So, I have pneumonia. Um yeah, this is not good. While I definitely felt as if something was not right, I would have never imagined that it would have been something as serious as pneumonia. I did feel slightly vindicated since I felt like a wimp during my last couple of runs before I was diagnosed, but that self satisfaction was quickly quashed when I realize how stupid that it probably was to be running in the first place.
Besides not being able to run for over a week, the side effects of the medicine are quite unpleasant - dizziness, tremors, dry mouth - yuck! I've never been a sickly person and I hate taking medicine, so this has been a pretty rough couple of weeks.
I'm currently just looking forward to feeling better and to getting back in full swing. I'm going to take it easy the first week back, but I'm getting a little nervous with just over two months to go until the marathon. We have some really long runs scheduled for the end of November and early December - I hope I'm ready for them.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Pumpkin Patch: Then and Now
In what's become an annual tradition, we took Parker to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. He was running around trying to lift all of the pumpkins and I could not for the life of me get him to actually look at the camera. I realized that it was the exact same thing last year. Well, except for the running around part since he wasn't walking yet. However, both years, he was caught up in the pumpkin frenzy and had no time or patience for photographs.
When we got home and I downloaded the pictures, I compared them to the ones we took last year. Here are last years pics.
And here are this years photos:
I've come to several conclusions:
1. Parker is just as cute, if not cuter.
2. One year makes a huge difference in terms of growing from a baby into a little boy.
3. I now have a much better camera.
4. Thank God I'm no longer nursing!
When we got home and I downloaded the pictures, I compared them to the ones we took last year. Here are last years pics.
And here are this years photos:
I've come to several conclusions:
1. Parker is just as cute, if not cuter.
2. One year makes a huge difference in terms of growing from a baby into a little boy.
3. I now have a much better camera.
4. Thank God I'm no longer nursing!
Happy Trails
Yesterday, we went with Parker's school to the Happy Trails ranch and man did the kids have fun. As soon as we got there, the kids went straight into the stables to feed the horses.
Speaking of the horses, there were some beauties there.
And this guy thought that my lens was edible.
After the children fed the horses, they watched a barn cat and two standard poodles perform tricks. This is when I realized that our animals are seriously under-performing. Except for Nona of course. She is the law in these parts.
Anyway, back to Happy Trails. Next the kids got to actually ride the horses. Whoa was that a good time for Parker. (For some of the other kids, not so much. There was a lot of crying and emphatic head-shaking from the less adventurous children.)
First, Parker rode the brown horse and from the second I put him up there, he was having a great time.
So great, in fact, that he cried when he had to get off of the horse to give the other children a turn. So, he waited in line to ride the other horse. By this time, he was an experienced pro. Just look at that confident expression on his face.
After the horse experience, the Irishman's first comment was, "I guess this means that we're going to have to buy him a horse." Um, I hope he was joking!
The next adventure was the hayride pulled by a tractor. Parker apparently thought that he was the driver.
Once we got it straightened out that it was a manual transmission and he's only capable of driving an automatic at the moment, we both sat in the back. It was such a perfect day. Mid-70s and sunny - just gorgeous outside.
Yup, we had a great time at the ranch. I'm looking into some local horseback riding farms so that we can take him again soon to ride.
Speaking of the horses, there were some beauties there.
And this guy thought that my lens was edible.
After the children fed the horses, they watched a barn cat and two standard poodles perform tricks. This is when I realized that our animals are seriously under-performing. Except for Nona of course. She is the law in these parts.
Anyway, back to Happy Trails. Next the kids got to actually ride the horses. Whoa was that a good time for Parker. (For some of the other kids, not so much. There was a lot of crying and emphatic head-shaking from the less adventurous children.)
First, Parker rode the brown horse and from the second I put him up there, he was having a great time.
So great, in fact, that he cried when he had to get off of the horse to give the other children a turn. So, he waited in line to ride the other horse. By this time, he was an experienced pro. Just look at that confident expression on his face.
After the horse experience, the Irishman's first comment was, "I guess this means that we're going to have to buy him a horse." Um, I hope he was joking!
The next adventure was the hayride pulled by a tractor. Parker apparently thought that he was the driver.
