So I have a new project. Yesterday I got to break out my new (well, new to me) table saw and play with it. Holy cow. The things that took hours with my circular saw took less than 10 minutes with the table saw. And yes, I was extremely careful. And plywood is heavier than I remembered!
I saw a plan for a laundry organizer a few weeks ago, and have been debating whether I wanted to give it a try. The master bathroom, which is usually a family bathroom, often gets buried under dirty clothes, and no scheme we have yet tried seems to work. This little project, basically a cabinet for stacking laundry baskets vertically, seems promising. So we'll see. I made all the cuts yesterday, now I just have to put it together. But considering how late I was up last night watching the Cards FINALLY win Game 6 and then having to come down off the adrenaline high - it might not happen until tomorrow.
And once I find my camera, I'll post a few pics once it's done. Heh. Haven't seen it in a while...probably buried in the bedroom under dirty clothes.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tiny Dancer
Yesterday, Alyssa got in the car and told me that they'd had a "miniature baseball player" come talk to them in class today. Ummm...I wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, so I asked her - was it a kiddo? No, not a kiddo. Was it a teenager? No, not a teenager. Was it someone's dad? Yeah, someone's dad.
Um, you don't mean amateur, do you, Alyssa?
Yeah. Amateur, that's it!
Um, you don't mean amateur, do you, Alyssa?
Yeah. Amateur, that's it!
Monday, October 24, 2011
To the Top
On the run yesterday, I spent the first 7 miles or so listening to the running podcast I like so much. The author often makes it a point to encourage his listeners to "live life to the top," and yesterday was no exception. One of his main goals is to live life fully, experiencing everything he can, enjoying life completely. Running is one of those things that helps him live his best life, and I can identify completely with that feeling. Of course, he also waxes poetic about red wine and pizza, and really - who can argue with that?
As I hit mile 7 during yesterday's long run, I finished the podcast and switched over to some tunes. I was at the base of the Big Dam Bridge, which is really quite a hike up and over, even without 7 miles already on your legs. My initial goal was to finish that last mile over the bridge, slowly, and call it a day - that would make a total of 8 miles, what was on the schedule, and enough to make me feel ok about the half mary coming up.
But as I started the ascent on the bridge, and the tunes went from Foster the People to Lady Gaga (don't judge, do what works for you), I had this incredible surge of energy. The top of the bridge looks up and down the Arkansas river, and yesterday was an amazingly beautiful day. There were some low clouds, a nice crisp breeze, warm sunlight - it was a perfect autumn afternoon. I had this sudden rush of endorphins, and totally hit on a wonderful runner's high.
J and I had a great weekend with the kiddos and friends, we'd eaten well, played hard, laughed a lot, and I was at the tail end of a good, solid long run. This is my version of living life to the top. It's not about filling up life with all the "accomplishments" you can - although that is doubtless part of it. It's not about cramming as much stuff into one day as you can - although we certainly do that, too. It's about doing the things in life that fulfill you, re-energize you, and make you grateful for all the things you already have. And taking time to reflect on what you have, spending a few moments feeling content with the life you've created.
That was mile 8 for me yesterday - a 10 minute nearly-euphoric reminder up and over the Big Dam Bridge of how lucky I am in my life. And if it took 7 miles to get to that point, how lucky it was that I'd put those other 7 behind me, and made it to mile 8. Then I finished 8 and did 2 more, just for good measure. 'Cause you can't just stop when you're feeling like that - I mean, you gotta take advantage of the runner's high and thrash your legs a little more before they know what hit 'em. Because when it comes down to it, I'm pretty damn lucky to be able to thrash them over 10 miles. It was a good run.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Double Digits
Today's run ended up being 10 miles. I really only intended to run 8, but I hit some really good tunes right about mile 7, and it made the decision to tack on the extra miles easy. I may end up seriously regretting it tomorrow, but I'm totally happy with it tonight. My pace averaged about 10:30 over the entire run, but the last five miles were (unintentionally) much faster than the first five, which is a good sign for general conditioning. It means there was still gas left in the tank. And in fact, I'm pretty sure I still had a few miles left in me, which bodes well for the half marathon in December. I think this is the first double digit run I've done since April, and I forgot how satisfying the longer runs can be. Not to mention the post-run, completely justifiable snackage that can occur.
