I ran 2 today!

I hope you had a good New Year's. I did. D and I went to our neighbor's house and had a really nice time. And because we didn't want to be the fools of the party (I hope we weren't) we talked to people, rather than nervously slam beer. Of course we are the "Dog People" because that's all we talk about. Oh well.

This morning was odd. I woke up on New Year's Day not hung over. I can't remember the last time this happened. D and I ate breakfast and walked the pups. Sat around and I looked up my mileage. About 264 miles run. Not bad...but considering I'm 11 pounds heavier than I was than I was in 2009 (and it all came on in December), I went upstairs and got on my running gear.

Even though it was cold out, I decided to run in the hood so Guinness could come. D ran too. It was a slow run for me and Guin, partly due to her 2 minute bathroom break. But we got it done. 2 miles in less than 32 minutes (slow, I know). Guinness also tried to kill me when she ran across my legs to get someone's forgone sandwich. She got yanked, I didn't fall, and she didn't get the sandwich. And it was better than running on the dreadmill.

Then home and watched hockey. Nothing exciting. D keeps watching bowl games. I don't care about any of them, so I am playing on Facebook.

rambling

So Monday's workout didn't happen. Lots of caffeine was consumed as was Advil taken to combat my headache. I need to go to the doctor to get a new 'script on my migraine meds.

So Tuesday came. I really wasn't in the mood to work out, but who is. As we were getting ready, my headache returned. On the way to the gym I sneezed and thought I was dying. D and I gotbto the gym and decided we would lift, which meant a mile run. So .2 mile warmup, 1 mile run, and .3 mile cool down. I know I'm getting faster. I can run 1 mile anywhere between 11:45 and 12:30. Yesterday was 12:17. And concentrating on running stopped my headache. Not sure how I would do on the track makes me run faster. Lifting weights was lifting weights. Nothing exciting. My triceps and shoulders hurt today.

Nothing else is new. Just drawing screens for work, which is ok, but somewhat tedious. The program I'm using is very unuser friendly. And rather primitive.

D is working Saturday so I'll finish my screen Saturday and take tomorrow off to spend with him. We have nothing exciting planned. About 3 pounds have come off since I got disgusted with myself. Hopefully I can retain some control over the eating over the holiday!

Running is Back ON!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it). D and I had a quiet one.
No tree, no presents this year. At first it was because it was too hard for me to deal with Porter's death, and handling Christmas ornaments to her, from her, her stocking, etc.

Then due to the unexpected $$ from driving to Atlanta and Guinness's boarding costs, etc. well, why get each other presents? But then, thinking about it, we had discussed when buying our bikes last year that they were our birthday and Christmas presents. So that sat well.

We didn't do our annual Christmas card...that was poor timing...we got the pup's pictures taken with Santa on Dec 11, left for MD on Dec 12, ordered the pics on Dec 21 and got them on Dec 24. So no way a card was going out. Oh well.

As for the pups,
Guinness got a new dog bowl and some bones.
Scuttlebutt got a new crate and some bones.

It was quiet, but we have each other and our little family, and that made me happy. We watched a very Christmas-y show. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Christmas. It's exemplifies the Christmas Spirit...*snort.*

We also watched Funny People...didn't realize this was a dramedy. Nick and Nora's Playlist was eh...Hangover was great. Love Actually is an annual tradition...love it!

D and I also got the best news...SB's nut hacking ceremony has been scheduled for 1/4!!! That means he can then go to the park, go to training, go to daycare, be kenneled, etc. And we'll be in compliance with GA Law (Rescue dogs have to be spayed/neutered)! The dog is crazy, so hopefully this will calm him down some.

Last night, D and I got on the scale. It was not a pretty sight. So off to the gym. 2 miles run. I hate running at this weight. Gravity is in full effect! My sides hurt while running as does my ass. But it was because of the fat bounce. Ugh! So Sparkpeople is back up too.

And we signed up for our first race of 2010. Jan 9, 5K.
Of course our 13.1 mile training will be in effect and Jan 10 we have to run 4 miles.

Not one race run

Back in October, I had 2 10Ks, 2 5K, and a 5miler on my plate.

10K #1- Fail...I fell on my ankle the week before.
5K #1- It started raining sideways before the start so we bagged it.
5K #2- Porter passed away the day before, and I was too busy crying to go
10K #2- It logistically couldn't happen for me

So 5miler...
All I had to do was get to Baltimore (the 2nd 10K was on the day we were flying to DC hence logistics).
So D and I ran, lifted weights, trained a dog (oh wait...nope), and drank beer. We got to DC and visited his parents. We visited my grandfather, my aunts, my uncle, D's nephew, visited Georgetown, drank the nights away and played with D's parents puppy. We even ran.

