Thirty Second Book Review - Born To Run

Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and The Greatest Race The World Has Never Seen
by Christopher McDougall

I LOVED listening to this book while running during the last couple of weeks. It's full of fascinating, hilarious characters and some pretty cool science. Even if you're not a runner (I'm really more of a slow jogger), you'll find this book motivating and interesting.

Fetus Friday - Week 18 (or how I've gained so much weight)

OK - I know I'm pregnant and probably more sensitive than usual.

Today, when I went to see Dr. Elephant he told me my weight gain was "generous". I've gained 6lbs in the last five weeks and the first 13 weeks I had only gained 3 lbs - bringing my grand total to 9 lbs. I guess I need to stop eating so much breakfast dessert. Although, Patty did point out that this was probably the most important meal of the day.

I don't know why I'm upset by this weight gain development - I am pregnant after all. I guess I just wish I wasn't gaining it so generously. Between now and my next appointment, (December 2nd - Buttin & my 3rd anniversary) my goal is just to eat a little more veggies and a little less cake. But . . . I do LOVE cake!

In other doctor's appointment news - my Mother in Law came to the appointment with Buttin and me. She got to hear the Lumpy's heart beat (a strong, fast 160 bpm), watch the nurse take my "generous" weight and blood pressure. I also got the H1N1 vaccine (Buttin had to leave the office - he's afraid of needles. I have no idea how he's going to deal with actual child birth or when Lumpy gets shots. )

In two weeks, I go in for my big ultrasound (where they check on Lumpy's anatomy). At this time, we could find out if Lumpy is a Lumpy-o or a Lumpy-a, but we're going to be surprised! I just hope Lumpy is growing on-track.

Ok - now for the 18 week update:

Baby Center has this to say about Lumpy:

If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Like I said, we planned to be surprised - but it's fun to know that all these anatomical developments have already taken place.

Baby Center has this to say about me:

Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.

Wow - what perfect timing for this little snippet of information. Actually, I felt a lot hungrier between weeks 8 - 13, but who knows - maybe my body is just storing everything more efficiently.

New Building

In the very near future - our little business will be moving.

The new building is only about 3 miles away from our current location, and we plan to be completely moved in by the New Year.

I finally saw the new building last week and I got a chance to take the girls to see their new offices this morning. I'm so happy that they're excited. There's still a lot of work to do in the new building, but it's a palace compared to where we are now. If you need a reminder, go here.

I hope to have pictures soon!

Why Can't I Run On A Treadmill?

As a runner in Texas, I really only have to deal with one (well, kind of two) weather element(s) - the heat coupled with the humidity. The cold weather is really never that cold (in fact, I'm loving it right now), we get sunshine most days (average is 300 days a year) and we're not really close enough to the coast for any real hurricane threat.

I've been training for my first marathon for the last 9 months, so a majority of that time has been spent running - outside - in the heat (and humidity). We also had record heat in Austin, Texas this summer and even with all the rain in the last month- we are still in a drought. This made for some rather slow, sweaty and disgusting days of running (see any of my running posts from July or August if you need a better understanding of how I can scare children just by running past them).

Because the heat in Texas is so well-known, I've been asked by many locals and friends who live outside the state why I don't run a treadmill. The simple answer is - I can't. I don't know what it is about the treadmill. In theory, running on the treadmill should be easier for me - there are no hills, no rocks for me to trip over and treadmills are located in these convenient places called gyms that are air conditioned. This should make treadmill running easier for me, right? But, I just can't do it.

I'll give you an example, for my Team Tri class (we meet on Tues., Thurs, and Fri.) we usually spend part of the hour running - on a treadmill- this is the worst 20 minutes of the work out for me and I'm even being entertained (kind of) by our coach and my fellow Team Tri friends. I find treadmill running not only boring, but kind of uncomfortable. Does this make me strange, a glutton for punishment or normal?

There was one day this summer, when I just couldn't get out of bed (because morning is the only time you really can run in the summer in Texas), so I decided that I would go run on the treadmill at my gym. I thought I could easily do 6 - 7 miles without a problem. I even listen to the same stuff on my ipod running outside as I did when trying this indoor treadmill run. Well, after about 2.5 miles - I just couldn't do it any more. I was done trying and I have never gone back - even with more than 50 days over 100 degrees this summer.

So yesterday - during my Team Tri class I ran my uncomfortable 20 minutes (for about 1.5 miles) on the treadmill and happily, this morning I returned to the great outdoors (where it was 50 degrees - whooppee) for a very pleasant 7 mile run.

The People Who Shape Our Careers

I've been very fortunate in my life to have several people encourage me throughout my career (although, I don't think many of them would have expected me to one day own a small flooring business). These people have include parents, friends, teachers, co-workers and bosses.

I got some sad news yesterday - one of these career influences, Sid Davis, passed away. He died from complications involving the H1N1 virus. Here's a local article.

Sid was the managing partner at the law firm where I worked in Dallas for three and a half years. I started out as his legal assistant and thank goodness he was patient because I had absolutely no experience. One year later, I decided to go to graduate school, (my father would have preferred law school) so I asked Sid if I could be the marketing director for the law firm (the current one was leaving). I thought the law firm marketing experience would be more in fitting with my career goals and he agreed.

