Cook-Off

Last weekend the girls and I were lucky enough to take part in the Red Shoe Cville 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off.  Yep, you read that right, I took part in a competition that involved cooking!  While it may be true that I was only invited because the Spicy Chicken wasn’t able to make it, I took my responsibilities quite seriously. I even made chicken masks - check it out.

I actually did take this honor more seriously than you'd think.  While I'm not exactly known for my cooking abilities, KK and the Spicy Chicken were the 2012 RETURNING CHAMPIONS (as you can see from the awesome banner below!) - the Team Spicy Chicken reputation was on the line! That being said, even my friend Brooke, the mastermind behind Red Shoe Cville and subsequent cook-off, wasn't expecting much from me, as evidenced by her eleventh hour text stating “we have lots of other people cooking, it’s okay if you don’t”.  With the girls’ help, however, I was up for the challenge. 

While I'm sorry to say we weren’t able to bring the title home for the second year, I don’t think any of us were that disappointed.  The three of us were able to have a lot of fun cooking together (something they rarely do with me), have a great time with friends, and help raise over $3000 for a really incredible organization – the Ronald McDonald House.  

Forever

I spent a weekend at the beach in Port Aransas, Texas with my sister and mom at the end of March.  It was a great weekend filled with lots of laughter, reminiscing and making new memories.  I love both of them immensely, and having time like this is about as good as it gets. 

As good as it was for the soul, however, it was difficult on my self-esteem.  

My sister and mom, you see, are both quite thin and beautiful.  I often joke that if you sliced me in half both vertically and horizontally you'd have my my sister.  At 5'3" and about 110 pounds it's not actually that much of an exaggeration.  And while she's always been petite and thin, she recently discovered a passion for (obsession with) tennis that has taken her tiny, cute body to hot rockin', cute body with some serious muscle (you should see her guns!).  

And then there's my mom. At 70 years old she could still rock a bikini if she wanted to (she doesn't) and can put most 30 year old women to shame when it comes to energy levels (without drinking a 5-Hour Energy Drink).

So you can see why I might feel a little out of place...

Most of the time I am good at separating my weight from my self-worth. I know my body size doesn't define who I am, and the majority of the time I'm truly okay with - actually proud of - who I am.  I work hard at being strong and I've almost completely overhauled my diet in the past few years.  I am not the insecure, overweight, unfit, bulimic girl I used to be. But sitting in a swimming suit next to your hot 44 and 70 year old family members makes it pretty impossible to deny that you are not nearly as thin or fit as you'd like to be, either.

Prior to my trip I had spent several weeks telling myself that it was time to kick it up a notch. I'd been stuck at a certain weight for several months and I knew that it would only change if I did something about it.  Being with my mom and sister was actually a good reminder that I needed to do more than just think about it.  The only one who has control of this is me, and sitting around wishing I was smaller has never been an effective way for me to get where I wanted/needed to be. Go figure.

So, we're now two weeks post spring break and I have, indeed "kicked it up a notch". i'm happy to report that, thanks to a major change in my diet (which I will blog about this weekend) and the addition of a hour of boxing with Laura at Clay (which I will blog about soon, too!) I am five pounds down!  

It's a good start.  Now, I just need to keep it up.  Forever.

This Is My Dad

This is my dad. 


Like many little girls I've always seen my dad as a source of strength and inspiration.  He worked hard and worked a lot when we were growing up but I never felt like he was absent. While I'm sure we have my mom to thank for that as well (amazing how much perspective one gains as they grow older) he was always there when we needed him. He coached my sports teams, watched my piano recitals and jumped in the pool to save me the time I did a back flip off the diving board and hit my head. He was tough on me when he needed to be, but was soft most of the time.  There's a great story about how once when I was misbehaving during church my mom told him take to me out to spank me but I somehow ended up with chocolate on my face instead. I'm not sure I ever got a spanking as a kid, even though I am sure I deserved it (and I do know I got a lot of chocolate...).


This is my dad.

