my one faithful blog reader :)
well, maybe not, but he wondered aloud what was up.
yes, i've been absent. apparently running is all i seem to talk about when i want to write.
or dying dogs.
(ps i still miss her like mad. she was incredible. she *was* my dog. quinn is SO mark's dog. which is great for those two...)
anywho. none of those topics are timely right now...
quinn is healthy as a horse (well he's going to need a serious dental cleaning once that tax refund comes through...) and still loveable but still hates the floors without carpet (scaaaaary slippery!) and still has a head full of white noise i think. he *is* different without his sis around. which we try to compensate for by snuggling on the couch more. (um, can we say retired?) but we're staying at a 1 dog house for now...
running is in Super Taper. that could be the newest marvel member.
i am running. just not much in terms of mileage. which is okay. i did finally sign up for chicago's marathon. it's on october 10th.
for those at home, that date would be 10-10-10. like the 07-07-07 3 years ago when every engaged couple felt they should marry. (and also on that july date a set of rockin' friends gave up the 'what you should do' and went for their dream of being your own boss. their
little venture took flight on 07-07-07 as well. so this year, 10-10-10 just seems to be the date i should do my one marathon. back in the sweet home chicago way. (oh, i can almost taste the chicago dog and cheese fries now...)
other than that, i've been snowshoeing around the area when i can, and last weekend learned to cross country ski for the very first time. not sure why it took 36 years to learn, but i loved it and now covet my own skis and want to find trails near and far in the woods to explore...
swimming. that's up next. lessons start at the end of march. (have to register but that's the plan). taking them with a friend at a local pool...and this past weekend, i worked out with 2 friends at different gym location and did an hour in the pool. the deep end. running. (i had a belt on that kept me afloat). but still. running?? in water where you can't touch for almost an hour? solid core/ab workout. i feel it today.
summer 2010 is looking big.
2 Ragnar relays (200 miles, 12 runners, 2 vans of 6, handing off the slap bracelet). one in the wasatch back mountains near salt lake city, and one on the mississippi river side of wisconsin that ends at boom island in mpls. Ragnar = an amazing 30 hours or so. it's crazy. it's tiring. and it's 1000% a blast. i wouldn't have any reason to lie. one of those 'it takes one to know one' situations...
oh, also? directing (with help from 2 other awesome librarians) my first 5K walk/run on may 22, 2010. if you're local, i'd name my first born after you if you took part...all of those who take part get to see the new library FIRST. and of course there's a free t-shirt. jerry says you do races for the free t-shirt. and to support your local library. and it's kids reading garden.
follow this yellow brick road if you can actually be there that day.
opening the big huge awesome sparkling jewel of a library on july 10. soft opening a few weeks prior.
and hopefully traveling out to the canadian rockies with my beloved (it's that or a possible back up plan) for a 10 day road/camping trip. we have never had such an adventure, so i'm extremely excited about the possibilities and the pictures i've been finding online...
up next? almost imminently, i'm heading to the north shore in 5 days for 3 nights (with mark and 2 other awesome friends), and then coming home for 3 nights, before driving *back* up with david. i haven't been to the shoreland in 8 months. for me? that's EONS. it's time. and the woods & lake are just as phenomenal in winter as in summer. the bonus? a fraction of the people up there. BLISS i tell you. i'll share my wilderness, but the idiots who are disrespectful and loud with mother nature do nothing but irk me. so having a peaceful quiet but awesome setting to almost myself and my loved ones? it can't be the weekends soon enough!
thanks to ally & her tri-man and his beautiful red dog i still haven't met for taking care of our remaining critters...they make leaving town be okay. we love that trust.
david? you rock. have a fantastic day. and thank you for really 'getting it'. there are few that do the way you do...
happy end to the month. pictures to come in a few weeks...
