Friday April 9 Day 40 of the challenge. Ran 3.6 miles/Total so far 76/ Miles to go 924
I took Thursday off from both running and writing. My legs were sore from running the prior two days and, not wanting a repeat of my post Easter almost injury, I decided that pacing myself was in order. I also had a dinner engagement after work and work itself was hectic.....At least this is my story and I am sticking to it! But Friday found me not wanting to miss my run but also having a 6 0'clock fundraiser at school: the Big Hats and Boots April Fools Auction for APIL - the Association for Public Interest Lawyers. This year it was going to be in the law quad. This event which has a regular and a silent auction, raises thousands of dollars so students can participate in externships helping those who need it the most. I wore my black alligator boots especially for the occasion.
So I left work 30 minutes early, at 4:30 (Friday being the one day a week I leave at 5) and ran at the gym. I wanted to round out my miles so I chose 3.6 miles as the goal. That would give me an even 76 miles total. I had another goal/motivation: afternoon pizza. Another work place hazard of my school is that almost every day there are one or more programs enticing participants with free food, often pizza. In the afternoon when I went into the large area we call the Dean's suite where there are many desks and administrative assistants, I saw the tale tale signs of Pizza...octagon red and white boxes staked on a counter....Leftovers are frequently brought here. This is the same counter that often displays candies or cupcakes, or other sweets that are given for various reasons to the school. The whole Dean's suite is a disaster area if you are on a diet because it almost seems like the administrative assistants compete for the title of Goodie Queen. Every desk has bowls of candies, mini chocolate Mr. Good Bars and Hershey's, cherry sours, tootsie rolls, jelly beans, etc. For a sugeraholic like me, it is a veritable mine field, especially in the afternoon when the sleepy 3 o'clock slump hits.
I was proud that I had bypassed the candy, but the pizza....I could not pass it up. Even though it was not hot, I still grabbed two pieces of pepperoni and ate them on the way back to my office. Of course, once the carbs hit my system the craving returned and 4 o'clock found me back at the pizza table and two more pieces disappeared...or actually will probably reappear as additions to my love handles....that is, I thought, unless I do my run. And so I did run, thanks to the dual guilt of pizza and knowing I needed to blog.
At the silent auction, I bid on a guitar and lost and on a pair of Prada shoes. I don't wear Prada shoes and have never owned a pair, but I have a friend who prides himself on his and I wanted to see if I could get a bargain and rub it in....but others wanted the Pradas much more than I did, so other than my contribution of a shrimp scampi dinner for 4 students as an auction item and my commitment to participate in the Karaoke with the professors night, my wallet remained in tact and I retired to my home satisfied that today's battle of the bulge was a draw. Life is Good.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Day 38 Wicked Wednesday..."avoid the near occasion of sin."
April 7, Day 38 of Challenge. Ran 3 miles/ Total so far: 72.4/ Miles to go: 927.6
Weekly Grand/Lotto - did not win lotto...won $4 on Weekly Grand...Total Investment so far $12, winnings $8 Net: down $4
Wednesdays are the days of the temptress at work. I arrive to the smell of donuts and warm sausage kolachis strategically placed in the faculty/staff coffee room so that I have to both see and smell them everything I get a cup of coffee or brew some hot tea or refill my water glass. There are all kinds of donuts, but my favorite are the fried cake donuts crusted with sugary icing. I am sure they have more calories than two of the others combined and I know that if I eat one that the few minutes of blissful sugar high will soon be replaced by the sugar withdrawal low which can often prompt a repeat performance since whoever buys the donuts, etc. (which also includes all kinds of bagels with endless tubs of flavored cream cheese) buys enough for two days worth, resulting in the leftovers from the morning frenzies remaining in boxes begging to be taken throughout the day like sad puppies in pet shop windows.
As I moved through the crowd of morning feasters to get my first cup of coffee (having run out at home and not being at all satisfied by the Tetley's tea substitute) I remarked to the assemblage that they reminded me of a flock of pigeons who had just alighted when a homeless bag lady started spreading bread crumbs. Everyone looked at me with that "What are you talking about?" look that I often get when I trip out in my stream of consciousness thinking that gets orally expressed....then they smiled a knowing smile and parted like the Red Sea just enough so that I could pass to the coffee maker. I tried to not look at any of the goodies. I have the most will power in the mornings and this morning I smugly left the food alone, content that I could overcome that desire, one donut at a time.
Of course, like the siren's call, all day the leftovers whispered my name. I had eaten a healthy breakfast at home of oatmeal with blueberries, a banana, a handful of pecans flavored with some Cinnamon but by 10:30 I was hungry so I passed by the donuts and got a yogurt out of the refrigerator in the staff lounge, Activia....more healthy fare. I keep a week's supply so I can eat one in the mid-morning. I also keep a jar of almonds on my desk for an afternoon snack (supposed to lower cholesterol) but in my haste to leave this morning I left the new bag of almonds and some apples (I keep them on my desk also for afternoon munchies...apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?) on the kitchen counter. But I did succeed in avoiding the temptation of the donuts this morning.
