Haven: source of...

Is it considered a compliment if someone refers to something by a name I gave it here in a post?  I sort of smiled and took it that way when I got an email with the subject line:  Runners haven.
I am sure I haven't referred to the place I have gone out on Saturday mornings as a "runners haven" except here on this blog.  Maybe it did slip out at some point when I was talking about this place but I really don't think I used the reference anywhere but here.  It is what I have called the sports store where so many runners congregate at 7:00am on Saturday mornings and run along a scenic loop.  I've been invited and gone twice and have enjoyed going out both times.  In fact, I was thinking of heading out by myself this Saturday when I got the email with the "Runners haven" subject line asking if I was up for going there this Saturday.  I responded, "Ah...YES, absolutely!!
I stopped for a minute to think...did I use the correct reference for this place?  Runners is an obvious word choice but haven?  A haven is a place of refuge.  A refuge is a source of help, relief, or comfort.  Hmmm...okay, maybe my description IS accurate.  My first impression of this place was exactly a runners haven.  There were so many other runners there running short, long, and in-between distances at whatever pace was comfortable for them.  You start up at your own stride, blend in, and become part of a great big group of like-minded people out to accomplish their own personal goals.  You have help if you need it along the way with so many others around that understand what you are doing and it makes it a relief.  It is comforting to find a route that is there for you and all the others around you doing the same thing in their own way.  Okay, so yes.  I guess my first thought of it being a haven was a correct reference.  It was to me at the time and now, of course, I just needed to revisit it since someone had actually used it!  How nice!     
So I am looking forward to heading out again this Saturday for a run.  It made me smile that someone was using the reference I gave the place we are going.  It must be a compliment since they used my own words back to me and could have only seen it here.  So, ah, yes, absolutely!!
I think it would be considered a compliment.
TT

Run from the scale

I was staring downward at the number appearing on the digital display inbetween my feet.  My eyes were starting to bug out, my breathing was rapid, and I could feel my blood pressure climb.  I knew I shouldn't have been reacting this way to a simple device that resides in my bathroom and is merely a smallish platform that displays specific information when you position yourself on top of it.  It is advised not to step on it daily but that a weekly check-in is sufficient and won't cause the panic symptoms that may occur in a certain percentage of the public.  I am definitely in this certain percentage at the moment.
I don't go by these rules.  Who goes by these rules?  I hop on and off the scale whenever I feel like it.  Unfortunately, even with my regular hopping I haven't been taking the information very seriously.  The cause for the sudden rise in physical symptoms is the sudden rise in the number on the scale.  I knew I was headed in that direction.  I knew I had stopped running and started filling the extra time with additional eat time.  I knew I was overdoing and yet...and yet.
Time to pay the piper.  Or more in my case, time to pay more attention to what and how much I decide to eat nutrition wise.  It's not like it's an exorbitant amount of weight I would like to peel off but I am not at my best running weight at the moment.  I am not at my best running fitness all the way around with the time I have been out.  Excuses, excuses.  Yes.  And now that I've gotten them out and can't go back to say...I was out and not able...anymore, I have no reason but to put a stop to that and just get down to business.
And I will, and I have.  I had set a goal last week to run 45 miles in two weeks which ends this Saturday.  I have 32 miles clocked so far and only 13 total more to go.  That means I have four days left but even if I only run three days it will average to 4.3333 miles per day.  Maybe it's a few more .33333 but it's do-able and so is dropping the few pounds I put on.  I mean, it should be - especially if I run 45 miles in two weeks.  If not...maybe I should go for 50.
And the readout on the digital device? 
Let it say what it may and if it isn't what it should be...run! 
TT

Restoring

I turned over my new laptop into the good hands of my friend to restore my iTunes library from my iPod.  This will be the second time he has done this for me.  I will find out this morning if he was successful in moving the music stored to it.  I know something was done because I checked my nikeplus.com site and found the two runs I had stored but wasn't able to sync on-line on my site this morning.  If nothing else that data wasn't lost and somehow I also think he was able to move all the music over, too.  I certainly hope so.  I will find out soon.
Those extra miles moved me back up on a challenge from 31st to 28th place.  That is certainly a positive thing.  I wasn't sure I would be able to log any more miles into the system since things were gone and taken but it looks like that piece of it is back in place.  Things are getting put back in place although it seems more slowly and is tougher this time somehow.  Maybe another good run today will help.  They always seem to help and I can't imagine why it wouldn't work again today.  And with my laptop and music library restored...well, things are sounding good all around.
Another run, a little more time...
TT
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Thanks, Alexandro...Señor Jorge.
 

