Monday, December 27, 2010

It's good to have goals. For the New Year mine include keeping up with my poor blog a bit more regularly and placing in the top 3 for my age group in the Warrior Dash John and I are doing in June.

The Warrior Dash is in Logan, OH (I think) and is a 2.91 mile race with 13 obstacles from hell or so they say on their website. Some of the obstacles include, barbed wire, fire, tires and a dark tunnel.

I literally can't wait until June! I am just so excited for several reasons:
1) It just sounds cool.
2) You get a beer at the finish.
3) You get a fuzzy warrior helmet.
4) And if you place in the top 3 in your age group you get a metal warrior helmet and if your name is Kate Dickey you get a real live warrior from Rob!

This is going to need some strategy... I figure most of the participants are young, in their 20's or so which gives me a boost. (Ok, so that's not much in the way of strategy but it's all I've got.)

And, some training, ugh, which includes swimming laps.

I have always been a runner and have always said I didn't get swimmers but... I have to say, after a few swims I think I get it. Swimming is kind of like running: relaxing, peaceful, a great work out and you feel really good afterward.

So far I have done laps twice. My first time out, 2 weeks ago, for half a mile and last week for one length short of 3/4 of a mile. (Don't ask...)

I have to say I am feeling a bit warriorish!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Summer in the Suburbs

Wow, it's been so long I almost forgot how to sign in here...lol.

I am spending my Sunday morning in my favorite way, out on the deck under the shade of our Eastern Redbud tree with a cup of coffee, my lap top, my journal and a book. (I'm about to start "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo".) The weather is perfect. The sun is out but there is a slight breeze in the shade. Samantha has her BFF, Tara over to play and I can hear them as they come into the kitchen to get more "things" to use for their playdoh Iron Chef show they are putting on for the stuffed animals. The sound of their chatter makes me smile. The sound of the neighbor's dog barking does not.

I grew up in the country. Our house was in the woods where even if there weren't trees you still wouldn't have been able to see any other houses. It was awesome to be able to build forts in the woods and catch tadpoles in the creek but I always knew when I grew up I wanted to live in a suburban neighborhood. I like being able to yell "hey there" over the fence to the neighbors and I like being able to sit on the front porch and watch people walk by. I enjoy having neighbors close by even if they are stupid ones with a stupid barking dog. They keep things interesting.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Summer Fun

Wow, I am so addicted to facebook that I have neglected this poor blog terribly!

Remember when we were kids and the days were unbearably long and it seemed like that special day, whatever it was, would never come? It's not like that for kids today. On the last day of school Samantha almost cried as she said: "this year went by too fast. I am not ready for 5th grade to be over". And, her Birthday snuck up on her and she felt she hadn't had enough time to properly plan.

This past weekend Samantha turned 12! She had two friends over, Tara and Chelsea. They had pizza out on the deck, opened presents, had cake, danced to music in the back yard and made smores over the fire pit. She really had an amazing time; but for her parents it was a bit sad... We weren't allowed to participate! I tried dancing with them and was told to stop. Even when I sat on the deck and they were all the way out in the yard I received evil looks. When we could John and I stole glances out in the back yard and loved what we saw. Samantha is no longer a little girl. She has, virtually overnight, turned into a beautiful young lady.

I love love love you Samantha!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Journaling

I have always kept journals and I love reading back through them. This past weekend I read back through 2005 and found some pretty funny stuff...

There was an email from my friend Kelly's son, Sean. He would have been 3 or 4 at the time and he told me his dog wanted to lick my toes.

And there was an entry about how my mother went to a realtor's office for something and there was no one at the receptionist's desk. She waited a while and still no one was anywhere to be found. There was a wall calendar hanging above the chairs where she was waiting. She liked the calendar so she removed it from the wall and left.

It really is the little moments and stories that when we look back give us the greatest pleasure. I am still laughing picturing my mom stealing the calendar. The toe licking thing though is just gross but Sean is still awfully cute.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

February

January is the month for New Year's Resolutions but I never seem to get around to it until February. It's like I need the first month or two of the new year to re-group and get it together. So, 2010... I am ready for you now!

