Is That a Pretzel Or Are You Happy to See Me?

I’m not going to lie. I’m not a huge fan of theme parks. I used to love them as a kid, but now they just seem crowded, dirty and full of screaming kids. I know, GET OFF MY LAWN!! I am such a spoiled sport now that I am old. But, give me a marathon with people puking and crawling and porta potties overflowing with god knows what and I am ALL OVER IT!

I do, however, want to give the world to my children so I take them to these places…sometimes. Like once a year if they are lucky. We are have started a rite of passage where we go to Water World on Labor Day, the last day it is open for the year. The kids look forward to the 46 water rides for about a year. I dread it for about 24 hours. I mentally prepare for a day of hot pavement, tattoo sightings, bad pizza and carrying 40 pound plastic tubes uphill to get to the start of the ride. Seriously, they need a chairlift just for the tubes. Or, I need to be rich enough to rent a tube that people carry up FOR YOU. Tube valet, baby!!!

The day was actually quite fun. We had a group of friends and the temperature was perfect at about 85 degrees. Emma looked cute. No you can’t have her, she’s mine:

I am only showing you this GROSS picture below because I don’t know what in the hell I am doing with my stomach. I guess I was sucking it in or something, but I ended up looking like I am deformed or have some deep horizontal scar. Want some BBQ sauce with those ribs?

Sam getting ready to hit the rides with his posse. Boy needs to get outside more. He should do what we used to do and slather himself with baby oil and Crisco and get a good burn so that he has a base for the summer. Damn 50 SPF sunscreen!:

Okay, this pic is better. Look, no scar, no sucking.

The worst tattoo I saw belonged to a woman who had two kissing dolphins tattooed in a circle around her belly button. She did not have a belly button one would want to draw attention to. In fact, I don’t think any of us need attract attention to any hole on our bodies.

By FAR the best part of the day was when my friend was eating a pretzel that took on a very familiar shape and she didn’t even know it:

What did you do for Labor Day? Eat any pretzels?

Tattoos: love or hate? Have any? Of what and where? Have you ever regretted it? I’ve actually thought about getting one, but I can’t think of a symbol/design/word that I like enough to permanently put on my body. Maybe it will dawn on me one of these days.

Theme parks: love or hate?

SUAR

Is Getting a Tattoo On Your List?

As we enter the new year, I am thinking about goals. I am original that way. No one thinks about goals this time of year.

I’m not necessarily contemplating measurable goals like winning the Boston Marathon (because I could if I wanted to) or doing 180 strides per minute when I return to running , but self improvement goals. How can I be a better mom?  Wife?  Daughter?  Friend? How can I be kinder to myself?

The common theme seems to be making sure I am present when I am with the people I love. Small things like giving the kids my undivided attention when they walk in the door after school. Making eye contact. Really listening before responding. Giving spontaneous hugs.

Being kinder to myself involves leaving self doubt and perfection behind. Prioritizing. Listening to my body when it says “I need a break.”  Giving myself permission to take a nap, to respond to those emails tomorrow. Concentrating on and saying “yes” to the things I am passionate about, and letting some of the other obligations go. And, giving back. Taking myself out of the equation sometimes, because the world does not revolve around me. I think sometimes we are all a bit guilty of too much self focus.

In actuality, I have a LIST of stuff. But it’s kind of personal, so you’re just getting the generalities.

Maybe I’ll just visit GFTW and do whatever Anne Marie does because she seems to have it down!

Talking about goals, for some reason I found this list fascinating (from HERE). Go #20!!

I am shocked “start smoking” and “become constipated” are not contenders. And, what exactly is the difference between #25 & #45?

