Search terms that brought people to my blog this week...

"I'm so exhausted from being awesome."  

Me too my friend, me too.

And, "can I eat ground turkey on Ash Wednesday?"

And this is why the Pope quit. 

;) 

[Pope Benedict is not impressed.] [image source]

So, welcome all your awesomely-tired-sinners. I hope you decided to stick around for awhile!

Some Recent Luvs ...

Well, my three day weekend was rather ruined by a nasty cold which induced an extraordinarily painful ear infection (more specifically two - the middle and outer ear of my right ear are infected. The left ear has a bunch of fluid but is not really infected yet. Lovely). Anyhoo, I'm still feeling pretty rotten, so something rather mindless and cheery is just what I need to post about!  So, here are a few things I'm enjoying lately, with no particular order or meaning:

What I'm watching ....

DOWNTON ABBEY.  Okay, okay, I was late to this party, but still! We breezed through the first season (available on Netflix) in about a week and the second (available on amazon prime) a bit longer.  We just started the season premier (PBS website) last night, but it was too long to finish. I really enjoy this as a period piece, as a commentary on class and a look at the various hierarchies  within the aristocratic family and their servants as well. Fascinating.  Bonus - Mark likes it too!  I'm always interested in everyone's favorite characters. I think mine is Mr. Carson. Or maybe the Dowager Countess (I do love Maggie Smith).

 

I'm also excited about Season 3 of Game of Thrones! Storm of Swords might have been my favorite book of the series so far. Lots going on for sure. Interesting fact - Ser Jorah of Thrones was also a regular character on Downton, Season 2!

What I'm reading...

I just finished reading Quitter, by Jon Acuff. I'm hoping to do a bit of a review about this soon.  The general gist is that it is a book about following your dreams, career-wise: "closing the gap between your dream job and your day job."  But I think the book is much more than that and found more than a few gems and things that got me thinking about all areas of my life.  I would recommend it even if you aren't looking to quit your job.

I have gathered several others recommendations and gotten a few other books from the library. I've started several that are all good, but a bit depressing, which isn't what I"m looking for right now. I may have to table those for the time being.  

 

Two books I enjoyed reading last year include the Night Circus and What Alice Forgot. Just in case you needed some suggestions. :)  Both kept me entertained but not overwhelmed. What Alice Forgot isn't particularly deep on the surface (and would likely be better if a sizable chunk of the story was removed), but it gave me a lot to think about in my own life. Led to some good mind ramblings...Night Circus was a really neat story about magic, fantasy and real life coming together, which a bit of a historic element.

 .

 What I'm listening to...

I'm pretty terrible when it comes to keeping up on music and such. I'm a big fan of audio books and listen to them quite a bit when I run.  I also like podcasts.  I'm currently listening to Wild, but Cheryl Strayed, a story about a woman hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I started this on my 9 miler on Sunday and, frankly, the beginning is super-depressing. I likely would have changed it, but I was so cold I didn't want to stop running. It definitely picked up for me when it got to the hiking part. I am looking forward to finishing it. I'm also enjoying the another mother runner podcasts, which I think would be pretty entertaining even if you aren't a mother. But that's hard for me to say since I am. :) 

 . 

What I'm wearing...

Warm stuff. It's like - 15 degrees. To be honest, even aside from being sick, I would be struggling with my running in this weather. I have cold running apparel, but nothing that's really appropriate for below zero temps. I'm just hoping it warms up a tad while I'm recovering! 

Well, that's enough randomness for one day! 

Change... and a Challenge

[morning journaling]

As Christmas festivities wind down and the new year looms, the word "change" seems to come to the forefront of my consciousness. I'm not one to set myself "resolutions" every year (although I do occasionally).  Even if I don't lay out specific goals for myself, the idea of starting fresh, of becoming better, takes up residence in my mind.

But I've been thinking about other changes as well.

With adding to our family, you would think "change" is the word of the month around here. And yet, it's not. Such a big change in theory has caused barely a blip in our daily lives. Jhon has settled in with us with such ease, it's like he's always been here. Like there was always this place waiting for him and now it's filled. I was all geared up for this major life change. It's almost been anti-climatic (albeit in a good way!). 

And there are other changes. Things that change nothing, but change everything. A new piece of knowledge and suddenly your world has completely shifted - everything is different! - but the rest of the world continues on with their daily lives, completely unaffected. How to process this?

[That probably all seems completely random, but it makes sense to me and it's my blog.]

This morning after Mark left for work, I pulled out a new journal and started writing my random, whirlwind thoughts. I haven't done this in well over a year. It was messy, confusing and therapeutic. It was necessary. Change comes, whether we want it or not. The changes we need to make seem to come hard. The changes we want to avoid are so often thrust upon us. 

I need to take some time to reflect each day and work through these changes and challenges.  I need to take time to focus myself on my goals and my health (physical, mental, spiritual).  I simply need to stop and center myself each day before the hustle and bustle of life takes over.

