No excuses

I could say it's been awhile, and that would be true. I could try and come up with excuses, but my only excuse is that instead of blogging, I've been doing one of the following: reading, playing with my puppies (yes, that's plural), working on our house, or watching recorded episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond like the amazingly awesome person that I am. I keep telling myself to update, and then I put it off. Maybe now that I've done it I won't put it off for so long anymore.

First news: New puppy.

Her name is Sadie, and she's adorable.

We got Sadie about a month ago and we've discovered the following little jewels of information. She licks. A lot. Zoe loves having a playmate. They're both adorable (that was an easy lesson). Taking two dogs for a walk is a bit more of a commitment, and therefore doesn't get done as much. We (well, at least I) love it!

Reading. Wow. I've read so many books over the past few months. Just a few: North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell, Beastly, The Chocolate War, The Earth Children series (again!), Olive Kitteridge, Thin Wood Walls, Home of the Braves, Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery, Peak, The Appeal, Luna, Someone Named Eva, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, whatever the name of the book I'm reading right now, and at least 10-15 others which I've forgotten the names of at the moment, so look forward to just a couple reviews comin up. :)

Work on the house. Our bathroom is officially complete. Yay! We now have a dishwasher (which we got for free) installed in our kitchen which has new countertops and backsplash. We should be done painting the kitchen and putting the grout on the backsplash by next weekend, so I'll add some pictures then. We've also got a new flowerbed (pretty!) which E's mom planted for us, and it's awesome. Some advice? Take free plants from people. At least if you're not a greenthumb like me. It's awesome, and if they like it? More power to 'em!

E, Dad, and I competed in the Sedalia Fall duathlon this morning. It was pretty good. Besides the fact that I sucked it up on the bike portion (no surprise since I haven't been biking...at all...). It was pretty cool. Second in my age group, out of what...maybe two?

Another Success

News Flash

So, for reasons unknown to myself I voluntarily participated in another duathlon. And guess what? It wasn't that bad! In fact, it was peachy. :) The same group as last time (Dad, Cousin E, E, and K) all took part. This time I did the short course, because the long course was 5k-18bike-5k. No thanks!

This is the whole gang (from my hometown). We're so cool we all medaled!

Frustrations
I live in an apartment within a house that was built in the 1860s. It's an adorable little apartment. My only complaint? The dryer blows a fuse everytime you do laundry! Geez people.

And...
I have nothing else of importance to announce. Lucky you. See ya later! Oh, I did reach my 25 lb mark in WW, yay!

Currently Reading: Mila 18 by: Leon Uris

Still Alive

So...the duathlon is over and I made it! More than that, I medaled. :) Laugh all you want, I didn't believe it myself. Saturday morning we left CoMo around 6 a.m. and we got to Sedalia just in time to go. Thankfully it wasn't too hot, but there was a slight wind. When I say slight what I really mean is that it was probably around 20 mph. Try biking into that!

The first 2 mile run was good, I finished in well under 20, yay me. Obviously I wasn't going for fast, I just figured I had to finish the whole race, so I better pace myself. Then came the biking. The first four miles or so wasn't bad until we reached the turn around point. There were tractors everywhere! I guess they were having some sort of parade and I managed to get stuck behind quite a few tractors. Argh. So, after managing to worm my way through them it was time to turn around and head into the wind. Oh my, talk about a struggle. It was so windy it was hard to get going faster than maybe 15 mph going down a hill. So, needless to say that made it even more of a struggle going up the next hill. Haha, I'm sure I looked funny to passersby. About 8 miles in I passed my Dad, K, and E. K got a flat (which totally sucks because he could've been at the top!) and Dad was helping him fix it. I was pretty excited to have caught up to them, but within minutes they were ahead again.

