Dr. Thunder, Colby Jack, and a Healthy Bug

Some Favorite Foods and Beverages this week:

*Constant Comment Hot Tea
*Fresh Pineapple  (Only $2.98 at the store this week, and they are wonderful!)
*Colby Jack Cheese Cubes
*Dried Cranberries and nuts mixed together. (Almonds are best, but peanuts will do.)
*Diet Dr. Thunder.  Yes, that cheap brand (84 cents a 2 liter) at Walmart. It's better than Diet Dr. Pepper--which is darn good!
*Celery and Peanut Butter (Why don't I make this more often??)

It's a wonderful Wednesday: 

*My internet is finally on for longer that five minutes at a time. (Another call to the internet provider.)
*I am completing Day 2 of Week 2 on the Couch Potato to 5K. (How is it possible to lose this much ground in just a few months?)
*The Mr. is headed to the RV show, but at least I have a meeting to attend tonight.
*The little Lady Bug is finally feeling better.  She had an ear infection, but the antibiotics seem to be helping.  No fever.  Still coughing, but a much happier, chipper baby. Her parents seemed to have recovered, too.

I'm trying to concentrate on the good.  Research papers are driving me crazy, and spring play auditions are looming next week.  I have a lot to do, and a million interruptions a day. 

I'll let you know when I dig my way out!  
 

The New

The new of this year is running shoes:  Nike Lunar Eclipses.

I don't think I've written about my shoe problems of the late summer--early fall.  I purchased new running shoes over the summer.  I don't know why I was so slow to catch on; bruised toenails surely should have been a sign.  The balls of my feet became so sore that I couldn't even walk long distances.  I blamed it on flip flops over the summer and then heels when school started.  Nope.

After a somewhat forced hiatus from running or even walking, I tried to wear the the running shoes on a shopping trip.  AND the old pain returned.  Bingo. Time for new running shoes.

I visited the running store where they analyze your stride.  I was quite thrilled when the salesperson called another salesperson in to look at my stride.  Her exact words?  "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"  Great.  Wonderful.  Apparently, one foot rolls in and the other rolls out.  (Balancing to compensate what the brain screwed up with the stroke?  Or just a screwed up stride?)  They said stability was needed, when I thought all I really needed was a lot of cushioning!  

This ended up being the shoe of choice for both stability and cushioning.
 
So the Nikes are new, but beginning the Couch Potato to 5K isn't.  I think this will be the 3rd time around.

This morning:  Day 2 of Week 1.

And new shoes!

Wonder of Wonders

These things are amazing me today:

*How much room a Christmas tree takes up in our house.
*How quickly break flies by.
*How incredibly happy I will be when the Iowa Caucus is over.  I know. There will be more to follow.  *sigh*
*How much ground I could lose in just a few months.  I started the Couch Potato to 5K again.  The plan was to jump ahead a couple of weeks.  That won't be happening.  It was a bit tougher than I thought it would be.

Last day of break.  Back to...

Finals.  Three classes still get to take their finals.
A rivalry basketball game.
New rosters, seating charts, and lesson plans for the new semester, which actually begins on Wednesday.

Yes, it is time to get back in the swing of things.

Youch...

I hope I can still walk tonight.

At 5:00 a.m. I will run a mile and a half.  (Easing back into it.)

At 6:00 a.m. Baxter and I will meet Khalie and K for our walk.  Two and a half miles would be a piece of cake, except for the fact that we have a 70 pound lab and a 20 pound shih-poo on the same leash.  I have about 90 pounds pulling on my arms for 40 minutes or so. I dread when we meet another walker, and especially another walker with a dog.  The goofballs are getting better with this splitter halter, but it is still work to control them.

By far the hardest part of the day will be the hour and a half I spend vacuuming the pool.  What used to be the best part of my job is now the worst.  The suction on the hose is so strong that the cleaning staff has bent the vacuum pole.  (It was brand new!)  It is all I can do to pry the vacuum off the bottom of the pool this summer.  It is nearly impossible to push it out or pull it in.  After an hour and a half of pulling and pushing with all of my strength, the pool is somewhat clean and my arm muscles are shaking like you wouldn't believe.

I'm pretty sure that I will have all of my exercise in by the end of the day.  And the Mr. better not get too smarty with me, as I'm pretty sure that I have the muscles to beat him up!   (Slim chance of that.  I'll be lucky if I can lift my arms by tonight!)

