Last week I started training for a half marathon. I have stated this as a goal for years but have never gotten off my duff and really seriously started training, so blogging about it is a big step. This means I'm going to either have to complete one or find a REALLY good excuse to quit. Guess I'm stuck. I have no idea what I'm doing, so I downloaded an app that tracks my runs and selects motivating music from my itunes account. It's pretty sweet and the training program seems pretty solid after talking to a few of my friends who have trained for half marathons. Problem is, the GPS is complete crap.
Take tonight for instance. My training program has me doing an easy run for an hour. Up until tonight I wasn't even sure if I was capable of running for that long, but I gave it my best shot. At the end of my run, the GPS said I had been running at a 15:00/mile pace and had therefore only run 3.86 miles. My heart sank. How could I have worked so hard for a measly 3.86 miles? I mean, I didn't even stop to wheeze like I normally do after about 1/2 mile. At this rate, I'd be finishing as they packed up the last mile marker.
Thinking this couldn't be right, I logged my run into gmaps pedometer and was relieved to find I had actually done 5.4 miles. I can live with that. That's right around an 11:00/mile pace at an easy jog and I'm only planning on working up to a 10:00 mile. For the first one, I'm really only looking to finish without dying or ending up in the medical tent (I may be a nurse, albeit not yet licensed, but I'm one hell of an awful patient). I get all combative and think I can do stuff I know I shouldn't because I don't like giving up my independence. I'll be the idiot hopping across the finish line with a broken leg.
My goal is to run the freedom half marathon this November. The proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior project which is a fabulous cause. So now that I'm committing to this, any takers?
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Almost Forgot I Had This
Oh, hello blog! It's been awhile! Hilarity must not have ensued lately. I can relate - it's been a boring, stressful run. Lets go over recent happenings...
Nursing School
I'm done! I graduated magna cum laude on August 11th and after a very wonderful two week hiatus I am back to studying. My boards are coming up and let's just say this material is BORING. Chances of failing: unfortunately high. Just can't seem to focus, especially when studying consists of reading hundreds of pages in a giant book followed by watching an extremely repetitive online lecture. Yeesh.
Prior to graduation, let's just say I was kind of a hard case. I did get to spend the summer in the ER at Norfolk General (my dream job) and it was everything I hoped it would be. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll let me work there. We shall see.
The Dogs
Rotten. Absolutely rotten. I love them anyway.
Ben
Away a lot on weeklong trips to get flight hours. He's also known to disappear when hurricanes are forecasted. I think I should be awarded a medal of honor for valor in the face of 115 mph winds. A girl can dream, right? Last night Ben went through all possible scenarios and where I should go in case of this and that and blah blah blah and I looked him square in the eye and said something to the effect of, "Honey badger don't care!" You're going to have to see this to know what I'm talking about. Poor Ben.
Ben also surprised me with a brand spanking new Nissan Xterra Pro-4X. I think I'll keep him forever. I had been driving a 2002 Xterra and absolutely loved it. The new one came with leather, blue tooth capability, 4 wheel drive, and a million other improvements from the model 10 years ago. Pretty stoked.
Other than that, it's life as usual. We spend our weekends stand up paddleboarding and weekdays studying and working. Hopefully things will get funny soon. I can't take much more of this studying and seriousness!
Nursing School
I'm done! I graduated magna cum laude on August 11th and after a very wonderful two week hiatus I am back to studying. My boards are coming up and let's just say this material is BORING. Chances of failing: unfortunately high. Just can't seem to focus, especially when studying consists of reading hundreds of pages in a giant book followed by watching an extremely repetitive online lecture. Yeesh.
Prior to graduation, let's just say I was kind of a hard case. I did get to spend the summer in the ER at Norfolk General (my dream job) and it was everything I hoped it would be. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll let me work there. We shall see.
The Dogs
Rotten. Absolutely rotten. I love them anyway.
Ben
Away a lot on weeklong trips to get flight hours. He's also known to disappear when hurricanes are forecasted. I think I should be awarded a medal of honor for valor in the face of 115 mph winds. A girl can dream, right? Last night Ben went through all possible scenarios and where I should go in case of this and that and blah blah blah and I looked him square in the eye and said something to the effect of, "Honey badger don't care!" You're going to have to see this to know what I'm talking about. Poor Ben.
