Hot Water

That's all it took to get the wallpaper down - HOT freaking WATER! Why didn't someone tell me to try this to begin with. I assumed that the hubby tried a few options before purchasing the chemical stuff, but you know what they say about ASSuming. :-)

So, the bathroom is done. The kitchen is painted...but, turns out I hate the paint DH picked out, so it's getting painted a different color today. Yeah, I'm picky.

We found 2 houses that we really, really, really like! One has everything I want in a house with the exception of no granite counters in the kitchen and funky vinyl flooring in the upstairs full bath...small things. But, the house is 10 years old. Not old by any means in house years...however, when looking at the other house (the BRAND SPANKING NEW, NEVER BEEN LIVED IN HOUSE), it's hard to not be a little bit in awe of the shiny newness. So, I have my list of pros and cons:

House #1 - Pros
- upgraded tile throughout the living area and kitchen
- new light fixtures that I actually like
- large house (approx. 400 sq feet larger than NEW house)
- large yard on corner with walking trail behind it (no back neighbors!)
- Huge deck in back - perfect for cookouts and parties
- Detached garage - something I prefer, but don't have to have
- Garage already has tons of shelves for storage built in
- ceiling fans and 2" blinds throughout
- great paint colors - we thought we'd have to re-do all of that
- several, mature trees & great landscaping
- has a formal dining, study, fireplace and the # of bedrooms I want (we can't seem to find a house with all that in our range)
- Quiet area of subdivision that we like, which has lots of amenities (pool, splash pad, playgrounds, good Elemetary school)

House #1 - Cons
- Formica counters in kitchen and funky backsplash
- Funky bathroom vinyl floor
- Carpet has a few stains (nothing major)
- House is a bit older than other house, so may have some maintenance needing to be done soon (new roof, hot water heater, A/C, etc.)
- Not THE section of the subdivision we wanted to live in, but still a good section

House #2 - Pros
- It's BRAND SPANKING NEW!
- Oversized lot (but still smaller than the house #1)
- Upgraded everything - tile downstairs, hard woods in the dining room, granite counters, awesome cabinets, etc.
- great paint colors
- pretty good landscaping
- has a formal dining, fireplace and the # of bedrooms I want (we can't seem to have a house with all that in our range)
- Quiet area of subdivision that we like that also has a new elementary school

House #2 - Cons
- It's 400 sq feet smaller than house #1
- No study!
- Subdivision is newer, but has fewer ammenities than the one where house #1 is located
- Attached garage (but I can live with that)
- Smaller lot than house #1 with back neighbors

Sooo, considering that the prices are the same (before bargaining)........which would you choose???

Ugh!

Two weeks ago, we finished installing the tile on the bathroom floor and tub area, as well as on the kitchen counters. Well, let me clarify, the tile guys finished...not me and the hubby. We leave that type of work to the professionals.

We did however decide to take down the wallpaper in both rooms, texture the walls and paint ourselves. It sounded easy enough, right?

I never in a million years would have thought that 2 weeks later, we'd still be working on these little tasks! Thank God the bathroom wallpaper was a bit easier to remove! The bathroom is almost done. Just need to touch up the hard to reach areas and paint the ceiling. Hallelujah!

On the other hand, the kitchen still has wallpaper. I really need to track the hours we have been working on this little project alone - at least 3 hours on Sat and 3 hours on Sunday, followed by 1 1/2 hours on Monday (since I didn't have class), at least an hour on Tuesday and again yesterday. Of course, this doesn't count the interruptions to help the kiddo out when she presses the wrong button on the computer, to press play for her dvd (she can't reach), etc. Our poor kiddo, she's watched more dvds this week and played more games on Playhouse Disney.com and Noggin.com this week than she has in her entire life combined. Not that she seems to mind. ;-) We only have a small section of wallpaper above the cabinets along one wall...it's not much, but I guesstimate that it will take about 5 hours to finish. Honestly, if I had known what a pain in the ass this was going to be, I would have said screw it and we would be selling the house "as-is".

I am so tired of scoring the walls with this:

Glopping this goo on the walls:

Then scraping with this:

Of course, since I'm baking a baby, the hubby insists that I wear this and this:

One the upside of all this, I may end up with some great arms from all that scraping! But, I've only been able to get on the treadmill once this week and that is driving me crazy!!!!!!

