Saturday, January 23, 2010
For Sale
Well, the day has come. We are officially putting our house on the market as of today. So, who's buying??
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Caffeine Free Me
Hello, my name is Alyssa and I've been clean for 14 days.
And when I say clean, I mean that I am caffeine free. It's been a struggle. Withdrawal was ugly. I had many nights where I was laying on the floor in convulsions, foaming at the mouth. And I developed a severe twitch for a few days, which left me with a wicked case of whiplash. I was also experiencing hallucinations wherein I thought I was a giant penguin, and I kept insisting that Mike sit on Emma, our little unhatched egg.
I kid, I kid. But seriously, I did have some wicked headaches for a few days. After that, I started to feel GREAT!! Now, the thing that surprises me most is that I wasn't a caffeine junky for long before I decided to give it up for my new years resolution.
Once upon a time I was a senior in college, and was student teaching, on the track team, and taking night classes to finish the minor that Education majors don't usually finish. Ummmm so I didn't sleep. I would get up at 4:45 am to snag a shower before the other 5 girls, who were also student teaching, got up and took over the house. And then I'd drive an hour and fifteen minutes down a STRAIGHT road in the middle of nowhere to a school just west of the middle of nowhere. Then I'd teach all day, and go straight to track practice. Of course, I'd get there late, which means that I'd stay late to finish my work outs. Then I'd try to sneak in to the dining hall for dinner before it closed at seven. Then 3 nights out of the week I'd go back to the weight room to get my lifting in. The other two nights I went to class. And then I'd go home and do lesson plans and coordinate my materials. And then I'd sleep for about 3-4 hours and repeat.
SOOOOOOO the point of that whole story is that to avoid driving off the side of the road on my ENDLESS drive down a STRAIGHT road with ridiculously boring scenery, I started drinking coffee. I know...my bad, my bad. But at that point, I thought it was best for my own safety if I could actually stay awake while driving. By the time I finished student teaching, I realized I was hooked, and cut myself off completely.
And it wasn't that bad. Over the years I've enjoyed Dr. Pepper and Wild Cherry pepsi, but never drank so much soda that I felt it was affecting me, keeping me up. And then when I was pregnant, I cut out all caffeine again. And I kept it mostly cut out, except for maybe once or twice a month, while I was nursing. And then I started training for my marathon, and was barely drinking soda at all. I occassionally had about 1/2 c. of Dr. Pepper before running, because I'd read in a running magazine that consuming a small amount of caffeine before running can lead to 26% greater return on the workout. So, for a long time I really wasn't drinking that much caffeine.
And then I finished my marathons. And then I, for some reason, started DOWNING the soda. The thought in my brain was that, HEY, I can live a little because I'm not training for anything, or pregnant, or nursing. And I mean it when I say DOWNING the soda. There were some days when I would get ready for bed, and realize that I hadn't had anything to drink that day but soda. And hey, maybe I should drink some water before bed?!? I'm not even kidding a little bit, here.
So, that was me from about mid-November til December 31. Dr. Pepper McGuzzler. And by the end of those 7 or so weeks, I FELT. LIKE. CRAP. Bloaty. Headachey. Irritable (before my first cup, heh). I seriously felt like it was a drug. I would feel like crap before I had some caffeine in me, but I would feel like crap when I was drinking the stuff. Ugh.
So, it just dawned on me. I was having lunch with my friend Dani on December 31, and I downed a cup of Dr. Pepper, and then refilled my cup before we walked out the door. We stood in the parking lot talking for a couple minutes about going to the gym together, and how we both kind of felt a little off since we haven't been going to the gym as much as we usually do. And then I looked at the drink in my hand and thought, this surely isn't helping.
And that was the last caffeinated beverage I've had. I have high hopes that I'll make it stick. I've been doing pretty good in keeping out most sodas. And I am drinking A LOT more water. I am hoping to go soda free by the end of the year!!
The weird thing about this all, is that my insomnia problems have become WORSE since I've given up the caffeine! ACK! I really don't understand it.
Oh, and I'd like to report that earlier today I was ready to commit murder to get my hands on a Dr. Pepper. But I didn't. Go ahead and pat me on the back.
And when I say clean, I mean that I am caffeine free. It's been a struggle. Withdrawal was ugly. I had many nights where I was laying on the floor in convulsions, foaming at the mouth. And I developed a severe twitch for a few days, which left me with a wicked case of whiplash. I was also experiencing hallucinations wherein I thought I was a giant penguin, and I kept insisting that Mike sit on Emma, our little unhatched egg.
I kid, I kid. But seriously, I did have some wicked headaches for a few days. After that, I started to feel GREAT!! Now, the thing that surprises me most is that I wasn't a caffeine junky for long before I decided to give it up for my new years resolution.
