#25

I finally finished the third Fifty Shades book with #25, Fifty Shades Freed by E L James.  This is how badly written the books are...they end with: "That's all...for now.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading."  Which is exactly how most middle school girls end their stories.  There is quite a bit of embarrassment admitting that I read them ~ and not just for their sexual content...which got old after awhile, to be honest.  But the story did wrap-up, we found out quite a bit of the 'missing information' and the story was enjoyable and it made me think about what true intimacy is.  The fantasy aspect was a draw too ~   Who wouldn't want to meet a megamegamillionaire & have him fall head-over-heals for you?  But now I'm done, and I can take my reading book with me when I go to the dentist or the doctor or the soccer game again.
fl: Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy is asleep on the floor.  ll: I love you too, Christian. Always.

Intermingling, Marching, Ghosts & Goals

Let's start with the most permanent (because it was actually printed in the paper) news.  Patrick scored his first varsity goal!  Preventing the shut-out.  It was really a 'garbage goal' ~ it bounced around down there & because he didn't give up, he was there to tap it in.  The best news is that he played his best game of the season.  Always there, always challenging for the ball.  It was great to watch him. {and yes, I was an embarrassment when he scored...quietly so I really only embarrassed myself in front of all the 'cool parents'}

Wednesday's News Herald ~ about Tuesday's game (9/18/12)

Ghosts:  My parents were in town this weekend.  I hadn't seen them since New Orleans in April. It was a good weekend...filled with Friday Night Football {for the band} and Saturday Soccer...all afternoon!  But Sunday we went out to Jewel's Dance Hall & rode our bike south on the Greenway Trail.  Dad & Jacob took off ~ leaving Mom & me to leisurely ride and enjoy the beautiful weather and the leaves that are just ready to start changing color.  {My mom LOVES the fall leaves & really misses fall ~ as it snowed that day at their house.}  Mom & I rode 12 miles & turned around to ride slowly until the guys {who went out 15 miles} caught up to us.  We got to the old train trestle and stopped the enjoy the view & wait.  Dad and Jacob show up and get off their bikes to also enjoy the view & have a Cliff Bar.  When, out of nowhere, a "woooooosh" sweeps past us, loud and long and with enough force to rustle the leaves on the trees.  We all paused and looked around, thinking, "What could that have been?"  We all heard it and we all saw the leaves rustle. I think it was a ghost train speeding over the trestle.  very very strange

Marching: Wednesday was also the annual LCMEA Band Festival ~ the Madison Blue Streak Marching Band performed their 50's show in their 50's attire ~ so easy to dress my boys ~ jeans, rolled up & white-T's with candy cigarettes rolled up in the sleeve.  Patrick, once again, has a 'dance role' in the show & it was captured by the News-Herald videographer ~ {Check out that link} Always a fun time!

Intermingling: Back in August (the 31st to be exact) Mike & I drove to Lyndhurst and walked to Brush High School with his mom & Dan to see the Madison Marching Band perform at halftime of the Brush v Madison game.  For some unknown reason I mention to the lady at the ticket booth that we aren't really here for the game; we're here to watch the band, so we'll move on over to the home side at halftime.  She informs me that once you go in, there is no way to get to the home side unless you come back out and pay to get back in on the other side. {strange}  So I say, "We'll just sit on the home side then."  She agrees with me as her daughter was a majorette and she understands just watching the band.  So off to the home side we go.  As halftime approaches we hear an announcement from the PA: "Attention all fans.  It is a Brush High School rule that the visiting fans must remain on the visiting side of the field.  There will be no intermingling of Brush fans and Madison fans."  oops

#24

Well, since I read the first, I had to read the second (with the third to follow) ~ Becoming more and more 'Twilight', except for the fact that I'm cheering for all the main characters.  The writing is still so bad & we're told more about the characters than we're allowed to 'see'/experience & some of the situations are so contrived...Really, how could a person possibly do all that these two did in a single weekend?  Not possible.  And now Jack...Which seems so forced to me...
But, I want to read the next one to find out what happens.  Still embarrassed to tell you the name of book #24: Fifty Shades Darker by E L James {of COURSE you don't use punctuation in your name}
fl: He's come back.  Mommy's asleep or she's sick again.  ll: His chance will come soon.

