Manic Monday ..

Do you ever talk to yourself out loud? What do you talk about?
I hope I don't talk out loud to myself .. I have already been accused by my daughter that I am old ..


What stresses you out?
The unknown .. I like to be prepared .. I make lists, so not to be able to prepare ...augh!


What are your secret talents?
I have monkey toes ... thanks to my mother! I can pick up things with my toes!

Photo Hunt - Reflection

Tnchick's PhotoHunt theme is Reflection:

I always think that the first room that you "wake up" in should be bright and cheerful .. so in my bathroom in Texas I had these Cali Lillies .. they are one of my favorite flower.

Of course I have to put a Maine picture in. This was taken during my excellent adventure when I went to Maine for the summer.

Friday Fill In ..

1. The last band I saw live was _Parachute Express__. (is that fair? My kids were young! Anita Baker & Luther Vandross was the last concert .. yikes .. almost 20 years ago!!! If it is truly a band that we are talking about it would be Air Supply!!!!!!)
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is _seeing my sister and my nephews and niece_.
3. My Christmas shopping is _stressful .. haven't started .. do I have to??????__.
4. Thoughts of _change__ fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear a bikini with confidence_.
6. Bagpipes _make me cry_.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _making poppers__, tomorrow my plans include _visiting with my fun sister-in-laws__ and Sunday, I want to _organize my wardrobe_!

Thematic Photographic - Broken

This is a broken fence I run by everyday. It sits on a property that looks deserted. The yard is over grown, the house is empty. It looks so sad.

Running Naked in Maine? .. (hah! .. that got your attention!)

Have you ever played strip poker? Being the good girl that I was raised to be, I have never had the opportunity to play strip poker (maybe I need to rethink that one .. there may have been an attempted adult beverage induced occasion ..).. I do however feel like when I run, I am running 'strip run' .. let me explain: I don't like anything tight on me ... jewellery, clothes .. anything binding ... ugh! So when I run, the less the better.. now add the whole hot body thing ... yup .. I think that idea of being 29 over and over again hits a point where the body decides to adjust the internal temperature, and therefore mine is always hot. It has nothing to do with getting old! (and I do mean the internal temperature.. the external still needs work!) So .. while in Texas I recognized that running became increasing difficult because I was getting so hot .. and therefore I started running before the sun came up and thoroughly enjoyed it for a number of reason:

1. The temps were low and the air was cool

2. I could dance and sing and nobody could see me because it was dark!

3. and because it was dark I could wear whatever I wanted to because no one was up and awake!

I became so used to that running pattern that when it was time for the NIKE 10k Human Race, I went into a panic ... first of all, the race was at 6 pm .. the temps were going to be in the 90's, and to add to it, the running number was the shirt that they had given us ... which meant I had to wear a shirt for the whole race ...ahhhhhhhhh! Well.. rules were meant to be broken ..

Skip and jump to Maine, where the temperatures are drastically cooler. It has been awesome!! The runs have felt so good, and strong. Thanks to NIKE and LL Bean, I have the perfect cold weather running gear .. so much so that even in 20+ degree weather, the contemplation of removing articles of clothing begin to form in my brain.

So this was the weather report this morning when I was getting ready to start the day! Another record low temperature day for running ..No fear .. I have my gear .. by my first half mile my lips were numb. So for the next quarter mile I tried to imagine what it would look like if my lips fell off... the picture wasn't really doing anything positive for me .. sooo I stopped thinking about that! As I approached the second mile I could feel the heat inside the clothes .. so I decided the first set of mittens needed to come off .. (I was wearing two sets .. my fingers loose circulation very quickly ..) ..by the end of mile 2 I gave up, and off came the jacket .. soon after the next set of mittens came off .. the panic was starting to set in, because living in a very conservative town, I don't think the townsmen would have appreciated what I really wanted to do next. Luckily my run was close to it's end, and the reality of running in below freezing weather reminded me that I needed the other body parts to stay in tact .. because a lip-less, and other body part-less woman would look really, really silly!



(Courtesy of the http://www.weather.com/)

Unconscious Mutterings

Thank you to Luna Nina for Unconscious Mutterings ...
I say :: you say

1. Please stop :: singing ..(my ever loving son tells me all the time)


2. Move over :: come closer


3. Sweet as :: pie


4. Bet :: your *ss


5. Mad about :: YOU!


6. It’s over :: It's all over ... (sing a long to ELO "summer came and passed away ...")


7. Intend to :: but didn't


8. Blame :: game


9. Jefferson :: Starship


10. Heartless :: jerk

Thematic Photographic - Broken

Courtesy of Written Inc, this week's theme is Broken.

This is the elevator doors to the ride of Tower of Terror in Disney. One of my biggest fears is elevator rides. While in Disney my kids convinced me to ride the Tower of Terror!! NEVER, NEVER again!! Before the ride started I already apologized for the language that was going to come out of my ever pure mouth! (snicker, snicker!)

I'm not sure when the fear of elevator rides began. I know when we lived in Hong Kong (early 80's), we lived on the sixth floor. The elevator doors on that floor was our front door to the penthouse .. so you couldn't just push the door open to get out, you had to have your key ready to open the door. It must have been the idea of not being able just get out when you got to your floor..

More often than not the elevator had its own issues. Often times it would get stuck between the fifth and sixth floor. I remember one time forcing the door open and climbing out, to jump onto the fifth floor!

Call me a wimp .. what can I say? Broken elevators ..... augh!!

Project Accomplished!

Woo hoo! My first project done! I bought three bar stools yesterday .. and was able to put them together! Okay ... I think I am ready to build a house now! ... hahaha!

The Rain

Welcome to another rainy fall day in Maine! I'm not sure who I have become in the last two weeks .. my running weather rules used to be no running in temperatures under 40 degrees, and no running in the rain! Today I ran in the rain! It wasn't planned .. I just got caught in it. I had set out for a long run, and half way in, the downpour began .. my choices were to keep running or catch the last part of the loop home. I opted for the loop home since I was soaked. Even soaked it was a great run .. it matched my mood.

Fall ..

Fill In Friday ..

1. Please feel free to _browse my blog____.
2. When I _prepare the coffee before going to bed__ I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is _most anything I know the kids will love___.
4. _Sunshine and Fresh air___ is something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about _a good run, the sense of accomplishment__.
6. _Mean people__ always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7 . And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _chillin'_, tomorrow my plans include _going to the dump! oops transfer station____ and Sunday, I want to _possibly see the new James Bond movie_!

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!

Thematic Photographic - Autumn

Autumn leaves - had to have at least one picture of leaves!

Thematic Photographic - Autumn

Written Inc. 's theme is Autumn.

Last week I found myself on a wood lot buying wood for the wood stove. I brought the camera ready to photo journal the latest adventure, only to find out that my "spare" batteries were as dead as the ones I had taken out. *GRRR!* I was only able to take three pictures .. this is Molly .. she belongs to Woodsman C. She was nestled well into the Autumn leaves watching her buddy from a safe distance.

[BTW, I have to go back this week to get more wood .. both sets of batteries are fully charged!]