Sure I'll Sign For the Botox, Just Get Me Out Of Here

About 2 weeks ago, I started using this Lumene eye cream stuff because I am not entirely thrilled with my crows feet.  I used to us something else that sort of tightened things up for the day, kind of like the feeling of egg on your face.  I figured I could save money, so I started just using eggs on my face.  Just kidding.

When I ran out, I decided I'd keep using something on my eye area, so I went to CVS and was met with such an extraordinary line up of things to freeze every area of my face, I wasn't sure where to begin.  I can't really tell you what drew me to this particular number, but I think it had the least amount of scary words for ingredients.

In case you don't know about some of my idiosyncrasies, I have issues with lotions and cleansers, among many other things, so putting this on my face kind of negates all of my healthy living, as far as I'm concerned.  But, I would like to have tighter eye skin.  When I fussed about this to my dermatologist, and reminded her of my lotion issues, she suggested I could just gain 5 pounds a year and I could avoid wrinkles that way.

In other words, there's really no hope but I will jump on the money spending bandwagon and try to delay further signs of outdoorsy behavior.

Anyway, I thought this new stuff was doing wonders.  In my mirror, things do look smoother.  I know my mother is like "what are you talking about, you don't have wrinkles" and I'm not going to do the whole OH I AM SO WRINKLY thing because we  know what we see in the mirror and if no one else can see them, we still see them anyway.  No use pointing it out so everyone will look at only the wrinkles from now on.  And you won't have to look at them either because this cream is firming it all right up.

So, I'm really liking what I'm seeing.  And I'm thinking it's really firming up my eyes.  It's not getting rid of the circles like it claims, but I'll take one out of two if it really is happening.

So today, I met a guy who was delivering a trailer.  It was to be a very long and arduous afternoon of pulling one trailer out, putting the new one in, all the while, not hitting anything or anyone.  And I was the fool who thought I should keep an eye, a very firm skinned eye, on things so if something broke, or something was driven into, or someone got maimed, I would see it first hand.

Before all of the length of time and arduosity took place, he tried to make small talk.  I was ok with the small talk, thinking he was kind of young and this was probably one of his first deliveries and poor him, the salesman didn't tell him any of what he was getting into.  He just had that young look about him.

So, during the small talk, he said "So, you look like you're about my age."

Wow, what a compliment, he thinks I'm like 25.  I think I'm like 16.  Since I'm 36, I think 25 is a fine place to meet in the middle.

So I said "Yeah, probably"

And he said "Oh you're like 48?"

....

And since I have NEVER been good at comebacks on the spot, all I could shriek was "UMMM YOU"RE NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!  48????????"

And because I don't look mad when I'm actually mad at anyone outside of my family, I didn't look mad, so he kept going.  (I'm sure it was my super tight eyes that made me look like I was laughing) So he said "Oh, sorry, what you're like 44?  40?"

I just couldn't pick my jaw up off the ground.

Clearly, he wasn't looking at this because who looks at that and says 48?

And here was his best line "Well, sorry, I mean like you look like you're my wife's age and she's 36"

So I was actually able to think fast enough to say "THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU SAY 48????"

"Well," he said, "I don't know, I saw a few grays.... What are you, 38?  36?  34?"

"WE ARE DONE" I said and walked away, laughing.

Because what else could I do?  I have no problem with my grays.  Because they are more like whites, which look blond and when I get enough of them, they will look like I've highlighted my hair, for free, so I don't really care about that. I swear, that's how I think.

But I'm going to have to keep with the eye firming cream because I swear, the first person who tells me they guess 12 years too high because they "saw a few wrinkles" will be the first person I actually punch. 

 

Seriously....48????????


Perhaps his 48 year old eyes need some spectacles.

**Now that I am a whole year older and wiser, and more wrinkly, I find this post pretty funny, so I linked up over here.
 and below.

Feel Good Friday

Here we are again, feeling good on Friday.  I'm not really feeling it today, so it's going to be a stretch for me this week.  Not that I had a bad week, I just didn't have many "ahhh, I'll be writing about that on Friday" moments.

If you've never been to Feel Good Friday land, it was created by thegirl who is on hiatus, so she entrusted her dear meme to me.  She's all that because she wrote an app that Apple accepted and she's making so many millions, I'm sure she has no time for blogging what with keeping track of all that cash.