Thursday, we went on vacation to Baltimore. We drank, we ate, we walked. Friday we went and picked up our race packets and very nice shirts. Being from the area we both pshawed the weather of the Winter Wallop 09! We drank more, walked more and got home at a reasonable hour.

Pratt Street Ales - Breakfast Porter and Pagan Porter are a must. So is the crab soup.
Max's on Broadway- So many taps so little time
Slainte- Guinness and Guinness Onion Soup
BOP- Cheesesteak Pizza

We got back to the hotel. And went to sleep. V called us at 545am. I called her back at 630. Were we going to run? Um, as I looked down on Aliceanna Street and saw a cab slide into the sidewalk, I answered that question... No. I don't drive in this shit in a 4WD much less a PT Cruiser Rental. So back to bed (I might have had a Weyerbacher for breakfast). At 10, up and at them. V decided to drive to Bmore from Frederick, since her hotel wouldn't cancel her reservation. So out to Fell's Point since most of Baltimore was closed (the race did have 400 people show up though). Much beer was consumed. Wolavers Coffee Stout Yum!!!!

Sunday D and I woke up hungover. And Delta had cancelled our flight. By the time we got a rep on the phone, they told us we could get home on 12/25 (it was 12/20). So back to the airport to drop off the car and pick up a new rental. Kennel called for Guinness to stay another day. Scuttlebutt stayed at co-workers one more day. We stayed at D's parents.
A 650 mile drive took 12 hours, but we did find out the pro's and cons of a Toyota Matrix. The fact it wasn't a PT Cruiser or a HHR (a big POS) were the biggest pros.

So we left at 4AM on Monday. We got home from the trip, picking up Guinness, dropping off the Matrix and picking up SB at 8PM.

What would a vacation be if I didn't have something to bitch about?

The bright side...all that beer...I got to bring it home.
:)

All over the place

So I'm really all over the place right now.
Work is busy, and homelife is busy.
Why is homelife so busy... Oh because we got a puppy.

After a few signs that Porter was telling us to get a particular dog, we did.

Doggie in the shelter

Well I did, D was in Jacksonville. Of course he called the shelter (not Humane Society) and asked questions of the dog, which the people didn't know. I drove 3 counties over, and saw the dog.
He was cute. They said he was 5. I couldn't get him last Friday even though I was there. They didn't take checks or CC's and I didn't have cash and they were closing.

So Saturday, I went back to the pound and got him. Because I lived out of county, he was $15. If I had lived in county he would have been $75.

Doggie needing help getting in the car and wanting that schmutz off his head

I got home and Guinness was not happy. We are watching another dog for awhile too, Panzer (yes he is a tank...100#s). Panzer and the new pup didn't get along, and new pup marked the entire house. I washed the pup because he had shit matted in his hair.

J came over and we watched Georgia Tech win the Coastal Division of the ACC. Then I took Guinness to see Santa Claus.

Doggie waiting for Uncle J to come over to watch Georgia Tech

Came home and played with everyone. D came home on Sunday.

Doggie showing the family jewels

Monday we named the dog Scuttlebutt (after the brewery not the nautical term). He had some other names during the interim (Smuttynose, Avery, Rogue, WakeNBake) but Scuttlebutt is the best.

Tuesday I had a complete meltdown. D called at 1 to tell me he had to go to Charlotte in 2 hours. I left work to say goodbye to him. When he got home, he had Porter's ashes. We said a few words, and then he was gone (D not Po). So my heart already broken, and I had to take care of 3 dogs for almost a week.

Panzer now can walk on a leash using the Heel comman and go to the bathroom on a leash. Guinness is being the perfect angel. And Scuttlebutt...he can lift his leg on a bush and fall over.

Wednesday I took my $15 dog to the vet (with Guinness who was due for a kennel cough vaccine). Guinness now is protected again (Panzer already was) and she got a flu shot. Who knew. Scuttlebutt got no vaccinations because he has roundworm, an ear infection and kennel cough. Luckily no heartworm. So no vaccinations or neutering. And Scuttlebutt MAY be 1, if that, not 5.

The rest of the week has just been a lot of walks, with Scuttlebutt still not understanding that he has to go outside.

