90 Days or 3 Months

1 day and counting....

2009-02-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

The marathon is Sunday. I am leaving for Austin today after work and then let the fun begin! : ) The bags are packed, the dogs are actually in the car waiting in my work parking lot, and I will hit the road as soon as I can get rid of my last patient. I feel like I forgot to pack something. Don't you hate that feeling? I mean - it feels like something really important like my running shoes or my sports bra....but I double checked for those - so I know it's not that. I bought Starbucks coffee this morning which doesn't help with the jitters. I am nervous....I started having foot pain about 3 weeks ago and it is not getting better....hopefully not the initial signs of a stress fracture....but that is what it feels like. I am going to try taping my foot to see if that helps. Overall, though, I am ready - ready for it to be here and give it a go! Looks like it might rain a bit, lows in the low 50's and highs in the 70's. The temp is great...the rain...not so much....but I will fight through! I will say that if I don't finish...I will try again...but I hope my next blog is all about finishing my first marathon! stay tuned....

A Whole New World

2009-02-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

The facebook world....is a whole new world to me. My sister bullied me into joining and I have been hooked ever since. I have added lots of friends: casual friends, good friends that don't live very close and I don't get to see very often, friends that I somehow can't find time to call but really want to know what they are up to, friends from high school that I haven't talked to in 15 years, friends from high school that I had become un-friends with but somehow on facebook it seems OK to contact them and ask "how have you been", friends from college that I have thought of many times but couldn't get in touch with. In this new world I can be reminded of birthdays of friends that I never even knew when their birthday was. I know when friends are "going to the store" or "ready for the weekend" even when I don't really care. I get poked and hugged and hit by snow balls. In all sincerity though, it really has been amazing how I have reconnected with people that I never thought I would talk to again. I am talking to friends and realizing how much I miss talking to them and sharing things with them. I can find time to type out a quick message rather than pick up the phone to talk. I don't really like talking on the phone anyway and maybe this is easier because you can do this late at night and not worry about calling at the wrong time. So, if you want to get in touch with me, join facebook! For now I will just wait to see who my next friend will be - you never know who you will find on facebook!

Deal or Dud, Part II

2009-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

Pedi Paws may just be a success. I finally made it a priority and actually stopped at the Dollar Store to buy some C batteries. As I loaded the batteries and reviewed the directions, I had thoughts of dogs scrambling as soon as I turned on the thing...ducking under beds and behind chairs....but it actually went OK. They didn't mind the noise - it's not that loud - and they just sniffed around to see if it was food. (I swear they act like I feed them one morsel of food once a month.) Both Maddie and Hudson HATE to have their nails trimmed with the old clippers. They will lay there, but try to get up after each nail and it becomes this huge battle to get all four paws done. Some times I end up laying over them or on the floor with them on the couch so that I can look up under the paw to see where the quick is on their nails. It becomes a HUGE ordeal. I decided to attempt using it on Hudson first, figuring that Maddie would be a piece of cake. Hudson tends to be the skittish one and jumps at every little noise. The directions go into this long detailed explanation of actually laying on top of your dog if they won't sit still. I was fully prepared to have to do this. But for grins, I thought I would just try it sitting there at first. So, I told him to sit....and he did. I sat down on the floor next to him. Turned on the pedi paws. Grabbed one of his front paws. Put his nail in the little keyhole on the pedi paws and watched it file away. Hudson just looked at me.....it didn't phase him a bit. I was able to do all four paws and all of his nails without any problem. He didn't even try to pull his leg away. I couldn't believe it! Maddie was actually a little different story. She didn't like it so much....I had to spend a little more time making her sit there with me - but no more than actually clipping the nails. She just kept pulling her leg away from me. It takes a little while to get all of the nails done, but at least when I was done I wasn't exhausted from battling with 80 lb dogs to keep them still like I have to do with the clippers. I also wonder how long the little file works. Apparently you can order replacement files.....guess I will have to wait and see how many uses you get out of one. The only really bad thing about it was the smell.....It smelled like something was burning....I guess just from the friction. So, overall.....pedi paws is a DEAL!

Still haven't had a reason to try the bra strap thingys...sorry Katy...I know you are waiting on that one! Stay tuned....I will try it out and will have a review soon to come!

Deal or Dud?

2009-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying, I know you have all been waiting anxiously for this blog. I promised user reviews on my “as seen on t.v. products” and I have not tried all three of them, but do have one review for you. I haven’t used the pedi-paws because A: it requires 2 C batteries and I can’t remember to buy them when I go to the store. Nothing uses C batteries anymore….why couldn’t they go with one of the other sizes when they designed the thing? I keep AA and D batteries on hand in the freezer. I only keep them in the freezer because that’s what my mom did. I wonder if that really works? I’m getting off track here…so B: it says that before you actually use the thing on the dog, you are supposed to watch a video, get the dog accustomed to the pedi-paw by showing it to him and then by just turning it on and then only using it on one paw and gradually working up to being able to work on one whole paw. Of course using treats and praising the dog the whole time. I would use it on Maddie, because she would be easy to train. But, she has been filing away her own nails trying to dig out of the concrete that I poured....so her nails don't need the pedi-paw. And, ya’ll know I had to bring out someone to the house to teach Hudson to sit….so I think the idea of the training aspect of using the product is causing me to procrastinate a bit…. I haven’t used the bra strap thingy’s because it is winter and I haven’t found a reason to wear a sleeveless shirt and I haven’t been on a date…so I haven’t needed perky boobs.

So that leaves the Smooth Away…..

OK, so it says it was discovered in Europe and will remove hair “instantly” No pain, No chemicals, No razor burn. So, maybe it was the ¼ inch hair I had lingering (see above…..no date…..no shaving of the legs) But it was discovered in Europe – and aren’t those girls hairier than that? I worked on my leg for a few minutes – and it did work, but not fast enough for me. Maybe I have a different idea of what “instantly” means. So, I went to the shower and shaved. I know, this negates the whole idea not having to shave, but I thought maybe it would speed things up. After shaving, I still had a little stubble because for some reason my razor couldn’t handle the abundance of hair. So, I used the little smooth away scrubber on my legs and it really did get rid of any hair that I missed and made my legs much smoother. It even works on that little spot of hair under your knee cap that the razor always misses. So, I guess overall, if I had a reason to have really super soft and hair-free legs it is worth having. Will it replace the razor? Probably not – because I can do a quick shave in less than 3 minutes and using the Smooth Away would easily take 10 minutes. Maybe the European’s have more time to get ready for work than I do. So, maybe if I get a date I will use it….other than that it’s just me and the dogs and I don’t think they care how smooth my legs are.

Stay tuned for other product reviews….

Choosing your battles

2009-01-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the Maddie saga continues. I have gathered the troops and the battle begins.

