Southern Hospitality at the Country Music Half

This weekend reminded me just how much I loooooooooove the south. It's a fantastic place full of super friendly folks, sweet tea, tragically awesome cowboy boots and porch swings. I'm not sure it gets much better than that.

We couldn't have asked for better hosts than Rachel, Brent and Pippin. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We couldn't have asked for a more memorable time. It was seriously awesome. Mike and I had a blast and they are the kindest folks around. If you ever have the chance to meet them, DO IT!!

Phog and Pips are hands down, the two cutest dogs EVER in the existence of cute dogs. I'm deeming them BFF's. After we left Phog seriously went into this major funk--he's definitely bumming. And when he's not bumming...he's sleeping because Pippin totally wore him out. I think Phog will be hibirnating for the next three weeks, if not longer. He's passed out on my lap as I type this now.



Okay...okay...the race...

Upfront...2:48:14. Not bad for pulling a half marathon on virtually no substantial training! AND, it's less than 6 minutes from my previous half marathon time. I'm actually pretty pleased with myself. I just wanted to get around three hours...and the fact I came in at 2:48 was quite a surprise, especially for the hilly course. After this weekend's performance, I have no doubt in my mind that I will rip my next half marathon to shreds.

Once we arrived at the start line at Centennial Park early in the morning, Rae and I managed to make a cameo appearance on the local news--after a few waves and a high five, we were on our way to the starting corrals.

It took Mike and I a little over 30 minutes to cross the start line. And after running only a tenth of a mile or so, Mike pulled over to a porta potty to relieve himself and I trucked on. Up the hills. All alone. The hills put me in a foul mood and as a result, I was pretty ticked off for the first 5k. I cursed the course. But just before I hit the round about with the "necked" people I went through the TNT water station...it was definitely re-energizing. Even though I wasn't wearing purple, I was reminded why I run...and so I pushed the frustration out of my mind, chugged my ass up the hill and managed to get a smile on my face.

Around the necked people I went to find Brent armed with his camera. He got some great shots including this one...and judging from what he captured, you never would've guessed I had a miserable first 5k.



Shortly thereafter, Mike caught back up with me here for another mile or so and the course took us up a few more hills, through music row and into the neighborhoods of Nashville. Spectators in Nashville are awesome. Families lined their lawns, cheering everyone on...there was even an older couple who set up a table, including fine linens, on the end of their driveway, and waved to everyone while drinking mimosas.

Before I knew it, I saw my folks just after mile 4. My parents, in their infinite awesomeness, were cheering everyone on and waving signs. How many people can boast they have a traveling road crew?! This is the third race they've traveled to cheer us on at, and I'm sure there will be more in the future. (On a side note, my mom even suggested that she may be up for walking a half marathon one day...maybe she'll become an RBFer?!)

So yes...mile 4, things are progressively getting better. Folks are passing out fresh orange slices and bananas, a shot of salt helped keep me hydrated and the bands are rockin'. And I'm actually starting to like this hilly course. Who woulda thunk?!

The miles quickly started to tick by one by one. I ran into my Godfather's wife and daughters along the course...then eventually my Godfather and my parents once again. I stopped to chat and take photos with all of 'em and eventually...stopped to pee. I was excited to find a fellow Chicago TNT-er on the course, Sean...a friend of mine who was part of last year's Saucony 26 for the Chicago Marathon. Sean and I ran together for a little bit and parted ways before hitting the PowerGel Zone.

I was amazed at how my body didn't really have any problems until mile 10 or 11. I started having some really terrible cramps in my calves around the Bicentennial Park. But I managed to run through them and up around the final hill...and finally, the stadium was in sight. Over the river I went and spotted both Rae and Brent.

They joined me on the downhill slope to the finish line, with Brent snapping away with his camera before sprinting ahead to the finish line. It was wonderful to have such encouraging company the last little bit of the race. Right as I came around the corner and saw the 13 mile marker I kicked it into high gear. And with that...came a truly awful cramp in my right leg. Holy cow. I was grimacing in pain. And of course, Brent managed to capture this on film. It's not the most flattering shot, but Rae suggested it's the kind of photo you'd see in a shoe ad...pure grit (not to be confused with grits).

