Blessings

What an outpouring of LOVE LOVE LOVE. Thanks to my good friend, Kim, we had dinners brought in to us all last week. It was lots of delicious food which yielded lots of yummy leftovers. My fridge is PACKED. We had dinner with Chris' family last night and I just got a call from my Grandmother who wants to bring us dinner tonight! WOW, this is wonderful. THANKS to all of you who have contributed. It has helped in so many ways.

Update

Many of you know that I had surgery last Monday. It went really, really well. It has been a completely different experience this time around: I was awake for the whole surgery and I haven't spewed once. I get a little tipsy when I stand up too fast and I'm a little queasy when I first wake up, but other than that it's been hard to remind myself that I need to rest and allow my body to recover and heal.

I'm very happy to have this ordeal taken care of. Thank Heaven for modern medicine. It truly is a miracle of our day and the times we live in.

Aren't you all jealous that I have perfect hearing while the rest of you continue to say "Huh, What?"

RANT

OK Granted, I have been sequestered in my little home for the whole week. But today takes the cake where rudeness and invasion of personal space is concerned.

First, I head over to our local BIG box store for a few items. I mean very few like maybe 5 or 6. I get in line for the self check-out. I pride myself in being smarter than the average checker and silently rejoice when I only wait in line for 60 seconds while the line next to me gets longer and longer. I scan my purchases only to get curtailed by my trusty yogurt. I try scanning it a few times and think, "OK I'll just get these other items and then try again". With the cereal tucked neat and tidy in the plastic bag, I start to scan this tub of 'gurt. Nothing's happening. I try to key in the bar code, but it won't accept it. So this lady behind me steps up to the scanner right in front of me and starts instructing me on how to scan items. EXCUSE ME? I'm not a moron. I try a few more times and then hand it to her to have her try it. AH HAH! I wouldn't work for miss-know-it-all either. Finally, I just put it on top of the pay thing and said "It ain't worth it". I finished paying and walked away from the rude lady and my cart. Yeah, that's right, rude lady behind me, YOU can put the cart away.

Fast forward to later this afternoon. Much to my chagrin I realize that what I went to the aforementioned BIG box store in the first place for is not in my sewing kit. I swear I had this no-sew glue from a previous project. So, trying to keep things in town and avoid the Big box store and all it's invasion of personal space, I go to a little MOM and POP store. I think to myself "I'm so smart. I am stickin' it to this BIG box and supporting the little guy". The glue was $2.49 and after waiting in line for 3 minutes with two kids in the car waiting for me, I'm told that there is a charge to use a charge/debit card for items under $5.00. A CHARGE to use a CHARGE card? WHAT? I guess that little MOM and POP store really showed me. Here I am a customer that had ventured into their small, podunk, overpriced, overstuffed store to buy my small container of no-sew glue, (which incidentally, has dust on it) and they want to charge me for not having cash on hand. WOW so much for supporting the little guy.

Can I just stay sequestered in my little home, please?

54:16

I have been friends with many long distance runners. I even married one. You would think that I would be a runner as well and would be traveling the race circuit; however, I am not. I am not a runner in any shape or form.

Being a glutton for punishment, yesterday was my first 5K. I didn't sleep a wink the night before being so nervous for this race. I knew people who were going to be there, but I didn't have a running buddy to keep me on pace and to push me to my limits. I was counting on Madonna's Immaculate Collection to keep me true to form: run a song, walk a song and eventually the whole ordeal would be over. I started off walking and started to run after about 5 minutes of warm-up. I cranked up the IPOD and off Madonna and I went. I ran until my song was over and was HATING myself afterward. I had torn up my shins in the first 8 minutes. When it was time to run again I wanted to cry. I tried it but just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was trying to decide if I should just run through the pain and risk permanent injury or just buck it up and walk through the pain to get to the end. WALK! no thank you. I was in it to prove I could do it; to prove to myself that I could be a runner. I was going to be in pain regardless, so I started walking faster and to my surprise Chris drove by with the family. I waved, they cheered and off they went. I thought, "Man, they are going to be waiting a LONG time for me to finish this thing. I better start running".