This will be the first line of defense.....concrete and red pepper flakes. The act of picking out the right concrete was a battle in itself. Did you know they have concrete that expands, heavy duty concrete, fast drying concrete, concrete for thick walls, concrete for thin walls....you name it....you can get it. I had no idea. Then the act of mixing it was pretty comical. My first choice of an old piece of base board that I found in the garage didn't work out too well. 80 lbs of concrete verses a flimsy piece of wood doesn't get you very far. I had soupy concrete all over the place. Had to pour out some of the water....then it was too thick.....so had to add some water back in. I finally got it poured. Why do all of the little rocks stay at the bottom? Does this mean I didn't stir it long enough? I just scooped them out and spinkled them on top of the mixture....it looks like it worked out OK. It's not the prettiest job and I don't think I will be winning any masonry awards for the year, but at least it is done. Once the concrete pouring was complete, I sprinkled red pepper flakes along the fence and gate. Now we wait for 24 hours for the concrete to set and we will give it a try. Maddie will be let out without supervision into the back yard. We'll see if I win this battle. What will be interesting is to see who wins the war! : )

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

I don't have any adorable kids of my own to show off with funny hats on their heads. My new year's eve was nothing to brag about...so...no pictures of me wearing glittery makeup, clothes or hats. I wasn't crafty enough to think about dressing up the dogs with funny hats. (plus Maddie is already miserable enough - she is running away without the added shame of having her picture taken with a Happy New Year's tierra hanging over her eyes.) So, due to my own mundaneness (not sure if that is a word - but it is in this blog), I will steal this picture of my cousin's little girl ringing in the new year - mainly because she is so stinkin' cute and I wanted to show her off.....I mean.....I will admit I have been biased in the past with my brother and sister's kids....(even though they really are the cutest kids in the world) I really don't have any reason to be biased with this one....I guess she is technically my second cousin? Is that right? Not sure how all that works, but she is far enough removed that I don't think I can call this one bias....she is just flat out cute! : ) Right?
With that said, I hope your 2009 is 10 million times better than 2008. Here's to new goals, attempting to follow up on old goals, happiness, health, and an all around awesome year.

Jail Bird

2008-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

The great escape....this is where it all happened my friends. It all started Thanksgiving. Maddie and Hudson spent a majority of the week outside. With all of the company here, it was just too crowded to have them under foot. The night before Thanksgiving, Lisa and I drove up from one of our trips to the store to find Maddie roaming the alley. I just assumed one of the kids left the door open or maybe even Bruce threw her out in hopes that she would run away. I put her back in the yard and didn't think another thing about it. Until, she was out again the next day. I then looked around and found that she could have slithered out under the fence in one spot, although it looked pretty small. I left the dogs outside the Monday after Thanksgiving and came home from work to find Maddie in the driveway. At this point, I drug a really heavy flower pot over in front of the hole, filled the hole with bricks, and thought....ok...she'll never get out now. I came home the next day to find the flower pot moved. This is over 75 pounds....easy....how did she do that? And all of the bricks had been dug out of the hole. And Maddie was out again. Come on.....are you kidding me? So, Christmas came around. I was not going to stay home - drove up Christmas morning and back that same night. No need to take the dogs for 12 hours in the car plus the time I would be with family. So, I put 2 card tables in front of the hole and thought surely that would hold her. I arrived home to find Maddie and Hudson in the yard. The card tables were lying on the ground and there was dirt dug out everywhere from the hole. An obvious attempt at an escape, but, I figured she gave it her best and gave up. Ha, I had done it....I had fixed the problem. But, Wait.....not so fast. I went to the front door to check on things before going to bed and a note was on the door.....from the Health Department, Animal Services Division. According to the report, violations were found at my address including no city registration, animal running at large and fence not maintained. Not real sure how they knew Maddie belonged in my yard. But, she had been put back, the fence gate had been secured with a rope and the dumpster had been put in front of the hole outside of the fence. I have been given until January 2nd to correct the violations. I will be going to get the dogs registered this week....and the fence....not sure. Tonight, I let the dogs out to eat. After about 20 minutes I went to let them in. Hudson came bounding in as always, but no Maddie. I called for her and less than a minute later, her nose appeared from under the wrong side of the fence. I told her to 'come' and she got her head through the hole, with a please don't kill me look on her face. I watched as she wiggled and squeezed her way back under the fence to get into the yard. As she lays here tonight, covered in dirt from having to squeeze under the fence, looking up at me so pitifully, I still am not mad at her. I just need the dog whisperer to make a trip to 1534 Lavendale Lane to help me with the escape artist. I thought my worries were over when I moved to a house with a high fence. Hudson could no longer jump over the fence, but now Maddie is squeezing under it. I may be using Christmas money to buy an electric fence. Will that keep her in the yard?

I'm dreaming of a as seen on tv Christmas

2008-12-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

No - not a white Christmas. I don't want snow. I don't even like snow. I am dreaming of 'as seen on tv' products. OK....I know I am not the only one. I know of at least 2 other people that share my love of 'as seen on tv' greatness. Laura has always shown her support of these items without hesitation, where I on the other hand, have been a closet lover of 'as seen on tv'. Can they really work? Are they really as great as they seem? Why didn't I think of that? Well, this Christmas (and birthday) I received 3 of the 'do they work?' items. I have been given the great honor of trying these too good to be true items - and I didn't even have to pay for them! So, product reviews soon to come....stay tuned and I will let you know if they are a 'deal or a dud' : ) It could be that I have dogs with nails that don't scratch...AND....they lay there with love in their eyes as I file away their nails rather than the fear that they normally exhibit as I lay on my back with their paws over my head, trying to find their nail bed in the light so that I don't clamp down with dull nail trimmers leaving them bleeding to death when I make a cut too short. I may be able to wear my old sagging bras with sleeveless t back shirts - no bra strap showing...AND....perky boobs. And, I may never have to shave again. The girl on the box looks like it is the greatest thing ever. She calmly wipes away the hair...AND....it exfoliates at the same time. How much greater can it get? Gotta go....gotta get started on using this stuff! Hope all of your dreams came true this Christmas and you got everything you wanted!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

2008-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

My new indulgence. So not needed. So way overpriced. But oh so good!!! It's like a Andes mint in coffee. Yummmmy! At least it is only offered seasonally, so I can't indulge all year long!

Birthday Thanks!

2008-12-19T05:48:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all of you that sent out calls, cards, gifts for my birthday! You made it very special and I appreciate it so very much! The day started out with a text from my sister and some so very cute Christmas ornaments from my friend Karen at Children's. Cookie cakes and gift cards to Lukes came from work friends. And a beautiful necklace from my dear friend Cassie....I will post pictures later on. Thank you all so much! I love you all and am so lucky to have you in my life.

White Rock Marathon

2008-12-15T06:30:00.001-08:00

As I had posted earlier, I made the decision to hold off on the marathon this past weekend. I will be going back and over the next 2 months, re-mediating my training! : ) And with renewed commitment!!!! I was unable to transfer my marathon registration to the half - because the half was sold out. So, I ran my 13.1 on Saturday at the lake all by myself. It was a lot harder getting out of bed and going to the lake knowing no one would be there waiting on me. But, that is the decision that I made....so I will gut it up and over the next 2 months....Saturday mornings will be long and lonely. Next time I will stick with my training!! : ) I am glad I made the decision that I did. I am SORE from just 13.1. Wouldn't be able to get out of bed if I had attempted 26.2.

Yesterday was a hard run for many of my friends that I had trained with over the past 26 weeks. It was hot and WINDY.....it made those panhandle days of cross country seem like a walk in the park.

To my running friends: Many of you finished yesterday and are pleased with your time, and others maybe didn't hit the time you had hoped for, or didn't even finish. Know this - you ran. You ran your run. That's all you can do. Train, prepare and then run your run. For all of you who finished I give you a hearty congratulations. It was the first for many of you - first White Rock, first marathon. Now you know.

