Dealing With Curveballs

/

Sometimes life doesn't flow the way you want it to. This week, for example, is a train wreck.

Blair and I leave soon for Italy. Poor guy came down with a horrible cold on Monday. Bad, but as the eternal optimists our thoughts were, "Yea! At least he's getting it out of the way before we leave on our trip." As I type these words, I'm listening to him in the bathroom, gagging. Not better. Worse. And facing a 24-hour travel day in the very near future. 

My throat has started tickling and I'm just praying the excitement over the trip will stave off any impending illness. That, and I think I may drink a lot in the next 24-hours to kill off any germs. ;)

Then there's Snowball, our newly adopted cat. I arrived home yesterday to find his left eye practically sealed shut. No idea what's going on there, except now I have to find time in an already frantic day to get him to the vet and then, more then likely, explain to our house sitter that not only will she be feeding our cats for the week, but she'll also more than likely be required to catch and sit on a cat while attempting to administer eye drops. 

My speech for Ignite Charlotte is written, but today must must MUST be devoted to pulling the slides together. I'm having a panic attack just thinking about it. 

Then there are the last minute details to attend to - visits to the bank and post office, return library books, write up instructions for the house sitter, last minute cleaning and laundry and--oh yeah--I haven't PACKED anything yet. 

But I can't think about any of that right now. I'm leaving in a few minutes to meet friends for a 20-mile run and I'm grateful. I'm feeling edgy and scattered and I know a long run, where I have no choice but to put one foot in front of the other for hour after hour, is going to calm and center me. Exhaust me as well, but calm and center me. 

I'll get everything done because you know what? I always do. Blair will rally, I won't get sick, we'll get medicine in Snowball and we will have a glorious time roaming all over Italy. 

I'm going to knock these curveballs out of the park. 

Cheers,

Dena

Fun Fridays Come To An End

/

It's Labor Day weekend, which means not only will I eat my weight in veggie burgers and Ezkiel sprouted grain buns, but it signifies the end of Fun Fridays. Tomorrow Blair returns to his normal 5 day work week and Fun Fridays will be but a memory. 

But what good memories! This summer we: 

  • Rode monster roller coasters and managed not to throw up on each other or others waiting in line at Carowinds
  • Visited the town of West Jefferson where we locked our keys in our car and visited the cheese factory while we waited for AAA to arrive
  • Did a walking tour of downtown Greensboro
  • Spent a week at Hilton Head Island
  • Traveled to Boone where Blair ran the Grandfather Mountain Marathon
  • Had our niece Katlin here for a visit and cooked a whole fish (It was epic.)
  • Took our nephew Logan and my mom ziplining.
  • Paid a quick visit to Mount Airy then welcomed our long-lost NC friends Anne and John and their wonderful kids for a visit
  • Spent a weekend at Wrightsville Beach
  • Caught up with Blair's good friend Bill whom I hadn't seen since he was a groomsman in our wedding

And what did we do on this, the LAST fun Friday of the season? What could possibly top a summer of such fun?

Why -- beer and nachos on the outdoor patio at Village Tavern. Can't ever get enough.

It's been a fun summer. Thanks for tagging along with us through the blog. We now return you to your regularly scheduled life.

Cheers,

Dena

 

Fun Friday: Mount Airy

/

Heart With Joy on bookshelf - YEA!!This Friday we ignored the rain clouds gathering overhead and ventured up the road a ways to Mt. Airy, i.e., "Mayberry" and home of all things Andy Griffith. We didn't have any real plans for the day. Just thought we'd take a look around, eat lunch, see what there was to see and head home. Mt. Airy is less than an hour away from us, so it was a good, quick trip. 

The first fun thing to happen is that we walked into Pages bookstore and I saw my friend Steve Cushman's book, Heart With Joy, on a shelf. Had to whip out the i-phone and send him a quick picture. The next fun thing is that I discovered that not only does Stephen King have a new book out, it's a new book in the Dark Towers series. Hel-loooo! How did I miss that? We bought the Steven King book, a book called Wild by Cheryl Straying that several people have recommended to me in the last week, and a cookbook by Olivia Newton John. (I am a SUCKER for cookbooks.) 

Read More

The Smug Marrieds Guide To Marathon Running

/

This weekend marks Blair's debut as a marathoner. He's running Grandfather Mountain, a race which boasts the tag line, "One of America's Toughest Marathons."

You wouldn't catch me running this race on a dare. The course begins at 3,333 feet and climbs to an elevation of 4,279 feet. Up, up, up, ow, ow, ow. But Blair insists he's going to be a "one and done" marathoner, so his rationale is why not make it count?

Observing Blair over the last 16 weeks, I've been amused by the differences in how we approach our training. So here for your reading pleasure, I offer...

Read More