Summer Peeves

It isn't even the first day of summer yet, and still I am unloading.  These are some things driving me nuts.

*Mosquitoes. They are the worst they have been in several years.
*Ticks.  Yeah, this is a deadly combination.  Ticks and mosquitoes can ruin a perfectly good evening.
*Flies.  They are huge this year.  Flies, ticks, and mosquitoes = UGH!
*Temperatures that went from highs in the 50's to a high of 94.  Seriously.  Couldn't Mother Nature ease us into this warmth?
*Sweat.  I've been sweating my sunscreen off. 
*Cottonwood fluff or whatever it is that seems to be giving me sneezing and itching eyes.  At the pool today, it looked like it was snowing!
*Sunscreen.  We have to have it, and yet they charge $8.00+ for a fairly small bottle or tube.  Makes me wish I could go back to Baby Oil at $2 or so for a big bottle.
*As soon as I got my flowers planted out front, the front hydrant breaks and needs repairs.  Guess who gets to carry water to keep the flowers alive in this heat?  Lovely.
*I have an ankle giving me some pain, so I have traded the jogging for walking for at least a couple of weeks to see if the pain will go away.  Not exactly how I wanted my summer to begin.

On a side note, there have been these big birds flying over Tiny Town in huge flocks.  They circle and soar in circles.  Even Baxter stops to watch them.  I feel like I am in a Harry Potter moment, and that the owls are arriving at Hogwarts; when actually, I should probably be more concerned that I am in Hitchcock's The Birds. 

Pet peeves aside, I am really enjoying the break.  I'm slathering on the sunscreen, waving away the bugs, and watching the birds swooping in--all while the sweat rolls.  Just an ordinary day on Easy Street.

An Apple A Day Isn't Cutting It

The earache continues, and I am off to see the Dr. this morning.  Hopefully, I can get in quickly and be back to school in time for most of 1st hour.

My 5K race didn't happen.  I'll call that a donation, I guess.  Drats!  (And that is one of the nicer things I can think of to say!)

I missed Prom walk-in.  I love seeing the students all dressed up.  Darn it.

Ibuprofen has been my friend.  (Four hours of relief at a time.)

It is time to get to the root of the problem.

Fat Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday.  Mardi Gras. 

Testing begins today.  We hope that there will be reason to celebrate when we are done tomorrow.  Trust me when I tell you that we will skip the beads. 

I'm giving up caffeine.  That doesn't make me feel like celebrating much.  I really like coffee and Diet Pepsi.  I'm tapering off.  I know my blood pressure will thank me, but that still doesn't make me feel like celebrating.

This morning I ran two miles.  The weather wasn't the awful stuff predicted.  I'm running two miles today and Thursday, and then I'm planning a three mile run over the weekend. If running two miles starts feeling a little easier, now that would be reason to celebrate!

Pancakes on Easy Street tonight.  So...it is going to be a fat Tuesday.  Maybe a fat Wednesday, too.  There's a reason people fast on Ash Wednesday.

Still On The Treadmill

I have 4 days left until State Assessments.  I'm a bit stressed.  I wonder if the kids are.

Peppermint creamer made the day go somewhat better.  (By the way-- Coffeemate makes it.)  I even added a new sign to my lectern.  "I drink coffee for your safety."  My students don't know it, but there is a bit of truth in there.

We're in the middle of Sub State Basketball around here.  The boys ended with a loss last night, and the girls play here in Tiny Town tonight.

Faded jeans and a ponytail are the uniform for tonight's game.  (If I could get away with a pillow and blanket, I would.)

On the way to the game, I'm hoping to convince the Mr. to help me hook speakers into my mini mac.  I found some old computer speakers here at home.  For some reason, the computer doesn't feed into my classroom speaker.  Until someone figures out that little snafu, I'm hoping these will work.

To top it off, tomorrow is "Biggest Loser" Week 4 weigh in for Tiny Town High staff.  *sigh*  I haven't been running or walking this past week.  I'm not sure that worrying counts as exercise.  *double sigh* The snow and ice are finally gone, so I start again tomorrow morning.

No literal treadmill here; just no time to stop.  Assessments.  Someday I'll write about who is really being assessed.  I have a feeling it isn't the kids...

Friday Favorites

This hasn't been the best of weeks, but it wasn't all bad either. 

Here's the breakdown:

1.  The Mr. brought me a Ghiradelli's dark chocolate and mint bar for Valentine's Day.  Does he know me or what?  I bought him mixed nuts--quite apropos for our family.

