Catchup

So it has been a while since I last blogged. The sinus infection really got me down. I am still dealing with the last of it, almost two weeks after it started. I feel good, but sometimes I just have a little too much post nasal drip. I hope that will disappear quickly.

We've been downsizing our house using craigslist. So far we've had good success selling some items. Others, not so much. I am starting to get a little worried about what we are going to do with all the unsold furniture. I feel like we should have put more in storage. We will just have to wait and see. We have a month.

Saturday is the big ball at NPS. I will pick up my dress tomorrow from having it altered. I can't wait to see how it looks. Mina and I had pedis today. The place was decent I suppose (I'm not a nail salon connoisseur). Unfortunately Mina's didn't dry well enough and got smudged. We went back to tell them and they are supposed to fix it for her tomorrow. I'm happy with mine.

Today was my second day at work. I had a great time. I am getting a little more comfortable at the register. Robin gave me a lesson on the feet today, teaching me about the construction of running shoes, the differences in the support each gives, and how the insoles they sell work. Then she fitted me for a pair of shoes. One of the perks of the job, if you will, is that they give you a pair of running shoes. It sounds great, but they are supposed to be used as work shoes. They are not my new running shoes, though I can (and should) run in them periodically.

In the fitting process I found that I do need a good stability shoe, as I have moderate pronation. It is more pronounced in one foot. The Saucony shoes I tried didn't fit me right. I felt the arch support about an inch back from where it should have hit my arch. The New Balance ones were OK, but nothing to rav about. Next I tried the Brooks Adrenaline, and I liked those. Then I tried the Asics Gel Kayanos (same shoe I run in now, but the next edition) and they felt good. Between the Brooks and the Asics, I couldn't tell the difference. Well, there were subtle differences, but I think either would work well for me. So I went with the Brooks. Funny thing. When I got home, Bill noticed the shoes. He noticed them because they look just like the Brooks Adrenaline he runs in! Good thing we are not the same size!

I figure when it comes time to replace my current running shoes, I can either go with a pair of Brooks or the Asics. I'll have the opportunity to do a few runs in the "work shoes" and if I like them, I will get a pair exclusively for running. Otherwise, I'll get the Asics. It is a win-win for me. It is a win-win-win if you factor in the employee discount. Robin recommends trying the shoes out in the shop so that I can provide better information to customers. It is true, but of limited usefulness, as what feels good on my feet may not work for someone else. But it does not hurt to have the information.

Robin also gave me a shirt I had my eye on since the first day I went in there. It says "Running is Renewable". I have to wear either my Fleet Feet Monterey shirt or a running-related shirt to work. I only have one employee shirt, so this will become park of my work wardrobe. Cool!

I work tomorrow and Friday (whew! Three days in a row!) and I'm looking forward to it. Robin and Walt are such nice people and I am enjoying being in that environment. I'm glad I asked if they were hiring!

I'm back!

I ran today, for the first time since the Big Sur Half. It felt really good to get back out there. I ran with Mina. She wanted to do 30 minutes, so I thought a long loop and a short loop would be around 3 miles or 30 minutes. I knew when we hit 30 minutes and we weren't home. I thought we'd just keep going. I surprised her by telling her we ran over 35 minutes! She can so handle it.

It was a good run. We did 3.17 miles in 35:47 for an average pace of 11:17. Splits: 11:07, 11:22, 11:25, 1:52 (=11:03 pace).

Home sweet home

We bought our new home today!

We won't be moving into it for another month or so, and we didn't bring it back to Monterey with us today, but now we own it. It is ours! We have almost all the pieces of the puzzle together for living our dream!

It is pretty big, at least compared to our previous coach. We had the fifth wheel hitch installed today. It looks like hooking up will be a breeze compared to what it used to be. I look forward to seeing how it feels when towing.

