I walked 2 miles this morning. As I traveled through my little town, looking out at the hillsides shrouded in fog, I decided that I am going to walk the Portland Marathon on October 5, 2008. When I got to work, I looked up information on Prevention.com about training to walk a marathon, as well as checking the dates. FYI - Portland has been rated one of the most "walker friendly" marathons.
I saved the training guidelines to a PDF file, and will attach it to this blog when I figure out how.
I also discussed my plans with my daughters, who are both interested in walking it with me. When I told Gene, he said, "I have no doubt you can do it".
So I am feeling excited and affirmed at this moment.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Confessions of a Blabbermouth
Recently someone shared something with me. I was not asked to keep it confidential - but I volunteered, stating that anything told to me would remain just between us. I was sincere and I meant it. And I have had to bite my tongue a half dozen times since!!
I realize that I tell people things, gossip if you will, when I do not know how to help, but want to so bad. I bounce ideas off others, and seek their opinions. When it is my problem, that is a good thing to do - but this is not my problem, so it is not my place to seek the opinion of others. It is my place to be there and to listen. I have always thought of myself as pretty good in those areas - and now I have to face the fact that I can do better.
So while it is not effortless for me to keep a confidence - it is something I value and will do.
I realize that I tell people things, gossip if you will, when I do not know how to help, but want to so bad. I bounce ideas off others, and seek their opinions. When it is my problem, that is a good thing to do - but this is not my problem, so it is not my place to seek the opinion of others. It is my place to be there and to listen. I have always thought of myself as pretty good in those areas - and now I have to face the fact that I can do better.
So while it is not effortless for me to keep a confidence - it is something I value and will do.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thankful
My cell phone rings at 1:18am. I run to the office, see it is a Medford number, assume it is a mistake, and do not answer. I walk back to the bedroom, carrying my phone with me to see if the caller leaves a message, when the home phone rings. Uh oh - the call was definitely for us. Gene grabs the home phone and I quickly realize it is the alarm company.
As we drive to our office and shop he tells me it is the front door. Damn - that lets out that it was a motion sensor alarm, maybe from a book shelf falling or something like that.
We pass several police vehicles on our way. They are down many dark streets and in fields. We have to park down the street until the scene is cleared. A police dog from Medford is brought in (Jackson County's dogs and handlers are at a training). The police tell us it is a forced entry. Iam certain my laptop will not be sitting on my desk, wonder what else may have been taken, kick myself for leaving several hundred dollars worth of gift cards sitting on my desk, and wondering if they can be traced if used. I worry that maybe it is not just a robbery, but also vandals. I hope my aquarium is okay, while picturing 75 gallons of water on the floor and my fish flopping around.
The police dog and handler come out of the office and the handler and a sheriff from Jackson County converse. Th dog is cool to watch. He is totally focused on his job, standing at attention facing one way and then the other. He moves with military precision, never once wagging his tail and looking up at his handler with that little look my dogs get, hoping to get my attention and a scratch behind the ears.
The sheriffs allow us to enter, asking us to tell them anything that may be missing, and to please not touch anything. The outside door knob is bent clear over, the dead bolt is still engaged, and the door jamb has splintered and broke. A file/fire cabinet safe has been pried open and the petty cash box is missing. Everything else is undisturbed. The officer dusts for prints. Of course no one likes to have finger prints visible on surfaces in their homes and offices, so most of them, including this fire safe cabinet have a textured surface. Maybe the next safe should have a smooth surface.
As we calculate in our minds how long this may have taken from the time the door was breached until the thieving bastard escaped, we know it has to be someone who has been in this room before. What a creepy feeling.
Nothing else appears to be missing. All checks are accounted for. We cannot determine if any of the keys that are kept in that safe are missing, meaning locks must be changed. After the police leave, Gene gets busy, securing the premises. He screws things back into place so we can lock up and reset the alarm. As I watch him, I wonder what other women do, those that do not have husbands as handy and "take charge" as mine. We go home around 3:30. While I am disappointed and amazed that someone would break in, knowing there was an alarm, I also know that this has kept them from being able to take their time and steal much more.
