Running!

Saturday, November 7, 8 AM:
Vulcan 10 K Run
Birmingham, AL
Goal time: 1 hr.

Saturday, November 14, 9 AM:
World's Highest Hill 5 Mile Race
Elevation change: 1,999 ft. (It's one foot shorter than a mountain y'all).
Poteau, OK
Goal time: no goal time for this one, the plan is to finish the race without needing emergency medical assistance.
If my geometry skills are working, I'm calculating this to average a 4.7% incline for 5 miles. Holy crap. Fun stuff!

Monday

Thanks so much to everyone who left such sweet comments a few days ago when I posted about my friend. She was diagnosed with liver cancer and she is only in her early 30's. It's just so unbelievable to me still. She has started chemotherapy and I am praying all the time for her. She is such a strong person and she is fighting hard. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers for her.

The weekend review:

I rotated my tires instead of buying two new ones. The tires for my car cost about 5 times as much as I budgeted. Dear Santa, the Frye boots will have to wait until next year, please bring me tires. Sigh.... At least the dogs are good for another year after a trip to the vet.

My Halloween was spent with the most precious baby girl in the world. I was thrilled when my sis-in-law asked me to join her and my little niece for a Halloween parade. My niece was a bee princess and she was adorable in her little orange tutu and bee wings. She was very cuddly because she is teething and I must admit that baby cuddles are the best thing in the entire world.

I got 6 trick or treaters this year. When I got home from my sis-in-law's house, it was already kind of late so I got some sketchy teenagers and some of them weren't even dressed up. I wouldn't have even opened the door if Scott wasn't home! I bought 4 bags of Halloween candy so I'm glad I don't have to eat ALL of it myself. (ok, ok, so I ate an entire bag of Butterfingers last week before Halloween weekend even started).

For my butterfinger induced state of guilt half marathon training, I ran 10 miles on Sunday. It was the first double digit run of my life and I was thrilled! It's so nice to get on the treadmill, zone out, and forget about everything for a while. Some people are able to think when they run, they sort out all of their problems... not me, not this weekend. I just went blank. I watched the ridiculousness (yes, that should be a word) of VH-1 mega-yachts, listened to good music on the iPod, and felt nothing except for the sweat running down my face. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Happy Halloween

Cricket wishes you a happy halloween!


(Bat girl)


(Masquerade girl)


(The Nightmare of Elm Street girl)

(Davey Crockett)

(Indian girl)

It's pay day!

I want these...

But alas.... instead of the beautiful Frye boots I've been lusting over, I will be buying shots for these little girls at the vet tomorrow...

and 2 of these for the Mazda-rati.

Being responsible is SO overrated. :-)

8 K Run Away race and Sloss Fright Furnace

I ran the Hannah Homes "Run Away from Domestic Violence" 8 K last weekend and enjoyed it so much! I was part of a great group of family and friends who participated in the run. My husband, sis in law, and some friends all got up early on a chilly Saturday morning to support a great cause and complete a very challenging course. There were TONS of hills! The course went through the beautiful Greystone neighborhood and it had water stops every mile! Score!

The run started with a huge hill that not even Britney on my iPod could help. (I'm loving the new "3" single of hers- it's my new running song). So I started out tired but managed to get into a rhythm around the 2nd mile. My lungs were hurting from the cold air but I kept going. My goal was to finish in less than 50 minutes and I actually hit the finish line before 48 minutes! I was thrilled! After the run, the crew and I went to Cracker Barrel to celebrate and enjoyed some well deserved calories.

Saturday night, some of us went to the haunted Sloss Fright Furnace. It's an old steel blast furnace that is over 100 years old and it's supposed to be haunted. The place itself was really creepy and several steel workers died there. Think of crumbling bricks, really old giant machinery, cobwebs, and the dark. Here's the website if you're curious:

Sloss Fright Furnace

It would have been so much more scary if the cheese factor was decreased. Of course I made my husband go first but the ghosts, goblins, and zombies waited to jump out at me. I will admit that I'm a spazzy sort of person, so yeah, I jumped and screamed a few dozen times. It was a fun time and I'm glad we went. It would have been much more scary if they would've just let us walk around in that place without all the "monsters" jumping out at us every couple of seconds. It's amazing how haunted houses just aren't that scary as an adult. As a child, I would have been completely traumatized by the Sloss Fright Furnace.

Do you do the Halloween haunted house thing?

Prayers needed

I got some really horrible news last week about one of my best friends. I've been asking myself why bad things happen to great people and I've been so furious with God for letting this happen. I alternate between fury at God and begging Him for comfort and healing for my friend. Probably not the greatest combination of feelings and requests, but at least it's honest.

If you pray, or even if you don't, start now and please pray for my friend. She needs a miracle. My heart hurts for what she is going through and also for her family. And also for me. I am selfish. Nothing bad should ever happen to my friends. I want all of my friends to have the very best lives that the world can offer. They have all worked hard, done all of the right things, and they deserve to be happy. Every time I think about her I just want to cry because she is having to go through this, but I am also filled with so much hope for my friend.

She is a fighter and I pray that she can fight this.

Post Secret Blog

Has anyone ever been to a Post Secret event? There is one coming soon to my city and I'm planning to go.

I am a habitual Post Secret reader. I have to check out the new secrets every Sunday. This blog fascinates me for some reason. Some of the secrets are heart breaking. Others are motivational. Many of them are just hilarious. The cards are so artistic and creative and I admire the people who share their secrets.

Post Secret Blog

What do you think about Post Secret?

Recipe: Cranberry Brisket

Brown a ~4 lb brisket on all sides in 2-3 T olive oil for 5-7 min in a large skillet.

Add brisket to crock pot with the following:

1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberries
1 can cranberry sauce
1 large chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
3 chopped carrots
1 T minced garlic
Add a little seasoning salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Flashback for Fall fashion!

Today is the first day I have been cold enough to wear a jacket this fall!

So, I found my jean jacket...

(this is from eBay because I don't know where my camera cord is)

I love it. It's my dad's Levi's jean jacket from the 60's. He wore it in middle school and somehow he managed to keep it around all these years. I swiped it from him when I was in college and I've had it ever since.

These things are pricey on eBay but I would never sell mine. It will always remind me of my dad. Even though he's hundreds of miles away from me and he can be difficult at times, he's always been a great dad and I am so thankful for him.

Is anyone else breaking out a jacket yet?

Wednesday ramblings

* I am SO over the rain. It's freaking depressing outside.

* I really want someone to clean my house for me. It's gross.

* Big choices have to be made very, very, very soon and there is no perfect choice.

* Any time spent running is the best part of my day lately.

* I can't believe Coach Mo went home on The Biggest Loser!!! I can't stand that Tracy chick!

* I have rediscovered The White Stripes and their music makes me happy.