April running is not just for Fools! - The April Dingo Thread - Page 2

[Ann15]

Yay, April!  I love love love spring when it finally decides to show up around here (60s tomorrow!).  The tulips in my yard are getting taller and the birds are getting louder in the morning and it just makes me happy.  This morning DH took the kids to Home Depot for their kids' project workshop where they made wooden baskets and I got to have some quiet time in the house to myself.  It was nice, even though I just did some laundry and took a nice long shower without anyone knocking on the door.  The little luxuries in the life of a mom

RR: I had my longest run so far of 4.4 miles in 46 minutes on the treadmill this morning.  I did have a potty break at 1.5 miles due to the second cup of coffee that seemed like a good idea before my workout, so probably more like 50 mins. for my total time.  It felt pretty good after the first two miles.  I was just planning to do 3, but then as I was starting to slow down to cool down, I was almost to 3.5, so I decided to pick up the pace again and ended up finishing 4 miles in 40 minutes before I started my gradual cool-down.  Not great, but exciting for me.  

This is a total vanity thing, but has anyone else's thighs gotten bigger since you started running?  I think that I am gaining muscle, but not losing fat yet because my pants are tighter around my thighs.  Do I just need to give it time and watch my diet more?  

Bec: I grew up in Morton Grove, but I live in St. Charles now :-)  It's such a great area!

MelW: I wear underwear, usually basic cotten bikinis.  I've had some chafing issues that I've assumed came from really needing to go up a size, but not wanting to buy something bigger when I am trying to lose the extra weight.  I am only 4'11" I should always be a size small or extra small and I am sticking to that

Nic: We're not veg, but I have checked out a couple kids vegetarian cookbooks when we were getting bored with our usual dinner menus and they had some good info on nutrition.  One I liked was "The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook."

And now I need to get salad made and the table set for our dinner.  Have a lovely evening, Dingos!

[mommajb]

Welcome to the new dingos! May your excitement rub off on me.

bec - HA! I actually suggested tacos and margaritas for dinner but didn't come up with a babysitter. Darn these teens and their social lives.

Nic, I don't know how it fits in with other dietary restrictions but I enjoy the Moosewood cookbooks. The lowfat version is literally falling apart I've used it so much; Simple Suppers gets used quite a bit too.

IL - I went to highschool in Glen Ellyn, lived in Evanston after college but that was a lifetime ago.

undies - not while running though having seen two women during 'the month that shall not be named' wearing leggings that, um, were more like tights, I have to say I've been wearing shorts over my running tights just in case.

an update on my day: More stuff cleared out to the garage, more stuff taken from the garage to goodwill, more surfaces cleaned, more cookies eaten, no running. I can see desks, counters, floors, and more.

Dh has three weeks left until his summer break. His load was frontloaded and he doesn't have a class during May term. I know he has plans but perhaps I can schedule some solo runs at a nice time of day?

[Nickarolaberry]

Hi.

Jo I've been lusting after a Timbuk2 for years.

Feeling off right now. I'm hungry but don't know what I want to eat. Hormone headache not abated. Gah.

[LaLaLaLa]

Naughty Dingo--Congrats on your super-awesome run!  I'm glad you didn't have any chafing issues.  I'm in the no-underpants camp, but am glad that you didn't have issues today.  I hate theme parties, which is why I'm never up for a Halloween bash.  I'm a bad sport.  Any dress that you choose will be great, I'm sure.

Jo--I'm sorry that you're having more problems with the house sale.  I hope the asbestos will be an easy fix; I know there are specialized teams who come in and take care of it for you.

This morning I decided to go out and do a long run.  It ended up being just over ten miles, which is the farthest I've ever run.  Hooray!  It felt good while I was doing it, and then I came home and took an ice bath, on the advice of some of you here.  Yeeeowch!  It was the worst thing I've ever put myself through.  My kids thought it was so funny; they were dancing around the bathroom making comments as I sat in misery.  "Mommy, you're shivering!"  "Mommy, you have goosebumps all over!"  "Mommy, your TEETH are chattering!"  I know, I know, I know!  Give me a break; I'm sitting in a bathtub full of ice water!  I lasted ten minutes, which is more than I'd thought, and I don't have enough experience to know if it made a difference.

Jo--was it you who theorized it was the coffee that caused my stomach distress last week?  I went without coffee all day today, which was quite a sacrifice, but I had no problems.  Thank you so much!

