Monday, December 30, 2013

WINTER


It's only officially been winter for 9 days and I am all set.  We've already:
  • Plummeted into the single digits multiple days
  • Seen more than a foot of snow
  • Had to navigate our way over ice - both the standard and the black versions
  • Ordered tank of oil after tank of oil
  • Written multiple checks to the plow guy
And guess what?  More snow arrives this week, apparently.  Models range from 6 inches to 4 FEET.  

I know.  I moved to New England.  I wanted snow.  I wanted seasons.  Living in picturesque, perfect San Luis Obispo, CA falls on deaf ears when you are a kid.  The grass is always greener, isn't it?  

I no longer find this grass green:


I think I'm finding this winter particularly frustrating because it is killing my fitness mojo.  It is too cold and icy and gross to get out and I have yet to join a gym.

I did drop $200 at REI in the middle of the night on Christmas for new trail running sneakers with (apparently) great traction and other assorted cold weather exercise gear.

Maybe I should have ordered snowshoes.

Friday, December 13, 2013

The Nutcracker - A Review

We just got home from my favorite holiday tradition (well, outside of infamous Cookie Swap) -- The Nutcracker.  We had perfect seats.  PERFECT.  Center front row of the Mezzanine.  Unobstructed and elevated view.  Win.  And this was one of my dates.  Another win.




Let me preface the following with this.  I love ballet.  I quit eleven million years ago and nothing breathes life into my soul more than watching a beautiful ballerina, or hearing pointe shoes strike the stage.

This marks the second year of the 'refreshed' version of Boston Ballet's Nutcracker.  We skipped last year as we went in Nevada (which, frankly, was weirder than weird ... but it's Vegas so that's to be expected, no?).

Last year Boston Ballet redesigned the entire show, from costumes to sets to choreography.

Gone are the bright colored, petti-coated, pantalooned 'friend' costumes.  Here to stay are  drab 'period correct' dresses.  And buns.  Y'all, there were no ringlets.  What is the point of being Clara's friend in the Nutcracker if you can't wear sponge rollers to school?

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that I will never get past what Nutcracker is supposed to be...and that is the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo's Nutcracker.  It is perfection.  Where the soldiers dance to the soldier music and rag dolls dance to rag doll music (concepts with which Mikko of the Boston Ballet is unfamiliar).

Missing were two of the most magical parts of any Nutcracker worth its weight, the tree that grows (no, really, it has to) and Clara being whisked into the air at the end of the 2nd act.  In this new version Sugar Plum and the Nutcracker get pulled away by a horse and carriage.

In the middle of the fight scene there was a life-sized rabbit and a gingerbread man.  It was confusing.  And weird.  And may have made me think I was hallucinating.

BUT!  I have some positives!  The mice were more hilarious than ever.  Their new costumes rock.  The Snow scene was magical.  The Snow Queen's new costume sparkles like nothing else and the Corps was perfectly synchronized.  It made me fall in love with Snow all over again.  The new costumes for Waltz of the Flowers were equally lovely - fresh, light...floral.  5 gold stars.

Perhaps the biggest win of the whole night was Arden's epiphany - that dancers are so strong and synchronized.  It was a big aha moment that they don't just flit around the stage like little fairies as she has so snarkily demonstrated in the past.

In the end, I'm glad we went.  I always am.  It's a special night for my little family.

But from now on we are flying back to SLO for the real Nutcracker every December.






Nutcracker 1988
Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly Theater

25 years ago.
Good LORD I'm old.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

10 Years Later

November 18, 2003

For most people, it was just another Tuesday.  

For us it was the day that changed everything.

On November 18, 2003, Justice Margaret Marshall penned the official decision that set the United States on the road to marriage equality.