As you can probably see in the picture he has a big lump in his chest (next  to the bow tie).  This is his defibrillator. He started having heart trouble my freshman year of college and it's been a somewhat bumpy road ever since then.  We've had a few major scares along the way, but he always manages to come out of it. Though his diet was most likely a factor in his health, there is a genetic component to his heart disease that can't be denied. My grandfather died after a series of heart attacks and strokes when I was just 5 years old (which I think put him in his late 60s). Both my aunt and uncle were diagnosed with heart disease in their 50s and have undergone triple and quadruple bypasses just to stay alive (and both could probably employ their own pharmacist to keep track of all the meds they take).  And my grandma had so many ailments (whether real or imagined) that I won't even try to go there.

This is my dad.

If you zoomed in a little closer in this photo you'd see scars showing that my dad has also had his gall bladder removed, hernia surgery and has a completely detached bicep.  Depending on the day you might also be able to see the spot where my mom injects his B12 shots that keep him from dying from pernicious anemia. Thankfully, there is no amount of zoom that would show you the scars that prove he is also a survivor of colon cancer.  

This is my dad.


What you can't see in the picture is that at the time it was taken his cancer blood levels were up and he was in atrial fibrillation.  We've known his blood levels were off for awhile but for some reason or another they hadn't been able to find where the cancer is.  Until now.  He found an odd lump a few weeks back and though we don't have any definitive answers yet the scans, tests and biopsies have started. I honestly don't know if finding the lump is good news or bad news.  I hate the waiting for answers almost as much as I hate cancer.  Almost.

And the a-fib?  Apparently it's become so common for him that he ignores it, even though he shouldn't. They've changed his meds, hoping they can control it medically, but it's trial and error.  I don't like the sound of that at all.


This is my dad.

Despite his height (you can see M is gaining on him already!) my dad was a phenomenal basketball player in his youth.  He was actually still listed in the Top 100 Scorers of All-time in Minnesota High School Basketball up until recently.  He didn't let his height set him back then - he just tried harder.  And that is how he is fighting this one.  He could've gone home and sat around waiting for answers but he didn't.  He donned his running shoes, iPod and the horrible mesh shirt he, much to everyone's chagrin, so loves to wear and headed out for a 5 mile walk.  He's quote to the doctor was something to the effect of "You're not going to bench me now, Coach."  

This is my dad.  

Bookworm

On our fifteen minute drive to soccer practice the other day M pulled out and book and started reading.  "Am I that boring?"  I asked her jokingly.  "No. I'm just really into this book right now mom. You know how I am."

And I do. M has had a book in her hands since they were large enough to hold one. At any given time her backpack will be filled with three - maybe more - that she is currently reading, and her nightstand will be piled high with current, pending and completed reads. She loves reading so much that a few months ago when in a puberty-driven hormonal rage she found herself using a few choice words to let me know exactly how she felt about me her punishment wasn't to take away her iPod, computer or television time like most kids, but rather her books. She was devastated. And yes, I thought to myself "I cannot believe I am doing this".

While the voracious reader in her is definitely inherited from my mom and sister, M and I definitely find common ground in literature. When making a list of our current favorite books yesterday, for example, we overlapped on three different books including The Help, The Hunger Games (which I started reading only to make sure it was okay for her and then couldn't put down) and Little Bee (which I read for a third time after she decided she wanted to read it).  I too find myself reading more than one book at a time. Right now, for instance, I'm in the middle of five different books, most of which you will find in my suitcase-sized, Mary Poppin-likes purse (I've tried to downsize several times but always wind up back with my Big Buddha). 

But while M's choices are largely based on what her best friends are reading, the New York Times Best Seller List and whatever Auntie Paula has recently suggested, my choices are more based on the season, my job and my exercise of choice at the moment.  

For instance, here is what I am currently reading: 

Train Like a Mother, Dimity McDowell and Sarah Shea Bowen, (follow-up to Run Like a Mother)

My six-week hiatus from running while the stress fracture healed has come and gone. It's time to get back out there.  These women know their stuff.  They're funny, strong and REAL.  They've created an entire movement around their writing.  Totally inspiring.

Balancing in High Heels, Eileen Rendahl

I'm of the school of thought that summer reading should not require too much brain power. Okay, so it's not quite summer yet, but close enough for me. Though this isn't nearly as witty as the last Rendahl book I read, it's at least kept me mildly entertained while waiting for soccer practice to end and I am still curious to see how it ends.

Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog, Lisa Scottoline 

I came across this book while searching for a different one and bought it because it looked funny.  I was right. Her writing style in this book is similar to mine, although she usually writes murder mysteries.  A lot of great anecdotes to life in general, and as I've said a million times before - I love to laugh. 

Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James 

So I haven't actually had the nerve to crack this one open yet.  Not sure if I'm quite ready for the "marked improvement" in my sex life that I keep hearing I will have...

The New Rules of Marketing and PR, David Meerman Scott

A far cry from 50 Shades of Grey, but all play and no work makes Amy poor and unable to buy great new summer shoes!

So, now you know what I'm carrying around in that suitcase-purse of mine.  I probably don't have a pen or a stick of gum if you need it, but I will have something entertaining to read if you're in the market for that (and I usually have at least 3 not-quite-right shades of lipstick).  

And when you see M walking down the road with a backpack that weighs more than she does don't blame the school system - blame JK Rowling - she's currently re-reading books 4 and 5 of the Harry Potter series!

Mom

Since this blog is about my journey through life and this weekend is Mother's Day I thought I'd take this time to post a few favorite photos of my wonderful mother - who I count on continually for support - and my daughters - who inspire me daily to be a better me.

Ah - one of the first joys of motherhood - pregnancy. This was taken few hours before Maggie was born - and no, she didn't weigh 27 pounds. Not sure why I felt it was a good idea to have the Spicy Chicken take a photo at the absolute largest point in my life, except for that it is kind of fun to look back on (though don't get me started on that horrible lipstick, those awful shoes or that sorry excuse for a mantle...).  Looking at this makes me wonder if no matter how many hours I work with Hyam my stomach will ever be bikini ready (unless there happens to be a tummy tuck wrapped up in that little box next to my Mother's Day card...)

Yep, those two skinny little things are related to me. My older sister can wear a bikini at 40 and my mom could at 65 if she wanted to. We all live in different states so we don't get to be together as much as we'd like, but we don't waste one second of the time we do have together. They are both fabulous mothers of whom I go to for advice on a continual basis.

In the 1000's of photos in our family archives there are very few photos of me with the girls because I became  more and more camera shy as I packed the pounds on.  While I really don't like how I look in this one, of course, I do love the photo because it was one of our very best trips to Hilton Head.  It was a week in October when the girls had a random Monday off. It's a long drive so it hardly seemed worth it for a long weekend, but the Spicy Chicken and I needed a break and in the end it actually turned out to be more than worth it.  We spent the weekend riding our bikes, digging in the sand, jumping waves and just having fun with one another.  It was a good reminder of how lucky we are.

The girls are less than two years apart which lends to two very different scenarios - they are either the best of friends or fighting like cats & dogs. The older they get the less they seem to get along so I can't get enough of moments like the ones seen here.  If my memory serves me correctly they were making fun of me by dressing up in my clothes - talking on pretend cell phones and acting like - well - me, but they laughed so hard they cried and looked absolutely adorable so I was willing to take a little "constructive criticism".  They both have really great senses of humor - I hope they don't lose that as they grow older because it's such a valuable asset.

While she probably won't be thrilled that I have included this photo I had use it because I think it portrays just how cool my mom is. She is almost 70 years old, yet here she is playing wiffel ball with us during one of her visits.  While this is a fairly  normal weekend occurrence for our family, it probably isn't how most grandma's spend time with their grandkids.  This, however, is how my mom is.  She's not just beautiful, smart and caring - she's fun and always up for anything we throw (literally) at her.  Yep, my mom rocks.

And though she's not my mother I would be remiss not to include my mother-in-law, Rita, who (along with his equally wonderful father) is responsible for making the Spicy Chicken the wonderful man he is today.  I can't imagine what my life would be like without his support in all areas of my life - especially raising our two little girls.  I could not be the mother that I am without him.  


It's actually kind of hard for me to look at these photos of myself but here are a few from the archives...

October 2003 - yes, that flip hairdo was in style back then
(or at least I thought it was)!

Mother's Day 2008

Barboursville Vineyards, 2009

NYC, Feb 2011

Boston, October 2011

Wintergreen, March 2012

Lucky

I'm not Irish, but I definitely consider myself lucky.  

As I sit here in my office writing, reading and pinning things on Pinterest researching, my parents - who are nearly 70 years old - are hard at work packing boxes, patching holes and making some semblance of order out of the disaster our home has become over the past few weeks.  Next week they will help unpack these boxes, tear down wallpaper and paint at the new house.  And yes, they actually volunteered to do this.

