A dog named Boat Beer

My Sissy had an "epic status" on Facebook yesterday.  The "epicness" came from how one of her friends and I completely hijacked all the comments, and even got a few others to play along.  As it turns out though, one of my comments was about shiner minnows.  And in discussing this status with her after the fact I told her how her doggy nephew "Shiner" is named after these minnows.

Both of our dogs have fishing and drinking themes to their names.  Rascal Jack is named after a fishing boat in Hawaii named "The Rascal", and Jack Daniels.  Shiner Bock is named after the aforementioned minnow, and a delcious beer brewed in Texas.  I told my sister that we will forever have to name our dogs after fishing and drinking.  We eventually started laughing about where these names would lead and decided that sooner or later Hot Hubby and I'd run out of ideas and we'd end with a dog named "Boat Beer".

Then, because my sissy and I are quite funny, our giggles turned into us concocting a story about Brian and I being on our deathbed and rewriting our will so that my niece (my sissy's stepdaughter, The Artist) would end up with Boat Beer.  And we'd will her a lifetime supply of milk bones to keep Boat Beer happy.  And she'd have to love Boat Beer even though he will be slobbery.  And her friends would extend their sympathies for our passing, but she'd be a wee bit fussy that we left her with a slobbery, snuggly, huge dog named Boat Beer.

Oh, how my sissy can make me laugh!  A laugh that I think she definitely needed.  And I'm thankful for our laughter together.

Boa Retirement

One of the best parts of wearing a boa is the molting!  You leave behind a small part of the fun with each feather that falls.  Sometimes I'd find boa feathers in my car WEEKS after the last time I wore a boa.

Boa feather on the field at Kinnick Stadium 

GO HAWKS!

The unfortunate part of leaving a bit of the fun behind is that eventually the boa is less full, and will eventually need to be retired.  I am planing on retiring my very first Iowa Hawkeye boa on January 28th.  After running the Securian 10k in St. Paul, I am heading to White Bear Lake to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge.   I will be wearing my boa as I jump into the lake!

It will be a bittersweet (and chilly) moment!  This boa has been along for some seriously fun times...

KINNICK

Camp Randall - During a Hawkeye win over the Badgers 20-10

GO HAWKS!

Tailgating with the Luther boys

With friends that feel more like family 

On the wedding day of two amazing people!

Tomorrow when I jump into White Bear Lake, the boa is jumping with me.  It will be the last time I'll wear this one.  What a fun, fabulous, fantastic event to retire it at!

I agreed to wha?!

As you know, I have dubbed 2012 as the Year of Extreme Racing.  My first extreme race will be on January 28th when I run the Securian 10k in St. Paul, then head to White Bear Lake to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge!  But I just agreed to something much more extreme than jumping in a freezing cold lake, or climbing the stairs of a skyscraper, or running an over night running relay.  I just agreed to go to the Minneapolis Boat Show with my husband... *shudders*

See, I haven't been to the Boat Show in 20+ years.  I can't even look at the billboards, hear the radio ads, or see the commercials without my stomach doing a little flip flop.  It's only within the past 2 years that I've even considered going back to the Minneapolis Convention Center.  The last time I was at the Boat Show I left the building bleeding profusely out the back of my head, with my mom incredibly pissed that we had just paid $20 to walk through the door. 

My parents and I had just started walking through the boats.  They turned around to leave the second vessel we checked out, and someone cut me off so I was stuck there.  Being a kid I thought I'd just duck out the corner of the boat instead... duh, I'm nimble!  But when I stepped out of the boat, I didn't step onto the platform.  My foot missed completely and I fell out of the boat.  I hit my head on the boat, then on the wheel well of the trailer, then the frame of the trailer, and finally on the concrete floor of the Convention Center.

I'm laying on the ground screaming in pain!  My parents turn around when they hear the cries and discover it's their child who is making all the racket.  My dad reaches down to pick me up and helps me stand on the platform. 

I then have a conversation that goes like this:
Mom: Stop crying!  You're acting like a baby!  What's the matter with you?  Shut your mouth!  I'll give you something to cry about!
Me (sobbing uncontrollably): There's s-s-something running d-d-down my back!
Mom (eyes grow wide): OH SHIT!