Oh and before you think I gave up running, D, V and I are signed up for the Kentucky Derby Half Marathon.

Porter and Pearl Jam

For Porter (10/01/2001-11/06/2009)

D and I thought our baby was getting better and then she took a turn for the worse. On Thursday we took her to the vet, and Friday we had to make that awful decision.

I'm having a bit of a hard time. But each day I push forward.

So in my effort to regain some normalcy, D and I went lifting last night. He said he had a song to play me, of course Pearl Jam was playing. I told him I heard a song by them about a month ago. Then we got to the gym and did the exciting machines.

We talked about how people don't understand that Porter wasn't just a dog. I mean who else volunteers to be Santa at the Humane Society so his dog won't be afraid of him for Pictures with Santa (and yes, she was stupid, and was scared). She got to go to the beach twice, to Maryland, and South Carolina. She got tested for daycare and got in, and I used to watch her on the pet cam. She managed to get 2 dogs kicked out for their behavior. She spent many spring and summer days at Twain's (bar) on the patio sipping ice cubes and a little beer. Frosty Paws were her friend. So was every mud pit she could find or make.

Pumpkin Porter 10/04

Ballerina Porter 10/05

Porter's 6th Birthday Cake (Guinness ate part of it) 10/07

D, Porter and Guinness 12/07

Me, Porter and D sailing 7/08

Porter Sailing 7/08

Porter, November 08

What did Mom do to me, 4/09

Beach Porter 7/09

Ocean Porter, 7/09

Do, do, do looking out my front door! 9/09

Last picture of Porter 11/01/09

Back in the car Doug turned on the song. I of course cried because I had thought about this song on Thursday. I dared not mention it to him though because the one time I heard it, I thought about putting it on my death CD (CD of songs to play when I'm dead...yes, I'm morose).

So we listened to the song on the way home.

Yes I understand that every life must end, aw huh...
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, aw huh...
I'm a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love...

Some folks just have one
Others they got none, aw huh...

Stay with me
Let's just breathe

Practiced are my sins
Never gonna let me win, aw huh...
Under everything, just another human being, aw huh...
Yea, I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world
To make me bleed

Stay with me
You're all I see

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean

I wonder everything
As I look upon your face, aw huh...
Everything you gave
And nothing you would take, aw huh...
Nothing you would take
Everything you gave

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean

Nothing you would take
Everything you gave
Hold me 'till I die
Meet you on the other side

Just Breathe by Pearl Jam

We miss you Porter Girl!

Well that didn't happen

So I think the last time I wrote (I could just go look), I had not run a 10K and instead drank some beers.

The following week was not for running. The ankle felt fine, but I had friends coming into town on Thursday which meant clean the house. That took from Sunday to Thursday, down to the wire. And then we had beer. We had Guinness to welcome them into town. We had Guinness the next day to see them off to a Fraternity Alumni Social. We had Guinness Saturday morning at the Ramblin' Wreck Parade. Then we had beer (not Guinness) at the Decatur Beer Fest. Yes, I sold my homecoming tickets to have beer. Then we had more beer at 2 bars, and then had more beers at home. So for Oct. 15-18, beer was consumed.

Tuesday (the 20th) I went for a 3 mile run. I ran a little differently...4 minutes run, 1 minute walk. My time was 42ish. It felt good. Except I got home and my hip hurt. #*@(~!
Thursday felt good. So I ran 2 miles 27ish. Saturday, D and I dropped the girls at daycare and off we went to Knoxville for beer... the Knoxville Brewer's Jam. It was a lot of fun and we had a good time. Sunday we drove home and picked up the girls and vegged.

This past week, we didn't run. We did go to 5 Seasons and have some beer, and then went to see the Capitals play the Thrashers. That was fun.

This past Saturday we got up to do Run Like Hell through the cemetery. We picked up A. We stood in line for our numbers and T-shirts. It was misting. We took our T's to the car. It was sprinkling. We walked to the start line. It was raining. We stood at the start line. It downpoured. We got wet. The wind kicked in. So now we were soaked to the bone, our shoes were heavy, and we were cold. D and I wanted to go home. A, being Mom, declared that this was "get sick" weather and yes we could go home. Hooray. So we ran to the car.

I didn't drink much beer this weekend. A migraine prevented that. Tonight we are going lifting.

Tomorrow, no run. We are going to the Left Hand/Terrapin Collaboration Beer Dinner.

Oh and if you have seen my HRM, let me know. I've misplaced it.