Monday, June 30, 2008

No way could I EVER!!! (Ewwwww!)


No that is not me.
I almost had one of these beetles meet my foot today at a local store. I was shopping for plants and it walked right by me foot. If I would have not be paying attention, I would have stepped on it. YUCK!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Basement and Yummies!


I realize I haven't been taking pics of our remodel project. This was due to a lack of batteries in my camera. Not too much had been worth taking pictures of anything anyway. We did electrical and insulation. pretty much boring. But now we are getting some drywall up.

We did manage to put in some stair lights for the stairs. It is really nice to get some instant gratification from seeing the 'finished' project right away.
We have piles of drywall everywhere. It is SUCH A HUGE MESS! I am tired just be the 'go for' girl, and trying to organize the mess after they call it a day. Right now, lovely drywall dust is getting EVERYWHERE!
It is hard to see it but the floor is just covered with dust. Yuck! My allergies are acting up very well today! Yay!
Well we did manage to escape our cave to pick some strawberries today. The kids loved it! Reece doesn't like them but still came to help pick. Zeb picked about 8 berries and called it a day. But he must have known how much work they would be, 'cause while I was out on a run, he washed, cut and put his berries in the fridge. (And then he told me I wasn't cutting them right, because I wasn't cutting them up like he did.) What a BIG helper!! The radishes and green onions in the box were from our neighbor. They went on vacation for a week and came home to an over expanded garden and found huge veggies!! Really the berries are not small, they just dwarf in comparison to the onions and radishes.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Action Shot!


Oh! An Action Shot! Thanks to J! I was just heading out on my run here.
Just a quick note about my results. I did it in
Swim 00:08:54.8 (faster than 2007) by 30 seconds
T1 00:03:54.2 (slower)
Bike in 01:16:26.2 (slower)by 2 minutes
T2 00:01:21.2 (slower)
Run 00:34:10.5 (faster) almost 2 minutes faster

Final was 02:04:47.1 (overall faster)
2 hrs and 4 minutes. A little better then last year, but considering I was 10 lbs lighter kind of depressing. I wonder how much my chain falling off, wrong shifting up a hill and stopping to tie my shoe on the run cost me. Hmmm.

I am hoping to have even more photos from Fuad. The Official photo people of the triathlon. This was the first year I actually liked the pic's from the triathlon, and will be getting some to post.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

High Cliff Race Report

Woke up early to race day breakfast of oatmeal. Yuck. I like oatmeal just not when I am forced to eat it when I am not hungry. We had yummy carbs from Grazies for Supper last night and I just was not hungry.
My Sis and I headed out early and let J (my sisters man) and the boys sleep in a bit. Duner was coming home at 6 am from work then they were going to head out.
Got our timing chip and body marked with our #'s (mine was 675) and headed out to the transition area.

The WORST part of triathlon is the this part. Waiting and self doubting...

My swim was more like a water walk. I was so afraid to swim because I couldn't pass the girl in front of me that didn't know if she wanted to swim or walk and I was afraid I was going to suddenly get kicked in the face.
As I was coming out of the water, I heard Tammy- a nurse from work yell my name and put out her had for a high five! Yay! I got a boost from her cheering me on helped carry me up the hill with my son Reece running up with me. At the top (or near the top) was Sharon- a co-worker of mine that was cheering me on ! Woo Hoo! Another great boost! I transtitioned rather long to my bike and as I was gettting on my bike I heard Sharon again!! That was really neat to see and hear both of those girls get out of bed early on a Sunday morning to cheer me on (and it wasn't even 8am!!)

I was doing great getting out on the bike, heading up the first hill, when I down shifted and my chain came off! Geez! I had to stop just after the trees and pop my chain back on.
The rest of my ride was pretty boring except for the HUGE turtle on the side of the rode and my wrong shift move just 2 miles before the finish of the bike. Grrr. I saw my Dad's truck but I did not see my Dad as I was coming in on my bike. My sister later told me where he was.

I felt pretty good heading out on my run, but I forgot to use my inhaler and I was feeling it. I could breath but not as deeply as I wanted to. I was tired. My legs were telling me to stop, but I just wanted to run the entire run for a change. I normally run/walk it 'cause I am so tired, but I just ran it. SLOWLY. I even ran up the hill, while the 2 girls ahead of me walked it. I think I should have walked it to conserve energy. I was dragging.

I was cheered on by Duner and the boys, J and his mom on my way to the finish. I finished before my sister and so I waited and tried to get Reece and Zeb to run the 'finish' with her but Zeb said it was 'too far' to run. (it was only the finish, not the entire run!)
After She finished I realized 2 more girls from work, Jenny and Katie, came to see me finish! Yippee! How sweet was that!

I was so happy that so many people came to cheer me on, but I was so wishing I had done better. Thanks guys! You really ARE appreciated! That really does help, more than you know!!

I wish I had some times for you but I know it was the exact time as last year. No change. Kind of a bummer, I am hoping that my swim was a bit worse and my run was a bit better... I won't know until later or tomorrow.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Better be good.

My life has been a bit too crazy lately to post much.

As it is I should be going to bed. My kids are at the races with my husband and I have to work early tomorrow, but I HAD to catch up on my reading. Email's and blogs.

So much is going on this weekend Geekgrl is doing CdA Ironman out west. Steve is doing Grandma's marathon in Minnesota (i think) and my Sis and I are doing High Cliff Sprint Triathlon.