I black out at this point.  I wake up in a hospital while a doctor is coming at me with a large needle to numb my skull so he can put in 8 stitches.  Thank the heavens that it was January in MN, and we had only been at the show for a few minutes.  I didn't even have time to take my jacket off, and I think the hood may have saved me!

I hate the Boat Show.  I love my husband.  2012, the year of extremes!  Game On.

2012 - Year of the Extreme Race!

A quick wrap up on my 2011 goals before I dive into 2012 (it's going to be quick because I should have done this long ago, but I've been too busy doing other things):

• I ACHIEVED MY GOAL OF RUNNING AT LEAST one 5K PER MONTH IN 2011
• That's it actually.  I raced every month, and I loved it!  The only month with a minor snafu was July.  And that's because Lifetime Fitness cancelled the race at the last minute.  I scrambled, but found a better race in Stillwater! 
• December 3rd was my last race of the year and it felt amazing to complete my goal.  I jumped up and down singing, "I did it!  I did it!  I did it!"

Moving on to bigger and better and more extreme things... 2012! 

My goal for 2012 is in two parts.  Part 1, race at least 1 race per month.  The race can be as simple as a 5k, as involved as a triathlon, or as long as a half marathon (more on that later).  Part 2, race EXTREME races!  Thus far "extreme" includes the following:

• Polar Bear Plunge (So I realize this isn't a race.  Unless you consider that I'm racing against NOT drowning!)
• Stair climb
• Triathlon
• Half Marathon (YIKES!  Seriously, this one is the one that scares me most!)
• Obstacle race (I haven't decided yet on Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder, or Muddy Buddy)
• Mountain Bike Race (I'm not sure yet how many of the series I'd like to do, or which race yet.  But after spectating at numerous races over the past couple of years, I know this is extreme!!!)
• Ragnar (duh, totally extreme)
• Salsa 24 (Although, we'll see about this one... mountain biking in the dark.  Uh, yeah extreme!)

So, there it is!  My goals for 2012.  I will never forget that feeling of achievement on December 3rd.  I'm so excited to tackle these head on in 2012!

Happy New Year!

I run, you cheer. Pretty clear, right?

This post is a request that anyone I know get up early on a Sunday morning, drive to Minneapolis, and cheer for me while I run 10 miles with thousands of other women! Sounds fun, right?!

In less than 2 weeks I will run my first 10 mile race at the Women Run The Cities (WRTC - http://www.womenrunthecities.com/) event. The race begins at 8:00am Sunday, September 25th. The Start Line, and more importantly the Finish Line, is at Minnehaha Falls Park just off of Hiawatha Ave (Hwy 55) in Minneapolis.

I have been running at least one 5k each month this year, and my goal is to complete one a month for the whole year. It is truly with the support of my friends and family that I've kept on pace (pun totally intended!) to accomplish this goal. In addition to pushing myself at these monthly races I've registered for additional runs as well. This 10 mile race is by far the longest race I've ever accomplished. Even my running in Ragnar was not quite like running this 10 mile race.

It is because this will be such a challenge for me that I am asking people I love to get up early and come cheer me on! The people in my life have been so supportive of me all year long and I'd love to see familiar and smiling faces along the way, and at the Finish Line!

If you're like me, then you'd be interested in cheering at a couple places throughout the race route. To help you figure out approximately where I'll be I've put a pace map at the bottom of this post. My goal is to run 11:00 miles, with an overall finish time of under 2 hours. These mile markers (the numbers circled) and the times at the bottom right are just an opportunistic estimate of where/when I'll be.

Who: You and me
What: Cheering and running (respectively)
Where: Minnehaha Falls Park and on the West and East River Pkwys http://www.womenrunthecities.com/WRTC-CourseMap2009.pdf
When: Sunday, September 25th at 8:00am
Why: Because you love me and I'm a wee bit crazy!
How: With all my might!
My plan is to have Hot Hubby take me out for bacon and eggs after the race and the more the merrier!!!

The Best Thing

Yesterday I ran in a 5k in Minneapolis called the Say Thanks Run which benefits the MN Military Appreciation Fund.  It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the low 60's and the sun shining brightly.  But the weather wasn't the best thing about this race.

