Oh, how I've missed you

Staff spin class is back at Tigard High. Oh, yeah!

We started Wednesday afternoon. My legs feel great, but my triceps hurt so bad... or so good!

Thanks, Connie, for getting us back in the saddle :)

Special delivery

So excited to open the front door and find a package on the porch!

Like many runners, I watch the Internet for great prices on my favorite shoes. When I find deals, I stock up.

I recently found my beloved Saucony Guides on sale at Road Runner Sports and decided it was too good to pass up. A short time later, I saw that they were discounted even more - and I had a coupon too!

So now I have two sweet pair waiting in the wings. And on Brad's suggestion, my green ones will be perfect for our Shamrock Run on St. Patrick's Day :)

No-TV Tuesday: movies and the home gym

No-TV Tuesday started with some reading, a short nap and a very yummy fish burrito.

Then we threw in a Redbox: The Campaign, with Will Ferrell.

It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but it had us laughing and relaxing, so it was perfect.

It was a rest day for me, so I decided to do a very short treadmill run with my FiveFingers:

I also discovered how hard it is to photograph your feet without your legs looking gigantic!

I did a very slow 1.1 miles:

Felt pretty good at the time, but I'm not sure this barefoot running is for me. My knee felt a little tweaked last night, and my ankle hurts a bit today. Maybe I'll stick to my cushy Saucony Guides.

Brad joined me in our little home gym, and we watched the beginning of One Night at McCool's (burning through those old VHS tapes!):

Brad rode the elliptical while I used the treadmill. He did more than just one mile :)

I love this blurry action shot, where it looks like he's an amputee with those sweat running blades!

 

:)

Turkey Feast 2012

With a fast-growing guest list, we decided to hold Turkey Feast 2012 in (CE)2 again this year. (We thought it worked really well last year!) And good thing we did, because 45 people would not have fit in my house!

Eryn, Brad and I spent most of Saturday and Sunday cooking and transforming my classroom into a beautiful dining hall.

Even got the VHS fireplace going in the corner, complete with FBI warning at the beginning:

We had to bring in four additional tables from the other room:

Buffet table ready:

Terrified of setting off the smoke detector, we put the turkey roaster right in the doorway:

Your hosts for the evening:

Soon, the room filled with lots of friends, old and new.

Dessert!

Everyone was asked to bring peanut butter to go in holiday food boxes for my students. We had quite the collection (with even more coming soon!):

With the help of David and the Rathkey clan, we had much of the furniture rearranged by the end of the night. And fortunately, Monday was a holiday, so we got everything washed and put away. (CE)2 is now back to normal :)

Happy (early) Thanksgiving, friends! :)

Post-feast run

Like every good holiday meal, Turkey Feast '12 left me stuffed! 

In an attempt to recover from over indulging, I started today with a big bowl of oatmeal and flax. Then instead of driving to THS to empty and refill the dishwasher, I threw on my running gear and went on foot.

It is gorgeous out there! And running through leaves just put a smile on my face.

I ran 5.17 miles at a 9.02 average - with a short dish-washing break in the middle.

:)

Genetics

Agreed :)

Catching up

It's been a busy week - and I'm way behind...

I got to spend my Wednesday evening with this beautiful lady:

We ran some stadiums at THS, grabbed yummy dinner at Muchas Gracias and then attended the Faith, Sexuality and Identity panel discussion at George Fox University. 

The event, a joint effort between GFU and OneGeorgeFox, was excellent. I'm so glad I went and can't wait for future discussions. I'm looking forward to being involved with OneGeorgeFox, LGBTQ and allied alumni of GFU.

I got to spend Thursday evening with this beautiful lady:

It was Turkey Feast shopping day, and Eryn and I hit up Winco and Bi-Mart to get all the necessary supplies to put on a pre-Thanksgiving meal for 45 of our closest friends!

Friday was in-service day. I attended some trainings at Tualatin High School - and learned a thing or two! WOOHOO!

Then I spent the afternoon with this beautiful fella:

It was time for a thyroid recheck for our geriatric feline. The vet said he looked great for being 15ish. YAY, Linus :)

Today was Turkey Feast set-up day. We rearranged the furniture and decorated everything for our annual gathering. Brad even fixed the table.

I've been fighting a mild cold for several days and feeling like a slug. I decided to give it a go on the treadmill while my pies baked.

I tried my FiveFingers again, going just 1 mile at a slow pace. Then I switched to my regular shoes and added a couple more miles.

3.2 in all:

I always feel better when I sweat!

Especially when working out means watching trashy teen movies. Hello, 2004!

:)