Pre and Post Run

Originally, I'd planned to get up at 5 am and run early...but, that didn't happen. Shocker, I know. Instead, I hit the road at what has become Norah and I's regular run time (about 7:45 am). Here I am pre-run: All fresh and ready to go! Temps here at that hour were in the low 90s, so when I finished my 3 miles, I looked a little something like this: Meet Sweaty McSweaterson.

While I am still not fast out there at that time of day, especially pushing the jogging stroller (I have been averaging a 10:20/mile pace with the stroller lately), I think, strangely, I am getting used to the heat and the effort. I'm sure some of you will leave encouraging remarks, like: "The heat/stroller pushing is making you stronger!" And that may very well be, but right now, I have no way to prove that theory. So, for now, I just have to live with the fact that I may be getting "stronger" but the fact is that I'm slower. Can such a paradox exist? I believe so. Oh well, we'll have to wait until January rolls around to see if I can pick up the pace; until then, slow it is!

On a non-running related note, I thought the following pic of Scooter was just too cute to not share. Last night, I go into the bedroom and there's someone who wasn't waiting around for us to be ready for bed:
What? Your dogs don't tuck themselves in at night?

Monday Morning

If ever there were a morning when I was tempted to skip a run or cut it down to the streak's bare minimum requirement of 1 mile, this morning was the morning. I had one of those night's of sleep where I just slept "hard," so even though I got plenty of hours of sleep, when I got up this morning, I felt groggy and disoriented.

So it took us a little longer to get out on the road, but once we finally did, I woke up some and did a full 3 miles, but I swear, it's taken me half the morning, multiple cups of coffee, the run and a shower to begin to feel awake.

Did Jerry slip me a roofie last night?

Foto Friday

Earlier this week, Norah was playing with my running shoes, and I thought it would make a cute picture for the blog, so I grabbed the camera and tried to snap a shot of her with my shoes. Instead, of cuteness, I got this: Which, I guess it takes a baby to make my size 5 shoes look big :) Anyway, once she realized I had the camera out, she ditched the shoes and came barreling at me:

I had to give up on trying to get her picture at that point since all she could focus on was grabbing the camera out of my hands. But later, she returned to the shoes, and I thought, "Aha! I'll get a cute picture this time!" However, she spotted me again and dropped the shoes, and by the time my slow-ass camera took the pic, you can see that she's shoving the shoes aside in favor of coming at me to tackle the camera:

And by the time she got to me, she had this devilish grin in her eye:

Later, when Jerry got home from work, I was telling him about how every time I tried to take a picture of her, she dropped whatever cute thing she was doing so that she could crawl over and nab the camera. "Really?" he asked, "So if I go get the camera, she'll come at me to get it?" "Yup, I guarantee it," I told him. So, this is what he captured:

Granted, she's not smiling, but note how she's just sitting there, not lunging at him with arms extended and the look of mischief in her eyes. Huh. Guess I should never utter the phrase "I guarantee it" when referring to a child; they will always make you look like an ass.

*And speaking of that little love nugget, she just bit me on the toe! Ouch. Did not see that one coming!

Of Taco Gas and Other Miscellany

Glad you guys were so captivated by the taco-eating challenge and were so impressed by my taco-eating skillz. Of course, a girl can't eat 9 tacos and not pay a price: I had such bad gas last night that I nearly drove Jerry to sleep in another room. He kept complaining that it "stung his nostrils." I just kept telling him to "quit complaining and go to sleep." I was dismissive, but I admit: It was toxic.

I don't think I need to even look at another taco for awhile.

Thankfully, the 9 taco spree didn't give me the Running Runs this morning when I went out for a 3 miler with Norah. But the run was awful in other ways -- I seriously don't know if there is a limit to my complaining about the heat and humidity -- and I was slow and sweaty. But, as is the simple goal right now, I got it done and that's what counts in my streak. 5 days down. 16 to go.

Again, it's good I got it done this morning because tonight I again have plans, but this time it's not the fun eat-9-tacos-and-swill-a-few-beers kind of plans; instead it's the first-night-of-night-class kind of plans. Yup, starting this evening, I have 7 weeks of night class to teach. I took the first half of summer completely off, but decided I couldn't pass up the chance to teach a few classes in the second half of the term (extra income? yes, please, I have a taco habit to feed). Don't get me started on how stupid it is to start a term on a Thursday, but that's how it is, yo.