Quite a handful

It is another Sunday before 6:30am. I believe I was here about this time last Sunday but this past week has not been very kind. I don't know that I want to talk about all the things that weren't right about it. It doesn't make too much sense to keep bringing it up and mulling it over. I figure it is better to keep moving on but sometimes that can be a hard thing to do.
So just briefly, I came home the second time in approximately 18 months and found my house had been broken into. Yes - again. I knew immediately this time when I saw the big muddy foot print in the middle of my front door. I gave it a finger push and sure enough it swung right open revealing the mess that lay inside. For some reason they thought it necessary to break through both the front and back doors damaging most of the framework and sheet rock. They also opened and dumped contents of almost every drawer in the house including the kitchen. I don't know if that was before or after they carted off two flat screen TV's, my laptop upstairs, my mini-acer, digital camera, external hard drive, guitar, drum and I've made this list so many times for the police and insurance my brain doesn't want to process that information any longer.
This happened Wednesday and by Friday morning I was so creeped out I left work at noon. Jay told me to go straight out and get myself a new laptop. I was honestly feeling like there wasn't any point in replacing these things since someone would intrude and take them away again anyway. But I did go and found the machine I am using now and it did make me feel a little better. I've lost data - some. It doesn't help to save things to an external drive when that is taken too but for some lucky reason I had also saved my book pages to a flash drive that was the only thing left on my desk. I don't know why they left it but it was still there. Do you think my angel put his hand over it so they couldn't see it? I don't know how else this one thing was left on my desk. I may need to see about working a little harder on finishing that first draft now, don't I? If it was taken I might have thought the other way but in this case, I think the meaning lies in the other direction. Maybe? Do you think?
Saturday morning I was invited to run early at the Scenic Loop at (what I call) the runners’ haven I had gone to once before and I jumped at the opportunity. I was ready to get out there with a long run and it was gorgeous outdoors and I was putting things behind me. I accomplished 11 miles and was headed home to clean up and spend the rest of my Saturday.
Dante (25), my younger son was at the house when I arrived. He had been in a car accident. Another vehicle had side swiped his car sending him spinning out into a median and flipping his hood open. He was taken away in an ambulance, treated and released. He took a taxi, not to his house but to mine. He had staples in his head and a left foot broken in four places. The boy came home feeling none too good but better and good enough by 9:00pm that evening for me to take him to his house. Dante had actually stopped by to check on me the night before this happened because he had heard about the break in. If the accident had been worse it might have been the last time I saw him.
So I said I didn't want to talk about all this stuff and yet...here I am a page later, a week later, on an early Sunday morning starting again the same but different yet again.
I have a new laptop to get used to, a place to keep going with my book, and a son that is hurt but safe. I still have some cleaning up to do and a few items to replace but that seems to be what living life is about. It was getting me down but not anymore, or not as much. I will pick up from here as if it's a new opportunity to see things differently and keep my mind open to the positives.
There were many ways it could have gone far worse and didn't. I think sometimes I give my angel a handful.
He must have some big hands.
TT

Warning

This is a warning that yesterdays post was a cooking lesson.  I didn't realize it when I started out making this recipe and taking my pictures along the way that that is what it would turn into.  It did.  Hopefully, someone might think it has some value but then it doesn't really matter.  At least I know I can go back to it if I need a reminder of how I pulled it off.  I have it pretty well documented and the end product really was as good as I described.  So be forewarned if you scroll down to yesterday post.
It might also make you very hungry...
TT

Boeuf Bourguignon

Confidence Builders.
That was the title of an episode of the French Food at Home cooking show I happened to catch early Sunday morning.  It caught my attention when I randomly clicked it on and is on the sister channel to the Food Network which is simply called The Cooking Channel. 
The host of this show, Laura Caulder, started with the comment that there are days when you need a confidence boost.  She said there are some days that for no apparent reason we feel there isn't a thing we do well.  There might be no reason for that feeling and sometimes you just wake up with it.  The show hooked me there.  I have those days - do I ever have those days!  I have them more often than I should so I kept watching.  She went on to say the best way to beat that feeling is to go back to basics and do something fail-proof and simple that puts you back where you should be and reinforces the confidence in what you do.  Her way of beating that under-confident feeling was by preparing the classic Boeuf Bourguignon.  I watched as she prepared it and then I made it.