The run was in conjunction with the rededication of Victory Memorial Drive, a WWI memorial in Minneapolis.  There were veterans of all ages there admiring the new memorial and gorgeous parkway.  Two veterans played Taps, then sang the National Anthem right before the start of the race.  It was a very prideful and touching moment for me.  But the rededication wasn't the best thing about this race.

The course was a very simple "out and back" down the parkway.  The street was lined with gorgeous oak and maple trees, that I could estimate to be over 75 years old.  There was a very, very small incline on the way out, which made for a very, very nice decline on the way back!  There were less than 400 participants, and everyone was very encouraging.  But the atmosphere wasn't the best thing about this race.

Just after the turn I noticed a runner right next to me and he yelled some encouragement to one of the other runners who hadn't turned yet.  They must have been friends as the 2nd runner yelled back "Keep up the good work Jerry!"  I turned my head to see a gentlemen twice my age about to kick my butt.  So I say, "Go get 'em Jerry.  Kick my ass!"  He laughs and says, "I could be your grandfather."  I remind him that age doesn't matter when you're running less than 10:00 miles.  Jerry kept me going for just over a mile strong.  I didn't want to let that man down.  We bantered back and forth the whole way.  

My legs started to get cramps though, and I needed to slow down a bit.  Jerry told me to slow down a notch, but for not too long.  I would guess that he finished at least a minute before me.  When I crossed the finish line I was ecstatic!  I had beat my previous PR, and had finished in 30:09!!!  This was largely due to Jerry's encouragement!  I pushed myself like never before!  But achieving my PR was not the best thing about this race.

The BEST thing about this race was the fact that I got to run it with my friend, Captain Jackie S. Jaspers.  Jackie enlisted with the Marines shortly after her first year of college and has been on too many deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.  There were countless nights that I spent worrying about her safety, and the safety of everyone in her deployment.  But she is amazing, and is finally home, living in the Twin Cities!  She is no longer enlisted, but active in Guard.  

The best thing about yesterday was the fact that she was with me.  That I can thank her in person for her service to our country.  I get to make memories with her like running 5ks together, and beating PRs together.  Jackie beat hers yesterday too!  She is a kick butt runner and I love watching her succeed!  

Thank you Jackie.  Thank you MN military personnel.  Thank you to all of our troops!

Got... nothing

Ugh, creative genius, where have you been?  I've got nothing for ya folks.

On the upswing though, I'm still running those monthly 5ks!  AND I registered for a 10 mile race in September.

Wait, what?!  I paid money to run 10 miles?!  I thought I might be losing my mind, but now I'm certain of it.  Oh, and the other day I actually enjoyed running up and down hills in a quazi-figure 8 style on paths near home.  Seriously have lost my mind.

I'll come back soon.  Back from la la land!

PB/PR Me... ASAP!

I broke my Personal Best, my Personal Record, my ASAP!  On Sunday morning I went to Hamel, MN to run in the 8th Annual Super Bowl Sunday Freeze Your Buns Run.  I had stayed up late the night before with Hot Hubby, Mario Bros for Wii, and beers.  In the morning I got up for the run, barely made it to the start line on time, and started my 3.2 mile trek.

I mentally struggled throughout the run.  I didn't feel like my pace was spectacular, and I felt sluggish.  Conditions were about perfect for winter running; 24 degrees, mostly dry roads, no precipitation.  But for some reason my mind was sending me messages that sounded like this:

• You're slow.
• Why didn't you prepare more, and get here on time?
• Dude, that 13 year old girl just sprinted past you.
• Uh, you're still slow.
• And so on, and so on.

It was dreadful!  I felt like 3.2 miles was FOR-EV-ER.  My music wasn't motivating.  The wind whipping my face wasn't motivating.  It was even difficult to get excited for the promise of pancakes!

But somehow, someway, my body won over my mind.  I chugged along, and kept pushing through.  I climbed the last hill, and saw the finish line.  I started my sprint about 30 yards from the line I needed to cross.  I saw Hot Hubby and Rascal on the sidelines, and heard a good friend yelling, "Sprint it out Foo!" 

I crossed the finish line, and heard 31:51.  I clicked the stop button on my watch and slowed down.  I wandered a few yards, then started to head back to my cheering crew.  I couldn't believe it.  I broke my Personal Best by more than 3 minutes!  I ran those 3.2 miles in the fastest time I had EVER run 3.2 miles!  It was amazing, it was fun, it was emotional!  

