Bella Linguini Quilts...

Snow day!

2011-02-02T08:55:00.000-06:00

It is Snowpocalypse here in Chicagoland. And that is a perfect description of what is going on outside my window. I got up with the best intention of shoveling sidewalks and walkways surrounding our house but I gave up after clearing the porch, steps and front walkway. And of course, the dog area had to be cleared. The snow is belly deep and deeper which even my powerful pups can't plow through. I shoveled three times yesterday just to keep up. Unfortunately the street cleaning crew just pushes all the street snow over the devil strip and onto the sidewalk. I figured it was useless to shovel our sidewalk when the rest of the block was knee-deep. Besides, I am sore sore sore!

My office in Ohio is also having a snow day. They were closed yesterday also. This means I get a sewing day! Or a movie day. Or a reading day. It's a tough call. Especially since Netflix delivered "Let Me In" yesterday and I've been excited about seeing it. And I am reading The Books of Rachel by Joel Gross which is a very interesting read. A pot of hot tea and my Kindle is heaven!

And then there is the white on white quilt I am determined to finish this year.

I just love my workroom. The spools of thread on the wall are like jewels with all those colors. I limit my knickknacks because I hate to clean. There is a place for everything and everything in its place. The room is just to small otherwise!

It appears like sewing this morning will win out in the end. I have my Twilight Zone box set to listen to as I work and there are actually a few that I have never seen so reading and a movie will have to wait until later in the day. It started snowing and blowing again outside so shoveling would be a wasted effort right now. I just hope the boy doesn't go batty listening to me work. He couldn't even make it out of our garage and alley and is now working from home. My daytime turf has been invaded!

Another exercise post...

2011-01-25T12:57:00.000-06:00

I am on round two of my class at the gym. It's the graduate class which means it is 30 minutes shorter and no one checks my food journal. And no weekly weigh-ins. When my last class ended in December I had already decided I needed to take the graduate class. I'd lost a decent bit of weight which really made my gym visits more positive. The ladies in my class and I chose to meet up over the holiday break at the same time our class met so we could encourage each other and not lose momentum before the next class. I even kept with the food journal. Holiday food was definitely less of an issue than previous years.

There is this line from a blog post that has been in my mind a lot lately. "I've always thought I was fat. Even when I wasn't. Especially when I wasn't." I'm sure this is a common thought with women. I can remember being 103 lbs in high school and still seeing myself as heavy. I am 5 foot even and 103 lbs is pretty much my ideal healthy weight. My sister didn't weigh any less and probably not any more but she looked tiny. She wore a size smaller than I did and I was jealous. It didn't matter what size I wore and what numbers were on the scale. I thought I was huge. As the pounds came on the thoughts of being fat weren't quite as strong.

At no time in my 40 years of life had I ever dieted AND exercised. I'd done either at one time but never both. Until October 2010 when I started my class at the gym. And it's not that I am dieting so much as portion control. I haven't stopped eating certain foods, I just limit the portion size to what they should be and not what gets served to me in a restaurant. At home my food scale helps quite a bit. I'm not trying to obsess over what I eat, only get it back to a reasonable amount.

And here I am actually looking forward to going to the gym. It's easy to make myself work out now that I see the numbers on the scale drop every week. And I need new clothes. My resting heart rate dropped, my blood pressure dropped and my cholesterol dropped. And my weight. I am almost at 20 lbs lost. And all in a healthy way. No starving myself or popping pills. The last time I lost that much weight was 15 years ago and I was taking diet pills and not eating. It may take longer this time but as I once read, the weight didn't pile on fast and it won't come off fast.

By the time our Grand Canyon backpacking trip comes around I will be able to hike rim to rim without breaking a sweat!

Books I've read in 2010 woohoo

2010-12-30T13:20:00.000-06:00

Because I can't quite sit down long enough to post anything of substance I am listing the books (and short'ish stories) I've read in 2010. I love reading. I would give up every modern convenience as long as I could keep my books. I bought a Kindle back in 2009 and fell in love with the gadget and I am not really into gadgets. I take my Kindle everywhere I go even though I may not have time to read. Out of 913 books on my toy, I've read 69 of them this year.

January
1. Under the Dome by Stephen King
2. Hunting Love by Dana Marie Bell
3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
4. The Shunning by Beverly Lewis
5. The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan
6. Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder
7. Soul Intent by Dennis Batchelder
8. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B J Daniels
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
10. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

February
11. Already Dead by Charlie Huston
12. In the Warrior's Bed by Mary Wine
13. Neuromancer by William Gibson

March
14. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
15. Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters by Anne Kreamer
16. Anthem by Ayn Rand
17. The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft
18. When Night Falls by Margaret Daley
19. Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel by Rhiannon Frater
20. Cuts by Richard Laymon
21. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
22. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
23. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood
24. A Gift of Grace: A Novel by Amy Clipston

April
25. As The World Dies: The First Days: A Zombie Trilogy by Rhiannon Frater
26. As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive: A Zombie Trilogy by Rhiannon Frater
27. As The World Dies: Siege: A Zombie Trilogy by Rhiannon Frater
28. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

May
29. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
30. Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
31. Watchers by Dean Koonz
32. The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser
33. The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

June
34. The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
36. Spell of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
37. The Walk by Lee Goldberg
38. Sisters of Glass by D. W. St John
39. After Life by Jaron Lee Knuth
40. Dune by Frank Herbert

July
While I don't know how many so I can keep track, I've read probably dozens of short smutty stories that were available for free for the Kindle.
41. Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger
42. Lakota Flower by Janelle Taylor

August
43. The Outsider: A Novel by Ann H. Gabhart
44. Feed by Mira Grant
45. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
46. Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville (the only dead tree book on the list, all others were ebooks)

September
47. Mozart's Blood by Louise Marley
48. The Book by M. Clifford
49. Marked (Eternal Guardians) by Elisabeth Naughton
50. The Companions by Sheri S. Tepper

October
51. 33 A.D. by David L. McAfee
52. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

November
53. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
54. The Valley of Horses by Jean Auel
55. The Mammoth Hunters by Jean Auel
56. The Plains of Passage by Jean Auel
57. The Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel

December
58. Memoirs of a Serial Killer by Tricia Benet
59. Midnight Girl by Will Shetterly
60. Tokyo Zero by Marc Horne
61. 3 by Moxie Meszal
62. The Death Trip by Marion Stein
63. DEAD(ish) by Naomi Kramer
64. The Son of Man: Two Elders of Zion by Charles Johnson
65. Containment by Christian Cantrell
66. The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman
67. Emmanuel (The Fulfilled Prophecies) by Raul Garcia Lamoutte
68. The Frank Diary of Anne by Daniel Dillard
69. Tooth and Nail by Craig DiLouie

Time flies...

2010-11-17T21:03:00.003-06:00

So it's been a while. It's been a strange past couple months. I managed to get my submission for Quilt National 2011 submitted by the due date thanks to FedEx. While I like the piece I knew right off it wouldn't be good enough for Quilt National. My goal with the piece was just to submit something for a juried show. That was my resolution for 2010 and I succeeded.

When I got the rejection email I wasn't surprised. What I was surprised about was that I still felt a little bit sad. I knew it was coming but it still stung a little bit. I put so much time and energy into the piece and even knowing the rejection was coming I still had a tiny little bit of hope.

The sad thing in a way is that I haven't worked on anything artistic since. I started working on holiday gifts and then it was the final training runs for the Chicago marathon on 10-10-10. That alone took up a lot of time. I finished that marathon which now puts my marathon/half marathon record at 4 marathons and 2 half marathons completed.

Right after the marathon I started a fitness class at my gym. It's kinda funny. I've always disliked working out. Growing up all I wanted to do was read. I dreaded gym class and stopped taking it when I had the choice. I didn't go on walks or runs or hikes or do any biking. I had no desire to get into any physical fitness. I only started doing marathons because my sister wanted to do the Disney marathon. I signed up also and made it 8 miles before getting pulled out because I was slow. That embarrassed me so I went home and signed up for the Chicago marathon to redeem myself (they allow slow people to finish on the sidewalk). I kept signing up for races for my health (not to mention I didn't gain weight while training).

This year I finally realized that training for full marathons took up too much of my time. I am so slow that when it came to long runs, they took up my entire day. That's a whole day just spent out on the bike path trying to get my miles in. It was so frustrating and I rarely looked forward to it. So I decided there would be no more full marathons. At least not until I could get faster and more in shape.

My first step was to sign up for a class at my gym. I love my gym. I've joined 4 different gyms, a different one each year, before I finally felt at home at one. My current gym is my 5th and final gym. I've been a member since 2007 and never once thought of quitting.

The class I am in is Move It to Lose It. There are 3 other women in the class with me and our trainer really pushes us. It's rough. It's really rough. Especially when she has us going up and down 5 flights of stairs. Illinois is very flat so training outside is pretty easy. There are no ups and downs to worry about. Running up and down 5 flights of stairs is HARD! And we all know not to complain because then we will do those stairs more often. *laugh*

The class is part fitness and part diet. Only not dieting, more like focusing on what we eat and how much. We keep a diet and fitness log book. That first week of writing down what I eat and then calculating calories was frightening. I knew my portions were too large but when I started to focus on portion control I found I actually started to lose weight. Just working out wasn't enough.

Yeah, everyone knows it takes both eating better and exercise but until you actually start writing down what you eat, you just don't realize how out of control portion sizes are. I even cut back on my beer intake which is where a lot of my calories were coming from. I still have a beer each night but between cutting back on that second or third bottle and being more aware of my portion sizes I have actually started to lose weight. To the point where I am now at a number I haven't seen on my scale in 5 years. I am finally getting back my health and figure by doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. And I am not giving up foods, it's all about portion control. It also helps that our trainer looks at our food diary and makes comments about how we are doing and we have a weekly weigh-in.

I'm not trying to be all preachy. But I do feel better about myself. I actually look forward to my class (although I do hate it while I am in the middle of it) because I know I am getting fit. I have to be more aware because I have the family genes where I could become rounder than I am tall and that scares me. This class has been incredible and I am actually sad it will be ending soon. I want to sign up again.

My next goal is to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim with the boy and I won't be able to complete it without becoming more fit and being a healthier weight.

Not that this has anything at all to do with sewing. *laugh* But I have been so lax about updating here and I haven't had anything interesting to post about on the sewing front.

Except for the new cover I whipped up for my pretty new Kindle, Graphite Gertie. I adore my Kindle. It is the greatest electronic invention of all time!

August already?

2010-08-07T09:12:00.001-05:00

I have been lax in updating my blog lately. I've been working hard on my submissions for some juried art quilt shows so I haven't wanted to upload photos of them until they are done and sent on their merry way.

July was a busy month. We traveled to Ohio to spend the 4th of July weekend with family. The boy turned 40 while out on his two week MegaJam (a yearly cross-country road trip on his motorcycle). I sewed about 60 hours a week. I cleaned the house until it sparkled. The pups and I went on many long walks and played in the backyard. I ordered too much fabric from Fabric.Com because they kept having sales (and at $2.96 a yard, I couldn't pass up adding to my stash). And then the first weekend I bought a new bike and the boy and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary! So here are random photos just to make the post more interesting.

This is the boy's bike all packed up and ready to ride! That is two week's of gear in the cases and dry sacks.

George the 2 1/2 year old boxer who is too hot to play in our backyard. He's a rotten dog and I love him! He also hogs the bed at night.

Friday the 5 year old boxer who is a lemon. Poor girl has very bad allergies and is on a daily dose of steroids and Benedryl.

Lovely, lovely fabric! I have no idea what pattern I will use with these but when I saw the black and white prints I knew I wanted to add some bright Kona cotton solids with them. And the multicolored dot fabric was perfect for a binding. I more fabric than I can possibly use in one year!

And lastly, my new bicycle (guess which car is mine *laugh*)! My old one was slow and heavy so the boy bought me a new, fast and very light bike for our anniversary (I bought him a painting by our college friend/guy who introduced us). We celebrated 18 years by riding down to the Lincoln Park Zoo for lunch and then to Navy Pier for some live music and a beer. 28 miles round trip but wow does my new bike make it easier to ride than my old one.

So, not quite a sewing post since I don't feel I can share my current projects until after their submitted. I really need to set aside at least one day a week to update here before I get too far behind. I have one more month to work on my juried show projects before photos and forms are due. It makes me very queasy but entering at least one show this year is my goal. I have seen the work that gets chosen and I can't quite accept that I may have a chance also. It's scary and intimidating.

Thread stash!

2010-07-08T07:24:00.002-05:00

Because Sew, Mama, Sew! asked...

How did you select colors for your personal thread collection?
I am a fan of bright colors so when I am buying thread I always scan the brights first.

Do you always match the color perfectly to your project?
I'm not very particular about matching. Sometimes I just like to use up the last bits from a spool of thread when I know the stitching won't show. Other times I try to match and still other times I want there to be a lot of contrast.

Do you ever use contrasting thread?
I like to use contrasting thread depending on the project. I am really into thread sketching which calls for a lot of contrast. It's really fun to see a design build up simply by using thread.

Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread?
I try to keep the colors with the spool and bobbin similar just in case I get my tension wonky and the bobbin thread shows in the quilt top.

What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors?
When fabric has a large area of one color and smaller areas of another, I try to match the thread with the largest color area.

Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread?
I am a trial and error quilter but I tend to stick to 100% cotton thread. I do have a lot of polyester thread from way back in the day which I only use on wall hangings. Like fabric with like thread is my sewing motto!

Can you show us a picture(s) of your thread collection?
I love taking photos of my thread collection ever since my husband build me this very fine spool holder. It's like a work of art hanging on my wall.

Do you ever buy thread because you fall in love with the color (without a particular project in mind)?
I have bought some spools because of their color. Some I've had for years just waiting to be used. My recent foray into thread sketching has allowed me to use all those colors I just had to have.

Do you “invest” in thread?
This spring I decided to invest in a number of thread sets from Connecting Threads. I've been really pleased with the quality of the thread for the price. I machine quilt my own quilt sandwiches so I need to have a lot of thread on hand and that is easily done with Connecting Threads.

What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc.)
I really don't have anything more exciting than 100% cotton thread with the occasional spool of poly. I've never tried using elastic/wool/filament threads.

Another two weeks have passed...

2010-06-29T04:57:00.001-05:00

I've been lazy about posting here. My current project is too dull to blog about much so I have been avoiding posting about it. The idea is interesting but the step I am on is really maddening.

It's all about white stitching on white fabric. Lines upon lines upon lines. The piece is 40"x70" and the stitching runs along the length.

So many lines of stitching! The closer the lines get the slower I need to sew and the longer it takes to get to the finish.

That bit on the right? Those lines of stitching are a bit more than a threads distance apart. And I am sewing between those. It really was a good idea at the time. And when I see the piece as a whole I like the look of it.

I have two prototype pieces but I can't decide if I should post them. Since this is for a juried art quilt show I wonder if it is a good idea to show more than a small sample. After I send off the photos and application maybe I will feel better about posting images of the whole quilt.

Anyway... since I needed a bit of a break, yesterday I took out some blocks I'd been working on a couple months ago and started sewing them together.

The bright batik print reminds me of fingerprints. The colors are very intense and fun. I got the fabric from Fabric.Com during one of their big sales. That store will be the death of me. They have such bargains and keep sending me coupons so I order more. They had a big sale last week and sent me a 30% off coupon so I just had to order more fabric. I went with many prints good for binding and even some browns!

So anyway, that is where I got these amazing batiks! And with some diligent sewing, I actually managed to get really good points!

I'd really like to get some sewing in before work but I desperately need to work on getting my headache under control. We're had so many ups and downs in temperature and sunny/rainy days that my headaches have been piling on one after another. And I've had insomnia the past two days so it's like all my headache triggers are ganging up on me. I have about 3 hours to get this under control so I can focus on work.

Cross-eyed...

2010-06-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

I really have been sewing since my last blog post. I cannot believe it's been 10 days since I left an update here. Betsy is still working wonderfully and nary a broken needle! I was able to finish up my two prototypes for Quilt National and actually get started on the actual piece.

Since my last post I managed to take out my quilt frame and get the front, batting and back pieces pin basted and am in the process of quilting the layers together. It's not really exciting work because it is just white stitching on white broadcloth. Very, very tedious stuff. Eye-crossing work. All I am doing is sewing straight lines down the length of the quilt but since the stitches are soooo close together I need to run the stitching very slowly. It's difficult to explain and even more difficult to get a good photo of it.

What I am finding interesting about the idea is that while what I am doing is at first look very minimalist, the actual work will be very detailed. The white on white is deceiving. And I haven't even gotten to the actual bit of color that will be added. Altogether there are four pieces, the backing, the batting, the whole cloth white top and then one colored strip that will be somehow stitched to the white top. I am pleased with everything so far.

The hand-dyed fabric I purchased from Sew Batik at their booth at the Chicago International Quilt Show is so inspiring! The gradations I have really are incredible and I am having a difficult time making myself cut into them. Luckily what I am using for the Quilt National submission will not need to be cut into. *whew* I have plenty of other pieces I bought from them though that want to be used, if only I could gather come courage to cut them up! Why is it so difficult to use pretty fabric??

And because I have not uploaded the white on white stitching photos, here is a photo of me and my new haircut.

It's not the best photo, since I too it with my old cell phone. My hair was down to the middle of my back and for the past 5 years I've been letting it grow with the occasional trimming. But last week I decided it had to go so I made an appointment with the amazing stylist where I go and he bundled up the length into two pieces and chopped it off. Now I have short hair (it is all razored up in the back although it doesn't look like it) and long enough bits to donate to Locks of Love.

I missed my short hair!

Frustrating

2010-06-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

I haven't been able to do much sewing this past week. When I was sewing the Suesse Sac a week ago I kept breaking needles. I'd assumed it was because of the thick interfacing and many fabric layers. So when I spent last weekend working on an art quilt idea and the needles kept breaking I was at a loss. I kept resetting my machine and rethreading the spool and adjusting tension and changing needles. Nothing worked! I'd spent hours reading my manual and Googling for an answer.

Last night the boy asked if the problems started after the last time I cleaned my machine. When I thought about it I realized it had. The purse was the first thing I'd sewn after the cleaning. Needles breaking on that project seemed to make sense. Needles breaking two minutes into some straight seams and during free motion quilting, not so much.

Not only was my machine breaking needles, it was skipping stitches. All the time. I couldn't sew one seam without skipping a couple stitches.

I cried.

Seriously, I broke down in tears.

So after the boy asked me when the problems started I decided to once again take apart Betsy and see what I could see. I thought maybe I missed picking out a bit of needle and that was jamming things up.

I found nothing.

I gave Betsy another cleaning and oiled up a couple spots. I spent a couple hours looking into every nook and cranny to see what could be going on. Nothing was screaming "I'm gonna break your needles!" so I carefully put her back together and held my breath as I tried again to do some free motion quilting.

Betsy is behaving! Everything I tried to do before last evening seems to be going smoothly. No skipped stitches, the thread is catching around the bobbin like it should and above all, no broken needles! (Which is a good thing because I've gone through most of my stash of needles and only have a few left before my new order arrives next week.)

It's a mystery as to what was causing all the problems. My only thought is that it has something to do with the plastic bit that sits right over the bobbin area. There is some room for it to shift around when you are replacing it and perhaps it was replaced wonky when I cleaned it last. It can only move about 1/8th inch from the center position, maybe only 1/16th. But it appears to be enough to through the entire machine out of order.

Luckily this week Fabric.Com had a sale on sewing notions because I needed more sewing needles! I stocked up and made a note that should this happen again, I need to check the machine immediately!

Beginnings

2010-05-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

At the end of March I was asked to make a retirement gift for the head Bosswoman in my office. The theme we decided on was Beginnings, a publication we put out every year that is chock full of writing by adult students within Ohio's ABLE program. It is my most favorite thing my office does and it really has become a grand celebration. Our head Bosswoman speaks every year at the conference about the importance of the day and how proud she is of the work the authors put into it. I finally was able to attend this year's conference and spent the entire day all teary-eyed. The authors show up with friends, family and their teachers and are presented with certificates and bound copies of that year's publication of selected authors and artists. It's a really incredible event.

I didn't hesitate on accepting the challenge of the gift although I was nervous because I am always harsh on my own work and worried that it wouldn't be good enough. I had an idea immediately and set to work sketching it up. The design became more gridded than I had first imagined. I wanted to use the book covers and the freeform idea I originally had would have overwhelmed the covers. I wanted those to shine. But I also needed something more than just the cover.

When I think I the publication I think of growth. Many of the authors submit writings over the course of years. With each acceptance the student learns and grows. You can see that in their writing. I decided on a simplistic flower that would add color but not detract too much from the publication covers that would be layered on top. And I wanted to use blue because that is the "office color". And I would have to use batiks and hand-dyed fabric because they are the fabrics I love the most.

The boy and I headed to the fabric shop on an errand day and he helped me choose the green of the leaves and the blue for the border and binding. The covers I created by using the photocopy transfer technique I learned in school. I had originally decided to use those iron-on things but past experience taught me that they just would not do. I'd done the technique in the past using black and white photocopies but never color. When I tested color I found it was much more intense and durable than those iron-on transfers.

There were hours upon hours of applique and thread sketching involved. Upwards of 60 hours. I spent a total of 81.5 hours on the quilt and about 60 of those were just on those applique bits. The back of the quilt is just white with two quilt labels, one with the office logo and "with love from the staff" and the other with the reason for the quilt and my name/location/year. And I braved running out of time and hand-stitched the binding onto the back instead of machine-stitching it like I was considering.

I wish I'd have hung the quilt better for the photo. The boy is still learning how to photograph quilts. He's more of a nature photographer so he's having to learn new techniques to get decent inside shots of quilts. So here it is... my big project that I spent about 6 weeks on. It really isn't as crooked as it appears in the photo. If I ever get around to it I will crop down some of the cover pieces because there is so much work done to each that doesn't really show up in the photo as a whole.

I learned sooooooooo much making this quilt. It was my first attempt at whole cloth with applique (the center white piece is whole cloth anyway). This makes gift #5 that I have made for coworkers. Two baby quilts, two retirement gifts and one going-away gift. I seriously love my coworkers. The joke is that no one ever really leaves the office and it is true. People just can't say goodbye entirely and still help out in some way with various projects we have going on. I'm very fortunate in the job I have. It really is like a second family there. And I really miss being in the same office with them since I work from home in another state.

I have a new purse!

2010-05-27T07:17:00.000-05:00

Tuesday I started my Suesse Sac and I was so excited yesterday to finish it I raced right upstairs after work. The colors are so damned cheery and the print is fun! The butterflies really grew on me as I sewed. I'm still glad the butterfly print was put on the interior though, it would have been a bit too much with the blocks.

I did a bad thing by forgetting to adjust my needle position when I started sewing the bag sides together. I had a huge seam allowance on it which I really couldn't easily rip out and start over due to the heavy duty iron-on interfacing I'd added to the inside fabric. The stuff really does give the bag more form but it is difficult to work with. I broke a total of 7 needles on this purse. 7! The seams on the blocks added to the interfacing made certain areas really rough to get a needle through. I had to sew slowly and if the needle hit a hard spot, I moved the fabric forward in tiny increments until I got past it. I've never broken so many needles on one project before. Usually it is because I hit a pin but not this time!

So, without further ado, photos!

This is the front of the purse. I added a loop and button closure to keep my goodies more secure. I wish I'd thought ahead a bit in this and been able to sew the end of the loop between the fabric sides when I was putting it together. The loop is stitched to the inside of the purse and just looks a bit lumpy.

The back of the purse. Really nothing more to say about that!

The interior of the purse. I added a split pocket to the one side and then a larger single pocket to the back. I am hoping the pocket is as level as I think it is. It's difficult to tell because the bag bottom is not flat. I was tempted to cut it even but then I decided I liked the curve it has.

