photo tag

Yesterday, I got tagged by Cassie over at Cassagram. She's a gal who's not afreaid to put it all out there and take risks. I love reading her posts 'cause they make me want to come out of my hibernating state and take more risks myself!

Here's the delio: go to the first folder in "my pictures" and scroll to the 10th picture. Post it and the story behind it.

SO here goes:

This is a picture of Bay to Breakers in 2008.

Bay to Breakers is a 7 mile road race through San Francisco every May. And by "road race" I mean "Mobile Party". Yes, there are some people who actually run in this race, and quite fast, I might add. (Some Kenyan wins every year) But more people dress up in costumes, make giant floats with a theme, carry lots of drinks, and raise hell for 7 miles!

As you can (kind of) tell from the photo, its HUGE! There are wall to wall people all the way up the hill in the distance. All of them happy, most of them drunk.

This particular year, our theme was 80's music. We had an MTV float and we all came dressed up like and 80's pop star. The person min the foreground with the hat is Michael Jackson from the back. The dude in the pink shorts somehow got his decades mixed up and came as Kid Rock. I went as Pat Benetar. We had a Cyndi Lauper, a Madonna, Robert Palmer and the Robert Palmer girls, Guns and Roses, and David Lee Roth. Remember Nerd? He as Dee Schneider from Twisted Sister. It was so fun!

I missed Bay to Breakers last year. I was working at an adaptive bicycling clinic that year. But I hope to make it there this year.

Ok, so now to keep the fun going, I'm supposed to tag 5 people:

Diane: I'm trying to force you to post a little more 'cause I miss you!

Geek Hiker: 'cause I want to see some scenic pictures from your adventures

John from Smoke Training: because you inspire me when I want to be lazy

Lacey: 'cause you might need a little lift right now

and

Lacey from Don't Make Drugs: 'cause she makes me laugh!

Happy Sunday everyone....I'm off to go watch a hockey game with my dad!

Go Apolo

So do you think with 8 olympic medals he'll go home, put them all on at the same time and do the "happy dance" in front of the mirror? Or maybe pretend that he's Mr. T? Or just swing back and forth to hear all the clinking like a wind chime? 'Cause I totally would!

weekend wrap up

I have been stuck in the February doldrums for the past week and a half. And I feel like I've put my life on hold for the Olympics. (most likely because I have). Fortunately, I have build up enough momentum the first few weeks of the year so that I can more or less comfortably coast for a brief bit. I got a freezer full of meals made earlier that I'm just taking out and defrosting. I'm ahead with the one book a week (with a plane trip coming up in a couple weeks). Not so great in other areas, though.

PROJECTS: Part two of transferring all my music to my ipod was going through the CDs and pulling out CDs that I just didnt need anymore. (you know those CDs that you like ONE song on? those) I climbed into the storage area and pulled out the old jewel cases that are still hanging out there. And I'm going to the used CD store tomorrow to sell em back. I'll probably end up with about a dollar.

BOOK: An already finished selection: Born on a Blue Day. A memoir written by a savant with Asperger's syndrome.

In other news: Still doing well with the "no bags", "little trash", and "no disposable plates at work". Five other people have followed my lead and started bringing in plates, as well. And there's been talk about a 10 cent discount on lunches for bringing your own plate! We'll see where that goes. The snowball is rolling!

weekly writing assignment

After a long hiatus, I decided to join the party once again over at MamaKats

The weekly writing prompt I chose this week was:

Ten Reasons You Are Better Off Without Him (or her) (or it)

Ok....him.

10) I love to make lists. For me. Not for other people. With him I would've become the keeper of the "honey-do list". That is unacceptable.

9) I'm an excellent packer. But I only like to pack MY stuff. Not other peoples. With him I would've been in charge of packing everything. That is unacceptable.

8) We had a joke that I would never make him wear a tie. Partially because I am a casual girl. But partially because I hated his hideous Jerry Garcia ties. Now I never have to see them again.

7) And I never have to listen to the Grateful Dead ever again. (it's not that I completely hate the Dead. I actually like the first 5 minutes of all of their songs. Its the last 33 minutes of each song that get on my nerves)

6) I don't have to explain why I have male friends.

5) I don't have to explain why I love Johnny Depp.

4) And Tim Burton.

3) And Ted Kennedy.

2) If I go somewhere and forget sunscreen, I don't have to spend the next two days babying a pigmentally challenged whiner.

1) If I were still with him, I wouldn't have discovered my new love...triathlons.

