My New Year's Resolution must be revised. I do not consider it broken (okay, I obviously feel a little guilty about it).
Today is the Get in Gear run in the Twin Cities and I am not participating. I never signed up because one of the factors that I didn't not consider is registration fees. I already have 2-3 $35 t-shirts in my closet and I have decided that that is a bit too expensive for T-shirts! The registration costs add up quickly.
How have I revised my resolution? Well, I have joined the Lifetime Fitness Run Club. They meet Tues, Thurs, and Sat, but I have found that I only have time to run with them a few times a month. The group is a fantastic group of fun people who love to run. They typically run much faster and farther than I am used to, but they use pace coaches spread out amongst the group to make sure that everyone is okay. Now comes the distance issue. My typical run by myself is about 3 miles and i haven't really progressed beyond that. With the group, I have completed close to 6 miles and this week I did a little over 5 miles, but I think I need to stay there for a while.
Running is a mental game and I should be able to do a longer distance just by slowing down, but I am also dealing with some muscle issues. My calves are not cooperating. They are stiff and knotted and no matter how much I stretch, I cannot get them loose. Hopefully, my physical therapist can help me out and fit me with new custom orthotics and we can get this figured out. I know that hydration is an issue, but even when I feel like I am swimming in water and electrolyte solution, I am still cramping. I wake up in the middle of the night with my feet and toes in contorted positions from the muscles spasms in my calves. It is not a pretty sight and it is painful. I want to get resolution to this issue so that I can keep up with my revised resolution!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Average - even when sick!
The race results came out for the St. Patrick's Day Human Race 5k that I ran on Sunday. Even with being sick, I still landed as "average". Actually, I was better than average/middle of the road. Imagine what I could have done if my lungs were cooperating!
| 671 Finishers | |||
| Time | Mile Pace | Kilometer Pace | |
| Winning Time | 0:17:56 | 5:47 | 3:35 |
| Average Time | 0:33:26 | 10:47 | 6:41 |
| Slowest Time | 0:57:49 | 18:39 | 11:34 |
| Preliminary Results |
| Marcella Sackett |
| Age 38 |
| Bib Number |
| 1306 |
| Division |
| F3539 |
| City |
| Bloomington MN |
| Overall Place |
| 397 out of 671 |
| Gender Place |
| 200 out of 404 |
| Division Place |
| 20 out of 51 |
| Finish Time |
| 0:33:03 |
| Mile Pace |
| 10:38/mile |
| Kilometer Pace |
| 6:37/km |
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Life Lesson #316
"If you feel crappy at the start of a race, you are likely to feel even crappier at the end."
Yes, even though I have been laid up with a cold, fever, aches, and chills, I still decided to run the St. Patrick's Day Human Race today. As you know, my obsessive nature drove me to do it and here are the points that I used to rationalize it to myself:
The boys were very cute running the 1/2 miler. Alexander decided to run it when we were walking out to take Ethan to the start line. After a quick, last minute registration, we jogged over to the start. They looked so cute that I had to take a picture with my cell phone (Alexander on left - #195; Ethan on right - #143).
Ethan enjoyed the run and will do it again. Alexander didn't enjoy it, but he wants to do it again. Funny boys! I would love to have running partners over the next few years. I suspect that within 5 years, they will be zooming past me!
Yes, even though I have been laid up with a cold, fever, aches, and chills, I still decided to run the St. Patrick's Day Human Race today. As you know, my obsessive nature drove me to do it and here are the points that I used to rationalize it to myself:
- My fever broke at about 4 am this morning. It is always a lovely feeling to wake up in a pool of sweat (yes, my bedding is in the washer right now).
- Ethan was signed up for the youth 1/2 miler and Alexander expressed a bit of interest, too.
- Susan was driving us
- Susan and I both needed each others' motivation to make it to the race
- My New Year's resolution is to run a 5k (or a race) each month. I didn't want month 3 to be my first miss.
The boys were very cute running the 1/2 miler. Alexander decided to run it when we were walking out to take Ethan to the start line. After a quick, last minute registration, we jogged over to the start. They looked so cute that I had to take a picture with my cell phone (Alexander on left - #195; Ethan on right - #143).
Ethan enjoyed the run and will do it again. Alexander didn't enjoy it, but he wants to do it again. Funny boys! I would love to have running partners over the next few years. I suspect that within 5 years, they will be zooming past me!
Friday, March 14, 2008
First Run
I have wanted to join the Lifetime Fitness Run Club since I moved to
This year was the year. I have been running for 5 months now and am really enjoying it. I wanted to meet other runners, learn some new routes, and to push myself into doing new drills and activities. This year was the year and I finally did it this week.
Last night, was my first run with the group. It was nice to meet a bunch of other runners, but my jaw dropped when I learned that they were going to do hill work on an 8+ mile loop! They saw my facial expression (I was VERY upfront about where I was in my training) and they split into two groups: one doing the hills and one doing a short loop. I, of course, took the shorter loop. As we are running along, I asked how long the loop was.... it was 5.86 miles!!! AND, I was running with experienced runners - one of whom was an ultramarathoner!! That means she has done 50 – 100 mile aces!!!! gack...In the matter of seconds my self confidence regarding running went from “I can do this” to “what the hell was I thinking???”
Needless to say, I was the slow little tortoise at the end of the line. It was good for my mental game because I needed to work through the normal aches and pains AND the psychological part of being the least experienced. It took me a little while, but I started focusing on the fact that at least I had made the leap and here I was with the Run Club. Here I was running on a beautiful evening. I started my usual mental game of focusing on the beauty around me and the sound of my feet hitting the ground. Overall, the experience of being the tortoise in the group will help me for races. I will learn to keep my own pace and to not get mentally "down". So, I found the silverlining and was able to enjoy the rest of the run.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to make the next two team runs on Saturday or on Tuesday. I will be there on Thursday! This tortoise is NOT going to give up!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
hockey and choir
diverse kids = diverse activities
Today we juggled a schedule of hockey practice at the Mariucci Center at the University and a big Angelica Cantanti concert.