To participate, you sit yourself down and think about what made you happy this week and tell us about it.  It can be earthshattering or something as day making as you got a valentine from your 4 year old nephew.  It can be one thing or a bunch.  I usually pick 5 things, but it's up to you!

There used to be a Mr. Linky linkup that went with Feel Good Friday, but I didn't get many people linking up, so I'm linky free for the moment.  Just go write your own Feel Good Friday moment on your blog, come back here and leave a comment and we'll be over to check you out really soon.

On to this week.

*I watched my friend j-ster's son for a few hours and he's that fascinating age of almost 2.  So he's a complete tape recorder and just repeats and rewinds and repeats all day.  I love to watch how their minds work!

*I rode Tucker at the new barn all week and he was highly anxious but we didn't have any incidents.  Me not falling off has become a recent goal!  The indoor ring is pretty great because we aren't baking in the sun and he isn't being eaten by flies.  But it's weird because it's like running around in someone's house!  We rode outside one day which was a complete adventure because the ring doesn't have a fence, so it's just open, AND there's an audience of horses all around it, watching.  He had so many things to look at, I'm amazed he did anything I told him to do!

*We picked our 6 scholarship winners for the local chapter of American Business Women's Association and I love that.  I love giving other people's money to people who deserve it.  And I love that we can give 6.  And that one of them was a student of mine once upon a time.

*I put in my clothesline and used it this week and I LOVE that I have a place where I can just put the clothes out without putting it together.  I've spent all summer having to "rig" a clothesline every time I want to hang out the clothes and now I don't have to!  One less step in the process!

Ok, just 4 this week.  My brain isn't really working all that well, so that's what you get.

Now go write your own and come back and link up!!

Let's Just Run to the Store, It'll Only Take A Minute

Do you ever realize that there are some spouses or friends of friends that when you think about it, you might never have had a single conversation with in the 20 years you've known them?

Stop for a minute and think. Do you know people like that?

You say things like "hi, how are you, how's work" or whatever, but it's always in passing. When you're dropping something off, passing at the buffet, things like that Or, you are both there as a conversation is happening, but there are always lots of other people partaking in the conversation.

Usually, these people are spouses of your friends or family, or they are friends of friends that seem to always be around. They are always around but they never actually have to talk directly to you.

Well, what if there was a spontaneous urgency to do an errand and you were the only two people who could do it? Like, let's say there was a family reunion happening, and everyone and their brothers were there and suddenly, there was NO ICE and you needed lots of it for the rest of the party.

And the only car that wasn't parked in was yours, and the only other person who seemingly had free hands (I don't know what's going on at this reunion, but EVERYONE has their hands full or muddy or greasy except for you and this person) was this person. What if the two of you had to run to the store to get 20 bags of ice?

What would that car ride be like? What would you talk about? Would you have the radio on? Would you make small talk? Would there be total silence?

In my scenario, you would have to drive for about 15 minutes, in small town traffic with stoplights and of course, one would be a red light. You'd go to a local chain grocery store and have to go through the store, get the items, checkout, put it all in the car and drive back to the reunion. The one where everyone else's car is parked in and all of the people's hands are full of mud, remember?

What would that be like?

This all came to me when k-ster and I went to a wedding for his friend t-ster in New Jersey. We stayed in a hotel not far from where the wedding was to take place, and also not far from t-ster's house. The night before the wedding, the girl stayed at their house and t-ster and some friends stayed at the hotel. In the morning, the boys all went down for breakfast, including k-ster.

Suddenly,k-ster had been put into service, so he'd be back later, in time to get ready for the wedding.

The bride was at the salon getting her hair done and her car broke down and she needed to do some kind of errand before she actually got her hair done. I forget the specifics. I know all of the girls were at the salon but she had to leave and get something and then go back. She called t-ster, frantic, and wanted to use his truck. But she REFUSED to see t-ster since it was the wedding day. She was FREAKING.OUT and I have no doubt because she is very dramatic.

So, t-ster asked k-ster to run his truck to the salon and the bride's sister would give him a ride back to the hotel.

