ETA: Though it Almost killed me....

.....A mile and a half run?

Done.

TGIF!!!

So I entered a contest over at Shut up and Run for a pair of ear buds for my ipod that are apparently the bee's knees for a runner (I still roll my eyes and giggle when I call myself that.� Not feelin' it yet!).� Now, I never win anything, but she is giving away ten pairs of them and only a kabillion 375 people have entered, so I guess there is a marginal chance I could win a pair.� I love mine for walking but when the sweat starts dripping when I am running, they like to slide out my ears and then I have that distraction while trying not to fall off the treadmill.



You may have noticed I have included links to some of the running blogs I have been following.� Some of these folks are seasoned runners and others are newbies like yours truly, but I find reading them to be pretty interesting.� I have a special place in my heart for new female runners in their forties, and would love to find some more blogs of these women that I know are out there!



When I develop an interest in something, I go full speed ahead with trying to gather up all information I possibly can on the subject.� So I am currently reading this:







and will be following that up with this by the same author:







And this is also sitting on my table waiting for my attention:







So much to learn, so little time.



Today's goal is to STRETCH as I need to turn down the suck on that and then to run 1.50 miles.� I don't know yet if I am feeling it, but I am certainly going to try.� No run yesterday.� Legs felt sore so I ellipticalled for thirty minutes instead followed by crunches.� We will call that a cross training day.� So today is a run day and I'll see how it goes.



Also, yesterday that the Y, Jerry gave me a form for�a 5k in June that he felt I could run/walk.� I'm thinking about it.� It would be�nice to have a goal as I tend to do fairly well with those.



My low carb Lent is also sucking.� I am currently running to support my carb habit.� Ugh.� But every day is a new day and a new chance to get it right.� So far today, so good.



Weekend plans?� Not a clue.� No kids as grandma wants them, so things are wide open.� Costco probably Sunday, but tomorrow is wide open.� Anyone free?� Want to get into something like dinner?� Who knows?� Shoot me a line with any suggestions.� In the meantime, have a happy weekend and I shall see you on Monday!

Thursday 13

I really struggled with what 13 things to list this week, which is kind of sad as it is only week 2 of my doing this!  But nothing was really jumping out at me and I got all my complaining out of my system yesterday.  So how about this:

13 Things I love about Spring

1.  Watching the trees take on new life.  Once barren and desolate, tiny sprigs of green began to form which will eventually bring shade to warm summer days.


2. Warm days.  Enough said.


3. Being able to open the windows in my house to air it all out after a cold, confining winter.


4. Walking and running outside.  I could do this in the winter, but I'd rather eat poo.


5. Fire Pit Fridays


6. Being able to put away winter sweaters and break out out the shorts and sandals.


7. Being barefoot.


8. The sound of kids playing outside.


9. Daylight savings time ends.


10. Cleaning all the salt residue off my car and giving it a good cleaning.


11. Working in the yard and garden.


12. Walks around the park with Tod.


13. Driving with the windows down.

So ready for Spring, people!

I went out on a limb today and am waiting to see if I will receive A) a kick in the teeth for it; no answer at all; or C) a pleasant surprise. 

We will be kidless this weekend as their grandmother asked if she could have them, so I am wondering what thing we can get up to.  Need to make a Costco run, but am not sure if it is in the budget this week.

Oh and used the new treadmill yesterday!  YAY!  Kickin' baby!  Only ran one painful mile (that whole Tuesday night kickboxing brutality) and walked a mile.  Is it okay to run several days in a row?  I plan to maybe run today after work, but I'll have to see how I feel.

I love my shirts with the thumb holes.  So warm and snuggie!

***Thursday 13 is a little blog meme that is shared across the internets.  To participate, please go here and sign up!

 

Today is Shaping up to SUCK

Okay, so that�might be slightly over dramatic.� The morning is just having its share of irritations.� Irritation #1 is really bugging me today.� Why can't I get straight answers for things I need?� Why does he always talk over me when I am trying to get to the answer?� Irritation #2 I usually don't see on Wednesdays, but because they are calling for a few inches of snow tonight, this irritation is coming in today.� It's like a double whammy.� And that irritation talks too...A LOT and basically says nothing, especially nothing positive...about anything.� You know the type.



So my motto of the day is:

I don't need anger management; you just need to stop pissing me off!







Then there is the teenager I am currently living with.� These people are difficult!� He thinks I am the most unreasonable person in the world because I parent him.� He has this friend up the road, M.� Now M, from my point of view, pretty much gets to run the neighborhood as he wants to.� My kids do this to a certain extent, but come dark, in the winter, I want them inside.� The teen does not get this.� I try to explain to him that there is a difference with kids being outside at 8:30 or 9:00 in June and kids being outside at 8:30 or 9:00 in February.� Summer months it is daylight longer, plus people are outside and out and about.� Winter, people are in, snuggled in front of their television, wishing to hell spring would get here (or maybe that is just me).