You did good - no matter what - and I'm proud of each and every one of you!

MDA Stride and Ride

2008-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Once again, I will be participating in the 2009 DFW Stride & Ride at Grapevine Mills Mall and am heading up a UTSW PT DEPT Stride and Ride Team. If you would like to participate this year, you can go to the following website to donate https://www.joinmda.org/dfwstride2009/leslienelsonpt

We will be walking on January 31, 2009 at Grapevine Mills Mall if you would like to join us!

Pass this on to anyone that you think might be interested.

Thanks so much for your support!

Too Stinkin' Cute!!

2008-12-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

I know....I know....I am too crazy about my puppies....but add the cutest nephew in the world and you get this....

The Crosses We Bear

2008-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine, after the rain....
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call....
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from His lips, can calm every fear...
Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...
The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
ready to give you His grace and send you His love...

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la

2008-12-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

It is so much more fun to put up your Christmas tree with the ones that you love! Scott and Katy took us to buy the tree Friday morning after Thanksgiving. We had quite an outing at Wal-Mart. I'll leave out all of the details, but ladies yelling, little boys peeing, daughters sighing.....I don't think these are the things that we should dwell on! We made it home and I got the boxes out of the garage....and the rest was taken care of. Easiest tree decorating I have ever done! (are you guys coming back New Year's to help take it down?) Once upon a time, I was too particular about my decorations and lights and wouldn't even dream of anyone else touching them. Let me say that I was an idiot! : ) Hanna and Sarah took the lead on the lights - and they look way more beautiful than they ever did when I would take hours trying to wrap limbs and make them perfectly even.

Katy and Scott helped me replace burned out bulbs on the strands. I had never done that before. I am too lazy and usually just slap them on the tree, burned out bulbs and all. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes when they are all lit!!! See....even Joshua is amazed!

Joshua had fun making sure that all of the branches were even. Then even Leah couldn't resist joining in on the fun. We had Christmas music playing and the girls started a chorus line! So fun to watch!!! : )
Once the lights were done, the ornaments went on....
everyone helped!

It's the prettiest tree I have ever had! It smells so good every time I walk into the house. Thank you all for helping me put it up. The memories of you doing this will never be forgotten! I am blessed to have such a loving and wonderful family! I love you all!

By the way, Aunt Laura was there too. She was the picture taker. Jacob was over at the cousin's house....where there are boys his age to hang out with and not so many girls! : )

Well, plans change

2008-12-05T05:13:00.000-08:00

I never used to be a procrastinator. Up until now, if I said I was going to do something.....I did it. Well, something sure has changed. You know that big swirly thingy on the top of my blog.....yes, the one marking the date of the white rock marathon? Well.....do you remember the last time I blogged about running? Me either.....let's see....(scrolling down and down and down some more) Oh, it was no November 8. Almost 1 month ago. Guess what....I haven't run since then.....YIKES.....what have I done?!?!?!?!?!?!? I don't know what happened. I guess I could use lots of excuses....but why bother listing them all....I just plain didn't keep training as a priority and it is my fault. SO......what to do about a marathon coming up in 1 week? Well, I could do it. I would have to walk the majority of it and would be unable to function the next day. But, I could finish it if I tried. Better plan? Do the 1/2 marathon next week and get back to training. The Austin Marathon is coming up in February and that gives me 2 solid months to get back into the training routine. So.....plan made.....I just pray I go back to my old ways of keeping my plans, priorities, and stop being so lazy!!!!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, lots to write about Thanksgiving. I had a great week. I went to meet my Aunt Janice and Uncle Donald to pick up Gybabe on Sunday. We ate at Braums and then Gybabe and I were off for an adventure. I am not sure she knew what she was getting herself into! We got home Sunday evening and got her all settled in. We didn't do much that night except eat a little and play skip-bo. On Monday we went to get our nails done. Gybabe wasn't sure what to think about all of those girls giving her back rubs and using paraffin wax on her hands. The only bad thing - they trimmed her nails too short and she couldn't pick a thing up the rest of the week! Monday evening and Tuesday morning she kept the dishes washed while I got ready for Thanksgiving dinner. We got the turkey carved, made turkey balls, put the casseroles together, and did all the prep work that we could get out of the way. Tuesday afternoon I took her to the Dallas Arboretum. I think at first she wasn't sure why I would want to waste our time going to a garden, but I think once we got there she was glad we did. We ended up spending about 4 1/2 hours there and she was in awe the whole time. We got a wheelchair for her, but she ended up walking most of the time. (Except when I would make her ride) We had a really fun day and I am so glad that I had that opportunity to spend with my grandmother. Laura came in Tuesday night and we played some more skip-bo and visited with her. Wednesday was a busy day running last minute errands and Laura was baking away. She made some amazing pumpkin bread and pumpkin pies. (the secret to her crust for the pies was a splash of vodka....but don't worry.....we only used it for baking! : ) Then the rest of the crew got in on Wednesday night. Lisa, Bruce, Lauren and Matt got in Wednesday evening. We ate some spaghetti and waited for Scott and his bunch to get in. Lisa made about 20 trips to the store to get the air mattress situation under control. (thanks, Lisa!) Matt and Bruce didn't quite make it until Scott got in!

We got beds ready and then after Scott, Katy, Jacob, Hanna, Sarah, Leah, Abi, and Joshua made it in, we all went to bed. Don't ask me how I got them all squished into my little house, but we did it. Thanks for being so sweet and putting up with the too close for comfort positioning - you guys are great!

Thursday morning we all got up....way too early to be getting up.....and made our way to downtown Dallas for the Turkey Trot.

Even though it was early, the girls were up and ready to go!

This was our second annual trip to the trot.....and we all were wondering why are we doing this on the way there....but once you get there.....it is so much fun. Lots of great people watching. Good exercise so you can pig out at dinner. We get to see which one of us will walk into a pole each year.

Abi and Joshua got to see all the people with hats and puppy dogs walking by.

Lots of good sweet family memories, like me screaming at Laura that "I am not mad" and giving the people around us a good giggle. (Don't worry, I apologized to her about 5 minutes later and we were all good) We made it back to the house around noon and I started on dinner. With everyone's help, we were ready to eat by 2 and all asleep pretending to watch the cowboy game by 3:30. Couldn't get any better than that! Lisa and Bruce left on Friday and took Gybabe to Lubbock to meet Janice and Donald. Scott and Katy stayed around for a little while. We went to get my Christmas tree and got it put up (more on that later). Then they left Friday evening. Laura and I were bums the rest of Friday and enjoyed the quiet! Overall it was a great week and a great Thanksgiving. I hope that all of the family had as much fun as I did and I hope that they will all come back again next year.

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

I am sooooo excited!!! Thanksgiving is only a week away. I am making my list....yes....I am a list maker. I will put down every little thing I need to do to get ready for the family to get here. I also list my 'to do's' by day. I will plan what day I will do what. Why do I make these lists? So that I can become frustrated when they don't work out like I planned! : ) But the great thing about these lists this year....I don't only have my cooking and cleaning and decorating to do....I am planning some fun things to do with my Grandmother! We will see what all she is game for, but I have lots of possible ideas. When I asked her if she would come stay with me for a week, I wasn't sure she would say yes. I am so happy that she did. Gybabe has always been so special - not only to me - but to my brother and sisters and all of our cousins. I am so looking forward to the time we will spend together. When I am home, I always feel so rushed - trying to see everyone and trying to give everyone the same amount of attention. I just want to visit without the rush. So, the countdown begins....I can't wait!!!!

