I heart my scale this morning. We are BFFs. Even after yesterday's two meals out, not enough water, one nutter butter, cheese, and a few pretzels, I was still down this morning. Whew, close one! I am still behind a day of running this week and need to get 2 miles in today. We are in a blowing dirt advisory with promised gusts of 65 mph so I won't be going outside. Date with the dreadmill for later tonight looks promising.

My sister is in town so we had great family time yesterday. We started at 8:45 with basketball pictures. Then my daughter had her first basketball game. Hilarious. Then back home for lunch with the family and on to a double header of baseball. Back to the gym that afternoon for two more games of basketball. It was an eventful day. Kallie's first game and she did great. Trevor's first varsity baseball games and he actually got to pitch. TJ's team killed their opponents in basketball. One game was 48 to 2 and our kids tried not to score the whole 2nd half because they felt so sorry for the other team. Then we came back home for another family meal. We were lucky to have played one of my old high school friend's son yesterday so their whole family went also. We had to have 4 table to seat everyone and ended up with 27 for dinner. The kids (and the adults) were so excited to spend the extra time together and there was lots of laughter from every table.

I feel so blessed to have days like yesterday. I got up early and did something for myself. I am blessed with three wonderful kids who work hard at everything they do. I am thankful to have family that wants to spend time together. And I am lucky to have friends surrounding us as well.

About to head out for another day of family. Church, lunch, and a nice afternoon with people I care about. Hope you have a great day also.

Another good thing about running with Kallie last weekend was that I improved my time today by 14 minutes. That pretty good considering it was just a three mile run! Ha, of course, I didn't get to stop this time to take pictures by the library or buy water at the store or scratch the pigs back. Today it was just me, the dreadmill, and my music. After my son's track meet last night, I was having a little ear pain so I didn't want to get back in the cold this morning.

Another good thing about running on the dreadmill is the bathroom because a bathroom break was in order about half way in.

Another good thing about running in the house is that I had to be everyone's alarm clock this morning. We have basketball x3 and baseball x2, basketball pictures plus pigs to feed and a haircut. Think we have a free minute around 11:30 tonight.

Another good thing about running is the amount of calories I just burned. I know my dreadmill might exaggerate at times about my calorie burn but I sure did like what he had to say this morning.

Another good thing about running are the sights you see. This morning I watched the sun rise through my back window. I watched the dogs play keep away with an old soccer ball. I tapped on the window and then watched as they stared at me trying to figure out how I was running towards them but never getting any closer.

Another good thing about running in the morning is that I can have my first cup off coffee all by myself while I reflect on how good finishing my workout for the day feels.

Another good thing about running is the ability to run. The other night after I posted, one of my best friends and her mom were in a car wreck. Her mom is older and has Alzheimer's. Her leg and ankle were broken. Her lung collapsed before they could do surgery. After finally getting to the surgery last night they found other breaks that hadn't shown up on the first xray. So this morning I am thankful for the ability to run.

Another good thing about running is that somewhere, someday, I may see you on the road.

I was up on the scale.

I was out of coffee.

I got in a dress that was a lot smaller.

I had to go to a funeral for a 7 month old baby.

I had to help serve lunch for funeral.

I resisted dessert at funeral meal.

I resisted the girl scout cookies someone left on the counter.

I didn't stop on the way home for another diet soda.

I wore panty hose today and heels.

I am home with my healthy family.

I have no plans for the evening but my MED.

I would like to clean house not because I like to clean house but because I need to clean house.

I supported a friend today.

I had to take 1/2 a day off of work.

I had an old friend involved in a head on wreck with a semi today walk away with whiplash.

I drove to New Mexico to pick up my daughter who had been sick and staying with Grammy.

I drove 150 miles today.

Except for this morning, my mind has been too preoccupied to think about food. In the past, this kind of nothing happening day would have sent me into a "let's go out to eat and binge because it's easier" sort of mode. I am sad and blue about today but I am not going to let those feelings affect the progress I have made on this journey. I will be comforted by my family tonight and not by food. I will reward my body with a nice long walk instead of carbs. I will feel good tomorrow when I wake up because I will know that I did the best I could for myself today.

Tonight I sold my grandma's car. I bought it after she passed away. I have put 60,000 miles on it in the years that I have had it. Double what she had put on it the whole time she had it. It was a 1992 Buick Park Avenue. I think she got it the year I was a senior. The kids fondly referred to it as the "Granny Panny" It needed shocks and paint. It needed an oil change and a tune up. We had replaced the battery twice because it had a cooling fan that would run at times when it didn't need to and run the battery down. It had a cassette deck. The a/c buttons were worn down because she would use her fingernail to change the temperature. Every once in awhile, you could still smell her when you got in the car. It was one of those cars with plenty of leg room in the back seat.

