Happy New Year!!! (a bit early)

Good evening everyone! I haven't disappeared.... just BUSY! Life has been interesting, happier, busier and more awe inspiring this week in particular - so just haven't had time to sit down and collect my thoughts for an ever thrilling blog post for all of you to read.

Interesting...
Apparently I do have an audience... on this blog! I love it! I'm not sure why you all stay and read a while as I take you through the tumults of my life, but it's great to have the feedback that you are catching up with me when you check in here. For those of you who pop in and out.... welcome to you as well and just know that there will be some days you need to take me with a grain of salt... that goes for all of you.

A special note to my cousin Tori.... you are an absolute sweetheart and made my day with your email message via Facebook! I will get around to writing back and yes, we will definitely get together when you get home from Spain.

Happier...
1. My Molly and Nate called me on Christmas Eve... I'm not sure who put the thought in their heads to do so, but I'm forever grateful for it as it absolutely made my day and year for that matter. I've never had a more golden 35 minutes and 27 seconds. And I'm not overexaggerating.....
2. I had a date last night - his name is Andy, he's a single father and we just hung out at his place and had pizza and chatted about all the similarities we've had in our lives in the last couple years. He was nice enough to tell me that I shouldn't worry.... I'm just in my transition phase as we discussed the end of my relationship and impending finalization of my divorce. He is a doting and loving dad - one that other men would really do themselves a favor in emulating. Has his life together, a decent job, a nice apartment, lots of great stories to tell about his playing in a REAL band as a guitar player and I hope to count him among my friends for many years to come.
3. My best present this holiday season was a quote from my best friend, Jim, as we were chatting a few nights ago online... we got to a point where we mentioned Sam and he said something to the effect that Sam was an idiot... because he had let me go. I might be taking liberty with that term "idiot" but that's basically the idea... and while many people have said similar things to me - I think this is the first time it really hit home and felt like the truth - not just something that is said to make a person feel better.

Busier...
1. The woman in charge of a knitting group I belong to has told me that they want me to come back to the group and were worried that I had moved far away.... ha, if only she knew. She said that there's nothing better than a group of women to get you through the tough times - even if I'm the only Crocheter in the group of knitters!
2. WORK - has had it's slow days, but I'm really enjoying it - even the women who are snotty about my phone calls to them to let them know what fees are due for their appointments. The really sweet patients all make up for those few that aren't so sweet. And you wouldn't believe how much the stress level has decreased in that clinic since certain staffing changes have been made.
3. Running... and researching. I've been doing a lot of reading on different training methods to get me off this plateau I'm on with my running. It's been very frustrating lately, but I'm forming realistic goals to work towards and I actually enjoy it, so I hope I can get over this lack of improvement soon by making a few tweaks to my running routine. Now, if only I could keep my running pants from falling down.... we'd be set.

Awe Inspiring...
I've probably mentioned it before in another post here, but while some people would be driven nuts by the fact that you can drive to and from work - an hour each way - in the dark for the better part of a month during the Wisconsin winters..... I'm fortunate in that i witness the most amazing Sunrises I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in my 33 years. And that's saying a lot - I've seen the sun rise and set in Hawaii (Maui and Oahu), Ireland, Paris - France, California, Florida, Washington, D.C., etc...... but these ones - that peek over the rolling moraines of southeastern Wisconsin are lovely, picturesque, breathtaking. There are those who are looking forward to the weekend we will spring ahead again in March for daylight savings time, but I'll be one of the ones sad to see my dark, slowly dawning mornings disappear from my drive if I am still living an hour from work by then. I think each one that I witness lately has been reminding me that there is a new start to a new day taking place and it's within my power to do what I can to make that day a good one.


That's all for now - need to unwind after a long day - work, run, eat, blog! Whew!

Happy New Year to all of you! Be safe! Love each other! Hugs and kisses to you all!

Erin

Experiments with the webcam...

So, I got to talk to my friend Scott who lives in South Korea for about an hour.... and we even got to see each other too! Gotta love webcams! So, I decided to experiment with this webcam a bit and see if I could get a better picture for my facebook profile and so far this is what I came up with....

I normally don't like pics of myself - but this one isn't half bad.... even if you can see the little mark above my eye where my mom's cat got me this evening when he decided to just all of a sudden swat me in the head with his claws.

Well, it's been a busy week - work, baking, shopping - and I'm still not done! Very glad that I have 1/2 day off on the 24th and the entire day off on the 25th and 26th. I could use a break from all the hormonal women.

Good night/good morning to you all (yes, it is 2:30am where I am)...

Erin

Just another Ella picture...

I am enamoured with my niece... she's just too cute! Her mom says that the caption for this picture should be "but I'm tired of decorating for Xmas!"..... but really, it was something more like.... "Mom, take me to see Aunt Da (me) - 'peas?!?!?"To those of you who know her - isn't she starting to look more and more like her mom (Leah)?? I'll have to post an old pic of Leah from when we were younger and believe me - you'll see the resemblance.

Have a good night everyone - and love each other gently, but honestly.

Erin

More pictures....

Instead of the items to be discussed from last night... I'm a bit peeved at blogspot right now due to a glitch that lost the whole long blog post I was going to put here. So instead for your idle amusement, pictures.....

First, my niece, Ella - getting her manicure by mom (Leah). For 20 months.... I think she watches and pays attention to our direction very well - she even knows to blow on her fingers before she can touch them. She's just too cute.

Me, getting into my running clothes after spending most of the day nursing a cold.... but the coach made me feel guilty that I hadn't run.... so there you are - me, under the weather, but trudging through an hour walk/run a couple weekends ago.

And my treat to myself later that same night - a chicken salad sandwich and an apple for dinner along with three of my favorite magazines to page thru as I sat back and watched t.v. Yes, I know I have eclectic tastes and very different hobbies/interests.....

It's time to be thankful....

Some of the things I'm thankful for:

1. My friends who saw me through my darkest days of my split with Sam and those who are out there and still lending me a hand to get through the rest of them.

2. My family - as much as we may all have our differences, I know tonight's dinner will be one of the most entertaining and as odd a way we have of showing it sometimes - we are all there to support one another, even if we don't seem to do it in the most beneficial of ways at first.

3. My stepson - who made my day a couple nights ago when he sat and talked to me for a while about school, his birthday, etc.

4. That while today was a long and sad one, it was a gorgeous day outside and everyone at work was in good spirits. And for Mike and Kristin that opened their home to me and invited me for dinner and entertainment this evening.

5. That I have a great running coach and he doesn't appear to be anywhere near as frustrated with my plateau as I am, but is still giving strict ideas and direction.

6. There is a roof over my head and food to eat.

7. A big soft bed and two dogs that currently are keeping my feet warm.

8. A cat that knows when I need him to cuddle up to me and just let me pet him and stare off into space.

9. Knowing that there is more out there for me to do, see, experience and that I'm going to make a difference in someone's life - either in love or my future career.

10. There's always a chance that I could still win the big Powerball jackpot... anytime now. :D

So, how about all of you - my couple loyal readers - what are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Erin

Happy Birthday Nathan!!!

It's one of my favorite guy's birthday today - Nate! (Or Natey bug as he's affectionately referred to from time to time.)

Assuming that he would be celebrating with his family this evening, I gave him an early birthday call last night and wished him a happy birthday. As he was chatting with me, I found out two very interesting things:
1. Yes, he does feel different now that he is 11. I think he must be one of the first people that actually answered that age old question of "So, now that you're (put in appropriate age here), do you feel any different/older?", in the affirmative. He couldn't tell me exactly what makes him feel different, but just that he does - and he seemed very serious about it.
2. Nate is getting all A's and B's in school - just like he should be because he's as smart as a whip, but I'm thrilled to hear about his great grades.