And, since things are never as smooth as they are on tv, there was a little stop along the way back to the hotel. After the truck was dropped off for the bride, the sister was driving k-ster back to the hotel. They were total strangers to each other. But k-ster can always dream up something to say, so I am sure he was holding his own. And then she told him she had to run to the store on the way back to the hotel, to get diapers. And he had no choice but to go and I am sure he was fine with it (what else could he do?)

This was when I started thinking about the Let's just run to the store test. What would happen if I had to run to the store to do an errand with a few of the people I've known for so long but have never had a conversation with?

I've now started to thing about this test when I meet someone new that I know is going to be around for the long haul. I start to imagine the scenario that will require the two of us to run out and do something and have to speak to each other.  It's always very awkward in my head, like it probably would be in real life.

And I also always imagine that on the way to the store, we both witness something completely absurd.  I put that into the scenario because I want it to make us laugh so we dont' sit in total silence.

So, go think about who you know that you would want to do the Let's just run to the store test with because you know you've never spoken to each other for more than about 2 minutes.

And then imagine a new situation.  The Here, can you hold my baby for a minute? scenario.  This is also with a person that you have known forever but have never really talked to, someone who has certainly never shown interest in your baby and someone who would probably shock the whole crowd if he/she were to hold said baby.  Again, everyone in the world is there but they are all up to their elbows in something and you really need both hands for just a minute.  Again, the only person who isn't doing anything is this one person.

Go think about it and come back and tell me if I am the only one who can sit with someone in total silence for way too long and not think it's really all that weird....

Two Horsewomen Evade Police In High Speed Chase

So, how do you move 3 horses, one trailer, two trucks and two women from one barn to another?

I know you are thinking: "Oh crap, it's another one of sparkling's math problems.  She proved she can't do geometry and now she's going to try to solve a major word problem.  This ought to be really good." 

It's time to say "au revoir" to barn #3 and "bonjour" to barn #4.  Click here and you'll see that I've followed my riding instructor all over creation.  I've liked one barn, hated another and really missed the bathroom that was the only good thing about another.

AU REVOIR BARN #3!!

This one is the best so far, I think.  It's big, 2 barns, it has an INDOOR RING (no more 2 months off in the winter), and outdoor wash stall for washing their stanky butts after riding and lots of other good things.

Tucker's new digs.

An indoor ring.  It's pretty big and has some great bonuses.  No sun baking on you.  No need for sunglasses, which slide off your nose.  Riding no matter the weather.  Fewer bugs, if any.  Less things for him to shy at.

Outdoor wash stall.  Such a simple idea but so much easier for washing him!

This is where Tucker, Quinn and Jackson live, with the indoor ring right there.  To the right is another whole barn with about 20 more stalls.

But most of all, running hot and cold water and a BATHROOM.  It's such a civilized notion, the toilet.

So, after a lot of running around, we got all 3 horses moved from #3 to #4.  We met at barn #4, drove back to #3, rode 2 horses over.  Then I drove her back to #3 and followed her and her truck  back to #4.  Then I drove her back to #4 and she rode the last one over.

Ok, so there was no high speed chase.  Thankfully, there wasn't even a single cop.  Because there may have been some driving of some vehicles that may have had some issues.  Or a trailer that might have had an issue.  But there were no cops, so all was well.

How To Grow Your Own Clothesline

After building the greenhouse and tearing down the clothesline, I've been "making do" and putting up ropes all over the place to dry my clothes.  K-ster said he'd make me new posts, because he hates walking through my clothing traps that I put out, and I finally planted them today.  Here's a step by step manual for growing your very own clothesline.

You have to figure out what you want to use for posts and then either convince someone to make them for you, or buy them pre made.  The already made kind cost a fortune, so if you're willing to trade your kid for posts, go right ahead.  Otherwise, I recommend the build your own variety.

And I probably don't have to say that if you are going to use pressure treated posts, you better high tail it out of here right now.  Those are the devil's very own words and I will not use pressure treated wood under any circumstances.  I will rebuild the damned thing myself when it rots, rather than use pressure treated and grow a third arm before I'm 40.

I chose cedar posts because they are supposed to be fairly bug resistant, by nature.  I do suspect that even cedar is treated with something, but everyone swears it is not.  I'd like to suggest these people lick them right in front of me to prove a point, but I do have some manners.

