Escape!

This week, I'm down in Florida visiting my parents for Christmas (Please stop cursing me. I do, in fact, know how cold it is in Chicago right now!) We went out to dinner tonight and took one of the dogs with us. For those of you who don't know, my mother is a Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) Puppy Raiser and Mentor. She trains puppies for persons who are wheelchair bound.

On this particular evening we took Yana with us. She was supposed to be under the table while we were eating. As I was dining on my salad, I looked down and realized, Yana was gone!!

CRAP!! THERE'S A CCI PUPPY LOOSE IN OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE!!

I looked behind the booth-- no dog. I panicked and had to find her, so I began crawling through the restaurant looking for the dog, whispering her name. I didn't want to alert the other customers (I mean, maybe they wouldn't notice a random woman crawling on the floor.) I found her under the bench of a booth two tables away scrounging for crumbs.

This unfortunately is where the people at the booth noticed me crawling on the floor. I quickly apologized (still on all fours) and told them that I had lost my dog. The woman asked if it was a toy dog. I replied, "No, it's a service dog." (Isn't that obvious?!!? Why else would I be crawling about in a restaurant?)

I called for Yana and she scooted out from under the woman's legs. The woman looked so bewildered to have a dog come from below her seat. I quickly apologized and crawled back to my booth with the dog in tow to find both of my parents laughing hysterically at the whole scene.

Well, at least someone found the puppy!

I have come to believe...

...the DMV is clearly purgatory. There are some angels that make life a little easier...and Satin's spawn that make me want to become a danger to myself and others.

...there is a cold war between Illinois and Wisconsin. I like to call the state line "The Cheddar Curtain". I don't think the war will end in my life time.

...irregardless of how hard I try, some people are just going to be assholes.

...no one is inherently evil. Sometimes people seem that way as a result of their environment.

...it doesn't matter how bad I think my day has gone, it really could always be worse.

...I should never under estimate the amount of stupidity of people in large numbers.

...if I ask for an angel, one will appear. It's up to me to realize that they are present.

...everyone likes good, old fashioned, 'snail mail', especially when it's a letter or card from a friend.

...I can't control everything (people/situations), only how I react.

...character is what people do when they think that no one is watching them.

...even when I'm in the foulest moods, there are always rays of sunshine sparkling like a gift. Sometimes, I'm that sunshine for someone else.

...sometimes things are going to be painful. It's my choice as to the amount I will suffer.

It just takes a minute...

I know it's been a while since I've blogged (sorry, Elaine!!). I've just been a busy girl!! I know that I have some posting to do on both of my blogs! I just wanted to take the time to post some info for a cause near and dear to me.

Most of you know that there is a special place in my heart for those serving in our country's military. Having been the daughter of a man who served in the Navy during Vietnam, and the granddaughter of one who was a Marine in WWII, I learned at an early age to respect the gift I've been given at the cost of those who have served. I came to appreciate this much more when I traveled overseas.

I've always believed that even if you don't agree with the reasons that our troops have been deployed it is still our responsibility to support them (I mean, do you really think someone wants to be sent thousands of miles way to a giant sandbox away from their families and friends?!?) I realize these men and women, are just doing their jobs. If one doesn't agree with the allocation of troops and funding it's our responsibility to elect those who will ensure their care.

Anywho, off my soap box and on to my point. While there are many sites that offer ways to send care packages to soldiers (anysoldier.com, Soldier's Angel's, The Hugs Project, ect...) here's a even simpler (and cheaper) way to show a soldier you care. Let'sSayThanks.com donates cards to send to troops that are overseas. It's as simple as a few clicks of the mouse. Second, Walter Reed, VA accepts general cards to recovering soldiers. I know that I always have a few extra holiday cards from the boxes, and maybe you do too! Just send it off to the hospital, and send some cheer to someone. Here's the address:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

I hope that you all can find time to spread some cheer. It only takes a minute!!

(Thanks to Petra for the link and Mom for the info!)

Here Comes the Sun

This past weekend was clearly a bomb. I'm sure you've read the previous posts, but I will add that my wallet was also stolen. That's right; no cash, no ID, no credit cards. NADA.

I called and cancelled everything. So far, I have a new Driver's Licence and State ID as well as my debit card. I'm about to go postal on UPS because according to my tracking number, my cards were delivered yesterday. I haven't seen them yet. This blows!!

I also finally made it to the doctor. A bout of steroids and antibiotics later, I'm hoping I'll start feeling better. I'm still questioning the 1/2 marathon this weekend. We'll see if it's walker friendly. If nothing else, I'll still be there to cheer on Amy.

So why the sun? Well, first of all, I am going to the Sunshine State tomorrow! I also went to the CARA Volunteer event where I got my new running jacket! It's even got built in gloves! If that wasn't exciting enough, I won the raffle!! I've never won a big prize like that!! What did I win? Oh, round trip airfare to anywhere Jet Blue Flies! Oh-yeah!

Were you aware that Jet Blue flew to the Caribbean? Here comes the sun!

To all my caffeine junkie friends...

Check it out!

(ps. If someone can tell me why I can't copy and paste to have the entire video shown here, please let me know. I can only copy a snippet of the code--thanks!)

