Hl/wwsg - 10/12 - 10/25

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hello friends and neighbors, Fall is definitely in the air and thoughts turn to the coming family season with Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas bearing down on us. A little anxiety has been going on but luckily not too much here - yes there is pressure from what’s going on outside but we’ve also been trying to keep our lives focused on being healthy to ourselves. Weather-wise, I think this is the time of year that many consider the climate to be a little bi-polar; at least in my neck of the woods it’s been in the lower 40s and in the upper 70s in the past week. A celebration or two, a couple people being a little sick (nothing terrible) and plenty of life events have been going on for us in the past week. I’m a little beat from today (more to follow) so in an attempt to catch up with what happened in the last thread I’ll try swing a recap of the last two weeks (or so):

Life successes/Good News include - Nelum had a successful trip to visit her family, did some sewing and introduced us to her two four-footed friends, and is getting her life back into shape now that she has a little control of the surroundings; Kate has been busy at work since they let a bunch of people go, still getting out with Mack for rides, and completed her GREs; Laura continues to show up, get workouts in and offer encouragement to us all; Karen got through the high holy days, a visit from FIL, and still managed to get workouts in except for the first time in I don’t know how long due to illness; and I had had a great week with the alumni convocation, lots of fun at church/internship, and did some running and riding too.
Stressful living - Kate is having stress over working conditions but keeping her workouts in as best she can; Nelum had a challenging time in Louisiana with food issues and other dietary concerns but still came through as best she could; Karen was sick enough that she couldn’t workout (sinus infection), coped with the high holy days and still came through without too many “scars”; and I did much better especially considering I had a cold and have had post-nasal drip for the past couple weeks - but still nothing to complain about.

Workouts: My plan is to get out for at least 2 runs and 3 rides this week - probably Monday through Thursday and Saturday. I hope to keep my streak going and get a bunch of workouts in - I feel so much better for it.
Healthful living: finding a respite for my arthritis and keeping my sanity are big things, would love to shake my sinuses/post-nasal stuff too.

A little whacked out after 3 services today: 9:00, 11:15, and 5:00. It was a great day just a little mentally tiring. Top that off with my trying to read two theologians who love a lot of words - Karl Barth (German theologian) and Saint Augustine of Hippo (long dead guy). Both probably have a lot of good things to say - their problem is they don’t want to spare words to get their point across - verbosity is their stock and trade.

Not much more to report for now - studies call but thought I’d post a new thread and see what is up. Have a great week and I’ll probably check back before bed time.

Peace to all,
Les

[mackandme]

Les, thanks for getting us started.

I'm here to report that i'm pooped! Finally made it to the gym friday, and went riding saturday and sunday. so now i'm stiff all over. though at this point mack thinks i'm the bestest mom ever, because saturday i turned him out in a pen that actually has grass so he could eat for a couple hours while i cleaned my saddles etc, and today we did some jumping, which is one of his favorite things.

karen, that's the first day you've taken off working out in YEARS?!? wow!

nelum, welcome back from your trip. it's so great to come home to the four-legged friends. a few years ago, my cats were so pathetic as i was walking out the door for a trip (and i never leave for more than 4 days, and someone always pet sits) that i almost didn't go. my female cat has mastered looking at me plaintively, then running and hiding under the bed right before i leave to make me feel guilty.

this week at work shouldn't be as bad as last week. plus i have my new days off, so DBF and i can go on a date. we plan on going to the state fair, which will mean tons of walking.

[karen w]

Les and Kate-O.K. just to be clear for the record books. Yes, aside from an occasional day traveling here and there, last week Thursday was the first day I took off in a LONG LONG time, BUT just to set the record straight. . . it was not the sinus infection that kept me home that morning(although that did not help matters). . . it was the fact that I was fasting all day for Yom Kippur. In my vast knowledge, I somehow suspected that lack of food all day combined with exercise would not make for a pretty picture!!:rolleyes: I'm sure I was right, but I don't plan on testing that theory. . . EVER!;)

Kate-Enjoy your date night with DBF!

We had a very pretty weekend here in the Northeast with temps around 70 and sunny skies. DH and I even got out yesterday afternoon for a walk before going out for some Italian with the kids. I happen to survey the garden as we were headed out for our walk, and also noticed some of the green cherry tomatoes that were left hanging on the vines actually ripened in this past week with our warm temps. I ended up going out later and picking a small bowl of tomatoes(thought I was done with that!!:rolleyes:) and some green beans that decided to grow on the almost dead looking vines. I think I will have to check back at the end of the week. I suspect there may even be a few more cherry tomatoes that ripen before we get a killing frost. Aside from our walk I ellipticized yesterday and ran/walked on the treadmill on Saturday. I also got a little play time in the kitchen with a batch of homemade bread and pasta.

Today I had a fantastic swim even after a so-so night of sleep and then biked after breakfast along with some upper body weights. The kids were off today for Columbus day and played outside most of the afternoon. DS#1 had a friend over and they played along with DS#2 together while DD played with the neighbor.

That about wraps up Monday here in the North. Good evening to all,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les and Kate-O.K. just to be clear for the record books. Yes, aside from an occasional day traveling here and there, last week Thursday was the first day I took off in a LONG LONG time, BUT just to set the record straight. . . it was not the sinus infection that kept me home that morning(although that did not help matters). . . it was the fact that I was fasting all day for Yom Kippur. In my vast knowledge, I somehow suspected that lack of food all day combined with exercise would not make for a pretty picture!!:rolleyes: I'm sure I was right, but I don't plan on testing that theory. . . EVER!;)
Truth be told - I did overstate your plight a little. From experience, fasting and exercise is not a pretty sight -- been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Don't ever want to go down that ugly road again. Sinus infection and Yom Kippur are also good reasons to not exercise - no need to really whack yourself.

