After a pretty rough November and December, 2017 ended quite nicely. I finally got around to all the cleaning and purging I normally like to do at the turn of the year. I organized the coat closet, the bathroom closet, the kitchen pantry, and the closet that houses the washer and dryer. I cleaned the floors and vacuumed and put fresh sheets on the beds. And I decluttered a bit, mostly cleaning off the counter in the kitchen where photos, papers, and miscellaneous items tend to collect. I could not have asked for a better end to the year, except perhaps that I wish I hadn’t gotten a cold. That I could have done without.
Happy Birthday To Me.
As has been my situation lately, I woke up around the 2 o’clock hour and haven’t been able to get back to sleep. After an hour of not falling back asleep, I decided to get up and get my day started. I read a little. I cleaned up a little kitty puke. I did a little work. It’s been a good morning but for the lack of sleep part. Continue reading
One Pint Down.
I gave blood yesterday. It was my first time in years to do so, and I only thought to do it because a friend of mine organized a mobile blood drive in front of the office building next door to mine. It was fun to see her, and it was interesting to see how the donation process has changed and how it hasn’t. Here are some tidbits from that experience. Continue reading
My Mental Health Day.
I took one today. I had a big deadline yesterday and gave myself today to recover and just be. I had a few things planned for the day. Some of it got rescheduled, and there were some surprises, but it’s been a really sweet day. Continue reading
The Dangers of Being a Sherpa.
I’m in Louisville, Kentucky, acting as a sherpa for my sister’s first Ironman. It’s hard not to get wrapped up in the whole Ironman thing. I see the lean and strong people around me who will get to race on Sunday, and I want to be one of them. I see people going on pre-race runs, and while I’m running too, I know our intensity is different, and part of me really wants their intensity – the focus you experience in the days leading up to a big race. I’m watching my sister as she preps, and while there’s a part of me that is relieved that I don’t have to swim in the Ohio River this weekend, there’s another part of me that is so envious that she’s just days away from the Ironman finish line. That’s one of my favorite places on earth. Continue reading
The Girl in the Empty House.
Dave was on a business trip last week when I flew out to Boston. He returned while I was gone, and then left again before I came back. When I arrived home on Sunday evening, I saw evidence of his having been here – a polished kitchen sink, the washer dial turned to hot, and tongs in the salad bowl in the refrigerator. Initially, I felt a tinge of sadness knowing he wouldn’t be home for another five days. But now, on Wednesday, still two full days away from his return, I’m having to be intentional to avoid being downright despondent. Continue reading
My First 50K – A Race Report.
Back in June, my friend Ann invited me to do a 50K trail race with her at the end of September. It would be in Massachusetts, very near where she lives, and it fell on her birthday. The timing wasn’t great because it was three weeks after Ironman Wisconsin and one week after my Colin’s Hope 10K swim, but I jumped at the chance to sign up because it would give me a chance to (a) meet a new goal that I’d been considering, (b) visit a place I love that I hadn’t been to in quite a while, and (c) celebrate a dear friend I hadn’t seen in nearly two years since we ran in Maine together. I couldn’t pass up all of that! So last Thursday, I flew out and on Saturday, we ran. And oh my goodness, it was a hard, hard thing. Continue reading
