We have one more long run to go before the Green Bay Marathon!!
Today was a 20-miler. We are training with the Galloway program, which is a mixture of walking & running on long runs. We run 4 minutes, walk 1, run 4 minutes, etc. This method keeps your legs much fresher & it does seem to break up a long run too, which is mentally a good thing! Today my legs got pretty tight early in the run which had me a bit concerned, since usually it doesn't happen so soon into the run (it was around mile 10), but I did make it completely fine & no more sore than normal! We are now enjoying a day of relaxing, watching basketball, eating & napping!
I cleaned the house for a few hours yesterday so I could relax all day today. I was in DC all last week, so I am looking forward to working this coming week at home!!
We are going to bake an Easter ham tonight for supper, along with some scalloped potatoes & some baked apples (my mother-in-law gave me an cast iron apple pan for Christmas & it makes some MEAN baked apples!!!)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
What a special wonderful meaningful awesome day this represents!! If you want a touching story - read the story of Edith....the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Orlando quoted this story as fact at the service last night. It is a touching story, even though I knew it was probably a fictional one.
Yes, we tried yet another new church last night. We have started going on Sunday nights, which is a great option for us while we are training for the marathon (we do our long runs on Sunday mornings). The church & campus was HUGE HUGE HUGE - I have never seen anything like it. The service seemed more like a production than a real service or sermon - although I LOVED the music. The music was truly concert quality. They had a trio of men sing the most powerful song - and then at the end a woman sang "We Shall Behold Him" - an old Sandi Patti song. SO powerful & moving. I did seriously get goosebumps and a few times was choked up to near tears with just the impact the words & feeling & passion the songs contained.
BUT....the service left me feeling a bit empty to be honest. The pastor was a pure preacher. By saying that I mean that he sounded "preachy" or just "churchy"...not really saying much, but repeating phrases in a whisper preacher voice. Anybody that knows what I am talking about probably doesn't enjoy that style either!! So while we were very excited about the music and the available programs the church had to offer, we are still on the hunt & still praying for God to send us to the right church. We are anxious to find a good church home, meeting couples our age and getting involved again in a church - we really really miss that part of life that we loved in Mobile, AL.
Yes, we tried yet another new church last night. We have started going on Sunday nights, which is a great option for us while we are training for the marathon (we do our long runs on Sunday mornings). The church & campus was HUGE HUGE HUGE - I have never seen anything like it. The service seemed more like a production than a real service or sermon - although I LOVED the music. The music was truly concert quality. They had a trio of men sing the most powerful song - and then at the end a woman sang "We Shall Behold Him" - an old Sandi Patti song. SO powerful & moving. I did seriously get goosebumps and a few times was choked up to near tears with just the impact the words & feeling & passion the songs contained.
BUT....the service left me feeling a bit empty to be honest. The pastor was a pure preacher. By saying that I mean that he sounded "preachy" or just "churchy"...not really saying much, but repeating phrases in a whisper preacher voice. Anybody that knows what I am talking about probably doesn't enjoy that style either!! So while we were very excited about the music and the available programs the church had to offer, we are still on the hunt & still praying for God to send us to the right church. We are anxious to find a good church home, meeting couples our age and getting involved again in a church - we really really miss that part of life that we loved in Mobile, AL.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Our first visitors
My dad & brother are HUGE NASCAR fans! In fact, they had already booked plane tickets to visit us in Orlando before we had even moved. Keep in mind my dad has only flown twice before this & had sworn off doing it again after the first one (when he flew down to San Antonio to drive back with me when I was moving back to St. Louis). The 2nd flight he took was to visit us in Mobile, AL and he said that one went much much better.
So my dad/brother came down for the Daytona 500, which is about an hour away from where we live on non-race weekends with crappy traffic. I had never even watched a whole race on TV before, but here I am going to the 50th running of the Daytona! I had heard more 'you might be a redneck' jokes about NASCAR than I knew drivers.