Alexander has become a goalie. Here is my little guy in his gear today:
Ethan loves to sing and here he is in the midst of the concert standing next to his best friend Connor (Ethan is third from the right - looking for curls) :
Today we juggled a schedule of hockey practice at the Mariucci Center at the University and a big Angelica Cantanti concert.
Alexander has become a goalie. Here is my little guy in his gear today:
Ethan loves to sing and here he is in the midst of the concert standing next to his best friend Connor (Ethan is third from the right - looking for curls) :
Friday, January 25, 2008
A Movie Worth Owning
Nancy and I were scheduled to see Atonement tonight, but due to constraints with my work where I need to "on call" for a development team in India, we were unable to squeeze that movie in. Since we still wanted to see a movie, Juno was the one movie that would allow me to get home before 9pm.
Thank goodness for odd time crunches! We both ended up loving the movie as did most people in the audience as demonstrated by the fact that they clapped at the end of the movie! What was really interesting was that people of all ages were there - older couples, younger couples, and even a group of teenaged boys. And, they all seemed to enjoy it.
What is the movie about? Well, it is about an unique 16 year old girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. Yawn? Yep, that is exactly what I said, too, but I was completely surprised and enjoyed it. The cast is great, the directing is great, and the script is great.
This is definitely a movie that I will be buying!
Thank goodness for odd time crunches! We both ended up loving the movie as did most people in the audience as demonstrated by the fact that they clapped at the end of the movie! What was really interesting was that people of all ages were there - older couples, younger couples, and even a group of teenaged boys. And, they all seemed to enjoy it.
What is the movie about? Well, it is about an unique 16 year old girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. Yawn? Yep, that is exactly what I said, too, but I was completely surprised and enjoyed it. The cast is great, the directing is great, and the script is great.
This is definitely a movie that I will be buying!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
First Exposures to Pro Football
The boys and I had a fun day filled with Legos, errands, bowling, a new computer game purchase (Sim City 4), and dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. Each of these places that we visited was either playing the Patriots vs. Chargers on the radio or on the tv. By the time we reached California Pizza Kitchen and the game of the Packers vs Giants started up, the boys and I were infected with excitement.
While we were installing Sim City and playing a little bit, we had the football game on the tv (wow! digital is really cool!). Soon, we were all watching the game. The boys decided to cheer for the Packers since several of their friends love the Packers; while I chose to cheer for the Giants just to add some drama and in support of my step-Dad, Gordie.
This was the first time that Ethan and Alexander actually watched a pro-football game. So, I spent some time with them explaining what downs were and how they changed, what the flags meant, and why they were trying to kick the ball through the yellow posts. Yes, I, MEEE, Marcy was explaining football. If you know me - THAT is a laughable statement!
Alexander really enjoyed watching the game and re-enacting some of the plays that harder hits (the farther the people bounced, the better). At one point, we were watching two of the players nearly get into a fit. In good sportsmanship manner (and after several tears at the bowling alley followed by me explaining that it was just a game and that we should just have fun), he comments, "What is up with those guys? Don't they know that it is just a game???!!!!" I giggled and explained that this was their JOB and that they all made a LOT of money playing said game! He didn't quite believe me, but then accepted it and returned to watching the game.
I have always thought that he would enjoy playing football, so it didn't surprise me at all when he blurted out, "Mom, I want to play football!' at least 15+ minutes after the earlier conversation about game vs. job. I said that we could sign him up for football in the fall, but he cut me off with, "No, no! I want to play football now that I know that they make a lot of money!"
While we were installing Sim City and playing a little bit, we had the football game on the tv (wow! digital is really cool!). Soon, we were all watching the game. The boys decided to cheer for the Packers since several of their friends love the Packers; while I chose to cheer for the Giants just to add some drama and in support of my step-Dad, Gordie.
This was the first time that Ethan and Alexander actually watched a pro-football game. So, I spent some time with them explaining what downs were and how they changed, what the flags meant, and why they were trying to kick the ball through the yellow posts. Yes, I, MEEE, Marcy was explaining football. If you know me - THAT is a laughable statement!
Alexander really enjoyed watching the game and re-enacting some of the plays that harder hits (the farther the people bounced, the better). At one point, we were watching two of the players nearly get into a fit. In good sportsmanship manner (and after several tears at the bowling alley followed by me explaining that it was just a game and that we should just have fun), he comments, "What is up with those guys? Don't they know that it is just a game???!!!!" I giggled and explained that this was their JOB and that they all made a LOT of money playing said game! He didn't quite believe me, but then accepted it and returned to watching the game.
I have always thought that he would enjoy playing football, so it didn't surprise me at all when he blurted out, "Mom, I want to play football!' at least 15+ minutes after the earlier conversation about game vs. job. I said that we could sign him up for football in the fall, but he cut me off with, "No, no! I want to play football now that I know that they make a lot of money!"
Sunday, January 13, 2008
First Month of Resolution Kept!
This morning marked the first month of keeping my resolution to run a 5k a month by running the Frigid 5k in the State Fairgrounds! This was my first race since I started up again where they actually kept times with shoe chips. So, I am proud to say that I finished 112th! :)
The race was smaller than the last two races that I have run and I really enjoyed it. It became a race against myself. I would also target people ahead of me to see if I could catch them. Running is such a mind game that it was fun to try to use some strategy. I also increased my pace to see if I could handle it and it worked! I shaved 4 minutes off of my 5k time! I probably could have pumped it up more, but need to progress slowly.