The world's most popular goals

1. lose weight 39656 people
2. write a book 29031 people
3. stop procrastinating 29016 people
4. Fall in love 26705 people
5. be happy 23976 people
6. Get a tattoo 22150 people
7. get married 20618 people
8. drink more water 20434 people
9. go on a road trip with no predetermined destination 20427 people
10. travel the world 20355 people
11. see the northern lights 18596 people
12. Learn Spanish 17059 people
13. Save money 15895 people
14. Kiss in the rain 15485 people
15. Take more pictures 15121 people
16. Make new friends 13851 people
17. Learn to play the guitar 13761 people
18. Buy a House 13662 people
19. get a job 12081 people
20. run a marathon 11964 people
21. learn french 11925 people
22. get out of debt 11853 people
23. Read more books 11834 people
24. To live instead of exist 11797 people
25. Skydive 11272 people
26. be more confident 11226 people
27. exercise regularly 11153 people
28. eat healthier 10918 people
29. write a novel 10593 people
30. Learn Japanese 10442 people
31. get in shape 10046 people
32. Quit Smoking 9312 people
33. Start my own business 9240 people
34. Learn to cook 9084 people
35. Read more 8500 people
36. travel 8374 people
37. learn sign language 8362 people
38. have better posture 8227 people
39. Learn to play the piano 8161 people
40. Swim with dolphins 8059 people
41. identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money) 8014 people
42. Learn to surf 7956 people
43. visit all 50 states 7871 people
44. wake up when my alarm clock goes off 7725 people
45. Go skydiving 7520 people
46. stop biting my nails 7466 people
47. decide what the hell I would like to do with the rest of my life 7447 people
48. make a difference 7152 people
49. Lose 20 pounds 7117 people
50. learn to dance 7028 people
51. learn to drive 6776 people
52. graduate from college 6523 people
53. Get organized 6454 people
54. Be a better friend 6306 people
55. Lose 10 pounds 6301 people
56. learn italian 6257 people
57. Have a baby 6217 people
58. Visit Japan 5921 people
59. Become Financially Independent 5858 people
60. create my own website 5826 people
61. live passionately 5758 people
62. Spend less time fooling around on the net and more time actually working 5644 people
63. Lose 30 pounds 5520 people
64. exercise more 5519 people
65. make more friends 5482 people
66. get my driver's license 5459 people
67. be more social 5456 people
68. Volunteer 5400 people
69. backpack through Europe 5237 people
70. learn german 5010 people
71. travel around the world 5000 people
72. love myself 4948 people
73. write a song 4934 people
74. design my own tattoo 4863 people
75. Worry less. 4819 people
76. learn to play guitar 4741 people
77. learn how to drive stick-shift 4596 people
78. go on a cruise 4594 people
79. meet new people 4404 people
80. go to college 4350 people
81. Practice Yoga 4319 people
82. meditate daily 4317 people
83. Stop caring what other people think of me 4307 people
84. Get more sleep 4298 people
85. sleep under the stars 4168 people
86. design my own clothes 4166 people
87. create my own tattoo 4152 people
88. Never stop learning 4113 people
89. get a dog 4106 people
90. Send a message in a bottle 4082 people
91. Learn another language 4079 people
92. Finish what I start 4066 people
93. win the lottery 3986 people
94. learn to sew 3965 people
95. grow my hair long 3955 people
96. figure out what i want to do with my life 3933 people
97. be a better person 3870 people
98. bungee jump 3833 people
99. Learn to knit 3805 people
100. Go on a road trip 3787 people

Are any of these things on your goal/bucket list?

Exhausted just thinking about it all and might have to go back to bed,

SUAR

Never Too Early for a Bikini

Running tip: Going on vacation doesn’t have to be an excuse to throw your training out the window. Pick a hotel with a fitness center, or better yet, run through the city you are visiting or along the beach. Many runners would agree - the best way to learn about a new place is to run through it!

I bought this yesterday:

I know, I know. The top looks a bit small. That is because my boobs are non-existent a bit small.

Yes, it’s from Target and I’m proud. For all the money I spend there I should probably have a permanent tattoo that reads Cherokee. Or maybe Mossimo, because that sounds kind of mysterious and/or expensive. People will ask me on the street what it means. Maybe I will find out how to write it in Chinese and that would really cause a ruckus. Really, I should just get the red bulls eye tattooed where the sun don’t shine, but that might be kind of awkward at the gyno.

Notice I am not modeling this bikini. If you want that, you will have to ask for it.

Why, you ask, are you buying a bikini in the middle of February? For starters, each piece was only $7.98, and I never turn down a bargain. Second, I am thinking ahead to a warmer and gentler time. A time when people actually expose their skin without fear of frostbite. A time when ice isn’t crusting over your favorite body of water. A time when a breezy day doesn’t mean the temp falls well below zero.

Let me tell you how I cope this time of year. I plan trips to warm places. I start this in November. It is an expensive past time and coping mechanism. Here’s what’s on tap:

March 28: Playa del Carmen, Mexico. All inclusive. Family trip. We went here last year. It did not disappoint. This picture is from last year, after a few drinks. This was part of my strength training:

May 22: Vegas. Wynn Hotel. The first two days I will take classes to get certified as an RCAA running coach. That way, when I give running tips I have some sort of leg to stand on (be it kind of wobbly). The next three days after training will be pool, blackjack and trouble with the girls.


June 8: Dade City & Amelia Island, FL. Visiting the in-laws and taking a side trip to AI. This is the Ritz Carlton and probably not where we will stay because I shop at Target not at Nordstrom.
. Make no mistake about it. These trips have everything to do with running. I will run in the fitness center in Mexico like I did last year. They have these treadmills that overlook the ocean and it is incredible. I will sweat and go replenish with a margarita and a bucket of guac. I will be five weeks out from my marathon at that time, so there can be no slacking. In Vegas, I will be going to a coach's training. There will be no running. In Florida, I fully plan on some beach runs and some routes from the in-laws home (so they can tell me how crazy I am and ask me if my knees hurt and why I run so far and why I put my body through this and why, why, why).

Any vacations planned for you yet this year?

PS: Don't forget my giveaway. It ends tomorrow.

PPS: Ran ten miles today with only one squirt at mile 9.8 (it just had to get in there, didn't it?)

Drinking: Oregon Chai