January Running- 2012

These pics are from last Friday.  I took the day off work, had an awesome run (it was SUCH a pretty day), and wrote and sent out some letters and pictures like I've been meaning to forever.  Need more days like last Friday.

My running buddy Jessy.

At the end of the magic dirt road, just about ready to turn around and run back.

Self Portrait

January 2012, no snow!

Beautiful day

My dirt road.

Common find along this road of mine.  Think maybe the above picture lead to the bottom picture?

One Fine Day of Parachutes and Pickles, and some other Stuff

Okay.  So, since I am having a hard time getting started here, I will commence making a list of what my day consisted of:

1.  Woke up.  It was pouring outside.  Derrin had made a good strong fortifying brew of coffee for me (bless you, my son), and after my first cup I drove both kids to school so they could avoid the wet walk to the bus.

2.  Had a second cup of coffee.

3.  Started a third.

4. Off to school to go on a field trip with The Derrin and his class. Experienced a bus ride with lots of loud and kinda smelly 10 year olds (Derrin being the exception of that description, of course). Our destination: The Smoke Jumper Visitor Center, where we learned about all things pertaining to Smoke Jumpers.

Thing that stands out in my mind: To be a Smoke Jumper, you must be sized from 5'3" 120 lbs. to 6'6" 200 lbs. I am baffled how a little 120 pounder would be able to jump out of a plane into trees, cut herself out of the parachute to get out of the trees (because it seemed like that was a pretty common occurrence?), climb out of tree to get off backpack and other carry-ables (all weighing in at 120 lbs. themselves!) and then climb back up the tree to retrieve the stuck parachute, then climb back down the tree and haul her massive pack to make camp and then go cut down trees and chop fire lines. It would take a stronger woman than myself to do all that, or want to do all that. I want to meet a little woman that has done all of that someday. Anyways, Derrin took a lot of pictures (I'll post some) and it was good to hang out with him.

A picture of a picture.  No blue skies today.

Smoke Jumpers have to sew their own fire resistant jumping clothes.

Ropes to hang/dry parachutes

5.  Grabbed lunch for Derrick and myself, came home, balanced Quickbooks (I am practically an EXPERT at this point.  It may be time to start hiring myself out to help other companies with THEIR Quickbook questions.  Heh.), worked on Derrick's website issues, worked on marketing, just plain worked.

6.  Dropped a giant, and very full jar of pickles.  Spent the next half hour cleaning pickles and pickle juice off the kitchen floor.  Tried to see the bright side:  Vinegar is a good cleaner, even if it DOES smell like garlic.  My house may smell like pickles for awhile.  I may smell like pickles for awhile.

7.  Went to the library.  Finally invested the dollar to replace my library card AND paid the fine I have owed for two years.  Such a clean slate.  Kids both got tons of books.

8.  Dinner.  Derrick made his beautiful Salmon, rice and corn. 

9.  And then our Family Study.  Nice lesson on praying for strength, and also about our motivations.

10.  Took a picture of these flowers, because they were beautiful and the sun was finally out, shining through their petals:



11.  Put the kids to bed.

12.  Gave Kloes's lizard Lizzy another warm bath and put vege oil on her.  I'm worried about her:(  She hasn't eaten in quite awhile.  All the message boards I've gone to say warm baths and oil.  Hoping she feels better soon.

13.  Actually, this is what I didn't do today, or any other day for the last week:  Run.  Between the rain and the millions of things I've been doing, when in the world am I supposed to run.  *sigh*  Had a feeling that THAT would be the thing to slip through the cracks.  Darn it.

14.  Watched flooding happen all around us.  I think that we are going to be okay where we are- it would have to come up quite a bit to get us.  I hope.

15.  Wrote this blog.

And I will call that The End.  Of this day.

red crayons and pickles

So, here I am, sitting in my robe (it's already 11:30 and I'm still not even dressed, although I am showered), and there is a gigantic, disgusting mess waiting to be cleaned up on the kitchen floor, and a daughter in the bathtub. I will tell you more about that later.

Packing for any vacation is always a dreaded chore for me. I was never good at doing it for myself (all that planning! oh dread...), but add to that the chaos of trying to get ready for anything with and for kids, and you might as well just shoot me now. Everything is a struggle. Nothing goes right.

Last night, just trying to get through the laundry was impossible. My last load of jeans was in the dryer, and I was feeling triumphant because as soon as that was folded I would be more securely in the "packing zone". The thing is, jeans are sometimes a suprise affair for me. I always forget to check the pockets before I start washing, and it has bit me in the behind many times. Yesterday, it was a red crayon. It melted on every single stinking pair of pants I washed, and they were all the good ones I wanted for our trip!!! AAHH!!! It took me over an hour to scrub every little melted scrap out. Thankfully they all came clean, but the incident has set a mood for the whole packing experience (that and my already bad attitude. I know I am a whiner. Sue me.)

So far this morning I have gathered my bathroom stuff together to be packed tomorrow morning, and I have packed my jewlery I plan on using. That is as far as I have gotten because of the pickles. Let me tell you about the pickles.

Kloe woke up this morning in the mood for apple juice and milk. I have neither on hand because I have resisted getting groceries since we are leaving town in the morning. She was not in the mood for oatmeal, toast, cereal, or any of the other items I have on hand. So I went in to take a shower while she decided what she wanted. While I am in the shower, a jar of pickles comes creeping through the shower curtain. Turns out pickles are exactly what she wants for breakfast. I say OK. Pickles are a vegetable right? Very healthy for your average five year old (she turned five yesterday!). So I open the jar for her and send her on her way with strict instructions not to spill the pickles on the carpet.

When I came out of the bathroom, Kloe was sitting on the couch, holding her stomach, saying "I don't feel so good. I feel busy (she meant dizzy)". I look around for the jar of pickles. They are ALL GONE. And most of the juice is too. Oops. Forgot to tell her about the dangers of drinking pickle juice. I know the temptation all to well.

"Do you want some oatmeal honey", I ask, very concerned at this point. "Sure Mommy", she says back, thinking mommy knows what will make her feel better.

Turns out, not such a great idea. As soon as she smelled the oatmeal she started hurling gallons of little chewed up peices of pickles (and egg? How did that get in there?) all over my kitchen floor. Where it remains until I finish this blog (I could either deal with it by writing it down, or just start drinking early. The blog barely won). I could not face it just yet.... but....

Okay. Here I go. I'm rolling up the sleeves to my robe. Maybe sometime today I will actually get to pack.