the time she had been sick for about 24 hours she was having the same tingly pain in her arms and hands along with overall weakness. She had gotten to the point where the pain was nearly unbearable and she could hardly walk. Her husband and I took her to the emergency room and spent a night with her there but all the doctor could say was that she needed to see a neurologist. Frustration ensued...in a major way. Long story short, never get sick on the weekend. By Monday we were able to get her in to see our family doctor and he put all of our minds to rest by furnishing us with a diagnosis. It would seem that she has contracted a viral peripheral neuropathy which is basically a virus in the nerve fibers. Talk about pain. She has had a terrible time but at least she now has meds. They gave her a prescription for a drug that is specifically for pain in the nerves and told her it could take up to one month for her body to beat this little monster. Today was Day 13 and she is still running a low grade fever. But this situation has been a blessing in many ways because we have seen the Lord answer specific prayers for strength, wisdom, and openings for doctor's appointments. We have all come together as a family to care for their kids and get all the logistics of rides to school worked out. Beth has identified specific ways the Lord has comforted and blessed her heart and she is already looking for ways to minister to others who have been through painful illness.
Personally, I have discovered a theme in many of the circumstances that have been dancing through my life lately...trust the Lord. So simple, huh? But I have been convicted over and over recently about my lack of trust. So it's back to Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." I don't know about you, but my own understanding is so easy to lean on! We sang 'Trusting Jesus' in the worship service Sunday morning and the words were such a blessing and conviction to my heart that I've decided to commit them to memory as well as include them here with this post.

Trusting Jesus

Simply trusting every day,

Trusting through a stormy way;

Even when my faith is small,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly doth His Spirit shine

Into this poor heart of mine;

While He leads I cannot fall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear;

Praying if the path be drear;

If in danger, for Him call;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,

Trusting Him till earth be past;

Till within the jasper wall;

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

CHORUS

Trusting as the moments fly,

Trusting as the days go by;

Trusting Him whate'er befall,

Trusting Jesus, that is all.

I have come to realize that the hardest part of Beth's sickness was the days when we were unable to determine what the problem was. I think we were all a little afraid we would lose her to some dread, rare thing that no doctor would have thought possible. But the greatest comfort to me and one that I thank the Lord for often in prayer, is that He is our Creator God and He knows our bodies. He made them! They are no mystery to Him and He is well aware of how they work and how they dysfunction. That has been such a comfort to me & by His grace I'm going to learn how to trust Him better!

Tomorrow is March 1st!

I know it is a bad idea to wish your life away, but I am so excited that as of tomorrow February and all of it's wintery brutishness will be behind us and March will be here. I realize that March can be terrible in it's own right with snow and ice and all that yucky stuff, but March means that Spring is that much closer. And knowing that Spring is closer makes me so happy. I love Spring because of the way it smells (think damp, sunshiney scents), because of Easter, because I can usually run outside every day once again, because the days get longer, and because I'm not usually cold 24/7.
For anyone who reads this blog, what is your favorite season and why?

Inspirational Messages

Considering the times we live in, I understand that the news of the world can be really depressing and sometimes even frightening. As a result, I enjoy the little reminders to "Live well, laugh often, love much" kind of variety - you know, those little hand painted looking wooden signs that people hang up in their homes. For whatever reason it makes me think of simpler times, basic values, etc. Today as I was fixing my first cup of coffee I focused my blurry eyes on the Splenda packet. Lo and behold, what did I see but a little inspirational message from the little yellow packet people. It read, "Inside every packet is a world of happiness." Granted, a good cup of coffee does create it's own kind of joy, but I would hardly call it a world of happiness. Later in the day as I was eating lunch, I cracked open a little box of raisins. What do you think I found on the box flap? That's right - another little inspirational message. This time the advice was, "In every relationship there will be ups and downs." Thank you, Sunmaid Girl. I got to thinking about it and realized that these little quips are everywhere, from my Life Is Good shirt (which has a tag that reads, "Do what you like, like what you do") to my newest pair of khakis that have a tag on the inside of the zipper flap that reads, "You are the architect of your future." Hmmm...pants that try to get you to think about planning your future. Maybe I was shopping in the Junior's department?

Snowmobiling Sunday

I have to confess that I thought this past weekend was going to be a bust. I had to work late Friday night, on Saturday I had to run six miles and there was snow everywhere so it was treadmill time. Yuck-0. And I also had no plans for Sunday afternoon (and I am not the Sunday afternoon napper-type). So I was delighted to get a text from Andy shortly after the morning service saying, "Going snowmobiling after lunch. Do you want to go - yes or no". Oh yeah! A quick change of clothes later and I was on the road.
When I got to the Lehman's, Pastor was concerned that I would not be warm enough. Mrs. Lehman quickly found a hat, ear muffs and a neck warmer. Here's a pic of the hat - it's a beauty!