Lunch found me at the Belo....the Dallas Bar Association conference center located in an old mansion downtown that has been greatly expanded. It is call the Belo because that is the name of the family that once lived there (owners of the Dallas Morning News). There was an Ethics Committee lunch meeting which I needed to attend, both because I am the Vice Chair (love that word...vice) and to get one hour of MCLE credit to keep my law license (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education). The buffet good at the Belo is good and once again I exercised my will power to avoid the desserts and stick to some grilled chicken, veggies and a spoonful of herbed wild rice.
Educated and satiated I returned to my office about 1:30 for the rest of the hectic day.
As the afternoon wore on my hunger set in. No almonds, no apple and in a room away cake donuts calling out my name. I had (and I know this will sound weird because it is to me too) a can of sardines in a cupboard of my office left over from one of my Atkins diets when I ate only protein and veggies and was looking for some variety...no carbs in sardines. At 4:00 p.m. I succumbed and ate the sardines, out of the tin. I can't say they tasted great, but edible they were. And I had once again dodged the donut bullet.
I had a Student Bar Association Voting Council meeting at 5:00. As Dean of Students I am the advisor. They always have food. I wanted to abstain because it is usually not the healthiest and often there is not enough for everyone. Unfortunately today the meeting was not that well attended and there were mountains of waffle fries and Chick Fil-a fried, breaded chicken strips left over when all the students had eaten their fill. So like the Apostles gathering the crumbs from the leftovers after the miracle of the loaves and the fishes and the feeding of 5,000, I found myself loading up a plate of chicken strips and waffle fries...dinner before my 7:20 class. And they tasted GOOD!
After class, tired from a day that began at 6:30 a.m. I wanted to go home, but instead went to the gym and for variety, ran 3 miles on the indoor track which is 19 and a half laps. Basketball and indoor soccer games were in play below and I could follow each as I circumnavigated the gym. I felt good after the run and got home about 10:15. Here is where I made my fatal mistake. I should have just gone to bed but I decided that one glass of Cabernet would allow me to unwind and relax. It did. But it also made me hungry again and the bag of potato chips left over from Easter company (crispy Kettle chips) was too much for my wine weakened will power. After salty chips I always want something sweet and so the last piece of Mrs. Savages coffee cake also disappeared.
So the good news was that I avoided the donuts but the bad news was that I ate the chips, cake and chick fil'a. Of course the other good news was that I did run. All these struggles reminded me of the Catholic prayer called "An Act of Contrition" which you say before and after going to confession. There is a line in there about being sorry for your sins and promising not to sin again (which is always broken...at least in my life) and also agreeing to "avoid the near occasion of sin." As a child I used to think this was just too much. Not only could I not sin, I could not even get near it....impossible. As an adult and looking back on today I understand more the wisdom of that line. If there had been no chips or coffee cake in the house, I probably would not have gotten in my car at 11 to go to the store and I would have enjoyed my wine and gone to bed. A lesson to be learned in what to keep and not keep in my house.....But in any event, Life is Good!
Weekly Grand/Lotto - did not win lotto...won $4 on Weekly Grand...Total Investment so far $12, winnings $8 Net: down $4
Wednesdays are the days of the temptress at work. I arrive to the smell of donuts and warm sausage kolachis strategically placed in the faculty/staff coffee room so that I have to both see and smell them everything I get a cup of coffee or brew some hot tea or refill my water glass. There are all kinds of donuts, but my favorite are the fried cake donuts crusted with sugary icing. I am sure they have more calories than two of the others combined and I know that if I eat one that the few minutes of blissful sugar high will soon be replaced by the sugar withdrawal low which can often prompt a repeat performance since whoever buys the donuts, etc. (which also includes all kinds of bagels with endless tubs of flavored cream cheese) buys enough for two days worth, resulting in the leftovers from the morning frenzies remaining in boxes begging to be taken throughout the day like sad puppies in pet shop windows.
As I moved through the crowd of morning feasters to get my first cup of coffee (having run out at home and not being at all satisfied by the Tetley's tea substitute) I remarked to the assemblage that they reminded me of a flock of pigeons who had just alighted when a homeless bag lady started spreading bread crumbs. Everyone looked at me with that "What are you talking about?" look that I often get when I trip out in my stream of consciousness thinking that gets orally expressed....then they smiled a knowing smile and parted like the Red Sea just enough so that I could pass to the coffee maker. I tried to not look at any of the goodies. I have the most will power in the mornings and this morning I smugly left the food alone, content that I could overcome that desire, one donut at a time.