For those of you who went to H.S. with me...

Hank Dombrowski passed away yesterday morning. I found the story here. My thoughts and prayers are with the family. If anyone hears any information about the arrangements, please let me know.

HD--Huh?

I finally got the coupon in the mail for my digital converter box and went out and purchased the box (thanks, Ben for the feedback!). I'm not very electronical about setting things up. I just don't get it. I tried to set it up today. And by "set it up", I mean I kept plugging and unplugging things until I could make it work. So far, not so smooth:

1. Why does it keep skipping and getting all pixelated? That's really annoying. If I wanted my TV watching experience to resemble a really poorly dubbed Japanese movie, I'd rent Godzilla.

2. How do I make it work through the TV instead of as a component like the DVD player? My TV does cool things like Picture in a Picture. What's the big deal about this? I can watch 2 football games at once! Or, in the fall, the Cubs and Bears at the same time!! I'd really like this one fixed!

3. Where did CBS go? How do I get CBS so I can watch football on Sunday?

4. There are some people who should not be viewed in high definition...I was not prepared for Cloris Leachman sans makeup.

I'm not sure how I feel about this whole HD business. I wonder how long it will take me before I suck it up and read the directions.

It's Nubbers!

I was at Hagen's Fish Market yesterday, and I saw this sign...
I have no idea why they made me laugh, but they did. Nubbers is just a funny word (say it, you'll laugh!) I also have no clue as to what type of fish is a "Nubber", but it makes me want to go fishing so I can try to catch one!

Are You Smarter Than an NFL Quarterback?

Most of you know that my Sundays are spent glued to my couch watching football (btw--I have no comment on the Bears/Packers game that wouldn't be an obscene string of swear words). Today, the Eagles/Bengals game resulted in a tie. Check out this post-game interview from Donvan McNabb.

Are you freakin' kidding me?!? AAARGH!! I almost fell off my couch when I first heard the interview. He didn't know that that it could result in the tie?! "I didn't even know that was in the rule book." That's ridiculous! You can't tell me that I know more about football than an NFL quarterback (with the exception of Brian Griese, of course)! It seems like that would be critical information, for a quarterback--ya know, strategy wise?

So, Donovan, here's how it works: If at the end of the game there's a tie between two teams, there is a 5th quarter that is sudden death over time. If at the end of that quarter, no team has scored, the result is a tie. The NFL standings have 3 columns; the first marked with a W (for wins), the second with a L (for losses) and the last with a 'T' for tie. It seems rather self-explanatory, and it's been that way since 1974. Since you missed it, a tie counts as 1/2 a win and 1/2 a loss.

Finally, Donovan, Amazon.com carries both Football for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Football, both for under $20. You may want to add one of those to your reading list.

'Tis the Season for Giving Froggies

I was out and about a few places this weekend and at one of them I met Jack's chickie along with his cousin. Both seem like lovely people. At the bar we were at, the two went out to have a cigarette, and since I don't like neither second hand smoke, nor cold I choose to stay inside.

Upon their return from a smoke, they are literally dragging this guy to the table to introduce me. I hate to sound ungrateful, but I do have certain criteria on men aside from "Does he have a penis?" (Thanks, Renee). I really do appreciate the effort (good try ladies!), but I had to avoid this little "gift". I would also like to thank Jack for going big brother on him.

So, in the spirit of the up coming holidays, I've created a list, and checked it twice of just what I'm looking for--if you find one of these, feel free to put a bow on him for me:

1. There is a height requirement. To quote Barb in the sign she put on my door junior year of college, placed at the 6 foot mark: "You must be this tall to ride the Bethie." (What am I, Great America?) I'm certain it's really shallow, but I'm a tall girl and have height issues. A guy would have to be gorgeous and practically perfect in every other way for me to wave this one. To be honest, I don't think I could go much shorter than 5'10" and be comfortable. And yes, I've tried.

2. This next one is no surprise: Packer fans need not apply. If you're not a Bears fan, I can't deal with you. I also prefer Cubs fans (this guy last night had on a Sox hat-ew!), and Hawks fans. Football affiliation is also a deal breaker.

3. Non-smoker (that guy's third strike). First of all, I think it's icky. I'll spare you all the negative health effects like hairy tongues (seriously, it was in this high school health video so it must be true!) and remind people that I have asthma, I can't breathe as it is, let alone with smoke in the air.

4. Ideally, he should be in his late 20's or 30's. I hate to sound old, but I'm just not in to the same scene that I was 7 or 8 years ago.

5. I would also prefer a guy who is at least slightly athletic. Not to mention not prettier or skinnier than I (How could I date someone more high maintenance than me? If he could fit into my jeans, that's not good--I want a real man, with meat on his bones.) I have to admit, I dig the broad shoulder type--I'm just sayin'.

6. Finally, it's important for him to be kind, empathetic and a decent human being. I'd also appreciate it if he was not gropey, creepy, icky gross or on drugs. He should actually be single, be able to have a somewhat intelligent conversation, have a job, a sense of humor, and not be a total commitment-phobe. (See previous Frog Chronicles for further info on what I'm NOT to do.)

