New Shoes

There is really something so exhilarating about new shoes. Quite honestly...this only applies if they are shoes in which you will be enjoying life-outside. Translation: strappy, stiletto, trendy, sexy, dangerous shoes-you do not win my vote, you do not make my life happy, you only make me miserable and sad. Asics, Merrill, Keen, Teva and the like...yes, you are in...I choose you.

When I was little I heard a fairy tale about kids who needed new shoes and fell asleep and some elves worked feverishly through the night to make them new shoes that they happily discovered at their bedside in the morning. I will not lie, I prayed and "wished on stars" for new shoes quite often as a kid. I often begged to wear new shoes home from the store, right Mom? And we both agree that in our next life, you will let me. Just kidding Mom, I KNOW they were for school.

Anyway. My dad was in town tonight for a visit and he (and mom) are responsible for the purchase of these new Asics...my, uh...Valentine's Shoes. They are pretty much the exact shoe I bought last...loved them so much...going back for round 2. They are different however, in that they are the shoes with which I will train and complete a Half-Marathon in May. I have done many 5k races...never anything longer. I am excited for the challenge. I have 12 weeks to train-plan on running/walking 150 miles between now and May. Did 8.24 miles this past Saturday. Sunday my body reminded me 8 miles was a new distance for me. Will be back for more tomorrow... with my long walks/runs planned for Saturdays with whomever I can trick into 2+ hours of fun.

I love new shoes. These Asics and I are going places. To you little elves- sleep on; Mom and Dad have got you covered tonight.

New Friends

You know the feeling you get when you start to make friends with someone new? Someone you think is just fun...someone you know you will laugh with and talk to and someone who will make your life better, even if just for a few minutes at a time at school or work? I love that feeling. It feels like 3rd grade. Being the new kid and meeting tall, sassy Danielle and realizing she could make me laugh HARD. I'm grateful for this feeling. Even more grateful for years down the road when the excitement has long since transformed to a calm, steady and peaceful assurance; and you recognize that some of these friends...have become your friends for life.

Animal Catastrophe

I love my job. More specifically, I love that my job involves working with children. And working with children involves hearing some pretty amazing things.

For instance...here are few snippets of recent sessions:
6 yr old girl: Oh, something very bad happened. Mrs. Smith, my teacher, her pare..t died. (Little girl says word that sounds like a cross between parent and parrot).
Me: Her parrot or her parent?
6 yr old girl: Her pare..t. (Exactly as she said it the first time, offering no help to me).
Me: A person or an animal?
6 yr old girl: An animal.
Me: Got it...keep going...
6 yr old girl: Well, my teacher, her parrot was trying to lay an egg but it got stuck and they put a warm blanket on it but couldn't find a vet and so it died. But my teacher will always be in my heart.
Me: (thinking, wait, did your teacher or the bird die and your teacher will or the bird will be in your heart, huh?) "She will? How come?"
6 yr old girl: cuz she tells me I'm smart and I know I'm smart 'cuz I can spell pretty much every word except immigration. That one I can't.
Me: You are very smart, your teacher is right.


Then today, with a 10 yr old girl who told me about all her animals who have perished and others who are still living. She didn't allow for me to talk...so I'm just providing my thoughts...
10: "I call my cat diabetic because she's so skinny."
My thought: "Do you mean anorexic?"
10: But Diabetic is girlfriend of my black cat, i know, black cat bad luck... but they are boyfriend and girlfriend. But the black cat is spayed so that won't really work out for them...and on Valentine's day she'll be so mad. But at least they can be friends.
My thought: no thoughts...just laughing

continuing...
10: and another time I accidentally almost killed my fish when I was playing and I crashed the fish tank and the water all spilled out and I saw my fish and scooped her up and ran to put her in a bottle. And she was shaken up but she lived.
Me: How did you crash the water tank?
10: Oh, I was juggling.
My thought: Of course, and why wouldn't you have been? Kind of like the time I almost missed the deadline to turn in a grad school application due to riding a unicycle in my house. (True story).

Bottom line. I love kids. I'll take 'em sad...I'll take 'em happy...I love their crazy stories and pretty much everything about them...