The teen also tends to do some stupid stuff when he is with M, such as having snowball fights across our neighbor's front porch (the neighbor who is elderly and has Parkinson's.) or taking off on their bikes to ride downtown without asking.� So last night when kickboxing time came around, my teen wanted to stay home and play with M, to which I told him no.� Then he asked if he could go back out once we got home and again, I told him no,� because by the time we got home and ate dinner it would be 8:15.� So he sulked and didn't speak to me at Y until the end of kickboxing.� Of course, I told Jack McFarland and my kickboxing buddies the evil I had done and they all agreed that I was being responsible, they would do the same thing, and that he is�a teen and is supposed to be angry with me all the time.� It's just hard when you want to make your kids happy but yet you can't always do that and still be a responsible parent...and the kids don't get that and won't until they have kids of their own.� Oy.



Walmart also pisses me off.� Why is it one week they have plenty of everything I need and the next week they are out of the stuff I buy every freaking week?� I think the people who do the ordering need new jobs or something.� They used to carry my Kashi Pumpkin Spice Flax bars and then a year and a half ago, they quit carrying them.� Oh, they still carried Kashi products, but not those and then some silly woman who worked there told me Kashi was no longer sending them out to this part of the country.� Really?� Then why can I get them at Martins, Weis and Target?� They are in the same TOWN.� Oy.



And every few weeks they are out of my Crystal Light Wild Strawberry drink mix.� Always that flavor!� Shouldn't that maybe tell someone they need to be ordering more?� So now today I have to go to a store or twelve to find this stuff and the Kashi bars.� And to get the best price, I have to go to different stores.� Oy.



/vent...I think.



Today I am working out on my new treadmill.� Not sure if i will be running as kickboxing was brutal last night and my legs were still aching from Monday's run.



So what are you all grumpy about today?



And Robyn, thanks for the pep talk. I appreciate it.� I don't think I have completely lost my touch either, though there was a time when I would have thought exactly that, but not anymore.� I do find it funny that at 300+ pounds, I was always cast and that now that I am close to normal, it didn't happen.�� Amuses me greatly!

Life and Auditions are a Process

So I got the call� that I was not cast in "Steel Magnolias".� Again, it is all good; I don't have to rearrange my schedule to make it happen, but now that the decisions have been made, I have to state a few things I observed.



When asked on my audition page what parts I was interested in, I put "any" because there are no bad parts in the show.� I also assumed automatically that I am too old now to play Shelby or Annelle.� My best bets, given that there were older women there auditioning for the parts of older women, were Truvey or M'Lynn.� He did not read me for M'Lynn at all and this bothered me somewhat.� I can pretty much guarantee who he did cast in that role from my one hour in auditions (and he still had another day of auditions to do) and the fact that I figured that out, bothers me too.�



There was also another woman there (and this has nothing to do with auditions as a technical aspect) who I am sure he cast, and is a regular with the theater�company, both on stage and as a director,�who made me crazy.� She was just a bit over the top in my opinion.� After reading a scene with her and several other people, where she played the part of M'lynn after her daughter's funeral (so emotional scene in the event any of you live under a rock and have not seen the movie) she held out her "trembling" hand and said "I'm still shaking."� Okay, maybe she really felt the scene that deeply even with no lead in to it, but seriously?� Then she says to me "OMG, I am so glad I did not wear my earrings as they are the same as yours!"� Again, seriously?� It isn't like we were wearing the same OUTFIT...mine matched.� Yeah, yeah, MEOW.� But it's true.



So, no, I am not being a bad loser.� These are just a few things that bothered me about the experience.� The people I auditioned with were very good, save one, so I'm sure it was a hard decision.� I don't know this director and how he works, and though he disappointed me in my own personal audition process, he may be very good.� I have also been quite spoiled by getting to work with some great directors in my community theater career, who knew me well and knew my capabilities.� This person did not, and my audition was probably rusty after a seven year absence.� So, the best of luck to the cast and as for me, I will continue on in my happy little full life.



Jimnotmike, low carb Lent is going okay.� Not perfect, but okay.� I have made definite progress with a few slip ups...deliberate as they were.� Italian meal out...hot bread.� A downfall of mine.� Serve me cold bread and I won't touch it.� Warm and fresh and I am a goner!� But I am plugging along.� Evenings are really hard for me as�I like to nibble while watching�TV.� Sometimes it is cucumber and the occasional SF jello, but sometimes�neither thing gets it for me. Suggestions?