I'm thinking of signing up for a local half-marathon.  It's in October, and would be three days before we leave for a family trip to Disney World.  Before committing, I'm going to see how I feel in the next three days after today's long run.  I don't want to be immobile in the park; that wouldn't be fair to everyone.

[bec]

Mommajb - ROFL at the tacos!  Too bad no babysitter! 

Ann - We should get together sometime for a run!  St. Charles is a really nice area.  Running on the bike trail by Leroy Oaks is a really nice trail.  Flat, too!  And Geneva has the best Chinese restaurant possibly on the planet.  Gen Hoe is one of our favorite restaurants.  And way to go on the 4+ miles!  I know how important and incredible passing those milestones feel!

[Realrellim]

Originally Posted by MelW 

So, am I the only one wearing underwear? I run in regular cotton bikinis- the same as I wear every day.

That's what I wear too. I'd like to get some fancy technical wicking undies or something, but I don't want to pony up the fancy money for them.


mommajb--hope you are able to get some nice runs in once your DH hits the May term.

Originally Posted by bec 

Mommajb - I think your mojo and my mojo ran off to Mexico and are living it up on the beach, drinking tequila.  I need it to come back!

My grading and research mojo must have joined them, though I'm sad to hear they're having so much fun while I'm stuck here!


Ran 3 today on an errand to the gardening store for seeds, with J (finally!) taking a nap in the jogger. Other activities included a birthday party for one of R's friends, working soil amendments into the garden, hanging laundry on the line and planting onions, snow peas, broccoli, chard, spinach and black seeded simpson lettuce.

I'm hoping to get the rest of the cold crops in tomorrow: kale, a few carrots, romaine, cilantro, and some herbs for a new herb bed that I'm going to try. They're forecasting scattered thunderstorms, which could mean we get a lot of rain or that we get nothing. I also need to run 10 tomorrow, so I'm hoping any thunderstorms truly are scattered.

[1jooj]

Lisa, enjoy the gardening. Dh and I spent some time outside yesterday, mostly sighing. Hoping these are good sighs in the long run.

LaLaLaLa, thanks for the positive thoughts. I have a removal team scheduled for this week. Hoping for good. It's nearly done and needs to be complete in a month. Looks like we will be flying mid-May. I don't know if the coffee was my wisdom. I realized this morning that I have a coffee habit AND a tea habit. And I don't mean I alternate between the two. I mean, I'm not two-fisting with a coffee in one hand and the tea in the other, but I have my morning coffee and afternoon tea, and that is part of my old and crusty ways.

Nic, nuts and seeds, nuts and seeds...you already do lots of beans and tehina. Maybe you could request a "bag in a box" for a gift.  And subscribe for their emails to get promo codes, which of course can take $20 or so off the sting.

Treasure Mapping starts today. And since we have nearly completed the mother of all decluttering work, I am feeling like doing a mother of all maps.

ND, did you go with a little black thing? How was the party?

[JayGee]

Lisa ~ your garden sounds fabulous!  I can't wait until my yard is finally landscaped so I can get started on my veggies.  Unforunately, they are still unable to get the Bobcat excavator into my yard due to mud, so my garden will probably have to wait until next spring.  My neighbor and I are both making some container gardens this Friday though, so at least it's something.

Lalala ~ great job on the long run!!!!  From my experience, most of the post-half marathon pain has abated after the first day or two.  I'd go for it!

Jo ~ I can imagine the deep sighing as you and your DH survey the property.  Bittersweet, I'm sure.  Hope the asbestos gets taken care of quickly.

ND ~ how was the 50s party? 

mommajb ~ I love the phrase "the month that shall not be named"!  Going back to the beginning of our marriage, DH and I have always hated March.  It really does seem to never, ever end.  The year DH was in Korea, we both swore that March had 2x as many days as it should have.  Glad it's over.

I think I'll go to tri club swim today, but it's so intimidating to be the slowest one in the pool.

[Nickarolaberry]

Good morning Dingo Mamas!

ND how was your party?

I had a nice long run this morning, 10.25 miles. A little slower than I have been running but AF is here and I am feeling kind of out of sorts and crampy. The bloating seems to have subsided at least...I lost 4 pounds in a day?   Something's clearly wonky there but the scale is a precisely calibrated digital one (that dh used to use in his bariatric surgery office) so it's not a scale issue. Weird. I do feel a bit less...puffy...today at least. So that's good.

