Finishing up May

After Fargo, I spent the week traveling. I had a work conference the day after we got back - just an overnighter but still. Then I spent a couple nights at home prepping and packing for my trip to Maryland to see my OOB and his family.

My second nephew graduated high school this weekend and it was fun to go out and see it. AJ has always been a quiet kid, and this weekend was no exception. I did get a chance to get a few conversations in with him and he was pretty funny. I think he thought I was just crazy and odd because he kept laughing at me. :)

The weekend was good. Mom and I flew in on Thursday and OOB picked us up. We went out for crab cakes (yay!) and so we didn't get to OOB's place until almost 2230. Granted they're an hour ahead of my normal time, but I usually go to bed at 2130, so I was ready to crash. I won the air mattress (so mom could have the bed) and proceeded to sleep.

The next morning I got up for a run. OOB had given me some options for routes so I took off and tried out one up the road. Other than the slim shoulder on the way to the development I ran through, it was a great run. MD was HUMID so that sucked. When I got back, OOB and OOB's Wife (SIL or OOBW, depending on my mood) started working in the yard to finish up some landscaping. I got bored so I found a pair of my nephew's old soccer cleats and went out to help. I ended up raking mulch and then power spraying the concrete. It was fun to get some yardwork done, even if it wasn't mine.

Friday night was the Senior Awards Banquet. AJ got quite a few awards...but then again, he's a smart kid. I was tired so I became bored...but alas. I think a lot of people were bored. Then only excitement was the horrendous thunderstorm that came through while we were there. When we got home we discovered that a limb came down on the tree in the backyard, solidifying Mom's powers of felling trees*.

Saturday I got up for a run, but opted to walk with Mom first. We went around the neighborhood loop - 5 times around for 3 miles. Mom hadn't walked enough the day before so we needed to get her some steps. Afterward OOB made waffles which are my favorite so I had 3 and then needed to go run again. So I went around the loop again for another 3 miles. When I got back it was time for graduation. It was a great ceremony. We followed that up with Japanese Hibachi and OOB and I had sushi for appetizers. MMMMmmmmmm. Loving me the sushi. :)

Sunday another run was in order but I ended up running errands with OOB and helping set up for the graduation party instead. This was a fun day though because I also ended up being the cool aunt and helping my almost 13-yr-old niece learn the ins and outs of how to swim when Mr. Friendly is visiting. OOBW felt bad, like she was being a bad mom because she couldn't help her daughter, but I had to absolve her of that - I know few girls who feel comfortable talking to their mom about that stuff. So AME and I had a nice chat and eventually she "beat Mr. Friendly" and spent the afternoon swimming.

I got in a little lounging in the pool too. I was so glad I had remembered my swimsuit this time. I spent part of the party early on by the pool getting a little pink, then after the kids had left, I floated around for about an hour. It was great. AJ came home from his parties and we chatted some more. He opened his cards/gifts and then set up his class schedule for college next fall. He was excited to get his courses assigned right away but got a little overwhelmed when he was seeing all the classes he has to take. He's going into Civil Engineering, and I think he's going to do great. I'm really excited for him.

Monday I got a run in while it was nice and humid in the morning - another 3 miler. Then we helped OOBW's parents move into a new place. Then a shower, some lunch and headed to the airport for a fun little adventure back home. Home was having a horrible storm covering the entire east side of the state, so we were diverted and put on a bus to get home. Pretty crazy trip. We didn't get in until 0130 this morning. Uffda.

So today I have been recovering from the trip, checking in at work, doing some laundry and making plans for yard work (it's windier than hell here so I have to divert my mowing until tomorrow). I'm really glad to be home. Dorothy was right, "There's no place like home."

*There's a running joke that whenever Mom goes to visit OOB, OOB loses a tree. The last time (or the time before) that she was there, there was a lightening strike that took down their front yard tree. This trip took down only a limb, but as we were walking around the neighborhood the next morning we discovered quite a few trees down. Mom's power has grown. :)

Fargooooooooo

This past weekend I ran the GoFar Challenge in Fargo, ND. It was fun and I learned a lot about me throughout the whole ordeal.