It definitely sounds like you are back on step. Nothing slow about your weekend and day today. Isn't it odd about the stuff growing still. I know what you are saying about the weather doing weird things - bugs and birds are out in spades right now. I know that will change shortly though - just need to keep the AC from starting all over again though. :rolleyes: Good that the weather behaved for the kids to be outside too - they'll be back inside before you know it.

Kate - I hope that you have a great date with DBF at the Fair. I remember those days fondly when LW and I went wandering around the fairgrounds. Now they're either too far away or we're too busy. :( Too funny about your cat too. :D

I had a productive day off today - now I need to read Augustine (he's terrible too). Got my federal amended tax return completed -- a good thing. Got my amended/extended state return 95% done (still have a question about what we've done here...). On top of that, fixed my bike (catastrophic failure of the front tube yesterday) and rode for an hour. Now, back to the grindstone and reading to do before tomorrow. Hope all had a good day off and I'll eb seeing you.

Peace,
Les

[Laura]

Going on day 15 or so of less that 6 hours sleep and it is really starting to hit me. I was especially disappointed today as it was a day off and I had lots of plans. I did get the oil changed in DS's car and got him some new jeans and ran/walked 30 minutes, but it was not what I had planned.

Karen, I wish you could send those tomatoes my way. I just can't seem to grow them here. I am thinking about getting a hydroponic system this next year. Glad you got back to all of your regularly scheduled workous.

Kate, enjoy your days off and time at the fair with DBF.

Les, Sounds like you were relatively productive today. I hope you are able to get your requisite reading done.

We have had our first dose of fall this past weekend. I must admit I was enjoying our Indian Summer. Well, I am planning on takin melatonin tonight to see if that helps at all. Have a good evening!

Laura

[nhonnold]

Today was my first day back at work after vacation and I was really hoping to not put in 12hrs. Ah well, things don't quite work out the way you hope. Traffic was insanity this morning as well. We got our first freeze last night and the roads were all icy.

I went for a 72 min walk/run on Sunday. DH came with the little pups - he walked and I'd just run up ahead with the big puppy and walk back. (No exercise today - too long of a day at work!)

Kate - Don't our four-legged friends just know the best way to make us feel guilty?! Raggs and Taz followed me around for the first 2 days back. They would not let me out of their site. I never thought I'd ever feel guilty for going to the bathroom!!! Mikala wasn't as clingy but she got her walks. The pet sitter decided that walking a 90lbs 10mo puppy and 2 small dogs was a little challenging. Have a great date-night with DBF!!

Laura - Goodness, I hope you'll be able to get more sleep soon!!

Karen, Les - I am always amazed at what you all accomplish everyday!!!

Everyone - Have a great and blessed Monday night!!

Nelum

[Leslie Ferguson]

I hope that you get some sleep tonight Laura. It sounds like things haven't been going well for you, lack of sleep doesn't help too much. Good that you got some exercise in regardless of the duration or intensity.

Nelum - Icy already? I hope that's not the sign of things to come. Bad driving conditions always makes for an interesting day in my book. A 90 lbs 10 mo. old puppy - sounds like and armful. I hope that your day today went better than yesterday and thanks for your compliment.

FWIW I got enough reading in last night and during the day today to make due in class - deep stuff that makes my head hurt some times. I ran today - one of my classmates approached me as we were getting out of class and asked if I was running today (I believe it was like now). I told him I planned on it and he really was thinking about right then. I didn't have any running gear on hand. He only wanted to run about 2-3 miles (a good start) and I wanted a little more so I came home, changed, ran to meet him at school (2 miles) and ended up with about 65 minutes of running (about 21 with him). Felt good but my hamstrings were singing the blues at the start but by the finish things were ok.

Tomorrow... who knows. But for now - time for studies so until later...
Peace,
Les

[Laura]

I am here to post that last night I got some sleep. I took the advice of a number of people and took some melatonin. I still woke up frequently but was able to get back to sleep. I actually felt like a somewhat normal person today. I was going to do a spin class tonight, but it was really empty so I opted for running/walking for 45 minutes on the treadmill.

Les, I am glad you got your run in and hope that your hamstrings stop singing soon.

Nelum - That too me is the problem with vacations, you have to work like a maniac before you leave and after you get back. Glad you and your DH got a run in with your dogs.

I hope Kate and Karen are doing well.

[nhonnold]

Laura - glad you got some sleep. I hope that that continues to keep getting better and better. :) I agree - it makes you *almost* not want to take a vacation; but this time around the vacation was worth it. I didn't realize how much I need some time off...

Les - yes, icy already and everyone was not expecting it. The roads were fine (from an icy perspective) when I started my daily commute, but all the accidents made it a really slow drive. :( We usually get our first snow by Halloween - we will see. Yes, Mikala is an armful, but a lovable armful. :D

Today I woke up and went for a run with Mikala (30min). Of course can't take the big baby for a run and ignore the other little guys. So, I got home and took Raggs and Taz for a walk (30 min)- usually, DH can come so Mikala gets to go a second time. However, DH doesn't usually like to walk in the mornings so no second outing for the baby girl - and she let me know how much she missed me when I got back. :D

Nelum

[karen w]

Laura-Glad to hear you are beginning to catch up on the "Zzzz's." I hope the trend continues.

Les-How are the hamstrings today? Still singing the blues?? Hope not!

Nelum-ICY!!?? What area of the country? The Northwest?? sounds like you are having fun with your dogs. That's great exercise.

