In the Bucket

It's 4PM on Friday. I'm really looking forward to my weekend and, as such, have pretty much slacked off for the rest of the afternoon. So, while killing time, I read Kate's post about things that you've already done that you would consider cool or meaningful to you. Sort of an "Already in the bucket" bucket list.

One of the things on my bucket list was to run a half-marathon. Well, I've now done that twice over. Running a marathon and getting my half-marathon time under 2 hours are still on the list, but I thought I would follow Kate's lead and create my own "it's already in the bucket" list.

As I wrote in my comment on Kate's post, my memory of personal events can be shoddy but here's what I came up with while thinking about it:

*I’ve climbed a waterfall in Jamaica
*I went away for college when almost all my friends (and my boyfriend) were staying local
*I moved away from all my friends and family for a new job
*I’ve ridden around with police officers during the wee hours of the morning on a college campus…and not in the back seat
*I took archery lessons
*I went from not being able to run a mile to being able to run a half-marathon
*I did touristy things all by myself in both D.C. and Las Vegas
*I’ve ridden a horse in Mexico
*I’ve gotten two tattoos both of which I love
*I won honorable mention in an Invent America contest
*I won medals and ribbons at dance camp and at regional and statewide theater, speech, and choir competitions
*I graduated high school as one of several valedictorians
*I graduated college summa cum laude
*I played in a junior high school jazz band
*I’ve been on stage in a high school production of Guys and Dolls and done make-up for many other productions
*I’ve seen the world premier of a musical
*I tried out for and made my high school's dance team and didn't miss a single performance
*I've been on TV
*I've been interviewed for several newspaper articles
*I've explored the unearthed streets of Pompeii
*I've handled autopsy photos, drugs, murder weapons, and blood splattered evidence
*I've adopted three shelter dogs and one who just needed a different home

What about you?

Over The Top

Kim gave me this Over the Top Blog award. Since I'm traveling for work this week and I didn't know when I'd have a chance to run or workout next I figured this would be a good way to let everyone know I'm still around!

To accept this award, I have to answer the following questions with one word answers, and pass the award on to six others. I hate having to pass on awards, especially since I'm never sure which six people read me regularly! So, instead of passing it on to six people, I'm passing it on to my friend Holly who recently started a new blog to chronicle a new, huge step in her life!

So, without further adieu, here are my answers (as applicable at 3:30 PM on Tuesday)


1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your hair? Long
3. Your mother? Supportive
4. Your father? Shrug
5. Your favorite food? Potatoes
6. Your dream last night? Unknown
7. Your favorite drink? Wine
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Running
11. Your fear? Rejection
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
13. Where were you last night? Obedience
14. Something you aren’t? Patient
15. Muffins? Eh
16. Wish list item? Speed
17. Where did you grow up? Champaign
18. Last thing you did? Download
19. What are you wearing? Turtleneck
20. Your TV? Recorded
21. Your pets? Crazy
22. Your friends? Missed
23. Your life? Structured
24. Your mood? Irritated
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Vehicle? Pragmatic
27. Something you’re not wearing? Nailpolish
28. Your favorite store? Limited
29. Your favorite color? Silver
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Recently
32. Your best friend? Tough
33. One place that I go over and over? Jewel
34. One person who emails me regularly? Comments
35. Favorite place to eat? Mom's!

A Runner's World

So, I'm a runner. I think this means that I have to subscribe to Runner's World. At least, it does when I was able to get a one-year subscription for like $6.00. I signed up last November. I've been getting renewal notices with each new magazine for the past few months. I'm still debating whether or not to renew my subscription. Then, last night, I took a closer look at the renewal form. And at the little subscription card that fell out of the magazine.

Can you see the problem here?


Click to see full-sized. You may need to click the image again after it opens in a new window.


Jason and I had a good laugh about that last night. Guess I won't be renewing my subscription! I'll just get a new one.

******************

This weekend, for those of you that don't know already, is the Chicago Marathon. I'll be at mile 18 handing out water. You may recall that two years ago the Chicago Marathon made the news for it's record-breaking temperatures and lack of water. Last year they had more than enough water and it was hot yet again. This year, temperatures at the start line are supposed to hover around freezing. Much better weather for those of you that are running. Not so great news for those of us volunteering. I plan to wear my rain boots. Gotta keep those feet dry lest they freeze off!

Normally I don't follow the names of the elite runners. But, after hearing the Chicago Marathon director speak at the running club meeting in September I'm intrigued. Every one talks up volunteering at the aid station by saying that we get to see the elites up close. Looks like I'll get to see a blur of Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist Marathoner Sammy Wanjiru. He's hoping to set a world record.

For anyone else running on Sunday I'll be cheering for you just as hard. With water or Gatordae in my hand.

