Holiday Weekend Wrap Up

Bullet-point style:

• Had a nice anniversary with the Jer-Bear. We stayed in and made a nice dinner at home this year, but it was still a nice evening together.
• Had a great Turkey Day with friends: We ate lots, drank lots, talked lots, watched some football, enjoyed having kidlets running around this year, and were, in general, merry.
• Friday, we put up our tree and decorated our house for Christmas. This means we popped "Christmas Vacation" in the DVD player while we assembled and decorated and wrapped. In our household, it's tradition to hear "Shitter's full!" while we hang ornaments.
• We did not get up at 3 am to shop Black Friday. I'm afraid of that kind of shopping.
• On Saturday, we spent the afternoon with friends.
• And on Sunday, we repeated this, but added football watching and a shrimp boil to the visiting (and, I can say that a shrimp boil is WAY better to enjoy outside in FL in November rather than FL in July).
• And through all of that, I did not run much. In fact, the only running I've done in the past 7 days has been the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.
• The primary reason for the lack of running has been that I've been sick. Remember last Tuesday when I said I was sick, but I thought it was a 24-48 hour bug? Yeah, turns out it's more like a 168 hour bug. It's been a week, and while I feel better than I sound (I sound like a cross between Darth Vadar and a lounge singer who's been smoking for 30 years), I don't feel great.
• Hopefully one or two more days will heal me so I can return to the running.

So, it was a great Thanksgiving Vacation, and it sucks that now it's back to regularly scheduled work. However, only 3 weeks until the end of the semester and then I have two weeks off, so I can't complain too much.

I hope everyone else enjoyed their long weekend and had a great holiday!

Daddy's Girl

This morning, I got to sleep in while Jerry got up with Norah -- which was a wonderful treat -- but what was funny is that when I got up, I found her dressed in her Godzilla t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and I thought to myself, "Hmmm...a black graphic tee with jeans...this ensemble seems familiar..." Oh, that's right! It's the kind of outfit Jerry always dresses himself in!

He says that he didn't purposely dress her in clothes that resembled his own, but that's what I find the funniest part of this: He dressed her in clothes that he felt went well together, which just speaks to his aesthetic: Boy or girl, he feels that black tees and jeans always look good. Which, I have to admit, despite the fact that she will surely be mistaken for a boy today, I think she looks dang cute! And, Jerry's not so bad himself ;)

And for those on the fence about which one of us Norah resembles, I think these two pics confirm it: She definitely looks like Daddy's girl!

Tamarac Turkey Trot 2009 Race Report

The turkey trot is always one of my favorite races of the year, primarily because of its convenience: The course goes right past my house, and the start/finish are about a block away. So, race day preparations don't get any easier.

At 6:30, I went over and got my bib and d-tag, then returned home and got Norah and Jerry up. I left Norah in her Turkey Day PJs, fed her and then loaded her into the stroller and we all headed over to the race. Jerry hung out with Norah and Scooter, and I went to the start. This race gets more and more popular each year, and this year, I think there were well over 2,000 participants.

With that many people on a 5K course, there was the usual congestion and dodging of small children, but I had no time goal this morning. I knew I wouldn't come close to a PR of any kind, so I just took it easy and ran at a comfortable pace. Since I've been sick most of the week, this was my first run all week, and it felt good. I finished in 32:07, which is actually not a PW (personal worst) for me: The first year I race this race, back in 2005, I ran it in 33:00, so even now when I'm slow, I'm not as slow as I started out when I first began running.

At the finish, Jerry, Norah and Scooter were waiting to see me, and it was fun to have them there once again. Here are Norah and I (and Scooter is there sniffing at something in the bottom corner) after the race; and yes, it's ironic to have a snowman banner behind me with palm trees behind it. I'm sure there are some Floridians who have never even seen snow, let alone a snowman. All in all, the race was a great way to kick off the holiday, as always.

4 Years

Happy anniversary Jer-Bear! Love you.