Of course, like the siren's call, all day the leftovers whispered my name. I had eaten a healthy breakfast at home of oatmeal with blueberries, a banana, a handful of pecans flavored with some Cinnamon but by 10:30 I was hungry so I passed by the donuts and got a yogurt out of the refrigerator in the staff lounge, Activia....more healthy fare. I keep a week's supply so I can eat one in the mid-morning. I also keep a jar of almonds on my desk for an afternoon snack (supposed to lower cholesterol) but in my haste to leave this morning I left the new bag of almonds and some apples (I keep them on my desk also for afternoon munchies...apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?) on the kitchen counter. But I did succeed in avoiding the temptation of the donuts this morning.
Lunch found me at the Belo....the Dallas Bar Association conference center located in an old mansion downtown that has been greatly expanded. It is call the Belo because that is the name of the family that once lived there (owners of the Dallas Morning News). There was an Ethics Committee lunch meeting which I needed to attend, both because I am the Vice Chair (love that word...vice) and to get one hour of MCLE credit to keep my law license (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education). The buffet good at the Belo is good and once again I exercised my will power to avoid the desserts and stick to some grilled chicken, veggies and a spoonful of herbed wild rice.
Educated and satiated I returned to my office about 1:30 for the rest of the hectic day.
As the afternoon wore on my hunger set in. No almonds, no apple and in a room away cake donuts calling out my name. I had (and I know this will sound weird because it is to me too) a can of sardines in a cupboard of my office left over from one of my Atkins diets when I ate only protein and veggies and was looking for some variety...no carbs in sardines. At 4:00 p.m. I succumbed and ate the sardines, out of the tin. I can't say they tasted great, but edible they were. And I had once again dodged the donut bullet.
I had a Student Bar Association Voting Council meeting at 5:00. As Dean of Students I am the advisor. They always have food. I wanted to abstain because it is usually not the healthiest and often there is not enough for everyone. Unfortunately today the meeting was not that well attended and there were mountains of waffle fries and Chick Fil-a fried, breaded chicken strips left over when all the students had eaten their fill. So like the Apostles gathering the crumbs from the leftovers after the miracle of the loaves and the fishes and the feeding of 5,000, I found myself loading up a plate of chicken strips and waffle fries...dinner before my 7:20 class. And they tasted GOOD!
After class, tired from a day that began at 6:30 a.m. I wanted to go home, but instead went to the gym and for variety, ran 3 miles on the indoor track which is 19 and a half laps. Basketball and indoor soccer games were in play below and I could follow each as I circumnavigated the gym. I felt good after the run and got home about 10:15. Here is where I made my fatal mistake. I should have just gone to bed but I decided that one glass of Cabernet would allow me to unwind and relax. It did. But it also made me hungry again and the bag of potato chips left over from Easter company (crispy Kettle chips) was too much for my wine weakened will power. After salty chips I always want something sweet and so the last piece of Mrs. Savages coffee cake also disappeared.
So the good news was that I avoided the donuts but the bad news was that I ate the chips, cake and chick fil'a. Of course the other good news was that I did run. All these struggles reminded me of the Catholic prayer called "An Act of Contrition" which you say before and after going to confession. There is a line in there about being sorry for your sins and promising not to sin again (which is always broken...at least in my life) and also agreeing to "avoid the near occasion of sin." As a child I used to think this was just too much. Not only could I not sin, I could not even get near it....impossible. As an adult and looking back on today I understand more the wisdom of that line. If there had been no chips or coffee cake in the house, I probably would not have gotten in my car at 11 to go to the store and I would have enjoyed my wine and gone to bed. A lesson to be learned in what to keep and not keep in my house.....But in any event, Life is Good!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Day 37 I'm back in the saddle
Tuesday, April 6th Ran 3 miles/ total so far: 69.4/ Miles to go: 930.6
Forgot...Saturday invested 3 more dollars in the Weekly Grand and Lotto ticket. Did not win the lotto or the Weekly Grand. Total invested so far: $9/winnings: $4/ Deficit: $5
Life is going back to normal. Everyone is gone from the Easter Bash and, other than memories and leftovers (which have fed me the last couple of days), the weekend is past. Felt much better today and hope the cold or allergies are over. After a busy day at work I went to the gym. Here is where I want to thank you readers for this blog and the impact it has on me and my running resolve. The Good News was that I went to the gym even though I was tired and really just wanted to go home and to bed. The Bad News was that when I got there and checked my locker, I did not have any gym shorts. I always keep a lot of extra exercise clothes in my car but I am not driving my car right now. Actually my car is really my Daughter Leigh's car... a little burgundy convertible Miata that I am driving now that she is in Manhattan and does not need a car. My worn out old Lexus died an untimely death a few months before she graduated and I saw no reason to incur more debt with a new car when hers would be sitting here. But this weekend with all the out of town guests to be picked up at the airport, I rented an ugly blue I do not remember what it is called Chrysler for a week since the two seater Miata has a trunk smaller than a woman's purse and I needed space. I have to return the blue bomb Thursday....but I did not transfer my gym clothes to it and so at 6:30 p.m. I had to face the dilemma of no running shorts at the gym.
