Run Log: December 2011

I have accomplished another New Year's Resolution.  Seems I'm pretty good at the ones that require me to record and keep track of data ~ the actually work resolutions don't seem to have similar results.
This was a pretty good run month...until Christmas Break~  I ran twice in Colorado for a total of 5 miles.  The first 2 were on a stupid treadmill, but the last 3 were on the bike path around Dillon Lake.  BEAUTIFUL run.
I ran 58 miles this month (only 1/2 less than November)

YEAR TOTALS:
Bike:     383 miles
Run:      564.5 miles

I'm really happy with that total.  I'm hoping that my run miles are higher in 2012 ~ and I expect my biking miles to be lower, since I did that mainly when my IT band hurt too much to run.

Run Dreams:  Run 4 days a week ~ hovering around 20 miles a week.  Keep a 8 mile long run on the occasional Saturday.  (notice I didn't call them goals....too easy to mess that up)

#34

Book #34 was a short little kids' book that I had to read because I liked a quote from it that I read in The Reading Promise.  Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! by Stephen Manes was a cute little story that took me about 20 minutes to read (I'm not a speedy reader).  The quote that got me interested in the story: (page 39) So just think: you have nothing more to fear for the rest of your life.  Even if you put your pants on backwards or wear two different-colored socks, a hat with grapes on it, and a diaper, you will never look as stupid as you did a moment ago.  Obviously you will never be embarrassed again.

Good words ~ but I did picture a more embarrassing scenario than wearing broccoli around your neck for a day.
Another good quote: (p71) CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE NOT PERFECT!  It's ridiculous to want to be perfect anyway.  But then, everybody's ridiculous sometimes, except perfect people.  You know what perfect is?  Perfect is not eating or drinking or talking or moving a muscle or making even the teeniest mistake.  Perfect is never doing anything wrong--which means never doing anything at all.  Perfect is boring!
Great lesson for little kids and big kids too!  It would be a good book on any classroom shelf.
I think I need to make it more of a habit to read short little kids' books every once and a while...many good lessons to be reminded of.
fl: Some people want to be astronauts or ballet dancers or plumbers.  ll: He didn't say a word.

#33

Book #33 was another Sandra Dallas, Alice's Tulips.  It was set in Iowa during the Civil War and was a great tale of character, perseverance, love and hope.  It is written as a series of letters Alice wrote to his sister Lizzie chronicling her life as a soldier's wife.  Life was hard then.  I think life can be hard now, but Americans have know much more hardship than we currently face.  I don't think people work near as hard now and we have so much more. 

fl: December 3, 1862  Dearest Sister Lizzie, Are you surprised to hear that Charlie has gone for a soldier?  ll: I think you will not hear for a time.  From the happiest sister you have ever known, Alice Keeler Bullock

Colorado Christmas

Christmas 2011 has come and gone ~ and so has our trip our west.  I wanted to start this Christmas reflection with a quote from Real Simple magazine ~ the "modern manners" section had a parent ask the question, "my neighbor's kid told mine there's no Santa Claus.  What should I do?"  Part of the reply (from T. Berry Brazelton himself) "you should tell your child that you believe in Santa, too."  I should?  "Well, don't you? I do," he said firmly.  "We all believe in Santa on some level or other, right?  If we didn't, we would be in deep trouble." 
We started our trip west at 3:18am Monday morning (12/19).  We headed straight into a blizzard that dumped a foot of snow on Hays, Kansas overnight.  We made it to Aunt Chris and Uncle Bud's house...but that last 90 miles into Hays...as the rain turned to freezing rain to ice to slush to blowing snow...was SCARY.  My husband is a fearless master of driving in the worst conditions, and he was disappointed that the gate on I-70 wasn't closed at Russell.  We were ever so thankful for T-Bones and the excellent food and drink AND the warm bed to rest in. 
The next day was fine traveling after we drove out of the snow.  It was one of those rare days when we crested a hill and could see the faint outline of the Rockies in the distance ~ still some three hours away.  There is something magical for me in those mountains.  I know it sounds corny, but it lifts my soul.  They are so majestic and AWE inspiring.
Highlights of our Christmas trip:

