13.1 Miles

I did it.  We did it.  Spencer and I attempting our first half marathon over the weekend.  We completed it, made it past the finish line, but barely.

Running 13.1 miles had been a goal of mine for some time.  I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon in June as I had been running a lot and felt confident I would be ready.  Things happen, life gets in the way.  August came, my work scheduled changed, and long story short, I didn't run the entire month leading up to the half marathon on Sunday.  Not once.  But when you pay $90 to take part in a race, heck, not being ready isn't an excuse to skip out.

Taking the Blue Line at 5 am 

That said, there were plenty of reasons for us to skip this race.  Aside from not being ready, it was in Chicago meaning we had to set aside our whole weekend to run it.  We had to get up at 4 am just to take a train and then a cab to Jackson Park on the city's south side.   It was really inconvenient.  In the future, signing up for races that start a few blocks from my home (they exist).

So anyway, super inconvenient race.  We weren't prepared.  And it's why I'm proud that we both went head first into this, put a smile on our faces, and ran anyway.

The first 8 and a half miles were do-able.  I tuned out with music.  Spencer, in his pepperoni pizza shirt (Christmas gift from Allison), ran beside me.  But then I hit a wall.  My legs stopped working.  Cramped up.  I walked for a few, then ran, then walked, then ran, and that was the final five miles for us.  Looking forward to water stations, limping along, running when we could, being passed by runners of equal level who moments later we were running past as they took a break to walk.  There were a lot of us in the back, just trying to finish.  

It was hard.  I definitely wasn't ready, and as you can see by our final race times (below), I could have done far better.  The moments that made it worth it though:  

• Hitting that 8 and a half mile mark, the farthest I have ever run at once.  
• Seeing the smile on Spencer's face as runners and spectators cheered him on, yelling "Pizza!!"
• And the feeling of just pure love I had for Spencer as, even though he was able to keep running, he slowed down with me every time and stayed by my side. 

So still glad we did it.  I want to do another one.  Because seriously, look at my time (which is basically our time) we can only go up from here:)

 

Surprise!

Spencer's 30th birthday was Saturday.  We were already in Chicago for a wedding the day before and decided to stay in the city for the big day.   We went out to lunch and dinner.  Stopped by IKEA.  He closed on his car loan, meaning he now official owns a vehicle! It wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't particularly special.  I held back. Didn't decorate or bake a cake.  Because the big surprise was scheduled for 7:30 pm.

After dinner out with his dad (his mom was celebrating with his twin sister in New York), we came home to a house full of people shouting 'Surprise!'  Spencer's best friends from high school, my aunt and uncle, his sister, roughly 10 people were there, all in sombrero's and fake mustaches.  It was awesome.  So much energy and excitement all for the man I love.  And he definitely appreciated it.  I saw a glimmer of a tear in his eye and he tried to register what was happening after the lights came on.

We drank, ate, played Pin the Tale on the Donkey, whacked a pinata, played Cards Against Humanity, and Spencer got so many thoughtful gifts.  Kudos to everyone who made the night amazing especially his older sister who took the party under her wing and organized nearly every detail.

 

Crafts by the Christmas Tree

Proud to say, I have a real Christmas tree.  Spencer and I picked one up from a tree farm earlier this week.  We had this grand idea that we'd find the perfect tree that we'd then cut down ourselves.  Well, we cut down a tree.  But it was a weak looking one.  The best trees were already gone.  Shortly before leaving we found a pile of imported pre-cut trees at the farm and we did the unthinkable.  Took one of them instead, and placed the tree we'd just cut aside.  I know, awful, but we love our tree now.  No lights yet, that's tonight.  But here's a sneak peak.

 Last weekend was spent in the Chicago area, going to funerals.  Two women, mother to girls my age, passed.  It was tough.  Just a minute ago I was thinking about Frosty the Snowman...how he ran around the streets of town even though he knew his end was near because of that damn sun.  I guess those funerals, coupled with the holidays and loss of my mom have put me in an odd mood.