Just About Done
Um. Let's just say it's been busy, and leave it at that. Because I've hardly sat down the last three days. I'm not complaining, but I think I've about hit my limit. Fortunately, last night held an evening with some friends who have a hot tub in their backyard. Several of us spent about 3 hours relaxing, hanging out and drinking some good bourbon. The kiddos got to play with friends and watch a movie, and all was right with the world.
I've got 8-10 miles on my schedule for running today. That should take somewhere between 1.5 and 2 hours to finish, and while it is a bit intimidating, I'm going to be glad for the "me" time. I think I may run the river trail today - I find that "out and backs" work better for me for long runs. That way I can't cut it short. Once you've run 4 or 5 miles out, there's nothing you can do but turn around and run the same distance back. It's a good way to avoid cheating yourself.
But yeah. Between the state fair and making 7 pizzas Friday, a company picnic, baseball game, and hanging out with friends on Saturday, and a long run today, I have a feeling tonight holds nothing but my butt on the couch watching the World Series. There are far worse ways to spend an evening.
I've got 8-10 miles on my schedule for running today. That should take somewhere between 1.5 and 2 hours to finish, and while it is a bit intimidating, I'm going to be glad for the "me" time. I think I may run the river trail today - I find that "out and backs" work better for me for long runs. That way I can't cut it short. Once you've run 4 or 5 miles out, there's nothing you can do but turn around and run the same distance back. It's a good way to avoid cheating yourself.
But yeah. Between the state fair and making 7 pizzas Friday, a company picnic, baseball game, and hanging out with friends on Saturday, and a long run today, I have a feeling tonight holds nothing but my butt on the couch watching the World Series. There are far worse ways to spend an evening.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Inside Out
Scene: The Kitchen.
Time: 5:3pm, yesterday afternoon.
Alyssa: "Mommy, I think your shirt is on inside out."
Me: "Hmmm, I doubt it."
Alyssa: "Mommy, I really think it is."
Me: "OK, let me check..."
Me: "Well, yes, yes it is. Isn't that nice."
To all of the folks I saw yesterday at Kroger, on the tennis court, and in the pickup area at school - please feel free to tell me if my shirt is on inside out. Really -I'd rather know.
Time: 5:3pm, yesterday afternoon.
Alyssa: "Mommy, I think your shirt is on inside out."
Me: "Hmmm, I doubt it."
Alyssa: "Mommy, I really think it is."
Me: "OK, let me check..."
Me: "Well, yes, yes it is. Isn't that nice."
To all of the folks I saw yesterday at Kroger, on the tennis court, and in the pickup area at school - please feel free to tell me if my shirt is on inside out. Really -I'd rather know.
Not Quite A Brick...
In the triathlon world, a "brick workout" happens when you immediately follow a long bike ride with a run. I'm absolutely certain that the term "brick" comes from how your legs feel as you take your first several steps off the bike. Complete bricks.
I've only done these once or twice, and they are totally not fun. And I didn't exactly do one today...but I did manage to follow a singles match this afternoon with a fast 3 mile run this evening. I'm normally very hesitant to do two workouts in one day - injuries are not happy things.
But there are solid plans in place to run a Half Marathon in Fayetteville in December, and a bunch of my friends are running it. J and I registered today, which means it's time to hit the pavement and step up the training. And if that means my legs feel like bricks at the end of the day, well, that can only be a good thing, right?
I've only done these once or twice, and they are totally not fun. And I didn't exactly do one today...but I did manage to follow a singles match this afternoon with a fast 3 mile run this evening. I'm normally very hesitant to do two workouts in one day - injuries are not happy things.
But there are solid plans in place to run a Half Marathon in Fayetteville in December, and a bunch of my friends are running it. J and I registered today, which means it's time to hit the pavement and step up the training. And if that means my legs feel like bricks at the end of the day, well, that can only be a good thing, right?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Give and Take
Today, I got a new saw. Not that I know how to USE it yet, but that should come. Hopefully before I cut off a finger.