Sicky Sickerson

Norah came down with a cold over the weekend. We noticed that she seemed a bit congested before she went to bed on Saturday, and by Sunday morning, she had a clear case of Booger Baby. She clearly didn't feel good on Sunday and Monday, but her only distinct symptom was nasal congestion, so we have been doing what we can in terms of clearing her nose out *she HATES the aspirator* and making sure she gets plenty of rest and plenty to eat (a plugged nose doesn't seem to hinder her appetite so that's good).

So, then yesterday, I noticed I had what felt like a dry throat, but obviously, it was the start of my own cold. Thus, I woke up last night to my own running nose, and this morning, feel congested and ucky. Thankfully, there's no fever, so the ick seems to be concentrated in just my head, which is more manageable.

But I still didn't run this morning. Instead, I opted to take a Tylenol Cold and spend the extra time in bed with Kleenex shoved up my nose.

**On the strange side, I dreamt that Norah didn't have a cold; instead, in my dream, she had been teething. So, in the dream, I went into her room and she smiled up at me with 8 teeth! (Yes, I counted them in my dream.) So this morning, when I checked on her, I just had to feel her gums. No teeth. Phew!

A Runner's Risk

It seems that within the past week, I have heard -- from several different people -- how running poses such a huge risk. No, they weren't talking about ruining one's knees or having a heart attack while running; they were talking about assault.

And, it does seem true that on the news, runners (especially women) are the victims of violent assault or rape. The stories are often frightening enough to prevent some people from engaging in the sport. Because I'm a runner, and a woman, who often runs in the dark, well-meaning friends and family are often warning me about engaging in such a dangerous activity. Generally, I am appreciative that everyone cares for me in this way, but in the end, I am dismissive of their worries.

Don't get me wrong, I don't run in areas I'm unfamiliar with and I don't run through poorly lit neighborhoods. But while I take such elementary precautions, I also simply trust that when I go out the door, I'll be fine. And that's because I have to. If I started worrying about all the risks I am undertaking by going out for a run, I'd never step out the door.

This idea of a runner's level of risk has been stewing within my brain for a few days, and I wanted to check some statistics about it, and here's what some very basic research has revealed: I can't find an actual statistic that reports a runner's risk for assault (if you can find one, thanks, go ahead and post it in the comments), but I can find statistics for a runner's risk of skin cancer (which is pretty high since only 50% of us reported using sun block on a regular basis); I also learned that while a runner has a low risk of being hit by a car, he or she has a pretty high risk of dying in a car accident in which he or she is either a passenger or a driver; I also learned that while 1 in 78,000 runners do risk having a heart attack during an endurance race, engaging in intense physical exercise, like running, reduced a person's chance of a heart attack by 50%. I also learned that while the number of cases of assault and rape are higher now than they were 50 years ago, statistically, violent crime has remained static. But if you are a victim of assault or rape, your chances of your assailant being someone you know are 84%.

So, is the runner's risk of being assaulted like the elusive urban myth of razor blades in Halloween candy? ("Time" just had an article about parenting fears and the magazine reported that there has never been a recorded report of poisoned or tainted Halloween candy. Never-ever. Oh, and a child's risk of being kidnapped is 1 in 1.5 million; whereas, a child's chances of being killed in a car accident are 1 in 6,668.) I'm not sure. Certainly violent crime with runners as victims does exist, but we run risks by doing nearly everything. Even remaining inactive by staying inside and sitting on a safe couch gives us the fairly high risk of becoming obese and dying of heart disease or diabetes.

So, in the end, certainly it's wise to take head of basic safety precautions (we all wear seat belts, right?), but as is the case with most fears: We can't let them imprison us.

Saturday Morning 8 Miler

This morning, I got up at 4 am in order to be out the door by 4:45 (my previous 30 minute pre-run routine now takes me close to 45 minutes -- I'm getting slower!) for my planned 8 miler. I wanted to be back before Norah got up, and she generally wakes up somewhere between 6 and 6:30, so I had a tight window of time to work with.

