I would be really late for coffee this week...

Well, if we were having a coffee date today...

I would be only be 6 days late. Hope you didn't get bored waiting for me.

I would complain about work. But I'm try to stop that. So I'll suffice to say it's been extremely busy, and we'll leave it at that.

I would tell you that I ran a half marathon with Jess. She killed her PR by 6 minutes. Beast. I ran well, not a PR, but I was still pretty happy with myself. We went for a great brunch afterwards and then I proceeded to have a terrible stomach ache which forced me to lie on the bed for the remainder of the day.

I would tell you that I went to my high school reunion. It was so unexpectedly wonderful. Thought it was going to be awkward and suck. It was awkward, but it was also totally awesome. We stayed out until 1 AM and I talked to people I hardly even talked to in high school. And guess what? I liked them! It was great.

I would tell you that my post-Mudder injuries actually really kind of hurt. My hand was pretty sore, and I had to wear long pants all week and long sleeves (due to a hellacious bruise on the inside of my arm I never saw coming - it turned all kinds of amazing colors).

That's about all I would tell you. You know, since we're having coffee tomorrow and all. :-)

Post Mudder Virtual Coffee Date

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you that...

• I miss my Kansas City friends!! T and I went to visit over the weekend and the trip included such fabulous things as: bridesmaid dress shopping, lunch at Nordstroms, Mumford & Sons concert, a cross country meet, lunch with the nicest human being alive, a nap, a little Plaza Art Fair and Grand Street Cafe for dinner, a lot of Tough Mudder action (more on that to come), and some delicious new KC mexican food, including margaritas! I miss my friends!! :( The good news is, we have some coming to visit mid-October, and another coming end of October. Still, I can't get enough of them.
• I am sore, bruised, and battered. Tough Mudder was tough. 11 miles, 21 obstacles, and 3 hours. Lauren and I stay together the whole way, and in a strange way, we enjoyed ourselves. The obstacles are hard and scary. We both bled at least once. Evidence below. Lauren scraped her forearm pretty bad. Everyone asks, "Would you do it again?" If someone in my life (i.e. Jess) really wanted to do it, I would do it with them (her). It's not like a race where you better your time or get better, you just do it and finish. So I feel pretty accomplished, but it's about the experience, so I would consider doing it with someone else. You pretty much have to be crazy to do this, it hurts, it's just a matter of how much you want to hurt. :)
• Avery is healing from her minor injury. She cut her leg open this weekend, being a BA. She was scales walls and stuff. Well, I took her to the vet yesterday, and it was deep enough that they had to put her under and stitch it up. She's enjoy her cone head existence. Not actually, I feel bad for her and she's running in to everything. :(
• I am going to kill my half marathon this weekend. So there.

Something new: virtual coffee date

I'm going to start something new. I'm going to try a weekly segment in which we have a virtual coffee date. It goes like this:

If we were having coffee today I would tell you that I had a wonderful weekend.

I spent a great amount of time on Saturday shopping with my wonderful sister-in-law Jessica. She's sort of a fashionista and I am NOT so I greatly appreciated her coming with me. What I'm most excited about is my new jeans shirt which I have been wanting for months.

I would tell you that I also had an amazing 12 mile run with Jessica on Sunday. I love running in the rain and this weekend was marvelous weather for it.

I would tell you that I am nervous for the Tough Mudder this next Sunday. Most of my nerves center on the water obstacles as that's where I feel most out of place. However, I like to think that I am smart enough not to put myself in a situation where I could be seriously injured. So hopefully a week from now I'll be telling you about what a great experience the Tough Mudder was.

I would tell you how blessed I am to live here and how I'm reminded of that every time I make it down to the beach for a sunset.

Finally, I would tell you that I am beginning to embrace the fall season. This weekend and made white chicken chili and I found myself wanting to go pick apples.

So there you have it. Hopefully this new segment on the blog goes well and is appreciated by all of my thousands of readers. I may even include some periodic pictures from my life. :-)

The List

This was written by myself sometime when I was in middle school. These were 100 things I wanted to do in life. This is so amazing. My two favorites are numbers 78 and 84. Enjoy this gem. Let me know your favorites.