God's Majesty

2008-11-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

My mind is racing around about a billion different thoughts today....we said goodbye to our dear friend Jenn today, lots of things going on at work, all the things I need to do to get ready for Thanksgiving, when am I going to have time to get the dogs to the vet for their shots, when will I have time to get the car to the shop to get the oil changed, I need to write up paperwork for my second job, I need to get out into the yard for some yardwork and leaf raking, I need to get my 12 miles in this weekend in preparation for the marathon, all the friends I need to call to catch up with and let them know that I love them.....so maybe blogging is a way for me to attempt to collect and organize my thoughts.....or maybe it is a way to procrastinate.....

I know it is all in God's hands - everything.....all the worries, all the sorrow, all the excitement and joy of upcoming events, all the things to do.....God, I pray for peace of mind.

Jennifer's service today was wonderful. As hard as it is to say goodbye, she would have been so happy to see all of her friends together. Our MDA family is an amazing collection of people....I thank God that I have the opportunity to be a part of this group of people. Jenn was a very special person that lived every day for God's Glory. Through all her suffering, she lived to help others. She felt that was God's plan for her. I wish you all could have known her. I am a better person for having known her.

A cold front blew through yesterday.....the pictures below were taken from a friend of a friend's blog.....I saw these clouds yesterday on my way home from work and couldn't believe how amazing they were. I had never seen anything like them. They (the friend and friend of a friend) just happened to be driving home together as well. They pulled over because they had a camera and took these shots which were posted on their blogs.....Isn't it amazing....God's Majesty?

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." -- 1 Chron 29:11

God, thank you for all of your majesty. The beauty of your world, the majestic way you take care of us all, and for putting people like Jennifer in our lives so that we learn by her example, living for your Glory just as she did.

Highs and Lows

2008-11-08T15:26:00.001-08:00

What a day of highs and lows. It started out early this morning. I left the house at 5am to head to the lake. 20 miles were scheduled for today. It was a great running day - clear and 50 degrees. It started out great - and ended not as great....I ended up walking the last 4 miles. The longest distance I had run before today was 15 miles. I missed the last 2 weeks of running for different reasons - I was sick, out of town for Angie's wedding in Vegas, just being lazy and undisciplined....so I had not donned my running shoes in 2 whole weeks. So, it was my own fault that the last 4 miles were miserable....but as one of the greatest coaches, Isaak, said as I crossed the finish line...it doesn't matter how fast you made it....you MADE IT! So, I walked to my car feeling accomplished but sore. A huge high to realize you have just ran/walked 20.5 miles! I checked my phone and had 3 messages from my good friends from camp and my MDA family. This usually means one thing.....bad news and the pending huge low. This had happened just about a month ago when Joey died and it is all too soon to go through again. At his funeral we had all decided to get together to do something fun....not for a funeral. I knew that this wouldn't happen and I dreaded making the phone call. I called Kevin first - he seems to give me bad news in a way that isn't so hard to hear - but got his voice mail. So, I called Dawn and she gave me news that absolutely shocked me. Knowing lots of individuals with neuromuscular disease, you become used to hearing about our kids passing away.....it never gets better....but you usually aren't shocked to hear it because those that pass away have usually been sick and in the hospital. Through tears, Dawn told me that my dear friend Jennifer Wells had died this morning. She had not been sick or in the hospital since I had seen her at our Camp Craig Allen fundraiser a few weeks ago. She had started having difficulty breathing around 2:30am and by the time the paramedics arrived, she had given up her fight. I know she is better off....she is no longer suffering and will never again have to spend time in the hospital being prodded and needled. I will miss her. Her passion the past couple of years has been Camp Craig Allen. I know she will be cheering Dawn on to continue to work diligently to finish the project that they had been working so hard on together. I pray for Jenn's family and friends. She was an amazing person and will be missed. She left the world a better place for having lived in it. I love you Jennifer!

Just a fun pic of us at an after camp party at Jenn's house. I am glad we have good memories.

Our President-Elect

2008-11-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

A few things I'm thankful for, regardless of the outcome of our election:
*We live in a democracy where we have the right to a vote and a voice. We have the God-given responsibility to use both wisely
*We are blessed with individuals that willingly serve our country. They are living in terrible conditions and fighting for all of us so that we may live comfortably and sleep more soundly, knowing that they are protecting us.
*God "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" and "according to the plan." Ephesians 1:11
*Not only does God work out everything in conformity with His will, He has promised to work out everything for the GOOD of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
*God sets up kings and deposes them and gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. Daniel 2:21

I pray for our president-elect. I pray that God will guide him and that he will accept the knowledge that is provided to him by the grace of God. I pray for our nation and that we will stand together. 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.' (Matthew 12:25) A united house stands. A divided house falls. The devil has much to gain. But he also has much to lose.

I copied most of this from Beth Moore's blog......so thanks to her for writing in a way that I wish I could! : )

Temporal Insomnia and Insantiy

2008-10-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

This week has been one of the nuttiest ever. I frequently see and treat crazy people - as I am employed in the medical field. And I use the term "crazy" lovingly. We live in a society in which I think EVERYONE is crazy. There are just different levels of crazy as far as I'm concerned. For example, I evaluated a patient yesterday that came in, proceeded to pull out a roll of paper towels, and line the carpet, the treatment table, and the chair in the evaluation area where we would be working. I was waiting for her to start rolling the paper towels around me - mummy style. Thank goodness, she stopped short of that. (Laura, I hope she is using the cheap paper towels) The evaluation itself is beyond being able to describe in a blog. And then, after the evaluation was completed, she stayed around. After I made it very clear that we were done for the day, she kept interrupting and continuing to ask random questions as I was treating my next patient. That poor patient finally had to ask the lady to stop interrupting her treatment time. I would consider this behavior to be ranked on the higher end of the crazy scale. This is just one example of my patients this week. So, overall, I would say that my patients this week have been nuttier than usual (and it's only Wednesday). I have woken up in the night the past 2 nights at the same time (2 different times - once at 2 am and once at 3:30 am each night). This rarely, if ever, happens to me - and I know I am lucky based on discussions with my many friends with small children. And then while I was out feeding the dogs in the back yard last night, I spotted this.....My mind tells me not to believe in folklore, but it started me thinking. I typed "full moon" into google and wikipedia says "Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy. Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon."

Now, I understand research. Heck, I DO research. But I may beg to differ with these studies based on my week. : ) Happy Full Moon today!

http://skepdic.com/fullmoon.html

Admitting it is the first step

2008-10-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Leslie, and I....am a Seinfeld addict.

During my trip to NYC, it took all I had to not compare every moment to a Seinfeld episode.

The Black and White Cookie.....I hope I don't get sick after eating this.

Is it Famous Rays or Famous Original Rays?

I had several Kramer moments on the subway. At one point, I was fighting for standing space with a bunch of teenage kids and I think I even ended up on the floor at some point. Luckily I didn't experience the one when Jerry fell asleep and woke up sitting across from a naked man.

I couldn't cross over the Hudson or the East River without looking for Kramer and his friends getting some nice swim time in.