During the next two and a half years, Sid encouraged (and sometimes tolerated) my silly marketing antics. I made all the attorneys play "The Marketing Apprentice" to try and teach the attorneys (who I don't believe are natural business-minded people) how marketing could help their business. I actually won an award for this professional development program from the Legal Marketing Association and I remember calling Sid from Phoenix to tell him that we had gotten first place. He was very proud.

I remember the day I told him I was moving to Austin. I think he was sad to see me go, but he knew that I was moving on to bigger and better things. I will always be thankful to Mr. Davis for the concern he took in my career. He gave me my first big break (so to speak) in the field of marketing and I wouldn't be the same without it. Thanks Sid - I will always remember you.

Fat Cat On A Little Box

This is a new song that Buttin loves to sing.

This is also the reason why I didn't sleep from about 3 AM - 4AM.

This lovely box is Cartman's stepping stool to our bed. It's a very old towel placed over a very old box, but it works for Cartman. (Maybe I should ask Santa for a real pet staircase.) Well, lately Scratch (very chubby cat on the box) likes to sleep on the box. This means that whenever Cartman gets out of bed in the middle of the night (which usually means something is getting peed on), he can't get back on the bed. I think he's a little scared of Scratch. Whom I kidding? I'm a little scared of Scratch.

Well last night, Cartman got down sometime around 2:30 AM, but could get back up (because of Scratch). He has started to sleep in the laundry basket when he can't get back on the bed, but since I did most of the laundry - I guess it wasn't very comfortable for him. He then began to scratch and cry on Buttin's side of the bed. Buttin didn't hear him. I had to call him to my side of the bed about 15 times before he finally came over and let me pick him up and put him on the bed.

Meanwhile, the rain and thunder started and Molly began to cry in her bedroom. This makes Cartman bark (even though he's safely on the bed) and I have to get up and try to get Molly to simmer down (this means me opening her bedroom door and telling her to "shhhh"). By this time, it's 3:30 AM and I'm wide awake. I went out to the couch and fell asleep watching TV. I'm sure Buttin thinks I don't like to be next to him in the early morning hours, but really I just don't want to wake him up with the TV.

It seems like every night for the last couple of weeks we've had some kind of animal issue. Last night, it was the fault of the fat cat on a little box.

Marathon Training - Weekly Update

This Week: 10/19 - 10/24

Total Miles Completed: 28.36

Average Pace: 12: 32

A little speedier this week. It's amazing what cooler temperatures can do. I can't believe that the marathon is only three weeks from today. By this time (hopefully), three weeks from now I will have finished my first marathon. I'm hoping for very cool (but not freezing) temperatures for race day.

Like last week, my long run was good, but my weekday runs weren't so great - I wasn't feeling very good. I'm happy that for my long runs - I've been ready to go.

It strange because I've been training for this marathon now for at least six months (although technically I started training for it when I completed the half at this same race last year) and now that Lumpy is on the way - I'm not sure when I will race next. I must admit, this makes me a little sad - although I never thought the prospect of NOT training would make me sad. I think I'm going to try a couple 5Ks and 10Ks in December - February. I have several blogger friends that have done 5Ks during their 35 weeks so I'm going to hope for that kind of 3rd trimester.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Saw XI

Saw XI

I hate to admit it, but I might have been a little lost because I didn't see Saw X (I did see the first four). I was entertained by this movie, but not surprised. These movies are a little easier to watch (for me) than most horror movies because the people who die generally aren't sweet and innocent.

Two Months Till Christmas

Oh! I'm so excited - it's all I can do to keep from decorating the house for Christmas. Maybe I'll start next Sunday (the day after Halloween).

I'm having trouble finding non-Lumpy related things that I want for Christmas. Also, whenever I see a toy (even if it's for ages 5 and up) - I think, "That's so cute, I should buy that for Lumpy". Even though, I'm sure when Lumpy is five years old - the toys will be much better and cuter.

It's A Good Day To Be . . .

• A Runner - After a summer of training in extreme heat and drought - I woke up to a clear, 48 degree morning. It was such a beautiful morning for a run. I decided to do my 20 miles on a very popular trail (Town Lake), although I haven't run on this trail during the last year. When I got to the trail at 6:00 AM it was still very dark, but there were literally hundreds of other runners already on the trail. I ran for the first 45 minutes under trees and stars and when the sun finally came up; it was sunny, clear and absolutely gorgeous.
  
• Pregnant - My little belly felt empowering during my run this morning. I had some lower pelvic discomfort (aka round ligament pain) which really just made me feel like I had to pee.
• A Pregnant Lady Who Can Hold It - the first two toilets I visited during my run we rather clean and not entirely unpleasant. When I stopped to pee for the third time, the guy who just stepped out told me "it's a little hairy in there". Hairy doesn't even begin to describe it - I would rather have peed in our installer bathroom (and they throw poo-poo toilet paper on the ground). Needless to say, I held it for the next bathroom, which was much cleaner and meant for women only.
  
