My First 5K

So here's the chronology of how we got to Saturday...

August 2008: I turn 30 and my metabolism decides it no longer likes me.

September 2008: Morgan turns one and I quit nursing. Now where will all those extra calories go?

Holidays '08-09: I eat like a pig, counting on my turbo metabolism to even everything out for me post holidays.

Spring 2009: The rubber tire settles in around the ol' midsection and I get repulsed. My clothing starts to rebel.

Father's Day 2009: JD & I decide that it's time to do something and finally join a gym - something we haven't done in almost six years.

August 2009: All our friends (okay, at least a dozen of them) decide they want to run the San Antonio Half Marathon or Marathon. I ain't cut out for that. However, we decide to hop on this psychotic bandwagon and sign up for a 5K. We also drag along JD's sister Jen and their parents.

Aug-Oct 2009: Oh the training! Seriously people, I played softball growing up. My extent of running was around those four little bases and from the dugout out to my position and back. Running is not for me. I begin to question my mental sanity but continue to plod away - even in the hot, sticky S.A. weather.

This Friday: It rains much of the day and brings in a cold front. The 5K is scheduled in a park that can be known to flood out in portions. I call the event sponsor to find out if maybe I'll be getting a "free pass." No such luck.

This Saturday: The 5K arrives. I haven't yet been able to successfully run 3.1 miles (without at least some walking) in my training. My goal is to run the entire thing with no walking, but I have become resigned to the fact that that may not be possible. I also don't own running clothes for cold weather. Do I really want to do this?

JD & I start off. We run through several puddles from the rain. JD completely submerges one shoe. We are surrounded by a group of high school girls who find it amusing to sprint, then cold stop right in front of us, walk awhile, and start this routine all over again. I'm trudging along; JD is trying to talk with me, distract me from my suffering. Doesn't he get that I'm just trying to breath, not carry on a conversation?!? The course curves and swirls like the fall wind, going in no particular direction. The end seems nowhere in sight. I'm wondering at what point I should take a little "walk break". JD continues to stick with me even though he could be running faster. He's playing around, keeping me entertained, convincing me we are almost at the end. Each new turn and I think "yeah, this is it" but then I'm wrong. Getting more pissed off. Finding it harder to breath. My legs are barely doing the fatty shuffle.

Then we finally get to a portion of the park I recognize and I know that we are now getting near the end. But to ruin my joy, one of the participants (a white haired older man - grrr) who has already finished the race comes jogging back in the opposite direction, smiling gleefully saying, "You're almost there." I wanna punch him for being done, for smiling, for being old and not winded while I'm choking out each breath left in my deflating lungs. And then another twist and we're headed away from where I think "the end" is supposed to be. NOOO! However, I can hear the lady on the loud speaker calling people toward the finish so I know I'm getting close. Finally, we make it there. And my sweet husband graciously pushes me across the finish line to let me complete the race first.

I DID IT! I ran the whole thing. It took me about 34 minutes to complete it, but I did it. I couldn't have done it without my rockin' husband (thanks Babe!). I feel pretty darn good about myself too. However, I don't really want to do it again anytime soon. I just want to return to going to the gym and enjoying (as much as I can) my time on the elliptical and weight machines and not feeling the pressure to run all the time. But it is nice to know that running can be added to my repertoire if I feel so inclined (which I don't think I will be for a long time).

Now good luck to all my marathon and half-marathon running friends! You all are my heroes. Three miles is barely a warm up for you guys, but it was challenge for me.

Postscript: I wish I could say that tire around my midsection vanished in the course of my working out and training. Alas, no such luck. What's a girl gotta do?!? I'm sorry metabolism for ever taking you for granted; will you forgive me and please return?

Pre-race - You can tell b/c I'm smiling.

My awesome MIL and sis-in-law pre-race.
They graciously pushed Morgan in her stroller so JD & I could run.

Nearing the finish line.

Bored by her three mile stroller ride :P

The fam post-race.

Halloween ideas

No, Morgan is not going to be paying tribute to Heath Ledger's depiction of The Joker for Halloween this year. But she does really love blueberries!

My lipstick says I need to see a therapist

I can tell you that all my lipstick-wearing life (which actually only started in college {cringe}) I have been subject to comments, laughs, and ridicule for the shape of my lipstick. It's done me such emotional damage that I've tried to "fix" the way I apply my "Mulberry Bush" by Jane. But alas, said attempts have all been efforts in futility.

So when I see this chart (below) about what one's lipstick says about their personality, I can only come to one conclusion ... that I'm crazy. Or that the beauty magazines have run out of fodder to print. The closest I come to any stick shape on this chart of "theirs" is the Sharp Angles, Both Sides. And I agree I'm spiritual, curious, and love life, but I beg to differ that I have a big ego, seek attention, or am in any way mysterious (don't I wish).

