SimplyComplexJen

LOL.... it's that time of year again.... where 8 little girls get together and run their hearts out.

Soccer (football for rest of world of course) for the u6 has it's charms.... but probably because I'm a mom.

Abby and a friend from school.

Pre-Game Shot.



Coach Mommy helping with pre-game practice (getting them to spread out was the hardest part):


LOOK AT ME! I can stop the ball like Mommy!


Unguarded goals are harder than you think when you're 5!!

One day they will learn there is more to the game than running in a herd!

I sent out a bulletin on myspace asking for phone numbers from friends since my phone is out of order..... and one of my responses from a good friend was this:

Hey, lady, sorry about your phone! Seven years ago, it would have broken because you dropped it in a martini...now its because your baby left it in water. You are a grown up! Here are my digits.....


Hmmmmm.... somehow I'm not feeling better about this today! LMAO

mmmmmmmm..........

I'm driving home from work, and I swear I must have been a good girl this week (hey... stop snickering, I can be!) because walking up to me in the hot sun, was a young, fine fireman walking towards me....

Yes Viriginia, there is a Santa Clause, and there is a God....

Suddenly I feel the urge for dollar bills...

I start waving them out the window, hoping he'll see me....

He is swearing in the hot September sun.... and I'll tell you, it was nice!

Then I realize, this isn't some mid-day conference-call fantasy, but a ploy to get women like me to give to the MDA. I normally don't give to that organization for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to the enormous overhead costs (always check out a non-profit before giving money.... how efficient are they?)

BUT! You put a fireman with a boot and a great smile in front of me, dollar bills come out of my hand like a 18 year old boy in his first strip club.

Back to the story.....He walks by my car, I give him the dollar bills.... in his boot in his hand... he smiles gives me my sticker and moves on to the next MILF in the car behind me having the exact same thoughts.

(this also tells me my dating life is lacking)

I suck I admit it... I've been back 2 weeks and haven't told my Hood To Coast Story. You can't laugh too much at this pic, I hadn't slept in about 36 hours and ran over 17 miles....

After the shittiest year (2006), I would have to say 2007's best event was the HTC race.

By a series of other runners either a) not showing *grrrrr* or b) our best runner getting hurt, I ended up with one of the hardest (the hardest?) leg of the race (see chart for leg#3).

I shouldn't complain... some people had to run 4 instead of 3 legs.

When I looked at the hill, I was thinking NO WAY!!!! I wish there was a pic of my passing off my bracelet because when I was done I was the BIGGEST smile on my face.

What did I learn on this race?
(i'm sure I'll have to write multiple times on it... I learned so much about myself and running again)

1. I need to train harder and smarter (I don't have the luxury of running 2x/day like pre-bebe)
2. I need to improve my attitude (that hill was mostly mental)
3. Even ziplock bags can't hide the smell of those funkadelic clothes of 6 runner in a van for 30 hours
4. I'm addicted to relays I think
5. rinse and repeat #1

BTW, if you've read this far and have not a clue what HTC is, try here: http://www.hoodtocoast.com/

it's 12 runners, 197 miles divided into 36 legs, each of us rotating and taking 3 legs.

We run from Mount Hood to Seaside, OR.





My 3 legs were the following:

#1. The first run out of Van #2.... I didn't warm up properly and my time, form, and everything about this run sucked. Unfortunately, it was also my easiest..... though it was definitely my worst.

LEG 7

#2 This run was in the middle of the night, like at 2am. The runner before me saw a meteor shower while we are running through rural oregon, I wasn't that lucky. I was a little worried simply because they had a motorcycle cop and a patrol car going through the leg at least 4 times... I felt safer, but wondered if something had happened that warranted this.

Leg 18

#3 The best and the worst of my race. I'll admit, I walked a part of that hill, I hadn't slept in over 24 hours, not eaten enough, mentally was freaked out, and frankly, the altitude climb of this run was a lot steeper than it looked in the graph below. I was the least experienced runner (well, in the last 5 years... pre-abby I would have rocked this hill and then laughed) and running a "very hard". I'm just happy I finished it in so-so time and the sense of accomplishment it awesome!


Leg 29

I loved it, I know I didn't prepare as well as I could (and that embarasses me)... I have every day (starting today) to improve... so here I go.....

ok, I have over 30 saved blogs i've actually never published here. There are all sitting in blogspot's draft pile....

Why?

Various reasons:

#1: most would tell really how deviant my mind works I think... lol.
#2 Somethings are nice to write down, but not share.

Then there is reason #3.....

#3 see reason #1

Abby +3
Mom -2

Abby Wins. :)

Abby (+1) : walks in without fear
Mom (-1) : walks out in tears

Abby (+1) : shows her independence by walking in the room and making friends
Mom (+1/-1): both proud and sad she has so much independence at age 5

Abby (+1): takes a great photo
Mom (-1): does not - lol

I have so much to catch up on here, writing about the HTC relay, Abbys first day of school, and a variety of other happenings..... but today I just don't have it in me.

Yesterday marked the beginning of what could possibly be the worst year of my life. In fact, I know it is. That is saying a lot considering my life (some self-imposed, some not).

This time last year, Lisa's funeral was being planned, my grandfather's health was going downhill quickly, and Dad was making improvements in rehab (though this ended quickly too). Not to mention some personal snafus (financial and relationship) that I would like to forget.

In the 10 weeks following Lisa's death, I would have my heart broken, my grandfather passed away, a rift in the family formed that has not yet been repaired, and then my Dad passing away. Then the merry-fucking-holidays were around the corner.

(I can't believe I am about to admit this) I think back to the Christmas when bebe was young and I was living with her dad. I was huddled in the shower stall, the water already turned cold but I don't remember it being cold, begging him to take me to the ER. I knew if I came out of that shower, I wasn't sure how I'd find the will to live until morning (as course being the sensitive man he is told me to "get ahold of myself and get over whatever it is... thank God I realized how bebe would never forgive me). So many things seemed so wrong at the time....

That Christmas was the lowest point in my life in many years. The difference between then and last year? Those people I lost? When I came out of my "funk" or whatever you want to call it, they were there.

My grandfather always had some life lesson to share with me, always happy to see me. My dad while not always pleased with me, always made it clear I was welcomed home. 3 out of 4 Sundays, I went Home to see him. Lisa represents a group of friends that have been in my life about 12 years now.

I also can't forget my cousin who died 8 years ago on Labor Day weekend as well. Everyone loved Chris..... and it seemed even when he messed up, he could do no wrong in the family. I remember how jealous I was of him, and how much I looked up to him.

I think this is the part where I conclude with some deep statement on how this made me stronger.... I have nothing. I'm crying when I write this and maybe in a few years I can look back and have some deep insight on how 2006 affected my life and made me stronger and better. Right now, it's just as raw as it was last year.

I think the most appropriate conclusion is how we ended 2006 in toast on New Year's Eve with my little (who acts like my big - bless his heart) brother : "F '06"