River Run Half Marathon

"This sure sounded like a good idea when we signed up."

"Is it raining?  It better not be raining.  I'll be so pissed."

"There's no race day packet pick up.  I'm so pissed."

Whiner Nation before the River Run Half Marathon.

Wondering if we really should have stopped in the muny lot!

So Jackie ran without the bib that she paid for.  {We made sure she got the medal she was entitled to.}  To Whiner Nation's credit, it was raining pretty hard when we pulled into the parking lot for the start of the race.  At 7:50, as we made our want to the start line, it stopped raining & by the time they hit mile 1 the sun was shining.  According to Mike the race was all uphill & mostly sunny {he did not have his sun glasses}.  According to Jackie the race was downhill {and her calves & back hurt because of it}until mile 9 and then it was a little uphill & it was mostly shady.  Listening to them recap their races was hysterical.  They both agreed that the PowerBar Energy Blasts Gel Filled Chews were a life saver, the race was hard, and we were in Ohio.  They disagreed about everything else, to the point that Jackie asked, "Did we run the same race?" {best line of the day}

Brynn & I navigated into the unknown and were able to catch them at mile 5.5.  We had a blast being obnoxious and cheering on the runners.  Then we made it to the finish line with plenty of time to spare & see everyone finish.  

This was Mike's retirement run ~ time for a break for his aching hip flexors ~ and he finished wanting it to be done.  Here's his text:

"Shitting in the woods at 7:40, balls chaffing mile 8, nipple bleeding at finish.  1:49 time.  Glad I'm done."

Mike looking good at mile 5.5

Crock Pot Days

Fall is the craziest time of the year.  School, XC practice, soccer games.  Doesn't leave much time to eat dinner.  Last Tuesday we were all out of the house by 7:30 am and didn't get home until almost 10:00 pm.  {and it was the worst soccer game of the season, a huge loss to Geneva}.  I have a dinner menu for the month, so we actually eat food that doesn't come from McDonald's.  I was doing so well, until Thursday...when I think I reached my limit of preparedness.  The story of dinner that day pretty much sums up how the world is turning for the Bartons.

Knowing that I would be going straight from XC practice to the 5:00 Varsity only soccer game at MHS, I put the chicken & the ranch dressing & the buffalo sauce & the butter into the crock pot that morning & turned it to low as I walked out the door.  Patrick texted me {when he got home & was supposed to turn the crock pot to warm, eat dinner & get back to school for the game} saying, "I think the crock pot is broken, the butter isn't even melted."
Oh, the best intentions that work out...some of the time.  We ended up eating at Joey's & having buffalo chicken Friday night...after I fixed the tripped GFI outlet.

Patrick has applied to college ~ Akron & University of Cincinnati ~ I am so knotted inside.  On one hand, I'm so excited for him.  This is a great time of life.  He's so ready to start that chapter {as soon as I teach him how to do laundry}and I know he has so much ahead of him.  On the other hand, I'm not ready to close this chapter in my life.  Once again I wish I had the ability to express myself eloquently.  My baby is grown up.  My job is pretty much done.  And the question...did I do it right?...weighs on my heart.

But, as I constantly remind myself, ENJOY the moments.  Last night was the Perry/Madison football game {Madison won 28-27 in a wild, wild finish} & 50's night for the band.  Check out my rumblin' trumpet players:

My face is getting better.  Here's proof:  {Helps that the newer pic is a little blurry too.  If I just keep moving, no one will notice the Harry Potter scar on my cheek.}

August 24

September 8

And a funny Mike Barton story:
He had done something that really bothered me.  And he'd done it for the 15th time.  And I'd finally had enough.  I went upstairs just seething.  He came up, oblivious to the fact that he'd pissed me off...Here's the conversation. {remember I'M PISSED}
B: "If I were you, I wouldn't talk to me yet.  I'm still really pissed."
M: "What are you mad about?"
B: "You always...{honestly, I don't really remember what he always}...and today was the last straw."
M: "So you're leaving?"