I'm pretty impressed with myself on this race. Considering the number of stops I made, the amount of walking up hills I did and all that jazz, I just wanted to have fun and not embarass myself. So with that, I'd say I won this race.

Hands down, this is my favorite race after the Chicago Marathon. And even with all of the hills, I'd do the half again in a heartbeat. Heck...this may turn into an annual tradition for Mike and me...assuming the Tennessee duo isn't sick of us.

The biggest and bestest part of the whole half marathon...there was no pre-race vomiting. WE WERE YAK-FREE IN TENNESSEE, FOLKS! Either I need to start planning all my races in Tennessee or dragging Rachel and Brent along with me. They were seriously the best keeping my head in check. Brent handled logistics. Rae got me to snap out of it. And Mike helped keep me calm.

Good times, campers. Good times. I've been working on this post for oh...about four hours now (while being distracted by the TV, of course), so it's time for bed. Must get some sleep before meeting up with Coach Leah & Jason tomorrow night. Party on Wayne....Party on Garth...good night!

All photos courtesy of the one and only, fantastic photographer, Brent D. And coming soon...a glimpse of some of the canine glamour shots he took. Too cute for words.

Even for Dogs, Good-Byes aren't easy...

Sadness sets in. Phog has left his new best friend. The journey back to chicago begins.

A nice day for a run around the Bicentennial Mall

Ready to rock 13.1 miles...

And it starts...

Centennial Park before the CM1/2M

We are yak free in tennessee people!!!

The cutest dogs on the Internet

What's that? Did someone say pips?

So much to do! So little time!

We are at T-Minus 30 hours and counting people!!

For those of you keeping score, you know that this weekend Mike, Phog and I are packing up shop and headed south to Nashvegas. We'll be spending time with Rae, Brent and everyone's favorite Boston Terrier, Pippin...and of course, "running" the country music half marathon. And in the words of Leah, if by running you mean...lobbing one foot in front the other while whining...then yes, I'll be running it.

Running the full seemed like a brilliant plan a few months ago. We'd keep the momentum up from the Chicago marathon and set new PR's in Music City. And then we weren't really running. So we've pulled down to the half. The only problem is...we're still not really running. Sure...we're running. But we're nowhere near that distance yet. And besides...I'm not a runner. Remember? Should make for some fun times. Right?!

Painfully fun. AWESOME.

Clearly, I'm not going for time. I figure I could walk the course in less than 3:15. But I'm hoping to get close to the three hour barrier on this sucker and not kill myself. But the way last Saturday's seven went, I may just surprise myself. We'll see what happens

The real test of my half marathon skillz will come on August 12th at the Chicago Distance Classic (a date which will also marks six years of being with Mike and not having him kill me--score!).

At any rate...yes...there is soooo much to do. and soooo not enough time. I stayed a bit late at work today to get some big projects out of the way so I don't have to stay late tomorrow (knock on wood). Then I ran to the grocery store for the essentials for our road trip...and then fed the fam...and then packed. I'm sure I forgot something...but hopefully it's all in there. A quick chat with the mum about flights to St. Kitts and then a shower, and that brings you up to the moment.

Still have lots to do...our resident stinker, Phog, needs a bath...we have to pick our place up for a friend who's coming to our place over the weekend (and for the sake of our building, we're saying she's my cousin)...mike still needs to pack...we've got to load up the car...i still need to print directions...plus i'd really like to get one more run in, but according to coach leah, hell may unleash its fury in the form of a torrential downpour tomorrow night. So running may not be in the stars.

And with that...we're turning in early tomorrow night so we can get an early start on the road tomorrow.

Hopefully I'll have a chance to update tomorrow...otherwise, look for a handful of photos from the road.

Adios!

Cross-Training?

So does moving furniture for three hours count as cross-training?

And when I say moving furniture, I really do mean moving furniture. Not the "moving furniture" that you claim to your kids when they hear a headboard banging up against the wall in the middle of the night (though I hear that counts as cross-training too).

I'm pooped. Stick a fork in this lil' Jayhawk. She's done!

Bon soir, mes amies!

Runnin' with the rodent...

Looks like Dice isn't the only lucky one. This morning, I had the fabulous privilege of running with her royal awesomeness. The mouse...aka...my favorite rodent (I'm sooooo kidding Sarah, just couldn't resist). And it was a very good run.