I miss being the one to make at least one of his birthday cakes for almost every birthday over the last 7 or 8 years.... but he sounds like he had a great time at his birthday party this last weekend too with friends - bowling!

But, on a happier note - November 18th was my 9 year anniversary at work! Seriously a few years ago, I would have said a person would be nuts to think I'd still be working there, but I think I'm finally finding my groove and really enjoying what I do, plus gaining an interest in doing something more in the same area - and going back to school to pursue that interest. I'm seriously considering going back for a Bachelor degree in Biology and going into the lab/research side of healthcare. It appears from one college degree program that I would only need to take about 28-32 credits worth of classes, so I'm just starting to look into the options around this area as I do want/need to stay working full time. But, to truly celebrate my 9th anniversary, I was notified by the parking department (yes, there are that many of us working there) that I'm now eligible to park in one of the parking structures instead of out in the lot in the "back 40". It means I will have only a 3 minute walk into work instead of 10.... which will be really nice this winter. And to top it off, I got my annual eval done today and a glowing review from my boss qualified me for a raise. So, work - is going very well lately. :D

Tomorrow or Thursday... I'll chat about things to be thankful for.... I know - you all just can't wait I'm sure!!! It's always a good thing to keep in mind - during this holiday and throughout the year.

Have a good night everyone - it's a clear, dark night right now here, so makes it perfect for a little stargazing.... there are two planets out tonight - if someone knows what they are - post a comment and your name/address and I'll send you a little prize!

Hug yourselves and hug each other,
Erin

Shhhhh, don't tell my legs, but I'm running...

1. RUNNING: Supposedly I'm "building a bond with my legs"??? What? Aren't they already bonded to me via the physical connection to my torso? Jim - dear, you're just not making sense with that comment.

Yep, I was caught complaining about my lack of running ability tonight.... while chatting with the coach. ;-D Coach says I'm building a bond with my legs (because I was stating that my stride is just very off lately) and that I need to stop thinking about running - I'm thinking about it too much when I run and that is what is throwing my game off this week. Boy, I hope that's all it is... because it's just been plain ugly this week. I'm not even going to embarrass myself by stating what the walking/running ratio has been. Ugly - period.

That being said - my legs are looking pretty good though if I do say so myself. It's almost odd to wake up in the morning and swing my legs over the side of the bed and see these now slightly sculpted thighs and calves where there used to be jiggly flesh before. I like it - I think I'll keep them, thank you.



2. FRIENDS: I'm up to 80 some friends on Facebook.... this actually astounds me a bit as I can say that 90% of them I know rather well and chat with often now that we're all back in touch with each other and I never realized there were so many of them! Now, I'm not as popular as one of my acquaintances - Johnny Waiver (not his real name, long story) - who has over 380 friends and increasing on a daily basis. I'm almost convinced he goes out on the streets of Milwaukee and just asks random people their names and if he can "friend" them on facebook.... but really - he's just a wildly popular guy and has a good job with connections.

Facebook is addictive.... in fact, it's hard for me not to log in right now just to see who might be bombing around on there from my friends list. I've already chatted with Jim tonight, I saw Katie, Joy, Johnny, Scott, Neil, Becky, Jenni, Jeff, Jennifer, Brian, Kristin and Sonya all online this evening too. But, the fun part is when someone out of the blue decides to "friend" you - someone who happened to remember your name (especially now that I've changed back to my maiden name) and recalls that we went to school together or worked together currently or in the past. Just happened to me a couple times in this last week - my friend Chris heard through his brother Jeff that I was wondering how to get hold of him (Jeff was already my friend) and when he mentioned this to Chris, he signed up and we chatted for a while and decided to get together this weekend to catch up on all that has been going on in our lives.... so lunch it is on Saturday. Then, just tonight - another former classmate "friended" me....... it's like having an ongoing surprise party of sorts. I get to even talk to my friend Scott in Korea for free! Beats the crazy phone bills that we would have if we actually called each other as much as we chat online. Kristin, Kathy and Kristin are online - now I just have to work on getting Jodi and Beth to sign up.... so all 6 of us can chat about what night to get together for dinner or plans for our next Dells trip (first weekend in March).



3. Okay, so there are only supposed to be two topics per posting.... but, I just can't help myself that I can help dispell the rumors that we did or did not have snow Monday evening. WE DID GET MEASURABLE SNOW ON MONDAY - NOVEMBER 17th. Picture to prove it.... (new car, covered with snow)

Cars and Running...

So, I've decided that going with the "two cups" part of the title.... I should really try to limit myself to two subjects to comment on with every post... and they will be listed in the title of every post, so you can just peruse the titles to find what you might be most interested in reading my thoughts on.

Cars:
So, I'm walking out of work tonight and as I walk through the first parking lot, there is my old car sitting right where I parked it the last time I came to work. No, "Sweetie Pie" didn't actually return in the metal, but one that looked much like her did - and they parked in the spot I parked when I had to work that one weekend day right before I was due to pick up my new car and drop off my much beloved Subaru Outback. The one sitting before me was blue/tan, same identical rims on the tires, no battle scars like my car had, but the car was from Don Jacobs Subaru in Waukesha and the license plate expired in Jun 2009 (like mine) and the plate number was WKZ - *** (will not reveal entire license number just the part that is like mine). Too weird.... and it was just sitting there - almost like it was calling my name and saying "You know you want to drive me Erin". I'm sure I'll be driving my old Subaru in my dreams tonight now.


Running: I'm going to like running at the Pettit Ice Center very much. Great scenery and I don't even really need to take my MP3 player because they are playing music over the speakers. There is a good sized group of runners who were on the track last night too - not too many to crowd the two lane track, but not too few that you felt like an oddball running around while there are many others doing hockey and speedskating practice at the same time. While I'm very glad to be one of the runners there, there is something absolutely beautiful about the way those speedskaters just fly around the ice. And even though they keep the temp inside the building down in the 40's to keep the ice from melting, while running, you don't notice the temp at all. I think my knees do need to get used to the new running surface a bit, so I'm not going out again until Friday - but then I hope to run there at least 3 times a week.

That's it for tonight - I have a lengthy list of subjects to delve into with all of you (my ever growing group of followers) and I promise to make it more entertaining and interesting as I continue to blog.

Love each other gently....

Erin

Favorite things....

Just a few more of my favorite things...

1. Talking to my stepchildren! :D

2. That Ella has her own name for everyone in the family that is close to their actual name, except for me, which I'll remain "DA" for a while I think. It's cute, I like it at least - even if everyone else is trying to get her to say "Erin" or some form of it. She even knows that the silver car out in front of the house is "Da's car".

3. Leisurely lunches with my girlfriends to discuss our Dells Weekend trip plans for early next year.

4. My MP3 player and my "running" playlist.

5. That song by Jason Moraz that they keep playing on the radio all the time.

6. Chocolate frosted cake doughnuts

7. Elton John's greatest hits

8. Roaming around a bookstore with a little extra money to spend on a couple new books.

9. Bookcrossing meetings

10. Clearing off my desk at work

Kind of a cloudy afternoon today, but at least I have a quiet afternoon at work, running at the Pettit after work and then a Bookcrossing meeting tonight to look forward to. Time for me to buy a new book to read too!

Have a lovely evening everyone, share a hug and a smile!

Erin

Some of my favorite things....

1. A best friend who calls me back after he's just done working out and still would have met me somewhere in Janesville just to hang out for a bit if I had still been there. (Sorry Jim, I'll hang out longer in town next time.)

2. Another best friend who reminds me that we have a craft fair to attend this coming weekend! Let the ideas for our misbegotten/soon to be forgotten craft projects begin!