And tonight, I have a whiskey in front of me and the first game of the World Series on television. This is a good night. Especially with the Cards in the hunt - makes it all that much sweeter.
It almost makes up for the fact that I had a sick kid who stayed at home from school today (and who was actually good as gold most of the day). And that I got chased out of the cardio room at the community center because I had aforementioned sick kid with me. Don't these people know that you don't mess with someone who is just trying to get a freakin' run in? I was not very nice to them. I'm sure karma will come back to bite me in the ass on that one, but I don't really care.
And tonight, I have a whiskey in front of me and the first game of the World Series on television. This is a good night. Especially with the Cards in the hunt - makes it all that much sweeter.
It almost makes up for the fact that I had a sick kid who stayed at home from school today (and who was actually good as gold most of the day). And that I got chased out of the cardio room at the community center because I had aforementioned sick kid with me. Don't these people know that you don't mess with someone who is just trying to get a freakin' run in? I was not very nice to them. I'm sure karma will come back to bite me in the ass on that one, but I don't really care.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Busy
Let's see. We had friends and relatives come through the house Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, and we made a fast and furious trip to NWA over Saturday night and Sunday. And the kiddos are on fall break, so we spent yesterday at the library, running errands, and hitting IHOP for lunch.
I also had what I hope is my last warm run of the year last night. I've managed to convince a group of friends to run a half marathon in Fayetteville in December, so that means I actually have to get serious about training for it now. It's one thing when everyone SAYS they'll do it. It's quite another when a few actually sign up for the damn thing. So now I guess I'm committed.
Last night I managed a quick 3 mile run in the neighborhood. I'm not sure why it was so fast, but my average was a 9:20 pace, which was a fast pace for me for an outdoor hilly run. Speaking of hills, I'm gonna have to add those in to my training runs, since the half will be in Fayetteville. No hills there, nope, not at all...
The kiddos have one more day off today, and then we're back to thre regular routine. Based on the meltdown the girl had last night, I think we're all ready for a normal routine.
I also had what I hope is my last warm run of the year last night. I've managed to convince a group of friends to run a half marathon in Fayetteville in December, so that means I actually have to get serious about training for it now. It's one thing when everyone SAYS they'll do it. It's quite another when a few actually sign up for the damn thing. So now I guess I'm committed.
Last night I managed a quick 3 mile run in the neighborhood. I'm not sure why it was so fast, but my average was a 9:20 pace, which was a fast pace for me for an outdoor hilly run. Speaking of hills, I'm gonna have to add those in to my training runs, since the half will be in Fayetteville. No hills there, nope, not at all...
The kiddos have one more day off today, and then we're back to thre regular routine. Based on the meltdown the girl had last night, I think we're all ready for a normal routine.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Good Things
It's an awesome feeling when a teacher starts out a parent teacher conference with the words, "I have some really good things to tell you."
Girly Time
So. My toes are now painted a nice red. I can't remember the last time my toes had polish on them. I know I don't need to say this, but I'm so not a girly girl.
But earlier this week, one of the bloggers I read regularly commented that she felt like a drill sargeant most of the time. "Do your homework, eat dinner, go to bed, don't splash water, get your shower, don't throw balls in the house, etc., etc., etc." And I feel like that more often than I like.
After thinking about it, I decided that the girl and I would have a "girly night," so I could get out of drill sargeant mode. And for Alyssa, there is honestly not too much that is better than that. She's the complete opposite of me in that regard - loves nail polish (once a year for me at best), makeup (unless I'm working, it's about a once a week thing), and matching outfits (huh? outfits are supposed to match? that makes me uncomfortable).
I told her at dinner the other night that if she got her reading and homework done, we'd do something girly. The boy promptly broke down because he wanted in on the party, but he was eventually dissuaded with promises of watching the Cardinals whup up on the Brewers. This was going to be a no-boy party.
We locked ourselves in the bathroom, ran a bubble bath with awesome smelling soap, and broke out all things girly that I own. This didn't take very long, but it was enough for her. Putting aside my thoughts on girly stuff (seriously, I'm a complete fail in that category), she and I spent some quality time together that night. She talked about school, her friends, and totally revelled in one-on-one time. Benjamin, bless his heart, talks all. the time. ALL THE TIME. I think she gets lost sometimes in the noise he generates.