I learned this past weekend that I need to trust (and listen to) my body.  Over the past several weeks I've worked hard on becoming fit, losing weight, and being healthier overall.  Through that time I've subconsciously listened to my body.  It's time for me to consciously listen.  To shut off that nagging voice in my brain that says I'm slow, and turn up the volume on my muscles, joints, and bones.  Because my body is telling me that this hard work is good, it's rewarding.  

And if my body tells me to beat my own past accomplishments, then I am going to listen!

Part of the Cheering Squad - Rascal!

2 Foos after an awesome race, and awesome pancakes

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I'm registered for my 2nd 5k of the year!  I'll be running in the Freeze Your Buns Run on Sunday, February 6th at 9:45am.  I'm really hoping for a nice heat wave of at least 30 degree weather!  So far I have one friend who is joining me, and she's bringing her pup too!

This race is not chip timed, so I'll need to make sure my watch is ready to roll with me!

I can't wait to eat FREE pancakes after the race!  I can't believe we're almost into February already!  Hooray

Songs for Run #1

A few people have asked me what was on my playlist for my first 5k of 2011.  It's listed below with a few comments.  One thing I'll say about every one of these songs is that the beat is just great for me to run to.

Enjoy!

1. Hey Ya! by OutKast - The line "Lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbor" puts a huge smile on my face.  What could be better than smiling through a run in 12 degree weather?
2. Country Grammar (Explicit version) by Nelly - "Hot Shit" opens this song.  And I'd like to think that I was hot shit for even beginning this crazy goal!
3. Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe - "Never trust a big butt and a smile"... well, I'd love to have the big butt minus the big midsection.  And I've been told my smile is a very nice ASSet.  
4. What's Your Fantasy by Ludacris - Because one of my favorite fantasies involves me looking smokin' hot.  Running is helping me get smokin' hot!
5. All These Things That I've Done by The Killers - Okay, here's the thing...  If you aren't running while listening to this song, then you're really not listening.  There's so much passion, and so many things this song could mean to you personally.  It gets my blood moving, and says to me "Seriously Lisa?  RUN!"
6. Game Over (Explicit version) by Doomtree - Doomtree is a new group for me.  But this song caught my attention with the line "It's all been done, it's all been fixed, it's all the same."  Has it all been done?  "Welcome to the future, rap won't save you."
7. The Next Episode (Explicit version) by Dr. Dre - Alright, I like Dre.  I love Snoop.  Dirty Rap is my thing.  But this song was a total bust for me on this run.  It was too slow for me, and didn't have a message to deliver as the other songs did.
8. P.I.M.P. (Explicit version) by 50 Cent - Again, I like the Dirty Rap.  But it was too slow for me, there wasn't a message that I could find, and all I wanted to do was sit down and enjoy drink!
9. Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam - Now this one is a little hard to explain.  Actually, I get a little emotional explaining this one.  It turns out, this song happened to be on my iPod shuffle last August.  I had put a bunch of rock songs on the device to listen to while running for the Ragnar race (which is an experience I STILL haven't been able to blog about).  Of the songs I dumped on there, Yellow Ledbetter was one of them.  I decided earlier in the day that I'd like to mix up my music for each 5k this year, but that I would do my best to have Yellow Ledbetter be the last song I hear.  

I got less than 15 seconds into Yellow Ledbetter last weekend.  Less than 15 seconds into the song I wanted to end my run with.  I'm proud of that fact.  I underestimated myself.  I proved myself wrong.

January's Run = DONE

I finished my first 5k of the year!  Yesterday evening I participated in the inaugural Kick Your Resolution 5K in St. Louis Park, MN.  I was excitedly nervous all day waiting for race time.  I kept busy throughout the day by picking up my awesome race packet, stopping off at Dick's Sporting Goods for a couple of new race items, and creating my race playlist.

The race started at 4:51pm, and the temperature was a balmy 12 degrees.  I started at the very back of the pack of runners.  My initial pace was slow and steady, and I was actually enjoying the cold air whipping across my face.  Slowly but surely I began passing people.  It felt GREAT to be running past the other competitors and feeling confident in my pace.  We ran around Louisiana Oaks Park twice.  There were some nice hills here and there, which I really enjoyed, and it wasn't too icy.  The trees were lit up with red and gold lights, and running through the winter wonderland was FUN!