Things I would do different if I make another? I would try a lightweight interfacing or quilt batting. With quilt batting I could do some thread sketching which I am very fond of. I'd also think of closure types before starting. I'd like to see a zipper inside or maybe one of those magnet closures. Velcro works but sometimes the sound is really, really loud and embarrassing. I'd also make the straps wider. They were 2" and I wavered between making them 3" but I thought that would be too wide. I shouldn't have second guessed myself. I would also do a different pocket system, maybe an internal one between the interior and exterior fabric so all I need to do is make a slit in the interior fabric.

I am happy with the size since I expanded it in the pattern. The bag is 9" deep, 15" wide at the bottom, 12" wide at the top of the bag and hangs 22" from the top of the strap to the bottom of the bag. It's a good size for me. My quilted Kindle bag fits in there nicely and isn't overly bulky. The tutorial was easy to follow and I really like the final product. I cannot wait to use my new purse!

Suesse Sac

2010-05-26T08:52:00.002-05:00

I am a fan of StumbleUpon and the other day I stumbled upon an article talking about summer purses. I'm not into purses as I once was (I was a big fan of tin lunchbox purses for years) but my Timbuk2 Metro Daypack is a bit heavy for summertime even though I adore it to pieces. I needed something lighter and less bulky. So I Googled patterns and found the Suesse Sac Tutorial. It looked very cute and easy to sew so I decided to give it a go.

I went through all my fabric and decided to use a print instead of my stash of batiks I am saving for art quilts. I found the following and wondered what possessed me to buy it. I am not really into butterflies or the 1970's flower design on the fabric on the far left. I can only guess it was the colors because I love the colors.

I do love the 3rd and 4th prints in the lineup. I think I bought them as a bundle. It's almost a curse, buying fabric online and not seeing the prints in person. Sometimes the pattern is too large, sometimes too small. But since I loved the color I thought this would be a good project to use the fabric.

My pattern is a bit different than the one on the tutorial. I made the bag a bit taller and wider and the straps are longer. I wanted the bag to sit closer to my hip and large enough to slide my Kindle inside. The height and width are each 2 inches larger than the one in the tutorial.

Because I didn't want a whacked out piece of fabric, I cut the strap as a second piece instead of one long bit out of the middle of the fabric. The pattern is to be set on a fold of fabric so I only cut to where the curve of the strap goes straight and then cut the rest of the strap from another part of the fabric. Strange butterfly fabric goes inside to kind of hide it.

These are blocks for one outside piece of the sac. I love my rotary cutter. It is an Olfa with a really nice locking mechanism so when I drop the darned thing on the floor I am less likely to chop off one of my toes. It is much more ergonomic than my old one and I love how the blade comes out when I unlock it and grasp the handle.

These are my block pieces. I changed things up and added half blocks instead of using all 4" blocks. The 1970's flower prints were so bold that I wanted to make them less eye-popping so the other prints would stand out more. The larger black floral pieces are for interior pockets. I like an organized purse so pockets are a must.

Gratuitous sexy photo of Betsy She just got her guts cleaned the day before so she is a happy little machine. Poor girl was stuffed full to the brim with quilting fluff. I am getting faster with the cleaning process and Monday's cleaning was done in less than an hour.

This is an interior piece with the pocket attached. The butterflies are not as annoying as I thought they would be. I'm actually starting to like the print!

Here I am using my interior piece as a pattern template for the exterior block side. I decided I wanted a bit more stability to the fabric so I added some heavy duty iron-on interfacing.The stuff scorches like nothing I've ever seen before. But it won't show once the sac is finished so I won't worry.

This is the interior of the sac. I sewed the interior and exterior pieces together and then turned them inside out. Or would that be outside in? It took forever to turn those straps because the interfacing was so stiff. I used my trusty bamboo knitting needle to help things along.

Exterior side!I like the unevenness of the block side, not having the blocks match up.I especially love the daisy print. The green is so citrussy and happy. I typically wear black always (a habit from my days as an art student... printing ink and fabric dyes are well-hidden by black clothing) so I like to brighten things up with accessories. And since I really finished up my design wall I can lay fabric smoothly on it and stick pins in it easily when necessary. The boy picked up some foam core stuff from the hardware store and I covered it with a white flannel sheet attached with duct tape and hung it on the wall. It was the process from Hell! And I ran out of duct tape so I still need to tape up one corner. But damned if it isn't a hundred times better than what I had before.

So in the interest of the Process Pledge, this is my current project to date. It isn't a quilt but when I can't decide on starting a new quilt or finishing up a quilt top I go for a side project. I will finish it up this afternoon. Yesterday I broke 3 needles sewing over pins. I really need to sew over them slower or remove them altogether when I get close. I also learned that I sew a nice 1/4" seam when I sew faster. The slower I sew, the more uneven the seam.

Hopefully my workday will flash by so I can go back upstairs and finish off this fun little Suesse Sac! I may even make a second one with my Laura Gunn Poppies or Lantern fabric. I think either of those would make a sweet Suesse Sac.

The Process Pledge

2010-05-24T16:09:00.003-05:00

I found The Process Pledge linked from another quilting blog I read. The concept intrigues me because it is pretty much what I want to do with this blog. I started this as a way to get thoughts and ideas down, to make them concrete. I've never been good at keeping a handwritten journal. I just can't write as long as I can type. And being able to post photos and links so easily on an online blog is perfect.

To quote r0ssie, "The goal of the process pledge is to create a new sensibility in quilting blogs where we don’t just show finishes or occasionally confess about our moments of indecision, but chat openly and often about our works in progress, our inspirations, and our moments of decision."

I like that. My ideas change depending on my mood and blogging about the process would be an interesting experiment. The progress from an idea to a sketch... to fabric purchasing and cutting... block sewing and layout... it's organic. Definitely not static.

The questions posted are engaging...

Do you have any new sketches to show?
Is this design inspired by a past quilt or someone else's quilt you saw (link, please)?
Does the color palette come from somewhere specific?
Are you trying to evoke a specific feeling?
Is this quilt intended for a specific person? How did that inform your choices?
Are you following a pattern, emulating a block you saw somewhere, using a liberated process, or totally winging it?
What are you hating about this quilt at this stage? What do you love?
Did you push yourself to try something new?
In working on the quilt, are you getting ideas about what you might want to try next? What? Did you sketch it?

I am always sketching ideas with too many notes alongside them. Some quilts are inspired by what I've seen quilt artists (and yes, they are artists no matter what) create and others are inspired by paintings, photographs or clothing or shadows... the world is inspiration! For me color and feeling go hand in hand. The quilts I've gifted are always designed around the receiver. I want the quilt to be treasured by them. Sometimes this may mean I do something I am not particularly fond of but I stay interested because I enjoy seeing the look of happiness when the quilt is given.

Lately I have been pushing myself to try new techniques and work outside my comfort zone. I'm not good at sticking to a plan and sometimes my ideas don't transfer to fabric as well as I would hope. I've come to look forward to those serendipitous moments and let the process determine the outcome. It allows me to be free with the whole creative process. And most times the end result is better than the original idea.

And since I still have not uploaded photos of the retirement quilt and haven't taken photos of my thread sketching test or my art quilt prototypes I am going to sign off and decide what to create next! Betsy got a cleaning this afternoon after the 81.5 hours it took to make the retirement quilt so she will be ready to get on with a new project!

Two weeks passed...

2010-05-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

Over two weeks have gone by since I posted last. Since then I have finished the retirement gift, driven to Ohio for a fabulous work conference where the gift quilt was given, saw my 11 year old nephew play baseball for the first time, played catch with my nephew for the first time, run in the Cleveland Half Marathon where I got a new personal best, got to work in my office with all my amazing coworkers, went to see Metric with my 14 year old niece, saw an old friend again after not seeing her for 5-6 years and driven back home where I still have not unpacked everything.

It's been a busy couple of weeks. I have photos of the gift quilt to post once I upload those on Flickr. I am always so harsh on my own work an always point out the flaws but this time I am really trying not to do that. The quilt did turn out well (although a bit narrower than I had planned) and I am pleased with the finished piece. I believe the recipient is also happy with it. Unfortunately I am terribly insecure when it comes to giving things I have made so I begin to doubt myself seconds after being told it is lovely.

This is an unfinished applique bit on the quilt. The book cover is not as horribly crooked as it looks in the photo, I just did not take a good picture. There are 13 flower and book covers on the quilt which I will hopefully post some time in the next week.

Inspiration...

2010-05-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have this notebook I take with me when I go to the Art Institute of Chicago. They recently opened a Modern Wing that is simply stunning. It is a modern Prairie style building that is so bright and clean and open. I prefer modern art over the "Masters". For me, the work by the Masters is more about a story while modern art is more about the feelings and emotions of the artist. The viewer gets to decide for herself what the work means.

At the AIC there is this painting by Barnett Newman which catches my eye every time. It is Untitled 3 and is 56' tall and 3" wide. It juts out from the wall in a 5" frame. It's reddish and silvery grey, very simple. But striking because of the dimensions. I see the painting and want to make a quilt.

There are so many paintings in the Modern Wing that inspire me to make quilts. I have pages upon pages of notes for research. Yesterday I was stalled on the gift quilt since I am waiting on one final photocopy to transfer onto the quilt label. I broke out my idea notebook and decided to research my favorite painting. And I found the following painting...

This is Barnett Newman's Station of the Cross - First Station painting from 1958. If you are not a fan of modern art this may just look silly. I mean, it looks like someone threw down a strip of masking tape and sloshed some black paint around it, then removed it for a clean line. Modern art is like that. I see some of it and wonder how it ever made its way into an art museum. There is this painting at the Cleveland Museum of Art that always drove me batty. It is huge! And the canvas is painted black with a black gridwork that you can barely make out and the whole thing is surrounded with a black frame. It is hanging in a museum, why? But someone saw something in it just the same as me seeing something in this painting by Barnett Newman.

I spent 4 hours yesterday sketching quilt ideas after seeing this painting. I have pages and pages of sketches complete with technique and color ideas. And then I browsed my Quilt National books so I could see if my ideas were on par with what gets accepted. Some of the quilts are so detailed and intense and others are so simple and intense. Some are stitched and beaded until you can barely see the fabric and others are simply a showcase for the fabric.

This is the year. This is the year I finally woman up and submit something to a juried show. While I hope what I do will get accepted my main goal is to just submit one art quilt. It doesn't sound so lofty a goal when it's typed out but I am pretty insecure when it comes to things like that. I get almost sick to my stomach when I give things away as gifts, sending something to be judged by my peers? Are they even my peers if I've never tried getting into a show? Egads!

Quilt dreams

2010-05-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

Last night was horrible. My dog George had something caught in his throat (we're thinking a bit of Nylabone he is currently destroying) and woke up coughing about every half hour or so. This happens every so often so it isn't anything to worry about, it's like having a hair caught in your throat (a dog hair in my experience... no more smooching pups!). I woke a little before 1am because I was hot and soon after George started his coughing. I counted down the clock chimes until just before 5am when I finally fell asleep. In between 1am and 5am we had many bouts of coughing dog, some animal in the alley being tortured, a skunk spraying and a very loud and very scary thunderstorm. I just could not get back to sleep!

So while I laid in bed begging for the sleep monster to revisit me all I could do was think about sewing. I kept wishing I could just get up and start sewing. Except my workroom is right next to the bedroom so the boy would be able to hear as I chugged away on Betsy. I have this amazing fabric I bought a while back and have been itching to cut into.

The fishies, shells and bubbles are Timeless Treasures by Luli Sanchez and the circle prints are Wheels by My Mind's Eye. All were purchased from Hawthorne Threads. I was browsing there one afternoon and just fell in love with those goldfish. And unfortunately I had absolutely nothing in my stash that would go with it so I had to order some coordinating prints. That brown circle print? It's one of the very few browns I have in my stash. In fact, it is only one of two brown prints I have in my stash. The other brown is a circle/dot print I bought because it matched some other fabric I had.

Browns are my weakness. I don't wear brown, I don't decorate my home in browns and I don't sew with browns. I consider the browns in my stash a challenge. I want to be able to incorporate all colors when I sew because I may need that brown somewhere. And with that goldfish fabric, I needed a brown to balance out the blues and oranges.

Last night all I could do was imagine different patterns for this fabric. I think I want to do circles to keep with the theme. And anyway, I am really enjoying working with circles! Circles in a block amuse me. they just look so snazzy. And I imagined that fabric in some pretty interesting ways last night. I just wish I had been able to get going with it!

Too busy sewing and traveling to post...

2010-04-30T12:19:00.002-05:00

I drove out to Ohio last weekend for my nephew's birthday and had a couple moments where I wondered what I was supposed to be doing since I was not sewing. It was a strange couple of days not having my machine and current project with me.

Because I am working on another gift I cannot post photos for another two weeks (but the photo above shows e fabric I am using). Two weeks! It doesn't seem nearly long enough although I am almost done with the top. My goal this weekend is to get the entire top sewn. It is a whole cloth quilt with lots of applique. Lots and lots. And plenty of thread sketching. Tons! It's pretty daunting. I have these grand ideas when it comes to quilting and sometimes they don't work but so far *fingers crossed* this is coming out just about how I envisioned.

But since I cannot post photos of my current WIP, here is some stash photos. I love shopping at Fabric.Com. It's scary. They really have killer deals on fabric that I just cannot pass up. And online coupons! I have so much fabric from them. And more on the way... those deals!

I needed some hand-dyed stash. Well, not needed but wanted. Wanted badly. This was sooooo inexpensive.

I adore these. In fact I already started sewing with them (but I forgot to upload photos of the blocks for show and tell). The colors are so bright and cheery and the batik pattern reminds me of finger prints when you look at the yardage.

These batiks are much more earthy than I go for but when it comes to oranges I am sold. Which is somewhat funny because I do not have a whole lot of orange fabric. I can't wait to do something warm and sunny with these.

A few more earthy colors but I was sold on the pattern within the fabric. And the price didn't hurt. Not a bit. Nuhuh.

So now I have so much fabric (and did I mention, more on the way?) and not enough time! And 5 quilts I need to get up on Etsy so I can hopefully sell them and make room for more quilts.

Wedding quilt!

2010-04-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

Since the quilt has now been received I can finally post photos!

I whipped up this quilt for my husband's cousin and fiance (now, wife). I knew I had to find some nature-oriented fabric because they both enjoy hiking and being outside. The big question would be color. And then I saw photos of the interior of their home and knew I wouldn't be stuck using earth tones entirely. If I had my way everything would be bright and eye-blindingly cheerful!

The fabric came from Hawthorne Threads because it's the first place I go for printed fabric. Some of the fabric is from Joel Dewberry's Ginseng line, Studio E's Nature-ology line (the pretty blue birdies!) and Carolyn Gavin's Wild Thyme line. The colors reminded me of the wall color in the photos and were cheerful without making me go blind. And they weren't all browns and greens.

I wend with a simple square design because the fabric pattern was large and I wanted to showcase it rather than using it in smaller pieces in a traditional block pattern. And because I misordered the mulberry color print I decided to add a larger block of it to break up the monotony.

I lovelovelove that blue bird fabric from Studio E's Nature-ology line. It was my favorite out of all the fabric because it looks so happy and lucky. Probably because I've watched that Shirley Temple movie so often, The Blue Bird. I really should buy more because it makes me so happy but I just do not like sewing with an earthy palette. It was the one animal print I wanted to use. And I loved the simplicity of the florals just being solid and not to chintzy. It gave the quilt a more modern look rather than something grandmotherly.

When I first started quilting I just used a solid color quilt back. After reading some quilting blogs and seeing the quilt backs with more quilting I fell in love with the look. I like adding an off-center strip of fabrics used on the top. It breaks up the starkness of the back and can be a good way to add in a quilt label. Here I added a corner label where I tested my machine's letter stitching capabilities.

I had THE WORST TIME machine quilting this. The quilt was about 68"x68" and much larger than what I usually sew. It was so heavy to push through the machine and the weight caused my quilting to be jerky and not have nice smooth stippled curves. And because I quilted with a sage green thread, the flaws really stand out when you look close on the back. Overall I am happy with how the quilt turned out but damn if those flaws don't haunt me. I really need my machine sewing area to be level with the table. And I need an L-shaped sewing area instead of the long and narrow table I use now.

Right now I am working on another large quilt (about 65"x75") that I cannot really post photos of since it is also a gift. I'm doing a LOT of applique and thread sketching. This one uses all hand-dyed (not by me) fabric so I am very excited. I love batiks and hand-dyed fabrics. The mottled look really adds texture and dimension without being lost in a print. I feel more creative when I sew with batiks/hand-dyed. I use the prints as practice and the dyed stuff as a means to creativity.

And with that, I give you Friday! She had to be in the photo shoot. George moved around too much but Friday managed to hold still long enough for one photo.

Applique trick...

2010-04-13T13:55:00.002-05:00

My hometown has this really great fabric shop called AnnaLouisa's Needle Arts. I went there a year or so ago with my mom and bought a whole lotta batiks and learned a great technique for applique. I'm trying to teach myself new techniques so I finally got around to testing this one out.

First up... used fabric softener sheets! The very nice woman who was cutting my fabric (whose name I believe is Chris) said this is the trick to nicely turned edges without having to turn them as you sew the fabric piece onto the larger area.

You take your fabric piece and cut a bit of used fabric softener sheet about the same size.(I saved the sheets from my laundry and then ironed them flat between some fabric so I wouldn't melt those suckers to my iron.)

Sew around the edges like so. I just tested this on a simple square. The stitches were fixed at the start and end and I just crossed them because I can! I'm not one to match threads to fabric color and since this was just a test I went with black.

It's a blurry shot since my camera focused on my hand instead of the applique piece but... trim the corners because you will have to cut a hole in the fabric softener sheet and turn the fabric inside out through the hole. If you do not trim the corners you get clumpy corner edges once the piece is turned out. I know because I had clumpy corners instead of nicely sharp corners.

I didn't take a photo of me using my trusty crochet hook to poke all the fabric out so I had crisp edges but that is what I did. Don't poke too hard or else you'll tear through the fabric softener sheet. I know because I did that also. I need to learn to be a bit more delicate! And once you have all the edges so the stitched seam is out as far as it can go, iron the hell out of it! But fabric side up or else you may melt the fabric softener sheet to the iron (I actually did not do that).

My corners are not as sharp as I would like but the technique does make it easier to have nicely turned edges for whatever you need to applique. And the bonus with using fabric softener sheets is that it smells nice! It does not add any real bulk to the fabric since the sheets are pretty lightweight to begin with. Especially after they've gone through the dryer.

I tried this on a TON of little squares and then sewed them to a quilted black background but I haven't gotten around to photographing it. So I will end this blog post with a photo of my girl Friday (who is not named after the movie, instead is named after the Heinlein novel Friday because he is my favorite author). She has the sweetest crooked face and likes to step in front of the camera only when she is not the object being photographed.

Spring cleaning!

2010-04-08T20:57:00.001-05:00

I finally finished the gift quilt I'd been spending all my time on over the last ten days (no photos until after I mail it out) and realized my sewing machine had more fluff in it than it should for being 5 months old. I'd cleaned and maintained it once already but when you see chunks of fluff appearing each time you sew, it's probably a sign that you need to do another cleaning.

Sending my machine off for cleaning is not an option. I mean, it is an option but one I do not choose. I prefer to do the maintenance myself which saves time and money. I'm sure I am doing things wrong but I never had any problems after keeping up the cleaning on my old machine so I was certain I could do it for my new machine also. It's a different beast inside what with the computer guts but unless I mess with the feed dogs it is much easier to take apart and put back together.

My tools of the trade:
Camping headlamp for better light, magnet on a stick to pick up dropped screws, rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs to get those pesky lint bunnies, paint brush and pick to get out large lint clumps, star screwdriver thingies to get the screws in deep holes, a little star screw bit to reach where the longer hand-held ones won't fit and a Leatherman to twist the bit, a magnetic bowl to hold the screws so I don't lose any, canned air to get the last bits of lint blown out and machine oil for the places that need oiled.

It's sort of amusing to see the makeshift toolkit. I use rubbing alcohol because it dries quickly and won't leave excess liquid on the metal bits as water would. Cotton swabs bend nicely in and around crevices where the paintbrush and pick can't reach.

First up is removing the screws from the bottom of the machine. Not all of them need removed, as I learned the first time I cleaned Betsy. Yes, her name is Betsy. I don't know why. It just came to me when I brought her home and set her up. Machines work better once you name them.

Screws on the back are next. There are 7, two are hidden under the handle. They are short screws and do not want to come out of their little screwy tunnels unless I tip Betsy on her side and pat her a couple times. Burping machines for screws!

I hadn't even removed the front casing and the amount of lint bunnies start poking out from around the needle plate. I know I've been spending about 5 hours a day during the week sewing (and upwards to 8 hours a day on the weekends) but I'd never have guessed so much fluff could accumulate!

This is what Betsy looks like unclothed. She's a Viking Sapphire 850 and other than her computer bits on the right, the sewing area on the left doesn't really look any different from my ancient basic Viking.

Underneath the needle plate... it is a scary sight. You don't really see how much fluff builds up until after you take off all the detachable bits.

This is what I removed from all the nooks and crannies of the sewing bed. Some of those clumps are dense

This is what a clean sewing bed looks like. Such a difference compared to the photo above. And Betsy runs much smoother and quieter now. The whole process takes about two hours. It will get quicker once I clean her up a couple more times and remember about some of the sneaky hidden screws that I miss. I was really nervous the first time I cleaned her because she is such a high end model compared to my first Viking. I was afraid I would destroy the computer bits. Even after my second cleaning I still hold my breath before I turn her on sew a test strip.

There is something so empowering to cleaning your own machine. It's just another step in quilting for me. From beginning to end I know I am responsible for each aspect of what I make. And if I take a few hours every couple months to treat Betsy to a spa day I know she will run better for me.

Too large...

2010-04-01T07:04:00.000-05:00

I finally got the large gift quilt on my frame. It's... it's... it's really too scary for words! Even the dogs are scared!

The frame extends to 96". I work in a 10'x10' room. That's 120"x120" with a whole lot of furniture crammed against 3 walls. I could only fit the extended frame i the room diagonally and with one end in the closet.

This is the view from outside my room. I have about 8" in which I can move the frame to get in and out of the work space by my desk. I have just enough room to roll on my chair from frame end to frame end. I love rolly chairs! Seriously, I cannot believe how much easier pin basting on a frame is while sitting on a rolly chair.

The dogs (the fawn is Friday and the brindle is George) were pretty freaked out as I was extending the frame length. Friday cowered on the couch and George shivered. Friday has since braved the room and now runs back and forth underneath the frame since I am somewhat trapped in a corner as I work. George has pretty much refused to come into the room.

But I am hoping I can get this finished up and off the frame today. I need to quilt everything together and bind it ASAP so I can mail it off. This is the first large (70"x70") non-baby quilt I've quilted/given away in YEARS. I'm a little nervous that the recipients may not like the colors I chose. And just in case one of them sees this blog, I am not posting photos until after it's been delivered.

Fabric goodness...

2010-03-27T17:51:00.002-05:00

Monday morning as I was doing my daily blog reading I had a surprise waiting for me. I'd won a yard of fabric from the previous Friday's "Free Fabric Friday" post on Sew, Mama, Sew! I saw my name posted... well, I saw the name Christine posted and when I put my mouse over the linked name I squealed like a little girl. My name linked to my blog!

The giveaway question was For your chance to win one yard of free fabric (6 winners!), please do one of the following:
Tell us the title and author of your favorite quilting book. (Please try to limit it to 1 or 2.)
If you’re not into quilting (yet) or quilting books, tell us what, if anything you’d like to learn about quilting. Or, tell us one of your sewing goals for 2010.

My response:
"The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide: From A to Z– Hundreds of Tips and Techniques for Successful Quiltmaking by Ellen Pahl is pretty much my quilting bible. I’ve been teaching myself to quilt since the 1990’s and last year I found this book and it’s helped me sooooo much with all the techniques I’d been struggling with.

Also, my 2010 goal is to get an art quilt submitted to at least one juried show. All I want is for one quilt to be accepted, I don’t care about winning any ribbons. Getting accepted is enough of a start for me!"