3. High ceilings and throwing my "getting heavier by the day" niece high up into the air - where I actually let go of her - and catching her again.... only because I'm addicted to her high pitched squeal and then peals of giggles to follow. :D

4. Sunny days that blend into beautiful, sunny evenings without a lot of sun glare to stare into on my way home.

5. Finally knowing that I deserve 1000 times better than Sam treated me.

6. Being happy with myself.

7. Not having had to take any of my 3 prescription medications for the last 3 weeks and it appears that I'm feeling better and better every day!!!

8. Thinking about running a marathon in January 2010!!! (I still can't believe I typed those words, much less spoke them out loud the other day.) Disney Marathon, here I come (if I can get registered in time).

9. Actually looking very much forward to now figuring out how to train over the next 13 months to run a marathon. Running at the Pettit Ice Center run/walk track will definitely help this winter!

10. Birthday dinners! Leah and Alissa's are tonight and I'm so looking forward to dinner with everyone this evening at mom and dad's.

That's it for now, more to come soon!!! It's been a good week, despite the nasty sinus cold I'm trying to work my way through.

Go ahead, smile! It will make you feel so much better!!!

Erin

A most interesting phone call today....

So, I'm just home from work and the phone rings here at the house. Dad answers it and he looks questioningly for a moment at me and then says, no - he's not the former owner of the Subaru, but his daughter owned one and hands the phone to me. Now, the pessimist in me is wondering what is wrong with my old car, although I don't think I'd be held liable for anything involving it anymore.... but who knows these days.

I get on the phone and say hello and this very polite gentleman introduces himself as Mark from Indiana and he informs me that he now owns my "sweetiepie", the blue/tan Subaru Outback and if I didn't mind, he'd like to ask me a few questions about it. I'm a bit stunned that he actually was able to track me down to a phone number since the only land line I've been in possession of hasn't been since my apartment in Franklin - ever since I've been on my cell phone. And.... he tracked me down to my parents' home phone too - which he explained is what I am listed under in the whitepages online. I'm just glad it was a nice guy that tracked me down. So, I said I'd answer any question that I could and he asked me a couple things about any problems I've had with the car and I informed him that her engine was replaced at about 82,000 miles and that I was aware when I traded the car in that the cadalidic converter needed to be replaced. He remarked that the car is actually running very well and asked about a couple common parts and whether or not they had been replaced and when - timing belt, etc. Then he asked if I knew where the back seat headrests or the cargo cover was - and sure enough, I said that shortly after I traded it in, I realized I still had the cargo cover in my bedroom at home and I wasn't sure where the headrests were. He offered to buy the items from me and pay for the shipping of the pieces if I would oblige and send them in the mail. He left me his mailing address and phone numbers and I'm going to check around for the headrests, but I'll look into how to get the cargo cover shipped.

Weird - it was like my car missed me and wanted to call home. Even weirder - it made me misty eyed when I got off the phone. Stupid that I even miss my old car - especially when it seemed to be on the verge of constant breakdown in the last couple weeks and I really am getting used to the new one.

I give you all permission - go out and hug that inanimate object you really love and depend on - a car, a tractor, a desk, etc.

Two planets out tonight and a beautiful moon too!

Goodnight all,
Erin

Halloween!

Well, my sister finally got her wish - for her father-in-law to not be the winner of their annual costume contest again this year. Instead it was time for my brother to pull out the stops (shaved hair and all) and win the contest.

And then there is the rest of us....

I'm missing a picture of Josh, Leah's husband and the father of the turkey above. He was a coach - something on a play of my other future brother-in-law apparently, but I didn't get the connection. My sister's fiance, Keith, came dressed as Josh (believe me, it was a great costume - all the way down to the Vans). Alissa was the physician, Dad was Elmo (to score points with the turkey), Mom was a black cat, Kyle was obviously Mr. T, Leah was Hitler, Ella was a turkey and I was Mother Nature. Was a good party, but I think I had the most fun when I went in the house to babysit Ella and Ryan while the party wound down outside.




Other odds and ends:
1. I probably foolishly replied finally to one of the many messages I've received from different guys on the dating website I've been frequenting. I'm lousy at knowing what to say in response - just hope it was something interesting enough that he would like to meet me sometime. There is a group of 5 of us that are going to go speeddating at some point soon though - coworkers and friends of mine. Although, I've come to find a couple of the odd ones online too - a 50 year old just sent me a message stating that he has been single all his life and realizes that I'm just going through a divorce now, but thinks we'd make a great couple and would like to have a family with me. Yes, he was about that blunt in his message. I have to tell you, this being single thing really opens your eyes to what is out there.... whether it be something you're looking for or not. Weird, just weird......


2. It only took me $30 to fill up my gas tank with it being on fumes..... I don't remember the last time that happened and it wasn't $50 to fill up the tank (and this tank is the same size as the old one).


3. I'm contemplating another race on November 22nd - that way it keeps me out of trouble and from going to the 2008 Women's Expo in Madison, WI. Not positive about the race yet.... i don't really want to catch pneumonia and I'm not sure how often I'll force myself out the door in the near dark now to run after work to keep in shape to do it.


4. Jim has said that he will run a race with me next year - his qualification seems to be that it needs to be about 10 miles or longer..... yikes! But, oddly enough - it sounds very much possible the more I think about it, I'm just worried about working on getting faster now so I don't slow him down too much.


5. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment and entering the nanowrimo again this year - http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and while I'm not sure of the title or where I'm going to find enough time to be on a computer to type it all out in the next month - boy, do I have a lot of material to work with to write a book!!! (Sorry, novel!!!!) Most of it might be written while I'm dogsitting for Lauri during the week of Thanksgiving since my every minute online won't be scrutinized....


Don't you just love a Sunday where there is nothing pressing to do and you have all afternoon to read a book and nap on the couch while football is on t.v. - I do!

Back to the nap..... have a good week everyone if I don't check in before next weekend. Hugs are really good things and need to be shared - so share one today!


Erin

Cars, best friends and my cholesterol level!

Best friends - Okay, first the humor..... this will be Kristin and I in about 37 years from now....
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/what-was-i-thinking-when-i-called-sarah-palin-a-bitch/

Then, the good news! Turns out running is a miracle drug (cured my sciatica) and it has done a far better and faster job at reducing my cholesterol level than even being on medication did for me a couple years ago. I've gone from 238 about 8 months ago to 195 today! (It's recommended to be under 200 for those of you not in the know.) On medication for about 6 months, I barely got my cholesterol to come down a handful of points and now I drop over 40 points by running and changing my diet a bit. :D I knew this running would pay off somehow.... not to mention two people who I haven't seen for a while at work commented today on how great I look (weight loss) and that's always a boost in the self-esteem.

The car - still, more good news here too. I was a bit leary of whether I made a good choice in the vehicle I purchased because I was worried it would limit the number of things I could do because I took my Subaru's capability for granted when I had it. Well, I have to say, I really like the 2007 Silver Chevy Malibu. It's a good size - small enough to feel like I'm not driving a boat, large enough to hold 5 adults very comfortably and not seem overwhelmed by a roof rack installed for the kayak and bikes (not yet, aiming for b-day next spring). The really great part I'm loving right now is that the remote works like a charm from great distances and when I do unlock the car early in the morning, the horn doesn't honk - but the headlights, taillights and reverse lights all come on and I can find my way to the car before the sun is up. It looks so pretty all lit up like that. I am still getting used to the fact that the inside of the car is so lit up also - everything has a light in it - from the cruise control on the steering wheel to the great radio/car info system to the trunk button on the inside of the driver's door. I'm still finding all the nooks and crannies in the car and how best to utilize them - but I do know that I have the two best cupholders ever between the two front seats. And, the car is still spotless after 3 weeks of ownership. Now, I just need to find her a name....... I can't tell you how much less my stress is every day because I don't get in the car and automatically start praying that it just make it down the road one more day - I have a feeling this car and I have a lot of great miles and days ahead. I shouldn't get so mushy about a car.... I'll get pictures up this weekend though - of the car and other things.