• A Wife - Buttin makes my smile everyday and I'm looking forward to a relaxing day with my husband.
• A Girl Who Can Take A Nap - because that's about what I'm going to do.
  

Fetus Friday - Week 17

Whoopee! 17 Weeks! It's not a especially big milestone, but I felt like a Whoopee this morning.

Baby Center says this about Lumpy's development:

She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Does this mean that Lumpy is going to start sweating? Maybe Lumpy is gong to start running (probably more like swimming) in my tummy soon. I'm not sure if I've felt Lumpy yet. It's difficult to know for sure (since I have gas a lot), but maybe if Lumpy starts actively exercising - I'll feel him/her.

Baby Center has this to say about me:

Starting to feel a bit off balance? As your belly grows, your center of gravity changes, so you may begin to occasionally feel a little unsteady on your feet.

Really? I'm already uncoordinated enough. Buttin will tell you - I am some how able to trip over my feet without even walking.

Friday (the 30th) is my next doctors appointment so I should have a really good weekly Fetus Friday update.

Cute Halloween

This is something very dorky I did while at work (not a busy day).

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Funny Picture Day

I'm feeling much better today; however, this week hasn't been filled with much activity and I'm feeling a little uninteresting.

Let's see . . . this week . . . I've eaten birthday cake, I've felt crummy, I've run (not as much as I should have), I've blamed the rain on not running, I've slept (fell asleep at 7:30 last night), I've been sleepless (loud poker players kept me up from about 11:30 - 2:30 last night) and I've eaten more birthday cake. That about sums up my week so far.

Since I don't have any very interesting stories - here are some funny pictures that I enjoy.

This next one is probably my favorite - looks like something our animals would do.

Is This Allergies, Pregnancy or Swine Flu?

I honestly don't think it's Swine Flu - I'm just being dramatic.

Some days I wake up alert, healthy and ready to go. Today is not one of those days. I feel stuffy and achy. I didn't run this morning - I used the rain as an excuse, although technically I've gone running when it's been raining a lot harder. I just didn't feel like getting out of bed.

Yesterday, I felt fantastic. Maybe I just knew I had birthday cake to look forward to at work (thankfully Patty left her cake here, so I can still eat some today) or maybe it was the sunshine. I'm not sure. I would just like to consistently feel good for one solid week.

Everyone at work seems to be sick too. This does not help with the "healthy thoughts" I'm trying to keep in my brain. Also, with being pregnant - I'm somewhat limited to the drugs that I can take. It's kind of strange - there are these drug categories for pregnant women. Every drug is ranked in a category A, B, C, D & X (A drugs are the safest and X drugs, well that's kind of obvious). My favorite allergy medicine is a B (Claritin D) - my doctor prefers that I not take this and instead recommends Benadryl (also a B) or Sudafed (which is a C). This seems strange to me (C drugs are supposed to be worse than B drugs), but I'm not the doctor - so I'll obey. Although, I really, really want a Claritin.

My new theory is that chocolate cake cures everything (I felt good yesterday, right?) so I'm going to go have a piece of it and try to feel more chipper.

Breakfast Dessert

Sometimes after I eat breakfast (especially if it's something salty) - I need to eat something sweet. I call this - Breakfast Dessert. It's a well recognized meal, according to most nutritionists.

Today is Patty's birthday. We got a birthday cake for her, but mostly it's for me to eat. I ate a really big corner piece after my delicious breakfast of avocado, tomato and turkey. It was delicious.

Pregnant Lady Temper

Does being pregnant mean never having to say your sorry? I think I should just wear a button that says, "I'm sorry for anything irrational that I might do."

I don't know if it's a temper that I'm developing or just an extreme inability to control any kind of mood swing. Most of my temper tantrums come from people getting my food incorrect - something, that usually doesn't bother me so much. You may remember a few weeks ago when I almost broke into tears when my grilled cheese was cold (and there was no ranch dressing), well I had another incident last night.

I ordered one of my favorite sandwiches from a fairly decent French bakery chain and Buttin kindly went to pick it up. When he brought it back home - it had NO BACON! Usually, this would not be an issue (I'm no Anthony Bordain when it comes to pork products) - but I was really looking forward to my bacon, chicken, cheese and tomato sandwich. I threw a little hissy fit right in the kitchen. I immediately called them and drove over there to get another sandwich. I didn't yell or scream at the people working there, so I consider that an accomplishment - but I think I may have freaked Buttin out a little.

I was also in full-on temper mode last week. I somewhat excused myself since I was sick and stressed with all the tradeshow stuff, but let's just say there were lots of mistakes being made and I wanted someone to PAY! I'm trying to be calmer this week - I know that I make a TON of mistakes, so I'm trying to be forgiving of those who forget to put more toilet paper in our lovely bathroom.

