Ladies Night Out

Friday night was ladies night out, there's a group of us from work that get together on a regular basis.  These ladies are wonderful and I'm so glad to have them as my friends.

Bowling isn't the same as it used to be - no way.  Today it's a smoke free environment, serving a gourmet menu, don't worry about keeping score (all automated) - just throw the ball and have a great time.  

It was Sandra's birthday (with the lei on) and Kristina (first row, right) and Ceil (back row, left) came up with a theme:  the Margarita's!  So Kristina, the crafty lady that she is, ordered these lime green t-shirts and added our names to the front left as well as our group name to the back of the shirt.

Check out the margarita (front right corner)!  We had a blast.  Sandra, the birthday girl, won with a total score of 98.  That's pretty sad, needless to say.  Catherine (front row, middle) had never experienced the joy of bowling.  We had dinner, bowled a game, enjoyed a margarita and had a wonderful Friday evening.   Oh, and one more thing just to let you know how bad we are at bowling, we had the gutters up.

Anyhow, it's been so busy but I've been continuing to work on my running efforts.  Our local road runner's group has a beginning running group that started on Tuesday.  I got my nerves up and took the plunge.  There was a pretty large turn out.  About 60 of us, ranging in age and fitness levels.  The coaches were wonderful and shared with all of us how they became runners which gave quite a few of us hope that just maybe, we might be able to become a runner after all.  Our BWR group meets Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  I couldn't believe it, but somehow I managed to get up and make it to the Saturday morning session.  We ran 10 minutes down and back and stretched.  They divided us into about 5 groups and we can switch back and forth as we want.  Then I came back home and did 5 miles on the treadmill. I was already dressed so thought I would get my work out in. 

A quick shower and off to my youngest son's lacrosse game.  Today I need to catch up on laundry and start doing some yard work.  Plus, make a quick trip to Costco and Safeway.  There just isn't enough time in the weekend - oh vey.

Birthday Bag

Here is the birthday bag I made for my best friend's daughter!  She turned 8 today! 

The pattern is by Sweetwater and it's so cute!  Perfect for a card and some goodies.

 

 I love their fabric, Sunkissed.  Just what is needed to bring Spring on.  

(Oh, and that's my really messy sewing table.  I need a new cutting board soon!)

My running efforts are continuing.  I need to find out how I can cut & paste my Nike Running log onto this.  I wasn't feeing too well this week, but I still was able to log 22+ miles.  Rain is in the forecast for most of next week - looks like I'll be using the treadmill a lot next week.  

A to Z or something like that:

(A) Age: 46

(B) Bed Size: Queen

(C) Chore You Really Dislike: Cleaning.  I'd rather be outside mowing the lawn or gardening.

(D) Dogs? Hannah, an American Bulldog.  She's 11.

(E) Essential Start Your Day: Coffee.  Must have.  Never drank coffee until after my second son was born.  Called my husband up on a Saturday when he was working and told him to stop at McDonald's and bring me home a cup of coffee and then proceeded to tell him we needed to go buy a coffee maker immediately.  I was never so tired in all my life after my son's were born but coffee saved me!  Now, I can't live without it.

(F) Favorite Color: Green

(G) Gold or Silver? Both - no need to choose.

(H) Height: 5’7” I was definitely this height when I was in my 20's and I'm sticking with it.

(I) Instruments You Play: Clarinet, guitar, piano.  Haven't played since I was in high school.  My son's played violin for several years and some piano.We own a lot of musical instruments.

(J) Job Title: Mom, MOM, PM, wife, daughter, maid, chef, etc.

(K) Kids: Two handsome athletically gifted sons.

(L) Live: Maryland

(M) Mom's Name: Lol

(N) Nicknames: don't

(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? A few, when I shattered my knee cap in high school, gallbladder surgery, when my son's were each born.

(P) Pet Peeve: When the men in my life don't rinse the sink.  Come on now............

(Q) Quote from a Movie: Don't have one or can't think of one right now.

(R) Right or Left Handed? Right.

(S) Siblings: one.

(T) Time You Wake Up? 5:00

(U) Underwear: My beautiful Hanes.

(V) Vegetable You Dislike: carrots

(W) What Makes You Run Late: Heading off to work with my house in disarray.

(X) X-Rays: Both knees, pituitary gland, mammogram

(Y) Yummy Food You Make:Quiche, Chicken Tortilla Soup and the best Italian baked meatballs

(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal:elephants

Road Runner's Club

Well, I did it.  I joined my local road runner's club.  I mailed in my application on Saturday.  Yea for me.  They have a beginning women's running session that begins in April.  My new shoes came and boy what a difference.  I bought my last pair in June or July.  So it was definitely time to replace them.  Unfortunately, I have been doing mostly my running on the treadmill, I think it's been about 2 months.  However, we are in for a warming trend this weekend and the snow has finally melted off the sidewalks and paths on my route.  I may be able to get out this weekend.

The other great thing is that I finally believe I have diagnosed properly, only after 18 years...........I'm grateful I finally found a fantastic doctor.  Now I may get the adequate levels of hormones I need to treat central hypothyroidism, rather than just barely enough as if I had primary hypothyroidism.  I may be able to make it to menopause after all.  I may not need the D & C, hysterectomy and who knows what else they have discussed.  I may be able to wear more than black slacks at work. Imagine that.

Anyway, I really am grateful that I ditched all my previous doctors and found two wonderful, smart, caring doctors that LISTEN and don't hesitate to do the proper tests.  And, they are women.  I know that I am on the road to good health now.   Finally, after 18 years, 2 neurological events, wacko blood tests, and some other really unexplained symptoms.  I am so happy :)

Hannah (aka Sugar, Sweetie, Old Lady)

My best friend in the whole world, is my 10 + year old American Bulldog, Hannah.  She goes by a lot of names and answers to them all.  I ran across this Native American saying years ago.........

God made the earth, the sky and the water, the moon and the sun.

He made man and bird and beast.

But He didn't make the dog.

He already had one.

So Many Blogs, So Much Inspiration

I am finding so much inspiration with all of these blogs, from running to quilting. I just love it and this is all so new that it's just what I need when I have a few minutes like right now.  Drinking coffee, sitting here trying to figure this blog thing out, all while waiting for the car to warm up and my son's final grooming attempts to wrap up before we both hop in the car so I can drop him off at his high school............before the regular daily chaos begins of a working mom.

Hopefully, I can try my hand at taking some photos of my WIPs this weekend and try to post.  And maybe today, if it's not so darn windy, I can get another 3 miler in at lunch.  Thank goodness we have a 3 day holiday this weekend - looking forward to it. 

Never thought I would be a blogger!

Well, maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks!  LOL.
Anyhow, I need to get back to my Christmas preparations...........yikes, only 2 days away.