Dingoes March into Spring...Come and run with us! - Page 6

[tjsmama]

Last call for Secret Sprinter! Get me your email address if you want in, the draw happens tomorrow!

jo~Your Kenya trip sounds lovely! As does your yoga, especially on the beach. Ahhh.

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

And She Didn't Get The Reference.  This Professor assigned the 12 year old torturing therapist homework.  She retaliated.  My homework took an hour tonight.

and

I'm reading along, but it's been BUSY. Phew. I skied Friday with friends, took DS to the St Patty's Day Parade (largest one west of the Mississippi, and one of the largest in the US!) and then to a cub scout outing on Saturday, skied with DS on Sunday, worked Monday, worked part of my call shift last night... It's been a little crazy, and it's quite honestly amazing that I'm even functional right now. I was on call from 11-7 last night, and then was taking a preceptor class from 8-12 this morning, so I was REALLY hoping not to get called in, but we've been crazy busy AND short staffed, so sure enough, I got called in. Luckily, it ended up not being that bad, so they were able to send me home at 3, so I was able to get 3-ish hours sleep before I had to get up for the class. Squeezed in a run with a friend after class before an appointment and picking DS up from school and managing to pull together all my tax info in preparation for my appointment with the CPA tomorrow. Sheesh. I had a large coffee drink last night when I got to work (it's a miracle I was able to get to sleep when I got home!) and then I picked up an even larger one on my way into class this morning, and I swear the caffeine is still flowing strongly through my veins. I hope I can sleep tonight!

rr~I'm a little behind on my reporting! Skiing Friday and Sunday counts for something, right? Squeezed in 3 on the hamster wheel before the parade on Saturday, 3 plus spin class on Monday. And get this: I ran OUTSIDE today! Hey, the weather is actually kind of nice out there, who knew? 4 miles with my friend that flew by as we were chatting up a storm!

[Shantimama]

Wow, geo, I won't let myself think thoughts about reupholstering. I would be like MelW's mom 

1jooj - glad you are doing yoga! Maybe someday you can come do it on our beach 

Super tired tonight but here is a peek at my week's work before I head off to sleep - 

[mommajb]

Shanti the yarn is beautiful!

Geo, the couch sounds like you are making progress. What a difference that will make. When you finish I have chairs I want painted.

lofty, your mil has am awsome outlook. He sounds very resilient.

jo, I am living vicariously and that is probably all I can handle right now.

It sounds like most of you are staying very busy one way or the other. It has been very quiet on the thread. Dh and the big kids are still on spring break so I suppose I am busy getting not very much done. Daily running has been happening and that feels good I have been leaving 30 minutes before sunrise which is a perfect combo of early and yet with natural light. I shall see what next week brings when they return to school.

[Plady]

RR: So busy here and I feel like I'm battling another cold.  I swear, I have just not been 100% healthy in too long.  I suppose it's not hard to figure out why but sheesh!  I skipped Boxing on Tuesday to go back to bed, today I'm going but at reduced power.  It just bums me out to miss it entirely but man, I need some ooomph for later in the day too.

NRR: Feeling angsty about marriage these days.  I honestly feel like we're in a hole but dh doesn't seem to notice and I can't figure out how to start a conversation.  We're never alone together, the children having moved into our bedroom seemingly forever.  Seriously I can't decide if that's a problem or not.  On one hand I think wouldn't it be nice to have an opportunity to get intimate with my partner?  On the other, if we have the opportunity and no one makes a move isn't that worse?  And I like the sounds of all the different snuffles at night.  Anyway, that's one of those ongoing questions - if society/media didn't make such a big deal out of sexuality, would I be so worried about my abstinent lifestyle or would I just be going about my day thinking about other things? 

On another thread of the same line we're coming up on our 15 year anniversary this year.  On one hand it would be nice to do something significant to celebrate, on the other dh never does anything very significant for these moments (see: used book bought the day before 40th birthday) so do I want to put something together to throw into the void?  And am I crazy because the thing that occurred to me that might be a nice gift was to finally take his last name?  Alright, enough from me!

 Mommajb - I think there must be a 'conference' somewhere near a Dingo that you really need to attend.

Geo - I don't get the reference either, am hoping it's from a movie that I never saw.  Please post more pictures!

Shanti - Beautiful colors!  Wow, that must be nice to be around!

Outta time, thinking of you all throughout my days.