Lucky.

According to www.thefreedictionary.com one definition of lucky is "occuring by chance".  That definition works for me because truly I didn't do anything to deserve this.  Sure, I was a pretty good kid growing up - got good grades, used my manners most of the time, occasionally cleaned my room when asked...but those are things I actually learned from my parents.  Add that to list of things I need to thank them for. 

Lucky.

Looking back I didn't understand or appreciate all that my parents did (and obviously continue to do) for me.  I'm a parent now myself and some of that is coming back to bite me (who knew puberty would be so hard?) but mostly it's teaching me how fortunate I am to have a family that not only loves me, but go out of their way to help me regardless of the task at hand. 

Lucky.

As my daughters grow into young adults this is the kind of stuff I want to instill in them.  Give to others more than to yourself.  Be there when people need you.  Love one another.  When you do this it all seems to come back to you in amounts much greater than what you gave.  Or at least that is what my mom - who is currently cleaning out my garage - tells me.   

Lucky...is an understatement. 

Big Changes

March has been a big month for me.  

The excitement started on March 9 when I celebrated my 39th birthday. You may recall  from last year that I kinda freaked out when I turned 30. Therefore, it would stand to reason that entering into my 40th year would be  traumatic.  Ironically, it's the opposite.  Life is good. I'm happy. And it's only getting better. If this is foresight as to what my 40's are going to be like then bring it on. And yes, I've been wearing that crown the entire month. 

I celebrated my birthday the way most people do - surrounded by friends, hanging out with family, and... buying the house of my dreams.  It's a 1960s fixer-upper, mind you, but it's truly the house that the Spicy Chicken and I have been dreaming of owning some day.  After 6 months of searching, waiting and saying "If one of these houses would just go on the market..." as we drove down Carrsbrook Drive our patience finally paid off.  I'm not sure who is more excited us or Sasha, as she's finally rid of us as clients (she is, however, stuck with us as friends forever).  

And while I wasn't exactly looking for a job (because I was too busy looking for a home) an amazing opportunity presented itself to me in that area this month, too. Earlier this month I started working for Jaggers Communications and MBPR & Marketing, two amazing small PR firms here in town owned by women I love and respect as friends and business women. I'm truly surrounded by greatness (and I'm not just saying that - check it out for yourself here, here, and here ) and feel honored to be a part of these teams.

And then there's the 10-Miler...the one negative in my fabulous month of March. The race itself is not a negative, of course.  Proceeds benefit lung cancer research at UVA Hospital and an anonymous donor has offered to match every single dollar raised by participants so it's obviously a really good thing. For me, however, it's a major stressor. I'm still not even sure if I will be able to cross the Finish Line because of my injuries.  


That being said, I've lined up a few friends to run with, bought a new running skirt that I feel really cute in (yes, Dan Schutte, that is truly part of  my race plan) and I'm just figuring all I can do is do the best I can.  And after the race is finally over I plan to celebrate my last few hours of March on Sunset Beach very with one of my very best friends drinking a few of these...

Yep, life is good.

Serendipity

I'm not going to lie.  I haven't been on here much lately because there's not been a lot of good to report.   

While I've had a few decent runs over the past few weeks I've had to miss class much more than I'd like to and my eating...let's skip that part. Somehow I've managed not to gain any weight, but I seriously think that is just the "Diet Gods" feeling sorry for me because our lives have been such a crazy mess lately.

We returned from our trip to NYC last night.  The trip, to put it mildly, did not go as planned.  Both girls were extremely sick - running temperatures of up to 104 degrees at some point - the entire trip.  Each left New York with an interesting story about where they threw up (KK on 5th Avenue, M in Eately and at 4am) but very few memories of what I was hoping to depart with (i.e. Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Bloomie's, etc.).  M literally slept through our entire meal at Serendipity, and KK was so sick she couldn't even bring herself to try the Frozen Hot Chocolate.  More for me, I guess!

Both kids have now been diagnosed with influenza (M is lucky enough to also have strep!).  Courtney was diagnosed with it this afternoon and though I am currently asymptomatic I happily swallowed a Tamiflu a few hours ago in the hopes that I will not end up in bed next to any of them.  KK  is a few days ahead of everyone else so she's actually back at school, but the rest of the crew...it's pretty ugly.

