Iron Girl

I had read this post one day and had a similar experience a few weeks before.

So I'm running along this trail and I get to the turn around point at :20 which is perfect for my lunch run. There have only been 3 or 4 other people on the trail- mostly walking their dogs and then another runner approaches. She sort of cocked her head to one side with a smile as though to communicate, "Huh, another runner chick....I haven't seen her run here before...maybe we could be best friends." I know...weird. And she was super cute.
From Carrie at Stronger --(private blog)



I almost blogged about it, but anything that had come into my head sounded queer.


One spring day while running with Brandy I had to walk the end of my course because she couldn't handle it. A girl ran up behind me and stopped to talk. (I didn't even hear her, and she scared the crap out of me) She had met my husband and Brandy, lived on the back road behind my neighborhood, had three dogs, ran .......... We talked about all of that. I told her I was training for a relay race and was out of shape and the dog wasn't helping me.

Since then I've seen her and her husband walk through our neighborhood with their dogs. Usually I'm in the backyard so I don't get to go over and say hi.


Yesterday I was out moving bulbs (while dressed in my Sex and the City movie outfit ...damn thing was sold out btw) and she walked by and asked about my relay race. I go up to her and low and behold she is wearing an IronMan shirt.

Yes I freaked.

"you did an Ironman?!"
"how hard is the swim to the bike"
"how is the open water swim"
"how is the run after you've been on the bike for 120 miles"
"I watched Wisconsin on my computer all day"
"I read all these blogs"
"I want to do a sprint-tri"
"I don't have a bike".
"I swim 1/2 mile at the pool just in case".

Yeah I'm a blubbering idiot, because I blabbed a lot more.

She's done Wisconsin and Arizona IM. Does all the local tri races. Told me "Escape from Fort Delaware" is a hard swim...something that one shouldn't start out with. I didn't mention that the reason I had wanted to do that was because it sounded super cool and the shirt rocked.

Long story short...she is looking for a bike for me.

With my luck she will find a free and/or cheap bike and I will have to eat my words.

Damn.

I better start swimming and running more.

What now

I have set my cell phone up with different ring tones. When it's people I like (everyone) it plays Rihanna, when it's my boss it screams "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP". When it's a call from home it's the Death March from Star Wars. It's always bad news when "home" calls. 99% of the time it's my father bitching, nagging, screaming about David. Today's discussion was, "QUIT LEAVING THE CLEANING SUPPLIES WHERE DAVID CAN GET TO THEM." Seems David was trying to clean the kitten. Last week he cleaned the dog with hardwood floor cleaner. Nnow I have to remove everything from where it has been kept for the last 11 years and move it to ... i guess the garage on a high shelf. No I will not get child proof locks because the hubby and I have no patience left. That and J will start screaming, bitching and nagging me. One nag is enough. I have 3 others, but I can send them to their room.

Everyone tells me how lucky I am to have my father watch my children while I work. Yes I am lucky. I realize that. What people don't realize is when I come home my house is a mess. My dad is frazzled (people he has those news shows he has to watch 24/7) He will nag me about anything from "where did I move the GODDAMN string" to "where is the GODDAMN funnel", "why don't YOU PEOPLE do this/that or the other" and my favorite "BRING ME SOME GODDAMN BEER on your way home and why don't you have any goddamn beer in this house?!!!." My father drinks more since David was born than the 7 years before that combined. I get it. I look at the clock on my day off and see if it's ok to have a beer or a stiff drink. (3 is fine, 11 am is not)

You wonder why I'm stressed. I have no time to myself in the house. When I go on a run I come back to one of the above complaints. Some days I just want to pull my hair out.

Today is one of those days. The TV also doesn't work and my father wants to know how to fix it. I don't know. Well I fixed it before. So I sit here at work, with no work, but having to finish my work (that someone is holding up) thinking that I better get a six-pack on the way home, that my father is getting madder and madder because he can't watch CNN, tapes of the Daily Show, Colbert and the funnel is not where it is suppose to be. We probably need milk and I think we are down to 30 cookies.