The run went well -- it was nice and cool out in the dark of pre-dawn -- with the exception of the fact that I again forgot water (and this time, I even set a water bottle out on the kitchen counter so I'd remember and I still forgot it!). I finished it in 1:25:27, for an average pace of 10:48/mile, and I was back inside the house by 6:15. Just in time to hear Norah grunting and moving around in her crib. Granted, I didn't have time to shower before tending to her, which means she got a sweaty boob, but she didn't seem to mind.

This afternoon I am off to see New Moon with the chicas, so I'd best be off! Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Jibber-Jabber

Thanks for the advice/comments about the clogged milk duct; it's good to know you guys are so invested in my boob's health!

And BTW, it cleared up just fine. I was kinda hoping there would be some kind of satisfying feeling like when you plunge a toilet and you hear that "thwop!" and then the water just drains away; instead, the pain and swelling decreased overnight, and then this morning as Norah was nursing, it just suddenly felt completely normal again. So, its un-clogging was rather anti-climatic.

So, with normal feeling boobs again, I think I will get a short run in this evening when I get home from work, and then tomorrow morning, I would like to do something long-ish. I was thinking 8-9 miles, but we'll see what the morning holds.

Also, I registered today for the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving! I can't wait. I seriously love this race, and this will be my 5th year running it!

In general, I am SO looking forward to next week: Short work week, Jerry and I's anniversary on Wednesday, Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving on Thursday, and then on Friday, we plan to decorate the house for Christmas! Ack! So much to look forward to!

Dr Apts, Flu Shots and Clogged Boobs

I like this picture. It seems as if she's thinking, "Seriously, Mom? Seriously?" Norah had her 3 month check up today and here are her stats:

Height: 24 inches (so she grew another inch)
Weight: 13 lbs 2 oz (so she gained about a pound and a half)

Both her height and weight are just slightly above average (both were 60th percentiles of some kind -- I don't remember exact numbers, percentiles don't mean much to me). In general, she continues to be a healthy girl, and is on track for her developmental milestones. So, really, there wasn't much to report from the doctor visit, which is good. She got two more vaccines, so two more shots that I couldn't bear to watch, but she just cried for a moment, and was a real trooper about them.

After her doctor appointment, Jerry and I had appointments to get our flu shots. I've never had a flu shot before, but it's recommended if you have a child under 6 months (since they can't get one), so I bit the bullet and took the needle in the arm. It wasn't so bad.

So it was a busy morning before dropping her off at DC and heading to work.

On the running front, I didn't run this morning even though I had originally intended to. I woke up with what I believe is a clogged milk duct, so I have a painful lump in my left breast, and I figured that running would probably aggravate that. I'm treating the clogged duct as best as I know how from what I've read (basically two principles: apply heat and pump or feed as often as possible), so I hope it un-clogs soon enough. It hurts.

Run, Run Wednesday

I got up early this morning for my run, and I feel like I've been "running" ever since -- phew another busy day! It broke down like so:

• Got up at 4:45 and went through my normal pre-run routine and then headed out the door at 5:20 for my run.
• Ran my 3 miles in 31:45, which has got to be one of my faster morning runs to date.
• Showered.
• Fed Norah.
• Played with Norah.
• Got her dressed; then she, Scooter and I went for our morning walk.
• Graded papers while she played in her activity gym.
• Then, you can pretty much recycle the following activities throughout the morning: feed Norah, change Norah, play with her.
• She took a (too) brief nap, and while she slept, I read more papers.
• Before we left, Scooter threw up on the bed. Again. He did this on Sunday as well, and I don't know if something is the matter with him or what, but I was a bit peeved with both his timing and his target because with just 15 minutes before I had intended to walk out the door, I had to strip the bed's sheets and start laundry.
• Drop Norah off at daycare.
• Go to school.
• Grade papers during my office hour.
• Teach class.
• Grade a few last papers in my office.
• On my way home: Stop to get gas, stop at ATM, stop at cleaners.
• Get home: Put Norah to bed, make dinner, empty dishwasher, continue laundry cycle that I started before leaving for work and which Jerry had picked up when he got home, take out recycling, play with Scooter, eat dinner.
• Finished laundry and made bed with puke-free sheets.
• Now, it's 7:38 and I am finally sitting down to a moment to myself.

