a milestone moment

I accomplished something today that a year ago I probably would have said I would never do.
I ran. For thirty minutes. In the pouring rain.


you can't really tell, but this is us after we
got home today, soaked and feeling good.

Thanks a million to The Eugene Running Company and our personal favorite coach, Runner Jeff. Running Works!



I just bought the Nike+ for my ipod and I have to say, it was the best $24.95 I've spent in a long time. Not only does a nice lady encourage you throughout your run, she'll tell you your distance, time and mile pace, but then, at the end she'll let you know your final stats. And this is what has encouraged me to no end. The first time I finished a thirty minute run with the Nike+ I was amazed. I my mile pace was an average of 12:12 and I'd run 2.5 miles.

Okay. For all of you runner-athletes out there, don't laugh I haven't run since Junior High when I injured my knee, had surgery and was banned from all sports and running activities. So...for me...2.5 miles is HUGE. An average mile pace of 12:12 is amazing!
Today, after running and being soaked to the bone for the entire run, I was told by the nice lady that I had completed a new personal record. An average 12:09 mile pace. And, the first two miles I ran today were under 12 minutes. 11:40 to be exact. I don't feel bad at all that after 2 miles in the pouring ran, my mile time slipped - to a new personal best!
Bella ...I think I'm ready for that 3 mile run. I'm not worried anymore, I can do it.

Another benefit to running in the rain and through puddles? Clean -ish- shoes.

the truth about my husband...

Last night, as we lay in bed, I told my man about the last post I wrote and asked him to read it, cause I think it's a bit of a love letter from me to him. He mentioned that he doesn't think I tell the truth about him in my blog. I was appalled. How dare he call me a liar. I explained to him that, yes, it is true that I don't share all of the not so great details about him with the blogworld, but that that's okay. I've mentioned that our marriage isn't perfect right? I just don't think it's alright to bash on the man you love.

But, to be clear, and at the beckoning of my adorable husband, I'm going to share some things - that by the way I still think make him awesome - but that he thinks provide a clearer picture of who he is. So, as he is in the kitchen doing the dishes (geez he's such a jerk!) and I am sitting in the living room, warm cup of tea at my side (he made the tea, and put it in a small thermos so it wouldn't get cold, man he's so selfish!) I am going to get down and dirty and share his not so perfect qualities.



Last thing before I get started...now when he does something - you'll see what I mean in a minute - less than "perfect" he now says, "put that in your blog!"

1. Last night he farted in the bed, and then he lifted the blankets and let it out into the room - the conversation went like this.
"did you fart?"
"Ya" - he then lifts the blanket
"AHH, it's gross." - I bury my face in my pillow
"Ahh, man that is gross"
"Is it gone? Eww, it got in my mouth!" - bury face in pillow, again
"Ha, put that in your blog!"
- uncontrollable laughter from me, mixed with gagging, tears running down my cheeks, and more laughter.
*I read this to him...we laughed and laughed about it all over again. he's my best friend.

2. as i mentioned in the last post, he still makes up cute names for me. earlier in the day, he was getting ready to take me to work and he said, "_______, you ready to go?" The blank space is for the new nickname he made up, just then on the spot. And, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was. I mentioned it to him last night and he couldn't remember either, it was one of those, In the Moment, kind of things.

Instead of leaving it at that, all sweet and endearing, he spent the rest of the night trying to remember the cute name. Here were some of his suggestions: stinky, and stinky butt, icky, funny face, booger, lamp,


3. he doesn't want to have kids, he likes us like this.
(he says he doesn't like kids and isn't that bad, but he does like kids and he'd be a great dad. we've just decided it's not right for us right now and so, again, this, in my eyes, isn't a bad quality in him.)

4. he plays video games in the bed at night when I'm going to sleep.
i have trouble falling asleep at night and i like the sound of something going on to distract me and so, he plays video games upstairs in the bedroom. He thinks this is a bad thing, i guess cause other girls would hate it. But I like it. It's like a movie playing, but one that I don't care about the characters or what happens next so it's easy for me to fall asleep.