My only goals are simple.
1. To finish
2. To be somewhat better than last year. Considering I am 10 lbs lighter than last year, I will be extremely disappointed if I am not just a touch better. I am not expecting LOADS,but some improvement would be nice.

2007 Results were...
Swim: 00:09:18 /T1: 00:03:42 /Bike: 01:15:14 /T2: 00:01:17 /Run: 00:35:54
Total: 2:04:28

2006 Stats
Swim: 00:14:04 /T1: 00.3:30/ Bike: 1:30 /T2: 00:1:46 /Run: 00:38:07
Total: 02:28:07

I will be starting around 7:15am, so if Any of you are available to come on down for this we would LOVE TO SEE YOU! I can't tell you how special it is to see someone you know waiting for you at the finish line.

Hopefully before 10am...

Monday, June 09, 2008

Um, Where did the days go already??

I have been asking myself where the days are going these days.

Time just leaps by.

For those of you that may not know Duner's old job, Hoffmaster, laid him off last Wednesday for 'improper two week notice'. Did you know that you can get fired for not giving notice? He had to work the 'NEW' job on Monday and Tuesday, so he called in (still had over 8 points to go before getting fired with 10 points). But Wednesday when he showed up to work, they 'released him' because it is immoral to work two jobs with benefits.' Um. What benefits? He worked BJ's for 7 years, without a problem.
Well, We will see what union's are good for. We have been paying over $40 bucks a month for union dues, over 6 years, so they 'may file a grievance' with the company to see if we can still get insurance for the month of June. He has a meeting tomorrow with the company and union to discuss this.
Honestly, I am relieved to not have to juggle 2 full time jobs. (even though one we were hoping to not have to work, since he actually listened to me this time and signed up for the unemployment so we can keep the insurance) If we have to go without insurance through June and July, oh well. Well just punt and say a few prayers...
Things are going well at the new job. I think he actually has to work more than at Hoffmaster, so he is going into shock a bit more than he is used to, but he really likes the fact they have A/C in the plant, unlike Hoffmaster.

This week I am off work from the clinic all week to play bus driver/taxi for my kids and their events.
The bus needs to leave promptly at 7:45am...
Zeb... Class #1 @ School #1 at 8am
Pick up at 9:45am
Class #2 @ School #2 at 1pm
Pick up at 3:15
Reece ...Class #3 @ School #3 at 8am
Pick up at 10am
Class #4 @ School #1 at 10am
Pick up at Noon
Class #5 @ YMCA at 6pm on Tuesday and Thursday
Brock ... Class #6 @ School #3 at 8am
Pick up at 9am

Rinse, Lather and Repeat.

Thankfully I found someone for the kids to carpool with for part of it. I am glad the kids are staying active this summer, so I really don't mind doing it. Reece has already improved on his Health fitness assessment at school, and he tends to be the 'leader' when it comes to his brothers.

Last week he rode his bike with Brock into town (we forced Brock to go with to get some exercise). 7+ miles. Later that day, when Reece wouldn't pick up his socks I said' Don't worry, I will do it I only ran 5 miles today, what did you do?" He said "I biked over SEVEN!" Hmm. Ok. He also had a rough soccer practice, I will give him that.
Plus Brock really made him work hard to keep up with him. I just don't understand how Brock can do so well when he does so little. Exercise seems so easy for him. Grrr. Reece must take after me. Poor kid.
The kids already spent MUCH MORE TIME outside this year than they did last year. It probably helps that we have kicked them out of the basement for our remodel.

Speaking of our remodel, we are hoping to get some work done this week with the new found free time without the 2nd full time job! Woo Hoo, here we come electrical... We are in need of some catch up time... We should have been hanging drywall this weekend.
We were going to take the kids to a local Drive In theater to see Kung Fo Panda and Ironman (double feature), but it was closed due to the storms. We rescheduled it to Tuesday night (if the rain doesn't come again).

Oh and one more quick item... We had 'Lil Anglers' this weekend. It was pouring, but they canceled the fishing part due to the lighting in the area, but they still had the food and prizes. My kids picks were: water guns for Zeb, Reece got a hula hoop and Brock picked a HUGE Styrofoam airplane that was a big hit with all three kids.

Monday, June 02, 2008

I was TOLD he was near-sighted, Really!

WARNING: NOW ENTERING THE 'TEEN' YEARS OF SLOTH...
My oldest has now begun those all to frustrating years of blindness and spurts of deafness.

Exhibit A:
I asked him to find something frozen veggies in the garage freezer, that I knew were there. Him and his brothers, had been playing with water and the floor was wet and slippery so I didn't want to go out there and fall down.

As, he is standing in front of the freezer hanging open I describe with detail how to find the bad in question.

"Ok, on the right hand side of the freezer there should be a white bag, just under the turkey your dad shot. Get me that bag."


We only had probably 8 items TOTAL IN THE FREEZER. Gee. Searching too hard.

HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE IT AND I HAD TO IMPROVISE.... Later that day after the floor was dry GUESS WHAT? YEP, RIGHT WHERE I KNEW IT WAS!

Exhibit B:
He had been looking for a green scrubbie thing we use to was potatoes. It is ALWAYS ON THE SINK, some where. If it is not on the top then it was thrown out or IN the sink.

There was ONE thing in the sink. (Maybe two, MAX) And it was missing... Gee, what to do....

After he HAD THROUGHLY looked in the draw for it, he came to me and asked for help looking.

I picked up the only thing in the sink and SURPRISE!