So the GoFar Challenge is a 5K run/walk on Friday night followed by a race (either 10K, Half, or Full marathon) Saturday AM. I opted originally for the 5K/Marathon combo, but just before Easter I decided that it might be smarter for me to switch to the 5K/Half combo. With FXB I hadn't been running as much and while I was stronger, I just didn't feel comfortable with running 26.2.

Anyway, I ran with two of my friends - Tom and Sara - who are engaged and getting married this fall. Tom is a super fast runner and Sara's a wee bit slower than me. So this was a good matchup for Friday night. Tom and I talked and subtly urged Sara along while we dodged one of the most intensely packed 5Ks I've ever been a part of. Seriously - something like over 6000 people participated. Wow.

MS was along, as usual, and he got a picture of us coming across the finish line. He missed our high-five, but he had us pose for this one at the end. So much fun.


Saturday was the Half. I honestly thought I was ready for this and could have made at least the middle of my three goals. Yes, I set three goals for each longer distance race: a) the time I really want (in this case 2:20); b) the time I can live with (2:30); and c) the absolute slowest time I'll allow (2:45). Well, I made the last one on this race. Finished in 2:41, which I was really upset with until MS reminded me that I had been sick all week prior to this race and was still having a bit of a cough and phlegm. Fair enough. My legs did feel pretty good through the race but I just couldn't get the momentum I wanted. Again, it was a really crowded race (over 7000 I believe) and I felt like I was dodging people the entire time. Then just before we hit the halfway mark we merged with the full marathoners which made it unbearable. They were in stride (sort of, they had 95 turns they had to deal with - seriously) and so suddenly having to deal with us slower folks sucked for them. Well it also sucked for us, because suddenly there were these faster runners trying to get around us and it was just uncomfortable.

Anyway, I met up with MS around 7.5 which was needed. I had some oranges, begged for strength and headed off again. MS had his own struggles dealing with traffic and finding his way through town. He met up with me at the end and took this picture as I was crossing the finish line. I like this one. It made me glad.


All in all, it was a good weekend. Fargo has some improvements that are needed - especially post-race (no signage or directions anywhere!, long lines for medals, longer line for food that was so backed up people couldn't even move). But otherwise it's a decent race. The people are super friendly, the pre-race build up the morning of was great, and having everything from the Expo to the finish line in the Fargodome was pretty cool (despite parking issues).

Now, I'm looking to find my next race. I have a 5K at the end of June, but I'm thinking of another half mid-June. We'll see. :)

A shoutout to my Dad

Dad would have been 75 years old today. Sadly, though, he died in 1994 when he was only 58. I still miss him a great deal. He was my father, he was my friend. I miss our chats, playing HORSE in the driveway, sitting on the back patio just taking in the night air (which, of course, was laced with the scent of Salem Menthol lights and sawdust).

Love you, Dad. Miss you. I know we'll meet again one day.

Beautiful night

If I wasn't sick and I didn't have to work tomorrow, tonight would be absolutely beautiful. The moon is gorgeous tonight. I'm sitting on our couch and looking out our large living room window and taking it all in. The only thing better would be if I was outside by a fire with a Guinness in hand.

But alas, I've been sick the last three days - just a head cold but it's knocked me out. I came home from work yesterday and crashed for three hours. THREE hours! I couldn't believe it. Of course, then I was up until 11:40 waiting to get tired again so I could sleep. This afternoon MS wanted to study and wanted me to rest, so I ended up taking another two and a half hour nap. I only woke up when I heard the door squeak as MS opened it to go to his appointment.

I'm just going to sit here and pretend that I'm outside and enjoying the weather. And the moon. And I'll pretend it's Funday Sunday so I can have a Guinness as well. :)

It's late

It's almost 11 and I'm still awake. This isn't surprising since I took a 3 hour nap this afternoon. However, since I'm sick the nap was almost a necessity and I took Nyquil over an hour ago so you'd think it would have hit me by now.