Once we got it straightened out that it was a manual transmission and he's only capable of driving an automatic at the moment, we both sat in the back. It was such a perfect day. Mid-70s and sunny - just gorgeous outside.
Yup, we had a great time at the ranch. I'm looking into some local horseback riding farms so that we can take him again soon to ride.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Battered Feet
One thing I didn't take into consideration when I started this marathon journey is the toll that it would take on my feet. I used to have lovely manicured feet. I would get regular pedicures and always had brightly colored toenails that were seasonably fashionable. Yup, I used to have feminine, well maintained little feet, but that is definitely a thing of the past.
Now, my feet are an utter mess. My toes are calloused and bruised, I just lost my first toenail (YIKES!) and they just appear battered in general. Definitely a sorry sight. (Don't worry, I'll spare you the picture.)
It seems like I should care that they're in such a state, but surprisingly, it doesn't really bother me. I feel like it's just a right of passage. My own version of battle wounds gained during this crazy journey. When I get back from a run, I examine my feet with a detached focus looking for anything that could potentially slow me down because really, that is all I care about these days.
My single drive is that I need to keep going no matter what. It's like running through an obstacle course with illness, trips and work as the hurdles that I need to move beyond. I get frustrated when life gets in the way of my mileage and I'm trying to do everything I can to stay healthy and injury-free for the next 2.5 months. We're so close now that every week counts.
Now, my feet are an utter mess. My toes are calloused and bruised, I just lost my first toenail (YIKES!) and they just appear battered in general. Definitely a sorry sight. (Don't worry, I'll spare you the picture.)
It seems like I should care that they're in such a state, but surprisingly, it doesn't really bother me. I feel like it's just a right of passage. My own version of battle wounds gained during this crazy journey. When I get back from a run, I examine my feet with a detached focus looking for anything that could potentially slow me down because really, that is all I care about these days.
My single drive is that I need to keep going no matter what. It's like running through an obstacle course with illness, trips and work as the hurdles that I need to move beyond. I get frustrated when life gets in the way of my mileage and I'm trying to do everything I can to stay healthy and injury-free for the next 2.5 months. We're so close now that every week counts.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Same Routine, Different Place
I've been trying to keep my same mileage schedule while we've been down south for the week (in spite of my very annoying cold). So as planned, I got up on Tuesday morning and ran my intervals. While I normally do my tempo run on Thursdays, my brother informed me that he was coming into town, so I put it off until this morning so we could run together.
As an aside, Parker has not been sleeping at all since we've been down here. He picked up my cold and his cough has been keeping him up all night. Needless to say, when my brother sent me a text message at the crack of down telling me to "wake up!" I seriously contemplated breaking my own leg so that I could get some more sleep. (Yes, my brother is staying in the next room over, but since we both have iPhones, the iSnob way to communicate is to text each other even when you're virtually in the same room.)
As luck would have it, the paparazzi were waiting for us outside.
Just kidding, that would be my early bird father who followed us outside to get photographic evidence of our early departure. I had barely rubbed the sleep from my eyes at this point and wasn't too keen on getting a picture snapped, but I was too tired to protest.
In this picture, you can just see the sun thinking about rising. It was early and I was tired, but we were up and dressed so it was time to hit the road.
It was my brother's day for a long run, so he ended up doing just shy of 10 miles. For my tempo run, I did 7 miles at a pace much faster than what I'm used to. He's a faster runner than I am and I am still feeling the effects of this cold, so 7 was about my limit for this morning.
The good news is that my legs feel perfect. Six hours later, it doesn't even feel like I ran at all so my muscles are definitely where they need to be at this stage in the game. My lung capacity was a different story. I hate being sick because it felt like I was wheezing the entire time. Definitely not cool.
I'll probably get in another run either tomorrow morning or Sunday before I'm back on my regular schedule next week.
As an aside, Parker has not been sleeping at all since we've been down here. He picked up my cold and his cough has been keeping him up all night. Needless to say, when my brother sent me a text message at the crack of down telling me to "wake up!" I seriously contemplated breaking my own leg so that I could get some more sleep. (Yes, my brother is staying in the next room over, but since we both have iPhones, the iSnob way to communicate is to text each other even when you're virtually in the same room.)
