Well…it's that time again.
Today I was driving to work, trying to find some music to listen to on the way. I can change the stations while I drive without looking at the dial, which is both good and bad. While on my way to work, I like to listen to upbeat music, which pumps me up for the day. Recently, I've been seeing Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations in stores and as much as I would like to be in denial about it, I can no longer do it.
There's a station in Kansas City, Star 102 (102.1 for you locally) that has a tradition of playing all Christmas music all the time from a certain point in November all the way through Christmas day. Last year, it was mid November, just before Thanksgiving.
This year, it was right after Halloween. Imagine my surprise to hear The Carpenters, "Merry Christmas Darling" on November 3. I'm sure the cars beside me thought I was insane as I started singing along loudly and grinning like an idiot.
Needless to say, I don't think we can be in denial any longer that Christmas is coming.
Even if we haven't even had our Thanksgiving turkey yet.
Put on your mistletoe hats and enjoy!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Best Laid Plans.....
As you all know, Wendy and I have been training for the 4 mile run/walk at the end of the year. You also know that we participated in a 2k/5k last weekend and walked/ran the 5k. Yay for us! I really thought we were right on track, only needing to shave off about 10 minutes of our total time on the 5k to allow for the fourth mile later this year.
In theory, we had it all figured out.
What we didn't count on was an injury. Saturday, after the walk in the morning, we attended the company picnic and all was well. I got up for church the next morning and noticed my foot was a little sore, but chalked it up to the hard workout from the previous day. After church, Wendy asked me if I wanted to go to the mall with her and Makenna to get Mak some jeans. I said yes, but that I wanted to go home to change clothing and into my sneakers for a more comfortable walk.
This is where I should have known there was a problem.
I put my shoe on my right foot and it didn't fit right. I thought many things at this point: what if it's too tight, maybe it's the shoe, maybe my foot is a bit swollen from yesterday, etc. I changed shoes and put on the same ones I had worn. The same thing happened. It wouldn't fit right. I tied it tightly, hoping it would help support it and went with Wendy.
The next morning I arose and if possible, the pain was worse as I stepped on it. It's very difficult to get dressed and not step on your right foot. I worked all day on it and walked around like I normally do and I left work that night in a tremendous amount of pain.
Wendy and I talked and I agreed to go to Urgent Care. So we set out and arrived there. I was a bit concerned when we walked in and saw 2 people sitting in masks there. But I filled out my paperwork, paid my co-pay and waited. They called my name and I hobbled in and sat on the table. The nurse took my temp and was about to take my blood pressure when I informed her that I have a high pain tolerance and that my bp was probably high. It wasn't as high as I had thought it was going to be. I really wasn't in the mood for a lecture on high blood pressure.
I got an x-ray taken and then hobbled back to the room and waited…and waited….and waited. The nurse practitioner came back in and said the best thing all night:
"I don't see a break…………..yet."
I was speechless. But not for too long. Because when I said, "If it's a stress fracture, it's not going to show on an x-ray, right?" She said, "Right." I wanted to demand my co-pay back, but I was willing to listen to what she had to say. Which wasn't much. She gave me an ace bandage and a note to wear supportive shoes. (Are you rolling your eyes like I was?) Oh, and rent some crutches if it hurt "that bad."
So Wendy contacted a friend of ours who had a boot and some crutches. So I will have to wear the boot for at least 2 weeks. I got permission yesterday to use only one crutch or a cane. I'm finding a cane currently. I was hoping for one with a disco ball on it, but have been unsuccessful thus far.
Needless to say, I'm a bit bummed. I don't yet know what impact this is going to have on the run in December. I'm hoping to start swimming next week. No aqua ex allowed because of the impact, but I can swim. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers!
In theory, we had it all figured out.
What we didn't count on was an injury. Saturday, after the walk in the morning, we attended the company picnic and all was well. I got up for church the next morning and noticed my foot was a little sore, but chalked it up to the hard workout from the previous day. After church, Wendy asked me if I wanted to go to the mall with her and Makenna to get Mak some jeans. I said yes, but that I wanted to go home to change clothing and into my sneakers for a more comfortable walk.