But no. I'm awake. I finally had a yawn a moment ago. And I'm watching Police Academy. The latter is a saving grace. MS went to bed an hour ago and here I sit.

It's been a busy week. Work was busy this week. I have a couple projects I'm working on and so things keep me hopping. This will be a busy month, too, with some work travel and running events coming up, so I have to keep focused when I'm work so I can make sure I get things accomplished. So much so that I'm tempted to go into work tomorrow even though I have the day off.

But we'll see. Tomorrow is May 16 - significant in many ways: MS's mom's b-day (she turns 69 this year); was my grandma Dot's b-day; and most important it was my Dad's b-day. He would have been 75 tomorrow. That's huge. 75! Wow! And what still makes me sad is that he didn't even make it to 60.

I suppose I should try to sleep. PA is almost over so I might as well. I'm just debating if I should stay on the couch or go to bed and infect MS with some sickness. Hmmm...The bed would be more comfortable, but I don't want to get him sick.

May I be excused? My head is full. Did this post even make sense?

It's already the 9th?

Where has the beginning of May gone? Wow! Time just flies on by, doesn't it? Just a reminder to value every minute.

This first week of May has been really good. My training last week was awesome - extra runs on top of FXB, the 10K Saturday with a great time even with walking (which tells me if I hadn't walked I would have gotten a PR), a nice Mom's day yesterday. Life is good.

So I thought I should add some pics, because I just don't do that as much anymore.

This is MS and his Mom. I like this photo because even though she's kind of bent over, she has a look on her face that cracks me up.


Me and my Mom. :) I love her. She's wonderful. We actually had met for church yesterday AM, then went out for breakfast, and then met up for lunch with MS and his mom. Fun times. :)


So Saturday's race was for breast cancer. So many people in my life have been touched with it. They give you a sticker you can put on your back, "I'm running for..." and write all the names. I don't do this for a couple reasons: 1) Too many times when I'm running I end up stepping on a sticker that has fallen off of someone in front of me and that seems almost as bad as when KC yells at me for accidentally stepping on the handicapped stencil in parking lots; 2) there are just too many people in my life who have been affected by this dreadful disease - I'm afraid the card would be too full and/or I'd forget someone. So I run and I think of all of them while I run. And I say prayers for them in between saying prayers for myself that I can finish the run. *grin*

Specifically Saturday I was on the Boots for Boobs team. A gal I work with is recovering from her Mom's death earlier this year. "Sam" had suffered from breast cancer for years. But we've had a lot of others at work who have suffered and survived. I had two friends in high school whose mom's both died. I know others out there, near and far, who have been touched. So I run. And I run with a vengeance:

Admin Pro Day

First a shout out to Kat whose birthday is today. Happy Birthday, my dear! Hope it's a great one!

So sometimes you just forget how great you have it. I think a lot of people I work with forget just how great things are where we are. We have a good job, a steady job, with great hours, great benefits and awesome people to work with and for. But we've been doing it so long, we forget all that.

This week is Administrative Professionals Week (or day - yesterday, I think or is it really today?). I thought about this briefly last week when I heard an ad for flowers and I remembered how my dad would always buy mom flowers this week because she took care of all the bills and shopping and stuff at home.

Well, today Boss1 came into my office with an envelope and said, "Happy Admin Pro day!" I was shocked, "That's today?" I was amazed. He gave me a really nice card and an iTunes gift card with the note, "Find some motivating music for your marathon training." Ahhh...a guy who gets me. Despite the fact he doesn't understand it, at least he's supporting my love of marathoning. :) Yay!

Then before I left for lunch, Boss2 gave me his gift - a 6-pack of Guinness! Another man who understands me! His concern, "I don't know when you can drink it" since I'm on this FXB program. I said, "Sundays!" He laughed and said, "There you go, you can make up for lost time this Sunday!" Not that I'll drink all at once, but it's nice anyway.