I think that's all for tonight.... hold your loved ones tight!

Erin

Race results and halloween costumes...

http://www.onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=9677

I was bib number 1421, which you have to enter in the grid at the bottom of the page.
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Mother Nature it is this year for me as far as a costume goes. Leah gets the credit for finding the perfect gown at goodwill last weekend when we were searching for all kinds of ideas for the whole family. Will try to get pictures and post them.

Erin

The Kids....

I miss them terribly....

I would be happy to have them fighting with each other all weekend long, or to go back in time to when Nate just ran around the McDonalds acting shy the first night I met them, or to have Molly swing her arm around my shoulders (since we're close to the same height) and tell me she wants to talk about girls' stuff. Give me 2 hours some evening just to pick them up from their mom's and I'll take them out to dinner and then to Walmart so Nate can check out the latest games available for the Wii or any of his other game systems and Molly can look at shoes, makeup, etc. Put me back in May when I got to plan for all the stuff we would take with us that last weekend to open up the cottage, put me back in February when I was planning Molly's birthday slumber party and trying to find people who could help me pick up all the kids and handle them all for the weekend if Sam didn't show up. Let me have the chance to take Nate to that pizza place by the Ridge theater for his birthday like he asked me to do. Put me back in my old apartment for just a minute so I can go out in the living room and see two beautiful children that I helped raise, fast asleep on their respective couches with the t.v. still on. I promise I'd never complain about sleeping with Molly in the bed at grandma's and give her a hard time about how many times she almost pushed me out of bed with her wild sleeping habits. Nate riding in the backseat and giving us his best "one liners" that had everyone laughing - the bit about Molly throwing her gum out the window was the best part.... someone said the birds would eat it... and then Nate piped in with "Yeah, and then they'll die." He said it so deadpan, I think I was laughing so hard, tears were coming down my cheeks.

Molly and her wanting me to paint her right hand because she couldn't do it herself with her left hand.

Nate and his belly button that I used to tease him about until it finally did turn into an "innie".

Their beautiful faces, their smiles, their great sense of humor, their temper tantrums, everything from the diapers to giving medicine to taking them to see Candy Cane lane and letting them ride in the back of the Subaru.

My kids.... how I miss them. And how very much I love them. I would do it all over again for them.

Erin

More fun stuff.... and useless information.

Running - I forgot to mention that my time in the race was 15 seconds longer than it should have been.... my shoe came untied shortly after the start of the race and I had to stop to retie. Damn shoe laces.... and I found myself at the store today pondering over 3 different pairs of running shoes because I'm sure I have put so many miles on the first pair (saying that tongue in cheek) that I need another pair to rotate the first pair with.... but I am going to wait and use my dogsitting money over the week of Thanksgiving to get a REAL pair of running shoes.

Clothes - Well, as my mother-in-law can attest to (see Camping below), it was high time that I purchased a new pair of jeans for myself since the ones I had were literally falling off me last weekend. So, a trip to Kohls, and I'm the proud owner of new jeans - size 12, instead of size 14 - and I probably could have gone down to a 10.... but these will probably fit for a while after I wash them a few times. My favorite brand - Levi's, boot cut - one in a lighter blue and one dark blue.

Camping - My mother-in-law is a wonderful woman and I really hope that she and I will always be friends. I remember shortly after first meeting her that I thought she wasn't too impressed with me, but as I got to know her and she got to know me - we really found that we're both very good, hardworking, honest people and that we've got a lot of interests in common as well. One of the main ones being camping or staying at the cottages in Port Washington. She literally made my day when she emailed me a couple weeks back and said "How about we camp on the beach, I'll bring the stove if you bring the tent?" So, plans were made to camp on the beach just north of town near the family cottages and despite the cold weather at night - it was comfortable during the day to where I could put on a pair of shorts on Saturday to walk into town from our campsite. I drove up on Friday evening and in the near dark, we put up my tent and she helped me get my stuff across the creek from my car which I didn't think would clear the rocks in the streambed. She had driven up on Thursday and had brought her tent and rest of the camping gear with her. Over the course of the weekend, I've figured out two great gift ideas for her for her birthday and Christmas. We went out to dinner at Beanies on Friday night and after a couple drinks and some good mexican food, we went back to the tents and snuggled in for the night to read and to get some much needed sleep. I personally have to find the camping pads I have.... I bought a makeshift one and it sucked! I think I would have been more comfortable sleeping in the sand if it wasn't so cold. I was just glad I brought enough clothes and a good sleeping bag to sleep in layers and stay very nice and warm. Then Saturday morning came and my tent was pink with the glow of the gorgeous sunrise, which I peeked at from a slit in one of the tent windows and crawled back into the sleeping bag for another hour. After we were both up and dressed we got going on our walk into town - I would estimate it was about 3 miles one direction - and went to the farmer's market and then visited with Linda's friend Carolyn and made plans to come back and have dinner with her that evening. We walked back and chatted the whole way back to the tents. I changed clothes for the cooler evening temps and brought a bag of shower items with me as Linda assured me that I could wash my hair at Carolyn's instead of waiting for the water to heat on the stove to do a bucket bath. Well, she was right - not only did I get to wash my hair, but I did so in one of the most beautiful bathrooms I've ever seen. It had to be the size of the kids' bedroom in my old apartment - maybe bigger! After I was cleaned up, we went to eat at Newport Shores and visited for a while after dinner before Linda and I drove back to the beach. We retired to our respective tents for the night as it was pitch black out and I stayed up for a while and read. Apparently sometime while I was reading, Linda got up to go to the biffy (outhouse) and she said with the crazy wind that stirred up and the light from my lantern inside the tent, it looked like a living, breathing entity. That is something I should have gotten a picture of - that and the second beautiful sunrise the next morning. There is something about the smell of the air at the cottages and on the beach that I would know with my eyes closed and it smells and feels like home. I miss it already. On Sunday, again the sunrise woke me up - how can it not when it fills your tent with this honey pink glow and it seems like the beach, the lake, the cottages even have been holding their breath and then collectively sigh when the sun starts to peek over the horizon and begin to send rays of warmth over everything - even if the wind is still gusting to 25 mph. Linda and I ate a late breakfast of cappuccino, chocolate zucchini bread and an avocado. I love it when other people don't mind just eating something simple and easy for a light meal. My tent blew over at approximately 11:30am - while Linda and I were sitting on the deck of the cottage and just relaxing. We both ran down to the tent and saw that the wind had just finally won the war with my tent stakes and pulled three of them straight out of the sand! Linda suggested that I get different tent stakes for the next time we go camping there. She held the tent down while I climbed in and quickly packed up all my sleeping gear and clothes and got everything out so we could just take the tent down. Then after thinking about it a bit, we decided to pack up Linda's stuff and get her tent down also. We hung out for a bit to make sure we left the place the way we found it and headed out around 1:30pm. It was such a nice break for me from the usual and so very nice to have Linda to talk to that it was hard to leave. My mother-in-law paid me the greatest compliment I've ever received in my life and I'm forever greatful to her for the kind words - whether they be just something to make me feel better or if she felt it was the god's honest truth, either way - I'm going to keep her words close to my heart to help me get through all the tough days to come and for all the better days that will follow. Even her friend Carolyn made sure to give me her work and home phone numbers in case I ever wanted to come up to Port Washington to visit or meet her after work some night for a drink and to talk. The camping trip really helped a lot for me emotionally, it's too bad that my good vibe had to be ruined recently, but I'm sure I'll get in that mode again. I hope I'll be able to take Molly and Nate for a day of a weekend and go to Mazomanie closer to Linda's birthday and maybe all of us can celebrate her birthday with a cake, a gift and another good visit. The only problem with the camping trip? I didn't take any pictures!!!! Oh, and in reference to my mother-in-law commenting about my pants falling off me, she noticed this especially when I was trying to get all the camping gear back into her truck at the end of the weekend and nicely commented that I was going to lose my britches. That's what I get for forgetting to bring a belt.