Of course, first I had to pay $45 dollars for the yearly rental of a locker since they do not let you do it on line and then when I got to the locker and realized that I did not have the shorts my first reaction was "Oh gee....well, guess I will just have to go home....maybe I am not suppose to run today....what is it that the Universe is trying to tell me? Zennnnnnnnn." But then I started thinking about having to write about wimping out and how I could hear people coming up with all kinds of reasons why I could still run like "Couldn't you run in your neighborhood?" etc. Then I thought about getting back in my car and driving to a Target a few miles away to buy gym shorts or driving home and returning but I knew if I got in that car the lure of home and supper and a glass of wine would be too strong. For a fleeting moment I considered the option of running in my khakis...I said fleeting. Then I remembered that the SMU Bookstore run by Barnes and Noble was only a block from the gym and they have all kinds of SMU clothing.
So off I went by foot on my mission for some stylish SMU shorts. Of course, once I got there I realized that I would be paying SMU prices for what at Target would have been cheap and serviceable. After groaning at the prices of the merchandise I finally settled on some $34.99 (They always try to trick you with the lower than $35 rouse....but we are on to them) blue all purpose shorts which, with tax etc., ended up costing about $37. But at least I had them and so I was able to complete my run, start back on whittling down my remaining miles and get a few endorphins flowing at the same time. So the Good News is that because of you I ran tonight. The Bad News is, it cost me 37 dollars but the Good News is...I feel great and ........Life is Good.
Forgot...Saturday invested 3 more dollars in the Weekly Grand and Lotto ticket. Did not win the lotto or the Weekly Grand. Total invested so far: $9/winnings: $4/ Deficit: $5
Life is going back to normal. Everyone is gone from the Easter Bash and, other than memories and leftovers (which have fed me the last couple of days), the weekend is past. Felt much better today and hope the cold or allergies are over. After a busy day at work I went to the gym. Here is where I want to thank you readers for this blog and the impact it has on me and my running resolve. The Good News was that I went to the gym even though I was tired and really just wanted to go home and to bed. The Bad News was that when I got there and checked my locker, I did not have any gym shorts. I always keep a lot of extra exercise clothes in my car but I am not driving my car right now. Actually my car is really my Daughter Leigh's car... a little burgundy convertible Miata that I am driving now that she is in Manhattan and does not need a car. My worn out old Lexus died an untimely death a few months before she graduated and I saw no reason to incur more debt with a new car when hers would be sitting here. But this weekend with all the out of town guests to be picked up at the airport, I rented an ugly blue I do not remember what it is called Chrysler for a week since the two seater Miata has a trunk smaller than a woman's purse and I needed space. I have to return the blue bomb Thursday....but I did not transfer my gym clothes to it and so at 6:30 p.m. I had to face the dilemma of no running shorts at the gym.
Of course, first I had to pay $45 dollars for the yearly rental of a locker since they do not let you do it on line and then when I got to the locker and realized that I did not have the shorts my first reaction was "Oh gee....well, guess I will just have to go home....maybe I am not suppose to run today....what is it that the Universe is trying to tell me? Zennnnnnnnn." But then I started thinking about having to write about wimping out and how I could hear people coming up with all kinds of reasons why I could still run like "Couldn't you run in your neighborhood?" etc. Then I thought about getting back in my car and driving to a Target a few miles away to buy gym shorts or driving home and returning but I knew if I got in that car the lure of home and supper and a glass of wine would be too strong. For a fleeting moment I considered the option of running in my khakis...I said fleeting. Then I remembered that the SMU Bookstore run by Barnes and Noble was only a block from the gym and they have all kinds of SMU clothing.
So off I went by foot on my mission for some stylish SMU shorts. Of course, once I got there I realized that I would be paying SMU prices for what at Target would have been cheap and serviceable. After groaning at the prices of the merchandise I finally settled on some $34.99 (They always try to trick you with the lower than $35 rouse....but we are on to them) blue all purpose shorts which, with tax etc., ended up costing about $37. But at least I had them and so I was able to complete my run, start back on whittling down my remaining miles and get a few endorphins flowing at the same time. So the Good News is that because of you I ran tonight. The Bad News is, it cost me 37 dollars but the Good News is...I feel great and ........Life is Good.
April 5 Still Alive....Day 36 of Challenge
Day 36, Ran 0/ Total so far 66.4/ Miles to go 933.6
Blog has been silent a few days...power outage caused in part by Hurricane Easter Holiday with a mild case of "not ready for prime time allergies/cold"! Today I plan to run again for the first time in about a week after work...Wish me luck and give me encouragement!
