9.3 Miles And Counting

Yesterday I ran my first race in two years with my coworker and friend, Lynne.  It feels so good to be back in the game!  I'm damn proud of how we did, considering that I had been on such a long running hiatus, and that we decided to do this race with only about a month to devote to training.  We finished in 1:43.   Not exactly speedy, but hey, I never claimed to be fast, especially not in middle of the summer! We were just about average in our timing, and that's pretty much where I have been throughout my running career.  Most importantly, we didn't end up in the sag wagon! We went pretty strong for the first 6 miles, but the last 3 were brutal.  We each had to walk several times, and we each had at least one moment when we pulled ahead of the other.  I was glad to have Lynne with me.  To be honest, I may have considered giving up and walking the last two miles, had she not been there (probably not, but having someone else along, who you don't want to disappoint is a pretty strong motivator).  

It was so stinking hot!  There were times when I felt like the sun was actually a blow torch, trying to melt my skin.  I just kept thinking, "Put one foot in front of the other, keep going, keep going, almost there."  I also managed to open a pretty nasty blister between my fourth and fifth toes.  I was going to post a picture of my bloody sock ~ proof of a dedicated runner ~ but I decided against that.  People don't want to see bloody sweat socks, do  they?  Yes?  I can still grab it, if you want to see!  No?  OK, then.  Your loss.  

If you know Altoona, the best part of the course is from 59th Street to Baker Elementary, in my opinion.  It's shady, which is beyond terrific, and there are lots of spectators who stand in the street with hoses!  It's wonderful and so refreshing to run through that cold water!  Many thanks to all of the Altoona folk who sprayed us!  And many thanks for opening that fire hydrant at the 9 mile marker!  A blast of cold is absolutely perfect relief when you feel like you can't go any further.  

I have only run this race twice now, and I can't even imagine the amount of effort that goes into organizing something this big.  Kudos to all of the event staff and volunteers.  There were so many friendly, smiling faces directing us, handing out water, cleaning up after the runners (It makes me twitch to think of picking up all those cups that were thrown by the water stations!  Ew!), staffing the tables, handing out refreshments afterwards, and tons of other behind the scenes things that I don't have a clue about.  They were great!  I tried to thank as many of the course volunteers as I could while we were running.  They stand in the sun for hours, directing traffic, keeping a protective watch over all of us runners.  It's deserving of thanks.  So if you were one of the workers, thanks to you too!  It's much appreciated!  

I have a few suggestions to improve the race - some of my own and some that I heard en route - (if any YMCA staff happen to read this), but like I said, I don't know what goes into the planning, so I don't know what is feasible and what isn't.  I also know from working at an organization which plans large events (sometimes upwards of 600 people), that it is easy to criticize the flow of an event when you are not in charge.   So the suggestions are in no way a criticism, just simply suggestions.  

• Start the race earlier.  The Pittsburgh Marathon starts at 6, I believe.  Yeah, that's super early, especially when you are the ones setting it up, but it sure helps beat the heat.  Plus, most runners are up and at 'em early and ready to go anyway.  If it started at 6, we could be home before noon, showered and ready to drink some well deserving beer much earlier in the day too!
• More water stations, and more with Gatorade, if possible.  Towards the end of the race, the stations were spaced pretty well, about a mile apart.  But in the beginning and early middle, it felt pretty far between hydration stations.  Maybe it was assumed that early on, the runners don't yet need anything.  I personally felt fine with the amount of water I drank, but it was sweltering.  If more had been available, I would have had more.  I also don't care for Gatorade, so I wouldn't have taken it, but when you are running in such extreme heat, an electrolyte drink couldn't hurt.
• More port-a-potties.  Again, I didn't use any during this race, so I didn't really notice how many there were.  But I bet if I had needed them, I would have noticed.  Having had my share of runner's gut issues, I'm thinking a few extra johns wouldn't be a bad idea. 