I started with a chuck roast that I cut into generous cubes.  Yeah, an inexpensive chuck roast but sirloin tips can also work.  You need to use a pot that can go from stovetop to oven and heat a little olive oil in it.  Sear up the meat until it is browned but you are not cooking them fully.  It should be only enough to give them some color and then remove them from your pot.

 Rough cut some carrots and onions.  Mince some garlic and have your bouquet garni - parsley, thyme and bay leaves ready.  Throw the carrots and onions into the same pot you browned the meat in and let them sweat and soften. The garlic goes in for just a minute and then some flour (about 1/4 cup) and stir while you continue to cook for another minute.

Then add the herbs.

 
 
After the vegetables and herbs have been added to the pot, pour in some red wine to de-glaze the bottom of the pot and bring up all those wonderful food flavors that might have stuck to the bottom.  Add an equal amount of stock.

Add the meat back into the pot and bring it to a boil.Then cover it and put it into the oven at 325 degrees for two hours.  Yes - This will slow braise that meat and give off the most incredible scent!  I actually left it in the over for 3 1/2 hours.

When it finally comes out of the oven you will see that it looks and smell so rich you could eat it just like this but don't!  It gets even better!  Take the meat out of the pot and put into a separate bowl.



 
Once the meat is removed, reduce the gravy to a desired thickness.
 When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, strain the gravy over the meat and discard the herbs and vegetables. You can then return the meat and gravy back into the pot.
 

Just look how luscious, rich and smooth this is!  Now for part two!

The classic additions to the above beef and gravy is bacon, pearl onions and mushrooms. I prepped these items first and had them ready since it goes really fast from here.




Brown the bacon to make it crisp and renders the fat.  Remove from pan.

Saute the onions and mushrooms to give them some color - yes, in the same pan with bacon fat.

Add it all back together - meat with wine gravy, onions, bacon and mushrooms.  I added a little chopped, fresh parsley.  Ahhh...can you smell it? It's soooo good!

We also started out making some boiled parsley-buttered potatoes to go with it.  Jay saw that I had already cooked the potatoes (with skin on), had peeled them, and left them on a plate to add to the butter and parsley.  He had another idea. He sliced the cooked potato and browned them on both side and then added salt and more parsley.  Mmmmm...!

All I wanted to do was serve it up in a bowl to get each delectable bite and sop it up with a crispy baguette.  So this is how it ended up....

No...truthfully...
This is how it ended up...

This certainly is a confidence builder!  I had never actually made the Classic Beouf Bourguignon until now and am so happy (and full) that I did! 

TT

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If you want the exact recipe...I have included the link.  I didn't go by these exact measurements because I made a much smaller portion.  Yes - I eye-balled it.  How's that for confidence!

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html

Weekend showers

It had rained Saturday afternoon and I had wished I had grabbed my camera to take a picture out my bedroom window to see how it would turn out.  I was granted another opportunity when it rained again on Sunday afternoon.  I was reading quietly when I realized it was coming down fairly hard.  I immediately ran and got my camera and snapped a few shots.

I never expected the pictures to turn out perfectly well.  The fact is when I look out of my window when it is raining this way I see things fuzzed up and hazy.  If it is raining as hard as it had been both Saturday and Sunday it might look something similar to what was captured.  It is missing the sounds that go with the images but that is something I might be able to conjure from memory as I glance through these shots.  It's just a quiet, middle of the afternoon shower while reading a book on a weekend.  Who hasn't wished for that at one time or another?   