Busy day yesterday as well as today. Had a great swim, a few errands, cardio kickboxing class later in the morning, and made a big ole pot of soup this afternoon. Busy with the kids as well. Yesterday was the dentist for all three(gotta take DS#1 back next month for sealants on some molars:eek:), guitar for DS#2, and cooking class for DS#1; today was religion for all three.

Tomorrow should(key word there is S-H-O-U-L-D!!:D) be a bit saner in the afternoon with the kids. Time will tell!;)

Good evening,
Karen

[mackandme]

Icy Nelum? Well, it's cooler here too than it had been because of some rain we got today, but "cooler" means it's in the 70s! (And, of course, because of the rain Mack was covered in mud from head to toe today, on both sides.)

Laura, glad to hear you finally got some sleep. Hope you get even more tonight.

Karen, be glad DS#1 is getting those sealants. They really work. I still have mine since i was a kid and no cavities in those molars. They're still doing their job twenty or so years later.

Les, that's a good compromise in getting in the length of run you wanted and accommodating your friend.

As for me, got a nice 45-minute ride in on Mack yesterday before the rain (and mr. mudball). Today had to meet the farrier for new shoes. Tomorrow, the big hike at the fair, and hopefully DBF won't drag me onto the Ferris Wheel this time because i'm afraid of heights!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Glad you got some sleep Laura, it's never fun to go too long without your norm in bed. Interesting choice to treadmill instead of small spinning class. I hope you had a second night in a row with good sleep.

Nelum - I'm interested in where you're at (at least in the greater geographic realm). Ice already sounds fun and I love places where you get to build your first snowman before Halloween. A four-footed friend would be neat - but LW and I haven't ever had one (moved too much in our earlier years) and our current living arrangement (in a townhouse) doesn't allow one. I hope today was a little more sane with the driving and the roads.
Karen - YEESH - the dentist. Unlike Kate, I've had my share of issues with teeth so my heart goes out to you with 3 kids going to the dentist on the same day. :( Hope you had a saner day with the kids today so you could get back to "normal" and plenty of workouts.
Kate - Have fun at the fair with DBF and I hope that the new shoes on Mack go without a hitch.

My hamstrings are feeling much better today. I just need to keep working through the tightness - a definite sign that I'm not running as much as I have been in the past. Today I laid a little low and skipped my workout (thought I might). It was preaching day in class - I preached and was taped for my sermon that I'm preaching in November. It wasn't the best thing I've ever done but I wasn't too disappointed with it. Still, I'm going to revise it all over again. :rolleyes: Tomorrow, I'll go running with my friend again - I think we're going to try to make our running event twice a week for now.

Hope the downside of the week goes well for all and peace and warmth to those who might need it.
Les

[nhonnold]

Well, I'm in Colorado and I *really* shouldn't complain because we get the snow but then it goes away - which is really nice since you're not having to deal with icy roads all the time. :D Of course the first year I was here it snowed in late April - a nice big wet snow - that was a little bit of a shock to my system - being from the south. :eek: I've learned to not be so surprised since then - and the mountains are awesome to be near. Anything you want to do outdoorsy is just a short drive away...

Kate - Hehe, Mack sounds like a great horse - he full of personality. (and I should mention that be happy that it was only mud - Mikala came in with poo on one side :() I'd love to have a horse myself - maybe one day when I have time to take care of one. :rolleyes:

Karen - Good luck with the dentist and 3 kids... I can barely juggle the 4-legged ones at the vet :o Yes, the exercise is exactly why I got Mikala - she can keep up with me on my runs.

Les - I decided after college that I couldn't live my life without a dog. I've had dogs all my life except for the college years. :D Mikala is a great running buddy too - she just stays next to me for most of the runs. Of course, she's not 100% trained with distractions and bunnies just won't let her smell them... And my commute went back down to the usual 45min!!

Today I worked and went to small group that DH was leading at church. I did at least think about working out. :o

Nelum

[karen w]

Kate-I bet your "mud buddy" had lots of good fun out there with you!! Glad to hear those sealants work as I always get a bit skeptical when the dentist wants to do something that (in my mind) seems "elective." DS#1 is the only one of the kids who has ever had them as he is a plaque former combined with being a poor brusher and having braces. I guess it's a triple whammy. He had them done on his 6 yr. molars years ago; next month will be on the 12 y.o. molars. Knock wood, all the kids have good strong teeth and no cavities.

Nelum-I'm originally from the midwest(Wisconsin) and am familiar with the freak ice/snow storms in April. Now I'm in the East and it tends to be a bit milder so we may get the rare March storms, but rarely aas far into spring as April. Do you ski?? I used to as a kid and remember it was such great fun(and exercise!).

Les-Glad the hams have stopped singing the blues. Mine were just a tad today as cardio. class yesterday was a great workout with a few new muscles of mine mobilized. Hard to beleive, huh!? Nevertheless, I really enjoy the variety of that once a week mixed in with my Thai boxing. Hope the run with your friend was a good one today.

I had a great swim this morning in a nice quiet pool(for a change), a 5 min. dunk in the jacuzzi, and later an elliptical workout. I had more stuff around the house to take care of so that was the rest of the morning. Then made it to TJ's and for some office supplies at Staples for the kids. They all got new bulletin boards for their rooms with half cork and half dry erase, so needed tacks, markers, magnets, erasers etc.... They are doing such a great job using them to stay on track with their schedules/school each week. . . especially DS#1. He has really made some big improvements this year with his organization. (There may be hope yet that things are finally clicking for him!!;)).