Thursday last week began a marathon of a different kind.....holiday fun. Picked up son Haydon at Love Field at 10 and Taka and daughter Leigh at 11 at DFW. Wonderful that everyone could be together for the Holiday. Haydon and Leigh promptly went out with some of Leigh's college buddies. When reminded that she was not arriving until 11 Leigh reminded me that the bars close at 2!. In Spanish they say "La noche esta en penales" (the night is still in diapers) when they don't want to end the party....so I guess the penales were in style Thursday (and most other nights of the trip...but you will have to go to Leigh's blog to find out about those times...see the link on my home page of this blog).
Good Friday was a holiday from work. I was reminded after cooking bacon for breakfast that observant Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Good Friday....I observed my clan did not have a problem eating the bacon, however. My gracious and forgiving God will forgive me and them I am sure for our transgression. It reminded me of the time that my time my daughter-in-law's mother, Janie, as the Roberts and the Camps were trying to decide where to eat one other Good Friday a few years ago, reminded Eric that they could not go eat ribs because Good Friday was a Holy Day of Obligation....no meat. After which she promptly crunched down on a pork skin....(if you are not from the south, you will not understand but a port skin is like a potato chip kinda, but is actually fried port skin which sounds horrible but tastes great to those privileged to grow up in the the land of cotton). Eric looked at Janie and asked "Isn't a pork skin meat?" The look on Janie's face......Priceless as the skin was spit out.....
So Friday lunch found Taka and I at a favorite Vietnamese Restaurant for Pho (beef noodle soup) and Friday night Taka and Haydon and I at a Korean Barbecue Restaurant near our house for wonderful barbecue cooked at the table on a hibachi ....thin slices of meat, wrapped in lettuce instead of a tortilla (much healthier....) We toasted each other and the good life with a Korean vodka like drink....Life lived to the fullest.
Saturday was the big day...about 16 people, all the kids, Kay and the kid's grandparent...Big Mommy and Big Daddy (how southern is that?) Karla and Eric and Karla's parents, Mike and Janey and Uncle Nick. Good friends Nickie and Bob... and friend, Pat Parise. Dear Mrs. Savage was sorely missed but remembered as we ate the wonderful coffee cake she had sent and toasted to her health (She was away at a grandson's graduation). I baked a large ham and succeeded in not burning the yeast rolls which were heavenly. Janie brought peas flavored with wild boar sausage. Karla made a yummy squash casserole all the while bemoaning the act as indicative of her new family status....time passes and we grow up. Nickie brought carrot cake and Big Mommy a lemon pound cake in which she used lemons from a tree in her back yard.
Taka was his amazing self. I wish I had half his energy. One look at my spotty crystal and he was washing the wine and campaign glasses in soapy water. He cleans as he cooks and took over the duties normally handled by Mrs. Savage. He cooked a wonderful three color pasta salad with three colors of peppers, another salad with baby mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes and some broiled asparagus and when he finished you would not have known someone had been in the kitchen whereas when I cook the place looks like a band of wild banshee's ransacked the place.
Many, many mimosas and bloody Mary's mellowed out the crowd. At one time I realized that the women had gathered in the living room and the men in the den and I felt I was back in the 1950's, but most of the time everyone just circulated from group to group and inside and outside of the house as the weather was perfect and the back yard was usually full.
In the afternoon we played monopoly with 100 dollars of weekly grand tickets distributed in order of success and also placed in the Free Parking space for those lucky enough to land there. I won the game but the winning from the weekly grand were slim, only about a 25 dollar return on our 100 dollar investment.
Sunday saw Dim Sum with good friends Jonathan and Alfredo and with nephews Gary and Matt and their wives Aurdrey and Naomi. Gary and Audrey drove all the way from Oklahoma City to see us...such a wonderful family and such a blessed time.
Today, Monday, found me sad as I took Taka and Leigh to the airport......But Life Is Good!
Blog has been silent a few days...power outage caused in part by Hurricane Easter Holiday with a mild case of "not ready for prime time allergies/cold"! Today I plan to run again for the first time in about a week after work...Wish me luck and give me encouragement!
Thursday last week began a marathon of a different kind.....holiday fun. Picked up son Haydon at Love Field at 10 and Taka and daughter Leigh at 11 at DFW. Wonderful that everyone could be together for the Holiday. Haydon and Leigh promptly went out with some of Leigh's college buddies. When reminded that she was not arriving until 11 Leigh reminded me that the bars close at 2!. In Spanish they say "La noche esta en penales" (the night is still in diapers) when they don't want to end the party....so I guess the penales were in style Thursday (and most other nights of the trip...but you will have to go to Leigh's blog to find out about those times...see the link on my home page of this blog).
Good Friday was a holiday from work. I was reminded after cooking bacon for breakfast that observant Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Good Friday....I observed my clan did not have a problem eating the bacon, however. My gracious and forgiving God will forgive me and them I am sure for our transgression. It reminded me of the time that my time my daughter-in-law's mother, Janie, as the Roberts and the Camps were trying to decide where to eat one other Good Friday a few years ago, reminded Eric that they could not go eat ribs because Good Friday was a Holy Day of Obligation....no meat. After which she promptly crunched down on a pork skin....(if you are not from the south, you will not understand but a port skin is like a potato chip kinda, but is actually fried port skin which sounds horrible but tastes great to those privileged to grow up in the the land of cotton). Eric looked at Janie and asked "Isn't a pork skin meat?" The look on Janie's face......Priceless as the skin was spit out.....