That's it.  Otherwise, I thought it was great!  The Popsicles and ice cold water at the end of the race were perfect! There were entrainment and prizes (apparently I won a Kendama, but I didn't notice it before I left.  I never win anything, and the one time I do, I leave without it!) and lots of familiar faces.  Hats off to all of my fellow Blair Countians!  

So, with all of that said and done, here are the pictures from the day, courtesy of my number one supporter, and personal photographer, Greg Williams (who, by the way, wouldn't miss a race for anything.  I told him that he should just come at the end of the race instead of dragging the kids around for 2 hours waiting for me and he said, "What? No way! I'm your cheerleader, and I carry the backpack!  I'm driving in with you!" What a guy!):

Just before the start

Stuffing our phones into our fanny packs.  Don't laugh.  They're high fashion, and they sure beat carrying your iPod in your bra, right Lynne? 

As you can see, neither one of us is particularly competitive.  I think we were the last ones in the line to start!  

Rounding the first corner.  

Andrew met up with one of his friends from pre-school and rode along the 5K course with him.  I passed them during the beginning of the race, and Andrew got out of the stroller and ran along with me for about a block.  Cute! 

Getting our 9th mile super soak! 

Greg was standing with Andrew here, yelling for us.  I was so focused on finishing that I didn't even see him until I was nearly passed him.  

"That was awesome, wasn't it, Lynne?"

"Yep!  Woot! Woot for the water!"

This is the worst picture of me in history, and it's blurry to boot!  But it was snapped just as I crossed the finish line.  Think I was just a little exhausted?  (I look like I don't have any teeth!) 

Oh, whew!  My teeth are back! 

Andrew and Greg were waiting for me at the end.  How wonderful to see two of the people I care about most standing on the other side of that finish line!  

Lynne and me, post race. We could have done another 16.9 miles, easy breezy! (OK, that's a lie.  We were glad to be done!) 

Patti, my always supportive co-runner, and me.  On Saturday night, Patti told me she wasn't going to be able to run, which was a bummer, because we have run several races together.  At the 9 mile marker, in my delirium, I thought I saw her running ahead of me and waving.  As I got closer, I realized it was Patti indeed!  She didn't register for the race, but she showed up and ran the course backwards, looking for me, to encourage me!  How awesome is that?  It's crazy!  And Patti is crazy!  It was great to see her, and definitely helped give me a boost at the end of a very long and hot journey! Thanks, Patti! 

Until recently, I didn't kept official track of my mileage.  I always just kept a mental note of approximately how many miles I was running each week.  In May, I started writing down every work-out and keeping track of the mileage.  I think I mentioned this in one of my previous blogs.  The purpose is two-fold:

1. I pay myself $1 for each time I run, and $1 for each time I complete a strength training session.  It's motivating to have a tangible record of my work.  Plus, I'm saving money for future running purchases.   When I'm ready to buy my next pair of shoes, the cash is already set aside and there for the spending.  No more guilt about spending $125 to pay for shoes! 
2. I've been adding the mileage of each run until I get to 26.2.  When I've run the equivalent of a marathon, I give myself an extra $20.  Plus, it helps to put the distances that I cover into perspective.  When I'm on a long run ~ 9 miles in the sweltering heat ~ it's nice to say to myself, "I've run 106.5 miles since May 25th.  9 miles is nothing."  And it's true.  9 miles is nothing in comparison.  It's all in how you look at it.  

So, that said, I actually did run 106.5 miles since May 25th!  Go me!  These feet have covered some serious ground!  I felt like they were deserving of some pampering, so while the boys (Greg included) napped today, I soaked those doggies, then buffed, moisturized and polished them!

Now, these are the feet of a runner! 

Next up, half marathon in October and then the full in May!  Better keep these puppies pampered!

Vacation Appreciation

We're at it again!  Doing things, that is!  

On Wednesday, I spent the day with my dear friends Marsha, Donna and Norma.  Norma was gracious enough to offer her house as a meeting place when severe thunder storms threatened to ruin our picnic plans.  She even organized a craft for us to do while we visited.  I had so much fun catching up with the girls. We all arrived around 11, and before I knew it, it was 7 p.m. and I was forcing myself to pack up and head home.  They say that with true friends, time and distance is erased when you gather.  I have experienced that phenomena first hand with these women.  We may only see each other once or twice a year, but they are always close to my heart.  