I'm pretty excited about moving into the new coach. I know there are a few logistics to work out, and plenty of stuff we still need to get (and plenty of stuff we need to get rid of). The next few weeks will be quite busy with that.

We left the coach in Gilroy so that we could have a washer and dryer installed. Yes, it's a luxury, but I think it is important. There is a coin-op laundry at the RV park. The downside is that 1) every one uses it and 2) we need quarters. I think each load is $2, so to wash and dry it takes $4 per load. There are only four machines, so it is not as convenient as it once sounded. There are laundromats throughout the city, but it takes time to go and bring all the laundry to one of them, so it isn't as convenient either. I don't expect to be able to wash everything in the coach, but it will be nice to do some of it three feet away from where the clothes will be kept. Especially with dog towels and when muddy paws eagerly greet you when you're wearing your good pants. So it's a luxury, but it will more than pay for itself in convenience and ease.

We should be able to pick it up next weekend and put it in a temporary storage location. We'll start filling it up with our things and move in right after Monica, Dave, and Elinor leave us a few days after Christmas. We'll start the new year in the new coach!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I haven't blogged much lately, but it isn't because I don't have anything to say. So much has been going on, I haven't been able to keep up!

Mina and I both had dresses ready to go for the NPS Grand Winter Ball, but we went up to Gilroy and the BCBG outlet. We both found knockout dresses! I had a hard decision between two of them, but I think I picked the right one. If only I hadn't put on a few of those pounds I lost lately. I'm going to have to be careful at Thanksgiving dinner! In any case, this is a dress I would not have been able to wear for the past many years. Now, with my new fitness lifestyle I can, and I will!

While I was in the dressing room I received a call unhiring me from the job at the knitting shop. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Her explanation is that she doesn't think she has the money to hire me. If that is a true statement I completely understand. If she is using that as an excuse because she is mad that I couldn't start last week, then I don't want to work there anyway. When I was hired I explained that I was going to Portland and could start on either the 15th or 22nd. When we had the move scheduled for the 17th I called and said I was going to have to push back to the 22nd. She was not happy with that (I don't blame her, per se). I wish she would have given me the chance to prove what a good employee I would be. She said she'd keep me in mind for when she was able to hire again. If she can't understand that personal emergencies arise, I don't want to work there. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and believe that she is telling me the truth.

Speaking of jobs, I started my job at the running store yesterday. I had such a great time! I think I am really going to enjoy it. I felt a little uncomfortable because I am not proficient and knowledgeable on the items that are sold or on the register. However, I know that will come quickly and that they don't expect me to know (unless I had previously worked in the industry). I believe I will look forward to working there every day. Time flew by and I didn't realize it was after 5.

I want to take a moment and state all of the things for which I am grateful. I should do this more than just on Thanksgiving, but today is a good day for that.

I am grateful that Bill is home safe and sound. He is my rock and my support, as well as my best friend. I would rather do anything with him than with anyone else. I can't imagine life without him and I treasure every moment we spend together.

I am grateful for my family. Even with all their quirks, I love them dearly and I know they love me. They have helped shape who I am and have been there for me when I needed them.

I am grateful for my pets. They give me unconditional love. They are there for me when I am down and they have helped me cope through the darkest days of deployments. They do not judge me for anything. They just sit with me and wag or purr.

I am grateful for my health. Without that, life would be so much more difficult. I am happy that I have found fitness I enjoy and have made many friends through it. I feel better about myself and I'm happy to know that this is helping me live a longer, more productive and enjoyable life.

I am grateful for my friends. I would be lost without them. They help me when I need help, they offer advice and companionship. I am lucky to have a lot of people I consider friends. I know that time and distance won't diminish the value of these friendships.

I am grateful for the life I am blessed to live. It may not be easy sometimes, and I have had my fair share of rough patches, but overall I would not trade it with anyone else's life.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

My spirit was broken

The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay

This did not go well for me. I have a sinus and upper respiratory infection and I felt like crap. I probably shouldn't have run. The first half went pretty well, but then I went downhill from there. I had to stop and walk a few times to catch my breath, since I couldn't breathe all that well. I also felt like I drank a gallon of post nasal drip, which made me nauseous. I wanted to throw up multiple times.

