Racing Goals for 2011

A little bit ago Hubs sent me this IM:

I think your readership is bigger than you think; I just got asked why you don't have any racing goals on your resolution post that I hadn't even read yet.

I responded with this:

Hmmmm.  Tell them that my racing goals/resolutions are lumped in with finding more patience with you.

Hubs:  hahaha
Me:  I got jokes
Hubs:  Its funny cause it's true.

I've been thinking about that thought since he asked and so this is my real answer to that question:

I didn't make any racing resolutions because unlike a lot of people around me, I only enjoy the OCCASIONAL race.  I'm a fair weather racer.  If I'm feeling good, the weather is suppose to be nice, and I'm in no danger of drowning I will sign up and decide if I'm racing ON race day.

I have no desire to run a full marathon, complete an Olympic distance triathlon or be any type of Ironman.  It's not that I don't think I can do it (Oprah ran a marathon for goodness sakes) my lack of motivation comes from this simple statement: I don't get the point.  I'm perfectly satisfied running 3 or 4 or even 6 miles on a good day.  I like doing the 12ish mile Longview Loop on my bike and being done with it.

I suppose if someone told me they would pay me to swim, bike, run everyday and I could take naps and eat whatever I wanted that might be a different story.  The point would be: its my job. And the better I do my job, the better I get paid.  But to just get up at the ass crack of dawn on the weekends to suffer through a race is not really my idea of a great time.  I already get paid to suffer through something else during the week...it's called work.  Why would I want to subject myself to the same misery on my days off?

I know people that run marathons.  After Hubs finished his first marathon he said he didn't feel the clouds part and the 'come to Jesus' moment a lot of people feel when they finish a marathon.  His life wasn't different at all.

Another friend posted this after her first marathon:

"I trained for my first full marathon (26.2 miles) for 6 months and completed it in October 2010. Surprisingly, I left the experience feeling somewhat empty and unfulfilled. I had raised so much money and run so many miles and for what? I know that there are many people out there that I had helped through the money I raised, but I still felt lost.  I had no desire to run anymore. What was the point? Yes, it made me feel good sometimeands, and yes, I had met some amazing people, but the warmth of my bed in the morning sounded so much more appealing."

The point of my racing is this:  Hubs enjoys it and I like spending time with Hubs so I will continue to begrudgingly follow him around while he races.  And I will do a few along the way--if I feel like it.

So, here are my racing goals for 2011:

• Do 1 race a month  (assuming the weather permits--Jillian Carter permits; not race permits.)

• In keeping with our agreement I will continue to buy one new outfit for every race I run although this year we are going to change it from 'racing' outfits to just 'outfits'

• Not push myself so hard I throw up while biking

• Remember my cow bell so I can be an appropriately noisy fan.  (Beth continuously showed me up last season.)

• Volunteer for the Lawrence/Branson half Ironmans and unlike last year, I will show up for both...

• It is likely I will run a 5k in under 30 minutes.  But, if not, I will sleep just fine...

• And I might run the KC Half Marathon (again) just to prove that anyone can run a half marathon if they want to...

Again, I think 2011 is going to be a steller year.  For racing and otherwise!

There Could Be Aliens On Their Way Right Now

Actual conversation had by Hubs and I in the shower:

Hubs: Did you hear? Its official. There are aliens!

Me: Wait, what?

Hubs: Yeah, they found then in California at Mono Lake!

Me: Actual aliens? Like what kind of aliens?

Hubs: They found bacteria that live on arsenic.

Me: Soooo they didn’t actually find ALIENS, they found a new type of bacteria???

Hubs: Well, yeah. Buuuut it’s not organic life. It lives on arsenic and that means that other life could live on arsenic too and that totally opens up a whole new possibility for aliens.

Me: They find new elements all the time…

Hubs: Yes, but this bacteria isn’t organic (or something like that)

Me: Hmmmmm ok. If you say so. You really are a geek you know that? How do you even know this stuff?

Hubs: I read the internet.

Me: I thought you were super busy at work?

Hubs: There could be aliens on their way here RIGHT NOW...

Me: Yeah, I guess maybe

Hubs: They could be billions of light years away

Me: Yeah, but if it takes that long to get here they will probably die before they make it.

Hubs: Yeah, unless they…..(conversation trails off)

Me: Unless they what?

Hubs: I’m just saying…there could be aliens.

And that my friends, is the kind of world problems Hubs and I solve at shower time.

Reason #787890 I Love My Husband

I can't believe I forgot to log this post last week!

Last Wednesday (my birthday) after work; I worked out, came home, showered, and put on my favorite sweats---I've been wearing them since my days at good ole FAU. (Seriously, these sweats have been everywhere with me: Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Bonaire, Jamaica, and over half the states here in the US. They've been through numerous moves, break ups, and sick/lazy days. And for the record: they are still going strong; I can even wear them to family dinner and my mother still hasn't demanded I retire them....although, I'm not sure she realizes how long these sweats have been in our lives.)