Yesterday I took the boys to the pool.  Again, thunderstorms were in the forecast, but we decided to take the gamble.  When we first arrived, we had the pool all to ourselves!  Actually, it never got crowded.  How nice to have all that water at our disposal! 

Andrew cracks me up with his swim vest, goggles and pool toys.  

Jake took a friend along for the day.  Those two were like little fish, barely coming up for air!  

Andrew loves the water slide at the pool.  I wish I could get a picture of him coming down, because his face is just priceless, but since I'm the one catching him, I have to settle for a shot at the top instead.  

At the snack bar, I asked Andrew what he wanted.  He said, "Do they have pony tails?"  I said, "Do you mean cow tales?"  "Yes," he said.  "I'll have a cattle tail."  

Look at him go!  He'll be swimming without that floatie by the end of the summer, I'm sure! 

I realize that my recent posts have been a whole lot of "Look what we did!  It was so fun!  We are awesome! I love Summer."  While that's all completely true, I feel just a touch superficial constantly writing about all the things we are doing, with seemingly very little substance.  The truth is that I do love the warm weather, the sunshine, and the freedom that I have when I'm not working.  We have taken advantage of every moment to grab summer by the tail and wrangle it in.  We've been visiting with friends, swimming, boating, picnicking, and jamming.  What more could I ask for?  Nothing, actually.  Nothing at all.  I just felt like I needed to tell the world what I think about during all that hustle and bustle.  The honest truth is that I haven't taken a moment of our freedom and happiness for granted.  I reflect every day on how lucky we are for so many reasons.  We are in a good place right now, and that's not something to be taken lightly.

Although we have to stick to a budget, we are financially stable enough to allocate funds for play time (and things).  We live in a good neighborhood, in a good school district.  We drive reliable cars.  We take yearly vacations with family, and order take-out every once in a while.  We spend every possible moment on the pontoon boat.  In case you didn't know, they only worries on a pontoon boat are finding the perfect swimming or fishing hole, and what to eat next.  It's an unwritten rule that worries are magically erased when you step on deck.  I love the boat.  I love to sit at the very front of the boat as we cruise down the lake.  It's a feeling like no other.  I love the feel of the wind and sun on my face.  I love to look around and simply absorb the beauty of the lake and the surrounding mountains.  It's gorgeous, and every single time we are on the water, I am amazed that such beauty is right here at our finger tips, ours for the taking.  What a gift!  For us, boating is truly an analogy of gratitude.  When we are on it, I can't help but be thankful - for the boat itself, for having this beautiful lake practically in our back yard, for being blessed with the camaraderie on board, and for the privilege to take advantage of all of it.

I know - it's not a pontoon, or even a lake for that matter, but it's the same general feeling of peace and well-being - a boat on the water, stillness in the air, beautiful scenery all around - you get the picture!

But I'm not just grateful for the things in our lives.  There is so much more:

Our kids are big enough not to need constant supervision, but small enough to still need our love.  They're mature enough to entertain themselves for small periods of time, but naive enough to say some pretty funny things too.   We're all under the same roof, safe and secure.  The teenage years aren't far off, but they're not here yet.  There's no worry about who is out with the wrong group of friends getting into trouble.  The biggest crisis we have is the daily "He's breathing my air!" or "He's sitting on my side of the couch!" conundrums.  Yeah, it gets on my nerves.  I yell about it - a lot, sometimes.  But in the grand scheme of things, air allocation and couch sequestering aren't such a big deals.

Both sets of parents (mine and Greg's) are healthy right now.  The older I get, the more I realize just how much of a blessing that is.  Time goes incrementally faster with each passing day.  By the time my mother was my age, her own mother had been dead for 5 years.  We are lucky not just to have them, but to have them well and able.