Three years after the case was filed by 7 couples -- our movement's pioneers -- the court declared the following:

 “We construe civil marriage to mean the voluntary union of two persons as spouses, to the exclusion of all others. This reformulation redresses the plaintiffs’ constitutional injury and further the aim of marriage to promote stable, exclusive relationships.” It also added, “[E]xtending civil marriage to same-sex couples reinforces the importance of marriage to individuals and communities. That same-sex couples are willing to embrace marriage’s solemn obligations of exclusivity, mutual support, and commitment to one another is a testament to the enduring place of marriage in our laws and in the human spirit.


It was just the beginning.

Just this past week, Hawaii became the 16th state to grant marriage equality. 


We have a president who embraces our families.  

Praise for the vote came from far and wide, including from the White House, with President Obama releasing the following statement: "I want to congratulate the Hawaii State Legislature on passing legislation in support of marriage equality.  With today’s vote, Hawaii joins a growing number of states that recognize that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be treated fairly and equally under the law.  Whenever freedom and equality are affirmed, our country becomes stronger.  By giving loving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry if they choose, Hawaii exemplifies the values we hold dear as a nation.  I’ve always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today’s vote makes me even prouder.  And Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those in Hawaii whose families will now be given the security and respect they deserve."

And it is all thanks to these 7 extraordinary couples.  I am blessed to call one of these couples, David Wilson and Rob Compton, friends.  

Together, these 14 people changed the world.  We celebrate them today, and everyday.



The Dream

This weekend I lived on the edge and baked my first apple pie.  Ever.  From scratch.  I love to bake but have never tackled pie.  Mostly because I'm just not personally a fan.  Turns out I make a superior pie.




Perhaps it is not the world's most beautiful, but it was outstandingly delicious.  So much so that I feel we should base our life's plan around it.

The Plan

300 acres.  And, not listed on this particular link is that the property has a little business on it - like a general type store.

So, new plan:

I bake.  Pies, cookies, muffins, you name it.  We brewing outstanding coffee.  We escape the mad rush of life and head to Henniker, NH.  Dora can get back to buying and selling horses, the child can run wild while honing her plan to become a chef/restaurateur.  All on our very own compound.


Step 1:  Play Win lotto. 


Friday, November 15, 2013

Faith in Humanity...Restored

Did you all see this?

The Make a Wish Foundation granted the most superb wish to Miles, a 5 year old boy who has been battling leukemia.  

They waved their magic wand (read: they worked their asses off) and turned San Francisco into Gotham City.  

Read the whole story here: BatKid

It is hard to pick a favorite aspect of something so magical and restorative for a child and family who have been through the hell that is childhood cancer, but I think it is the swarms of people flooding the streets that have restored my faith in humanity.

An unforgettable day, and not just for Miles.  Well done, San Francisco.








Saturday, November 2, 2013

Hey There, November

It's my birthday month.  You have 25 days to plan.  I thought you'd appreciate the heads up.

Today the sun set on fall soccer.  Her team went out with a bang, winning 12-0.  Not that we're allowed to keep score.  (Seriously, at some point it's not about the journey, right?  Hashtag everyone doesn't get a trophy in real life.)

But I digress.  The kid played the best game of what was a weird season for her.  She was all over the ball - like the old Arden - and we're 100% convinced it is because they were playing her old coach's team.  

Photographic proof:




Against one of her first grade teammates from back in the day:



 Post game hydration for the delicate flower:


After soccer we hit one of the local state parks with the dogs.  Dora used to ride through these trails and knew all the hidden gems.  


PS: We totally watched this tonight.  Because it's November 2 and that makes it totally reasonable to start the Christmas movies.  At least according to us.  And the Hallmark Channel.



Thursday, October 17, 2013

Until We Meet Again

It is 5:15AM and I've been awake and working since about 3:45.  I think it is safe to say we have resumed our relatively absurd schedule in which we desperately try to achieve work/life balance.  I'm not gonna lie, I feel relatively unbalanced this week.  Never enough time to get anything done either at work or at home.  

When I start to get overwhelmed my immediate reaction is the need to relocate somewhere to the middle of nowhere and simplify.  Live off the land!