With about a half mile left of the race I had come up behind a lone runner.  It seemed the two of us were the only ones around by at least 25 yards.  I set my sights on her and kept up with her pace.  My strategy was to keep right on her heels until we were about 50 yards from the finish line.  Then I would kick it down, blow past her, and sprint to the finish!  We were running about 10 and a half minute miles.  My lungs felt great, my legs felt strong, my thoughts were clear.  I heard a runner behind me, and decided to begin my sprinting.

I turned on my mental power boost, engaged my legs into moving faster, and blew past the woman I had been pacing with.  I rounded the corner to cross the glorious finish, and heard my time... 35:23!!!  I ran my first 5k of 2011 in 35 minutes and 23 seconds!  I was ecstatic, I was high on endorphins, I was collapsing into the arms of a dear friend and her family!  I had fans cheering for me!!!  My Hot Husband was there with our pooch!  They came out to support me, and all of the mental and physical work I had done was celebrated!

Post Race Picture with one of my fans!

Thank you to everyone who supported me over the past week!  All of the encouraging blog comments, Facebook posts, texts, and phone calls made a huge difference.  Thank you!

I now have my sights set on February's race!  I'll post as soon as I am registered!

New Year - New Goal!

Happy New Year!!!  We rang in the New Year celebrating the marriage of two amazing people!  It was a fun night to reflect and hope for the future!

One of the things I reflected upon was the fact that I did not meet my goal of running 250 miles before 1/1/11.  I was high on just finishing Ragnar.  It was summertime in MN.  And I put out a lofty goal for myself.  In all honesty, I really believed in myself and thought I could do it.

I was motivated and excited.  I started out a bit weak by just walking the dog every day.  But around 30 days into it, I realized that I needed to get my butt in gear (literally).  I stepped it up a bit, then ended up with shin splints.  So, I altered my methods to include "miles" on the elliptical machine and stationary bike.  But still, I didn't work as hard as I should have worked.  In the end I was 68 miles short of making the goal.  I missed my mark.

On the positive side, I have hope for the future!  I worked hard towards the end of last year, and that propelled me into working hard at the beginning of 2011.  I've come up with a new goal, and I'm even more excited about this one!

My goal is to run at least 1 5k every month in 2011!  There will be some months that I run more than one race (for example, in August I'll also be running Ragnar).  And I'd also like to run a 10k this year as well!  But the goal is to run at least one 5k each month.

Below is a list of possible races.  I'll update as I register for each one, and hope some of you will join me!  You can be sure that I'll be wearing a boa from time to time, because after all... Everything is better with a boa!!!

• January: 
• Saturday 1/15 at 4:45pm - Kick Your Resolution Run in St. Louis Park.  REGISTERED!!!
• February: 
• Sunday 2/6 at 9:45am - Freeze Your Buns Run in Hamel.  (I've been told this is kind of a lame run, but FREE pancake breakfast... uh, yes please!)
• Saturday 2/12 at 9:00am - Hearts 'r' Running in St. Paul.
• March:
• Saturday 3/12 at 9:15am - 100% Irish for a Day.  I've done this one before, and it's a blast!!!  
• April:
• Saturday 4/9 at 8:30am - Run the Valley. 
• Although it is a GREAT race, I'm more than likely NOT going to run the Get in Gear on April 30th.  I have cheered at this race a couple of times in the past, and I think I'm going to continue cheering for this one!
• May:
• - Nothing I saw immediately caught my attention in May.  Will need some suggestions here!
• June:
• Saturday 6/11 at 8:45am - Lederhosenlauf 5k.
• Saturday 6/25 at 8:00am - Plymouth's Music in the Park.  It's so close to home, I'd walk to the run!
• July:
• Saturday 7/9 at 8:15am - North Memorial Whiz Bang Run.  Doesn't the name sound fun?!
• Saturday 7/9 at 8:15am - Hackensack Sweetheart Days.  Ahhh, so sweet!  Out of town, but could still be fun!
• August: - Nothing I saw immediately caught my attention in August.  Will need some suggestions here!  
• RAGNAR!!!
• September:
• Saturday 9/10 at 10:01am - James Page Blubber Run.  I've heard this is AWESOME!
• October:
• Saturday 10/29 - Monster Dash
• November: - Waiting for more race info to come out!!!
• December: - Waiting for more race info to come out!!!