Bonus Book Review

I got this book from a friend of mine for Xmas. She said she thought of me and my crazy Christmas letters when she saw it.

I love Augusten Burroughs. There's just something about somebody who can describe the most heart wrenching event in a way that makes you laugh until you almost wet your pants. Sorrow, heartache, irreverence and laughter: that's what makes an Augusten Burroughs book.

The first of his books that I read was Dry, his memoir about his stint in alcohol rehab and his mess of a life both before and after rehab. It was my favorite of all his works, as well. I'm happy that this was the first I read, too, because if I had read Running with Scissors first, I'm not sure I would have kept reading his work. That was a little graphic for me. As it was, I had already been won over hook, line, and sinker by the time I was horrified by the graphic underage sex scenes from his childhood memoir, so I could gloss over them and stick to the parts that made me laugh.

Like all of his memoirs, You Better Not Cry contained quite a few scenes that made me scratch my head and wonder if it actually happened or if a grain of truth had been embellished into a tall tale by Burrough's happily demented mind. (I figure when you have a memoir penned by somebody with an admitted substance abuse problem, you gotta cut 'em some slack. There are giant black holes in their memories) In the end, I don't really care if the material is completely accurate...just the IDEA that this COULD HAVE happened sent me into peals of uncontrollable laughter.

Which was a little awkward, since I read it in an airport. I also had to tell a small child that the cover photo was accidentally taken by Mrs. Claus when Santa was getting dressed on Christmas Eve. (totally true story)

Book Review

I read The Power of Now two weeks after I read A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle's other book. I'm relatively sure it's not necessary to read them both. They say pretty much the same thing

That being said, I found The Power Of Now to be a much easier format to read. It's written in a question and answer format, based on the most frequent questions Eckhart Tolle had been asked after his lectures. Some of the questions I found rather odd, but many of them spoke to me.

The thing about Eckhart Tolle...either you get him or you don't. I've had friends who literally threw the books down in frustration and called them "a bunch of crap". I fully expected to react that way. Instead, I found myself saying "That is so true. I know. I experienced that myself." It's kind of a mishmash of spiritual ideas from Christianity and Buddhism with the biggest focus on awareness. Lots of talk about quieting the inner voice and paying attention to the present.

Two and a half years ago, my entire life was dominated by that incessant inner voice. A six year relationship had just ended and I found myself endlessly replaying scenarios in my mind: What had I done wrong? How could I have done things differently? Would we still be dating if I had done it that way? More nerve wracking: What about the future I had envisioned? Where was it now? What the hell was I gonna do? How was I gonna live without him? And most disturbing: I don't even know who I am anymore! What is wrong with me? Why am I so broken?

I couldn't sleep. That voice would wake me up at night with the endless questions. I spent the hours between 2 am and 6 am pacing around my apartment trying to shut my brain off. I was soooo tired! But my mind was racing every night. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't focus, I couldn't make a decision about anything. I couldn't live my life; I was just existing.

The solution to this problem came from an unexpected source: a friend asked me to run a marathon with him. And as the mileage increased, a funny thing started to happen: the voice shut up. My mind became quiet. I could breathe a sigh of relief. Eventually, during those periods of silence that opened up around mile 5, I started noticing things: the sun on the water. Ducks diving for food. Leaves changing color on the trees. I started to relax. I became present.

Those periods of silence started coming earlier and earlier in my runs and lasting longer and longer after I finished running. I started sleeping until 3. Then 4. Then 5. I started sleeping through the night. I started feeling like myself again. And I stopped questioning who I was because I knew who I was : I was me. I stopped asking what was wrong with me because I knew what it was: it was nothing. I stopped existing and started living.

Reading this book was a little like looking through a scrapbook of my life during that transformation from complete mess to...well....just kind of messy. Here's the thing, though: I liked this book because I already had the experiences that the book talks about. It rang true for me and I could look back on how far I'd come. But if I had read this book in the midst of my tumultuous period (had I actually been able to READ in that state) I think I would have thrown the book across the room. I don't think I'd have gotten anything out of it. I think everyone may have to find their own way. Maybe for some it can come from reading a book such as this one. For me it had to come from something physical.

In another interesting aside, since running was so transformational for me, its become almost a private, sacred activity. As much as I enjoy reading running blogs like this and this, I can't share my workout goals and experiences in that way. It would be like going to the bathroom with the door open. (Which, on the other hand, I would totally write a post about) Sometimes I don't even post workouts on the workout log sidebar, preferring to write it in my paper journal just for me. I kind of feel like my next step in the process is to transform running from a solitary activity to a more social activity.