And then really smart people remind me that it isn't all fun and games to live off the land.  I don't know...I bet it still beats a 6 hour roundtrip commute, don't you?



We spent most of last week and all of last weekend packing up the summer place in preparation for the community's shut down this past Tuesday.  We had to empty the cabinets and fridge of food in preparation for winterizing and to make it unappealing for any unwanted guests that might sneak in looking for warmth between now and April.  We had to rifle through drawers for this that and the other that we couldn't bear to be without in the next 6 months, and convince the child that yes she really should pack up those toys because really for real we cannot go back until April.  

And so Monday we took a last walk around our little summer haven.


And lined up the golf cart with the others, ready for pick up and storage...



And were the last lights in our little neighborhood to dim.


And true to our normal storybook endings, my fully packed car, complete with one kid and one dog, would not start.  And so we got to enjoy an extra hour while we waited for AAA to arrive and determine it was not the battery and inform us that the only way home was on a tow truck.  

But we'll ignore that, and the fact that the kitchen of our house is serving as the temporary storage unit of everything we brought home, and look back on what a good summer it was and count the days until we are walking through our little summer village where you can't pass a person without a nod and a wave.  

Maybe Pleasantville really does exist.


Sunday, October 6, 2013

A Little of This, A Little of That on Pajama Sunday

Is there anything better than hearing rain on the roof on a Sunday morning?

Shelby thinks not.



We all slept in this morning.  That never happens anymore.  Bliss.  

Yesterday was busy.  Saturday = soccer (and so does Sunday, these days.  But not today, thank you for the rain, MoNa).  But I digress.  

Arden's soccer game was at 9AM yesterday morning.  It was a great game - evenly matched teams.  We won 1-0.

This has been an interesting season thus far.  Her current coaches tend to move the kids around to different position each time they are on the field.  Here is Arden playing goalie.  It is not her strength.  I can't take the pressure of her being goalie.  Happily no one scored on her yesterday.  (Yes, they are 8, and yes, I still take this seriously.  I'm working on it.)


Arden is an interesting player.  She's an extremely strong defensive player, but she is also aggressive when it comes to offense and as long as she doesn't get swept up in her fancy footwork attempts is a force to be reckoned with.  And, now that we've been running together her stamina has increased substantially so she can run hard for as long as necessary.

Basically what we learned yesterday is that center fielder is the right position for her.  A little of this, a little of that.  If only they would let her play this position at all times.  Equal opportunity rotation is no longer necessary (in my humble and right opinion).  I thought, for about 35 seconds, about offering to coach her team next season.  But then I remembered that: 1) I know jack about soccer and 2) I sometimes forget it's about the fun.  (I swear, I'm working on it.)

She was surrounded by lots of gold jerseys much of yesterday's game.  One of the kids kept grabbing her jersey.  Not gonna lie, love that they have refs this year to call this stuff!




After soccer we headed to Windrush Farms for the Special Olympics Equestrian event.  Arden's Pony Club provides food every year for this event, so this was A's first experience in volunteering.  She loved it.  She shooed me away - she's way too old to need me around.  




We decided to host Dora's horse people to organize around Lola, the stolen horse (more on that in a separate post).  We had 3.5 hours in between deciding this and getting the house ready and food prepped.  The troops came and are mobilized.  We will get Lola back to Dianne, her rightful owner.  Stay tuned.







Sunday, September 29, 2013

Weekend Ramblings

In theory, mine was a long weekend.  In practice, it feels way too short.  I took Friday off to tend to some stuff at the house.  We're starting to line up different contractors and services to prepare the house for going on the market in the spring.

I did at least manage to decorate for fall.  See?

(PS: This photo makes me not want to list our house.  I love our house.  I hate our city.  We are conflicted.)


Friday was the annual ice cream social at Arden's school.  And because she is awesome she surprised me with a cup to share.  And she got me two cherries since they are my favorite part of a sundae. 