Due to the race and the resolution, I am now the proud owner of a nice Frigid 5 knit cap and a new personal best (since I started running again!).
Here are all of my stats:
The race was smaller than the last two races that I have run and I really enjoyed it. It became a race against myself. I would also target people ahead of me to see if I could catch them. Running is such a mind game that it was fun to try to use some strategy. I also increased my pace to see if I could handle it and it worked! I shaved 4 minutes off of my 5k time! I probably could have pumped it up more, but need to progress slowly.
Due to the race and the resolution, I am now the proud owner of a nice Frigid 5 knit cap and a new personal best (since I started running again!).
Here are all of my stats:
| Age 38 |
| Bib Number |
| 271 |
| Division |
| F3539 |
| City |
| Bloomington MN |
| Overall Place |
| 112 out of 184 |
| Gender Place |
| 45 out of 94 |
| Division Place |
| 10 out of 20 |
| Finish Time |
| 0:32:30 |
| Mile Pace |
| 10:28/mile |
| Kilometer Pace |
| 6:30/km |
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Got Resolutions?
The new year is quickly approaching and with it comes the media upswing to catch us at one of our weaker moment - when we are setting a resolution. Yes, the onslaught of ads for health clubs and weight loss services has begun. It also means that the club is going to be packed for the next 4 - 6 weeks. I know, that is selfish, but I prefer to actually have a treadmill to run on rather than wait 30 minutes for one to free up or to have room to jump and wiggle my hinney during a class!
In defiance of the tradition of resolutions, I typically do not set one. Okay, that sounds like grandstanding, but I know myself and I don't tend to keep the ones that I make on Jan. 1st, so I try to make smaller ones throughout the year. They don't always work either, but for some reason I feel less defeated than when I am unable to keep them at the beginning of the year. Any psych majors out there who want to comment on that? ;)
This year might be different, though. I went scrapbooking at Scrapbooks Too on Friday night and all day and night Saturday. I ended up sitting with some of my scrapbooking friends, Susan, who I haven't seen in a while. We got talking about running and how I did the Reindeer Run while she opted to stay in her cozy, warm bed. Yes, I should have stayed in mine that day, but now I get bragging rights for doing a race in sleet and sub-zero temps! She then went on to say that missing the December race made her not meet her resolution for the year because her resolution last year was to run in a 5k race each month. What a GREAT idea!!
So, it sounds as though I do "Got Resolutions" and I will officially state it:
"My resolution is to run a 5k each month of the year"
So, here is the plan so far:
There are a lot in May (obviously, it becomes a little more pleasant run at that time of year). Has anyone run any of these? Any feedback?
In defiance of the tradition of resolutions, I typically do not set one. Okay, that sounds like grandstanding, but I know myself and I don't tend to keep the ones that I make on Jan. 1st, so I try to make smaller ones throughout the year. They don't always work either, but for some reason I feel less defeated than when I am unable to keep them at the beginning of the year. Any psych majors out there who want to comment on that? ;)
This year might be different, though. I went scrapbooking at Scrapbooks Too on Friday night and all day and night Saturday. I ended up sitting with some of my scrapbooking friends, Susan, who I haven't seen in a while. We got talking about running and how I did the Reindeer Run while she opted to stay in her cozy, warm bed. Yes, I should have stayed in mine that day, but now I get bragging rights for doing a race in sleet and sub-zero temps! She then went on to say that missing the December race made her not meet her resolution for the year because her resolution last year was to run in a 5k race each month. What a GREAT idea!!
So, it sounds as though I do "Got Resolutions" and I will officially state it:
"My resolution is to run a 5k each month of the year"
So, here is the plan so far:
- Sunday, January 13th
- Frigid 5 around the State Fairgrounds
- REGISTERED!
- Saturday, February 16th
- Marathon Sports Valentine's Day 5k around Lake Harriet (hopefully, it will be warmer than during the Reindeer Run!!)
- Sunday, March 16th
- St. Patrick's Day Human Race
- Saturday, April 26th
- Get in Gear at Minnehaha Park (MINDA - are you joining us???)
There are a lot in May (obviously, it becomes a little more pleasant run at that time of year). Has anyone run any of these? Any feedback?
- Saturday, May 3rd
- Arise and Run for the Prize at Elm Creek
- This one has a kids run that might be fun to let the boys try
- Sunday, May 4th
- Sholom Community Alliance Oy Vey 5k
- How can I pass up a t-shirt that says "Oy Vey 5k" on it???
- Sunday, May 4th
- Arboretum 5k Bud Break
- Saturday, May 10th
- Eden Prairie Spring Run for Fun
- This one is on Purgatory Creek and around Staring Lake - that would be a nice run
- Benefits the "Girls on the Run"
Thursday, December 27, 2007
2,056 Legos and 31,000 Lights
2,056 Legos for ages 16+ assembled by Mr. Ethan (9 years old) in 2 days! Here is the proud boy with his amazing creation! This Lego set is really cool. It is part of their new "modular" line, so each floor is an independent entity and can be separated without disconnecting Legos.
31,000 lights cover this oak tree. The backside of this house overlooks the river valley and the tree can be seen in Burnsville and Eagan. We confirmed it by crossing the river and viewing it from other side. The picture just doesn't do it justice!
Poor shutter speed choice, but I love the smiles on the boys!
31,000 lights cover this oak tree. The backside of this house overlooks the river valley and the tree can be seen in Burnsville and Eagan. We confirmed it by crossing the river and viewing it from other side. The picture just doesn't do it justice!
Poor shutter speed choice, but I love the smiles on the boys!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. We had a fun day opening presents, obsessing, sledding, skating, and eating. the boys really loved their presents. Ethan's big gift was a big Lego set of Cafe Corner and one of his other favorites was Mario Party for his DS. Alexander's big gifts were a punching bag and a big Ferris Wheel Lego set. The surprise of the gifts is that Alexander LOVES his Webkinz. We spent the day attempting to get on the website and were successful most of the time, but there was a message posted about the fact that they were experiencing larger than expected volumes and were having difficulty keeping up.
Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Feeding the reindeer on Christmas Eve:
Ready to open presents!
Reading Santa's reply to Alexander's list of questions:
Sheer joy when Ethan received the Lego kit he really wanted!
Alexander thrilled with this new punching bag and gloves!
The fruits of my obsessive labors - assembling Alexander's Lego Ferris Wheel. The set was for 8-12 year olds. It took me most of the day to get 2/3 of it finished, I took a break for sledding, skating, and dinner. We finished it up a couple of hours later! Whew! The cool thing is that it has a motor so that the ferris wheel really goes around!
Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Feeding the reindeer on Christmas Eve:
Ready to open presents!
Reading Santa's reply to Alexander's list of questions:
Sheer joy when Ethan received the Lego kit he really wanted!
Alexander thrilled with this new punching bag and gloves!
The fruits of my obsessive labors - assembling Alexander's Lego Ferris Wheel. The set was for 8-12 year olds. It took me most of the day to get 2/3 of it finished, I took a break for sledding, skating, and dinner. We finished it up a couple of hours later! Whew! The cool thing is that it has a motor so that the ferris wheel really goes around!
Monday, December 17, 2007
New Favorite Pizza
Just needed to share that my new favorite pizza is California Pizza Kitchen's Thai Chicken minus the cilantro. YUMMY! YUMMY! YUMMY! I had it Saturday night when Alexander and I had a date for dinner and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Needless to say, I liked the pizza more than the movie! ;)
Here is the description:
This is the original! Pieces of chicken breast marinated in a spicy peanut-ginger and sesame sauce, Mozzarella cheese, green onions, bean sprouts, julienne carrots, cilantro and roasted peanuts.
It is especially yummy after my butt wiggle group fitness class, aka Soul Cardio. It is a great class, but it really is a lot fo butt wiggling!
Monday, December 03, 2007
For the Love of Snow
I love snow - especially when it falls on the weekend and there is plenty of time for the crews to clear the roads before I need to drive on it. Yes, I was out in the storm on Saturday morning for the Reindeer Run, but I was in Minda's big truck, so I didn't have to stress about driving. In addition to the truck, she used to live in the areas where we ran, so she knew which roads to take that would have less traffic and be more clear.
After arriving home from the race, I didn't leave. I opened all of my blinds and admired the storm. My favorite place to admire it was curled up on the couch watching movies. It was lovely. Sunday was a busier day, but the day still had a wintery theme to it. I went over to the house and helped put up the Christmas tree because I learned that Kyle wasn't going to put it up. I couldn't let the boys be without a tree and I didn't want to haul everything over to my apartment, so we put up the tree in the traditional place in the living room. Side note: I learned today that a friend at work is going to loan a small tree to me. I can't wait! I need to get some lights and a few ornaments. Okay...back to Sunday. After the Christmas tree, I headed home to relax, but how could we let a beautiful, wintery afternoon pass by without sledding?! So, I called up the boys and they agreed to meet me at the sledding hill. It is pretty close to my apartment, so I walked over there fully outfitted and ready to go. Alexander, of course, was right in with the big kids who were building a snow jump. He was one of the several "testers" and "crashers" for the snow jump. Ethan took the more even routes without jumps. Needless to say, I joined Ethan on runs down the hill, but never Alexander! My brain still remembers the pain in my tailbone after going over one of those snow ramps last year! Our festivities on the hill ended when it started to get dark, Ethan was cold, and Alexander did a nose-dive into the snow off of the snow ramp and his nose hurt.
We then headed off to the Galleria to pick up some yummy, Big Bowl. While we waited for our food, I couldn't resist going into Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Pottery Barn Kids just to see the looks on the clerks' faces when someone dressed like us entered the store. Side note for Mom - the Galleria is the snooty mall by Southdale where most people where fur coats rather than sledding gear!
Today, I didn't really get to enjoy the snow, but I do love the crunchy noise it makes under your feet. What we did do instead of play in the snow is volunteer at Creekside to serve ice cream for after the meal and to sing Christmas carols. This was the resulting service project from our small group's 40 Days of Community study. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about it, but I ended up having a blast. The boys weren't too sure about it either, but after a while, they really warmed up to the microphones and had fun singing carols on the stage.
Afterwards, I headed to the club for a run. I hope I get used to running on a treadmill or else it is going to be a VERY long winter!!! Maybe it is time to get some running snow shoes and to give that a try! I do want to try cross country skiing. I hear that Hyland lights up their cross country trails - that should be a lot of fun. Maybe we will try it this weekend!
After arriving home from the race, I didn't leave. I opened all of my blinds and admired the storm. My favorite place to admire it was curled up on the couch watching movies. It was lovely. Sunday was a busier day, but the day still had a wintery theme to it. I went over to the house and helped put up the Christmas tree because I learned that Kyle wasn't going to put it up. I couldn't let the boys be without a tree and I didn't want to haul everything over to my apartment, so we put up the tree in the traditional place in the living room. Side note: I learned today that a friend at work is going to loan a small tree to me. I can't wait! I need to get some lights and a few ornaments. Okay...back to Sunday. After the Christmas tree, I headed home to relax, but how could we let a beautiful, wintery afternoon pass by without sledding?! So, I called up the boys and they agreed to meet me at the sledding hill. It is pretty close to my apartment, so I walked over there fully outfitted and ready to go. Alexander, of course, was right in with the big kids who were building a snow jump. He was one of the several "testers" and "crashers" for the snow jump. Ethan took the more even routes without jumps. Needless to say, I joined Ethan on runs down the hill, but never Alexander! My brain still remembers the pain in my tailbone after going over one of those snow ramps last year! Our festivities on the hill ended when it started to get dark, Ethan was cold, and Alexander did a nose-dive into the snow off of the snow ramp and his nose hurt.