I'm blessed to have a job that gives me this time off during the summer.  OK, so it's not really a choice.  I'm off because there's no money in the budget to pay me right now.  Some people - many of my co-workers, I'm sure - see that as a disadvantage.  Sure, I'm off and having fun, but I'm not getting paid.  And again, I'm having fun because of our individual circumstances.  Many people are not so fortunate.  For many, this lay off is a real burden, and I understand why.  But for me, it's a real blessing.  I have two school age children and a husband who works crazy hours.  During the school year, our time together is limited.  These summer weeks are a chance for us to play catch up with each other, as well as with our friends and family.

Speaking of friends and family, we are blessed to be surrounded by so many of the people we love.  I am grateful for the wonderful neighbors we have.  For the family that live nearby, and those who live far away.  For the friends who have graced our lives in times of fun and stayed with us through times of strife.  There are many indeed!

I am also grateful for a reprieve in my OCD.  Everyone knows that I can very easily be overcome with anxiety when things get busy and I feel like I'm not in control.  I start over-cleaning things, hyper-planning, making countless lists and posting them all over my house and office.  I dream about things I have to do.  It can get ugly.  But the last few weeks have been different.  Even though we have been busy, it's been a relaxed kind of busy.  The hustle we are in right now is not a go-to-work-clean-the-house-take-the-kids-to-activities kind of busy, but rather a spend-as-much-time-as-possible-connecting-with-the-ones-you-love kind of busy.  Big difference.  We've all been on a little vacation of sorts.  It's a time to be spontaneous, to jump on the boat at the last minute, to sit on the deck and have drinks while we watch the sun set, to just be.  I am someone who really has a hard time being in the moment.  I am always one step ahead of myself.  It's a big gift for me to be able to set those compulsions to plan and control aside, and for that gift, I am grateful.

I can't forget the biggest part of my happiness equation: Greg.  

That's right, folks.  This goofy looking guy is the man of my dreams and the light of my days (well, minus the conical straw hat). 

I believe that the circumstances we encounter in our lives are opportunities to right the wrongs of our past lives.  I think of the journey to heaven as a stair case, with each step symbolizing one level. God has given us individualized lessons to learn and skills to master before we are promoted to the next grade.  Our souls work their way through levels of until, ideally, we get it right and don't have to come back any more.  Mother Teresa and Gandhi are examples of those who probably reached the level of mastery.  The rest of us have a ways to go.  While I think we are given chances to atone for past mistakes, I also think we are rewarded for the areas in which we got it right.  I don't necessarily think our movement is linear.  If we get cocky and really mess up one life, it's likely that we will be knocked down a rung.  I know this line of thought certainly doesn't jive with my religious upbringing, but it's a feeling I've had for a very long time, and one that I can't ever seem to shake.  Instead of fighting it, somewhere along the line, I decided to accept it.  It's what I believe.

Anyway, the point of that little tangent wasn't to bring a religious discussion to the table, but rather to say that Greg can be nothing other than the result of good Karma gracing my being.  I have several areas in my life that need some serious attention before I move on, but somehow, some way, I must have done something right to be blessed with Greg.  While I learn things with him and from him, he is not an opportunity for atonement.  He is an absolute reward in every sense of the word.  He is my perfect compliment, my main supporter, my comic relief, my voice of reason, my true love.  My favorite part of the day is nestled in those 15 minutes before we fall asleep.  No matter how the day has been - good, bad or indifferent - I look forward to that time with Greg.  He wraps his arms around me, envelopes my whole body, and I feel nothing but peace and protection.  If the day was rough, that time is a consolation, a promise of a better tomorrow.  If the day was good, it's the perfect happy ending, falling asleep snuggled against the one I love.  I am grateful beyond words to be sharing these busy days of my life with Greg.   I am privileged to call him my husband.

While I'm aware of all the blessings in my life, I'm equally aware of how precarious the balance is.  We can't stay in this state of tranquility forever.  Time passes quickly, and changes are on the horizon.  In the meantime, I am trying to take advantage of every sweet and simple day that falls into my lap, to create and absorb as many memories as I can, and to be aware of all the little things that make me happy.  