But for about an hour, she had my full attention and she loved it. We both ended the night with bright red toenails and she got to brag about having had a "girly night" with mom. It was awesome. Right up until bedtime when she got sent to time out for misbehaving. She then decided she was mad at me for the rest of the night. Good times.
But she came downstairs the next morning, snuggled up in bed with me, and I got a ton of "I love yous."
So if you see me any any time in the next several weeks, you'll see red toenails, or the remnants thereof. 'Cause one of the reasons I never put nail polish on? Is because I also never take it off. I'm lazy like that. But these red toenails were worth it.
But earlier this week, one of the bloggers I read regularly commented that she felt like a drill sargeant most of the time. "Do your homework, eat dinner, go to bed, don't splash water, get your shower, don't throw balls in the house, etc., etc., etc." And I feel like that more often than I like.
After thinking about it, I decided that the girl and I would have a "girly night," so I could get out of drill sargeant mode. And for Alyssa, there is honestly not too much that is better than that. She's the complete opposite of me in that regard - loves nail polish (once a year for me at best), makeup (unless I'm working, it's about a once a week thing), and matching outfits (huh? outfits are supposed to match? that makes me uncomfortable).
I told her at dinner the other night that if she got her reading and homework done, we'd do something girly. The boy promptly broke down because he wanted in on the party, but he was eventually dissuaded with promises of watching the Cardinals whup up on the Brewers. This was going to be a no-boy party.
We locked ourselves in the bathroom, ran a bubble bath with awesome smelling soap, and broke out all things girly that I own. This didn't take very long, but it was enough for her. Putting aside my thoughts on girly stuff (seriously, I'm a complete fail in that category), she and I spent some quality time together that night. She talked about school, her friends, and totally revelled in one-on-one time. Benjamin, bless his heart, talks all. the time. ALL THE TIME. I think she gets lost sometimes in the noise he generates.
But for about an hour, she had my full attention and she loved it. We both ended the night with bright red toenails and she got to brag about having had a "girly night" with mom. It was awesome. Right up until bedtime when she got sent to time out for misbehaving. She then decided she was mad at me for the rest of the night. Good times.
But she came downstairs the next morning, snuggled up in bed with me, and I got a ton of "I love yous."
So if you see me any any time in the next several weeks, you'll see red toenails, or the remnants thereof. 'Cause one of the reasons I never put nail polish on? Is because I also never take it off. I'm lazy like that. But these red toenails were worth it.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I Should Know Better
I started out yesterday with four - FOUR - things on my to do list. One of them was a project that has needed tackling ever since we moved into this house. We have plantation blinds in one of our front rooms, and the slats have been falling out of the shutters since the first day we moved in. The hardware holding them in is plastic and has become very brittle over the years. Hence, cracked pins, missing slats, slats at odd angles, etc. Our neighbors LOVE us, lemme tell you. We singlehandedly bring down property value everywhere.
So I decided that yesterday would be the day to tackle it. And it took all freaking day. I first tried to find the right parts so I could fix it the "correct" way with the "correct" hardware. Big fat strikeout. It's a specialty part, and while I suppose I could have ordered it via the interwebs, that would have delayed it getting done. And I was in the mood to get it done, so it was gonna get done. After fiddling around for a couple of hours on the interwebs and finally deciding that plan A, doing things the "correct" way, wasn't going to work, I went to plan B.
Use a hammer and nails and make it work.
In this case, it worked remarkably well. I was able to use small nails to get the slats to fit where they needed to go, and with a few eye screws (which required a trip to the hardware store) and a little elbow grease, it actually looks good. Which was great, but I finished it 5 minutes before I had to pick up the kiddos from school. Monday = GONE. One thing crossed off the list.
So today, I looked at my list from yesterday, laughed at what didn't get done, and pretty much decided that if I get one of each of the four things knocked out each day this week, it'll be a good thing.
As of this afternoon, 10 minutes before I have to get the kiddos, mission completed. Guest room upstairs is now clean and no longer threatens to overwhelm anyone who dares glance in there. Sure, I might've concealed some of the junk that I just didn't have time to handle, but dammit, it looks 1000X better. And there's even room to put a suitcase on the floor, and a few shelves to work with. Again, something that has needed doing since the day we moved in.
