Happy New Year! ('s Eve)

It's still New Year's Eve in Oregon - you have another hour on the east coast!  Today has been a decidedly unhealthy day!  It's ok... I'm really looking forward to the new year and all the progress that I will make!  This year I'm even dragging my hubby into it!  He has told me that he is going to start the couch to 5k program!  I'm SO happy to hear that!  I truly worry about his health.  His father passed away in his early 50's and it scares  me to death.  I love Peter to the ends of the earth - my world would shatter without him.

Today we took the kids to another basketball game.  This time we actually got to watch the game! HA!  The  Beavers won - YAY!  Colin LOVES the cheerleaders - it's very obvious. He doesn't have a subtle bone in his body!  Susie loves the band (girl after my music -nerd heart) and she loves Benny Beaver (the mascot).  During the game I noticed that Benny Beaver was making his way around to us - I was so excited because I knew she would be thrilled.  Once Benny was right near us I looked down and discovered that Susie had fallen fast asleep!  Seriously?  This is the child who can't sleep when the vacuum is going - but she fell asleep during a loud basketball game! HA!  She must have been exhausted!  Last night was not exactly a great sleeping night.  She peed through her diaper in the night, but instead of crying she got out of her bed and crawled in with her brother.  Colin woke up because his bed was all wet - he came into my bed.  Susie followed him and crawled in with us.  She got our bed all wet too.  So that was my morning.  I had to strip and wash bed linens for all three beds!  What can I say, my girl is a snuggler!

So I am now going to officially announce my New Year's resolution.  I have been thinking long and hard about this.  I didn't want to pick something vague like "I want to lose weight" because 1. I've made that resolution before and nothing ever came of it. and 2. What counts as losing weight?  5 lbs?  100 lbs?  Last year I resolved to complete the couch to 5k program and honestly?  That was the first time I have ever kept a resolution!  This year I have decided that I will run at least 4 days a week every single week this year with the exception of sickness below the neck and or fever.  I will run even when I don't feel like it.  I will run in the middle of the night on the treadmill if I don't get it done in the day time.  Whatever it takes, I will get the runs in!  I figure this will add to my underlying goals of weight loss and health improvement!  I am excited!  This resolution is definitely attainable - I just have to put on my big girl panties and get down to business!

Well, I'm off!  We always celebrate the New Year at 9 pm with the kids (midnight on the east coast) so they can go to bed at a human hour!  Then Pete and I stay up and watch sci fi movies until the ball drops for the west coast.  Then we have our champagne and hit the hay.  :-)  We are an exciting lot!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  May 2013 bring to you everything you hope for!  Wishing you all a year of health, fitness, and most of all - happiness!  Thank you for reading! -Monica

Sunny Sunday!!

Today was SO beautiful!!  The sun was shining and the sky was blue.  It was really refreshing!  It was still pretty cold out - but the sunshine truly perked me up!

 I got up earlier than I intended.  Pete and I were up until 3 am shampooing the rug and the furniture.  It was worth it because it looks SO great!  The only bummer was that the kids woke us up at 6:45.  Ugh.  We managed to lounge in bed with the kids for two hours but it wasn't exactly restful!  We got up and I decided to get my run in early.  I did 2 miles on the treadmill.  It took me 30 minutes.  What the hell?  I have really slowed down!  Not to mention I could hardly stand to do the 2 miles!  I know my chest is still full of gunk - I could feel it rattling.  Plus I was coughing like crazy for about an hour afterwards!!   Hopefully I can get back to where I was in a few weeks!  It felt really great to get my run done so early!  I've noticed I eat better when I've worked out in the morning.  I'm not sure what that little mind game is all about - but it's there.  I'll just take it for what it's worth!

After my run I had to hurry up and get myself and both kids showered and dressed for church.  I'm not exactly sure why Pete didn't get the kids ready while I was running.  I suspect he had no idea what time it was!  At church we sat in the back (we always do, Susie has a habit of being rather vocal) - our seats were directly in the sunlight.  That felt amazing!  I saw a skit from the show Portlandia where the locals all flock to the sunlight. HAHAHA  It's so funny and so true! Sunlight is a rare commodity around here.  We probably won't really see any bright sun until around June.  It's funny how crazy excited I feel when I have the sunshine all around me!  It seriously is seasonal affective disorder central around here.  It would be nice to get one of those sun lamps but DAMN are they spendy!  I saw a guy on the news who makes them for your pets.  HOLY CRAP!  I can't even afford one for ME let alone my dog!  I guess there is a niche for just about everything, isn't there?

I am really excited - I found a weight bench and weights that we can afford!  They are not really high quality or anything, but I can get some weight training in!  YAY!  I can't WAIT until Pete gets paid so I can order them!

Well, I'm signing off!  I'm so tired!  We went to bed so late and got up so early.  Rough combination!!  Thanks for reading!  Have a great night!! -Monica

Exciting day.... almost...

We have been excited ALL WEEK!  We have been planning today's Oregon State basketball game all week!  The plan was to drive down to the college (it's about an hour from us), attend the game, then go out to Chinese at our favorite place.  My son has an affinity for the cheerleaders and we had planned to get pictures of him with the girls as well as the team mascot.  Everyone had their Oregon State shirts on and Susie had her Oregon State cheer leading uniform on.  We drove all the way down there and were shocked that the parking lot had so few cars.  We figured everyone was home watching the big bowl game that the football team was playing in.  We walked all the way to the ticket booth - only to learn that the game was not when we thought it was - we had missed it by four hours!  Colin cried SO HARD.  I felt SO bad about it. The only way I could cheer him up was to have a race to the car.  Let me tell you - last year this time I could NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER have done that!  EVER!  I could still feel the crap in my lungs from my cold - but it was so fun to race him!  This kid is pretty darned fast!  We got to the car WAY before Pete and Susie.  Colin thought that was just grand!  Last  year I never even would have attempted that.  I love that saying no never even dawned on me today!
   
 I didn't eat GREAT today,  but I am still well within my weight watcher's points so no worries!  The kids are still up - I'm letting them wind down a bit by watching a Veggie Tales video - they LOVE Veggie Tales!  Once they are in bed we are going to take down the Christmas stuff.  I know - bah humbug right?  Well, I have a valid reason.  Susie threw up all over our rug a few days ago.  All efforts to remove the stench have failed so we had to bring in the big guns.  We rented a rug doctor.  The only thing is - we are going to have to take down the Christmas tree to do the rug.  I have NEVER taken the tree down so early before - it seems weird, but I'm kind of glad to get my living room back!

Tomorrow is a scheduled run - I'm going to shoot for 3 miles.  I'm going to stick with treadmill training for a while.  I really need help with my pacing.  I think I've been strictly road running for too long.  I really need to learn about running.  I don't know how to train.  I have no idea what fartleks or intervals or tempo runs are.  Now that I've been running for almost a year - it's time to do things the right way.  I also need to start adding weight training again - I'm not sure how I'm going to pull that off.  As of now I am overdue for my gym dues.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be allowed in the door.  Hopefully we can get back in their good graces soon so I can hit the weights.  I wish I had some for my house - but they are so freaking expensive.  SOME day I would like to have a gym in the garage.  That would be SO ideal it's not even funny!  It would be even BETTER if we could un hoard the garage.  It's pretty bad in there.  I'm pretty sure if the cats ever got in there we might never see them again.  HAHAHA  ok - so its not THAT bad, but it's bad enough!

Well, I think the kids are officially unwound.  Time to jammy them and stick them in bed.  Then the fun starts.  Why is it so exciting to see how freaking dirty the rug was when you empty the water in the rug doctor?  It's actually kind of a scary thought.  That's another thing for the "some day" list - a rug shampooer!

Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

I'm BAAAAAAAAACK!!!

So - after a month and a half hiatus - I'm back.  I have slacked off.  I have eaten garbage.  I have stopped running.  I feel like shit.  I'm glad I feel like shit though - because that is my biggest motivator!!  Today was my first day back.  I ate really cleanly - I even have 4 weight watchers points left over!  That doesn't even count my exercise points that I earned!  I jogged on the treadmill.  I only did 20 minutes - but it was better than I've done since Thanksgiving!  I am still getting over a bad cold - I thought my lungs were all better, but after my jog I was coughing like a person who has been smoking for 50 years!!  It was so hard to get my run in today - Susie has been as sick as a dog and she just wanted me to hold her all day long.  She cried the entire time I was running - that made me feel like a really shitty mom.  As soon as I finished I jumped right off the treadmill and scooped her up!!  I think I have a touch of whatever she has - I suspect I am getting a sinus infection.  My upper left tooth really hurts and I've had a root canal on it so there should be no pain at all.  Whenever I take a step, the jostling makes that tooth hurt even more.  Good Lord - I can't seem to get healthy!!

 I DID run my 10k.  It was SOOO hard and I felt like complete crap for the rest of the entire day.  I'm sure I pushed myself entirely too hard.  I think I'm going to start putting more treadmill training in.  I know I train harder on the treadmill - I keep a steady pace (no choice on a treadmill!).  I DEFINITELY need to get myself some new headphones though - today when I was running they kept falling out of my head.  VERY annoying!  