[kerc]

Originally Posted by Plady 

Geo - I don't get the reference either, am hoping it's from a movie that I never saw.  Please post more pictures!

uh, me neither.

Plady: on gifting. I have a super close friend, really one of my closest friends who is not a gifter. Nor does *he* acknowledge stuff like birthdays. But that's his style and it is by no means reflective of how he cares about his wife, it's just that, well that's how he does it. He does do seemingly random acts of kindness for the people he cares about in his life (years ago, pre-wife, I left my xc skis in his car after we went skiing together, he took them home and waxed them). I've know him through three major relationships (for him). I adore his current wife, and had to gently remind him that it was her birthday and hey, we should do something for it. She *is* a gifter and it's been hard for her to adapt (even after 7 years of marriage).

(we decided to go out to eat for her birthday and couldn't make it work since I couldn't find a sitter. So we moved the party to our house and I made Jo's Soup. mmmmm. Plus easy for a dinner party that's happy with soup, bread and salad for dinner.)

Shanti: LOVE the yarn! Beautiful!

Nick: I saw your post on FB about your foot. I have no clue. But can't your husband pull a few strings to get you in to see a sports doc quickly?

Geo: I have no idea why fabric rolls when pinned?  WTG on the couch endeavor. I've owned a few yard sale chairs in my day and always aspired to cover them and never have. Most of the time they've made their way back to craigslist or garage sale and I've made a profit.

On swimming and timing and whatnot:  there isn't a fabulous analogy for swimming and running. Excellent runners are rarely excellent swimmers and the reverse. I suspect you'll get quicker at swimming the mile and see improvement more rapidly than you might while running. And that's in part because there's so much about form when swimming that doesn't play a role when running. I think moving from barely swimming to able to swim a mile in an hour is excellent. In college I could swim a mile in under 18 minutes. At my top form. And now, I'm more like 30-35 minutes (but honestly have been trying HARD not to compare myself to my college self so haven't been timing very much).

RR: I considered, thought about, looked around, finally decided to go for running the Superior Hiking Trail half marathon in May. And last night learned it was full. Well, time for a new goal.

NRR: this week is spring break for me. My husband also mostly has the week off. Our plan was to ski a lot (we still have between 2-3 feet of snow in our yard, skiing will be possible for 3 more weeks as long as it doesn't rain).  Well sunday Erik feel and seriously injured his shoulder. Right shoulder. Guy is right handed. He's having a total bummer week + he's hurt. AND I have to pick up slack like nobody's business. He's supposed to baby it. Yesterday he called me down to lift the soup pot off the counter (because he couldn't do it with his left hand). And to fasten snowshoes on girlies. And to haul in wood. And .... well you get the point.  If he's not hurting so badly today I might point out that he can fold laundry or at least sort it with his left hand. Fortunately he can vacuum because otherwise I might loose it altogether. He's also a guy who needs exercise every darn day. No swimming, running hurts, no skiing, he claims he's not sure he can sit on a bike (although I ordered a bike trainer and it should be here tomorrow). His MRI is scheduled for tonight. I'm not sure what I wish for him, but gah!  Options are rehab or surgery + rehab. On the one hand I'm glad I've been a little remiss in booking vacation plans for the summer. On the other, if he can't carry a pack, or paddle, I'm looking for a canoeing partner. Dingos want to go to the Boundary Waters?

[Geofizz]

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

As someone who also needs intense physical activity on a daily basis, I feel for Erik.  I hope his shoulder heals quickly so that he can get moving again, and more importantly, do the laundry.  ;)  And if not, I'll go canoeing with you!

Thanks for the swimming feedback.  Most of my speed gain has certainly been through getting the coordination together.  I'm more or less at a conditioning standstill, though, since I can tell I still can't coordinate it quite well enough to get much of a workout.  Wow.  18 minutes.  Humbling.

Plady, I'm also not a gifter.  I find identifying and giving gifts stressful.  It's just not how I express my affections for people.  I have always found it to be a somewhat baffling process, to be honest. 

We're doing round three on professionals for DS to try and figure out why he can't speak clearly enough to be understood.  I now call professionals, explain we're on round three, and ask: "Is it appropriate to tell a parent that a 7 year old child is too smart to be understood?"  Kind of a passive-aggressive opener, butT that seems to set the stage more appropriately.  The Dingo Commune need a really smart SLP.

[kerc]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

omg hated the movie when I saw it as a kid. Just did.not.get.it.

(and have never seen the need to try again).