So Friday lunch found Taka and I at a favorite Vietnamese Restaurant for Pho (beef noodle soup) and Friday night Taka and Haydon and I at a Korean Barbecue Restaurant near our house for wonderful barbecue cooked at the table on a hibachi ....thin slices of meat, wrapped in lettuce instead of a tortilla (much healthier....) We toasted each other and the good life with a Korean vodka like drink....Life lived to the fullest.
Saturday was the big day...about 16 people, all the kids, Kay and the kid's grandparent...Big Mommy and Big Daddy (how southern is that?) Karla and Eric and Karla's parents, Mike and Janey and Uncle Nick. Good friends Nickie and Bob... and friend, Pat Parise. Dear Mrs. Savage was sorely missed but remembered as we ate the wonderful coffee cake she had sent and toasted to her health (She was away at a grandson's graduation). I baked a large ham and succeeded in not burning the yeast rolls which were heavenly. Janie brought peas flavored with wild boar sausage. Karla made a yummy squash casserole all the while bemoaning the act as indicative of her new family status....time passes and we grow up. Nickie brought carrot cake and Big Mommy a lemon pound cake in which she used lemons from a tree in her back yard.
Taka was his amazing self. I wish I had half his energy. One look at my spotty crystal and he was washing the wine and campaign glasses in soapy water. He cleans as he cooks and took over the duties normally handled by Mrs. Savage. He cooked a wonderful three color pasta salad with three colors of peppers, another salad with baby mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes and some broiled asparagus and when he finished you would not have known someone had been in the kitchen whereas when I cook the place looks like a band of wild banshee's ransacked the place.
Many, many mimosas and bloody Mary's mellowed out the crowd. At one time I realized that the women had gathered in the living room and the men in the den and I felt I was back in the 1950's, but most of the time everyone just circulated from group to group and inside and outside of the house as the weather was perfect and the back yard was usually full.
In the afternoon we played monopoly with 100 dollars of weekly grand tickets distributed in order of success and also placed in the Free Parking space for those lucky enough to land there. I won the game but the winning from the weekly grand were slim, only about a 25 dollar return on our 100 dollar investment.
Sunday saw Dim Sum with good friends Jonathan and Alfredo and with nephews Gary and Matt and their wives Aurdrey and Naomi. Gary and Audrey drove all the way from Oklahoma City to see us...such a wonderful family and such a blessed time.
Today, Monday, found me sad as I took Taka and Leigh to the airport......But Life Is Good!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Day 30.....Rest and Recovery - Mangoes and Motorcycles
Day 30, Tuesday March 30. Did not run Still at 933.4 miles to go
Was a sick and recovering day. The cold won round two and despite the vicks on my chest and feet and lots of rest, I was still not up to par. It was a day full of meetings and I did my best to go through the motions but I kept hoping that 5 o'clock would shuffle in and I could leave a little early. It finally did and so did I, but not before 6 o'clock. I thought of going to the gym but decided one more day of rest was probably more important than a few miles. I can catch up when I am well again. Hopefully can run on Wednesday. Thursday Taka and Leigh will be coming and I am sure I will get some runs in with them. Easter will be a wonderful family gathering.
And speaking of Easter, my dear friend and second mom, Pat Savage, called me asking if I had gotten my "package?" The package was a box containing a cake, some cookies and some biscuit mix she had shipped UPS so I would have it for the Easter gathering of the clans. Every year for the past 10 years she has come and helped to cook (actually done everything) for family gatherings at my house, usually at Christmas and also at graduations which we have had every year for the past 5 years. She also cooked everything for my father's 80th birthday celebration. She is a wonderful cook but more important, a wonderful person. As my daughter Leigh said, "They do not make them like her anymore!" She is a strong Irish woman of 80 herself now and as feisty and full of life as a woman half her age. She still drives everywhere, often with a "roadie" and wants her cocktail when she arrives (a dirty vodka or a jack and water). She will not miss Mass on Sunday, ever! She is tall and dresses in bright impeccably matched outfits accessorized with big color coordinated glasses. She takes care of the lonely priests and is a tireless volunteer at her church.
Pat and I have a special bond. She is family in the truest sense of the word. She lost a son and I lost a mother when I was in High School, a sophomore. Her daughter, Chris, and I were friends and in her big heart Pat found room for a lost boy. We have stayed in touch all these years. She was a reader at son Eric's wedding. When she traveled with me to New York last year, I asked her about what Broadway Play she wanted to see. I mentioned that there were revivals of South Pacific and West Side Story. She retorted that she did not want to see that same old tired stuff and wanted something new. She ended up picking out an avant garde production, Burn, about ball room dancing, something she had done as a young woman.