It's so great to have bosses who appreciate you. And really I am blessed. These two men are fabulous to work with/for. We laugh, we joke, we are serious when need be, and we work really well together. I hope we can continue this for a long time to come.

Easter 2011

So I realized that I haven't posted pictures of anything in awhile, so here you go.

Easter 2011 was held at our house. We had invited my mom and YOB as well, but they ended up having other plans. So we had a lot of food for three people. MS's mom came over so that was nice.

Below is a pic of me and MS's mom.


MS and his mom. Check out that table! Wow, I'm good. :)


My first ham! The things floating are raisins. The recipe was okay but it didn't really do much for me, so I probably won't be doing that one again.


And then the culmination of the entire meal: My homemade pumpkin pie! Crust from scratch and pumpkin from the garden. Nothing from a can here. :)


Happy Easter everyone!

SUAR

Shut Up and Run! Hello! Those are words of wisdom.

And SUARis offering up a giveaway! Check it out! Click on the link! :)

By the way, Sporty Girl Jewelry is awesome. :)

Back to back

My back has been tweaked beyond belief (well, maybe not beyond belief, but it hurts and I'm a wimp) since Sunday. I can't for the life of me figure out what I did (wow, I exaggerate a lot here, don't I?). MS keeps telling me I "overdid" it last week with my workouts. I don't know why 9 workouts in 7 days would be "overdoing" it but he seems to think so. I especially don't know why it would be that way when I felt GREAT during every single one of them.

So what caused this? I don't know, but I'm annoyed. I haven't ran since Saturday and I'm getting antsy. Not only am I antsy because I haven't ran, but I have a half marathon coming and I haven't been doing a lot of running, only FXB. (Yes, I decided to switch to the half.)

But I'm also antsy because when I can't workout I get somewhat bored. And when I'm bored, I eat. And I track my food so my caloric intake this week has been outragous. Well, it's been about 1700 calories the last two days which probably isn't bad, but when I'm supposed to only eat 1300 (to drop some pounds) and I had been averaging around 1700 WITH exercise, I'm not a happy camper. I feel heavy. I feel flabby. I feel ick.

So I'm trying to up my protein today to "fill me up". But that only works so well because I can't eat the entire can of Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Cinnamon Brown Sugar Almonds because there's too much fat in them. I bought some jerky this afternoon, but when I bit down on the first piece I about knocked my jaw loose (it hurts now too). And then I bought gum to distract me from being hungry by keeping my jaw busy, but that just gets annoying and also makes my jaw tired.

Wow, I'm a whiner today. But Man, I'm annoyed. And hungry. And really wanting popcorn right now, but "no popcorn, eat cheese" keeps echoing in my head.

My other problem (I might as well lay it all out here since I'm already whining) is that 3 1/2 weeks ago when I started FXB they encouraged us to drink 80oz of water a day. I'm up to over a gallon (plus tea if I have that for lunch and milk for dinner). My new hobby is peeing and, while 3 weeks ago it did this, it doesn't keep me full anymore. I used to be full because I was drinking so much water, but now I'm still hungry.

I hate being hungry. I hate not being able to work out (especially when I want to because I don't always want to). I'm crabby. Can you tell?

Multiple thoughts

I have had 6 or 7 posts running through my head today, and for the life of me I can't really remember them now...as usual. It's sad because I know at the time they were really good.

I've been reading Kristin Armstrong's book Mile Markers. It's been eye-opening and motivating. She had a chapter about peace and passion (or maybe they were two chapters...I need to do some re-reading). But finding your passion can bring you peace and often what you do for a job isn't necessarily what brings you peace. For her, she knits and bakes and runs.

I'm very similar in that aspect. I haven't baked in a very long time and I do miss it. I know for my honey I can't bake during the winter, or at least unless he's working out on a regular basis (which really isn't during the winter). But I do miss it. I miss baking...it was often where I'd find my peace.

