My Blogging-Self, Dogs, and South Dakota

The Kennett Run 5k!

The Kennett Run in Kennett Square, PA is one of the better known races in our small little area of the country. The proceeds go to the Kennett Run Foundation, which pours the money back into local community organizations– like the non-profit youth center I work for. My boss and I signed up to run the 5k, and we brought some of our students along!

When the boys informed me of their times from last year– around 20 minutes– I knew that I would be the slow poke. They didn’t even line up with us at the start line. I forgot to use my RunKeeper app, and there weren’t any split clocks along the way, so I had no idea how I was doing. Which meant I could just focus on the run, which I enjoyed. And I could focus on the hills, which I did not enjoy. (Although when I complained about it later, my fellow runners were like “Hills? What hills?”. But I still think it was hilly. Oh well.)

A quarter-mile from the finish, I passed two of our students who were walking. I started to make some comment about beating them and bragging about it, and they immediately took off towards the finish line, leaving me in their dust.

I came in at 34:12, and I felt like I had run well. And there were donuts at the finish line, which will make anyone happy.

I entertained myself during the race by contemplating what my next race will be… I need something to keep me motivated/look forward to! But I keep saying that and not actually signing up for anything. So…. we’ll leave it at that.

Fridays are for not striving.

The Books Currently On My Nightstand

4 Replies

I have been failing as a reader lately. I’m usually a read-before-bed kind of person, and a read-on-the-weekend-while-my-husband-is-golfing kind of person. But I’ve had a few late nights at work the past few weeks, and busy weekends, and I haven’t been reading. I’m also usually a finish-one-book-before-you-start-the-next kind of person, but for some reason I have three books on my nightstand that I have started and haven’t finished. And one that I have finished, and another one that I haven’t started. Yikes.

I finished I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith. Which was originally published in the 50s. But who doesn’t love a coming of age story, right? And who doesn’t love books that take place in England? It took me a little while to get into it, but the end sucked me in and it flew by. It’s still on my nightstand because I haven’t taken it back to the library.

I am in the middle of A Blistered Kind Of Love by Angela and Duffy Ballard. I borrowed this one from the library as well, and I am waiting to take back both books at the same time. I have renewed both books twice. Anyway. This book is about a couple that hikes the Pacific Crest Trail. Which I always find fascinating. I’m still in the middle of their story, but I assume that they make it, since they wrote a book. We’ll see.

I am in the middle of Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. I read this quickly when I first started it, but then I needed a break from the deep thinking and soul searching. I mean, its great. And I learned a lot, and I am excited to finish it. But sometimes, after a lot of introspection, you just need some light fiction, you know?

I am in the middle of Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth. I’ve heard this book recommended a number of times, and this is the second time I’ve started to read it. Some parts I don’t totally get, but every now and then there is a paragraph where I am like “Yes.” I started it when we were doing our Whole 30 Cleanse, but once we stopped, my drive to read it dwindled.

I am waiting to start The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. People have raved about this book for a while, and then a few weeks ago one of my students at the youth center picked it out for me to read. (I selected The Help for her to read). But I can’t start a book when I have three that I have to finish. That would just be irresponsible.

What have you been reading lately?
Do you read multiple books at once or one at a time?

Last Weekend’s Adventure: Hanging Out With My Mom.

2 Replies

My mom came to visit last weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day. We visited our favorite local restaurants, went to Longwood Gardens, watched The Hobbit, and did a little shopping. Ok, ok– did a lot of shopping. And as a bonus: the weather was gorgeous. Although it’s not hard to beat Minnesota, where it snows in May.

We did do a little relaxing, and we made time each day to enjoy our favorite beverages. We sat in coffee shops and cafes and on our balcony. We had iced praline lattes and elderberry spritzers and mocha frappuccinos. But of course, nothing compares to a nice, cold Dr. Pepper.

And we hung out with Mowgli. We took him to the dog park and took him on car rides. We played tug-of-war with him and fed him bacon scraps. He was in love.

We also planned our next trip to South Dakota in a few weeks; my parents are meeting my mom’s sisters there, and I am flying in for the weekend! I can’t wait!

Scenes From a Family Walk

2 Replies

I declare a Family Walk.

Let’s take this next hour, before you run off to do that, and I start doing this, and go on a walk.

Let’s take that trail we haven’t been down since last spring.

Let’s bushwhack to a quiet spot on the river and let the dog off the leash.

Let’s throw a stick again and again and pretend to be upset when the dog gets us wet.

Let’s talk about whatever we want.

Let’s get a little sunshine, a little wind-swept, a little sweaty.

Let’s go for a walk.

–

Linking up with Ashleigh today to share simple stories. Happy Saturday to you and yours!

Fridays are for everything I read on the internet.

1 Reply

I loved everything I read on the internet this week. Well, maybe not everything. But many things. Here are some of my faves.

I have long loved the Deeper Story blog and its bloggers. And Jen Hatmaker is quickly making her way up my list of favorite writers. So its no surprise that I loved this: Wherever It Rises.