What kind of answer is that?!?

#23

I think I'm done getting book recommendations off the internet.  #23 was from yet another "good summer read" list.  And it was not a "good summer read".  Summer is over...and the best summer read has been 50 Shades...and that's not saying much!  #23 was Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead.  It's about straining to be in the upper class of society, keeping up the appearances and basically how shallow your life is when this is your ultimate goal.  The questions of who we are, what we stand for, and our purpose in life are examined and not brought to a good conclusion.  It follows a family through the Thursday, Friday, & Saturday wedding of marrying off a very pregnant daughter.  The bride seeming to be the only member of the family we really don't get to know at all.  The father (the narrator) is a total idiot.  I spent the whole story feeling sorry for all the characters.  

fl: By Sunday the wedding would be over, and for that Winn Van Meter was grateful.  ll: When her revolution was complete and they were separated by the length of their arms, joined only by their fingertips, he let go, releasing her into a life of her own making.

Run Log: August 2012

The Good News:  I almost tripled my July milage.
The Bad News:  I'm right about what I usually ran in a week before the foot injury. {I still hate to say plantar fasciitis ~ and I still have to look up how to spell it.}
I AM running.  I've been running with the cross country team ~ and my foot feels GREAT when I'm running & just a little tight when I'm done.  Yet I am so AFRAID to run.  I fear it hurting again.  I fear another 6 weeks of NO running at all.  I fear being too old to run.  
I remember when Dad had to quit.  He'd been running for as long as I remember...and the doctor told him that if he didn't quit running he'd soon be forced to quit walking.  He took up biking & {from what I could tell} really enjoyed that.  I just talked with my mom & we were discussing getting old & falling apart.  She brought up Dad being forced to stop running.  She said it was so hard for him.  I think I get that now.{Which opens up a whole 'nother conversation about seeing our parents as people.}  I don't want to wear myself out so I get to that point...Because {obviously} I can not control my calorie intake.  Thursday I put on a pair of pants...and they were too tight to wear. 

August's totals:
18 miles for the month 
447.5 miles for the year
57 biking miles for the month
323 biking miles for the year
270 miles in my semi-retired-worn-at-Camp-Stigwandish red & blue Asics
4 miles in my NEW SHINY $150 VERY WHITE turquoise Asics ~ which are still very very white as I refuse to wear them at Camp Stig & they are 2 months old with very little mileage!
Some interesting facts:
Longest run this month: 3.5 miles
Favorite place to run this month: The White Trail at Camp Stig!  SOOOOOOOO much fun!  It's a 1.25 mile loop of really rough terrain.  Over log bridges, over two HUGE fallen trees (some of those little XC kids can crawl under the one), up a steep muddy embankment that would be almost impossible without the rope strung up on the trees to help you pull yourself up, zig-zagging through the trees.  The best is that the kids BEG to run it!  Crazy coaches that we are, let them...and they come back with twisted ankles, scrapped up knees, cuts from the prickers, out of breath, sweaty & tired.  AND want to do it again.  {Reason # 354 why I love middle school kids.}
# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet: ZERO ~ felt a little sorry for my non-running self...so I ate it {that an it's almost time to buy new bags...}
# of books I read this month: Three  {funny how this is the only number I write out...}  

Monthly mileage record: 80.5 miles March 2012 
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  13.1 miles ~ May 16, 2010 (Cleveland 1/2) 


PR's:
5K: 22:45 (Rabbit Run 10/30/11~ but I think it was a short course)
10K: 52:02 (Cleveland 5/15/11)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:55:04 (Cleveland 5/16/10)
marathon: 3:50:05 (Akron relay {team run} 9/24/11)