The Eleventh Hour

Thank you veterans.

Flight of the Bumblebee

Sorry for the blurry picture--I'm sure the mister will upload some better pictures someday. This was right after we put Lisa's costume on so she was less than thrilled. She did grow to accept Halloween since she got lots of attention. I think she's still mad she didn't get any chocolate. Can you believe we didn't want to kill our dog? Sheesh. Anyways, things have been a bit crazy here. The mister has been busy securing his position among the intelligentsia while your humble servant has been slaving away for the man. Speaking of, this has probably been enough frivolity. Back to work...

Compromises

Halloween is almost upon us. The mister is psyched that we have a house on a street with kids and that there is a reason to have Halloween candy. The first year we were married he claimed kids would come to our apartment complex. Not a single child showed up, so we were left with several bags of candy. I succumb to temptation easily so that was not cool. Anyways, that was the last of the candy. Until now. Let's hope that we manage to guess right and don't overbuy.

In other Halloween news, I decided that Lisa needed a costume. I really really really wanted to make her a ballerina or a fairy or a princess. Come on, that's hilarious! A bulldog in a pink princess costume? You know you are laughing. But the mister would have none of it. He actually didn't want a costume at all for our little furbaby. But, in the end, we both gave a little and reached a decision. Our little ham-on-legs is going to be the cutest bumblebee on the block. I will try to take some pictures. This is going to be good.

A Victory of Sorts

I survived my half-marathon on Saturday. I finished in 2:07, which is 15 minutes slower than my PR last April. Even though I was so much slower than my PR, I'm still satisifed with my time. Until I actually crossed the finish line, I was concerned that I couldn't finish the distance. Just ten weeks ago, I couldn't put any weight on my right leg without crying out in pain. Eight weeks ago I struggled to run just two miles. And only a month ago I finished a seven mile run in tears of frustration, almost inconsolable that I couldn't run like I could last June. So yeah, yesterday's race wasn't one of my best finishes, but I'm still proud of myself and I'm excited for my next race.

Clothes Make the [Wo]Man

To mark the opening of a play based on the book Love, Loss and What I Wore, Double X recently compiled vignettes of their contributors' own life experiences as lived through their clothes. It made me think of my own life lived through my clothes. Of the ruffled underwear, which I insisted went on backwards--why would ruffles go in the back? My demands seemed perfectly reasonable to my toddler brain, not so reasonable to my mom. Of my First Communion ensemble, which I thought was so elegant and classy. In reality, I looked like a lace monster vomited all over me. At least it was the eighties. Of the skiing pig pajamas from my grandmother, which started my pig collection. My band uniforms. My ROTC uniform. Prom dresses. The black sheath dress I wore to my father's memorial service. My very first cashmere sweater. Skinny jeans. My wedding dress. A green wristband I wear in road races to honor my very favorite superhero, Luke.

Then there was the business suit I wore on my very first day of orientation as a new associate. It was a black pinstriped pantsuit which I paired with a sky blue, 3/4 length button down blouse. On my left hand I wore my great-grandmother's anniversary diamond. On my right hand was my Notre Dame class ring. On my wrists I wore my watch with the blue face, a Christmas gift from my husband and the bracelet he bought to congratulate me on surviving law school. Around my neck were the pearls my grandmother bought for me as a child. In my ears were my great-grandmother's diamond earrings, given to me by my mother as a law school graduation present. As I looked in the mirror to check that my hair was not out of place and that I looked adequately put-together, it all hit me: I did it. I made it through law school and had landed the big firm job. I was a lawyer and I was going to be a damn good one at that. No longer was I that awkward girl of my teens--I was now a confident young woman ready to take on the world. Somehow, that suit seemed to contain magic power (it has now, unfortunately, become a casualty of my running hobby and is too big!) and that jewelry, passed down through my family, somehow made me feel connected to previous generations, all of whom were saying "We are proud of you". And then there was my class ring. As I glanced at it, I knew my father was looking down on me. And I knew he could not have been prouder of his not-so-little girl.

So, readers, what are your stories? Add them to the comments.

And the finalists are...