Let me tell you. Running after biking, is not easy. Not that I thought it would be...but damn. My legs felt like jello. So, I ran what I can pretty much guarantee was my slowest two mile run ever, but I did finish! Even before E... :)

Amazingly none of us were sore the next day. Three of us medaled. Dad got bronze (in his age group), Cousin E got gold and I got silver (both in our age group). Needless to say, there weren't many 20-29 year olds.

After the race.

Nerves

So, tomorrow's the big day. The duathlon that is. I'm just gonna say that after last weekend I'm extremely nervous. I discovered that nervous and an athletic event don't quite mix that well. Last weekend after the running we jumped on our bikes and barely had time to catch a breath. Well, halfway into the biking I was still breathing just as hard - probably worse - and the chain popped off my bike and I just about had a crying fit. Haha. Crying and biking do not mix well. So, today I'm trying to convince myself that no matter what I don't need to get "worked up" tomorrow. I'm just gonna go to finish. I know I'm not going to be near E, K and Dad. If I'm lucky Elizabeth and I will keep up with each other. That'd be nice.

So, in other words: This blog post is pointless unless you wanted to know how nervous I am about tomorrow. I'll check back tomorrow with the results! :)

Currently Reading: Nothing (OMG!) As soon as Erik leaves on vacation I'm reading Ender's Game.

A loooong weekend

So, my weekend started last Thursday (I'm blaming the long weekend on the lack of blog updates). I convinced E to go to STL with me to pick up my little bro and his girlfriend. We got to the airport and headed straight to the arch - I'll post my fav arch picture for tomorrow's Wordless Wednesday. It was pretty fun, it had been a really long time since I'd been. I forgot how small the tram is!

S, D & E on the tram.

Before our trip up to the top, we explored the museum beneath the arch. It was pretty cool, the layout was a bit weird, but it was interesting.

This had to be my favorite sign. Seriously.

Huh...a large cow. Who knows the purpose of this one.

All in all, it was a good time. I'm definitely glad we went. I miss my little bro, he's a good guy - and his girlfriend's not bad either. :)

So, after the Arch trip it was a family filled weekend. We had dinner with my Great Aunt Dot and my cousin Ann at Emmitts, good place that one. Then the next day it was my cousin's graduation party.

Yesterday was another story! Man. So, we decided to do a practice duathlon, so we'd know how hard it will be next weekend (ahh! it's that soon!). So, E, K and I drove to my parents hauling our bikes along. We started at about 4:30. Now, let me tell you. If you're not used to running in hot weather, you're stupid to try. I run every week, but not if it's over 85. It was 90+ and I was dying. The two-mile run wasn't bad, but then the heat just attacked you. I never was able to get my breath until we quit biking. E was a great guy and didn't leave me in the dust (he is sweet). I felt like such a weenie! I mean, I run and then bike every week, but it was HARD. Dad laughed at me and said, "Well, that road is definitely not rolling hills [which is what the duathlon course will be next week], it's a lot harder." Thanks Dad! So, now I'm really nervous for this weekend. Then again, I'm not sore at all, so that's good, right?

I think I've decided I'll be volunteering at the Humane Society this summer. I'm excited. I am a bit of an animal freak. I found out last week that I don't have to take 9 hours of education courses this summer, so it was a bit of a struggle to find something to do this summer. But when Mom suggested the Humane Society, I definitely perked up. Yay...

Currently Reading: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Now I can't back out!

So, I'm officially signed up for the Spring into Summer Duathlon in a couple weeks. Ahhh! Now I'm scared. I know the first 2/3 will be okay, it's that last run...2 miles...that might just kill me.

In other news?

Another boring day. Sorry folks, the end of the school year just isn't all that exciting. I am heading to my old school this coming weekend for the kiddo's graduation. Not all of them (all 10 of them that is). Two of my volleyball girls are graduating and I just love them. They are so hilarious, smart, and just...great people. So, it's gonna be a long drive, but it'll be nice to see them again and congratulate them. My only problem is coming up with a simple (read: cheap) present that will work for both of them - they're going to the same university - and that's somewhat personal. Any ideas? They're going to the University of Central Missouri, if that helps.