Once upon a time I was a senior in college, and was student teaching, on the track team, and taking night classes to finish the minor that Education majors don't usually finish. Ummmm so I didn't sleep. I would get up at 4:45 am to snag a shower before the other 5 girls, who were also student teaching, got up and took over the house. And then I'd drive an hour and fifteen minutes down a STRAIGHT road in the middle of nowhere to a school just west of the middle of nowhere. Then I'd teach all day, and go straight to track practice. Of course, I'd get there late, which means that I'd stay late to finish my work outs. Then I'd try to sneak in to the dining hall for dinner before it closed at seven. Then 3 nights out of the week I'd go back to the weight room to get my lifting in. The other two nights I went to class. And then I'd go home and do lesson plans and coordinate my materials. And then I'd sleep for about 3-4 hours and repeat.
SOOOOOOO the point of that whole story is that to avoid driving off the side of the road on my ENDLESS drive down a STRAIGHT road with ridiculously boring scenery, I started drinking coffee. I know...my bad, my bad. But at that point, I thought it was best for my own safety if I could actually stay awake while driving. By the time I finished student teaching, I realized I was hooked, and cut myself off completely.
And it wasn't that bad. Over the years I've enjoyed Dr. Pepper and Wild Cherry pepsi, but never drank so much soda that I felt it was affecting me, keeping me up. And then when I was pregnant, I cut out all caffeine again. And I kept it mostly cut out, except for maybe once or twice a month, while I was nursing. And then I started training for my marathon, and was barely drinking soda at all. I occassionally had about 1/2 c. of Dr. Pepper before running, because I'd read in a running magazine that consuming a small amount of caffeine before running can lead to 26% greater return on the workout. So, for a long time I really wasn't drinking that much caffeine.
And then I finished my marathons. And then I, for some reason, started DOWNING the soda. The thought in my brain was that, HEY, I can live a little because I'm not training for anything, or pregnant, or nursing. And I mean it when I say DOWNING the soda. There were some days when I would get ready for bed, and realize that I hadn't had anything to drink that day but soda. And hey, maybe I should drink some water before bed?!? I'm not even kidding a little bit, here.
So, that was me from about mid-November til December 31. Dr. Pepper McGuzzler. And by the end of those 7 or so weeks, I FELT. LIKE. CRAP. Bloaty. Headachey. Irritable (before my first cup, heh). I seriously felt like it was a drug. I would feel like crap before I had some caffeine in me, but I would feel like crap when I was drinking the stuff. Ugh.
So, it just dawned on me. I was having lunch with my friend Dani on December 31, and I downed a cup of Dr. Pepper, and then refilled my cup before we walked out the door. We stood in the parking lot talking for a couple minutes about going to the gym together, and how we both kind of felt a little off since we haven't been going to the gym as much as we usually do. And then I looked at the drink in my hand and thought, this surely isn't helping.
And that was the last caffeinated beverage I've had. I have high hopes that I'll make it stick. I've been doing pretty good in keeping out most sodas. And I am drinking A LOT more water. I am hoping to go soda free by the end of the year!!
The weird thing about this all, is that my insomnia problems have become WORSE since I've given up the caffeine! ACK! I really don't understand it.
Oh, and I'd like to report that earlier today I was ready to commit murder to get my hands on a Dr. Pepper. But I didn't. Go ahead and pat me on the back.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Obligatory Holiday Post
So. The holidays came. And then they went. And now I'm sad. But it's ok, because now I can post about all the glorious fun we had. In short style because I'm tired, my pics took forever to load, and I already forget some of the stuff that happened.
Anyway.
My peeps from IA showed up, and we hung out and played in the snow, and then Taylor came to my house for a sleep over. We saw Did You Hear About the Morgans? and Old Dogs. It was pretty awesome. Then we went and hung out at mom and dad's house for a while, and then some people (but not me, and this makes me sad) went to Matt and Deb's for White Chicken Chili. And then we went to Christmas Candy Lane and ate Kettle Corn to avoid frostbite. And we also had the traditional table for a billion at Red Robin, where I ate far too many onion rings and even Chase got to eat them because they don't use egg in their batter anymore. And then Taylor slept over again, and then Bird showed up really late at my house and we stayed up really late and then we woke up in the morning and had pancakes. And then Taylor and Bird took off and then Mike got off work early and we headed down to mom and dad's for the annual Christmas Eve riot. And then Amanda flew in from Texas, and her and mom and dad Sage came to mom and dad Kilgores' and the whole gang was there. And there was music and Luke 2, and 3D-type bespectacles, and food. Lots and lots of food. And presents!
Chrysta? THANK YOU SO MUCH for the little wooden animal figures for Emma, and for the BEAUTIFUL pottery!!! And also for the stocking, and the stroller, and the lip gloss pouch, and the other stuff you sent for me. You > Awesome.