But hey, no electronics in the BWCA. We can still canoe.

and also, FWIW, I *rarely* get any kind of movie reference. Good movie or no.

[kerc]

serial posting: I forgot to say earlier.  Geofizz you mentioned that Karen is having a tough time that seems to coordinate with this time of year. That plus all the swimming you two have been doing, leads me wondering how she might feel about the same approach we took to swim team for Erin this year: practice only, no meets. She likes going to practice, she likes challenging herself and she might now like the meets. But I don't want one more thing on the weekend, so no meets for now and she hasn't pushed too hard to go to a meet.

And also: I'll admit that this time of year I start to get a bit antsy with the externally scheduled mental activities that I have in my life. What if I dont' want to grade a 100 papers on a wednesday? Well, I have to. I'd rather spend the day in the library looking up ____ esoteric fact on that day.  It's super hard on me to conform to someone else's schedule. And I'm a routinized person.

[tjsmama]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

I have it on DVD, so you all are welcome to come have movie night with me at any time.

kerc~Hope your DH is feeling better soon. That is a major bummer for vacation time.

plady~

shanti~BEAUTIFUL yarn! Almost makes me want to take up knitting. Almost.

Workouts done, time for the accountatn. Yee haw. I am, at least, optimistic that for the first time in years, I may not owe and may actually get a refund. However, this is XH's year to claim the kiddo, so I'm not totally sure about that. Blech.

rr~The usual...3 mile hill workout on the hamster wheel + spin class. We did time trial intervals today, and I kept waiting for us to come back down the pyramid. Turns out it wasn't a pyramid, and I we just kept going up. Ouch.

[1jooj]

Geo, I got the movie. An old favorite, if only for repeating lines these days. Our urban living, for example, offers opportunities to discuss ROUSes. 

Also, on the gifting, I am right there with you. While I don't love receiving gifts, I find I am almost always thrilled with whatever friends/family give me as gifts. But for me, finding, IDing, and then presenting gifts is stressful. I don't know why. Well, I have some ideas, most tied to childhood poverty and related family interactions around the issues of buying gifts, but still. I should be over it and I am not. We tend to do events in our family, rather than gifts. Dinner out, a movie, going somewhere the person of honor chooses.

Today happens to be Mother's Day here. I told dh it could be practice mother's day. So he bought the loveliest steaks and took care (more or less) of grilling them for dinner. Australian steak and Iranian watermelon, eggplant from who knows where. It was delicious. 

Plady, I think I am in a one-sided sort-of funk that, because it is so one-sided, is a lot less troubling. I have a dh who has to cross train with (frustrating) regularity so the demand outpaces my supply of energy in that regard. But I am a good sport and he will take it any way I give it, and we're getting by. I can see I am just in an extended off-balance moment, and since he's...regular as ever...I just beg for understanding and for now it's still OK. But alone time is needed. What about a walk a deux, or a social thing, to take the pressure off and just have some time to be able to complete your thoughts without interruption? It could start there.  And the name is kind of a really big deal, IMO. 

mommajb, I hope it turns into a routine and somehow just sticks once school starts again. Such a great way to meet the sunrise.

Looks like we will spend 3-6 April in Kenya. Short, sweet, spring break. And yes, the kids will get school hours, both for Nairobi and Maasai Mara. Then, a week after we return, my BIL is coming for 2 weeks. This is a BIG DEAL. Dh bought the ticket today. BIL has never, ever, been anywhere, ever. Many moons ago, dh tried to get him a visa to visit us in US, but he was an idiot and blew it before even getting into the interview. Process is totally different here, obviously, so dh arranged a visit visa and bought the ticket. I think BIL's going to have his mind blown about nearly every aspect of our life. He has an education, but this is a different planet.

Tomorrow: AM walk before prayers. Looks like we have a short reprieve with highs in just the 80s before it shoots skyward. So maybe I will drag the fam out for a bike ride tomorrow, too.

[calicocj]

RR - just finished yoga at lunch, it is the perfect boost to make it through the last few hours of the day, including a meeting of one of the most personality challenging committees I have been on yet...

Geo - I literally LOL'd at the story about the PT.  My all time favorite movie :D

  Keep me posted if yall do get a little module running; we are looking at pretty basic material flows

Plady - sending hugs your way. I sometimes think some of those very same thoughts.  And I have the worst time with gifts - but only for DH! Everyone else I can do great on, but for some reason he stumps me!