She can't join us this Easter because she will be at a grandson's graduation, hence the insistence on helping out by sending a cake, etc. When she called, she apologized about not having enough time to include some rice and a recipe she wanted me to try for a rice salad.....one of God's angels in my life. I am sure there will be more about Easter in later posts. All three of my children (now grown) will be here along with daughter in law Karla and her parents and uncle, Taka, ex wife Kay and her parents, Big Momma and Big Daddy, best friend Nickie and partner Bob and others. I am sure I will miss Pat even more as I try to cope without her this time.
Had a funny conversation this morning with an Indian friend. He was explaining how Indian mangoes are just better than the Mexican ones we can get here. He said there is no comparison. I have never been a big fan of mangoes, other than in ice cream sometimes when I want something different. My friend was excited because he said that there was a new trade agreement between the US and India and for the fist time in many years, the US was going to allow Indian mangoes to be imported. The agreement was negotiated as a trade where US Harley Davidson motorcycles could be imported into India if Indian mangoes were allowed into the US. I listened but thought, "You've got to be kidding....mangoes for motorcycles?" Since I am always teasing Rahul, I thought he was pulling my leg. Curiosity got the best of me and googled Mangoes and Harleys...and guess what....he was right...google it! What a weird world. So I will be on the look out for Indian mangoes....if you see any, please let me know. Life is Good!
Was a sick and recovering day. The cold won round two and despite the vicks on my chest and feet and lots of rest, I was still not up to par. It was a day full of meetings and I did my best to go through the motions but I kept hoping that 5 o'clock would shuffle in and I could leave a little early. It finally did and so did I, but not before 6 o'clock. I thought of going to the gym but decided one more day of rest was probably more important than a few miles. I can catch up when I am well again. Hopefully can run on Wednesday. Thursday Taka and Leigh will be coming and I am sure I will get some runs in with them. Easter will be a wonderful family gathering.
And speaking of Easter, my dear friend and second mom, Pat Savage, called me asking if I had gotten my "package?" The package was a box containing a cake, some cookies and some biscuit mix she had shipped UPS so I would have it for the Easter gathering of the clans. Every year for the past 10 years she has come and helped to cook (actually done everything) for family gatherings at my house, usually at Christmas and also at graduations which we have had every year for the past 5 years. She also cooked everything for my father's 80th birthday celebration. She is a wonderful cook but more important, a wonderful person. As my daughter Leigh said, "They do not make them like her anymore!" She is a strong Irish woman of 80 herself now and as feisty and full of life as a woman half her age. She still drives everywhere, often with a "roadie" and wants her cocktail when she arrives (a dirty vodka or a jack and water). She will not miss Mass on Sunday, ever! She is tall and dresses in bright impeccably matched outfits accessorized with big color coordinated glasses. She takes care of the lonely priests and is a tireless volunteer at her church.
Pat and I have a special bond. She is family in the truest sense of the word. She lost a son and I lost a mother when I was in High School, a sophomore. Her daughter, Chris, and I were friends and in her big heart Pat found room for a lost boy. We have stayed in touch all these years. She was a reader at son Eric's wedding. When she traveled with me to New York last year, I asked her about what Broadway Play she wanted to see. I mentioned that there were revivals of South Pacific and West Side Story. She retorted that she did not want to see that same old tired stuff and wanted something new. She ended up picking out an avant garde production, Burn, about ball room dancing, something she had done as a young woman.
She can't join us this Easter because she will be at a grandson's graduation, hence the insistence on helping out by sending a cake, etc. When she called, she apologized about not having enough time to include some rice and a recipe she wanted me to try for a rice salad.....one of God's angels in my life. I am sure there will be more about Easter in later posts. All three of my children (now grown) will be here along with daughter in law Karla and her parents and uncle, Taka, ex wife Kay and her parents, Big Momma and Big Daddy, best friend Nickie and partner Bob and others. I am sure I will miss Pat even more as I try to cope without her this time.
Had a funny conversation this morning with an Indian friend. He was explaining how Indian mangoes are just better than the Mexican ones we can get here. He said there is no comparison. I have never been a big fan of mangoes, other than in ice cream sometimes when I want something different. My friend was excited because he said that there was a new trade agreement between the US and India and for the fist time in many years, the US was going to allow Indian mangoes to be imported. The agreement was negotiated as a trade where US Harley Davidson motorcycles could be imported into India if Indian mangoes were allowed into the US. I listened but thought, "You've got to be kidding....mangoes for motorcycles?" Since I am always teasing Rahul, I thought he was pulling my leg. Curiosity got the best of me and googled Mangoes and Harleys...and guess what....he was right...google it! What a weird world. So I will be on the look out for Indian mangoes....if you see any, please let me know. Life is Good!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Day 29 - Monday, Monday, Can't Trust That Day!
