Green

April is Earth Day month.

Here is part one of what I am doing.

Reduce.

Today I put our trash out. For a family of 5 it used to be 2 full garbage cans, sometimes 3. Today it was one. Actually it's been one can for quite awhile. Everything else has been recycled, composted and I have quit buying a lot of prepackaged food. There are more whole foods served in our home lately. This is good, actually it is great.

I have stopped buying detergent in plastic bottles. Now I use the powder version and recycle the box. Sure I could recylce the plastic jug, but that is a petroleum based product. No need for it. We no longer buy plastic bottled body soap. We are old school and use bar soap.

We must pay to have our leaves and yard waste taken away. I'm all for this. My husband is the type of guy who rather than chop it up with the lawn mower will spend hours raking, put it in a petroleum bag and have the garbage men take it to the landfill. No more. It's either mulched by my father (he loves doing this) or my husband will rake it up, put it in the petroleum bag and haul it to the compost station they opened up last year. The petroleum bag comes back home to be used again. The state compost center gives the compost back to the residents. I love it!

Old towels are used as cleaning rags.

Old towels that aren't, bed linens, blankets that are no longer used are donated to the humane society.

All old clothes in good condition are donated to the Salvation Army. Those in not prime condition are donated at the recycling center. Do you know they can make pencil's out of recycled blue jeans?

We don't drive our gas hog big ass SUV anywhere anymore. (well to work) Wherever we go as a family we drive our small car that gets 35 mpg.

Canvas bags. I take them everywhere. The grocery store, Old Navy, Target etc. When I have forgotton them (rarely) I end up with plastic bags. They are either recylced or used for dog waste.

I no longer buy bottled water. We use water bottles and fill them up.

We use car carriers for our coffee. No more throw away cups. We usually make it at home anyway.

Cleaning products are green. I just tried the green products from Clorox (which I understand the Sierra Club has given it's stamp of approval to) It works quite well. Most times (when I have time) it's baking soda, vinegar and borax.

Line drying. I think my husband has finally warmed up to this idea. In the fall, spring and some summer months (when the humidity is 99% the clothes don't dry) I line dry everything outisde with the exception of underwear and towels. I like soft towels or I would line dry them also. I have no idea how much energy this saves. I started it b/c I was pissed off that the utility company raised our rates 60%. It wasn't to be green or save money. I just wanted to sock it to them. Speaking of socks they go in the dryer also. Basically 4 loads of laundry = one dryer load.
I guess my compost bins could be filed under reduce, reuse and recylce. More about them later.

Can you tell I haven't worked out? Ok I did do kickboxing as a dork in glasses. No pain the next day. I did fun swim with the kids yesterday. My daughter is rocking the flip-turn. Who knew? Currently I building David's pool confidence up (per swim teacher's instruction) I think that's more important than swimming a half mile for the time being. I'll only do that once a week, rather than twice. Mother of the Year, here I come!

I can't see. I am blind. Well, without my glasses. Today I woke up to pink eye. How the hell am I going to do kickboxing without contacts? Fuck.

Spent 3 hours in the ER yesterday with my daughter. It's not a staph infection. It's Erythema Nodosum. Sounds exotic. It's not. It's strep in the legs. It's very ugly. She will be fine in 3-6 weeks.

On a happy note I got a new washer. A front loader. You are suppose to be able to put more clothes in these things. Let's just say I really, really stuffed the top loader at all times. I love my new washer. David and I sit on the laundry room floor and watch it work. The dog hangs out with us too, but I don't think she gets it.

Ok. I have to figure this eye situation out. Crap.

Boring

Kickboxing saturday. Can't move arms without seering pain for two days. Hence no swimming.

Shhhhh, I broke the washer yesterday. I overstuffed it with bed linens. I had to actually cut the matress protector off the agitator and THEN hide it in the trashcan (soaking wet) so no one would know. It was slowly breaking anyway I just kicked it into the grave a bit early.

I haven't run since the last time I said I ran. I have a marathon relay in two months. Damn.

Let's see

David. Strep throat, pus out of ears and Scarlet Fever. My thermometer says 100. Theirs says 104.

Hubby. Looking pretty bad Sunday. Never really left the bed.

Mom. Above on Tuesday.

Have not run or swam since last Wednesday.

Have eaten the entire house out though. It's "feed" a cold isn't it?

Just cut my check for the marathon relay in May. I have a LOT of work to do.

Be back soon.

I'm still sick.

Mother of the Year

4 mile trail run with the dog this morning.

My youngest threw up once during the run. (he was home with his grandfather)

Hung out laundry to dry and chatted with my neighbor for 10 minutes. David threw up 3 more times while I was doing that. I think I've trained him quite well.

