Busy Week

I forgot how busy this week was going to be. Meetings, meetings, training, meetings, staff development, presenting, and did I mention meetings?

As long as I try to keep myself organized and pack my gym bag and lunch the night before, I should be able to get all my scheduled workouts in this week. So far so good. However, it is only Tuesday and I switched a few workouts around so I could sleep in this morning (it was a balming 37 degrees and I didn't want to get out of bed) and still have time to gt in a good workout this afternoon prior to the start of the game....

You know. .. THE game...

....Twins vs. the Sox...

....for the AL Central Division Title.

...6:30pm CT.

Let's go Twins!

It's chaotic... and I am trying to enjoy it

September is almost over, and I know that October is going to come and go just as fast, if not faster... and with a bit more chaos.

Why you ask? Because it's already chaotic.

I like to be organized and usually my apartment is quite clean, with everything in it's place. Right now, not so much. One of the first signs that things are crazy busy is a messy apartment (as much as it drives me crazy I can't seem to get on top of keeping it clean), and then I start to lose things. Or I think I lose things, and then they show up later. Sometimes weeks later.

What did I lose recently? My little accessory bag that I usually have in my gym bag. It carries extra ponytails, headbands, bobby pins, chap stick, and then usually the jewelry I was wearing that day or plan to wear that day, depending on the time of day I worked out. I remember the last time I used it and just couldn't figure out where I left it. That was Monday. I found it today... on top of my dryer and under a sports bra. grr. I must have set it there when throwing dirtly clothes in the basket.

Less than 3 weeks until I close on my house! Less than 4 weeks and I will be moving everything in! I spent a good couple hours last night cleaning and packing. 2 cupboards and one drawer empty, as well as a small bookshelf. 10 boxes packed up.

With all those canvas', I am thinking I should really get back into painting. I have been itching, but in this little apartment, there really isn't much room to set anything up and work on something. Hopefully once I am in my place I can get back into that hobby.

This place is still a mess and I feel sorry for any potential renters that have been walking through my apartment. At least it doesn't smell.

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Today's Run: 3.63 miles, 42:00, 11:34/mile

lifted legs/core, worked on abs

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Today's Song: Puddle of Mudd - Blurry

Saturday "Speedy" Swim and Such

In the pool: I am a numbers freak and keep track of everything workout related; time, distance, etc. In the pool, my time is based on how long I was in the pool, including the time I was swimming and the breaks. Thus, my time per 100M is usually around 2:30 average. However, today I was feeling pretty good. I got in, looked at the clock, and swam 800M, and checked the clock. I took a minute break and then did it again. I know the time is still a rough estimate, but I feel my time today is more accurate than it usually is. I was quite pleased with my second 800M. I wanted to go for another round but didn't have time before lap swim was over. (I need to get my heart rate monitor watch battery replaced and then my time will be even more accurate.)

OSN: 1600M, 32:00, 2:00/100M average
800M - 17:00, 2:07/100M
800M - 15:00, 1:52/100M (getting better!!!)

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On the Move: I hope to get some packing done this weekend. I have empty boxes all over my apartment and it only makes sense to start filling them, little by little with things I won't need for the next few weeks. I figure if I do a little here and there, it won't be so overwhelming.

I ran some errands this morning looking for ideas for my master bathroom/bedroom. I am struggling with colors for the walls in both. I would like to kind of tie the two together, but I don't want it to be too matchy matchy. I don't want to have to get new bedding just so it matches my room, so I am trying to make this choice based on the color of my comforter. Right now I have black accents on my bed and in my room, but I am thinking about the paint colors of brown hues or even grey in my bedroom and then what in the bathroom? Thoughts?

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Twins Territory: Last night wasn't too pretty and I am glad I was out and about and not able to watch it. Thankfully Cleveland beat the Sox and the Twins are still up half a game. I'll be watching this afternoon and hoping for them to beat the Royals.

Today's Song: Kate Perry - Hot n' Cold

Once again... they came back!