So, in the end, I'm not really sure that this book would be of much help to the people who need it the most. I'd wager that it means more to people who don't really need it any more. But what the heck do I know? Maybe it would.

ok, I just have to say: The olympics are just about the best idea mankind has ever had! What an excellent hockey game tonite.

weekend wrap up

I feel like I have just been playing catch up this week. And trying to view as much of the Olympics as possible. SO much so that it's already Sunday and I haven't commented on the weekend wrap up! Or wrote a book review. That's ok, though. I got my priorities right, eh? :)

PROJECTS: Two weeks ago, before the non-marathon, I cleaned out the fridge and freezer. From checking all the dates on salad dressing and condiments, washing the crisper drawers in warm soapy water, getting rid of freezer burned food, etc. And a good thing, I did, because I was briefly thinking of putting "ran an F-ing Marathon!" as the project for the week, but that didn't work out at all, did it?

Last week, I finally got a hat rack for my ridiculous number of hats. When I was in my 20's I was really into hats, for some reason. I was "the hat girl". And I looked pretty damn cute in them, too. Even though last year with my decluttering project I got rid of a number of hats, I still have quite a few. So I got a nice hat rack from Target, put it up, and hung a bunch of hats on it! Sadly, it's not enough. I gotta get another hat rack for the rest.

BOOKS: I'm actually ahead of schedule with my plane rides and extra time I had last weekend! But that just means I can give my poor eyes a rest on the reading for the next couple weeks.

Two weeks ago: You Better Not Cry by Augustin Burroughs. The thing about Augustin Burroughs is that you either love him or you hate him. I love him. SO I loved the book.

This week: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I think the "best book of the year" honor has been replaced!

And the rest: Doing OK, but not great with the no bags thing. I did get a couple bags while away, since I didn't bring my recyclable canvas bags away with me.

Ever feel like you are just on the brink of a major life change that hasn't QUITE arrived? I feel that way. And as much as the winter doldrums are getting me down, I'm just plugging away with the goals to somehow keep myself ready. Or something like that.

Helpful Advice

Helpful Advice From My 8 Year Old Neice:

"The best Olympic sport to watch is curling. Even if it does get really boring after a while; it's still good."

Olympics

Last night, I found myself at the gym with 3 televisions in front of me, all broadcasting olympic events. I was in heaven as I pedaled away, watching hockey, figure skating, and snowboarding simultaneously.

The Olympics are my favorite sporting events to watch. Nothing...not the Superbowl, the Stanley Cup, the World Series...comes close to it. (ok, maybe the Red Sox/ Yankees playoffs in 2004) I love the summer Olympics, the winter Olympics, the opening ceremonies, the closing ceremonies; just about every event you can see. Except curling. What the hell is up with that ridiculous sport?

There's just something so magical about the games! I remember when I was younger, I got so wrapped up, hoping that the US would win. Now, I really don't care who wins, as long as it was deserved. (oftentimes in figure skating, ice dancing, or gymnastics, the judges have a rather creative way of scoring) These games, especially, it seems that the athletes are from everywhere and nowhere. There are athletes with dual citizenships, living in one country and competing for another. There's that Chinese figure skater who defected TO Russia to skate with her partner in pairs. And I find myself cheering for the Canadians to win a gold in their home country.

That aside...how adorable are Shawn White and Apollo Ohno? They both just seem to love competing so much! And they are both just SO GOOD!

I was fortunate enough to go to the 2002 games in Salt Lake and I saw short track speed skating. That was only the second games for short track and it wasn't very popular then. It wasn't popular with me. I remember grumbling that we couldn't get tickets to REAL speed skating and we had to settle for this second rate substitution.

Back then, they didn't show short track for what it really was on TV. I just remember tight camera angles showing wipe outs but not the overall race. It looked like a free for all; roller derby on ice. It wasn't until I saw the entire track from above that I understood what it was all about. "Oh! That's why he was disqualified. I totally see now." "Oh! That's how to pass legally"

ANd Apollo was NOT the fastest one out there. Far from it. He almost looked like one of the slowest skaters. But what he could do was pass on the inside. Really well. Flash forward 8 years and he's like, 30 pounds lighter and one heck of a lot faster. Plus he can still pass on the inside. ANd stay on his feet when unfortunate Korean skaters wipe out in front of him.

Then there's ol Shawn. He looks like he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in Mississippi to give him superior airborn skills. He's that much better than everyone else.