Anyway the point is this: I was wearing the sweats when Hubs came home. Our conversation went like this:

Me: You're Home!

Hubs: Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!

Me: Yep...it feels good to be 23! Is that my present behind your back?

Hubs: Yes, here you go!

(I feverishly open the bag to find one piece long john PJs!

Me: Yay! If only they had a trap door

Hubs: They don't make trap doors for girls.

Me: Lame

Hubs: Try them on!

(Sweats come off. Long Johns go on.)

Hubs: They look good.

Me: Yay

Hubs: Are you ready to go eat Sushi?

Me: Yeah, I guess

Hubs: You don't want to go?

Me: No I do. I just don't want to get all dressed and stuff...can I wear my sweats?

Hubs: Oh course! Its your birthday!

Me: Really? I can really wear my sweats out on my birthday date and you will still give me bday action later?

Hubs: Uh Yeeeeeeah. Of course! Duh.

Me: Sweet!

And then the sweats went back on...Hubs even gave me some awesome birthday cuddles later on.

31st Birthday Weekend

My birthday week was pretty awesome! A four day weekend didn't really hurt either. It started with dinner and a movie with Hubs on Wednesday and then a wonderful day full of laughing, family, (and lets not forget AWESOME bday presents) on Thursday. We spent the day with my family and then went to Hubs' parents for the evening. It was a full day.

Friday I ended up running around with Juls and Bret and Mom most of the day. I remember why I don't shop on Black Friday but we still had a nice day. Then Friday night we went back to Hubs' parents house for leftovers and "Unstoppable." Watching "Unstoppable" with Hubs' dad is like the first time I saw "Bring it On' and I was all: "that's not real." But we still had a fun night.

Saturday was the best day yet. It was house cleaning Saturday. We basically cleaned the entire house from top to bottom and it was so nice when it was finished. At one point I came downstairs and Hubs had the refrigerator pulled out. Our conversation went like this:

Me: What are you doing?

Hubs: Thank goodness you were upstairs! You would have freaked out if you would have seen all the puppy food under there.

Me: Wait, you pulled out the fridge to vacuum?

Hubs: Yeah.

Me: Someone is totally going to get some A+ cuddles tonight.

Hubs: I pulled the drawer out of the stove and vacuumed in there too!

Me: Thank you Lord. I think I love you!

After all that work we decided to get out of the house and grab some drinks. We met up with a couple girls from my High School and we had quiet a lovely night out. Then Sunday, I spent some time with Mom and Juls wrapping presents before family dinner.

I'm not sure what we could have done to make my birthday weekend any better...maybe win the lottery?

North Dakota, You Can Watch Your Dog Run Away For Days

Over the weekend Hubs and I went to Fargo, North Dakota.  Yep, North Dakota.  We went with Hubs’ Mom to visit aunts and uncles and friends.   It. Was. A. Long. Way.  And it was a super quick trip.  We left Friday night after work and arrived at 3am-ish.  I was super tired so we didn’t even really say hello to Sal when we walked in.  We went straight to bed.  And then slept til 1030.  When we got up we visited with Alda’s (Hubs’ mom) sisters and then we ate breakfast (eggs and hash browns) and immediately followed it with homemade chocolate cake and ice cream!  Hello North Dakota. 

        After ice cream Hubs and I headed to Grand Forks.  It’s a smaller town about an hour away.  Grand Forks is where Hubs grew up.  When he talks about this town he acts likes it’s the tiniest township in the world; turns out it’s just a smaller city.  (They have a Cabela’s and everything.)   Anyway, I got to meet Hubs’ high school friends and see the house where he grew up.  It was an overdue history lesson.  I also got to attend my very first hockey game at UND.  The Souix are pretty fun to watch and I even got me a fancy schmancy UND Soiux hoodie (even if I did whine about going in the first place.) 

        After the game we ate with some of Hubs friends and hit the hay (that’s how they talk in small towns, I think) and in the morning we headed ack to Fargo where we had more chocolate cake and ice cream and then started the long 10 hour drive home.  Hubs slept most of the way back and I talked with Alda almost the whole way.  I don’t know if she just had that much to talk about or she was just making sure I was still awake but I really enjoyed it. 

        I don’t really feel like we had a weekend with all the driving and visiting so I’m really looking forward to THIS coming weekend.  I’m going to clean up our house and finally get some laundry done.   Laundry = Lame.

Home Repair Hubby

It is no secret Hubs is slightly less than handy around the house.  Anytime he says he's going to take on any sort of home repair I usually have my dad on standby.  Dad is super handy.  So, you can imagine my concern when Hubs announced he was going to fix the bathroom sink and my dad was in Nashville.  I had a choice:  believe in Hubs or strip him of any and all faith, I decided to let him go for it.