Post social we made a beeline for soccer practice, then a mad dash for home so I could drop her with Dora and head off to an event for work.

Floating Hospital for Children has an amazing partnership with WKLB Country 102.5.  They raise money for us in a number of ways, one of those is through a concert series.  One of the concerts was Friday night.  Cole Swindell put on a terrific show.  And we had front row seats.  Well, front row standing room.  You should buy his CD when it comes out.  Or download it, because it's 2013 and who buys CDs anymore.  (Ahem, I do.)  

Also, how cool would it be to be a musician?  I think people who pursue their dreams to become musicians (or actors or artists or..or...or...) are outstanding, and I envy their bravery.  There's no safety net for these people, but they do it because they love it.


Saturday morning we headed out bright and early for soccer.   I am way too invested in my 8 year old's soccer games.  Like, I belong on Soccer Moms a la Dance Moms.  I may start bringing Mimosas instead of coffee to the games.  You know, just to take the edge off.  


Next up (I know, isn't this exciting?!) we had hair appointments.  They were desperately needed and my hair looked awesome for the 11 seconds post appointment that I didn't have it pulled back in a soccer mom ponytail.  See?  (This picture will disappear in 3, 2...)


He trimmed A's hair and put it in a fancy ponytail.  Something so perfect about this photo.  Fancy hair and a soccer uniform.  (Also, how gorgeous is our kid's chameleon hair?  Red for fall.)


We got home and I hit the market, then took one of our newfangled family walks.  Nothing extraordinary, just a mile to take the edge off the dogs and ourselves. 

I ended the evening making a great steak dinner.  It was so great that I had no desire to eat it once I finished cooking.  Why does that happen? 

I also made Giada's California Turkey Chili last night so that it could sit overnight (allowing the flavors to marry...see, I should have my own Food Network show).  We'll have that for dinner tonight and it will work as lunches for a couple of days too.  

This morning has been quiet.  Dora took off to the barn first thing to see some of her friends ride in a horse show the barn is hosting.  I made the kid breakfast and got her lunches for the week set and now we are doing this:


I have 11,000 things I have to do and somewhere in there I have to drive her to her soccer training academy.  It's a really lovely day outside, the Vitamin D will do us both good.  (Did that sound convincing?  What I wouldn't give for a full day at home.)

Next weekend the Topsfield Fair starts and I'm basically out of my skin excited.  It is my favorite fall tradition. 

Did you stay awake for this whole entry?  If so, watch your mailbox for a surprise. 

So as you can see, The Gay Agenda is in full swing here.



Thursday, September 26, 2013

Buh-Bye, Barilla

So, this happened today:

From the president of Barilla pasta:

"I would never do [a commercial] with a homosexual couple, not for lack of respect but because we don't agree with them," said Guido Barilla, according to a Reuters translation. "Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role. … If [gays] don't like it, they can go eat another brand."

Discriminatory Pasta!

Also, women play a pretty fundamental role in our gay family.  Just sayin'....

And so with that, I offer to you the following pastas that do not carry hate along with their carb-filled goodness.  Make a statement with your wallet, dear readers!

(Credit to www.hrc.org)


Market Pantry from Target Corp, 100 CEI score
Target scored a 100 percent on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index in 2012. Go ahead and serve yourself a heaping spoonful of their store-brand pasta, Market Pantry, without the guilt of supporting LGBT inequality.
Chef Boyardee from ConAgra Foods, 95 CEI score
Relive your childhood with a bowlful of Chef Boyardee from ConAgra Food, a 95 percenter on the CEI, and tell yourself, “Thank goodness for Chef Boyardee."
DeBoles and Rosetta pastas from Hain Celestial Group, 90 CEI score
Hain Celestial Group, the parent company that owns both Rosetto and DeBoles, scored a 90 percent on the CEI.  Hain Celebrial Group focuses on natural and organic foods, so it’s good for your health, too.
Macaroni Grill from General Mills, 100 CEI score
And if you find yourself in the mood for carbs on-the-go, why not opt for Macaroni Grill? This 100 percenter is owned by General Mills, a long time supporter of LGBT equality.  