Then you have to choose your location.  I'd always had my clothesline here, but the greenhouse necessitated the removal of it.  Ultimate sun exposure is imperative.  There is also a need for a good breeze.  I always had both, no matter the season, so I really wanted to put it back where it was.   I think just behind the greenhouse, before you get to garden #2 might be a good spot.  It might interfere this winter with the sun getting into the greenhouse, but who am I kidding?  There is plenty of sun to get into that greenhouse!  And it's our very own windtunnel right there, so I am sure this will all work very well.  And the residual heat coming back from the greenhouse toward the clothes might be a big bonus in the winter.

All of this does require that you get very hot, sweaty- to the point of soaking your own shirt- and dirty.  You also have to be prepared to almost dangle over a hole that is more than half of your own height, if you're under 6 feet tall.

If you are afraid of any of those words, then you should just stop reading my blog all together because many of my posts either mention most of those words or will induce your ownself to experience any combination of them.

Step 1:  Always choose a significantly hot day when embarking on the planting of a clothesline.  Too hot and it would be just foolhardy.  Too cool and you'd have nothing to complain about.  90 degrees seems just right.  And the humidity should be pretty outrageous too.

Step 2:  Choose a very large hat such as the model here.  This takes care of several things.  First,  and most important, it keeps the sun off your face and neck and maybe your shoulders.  Second, if anyone were to want to tell you how to do your job, one look at this hat and they would know they are dealing with a complete lunatic and should stay very far away.  Then you can work in peace and no one will bother you.

Step 3:  Assemble the proper tools.  A tape measure, a level, a sledgehammer (or tamper if you have one), a shovel and some kind of rake, unless you put the dirt on a tarp.

Step 4:  Start digging.  It may look like I am standing in the hole, but I am actually kneeling on the ground.  You must dig a VERY deep hole.  I had 10 foot posts, so I should have dug holes that were 4 feet deep so these suckers will never move.  I am 5'2".  Digging a 4 foot hole is a feat that I really can't even capture in pictures.  Kneeling while digging is absurd.  I may look like I'm having fun but I was pretty sure I was going to end up IN the hole.  I dug the second one wider thinking it might be a little easier but it really wasn't.  4 feet is a very long way.

Step 5:  Stick your shovel down there often to see just how much further you have to dig.  It's important to check it after like every 5 shovel fulls in case you're there already.

Step 6:  When you really think you might be there, get out the tape measure.  Yeah, so it's not quite 48 inches, it'll do.  Especially since I had hit rocks at that point that were going NOWHERE.

Step 7:  Once you put the post in, you have to do a lot of juggling between shoveling dirt back and and trying to keep it upright.  You want to get it pretty level from the outset so you don't have to keep tinkering with it.  If you have an extra person nearby, you really should ask them to come hold it for you, or better yet, shovel for you, so you can hold it super straight.  Then you have to tamp it repeatedly.  Once it's deep enough that you don't kill yourself stepping down into it, you can use your foot to squish it down.

Step 8:  Check it with a real level many times.  You want the bubble in the center of the black lines.  Not too shabby since I did it alone.  If you're anal like me, check it 50 million times and wonder if it's still straight later that day.  Put the level away when you're done so you aren't tempted to keep going back and checking your work.

Step 9:  Use the sledgehammer as a tamper when it's high enough that you can reach it comfortably. 

Step 10:  This step is the hardest one for me to accept.  When you're about halfway filled, you have to water it.  This will help everything to settle down and compact itself.  I think it really just makes the wood already begin to rot.  It makes no sense to me.  And if you know anything about mud, it's pretty slippery, so how this helps compact it, I just don't know.  But my resident post digger swears this is the proper way to do things.  I did not do this as I put in the fence for garden #2 and you might be able to tell.  Or not.  I guess it would depend on whether you've made a living putting in fenceposts.

Step 11:  Finish filling it in and tamping it a million times and checking the level a million more, and then go do the same thing with post #2.  When you're done, water them both sufficiently and tamp them one more time.  Then get some rope and figure out how you want that to work.  K-ster and I have very different ideas about how these ropes will hang.  He thinks I am a giant and can reach up to the 6 foot level they are standing at.  I think the posts are pretty far apart and I might rue the day I put them in, so time will tell.  And I will only have myself to blame.