Tonight is kickboxing and I am still feeling a little bit fatigued from the blood giving of yesterday.� Hopefully it will pass soon and I keep sucking down water to remedy it.� Just still feeling like I could sleep.



Is there a new Biggest Loser tonight?

Running and Blood

Do I have your attention with that title?  HA!  No bleeding from running so don't worry.  I did run 1.25 miles again today and the blood comes in as I went to donate it right after my workout, so it has left me exhausted tonight.  But I knew I had to get the workout in before the blood donation. 

This weekend was a whirlwind for the most part.  Saturday, The Brit went to look at cars as his was dying a slow and painful death.  He would up buying a four door Tacoma Truck; way nice.  Then we headed to WV for auditions and treadmill. 

Auditions went okay, but I don't think I will be cast and I am good with that.  He read me for two parts, but the bigger problem (only a problem for me really) is that there were actually older women there to play the parts of older women.  Anyway, tonight were callbacks and I did not get one.  Maybe he loved me and wants me for Truvey, but personally, I doubt it.  But it's all good. I was not 100% committed in my head and heart anyway.  Though getting back to some theater would be great, there was still the time thing.  Yeah, I could make the time for rehearsals and will if I am cast, but if not cast, then I don't have to make the time.  Again, all good.  Maybe Someone is telling me that now is not the time for me to re-emerge into the theater scene.

We got the treadmill and I am thrilled to bits over having it here.  I am still a gym rat, but this is going to make days the kids are off school so much easier for me, or days when there is just a time issue due to appointments or whatever.  I never have to miss a scheduled workout again and it makes me happy as a clam.

We had dinner with Kelly on Saturday night after auditions and treadmill which is always a good time and then we got to go meet Lola, her newest canine family member and the kids and Brit got to meet all her other animals that I had already met.  Lola is a love.  I adore her.

Sunday, it was clean up the dining room to position the treadmill and for The Brit is was clean out the old car so we could return it to the dealer.  Then my mother, aunt and uncle came over for dinner which was very nice.

Happy birthday today to my sister, Vicki.  Not a clue how old she is, but it isn't polite to say anyway.  Hope she had a great day!

Okay, back to vegging out on the sofa.  I am actually ready to sleep but doing so would have me up at like five and I so don't want that!

1.25

That is how far I ran on the treadmill today.  I kick ass.  I was very excited.  My goal was a mile, which is what I did yesterday, so today when I hit the mile, though tired, I knew I could push it a little bit further and I did.

Honestly, running is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  Honestly, nothing has made me feel more strong physically.  Finishing a run, even my little bitty runs so far, makes me just feel incredible and like anything is possible.  It brings me a sense of fulfillment.  I can't even explain it.  It is so hard to do...it's mind over body, but it is amazing.  I started out running for 30 second increments and then recovering for like 5 minutes and thought I was dying.  Now today I ran 1.25 miles.  It has taken me a long time to get there and I have had many interruptions.  Life gets in the way of this kind of stuff sometimes...things you need to build up to can be interrupted and that interruption sets you back from the schedule you had planned.  But life, and running is a marathon.  You just keep working and in the end you get there.

I get my treadmill tomorrow.  So excited.  This will help me stay on target with training.  When I can't get to the gym, I can still run here...or outside when the weather warms up and some of this wretched snow melts.  But I feel better prepared now to keep focused and to stay on target.  I want to run a marathon one day, even a small one.  I want the experience.

Tomorrow is also auditions for Steel Magnolias and I'm nervous.  I was looking through my script tonight and remembering just how funny this show is and how much I enjoyed it the first time.  Just let my newfound confidence shine through tomorrow in a good way.  I would love to be cast, will be mildly disappointed if I'm not, but not crushed.  My life is full now and if cast, I will be adding something else to it, which is good but not imperative, if that makes any sense. 

My mother is insistent that I don't have time to do a show because she worries about me overdoing it now.  I don't quite get that.  I don't see my life as overly busy for a married person, working a part time job, who has kids.  Aren't all moms busy?  I work four hours a day, five days a week.  I go to the gym at least 4 days a week for about an hour.  I periodically have appointment for me or the kids.  I have praise band one night a week.  I keep up the house and cook dinner and the slow cooker is my friend.  I don't see this as being so busy anyone has a cause to be worried.

Life is for living and I plan on wringing every last drop of life from what I am given before I leave this world. 

Now, I have to go visit some Thursday 13 bloggers.  They gave me some love yesterday and that rocks.

Happy weekend!