I LOVED LOVED it!!!! The only caveat is to say, I loved it minus the horrible traffic bumper to bumper stop & go on the interstate for a few hours on both the way there & the way back. I loved it minus the waiting in line for a shuttle bus back to the parking lot afterwards for an hour. I loved it minus the 'fight for your butt space' version of a bench we were on in the stands (man - buck up another $50 bucks to have assigned butt space! will do it next time I promise!!). I loved it minus the people sitting on the other side of us that thought they should drink beer the whole entire race, which is fine if you are wearing a Depends....not fine if you are climbing over me every 5 seconds to relieve yourself!
BUT....having said all of that - there was so much absolutely awesome about the day/weekend. I loved having my brother & dad here. Just spending time with them & relaxing & talking while sitting outside by the pool in FEBRUARY while Jim - the best griller ever - was making us some fabulous meat to eat! We ate like pigs - literally - compliments of Jim - we had racks of ribs, a HUGE pork butt, and bacon-wrapped filets, oh and some pork tenderloin grilled on the menu for the weekend. We really ate well.
The race day was so fun - we drove in that morning (probably should have left a bit earlier, although I think traffic is just destined to be terrible on race weekend). We parked the car, busted out the camping grill/burner & had ourselves the best tailgate in the world - ribs, beans, chips. We then went on into the race & enjoyed watching the pre-race. Jim & I rented a scanner & headphones which added a cool dimension to the race. It was really really cool to hear the driver talk to his pit crew, spotter, etc. The race wouldn't have been the same experience without renting that - very very cool. Then after the race (i'll skip more grumbling about getting back to the parking lot) - we busted out the grill again & had smoked pork sandwiches - HEAVENLY. After waiting there for traffic to clear & just sitting around talking for a couple of hours, we braved getting on the road, sat in SOME traffic but not too bad & made it home. Both dad & my brother konked out in the back, I was fighting sleep so hard to stay awake to keep JIM awake, but I probably annoyed him more than anything!! I was just saying random things to be talking to keep both of us awake, but he wasn't much in the mood for talking :) We both just wanted to get home!
Will I ever go back to Daytona for a race? Maybe not - the logistics are just kinda stinky. But - I will definitely go back to another race!!!
So my dad/brother came down for the Daytona 500, which is about an hour away from where we live on non-race weekends with crappy traffic. I had never even watched a whole race on TV before, but here I am going to the 50th running of the Daytona! I had heard more 'you might be a redneck' jokes about NASCAR than I knew drivers.
I LOVED LOVED it!!!! The only caveat is to say, I loved it minus the horrible traffic bumper to bumper stop & go on the interstate for a few hours on both the way there & the way back. I loved it minus the waiting in line for a shuttle bus back to the parking lot afterwards for an hour. I loved it minus the 'fight for your butt space' version of a bench we were on in the stands (man - buck up another $50 bucks to have assigned butt space! will do it next time I promise!!). I loved it minus the people sitting on the other side of us that thought they should drink beer the whole entire race, which is fine if you are wearing a Depends....not fine if you are climbing over me every 5 seconds to relieve yourself!
BUT....having said all of that - there was so much absolutely awesome about the day/weekend. I loved having my brother & dad here. Just spending time with them & relaxing & talking while sitting outside by the pool in FEBRUARY while Jim - the best griller ever - was making us some fabulous meat to eat! We ate like pigs - literally - compliments of Jim - we had racks of ribs, a HUGE pork butt, and bacon-wrapped filets, oh and some pork tenderloin grilled on the menu for the weekend. We really ate well.