I know it's much harder to screen for the criteria in #6, but I feel they're a little more common sense--who isn't looking for those things? Besides, 1-5 are clearly hard enough for me to find.

See? I'm not that picky. :)

Skirt Wearing Froggies

This morning was the Go Vertical Challenge, and the last event in my "Month of Ridiculousness" (ie, Chicago Marathon 10/12, Indianapolis Marathon 10/18, Chicago Lakefront 50/50 Ultramarathon 11/1, and the Sears Tower Climb 11/9).

I wasn't feeling well, so in an effort to cheer myself up, I wore my very cute red polka-dot running skirt for the climb. I got in line to start the climb, and this guy, who was two people in front of me was a creepy looking guy who was also wearing a skirt--I say skirt because I like kilts--and I don't want to degrade the kilt by claiming that he was wearing one! I hope that it was a sport kilt (yes, they make those), but it wasn't a tartan pattern, rather it was just army green. He turns around and says to me (over the guy between us) "Try not to look up when you're climbing, unless you want a happy surprise."

EW!! The guy between us, literally took a step backwards away from this creep. Next, the skirt wearing froggie says "Aren't you curious about what's under my kilt?"

I replied "Um, not even a little."

He leered in my direction and said "Hey, you're wearing a skirt too, looks like we've got a lot in common. Ya, know there are other things that you can climb..."

Fortunately, I saw my friend Peter farther up in the line and was able to catch his attention. I'm not even sorry for running away and cutting about 20 people in line. Thanks Peter!! You're my savior from the creepy skirt wearing froggie!!

Texting Froggies

I had been chatting (email and text) with this guy for about a week. He was a Marine, worked in the fraud department for a bank downtown, ya know seemed normal. We had plans to meet for coffee, something I didn't think was a high pressure situation. I was sitting in Borders with some tea waiting for this guy to show up, when I received the following text:

"i m sorry but their appears to be a lack of spark"

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?! You did not just stand me up with a text!! (Not to mention the incorrect use of 'their'!!) What the hell?! I would think that a Marine would have a little more class than that--or a least be able to suck it up through a cup of coffee! And to top it off, I'm mortified to think that he saw me sitting there and decided that I wasn't cute enough to sit through a cup of coffee. :(

Gettin' My Sufferage On!

I headed to the polls before work this morning to exercise my 19th Amendment rights, and I was surprised that there was absolutely no lines!

I walked in to the high school using the front door and headed through the school to the gym area to the polling place. The direction from where I came had me walking in behind the election judges. As I walked over, one of the judges said to me "What time does school start?"

I gave her a funny look and replied "About an hour, why do you ask?"

To which she responded, "Is your locker over here?"

I laughed as I told her, "No, I'm not a student--I'm here to vote!!"

She was embarrassed and apologized as she directed me to the precinct room. I told her my age and she told me that I looked great--I can't believe that she actually thought I could be in high school!! LOL!

Better than Trick or Treat

Before you dive in to that bag of mini Snicker's bars, here's a way to give to the hungry children of the world with out costing a dime. The site is Free Rice. You'll broaden your vocabulary and help people at the same time. By choosing the correct synonym, 20 grains of rice are donated per word. Don't worry, if vocabulary isn't your thing there are other catagories of foreign language, art and math (among others). If nothing else, it will keep your mind sharp and your fingers occupied between trick or treaters!

Enjoy!

Hand Check!

It's a beautiful time of year when Baseball is playing the World Series. Football is in full swing and there's hockey to be watched. I was at BW3s over the weekend and met this guy who asked if I wanted to meet up to watch the first game of the World Series. Granted I'm not happy about the Phillies v. Rays in the game, but at least with this being the case I won't be glued to the screen and shushing him.

The date started with him being more than 30 minutes late. I was really starting to think that I was being stood up. Then he stated that he had a gift for me, which began the toothbrush flashbacks, fortunately for me it was a Cubs hat. I'm still not certain the thought process behind the gift (since he stated that he was a die hard Sox fan), but I thanked him none the less.

The date progressed ok. We had a few beers (unfortunately he had twice as many as I), made fun of the Rays, chatted...all was going fairly normal until he decided he wanted to get cozy. He suddenly slid my bar stool right next to him and put his arm around me. I hate to be a bitch, but I have a little bit of a personal bubble. Now, not so much that I can't handle close proximity, but I don't feel the need to share a bar stool with someone.

Just as I was able to get some elbow room from octopus arms, he flipped my shirt up and slid his hand up my bare back under my bra strap!!

Really? Is it necessary to do that on a first date?!?! I hate to sound like a prude, but what the crap?!?! Does something about me say that I'm that type of girl!! I was in Buffalo Wild Wings, during the top of the 8th, not a brothel!! I know we were watching baseball, but that doesn't automaticly give you licence to get to second base! BAD TOUCH!!

And then, when clearly I make my discomfort known, how does that give someone a green light to kiss me? WTF?!?! I completely missed those signals!! I'm not a huge PDA kinda person. There are some acceptable levels of PDA that don't make me uncomfortable, but hand up shirt in a restaurant during the World Series? So not ok!!