When I came in he told me I talked to much. Right out of my father's mouth.

Did a 1.5 mile walk with the dog when I dropped off my car for an oil change.

The school called.

My oldest son has a staph infection. Had it since Monday. I thought it was a cut that just wouldn't heal.

The doctor's office rushed me in and made me come in the back door. A staph infection is highly contagious. Where is that "Mother of the Year" award? Luckily it wasn't the "super-serious" kind. I was allowed to leave by the front door. Probably because they wanted their co-pay.

So life is grand. Well it will be tonight with some Shiraz and a little (ok a whole 9" tart) of Pear-Roquefort Tart that I'm making. Let's just put it this way...there are pears, blue cheese, cream cheese, pear butter and proscuitto. Not just any proscuitto. Parma Proscuitto. I thought I'd spend a little more. Who knew that salted, cured, ham costs $23.99 lb?

Yeah it was a shocker for me too.

Issues

As a family we have issues with certain things.

Crockpots:
I love crockpots. I love putting all the food in them and coming home to a cooked dinner and deliciously smelling house. My husband has issues with the lids. Meaning, he likes to break the lids. That is my take on it. Within 2 months of a new crockpot the lid breaks. I could go drive to the store that sells replacement lids. Sure I could do that. I have a feeling that replacement crockpot lids are like coffee pot carafes. You break one of those and a new one costs $30. Mind you the whole coffee thing cost you $45. Who would of thought the thing that actually makes the coffee is the cheap part? We just buy a whole new coffee brew system when the carafe breaks. We improvise on the crockpot and use a stock pot lid instead. It works. Sooner or later the ceramic bowl will break. David broke the last one. He wanted to wash it. It was already washed and drying. So now I need a new crockpot. I think we are on crockpot #3 or #4 in 10 years.

Cookie Jars:
Major issues here. Let's see we had the following jars:

Winnie the Pooh. Joe broke that one.
Winnie the Pooh II. I broke that one and we glued it back together. It broke again.
Pillisbury Dough Dude. One of the kids broke that.
Weird looking orange cookie jar. Kids broke that. See winnie the Pooh II.
Cheap glass jar with lid. David broke that one.
Enamel Stock Pot. Let's see anyone in this family break that. I'm pretty sure it's impossible.

Peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I put on 3-4 lbs. I couldn't figure it out. I eat healthy. It's the above. I have an issue with that. Throw a few chips in the peanut butter jar, get a spoon and you know the rest. Yes there is a repeat process also. It's a sickness. A 4 pm sickness.

Webkinz:

My kids have these. For awhile there we let them get really, really sick, hungry and lonely (the online ones) Brandy likes to eat the ones in reality. The kids have been back online playing. I came in a saw that T was low on funds. So I started playing in the Arcade, Artys and Quizzy's Corner. I've decided that it is therapy at it's cheapest. Sure a glass of wine, beer, sips of limoncello is more adult, but not near as challenging as "lugbotz", "get home after dark", or "goober's lab". Yes I'm 40ish not 7. I figure it keeps me away from the peanut butter debacle.

the sickness

Looks like I'm getting it.

Blew off a run this morning b/c I felt like shit.

Went swimming yesterday. My left arm was killing me. (i have no idea what that is about) The competition suit I ordered was too big so I ended up in my Nike tankini which is sporty looking, but not for serious swimming. Looks good, but certain things have to much room to float around which is distracting and leads to poor swimming.

I've been throwing around sprint tri's in my mind for awhile. While swimming I started thinking "there are no walls in an ocean or lake." Not that I hang out on the wall, but the wall is nice for that quick BIG breath (and sweet push off). That could be a problem if I ever get my act in gear. That and the people swimming and grabbing your feet. I remember hating that shit in swim team. That just makes me swim faster to get away from them and their fingers.

Got the 50 swim sprint down to 43 seconds. Yeah me.



2 sets of 12 lappers and a 6 or 8 lapper next. I can't remember now and it's only been 1 hour. All in 16 or so minutes. (not including the rest breaks between the sets) Definately felt the arm muscles aching.



Tried breathing on the other side and that was hard. Probably need to incorporate that into the program. Along with flip-turns on the end of the sets. So tired that it's easier to hit the wall and take off. All in time.



Some Vino Verde, Locatelli cheese, crackers and an hour of Lost with a great friend. Can't wait!

Not so fast speedy

I watched my son swim tonight. Mr. Tri was there. I forgot to mention we shared a lane the night before. Only for 6 laps though. So anyhow I timed Mr. Tri. His first 50 (where he was definately not sprinting) was 40 seconds. Which in turns makes me realize:

I'm not that slow since I know he's been swimming 4x a week for years.
He's a man. (yes men are faster than women)
He's got a six pack.
He's got all those pool tools to work certain body parts in the water.
He probably really is a triathalete.