So maybe one thing a day isn't such a bad thing. I mean, it's only taken three years to get this stuff done, but at least it's getting done, right? Oh, and I also replaced lightbulbs in the hallway. Considering that we were down to one working light bulb out of six? I figured it was time to take care of it. Really, I hope no one wonders how it can take me three years to get things done sometimes.
So I decided that yesterday would be the day to tackle it. And it took all freaking day. I first tried to find the right parts so I could fix it the "correct" way with the "correct" hardware. Big fat strikeout. It's a specialty part, and while I suppose I could have ordered it via the interwebs, that would have delayed it getting done. And I was in the mood to get it done, so it was gonna get done. After fiddling around for a couple of hours on the interwebs and finally deciding that plan A, doing things the "correct" way, wasn't going to work, I went to plan B.
Use a hammer and nails and make it work.
In this case, it worked remarkably well. I was able to use small nails to get the slats to fit where they needed to go, and with a few eye screws (which required a trip to the hardware store) and a little elbow grease, it actually looks good. Which was great, but I finished it 5 minutes before I had to pick up the kiddos from school. Monday = GONE. One thing crossed off the list.
So today, I looked at my list from yesterday, laughed at what didn't get done, and pretty much decided that if I get one of each of the four things knocked out each day this week, it'll be a good thing.
As of this afternoon, 10 minutes before I have to get the kiddos, mission completed. Guest room upstairs is now clean and no longer threatens to overwhelm anyone who dares glance in there. Sure, I might've concealed some of the junk that I just didn't have time to handle, but dammit, it looks 1000X better. And there's even room to put a suitcase on the floor, and a few shelves to work with. Again, something that has needed doing since the day we moved in.
So maybe one thing a day isn't such a bad thing. I mean, it's only taken three years to get this stuff done, but at least it's getting done, right? Oh, and I also replaced lightbulbs in the hallway. Considering that we were down to one working light bulb out of six? I figured it was time to take care of it. Really, I hope no one wonders how it can take me three years to get things done sometimes.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sleep Deprivation is a Good Thing?
Holy cow, what a crazy weekend.
One of my close girlfriends from Houston, Laura, was up in Fayetteville this weekend. She drove up for the game with a couple of guys I know, and had been asking me if I could meet her up there at some point over the weekend. I'd been pretty doubtful, because J and I were playing a mixed doubles tournament this weekend, and that usually means matches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But the draws were totally screwed up, and J and I didn't play our first match until Saturday at 2:30. So Friday morning, I busted my ass, got a ton of shit done that needed doing, and made my way up to Fayetteville for the night.
J will quite possibly have 6 tennis matches over 2 days, so he decided not to go up with me. He was, however, awesome enough to let me go by myself. He didn't have it too badly himself, though - my mom kept the kids so he got a night completely off. He also got a bit more sleep than I did, but that's all good. The only caveat was that I could not come back and try to play our tennis match with a hangover. He was skeptical about whether I would be able to stick with this, and given my history, he might've been slightly right to be skeptical. Sometimes being petite is not the best thing in the world...my liver is apparently just as small as the rest of me.
Anyway. I digress.
So I made it up to Fayetteville in time for happy hour, and picked up a friend of mine who teaches at the UA on the way to a wine bar there. We hung out at the Wine Cellar until his wife showed up, and Laura and the boys made it ito town. We made introductions, all had a glass of wine, and chatted for a while. I'm always curious to see what happens when we introduce one group of friends to another - most of the time it works just fine, and it seems like this round of intros went fine as well. Eventually, Laura and I split off to have dinner with the boys, while the professor and his wife went to eat dinner.
We all met back up later that night at a Jazz Club near Dickson to listen to some live music (Laura was staying at the house of one of the band members playing there, so that's how we knew about it). The club was completely packed. Laura and I had to wait outside for about 10 minutes because the club was at capacity. Really? In Fayetteville? Then again, it was the night before a big game, so I guess it makes sense.
The music was great, but the bar was understaffed and slow, and the place was jam packed. Around midnight, the six of us split and headed to the professor and his wife's house to hang out on their deck, because the club had lost its appeal in the chaos.
There is something about late night conversations (laced with a bit of good scotch, or a good bit of scotch, whatever) that makes the inevitable sleep deprivation the next day 100% worth it. This sounds corny, but it felt a bit magical to be outside on their deck at 2am, surrounded by wonderful friends, bright stars above, a cool breeze, some background guitar music, and a slight buzz. It just makes you wish the night wouldn't end - and maybe that's where the magic lies, because you know that eventually, the evening will come to a close, everyone will sleep, and you'll have to pay the price tomorrow (or today, depending on the time). But for a few hours, you can push that thought back, and just revel in the here and how.
At some point in the past few months, my brother in law made a remark about keeping magic in your life. Although he might've been talking about a different kind of magic, I can see his point here. I am incredibly lucky to have some good friends in my life, and so, so fortunate to have nights like this.
Eventually, though, the night had to end. I'm fairly certain it was sometime after 4 am, before Laura, the professor and I stumbled into the house and headed to bed. And I was awake before 8, so it was quite the short night. As far as the tennis match yesterday afternoon...well, J and I won. And I was not hungover, thankyouverymuch. But it was not pretty; in fact, it was one of the uglier matches we've played. And ask me if I can remember a damn thing we talked about after 2am on the deck of my friends' house - and I have no freakin' clue. I remember laughing a lot, and I guess I'm gonna have to go with that.
The last night I remember that had a similar feel was the last night we spent on the deck in North Carolina with all of our Houston friends. I don't remember much about those conversations either, and it was a very late night, but again - same conclusion, it was totally worth it.
So maybe it's not about the conversations at all. Maybe it's just about being with the people you know best, and people who know you best. The history behind you, the time that's been put into the relationships, and the ability to let time stand still for a few hours here and there, and just enjoy life.
And before you ask, no, I haven't been drinking today. I'm just feeling sentimental. It'll be a while before it happens again, promise.
One of my close girlfriends from Houston, Laura, was up in Fayetteville this weekend. She drove up for the game with a couple of guys I know, and had been asking me if I could meet her up there at some point over the weekend. I'd been pretty doubtful, because J and I were playing a mixed doubles tournament this weekend, and that usually means matches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But the draws were totally screwed up, and J and I didn't play our first match until Saturday at 2:30. So Friday morning, I busted my ass, got a ton of shit done that needed doing, and made my way up to Fayetteville for the night.
J will quite possibly have 6 tennis matches over 2 days, so he decided not to go up with me. He was, however, awesome enough to let me go by myself. He didn't have it too badly himself, though - my mom kept the kids so he got a night completely off. He also got a bit more sleep than I did, but that's all good. The only caveat was that I could not come back and try to play our tennis match with a hangover. He was skeptical about whether I would be able to stick with this, and given my history, he might've been slightly right to be skeptical. Sometimes being petite is not the best thing in the world...my liver is apparently just as small as the rest of me.
Anyway. I digress.
So I made it up to Fayetteville in time for happy hour, and picked up a friend of mine who teaches at the UA on the way to a wine bar there. We hung out at the Wine Cellar until his wife showed up, and Laura and the boys made it ito town. We made introductions, all had a glass of wine, and chatted for a while. I'm always curious to see what happens when we introduce one group of friends to another - most of the time it works just fine, and it seems like this round of intros went fine as well. Eventually, Laura and I split off to have dinner with the boys, while the professor and his wife went to eat dinner.
We all met back up later that night at a Jazz Club near Dickson to listen to some live music (Laura was staying at the house of one of the band members playing there, so that's how we knew about it). The club was completely packed. Laura and I had to wait outside for about 10 minutes because the club was at capacity. Really? In Fayetteville? Then again, it was the night before a big game, so I guess it makes sense.
The music was great, but the bar was understaffed and slow, and the place was jam packed. Around midnight, the six of us split and headed to the professor and his wife's house to hang out on their deck, because the club had lost its appeal in the chaos.