I'm open to race suggestions!  Please let me know about fun and interesting races in or near the Twin Cities!!!  

And remember... I'd L-O-V-E for you to join me!

Because I said so...

I ask the question "why" alot. And I have ALWAYS hated the answer "Because I said so." Srsly, what kind of answer is that?!

But, as it turns out... there is one scenario in which I will accept this answer. It's when one of my friends commits to making a positive choice. See, the only reason I worked out yesterday and today is because I sent an email to the MFP and the Phil telling them I would. It's only "because I said so" that I took an hour each day to take care of only me.

I guess "because I said so" can be a good reason.

Thank you friends. Thank you.

What If...

I'm very curious by nature, and I love to know the answers to "Why" and "How". One of my favorite questions is "What if". I used to play this game called "What if..." It's not necessarily a game in that there's a winner or a loser. But it was something I did for fun to pass the time. I would come up with so many different "What if's..."

There were the questions that are absolutely absurd:

What if...

• there were no sidewalks anywhere?
• babies were born as 2 year olds?
• there were no dogs?
• the automobile was never invented?
• the sky was red all the time?

Then, there were the questions that seemed absurd at the time, but became reality:

What if...

• the planes fell from the sky?
• the bridge collapsed while we were driving over it?
• the roof caved in?

Unfortunately, 99% of these questions were directed at my sister. She tried to answer them honestly for years and years. But finally one day, she looked at me and quite seriously said, "We'd all be dead." I was so startled at her answer. I couldn't believe that everyone would really be dead if we only ate beef and never tried chicken. We certainly wouldn't all be dead if we didn't know how to use a computer. And we definitely wouldn't all be dead if every car in the world was orange!

See, she sort of got frustrated with all my questioning. It was non stop, over and over, my imagination would come up with so many questions. She got so tired of coming up with answers.

But now that I'm an adult, she is one of the first people I run my "What if's..." by. I reach out to her when I have big decisions to make. We run through scenarios of what could happen. But she never tells me "We'd all be dead." She knows that my questioning is helpful, and a good thing. She embraces my curiosity. She even encourages her own kids to question things.

I still, very much, enjoy questioning things. I love knowing why a process is done one way or another. I enjoy learning how things are completed from beginning to end. I just simply love learning.

Thankfully, the answer to my questions is very, very rarely "We'd all be dead."

Christmaspolooza

It's coming, it's coming, it's coming! Christmaspolooza will be here in 9 days! I'm so freaking excited for this "lock-in" type family celebration! Brian and I head down to my sister's house on Wednesday evening, and we won't be home again until Christmas morning-ish. We stock up on everyone's favorite foods and drinks. We play board games, card games, Wii games! We laugh, we cry, we eat, we drink. We run around like we're crazy people (and maybe we are, but I LOVE it)!

Christmaspolooza is the best way for a wanna-be Jewish girl to celebrate this wonderful, loving, blessed time of the year.

No More Naked

About 6 or 7 years ago I asked a couple of High School girlfriends if they were interested in playing on a co-ed volleyball team. We gathered a couple of boys (one of their husband's, and another high school friend) and found a league on Thursday nights.

We had a blast playing indoors and thought we'd try sand volleyball. We decided (after having a few beverages) that we needed a cool team name. We tried coming up with something clever, tricky, fun. And one of the guys said, "What about Naked"? We sort of stopped, and laughed at him. But then someone said, "No wait! 'Wanna play Naked?' sounds pretty cool!" We laughed it off a bit more and decided we had a name!!!

So we began playing Naked volleyball at Mama G's in Maple Grove. We had fun every week, and made some great memories! It was great to get out and do something fun together. Every week we chatted about life, and just enjoyed being together. We went back inside for the Winter and played together year round.

Things started to change, as life generally does. One friend moved away, another decided he was too busy with work to commit, and another friend got pregnant!!! The changes were exciting and fun. The team dynamic changed a little bit, but we kept on going. Over the years we continued to have fun together. There was always laughter and smiles.