In 2010 I resolve to:

1. Not cuss like a pirate any more... I find myself telling Samantha how saying bad words sends a negative message about the person who says them and I remember my mother saying that swearing shows a lack of creativity. So, I resolve to think of better words to use. (Although, I reserve the right to call any idiot I so choose an ass monkey.)

2. Not say anything in private that I wouldn't say to the whole world... This one kind of reminds me of the old saying: If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.

3. Be less judgemental... I have no idea what it is like to walk in someone elses shoes and false judgements can hurt others. Judging others is a complete waste of time. So, I resolve to walk down my own path, to allow you to walk down your path and to just let others be themselves.

4. Listen more & listen better... How often do our minds wander when someone else is speaking? And, how often are we planning what we are going to say next instead of focusing on what the other person is saying? Really listening makes us feel good therefore I resolve to get off my own agenda and listen more.

5. Live happily ever after now...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Theodore Roosevelt

Samantha had just finished her power point project on Theodore Roosevelt and John was showing her how to save it onto a memory stick. One of my favorite things is watching these simple, everyday moments.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

There are vikings in those woods...

One of my favorite memories is our family visit to Lily Fest a few years ago. Lily Fest is this amazing arts festival in the Hocking Hills. The property is beautiful, set in a clearing in the woods and has one amazing garden after another. The drive is a bit treacherous up and down many hills on curvy, narrow roads but totally worth it.

A few years ago when my parents came to visit I suggested we go to Lily Fest. Mom was a bit leery because she thought it would be a crappy craft fest. She was pleasantly surprised that it was a lovely fine arts festival! Dad bought a copper sculpture to mount above the gate on the bridge at their house that leads from the road back to the house and Mom got a life sized fairy for her garden.

After we looked around we sat on a quilt in the grass to listen to dulcimer music and have a picnic. While we were having our chicken salad sandwiches with the crusts cut off when I said to Dad, "there are vikings in those woods."

"What?"

"There are vikings in those woods" I said a bit louder because Dad is hard of listening. (He hears fine when he wants to...)

"Vikings? There aren't any vikings in the woods, you don't know what you are talking about."

I told him to come with me. We left Mom and Samantha on the quilt and walked along the winding trail through the woods. Dad bitched the whole time about how I had no idea where I was going when suddenly, around a bend, there they were: VIKINGS!

Dad's face lit up like a kid at Christmas. The Vikings, about 6 of them, had a tepee (not really sure why a tepee... maybe they pillaged it from the Indians?) a cauldron over a fire, tents and various areas with games and crafts set up.

After we were done chatting with the vikings and purchasing some crafts we went back to Mom and Samantha. Dad sits down and says to Mom, "There are vikings in those woods!"

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Backyard Sheds

Recently we had a storage shed built in our backyard. It is just adorable, matches our house and made our garage even tidier than it was.

Well, last night I discovered the down side to a backyard shed... when you need something that had previously been in the attached garage you now have to tread through the snow in the back yard.

I suppose it was funny but not at the time. It was around 8pm and we were watching TV when we heard one of the smoke detectors beep that it's battery was low. It took a bit to figure out which detector it was coming from, living room or bed room. We have cathedral ceilings in our bedroom and even standing on a chair didn't quite reach.

So, we had to go out to the shed to get the ladder. Yuck, snow in my boots! There were icicles on the shed door that made it hard to open and it was cold... whine and complain. John tried to throw a snowball at me but I quickly pointed out that the person who stayed in the warm house had no right to throw a snowball at the person who went out in the cold to the shed. Then I poked him with one of the icicles I'd carried back in.

John changed the battery in the detector with our last 9 volt battery. About 5 minutes later the darn thing started beeping again! I offered ear plugs but it wasn't much help so John went to the store for more batteries and he changed them in all the detectors.

The ladder is still in the house... anyone want to come over an take it back out to the shed?

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy First Monday of 2010

Here I am at my desk at work taking a little lunch break.
You all know I love Mondays but you know what I love even more?
A New Year!
It's like one huge giant Monday all wrapped up like with a big red bow like the perfect present!