As luck would have it, the paparazzi were waiting for us outside.
Just kidding, that would be my early bird father who followed us outside to get photographic evidence of our early departure. I had barely rubbed the sleep from my eyes at this point and wasn't too keen on getting a picture snapped, but I was too tired to protest.
In this picture, you can just see the sun thinking about rising. It was early and I was tired, but we were up and dressed so it was time to hit the road.
It was my brother's day for a long run, so he ended up doing just shy of 10 miles. For my tempo run, I did 7 miles at a pace much faster than what I'm used to. He's a faster runner than I am and I am still feeling the effects of this cold, so 7 was about my limit for this morning.
The good news is that my legs feel perfect. Six hours later, it doesn't even feel like I ran at all so my muscles are definitely where they need to be at this stage in the game. My lung capacity was a different story. I hate being sick because it felt like I was wheezing the entire time. Definitely not cool.
I'll probably get in another run either tomorrow morning or Sunday before I'm back on my regular schedule next week.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Flashback
I went today to the Swimming Hall of Fame to get in my swim workout. What a weird experience that was. I first walked through that entrance 24 years ago for my first formal workout at the age of six. While I followed my coach to a different swim club seven years later, FLST remained my home team.
Like most places from my youth, the Hall of Fame complex seemed much smaller than I remembered. As I made my way to the locker room, I couldn't help but think how many times I walked that path as a gangly girl, exhausted and exhilarated from a back breaking workout. The nostalgia really struck me when I walked into the locker room and realized that not a single thing had changed. As I looked over to the changing area, I could almost hear my friends and I laughing and talking about some boy or an upcoming race as we got ready for the carpool home. I smiled at the memory and went over to my old locker to get changed for my workout.
Walking out to the practice pool, I very much felt like I was a stranger there. I felt an urge to tell someone that I had once belonged, but kept the knowledge to myself. I do, however, now understand why old high school football stars feel the need to tell anyone who will listen about their glory days. When you once belonged to something big and something great, it's hard to feel like it's completely behind you. There's a certain compulsion to stay relevant.
Still feeling like I was in a flashback, I hopped into the pool and started my workout. With chagrin, I noticed that both the pool and I were beginning to show our age. The once solid black lines on the bottom of the pool were fading and peeling around the edges and I was a good 20 seconds slower per 100 yards, but it felt really good swimming laps in a familiar pool.
Strangely enough, each pool has a different feel to it. Some feel cold and distant while others are cheerful and energizing. This pool? Well, this pool was like an old friend or a favorite sweater. Completely comfortable and always welcoming.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Eagle Has Landed
Yesterday, I woke up and decided that regardless of my hacking cough and running rose and generally poor disposition, I was going to get a run in. I didn't say it was a good idea, but I was mentally restless and I had already taken 3 days off, so regardless of outcome, I had to do it. At 5:26am, I dragged myself out of bed and headed out to meet my running buddy, who promptly informed me that I sounded like hell, and we set off. The scheduled run for the day was 12 miles, but my body made it quite clear that it was not sufficiently recovered for 12 miles, so I ended up doing 6 instead. It was a painful 6. A cough riddled 6. A stupid 6. But, at the end of the day, I felt better for having done something considering that I was about to sit in the truck for close to eight hours sandwiched between a toddler and a 35 lb. dog.
Yes, you read that correctly, but there's a perfectly logical explanation. Our truck only has two rows of seats and if I put both dogs in the backseat with Parker, two things will happen: (1) he will get licked incessantly for 7.5 hours - seriously, my dogs can not refrain from licking my child - it's a total compulsion; and (2) Patrick will feed the dogs 1/2 of everything that he's supposed to be eating. He has no qualms about sharing spoons or Cheez-its with the pups. I, however, do have a problem with that.
So, Chewie gets to sit in the front seat and typically will spend more than half the time hovering over the Irishman wanting to be pet. This dog can't get enough attention (which makes him the perfect dog for a 2-year-old who can't keep his hands to himself). I've included photographic evidence for you courtesy of my new iPhone. (As my brother would say, I've now become an iSnob and have to make reference my my iPhone at least 6 times a day or my iSnob privileges will be revoked.)