2.  K and CT invited us to dinner on Valentine's Day.  CT grilled hamburgers.  (And I made peanut butter pie--a new favorite!)  Grilling in February?  Check out  #4.

3.  I had dinner with L on Tuesday night before my hair appointment.  It is always good to see her and catch up a bit.  And we managed to cram in a bit of Target time, too.

4.  The weather this week has been wonderful!  I'm thinking the flip flop earrings my colleague gave us might be magical after all!  This is flip flop weather.  Combine that with the full moon, and this has been a beautiful week!

5.  Still, still, still... no voice means a lot of quiet.  Parent Teacher conferences go mighty fast when the teacher has no voice.  L thinks I sound like a cartoon character.  I'm still debating whether to go to the Dr. or not.  I'm not sure there is much they can give me for laryngitis.

6.  I am back running again.  A mile and a half is better than nothing.  (And you don't need a voice to run.)  I've still got a couple of weeks until the two mile St. Patty's day run, and a couple of months until a women's 5K in the next town over.  I plan to be ready for both.  Oh, and the running always makes the daily weigh in a little less painful!

My final favorite of the week is one I've written about before.  There is a website called Map My Run that can map your route in any town.  Trust me.  If I can map where I run, walk, or bike in Tiny Town; you can map it in any town or area of the country. 

The mileage map feature is great, but now they've added a new element:  a nutrition log.  It reminds me a lot of the weight watcher log.  You type in what you eat and it keeps track of the calories, fat, sodium, and carbs consumed.  It will also estimate the calories burned with each workout. 

And the best part:  Map My Run is free!! 

I've enjoyed the running. The Mr. has enjoyed the quiet.  (Or so he says!  I think he misses my chatter.)  And we've all enjoyed the weather.  Sometimes, it's just hard to complain-- especially when you have no voice!

Random Fun

We've had a lot of fun lately. 

*Last weekend we joined friends for a wine tasting, hor d'oeuvres, and a tour of a local winery.  (A couple of guys had bought the evening at a silent auction at a golf tournament.)  It was nice of them to invite us to join them.  We had so much fun.  You know how I love wineries!!  I'm already hunting for other state wineries to visit!

*The Mr. and L have joined a local YMCA.  The Mr. swims.  L works out on their weights, treadmills, and ellipticals. He goes early in the morning; she goes after school.  Swimming is easier on the Mr.'s joints, and L has always loved working out in gyms.  (Running is not her thing.)

*K and I have been walking the dogs after school.  The dogs are ridiculous.  First of all, when they see each other it is like watching a love story.  They run to each other like they haven't seen each other in years, nearly yanking our arms off of us as we try to rein them in.  They nuzzle each other for a bit before we head out for the hills.  On the walk, they tangle their leashes again and again.  Baxter chases leaves as they blow, and Khalie goes on point for "lawn art" birds.  They are quite a duo: the big black lab and the feisty white shih poo. 

*I am still running three times a week.  I ran three and a half miles last weekend.  It is getting easier.  When K runs with me, we talk as we run.  (Well, she talks; I concentrate on breathing.)  I think I am ready to run a competitive 5K. 

The really fun time???
No root canal on Easy Street.  Ta-da!! The dentist thought the tooth might be cracked to the root.  There was a good chance I would be back to see him within a year, and that the tooth would probably need to be pulled anyway. 

Lucky for me, the tooth with the problem is the very back molar.  I won't need an implant.  The curve of the jawbone won't allow other teeth to shift or move.  BUT... I can't get in to see the oral surgeon until the end of November. 

In the meantime, I guess I will continue to avoid chewing on that side of my mouth.  I'm sure a little wine and chocolate can soothe my pain.  Oh, and candy corn--my favorite Halloween candy!

I'm leaving you with the sunrise I saw Monday morning.  I took this picture as I was walking to my classroom at Trailer High.  Typical small town.  Typical elevator.  Not so typical sunrise. OK.  Maybe our town and school aren't so typical since the tornado either, but what a great way to begin a day!

Happy Wednesday!

5K at Last!!

I made it through my 3.1 mile run, well wog (walk/jog), on Saturday morning even though the 1.6 mile trail was like an obstacle course.

The first obstacle was a huge tree that had crashed down on the path, forcing me to run through dew soaked grass.  There had been a microburst in U town a week ago that did quite a bit of damage.  I guess the park is on the end of the clean up list.

