Another Day at the Gym …

Okay .. so I think I am ready to blog again … Tomorrow will have been three weeks of a silent blog brain. The last couple of days things were forming again .. I almost picture it as little voices talking in my head .. OH MY .. is that a sign of schizophrenia?? Maybe I’m going crazy .. that could very well be ..  2010 so far has been a crazy ride.

There have only been a few constants that I can depend on in 2010 .. my teenagers are still teenagers, and running is still keeping me half sane  … (okay, and Peyton Manning is still the best, Bruce drives me crazy and I am grateful I am living in Maine!)

I am contemplating a road race on Super Bowl Sunday .. a ten miler, the first since 1991 .. the only thing stopping me to fully committing is the weather. The race will be on the coast, and this is Maine .. it may be very, very cold! I’m spoiled now, running in the gym is always hot .. nothing was hotter than today … i think this is why my blog brain is back!

If you have followed my older posts, you’ll know that I do a lot of my blog thinking while I run … running for me is therapeutic. Lately my runs have been the best .. literally! I have been running faster and longer .. it is absolutely fabulous! (So really, what does that mean? Lots of therapy?)But today was just plain funny .. I wish soulsistah R would have been there .. she would have appreciated this run. (Soulsistah R was my coworker last year, we decided we were sisters from different mothers.. although our mothers sounded identical. She too loves to run)

Running on a treadmill is not the most exciting thing .. in fact, anything beyond 30 minutes and it gets quite boring. That’s why it’s important to have good music and at times an accomplice like R to keep it all entertaining. Last year we used to scope the male athletes and name them if they were worthy of a third look!! There is ‘Legs’ , ‘Rebel’, ‘Air Force Guy’. .. and then our favorite ‘Marathon Man’.

So, today .. 8:00am at the gym, the treadmills are almost all taken .. except for two. (For a Saturday morning, 8:00am .. that’s pretty amazing) .. So, I hop on, get myself situated, when  I look to my right, and realize it’s runner “Legs” .. “hmm,” I thought, “not too shabby” ..look to my left, and it’s runner “Nice guy” ..”I can do this ..”  the treadmill begins for the arduous 10 miles.

Miles 1, 2 and 3 .. easy and slow .. I skip through some songs ..nothing seems to zing me .. mile 4, I’m realizing I’m not even half way .. that little voice started talking .. “maybe we don’t need to do 10 miles .. if we do 8, that’ll be 25 miles for the week .. that’s respectable ….” Then it happened ..  .. Marathon Man hopped on the elliptical in front of me. Yes, in front …! (Normally I dread having anyone getting on a machine in front .. I don’t like the view) SOULSISTAH! Where are you??!! So .. re-energized, mile 4 turns into mile 5 .. enjoying my run … suddenly a thought ran through my mind .. to my right Legs, to my left, Nice Guy .. front right Marathon Man and front left empty .. Damn, Darn .. Rebel needs to be on the left front … then I could be Madame President with my four body guards …  out for my morning 10 mile jaunt … “c’mon boys, try to keep up…”

Hey, it was a thought … blog worthy!

(I got off after mile 7, even the body guards couldn’t keep me motivated! .. 20 minutes of weights, and I decided to finish the last 3 miles to music … it was safer that way!)

Photo Hunt

 

 

I haven’t played this meme in a long time .. today’s theme is Rocks ..

These rocks came from Cynthia’s house .. I brought Bruce over for a play date with his buddy Seamus. We had been in Maine for 7 months, and he hadn’t seen Seamus yet. It was a wonderful reunion ..

Bruce is the shaven one, Seamus is laying down, and Molson is the inspiration to why we have Golden's!

Thursday 13 .. things that irritate me ..

