It's Happening...

Its Happening! Little Luke is on his way, and Stefanie and Mark are headed to Labor and Delivery.  Unfortunately, we have no way to get to Austin, so Leta is feeling pretty depressed, not to mention anxious and nervous!  Yikes I really need to work on the baby quilt!

Nothing much else is going on.  Got a hair cut today, someone should be coming out from San Antonio to buy the bike, and I got 2 "Thanks A Lotto " cards from work, for my efforts this past quarter.

I haven't been running or exercising and I've been eating tons of sugar again.  Incredibly, my weight was down about .4 lbs.  I did get out and ran one time this past week.  I'm feeling more and more convicted about eating better (more fruits, vegetables, organic stuff, etc), also eating at more regular times and better menu planning.  The guilt of not exercising also is bothering me.  So lets see how I do in November!

I've signed up for the Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis.  Even more than signing up for the walk, I've created a team to try to do some fund raising.  My motivations are, the girls in my life all seem to have been diagnosed with a Arthritis, and it is the number one cause of disability in the country.  If you would like to join the team or donate the link is below.  The event is in San Antonio, at the University of the Word Incarnate campus on December 17th.  There is a health fair that starts at 2:30 PM and the 1 Mile fun run is at 4:30, 5K race is at 5:00 PM.

http://sanantoniojinglebellrun.kintera.org/hillcountrytrekkers

Finally, I've been contemplating bible studies.  Leta and I are considering leading one in our apartment, for the  other residents but I don't feel qualified to lead, nor do I have any idea how to put one together.  I don't know how to select a topic or book, have to prepare, how to host and lead the actual study, how long the studies should last (both the individual meeting and the number of weeks we should meet).  As you can see, God is in the details!  So keep us in prayer as we try to sort all this out.

That being said, part of me thinks something along the lines, of "Just Do It" (catchy phrase no?  :-)  ) and as long as we offer hospitality and stay bible focused, we really can't "go wrong" if we let the Spirit lead us.  So again, I ask for your prayers!  Also feel free to send any suggestions, comments, ideas, resource materials or articles, etc!

Have a great week!

Cooler at Last

My favorite time of year is finally arrived in Texas.  Although it is much cooler, with nights in the 40's days generally in the 80-90m range, and it does feel a bit like fall., the trees and foliage haven't started to change colors (other than turn brown after a couple of rain storms, at least temporarily, breaking the drought).

Since last post, I ran the 8K Kraut Run here in Fredericksburg and completed it in just over 1 hour.  That was good enough for 2nd place in my age division. Yeah ok, there were only 2 of us in my age division, but I still accepted the medal!   That was the last time I exercised, other than riding my bike (sole means of transportation, other than the old reliable, "shoe leather express".  So I've renewed my commitment, to continue to exercise and eat better, as I have "backslid" a bit in that area as well.    The good news is, that after the run I was down to my lowest weight in years at 189.4, and I have added less than a pound.  Thank you Jesus, as that is a miracle.

Celebrated my birthday with Erica and Mom.  Leta was visiting with Mark and Stefanie and Abigail.  We both had great visits!  Leta got to go to the Wildfire Victims Relief Concert, featuring Willie Nelson, Dixie Chicks, George Strait (need I say any more Leta?) and other Texas legends.  They raised over 500,000 and are still counting.  Leta also went with Stef to her doctor's appointment and got to see the latest ultrasound of Luke Edward.  (Which reminds me, I STILL haven't started on his blanket yet!   Yikes another thing to get finished!)

I recently read a small book that had letters CS Lewis had written to children.  It was great and I like CS Lewis even better than before I read the book.  I wouldn't have thought that was possible!  I'm also rereading "The Perfect Day" by Richard Paul Evans, another of my favorite authors.

What are you reading?  Who is your favorite author(s)?

Gotta Run!

Goals...grrrr

Time for a rant.  I don't know why I set goals or write lists.  I don't often accomplish more than a couple of them, if even that many!  Then I fret and worry and berate myself.  Just as an example in my last post, I set 5 goals, and it looks like the only one, I'll even "complete" is the "Training program for the upcoming Kraut Run".   It is only because it is an 'open ended' type goal, that I can claim it.

This weekend was Stefanie's baby shower, (or should I say it was "SBL"s (Sweet Baby Luke's) Baby shower)??  And the baby quilt...well it is still uncut fabric in a drawer someplace.   Although I'll claim one step forward on it, I just purchased an iron as our old one is missing since the move.