Well, I'm out. Before I go though, everyone should check out Baba Yetu - it's an awesome song. You can't find it on iTunes, but you can find it just by searching Google. I'd link it up for ya, but what fun would that be.

Currently reading: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings (If crazy cooks would stop walking by my apartment when I'm reading I might actually finish it!)

Boredom

So, I've already mentioned that I'm pretty much done for the semester...the problem is that I'm not! We still have until the 15th with the kids. Haha, I really have to stop coming home and doing absolutely nothing.

Quote of the day:
Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.

- Christopher Morley

Goals for the Summer:

• Play - outside...a lot. I seriously love playing. Any type of playing. Kicking a soccer ball around, throwing a frisbee (which by the way I'm not too good with), swinging, biking, and who could forget...sand volleyball!
• Eating yummy fruits and veggies, and enjoying them. Seriously, I'm 24, I need to start liking tomatoes.
• Take pictures. I used to be a picture taking fool. I miss it, pictures are fun!
• Get in touch with "old" friends. Here is another place where I used to excel. I was the card sending friend. Now? Not so much. Bad Kate!
• Go to the Zoo :)
• Complete the duathlon with my family.
• Travel. Even if it's only in Missouri. It's better than sittin around!

Well, I don't really have much to add to the amazingness that is my boredom tonight. BTW, I'm showing Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Cinema tomorrow, anyone have any amazing thoughts on the movie?

Currently reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I love Spring!

Not really important to this post, but I'm currently listening to David Cook's "Little Sparrow" and I must say, he's good. I've never watched Idol, but when I heard he was on I had to cause, dude, I've met him. And how many times can you say you have met, kinda know someone on national television? Exactly.

So, it's really been a week? I thought it'd been maybe 4 or 5 days since I updated, but apparently I really am getting older, cause that time flew by! I now have exactly one week left with my senior students. Ahh! Crazy. Right now I should be grading their rough drafts (of their final essay of the year...which they do not mind reminding me about). However, I am obviously distracting myself. First of all let me say, I'm an idiot. This is their 10th essay for me (over 2 semesters) and I have already read this essay once, and I'll have to read it again. Why oh why do I have them turn in a sentence outline, rough draft, and final draft? I believe I enjoy the torture.

:)

So, I took out my bike today. It was my day off for running, no real reason, I guess I'm just lazy. So instead of having it be a complete bum day I decided to try the new gel seat cover I got for my bike and actually ride a real bike outside. I take spinning classes, but I haven't been on a "real bike" in, well, at least a year. It was nice. The seat was awesome. I wasn't even wearing biking shorts and my butt is fine! I need to get an odometer so I can keep track of my mileage, but outside of that I'm kind of excited about this whole duathlon deal. We have to sign up by next week I think - at least for the cheaper rate - so I guess I'm going to print off the forms and take them home so Dad and I can get signed up.

I'm starting Weight Watchers in May...which I realize now is only 2 days away. The meetings here are on Thursday nights at 6:00. Go figure, same time as spinning class. I don't know if I'll just skip spinning for a week to get the initial idea of how things work and then just do it online, or see if I can find another place close by that has meetings. Oh! Looks like they have meetings on Monday's at 6:00 just about 15 miles from here. Guess that's where I'll be. My goal is 40 pounds. That'd be the ultimate goal though. I know 30-35 would be good enough for me, I haven't been that since 2004. Stupid weight. I am looking forward to more fruits and veggies, though. Hopefully I'll figure out a way to have a good time with it.

I think I've procrastinated the papers long enough. Unfortunately I have to have them done by 8:20 tomorrow morning. Ha, the next paper is on the negatives of standardized testing. That one shouldn't be too bad. I promise, I'll try to make the next entry more interesting.

Currently Reading: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit