Fun Five

One.

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Dinner last night was at Fenton's (did you see the movie Up? well, Carl and Russell's fave ice cream place is a local spot...Pixar is very close by). Sundaes all around...I took a 'pass' knowing that at least one kid would not be able to finish. Three people had vanilla ice cream. Three people had whipped cream. Two people had marshmallow topping and two had chocolate fudge. One person had peppermint ice cream, and one person ate all 4 maraschino cherries. I was the cherry-eater. Yeah, dessert for dinner. Sometimes you just have to say, "What the heck?"

Two.

After eating sundae remnants, I met up with RoseRunner and did hill repeats. Ha. We ran up a hill and then repeated...once. So up the hill two times. Doing something twice = repeat.

this one...it's my favorite

Next week, we're shooting for a three-peat. You know what that means? Yep...three times.

Three.

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I climbed with Tarzan again this week. And we got in trouble. Well, actually he got in trouble. He was doing dangerous things, and the gym manager ran over and spanked him...verbally. It was pretty freaky. He was 'speed' climbing, and I could not keep up with him on belay. There was way too much slack in the rope. If he'd fallen, he could very well have cracked his head open...for real. Meanwhile, my instructor-turned-friend was over to the side beating on her chest and silently doing Tarzan yells to the point where I was stifling laughter so hard it hurt.

Four.

My longest workout in months occurred on Wednesday. Two hours of nonstop cardio, HR zone 2...or maybe zone 3. I'm so old that the HR thing gets me kind of confused. It felt pretty amazing, but I sure wish I could run outside for that long. I really miss being outside! Away from Gaggy Perfume Lady next to me on the stairmaster who started coughing and sputtering extensively mid-workout. I was trying to figure out if the coughing was from her own perfumery or because maybe...ummm...I was the one who was stinking? Well, if it was me, I surely got karmic payback when Patchouli Girl hopped on the elliptical next to me at the very end of my workout. Who the f*ck wears patchouli anymore? Stoners back in the 70's used that potent biz to cover up the smell from all their pot-smoking. I'm guessing that I now probably know who has access to weed should I ever need to score some.

Five.

Today is the last day of school. This is the first time I can recall being excited about it since I was in school myself. I usually dread having all the kids home all day for days on end. Days turning into weeks. Weeks turning into months. Whining refrains of "I'm bored." Bickering ceaselessly. When I put it that way, it starts to sound so unappealing :P  Okay...the good parts... no homework! No need to get to school on time! Leisurely days :)  

Now I just need to come up with some fun activities that four kids between the ages of 3 and 13 will all enjoy. Lots o' luck is what you're saying, I know. 

Looking forward to another kick-ass weekend and wishing one for all of you as well :)

Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence... and the G update :)

Time to cram more inane tidbits down your throat entertain you with more XL trivia, this time at the behest of Alexandra, she of Fun and Fit fame.

I did this 'random 11 thing' rather recently and you can go here to see how that went. Y'all probably know the rules...and I'm not following all of them. Sorry! This time, let's go with numbers that hold some significance for me... here we go...numerical facts...

1, 2, and 3 are the most important set of numbers today and are as follows... 9:25 (G's mile time in December), 9:15 ( his time in January), and now his time from Wednesday....*drumroll, please*... 8:16!

He thanks you all for your well-wishes and was blown away by your support :)

4, 5, 6, and 7 are numbers no longer of any consequence...old personal bests of an athletic nature...rites of passage, if you will... 

21:20 (5K PR set in 1997...about a week before this picture was taken),

3:49 and change...I'm too lazy to look it up (marathon PR set in 1996...in this race pictured below),

15 (pull-ups I could do in 45 seconds...from the late 90's as well. Sadly, I can no longer do a single one),

and 

7:22 (my best 2K erg time set in 1991 six months after this picture was taken...

You knew I was in People magazine, right?

...and four months after this picture was taken...

