Dingos Jogging Into January 2012! - Page 9

[Nickarolaberry]

It would be extremely useful. I completely understand what you mean about the need for accountability; when my kids were first in the charter Montessori in FL, it was so hard to figure out precisely where they were holding and what they were learning in relation to where they would have been had they continued in conventional schools.

I have more to say about the public/Montessori hybrid and the compromises it requires but maybe others aren't so interested and we should talk about it via email?  Suffice it to say that you definitely relinquish some independence and the ability to go pure with the Montessori method, and that loss is not trivial, even if it is necessary; without the public charter aspect, the consequence is that Montessori education is available only to a privileged few. (Ironically, exactly the opposite of how Maria Montessori started, as she was working with otherwise totally educationally neglected children in the Italian slums).

I think that whether the trade off is acceptable depends on the school's ability to finesse it, the parents' willingness to be flexible, and the particulars of the state and its bureaucracy. But experience is always useful because some things are universal so definitely I'd love to know more.

No FM today at all and I am really starting to feel under the weather. Bummer.

[Realrellim]

MelW--Congrats on the new niece, and on finishing the research statement.

bec--hope work slows down soon so you can do some other stuff. And also, yes, let's have a Denver Dingo community. Come one, come all!

sparkle--here's to hoping the downward slide stops. Also I always feel the same about research and teaching statements and such. I think everyone does, except possibly certain narcissistic individuals who completely believe them and then some. One of my colleagues is like that. And melatonin rocks. DH uses it when he has trouble getting to sleep, has a great night's sleep and wakes up feeling refreshed. We use it for DD1 too because she has a really hard time falling asleep in a timely manner otherwise (read: staying up for hours, not unlike her younger sister...).

moominmamma--yes, I have a TM at home and do continue to use it. It's an on-again-off-again thing, mostly dependent on weather conditions and sleep schedules. The things I like best are that it's always a back-up in case of bad weather (too hot or too cold) and that I can run on it whenever. When days are busy and children aren't sleeping, I've been known to run as late as 11 pm or even (though rarely) midnight. As far as features, I wanted one with a decent incline and a fan. It also needed to be made for running. There are a bunch of TMs that are more for walkers and you can tell as soon as you run on it. They feel rickety. Mine has some shock absorbers too that make it a fairly comfortable run. Be sure to run on it in the store so you can see how comfortable it feels, how it is to mess with the controls, etc.

Geo--happy anniversary.

RR: 3 miles in glorious 55-something weather while J napped in the jogger. But lest anyone think we're not having winter, I'll merely gesture to the snow we received Saturday night and the storm that is making its way into the Denver area and promising 20-degree temps and snow tomorrow morning. January in Colorado: live for the 50- and 60-degree days while muddling through the rest.

I also pulled out my new Brooks this morning. I think they made me faster.

NRR: Found myself very amused by this line from the David Foster Wallace syllabus

If you are used to whipping off papers the night before they’re due, running them quickly through the computer’s Spellchecker, handing them in full of high-school errors and sentences that make no sense and having the professor accept them ‘because the ideas are good’ or something, please be informed that I draw no distinction between the quality of one’s ideas and the quality of those ideas’ verbal expression, and I will not accept sloppy, rough-draftish, or semiliterate college writing. Again, I am absolutely not kidding.

Ah, to teach at an institution where I could make that a blunt reality. But we're open-enrollment (i.e., anyone over age 22, I believe, can enroll regardless of ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, etc). Though I also think most college profs only get complacent about such things because they have much bigger life issues to deal with in a given semester. Some days/weeks/semesters I'm willing to put up a fight; other times I have much bigger fish to fry, yk? Also, he's an English teacher, and I am not, so that distinction he doesn't draw needs to be drawn somewhere when it comes to music papers.

[1jooj]

Real, I LOVE that DFW quote. Probably had a similar (cheery) reaction when I first saw it. But yes, he was an English teacher, and in that world, ideas are important but coherently expressing them is even more important. And yes on the titles!

MelW, I've used melatonin in the past. Had vivid dreams, but then those were troubled times. 

And I no longer have a TM, but often wish I did. Like this week, home with a sick kid. I can leave him and go run, but not for as long as I'd like. I don't remember what I spent, but it was a mid-level. Sold it when we moved, figuring I'd have some kind of gym access. Didn't realize how pricey gyms (and everything else) are here. Also, I guess I technically live in the desert. But would have to drive a long way to find anything runnable. Not interested in dealing with an hour of tension-inducing traffic each way to run dunes and mountain track. So I barefoot along the beach these days, and when it heats up again, I am afraid I'll need to be up before the sun and get used to sweating buckets again.

bec, congrats to dd. Mine is 8 and I can't imagine her doing something that serious and grown-up. Awesome. And I hope the days calm down with better work schedules ahead!

sparkle, I think the Taos house and farm are similar, as in, what-are-you-gonna-do? Talking to my mom about possibilities ahead, she asked whether we'd do a little farm again if we were in WI and dh was still traveling extensively. My heart wants to but my head knows it doesn't work that way.  Mom knows too; she gave up her herd kicking and screaming about 10 years ago. So she really does understand, and her advice was to live in town somewhere. I could see living back in our very walkable city and enjoying a decent life with lots of access to countryside and farm friends. Like JenLove, for example.  Nothing's forever.