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

I started three posts this weekend and finished a whopping zero.  One I fell asleep writing.  Figured if I fell asleep writing it it probably wasn't that prophetic.

We are a few weeks into this healthier living commitment.  We are, if I do say so myself, doing pretty great.  I am really good at not being a hero when it comes to this stuff.  We are exercising daily - with the exception of yesterday I've gone for at least a walk every day for the last couple of weeks.  Every other day has been a Zombies Run.  Arden and I finished Week 2 Day 3 this evening.  It was arse kicking tonight.  Arden suggested we run up and down the stairs and the hills at the Reservoir.  Watch out, Jillian Michaels.  This is from the bottom of the hill looking up.  What'd I ever do to her?




This is all working quite well but I do fear the impending winter.  Running outside in 15 degree weather is about as likely as me voting for Mitt Romney.  We are looking at gyms that have indoor tracks so Arden can join -- that's key.  We've only found one option at this point, and it's not terribly convenient nor is it cheap.  And the only thing she could use is the indoor track.  All other areas are limited to 14+.   Family fitness in the winter seems to be hard to come by.  This is New England, people, that should not be!

So, this all seems to be working.  Arden is getting fit.  I envy how fast it has happened for her.  She's not even winded when she finishes running.  

Anyhoo.  Next up is making winter exercise plans and diversifying my workouts to some extent on off days.  It may be time to brush off the Yoga Booty Ballet DVDs.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Don't Tell Dora But...

Arden picked this book out of the school library today:




She proceeded to read the entire book to me on the way home.  She also believes the Danish Warmblood to be the perfect horse for her.  Of note, the internet tells me that those are $18,000+.  Awesome.  Also of note, Dora said she's right.

Her reasoning is sound.  They are known for both dressage (which she's learning) and jumping (which she will move onto once she has a solid background in dressage).  See, Dora, I listen.  Sometimes.

So I'm driving home and have this vision of me at a horse show.  Actually being helpful and not complaining about 1) my itchy eyes (y'all, I'm allergic to these creatures) and 2) the obscene expense (i mean really, really obscene).

If you think about it, at some point should one just embrace their destiny. 


 Apparently the fancy horse shows involve tailgating and wine.  It can't all be bad then, right?

Monday, September 16, 2013

Back to Life, Back to Reality; Reality Bites; Etcetera Etcetera

Well, dear readers (all 9 of you!), we've returned to reality.  We moved back home this weekend and are getting settled back in.

Of note:



  • We still love (love) our house.  It is full of 1910 awesome.
  • Builders are better at insulating now.  We're feeling the shift back to the old house.
  • Arden is utterly delighted to be home.  We would not have seen her Sunday if it hadn't been for soccer.
  • I spent Sunday in the kitchen.  I roasted chicken and made ham salad and baked pumpkin bread and truly embraced the charm (realtor word!) of our old kitchen.
  • We took our first family walk through the 'hood in several years.  It reinforced Dora's desire to move, despite bullet #1.  Cities are not her friend.
  • She realized just how damn hilly it is around here.
  • We both survived our first days back at work.
  • Feeling all gung-ho I hit the road with Shelby after work.  We did 4.27 miles and well, ouch.
  • It's going to take some magic to make this whole work-life balance thing work out in the way we were hoping.  It's a lot easier to exercise as a family when neither of us has to go to the office.
  • The lottery is $400M tomorrow.  We're playing.  See above bullet.
  • I spent most of today's walk on relatively high traveled roads.  Shelby maintains her fear of cars.  She and Dora need to live on a ranch in the midst of 100 acres.  Which leads me back to my obsession: The Pioneer Woman.  Can't you see me living on a ranch, rounding up cattle and working from dawn till dusk and homeschooling the child?  I thought so.
Man, I'm interesting.  Amazing this blog hasn't gone viral, isn't it?