And after it clears...then you go outside and appreciate what else the rain has done for you.
TT

Early

Is 6:30am on a Sunday morning too early to be booted-up, through all your emails, and already on my second cup of coffee?  It's such a quiet morning and I was a little panicked that the weekend was already slipping away from me.  Isn't that an awful feeling.  The quiet is spectacular but the idea that my free time is ending isn't such a great feeling.  I have a jumble of things I still want, need, should do.  Jay says it's an amazing amount of pressure I can put on myself, even for things that I do for fun.  There is a reason they call it a day off.  I guess my interpretation is different.
I should change and head out for a run.  I am waiting since it's still dark outside.  It rained awfully hard yesterday afternoon and I wished I had grabbed my camera and gotten some shots through my bedroom window.  I didn't and now I am curious on how they might have turned out.  The passing storm seems to have left it darker than usual this morning and I would rather there be a little more light before I venture out.  And I will and it will.  It just might take a little longer this morning.  Just enough to give me time to have another cup of coffee, to sit and enjoy the absolute quiet before the day breaks through, and think about the want to do's in priority of the need or should do's for today.
TT

Hem to jeans

I took a small portion of my time today to fix the hem on two of my new pairs of jeans.  It turns out to be an entire week of jean days next week at work and I needed to adjust these new pant lengths anyway.  I had picked them out during the labor day weekend sales.  They fit just fine and I got them at a great price but even with heels I need to take some off the bottoms.  I always have.  I am all of five-three even if the last doctor's appointment tried to tell my I was five-two and three quarters.  I told them they absolutely could not take away that quarter inch from me no matter what!  I can't be sure what they wrote on their chart.

I laid both pairs out after trying them on and getting the right length.  I just did a small turn up on the bottoms after trying them on.

Next step was to cut away the excess material.

I turned out the material to the wrong side and pinned it before giving it a stitch with the machine.

Voilá - Two new hemmed pair of jeans!

No tailoring costs and not much time.

I wish I knew they had put down 5'3" on my chart at that doctors office.  I don't need to be any shorter than I already am.

TT

Friday evening

I am undecided if I really want to be writing right now. I have a short stack of laundry going of mostly workout clothes and socks. Since I am sitting just a few feet away from the washer I switched on my laptop, turned my iTunes on, checked my email, and thought I would wait on the rinse cycle of the washer by opening this page up.  It was blank and my intentions were to leave it that way.
Then the washer took longer than I thought and the music turned into a background beat and my fingers positioned themselves on my keyboard.  So this is just an exercise in trying to concentrate on a few words while I wait out a machine and type to the beat of a really good acoustic song.  Cool.  I can do this.  So the fingers are going, the head is bobbing away and what the heck.  It's a Friday evening with a weekend right here in the palm of my hand and an empty white page getting spotted with black text.
Nothing more than just a easy way to run away with a few nonsense words for the fun of it.  But the washer is done.  I'm throwing the clothes into the dryer and the really nice song is over.  Oh, and I believe a short stack is for pancakes...not sure it applies to laundry. 
Maybe I'm just getting hungry.  Dinner!
TT

Not really lagging

I checked my Nike+ site that stores all my runs and although I am glad to be able to be putting something up on the boards again I realize I am very far behind.  I am very far behind if I hadn't been stalled by an injury, but my notorious mind is trying to make me think that doesn't count.  It is giving me news flashes that I only have so much time left until November and that isn't enough time to train.  It isn't enough time if I am going to get to my original goal but I need to keep focused on just being able to get out there and run.  I don't need to worry about anything else going on including November.
I need to back away from the brain.  It got me into trouble twice already with that kind of thinking.  I was out 4 weeks in June and then another 5 weeks the last of July and all of August.  The trainer at work thought the 10 miles I hauled last Saturday was too much but I begged off with telling her I went really slow and it felt really good.  I distracted her by letting her know the next day I had come in second in my age group a that 5K and was able to get her off the "too much" subject.  Sly me.
It's time to count the blessings.  On my Nike+ site I am still positioned at 28 in a challenge with 203 virtual, although real, participants.  The goal of the challenge was to run 210 miles.  It started 4/13/10 and goes through 9/30/10.  It encompasses both of my no running times and yet I am at 284.36 miles.  It makes me wonder where I would be if I had been able to keep running.  But then...look where I am even with the down time.
My short term goal is to run 20 miles this week and I am at 11.42.  I need about 9 miles to go and have until Saturday - I always start my weeks on Sunday and end on Saturdays.  That shouldn't be a problem since I plan on running again this afternoon and for sure on Saturday morning.
I want to tell my brain to hush for now.  I won't let it spoil and take away all the things I am enjoying about running.  I just won't. 
I am not really so far behind now, am I.
TT
----------------------
Runners World Thought for the Day: 
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
Steve Prefontaine, American middle and long-distance runner

