11 days and counting....

After 5 months of talking about it, the 1/2 marathon is finally here....

I have no idea if I am actually prepared for this, but

I am determined to make a go for it. I keep telling myself

I just want to finish...I just want to finish....I just want to finish.

But I also don't want to embarass myself either. I want to prove it to the doubters that I CAN do this. I want to prove it to my daughters that it doesn't matter if you finish first, as long as you finish. Most importantly, I want to prove it to myself that I am not all talk, that I can complete something I start and dammit...I want that 13.1 oval sticker on the back of my car.

T.M.I.

I am an admitted open book. You ask me pretty much any question, and I will answer it truthfully and a certain amount of detail. And yes, I post mundane info about my life on Facebook. About how I went for a jog or how grateful I am football is back on or how Abby/Hannah did something so freaking adorable today or how crazy hot I think my husband is. I try to keep my FB "friends", my place in the world, and my good conscience in mind. But holy cow...some of the postings I have seen lately are an all out assault on common sense...and my eyes.

Got a rash that your man gave you??? Slap him, slap some cream on it, and be done with both of them...But don't tell me about it...

Have problems with your wife's fat rear??? Grab her, squeeze her into some spandex, and go for a jog together...But don't tell me about it...

Feel like bragging about how incredibly hung over you are and un-productive you will be at work today??? Drag your butt out of bed, stop at a Starbucks and remember that you "friended" your boss 2 months ago...But don't tell me about it...

And my favorite...

Duking it out with friends/family/exes/baby daddies??? This one is easy...keep it to yourself. No need to pour gasoline on a fire on a social networking page. Keep it social. Don't bring your crazy drama to everyone else. Besides, once you put it in print, it is OUT THERE. You only come off looking like a woman scorned, a crybaby, or jealous of everyone around you. But if you are going to go public, GO FREAKING PUBLIC!!! Don't be vague and dance around the situation. Own your drama and let the world know. Don't put mysterious crap out there just to get the sympathy. Oh, and don't tell me about it....

I am tired of the T.M.I. I am tired of the oversharing. Grow up, step outside, and lay on the grass. You will feel better and your keyboard will thank you.

Skinny jeans here I come!!

I am pretty damned pleased with myself...I ran for a little over an hour, and I could have kept going. I feel myself getting stronger each time I get on the treadmill...who knew that my old bones had it in me?? My goal for the end of July is to go for two hours...

13.1...here I come!

Officially started training today for the 1/2 marathon I am running in October. Ran two miles at lunchtime...first at 14 minutes and the second at 13 minutes. I want to average over the course of the race 15 minute/mile. I am not looking to set records or look like a gazelle...I am aiming to finish without embarrassing myself too much! Off to the gym tomorrow to start working on my endurance. Wish me luck!

My kitchen is my therapy...

Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with food. Not obsessed as in rolling around in a pool full of pate, but obsessed with knowing everything I can about food. I love experimenting with different foodie profiles: crunchy with smooth, savory with sweet, traditional with the unexpected. I love to cook and bake. I am the first one to admit that I, like every cook, have tasted sweet, sweet success (my Rouladens/Chicken Picatta with lemon angel hair) and suffered through bitter defeat (Abby's Hello Kitty cake--1/2 left in the pan/the pork chops with that pineapple Chipotle glaze--sounded sooo good). Sometimes Shane tastes perfectly cooked and seasoned dishes and other times, he is wishing that Mr. Gatti's was about 4 blocks closer. But I take it all stride...because my kitchen is my therapy. It gives me the chance to nurture the ones I love. It gives me a chance to shine. It gives me a chance to fall face first into a culinary disaster to only have a funny anecdote to tell people the next day. And I love the fact it gives me a chance to encourage and teach my ever helpful assistant, Miss Abby. :) So, win or lose, burnt toast or perfectly seared pork loin, my favorite place in the whole house is my kitchen, my sanctuary.

June 14th??? Really??

I haven't posted anything in forever...but I cannot believe it has been 4 months. I need to get back on the wagon. I love doing this...as it is a form of free therapy. Getting to vent about the silly crap in life is cathartic. So I want, no, need to do this. So, back on the wagon again...tomorrow.

Battle of the bulge

Sometimes...I want to kick my own ass. I bring ill-fitting waistlines and shirts that showcase my biscuit dough stomach onto myself. I have no one to blame but me. Yes, I did just have a baby...but 10 months ago. Yes, I have lost all that baby weight plus 2 pounds. But I was not happy with myself to begin with. I saw pictures of myself from when I was 17-22 years old and I pretty much felt like jumping in front of a bus. All I saw was a slimmer version of myself. But I am the only one who knows that that 25 pounds skinner me always thought that she needed to be 20 pounds thinner...and that would be the solution to all of her problems. I just want to reach inside of those pictures and shake sense and self-confidence into that girl. But, I still feel like if I lost another 10 pounds...slimmed down by a couple of sizes...that I would be so much better off. I need to dedicate more time to my health...for my husband, for my girls and most of all, for myself. Because I don't want to look at pictures of myself in another 10 years and shake my head in disappointment.