This is where I should have known there was a problem.
I put my shoe on my right foot and it didn't fit right. I thought many things at this point: what if it's too tight, maybe it's the shoe, maybe my foot is a bit swollen from yesterday, etc. I changed shoes and put on the same ones I had worn. The same thing happened. It wouldn't fit right. I tied it tightly, hoping it would help support it and went with Wendy.
The next morning I arose and if possible, the pain was worse as I stepped on it. It's very difficult to get dressed and not step on your right foot. I worked all day on it and walked around like I normally do and I left work that night in a tremendous amount of pain.
Wendy and I talked and I agreed to go to Urgent Care. So we set out and arrived there. I was a bit concerned when we walked in and saw 2 people sitting in masks there. But I filled out my paperwork, paid my co-pay and waited. They called my name and I hobbled in and sat on the table. The nurse took my temp and was about to take my blood pressure when I informed her that I have a high pain tolerance and that my bp was probably high. It wasn't as high as I had thought it was going to be. I really wasn't in the mood for a lecture on high blood pressure.
I got an x-ray taken and then hobbled back to the room and waited…and waited….and waited. The nurse practitioner came back in and said the best thing all night:
"I don't see a break…………..yet."
I was speechless. But not for too long. Because when I said, "If it's a stress fracture, it's not going to show on an x-ray, right?" She said, "Right." I wanted to demand my co-pay back, but I was willing to listen to what she had to say. Which wasn't much. She gave me an ace bandage and a note to wear supportive shoes. (Are you rolling your eyes like I was?) Oh, and rent some crutches if it hurt "that bad."
So Wendy contacted a friend of ours who had a boot and some crutches. So I will have to wear the boot for at least 2 weeks. I got permission yesterday to use only one crutch or a cane. I'm finding a cane currently. I was hoping for one with a disco ball on it, but have been unsuccessful thus far.
Needless to say, I'm a bit bummed. I don't yet know what impact this is going to have on the run in December. I'm hoping to start swimming next week. No aqua ex allowed because of the impact, but I can swim. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The 2K
Today was the BCBS of Kansas company picnic. The company organized a 2K/5K walk & run and I had decided to participate in the 2K, in preparation for the Miracle on Kansas Run in December. I asked Wendy if she wanted to do it with me and she said yes.
This morning, we arrived at the Expocentre to register and get our shirts. As we were doing so, one of the organizers was discussing people who were walking te 5k. Wendy says to me, "Hey, lets walk the 5K." My thoughts were first like... um no. But I agreed.
So we set out and got to the halfway point and turned around. On the way back, Wendy said, "Hey, lets do some intermittent jogging." I agree and we're off! We would walk along, set a landmark up ahead and jog to that point. At one point, I engaged her in a little sprinting and she nearly killed me. LOL
Needless to say, we finished in less than 1 hour. I'm so glad we did it, even if it took a little longer than I had hoped for. I'll be doing more intermittent jogging soon!
This morning, we arrived at the Expocentre to register and get our shirts. As we were doing so, one of the organizers was discussing people who were walking te 5k. Wendy says to me, "Hey, lets walk the 5K." My thoughts were first like... um no. But I agreed.
So we set out and got to the halfway point and turned around. On the way back, Wendy said, "Hey, lets do some intermittent jogging." I agree and we're off! We would walk along, set a landmark up ahead and jog to that point. At one point, I engaged her in a little sprinting and she nearly killed me. LOL
Needless to say, we finished in less than 1 hour. I'm so glad we did it, even if it took a little longer than I had hoped for. I'll be doing more intermittent jogging soon!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Attack of the Pink Glitter
In honor of my boss' birthday on Tuesday, our unit decided to have a Disco Themed party. We also decided to dress the part. I scanned my closet, in hopes of finding something that would be suitable for the party and still dress code appropriate. Hiding behind a skirt, I found a shirt with pink sparkly glitter all over it. Success!