I'm so excited about all the events yet to come. Women's figureskating. Women's half pipe. Aerial skiing. Downhill skiing. Hockey.(You'd think that with all the hockey and olmpics I've watched in my life that I'd know all the words to "Oh Canada" by now. But sadly, I only know the first and last lines of the song.)

The other feelings I get during the games, of course, is the desire to work out like a fiend and compete myself. Sadly, at age 40 I think my chance of making it to the olympics are long over.

Except, maybe, in curling. There's a lady competing at the olympic level in curling while she's 6 months pregnant! I think I may actually have a shot at this. And ---there's a curling club less than 30 minutes from my house! I could be in the 2014 games! Did I say curling was a ridiculous sport? I meant the most awesome sport in the world.

weekend bust

THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN OFTEN GO AWRY -- Robert Burns

Several years ago, I was watching a Warren Miller film where an extreme skier said that the secret to his sport was “Showing the mountain and mother nature who’s boss.” It came as no surprise when, a few months later, I read in Outside magazine about his death in an avalanche.

Unlike this poor fellow, I harbor no delusions of grandeur as to who is in charge. I know that when faced with what nature wants to dole out, I am at her mercy.

Likewise, having been a regular viewer of “My Name is Earl”, I consider myself well versed in the concept of karma. I do not test fate; I trust fate to leave me and my piddily little life well enough alone.

Which is why I cannot understand why mother nature and karma ganged up on me this weekend.

This weekend, I traveled to Myrtle Beach to run the 13th Annual Myrtle Beach Marathon. I had been training for months. I had a goal (4 hours 30 minutes or better). I had plans to meet a friend for the weekend. And I had visions of myself the day after the marathon, sitting in a stool with a margarita, entertaining a crowd of admirers with my wit and humor. Maybe I got too cocky.

Whatever the reason, mother nature and karma called up their friend Murphy to lay down the law for poor Heather.

It all started on Thursday when I landed in Myrtle Beach. I got off the plane and called my buddy to let him know I was in town. Then I collected my bags and got a cab to the motel. An hour and ten minutes after entering the lobby, I got my room key. It seems I had entered the lobby moments after a group of people who not only had a hard time dividing by four, but also had never heard of room tax. As their personal tea-party escaladed to epic proportions in the lobby, I considered reaching into my wallet and paying the $4.50 in tax myself just to speed things along. But finally, the clerk was able to explain things in an acceptable way and they conceded to splitting the $26.00 + tax per night four ways. It only took another 25 minutes to figure out how much that was per person.

When, at long last, I made it to the room, I again checked my cell phone. Still no word from my friend. I got myself settled in and went to sleep. The next morning, I still hadn’t heard from him. I went out for a little “loosening up run”, showered, and got dressed. Still no word from him. I went across the street for breakfast. Still no word. Finally, after breakfast, I got a call to discover that he had a snafu of his own and wouldn’t be making it to Myrtle Beach this weekend. I took a cab back to the airport to rent a car, since I ‘d be spending the weekend solo.

After collecting my race packet at the expo and latching onto a group of friendly runners who clearly needed a short brunette to complete their group, we started to hear rumblings about an incoming snow storm. At the pasta party Friday night, the first few flakes started to fall. An announcement was made that the start time had been moved back a half hour. As the meatballs and breadsticks disappeared, the blackberries appeared. Murmurs started circulating that “the race committee was weighing the options”. Weighing the options? What options? I had flown down here to run a marathon. There was no other option!

Except the option of cancelling the marathon. Which they did. On Friday night. Before anyone had a chance to see how bright and sunny and warm Saturday was.

I ended up running 13 miles along the course with hundreds of other runners.

At the end of the weekend, I drove to the airport, turned in the rental car, and went to the ticketing counter. My outgoing flight had been cancelled. Eight hours after entering the airport, I was able to board a plane. It seems that any form of precipitation -- be in snow, or rain, or fog, or, I don’t know, spittle from somebody’ lips -- is capable of cancelling just about anything.

Or maybe it has nothing to do with the precipitation. Maybe the problem with this weekend is that I needed to be shown who’s boss.

I will not be going skiing anytime soon.

weather prediction

A house full of people is a house full of different points of view -- Maori proverb


It never fails to amaze me how different people can look at the same thing and have completely opposite reactions. Many heated debates have arisen over the fairness of a referee’s call, political events, dogs versus cats, and perhaps the most passionate topic: weather prediction tactics.