Have I mentioned I seriously hate when my kids are invited to class birthday parties? I know that sounds so party-pooperish but it always ends up with someone crying, etc. Yesterday ds went to a party at BounceU which I. DETEST. And I couldn't stay because I had the girls with me and they weren't invited, and I wasn't about to shell out $30 for them to bounce on germ-laden bouncy houses and eat crap too.

At least they and I met a friend at Whole Foods and had a nice snack and sit-outside while ds was busy getting overstimulated, eating junk, and procuring more plastic garbage-in-a-goody-bag (which will mysteriously disappear in a couple days).

I know it sounds so snarky. I just can't stand it and part of it is I have NOTHING in  common with most of the parents and it is torture for me to try and make small talk. I am not at my best in larger groups anyway but with people I have less than nothing in common with aside from our kids' teacher, it is so painful.

Oh well. Almost over.

Making our auto train reservations this week I think. Signing the littles up for day camp near my folks (where we're staying for late June/July). Summer's a-comin!

[bec]

Nic - Abby had one of those yesterday.  Except it was called Pump it Up.  Yes, I hate them.  At least this party was for a couple of kids that she is actually friends with.  But, still, the plastic crap, the candy crap, and the firecracker popper!  I could live without that.

Spin class, spun.  It was a really good, really tough class.  When I got home, DH met me at the door with coffee and bagels.  Ahhh, love!  So now, I have the whole day, nothing planned, and I've already put forth 60 intense minutes. 

Real - Your garden sounds lovely.  Hmmm, maybe I'll get into the backyard today.  I think I have enough light to grow leafy greens.  Not much else, though.  I love the big trees in my neighborhood, but they've dashed my dreams of growing my own vegetables!

[JayGee]

RR ~ 3300 tough yards in the pool (300 warmup, 10x50 kick, 5x100 free, 5x200 pull, 5x100 free, 10x50 kick).  Amazingly, I held the interval!  And today is 1/7 swim (attempt 2...)

[Plady]

Originally Posted by MelW 

So, am I the only one wearing underwear? I run in regular cotton bikinis- the same as I wear every day.

I do too.  I think my chafing issues start when the undies are off.

Originally Posted by Naughty Dingo 
I did my dreaded 17 miler this morning and felt good. So glad I beat that mental hurdle!! It was a beautiful day and I did an out and back route I have never done before. I usually try to avoid out and backs, but for some reason, it was really comforting to me today to have a turnaround, and to know I have less to go than I already went. I listened to a few "This American Life" podcasts, which was totally entertaining. I had some muscle discomfort in the last couple miles, but not horrible fatigue, so I think I am doing OK in my training.

That sounds so nice, long run, podcasts, Madison!  I am hoping to make a visit sometime in the foreseeable future now that ALi G is out of dipes () it's been a looong time so maybe my SM is finally recovered from our last visit.

Originally Posted by mommajb 
And taking calls from my elderly neighbor. She left for assisted living on Thursday and I have been checking things at her house as she needs since then. I am glad to do anything for her and I miss her already but I didn't realize the full extent of what would be needed now.

You are a good neighbor!  Is she keeping her house?  I hope that the requests will slow down as she adjusts to the new place.

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa   I lasted ten minutes, which is more than I'd thought, and I don't have enough experience to know if it made a difference.

La4 I'm sure it helped!  Did you do it Gaye style with socks, top, hat and coffee?  Once I started staying mostly dressed (and filling up the tub with me in it) it became a lot easier to bear.

Originally Posted by 1jooj 
Treasure Mapping starts today. And since we have nearly completed the mother of all decluttering work, I am feeling like doing a mother of all maps.

Yeah, you are this year's Decluttering Queen for sure!  I'm trying to channel some of that, so far we've made it through dd's bureau.  We have a long way to go.  I don't like to face how much crap we've stuffed into this house in just 3 years.  It's unbelievable.  And embarrassing.  And everywhere.
 

Originally Posted by Nickarolaberry 
I know it sounds so snarky. I just can't stand it and part of it is I have NOTHING in  common with most of the parents and it is torture for me to try and make small talk. I am not at my best in larger groups anyway but with people I have less than nothing in common with aside from our kids' teacher, it is so painful.

It's not snarky, it's just true.  Wasn't La4 at that party last weekend?
 