The girl sitting next to me at Legally Blonde pulled out a bag of Hershey's Kisses and all I could think was "if only that had been a pez dispenser"

I had a big headed Elaine moment when the cab driver kept looking up and over and around me in the rearview mirror. It made me want to slither down into the seat just to conceal my enormous red head.

My time was limited, so I didn't get to visit the famous Soup Kitchen or Monk's diner. I didn't ever see a Kenny Roasters Chicken or get to buy a marble rye. Maybe I will be able to experience more during another visit to the city. Or maybe I will sober up by the time I go next time....but I doubt it. I guess admitting it is the first step.

I Heart NY

2008-10-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Wow....how lucky can a girl get? Boston in the fall one weekend, hanging out in Manhattan the next.....

So, yes, these were work trips. I had lots of time crammed into hotel and hospital meeting rooms. Reviewing slides and videos, arguing the precise angle that is considered "prone", sitting for hours upon hours and trying to stay alert and interested the whole time, smiling and nodding and acting just right. So the fun stuff was much appreciated!

I got up early Friday morning (3:30 am) in order to leave my house at 4 so that I could make my 6:00 flight into New York. The greatest thing happened as we were approaching New York City. There was a little boy sitting behind me. He was in the window seat and I was in the aisle seat. All the sudden I hear such excitement in his voice. "There's the Statue of Liberty! There's the Statue of Liberty!" His excitement was so contagious. Before I knew it, I was almost in the lap of the poor guy by my window trying to see it as well! The view of the skyline flying into the airport is amazing. I don't think that you could ever take that for granted even if you flew into that airport 5 times a day. At least I don't think you should.

A therapist (Catherine) from St Louis was flying in around the same time as I was and we had made plans earlier to try to meet up so that we could go sight see a bit before the meeting started. Catherine had flown into JFK and I had flown into LaGuardia Airport , so she and I decided to meet at Columbia Medical School, drop off our bags and then we would take off for an adventure together. Getting from the airport to Columbia required taking a NYC cab, but you will be happy to know that my first cab experience in NYC was a great one. The driver actually pointed out certain sites as we drove along. He drove me through Harlem and pointed out the Apollo Theater and some other things. I had been told that the meeting would start at noon, but we actually didn't have to be there until 4pm. we arrived at the airport around 11am, so that gave us some time to play. Neither of us knew where we were or where we were going, but we were game for anything. We headed straight for the subway and tried not to stand out like sore thumbs, but I am afraid that we didn't quite look like New Yorkers as we both stood and stared at the map the whole time, asking one another "is this the stop?" We got off the subway at Rockefeller Center and walked around a bit. We saw the spot that the big Christmas Tree will be, the famous Dean and Deluca that is behind all of those people cheesing for the camera on the Today Show every morning, great people watching, and the NBC studios. We went in to Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It is amazing that this beautiful church is smack dab in the middle of all of these high rises. http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/

Then we walked along 5th avenue and window shopped for a bit. We did actually go in Tiffany's. By the way, there are no price tags visible in Tiffany's and I didn't have the guts to even ask how much something was. So, I just browsed and admired. What is it about that little blue box? I'm not even a jewelry fan. Audrey Hepburn must have been a huge marketing ploy! : )

The city was everything I imagined it would be. Sidewalk vendors on every corner. The smell of hot dogs - actually a really good smell - steaming from the vendor's cart. People are moving quickly - but darting in and out around the slow moving tourists. They have "No Honking" signs, but it is obviously not enforced, because there is rarely a moment when a horn is not blowing. I was amazed at how quickly I learned the pace and seemed to fit right into the pace. At least I thought I was - the locals may have thought differently! : )

Catherine and I headed back to the hospital for our meeting and we finally wrapped up around 9 pm and then boarded a shuttle bus back to the hotel. We stayed at a hotel in New Jersey. I guess the company sponsoring the research study didn't see it feasible to spend $500 a night on hotel rooms in Manhattan for 15 different PTs and a few others. I can't imagine why not! : )

We were back up early Sat morning and back to the hospital by 7:30 to start up the meetings again. We worked straight through lunch, but actually finished up a little earlier than the agenda allowed (around 4:30). Several of the PTs were leaving Sat night. The rest seemed to have plans with friends that lived in the city. So, after the meeting, I decided to take off on my own. I boarded the subway and rode it down to Times Square. I walked around taking in all the sites and sounds. i couldn't resist taking this picture. As I walked by the window of the Hershey's Store, this caught my eye. All I could think is how happy my nephew Matthew would be if he had this. (That Starbucks cup is the small/tall cup - so that is a rather large bottle of chocolate syrup.) Then I wandered onto the half-priced Broadway Show booth. Why not? So I got in line and waited to see what I would get myself into. The cheapest show I could find was $28 for Legally Blonde. The lady in line behind me had told me that it was really cute and worth seeing. (By the way, people in New York are actually really nice....I was shocked) So, I decided Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera could wait. Who really wants to see true theatre anyway? This show had a pretty blonde and actual live puppies (yes, 2 of them). How could you pass that up? I had a couple of hours to kill, so I walked some more and stopped in for some pizza and a beer. This, my friends, is what a $10 beer looks like.

So after my really good New York pizza and a really expensive beer, it was time to head on to Broadway to see the show. (Yes, Laura, I was 20 minutes early and was in my seat long before the show started) I was sitting really high up, but you could still see pretty well. The whole experience of seeing a Broadway show was really fun. The show itself was actually really cute. I laughed out loud through the whole show and the cast was really good. It made me realize how little talent I have. After the show I caught a bus back to New Jersey and got back to my hotel room around 1:30 am.

So, the plan for Sunday morning was to get up, get ready to go jog in central park. I planned that I would need to leave the hotel at 6:00 in order to get to the park around daylight. I could jog for a couple of hours and then make the trek back to the hotel in time to check out by noon and get to the airport for my 3pm flight back to Dallas. I actually did get up and got my jogging clothes on. I trudged downstairs and headed out to the bus stop to get to the city. I would have a 45 min ride on the bus, so I took along some granola and coffee to pass the time. I stepped outside and it was RAINING. What is it with rain and these trips? I didn't let it stop me....I trudged on to the bus stop. I sat at the bus stop for about 20 min and no bus showed up. As I sat and waited, I started to plan my time and realized that if the bus didn't come soon, it would really limit how much jogging I could get in. I made the decision that if the bus didn't make it to the stop by 6:45 I would go back to the hotel and order room service. I started to really pull for the latter option, looking at the headlights approaching wishing and hoping that they weren't big bus headlights. There were a couple of trucks that passed by that really scared me, but I lucked out ...... I mean unfortunately, my time was up and it was so awful that I had to walk back to the hotel, go back up to my room, curl up in bed, and order room service......guess I will just have to go back to experience the whole central park plan another time!

I think that my busy weekend in NYC must have been nothing compared to what Maddie and Hudson went through. Other than the initial excitement when I first got home, this is all that they have done....

Sad news

2008-10-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

I returned home from New York today to some sad news. Joey Ryan, an amazing young man that I met at MDA camp, passed away last night. My only regret is that I didn't make time to go to dinner with him as he had suggested a couple of months ago. My prayers are with his family as they cope with their loss. Joey - you will be missed. I love you so very much. I will always have great memories and lots of laugh out loud moments thinking of the joy you brought to me and so many others.