See, there's Chewie hovering. Nona, on the other hand, was trying to get comfortable on my left side.
She gave up trying to get comfortable after about an hour and ended up sitting on my lap, trying to give Parker kisses when I wasn't looking. Speaking of which, here's the munchkin strapped safely into his car seat. He was wearing his Incredible Hulk t-shirt. The Hulk was my second favorite character growing up, but really, who could compete with Wonder Woman?
He loved the fact that I was less than 6 inches away from him. He could poke me in the eye whenever he liked. It's a favorite game of his. But I came prepared with a portable DVD player and 5 discs of Thomas the Train, so we didn't have a lot of time for eye poking. Here he is tuned back into his show.
Unfortunately for the Irishman, Parker's favorite part of the DVD is the songs at the end, which we had to replay about 36 times. It may sound torturous, but I'll take 36 rounds of "Little Engines" over a screaming toddler any day of the week.
So, now we're in my parents' house and we're staying in my old room from high school. I had a hard time sleeping last night, partly because all three of us were squeezed into a queen size bed and partly because I know this week is going to be draining. But we're here and that's the most important thing.
Yes, you read that correctly, but there's a perfectly logical explanation. Our truck only has two rows of seats and if I put both dogs in the backseat with Parker, two things will happen: (1) he will get licked incessantly for 7.5 hours - seriously, my dogs can not refrain from licking my child - it's a total compulsion; and (2) Patrick will feed the dogs 1/2 of everything that he's supposed to be eating. He has no qualms about sharing spoons or Cheez-its with the pups. I, however, do have a problem with that.
So, Chewie gets to sit in the front seat and typically will spend more than half the time hovering over the Irishman wanting to be pet. This dog can't get enough attention (which makes him the perfect dog for a 2-year-old who can't keep his hands to himself). I've included photographic evidence for you courtesy of my new iPhone. (As my brother would say, I've now become an iSnob and have to make reference my my iPhone at least 6 times a day or my iSnob privileges will be revoked.)
See, there's Chewie hovering. Nona, on the other hand, was trying to get comfortable on my left side.
She gave up trying to get comfortable after about an hour and ended up sitting on my lap, trying to give Parker kisses when I wasn't looking. Speaking of which, here's the munchkin strapped safely into his car seat. He was wearing his Incredible Hulk t-shirt. The Hulk was my second favorite character growing up, but really, who could compete with Wonder Woman?
He loved the fact that I was less than 6 inches away from him. He could poke me in the eye whenever he liked. It's a favorite game of his. But I came prepared with a portable DVD player and 5 discs of Thomas the Train, so we didn't have a lot of time for eye poking. Here he is tuned back into his show.
Unfortunately for the Irishman, Parker's favorite part of the DVD is the songs at the end, which we had to replay about 36 times. It may sound torturous, but I'll take 36 rounds of "Little Engines" over a screaming toddler any day of the week.
So, now we're in my parents' house and we're staying in my old room from high school. I had a hard time sleeping last night, partly because all three of us were squeezed into a queen size bed and partly because I know this week is going to be draining. But we're here and that's the most important thing.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Lingering
Well, my cold is still here. I'm sure that the added stress of the week has nothing to do with that fact. I feel ok, but sound horrible. Too bad that calling in sick is not an option today. Being healthy is definitely one of those things that I take for granted. Hopefully, I'll feel well enough to get a run in tomorrow morning before we leave.
We're headed down south to be with the Irishman's family for the week. They're a pretty close knit group and I know it's really hard for him to be away from them right now. So, we're packing up the dogs and Parker and headed on an 8 hour car trip. Oy. I may just take a strong tranquilizer to take the edge off the chaos. Can someone please provide me with a strong tranquilizer? Thank you.
My mother-in-law is really looking forward to Parker coming down for a visit. She and her sister were best friends and I'm sure the emptiness that she feels is monumental, but Parker is more than up to the challenge of providing a welcome distraction.