Anyway. Then we played games and Mike was politically incorrect. And then we went home and then it was Christmas. And we went over to mom and dad Sages' and ate some more and opened more presents. And I got some sweet, sweet stuff, but two particularly stood out. That would be my new camera (AWESOME!) which is why I don't have any pics in my slide show until after Christmas. And also? My ExpressRediSetGo. It. Is. Awesome. And then the next day we met up with Mike's cousins and uncle and then we went to Matt and Deb's but they weren't there because they were at Deb's families' house. But Sara and Jerry and all their kids were there, so it was ok, we weren't breaking in or anything. And then we ate A&M pizza after Monka sent Mike and Jerry to the wrong A&M for pick up, but that's ok because we got it eventually and Sara was really hungry. And she made guacamole which apparently was a little spicy for Lydia, so I just ate hers it was really really good. And then we played Guesstures and Catchphrase and it was good times for all. And then the next day Jerry and Sara and her crew came to play at our house and we played and had fun and ate and played. And then the next day Sam came in to town so we went to mom and dads and had more food and yummies from Martins courtesy of the people Sam works with/for. And we got to watch football and the guys got to listen to me talk about how I really hate Brett Favre for reasons that don't necessarily make sense. And then two days later we had Lydia's birthday party and I made a poke cake and a monkey cake, both egg free so Chaser needn't worry. And there was food, and presents, and fun, and hanging out and wonderfulness.
And then the IA contingent rode out on a saddle. Or, rather, a Nissan Quest. And then it was New Years Eve, and Mike and I barely stayed awake til midnight.
So it was good times all around. I had a lot of fun seeing family, and just being lazy. I only wish that Mike had more time off work so he could get to spend more time with us. But otherwise, it was a pretty perfect holiday season.
And then I made a two-part resolution. First, get rid of caffeine. Second, get rid of soda altogether. And then I got a lot of headaches and was feeling crappy. But now I feel better and less bloaty. Hopefully I'll be able to stick with it.
The End.
Anyway.
My peeps from IA showed up, and we hung out and played in the snow, and then Taylor came to my house for a sleep over. We saw Did You Hear About the Morgans? and Old Dogs. It was pretty awesome. Then we went and hung out at mom and dad's house for a while, and then some people (but not me, and this makes me sad) went to Matt and Deb's for White Chicken Chili. And then we went to Christmas Candy Lane and ate Kettle Corn to avoid frostbite. And we also had the traditional table for a billion at Red Robin, where I ate far too many onion rings and even Chase got to eat them because they don't use egg in their batter anymore. And then Taylor slept over again, and then Bird showed up really late at my house and we stayed up really late and then we woke up in the morning and had pancakes. And then Taylor and Bird took off and then Mike got off work early and we headed down to mom and dad's for the annual Christmas Eve riot. And then Amanda flew in from Texas, and her and mom and dad Sage came to mom and dad Kilgores' and the whole gang was there. And there was music and Luke 2, and 3D-type bespectacles, and food. Lots and lots of food. And presents!
Chrysta? THANK YOU SO MUCH for the little wooden animal figures for Emma, and for the BEAUTIFUL pottery!!! And also for the stocking, and the stroller, and the lip gloss pouch, and the other stuff you sent for me. You > Awesome.
Anyway. Then we played games and Mike was politically incorrect. And then we went home and then it was Christmas. And we went over to mom and dad Sages' and ate some more and opened more presents. And I got some sweet, sweet stuff, but two particularly stood out. That would be my new camera (AWESOME!) which is why I don't have any pics in my slide show until after Christmas. And also? My ExpressRediSetGo. It. Is. Awesome. And then the next day we met up with Mike's cousins and uncle and then we went to Matt and Deb's but they weren't there because they were at Deb's families' house. But Sara and Jerry and all their kids were there, so it was ok, we weren't breaking in or anything. And then we ate A&M pizza after Monka sent Mike and Jerry to the wrong A&M for pick up, but that's ok because we got it eventually and Sara was really hungry. And she made guacamole which apparently was a little spicy for Lydia, so I just ate hers it was really really good. And then we played Guesstures and Catchphrase and it was good times for all. And then the next day Jerry and Sara and her crew came to play at our house and we played and had fun and ate and played. And then the next day Sam came in to town so we went to mom and dads and had more food and yummies from Martins courtesy of the people Sam works with/for. And we got to watch football and the guys got to listen to me talk about how I really hate Brett Favre for reasons that don't necessarily make sense. And then two days later we had Lydia's birthday party and I made a poke cake and a monkey cake, both egg free so Chaser needn't worry. And there was food, and presents, and fun, and hanging out and wonderfulness.
And then the IA contingent rode out on a saddle. Or, rather, a Nissan Quest. And then it was New Years Eve, and Mike and I barely stayed awake til midnight.
So it was good times all around. I had a lot of fun seeing family, and just being lazy. I only wish that Mike had more time off work so he could get to spend more time with us. But otherwise, it was a pretty perfect holiday season.
And then I made a two-part resolution. First, get rid of caffeine. Second, get rid of soda altogether. And then I got a lot of headaches and was feeling crappy. But now I feel better and less bloaty. Hopefully I'll be able to stick with it.