The plan for the rest of the evening? I think at 8, I am gonna crack open a much-needed beer and veg out in front of the TV: I could use the light humor of a mindless barrage of sitcoms.

Requests for Scooter Pic Fulfilled

Some of you have been asking about Scooter and have requested pics of Scooter, as you feel that he has been neglected here on the blog since Norah's arrival. Don't worry, you're not alone. Scooter also feels he has been unjustifiably neglected.

Scooter is nothing but curious about Norah herself, and he's hugely tolerant of her attempts to reach out and pet him, which mostly means she jabs at his general direction; however, he is extremely jealous of the attention Jerry and I pay her. Keep in mind that we play with Scooter just as much, if not more, as we did before Norah joined our family, but he just can't help himself: He was numero uno before she intruded on that. Thankfully, his jealousy just translates into neediness, not aggression.

We keep assuring him that with time, he's gonna love having her around -- especially once she's big enough to eat, and drop, solid food. My guess is that he will be her constant companion then. Plus, we're hoping that one day when she's older and she's big enough for us to convert her crib to a toddler bed, he'll move in there to sleep with her. For now, he remains with Jerry and I, and of the 3 of us, he's usually the last to rise in the morning: This look seems to say, "What the heck are you people doing up?"

Monday Morning Run

This morning at 5:30, it was only 58 degrees here, which for me makes for a brisk start for my run, but don't get me wrong: I think 58 is a perfect temp to run in -- cool enough that the air feels comfortable, but warm enough that I can still go out in shorts and sports bra. So, with a cool temp and fresh legs, my run felt really good this morning despite the fact that it was not fast (the 3 miles took me 33 minutes), and I have to admit that I'm kinda liking the early AM run these days.

Granted, it's still tough as hell to be motivated at that ungodly hour, but running through the darkened neighborhood so early in the morning carries a strange sense of satisfaction with it: With so little traffic and virtually no other pedestrians out, it feels like I'm the only person awake then. Plus, I usually have enough time when I get home to shower and have a quick breakfast before Norah wakes up, so it helps to know that the run is entirely "my" time and it doesn't intrude on my family at all.

Of course, I can wax poetic about morning running right now, when it's done for the day, but if you ask me tomorrow morning at 4:50 how much I like it, I might tell you to shove something up your ass.

KBLHR 10K Race Report

Pre-Race
I got up at 5:15 and got myself ready, then I got Norah up and got her ready, and she, Jerry and I left the house around 6 am. Key Biscayne is a small island in Miami's Biscayne Bay, so it's about an hour's drive from our house. We got there a little after 7, and while Jerry tended to Norah, I went and got my race bib and timing chip, and went about the few pre-race standards, like lining up for the bathroom.

But, because Norah was along, there was one other pre-race necessity: Feed her. So, back in the car, I nursed her, and our timing was perfect: She ate and gave me about 10 minutes to spare before the race start. Here she is pre-race (bundled up because it was a "chilly" 60 degrees out -- one lady congratulated us on bringing the baby out and "braving the cold"): And here she and I are together pre-race; she's still in her jammies:

Race
The 5K and 10K started simultaneously at 7:45, which means that for the first mile, there was the usual congestive nonsense that seems to go hand-in-hand with a 5K: Children, walkers, and those unfamiliar with race ettiquette. But, a little past the conclusion of the first mile, the 10K course and 5K course split off from one another, and the crowd thinned out considerably.