Work is going well.  Loving that they give me eight days off before the end of the year, even though I just started there in August.  I took three days off this past week.  Gave me the chance to go out in the evening like a normal person, not someone who works at 11:30 pm.  And to craft.  I finished this tree skirt...

I couldn't even tell you how I made it.  It involved a lot of random cutting.  And if you look closely, it's a mess.  My other big project, which is really just a test-run of a bigger version down the road.  Spray painting  a rug...

The rug, $1.50 from Walmart.  Some painters tape and standard spray paint, and voila!  I tried this same project last week with acrylic paint and a paintbrush.  It looked awful.  Next up, a bigger rug.

And finally, another craft project I finished about a month ago ago.  This...

I doesn't look like much, as I need to get a third mason jar...but it's a planter.  Planning to grow some herbs in the jars, which will be hung on the wall, out of the reach of the cats.

And so the weekend begins.  One with little plans, which means it should be amazing.  We're hoping to go see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra live on Sunday.  Looking into tickets in a bit.  We randomly were talking last night about how cool a live show of theirs must be, I looked into it and, of course, they're playing down the street Sunday.

Peace, love, and a five dollar growler fill (because it's Friday and that's what Friday means to me).

Hired!

I got the call at 10:41 this morning. The assistant news director for a station in Indianopolis took a while to say it but finally it came, "...and we would like to offer you the position."  I gasp, squealed, thanked her, and said, of course, I would join their team, become the station's new morning reporter.  No need to discuss salary, benefits, or other details, (which all followed and are ideal) this is the job I want.  I'll be two hours from Allison and Walker, just over three from Amy and the rest of my family.  And it's an amazing career move.  Market 25 (signifies the 25th largest TV audience in the country), and a new type of reporting as I've never covered morning news.

The face of sheer happiness.

The hire comes after, as of Friday, five months of unemployment.  After applying to nearly 150 positions.  Countless interviews, rejections, and even some offers that I've turned down because the position or station didn't feel right.  From Minneapolis, Portland, and Cleveland to Michigan, Missouri, and New York, I've had moments, days or weeks between interviews where I thought I may have found my new home.  But now I actually have, and I'm so relieved.  No details on when I'm moving quite yet.  That will come.  But it's happening. 

My Goal of Grilling

Another goal achieved as I've finally cooked over a grill. Weird, right?  27 and had never done it myself.  Spencer and I had our brat BBQ Friday evening as soon as the rain broke.  He held his breath, trying not to give me directions, as I told him my goal would only be achieved if I did it without help.  I sounded like a stubborn four-year-old, and yes, cooked on a gas grill, rather than charcoal, but I did it.  Goal achieved.                                  



California, Sierras, Summer 2006

NOTE:  As I was finishing this post I realized, I'VE GRILLED BEFORE!  I spent a summer starving kids as a camp counselor for a weightloss adventure camp six years ago.  I cook nearly all their meals over a gas grill.  But does it count if it's cook over a grill in pot or pan?  Ha, either way, I guess I'm not as much of a newby as a thought, although I'm still applauding myself for my brat fest.



Reconnecting

A Mini High School Reunion: Me, Kelli, Jenny, and Emily holding the babies. (Niveah, Molly, Ella, and Noelle)

One of the main reasons I began the '101 goals' list was in the hopes of final reconnecting with people from the past.  There are so many people I love and adore that I haven't made the effort to visit or talk to over the years.  That said, the past couple weeks have been amazing as I finally reached out to old friends, have been reunited, and well, as expected, have had an amazing time.

I visited Kelli in Winnebago.  We hadn't seen each other for maybe two years, despite the fact that she's just lived an hour and a half from me for the past year.  Her husband took Spencer and I boating on the Rock River, double bonus for reconnecting.

Maddie, also from high school, and I have seen each other twice in the last couple weeks, as she just moved to Chicago to take a teaching job.