We ran seven miles (or turned up just shy of seven?), which included two hills--both of which I did not want to do--and along the way found ourselves stuck smack dab in the middle of a 5k/10krace. Brilliant. My running stretches were longer than ususal and today reminded me that running with another person is actually a good thing. I typically like to run alone because I always feel like I'm holding the other person back with my walking stints every mile or so. But she happily walked with me. The speed demon even slowed down for me. And though she didn't realize it, her presence pushed me to run a little bit farther before taking that next walk break.

It took us just under an hour and 20 minutes to go the distance, including walking breaks and a few water stops. The best part? I didn't want to stop. AND I felt like I could've done another six miles. So even though we're undertrained, I'm fairly confident that next weekend will go over well. Hopefully it won't be too hot in Nashville

In other news...in my husband's infinite rockstarness (here I go making up words again), he discovered that our local bike shop was having a sale of ridiculous proportions. And since we're poor as it is, we decided that since we need tri gear, that now was the time to invest since it was all absurdly marked down. Shopping was fun...and frustrating. I thought I'd want a one piece tri suit but when I tried it on, I almost had a melt down. It was arguably the most unflattering thing I've ever seen on my body. So I settled for a snazzy two piece deal. And it wasn't entirely disasterous. In fact...if was fabulous.

And even though I'm still having issues wrapping my head around this whole triathlon dealio, at least I'll look like a triathlete...a cute triathlete at that! See?!

I am the proud new owner of the Sugoi Wahine Tri Tank (in seal) and the Tri Shorty shorts. Apparently this will get me through the swim, bike and run this July (and the bike and run next month in Galena...maybe). We saved an ABSURD amount to get the race gear we need...so I'm pretty excited. Also in the shopping bag...a pair of bike shorts that were on clearance.

Sweet times, campers. Sweet times.

Mmmmk...it's time to go and carb-load on some beer. Mouse is on her way back to our place where an evening of debauchary is likely to throw down.

Happy running and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Daily Dose of Inspiration...

Every time I run outside, I pass countless other runners. Some fast. Some slow. Some with the funniest looking gait imaginable. Some with the grace of gazelles. Some sprinting in worn-down keds. Others sporting five layers of cotton in 50-degree weather.

But we're all out there running. Together.

We share a common road, pounding the pavement. And while we're all strangers to eachother, we still know we're among friends. Our nameless running friends. The ones that will share their sport beans when you're desperate for a burst of energy...or lend you their cell phone if you just can't make the run back home...or give a friendly wave and smile as you cross paths...or silently pace next to you at the end of a gruesome twenty mile run.

And once in a while, if we're lucky...we learn of their story. A glimpse of who they are. Where they come from. Why they run. And such stories can touch us in deep and profound ways.

My mom sent me the below article on Vince Kane's story. Vince is not only a fellow Jayhawk, but a former high school classmate of mine. Now, I never knew Vince personally as he had graduated before me--but knew of him and his remarkable speed on the track. And for a few short hours on Oct. 22nd last year...we shared the road together. He was likely crossing the finish line while I was only half way there.

So here you go. Your daily dose of inspiration. Drink it up...


Runner conquers muscle disease
Marathons are part of his life again after serious illness stopped him in his tracks.

By FRANK TANKARD
The Kansas City Star

Vince Kane had come back, but he hadn’t pushed his body to the edge.

It was last October, Chicago Marathon time. More than six years had passed since Kane’s immune system had started turning his muscles to mush.

He had first wasted away to the point that he couldn’t twist the lid off a pop bottle. Then he had come back slowly, through months of training that started with struggling to lift two-pound dumbbells and exhausting himself with 30-second runs. He had built back up to 70-mile weeks.

He had pushed himself too hard, relapsed and come back again.

He proved his doctor wrong by running in several marathons, but he held back. Part of him had been afraid of how his body would respond.

Kane, 27, of Overland Park, first started feeling the effects of dermatomyositis, an inflammatory muscle disease, in 2000. He was a sophomore at Johnson County Community College, a distance runner out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School. His 10K time had fallen behind where it had been the year before, even though he should have been in better shape.

“The guys I was around on the team were running a minute faster than they had the year before,” said Kane, who works as a sales representative with a software company. “I was running a minute slower.”