For example, just last week we celebrated what is perhaps the strangest “holiday” on the calendar: groundhog day. That is the day when we yank a hibernating woodchuck out of its hole and flash bright lights in his face at the crack of dawn to see if it frightens him. If he is, indeed, frightened and anxious to get back to his hole, then we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Don’t worry, though. We give the hedgehog a cute little name: Punxsutawney Phil!

This fun little event takes place in Pennsylvania. On February 2nd. Is there anyone out there who actually thinks that winter in Pennsylvania will end before March 17th? Let’s face it: 6 more weeks of winter IS an early spring! I live in Massachusetts. On February 2nd, I’m looking at 12 more weeks of winter! At least! I certainly don’t need a chipmunk to tell me that!

At the end of the week, we had a weather dilemma of another sort: the weathermen said we were EITHER going to get walloped with a snowstorm OR cold air from Canada would move in and push the storm out to sea. (You would think all the hot air out on Capitol Hill would have the same effect but no, Washington DC is buried) By noontime on Thursday, we practically had a betting pool going in the staff room: SNOW or NO?

Suddenly, I had a flash of genius! “I will get to the bottom of this!” I said. “By 3:00 today, I will know definitively whether we are getting snow or not” I spent the next three hours asking every person with arthritis (and one person with an internal fixation of her femur) if we would be getting snow. The result? 100% no. “Nope. No snow coming.”

Arthritis: a much more accurate meteorologist than a squirrel.

Finally, this weekend, K was paging through The Farmer’s Almanac. “Geez,” he said. “Could this thing be any more vague? ‘Winter will be cold. Possibly with snow. Summer will be warm. And humid.’ I could’ve written it.” (Well, him or a guinea pig)

Just then, J came walking in. “What are you guys talking about?”

“The Farmer’s Almanac.”

“Isn’t that thing amazing? I don’t know HOW they get everything so spot on. It’s mind boggling!”

It certainly is.

weekend wrap up

Wow! Its Sunday already and I havent' even posted the weekend wrap up yet. I usually do that on Friday. But this Friday was way busy. As was Saturday. And now here I am, doing 3 things at once before the SuperBowl.

Projects: So last week, I was supposed to import all of my CDs to itunes so I could have a wider variety of tunes on the ipod for running. And also just so everything could be tied up with a nice little bow. And it wasn't completed last week. And I was supposed to finish it this week. But you know what? "Tied up with a nice little bow" isn't necessarily the most functional situtation. I imported a few more, and then deleted a few! I categorize music in my head as "running music", "walking music", "workout music", "driving music", and "clean the house music". It makes no sense to have driving music or clean the house music on the ipod. So that's as done as it needs to be.

This week's project (completed) was to get my various bags in order: my gym bag, my work bag, my pool bag, my errand bag. All organized and neatly lined up by the door.

Book: As a follow up to the Eckard Tolle book I read two weeks ago, I read the other one this week: The Power of Now. Not really sure I needed to read them both that close together. But I did. So that's that.

Other: Small slip this week: I forgot to bring my plate into work and had to do the disposable thing one day and I used bags at the store once this week. I've been quite distracted! But the plastic bags went right into the recycling the same day (back at the store receptical).

I did get by for the first month on just one bag of trash (a rather full bag, but only one bag nonetheless). And I've seen that in addition to recycling as much as possible, I can try to buy stuff with less packaging (ie: more crock pot cooking and less frozen dinners). Maybe a 3/4 full bag of trash next month?

And next week: marathon!

Cooking into the night

So last week, I thought I would try a new recipe that would give me something to snack on when I get the hungry horrors at night. SOmething that has a little less sugar, a little healthier, but would satisfy the nightie munchies nicely.

I had a recipe for "Energy Balls" that I got, I think, from a magazine at the gym. I wasn't thrilled with the name. But I was sure I'd love them. I had already decided that I would carry these snackies around with me everywhere and with a wink and a nod to Alec Baldwin, I would call them "Schweddy Balls"

3 c dried dates
1 c crushed almonds
2 Tablespoons sesamee seeds
1 Tablespoon honey

Mix together in a food processor or blender and form into 1" balls
Roll in shredded coconut and freeze or refrigerate

These are...ok. They taste like dates and almonds. Not like chocolate. Or peanutbutter. Which is often what I crave when I get the hungry horrors. But they aren't bad. I think I just need to get used to eating things like dates and almonds for a snack.