Step 12:  This should have been step #1.  It is most important to have a supervisor on the job.  Be sure to get one that will snooze on the job.

Finish it all off with a nice thunderstorm that brings the temperature down 15 degrees AFTER you are finished.

Once you're done, take a nice cool shower and then sit and admire your hard work.  Admire the fact that you did it yourself, with only one consultation about the use of the level.  And that it didn't take all that long to do.

And know that if push comes to shove, you maybe could do manual labor for a living.

And then laugh because two fence posts does not equal a day of manual labor!

Linking here:
http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com/throwback-thursday-18/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/search/label/Link%20Parties
http://www.skiptomylou.org/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/
http://www.nothingbutcountry.com/
http://olives-n-okra.com/funtastic-friday-69/ 

Feel Good Friday- Another Week In Pictures

It's time for another rendition of FEEEEEEL GOOOOOOD FRIIIIIIIDAY. I don't have a linky on the bottom of this one, so you'll have to just leave a comment and your blog address and we'll come snoop around and see what you've been up to. 

I don't know where thegirl went off to, but I'll hold down the fort until she comes back.

It's easy to play Feel Good Friday. Go to your blog, write a post about what made you happy this week. It can be ANYTHING. Come back here and leave a comment and we'll go see what you did.

It's fun, it's a great way to meet other people and it makes you happy. Especially if you had a sucky week because your house didn't sell or it's so humid your skin is rotting off your very own body or your read a book that sounded hysterical and was mildly so.

This is how Gwenstopher (and maybe her owner) like to spend very hot summer days.  Thank God for this hammock.  That's all I can tell you.

When she isn't lolling about in the hammock, she's usually busy getting high.  Gwenstopher, not her owner.  On mint, of course.

My niece seems a little sad or humiliated that she was put in a bumblebee hat to match that really cute outfit.  She was very happy in pictures with just the outfit but then when the hat came on, she became very contemplative.  Or horrified.  It reminds me of what Missfit used to look like when we put her in doll clothes.  Just appalled.  Babies look much cuter in outfits than cats.

Here, she's auditioning for a local performance of Popeye or perhaps something with a pirate theme or maybe she's doing a jig.  No, auntiesparkling didn't make that quilt.  Grandma did.  Auntiesparkling doesn't have a lot of patience for pointy things in quilts because they are a pill to get perfect!

Ok, here's a bunch of green.  If you're afraid of weeds, look no further.  If you are sick of reading about the glowing progress in my gardens, you can leave now.  If you're just a little curious, keep reading!  I do not share these pictures to brag. I just love to share the amazing things that can come from ONE SEED!

Jack called, he needs his bean stalk back.  This thing is really out of control.  It's a couple of plants in one container and I thought they'd happy climb some twine and produce some beans.  Instead, they just keep climbing and reaching. They've broken several pieces of bamboo, so I brought out the big guns.  Between them and the wind the other day, the whole thing was leaning.  It can't be stopped!  And it's not even close to producing flowers yet, so no beans!

Because I'm a little weird, I don't really like to grow things in plastic.  Especially food things.  I figure we ingest enough plastic in our daily lives, we should not encourage more of it to seep into our food.  I write this and see that yes, there's a big red, plastic bucket right there with basil in it. I TRY to keep plastic away.  I had a few new tomato plants and I can't remember which type they are, so I wanted to keep them out of the gardens ( I am trying not to cross breed so I can save seeds) but I didn't want to put them in plastic.  Years ago, EVERYONE was selling metal buckets for use as ice buckets at cookouts and stuff.  Think I could find them this year???  It took every last ounce of my searching abilities, but thanks to k-ster's ever so long reach, I was able to get a bunch of these metal buckets for my tomatoes.  They are sooooooo small in these buckets.  My plan is to be able to take them into the greenhouse to finish reddening up when the fall comes.  I have them in various places around the yard.

I think Morning Glories are really pretty.  But I let them get out of control last year and now they are a weed.  I didn't toss out the seeds and they've reseeded with a vengeance.  I have done nothing but pull them up as weeds all year.  I need to get them back under control.  Like here. 