I tried to gracefully get out and to my car. The 'gentleman' (and I use that word loosely) walked me out to my car and tried to kiss me again! How is it that it's ok to keep going when I'm literally pushing you away!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ford for all 260 horses that they put in my engine to get me out of there!! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hit the shower to wash this date off me. I hope I have enough hot water. UGH!

World's Largest Personal Ad

In this day and age, there are a million ways to find a date. It seems that many of them haven't worked for me...but then again, they may work for others. However, I've found one that's completely extreme. There's a woman looking to raise 3 million dollars to get an ad spot during the Superbowl. Her website, superbowlsinglegirl.com shows her story, as well as her current amount fundraised ($741.00 as of post time).

There's just soooo much wrong with all of this!! First of all, does no one else think this woman is a few fries short of a Happy Meal? I mean, CRA--ZY!! And if you're this nuts, do you think a man is really going to want to date you? (Unless he, himself, is just as loony...and then y'all shouldn't breed.) This is not the optimism of a hopeless romantic, this is insanity.

Second the Superbowl?!? Seriously, try match.com or a personal add in the paper, or even Craig's list! Most of you know that I consider Superbowl Sunday to be a holiday. I don't want this chickie to ruin my holiday!! (don't mess with my Superbowl!!) The commercials are for getting another beer, more food or using the bathroom. Not for watching the commercials (you can check those out online the next day). The focus should be on FOOTBALL!!

Does she really think this is the best method to get a guy? This is a national spot, she lives in New York, what is she going to want with Bubba in Appalachia? Maybe it's just me, but I've found that long distance never seems to work out, unless someone is going to move.

There's even different levels of giving to this cause. For $10 grand, you'll not only help this desperate woman, but you'll also get an invite to her wedding. Do you really need to pay $10,000 for a ticket to a freak show? And what of the other weirdo's that would pay that...the mayhem that could ensue!

Finally, how is this website even still running? The phrase "Superbowl" is copyrighted. Roger Goodell, where are you and your high priced lawyers to shut that site down for copyright infringement!!

I know I think this is ridiculous, and I would like this woman to be happy. But really, wouldn't it be a better use of your time to have a web site that could act as your personal add? I just don't get it...

Indianapolis Marathon

This was Julia's first marathon, and I have to tell you how proud I am!! She is a total rock star!!

First of all, it was a perfect day for a marathon, about 60 degrees and mostly sunny (all though I did not care for the head wind toward the end). Unfortunately it was not a perfect marathon for me. As we were getting in to Indy, I began to feel queasy. I told Julia that I didn't feel so well. So, I rolled down Roxy's window (Julia's car's name), and realized--oh, yeah--I'm gonna barf. I completely defiled the outside of the car, and some how got vomit on my armpit (how does that happen?!?). We got to the parking lot and I felt somewhat better. After all, I have done the rainbow yawn during a training run before (on Lake Shore Drive), so I should be fine, right?

We got in to our surgical gowns (thank you, Barb!) and headed to the start. We were a little late due to the port-a-potty lines (Hoosier Potty!--say it out loud. It's funny.). Julia wanted to jump in, but I wouldn't let her...I didn't think it was a good idea to go with the 8:00 group. I think she was a little nervous, and I did everything I could to calm her down.

We began the race and even though I had spewed a 1/2 hour before the race, I felt ok (only a little nauseated). In fact, we were on perfect pace for the first 1/2 of the marathon. I knew I could make it to the first half...and at that point I was still feeling pretty good. One completely random thing, was that we saw these two guys with what seemed to be a karaoke machine crooning to the runners...guess which two celebrities they were impersonating? Oh, that would be Elvis and Meatloaf. Seriously the most bizarre combo I've seen, and the "monster ballads" they were singing only made me want to run away, not run better!

Any who, at the half the 1/2 marathoners split off and the course got really sparse. But Julia and I remained on pace, and aside from almost stepping upon squirrel road kill that freaked both of us out the race was pretty uneventful.

That is, until mile 17.

I told Julia that I was tired and needed to walk a bit and to go on with out me. The truth? I was feeling pukey again. I hurled 3 times in mile 17 (FYI--Gu looks pretty much the same going in as it does coming out). Once, near a water stop, where a paramedic asked if I wanted a ride back to the start. I responded with "No, I just want to throw up."

Y'all know me--I'm much too stubborn to not finish. And after expunging the contents of my stomach the third time I was feeling a bit better. I walked a little and continued on. I saw Julia after she had hit the turn around and she looked really good. I continued to the turn around and as I got to the sign, it blew over. Ugh!! Really? Can this race be anymore perfect!

I kept going in a walk/run. I got to the 20 telling myself--"It's a 10k--you can run a 10k--you'll be done in 1:15." By the time I got to 22, I was talking smack to the course. "4 miles--any idiot can run 4 miles!!" And finally at 23 "A 5k? Come on, you've done this drunk and hung-over!" At 24 I could feel myself really needing to push, and I remembered Elaine and her walk run plan that had helped her at Big Sur. I told myself, "One minute, you can run for 60 seconds. Then you can walk one minute."