Next up was the water sprinkler feature.  There were about six heavy duty sprinklers that were blasting the trail.  One of them had created a lovely mud hole that was impossible to miss.  I was forced to run through it because of a fence on one side and a grove of trees on the other.  My shoes are still muddy.

Finally, there was another tree felled by the storm.  This one was huge, yet suspended about 4 feet above the ground.  I had to duck under it to follow the path through the woods.  I guess this added interest to my run.

I didn't time myself.  I don't want to know.  I was lapped many times by some college age girl who sprinted the trail like it was a 100 yard dash.  However, I was also lapped by a 60-70 year old guy who couldn't possibly be classified as a fast runner.  I don't think any walkers lapped me!  *sigh*

I did discover that I don't like running in daylight.  I like running in the dark where I can't see as well!  As I began my run in daylight, I wasn't sure I could even make one lap on the trail.  (The first 50 yards almost did me in!)  One side effect of the stroke was that my perception was all messed up.  When I walked or moved, it seemed like the world was moving, too.  Needless to say, walking was jerky and awkward--somewhat like trying to walk on a moving ship.  I looked like a newborn colt trying to walk.

They didn't prescribe physical therapy of any kind, so I had to adapt on my own.  After a lot of walking, I didn't notice the movement any more.  The same thing happened with biking, though that was a bit scarier. (My feet weren't on the ground!!)  Again, I made myself get used to it by biking a lot. 

And now, here I go again.  I'm going to have to do more running during daylight hours.  I need to get over that sick feeling of the earth moving while I'm moving.  Of course, that means finding daylight hours to run-- not an easy task.  I prefer running at 5:00 in the morning:  it is cooler, the streets are empty, and I almost never have anything else scheduled at that time! 

Just when I think my self-initiated rehab is over, here we go again!  Lovely, just lovely!

The Best of a Very Good Week

This week's Friday Favorites are pretty easy.  Limiting them to just five isn't that easy! 

1.  On Sunday evening some friends held a couple's shower for K and CT.  There was a camouflage theme for the decorations.  I wish I had taken more pictures!

I did get a shot of the adorable cake.  Even the "rocks" lining the "stream" were edibible. You can check out the camo tent.  There was even a small campfire.  Do they know this groom or what?!! 

2. Our tour of the new high school was a highlight.  This time it was legit, as we all had hard hats!

We were finally assigned a classroom and could also see the progress.  It was quite exciting and a bit emotional at the same time!  It's going to be beautiful.  I am so hopeful that the construction crew is able to stay on schedule!

3.  I finally got to see my classroom!  The English wing was the last to be assigned our rooms.  We found out on the tour which room was to be ours. It really didn't matter which one we were given, but I am quite excited to show you my new classroom!!  Ta-da!!!!

Those are my windows on my corner of the middle wing.  That is also a door from my room that is a required fire exit.  Isn't this a beautiful sight?!!  OK.  It might not look like that much to you, but comparing it to my trailer...!!  And here is an interior view:

I guess you can see that there is some work to do, but at least the building is pretty much enclosed which means work can continue even when the weather is less than ideal.  And every classroom has a pretty big storage closet.

*sigh*  I think I am in love!

4.  School started and I am quite impressed with the class of 2013!

Our first couple days of school have been enjoyable.  The students are cheerful and almost eager to get back in the swing.  Probably seeing that beautiful new building going up in the middle of the Trailer High campus is a promise of all the good things ahead this year.  They have sidewalks this year.  The construction dirt isn't going to cause rivers of mud.  Even the planks that had to be placed for students to avoid "streams" in rainy weather won't be needed this year.  AND...they have parking!!  Life is good at Trailer High, and it is bound to get better!

5.  Running has been going so well that I am going to attempt a 5K tomorrow.  I'm doing it on my own.  There is a race this fall at a park in U town.  I'm going to run the race course for that race.  I'm actually looking forward to it!  And if it goes well, I will sign up to run the 5K race in late September. 

I'm not even getting into K's new job and how well that is going, or L's new class of 1st graders and her funny stories.  L has become my personal trainer, while I am her running inspiration.  (She can't let the old lady beat her in a race!)  The Mr. has made this week an easy one for the teachers in this house. 

I'm not sure a week could get much better... but, we'll talk again after we're all moved into the new building in January!!

