Eye of the Kitten

Just cause I'm not quite up to saying I hear The Eye of the Tiger (by Survivor) in my head yet, but I'm pretty gosh darn close. Last Friday I finished week 5 of Couch to 5K which was a 20 minute run. And. I. Did. It. When that 20 minute mark passed, I did a happy dance right there on the track and exclaimed "I am the bomb!" (actually, I think I exclaimed something else, but that's not appropriate for polite reading) In any case, I was STOKED!

If someone had told me from week 1 through today that I could've done that, I would've called them Cruisazy. At this point, I don't care if it's Cruisazy. It does work.

I started doing this because I knew I had some trips this summer where I wouldn't be able to pop in my beloved Turbo Jam or Rockin' Body dvds and knowing my tendency to revert to true Couch Potato status in the time it takes to eat a Little Debbie Snack cake, I wanted to find something portable. What's more portable than my own two feet? The true test will start this week as I leave for Creation (see right sidebar) with 25 youth. Will I get up in the morning to run? Ask me on Sunday night or Monday morning. And no judgements on how many S'Mores I end up eating!

I've had people ask me about C25K, so here's the website again: Cool Running :: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan

Spent some mad fun time last week with my cousin Darin! My daughters have officially pronounced him 'Cool and not old & stodgy'. Just what are they saying about the rest of the family? Or me? When we were young, Darin and Daryl, my sis and I pretty much swore we were going to live on the same block and raise our kids together. Turns out that Darin and I were the first in what became a long line of black sheep for our family, so we never got the chance to buy houses in the same neighborhood.

Nevertheless, in no time at all, the conversation flowed easily and we are plotting to get he and his family up here for more hang time. One night we strolled around the Mall in DC for hours, where our Capital was certainly showing off with perfect weather, lots of softball, soccer and even dodgeball games on the grounds and just that overall cool Capital feeling that we tend to take for granted having lived in the area so long. Experiencing it through his fresh eyes was truly a pleasure. There are no funny quips to be had here; only a refreshed appeciation for what a nice place DC can be.

Our pastor is leaving our church to move onto Leonardtown, MD for another church. First, my kids and all the youth in our church are completely heartbroken. Second, many adults are too. Third, I hope his passport is current because I hear you need one in that part of MD (:P). I guess you can safely say that he will be missed. My children grew up with PJ. I've watched his son grow up and come to love & occasionally discipline him as my own. Secretly, it's always been a desire to yell at a PK ever since my sis' BFF was the world's most rotten PK on the planet! JW will grow up to shake off the title of PK nicely. His heart is good and he's matured a great deal in the past couple of years. We'll miss the whole family. Sniff, sniffle...

Families made PJ scrapbook pages to send him off to his new home. He's got a penchant for shedding a few tears, so PJ, you better not tear-stain our pages! Here's our family offering:

It's a weird world folks

I kid you not.

I saw an ad on television promoting Peed Plumbing. Look them up next time your pipes are plugged. Not only can I not imagine growing up with the last name of Peed, but to have your family be in the plumbing business? I think I'd be changing my name to something less, um, urine-like. Perhaps, Brown? Well, maybe not, I guess someone could read something into Brown Plumbing too.

And here's a product you just can't live without: Bacon Salt - Everything should taste like bacon. Here's the kicker: It's kosher. If you eat kosher, you shouldn't know what bacon tastes like, but apparently, if you have a jonesing for a little bacon flavor, this is just the ticket. I'm totally into turkey bacon myself, but if I ever see this stuff in the store, you can bet I'll probably try it out.

Yesterday I did Day 1 of Week 4 for Couch to 5K. I thought I started early enough to avoid the worst heat. The rotation was lengthy, so I wrote it on my hand because I thought I might look like I was consulting Running For Dummies (isn't that what I'm really doing?) if I carried a print-out.
It. Was. Wicked. Hot. AND Humid. The last 5 minute jog was torture. Torture! I did it though. Even when the 2 walking ladies took umbrage at being asked to let me pass left, I kept on going like the Rayovac bunny (cause I most certainly wasn't Energized by then).
I've figured out that I'll either have to get up before the sun rises. (1) Or buy a treadmill to keep this Cruisaziness (2) up with the intense heat we've been suffering through. In the meantime, if you see a chick passed out on the side of the road wearing trainers and a pink camo hat, please take me home and give me candy. I deserve candy!

(1) Oh yeah, I am so NOT a morning person. If this happens, expect the Hell to freeze over and children to start doing their chores without complaining and without being asked. Snort!
(2) That pesky consideration issue in my marriage. I'm pretty sure treadmills cost over $100 which means I won't be getting one anytime soon since the hubby thinks the outdoors is Nature's Perfect Treadmill. For those who don't know, Cruisazy is what some people say when something or someone is spectacularly crazy as in Tom Cruise gone all crazy. Hence Cruisazy = running in this oppressive heat.

Looking for your dream job

And love chocolate? Possibly more than your significant other and preteen? Or quelle surprise ~ art supplies, flea markets and a retirement community yard sale?

Look no further than this: DOVE Chocolate at Home®

Imagine life surrounded by lovely, delectable chocolate and getting paid for it?!?
I'd be half-tempted to try it if I weren't more than sure that I would eat my own inventory in no time flat. If you, however, were to start this up or host a show, I'm sure I could throw some business your way as long you throw some chocolate my way!

~Week 3 of Couch to 5K kicks off tonight at my daughter's track practice. My knees are already quaking with fear. Or that might've been because I already did a workout this morning. Wish me luck as I get smoked on the track by 4 year olds wearing flipflops and shorts they have to hold up with one hand while toddling past or they'd moon everyone.

~We have another bird nest. This time in our cherry tree! It's big. Not a robin. Momma bird is stealthy and we haven't had a good look at her yet.

~My daughter who obviously leeched the remainder of any athletic skills I had whilst in utero, long-jumped 13ft 4.5 inches on Saturday! The kid can fly. I, on the other hand, hobble.

~We have new neighbors who are renting the house behind us. First thing they did was hammer a No Tresspassing sign on the porch post. Wow, how neighborly of them. I'm fighting the urge to go over there anyway with a lime gelatin-shredded carrot mold just to see their reaction to both the hideousness that would be the gelatin mold and my perky smile on their porch steps. Pray that my naughty tendencies can be repressed and they realize that really, we aren't out to inundate them with molds, cookies, brownies and broccoli casseroles. I make no promises however about NOT leaving bags of produce on their porch once the tomatoes start to crowd my kitchen later this summer. I guess I could just turn the tomatoes into a Tomato Aspic (blech!)?