Garden #2 in all of its lushness.  I cannot get over what is going on in here.  Even with some munchers that have come and eaten leaves, things are just humming along.

You'd think I thought you'd never seen a zucchini, what with all of the talk and pictures I've had of them this year.  And I really don't even like zucchini!  I have 2 plants and they are like the models of how zucchini should grow.  They are just gorgeous plants!  Now, if their cousins the summer squash would just produce squash instead of flowers, we'd be in business.

My 25 cent packet of marigolds from the Dollar Tree are finally opening.  These are some impressive plants, I tell you.  I have one in garden #1 that is almost as tall as me.  That's all of 5'2",  but still, a marigold that tall???  Obviously, I feed my plants steroids.

I've tried growing pumpkins a lot.  I've grown those cute little mini pumpkins that people use for decorations and they've done really well.  But the bigger pumpkins either don't get very big, or the plants just produce one, or something (squirrels, I think) gets in and nibbles and ruins it.  I've had one pumpkin grow for each of the last two summers that has been about a pound or so, pretty small.  I've put it out, in all of its sadness, and then as winter comes, it explodes from the frost and the seeds go everywhere.  When spring comes, I pick up what seeds are left and plant them.  This might be the result of one of those seeds.  Or it might be a random packet of Jack O Lantern that came in something for free.

All I know is that pumpkin and the others that are starting are on this ONE, I repeat, this is all ONE pumpkin plant.

With flowers so huge I could almost stick my head in one!

My corn is as high as an elephant's eye, or taller than I can reach.  Some of it. Some of it is knee high to me but it's still sending out its flowers.

See the little corns starting out?

Some are even getting little silks on them!  Watch out animals who steal corn.  We will NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT have a repeat of last year's corn devastation.  If I have to set up a cot out there, I might just!

I have lots of winter squash vines rambling around with pole beans around the corn because they are the "three sisters" and they are supposed to benefit each other at the roots with lots of good things.  They aren't really behaving all that well with the climbing, so I bought some things for them to climb and I've stuck them where I want them to go.  Never be afraid to put your vines where you want them, even tying them sometimes if you have to.  I like my squash and cucumbers OFF the ground, if possible, so I do a lot of coaxing.  This is my first butternut/winter squash this year.  Again, lots of flowers but not a whole heck of a lot of fruit.  If you've never grown pumpkins or winter squash, they start out green and then when they get the size they want to be, they turn the appropriate color.

My tomatoes are a-comin'.  My dilemma is that with all of my careful planting, I am not sure which variety ended up where, so it's going to be a guessing game all summer!

I put two tomatoes outside the greenhouse and I have no idea which type they are.  They are growing identically, so I would say they are the same as each other.  And they have a million flowers which would make me think they are cherry.  But I didn't plant cherry tomatoes...

Bee balm. I bought it to attract bees to garden #1 and it's weird.  It's like a bush but it has had some difficulties.  And it sort of drifts.  That bare spot is where the original plant was planted but it has moved.  The smell is odd.  It's kind of spicy. Kind of something I'd rub onto turkey.  But it's also kind of heavy so I haven't used it.  It's pretty and the bees LOVE it so I like it too.

I've had a couple of cucumbers so far and they've been good.  They aren't super long, but I also like to pick them kind of early to avoid heavy seeds.  I like to get things smaller because they taste better, in my opinion.

I planted another whole group of corn in garden #1 about a month after the bunch I put out in garden #2.  We'll see how this all turns out.  With less sunlight, they may struggle more.

Chard is giving me two thumbs up.  I've used a bunch and it keeps on pushing out more!

My sad peppers.  I think they aren't seeing enough sunlight and they are pretty small.  They are giving it the old college try with some flowers this week, but they are not happy. I grew peppers in this same place a long time ago and determined it was a lack of water, not sun.  But they are getting water, so I just don't know.

My Brown Eyed Susans.  There's another plant that drifts away from where I had it the first year.  And they ALWAYS fall over so I have to tie them up every year.  The pretty lilies in back are popping out every day and I love them  because they are not the usual orange.

Ok, that's enough.  I might have maxed out my pictures for the year.  Now go write your own and come back and tell us where to go!