Marathon Training - Weekly Update

This Week: 10/12 - 10/18

Total Miles Completed: 24.95

Average Pace: 12: 36

I wasn't feeling very good during the beginning of the week, so my mileage went down a little this week. My long Saturday run was a really, nice and cool 15.5 miles. However, it was not without a minor incident. I didn't go to my usual trails for my long run - I think they're still pretty soggy from all the recent rain - so I ran around my house. Well, there really aren't any public restrooms in all the neighborhoods and my house is at the end of a culdesac, so I don't really run by my house. In the last few weeks, I haven't been able to run more than 10 miles without a bathroom break (this wasn't an issue before pregnancy), and Saturday was no exception. Let's just say it's a good thing I bring tissue with me and that I found a nice wooded area (next to an elementary school - I felt a little creepy, but didn't think there was any chance people would be around). After my quick pee break, I ran another 5 miles - it's just kind of funny to watch my run on the Garmin website because you can very obviously tell where I go off the street and stop.

I'm hoping for a good feeling week this week because I plan to do another 20 this Saturday.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are

I absolutely loved this movie, but it's certainly not for children and probably not a movie for Liz either. It's kind of heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time. I came out of the movie in tears and Buttin's eyes were a little dusty too.

Fetus Friday - Week 16

Here's what Baby Center has to say about Week 16:

Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 1.4 inches long (head to rump) and 3.5 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position too.

You know, I've been craving avocados a lot lately and reading this makes me want one again. One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is a chopped up tomato, with avocado and smoked salmon (and/or cheese, turkey or crab). Any way, I'm happy that Lumpy is starting to look more like a baby and less like an alien tadpole.

They also say this about me,

The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.

The most laughable part of this statement is the "glowing" part. If by glowing, they mean "looks like a thirteen year old with oily breakouts" - then yup, I've got it. This week has just seemed to be the week of head aches. I'm not sure if it's pregnancy related or just the stress of the trade show and all the other work related stuff. I'm waiting for my 2nd trimester glow to start any minute now.

Trade Show Recap

I really should just call this post - Lots of Pictures of Guys in Dresses. That would be a more accurate description.

The trade show was an absolute blast! All the guys (6 of them) were such good sports about the make-up (probably the worst part for all of them), their dresses, wigs and shoes. They all got so much attention. Buttin told me he's never had so many people want to take a picture with him in his life - he felt like a rock star (a side note - his Deal or No Deal girl name was "Tawny", maybe you've read the post about Buttin's childhood dreams).

Here's a quick recap:

Trade Show: Austin Apartment Association
Theme: Game Show Mania
Our Booth: Deal or No Deal
Place: 2nd Place
(we may have been robbed - how on earth could you top guys in dresses?)

There were actually three of us girls in dresses. I don't really think we even needed to be there - no one said two words to us. OK - now time for some pictures: Here is Buttin doing his "pretty girl" pose:
Here's Buttin & my cousin, Sean (aka Portia), getting ready (I know they're loving all the attention): This is our AWESOME group (this was our sassy picture that was taken professionally):


Bridesmaids at weddings usually take a "shoe" picture. I don't know why, but here's our "shoe" picture. We made these shoes by spray painting black flip flops and attaching a pretty blue bow. Even after a shower this morning, I still have some silver paint on my feet (we let the shoes dry for over a week). Can you tell the legs of the real girls?:
Here's Barbie and Tubby-Tub: All night long, the guys had to walk into the men's restroom with their dresses on - here's a picture I'm particularly proud of (I love Buttin's farmer tan): Here is one of my favorite pictures of the night - Sean just seems like a natural: Here's a couple of me & Buttin: A quick word about the dresses - I'm really am not as pregnant as this dress makes me look. These dresses were so much more flattering on the guys than they were on the women. All the girls looked like chubby ballerinas.

The real girls ended up leaving around 7:30 - I was exhausted and had a huge headache (from lack of food and sleep). This morning - all the guy/girls came into work looking a little like club-kids, with eyeliner still around their eyes. I don't know what the theme to next year's trade show is yet, but I have no idea how we could possible top this year.

Excitement = Some what Hitler-like Behavior

This is what Buttin told me this morning and it's pretty accurate.

I think I've mentioned before that Buttin calls me the Christmas-Hitler. I tend to be a little controlling about the flow of Christmas and it's only because I want things to go really, really well. I guess my Hitler-like behavior extends to pretty much anything that really excites me (Christmas, our wedding, a movie I'm really want to see, etc.). This includes today's trade show.

I'm sure I've already given Buttin "the look" (which means do exactly what I say when I say it) a couple of times this morning. I know that I need to learn to let go of things and just enjoy the fun things in life (which includes the trade show), but at least I can admit - I'm pretty freaking controlling.

I would like to apologize to all the misfits in advance. I'm sorry if I get a little too bossy today and I've written a little poem for the occasion.

Deal or No Deal Misfits,
I feel sorry for you.
I promise to be better tomorrow;
When the trade show is all through.

Like The First Day Of School

It's 2:00 AM and the only sleep I've gotten tonight was from 9:30 - 11:00. This is troublesome because I NEED and LOVE my sleep.

I think I'm just a little too excited about tomorrow (trade show). It's kind of like the first day of school feeling - just so much anticipation, excitement and a little stress. My aunt is going to be so disappointed in my lack of sleep. Auntie - I promise to go straight home and to bed right after the trade show.