There is something about late night conversations (laced with a bit of good scotch, or a good bit of scotch, whatever) that makes the inevitable sleep deprivation the next day 100% worth it. This sounds corny, but it felt a bit magical to be outside on their deck at 2am, surrounded by wonderful friends, bright stars above, a cool breeze, some background guitar music, and a slight buzz. It just makes you wish the night wouldn't end - and maybe that's where the magic lies, because you know that eventually, the evening will come to a close, everyone will sleep, and you'll have to pay the price tomorrow (or today, depending on the time). But for a few hours, you can push that thought back, and just revel in the here and how.
At some point in the past few months, my brother in law made a remark about keeping magic in your life. Although he might've been talking about a different kind of magic, I can see his point here. I am incredibly lucky to have some good friends in my life, and so, so fortunate to have nights like this.
Eventually, though, the night had to end. I'm fairly certain it was sometime after 4 am, before Laura, the professor and I stumbled into the house and headed to bed. And I was awake before 8, so it was quite the short night. As far as the tennis match yesterday afternoon...well, J and I won. And I was not hungover, thankyouverymuch. But it was not pretty; in fact, it was one of the uglier matches we've played. And ask me if I can remember a damn thing we talked about after 2am on the deck of my friends' house - and I have no freakin' clue. I remember laughing a lot, and I guess I'm gonna have to go with that.
The last night I remember that had a similar feel was the last night we spent on the deck in North Carolina with all of our Houston friends. I don't remember much about those conversations either, and it was a very late night, but again - same conclusion, it was totally worth it.
So maybe it's not about the conversations at all. Maybe it's just about being with the people you know best, and people who know you best. The history behind you, the time that's been put into the relationships, and the ability to let time stand still for a few hours here and there, and just enjoy life.
And before you ask, no, I haven't been drinking today. I'm just feeling sentimental. It'll be a while before it happens again, promise.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Singles! Yay!
This afternoon, I played singles for the first time since July 30th (but who's counting). I've been avoiding playing singles out of respect for the wrist, but it seems to have just about healed, so I gave it a shot.
It was also the first time I've practiced against a lady I lost to much earlier this season. In fact, you might say I had a bit of a vendetta out for her today. She was the only person I lost to in singles this season.
Sidenote: I did lose one other singles match, but the lady I lost to was disqualified and bumped up to the next level soon after our match, so I'm not counting it as a loss because the league didn't count it as a loss. But I'll fight just as hard next time I play her. Heh heh.
Anyway. The lady I played today was involved in some pretty heavy duty conflict during the league season, and my teammates had told me after I lost to her that she'd given me some rough line calls. Whatever.
But what had really sealed the deal for me was when her husband came unglued during one of her matches against a teammate of mine Bear in mind that he is in charge of one of the tennis clubs around here, so his public behavior reflects on both his teaching style, and the club itself. He behaved like a 5 year old during her match, and I've had a sort of sour taste in my mouth about both of them since then. I mean, for God's sake. It's a tennis match, and there's not any money on the line! You don't throw a loud, obnoxious temper tantrum, pout, and stalk off during your wife's league tennis match. Twice. Sheesh.
So. I haven't had much interaction with her since then, but she's a very good singles player and when she texted me about playing, I figured it'd be a good way to get out there and play some singles.
You might say it went pretty well for me - I won 6-1, 6-1. We also played a 10 point tiebreaker, which she won 10-7, but damn. It felt good to unload after that loss earlier this season. No, this one doesn't count for anything, but I was still happy about the results. She picked it up in the tiebreaker, so I have no doubt that any real match would be a LOT closer than the first two sets.
And it was nice to actually talk to her. She's a runner, too, so you know we had to talk about that - she's run about 8 marathons, so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage there! She's tall, athletic, and seems perfectly nice off the court. I have to wonder why so many of these good tennis players are tall. I swear I play in a land of giants sometimes. She also had the opportunity to make some catty comments about one of my teammates, and she totally let it slide, which I thought was classy of her.
So. A good singles match and some good conversation made for a nice afternoon. Now it's about time to get the kiddos and let chaos descend for the rest of the evening. Happy Thursday!
It was also the first time I've practiced against a lady I lost to much earlier this season. In fact, you might say I had a bit of a vendetta out for her today. She was the only person I lost to in singles this season.