Is it bad when you are on a date and all you can think about is going home, putting on the pj's, and crawling into bed to watch the Twins do their best to beat the Sox?

Yeah, that was me last night. I got home shortly after 8:30, well into the 5th inning and the score was 6-1 Sox. It wasn't looking to good at that point, but I had a feeling they were going to come back and so did the 43,601 fans.

I made the initiative to can my morning workout not only because I knew I would be up later watching the Twins, but I was sore from my hour of lifting yesterday.

It was so worth staying up.

The Twins were able to tie it up and Casilla finished off the game in the 10th.

One might have thought it was October and this was a playoff game. There was a constant roar of the fans in the metrodome from the 8th inning on ... and the boys persevered to clinch 1st place in the AL Central Division. They still need to pull through and demolish the Royals this weekend.

Have a great weekend, y'all. And good luck to you all who are racing this weekend, whether it be a 5K, half marathon, or Half Iron!! You all rock!

Hump Day Highlights

My kids at school make me smile. Yes, they may give me a few pre-mature gray hairs, mind-numbing headaches, and a rise in blood pressure, but 90% of the time they make me smile and I am constantly reminded how much I love what I do.

This weeks highlights, thus far:

• Two of my 4th graders took it upon themselves to discuss politics today. We were waiting for a couple more students to join our group, I was working at my desk and these two boys took it upon themselves to discuss their thoughts on Obama and Palin. Those were the only two names I heard them throw out, but I couldn't help but smile from behind my computer.
• I was given a compliment of admiration in regards to my job and what kind of work I do ... from a social worker who works in child protection. I was touched. At the same time I thought to myself how I admire her for what kind of work she does, and all the difficult situations she must face.
• A student of mine who is quite low cognitively, has conquered the "b" and "d". She has made leaps and bounds this school year already.... not only is she now able to decipher the two letters independently, but she is able to write them on command, and when she does so .... she grins and giggles. It's wonderful.
• Much to a student's disappointment, I am still single. He continues to tell me I am looking in the wrong places, but does not have any solutions for me as to where I should be looking. Some help he is.
• One of my girls complimented me on my hair... she said it was beautiful. *smile*

I jump started this hump day with a nice long swim in the pool. Geez, I haven't been in the water in over 2 weeks and it sure showed today. Yuck. Despite how slow I was, I pushed through it and did my desired distance.

Today's Swim: 2000M, 51:00, 2:33/100M

Today's Song: Shwayze - Corona and Lime

It said SOLD!

This morning's thunderstorm woke me at 2am and had me laying in bed for almost an hour listening to the cracking of lightening and thunder.... it sounded like gunshots and the lightening was so bright I couldn't sleep.... and I didn't get up at 4:30 to hit the gym.

Instead I went this afternoon. Still, I hate the gym during the day. I couldn't even have the treadmill for the full 30 minutes.... I knew that was the way it was going to be, so I hauled ass on the treadmill and did as much as I could...as fast as I could.

ORN: 2.59 miles, 28:06, 10:50/mile
Lifted lower body

In response to a couple recent comments....

Chad made a comment about how softball can be so hard on the body. He's right. After my 3 games Saturday, on uneven grounds, I was a bit sore yesterday and still forked out a short run. This morning my knees where a bit sore, which hasn't happened since half marathon training last spring. Ouch. As much as I love playing, I am glad to be done for the next 8 months.

Some of you others had made similar comments in reguards to my fear of snow interfering with my Breast Cancer Awareness Ride on October 11. Now, we don't usually get much snow in October, if any, here in North Dakota. None that usually sticks or stays around for more than a day. But, there's always the posibility. Never underestimate the power of Mother Nature in the Midwest. Ever. For reals. Do you want to know how many Halloweens I had to wear layers and layers of clothes under my costume? And they had to be costumes that one would easily be able to add layers and layers of clothes under... like witches, mummies, ghosts.. boring!

