Happy Valentine's Day

Happy f'n Valentine's Day.  I'm not a fan.  Once Shane bought me flowers and I told him how silly it was.  I explained that that they just end up dying, and I could have spent that $$$ on clothes or beer or shoes, which is what I did yesterday.  

Yes, I have a problem.  Still searching for my soul mate of running shoes.  They are Mizuno Wave Riders.  After reading the reviews, I wanted to try the 15s but the sale price of the 14s lured me in.  I'll let ya know how they pan out.

Back to this sickening day of love.  I really don't "feel" it.  I tolerate love my friends and family every day.  Why do we need a day for people to post loving annoying tributes to their loved ones (which make me throw up a lil in my mouth) all over Facebook and desktops everywhere.  Ugh.  

Is it sinful that I'm not going to spend the evening professing my love to neither my husband or my kids but am instead traveling to a basketball game with friends?  Me think not.

Catch-up

While I haven't blogged for nearly a week, I have been writing intriguing exciting posts in my head.  I've also been racing around like a crazy woman and I think this is the first time I've had to just sit.  Ahhhhh.....

So, to play catch up:

Thursday - home with sick kid:(
Friday - SNOW DAY:)!!   Home with sick kid:(  Did get in a 4 mile run though.
Saturday - Met up with some friends and took kids snowmobiling/sledding.  Fun times.
Sunday - Ran SIX, that's right SIX miles.  Very big deal for me!!
Monday - Won first round of JH BB Conference Tourny.  Did hours of makeup homework with my daughter. 

Today - Won the second round of BB tourny.  It was a GREAT day.  The girls have made huge strides this year, especially in the mental aspect of the game.  Our goal today was to control the pace of the game.  We had our moments of getting carried away in the frenzy, but each time the girls calmed themselves and reaped the benefits!  Yay us!!  On the way home two girls told me that their favorite part of the game was looking over and seeing me smiling (and maybe jumping up and down).  Another girl, who is normally very quiet, told me that she was, "just happy".  It was for sure one of those coaching "moments" when you feel like all the drama, criticism, and self doubting that tend to go along with coaching adolescents are worth it.  We'll play our last game for this season Thursday and I'm super pumped.  The girls made a special request that I wear the exact same clothes Thursday that I wore today.  Apparently, Heather did that for them once so they expect nothing less from me.  

Gee, thanks.

Nerd Alert

I've come to the conclusion that I am a complete nerd.  

Allow me to illustrate:

•  I love getting new classroom supplies.  Books, pens, hand sanitizer (yes, that's right), calendars, etc...It's like my first day of teaching all over again.
  
• I love taking classes and adding to my endorsement.  The other day I was checking my grades during English 12 and was so excited to see I got a 50/50 on my first paper this semester that I shared my success with 12 seniors.  They laughed....and called me names.  I'm okay with that.
  
• I'm obsessed with data and charts.  I love hooking up my garmin and seeing my times and maps.  Same for daily mile.  It thrills me to know I've powered x number of tv's through running.  Really, sometimes when I'm debating whether to run or not, I imagine the thrill I'll get when I get to hook up my garmin and analyze my workout.  Also, I love to graph my students' test scores and use the data to pat myself on the back or kick myself in the ass, whatever is needed. 
  
• I love trying new software.  I recently switched from Quickbooks to Quicken (after trying out a handful of freeware offerings and spending hours making my ultimate decision).
  
• Today I spent two hours previewing a new textbook I want to use next year.  Once again, I expressed my excitement to my students and they laughed....and called me names.  Still okay with that.

I totally do this!

In an attempt to embrace my inner nerdiness, I consulted Google who pointed me to Urban Dictionary for further explanation:

Nerd

A person who gains pleasure from amassing large quantities of knowledge about subjects often too detailed or complicated for most other people to be bothered with. Often mistaken for Geeks, who aspire to become nerds, yet lack the intelligence, and end up giving nerds a bad name due to their poor social skills. Non-nerds are often scared of nerds, due to their detailed knowledge, and therefore seemingly high levels of intelligence - and subsequently denegrate them as much as possible as often as possible. Nerds exist covertly within the fabric of society, often choosing to 'nerd it up' in private or in the company of fellow nerds. It is for this reason they are feared the most - unlike geeks, who are easily identified, nerds can only be found out when casual conversation reaches a subject that they like nerding.   So, there you go.  Release your inner nerd!

Zero to hero

It's amazing how fast one can go from zero to hero.  Monday I ran with Tara and Katie and I sucked.....wind.  I was an utter failure.  Tuesday, Tara and I ran a shorter distance and it was OK.  Today I ran with Tara again and, BAM, went farther than I intended and wasn't scaring small children with my heavy breathing.  It's great to feel confident before my long run this weekend.  Thanks, Tara!!

On to total randomness.  For supper Tuesday night I ate a handful of fries, 2 bites of a cheeseburger, 3 bites of a grilled cheese and a bowl of cereal.  Tonight I ate 2 scrambled eggs, toast, 3 hershey kisses, and am now munching on dry fruit loops.   