Spirit of the Marathon

It's finally here and for one night only! If you are interested in seeing the movie, go to www.fathomevents.com. I've been looking forward to seeing this flick since before I ran Chicago in 2006, so you know I'll be there!

Still here

Yeah, I'm still here. Still gettin' on the treadmill. I didn't get a chance to workout all weekend, because 1) school started and 2) who needs to workout when you're scraping wallpaper for 3 hours straight on both Saturday and Sunday?

I. hate. wallpaper.

Really.

Now, when the hubby and I are looking at older homes, we automatically rule out any that currently have wallpaper! :-) True story. And, the builder we both fell in love with decided to discontinue the special offer they had this month, so we're back to square one with the house hunting. That sucks. Royally.

In case you're really bored...

Here's the video we created for our International Business class...

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=47a3761a2381dc36a52810&source=category&category_id=all

School has started, the kiddo will not fall asleep at a reasonable hour, I cannot get on the treadmill because of the last item, the house is a mess...

Can I just say

I. hate. wallpaper.

It's taking forever to remove it from our kitchen walls. At this rate, we will never be able to paint. Sigh. I completely hate our house being in disarray and just want to get all this work done already.

But, on another note the kitchen counters and bathroom tile look fabulous! The munchkin is doing well, although he (yes, he) is a bit on the large side (along with my butt). ;-) And, I believe the hubby and I found a home and neighborhood we both agree on...hallelujah!

Volunteer Duty

First, congrats to everyone who ran this weekend! Whether it was the 5k, the 1/2 marathon or the whole enchilada...way to go!!

Saturday
I made it to the GRB Saturday for my 10 am shift with the Media Relations/PR group. They're a great group and I had a great time. It was pretty slow by the time I arrived, so after making sure we had enough media packets, I ended up blowing up helium balloons for that night's pasta dinner for a couple of hours. We also went through training on what we would be doing on race day - for me that was tracking the male marathoners. I had a feeling that Saturday was the calm before the storm. I suspected that Sunday would be a frenzy of activity with the actual races and the press conferences. We did get a sneak peak at the cowboy hats that were presented to the winners. :-)


After my shift, I headed to the Expo for a look around. Last year, I wasn't completely sure I had made the right decision about switching to the 1/2. But, by the time I made it to the Expo, I was okay with the decision. Today was completely different. For the 1st time, the realization hit me that I wasn't participating in any race. That was a bit difficult for some reason. Seeing all the runners picking up their packets made that realization really hit home. For a second, I actually thought I was going to cry. Weird, I know. I'm blaming it on those crazy-ass pregnancy hormones!

Sunday
Sunday, I started out at 5:30 am at the corner of Commerce and LaBranch. It was dark and scary and no other volunteers were around yet, so I walked over to the next block where there were already two people. Our job was to just make sure that no one drove through the intersection once the streets had been blocked off for the race. Easy right??? This is crazy...after the cannons went off, we (the volunteers) were all looking toward the start line and could see the police cars slowly coming towards us. All of a sudden, this woman comes out of no where in her car! We had no idea how she got there, because she would have had to come through the intersection where the full marathoners were running. This lady goes on and on about how she just HAS to get to work and wants to know if she can cross "real quick". We were just looking at her like she was nuts...um hello lady, the race has started there are runners coming! She told the police officer, "You know, some of us actually have to work" and the police officer was all nice and replied, "Yes Ma'am, I understand, but I am sure all these people work too. They've been training very hard and this is their day." Turns out, she told the police at the other intersection that she had a medical emergency and was on the marathon medical team! Can you believe that? One other person tried to get through right as the 2nd wave started. He was going the wrong way on the one-way street. Crazy people!