Hectic Times on Easy Street

All my best intentions of getting caught up on blogging have gone by the wayside. Let's see, this is what has been happening:

1. A carload of kids, two students from Tiny Town and two students from another town, were involved in a car accident. One student from Tiny Town died and all the other boys were injured. Both of Tiny Town's kids were former students. It makes me sick.

2. I've worked quite a few days at the pool.

3. The County Fair is going on; hence, the reason for working so many days. (The other attendants want off to attend the fun.)

4. L and CG are taking a break from the long distance relationship. Well, at least for a couple of weeks. Time will tell.

5. I took a nose dive on the morning run. This time I know exactly what happened. I was pointing out a hole for L to avoid and didn't see the uneven sidewalk. I landed on hands and knees and "volleyball rolled" into the yard. L was freaked, but I got up and finished the run. (We still had a mile and a quarter to go.) I finished covered in sweat, grass, and scrapes. BUT... I finished!!  And now my knees look like a 3rd grader's!

6. My tooth is better, but still has sensitivity from time to time.  My knees have helped me forget about my tooth!

7. K's new job is keeping her busy and really taking it out of her. Besides all the beginning of school activities, they are moving into a new building.  It probably doesn't help that she has a sprained ankle. (I'm guessing you can tell where she got her gracefulness!!)

8. K and CT are going to be moving to Tiny Town. K will be thirty minutes closer to work. CT will add about 5 minutes to his drive.  I think all of us have been concerned about K being gone from home at least 12 hours a day. They are going to be moving to a cute rental home owned by K's Middle School Science teacher and his wife, who happens to be our Trailer High secretary. There is a cement pad for the boat and a huge yard with an apple tree and room for a garden.  Besides that, they couldn't ask for better landlords.  Altogether, they will shave about 50 minutes off of commute time.  It has been 11 years or so since our whole family has been living in Tiny Town. I look forward to their move.  (Just one more thing to add to K's plate right now.)

9. I went to see the Mr.'s sister and her family yesterday. Both nieces and the grandkids were also visiting at the MIL's apartment. The Mr. had to work, but I had a good time catching up. We don't get to see that side of the family often and the great niece and nephew are growing so fast!

10. AND Ta-Da: the Mr. bought a different vehicle. It is a white 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. I always forget how much work it is with test driving, purchasing, insurance, tags, and titles. He is selling the old truck to a salvage yard. The interior is still nice and it has a topper. I'm not sure how much else is salvageable.

So that has been the last five days on Easy Street. Today and tomorrow are my last two days at the pool. I have loved the quiet days for swimming and reading. I've met quite a few people, but I am ready to get back to the students of Trailer High.  I will have a few days off, three appointments, and work to get done before I report to school next Monday.  I have to enjoy these last few days of summer!

Mission Accomplished!

Yesterday's trip was a success.  The bride and her maid of honor (and only bridesmaid) both have shoes now. 

K has always been the girlie girl.  She only wanted to wear dresses to school in early elementary years.  On freezing cold days when I insisted that she wear pants, there were always tears.  She tap danced and was a cheerleader.  Pink was her signature color. 

Care to guess her choice of shoe color??  Yep.  Pink.  Hot pink.  Her maid of honor and her mother have hot pink shoes, too.  It is all about K's day! 

We also found out yesterday that K's wedding dress will arrive early next week.  It has already been shipped, so we are headed back next week for the alterations appointment.  This is about a month and a half earlier than expected, and K is relieved.  The idea of the dress arriving two weeks before the wedding had her a bit freaked.

L's bridesmaid dress is adorable: simple and sweet.  She tried it on with her pink shoes.  They are steaming out the wrinkles, and we will be bringing it home next week. 

Another mission accomplished:  I am finally back to running two and a half miles.  Ya-hoooo!  That is the distance I was running before the fall in May, followed by the doctor mandated hiatus.  Six weeks sure made me lose a lot of ground. 

Finally, Baxter pooch has mastered the look, come, sit, sit and stay, down, down and stay, and roll over commands.  Now, for the harder mission:  off and leave it.  He doesn't really care to stay off of people or leave whatever he is snooping in or trying to gnaw.  *sigh*  Obedience class.  Is it for the dog or the owners? 

I'm back at the pool today.  The girls spoiled me on Tuesday by visiting me.  Quickest shift ever!  Today is likely to seem a bit longer, but I have reading to finish and thoughts to collect.  Sometimes an empty pool and a lot of time on my hands is good for the soul!

