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.