Next, I headed over to the GRB to help out in with the PR group. The PR stuff was pretty interesting. The carefully planned out tasks we were assigned the day before got completely scratched. There was supposed to be someone on the trucks that lead the 1/2 and full marathoners with a radio updating us on what was happening. Then, we were supposed to blog race info on the marathon website...but we had technical difficulties getting the radios to work. So our updates were basically just repeating what was being shown on ABC. Here and there, we could wander over to the window and look down on the start line to see the finishers coming in. We also helped set up everything for the press conference after the race and got to see all the elite runners head over to the elite area. Occasionally, a reporter would want to interview a runner, so we would have to run over to that area and look for that person and bring them back to the media room. I had the honor of finding Jessica Armenteros-Word and walking with her to the media area...I have no doubt that she will once again be back at elite status soon! Umm, stupid me for suggesting we walk up the escalator to get upstairs. It was after the race, so I am sure she was exhausted. Doh!

Volunteering was fun and was exhausting at times, but in all honesty, I would much rather be out there running! ;-) I'll see you out there next year!

Good luck!

Well, the Expo has begun and marathon weekend here in Houston is underway. I can't not participate at all! That would be so not-me. After I had the kiddo back in November of '04, I had a friend who was running the 1/2 marathon for the 1st time in January '05. I met her in multiple spots along the course of the race and helped her run the race in. This year, I thought I would do something a little more "official" and volunteer to help out.

I'll be at the GRB from 10 am - 2 pm tomorrow helping out the PR/Media Relations group. When I signed up, I didn't realize that we would be all the way over in Hall B....the Expo is in Hall D, so I may not be able to see any of the peeps from Striders, Houston Fit and fellow bloggers. I am second guessing my selection in volunteer duties, as I would love to be where the people are both at the Expo and during the race. But, I thought I would try something a little different and this sounded pretty interesting to me. I am hoping to check out the Expo a little after my shift though, so I hope to see some peeps then. I should be easy to spot...most marathoners at the Expo will not have a protruding belly. LOL!

On Sunday, I'll be at Commerce and LaBranch from 6 am - 8 am making sure that the course is clean and safe for all those participating in the race. At 8 am, I'll head back over to the GRB to help out with the PR group again until noon. After that, I hope that I'll be able to hang out a bit, since that will be about the time the folks I used to run with will be finishing.

Sooo...I hope that I do get to see some of you out there. If not, best of luck to you!!! I can't wait to read your race reports.

Legs be strong, mind be stronger!

She's alive

Hi there. Yes, I am still alive and well...just busy. I actually had a long New Years Day post all typed and even saved, but still Blogger somehow managed to eat it. Grrrrr.........

I really thought my winter break from school would be a bit more relaxing, but for some reason my schedule still seems pretty busy. Right now, there are renovations going on at our house. We've been out there searching for the perfect house in the 'burbs every weekend and are gradually getting the list narrowed down. So, the point of all the renovations is to get our house ready to go on the market. Oh, how I am going to miss the short commute that goes with living in town! Sigh.

I have been on the treadmill. Mostly walking. Not as often as I'd like, thanks to the kiddo refusing to go to sleep before 10 pm. I may need to call in Super Nanny Jo, because there are nights when I want to pull out my hair. LOL!

As we get closer and closer to Sunday's Houston Marathon, I started thinking of all the nervousness, excitement and anticipation that I would normally be feeling this week. At a cafe during lunch today, I overheard a girl talking about the marathon this weekend. It's her first. I have to admit that I am a bit envious. I miss that nervous excitement and I will miss the feeling of accomplishment that happens afterwards. So, I thought I would dust off this post from last year with some tips for running this Sunday. To everyone who is participating in the 1/2 or full on Sunday - GOOD LUCK!!!

From last year....
Okay, so I am no elite athlete or running guru, but if this is your 1st time running a marathon, I have been in your shoes! I remember my 1st marathon day vividly. While it was definitely difficult, I can say with certainty that it changed my life forever. If I have a chance, I'll tell you more about the experience later this week. For now, here are a few things that I've learned along the way...