Oh well, I'm going to try to go back to bed now. Buttin is so peacefully asleep, wish I could be too.

French Fries + Ketchup = Good Nutrition, Right?

So, the past few days I haven't been feeling that good - kind of clammy and headachy (the lack of AC in our house probably isn't helping things), but no fever or anything horrible. As a result of these icky feelings - some days I haven't wanted a thing to eat, while other days - I've been starving. Yesterday was one of the starving days. All I really wanted yesterday was ketchup, so finally at 4:00 I convinced Buttin that on his way home from work he really should stop by Catfish Parlour (some of the best fries around in my opinion) and pick me up some french fries and KETCHUP - LOTS OF KETCHUP! It was delicious and satisfying, but I felt a little disgusting after my bag o fries was finished. It was all I ate for dinner and I'm quite sure it counts as a healthy dinner - it's like having two vegetables (potato and tomato).

In other news, I had my first really good night's sleep (in a while) last night. I'm convinced that my animals are colluding in an attempt to "train" me for Lumpy. Molly has been waking up every night around 1:30 crying to come inside (although she won't come inside at 10 - when it's normally time to go to bed). As soon as she starts scratching at the door, Cartman (who sleeps in bed with us) starts barking (and it's such a pleasant bark) in my ear. My dear Buttin - doesn't hear any of this and is able to peaceful stay asleep the entire time.

I get out of bed and Cartman follows me. I put Molly in her room and then let Cartman go outside (Cartman pee is toxic and if he's out of bed - he's going to pee somewhere, so I'd like it to be outside). By this time, I've walked in the kitchen at least two times, so Scratch (the fluffy cat) jumps up to his food bowl and cries at me, demanding that tuna be served. Mouser is the only animal that doesn't get out of bed; however, he's patiently waiting for my return. When I try to lay back down to sleep - he pounces on my chest for some love and attention. He thinks I want to spend the next 30 minutes scratching his chin, which I don't - but he will mercilessly attack my hands, feet, head or any other body part he can find until I give him some attention.

At this point, I am wide awake - there is no easy way to fall back asleep. Eventually, I turn the TV on and maybe fall back asleep - hoping the animals are settled back in enough to let me sleep until 5:09, when my alarm goes off. I really do think this is very calm compared to all the nighttime activity I will be experiencing in a few months, but I really do want all the sleep that I can get now.

Tradeshow Preview

The Austin Apartment Association Trade Show is on Thursday. (I'm sure there will be a huge post with all the details on Friday).

I think all the girls in the office are much more excited than the guys, but I think the guys are secretly excited about wearing their dresses and wigs (at least, the wigs).

Here is a little preview:

Thirty Second TV Reviews - New Fall TV

As I believe I've mentioned before, I love TV.

Here's a brief review of some of the new fall shows that Buttin and I have watched:

Community

Very funny and entertaining, but it doesn't quite have the heart of a show like The Office. Sometimes I need more than just funny, so I'm hoping this show develops some warmth.

Modern Family

My favorite new show of the fall. Like Community, it's very funny and entertaining - BUT - it also has a big heart. It's one of those shows where whoever is talking, I say - "oh, oh - that's one of my favorite characters."

Flash Forward

This drama introduces about five new mysteries a week, but so far it solves at least two or three of them - so I'm not left hanging or keeping some kind of chart of unanswered questions. My one wish is that this show would interject just a little comic relief.

Glee

I'm entertained, but only by the dancing/singing numbers. I haven't been drawn into the story yet and so far I find it a little cheesy (I know that sounds like a contradiction seeing as I enjoy the dorky musical numbers).

The Cleveland Show

Family Guy this is not, but I'm hoping for some improvement.

Feeling Icky

Moms - this one is for you!

Well, we finally got our internet back at work (it's been out since Friday and it's amazing how much I need it during the day) so I'm free to blog, but am too tired and icky feeling to come up with anything very creative.

I woke up with a not so horrible, but not so mild headache and have not been able to make it go away. I didn't run first thing this morning (because of the headache and the rain) and my mid-morning run was pretty much crap. Apparently, my head does not appreciate bouncing up and down when it doesn't feel very good. Who knew?

I'm feeling very tired, but not sure if I'm actually tired or just over rested I'm loving all this rain, but it's making me very lazy and sometimes this Texas girl needs some sunshine.

Marathon Training - Weekly Update

This Week: 10/6 - 10/11

Total Miles Completed: 28.23

Average Pace: 12: 10

Faster this week, but fewer miles. After my 20 miler last week, my long run this weekend was only supposed to be around 12 - 15. Well, I only went 10.

I was so looking forward to my long run - it was 54 outside and I was actually wearing a shirt with sleeves. I couldn't wait! I went to my trails and not only were the gates locked, but there were also cones in front. I decided to sneak in. Well, I soon realized while the park was semi-closed. The trails had been completely rained out. During my 2.5 mile (very slow) trail run, I waded in no less than 5 ankle deep puddles, fell into about 3 deep trenches and saw two lake alligators (OK, maybe I'm making that last part up). I certainly wasn't going to run 12 - 15 miles in these conditions, so I ran back to my car.