Two different blogs I follow wrote about getting back to the blogging basics this week: Ashleigh Baker and Heidi at Banana Buzzbomb. I love reading posts about blogging. But I then I think: I am still learning how to blog in the first place. But hopefully these posts still steer me in the right direction as I go along.

Cook Dinner, Save the World. From the always entertaining Dinner: A Love Story. I made bread last weekend, and I thought about this quote. I’m declaring my independence!

And then, of course, Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski had a lip sync-off.

My mom is here this weekend, so I will be drinking lots of Dr. Pepper, eating Mexican food, and watching musicals. Can’t wait! Hope your weekend is wonderful.

Walking the Dog at Night

4 Replies

Sometimes, when the dog won’t sit still, when he keeps dropping his tug toy on my computer keyboard or knocks my book out of my hands, we go for a walk at night.

Now, while there is a spring chill in the air, I throw on whatever clothes are closest. Tonight it is my oversize old navy sweat pants, my blouse from work, and my ever present black down vest. And my birkenstock sandals.

I put his leash on and out the door we go. He always, always, always tries to pull me down the first staircase we pass. Shawn takes him down those stairs to throw a tennis ball.

I grab one of those handy disposable bags from the dispenser and stuff it in my pocket. Even though we are only walking around the neighborhood, I still bring my keys and my phone. Pockets are very important when walking the dog at night.

We soon settle into our usual cadence. The dog is constantly looking to the right and to the left, walking his leash in circles around my legs, and I am moving the leash back and forth around my waist trying to keep up. I can anticipate his moves, now, and I do it without thinking.

I look up. Under the glare of the streetlights, the black sky has a strange orange hue. You can see just a few stars. I think about what I saw, lying on my back on a dock in Northern Minnesota. The milky way; one large bright glittery strip across the sky, so many stars jammed together that the sky couldn’t possibly be black. The sky looks different, one night to another.

I breathe. Out here, in the fresh air, my mind seals up my day, stamps it done, and sends it off. I process work, my thoughts, my expectations, but not in the over-analyzing manic way I do inside. As we walk in and out of the streetlights, our shadows moving in circles around us, I acknowledge my day and then let it go, letting my mind look ahead to tonight, to sleeping, and to waking up tomorrow to a new day.

Back inside, we have both settled down. I climb back into bed and pick up my book, and the dog settles down next to me. Still breathing hard, but with body and mind at rest.

—

Linking up with Heather at The Extraordinary Ordinary today for Just Write! I should do this more often– Maybe for the month of May?

An Amateur Plays Paintball

1 Reply

My friend Krista invited Shawn and I to join her and her coworkers for their annual paintball outing this past weekend. Neither of us had played before, although we both knew the basics: you get dirty and you get hurt. You can’t turn that down, right?

Let me just tell you from the get-go: people take this sport really seriously. (Did you know there are actual professional paintball teams?) We, however, were amateurs. We rented guns, which I think closely resemble machine guns– or what I imagine machine guns would look like. Because I have never actually held a machine gun. But back to my story. Guns. And face masks. I also rented a chest pad, because I am a pansy. You can also purchase smoke bombs. But we declined.

So you put paint bullets in your gun, you make sure your air canister is at the right level, you put on your face mask, and then you run around and hide behind things. In an enclosed field with a referee, who tells you when to start and when to stop. And you shoot people! Like in a violent video game brought to life. Or what I would imagine a violent video game would be like, because I’ve never actually played a violent video game. But back to my story.

We ran around and hid behind large obstacles and shot each other. I shot two people! Yay me! And I was shot many, many times. I may have taken a shot to my ear from someone on my own team and I may have cried big baby tears inside my face mask. And then I may have taken my mask off and made an exaggerated comment about how sweaty my face was, so that no one would notice. But maybe not.

I was also shot in the neck by my own teammate. I don’t think these people really understand how this game works. Says the girl who allowed herself to get shot in the neck.

About two hours into our playing time, Shawn noticed that my gun wasn’t working properly. Apparently, it’s only supposed to shoot one ball at a time, not four. Whoops! I assumed I was just increasing my chances of actually hitting something, like with a shotgun. Or what I imagine is like a shotgun, because I’ve never actually used a shotgun. But back to my story.

As every group was playing their final games, the refs asked if we wanted to play “Doomsday”. Because something with that name sounds really enticing, right? He was asking if we wanted to play one big gigantic game with everyone there on one field. Did I want to? Absolutely not. I said I would watch.

Was it fun? Yes. Is it going to become my new favorite hobby? Probably not. Does running around with a gun kind of offend my inner pacifist? Yes, yes it does. But then I think: you know, this is just like a really big, highly organized, referee-officiated game of cops and robbers. Or what I imagine the game of cops and robbers would be like, because I’ve never actually played cops and robbers. But back to my story.

When we got home, we cleaned off all our paint residue (I had to clean paint out of my ear) and we counted our battle scars. Shawn had four, and I had three. But I think my ear-wound should count as two, so I win. That’s really how you score paintball.