Monday, March 29, Day 29 of challenge. Ran 0 miles, total so far 66.4/ Miles to go 933.6
Monday was a rough day. The cold I have been fighting came back for round two in the ring and bested me. I had a series of meetings as school and just went through the motions and then taught my class. I was loosing my voice and wish I had given a better lecture....Just not my best. Came home and went to be early. Used an old cold remedy, vicks vaporub, on my chest and now that I am "new age" also on my feet, with socks, of course. Believe it or not, something about rubbing it on your feet really does make a different. I remember when I was sick as a child my mom would rub Vics on my chest and then put me in flannel pajamas and put a sock full of cornmeal that she had heated up in the stove on my chest. I can still smell the sweet fragrance of the corn competing with the menthol of the vaporub.
Needless to say, no run today. Hope tomorrow is a better day!
Monday was a rough day. The cold I have been fighting came back for round two in the ring and bested me. I had a series of meetings as school and just went through the motions and then taught my class. I was loosing my voice and wish I had given a better lecture....Just not my best. Came home and went to be early. Used an old cold remedy, vicks vaporub, on my chest and now that I am "new age" also on my feet, with socks, of course. Believe it or not, something about rubbing it on your feet really does make a different. I remember when I was sick as a child my mom would rub Vics on my chest and then put me in flannel pajamas and put a sock full of cornmeal that she had heated up in the stove on my chest. I can still smell the sweet fragrance of the corn competing with the menthol of the vaporub.
Needless to say, no run today. Hope tomorrow is a better day!
Day 28, Sunday back in the gym Pain is Weakness Leaving The Body- Whatever!
Day 28, Sunday March 28th, Ran 2 miles/ Total so far 66.4/ Miles to do 933.6
Forgot to post yesterday that I bought my Weekly Grand and Texas lotto ticket for Saturday - did not win.
Gambling investment so far 9 dollars....winnings 4 dollars...net minus 5...but there is always Wednesday!
Sunday was a better day. I had gone to bed early Saturday night and slept a long time Sunday. I know my body needed the rest. I felt like the cold was being held at bay and that I would be able to fight it off. I went into the gym in the late afternoon, hoping to be able to run and make up a little for taking yesterday off and for Friday's short 1.5 mile run. I decided to use the treadmill because it is easier on legs and feet than the concrete Katy Trail or the running track. The run started out ok but again, at about 3/4ths of a mile, my left shin started hurting and my left calf also. Not as bad as Friday, but definitely not good. I decided to take it slow and see if it abated or if a runner high of endorphins would mask the pain enough for me to continue. It didn't and I stopped at 2 miles, fearful I would hurt myself. But at least 2 miles was more than 1.5. And I did feel a little better for the run, although I also felt the beginnings of a headache and a little feverish and wondered if the cold that I thought I had beaten was returning for round two.
There are several signs around Dedman Center that boldly pronounce "Pain is weakness leaving the body!" I say Bull Sh__! Pain is pain. My motto is No Pain, No Problem. I am not in this to be hurt and I want to finish and feel good along the way. So I am glad I stopped and honored the pain and expect it to return the favor down the line and leave me the ____ alone lol.
Back at home I finished off the rest of the fried chicken I had bought the day before and mindlessly watched two episodes of Golden Girls and went to bed hoping Monday would find me better.
Life is Good!
Forgot to post yesterday that I bought my Weekly Grand and Texas lotto ticket for Saturday - did not win.
Gambling investment so far 9 dollars....winnings 4 dollars...net minus 5...but there is always Wednesday!
Sunday was a better day. I had gone to bed early Saturday night and slept a long time Sunday. I know my body needed the rest. I felt like the cold was being held at bay and that I would be able to fight it off. I went into the gym in the late afternoon, hoping to be able to run and make up a little for taking yesterday off and for Friday's short 1.5 mile run. I decided to use the treadmill because it is easier on legs and feet than the concrete Katy Trail or the running track. The run started out ok but again, at about 3/4ths of a mile, my left shin started hurting and my left calf also. Not as bad as Friday, but definitely not good. I decided to take it slow and see if it abated or if a runner high of endorphins would mask the pain enough for me to continue. It didn't and I stopped at 2 miles, fearful I would hurt myself. But at least 2 miles was more than 1.5. And I did feel a little better for the run, although I also felt the beginnings of a headache and a little feverish and wondered if the cold that I thought I had beaten was returning for round two.
There are several signs around Dedman Center that boldly pronounce "Pain is weakness leaving the body!" I say Bull Sh__! Pain is pain. My motto is No Pain, No Problem. I am not in this to be hurt and I want to finish and feel good along the way. So I am glad I stopped and honored the pain and expect it to return the favor down the line and leave me the ____ alone lol.
Back at home I finished off the rest of the fried chicken I had bought the day before and mindlessly watched two episodes of Golden Girls and went to bed hoping Monday would find me better.
Life is Good!
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