(I know I'm running on the sidewalk which is a BIG no-no for those with shin splints. This was for photo purposes ONLY)

But, Chris parked the van and they met me at the 1/2 way point. They started to walk with me for a while and all was well. I was so appreciative of this small gesture that really did the trick for my psyche. As I was preparing to say goodbye and get on my way, Chris picked up Samantha and started to run with me. YEAH! I needed someone to help push me along and I'm go grateful that it was Chris and the kids and the dog. Try keeping up with a 4-legged animal! I resolved that I would run across the finish line and that I did! I even pushed myself and beat out the person ahead of me (granted she was walking with her 3 kids) BUT I did beat her to the finish line.

Overall, it was a good experience. A few minutes after crossing the finish line, I walked into Chris' arms and cried. I had finally done it! I had finally finished a race. After years of watching others around me start and finish races, I finally had my own. I had built this up in my mind. I have always been envious of others and their abilities where running is concerned. Since first hearing the poem "The Race" I have been wanting my own experience of pushing through the bad stuff to accomplish something of significance. I'm sure some of you are reading this are thinking "get over your pathetic self" but really, it is a huge deal to me. Granted I didn't run the whole race, and it was only a 5K but it was a huge accomplishment for me. It is only the beginning of a new journey for me, one that will take me on a very different path than I have been "walking" all my life. I now have a personal best to be broken upon subsequent adventures.

As mentioned before, I have shin trouble. It doesn't matter if I run or walk, I get shin splints. Even if I warm up and walk on a soft surface, I will eventually get shin splints. So I did some research and found some shin supports. They basically are just a wrap for your lower leg but they have plastic "ridges" that straddle your shin to provide extra support. When I got home after the race, this is what my shins looked like:

I guess it gives new meaning to the words "race tracks". BTW, I do think they helped, but didn't work the miracle I was looking for. Anyone have the secret to safe, pain free running?

I'm it......

Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.

Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.

Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I have a big hatred to bubble gum. I can't stand to taste it, smell it, chew it, watch people blow bubbles with it. You name it, I can't stand bubble gum. I can't even stand to smell a bubble gum flavored something like toothpaste. I've NEVER eaten a blow pop in my 33 years of life and will NEVER eat one. Regular gum I can tolerate as long as it's in your mouth or in the trash.
   
2. On my mission, I learned how to origami my G's. I have been doing it ever since (12 yrs) It's just not the same having a glob in my drawer and this keeps them nice and tidy.
3. I am on a quest for the perfect "purse". One that's not too small, not too big, easily carried, and has easy access for all my stuff. For the time being, I've found one that works for me almost perfectly. It's a Fossil Weekender Cross body I got for a great deal.
4. Whenever I greet my parents, it's always in French. I always say "Bonjour Pappa" and my Dad responds in Spanish. That's the extent to our foreign conversation. It's English from there on out.
5. I bite my nails. It's a nasty habit I've had since girlhood. I've tried quitting numerous times and even had people slapping my hands out of my face in Jr. High. I'm not too bad now except when I get stressed. I've had acrylics for over a year now....I guess that says how peaceful my life has been lately.
6. I hate trying clothes on in the store. I'm notorious for taking a huge stack into the dressing room, trying it all on, and just walking away with nothing. Chris hates to shop with me. When I find something I like, I buy 3 or 4 in different colors and it gets me by for a few years. Also, I don't dry my clothes in the dryer (G's excluded). I hang dry just about everything. Only when it gets to be too big do I throw it in the dryer to shrink it.

Since I'm pretty knew to this blogging stuff, I apologize to anyone who I tag that's already done this: Amy, Lizzie, Helen, Kimmers, Amannda, and Aubrey

First Day HOORAY!

It is official. All of my little ones are now in school. Today was Sami's first day and I didn't shed a tear! I'm so proud of myself. I did get a little emotional before we even left the house, but I had 2 other Mom's in the van with me this morning to help distract me. It is scary how your life comes full circle sometimes.I remember how my Mom use to take our pictures the first day and have us stand right in the front yard with the sun blaring in our eyes. I conveniently left those off this post. I never thought I'd be back in little 'ole Lehi sending my kids off to school just like my mom use to do soooo many years ago.