1. Try not to obsess about the marathon, but realize it's perfectly normal if you do. I do this for every marathon, not just for my first. You will read and re-read every inspirational e-mail and every list of tips and advice. You will have all these tips memorized and will be able to recite them all as you run on Sunday. :-) Before Chicago, I watched this over and over again, too.
2. Try hard not to freak out. I know the marathon is probably consuming your thoughts right now, so that's easier said than done. But try to throw yourself into your work if you can, because the last thing you need to do is worry.
3. Think about what you want to wear on race day now. Be sure to think about what you would wear if it's colder/warmer than expected. You will probably change your mind 2-3 times between now & then, only to revert back to your original plan.
4. Check out this support map at the Katy Fit website. It's awesome! My hubby has used it every year to figure out where he's going to meet me and how to get there.
5. It's your 1st marathon! Gather all your friends and family and tell them where to meet you on the route. Chances are, you've run a 21 miler and know where you could have used an extra boost. There areas where I needed a pep talk were - between mile 18 & 19 in Tanglewood, miles 22 on Memorial and anywhere on Allen Parkway.
6. Print out a pace band here. No, print out two - one with your "ideal" finish time and one with your "not so ideal" finish time. With the world of Garmins we live in, you probably have a Garmin and don't need to wear the band. However, if you are math challenged like me, you can use these to estimate where you will be at each mile and write it on the above mentioned map. Then, give the maps to your support crew. They will thank you for not making them wait for hours to see you jog by.
7. On Saturday, plan to pick up your race packet early before all the crowds hit. Then, do something you find relaxing. I like to catch a movie. It helps take my mind off the race...for a couple of hours at least.
8. It's race morning. At the GRB, you will see people you don't know doing stretches you've never seen before. Don't attempt to try them out now...stick to what you've been doing all along.
9. Also at the GRB, you will probably have to pee right before it's time to start the race...even if you just went 2 minutes ago. The port-a-cans outside the GRB usually have shorter lines than those inside.
10. You're going to see some crazy stuff along the way - men peeing on the side of the road after the turn between mile 2 & 3, ladies in the heights jumping up and down with cowbells, a priest sprinkling holy water on Main (get some, it can't hurt), Elvis & Marilyn Monroe near the Galleria at mile 16, Belly Dancers around 610 & Memorial, Cheeseheads on Allen Parkway....don't be too focused the race and your pace - enjoy it and laugh a little!
11. Along with the crazy stuff you see, people you don't know will offer you some crazy food. Obviously, some of these folks are not runners. I've been offered everything from candy & cookies to bananas & oranges to tuna sandwiches & donuts.
12. Let's face it, you're running 26.2 miles...there will be times when you are hurting. You will question your sanity. You will swear you will never run another *&+@#$ marathon! You WILL want to cuss out the next person who says "Lookin' Good!" or "You're almost there" (at mile 8)! Try to remember these folks don't have to be out there at all - thank them kindly, smile or wave...then cuss them out in your head or under your breath.
13. Along the same lines, I probably don't have to tell you this, but be sure to say hello and thanks to the policemen and volunteers out there too.
14. When you're feeling tired, find a little kid in the crowd at give him/her a high five. Miraculously, you feel better and it gives you a boost of energy you didn't have before.
15. Allen Parkway will seem like it's a million miles long. You've run this path before hundreds of times, so keep reminding yourself that you will eventually get there....really, you will!
16. When you get downtown, just take it one block at a time...you are there - the home stretch. At this point you don't want to take another step, but you know you can. The roaring crowds are right around the corner. When you finally see them, you will think they are a beautiful mirage. I assure you they are REAL.
17. The closer you get to the finish, the faster you will want to run. You are probably not running that fast and your finish photo will be proof of that, but hey it feels like you are. :-)
18. When you cross the finish line, you may feel like laughing or you may feel like crying. Hell, you may feel like doing both at the same time. Go with it...it's normal. Savor the moment..you have just become A MARATHONER!
19. When you are done, you will not want to take your medal off....DON'T! You've earned it, you have bragging rights. Only take it off when you shower. Yes, you can even sleep with it on if you want to.
20. Set your VCR/DVR/TiVo to record the special KTRK Houston Marathon special. It airs at 10:30 pm, after the news...you most likely will not be awake. It's fun to watch.

What do you think?

My friend who got me into this crazy running-thing has been on hiatus for about 2 years now. She just had a baby last month and is really excited about joining Houston Fit again and training for Houston 2009. Naturally, she wants me to train with her.

Just one tiny issue - I am having a baby in early May.

With the kiddo, I started jogging (slowly) on the treadmill at 4 weeks post baby. If things go as well with this little bean, I would not really start jogging again until June. Marathon training starts in July. I'm not sure I will be up to par to train for a full that quickly. A half perhaps, but a full?