Okay … so it’s Thursday again .. and thanks to Janet and Megan, join me on T13 …. I have been terrible with keeping up with my blog. Running and blogging must go hand in hand .. I have been terrible with running as well. I’m not sure what this phase is called, and how long it will last … it is certainly scaring me since I am eating a lot, and running NOT!  Every morning when that wonderful alarm goes off, I either don’t hear it .. or I just can’t get myself to acknowledge that it is “that time” .. and going to the  gym now seems so … ‘ugh’ … with the weather getting warmer, it gets stuffier and stuffier… and now for some reason, people find it necessary to climb on the tread mill beside me instead of using the others that stand lonely and still on the other side. Don’t crowd me! (unless of course we know each other and I like you .. also wouldn’t hurt if you look good when you run!! LOL) In reality I should go run outside .. and hopefully, very shortly I will find the motivation again. (If it isn’t the motivation, maybe it will be my brand sparkling new running shoes! )

So .. Thursday 13, traditionally the favorite day of meme’s .. I asked my loving son what type of list I should create .. and he told me to come up with the 13 things that irritate me .. hmmmm! So here it goes:

1. Dog hair -  or lint on my clothes.
2. Barking dog .. Bruce has a knack of barking when I am on the phone. Or he barks when he wants to eat. .. he just barks randomly. 
3. Noise … tonight Alet has her girlfriend over .. together they have eaten 10 lbs of sugar .. then combine it with Noah .. the Xbox skateboard game .. a dog all in a small room …. it’s very noisy in my house tonight!
4. Office politics
5. People who judge … don’t judge someone unless you have walked in their shoes
6. Walking into a messy house ~ unfortunately my teenagers haven’t learned to clean up after themselves .. so more often than not I come home to a messy house ….. augh!
7. Rap music … especially when there is poor grammar and mispronunciation involved …. “AKS” instead of ASK
8. Can we talk politics??
9. People who whine and complain ….. … .. oh, wait!
10. Boy … this is harder than I thought .. Alet pointed out a few things I should write .. but I told her it wouldn’t be appropriate ..
11. Sunday drivers … not that I am a speedster … just a woman driver with a purpose … move over!
12. Wet, cold, windy days … not much you can do with those .. (a night like tonight …)(…. well wait! I guess you can start a fire… and warm up the house! ..)
13. Plugged toilet ….  if you plug it up … unplug it! Take ownership, man! (and slow down on the toilet paper! One square is enough … LOL!!!!!!! just kidding!)

ABC's of me ..

This came from my sister in law, Chris, from Facebook ... I thought it was kind of fun ...

The ABC’s of me…

A - Age: actual age 43, but when asked .. 39 .. forever!
B - Bed size: Full .... I looooove my bed!
C - Chore you hate: I don't like to clean the litter box .. ugh!
D - Dog's name: Bruce

E - Essential start your day item: my toothbrush

F - Favorite color: i don't have a favorite .. i have many .. all in the autumn family -

G - Gold or Silver: white gold!

H - Height: about 5'4" ... sigh .. I keep shrinking ..

I - Instruments you play(ed): second fiddle, Still do in many ways. (this was my sister in law's answer ... I love it!! hahaha!) I played the piano, many moons ago.

J - Job Title: Assistant Office Manager - i really don't like titles ..

K - Kid(s): 2 - Noah and Aletta

L - Last movie seen: What About Bob in the house, and at the theater Duplicity ... weird

M - Mom's name: June

N - Nicknames: Jule, Jules, .... i'm sure there have been others .. but we are a E rated blog!

O - Overnight hospital stay other than childbirth (if applicable): Last year May, in Temple Texas .. . they thought I had had a heart attack ... so I got to stay overnight while they did all the tests .. no one knew I was there, so I got to spend the majority of the day in deep thought of "what if's ..." It was quite the "here-is-the-light-bulb-over-your-head" moment .. (btw, no heart attack ... phew)

P - Pet Peeve: Dog hair everywhere ...(the solution? Shave the dog!)lol no pun intended
Q - Quote from a movie: "I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey!"

R - Right or Left Handed: Left

S - Scared of: being surprised

T - Time you wake up: What day is it? On gym days 4:15am, on recovery days .. 6:00am, Saturday 7:00am and Sunday .. who cares! UNLESS of course any of the previous nights have an adult evening ... then we change the rules!

U - Under the water or Up in the air: hmmm ... that's difficult .. under water for how long? .. doing what?

V - Vegetable(s) you dislike: i like most of my vegetables ..

W - Ways you run late: my kids? ... see letter T ...