The Joys of Morning Exercise

I am about to finish out the Couch Potato to 5K program for about the 4th time.  That means I wog (walk + jog = wog)  two and a half miles this week, then finish with three mile runs (or wogs in my case) next week.  Their plan only has you running three times a week.  On "off" days I walk. 

This morning was an off day.  Baxter, the Mr., and I headed out at 5:00 AM.  We are two blocks from home when I see something dart across the street. Something about the way it ran caught my attention. 

Me:  Is that a skunk?

Mr.:  Noooo... it's a cat.  (pause)  Nooooo...by gosh, that is a skunk. 

We stop, rein in Baxter, and watch the little critter run through the Bed and Breakfast driveway. 

Lovely.  Just lovely. 

And when I'm running by myself, do I pay close enough attention to animals around Tiny Town?  No.  Am I going to do better?  I sure hope so. 

Getting sprayed by a skunk would not be my idea of a "reward" for getting my exercise for the day. 

And before I forget:  Happy Birthday to the Little Big Brother today!  His birthday present arrived the other night.  His oldest son and my West Point nephew arrived home for summer vacation...finally!!  His oldest daughter and summer chem student is due home later this week.  Hail. Hail.  The gang is almost all here, or it will be by the end of the week!

I'm off to the pool today.  In this heat, the water feels pretty good--as long as I drink a lot of water, too!

Stay cool on this toasty Tuesday!

Tuesday's Tune- "I Was Here"

K and L are always introducing me to new songs and new artists.  L usually plays me a favorite on her Ipod in the car.  I let K program my Ipod shuffle. That means sometimes I'm discovering new songs in the midst of a morning run.

I run at 5:00 in the morning on the dark streets of Tiny Town.  Sometimes I have to laugh out loud at the songs.  I'm pretty sure I never would have listened to "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas on my own.  (I am, after all, over 50. And I don't usually discuss my humps or lumps.)

Sometimes I am flat out stunned by the brilliance of the lyrics.  Actually, I'm frequently wondering who in the world gets paid to write this stuff?  "This is why I'm hot.  This is why I'm hot.  This is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot."  And where can I find a job that pays me to write such complicated lyrics?! 

Most of the time though, the girls are good at finding or suggesting songs that not only have a good beat for running but also lyrics that take my mind off of my feet, legs, and lungs.  This one caught my attention last week.  Great song.

"And I know that I,

 I will do more than just pass through this life

I'll leave nothing less

than something that says I was here.

I was here."

Lady Antebellum

Updates On Easy Street

I added the "players" at the top of my blog.  It has been a controversial move.  The Mr. asked if I could find a grumpier picture of him.  I assured him that I could.  That is the look I always get when I take his picture.  He hates it and never smiles.  He's still pretty cute though!  At least now, you can keep straight who I'm writing about.

I'm still trying to run 3 or 4 mornings a week.  I went back a week or two on the Couch Potato to 5K schedule.  Since I'm not trying to push it for a race, I can take it at my own speed and it is going much better. 

On the other hand, K and about ten colleagues and friends are training for a half marathon that is two weeks away.  They've been following a training schedule.  Yesterday, they completed a nine mile run and this week they will be running ten.  She's had frustrating days, blisters, and fatigue; however, she has worked her way through most of that and is getting excited for the trip to Nashville's Rock N Roll Half Marathon. 

K is also finishing her Master's degree in administration.  She has her comps this week, and then she'll be done.  (Yes, she has a hectic couple of weeks ahead of her.)

L just finished enrolling to begin her Master's degree this summer.  Her's will be a degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in classroom technology.  And then she is going to teach her ol' mom some things! 

Those two put me to shame.  Going to school again holds no appeal to me whatsoever!

The Mr. worked this weekend, but we still managed to get the camper cleaned out and the onions in the garden.  Now, he is finishing taxes for the deadline.  (We always have to pay, so last minute works!)

Sounds like the week ahead should be beautiful.  There is nothing like teaching high school kids in this wonderful weather!  I'm sure studying and school work will be first and foremost in their minds! Ha!  The sad thing is--they act just like their teachers!!

Just a couple of things

My run yesterday was....not fun.  It was 39 degrees yesterday with wind.  My Ipod died before the race started, so I ran music-less.  I wore a fleece that overheated me 3/4 of a mile in.  At about the end of the 1st mile, someone was barbequeing and the smell put my gag reflex into overdrive.  I walked and ran the final mile, fighting nausea most of the way.  The last block to the finish line had that BBQ smell again, and I wanted to clamp a hand over my mouth. 