I think that's it for now.... after all the talk about getting myself settled in for the night to read the running magazines, I took a long hot bath instead and then promptly fell asleep in the recliner while waiting for Saturday Night Live to come on. So, offline I go and time for reading for the rest of the evening. :D

Have a good night everyone. Love the one you're with. <3

Erin

Things of interest or new experiences....

Just some interesting things of note that have happened to me or I've done/seen in the last week or so...

1. Downtown Milwaukee and driving - I need to do some random driving around down there to get more familiar with it.... there's so much to do there!

2. Lakefront Brewery - dinner with a couple bookcrossing friends (Amy and Joann) Friday night. You are seated at tables with strangers - to fill the tables. Actually pretty cool and the restaurant is a renovated warehouse building with a good fish fry and live polka music.

3. Miller Park - Thursday night on my way home from picking up my race packet it had the most beautiful blue glow coming from inside the stadium and the roof was closed, so it resembled an odd shaped globe. Almost an eeerie effect - fitting for this time of year.

4. Runners are extremely friendly and helpful people. At my recent race (today), I chatted with a couple guys who were also running this race for the first time and were signed up for the 5K, I met the runner #1 (on his bib), #32, and #64 - as we were the first ones to register this morning and the three of them all said hello and made small talk with me as they joked with each other about which of them would win the race that morning (they were doing the 15K event) - none of them were in the top 10.

5. ELLA - she went to bed with small leg weights on one night (yes, seriously) - I think Leah and I had had very long days to not have noticed....

6. Letterboxing on Halloween! Rumor has it that there is a box being planted that day for interested letterboxing fanatics to find that evening and I'm definitely doing this (with Amy and Joann and others).

7. Milwaukee and it's architecture - I never realized it before today when I walked back to my car at the starting line - from the finish line. Definitely going to have to do a few walking tours around the city.

8. Halloween costumes - I'm on the hunt for a halloween costume idea.... if there are any suggestions, let me know!

9. Michigan Street Diner - I walked past there this morning on the way back to my car. Need to stop there and have breakfast in that cozy little place sometime soon.

10. Raspberry filling stuffed donut holes - Oh my god, I've died and gone to heaven. Sentry grocery store on 68th and State!

11. Fiddlesticks restaurant - Not only the best "stuffed" french toast, but also the best warm, homemade donuts.

(Can you tell, I was hungry this morning after my race and all I could think about was food...)

12. Lakefront Discovery 15K/5K Run - definitely one I'll be doing again next year. Yep, it was cold, but fun!

13. Mitchell's Fish Market in Brookfield, WI - the absolute BEST Key Lime pie in the world!

14. Appaloosa - Good western movie with Viggo Mortensen.

15. Budget Movie theater - Hwy. 100 and Layton Ave. - get in there for the $2.00 movies while it lasts!

16. 160 - the number of pounds I weigh. I was worried a bit when the weight stopped coming off, but I've adjusted my diet again and I'm on my way down - with the occasional plateau as I add more and more lean muscle. I'm fitting into Medium running pants - no more Larges for me!

Many more to come.... next week is a very full week on the calendar!

Always reach for the hand of the one you love and hold it like you'll never let go. Have a great evening all! Time to turn up the heat, get a blanket, find my favorite spot on the couch and read running magazines, eat mediocre Mac & Cheese (I never did make it as good as someone else) and watch Saturday Night Live - who doesn't love the Sarah Palin routine by Tina Fey?!?!?!

Erin

Oh, thank goodness I'm back on....

Thank goodness I'm turning into a computer geek in my spare time - just fixed the folks' computer issue with connecting to the internet - has been down the last two days - therefore, my complete and utter silence.... that and I'm crazy busy at work.

I'm also a bit addicted to Facebook lately - it's too much fun to have 70 some friends and relatives online with you all at once - and even more fun to chat with about 5 of them at the same time and try to keep track of each individual conversation. I also have a "farm" on there and you have to check in on a daily or semi-daily basis to plant or harvest your crops.... I find the planning of where the crops go, when to plant, harvesting - all to be very interesting - even if it's a somewhat elementary "game" to play.

And finally - running..... I finished another race today - a 5K (3.1 miles) in 38 minutes. I've shaved one minute per mile off my time and I actually ran the majority of it with only 4 minutes of walking because of a terrible gut ache right in the middle of the race. Guess I'll know better next time not to drink a bottle of chocolate milk right before running. The really good thing was I stayed with about 6 people for the length of the race (caught back up to them after I walked) and I really think that is what helped me keep running and not think about stopping to walk. I can't wait for the next race.... when exactly, I'm not sure, but maybe one more in a couple weeks? I'm addicted.... I went and bought more running clothes this afternoon and now I'm getting ready to settle in for the evening with all of the Runner's World magazines from 2007 that I'm borrowing from Jim. :D

I'm probably going to post more stuff today too - I've realized my social calendar is getting jam packed and I wanted to share some of the fun stuff there is to do between Elkhorn and Milwaukee and what I've observed also in the last week or so.

Big high-fives to you all (if anyone but me and maybe two friends ever read this...),
Erin

Proof that I actually did run in the race...

The following are directions to see my pictures from the Briggs and Al's Run/Walk event back in September.


Here is the link.... www.alsrun.com

1. Start on the Home Page of Briggs and Al's Run and click on the link for race photos.... (under race results link)
2. In the box for "Any Part of Race or Event name" - type in the word Briggs
3. Select the Briggs & Al's Run and Walk for Childrens Hospital
4. You can search for pics by using my bib number: 4306

Now, to run when I get home tonight, a long walk tomorrow after work and another run on Thursday evening.

That's it for now....

Erin

Guilty pleasures...

Everyone has a guilty pleasure or two that they partake of from time to time. I got the chance to enjoy two of my favorite ones tonight.

1. Cereal for dinner - Berry Capt'n Crunch is the choice this evening.
2. Anything to do with Val Kilmer - he is the voice of Kitt on the new Knight Rider show.

Hey, I love Val Kilmer - so sue me. He plays Doc Holliday in Tombstone - mmmmm, yummy!
And I'm definitely deserving of a few minutes of mindless pleasure as it's been a long, hard day.

So gang, love the people you are with - we never know when they won't be around to love anymore. Hugs and kisses to you all. To my special someone - know that I miss you and watch the stars at night thinking of you.

Erin

P.S. Don't put off to tomorrow what you can and should do today.

Just pictures...

I think somewhere my mom got a decent picture of my Irish cousin, Lorraine, and I at another cousin's wedding.... they had an amazing Pinot Grigio being served (yes, I'm the lush.... lol!).

Otherwise, not much excitement - just got home from spending the day with Jim, Dave, Rosalyn and the kids - Josie and Cora. Unfortunately, I left my camera in the car... :( Beautiful day to be at Blue Mounds State Park with them (Dave, Rosalyn and kids were camping - Jim and I drove up). Funny how I've heard so much about this park from my mother-in-law, husband, stepkids - but had never been there with any of them in the last 9 years. We climbed both watchtowers and did some hiking, had lunch and played with the kids - a nearly perfect day.

I did purchase a newer car yesterday - a 2007 Chevy Malibu. It is nice and I hope it can last me about four years when I think I'll upgrade again to something a bit more like an SUV again - or another Subaru as I already miss mine - only for sentimental reasons as it was really falling apart faster than I could fix it.

And finally, more dogsitting this week - Tuesday PM thru Friday AM (only 3 4:30am walks!) and then straight to camping after that with my mother-in-law for the weekend on the beach of Lake Michigan just north of Port Washington. Even though I am expecting cold nights - I can't wait to go and feel like I'm at "home" again. I will definitely be taking pictures and posting them.