So what is new?  Not a whole heck of a lot.  I still don't know what is wrong with me.  The specialist took away my diagnosis of TN.  They basically tossed a prescription at me and sent me on my way.  I refuse to take medication when they don't even know what is wrong with me!  Thankfully I've been in a remission.  I have not had any pain- with a few brief exceptions - since early November!  YAY!  I am going to see an orthopedist though.  At first we all thought the pain in my index finger had something to do with TN but after an xray they have discovered abnormal spacing in my joint.  I have no idea what that even means.  It must not be THAT imperative, they can't get me in until January. 

Even though I have not been running, I have found a 5k that I plan on running on January 19th.  I'm pretty sure I can pull it off.  Worse case, I walk a little - no biggie.   I think having a race on the books keeps my training honest!

I'm going to cut it short tonight - I'm finding myself feeling very hungry right now.  I want to do something about it before it gets dangerous.  I'm thinking a baked potato.  That should fill me up and not be too bad on points.  Plus - I'm freezing right now, that will warm me up!

If you're still out there - thank you for reading!  I hope you have all had a WONDERFUL holiday!!!

-Monica

Good Lord, I'm falling apart.....

I had my appointment with the neurologist today.  It was a total bust.  Thankfully I do NOT have multiple sclerosis.  Unfortunately I have been UN diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia.  This doctor does not know what is wrong with me.  He basically handed me a prescription and sent me on my way.  He had my blood drawn to check for Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis.  I do NOT think I have those things.  Not at all.  I am really kind of upset right now.  I'm SO glad I don't have MS - but if I don't have TN then what the heck is going on with me?  The doctor told me I was really quite healthy (in all honesty I think he was surprised that a fat chick had good blood pressure - all that running has to pay off SOMEWHERE right?!).  I honestly don't know what to do now.  I am NOT taking that medication.  How can you take medication when you don't even know what is WRONG with you?  That just seems asinine.  I've been living with the pain for four years now, I guess I'll just have to live like this forever.  UGH, I feel so defeated.

Oh - and on top of that joyous news... as we were driving home I kept getting this prickly sensation at the back of my throat.  When I looked at my tongue it looked WRONG.  I mean really weird.  It was all white and almost hairy looking.  I totally freaked.  We went to a regular doctor and I found out that I have thrush.  Seriously?  Should I just go buy a freaking lottery ticket?  I seem to be winning the strange problem category lately.  So now I have another nasty freaking medication to take in order to get rid of the thrush.  I got the thrush because of the medication I was on for my colon infection.  REALLY?   I'm 37... I'm not supposed to be freaking falling apart already.  Oh Lord, I need a vacation.  Maybe in a few years I'll get one too.

Well, that's my story for today.  It's been a LONG day.  I have a buttload of Christmas gifts to finish up.  Colin has off for the next week.  AAGGHHH I'm losing my marbles!  Thanks for reading!!!  Hopefully my life will get back to normal soon.  I can't take much more of this excitement!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great night! -Monica

Looking forward to my day off tomorrow!

...... because my legs are SO SORE!  Nelly and I only did 2 miles today and we even walked some of it - but I was just so sore from my 5 miler on Tuesday!  I kind of wish my son didn't have school tomorrow so we could all just stay in bed!  I keep intending on taking the kids to the library but it's so hard to squeeze it in around school, gymnastics lessons, and Susie's nap.  I have also been intending to take them to the children's museum since we have a year pass but I'm not sure if I have the mental strength to take the two of them there by myself.  They never want to be in the same exhibit at the same time and one always wants to go to another room just as the other is settling down to the room we are in.  It's kind of crazy in a mass hysteria kind of way!

The weather sure took a sharp turn today.  I went so far as to finally getting the winter coats out of storage.  I felt SO BAD that I sent Colin to school in a hoodie today.  I didn't realize how cold it was this morning!  Just as I was dropping him off and feeling so bad about him not having his coat, I passed a little girl walking in wearing a mini skirt and a tank top.  HOLY CRAP?  Who dressed that child?  I'm guessing she dressed herself - but don't her parents see her before she leaves the house?  It was freaking cold this morning! 

I was TOTALLY going to skip my run today.  I was just feeling down on myself and sore and just wanting to sit by the fire and read a book or something.  (not that I really get to ever actually DO that).  I even went as far as texting Nelly that I couldn't make it today because I was too sore.  Thank GOD she asked if we could just go for a walk - because then my guilt kicked in.  I had not taken a shower the day before so I had to run home, take a shower, eat some breakfast, pack Susie in the car, and race to the park to meet Nelly.  (I REALLY hate being late for things - it's a pet peeve, so I really hauled ass! - don't worry, I went the speed limit!)  We ran kind of slow and Nelly had not gone running in a while so it was kind of good to have an easy day. 

Today was my first day without antibiotics.  I feel so nervous that the infection will come back.  I'm happy to report that my sense of taste and smell are returning to normal.  Thank GOD - I couldn't take it anymore!  Cross your fingers that I never get this infection again.  What a freaky and painful disease!  I'm not sure if it's a disease or a disorder - but it sucks either way you look at it!  I just hope it never flares up again!!!

Well, I'm ready to turn in.  It's been a long day and my poor legs are screaming at me!  It's funny - no matter how much my legs hurt, it feels good!  I love being a runner!  I can't wait until I look like the part!  :-)

Have a wonderful night!  Thanks for reading! -Monica

Feelin' the five!!

WOW am I sore today!  Not just my legs either!  My ribs are sore and so is my stomach and lower back.  I think I need to get working on my core!  Tomorrow is a shorter run - I'm thinking 2 miles.  I hope Susie is cooperative.  She was not to thrilled with our five mile jaunt on Tuesday!

I honestly don't know what to even say tonight.  I am so tired, my mind is barely working!  Pete called me from work this morning and asked me how quickly could I crochet a baby blanket because they were having a baby shower at work the next day.  Oh my God, really?  I did it.  I made a baby blanket in ONE DAY.  My hands are so tired!  It came out pretty cute!  I've never even met this woman - I hope she likes it!

I'm starting to think this post is not all that coherent.  I really am tired.  HA - I'm such a dork!  I'm calling it a night!  Thanks for reading! Have a great night! -Monica

Good News and Bad News.....

The good news is.... I still have my endurance!  I was able to run 5 miles today and although I'm very sore now - it felt pretty good!  My colon did not bother me (that sounds like such a weird statement!) and knee felt great.  I had a few twinges in my plantar fascia, so tonight I'm going to wear the stretching boot.  Otherwise - it was a GREAT run!  It was a HUGE mental game.  I kept starting to talk myself into quitting.  At one point I got passed by these people like I was standing still.  I wanted to quit.  I was so discouraged.  Then I thought - SHIT!!!  I'm not sitting on a couch and eating chocolate!  I'm RUNNING!!  Slowly, but I'm moving!  That got me through.  Wow I swear, it was mind game after mind game today.  It's like I didn't even hear the music on my headphone - all I heard was the voice in my head that was trying to convince me that I can't when I damn well CAN!

The bad news?  I was SLOOOOOOWWW.  I mean turtle slow.  Ok - maybe not THAT bad, but it was bad.  I tried so hard to pick up the pace but my legs just felt like lead!  I have two weeks before the race, hopefully I can get back a little of what I have lost.  I was averaging about a 14 minute mile.  PATHETIC!  I WAS doing 12 minute miles!  I know even that is slow for a lot of people -but for me it is pretty fast!  I'll get there..... I improve every time I lace up!

I am so proud of myself for doing 5 miles today.  I don't think I've done 5 straight miles since July! It feels so good to know I CAN do it!  Of course - whenever I read training plans that say "do 5 easy miles" I always laugh.  There is nothing easy about it!  Maybe someday!  Shoot, I can maybe do ONE easy mile, after that - it's all a mental challenge!  At least now I can be excited for my upcoming 10k!

On a side note, you can tell the holidays are around the corner.... I got about 7 catalogs in the mail today.  It's all good - I'm a catalog junkie!  I LOVE looking through them.  I never BUY anything, I don't have the money for that - but it's fun to dream. HA!

Well, I'm sore and really tired so I'm calling it a night!  Thanks for reading and have a wonderful night! -Monica

A hitch in my giddyap.....

I have not run in a week and a half.  It was not my decision - I was forced.  Last Sunday I was not feeling so well - I realized quickly that I needed to go to the emergency room.  As it would turn out - I had a bad infection..... in my colon.  Really??  I had no idea you could GET an infection in your colon save for after surgery or something.  It was VERY painful.  Let's just put it this way - they gave me morphine and I could still feel the pain. It turns out this is actually a disease.  Lucky me.  Diverticulitis - well that is what it's called when you get an infection, but once the infection is gone I will have a disease called diverticulosis.  It's forever.  Joy.  So I can not eat nuts, seeds, popcorn.  That really blows.  That means no strawberries (seeds) no pickles, no POPCORN!!  NOOOOOOOOO.  Needless to say - I was a bit depressed about this diagnosis.  Fast forward a week and I'm feeling MUCH better!  I'm still kind of bummed out about the diagnosis and I still get a few twinges of pain - but NOTHING like before.  Tomorrow is my first day back to running and I am REALLY nervous.  Like - race day nervous.  Let's hope I didn't lose too much, I have a 10k in two weeks!  YIKES! 

So what else is exciting - I hacked my hair off!  It used to be to the middle of my back - but now it's up to my chin!  I have mostly gotten rid of my double chin (it is still there for certain head positions) so I thought it was time to get a thinner woman's hair cut! HA!  I don't know why I think of short hair as being for thinner women, but I do.  In a way - the haircut was a rite of passage. 