We then headed off to the Galleria to pick up some yummy, Big Bowl. While we waited for our food, I couldn't resist going into Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Pottery Barn Kids just to see the looks on the clerks' faces when someone dressed like us entered the store. Side note for Mom - the Galleria is the snooty mall by Southdale where most people where fur coats rather than sledding gear!
Today, I didn't really get to enjoy the snow, but I do love the crunchy noise it makes under your feet. What we did do instead of play in the snow is volunteer at Creekside to serve ice cream for after the meal and to sing Christmas carols. This was the resulting service project from our small group's 40 Days of Community study. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about it, but I ended up having a blast. The boys weren't too sure about it either, but after a while, they really warmed up to the microphones and had fun singing carols on the stage.
Afterwards, I headed to the club for a run. I hope I get used to running on a treadmill or else it is going to be a VERY long winter!!! Maybe it is time to get some running snow shoes and to give that a try! I do want to try cross country skiing. I hear that Hyland lights up their cross country trails - that should be a lot of fun. Maybe we will try it this weekend!
Saturday, December 01, 2007
SUCCESS!
Minda and I successfully completed the Reindeer Run this morning! Woohoo!
I finished in 35 minutes even after a super slow start. It was sleeting directly into our faces for the first leg of the races. I reached a point where I couldn't feel my lips and was getting nervous about frostbite. Luckily, the run was around Lake Harriett, so after the first 1/2 mile or so, the wind wasn't too bad.
Minda brought her camera, so I should have some pictures to post later today! WE already have a couple of inches of snow on the ground! I am going to take a long, hot shower and then plan some inside activities for the rest of the day. I might even pull out my scrapbooking stuff again!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Alexander's Christmas List
Original form:
- a pachen beg |favorite
- the huvr kraf
- a dort board
- a big hockey net
- hockey pucks
- tennisboll - prackdis hockey
- a snowe mushene
- a D.S. lite that is white
- a gam qood
- a set uv ney hockey
- sum stuft anmuls
- a book lite
- a hockey tadeul not are hockey
- lageos and pepol
- x box 360
- a x box | 3 favrit
- lots uv siins!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 2 favrit
- a lechrickgotor
Translated:
- a punching bag
- the hover craft (remote control)
- a dart board
- a big hockey net
- hockey pucks
- tennis balls to practice hockey
- a snow machine
- a [Nintendo] D.S. lite in white
- a Game Cube
- a set of knee hockey
- some stuffed animals
- a book light
- a hockey table, not air hockey (like foozball, but with hockey)
- legos and people
- x-box 306 | 3rd favorite
- lots of SCIENCE!!!! |2nd favorite
- an electronic ????? (I will have to check with him!)
- a pachen beg |favorite
- the huvr kraf
- a dort board
- a big hockey net
- hockey pucks
- tennisboll - prackdis hockey
- a snowe mushene
- a D.S. lite that is white
- a gam qood
- a set uv ney hockey
- sum stuft anmuls
- a book lite
- a hockey tadeul not are hockey
- lageos and pepol
- x box 360
- a x box | 3 favrit
- lots uv siins!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 2 favrit
- a lechrickgotor
Translated:
- a punching bag
- the hover craft (remote control)
- a dart board
- a big hockey net
- hockey pucks
- tennis balls to practice hockey
- a snow machine
- a [Nintendo] D.S. lite in white
- a Game Cube
- a set of knee hockey
- some stuffed animals
- a book light
- a hockey table, not air hockey (like foozball, but with hockey)
- legos and people
- x-box 306 | 3rd favorite
- lots of SCIENCE!!!! |2nd favorite
- an electronic ????? (I will have to check with him!)
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A Friendly Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving is being labeled the "Friendly Thanksgiving" in my book! I have had the pleasure of having two Thanksgiving meals with friends. It has been fun and relaxing and I haven't had to cook!
My holiday started with the Turkey Run 5k in downtown Minneapolis. It was my first race in over 11 years and it was the first time EVER that I have attended a race alone. I have to admit that one of the motivating factors for me was the cute T-shirt. Could you resist a turkey t-shirt like this:
and the back:
I heard that over 10K people participated in the race. With that many people, it was really surprising that after I picked up my number, I turned around and there was Kris from my church! I ended up hanging out with Kris and her sister in law until the race started. I knew that they would be faster than me, so I wished them a good race and started off with my slow and steady pace. I ended up running a big part of the race with a woman named Sue. She was really disappointed at how slowly she was going, but I was thrilled to have someone to run and pace with. She ended up having to walk the last 3/4 of a mile, so I finished up the race on my own. I jogged the entire race (woohoo!) and finished in about 35 minutes. It was really hard to tell since it takes a while to reach the start and then there was a bottle neck at the end, so that took a while, too. Regardless, it felt GREAT! After picking up a water and a banana, I had a difficult time finding my parking garage and then the stairs to the garage. So, here is a shout out to all of the strangers that helped me that morning, "THANKS!"
After successfully finding my car (with help!), I headed home, enjoyed a long shower, put on my thick, fleece pj's, and lounged around, cut cheese for the upcoming festivities, did laundry and watched my Netflix DVD's. It was soon time to head up to Bernie's in St. Francis. It was supposed to be Bernie, Dawn, Wendy, and me for Thanksgiving dinner. Wendy's family activities went longer than she expected, so she wasn't able to join us. That means that we had 3 people to eat a 20 lb bird, about 5+ lb of potatoes, and TONS more.