Ben also surprised me with a brand spanking new Nissan Xterra Pro-4X. I think I'll keep him forever. I had been driving a 2002 Xterra and absolutely loved it. The new one came with leather, blue tooth capability, 4 wheel drive, and a million other improvements from the model 10 years ago. Pretty stoked.
Other than that, it's life as usual. We spend our weekends stand up paddleboarding and weekdays studying and working. Hopefully things will get funny soon. I can't take much more of this studying and seriousness!
Friday, October 15, 2010
It Got Worse
So... remember that hole that was just dripping water and being annoying? It got worse. MUCH worse. In the middle of the night. ON MY HEAD despite moving my bed away from there. The weirdest part was hearing it instead of feeling it. The pain came later, but still.... strange. I haven't posted on the blog because I was pretty sure God was mad at me. I think He still is because the fun just hasn't stopped, but we're working on it. I hate that I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, but that's been my life the last three weeks. First up, pictures of the damage:
The roof is now fixed, but the ceiling is still dropping chunks here and there while I wait for unreliable contractors. Hopefully by the end of next week things will return to normal. As if all that stress wasn't bad enough, Ben's car (the only one we own with AC) decided to give me a fatal error and go all psychotic on me. That was a fun conversation. "Hey babe, I broke your car... you know the one you almost have all paid off and whose warranty just expired." Not taking that one to the shop just yet. I don't want to know how much that's going to cost.
The kicker though, was my vacation to California this week that I needed so badly and was making me deliriously happy. I felt like things were finally looking up until I got a phone call from Victoria that Hank had run off the porch and bitten a mentally disabled old man and the city was taking action. Of course I feel awful, but at the same time I can't help but feel like he acted out because of all the stress at home. Ben deployed 3 months ago, workers have been constantly in and out of the house, I've been extremely busy with school and stressed, the bedroom we sleep in is a disaster and we are constantly woken up by loud crashes from the ceiling. Then I up and left town and I think he felt the need to protect the only thing he has left: our property. Poor sweet Monkey. He bit the guy on the hand as he walked by our front lawn and then ran back to Victoria all proud of himself. "I got him!" What a jerk. Totally took advantage of having a babysitter - he knows better around me.
The city could have done a lot of things, the scariest of which was to take him away for quarantine, label him a dangerous animal, and put him down the next time it happened. I'm well connected though, and got on the phone to my local city prosecutor friend who we met incidentally at the dog park because he had two ridgebacks. Kimber has yet again earned her keep. She protects the heck out of me and now saved Hank's behind. Our friend smoothed things over with the animal control officer and I think the city has decided they have bigger fish to fry because my calls have not been returned. Keep your fingers crossed.
I'm just hoping I can come back with some hilarity soon. All this negativity is killing my sense of humor!
The roof is now fixed, but the ceiling is still dropping chunks here and there while I wait for unreliable contractors. Hopefully by the end of next week things will return to normal. As if all that stress wasn't bad enough, Ben's car (the only one we own with AC) decided to give me a fatal error and go all psychotic on me. That was a fun conversation. "Hey babe, I broke your car... you know the one you almost have all paid off and whose warranty just expired." Not taking that one to the shop just yet. I don't want to know how much that's going to cost.
The kicker though, was my vacation to California this week that I needed so badly and was making me deliriously happy. I felt like things were finally looking up until I got a phone call from Victoria that Hank had run off the porch and bitten a mentally disabled old man and the city was taking action. Of course I feel awful, but at the same time I can't help but feel like he acted out because of all the stress at home. Ben deployed 3 months ago, workers have been constantly in and out of the house, I've been extremely busy with school and stressed, the bedroom we sleep in is a disaster and we are constantly woken up by loud crashes from the ceiling. Then I up and left town and I think he felt the need to protect the only thing he has left: our property. Poor sweet Monkey. He bit the guy on the hand as he walked by our front lawn and then ran back to Victoria all proud of himself. "I got him!" What a jerk. Totally took advantage of having a babysitter - he knows better around me.
The city could have done a lot of things, the scariest of which was to take him away for quarantine, label him a dangerous animal, and put him down the next time it happened. I'm well connected though, and got on the phone to my local city prosecutor friend who we met incidentally at the dog park because he had two ridgebacks. Kimber has yet again earned her keep. She protects the heck out of me and now saved Hank's behind. Our friend smoothed things over with the animal control officer and I think the city has decided they have bigger fish to fry because my calls have not been returned. Keep your fingers crossed.