                He goes upstairs.  I stay down to clean up the delicious breakfast I made earlier.  The last thing he needed was a lot of supervision from an overly nervous wife looking over his shoulder.  A few minutes go by and then I hear him yell, "DO NOT COME UP HERE!)  I think, "0h, great.  It's the water heater debacle all over again...."  But I stay downstairs.  There is nothing I can do if he decides to flood the entire upstairs. 

                A few seconds later, Hubs yells, "I need a grocery bag!  Bring me a sack, NOW!"  And of course I'm thinking, "a grocery bag!?!  That's definitely not going to hold a lot of water." 

                Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I saw/smelled the moment I walked into the bathroom.  Poor Hubs had taken the pipes apart and was covered in the disgusting-ness that was in our bathroom sink: tons of black sludge and a poignant smell that could clear out a room immediately. After a few minutes of gagging and pushing stuff down into the pipe to get the clog it finally fell out and I seriously thought Hubs was going to throw up.  (I of course was sitting on the side of the tub giggling like a school girl.) 

                Moments later our sink was back together.  No leaks.  No clogs!  I guess I should give Hubs a little more credit in the home repairs department.  He did a great job and I only had two panic attacks in the process.  Oh, and did I mention that this entire project took place while he was wearing his trap door pajamas?  I really should have gotten a picture of that view!

Reason #455998 I Love My Husband

Long Johns with a Trap Door.  Yep, that's right.  A Trap Door!  No joke.  I want a pair. 

(I would post a picture but he was none too excited the day I "accidentally" posted a picture of him in his underwear from our vegas trip.)

 

On My Mind This Week

These last couple weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and craziness.  It feels like every time I get a handle on one thing...another things needs attention.  I suppose that’s just life though.   So here are a few things that have been rolling around in my head the last week or so:

• Work is still hit or miss.  I think I had a pretty decent October; however, somedays my phone barely rings.


• My love affair with Fusion Fitness has taken a little bruising since the remodel (which produced monumental amounts of dust.) I'm super excited for the remodel to be complete and we can get back to taking our shoes off.


• Which brings me to my next topic.  I cheated on Fusion with Crossroads Bootcamp and loved it.  Bootcamp is a closer drive as it’s on the way to/from work so I’m going to use the 12 session Groupon I bought and then make an informed decision as to stick with Fusion or switch to Bootcamp for a while....I can’t (aka refuse) to pay for both.


• Hubs and I had a conversation (well really I talked and Hubs listened) that might have been better had under different circumstances (someone, I'm not pointing fingers here, might have had a little too much wine before said conversation) but the jest of it went like this:  be an active part of our little family (me and our puppies), do some chores once in a while or I’m keeping my townhouse to ensure I will have a place to live when I get tired of cleaning up after him---Sooooo.  Dramatic.  Well, now he’s being super helpful and present and while I love it; I also feel like I might have been a little hard on him...after all, he is my husband and I really didn’t mean to scare him into thinking if he didn’t get over his aversion to loading the dishwasher I was going to leave him.


• (For any boys that read these posts, I apologize in advance)  Earlier this week I was on the receiving end of a Hysterosalpingogram and we found out that all my lady parts are working fine.  (You know, in the baby making department.)  The doctor assured us everything was good and that this particular test had a tendency to raise the likelihood of baby making 10-15 and in some cases 20%....so, with no blockages and a higher likelihood of the baby making stars aligning we have definitely been thinking about what life would be like with a little Bambino in our house.


• Oh, and speaking of babies, I have been hoping for Baby Heide’s delivery this week but the little guy seems to be holding strong inside momma.  So we definitely have something exciting coming up in the next few days!  I cannot wait to meet this little guy!

Only one more day til the weekend. We have a pretty fun few days planned: bday party tomorrow night, game night Saturday, and a quiet Sunday home with Hubs watching football and eating pizza which I’m really looking forward to (the spending the day with Hubs part, not the eating pizza part although pizza is pretty darn yummy and a staple in our household.)

The Carters are Moving....Soon-ish

Fall is here.  Again.  It seems like it was just fall a few weeks ago.  It feels like Hubs just got engaged last week and our wedding was yesterday.  But infact, another year has gone by and we are looking down the barrel of another winter.  (I'm hoping for tons of snow, obviously.)  But with the winter holidays rapidly approaching I can't help but think of last year.  Back when Hubs and Tyson moved into my cozy little townhome and the holidays came and went.  I was confident we would not be living in the same place this time next year.  In fact, I even packed our entire holiday decor collection in my parent’s attic because I was planning on being out of our house by now.  But here we are a year later. 

            Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t just been sitting around not doing anything.  Hubs and I have made some significant progress on our next move.  We found a neighborhood we love, a corner lot right by an elementary school and even paid a small down payment to secure the future site of Casa de Carter.  We have a floor plan and a builder however; this particular builder requires a 5% down to start building.  Which is totally fine by me; the more we put down in advance, the lower our payment!  We could have put the money down already but we've spent some time paying down debt and making sure all our ducks are in row when it comes time to apply for an actual loan.  It has been a slow and tedious transition from spending to saving but we are doing it.

            We did have a couple opportunities to move out of our townhome this past year but I was unable to pull the trigger when it came time to actually pack up our stuff and move. I hate change.  My mom refers to me as a free spirit and while that may be true in a lot of aspects of life I can struggle with change---I drove my Eclipse for an entire year after I decided to get a new car because I wanted to get a car I would love just as much as my old one and I force my family to sit in a completely different seating arrangement when I'm at dinner because I HAVE to sit next to mom.  It was no different when I backed out of an opportunity to sell the only real home I've made for myself since moving out of my parents house.  Sure I've moved a lot and gone a lot of places but something about selling the home I bought and built during my independent late 20’s was more than I was willing to give at that point in time.  So, now we can only hope for another opportunity to sell when the time is right.  



            Looking back at the last year, I think I needed this additional year to make peace with the fact that Hubs and I will actually be moving. We moved in, got engaged, and married in the matter of months so I think I might have needed a little more time to get used to the idea.  But now our home is little a cramped seeing as it's packed to the rim with everything a young couple and two dogs need to get through life and I cannot wait unitl the day I can get out of my car without running the gauntlet of bicycles and puppy kennels.  We should have the remainder of our down payment by the end of the year and we will start building in Dec/Jan. with a move in date the beginning of June-ish.  I'm comfortable with this timeline and am really looking forward to finally taking a step that we've spent so much time talking about....

IronMan Branson 70.3

The weekend was full of nail biting excitement at Hubs big race.  The Branson 70.3 is no joke.  When we first arrived we saw Glenn from KC Multi Sport and I was volunteered to volunteer the morning of the race.  I had to be there at 430…but of course I was at the mercy of Hubs so I didn’t actually make it there til 445.  I was on wrist band detail.  No one in the transition area without a wrist band!  I saw all the pros coming and going with their thousands and thousands of dollars with of gear.  If I had been racing I probably would have backed out considering it was such a high profile race with so many pros.  Thankfully, I was merely wearing an Iron Team t-shirt and working the event instead of walking my lame/awesome bike around.  (Don’t get me wrong.  My bike is awesome.   For me.  Not for Pip Taylor.)  It was a full day of supporting and yelling and encouraging athletes struggling through a race I can’t ever imagine attempting.  They push themselves in a way that some people might consider crazy---but they love it.  And I suppose that’s all that matters.    

         Oh, and I had never seen so much spandex in my life. 

         Hubs did well and I was able to cheer for him at practically every point in the race.  My volunteer duties made it easy for me to camp out in prime locations while waiting for Hubs.  I was able to get places regular spectators couldn’t—like inside transition when he ran up out of the water, the middle of the road directing traffic when he biked by and inside the finishing area to take his picture as he finished. 

         Unfortunately, while I was waiting for him in the finishing area the emergency crews called to say Hubs had laid down at mile 10 (on the run) and was asking for me… WHAT?  Talk about panic!  He was fine though.  Just worn completely out and sick to his stomach.  I’m super proud of him---he made it 68 miles and that’s 50 more than I have ever done.  It was a milestone.  And while I think we would have liked to have finished I think he is fine with how it all worked out.   I think he learned a lot about that distance and his limits….

         Oh, and not to take the focus off Hubs’ big day but being a volunteer/spectator is not easy work either.  It’s standing in the heat waiting and nervously checking your watch.  It’s hoping nothing bad happened and keeping your energy up for hours of waiting cheering for all the athletes that go by before the one (or in my case ones) you are supporting go by (and they go by in SECONDS).  Spectators sit in the heat for hours and hours just to cheer for their loved one a total of 10 seconds the entire race.  At the end of the day I was filthy, sore, and stinky.  I have a new found respect for the spectators.  Usually, when I’m racing, I want to punch the people in the face that are telling me to keep going when I feel like I’m about to die but after spending a day being the girl that encouraged the stragglers it’s tough to be mad at them because they just want you to do well too. 

        So, for any spectators/race volunteer that has told me I can do it, I would like to take back my eye roll or annoyed deep sigh.  I’m certain you meant well….or at least I’m hoping you did.

Aligning the Stars is No Easy Feat

A while ago Hubs and I stopped trying to NOT get pregnant.  Not necessarily TRYING but definitely leaving it up to the universe.  Well, after several months (almost a year) of being VERY lackadaisical in the contraception department ( and by lackadaisical I mean…using nothing) we have started to question our ability to actually conceive. 