• Mike's dominant tooth ~ you know it's not as sharp as it used to be.
• a Big Foot sighting ~ yep, that's him, on top of the mountain.  He's not moving because he's hibernating. (I took a picture for proof)
• playing Mexican Train dominoes for hours on end
• WINTER SOLSTICE celebration that included a poem, a dramatic speech, a quote, sparklers and a YULE LOG cake (try #2) that was good looking as well as yummy (last year's try #1 not so good looking)
• a 45 minute sleigh ride (in a REAL RED sleigh) that only lasted about 20 minutes...but it was so cold I was ok with the shortened experience.
• spending time with my parents and brother Bill & Clare & the girls.  Wish brother Bob & Christy & kids could have been with us...but not this year.
• trumpets waking the dead Christmas morning
• Mary Grace and Maggie having a American Girl Christmas!  oh, my the clothes and the shoes!
• a truly beautiful and joyful church service Christmas morning
• running the bike path on Christmas Day with Stephanie and Mike for the most glorious run in the mountains I've ever had!  We ran Stephanie's pace and I COULD BREATHE!  running along the lake with the snowcapped mountains all around...does it get any better?
• making the trip home in 20 hours and 20 minutes.  Mike thinks this is a new record.

Cookie Decorating

Here's how my AP calculus student chooses to decorate Christmas cookies.

Have a Mathmatically Joyful Holiday!

Love,

Patrick

#32

#32 is Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas.  I really liked this book for a number of reasons: 

~ It is set in Middle Swan, Colorado ~ which, as the author notes, is based on Breckenridge, a place in the Rockies close to my heart.

~ It's set in the 1930's during the gold dredging that tore a path through Breck, the remains of which can still be seen in the rocks that line the town and the old gold dredge rotting in it's pond.

~ It is a nice, sweet story of life in the mountains and the people who made it their home.  People I respect because Colorado would not be what it is today had they not been willing to go first.  I would never have been able to handle the hardship and the sadness that had to have been a part of their daily lives.

~ I also loved the concept of Prayers for Sale.  Hennie decided she was so happy in her new life in the mountains with her husband and child that she had nothing left to ask the Lord for, she had 'prayers for sale'.  And Jake made her a sign and nailed it to her front gate.

fl: The old woman peered past the red geraniums in her deep front window at the figure lingering in the moon-white snow at the gate.  ll: "I'm hopefuller than can be that it'll be a while yet before I know how that story comes out."

Holiday Spirit

The lights twinkle as the rain falls.
I find it hard to be in the Christmas Spirit when there isn't any snow.  We've not had much snow, no more than a dusting a couple of times, but we've had a LOT of rain.  However, I don't think that's the only reason I have trouble with this Christmas Spirit.  Shopping, creating, baking, Christmas carding, planning, and packing...it's exhausting.  And I don't even go all out.  I try to keep it "low key", "low stress", focus on family and love ~ remember the reason for the season...
And then you watch the ads and walk into Walmart and you're surrounded by the FRENZY.  Finding the peace and the calm, the 'Silent Night', as it were, isn't as easy as it sounds.  We can't fill that void with STUFF ~
Kinda like daily life.  We can choose the watch the twinkling lights or be washed away by the falling rain.

That's all I'm saying

The other day I had to call Dominion East Ohio about gas service to one of our rental properties.  I get through very quickly for a Monday call to the gas company. (small victory)  I explain what I need to the customer service rep and she asks for the property address.  I give her the address ~ which is on South Ridge West.  She asks me to repeat it, so I do, a tad more slowly.  I hear her typing and then she asks, "Can you spell that?".  Oh my, "south, s-o-u-t-h, ridge, r-i-d-g-e, west, w-e-s-t."
That's all I'm saying.