Me. I'm a runner, that used to swim competitively. (26 years ago....damn I'm old) I'm going to keep working on it. I really enjoy swimming in the pool. 30 minutes is enough for me. Actually 30 minutes is enough in any cardio event. After reading the "Zen of Running" last night I realize that I'm doing all of this for the enjoyment it brings me. I spent over 2 years running splits, living by the watch, running in training programs telling me what I should be doing on a certain day. That was all fine and good. I did enjoy it. Sure I will time my laps to see my gradual improvement. I like seeing improvement. In the marathon relay I will "race". I doubt I will be "zen" on that day.

I'm eating much healthier. Yes there is a cookie, a hershey kiss, in my life daily. Wine, beer, weekly. I refuse to give up the fun stuff. I feel better.

Now for the pissy stuff. There is this little girl in T's swim group. She is the biggest goof off I have ever seen. When she gets to the deep end she spends a couple minutes diving down and twirling. She gets on my son's nerve. Let's just say if she were my kid she wouldn't be doing that and if it continued I would pull her out of the program. (mean mom) Last night the kids did a mini relay race. This little girl is actually good in the breaststroke. Better than my son who works his butt off during the week. Yeah, that pisses me off. Good for her. T has so much drive and dedication when he is there. That makes me extremely happy that he gives it his all. I've raised him good. Except in the morning when he wakes up complaining about the world.

Just stuff

I think my 3 year old is reading this blog.

Specifically this post.

This morning after coffee I went into the powder room to do my business and this is what I see. Yes that is how I actually see when I don't have my glasses on. Wth is wrong with my camera? Anyhow, why is that there? What purpose does it serve? You know what I think? He's prepping the area. Getting all his tools in order. Thankfully his imagination hasn't really thought it out b/c the toy weedwacker would fit perfectly in the toilet. The toy weedwacker actually works. Sounds, lights, you name it. He could weedwack the toilet. Sounds like fun for a 3 year old. Not so much for me.

3 mile pavement run this morning with my lead legs. It was tough. There is this one stretch of road during this run that for some reason I always have the urge to walk. If I walk anywhere it is on this stretch. There is something about a loss of energy on this road. It only happens when you go a certain direction. Today I needed that break. I asked L if we could walk for a couple strides. She in turns tells me that she always wants to walk on this road. Doesn't matter if she's on mile 2 or mile 7. Ok. The road is haunted or has bad karma.

I got this book. We were talking about it on the run and L told me to tighten my stomach, tuck in my butt and relax my shoulders. I did all that and the run was easier. I had to remind myself to keep doing b/c after awhile you let your gut hang out, loosen your behind and the shoulders....well that's hard. (it's a free download btw)

This is a quote from the book:

This experience is a newly discovered
form of meditation or
one more way for you to discover you.
whatever you do with your running,
you only cheat yourself
by pushing, pressing, competing.
There are no standards
and no possible victories except
the joy you are living
while dancing your run.
in any lifejoy is only known
in this moment — now!
so feel the flow
of your dance
and know
you are not running
for some future reward --the real reward is now!
in the running
in the run--- now ---why not start
now?

The Zen of running.

Swim

1/2 mile swim in under 20 minutes. Is that good? I have no idea. 10 lap sets around 4:38-5+ min with 1 minute rest breaks. I lost count in the second set, so I either screwed myself out of two laps or added two laps. Sprinted the last 50 in 46 seconds. Is that good? I'm going to try to get that down to 40 seconds. One of the fast 8 or 9 years olds almost beat me. I'm going with steroid use on that one. (i'm joking)

Dear God why did I have a third child? Gotta go.

Dog runs

Awesome trail run this morning. Brandy came along with Rocky and Nero. She did remarkably fine. By mile 3 she was tired and I was pulling her more than vice versa. Being a nice dog owner she got to drink my entire bottle of water. I ended at the 4 mile mark (where my car was parked) and my friends went on for another 6. Honestly, I think I could of handled another 6, but it would of been too much for the dog.

It was great seeing a lot of other trail runners out there also. Though not so great for my friend who stopped to pee and 3 teenage boy runners come upon her as she has her pants down. And yes neither I or my other RB warned her. Actually we didn't even think to warn her.

Now I want trail running shoes. I think I need the swim suit more b/c I do that 2x a week vs 1x a week of trail runs.

The picture of me and Brandy didn't come out so I leave you with a picture that makes me smile. Who can't laugh at David Puddy and the 8-ball jacket? Crack me up!