Tomorrow I will go to boxing(Thai) in addition to my usual swim. Have a good Friday everyone.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nelum - Dogs and bunnies - a great thing. Of course, me and bunnies isn't too bad either (there is a family of them that live just off one of my bike routes ;) ). I can understand freak ice in April -I remember years ago in Newport RI when it was only 50 in the first week in June. Some days thinking about working out is actually better than working out (that's our motto around here - healthful living is sometimes saying thanks but not today when it comes to exercise). How was your small group class at church.
Karen - Variety, the spice of life. Glad the jacuzzi was behaving this morning and that you got all the other things done that you needed to. Great news about DS#1 too - hopefully things are actually paying off for him and his scheduling things.

I had a good run with my friend again today - 22 minutes with him and another 44 minutes for me. It felt really good even thoug I had to struggle back up the hill here. It's amazing just how steep some of the hills are around here - and long too. Hamstrings are doing well so I'm feeling pretty good. Oddly, tomorrow is Monday on campus (because we had a holiday on Monday) so I'm in class until 5:00 tomorrow evening. Probably won't run but might ride afterwards.

Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow and a great weekend. Peace to all,
Les

[nhonnold]

Karen - The freak ice/snow storms are pretty crazy!! Colorado is so dry that you can usually just blow the snow off but not after a dump of 3ft!! (Although it is entertaining to watch my little dogs walk on top of the snow.) I've been here 7years and am still adjusting to the short growing season. The safe time to plant is ~mid-may. I'm used my dad planting in February in the South. No I don't ski - it is great exercise but I just don't think I could handle being out in the temperatures. So, I content myself with the treadmill and the sew room. :rolleyes: That's awesome about DS#1!!! :D

Les - Would you like more bunny families?? We have a ton. Late at night the summer time the place is literally swarming. There just aren't enough coyotes, foxes, or neighborhood cats to keep the population down. (Although I'd pass on having the neighborhood cats eat bunnies - they leave presents in places you really don't want presents to be!! The small group was amazing. My church is starting up the Truth Project and DH did good for his 3rd group study lead experience. That's really great that you're hamstring are doing well and you are feeling great!! I have to admit there's something wrong with Friday being Monday...:eek:

Today I got off work early (woohoo) because of an afternoon doctor's appointment. I took Mikala for a 30min run and was hoping to walk the little guys but had to get ready to go to the doc's. I'm going to do some good long stretches and foam roll my legs to work out any kinks before bed. :D

Nelum

[mackandme]

Nelum, DBF used to live in Denver and that is one of the places he wants us to think about moving to when we finish up with school and get the heck out of Texas. I am worried about the altitude and Mack's asthma, though. DBF really misses the mountains, though.

Les, you're probably having much more enjoyable runs in VA than you did in the Corpus area, huh? Where the only hills were the highway over passes!

Karen, getting the kids organized must be quite a task. I'm still working on it myself.

We went to the fair yesterday and did A LOT of walking. Of course, we ate some really heinous fried foods, too. Weren't really in the mood for rides and such this go-round.

Am hoping to go the barn today and get in a ride (if i have time after i scrape all the mud off mack!). Will have to see how the end of the week progresses as to whether I can make it to the gym. I'm behind on dishes/laundry as we had yet another water main break and i couldn't get those things done last night while i was at home.

[karen w]

Kate-Hey, don't some spas charge you an arm and your first born to bathe in mud??!!:p Just teasing, of course. Hope Mack gets cleaned up nicely for a good ride.

Nelum-What is foam rolling?? Just curious. . .Les knows I get that way from time to time.:o i hope everything went well for you at your doctor's appt.

Les-Well, after 22 min. + 44 min. of running, any hill would seem steep and long to me, too! Glad you got a good long run in anyway.

I had a good swim this AM in spite of the swim team hogging the pool at 5:30AM this morning. I swam with one of the team members who was doing the butterfly quite a bit which can often be a big PITA(pain in the you-know=what:eek:). Fortunately, he controlled himself pretty well and did not make to much in the wake/wave dept. to hinder my swim. After getting the kids to school and some errands, I went to boxing with a whopping 5 people in class today and that is including me!:eek: It was still a very good class, but what a difference now compared to years ago when I began and the studio would quite often be packed.

This weekend is going to be elliptical and treadmill for me. The kids have a bunch of varied activities planned so things will be busy as usual. Hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nelum - If the bunnies would stay out of the street (lots of traffic 40 feet from my front door) I'd take them - they'd keep the squirrels and chipmunks company. :D I'll have to look into the small group curriculum but it sounds pretty good. Being Monday on Friday wasn't too bad but you're right, there's something wrong with Friday being Monday. My biggest issue is I get out of class at 11:00 on Friday and 5:00 on Monday. :( I love dogs running on top of snow too - it's a great sight. Of course, I love running in snow - just not enough of it around here.
Kate - It's nothing like running in Portland TX around here. If I got over to Corpus I could find A hill right along the bay - but it was only about a block long, not like here where the hills can be 1/2 - 3/4 mile long. Pulling for a muck-free Mack and a good ride today.
Karen - Don't you just dislike those butterflyers? (Of course - I'm one of them too) At least you did get a good swim in and had lots of personal attention in your kickboxing class. :cool: Here's to a good weekend for the kids (being out of your hair and occupied outside).

Nice day today, even if it was "Monday." Woke up early (not on purpose either I might add), but had a fantastic day at school, working on lots of important things (not so much for classes but for practical things later). It was trying to rain a little when I got home and the clouds were setting in. Still got out for a short jaunt on my bike (about 45 minutes) and snuck back in the fading edges of light. Almost time to relegate my road bike to the trainer and stick to mountain bike riding outside.

Work to do this weekend - mostly because it's midterm week next week and even though I don't have any midterms there are projects due in the first week back from break. No rest for the weary.

