Bleh

Feeling kinda Bleh lately.  Two weeks of swimming lessons is about 1 week and 3 days too long.  Good thing we're almost done.

And then this weekend we're crossing off one of the things off my list (specifically #58) which will be a much cooler story than I can even fathom right now.

And there's only about 8 weeks left until I'm running another marathon.  And I'm a little scared about what's next after that.  In 2007, the pathway was pretty clear.  In 2010, not so much.

I ran 14 miles (!) on Saturday only to discover that by Monday I had gained 2 pounds.  Seriously?  I burned 2500 calories in the course of 2 hours and managed to eat that PLUS an extra 6400 calories PLUS whatever I burn by just existing.  And it wasn't even on anything worth mentioning.  We're talking like 10,000 calories.  Who's efficient design is this anyways?

Muscle.  It must be all muscle.

Speaking of worthwhile, I wish I had something worthwhile to talk about.

You probably wish I had something worthwhile to mention as well.

Next week, I will.  Because I'll be able to show pictures and describe #58 to you.  So, pray that lightning will be kept at bay and that we'll be able to summit, because we will probably exhaust our babysitting opportunities with this one adventure and I'm sure we won't be able to try again until our children have moved out.

I mean, my children are angels and grandma and grandpa are going to have an awesome time with them.  Maybe you should pray for Wade's parents too.

Hmmmm

So, considering it's been two weeks since  I've written an entry and only one person has questioned me about this, I'm thinking maybe my fan base has dwindled from 12 to 1.

:(

The truth is that nothing noteworthy has happened.

Well, I did go up to Downey to see my grandma for a couple of days, and that had the potential of being kind of a good story, but I want to polish it up and enter it into a writing contest first, so, maybe sometime later you'll hear about my misadventures to Downey.

And I've had to revamp my house rules to include no turning on the hose, ever, but especially when we're not home and no taking the mattresses off the bed.  Plus no leaving opened chip bags in the food storage. Which is an addendum to the also-new entry of no taking food from the food storage without asking first.

And why have I slacked on Spiritual Thoughts Sunday?  Because I'm having a hard time finding spiritual things  every Sunday when I feel like an underpaid babysitter for 2 hours.

And my What's For Dinner Wednesdays have been slacking too.  There's no real reason for that either.  Just slacking on the whole new recipe thing because I'm lazy.

Though I did make a kick-butt  key lime pie--from scratch--the other day.

I don't think I've ever mentioned that key lime pie is my FAVORITE pie of all time.  Nevermind it's an insanely amount of calories per slice.

Have I mentioned I'm training for a marathon?  I'm not really counting calories. But it also explains why I'm so slow in writing on this thing.

I am taxed beyond belief.

But, for my one die hard fan, I will soldier on and try to be more consistent.

You know, in between those 18 mile runs and 25 mile bike rides.

Oh and that thing called motherhood.

Fourth of July Weekend

Wade called from work this morning:

"We spent a lot of time together this weekend."

"Yeah, yeah, we did."  I replied.

So, Friday night, we went out to the the Great Salt Lake.  Why?  Well, why not?  Because it stinks, that's why.  But we trekked out there nonetheless.  And got some good shots of a sunset.

The pictures make it look so...pretty and serene, doesn't it?

Saturday was the parade with the Parade Gestapo and the awesome 5k.

Then we headed to Grantsville and went "hiking".  We didn't pack the backpack so we could only go as far as little A.'s legs would carry her.  But she did pretty good.  And she was so excited to be out there.

And J. was excited to be out there.

And then we tried to get a picture with all four of us:

YAY!  Success!

Then it was time to get a picture of Josh and Aunika:

Whew!  Finally.  Both kids looking at the camera!

And look, I came too:

Here was the view of the Tooele Valley as we drove back home:

Sunday, we went to Wade's parents house for dinner.  Nothing noteworthy happened.  We ate.  We laughed and then we came home.