OK, so I got to about 20,000w yesterday, and today I need to do a little more real writing (not salvage). Might hit 30,000 by the weekend if I'm lucky. This thing has GOT to get done. It's killing me.

Also, somehow in spite of me, weight is down from post-vacay high. Yesterday was a PMS disaster a la chocolate, gummy candy, and cheese. Also, argument with dh over his dinner expectations (unrealistic and chauvinistic). Had a little cry and got on with things with the help of a "cute kitten" video and a Skype with my friend back home.

Trying to empty the bladder before heading to the beach for a run. I think my glutes have recovered enough to do squats and lunges again today. Less than 5 days until the parents are here! Did I mention we have to pick them up in the middle of the night in Abu Dhabi? Yeah. We should have booked the tickets for them, but oh well.

[bec]

January brings a lovely respite from the work craziness!  The month of January is between 5-10 hours a week, max!  That's 2 days of working a week.  THAT, I can handle!  Winter is supposed to actually descend on us tomorrow, so I believe I will run with the dog again this morning, and go lift and swim tomorrow.  Ahhh, to be moving again!  It might be a long run tomorrow, though.  I have to check RP's schedule!

Nic, I am enjoying listening to your Montessori discussion.  I feel like it would be a good fit for 2 out of my 3 kids.  Katie, it might be, but worry about how she would do with her intense need for teacher direction and guidance with math.  On the other hand, the only Montessori school here that goes to upper elementary and junior high is really expensive (like $9k per kid per year), and about a 45 minute drive from here.  There are no public charter schools in my immediate area, sadly.  Most of the private school within a reasonable driving distance are religious, and I'm not wanting that for my kids. 

Treadmills - I have a pretty good one that I got from my brother when he moved back in with my parents and didn't have a place for it.  I like the incline, the long running bed, and the high speed available (not that I need that all that much).  Things I wish I had on it: a fan, different display options (it should be noted that this is a fairly old mill), an iPod dock.

[JenLove]

Jo - hugs about DH.  I hate comments about my food when I put so much time into it and everything else around here.

bec - good luck with the winter weather.  We are preparing for it too.

nic - feel better!

Yesterday V and I had a dinosaur stomp (dance) in the living room and today I'm planning on some toning exercises while kiddos nap but before I work.  A little at a time, I guess. :)

[JayGee]

Good morning!  I'm heading out for a walk in the drizzle in a few minutes.  I walked 4 miles yesterday morning and will do another 4 today if the weather holds out.  We're expecting the rain to change to snow later tonight too, but no real accumulation. 

Nic ~ your montessori charter idea sounds wonderful!  I really hope you can move forward with it.  Like bec, there are virtually no Montessori options anywhere near here (closest is really pricy and in St. Louis).  I think all three of my children would really flourish in that kind of environment.

sparkle ~ I mentioned your city to my DH and he gave it a big thumbs down!  Apparently, he's spent a ton of time there with the Air Force and didn't like it very much.  Sorry....  Colorado is still on the list though. 

Jooj ~ good luck getting that writing done.  Hope you had a good run too.

Geo ~ ice cream is what holds DH and me together too .  Happy Anniversary!

Miranda ~ I don't have a treadmill, but I'd say a running-specific, sturdy model is your best bet.  I know Runningmommy has one.  Maybe she can chime in.

kerc ~ so what did you end up cooking?

Today is my free day, with no appointments, no volunteering, no kids' activities.  I'm going for a walk, cleaning a little and driving to Whole Foods and Trader Joes. 

RR ~ I think I need to stick with walking.  After the 5 miles I ran/walked last week, my leg was numb, burning and painful for the next 2 days.  Walking still makes my toes go numb, but at least I don't get the other symptoms.  I'm thinking I need a neurologist, not and orthopedic surgeon.

[bec]

Have a good walk, JG!!!  I really hope you can find someone that can give you some answers to your leg issues! 

So, DH has been having shoulder trouble for over 6 months now.  He had a frozen shoulder manipulation 3 months ago, and while it helped for a little bit, he is back to where he was and worse.  He had a surgery scheduled for next week with a different orthopod where he would go in, clean out any gunk in the shoulder capsule, look for any other explanations, etc.  He had to go in for a pre-op physical with his regular doctor (who he hasn't seen for years and wasn't necessary for the manipulation, apparently).  Anyway, it was discovered that he has high blood pressure and diabetes.  His surgery has been postponed until they can get that under control.  I'm feeling scared and anxious about this.  He has been in serious agony for months and months, and we were hoping that an end was in sight.  Anyway, if I didn't have motivation before to clean up the family's diet, I sure do now!  I told him we are on South Beach as of now!  So, phase 1 begins today.

And speaking of motivation, I did 2 miles of interval work on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  It was 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest.  I set it at 7.5mph and did that for 20 minutes, then I set it to 7.0mph and did 1 minute on, 1 minute off.  It was a good, hard run, and just what I needed! 

[moominmamma]

Wow, bec, that's a big bombshell about your dh. How is his fitness level and BMI? If they're lacking, fixing them would definitely be the best way to improve (or perhaps eliminate) both the diabetes and the hypertension. I guess in a way it's good that the shoulder provided the opportunity to discover these silent problems. My dh's dad developed heart disease at 49 and died of an MI at 51. Dh will turn 49 this year and he too hasn't had a regular check-up in years. I sometimes wish something would crop up to necessitate a check-up. Anyway, hope it all comes under control quickly and the surgery proceeds soon.

Thanks for all the thoughts about treadmills, ladies!

Miranda

[JayGee]

RR ~ walked for 1 hour and 25 minutes .  Not sure how far, but probably about 5-6 miles given how long it took. 

bec ~ that's frigthening!  Did he have any symptoms of diabetes?

[bec]

His fitness and BMI levels aren't great.  He was in Tri class with me last year, and even did a sprint tri this summer.  We think something about the swim was the start of his injury.  He's been pretty sedentary since then.  He could lose about 30-40 pounds.  He has no symptoms that would make us think diabetes, so I'm hopeful this is a relatively new development.  I am hopeful also that we can control this long term with diet and exercise, even if he needs medication for now.

[sparkletruck]

JG - Dare to dream I'm not at all surprised. This place makes a BAD first impression. I cried and moped through my first year here. It's sort of an inside joke amongst us residents that when we first moved here we thought it was a s***h*** (literally we all used the same word.... even a friend who grew up here and then returned after 10 years in Seattle b/c she wanted improved quality of life for her new family said "when I first came back I thought "what a s***h***!" ) and couldnt wait to leave, and now here we are 6 years (or whatever) later . I am one who would not want to move to CO, although it fits my guidelines in so many ways But I do think you belong in an outdoorsy place!
As for your leg, I thought you saw a neuro already? Or did you *just* have neuro testing? I'm sorry you have to keep pursuing this

Jo - I just meant that your farm was/is a part of you, whereas Taos is still a dream for me (even though this house was in the exact spot I have dreamed of for years, and at a price that mystified me). WTG on the writing - holy smokes! as my grandpa used to say And on the weight-loss and Hrmph and on the hard lost gender expectations. And Im with you on the pms wagon - AF should be here any day...

Real - I that part of the DFW's syllabus too That's why I shared it, and I am/was an English teacher. If I ever need a syllabus I might have to plagiarize

Bec - That is scary and disheartening news At least you know exactly what to do and can get the ship going in the right direction straight away. I'm sorry for the delay

NRR: Dh is eyeing a fitness plan. This a.m. he said "I'm really interested in getting super fit this Spring...". Now, this is a man who has never been into fitness for its own sake; if he is not experiencing thrills in the process, forget it. The only time he has run with me was when I was pregnant. So I'm all excited. I want to get him into the gym - his back/core is weak for sure, and lets just say, he's got good raw material; it wouldnt take much to get him lookin gooood I admit, it would be fun to see it once in our lives together

[kerc]

LOL. I can't remember what we had!

Last night I made a rice dish with tumeric, cardmon, chickpeas and peas. It got 4.5 stars out of five. My oldest took the leftoers for lunch. Youngest was miffed there were peas in it and wouldn't eat it, until it was revealed that there literally WAS nothing else to choose from.

I have a quiche in the oven right now. The milkman's due today and I might have to go back to buying milk at the store -- our milk consumption is so unpredictable.

I've spent the day doing lots of misc. chores that I have been putting off. I could use someone to do these tasks about 3 x a month. Then I would catch up from the last four years of whirlwind.

[Ann15]

Just quickly checking in to report 3 miles yesterday and 2 miles with some speed work today.  I'm following the Hal Higdon half plan, but giving myself a few extra weeks to allow for the inevitable times when keeping up with the plan will not be possible.  Now if I could just convince my kids that they don't need to wake up at 5:00am just because Mom is getting up....

I'm trying to read along, but I haven't had much time to post all the personals I want to post. 