Speaking of distractions, I've already scoped out a local track that I can use for my Tuesday interval runs and I'm going to take a trip down memory lane and visit my old stomping ground to get in my swim workouts. I am very much a creature of habit so I need to stick to my schedule as much as possible to remain somewhat sane.
The worst thing about being sick right now is that I can't workout to relieve my stress. I very much use running (and cycling and swimming) as a way to literally run away from what's on my mind and fatigue my brain to the point of exhaustion. The irony of this week is that I've had way too much time just sitting around feeling like crud, which translates into way too much time thinking about how losing Carol has changed our lives.
I apologize for my hermit ways, but I promise to stick my head out of my shell when I'm ready for human interaction. In the meantime, it will be nice to be in my parents' house with mom cooking and dad playing with Parker. Now I just need to get my hands on a couple of good fiction books to bury my nose in and distract my brain.
We're headed down south to be with the Irishman's family for the week. They're a pretty close knit group and I know it's really hard for him to be away from them right now. So, we're packing up the dogs and Parker and headed on an 8 hour car trip. Oy. I may just take a strong tranquilizer to take the edge off the chaos. Can someone please provide me with a strong tranquilizer? Thank you.
My mother-in-law is really looking forward to Parker coming down for a visit. She and her sister were best friends and I'm sure the emptiness that she feels is monumental, but Parker is more than up to the challenge of providing a welcome distraction.
Speaking of distractions, I've already scoped out a local track that I can use for my Tuesday interval runs and I'm going to take a trip down memory lane and visit my old stomping ground to get in my swim workouts. I am very much a creature of habit so I need to stick to my schedule as much as possible to remain somewhat sane.
The worst thing about being sick right now is that I can't workout to relieve my stress. I very much use running (and cycling and swimming) as a way to literally run away from what's on my mind and fatigue my brain to the point of exhaustion. The irony of this week is that I've had way too much time just sitting around feeling like crud, which translates into way too much time thinking about how losing Carol has changed our lives.
I apologize for my hermit ways, but I promise to stick my head out of my shell when I'm ready for human interaction. In the meantime, it will be nice to be in my parents' house with mom cooking and dad playing with Parker. Now I just need to get my hands on a couple of good fiction books to bury my nose in and distract my brain.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Loss
Hi all. I just wanted to let you know that the Irishman's Aunt Carol lost her fight against cancer last night. I feel pretty numb right now and beyond being there for my husband, I'm not really sure what the plans are for the next 48 hours, let alone the next week.
We miss you already Carol.
We miss you already Carol.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
No No NO!
There is one thing that I absolutely don't have time for and that is getting sick. Between my work schedule and my running schedule, I simply don't have the time to sit around feeling horribly. So when I woke up this morning and felt a slight tingle in my throat and a stuffy nose, I attacked.
Vitamins? Check.
Hot tea? Check.
Lots of fluids? Check.
Laying on the couch and watching the entire third season of Prison Break? Check.
I'm trying to bargain with this cold. If I agree to take the entire day off (I even taught my spinning class off of the bike this morning and skipped the pool), then the cold agrees to be gone by tomorrow morning. I think it's a pretty fair trade. I'll keep you posted as to whether the cold accepted the deal.
Vitamins? Check.
Hot tea? Check.
Lots of fluids? Check.
Laying on the couch and watching the entire third season of Prison Break? Check.
I'm trying to bargain with this cold. If I agree to take the entire day off (I even taught my spinning class off of the bike this morning and skipped the pool), then the cold agrees to be gone by tomorrow morning. I think it's a pretty fair trade. I'll keep you posted as to whether the cold accepted the deal.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Day At The Lake
With the weather remaining consistently sunny and breezy, we've been squeezing in some family outings into our schedule. This past weekend, we took Parker to a nearby lake.
Parker is fascinated with ducks. He was staring at them intently and when one of them quacked, he would point and quack back at them.
As we made our way around the lake, either the Irishman or I had to hold his hand because he was determined to join the ducks in the water. Here, I am trying to keep him on the sidewalk while positioning myself between him and the water in case he broke loose.