Get ready...

For what could be the best post ever. I will just leave you hanging with that tidbit of information. :)

A slow death

So this blog has experienced a slow death. I'm okay with that. Maybe in the future  I will do less Facebook time and more Blog time. One can never know. However, here is my completed 101 list! I bolded the ones I technically failed.


Dates: May 18, 2010 through February 12, 2013

BODY
1. Run at least two marathons (one 2/19/12) 
another on 3/17/13
2. Run at least four half marathons
I feel like I've actually run a kagillion. I'll have to check my tally. :)
3. Begin consistently using 12 pound weights at the gym
I'm doing crossfit, and I feel like that definitely counts for way more than 12 pound weights!
4. Drop a dress size
Didn't happen. But I'm still pretty happy with myself.
5. Stop eating food in the teacher's lounge
Mostly, I'm pretty good about this now. Especially when I really focus on not eating sugar. Then I'm awesome.
6. Buy gluten free flour and use it
Did it, not really worth it. I'd rather just do regularly Gluten Free things. Although I wouldn't mind trying Almond Flour.
7. Learn to like salads
Love! Eat one every day for lunch now.
8. Be better about actually eating Gluten Free
Yes, I am.
9. Split meals (or bring half home) when eating out
Splitters!
10. Wear sunscreen
I'm usually really good about this now.
11. Find a reliable healthy breakfast option
Egg muffins!
12. No soda for at least one month
I did this for at least a month. I almost never drink soda anymore.
13. Place in another half marathon
I think this was at Running with the Cows. But now that race is huge. So long medals.
14. Get shorts for spinning 
Not spinning anymore
15. Buy new running shoes every 300-500 miles

MIND
16. Have further insight into my future career path (PhD?)
Pretty sure I am going to go for my Masters in SPED administration. Just need to get to the right place for that.
17. Stay involved in church opportunities
Reading scripture, youth helpers, etc.
18. Work only two jobs for at least six months (August 2010-present)
Amaze.
19. Run at least once a week
Forever, I hope.
20. Read a book every quarter (10/12)
Fail. I go through reading spurts. I need to find another one soon!
21. Beat Gina in Words With Friends
Done!
22. Have a girls day/night at least once/quarter (5/12)
Time gets away from me. :(
23. Camp in at least one more National Park
:(
24. Have at least one counseling group each school year
Yep.
25. Have a picnic
It was fantastic. Love.
26. Read at least one news article/day (not going well, changing to one/week)
Fail, so, so fail.
27. Start running with Travis
He does like running with me, and we've done several races together! Yay for him, and Jeff & Lauren!
28. Give up facebook for a month
I think this was actually really great. I need to do this again.

ADVENTURE
29. Know where we want to live next and/or be living there
We know where we're headed, and working on it!
30. Travel overseas
France/England
31. Go para sailing
Florida Keys
32. Go snorkeling
Florida Keys
33. Continue applying annually for The Amazing Race
I have two potential teammates, need to get applying. We would dominate!!
34. Go to a MLB game each summer
Yay!
35. Go to a Wizards/KC Sporting game
Maybe this summer. We were actually just looking for tickets!
36. Travel to Chicago
Davina
37. Travel to Minneapolis
38. Visit Jamin in Madison
39. Travel to Austin
Marathon trip. Loved it there!
40. Go skiing in Colorado
41. Visit Dave & Julie in Normal
Great place, and an easy stop on the way back to Michigan.
42. Visit Dave & Gina's new house in Sarasota
Done. So many times. :)
43. Travel to California 
This weekend!
44. Go to the Shatto Farm
I milked a cow!
45. Milk a cow
Shatto farms!
46. Visit the wineries in Weston (visited wineries in Hermann twice, calling complete)
Wineries are great.
47. NP once/month (34/34)
Done.
48. Travel to Key West
Davina.
49. See at least one musical/year (2/4)
Another one coming in April
50. Travel by train
KC to Hermann round trip twice, Holland to Chicago once. I love the train!
51. Stay at a bed & breakfast
Florida Keys
52. Night swimming
Done.
53. Swim in Lake Michigan
LOVE
54. Watch a sunset on Lake Michigan
Love.
55. Go to a drive-in theater
56. SC
Not worth it.
57. Go to a corn maze (haunted or otherwise)
I dominated that corn maze. Even when everyone else was ready to leave. And the baby was crying, and I was dying of heat exhaustion. But I won.
58. Go to the ballet
It was awesome! And I got to see the new Kauffman Center for Performing Arts!
59. Go to a high school football game
Go Falcons!
60. Go to an NCAA basketball game
61. SH once/month (34/34)
Done.
62. Try at least new recipe each month (34/34)
So many new recipes to try!!
63. Attend a Parade of Homes or Urban Living Tour
64. Take more pictures
Thank you instagram!