I decided I would run my remaining 10 or so miles around my house (I did 10 on Wednesday - so it should be easy, right?). After taking a quick pee at home, I resumed my run around 7:00 AM. It was so nice and cool - I didn't need to bring my sweat rag and I really didn't need to bring my large bottle of water. Sadly, around mile 5 - I start to feel a very bad urge in my tummy. I quickly headed back home and took a poop. I had only gone 7.5 (for a total of 10), but decided to not try to go back out again. Good thing I was scheduled for a shorter, long run.

Thirty Second Movie Review - The Invention of Lying

The Invention of Lying

Hilarious comedy and very, very smart. I had no idea where the movie was going, but I loved every minute of it. I was very surprised with the not so underlining social (and moral) commentary, but shocked that a big studio let them do it.

Fetus Friday - Week 15

This is what Baby Center has to say about Lumpy's development:

Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

Atta girl (or boy) - keep sleeping as much as you can and stay away from bright lights. I'm sure Lumpy's chocolate (and fried cheese) taste buds are being very well developed.

Baby Center says that at this point some mommies-to-be can feel their baby move. If the baby moving feels like gas - then I'm feeling Lumpy move A LOT! Sadly, I think there's a difference between gas and baby movement.

Cadbury Eggs & Hot Yoga

At first glance - it may not seem like these two items have anything to do with each other, and you would be correct. However both have played a pretty profound roll in my life during the last 16 hours.

Cadbury Eggs - don't be jealous!

For the most part, I've been craving salty things. This doesn't keep me from eating my 2 (or 10) pieces of chocolate a day, but I eat it now more out of habit than as a craving. Well, last week I wanted (desperately) a Cadbury Creme Egg. I scoured the interweb - no candy vendor anywhere (including overseas) was currently selling them. As a last ditch effort, I checked Ebay - SUCCESS! I found someone selling 32 (8 boxes of 4) Cadbury Eggs and bought them quickly.

My little eggs of delight showed up at my door yesterday (in a keep cool pack - fancy) and it made me so happy to put them in my freezer - here they are in all their glory:

My friend Liz was a little scared when I told her that I had purchased an edible product off of Ebay, but her husband purchased meat from a person driving a truck - so I don't really feel like this was any worse. Liz - I ate one last night (it was delicious) and I'm doing just fine, please do not worry.

Hot Yoga - you probably aren't jealous of this one.

I think I've mentioned that on days I don't run I participate in a "Team Tri" class at my gym. Most days we bike, swim or run (i.e "Tri"), but some days we try (get it? so funny) new things. Today's new thing was yoga in what can only be described as a room that felt like Houston in August. Bleh!

I don't think I have EVER sweat this much while running. My light green shirt was a very dark green half way through the class. There was no stitch of clothing left untouched by sweat. I was the most disgusting, drippy person and if sweating was the goal of the class - I won! There were other people sweating too - but I'm quite sure I was the worst. (or best - depending on how you look at it) My underwear was sticking to me in the most uncomfortable way - it was just gross.

The yoga was OK. I'm not really much of a yoga person - this was probably only the third class I've taken in my lifetime. Lots of holding still and stretching (and sweating, did I mention sweating?) and doing weird things that my body just doesn't do. I'm glad that I did it, but I probably won't do it again.

A Series Of Random Events

First of all, I know I didn't post anything yesterday. I was feeling a little lazy and honestly I was just day-dreaming about item #1 on my list of random events:

1. My two hour massage - I think I've mentioned that Buttin and I have a membership to Massage Envy. We haven't been really good about going on a monthly basis (Buttin had 6 hours built up and I had 3 hours). My last massage was less than wonderful; however, I had a feeling that my massage last night was going to be awesome- and - it was. She spent no less than 15 minutes just tickling my back (I didn't know they would do this for you - but apparently all you have to do is ask). This was technically my first prenatal massage, eventually I'll have to lay on my side, but last night I still got to lay on my belly.
2. Carpet Warehouse is going green - Well, kind of. It might surprise you to know that as a small business (only about 15 employees) - we go through about 500 styrofoam cups in 2 weeks. I don't know where all the cups go, but I know they're doing very bad things in our landfills. I decided (with laughing support from Buttin) that we would give each employee a mug and then bring in some additional "spare" mugs for other people who visit. I brought in all the atrocious mugs we have collected at home (it's amazing what I still have from college days) and wrote "Carpet Warehouse" and some additional little dorky saying, like "You break me, you buy me . . and I cost $6,000". I know it 's a small way to help the planet, but I feel like it's something.
   
3. Dogs are better than tears or boobs - It's Wednesday, which means Molly gets to come into work. She sits in the passenger seat of my tiny little Mustang. I was driving on the feeder road when the light turned yellow. I hit the break, but then Molly was flung forward, so I quickly slammed on the accelerator. I made it through the light before it turned completely red, but there was a po-po there and he decided to pull me over. I kindly explained to the officer that I would have absolutely stopped, but my big puppy would have been in perilous danger had I hit the break THAT hard. One look at her and he started cooing and petting her chin - the officer was puddy in her hands. I only got a warning. Thanks Molly! I guess you are slight forgiven for eating cat poo and for being an absolute pain in the butt now that you're actually at work.
   