Peace to all and a blessed weekend.
Les

[nhonnold]

Kate - I can't blame DBF to want to go back to Denver. It's really great. You never get lost - all you need to know is the direction you want to go and that the mountains are always west. Oh, and we have some of the most gorgeous sunsets and sunrises I've ever seen!! I don't know much about asthma but I have a good friend with asthma. At least from the human front it hasn't been that big of a deal. She even goes out for runs. However, you do feel it the first couple of weeks. (Drink lots of water to avoid altitude sickness..) I hope you managed to get all the mud off mack and had a good ride.

Karen - Foam rolling is essentially a do-it-yourself deep tissue massage. It helps to work out the lactic acid in your muscles. It's good to do occasionally (everyday when you first start out) just to breakdown the build up. I know if I don't do it on a regular basis my knees start to complain. Glad you had a good swim even though you had to swim with butterfliers.

Les - LOL, see bunnies are fairly street wise. I only see one or two dead bunnies in the road per year, which seems to be only 1/1000000 of their population ;) The Truth Project is from Focus on the Family so you should be able to look up their curriculum via their web site. God be with you on your midterm projects!!

Yesterday, I had a session with my personal trainer (going to start that back up once a month), who really just puts me through a killer workout! :eek: Today and tomorrow is going to be running with Mikala, walking with Raggs and Taz, and foam rolling the pain out of my legs and arms from by personal trainer workout. :rolleyes:

Everyone have a great and blessed weekend!!

Nelum

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nelum - Yep, I know that the bunnies stay off the road pretty well. Too bad my friends the squirrels don't stay off the road as well (long story that I may share later but LW and I like Rocky and Bullwinkle). Thanks for the info about the class, Focus on the Family is a great group and I've liked their work in the past. The foam roller sounds like it's both fun and helpful. Thanks for your wishes and prayers for the coming week.

I had a pretty good day doing all kinds of weird things. I did some research for my systematic theology paper that is taking some time - I'm writing a paper that has to do with some of the theological problems I had over the summer working in the hospital -- how do we make sense and provide comfort to a family when their child dies? An odd topic but no one wants to talk about it so since I did a lot of work on that this summer I'm really intregued about the what my faith, or any faith for that matter, actually has to say about the subject. In a study break I took the afternoon to take a long ride (before the temp gets too cool to ride on the W&OD). Just over a couple hours (about a minute) and just a little under 29 miles (.2). Felt like I was slogging through peanut butter once in a while, and I even had full tires (filled them before going out). (Look out, my one vice is coming up...) Not sure why, maybe it was a lack of caffine (didn't get my normal 2-3 cups of caffinated coffee this morning). Early morning for church tomorrow (7:45 first service) so not a late night tonight.

I hope to hear from some of the gang later this weekend too.

Anyway... peace friends,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Back to back but I wanted to talk about today... it was a neat day - long day at church (not unexpected); did a 2 mile walk for a homeless shelter (that was started by the first Pastor at the church I'm interning at); then came home and couldn't figure out why I had no motivation to do anything productive. ;) NOT! It might have been lunch at 3:00 that was integral in my lack of motivation this evening (probably). Looking at the midterm week and hoping it goes as well as I expect it to, I think I'm ready for the week regardless. (And I couldn't get much more prepared for it regardless).

Peace friends and have a great week,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Good luck with your midterms.

As usual for Monday morning, the pool was full of team members at opening hours, but I did get my own lane and managed to stay by myself for 30 minutes of my swim. The swimmer that joined me was very well behaved as well, so overall it made for a very pleasant swim this AM. After the kids were off and I made a trip to the grocery store for basic goods, I went to boxing. Again, a small class, but at least a few more people than were there on Friday. And it was a good one as well. More errands in the afternoon(they seem endless!:rolleyes:) and DS#1 had religion. DH took all the kids to temple tonight for their Simchat Torah street festival. I imagine they will be home by 8 or 9 ish tonight. I am just hanging loose after a long day.

Have a good one,
Karen

[nhonnold]

Okay, I literally cannot move. :o Yesterday, I did my usual run with Mikala and then I walked Raggs and Taz. I was still recovering from my personal trainer workout on Friday. My quilting friend came over and we sat and sewed for a little while and then helped the economy by hitting the big sale at Joanns. Well, she challenged me. Her doctor said that she is supposed to minimize walking/running and she's been trying to lose a few pounds. I had the great idea "well what about biking". Yes, you guessed it I went for a bike ride (I haven't ridden in a year) and I went 10 miles. 5 miles up hill. :eek: Of course my friend was perfectly happy that she had a workout that didn't cause her pain. Of course, I topped off my already sore legs with a 60min circuit training class today. :rolleyes: Not quite sure how I'm going to be getting into work tomorrow....

Les - I agree: what the faith says about the subject of loss is intriguing. It's such an emotionally trying time and how can you help someone through it? You'll be in my prayers as you go through midterms! :D

Karen - how long is your swim usually? Glad you had a good swim. :D I agree errands are endless - just when you think you've got them done there's more. :rolleyes:

Everyone have a great and blessed week!

Nelum

[mackandme]

Just popping in quick before I leave work.

I did manage to make it to the gym Friday, and rode Saturday and today. Got up early today to squeeze my ride in before an early work shift because tomorrow (tuesday) dbf and i are running a special errand - the results of which hopefully i can share with you soon! But to throw out a GRE vocabulary word, it involves something refulgent.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ride by - Sorry you are so tight Nelum hopefully it passes quickly. Good for you to help the economy and buying fabric at Joann's... good for you. If we ever meet in real life I'll have to let you and LW at the quilting talk, she's an avid quilter. Thanks for the wishes and the confirmation about my topic of paper, you don't know how much work that was this summer and how passionate I am about the subject. Good swim Karen - too bad it was Monday.