         It turns out that you can’t actually get pregnant from a guy rubbing his man parts on your leg like they said in elementary school.  In fact, I remember a specific conversation in one class that declared if a man (well, boy at that time) even got his penis out of his pants with his hand and accidently touched your leg with said hand the possibility of making a baby was fairly high. 

         Now, I get that they were trying to scare us…they did--successfully.  We’ve all spent the our twenties using every precaution to avoid this exact scenario, however, they forgot to tell you that when you actually decide you WANT some of your husband’s seeds to make the long journey to the promise land all the stars must align and the gods must send generous helpings of luck your way---apparently accidental pregnacy stops in your 20's.  Unless you've just had a baby and then accidental pregnancy happens all the time.  Welcome to your 30s. 

         Don’t worry, if Hubs and I are ever blessed with a little one (boy or girl) we’re going to properly scare them with the hand/leg pregnancy story. 

        Hubs generously offered to get his bag of seeds checked first.  And it turns out he has plenty.  So, that leaves me.  It’s time to start looking more seriously into this process…. 

        So, a few weeks ago, I went and got blood work at the request of my primary care doctor.  I hadn’t heard anything back so I called earlier this week to find out the results.   I had to leave a message.  When the nurse called me back she left a voicemail: 

Nurse:  Hi this is Nurse.   Doctor has reviewed your blood work.  Please give me call back immediately.  Have me paged.  Thank you.

Me:  (WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  Hi Nurse, it’s me.  Doctor reviewed my blood work? 

Nurse:  Yeah, everything is fine.  Except one thing but it’s probably nothing.  We’ll recheck it in a couple weeks.

Me:  That’s it?  Ok.  You had me worried.  With the call me immediately and have me paged.

Nurse:  Oh, well, if I don’t leave an urgent message people don’t call back and then their file sits on my desk for days.

Me: Gotcha. 

Gotta love heathcare.  On to the OB!

Vegas Vacation 2010

Last weekend Hubs and I headed to Vegas!  We had such a fun time.  We saw ATB at Rain, spent an entire day at the pool drinking red bull vodkas waiting for DJ Scotty Boy, and followed that with a quick trip to Vanity and Ghost Bar.  We also got to log a little time with the worlds awesomest little sister and her hubby.  Then we capped the weekend off with a spa/pool day.  It was the perfect weekend getaway!  I always enjoy weekends away with Hubs. 

♦ This weekend we are headed back to Table Rock Lake with my parents and Juls/Bret; a nice relaxing day on the boat with the family is the perfect antidote to an eventful Vegas weekend. 

♦ The next weekend is a whole another story.  We will be home.  It seems like months (or at least 5 weeks) since we’ve had a weekend at home; doing laundry, sleeping in, laying on the couch so I’m really looking forward to spending a little time with the puppies and getting to the grocery store. We also have the Jackson County Triathlon; I’m totally looking forward to that race simply because it’s at Longview Lake and it’s basically where I’ve done all my biking this season.   Hopefully, I will do well.

Jillian + DaShaun = 4ever

I had a silly post for today but a couple other topics are taking precedence:

                First, I received some sad news today.  It’s not mine to share but my heart is definitely go out to the couple it belongs too and when the time is right I will fill everyone in.

                Secondly, I wanted to let everyone know that Hubs and I are doing fine.  I talked to a friend today and was asked if Hubs and I had worked it out yet or was Hubs getting the heave ho.  What can I say to that except:  married people fight sometimes and it’s gonna take a hell of a lot more than an argument over who's taking the dog to the groomer to start any REAL trouble here at Casa de Carter.  Yes, I complain about Hubs sometimes --- this blog is good therapy and usually when I’m finished posting I feel all better.  And then 5 minutes after that I’ve usually forgotten all about it…

Jillian + DaShaun = 4ever

Don’t you forget it!

Welcome to Puppy Detail

So, this morning I was planning on getting up super early and making it to Fusion by 7 so I would have plenty of time to cool down, shower, and stop by the office prior to my 10oclock appointment.  But, then my mommy rained on my parade reminding me of Miss Maggie’s much needed trip to the puppy spa.  (She has to be there between 8-9am and it’s really close to my house (Fusion is really close to my work); so I had to pick one or the other…Fusion or Puppy Spa.)  Then I had a brilliant idea:   Hubs could drop Maggie off at puppy spa on his way to work...sure it a little out of his way but I was certain he wouldn’t mind.  Last night when I explained this plan to Hubs he just looked at me and said this:

Hubs:  I have a 10am meeting.

Me:  Me too.  I wanna go to Fusion in the morning and get my day started off on the right foot. So I was hoping you could drop her off.     

Hubs:  I meant I have a meeting at 9am.

Me:  (looking at him a little suspiciously) Well, ok that’s fine.  You can drop Mags off right at 8 and still make it to your office by 9. 

Hubs:  Can we reschedule it for Thursday?

Me:  NO!  We make these appointments weeks in advance.  Can you please just do it? 