...you already knew I met Fidel Castro...

but did you know I ran in Hood to Coast?  ;-)

which was the last time I tested...the day before my big car accident...since this number probably doesn't mean anything to anyone who reads this, you can see other scores from present day here. Things aren't all that different from back in my day).

8 and 9.  My body likes to weigh right around 170 lbs. when I am enormously pregnant...which is about 40 lbs up on my not-pregnant weight.

February 2009

10 and 11.  I really am going to be 49 in less than 3 months. I am probably the only person in history to be excited about turning 50. But maybe when I get closer I won't be so excited :P

And here are the 11 things Alexandra wanted to know about me:

1. What was your favorite subject in high school? Human Anatomy and Physiology.

2. What makes you laugh?

Things like this and this...

3. If you had to describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be? Dependable, smart, hard-working.
4. What is one thing you wish you had never done in your life? Stopped playing the clarinet.
5. What is one thing you’ve done that you’re 100% sure was the right choice? Had my kids.
6. What’s one place you’ve never been that you want to visit? Australia...I want to hold a koala bear.
7. Steam or sauna? Sauna.

8. Have you ever been on a blind date? If so, how did it go? O God. It was horrible.
9. Push-ups or planks? Planks.
10. What is your worst cooking disaster?

You might think it was this pan of steamed broccoli...

But this one was worse...

...as neither pan nor steamer could be salvaged, and the stench of burned and melted silicone 

clung to the house for about a week.

And then there was the time I started a kitchen fire while making toast...

11. If you had to give a one-sentence toast to your beloved, what would it be? "To believing in love at first sight..."

And now I need a break from this meme...I think we all need a break from this meme! 

What was the last meme you participated in? Can we see it (give link in comment!)?

Because that Shut Up and Run girl said to...

I was hanging out in my green bikini, enjoying Cheetos and NASCAR when I saw that I was tagged.

Thanks, Beth (and Tall Mom!). I know you know that I love these things. Except for all the linking you have to do, they are somewhat cathartic sometimes. Or embarrassing. Or sometimes just boring. Whatever... here it is...

A New Bunch of Random XL Crap in One Tidy, Long-ass Post

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

Random Things About Me

1. I love practical jokes...simple or elaborate. 
2. Several times when I was rowing seriously, I skipped Christmas and/or Thanksgiving because Tuesday and Thursday evenings were weight workouts. Some may say "Wowza, XL! That was so hardcore!" And while I think it may have helped me mentally in the years I did that, it really shouts out "Whoa, chick...Get a life!" to me now. 
3. I struggle mightily with self-confidence. One friend in particular has been privy to my psycho, pre-race freak-outs this past year. It is not a pretty thing. 
4. When I was in Cuba for the PanAm Games, we went out for our first row on the course. We were in a pair which is what is called a 'blind' boat (no coxswain and facing backwards so one can't see where one is going). We headed up the course following the prescribed pattern and made our cut across the lanes at the prescribed point. What wasn't prescribed was crashing into a solid, immoveable starting platform. Yeah, I did it. It was my fault since I was steering. Yeah, we broke the brand-new boat...but fortunately the boat-builder was on hand and could fix it by the next day.
5. I have never broken a bone...except my nose...but I have collapsed a lung. I almost died.
6. I paid $8.50 for a dozen eggs last week because I believe that pasture-raised, 'happy' chickens will produce eggs that are better for you. I am a total believer in the energetics of food. They did taste better...even my 6-year old said so.
7. I pulled Q-Man's teeth out this week with my bare hands. They were his first two teeth to lose and were each dangling by a root. He was sick of them annoying him while he ate, so he asked me to pull them out. I obliged. It was a bloody mess.
8. I used to be able to do 15 pull-ups in 45 seconds. Now I can't even do one. I should get back on that.
9. I tried out for American Gladiators while pregnant. I didn't make the cut.
10. I f*ucking HATE ants. We are in the middle of dealing with a horrendous infestation. I f*ucking HATE ants. They warrant the f-word.
11. One of the stupidest things I have ever done is to hike down the Schilthorn (a big mountain in Switzerland) in the snow while pregnant and carrying a 5-year old in a frame-pack on my back. With a funky hip. We made it. It took us 6.5 hours to complete what was supposed to be a 2-hour hike. 