In fact, there is a method to my application madness. I use my lipstick under the simple concepts of minimum waste and maximum utility. Therefore, when I apply, I try to make one wide stroke to cover my entire lip instead of making several smaller passes. As a result I think I use up a large amount of surface area on the stick creating a harsh slope. Once the initial slope is established, I rotate the stick to start using it from the opposite side so that I don't waste a perfectly good, unused side. This creates a funky looking point. It is here my minimum waste mentality is confronted by the problematic structural integrity of my lipstick's fragile point. This point eventually breaks off mid-application leaving me frustrated and having to start the process over :(

What do you think... Am I certifiable? What do you think my lipstick says about me? Have you ever seen someone whose lipstick looks stranger than mine? What does your lipstick say about you?

************************************************************

Slant close to original shape

Abides by the rules, Great follower, Doesn’t like too much attention, A little self-conscious, Reserved, Schedule driven, May occasionally want to attract, Attention: dye hair, new outfits.

Rounded tip to a point

Loveable, Family oriented, domestic, A “doer”, Stubborn over little things, Exaggerates, Needs people around.

Rounded smooth tip

Easy-going, Peacemaker, Even tempered, Steady, Likeable, Generous.

Flat top

To the point, High morals, Very dependable, Quick minded, Loves challenges, Careful about appearances.

Sharp angle tip

Opinionated, High-spirited, Dislikes schedules, Selective of friends, Outgoing likes attention, Argumentative.

Flat top concave

A great detective, Make friends easily, Inquisitive, Adventurous, Complex, Exciting.

Sharp angled box curved tip

Creative, Enthusiastic, Energetic, Talkative, Loves attention, Falls in love easily, Helpful.

Sharp angles both sides

Spiritual, Curious, Seeks attention, Mysterious, Loves life, Big ego.

What I Love About Summer

Summer just has such a special essence about it - one that I think kids just breath in the moment they wake up and fuels them through each day. I have such fond memories of summer days when I was a child, but as I grew older, summers lost a bit of their glimmer as the time was filled with employment or studying. Thankfully, having a child of my own has revived my senses to summer's essence. And how sweet it is to savor the joy anew with Morgan. Even sweeter still to present her with some of the quintessential summer experiences, like...

POOLS!

POPSICLES (WHILE IN THE POOL, OF COURSE!)

SPRINKLERS PLAYED LIKE A HARP

SPRINKLERS USED AS A WATER GUN

DRINKING FROM THE HOSE

ICE CREAM

Okay, so maybe we are related...

I just recently learned that Morgan's hair is now long enough to be pulled into these little pigtails of sorts. Jonathan actually calls them antennas because they stand straight out from her head. I don't care; I love them :) AND I'm tired of people not knowing whether Morgan is a boy or a girl when her hair is down.


So I sent this pic and another to our family members to show off the new 'do. After receiving them, my sister Kel promptly called me and proclaimed that I could no longer allege that Morgan and I don't look alike. After seeing the pic of me below, I think she may be right. Morgan definitely still favors Jonathan and his family, but no question about it, she's my girl :)

Me at 22 Months. Morgan is almost 20 months old right now.
I wonder if she'll get this much more hair in the next two months
or if she just got bad hair genes.

All A'Buzz

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath to see my prom pics. It took me some doing to find them, and even once I found them, they were only wallet-size. I must have lost the 5x7s somewhere along the way. Needless to say, I apologize for any poor picture quality.

I did have quite a fun trip down memory lane on my scouring search. I found so many notes, pictures, and momentos from my high school years that brought back both good and not-so-good memories. For sure, I would not want to re-live high school again, but this little expedition was a fun one, if only to remember where I came from.

So, at long last, here you go. Feel free to laugh; just don't tell me you did - my delicate ego can't take it :)

Junior Prom ('95) with Tim #1
(What kind of Glamor Shots prom pose is this?!
...but look at those cool gloves!)

Junior Prom (themed 'Hold On To the Night' - thanks Amanda!) I attended with Tim #1. Tim #1 and I attended church and performed in the school plays with each other. A group of about eight of us, mostly drama folks, decided to take on this prom venture together. I remember this clan, which consisted of quite a few anxious-to-flee-H.S.-and-small-town-IL seniors, was an unusual bunch. Unusual in that they enjoyed mocking and even parodying the Nazis and the Masons. And the soundtrack to most all our get-togethers was anything by the Beatles. What can I say? They (or I should say we {choke}) were drama dorks. Naturally, our night at prom included several antics in keeping with this offbeat vein. It's funny - and a bit disturbting - to me now how at that time I thought so little of how bizzaire some of our actions were.

Now let me enlighten my Texas friends for a moment, up in Podunkville, IL, prom is not just a dance. It is an EVENT. Prom itself includes a sit down meal and dance at the same location with all your classmates and their dates. Included within the prom is what is known as the Grand March, where all the couples line up and parade into the ballroom together - basically like a bunch of bridesmaids and groomsmen entering a wedding reception. To make the March weirder, they allow parents to be there for this fantastic display of pomp. And then to top things off, the festivities always run into the next day when you, your date, and maybe a few friends make plans to go somewhere together - doing something besides driving-to-the-next-closest-town-for-dinner-or-a-movie which you did every other weekend. For example, after my Junior Prom, my group of unusual friends and I went up to Six Flags Great America for the day.

