Saturday Sweat Log: Looks fishy

A while back I got some advice in the comments saying to breathe in to a count of three and breathe out doing the same thing, so I worked on doing that this week.  Only, I think I counted to maybe five instead.  Pretty much I sucked up as much air as I could possibly get into my body and then tried for a little more.  I must have looked pathetic to passers-by, considering how I was gasping like a goldfish with wide, surprised-looking eyes (as if opening my eyes wider while breathing would help me take in more oxygen).

I don't know if the popped eyes worked, but the counting apparently did.  I ran for over 40 minutes without debilitating side pain, and that was awesome.  I did about 7 1/2 miles this week.  I am a little bit pleased with myself.

I think I could have gone farther, but I took a day this week to focus on speed rather than distance.  For me that meant 10 minute miles (my regular pace is about 12), and I did 2 miles at that breakneck speed.  It was hard and discouraging and made my throat ragged for the rest of the day, so I don't think I'll do it again for a while.  Although, it did give my cheeks a rather pretty flush...

Bonus: I did 20 sit ups.  No change whatsoever.  I am disappointed in the lack of instantaneous results.

Lumpadora

Izzy nearly bashed her brains out yesterday.  I put her down inside the car so that I could help another little person with their car seat, and two seconds later I heard a WHOMP and then a distinct Izzy wail.  I turned to find her half in the gutter and half on the sidewalk.  The bump was HUGE.  I was semi-traumatized, but she forgot about her injury rather quickly in order to enjoy herself at the playground.

See it?  HOW COULD YOU NOT?!

Moments after we arrived home, she tripped and fell hard into a cabinet corner, producing a rather astonishing blue bump right next to the first.  She is such a graceless little thing.  Soon I will have to forgo all of her cute nicknames and will just have to start calling her Lumpy.

Saturday Sweat Log: The Belated Edition

I know it is not Saturday.  It is Monday.  It is a holiday, even, so perhaps everybody is taking a vacation from reading blogs.  If not, though, perhaps you will be interested to know that I ran almost SIX miles last week?  Or that I saw a dead rabbit in the road and had to run around it twice?  Maybe you will be intrigued when I tell you that the road smells like a hamster cage, but that that is probably due more to the scent of wood shavings than to a pack of wild, especially neat rodents?

My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad side ache didn't kick in till almost twenty minutes of running.  And I have also decided that perhaps "running" is perhaps too generous a term for what it is that I do.  Until I get under ten-minute miles, I suppose I'm more of a jogger.  Jog-a-log on the blog-a-log!

You know what are good at running?  ANTS.  Specifically the ants in our kitchen.  I suppose they are nature's way of telling us that we have too many delicious things in this house.  Or nature's way of telling us that we have too many ants in this house.  But that seems fairly obvious.

Learn to talk and this will be more effective.

Izzy was rooting through my purse and brought me my checkbook and a pen.  She must have seen something she liked while we were out and about earlier today.

I probably love you!

Today is Valentine's Day!  I have to say that I am a pretty big fan.  I was a fan even before I ever had somebody to celebrate it with, which in fact did not happen until Matt asked me to marry him.  (The year before we got engaged I made him a valentine with squares instead of hearts because we weren't dating and he was being a JERK.  But now we're super in love and blahdy blah blah what a happy ending.)

I love making Valentine's cards.

 I like making and eating cookies (which I can't really do this year because we're away from home and this temporary kitchen is ill-equipped), and I love having waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast.

It's like a second Christmas where I am full of cheer and good will toward all mankind.  And this year we got a cake from Costco, so woohoo!  It says "Happy Birthday" but is pink and red with a heart, so I will just pretend we are celebrating Cupid's birthday.

This pretty much sums up my feelings:

Saturday Sweat Log: Triumphant return!