The End.
Monday, December 28, 2009
So, about that...
Umm, for clarification purposes. Sorry for dropping the "we're selling our house" news without any other details! I forgot that we hadn't really spilled the beans to family yet. I wasn't meaning to make you all suspenseful and worrisome.
First, no. I am not pregnant.
Second, yes. We ARE trying to sell the house.
Here's the dealio. When we bought our house the intention was to fix up the attic and make it into a master suite of sorts, so that we'd have a true 3 bedroom house. Turns out that when we had to upgrade from a fuse box to a breaker box, and replace the line into the house, an enormous hole was created, which showed rot underneath it. Thus, we re-sided the house. And the stairs were crumbling, so we had to replace them. And most of the wiring was horribly done, so 75% of the house has been rewired. And we fixed up the basement, then had to rip it out, waterproof it, and are currently re-finishing it. And the attic remains untouched. AKA, this house = money pit. As such, we decided to talk to our realtor before doing anything else to make sure we weren't wasting our money.
As it turns out, we are. Well... we're ok as it is now, but she basically advised us that if we are going to spend any more money fixing this house up, we won't get it back, and we'd be better off just buying something else. The improvements we're making have just outgrown the neighborhood and location. Which we kind of thought was the case. We've only been here 3 years, which is not as long as we thought. But, we would like to have more kids in the near future, and with Emma being such a lousy sleeper, the thought of her having to share a room is somewhat frightening. And the thought of having to share OUR room for more than a few months is REALLY frightening. So.
We are just trying to take advantage of the market while we can. At the price our realtor thinks we can get, we'll still be making money on the house. So, it just makes sense for us to get out now and upgrade to something better while the prices of better homes is lower, too. For the future house, square footage isn't necessarily a big concern. It's just layout and number of bedrooms. An extra bathroom would be nice, too. Plus, we're thinking more longterm (as in forever) for this house, so school district is more of a consideration, too. As far as selling our house in this market...well...we're hopeful. Our realtor was really impressed with the improvements we've made, and thinks that for first time home buyers this house would be a steal. And since the government is still handing out incentives for first time home buyers, this could be good for us. We are hoping to have it on the market ASAP, because in both of the last two years our realtors company has had the most sales for the year in January and February. So, ya know, I'd like to get in on that. Plus, she also said that for some reason people think the spring is the best time to put a house on the market. So, while the buyer pool remains relatively constant throughout the year, in the spring there is a large influx in properties available. So, we just really want to stay ahead of the game there, as well.
So, there's stress trying to finish things up. We have the basement to finish, some fixes in the garage, a few minor fixes in the attic, and then CLEANING and ORGANIZING which will take quite some time. The good thing is that we don't really have to sell. So if it needs to sit on the market for a while, that's ok. We're not going broke, or moving across country. So if we need to wait, it's no big deal.
And that's that. Sorry for the waiting:)
First, no. I am not pregnant.
Second, yes. We ARE trying to sell the house.
Here's the dealio. When we bought our house the intention was to fix up the attic and make it into a master suite of sorts, so that we'd have a true 3 bedroom house. Turns out that when we had to upgrade from a fuse box to a breaker box, and replace the line into the house, an enormous hole was created, which showed rot underneath it. Thus, we re-sided the house. And the stairs were crumbling, so we had to replace them. And most of the wiring was horribly done, so 75% of the house has been rewired. And we fixed up the basement, then had to rip it out, waterproof it, and are currently re-finishing it. And the attic remains untouched. AKA, this house = money pit. As such, we decided to talk to our realtor before doing anything else to make sure we weren't wasting our money.
As it turns out, we are. Well... we're ok as it is now, but she basically advised us that if we are going to spend any more money fixing this house up, we won't get it back, and we'd be better off just buying something else. The improvements we're making have just outgrown the neighborhood and location. Which we kind of thought was the case. We've only been here 3 years, which is not as long as we thought. But, we would like to have more kids in the near future, and with Emma being such a lousy sleeper, the thought of her having to share a room is somewhat frightening. And the thought of having to share OUR room for more than a few months is REALLY frightening. So.
We are just trying to take advantage of the market while we can. At the price our realtor thinks we can get, we'll still be making money on the house. So, it just makes sense for us to get out now and upgrade to something better while the prices of better homes is lower, too. For the future house, square footage isn't necessarily a big concern. It's just layout and number of bedrooms. An extra bathroom would be nice, too. Plus, we're thinking more longterm (as in forever) for this house, so school district is more of a consideration, too. As far as selling our house in this market...well...we're hopeful. Our realtor was really impressed with the improvements we've made, and thinks that for first time home buyers this house would be a steal. And since the government is still handing out incentives for first time home buyers, this could be good for us. We are hoping to have it on the market ASAP, because in both of the last two years our realtors company has had the most sales for the year in January and February. So, ya know, I'd like to get in on that. Plus, she also said that for some reason people think the spring is the best time to put a house on the market. So, while the buyer pool remains relatively constant throughout the year, in the spring there is a large influx in properties available. So, we just really want to stay ahead of the game there, as well.