But, DD is going to a sleepover this Saturday, so I got a groupon for orchestra tickets and made a reservation for dinner - just because! -  so I'm excited. We rarely go "out" 

Hi mommajb!!

Shanti - I'm with Gaye, that yarn is so beautiful, even for my non-knitting self!

Mel and Gaye -- hoping you're getting some rest mixed in with your crazy schedules!!

kerc - that sounds like an awesome trip! I've heard that area is gorgeous!

And speaking of trips - Jo - I am so amazed about the trip you all have planned! Can you exempt a camera from the no electronics rule and send us lots of pictures to live vicariously through your adventure??

[MelW]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

I had the "it's familiar" moment, but resorted to google. And google is keeping it weird, as usual. I swear half of the internet is devoted to drugs and bodily fluids.

I saw Princess Bride once or twice, but wasn't repeat viewing and quote every line obsessed as a lot of friends and family were. Though I'm thinking my oldest might love it.

Geo, good luck with the SLP. I love the opener and hope it gets you somewhere more productive.

Plady, the whole gift-giving conversation sounds a lot like the love languages thing to me. My husband gives amazing gifts. I like giving gifts to everyone but him, but to him I generally stress that I'm not up to his level. The biggest challenge is that he has no problem indulging himself, so I've often had to return gifts because he's gone out and bought said item for himself. I'm more of a make you dinner and took your car for an oil change ("acts of service" or something in the love languages, I think) kind of partner. With a bunch of "I love yous" thrown in, thought I think I've learned that from him over the years. We're on a chinese doctor imposed cross-training hiatus for a couple of weeks. He's not supposed to deplete his chi. It's interesting to see how things have shifted from this- I really miss the cuddling but we're finding too much temptation there, so generally in a low-touch zone other than an occasional hug in the kitchen or peck on the cheek.

Shanti, the yarn is beautiful. The colours are so rich!

jo, happy mother's day. The Kenya trip sounds exciting and I can't wait to hear stories of your adventure.

Callie, have a terrific date night. Sounds fun!
 

gaye, wishing for excellent tax news for you. I remember last year (or the year before?) when you had a surprise bill...

kerc, fingers crossed for a good news MRI and a speedy recovery for your DH. Yikes!

mommajb, enjoy the rest of your spring "break". Hooray for early morning runs despite the change in routine.

My routine is off today, too. My plan was school drop-off then run then a few hours of work from home, but the pollen counts have been high and I could tell my youngest was starting down the path of allergies again. She has been off all of her asthma meds for two months, and most impressively had no antihistamines in that time. She did about 6 weeks of herbs, and was then on "maintenance" of daily accupressure massage.  We went to see the Chinese doctor this morning, and have started back on some herbs to try to boost her through allergy season and we're going to try cupping.

Now it's 11:30 and I still need to run before preschool pick up. Class prep is going to have to wait...

[sparkletruck]

Geo - I didnt get it either. But, Dh loves that movie so much he got a copy recently to view with the kids, so unlike Kerc, I did get a chance to watch it again and it is wayy better than I remember, but I still couldnt quote it (or anything else for that matter )

Plady - I finally had a big discussion with dh recently as things have been in a hole for awhile. It helped A LOT. I agree with Jo, if you can get some time together. A hike sounds ideal. We ended up in the kitchen and I just launched in "you remember when you said... well, you're right..." Taking the name is huge. I havent done it, and while it is annoying as hell to clarify for everyone when I sign my kids up for stuff, I just cant bring myself to. I always thought I eventually would, but now I dont know. Anyway, talk. The lack of alone time is slow suffocation. When you talk, you will get re-oxygenated. And, feeling crowded, physically and psychicly- by unexpressed thoughts/wishes - can make you run down and more susceptible to illness. Get the kids moved to their own rooms, if for no other reason than it feels like staking a claim for the sacredness of you-and-dh separate from the kids.

Kerc - i hear you on the not wanting to do stuff, bleh

Shanti - SO stunning. I hope the yarn store is satisfying in every way!

RR: bike intervals for 52, run/walk intervals for 25, in the face of thinking I would blow it off today b/c of fatigue. Now Im reeaallly fatigued.. so. much. school. work.

NRR: I like giftgiving, mostly b/c I like to tune into the other person and really think about something that would make them happy. I often give crafty things, like jams wrapped in a really nice kitchen-towel, or self-care items like some really nice lotion they would never spend the money on for themselves. I always get things that people would like but would never spend for; salt scrubs,lotions, hair-brushes, barrets, (fancy) kitchen utensils.... however, one of my primary day-dreaming focuses revolves around what I would buy for everyone if I won 128 million dollars. Just saying that makes me happy - it would be the most fun thing in the world to buy for/give to others! alas....

[Geofizz]

LOL MelW.  So far I'm up to a scheduled evaluation in 2 weeks some place that doesn't take my insurance.  Seriously, if you can see my building from your office, you should take my insurance.  I've got several other SOSes out.  Either way, I'm willing to cough up $150 for an evaluation, post-evaluation meeting, and detailed report, especially when the SLP can identify three evaluations that the school SLP should have done but didn't.  Two of them seem to be on the money.

You guys are all Princess Bride deprived.  Seriously.  What am I going to do with you all?!?

So is Jo going to Kenya or Bali?  Either way, if you need anyone to carry your luggage, I'm available.

[Runningmommy]

I loved Princess Bride but couldn't quote it either.

Friend's 3yo son is home from the hospital, but has some issues that won't get better. I don't have clarification as to whether they were caused by the seizure or there before hand (child was born to drug addict mom) but I don't feel right asking too many questions.

RR: I took an impromptu rest day yesterday instead of 5 miles I took an hour nap that my body needed. Today was going to be the five but I felt so great I decided to do tomorrow's 14 today. Went great.

NRR: ds1 looked up OCD and Trichotillomania online and asked me to read through it with him. He said he wants to talk with a therapist to try to stop. He has been in multiple therapies before and open to it all, but this is definitely more led by him as opposed to accepting it from me. Woot!

Geo: way to go on swimming and on the couch, totally want to see more pics. How's the ITB?

Kerc- hope Eric's shoulder gets better.

Shanti-hope all is well on the home front. I must say I LOVE your yarns!!!

[MelW]

RM, as always your mileage impresses me. Way to casually run 14 miles!! And how wonderful that your DS is seeking out the therapy on his own. I really hope that it helps. I'm a lifelong hair twirler with varying degrees of severity, so I have a personal interest in how the therapy goes.

I'm back to report 7.5km. The hills are slowly getting more manageable.
 

[Plady]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 

The lack of alone time is slow suffocation. When you talk, you will get re-oxygenated. And, feeling crowded, physically and psychicly- by unexpressed thoughts/wishes - can make you run down and more susceptible to illness. Get the kids moved to their own rooms, if for no other reason than it feels like staking a claim for the sacredness of you-and-dh separate from the kids.

Yes, slow suffocation is what it feels like.  And the longer it goes on the harder it is to get out of it.  I hadn't put together the illness-inducing part of it but of course you are so right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

Plady, I'm also not a gifter.  I find identifying and giving gifts stressful.  It's just not how I express my affections for people.  I have always found it to be a somewhat baffling process, to be honest. 

Of course it's The Princess Bride!  Now I recall it but I guess it has been a long time since my HS friend used to follow me around quoting every scene.  Although I just last night quoted it in rehearsal myself.  "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more."

I'm interested in the mind of the non-gifter.  Although I think you can be a non-gifter and still come up with an idea like go out to dinner for 40th birthday.  No?  I'd rather do something too though (which is why I sent him and his friends on a trip together) than get something that I'll eventually have to dust/wash/put away/find a shelf for/feel guilty about thrifting.  I think the concern on the end of the non-gifted is "What happened? Did s/he forget/not care/ is trying to send a message?"  Anyway, that's just one of those pieces of thought that bubble up in the wee hours when everyone else in the house is in the same room snoring.

Originally Posted by calicocj 

And speaking of trips - Jo - I am so amazed about the trip you all have planned! Can you exempt a camera from the no electronics rule and send us lots of pictures to live vicariously through your adventure??

Yes please Jo!  And wow!  That BIL visit will be wild!  I hope it is all good and not stressful, especially for you.

Originally Posted by Runningmommy 


NRR: ds1 looked up OCD and Trichotillomania online and asked me to read through it with him. He said he wants to talk with a therapist to try to stop. He has been in multiple therapies before and open to it all, but this is definitely more led by him as opposed to accepting it from me. Woot!
 

That's fantastic RM!  What a sign of maturity!

Gaye - Good luck with the taxman!

Kerc - Fingers crossed that dh's shoulder is a PT only project.  Bummer about your blown spring break. 

RR: Boxed, after about 40 minutes I started feeling almost normal and feel pretty good still, just a bit tired.