Am I being a wuss here?

I know Paula Radcliff ran (and won) the NYC marathon only 9 months after having a baby. But, she is an elite athlete. There is no comparison as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention that July will be crunch time for my final semester at school. The seminar class I am taking is supposed to be a killer. That, paired with my elective, will not be fun. So, that means my "training" wouldn't really begin until August (after I am all done!). And, training with 2 kiddos...well, that is going to be a bit trickier than training with one.

I'll be honest...I'm not even sure I want to train for a 2009 marathon. I thought I did, but I really don't miss training. I do miss running with my peeps, because I am more of a social runner. :-) But, I don't miss the early mornings, running in the Houston heat, the sore muscles and injuries. Of course, I still enjoy getting out there and running...even if I am much slower these days. I suspect that by the time the baby is here, I will be longing to get out of the house and run as much as possible. By then, I will be going through withdrawals! But, I also know I want to throw in some cycling and swimming. I guess I have a little time to re-evaluate. Until then, I'll keep doing my little shuffle on the treadmill. :-)

Speaking of...

Workout Stats
12/26- Treadmill "run" - 30 minutes, 12:50 pace, 1/1 intervals

Movies

I forgot to mention yesterday that I actually have been able to see some movies (mostly rentals) since school has been out.



Nanny Diaries - While I thought it was really cute, the book was so much better! But isn't always? Entertaining, but Mrs. X wasn't near the bitch she was in the book.

3:10 to Yuma - Very good, but not as good as Unforgiven. Then again, how can you go wrong with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe?

Wonderland - Who would have thought a movie about ex-porn star, John Holmes, would be any good? The movie was made in 2003, so I am a little late seeing it. It was about the investigation of a brutal murder scene in which John Holmes was a suspect. I enjoyed it!

I am Legend - So far, this is my favorite of all the movies I've seen lately. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Plus, for some reason, I am intrigued by this type of post-apocalyptic theme. Hey, it could happen!

Transformers - Not bad! The kid I used to babysit used to watch the cartoons - this was way better. The special effects were awesome, so I wish I could have seen it on the big screen with the awesome surround sound. (We have surround sound, but it's hard to use it to it's full advantage when you live in a small house and have a 3-year old asleep!)

Live Free, Die Hard - I actually fell asleep during this one...blame it on the pregnancy! I did like the parts I did see of it. It was a bit far-fetched, and while the villain was a hottie, I wasn't impressed with his acting. But, it's the typical explosions and one-liners you come to expect from the Die Hard series and that made it pretty entertaining.

Bourne Ultimatum - Okay, I'm a little biased, because I LOVE the Bourne movies. So yes, I liked this one too. A lot. Not as much as Legend, but I would go out and buy this one.


Okay, I think that's it so far. The hubby is planning to be hunting for a few days, so I intend to catch up on the chick flicks I haven't seen. Oh, I did watch Barbie Fairytopia, Angelina Ballerina and The Jungle Book with the kiddo, but I won't go into detail on those. ;-)

Holiday Craziness

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I am somewhat happy that the holidays are over. I'm not happy to be returning to work today, but I am happy the the rushing-around-to-get- everything-done part is over.

Just a quick re-cap of the past few days...

Friday
I managed to leave work early and had some time to head to the park for a loop. I think this is the beginning of the end of my "running" during pregnancy. It felt great to be out there and finally running outdoors again. As a result, I think I may have overdone it a bit and when I woke up on Saturday, my back was killing me! After picking up the kiddo and heading home, we headed to the in-laws. By the way, I ran into Steeeve out at the park and shouted a "hi Steve!" as he ran by in the opposite direction...not sure that he knew who the heck I was. LOL!

Saturday
I woke up at an embarrassingly early hour to head out for my last minute shopping. I was back by 10:30 am and had the rest of the day to hang out with the family.

Sunday
After church, we actually ended up heading home, because the hubby got called into work. It was a pretty low key afternoon. The kiddo and I just headed out to have some lunch and get the grocery shopping done. While the kiddo was napping, I managed to clean out my closet and chest of drawers....something I have been wanting to get done for months now. I had four large garbage bags full of stuff that will be going to Goodwill, Salvation Army or a shelter somewhere! And, when I look in my closet, I am pleasantly surprised to find that not only can I actually see the floor, I can find the clothes I am looking for! I am usually a total neat freak, (especially when it comes to my closet) but, in the craziness of the past couple of semesters, I'd let my closet get cluttered. Once the hubby was home on Sunday night, we wrapped all our presents while watching 3:10 to Yuma.