So I'm working to restructure my life a little. I miss writing. I need to work on that more and make a point to write more. I have a couple different blogs (4) so I should be able to find something to write somewhere. But I also wonder if I shouldn't work on a book of some sort.

I just have to find my story.

Just about

Up until yesterday I was having a great weekend. Friday night I had the best kickboxing class yet. Dave pushed us on a circuit-like training. I paired up with a FIT member and she said I was pushing her. Ha! It was great. When she was on the bag, I was at the mirror doing squats or crunches or mountain climbers. Then on the bag I was just kickin' it hard. It was great.

My back started to feel a little tweaked but not bad the next morning. I went to resistance training - upper body - at a class that was so packed I could barely find room to do what was required. But I made it through. Then I headed to our running store for a great 5K with a friend from DM. That basically killed the morning.

Then MS and I went to see "The King's Speech" which was awesome. I wasn't sure MS would like it but he seemed to enjoy it. It probably wouldn't have been his first choice (or any choice) but I'm glad he agreed to see it. It was great.

Sunday, though, is when my back really started to hurt. We went to church and came home in the rain. Our road is ripped up to hell because of the recent onslaught of precipitation, so I opted to take a rest day and not run. In some ways that was a good idea, in others not so much since my back really started to hurt and I didn't get a run in today either.

Anyway, Sunday afternoon, I met up with Jake & Ava and YOB to paint ceramic eggs like we did last year. The kids seemed pretty hyper and YOB looked really tired. We had a good time, though. The bad thing is the eggs won't be ready until Monday, which kind of defeats the purpose. Last year they pushed to have them done at least by the day before Easter, but not this year (I might check anyway). At one point though, I was getting up from my chair to get Ava a paper towel and I could barely walk. Oh, not good.

MS and I went out to eat at the fancy Italian restaurant last night. I had a Groupon, so at least it wasn't too bad in cost. The food was okay, but I don't know that we'd go back again. It was nice to go out though. When we got home, MS drew me an Epsom salt bath, which was sweet. I got to have a hot bath and read my book. Awesomeness.

Today my back has not gotten much better. I really wanted to go in and run on the treadmill (though the weather wasn't too bad, so I could have run outside), but I didn't want to risk it. Heating pad, extra pillows on the couch so I'm sitting upright instead of the relaxed state we normally are in, and laundry - that was my day. I took another bubble bath tonight just for some heat on the bath. And I read again (I miss reading).

I'm hoping tomorrow my back will feel better. I missed kickboxing tonight because of it. Tomorrow is resistance bands, but maybe if it feels okay I can get on the treadmill at some point.

I'm mildly crabby. I don't like feeling like this. Hopefully it's temporary.

Great weekend!

Finally! A weekend where I got to do fun things! It has been great!!!

Friday night I had a great night of kickboxing, which led me to be very tired and I overslept my class Saturday AM. I didn't mind. I was going to hang out with Emily all day, so it was worth it.

Emily and I were busy! We ran a couple errands, got some yummy cupcakes (which I couldn't eat until Sunday), went to the Butterfly House and saw the new exhibit of fish, looked at oodles of toys, painted pottery, saw a cake decorating contest, ate fish at Applebees (she likes shrimp and I love their Cajun tilapia), and then to B&N to look at books (my favorite!). I had thought we could go to a movie and see Gnomeo & Juliet since I hadn't seen it yet, and she hadn't either, but she wanted to hang with her parents while they ran errands instead. Of course I think when she realized they weren't going to be buying her toys (like I didn't) that maybe the movie would have been a better idea. But by then I was moving on to my next set of plans. :) It was still a great day though. I love spending time with her and luckily she likes to spend time with me too.