I'm just hoping I can come back with some hilarity soon. All this negativity is killing my sense of humor!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I Hate Today
Today has been a fairly balanced mix of pain in my arse and good friends. I wanted to get on my blog and write humor for once since it's been such a long time, but today I have some things I just need to get out of my system.
It started at about 5:30 when I woke up with wet hair and a wet pillow. This confused me. Did I suddenly start drooling uncontrollably in my sleep? Was it the dogs? OH NO DID KIMBER PEE ON ME IN HER SLEEP???? See, she has this problem where if she doesn't get her meds she wets the bed at night - not her fault, but annoying when it happens. Turned out to be a leaky ceiling and just as I got towels to sop up the mess, A HOLE OPENED UP AND DUMPED WATER ALL ON MY FACE. I ran downstairs mad as a hornet and scrambling for supplies. Vic ran down to the basement and grabbed me some buckets so that at least my bare feet would stay clean. She's really sweet like that.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I looked at my brand new (old) antique mirror I got at an estate sale last week and leaned up against the mantle in my bedroom and noticed that it, too was wet with a giant leaky spot above it. Are you kidding me? After proper bucket/towel/dog bowl placement, I finally had this thing somewhat contained and began making pathetic help me phone calls to Ben's squadron. They sent over a guy whose wife and I connected over a common first name and who Ben had been in Bahrain with and he crawled all around this place to figure out where the water was coming from. Turns out 97 years ago they didn't architecturally plan for this much rain to occur this week. I suppose that's acceptable. Unfortunately, my bedroom now looks like this:
The next task was to call USAA to see if this was a covered event. I have an almost $7k deductible for wind and hail damage and a $500 deductible for other unforseen events. One would naturally assume that rain that has puddled up on a portion of somewhat flat roof and gotten into the house does not count as wind nor would it be hail damage. USAA doesn't see it that way, and in order to make a correct determination, I have to file a claim with the understanding that they will most likely assign it as a wind or hail damage event and charge me that $7k fee to fix a few hundred dollars worth of damage. Isn't that a bit unethical of them to ask me to make a $6500 gamble on an insurance company's moral fortitude? I first got pissed and refused, then called back to make sure I heard them correctly. If I file a claim I am to be charged either $500 or $7000 based on their assessment of the mitigating factor that caused the damage and there is no such thing as having a claims adjuster inspect, determine, and then let you make a decision then on how you are going to handle the situation. Are you freaking kidding me? They are normally great, but this is the most asinine thing I have ever heard from an insurance company and as much as I would love to tell them to take their insurance and shove it, I know my house would burn down the next day and we would be ruined. That's just my luck today.
Thank goodness for my friend Kate, who invited me over for a cup of coffee and a bagel to save me from this madness. I also am glad for Ben belonging to a squadron so willing to help one another out. I got numerous phone calls from friends and squadron members offering kind words and their help and it makes deployment so much better knowing I have people I can count on. Tomorrow will be better. It has to be.
It started at about 5:30 when I woke up with wet hair and a wet pillow. This confused me. Did I suddenly start drooling uncontrollably in my sleep? Was it the dogs? OH NO DID KIMBER PEE ON ME IN HER SLEEP???? See, she has this problem where if she doesn't get her meds she wets the bed at night - not her fault, but annoying when it happens. Turned out to be a leaky ceiling and just as I got towels to sop up the mess, A HOLE OPENED UP AND DUMPED WATER ALL ON MY FACE. I ran downstairs mad as a hornet and scrambling for supplies. Vic ran down to the basement and grabbed me some buckets so that at least my bare feet would stay clean. She's really sweet like that.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I looked at my brand new (old) antique mirror I got at an estate sale last week and leaned up against the mantle in my bedroom and noticed that it, too was wet with a giant leaky spot above it. Are you kidding me? After proper bucket/towel/dog bowl placement, I finally had this thing somewhat contained and began making pathetic help me phone calls to Ben's squadron. They sent over a guy whose wife and I connected over a common first name and who Ben had been in Bahrain with and he crawled all around this place to figure out where the water was coming from. Turns out 97 years ago they didn't architecturally plan for this much rain to occur this week. I suppose that's acceptable. Unfortunately, my bedroom now looks like this:
The next task was to call USAA to see if this was a covered event. I have an almost $7k deductible for wind and hail damage and a $500 deductible for other unforseen events. One would naturally assume that rain that has puddled up on a portion of somewhat flat roof and gotten into the house does not count as wind nor would it be hail damage. USAA doesn't see it that way, and in order to make a correct determination, I have to file a claim with the understanding that they will most likely assign it as a wind or hail damage event and charge me that $7k fee to fix a few hundred dollars worth of damage. Isn't that a bit unethical of them to ask me to make a $6500 gamble on an insurance company's moral fortitude? I first got pissed and refused, then called back to make sure I heard them correctly. If I file a claim I am to be charged either $500 or $7000 based on their assessment of the mitigating factor that caused the damage and there is no such thing as having a claims adjuster inspect, determine, and then let you make a decision then on how you are going to handle the situation. Are you freaking kidding me? They are normally great, but this is the most asinine thing I have ever heard from an insurance company and as much as I would love to tell them to take their insurance and shove it, I know my house would burn down the next day and we would be ruined. That's just my luck today.