In sucky news - I'm not feeling size 16 by Thanksgiving.  Its close.  I can get them on, I can zip them, I can sit down.  I can't breathe.  Ok - they are not THAT tight - but they are definitely not Thanksgiving fodder.  I wouldn't be able to eat anything!  Hey - maybe I SHOULD wear them on Thanksgiving then! HA!  At least I can get them up and zipped - that is pretty damned good!  I know I could not have even gotten them past my knees in January!

More good news - my appointment with the neurologist is next week!  Wow, I am just falling apart. Just pray that I don't have multiple sclerosis.  I'm really worried that I might.  I'm going to not think about it until I see the doctor.  It's stupid to worry about something I can't control.  Granted, I know it's HARD to not worry about it - but I have to avert my attention for now.  For sanity's sake.  I'm scared.  I won't lie - I'm really scared.

Oh - and a little more fun from the diverticulitis.... these antibiotics are HIDEOUS!!!  One makes me sick to my stomach - but the other?  Ooooh baby - that one is the mother of all evil medications!  It makes my mouth taste SO SO SO SO AWFUL!  I have not been able to drink a plain glass of water since Sunday!  It makes everything taste HORRID! 

So it's obviously been a crazy week here.  I'm hoping my run goes smoothly tomorrow!  I'll let you all know how it goes!!!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night! -Monica

Awesome day today!

Things started out pretty hectic - hubby missed his bus so he took the car.  Problem is, Monday is my BUSIEST day!  After I walked Colin to school (in the RAIN I might add) I had to get Susie to her gymnastics within 30 minutes.  YIKES!  So I dropped him off and then hauled cookies to her lesson.  So I ended up with an unplanned 4 mile run today!  Most of it was downhill - which is surprisingly difficult to do for long distances!  There were a few uphill doozies!  PHEW!  It was a good, unexpected workout!  I was a little late getting her to class but not too bad!  Then I went back to pick Colin up from school, fed them lunch, and headed out for Colin's lesson.  Thank God gymnastics are almost over!  Anyway, I picked up Pete on his lunch break.  We dropped Colin off at his lesson and Susie off at the gym's daycare - and then Pete and I lifted weights together!  It was SO GREAT to workout together!  The only thing that tore my heart out was that Susie was crying when I went back for her.  I guess another kid had a snack and she was very upset that she didn't have one.  Note to self, pack Susie a snack next time! HA!

I've been eating really well today!  I only went over 1 points, but since my weight watcher's pedometer says I earned 21 points today, I'm not going to fret about it!  I may even have some sort of dessert.  No clue what - but I'm jonesing for something sweet!

Tomorrow I have a 4.5 or 5 mile run planned.  Hopefully I'm not too sore to do it!  I'm actually looking forward to it.  I'm not sure what happened, but it's like a switch flipped because now I really REALLY look forward to running!  I actually enjoy myself now!  How cool is that?  I'm really looking forward to my 10k on Thanksgiving!  I suspect it is not going to be as hard as my last one.  Don't get me wrong- it will be hard, but I feel MUCH more prepared for this one!!

Thanks for reading - if anyone is even still out there!  I hope you are!  :-)  -Monica

Another great run!

     Today we kept it on the short side since we did the 4 mile run on Tuesday, so we only did 2 miles.  It was GREAT!  My legs were still a little sore from Tuesday but it wasn't too bad!  The weather was PERFECT!  It was actually a bit on the chilly side, I think I may have to look into saving up for some cooler weather running clothes, namely a wicking jacket!
     Now that I have that rain/wind cover for the jogging stroller, Susie really seems to enjoy our runs!  I think the wind protection is what she really appreciates.  Every time I put it over the top of the jogger, she laughs!  Today she was a little mad because I forgot to bring her apple slices.  She is SO fond of apples!  I usually give her two apples, peeled and cut into slices - and she snacks on them during the run.  She was rather vocal about me not remembering them today!  I won't forget next time!!
     Today was Colin's first school picture day!  He was SO excited - and he looked SO handsome!  I was a little surprised that most kids were not dressed any differently than a usual day!  Hey - if I'm paying that much money for school pictures, he is going to look his best!  Tomorrow is his Jog a thon - he is SO excited!  It's a fundraiser for his school.  He has to get pledges and then he runs the track.  He can either get pledges per lap that he runs, or just a flat pledge.  He tells everyone that he is going to run 8 laps!  That is a whole mile!  I'm so happy to see how excited he is! 
     Well, I'm pretty tired.  If I can finally manage to get Susie to bed, I am going to follow suit!  I'm beat! 

Thanks for reading!  Have a great night! -Monica

Best run of my LIFE!!!

Wow - I have NO WORDS to describe how awesome today's run was!  The weather was a little drizzly at first - about 55 degrees - but the sun came out and it was a BEAUTIFUL fall day!  That isn't what made the run so perfect though!  Today we ran 4 miles and honestly - if I didn't have to pick Colin up from school - I could have probably run another two!  Everything just seemed to fall into place!  I felt great!  It was SO amazing to be out in the fresh air and to truly enjoy running!  I have never enjoyed a run as much as I did today!  I think Nelly felt it too - neither one of us felt the need to see what mile we were on!  I hope I have many more runs like that!!

My son is doing a fund raiser at his school called the jog a thon.  He has to get people to sponsor him and then he runs around the track and people pay him either a flat rate or per lap.  He is SO excited about it!  I have not told him yet - but on Saturday (the day after the jog a thon) we are ALL going to be in a family 1k.  It's going to be GREAT!  Even Susie is registered!  It says that even toddlers can do it - so she is in!  It is going to be SO much fun!  We are going to dress in our costumes - which means I'm going to have to get going on Peter's!  Thankfully everyone else's is done!

Well, the rain has returned to Oregon.  It POURED last night - we were SO lucky to have a reprieve for our morning run!  We are probably going to have to get used to running in the rain - which means I'm going to have to get myself some sort of running jacket.  Today was a little chilly in short sleeves!  Today was the first time I used a rain cover for the baby jogger - I think Susie really approved!  She fell fast asleep!  She usually puts up a bit of a fuss but today she really enjoyed herself.  She thought it was quite funny when I put the cover over her!  Silly girl!

Well, I'm going to call it a night - we've had a rough couple of days!  Thanks for reading - sorry for the long break in posts.  I'm back now!  No worries - I've kept up my running!  :-)

Still plugging away....

I guess I just didn't feel like blogging much lately.  I'm still keeping on keeping on.  :-)  I ran 4 miles yesterday - getting closer to my 10k on Thanksgiving so I have to get prepped!  I'm really looking forward to it!

I'm REALLY tired right now.  Let's just say three days of a puking child really puts a strain on your mental health. HA!  I have set up two new goals for myself.  I think this will really help me stay on track.  My eating has been all over the place lately.  Not like CRAZY bad - I have not gained any weight - but I have not lost any either- so this has to change.   My first goal is to be wearing a size 16 by Thanksgiving.  I went to Goodwill and bought myself a pair of size 16 jeans.  I can get them on - but I am a few inches from them closing.  Just to make sure I wasn't imagining it (why do I do that to myself?  I don't believe what I see right in front of me) I bought a pair of size 18's - just to be sure that is what size I really am in.  I got SUCH amazing deals - they had a half off sale so I got 3 pairs of jeans for ten bucks!  The third pair of jeans is for my second goal - size 14 by Christmas.  OMG let me tell you - it was AWESOME to be shopping in the non plus size section!  I can't wait until I FIT in that stuff!  The size 14's can only get up to my butt - then they won't go any higher.  I have a lot of work to do - but I think these goals are VERY reasonable.  OH MY GOD - I will be in REGULAR sizes by Christmas!  How freaking awesome is that?

Well, the kids are asleep and now it's my turn!  Thanks for reading - if anyone is still around!  :-)  Sorry for the hiatus.  Thanks for sticking with me!  I didn't give up - I refuse to!  Have a wonderful night and thanks for reading! -Monica

Not as bad as I expected!

Today's run was actually pretty good!  It took a little while to shake the lead out of my legs, but after about a mile I actually started to lose track of the distance!  I hope it's like that for my long run this week! HA! 

I was feeling a bit ambitious, so I also did an upper body workout at the gym!  According to my 10k program, I was supposed to do this anyway - but it always seemed like too much!  I won't lie - it was pretty tough.  My knees were giving me trouble towards the end.  It wasn't bad - only when I was getting up from one machine to go to the next.  After working out (with Pete - I LOVE going to the gym with him - it's been far too long!) we took the kids to the pool.  That is when my knees decided they had enough for the day.  Honestly - I have hardly used a chair in the past two weeks.  I took some advil tonight in hopes of relaxing any inflammation.  Tomorrow I am SO taking the day off.  I mean from everything.  Don't come over, because my house will not be cleaned tomorrow.  I will take my son to and from school - but in the car.  I will make meals for everyone, but in between that - I will be sitting.  I'm supposed to run 3.5 miles on Saturday and I want to make sure my knees are ok!

On the weight watcher's side of things - I have only lost .8 of a pound this week.  UGH this nickel and dime crap is REALLY starting to get on my nerves.  I have decided to take the Weight Watcher's Thanksgiving challenge.  Don't ask - because I have not read all the information yet.  I'll fill you all in tomorrow!  I know that 1. that time of the month is just around the corner and 2. I most likely still have some of that medicine in my system.  I am PRAYING that I start seeing some real loss next week.  I truly have increased my exercise - to the point where I am just blown away that I have not lost anything!

Well, it's very late and I'm very tired.  I'd say it's time to call it a day!  Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

Dreading tomorrow's run....

My legs are SO sore.  I have been going nonstop for the past two weeks.  Yesterday we did a 2 mile run.  Today I went on a 4 mile walk and then bowling.  Tomorrow is a 2.5 mile run.  My legs just plain ache.  I've noticed a slight twinge in my right knee.  I'm going to do my run tomorrow, but if the pain starts while I'm running then I'm just going to walk the rest of it.  There are only 8 weeks until the 10k and I'm officially freaking out!  For some reason, 3 miles feels next to impossible.  One of the days this week will be a 3.5 mile run.  I need to bump up a half mile every weekend.  Good God, what have I signed up for?

Our walk this morning was COOOOOOOLD!  I felt SO bad for Susie.  We didn't have a coat that fit her.  I didn't think it was all that cold when we left - I was wearing capris and a short sleeve top.  Susie had a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie on as well as a blanket.  I was FROZEN!  We actually stopped at a donut shop so we could warm up a little.  I was going to get a coffee - but you had to spend $5 to use your debit card and I did NOT want to buy donuts!  I had a dollar, so I bought 4 donut holes.  I had one and Susie ate 3.  She LOVED them - that was the first time she ever had one!  We pushed on and got really friggin cold again so I stopped at a Dutch Bros and got her a "not so hot chocolate" and I got myself a decaf, fat free, sugar free, caramelizer.  OH MY GOD that drink is HEAVEN!  I think Susie appreciated the hot chocolate!   After our walk, I went to the used baby clothes store and bought Susie a nice, warm coat!  It's beautiful too!  It's a periwinkle Colmbia jacket!  Gotta love consignment - I only paid $10 for what was probably originally a $50 coat!

Tonight is pretty darned cold - I actually had Pete build a fire in the insert.  I can't seem to get warm - even with fuzzy socks on!  It's crazy how up and down this weather is.  Tomorrow it's supposed to hit the mid 80's!  What the heck?!  It's hard to know what to dress the kids in, the temperature is drastically different in the afternoon than it was in the morning - and then the evening is right back to cold!  This reminds me that I had better check the forecast for tomorrow so I can guess what to dress Colin in for school!  This ALSO reminds me that I had better look around for some plus sized, long sleeve, performance tops.  Even during our run on Tuesday I felt chilly.  I wonder what tomorrow morning has in store?!

Well, that's all for me - I'm exhausted.  My face pains have been pretty bad today and it really takes a lot out of me!  Thank you for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

Flu shots....

For the kids.  Please - anyone - if I EVER think it's a good idea to get both kids immunized at the same time - slap some sense into me.  It was AWFUL!  I had Colin done first because I knew he would realize it was a shot after we did Susie and there would be no holding him down.  He was SO good about it - he lay there and let the nurse clean his thigh - he even giggled because he said it was cold and it tickled.  Then she stuck him.  Oh.  My.  God.  You would have thought she snipped off his finger.  The scream that came out of that child was unlike any scream I have witnessed in my entire life.  When Susie saw her big brother screaming, she decided that she had to scream too.  They gave her the injection and she started screaming even worse!  It was crazy!  We walked out to the car with the both of them screaming their heads off.  I finally talked them out of crying by taking them for some ice cream.  As soon as the ice cream was gone, the screaming started again.  WOOF what an afternoon! 

After Susie had her nap and Colin had some quiet time, we had a fun afternoon!  We picked Pete up from work and then went to the Y.  We dropped the kids off in the daycare (which was VERY hard for me, I've never left Susie with anyone - and she didn't seem to even care!  Talk about rip my heart out!).  Then Pete and I did our upper body weight training together!  It was like old times!  Pre kids - pre marriage!  It was SO GREAT!  Then after we were done, we checked the kids out and took them swimming!  We all had a really great time!  Thankfully I was thinking ahead this morning and had dinner going in the crock pot all day - and I made a rice cooker full of rice during Susie's nap!  We all came home, had dinner, bathed, and put the kids to bed!  It was AWESOME!

Now I am totally wiped!  I have a 3 mile run tomorrow with Nelly and I'm so worried about it!  My legs hurt so bad!  I also realized that there are only 8 weeks until Thanksgiving.  That means there are only 8 weeks until my 10k.  I'm starting to freak out.  I hope I can get ready in time.  Quite honestly - I'm a bit scared.  I have to get REALLY dedicated - FAST!

Well, it's my bedtime!  Thank you so much for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

40:39!

I didn't meet my goal of a sub 40 minute 5k but I TOTALLY PR'd!  Almost 3 minutes better than last time!  It was PERFECT race weather!  Mid 50's - sunny - PERFECT!  The course was fairly flat and somehow that made it harder!  I think I was just used to doing slight hills and then having the short reprieve of running downhill for a few moments!  My legs were SCREAMING at me today!  I didn't stop though - not for a second.  There was one point where I slowed down a little to help this young girl along - she really looked ready to give up - I ran with her for a few minutes.  I don't know why - I guess I know what it's like to REALLY want to quit!  I think I may have actually gotten my sub 40 if I had not helped her.  I'm glad I did though - she looked SO proud of herself after she crossed the finish line! 

So you probably all know I have a competitive side.  Ooh boy!  There was this rather old man near me - we were kind of back in forth with the lead a few times.  When I slowed down to help that girl, he got quite a bit ahead of me.  Well near the end, one of the people cheering said the finish was right around the corner.  So I sprinted.  HOLY CRAP - apparently, just around the corner to this guy was 3 tenths of a mile!  I started my sprint WAYYYYY too early!  I slowed down for a little while - then I saw the finish line..... and the old guy just ahead of me.  I sprinted again - I BOOKED IT!  I came in right before him! HA - I'm evil.  There is probably a special room in hell for competitive people like me! HAHAHA

Here are a few shots from the race!

Jeez - can that little race bib make my boobs look any bigger?  Good Lord!

There I am at the start.  I don't look quite like a runner - God, these skinny runners make me look like a fat slob!

Just after I crossed the finish line.  PHEW this was a tough race!  I really need to step up the training!

 

Well, It's getting late and I vowed to start going to bed earlier.  I woke up with a sore throat today and it's only gotten worse.  I think I just need to get more sleep!  Oh - and since my schedule seems to be crazier and crazier lately - I dug out my old (don't laugh) palm pilot!  So I can't afford a fancy smart phone - lol  this works!  I have not played with this thing in like 6 years!  It's still like new! 

 

Well, thanks for reading!!  Have a WONDERFUL night!! -Monica

 

 

 

 

Took an easy day...

Can you blame me?  I'm still kind of freaked out from yesterday!  I didn't have another attack - or whatever you'd call it.   Pete stayed home today because I was really worried about being alone with the kids.  I think I'm going to be ok now though.  I'm really thankful to him for staying with me.  He is such a wonderful hubby!

Today, while Colin was in school, we decided to go to Kmart and put the last few Christmas gifts on layaway.  It's SO impossible to do that when he is around!  While we were there we noticed that the clothes dryer that we had been eyeing was on a MAJOR clearance!  It was knocked down from $500 to $200!!  We didn't HAVE $200 so we decided to put it on layaway with the Christmas stuff and this would be OUR Christmas gift!  The cool thing is that there was a special today where the layaway fee was waived!  Cool!  We also decided to put a new drill on there for Peter - he finally ran his into the ground and it just does not work anymore.  It was a faithful old drill and had a long and arduous life!  :-)  We found out after we put all this stuff on layaway that there is some promotion going on where one person's layaway at each store every week will be paid off by the store!  HOLY COW could you IMAGINE?!  Now THERE is something I would really LOVE to win!  Cross your fingers - while we can swing the layaway, getting it for free would be a HUGE help for Christmas!  HUGE!

I just have to brag on my son for a minute!  Colin is a REALLY good reader!  I'm VERY proud of him - he really loves it and he is quite good at it!  His teacher sent home a note that he didn't have homework for the weekend because he already tested out of the assignments for that week!  I wanted to swoop him up and hug him for that!  Way to go wildman!!  He also brought home a catalog for the book fair.  Let me just say that I LOVED the book fair when I was a kid!  I am SO excited for him!  I don't think he is terribly excited - but I am!  HA!

Tonight I sat down and wrapped all the Christmas presents that we had purchased over the past year.  We did pretty good actually!  It looks like each kid will get 12 gifts.  They are mostly small and go together - like Colin got a TAG reader and some books and games that go with it.  Susie got a little girl's dollhouse and some of the bedroom set things that go with it.  Then there are two big gifts for them to share from Santa and one personal gift each from Santa.  The only thing I have left to get are stocking stuffers and we usually keep those pretty small.  Oh yeah baby, Christmas is DONE!  I feel accomplished!!

I'm getting REALLY excited for my race!  AAHH!!!  I can't wait!  I think I have a good chance at a PR!

Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

A very scary day....