Ah...now that was a lot of over-sentimental hoopla, wasn't it!  Don't misunderstand.  Just because I am appreciative for so many things right now doesn't mean that my life is all sappy sweet flowers and kisses. That's not really my style.  I'm still short-tempered and impatient at times.  I'm always just a little sarcastic.  I've spent just as much time yelling at my children as I have looking at their dear little faces, and I'm still a compulsive cleaner.  But a big part of being content is being OK with who and where you are.  I'm not always OK with who I am.  There are a lot of things I would like to change, but I'm getting there.  Hey, we all need something to strive for, right?  Besides, those freak-out moments make great stories later, and I wouldn't be a real parent if I didn't give my kids something to discuss with their therapist when they reach adulthood.  I just hope that they (my kids, my family, my friends) know that in the space between those moments of raised voices and marathon mopping there is a whole lot of love and gratitude.  

The Energizer Family

Remember how I said I was super busy?  Yeah, that hasn't changed since my last post.  We've been rocking and rolling for two steady weeks now.  There have been a hodge podge of things to write about, but since I didn't get around to writing about any one in particular, I decided to throw them all into one big, messy, jumbled blog entry!  I figured that our summer has been kind of haphazard, so why not have a blog that reflects our real life?  If you're looking for a nicely flowing and articulate read, I'm going to have to redirect you now.  But if you're just nebby about what we've been up to, then scroll on down!  

You gotta have at least one day in the summer when you throw (nutritional) logic to the wind and have  the Meadow's Frozen Custard for dinner.  Too bad the flavor of the day wasn't peanut butter.  

To make it really memorable, you should eat your ice cream on an old Showbiz Pizza $0.25 ride.

On Friday, I went to the Bavarian Club to watch the band my husband plays in. When I arrived at the Bavarian, I parked right beneath this lovely sign.  It was as if they knew I was coming and made a sign especially for me!  I felt so welcomed!  I parked spectacularly, by the way!  

Their band is called The Lawn Darts.  Click here for a little snippet of their performance.    They did a super job!  They had a crowd on the dance floor the whole night, and by the end of the night, I had enough beer to get up and sing a few songs with them!  It was a lot of fun.

On Saturday we had a yard sale.  I spent most of the morning and early afternoon setting up on Friday, and was so thankful that a friend of mine was able to come and help.  I had no idea how to price things, and she kept yelling at me that I was asking too little.  We actually sold more than half of our stuff on Friday, when we weren't even technically having the sale!  I have to give Kelley some credit for our profit, because I would have just given the stuff away.  At one point on Friday, she told me I wasn't allowed to talk to the "customers" anymore.  One really nice lady gave me an extra  $2 for a set of shelves and said, "Tell your friend that you made a few extra bucks and maybe she'll be nice and let you talk again!"  Haha!

Having had so much beer, *ahem* fun, on Friday, getting up at 5:30 to sell junk to strangers wasn't exactly at the top of my Saturday fun list.  But my sweet neighbors, who were also hosting a yard sale that day, made a delicious breakfast for us, which definitely helped to kick start the day.  We also had a lot of fun wandering back and forth between each other's sales that day.  We made just under $300, so I would say that the sale was successful. 

My nieces came down in the morning and sold haystacks, brownies and lemonade.  They were good sales ladies!  I'm not sure how much profit they made, but we were nearly sold out of goodies before lunch! 

Andrew, on the other hand, spent most of the day guarding his toys.  I told him that he could pick something to keep from what was left over, so he really didn't want anything to be sold.  Now, don't think I'm a total meanie here.  I went through the toys with the kids before I put them out.  They thoroughly examined and approved every item that was for sale.  He just happened to change his mind about quite a few of those items.  He also got 26 cents out of his allowance jar to buy back some Star Wars Might Beans.  I took the quarter and let him have it.   Luckily, we sold most of the other toys, so the number that I brought back into the house was minimal.  The point was to clear out, not to bring stuff back in! 

 

Andrew did enjoy the cold pizza that he had for lunch, though! 