Oh the move...that was a goal to get unpacked.  We have done maybe 4 boxes from the "storage room"  and still are eating off of paper plates.  Although I have found 1 coffee cup....I was using it to scoop cat litter (CLEAN litter!)  and had to reclaim it for its original intended use.  On a positive note...I did find the bathroom scale, although I had to replace the batteries.


As for my running 12 times and 30 miles in September, I think I'll hit 10 times and 34 miles!  IF I get out and do my last 3 work outs this week!  


Final note, picked up a new bike at Wal-mart today.  Brought it home and assembled it.  Took it out for a ride and nothing fell off, so looks like I can retire the almost 40 year old Fuji Special Road Racer.  It has been a great ride!

• As I was typing this entry, I went from being frustrated and down on myself , to mildly surprised that I was actually closer to my goals than I thought I was.  Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself?
• Do you use goals and how to you react when you don't accomplish them?

Vital Stats
Beginning Weight - 193.8
BMI - 28.6
Miles Walked/Ran - 13.48

Y-T-D Miles Walked/Ran - 280'11
Ending Weight -190.4

BMI - 28.1
Weight Lost <Gain>- 3.4
YTD Weight Lost - 29.6

Up and Running again

Wow how the time flies.  Leta and I (and the movers) packed the house, loaded most everything onto the truck and got it up to Fredericksburg.  What didn't fit on the truck, we moved in Erica's car and it 'only' took about 4 more trips.  We started early in the morning and went to late into the night.  But we proved you can pack and move an entire house in one day.  (Now unpacking that is another story!).

Sweet Sweet Penny

We had an "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" week.  We had to put Penny down, as she had suffered a stroke and couldn't get up gy herself any longer.  She was loved and had a good long 16 years or so.  She was a princess and she knew it, although she infuriated me at times because she acted as if she was a cat.  She was the sweetest dog, and just knew everyone and everything was placed on Earth to meet her and be her friend.... Couldn't stay mad at her very long, that was for sure.  I think she even forgave me for taking her for a walk where she met her kryptonite.....those evil snowmen!


On the lighter side, I was finally made full-time at HEB.  Also, I've decided it is time to replace my bike.  Although I love it and it has served me well over the last 30 some years, it desperately needs work.  For example the rear tire is down to cords, the front brake lever bracket (that attaches the lever to the handlebar) broke and the front brake lever is now dangling down in front of the front tire.  Also I think I should have fenders, cargo rack, lights and a chain guard.  I stopped at the local bike store and they said it would cost $150-$200 to get it restored, and although the quality of the bike is great, it still would have old technology and the riding position wouldn't be as comfortable as the newer bikes.

I've also decided to enter the 2nd Annual Kruat run.  It is an 8k race, roughly 5 miles!  Yikes I really have to  Get Up and Get Running.  I have only have 3 weeks!  The best part of this race, it helps kick off Octoberfest in Fredericksburg!

2nd Annual Kraut Run

I haven't found  (see comment above about the progress of unpacking!) the bathroom scale yet, so I can't update my weight but my stats for August were:

I exercised 9 times

Ran/Walked  24.19 Miles  (Lowest monthly total for 2011 )
Pace averaged 12:41  (Fastest Pace for 2011)
Y-T-D mileage 260.11

Goals for September

•  Run 12 Times
•  30 miles total
• Training program for the upcoming Kraut Run
• Start and FINISH Luke Edward's baby quilt by the 9/23 (Baby shower on the 24th!)
• Get unpacked!

Chupacabra Days of Summer

In keeping the tradition of doing everything but what I need to be doing, (e.g. completing my exercise commitment for the day, or packing in preparation for our next move).  In fact, I think I started this blog when I should have been getting ready to move to Texas!  So without further ado....

You know its hot when the bank temperature signs apologize for displaying the current temperature!

I worked Tuesday fairly early and got home around 6:30 PM.  It had been (actually it still was) a very hot day in Texas.  So the house had been hot all day (even with A/C) and Leta had been "trapped" all day, as I had taken the car to work, so she was a bit stir crazy and more than a little ready to go for a drive and cool down in the car.  (It's a/c works GREAT and will frost your glasses when you get out of the car).  I think you know going for drives is one of our favorite things to do.  So anyhow (sorry apparently I write like I talk, rambling and all over the place!) I pulled into the driveway and before I could git out of the car, Leta was by my door saying "move over, we are going somewhere, I don't get where, but we are going." 