I dressed on Tuesday morning, watching a cloud of pink glitter fall onto the carpet in my house as I put the shirt on. This should have given me an indication of what it was going to be like all day. It did not. For the remainder of the day, everywhere I went, I left glitter. Today, still, in my chair at work is a line of glitter from where it fell off as I sat there. In my car, it's like a special seat covering. I also went to the church that afternoon and spoke with our Youth Director in her office. I left her chair sparkly too.
By the time I got home, I was covered in glitter. On my face, in my hair, on my neck, my arms, etc. It did not help that it was hot that day and so the sweat just made it all the more glittery. I don't know if you know this, but glitter is darn near impossible to remove.
The next morning, I took a shower and seriously scrubbed hard, in an effort to remove the glitter from my body. I think I removed an entire layer of skin. Still, as I checked my appearance in the mirror prior to leaving, I found more. Unbelievable!
Last night I took a bath and when I went into the bathroom to fill the tub, I looked down and saw it. One piece. In the tub. Nice.
It's now Thursday and I am still glitter-laden. I guess it just means I have a sparkly personality.
I dressed on Tuesday morning, watching a cloud of pink glitter fall onto the carpet in my house as I put the shirt on. This should have given me an indication of what it was going to be like all day. It did not. For the remainder of the day, everywhere I went, I left glitter. Today, still, in my chair at work is a line of glitter from where it fell off as I sat there. In my car, it's like a special seat covering. I also went to the church that afternoon and spoke with our Youth Director in her office. I left her chair sparkly too.
By the time I got home, I was covered in glitter. On my face, in my hair, on my neck, my arms, etc. It did not help that it was hot that day and so the sweat just made it all the more glittery. I don't know if you know this, but glitter is darn near impossible to remove.
The next morning, I took a shower and seriously scrubbed hard, in an effort to remove the glitter from my body. I think I removed an entire layer of skin. Still, as I checked my appearance in the mirror prior to leaving, I found more. Unbelievable!
Last night I took a bath and when I went into the bathroom to fill the tub, I looked down and saw it. One piece. In the tub. Nice.
It's now Thursday and I am still glitter-laden. I guess it just means I have a sparkly personality.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
2K
This coming Saturday, Wendy and I will be participating in a 2K Walk/Run sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. It's strictly voluntary and in conjunction with our company picnic, which is later that same day.
I reminded Wendy of this last night while we were chatting online and I'm sure she looked at me (from her apartment) like I was crazy. So I told her again what we had signed up to do. She then asked the best question ever:
Do we have to run?
I smiled and typed "no." Then I explained that it was only 1.2 miles and that we certainly could walk. She seemed relieved.
This is our first big road test in anticipation of the Miracle on Kansas Run/Walk in December. I'm pretty excited and I'm sure that it will be a huge success!
Wish us luck!
I reminded Wendy of this last night while we were chatting online and I'm sure she looked at me (from her apartment) like I was crazy. So I told her again what we had signed up to do. She then asked the best question ever:
Do we have to run?
I smiled and typed "no." Then I explained that it was only 1.2 miles and that we certainly could walk. She seemed relieved.
This is our first big road test in anticipation of the Miracle on Kansas Run/Walk in December. I'm pretty excited and I'm sure that it will be a huge success!
Wish us luck!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Vacation
Last week, I took a vacation with Brian. In case you don't know, he collects carnival glass and has founded a club, that is now worldwide. (See www.carnivalglass.org) The club's annual convention was last week in Greenville, Ohio. This was about 30 minutes or so from my Grandma's house, so it was very convenient to stay with her and then attend the convention.
We drove an RV to Ohio, filled with 4 other people besides Brian and me. We made the trip in one day, approximately 11 hours. The RV was great, as it had a bathroom in it (which I never used), beds, a couch, wireless internet and the capability to watch movies the entire trip. We only stopped for gas and when Brian had to use the restroom, as he drove to and from Ohio the entire time.