Fortunately, he was distracted by a helicopter (the Irishman said that it's called a Huey and proceeded to spell it for me) so he abandoned his attempts to go swimming with the ducks.
There was a gentleman inside the gate cleaning it and when he saw Parker staring at it, he invited him inside to sit in it. Parker apparently was a helicopter pilot in his past life because as soon as the Irishman showed him where to put his hands, he was "flying" it like a pro.
All in all, it was a nice afternoon at the lake. When we got back to the house, Parker was ready for a nap. It's hard work chasing ducks and flying helicopters!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Student-In-Training
It's interesting how we unconsciously shape our children's pusuits and model them after our own preferences. The older that Parker gets, the more I realize that I buy him things that I would have thought were cool as a kid and I encourage the behaviors that I think will serve him well in the future. Take the love of reading for example.
Parker spends a lot of time (and I mean A LOT of time) "reading" his books. Without fail, he will spend at least an hour either sitting by himself going through his books (pausing on each page as he takes in the material) or bringing us the books to read to him. I would say that we read about 10-15 books a night together. I am all about encouraging this behavior, so we make a big production of picking the books out and going through each page before we switch to another one. I can only hope that his enthusiasm for reading sticks.
Then we have the early birthday present that we got him - his first desk. He's really into coloring and drawing, so I thought it would be nice if he had a designated coloring space (so that the crayons and paint would decorate paper and not my couch).
Plus, I thought that if he was already accustomed to having a designated "work" area, then adjusting to completing his school work and school projects at a desk would be a natural thing to do. This is definitely the nerd in me coming out, but how much fun does that little desk look? The yellow part actually flips up and becomes an easel for when we graduate to bigger projects. I should mention that his desk is in the living room so that he still feels like he's involved (because like both the Irishman and myself, this little guy does not like to miss anything), but it's his own personal space to do with as he will.
I have to say that I'm really loving his age right now. He's interactive and can communicate whether he wants to color or build blocks. He has clear preferences, but is still laid back as ever. Yup, Parker is officially a little boy and it is so much fun to watch him grow.
Parker spends a lot of time (and I mean A LOT of time) "reading" his books. Without fail, he will spend at least an hour either sitting by himself going through his books (pausing on each page as he takes in the material) or bringing us the books to read to him. I would say that we read about 10-15 books a night together. I am all about encouraging this behavior, so we make a big production of picking the books out and going through each page before we switch to another one. I can only hope that his enthusiasm for reading sticks.
Then we have the early birthday present that we got him - his first desk. He's really into coloring and drawing, so I thought it would be nice if he had a designated coloring space (so that the crayons and paint would decorate paper and not my couch).
Plus, I thought that if he was already accustomed to having a designated "work" area, then adjusting to completing his school work and school projects at a desk would be a natural thing to do. This is definitely the nerd in me coming out, but how much fun does that little desk look? The yellow part actually flips up and becomes an easel for when we graduate to bigger projects. I should mention that his desk is in the living room so that he still feels like he's involved (because like both the Irishman and myself, this little guy does not like to miss anything), but it's his own personal space to do with as he will.
I have to say that I'm really loving his age right now. He's interactive and can communicate whether he wants to color or build blocks. He has clear preferences, but is still laid back as ever. Yup, Parker is officially a little boy and it is so much fun to watch him grow.
Too Wise
Since my main job requires me to stay on top of a number of different email interactions, I recently got an iPhone so that I wasn't tied down to my laptop and places that had wifi service. As if I needed any more freedom, I can now do my job from anywhere that has a cell phone signal. This is very nice indeed.
Anyway, I also like the fact that I can take pictures and email/post them immediately. While I'm still having a wild love affair with my Nikon SLR, it's a bit conspicuous for some places, so it's nice to be able to snap a picture with minimal attention being drawn. I decided to try out the camera on my iPhone using my favorite subject - little man Parker.
As he was enjoying his yogurt, I thought that I would see if I could get a candid picture without him noticing. While I absolutely adore his cheesy grin, I have virtually no shots of him without it since the second that he sees the camera, he starts hamming it up. Well, he is obviously much wiser than I gave him credit for because as soon as I lifted the iPhone to take a picture, this is what I got:
If you need a translation, Mr. Smarty Pants is saying, "You can't fool me mom...I am one step ahead of you."