We won many championship games over the years. We came up with inside jokes ("I'll show you the ballmark!"). And we just simply had a blast.

As things continued to change in our lives we were farther and farther away from the original group. It was bittersweet how the girls were having babies, and guys were starting their own businesses. We were all moving on with such wonderful things in life. And there came less and less time for Naked volleyball.

Last week was the last time we played together. I'm fortunate enough to still be on a team, and I'll get to play every week. But I'll miss Naked. I'll miss the laughter with my friends, and winning with them. I'll miss the high fives and hugs. I'll miss being competitive with them and watching us all improve our skills. All for good reasons, Naked volleyball no longer exists.

Just before the game we'd gather hands in a circle. Sometimes we'd talk strategy. Sometimes we'd pass gas and giggle. Sometimes we'd just smile at each other. But we always had the cheer... uno dos tres NAKED!

The Crying Game

I cry when I'm sad, happy, angry, excited, frustrated... all of the above. Simply put, I'm a crier.

Below are only a few places or situations where I've cried:

• My bed (in many homes.)
• My bathroom (again, in many homes.)
• My bosses office (many bosses actually. In front of my boss and alone.)
• My high school bathroom
• My therapists office
• Bathrooms at the bar (hmm... this seems to be a theme?)
• The Start (and Finish) line of the 2009 Get In Gear 10k
• In a hotel room in Red Wing after one of my closest friends told me she was pregnant. (This was crying AND laughing. Oh, and screaming too!)
• Our wedding.
• Other weddings. I'm 99% sure that I've shed tears at every wedding I've attended.
• And, today at Mile 6, 11, and 26.2 of the 2010 Twin Cities Marathon

Today's tears came while wearing a boa... just sayin'.

In Writing

I verbalized a lofty goal at the end of August. I told my Hot Hubby that I would walk or jog 250 miles before the clock strikes Midnight on December 31st of this year. At that time, it meant I would need to walk/jog just under 2 miles per day to make this goal.

Seeing as I didn't consider myself committed to this goal, I sort of slacked for about a month. I currently have 104 days to complete 226 miles. That's an average of 2.2 miles per day until New Year's Eve.

Now I have verbalized the goal to a couple of people AND it's in writing. I'm committed.

Feel free to remind me of this goal from time to time. Public or private Facebook messages, text messages, phone calls, carrier pigeons are all acceptable ways of communicating your interest in my goal.

Walk on, do something, care for yourself.

Ready vs. Want

There is a difference between being "ready" for something, and "wanting" something. For example:

• I may want a promotion at work, but I may not be ready for it.
• At one point in my early 20's I wanted a nice house in S. Minneapolis to call my own, but I was definitely not ready for it.
• Most days I am ready to go for a run, but I often don't want to go.
• I may be ready to start attending Shabbat services at Temple Israel, but I don't want to start (this item is a whole OTHER blog post!)
• The lawn is ready to be mowed, but I don't want to mow it.

My point today is that I understand that I will never be ready to have kids, but that doesn't mean that I want them. I struggle quite a bit with my feelings towards having or not having kids.

I have very well meaning friends that assure me that there will never be a perfect time to make that leap. I know that the timing will never be perfect. They also tell me that it will be "different" when the kids are my own. The problem with that kind of encouragement is that I actually like kids. I like babies, toddlers, pre-teens... sometimes I even like the moody teenagers!

Hot Hubby and I talk about having kids (or not) a lot. The issue we have isn't whether or not we are ready for kids. The issue is whether or not we want kids.

The Final Countdown

April 15th is in 8 days. 8 calendar days. One week, and one day.

What does this matter you ask? Let me tell you:

• Brian will go back to working 40 hours a week instead of the 75+ hours he's working now.
• I will feel more loved, less crazy, and happier.
• Our phone conversations will no longer end with "So it's going to be a late night?" "Uh, yeah."
• Rascal will no longer sit at the top of the stairs waiting for his Daddy to come home.
• We will no longer have a scheduled Date Night (This may or may not be a good thing?!)
• I will sleep through the night without waking every 45 minutes wondering about the "thumps" in the night.
• Our activities together will consist of more than just making dinner once a week.
• We will have time to work on "us".
• Tax Season will be O-V-E-R!!!!!!!!

So Suck it Tax Season Lizard. I'm nearly done with you!