Originally Posted by bec 

  When I got home, DH met me at the door with coffee and bagels.  Ahhh, love! 

  How can I train mine to be that thoughtful?  Hmmm.  Well, he did do puppy duty this morning.  And made coffe, I'll overlook how he body checked me on my way to the carafe to fill his cup first.  I'm sure it was just decaffeination  in action.

But, in exciting and Non:RR news, I'm taking the girls to PDX for three nights at the end of the week!  I'm so excited.  We're splurging a bit and renting an apartment (it was only a little more than a hotel room on the beltway and it's in town so....) and I get to see my friend Chiara who I haven't' seen in 12 years!  :)  Her dh is the elephant keeper at the zoo and we're going on Thursday, hopefully we'll get an up close with the elephants!  We're going to do some thrift storing and just girls' time.  I hope the girls can handle the dhlessness of it, things are fine but I need to get away for a bit.  I've been feeling overwhelmed and underseen for a few months now.  It will be refreshing just to not deal with that for a few days. Ahh, bliss.  And thrift shops without sales tax.  And old dear friends.  And not cooking. 

Okay, gotta peel myself away from the 'puter and declutter!

[LaLaLaLa]

La4 I'm sure it helped!  Did you do it Gaye style with socks, top, hat and coffee?  Once I started staying mostly dressed (and filling up the tub with me in it) it became a lot easier to bear.

It's not snarky, it's just true.  Wasn't La4 at that party last weekend?
 

Mine was a wedding shower, but, yes, same vibe.    I was able to skillfully evade the party favors, though (fancy wine stoppers) before scooting out the door.

My ice bath included a jacket, hat, and hot cup of tea.  I filled the tub and then climbed in, and it was miserable all the way.  I kept sending my kids out of the bathroom to check the time on the kitchen timer.  Longest ten minutes ever.

Today I blew off running.  Last night I mentioned to DH that I was thinking of cooking a chicken for dinner and if he wanted to invite his dad over, I'd go one step further and make a chicken pie.  So this morning before church I was up early washing and cutting vegetables instead of running.  I also made an apple pie, and think I've successfully replenished the calories burned by yesterday's run.  And then some.

At church the guy two pews behind me had a medical emergency right before the start of the sermon.  He's probably in his seventies, and suddenly his wife was grabbing the man right behind me, saying "come quick!"  The guy was unresponsive for several seconds, staring straight forward.  He snapped out of it but then was confused and unable to identify where he was for several more minutes.  The EMTs came, he got a bit better, and was transported out.  I guess I'll have to wait another week for the peaceful Sunday morning experience I crave.  I don't know this guy, but I hope he'll be okay.  It would be hard to be a minister, I think, and to know that people in your congregation are going to die and that you are going to have to deal with the nitty-gritty of their illnesses and death.  I suppose being good at that sort of interaction would be one of the prerequisites for going into the ministry in the first place. 

Tomorrow I'm in DD's first-grade class in the morning, so I'm hoping the weather will be nice enough for me to run outside after that, before I need to pick DS up from preschool.  I hate being rushed at the gym.

[Penelope]

<dragging myself into the thread> Man, I'm exhausted. Trip to MN w. students, van broke down, much hilarity, very late getting home in rental SUV, up early to ferry other students to Orthodox Christian service. Biked, baked cake, going out to supper in a while. Ran 3m yesterday, my big run for the week.

So next week must involve more MDC, more sleep, more running, less travel.

[Geofizz]

DrJen, Please put me down for the runcbus 10 miler next week:  http://runcbus.com/index.html

10 miles this morning at just under a 10 minute mile pace.  We did the hill again, this time I was ready for it.

Soccer is starting up in earnest now, and DS is signed up as well.  He was positively clueless.  DD is signed up for both the "skills" clinic and the regular rec league.  The skills clinic is actually by age (rec league goes by grade) so for the first time ever, she's the oldest kid there.  It's a great boost for her.  But MAN, I gotta figure out how to do the 10 mile run followed by sitting on rubber turf for 2 hours.

[Realrellim]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa 

It would be hard to be a minister, I think, and to know that people in your congregation are going to die and that you are going to have to deal with the nitty-gritty of their illnesses and death.  I suppose being good at that sort of interaction would be one of the prerequisites for going into the ministry in the first place. 