In the fall he transferred to the University of Kansas. He had once hoped to join the track team, but he was growing weak and thin and couldn’t run. On Thanksgiving break, he went to a clinic. Probably mono, he was told.

On the first day of the spring semester, he couldn’t walk up the hill to class. He couldn’t even turn his wrist to start his car. He went to KU Medical Center and had a muscle biopsy. His mother, Nancy Kane, said his muscles, instead of looking like meat, were all air and bubbles.

A doctor diagnosed him with dermatomyositis. The disease was causing his immune system to break down his muscle cells.

About 1 in 100,000 people contract the disease, according to the American College of Rheumatology. Women are twice as likely to get it as men, and it most commonly strikes people in the 40 to 50 age range. Kane’s chances of developing the disease at age 20 were Powerball thin.

Kane’s mother asked his doctor if Kane would run again. Yes, the doctor said, but he wouldn’t have the strength to run competitively. When the doctor left the room, she started crying.

“Mom, don’t cry,” she recalled her son saying, “because I am going to run a marathon.”

The next several months were slow and tedious. He took a semester off from KU. He took medicine to suppress his immune system, which gave him a puffy appearance. He went to a rehabilitation center, spending time in the swimming pool and doing light exercises. He soon started supplementing his therapy regimen by working out at a fitness center in Overland Park. He started by lifting two-pound dumbbells and running the short straightaway of the indoor track.

He attracted plenty of raised eyebrows. Outwardly, he looked healthy.

“No one was mean,” he said, “but people would just kind of look at you funny.”

He re-enrolled at KU and started running nearly every day with Erin Leary, a KU freshman with whom he had run cross country in high school. Leary wasn’t in great shape when they started their training, so they worked together, going from 12-minute jogs to running more than an hour together by the spring.

They ran the Chicago Marathon together in the fall. Kane felt good and elevated his training to 70-plus miles a week. One week he ran 92 miles. But when he started tapering his training for another go at the Chicago Marathon, he didn’t feel right. He developed rashes on his face, chest and elbows, a sign that dermatomyositis was back.

He ignored the symptoms and traveled to Chicago for the race.

“And it was the hardest thing I ever did in my life,” he said. “By the end, I felt like if the wind blew too hard and I got knocked over that I wasn’t going to get up.”

He managed to finish the race, then took things easy for several months.

He took pills and his symptoms went away. But his spirit was crushed. Running is about testing your limits. And now, it seemed, he couldn’t push himself as far as he would like.

“That was probably the hardest part,” he said, “running that marathon and then realizing that I wasn’t invincible by any means. I was going to have to respect the disease, because it could definitely come back.”

Training smarter, with no 92-mile weeks, he continued to run marathons. With each race he got faster: 3:16, 3:07, 3:02. But his one-time goal — two hours, 40 minutes — seemed to melt away. He couldn’t train hard enough to get there. Even during races, part of him knew he wasn’t pushing himself as hard as he used to.

Then, last fall in Chicago, the hammer fell.

His time was only two minutes faster than what he had run in the Boston Marathon in the spring, and mere seconds from breaking the three-hour barrier. But, for the first time since he got the disease, he hadn’t held back.

“The last 100 meters I was gagging and dry-heaving and puking,” he said. “So I knew that I absolutely had left it all out there.”

After the race, no signs of the disease resurfaced.

Kane ran the Lawrence Half Marathon on Sunday, finishing in one hour, 30 minutes. He plans to enter either the New York City or Chicago marathon in the fall.

He wants to break three hours, and after that, maybe do half-ironman competitions, consisting of swimming, biking and running. Like everyone he races against, he’ll be pushing himself — but with limits.

“I just had to make a compromise: ‘Hey, you’re not going to do those things that you wanted to do however many years ago,’” he said. “‘You can still do things that a lot of people can’t do.’”

Wow.

This shit is ca-razy.

PEOPLE. IT'S APRIL 18TH PEOPLE. APRIL. They thought it'd sell out mid/late May.

Hot damn.

Thank goodness I'm a charity runner. I hope you guys all registed already!!

Let's hope this doesn't turn into a lottery in the next few years.

New Coaches...