Sunday after church (Yes, E, I went to church - with MS even) I went for a 5.5 mile run while MS studied. It was such a great morning - grey and cool - perfect for running. We cleaned up when I got back and went to Em's for her birthday party. She turns 11 today but since it's a Monday we celebrated yesterday. Such a fun time! YOB was there with his kids, Doreen (one of Em's aunts) brought her grandson Noah who is super cute, and Kristi (Em's cousin) had her daughter there. So many kids - and then adults too. :) I'm glad her party was on Funday Sunday so I could enjoy the food. My sis makes a good spread for parties - pork sandwiches (and pork is not my favorite, but her's is pretty good), salad, and of course, Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. :) Mmmm. Doreen and I get along really well too. It's funny how I get along with older adults so well. But that's another blog for another time.

MS and I came home after the party and I had a great bonus. I got to READ! Seriously, straight up reading for fun! MS wanted to finish one of his chapters he was studying so I read my book. I'm currently reading Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong. I haven't had much time lately to just relax and indulge in one of my favorite hobbies, so I was really thankful for this time. Then MS and I had a pizza (Funday Sunday tradition, it seems) and watched a movie.

Today has been great. I slept in until 7:30! Craziness! I'm sure part of that is from the insult of sugar to my body yesterday, but I didn't care. I vegged for awhile then went for a short 3.5 mile run. MS called to see if I'd come see the AL place in our town. We checked it out and, in my opinion, it's a great option for his Mom. We'll just have to get in. She's on a waiting list now, but hopefully in the next month or so. And now I'm just finishing watching Hairspray (a former Monday tradition resurfacing), washing clothes and cleaning. I love these days. It's restoring faith in humanity - or at least restoring some resemblance of the woman I am in myself. :)

Now I'm debating if I should watch Six Feet Under or Friends or something else. :) I do love that we have a DVD player that's working again. And with MS out running his errands I can do what I need to do. :) Now if only I could bake...

Week 2 begins

I completed week 1 of the FXB challenge and it went pretty well, I'd say. I made it to 4 of the 6 classes (one being sick and the other work conflict), so that made me glad. I do enjoy the kickboxing - it's a nice way to work off some aggravation. The resistance bands are good too, and while I hate them, I know they'll be beneficial in time too.

So now we're into April. It will be a good month. I just need to keep my head up and my feet moving. If I slow I start to think too much and that's just a set up for dysfunction. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can get some good runs in soon. I'm missing it.

Finishing out another month

It's hard to believe that March is over, or that it's 9:06 pm for that matter. This month has flown by. It feels like just the other day we were changing our clocks and now we're moving into April. Crazy.

The 10-wk program is going well. After recovering from Monday, the last three days have been great. I really like the kick-boxing days - it's nice to actually hit something for once...years of TaeBo and KenpoX and punching the air is paying off. But the bigger workout is with the resistance bands. I hate these but I can feel them working, so I'll stick with it.

And the eating plan with the program is going well too. I haven't had pop in 2 days, and I haven't had caffeine since Sunday. My new hobbies are eating and peeing it seems, but if it helps, I'll make it work.

For now, March is over and I'm moving forward. Blessings to you all!

Ups & Downs

That's about all I can say for the last few days - ups & downs.

So I won this 10-wk body shaping session thing. I signed up, agreed to do it - I did talk with them about my marathon training. They said they had a gal in the winter session who is a marathoner and her time and strength improved. So hopefully that will happen. I did find it funny that at the orientation they kept telling us that our weight probably won't change, but we'll lose inches. That's great...I actually need to weigh less - less weight=faster moe.

Thursday we had a retirment party for one of our old-timers. KC, MB and I sang the anthem together and sounded great. I love singing with them. I wish we had more gigs, but then we'd need to practice more and with their 2.5 children, time is limited.

MS and I had a great weekend. We took a little road trip Friday, then spent the weekend on the couch watching movies. Yesterday we ran errands and I proceeded to get a migraine and nausea. It was awesome. Not. I haven't thrown up since college (and that was alcohol induced) so last night was really weird for me - and for him. He didn't know what to do and I didn't know what to tell him. I feel better today, but not 100%. I still had a headache most of the day (it finally went away about 45 minutes ago), and have had the chills a bit too. Weird. I don't like being sick.