So, the next 7 weeks are gonna be kinda tough since I'll be home all day with Norah and then as soon as Jerry gets home at 4:30, I'll be heading off to campus and I won't get home until about 10 pm. They're gonna be long days, but like I said, the extra income will be nice, especially since I can still stay home with Norah during the day so we don't have to shell out any dough for daycare. And, thankfully, the classes are literature classes, which I enjoy teaching and night class students tend to be good students, especially those who take summer night classes: they are the devoted ones and I tend to get some really good classes, so in my own weird, nerdy way, I'm looking forward to teaching. Still, I can't believe that my 7 week hiatus is up, though. It went so fast!

Taco Challenge Throwdown

Here's Jerry, Norah and I bellied up to the bar, ready for some tacos. Norah's expression seems to say, "My mom is gonna eat how many tacos?!"Below is my competition: Jon. He may look like he's from south of the border, but he's about as authentically Mexican as these tacos (which, I would rate about one notch above Taco Bell tacos -- they're not great, but when you're going for quantity, you sacrifice a little quality).

Here I am, ready to rumble, with a Dos Equis in hand. Jon's one condition was that I had to match him in beers, so we each had two.

And, lastly, here I am -- taco in hand!

In the end, I only managed to eek out 9 tacos, and Jon beat me with 11 tacos consumed. But it was a reach for the both of us (we swear they filled those tacos WAY fuller than last week), and ultimately, it was our other friend, Pete, who was Taco Champion with a record breaking 14 tacos!

While I did lose, I still achieved a PR in taco-eating, and we had a lot of fun. Best lines of the night were as follows:

Jon, after 9 tacos, "I have a burp in me and if I can get that out, I can put down 2 more. No problem."

Pete, after his 14 taco annihilation, said: "I could eat another 3, but why bother?"

And, my favorite was Jerry's comment: "No taco is 12 tacos good."

Oh, and the last bit of funny was when the bartender brought out 3 soft shell tacos when Jon had ordered hard shell, and she sent them back and yelled at the kitchen: "These are soft; they're supposed to be HARD!" My comment? "That's what she said." That slayed Jerry.

So, now I am in stretchy pajama pants, feeling much better with an elastic waistline, and I'm gonna go lay on the couch until Top Chef comes on at 9. I also think I may have another beer. I don't think we have any Dos Equis in the house, but we do have some Stella! :)

Early Am 3 Miler

This morning, I had to get up early in order to get my required run in -- Norah has a doctor appointment at 8 am and I have a taco eating challenge tonight (more on that in a minute), so o'dark thirty was the only time available. Thus, I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 am, but temps were already in the mid-80s and humidity? Let's just say that a typical summer morning here in South Florida is like being inside a terrarium, so yeah, it was humid.

I just ran 3 miles (30:26), but it was good to get it done so early. On this 21 day streak, I am not seeking speed or distance, just consistency, so the pressure is off in terms of trying to battle the heat to go further or faster. So a short, slow 3 miler? Perfect for me right now.

Now, with the run done and out of the way for the day, I can concentrate my energies on preparing for my taco challenge this evening. But first, some back story: Remember last Wednesday when I mentioned going out to eat and you guys all assumed Jerry and I were going out to enjoy a "date night" (how cute of you; note how I didn't correct you)? Well, the truth was that we were meeting some friends at a local Mexican restaurant/bar for their happy hour special: $.25 tacos. So, yes, we brought Norah and she too bellied up to the bar (they actually have specially modified high chairs for this, I kid you not), and I had a beer and ate 8 tacos.

Well, my friend Jon also ate 8 tacos. No big deal, it was no competition or anything, but apparently, since then, the guys have been giving him unholy loads of crap about only being able to match me in taco consumption. So, in order to earn his man-card back, he has officially challenged me to a "taco-off" to see who can eat more tacos tonight. Thus, why I wanted to get my run done this morning -- because after I kick his ass in taco eating tonight, I know I won't want to move, much less run.

5 Year Blogoversary

5 years ago, I decided to try and make running a habit and I figured I'd chronicle the experiment here on this blog. I figured I'd give it 21 days, since I'd read that it takes that long to form a habit, and see what happened.

Now, 1,825 days later, and 1,685 posts later, here I am. A runner. (And a blogger.) Guess it's a habit now.

So, to commemorate my initial 21 Day endeavor, I am going to run for the next 21 consecutive days. That's right...A streak!

