Take me out to the ballgame...

photo via Boston.com

Yippee!

Just when I was looking ahead to a Tuesday evening walking the dog and folding laundry--->along comes a happy surprise. Just what I needed today.

G's boss just gave him the company's Red Sox tickets tonight. I'll be the one goofily dancing to Sweet Caroline with a big grin on her face, second row behind the visitor's dugout. {I'll keep my eye out for Ben & Jen & Matt, too. You never know.}

I love Fenway.

Weekend roundup

Happy Memorial Day!
For us this has meant...

Sleeping in a bit (except Louie)
French toast made by G
Listening to WWII music throughout the day
(thanks to the 40's station on our DirectTV)
Reading outside
(is there anything better?)

Lauren making a movie with her friends
(a disaster movie about a hurricane, I believe.
They're filming a water scene in the river.
It's for school.)
Sam's first lawn mowing tutorial from his dad

Mandatory weeding time
(awww, Dad, it's a holiday!)
Dinner with friends here in our backyard
(pulled pork sandwiches and homemade ice cream. Mmmm...)
& missing taking part in leaving flowers
on loved ones' graves with family in the west

Have a great day,
both remembering
and making new memories

I enjoyed this National Anthem performance
posted this morning by Calibosmom
& thought I'd pass it along...

Black gold, Texas tea

We got a message from our bank yesterday that there was suspicious activity on Greg's credit card. They were putting a hold on it until they were able to speak to us.

I called Greg right away. He checked his wallet--the card was still there--and we tried to think about our spending over the last few days that might have triggered the suspicion. Me: grocery store? pet supplies? He: ATM machine? hardware store? We couldn't think of anything extravagant or exciting (someday I would like to set off the warning flags with our own out-of-character purchase, though. Wouldn't that be fun?)

Greg called me back after speaking to the bank. "Yup, someone got a hold of my credit card number and they were going crazy in Detroit. They already used it three times."

"They did?! What did they buy? How much did they spend? Are we accountable for it?"

He laughed before answering.

Guess what the crooks did with the number? Did they get jewelry or electronics or plane tickets? No. Did they buy a new wardrobe or go to expensive restaurants? No again. They got gas. As in filled up their tank(s) with gasoline. That's it. And a sad commentary on the price of crude oil it is.

(p.s. I guess it was the Michigan use of the card that set off the bells and whistles, not the price}

===>tired & whooped & somewhat victorious

When they called it the Mt. Tom Road to the Pogue race, I thought it was an interesting name. Hmm..what's a pogue? I asked. (It's a pond). When they said it was a "challenging but beautiful" course, I chose to emphasize the scenery aspect. Perfect. Who doesn't love beautiful surroundings?

Translation====> a 10k where you run up a mountain (ohhhhh! MOUNT Tom) and back down. A 10k that is challenging for even seasoned runners.

But, after some major qualms, I did it! It wasn't pretty but I did it. And (my only goal besides finishing) I wasn't the very last person. I was the 5th to the last person, but still. Definitely NOT last. Did I walk? Yes, on many of the steep inclines. Still, I ended up with a 12 minute pace. {Greg was a rock star! He kept a just over 9 minute pace & ran the whole thing.}

I had a minor panic attack in the parking lot before the race where I suddenly decided it was much more imperative for me to stay with the kids.

But then Lauren said: No, go do it, Mom! Do it for Dad!
Maddy said: Do it, Mom! Do it for yourself!
Sam said: Yeah! Do it for the dog! (Huh? Unsure what the connection between my running and our potential dog is???)

They were very encouraging and I didn't want to let them down. But you know what really made me keep going?

You. Or rather, knowing that I had blogged about it, had posted some rather out-on-a-limb rhetoric about going outside my comfort zone, blah, blah, blah. I was too embarrassed to come back home and say "oh yeah, about that. didn't end up doing it after all. oh well!" So thanks for being my invisible motivator. Let's hear it for accountability!

By the way, the scenery really was stunning: woods and meadows and, of course, the pogue. The outlook at the summit was breathtaking--sweeping views of Woodstock and the surrounding countryside. They had a bagpiper serenading us as we ran around the pond, a drum group cheering us on halfway through, & a fantastic breakfast awaiting us at the finish. Hindsight is so idyllic, isn't it?

* * *

Speaking of idyllic, Woodstock is such a great town. We had driven through but never stayed there. I felt like I was in Gilmore Girl's Stars Hollow, what with...

the gazebo outside our Bates-motel-style lodgings,

the quaint town announcement board

{there's our race announcement. And the oboe concert!},

the cute town center,

and (my favorite) the quirky signs.
What do you think made the pavement
so scarified?

Running out of my comfort zone

We are leaving this afternoon for an overnight in Vermont before running our aimed-for 10k in the morning.

I am kind of nervous.

I'm not sure I'm really a race kinda gal.  Years ago, when Lauren showed so much love of {and flair for} swimming, we enrolled her in a swim team.  She loved the water, the camaraderie, the gliding through the water.  After her first meet I asked "so, what'd you think? Was it great?" She thought for a minute, shrugged, and said "I like the swimming part but why does it have to be about how fast you are?"  It made me laugh at the time (it pretty much encapsulates L's approach to many things) but I think I fully know what she meant.

I love the running; but oh, the pressure! Ready, set, go! Now!

Still, it's been great to have something to shoot for.  Greg has been much more serious about the training and is completely ready.  Meanwhile, I've been banking the miles but at the same time enjoying the scenery, alternating walking and running, feeling better and stronger.  Just not necessarily faster.  

Truth be told, I'm the one putting the pressure on myself.  Who even cares if I walk the whole thing?  Nobody.  Well, me.  And there's the rub.  I'm not fond of being a beginner, a novice.  Slow.  But it's good for me. (Check out this research about the benefits of going outside your comfort zone ["the stretch zone" they call it].  Our brains like it!) And, in this case, I'll get a t-shirt out of it when it's over...