Just got home about 20 minutes ago (10:40) from a meeting at Church so need to take care of things before ed. Parting shot - I rode before heading over for the meeting - an hour around town (a run tomorrow hopefully) and felt great. May go out to dinner tomorrow - Dinner Out for the Cure in Alexandria and the Japanese place nearby is donating 50% of their proceeds to charity so sushi may be on the menu. :cool:

See you tomorrow... Les

[karen w]

Les-Nothing like a good dinner and helping out a good cause. You get a pat on the back for that one.:)

Nelum-Aren't you the work out maniac!!! WOW! Not surprised that you are sore. I hope you won't be heading into work on a wheel chair!:eek: FYI, I swim 45 min.-1 hour depending what I have time for in the morning. I guestimate I go about 1 1/4-1 1/2 miles.

Kate-Pardon me for being presumptious and perhaps a bit premature, but if your refulgency is what I think it is all about, then a hearty congratulations are in order for you and DBF(or is it soon to be your DF?!:D).

Another great swim today and it was with the flailer as well who actually was well behaved today! Wonders never cease! Then it was a bike ride and weights/core at home later in the morning followed by WAY WAY too many chores around the house, but I got alot of the laundry out of the way. Unfortunately, the kids have now become laundry making machines so that seems to be a never ending chore.:rolleyes: Tonight DS#1 had his cooking class and DS#2 had guitar.

Tomorrow I am going to swim and do my cardio. boxing class. In the afternoon the kids have religion and then I have to go back to the religious school after dinner for my first meeting for the youth group for which I have agreed to be an advisor.

Have a good evening,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Since we were co-posting last night Kate I'll send the same good vibes about your shopping trip. Gotta love those GRE words don't you! ;) Good workouts too.
Karen - Too many chores? Never. ;) Good swim and good balancing of your family's various schedules. Thanks for the pat on the back too. And now you're the youth group advisor too? ARGH!
Nelum - I hope you're moving better today - it's always hard to start doing a "new" exercise isn't it? A little running/walking with the dogs, a little sewing, and then a little riding. Never a good combination. How did you get to work today? Hopefully it wasn't too painful. At some point in time, if you'd like, I can share some of what I (and the rest of the Chaplain Interns - there were 7 of us at Children's Hospital Washington DC) went through trying to answer just those questions - how do we make a difference. Part of the reason that I'm writing about it now... need to process the remainder of my thoughts and make sense of a "wild ride" this summer.

I skipped my workout today. Not totally on purpose but the "short" doctor's appointment for LW (nothing serious but I went along with her for support) ended up being a lot longer than expected. Doesn't help going in 45 minutes late for the appointment then having to wait for prescriptions for another 45 minutes. So the time had to be recouped on campus (no test today). Then decided that we'd go and hit the Japanese place - the sushi was good, the company was better, and the cause was quite right. The restaurant is donating 50% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer research so I'm happy to go out for dinner on a week night.

Tuesday is coming to a close and after tomorrow it's Fall break until the following Wednesday.

Hope all are well and staying warm etc. Peace friends,
Les

[nhonnold]

Kate - If it is what I think it is (had to go look up the word in a dictionary - I'm an Eng not an Literature person) then congratulations. You have a lot to look forward too.

Karen - Wow, 1hr - that's really cool. I'm always impressed with swimmers. My lungs keep wanting to breathe as if I were running while in the pool and after trying to use swimming as a cross-training for a few months finally just gave in to the fact that I am no swimmer. :o

Les - Yes, I'd be totally interested to hearing about you all's experiences trying to answer those questions. It would be fascinating to hear! I know that as a christian my heart just goes out to those that are grieving and I feel like I grieve with them and I'm just at a loss for words. Of course, maybe that's what they need is just to know that someone is there for them? But I also think it depends on how they grieve too? I actually got Mikala with the purpose in mind for her to be a therapy pet and I've trained her with that in mind. She still needs a lot more training with distractions etc, but she's getting there. :D I'm a little excited about the prospect...

Well, I wasn't as sore as I thought I'd be but then I spent all day in a meeting and well, that wasn't all that great. :( I wonder if I can talk DH into carrying my upstairs to bed??? :D Amazingly enough the only part of my body that did not hurt was my calves which I foam rolled last night. No exercise for me today - would have likes to get in a short run just to get the blood flowing and working on getting lactic acid out of muscles but 12 hrs in one room really does wipe you out!! Of course then I came home to no water. We are renovating the house and well, DH discovered that there is a drain pipe that goes no where and needs to patch it into the main drain. So, we have no water right now. :eek: I hope that I will wake up to water tomorrow morning and since I need to be in extra early (4:30AM) for yet another all day meeting I need to get to bed...

Everyone have a great and blessed Wednesday!!!

Nelum

[Leslie Ferguson]

Crawling by en rotue to bed...
Nelum - I'll see what I can do and post something for/to you. That's really neat about Mikala and I can understand why you're excited about her training.

Bed calls...
Les

[karen w]

Drive by tonight since I have the youth advisor meeting tonight, but I had a good swim and a good cardio. boxing class. Bought BIG pumpkins for the kids for Halloween so this weekend or next will be carving(and roasting seed) time at our house. DD has her annual 4th grade pumpking carving at school next Friday so she should be set as well. Sorry I don't have time for individual comments, but have a good evening everyone and a great day tomorrow.

Karen

[nhonnold]

Drive by here too...

Spent all day in meetings again today and only left work early at 17:36 :eek: to get to this week's Truth Project Session (which was even better than last week's session!)...