Better make that a six pack and bottle of white. Who am I kidding. All I need is a lime. There's some gin in the house.

Running buddy #7

Today I realized you hate the heat more than I hate the blinding sun. Today was the first time it took me 30 minutes to "run" 2 miles. I really tried. I cut off a mile here, a 1/4 mile there. I even tried a power walk with you, but that ended up to be a 80 year old person's shuffle. I thought playing in the creek bed would make you better. It did as long as you could stay in the creek bed. I got the message when you scared me tripping over your feet several times and almost fell. I think it's time we part ways.

I will see you again in the winter on a trail run.

I still love you lots.

Happy hunting.

why

do members of your family (husbands) feel the need to pick apart your political beliefs? Why cut up your candidate? I don't cut up on the one they voted for. Though at this point in the game it would be sooooooooo easy. I keep my trap shut. Unlike them I don't vote for a party. I vote for the person. I don't care if you are a Republican or Democrat. Them? They want the one lever system so they don't make a mistake and vote for a Democrat. Thankfully I was a tad intoxicated on the 3/4 bottle of wine I drank so I just smiled a lot and pretended what she was saying was going into my brain.

Just trying to keep the peace. (very democratic)

No need to sit down and explain myself to the extremists. (very republican)

See I can go either way.

I love my husband

Did I mention that we don't do gifts on those Hallmark holidays? It's just not us. Sure on Mother's Day I get a nice perennial or flowering bush, and I'm happy. My husband saved all his poker money and bought us a week's vacation house at the beach for our anniversary present. I knew he was saving the money, but thought it would go for a target gun. A target gun is about $1,000+ (for a decent, "cheap" one)

11 years and he still surprises me.

I love my husband!

Busy, busy, busy

Has it been a week since I posted?

The weather here has been erratic. Tons of rain, some sun then rain storms. No real runs, but got a power walk in with a neighbor. This might as well be a run, because I have to jog in some places to keep up with her. I don't know why, but power walking with her always leaves me sore the next day.

I actually got a swim in yesterday. Two girls were in the pool and there was a lane btwn them. I choose another lane because both of them intimidated me. One had her workout taped to the lane marker and the other was the flip-turn queen. Of course I was kicked out of my lane and forced to swim in the lane btwn them. I pulled out some pretty good flip-turns myself (you know I studied the queens while playing with my son before his lesson) Swam a half mile and found out (via evesdropping that one of the ladies is training for another tri and the other won't swim in open water because it scares her. The other should because she would kick ass. Shit, my left arm is so sore from that swim.

I passed my mammogram. Yea for me.

Tomorrow is our 11th anniversary. We have a bottle of $100 wine that we were saving for our 10th and forgot about it. J and I talked and rather than going to celebrate at some expensive restaurant we'd rather share the wine with friends who appreciate a good bottle. That and I would like to save the money and put it towards our Belmont party.

Usually we do a Derby party, but we had Holy Communions the past two years. That and I'm a bit bored with derby pie, mint julips and everything Kentucky. I'm seriously into planning a New York themed party. Right now I'm obsessed with the music. I can't get Dean Martin's "Volare" out of my head. I went out and bought a surround sound system so we (I) can get more excited than normal. I must get it from my mother. She clapped and yelled (so embarassing) at the TV (no picture, just static because we lived in the country) when the Phillies were playing. Me, it's watching the big horse races on the TV. David and I screaming, dancing and clapping. The other two are getting a bit embarassed by me. I'm keeping that "my mom is so weird" tradition alive. My husband can keep "my dad looks dorky wearing black socks with sneakers" tradition alive. ( I know he does that to piss me off)

Late addition: I have spent hours trying to figure out why the TV won't get surround sound when the dvr, and radio does. You ask why? Maybe because Sponge Bob, The Backyardigans and I-Carly aren't "IN" SURROUND SOUND! That's the only channel that seems to be on when I have the time or desire to work on it.

Have a great weekend. I will now that my obsession with what I was doing wrong is over.

CHECK

Thank you! Thank you for giving me a talking to! Just like I give a my friends shit about not getting a mammogram I get my advice right back. With me though I sit there and yell at them (wus is a word I like to use) and get them to make the damn appointment. Making the appointment only took 20 minutes. 15 of those minutes on hold. I was wrong about it being 5 months overdue also. It was 23 months overdue. I could of swore I got one last year. Now I know why my OBGYN was after me to get over there. Unless it's on the calendar it's not happening. From now on when I get my pap reminder I'm scheduling the mammogram.

I've been thinking about the stress I put on myself. I've figured a LOT out. I can't get into it because it is far too long and involved. Short and sweet... my philosphy is "if you want it done right and now you have to do it yourself". This philosophy is my problem. I'm not a "real" perfectionist so the right can go. I don't want to be a nag, but if that is what it takes then so be it.

Grooved my ass off Wednesday night. I'm definately not a class girl, but for that hour I didn't think of anything but gyrating my hips the right way. Yeah I've set up my Wednesday nights (till swim meets start in June) for me. My runs...the short ones the kids can bike which makes me work harder. The longs, leave them with the hubby, or truthfully get my butt motivated earlier on the weekends.

Sometimes I wonder how I project myself (here and in real life) . My cousin works with a girl I know through summer swim team. We just realized this. When "A" found out we were cousins she couldn't believe it. Described me as; very laid back, hippie girl who is a lot of fun. (what does that make my cousin?) I think people see me as that woman that is stressed, is always yelling at that one child of hers and how many hats does she actually own? I only add the last in because A only sees me at the pool and I'm never without my hat.

So this laid back, fun, hippie girl is looking forward to her mammogram and actually an extra hour (or 2) to herself because she's packing the running clothes and going off on a trail run after her boobs are flattened to pancakes. She might go home and yell at that one child (or all three) but it looks like (weather cooperating) she will get two consecutive days of "me time".

My life

has turned into "walk, run, sprint". I mean literally and figuratively. For example yesterday I "walked" with running buddy #1. It was a walk, run, sprint because of the youngest. This is good. What is not good is wearing your old sneakers because you are "just walking". While running and sprinting you realize why your sneakers are old.

On the other end....I seem to be floating, fighting, manic on the life business. The schedule of things is crazy. The only time I have for me is when the kids go to bed. That is when I plop my butt in front of the TV and vegitate. Or multi-task the TV with cleaning and wash. I used to have that 30-45 minute window to run. It's not there anymore. My husband either has T at Scouts, works at his brother's restaurant some nights, VFW duties, and he gets to go target shooting on some Thursdays. I thought everything would be easier when my youngest got older, it hasn't. As a family we don't really have our children in many activities. Any activity takes so much time and commitment. Especially when you have three kids and you both work. I'm about 5 months late on my mamogram. Yes, my mother had breast cancer. Why aren't I taking care of me? Why am I taking care of everything and everybody else around me? I put myself last. I guess that's what motherhood is about. I know my mother did the same thing. I came first. Just repeating the process.

My work hours have been cut drastically. That and the economy the way it is...well just one more worry on my plate. We will be fine (not losing our home or anything) but it's bad when you think you are getting your stimulus rebate and you find out that "no, Turb0 Ta$ messed up and you will get a check sometime in June. A check you were counting on last week. A check you really needed last week. You paid your summer swim team and club membership, got new brakes thinking the check would be here. It's not.

To end this depressing post...i'm going to a groove class tonight at the Y. I am going to shake my hips like Shakira. I'll be working all my frustrations out. I can't wait. Seriously, I can't!

Happy Mother's Day

To me!

Meet Felix!

That is the best I can do for a picture. The other 29 look something like this!

Brandy is very interested in our newest member.(below) They have met. Felix doesn't seem phased. Brandy just wants to smell his rear. Right now we feel it's best to keep them apart.

Life is good and Mother's Day rocked.