I was so surprised because, for people who read their blog, you know how many people comment on their posts. I've been commenting to win on their giveaways for months but I never thought I'd actually win! And I did! And not only did I win a free yard of fabric, I got to choose what fabric I wanted! And it was not an easy decision. But I had to pick something so I went with Poppy Bouquet Lime from Laura Gunn's Poppy line since it was the one fabric I did not already have from that line.

And because they are pretty, these are the batiks I bought for a retirement quilt I will be working on once I order some 108" wide fabric.

I love batiks over all other prints. I struggle with prints because they don't feel as free to work with like batiks and solids. Which is frustrating because there are so many amazing prints out there! Laura Gunn's Poppy and Lanterns lines are incredible and I've bought just about every print from each line. And I have yet to cut into them. They are too lovely and I am afraid I will ruin them. Hopefully I will get over that because I can't wait to see what I do come up with for them.

Rage to art

2010-03-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

I've been really irritated this week. Things I've seen and read in the news have just rubbed me the wrong way. Especially when I get on certain social networking sites and see the misinformed status messages from some people.

Today after work I went upstairs to get an image onto fabric. Rage. I just feel rage. I'm not one to smash things or yell at people. I bottle things in. But fabric therapy is good.

Since I had some problems with thread sketching the hiking boots quilt I decided to give an embroidery hoop a shot. And it worked! For the most part... the hoop I have is made of a thick resin and I had problems placing it underneath the sewing area. I could only get it in place after I removed the sewing needle and foot.

The face looks goofy once I got it appliqued in place. I've never attempted a face in fabric before. Oh the things I find in my stash... enough fabric in just the right color for two faces! (I biffed the first try so what I'm posting is my second atempt.)

The hoop is 12" across and kept the fabric and batting from getting totally warped out as I sewed and sewed and sewed those red rings. There was a bit of warp but not enough to really stress me out.

The face just isn't pissy enough. Overall I am pleased with the finished face but it's just not pissy enough! The fabric for the hair is a scrap of this freakin' awesome batik fabric I bought about 9 years ago. I wish I had more of it because I've been hoarding the little bit that's left. It is just perfect for what I needed.

This piece isn't finished at all. I want to stitch some wording in the black but I'm still plotting that out. I'm not sure I feel totally rage-free after completing what I did but I feel pleased with the piece. And overall, that is what matters. Inspiration comes in many forms.

Another one down...

2010-03-21T18:17:00.001-05:00

Sunday I finished up the circles quilt. I whipped up a binding from the prints in the quilt top and got to work pinning and machine stitching it to the front.

This time around I decided to try the machine binding tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts. Usually I machine sew the binding to the front then fold the binding over and hand sew it to the back with an invisible ladder stitch. Hand stitching a baby quilt takes a good 6+ hours and I really just had no desire to spend that kind of time when I have so many quilt tops that need sandwiched. So I gave the machine stitch tutorial a go.

I made a cheater line to follow above the stitch where I machine sewed the binding to the quilt top. The fork pins are great at keeping the binding pinned down without making all those layers overly bulky. I am enamored of those pins. I need to order more because while they are nice and thin for sewing over, they do break easily if the machine needle hits it just right.

The other thing about those fork pins... twice as many sharp points poking me in my hands and other soft body parts as I sew my way around the quilt. *ouch* I have bled more because of this quilt than any other I've done so far. Those needles really did a number on me as I pin basted the layers on my quilt frame!

My overall thought on an all machine-sewn binding... I need more practice! The tutorial is great but I need to move the back binding bits closer to the machine sewn line. I had way too much loose binding on the back. It isn't terrible by any means. It's just that it isn't quite the look I was going for. I still prefer the hand-sewn look but perfecting the machine-sewn binding technique would really save a LOT of time. I highly recommend the tutorial (and the blog).

Next up.... not the yellow & black quilt. I decided to finish up a quilt gift before I move on to anything else. It is the biggest quilt I've worked on and I have a feeling it will take forever to layer since I need to extend my quilt frame to the largest size. I hope we don't get any visitors in the next week or three!

Circle quilt almost finished!

2010-03-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

I don't have photos today because I forgot to take some and currently we have a houseguest sleeping in the room where the quilt is pinned to my design board. (Or would that be design curtain since it is a white flannel sheet handing from a decorative rod?) I really wanted to quilt it in circles but my circles looked more like loops so loops it stayed! My free-form machine quilted circles need much practice.

But overall the quilt looks good. I can't wait to put the binding on it and mark one more top as finished.

Next up, the yellow and black quilt!

I bought the fabric online and when I got it I was unsure what to do with it. Most always I buy fabric because it caught my eye, not because I have specific plans for it. I loved this bundle of fabric from Hawthorne Threads and knew I had to have it. I swear every time I buy fabric the print is sooooo much larger than I had thought it would be. I have no idea what to do with large prints! Luckily I had some solid yellow in my stash that really brought out the yellow within the prints. I am pretty pleased with the overall look but sometimes I wonder if that lower right corner fits with the rest of the block.

On the frame...

2010-03-17T12:43:00.001-05:00

I finally got another quilt on the frame. The first time I used the quilting frame I had to pin and repin the layers together because the backing was more taut than the batting and top. SUCH a pain since I'd used little quilters safety pins. And boy howdy did I pin baste the hell out of it! Even using my crochet hook to help remove the pins, my fingers ached at the end.

The frame itself is wonderful! I purchased the Grace EZ3 Fabri-Fast Hand Quilting Frame which I finished with a natural Danish oil to strengthen the wood. It was fairly easy to put together once I figured out the illustrated instructions. Some of those steps were tricky! I decided to get a frame because my dining room table was getting beat up during the basting and floors aren't so convenient when you have two boxer pups trying to lend a hand. The frame folds up pretty tight so I can store it when guests arrive.

I do have to put my ironing board away when I'm using the quilting frame but I really have no need of it during that step. And I finally have a rolly office chair which is soooo much comfortable than the folding chair I had been using for the last couple years. The best thing about the rolly chair is I can roll along as I use the quilting frame! It makes the process so much more fluid.

Also, my quilters safety pins are gathering dust once I started using fork pins. These things are thinner gauge and the sewing machine needle just glides right over them as I sew. I was always bending the straight pins or having to stop to remove the safety pins. These things are a time saver!

So today's goal is to get the quilt on the frame all pin basted before I have to get ready for dinner out with friends.

Thread sketching attempt

2010-03-16T13:30:00.002-05:00

I got an early Christmas gift in November. I told the boy all I wanted was a new sewing machine. I'd been using a Husqvarna Viking 350 since 1994 and while it did everything I needed it to, it didn't have enough armpit room. You know, that space between the sewing arm and the base! I like to quilt my pieces myself and I was tired of having to shove so much bulky fabric in such a small area. So I researched different machines and decided to stick with the Viking because I really liked my old machine and the sewing feet I already owned would also fit onto a new machine. And the winner was a Sapphire 850. And the timing was perfect! Husqvarna was releasing a new model, a Sapphire 855 so the 850 was on sale for practically half of the original selling price.

The first thing I sewed was the boy's Christmas gift. He'd helped me pick out the fabric at the sewing expo we'd attended (without knowing it was for him, of course) and when he left for his Key West MegaJam, I made him a wall hanging. It is based on a photo of our hiking boots at the top of this mountain in Muir Woods in California. It was my first attempt at thread sketching and I was winging it.

There was one major issue I hadn't anticipated. The top was layered with the batting and backing before I thread sketched and this made the piece get all puckered and warped. No matter how firmly I tried to hold the layers taut, the fabric puckered. I couldn't iron it to any semblance of flatness. While I was pretty happy with the image I got, the puckering just made it look terrible.

The boy knew immediately what the image was from. 2009 was the year of homemade gifts for my family and while I knew he would appreciate the thought, I was worried about whether he would like it well enough to hang. The good thing about the boy is he does not bullshit me about things. If I ask him what he thinks about something, he tells me the truth. This is good when you want honesty but bad when you just want to be told those pants do not make your butt look big. *laugh* It's always good to get his input when I am feeling too critical of my own work.

I know now I should use an embroidery hoop if I want to thread sketch and I can't wait to try again. I have a rack of thread just waiting for me to sketch with and I love having one more way to embellish cloth. Now if I could only finish up layering and binding all my finished quilt tops so I can start on something more artistic!

Reading...

2010-03-15T17:34:00.000-05:00

In February 2009 I ordered the Kindle 2 the day it was released. Now, I am not a gadget person. I have no desire to have the most recent version of anything electronic. I didn't get a cell phone until late in the game and all I want is something that will allow me to make calls in case of emergencies. I still use my iPod from 6 years ago (although I do have a 3 year old Nano that I use when I run). I only got my own laptop when I went back to school. Hell, I'd rather chop food with a knife and cutting board instead of using a food processor. But the Kindle... once I heard people talking about them I knew I wanted one for myself.

Books are my favorite non-living things in the world. I would give up the internet, television, mac & cheese, almost everything before I'd give up my books. I never leave the house without a book in my bag and always travel with 3-4 books even though I never have enough time to finish them all. So the idea of having an entire library of my favorite books in something that weighed less than a pound (10.2 ounces, to be exact) was something I desired.

Since the Kindle arrived on my doorstep I've had a difficult time doing anything other than read. Which is rough because I really love to sew. I've worked out a schedule for both activities which seems to suit my needs but sometimes reading wins if I think about it for too long.

This year I've been keeping track of how many books and short stories I read. I know I read a lot but seeing the list, I am surprised at the actual number of items read.

Books read in 2010 so far...
January
1. Under the Dome by Stephen King
2. Hunting Love by Dana Marie Bell
3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
4. The Shunning by Beverly Lewis
5. The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan
6. Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder
7. Soul Intent by Dennis Batchelder
8. Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B J Daniels
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
10. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

February
11. Already Dead by Charlie Huston
12. In the Warrior's Bed by Mary Wine
13. Neuromancer by William Gibson

March
14. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
15. Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters by Anne Kreamer
16. Anthem by Ayn Rand
17. The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft
18. When Night Falls by Margaret Daley
19. Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel by Rhiannon Frater
20. Cuts by Richard Laymon
21. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Twenty-one books all on my Kindle. Unfortunately I stalk the free book sites and the free offerings for Amazon Kindle books. I have over 400 books on my toy. Enough to last a couple years, at least. Not that that stops me from downloading more books. Adding new books doesn't make the Kindle any heavier and every new books means I can start a new book any time I want! 400+ books and they all fit into my purse. You can't beat that for a book lover's dream!

Stash...

2010-03-09T17:58:00.002-06:00

I am having guests this weekend so I haven't been able to start anything new since I finished binding my last quilt on Friday. I have 4-5 quilt tops that need backs sewn up so I can get them finished and start a new project. And oh how I want to start a new quilt top because I have new fabric!

Here we have some lovely Laura Gunn items from her Lantern and Poppy lines.
Left to right are:
Lantern Bloom, Tile Mosaic in Wine
Lantern Bloom, Tile Mosaic in Turquoise
Poppy, Dogwood Stripe in Spice
Poppy, Dogwood Stripe in Denim
Poppy, Climbing Vine in Spice
Poppy, Climbing Vine in Olive

I couldn't resist the goldfish and bubbles of Tropical Fun and then I needed some coordinating fabrics from the Wheels line.
Left to right:
Luli Sanchez, Tropical Fun, Overlapping Shells in Pumpkin
Luli Sanchez, Tropical Fun, Overlapping Shells in Aqua
My Minds Eye, Wheels, Cheery Dot in Brown
My Minds Eye, Wheels, Cheery Dot in Blue
My Minds Eye, Wheels, Cheery Dot in Red
Luli Sanchez, Tropical Fun, Bubbles in Aqua
Luli Sanchez, Tropical Fun, Goldfish in Aqua

And some more Laura Gunn Poppy!
Left to right:
Lantern Bloom, Painted Polka Dot in Brown
Poppy, Peeking Polka Dot in Lime
Poppy, Peeking Polka Dot in Gray
Poppy, Peeking Polka Dot in Aqua
Poppy, Big Poppy in Spice
Poppy, Big Poppy in Aqua

I got all this lovely yardage from Hawthorne Threads. I started buying from them when they were selling through Etsy and kept with them when the couple decided to set up their own shop. I've always been thrilled with the service I've received from them. Every order I've placed has been filled and mailed out within 24 hours (usually within 1-2 hours of placing the order). Plus, I dig their tiered pricing.

So I am really excited for my guests to arrive but I still want to sew. It's times like this I really wish the "guest room" items were in another room!

Workspace tour

2010-03-05T14:11:00.001-06:00

For the past year I have been trying to set up my workspace so the 10'x10' room had the most bang for its buck. The room also doubles as a guest room so I need my space to be organized and uncluttered while still being guest-friendly. The boy has been great with building things like a shelving unit that sits over the radiator and under the window, a peg board to hold and various tools of destruction/creation and a frakking amazing spool holder that I somehow managed to overload with thread. I can't believe I started out sewing on an ironing board!

My current quandary is how do I fit everything I have into this small space and also keep it as a guest room? (I've stored the quilting frame in another room and folded down the ironing board and shoved it in the closet while I took photos.)

My lovely Ikea desk/table along with the killer spool holder and new spinny office chair. I keep my laptop handy so I can watch Hulu while I sew. And on the table is the current quilt on which I am hand-sewing the binding. Tedious at times but it looks so nice when I am done. Next quilt though I am testing the machine binding tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts.

The boy made this storage unit for me which made good use of wasted space. I have so many bins of fabric but from what I've seen on other quilt blogs, my little collection is nothing!

A hand-me-down from my mom that some day I hope to refinish. I wish I sewed small things so I could use the sewing table but even my Ikea table feels cramped when I make baby quilts.

I got the idea from another blog that had crafting supplies hanging from their pegboard. I wanted a place where I could keep my scissors and rotary cutter handy and still out of the way. Now I do not have to rummage through bins to find what I need!

Blog overhaul...

2010-03-04T16:27:00.003-06:00

The boy said to me a couple weeks back that I should keep a quilting blog to hold myself accountable. I started this blog originally in order to to do just that when I signed up to train with Team in Training. After I was done I mostly just let this fall by the wayside.

I started quilting by way of printmaking back in 1994. One of the projects I worked on during one of the umpteen times I took the class was a quilt design printed on paper and then pieced together. It just didn't work for me (although I did get an A on the piece) so the next project I printed on muslin. White was fine for the image I used but I decided to sign up for a surface design class where I heard there would be hand-dyeing taught. I fell in love with fabric. It went beyond printing on paper. Printmaking was just one step. Fabric could be cut, dyed, sewn, embroidered, beaded... so many possibilities! I bought a little Viking 350 and sewed everything atop my ironing board. My sewing skills were horrendous but not nearly bad enough to lower my grade below a B at the worst of times.

In 1998 I was hired full time at my current job and I ended up putting aside classes and my sewing slowed considerably. I still did some hand-dyeing on the weekends and tried my hand at making cloth dolls. But every so often I would work on art quilts. I made plenty of baby quilts that I gave away as gifts over the years. When I think back to them I shudder at the shoddy skills. I had been teaching myself quiltmaking so everything I made was another learning experience.

Over the last two years I started up sewing in earnest. I sewed quilts to raffle off for Team in Training and for my 20th high school reunion. I began focusing more on my technique in order to make something I could be proud of. It couldn't just look good, it had to be functional, durable. And now I have plastic bins of finished quilts that I can be proud of.

2010 will be the year I finally quit talking about it and actually submit an art quilt to at least one juried show. This is my 2010 resolution. And this is where I'll try and document what I do to hold myself accountable to this goal.

Yummy fabric giveaway!

2009-11-12T14:31:00.003-06:00

I admit, I am posting this for the 10 additional entries into the giveaway but honestly, I've purchased lots of fabric from Hawthorne Threads when they were on etsy and always had excellent service. Especially with the shipping! My purchases were always packaged and mailed out within 24 hours so I never had to wait and wait and wait for the fabricky goodness to arrive.

Not only do they sell very pretty fabric, their site design is just lovely. The look is simple and clean and easy to navigate through. I'm a stickler for simplicity and will refuse to do business with a company if their site looks unprofessional and cluttered.

So go sign up for the giveaway and then order some fabric! And since my birthday is coming up, order some fabric for me while you're at it. I'm really wanting a fabric bundle of Medallions in Elm and Burnt Henna and Natrue-ology in Brown.

Hawthorne Threads giveaway!
http://www.hawthornethreads.com/giveaway

I plum forgot...

2009-04-20T13:46:00.002-05:00

I haven't been keeping up with blogging marathon training lately because I haven't felt I needed to post progress reports since I am finished with Team in Training. But here's what I've been up to...

...gym work. Lots of gym work. I joined the boot camp class at my gym so now I get up and head to the gym for a 6am hour-long class three days a week. I look forward to the class before it starts, I hate it while it is going on and I'm euphoric afterward. There is something very satisfying about being done with a workout by 7am. The class really is amazing. The instructor has been a trainer for 13 years and she knows how to push you harder. I am not the fastest person in the class. Then again I am not the slowest person either. This makes me feel good. I am also happy because I feel stronger since I've been attending. Some of the segments are wreaking havoc with various muscles (my hamstrings are very twangy and my triceps are always sore) but at least I now know I have muscles!

I am hoping all this extra gym work will prepare me better for a backpacking trip in June. I've never been backpacking so the thought if carrying 30-40 pounds on my back while hiking up mountains is daunting. Not only that, but I am signed up for the Cleveland Rock & Roll Marathon in May so the stress is never-ending. I worry about not being able to finish either goal.

Cleveland is coming up and fast! The ban on headphones has been lifted so I can use my iPod. Supposedly the course will have live bands every couple miles but I'm still bringing my own music. I only run with one earbud because I like to hear what's coming up behind me. Even then I love the added push my music gives me.

The past week I have been working on my playlist because I find that some songs just aren't working for me and I need to skip them. I don't want to be fiddling with controls during a race (not that I fiddle with them on a long run but there is still the urge). I've watched runners get so distracted by their mp3 players that they run dangerously close to knocking down other individuals. I understand the concern of having mp3 players on a race course. It's a hot topic in any running forum and in the past I have not used them because of the ban but for the length of time it takes for me to finish 26.2 miles the music can be a relief from the sound of shoes slapping on pavement.

Hopefully I will remember to use my Nike+ on this weekend's long run. I am still very slow but my speed looks a bit better than last year's races. My goal is only ever to finish but I wouldn't complain to see a few minutes shaved off last year's times!

Overall, my shins have been hurting at the start and boot camp is making my hamstrings tender. I'm still having the same GI issues and bad me kept putting off seeing a specialist so now I will have to wait until after my June vacation to get things taken care of. Stupid bodily functions. Then again, it could be worse. Sore muscles due to activity are a good feeling and I no longer hurt after a class. Sore is good!

I has a library card!

2009-01-03T15:12:00.003-06:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to get my library card. We've lived in Evanston for 7.5 years and I've been saying for 7.5 years that I should get my card. So when I woke up I decided today was the day.

So easy! The big disappointment was that the parking meters were only 2 hours. I had hoped to stay longer but parking lot attendants are very thorough here. I went inside and had my card in hand in about 5 minutes. I swear I almost cried. The man helping me told me what was on each of the 3 floors and then I was off!

The first floor was children's books so I was happy to move onward and upward! The third floor was newspapers, periodicals and internet access (I never did make it up there) but I wanted the second floor with fiction and non-fiction. It was serendipitous! I walked down my first row and immediately spotted a book I'd read as a child and had been wanting to read again. I didn't arrive with a book list, I'd just wanted to walk the rows and enjoy being surrounded by books and books and more books. But there it was, A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. I'd first read it when I was 10 when my grandma gave me her copy. I thought it was such a wonderful story. It always stuck with me, reading about a girl who puts herself through school by catching and selling insects. I wanted to laugh when I passed it on the shelf, it was fate! I picked up a copy and then tried to remember the author of the other book I'd been wanting to reread. Unfortunately while I could remember his books, I couldn't remember the author's name so I had to use the online book search. My second book is The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone which I believe as also first given to me by my grandma.

After I found my two books I wandered around just enjoying the atmosphere. It was more bright and open inside than I'd imagined. Also, less books than I'd imagined considering the building is HUGE! Evanston has two smaller branches besides the main branch where I spent my morning. The two branches are just small storefronts and while I've walked past, I've never gone inside. The main branch has so many desks and benches for reading. I found a padded bench and read A Girl of the Limberlost for 1 1/2 hours. I'd forgotten how "used" library books were. My poor book loans look in worse shape than my books at home that I practically beat up! It's one reason I don't like to borrow books, I don't like possibly doing damage to other people's books. I know how much I love my books, I bet other people love their books too. (Although the only people I've borrowed books from are my mom, my brother-in-law and my niece.)

I really need to keep better track of how many books I read in a year. I started a list in 2008 and didn't keep it up. I bet I read over 100 in 2008. I just can't imagine people who do not enjoy reading. I'd give up all over entertainment before I'd give up my books. and now I have access to even more books! I may have to make the library my Saturday morning tradition.

Long time gone...

2008-12-30T10:16:00.003-06:00

Things have been busy here what with the holidays and all so I've let my blogging slide. I shall endeavor to do better in 2009 so I can keep track of training once again and also to keep track of my quilting. I've had my old domain name renewed for another few years so now I need to redo the site and see about adding my blog there.

I've been playing around with quilting over the past month or two, trying to teach myself different techniques. My mom's neighbor Connie is a quilter and she was nice enough to show me her quilts and a better technique for binding quilt edges when we were there over Thanksgiving. Her quilts are simply lovely and perfect! And I love her sewing loft. The family bought my parent's log home and Connie set up her workspace in the upstairs loft that overlooks the living room with the giant windows facing the lake. It's the area I'd have chosen so now I am jealous. *laugh* I have no such view in my workroom or in the dining room where I used to sew. It makes me want to take over the entire room I am in and get rid of the futon bed in order to make room for another table and shelves.

My goal for this week is to organize. Yesterday I went through my fabric and ironed fabric that had been balled up and then organized everything by color. I still need to go through the fabric in the basement and see what I have available. And today I will be taking apart my machine and cleaning out the years of fiber dust from the workings. I haven't done that in 5 years. I wish I'd kept the photos from the last cleaning because it was frightening the amount of gunk clotting the innards. It took a week to clean and put back together in working order. I could take it out to be cleaned but there is something very satisfactory about doing it myself. Now if I could only do that for my car!

Later I shall have to post photos of some of the pieces I've been working on. Both are on hold until the new sewing feet are delivered. I need to start using the right tools for the job!

So taunt me and hurt me, Deceive me, desert me...

2008-11-07T14:57:00.005-06:00

I'm yours ‘til I die,
So in love,
So in love
So in love with you, my love, am I.

I'd heard the name Cole Porter before today and I'd even heard his songs, although I would have never been able to name even one. I decided to watch De-Lovely at lunch. I'd thought it looked interesting when it first came out in the theater but I never went to see it. The draw for me was Kevin Kline who amuses me. I didn't really know what or who the movie was about.

So many songs! So many songs I knew! And then that one song. "So In Love". I'd first heard it back in the early 1990's Back in the day I was a HUGE fan of k.d. lang. I'd heard "Constant Craving" on the radio and rushed out to get the cd. I loved that cd. Then I had to get everything else she had released. I went to see Even Cowgirls Get the Blues because of her music (and barring Keanu Reeves "acting", I love the movie).

I forget how I first came across the video now (I believe it was on one of the k.d. lang VHS tapes I had). I didn't know "So In Love" was a Cole Porter song. I only knew it was heartbreaking. The video... so much more so. The song/video was for an AIDS benefit back in 1990. I was never able to watch the video without breaking down and crying. Over the years I'd forgotten about the song as my musical tastes swung from 1980's music to chic music to punk and now to anything depending on my mood.

While watching De-Lovely and seeing the scene where Cole sings "So In Love" to Linda, I sat there trying to remember why I knew the song and why hearing it made me cry. It wasn't just that Linda was dying at that point in the movie. I knew there was something more to it than just a scene in a movie. And then I remembered the k.d. lang video.