Hubs:  Fine.  I’ll do it.

Well, I wasn’t super confident in his “Fine.  I’ll do it.” So, I decided to take his temperature in the morning before I left and make sure he knew how important getting Maggie to the groomer actually was….for those of you that know Maggie she is NOT suppose to have “Bernstein Bear” feet. 

Fast forward to this morning:

Alarm going off at 6: Hubs snoring. 

Alarm going off at 615:  Hubs still not responsive. 

Me:  Are you going to take Mags?

Hubs:  What?  Take her where?

Me:  Defeatedly resetting the alarm for 730 and falling back asleep.  (Keep in mind I was only moderately annoyed at this point.)

New Plan:  Drop Maggie off at 830.  Make it to work by 915.  And that would give me a few minutes to get some last minute things organized before my meeting. 

730  Snooze

745 Snooze

750  Snooze

755  Hubs gets in the shower

809  Hubs gets out of the shower

Hubs:  Doesn’t look like your morning plans quite worked out how you were hoping…

Me:  Well, I didn’t want to take a chance on you not taking Maggie to the place.

Hubs:  Yeah, that was probably good planning on your part.

Me:  (Steam coming out of my ears)

811 Hubs brushes his teeth – I get out bed

812 Hubs plucking hairs from his face - I’m trying to get to the sink to brush my teeth

Me:  You better hurry if you’re gonna make it to your “9am Meeting”

Hubs:  Yeah

813 I start looking for my work shirt in the laundry area and see Hubs sitting in front of his computer

814 Hubs sitting at his computer

I'm getting more annoyed by the second

815 Hubs sitting at his computer

I'm starting to realize that Hubs getting to work by 9 was not really a high priority

816 Hubs sitting at his computer

817 Hubs starts getting dressed

819 Looking for deodorant

Hubs:  Do you want me to take the dogs?

Me:  Do I want YOU to take the dogs?  No, I wanted you to take MAGGIE so I could make to Pilates this morning before work—I have class tonight.  And you shoveled out ten kinds of attitude because you didn’t want to take Maggie to the place….so, I changed my plans so I could take Maggie.  It’s 820 and you have some ‘alleged’ 9am meeting that obviously isn’t a priority PROVING that you could have taken the dog no problem.  But instead I’m going to do it.  Have a nice day.

Hubs:  I love you

Me:  Goodbye.  Go to work.

Hubs:  (realizing that I’m actually mad at him) I love you.

Me:  I love you.  Go to work.

825 Hubs finally leaves the house.

I always joke around when Tyson poops in the house that he better go get his dad before I murder him but what do you tell your husband when you are about to murder him?

Dear Hubs Old Girlfriend

Today Hubs and I (well mostly Hubs) finished going through all the stuff he brought over before we closed on his house.  I assured him there would be no more ‘cuuuuudling’ going down until the rest of the garage was clean so he was super excited to get it done today….

           He had boxes and boxes of pictures from college, NCA superstaff (how we met), and well, other girlfriends.  I was very happy to find several pics of us from back in the day (aka the 90’s.)  Can you say skinny?  We also happened to come across this pic: 

 (NCA Staff circa 1998)

           We found 3 pieces right away; the fouth we found after several minutes and lots of giggling….according to Hubs there are only a couple suspects---one of which I don’t think I know and the other, well, about a year ago I made him remove her tattoo… 

I know it’s kind of immature* to say nanananana….so I will say this instead: 

Dear Hubs Old Girlfriend,

I win. 

Lots of Love,

Mrs. Carter

*Small Disclaimer: I'm not normally such a meanie pants but this was just too good!  Also, I ran this post by Hubs BEFORE I posted it and he encouraged it....so how could I not?

America's Birthday Weekend

Over the weekend we went to Hermann, MO and enjoyed the wineries.  We did 4 different tastings and Hubs got a little silly.  IT was so much fun!  Our bed and breakfast was super cute and the lady who owned it was so sweet and prepared a super delicious breakfast!  Oh, and let’s not forget the massages.  We met tons of cool people and ate lots of good food.  Hermann is the perfect getaway for a quick vacation.  We left Friday and came back Sunday morning…leaving America’s Birthday for our families. 

            We started at Hubs’ parent’s house.  We ate Brats, beans, and delicious rhubarb dessert.  Then we headed to my parents for roast, potatoes, and gravy!  So much good food!  After dinner, we had a Wiggans family Yahtzee tournament and the Yahtzees were definitely flowing…we had a great time sitting on the deck, playing with the new puppy, and watching fireworks.  (I didn’t really enjoy the fireworks but my family did and I think they got a couple good laughs watching me jump every five minutes.)  