NRR; Had teacher conferences today and all is well though the current plan will be to have Ali G do senior kindergarten next year.  The kids in her class are just so generally larger and more adept and her three teachers all think it would be in her best interests to have her repeat that I'm game to do it.  I am sad for the fact that that means yet another year of carpools and paid afternoon school, but at least we get an extra year with her before college. (Remind me I thought this was a good idea when she turns 18 on the first day of 12th grade ).

Thank you all for the input, I love you ladies.

[tjsmama]

BIG refund coming my way!




Enough to pay off the credit card, buy a new printer, a new dishwasher, and maybe a few other things, too! Hooray!

[loftmama]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Dude, Kerc and Plady.  I'm disappointed.  I might revoke your friendship.  Princess Bride. 

Bwwwwaaahahahaha. INCONCEIVABLE! I read the quote aloud and my 9yo said, "Princess Bride" matter-of-factly and continued reading his book. that movie!!! Some movies are about a time and a places and it just takes me back...

Jo, love hearing about your upcoming trip. Speaking of taking me back... It was 16 years ago when dh & I went to Nairobi and Tanzania - and through the Masai Mara area for our honeymoon. After climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, I just wanted to collapse on a beach. So we go to Zanzibar, rent a jeep (My idea - I'm looking for something easy and romantic and not so dirty and grueling) - we drive across the island and arrive at the beach and.... the rainy season started. We sat in the little cabana and looked at all the books I couldn't read because they were in German. It was a very memorable trip. I SO look forward to hearing all about your trip! Dh wants to go back and bring kids but I'm too paranoid now. (Btw, I totally get you on x-training thing. It's even harder now that my hormones are acting super weird.)

Plady, I have no advice. Yes, my youngest likes it when he can sleep with me and I sleep better with him since dh seems to always be frisky. So I don't have good advice. I just browsed through the 5 love languages for men book today and realized perhaps mine has changed. It used to be gifts and now I think it's quality time. I don't know what to do and, unfortunately, I don't have the energy or desire to figure it out. Good luck.

Kerc, darn that shoulder!!! Ugh, I'm just so bummed for you! And yes, it would be a dream come true to do Boundary Waters with you.

Shanti, Drooling over how "delicious" your yarn looks. "Delicious" is my 9yo's current favorite word to describe what he loves. It's beautiful, Mama.

RM, 14 miles! Seriously, you ROCK!

Mommajb, Mel, Sparkle, TJ

Oh and re:name change. I have discovered that I really miss my last name. I like it when I hear someone explain my husband as the man married to the Gordy Girl. Makes me want to give him MY last name!

Oh and Calico, symphony tickets and dinner! That is my dream date. Seriously. As I read 5 love languages in the bookstore today and tried to imagine my love language, symphony and dinner is exactly what came to mind. That and hiking, too, but around here, I'm a girl who just needs to get out sometimes. In public. With a date. I think it would be better than therapy. Which may be something I need to bring up. Have fun!

[Realrellim]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I'm not a huge Princess Bride fan, but I still use that quote, especially when it comes to politicians.

Also, this one:

They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.

Clearly, I'm not keeping up with personals. My apologies.

RR: attempted to crank out 6-8 miles tonight, with 4-6 of them at tempo pace. Cranked out 1 at tempo and then about a third of a mile slower than tempo despite working harder. Probably has something to do with the sinus infection that I seem to have acquired. Did a cool-down long enough to finish out mile 3 and go home.

NRR: My throat started hurting on Sunday, but my nose was dripping and I figured it was allergies and post-nasal drip. On Monday, it hurt to swallow, but only on one side. By Tuesday, sometimes the pain radiated up to my ears, especially when I swallowed. Advil helped but didn't eliminate the pain by any stretch of the imagination. On Wednesday, it hurt so much that I was putting my hand on the side of my face just to swallow, so I headed in to the dr. Diagnosis: sinus infection. So. Weird. Literally, the only thing that hurt was one side of my throat with the radiating pain up to my ear and I didn't feel stuffed up. Runny nose yes, but not congested. I do a nasal rinse every day, so I'm not sure how this happened. Anyhow, things are much improved due to the magic of antibiotics. I could already feel an improvement after just one dose, and today I could swallow without gobs of pain. (Yes, I need to sleep more and take care of myself. Duly noted.) Meanwhile, I'm finishing up stuff for the paper I'm presenting on Saturday.