Friday, September 13, 2013

This That and the Other

Join me for a relatively schizophrenic post, will you?


  • Arden and I moved on to Week 1 Day 2 Zombies, Run 5K Training today.  2.1 miles this morning.  She makes a good coach.  




















  • This evening Dora wanted to tackle all of Summer Village, so we did that as a family.  It's 2.5 miles of hills, basically.  So, Arden, Shelby and I did a total of 4.6 miles today.  She fell asleep quickly.
  • Soccer practice was canceled today due to rain.  Turns out there isn't a game tomorrow either out of respect for Yom Kippur.  Soccer games are pretty much my favorite thing these days, but I'm not sad about not having to get up and out of here in the morning.
  • We are, in theory, moving home this weekend.  But Summer Village is awesome so we lack total motivation.  But man the commute to Boston leaves much to be desired.
  • In prep for the aforementioned move home, we've been sparse on filling the fridge.  Tonight's dinner was quite the smorgasbord.  But I refuse to throw away food.  
  • I go back to work on Monday.  A month of leave seemed like such a long time.  Newsflash, it's not.
  • We're watching The Campaign on HBO.  Mindlessly hilarious.
And there we have it.  The excitement of our life.  You can see why the Christian Right hates us, can't you?  

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Dear Summer ... GO AWAY

Lucy is channeling me tonight:


This is after our 40 minute walk, which I took because I needed to walk the other dog or she would drive us all nuts tonight.  Instead, she looked like this (yes, we still have the gorgeous hospital bed.  They're all the rage these days.)


Family fitness activity of the night was this:


They just put a heater in the family pool, and it was EMPTY.  Which means it was awesome.  Dora was cleared to swim yesterday, so after the kiddo got home from the school we hit the pool for an hour.  It was glorious.  How many calories does one burn when running back and forth (length wise) across a pool for an hour with a kid on your back?  I'm going to go with 11,000.

Anyhoo, I had planned to skip the walk tonight due to the insane humidity, but after I emerged from the pool it felt chilly, so I came back to the house and changed and hit the road with both dogs.

Let's talk about how it being chilly was an illusion.  The humidity was still killer.  But I did 2.1 miles with two naughty, misbehaved dogs and didn't drop dead or decide to let the dogs run free into the woods.  I get 2 stars for that.  Trust me.  

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Lesson One: Don't Be a Hero

Healthy Musings
Day 2

So here we are, day two of blogging about healthier living.

Yesterday after school, Arden and I hit the ground in Zombies, Run -- Intro to 5K.  Day 1 was the introduction of the story and Arden and I just sorta walked and ran, unsure of what we were supposed to do.  But apparently OFFICIAL Day 1 started yesterday, with Week 1, Day 1.  You walk 10 minutes, then do 10 intervals of walk 1 minute, run 15 seconds.  Then you 'free run' for 10 minutes.  Run, walk, do whatever.  We spent a lot of time laughing.  That's what I love about the Zombies program.  It's fun.  You want to make it to the end of that workout to hear what's next.  10 points, Zombies, Run developers!

The app said to rest today.  I hit the road with Shelby just for a walk after I took Arden to school.  First, it is 11,000 degrees and 14 million % humidity.  It was hard.  I tracked with my Runkeeper app and didn't even crack an 18 minute mile.  Mid walk I was pretty pissed I couldn't seem to crack 18 minutes.  I contemplated not even saving the workout to my Runkeeper.  

But then the good, don't be crazy voice said hey, you're not on your arse at home.  



I promised myself I wouldn't be crazy this time. I wouldn't start this journey to health the way I normally do.  The unsustainable "I'm going to be at the gym for 90 minutes twice a day every day!  Starting Monday."