If Know You Have Great Legs, Clap Your Hands

I'm not afraid to say I know I have nice legs.  I've worked hard for my whole life to get these legs and from mid thigh down, I know they are pretty spectacular.  From the mid thigh through hip area is questionable and thus my fear of pants labeled "fitted through hips and thigh".

10 years ago, I started running.  It was my original intention when I first joined a gym, but it took me a couple of years to get there.  I figured I'd go to a gym, get in great cardio shape and start running and the rest would be history.

I started running quite a bit, and didn't love it.  I've waited 10 long years and I still do not love it.  I usually run about 3-4 miles at a time.  I do a lot of  5K races and I've done a couple of 10Ks too.  I have LOTS of race t-shirts that I wear for all sorts of sweat inducing activities.

I do love being DONE with a run. 

I love that I can run just about everywhere.  I've run in Belgium, Canada, various states.

I love that it's such a portable workout.

But I do not love getting ready to run.  I hate the first mile while my body gets to the "steady state" (this is the official term for the first 10 minutes that you exercise, when your body is getting into the groove and you hate everything and everyone and want to just rip off the head of the next person you see). 

I hate what runners always smell like when they are done, myself included.  It's like new sneakers mixed with polyester and something human.  It's just gross.  It's not sweat, per se. 

Most of all, I hate the fact that I've run for this long and still don't like it.

Some people would tell me to stop if I dislike it so much.  But I'm waiting.  Waiting for the magic day when I am like "WHOA RUNNING IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!"  I've had moments, usually after I have run hard and have recovered and I think it's pretty great.  But they are fleeting.  Very fleeting.

In February, I did an especially graceful twisting of my ankle.  It was a Saturday afternoon, people were driving toward me, I was windmilling all over the place.  I just couldn't let them see me go down.  So I caught myself and kept on running but it hurt.  And then it swelled.  And then I kind of forgot about it.  Then my heel/ankle started doing weird things and I thought I need to stretch it more.  But I think I overstretched.  And my chiropractor and I deduced that I had probably overstretched my achilles and I better not run for a while.

Just say the word achilles and most athletes get all upset. 

Simply mention injury to me and I go crazy.  I have been very good about NOT injuring myself while running or exercising.  I am careful to cross train so I don't overuse things.  (really, I just don't like exercise, so I keep "mixing it up" in hopes that I might love it)

So, to be told by someone who might know what he's talking about that I should not run was something I had to think about.  I am so worried about further damage to any tendons or joints that I always weigh things carefully if it looks like I might end up in a wheelchair too soon.

So, I did not run.  From February until today, I did not run.  I tried to run in April and I got about 100 yards down the road and it was just not right. 

I continued spinning, riding, Rock Bottoms (though sometimes the jumping was curtailed) but there has been a noticeable effect on my body.  I guess running really does burn off calories that other things do not. 

Not that I've ever been a BIG runner, but it usually is something I do at least once a week, more in months that don't have ice.

I've been watching people run this summer and though I don't like to run, I hate being told I shouldn't.  I kind of miss running.

So, I told myself that July 31 would be the big day.  5 months of no running.  And I would try it out.

Tonight though, I dropped my car for an oil change and decided I could run the 1 mile home and see what happens.

And I did.  And nothing happened.  Well, I sweat a lot and hated it but it was fine.

And now I will share with you what I wore because I love this skirt.  It's a Reebok skirt from a few years ago.  Before running skirts got really popular.  I'm such a trend setter.

 I'm not one of those people that likes anything close on my stomach, so you usually will not see me running in tight tank tops.  I prefer them loose so I don't have to worry about sucking it in while I'm sucking wind.  It would be a lot cuter if I wore something more form fitting but there is only so much cute I can manage when I'm running.  Comfort overtakes cute.

 This is a closer view of the front.  It's a weird color and I usually end up wearing some pastel with it.  It has built in shorts underneath and I am not always a fan of them.  They are not as comfortable as I want them to be.  The material isn't what I usually wear in tight shorts.

I figured you wanted to see the back door too.  It really is straight across the back, I'm just standing weird. I think I was turning to see if the self timer was really flashing or if I was just posing for nothing.