Monday, we decided to go camping.  It's how we roll.  So we packed up the car and headed to Payson Lakes.  J. was so excited.  A. didn't know what was happening, but it was outside so she was happy.

It was really nice.  Everyone had gone home from the weekend, so we basically had the entire campground to ourselves.  Wade has two days off for the 4th of July holiday, so it was nice to beat the crowds.  We walked around one of the lakes:

J. tripped and got a boo-boo and then insisted I take a picture of it.

We had a great time and it was perfect weather.  So our roomy tent--fits 10--was plenty warm for just the four of us all huddled in the center.

Why do we have a tent that big?  There's a story there.  Maybe tomorrow.

On the way home, we stopped off to see a waterfall.  A. was a daredevil, but we managed to get her to the waterfall and back without any serious injury minus the broken toe I now have thanks to an bad decision of wearing flip flops to hike in.

Aren't they adorable?

4th of July Message

The Fourth of July is probably one of my most favorite holidays of the year.  I love the summer and bbq's and sitting outside late at night and watching fireworks.  But I also love that we're celebrating a great cause--America's Independence--as well as paying homage to those who have died for our freedoms.

And I think this country is awesome!

This last week at Toastmasters, we heard from a former Yugoslavian refugee.  His story was equally as horrowing as it was inspiring.  And here's the kicker:

He's my age.  30.

It was such an eye-opening moment to meet someone face to face that escaped their country because they were going to be killed.  I have only read about it in books, but to listen to someone's first person account of how they escaped death was an incredible thing.  Especially this weekend, when we celebrate our freedoms as Americans.

We take a lot of things for granted in America.  Like how we can disagree with the government--in public--and not run the risk of being murdered by officials.  Or how we can be all ethnicities and religions and backgrounds and never have to worry about an ethnic cleansing wiping out our villages. 

And clean drinking water and copious amounts of food and shelter over our heads--the list is endless. 

My message--take a moment and remember those who have sacrificed for the good of our nation.  We may be young (234 years is NOT old as far as established countries are concerned), and there may be some serious pitfalls in how the country has been ran/is being run, but we still are a pretty cool country.  And I'm glad I'm a citizen.  Take some time and read some books on what life is like outside the United States.  You'll be amazed at what freedoms you have you never knew weren't granted to all people.

Have a safe and happy holiday! 

A Nerdy Math Chic Public Service Announcement

It has come to my attention that we, as a society, are in a desperate need for a refresher course in parade etiquette.

Allow me to demonstrate.

When at a parade--such as a Fourth of July parade--where floats will be driving by and throwing candy, please do not stand with the little children, collecting candy, unless you are a little child.  THIS is not cool:

There is a sub-group of moms who feel that their children are being unfairly picked on in every event they go to.  And so, thus, by running interference themselves, they can save their child the heartache of not getting 20 pieces of candy like Johnny did, but getting only 5 pieces of candy because when you stand and pick your nose, you're not going to get the candy before Johnny (who cleaned his nose out this morning before the parade in anticipation of bagging the most candy) snatches it up.

Also there is a subset of moms who will do ANYTHING for free stuff. Note: Not all free things are created equally.  

Meet the parade Gestapo, who belongs to a combination of these two subsets.  She was intent on getting enough candy to feed the 5 or 10 kids she had surrounding her as well as snatch anything free that was (or wasn't)  being given away.  She almost got ran over to net a t-shirt that had fallen underneath the tires of a moving vehicle.

When your candy bag looks like this, you've taken the sport of parade watching to a whole new level.

I know that we all want our children to be treated equally and to be given the same opportunities as other children.  I get that.  But when you steal candy from underneath someone's shoe (particularly my son's shoe) you start to piss me off.  

And then I blog about you.

So there.

On a happier note, I did the annual 4th of July run.  Remember last year?  Well, I'm happy (maybe a little sad because it was such a great story) to report that nothing of this sort happened.  But I ran the race in...