Have I mentioned I have a student teacher this semester for 2 of my classes?  I should be loving it....  sitting around watching someone else do the work.  It's torture. She's doing a good job, but I'm so worried about scores and content and if she's better than me what they might be missing.  She is probably super tired of me looking over her shoulder all the time, so today I subbed for another teacher and got out of the room.  Not going to lie, though, I did stand outside the door and lurk out of sight several times.  Aside from the teaching aspect...I really miss those students:(  And, I might have a slight major control issue.

One last thing....Often during a run or workout, I feel as if I might die.  I've found a very simple solution to forging on.  SMILE.  Do you know how hard it is to feel miserable when you are smiling?  I'm sure I look like a complete idiot, but I'm fine with that.  Try it and let me know how it works for you.

How dare he??

Tonight I invited the girls to run with me after school.  We took off like a streak of lightening a bit faster than normal (for me) and I even attempted to join in the conversation.  Yep, that's right, I was feeling like a rock star....until mile 1.5 where the cramping started and that evil lil bitch witch in my head started messing with me.  I put on the brakes and nearly abandoned the girls and headed back for an easy 3, BUT I kept going...cramps and all.  Reminder to self: DO NOT eat a marathon bar and drink 24 ounces of energy drink an hour before running.  Lesson learned.

Needless to say, at the end of the run I wasn't really feeling that high I normally get.  Katie even told me I looked sad:(  My husband comes home and I'm soaking in a HOT tub as I always get the chills after a run because I sweat like a pig.  Really.  Of course, he asks why I'm in the tub at 5:30 and I snap that I SUCK  at running.  He wisely walks away.

It pisses me off that my husband,  a FORMER runner (as in high school) can still to this day run like it's second nature...beer belly and all.  He can hike sandhills while hunting and never breathe hard.  I used to think his friends were lying (because they drink twice the Budweiser he does).  I even bragged before deer hunting this year that I'd have no problem keeping up with him when in reality he was standing at the top of the FIRST hill smiling down at the rest of us trudging up behind him.  

Being the bigger person, I put my pride away and ask him, seriously, how I can build up some wind.  My body has no problem with running, it's my lungs.  I told him I feel like a smoker.  He responds, quite seriously, "Well, dear, you ARE a drinker.  Perhaps it's the beer?"  How dare he??  A serious runner NEEDS those (low) carbs!

Do any of you have a more practical approach (other than giving up Ultra, or wine) to solving my breathing issues???  

 

Grrrrr.......

With my new addiction fascination, Pinterest, I've felt inspired to try some new recipes.  My family, however, is not on board.  This morning I made biscuit cinnamon rolls.  

I thought they were amazing.  Shane said they were good.  Grady ate half.  Payton had a bite and declared her dislike and settled for a bag of dry fruit loops.

A couple weeks ago I made a spaghetti casserole to which my family asked, "What's wrong with regular spaghetti??"  Tonight I branched out again and made a casserole from a friend featuring hamburger, potatoes, green beans and a cheese sauce.  What kids don't love anything smothered in cheese?  Mine!  I liked it.  Shane liked it.  Both kids opted for cold cereal.  In my frustration, I had a minor bitch fit meltdown and declared that I was done cooking and they could all eat cold cereal and PB&J every damn night.  Apparently, I'm the only one in this house tired of eating the same 'ol stuff week after week. 

Can anyone help me??  How do you get your family...especially your kids....to try new foods????

Looking the part

I’ve decided that all my “hobbies” lead to a very expensive wardrobe.  Call me vain, but I think that whatever activity I’m involved in is so much more fun when I look the part.

Example A

Hunting.  This year was my first year hunting deer so I invested in some 'She' camo.  I even paid extra shipping to get it here in time for opening weekend.  Turns out it was a great investment as I wore it again a couple weekends ago in my first coyote calling contest.  I mean, really, I have jeans I've only worn once.  I firmly believe that camo made me a more confident hunter:)

 Example B

Sledding.  At my husbands urging, I finally agreed to accompany him on a snowmobiling trip last winter.  I bought some cheap ass snow pants, wore his old helmet that was 2 sizes too small, borrowed gloves from my sister and rummaged whatever else I needed from Shane's closet.  My cheap snow pants left me with a wet ass and the helmet was painfully uncomfortable.....thus distracting me from having as much fun as I otherwise would have.  Since I really did enjoy the trip, I've now invested in a new coat, snow pants,  gloves, socks, helmet, goggles, and even a snowmobile.  I know.  I have problems.

  Example C

Rodeo.  Although a lifelong hobby, it still requires new boots for me, new boots for my horse, new ropes, and other various gear updates.

 

 Example D

Running and other sports.  Yes, it is probably silly that my 5 mile max should propel me to buy running tights, socks, shirts, headbands, shoes, etc, etc, etc.  Oh, can't forget my beloved Garmin.  But, c'mon, it's for my health.  We can't put a price tag on that and besides, I did wear my camo jacket to run my first 5k (in the snow).

In retrospect, I should be adding up how much money I'd be saving if I (we) didn't have so many "hobbies".  BUT, I'm not.  Know why?  We are having fun.....as a couple and as a family.  I've spent more time with my husband in the past year than since before the kids.  We take our kids with us hunting and to rodeos.  We are planning a family snowmobile trip.  My daughter was SO excited to "get" to run the mile in PE.  Maybe the old saying of  "the family that plays together stays together" is true.  (That is a saying, right?)  Anyhow, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!