Thankfully Bill was there encouraging me every step of the way. I wish the run had been like it was in my dreams -- we're cruising along, having a great time, enjoying the scenery and each other's company. I will have to make it up to him next year.

This was not a PR for me, as I had hoped, but I still posted a respectable time. My Garmin registered 13.33 miles (although the official distance will probably be 13.1) in 2:21:31 for an average pace of 10:37.

Splits: 9:50, 9:38, 10:15, 10:34, 10:01, 9:58, 10:44, 11:20, 10:51, 11:31, 10:48, 11:38, 11:08, 3:15 (=9:58 pace).

The finisher medal is really neat. It is a ceramic or plaster medal, not a metal medal. Very nice.

The scenery on the run couldn't be beat.

There was some fun moments on the course. Running through the tunnel was pretty neat. There was a bagpiper at the end of the tunnel. There were bands throughout and plenty of people cheering us on. I wish I could have enjoyed it a little more.

About three minutes after we finished the rain started. Luckily it was light and didn't last long. I'm glad we were done by then. That would have really crushed me!

So, lesson learned. If you feel like crap, it is best not to run. Or at least not to have high expectations and push yourself.

----------  UPDATE ------------

Official results from the web site:

Bill and I finished hand in hand together with a time of 2:21:27, average pace of 10:48.

He placed 214th in his age group, 1573rd of the males, and 3491st overall.
I placed 321st in my age group, 1918th of the females, and 3490th overall.

I guess my shoe went over the line first.

Records were broken!

There is so much to say, especially since I've been absent this week. But I'll get back to that in another post. Friday was the Naval Postgraduate School's Turkey Trot, a 5k fun run. This is what Mina has been training for. So the rubber met the road, and she knocked this out of the park!

We got there and got our bib numbers and waited around for the start. It was a little chilly, but I knew we would warm up as soon as we started running. Here we are at the start.

We ran a lot faster than I had anticipated. I thought we should slow down to conserve some energy, but Mina continued to run at a good clip. Since I let her set the pace, I just did my best to keep up. I had my Garmin on, so I knew how fast we were going, but she kept it up. There was a bummer moment as we came around the start, a "gazelle" passed us, looking like he was barely breaking a sweat and then turned to the finish line. We still had another lap to go!

Tyler, Mina's husband ran all over with their son to get some shots of Mina with the video camera. It was fun to see them on the course. Bill sprinted out ahead at the start and had a fantastic race. He PR'd in 23:56!

As we were nearing the finish, I finally told Mina that it was possible we would break 30 minutes. She couldn't believe it. Neither could I! So as soon as we made the turn for the last tenth of a mile, she saw the finish line and picked up the pace. I kept encouraging her to "keep it up!". Then I had to say, "Yo, please slow down so this old lady can keep up!" We came across the line in 30:37!

I think it took me six months to achieve that! It also took me three 5ks before I could run one without walk breaks. I admit, though, if I had had an encouraging running partner with me every day and at the race, I just may have been able to do it. It makes a difference running with someone.

Here we are at the end!

We weren't going to stick around for the awards, because we wanted to get going so we could be ready for an early dinner. I'm glad we did. I won second place in my age group! My prize? A pumpkin pie!

That was pretty cool!

All in all, it was a fantastic race for all three of us!

Splits: 10:14, 10:09, 9:23, 0:52 (=7:26 pace!).

Trickery

I tricked Mina. She freaked out when I told her that the 5k was this Friday. I asked her right at the end if she wanted to do 30 minutes instead of the 28. She said yes. I "forgot" to check my watch and we ended up running 32 minutes! I don't think she is going to have a problem Friday, though I keep insisting that if she needs to walk we will walk. There is nothing bad about that.