So, there's stress trying to finish things up. We have the basement to finish, some fixes in the garage, a few minor fixes in the attic, and then CLEANING and ORGANIZING which will take quite some time. The good thing is that we don't really have to sell. So if it needs to sit on the market for a while, that's ok. We're not going broke, or moving across country. So if we need to wait, it's no big deal.
And that's that. Sorry for the waiting:)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tidings of great JOY
Ok, so my pity party is over. I know that last post was really whiny... what can I say? We are trying to get the house on the market by January (you know, that month that starts in about 8 days) and we just have so much to do before then. Finishing the basement, and fixing up parts of the garage and attic...oh and then there's the CLEANING, organizing and de-cluttering that will need to take place after all that work is done. So I was just having a stressful moment. I apologize for my whiny-ness. And yes, Sara and her crew did roll into town and make it all better, but I'm not going to talk about that because Anna is probably reading this and I don't want to make her cry.
So, anyway, like I said, pity party over. I am really thankful for so many things, and have more than my fair share of blessings in this life. I have blessings that others can only wish for, and the fact that I even have a roof over my head makes me far richer than many others in the world. I am thankful for my family, for my faith, and my home. I am thankful for the time that I have to spend with the people I love, and to do the things I love to do. I am thankful for my friends, who still like me even when I'm anti-social and barely ever see or talk them. I am thankful for my BEST friend and the way she's always there when I need her. I am thankful for this time of year, when I know that regardless of how many people actually are home for the holidays, mom and dad's house will always be rockin'. And I am thankful for the enormous spread that my mom will invariably put out. I am thankful for Egg Nog, and cookies, and fudge, and Sun Chips and Pop Rocks. I am thankful for Dr. Pepper and Wild Cherry Pepsi. I am thankful for Target, because where else would I go to get out of the house when it's so frigid outside? I am thankful for Mike, who puts up with my pissy moods and works his little tail off so I can be a SAHM. And for the fact that he sacrifices things that he wants, and even NEEDS, so he can spoil Emma and I rotten. I am thankful for Emma and the little miracle that she is. I am thankful for the 1,837,926,012 times a day that she makes me laugh, and for the way she can make an elephant noise better than me, and how she'll flap her wings like a chicken when I ask her what a chicken does.
And I am thankful for the snow storm we had this weekend, because it was the first time I got to take my daughter sledding!
So, anyway, like I said, pity party over. I am really thankful for so many things, and have more than my fair share of blessings in this life. I have blessings that others can only wish for, and the fact that I even have a roof over my head makes me far richer than many others in the world. I am thankful for my family, for my faith, and my home. I am thankful for the time that I have to spend with the people I love, and to do the things I love to do. I am thankful for my friends, who still like me even when I'm anti-social and barely ever see or talk them. I am thankful for my BEST friend and the way she's always there when I need her. I am thankful for this time of year, when I know that regardless of how many people actually are home for the holidays, mom and dad's house will always be rockin'. And I am thankful for the enormous spread that my mom will invariably put out. I am thankful for Egg Nog, and cookies, and fudge, and Sun Chips and Pop Rocks. I am thankful for Dr. Pepper and Wild Cherry Pepsi. I am thankful for Target, because where else would I go to get out of the house when it's so frigid outside? I am thankful for Mike, who puts up with my pissy moods and works his little tail off so I can be a SAHM. And for the fact that he sacrifices things that he wants, and even NEEDS, so he can spoil Emma and I rotten. I am thankful for Emma and the little miracle that she is. I am thankful for the 1,837,926,012 times a day that she makes me laugh, and for the way she can make an elephant noise better than me, and how she'll flap her wings like a chicken when I ask her what a chicken does.
And I am thankful for the snow storm we had this weekend, because it was the first time I got to take my daughter sledding!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I must have done SOMETHING bad...
Because it seems like the karma train ran over me this week. I don't know what I did, but it MUST have been BAD, because anything that could go wrong in the last four days or so, has.
Let me begin.
Thursday.
Mike and his dad were supposed to be getting started on the basement finishing project. Mike took a "half day", meaning he was supposed to be home from work around 11:30 or 12:00. And yet? He got held up at work until 1:30. And then, as he was WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS into the basement, his work phone rang. I contemplated chucking it out the window, but it was too late. He heard it, and came back upstairs. And then spent about 4 hours doing stuff on his laptop for work, instead of buying, cutting and hanging drywall. By the time he finished with work stuff, it was time for dinner, and he barely had time after that to get anything done before Emma went to bed. Because the noise travels from the basement to the upstairs, and Emma is such a light sleeper, the guys couldn't do anything remotely noisy while she was sleeping. So they barely got anything done Thursday night. And let's just talk about Emma for a second. She had her flu shot Thursday afternoon. And it was downhill from there.