My time was dreadful, but I could peel off the fleece and cool down a bit.  Poor K. Who knew she would have to spend so much time talking her old mom through the end of that "fun" run?  So, what do the Mr., K, and CT order after the race:  BBQ.  Ugh.  I tried not to look at it.  I actually fought nausea all afternoon and evening, so maybe I had a touch of something. 

Sad that I'm even thinking this already, but there is another race on April 10th in a nearby town.  They have a marathon, half-marathon, 10 K, and 5 K.  I am going to register for the 5 K.  I'm also going to repeat week 6 of Couch Potato to 5 K and finish the training for the 5 K before then.  We'll see how that goes. 

K is lucking out on this one, as she and her half marathon friends are supposed to run a competitive 10 K that weekend. So we'll all be at the same race, but she won't have to run with me.  I run by myself every day, so I prefer it that way.  Now if I could find a race to run while it is still dark, I'd love it.  Darkness at 5:00 AM is my favorite time to run. Oh, and the Ipod will be charged and I will peel layers as I go.

Is anyone else in blog land getting comments written in characters?  Weird.  It isn't like I can read what they say.  If it is Ed McMahon telling me I've won a million dollars, I'm going to be mad I missed it.  I just keep rejecting the comments.  I hope it isn't hate mail!   Oh, wait a second!  I don't care.  I can't read it!

Yesterday's Success

I completed my two mile run yesterday.  It wasn't pretty, but I did it.  And just in time!  The St. Patrick's Day Fun Run is this Saturday.  It remains to be seen if it is fun or not!  I spent last evening updating the music on my hot pink ipod shuffle. I have been in need of some new running tunes.  Feel free to leave me some suggestions for songs to add to my running list. 

And Baxter made it all the way through the night on Sunday night!  Woo Hoo!!  A full night's sleep for the Mr. and me.  Mr. B woke me up about 15 minutes before the alarm was set to go off.  However, it is all a trade off.  Now I need to get him to quit attacking my hands like they are a bit of juicy steak!  Little rug rat!

In other news around Easy Street and Tiny Town:

*K is putting some applications out there for principal jobs.  In this economy, there aren't many.

*A senior boy's dad took ill suddenly and died.  This is the 3rd senior who has lost a parent this year.  So sad.  This Dad was on Tiny Town's City Council and was their representative for our library board.  Not only will his family miss him, but our community will, too.

*L is eagerly awaiting CG this week.  He is moving back to the area this weekend.  He will be building up his frequent flyer miles by resuming his commute to Philly just like he did last year. 

*Me?  I'm just hanging on until spring break--and trying to convince the Mr. to take a vacation day, too.  We could use the yard work and window washing.  Great way to spend a vacation, eh??

Fab Five For The First Week of March

This week in recap:

1.  Testing. The sophs finished their State Testing for Reading.  Only 86% of them had to meet standards, so I can't complain when we have 91% who succeeded.   Next week, the sophs take the State Math Test.  Welcome to school in the 21st Century:  Test Central.

2.  Baxter.  He has taken over our house in the one week he has been with us. House training is going great; however, the sleeping at night is another story.  On Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, he was almost a homeless little puppy.  I require a bit more than four hours of sleep, and I don't care how cute and entertaining he is at 2:30 AM!

3. Sunshine!!  Everyone is in better humor from seeing the sun.  We've enjoyed a little bit warmer temperatures.  Who knew everyone could get so excited about the upper 40's?  The small snow drifts beside our trailer classrooms have finally melted, and I've noticed a few brave souls in flip flops! 

4.  Running.  Thursday, I ran 3/4 of a mile, walked 1/4, and ran another 3/4.  It wasn't too bad.  Tomorrow, two miles is on the schedule...and with no walking.  Yikes.  Do I dare time my 'wogging' two miles?!  I'm not sure I want to know!

5. Basketball.  The Mr.'s nephew is still playing basketball in the sub state tournament, so we are headed down to watch him play.  The Mr.'s cousins are coming for the game, and so are K and L.  In fact, L's CG is back from Philadelphia for the weekend and planning to go with us to see P play.  L has requested Mexican food at a favorite place for pre-game, so that is part of the plan for tonight, too.

My plan for the weekend is to dust off the camera and find time for a little something besides the puppy.  Yeah, wish me luck with that one!