Beth's Questions for Me:

1. In five words or less, tell me your most embarrassing moment. Indoor balcony, vomiting, people below.
2. What’s one habit you need to break? Staying up too late...this was my New Years Resolution :(
3. What’s your favorite book of all time?  I have lots of favorites...Miss Rumphius is one. Joy Luck Club, Gone With the Wind, Pillars of the Earth, Les Misérables, Shibumi...and more.
4. Have you ever cheated on a test or a partner (don’t need to tell me which one)? Yes, sort of.
5. If you weren’t doing your current job, what would be your profession? Highly-paid creative genius whose talents are sought after by many.
6. Do you think Bob Harper is gay? No. He's secretly hoping that everyone is asking that question though.
7. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? My acupuncturist told me she'd want me in her lifeboat because I am the most resourceful survivor-type she has ever met.
8. Would you be able to run further or faster? Some days it's one, some days it's the other. If you make me pick one right now I'll say "faster."
9. What food gives you gas? Broccoli and garlic...either on their own or together.
10. Ever done a cleanse or had a colonic? Yes, both.
11. What’s your dream marathon? Even though it's only 23 kilometers, I'm going with the Napoleon Run in Corsica. 

Mel's Questions for Me...   

1. What is your favorite season for running and why? here in California I love running in the summer because it is cool. When I lived in Philadelphia, I loved running in the fall. I'm a cool weather runner :)
2. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be and why? Living – Steve Martin or Robin Williams. Both strike me as very intelligent, sensitive, insightful people who would also be a ton of fun to hang out with.
3. What is your mantra, favorite quote, and/or words you live by? 

   Everything will be all right in the end. If it's not all right, then it's not the end.

4. If you could have ANY ONE ITEM for free, what would it be? a new mattress.
5. How did your parents come up with your name? I am named after my paternal grandmother.
6. Do you collect anything? If so, what? Yes. One thing I collect is little cars from the Pixar/Disney movie "Cars."
7. How did you meet your significant other? we met at work and it was love at first sight.
8. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Côte d'Azur in France. It is beautiful and warm and friendly and interesting and I love it there.
9. What is your favorite fruit and vegetable? fruit – a perfect peach. vegetable – spinach!
10. What is your favorite color? Dark and brilliant green.
11. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of me (Tall Mom)? amazingly and genuinely NICE... you're what my husband calls 'good people'...I am so glad to have met you in person :)

11 Questions for New Tag-ees...

1. What is your 'comfort food'?
2. Do you exercise better when you are angry or happy?
3. Have you ever done anything to the point of puking? What?
4. Any embarrassing nicknames in your past? Spill it.
5. Guilty movie pleasure?
6. Do you like or dislike these tagging memes?
7. Why do you run? (might seem like a stupid question, but I'm curious)
8. Would you rather be rich or famous?
9. If you could go anywhere tomorrow without any worries (everything would be taken care of perfectly for the duration) where would you go, 
10. with whom and 
11. for how long?

People Tagged  (yes, I realize my tag-ees are all women...well, except Kovas) :

1. Ali Mc...Running with Spatulas
2. TriMOEngr...Climbing those hills...
3. Michelle...Running with Attitude
4. Hiker Mom
5. Jess...who gets large numbers of people to run with her through cemeteries
6. Jolene (who I see was already tagged...so she's off the hook...go read about her!)
7. A So-Called Runner, Courtney
8. Nicole, who is Becoming a Mother Runner
9. Jamie...Chosen Chaos
10. Just Keep Running
11. Kovas who keeps two blogs...this one and that one.

If you've already been tagged, you don't need to do this again. But would you put a link to your tag post in a comment so we can read all about you? Thanks!

P.S. This is NOT like a chain-letter. Nothing bad will happen to you if you blow it off. So don't worry :)