This weekend I ended up driving by my soon-to-be-house to show a friend. I was so excited when I noticed the SOLD sign on it... it makes it that much more real! Only 23 more days until I close!

Today's Song: Puff Daddy - Come With Me (Godzilla)

Weekend Recap

Friday night Jill and I headed to Scheel's to see if there were any good sales on cycling attire. While there we ran into our cycling buddy who was working. He told us about the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride in October. It didn't take much effort on his part to talk us into joining him in the 25 mile ride that he will be leading. I hope for nice weather for the ride ... before the snow falls! I can't wait.
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Saturday, our co-ed softball team (and some) participated in a softball tournament. The proceeds go to our district's tennis team. The weather was perfect and I even had a pink face from the sun by the end of the day. I played right field and it was horrible and uneven... I was afraid of injuring myself with every step I took. We didn't play well at all, and ended up losing all 3 games.
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This morning I was hoping to get in a nice ride on my bike since the weather has been so nice this past week. But, the wind picked up this morning (20-30mph gusts) and with my quads/groin muscles being a bit sore from softball yesterday, I decided to head to the gym and take it a bit easy. I ran 15 minutes, biked 30 minutes, and then ran 15 minutes again... breaking up that run I thought would be a bit easier on my legs. However, when I started to run my legs felt pretty strong and I really pushed it at the end of each 15 minutes. Here's the results:
Run 15 min. = 1.31 miles, 11:27/mile
Bike 30 min. = 10.85 miles, 21.7mph
Run 15 min. = 1.34 miles, 11:11/mile
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Now I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a bit of cleaning/organizing/packing, a little football watching, reading and relaxin'!

Today's Song: O.A.R. - Wonderful Day

Living with secrets

I was told by a couple of my cousins this past weekend that the book I was reading was "so last year" ... as well as "very good". I was disappointed that it took me so long to finish it, but once school started, I didn't pick it up again for 3 weeks.

I am terrible at expressing my thoughts and feelings in regards to a book. Mention a part of it and I will tell you how it left me feeling, but organizing all my thoughts and emotions from the 300+ pages is difficult and becomes unorganized and long winded.

This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love.

I really enjoyed reading this story. There were parts of it that made me cringe, parts that made me angry and sad, as well as parts that made me melt. It was a well written thought provoking book that left my heart feeling heavy at times. Overall, I give this book a 9 on a scale of 10. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

Enjoy.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

~ Joseph Addison~

The learning never ends

I spent the past three days in Rochester, MN, taking part in a training on RtI (Response to Intervention). This isn't the first time I have had training in the area, but it was a nice refresher, and it was great to be able to attend this with a specific team from our school: two classroom teachers, principal, school psychologist, special education coordinator, and then there was me. We really need to start implementing this in our school and I think it will help a lot. We have a lot of work to do, but I feel that it will be a positive change for everyone, especially the students.

With all the wonderful learning... I came back to work today and was bombarded with questions and concerns at work; dealing with paperwork procedures as well as students. Can't I be gone for 3 days without things falling apart?

I finished off the day with my first IEP meeting of the year. It went well. The student sat in on the meeting. I usually don't like the little ones sitting in, but by the time they are in 4th grade, I think it is okay and good for them to learn a little more about their strengths, as well as weaknesses, and why they are receiving extra support in specific areas. She's a sweatheart though, and has made good gains.

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This morning I worked out for the FIRST time in a week. For reals. For really reals.

I was afraid I was going to be too tired from my travels, but when the alarm went off this morning I didn't have to think twice about getting up. My cold that I got last week was mostly a head cold that consisted of severe head and sinus pain, along with stuffiness. The past few days it took a turn south and became mostly a nasty, flemmy cough, with a blowing-my-brains-out congestion. Blech. So, this morning I didn't want to run because I was afraid of activating a coughing attack. Instead I sat on the upright bike (boring) for 40 minutes and just peddled away. I guess it was better than nothing.