We walked 5 minutes (0.29 mi), ran 11:05, 11:18, 9:36 (0.88 miles = 10:56 pace), walked 4:10 (0.18 mi). Total of 3.34 miles in 41:10 for an average pace of 12:19.

Then I sprinted home 0.52 miles in 4:35 = 8:51 pace.

Getting there

On Friday Mina and I went for a run. It was her 28 minute day. She did it with no issues. I ran to her house and back to mine as well. I ran 0.38 miles to her house in 3:38 for an average pace of 9:41. We walked and ran 2.86 miles in 38:00 for an average pace of 13:18. I ran 0.38 miles home in 3:18 for an average pace of 8:52. It was a good run!

Back and busy

I'm back in Monterey after a fun week in Portland. Much has to be done. We are setting up the non-temporary shipment for this coming week, so we are going through the boxes in the garage like mad. Because we will end up footing the bill for storage once we vacate housing, we are deciding to sell more items that we originally planned. That is not necessarily a bad thing.

While cleaning out the boxes we found the warranty on our sofa and loveseat. It has a 10 year warranty and includes full coverage for damage from pet urine. I wish I had known that in Pensacola. I would have replaced the furniture then! So I am going to see what they will do for us now. It raises the question of storing new furniture in our local storage unit, which is not ideal, but feasible. What I think would be ideal is if they say they cannot replace them because they don't make the model any more and will pay damages instead. Then we can use that money to buy a new set when we "settle down".

Friday morning after my run I went to have my first ever mammogram. It was not nearly as bad as I had envisioned. The technician was great and talked me through everything. I even got to see the images (not that I knew what I was looking at). The experience was not painful, it was uncomfortable. I am glad it is done and, assuming that the report comes back all clear, I won't be as nervous about the next one next year.

We sold the coach Saturday. I was really surprised. I thought it would take months and instead took one week. It would have been faster if I had not been out of town. The couple that bought it seemed very nice and honest. I'm glad it suits their needs. I will miss that coach, though. I have a lot of fond (and several not so fond) memories of time spent in it. I am looking forward to making lots of new memories in the new coach, which should arrive at the dealers in the next few days.

Tawny has been acting out again lately. I cannot determine what her deal is. I am getting so frustrated with her. I am in the process of reading "Inside of a Dog", which is a book by an animal cognition specialist. She has quite a different perspective on dog behavior and it makes sense. I'm worried that when I start work, Tawny is not going to take the transition well.

Speaking of starting work, I am supposed to start at the yarn shop this Tuesday. Since we still have to prep for the move, I am going to push that back to next week. I start at the running shop next week. Wow. What a change for me. I hope I'm up for it!

I haven't worked on Regina's sweater since I got back. The body is done; I just need to start the sleeves. I think it will go quicker since there are fewer stitches. I really would like to get this to her by Thanksgiving, but definitely before Christmas. Once this move is done, and the half marathon on the 20th, and the bargain fair on the 3rd, I'll have some more time to work on it!

On our way back from taking boxes to storage today, Bill and I drove by the dog park at the other end of housing. We saw this guy there. He had his mouth open and was not moving. He looked just like a statue, but I know he is not. It was quite intriguing. We watched him for a good two or three minutes. He didn't even blink!

I (heart) Portland

I have really enjoyed myself here! Today we went to Bob's Red Mill for breakfast and to tour the mill. Unfortunately we didn't get to tour the mill, but breakfast was good. We did a little shopping in the store. Well, Monica did. I wish I could have, but I don't want to overload my suitcase. It was a pretty neat place.

After that we went to Yarn Garden. It was a neat yarn shop. Monica really liked a mobius cowl that was on display. She liked the yarn it was done in, but wanted something machine washable. She found a skein that she liked and while Elinor napped this afternoon I got her started on it. I found a skein of sparkly Christmas sock yarn. I couldn't resist. I may not get them done for this Christmas, especially with Regina's sweater on the needles, but I will get to them eventually.