The race day was so fun - we drove in that morning (probably should have left a bit earlier, although I think traffic is just destined to be terrible on race weekend). We parked the car, busted out the camping grill/burner & had ourselves the best tailgate in the world - ribs, beans, chips. We then went on into the race & enjoyed watching the pre-race. Jim & I rented a scanner & headphones which added a cool dimension to the race. It was really really cool to hear the driver talk to his pit crew, spotter, etc. The race wouldn't have been the same experience without renting that - very very cool. Then after the race (i'll skip more grumbling about getting back to the parking lot) - we busted out the grill again & had smoked pork sandwiches - HEAVENLY. After waiting there for traffic to clear & just sitting around talking for a couple of hours, we braved getting on the road, sat in SOME traffic but not too bad & made it home. Both dad & my brother konked out in the back, I was fighting sleep so hard to stay awake to keep JIM awake, but I probably annoyed him more than anything!! I was just saying random things to be talking to keep both of us awake, but he wasn't much in the mood for talking :) We both just wanted to get home!
Will I ever go back to Daytona for a race? Maybe not - the logistics are just kinda stinky. But - I will definitely go back to another race!!!
A Scary Parental Moment
I have lots to catch you up on & was planning to do that sequentially, but today's happenings have preempted those plans!!
Jim & I left the house this morning around 10:00 to go on our 18 mile run. The trail was great - lots of water stops & we did quite well on the run, although I think Jim had a better run than I did....I should have eaten that 3rd gel.
Anyhoo - we got back home around 2:00 and Cosmo greeted us at the door, but Truman didn't - which is not odd, as he sometimes just can't quite wake up enough from his kitty kitty nap to meet us. I immediately went to go check the formal living room couch, which is one of his favorite morning/afternoon napping spots when I saw it.....The front door was AJAR!!!! The door was open a few inches & my heart just sank. I immediately started panicking & Jim immediately went into 'don't freak out honey mode'. We first looked inside the complete house to make sure he wasn't just napping somewhere & Jim then looked all around our house. Truman wasn't anywhere!!
Keep in mind we had just ran 18 miles & I was ravenous...until I realized my baby boy was gone! All thoughts of my wellbeing were completely out the window & all I could think about was finding my fuzzy kitten.
So we started off out the door & walking down the street calling for Truman. We actually started out going the opposite direction we always go if we are leaving the subdivision, running, or anything - but for whatever reason, Jim said 'let's go this way'. We got about 2 doors down calling for Truman when were answered with Truman's distinctive squeaky meow. Apparently he was sunning himself on the neighbor's porch two doors down. He came to greet us while we snuggled & kissed him & told him he had scared us & we took him back home. Thank you GOD for sending us straight to him, and for letting him be ok, and be so close & answer when we called him.
I love our kitties!!
Jim & I left the house this morning around 10:00 to go on our 18 mile run. The trail was great - lots of water stops & we did quite well on the run, although I think Jim had a better run than I did....I should have eaten that 3rd gel.
Anyhoo - we got back home around 2:00 and Cosmo greeted us at the door, but Truman didn't - which is not odd, as he sometimes just can't quite wake up enough from his kitty kitty nap to meet us. I immediately went to go check the formal living room couch, which is one of his favorite morning/afternoon napping spots when I saw it.....The front door was AJAR!!!! The door was open a few inches & my heart just sank. I immediately started panicking & Jim immediately went into 'don't freak out honey mode'. We first looked inside the complete house to make sure he wasn't just napping somewhere & Jim then looked all around our house. Truman wasn't anywhere!!
Keep in mind we had just ran 18 miles & I was ravenous...until I realized my baby boy was gone! All thoughts of my wellbeing were completely out the window & all I could think about was finding my fuzzy kitten.
So we started off out the door & walking down the street calling for Truman. We actually started out going the opposite direction we always go if we are leaving the subdivision, running, or anything - but for whatever reason, Jim said 'let's go this way'. We got about 2 doors down calling for Truman when were answered with Truman's distinctive squeaky meow. Apparently he was sunning himself on the neighbor's porch two doors down. He came to greet us while we snuggled & kissed him & told him he had scared us & we took him back home. Thank you GOD for sending us straight to him, and for letting him be ok, and be so close & answer when we called him.
I love our kitties!!
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