Which shoe

I wore my brand new gladiator style 4" heels to work as I noted early this morning.  I also went out to run after work (granted at the gym - but still).  I can't tell you which made me smile more, the heels or the new Brooks Launch running shoe.
It might have been due to being able to wear both on the same day! Not at the same time as in the picture, of course.
I picked up the new shoe at a really great sale price over the Labor day weekend (the heels).  Then I picked up the Brooks last Saturday after that splendid run.  I mean, come on!  I was right there at the sports store.
Always a reason to smile!
TT

Days work

Can we talk about busy days at work?  Everyone has them.  Mine have been inching their way toward the ultimate, all-time, everyday stressfulness they had been maybe five years ago.  I don't think they are quite to that point as before but I think there are quite a few things going on that others are not sure how to take care of, so they come to me no matter how important or insignificant.  It is only when they all happen at the same time that makes it difficult and everyone seems so harried and panicked when they come to me.  Have you ever had a line form at your desk for people waiting their turn to ask you something?
I went into work early.  My boss was traveling and I thought it would be quiet with fewer people arriving at that time and I would be able to get some things done uninterruped.  Needless to say, you can probably guess that wasn't the case.  I knew there was a meeting scheduled to start at 7:00am for the programmers.  I had made arrangements for the specific PC they needed to be moved to the area they were meeting.  I had done everything to put the arrangements in motion well before time.  Well, I had done the things necessary, but it seems the PC was delivered but it had no connections.  There were also other equipment including a projector, screen and whiteboard that hadn't arrived.  Of course, the moment I came in, I was on the phones trying to get things smoothed out so too much time wasn't wasted for them to get started.
I had also arranged a series of sessions for another group that the kick-off was scheduled for the same morning but later.  There were last minute changes to rooms that were requested which meant an entire series of items that had to be done to accomplish this and then notifying the attendees.  While this is going on, the printer is jammed and I have someone pulling me away to take care of it.  When I get back my boss is calling from the airport and has a few items he wants me to work on right away.  I have two instant messages popping up on my computer asking for my assistance, and someone wants to know if that is all the muffins they were bringing out because they thought that we needed more.
It was 11:00 before I was able to stop and realize I wanted to go home and start the day over, please.  But I only had time for that brief thought before more work came pouring in on top of the things I already was working on and I started it all over again.
So, really, I am not complaining about the work or my job.  It's an interesting mix of mundane and important.  Sometimes I wish I didn't have to be pulled off the priorities so much of the time to take care of the time stealers that have to be taken care of right away instead of later but that is just the nature of my business.  It would have been nice to have had someone come over just to make me pause and smile for a moment instead of asking me to do something else.  But then everyone is busy.  Everyone has these days.  I was able to clean up most of the items that came up and I will be going in a little early to see if I can start yesterday over properly except I am already a day further into the week.  That isn't such a bad deal.  Besides, I decided to wear a skirt and my brand new 4" heels today just to make myself smile and feel better.     
It's all in a days work.
TT