I'm declaring today, training session numero uno (of who knows how many, perhaps until she's ready to kill us) of running with "Coach Leah." You see...we're going to test the waters of attempting to run "with" Leah & Jason at least once a week. And by "with" I mean we leave at the same point and eventually, at our own respective times, make it back to the start. I could probably run with them if I had a jet fuel pack propelling me forward. But our training runs with them could be a nice and easy jaunt...or an evil speed workout...or one of those brutal LT runs (gawd forbid). Apparently, we're willingly signing ourselves up for an ass-kicking. And Leah readily admits this. Although I have to giggle and smile when she gets all tough and says I can be mean you know!! If she gets mean to the point where I cry...that'd be awesome. We all know I'm a whimpy runner. No doubt she'll strip that sissiness away in due time.

But anyway...Leah openly claims to be using us for our close to the lakefront running path location. I openly claim to be using her for her brilliant running mojo, hoping some will rub off on me and I will instantly turn into the next Kastor. :) So you see...everybody wins, really.

And with that...the four of us started running...and within moments, Mr. & Mrs. Speed frolicked off into the distance and quickly became a dot on the horizon (okay, maybe not so much frolicked, but it's a fun, underused and underappreciated verb that deserves a little love once in a while). Mike and I set off for a nice and easy run...with the exception of the ridiculously cold headwind on our outbound portion along the lake. Add to that the sand blowing and stinging the back of your legs, and you've got yourself a jolly ole time.

We rounded out the day just over three miles in 30-something minutes. Coaches Leah & Jason made it a bit futher in their infinite awesomeness.

So yeah....sounds like a great plan, right? We all run. Come back to our place. Stuff our faces. Watch some reality TV. And in a few months time, by Oct. 7th in face, we'll be fast as lightning (mostly because I'll be pushing myself in an attempt to catch up to those crazy kids). And life will be absolutely fabulous.

Not that it isn't right now. Cause it is...but it'll be even more fabulous.

If by bad you mean spectacular'.... Then i'll do a power hour.

A

Stress Coma.

To say that I've been in a stress coma would be...well...a major understatement. As a result, my temperment, diet, mental health and training have all taken a hit.

But that shit...it's all about to change.

Oh yes.

I've allowed myself to wallow in a sea of stress for far too long now. And a change will do me some good.

Mike is suggesting yoga or meditation as a means to help me find balance once again, which I am looking into. Cause let me tell you...my life, right now...is work...work and a little more work. When I woke up at 7 this morning...I found myself pouring through work email trying to make sure everything is in order. It was bad.

So yes, I need a little more work/life balance. That's much easier said than done. And the funny part is...I almost forgot how theraput running really is. So I reminded myself...

I ran this morning. For the first time...in well...too long. It felt good. Damn good. And I even ran up the only hill on the running path at the end of the four miles. Although there was some huffing and puffing going on there...hah! (I figured Nashville is slightly hilly so I may as well do at least one hill before we leave.) By the time I hit mile 2, I started feeling better. I sorted things out in my head, took out my aggression on the pavement, stopped to walk and enjoy the crisp air every once in a while...and when the run was over...I found I didn't want to stop (but had to get the car home so Mike could use it). Oooooh and the most exciting part of the run...I *think* I crossed paths with Steven Spielberg running. Twice. Of course, it was likely just some old guy who had some freakish resemblence to him. But for for the sake of my run being more interesting...I'll say it definitely was him. Twas very weird...

Hmm...I just realized. The Nashvegas half mary is two weeks from today. AWESOME. We'll hang out with Brent and Rae...the pups will play...I'll get to see the family...and life will be good.

My goal for the Nashville half? Just finish. Ideally with each mile coming in under 14:00. I'm debating the right strategy. I might start from the get go with a run/walk approach to get me to mile 8 with ease and then see what I've got left in me for the final five. If I can run, I'll run. If I'm only left with the means to crawl...well then look for me on my hands and knees. This is what happens when you take the super extreme taper approach...my last run of any notable distance was on October 22, 2006. Coach Jack joked about this. We both know that I'll be fine. Plus I know the TNT coaches that are on the course so they'll be looking out for Mike and me.

At any rate.

Good luck to all those who are out to kick some ass in Boston on Monday. You are all warriors in your own right...no wind or rain or heartbreak hill can slow you down!

Keep on truckin', campers!



ps....the RBF GMR team finally has a team name...Dude, Where's My Van? it is! :)

A conversation with myself...

Good morning, self. How are you doing today?