View From An Umbrella

2008-09-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Boston was great! The people are nice, it is absolutely beautiful, there is so much history, the food is great....and I saw it all from underneath an umbrella! Hurricane/Tropical Storm Kyle skipped across the North East, leaving lots of rain while I was there.

All day Friday and Saturday was spent in meetings in a hotel in Cambridge, right by the MIT campus. With the doorman's accent and the surroundings I felt like I was living on the Good Will Hunting set. On Saturday, some of us left Cambridge and were shuttled out to Watertown for a training. I didn't have to go through some of the training that the others did, so I went for a walk while I waited on them to finish.

This was what a typical house looked like in Watertown as I walked along the Charles River

This was just a couple of views along the Charles River in Watertown. The leaves are just starting to change. I can only imagine what it looks like just a little later in the season.....absolutely beautiful!

Finally, after the meetings were over, a few of us went out for dinner and just a nice little walk Saturday night. We went to Haavud Squeere (that would be Harvard Square to those of us in Texas) to eat at Legal Sea Food. Soooo very yummy!

These are some people from Michigan, Utah, and Iowa that were at the meeting and went to eat with us.

Mariam is the nurse/research coordinator that I work with at Children's.

Clam chowder is to die for in Boston - and I am not a huge clam chowder fan! I also had a salad with grilled shrimp and scallops that was amazing!

This wasn't at Legal Sea Food, but was another fun little snack that I found that I liked quite a bit! Nantucket Cranberries covered in Milk Chocolate!!! Move over chocolate covered raisins....there is a new favorite in town! : )

Saturday morning I was scheduled to run 15 miles for my marathon training. I knew I wouldn't get all of that done on my own, but I was determined to do my best. BUT, I also wanted to see some of the historic sites. SO, I compromised. I left my hotel about 7:00 am. (It doesn't get light out before then and I didn't want to run in a strange place in the dark)

I ran along the Charles River for about 3 miles and then crossed over a bridge at Massachusetts Ave. This was the view of downtown from the bridge. Yes, it was raining....HARD....and very foggy.

After crossing across the bridge, I ran along Beacon Street. It is this long street that is lined with old brownstones.

This is just one of the doorway/entries of one of the brownstones. They were all so different and unique and all so beautiful.

As I ran along Beacon street, I ran by the original Cheers. It was 7:45 Sunday morning. So, no, I didn't stop in for a beer. But I did stop long enough for a picture!

Across the street from Cheers, is Boston Common, the oldest park in the United States. It is really pretty. It reminded me of Hyde Park in London.

At this point, I had stopped running and was walking and taking in all the sites. Snapping pictures as best I could while trying to keep the camera dry. I had to duck into a 7-11 to buy some batteries as my camera ran down about halfway through my tour. Just along Boston Common is where you can walk the freedom trail, which takes you through some of the historic sites in the city. So, I decided to walk along and see as much as I could see. It is kind of like the yellow brick road of Boston and you literally follow a path of red bricks. I had until 11:00 that morning to do as much as possible.

This is the cemetery in which Paul Revere and Sam Adams as well as other noted Patriots are buried.

This is the steeple of the Old North Church. This is where the lanterns were hung to warn that the British were coming.

This is a view of the harbor in North Boston. Even on a rainy day it was pretty, but I can only imagine what it is like on a nice clear day!

I won't bore you with more pictures here (Laura, I know you will be appreciative of that) But I was able to see quite a bit in the small amount of time I had Sunday morning. I would have loved to have more time to really take it all in.
It was then time to turn around to get back to the river so that I could finish my run. I happened along a fundraising walk and walked with some of the participants for a while. Then I needed to hurry on so that I could check out of the hotel and make it to the airport in time. So I ran on ahead of them made it to the hotel just in time to take a warm shower (I was pretty cold from the rain and a little chill in the air) check out and get on the train to the airport. I figure I only got about 10 miles in on Sunday (along with the 10 inches of rain that I think fell on my head while I was out), but there is always Central Park in New York next weekend!

No More Blondisms?

2008-09-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

I had a little mis-communication with my hair stylist. I thought he meant just a little bit of red low-light.....and he meant this....

In different light - it looks darker....

As Daddy would say....."I'd rather be dead than red on the head" : ) I guess I'll see if I get used to it.....

Happy Fall Ya'll

2008-09-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hope your first week of the 2008 Fall season is a wonderful one!

I will be leaving for Boston on Friday morning, so you probably won't hear much from me on here until I get back. I am sure I will have lots of pictures to share from my trip - hopefully they won't all be from a hotel meeting room! : )

Camp Craig Allen

2008-09-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a successful event this past weekend. We raised over $50,000 at our B-B-Q Cook Off. This was a fundraiser for Camp Craig Allen. This will be a camp that has no age limits so that people of all ages with disabilities can go to a place and spend a week where it is not about what they can't do.....but about what they want to do! You can see more at http://www.campcraigallen.com/

I headed out on Friday morning to help with setting up and when I got to Bass Pro Shop, this was my mode of transportation

Nothing like driving this baby around to make you feel important....all the little people had to hike it on foot...not me....I got the gator! : ) Really I just had it until I got my judges tent set up...then I had to pass it on to those that needed it.

This is my before and after shots of my little judges area. It's not much to look at, but I did the best with what I had to work with! : )

After setting up all day Friday, we started the official cook off - my friend Amanda rang the official bell to get it all started.

Friday night we had a party for the teams with the band 10 Mile Crossing playing and food and fun. Maleah and I played washers with a cook off team....we aren't playing washers here....just tryin' to look pretty! : )

So, after the party on Friday night, we were back up bright and early Saturday to get the real show on the road. I had the honored position of being judges coordinator for the second year in a row. Which means I stay in the tent all day and run the actual judging during the cook off. We had lots of Fire Chiefs out to judge as well as a few retired Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys.

They judged beans, chicken, ribs, wild game, and brisket. There were 44 teams - so that's a lot of meat to eat!

I got to see some friends from Camp John Marc

We had power hockey and professional wheelchair basketball players out playing. They had a 5 on 5 challenge where able bodied people could pay to play against the "professionals"

by they way, the "professionals" went undefeated....

There were teams from all over with all kinds of cookers and decorations...

This was a FDNY 343 Fire Engine
we had a group from NYC compete!

This is Mrs. Baird's Ultimate Smoker
Yes - it is a semi truck sized smoker!

Our Denton Fire Dept cooked
on an actual fire engine converted
to a smoker....so very cool!

A guy took 6 months to build this smoker....and yes....it actually cooks meat....

More cute decorations..........

These guys didn't have decorations...they just wanted
their picture taken! : )

It was a long, fun weekend....and worth every bit of the hard work that it took! I hope we are raising awareness and will be making a difference in people's lives. I hope that this will be a place where so many special people can live out their dreams and make lifelong friends - like the ones I have made so far with these great people!

Join us next year - Bass Pro Shop - The weekend of 9-11! See ya there!

Get to know one another.....

2008-09-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Posting this here.....even though I am supposed to email it to 10 friends.....just thought it would be fun to post.....