So, I'm taking on Amanda's 5 minute challenge.  

photo credit: Run to the Finish

Amanda has challenged her readers to:

Challenge: 5 minutes upon waking spent saying affirmations, creating a gratitude list, meditating, or free writing. 

That simple. The idea being it is completely attainable - only 5 minutes. And it's a small thing to change, yet creates a wonderful habit. 

I love it. I need it. 

So I started today. I cheated and spent much more than 5 minutes. Mostly because I had more than 5 minutes (unusual) and because I needed more today. I already feel better.

I plan to expand on her challenge slightly. For January, I am going to focus on simply getting up when I need to get up (as determined the night before). That means I set a plan and actually follow through. Lately, I have laid out running clothes at night, only to turn off my alarm come the morning. Then I'm running around, late and frustrated, when I could have gotten in a workout, some personal reflection, and a cup of coffee. 

January will be focused on setting myself up for success in the most basic and important way possible - starting the day right. 

[Perry got tired of waiting for me to finish writing this morning...]

Cut and Paste Distasters (Overwhelmed Pt 3)

Part 1 here
Part 2 here

Originally, I wrote this "Overwhelmed" post as one big mess of a post. Then decided it was too big of a mess and broke it up. I did a simple cut and paste.  Except that at some point I "cut" part 3 and never "pasted" it back into a post draft.

I'm too irritated to re-write it. It was extraordinarily detailed about the stupidest thing (my issues with my race outfit). Perhaps this is God gently telling me that no one in their right mind wanted to read it. ;) In short?

I'm a procrastinator.

I like costume-ish stuff.
But don't plan well.
I love these socks.  They were perfect.





 But won't be wearing them in the race. Because I'm an idiot.

Sports apparel manufacturers seem to shy away from yellow/gold for women's tops?

Beware, this shirt in "citrus" is super see-through.
Trust me, no one wants to see my middle while running.


 Pink and sparkles it is. My 12 year-old self would hate me.  See you at the starting line.

Deep Questions.

It is tough to add a new child to your family, no matter how you do it. Everyone is excited, but there is always apprehension, confusion, questions. Adding a child from a new country/culture seems to compound this.  So much is unknown. So many new experiences to come.

For example, take this letter that Ally recently wrote to JS.(Ally is 6 and in the first grade)
It really cuts to the heart of her questions:

 Translation:  Jhon, Do you have a lunch lady? Love, Alice

I think that about sums it up.

Three Things Thursday - Laugh a Little

I have about 7 half-written posts (and most of the "half" is still in my head...) but decided to not miss on Three-Things-Thursday again. So here are 3 things that make me laugh. :)

(1)

 Seriously. Story of my week.

(2)

I am apparently feeling tired. Tired of being so AWESOME.

(3)  

Ha. My little grammar-loving heart goes pitter-pat at such geeky humor. 

The end.

Eureka! Fast Friday Tip

Well, we are still hopeful JS will be joining our family soon. So I figured I better get cooking! I found this Colombian cookbook on amazon and decided it would be a good start.  We love Mexican food, but are fairly ignorant about Colombian cuisine.

Lo and behold! Found a tip that - if it works - would make this book worth the $10!

In the recipe for Colombian guacamole, the author suggests removing the avocado pit, but setting it aside for later, then adding it back to the final guacamole mixture to prevent oxidizing and blackening. HELLO! Does anyone else have this problem with guac?

I am so excited to try this tip out.

Epic Weekend Recap

Well, I hate to rub it in, but we had a pretty epic weekend.  Friday was pretty uneventful, which was fine by me!  Saturday started bright and early at 6 a.m.  Not my favorite Saturday wake-up time, but I was on a mission.  We had to leave the house by 11 and I was determined NOT to miss my long run this weekend!  So, after a bit of coffee and breakfast, I headed out the door around 7:20 (whoops, little late...)... and ran.... and ran...

and ran FIFTEEN POINT FIVE MILES.  

Um, yeah, that's 25 kilometers.

 Yeah baby!

Actually, I had been planning 14 miles, but I didn't evaluate my route very well and ended up tacking on an extra mile.  So, I reached my neighborhood at 15 and was about to start walking when I realized, heck, I still have another 1/2 mile to get to my house!  Might as well run it in!  Soooo stinking excited to actually have completed the 25k distance prior to running the Riverbank Run in just over two weeks!   I know I haven't put in the training to do it as fast as I'd originally hoped, but now I KNOW I can cover the distance (without walking) and that is still a huge accomplishment for me at this point in my running. 

 (two more weeks baby!)

Then I rushed home - late - to find that my magnificent husband had been busy while I was gone and had the kids (and dogs!) all ready to go away for the night. So I showered, dressed, madly packed and we piled in the van about 11:30 (late, but who's counting?).  And headed too... Grandmas!  We had a birthday party for my grandma (well, my grandfather's long-term lady friend?). She turned 90.  I'm sad I didn't get any photos. It was a wonderful party and so nice to see family.  