Ever have one of those days where you can feel the stress gradually building up inside of you like a volcano and if someone so much as looks as you wrong you're either a) going to have a melt down of mass hysterics or b) you're going to self explode and take out everything within a 50 mile radius of you?

Ah yes...I do know that feeling. All too well actually. In fact, that's me at this very moment and over the past two days. There's a lot boiling inside and i'm pretty much a ticking time bomb.

Sounds like you need a drink.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh wait. I did say that since this is a conversation with myself. But ya know...familiar voices, friendly phone calls, back rubs, hugs, and of course wine, they do help...

...but they only do so much.

True dat. But they do help. Have you done any running lately? You know that helps you relieve stress.

No. Why don't you rub it in a little more. Thanks.

You know you're entirely screwed, right? You've got a half marathon in 17 days.

Yeah. I know. But the nice folks at Elite Racing are giving me four hours to cover 13.1 miles. I'm not too worried about that. I figure I'll have a nice long stroll through Nashville with my iPod. No Garmin or anything...heck, I may not even wear my chip. Just me and my shoes...walking through Music City USofA. Minimal running of course, don't want to screw myself over when I actually decide to get my poop in a group and train like I should. How's that tri stuff going for you anyway?

Tri? Hahhahahahahhahahahahhahaaa....

Oh.

Yeah. Not so much, Barb. I'm pretty sure I'm dropping down to the du. And that's even if I do Galena all together.

What?! I thought you were all good in the pool?

Oh...I am. Although I haven't been in a month or something ridiculous like that. It's actually the bike portion that has me all wiggity wiggity whack.

Oooooooooooh the bike! And you know how hilly Galena is.

Don't remind me. If were just running and swimming I'd be there with bells on. But at this point, there's a very strong possibility I'll just wait and have my first tri up in Wisconsin at Danskin. Sounds more appealing each day. Plus it's supposed to be the anti-race environment, which I could really use right about now.

Right on. Can't blame you. Sure beats gritting through this one and being injured. So what else is going on? How'd the rennovations end up?

Well...I'm so relieved that our bathroom and carpet are finally redone...and most everything is back in its proper place. There is still a few things left to do in the bedroom, but all in all it's come together nicely. However, the fact that we still have to file with the Better Business Bureau is still looming over my head.

Ew. That's no fun. I don't even want to know why you have to file.

Yeah. You don't. Let's leave it at people are idiots.

Fair enough. So when are we going to see some photos of your new place?

Eh....I'll get around to it. Eventually.

So what else is weighing on your mind?

Too much. Most of which I really just don't want to talk about. Work drama. Boob drama. Training drama (or lack thereof). Drama drama. Other drama. Stupid drama. It's a wonder I got out of bed this morning drama. I'm just really ready for everything to be in its right place...

Sounds like it.

Well...why don't you get back to work? I know procrastination is fun and all...but you really should try and focus today.

I know.

So shut up and work.

fine.


[Song of the moment: Radiohead - No Surprises. ]

"Wow...you're being decadent!! Love it!"

Happy birthday baby!

Sushi Virgin at Blue Water Grill

Look what i just tried for the first time. That's sushi. And it didn't kill me. Would i try is again? Hell no. But its mike's birthday dinner and that's what he wanted. :-)

Go ahead...ask...

...just ask me if we have our new carpet in?

HAHHAHAAHAHAHHAHAAAAA...

That's funny!! Hahhahahahaa....


We're working with a bunch of effing morons. There are no words to do this drama justice anymore.

Well...

no words except...

"Dear Better Business Bureau..."

Really...should it be this difficult? Yeah...didn't think so.

I am sooooo over home rennovations! I have no idea how Rae and Brent do it. I'm slowly becoming convinced that the company we're working with is run by a handful of incompetent nitwits. That or our building's staff has the IQ of a salad bar.

Or perhaps a mix of both?

So as you may have read on OOSG's blog yesterday...we hate stupid people. Actually...hate isn't a strong enough word. Loathe is more like it. And as we all know...stupid people usually create drama. And the past 24 hours have been no exception.