I'm not carrying them around with me everywhere. And I'm not calling them Schweddy Balls. But I am keeping them in my freezer and popping them in my mouth instead of peanutbutter cups.

I call them "Night Terrors".

Just kidding.

Give me a month. I won't be able to live without them.

Or I'll just try the alternate recipe that involves nut butter.

weekly book review

And now on a completely different note from yesterday's post! A little ditty I like to call:

THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR!

Last week I read "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm. It's the story of Randy Morgenson, a back country ranger at King's Canyon National Park who, on his 28th consecutive summer rangering, disappeared without a trace. The book alters back and forth between the extensive search for Randy and Randy' life story from growing up in Yosemite where his father worked, to his stint in the Peace Corps, to his employment by the park's services in King's Canyon.

It's funny, we bloggers who walk the line between over sharers and writers, often spend so much time trying to "find our voices". We strive to find a distinctive style that reflect who we are, our personality, our wit. We want our blog posts to shout out "Heather wrote this!" We want our uniqueness to color our words.

So its interesting to read a book that is truly a piece of investigative journalism. Something in which the writer keeps himself and his viewpoint out of the writing and instead lets the story speak for itself. The book is extensively researched. It skillfully pulls the reader along, building suspense and providing glimpses into the lives of Randy and his wife Judi, his family, his co-workers and friends and how their interactions gave rise to several theories behind Randy's disappearance. Did he have an accident? Was there fowl play? Or did Randy plan his own disappearance and not want to be found?

The only area in which Eric Blehm fails to keep his personal views from coloring his writing is in his descriptions of the high sierra. It is clear that Blehms is somebody who is intimately familiar with King's Canyon. He describes with such detail the snowpack, the flowers, the birds, the loose scree hiking paths, the obsidian arrowheads found in opportune places.

Reading this book, I was not only swept up in the story of Randy Morgensen's disappearance, but in the lure of the sierras. I had forgotten how much I miss King's Canyon, one of my favorite places on earth. I could almost feel the sunshine on my face, the loose rock under my boots, the dry, dusty air in my throat. I wished I were there.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the outdoors. Or anyone who doesn't, for that matter. Great story. Great writing. Great mountains.

another rant from a cranky old chick

Well, I was perusing around blogland today and I came across this one:
Momma Made It Look Easy

And I have to say, this blog made me soo happy. No, not because of the funny writing, the slice of life stories, the great ideas, the give-aways.

I love this blog, because I have finally found somebody else who

HATES TAYLOR SWIFT!

Listening to the drivel that whiny, flaky, over-made up Disney kid sings makes me want to jam a meat thermometer in my ear.

Why anyone thinks she is talented is beyond me.

And now, I have found a sister in my crankiness.

Thank you Jennifer!

February goals

Ah, here we are in February. Freezing our collective keisters off. And still working on my endless list of goals. I'm wondering...am I really motivated? Or like a hamster on a wheel? Sometimes I feel like a little of both. Maybe because my January goals were a little more time consuming than I had originally thought:

1) Continue marathon training and begin triathlon training: SUCCESS. I'm right on track for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in two weeks. I've started with some indoor cold weather bricks (exercise bike and treadmill). I'm starting at the pool this week. And I've been skulking around the bike shop in search of some clipless pedals and maybe aerobars.

2) Finish March trip details and register for June race: Done!

3) Finish Online Class: Finished. (It took way more time than I thought)

4) Article to Health Times: FAIL. Just ran out of time.

5) 6-8 glasses of water a day: half credit. I learned that I do really well until I get all stressed out and then I do exactly the opposite of what I should be doing: I start drinking less water, more diet coke and more sugar.

6) Dramatically reduce Diet Coke consumption: half credit. See above

7) Lose two pounds: FAIL. I weight the exactly the same as I did a month ago. Of course, I gained 10 pounds training for my last two marathons, so maybe its a victory of some sort?

8) Finish mock up for brochure for work clinic: done

9) Get a new digital camera: success

10) Get my hair cut: FAIL. Can you believe I couldn't find time for a hair cut?

Maybe in February:

1) Marathon!! (my goal is 4:30)

2) Triathlon training underway

3) Get my hair cut

4) Stop hibernating and go out twice in Feb

5) Complete 30 day sugar reduction challenge (challenge from a friend)

6) water consumption

7) work with scheduling to streamline admission process for work clinic

8) Take 30 pics this month

9) Decide upon and purchase clipless pedals for bike

10) Complete 2 of 3 educational series for work

No sugar with all those yummy heart shaped boxes around? Wish me luck!