Dogs

I read Kendra's post today and chuckled. It made me think of our two crazy dogs. We have the two dogs, Merlin: the big goofball I chose and Percy: the little, chubby fluffball we inherited. :)
Merlin:
*He cries when his is anywhere other than the room people are in, such as when we have company and put him in his kennel. It sounds as if we have trapped a child in the basement.
*He eats underwear-if we leave our doors open to our rooms and the girls have left dirty clothes out, he shows his anger at our being gone by eating part of the pair of underwear-leaving some for us to see his disdain.
*He has discovered our invisible fence is broken, nope, he isn't stupid... he has wandered a little farther and a little farther... until I found him on the neighbor's patio! Now I must watch every move!
*He has decided in his old age (11 years old) that he doesn't have to follow old rules anymore. Much like an old human curmudgeon, he grumbles at anything he doesn't like and has changed his sleeping arrangement... We never let the dogs upstairs and he has come up more and more often. I find him almost every morning sleeping outside one of our bedroom doors. Every now and again I hear him poke hard at the doors with his nose, hoping for an in to sleep where we are.
*He digs in the trash-bathroom, bedroom or office. He eats what he likes and leaves a mess on the floor of that room.
*He sheds-used to not shed as much, but sheds a lot now. His fur and skin are oily and he smells like old dog.

And still, I love it when he licks my chin to show me he loves me or hides under my desk so he's touching me when it thunders. I know he's loyal and has a heart for me/our family.

Percy:
*Eats anything that hits the ground, including balloons-if a water balloon pops at a party you'd better catch the remnants quick! :) Bits of yarn, clothing, anything.
*Also sheds a lot-always has-enough to cover another dog!
*He barks like a fool-hears a UPS truck (they don't even stop here very often!) and he will bark even after the driver has driven three blocks away.
*He licks his skin until it's red and raw, even with meds. He's older, too, so this and his snorting, full nose has too. We have to hide Benadryl in cheese for him to eat sometimes for our ten year old dog.
*He drags his bottom on the only rug we have in the downstairs, on the hardwood floors.
*When Merlin gets ill/sick to his stomach, he heads for the door, to be ill outside. Percy, he heads for the only rug downstairs...

Percy has come a long way. When we got him he wouldn't even look at me. He would show love to everyone else in our household, but he disliked me, it was like I took my sister in law's place as his mom and he didn't like me. Even with all his flaws, I'm so happy he has become one of my boys. When I get home he wiggles and wags past other family to get to me first, to tell "Mom" hi.

Both dogs are pretty cute and very loyal. They want to protect our family and home, and to show us love. I'm lucky. :)

1/2 marathon 2011

My second half marathon was yesterday. It was chilly and the wind picked up as we waited for the start. I was standing in corral C with 17,000 total other people. My 1/2 marathon last year was 1:54:34. This year I set my goal a little higher, my time a little faster. I wanted 1:50. I took off too fast. I was surrounded by people and filled with the desire to pass them all. What I didn't remember was that my time mattered more to me than beating these people I didn't know. :) My first splits were all faster than goal and I was riding high! Until... right calf cramped at mile ten. I had to stop and stretch while my brain yelled at me, "See, this is why we pace ourselves!" I only stretched briefly, two different times. My neighbor came up and cheered me on as he passed me on his way to a full marathon. I saw my family three different times-all at spots where I really needed the lift. So, helpful to have people rooting you on! One of my students was there cheering on her mother, and cheered for me, too. :) When I hit the cramp/mile ten I didn't think I was going to make it. I felt my time goal slipping away. I looked down at my arm where I had written an inspiring quote I had gotten from a fellow runner: "I don't quit when I'm tired, I quit when I'm done". I pushed on, and cruised into the last mile on target, but just. I worked the last hill, every step aching, and then downhill to the finish. I stopped my watch as I crossed the finish. I looked down and tears sprang to my eyes as I read 1:50:23. :)) I am still pretty happy, even if my body is not... ;)

Ridiculous

I read this article and was offended. I found it ridiculous. The article states that women's record times will be erased from record books if they ran with male paces/male runners nearby. As if women are running fast because they were running with men. Ridiculous. If that were the case I could run near men in all my races and be so much faster.... not the case. These women have their own talent, their own hard work they put in. Argh! I find this so frustrating and extremely sexist!

The Usual

Things are going well here.

Running is going great-did a 12 miler alone last weekend and was a tiny bit faster than race pace, so I am pretty sure I can do 13. :) I'm sore and tired, but now it's time for a taper, coming back on miles until the race day Oct. 16.

Girls are wonderful-oldest is running and working hard on school subjects and youngest is playing soccer and working hard in school. Both are great girls and I feel very blessed to be their mom! Thursday our youngest turns 13-two teenage girls in our house! :)

Grandpa is doing well, probably doing more than he should but this is not a surprise to anyone in my family. ;)

Weather has turned cold, here, and my garden has seen its last. I pulled all the dying plants out but have left one plant in: the orange bell pepper. We didn't get any peppers from it all season, and this week it has 10-12 small green nubs about the size of the top of my thumb. I'm not sure they'll have time to ripen, but maybe... I think it was shielded by tomato plants and once I removed them it got the sun it needed.

The job is going well. I hope it continues. I am working on revising my vision for how things are going/should go. The more I teach middle school, the more I see my strategies evolving. I just hope they are learning! :)

I haven't read anything lately other than the social studies I am reading to plan for the classes. I haven't scrapbooked, crafted or knitted...

My sister in law got married two weeks ago-a lovely simple wedding, my oldest daughter had high school homecoming last weekend and looked lovely in her purple dress. She just went with friends and it was a nice evening for her.

My mother in law turns 60 in a couple weeks so we are conversing with the family as to what to plan for her special birthday... she is adamant that there be no surprise party, so we won't be doing that! :)

I hope all is well with you!