BUT our visit was brief because Mark and I (ONLY) were off again!  We have had a gift certificate this this B&B we love (the Wild Goose Inn) and finally had a chance to use it! 

 It was just nice to get away and have time for each other.  I think, generally, we are pretty good about that, even at home. But it's been a stressful few months and just knowing that we didn't have to be responsible for feeding anyone was a nice relief. :)  We have been very fortunate these last few years to have family help us out and allow us to get away for at least one night, once a year, sometimes more. It's so good for our marriage and nice to realize that we miss our kids too. :)

For anyone concerned, the kids (and dogs) behaved well for my  mom and Joe and had a blast (and a lot of sugar).  So it was a win-win.

After party food mid-afternoon, we didn't have big plans for dinner. But wait - I ran 15 miles!  I was H.U.N.G.R.Y!  We ended up going out for burgers at the Peanut Barrel.  Oh yum.  Really hit the spot.  As you can see, it was even nice enough to sit on the patio!  Actually, it got downright chilly before we left, but overall the fresh air was great.

 

 And don't forget a highlight of a B&B - breakfast!  This place does it right. Great coffee, fresh fruit, an incredible blueberry muffin, and omelet (for me) or french toast (Mark). There are a few other options too.  so, so good.

 

 After we checked out, we had a little bit of time, so we popped into the bookstore and found some great used children's books. Oh, how I love bookstores.  I also found a huge collection of the Babysitter's Club books and wanted to buy them, but figured I would be the only one to read them and that was sad.  :)

So THEN we hopped back in the van (there was a LOT of driving) and headed back to pick up the kids.  They were over visiting Joe's sister, so we picked up the dogs and stuff and headed over for a quick visit too. While there, the kids were all waiting for a stow-away raccoon to appear.  Unfortunately (fortunately?) the rodent decided to stay put.  I mean, why wouldn't you want to greet this crowd?!?

Then all 7 of us (plus 2 dogs) piled back into the van for the 2 hour trip home. Whew.  The evening was busy with laundry and finishing up paperwork... 

Great weekend. :)

11 Random Things...

Erin posted a few questions and since I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks (!) I thought it would be a good idea to answer! :)

1. What is your maiden name (girls), nickname (now or from your youth), embarrassing middle name, or something special/unusual about your name?

My maiden name was Esmer, which was nice and short, but often mispronounced, sometimes really terribly.  (I was actually called "Esemocker" on TV once...)  Although my full name is Catherine, I have never really gone by that, not even professionally (although it's on my business cards).  When I was younger it was Cathy and sometime in high school/college it changed to predominately "Cat".  I usually go by Cat now because I find people remember it much better than Cathy.  But you can tell when people met me by what name they call me. :)  Oh, and my dad always called me "Pookie."  

2. What is your favorite animal and why?

I think I'd have to go with dog, although I have always loved horses. I've never owned a horse and haven't even ridden that much, but my sister and I were obsessed as children.  I still kind of dream of owning one someday... That being said, I really love my dogs.  They can drive me crazy (!) but I can't imagine NOT having a dog.  I've nearly always had one, growing up and most of my adult life too.  They are just a great comfort. 

3. Do you like being alone?

Yes and no. I do get lonely at times, but I really need some alone time.  Much of my time at work is alone or at least on the solitary side and for the most part I don't mind that too much. I would go crazy completely cooped up all the time, but I do get even more crazy when people are around me 24/7.

4. What is a quality about yourself that you like?

That I'm competitive and determined. When I REALLY set my mind to something, I get it done. Now, there are lots of times I will say I'm going to do x, y and z and don't do it, but in those cases I haven't really put my heart in 100%.  Once I do that, I get 'er done, in large part because I'm very competitive - even with myself - and hate to "lose."  As a side note, this is also a quality that I don't like - it can add unnecessary stress very easily.

5. What is something that drives you crazy?

Lying.  Huge pet peeve. 

6. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were younger?

An artist and a veterinarian.  I used to love to draw, paint, etc and many Christmases were full of art supplies.  I have always loved animals and seriously assumed for a long time I would end up at MSU for vet school.  And I ended up in law school - go figure.

7. Are you a night owl or a morning person? 

Neither really. :) I often wake up early to get my runs in (and fairly early even if I don't run, due to work, kids, etc), but it's not my preference. However, as a result, I am not terribly functional late at night either. 

8. What is a personality trait about yourself that you would change if you could?

 As mentioned above, my competitiveness causes me some serious stress.  I am also very wary of being judged.  I think there is a legitimate basis for this feeling (well, obviously no one likes it!) but I hate how this fear of judgment can make me unnecessarily defensive about silly things.  Not very pleasant.

9. Favorite flavor?

Mint.  Mmmmmm

10.  What is a game you are terrible at?

Yahtzee.  Awful. Terrible.  It's a game of chance that I can never win.  Hate it.  Second runner up might be golf. 

11. Do you belong to a running club?

Nope.  Would be interested but haven't been able to fit it in the schedule...

12. Giants or Pats?

Eh, I'm indifferent.  Go Lions!