            The weeknd was full of everything Hubs and I love.  Traveling, family, and food....last 4 days have been really fun but a little rough on Operation 20lbs.  So, I'm kind of excited to get back into the regular weekday schedule that starts with a killer workout at Fusion Fitness.  The Fusion workouts kick my butt every morning and while I’ve only been going for a few weeks I can already tell a difference and I'm getting very addicted.  It’s amazing how a little exercise coupled with smaller portions can make such a difference.  Unfortunately, I think Hubs might be picking up my slack since everytime we eat I put whatever I don't want on his plate…and he eats it.  I’m afraid Hubs is gonna need a few extra workouts just to compensate for the extra bites he’s eating off my plate.  The good news:  I’m no longer eating Hubs bite for bite….yay!

Eclipse Recap

Tonight was full of giggling-- 4 girls, Hubs, margaritas, a hot vampire, an even hotter werewolf, AND assigned seating?  How can you not go wrong with that combination? 

Favorite quotes of the night:

Hubs:  (talking to his neighbor while sitting down)  HI!  I’m DaShaun and I’m on Team Jacob!

I didn’t actually witness that declaration however, the entertainment had by all as Laurie recapped it for us was enjoyment enough. 

And the second:

Hubs:  That was my favorite movie!

Me:  Really?  Your favorite movie?

Hubs:  I mean of the Twilight movies..

Me:  It sounded like you said Eclipse was your favorite movie….I’m just sayin.

Sidenote:  AMC is really on to something with assigned seating.  Purchase your tickets in advance (which by the way, I'm entirely too stupid to do--I needed Hubs), show up 5 mintues before the movie starts, and your seats are right there waiting for you....no rushing, no getting there an hour early, just walk in and enjoy!  We sat at On The Border til 655 and our movies started at 710.  It was perfect timing!  Way to go AMC--I'm sold!

1975-2009 Being Cleansed As We Speak (Twitter sent by Dashaun 2010)

This year has been a world wind of change for Hubs and I....well, mostly Hubs, my life is really the same with a few amazing additions—Hubs and Tyson.  Oh, and a new little niece or nephew on the way but that really has nothing to do with this post about Hubs and I. 

            The only things that have really changed in my life since Hubs:  not being able to sleep in the middle of the bed, my last name, and dad started ringing the doorbell instead of just coming on in (which by the way, I still think is stupid.) 

            Hubs on the other hand has turned his entire world upside-down---something I hadn't really thought about until this week...

            We are dangerously close to closing on his house so we posted several things to sell on Craigslist insisting that everyone MUST  pick up by Tuesday night.  And then, we posted a "FREE Moving Sale" for Wednesday to encourage people to come and take the remaining stuff so we wouldn’t have to pay the "junk" people to haul it all off.  After the 'sale' I think he felt a little violated; which I totally understand as I feel unsettled and a little violated when HUBS moves anything in the house (or garage for that matter.)  And yes, I know it's a little bit of a double standard considering every time he brings something over I say, "where are going to put that!?" in my most annoyed wife voice but I can't imagine how hard it must have been to watch strangers rummage though the treasures of his life.  Anyway, he was clearly  down in the dumps a couple nights this week and I got to thinking about all the things in his life that have changed since we moved in together and how I would feel if the tables were turned (Keep in mind, I don't even like it when HUBS moves my phone charger from one plug in to the next--nevermind STRANGERS rummaging in my stuff (albeit unwanted stuff, but still, MY STUFF.  Yes, I need therapy.) 

          I suppose in all relationships there is a time to purge old relationship stuff, ie. pictures, clothes, keepsakes ect. and make room for the new.  But our union has caused a series of events that has basically transformed his world from what is was a year and a half  year ago. 

           It started immediately, with the prompt removal of a tattoo (seriously, seeing an old girlfriend’s name tattooed on my husband (well, boyfriend at the time) for the rest of my life?  No, thank you!), to selling his motorcycle to help pay for our (perfect) wedding, to trading his truck (and getting rid of those old personalized plates of his x-wife---bonus) for a new truck we bought together, and finally, the cherry on the top of the sundae, selling his house and finally getting to enjoy the spoils of a two income household! 

            I can’t imagine how I would feel if I had to sell my car, house, and most of my belonging to move into a home that requires me park outside in the snow during the winter and crawl into a car as hot as the Sahara Desert in the summer.  But Hubs hasn’t complained once.  He’s gone above and beyond to make sure I feel comfortable and secure in our life and love and I don’t think I tell him enough--I do notice, I have noticed, and I appreciate all he’s done to ensure I feel like the only women in his life (aside from his mother, of course :)

           So, after the aforementioned items are done (closing on his house being the final task at hand) we will be free to enjoy our happy, healthy, and fart filled lives together without anymore 'previous relationship' red tape.  Because really, nothing spoils a party quicker than having to confer with an x-wife on issues that have nothing to do with her....

          Jokes aside?  When you put all the red tape and nail biting (waiting for signatures) up against not being with Hubs at all---there is no comparison.  I would put up with a lifetime of red tape and drama if it meant I could spend the rest of my life lying in bed, giggling, laughing, and sleeping in a pile with Hubs and Maggie and Tyson.  I'm still trying to figure out how I got so lucky...