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Now I am going to go and finish making some cookies to take to school tomorrow. My kiddos were so good while I was gone and worked so hard for me today. They deserve it!

As for the rest of the evening, I will be attempting to catch up on some of your blogs! BTW, thanks for all the comments on my last post in regards to 2009 training schedules. I am glad to see I am not the ONLY one who is already thinking about '09!

Today's Song: Crazy Frog
(in sidebar)

OCN: 15.13 miles, 40:00

Thinking about 2009 already?

I have returned from a wonderful weekend at a lake cabin in Minnesota. It was great to spend some quality time with my aunts, cousins, and grandma ... just us girls. Friday night I truly felt like crap from my cold, Saturday I felt a little bit better but had more of a cough, and this morning I felt 150% better with just a nasty cough.

I have unpacked my bag, thrown in a load of laundry, and began packing again. Tomorrow morning I board a charter bus with a good number of teachers, administrators, and coordinators ... heading back to MN for a 3 day conference. It's going to be a busy 3 days, but I hope to learn a lot.
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On the "training" front....

For the past 4 months I felt like I have been doing farely well with my workouts. The month of June was 30 days of workouts with no rest days. July was okay, but busy with a lot of weekends out of town. August was similar, and here we are in September and the month is almost half over.

I looked at my "Race Schedule" on my sidebar and was very disappointed with the number of races I did this year, or lack there of. I did 2. My first triathlon, an indoor one, and then my first Half Marathon. That's it. There were a handful of races that I had on my schedule with all intentions of doing and enough time to train for every one of them, but they just weren't in the cards this year. Next year will be better.

2009 is going to be different.

I know it is probably too soon to be thinking of 2009, but I am. You know why? Because registration for the Fargo Marathon has opened this week and I am already looking forward to signing up. After the Half Marathon this year, I knew that I would sign up again, but thought I would probably do the Marathon Relay (4 person) or the 5K. But, the more I think about it, I am thinking I might do the half again. I enjoyed it that much! I can't wait.

So, I am starting to think of other races that I would like to do next year. Living in ND, there are really only a handful of good months to race, and that is probably why I haven't been able to do as many races as I would like. The Fargo Half Marathon is going to be a priority. That and a Danskin Triathlon, I believe. Plus, there is going to be a triathlon that I really want to do... near my sister's place.

Have any of you started to think about 2009? Am I the only one thinking about a 2009 race schedule already? Do you have a off-season? Which months are the heaviest with races?

Why now?

Yep. This girl is sick.

I can't tell whether it's more allergies, or just a cold. I woke with swolen glands as well as a scratchy feeling in my throat that made it hard and unpleasant to swallow. It was nasty. It's weird because yesterday I felt completely rested and better than Tuesday, and went to bed last night with no signs of feeling sick.

Grr.

This being sick business couldn't have come at a worse time. I plan to be out of town this weekend for a fun weekend with my aunts and female cousins at a lake cabin. I then return Sunday and will unpack, do laundry, only to pack again. You heard that right.... I will be heading out of town early Monday morning for a 3 day training for work out of state. It's going to be busy, I just hope I will be able to snip this cold in the butt before it has the chance to get worse!

Being gone for 5 days will definitely put a damper on my workouts... If I'm feeling up to it, I will be heading to the gym for a run in the AM. We'll see. Maybe my hotel next week will have a treadmill... I can only hope!

A little of this... a little of that...

Feeling Better
Looking back on my post yesterday, I realized how stressed and tired I was. Talk about a crabby patty. Geeez! When I finally pulled myself off the couch to get ready for bed shortly after 8pm, my whole body was just sore. I knew I was going to sleep like a baby. And I did. It's amazing what sleep can do for me.... especially 9 hours. Supposedly I had a bit more color in my face today...

On the House Front
I was finally able to get a copy of my 2005 taxes and W-2's. I seriously don't know where mine went (I am afriad they got tossed in the move a year ago). With that note, I have everything checked off the list of things I need to get to my mortgage councelor prior to closing, except for another pay stub. That will have to wait until next friday.