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get something in workout wise tomorrow since I only have a day that is only 75% full of meetings. :rolleyes:

Les - Thanks!

Karen - Glad you had a good cardio and swim and hoping you are having a blast at the youth advisor meeting. If not, then you'll have a blast carving and roasting all those pumpkins with the kids!!

Everyone have a great and blessed Thursday! :D (Today is Wednesday, right? - so tired that the days are starting to blur together...:()

Nelum

[Laura]

Make that the third drive by. Got a weight work out in today, but my days of insomnia have returned so I am wiped. Wednesdays are long days because DH and I do a couple bible study/life group so I usually don't get home until 9:00.

Nelum, I noticed you said you were in Colorado. Did you get a snow/ice mix this morning like I did? I am not sure I am ready for winter.

[karen w]

Nelum-Sorry to hear you have so many meetings at work lately. . . has to be a drag after awhile. I hope they let up for you soon.

Laura-Sending you some sleepy thoughts.

Well. . . .maybe I want to keep a few of those sleepy thoughts. No insomnia for me, but the dreams that I have been having lately. . .WOW!!!:eek: I wake up tired since they are so vivid and crazy. A woman who I normally swim with in the mornings was back after a noticeable absence this morning. I asked her where she had been and she said that since beginning menopause, she has been having such crazy dreams that it has interferred with getting up in the morning to workout. SO IS THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!! Of course, then I go home and tell DH all about this theory of hers(and mine) and he says "Geesh, is that what I have to look forward to now/soon?" My response was that if that is the only side effect as I go through this "change in life" to consider himself lucky. Then I pointed out that all of the life changes that woman go through and hate so much begin with M-E-N!!!:D M-E-N opause, M-E-N stration/M-E-N arche.....(Sorry Les, nothing personal intended!) That's when DH realized that the "ovarian army" was on the attack and it was a wise time to retreat!:p But in all seriousness, I think I am still a bit early for this change of life(44 y.o.), so I'll chalk it up to circadian rhythms for now.:rolleyes:

As for my day. . . still had a good swim and a really fantastic boxing class. There were 11 or 12 of us today and the instructor did a different drill with us that really worked our butts good. We(at least, I) enjoyed it!;)

Tomorrow I am going to swim and treadmill at home as I have a few things to do around the house. DH is working all weekend so another low-key weekend. DD is going to a Halloween party and the boys to movie night at the town library. The rest we will figure out as the weekend unfolds.

Have a good one,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Glad to see taht we're not in the drive by mode tonight... :D
Nelum - Meetings, especially late ones, are never fun. I'm with Karen and hope that you lessen the number of meetings soon and get back to normalcy. Did you get a workout in today with only 75% meetings?
Laura - I don't even want to think about ice/snow - I'm definitely not ready for winter here. It was bad enough that it was 38 here when I left the house (a little before 5 am). Sending good sleep vibes to you too.
Karen - I hope that you don't get into that already... LW is mostly on her way there, just needs to have her body "behave" correctly to actually start on the m_ road. If crazy dreams are a sign of menopause/andropause (which I may be experiencing) then I'm definitely on target. ;) Glad you had a good day at the pool and all the other sundry workouts. Hope you have a good weekend.

It was a mixed day again here. It started with an early morning pick-up and drop off of an assistant dean at the airport (at 5am for an early morning flight). Was able to come home and caught about an hour sleep before trying to get out of the house to meet with my spiritual director. Had a great session talking about what has been making me tick spiritually over the past days/weeks. Did some work at school on a couple papers (due in mid November and mid-December). Then VOTED early today (took all of 3 minutes) and came home and rode. It wasn't too bad when I headed out - about 58 degrees and little breeze, but that was before the clouds set in -- it got downright cool, definitely cooler than I like for riding considering I was only wearing a long-sleeve technical shirt (dry fit-like). Still zipped around for just over an hour. Came home and made dinner (Tofu and mushroom stir fry with thai-peanut sauce) - always a lovely dinner.

Almost forgot, went round and round trying to get a doctor's appointment to have them check my hearing aid (referral from my PCM). Spent time trying to get through that I didn't care which military medical facility I went to in the DC area as long as it was less than an hour away and SOON. Needless to say after a long discussion I'm in to see the audio on Election Day (not soon enough but the soonest available) so I had another successful event this afternoon.

Now I'm struggling to stay awake a little longer so I'm not up at 3 am (again). But need to do some "setting up exercises" (core/abs) and hit the next meal. So until tomorrow - peace to all.

Les

[nhonnold]

Laura - no snow at the house, but there was a light dusting at work. I am so not ready for winter. I feel like this summer was really, really short. I hope you get some sleep soon!! Insomnia is never a fun thing. (Last time I had it - found out my thyroid was off...)

Karen - Thanks. I was told by my boss to "go home and rest" today so that's what I did. ;) You're too young for that

Les - I am so mentally exhausted that nothing but sleeping is on my mind. :o

Well, I got to leave work early today - something about already having all my hours in for the week, which has it's own set of implications. I got home and went to home depot got some paint and painted some test spots in the house. (We are renovating the house.) Then I just sat on the sofa and just laid there. I needed to just not use my brain for a little while. :o Of course, I eventually turned on the tv just for the noise and dozed in an out for the rest of the day.

I have only a short day at work tomorrow as well :D So, I'm planning on doing a workout first thing in the morning - need to run Mik and walk Taz and Raggs.

What's really sad about this hectic week is that I'm STILL sore from Monday's workout, well, except the calves (they got foam rolled). :eek:

Everyone have a great and blessed Friday!!!