24:38!!!!!!!  That's the best time I've EVER had.  And not only the best, but the best after having run 7 miles yesterday.  And the best after having ridden my bike up a steep hill 7 times on Tuesday (I topped out at 30 mph without trying on the way down if that's any indication to how steep the hill was).  And the best after having been awake and out of the house before 6 am every. single. day. this. week.  

In short, imagine how fast I could've gone had I been preparing to do only this run.

And the best part is that I came in third for my age group, and 26th overall for the women.  By the way, this isn't some small town podunky affair (well, maybe it is).  There were over 200 women registered for the race.  I'm ecstatic and will probably wear my ribbon to church tomorrow.  

The second best part was that my two running buddies came in third in their age categories too.  

And Wade was so happy for me.  He even waited around for an hour after the parade so I could have the glory of getting my ribbon.

Now, I've won a few ribbons this last year but mostly in those races where there are only four or five people in my age category.  This is the biggest award I've won for my running thus far and I've almost forgotten how hard it is to get out and exercise at 5:30 every morning.

Family Fun

This last weekend, we had the grand opportunity to attend two (2!) reunions.

I'll give you a moment to get your envy under control.

Are we good?  Good.

First up was the annual Hadlock family reunion.  If you'll remember, last year, someone invited the blood bank and then forgot to mention it to most everyone.

I refer it to Vampires at our BBQ.

This year, there was no such thing.  It was pretty normal, actually.  Some funny incidents:

(a) Each family group is in charge of their own food.  Every year, we do a deli sandwich spread and the kids fill in the details.  Wade and I usually bring chips.  Wade's sister brings fruit and Wade's younger brother brings dessert.  This year, Wade's younger brother wasn't going to be up there until after work and Wade's other brother and sister were coming. They haven't been there for a couple of years.  So, when I called Wade's dad on Thursday afternoon to see what kind of Cheetos he wanted, he mentioned I should also bring cookies.  Oh, and those little brownie bites.  I picked up 36 cookies and a thing of brownie bites from Costco.

As did Wade's sisters and his mom.  So we had 126 cookies.  For 7 adults.

Where did the communication barrier break down?  Apparently, Wade's dad told us ALL to bring cookies.

(b) Grandma is pushing 90 this year.  She's starting to go downhill and inevitably, the talk turned to what to do once she goes.  Wade's uncle was contemplating ending the reunion once Grandma is gone.

What?  Am I not allowed to associate with you people once she goes?  Is she our ONLY common bond?

On second thought...maybe she is?

(c) This particular incident is only somewhat funny because it wasn't me.  Wade's brother and his wife are expecting their third kid in less than a month.  They showed up late in the afternoon, stepped out of the vehicle and promptly locked and shut the doors--with the keys inside.  So Wade's brother had to get a ride down to Lehi and get their spare key and then head back--about an hour and a half round trip.  I thought my SIL took it pretty well.  If it would've been me, there definitely would've been some tears and a few swear words and I would've been the one to drive home for the key.  And taken an hour long bubble bath before heading back.  Hitting Cafe Rio on the way.  I guess that's why I have two kids 4 years apart, and they're on their third kid in 3 years.

As I was watching her chase her two younger ones, I was reminded at how glad I am to NOT BE pregnant right now.

See?  Not a whole lot going on this year.

The next day, we headed up to Downey, Idaho for the Woodland family reunion/Grandma's 90th birthday party.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  We showed up and it was a completely different reunion experience.  For example, Wade's family allows the reunion to happen around them, soaking in each moment from their camp chairs.  There are no scheduled activities.  Dinnertime is whenever.  A few games scattered during the day.  Visit with who you want.  Take a nap.  Read a book.  Whatever.

My family would be the complete opposite.  The party started at noon.  We were able to chat with cousins and aunts and uncles for awhile, but then the potluck lunch was served.  During lunch we played a rousing game of Jeopardy with questions/answers pertaining to Grandma's life.  After lunch we played a game of Jumble, grandma's favorite game from the newspaper.  My sister-in-law and I were able to get every word. Then it was off on a treasure hunt through the little town of Downey (population 610).  It was there that I saw these two postings:

At the tennis courts.  Make sure you keep your horses off dangit!