Dora kindly reminded me of the fact that the crazy was starting to sneak in already when I said I was going to hit the gym for weights.  I got a lecture gentle reminder about being sensible.  About doing weights on my rest days, but skipping doing the walk I just did on those days.  That these programs are built this way for a reason.  

I don't like it when she's right.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Healthy Muses

Grab a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, a shot of whiskey...this is a long one!

Inspired by this muse...


...I've been musing a lot about health in the last week.

I'm always relatively obsessive about weight, without much thought to health.  I spend a lot of time focused on the size of my clothes, the glowing number of the weighing machine, the reflection in the glass.  Naturally, none of these are met with positive feelings.  Still doesn't stop me from answering every feeling (happy, sad, stressed, anxious, mad, elated, frustrated, bored) with food.  

Sometimes I get annoyed enough at one of the aforementioned issues that I commit to a Monday start of eating better, eating less.  The proverbial Monday reunion with the gym.  You know the drill.  (You do, don't you...)

Sometimes there is an event with a concrete date on the calendar that inspires the same commitment.  Most recently for me it was my brother-in-law's wedding.  For a year six months I (mostly) thought about what I ate and went to the gym on the regular.  Almost every night at 10PM.  And it worked (sorta).  At least I fit into the strapless dress I'd ordered a couple of sizes down and didn't feel wholly awful about myself (success!).  

And then they got hitched (a year ago, ahem) and all bets were off.  I stopped finding time and motivation to hit the gym, or do anything active, really.  I drank more wine (liquid calories FTW).  I ate lots of carbs (bagels are so delicious, aren't they?).  This did not result in a svelter figure.

This summer we bought a little house in a summer community.  Cute, isn't it?



I went in to this summer swearing it would be the summer of fitness.  On property gym!  180 acres of walking trails!  Pools!  Pond!  Yeah.  No.  I can count on one hand the number of times I have hit the gym that is 100 yards from our house.  I tried the trails once and they weren't cleared so I turned around.

Dora had major surgery and that was a super terrific excuse to stress eat (and not celery) and not exercise. By the beginning of August I was feeling more miserable than I had in a long time. I begrudgingly took this creature for a slow walk every other day, if that.



She needs fast walks sprints daily.

By mid-August Dora was ready to start longer walks on her new titanium spine.  We started making them family walks.  Two moms, two dogs, one kid.  Shelby (pictured above) started to calm down.  In the beginning the walks were a mile, then 1.3.  Now these family walks are nearing the 2 mile mark, depending on how Dora is feeling each day.  These walks, slow as they can be with someone 6 weeks post major surgery, started making a difference for me.  I started feeling better and stronger, ready to tackle more hills, and a quicker pace.  

I started taking Shelby on my own early in the day, family walks still at night.  Last week, according to Runkeeper, I started breaking the 15 minute/mile mark on my walks.  Given I was having a hard time 19 or 20 minute miles just a couple of months ago, I'm pretty impressed with myself.

Back to the original muse -- the kid.  Our kid is a jock.  She excels at any sport she tries.  This is not typical parental bias, it's just true.  Her current passion is soccer.  Soccer requires running endurance.  She does not have this endurance, and I 100% blame myself.

Arden loves organized sports.  And then she likes to come back to the house and hang out with her best friend, the iPad.  I'm a terrible role model for my kid when it comes to making health a priority.  We feed her (and ourselves) pretty well most days.  But we're not active.  Dora had an excuse, she physically could not be active.  With the replacement of her spine, she can (yay!).  

And honestly, it's hard.  Right now, Dora is out on leave to recover, and I am out on leave to take care of her.  Time is on our side.  We can hit the road as a family as soon as the kiddo gets home from school.  There is no rushing to and from the city for work, no getting home at 7PM or 9PM with a list of 75 million things to do before the sun rises on the next day.  Healthy activities do not have to be squeezed in, time doesn't have to be negotiated.  

This has to continue once the normal insanity of life resumes.  We have to help Arden make good habits.  Sports are her thing.  If her thing was music or art, maybe we'd put less emphasis on this, but she's an athlete. 