Moominmamma--I have a Livestrong treadmill that I like.  I'm not comfortable running alone in the dark and I'm not very tough for extreme cold running, so it works out pretty well.  I had a really hard time transitioning back to the treadmill after mostly running outside during the summer and fall, but I'm getting used to it again.  I am looking forward to a long outdoor run over the weekend if the predicted snow doesn't make everything too messy though.  I get bored running inside too long.

Bec--Sorry to hear about your DH's health issues.  A few years ago my aunt finally convinced her husband to go in for a physical after about ten years, expecting to hear that he needed to lose weight and eat better, but he ended up diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He's fine now, but it certainly was a wake-up call to take better care of himself and not put off going to the doctor.  What is it about men?

Hoping to get to more personals later.  Now I need to wrangle my kids outside to enjoy this beautiful day before the snow starts tonight.

[Plady]

Originally Posted by 1jooj 

Real, I LOVE that DFW quote. Probably had a similar (cheery) reaction when I first saw it. But yes, he was an English teacher, and in that world, ideas are important but coherently expressing them is even more important

.**

bec, congrats to dd. Mine is 8 and I can't imagine her doing something that serious and grown-up. Awesome. And I hope the days calm down with better work schedules ahead!

Real - Yup, that almost makes me wish I had to give essay assignments to someone.

Bec - Completely!  I can't imagine my 10 yr old dd being that disciplined!  I'm so impressed!

Jo - Safe travels to pick up your 'rents.  Enjoy the visit!

Sparkle - I love the diamond in the s***h*** neighborhood.  It sounds great!  And, I can see what you mean.

Mim - Re:TMs.  I have a pretty old one but it is solid and even dh can run comfortably on it.  It has no bells or whistles though, I find it is at its best when I decide I really have no excuse not to run and then go outside. 

Kerc - Sounds like a yummy dinner.

Geo - I'm trying to unread the words 'ice cream'.  I've been sugar free since New Year's Day but that is my weakness.

JG - Enjoy the day 'off''.

RR: I'm still on track with my weight/boxing schedule.  I feel good too.  I can feel all my muscles but in a good way.  Except for where I tweaked my shoulder/neck, that still hurts when I lie down.

NRR: After just putting $1100 into it last month my Jeep started overheating yesterday while I was off-island.  I managed to limp it on to the ferry and home but I think that was my final straw.  I'm looking for a new ride.  Anyone have a car they love that gets good gas mileage?  I realize that I don't really need a minivan, as long as we also have a truck I could manage fine with something smaller and at the top island speed of 45 mph it doesn't have to be built like a tank to feel comfy hauling kids either.  Any thoughts?  I kind of wish I could have my old Mazda 323 from the '80's back.  That car wanted to go forever!

Originally Posted by Ann15 

Just quickly checking in to report 3 miles yesterday and 2 miles with some speed work today.  I'm following the Hal Higdon half plan, but giving myself a few extra weeks to allow for the inevitable times when keeping up with the plan will not be possible.  Now if I could just convince my kids that they don't need to wake up at 5:00am just because Mom is getting up....

Yes!  My kids are now pretty good about not waking up if I do but for what seemed like forever I couldn't wake up without an entourage!

[sparkletruck]

Plady - Suburu. Is there any other option?

[bec]

My parents love their Honda Fit.  I know my friends love their Prius. 

Day 1 of South Beach going pretty well so far.  Of course, I'm not to the danger part of the day yet!  This evening is when things will be tough.  But, I have a fridge full of good veggies (with snack veggies chopped up and ready to grab and go!), and we have string cheese, light babybel cheese, PB, etc.  Need to make some roasted chick peas and I think I need to get some Ricotta for some deserts!

[Plady]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 

Plady - Suburu. Is there any other option?

There are so many people here with white Subaru wagons it's INSANE.  That could be a good fit, they're good in the snow (for those few days a year when we have it).  How's the gas mileage? 

Bec - I've heard good things about the Fit too, but I'm not sure they're old enough to dip into my price range.  But I'll check around.
 

[sparkletruck]

It really depends what kind/size you get. Ive had a few station wagons, a Forester and now a ...um, little one that Dh uses as his commuter (dont know what its called). We take the little one skiing (4wd and ski racks) with the 5 of us and ski gear! Its tight but it works. The mileage on that one is very good, the station wagons are medium (4wd sucks more gas) and my honda odyssey blows

I will say Ive never not had 4 wd drive until the Honda and I love 4wd. I could go anywhere. My first was a 1984 wagon with 180,000 miles and I would plow through blizzards like buttah baby (or maybe like something that has more traction than butter )

[sparkletruck]

Bec - Did you see this: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/exercise-hormone-helps-keep-us-healthy/?src=rechp

[bec]

That was a very interesting article, Sparkle!  Thanks!