At the rodeo grounds.  Is there a huge market for a combined Rodeo/Bible camp?  Is the Lord riding with you on that horse?  How about if you take your horse on the tennis court?

We went around the town and saw the Senior Citizen Center where Grandma eats lunch twice a week and does her Fit and Fallproof class every morning at 8 am.  And then over to the war memorial they just put up.  Both my grandma and my grandpa served in WWII.  (Grandma was a nurse).

Then we went to the hospital that my grandma worked at for years.  Then back to the park where grandma was waiting for us.  We had to make up a birthday song for her and sing it and the pose for a group shot.

We sang a song from Primary.  Apparently, we all failed primary because we couldn't remember the words.

After everyone returned from the treasure hunt, we played another game about grandma's life.  We had to dress up in costumes.  I swear I took a picture of Wade in his fairy wings but somehow it disappeared off the camera.

Which is a shame because that picture would've come in handy.

He gave the wings to Josh for this lovely group shot:

Then it was time for cake and ice cream and cotton candy (thanks to the machine that Wade's dad bought for the Hadlock family reunion: reason #1 the Hadlock family reunion must continue on after Grandma is gone) and some more chatting and then everyone packed up and left.

It was jam-packed and a completely different experience than the Hadlock reunion.  But it was A LOT of fun too.  I was able to get caught up with some cousins who are into running and triathlons.

Both reunions were fun, but I'm glad their annual events and not weekly events.

What's For Dinner Wednesday--Cafe Rio Salad (homemade)

Note:  I made my second batch of yogurt yesterday and have some more tips: I bought 100 coffee filters for $3 and those worked a lot better than cheesecloth.  Plus, they were A LOT cheaper.  Just use one filter in a strainer when draining the yogurt.  Also, I let it drain for 2 1/2 hours.  That thickened it up big time. 

Okay, for my friend, Em, who's in Germany, I made the Cafe Rio Salad.  I hope that (a) she likes Cafe Rio salads.  I don't think I asked her.  And (b) she can find the ingredients.

Salad
Romaine lettuce.  This was the best lettuce to use, plus leftover leaves make a great lettuce wrap for lunch the next day.  I just put veggies, bacon bits, cheese, a dallop of salad dressing and sunflower seeds, fold it up and yum.

This pork and rice.  I squirted some lime juice in the rice to give it a kick. 

Black beans. (or pinto beans.  Whatever you fancy).

Cheese, if you please.

Salad Dressing
homemade ranch dressing packet (get the packet from the store and mix it with milk or mayonnaise.  I used mayonnaise because it's thicker then I put it in the refrigerator to let it set up for a little bit.)

1 jalapeno (don't scrape the seeds out with your thumb and then rub your ear/nose/mouth/eyes or it will burn for DAYS, or so I've been told).

2 tomatillos (they look like little baby green tomatoes wrapped in paper.)

a sprig of cilantro (I don't really like cilantro, so I used very little)

Juice from one lime

Mix everything in the blender, then Viola!  There you have it.

*Clarification: Mix everything for the salad dressing NOT the salad in the blender.  If you put the stuff for the salad in the blender then you'll get something less than Viola!

I cooked up a tortilla and melted cheese on it.  Then I put it in an oven proof glass bowl and baked it for a little bit do it'd hold it's shape.  Then I layered the salad with the rice on the bottom, the sweet pork, the greens, beans and cheese.  Then drizzled the salad dressing on top.

Oh and I made those cool crispy things, but they didn't turn out as good as Cafe Rios.  I need to work on those.

So, overall, very tasty.  Maybe not EXACTLY like Cafe Rio's, but really, really close and will get you by if, say, you're in a foreign country whose menus rely heavily on bratwursts and sauerkraut.