Today started out like any other normal day.  Dropped Colin off at school.  Had a GREAT run.  I was feeling pretty awesome.  I picked Colin up from school, went to weight watchers, and then decided to go downtown with the kids.  As I was driving downtown I noticed a really weird blurry spot - I thought the windshield was dirty so I kept cleaning it off - but the spot was still there.  Then I noticed the spot was moving when I turned my head.  Then I noticed the spot was getting bigger and bigger.  Before I knew it, I could hardly see anything out of my left eye at all.  There was sort of a sparkly rainbow colored arch in my vision but I could not see past it with that one eye.  I COMPLETELY freaked out.  Luckily I was right near Pete's job, so I called him and he rushed me to the doctor.  I TOTALLY thought I was having a stroke or something.  As it turns out, I was having migraine aura.  It's weird because I didn't have a headache.  I felt totally fine with the exception of the fact that my eye didn't work.  Eventually my eye got back to normal but now I feel completely exhausted.  The doctor gave me orders to stay in bed for the rest of today. (secretly my most favorite bit of doctor advice!)   When I got back in the car, my cell rang - it was my regular doctor's nurse.  He FINALLY gave me a referral to a neurologist!  WHAT A DAY!   All joking aside - the last time I was this afraid was when my son was on the NICU as a preemie.  I seriously was afraid I was going to crash my car with my children inside!  Thank God Pete's job was across the street from where it happened.  It was the closest place to even pull over! 

Ok - drama aside.  Something really funny happened today - ok, at least it's funny in my sick twisted mind!  I was walking in the dollar store when these two women walked in.  They were talking rather loudly so it's not like I was eavesdropping.  I'm sure EVERYONE heard their conversation.  Mind you - these were grown women - likely in their late 30's!  The one woman said "You know what I hate?  When that air slips out from between your butt cheeks."  To which the other woman responded "Oh I KNOW and I really hate when it makes that sound or when it smells!.".  This was a serious conversation.  I was on the other aisle laughing my freaking butt off.  I wanted to yell HELLO LADIES!!!  Do you not know what a FART is? HAHAHAHA  Seriously - you can't make this stuff up!

My run this morning was really great!  I ran 3 miles with a mix of flat and hills in 41 minutes 22 seconds.  That was while pushing Susie in the jogger!  My race on Sunday is on a pretty flat course and I won't be pushing the jogger!  Could it be that I will finally break my 40 minute PR for a 5k?!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night! -Monica

The day ended better than it started!

This morning I was really down in the dumps.  I've been really having a hard time with this weight stagnation.  I KNOW it's from the medication and I KNOW I've been doing everything I can.  I KNOW I'm weaning myself off the meds.  I am just FRUSTRATED.  I know I sound like a big baby - but it's SO HARD to deal with the fact that I've worked my tail off and the simple act of taking a pill can derail that.  Today I'm down to one pill - I'm going to do that for another day or two.  Today the pains came back.  What fun.  That constant buzzy, electrical feeling is back.  I HATE that feeling.  I hate being fat even more though.

Anyway - today I did a lot of walking.  Pete had a half day so we met up with Nelly and her son and we went to the local children's museum.  We tried to see the Avengers at the second run movies - but Susie was NOT cooperating.  I left Pete and Colin in the theater and took Susie to run some errands.  When we got back and were waiting in the parking lot, Pete and Colin came out.  Colin kept saying he was too tired.  SOME DAY we will get the see that whole movie!  We tried once before at the drive ins - no go.  What I've seen was AWESOME and I can't wait until it comes out on DVD!

Tomorrow is my run - I'm feeling less than excited about it.  It's funny how you can feel achy when you are depressed.  Weird.

I'm going to call it a night.  It was a very busy day and I am exhausted!

Oh - one funny thing - remember that soup I made yesterday?  Today I got the kids served for lunch and I sat down next to Colin with my soup.  He sniffed and said "Uh Oh Mommy - Susie pooped her diaper."  I laughed and told him he probably smelled my soup (lots of broccoli - remember?) so he leaned over and sniffed my bowl and he exclaimed "OH  MOMMY - you're DISGUSTING!". HA!  I guess he won't be eating any of that wonderful soup!!!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night! -Monica

emotional wreck....

That pretty much sums me up today.  I've been a mess all day.  It started with the scale.  I have been working my BUTT off by stepping up my exercise 10 fold and counting weight watcher's points like Scrooge McDuck and I have not lost a single pound in two weeks.  I highly suspect my medication.  I was devastated when the scale didn't budge this morning.  Dropped my son off at school and took my daughter to the park to do my run with Nelly.  When I got there I noticed the tires in my jogger were really very soft, so I pulled out the pump and proceeded to fill them.  As I was bending over this guy yelled to his friend "DAMN she is HUGE".  That pretty much broke my spirits.  I think the hardest thing for me is that if most people lost 50lbs they would be too thin.  I lost 50lbs and I still look like crap.  I know I look "better" but I still don't look good.   This is very hard for me to accept.  On top of all this, my run sucked buttcheeks.  I think partially this was due to my spirits being very low, the other part was probably due to yesterday's hill running.  My legs just felt like lead weights.  I just could NOT shake the dust off for anything.  We ended up walking most of today's 3 miles.  I really hope I feel more like myself by Sunday's 5k!

I have decided to knock back my pill to 1 a day.  If it helps with my pain AND I start losing weight again - then I'll leave it at that.  If I still don't lose anything, I'm going to look into some other options.  I'm also thinking of just living with the pain.  I'm sure at some point I won't be able to just deal, but for now I REALLY need to get healthy.  Sometimes things seem so unfair.  I've worked so hard - I am NOT going to let this sideline me.

So I promised some pictures.  They are not exciting pictures - but they look good to me!  :-)  Today I pulled out the trusty old crockpot.  I made a veggie soup - zero points.  I figured, if I get hungry then I can just snack on some soup.  I know I'm out of my mind - its been in the low 90's - but I had to use up some of these veggies before the spoiled!  I had a taste and it is REALLY good!  It's got chicken stock, broccoli, leeks, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, and kale.  VERY tasty!!

 

Then for dinner I made chicken terriyaki with brown rice and cabbage/carrot/broccoli sautee.  This came out REALLY good!

 

Even Susie agrees:

That's all I have to say about today.  I hope tomorrow I feel a lot better emotionally.  I'm thinking I may try throwing in some weight training.  It's hard to juggle going to the gym with my crazy life.  I'm going to have to try to do it right after Pete gets out of work.  I'm way too tired after dinner!

So here are a few pics from our summer vacation!  We went to the Oregon coast - it was BEAUTIFUL!  Cold, but beautiful!  The kids had SO much fun at the beach!  I got a really beautiful panoramic shot of the bay - I may have to blow that one up!!



 Oh and this one is funny.  We tried to get a family shot with us kissing.  Colin was supposed to be standing above us while Susie sits below us.  This picture really captures our every day life.  Something bizarre and chaotic is always going on! HA!

Well, that's about all!  Have a WONDERFUL night!  Thank you for reading!! -Monica

Oh what a night - mid september back in 2012....

Ok - I couldn't resist - if you don't get the song reference in the title of this post then I'm sorry once again. HA!  Last night was awful!  Colin woke up at about 3am screaming his brains out.  Apparently his backpack casts a shadow on his wall that looks like a monster.  He was in hysterics.  His screaming woke Susie.  I went in to comfort her and found that she was absolutely soaked through.  She needed an emergency bath and a complete change of bed linens.  At 3 am.  Needless to say, 7 am came very early.

Since we were up all night, Pete overslept for work and had to take the car.  I walked Colin to school and decided to run the 3 miles to Pete's work to get the car.  It was an AWESOME run!  Granted, most of it was downhill - but there were two HIDEOUS uphills!  I didn't walk a single step!  I did pause my garmin whenever I came to a crosswalk but I finished 3 miles in 40 minutes and 2 seconds!  I'm getting closer to my PR!  Good thing too!  My 5k is on Sunday!  I'm getting pretty excited about it!

Tomorrow I have a 3.5 mile run planned - cross your fingers it isn't too hot!  I'm seriously tired of this heat!  I am toying with the idea of doing zumba tomorrow night but I don't know - I don't want to overdo anything the week of a race!

Sorry for another short post.  I'm really really tired!  I'll try to put some pictures of something up tomorrow - I know these have gotten a bit bland lately!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night! -Monica

Took the day off!

I was going to do a long run today, but I was so stinking sore - I figured my body could use a little rest!  I am so glad I did!  I feel refreshed and ready for a new week!  Let's just hope I don't melt from the heat!  Have I mentioned that I don't like the heat? HA!! 

Today I went to JoAnn's fabric and got all the stuff I needed to make our Halloween costumes!  This year we are all dressing up!    They should actually be pretty easy this year - I'm not making any full body suits! PHEW!  I HATE zippers!  Colin is very excited because his costume includes an axe. HA!  Ok - I'll spare you all the suspense.... Colin is going to be the Woodsman, Susie is going to be Little Red Ridinghood, I am going to be the Grandmother and Pete is going to be the Big Bad Wolf!  How fun is that??  So what do you think?  There is some debate in our house as to what sort of hat the woodsman would wear.  Any ideas?

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do for my exercise tomorrow.  I don't want to run because I already have two running days planned out.  It's going to be crazy hot so I won't be going to the gym (they don't have air).  Hmmm, I'll have to ponder this one.  Maybe it will come to me in a dream! HA!

I'm going to keep it short tonight.  I'm tired and since I missed a pill today, I can actually just take one whenever and go right to bed!  YAY!  Plus - I sent Pete in to tuck Susie in, but he has yet to come out - it's been over an hour.  I think it's safe to assume he fell asleep!  I'll have to wake him up - Susie has GOT to go back to sleeping on her own again!

Well, have a wonderful night!!  Thanks for reading! -Monica

Constant state of ache...