4. 10 Yassos - This morning I had a very nice run (it was a chilly 65). I did 10.33 miles, with 10 Yassos (the point of Yassos is to do 10 in a row and I've been working up to this for about 6 weeks now) - all were around 5:00 minutes (some were as slow as 5:20, but others were a brisk 4:45). I would be ecstatic if I could run a 5:20 marathon on November 15th. I have a feeling all my bathroom breaks will add significantly to my time, but I'm very happy with my training.
5. Meany on the phone - This morning Barbie and I shared an interesting phone call. Barbie answered the phone and a guy barked, "Tim" - Barbie said, "No, this is Barbie." The guy wanted to speak to one of our Tims (we have three Tim misfits), but she wasn't going to let him get away with a lack of manners. She thought he sounded like a telemarketer or something like that, so she sweetly told the jackass on the phone that Tim was at the other warehouse. The rude guy wanted Barbie to go and get him - I told Barbie not to (she wasn't going to anyway) and she just put him on hold. A couple minutes later she told dipysydoodle that Tim was helping a customer and that he would be a while and would he like to leave a message. He said something rude like, "I know he's there." and demanded to stay on hold. Barbie went to get Tim to make sure that this wasn't an important call (I don't care if this guy needed a kidney, nothing is worth being this rude.) Tim said he had no idea who it was, so Barbie just let the guy stay on hold. I eventually picked up and told the guy that Tim was called away on a delivery. He then told me, "I know he's there, I've been waiting on hold for 10 minutes and now you tell me that he's gone - I know he's there. What kind of Mickey Mouse operation are you running?" I decided not to dignify his rudeness with a response, so I just hung up the phone. Honestly, the nerve of some people.

In other smaller news, we caught another raccoon - I named him Stevie. Molly wanted to play with Stevie, but the feelings were not mutual.

Thirty Second Movie Review - Capitalism: A Love Story

Capitalism: A Love Story

Complete disclosure - I like Michael Moore. This movie is not as focused as his better works (Fahrenheit), but still has some very good moments. I do not necessarily agree with EVERY point he's trying to make (just most of them), but the movie did made me long for a clone of FDR.

Lumpy's Aunts & Uncles

Buttin and I are only children. (Although I do have a wonderful step-brother, three half-brothers and two half-sisters.) Buttin is also an only grandchild on his mother's side of the family. We have a limited number of relatives who live close (Ahemm . . .MIL), but I'm postive that Lumpy will have quite a few adopted family members.

Lumpy will have a wonderful support system of adopted aunts and uncles. Here's how I imagine they'll be:

• Aunt Liz - she'll teach Lumpy valuable life lessons like how to open a bottle of wine and how to cheat at any game. She'll also write Lumpy's application to Stanford. In the application Lumpy will be class president, valedictorian, Peace Corp volunteer, non-profit organization founder and published author. On some special occasions, she might actually sing a song or two for Lumpy.
  
• Uncle Jonathan - he'll be Lumpy's sweetest uncle. He'll be the fun uncle that wants nothing more than for Lumpy to be happy. I see lots of playtime (and good food) with Uncle Jonathan in Lumpy's future.

• Uncle Oliver - he'll be Lumpy's smart-ass, intellectual uncle. He'll have no problem teaching Lumpy how to be sarcastic and question authority. If Lumpy is a boy - I'm sure he'll try to teach him the proper way to attract a woman for any occasion and if Lumpy is a girl - I'm sure he'll teach her how to avoid guys like him.
  

• Uncle Keese - he'll be Lumpy's tough on the exterior, but big huge softy on the inside uncle. I think there will be a bald spot on Lumpy's head from all of the Keese kisses. He'll also be on the Texas Tech recruitment committee.
  

• Uncle Nick - he'll be Lumpy's storytelling uncle. Uncle Nick knows all about Buttin's childhood dreams and will have no problems sharing them. Uncle Nick will also teach Lumpy about Uncle Beckworth (RIP) - the two of them (Nick and Beckworth) shaped Buttin probably as much as his mother, grandmother and grandfather.
  

• Aunt Rhonda - she'll teach Lumpy how to sing the butt crack song, avoid roaches and how not to fear beans (yucky beans). She'll also teach Lumpy to accept and be loving of everyone. (I think she's done a great job on this with her daughter, Cayman.)
  
• Uncle Todd - he'll be another very sweet uncle. He'll teach Lumpy to do all the fix-it stuff that Buttin can't teach Lumpy. Goodness knows, if Lumpy didn't have Uncle Todd in his/her life - Lumpy would barely be able to change a lightbulb.
  

• Uncle Mick - he'll teach Lumpy all about obscure movies, TV shows, books and music. He'll also help out in the smart-ass department.
  
• Aunt Tara - she'll teach Lumpy how to knit and shop for cool furniture. I'm sure she will teach these things equally well no matter if Lumpy is a boy or girl.
  

• Aunt Shannon - she'll be the sweetest (and sweatiest) aunt. She'll also be the one I call whenever Lumpy is hurting (she's a pediatrician). I wish she would freaking move to Austin so she would be closer.
  