X - X-rays you've had: During my heart attack hospital stay ...everything having to do with seeing the lungs and heart!

Y - Yummy food you make: Noah loves my Seafood Casserole

not sure where Z went!!

picture by Alet

Thursday 13 - Mind game..

So .. it's Thursday .. time to play T13 .. or Thursday 13, a list of 13 on Thursday .. so I am borrowing from Janet . .. and since this has been a crazy week .. here are 13 things on my mind:

1. Instead of blogging, I should really be doing some work!
2. "Who Knew.." P!nk is playing in the background of my mind ..
3. ahhhh .. Friday tomorrow ... no getting up for the gym ...ahhhhhh
4. My best run EVER today ... loooove it!
5. I'm tired .. would like to go to bed now!
6. "until we meet again .. " wow .. that song keeps going on in my mind .. I'll have to add a clip from you tube or something ..
7. the house smells like lasagna .. Fat Friday tomorrow .. as if we need more food in the office. But we like to eat.. and talk .. and laugh, and oh yes, work. Today was a "tough" day .. the people that called weren't very nice today, I was actually hung up on .. I was told to "get it right" and then he hung up on me! Oh yes .. that really makes me want to "get it right" for him! I'm glad I was able to relieve some of his stress today! "Get it right!" ~ as if!
8. I probably should vacuum .. Bruce's hair is everywhere .. drives me crazy!
9. Is it too late to pour a glass of wine .. ?
10. Haha .. just told the kids (" " I should put quotations around 'kids') that it's 9:36pm.. time for bed ... bed ... I looove my bed .. it is so comfortable, and warm. I need to get a different blanket .. Bruce has chewed on mine (grrr)
11. Oh, make sure to let co-worker R know I'll be in at 9 .. text, text ..
12. ....to have P!nk's abs ... I need to start my crunches again .. running only, isn't enough to build them ... getting old!
13. number 13 .. favorite number! I'm going to bed .. I'm sleepy now.
    
    
    

A Frosty Morning ..

So this morning was the coldest yet ..it was 22 degrees when we woke, and 25 degrees when it was time to go to school and to start my run! 25 degrees is the coldest I have ever run!

After my run I took Bruce out for his walk in the park that is right up the street.. the air was cold and crisp! I love fall in New England!

Together - Photo Hunt

On our road trip, the temperatures dropped drastically, so we had to put Bruce inside in the truck .. (augh!!! can you say DOG HAIR???!!) Alet and Bruce are buddies.

Photo Story Friday .. on Sunday!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

This is Bruce. Generally Golden Retrievers are loving, kind and gentle. ... ya... not this one! He is obnoxious, boisterous and very demanding ... despite his wonderful traits, he is a good dog.

Thursday 13

In keeping with the ABC ...with the first Thursday 13.. the letter W


1. the first one that came to mind: Wine .. My favorites are Rodney Strong and J Lohr .. I'm hoping with summer here we can have wine nights outside again

2. I love to Walk .. the longer, the better
3. After not having seen my mother in a couple of years, she pointed out very nicely that I have Wrinkles ... she didn't just say it once .. but quite a few times! Thanks Ma!

4. Wicked! Not in the way Merriam Webster describes it; the New England way "Wicked Good!"

5. Why? Aren't you tempted at times to just keep asking WHY?

6. Wandering Stranger by Lionel Ritchie (yes..... I admit it!)One of my most favorite songs for as long as I can remember.

7. A new addition to the family .. Demi the Weimaraner .. this is one of those times I ask "WHY?"
8. We have two Windchimes that wake me up during the night .. It's my early warning system when the weather is bad and I am wondering if we have a tornado warning.

9. Winding Mountain Roads remind me of driving in a convertible with my bf C in Vermont!


10. I love the long ceiling to floor windows we have in this house .. so does Bruce.
11. I curse at Windy days ... I learned that from my other bf J ... she hates them .. it messes up her hair ... it makes my runs harder!
12. Runner's World .. love their magazine, one of my "ahhh" moments, and their website is great too.
13. lastly ... Winters in Maine .. can't believe I am going to say it .... I miss them!

Happy Thursday! We are one day closer to Friday .. the weekend!! (Hey .. another W)