That's it for tonight - a bit of a headache, so I'm going to take a couple ibruprofen, drink my Fresca and sit down to watch football and read through the Runner's World magazines Jim just lent me. :D You should all know the drill by now - lean over, hug and smooch that special person next to you and tell them you love them!

Have a great night and day,

Erin

Rain, rain, go away...

Blech! Rain..... no, this isn't the kind where you just want to dance around in the warm rain doing an imitation of Gene Kelly. It's not the kind that is mentioned in many love songs, stories, etc. where you and your significant other just climb further under the covers and snuggle in for the night. It's not even the kind mentioned in the really good, spooky stories by various macbre authors....

This rain folks is the precursor for more cold, rainy days in a typical Wisconsin autumn, one that has moisture that seeps into everything and everywhere, one that just falls straight down in a slow, steady drop, it's color is gray, it only has one tone no matter what it falls on, it splashes and makes mud puddles, it keeps people from being motivated to do anything but just shrug and close the door and stay inside for the remainder of the day when you have so many other important things to do.

Come on already - give me a good roll of thunder, a lightning bolt that streaks out of nowhere and makes you watch the t.v. to see if there is an actual thunderstorm warning in effect for the next couple hours. There is no pitter patter of drops on the roof, there are no pretty droplets hanging on blades of grass.

Everything is just wet, cold, bleak, quiet, drenched. No sun peeking through the clouds, just overcast as far as the eye can see. And it doesn't seem to want to stop, it covers everything and fills everything so that you would have a hard time finding a single spot that remains out of it's reach, beyond it's influence. Rain, rain, go away....

Dogsitting...

It's that time of year again where I start dogsitting for my boss when she leaves town for a conference or vacation or this weekend - just to visit her nieces. It's a good weekend for it, I can get online for a while to update this blog, get some really good running in, keep track of Jim's marathon split times as he's running along and some fun in the Milwaukee area.

Okay, so I still haven't scored a ticket to either of the games this weekend for the Brewers, but there's hope. If the tickets don't happen, then maybe a little letterboxing with a friend after I take in some good music at Cathedral Square Park tomorrow during one of their last Farmer's Markets, a little lake glass hunting perhaps if it's warm enough, walking the dogs, getting a run in, etc. I was dreading being alone, but I need the break too at the same.

Maybe the music in Cathedral Square Park will lead to finding out about more interesting things going on downtown too that day.... :D

Later folks - have a good night - I'm off to dance class, then home to pack for the dogsitting weekend that starts tomorrow thru Monday.

Erin

Ice Skating in September....

I'm going to have to let the kids choose what activity we do more often. We got to spend some much needed time together this morning/afternoon and their choice today was to go ice skating at the Pettit Center in Milwaukee, WI. It was a blast and I can finally tell I'm in shape because nothing hurts - not my back, legs, shins, feet - nothing! So, here are some pics from today....

First, proof that both kids and I spent time actually ON the ice....


The Servais-Grohall family joined us.... and I'm glad that the kids are all friends... makes everything much more fun!!!

Now, I just have to wait to see them again. (Yes, I was driving while taking the picture in the car of the three of us...) :D




OTHER NEWS TO NOTE: The BREWERS won the wildcard spot!!! I would have really liked to be at Miller Park to see the chaos ensue on the field after they won their game against the Cubs and once they knew that the Mets had lost their game. I'm sure it was quite the experience as I listened to it on the radio after I dropped off Molly and Nate. I was so happy for the team that I almost cried.... although lately I cry at everything.


I'm back to the races tomorrow - literally.... going to try to best my 19 minute time in a 1.5 mile run. :D It's weird to actually look forward to that on a daily basis, but it's actually one of the only things that has given me some kind of piece of mind and escape from the rest of what life has thrown at me.


The kids humored me this afternoon and we went through a car lot today - there is a dark blue Hyndai Santa Fe that really caught my eye and I'm very seriously thinking about going back to that dealership tomorrow after work to see what we could work out on a trade-in of my car and final price on the Santa Fe.


Apartment hunting has been shitty. Saw one apartment with some possiblility yesterday and will have to talk it over with my future roommate....? Just an FYI - I'm one that goes with my gut a lot of the time and none of these apartments have given me that good, gut feeling.... and I'm thinking maybe I need to just let her find her own place and I'll stay in Elkhorn for a while with a newer vehicle.... maybe.


Again - yay Brewers!!!!


Have a lovely evening everyone.... I need to hit the apartment listings again. Smooch that loved one of yours and remind them how special they are to you. :D


Erin

Whoo Hoo! I'm running....

Got the mile under my belt again this morning - Yay! Slight wardrobe malfunction prevented me from going further - will rectify that asap. I felt great and really only slightly winded even.... wow, I can't believe I'm finally getting into this whole crazy running thing.

So, I checked with the run coordinator of the event I wanted to sign up for on October 25th (Lakefront Discovery Run) and it's still wide open for registration, so my entry went out in the mail this past Tuesday and I just have to figure out where/when to pick up my race packet. http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/

Anyone interested in coming to watch... my goal is to run the whole thing straight and I have 4 weeks to accomplish that goal, which I think is manageable now.... and I wouldn't mind someone taking a picture or two as the Al's run group seems to be a bit slow on getting a link up to their pictures... :(

Let's see - my hip hop class is going well actually.... didn't think I was going to like it, but I'm getting the routine down better and last night's class was over before I wanted it to be.

Molly, Nate and I are going ice skating tomorrow - wish me luck - it's been over a year since I've been on any form of skates, but I'm terribly excited to be spending the day with them. I've posted on facebook for anyone interested in joining us - open skate starts at 1:00pm.

Right now - I'm off to get dressed for a wedding I'm going to this afternoon at 2pm and an apartment I am looking at prior to that in Oak Creek. Keep your fingers crossed that this might be the one.... although I'm starting to have doubts about moving right now with the car on the verge of dying every morning (rent versus car payment). Going to check out a few car lots on my way home.

And.... my coach, best friend and true all around great guy, Jim, is getting ready to run a marathon next weekend in Minneapolis/St.Paul. I'm sure he's going to do great and let's all keep our fingers crossed that the weather is perfect - clear and in the 50's/60's. http://www.mtcmarathon.org/

That's it for now folks - I'll probably be logging in again tomorrow when I have pictures to post from the wedding, ice skating, etc.!!! Have a beautiful Saturday!

Erin

Ahhhhh, what do you mean registration for the race is closed???

Yep, I'm going to do it again - run in another race. Jim was totally right, this can get addictive! I wanted to sign up today and send in my check for a race on Oct. 25th, but it appears the registration is full and they aren't accepting any more entries?!?!? So, I have to check to see what else would be available to do around that time as I was hoping to get 4 weeks of further training in under my belt and improve my time per mile.

Sounds like dad is home, time for me to go.... have a good night everyone!

Whew!

I would say, "Boy, I'm glad I'm done with that...." in regards to the race I've been training for these past 9 weeks has finally happened (this morning) and I finished and lived to tell the story. But, when I got done, I realized I still felt pretty good and must not have pushed myself hard enough to run more than I did. And it was kind of a "downer" to finally be at the end of my journey and while I'm proud of myself, something just seems to be missing... and I'm not sure what. Both my wonderful coach, Jim, and Sam did send me messages to tell me how proud they were of me and I'll be forever greatful for that.... as this was quite a bit of hard work and it's nice to have some recognition for the effort. The race ended and I came home to a relatively empty house for the evening.... which was nice as I got a rare nap in and now I'm not tired enough to go to sleep.... figures.



My day was pretty good though and I'm definitely going to do another race - maybe even this fall if I can find another 8k to do. I have to bug the coach to see what the schedule should be for the next month at least..... and then how/what I can do over the winter with my limited resources to stay in shape to some extent. I'm pretty sure a yoga class may be in order... after I'm done with this crazy hip hop dance class I'm doing on Friday nights.