When I go back in the morning, I am tired and in a really bad mood. I call a locksmith. I call all of the neighbors on our street, learning that many of them have had problems. We have also, gas being siphoned and such. Our neighbors next door tell us that rather than siphon gas, thieves were cutting their fuel lines. Gene gets to work, doing a permanent fix on the door. We consider completely replacing the frame, perhaps having one made in steel. Then we decide it will only cause a thief to have to be more destructive. I decide not to leave my laptop at work any more, to be better about exchanging my two backup drives, and implement a few other precautions, and then just try to move on.
Late that afternoon, we go to get some lunch/dinner and Kylie calls. She is due home the next day for Thanksgiving. She is crying and asks if she can come home that night. The question is ridiculous, because she can come home any time - then she tells me about her boyfriend's uncle, who has a wife and two small children. He has had a heart attack and recovery is not looking likely - and I am reminded of what is important.
As we drive to our office and shop he tells me it is the front door. Damn - that lets out that it was a motion sensor alarm, maybe from a book shelf falling or something like that.
We pass several police vehicles on our way. They are down many dark streets and in fields. We have to park down the street until the scene is cleared. A police dog from Medford is brought in (Jackson County's dogs and handlers are at a training). The police tell us it is a forced entry. Iam certain my laptop will not be sitting on my desk, wonder what else may have been taken, kick myself for leaving several hundred dollars worth of gift cards sitting on my desk, and wondering if they can be traced if used. I worry that maybe it is not just a robbery, but also vandals. I hope my aquarium is okay, while picturing 75 gallons of water on the floor and my fish flopping around.
The police dog and handler come out of the office and the handler and a sheriff from Jackson County converse. Th dog is cool to watch. He is totally focused on his job, standing at attention facing one way and then the other. He moves with military precision, never once wagging his tail and looking up at his handler with that little look my dogs get, hoping to get my attention and a scratch behind the ears.
The sheriffs allow us to enter, asking us to tell them anything that may be missing, and to please not touch anything. The outside door knob is bent clear over, the dead bolt is still engaged, and the door jamb has splintered and broke. A file/fire cabinet safe has been pried open and the petty cash box is missing. Everything else is undisturbed. The officer dusts for prints. Of course no one likes to have finger prints visible on surfaces in their homes and offices, so most of them, including this fire safe cabinet have a textured surface. Maybe the next safe should have a smooth surface.
As we calculate in our minds how long this may have taken from the time the door was breached until the thieving bastard escaped, we know it has to be someone who has been in this room before. What a creepy feeling.
Nothing else appears to be missing. All checks are accounted for. We cannot determine if any of the keys that are kept in that safe are missing, meaning locks must be changed. After the police leave, Gene gets busy, securing the premises. He screws things back into place so we can lock up and reset the alarm. As I watch him, I wonder what other women do, those that do not have husbands as handy and "take charge" as mine. We go home around 3:30. While I am disappointed and amazed that someone would break in, knowing there was an alarm, I also know that this has kept them from being able to take their time and steal much more.
When I go back in the morning, I am tired and in a really bad mood. I call a locksmith. I call all of the neighbors on our street, learning that many of them have had problems. We have also, gas being siphoned and such. Our neighbors next door tell us that rather than siphon gas, thieves were cutting their fuel lines. Gene gets to work, doing a permanent fix on the door. We consider completely replacing the frame, perhaps having one made in steel. Then we decide it will only cause a thief to have to be more destructive. I decide not to leave my laptop at work any more, to be better about exchanging my two backup drives, and implement a few other precautions, and then just try to move on.
Late that afternoon, we go to get some lunch/dinner and Kylie calls. She is due home the next day for Thanksgiving. She is crying and asks if she can come home that night. The question is ridiculous, because she can come home any time - then she tells me about her boyfriend's uncle, who has a wife and two small children. He has had a heart attack and recovery is not looking likely - and I am reminded of what is important.
Monday, November 19, 2007
I love this man!
Last Friday we helped Kylie move. Now our policy is one move per child, and truth be told, we still owe her sister a move, but Gene was worried about Ky coming down to get a pickup and having to move in the rain, so we hooked up our covered trailer, got up at 3 am, and headed for Eugene at 4am.