Spirit of the 5k

A 5k is considerably shorter than a marathon. About 23.1 miles shorter. Which is right about perfect for me. Today I ran my 11th race. Much to my dismay my odd-even-odd-even race number pattern was shattered. Another even this time...204. Dang. Anyway...it was good and cold. I am not as fast as I want...NEED to be. But I'm working at it. Work on my speed...distance...eventually move up to a 10k. This is the plan. Thanks for going with me, Natals...the speedy. I think she was out of sight within the first 100 yards...good job kid!

In other news, my luggage made it safely home. I'm sure you've all been worried.

Spirit of the Marathon

I'm doing my best to distract myself from how much I'm hating Delta right now for losing 48 pounds of my personal belongings. I am trying to believe the man who I think told me my luggage would be traveling from San Francisco to LA (two places I did NOT travel to or ask that my bag travel to) to PHX at 1 am and delivered tomorrow morning. Not sure if that is what he was saying due to bad connection and the fact that English was not this man's first...or maybe even second...language. I was once told that I don't deal well with change...and pretty much hated the person who told me that in that moment. Unfortunately this evening with Delta has confirmed how true that statement sometimes can be.

Now. On to better news. I'm really interested in running these days. I recently saw a preview for a special engagement non-fiction documentary-type movie that follows 6 people who are training for and running the Chicago marathon. It's called Spirit of the Marathon and will be in theatres in North America this Thursday, Jan. 24th at 7:30. I'm inviting my friends here to come...if you're interested in seeing it...either w/ me in AZ or wherever it is that you live...check out the website: http://www.marathonmovie.com/film.html. If you're in AZ and want to come...give me and call and we'll make plans to meet. I'm inviting a bunch of friends I think might like it...should be fun.

It's Plane Simple...

Dear Readers...er, reader?

It's late and I need to be sleeping. But something has been on my mind for almost a week now. To sum it up....one must always exercise caution, restraint, and good judgement in considering what food one will consume on an airplane. Please remember that you are in a confined space. Anything you eat that has the propensity to smell, look and/or sound weird will be intensified by 3,593 when on an airplane.

My flight from SLC to PHX was set up to be rather pleasant, only a minor delay, the spontaneity of having a friend from my ward sitting right next to me on the plane, and plenty of time for sleeping (even if my chair was a non-recliner...).

All was merry and bright until Mr. Salami opened up his potent beef stick and had himself a little feast in the row 5.3 inches behind my head. Now, what the man eats on his own watch is his business, but for the LOVE...a BEEF STICK on a PLANE?!?! Come on! My already queasy stomach had a rough go of things as the beef stick-ing coincided perfectly with the ultra-turbulent turbulence. It could have been a recipe for disaster. Luckily both the beef stick and the turbulence did not last long. Phew.

So for the record...Doritos, corn nuts, anything remotely ranch, processed BEEF...leave it at home okay? The flight really is only about an hour. Can't you make do on the "Plane Crackers, Bi scoff, or Cheese and Crackers" so generously provided by Delta Airlines? They'll also provide milk, juice, coffee, soda or even some alcohol for the correct change. I prefer you NOT chose to drink V-8 of any variety if you are seated in my row, as the smell alone makes me gag, but I'd choose that over a stick of salami any day.

So...you know...just think about it? Save the beef please.

Happy New Year!

I decided I could not handle one more typical New Year's Eve party this year...at 29, I've seen many. Some have been fun (Honeyville w/ the Bingham's for intense games...home with family for pizza/movies/hot tub) others have been...well, not fun.

I set out to come up with something different. I found it. The 18th or 19th annual (the t-shirt and race tag have different #'s...not sure which it is) Midnight Madness 3 mile run. Began at 10:30 pm. Cold. I thought running in the dark might make it seem easier (you know...can't see how far you have to go). Not so. Even still, I loved doing something different and coming home feeling good and tired. Proud that I'd done something that I would really want to do, not just what everyone else does.

Nat was willing to come spend her New Year's Eve with me and she was (and always is) excellent company. We had a great time.

I came home happy to see that my race number continued the odd-even-odd-even pattern my race numbers have had now for ten races. Why that even matters...I don't know.

Happy New Year everyone!