Work-related
I have to clarify... my comment about a student of mine biting. He didn't bite me, it was another student. He has never bit a student before. This happened at recess for god-knows-what-reason. I am hoping it was just a fluke and it will never happen again.

Weather
I am glad to hear I am not the only one missing summer already.... mostly the warmer temps for me. The temps have not only been cool the past couple of weeks, but gloomy as well. It rained today and we are in a flood advisory, again. I am afraid that ND is going to get screwed and miss out on fall... winter will be here before we know it. Hopefully the snow can wait until after my move.

Afternoon workout
I was reminded today why I absolutely despise working-out between the hours of 4 and 6. PM, that is. So freakin' busy that I wasn't able to get a treadmill for more than 30 minutes. That totally killed my idea of doing a longer run. However, I improvised. I lifted first, focusing on the lower body, doing an extra rep on all machines. Feel the burn. THen, I got on the treadmill, for my allotted 30 stinkin' minutes. I wanted to work on some speed, so I had an idea. First 10 minutes, run atleast 5.5 miles/hour; second 10 minutes a little faster, and then the third 10 minutes, slower again. Here's what it looked like when you break it down.
10:00 - .86 miles
10:00 - .97 miles (kept going until I reached 1 mile = 10:11)
10:00 - .92 miles
TOTAL = 2.78 miles
I had fun with this run. Next time I try this, I think I will try to push myself a little harder during that second 10 minute session. I was so freakin' hot and sweatin' like crazy afterwards.

Today's Song: Nelly - Hot in Here

UPDATE: When I woke this morning (Thursday) at 4:45, my throat was swolen. Yep. I think I am sick. I couldn't pull myself out of bed to head to the pool. Just the thought of trying to swim with such head congestion was enough to keep me in bed.

*** And the new header... is a picture of the UND Campus, from the UND Homecoming Race I did last September. Unfortunately I won't be able to do it this year as I will be moving into my house that weekend!***

Point by Point Post

Today's post is going to consist of bullets... today's ups and downs. That's all I have the attention to do. Deal with it.

• My morning swim came and went. I was rested, but the swim wasn't the greatest. I did complete 1700M in 45:00 (not my greatest).
• On the way to the gym this morning I must not have closed my water bottle completely and it spilled all over my purse. luckily no phone or ipod was near the spilled water. The things that will happen at 430am.
• The morning at work was stressful. I have a student who has partial complex seizures and we have to watch how long they last and how often to decide whether or not she recieves a medication. She had two today. They drained me, I can only imagine what it does to her and her body.
• I spent most of my lunch preparing paperwork and gathering documents for my mortgage councelor.
• I found out one of my students is a biter. yeaaahhh.
• I spent a good hour after school reading this information for first time homebuyers only to take an online test afterwards ... recieving my certificate to hand over to my mortgage councelor. Just another thing to add to the list.... that and transcripts... can you believe it... transcripts to buy a house?
• My shoulders and upper back are sore... tense. I am hoping this is due to the awkward position of my laptop when it's on it's docking station... and not a sign of getting sick.
• After reading Stephen's comment telling me I should spin tonight (even if I don't have enough energy).. I had all intentions to do so. It wasn't until later in the day, the tiredness kicked in, my head felt dizzy (possibly due to built-up fluid in the ears), and my coworkers said I looked like I was getting sick. I was going home to relax.
• Of course, after complaining about the low temps yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to see the temps reach 72 today (and sunny). A positive to the day I guess.
• I got my RW magazine today! WAHOO!
• I am planting my ars on the couch tonight, probably "sleeping-in" tomorrow until 615am, going to work, and then working out after work. This way... I can get in a nice "longer run" and do all the lifting I want!