On the first ride Andy drove but then I decided to give it a try. He came along so that I wouldn't tip over on the turns. He put some excellent leans into the ride to keep us from having any tumpage. I think I topped out at 20 mph. I'm such a dare devil!Dave & Becky came along for a ride as well. It seems that they have a very peaceful marriage until it comes time to decide who will drive the snowmobile. It appears to me that Becky is in the driver's seat, but Dave had ideas about reaching around her to drive. A couple of screams and a few swats later, he was subdued and they were ready to go - with Becky firmly in control!

The only thing that makes me sad it that we had Carol with us, she took a ride too, and I have no pictures of her adventures. A big kudos goes out to her for supplying me with these pics. I had my camera too, but I left it at the house where it would be really useful! :-)

My Super Bowl Party Experience

I had the opportunity to spend Super Bowl Sunday with some great friends. We all went to the evening service and the party was a convenient walk across the yard to the parsonage. We had partiers of all ages - here is Nathaniel playing with his Uncle Andy as part of the pre-game festivities.

Here's a picture of me looking the part of a Big Time Colts Fan...thanks to Bob for the hat! I love it!

And here's a snap of the entire party. Those of you who attended Northland with me might remember Becky Allen. She was at NBBC from the fall of '95 until the spring of '97. That's her on the left with her husband Dave, then there's Dave's brother Andy, me and Autumn on the couch. The lady in the front is Carol (Dave and Andy's sister).

All in all, a good time was had by all, those who watched the game and those who didn't. I'm not sorry to say that I can't offer any opinions on plays or commercials because I didn't watch a bit of it. The Colts won and that's all I care about!

Top 5 Worst Jobs

Since we've had such tragic arctic weather recently, I've decided to compile a Top 5 List of Worst Jobs to do in the cold.
5. UPS/Fed Ex delivery drivers
4. Semi drivers - imagine driving a big rig in the snow/sleet/ice. Not for the faint of heart.
3. Mail Carriers
2. Garbage Collectors - this one is especially sad b/c they have to go out so early in the morning!
1. The greeter dude at places like Mike's Car Wash. Not only do they have to stand in the cold and greet you, they have to spray your car down with all that watery mist blowing over them in sub-zero wind chill conditions...yikes!

Honorable Mention - the dudes who stand on interstate exit ramps and beg. That takes some supreme dedication (imagine if that same dedication could be applied to a legitimate enterprise...hmmm).

New Medical Terms #2

S.E.P. = Stabbing Ear Pain is the phenomena that occurs when a runner decides that it is warm enough to run without some sort of ear covering when it is indeed not warm enough to run with bare ears. Pain sets in almost immediately upon entering a heated room and will last approximately 10-15 minutes or until ears have thoroughly thawed out.

NBBC Flashbacks

Yesterday while I was running around town getting some errands taken care of, I had a strong sense of deja vu. It's been really cold here lately. And when I say cold, I mean cold. The wind chill was like 18 degrees below zero the other morning. I was supposed to go running with my training group - yeah right, like that happened. Hello, treadmill! Anyway, my NBBC flashback occured when the wind hit me in the face and my nose froze inside and out, my eyes watered and my eyelashes got icy. The only thing that was missing was a couple feet of snow and a jean skirt.

The Ground Hog Lied!

I have lost all faith in PA Phil (I have no idea how to spell his real name). Just last week he failed to see his shadow & we were all promised an early spring. I type out this little post huddled in my room, swaddled in fleece against the cold, and watching the snow pelt down with out ceasing.
And I ask myself, was the celebration of Ground Hog Day in vain? We went all out at my workplace and had donuts and the whole deal. The festive air was lovely because it had been a whole month without a holiday and nothing to look forward to except Valentine's Day. Since I work with all men they don't even really consider Valentine's Day a holiday. It's more of a gifting obligation in their minds. So we all welcomed the idea of Ground Hog Day as a holiday to celebrate (ok, maybe the guys were just excited about the donuts), but now I'm completely disillusioned.
Pardon me, I've got to go get a blanket.

Avoiding Fatal Eye Contact

Perhaps I should first define fatal eye contact. It's that moment when your gaze meets up with a stanger's gaze & they feel compelled to whistle, yell, eye-flirt, or react in some other inappropriate, unwelcome manner. Since it is way too cold & snowy to run outside I have been logging a lot of running miles at our local Family Y. They have a nice row of treadmills, but unfortunately facing the treadmills is a line of weight equipment. So I can be running along minding my own business & another exerciser could potentially park right in front of me, facing me, & begin lifting. I find this to be very uncomfortable & the perfect set up for fatal eye contact. My plan to manage this situation is to not wear my contacts. I wear my glasses in there, get my treadmill & ipod all set up to go, take my glasses off & then the world is one big blur. Thusly, fatal eye contact can be completely avoided.

