First training session down and my 40 list!

I DID IT!  My first day of training, a day ahead of schedule, It's not much, but I did it,  and my mom came over to start with me!  I feel great, we started with our 6min walking then 1 min. running repeated 3 times.  It was a lot easier than I thought and I could have kept going but instead we came back home and took the dogs up in the hills for a hike. I plan  on doing the half marathon which is 13.1 miles in stead of the full marathon at 26 miles.  Next year, I will try the full marathon and I am going to stick to it.  

Now for my 40 list.  Liz had a 32 list of things to do before her next birthday.  She is ahead of me since my birthday was in July , so I think I will give myself one year from today, so I will try diligently to complete all 40 before October 11, 2009.

1. Lose 10 lbs.
2. Run a half marathon
3. Raise $1000+ for Breast Cancer Research
4. Invite a friend out to breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee once a month.
5. Clean the garage.
6. Put 2000 miles on my Harley.
7. Buy MYSELF something the first weekend of every month, no matter how small.
8. Devote 3 hours a week to sewing
9. Refinance our house
10. Payoff at least one bill
11. Continue to grow my hair out.
12. Ride my bicycle around Reno
13. Ride my bicycle around Tahoe
14. Take at least 6 more sewing classes
15. Sew something for myself
16. Make xmas gifts for everyone
17. Take at least 6 more knitting classes
18. Learn how to make fabulous soap
19. Give myself at least one facial a week
20. Deep condition my hair at least once a week
21. Stick with my 3 day a week workout on top of Training for Race for the Cure
22. Call a random person once a month and tell them why they are important in my life.
23. Take one day a week to "chill"
24. Stay in bed all day and read a book
25. Watch movies all day
26. Get the old business desk out of our bedroom
27. Input receipts in Quick Books at least every 3 months to stay on top of it for tax time.
28. Help someone in need when I am able to.
29. Donate time at the homeless shelter around the holidays in the kitchen.
30. Buy things with pink ribbons on them when at all possible
31. Hike up Davis Creek all the way to the top (7 miles uphill I think)
32. Join the hiking club with Achieve Fitness
33. Go horseback riding with my sister.
34. Have more family game nights.
35. Help Jay finish the gazebo
36. Buy some good running shoes (Ann recommends Nike Air so that's where I will start)
37. Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
38. Learn to say no more often
39. Be a bit more frugal
40. Live life for the day, not the past or the future.

For the love of a friend......

I love Judy, and I wish I could help her get through her cancer.  I don't know what I can do other than just love her and be there for her when she needs someone.  I thought about it over the last few years, I have had many friends that have fought the battle of breast cancer and won, lost or are still in the battle.  I want to run the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure marathon and I plan on doing it.  I never started because I am not a runner.  I hate running, I can't run, so why should that stop me when I am healthy and able to.  Of course I finally committed myself to it and decided I would start my training on Sunday. I look outside and it is snowing, yes, non stop,  I would say that we have about an inch by now, so now what? I guess I will have to find a gym nearby and pay to run on a treadmill since I don't have one.  Please standby me and encourage me, I plan on doing this to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.  This week my training schedule as a beginner is to train 3 days this week, 6 minutes of walking then 1 minute of running repeated 3 times.  I can do this, would you join me and maybe we can start team and do next years events that are all over.  I wish I could make a difference, it's not much, but it's a start.  If you can't start training with me, would you be willing to support me by donating?  And also ask me how my training is going occasionally so I will keep it up?  Thanks!

Sky Tavern 2009!

So we got Stevi signed up for Sky Tavern, Snowboard program.  The season starts the beginning of January of 2009.  I was going to get her a bus pass for Saturdays but while we were standing in line waiting, they were asking if anyone wanted to be a snowboarding instructor.  I asked what was required and Jayson met all the requirements so I called him and he said he would do it.  He needs to complete an instructors course which they provide, and commit to Saturdays during the season, he can also go any Sundays that they need an instructor and Stevi can go for free.  I saved $75 on the bus pass as well because she will be riding up with brother.  After this season, he will be certified and be able to get a job as an instructor at any of the ski resorts.  This is a good deal for me, Stevi and Jayson.  Also Jayson has a job a Zumies so if we use his discount, we can get a snowboard, boots and bindings for around $25 more than we would have rented them for the season at Mogul Mouse.  Busy, busy,..... but now we will have Sundays to ourselves from around 8-4 and that is relaxing me just thinking about it, I just have 3 more months to go............

Update on All before 10:30 blog.....

I don't think you want me to post any of the pictures I found but anyways, here is an update on the blog I posted October 2nd.  Stevi's bus driver sent a fax to the school from the hospital and had it messengered to Stevi in her class room that she is doing fine.  She had 5 kidney stones removed and will be out until her recovery from her next surgery she has scheduled in a couple of weeks.  So she is doing fine and the pain she was experiencing was from a completely different issue.  I know how that is, before I had my gallbladder removed, I went to emergency 3 times, once they hooked me up to ekg thinking I was having a heart attack, then they said I was having an anxiety attack.......when you are in that much pain, you have no idea where it is, just that it is there.......so Sarah, I hope you recover quickly and Stevi will see you in November when she is back in school.

So You Think You Can Dance?

I just love this kid...last night we went to dinner at Hacienda and then went to go see So You Think You Can Dance.  This kid Joshua Allen, was my favorite from the beginning and actually won.  I loved him from the beginning, his passion, emotion, tough guy looks, and school of hard knocks determination.......but with a teddy bear tenderness.  If this show is coming your way, you really should go.  We went last year and this years show was completely different, but just like last year, you fall absolutely in love with these kids.  They are amazing and extremely talented and bringing Stevi to classes, recitals and  competitions, I get emotional.  I can't imagine what their families are feeling when the see them on the show and on tour.  Awesome, Awesome, Awesome........if you go, I promise you won't be disappointed!

