First Fall weekend

First of all, please accept my apologies if this post sounds like I'm rambling. I haven't been feeling too well this weekend.

Fortunately, I got to sleep late this morning.  This morning we all got up with intentions of going to Home Depot to make a Rescue Helicopter, but I got there too late and they had already put everything away. My girls were a bit disappointed but the customer service rep gave them each a balloon to help them smile. Next weekend we'll head to Lowe's to build a Monster Machine and I'll make it on time!

After our HD visit, we headed over to the local antique district to look at the sights and people watch. It was certainly a gorgeous day to do that. My girls rode a couple of the little kiddie rides and then we treated ourselved to our first ever gelato. The Teen had a "tie - dye" flavor with blue raspberry, lemon, and lime all mixed together. Roo had just blue raspberry that turned her lips, teeth, and tongue bright blue. Birdie had Lemon and declared that it tasted just like lemonade! I stuck with strawberry. It was very good! I was really surprised at the texture. I guess I was expecting a sherbet type feel or taste but I think it was more like soft serve mixed with sherbet. But that's still not quite it.

Anyway, it was a great way to spend the day with the kids and avoid doing any mundane household tasks .... though my house is sorely in need of it. Maybe I'll do some chores on Monday.....IF I can talk myself into it.

On Sunday, we got up and went to church where I ALMOST missed my cue to play for the benediction/invitation (How embarrassing! The MD gave me the stinky eye!). Following that, I chauffered my older kids to visit their grandma (from my previous marriage). She's 82, has been ill and is now at home on hospice care. After that visit, I took DD and Monkey home and then came to my own home where I popped a movie in the tube for the girls. The Teen agreed to keep an eye on the girls for me while I indulged in a short cat nap for some headache relief.

FOUR HOURS LATER I woke up to discover they had watched ANOTHER movie and were finally hungry for dinner. I KNEW I shoulda put that chicken chili in the crockpot! Oh well, thank goodness it was already cooked and I had the microwave available to get it good and hot. It just didn't quite taste like it had stewed in it's seasonings long enough though. Bottom line is, the girls got fed. If only I had planned ahead, the Teen could've had it hot and ready to serve when I woke up! That sure woulda been nice. :D

After dinner, I directed the girls to prepare for bed, at which point Birdie requested rag curls for a curly ponytail tomorrow for school. After their baths, I sat down to comb out her hair and proceed with the rag curls. Forty five minutes after that began, she was finally ready for bed. That child has way too much hair! ..... but I don't want to get it cut ..... yet. (still thinking about it though).

NOW, I sit here at the computer, in the beginning stages of planning The Teens's Eagle Scout COH ceremony. I'm looking up ideas on the internet and brainstorming. I asked him this morning what he had in mind for it and he replied, "I'd rather not do anything. Especially if I have to make a speech." Well, I don't think that will be an option. I briefly spoke with another Eagle mom yesterday who told me that she won't be able to plan anything until next summer even though her son has met all requirements. Summer seems so far away, but I guess for a nice ceremony to go off without a hitch, 8 or 9 months of planning will be needed.

Do any of my readers have Eagle experience and could you give me some pointers?  And now I sign off to briefly browse for ideas, get the girl's school uniforms laid out, decide what to offer for breakfast, read a chapter or two of my Bible (or have it read to me via my Bible narration app), and hopefully doze off to begin again tomorrow. When I get to heaven, one of the first questions on my list for God will be, "Why not create 8 arms for the woman and 48 hours in a day?"

Crescent City Classic 2011 - I DID IT!!!

I DID IT! I participated in the Crescent City Classic 10K walk/run for the first time ever! My brother had been harrassing me for the past few years to share this experience with him. He had run it several times before. So, this year, I caved...I gave in and agreed to do this with him.
On Saturday morning I woke up early (5 a.m.) to hitch a ride with my sister who was supposed to be picking up myself and my step mom. At 5:30 she still hadn't arrived and I was beginning to think she'd forgotten me. So, I called her cell phone which she sleepily answered right away. She apparently had overslept and was quite upset with herself.

At 6 a.m. she FINALLY arrived and we were on our way. The plan was to meet my brother and then ride down to New Orleans with him. We got to N.O. at apx 8 a.m. The race was to start at 8:30. After parking, we huffed and puffed (endured a brisk walk for 1/2 a mile) our way through the 85% humidity to get to the start line.

We were there just long enough for a quick picture before the US Marine Color Guard posted the colors and fired the cannon signaling that the race was now on.

I began walking and promptly was bombarded from behind by many runner all itching to get first place or at least make better time than they did last year. It was unreal!! At a quarter mile, I saw my sister standing on the sidewalk patiently waiting for me to catch up to her. (She walks really fast! Either that or her legs are longer than mine.) She went on ahead and I started walking faster trying to keep up. Then it dawned on me that this was a 10K (6.2 miles) race. There was no way I could walk at that pace for that distance. So, I just decided to plug in my MP3 player with my Couch to 5K tunes on it (complete with a walk/run prompt). I figured I'd be better off by tuning out everthing around me as I attempted this first time feat.

Another quarter mile (and my 2nd 60 second run), I saw my sister again standing on the sidewalk. As I jogged past, I told her to "Jump in!" .... which she did. She took three steps and made a face plant right there on Poydras Avenue, badly injuring both of her knees. A lady stopped mid jog to help me and my sister hobble to the side of the road while the sea of athletes all passed us by.

We were only a few steps away from a police officer who offered to contact EMS, but stated that they could take a while getting to us. Sis decided that it wasn't an emergency, she just needed a first aid kit and a few moments to regather herself and then she would continue on. Would you believe this police officer did NOT have a first aid kit!? A kindly restaurant manager who was standing by watching the runners, entered his restaurant and returned with a dry towel, wet towel, ice packs, and bandaids in order to help patch up my sister. She then told me she was fine and waved me off to continue the endeavor alone. She said she'd catch up later.

And so I go, putting my earphones in once again to pick up where I left off. I kept running/walking along the way, in as much shade as I could find and was surprised .... I mean, REALLY SURPRISED! to find myself a short time later looking at the 5K mark painted on the pavement. I thought to myself, "I DID IT! And I feel REALLY good!!! This ain't so bad after all!" followed by, "Oh wait a minute. This is a 10K - I'm only halfway there!".

My sister did catch up to me a short time later and we spent the rest of the race fighting my "Defeatist Attitude" (as my brother called it). Two and a half hours later, I finished the Crescent City Classic! I was weak from having no breakfast and my feet (especially the top of my left foot) was killing me to the point that I was limping.

I'm pretty sure my stride was off a bit so that was why my foot hurt. I have been inspired, though, to get back to my Couch to 5K interval training program and then move on to the Bridge to 10K training program. I plan to RUN the 10K next year and shave off 1.5 hours! Meanwhile, I relish the fact that I DID IT!!!

Here I stand at the Crescent City Classic finish line with my time posted above my head.  I know, it's not a flattering picture but then again, who looks pretty immediately after a 6.2 mile run?