That's what I did for the remainder of the race. (Except, I always ran any down hill). Once I hit 26, I decided I would run the last .2...and finished with a 9 minute PR time of 5:39:03 (12:56 av pace)!! Oh, yeah and upon crossing the finish line--I promptly ralphed. Fantastic.

Julia was cheering for me...until she ran over to pat my back and make sure I wasn't going to die. She kicked my ass, running her first marathon in just over 5:30. I'm so proud of her! I felt so bad I couldn't stick with her due to my yakage. I didn't want to let her down...(or hork on a marathon course, for that matter). I still think she's amazing!!

I was helping her stretch after the race, and I said "The next time I decide to do something stupid like this, remind me how AWESOME I am!!" I did it--2 Marathons in 6 days! And I PRed in both!! I can officially apply to be a Marathon Maniac!My next question: When's the next one?

Chicago Marathon 2008

Ah, the Chicago Marathon. I was so pumped! It was hard to keep the first half slow and on pace...I kept being asked to slow down. For the first 7 miles or so, I had a Chicago Bears balloon. I lost that at some point. I kinda missed the "Go Bears" after it was gone. Here I am at some point...clearly it's early because I'm still smiling!But then the humidity got to me and I just couldn't keep the pace or catch my breath. I really was struggling to breathe around the United Center and then again in Pilsen. It was so hot, I took my shirt off and ran the last 7 miles in my sports bra (and ya'll know, I don't do naked in public).

Then I decided that I needed to have some fun (because isn't that what it's all about?). In Chinatown, some kind souls gave me a Budweiser, and that's when I discovered that the beer was much colder than the water or Gatorade! Then I found some guys South on Michigan Ave who were watching runners...they gave me 2 Miller Lites (one I drank with them, and one I took with me). And then some others on Michigan that traded out my empty Miller Lite for an Amstel Lite that made it across the finish. It was nice to hear people cheer "Yeah, Beer Girl!"You can see, I did finish (5:48:11--13:18 av pace), with my beer, my medal and a shiny mylar blanket (I *heart* all those things!)It was about a 10 minute PR, but I'm still glad that I get a do-over this weekend...there's supposed to be cooler weather in Indianapolis...and I get to run it with Julia! Yeah road trip! I'm also strangely proud of the fact that 1/2 of the marathon photos taken on the course have me holding a beer and running, and that my visor is coated with salt...At least you know I was having fun!!

Thank you to everyone for their support! And a special thanks to all of you who were on the course cheering for me--you rock!

My Super Hero Cheerleader

Aw!! Thanks Super Julia!!
You're the best! I love the sunshine on the sign!

Marathon Party!

Well, it's time to carb up for the Chicago Marathon! I had some runners over for a good ol' fashioned pasta party--complete with my student's marathon themed art work (It's unfortunate that the kids names are on the funnier ones, or I'd post them!). Here's Jack's version of carbo loading:
Crystal, Danielle and Colleen love Diet Pepsi!
Barb was really hungry!!
Running Buddies!
Everyone seems ready to go...here's hoping nature cooperates--we've all worked so hard!

Good Luck to everyone running in the 2008 Chicago Marathon!

My Furry Cheerleader

This was too cute not to share...looks like Conrad will be cheering me on, all the way from Florida on Sunday! See? If a dog can make a sign for me, what's up with the rest of you?! :)

Google Goggles

Google has come up with a way to help poor inebriated souls, like myself keep, from drunk emailing people. (And, let's face it--many of you have gotten at least one of these from me.) It's called Mail Goggles. Once it's set up, it asks you to complete a series of math problems with in a certain amount of time to send your email. You can even set it for times when it has to be active (like 2 am on a Saturday).

While this is genius, I have to say, what happens when I'm sober and I have to send an email? Let's face it--Math is not my friend. How the heck am I supposed to get those emails out? And if I do go for the calculator, who's to stop me from going for one when I'm wasted? I think that a logic problem might be a better control. Or one of those captia puzzle thingys. Good idea in theory...but math just might stop all email communication from me, permanently!

Cool!

Yeah!! My fridge and my beer are now chilling nicely!!

With Jack's over the phone direction, I took the back panel off and found that the fan on the compressor motor was not moving. After digging around for the right tools (Finally!! I used a refrigeration ratchet!! My parents will appreciate the wonder of that one--I used to assemble them when I was a kid.) I got the fan motor off and the other Jack came by to help. We ran to the appliance repair place and one of the very nice guys there took the motor off the carriage. I had what I needed written on my hand, and all the guys in the shop made fun of me for not using paper (Hello! I did use paper--I just forgot said paper at home and had to call Jack to get the info again :D). They also cleaned and re-attached the fan and then rewired the plug. We got back (I yelled at Jack for the total cockblock) and got the motor back in.

Total cost: $51.75.

Insert "Bethie is awesome dance" here.

Ah, I think I'll drink a nice cold beer to celebrate. :)

(oh, and P.S. I also fixed the sprayer on the sink. Oh yeah!)

Still, Not Cool!

Update: My fridge is still not cold, but I think I know the problem. It's the motor attached to the fan in the back bottom of the fridge.

New mission: Get motor out. Figure out where to get new motor. Replace motor.