Senior Prom ('96) with Tim #2
(Holy Glow-In-The-Dark Skin Batman!!)

My date for Senior Prom (themed "Love Buzz") was my boyfriend of a few months, Tim #2. Again, we attended with a group of eight of our friends. (I think eight must have been the magic number a stretch limo could seat.) As a senior, I remember being so carefree at prom because it seemed like a pre-celebration to graduation which was just a few weeks away. I had a great group of friends that year, and I knew that freedom from my petty high school prison was within reach. My sister Steph, a sophomore, also attended prom that year with a junior so that made it more special; I won't post any of her prom pics here though as she might kill me.

I remember Tim #2 and I danced most of the night. He loved to dance and was a good dancer. After prom, the group of us took a limo ride up into Chicago and did a bit of site-seeing. While driving around, I recall standing out the top of the sunroof of the limo and saying "Nice Car" to the owner of an expensive car next to us at a stoplight. His response was, "Sell drugs and you can get one." Classy. Our Prom Day 2 event was taking in a Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park.

Sorry, I don't have any great funny or embarassing stories to regale you with. My proms were pretty uneventful in that regard - and yet meaningful to me nonethelss. The one thing that did piss me off about my proms was that both times another girl had the exact same dress I was wearing. For real. After all that shopping for the "perfect" dress and there it was - my perfect dress on someone else. What didn't they get? That was my dress! One of my younger cousins and our babysitter have informed me that nowadays certain stores make lists cataloging which dresses have been sold to members of which schools so this dress duplication can no longer happen. Crazy, huh?

Well, that's that my friends. Thanks to those of you who have already participated via Facebook or your blogs. For those who haven't, come on and join the fun!

The Love Buzz (I mean Prom) Challenge

It's that time of year - Prom Season! Because prom at good ol' DTHS always seemed to fall on Mother's Day weekend, the coming of that holiday reminds me that prom is just around the corner ... shows where my priorities are, huh? What's even more sad is I've been bugging our babysitter for literally months to find out whether or not she's got her prom dress yet :) I just want to live vicariously through her!

Since my high school days, I have always loved prom. I think mostly it was the chance to put on a fancy dress, get my hair done, ride in a limo, and feel like an adult for one evening that was so alluring to me. In fact, I remember prom buzz started at DTHS shortly after we all returned from Christmas break. Accordingly, I had to make a game plan to ensure I had a date for this all-important-of-dances because I sure as heck wasn't going if I didn't have one. And this wasn't easy for me because, let's face it, I was neither "cool" or a knock-out. In fact, I was probably more cynical and sarcastic back then than I am now and was in a lot of ways a tomboy (I had a strict anti-dress policy). Both attributes are big turn on's for guys, trust me. Thankfully God showed mercy on this pathetic soul and provided me with dates for both my Junior and Senior Proms (ironically, both named Tim).

Neither of my prom experiences disappointed either. I had a total blast with my dates and the friends I went with. I find that even now that the prom season of my life is more than a decade behind me, I still enjoy this time of year. In fact, I like going to the fancier restaurants here in San Antonio on Friday and Saturday nights during prom season just to see all the kids (literally) in their prom attire. (Yeah, get that DTHS friends, proms here don't include a meal!).

I already hope Morgan will enjoy getting dressed up for her prom like I did. My mom was never one to take lots of pictures or go over the top with the "oh'ing" and "ah-ing" of high school dances, but prom time was different with her. She seemed to enjoy taking me and my sisters dress shopping and helping us get all dolled up. I'm pretty sure I'll be amped up about 10 times that with Morgan. Poor girl ... I hope she'll be ready :)

Okay, okay, so I titled this "The Love Buzz Challenge" and you're probably dying for me to get to the point already, huh? (Sorry, I needed to take the detour down memory lane to help set the mood.) Well, what I want is for us all to dig through our old photo albums and find our prom pictures and post them ... on your blog or on Facebook, wherever. And while you're at it, post a memory and/or story or two about your prom experiences. I'm sure there are some wickedly bad (and therefore funny) prom stories out there too :) Let's not be bashful friends! Once you've done this, please post in my comment section so I can check it out ... and if you're brave, leave your blog address there so all my other "fans" can take a gander! (Health Careers, don't you let me down!)

Oh, and about the term "Love Buzz" - it was the theme of one of my Proms. Amanda, as one of our class officers, maybe you can explain how this came about?? All I know is it was a Nirvana song ... and I only know that because I googled it :)

Alright, I'm off to search for my prom pics! Can't wait to see what you all come up with. -B

Duck Tape's 2007 "Stuck at Prom" Scholarship Winners

It's a problem when your (male) date's skirt is shorter than your's.

I'm sure the guy on the right is adorned in a white sheet nowadays.
And his confederate girlfriend/wife is probably now wearing
too-tight Daisy Dukes chasing six kids around their trailer home.

Um ... yeah. There are no words.