Getting there was fun. We all took naps, chatted, updated Facebook, etc. It was a great trip there. Yes, 11 hours is a long time, but it was fun.
Then the convention started and it was a fun-filled week, full of beautiful glass, lovely people and a wonderful banquet from a great restaurant. I re-met people that I had met 8 years ago and also met MANY people that I had not met, but were waiting to meet me.
Alas, the convention ended and we had to make the long drive home. We were all tired and tempers flared a bit, as you can imagine. The drive home was very interesting when we got into Missouri, the winds kicked up and we were blowing around the road like a kite at times. It was somewhat exciting. We did stop at Harrah's in St. Louis for dinner and a little casino fun.
We arrived back in Topeka at 3:33am and I dropped one of our party off at his house and finally got home and in bed at 4:30am. I slept until 12:30pm and awoke in the same position!
A fun time was had by all and I can't wait for next year!
Until next time!
Cheers!
We drove an RV to Ohio, filled with 4 other people besides Brian and me. We made the trip in one day, approximately 11 hours. The RV was great, as it had a bathroom in it (which I never used), beds, a couch, wireless internet and the capability to watch movies the entire trip. We only stopped for gas and when Brian had to use the restroom, as he drove to and from Ohio the entire time.
Getting there was fun. We all took naps, chatted, updated Facebook, etc. It was a great trip there. Yes, 11 hours is a long time, but it was fun.
Then the convention started and it was a fun-filled week, full of beautiful glass, lovely people and a wonderful banquet from a great restaurant. I re-met people that I had met 8 years ago and also met MANY people that I had not met, but were waiting to meet me.
Alas, the convention ended and we had to make the long drive home. We were all tired and tempers flared a bit, as you can imagine. The drive home was very interesting when we got into Missouri, the winds kicked up and we were blowing around the road like a kite at times. It was somewhat exciting. We did stop at Harrah's in St. Louis for dinner and a little casino fun.
We arrived back in Topeka at 3:33am and I dropped one of our party off at his house and finally got home and in bed at 4:30am. I slept until 12:30pm and awoke in the same position!
A fun time was had by all and I can't wait for next year!
Until next time!
Cheers!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mom-isms
Today would have been my Mom's 58th birthday. As a tribute, I thought I would share some of the Mom-isms that Wendy and I experienced while growing up. Many of these, I still hear from my Grandma.
"Poise, Poise, Poise" - This statement was often yelled while we laughed uncontrollably, or rather, wheezed.
"Burney, Burney" - Used to signify a hot oven. What it means: DON'T TOUCH!
The next one is somewhat like a knock knock joke. Mom would say, "You know what they say about that...?"
We would answer, "No, what?"
The answer - "Well I don't know, but they say it." Nice, eh?
It makes me smile to think of these things. At the same time, I'm sad as she isn't here to experience things that Wendy and her family and that I do. I know that she's with me all the time and that she was with me in New York at Carnegie Hall (probably thinking, "How LONG is this song?!)
Right after she passed away, a friend of mine found out and put her death into these terms: Her soul got too big for her body and needed a bigger place to fly. I don't think I can put it any better.
Happy Birthday Mom! You're timeless!
"Poise, Poise, Poise" - This statement was often yelled while we laughed uncontrollably, or rather, wheezed.
"Burney, Burney" - Used to signify a hot oven. What it means: DON'T TOUCH!
The next one is somewhat like a knock knock joke. Mom would say, "You know what they say about that...?"
We would answer, "No, what?"
The answer - "Well I don't know, but they say it." Nice, eh?
It makes me smile to think of these things. At the same time, I'm sad as she isn't here to experience things that Wendy and her family and that I do. I know that she's with me all the time and that she was with me in New York at Carnegie Hall (probably thinking, "How LONG is this song?!)
Right after she passed away, a friend of mine found out and put her death into these terms: Her soul got too big for her body and needed a bigger place to fly. I don't think I can put it any better.
Happy Birthday Mom! You're timeless!
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