As my grandad struggled with Alzheimer's he must have had an obsession with cigarette lighters because there were 6 in the ash tray. There was also Pepto Bismol in the glove box and a fuzzy gloved window scraper.

I was lucky to get it after she passed away because my car was in the shop (a vw bug that was in the shop more then out). Things had started happening that made me decide to sell. The most recent and the funniest was during the last snow storm. I had been telling my husband that cold air was blowing on me from somewhere every time I drove. Of course, he couldn't ever feel it. One morning there was a little snow left on the window and hood. A semi was coming towards me on the road. As he passed me, snow literally flew in my face. It was like on tv where someone gets splashed while standing on the curb. At first I didn't believe it and thought I was imagining it. Then it happened again. Of course my husband's concern extended into a laughing fit.

The other funny thing that happened was a while back when we were going to my son's basketball game. We pulled up to park, turned the key off, got out of the car only to discover it was still running. Yes, keys were in my hand and I was standing outside of the car. My husband had to show me how to use a tool under the hood to turn it off.

The price was right on the car when we bought it and repairs have been humorous and minimal. Forgot to mention the trip to OKC. It served it purpose both to my grandma and to me. Now it will serve it's purpose to another family. My son is excited because this means his pickup will have to get fixed. My middle son is excited because the "granny panny" will no longer be a part of his drop off/pick up routine at jr high. My daughter was crying because she misses her grandma so much. (She is very sentimental. A song at church last week made her cry because it reminded her of her dog.)

Good bye Park Avenue. Hello ______?

Yesterday's long run was only 3 miles but it was so much more then that. My DD has been begging to go to the library. I casually mentioned that it was only a mile away from the house. Fast forward to yesterday morning when I had planned on sleeping in a little. 7:07 brings a knock on the bedroom door and it"s DD with a great idea. We can run to the library and get her books. She is going to get dressed and for me to hurry up. I wasn't sure if the library was open on Saturday but I was pretty sure it wasn't open at 7 in the morning!

We stalled until 8. Not knowing how she would do running I wasn't sure how long the first mile would take. She is a very, umm, distracted runner. She sees and wants to talk about EVERYTHING. I gave her an old watch to wear, put our road ids on and she wore a spibelt with the phone. We also had to take a backpack for the books. And off we went.

We ran by the new pool, the old tennis courts, the pond, up our first hill, by the elementary school and made it to the library. It was closed on Saturday. There went her interest in the running. We were a mile from home and two miles from finishing.

The boys were working on the pig pens at the ag farm so I convinced her to head that direction and she could go with her dad. She had taken some money so we ran through a store for a bathroom break and water. Then headed to the pig pens. The 2nd mile was by far the slowest. But we finally made it to the boys. We talked to them a little. I had another mile to go and was anxious to get started again. She decided to finish the 3 miles with me.

We left the ag farm, crossed the railroad tracks and the highway, behind the grocery store and it was at this point she thought a detour through mcdonalds would be good. NOT happening. We went back to the park trail to finish and got our 3 in a block from the house. Pretty good planning for the distance. It took us awhile but we accomplished a lot.

She is a character. About 5 minutes in, she stops and shouts, "Wait, not only are we doing something good for ourselves we are doing something good for the planet." Later she tells me not to worry about how much faster the cars are going then us because eventually we all get where we are going. I was talking to her about running against or with traffic, intersections, and single file running. She says, "You sure can learn a lot while you are running. Just so many lessons."

My cousin once said she didn't believe kids would say things this. But this girl, she's a talker.

I had a little wardrobe malfunction. My running skirt wouldn't stay up. I had to hold it up the whole time. She was hoping I didn't embarass her by letting my skirt fall down in the middle of the road in front of the whole town. Me too, Kallie. Me too.

Just a few days ago we were freezing, today it promises to be 75 or better. Aside from a little wind, the weather is perfect. Marathon training has commenced and muscles are being use. Streaking is going strong. Weight is moving out.

I had to leave my rings at home today because they kept slipping off. I am going shopping tomorrow for some new pants. I am feeling good about my health.

Air was a little cold last night when I finally got around to running. That has caused me to have a little problem with asthma today. Gotta get my lungs back in shape along with everything else. I am really enjoying all the planning and prep that goes into a running plan. I just have to stay motivated about the work that goes into it also.

Early out for school today so I hope to get my MED done in the bright sunshine.

So happy.