PERSONAL
65. Take an anniversary trip every year (3/3)
1. Camping 2. Camping 3. Big vacation to Europe, to celebrate everything
66. Get a full body massage
It was pretty amazing. However, I'm too cheap to do this on a regular basis. 
67. Find a way to live closer to family
Phillip lives here now, so I'm calling that done!
68. Wear a skirt or dress at least once/week
Love them.
69. File all the papers in the guest room
Done.
70. Clean out the filing cabinet
Done.
71. Get rid of the desk in the guest room
Got a new nice one from Rob & Judith.
72. Get a tattoo
Find joy
73. Get my haircut every 4 months (12/12)
Yes. 
74. Get to MS+60 on the pay scale
Donzo
75. Have at least one planned meal per week
Yes.
76. Give blood
Success, nearly passed out twice
77. Get wedding dress cleaned (possibly preserved)
Cleaned and stored at Travis' parents house
78. Return books to the library on time
Did that. Now my library account has apparently expired.
79. Learn how to pick out a ripe pineapple
Color, pull leaves out the top. Love pineapple!
80. Host an annual party at our house
Earth Day
81. Blog about each item I complete
Doing right now.
82. Buy closet organizers
Really great ones that Travis installed.
83. Clean all the baseboards
Several times. Hate it every time.
84. Get rid of clothes/shoes that a) I don't wear, b) don't fit, or c) are falling apart
Thank you BBBS for making this so easy!
85. Start changing my home style to eclectic (a la Anthropologie - only hopefully less expensive)
On my way....
86. Send a secret to PostSecret
87. Don't complain about anything for a week
88. Call people by their name whenever possible
Still need to work on this.
89. Send holiday cards each year (2/3) - fail Christmas 2011
90. Write my time on all of my running medals
I like this idea.
91. Go a month with no unnecessary purchases (no eating out, no clothes, etc.)
92. Make an effort to send cards and gifts before birthdays
I am SO SO SO SO bad at this. I fail.
93. Have Avery able to stay out in the house any time we leave
She's kind of amazing.
94. Become an auntie
Thank you Levi Dean!
95. Keep a journal for one month
96. Send a “just because” gift
I don't remember doing this, but I need to do more of it!
97. BW
Ouch!
98. Call people back within one day
I do this.
99. Get my clothes that don't fit altered
Thank you Grandma Jean!
100. Stay in touch with friends that move
I don't think I've had that many move, but I'm doing well so far! :)
101. Find something to be thankful for each day, and rejoice!
Want to do this everyday for the rest of my life. 

Break

20 - I got a tablet for Christmas, which also doubles as a reader. I have since read, "My Horizontal Life," by Chelsea Handler. Pretty funny book.

78 - I will no longer have problems returning library books on time, because they are automatically taken off of my tablet. And I am reading them faster now!

56 - Done. Enough said.

58 - We went to see The Nutcracker at new Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. It was a very beautiful venue, and the dancers were fabulous.

89 - I failed at this. Didn't send Christmas cards this year. :( Just a really busy week before we left for North Carolina, and some struggles with a good family photo.

That's it this time around. Hope all of my faithful readers had a very Merry Christmas!