The Top 5

Once upon a time a long time ago, I compiled a list of reasons that I would someday like to be married. Here are The Top 5:

1. It would be nice to have someone to help me make big decisions (like the whole house buying/apartment leasing/condo buying dilemma that I am currently faced with). Having someone to help me make the decision is also handy from the aspect that if something goes wrong, he's there to help share the blame.
2. He could balance the checkbook. I'm no slacker when it comes to personal finances, but once something goes wrong with that crazy little checkbook I can never seem to find my way out. And my patience only lasts about 2 1/2 minutes. So he could take over this little chore with my hearty approval. I wouldn't even check up on him.
3. Vehicle maintenance. Since you understand that I am female, this one necessitates little explanation. I can take the car in for oil changes, tire rotations, and the like but I don't want to deal with anything else. Hence, I now have a personal rule that every vehicle I drive has to be under warranty. Being married could definitely save me money on this one.
4. A dual income. Right now I have a dual income due to the fact that I work two jobs. A dual income is a lot easier to come by when you have two people working. Amen? Amen.
5. Love. Yes, even I can be a little sappy. :-)

The Perfect Day

I'll have to make this apology just once - since I have no kids to talk about, I'll probably talk about my job too much. Oh well...at least I like my job!
Today I had pretty much The Perfect Day. I got there right on time (which is a feat in and of itself) and there were some doses for me to draw. Almost everything that we send out is injectible so we call it "drawing doses". I got that out of the way with just a minor mess. A minor mess is when I just have a couple of spots of contamination in my work area. Contamination is stray radioactivity. Basically it means that I blopped some droplets around (droplets so small that I didn't even see them fly). That took just a couple of minutes to clean up and then I headed into the office. The first thing I usually do is take a little coffee break and check out some of my friends' blogs. I got that done and since today was a billing day, I spent a couple of hours checking prices, checking return credits, printing the bills, and then getting them mailed, filed, etc. After that I took a delivery to an account that is about 65 miles away and when I got back to the pharmacy it was time to go home.
I love days like that! I'm busy all day and I get to do a little something in just about every area of our practice. I also love the driving part. Today was a little cold, but the sun was out (thank you, Lord!) so I got to wear my sunglasses and even crack the window a bit. I love that solar energy that heats the car even when it's below freezing outside.
This evening has been great, too. I met my sister, my niece, and my g-ma at church right after work because it's our week to clean. So we visited while we scrubbed, mopped, and vacuumed. I always enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Then I headed off for my run, had some dinner and I have the whole rest of the evening to blog, catch up on phone calls, or even just be totally lazy. This is the one evening all week that I get to laze now that I have the two jobs. Let's just say that I look forward to Tuesdays! I just might even go to bed early...
*Those of you who know me well know that the going to bed early thing is so not something that I ever do! :-)

Modified Eskimo Kissie

This is my niece, Whitney, giving me her version of an Eskimo Kissie. Instead of the usual nose rubbing she decided to just push our cheeks and noses together. This was a couple of weeks ago when I was at her house to celebrate her 4th birthday. I have to say that in this season of cold/flu/stomach viruses that I didn't mind the modification one little bit!

Here's a picture of the little princess with her castle cake. Good job, Valerie! The cakes get better every year.

New Medical Terms

I have now completed more than a week of my half-marathon training. So far it's been cake, one or two miles at a time. Pretty easy stuff, except that the weather has been a bit chilly. For our two miler on Saturday morning it was only 21 degrees. I used to have a rule that I would only go out for a run if it was above freezing. So much for that one! Anyway, these cold runs have prompted the creation of two new medical terms:
C.R.L. = Cold Run Lung. This is the phenomenon that occurs when you run in the cold and have a wheezy cough for the rest of the day. I am especially prone to this one.
F.S.S. = Frozen Snot Syndrome. This one was originally F.S.A. (Frozen Snot Asphyxiation). However, we (Autumn & I) determined that humans do not actually die from the cold air freezing their snot, so the 'asphyxiation' term was replaced by 'syndrome'.
All in all, the cold is a little uncomfortable to run in but it is so worth it. I can't wait for the race!

Singleness

This little comic comes compliments of Erin. Thanks for the giggle!

I have another single friend that recently shared this man-catching wisdom from her grandfather: Go out and buy a pair of pants the same size as the man you would like to marry. Bring them home and hang them on your bedpost. See what happens!

Evidently you're supposed to dream of the man you will marry or he will magically appear or some such thing.

Somebody try it and let me know what happens! My bed doesn't have posts so I'm out of luck!