I've lost loved ones due to illness. I saw what cancer did to my grandma. But I've never had to take care of someone while they were dying. And the video shows glimpses of how difficult it is without ever showing the person who is dying. And I think that is what gets me. It's not just a video, it's a glimpse into the reality of caring for someone who isn't dying a tidy little death.

I wish I could write better. But since my typed words never sound as good on screen as they do in my head... here is the video.

Strange, dear, but true, dear,
When I'm Close to you dear,
The stars fill the sky,
So in love with you am I.

Even Without you
My arms fold about you.
You know, darling, why,
So in love with you am I.

In love with the night mysterious
The night when you first were there
In love with my joy delirious
When I knew that you could care.

So taunt me and hurt me,
Deceive me, desert me,
I'm yours ‘til I die,
So in love,
So in love
So in love with you, my love, am I.

Presidential Election Musings...

2008-11-05T09:41:00.002-06:00

I cannot begin to explain how thrilled I am about the outcome of the presidential election. And while I am thrilled, I can't let myself be carried away just yet. Obama is president-elect, not president. There is still too many days until he is sworn in. Too many days for something to happen to him. Too many days for Bush to blow us all to Kingdom Come.

At most times I am very positive. I'm a "cup half full" kinda person. But even though I watched the numbers roll in after the first polling places closed I couldn't let myself believe it. When CNN called the election I couldn't let myself believe it. When McCain gave his concession speech I couldn't let myself believe it. Even Obama's acceptance speech wouldn't do it for me. I was afraid to go to bed before ALL the votes were counted. Even today I'm still a bit wary.

I'm not a doom and gloom person. I'm really not. I try not to worry and stress about things I have no control over. And yet I can't let myself be comfortable with the election. I feel such hope when I hear Obama speak. I can't quite explain it. There is just something about him that makes me feel positive for the country. And I am afraid to be too hopeful because, after all, he is a politician. I want him to be honest and do right for America. But looking at the fucking mess Bush has left of the nation, Obama will have a difficult time of it. And it will take YEARS for him to make a dent in the mess. And for that alone he will be derided.

I want to believe so badly that this country can rise up and be good. I am sick and tired of all the "best country in the world" crap that was spouted throughout the campaign. It isn't true. We aren't the best. We do the same shitty things other countries do while we ride the coattails of the past. We quote Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" but the majority of us don't live it. I'm no better. I may donate money to causes but I don't go out and do anything physical for the causes I believe in. I don't go out and try to help make this country better. Which isn't entirely true but I could do more. We all could do more.

And maybe that is it. Maybe we all need to do more in order to rise up from the shithole we find ourselves in. The next president can only do so much. The election is over but the overhaul needs more than just electing a new president.

I think, for me, this gets back to the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Those teachings really stuck with me after the class I took a year ago. It's about bettering yourself. Bettering yourself will lead to a better community and towards a better nation. It's like the quote from Mahatma Gandhi... "You must be the change you want to see in the world." That is where we need to start. We, as a country, need to better ourselves before we can be a better country. An election can't solve all the problems we have. We as individuals making up this country need to be the change. We can't just say we are the best country. We need to act like the best country. Obama can't do it alone.

It's all about the shirts...

2008-10-26T10:58:00.005-05:00

This morning was the Trick or Treat Trot 5k. Seems almost silly after finishing a marathon but I like the races. And I LOVE the shirts! It was chilly down by the lakefront and my fingers didn't get the feeling back until after mile 1. But the sun was shining and many runners were in costume so it was a great day overall. I was doing well until I saw the mile 3 sign and then suddenly I felt like I had to toss my cookies. It was bizarre! I couldn't run across the finish line because I was too worried about throwing up. That's never happened before. To be honest, I didn't eat breakfast but I did drink some Gatorade. And at the finish were the usual... water, Gatorade, bagels and bananas. And in honor of it being a Halloween run, CANDY! Huge plastic cauldrons of candy!

Today I am going to sloth around and watch some horror movies until the boy is done with work. And then we are off on a long walk with the dogs. Which is good because I wanted to do that. I'm getting the hang of walking two dogs at once but it is slow going. Handling two leashes is awkward for me. I used to walk them one at a time but since the boy purchased those prongy collars the pups stopped pulling and I don't have to worry about being jerked around. Boxers are STRONG! I am not fond of the idea of pronged collars but they sure do make walks easier. Our oldest pup is 3 years old and we never could break her of the habit of pulling at the leash. We've tried Gentle Leaders and chest harnesses and wrapping the leash around her waist like the dog trainer showed us but nothing worked. Nothing until the pronged collar.

I keep forgetting to mention how cool my neighbors and relatives are! After the marathon two weeks ago, we got home and our neighbors had tied balloons to our railing along the steps. It was such a wonderful thing to see when I got home. My neighbors on both sides are incredible. We really got lucky. And also, the boy's cousin J sent me a Team in Training 26.2 sticker. He, his sister A and their dad B (too many year online, I don't like to use a whole lot of personal info which is fucking hilarious since I'll blog for HOURS about my GI problems when running) are all marathoners. It means a lot to get support from them since they know exactly what's involved. Now I only hope I can get as fast as they are!

But I rambled on, and what I was getting at was cousin J who has sent me letters of encouragement ever since I started this nonsense. Same with the boy's brother S. He would send emails of support and encouragement and none of them ever laughed when I failed. I know I am not athletic, I never have been athletic, so this is a big deal for me. And I know my family will support me because they are my family. But it's something a bit more when your in-law relations do it. And I got lucky with my in-laws.

So anyway... George is whinging and my green tea latte is gone. I need to brew some more tea and go cuddle on the couch with the pups while some spooky goodness plays on my television. October is going by too fast. I haven't had my fill of horror flicks!

Wordle!

2008-10-22T10:42:00.006-05:00

Something about this intrigues me. I found the application while browsing through a quilting blog. It is begging me to become an art quilt. I've been edgy lately because the Chicago marathon is over and there are six months until the Cleveland marathon. Yep, I selected the Cleveland marathon in May 2009 as my next challenge. Mostly because it is in Ohio and then I can go visit my family and co-workers. I miss the people in my office!

So I really want to be sewing right now. I am tempted to drop my class. The subject matter is interesting but the actual class is dull. Last week was 3 hours of looking at graphs. Now, the graphs gave me a great quilting theme idea but looking at them for 3 hours? Dull. I really want to like this class but I can't get into it. I have a week to decide but I'll make my decision by the weekend. It's sad because there are only 5 students in the class, including me.

I just want to sew. Can it be time to sew now?

Planning... planning... planning...

2008-10-20T09:35:00.003-05:00

I've decided to do the Chicago marathon again next year. It really was a great race, no matter how slow I was. And I am trying to decide on another race in the spring. So far I am considering the Flying Pig in Cincinnati on May 3rd, the Madison Marathon* on May 25th, the Cleveland marathon on May 17th and the Illinois marathon on April 11th. The Flying Pig has a great medal and a 3 mile, almost 400 foot elevation. That just looks scary! The Illinois marathon will be the inaugural run which could be scary. Madison is beautiful and Cleveland, well Cleveland would be near my family. So it's all a toss-up. But Chicago is a definite.

Yesterday the boy, the pups and I went hiking in Palos/Sag Valley Forest Preserve. It was so pretty out there with the bright sunlight and the trees in their fall colors. I love the fall. I love the chill in the air and the smell of the leaves and apples and apple cider! Fall is an excuse to shuffle my feet through all the leaves on the sidewalk. Unfortunately the fall also signals the constant pain I will feel in my fingers and toes due to that damned Raynaud's (I have primary Raynaud's). And yes, my fingers do look like the photos on that page. Even air conditioning in the summer can trigger an attack. Anyway... the hike was amazing and very hilly which I am so not used to. Months of running but on totally flat terrain. One hill was so steep and soooo high that I had to stop mid-way. I wish the park were closer (it's about an hour drive with traffic) because it would be a great training path. I may still go there although the snow may make it too slippery to run on.

I cannot believe the year is almost over. I've already done some holiday shopping so I don't have much more to go. And I need to send out an email with my holiday gift idea since there is only one thing I want. Only I hate doing that because gifts are not a requirement for the holidays, they are special. Only I am trying to whittle down my belongings because I don't need so many things in my life tying me down. Except books. And while I get embarassed receiving gifts, I hate getting things I do not need. If I need something I purchase it for myself. And I've become VERY finicky about things lately. I remember moving from my first apartment and everything I own fit into my Chevy Cavalier. I can't do that now and that is kind of sad. So anyway, I am trying to tell myself it is okay to say "hey, this is what I want" in order to not have to deal with things I do not want or need.

Now what?

2008-10-16T07:46:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been days now and all I keep thinking about is "now what?" I don't have Saturday group runs to get up for and no long races to train for. I have two small races, a 5k and an 8k but those do not need weeks of training. I feel sort of lost.

I found out last night in class that two of my classmates also ran and finished the marathon. There are only 5 people, including myself, in the class. So for there to be 3 finishers is amusing. Two of the students were talking about the race but I did not join in and announce that I was there also. I still feel intimidated. Especially since I am so slow and do mostly walking. I hope to be faster one day. Maybe by the next Chicago marathon. Can I get to a 10 minute mile in a year, or at least a 12 minute mile? Can I get my GI problem under control?

My environmental literacy class should be more interesting than it is. The professor seems to only focus on the math... converting from metric to the more inelegant U.S. measuring system. We do have a field trip planned for the Chicago Center for Green Technology since the professor will not be able to attend one class due to a work trip. I think that should be interesting.

My final project is running shoes from cradle to grave. Runner's World had a fabulous article about just that in this month's issue. I want to find some video about the making of running shoes and also about some 6000 Nike shoes floating around in the ocean. Lots of video so I do not have to speak in class! *shudder* Even with 4 other students in class, public speaking frightens me. I have 5 more weeks to prepare.

To my surprise and amazement, I finished 26.2!!

2008-10-14T07:48:00.007-05:00

I am now the proud owner of a Chicago Marathon medal. There were many times during the marathon I believed right down to my core I would not make it. Hell, many times I wished they'd sweep me out and have done with it!

I got to Grant Park around 6:30am and went to hang out with Team in Training in the Charity Village. I did not know there were so many charities running! Charity Village was perfect since each charity tent had like 15-20+ port-o-lets behind their tent so there were no long lines of people waiting to use them. Such a relief!

At 7:20am the TNT members all walked over to the starting line. So many people! I was getting pushed around while I stood in my pace group but I managed to stand my ground and not get shoved to the back. I needed to start out ahead to give me some extra time away from the back of the pack. There was a Mexican woman who started out with me. Her two sons were running also but they were in one of the starting corrals and not in the open corral with her. She stuck with me for quite a while and asked me questions. I only lost her at mile 4 when I stopped for the dreaded port-o-lets.

I didn't even hear the gun go off, I only knew the race started because the crowds of runners began pushing me towards the start line. I did my 1 run/4walk and the Mexican woman stuck right with me. She had her iPod and was singing and waving her arms to some salsa music. She was pretty happy to be out and waved and cheered to everyone on the sidelines. I was just focusing on my pace and trying to listen for my watch beeping my for running and walking. It was difficult because the crowds were so loud! It was amazing!

Now, Disney had lots of cheering crowds and all but I gotta tell ya, I really believe Chicago was the better of the two. There were cheering groups along EVERY section of the course, not just designated areas. I'm usually not one for the cheering because in the beginning it kind of annoys me. Especially when I am constantly thinking I do not deserve the cheering. But once I reached mile 8 in Boystown... DAMN! Running through Boystown is like running through the Magic Kingdom in Disney. Only better! Those residents know how to have a good time. Festivals are always more fun there. I cheered for the rifle guard because they were splendid and the folks in the hula girl gear with the silver platform go-go boots were lovely. My favorite sign of the entire race was the one with Mr. Slave that said "Run like a Bear is chasing you!" I wish I could have just stopped running and hung out there.

Before and after Boystown I kept wondering why I was running. I was doing a very poor job of things since my pills for my GI problems were not working. I wanted to cry. I'd tried everything I could to fix the problem and nothing had helped. I could only run a minute at a time before I had the "urge". Many times I just wanted to be swept off the course because I didn't think I could keep it up for the whole race. My legs were fine, my breathing was fine but I kept having the "urge". But being pulled off meant that I would have failed again and I'd have to tell everyone who donated that I failed. That became a worse feeling for me. Having to admit I could not finish was worse than having to use a port-o-let every couple miles. So I kept moving. I don't even remember much before mile 13 other than Boystown. I hated what I was doing and kept thinking to myself that this is rediculous. I should NOT be trying to run marathons.

Around mile 14 I met up with my folks and the boy who was walking with our boxers. They stuck with me until mile 18. At mile 17 I'd hit what John "The Penguin" Bingham called "The Bite Me" mile. My mom had a cowbell with her and had been ringing it constantly. And even when she wasn't ringing it intentionally, it rang. I love my mom and I knew I could not say nicely "please quit ringing the bell". So I kept my mouth shut. It wasn't her fault and she didn't even know it was annoying me. It's really funny now though but at the time I wanted to scream!

I kind of took off after mile 18 and lost everyone. One of the coaches for the AIDS team did ride up to me to tell me he liked my dogs though which made me smile. It wasn't until mile 18 that I believed I really could finish the damned race. I kept telling myself that I only had 8 more miles to go. 8 miles wasn't a long time, only two hours. I could do two more hours.

Mile 19 was in Pilsen which was my other favorite section of the race. Just before I hit the party section of Pilsen I went through a beautiful tree-lined neighborhood street. A very nice man offered me a little powdered sugar donut but I declined. I didn't think I could swallow it. *laugh* But it was really nice to offer! A little further down the road I hit the stores and restaurants of Pilsen. Salsa music was being blared out of windows and on the streets and soooooo many families were out cheering on the runners. It wasn't flashy like Boystown but it was energetic and emotional. It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood was out cheering us on. And the food! I could smell the food from the restaurants and homes and I was so hungry. I passed a man with a huge bowl of pretzels who offered some to me. Those I took with a grateful thanks. I didn't think I could swallow those either but the salt sounded wonderful. And they were!

Mile 21 went through Chinatown but by the time I and my circle of runners reached there the party was over. I got to run near my favorite candy store and run past my favorite bakery (Maxim's) and Chinese restaurant (Won Kow). The police along the course from here on out were wonderful about letting us know what mile we were on.

Mile 23 took me down towards IIT and Comiskey Park which is where the White Sox play. I forgot to look for the stadium since I was more focused on finding a Gatoraid station. A swift bit on 35th Street and then we headed north on Michigan Avenue for the final stretch!

Around mile 24 there was a group of Elijah charity team cheerers who cheered me on and gave me an orange. It was the best tasting orange I'd ever had. Those Elijah team cheerers were amazing! They had cheer zones just about every mile and they really cheered EVERYONE on, not just those who were running for their charity.

Mile 25 had me running alongside a charity runner from Paws who told me this was his 8th marathon and he was running with Paws because he'd had to put down two of his pups this year, a Dalmatian and a rotty mix. We talked as we headed up the final stretch. One of the Team in Training coaches that was keeping pace on his bike and checking on all of us slow teammates kept checking in with me. I wish I knew what city team he was a coach for because he really helped me out and was very supportive. He would give me water and tell me my form was good and I was walking strong. Even when I felt like I was doing poorly, hearing that helped.

Just past mile 25 two of my coaches from my city team appeared. I probably surprised the one coach by not being swept off. I was the slowest person on our team so he regularly ended up running with me in order to speed me up. He and his wife run together and coach together. There were two other Team in Training members behind me so I wasn't the last purple runner out on the course. This did make me feel better. A third coach from another TNT team met up with us also. He had been running with me around mile 6 and he recognized me once my watch started beeping. That's when he told me I had to run the last bit of the race. And the last bit went up the largest incline on the course (on Roosevelt Road).

That last 0.2 miles... 4 coaches and 3 teammates, all of us heading towards the finish line. I ran the last 100 yards with the coaches and teammates. I won't even post my time but I did finish. I saw my folks and my husband and our cousin and my two pups cheering as I ran to the finish. I didn't believe I could do it, even with training. It was hot and I was slow and had to fight my own internal problems (physically and mentally). I wanted to drop out for most of the race and the only thing stopping me was letting down everyone who believed in me and donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. I knew that would hurt worse than any pain I felt after finishing.

So here it is, 2 days later. I finished my first marathon. Would I do it again? I am planning on Disney when I turn 40. I am hoping that I can run a 10 mile minute within those next two years. I have to get the damned "urges" under control. That is what slows me down, still.

I'm not an athlete. I've never wanted to be an athlete. I started this because my sister wanted to run the Disney marathon when she was 35. I signed up without really thinking about the consequences. And my failure hurt. So while I didn't make some great time for Chicago, I did finish. And finishing was my goal. My only goal. At the end of it all I did enjoy it. I loved how the crowd just cheered everyone on. I wish Chicago had a race that just ran up and down Halsted in Boystown because that was my favorite neighborhood by far. I don't know if I would run next year (unless I can do that 10 minute mile by then) but I will be cheering in Boystown!

Thank you to friends and family who supported me! And thank you to everyone on the streets of Chicago who cheered and offered food and water and misting stations. And to the volunteers and police and medical teams! I am in awe of how many people were out there to support the runners! And who smiled and cheered the entire time. It was a hot day, maybe not as hot as last year but it was still toasty and there were so many people out for the race. And to the Team in Training coaches and other TNT individuals who helped me out with fundraising. TNT is a great charity to run with and the coaches are incredible! I know when I started and when I finished and that was many hours from beginning to end. So to everyone who stayed out and cheered us on from start to finish, THANK YOU!!!

Next up, Trick or Treat Trot 5k and the Turkey Trot 8k!

Just a short update...

2008-10-11T07:29:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day! In 24 hours and 30 minutes the starting gun will go off!

Yesterday my folks and I headed down to McCormick Center to go to the expo so I could pick up my race packet. And OMG... BEST GOODY BAG EVER!!! And VW was there with the old Beetle from the commercials and they were screenprinting free tees and they had goody bags also. And if you showed your VW key you got another free tee that the workers were wearing. I'll have to post a photo of the swag inside but it was so worth giving away my info to them. I have a 2000 New Beetle and I just love my car. There are some design flaws but the car is so freaking fun to drive that I mostly forget about the flaws.

We had to drive past Grant Park to get to the expo and I admit, seeing all those tents and Port-O-Lets made me queasy. I was starting to feel okay about things until I saw the start/finish area. Now I have nerves.

I want to blog more about the expo and my race thoughts but I don't think I can really get those down right now. I'm trying not to freak myself out. I am excited and VERY nervous. Incredibly nervous.

Weather and race ramblings...

2008-10-08T08:05:00.005-05:00

I have been checking the weather report every day, many times a day, since Saturday. Sunday's report has gone from cool and sunny, to cool and rainy, to warm and now to sunny and moderately humid with a high of 76. I was hoping for the low 70's but at least the rain has disappeared.

I am flipping between confidence to downright fear. There are piles of gear all over the house. There are clothes on the dining room table and after-race food on the sideboard and my packed fuel belt and running hat on the entertainment center. And every once in a while, many times a day, I wander over to the different piles and arrange things. I pick up my fuel belt and try it on. I grab both running hats and try those on. My Disney marathon hat is a heavier weight fabric than the other and I can't decide which to wear. I want Disney to focus but if the weather is too hot then the lightweight hat would be better. Then I make sure I have lip balm and $20 in my wristpack.

Next is the clothing. Weather determines capris or shorts. No question on the shirt, I wear my purple Team in Training tee. Two pair of socks are sitting out on top of two sports bras. Do I wear a headband thingy to keep stray hair and sweat out of my eyes? I check the clothing, folding and refolding to make the pile look neater.

I'm lucky that the boy agrees to carry my backpack full of items instead of me having to check gear. And I'm lucky he goes with me and drives so I never have to worry about parking. He drops me off and finds a place and that way I am never late.

This week I've been trying to be mindful about hydration and food. I'm reading and rereading all my TNT emails and websites about race prep. I'm trying to to get down on myself over speed and just focusing on what I've trained to do. I know where my weaknesses lie. I know the problems I've had during my training and I'm aware of what I need to do to get past them.

I still need to find a running song since there are no MP3 players allowed. So far my mind won't let go of the Cure's "Fire in Cairo". Maybe I should pick something a little speedier like the White Stripe's "Icky Thump". I wonder what the BPM is for those songs... maybe an intense NIN song is what I need. For the half marathon I had the Dresden Dolls' "Girl Anachronism" but I think I need a new song for this race.

In case anyone other than me is keeping count, I've participated in the following races this year:

Disney Marathon - January 13
St. Patty's Day5k - March 16
Race to Wrigley 5k - April 13
United Run for the Zoo 10k - June 1
Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon - August 10
Nike+ Human Race - August 31

Coming up next are the following:

Chicago Marathon in 3 days and 20-some hours
Trick or Treat Trot 5k - October 26
Turkey Trot 8k - November 27

That all adds up to 8 wonderful technical tees (the St. Patty's Day tee was just a long-sleeve cotton tee)! I have quite the collection!

I have to keep signing up for races so I have a reason to continue running. I'm a pretty lazy person so I need those incentives. Especially when I am going to go back to Disney and finish that damned marathon!

Second quilt winner!!

2008-10-06T14:01:00.004-05:00

I almost forgot to do the drawing yesterday because we partook of my favorite Sunday activity, Pancakes, Puppies and Parks! This means the boy and I go out somewhere I can get pancakes and then we take the pups and go hiking. Yesterday it started raining right before we arrived at the park but the boy stopped to buy a cheap raincoat from Walgreen's so he could loan me his jacket. It was pretty rainy the entire time but it was nice to be outside and hiking (even though I am so not fond of being in the rain).

Anyway, when we got home I printed out the names of those who donated to my Team in training fundraising (btw, I was $600 short of the TNT goal) and got to work cutting and folding everyone's names to put into the grab bowl. The boy got to be my name picker and the name he picked from the bowl is...

Tony and Jane Cugino!

Yep! My dad and his wife won the second quilt drawing. Congrats to the lucky couple and THANK YOU to everyone who donated money to my Team in Training fundraising. I am very grateful to everyone who sponsored me, especially during these crazy economic times.

Team in Training has been a great organization to train with and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does such wonderful work towards finding a cure for blood cancers. I've read some harsh comments online about how TNT is dumbing down running by "elite runners" but those complaints don't add up for my team and what I've experienced. TNT runners are supportive of all runners, not just fellow runners in purple shirts and we were always reminded about proper course etiquette. I've seen just as much inconsiderate runners out on the path that were not TNT members so quite honestly, we're not always the guilty party. I've learned a lot about myself and running these past 5-6 months and that is all thanks to Team in Training. I may not be fast or able to run over a long period of time but that doesn't make me a bad runner. It just means I have a lot more training I need to do to become one of the fast people.

Not meaning to rant or anything... I went off on a tangent. *laugh* I did want to thank everyone for their support and congratulate my dad and Jane on winning the second quilt! Of course now I need to call them and let them know.

Doubting myself...

2008-10-04T14:54:00.003-05:00

I went to my last Team in Training run today. It's the first time I've run in a while. My back felt fine while I ran but it's a little sore now. Nothing to terribly bad.

With a week to go, I am already starting to worry about finishing. I worry I won't be fast enough. I don't worry that I can't finish the 26.2 miles, only that I can't finish it within the time allowed. This has really been bothering me because I keep thinking I've had all these setbacks and I'm not trying to whine but GI problems have really slowed me down. I really wish I'd have seen my doctor sooner about the problem but everyone kept telling me the problem would eventually go away. It didn't. If I'd have gone sooner I could have gotten the help I needed. I could have been able to train faster.

Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda.

Will I be fast enough to finish the marathon? I hope but I don't know. The only thing I am certain of is I will not be quitting. If I get swept it won't be for lack of effort. But you don't get a finishers medal unless you cross the finish line. And not crossing frightens me. So many people sponsored me through Team in Training. I hate the thought of letting anyone down. I don't want to disappoint anyone. Will that get me the speed I need? I have no idea.

