A Runner's Personal Safety

I love to run. Truly I do. Many people do not love to run but do so anyway because they think it will make them skinny and sexy. I am not skinny, but I still love to run. Go figure.

I love to run so much that I wake up before 5 am every weekday morning to go for a jog before work. To some, this may sound like insanity. Rest assured, my sanity is fully intact.

Since I was about 15 years old, I have tried to run first thing in the morning at least five days a week. It really helps me to feel accomplished and just good about myself. I grew up in a more urban setting than I am currently living, but never felt that my safety was at risk.

According to Beardface, I had been wrong all along. We had a discussion today about pepper spray and handheld knives for safety purposes, and I expressed that I felt I'd never be able to purposefully hurt someone. Even out of defense.

My husband was very upset with this. This is a matter of safety! he insisted. He worries about me, and would feel better if I'd carry something with me on a run.

Now.

Like I said, I've been running nearly every morning for the past several years, and it has always been just me and the road. And sometimes my i-Pod. But never anything dangerous.

What if I stab myself or spray myself??? What then will I do??

Dilemmas.

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is the greatest American holiday, and no one can convince me otherwise.

Who doesn't love arroz con pollo, chips and salsa, and coronas with lime?

Seriously.

Tonight

It was a great night tonight, but now I'm exhausted. It's great to know that I have girls I can rely on, put my trust in, and will help me to become a better person right here in town. :-)

But I'm exhausted. For now, it's bedtime.

Gnight!

Guys' Night

I'm learning that sometimes in order to be a good wife, I have to just let loose and not care about what goes. I just need to let my husband do the things he wants to do. Other times, it's more appropriate for me to do with him what he really enjoys.

Tonight is one of those nights.

Although I am not the biggest fan of science fiction movies, tonight we are watching Star Wars: A New Hope. Apparently this as necessary to my existence as a human being. I have watched and enjoyed Episodes 1 through 3, but Beardface insists that Episodes 4 through 6 surpass the more recent Star Wars movies in all aspects.

So over pizza bagels and broccoli with cheese dip (clearly a compromise meal) I sit in my husband's arms and enjoy Harrison Ford in his finest 2 hours. I will admit, I am enjoying this, most especially because Jabba the Hut is a great imitation of Vito Corleone from the Godfather Movies.

In other news, and good news at that, we will be moving in July! Beardface and I got accepted to rent a small house near my alma mater on the other side of town. I'm so excited to have 2 whole bedrooms and a much bigger kitchen, plus a sun room and a front and back yard. It isn't much lawn, but it's enough for me to plant a few things and enjoy laying on the front lawn watching stars. I can't wait!

Soup Revelations

What do you think of when you think of pea soup?

So many people remember the scene in the movie The Exorcist when the young girl, while possessed, spews pea soup all over a couple of priests and her mother. Her head is spinning while green mush is shooting from her mouth, and it is quite possibly one of the most disturbing scenes in movie history.

I, on the other hand, have a different disturbing reference for pea soup. When I was younger, my father would sometimes make pea soup for dinner. And not just pea soup; ham and pea soup. Now, my father is very old world Italian, so putting some chunks of cooked ham into his soup wasn't enough. He had to purchase some shank of pig with the bone in it and boil it with his pea soup. Imagine for me, please, a green, mushy liquid with a pig's leg bone floating in it. Gross, right? Yea, I never touched the stuff.

Well, unbeknown to me, Beardface actually likes pea soup. Strange, I thought, for a man who isn't so big on veggies, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

I bought some dried split peas and followed a good old AB recipe (AB is my affectionate term for the Food Network chef Alton Brown). Honestly, it turned out delicous. Albeit gross to look at in the bowl, this soup was pretty darn tasty! It had a little bit of kick to it with curry powder and things.

My life, now has been changed. Pea soup is a friend in my kitchen, and in my belly. :-)

Learning to Listen to God in Strange Places

There is something that I've learned about myself that has taken me ages to come to terms with:

I have a hard time relaxing.

No matter how tired or sick or injured I may be, I always find myself itching to go on a run, cook something, clean something, or just be productive in general. It really is nearly impossible for me to just sit down and take a break.

Don't get me wrong; if I need to take a nap, I do. About once every few weeks or so I'll come home and pass out for about an hour. But I'll still spring out of bed like a kangaroo once I'm awake, looking for things to do.

So why am I talking about this now?

Yesterday I had to go to an eye exam for work to test how much laser exposure I've had. (For the record, I could have told them none). Part of this exam included taking a photograph of my macula, or the back of my eye, and in order to do this properly my eyes had to be dilated.

I thought nothing of it when the technician put drops in my eyes and directed me back to the waiting room for about 15 minutes to let the drops work. I picked up the book I had with me and began reading. Within 3 minutes, my vision began to blur. Within 5 minutes I was putting on and taking off my glasses to check my vision.

When I went back in to see the optometrist I asked her about the quick and noticeable change in my vision. She assured me that it was perfectly normal. Then, get this she said:

"It forces us to take a break."

Did I heed this advice? Absolutely not. I went home, with very little vision, to finish some laundry, do dishes, and clean up in general. Then within an hour or so I was heading to the gym. I went to bed last night just completely worn out and exhausted.

I paid for it mostly today, though. I worked a short day this morning and still found myself nodding off while reading my training manuals. I didn't realize it until later, but whether she knew it or not, that particular optometrist gave me some great advice, and I'd like to think she was the voice of God for me yesterday.

Working diligently is great most of the time, but I need to rest up sometimes. I have to keep this in mind.

Forgetfulness and Busy Lives

I have to apologize for not updating this in so long.

Married life can be busy, especially when your in-laws live down the street from you.

To give you a recap of the last several weeks that you all missed out on:

Beardface and I made a trip up to NJ for my sister's wedding reception. It was a beautiful party, she looked beautiful, and her husband actually wore a tie (a grand feat for a man with his casual style of dress). This particular trip was not without snide comments from my mother, of course, but I was lucky. My mom's sister came up from Florida for the occasion, and as able to "tame" my mother, so to speak.

I have decided to register for a 10K nearby in June. I've already started training for it by running 3 miles every morning, plus another 3+ in the afternoon and strength training twice a week. I've changed my eating habits a bit and hope to lose some weight because of all this. It is MUCH easier to run fast when you are lighter. Plus it kills two birds with one stone on my goals list.

Finally, I'll be updating this daily. I intend to make it a regular part of my routine so I don't forget to do it. Check back for amusing updates!