The best part was that we got this awesome turkey butter dish from my neighbor's yard sale.  Unfortunately, we were too slow to get the matching salt and pepper shakers.  Boo.  Isn't it a beauty? 

While we were all hard at work yard selling, Sam took advantage of the scattered patio cushions and took a nice little snooze!  Oh, to be a cat! 

We spent Monday on the boat.  There's nothing better than the lake, the sun, a few drinks (Greg would add fishing to the mix) and good friends!  It's the recipe for a perfect day, always! 

(This photo is actually from a boat date earlier in the season, but we were with the same group of friends, so I'm posting it now)

I made these avocado popsicles on Sunday.  I saw the recipe in a magazine and just had to make them out of curiosity.  They were pretty good - a little rich.  Next time I might add just a touch less sugar, but they're a good recovery treat after a summer run!  

Here's the recipe: 

3/4 c water

6 tbsp sugar

2 avocados, chopped

1/2 tsp lime zest

2 tbsp lime juice

1/8 tsp kosher salt

Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan (about 4 minutes).  Let the sugar water cool to room temperature, then throw all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Freeze and enjoy! 

Speaking of running...check this out:

10 miles.  Not too shabby for someone who is coming off of a two year hiatus!  I almost hate to say it, because I don't want to jinx myself, but running has been going incredibly well for me.  I've been back on the wagon for not quite 4 months now, and I feel great.  I was surprised at how quickly I was able to increase my distance, but then again the endurance aspect of running has always come pretty naturally to me.  It's the speed that I have to focus a lot of energy into improving.  

I'm not as fast as I'd like to be, but considering that I'm still reconditioning, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.  The picture above is from a 5 mile run I did yesterday.  The speed wasn't too bad during miles 3-5.  The first two and half miles of this particular run were straight uphill, which slows me down.  I also don't start off running straight from my doorstep, which makes the first mile always look much slower - same with the last mile.  The cool down, especially on longer runs, takes at least half a mile, sometimes more, so I don't count the times for my last split.  So, 9:42 isn't great, but half of that was uphill.  8:33 is pretty decent, and 8:06 is fantastic - for me anyway!  I've never been fast, so anything under 9, if it's sustained for more than a mile, is pretty good.  I'm running a 15K on July 4th, so I have been focusing more energy on endurance than on speed.  It's not the best way to train, because it's not a well-rounded approach.  Ideally, I should be doing some speed work, some endurance work, and some leisurely runs every week, along with strength training.  I'm doing all but the speed work, but that'll change in the next few weeks.  As soon as the 15K is over, I'll start adding in some speed training too.  

*Knock-on-wood* I haven't had any hip troubles since I started running in March.  In fact, my hip feels better now than it did 6 months ago.  I'm not quite sure where to credit the improvement.  I have been religious about stretching and strength training, and I'm guessing it's a combination of the two that has helped me.  Whatever it is, I'm not planning to change any part of my routine (aside from maybe switching up the strength exercises here and there) any time soon.  

I love that I am running some longer distances now.  For me, the first 2-3 miles are always a bit of a struggle.  I want to be running, but I have to push myself in the beginning.  Somewhere between the 4 and 5 mile markers, I hit my sweet spot.  It's the place where running is nearly effortless, when my mind is wandering comfortably on its own, and my body is doing its own thing too.  Don't get me wrong, depending on the day, I might hit a little wall here or there, but not often, at least not between mile 5 and mile 10.  Last week during my longer run, I experienced that feeling of lost time for the first time in over 2 years.  I was running along, thinking about God knows what, and suddenly I realized that I had covered over a mile of ground on auto-pilot.  I was on a route I know well, so I didn't need to pay attention to where I was, and I just felt good.  When the woman on my phone said that I had gone 7 miles, I looked around and realized that I couldn't recall the last 10 minutes of my run.  It sounds a little weird, but it's not a bad thing at all.  In fact, it's a wonderful, wonderful thing.  I felt so good that I actually laughed out loud (just a little - I'm crazy, but not completely insane).  I'm thrilled to be running again.  I feel so much stronger, more physically capable, and more importantly, happier.  