Anyway, I also like the fact that I can take pictures and email/post them immediately. While I'm still having a wild love affair with my Nikon SLR, it's a bit conspicuous for some places, so it's nice to be able to snap a picture with minimal attention being drawn. I decided to try out the camera on my iPhone using my favorite subject - little man Parker.
As he was enjoying his yogurt, I thought that I would see if I could get a candid picture without him noticing. While I absolutely adore his cheesy grin, I have virtually no shots of him without it since the second that he sees the camera, he starts hamming it up. Well, he is obviously much wiser than I gave him credit for because as soon as I lifted the iPhone to take a picture, this is what I got:
If you need a translation, Mr. Smarty Pants is saying, "You can't fool me mom...I am one step ahead of you."
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Milk Aversion
So, I nursed my son for 14 months...around the clock...throughout the night. While it was a great experience (exhausting, but great), it really made me view cow's milk differently. I couldn't help but see it for what it really was - sustenance for baby cows. Suddenly, I had a vision of those mama cows hooked up to milking machines and given my own experience with a breast pump...I shuddered in sympathy. I also learned that, not only are humans are the only species that drinks the milk of another species, but who also continue to drink milk after they are weaned.
All of this made me consider all of the alternative milks out there and I set out to try them as a cow's milk replacement. The first obvious choice was soy milk. Parker had already skipped the cow and went straight to original soy milk, so I already had that in the house to try. I also tried all of the flavored versions - vanilla, chocolate, even hazelnut coffee creamer. My conclusion was that while I'll put soy milk on my cereal or in my smoothies, I wasn't crazy about drinking it by itself.
Next, I tried almond milk. While I was slightly put off by the thought of almonds made into milk, I tried it anyway. Oh my sweet deliciousness! Almond milk, particularly the vanilla flavor, is one of the tastiest things I've had in a while. I confess to chugging it straight from the carton...when no one is watching of course. It's even better on top of my blueberry flax granola, which transforms my whole grain snack into a scrumptious dessert. Seriously, it's that good.
While I was really into the almond milk (and had gallons of it in my fridge), I still had a couple more to try before making my final verdict. I tried rice milk once and I'll just say that I could do without it. Finally, the last milk that I tried was hemp milk. I was intrigued by it and a little bit leery of what it could possibly taste like, but I'll try anything once. Honestly, it wasn't half bad. It had a nutty flavor with a slightly licorice aftertaste. I was impressed by it's nutritional content (it has a lot of omega 3s), so I think I'll keep it in as an occasional drink, but almond milk remains my favorite of the group by far.
All of this made me consider all of the alternative milks out there and I set out to try them as a cow's milk replacement. The first obvious choice was soy milk. Parker had already skipped the cow and went straight to original soy milk, so I already had that in the house to try. I also tried all of the flavored versions - vanilla, chocolate, even hazelnut coffee creamer. My conclusion was that while I'll put soy milk on my cereal or in my smoothies, I wasn't crazy about drinking it by itself.
Next, I tried almond milk. While I was slightly put off by the thought of almonds made into milk, I tried it anyway. Oh my sweet deliciousness! Almond milk, particularly the vanilla flavor, is one of the tastiest things I've had in a while. I confess to chugging it straight from the carton...when no one is watching of course. It's even better on top of my blueberry flax granola, which transforms my whole grain snack into a scrumptious dessert. Seriously, it's that good.
While I was really into the almond milk (and had gallons of it in my fridge), I still had a couple more to try before making my final verdict. I tried rice milk once and I'll just say that I could do without it. Finally, the last milk that I tried was hemp milk. I was intrigued by it and a little bit leery of what it could possibly taste like, but I'll try anything once. Honestly, it wasn't half bad. It had a nutty flavor with a slightly licorice aftertaste. I was impressed by it's nutritional content (it has a lot of omega 3s), so I think I'll keep it in as an occasional drink, but almond milk remains my favorite of the group by far.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Soundtrack: First Week of Fall
Monday: Foo Fighters, Best Of You
Tuesday: Gin Blossoms, 29
Wednesday: Better Than Ezra, Good
Thursday: Metallica, Nothing Else Matters
Friday: Rage Against The Machine, Freedom
Tuesday: Gin Blossoms, 29
Wednesday: Better Than Ezra, Good
Thursday: Metallica, Nothing Else Matters
Friday: Rage Against The Machine, Freedom
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Exaustion - I Love It!