Today's Song: Eric Clapton - Bell Bottom Blues (let's take a down a notch today)
*See sidenotes in sidebar

Today's Swim: 1700M, 45:00, 2:38/100M

Starting to feel comfortable

This morning, despite the chilly 39 degrees outside (eeks), moisture on the car windows, and visible breathes in the air, I hit the gym for a date with the bike. I haven't done any "biking" yet this month and I thought Monday would be a good day to do so. Prior to biking, I was on the weight machines for about 20 minutes working on the upper body.

In the past couple weeks I have been able to do some consistent lifting. I have gotten into a routine of primarily working on the upper body prior to biking, and the lower body prior to running. However, if I want to spend more then 40 minutes on cardio, I need to find a different time to do my lifting. I might think about using one day each week to just lift (upper and lower extremities). Either that or doing a nice/longer cardio in the morning and then an hour or so of lifting in the evening once a week. How do you encoporate lifting into your schedule? How many times a week? How long does it take you to complete a good lift session?

I used to be scared of lifting prior to running, afraid that it was going to take everything out of me. Oh how contraire, my friends, I actually feel stronger when I lift then run. Maybe it's a mental game.

I think I am finally getting into a good morning workout routine and feeling comfortable with it. I know I tried many times last school year to do this, but just wasn't consistent enough. I was getting up early some days, and then my bedtime wasn't consistent either. However, with getting up 3-4 days a week for a morning workout, I am still working on getting to bed at a decent time. I truly need 8 hours of sleep each night. It seems though, by Thursday I am dragging if I start to lose sleep, even if it is only a half hour to hour each night. This will have to be a work in progress.

Tomorrow I have a date with the pool in the morning. If I have enough energy and drive, I will go to spin after work.

Today's Song: John Mayer - Comfortable
(in sidebar)

Today's Workout:
Lift Upper Body
Bike 13.68 miles, 39:20, 20.87mph

Taking the next step...

Friday night's concert was fun. Not as fun as it was the past couple times and I don't know if it was because they changed their playlist a bit, or I was exhausted from the busy week, or I was sober. Maybe it was all of the above. It took everything in me to stay out until the band was done...1am.

Change of topics...

I know I have made comments this summer about looking for a house. Two weeks ago I had looked a handful of properties with my realtor and really liked a couple of them. One was a 1920's home with a lot of character and some very nice updates; the other being a twinhome with a nice large deck and large yard. This Tuesday my parents came up and we looked at both properties together. Wednesday I met with my mortgage councilor to discuss some numbers. Thursday I looked over some of the sellers' disclosures and talked a bit about it with the 'rents. Friday, I scheduled to meet up with my realtor after work and ended up making an offer. A few hours later, after a counter offer, I was notified that the twinhome was mine! I move in the middle of October!

So, with that note, I presume that a lot of posts from here on out may revolve around this change in my life, so bare with me. I hope that once I get my computer situtation taken care of, I will be able to post pictures as I move in and do some much needed painting to a few rooms.

Today's Song: Rascal Flatts - Life is a Highway
(in sidebar)

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Friday: REST

Saturday: Swim 1600M, 38:00, 2:22/100M

Sunday: Lift lower body
Run 3.27 miles, 37:20, 11:25/mile

From the mouth of a babe

First of all, thanks to all who have commented in regards to my crisis in my last post. I think I am going to wait it out a bit, contact the Apple store, and go from there. At least I still have access to a computer I can use at home. It just might be awhile before I can do anything with pictures or music for now.
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On to today's topic. I had my group of fourth graders for math today and one of my students kept referring to me as misses. Her brother and cousin did the same last year, so I am kind of used to it (and partially ammused as well). But, I thought it was a teachable moment to discuss the difference between "Mrs." and "Ms."... From there, here's the breif conversation I had with a different student as a result....

Me: Am I married if I go by "Ms."?

K: No.

Me: Correct.

...one would think the teachable moment would end here... but the conversation continues as I am writing problems on the board...

K: Are you getting married?

Me: Not right now.

K: Have you found a man to marry yet?

Me: No, not yet, K.

*sigh... I can only imagine where this will go*

K: How come?

Me: I don't know. I just haven't found the right guy yet.