So thanks to everyone who gave input on marathons. I haven't made up my mind yet exactly which one I am going to run, but I have it down to two. Sorry Megs, Christine and Jennifer, but I really want to run one before I turn 30 so that knocks out Indianapolis and the Marine Corps Marathon. Also, Steph--the Sunburst marathon was a very very strong contender. How can a Domer even consider giving up and not finishing while in sight of the Dome? The problem is that the Sunburst races conflict with Hospital Hill here in Kansas City, which is a big local race. It is probably one of the biggest races here in town, and it is a race that I don't want to miss. So, unfortunately, that knocked out the Sunburst marathon. Anyways, here are the two finalists, along with the pros and cons for each:

1. St. Louis. It is close, it is convenient for my mom to come and watch, I've got family in St. Louis I could visit, and what better post-race "fuel" exists than Ted Drewes? The problem is that this race is in April which could mean unpredictable weather. Plus, I'd have to train through the winter which means LOTS of treadmill running. Since I'm on blood thinners through February, I really can't take a chance of running if it gets slick at all outside. Plus, it is really hard to schedule runs outside during the winter due to my work schedule and the lack of daylight, hence the reliance on the treadmill.
2. Montreal. I've always wanted to go to Montreal, plus this race is in September, just a week before my birthday. And the best part? The finish is in the Olympic stadium! I could train through the summer, which means lots of daylight to get in runs, plus it gives me plenty of time to finish getting back the fitness I lost this summer so that when I start marathon training my body is ready for the challenge. Downside is that the mister may be abroad next fall. If I'm going to run a marathon, I'd like to have someone around to celebrate with afterwards.

So that's the situation for now. I'm sure I'll update this when I make a decision and you all will probably be incredibly sick of hearing about my running. But, I'm excited about doing this. What better way to celebrate the entry into my 30s than having a marathon under my belt? Hell, if I can get through 26.2 miles, I can do anything!

Good Riddance!

So Labor Day has come and gone and football has started. We still haven't had the fall equinox or baseball playoffs, but I'm ready to bid Summer 2009 adieu. Normally I really like summer, but this summer, not so much. Sure, some great couples got hitched and some beautiful babies have been born, but I'm ready for this summer to be OVER! I know that I need to be grateful this summer wasn't worse--that clot could have gone to my lungs (bad), the flare could not have responded to drugs (also bad) or the infection could could have been much worse. The only lingering effects from this summer is I'm still not back to where I was in June with respect to running. And I won't be able to run the full marathon next month. And the steroids have given me a bit of a moon face and some acne. All aggravating, at least to me, but not all bad. Still, I'm glad that this is behind me. And it all has got to get better from here.

Speaking of getting better, I need to now come up with a new marathon to run if I'm going to get a marathon in before I turn 30 on September 14, 2010. Chicago and New York are out since they're too late. KC is too late also. I could do one of the spring marathons, but then I have to train through the winter. I thought about Disney or Miami, but they're in January, so I'm afraid I don't have quite enough time. If there are any runners who read this and have suggestions for a good first marathon, please leave your suggestions in the comments.

Guest Post: Lisa the Dog Speaks

Seriously people. Look what I have to put up with. I didn't come up with my own title--can you see what they called me? A common dog? Hellooooo. I have papers.

Anyways, so life has been somewhat rough these past few weeks. My people are jerks. First, they want on vacation and took me to a kennel. A kennel! I had to share attention with common dogs. It was awful. Then when the people came home, things started to disappear. There were lots of boxes. And my people were gone a lot. And then they took me someplace new. I recognized my old crate and blanket but everything was different. I DON'T DO DIFFERENT, PEOPLE. I thought I had made that abundantly clear. I liked my old place. There were no stairs and I knew how to open the doors. Now the doors all latch and I can't open them. Plus there are stairs and uneven wood floors that I cause me to slide. Sure, the yard is nice, but there are all sorts of new smells and sounds. And there's a grill out there now. Can you believe that Dad grilled steaks last night and did not let me have any? Jerk.

Oh wait, someone has turkey out. Time to go turn on the cute and see if I can get me some. I don't think these people are going to move back so the least they could do is feed me treats.