Here is a picture of Bernie carving our bird:
Here are Dawn, me, and Bernie getting ready to eat. After we ate, I said that I should take a picture because it didn't look like we had made a dent in ANYTHING!
After cleaning up a bit, Bernie and I head out for a big, long walk (we measured it later and it was 2.5 miles). That felt great. We then attempted to rent National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to no avail and ended up getting Deck the Halls. That movie was lame - a rip off of the one we wanted, but not nearly as funny. In fact, we all fell asleep during it!
I then loaded up my car for my long drive home only to find that my trunk latch wouldn't work! So, Bernie rigged up a lovely bungee cord, rag, duct tape, one of my workout socks contraption to keep my trunk closed. I was able to get scheduled at the garage on Monday to have it fixed, but there is no using the trunk until that time (lugging stuff for hockey practice this weekend is going to be fun!).
On to Friday....
No early morning shopping for me! I slept late (only 8ish), puttered around my apartment, and then headed to the club. I did a funky new angled elliptical machine that focuses more on the gluts and quads. It was interesting and I will try it again, but I'm not sure how much I liked it. I then did a few laps in the pool since I had a desire to do some swimming. That also felt great.
Then, it was off to Paula's for another feast! Paula, I need some pictures! We had the cutest place settings with lots of fun turkey motifs including turkeys created by Dani made out of candy corn, icing, and cookies. They were adorable! Lots and lots of food was eaten and we had lots of fun conversations.
After helping with the clean-up, I headed back home to get some more things done. I have decided to get back into my scrapbooking, so after unsuccessfully attempting to upload pictures on the Ritz website, I burned a CD and headed in. While they were being printed, I headed to REI's sale to pick up some winter running gear. Whew! Exercise gear is NOT cheap, even on sale. I realize that REI is spendy, but I have been pricing workout gear at a variety of places and I think I found some of the right mix. I found a wicking, long sleeved t-shirt and a jacket that is actually for biking. I like the jacket because it has wind breaking capabilities, but it doesn't have front pockets -only a big pocket in the back (since it is a biking jacket). I actually use the hand pockets quite a bit in my fleece that I have been wearing, so we will have to see if it works for me or not.
All in all, it was a fabulous couple of days and was definitely a "Friendly Thanksgiving"! I am looking forward to the boys being back in town this afternoon for hockey practice, but I had best get moving in order to get the rest of my list completed before they get here!
P.S. Another fantastic thing happened on Thanksgiving Day... Shawn and Deb became parents of Swayer Kay! Check out this adorable little girl on their Baby Blog!!
My holiday started with the Turkey Run 5k in downtown Minneapolis. It was my first race in over 11 years and it was the first time EVER that I have attended a race alone. I have to admit that one of the motivating factors for me was the cute T-shirt. Could you resist a turkey t-shirt like this:
and the back:
I heard that over 10K people participated in the race. With that many people, it was really surprising that after I picked up my number, I turned around and there was Kris from my church! I ended up hanging out with Kris and her sister in law until the race started. I knew that they would be faster than me, so I wished them a good race and started off with my slow and steady pace. I ended up running a big part of the race with a woman named Sue. She was really disappointed at how slowly she was going, but I was thrilled to have someone to run and pace with. She ended up having to walk the last 3/4 of a mile, so I finished up the race on my own. I jogged the entire race (woohoo!) and finished in about 35 minutes. It was really hard to tell since it takes a while to reach the start and then there was a bottle neck at the end, so that took a while, too. Regardless, it felt GREAT! After picking up a water and a banana, I had a difficult time finding my parking garage and then the stairs to the garage. So, here is a shout out to all of the strangers that helped me that morning, "THANKS!"
After successfully finding my car (with help!), I headed home, enjoyed a long shower, put on my thick, fleece pj's, and lounged around, cut cheese for the upcoming festivities, did laundry and watched my Netflix DVD's. It was soon time to head up to Bernie's in St. Francis. It was supposed to be Bernie, Dawn, Wendy, and me for Thanksgiving dinner. Wendy's family activities went longer than she expected, so she wasn't able to join us. That means that we had 3 people to eat a 20 lb bird, about 5+ lb of potatoes, and TONS more.
Here is a picture of Bernie carving our bird:
Here are Dawn, me, and Bernie getting ready to eat. After we ate, I said that I should take a picture because it didn't look like we had made a dent in ANYTHING!
After cleaning up a bit, Bernie and I head out for a big, long walk (we measured it later and it was 2.5 miles). That felt great. We then attempted to rent National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to no avail and ended up getting Deck the Halls. That movie was lame - a rip off of the one we wanted, but not nearly as funny. In fact, we all fell asleep during it!
I then loaded up my car for my long drive home only to find that my trunk latch wouldn't work! So, Bernie rigged up a lovely bungee cord, rag, duct tape, one of my workout socks contraption to keep my trunk closed. I was able to get scheduled at the garage on Monday to have it fixed, but there is no using the trunk until that time (lugging stuff for hockey practice this weekend is going to be fun!).
On to Friday....
No early morning shopping for me! I slept late (only 8ish), puttered around my apartment, and then headed to the club. I did a funky new angled elliptical machine that focuses more on the gluts and quads. It was interesting and I will try it again, but I'm not sure how much I liked it. I then did a few laps in the pool since I had a desire to do some swimming. That also felt great.
Then, it was off to Paula's for another feast! Paula, I need some pictures! We had the cutest place settings with lots of fun turkey motifs including turkeys created by Dani made out of candy corn, icing, and cookies. They were adorable! Lots and lots of food was eaten and we had lots of fun conversations.