Runner

I didn't think about it until much later.  It's been a little over a day to be exact but then I remembered.  I caught myself thinking back to the time after completing my recent Sunday 5K and introductions to new people had been made.  There was someone that asked me, or stated, I'm not quite sure since it stopped me for a second.
"You are a runner."
At that moment my brain froze for a second and I think I opened my mouth without any sound coming out of it.  Then my brain engaged and I had to admit that yes, yes, I am a runner.
I thought I had already dealt with that in my mind and yet the admission to a stranger caught in my throat for that brief second.  Still.  The fleeting impulse to dispel the fact passed much more quickly and out of my head but I am remembering the feeling that statement had on me at that moment.  It was that flash of doubt and then expelling it.  It's a wonder I would even think it anymore and yet there it was.  I'm not a runner, am I a runner?  How much more do I need to do to prove it to myself?
But I have to remember this time it only lasted an instant.  It was there and then gone.  It entered and exited at the same amount of lightning speed.  It didn't seem like that at the time.  It seemed to hover and dwell there for much more moments longer, but it didn't.  It really didn't.
I knew the answer to the statement/question.  I just didn't expect to be asked/recognized as such and it caught me a little by surprise. 
All-in-all, it's not such a bad thing to finally know - or to be.
TT

Edit

I was going to spend a little more time here writing something new but, as my habit, I read through my previous post before starting a new one.  It must have been the fact that I have not been putting many words up here that caused the word and spelling malfunctions that I found on yesterdays piece.  It took me a while to clean it up.  About the time I thought I had it in a good place I would find another error.  It's amazing, no matter how many times I read through something of my own, I find something wrong later.  I found I had used incorrect words and words incorrectly.  There is a big difference when I use My instead of By, when I forget an "s" or when I need to re-word something for clarity.  (Silly me - like I am ever clear on anything)!
I might accredit my publishing with errors here as a step forward.  Sure, you are saying, putting out a piece laden with errors is something to credit yourself on, sure.  No, but wait...it might have occured this way because I have been doing just that on my book.  I have to write it all down and not go back to edit it, don't I?  You see where I am going here?  I have been putting words down on that project where I do not go back to fine-tooth the words and grammer and punctuation so that I failed to do so here, where I should be doing it.
Okay, it's a bit of a stretch.  But, I meant to write something new here and my time went to fixing my last post.  You may or may not have noticed the errors that I put-to-right from my previous post (especially since you probably didn't read it) but I sure noticed them and hopefully fixed them all.
Good thing you didn't see it earlier.
TT

Sunday 5K

I wasn't planning on coming in Second Place in my age bracket at the 5K this morning.  I thought the run was an opportunity for me to hold myself back from running too many miles, too close together, after surviving my foot injury.  Somehow, I managed to win the second place trophy anyway.

This actually started Friday.  I got an email asking me...
We are meeting tomorrow for a morning run. Do you want to join me? I hear this place is nice.
I have been to the sports store where this would take place and I did want to go and check it out.  There aren't many places where runners hang out and this is one and a primo one at that.  I knew that they consistently have Saturday morning runs (7:00am).  I knew that - but I didn't know the "in's and out's" or the etiquette of it all.  I had wanted to try it out and when I got the email on Friday I thought - why sure!  I met my friend and we headed out with the top down on the two-seater convertible of mine.  That in itself is a great start to any Saturday but when we arrived I realized that this is a runners haven!  I can't tell you how many people were there and they must time it for runners to start at 7:00 and bike riders at 8:00.  I am only guessing since a whole band of cycles swooshed past me at about 8:15.  It was awesome. 
We had headed out running before that not sure what inclines or humidity we would need to combat.  It had been raining notoriously most of the week and when it stops around here the moisture saturates the air and hangs heavy.  It didn't seem to matter.  We took it slow - hit the 5 mile marker and turned back for a full 10 mile run.  I made the mistake of checking my iPod just before 9 miles and it ended my workout when it hit the ground.  No matter to me...I know how far we had run and knew how good it was.  And boy was it good.  No aches, just my usual - beet-faced and dripping wet after a run.  I don't know where that saying, "men sweat, women glow" came from but I guess I'm more man when it comes to that because I sweat! 
But that was about the time I heard my son, Dante, was doing a 5K early Sunday morning.  A 5K, I thought...after a long 10 miler it might be good for me to pace myself and my training by doing a 3.1 miler instead of what I would normally do with my extra time and run another 8-10 miles on two consecutive days.   I'd see how I felt later in the day.
By 2:00 pm Saturday I felt fine - so I text'd Dante..."I hear you are doing a 5K tomorrow.  I wanna go."  There is nothing like a whiny mom but he responded,
"I thought you ran today."  Then he called me and I ended up convincing him and we made arrangements for me to pick him up and go out together which we did (in the convertible with the top down).
So you see, I was just trying to keep my training in line and not push myself so hard.  I wasn't trying to win anything.  But what can I say?...two great running days in a row and second place thrown in just for good measure.
TT

Laboring

We spent our Monday Labor Day off laboring.  It was a mission accomplished except we still need to take a chain saw to the last of the framing to leave only the back railing. 