I seriously hurt.  My legs are just sore.  There is no other way to say it.  While I'm proud of the ache, I need to be sure I don't get lazy now.  I feel like I have FINALLY gotten back on the wagon after months of being dragged behind it. I don't want this soreness to get in my way. 

I have not seen any weight change - I suspect I am battling the side effects of my Trigeminal Neuralgia medication.   On top of that - I'm still getting pain.  At first it seemed much duller than before so I wasn't very concerned.  Now it seems like the pain is back full force.  I am NOT going to up the dosage of my meds.  No way.  I'm starting to think that maybe I should just forget the medication and just suffer.  It's frustrating to work very hard at something and not get anywhere.  The other sucky thing is that I have to take these meds 3 times a day - that means every 8 hours.  I need more than 8 hours of sleep.  I always have and I probably always will.  On top of not getting a full 9 hours, my daughter keeps waking up around 1 am.  I am just NOT getting a good sleep and I am starting to really feel affected by it.  I'm tired AND sore!

Wow, is this post turning into a real bitchfest or what?  Sorry!  Today was a day off of running - but I had SO much fun!  I went to a weight watcher's open house with my kids, Nelly, and her son.  They had lots of food that was weight watcher's friendly.  Lots of desserts - I only had two small things.  While they were good, they didn't seem worth the points to me.  After the open house, I told Nelly that I was going to walk downtown with the kids and meet up with Pete.  It's about a 3 mile walk or so.  She decided to leave her car and walk with us.  It was so fun doing that - the kids were acting up because they were hungry, but once we stopped for lunch everyone was happy again!  I'll tell ya - I have a thing or two to learn from Nelly!  I tend to be a really spontaneous person - I don't plan much.  At least, not far in advance anyway! HA!  Every time we go somewhere she has little snacks packed away and extra clothes and toys and stuff.  Wow - I grab diapers, wipes, my kids and I'm out!  I think I need to start packing more stuff in my diaper bag!  I've got some crayons in mine, but no coloring books or paper.  Bad right? HA!  Oops - I'm getting off track!  Anyway - after lunch we went to the carousel for a ride and then we went to the splash pad!  I didn't know they were still on during the weekends!  Good thing - it was HOT today!  The kids had SO much fun running around in the water!  Susie even got in on the action!  I didn't know the splash pad was open so I didn't have swim suits - remember, I don't plan ahead much!!  So the kids just played in their clothes - it's just water, why not have fun?!  Poor Colin - his shorts were a little on the large side, so once they got wet they kept falling down!  The poor kid had his butt crack showing half the time!  I was trying to keep on top of that - but I had to chase Susie around too!  All in all it was a great time!

After that we didn't do much at all!  We drove Nelly and her son (I keep saying her son because I'm not sure if she would want me to say his name on here - I actually DO know his name!) back to their car and we went home.  I've basically been doing laundry ever since!  MAN does it ever pile up around here!

Oh - on the milestone front - Susie is spending the first night in her big girl bed!  I'm hoping it eliminates her middle of the night screaming.  I was starting to wonder if her crib mattress is just too hard for her.  We shall see!  I could really use some sleep!

I'm playing with the idea of going on a 3.5 mile run tomorrow.  I also wanted to do zumba at the gym.  I'm not sure if I have it in me to do both though!  I really hope I see a weight loss this week.  I could really use the encouragement from that!!

Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

Brooks must really like me!!

If you've been reading my blog for a while,  you know that I won a pair of brooks running shoes a few months ago.  That was SO awesome!  It was SO unexpected but so very exciting!  Tonight we went to the On Your Feet Friday event that we have been going to since June.  Basically it's a fund raising effort to build a foot bridge to connect two popular running parks in town which are separated by a river.  You get a little check sheet and it's like a scavenger hunt - you have to go to each of the businesses listed on the check list and get a stamp from them.  Everyone has to be back at the running store in 45 minutes.  For every stamp you get they will give you a raffle ticket.  They do a bunch of raffles - giving away things from the businesses you just walked to as well as stuff from the shoe company that is sponsoring that month.  This month was Brooks.  Now, now - don't jump to conclusions - I didn't win another pair of shoes - although that would have been SWEET!  Pete and I have been to every single one of these events - they are a LOT of fun!  We have never won a thing though - there are a good 300 people who participate so it's kind of a small chance of winning.  Maybe I should quickly go and buy a scratch ticket cause lady luck was smiling on us tonight!  I won a brooks technical hat and a brooks goody bag which consisted of  a nice lightweight bag, a mini flashlight, a rubber bracelet, a glass pilsner glass, a sweat towel, some motivational pins, and a collapsible clip on water bottle.  Cool right?  It gets better!  Peter won a 30 minute massage from a local salon/spa.  He gave it to me! :-P  My friend Nelly won TWO of the Brooks goody bags!  I mean SERIOUSLY?  How stinking awesome is that!!

     Just as we were getting close to the last check mark, Colin fell - and he fell HARD.  He landed on both knees on concrete.  He was bleeding a bit but you could tell he was going to have some serious bruises.  Poor kid.  He was SO upset about it.  He was over tired too - you could tell he wanted to leave.  When we got home he was asleep within 3 minutes!  Susie fell asleep in the car on the way home.  I wish I didn't have to stay up until 11 to take my pill, otherwise I would be asleep by now too!

My legs are KILLING me!  Remember my vow to step up the activity level?  WHOA did I ever do that today!  I walked/ran Colin to school this morning - we were late so we jogged a good part of the way - that was a half mile.  After I dropped him off - which took about 10 minutes, I went on a run with Susie.  Pete was running late this morning so he took the car to work.  I decided I would run downtown and get the car.  It ended up being 3.5 miles from the school to his work.  I ran mostly on concrete but I did a little on asphalt and there was a torturous stint where I ran on bark chips.  OMG I hate trail running.  I don't know how people do it.  I feel like my feet are sinking!  I didn't run the ENTIRE way - I probably walked 10 minutes out of the 45 that it took to get there.  Some of those hills were BRUTAL!  I could barely WALK up them, let alone run up one pushing a jogging stroller!  One of them was so bad I was not sure I could even get to the top!  Put this on top of the 3 miles I ran yesterday and WHOOF!

Well, I am pretty exhausted.  I'm thinking I am going to take my pill 15 minutes early because I just can not stay awake any longer!  I hope that won't be a problem!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night!! -Monica

What a busy - activity filled day!

Let me preface this by saying I did not sit for more than 10 minutes all day long today!  I don't know if this is all that interesting to anyone - but here is how the day played out.

First I was awakened by the sound of my daughter falling out of my bed and onto the hardwood floor.  She is completely fine, I contacted the doctor and she is totally fine.  It was still really scary though.  Daddy got up to do something, but he forgot to put a pillow or something on his side so she didn't roll out.  She doesn't normally sleep with us, but she has been having a really hard time sleeping lately so last night we gave in and brought her in our bed.  Anyway - when Pete got up, Susie rolled out on his side.  At first I didn't know what the bang was, and then she started crying.  OH my heart BROKE!!!  She must have fallen directly on her nose.  She never had any bumps or bruises - just a slightly bloody nose.  Thank GOD she is ok!  I really was scared to death.

Then I walked Colin to school.  It's about a mile round trip.  I got back home and got Susie loaded into the car so I could meet Nelly for a run.  Today was really great - Nelly inivited her friend Tiff.  I had never met her before but she was SO nice!  It's funny how much you can have in common with someone you have never met before!  I hope she joins us all the time!  We all ran 3 miles - it took us 41 minutes which was MUCH better than Tuesday's run!  It's funny - I couldn't figure why I had slowed down so much.  I am beginning to suspect it's the extra 24 lbs I'm pushing in the jogging stroller!  Maybe it's speedwork in disguise!  I'm going to get to my race without the stroller and I'll PR! HA!

After we ran, I dropped off a book at the library and then went to the grocery store.  That was a short trip because I had to go pick Colin up from school.  Once I got him, we went home and had lunch.  I had a ham sandwich and a salad that was LOADED with colorful veggies - it was awesome!  Susie stole so much lettuce, I'm not sure I could still call what I was eating a salad!  I had a few errands to run after lunch.  Nelly called and we decided to meet at the library so the boys could play.  They had SO much fun!!  Colin really loves her son and her son loves Colin AND Susie!  After that we both took the kids to McDonald's for some icecream - it was SUCH a hot day and it really hit the spot!  Plus, McD's ice cream is low fat!  SCORE! 

After our treat, I got in the car to go home and it wouldn't start.  We have had to have 3 jump starts in the past month.  We KNEW this day was coming, but it came a little sooner than we were ready for.  Our battery died.  Thankfully I tried one more time and got it to turn over.  I was afraid to turn it off because I KNEW it would never start again!  I called Pete and he told me to go get a new one.  I drove to the other side of town and was told it would be an hour.  Here we are about 20 minutes away from dinner, the kids were grouchy - it was 90 degrees out.  This was NOT fun.  I decided to take the kids to the dollar store for some coloring books.  Just as we got to the door, who should walk out but Nelly and her son!  It was really funny!  I told her what happened so she decided to help us burn some time.  We walked around the dollar store and the boys had a sword fight. HA!  Don't ask.  It was crazy!  Colin and Susie soon made it known that they had to eat RIGHT NOW.  So we walked to McDonalds - yes our SECOND trip in one day. Yikes.  The kids had happy meals and I had a plain mcchicken and a small fry - TOTALLY within my points budget.