• Uncle Cody - he'll be the Texas Tech recruitment committee chair uncle (with Buttin & Uncle Keese as committee members). I'm sure he'll teach Lumpy all about how to lose to Texas and be a good sport.

• Uncle Ben - he'll teach Lumpy all about the deliciousness of screw-top Arkansas wine. Lumpy will also be best friends with Ben and Ann's son, Connor.
• Aunt Ann - she'll teach Lumpy about Dim Sum. Ann also has this wonderful thing about her where she finds joy and laughter in pretty much everything - I hope Lumpy gets this from his/her Aunt Ann.

• Aunt Jen - she'll be like a second Mom to Lumpy. I'm sure Lumpy will have some silly little name for her (I vote for Aunt Winnie) and will probably like her more than me.
  
• Uncle Mark- he'll be the most fun uncle. Uncle Mark will say yes to everything and buy Lumpy every loud and messy toy ever created (mostly to get back at Buttin for all the toys he's bought for Stefan and Jesse).

Lumpy is going to have such a fun life. I already think Lumpy is pretty fortunate to have all these adopted aunts and uncles looking forward to his/her arrival. Thanks in advance to each and every one of you!

Marathon Training - Weekly Update

This Week: 9/28 - 10/3

Total Miles Completed: 33.15

Average Pace: 12: 52

So slow, but I did my first 20 miler! Just like last week's long run, I felt good the first 12, but then my legs and feet started to tighten up. The last 6 miles I would run for about .75 miles, stop and stretch for a minute (really my ankles and insteps), walk for a minute and repeat. I felt just fine when I finished, not really fatigued and mentally good except that I'm worried about my feet. I think next week I'm going to go back to an older pair of shoes (the pair I wore for my last two runs are only about 60 miles broken-in).

Thirty Second Movie Review - Zombieland

Zombieland

Very fun zombie-action, rom-com with lots of fun moments. It got a little slow in parts, but thankfully things would quickly speed up. Perfect Saturday afternoon movie.

Evidence Of A Bad Puppy

In our family, Cartman gets blamed for everything disgusting that happens. His habits of grossness are well-documented and cringe inducing. One of his favorites is eating cat poop.

We keep the litter box in our bathroom (so that guests don't have to deal with it) so Cartman usually enjoys his poopy treat on the towel that we use as a bathmat outside of our shower. On any given morning, there are usually a few bits of cat litter (and sometimes poop nuggets) left on our towel after Cartman has feasted. It a very nice feeling, stepping on cat litter first thing in the morning.

Well a few days ago, we found cat litter on the area rug in our living room. Usually, Cartman doesn't take his food "to go" - he just eats it in the bathroom, but since his disgustingness knows no bounds, I figured this was just the next step in his evolution.

Last night when I got home, I put Cartman up and let Molly inside. I started doing a few things in the kitchen, including putting leftover pizza in the fridge. When I opened the fridge, Molly came running (she always thinks I'm getting her something). This is what she looked like:


Notice the poop, cat litter and snot on her nose. As she came running into the kitchen, she also dropped a bunch of cat litter (from her chin) onto the floor.

Poor Cartman, I blamed him the whole time for the cat litter on the area rug - when obviously it was Molly. I should have known! Molly always brings any food treats that we give her to the living room and eats them on the area rug. I just didn't know that she was also eating cat poop - icky Molly!

Fetus Friday - Week 14

Yippee! Lumpy and I are now officially in the second trimester!

Baby Center says this about Lumpy's development:

Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another.

I wonder if Lumpy can smile yet? All they mention is grimace and frown - that doesn't sound very fun. Maybe Lumpy can only grimace and frown because he/she feels all the gas in my tummy and is uncomfortable.

This week has been the week of gas for me. Thank goodness for Gas-x strips, although they don't work as quickly as I'd like.

In running news Lumpy and I will be attempting our first 20-miler this Saturday (provided the weather cooperates). I hope to have a successful report tomorrow!

I Want My Husband Back

This past week, I've been relatively Buttin-less.

He's been at Fantastic Fest (which I think I've mentioned is like his Christmas). This means that he leaves work everyday about 10:30 AM and gets home around 2:30 AM everyday/night. I've been going to a couple of movies, but even when I see him there - it's not exactly quality time. Alamo Drafthouse frowns upon talking during movies (honestly, they threaten bodily injury during the previews).

Thankfully, Fantastic Fest is wrapping up tonight. I plan to go see two movies with Buttin - one is a secret screening and I REALLY hope it's Where The Wild Things Are (the preview makes me so giddy - I almost cry) and I forget the name of the other one, but it's about vampires (it's all the rage these days). Even though Fantastic Fest is ending tonight, ACL starts tomorrow! I'll be attending about 3 shows tomorrow and then Buttin is on his own the rest of the weekend (I'm supposed to run 20 miles on Saturday!).

This all means that I MIGHT get to spend time with my husband on Monday night, although I'm thinking he'll need about a week to recooperate (sleep) from all this recent activity. Here's hoping I get my husband back sometime around Columbus Day.