I figure if the fridge really is broken, I can't break it any more than it already is!

Not Cool!

I headed to the fridge to make some toast and I pulled a loaf of bread out of the freezer. I put it in the toaster. I started to close the bag and I realized that it was soft...

Yeah, I pulled it out of the freezer.

My fridge is dying. Not only that, my beer was getting warm.

So, I did what I had to do. I ran to the basement and got the mini fridge from college (a.k.a. The Bears Game Beer Fridge) and plugged it in. Then I started drinking the beer. I mean, I can't let it get warm (aside from in my tummy!).

Don't worry, I pitched the rest of the perishables. I'm hoping because it's about 55 to 60 in the fridge right now, most of my produce is going to be ok. Clearly, the dairy is gone (don't even ask about the mayo or ranch dressing). Oh, and don't worry about the Bailey's, Jameson and beer, I made some Irish Carbombs--and I'm not so sad about the dying fridge anymore! :)

In Running News...

Since 2 weeks from today is the Chicago Marathon, I have a few running notes to post:

1. Melissa has, in fact, re-hydrated. She's doing well and hates the fact that I posted a picture of her in a hospital bed on the Internet for the world to see. (Yep, I am a "jerk-face", and yes, anything you do or say can be blogged against you!) But I can give her a plug, she is running the Marathon for the American Cancer Society. If you'd care to donate, click here for her donation page.
2. Way to go Mom! Yesterday, she participated in a 1 mile walk in honor of her service puppies. Way to put that mall walking to good use! I'm proud, mom--I think a 5k is somewhere in your future.
3. I also have to say, I'm proud of Amy. She finally made it OUT of the gym. For some reason she hated running outside. But she's broken away from the treadmill and found the great outdoors. She will be completing her first 1/2 Marathon the first weekend in December. You go girl! Keep up the good work!
4. Congrats to Dwayne! He ran his first 8k this morning. He called me after, his knees covered in IcyHot wondering just how many miles were in 8 kilometers. He said it felt like it was about five. :) So close--4.96. I told him that if he jogged to the car or to the fridge to get a beer during the Bears game, he'd be at 5. Great job, D--when are you going to run a Marathon? (No pressure.)
5. Finally, I'm so proud of all the Fabulous 12 Minute Mile Runner's!! You made it 17 weeks, chasing my ass up and down the Lakefront Path--that's some tough running! But seriously, It's quite a commitment you've made, and I'm very proud of all your hard work. It's been a pleasure to watch you grow as runners and it's been an honor to get to know each and every one of you. You've taught me a lot, and I thank you. I know a lot of you are running your first marathon; all I can say is, enjoy it!

That's about all for now, I have some football to watch--Go Bears!!

Who could ask for more...

I had a really crappy day at school. But I have to admit there were some positives:

• a hug when I needed it the most
• running at the gym to blow off some steam
• a new pair of fuzzy socks
• a chat with a good friend
• and sitting around in my underwear drinking Moose Drool and watching the Cubbie's win it in the 10th (thanks to Lee and Ramirez)

And really, what more could a girl want?

Movin' On Up!

Bears Season Ticket Wait List Up-Date:

Last Season's Number: 2571
This Season's Number: 1918

To quote Homer Simpson:
"Now we play the waiting game. ------
The waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry, Hungry Hippos!"

Frickin' Hilarious

I gave a homework assignment to my fourth graders to bring in either a picture or a sketch of their favorite animal. One student was showing students his picture, saying rather loudly "It's a frickin' elephant!!"

I called him up to my desk to check his paper and he repeats "Miss B, look! It's a frickin' elephant!!" Now if you know my students, they're really not afraid to cuss in any situation, so it's highly abnormal for them to say "frickin'" instead of just dropping an f-bomb.

So, I look at his paper, and it takes every ounce within me not to laugh at this poor child. I look at him and say, "Um, sweetie. This says 'A FRICAN Elephant'."

It makes me wonder what they'd call an asian elephant.

R2R

After all that carbo-loading, we were up bright and early for the 20 miler! For those of you not familiar with the route, it starts at Foster, heads up to Hollywood and then down to the South Shore Cultural Center at 71st Street. It began with some warnings (yellow/moderate), but my runners were ready to go (or at least they pretended they were)!

I of course felt the need to practice actual marathon conditions. And as you all know, this means finding beer along the course! You can see that some tailgaters gave me one...
That's right, 11.5, with Soldier Field in the back ground, and wearing a pacer's shirt...I stopped with some tailgaters to have a beer. I'm sure someone in the CARA office is very proud.

Sometime after 10:30 the flags were changed to red/high risk level. I slowed my pace down about a minute per mile for the last 5 miles, but I still finished in about 4:07. I'm so proud of all the runners in my group! They all did so well--especially in this heat!

We did have one runner go down...Melissa finished and headed straight to the medical tent. She was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. We got her to the ER and 3 liters of fluid later she started to feel better. While I was pretty much useless in the medical capacity (Let's face it, I was trying not to puke every time she was stuck for an IV), I did try to entertain her by singing her songs and trying to find all the possible impressions I could do with the mylar blanket. (You'd be surprised how many you can do with that thing...Elvis, Chipotle Burrito, Batman and my personal favorite Jiffy Pop!)