Monday
I spent the morning baking and cooking the dishes I was going to take to my Sister-in-Law's house that evening and to my parent's house the following day. (With the kiddo's help of course!) We also baked chocolate chip cookies for Santa. Next, we hung out and watched some of the Everest:Beyond the Limit marathon while coloring, putting together puzzles and playing Candyland. Next, we headed to the park where I walked for about 40 minutes. Then, we grabbed some lunch at Beck's and went to the playground for a picnic and some playtime. (By the way, for the 3rd time Beck's has screwed up my salad...and they forgot to give me silverware. What's up with that???) After playing at the park, we headed home and got ready to head to the Sister-in-Law's for some holiday cheer. We were there until about 10:30, which made for one tired kiddo.

Tuesday
Christmas Day! We woke to find Santa gifts for the kiddo under the tree and lounged around in our PJs before heading to my parent's house. We got there early to help out before the crowd arrived...and by crowd, I mean 40 of my family members crammed into my parent's house. It was chaotic, but fun! I used to love these crazy, crowded Christmas days with my family growing up and while it's much more work as an adult, it's still so much fun to have everyone in one place. But, it was indeed chaotic and quite frankly, I'm glad it's over!

This is the 1st time in about six years that I've had to work the day after Christmas. I think it's actually less work to be at work today! :-) Next year, I will be done with school and will actually be able to get all my holiday stuff done before the holidays instead of the week of the holiday!

Hope everyone out there had a great Christmas!!!

Yikes!

Looks like I have some Christmas Shopping to do! As if I didn't already know that...but now it's going to have to be expedited a bit. The hubby decided that he wants to visit his parent's house this weekend, rather than making them come to see us.

As of today, the only Christmas presents I have purchased have been for the kiddo. That means I need to get ALL my shopping done during my lunch break or after work between now and Friday, since we're leaving Friday and not coming back until Monday. Agh! And I am not one to be out shopping on Christmas Eve!

So much for relaxing after finals! Hopefully, once Christmas is over, I can get in some R&R and some running too.

Speaking of finals...we completely scratched our original video idea. We were getting short on time and I decided to throw together something on onetruemedia.com. Not very original, but the Prof loved it and we got the highest grade in the class! (Apparently, the other groups went the same route because they could not edit their videos!)

I wish I could say the same for our Finance class. That final was beyond brutal. The prof said it should take approximately 2 1/2 hours. I left 3 hours and 15 minutes later and about 1/3 of the class was still there. Those I ran into on the way out had a glazed over expression that said "that kicked my ass!". I'm sure I wore that expression as well. But, it's over and that alone makes me one happy camper!

Breakfast with Santa

This morning we surprised the kiddo with Breakfast with Santa at the Aquarium. The kiddo had fun and we enjoyed a really yummy breakfast...here are some pics from the morning:

Just Checking In...

I managed to get in a quick 20 minutes on the treadmill Wednesday. Yesterday, I had the day off and spent the entire time at the library, with the exception of a 2 hour break to get my hair cut and colored and to grab some lunch. Today, we have our ladies holiday party at work...we're all getting manis & pedis (courtesy of the company) and later we'll head out early for a late lunch and gift exchange. After that, I will have to head to the library for more Finance studying.

I don't think I could study enough for this test...no matter how many times I do the homework problems and read the chapters, it just doesn't click for me. Yes, this is a reminder why I chose the field of HR rather than Accounting or Finance! :-) I am so incredibly ready to get this semester done. Then, 2 more to go! Wooohooo! So, if you don't mind sending some good luck vibes to me tomorrow around 1pm, I would greatly appreciate it.

Speaking of good luck vibes, I will be sending some of those out to all the peeps running the 21 miler tomorrow! The weather forecast looks pretty good, so I hope you all have a great run!

Workout Stats
Treadmill, 20 minutes, 2/1 intervals, 12:27 pace (no heartburn, woohoo!)