I've mentioned in the past that my husband is Catholic. Very Catholic. He takes the children to Mass every Sunday while I use David as my excuse not to. (thank you David) I have my reasons for not being very Catholic. There are a lot of them, and I'm not going to bore anyone with them. (and I'm too lazy)

We just found out that a friend of my husband (who I have met) was abused by a priest for 4 years in grade school. The abuse started in 3rd grade and became sexual in 4th grade. Of course the church knew about this. They always do....don't they? In some instances they reward the behavior. This is about the time I stopped going to church.

I hope our friend gets no less than $10 million dollars. I wouldn't care if the school ended up closed because of this. Yes, my hate is BIG. It is bigger because I have children. I look into my older son's face and this could be him. If any priest (or person for that matter) touched my child in that way for four (4) years I would kill them.

I'm really fired up for a Thursday morning aren't I? Sounds like a good time to workout.

I'm going to workout, not forget my ipod and load up the ipod with some hardcore, acid rock and nasty verse rap.

Have a good day.

IXNEY

on that previous post.

Let's see if you were a cat where would you like to live?

A. A house with 3/4 acres. Three loud little people, a big person that's "not that into" cats, a big brown dog, and a hamster.

OR.

B. A manision in Westchester county, NY with two gay men, a HUGE yard, and another cat.

Well let me tell you some days I would like to live at B. I bet at B they would not scream "MOMMY" at me a minimun of 100x a day. I know they wouldn't throw their cup and scream "I want juice" either. I doubt they would beg for fruit snacks hourly. If I made them dinner they wouldn't whine "I don't like chicken, rice, cow, broccoli etc..." They probably do their own wash and have clean rooms. I bet they brush their teeth without nagging also. I wouldn't have to snap their pants after they potty. Neither would I have to remind them to flush the toilet for that matter. I doubt they hit each other and scream "HE/SHE DID IT" and point out the offender like a scene straight out of "Law and Order".

That and for K to bring the cat here this weekend she has to rent a car over taking the train. That's another $300+. So the karma is gone. Weird thing is I remember telling one of the kids that I had a point against my karma on Monday. I just can't remember what it was.

Walk, run, sprints yesterday. Some of those were in a crazy 8 pattern on the baseball fields because I had a group of kids with me. Yeah, real fun.

Karma

Ok no friend for Brandy. I have a serious problem with the shelter. They ignored my email and when I went in for a second look at the dog (rotty-lab mix) her adoption was pending. My husband and I talked and another dog is just too expensive at this time. Even if it's a shelter dog. This shelter charges $200 for a large breed. That and to take Brandy to the vet for her rabies shot it comes out to $150. I think we can skip the fecal matter test though. Yes that's a sock in her bowel movement. It's 100% cotton.

..I want a cat. My husband says "NO". I say "You're not the boss of me" He claims they smell and our home will smell like a cat box. Has this man come into our home? Has he smelled it? It smells like dog. A dog that likes to swim in creeks, streams, lakes, etc....A dog that you aren't suppose to really bathe because of the oil in their coats. She stinks. Cute, but smells like the marsh.

Cats are cheap, low maintenence and I think pretty cool. Unless of course we got a crazy one. (which I had growing up...could be her problem was that we were too lazy to name her and just called her kitty cat)

I went back to that shelter I don't like. I had found a 6 month old male on their website. The lady said "he's been adopted!" Well not on the website. (bitch, don't get nasty with me) Then I tell her I would like a male, not declawed indoor/outdoor cat. Well, you would of thought I had said I would like a cat that I could cook for dinner that night. She became very nasty, scolded me, walked away and I'm preeety sure something is on my permament record .

Went to the pet shop and fell in love with kittens. About $100.

Karma comes into play. My good friend (rb #1) sister found the coolest cat on her way to a party. The cat followed her for 5 blocks. Waited 2 hours for her to come out, followed her to another house and waited for another 2 hours. K spent $200 on the cat (girl) and since she has 2 cats and lets face it if she has 3 she is officially a cat lady. I'm getting a test run with the supposedly coolest cat this weekend. Her name is Brooklyn since that is where she is from. All this went down while I was out looking for a cat.

Yep, Karma.

Open letter

Dear Asshole,

Why the fuck did you park like this?