Anyway, my first class for my 10-wk program is tonight. It was supposed to be last night but alas... Anyway.

Da Winnah!!

I'm sitting at work laughing my head off today. I just got an email from a co-worker that said, "I just heard on the radio that Ben and Patty are going to pump up Moe. The winner of this weeks facebook friend. Is this our Moe??"

Yesterday, I signed up for the local radio station giveaway for a 10-week body makeover session at a local place. I was laughing as I signed up even...because with my luck I'd win and I don't know that I really want it, though I know it would be beneficial. But then again, I rarely win anything, so why not?

So when my co-worker sent that email I busted out laughing. So now I have this 10-week body makeover session (still waiting for details because I think it starts Saturday) and I'm curious if a) I should accept it and b) if I can make it work in my schedule and c) what MS will think about all of it.

The 10-week thing doesn't worry me too much other than I have a marathon in 9 weeks...well 8 by the time it would start. And that's totally different training.

Lord knows I need the help, and having a free workout worth $399 may be well worth my time and energy if it can get me on track and ready for the marathon and for summer. I have a lot of work to do, and maybe being forced into going would help. Of course, because I'm NOT paying for makes the incentive to go a little less because I really have nothing invested in it...nothing but myself, I guess. :)

So do I take it and do the program? Or should I give it back to another lucky winner?

Expiration Date

My dear friend KC sent me this email today. I've seen it before, not sure if it's true, but I do think it's a good reminder that we need to live in the moment. And it's a good reminder that sometimes we need to be like children and stop for the "something shiny" because it may be something amazing.

THE SITUATION
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made...
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Enjoy life NOW ... it has an expiration date.

Discardia time again!

Today starts another season of Discardia - YAY! So I'm working on purging my life, once again, from all the extra clutter and crap that inflicts my life - not just physically, but emotionally as well.

So this weekend I signed up on a website to track my food and calories and exercise so I can lose 15 pounds by the May marathon. I need to get rid of my winter weight. I know it'll make running a LOT easier and I'll feel better about myself as well - which will help mentally. In 2009 when I was 15 pounds lighter than I am now, I was happy, because I felt good and ready to go and as a result the marathon was awesome. I need that.

On the paper side, I spent the morning after church going through my pile of mail from the week, as well as all the extras that had piled up in my basket by my side of the couch. It was good to purge of the excess. I still have more to go through, of course, but it's a great start.

Yesterday, I updated my marathon scrapbook, too, which puts my running in perspective. It's fun to see how I've progressed (or not) throughout the last few years. I only started running in 2007, so it's still new. I'm really thankful MS got me started with the scrapbook. And he's been super supportive this week, riding his bike alongside me as I've been running. He's a lifesaver.

All in all, this will be a good Discardia, I think. It's Spring and Spring cleaning is running rampant in me and I'm excited to make some changes.

The need to learn how to play

Today I saw this picture of my adorable Goddaughter fresh and happy in the midst of playtime. Her mom commented on how they have to pin her hair back now because her bangs are so long they get in the way of her playing.

That statement made me smile. And smile fully. Partly because my Goddaughter is like me in that aspect - I hate having hair on my face. It gets in the way and makes it difficult, if not annoying, to enjoy things fully. It's a nuisance. But the statement made me smile because playing is so important that my Goddaughter has to be prepped for it.

Play time is so essential and I think as adults we forget that. So much of life is work, home work, work, etc., that we forget to play. When was the last time you were on a swing? Or were running with complete abandonment? Phoebe, from Friends, said once about running that it was funnest when you were running from "Satan" (the neighbors dog).

There's that reckless freedom about it, about play time, that I think adults fear. I know I do. I don't have control! I need control! But I'm missing out on some of the best moments in life because of that fear. Why can't I just let go and enjoy each and every moment? How do I find that place deep within myself and let it out?

I need to spend more time with the young people in my life - my nieces, my nephews, my Goddaughter. I know they can teach me. I know I can learn to play...if I can get out of my head long enough to let it happen.