Sidenote: I did lose one other singles match, but the lady I lost to was disqualified and bumped up to the next level soon after our match, so I'm not counting it as a loss because the league didn't count it as a loss. But I'll fight just as hard next time I play her. Heh heh.
Anyway. The lady I played today was involved in some pretty heavy duty conflict during the league season, and my teammates had told me after I lost to her that she'd given me some rough line calls. Whatever.
But what had really sealed the deal for me was when her husband came unglued during one of her matches against a teammate of mine Bear in mind that he is in charge of one of the tennis clubs around here, so his public behavior reflects on both his teaching style, and the club itself. He behaved like a 5 year old during her match, and I've had a sort of sour taste in my mouth about both of them since then. I mean, for God's sake. It's a tennis match, and there's not any money on the line! You don't throw a loud, obnoxious temper tantrum, pout, and stalk off during your wife's league tennis match. Twice. Sheesh.
So. I haven't had much interaction with her since then, but she's a very good singles player and when she texted me about playing, I figured it'd be a good way to get out there and play some singles.
You might say it went pretty well for me - I won 6-1, 6-1. We also played a 10 point tiebreaker, which she won 10-7, but damn. It felt good to unload after that loss earlier this season. No, this one doesn't count for anything, but I was still happy about the results. She picked it up in the tiebreaker, so I have no doubt that any real match would be a LOT closer than the first two sets.
And it was nice to actually talk to her. She's a runner, too, so you know we had to talk about that - she's run about 8 marathons, so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage there! She's tall, athletic, and seems perfectly nice off the court. I have to wonder why so many of these good tennis players are tall. I swear I play in a land of giants sometimes. She also had the opportunity to make some catty comments about one of my teammates, and she totally let it slide, which I thought was classy of her.
So. A good singles match and some good conversation made for a nice afternoon. Now it's about time to get the kiddos and let chaos descend for the rest of the evening. Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Dammit.
You'd think I could paint one - ONE - simple board without needing to change into painting clothes.
Nope. Down another pair of jeans, and my hands are covered in purple paint. Fabulous. This does not bode well for the rest of the day.
On the plus side, I'm getting ready to put together the girl's shelf. It has, so far, turned out much better than the boy's. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get it together with a minimum of hardware showing. I see dowels and glue in my future...and a new pair of jeans. Dammit.
Nope. Down another pair of jeans, and my hands are covered in purple paint. Fabulous. This does not bode well for the rest of the day.
On the plus side, I'm getting ready to put together the girl's shelf. It has, so far, turned out much better than the boy's. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get it together with a minimum of hardware showing. I see dowels and glue in my future...and a new pair of jeans. Dammit.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Logjams
Well. It's been a busy few weeks. I've had a lot going on, but more than that, I've had a couple of very good friends who have had drama in their lives. Even though it's not necessarily "my" drama, vicarious drama still makes me think about my life and the choices I make and how I approach things. And it creates a bit of a logjam in what I write about. It feels a bit pointless to make a bunch of "what I did today" entries without some substance and thought to back them up. So I've been slacking some on the writing, as I process a few things.
Yesterday I managed to get out for a long-ish run. I intended to do 5 or 6 miles, but ended up with just over 7. My legs are paying for it a bit today, but holy cow it was an amazing run. And I actually was able to put a few things into words on the run. Being comfortable in my own skin, the ability to heal over time...I have a post that I want to write today about those things, but I also have a tennis match, laundry, grocery store, two kids who need corralling, and a million other things.
So. A date with a glass of wine and the computer tonight, and I'll see if I can put into words some thoughts that occurred to me on the run. Fingers crossed.
Yesterday I managed to get out for a long-ish run. I intended to do 5 or 6 miles, but ended up with just over 7. My legs are paying for it a bit today, but holy cow it was an amazing run. And I actually was able to put a few things into words on the run. Being comfortable in my own skin, the ability to heal over time...I have a post that I want to write today about those things, but I also have a tennis match, laundry, grocery store, two kids who need corralling, and a million other things.
So. A date with a glass of wine and the computer tonight, and I'll see if I can put into words some thoughts that occurred to me on the run. Fingers crossed.
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