Wait, this is supposed to be a list of bad things right? See how it just ends up working out the other way?


this is what he's doing right now.
409, paper towels and a chair.

I take the photo and he says, "you're not posting that are you? See this is what I mean, it's not like I do this all the time, or everyday. This is my point, this is why I don't think you're honest about me."

And, this is my point...he doesn't have to do it everyday. I've never said he does "this thing" or "that thing" everyday. The fact that he's doing it at all is more than a lot of women get. And yes, he doesn't do this everyday, but he does things like this for me everyday. You would get bored if I started that list. Cause it's not funny, it's just sweet, and loving, and probably boring, cause it's things like running slow so he stays next to me on a run, telling me to sit down and, "take it easy" for a little bit after I get home from work, folding the blanket I used last night on the couch and putting it away, or checking the tires on my bike before we go for a ride to make sure they're full.

But what was I thinking?!? He's a jerk. Selfish and all that. If this is him at his worst, then that's alright with me.
This was kindda fun. Maybe I'll start posting more things he does that make him not perfect. Cause they make me laugh and I like to laugh.

it's another post about...

a book and adultery.

Please don't think I'm obsessed with these two things. It just so happens that I had no idea what this was about when, as I mentioned in a previous post that Jen loaned it to me. I didn't even crack it open. She gave it to me, oh geez, a month and a half ago. And I opened the front cover and read it. On Saturday.


Here's what I started writing about it 4 days ago...
Say When by Elizabeth Berg contains a subject matter that we've all discussed here and there a while back...marriage and adultery. I didn't know it when I picked it up. The cover and title, as my husband pointed out, seem to suggest another sort of relationship activity. But come Saturday afternoon and 256 pages later I knew the story is, at it's core, about adultery in a marriage.

Of course, it got me thinking about previous posts/blog discussions, friends dealing with this subject in their marriage right now, and my own opinions on the matter in reference to my marriage. But that's not what I want to talk about. We've done that. And frankly, I don't want to do it again right now, because although I know my opinions may change in the future, they haven't changed a bit since the last blog-scussion so, for now, we'll leave that be.

Instead, what I thought about - and what was briefly mentioned in the book - was why I got married and why I married who I did in the first place ... seven and a half years ago. I realize that I was young, we were both young. We were both world travelers, we had a history together - heck, we'd known each other for over five years. But we had no idea what marriage was all about. Of course we would never have admitted it back then. We wouldn't even have known we should admit it! We were in love and that's why people get married. Right?

the first moment he saw me after I'd
been out of the country for six months
photo by Cameron Ingalls

We've talked about how naive we both were about marriage, what it meant and how it worked. But what we both still agree on is that we were right to get married and we were right to get married when we did.

If you know us, in the real world, you know our marriage has not been all flowers and rainbows. Without going into detail, I'll just say that in our first 2 years of marriage we experienced 5 out of the 7 things they say will kill a marriage. So, we pretty much figure if we, and our marriage, could survive those early years, then we can survive the rest of life.

There is an argument for waiting to get married until you know who you are, until you're an adult and you've come into yourself, found who you are. I'll discuss that. But I'm going to be bias on the subject. What? I just am.

I want to leave the post with this... I like that we've learned what marriage and a true life-long relationship is all about together, as a couple. I like that we've known each other as teenagers, and that we've shared that angst. I like that together, we've grown up, figured out who we are, and learned what being an adult really means. I like that we're young and yet we've already known each other for over twelve years. I like that we've had tragedy and survived through it together. I like that there's been time to see our relationship evolve.



I like that he surprises me
with little chocolate vegan delights right when it's that time of the month





I like that we're best friends. I like that he makes up new names for me still, like he did when we first fell in love. I like that we can support each other in our dreams. I like that he loves me and I can tell. I like that I love him. I like that I still feel like this is a new love, no, not everyday. Not every minute. But, I still get butterflies, and my heart still skips a beat, and I wouldn't change a thing about my life.

i like short things.