1. What time did you get up this morning? 4:45 - yes - AM
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds - although at this rate I would take either
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Dark Knight (with Laura)
4. What is your favorite TV show? Seinfeld
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? I'm on a new kick....Greek yogurt, blueberries, and granola
6. What is your middle name? Lynn
7. What food do you dislike? brussel sprouts....I wish I disliked chocolate
8. What is in your cd player at the moment? Nothing
9. What kind of car do you drive? Nissan Xterra
10. What is your favorite sandwich? smoked turkey on white bread with mayo...so not good for me
11. What characteristic do you despise? obliviousness (is that a word?)
12. What is your favorite item of clothing? a big baggy t-shirt (I.don't. want.anything.touching.me......my mom would appreciate this one : ) )
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy.....for a long escape - staying in a little villa and experiencing what it is like to live there.....not vacation there.
14. Favorite brand of clothing? Is Target a brand? : ) Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft and if money were no object.....I love Banana Republic
15. Where would you like to retire to? On a tropical island
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? My 30th Birthday....My sister and friends surprised me with a party at Campisi's. It was so much fun - I could have partied all through the night - but they were exhausted from all the planning and secrecy!
17. Favorite sport to watch? football
18. Furthest place you are sending this? cyberspace
19. Person you expect to send it back first? doesn't count - posting it on a blog
20. When is your birthday? 12/18
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Definitely morning
22. What is your shoe size? 10.5
23. Pets? More like pets that I treat like children....Maddie and Hudson
24. Any new and exciting news that you would like to share with us? I will be at a fundraiser for Camp Craig Allen all day tomorrow and Saturday.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? a teacher when I wasa little and a veterinarian when I was in highschool
26. How are you today? busy - but I guess not too busy to waste my time blogging! : )
27. What is your favorite candy? Milky Way Mint
28. What is your favorite flower? tulips
29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? I am trying to work on living in the now....so I should probably say today.....but probably December 14 (white rock marathon day)
30. What is your full birth name? Leslie Lynn Nelson
31. What's your favorite color? Green
32. What are you listening to right now? Ross, evaluating a patient
33. What was the last thing you ate? Greek yogurt, blueberries, and granola - I told ya - I am on a kick
34. Do you wish on stars? yes
35. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Grass Green
36. How is the weather right now? Haven't been outside all day (since 5:45)- but it is cloudy with the sun shining through....not sure what the temp is.
37. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Suzy - my landlord
38. Favorite soft drink? Root beer - although I am trying not to drink them ever again - it is a hard habit to break!
39. Favorite restaurant? Campisi's
40. Real hair color? Dark blonde
41. What was your favorite toy as a child? The trampoline
42. Summer or winter? Summer
43. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
44. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
45. Coffee or tea? tea - green tea!
6. Do you want your friends to email you back? sure
47. When was the last time you cried? I can't remember
48. What is under your bed? usually Hudson.....or the dog hair he leaves behind
49. What did you do last night? watched wipeout (laughed hysterically at it and called Laura to tell her about it), did laundry, cleaned bathrooms
50. What are you afraid of? I am afraid of failing at anything and everything
51. Salty or sweet? Sweet
52. How many keys on your key ring? 2
53. How many years in your current job? 2 1/2
54. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
55. How many towns have you lived in? 7
56. Do you make friends easily? acquaintances...yes. True Friends....no....those are special and hard to come by - and I thank God for each and every one I have! 57. How many people will you send this to? ???
58. How many will respond? ???

Yikes Ike

2008-09-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

I am a beach bum at heart. If I could pick up my current job and move it to the coast....I would do it in a half-second. Yes, even with the possiblity of having to live through something like this....

My thoughts are with the people that live along the Texas and Louisianna coast as they rebuild and cope with their losses from this storm.

Thank you God, for the wonderful rain that the storm provided for the area I live and work in. Thank you God, for those that will find renewed faith and for the acts of compassion that will come out of this difficult time.

Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Is it fall yet?

2008-09-07T15:26:00.001-07:00

It is sunny and 95 degrees outside - not a cloud in the sky - in fact I contemplated going to the pool today, but I have the itch to start my fall decorating. Maybe because I am watching football - the first official weekend for the NFL - and that seems to get me thinking about wraping up in a blanket when you have that great chill in the air, when you start to smell the fireplaces burning as it gets a little colder - you know that in Dallas - some of those people have the fireplace burning with the air conditioner on : ) Wish I could whip up some spiced cider so that the house would smell sooooo good - but it would just be a waste - as it is way to hot to drink hot spiced cider today. I have pulled the decorations out of the box and can't wait to go buy some pumpkins and some mums to put on the porch.

Just a small preview of my fun fall stuff to play with - maybe I will show the finished product later after I get the pumpkins and mums. Just getting ready for one of my favorite times of year....Thanksgiving with my family! (more on that later : )

Just a reminder

2008-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to myself really......to stay out of the "just get it done" and "it will be better when...." mode.
As the next couple of months pass by, I pray that I will live in every moment and will do my best not to be overtaken by stress and impatience. Stress is a symptom of not wanting to be in the moment we’re in. I pray that I will not treat the events upcoming over the next 2 months as tasks to be endured - that I will not look at the events coming up as a period I just have to soldier through to get to the other side. I don't want to miss the amazing things in life!

Another blonde moment?

2008-08-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

I will preface this blog with the fact that I am embarrassed to admit what I am about to write.

Let me state that I have a masters degree. I typically made really good grades in school. I can solve a sudoku puzzle.

But today, I lost my car in a parking garage. I was living a Seinfeld episode. Thank goodness I wasn't lugging around an air conditioner or a bag of goldfish.

I could have sworn I parked on level 5 - on the side of the garage that is the going down part. But my car wasn't where I thought it would be. Was it stolen? Did it get towed? No, maybe I parked on level 6. Nope. Maybe level 4? Nope. I started to laugh at myself and the intrigued faces of the people that kept passing me in the parking garage as I walked up and down and down and up the ramps looking for my silver xterra. Laughing, although deep down I was really worried.....what if I can't find it in time to get over to the school for my 1:00 patient?

By the way, did you know that silver xterras are very popular? I saw 5 of them before I finally happened upon the right one. Each time, a little glimmer of hope - my heart skipped a little beat - but only to be disappointed when the button wouldn't make the tail lights flash.

25 minutes later, I found the missing vehicle, just in time to get over to the school to treat my 1:00 patient. And yes, I had parked on level 5 on the going down part.....how did I not see it the first time?

Another blonde moment? Maybe.

13....Bad Luck....

2008-08-23T08:38:00.001-07:00

The last time I ran 13 miles was pre-knee surgery, pre-weight gain, pre-aging 2 more years......The last time I ran 13 miles there were balloons flying, bands playing, people cheering, national anthems being sung, big finish line, and a shiny medal at the end to prove you did it....you get the picture.

It all started with my hitting the snooze button 4 times this morning. I finally made myself get out of bed - actually it was Maddie and Hudson dancing around my bed, tags jingling, that finally made me give up and get up. Not really feeling the desire to go out for my long run, I did manage to make it to the lake and was prepared for a 12 mile run with a set of 5 hill repeats at about 1 mile before the finish line. I talked myself into it...."I can do that - I have done 11 - I can do that". Then they threw a new route at us - a route that seemed to be VERY uphill the whole way. OK, maybe there was a downhill portion every once in a while - the point is - it was way more hilly than we had run before. At our last water stop - I was thinking how much harder 12 miles had been today than 11 was - maybe it was the hills or something - then I heard the real reason why - we were running over 13 miles today. Those sneaky sons of guns had told us we were running 12 - and then actually sent us on the 13.5 mile route. When I heard this - the first thing that popped to my mind....13, bad luck. That made me smile and giggle a little about one of my favorite movies and I trudged on.