Key Biscayne is mostly a state park, but it also consists of Key Biscayne Village, which is the residential half of the island and that consists of large, multi-million dollar mansions. So, the course wound out of the park and through these neighborhoods, so I was busy oggling the beautiful homes and their picturesque landscaping.

While it had been cool at the race's start, it quickly warmed to a comfortable 70 degrees, and it was sunny, clear, and there was a light breeze. Perfect running weather. So, I just ran at what was a comfortable pace, and enjoyed the views and the weather. The end of the race brought us back into the state park, and we ran the last mile along the ocean, so there were some scenic views there as well.

As I passed the 6 mile marker, the finish line came into sight, and soon thereafter I saw Jerry and Norah. Jerry was waving and holding Norah, who was smiling at every racer who went by her. Really, having them both there at the finish was one of the best feelings ever!

I crossed the finish line in 1:05:20. 20 seconds slower than I would have liked, but I honestly didn't mind. I ran a pretty consistent 10:25 pace, and if I hadn't done so much swerving in that first mile, I probably would have nailed that 1:05 goal.

Post-Race

Yes, I grabbed a beer.

But, I didn't end up drinking too much of it. I guess beer at 9 am is just not for me. Who knew? So, I passed on the unfinished beer to Jerry and drank a water instead.

Afterward, I tended to those typical post-race needs (bathrooms, ditch the shoes, change shirts, etc) and by then, Norah had conked out. Jerry reported that she seemed to enjoy the whole race atmosphere and that she'd been busy watching all the people and smiling at all those who stopped to tell her how cute she was. They also took some time to go down to the beach so Jerry could dip her toes into the Atlantic, so she was pretty tired by the time we were ready to head out.

She slept in the car on the way home, and we decided to stop at Denny's for a big breakfast. She smiled at all the old people in Denny's while Jerry and I gorged on our Grand Slams, and then we all headed home.

All in all, it was a fun, scenic race for my first race back, and it was a great morning with my family!

Cool Weather and Goals for Tomorrow's 10K

The past few days have blown in some cool, comfortable weather for us here in South Florida, and this morning, it was cool enough to warrant a sweatshirt for Norah when we went on our morning walk with Scooter: This cool weather bodes well for my potential 10K performance tomorrow, so I hope it stays.

And, this brings me to my Declaration of Race Intentions for the Key Biscayne Lighthouse 10K, which shall also be known as Jess' First Race Post Partum!

• Pie in the Sky Goal: Beat my previous 10K PR. This is really unlikely to happen. Even though my previous PR of 1:01:25 is not anything fabulous, it would still require me to run a 9:52/mile pace, and based on my recent training runs, that's probably not gonna happen. However, you never know. Cool conditions combined with race day excitement could provide me with the right environment and motivation to push myself beyond my current comfort zone.
• Realistic Goal: Finish in 1:05. This would be a 10:27/mile pace, and that's about what I've been able to run lately. If I finished with this time, I'd be very pleased.
• Worst Case Scenario Goal: Finish the race before the time cut off of 1:20. The race directions are very clear: Anyone who finishes after this time is disqualified and will be taken out back and pistol whipped. Well...maybe not that last part, but the instructions are so emphatic about the course closing at an hour twenty that you'd think pistol whipping really would be on race directors' minds. A 1:20 finish is a 12:51/mile pace, so I think I can be consistently faster than that, but with such restrictions, walk breaks won't be an option.

So, with goals in mind and race apparel already set out, I think I'm ready for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thursday's This and That

Yesterday was nice to have off. I got my hairs cut: Decided to keep it shoulder length so I could still pull it back in a pony tail, but the stylist cut off about 4 inches, so it feels fresh and a bit more stylish now.

I also got a start on some of my Christmas shopping, and while I did shop for myself as well, I found nothing. I wanted to buy some new clothes (since the last new clothes I bought for myself were maternity clothes!), but I couldn't find anything I liked or that really worked. Shopping at this time of year in FL kinda sucks because everything in the stores in winter-oriented, and while I'd love to buy a heap of cuddly sweaters, when am I gonna wear 'em?