Seeing old friends.  It really has made me happy.  I saw most of them in Galena (see first picture), when I went back for the first time in nearly two years.  The last time I was there I was actually with my mom, celebrating her 60th, and final, birthday. 

The town has changed.  As a once-local who hasn't visited much in ten years I really notice it.  It's little things.  Like the way the Newton's old home on Park Ave is now light blue rather than white.  The mansion Jessica P's dad had been working to fix-up for years on end, right across from Grant Park, looks as though it's finally finished. And it's bigger things.  Rec Park has been completely reworked.  You can no longer drive in a circle around the park: the road mom used to bounce along to pick us up from the pool has been covered with grass, picnic benches and playsets have been built over it.  A wide sidewalk has been put in along the road leading to the pool (it was always an unsafe bike ride growing up). What was once Sullivan's or Stair's (our family's small-time grocery store followed by a number of other businesses) is now a bridal store.  The gas station by Piggly-Wiggly (formerly Dick's) has been turned into a Chinese Buffet.  No joke.  There's a new hospital on the west end of town and, a disappointment to me, Galena's green flood gates have been painted beige.  Just outside of Galena, in Dubuque, Cinema Center 8 is gone.  The place where mom and dad took us to countless movies on hot summer days, is now just a field of parched grass.

I could go on for far longer, and also list all the people who are now married, who have families, who have passed away, there's just so much change.  Looking at it from a distance makes it apparent.  With mom gone, seeing the changes made me even more sentimental.  Parts of our families past have literally been bulldozed, built over, repainted, and forgotten.  Life really does go on. 

It's why it's been so great to reconnect with high school friends.  They represent a link to my past.  My family's past in Galena. Connections to them mean I still have a link to my hometown despite having no super close family there.  It's odd for my sisters and I.  We grew up in a town where we don't have a home anymore. It makes it easy to forget how many memories are there, and how much support.  After going back, I feel grounded again.

Galena, IL

Nudity, Vacuums, and Beer

Maybe it's because I'm unemployed and I spend the week thinking about what I want to do when other people are finally off work although I like to think it's because Spencer and I generate fun when we're together; either way, this weekend, another one spend hopping around from a garage sales to a brew tour.  We made it to Rib Fest, made it out to the burbs to have lunch with my sister and dad, and saw a lot of naked people. 

The nudity started Saturday morning at breakfast.  Eating bagels at our favorite corner shop and lounging on their couches, Spencer said suddenly, "I've gotta go."  He repeated himself several times as his eyes bulged and darted to something five feet away I needed to look at.  I did.  Balls.  Hanging out of an older mans shorts as he sat reclined and cross-legged.  We left, and later by choice, almost as a bookend to the day, opted to see hundreds of man-berries as we watched the city's naked bike ride make its way through Boys Town.  So much skin.  Such a bottlenecked bike ride.  Most of the naked riders were standing next to their bikes, as they were slowed down, and significantly stalled by the huge crowds that had gathered outside to see the spectacle.  Some bicyclists were obviously not thrilled. Here they thought they'd be streaking through the city with speed, but no, instead they're walking slowly through crowds who cheered for the first couple hundred people and are now just staring quietly at them.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the weekend for me: achieving my goal of 'acquiring a new vacuum.'  Ten dollars at a yard sale.  And I swear, it's like new.  They either never used it or totally cleaned it out before selling it, and not only does it work fifty times better than my old vacuum, it has a brush to clean cat hair off furniture!  After buying it, Spencer carried it a block and half to the car as I danced around in excitement.

 

We also did a tour of the Half Acre Brewery on North Lincoln Ave.  If you're not from the area, the company is newer, small, only distributes around Chicago and a few suburbs, and, in my opinion, puts way too much hops in their beer. 

They give one tour a week, to 60 people; first come, first serve.  So we waited outside in the hot sun about an hour to get a spot, but were rewarded with three beers, a pint class, and an honest, laid back tour for the same cheap price as my vacuum.  Ten dollars.