Aside from the massive amounts of time in the ER and missing the Bears game it wasn't too bad of a day, it certainly was a memorable!

R2E Pasta Party

Clearly I was being a social butterfly, because this is the only photo I thought to snap all night...
At least the food was good! The Fab 12's are going for it at the R2E (Ready to Eat) Pasta Party, in preparation for the R2R 20 Miler tomorrow!

Good Luck Runners!

And save the date...Friday, October 10th...Marathon Party at Casa de Bethie--BE THERE!

Froggies of the Past

I bumped into a froggie I hadn't seen since High School. We did the usual small talk stuff, when he says to me:

"Ya know, I still can't believe I never asked you out."

Now, this would not have annoyed me so much if a) he didn't just say he was MARRIED and number 2) I didn't remember (very clearly) the fact that senior year he had said:

"I would have asked you out sooner, but I was afraid of what the guys on the football team would think."

I'll just let ya'll have the field day with those comments because I just don't even want to get started.

Fake Baking

I hate to sound like a grinch, but when I go to a wedding reception there are two important things that I look for: Open Bar and Wedding Cake. (Clearly, I'm a woman with priorities.) Sure, I dig the whole two people are in love gettin' together thing. The first dance is lovely. I oblige and laugh at the Best Man's embarrassing speech. I run from the bouquet like it's a hand grenade. But I get all in a tissy when I see couples smashing cake in each other's faces--really, it's unnecessary and waste of perfectly good butter cream frosting! But I digress...

Anywho, when I heard about this concept, but I didn't believe it until I Googled it (and if can be found in Google, it must be true!). There is a service where you can rent a wedding cake! Apparently, the cost of baked goods have "sky rocketed" and instead of paying for a nice cake, you rent one that looks amazing, but it's made from styrofoam. Then there's a special section that has a secret compartment for the cutting of the cake part of the reception. Finally, fake cake is wheeled away and a cheaper sheet cake is served to the guests.

Now, I love wedding cake (ya'll know I have a major sweet tooth!) but you don't have to fake me out. Have a little cake that you use for the reception. Do the cake part and save the rest for your first anniversary. No biggie. I'm certain you can find a cute little thing to show off. I have no problem eating a well made sheet cake (with kick-ass frosting of course!) Don't lie to me (it makes me feel so used!)

Not that I've researched it, but really, how much does a wedding cake really cost? These fake cakes things sound expensive to me! These things start at $150.00 and the cost goes up. Plus you add the cost of the sheet cakes to the mix for your guests. Several hundred dollars for fake cake? Plus a $200 security deposit (which cracks me up--that's like insuring cigars against fire) Are you kidding me?

I want to make it clear, there is no edible part of the cake. In fact, according to the website, there's a secret compartment in the back of the cake that holds "three pieces of Twinkie(R), fit perfectly." Call me a princess, but I really don't want to indulge in a Twinkies on my wedding day (because nothin' says "I love you" like Twinkie the Kid).

This just sounds too bizarre to me...really has anyone actually seen this in real life?

From the mouths of babes...

My 6th graders are studying pre-historic art. When asked to describe "Prehistoric Art" one girl wrote:

"Prehistoric art is old art. Such as cavemen art or 1997 art."

I was 18 in 1997--does that make me a cavewoman? :)

Grossness!

I'm not the sort to enjoy things involving blood and guts. I won't even watch horror movies. So it amazes me that I know so many people in the medical profession. It's even more mind boggling that these very same people want to tell me their gross work stories, even though they know that the mere thought of an IV makes me gag.

It's also funny that what I consider gross for my job compared to gross for someone elses job. For example:

Gross at my job: Kid sticks red crayon up his nose.
Gross at Barb's Job: Festering, puss filled boil on ass that spurts four feet.

Gross at my job: Kid picking his nose. Not only that, he was stringing the booger out and touching it to different places on his face.
Gross at Amy's job: Finding hanging victim swinging from a tree in their back yard.

Gross at my job: Kid eats paint, paste and assorted other supplies used in that day's project.
Gross at Ken's job: Woman attacked with acid causing her body to disintegrate and turn green.

Gross at my job: Cockroaches infesting a trumpet case and running all over the band room. (OK, so it happened to Sarah, but it was still at my place of employment!!)
Gross at Melissa's job: Various medications improperly given, killing off surrounding tissue and a as a result being able to see the the person's bones.

Yuck, yuck, yuck!!

Is this a hint?

First of all, I want to thank everyone for a wonderful birthday, I had a great time!

Second, I want to thank the 2 people who sent me the Philosophy Bubbly scented shower gel and the Philosophy You Are My Sunshine shower gel and lip gloss. It was a fun surprise in the mail. I have to thank you on my blog, because neither package had any note!! The Sunshine package only had a card that said "Happy Birthday, Beautiful!", and the other had none.

So, unless people are sending me a subtle hint saying "Dude!! Bethie, you really need a shower!" Thanks, whomever you are!

Love Child?

