Say Cheese

Spending an extra long weekend with my first born daughter.  Love having her around.  Not making the same mistake I did when Amidala was here.  Took 278 pictures today.  

She is teaching me new things.  Like if I hold the camera high over my head, my facebook shots will be more flattering. 

Ya think?

Refrigerator Star of the Week

Who this is:  Spencer (and Spencer)
How I am related to Spencer:  I am his favorite aunt
My favorite memory of Spencer:  Him jumping into the creek in his underwear.
My favorite Spencer quote:  "I wished you hadn't telled me that."
What I like best about Spencer:  His magnetic personality


Adding "update the refrigerator magnets" to the sand pail list.

Honest Race Recap

Honestly...
1. I did 'run' the 5K on Saturday. 
2. I started out strong.  
3. I passed every one of the other runners. 
4. I finished with a PR for my over 50 races. 
5. I placed second overall. 
No, really.  All true. 

Okay, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? 
1. I did not walk any part of the 5K. (Goal met!)
2. I ran the first 12 feet along side another woman, then I had to slow down because I knew the pace was much too fast for me to be able to sustain and finish.  (She was running with her dad who was about 102 years old.  He passed me about 24 feet into the race.) 
3. It was an out and back race so I passed everyone when I was on my way out--and they were on their way back.  (To my credit--I didn't pass anyone in my first mile, so no one was running twice as fast as me.)
4.  It is the only race I have run since I turned 50.
5.  I placed second in fundraising.  (I won a t-shirt and two complimentary weeks' membership at the fitness/wellness center.  I regifted the t-shirt to the Goob and the gift certificate to the STP.)  I did finish ahead of the 'walkers'.  Maybe more importantly, I did finish.  And one more thing off the sand pail list.
Run a 5k.
Noticed the Dodge City Gazette Editor was there with his camera.  Expect this weeks headline to be Chubby Woman Runs 5K.  Hopefully they print the pictures on an inside page.

Like Sand in a Sand Pail

3.  Run 5K
4.  Run a 5K

Bouyed by my success at wogging a little over three miles this am, I went ahead and registered for a 5K this weekend.  It is being run on my usual running path and starts just three blocks from my house, so it won't get any easier than this.  And I could register online.  Which means I didn't have to actually face anyone and say I planned to run a 5K. 
Since Parenthood is no longer on TV, I have a new favorite TV show.  Duck Dynasty.  Unlike Parenthood, which was a TV family that I wanted to be part of, Duck Dynasty is the TV family that makes me glad for the family I am a part of.  I tell you what--there are more quotable moments in that show than I can remember.  Here is my favorite Phil quote from last night's episode:  (What?  You missed it?  Come on over-I have it DVRed and I will gladly sit and watch it again with you.) 

Local Chubby Woman Eaten by Alligator. 

I tell you what.  A man who speaks in headlines makes me 'happy, happy'.  Too bad this week's Dodge City Gazette has already gone to press.  Expect the headline would read, "Local Chubby Woman Registers for 5K."  And, just for registering, I got my own web page.  You can check it out here.  I expect to have a PR for my official over 50 races.  I'll let you know how it goes.



Pounding Nails

While I was assembling my pallet edging I hit my ring finger with a hammer.  How exactly I managed to whap the end of my ring finger while hammering a nail is still an unanswered question.  Because I was in such I-might-throw-up-pain right after it happened that I don't have a clear memory of the actual event. (What I do have is a is a purple swollen ring finger, with nail that might fall off in the not too distant future.)  I had to lay down flat on the floor while I iced it because I thought I might pass out.  Obviously I could not pound any more nails and the STP had to finish the edging. 
All the while Izma's voice was ringing in my head.  "Smash it with a hammer."
Not exactly brilliant, I tell you.

A Bloomin' Miracle

The other day I was walking past the neighbor's house admiring her flowers and noticed that she has a yellow iris.  I have iris, but they are all purple.  I have had them for four years.  I used to have a yellow iris at my old house.  And I wished I had a different colored iris here. I  thought briefly about my alternate hands and about digging out the neighbor's iris, but she has a dog who barks, and I hardly ever just dig flowers out of front yards of houses where people are still living. 
But the next day, right in the middle of my purple iris, was a peachy pink iris.  That had never been there before.  And the STP thinks it just never bloomed before.  But I'm thinking it was a miracle.

A little gift to me from God Himself.  A little reward for not digging out the neighbor's yellow iris. 

Sand Pail List addendum

2.  Go to the drive-in.  See a pirate movie.  Eat popcorn.  Laugh my booty off.

Sometimes it is good to have accomplished something on the list before you even know it is on the list.   Aaarrr.

What Happened on the Patio

I know what the sign says.




 But regardless, I am going to tell you something that happened in the side yard today. 
First you should know there is a side of the back yard I never show you.

This is the side you usually see.  The hosta and the stolen peonies (let's just call them what they are, since we are being honest about the side yard).  But just a few feet away is this:

A totally unlandscaped wasteland.  I had no ideas and an inadequate budget that has kept me from doing anything except sitting with my back to it.  The STP is tired of weed eating along the chain link fence.  So this week his OCD-self decided to do something about it.  He priced edging.  He talked to the men at the Dodge City Building Center.  He made me look at low bamboo edging on the internet.  He made me think about it until we came up with a plan. A plan and some pallets.  A man and his sawzall.

Goob:  What are you doing?

Me:  Arranging these boards so they look random and unarranged.  AAARRR

Goob:  Just saying Aaarrr at the end of a sentence does not make everything alright.

At the end of the day (and a total cost of less than $9.00) the STP had a weed eater friendly edging.

And my ostrich plume fern has a new home. 

It is supposed to grow 4-6 feet high.  I think that will take a miracle.  Or at least some miracle gro.

The STP also went for a bike ride with me today and cut the boards for the giant jenga game.  Have I mentioned lately how much I like that guy?

Flamingo Invasion

The local youth center is doing a flamingo fundraiser.  Where they put a flock of tacky  pink flamingoes in your yard and make you pay money to have them removed.  This week they put them in my yard. 

One problem.  Tacky pink flamingoes are right at home in my yard.

 So I was not highly motivated to pay to have them removed.  I contemplated keeping them.  But then the local youth center staff contemplated charging me rent for the flock.  So I had them come and get them.  And I paid extra to have them delivered to the front yard of my choosing.  I did not, however, pay the 'flock insurance' that would keep them from coming back.  Just in case someone wants to send tham back where they belong.

So Little Time

On my sand pail list--which is like a bucket list only just for the summer.  I have had one of these for years--just didn't know what to call it.
1.  Watch and catch fireflies with Claire and Nick