Oh I love beer.  After my trip to Vegas next weekend, however, I'm taking a break from alcohol.  I'm at my heaviest weight ever (by a few pounds, but still) and need to start taking care of myself again.  And so, hopefully, once High Life's are out of my life, the same will go for a few pounds.

Amy on the Metra

In order for sister Amy to have independence she needs to be able to get around without fully relying on family and caretaker rides.  And so over the weekend: the Metra experiment.  Amy and I hopped on board and treked to a neighboring suburb.  Turns out her bulky chair does fit on the train.  BUT actually getting it on the lift to load into the train in a timely matter, not the easiest task for her. We sufficiently delayed both trains we rode on.  It doesn't mean the Metra is off limits though, just that she needs a little help getting loaded and unloaded.  Either way, check out her smile.  Success!

In other transportation news: my Scion, wrecked by a hit and run driver nearly a month ago, will be in the shop another two weeks.  Seriously?!  And Spencer, who's car was stolen a month and a half ago, finally found a new way to get around.  He bought this 70's Schwin in Champaign at a used bike-sale.  His purchase will hopefully encourage me to take my bike out for a spin now. 

Buttons and Business Card Holders

I learned a life skill today: how to sew on a button.  This as my cats, brother and sister, sat beside me, loving each other.  I blame them for my constant urge to nap.  It's impossible to get anything done when two furry creatures are stretching beside you, inviting you to lay down, just for a second, and cuddle.                           

But a button ain't nothing.  Look at what else I managed to make!  Okay, I just made some credit/business card holders and a cloth pouch, but as a dropout of I-dont-want-to-tell-you-how-much-I-spent sewing classes, being able to create with a sewing machine is an accomplishment. The project in the first photo is actually made out of an old child's apron I found at a yard sale last weekend.

Also made my way out to Elgin to see my mom's best friend, Amy.  She kept more of my mom's belongings than I did.  Her in-the-works daycare is loaded with mugs, towels, tables, even a washer, all from Winmoor Drive.  One of her employees apparently even took my mother's bedroom set.  Seeing memorabilia from my childhood scattered around was odd, but not unsettling.  I love knowing people, other than my sisters, close family, and I can't help but have my mom on their mind as her stuff is everywhere.

Starting Small

This whole 'goal' thing has gotten me up off the couch and I like it.  I like it a lot.  So often I just associate goals with my career, and well, here I am, unemployed.  So giving myself some other goals between applying for jobs and waiting to hear back has made my Wednesday pretty awesome.

I completed a sewing project, if you can even call it that, making pillows out of some old sailboat napkins of my late grandparents.  (notice the cat lurking in the background) 

And I tried out a new recipe.  Carrot coconut soup.  It gave me an excuse to use my mom's crockpot finally.  Spencer loved it (the soup, that is).  As did I, although it didn't beat my sisters.

Oh, and for the record: I don't cook. I also don't sew, at least that well.  It's why these small accomplishments are so major to me, and also why so many of my '101 goals' are focused on cooking and crafts.  The kitchen is where I'll need the most help.  I just don't know a lot of the basics.  Like with this soup, it called for minced ginger.  Turns out I don't know what ginger root looks like, that you peel it, and that, when you do, the soft pink substance they serve at sushi restuarants doesn't appear.  A grocery story employee and my curiousity at home led to me figuring it out, but this cooking quest will be interesting.  Mom would be proud, and a big help on this journey.

Back to Writing

I've been wanting to blog for a while.  Not about anything in particular, but in the hopes of reigniting my love for writing.  In high school, I couldn't go to sleep at the end of the day without turning to the computer and jotting down my thoughts.  It was a release for me.  And while, this blog is public, and I by no means plan to write daily, I think it's what I need.  A release.  A place to organize my thoughts, my goals, to post adorable photos of my pets, and to bitch everyone now and then too.