After helping with the clean-up, I headed back home to get some more things done. I have decided to get back into my scrapbooking, so after unsuccessfully attempting to upload pictures on the Ritz website, I burned a CD and headed in. While they were being printed, I headed to REI's sale to pick up some winter running gear. Whew! Exercise gear is NOT cheap, even on sale. I realize that REI is spendy, but I have been pricing workout gear at a variety of places and I think I found some of the right mix. I found a wicking, long sleeved t-shirt and a jacket that is actually for biking. I like the jacket because it has wind breaking capabilities, but it doesn't have front pockets -only a big pocket in the back (since it is a biking jacket). I actually use the hand pockets quite a bit in my fleece that I have been wearing, so we will have to see if it works for me or not.
All in all, it was a fabulous couple of days and was definitely a "Friendly Thanksgiving"! I am looking forward to the boys being back in town this afternoon for hockey practice, but I had best get moving in order to get the rest of my list completed before they get here!
P.S. Another fantastic thing happened on Thanksgiving Day... Shawn and Deb became parents of Swayer Kay! Check out this adorable little girl on their Baby Blog!!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A Fabulous Fall Day
What an amazingly beautiful day today! I am thrilled to say that I spent most of it outside enjoying the sunshine and the warmth.
The day started out with Sherry arriving at 7am for our trek to St. Francis to Bernie's place. He promised us omelets before our 9am tee time and we were looking forward to trying them. They weren't your typical omelets. They were omelets constructed in ziploc baggies. 2 eggs and then the fixings of your choice all in the bag and then knead well. Write your name on the bag and then throw the bag in a pot of boiling water. Leave them in for 17 minutes and viola you have an omelet. The interesting thing is that the fixings go to the center of the omelet! How? I have no idea and I don't know any food science majors to help me answer that.
We then headed over to The Ponds for nine holes. I had a horrid game, but still had a great time. Sherry's game was on fire. For a girl who only golfs twice a year, she blew us away. Bernie was frustrated during the first half of the round, but then caught his rhythm and did a fantastic job.
The course was really wet, but it was absolutely gorgeous out. The trees were vibrant yellows and rusts. The morning sunlight made the tree colors even more vibrant or was that an optical illusion since we have had rain for the last 17 of 19 days?
After lunch and some chatting in the clubhouse, we headed back south. We only made it to Ramsey before we both realized that we needed some coffee, so we stopped at Caribou and chatted some more.
I crashed a little bit when I got home, but then couldn't let any more time pass without being outside. I headed out the door with my bike and my camera. I decided to head over to Hyland and bike the trails there and then loop back down 84th St down the new bike paths. The trees were gorgeous (surprisingly, they were a little past peak versus what I saw in St. Francis). I also saw lots of things that made me smile. After taking this picture, I took a picture of two new parents with their little baby. The lighting was just perfect and the baby cooperated nicely by giving me a big smile. One thing that surprised me was how thankful the couple was and then another couple stopped me and said how nice it was of me to do that. Taking a picture for someone is such a simple gesture that I didn't even think before offering. Wouldn't most people offer?
The photos just don't capture the splendor of the yellows and the ducks on the lake. Trust me on that one!
This one is on the bike path south of the lake in the first picture. Soon after I took this picture, a snake crossed the path. I was glad that it was in front of me and didn't go under me!
Below is the lake when you are heading towards Richardson Nature Center
On my way out of Richardson, I had a woodpecker just feet from me, but I didn't get my camera out in time before it was too far in the shrubs to see it.
The bike trail then heads down to Normandale Lake. One of my favorite things that always intrigues me is the ski jump. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. The sun was behind the jump, so this picture was taken with manual settings. It is a little washed out, but I like that you can see the tree colors.
Okay, my long day is coming to an end and I am sleepy!
The day started out with Sherry arriving at 7am for our trek to St. Francis to Bernie's place. He promised us omelets before our 9am tee time and we were looking forward to trying them. They weren't your typical omelets. They were omelets constructed in ziploc baggies. 2 eggs and then the fixings of your choice all in the bag and then knead well. Write your name on the bag and then throw the bag in a pot of boiling water. Leave them in for 17 minutes and viola you have an omelet. The interesting thing is that the fixings go to the center of the omelet! How? I have no idea and I don't know any food science majors to help me answer that.
We then headed over to The Ponds for nine holes. I had a horrid game, but still had a great time. Sherry's game was on fire. For a girl who only golfs twice a year, she blew us away. Bernie was frustrated during the first half of the round, but then caught his rhythm and did a fantastic job.
The course was really wet, but it was absolutely gorgeous out. The trees were vibrant yellows and rusts. The morning sunlight made the tree colors even more vibrant or was that an optical illusion since we have had rain for the last 17 of 19 days?
After lunch and some chatting in the clubhouse, we headed back south. We only made it to Ramsey before we both realized that we needed some coffee, so we stopped at Caribou and chatted some more.
I crashed a little bit when I got home, but then couldn't let any more time pass without being outside. I headed out the door with my bike and my camera. I decided to head over to Hyland and bike the trails there and then loop back down 84th St down the new bike paths. The trees were gorgeous (surprisingly, they were a little past peak versus what I saw in St. Francis). I also saw lots of things that made me smile. After taking this picture, I took a picture of two new parents with their little baby. The lighting was just perfect and the baby cooperated nicely by giving me a big smile. One thing that surprised me was how thankful the couple was and then another couple stopped me and said how nice it was of me to do that. Taking a picture for someone is such a simple gesture that I didn't even think before offering. Wouldn't most people offer?
The photos just don't capture the splendor of the yellows and the ducks on the lake. Trust me on that one!
This one is on the bike path south of the lake in the first picture. Soon after I took this picture, a snake crossed the path. I was glad that it was in front of me and didn't go under me!
Below is the lake when you are heading towards Richardson Nature Center
On my way out of Richardson, I had a woodpecker just feet from me, but I didn't get my camera out in time before it was too far in the shrubs to see it.The bike trail then heads down to Normandale Lake. One of my favorite things that always intrigues me is the ski jump. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. The sun was behind the jump, so this picture was taken with manual settings. It is a little washed out, but I like that you can see the tree colors.