I was tired of the rotting, awful look of the deck covering and voiced out loud I thought we could demolish it ourselves.  Well, finally, yes, Jay agreed and although we had help on the way yesterday (I promised the boys I would cook if they would come over to help - to which they agreed) Jay and I started it all on our own.  It took a bit of time and effort but it was all done by the time the boys arrived to help even though they were not late for the time we designated.  Jay and I just kept at it until it was done and starting early just happened spur of the moment. 

What a difference.

TT

Fitting gratitude

And then I went out to run. 

I don't know if there is anything else to say.  It was that easy.  It was that natural.  I wasn't trying to go a distance or find a speed.  I wasn't trying to add to my stats or clock a lot of miles.  I only knew it was a wonderful morning and I thought I would give it a little go.  I was just appreciating being able to do something I had to put aside for so long and that I wanted to get back to but didn't know when I might be able to.  I wasn't even sure if I could get back to it.  I could have been sidelined for another indefinite time frame.  I didn't know.
But this morning proved to be the most relaxed, pleasurable run I have had in a very, very long time.  No rules, no guidelines, no watch out for this or that.  I was mindful of what might go wrong but it wasn't a focus because it didn't present itself.  So I went with it and I found myself appreciating being able to do it again.  I found I remembered the good parts and ability I have.  My muscles didn't forget and didn't whine and complain but recognized a form and a groove that could have been easily forgotten.  I had expected to have forgotten it.
All of this helped me appreciate being able to do it again.  I wish I had taken my camera to capture the sun.  I kept thinking how great it was for making all these promises to me of the day ahead.  I kept thinking how the cool breeze, sparkling with the lightest dew, felt so pleasurable on my skin. I kept thinking how wonderful it was to stretch my muscles and feel their quiet workings as I reached the top of an incline. Then those same muscles would reward me by loosening up in the next easy downward slope.
So, I don't know if there is anything else to say.  You might have thought you had missed something the way this post started.  But you didn't.  It was me missing something and then finally, this beautiful morning, after not being able to...

I went out to run.
TT

Great day

I was on my way for a little retail therapy.  Why not?  It had been a busy week at work and now it was the first afternoon of a three day weekend.  I deserved a little browsing of the nifty boutiques to see what change of season buys I might find.  I was up for the challenge and really looking forward to it.
On my way, I had the top down on my convertable two-seater and was at a stop light enjoying the sunshine as Skillet rocked out on the Sirius radio.  That's when I heard a voice float over to me.  I reflexively turned toward it as the man in the car beside me said, "Great day, isn't it."
I couldn't deny it and since I was now looking directly at him I replied, "Yes, it is."
He continued.  "You look like you are really enjoying it in that car."
Well, now, I really cannot argue with that.  Yes, I always enjoy my car.  "I am.  I've had it for three years."
"It sure looks nice."
"Thanks.  You aren't doing too shabby for yourself."
That's when he gave a slow grin and the light changed so we could move on. 
He really wasn't doing so shabby at all.  He was driving a beautiful copper-bronze corvette with the windows down and the sun roof open.
It's been a while since I've had to field conversations while waiting at a light in my car.  I think maybe it was because of how gorgeous the day turned out to be.  Whatever the reason it didn't hurt anything and didn't stop me from making numerous purchases that took me away for several hours this afternoon.  All tabulations were made when I arrived back at home and I believe I scored the following:

• 2 pair jeans (one skinny, one outrageously great fitting and comfortable)
• 2 casual tops
• 1 dressy top
• 1 casual dress
• 1 pair 4 inch gladiator heels (good with skinny jeans or dress)
• 1 middle sized bag (large enough to hold my acer)

Great car, great buys, great day.  One down, two to go.  Car conversations optional.
TT

 