Thank goodness for my friend Kate, who invited me over for a cup of coffee and a bagel to save me from this madness. I also am glad for Ben belonging to a squadron so willing to help one another out. I got numerous phone calls from friends and squadron members offering kind words and their help and it makes deployment so much better knowing I have people I can count on. Tomorrow will be better. It has to be.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Aunt Chelley
Last week I finally met my beautiful niece Lily when Ben's whole family vacationed in the Outer Banks. She's 11 months old now and so close to taking her first steps but not quite there. Instead she has mastered the art of the surprise trust fall. Walking is overrated when fussy aunts are there to catch you before you land on your face. I'm happy to report that even though we just met, I'm still in the running for favorite aunt.
Remember this? Phil and Elicia showed up to the beach house with Lily in tow and, upon seeing them, Ben ran outside and held out his hands, hoping to earn his title as the fun uncle, Uncle Awesome-o 4000 (yes, that's what he wants to be called - I married well). Before he could grab her though, she puked a lovely bouquet of carrots and whatnot right on his eager outstretched hands. I showed up right about that time and there she was, reaching toward me with a toothy grin as Ben ran away in disgust. I love this kid.
Aunt Chelley - 2
Uncle Awesome-o 4000 - 0
Win.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Nursing School Causes Skin Cancer
Not really. Perhaps indirectly? This past weekend Ben and I spent the 4th at his uncle's house on the Potomac River. This was the first I'd seen of the sun all summer long, and I reluctantly bathed myself in SPF 30, desperate to get a tan but unwilling to burn thanks to the various scars on my body from mole removal and Ben's insistence that I stop being dumb. We spent all weekend in the sun, swimming, tubing, and going for boat rides and both of us came back white as a sheet. It was kind of embarrassing how pasty we were. It was more embarrassing how pasty we stayed.
On Wednesday we decided it was high time we hit the beach, so we somehow managed to find a few hours to squeeze in a little R&R between studying and Ben's flight schedule. We literally spent maybe an hour in the sun and we are both now lobster red and I have more freckles than a Ginger kid.
At least it wasn't a total loss. There's now an ever so slight semblance of a tan forming. Score!
On Wednesday we decided it was high time we hit the beach, so we somehow managed to find a few hours to squeeze in a little R&R between studying and Ben's flight schedule. We literally spent maybe an hour in the sun and we are both now lobster red and I have more freckles than a Ginger kid.
At least it wasn't a total loss. There's now an ever so slight semblance of a tan forming. Score!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Frustration
Dear Hank and Kimber,
We have only been here a month, but it really feels like I have swept this floor more often than I have over the past year at the last place. Each time I sweep is an exercise in futility, for 5 minutes later you both come barreling down the stairs dropping excessive amounts of fluff as you howl at some imaginary sound outside. This does not make me happy. Please stop shedding. Forever.
Love,
Mother
We have only been here a month, but it really feels like I have swept this floor more often than I have over the past year at the last place. Each time I sweep is an exercise in futility, for 5 minutes later you both come barreling down the stairs dropping excessive amounts of fluff as you howl at some imaginary sound outside. This does not make me happy. Please stop shedding. Forever.
Love,
Mother
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