We've been so busy since my last day of work.  We've had one social event after another, almost every single day, and I'm not exaggerating.  It's all fun stuff, but even the fun stuff can overwhelm me at times.  So far this summer I have only had a few fleeting moments of "oh my dear, we have too much going on" panic.  I'm content right now, because my life in general is good.  We are all in a good place, and I'm grateful for the general ease of our days.  I also believe that exercise is the simplest, healthiest, and least used anti-depressant/ stress reliever available.  So, some fraction of my good mood can definitely be attributed to my running too.   I've been feeling good, sleeping fairly well, and just generally enjoying my time off.  My only wish is that it didn't have to end so soon! 

There's plenty more for us on the horizon - two swim dates this week, a picnic near Pittsburgh with some friends for me, and the weekend with my sister  and nieces.  It's a good thing I've been doing some endurance training.  We've been hopping, skipping and jumping, and we've gotta make like the Energizer Bunny and keep on going!  

Holy Busy, Batman!

Oh my, I feel like I've been in constant motion for the last week and a half...and there's no sign of stopping any time soon!  On Sunday morning we celebrated Father's Day by taking my dad to Denny's for breakfast.  (His choice, not mine!)  On Sunday afternoon/evening we had a Father's Day cook out at my brother-in-law's with Greg's family.  On Monday, my friend Sharon and I took the boys to Idlewild for the day.  Today Andrew and I are headed to Pittsburgh for a short (I hope) visit to the G.I. doctor for a follow-up appointment.  Tomorrow I have a lunch date with two friends, and I plan to spend the rest of the week preparing for our yard sale.  Yard sale here on Saturday morning.  Clean-up Saturday afternoon.  Sunday we are attending a big cookout for Greg's out of town aunt and uncle, and Monday we are back on the boat for a day of play with friends.  In the midst of all of that, I've been training for the 15K on July 4th.  It's only 9 miles, so I think I'll be fine, but it's the longest distance I will have run in the last 2 years, so I'm just a touch psyched out by it.  It's all good stuff, but we are busy indeed!  Some of my friends have said that they would be bored if they didn't work (or "borned," as Andrew says).  I don't want to quit working.  I like my job, (and I need it too!) but I definitely wouldn't be bored.  We are movers, and I know that if I were working right now, I would be more overwhelmed by our social life than excited about it.  It's a blessing and a curse, depending on my mood and my outside obligations.  Right now, I'm viewing it as a blessing because I don't have a whole lot of responsibility other than to just have fun.  I can handle the weight of a good time!  We are having a blast!  Take a look: 

 Only Jake orders a meatball sub at 9 in the morning! Gag! 

Andrew drew a special picture on Greg's card.  It was Andrew and Greg swimming together. 

Dad and his boys

Greg is a natural with the rice farmer look.  (It's an inside joke. I could take the time to explain it, but you wouldn't find it funny unless you knew a few of the other people involved.  I think this photo is comical enough!) 

After breakfast and gifts, we sat on the front porch and read the Sunday paper together.  

On Mother's Day, I asked the boys to get along for the day as my present.  Greg asked the same thing from them for Father's Day.  Unfortunately, despite well intent, the boys were unable to deliver.  We decided to implement the "get along shirt."  

As you can see by their faces, Andrew thought it was awesome, but Jake was less than thrilled.  

Curious about how it actually went down?  Take a look!  

And then some pictures from Idlewild:

Andrew was a little timid on the first big rope climb.

But his ride-shyness didn't last long.  After the first ride - the Log Jammer - he was riding like a pro! 

Getting ready to ride the Paratrooper.  I don't know how my belly has held out over these last two amusement park trips, but it has - thank God! 

Andrew was excited to drive the Lincoln Highway, but Jake thought it was a belly-flop (that's his stomach in the face of the woman).

Taking a break by the fountain.

Thumbs up! 

Happy Jake! 

The picture of happy exhaustion - it speaks for all of us!