Friday.
Mike and his dad took the whole day off to work. The morning went well enough for them, but not for Emma and I. We went over to my in-laws house so the guys wouldn't need to worry about keeping Emma up from her nap, etc. And she was just. Miserable. Between the flu shot and the two molars she's working on, she was just in a world of pain. And when she's not feeling good to begin with, she likes to get into everything she's not supposed to. And then she throws huge fits when I have to stop her from, say, trying to drink out of the empty soda can that fell out of the recycling container she tipped over... And then to make matters worse, she wouldn't nap. At all. So it was just a miserable morning. So I had to take Emma home to try and get her to nap, which meant that the guys had to stop work completely, because EVERY little noise they made would send her into a fit. And she still barely slept, and was just generally awful all day. The guys made a decent amount of progress, but were still way behind on just about everything they had planned.
Saturday.
The snow came, which was ok, because we really weren't going anywhere, anyway. The guys got to work and things were going pretty well until...wait for it... the garage door opener decided to stop working. We haven't had a single problem with it in the three years we've lived here. And yet, in the middle of the basement finishing project, and in the middle of a gigantic snow storm, it competely died. Dead. All gone. Buhbye. And so the guys had to stop work and spend a huge chunk of time trying to first, fix it, and then second, realize it was dead and go get a new one and try to install it. Gag me. And, again, Emma did not sleep all day.
Sunday.
Church was cancelled, so we just stayed in and tried to get the garage door opener functional, so I could get my car back in the garage. We did eventually get it working, but it took longer than expected. And we still haven't quite got it adjusted for the right opening/closing distance, so there's still more tinkering to be done. And there's still so much work to be done in the basement. The guys didn't even finish mudding, and still have to sand, clean and paint. And then there's the ceiling to install. So many distractions, so much time suck. Had they actually just been able to get to work, the basement would be at least painted, by now. Ugh. And then Mike was outside cleaning his car, and went to move it only to find that the battery was dead. So he had to get a jump, and take it down to AAP to get a new one.
Seriously, Karma, did I do something?? Why can't things ever just go smoothly for us?
*Sigh*
Let me begin.
Thursday.
Mike and his dad were supposed to be getting started on the basement finishing project. Mike took a "half day", meaning he was supposed to be home from work around 11:30 or 12:00. And yet? He got held up at work until 1:30. And then, as he was WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS into the basement, his work phone rang. I contemplated chucking it out the window, but it was too late. He heard it, and came back upstairs. And then spent about 4 hours doing stuff on his laptop for work, instead of buying, cutting and hanging drywall. By the time he finished with work stuff, it was time for dinner, and he barely had time after that to get anything done before Emma went to bed. Because the noise travels from the basement to the upstairs, and Emma is such a light sleeper, the guys couldn't do anything remotely noisy while she was sleeping. So they barely got anything done Thursday night. And let's just talk about Emma for a second. She had her flu shot Thursday afternoon. And it was downhill from there.
Friday.
Mike and his dad took the whole day off to work. The morning went well enough for them, but not for Emma and I. We went over to my in-laws house so the guys wouldn't need to worry about keeping Emma up from her nap, etc. And she was just. Miserable. Between the flu shot and the two molars she's working on, she was just in a world of pain. And when she's not feeling good to begin with, she likes to get into everything she's not supposed to. And then she throws huge fits when I have to stop her from, say, trying to drink out of the empty soda can that fell out of the recycling container she tipped over... And then to make matters worse, she wouldn't nap. At all. So it was just a miserable morning. So I had to take Emma home to try and get her to nap, which meant that the guys had to stop work completely, because EVERY little noise they made would send her into a fit. And she still barely slept, and was just generally awful all day. The guys made a decent amount of progress, but were still way behind on just about everything they had planned.
Saturday.
The snow came, which was ok, because we really weren't going anywhere, anyway. The guys got to work and things were going pretty well until...wait for it... the garage door opener decided to stop working. We haven't had a single problem with it in the three years we've lived here. And yet, in the middle of the basement finishing project, and in the middle of a gigantic snow storm, it competely died. Dead. All gone. Buhbye. And so the guys had to stop work and spend a huge chunk of time trying to first, fix it, and then second, realize it was dead and go get a new one and try to install it. Gag me. And, again, Emma did not sleep all day.
Sunday.
Church was cancelled, so we just stayed in and tried to get the garage door opener functional, so I could get my car back in the garage. We did eventually get it working, but it took longer than expected. And we still haven't quite got it adjusted for the right opening/closing distance, so there's still more tinkering to be done. And there's still so much work to be done in the basement. The guys didn't even finish mudding, and still have to sand, clean and paint. And then there's the ceiling to install. So many distractions, so much time suck. Had they actually just been able to get to work, the basement would be at least painted, by now. Ugh. And then Mike was outside cleaning his car, and went to move it only to find that the battery was dead. So he had to get a jump, and take it down to AAP to get a new one.