We cruised around the outskirts of town, when all of a sudden I noticed some movement just off the shoulder of the road, and Leta sees it at the same time and we both yell "Its a Roadrunner!"  and it was running!  What a cool bird!  Later (by now we were further out in the country) we are driving and see a large mostly black bird along the side of the road, and we both think it is a vulture, as they are so prevalent, but then notice it has a large white area on its breast and neck and a 'crown', and again as we go buy we both yell "I think that was a crested caracara!"   We also saw a Scissor-tail sitting on the fence, and innumerable deer, both white-tail, axis, and other exotics.

We really enjoyed the drive and looking for wildlife and examining every creek as we crossed the bridges to see if there was even a drop of water in a pool.    We think we are seeing so many animals, because they are moving earlier looking for water, and food, as most of the 'grasses' have died.  They are having lots of trouble with snakes (someone posted a picture on facebook of a seven plus foot rattlesnake they killed on their ranch) and scorpions, etc  

Also the other night, I got off at midnight, and on the way home we saw a bobcat run across the road!  Yes, we are sure it wasn't a dog, cat, coyote, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, or even a Chupacabra (a mytholigcal mexican animal, the name means goat blood sucker)! 

Yesterday, I had off and continuing the tradition of doing everything but what I should be doing we drove to San Antonio to Hancock Fabrics and Leta picked out material for 2 sewing Projects for me.  I want to make her a tote bag with 1 or 2 "Log Cabin" squares.  I even have checked out the book "Quilt in a Day" which has instructions to make a QUILT (with many squares, not just 2 ) so I figure I should be able to whip it out quickly!  Here is the material she selected for that project. 

The second project is a blanket for baby Luke.  Here is the selection for the blanket (Stefanie wants a 'monkey' theme for Luke so we honored that!

Well I think I've stalled long enough and this post is probably getting boring so I think I better go find some socks and my running shoes and head out before it gets too much hotter.  Sorry!

July Update

Only a little late, but better late than never, right?

It has been very hot and it reflects in  my (lack of) running.  Although it started off pretty good.  I ran a 4 mile(!) run in San Antoniom (see race report here ).  After that I was "lucky" if I ran more than once a week, although I always managed to run at least once per week.    To combat the lack of 'getting' out there and "Just do it" (note to self nice tag line, maybe I should copy right it!) I signed up for a Presidential Fitness Challenge on the Active.com web sight (see here for more info), and the 10k training program.

Goals for August:
Participate and record Presidential Fitness Challenge work outs, (30 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week!)
Run 50 miles (highest monthly mileage ever)
Lose 5 lbs
Get house packed up and cleaned
Get yard cleaned up
Get moved
Blog and complete 3 sewing projects (quilted place mats, Leta's Log-cabin tote bag, and Luke's baby quilt)

Wow lots to do!  (speaking of which, I need to finish this post and go for a morning run!)

Happy trails to you!

Without further ado, here are the not so pretty stats from July.  Although the could have been worse

Miles Run - 26.02  pace of 13:30
Y-T-D miles -  234.29
WT - 194
LBS gained - 1.8 lbs
Y-T-D LBS lost - 26.0

Leta didn't get out and walk, too hot and sore.  But new apartment has a pool, trails and is across the street from the high school so we should have ample opportunity to work out. 
Y-T-D miles -  3.1
LBS lost - 19 (from her last Dr.s appointment)
Y-T-D LBS lost 

Missin It

Missin(g) seems to be my theme this week.  Leta and I are missing our friends, church and weather back in Michigan.  I'm missing the goals I set for the week(s).  Leta misses her girls.  And it just seems like were missin(g) so much that life has to offer....

Ok enough of the lamenting....  I was able to complete the Ready Set Go program with HEB (the online educational portion of the training to walk/run a 5k) and I was able to get out and run 3 times this week.  So there were some high spots.

Vital Stats
Beginning Weight - 196.0
BMI - 28.9
Miles Walked/Ran - 9.26

Y-T-D Miles Walked/Ran - 224.72
Ending Weight -193.7

BMI - 28.6
Weight Lost <Gain>- 2.3
YTD Weight Lost - 26.3