I am working on my strategy. I am shortening my walk interval again. I'll make myself a splits chart so I know where I need to be at what time. I'll be preparing all next week so the GI problems won't be an issue, I know what I can eat and what to avoid at all costs. I'll be stretching even more so my back won't be an issue. I will be on top of hydration throughout the entire week and I'll make certain to get enough salt so cramping doesn't occur (I don't need another experience like I had with my 16 miler). I have clothing that doesn't chaff and shoes that are new enough to give me support and worn enough to not need to be broken in. I have gel with the electrolytes I need (and salt packets in case I need more). So the only thing I need to worry about on race day is my speed.

Please let me be fast enough to finish! Please let me finish and be excited about signing up for another marathon!

R.E.A.D. in America Day (or why I love books)

2008-09-28T16:22:00.004-05:00

As posted in Livejournal... In celebration of R.E.A.D. in America Day, tell us about what you're reading. How is reading important to you? What would you recommend to others?

It's funny... I didn't know this was today and yet that is what I've been doing all day (besides some internet forays). Right now I am reading the Sookie Stackhouse books and I've just finished Dead to the World and am reading Dead as a Doornail. They're good, light reading. And I've been wondering why vamp/were novels always have the heroine going for the vamp more often than the were. Vamps always seem to come first. *shut up ya pervs*

Reading is the number one thing I love. You can take away my movies and television, music and internet. Just leave me my books. When I was little I remember trying to teach myself to read with the Little House books. I remember always getting confused with "now" and "know". I'd sit in my closet with my books and pick out words that I knew and try to make sense of the books based on those words. I was in 3rd grade when I read my first book through in one afternoon. That was Little Sioux Girl. I think I woke up early and picked it up to read since everyone else was still sleeping. After that there was no stopping me. I'd read cereal boxes if I couldn't find a book to read.

My grandma babysat my sister and I a lot and she loved to read (my mom is also a great reader and my niece reminds me much of myself at that age, always carrying around a book... this makes me very happy). Grandma had this basket of books in her living room and I'd always grab one to read while everyone else watched television. My favorite was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Girl of the Limberlost. She also had a book about Jack the Ripper that intrigued me. The photos were gruesome and sometimes gave me nightmares but I couldn't stop myself from reading bits of it when I was over at her house. I must have been in first grade at the time so it was a bizarre choice of reading material.

When I was in fifth grade I found a copy of Roots and was determined to finish it one summer. It took me until seventh grade to actually read it through. That was probably the first huge novel I'd read. And after that no novel was safe, no matter how thick. I would read any fiction I could get my hands on. Somehow many of those were Harlequin romances although for the life of me I cannot remember where I'd first got them but I had two large trash bags of them by the time I graduated high school. I read Stephen King and V.C. Andrews and many classics also but I loved the trashiness of romance novels, particularly the historical romance novels (I still do but I can't remember the last time I spent money on one)

When I was sixteen I saw David Lynch's "Dune"and was fascinated by the sandworms. I remember seeing the trailers for the movie but I couldn't talk any of my family into taking me to see it. Even my friends didn't want to see it. One weekend my folks rented it so I finally got to sit down and see what those sandworms were all about. When I discovered it was a novel by Frank Herbert I immediately went to my school library and tracked it down. I fell in love with science fiction right then and there. One of my schoolmates saw me in the sci-fi section and he recommended Robert Heinlein to me (it was either Tim or Thom Holbrook, I wish I could remember which!). The first Heinlein book I read was I Will Fear No Evil and after that I had to read everything I could find that he'd written. And no, I don't find him sexist and I don't believe my love of his books makes me a bad feminist. He is what he is/He was what he was. He didn't write women very well but then he isn't the first male writer to write poorly developed female characters.

To this day sci-fi is still my favorite genre. I love how open and adventurous it is. Anything can happen in sci-fi. Fantasy is interesting but space travel, that's where it's at. I do get upset sometimes that there aren't enough women writing sci-fi. I often wonder if there are but maybe there's a glass ceiling for female sci-fi writers. I want more writers like Sheri S. Tepper and Marge Piercy.

But right now I am off to read more Sookie Stackhouse adventures and wonder why she just doesn't jump all over Alcide.

Arnica! And ramblings about school, public speaking and art...

2008-09-28T10:21:00.006-05:00

My doctor is great! When I was seeing the two specialists for my Raynaud's I never felt they really listened to me. But my gp listens, really listens. And she isn't quick to write scripts for meds, she'd much rather go with fixing things without meds first. So Friday she talked to me about stretching in order to loosen my back and told me to take arnica pellets and use arnica gel on my back. Yes, the pills are technically meds but they're homeopathic which seems better to me than big company pharmaceuticals. She also have me the card of a chiropractor and said she'd fax over a referral if I needed one.

Tomorrow I am going to try and run and see how my back feels. I need to test things out so I know how I feel. I have two weeks before the Chicago marathon. I need to know my back won't kill me because 26.2 miles at my pace is a long time. Hours and hours. I have enough to worry about with my GI problems. I don't need to add my back to the mix.

In other news... I am reading my way through the Sookie Stackhouse books. I love that they're just interesting and light reading. And I think HBO has done a great job so far with the "True Blood" television series.

Also, my environmental literacy class proves to be very interesting. There are only four other students in the class (4 women and one man) and I'm the only one without any degree whatsoever. I do worry about the 15 minute presentation I have to give in front of the class. Public speaking makes me ill. I am hoping to put together a slideshow with some video so I don't have to talk so much. In high school I did duet acting on the speech team with my wonderful friend Kimberlie and I'd really love to know how that happened. How on earth did I manage to do that? I wasn't good at all but I was able to talk with her in front of a classroom without throwing up. It boggles the mind. It couldn't have been my idea. *laugh*

Today I think I will paint. Hopefully my acrylics aren't all dried out. I want to sew but that means dragging a lot upstairs to the dining room and I don't want to have to clean it all up again in two weeks when my folks come out. I'll wait until after their visit. But the painting mess will be easier to clean up. I'm a horrible painter but every so often I try again. I'm much better at textiles.

The dreaded doctor's visit...

2008-09-25T15:41:00.002-05:00

...is tomorrow.

My doctor is wonderful but I still dread going. After the whole blood clot emergency hospital visit of 2003 I've feared going in when something hurts. I was only able to go to the emergency room in 2003 because my Bosswoman talked me into it and then talked to me while I walked across the street to the hospital (our apartment at the time was across the street from the hospital). That trip got me an immediate hospital stay for 4 days and an angiogram. And I got snarked at by the nurse who was checking me in because I did not have a general practitioner. I also got on the patient list of 2 specialists, got put on blood thinners and had to get my blood tested once a month for the next three years.

So when I need to go see my doctor for a problem, I worry that something bad will happen and I'll get bad news. I don't know what news I'll get tomorrow. I don't want to have to go see a specialist for my back. It feels fairly good now but long walks and any running makes it ache and that isn't normal. I have 16 more days until the Chicago marathon and I need to be better. I haven't been able to run in almost 2 weeks and that can't be good. I was unable to do my 20 miles and that freaks me out (although I did the 18 miles so it's not like I missed a huge jump in mileage). I still have to get up and stretch regularly while I sit at my desk and work or I hurt otherwise.

This is just so frustrating. What if my doctor says I cannot run? Months of training and so many donations only to be told no? But then I don't want to totally ruin my back. I can train for another marathon when I heal but it would be worse to run and do permanent damage. So tomorrow's doctor visit scares me. I want to cry.

Delayed 20 miles and other ramblings...

2008-09-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

Due to hurting my back in the great backyard flood of 2008 I was unable to do my 20 mile run yesterday. This annoys me. My back is getting better but standing too long and walking too much causes some achiness in the small of my back. Aleve helps but it doesn't get rid of that last spot. I found some Biofreeze and another muscle salve I had so I'm going to give that a shot today and see if it helps. And if it does then Tuesday will be my 20 mile run!

School also starts for me on Wednesday. I'm taking an environmental literacy class. What I am really wondering is whether or not I should continue school or just focus on art. I really enjoy school but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up and Northwestern is too expensive to just take classes willy nilly. I need to get a job at NU so 80% of my tuition would be covered. That's one thing I miss about not living in Ohio, I had free tuition because of my job.

Today I am going to break out my paints and fabrics. I want to work on an art quilt I started about 3-4 years ago and didn't finish. It's really too large for my tiny machine to handle but I am thinking about chopping it down and creating something for my office. I have two empty walls and they need something badly. I should take a photo because I painted over the orange and now the room is a nice shade of green (one wall is a darker green than the other three but still bright and cheery). The boy also built me a shelving unit over the radiator so now I have functional storage above the radiator that had been limiting the room.

Plus I've been trying to get rid of all the cluttery nonsense that seems to breed like rabbits. We donated 11 bags of clothes and shoes and 4 boxes of kitchen items. I went through all my shoes and only kept the ones I currently wear. Lots of Converse that I rarely wore. I kept a silver pair and a green and pink pair and the rest were donated. I kept my pink Fluevog cowgirl boots even though they're too small for comfort. And I kept my old leather biker jacket for my niece. I wish I had remembered to give the jacket to the boy to give to my step-dad so he could give it to my niece when he saw her. Maybe she can wear the Fluevogs. They are pretty kick-ass.

I wish my back would get better! I think I'll go stretch again because I want to start running again! *arghhh*

Ouchies!

2008-09-16T14:48:00.003-05:00

Friday night we got hit by some terrible rainstorms. By Saturday morning our back yard was a foot deep in water. To get to our garage we would have to wade through all that water. The boy went out to the hardware stores trying to track down a pump so we could drain our yard but every store he went to was sold out. I saw him filling up a bucket to dump in the alley so I went out to help. Our wonderful neighbors to the east saw him also and J came out and loaned us their pump. I had the bright idea that I would continue to bucket out the water while the pump was working because there was a LOT of water. The boy and I formed a bucket brigade which lasted maybe 15 minutes before my back started to ache. It didn't seem like the water was going down at all and it just kept raining and raining hard! Since there wasn't much else to do besides watch the pump work and the rain fall, we went back into the house.

Sunday was pretty much more of the same. I think George's bladder stretched to dynamic proportions because peeing in the rain was the last thing he wanted to do. poor pup! I really wanted to go see a movie but instead I vacuumed the house and it is then that I twisted somehow and really wrenched my already sore back.

The last time I hurt my back had been a couple years back when I was exercising with a friend. I was getting off one of the machines and twisted wrong. Even bbreathing deeply caused severe pain. I was in Ohio at the time and it got so bad that I couldn't even get up off the floor without help. My step-dad had to lift me up a couple times. I almost couldn't make it up off the toilet but the thought of having my step-dad come in and help me up scared me even more. *laugh* Luckily I didn't hurt my back that badly this time (especially since my step-dad and mom are in Colorado on vacation and not here to help) but it does hurt to sit upright for too long.

Right now I have one of those activated charcoal heat packs stuck on my back. The heat seems to help (and helps me stay warm since it is chilly inside the house and my Raynaud's is aggravated by the weather). I'm trying to take it very very easy because I am scheduled for 20 miles on Saturday and I NEED to be pain-free before then. I cannot afford to miss this run. I HAVE to be able to run on Saturday.

This Friday is a big deal for my step-dad. He is getting inducted into the football hall of fame for our high school. He gets to be introduced at Friday night's football game at halftime and then there is a ceremony afterward at the high school. I am disappointed that I will miss it but between work and the time it would take driving out there and fitting in my 20 mile run I just can't be there. I am a lousy daughter! :(

Insomnia...

2008-09-14T03:44:00.003-05:00

Only, not quite. I woke up with a headache so I stayed up until the aspirin I took kicked in. And now I am watching some edited for television horror movie and craving a cupcake. It's 3:45am and I am seriously considering baking a cake. And I want to either paint or sew. I have an idea that would work for either medium.

Which is something I've been thinking about lately. Art. I keep changing my mind about school. I really enjoy school but I feel like it will be forever before I finish my degree and what do I really want to do when I grow up anyway. But I always want to make things. Maybe I should just get a job that will keep me in money to pay the bills and with enough left over to make art. Make art quilts. Maybe I need to focus on that instead of getting a degree in something. Or maybe get my degree in graphic design because I know that and I could work in publishing layout. I don't want to do web design forever, besides my skills aren't up to industry standard. It would be difficult to quit my current job because I love the people there and I really miss physically working in the office.

I believe today I will break out my paints and play around one one of the canvases I have in the basement. I bought a couple when we were living in the apartment 3 years ago. Painting may be a good way to work on art quilt ideas. I can "see" my ideas but I never put them down on paper. I prefer to work serendipitously. I like to lay out my fabrics and see what looks best rather than plan things out ahead and then work on the fabric. Especially since I prefer hand-dyed/batiked fabrics and not factory prints. Hand-dyed/batiked fabrics are unique and take more work to use because of the randomness of the batik (at least the ones I choose are random).

Maybe I should go to bed. Or maybe I should go dig out my paints and get things set up. Except I am a bit sleepy. And I need more aspirin.

31 days and counting!

2008-09-10T09:38:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday's run was a beautiful 18 miles. The weather was PERFECT! Even the death strip along the lakefront from North to the beginning of Michigan Avenue was nice. The sun was very bright but the temperature was only in the mid to upper 70's. After the run there was a picnic but I really didn't partake because eating is usually the last thing I want after so many miles. I did drink a lot of Gatoraid and water and a few pretzels but nothing else sounded good. I really wanted a chocolate milkshake but I just settled for a big glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink when I got home. Honestly, chocolate milk is the PERFECT after-run drink.

Nothing horrible happened during the run. My magic pills are not so magic so I had to stop for a couple port-o-lets along the way. That is disappointing. I need to remember to call my doc and see if I can take two pills. I can manage a 1 minute run before the urge strikes and then I need to walk it off.

I also need to speed things up more. Sometimes my mental wanderings lead me offtrack. Laziness rather than "OMG I can't do it". I'll have to blog more about it once I figure it all out in my head. I know the answer is there somewhere! I do know this isn't something I'm going to quit after October 12th.

Nike+ Human Race - Chicago

2008-09-02T15:27:00.004-05:00

When I went to pick up my packet for the Chicago Distance Classic there was a booth for the Nike+ 10k Human Race. For $35 I got a tee and got to choose a charity to donate my fee to, and I would be signed up for this amazing race.

Amazing.

Sunday was the big event. The start line was outside of Soldier Field and the race was scheduled to begin at 6:30pm. At 6:20pm I headed to my pace group area. At 6:30pm... no starting gun. At 6:40pm someone sang the national anthem and right after the race began.

Let me describe this to you... The start area was on a street that was two cars wide. The actual starting line that you had to cross in order for your chip to start the timing was 3-4 people across. They funneled 14,000 runners through this tiny start area. I did not actually cross the start line until a few minutes after 7pm. While I was in the back of the pack, there were plenty of people behind me. Loads! But anyway, after the runners crossed that narrow start line the path widened back to an area 2 cars wide.

The course headed south on a side street parallel with Lake Shore Drive for 3 miles and then swung over to land us on the bike path heading north for the last half of the race. I hit the first mile marker at 36 minutes from the time the first runner crossed the start. So that gave me about a 15'ish minute pace.

The next marker I saw was for the 2.5k point. I have no idea why the markers went from miles to kilometers and this was pretty annoying. Somewhere between the 1 mile marker and the 2.5k marker there was a water station and a live band. I have no idea who the band was because there was no sign but they sounded pretty decent. I wish I knew!

A bit past the band the course swung east towards the lake. I knew I couldn't have hit mile 3 already, it seemed to soon even though I thought I was making good time. I'd been passing a number of runners and the cop cars at the back were far back (I'd passed them near the start of the race). I followed the course people at the first turn but when I got to the other side of the cross street there were only police directing traffic. There were orange cones leading the way so the bunch I was with followed the cones which led us right into the northbound path of the race runners. This was not a good sign as where we had a "merge" area, there were MANY runners south of us.

Somehow we were detoured 2.5 miles to a shorter course.

There were NO signs or course people directing us. The group of runners I was with all looked at each other and kept asking "are we supposed to just merge?" It couldn't be right but there was so course area blocked off for us to run south. In fact the whole bike/running path was filled with runners running north. There was no way we could head south to get our miles. So we merged.

There are no words for how I felt. I was using this race to determine my pace after training setbacks. I was finally able to add more running to my training and suddenly my 10k turned into a 5k. There was no course officials around to tell me what the hell was up. And as a slow runner I stick to the right side of paths to keep out of the way of those serious runners who manage a -9 minute pace. It took almost a mile for me to get to the right side of the path and out of the way of those faster than myself.

I ran back the rest of the race being furious. I got to the finish line in about an hour from when I started and there in front of me was another poor planning decision.

After we crossed the finish line we were stuck in this mass of runners. To the far right there were volunteers handing out the awards. The finish area was corralled in so thousands of runners were fenced in and funneled through another 2-3 person-wide exit area. We were told to remove our chip timers but they had been attached to our shoes with plastic dealies which really needed to be cut off. And at most races there are people right at the finish helping cut those timers off. Not so at this race. We didn't see those people until AFTER were managed to squeak through that tiny exit in the fencing. And it should be pointed out that at this time it was dark and these chip collectors were working in the dark. And I believe they were only on one side of that exit area. I saw about 4 people working as collectors for the 14,000 runners.

As for water which is usually RIGHT at the finish line, we had to be able to make it through that tiny exit area, squeeze past the runners getting their chips removed and walk a bit of a ways just for a bottle of water. No gatoraid, just water. And Powerbar smoothie bars. There were little cups of yogurt and Bare Naked granola across from the water area but I don't believe I saw bananas or anything salty like I've seen at other races.

The whole race seemed horribly planned, as though Nike did no research on how to run a race. My race was cut short by 2'ish miles and the only reason I can come up with is that Fall Out Boy was supposed to start at a certain time so they wanted all runners to be finished on time even though the race started late. I didn't stay for the concert and was I was leaving I saw many other red-shirted runners leaving also.

The race was a great idea and the award bracelets finishers received were cool but the race itself was so poorly organized. I cannot find ANYTHING online to tell me why I was detoured from 2+ miles. I was not even close to being in the very back of the pack this time and my crossing the finish line was not acceptable to me. It wasn't a real finish and I have no information as to why things were handled the way they were.

Would I run this again if Nike organized another Human Race? I don't know for certain. The idea is exciting but after Sunday's experience, I am not pleased. I paid for a race and didn't get what I paid for. Just because Nike donated my fee makes little difference as far as my expectations are concerned. Badly done, Nike.

Mid-week mumblings...

2008-08-27T15:17:00.002-05:00

I can't believe September is almost here! I am scheduled for one class this fall quarter and I am really looking forward to it. Environmental Literacy! The course description is "Basic concepts of environmental sciences and how they are applied to public decisions. Risks, regulations, and basic engineering concepts concerning air and water resources, pollution control, solid and hazardous waste, and energy sources. Environmental problems viewed from an integrated, multidisciplinary analysis/decision/solution standpoint." The book was selling for $140 on Amazon. And no, that is not a typo. $140 for a freakin' book! I'm not certain one Heinlein first edition cost that much. But lucky for me there was an Amazon seller who had it for $58 shipped. *whew*

Saturday there is a 12 mile run scheduled but I haven't decided what to do about it. One of my coaches said it was okay to miss it and do the 10k on Sunday since 12 miles is a cutback. But I'm thinking I may still go out and just do a shorter run.

And if anyone is curious about the amount of fundraising the Illinois chapter of Team in Training raises for individual races... check this out!

Fundraising Update:
Steelhead: $29,903.91
CDC: $114,259.13
Chicago Triathlon: $208,872.58
Apple Cider: $46,943.92
Chicago Marathon: $412,685.31
Nike: $89,222.23
Combo: $112,202.84 (this is just for people who signed up to do the CDC and the Chicago Marathon... the totals for those races listed above are from participants running that race only)

Isn't that amazing! That is almost a half a million dollars for the Chicago marathon this year. And just from the Illinois chapter!

I am still $635 short of the TNT goal so if you can help, please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Let me tell you about Saturday...

2008-08-25T09:14:00.003-05:00

The horror!

Saturday I was really, really excited about the 16 miles that was scheduled. I had magic pills from the doctor and I was looking forward to seeing if they would work. The first 4-5 miles were nice and cool. I managed to not get on the wrong path (or to make a detour through the Lincoln Park Zoo) and was able to run! Run without needing to track down a port-o-let!

And then... and then... I had to run over a walkway crossing Lake Shore Drive. On the other side was a 5 mile stretch of shadeless path. The temperature was in the mid-80's and it was muggy! I got slower and slower. The heat began making me dizzy and when I drank, I became nauseous. I was drinking and taking in Gu but what I found out later was the Gu did not have enough electrolytes or sodium. My poor coach, I feel bad that he ran the last 1/3 of the course with me. I kept getting dizzy and sick. I was fortunate enough to be on a trail where there were plenty of water stops. And I'd put a $20 in my fuel belt in case of emergencies. We stopped to find some salt and I bought a Gatoraid. Nothing so bad as having to lick salt out of your hand just to make it to the finish (there could be but I don't go on backpacking trips to find out).

The salt helped a bit. My coach talked to me about dehydration and its opposite, hyponatremia. I'd been drinking enough water while running but I did not have enough salt in me. And I just wanted to cry. I was so excited about not enduring my usual dreaded running problem and here I had another problem. I just wanted to quicken my pace!

My coach and I made it back to our finish point without calling for a car pickup but it took a long time. I had to keep stopping due to dizziness and nausea. And my calves were cramping enough that I was limping the last 4 miles.

So Saturday's lesson is: take salt packets along for the run! I also picked up some Powerbar gels with 8% sodium (my Gu had 2%) and a Kool Tie to take along for those pesky long runs. And even after all the problems from the run (I also had a HUGE blister on my foot from my new running shoes) I wasn't terribly out of sorts on Sunday. That I feel good the day after a long run makes me happy. I remember when 4 miles would kill me. I may not be fast but I am healthier and more fit (although I still have a ways to go). I may never even get to the point where I love running but I do love having race shirts! They're proof for me that I can participate.

This coming Saturday is 12 miles and I have also signed up for the Nike+ 10k Human Race on Sunday. I was told I could skip Saturday's run (it's a cutback week) and do the race on Sunday. The race concept intrigues me. 25 cities are participating with an organized run and anyone can participate on their own by doing the 10k while wearing their Nike+ gear and submitting the results online. And not to be a gung-ho supporter of Nike+ but it is really nice to see those miles add up with the gear.

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Woohoo!

2008-08-21T09:36:00.005-05:00

Now, I really dislike taking medication but I will forget about that and be thrilled that I have pills! I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday to take care of some medical stuff for school and I remembered to speak with my doc about the dreaded running issue. She prescribed Dicyclomine which is prescribed for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). She said if this does not help during my long runs she will send me to a gastroenterologist. I hope the pills work. I only need to take one about 1-2 hours before a run so if this works I'll be set! I admit, I am excited about Saturday's run now because I really want to run more and if this little blue pill will allow me to run without interruption, I will be so happy! I know I can speed up if I didn't have the dreaded "urge" all the time.

Plus, I get to test my new running shoes on a long run! And the thought of being excited for a 16 mile/5 hour run is so bizarre to me that I start giggling. This excitement coming from a girl who had to be forcefully removed from her bedroom and made to play outside by her step-dad. *laugh* I would go outside but I always brought a book with me to read. I haven't changed much in that regard.

Yesterday I also had a hair appointment. It had been about a year since my last haircut so I was overdue. I am in love with Red 7 in Evanston and Matt there is simply wonderful. I just let him do his thing and I am never disappointed. Yesterday he chopped off about 6 inches so now my hair is chin-length and no longer looks all schlumpy. The shampoo woman also does a scalp massage and hand massage and everyone is there offering beverages and snacks in the morning. Out of all the salons in the Chicagoland area, Red 7 is the only salon I've returned to regularly. The salon is totally hip without being in yer face trendy (like Art + Science) and the stylists are friendly and the owners are wonderful. Honestly, 7 years of living here and I never found anyplace I liked until Red 7 opened in Evanston.