Seriously, Karma, did I do something?? Why can't things ever just go smoothly for us?
*Sigh*
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Marathon 2.0
So. I ran another marathon. Like, a month ago. I've been totally blazy (blog-lazy) lately, and I knew this would be a long post, so I just never got around to it. And I've been a bit busy moping about it, too. So I've finally decided to just get it over with. Here we go.
Dear Harrisburg Marathon,
(Yes, Anna, it's one of those posts.)
You suck. I hate you. Please don't advertise yourself as "flat and fast" when clearly, you are neither. Also, please don't hand out maps that show water stations every 2 miles, and then set up the course so that there were multiple stretches of 4+ miles without water. Also? You suck. Did I mention that already? I hate you.
Sincerely,
Alyssa
Ok, now that I have that out of the way, I'll give you the deets.
My time was an embarassing 5:23. No, not five minutes 23 seconds. 5 hours and 23 minutes. Oh. My. Freakin'. Goodness. I'm really ashamed to even post that. It's 28 minutes slower than my first marathon. If Oprah had been running this race, she would have kicked my Trash. And ya know what? I probably walked a total of 2 miles, intermittently, throughout the course. That, more than anything, really had me upset. I didn't walk a step until about 16 or 17 miles in, when the hills got INSANE. I knew the only way my body would make it to the finish was to walk up the hills. And at about 24.5 miles in, my right hip started doing this thing that it sometimes does, where it feels like it's dislocated, but it's probably not, but it still hurts like crap anyway. And by 16 miles in I was ridiculously dehydrated due to the lack of water stations. And I threw up twice on the trail through Wildwood Lake. The whole thing was just a mess for me.
Sounds pretty horrible, right? Well, yeah it was. And I've spent quite a bit of time being bummed about it. But then Christy sent me a virtual slap upside the head and helped me realize that,
DUDE. I RAN TWO MARATHONS BEFORE I WAS EVEN A YEAR POST PARTUM. AND THOSE MARATHONS WERE 28 DAYS APART.
So why am I still struggling to grasp that? Because I can be ridiculously competitive, even if I'm not really "competing" against anyone in particular. Being an athlete for almost all my life, it's just my nature. So, when I went into the Harrisburg Marathon hoping to improve the time from my first marathon, and instead had a completely dismal day, I was just disappointed in myself. And embarrassed. But really, my expectations were completely unrealistic.
A) I had the swine flu for a week, followed by bronchitis for two weeks, all in the three weeks right before the race. I was still recovering from the bronchitis on race day.
B) I did exactly two "training runs" between the first marathon and the second. The longer of those two runs was only 5 miles.
C) I ran by myself. I did have my ipod, but it was no replacement for Darin, who of the two of us, is someone who actually has an internal clock and can tell what kind of pace we are on. I missed her:(
D) I never really re-hydrated after being sick, so...duh. That was dumb.
So, yeah, anyway, I should have known it wasn't going to be a stellar day. I think I would have been less bummed about my time, had there been a better atmosphere about the race, like there was in Steamtown. But Harrisburg was just...dead.
BUT. There were tons of great things about the race, that I am realizing outweigh the crapitudinousity of it.
1) My pace for the first 12 miles was totally kick-butt. And my time at 13.1 miles was 9 minutes faster than my 13.1 mile time in the first marathon. Had I not been coming off of sickness, and dehydrated, I seriously think I could have done some damage to this course! It has also motivated me to train for a half, and maybe some 10k races in the future, and train more for speed, rather than sloooooooow endurance:)
2) By the time I got to mile 14, I was in tears because I was so very lonely, and I had it set in my mind that there was no way I'd finish the race. And I was really sad about that. And also, there was no sag wagon, so I was worried about how I'd get back to my car. But THEN! At mile 15 or so, wouldn't you know it.... BIRD, DEB, and Bird's friend JEN showed up, holding some totally Kick-A signs, advertising the love that the UMC has for me!!! And it totally brightened my day. They were screaming, yelling, etc. and it got me so excited!! I stopped, gave Bird my long sleeve shirt (it was blazing hot that day!! too hot for such a long race!) and gloves, and she gave me a powerbar and sport beans to replenish my stash.
3) I saw those three ladies like, 4 or 5 more times before I got to the finish line. They were awesome! They even cheered for me when I came out of the potty!!
4) Darin. Oh Darin. How I missed her on this run. But as I was turning the corner to come down to the finish, there she was!!! I almost started crying right then, because I was so stoked to see her cheering for me. But then I rounded the corner and Deb yelled at me for crying, so I stopped.
5) Donuts. They had donuts at the finish line. Dear Harrisburg Marathon, you redeemed yourself. Sort of. I still hate you:)
So, to finish. It was a crappy day. BUT. I don't feel so crappy about it. I am proud of myself for running 2 marathons in 28 days, less than 1 year post-partum. I have never really been a runner. Athlete, yes. But you don't cover much distance on a volleyball court, and the javelin runway isn't that long. So, just finishing these races is a major accomplishment for me. And I'm proud that I did it:)
The End.