Friday Fun - Cribs Edition

Photo from http://grahamwoodring.com/

In the interest of being more than just a pair of running shoes and some stats, I've decided to make Fridays be non-running (or exercise of any kind) post days so that those of you who found me via another blog or just randomly can learn more about me as a person.

Last Sunday my house was actually clean and the sun was out so I decided to film a little house tour a la Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point.

But first, a little background. My husband and I relocated to the Chicago area last summer. Prior to that we lived in a university town in central Illinois and owned our house. We had two dogs, two cars, a three bedroom ranch house with a large fenced in yard and a two car garage. I couldn't give all that up and move to an apartment or condo in the city. A plan was hatched to move into my brother's house in a suburb and pay rent, thus freeing him and his family up to move closer to their jobs.

Alas, that plan fell through and Jason and I were sort of scrambling for a place to live. We looked at many places but none were quite right. We almost signed the lease on a coach house that, while nice, was not ideal. And then my mom came to the rescue. She called the Chamber of Commerce for the same area as the coach house and asked for a realtor recommendation. She then contacted the realtor and told her our situation. The realtor found one rental house and we made an appointment to see it. When we arrived, after a 2.5 hour drive, the realtor informed us that just that day another house had been listed for rent that seemed to fit all our criteria. Which was good because the first house we looked at was a dump.

Saddened, we drove to the next house. We pulled up on a quiet, tree-line street across from a church and a school playground. The house had a building permit on the window and when we walked in it smelled of drywall and paint and new carpeting. The wood floors were shiny and the first thing I saw was a small room off the living room with French doors. A den? A library? Whichever, I loved it.

The kitchen was newly renovated with ceramic tile and granite and stainless steel appliances. The carpet on the second floor had just been laid that week. Central air conditioners were being installed the following week. It seemed too good to be true.

It wasn't. Turned out the the owner had bought it as a two-flat apartment building, gutted it, and turned it back into a single family home. His original plan was to flip it and sell it but then the housing market crashed. Lucky for us, huh? After some snafus with getting an occupancy permit (long story that got resolved in our favor but required Jason to live like a squatter in an apartment for a week) we live there now and have for almost a year. As renters, not owners, though. And, of course, there are some issues that come with any old house. Lack of insulation, some cracks in walls and tile, etc. But the location is fabulous and the house has everything we wanted.

So, without further ado, welcome to our home!

Friday Fun

So, I started this blog to write about all my running training. I don't usually put the non-running stuff here. I actually have a different blog for that. I'm kind of anal retentive and like to keep the two things separate. But I wonder if those of you who read this but don't read my other blog (if you want to know what it is, by the way, email me and I'll send you the link) or follow me on Facebook (want to do that? Let me know) ever wish I posted less about my running and more about just me in general.

I've thought about including one post a week that would be more of an "Erin as a person" post instead of an "Erin as a runner" post. I decided that I'd try it out this week since Kate tagged me for a little book meme. Hey, it fits with my run to the library on Wednesday at least!

Here's the scoop:

You have to come up with 15 books you’ve read at some point during your life that have always stuck with you. Don’t think about it too much — write down the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes, then tag a few people to do the same thing. Here are my 15:

1. Wait Til Helen Comes

2. Goodnight, Mr. Tom

3. Hideaway

4. Hearts in Atlantis

5. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

6. Nine and a Half Weeks

7. Interview with a Vampire

8. Slam Book

9. Just As Long As We're Together

10. The Cider House Rules

11. Flowers in the Attic

12. The Glass Castle

13. The Silence of the Lambs

14. Stiff

15. The Poisonwood Bible

Hmmm, there's a lot of books on that list that I read when I was a kid. Apparently I was a very impressionable child!

As for tagging, I'll leave that up to you. If you want to do this, great! But as I'm never sure who is actually reading me on a regular basis, I hate to make a list.

Also, I've been remiss in my blogger duties! A while back, Will Eat for Comfort gave me a blogging award! I just kept forgetting to post it and pass it on. I apologize that I'm just getting to it now.



Now, it seems, I need to do the following:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Check
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Hmmmm. I admit I'm sort of a shy blogger and I feel strange giving the award to anyone who I haven't interacted with on a regular basis. So, even though I know I'm supposed to give it out to 15 newly discovered blogs, I'm going to break the rules and give it to one of my favorite bloggers, Holly! Her blog is so lovely that it inspired me to fly all the way to California to run a half-marathon with her even though we've never met in person.

So, what do you think? Should I stick to keeping the non-running stuff out of here? Or should Fridays become Non-Running Fun Days over here at Eri-thon? Hey, Fridays are my rest days anyway!

And if you're just here to read about the running, come back later this weekend for the Skirtchaser 5K race report! Race time is 5:00 PM Central Time on Saturday the 13th. Keep your fingers crossed that I can make it a new PR (personal record)!