Okay, so this thing had sort of fallen by the wayside, but it's back.  Getting back into running was one of my New Year's resolutions, and I've actually been doing okay.  Attempting, anyway.  All through the bitterly cold January I ran at least twice a week...in my house using the Wii.  So, not real running but as close as I was willing to get.  Here in California the weather is so sunshiney beautiful that it's hard NOT to get out and explore.  I think I ran about 5 miles this week, with the intent to improve.

My legs don't hurt and my clothes and shoes are comfortable, but my breathing could use a lot of work.  After about ten minutes I get a huge side ache that feels like my rib has broken and is stabbing me in the kidney.  Um, boo.  Maybe I need to do more sit ups so that my organs stay in place and don't jostle around while I'm running.  Or maybe I need an oxygen tank.  Anybody else have this problem or know how to fix it?

Izzy made a jelly bean-sized poop earlier but I now believe that she has finished her masterpiece, so I have to go take care of business.  Ciao.

Mary of Green California

I am in LOVE with these blue skies.  It is a little weird to come from cold, white Utah to warm, sunny California, but I think I am handling the change fairly well.  I am handling it with milkshakes.

Izzy and I go on walks just about every day.  There are horses down the street that she is slightly afraid of, but she has learned how to run (goofily) so she can get away from them fast-ish if she wants to.  Also we met some neighbor kids with really cool bikes.  Izzy is jealous, but fortunately she has a tiny memory and forgets about them once we get back inside.

I am reading the "Anne of Green Gables" series for the first time and it is hilarious!  I haven't seen the movies either, so apparently I have been deprived all my life.  All of it.  Little girl Mary has missed so much.  Don't tell me how anything ends, you rascally readers.

New phone

Guys, I got a new phone and it's pretty awesome.  Maybe it is even awesome.com.  In fact, I am blogging from it AT THIS VERY MOMENT!! Of course, when I win that Wired sweepstakes and get my sweet new iPad, most of its features will be rendered redundant.  But if (heaven forbid) I DON'T win, I guess I will be glad to have it still.  Wish me happy!

Some topics, some pictures, you know.

I know one person who lives in this part of the world, and I ran into her at the Ross in San Luis Obispo.  Talk about coincidence!  It was sort of awesome.  Partly because of the random meeting, and partly because Ross generally has clothes that are reasonably stylish for a reasonable price.  Sometimes for an unreasonable price (like $3.50!) which is even better.  So anyway, I bought some stuff and I'll let you see it sometime if you want.  Yay!

So here are some pictures of the house.  Just a few, but they may give you an idea as to its general character.

We have the Bibles, crosses, and ashtrays.

 These pictures are in a long, dark hallway.  There are more of them scattered (clustered) throughout the house.

This is the oven we have to use.  The inside may or may not be large enough for a casserole dish.

And here is my favorite, the wallpaper in one of the bathrooms:

The other bathroom is silver with shiny butterflies.

In an old people house.

Here are the haps.

Monday:  We drove to Las Vegas, getting stuck behind a porn truck on our way to the Circus Circus hotel.  Pretty much that was gross.  The hotel itself wasn't too bad.  I mean, clowns are pretty creepy and I had to use The-Little-Shower-That-Could (it tried so hard), but it was cheap and there was a bed.  Also a breakfast buffet.

Tuesday:  We finished the drive to the general area of San Luis Obispo.  We made it to our temporary house and picked out bedrooms.  I should mention that there is another family (with two little boys) and a grandfatherly fellow staying here too.  Izzy likes Henry best (the baby) and Porter (2 1/2) likes to say "No Izzy!" a lot.  We'll see if they become better friends.  Unfortunately, the house has a distinct old people smell...you know, moldy potpourri emanating from some undisclosed location.  Probably it is coming from all the knick knacks.  

Wednesday:  I went around the house, moving things out of a little person's reach and unplugging phones.  Also we watched "Groundhog Day" in honor of the February Second.  It's a great movie, amiright or amiright or amiright? Right. Right. Right.

Thursday (today):  Izzy did the most spectacular projectile vomiting I have ever seen.  It was super surprising, AND impressive.  She is feeling much better now and humming to herself.