Dear Harrisburg Marathon,
(Yes, Anna, it's one of those posts.)
You suck. I hate you. Please don't advertise yourself as "flat and fast" when clearly, you are neither. Also, please don't hand out maps that show water stations every 2 miles, and then set up the course so that there were multiple stretches of 4+ miles without water. Also? You suck. Did I mention that already? I hate you.
Sincerely,
Alyssa
Ok, now that I have that out of the way, I'll give you the deets.
My time was an embarassing 5:23. No, not five minutes 23 seconds. 5 hours and 23 minutes. Oh. My. Freakin'. Goodness. I'm really ashamed to even post that. It's 28 minutes slower than my first marathon. If Oprah had been running this race, she would have kicked my Trash. And ya know what? I probably walked a total of 2 miles, intermittently, throughout the course. That, more than anything, really had me upset. I didn't walk a step until about 16 or 17 miles in, when the hills got INSANE. I knew the only way my body would make it to the finish was to walk up the hills. And at about 24.5 miles in, my right hip started doing this thing that it sometimes does, where it feels like it's dislocated, but it's probably not, but it still hurts like crap anyway. And by 16 miles in I was ridiculously dehydrated due to the lack of water stations. And I threw up twice on the trail through Wildwood Lake. The whole thing was just a mess for me.
Sounds pretty horrible, right? Well, yeah it was. And I've spent quite a bit of time being bummed about it. But then Christy sent me a virtual slap upside the head and helped me realize that,
DUDE. I RAN TWO MARATHONS BEFORE I WAS EVEN A YEAR POST PARTUM. AND THOSE MARATHONS WERE 28 DAYS APART.
So why am I still struggling to grasp that? Because I can be ridiculously competitive, even if I'm not really "competing" against anyone in particular. Being an athlete for almost all my life, it's just my nature. So, when I went into the Harrisburg Marathon hoping to improve the time from my first marathon, and instead had a completely dismal day, I was just disappointed in myself. And embarrassed. But really, my expectations were completely unrealistic.
A) I had the swine flu for a week, followed by bronchitis for two weeks, all in the three weeks right before the race. I was still recovering from the bronchitis on race day.
B) I did exactly two "training runs" between the first marathon and the second. The longer of those two runs was only 5 miles.
C) I ran by myself. I did have my ipod, but it was no replacement for Darin, who of the two of us, is someone who actually has an internal clock and can tell what kind of pace we are on. I missed her:(
D) I never really re-hydrated after being sick, so...duh. That was dumb.
So, yeah, anyway, I should have known it wasn't going to be a stellar day. I think I would have been less bummed about my time, had there been a better atmosphere about the race, like there was in Steamtown. But Harrisburg was just...dead.
BUT. There were tons of great things about the race, that I am realizing outweigh the crapitudinousity of it.
1) My pace for the first 12 miles was totally kick-butt. And my time at 13.1 miles was 9 minutes faster than my 13.1 mile time in the first marathon. Had I not been coming off of sickness, and dehydrated, I seriously think I could have done some damage to this course! It has also motivated me to train for a half, and maybe some 10k races in the future, and train more for speed, rather than sloooooooow endurance:)
2) By the time I got to mile 14, I was in tears because I was so very lonely, and I had it set in my mind that there was no way I'd finish the race. And I was really sad about that. And also, there was no sag wagon, so I was worried about how I'd get back to my car. But THEN! At mile 15 or so, wouldn't you know it.... BIRD, DEB, and Bird's friend JEN showed up, holding some totally Kick-A signs, advertising the love that the UMC has for me!!! And it totally brightened my day. They were screaming, yelling, etc. and it got me so excited!! I stopped, gave Bird my long sleeve shirt (it was blazing hot that day!! too hot for such a long race!) and gloves, and she gave me a powerbar and sport beans to replenish my stash.
3) I saw those three ladies like, 4 or 5 more times before I got to the finish line. They were awesome! They even cheered for me when I came out of the potty!!
4) Darin. Oh Darin. How I missed her on this run. But as I was turning the corner to come down to the finish, there she was!!! I almost started crying right then, because I was so stoked to see her cheering for me. But then I rounded the corner and Deb yelled at me for crying, so I stopped.
5) Donuts. They had donuts at the finish line. Dear Harrisburg Marathon, you redeemed yourself. Sort of. I still hate you:)
So, to finish. It was a crappy day. BUT. I don't feel so crappy about it. I am proud of myself for running 2 marathons in 28 days, less than 1 year post-partum. I have never really been a runner. Athlete, yes. But you don't cover much distance on a volleyball court, and the javelin runway isn't that long. So, just finishing these races is a major accomplishment for me. And I'm proud that I did it:)
The End.
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