One then three

It seems I have forgotten that we have a long weekend coming up.  I've been so busy at work I have found myself at the last day of the workweek with a few things to accomplished and a three day weekend after that.  I got caught up in the swirl of work and somehow sped through the week without realizing it.
That is kind of a cool thing to happen.  Yes, granted, I have a few things that I need to plow through before the end of day today but yes, then. Then what?  I have this free time which is great!  It's almost like an extra gift.  The weekend is always what I am looking toward and now that I've almost gotten here, I realize I get an extra day.  And I haven't even made a single plan so my time is whatever I decide to spend it on.
Not too shabby a situation to be in if I can keep my mind off running or baking. 
I really should do some shopping.  There must be some sales out there with new merchandise arriving in stores for fall and them wanting to make room.  They will normally start discounting the summer items that we can still wear around here and I should be able to make some good finds or just spend time looking.  I might have to give the retail rounds a good hard thought.  Or not think about it at all and just go.  It's not like I don't have the time to just browse, window shop, stop for coffee and watch the strangers go by.  That is always just the thing to spark some imagination.  I can always use those bits of real life nothings I see for story ideas.  Maybe that is what I should do.  A little quiet, solitary brainstorming session while I grab myself a cup of coffee in the outdoor sideway and watch peoples nuances.  I might come up with a hand gesture or something unexpected I can use for a character.
The weekend is looking better all the time.  Now I just need to get through the pile of work waiting for me at work today.
TT

The word was mental

I am getting overpowering urges to run.  I can almost feel myself getting out there, stretching my muscles (what might be left of them), and doing some serious pavement pounding.  I am thinking that would be ecstasy.  At least that is the way it has been going around in my mind.  I haven't even finished a weeks worth of fast acting anti-inflammatory pills the doctor has me taking and my follow-up appointment with him isn't until next Wednesday afternoon.  I will still have more anti-inflammatory pills to take after that but right now...I want to strap on my running shoes and just go.
I had done extremely well of putting the smallest thought of running out of my head.  I was hurt and knew if I wanted to get back to it I would need to give it time no matter how hard that might be.  My approach was not to let myself think about it.  I didn't allowed myself to dwell on it and if a thought crept up I would find something else to occupy my time.  It's much harder to do than it sounds. 
But now with an almost all clear given my the doctor - almost - I am chomping at the bit a bit, so to speak. 
I made the mistake of voicing it to Jay.
"I want to go run."
"What did the doctor say."
"He said my foot is fine."
"Yes, but he also wants to see you again."
"But he said my foot is fine."
"Didn't he also say something else...like you were crazy."
"He didn't exactly say I was crazy.  Crazy wasn't the word he used."
"Really.  And what did he actually say."
"Mental...he mentioned something about mental."
"Mental, crazy...just wait to run until after you have your follow up visit."

Agghh, well,  just a few more pills, just a few more days.  Right...don't think about it.
TT

Use of time

Most of my time last evening was taken by my going over my book (hardcopied) and I was pencil marking quick thoughts on the page margins as I brought myself up-to-date on what I had already revealed in my story.  I was reading it back to see what  I needed to move it forward.  I needed to know what information I still needed to present to get the story idea across.  I worked on it quietly for a good while and although I'm not finished with my informational backlogging I can see where I need to keep writing until more story is added.
I found myself reading a piece and thinking to write a note and then realizing it was the same note I had made myself when I checked my original broad plot sketch.  At least I'm on the same track I was at the beginning, however long ago that seems to be.
So work is continuing even though I seem to be moving at a snails pace.  But everything takes time and I'm sure momentum will pick up.  I am happy to be spending time working on it anyway.  I guess that counts for something.
Oh, I said most of my time last evening...well, maybe some, part, a portion.  I also baked some banana-walnut and blueberry bread.  I'm bringing them in to work today to share.  I'm sure I could have forgone the extra baking after bringing in cookies on Monday but somehow I had the ingredients and the time and energy.  Besides it's always great to see the reactions from people you are with most of the day.  So starting the day with some positive energy never hurt the creative process, right?  I can't help if I don't use the most conventional ways to get that going...but... 
'Gotta see the smiles.
TT