So here's the serendipitous part.  We spent a lot more time in the hotel room than we had planned, of course.  But you know what?  I actually loved it.  The girls are getting older so we don't get as much of that one-on-one - "holding your baby time" as we used to.  This week I got hours of it - and I realized how much I missed it.  Sometimes I end up spending so much time telling them what to do and how to do it.  "Clean up your room!"  "Do your homework!"  "Pick up your shoes!" "Brush your teeth!" that I feel like I don't get to just enjoy them.  For 3 whole days I didn't say any of these things (well, except maybe the brush your teeth one).  And it was SO nice.


Sure, we missed out on discovering New York City, but we did get a chance to rediscover something really important -  how lucky we are to have one another. Now that's serendipity for ya.

Completion

So last time I wrote I was whining about how freaked out I was about the Real Girls Run.  I'm happy to report that I not only survived, but I felt pretty darn good about it.  Getting there wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

My stomach continued to churn the entire car ride there - so much so I was a little afraid I'd have to stop at McDonald's to hit the restroom and "accidentally" get swept up by an Egg McMuffin.  I treaded on, however, and was thankful that I did.

Fortunately I ran into a few friends immediately after arriving at the race. I was fine until I realized the iPod I had spent hours creating an amazing playlist on wasn't working.  I knew this was a possibility - it was, after all, a 2nd Generation iPod Shuffle (read: O-L-D) but I couldn't believe it was happening just a few minutes before the race started.  I'd never actually run without music before and was fairly sure it wasn't possible, so ran back to the car to grab my phone.  By the time I got there, however, the old iPod somehow started working (maybe because I stopped beating on it?) and I was saved.

A few minutes later we were off.  I felt surprisingly calm and comfortable at the beginning - a feeling which, miraculously, stayed with me for the entire race.  I did what most novice racers do - let my adrenalin get the best of me came out of the gates a little more quickly than I should have.  I was, however, able to handle the bulk of the race at an average of a 10-minute mile.  It's not a fast pace, but one that worked well for me at this point. 

Ironically, my shins, which have been the biggest hindrance to my running career,  didn't bother me one bit.  Even three days after the race they felt fine.  Thanks again adrenalin. 


I saw Court, the girls and my mom as I rounded the last corner.   When they came into view I attempted to sprint to the finish line.  My legs, however, weren't really on the same page as my brain, so I'm fairly certain I may have slowed down rather than sped up.  It was a pretty pathetic ending, but at least I made it.

My official time was 39:17.  Slow, but complete.  I was happy that I did it and actually felt good enough after to start thinking about signing up for a few more.   First up is the the Cale 5K Fun Run on October 30. M has been participating in the Running Club at school for the past month preparing it, so that's one we won't miss.  And then I think I may have committed to a Turkey Trot or something like that in Minnesota at Thanksgiving with that crazy marathon running friend of  mine. 

Wait....isn't is freakin' cold in Minnesota in November????

P.S.

I forgot to mention that everything worked out in the end with the Spicy Chicken and I.  We got married 18 months later and will celebrate our 12th anniversary next week!  

Yes, that's him with all that hair.  

He claims it didn't start falling out until he met me!

Hmmmm.....

It's ON!

Telling me I can't do something is pretty much a guarantee that I'm going to make it happen. This love of a challenge (along with a penchant for yo-yo dieting, among other things) is one of the qualities that I inherited from my father. We've challenged each other to weight loss competitions in the past, but unfortunately neither of us has been able to make it stick.  

Knowing how a challenge motivates both of us I received the e-mail below after my dad read my blog.  If I wasn't committed to succeeding with this change before, I certainly am now!

"I see by your blog that you have committed to losing some weight.  Well, so have I and I will not be beat!  So- 

Webster defines the words as follows: 

     

     I - the one who is speaking or writing

     Will - something desired

     Kick - a blow or sudden forceful thrust with the foot

     Your - of or relating to you or yourself

     Ass - buttock

Putting it all together, I will kick your ass=The one who is writing desires to thrust his foot to your buttock!

- Dad"

Oh, we'll see whose foot is thrust into whose buttock, Gar.  The game is on!