Seriously, do you know how much this pisses me off? I got my car in there too, only because I was so mad.

I'm pretty sure I was the "muse" for this little ditty......



Hugs and Kisses.

From the car owner with the less resale value than you.

ps...I never realized how hard it is to get a month old tic-tac that fell into the passenger side. It took me three (3) attempts opening and closing that damn door.

good ideas gone bad

It sounded like a good idea.

Allow two 9 year old girls, two 7 year old boys, one 4 year old boy and me with a Chessie-dog, baseball bag and poop bag to ride (me run) their bikes to the park for my son's baseball game.

I realized the idea was stupid about 50ft from my house. The 4 year old cried because he couldn't keep up to the big kids, and then his shoe fell off. Crossing the highway was a pain in the ass also. I go out first so the cars can hit me and that will soften the blow when the cars hit the rest of the children. Because why stop when 6 people are crossing the street?

My idea of running was a nice idea. Who knew that my son has 20 BASEBALLS IN HIS BAG. That doesn't include what else he has in the bag. Ok I threw my wallet in there.

The park. I break the law and let the dog run in the creek. She gets the runs within an hour. Later the kids come up to me and tell me they have poisen ivy. The good mom in me says "yeah right".

Later they do have poisen ivy. Great.

David's shirt gets caught on a 6' chain link fence (on the 6' part) I'm texting a child's mom to let her know her kid has poisen ivy while he is stuck and calling out "uh...mommy?". A nice man takes David off the fence.

Poisen ivy goes away.

I chase David around the park with the dog who has the runs and I have no more poop bags because she already pooped. There is no need to watch my son's baseball game because why start now.

I wonder aloud why I am not an alcoholic.

My husband finally comes and the girls ride home while I run with Brandy. She decides to check out a kid and I almost trip over her in front of a large group of people. I hear the "whoa" over my ipod. I'm that graceful.

On a good note I did (technically) get a run in. Running with the baseball bag doubles that one mile to two miles. Chasing David around the park counts as sprints. Running home with the dog through groups of people, pets and those people who leave food on the grass in large Longenberger baskets (WHY?) counts as a trail run. All in all I ran 7 miles.

Yea me.

me

I'm the girl who drives up to preschool with Ozzy, Skynnard, The Dead, etc on the radio.

I'm not an "old" mom.

I drink alcohol. Sometimes I'm in the mood for shots.

I have no problems with gay people. I would kill for a gay man friend.

I'm very tolerant. Even of Republicans.

So for the past 3 weeks I've been wearing my mother's crucifix. I haven't taken it off because, well too much work (i'm lazy also). This mom and I talk at our children's swim practice weekly. She's very nice, and we get along. I don't know why but she thinks I would be really interested in Bible Study. Was it the crucifix? I've always thought those bible study people were Republicans and not tolerant people. Kind of like my cousin's wife who I hate. Everyone hates her because she is mean and nasty. (she's huge into bible study) She wanted me to write a letter to Victoria's Secret about their "nasty" commericials. Told me if I was a good mom I would boycott them. Huh? I needed a drink after that conversation.

You know what. I'm going to this bible study group. They are going to study Revelations. Which I find fascinating.

Now my daily bitch. I didn't get to swim yesterday. I refuse to share a lane. I want my own lane all to myself. Probably because I only need it for 20 minutes. Mr. Speedo had one lane, Mrs. Pregnant lady had the other (she's to slow) Mrs. running laps had the other. She pissed me off b/c why can't she run in that open area with the old people. Then there was old lady kickboard. Of course all lanes were open after David's lesson. That's when the fast girls come. The girls that are young, built and wear a drag suit.

Then I would be that old, slow lady pissing them off.

It's 2:52 pm. I'm having a beer. Why?




Why would a 4 year old leave a shirt THERE to dry? Why would he take his shirt and wash it in the first place?

Awesome work-out today btw! Still need beer at this moment though. I need to contemplate why a certain 3 year old (same kid) drew on the back of that same chair with black sharpie last year. I think that might of been a vodka day. He must not like the chair.