I did something besides work, it took some time but, I read a brilliant book of short stories by author Meera Nair. All of the short stories, which I might just mention here are some of my favorite books to read, books of short stories that is because with life how it is, finding time to read one short story is easier than finding time to read one 250+ page book over the course of a month and having to re-read the last page again every time you pick it up because it's been so freaking long that you've forgotten what you've read. Or heck, the last time you read it was late and you drifted off to sleep and you turned the pages and looked at the words, but the story escaped you. Yeah. I like books of short stories. Any suggestions from you all out there?

So. "Video" was written by Meera Nair, a native of India and as you may imagine, each of her short stories in this collection are set in, unique to one another settings in, India, surrounded by Indian culture, and rich with details and insight. A warning to some, the Title Story deals with pornography. I just have to send out a tad bit of a disclaimer. I don't know who's reading this. But, please, do not be deterred because of this one subject. All of the stories in this book are amazing.

I borrowed it from the library, but I'm considering buying it for my bookshelf. I'll loan it out only after i write my name in it.

Unwittingly, I think I just wrote a "rave review" for this book. That was not my intention. Not because I didn't like it, on the contrary I really liked it. I just didn't want to blog a simple book review. Alas. I am sorry. I think that is all I have in me. I have no brain capacity to reflect on what I read and attribute my thoughts to that of fiction and life. It might also be because of the month I've had, it took me that long to read the 208 pages. Not a hard feat typically for me to accomplish in a day....and that brings me to my next blog about a book.

stay tuned. it's a juicy one.

tunnels & spoons

i like my job. my only job. yes that's right. I got a raise at my second job, supposedly to get me to work more or stay longer, but I haven't been back since. it isn't my fault. i'm committed to pushplay first and foremost, pure and simple and heck, we've been busy. Not a day off, even on the weekend. so. you should all know that even though i'm busy and worked a lot of days without much breaks. i love it. i have one job. since i ditched out on the other one and it's pretty full time. oh and did i mention that i love it? well i do. i love it.

i had a day off on saturday. it was tough. really. it was. i kept thinking the phone would ring, or i should check my email. but instead of those things happening. I read a book. Yes, an entire book. Jen loaned it to me. So. it's been a long time coming but here come two, yes two book blogs.


here we are. tired. in love. and happy about life.

just thought I'd say...

my mum's in Africa, Kenya to be exact. It's now my time to live vicariously through her. I can't wait to see her pictures, share them with all of you and glow with pride in her accomplishments.

hooray lady. i love you.


*she's there with Life Water International
after over 25 years as a teacher and education director, she quit her job, moved to another city and took a job offer for the non-profit as their volunteer coordinator or as they call her "field trainer manager". she's in Africa experiencing first hand what Life Water's work is doing to help save lives. get involved. i'm going to. somehow, some way. but for now, just in case you didn't know ... i'm proud of my mum.

a sort of post mostly just stealing from another blogger though...

i'm sorry bella art "gamma" girl. I'm stealing from you....

I was very busy all week planning for THIS *click me* or click HERE or clicky clack this.

and then follow the link on her page for more photos...until i can get enough time to post my own full story post...

sorry all. this isn't much, but it's what i've got for now!

thank you God for life and joy. i seem to have them both in spades.

the wind is shifting.

ahh.

i want to blog. i think about it all the time. but i'm never around my computer while i'm not working, until now. and now. there are so many things i wish i could write about that i just can't even start. ever feel like that? so, instead of back tracking. i'm going to start from right....now.

today was my first "day off" since sunday september 2nd. And when I say day off, what i mean is that I worked from home, in my thick grey sweats, star-front jogger and skippers (that's slippers for those of you that don't know.) I created things. (that means art projects.) I semi-watched "The Woman Vanishes" a Hitchcock I haven't seen yet, (by semi-watch, I mean I can't just sit on the couch and watch a movie by myself anymore, so I have to "do stuff" while I watch.) I ended up missing half of it because the sewing machine was to loud but I liked what I was sewing so I didn't mind...much. I got the gist of it and it's a Hitchcock, so of course it was amazing.

Andy had band practice, science is being made again! And then we went out to Three Forks for dinner with Jessa.

All in all. Not a bad day.

I've missed blog land. Hope you all are good. I'll check back with all of your blogs too. sorry i've been m.i.a.

things are changing. God is good. more to come.