Nook Schmook! I Like Books...

Last Friday Hubs and I headed over to Barnes and Noble to pick up the next installment of Chelsea Handler's books.  I started with the last one (Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang) since it was getting so much hype and fell in love.  I've never laughed out loud so many times during one book in my entire life--I finished it in two days.  I highly recommend this book for an entertaining read. 

          Anyway, while we were at BN I found a couple books I wanted including, "Are You There Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea" and "The Reliable Wife.”   Hubs found the "Nook" display.  (The Nook is B/N's version of the Kindle.  Hubs has been dying to get me a Kindle since we started dating and I've always managed to successfully fight him on it.  There's just something about having the actual book in your hand; the satisfaction of adding each book to my collection and looking back at all the books I've read that makes me feel proud.  The "Nook" offers no such feeling. 
          So, Hubs starts talking to the sales guy about it.  He asks how much the books I've picked up cost vs. how much the electronic version would cost.  And basically used the sales guy to successfully beat down any rebuttal I generated. All I wanted to do was pay for the books in my hand and leave:

Hubs:  I think we should get you a Nook.   

Me:  Yeah, I know but I just don't want one.

Hubs:  Why?  THEY ARE AWESOME!

Me:  I don’t  know. 

Hubs:  Ok, let’s get it.

Me:  No, I like collecting books. 

Hubs:  They'll be saved right here on your Nook forever.  Like your iPod. 

Me:  These books are only $30 as opposed to spending all that money for a Nook that I don't even want....

Sales Guy:  Oh, yeah, well I think you get a $50 gift card just for buying the Nook...AND you can use it for the purchase of the Nook if you want.

Me:  Seriously?  I just don't think we NEED it.

Hubs:  It just makes sense. Think of all the money we are going to save on books. 

Sales Guy:  You can shop online and never have to come to the book store again.

Me:  But I like coming to the book store.

Sales guy:  Well, when you come into any B/N store you can read ALL the eBooks for free every day.  So, you could technically never buy another a book if you didn’t want too…they’re all free.  

Me:  Yeah, but it's just another thing for me to charge.  What if I'm traveling?  It would totally suck if it died on a plane. 

Hubs:  (googling) The battery lasts 10 days!

Me:  Really, I don’t think we need it.

Hubs:  Come’on I think you are gonna love it.  

Me:  Fine.  But I'm getting the super cute pink case for it too.

Hubs:  This one?  Let me carry that to register for you!

 

        So, after we got home with the Nook, in true geeky husband fashion, Hubs had to play with it first.  He sat it up and downloaded the books I had picked up earlier.  While he did all that I wallered the couch like a 5 year old annoyed that if I had just bought the actual books I would have already been halfway done with one of them.  I bet I asked him 20 times if I was ready to read books yet and he simply replied, “almost.”  Until I was ready for bed.

          I've had the Nook for less than a week and (please don’t tell Hubs) I actually LOVE it.  All the books are right there and when you turn it on it actually picks up right where you left off.  I’ve yet to charge it and the battery is still over half way full.  I cannot believe I've survived this long without it.  So, I’m sorry for all that fighting and whining and complaining.  Hubs was right.  Reading is more fun with technology!

Thanks Hubs!

Kansas City Triathlon 2010

So, the KC triathlon...... 

The water was freezing  but I started out good!   See?   Me, doggie paddling strong:





Then some girl paniced and tried to rely on me (the world’s greatest doggie paddler) to save her.  That is me underwater:  





Finally, the girl was pulled into the resue boat and since I was crying/barely able to talk I was dragged in the boat as well: 





When the boat finally dropped us off on the shore I was ripped of my timing chip and sent on my way.  Seeing as I had about 3 more hours til Hubs was finished I decided to continue on the bike and run.  Both completed with slightly better than average (for me) times but I wasn’t exactly drained from my attempted drowning swim!  It wasn’t officially counted as a finish but I was proud of myself for continuing.

After I “finished” I spent some time with Ken the coach from MTC and we talked about putting a plan together that would satisfy my immediate triathlon goals aka trying not to totally suck in all three events.  And I waited for Hubs.  He finished strong and I really enjoyed being his cheering section as he crossed the finish line! 



I would say the day was a success.  Hubs did awesome and I’m alive!  Yay!  Now, we are both tired and ready for bed! 

 

If you want a more technically accurate rundown from KC Triathlon….you might want to visit Hubs post from today (although at this point I haven’t read his post or have any idea what it says and I’m not even sure if he has officially posted it yet but I’m sure he will!)

Or, you can check out my garmin data:  Hubs has been pushing this garmin connect thing on me for months and now that I'm actually doing stuff worth keeping track of...it's actually kind of cool!