Anyway, it was nice to have the afternoon to myself yesterday.

Today it's back to the "grind," and I was up again at dawn for another AM 3 miler, and it was actually pleasantly cool out this morning, so the run was nice, and I got it done in 31:23 -- a bit faster than normal.

The day off in the middle of week is kinda nice because it breaks up the week, but it's also kinda weird because I don't feel as though I should be returning to work today.

Veteran's Day Vacation

I have the day off today, but I still got up at dawn for an early AM 3 miler. The weather felt comfortable this morning, and it was a nice run; I got it done in 32:53.

As for the rest of my day, I plan on taking Norah to daycare this afternoon so I can go get my hair cut and run a few errands. Initially, I had planned on staying home with her all day, but then I figured: We pay for daycare whether she goes or not so I might as well take advantage of the child care for a few hours! I'm looking forward to the few hours to myself, and it's gonna be a luxury to do some shopping without an infant in tow.

Three Months

Today, Norah is 3 months old!

She continues to be a sweet, easy-going girl who sleeps solidly, eats well, and smiles a lot!

And, she's growing stronger and getting more active all the time. She still hates tummy time, but she has a strong neck so she's able to hold herself up off the floor pretty well. She also can sit well when she's propped up or in her Bumbo chair, and I think she likes this new perspective. She also grabs at objects, especially at all of her "friends" in her activity gym and she pulls them toward her -- specifically, she wants to put them in her mouth. In fact, one of her major changes in the past month is the increase in drool and her desire to stuff her whole fist in her mouth. The downside to the grabbing is that now she inadvertently grabs my hair and yanks on it, and I think I will soon have to watch what jewelry I wear.

Of course, the biggest thing in this month was my start back to work and her start at daycare, and even though the transition was hard for me, she adjusted effortlessly. And now that we've had a few weeks of this new schedule, I think it's going smoothly.

Last parental thought: Even though I delight in each new milestone, and I love seeing her personality continue to emerge, I already feel as though the time is going too fast. It gives my heart a little pang to know that she's no longer that small, inert bundle that we brought home from the hospital 3 months ago. I love seeing her grow and develop and discover new aspects to her world, but at the same time, it's tough because I know that each step forward for her means a step away from me.

And typing that business in the paragraph above (and then taking a minute to cry about it) makes me realize how much I've changed in these 3 months. Granted, I knew, in theory, that parenthood would change me, but I really had no idea how substantial that change would be.

Seven Mile Sunday

This morning's 7 miler didn't go that great. First of all, I forgot to hit "start" on the Garmin, and I didn't notice until I was over a mile into the run; then, I didn't bring water with me because I was counting on drinking from a water fountain that's located in the park I run through, but when I got there, I discovered that the water fountain had been torn out. So, no water at all for 7 miles, and it was pretty warm out there. By the end, I was VERY thirsty.

But however sucky the run was, I still got it done, and when I got home, I showered and got to snuggle my "Bug," who was in a smiley, happy mood. Plus, Jerry actually dressed her in clothes this morning!

Christmas Wishlist

I don't have class on Fridays; instead, I have office hours which are supposed to be my designated time to "get papers graded," but today has been time to "surf the internet for running stuff."

In my defense, this is almost a requirement at this point since I have my mom, Jerry's mom, and Jerry all hounding me for a Christmas list, and so far, I have zilch for that list. And "diapers" were rejected from "my" list.

So, I figured that I always need/want running stuff, but I need a little help: I can't quite remember the cool things you guys are always mentioning that I covet. So, this is the list I have going so far and I need help adding to it. Tell me one of your favorite running items so I can go see if I need to make that one of my favorites as well. Keep in mind I don't need winter-running gear/apparel, but otherwise, I could use a variety of running-related gifts, so what would you add to the follow list?