I'm going to try to include a picture of the race today.... sorry, I can't tell exactly where I am, but I am in the picture - trust me.



Hugs and goodnight wishes to you all,

Erin

I think I've found them....

My new roommates that is. She came to me by way of a referral from my best friend who is also her co-worker, as for the second roommate - he comes to me by way of the first roommate as she is his mom. I think Renee and Drew will be a very interesting combination to live with for at least the next year. Now, we just need to find an apartment and figure out when the moving will eventually happen.

Now, if only I could work my magic on getting partial custody (one weekend a month) of my stepchildren, I'd feel almost like I had my life back on track again - or at least close.

There's a guy I've been chatting with - there's no spark per say, but it's nice to have a friendly conversation with a guy about all kinds of things and not really feel that crazy pressure to be on my best behavior or acting just right so I impress the hell out of him, which I'm sure I haven't done - but he's nice enough to continue to chat with me whenever he sees me online at night. :D

So, I get to go to bed tonight with at least one good thought on my mind.... someone must have decided to actually give me a break in life for a bit now.... I have the new, wonderful co-worker and now have probably found the new, wonderful roommate. And of course, I've always had my wonderful group of friends who look out for me, right now especially.

Have a good night folks, peace and love to you all - and do me a favor, give your special someone a big kiss goodnight and tell them how much you love them.

Erin

Yes Jim, I'm sure it's mental, but...

Okay, so I'm busted, because I cannot tell a lie to save my life, but this last week I haven't been as dedicated to my training schedule as I should have been. I slacked off - quite a bit and I'm paying the price...

Yes, I'm definitely in the group of "must get outside to exercise or you'll go nuts being stuck inside all day" crazies.... but I'm not insane - yet.

No, I didn't get my mile straight in again today.... which irritates me to no end now. Yes, the coach says it's a mental thing on my part now since we already know my body can actually accomplish this feat (refer back to 2 weeks ago). So, what am I going to do to get rid of this mental block I'm stumbling over? I'm really not sure. I'm down to only 13 days to go and I'm so far off the actual training schedule at this point that I would really like to get the straight mile under my belt again at least. I've even gone as far as asking (will resort to begging) my coach to jog the race with me as maybe that will get me through in under 1 hour 15 minutes - although he has decided to tease me about this and comment about how far he will run compared to me if he runs literal circles around me as I jog down the road. Ha, ha, ha - very funny Jim!!!

So, I'm vowing right now that I will be back on a decent training schedule starting tomorrow and over the next 13 days, I will be running/walking at least 10 of them. I'm getting through this race whether my body likes me for it or not.

The really good news.... I now am 160 pounds - dressed in my running clothes and shoes on! The doctor I'm seeing is probably going to freak out a bit, but hey - I used to weigh 132 at this same height about 10 years ago and I bet my cholesterol numbers are plummeting as well. Thank goodness I'm addicted to ice water lately - helps keep the weight coming off.

Well, goodnight folks... back to work tomorrow. Love to you all and do me a favor - lean over and give your special someone(s) a hug/kiss and let them know how much they mean to you - you never know when you won't get the chance to do it again.

Erin

My services for hire....

Yep, I'm one heck of a multitalented person and I offer the following services: (more to be offered in the near future)

1. Baker - Matt, my dad, my aunts, etc. are not the only ones in the family that can bake... and decorate....

2. Baby Washer - yep, you read that right and I can give one very pleasing bath for your young child any time - day or night...

3. Gardener/Flower photographer: I'm even entering a picture in our staff calendar contest at work...

4. Professional Cat wrangler: sorry, cat not included, but containers are negotiable...

More services available shortly!!!!

The summer has come and gone...

And with it probably my insistence on running in this goofy 5 mile race coming up in 3 WEEKS!!!

I just haven't progressed as far as I was hoping - I had a moment of glory last weekend when I finally eeeked out 1 mile straight jog without walking and now I'm having a hard time getting a 1/2 mile straight without a walking break. So, I'm not sure what the issue is.... I'm having some minor issues with side cramps, so I'm just going to stay more hydrated this week and push, push, push to get that mile back under my belt. Oddly enough, I'm starting to feel like a runner - or a person who needs to exercise on a regular basis - as I definitely notice it when I don't go out and run or kayak for the day. Went kayaking for an hour - made the entire loop of Rice Lake outside Whitewater, WI in that time - and you should see the little biceps I'm getting from the effort.

Been having an up and down week otherwise - work has been really good actually for the first time in a long time. I really love my new co-worker and I think we're going to make a great team - so much so that I'm almost dreading going back to my old schedule again eventually.

That's it folks.... love you all - even you strangers who happen upon my blog for some strange reason.

Erin

Ha, ha.... I'm getting somewhere!

Oh folks.... let me tell you - there was a moment or two or a million there where I was really thinking this crazy training program for my upcoming run wasn't going to really work out well for me. I mean, come on - it's hard work going from "not running at all" to being able to at least jog an entire 8k race in September - basically squeezing all that ability in a 9 week training period!

Well, I think I'll be able to do it.... today I did my "long day" training wise - walk/jog for 65 minutes and for the first time in the last couple weeks - I was able to jog for a minute or longer at a time (even up to 2 minutes straight) and then only rest only 1.5 minutes inbetween each jog. Yes - it doesn't sound like much.... but I could hardly do this routine for 30 minutes and that was a 30 second jog with a 2-3 minute walk break inbetween each jog - and that was where we were in the beginning.

Now for the truly scary part..... my schedule seems to have a note on it for next week Saturday (ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!) that I'm supposed to jog 1 mile and walk 2 miles. Sure, I could "cheat" and do the same thing I've been doing this last week - jog 1 minute, walk 2 - until I get to a total of 3 miles, but the coach has explained that I'm supposed to jog the whole mile straight (if possible) and then walk 2 miles. Oooooohhhhhh boy! But, I'm not going to let myself get psyched out by this..... just like today, I'm going to try my best to meet my training program goal each day this week and on Saturday next weekend - I'll be able to jog that mile! :-D

Good News - with all this exercise, decreased appetite for sweet things (yes, really!) and okay, some stress in life - I've managed to go down a size in shirts/tops! I think we're safely starting to buy Large instead of Extra Large! And I'm tucking shirts in again..... wasn't before because I thought leaving them hanging over my pants helped make me look not quite so chunky, but actually I find that I'm having a hard time keeping my pants up (come on people - mind out of the gutter please, I'm losing weight!), so tucking in my shirts seems to give my waist line on the pants a bit of resistance in their ever sliding progress. After my exercise routine today, a return to the house to get cleaned up, I headed out to go shopping for 2 hours! My legs are truly worn out now..... but I got a cute top for work with a gift card I've been holding onto for a few months. Love Gift Cards - especially to go shopping for new clothes or craft items!

Okay - couple more things that I've done today:
1. Talked to the coach to let him know how well I did and I think he's proud of me so far...!

2. Before I did my 65 minutes jog/walk, I walked the beach at Grant Park for an hour and found a good heaping handful of great pieces of lake glass! I think a couple can be used for some jewlery for all the gals in my life.

3. Boston Market turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes for dinner - yum. Chocolate chip cookie for later. Double yum!

4. I spent the day alone and it's okay so far.

5. I'm housesitting for a bookcrossing/letter boxing friend until next week Friday - so expect more posts about my running and very busy week next week.

6. Got lots of text messages from my favorite girl - Molly! She's texting me from the cottage and even had grandma drive her up the hill so she could call and say goodnight last night.... I had to get off the phone quick because I was on the verge of tears I miss them all so much.

Love to all of you and I hope all of you are getting to have a beautiful Saturday like I am.

