Running Like Crazy

So, yeah. It has officially been forever since I have posted anything. I have been so catlicking busy that although there is plenty to report, I just haven’t managed to find a second to sit down and write anything. Clearly, this situation calls for some bullet points.
• The new job is going well, but it’s keeping me very busy. I am learning a lot, as evidenced by my getting on a plane my second week of work and flying to Minneapolis, coming home for the weekend, then flying out again.
• I didn’t get to go to the Mall of America, nor did I run into Prince.
• However, one morning I got up early and went for a run. I discovered a park near my hotel where there was a running path that surrounded a beautiful frozen lake. Running around a frozen lake felt very Minnesota to me. I’m sure if I’d gone for another mile or two, I’d have run into Garrison Keillor.
• The boys and I went out for dinner the other night and Jack, with no preamble, picked up a crayon and wrote his name, all by himself, for the very first time. I am incredibly proud of him. He now has a Spider-Man notebook that he calls his sketchbook where he practices drawing and writing.
• Jack has also taken a step into kid-dom in that he is willing to help me clean the house for money. He will gladly accept any coin for any job and keeps them all in a bowl in his room. He thinks he is totally rich, though the amount of money he has amassed in his four years is about six bucks.
• Jack’s class at school has a new pet guinea pig, and I am delighted to report that her name is Miss Piggy. The teacher read them all a book about guinea pigs, and Jack pretty much committed it to memory. Steve and I have now deemed him The World’s Foremost Expert on Guinea Pigs. Jack will be delighted to bust out a number of facts about guinea pigs, such as that they need to chew on hard things to keep their teeth from getting too long, that when they are excited, they bounce up and down, which is called “popcorning,” and that celery is dangerous for them to eat because of the strings.
• Two new catch-phrases have entered the lexicon at Stately Wasser Manor. Instead of making sure, we are “make suring,” and if you want to tell someone you’re being honest, you’ll say, “I’m really true.” Jack’s turns of phrase really tickle me.
• I’ve decided not to run the half marathon I was planning on in early April. With the new job, I’ve been getting in decent miles in my weekend long runs, but I haven’t been as consistent in speed work. So, then new plan is to just train for the Quad Cities Distance Classic in May. I will have plenty of time to train for that, buying me time to miss a few training sessions as I need to.
• As part of that goal, I went on my first group training run on Sunday. We all met bright and surly in the morning, despite Daylight Savings Time and the fact that it was pouring rain. It’s nice to be with a group of people who are also crazy enough to think that’s a good idea. I hung with some nice people for the first 3.5 miles, but they were ready to turn around before I was , so I kept on going. Trouble was, the people ahead of me were WAY ahead of me, and the people running slower than me had turned around earlier, so I got a little lost. I was trying out the “return to start” feature on Paula Garmin when one of the faster runners joined me and helped me find my way back.
• After the training run, we all hung out at McDonald’s. Let me tell you, a group of runners really stands out in the crowd there. It was a lot of fun, and everyone was really friendly. Internet, if you are reluctant to join a running group because you don’t know anybody, don’t be. Runners are really nice people and are always willing to welcome another into the fold. Seriously.
• The day before that training run, I went to my Local Running Store and got a new pair of shoes (Asics 2140’s, if you care). My husband went with me because he was curious about what the store was like. He followed me in and listened for a few minutes while I chatted with the guy there. About one minute in, Steve realized that he had no clue what running store guy and I were talking about. All kinds of Asics serial numbers, discussion of “hot spots” on the feet, and he decided to wait for me outside instead!

Those are the highlights of what's going on here. I'll try not to be such a stranger!