Nelum

[karen w]

Nelum-Glad to hear you got some relief at work. Sometimes we need those brainless afternoons where you just turn off the computer attached to the neck and have some "zombie time." I did that last night after dinner!:D

Les-Sounds like you had a successful day yesterday. Hope today was just as good.

I think I was so tired last night, I did not have it in me to dream rampantly. I did have a decent night's sleep and an excellent swim this AM. Only 2 swim team members in the pool this morning, so it was not the typical Friday Mob scene which was a refreshing change. After the kids got off to school, I ran/walked on the treadmill for 45 min. and did some abs. I also made a huge batch of stuffed cabbage; some to go in the freezer for when my Mom is here during the Thanksgiving holiday. She likes those as do DS#1 and myself. YUM YUM!

Have a good weekend everyone. Taking the boys to their movie night at the library in 5 min.

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Woo Hoo! Only two swim team folks to give you a good swim this morning. Glad your dreams kept themselves to a dull roar last night too. What movie did the boys go see with you tonight? Probably something good if it was at the library. Early preparation of food for Thanksgiving -- what a concept. I hope that you have a good weekend too.

I had another good day - slept in (needed it after the fun from yesterday), puttered around the house for a while then went and did some significant work on campus on a project. Then went to pick up some necessities (new jeans and dress shirt mostly) then came home and ran for about 45 minutes. The excitement of the run was the 4 fire/rescue trucks and LifeFlight helicopter in a park near my house. I so desperately wanted to run by and see what was going on but know that I didn't need to (the EMTs don't need Looky-Lous when they're working on folks) so passed it by.

Tomorrow, if the rain holds out I'll probably ride in the morning or if not, then I'll run sometime around noon. Tomorrow evening LW and I are joining a bunch of my running friends from Norfolk/Virginia Beach for dinner. They are in town for the Marine Corps Marathon (on Sunday) so it will be nice to catch up with them a little tomorrow (but won't run with them on Sunday :( ).

Hope everyone has a good weekend and I'll see you later. Peace,
Les

[mackandme]

Hey all, it is official, dbf and i are getting hitched. we actually started talking about this ages ago, but put it off first b/c of my health, and then waiting to see whether he was going to get laid off, and we just spent what felt like eons waiting on the ring to come back from LA, where it was getting some modifications and a wedding band made. so by now we've pretty much got the wedding planned! (tho i still contemplate eloping about once an hour). we ended up picking up the ring thursday, went to lunch, and then went to the japanese garden under the guise of picking which location we want to have our ceremony, and he popped the question on a pretty bridge over the water. it was all very transparent, but he knows i don't like surprises! unfortunately we were being serenaded by guy with a leaf blower. he finally went away about half an hour after dbf popped the question, so i gave him back the ring and we went back to the bridge and he asked me again just so we wouldn't have all that noise in the background!

karen, that's an interesting hypothesis about your dreams. maybe it would explain all the horrendously violent dreams i used to have while i was in lupron-menopause. i have been wondering why terrorists have no longer been blowing me up with strapped-on bombs in my dreams. i always just blamed my job and all the photos and articles i have to see for all my crazy dreams. tho i have to say, the mood swings were much, much worse than the dreams!

got in a nice ride on mack today. it has cooled off and he's doing well. more rides and trips to the gym in the future....

[Leslie Ferguson]

Congratulations Kate! That's really special how DF/DBF popped the question. Neat that you had a chance to go back and do it sans leaf blower, but that story will be one that you carry forever. I hear you about going out to elope as opposed to the full blown wedding. LW and I did a "double" marriage - we got legally married at the courthouse with 25 of our relatives and a couple friends then a week later had a celebration with our friends. Of course we were both poor college students (or recent college graduate) and there was no question of a big wedding being out of the question. Wouldn't do it any other way, even today. As for dreams... the Jungian Psychiatrist would probably say all kinds of things about our dreams (especially those you're having Kate) - I subscribe that it has a lot to do with what really troubles us (the pictures you deal with would be high on my list too) or things that really get to us (move us in great ways). Glad that things have turned in a good direction for you on the weather front - hopefully you can get out on Mack and to the gym.

Off to bake for tomorrow - we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of a lady who delivers meals for the Meals on Wheels program. 20 years - OH MY!

Peace,
Les

[Laura]

Congratulations Kate! I wish you and DF many, many happy years together as Husband and Wife.

I had a wonderful surprise this weekend as DD was able to get a stand-by flight home on Thursday. The weather turned gorgeous just in time for her return. No workouts until she left today (she went to spend a few days with her dad too), but DH and I did get a nice swim in today. I went 2100 again and my legs felt decidedly stronger.

Here is the preview of our Christmas card picture
http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v350/196/67/592100133/n592100133_4576111_3018.jpg

[Leslie Ferguson]

Laura - That's a great picture of you all. Your son looks like he's getting taller than when we met last year. YIKES! Quite the surprise about your daughter getting home this weekend too. Have to love that. Great swim today - 2100 yds is no slouch in my book.

I had a mixed day, did some nice things, didn't do some things, relaxed a little and I even ran this afternoon before heading over for dinner with the gang. I wish I could have gotten more distance in but a little (huge) GI issue hit - something that I've been fiddling with for the past two days (and I hope it finally passes - no pun intended). Still got 35 minutes in in the POURING rain - so much rain that the 5-year old is thrilled! Nice dinner at the oriental buffet - new ownership (since last year) and they had better stuff this time, including steamed mussles, clams, crawfish, crab (not "real" crabs from PacNorWest but blues from the Chesapeake - but one can't be too picky). Long day tomorrow (like all Sunday's these days) so off to nurse my achy knees (I think I don't like my shoes :mad: because they make my knees hurt when I run) and get ready for tomorrow.

Until later... peace,
Les