K: Why?

Me: You tell me.

K: Well where have you been looking?

Me: In all the wrong places I guess.

K: I guess. Maybe you need to look in the right places.

Me: Where would the right places be?

K: I don't know.

*pause*

K: I know what kind of woman I am going to marry.

Me: What kind of woman, K?

K: A Spanish woman. (completely random comment)

*end conversation ... divert back to math*


I always look forward to talking with this student. You never know what he is going to come up with. This student also asked me what my sister and brother-in-law did for their anniversary this summer. He remembered that they were married the previous summer.

I hope every one have has a wonderful weekend!

I think it's dying

I think my laptop (MAC) has seen it's last life.

*sniff, sniff*

For the past couple months, I have had the feeling that it has some sort of virus... I was only able to use certain web browsers (ie. Safari, Firefox) with certain websites, no matter how much I updated programs.

But last night it had done something it had never done before. It froze. Completely. I couldn' even move the mouse. I have never ever seen that happen on a MAC before! Then, when I would shut it down and turn it back on, it would only get me so far; sometimes just to the login page, sometimes just a blue screen, sometimes completely logged on, but if I got that far and opened up a web browser, it would freeze.

I don't know what to do! It is 4 years old. I HEART my laptop.

Right now I am able to use my school laptop, thank goodness. But, I am not able to do anything with music or pictures on here, or messenger. *gasp*

Any ideas what it could be? What does a girl do? Is it worth spending the big bucks to get it fixed? Or is it a goner? I suppose the next step is contacting some computer place that can help me.

On a postive and completely different note, tomorrow is Friday already, payday, AND Hairball is in town! What could be more exciting?

Today's Song (to prepare for tomorrow's coverband): Loverboy - Workin' For the Weekend
(The lead singer of Hairball does this song, and wears the red outfit!)

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Tuesday: Lift lower body
Run 2.7 miles, 31:00, 11:28/mile

Wednesday: Swim 1200M, 30:00, 2:30/100M

Thursday: Lift upper Body
Run 3.55 miles, 40:00, 11:16/mile

3rd wedding of 2008

My cousin Britt and her fiance's wedding this past weekend was absolutely beautiful. He's from England and she is from right here in ND. Their jobs in England recently transfered them to the East coast... and we were happy to have the wedding back in Bismarck. It was also nice to see his immediate family and a handful of friends from England join us here for the wonderful celebration.

Friday night consisted of a bridal shower, saturday was full of wedding preparations/flower arrangements, rehearsal, groom's dinner, and girl's night in with the bride, bridesmaids, and muah the personal attendant. The wind was horrible Saturday and the temps were in the triple digits. Sunday was the big wedding and thank goodness the weather was a bit cooler, a whopping 95 degrees and some wind.

Here is a recap... in pics....

Baby Sylvia sleeping under the roses...
Beautiful flower arrangements!

Setting aside the flower arrangements that were done Saturday.

The bride and her niece, Sylvia

The bride and her bridesmaids
The bride and flower girl, our cousin's little girl.
Waiting for the ceremony to start.
The wedding party ... minus the flower girl, who left her flowers and ran........she's kind of independent at 2 and 1/2 years.
I... and two of my cousins (I was sporting the aviators that belonged to the groom)

Goodbye August.... Hello September

Where or where did August go? Even though it went by fast, it was full of fun and then some good workouts as well...

Here is the month in review....

• SWIM - 12700 meters ....... 10000 meters in July
  
• BIKE - 70.64 miles ............. 77.86 miles in July
• RUN - 20.55 miles .............. 23 miles in July

Not exactly what I would have "liked" to have accomplished in one month, but given the following factors, I am okay with this...

• 2 weddings
• a weekend in the cities
• preparing for the new school year
• starting the new school year
  
• adjusting to a morning workout routine

... what can you do? life happens! September should be better, especially now that the pool is open again!

I will post more later about the wedding this weekend!

Happy Labor Day, y'all!