All before 10:30 am.....ON MY DAY OFF!

Wow, today is my day off, so I was woken up by my wonderful Angel with a cup of coffee, the ulterior motive, we just cut her hair short and she wanted me to flat iron it.  Ok, I have coffee, not a problem, she knows how it works around here.  So I get my gym clothes on to go to my pump class and flat iron her hair, then head out the door at around 8:30.  Get out of the driveway and have to stop behind her bus up the street, only the hazard lights are not on, the stop sign is not pushed out and the bus is at a crooked angle,  kids are making really confusing hand gestures out the back window.  Stevi tells me to go around, someone is probably getting into trouble.  No....something is wrong, so after around a minute or so I get out to investigate, of course Stevi is horrified!  I then have to pry the doors open because the bus driver is slumped over the steering wheel and is hyperventilating.  I calm her down slightly and yell to Stevi to call 911.  Apparently, she has the same female issues I was going through and is having surgery in a couple of weeks, but she is in extreme pain and can't take any pain pills because she is driving the bus.  I think what happened is she was in so much pain, she got her self worked up into an anxiety attack and couldn't get it under control then started to hyperventilate.  I sat with her and tried to calm her down, in the meantime, the kids started to panic.....so I had to use my Bubba personality and tell them to sit down and be quiet.  Of course that made 1 or 2 of the little guys start to cry, now I am hugging little ones and going back and forth from kids to bus driver.  We got a hold of the bus yard and they dispatched all drivers in the area to come pick up kids for school, so Stevi would then run to the bus and see how many they could fit, first bus could fit 20......counted 20 off and had them start to go to the other bus, of course some were hysterical then because they had brothers or sisters they were leaving behind on the bus, so I had to explain that they would all be taken to the same school..not working, ok, who has a brother or sister on the bus raise your hands.......ok, separated them so they could stay together, of course they all wanted to then sit by their siblings whom they had probably fought with all morning.  It was amazing to me to see how frightened these kids were, I think she was probably going pretty slow when she pulled to the side of the street but she was pretty worked up so the kids probably felt like they crashed somewhat.  Finally the 2nd and 3rd bus came so we got all the kids to school, now 4 buses were full of kids and late, then Stevi went with the last batch of kids and I stayed with her until the fire department came.  I felt so bad for her because she was so embarrassed and a couple of the older kids were laughing, probably nervously about it, so as they were leaving the bus I said " Yeah I am sure this would be funny if it were your Mom or Dad right?"  That stopped the snickering right away.  I made it to my Pump class, missed step before it, but had enough adrenaline going I worked out hard.

Afterwards I went to Starbucks to use a free oatmeal coupon my mom had given me and got a skinny vanilla protein latte, then sat down to call my dear dear friend Judy who is not doing well with her cancer.......she broke my heart, she is on the way to the oncologist again and said she would call me when she gets back, she sounded so weak and defeated, I had planned on going over and doing some housework for her today and some grocery shopping since her husband has been working overtime and trying to get her to all her doctor appointments and do the cooking and cleaning........then I had a little to much time to sit and think.......now I am sitting outside Starbucks holding my phone trying to choke down my oatmeal and crying because one of the best friends I've ever had is struggling with all she's got and the cancer was in her breast, she had a mastectomy, was in remission, but now it is in her lungs, ribs, spine and she just found out it is in her liver too........WHY GOD, WHY HER!!!  So I broke down, I need to get it out so she doesn't see me like this because that isn't going to help her or her husband when I go over later.  Jay is at work, my mom is at work, my sister is at work, Stevi is at school, the dogs just want to lick my face, so I called Jayson, I was crying, I need someone to hug me just so I can be the one being hugged for once.....big bad Bubba huh?  Well, my 6'3" 225lb. Baby boy is on his way to give his Mommy a hug, so don't worry, I will be back to Bubba in no time.......all before 10:30..........

Life is a Melting Pot......

The night was September 29th, it was Monday, we all had to work even Mother Elaine who had her 65th birthday.  The restaurant we originally chose, Lulou's now closes on Sunday and Monday evenings, due to the economy?  That is what I think.  So I gave Liz a few suggestions on some restaurants I thought Mom would enjoy that was not a typical dining experience.  After looking on line she chose the Melting Pot, and I was ecstatic, I have wanted to try it for over a year, being that it is pretty expensive, I have been waiting for a special occasion to suggest it to someone, how often does ones Mom reach 65?  So my Mom and I dropped Stevi off at gymnastics and arrived approximately 45 minutes early, just in time to enjoy a Beefeater's Martini together while we waited for the baby of the bunch to join us.  We had a wonderful dinner which included an appetizer, apples, bread and other vegetables to dip in a nice Swiss cheese we agreed on, then for dinner, lobster, shrimp, broccoli, salmon amongst others to cook yourself in a pot of some sort of broth, then for desert lots of fun yummy stuff to dip into the chocolate.  From what I hear, there are Melting Pot restaurants all over, if you want to try it, it is a very enjoyable experience, plan on at least 2 hours and around $75 a piece to try all the treats.  All in all 5 stars, but definitely a special occasion place to go!  

Now for an explanation on the above pictures......

1. Me, Mom and Liz before dining 
2. Liz and Mom looking over the menu's
3. Liz and Mom STILL  looking over the menu's
4. My Mom has something in her teeth and Liz is trying to flap the prices down on her menu
5. Liz doing a shot after the bill arrived.