It started off with the water drama. When the bathroom folks called our building manager to schedule water shut off...turns out, she never actually scheduled it. We're not sure if this is an issue on our property manager's end, or an issue with the scheduler of the company. Regardless, it's an issue that should never have even been an issue. Maintenance tried telling us that it wouldn't be installed yesterday, and of course, we'd have none of that nonsense, especially with carpet coming the next day. 45 minutes and a few freak outs later, they had to use the emergency water shut off and notify all of the tenants individually from the 13th floor down to ground level that they'd be out of water for the next few hours. Awesome. Pissing off half the tenants in the building is exactly what I wanted to accomplish before 9 am.

So they get everything in...and it looks beautiful...really...it does. It almost brought a tear to my eye. And theeeeeeeeeen..."I'm sorry ma'am...we brought the wrong bathtub..."

...exsqueeze me? we have carpet coming in the morning. this has to be done before they come...no question about that...

Yes, campers...we are tubless.

After a few phone calls I'm able to confirm that Mr. Shower Installer Man will be at our condo by 10 finishing the job and that we can delay carpet until the afternoon so he'll be done. Now...had this been an isolated incident outside of the water shut off drama of the morning, I probably wouldn't have made a big stink. Stink. Stank. Stunk...let's just say some heads were rolling.

Now. Imagine my frustration at 8 this morning when I get a call from our carpet guys... "Good morning, Mrs. R...i'm your carpet installer today and I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way and should be there in about 30-45 minutes..."

OH, HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL TO THE NO.

A few more spicey phone calls to some key folks...and we're back on track for an afternoon delivery. Really...they should knock off a chunk of change from the several grand we're shelling out for their sheer inability to coordinate two simple installations.

Drama repellant. I could use a bit. This entire situation has been nothing short of exhausting. As a result, diet and training have been suffering....

I need to bring the balance back into my life. I need to run.

Cross-Training....or something like that.

So packing up your life into boxes all night long...that counts as cross-training. Right?

It's funny how you don't realize how much crap you accumulate until you try to stick it in a small handful of boxes (and it quickly becomes evident that you need about three dozen more). So yes. We've been busy getting everything prepared for the new carpet on Thursday...and the new shower/tub that comes tomorrow! WOO!!

Okay. Back to work.

Because one week cruising the Carribbean isn't enough...

...look where we're going in November!!!

That's the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, in case you were wondering. There's a fantabulous oceanfront room awaiting our arrival as we escape from the cold Chicago November that will be upon us. Now this is what I call a family vacation in style...well...a semi-family vacation. We haven't been able to visit my folks out at their timeshare in Arizona the past few years, so they're taking us to St. Kitts. I know. Makes a TON of sense. But I'm not complaining. :D

Thanks mom & dad!

PS...anticipate a handful of posts over the next few days. Last week we were very busy meeting with contractors about our shower and replacing the carpet and all that jazz. New shower comes tomorrow and the carpet upgrade on Thursday. I.CAN'T.CONTAIN.MY.EXCITEMENT. Although, because of all this rennovation drama (and because of foul weather), we haven't been running in a while. Or consistently. This half mary is going to be humorous!

Phog's Human Food Tally.

Apparently chewing on condoms last week wasn't enough.

The human food tally is back in effect.

Here's the count for 2007...
1. 1/4 bag of Garrett's Honey Roasted Peanuts. (Feb)
2. A half sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. (Feb)
3. A full box of Carr's Table Water Crackers with Cracked Pepper. (Apr)

The frickin' box was closed and placed, where we thought was out of reach, in the middle of the coffee table. The sonuvagun managed to get onto the coffee table and fandango his way through the plastic wrapper to indulge in this healthy snack. And, as usual, he's in so much trouble it's not even funny.

Clearly, Mike and I need to do a better job scouting out the place for any misc. treats that could be within a paws reach before we leave the house. And by that, I mean anywhere but the kitchen. Phog apparently thinks he's a cat. He's able to follow Wrigley's lead and climb across our computer desk, along the back of the couch, and even onto our console table. It was cute at first, but now it's evidently a bad thing. A very, very bad thing. I never thought dogs would have a terrible two stage. Hmm...I guess in dog years he's a horny, mischevious teenager. I guess that explains the condoms and trying to hump the cat when we're not looking.

At any rate, I'm considering renaming the dog "McGyver" with the way he's been finessing himself into hard to reach places. Now if he manages makes a bomb using only kibble, dental floss and a paper clip...hmmm...nevermind, I don't want to give him any ideas...