As I dozed off near Grants Pass I heard, "Oh, s#*t, I just lost the lights!"
We pulled over and he checked, and the plug had come out, dragged along the pavement and was destroyed. What to do now?
We drove into Grants Pass, hoping that their Super Walmart was open 24 hours. Yeah! It was. We bought a new plug and wire cutters, pulled under a light in the parking lot and in the rain, at 4:30 am, we fixed the plug and continued to Eugene.
We helped the kids move their furniture, and took them shopping, buying a little computer desk and a small dining table. The new apartment is cute and much larger and brighter. We also had Kylie’s car dropped off, to have the brake light fixed and an oil change. It took longer than expected because the wrong light bulb was sent to the repair shop, and to apologize, they did it all for FREE - thank you Meineke - you said you wanted to earn our business, and you succeeded.
That afternoon as we left Eugene, Gene looked at me and said, "I am always sad when we leave the Girls."
As I dozed off near Grants Pass I heard, "Oh, s#*t, I just lost the lights!"
We pulled over and he checked, and the plug had come out, dragged along the pavement and was destroyed. What to do now?
We drove into Grants Pass, hoping that their Super Walmart was open 24 hours. Yeah! It was. We bought a new plug and wire cutters, pulled under a light in the parking lot and in the rain, at 4:30 am, we fixed the plug and continued to Eugene.
We helped the kids move their furniture, and took them shopping, buying a little computer desk and a small dining table. The new apartment is cute and much larger and brighter. We also had Kylie’s car dropped off, to have the brake light fixed and an oil change. It took longer than expected because the wrong light bulb was sent to the repair shop, and to apologize, they did it all for FREE - thank you Meineke - you said you wanted to earn our business, and you succeeded.
That afternoon as we left Eugene, Gene looked at me and said, "I am always sad when we leave the Girls."
Karma or Justice!
This morning the alarm went off at 4:30, as usual. It has been easier getting up at that hour since I purchased a light alarm clock. It is pretty cool, it turns on and gets gradually brighter for 30 minutes, so I am in a lighter sleep mode when the actual alarm goes off, thereby making it easier to get up and exercise.
After the alarm went off, I heard a noise like a vacuum being run and wondered what had turned on in the house (it was that loud). When I went into the living room, I could see flashing lights behind the blinds. Upon opening them, I noticed a large truck with a big tank on it at the end of the road. At that location we had noticed a large pool of water extending into the street on Saturday. Gene had observed men checking out the situation on Sunday. And at 4:32 am Monday morning, it was being addressed, in a loud manner.
I took coffee back into the bedroom and told Gene, adding that I could not believe they would decide to repair that drain at 4:32 am, and that I bet the neighbors really appreciate it.
"I think it is great!", he replied.
"You do? Why!"
"Because it is right in front of the guy’s house who runs his race car!"
What can I say? When he is right, he is right!
After the alarm went off, I heard a noise like a vacuum being run and wondered what had turned on in the house (it was that loud). When I went into the living room, I could see flashing lights behind the blinds. Upon opening them, I noticed a large truck with a big tank on it at the end of the road. At that location we had noticed a large pool of water extending into the street on Saturday. Gene had observed men checking out the situation on Sunday. And at 4:32 am Monday morning, it was being addressed, in a loud manner.
I took coffee back into the bedroom and told Gene, adding that I could not believe they would decide to repair that drain at 4:32 am, and that I bet the neighbors really appreciate it.
"I think it is great!", he replied.
"You do? Why!"
"Because it is right in front of the guy’s house who runs his race car!"
What can I say? When he is right, he is right!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Not one bloody ounce!
This past week I have exercised every day, tracked everything I ate, which included 5 fruits and veges every day, drank 8 glasses of water every day, and did not have a single bite of Halloween candy!
Proud of my will and determination, I stepped onto the scale at WW and viewed my results - my weight was the same - TO THE OUNCE!
Many people said that results - good or bad, sometimes take two weeks to show up on the scale - we will see.
Proud of my will and determination, I stepped onto the scale at WW and viewed my results - my weight was the same - TO THE OUNCE!
Many people said that results - good or bad, sometimes take two weeks to show up on the scale - we will see.
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