New Wheels

After paying off my truck (which I hate, but will drive forever because it's paid for), the hubby decided to go against everything Dave Ramsey suggests and bought some new wheels...

Yes, it has all the stuff Texas "big bubba trucks" should have - off road package, 4WD, DVD player for the kiddo, nerf bars (which will come in handy when I am super huge and need to get to the hospital!), etc.

I think the hubby's life is complete. Well, he still want's a boat, but that's not happening anytime soon.

Just when I was ready to call Dave Ramsey's show and scream, "I'M DEBT FREE!!!!".

Finally...

I finally made it back to the treadmill after a week hiatus. The run on Friday didn't happen. My 1:30 interview got lost and didn't make it to our office until 2:30, so I didn't have time to head to the park before picking up the kiddo from school.

But, I did get in 35 minutes on the treadmill while watching The Hills finale. Woohoo! I did miss the "exciting, big announcement" afterwards though...if anyone has the scoop, please fill me in!

Workout Stats
35 minutes, treadmill, walking (heartburn was out of control!) - 14:50 pace

Hello Lover!

Check it out...I can't wait!!!



http://movies.aol.com//movie/sex-and-the-city-2008/30247/video/trailer-no-1/2033774



Did I mention that I can't wait?

Best-laid plans

You can plan all you want, but when you have a 3-year old sometimes even the best made plans get thrown out the window.

I stayed late at work tonight. The parents were kind enough to pick up the kiddo, so the hubby could go to Hapkido. They were also kind enough to bring the kiddo home, so I didn't have to drive across town to pick her up. Little did I know that she would get home a hour later than planned. Had I known, I would have hopped on the treadmill as soon as I made it into the house. Oh well, it did give me time to get clothes ready for tomorrow, make the kiddo's lunch, etc. I figured I could get on the treadmill after she went to sleep.

Not quite.

It's now 9:45. The kiddo went to sleep about 5 minutes ago. Yep, now I have just enough time to work on my Finance assignment before I get really sleepy. The treadmill run went out the window! Ugh! I don't know what happened to the kiddo who fell asleep by 8:30. She seems to disappear every once in a while, only to be replaced by the kiddo who refuses to close her eyes, has to go potty 15 times, needs a drink of water, or has some other excuse for NOT going to sleep. Ugh, I hope the other kiddo comes back again soon. The sleepier one. This Mommy needs to work out! I am stressed and the only thing that helps is getting lost in a run (or in recent weeks a jog).

So, I have my bag packed for tomorrow. If all goes well, I will try to leave work a little early and head to the park for the first time in what seems like ages. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for something I discovered today. Something I knew was happening, but received an official confirmed today. My butt, hips, waist and stomach are getting huge! I know that's what's SUPPOSED to happen when you're preggo, but nothing quite prepares you for when that realization really hits home. I mean, yes, my clothes are tight. And no, I can't button my pants. :-) But, I thought that my cute running skirt that looked fine a couple of weeks ago might just be okay. I mean, the fabric does stretch.

It just doesn't quite stretch enough.

It fits, but it's tight!

It looks like I might be wearing the hubby's workout shorts soon. :-)

I'm off to hit the books.

I *heart* my friends!

A huge-mongous thank you to my buds! You totally and completely rock! First, thanks to Margo, my fellow running blogger who founds someone who could help me out. In addition to posting my frustration here, I sent out a mass e-mail to all my friends asking if they knew of anyone who might be able to help. I figured why not? I was desperate! I could not believe the responses I received! Within a few hours, I had the names and phone numbers of several people who might be able to help me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your help. Now I actually feel like I might actually keep my sanity in tact and for that I am immensely grateful!

Banging my head against a brick wall...

No, this is not a post about my latest brick workout. It is a post about my lovely video project for school. After working from about 5 am - 6:30 am yesterday morning, 5 - 7 pm last night and from 3:50 am - 6:30 am this morning, I am ready to call it quits. (Yes, you read that right. 3 freakin' 50 AM.)

I will accept the fact that I cannot edit a video. Those are just the hours I've attempted this in the past 2 days. Don't even ask me about the hours I put in over the past 2 weeks. And, I still have nothing to show for it.

I give up.