Last night when I got into bed at 8:02pm, I felt like I melted into my sheets. My limbs felt so heavy that once I was laying down, I don't think that I could have gotten up for anything short of a fire. You see, my day started at 5:30am when I went down to the track to run intervals and I was going at full speed until about 7:30pm. My exhaustion was bone deep and you know what? I loved it!
For me, the feeling of exhaustion signals that I've squeezed every ounce of productivity out of my day. Nothing is more annoying to me than laying down only to realize that I'm not ready to fall asleep. Not surprisingly, I haven't had any difficulty falling asleep since I've moved my regular wake-up time up to 5:30am. In fact, I feel more grounded and centered than ever.
I've also been sleeping more solidly (well, for as long as Parker lets me) and I wake up feeling energized and ready to go. I think part of my motivation for a schedule change has to due with the fact that fall is here. For the last 23 years, my life has revolved around the school year with September signaling the start of a new semester. In a students life, the start of the fall semester is like New Years Day. You get the chance to start fresh and set new goals. Since I plan on being in academia for the duration of my career, I'm not too worried about changing this mentality...it's worked for me so far.
It's a good thing that I like feeling exhausted because the heaviest part of my training is ahead of me. With my "light" days now consisting for 6-7 miles and my long runs increasing from 11-20 miles, my body is hoarding all of the sleep that it can. Add in my 3 cycling and 3 swimming workouts a week and I have a fully loaded schedule for the rest of 2008.
I'm also more mentally exhausted as well. I'm teaching at the prison for 3 days a week and each session is 3 hours long. I don't know if you've ever had to speak for 3 hours straight, but it is damn tiring. I'm glad that I have a 30 minute commute coming back into town because it gives me a chance to collect my thoughts and to get re-energized before I get Parker from school and let me tell you, I need every shred of energy that I can muster to keep up with him.
Yup, my schedule is bursting at the seams and I couldn't be happier about it. Add in all of the planning and executing of our holiday plans and three out of town trips and I am going to bulldoze my way to the end of the year. Life is definitely good.
For me, the feeling of exhaustion signals that I've squeezed every ounce of productivity out of my day. Nothing is more annoying to me than laying down only to realize that I'm not ready to fall asleep. Not surprisingly, I haven't had any difficulty falling asleep since I've moved my regular wake-up time up to 5:30am. In fact, I feel more grounded and centered than ever.
I've also been sleeping more solidly (well, for as long as Parker lets me) and I wake up feeling energized and ready to go. I think part of my motivation for a schedule change has to due with the fact that fall is here. For the last 23 years, my life has revolved around the school year with September signaling the start of a new semester. In a students life, the start of the fall semester is like New Years Day. You get the chance to start fresh and set new goals. Since I plan on being in academia for the duration of my career, I'm not too worried about changing this mentality...it's worked for me so far.
It's a good thing that I like feeling exhausted because the heaviest part of my training is ahead of me. With my "light" days now consisting for 6-7 miles and my long runs increasing from 11-20 miles, my body is hoarding all of the sleep that it can. Add in my 3 cycling and 3 swimming workouts a week and I have a fully loaded schedule for the rest of 2008.
I'm also more mentally exhausted as well. I'm teaching at the prison for 3 days a week and each session is 3 hours long. I don't know if you've ever had to speak for 3 hours straight, but it is damn tiring. I'm glad that I have a 30 minute commute coming back into town because it gives me a chance to collect my thoughts and to get re-energized before I get Parker from school and let me tell you, I need every shred of energy that I can muster to keep up with him.
Yup, my schedule is bursting at the seams and I couldn't be happier about it. Add in all of the planning and executing of our holiday plans and three out of town trips and I am going to bulldoze my way to the end of the year. Life is definitely good.
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