Brett Favre...

Yes, even a Bears fan has something to say about all the Favre hoopla that has been happening over the last few weeks in regards to his indecision about playing football again and the Packers seeming to not really even entertain the idea of him coming back and playing as their starting quarterback.

1. Wouldn't be fair to Aaron Rodgers at this point to ask him to step back and make room for the veteran to return to his beloved team and lead them to a possible superbowl again this year.
2. Are we even sure that Brett is really 100% committed to playing again this year? Has he signed the paperwork to send to the commissioner to get reinstated??? (I might be out of the loop on this news if he has...)

So, bearing those thoughts in mind - this is how I think the whole thing is going to shake down:

Brett really wants to play football. He really would like to play for the Packers. So, he is going to get reinstated and come back to play with the Pack.

Now, the Packers organization has stated that they are not going to make him the starting quarterback, they aren't thinking of releasing him and I don't really think they are going to trade him no matter what lucrative offers are thrown their direction by say... the San Diego Chargers.

So, Brett is going to swallow his pride and still come back to the Pack and be the 2nd string quarterback.... that is until the second quarter of the third real season game when Mr. Rodgers goes down due to a miscue on the play and he's hurt (just a sprained toe folks) enough to not really play the remainder of the game and the Pack happens to be losing 37-0.

This game is being played at home.... and the crowd goes into an absolute frenzy and the ruckus created by all the cheering and screaming of the Packer faithful is loud enough to cause a 3.5 earthquake in the Green Bay area - just because "our Brett" has taken a step out onto the field, helmet on his head, chin strap not yet attached.... and he's going to take over the reigns for the hurt Rodgers - just for this game. I can't even begin to describe the magical atmosphere that seems to develop over Lambeau Field - the fans can't seem to figure out if there should be a hush over the crowd to give Brett a chance to be heard by his teammates when he's calling the next play or if they need to very clearly claim their allegiance by shouting at the top of their lungs to the man that embodies the spirit of their team.

Brett leads the Packers to a victorious win (48-37).

The media starts reporting the following week that Aaron Rodgers is still hurt and may not be starting the next game... and so of course "our Brett" will step up and helm the crew to another victory.

Oddly enough, this sprained toe seems to linger for our Mr.Rodgers and Brett keeps starting every football game for the remainder of the season.

Did Brett pay off that opposing team defensive tackle to step on Aaron's foot in the 3rd game and purposely injure him to the point where it would take him out for the remainder of the year?

Did the Packers see Brett's fantastic work in the 3rd game and think twice about him being the 2nd string quarterback.... hence paying Mr. Rodgers some mucho money under the table to remain "hurt" for the remainder of the year???

**** Whew!**** Sorry folks.... just getting a bit carried away there with the whisperings this morning that Brett will actually report to training camp. I'll get off the wild imagination train now and return you back to your normally scheduled programming.

To those who care: My running progress over the first 4 official days of my training program have paid off - I shaved 2 minutes off my 2 mile time between my walk/run on Tuesday and last night.

And to my stargazing friend: I saw Cassiopeia last night - thanks for pointing her out to me. I'll leave you messages when I see that the space station is going to sweep through our view again soon.

And now, almost time to head for home after a quick stop to get my instructions for housesitting for a friend next week. Ella and frosting/glazing mini wedding cakes awaits me when I get home tonight. More stretching before bed to prep for my long run tomorrow early am - one hour of this walking/running nonsense (just kidding coach!) before I need to get ready and go to the wedding shower for my cousin's bride-to-be, Marit.

Good weekend to you all and more of my "two cups" worth next week.

And so the insanity will begin....

Hi all,
Sorry for the long break between posts - life has decided to upchuck on me to a major extent - and I'm just kind of finding my footing again. Well at least for a little while....

You know in those shows or cartoons where they have the little devil sitting on one shoulder and the little angel sitting on the other of the character in question..... well, let's picture me in that scenario..... except the little angel has decided to take a permanent vacation and so the little evil devil has made me do it - I'm going to train like a fool for the next 9 weeks to go from not being in shape at all to being in shape enough to run an 8k race coming up in September. Yeah - me - running 4.96 miles (for those of you who aren't into translating kilometers into miles). Should be quite the sight to see.

Otherwise, it's another insane day at work - all these women and the hormones flying around - you're likely to get pregnant here just drinking the water, literally. Or at least that's what all the patients hope for as they walk in the door and we certainly try to deliver. I have to say, I was a bit leary at first in being transfered to the Reproductive Medicine Center from my previous job, but the staff here are really a good group of people - very informative, yet everyone has a sense of humor to keep things light even in the most touchy of situations. Even though I've been here a year, I'm still finding my place in the group, but everyone has welcomed me wholeheartedly.

I'll update everyone on the rest of life's tribulations throughout future posts - it's a bit much to get into right now with only a few minutes remaining of the day and access to the internet to post just this quick update.

This weekend - thankfully it will be spent with my wonderful stepkids and my mother-in-law and me also getting ready to start my training schedule (put together by my great friend - Jim) by walking as much as I can and breaking in the new running shoes - really nice Nikes!

Hope everyone else has lots of great plans for the weekend - have a safe and happy one!

Okay, so I'm not the only baker in the family...

My dad and a couple of his sisters are very well known in the family for having the "Baking Gene". My mom too - but I'm talking about the "Hubertz" side of the family again here.....

Yes, when I learn how - I'll post pictures, but for now, why don't you check out this website and see some examples of how this gene has passed on to one of my cousins (I hear his sister is a snappy baker too), the son of one of the aforementioned aunts and my godmother also. I present to you the genius of Matt: http://www.mattbielich.com/

It makes me want to bake up a cake or two this weekend while hanging out with mom while dad and the brother are out of town - mom and I were always the crafty ones in the family. (Boy did I start a fight with that comment.) Besides, I have an even better reason to bake this weekend - my husband's birthday is on Monday.

Have a lovely baking weekend... I know I will.

Erin

Yay! A wedding!

Hey, I've just received wonderful news - my cousin, Bryce, who has been engaged for a few months now (has it almost been a year possibly???) has just sent us the official "Save the Date" card and it's adorable. Of course, if I was more capable technology wise, I would offer to put a copy of the card up on my blog..... but until I figure out how to do so with my limited access to the Internet and especially the lack of any Internet usage at home (where I could plug in my camera, etc.) - you will all just have to wait and I'll come back and update as necessary.

Although, I have to admit - I stared at the postcard for a minute and because of the crazy and cute picture on the front and thought.... "who the heck is inviting me to their August wedding?" Now, before my cousin and his blushing bride can give me a hard time about not recognizing them in the picture - I was standing in a very dim apartment building hallway. I did however recognize the dog (yes, I spent quite a bit of time with the munchkin while my aunt/cousin's mom was dog sitting and they were relocating from lovely Milwaukee, WI to even lovelier San Francisco).

I'm tremendously excited for them both - and it's nice to see that my sister and I are not the only Hubertz grandchildren finally deciding to make the plunge! :D

Let's Start at the very Beginning...

Hi there all,

I'm Erin and I'll be your cruise director for the remainder of this blog. Two cups is a play on the fact that I can never get a saying right to save my life - seriously. I mean, who's ever heard of "biting the bucket" or "kicking the dust" to refer to someone or some thing's recent passing - well, you get the drift. So, I was trying to think about what to name my blog.... the ever present question that has actually kept me from starting a blog in the first place - because shoot, if you don't have a good name, who's going to stumble upon it when googling some totally unrelated topic? Okay, so I figured the name of this blog should have to do with the fact that from time to time, I'm going to chime in with my Two Cups (yes, I meant "two cents") worth of wisdom on various topics from time to time, in between the pointless banter that may occur quite often here as well.

So, I hope you'll stick around, maybe add me to your favorites list, and enjoy the trip!