After the yarn shop we went to the only vegan strip mall in Portland. There was a vegan grocery, a vegan clothing and accessory shop, and a vegan bakery. There was also a tattoo parlor (supposedly owned by vegans) there as well. All the stores were interesting and I would have loved to really shop there, but I don't want to have to figure out how to get it all back. We did buy lunch (vegan grilled cheese sandwiches) and a cookie at the bakery. Very tasty!

I got to babysit while Monica went to the grocery store to pick up some more items for the meal tomorrow night in the common house. She is lead cook. After she got back, all of us went to Blossoming Lotus, a vegan/raw restaurant, for dinner. I had the four cheese live lasagna. The "live" is a Portland code word for raw. I don't know how you can consider lasagna raw, but I gave it a try. While it wasn't over-the-top delicious, I did enjoy it. Dessert was a gourmet rice krispie treat, and I must say that was absolutely incredible!

I am a little sad to be heading back to Monterey tomorrow. I am very, very, very excited to be going back to my husband, dogs, and cats, but I have had a great time here with Monica, Dave, and Elinor, and I really like the vibe of this city. I hope that Bill and I will be able to make a trip here, perhaps during spring break. Every time I visit, I think that retiring here would be a great idea.

On a completely different note, it sounds like our coach will be here before we know it. Maybe by the beginning of next week!

Scenic run

On Monday morning, Monica met a friend at the Tualatin Hills Nature Park so they could take the kids for a stroll and chat. I went along and ran the trails. The trails were paved and covered with a tree canopy. It was like something out of a movie. Like running through the rain forest. It was chilly, but fantastic.

I think the tree cover interfered with the GPS signal. I knew I was not running as slow as it indicated I was. I checked the distances with the official trail map distances and there was quite a discrepancy. Using the official distances, I ran 4.00 miles in 38:52 for an average pace of 9:43.

What a great time

I am really enjoying myself here in Portland. Friday Monica and I went to Powell's City of Books, which is HUGE!, Mellow Mushroom, and Voodoo Doughnuts. I could not believe the selection of vegan doughnuts. I got a Butterfinger doughnut (not vegan) that was a chocolate doughnut with white icing and chopped Butterfingers. I also picked up some vegan peanut butter and chocolate and oreo doughnuts. I am so glad I run!

On the drive back we accidentally passed the park where Occupy Portland is doing its thing.

And we drove by the rose gardens.

That night Monica and Dave went out to see a comedian. I stayed home with Elinor. She was a precious little angel. I had no trouble at all feeding her, playing with her, and putting her to bed.

Saturday Monica and I went to David Gabbe's Vegan Cheeze and Milk Making Class. He was a fantastic instructor and I learned a lot. I bought one of his books and I am eager to try making the cheeze. It turned out really well in class and was so tasty. The milks were easy and delicious. In class we made an unbelievable yummy "cream" of cauliflower soup. I am looking forward to including these in our diets.

Sunday I got up early and ran. Then we went downtown to the museum to meet up with a friend of mine from undergrad and see the body and brain exhibit. He's a pediatric neurologist, so who better to lead us on a tour of a brain exhibit?! As it turns out, the crowd was huge and we ended up skipping the exhibit and walking the waterfront instead. We went by the craft market too. I had to take this picture of Dave and Monica. Elinor is in Dave's jacket. You can barely see a little bit of the tam I knit her peeking out. I thought it was funny.

Then we went to Black Bear Diner for lunch, where Paul's wife Gina met us. I had told Monica that they had great Gardenburgers there, so she wanted to try it. After that I went to Paul's house to try and figure out the structural issue he's having with his house. It is built on the side of a hill, so some of it is elevated 30 feet on piles. He's having drainage issues in his driveway as well as in the room underneath the driveway. I think it is fixable, but it probably won't be cheap. He gave me a tour of his house, including the wine cellar, which was amazing. I want one of these rooms!