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Back to the training...

2008-08-18T14:55:00.005-05:00

Saturday's run was only 90 minutes. And it was a very cold morning. I hadn't gotten much sleep and was woken up around 4am by George. I also did not feel very well. It took everything in me to get ready and leave the house for the run.

Our team had shrunk by over half by the looks of it. The fall team is training for a number of runs but most of the team must have been made up by CDC participants. We also had the small winter team joining us. I won't envy them their winter runs! But seeing as how I will most likely be joining Team in Training again to prepare for my return to Disney World marathon, I'll have to start preparing now for those snowy runs.

Saturday I also got fitted for a new pair of running shoes. I had to run outside on the city sidewalk while the shoe guy watched how I ran. It was hot and I was not dressed for running so I was a bit embarrassed. He said my new shoes should last me until a month or so after the full marathon, about 300 miles. I laughed because really, 300 miles between now and November? Sounds awfully high. But then I did the math and yes, I will have covered about 300 miles by then. That is so freaky to think about! I don't even DRIVE that many miles in that many months.

Saturday was also the Team in Training 20th birthday celebration in Oakbrook Terrace. I had a quilt entered for the silent auction. It was won for $150 by... the boy! He said it was worth more than the $100 bid and I'd joked that I really wanted to keep it for myself so he bid and won. Now I need to sew straps on the back so it can be hung on a wall per the boy's request. It really did turn out well.

Wednesday I have an appointment to get a general physical and get some paperwork done for school. I'm going to ask my doc about some help with my running problem. Imodium just doesn't work well and Pepto only works a little bit better. I've changed my eating habits but nothing really seems to have made the dreaded trots better. I can't let this slow me down anymore! I know I can speed up my time if I didn't have the cursed urge to search out every port-o-let on the course.

I also have an appointment with my stylist for a haircut. I love the guy. I haven't been since last September so I'm overdue. I'm thinking of going very short but I'm a bit scared. I haven't had super short hair for about 5 years now. Hopefully Matt will have some good ideas on what to do because I need a change badly.

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Thank you so much Susie and Margaret for your donations. You've helped me get closer to my fundraising goal and helped the LLS get closer to their goal of finding a cure for blood cancers!

I'm a CDC finisher!!

2008-08-11T14:52:00.004-05:00

I may be slow but I did it! I finished the Chicago Distance Classic in under the 4 hour time limit (3 hours, 44 minutes and 32 seconds). I was not the slowest person on the course, nor was I the slowest person in my division. And I have my first medal!

Sunday I woke up at 3:45am so I would have plenty of time to eat breakfast and let it digest. I made a bagel with a bit of cream cheese but it made me want to gag. So I switched to oatmeal and my usual pre-run grape Gatoraid. I showered, dressed, applied the glorious goo that is Body Glide, laced up my shoes, grabbed my fuel belt and was ready to go! The boy and my mom took bikes so they could meet up with me along the route while my step-dad took a folding chair so he could sit near the finish line (he has a bad back).

I got dropped off and went to find the Team in Training tent to sign in (only we didn't need to sign in) and find an empty Port-o-Let. TNT had 3 right near their tent and the line only had a few people. MUCH nicer than the long lines at Disney. I ran into one of my team's mentors who I'd first met at the kick-off party. She had been so helpful about answering questions and she comes up and says hi at our runs (which is nice because I don't know many people there). And then I saw a woman I've run with once before. We chatted and went to get in line.

The CDC had a wave start so we had to know our pace and get to where that time was listed. There were 4 waves with about 2,500 people in each. Fastest pace groups first and then after 2+ minutes another wave would be sent out. This was so there would be no bottlenecks once the route narrowed around mile 5.

I should point out that I wasn't nervous. I kept telling myself that I'd already done 12 miles at a recent TNT Saturday run (before the taper) so I knew I could complete 13.1. And we were running along the south section of the same trailway I run each Saturday. The weather was in the low 70's and sunny, couldn't have been a nicer day. I'd eaten what I needed to and I'd gotten enough sleep. So other than the "dreaded trots" there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

When my wave started out I took off running at my normal speed. I didn't try to keep up with anyone near me because I knew I had to keep with how I trained. And I trained to finish, not to make a personal best time. The only personal best I cared about was finishing.

Anyway, other than my usual intestinal discomfort I was feeling great! I ran until my cardio or my intestines complained and then I walked fast. I took some Gu about every 45+ minutes when I spotted a water station. I swallowed a Gu (Espresso Love wins over Chocolate Outrage) before the station and then grabbed a water. A couple sips to wash the Gu down and I was off! And I have mastered the drink and walk!

I saw my folks and the boy about a half-mile into the run and then I saw my mom and the boy about 3 miles later as they biked alongside me for a few minutes. It was just me and Dresden Dolls after that. The rule was no musical electronics so I followed the rule. I was one of the few who did, many people on the course were wearing headphones. I decided I still needed music so I mentally sand along to Girl Anachronism by the Dresden Dolls.

The path twisted and turned near the 6.5 mile area before shooting us out onto the lakefront running and biking path. I'd never been on the path south of the loop before and it is really lovely there. The bad thing was the headwind. It was really blowing and slowing me down. Not sure why but I haven't had that problem north of the loop before. The boy, my mom and the boy's cousin Ali met up with me again around the 8-9 mile mark. It was nice to chat with them as I made my way along the course. I was feeling so good outside of the intestinal problems. I'd had no unusual aches or pains. I was just happy to be out there. It's funny how happy I am after we get past mile 8 in the trainings. Before 8 miles I hate running but after hitting the 8 mile mark in training I stop thinking about how I hate running. *laugh*

I met up with a TNT teammate from Columbus, Ohio around mile 11. She was ahead of me at the beginning of the race but I'd caught up with her near the end. I stopped and asked where she was from and we talked about Ohio State and Kent State and various sports teams. She was having some cramping so I decided to run alongside her just in case she needed help. My timing would be slower but I didn't want to run off and leave her alone with her pain. She laughed when I told her I'd carry her across if she needed me to.

When we weaved our way through the twisty bits of the course right before the 13 mile marker we could hear The Penguin announcing the runners. My step-dad and Ali were on either side of the course cheering me on and as I got closer to the finish I heard The Penguin saying my name and telling me my mom was looking for me. *laugh*

My teammate and I were met by two TNT coaches. The woman high-fived us and ran with us closer to the finish line. Then one of my coaches for the Chicago team joined us as we made our way to the final 100 meters. I asked my teammate if she could run and she said she'd give it a try. We started up and ran the final distance and crossed the finish line together.

So I finished the CDC in 3:44:32. Not fast at all. But since speed wasn't my goal and finishing was, I am happy. I have a medal for completing a half marathon. And I know what I need to do to raise my speed. I knew starting the race that I would finish but now I have the proof.

3 days and counting!!!

2008-08-06T09:30:00.004-05:00

Well, 3 days if you do not count today and Sunday. I am already nervous. Which is crazy since I've already covered 12 miles so far for our long runs. A half marathon is 13.1 miles. I know I can do 13.1 miles. But I still get nervous because this time it includes my chip timer.

I should take a photo of my marathon items. I have the usual... sports bra, race shirt, compression shorts, running socks and running shoes. Then there is my Amphipod fuel belt which carries a 20 oz. water bottle and has two zippered pockets for my Gu energy gel (I love the Espresso Love and Chocolate Outrage). There are also two little pockets that house my Burt's Bees lip balm and some Imodium tablets. I have an ankle strap that holds my timer chip and a tag with my emergency contact info. I wear my Disney 2008 marathon running hat as a goal reminder. I also have a pink Timex Ironman watch that can be set for interval run times.

I am set for wearable items. I know I am nervous but it's a different sort of nervousness. I know I'm prepared. I know I can finish in the allotted time (4 hours for the half marathon) but sometimes I feel like I am a fool for trying because I am not an athlete. I'm not sure that I will ever get to that point mentally because I have almost 38 years under my belt of being a non-athlete. It's silly, I know. I keep telling myself that at least I am out there trying. I could still be sitting on the couch but instead I am out there running on the same paths that "real" runners are on. I may not look like the ideal runner but at least I am out there trying.

And hell! I have a collection of bib numbers now! I have a bib number from a 35 mile bike ride, 2 5k bibs, a 10k bib and even the dreaded Disney marathon bib.

Maybe I'm an athlete after all!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Silent auction quilt...

2008-08-05T13:10:00.008-05:00

I wish I'd taken photos from the start but here's a few from the early stages to the final product.

The mess of sewing supplies littering my sideboard.

Sewing the beginning blocks...

Trying to figure out what to do about that middle piece.

Getting ready to sew the final 3 top pieces together

The layers all ready to be pinned together.

The finished product! The quilt is 54"x54" and pretty! I am hoping it goes for more than the $100 starting bid price because the cost for materials was about $90.

Can I go back to bed now?

2008-08-04T07:46:00.003-05:00

I spent the weekend sewing a new quilt for the silent auction at the Team in Training 20th anniversary party this month. My back and feet hurt worse after that then they have on any of the long runs so far. I was even up until midnight last night pinning the binding to the edges. I'll post photos later when I get a chance to download them from my camera and upload them to my photobucket account.

My neighbor came over yesterday and I was so excited because I had the names of those who have donated to TNT all cut out and folded up and ready for the first quilt drawing. Seriously! I really wanted to find out who won the first quilt! And I was hoping it wasn't my mom and step-dad (they donated a lot and I wanted to make them a quilt because I am enjoying sewing again and because I was hoping someone else would have a better shot at winning). And even with my folks' name in the drawing, someone else won! And it just so happened that the someone else was the first to return my letter with their donation!

Congrats to Gene and Cathy for winning the first drawing! Thank you so much for your donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training!!! Yours was the first donation I received so it seems only fitting that you won the drawing!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the next quilt raffle! The second drawing is October 5, 2008!

Too hot!

2008-07-30T13:19:00.002-05:00

I went on a little run around the neighborhood and it is just too hot! I know I should get up early in the morning but the dogs make me sleep in. Bad dogs!

It is also too hot to sew. The light above the dining room table puts out a lot of heat and that with the iron makes sewing uncomfortable. Unfortunately I don't have time to give up a day of sewing so I'll have to bear with it. Luckily for me I have a large pitcher of iced green tea in the fridge to sip on while I sew.

The pups are sleeping and probably won't move until the evening. Such a life!Maybe they will sleep quietly while I do some yoga. It is crazy to have drooly boxer lips in your face while yer trying to get into a pose! *laugh*

Busy weekend...

2008-07-29T17:14:00.004-05:00

My folks came out over the weekend and they brought my niece with them. There was so much going on! And too much food was consumed as is usually the case when we have visitors. The great thing about living in the Chicagoland area is all the restaurants. Saturday's run was only 90 minutes as those training for the CDC are in a taper before the half marathon. That's not enough running to counteract all those meals!

And there are only 11 more days until the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon! We received our race shirts but I need to exchange mine. I ordered a size too large in the singlet so I am just going to exchange it for a regular t-shirt style race shirt. I am hoping my ankles heal by the day of the race because I still have a gravel and grit rash where my heels rub against my shoes. The top of my right foot is no longer bruised but my ankles are still scabby. *ick* So not attractive!

This afternoon I've been working on another quilt for the Team in Training's 20th Anniversary dinner's silent auction. I'm actually working with a traditional block pattern of half block strings in purple and green (Team in Training colors). I was unsure when I started sewing a couple blocks together but I am liking the look of them so far, for being traditional block patterns which I typically steer clear of. The fabric consists of mostly batiked/tie-dye with a solid purple, solid green and solid black. I need to get it finished by August 4th so I can photograph it and write up a description to send to TNT. This means I will be sewing all weekend. Saturday's run is only 60 minutes so I should be home by 9am easily.

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Donate $25 and get your name entered into the quilt raffles! The first drawing is this Sunday!

Volunteering...

2008-07-21T07:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I volunteered at the Harbor Lights Triathlon. On the drive up to Waukegan there were all sorts of cars loaded down with bicycles so I knew I was heading the correst way. I parked in the furthest lot from the event and had to hike about 2 miles to get to the volunteer check-in. 2 miles in shoes that did nothing but make the bruising on the top of my right foot hurt even worse. And the heel rubbing against the raw spots on my ankles weren't pleasant either. I tried on different shoes but everything hurt, I just couldn't win.

Anyway, I think I was supposed to mention I was volunteering with Team in Training but when the woman asked if I was with a team, I said no. My first thought was "I'm here alone so no team". Wrong answer. But I got to hang out in the transition pit where the athletes would go from the swimming to the biking and finally the running parts. I pointed them to the bike out areas and the run out areas and checked bike numbers to bib numbers at the end of the event as they left the transition pit. I didn't get to see much of the event other than the running start and when they doubled back to pass the pit and head to the finish line just down the road from me.

It was interesting to see how even if the first swimmers returned and left on the biking portion first, they weren't always the first back for the rest of the events. First wave didn't always mean first finishers. And body type did not determine first finishers. There were so many shapes and sizes and ages of athletes! And the most fit people weren't necessarily first finishers.

There was this one man, somewhere between 60-70 yeas old, who did the entire triathlon in black swimming briefs. I heard people laughing at him as he ran out, even I smiled but for different reasons. Here was this older man wearing black briefs and more naked than any other triathlete and yet he pulled it off. And he was doing well. And doing something that the crowd, many of which laughed, were not doing. I knew I couldn't do what he was doing (oh, maybe I could but I wasn't and probably wouldn't ever). It strikes me as bad form to make fun of someone, for whatever reason, if they are doing something you are not. (Of course, it is rude to make fun of people anyway because everyone is different in one way or another. But never mind my rambling...) I was impressed by this man because of his attire and for doing something that I was only volunteering to help at.

So anyway, the volunteering was interesting and next time I will remember to mention that I am there with Team in Training.

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

12 miles...

2008-07-19T12:09:00.002-05:00

Actually, I only made it 11 miles but that was due to a foot injury, alas.

I learned something today, it isn't too terrible to run in the rain. And boy howdy did it rain! It never stopped raining. It rained hard and it rained gently. It rained straight down and it rained at an angle. It rained, rained and rained some more.

Unfortunately this rain caused huge, deep rivers all over the crushed limestone path. My shoes were filled with limey water and the grit got all over my legs and ankles. This grit rubbed up against my ankle where my shoe and ankle met up and how I have major gravel rash on my right foot.

This wet shoe problem had me slipping and sliding inside my shoes and I ended up bruising the top of my right foot pretty bad. It's not a visible bruise as though I whacked it into a wall but more of a muscle and tendon bruise and every time my shoe met the top of my foot I was in pain. I'm not sure if it was due to wet shoes or dodging massive puddles or a combination of both but now my foot is in agony. Any pressure on the top of my foot makes me wince (not to mention the grit rubbing on my ankle *eep*). I noticed it around mile 7 and tried pushing through. By mile 10 I was crying and trying to figure out how to step without antagonizing my foot. I had to turn around and head back.

I spoke with one of the coaches and he said to ice it and see what happens. I did remember to ice it when I got home so hopefully that helped. I'll keep icing this week because I am rearranging my long run and doing that on Thursday since my folks and niece are coming out to visit. Yay!!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And big thanks to my Aunt Lisa for her donation! Thank you my aunt!!!

Two weeks later...

2008-07-15T09:43:00.002-05:00

Wow! Okay... we were out of town over 4th of July weekend since there was no Team in Training run scheduled for the 5th. So the boy and I took advantage of that fact and drove out to Ohio to see the family and to go zip lining with my folks. For anyone in the area, check out the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours! And make reservations with Chris and Neil because they were teh best tour guides ever! I have a fear of heights but since my step-dad was able to zip line I decided I would give it a shot. It took about three lines before I was somewhat comfortable. I still screamed like a banshee every time but it did get enjoyable after a while.

Last Saturday's run was canceled due to thunderstorms so I had to make up my run yesterday. 10 miles! The lakefront path was more crowded than I had thought it would be. I figured it being a weekday morning that no one would be out. But there were more people than I'd expected. My ankle hurts again because I forgot to wrap it before I left and I had another headache (although not as bad as the first couple runs) and the usual "urge". It felt strange to be running alone out there. I'd gotten used to running with the team on Saturday's.

This Saturday is 12 miles and then Sunday I've volunteered to work at a triathlon with Team in Training. I've yet to hear back from the woman I emailed. I hope I hear back from her because I'd love to volunteer and I've never witnessed a triathlon before. I've also volunteered for one in August. I want to keep with TNT in some manner because they do good things. And even helping at these events will keep me motivated.

25 days until my half marathon!!! It's really creeping up on me! I don't feel like I've been training long enough for the half to almost be here. *laugh* And almost three months until the full marathon. That one scares me. I don't want to have another Disney experience. I know my legs can carry me to the finish, I just hope my intestines give me a break!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And ginormous thanks to Gina, Kimberlie and Julie for their donations! Thanks so much for your kind words and your support! *big hugs*

Achey breaky ankle...

2008-06-29T18:10:00.001-05:00

No, I didn't break my ankle. Back a couple weeks ago I hurt my ankle while chasing George. Yesterday evening I noticed it was hurting again. I know where it hurts (along the inside and top of my foot and up my ankle) but I'm still trying to figure out how I am walking when it starts to hurt. When running, the same foot hurts along the outside as if my shoes are tied too tight. I think I need to make a trip to Athletico and have them check me out.

I was also experiencing calf cramps again which means I need to stretch them more often. I do stretch more often and can now bend over and touch the ground comfortably. The boy says at least my aches are coming from being active and not from slothing. That doesn't make the hurt go away but it's an interesting way of looking at things. I am happy I am more active but I fear aches because I don't want them to put me out of commission.

Now it is time to start with the housework. We need to clean and I need to get the guest room ready so I can start painting. So much to do and so little time in which to do them!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And huge thanks to Penny for her donation! It really means a lot to me, the support I've received for this adventure.

8 miles...

2008-06-28T10:48:00.002-05:00

For some reason, 8 miles is the number of miles that I don't feel that "I hate running" thought with every step. 6 miles I hate but 8 miles makes me feel strong. Go figure! It was like that for the Disney training also. And today we had an all Chicagoland team meetup at Busse Woods. It is really beautiful there!

Today's run was hot and muggy but I had my fuel belt with me that felt so light even though my water bottle was full and I had a couple Sport Beans and Gu packets in the pockets. And an Amphipod clip with my Nano. I know I shouldn't run and listen to music but I only put one earbud in so I can hear what's going on around me. Which is good since we run where people bike very fast. And they rarely shout a word of warning.

So I'm still not eating veggies the night before my long runs but I still get the "urge". I've tried Pepto and Imodium and neither work well. I need to see my doctor anyway for some school immunization things so I'll ask her if there is something she can prescribe for me to take before a long run. I could hardly walk fast at mile 7 because the urge was so bad. And it isn't like I need to go so much as there just being an urge. TMI? Well, here's some more... I solved my chaffing problem. And not with Bodyglide! I run commando! It's fairly common from what I've read. It was a difficult choice but honestly, I don't notice any difference other than no chaffing. Yay!

I am so stinky and in need of a shower but I had to blog about how good I felt. I didn't curse my running experience even once. (I cursed the "urge" but that is expected.) I felt so good! And happy! I felt like I could take on the world! Go me! Go Team!

As always, there is still time to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Headaches abound!

2008-06-27T07:16:00.000-05:00

I've had a nagging little headache for days now. The weather doesn't stick to warm or cold and the switches trigger headaches.

Tomorrow we have an all teams run at a local forest preserve. I was checking out the photos of the place and it is so pretty! Unfortunately Mapquest pegs the drive at 45 minutes which means longer on the way home. And because I have a longer drive ahead of me, I need to wake up earlier so I can leave earlier. And I need to fill up my tank today because I don't want to have to do that so early tomorrow. I fear filling up my tank. Gas prices are so freaking high! At least I don't have to drive to work, a tank of gas lasts a really long time for me.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. Running in the neighborhood is rather dull and can be tricky since much of the sidewalks around here are not nice and even. The first time I went out running in the neighborhood I tripped over a raised bit of sidewalk and almost faceplanted. I ended up landing on my knee and elbow and brand-spankin' new iPod Nano. Seriously! It was the first time out running with the thing and I damaged the corner of it. I was so afraid to run outside for the longest time. Which is amusing since I'd had the Dune "fear mantra" engraved on the back of my Nano.

Next weekend I get to go ziplining! The boy and I are giving that a shot with my folks. Heights make me nervous but my step-dad was able to do it so I should also! I still feel nervous thinking about the hot air balloon ride I got from them as a birthday gift. I was so afraid and felt sick to my stomach the entire day. It was incredibly cool when I was up but if I thought about it too much my stomach did flips. But hell! If I can train for a half and full marathon, I should be able to zipline, right? *laugh*

There is still time!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And many thanks to Jan for her donation!

Pile it on...

2008-06-21T08:54:00.002-05:00

I missed my run today. I had a bad sleep night (slept 10pm until midnight, was up until 4am and then slept until 6am) and I have cramps and a headache. The cramps were expected, the lack of sleep was not. The headache came with the insomnia.

I just can't run with cramps. Women will understand.

Second quilt photos...

2008-06-17T07:48:00.005-05:00

I finished this quilt last week and never got around to posting photos. It is a white tops with a tie-dyed piece quilted on top. The tie-dyed bit was something I was playing around with and never knew what to use it for. It has a blue grid pattern with reddish-purple blotches on it. Those red bits were sewn around and the blue lines were also sewn through. Then the blue lines follow to the white and get wavy.

I've also started another quilt to auction off on eBay. I still have lots of money to raise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society so I must sew, sew, sew! And I need to have a yard sale which will benefit LLS monetarily and benefit me with an uncluttered and spacious house!

It is chilly outside today but will be perfect running weather this afternoon. I need to remember to put George's Team in Training scarf on him before we go out.

There is still time!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And big thanks to Wanda for her donation!

What I learned on Saturday...

2008-06-16T07:06:00.001-05:00

Since my sister had asked...
Last week I decided to do a little test. I wanted to see if I could eat cooked veggies or if cooked and raw would be a problem during a run. So Friday night I grilled chicken and asparagus and made these yummy smashed potatoes from The Pioneer Woman's site. (I love Pioneer Woman, I really do! Her recipes make me wish the boy were a carnivore so I could make those yummy beef dishes.) Anyway, I ate maybe 3-4 asparagus spears which I'd overcooked kind of on purpose. Tasty chicken and potatoes and veggies! It's just so wrong not to eat veggies even for one day.

And it is still wrong for me to eat veggies, be they cooked or raw, the night before a long run.

I was trying to hard to keep with my pacing and 30 minutes into the run (we did 60 minutes on Saturday) I was just not feeling happy. It was Disney all over again. I managed to walk the last 30 minutes at a fast pace but now I know. Veggies are the devil! And this makes me sad.

I still have these issues even without veggies unfortunately, it's just that veggies make things 100 times worse. I am one of the smallish percentage who gets the urge no matter what. I've tried taking Pepto and Imodium but those really don't solve the problem at hand. I'll have to talk with my doctor and see what she can do.

Another problem has presented itself. I get exercise headaches after a run. Horrible migraines that only go away after I take 6+ Excedrin Migraine tablets. I am hydrated so that is not the issue. I believe it is due to my core not being strong. We had Athletico come in the past two Saturdays for clinics and between those and what I've been reading online, when my running muscles tire out, other muscles try to compensate even though they aren't "running muscles". I shoulders and neck get tense and help to bring about the killer headaches. I need to strengthen my core muscles which in turn help those running muscles. Everything works together!

It's funny, that. This all started out so simple: I would train to run the Disney marathon with my sister and mom. My failure is making me learn more about myself and my body. It's not as easy as going out and running when you've been sedentary all your life.

Just as an interesting read, check out Mr. Marathoner. It's about a 392 pound man who attempted the Disney marathon this year and got pulled out at mile 2. And he is also training in order to return and conquer Disney in 2009. I don't plan on returning until I am 40 (or 42 since that is the answer to the ultimate question) and then I want to do the Goofy where you run the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. Maybe I can go at 40 for the full and 42 for the Goofy.

There is still time!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And super big thanks to Bob and Denise for their donation!

ouch

2008-06-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was chasing George around the house and I did something to my ankle. We have hardwood floors and I was slipping and trying not to land on the dinning room table and on Friday. It's a bit twingy and swollen but not horrible. I have it wrapped up for support so it heals faster.

George is an ornery little guy and keeps getting into my things and chewing them up. I know he'll grow out of it but it can get so frustrating! He chewed up my Build-a-Bear Read Bear on Saturday. He's also gotten to three books and my watch. Not to mention random bits of clothing. He's a puppy and will grow out of it. Friday did the same thing (she had a thing for panties). And then like a switch has been flipped, they stop chewing on things.

I'm working on the second quilt and it should go together much quicker since the top is just two pieces of fabric. I miss sewing. I miss dyeing fabric. I wonder if my dye is still usable. Maybe I'll play on Sunday.

There is still time!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

And big big thank yous to Lindsay, Judy and Diane for their donations!!!

Want to know what goes on at a Team in Training run?

2008-06-09T06:56:00.002-05:00

I'll admit (if I haven't already) I was extremely nervous to go to my first group run. Firsts like that make me sick to my stomach. Every first day of class makes me shaky even though I've taken enough classes to where that should have passed. But running groups are even worse. I fear I will be laughed at for not being elite enough.

That is never a problem with Team in Training. Everyone is so supportive! There are all levels of runners and walkers that no one feels left out. But driving down to that first run, I was shaking and felt sick too my stomach. I wasn't sure what to do or even if I would find the right group. Plus, that first day I was running a bit late so I got there at 5 after 7am instead of earlier like I'd planned. (I hate being late, I'd rather be early.)

The runs work pretty much the same for every Saturday. We meet at 7am (it will become 8am once we get to the taper before the full marathon). We find the coach with the clipboard and check in. Checking in and checking out help the coaches keep track of who is back from the run and who is still out on the path. No wo/man left behind! After we all check in we gather in a group for any announcements and for the Mission Moment.

The Mission Moment is where friends/family of patients and/or survivors tell their story. They are so sad and yet so uplifting to listen to. It's a strong way to start the run because we hear personal experiences and gain more insight into the cause. It makes the goal of finishing a run easier.

After the Mission Moment we break out into pace groups. The fastest runners head out first, 9 minute milers, 10 minute milers, 11, 12 and then anyone slower and finally the walkers (I don't think there are any walking-only participants in our group). We run along the lakeshore path which is beautiful even when it is gloomy outside. And it always seems to be breezy so even while the sun is beating down on us, the breeze is cooling. With the runs getting longer the coaches are beginning to set up water stations so we can keep hydrated. The good thing about this path is there are plenty of bathrooms! *laugh*

Teammates cheer each other on when they pass other TNT runners. It was a little bizarre to me at first because I'm not so extroverted but I can fully understand why the cheering helps push ahead. Because my cardio is so bad I tent to smile and wave or give a thumbs-up. I hope I can cheer with the best of them by the end of this experience! It makes me feel I can do this challenge when there are so many supportive people "with" me. And I must look happy while I am running because I've had people commenting on my cheerful disposition (they obviously can't hear me mentally cursing my choice of activity *laugh*).

When we finish our run for the day we once again look for the coach with the clipboard so we can checkout. There is also water, Gaterade and snacks offered. TNT takes good care of its runners! Recently one of the coaches have been having little stretching sessions to show us how to properly stretch our muscles after a workout. And there are also clinics scheduled. Last Saturday we had our Injury Prevention Clinic presented by a physical therapist from AthletiCo and this Saturday another physical therapist from there will present a Core Strengthening Clinic. Tuesday night there is a Nutrition Clinic at a Whole Foods in the city which I really should attend because of my vegetable issues before a run. I may just be doomed to having the dreaded trots before every run. *sigh*

So there you have it! That is what we do every Saturday, so far. So when you're still in bed at 8am on a Saturday morning, I'll be out on the path, sweating and breathing like my lungs are about to explode.

There is still time!! Please consider sponsoring me as I run the Chicago Distance Classic half marathon and the Bank of America Chicago marathon with Team in Training!

Thank you to my grandpa Will and Marie, Dr. Di and my sister-in-law Kath and brother-in-law Scott for donating!!

Hot one today...

2008-06-07T14:41:00.003-05:00

Today's Team in Training group run was somewhat muggy and hot. I am beginning to appreciate that 7am start because that 20-miler that will push towards noon will be unbearably hot during the summer. We did 6 miles today and had an injury prevention clinic afterwards. I'm trying to be much better about my stretching. I'm not very flexible but I can tell I've improved from a month ago. I remember being younger (oh so much younger) and being able to touch my forehead to my knees. I hope I'll be back to that in another month.

Running is still difficult. My cardio gives out before my muscles. I need to work more on cardio so I can run for longer times. I have no higher goal than to finish both the half and the full marathons. That would be such a big deal for me. 13 years of a desk job had wreaked havoc on my body and I need to fix that. I've never been athletic (I joined marching band because of a boy). The most exercise I got outside of gym classes was riding my bike to work and back. In fact, I've never even kept up with gym memberships until I decided to train for the Disney marathon with my sister and mom. I actually renewed my membership at the YMCA this year. I've never renewed a gym membership, ever! I still struggle with motivation because I am a couch potato at heart but I am getting better.

Once again, I HATED the run while I was doing it but I felt so good afterwards. And I was looking forward to starting. I really want to better my walk/run strategy. I want to be able to run longer. It looks so easy when I see people out running. Who'd ever imagine running would be difficult?! *laugh*

I am keeping to my "no veggies" rule the night before a long run but I never realized how horrible it would be! I really enjoy salads and fresh veggies so even one day without eating any is frightening. And even without eating veggies, I still feel that damned "urge". I'm going to try eating earlier this Friday in the hope that that will help a bit more. It's just too hot to not to eat salads!

2008-06-05T07:06:00.003-05:00

Team in Training Fundraising Moment

1) Take 5 minutes to visit and read through my fundraising webpage.

2) Donate $5 (or more!).

3) Forward this on to 5 of your friends.

4) 5 is the number of years from the date of diagnosis it takes for a patient to be considered “cured” of their disease.

5) Every 5 minutes someone new is diagnosed with a blood related cancer.

United Race for the Zoo...

2008-06-01T14:37:00.004-05:00

I have a HUGE post in mind but I may break it down into two parts. Today I ran the United Run for the Zoo 10k (that's 6.21371192237 miles). Yesterday I ran 6 miles with Team in Training. That makes 12.21371192237 miles run in a little over 24 hours.

Not one of my best ideas.

I was excited this morning. I'd a good night's sleep. I'd had pasta and steak the night before and a Poweraid and oatmeal bar this morning. I felt like an athlete in my clothing today (I think it was the Disney marathon hat which I wear to keep me focused). The boy stood beside me at the start and we didn't even know it had started. The race had sold out so the start was packed. I'd heard a noise and loud music but I thought it was the usual starting noises (I'd been a bit frazzled trying to find a bathroom and the chip pickup). So anyway it was an odd start.

Within the first quarter mile I came across a fully loaded diaper sitting in the middle of the path. And it was right under my foot. Somehow I managed to levitate my entire body 3 inches to the right so I could avoid the diaper bomb. I mean really! Who leaves a nasty diaper in the middle of a walkway when the zoo has so many trashcans?!?! But I kept on and was working on my walk/run strategy.

By mile two I was having my usual race thoughts. They're made up of various forms of "what in the HELL am I doing", "this is easily the stupidest idea I've ever had", "I could be in bed napping with my dogs right about now" and "who really enjoys running, dumbies". These are sloth thoughts and no matter how excited I am to start and how happy I am to have crossed the finish line, I hatehatehate running while I am doing it. I can't believe people enjoy running. (Right now I am happy and sore and thrilled it was so beautiful outside and I am looking forward to Tuesday's morning run with George... I am stupid.)

At right around mile three two buff hardbody boys ran past me with their shirts off. The one said to the other "everyone is so sweaty and they haven't even finished their 5k yet". This made me furious and I spent the next mile planning how I would trip then and run over their prone bodies. I decided that they may have been cute and in shape but that didn't stop them from being assholes. I mean, the people who were out and running came in all shapes and sizes. And they were out being active! I know I am far from ever being an elite athlete and I have no desire to finish first or even qualify for the Boston Marathon. This does not make me any less of a person. I may walk more than run but I am still crossing the same finish line as those starting in the fastest corrals. I am still making an effort to do better and be faster. I may have different reasons for being out there but they are just as valid as any reason those hardbodies had. So there! *blows razzberries*

It's about this same time that my energy plummeted. I was running past the fence around the Belmont Harbor and the passing of the fences combined with the sunlight twinkling on the water made me dizzy. And I got somewhat lightheaded. It was not pleasant. I hadn't thought to take any Sport Beans of Shot Bloks with me so I was SOL. I kept up a good pace but I was wiped out. Miles four and five were mind-numbing. I was so happy to see that mile six sign.

The Avon 3-Day was going on at the same time so markers along the path were confusing. At times the zoo race was on the same path while at other times we broke away from the Avon walkers. I had to keep asking the flagger people which was my path.

But I finished (not certain of my time yet... 1:38 maybe?) and now I am sore. And I have chafing. *shudder* I fear I may have to run commando and I'm not sure I can do that. It's bad enough I had to switch to thongs (TMI?) but even those chafe. I have Body-Glide (which I forgot to use today) but I think going commando would solve that one problem.

Yeesh! I didn't get to posting about my Team in Training run on Saturday. I want to try to post about that every week but I get sidetracked. It was a good run and we were all in a television audience after our run. The show airs Saturday 7 June, 2008 on Comcast Sportsnet at 5:30pm CST. I believe it will be online also. I'll post links. Not sure if I can be seen in the crowd since I tried to hide behind tall people but somehow near the end I was closer to the front. So more about Team in Training tomorrow!

And I am still fundraising so please consider donating!

Where has the time gone??

2008-05-29T07:35:00.001-05:00

The past two weeks have been horrible. The boy went on a two-week Megajam and I decided that would be a good time to get George neutered. Unfortunately there were complications so I spent most of that two weeks trying to keep the pup quiet and calm while giving him multiple hot compresses each day. Trying to keep a boxer pup quiet is near impossible. Pair him up with another boxer and you can only imagine the Hell I was in. Boxers are not made to be calm and quiet dogs. They're puppies even when they're full grown. George is fine now but I'm not sure I will ever be the same. *laugh*

I have a 10k this Sunday. This means I shall be running 12 miles over the weekend. Go me! Saturday is a 6 mile TNT run along the lakefront and Sunday is a 6 mile run through the zoo. I am so excited about the zoo! I hope they have elephants again.

I still haven't finished the quilt I was making for my TNT fundraising. The dog issues set that back. I am hoping to get that finished soon. And I am planning a yard sale so I win both ways... I get to clear out my house and make money for TNT. I have 5 boxes of books I was planning on donating to the local library for their book sales but I think I'll sell them in my yard sale and bump up my fundraising. I also need to mail in checks tomorrow.

Thanks so much to my dad Tony and Jane, Gene and Cathy, Meef and Bruce and Larry and Karen for supporting me by donating to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

No running buddy for a week...

2008-05-16T07:32:00.002-05:00

George is home and recuperating after being snipped. He is banned from rough play and running for a week which means I have to run solo. I am nervous about leaving him in the crate tomorrow while I do my Team in Training run. I don't want him to lick his incisions but I am worried about putting him in the crate with his collar. I'll have to test it today and see how he does. I think that means I'll have to take the divider out of the crate and give him full space to move. It's a 5 mile run and a fundraising clinic after so that means about 4 hours alone for the pups.

I have raised $350 of my $3000 goal. Do ahead, donate! It's a wonderful cause and it is 100% tax deductible!

Thanks to my seester Rene and my boy Ted for the dough! I love you both!

Yoga and dog lips...

2008-05-14T05:38:00.004-05:00

I started doing yoga yesterday which was lovely. And I made it through my dvd up until the cooldown point. That is when Friday saw me stretched out on the floor and decided to attack. It's hard to cool down when you have floppy boxer lips hanging over your face. She kept licking me which made me laugh so I had to get up and squoosh her. Poor George was doing some crate time which seemed the safest way for me to do yoga. He was not happy about it since Friday was out and about.

TNT talked about stretching at our last meeting and I am not very flexible so yoga seemed a good way to go about bettering that. The dvd I purchased is some "Yoga for Athletes" (yeah, I'm laughing also... athlete? me?) and I definitely felt my leg muscles stretching during some of the poses. I felt pretty wobbly once I was done, all loose and warm, so I guess the poses do what they're supposed to. They only one that gave me grief was the one where one leg is raised and the foot placed on the inside thigh of the other leg and you just stand there. I couldn't get my foot high enough and since I and loose pants on, my foot kept pulling on the fabric and sliding down. I think I need to wear my short compression shorts next time. I kept laughing while trying to do that pose but eventually I managed some semblance of it.

My morning running buddy is going in to get neutered this morning. That means I'll be flying solo the rest of the week. Maybe I'll see if Friday can run alongside me without pulling if she wears her new Sporn harness.

Tea! My queendom for some tea! How have I been up for 45 minutes without making tea first?

First Saturday training...

2008-05-13T07:52:00.001-05:00

I'm behind in my post but Saturday the 10th was my first Team in Training Saturday run. 7am sharp we met down at the lakefront. It was coldcoldcold so I remembered to wear my gloves. I do admit to being very nervous since I'm pretty introverted and TNT is a very extroverted group. And I didn't know a soul there. I checked in (they do a check-in and check-out so they know no one is lost along the trail) and looked for my mentor. There were 3 other teammates there so we chatted before starting out. TNT starts the runs by pace, fastest out first and slowest pace last. I must have looked confused because one of the coaches came up and pointed me to the slow pacers. He didn't make me feel at all self-conscious about being slow and cheered me on for being there and said I would get faster because that is what TNT is all about.

It was a 4 mile run and the weather was cold but bright and sunny. Every time a TNT group passed by they cheered. It was a little disconcerting to have strangers cheering me on by name (we had nametags on) but I got used to it eventually. One woman told me to keep smiling and be happy. I didn't realize I was smiling but that ended up making me laugh. It was a good run and the only thing that makes running difficult for me is the cardio aspect. It's what slows me down but I am determined to push things more so I don't have to worry about my lungs feeling like they will explode.

Near the end the coach that started me out met back up with me and asked me how my gloves were treating me (I'd since taken them off once my fingers regained warmth, damned Raynaud's). I said was a bit toasty but it was near the end so I just kept my jacket on. This got me pointed out as an overdresser later in the "Starting Out" clinic. I laughed but didn't stand up and explain that I had a medical condition that called for gloves.

TNT is a fun group. I still feel like an outsider because so many people there have run with TNT before and they know what to expect. I have no idea what to expect and that always makes me wary. But I can totally see why everyone raves about training with TNT. I can't imagine a more supportive group. They do so much! They take care of water and snacks (and later they bring energy snacks) and lip balm. They have a group picnic and a pasta dinner. They have clinics after runs. There is no way to feel lost there.

This Saturday we do 5 miles. I never really feel I am into running until I hit that 6-8 mile run. Mostly I start out feeling like this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done. I could barely be pushed into playing outside as a child! And now I am getting up early on a Saturday morning to go run with a group. It is pretty comical and I think that is why I do it. The endorphins help also. *laugh*

My running buddy George is still keeping up on our morning runs. I feel bad that Friday is left behind but she pulls too much. George just trots alongside me. Too bad I can't run a marathon with him!

Aches...

2008-05-09T07:26:00.002-05:00

The weather change has giving me a terrible headache for the past two days. It still lingers this morning but isn't blinding. I hope there isn't one tomorrow because I don't want to have my first Team in Training group run with a headache.

Speaking of which, the TNT group runs on Saturday start at 7am along the lakefront. This means it will be cold. Cold and lovely. The path along the lakefront is really pretty in the morning. I wonder how busy it will be. I still think I look ridiculous running, I feel silly anyway. Especially when I wear my running tights because those things are tight! I have two pair with skirts so I feel less conspicuous in them. I know I don't look as bad as I think I do but I still get nervous because I don't think I look how a runner should look. I just have to keep telling myself that at least I'm out there and trying.

I am looking forward to Saturday even though I usually don't care for group things like that. I may like it now. I really think I am getting the better end of the TNT deal. I just have to raise $3000. TNT does so much more! They have the weekly training sessions plus some clinics afterwards. They set you up with mentors and coaches. They have pasta dinners the night before the race. They even fly you out and pay for your room for out-of-state races. They cheer you on at each race. I mean really! I raise money for a great cause and get all that in return!

The difficult thing for me has been hearing and reading about the cancer patients. My grandma died of cancer in 1991 right before my 21st birthday and I still think of her every day. Hearing and reading about the honored teammates brings it all back. I remember the Sunday morning I got the phone call. I knew why the phone was ringing and I couldn't answer it. I got up, got ready for work and drove in. My manager Fred met me at the door and told me I needed to call my mom. I knew why and I just started to cry. Fred took me into his office to make the call and told me to take the day off. I don't remember much of the rest of the day. I know I drove down to my grandma's house later that day. Everything was such a blur. I don't remember Christmas day. I don't remember my birthday. I do remember the day after my birthday because that is the day she was buried. My place of employment at the time was right by the cemetery and I would go there before work and afterwards just to visit her. If the tips were good that day I would bring flowers.

It still hurts. I miss my grandma. I miss visiting her in her antique store. I miss hanging out with her at her home. She was always so proud of my sister and me. She kept our photos on the wall behind her cash register and introduced me to everyone who came into the shop. She kept trying to make a match between me and the son of a friend of hers. I miss her smell of cigarette smoke and Nestea and nail polish and some perfume I've never known the name of. I miss her showing me her dolls and teddy bears. I miss that I wasn't there that morning.

Rain, rain, go away...

2008-04-28T14:26:00.004-05:00

Went to bed with a headache and woke up with the same headache. Usually a good sleep will wipe a headache out but not this time. I wasn't dehydrated or anything so I'm not sure what the headache was from. It wasn't as bad as the headache I had on Saturday. I took 6 Excedrin Migraine tablets and that only took the headache down to a dull throbbing. The weather could have caused this headache since it went from nice to cold and drizzly. Curse this weather!

Last Tuesday I went to the Team in Training info session at Whole Foods and decided to join up. This means I have much fundraising to do. It's funny, it isn't the half or full marathon that worries me, it's the fundraising. I need to raise $3000 or else I cannot run with TNT and that scares me. What if I fail? I don't know much about fundraising. What if no one wants to donate to the cause? What if no one wants to support me? (And here I am worrying about it in a public place that I am linking to from my donation page but this is what the blog is for). Who knew I would be more sure about finishing a marathon? Well, maybe not today because I am slothing with a headache I can't seem to shake but still!

In non-fundraising news, my tea order from Upton Tea Imports arrived today and the first batch of Wuyuan Ruikang green was AMAZING! And they shipped so quickly. I opened all the packages I ordered and everything smells heavenly. And the pricing there is so reasonable. Maybe my headache just needs a little more tea.

Earth mover...

2008-04-21T07:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday I found, bought and planted my Japanese maple. The nursery we went to did not have the Inaba Shidare in stock but they did have the Organgeola that was also on my list. And it was not expensive! So now my little tree is planted in the front yard. It looks wonderful from every angle. We went looking for gravel groundcover and large rocks for the garden area but I didn't want to purchase anything until I had my maple. So that means this weekend will be rock-filled. I'm hoping to finish the front area before I have to drive to Ohio.

We also worked on the side of the house where the skunks keep trying to dig in order to get under the front porch. The boy put in some chickenwire and we buried it and covered it with cinderblocks. Sunday I cleaned up the area and covered it with flagstone, making a path from the side gate towards the front. I want to get some creeping thyme to plant between the stones to make it more visually appealing. And I dug up all the hostas on the other side of the house because they grow so rampantly and cover the path so we cannot help but walk all over them to get towards the back of the house. I don't know what exactly I'll plant there. Maybe I'll just cover it with brick pavers completely since I already did half the area last year. Those damn hostas are horrible to dig up!

I can't decide what to do today. I should head out to the nurser for groundcover since the boy took his motorcycle to work and left the Subaru here. Beetles aren't the best for transporting plants and rocks. Which reminds me, tomorrow the Beetle gets her tune-up. Maybe I should just clean out my car so I don't have to do it tomorrow morning. Then it would also be ready for the big drive.

Oh, the joy of a new toy!

2008-04-18T07:36:00.006-05:00

My Zarafina Tea Maker is the best! Honestly, I don't usually get all ravey about electronics (other than my iPods which I adore so so much) but this tea maker is perfect! I found I prefer the herbal setting for green tea as it makes the water temperature hotter but I counter that by setting the brew strength to mild for the first pot. I have yet to make a black, white or oolong tea in it because I usually drink green tea but perhaps tomorrow morning I'll try out my Irish Breakfast tea. And the little tea cups that came with the machine cause em to sip rather than gulp. I usually make my tea in a 16 oz. mug but for some reason smaller tea cups force me to savor the flavor rather than just chugging the cup contents.

The Lab (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) released new scents for their monthly Lunacy and the new Steamworks blends sound amazing. I have the Phoenix Steamworks *loves* and now I want all the others also! In imp size because I just can't wear that much perfume in a lifetime. Thank Dog for the BPAL community and swapping/selling! I used to only wear patchouli until I was introduced to the Lab. My first purchase was one of their Poe scents, The Premature Burial. I still have some left. Unfortunately for me, the Lab's patchouli blends hatehatehate me. But with the hundreds of scents they offer, that is no longer a problem. So many good smellies!

I leave for Ohio in two weeks. And I finally remembered to make an appointment to get my poor little Beetle tuned up. I maybe drive 10 miles a week, tops, so I am always forgetting to get her cleaned up. It's funny, before I moved here I spent 3 hours every Sunday washing and buffing my Beetle. In the Chicagoland area, you're lucky if you have a garage in which to park your car, let alone a driveway. So my car rarely gets washed. I miss those Sundays. Washing my car was so very Zen. Those Zen moments have been moved to chopping vegetables. I love to cook soups and vegetarian dinners just so I can chop veggies. It is so relaxing.

And Happy Friday! Tomorrow I go to find my miniature Japanese maple for the front yard and to pick out some large rocks to balance the tree area. I can't wait to finish the front yard so I can move on to the back. I only wish I'd taken some "before" photos. Maybe I still have some "before" photos from when we first moved in to our house. The front yard was so cluttered and tiny. It is tiny anyway but made even more so by the huge piney shrubbery and palmy fronds and overgrown tree-like shrubberies that were planted there. I am not a fan of decorative bushes so I dug the all up and threw them out. Republican Earth Day! The look didn't fit with the Craftsman home so I am giving the yard a cleaner look and feel. So far, so good!

sniffle

2008-04-17T13:46:00.006-05:00

I still have the worst head cold and it is making me so cranky! I want to go work on the backyard some more but I just know any work done where I have to bend my head will result in my using massive amounts of tissues. The decongestant I took is not working. I could just make an appointment to see my doc since I need to head in there anyway to take care of my school immunization records (I need to get tested for mumps since my records only listed one shot and the school wants two dates) and get a complete physical. But I hate taking meds so I shall wait until I am better, like next week, so I am not a sniffling mess.

My Zarafina Tea Maker arrived today and it is scrumptious! I ran a pot of water through it and soon I shall make my first pot of tea once I decide what to make. I want to try some more ginkgo tea with osmanthus flowers because it tastes yummy. Osmanthus tastes like apricots in tea and it looks so pretty in the water. I also have chrysanthemum pearls I haven't tried.

It is just so nice outside. It seems a shame to stay indoors when what I really want to do is go outside and work in the dirt. I have three stumps to dig out of the dirt and the last raised flower bed to rip apart. And I should remove some of the dirt from the bed in front. Maybe I'll wait on that though until I can find and plant a miniature Japanese maple. That will displace enough dirt so I'll save the added work and remove the excess all at once.

I think a pot of tea is winning out over gardening. Maybe the steam from the cup will clear my head and my nasal passages.

Still ill...

2008-04-15T16:04:00.004-05:00

Morrissey sings songs in my head when I am sick.

I got my race results from Sunday's Race to Wrigley and it was 46:43 minutes with a pace of 15:04. This is faster than the St. Paddy's Day with my time of 47:06 minutes and a pace of 15:09. Just seconds faster but it still counts.

I finally finished Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice and now I am reading Cokie Roberts' Ladies of Liberty. The HBO series about John Adams has me interested in what was happening during the American Revolution. History has never been a favorite subject of mine. History books in school were always so dry, so lacking in facts that weren't about old white men. This Cokie Roberts book talks about things that I can relate to, not just about men marching off to war. Women lived during that time also and history books in school, at least when I was in school, rarely seem to cover that. Even the history classes I took in college rarely covered women. My history of civilization course covered 3 women, Sappho (we learned she was a bisexual poet), Cleopatra (a sexed-up queen) and Joan of Arc (who said she heard god speak to her and wore men's clothing). Each woman barely got 10 minutes of talk time and the professor mostly just joked about their sexual proclivities. I hated that class and I ended up failing it.

Where I had intended on going with this is how my reading has changed. I still love sci-fi books and horror but I've found I've been reading a lot more about running, nature and living a more natural and simple life. Two years ago you couldn't pay me to go camping or hiking. I wasn't interested in the natural world around me. I want to be out in nature more now. I want to learn about it, experience it. My first real camping trip last October was wonderful, even with the numb fingers I had because it was cold. We didn't backpack in anywhere, just car camped but I actually enjoyed myself. I want to go camping again. I want to learn to live in the woods, to live off the land (although that has more to do with reading lots of "end of the world" novels and wanting to be a Heinlein character, strong and self-sufficient). I want to win the lottery so I can move the hell away from people. The "entitlement whore" mentality people have these days makes me cry for the future. I want to get away from those sort of people. But that is another post entirely.

Sick and tired...

2008-04-14T14:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I ran the Race to Wrigley 5k. I got a lighter cold-weather runners cough that seems to be gone this morning but left a sore throat and a stuffy yet drippy nose and an achy body. Two 5ks this year and both of them were cold and windy. 5,000 people signed up for this race and things were really hopping. Much more so than the St. Paddy's Day 5k I did.

Once again I was passed by many runners and I passed my fair share of runners and walkers. The path was on the street, unlike the St. Paddy's Day 5k which was on a running/walking/biking trail. The asphalt wasn't bad to run on but the unevenness was uncomfortable at times. I run on the side of the road in order to be out of the way of faster people and streets tends to be lower on the outermost side. Makes for uneven running paths. Anyway, I've decided that too many runners do not pay attention to their weaving in and out in order to get ahead. I was getting pushed around in the beginning because faster runners had to weave between groups of people running and walking side by side. I was running solo and had to do my own weaving to pass people. Groups of 3+ people should not run or walk side by side and take up 3/4 of the running area! It is dangerous!

And while I did not want to admit it, people wearing headphones can be dangerous also. I now see why "career runners" rant about headphones in races. I had about a dozen people run past me with their mp3 players turned up so loud that I could hear their music clearly. These people cannot possibly hear runners come up behind them or even emergency vehicles if they have their music up that loud. I admit, I am an iPod wearer at the gym but not while running on the street or trails. I need to be able to hear cars and other runners. I'm a safety girl and I get really pissy with other people infringe upon my safety and my personal space. While I have not read about any real "headphones are dangerous" news facts, from what I saw at Sunday's race, they do distract runners. I watched headphone-wearers fumble around with their mp3 players and not watch where they were going and who they were running into. Not all headphone-wearers are this way but a good majority of them are. I don't want to get into the headphone rule many marathons adopt because I know how much I enjoy using my ipod during runs but I don't want to cause accidents because I am distracted by the music or fiddling with controls.

And after some careful Googling, I finally found the time limit for the Chicago Marathon, 6.5 hours. I can do that. Especially if I remember that veggies are bad the day before a race. My system cannot handle veggies and running. Not for runs that early in the morning. And not eating any vegetables for even one day pains me. I love my vegetables.

Also? I really, really dislike Chicago Special Events Management They are supposed to post race results 48 hours after the race and it's been over a month since the St. Paddy's Day 5k and still no race results! I've emailed them twice now and I haven't even gotten back a form email. What the fuck is up with that? I paid extra money to get my race timed but I haven't seen any times posted for races after 9/29/2007. That is 5 races since September 2007 that have yet to have results posted. *arghhh*

EDIT: Googling my name got me race results for the St. Paddy's Day 5k and I made it in 47:06. Yeah, I know how unfast that is. I speedwalked it but damn! That is 40 seconds faster than I had thought! And 16 seconds faster than when I paced it at the gym. That means I did 15:09 minute miles. A race that was faster than my practices at the gym!

Flowering teas...

2008-04-11T16:18:00.003-05:00

I signed up for this tea swap through Mad Pots of Tea and received my package this week. Inside was 5 Adagio jasmine flowering teas, honey straws and a box of cookies all wrapped up in pretty spring tissue paper and a lovely note. I was so excited because I'd seen those teas from Adagio and never tried them. I bought some for my mom one year for Christmas but never purchased any for myself. This package made my swap seem boring even though I had my current fave along with smaller samples of 6 other types of teas I rotate with. I wish I'd thought of adding some paper tea bags or candies or something more!

And as for my package, I shipped it out on April 5th with delivery confirmation. Last time I checked the DC the current info was that the package just left the Elk Grove, Illinois post office on April 10th! WTF USPS??? My package sat around for 5 days in a post office not more than 20 miles away from me! I could have driven it to my swap lady in 8 hours! *arghh*

Now it is time to head downstairs with a book and make some tea! I've been rushed all day and only had one cup this morning. I need to chill out and drink some tea in my lovely china cups. Tea tastes so much better when sipped from dainty china cups. It's more relaxing that way.

Lost...

2008-04-10T12:45:00.003-05:00

I've been completely out of sorts since December. It's like the school quarter ended and there was a rush preparing for the holidays, the travel to Ohio for the holidays, travel home for New Year's, travel to Walt Disney World and back again only to start the winter quarter of school (a week late, I might add). I've never been able to get back on track. Winter quarter went well with grades but I keep thinking had I been on top of things in my life, I would have gotten A's instead of B+'s. And now that I am not taking classes for spring quarter, I am lost. Even more lost than I had been previously. Everything came at me all at once.

There are all these goals I have and I can't get to them. I don't even want to get up in the mornings. Maybe that is depression. I don't know. It seems silly that I'd be depressed when I still laugh and have a good time. I just need to get back. I lost my direction and now I don't know how to get back.

Kennel cough...

2008-04-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

Or something like that... George is coughing again. It started early Tuesday morning and was even worse Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I have had so little sleep the past two days. No sleep means headaches and migraines for me. Top that off with my hands that still hurt to do much of anything and you'll find a miserable girl. I can hardly hold a teacup. So now I am cranky and waiting around for the vet to call me back. Friday's first vet is no longer working at the animal hospital and that makes me sad. Their new vet is friendly and Friday and George both seem to like her but I'd really liked the first vet because she too had boxers. I have no idea what happened and not sure I should ask. Oh please let the vet call me back soon so I can get some meds into the boy and stop that cough!

Today I need to decide if I want to pick up a Zarafina Tea Maker. The reviews all sound good and I like to look and idea of it. 16oz isn't a lot of tea per pot but I can always make more. And I'd rather have to make more than have too much (even though I'd just drink it cold). Giving up coffee has been good. I still drink the occasional cup but mostly I stick to tea, green tea especially. I can drink green tea all day long and it doesn't affect me like coffee did. I'm not dehydrated and caffeinated up and I can get to sleep better. I still have bouts of insomnia but that isn't from tea. Anyway, the Zarafina Tea Maker sounds perfect for me and it is now on sale! Sales are a goodness. Tea is a goodness. Non-coughing dogs are a goodness.

I need some more tea. And aspirin. And toast.

House ramblings...

2008-04-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last week working in the front and back yards. As small as both are, and we're talking Chicago small here, I am still not done. Over 20 hours and so far I have filled 12 bags of leaves and roots. And dug up flagstone around two flowerbeds. And dug out the area by the back gate so I could actually open it fully. 30 buckets of dirt and stones in a 40"x55" area moved to another spot and 6 pavers put down all so I could open the back gate far enough to take the trash and recycling out. The front was supposed to be the easiest only, as usual for me, I turned it into a larger project than intended. And I can't finish it until I find a small Japanese maple that won't get over 6' tall. I'm thinking an Inaba Shidare is the way to go. Once I get the tree planted, I can cover the dirt with landscaping fabric and cover that over with rocks. The larger rocks I need for decoration can be placed at any time so no worries there. I will be so happy when the front area is completed. Once the front is done we can concentrate on the back where the patio and deck will go.

While the yardwork has been relaxing, my hands hurt badly. Most of that 20+ yardwork time was spent using rakes and shovels and hauling large pieces of stone. Even my back doesn't hurt but my hands? My hands! I can't cut food with my right hand and I'm right-handed so my left is pretty much useless for that. And the worst of it is that I want to go back out this afternoon after work and try to get the flagstone in as a border to the front flowerbed area.

My fall-back plan is to prime the walls of my office so I can repaint the room. (Not that this will be easier on my hands.) Right now the orange is just too dark for the room. There is one smallish window on the west side so the room does not get a lot of light. The orange seems to kill any light that does make it in. I have two greens picked out so I can paint the large empty wall a slightly darker shade than the other three walls. The greens are pretty light and cool so the room should brighten up considerably. And I still need to find artwork for over my desk. My whole office needs redone to make it more functional as a workspace for me and as a guest room when family visits.

Books

2008-04-04T07:35:00.008-05:00

I should really keep track of the books I read. I've never actually counted how many books I read in a year. So let's see... books read since January 2008, in no particular order...

1. Environmental Ethics: Readings in Theory and Application by Louis P. Pojman and Paul Pojman - I read this for class. And I enjoyed the different thoughts on environmentalism and ethics.

2. Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental issues and options by H. Steinfeld, P. Gerber, T. Wassenaar, V. Castel, M. Rosales, C. de Haan - This too I read for class so I am counting it.

3. Atonement by Ian Mcewan - A decent enough book.

4. No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running by John Bingham - One of the many running books I've read. What's too say about it, really? Bingham is one of the top running guys and his books make me feel better about my running skills.

5. The Complete Book Of Running For Women by Claire Kowalchik

6. Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott

7. Women Who Run by Shanti Sosienski - Running stories from many different types of women. I really enjoyed this just for the different experiences each runner has.

8. Letters for Emily by Camron Wright - One of those easy-to-read and sappy books. I admit I did cry.

9. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard - I would have enjoyed this more if she hadn't tried to be all flowery with her writing. It got to bee too much for me.

10. Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille - I always say I am going to become a hermit living in the woods with my dogs and my books and so this was a happy read for me.

11. Duma Key by Stephen King - I'd put this in the top 5 of best written King novels. Definitely one of the better books he's written lately.

12. Blaze by Richard Bachman and Stephen King - Different than his other books but still engaging.

13. The Margarets by Sheri S. Tepper - I adore Sheri Tepper and yet I had a difficult time with this one. I didn't feel any of the Margaret's were developed well enough for the story.

14.Thinner Than Thou by Kit Reed - This book amuses me and is a good read.

15. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - You can't go wrong with Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett!

16. Time for the Stars by Robert Heinlein - A Heinlein juvenile that I hadn't read before. *gasp*

17. Dune by Frank Herbert - I have to read the series over every so often. This book is what got me started with my love of sci-fi.

18. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - I'd seen the movie before reading the book and Malcolm McDowell still scares me. He was so right for the role of Alex. This book is one of my all-time favorites. I also love The Wanting Seed.

19. Blood Crazy by Simon Clark - One of my favorite horror novels. I love those end-of-the-world stories and this one does not disappoint.

20. When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase and Robert A. Phillips - A book I got off ChanceXchange. The story is horrifying, so much worse than The Three Faces of Eve or Sybil.

21. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min - Another ChanceXchange book. I've read Anchee Min before but I'd say this is my favorite so far.

That just doesn't seem like many books. I must be missing a couple. Although, considering I was at Walt Disney World for a week and then in school for a quarter, those numbers could be correct. Currently I am reading Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice. I found the book in a bag of books I'd loaned to my mom but I'd never read it before now. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Anne Rice's books. I haven't read her new books about the life of Christ and I haven't decided if I want to. It seems like such a dramatic switch from her Vampire Chronicles and Beauty Trilogy.

I can't imagine not having a book near me. I remember when I was first learning to read and someone had given me the Little House books, I would sit in my room and try to figure out the words so I could read the story for myself. My mom tried reading the classics to us but I think my sister and I asked too many questions so reading time did not last long. I don't believe we ever made it through Black Beauty. When I was at my grandma's house, she always had books around and I would pick up her copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I still love those books.

The first book I read in one sitting was Little Sioux Girl by Lois Lensky. My mom and step-dad picked it up at a fair (I think) and I remember sitting in my bed one summer day and reading it straight through. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and I was in my bedroom at age 9, reading a book. I'd read other books before but never in one sitting like that.

Then there was my challenge book at age 10. I was determined to read Alex Haley's Roots. Every summer I would pick that book up and start reading. I'm not certain why I chose that book. I guess because it was so thick, almost 900 pages. It took three years but by the time I was 13 I finally read it. I remember being so proud of myself. And so horrified. I don't remember my history books ever covering slavery like that. And so every summer I made it my plan to read Roots. When I was in high school one of my professors encouraged me to read Malcolm X's autobiography and books about Martin Luther King, Jr. Those books made high school feel like cake compared to what those men went through.

Until I was 15 or 16 I read V.C. Andrews, Stephen King and cheesy romance novels. I remember the David Lynch movie Dune coming out in the theater and I'd wanted to go see it so bad. No one wanted to see it with me so I had to wait until it was available for video rental. My mom and step-dad rented it and disliked it. I fell in love. I went to school and was telling someone about it when a classmate overheard me and told me the story was from a book. He pointed the series out and I devoured them. And when he heard how much I enjoyed them, he showed me the Heinlein novel I Will Fear No Evil. I was sold on sci-fi from then on. Heinlein novels played a huge role in my adolescence. I'd led such a sheltered, strict life. My parents were always grounding my sister if we got a single C on our report card. We'd be grounded for that grading period until we brought the grade up to a B. If we had a C on our final report card for the year, we were grounded for the entire summer. It's no wonder I spent so much time reading. Heinlein's novels opened my eyes to freedom. They made me accepting of everyone. And for that I am truly thankful. I always turn to his books when I get bogged down and can't concentrate on other books. They refresh me.

Books are the one thing I ask for as gifts. I really don't care about other gifty nonsense. Books are functional. They never go out of style. If I am bored I can pick up a book and be transported. For free! I'd give up television and the internet before I'd give up my books.

Run, doggy, RUN!

2008-04-01T07:53:00.001-05:00

Today I ran outside with my pup George for the first time. We bought him a Sporn halter on Sunday for our weekly Puppies, Pancakes and Parks day and that thing is wonderful! He didn't pull at all. We still need to get one for Friday. The store we were at was out of her size so I need to make a run to another pet store. Anyway, I put the Sporn on George and headed out. After a minute or three of me fiddling with the straps and him getting used to the halter, we were off and running! He's a champ! I've tried running with Friday but she's an ankle-biter when we run. George usually is at home but not while on a leash. So now I have a new running partner!

It was colder than I thought it was and since I forgot my gloves, we were only outside for 30 minutes. Even that short time felt nice. It made me happy to be out with my puppy since he never gets to go on walks alone. We got to bond and practice sitting at intersections before crossing. George ran beside me like he was born for that reason. I only wish I'd remembered gloves so we could have been outside longer. Ah well, there is always tomorrow!

coughcoughcough

2008-03-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the Chicago St. Patty's Day 5k. It was COLD! The boy came along with me with the camera so hopefully I'll get the photos from him to post soon. I'm not certain how many were signed up but I saw bibs with numbers into the 1500's. I was 171 and I'm just gonna continue telling myself I got a low number because I'm just that fast. *laugh* Anyway, even though it was kinda gloomy and very cold, I warmed up quickly once the race began. Nothing out of the ordinary. I was passed by many and I passed my share also. It wasn't until the loop swung back north that I felt the full force of the cold wind which made me question what in the hell I was doing out there. My eyes were watering and the air was stinging my lungs. (I still have a ragged wet cough from the cold wind burning my lungs.) I finished around 47:49 which was 00:26 slower than running at the gym but sounded good to me as running at the gym is always easier than running outside on uneven terrain. My first finish line crossing! And there were green bagels at the finish! The awards were held at Goose Island Brewery where there was a brunch buffet and a free beer for those with bibs. French toast has never tasted so good.

Running (with lots of walking) still seems foreign to me. I stood in the starting corral and felt out of place. I kept praying that there would be someone slower than me so I wasn't the last person to cross the finish line. I kept telling myself it was only 3.1 miles and I do more than that at the gym. After the fact I can say I did enjoy it but as usual, while I am doing it I always wonder "WTF?"

Now to prepare for the Race to Wrigley 5k where I get to finish under the Wrigley Field sign! Now that is the race I am looking forward to. It signals the start of baseball season and I get to run through the stadium!

Just a note to myself... skipping veggies the night before means no "intestinal disorders" during the run! I had a steak and potatoes with bread and not deadly urge to hit a port-o-let while I ran. My mind cannot fathom not eating veggies with every meal. It's just so wrong! But I'll skip 'em if it means I won't be begging for port-o-lets ever mile after the start.

48 hours to go...

2008-03-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

This time on Sunday I will be nearing completion of my first 5k. I am really looking forward to the race even though it is just a short run. After the race there is a brunch at a local restaurant/brewery. Free beverage with my bib! This week was finals week at NU so Sunday's event is like a celebration for that also. And Saturday we are taking the two pups and going hiking after I pick up my race packet. I missed last Sunday's weekly Puppies/Pancakes/Park event. We take the dogs, get some brunch pancakes and head to a nature preserve/national park to go hiking. That's become my favorite park about weekends.

Unfortunately, due to it being finals week, I never made it to the gym. Not once. I spent in, then started work, then worked on my paper and studied for the exam. I feel very positive about the exam and I am glad that I wrote my paper on what I believed rather than what I thought the professor wanted to hear. Even if it gets me a poor grade, I know that what I learned and wrote about is real (modern intensive agriculture and the loss of biodiversity).

I also spoke with a classmate who, upon hearing what I did for a living and what I was in school for, said "you're just a do-gooder then, aren't you!" It made me laugh because I never really see myself like that. Certain things are important to me but I don't see it as doing good. I can't even think of myself as a runner even though I run races. I just think of myself as someone without a lot of motivation who loves to read and play with her dogs. Hell, I've been married almost 16 years and I never even think of myself as married!

Life is funny like that.

Testing a 5k...

2008-03-04T07:45:00.000-06:00

Hmmm... I speedwalked a 5k today. My time was 47:42 and my average pace was 9:30 minutes per kilometer. With practice maybe I can work that down to a 30 minute 5k. And then I still had to hang around after to try and get my new gym id card. It was supposed to be left at the front desk and it wasn't there. I was afraid the guy behind the counter would think I was scamming him! *laugh*

Right now I am sooooo hungry. I didn't eat anything before the gym and only had a few Fig Newtons when I got back. I used to dislike Fig Newtons and now I crave them. The running magazines say they are a good source of energy. And that is a scary thought, that I read running magazines. I typically steer clear of magazines but Runner's World is interesting reading. I actually want a subscription!

I still don't feel like a runner. I definitely don't look like a runner. I have the gear but not the body or mindset. I'm hoping that will change this year. Damned Disney marathon hurt my feelings.

Run, run, run...

2008-03-03T07:52:00.000-06:00

I switched my work schedule around so I could fit in a gym visit before work since going after work was interfering with my schoolwork. I'm a morning person anyway so this really works best. And I feel so energized!

I did no running today. I speedwalked 1.5 miles, lifted free weights, did leg weight machines, did 20 flights of stairs on the stair climber and walked for 15 minutes on the treadmill with a 5.0 incline at 2.7 mph. Illinois is pretty flat so I really need to build up my incline endurance so I can hike in the mountains!

So far I am signed up for the St. Paddys Day 5k Run-Walk in March and the Race to Wrigley 5k in April, a half marathon in August and a full marathon in October. I may add in a few more 5k/8k/10k's between now and August. The more fun runs I do, the better I'll do for the Chicago marathon. I can't fail to finish again! The Disney marathon failure hit me badly even though I got pulled out due to the "dreaded trots" and not because I gave up. At least I didn't give up.

So there is this thing called running...

2008-01-30T07:51:00.000-06:00

I've never been athletic. I was in marching band for reasons I will not divulge here and I tried being on the track team one year (I never got to run). I was a cheerleader in middle school but that wasn't very athletic back in the 1980's. I did ride my bike on occasion but only because I had to get to work somehow. As a kid I'd much rather have sat outside with a book than run and play.

In 2006 I went to Disney World with my sis and her family. We were there during the Disney marathon and my sis fell in love with the medals she saw runners, finishers, wearing. She decided then and there that she would run the marathon for Disney's 15th marathon anniversary. Somehow she talked my mom and I into joining her.

We all trained. My sis wanted to run. My mom and I decided to walk/run, which turned into a walk. My sis damaged her knee so by the time the marathon rolled around we were all walking. I'd trained with walking interspersed with running after reading John "the Penguin" Bingham's books. I had the shoes and the apparel and the fuel belt. I'd run up to 20 miles on my longest run and survived. I knew tricks to keep running when my calves cramped up! Running became a way for me to feel better about myself. I was doing something I never thought I would do. And I was doing it regularly. When I had aches and pains and huge blisters on my feet, they were there because I was being active. I had cramps from running and not from sitting on the couch in one position for too long. I had running shoes with dirt in them. From running! I had water bottles that were used while running and not while sitting at my desk surfing the 'net. I had a real reason to eat mac & cheese for dinner! I read forums and joined mailing lists to gain more running knowledge. I bought and read many books on running (oh how I love those Bingham books).

And then the Disney marathon happened... I sagged out just before mile 9. I didn't even make it into the Magic Kingdom. Digestive problems. The dreaded runners trots (trust me when I say this, veggies are bad for you the night before a race... BAD! The worst thing you can put into your body. Mac & cheese is the best thing ever). I never could make up my time after stopping at port-o-lets twice. My sis and mom finished. My sis even got to dance across the finish line with Pluto (you can check this out here http://www.mydisneymarathon.com/ and go to "video"... my sis, the woman with the orange shirt and braids, is shown at about 3:06 in the video). I just cried when I got picked up. And then I cried some more when I got dropped off at the finish line. And I cried even more when I saw the boy. And when my sis crossed the line. And when my mom crossed the line. And when I got back to my room. And while we were eating dinner.

I was so embarrassed and beyond disappointed. I wasn't the first person taken off the race or even the last person in the pack. And I did run for much of that almost-9 miles. But I didn't finish. I didn't get to run through Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. I didn't get to cross the finish line. I didn't get a medal.

They boy told me I'd changed a couple people's outlook of me because I did follow through with training and didn't just drop out of the race. My step-dad was one of those people. And when I said I was still going to run the Chicago marathon he said he would be coming out here to cheer me on.

I signed up for 2 5k's upon returning home after my first marathon failure. I have an 8-week Couch to 5k running plan. If I can do more running, any stops I may have to do won't suck up my time. Too much time is lost when you have to wait in line at port-o-lets. And if I want to finish the Chicago marathon this year, I need more running under my belt (and less veggies). I want to run more so that if and when I have to stop, I won't be trying to catch up.

And by 2011, I will be ready to run and finish that Disney marathon. And just out of sheer frustration over my first Disney marathon I am planning on running the Goofy (1/2 marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday). And this time I won't be eating fruit and veggies the night before a race.