Got home and got the kids into their jammies.  That is when I noticed Susie's skin.  She had a rash for a few days but the doc told me it was nothing.  Well, it's not nothing anymore.  She was COVERED tonight.  I called the nurse once again and she thinks it might be Fifth disease.  Joy.  Thankfully we have all had it here.  Colin had it but not THIS bad.  I'm going to have to take her to the doc tomorrow.

WHAT A DAY!  I'm BEAT!  I earned 29 weight watcher's points on my pedometer.  WOWSERS!  I was planning on doing Zumba before the battery died.  I really would have had a nice stash of points then!

Wow - sorry for the novel tonight.  It really was a BUSY day!  Like I said - I didn't even sit down for 10 minutes all day!  I am pretty proud of myself - day one of my decision to up my activity and I think I've stepped up the the challenge!

Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night - and after today's post, perhaps a Valium! HAHAHA!  -Monica

p.s. - sometimes when I type my blog I can almost hear the theme song for Dougie Howser. HA!  Remember how he used to blog way back then?  He was ahead of his time!

Changing things up.....

I need to add more exercise.  I have finally come to this conclusion.  I have kind of known it for some time now - but now I am certain.  At weight watchers I was up 6lbs and it REALLY set me off.  I'm SO TIRED of this up and down, up and down crap.  I've talked to the hubs and he says we can switch gyms.  The Y is farther from the house, but they offer group classes, a pool, and child care - plus an indoor track.  I don't think I'm ready to leave Susie with strangers.  I'm just afraid of that.  She has never had a babysitter aside from my Mother.  I just can't do it - not until she can talk.  I am going to try to add some group classes after Pete gets home from work and then maybe take the kids swimming on the weekends.

Tomorrow is my run with my friend Nelly.  I am really looking forward to it - but dreading it at the same time!  Today I walked.  I walked a LOT.  I walked 14 miles as per my weight watcher's pedometer!  That equaled 26 points!!  To say I'm sore is an understatement!  I'm still sore from our run on Tuesday!  My ribs actually hurt from our run!  It's funny how that sort of pain actually makes you feel good! :-P

In crappy news - my face pains are back.  I'm going to give the meds a full month before I decide if they are working or not.  Right now - I'm not impressed.  I get to feel loopy, forgetful, slur my words AND I get to still have face pains.  I hope some of those side effects wear off.  Thankfully I don't have those side effects the entire time - only for the first 2 or 3 hours after I take a pill.  The sucky part is that I have to take them in the morning, afternoon, and night.  It seems to me that when I run shortly after taking the pill, I don't get sleepy or loopy - just slury.  The slurring is not THAT profound - I suspect that my tongue feels lazy and I percieve that as slurring.  My husband said he has only noticed me slurring twice.  I am going to ask Nelly tomorrow.

Well, I can take my meds in about five minutes and then I'm off to bed.  I am really tired.  I hope the kids both sleep all night so I can get some rest!  (Susie has been waking up for the last 3 nights and sleeping in our bed - which means I don't get much sleep.)

Thanks for reading (if anyone is actually reading - it looks like nobody is anymore) Have a wonderful night! -Monica

YAY I have a FRIEND!!!

Well, a running buddy anyway!  We dropped our boys off at school this morning and then we both went for a run in the park!  It was GREAT!  Susie really enjoyed her time in the baby jogger - that made it even better!  The weather was PERFECT - a chilly 56 degrees!  I am really REALLY starting to get excited about the fall!  I even came home today and started a pork roast - that just SCREAMS autumn to me! HAHA!   

We only did 3 miles today and WOW have I lost my running base.  I'll just have to get it back!  We ran 2 miles straight, walked for a half mile, and ran the last half mile.  I'm not sure if it was ALL because of my running lapse - I think pushing that jogger added a whole new dimension!  It's nice to have a buddy - and the best part is, we are about the same fitness level!  I was always afraid of getting a buddy and slowing them down!  I'm really looking forward to running with her!

Colin's first day of school was awesome!  He asked me if he could go back after dinner.  I said "how about after breakfast tomorrow?"  He agreed to that. HA!  I'm glad he is so excited!  I wonder what grade that excitement starts to wear off?

I went to my first PTA meeting tonight.  It was interesting - I'm not a big joiner though so I don't know.  It was fun to hear about all the fundraising they do.  They don't do those traditional "buy something from my kid" fundraisers.  They do all sorts of different things - one of which is a jog a thon!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE that idea!  The kids get people to sponsor them per lap they do around the track.  Colin is going to go nuts when he hears about that!  I really like his school - it feels very family oriented.  I love that!

Well, I'm off - I'm still having issues with these meds.  They make me VERY tired and I have gained a few pounds since starting them.  I'm hoping by picking back up with running I can combat the weight gain.  Seriously though - it is like HEAVEN to be rid of those pains!  They were getting REALLY bad!!!

Have a WONDERFUL night!  Thanks for reading!! -Monica

I did it!

I registered for two races!  The first one is a 5k at the end of this month and the second one is a 10k on Thanksgiving morning!  YAY!  and YIKES!  I had better get my ass back in gear so I'm ready for that 10k!  I'm really excited about the Thanksgiving race!  It looks like it is going to be a TON of fun!  I couldn't afford the race shirt - I'm kinda bummed about that - but at least I could do the race!  Anyway - there are going to be Christmas carols, a visit from Santa - lots of fun family stuff!  I think my son will really enjoy it AND I'll be setting a good, healthy example.  Not to mention burning off enough calories to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. HA!

We saw my Mom off tonight.  It was SO incredibly hard to say goodbye.  My poor little boy, he cried the ENTIRE hour and a half from the airport back to home.  My heart is absolutely broken.  I miss my Mom so much and I miss her even more for the kids.  It's going to be a hard couple of days here, at least until my son can refocus on something else.  I'm glad he loves her so much, I just wish she lived closer.  That or I wish we were wealthier so we could visit more than once every year or so.  I'm trying to stay positive, I know we can always skype - it's not quite the same though.  Skype can't give you a kiss goodnight and I KNOW Colin is really missing Grandma's goodnight tuck in service.  :-)

This morning I took the dog on a 2.5 mile run.  PHEW it was HARD!!  I hate running from my house - it's so friggin hilly around here.  I was SOOOOOOOOOOOo slow.  It was pathetic.  Oh well - just a sign that I need to get off my ass and get back on track.  I'm glad I signed up for those two races - that should get me going in the right direction! 

Oh - and I updated my measurements.  I'm not seeing anything all that impressive.  I must be measuring differently, because there is no way I would be down 2 sizes when my inches are not that much smaller.  Oh well - no worries.  It's not REALLY about the measurements - is it?! 

Wish me luck - I'm having a hard time with these new meds.  They make me SO tired.  I don't think I can take them during the day.  there is no way I could take care of the kids with me being that zonked out.  I hope that eventually wears off.  I don't want the pains to come back - but I don't want to be a zombie either!

Colin's first day of Kindergarten is next week!  I STILL can't believe my baby is old enough for Kindergarten!  I'm hoping I can fit my runs in while he is in school.  I will have to play it by ear for now and see how it goes.  I can always put Susie in the baby jogger.  I'm REALLY looking forward to the fall - both temperature wise and back to school wise!

Thanks for reading!  Have a wonderful night!! -Monica

Looking forward to autumn....

I am REALLY looking forward to the fall.  I can't believe it's going to be almost 90 for the next few days.  I'm so over it.  I'm ready for cool weather and rain!  At least I can run in that kind of weather.  I have slacked off SO bad this summer.  I am just not designed for heat.

I have a few races in my sights.  The first one is at the end of September - it looks like a lot of fun.  It's about 45 minutes from my house, but it's at a fall festival and I am SO into fall celebrations.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but the fall is my FAVORITE time of year!  I LOVE the crisp air, the smell of fresh apples and mowed hay.  I LOVE picking pumpkins and sewing my kids' Halloween costumes.  I LOVE the colorful leaves and the hayrides.  Most people get "twitterpated" in the spring, but not me.  I am completely in love with the fall!  That and it marks the return of running weather!  Well, I got a bit off track there.  The second race I have in mind is on Thanksgiving.  I may try to squeak another race in between somewhere but it all depends on finances.  I have always wanted to run a Turkey trot - BIG time.  I always thought it was cool to run and then eat like a pig. HA!  I LOVE harvest decorations and the comforting smell of roasting turkeys and pork and roasted veggies.  Wow - can you tell I'm ready for summer to end?

I finally started the medication for my trigeminal neuralgia.  So far it has been working pretty well.  I've only had a handful of pains and they were really much less intense than usual.  The only thing that sucks is how freaking tired I feel on this stuff.  I don't know if I can take this when I'm home with the kids.  Mom and Pete are here and I just keep falling asleep.  I'm not even taking the full dose yet.  Sheesh.  I hope this side effect eventually wears off and I can still function as a normal human being on this stuff.  It's SO nice to not have pains in my face all the time!!

Mom goes home tomorrow.  I am heartbroken.  I am really dreading saying goodbye because I know I'm going to cry.  It's going to be really hard to say goodbye.  Especially since we never know when we will get to be together again.  I miss her already.