Okay, my long day is coming to an end and I am sleepy!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
1st Hockey Practice
The first hockey practice was a success! Alexander did a great job skating and worked really hard. His best friend Keegan was there for practice, too. Having a good friend to hang out with and to skate with makes it even more fun.
Here are the little guys all lined up and ready to hit the ice. Alexander is in the middle in the far back with the light blue jersey and the black helmet. No, he wasn't standing on his tippy toes. That is just how much taller he is than the other kids!
Here is skating (he is in the middle of the pack in the light blue jersey:
And, of course, a good workout requires a lot of rehydration! Here are Keegan and Alexander refueling after practice:
Here are the little guys all lined up and ready to hit the ice. Alexander is in the middle in the far back with the light blue jersey and the black helmet. No, he wasn't standing on his tippy toes. That is just how much taller he is than the other kids!
Here is skating (he is in the middle of the pack in the light blue jersey:
And, of course, a good workout requires a lot of rehydration! Here are Keegan and Alexander refueling after practice:
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Hockey Player is Born
Yes! I have given in and I am now officially a hockey mom. The result is that I now have a very excited, happy boy:
Here is all ready to go!
Check out this game face!!
Here is all ready to go!
Check out this game face!!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Thankfulness for Friends
The end of this week has been a bit trying for me. It started Friday morning with Minda's husband, Scott, knocking on my door at 7:00 am on his way home from work. I opened the door and was confused to see him. All he said was, "Have you seen your car yet?" My heart sunk immediately. He told me that two of my car windows (on the doors) had been broken. I didn't want to see what was missing on my own, so I asked if he would come downstairs with me.
As we walked to the elevator, I started to make a mental list of the things in my car: my golf clubs, my computer, my roller bag containing my computer, and some shoes that I was going to return.
When we got to the car, the first thing I saw was my golf clubs peaking through the backseat (I had one of the seats down) and I was thrilled that they weren't gone since I had a golf game scheduled for that night! I then popped my trunk to see what else was missing. My computer roller bag and everything in it including my work laptop, my notes, and the worst thing of all....my jump drives with the backup of my computer! Ugh. How stupid to store the jump drives in the same bag as the laptop!
So, as best as I can figure, the thieves noticed that my one back seat was down, so there was easy access to the trunk. They broke the window closest to the backseat that was down (rear passenger side), but then the child safety locks wouldn't let them open the door with the inside handle. So, they then smashed in the driver's window in order to easily pop the trunk and unlock everything. Needless to say, there was glass everywhere in the car. I am still finding pieces of glass.
I have learned a few lessons from this experience:
1) how to lock my backseats so that you can't put them down
2) how to lock my "trunk release" on the driver's door
side thought - these two things my aggravate thieves and make them cause more damage to the car, but I guess I will live with that if it happens
3) never, ever leave your backup copies of your computer in your computer bag
4) never leave your laptop in the car (in fact, I hardly ever do this, but Thursday night, I had worked late and then run some errands, so I had plenty to carry up to my apartment and was way too tired to do any additional work, so I decided to leave it)
5) Friends are wonderful
#5 is my favorite part. It helped me so much to have Scott find the disaster and then to walk me downstairs. After he dropped me off at my apartment to call insurance and the police, his wife and my friend, Minda, came down. Minda and their son Andrew spent the entire morning with me. They helped me call insurance, they helped me clean out my car, and most importantly of all - they were just there. After we got the car cleaned out and I made some phone calls to work, I went to Minda's apartment where she made me a latte and I just sat. It was what I needed to recenter myself. Being near someone who loves you is often the best remedy of all!
Thank you so much Minda, Scott, and Andrew!!!
As we walked to the elevator, I started to make a mental list of the things in my car: my golf clubs, my computer, my roller bag containing my computer, and some shoes that I was going to return.
When we got to the car, the first thing I saw was my golf clubs peaking through the backseat (I had one of the seats down) and I was thrilled that they weren't gone since I had a golf game scheduled for that night! I then popped my trunk to see what else was missing. My computer roller bag and everything in it including my work laptop, my notes, and the worst thing of all....my jump drives with the backup of my computer! Ugh. How stupid to store the jump drives in the same bag as the laptop!
So, as best as I can figure, the thieves noticed that my one back seat was down, so there was easy access to the trunk. They broke the window closest to the backseat that was down (rear passenger side), but then the child safety locks wouldn't let them open the door with the inside handle. So, they then smashed in the driver's window in order to easily pop the trunk and unlock everything. Needless to say, there was glass everywhere in the car. I am still finding pieces of glass.
I have learned a few lessons from this experience:
1) how to lock my backseats so that you can't put them down
2) how to lock my "trunk release" on the driver's door
side thought - these two things my aggravate thieves and make them cause more damage to the car, but I guess I will live with that if it happens
3) never, ever leave your backup copies of your computer in your computer bag
4) never leave your laptop in the car (in fact, I hardly ever do this, but Thursday night, I had worked late and then run some errands, so I had plenty to carry up to my apartment and was way too tired to do any additional work, so I decided to leave it)
5) Friends are wonderful
#5 is my favorite part. It helped me so much to have Scott find the disaster and then to walk me downstairs. After he dropped me off at my apartment to call insurance and the police, his wife and my friend, Minda, came down. Minda and their son Andrew spent the entire morning with me. They helped me call insurance, they helped me clean out my car, and most importantly of all - they were just there. After we got the car cleaned out and I made some phone calls to work, I went to Minda's apartment where she made me a latte and I just sat. It was what I needed to recenter myself. Being near someone who loves you is often the best remedy of all!
Thank you so much Minda, Scott, and Andrew!!!
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