This weekend, she and I started Zombies, RUN.  We're doing the Introductory program - an app getting us in shape to run a 5K with the help of zombies chasing us.  It's fun and different and perfect for an 8 year old.  Lots of walking with bits of running.  Plus we still have to walk Dora!  

This is a long (long) winded way to say we're finally making our family a priority.  I want to be the model for Arden that my parents are for me.  They have both worked out regularly since I was a kid.  They both look years younger than they are.  They are (knock wood) healthy and physically fit in their 60s.

We're not going on any crazy diet.  We're going to eat lots of healthy foods, limit things that impact our family negatively (lots of simple, overly processed carbs), and be active.  We will still have treats.  If we eliminate things entirely, we will fail.  It's not real life to eliminate this or that, at least for us.  It is certain failure, for me in particular.

The goal of all of this is just a healthier, longer life.  I feel better already.  Stronger and fitter.  Happier (endorphins rule).

If I had to pick a small, concrete goal?  The January 2015 Disney trip.  We're hoping schedules allow us to go during their Marathon weekend.  We want to do the 5K as a family, but beyond that, I just want to feel great walking around.  A nice side effect will be (hopefully) not loathing every photo of me.  

If you made it this far, you get a reward.  I didn't mean to be so long-winded, but this post has been bouncing around my head for a bit and every piece of it is important to my/our story.  



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Mouse

Someone posted this on Facebook and it is genius.  And so, freakin', accurate.


We are all jonesing for a trip to Disney World.  We have had to skip this year (and probably next) since we bought this little summer place.  It's not that I regret the buying of this place, but I sure do miss our annual escape to the Mouse's House.

I still have a hard time believing I've become one of those Disney people.  As a native Californian I grew up going to Disneyland.  I was a dancer on the Central Coast and we used to perform on the Carnation Plaza Stage every summer.  My sweet father has hated Disney since the year they made us PAY to get into the park to perform.  He remains bitter to this day a couple decades  years later, and refuses to set foot on Disney property.

Then I married into a family that used to take (at least) annual trips to Disney.  And I spent a lot of time saying no, not interested in going and arguing that Disneyland and Disney World are one in the same.

I will say this just this once ....... I was wrong.  Disney World is the greatest place on earth.  Truly.  If I could go every 6 months I'd be a happy camper.  I love the escape of it all.  Almost nothing fills me with more joy than seeing this (live, obviously).


We are starting to dream up our next trip, squirreling away extra money where we can, can't wait to again enter the People Trap.

(16 months is really not that far away.  Right?  Right?)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Day 1 - Check Check

We survived day one.  She had a good day.  "It was good. It was all good, Mom." (insert eye roll here. take a hint, stop asking how everything was.)

I love her school. It's like coming home. I love that there are only 13 kids (and two teachers!) in her class. Pretty good student/teacher ratio these days considering public school ratios are easily double that.  We talk a lot about moving, dreaming about the day we won't have to write the private school check.  Days like today that's almost unimaginable. Into the land of standardized testing.  I suppose the reality is that she will adapt to any situation, but Maria Montessori sure is charming.  And no, it's not all sunshine and roses, but that's another story for another day when I'm not falling asleep on the laptop.  For your viewing pleasure I have documented the day in pictures.  You're welcome.

It started with prying the kid out of bed.

Exhibit A:




An hour later we were on our way.  Third graders do not look at the camera and smile.

Exhibit B:


Third graders also do not pose for the obligatory locker photo.  Or look at you when they say goodbye.

Exhibit C:



Regardless of her non-photo compliance, we celebrated the first day with a trip to Orange Leaf (which should be renamed GOLD MINE, good grief!).  (Shout out to her spring soccer coach for the gift card which treated us!)

Exhibit D (still not smiling like a normal human):



Tomorrow we get to do it all over again.  She told me to wake her up at 5:59AM.  Maybe I should videotape that.