We spent the last 3 days at the coast.  It was a LOT of fun!  One really cool thing - we stopped at the outlet stores just for the fun of it and I thought - what the hell, I'll try on some jeans at the Gap.  In my mind - the Gap is for skinny chicks.  I have never owned Gap anything in my entire life.  Guess what?  I am NOW the proud owner of a Gap sweatshirt!  WHAT??!?!!  I also tried on a pair of Gap jeans and what do you know?  They fit?!  I didn't buy them because I couldn't justify spending that much on jeans - especially when they won't be fitting me for long!   We also checked out the Eddie Bauer store.  I have always said that I would wear Eddie Bauer clothes if I was ever thin and wealthy. HA!  I have just always gravitated toward the New England style of clothes.  It just fits my personality.  I am in desperate need of a winter coat this year.  I have a fleece jacket - but it's a 4x and it looks like I'm wearing a tarp now. HA!  I tried on some coats at Eddie Bauer and THEY FIT!  HOW AWESOME!  I didn't buy one - but maybe I will think about hitting the outlet again before the cold weather sets in.

We had a GREAT time at the beach.  I have a bunch of great pics that I will put on here on Thursday.  I want to get back to my Mom right now.  Susie was walking in on the beach for her first time and she was having a blast.  She tripped and fell on her face and JUST as she fell, a wave of really cold water came up and washed over her up to her neck.  OMG was she pissed!  I don't blame her - it was COLD!  It was funny though - we were laughing so hard.  I told me Mom that it wasn't nice to throw the baby into the ocean like that. HA!  We had tears in our eyes.  I guess you had to be there - it was hilarious!   We walked around the quaint little town - that is always fun!  Lots of little artsy shops to look in.  Of COURSE we stopped and had some handmade ice cream.  We ate like crap the whole time - but I'm cool with it.  I don't get to have fun with my Mom very often!  OOH and one other cool thing.... I tried on a pair of size 16 jeans and THEY FIT!  They were a little too snug to actually wear around - but they fit!  I don't know if they are a bigger size 16 or what - but still!  Just the fact that then went on and buttoned without too much coercion! HA!!

Ok - I'm off to be with Mom!  Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica

Have no fear!

I am still here!  My Mom is FINALLY here!  WHOO HOO!  I probably won't be updating a whole lot while she is visiting - I want to spend every moment I can with her!  It's going to be SO hard to say goodbye  next week!

I've been doing pretty darned good!  I have not gone running in a little while but I have been stepping up the activity level so I think it is keeping the pounds away!  I had gained 6.5 pounds last week - YIKES!  I'm thinking it was mostly due to dehydration.  I was just having a hard time with my face pains.  It was really the worst bout of pains I have ever had to date.  I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and hopefully get a referral to a neurologist.  This week I decided I was NOT going to let that 6.5 pounds discourage me.  I worked really hard and ate really clean and guess what?  This week I was down 8. something pounds!  That means I am 2 lbs away from losing 50lbs at weight watchers!  56 if you count what Idid before WW!!  WHOO HOO!! 

In other news - we have decided to switch back to the Y for our gym.  It's just too expensive to stick with the closer gym and still pay for Colin's swimming lessons and eventually Susie's gymnastics lessons.  It's cheaper to be a member.  Thankfully with the cooler weather coming, I will be able to run outside again and I can just hit the gym 2 - 3 times a week for my weight training.  That will be good - I have REALLY slacked on weight training.  I don't know why I do that.  I really ENJOY it - especially when I'm the only girl lifting free weights!  It's more an issue of getting back into a routine.  Colin starts school in two weeks - I should be able to get back on track really soon!

Well, I'm off - lots to do!!  Thanks for hanging on!  I hope I didn't lose all of you guys!  I LOVE reading all your responses!!!  Have a WONDERFUL day! -Monica

I give up.

The pain wins.  Today was EXCRUCIATING.  I have no words for how much pain I was in today.  I managed to get Colin to his swimming lessons, but then I had to call Pete to take the kids so I could go to the doctor.  What a HORRIBLE experience.  The doctor was a total asshat.  My usual doctor was out on vacation so I went to his on call doc.  This guy doesn't know me from a hole in the wall.  He didn't really seem to want to listen to me - I just got the impression that he wasn't actually hearing me.  Then he just wrote a prescription for anti seizure medication.  I was kind of pissed.  I was just telling him that I wanted to see a neurologist so I could have some treatment options.  He wouldn't refer me because he was not my usual doctor.  I have to wait until next week to see my doctor and then it takes three weeks to see a neurologist.  WHAT THE HELL?  I really don't like taking mediation - let alone something so serious as anti seizure medication!  I asked him what the side effects were and he said they were drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, and weight gain.  Then he looked at me and said "I guess I'm really going to have to monitor YOU for that."  WHAT THE HELL???  Seriously - look at my chart.  The last time I was here I weighed 50 pounds heavier!  Then the dill hole had the balls to say "I'm going to refer you to a dietitian."  AAAHHHH I wanted to kill him!  He is lucky I was in so much pain or I would have ripped him a new one.  So he left me in the room with the knowledge that my only course of action right now would be to take the medication that could cause me to gain weight - or be in excruciating pain.  Great.  I sat there for five minutes and just cried my eyes out.

After my appointment I went to the library and I found the ONLY book in the entire library chain about Trigeminal Neuralgia.  I then decided to try going to the chiropractor.  He got me in right away and he did these two HUGE snaps in my neck.  I felt better for about 15 minutes - which leads me to believe that it didn't really do anything.  I figured I would go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist about the medication and see what he thought about it.  He told me the chances of weight gain are SO low - it's like a 2% chance.  I dont' know - the odds of getting trigeminal neuralgia are insane too yet here I am - not only that but I have it bilaterally - that is like 2% of the population!  I should buy a lottery ticket.  So I bought the medication along with some pain killers the doc prescribed - the anti seizure meds take about a week to start working so the pain killers should help.  Whatever - I can't take them when the kids are with me so I'm still going to be in pain. GRRRR.  Here I am at almost midnight and I still have not taken the anti seizure medication.  I don't know what to do.  I don't want to take it.  I'm AFRAID to take it.  I'm afraid of taking anything so strong.  On top of that - I will have to stop nursing Susie.  I know I don't nurse her very often but still.  I won't have a choice.  That hurts.  She is my last baby, this is the last time I will ever nurse a baby.  It's SOOO important to me.  I am just feeling overwhelmed right now.  For some reason I feel violated too.  I think because I am likely going to have my ability to nurse my child taken away from me.  I am just so torn.  I don't want to have a medication that makes weight loss even harder.  It's hard enough as it is. 

This has been such a bad week.  I think I gained like 4 lbs.  It's probably not REAL pounds, but it still hurts to see it.  Tonight I hopped on the treadmill (it's a day off of running) and I put a movie on my kindle, and just walked for half an hour.  I also hooped for about 30 minutes earlier.  The hooping wasn't so great - I kept getting face pains.  When you're getting face pains on the treadmill you can keep going - hooping - not so much!

So to clarify my title, I give up and am going to start some sort of treatment for the pain.  I do NOT, however, give up on getting fit!  NEVER give up!!!

Thanks for reading.  I'm sorry my posts have become so ranty.  I hope people are still reading!  Hopefully I go back into remission for a while and I can get back to my chipper self!  Have a wonderful night! -Monica

Pushing through the pain....

The face pain that is.  I have been having a really bad time with my trigeminal neuralgia lately.  I mean bad.  Really bad.  The usual face pains have been coming SO much more frequently in the past week and they have been hurting more and lasting longer.  Well today the buzzing started again.  It feels like electricity buzzing under my skin.  It's uncomfortable and it hurts - almost burns.  The buzzing used to only be on my mouth and tongue but now it seems to have spread to my cheeks and the end of my nose.  I am in misery right now.  I'm having a real battle with myself in regards to starting medication or not.  It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make and I really don't know which way to go.  It should be against God's law for a mother to have excruciating pain in her face from kissing her children.  It's just wrong.  I am never going to stop though, no matter how much it hurts.  I will NEVER stop kissing my babies.

I never knew what my pain triggers were - I never really noticed any patterns before.  As things seems to be getting worse, the triggers are more obvious.  Kissing is one - really the puckering action, so kissing, using a straw, even just making silly faces with the kids.  Heat is a HUGE one.  Not really the heat from my body like when I'm hot from running, but heat from the sun or an external source.  The worst is walking into a store in the winter and they have those heat blowers at the entrance.  Wind is another trigger.  A huge change in temperature - like going inside to air conditioning from a very hot day.  Brushing my teeth can trigger it too.

Ok - I'm sorry, this is turning into a real bitchfest.  I'm proud of myself today though - even though I'm in so much pain, I  got my run in.  Wow have I ever lost some endurance.  I could only do 2 miles today and that was walk/run.  Granted, it could have been partially due to being in so much pain.  I don't think so though.  I'm glad I started adding incline to my run - I think that will only help me in the long term. 

I've been getting better at hooping!  Now I can do TWO turns while hooping!  AWESOME!  Once I get a few tricks under my belt I will post a video of myself!  HA!  Just don't laugh at me!

My Mom comes this weekend!  YAY!  I'm SO excited to see her!  I love her SO much and I have really missed her this past year!  I think I'm actually more excited for the kids to be with her than myself!  <3 

Well, I should probably take a shower ( just finished my run).  I'm kind of dreading it since I know the water will hurt my face.  I could take a bath, but the shower is faster and it will hurt when I wash my hair in the tub anyway.  :-/

Sorry for the Debbie Downer post - I hope you are all having a better day than I am!  Thanks for reading! -Monica