Tonight is another dinner in the common room. I'm looking forward to it.

In other great news, we found a buyer for our coach today! Many thanks to Bill for handling it while I'm up here. We posted it Friday night on craigslist and had two inquiries. Bill showed it to both today. One said it was nice, but didn't meet his needs. The other gave us a deposit. I'm very pleased with it. Once I get back there I'll take all our stuff out and then we'll turn over the keys and title. That is one less thing to worry about. In other not-as-great news, we rejected the counter offer from the potential buyers of our Pensacola house and have decided that it would be best under the circumstances to put it in the rental market. We are going to lose our shirts if we decide to continue to try to sell. Such is life. I hope we can rent it for something close to our mortgage payment.

Fantastic Five

I got up early today (the time change helped) and ran three laps around Monica's neighborhood. It was a good run. The temperature was 37 degrees, according to my weather channel app. I wore my running tights and my pink compression shirt. That was perfect.

I ran 5.25 miles in 53:25 for an average pace of 10:10.

Portland!

I wanted to visit my sister in Portland, Oregon, and was able to score a relatively cheap tickets. I took the shuttle to San Jose. Thankfully Mina talked me into taking the early one. We left a little late and ran into traffic. I got to the airport a half hour after scheduled arrival, which if it had been the shuttle I was originally on, I would have had about 30 minutes to check my bags, go through security, and get to the gate. This time I had almost two hours of slop.

I checked my bag and proceeded through security. I had to use the backscatter x-ray, which I wasn't thrilled about. You have to stand with your feet apart (on the painted footprints) and put your hands on your head. I felt like I was about to be arrested! Once I got the all-clear, I grabbed all my stuff and headed in to find some coffee and browse the bookstores. I stopped at Peet's. I thought about going to Starbucks, but I like Peet's brewed coffee better. Maybe the new blonde roast at SB will be better. After all that, I went to my gate to sit down. In a "power chair".

Not bad, huh? I also had free wi-fi and there was a SB right at the gate. All I needed was a massage chair and life would be great! The boarding of the flight was amazingly smooth and the flight was nearly empty. I got to sit in row 2 with no one in the center. We landed with no issues and Monica met me outside baggage claim.

We went from there to Dave's work and took a ride on the tram. Oregon Health and Sciences University has a tram that runs from the campus down at the waterfront to the hospitals up on the hill. It is really a cool ride, although slightly unnerving.

Then we came home and got ready for the dinner. Monica was the assistant cook for the common dinner. Her housing complex has two dinners a night for everyone who is on the meal plan. Someone cooks, someone assists, and someone cleans dishes. Everyone takes turns, so it is fair. Quiche was on the menu. There was a vegan quiche and a vegetarian one. There was also a green salad and a three-bean salad (although I think there were four beans in there), all of which were delicious. Monica made pumpkin pies for dessert. Yummy!

I am really going to enjoy my visit here!

Around Monica's neighborhood

I arrived in Portland, OR, yesterday afternoon. I'm here to see my sister, her husband, and my little niece. I decided to take a run around the neighborhood this morning. It was chilly; the temp was around 44 degrees. It rained overnight, but it wasn't raining this morning. I put on capris and my "new" cold gear shirt. I got it at the Exchange last spring. It was on sale for $8, marked down from $60. What a steal! It is lightly lined with fleece and it was perfect for the run.

I went out of the complex to SW 91st street, north to Canyon, west to SW 96th, and east on Beaverton-Hillsdale. The busy roads had sidewalks and the others had wide enough shoulders. I did not feel unsafe at all. It was a nice run. I did two loops.

I ran 3.63 miles in 35:51 for an average pace of 9:52. Splits: 10:17, 10:09, 9:38, 5:47 (=9:06 pace).