I think so too, though it can still be rough. When our pastor started last spring, she'd been at our church a month during which a couple of older members died. That wasn't too bad, but then everything went crazy in the same week. A 22-year-old in our congregation committed suicide, a long-time member (one who was also on call committee) collapsed in the parking lot after choir practice and spent a couple of weeks in the ICU followed by a couple of months in the hospital regaining his strength so they could deal with the cancer that caused the other medical issues, all while she was planning her installation service for the end of the week. Happily, it was also the week J was born--the only bright spot in that week.

JayGee--you probably still have time on your garden, provided it doesn't rain through April. My uncle does rototilling up though early June for people. He's more north than you (about 30 minutes south of Chicago) but you could at least enjoy the yummy warm crops like tomatoes and cucumbers and all.

Nick--sorry about the party. R went to a birthday party yesterday and had a ton of fun until we left, at which point she realized there was no treat bag (gasp!) and proceeded to start complaining. Lovely. I didn't mind the party though, mostly because J stayed with DH and I had an hour and a half of uninterrupted knitting time while making small talk. I can deal with that. (If I had to sit there and have nothing to do, I'd feel differently because I'd be thinking about all the things I could be doing instead of sitting at the party. Instead, I only have to field questions about what I'm knitting and smile pleasantly.)

Plady--that sounds awesome!

Penelope--hope this week involves more sleep and running.

Geo--awesome run!

So remember how it was 80* and sunny and beautiful and I worked in my garden yesterday? Well, today it was 62 and sunny this morning, but halfway through church, it clouded over, the wind picked up, and it had dropped to 45 degrees by the time we drove home. By noon it was 30 and snowing heavily. Insanity! The snow didn't stick to pavement, but my 10-miler took place in wind and light snow showers. The weather people were predicting scattered thunderstorms for today, which is part of why I hustled on getting stuff into the garden yesterday, but still, wow!

[Realrellim]

Serial posting: triathletes, I have a bike question. My bike is a women's Trek Navigator 3.0, like this http://bit.ly/e0mQO3 and it's designed for what I usually do: recreational rides, hauling kids in the trailer, bike/bus commuting,and running errands. However, I'm hoping I can use it for the spring triathlon I'm thinking about in July. The course has "some good climbs and fast descents" (aka, rolls around the top of a mountain). Since I'm not going to break any speed records, will it be ok and not kill me on the climbs or should I look into another bike option?

[tjsmama]

real~It won't be ideal, but it'll be fine. That course shouldn't be any worse than anything out by Aurora Res, and I've seen women at Danskin riding bikes with banana seats. Seriously. This race will be a slightly different vibe, but still pretty beginner friendly. If you want to use it as an excuse for a new bike, go right ahead, but you can get away with what you have. At least until you get bitten by the bug and NEED a new bike to support your new tri habit.

Ladies, I need some wisdom/advice/commiseration/what have you. DS had a tantrum/meltdown tonight that lasted over 2 1/2 hours. No joke. It was ugly. I honestly don't even remember how it all started, but the tipping point was when he refused to put his cups from dinner into the dishwasher. I wouldn't give in either. I mean, I know where he gets his stubborn streak from, but I don't remember mine EVER being that bad as a kid. It devolved into me retreating into my bedroom for awhile and locking the door after telling him that I wasn't coming out until the cups were in the dishwasher. After at least half an hour of screaming outside my door, he went out to the living room and fell asleep on the couch. When I tried to just put him to bed, he woke up and it started all over. It really got ugly when he threw his bunny (his lovey) at me and hit me in the face. Since he's been warned repeatedly about that before, I took his bunny away. Yikes. Eventually, with much kicking, screaming, and other stuff I'm embarrassed about, I managed to get him in his diaper and pj's and in bed, but he continued to yell for another 15-20 minutes after I finally just turned his light off, closed the door, and went out to the living room to try to ignore him. I honestly don't know how to deal with him. He doesn't seem to respect my authority at all. A frequent argument is "but YOU'RE not doing what *I* want you to do", and he legitimately thinks that I should. He also will not be quiet and listen when I'm trying to explain something. Every argument/time-out/etc is punctuated by almost constant "MOMMY!" and "I'm trying to tell you something!", which is usually that a) he loves me b) he doesn't like me right now or c) that's not nice/I don't like it when you do that. I am so discouraged right now. I know a big part of the meltdown was just that he's tired from the past two weeks of vacation/excitement, but the underlying problem still exists...that he doesn't listen to me (or more accurately, do what I'm asking him to do) because he doesn't respect my authority. I honestly don't know what else to do to try to impress upon him that *I'm* the boss, not him.