Most of you know, that while I am a complete dork and love History and all sorts of fun facts of that nature, I completely loathe discussing politics. However, today I will make one concession by posing one question:

In regards to Sarah Palin, do you think she looks more like Tina Fey or Meghan Mullally? Maybe she's the love child of the two...

Feel free to discuss.

Check Out Down There

I know some of you have seen this, but I really wanted to post so that others could share in my laughter. This site (while generally informative) is hilarious! Maybe it's the art teacher in me, but "Hot & Heavy" is my favorite. And the "Down There Song" is almost as good as the "Camel Toe" song.

As funny as it is, I really can't picture my students watching it and taking it seriously...but then again, maybe all you Health teachers out there will use it in class! :)

The Happiest Race on Earth!

Sunday morning was the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon! We were a touch late getting to the start (missed the flame throwing, up close and personal), but we were just in time for our wave to go. We were in Corral B Wave 1 (yes, I do feel the need to brag that I was in the second corral wave one!) and we were ready to run!

Since it's Disneyland, we of course had to stop during the race for pictures! Here's Barb and I (in matching Minnie Mouse outfits) near the castle.

In the park we found Tinkerbell and Peter Pan.
And Belle, but where was Beast?
Somewhere along the way on a random Anaheim street I found some hula dancers and took some time to learn to do a little dance...Watch me groove!
And these ladies totally cracked us up! I love their signs!
Me mounting the freeway entrance; and yet Barb looks so chill.

Clearly there's always time during a race to hug a giant blue monster--I love Sully! Unfortunately, there was no Mike Wazowski. :(
Mrs. Incredible with 2 incredible chickies. (I'm such a cheese ball!)
This may not be the "Bungee Rat" that was flirting with me from the parade the day before, but he still deserved some love!
Barb, truly is Goofy and needed her picture taken with her race namesake.
Here we are standing by the statue that matches our "Coast to Coast" Medals! (Of course we had to get the Sleeping Beauty's Castle in the background!) Ah, the Disneyland...The Happiest Race on Earth; definitely a good way to spend Labor Day weekend. :) (Even if my flight was cancelled and re-routed through a hurricane in New Orleans!)

The Happiest Place on Earth

First time to California and first time to DISNEYLAND!!

It's definitely much smaller than in Orlando, but they do have some different rides. I was the saddest girl in the whole land to find out that "It's a Small World" was closed down (it's the original from the World's Fair!) It's ok, I think riding the Matterhorn and Indiana Jones made up for it.

And of course taking pictures with our friend Pluto!

I was also very excited about the giant sunshine in the California Adventure Park. Taking time to smell the roses
Barb's ready for the 1/2 Marathon....The only problem was that my return flight was cancelled. The default flight left the following morning and took me through San Diego and NEW ORLEANS. (Yeah, because I want to head straight for a hurricane.) Fortunately, the lady behind the desk gave me a shuttle voucher to LAX (Thank God!) and re-routed me. When I got there, I saw that there was an earlier flight home. I ran (not kidding) through the airport trying to get to the gate. They were boarding, but there was plenty of room on board for me to switch (with my own row to stretch out!). Even with the flight issues, I can think of worse ways to spend my weekend!

House Plants

After a week of playing in the mountains, I had done my laundry and was putting it away when something caught my eye--Look carefully at the picture:
Apparently, when I was gone, this plant had grown through the window and in to my bedroom! (Top left corner of the window) Clearly I'm more of a green thumb when I'm out of the state. Too bad it wasn't a magical bean stalk! How does that even happen?!

Montana Musings

My last few days in Montana... First of all, We made sure to hit the Bozone, the brewery in town. While we were having a few, Mike looked out the window and asked "Is that guy walking donkey's down the street?"

Turns out, there really were donkeys!
After picking up a few growlers, we headed to the store to get the fixin's for some bbq...
And no, I have no idea what they were doing with the kale, but I'm certain Melissa started it. Random lion doing naughty things to the security camera. Clearly, Mike was enjoying himself.
Mustard any one?
Montana was absolutely gorgeous!! I loved the people, the atmosphere and the mountains

Even these last few in Wyoming! :)

Thanks Mel for a great road trip!!

The Wilds of Montana

Ah, the wilds of Montana!

We headed up to Headwaters State Park. This is where the Missouri River Starts as well as the Gallatin River, the Madison River and the Jefferson Rivers feed into it. As we were driving Jeff spotted a MOOSE in the Missouri! You all know of my love of Mooses, so we stopped for some pictures!

We didn't get much closer, because apparently moose are mean, and we didn't want to make it want to charge us...but I'm so psyched I saw a real live MOOSE!

After the moose sighting, we headed to the Lewis and Clark Caverns. (Random trivia: It's the first state park in Montana.) We hiked up the mountain to the mouth of the caverns. It had an amazing view! This is the Jefferson River cutting through the valley.
The caverns had your typical cavey stuff...
Fallen Stalagmite:

Random cave spelunkers :)
This was a beautiful pond in the cave that looked like glass. That's not a reflection you see...the water is just that clear.
There was a section of the caves that had LED lighting. So the colors were much more true. I had no idea that caves were actually pink and purple, rather than earth tones!
Yeah caving! The mountains are such a beautiful place to play!