I deferred on the hill repeats today - I figured I did enough hills throughout the course. I know - I was probably cheating myself - but I was just happy to make it to the finish today. I made it - 13 miles - but it wasn't as fun as last time and there wasn't a shiny medal at the end - just some really sore calves and an ice bath to help ensure that I can walk tomorrow.

How many times does the word "communication" appear below?

2008-08-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Communication - 1: an act or instance of transmitting a verbal or written message 2 a: a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior as defined by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary

This is Wikipedia's take on it: "Communication is the process of conveying information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both sender and receiver. It is a process that allows organisms to exchange information by several methods. Communication requires that all parties understand a common language that is exchanged, There are auditory means, such as speaking, singing and sometimes tone of voice, and nonverbal, physical means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage, touch, eye contact, or the use of writing. Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur.[1] Communication is the articulation of sending a message, through different media [2] whether it be verbal or nonverbal, so long as a being transmits a thought provoking idea, gesture, action, etc."

Just communicating what

communication is gives

me tired head.

The majority of my day today was spent in meetings. The first was in a meeting with 6 other people: 3 therapists that I treat with on a daily basis. We work very well together (we actually seem to somehow communicate - imagine that?!!?!), our immediate "team leader" (who by the way did not say ONE single word in the whole hour and a half we were together - apparently our "team" has not been communicating with her as she has no inkling of what is going on), Our team leader's boss, and then...dum de du dum....the big head honcho - head of administration for our department. This meeting was set up because for the past 4 weeks, I have been trying to facilitate communication regarding mutual patients between our facility and another facility. I did not communicate this fact that I was taking this initiative to the head honcho, and that did not go over well. She felt I was "re-inventing the wheel' and all of the communication I had done, should have been cleared with her first. After hearing this bit of info, I had paged her 3 times to actually talk about things, and she was unable to call me back. After her non-response to my attempt to talk - I sent just one more email setting out my opinion on things - albeit in a very professional manner. But, have you ever been able to say something that you feel very strongly about in an email and not come across as a B@%*@? Well, apparently, neither have I..... After continuing to communicate via email she had managed to have me in tears for about 5 days straight and I had her to the point of sending emails to the physician that I work with regarding my intentions and her concerns about my actions.

We had communicated via email, as both of our schedules were apparently too busy to get together to even talk on the phone. But it escalated to the point that we had to meet face to face. Today's meeting for the most part was productive. We actually did successfully communicate and were able to clear up some muddy points and even made nice. She understood that her words and actions in her emails upset me - but that I am now over it and ready to find a solution and move on. I learned that you don't buck administration......

I think about how many hours I wasted on all of this miscommunication - miscommunication about how she felt, miscommunication about politics and procedures, all the time that led up to my feeling lousy and crying for 5 days - all about something that took and hour and a half to sit down and talk out face to face.

Do we waste our time with email? Do we use it as an excuse NOT to talk face to face? If the head honcho and I had just talked at least on the phone for 5 min - would this have blown up like it did? I find myself telling my patients "if you need me - contact me via email - I am much better at communicating via email" I am now thinking that this is not so true. Do my patients or my family or my friends really get what I am saying via email - or do they need to hear that tone in my voice to know what my words REALLY mean? (does typing in all caps make more of a point than not?) I take the time to send a quick email to say "just thinking about ya" but how much more would it mean to pick up the phone and call? didn't we take the time to do that before email? how do we slow down enough to do that again?

To all of those that I love dearly - please know that I love you - but I can't find the strength to call to communicate that to you tonight. I am going home to go to bed! I definitely have tired head after today. Why is communication so hard?

Slogging by Choice

2008-08-20T07:19:00.001-07:00

If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be a GU guzzling, marathon training, running on my own free will kind of person, I would have begun the process to admit you to the psychiatric hospital right then and there - on the spot. I despised running in high school and did anything and everything to keep from doing it. Maybe it was the fact that I was told I had to run cross country and track in order to play basketball. Maybe it was the panhandle winds that added to the misery. No - now that I think about it - I think I just plain didn't enjoy the act of running.

My, how things have changed.....I am planning weekend trips to Boston and New York for work and instead of googling places to eat and shop while on my free time - I am searching jogging paths to plan my runs for those weekends -

New York Central Park Jogging Map

Boston - jogging map along the Charles River

Round-Trip Distances starting at Anderson Bridge 1. Western Avenue Loop: 1.3 miles 2. River Street Loop: 1.7 miles 3. Massachusetts Avenue Loop: 5.6 miles 4. Longfellow Bridge Loop: 7.6 miles 5. Museum of Science Loop: 8.6 miles

Believe it or not - these trails are not long enough for the mileage I will be running at the end of September.....And...get this.....I am actually excited about getting to run in new places...places named Heartbreak Hill. Have I gone insane? I actually planned my airfare based on having time to get in a run before I have to leave for the airport on Sunday. What have you done with the Leslie we all knew and loved and how do we get her back? : )

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not that cute petite girl that glides across the road, pony tail swinging with the beat of her ipod, wearing the cute little jog bra and tincy wincy jogging shorts without a care in the world. I mean - I know hate is a strong word - but I may actually hate those girls! : ) No, I am trudging, or slogging as my co-worker Beth likes to call it, along in my baggy shorts and tshirt with a look of "how many more @@%@$@ing steps" But as soon as I have acomplished my goal - the end of that run - pure bliss! I don't get the runner's high during the run - I get the runner's "thank God I am finished" after the run.

When I stop and think about the ability to run - especially with the viewpoint that I have from the kids with muscular dystrophy that I love and work with - I wonder, what would they give to be able to jog even one step? God has granted me the ability to walk and yes, even slog. I give thanks for this and I will keep trudging on - trying to enjoy every step.

You only learn by trying, right?

2008-08-15T18:16:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy reading my friends' blogs. It is wonderful to know that I have friends that want to share their happiest and proudest moments with me - like when their baby takes his first steps. Or to think that they want to vent to me when their husband is driving them crazy and they need to tell the story to see the humor in it. OK, I know they are not just talking to me and that it is out there for the whole world to see - but I like to pretend! : )

Creative and entertaining writing does not come easily to me. I am a physical therapist. I repeatedly write things like "patient demonstrated appropriate fatigue with therapeutic exercise during treatment session" How creative is that?

I am not as technically savvy as I thought I was, as evident by the 2 hour phone conversation with my sister last night as she attempted to walk me through setting up the "about me" portion of this blog.

I get frustrated easily with this computer stuff - as I have just figured out that if you don't automatically save your drafts as you write them and you are thrown off of the internet - you lose everything you had written (refer back to the point that creative writing does not come naturally to me - and I am now frantically trying to retype everything that I had written. I am sure it was much funnier and entertaining the first time around.)

But you only learn by trying, right? For instance, I learned to autosave the draft as I am writing!

I don't have kids or a husband to brag and vent about. I have a job and 2 dogs.
I don't know that I have the entertaining life that actually deserves its very own blog site. We'll see how things go - maybe I will learn to improve upon my writing skills, or technical skills, or story telling skills. Or maybe I will even learn something about myself.

So....here it goes......