It was extra sucky because we got out of clinical WAY early (like 3+ hours early), and I was so happy to get to spend a couple of hours with DS since I barely saw him last night. I was having a pretty good day up until then, but that really put a sour taste to the end of the day.

I think clinical will be good. Our instructor seems awesome, although some things scare me a little. I'm going to be on the pulmonary floor...also exciting/scary. On the somewhat good side is that I won't be assigned any tuberculosis patients because you're required to have a special, custom-fit mask to care for them, and they don't get those for students. I also don't get to see the transplant patients, though, because the medication they use requires the custom mask, too. Lots of cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and lung surgery patients, though, which could be very interesting. And the atmosphere on the weekend seems pretty laid-back, which will be good.

Really need a good workout of some sort tomorrow, but I don't know what. I guess it depends what time the snow clears out of here (yes, it WAS 80 yesterday, and it's currently 28 and snowing, thank you!). I don't really want to have to head down to the Y, but I will if I have to...

[LaLaLaLa]

Gaye, I'm so sorry about your DS.  My DS, who turned five in February, has a similar-sounding personality.  He tends to fall apart, and then can't let go of whatever it is that set him off.  He simply can't pull himself back together, and he often tantrums for up to an hour at a time.  I don't think he's really trying to question my authority; he just can't get a grip and it comes out in screaming, throwing things, kicking stuff, and more screaming.  He often likes to push me right to the edge by being annoying, then ask me to do things for him, like brush his teeth.  There is no connection in his mind between his behavior and my refusal to then do extra stuff for him.

Tonight we were having family game night, playing a board game that involved choosing cards that would then allow you to trade them in to build train routes across a game board.  DS refused to make a decision; he only wanted to build instead of choosing cards, but didn't have the cards he wanted to build the very specific path he wanted.  After five minutes of him screeching about wanting to build, I made a decision to pick up two of his cards, put them back in the pile, and show him where he could build with those.  He was NOT happy, but utterly refused to do anything else to allow us to keep playing.  He screamed for close to twenty minutes, first in the kitchen with all of us, then in his bedroom where I placed him, telling him he was welcome to return the very second he was done screaming.  It took a long time for him to stop, and the rest of the game was a bit tenuous, too.  This is not an uncommon type of situation for us.

I don't have any answers at all, obviously.  I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in dealing with this hugely frustrating behavior.  I keep just hoping DS will eventually grow out of it, but I'm betting his personality will always be a bit volatile.  We just need to figure out some strategies for him to deal with his feelings without completely coming apart.  I hope for patience for both you and me; I think we're going to need buckets of it.

[JayGee]

Taking a few quick minutes before the children get up and I turn this infernal machine OFF for the day!

Gaye ~ my middle DD is a lot like that, and over the years I've learned that instead of creating a me v. her dichotomy, I need to make things an "us" thing and it helps if I make it sort of silly.  So, if she'd refuse to put her cups in the dishwasher, I'd suggest that we carry them to the dishwasher together, which she'd think was very silly (2 people carrying one cup!) and it would have defused the entire situation and still show her that she needs to work with me and do what I ask.  She still gives me a hard time about stuff, but if I do it with her (not for her), she doesn't get nearly as upset.  I know how frustrating it is when they freak out like that .

Lisa ~ I know that a lot of people ride bikes like that in local tris here, but of course, I'm in the midwest and not Colorado!  I think you would be fine though.  I wish I knew when my yard was getting put in because then I'd know how long I had to wait with my garden.  It's pouring rain again this morning, so it will be at least another week before things dry out enough for the Bobcat to excavate the hillside.  Sigh...

Who here composts?  DH was interested in composting, but doesn't want to spend a ton of money on special containers or whatever. Any good DIY links for building a composter?  I hate throwing stuff away that could be good in the garden.

DH and I went to St. Louis last night for our anniversary dinner (JenLove, we went to the Broadway Oyster Bar) and had a great time!  Shrimp Creole for me and Crawfish Etoufee for him. Yummsters!  And it was so warm that we were even able to sit outside and DH could watch the trains roll over the Mississippi River bridge.  Happiness .

Off to the chiro this morning for some more ART and then to the pool this morning for day 2 of my swimming challenge.