1. Shoes (I just bought a new pair, but it just makes good, economical sense to get your mom to buy you one pair each year)
2. Handheld water bottle
3. Compression socks (where in the heck did those of you who have these in pink find them?)
4. Socks

And...that's as far as I got.

I don't really need more shorts and sports bras, so they're not on here for a reason. Any more of those, and I will need to put another dresser on my x-mas list too!

The Best Part of Morning Running

Even though it was only 71 degrees out at 5:30 this morning, the humidity was at a whopping 98% (it rained most of the night last night), so my 3 miler felt as though I was treading water instead of running. And by the end, I was sweat drenched and may as well have been swimming.

But aside from the high humidity, it was a good run, and I have to say that while most people tout morning running's greatest aspect as getting it done first thing in the day, I would have to say that the best part of morning running is the attitude of superiority that I get to adopt because I get it done first thing in the day.

See, if you and I were to be in the middle of a casual conversation, I could ask you: "What were you doing this morning at 5:30 AM?" And you would be like, "Sleeping." And my snotty, self-satisfied remark could take many shapes but would probably be something close to this: "Huh. Well that sounds like a waste of time. I was up and out on the streets running. I guess I just take my health more seriously."

Now, if only I could arrange opportunites for conversations to open up to the above possibility. Otherwise, my superiority at having risen early and ran before sunrise is for not. I mean, if I can't brag about it, what good is it?

Good Enough

This morning was my first run in almost a week.

I hadn't run since last Thursday, that crappy run I had before I was struck down by the God of Vomit and Mud Butt, and to be honest, I really wasn't in the mood to run this morning, but I figured I needed to get back to it. So I got up at 5 am and ran 2 miles. Usually I don't run anything shorter than 3 miles, but like I said, I really was in no mood, so I figured 2 miles were "good enough."

As expected, those 2 miles were a little slow (and it didn't help that it is 91% humidity out there right now), but they did feel good toward the end, and ultimately, they served their purpose for simply getting me out there.

But, I hear Norah grunting and stirring now, so I'd best be off to tend to the babe. Enjoy your hump day, everyone!

Post #1500

That's right, this is post #1500.

Knowing that this number was approaching, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with some kind of special way to celebrate the number, but really, I'll be honest: I feel as though I've done it all before. So, post #1500, you are duly noted, but sorry, no special look back at favorite posts, no pictorial of the past years, no giveaway offers to my loyal readers. Today, you're just one of 1,449 other posts in which I have yammered on about this and that.

So, here's the "this and that":

I didn't run this morning for two reasons: One, I felt I needed one more day's worth of recovery after being sick before expending the energy on running. Seriously, that was one nasty sickness I had, and it lasted a full 48 hours, so I think a full 48 hour recovery is wise. My second reason for not running this morning was that I guessed that the time change was gonna mess with Norah's sleep schedule and I was right. She was up at 6 am instead of 7. Getting her sleep re-aligned with the time change is gonna be a bitch this week. Any tips from other parents?

And, because I know you love some good Norah pics, here she is in her Godzilla onesie that Jerry bought her when she was a mere fetus: And, I think it inspired her to "Rahhhr" like Godzilla too, so here she is doing her best Godzilla impression:

Be afraid, tiny people. Be afraid.

Norah's 1st Halloween

Even though I felt like ass yesterday, I still mustered up some energy in the late afternoon to participate in Norah's 1st Halloween. She got dressed up, we carved a pumpkin, and we got candy ready for trick or treaters that we never get.

So, without further ado, here she is in full hot dog regalia:She looks pretty squished in there when I'm holding her:

She tolerates Jerry and I pretty well:

Lastly, here she is next to "her" pumpkin; she did an excellent carving job for one so wee, don't you think?

I'm feeling much better today. Still not 100%, but way better than yesterday and the day before. I'm hoping that with another day's recuperation, I'll be back to full functioning capacity by tomorrow. Just in time to enjoy...work.