Here are the rules:

1. The first rule of Jess' 21 Days of Running is that you do not talk about Jess' 21 Days of Running.

2. The second rule of Jess' 21 days of Running is that YOU DO NOT talk...

...oh, sorry, got distracted.

Really, there's only one rule, so it hardly needs numbering: I will run every day for the next 21 consecutive days. And, I have to run at least 1 mile in order for it to count.

So, on to the running!

Oh, and happy anniversary blog! You're older than my marriage, my child, and my dog. Congrats.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! We love you! Love, Norah and Scooter

Laughing Matter

This morning, we were out the door for our 3 miler (30:57 -- about 20 seconds faster than yesterday) by 7:45, but it was no small feat considering that by 7:15, Norah was already in her 2nd outfit of the day.

See, just after breakfast, I got her dressed and I was cleaning up a few things in the kitchen when I heard a crash in the dining room and discovered that Norah had managed to pull a few dishes -- including a half full cup of coffee -- off the table and onto the floor! Thankfully, because it takes me forever to finish a cup of coffee with all the distractions, the coffee was only lukewarm, so she wasn't scalded and most of it missed her anyway and went all over the floor.

It scared the poop out of Scooter though. He was looking at me like, "Why Mom, why?"

As I'm mopping up that mess, I hear the distinct clang of Scooter's dishes behind me in the kitchen -- ah, hell, a rookie mistake forgetting Scooter's dishes on the floor! I turn around, and Norah is sitting in a lake of Scooter's drinking water. Laughing.

Good thing she's cute because she had worn me out before I even went out for that run!

Timing It Right

This morning, Norah and I got out for a 3 miler at 7:40 am, instead of 8 am. 20 minutes doesn't make a huge difference in temp, but it makes a slight difference, and sometimes, just a slight difference is enough to make it feel a little easier. Still, I was s-l-o-w and finished the miles in 31:18. Heat, combined with pushing the stroller, makes for a slow Jess. Eh, does it matter?

Anyhoo, some of you may be wondering why I can't get myself and Norah out the door any earlier; I know what you're probably thinking -- is it this: "She has a 10 month old baby, isn't she up at, like, the ass-crack of dawn?" Why, yes, yes I am. In fact, Norah was up at 6:10 this morning. So, why does it take me 90 minutes to get us out for a run?

Let me break it down for you:

For one, I am not, and have never been, the sort of person to get up, get my running clothes on and directly head out for a run. I need to wake up. And it takes at least 30 minutes for me to fully wake up -- and I prefer that no one talk to me during that 30 minute buffer either. In a perfect world, I would get to drink a few cups of coffee and just stare out into space during those 30 minutes. That's what I used to do pre-Norah, and even what I managed to do when she was a wee-babe. But now? Uh-huh.

As soon as she's up, she's up. And she's ready to explore the entire house. So, I'm just pouring my coffee and she's already checking out the bathroom: Like her dad, she prefers to browse magazines about cigars and fantasy football while in the john.

And if I even turn around for a second, before I know it, she's across the house and in the office:

So, during my initial 30-minute wake up time, I am slurping down caffeine and trying to keep track of this little love nugget.

After that, we have breakfast, then take Scooter for a walk -- which takes for.ev.er. because that dog can't walk 5 feet without having to stop, sniff, and pee on something -- then, Scooter needs a solid 10 minutes of "toy time" and then we're finally ready to get going.

I can't compress that routine to anything less than about 90 minutes -- and sometimes it takes longer. In fact, I was pretty impressed with our 7:40 exodus this morning!

Trying to Beat the Heat

Yesterday, I post-poned my run until evening hoping for slightly cooler temps (it got up to 104 yesterday afternoon!). And the one thing I dislike about running in the evening is figuring out the timing of dinner. It's a dilemma: Either eat way early and feel as though you should be taking advantage of early bird specials, or eat way late. Neither is appealing timing, but generally, I go with the earlier option.

So, we had our early dinner and I went for a run around 7:30 pm. It was still an inferno out there, but the humidity was a bit more manageable, so I guess that's a point in favor of evening running. I did 3 miles in just under 30 minutes, but it was tough work eeking out 9:50 miles. The heat just zaps me!

Therefore, as I was getting ready for bed last night, I declared that I would get up at o'dark thirty this morning in order to beat the heat and get it done early in the day. Well, 5 am rolled around this morning and that plan went out the window since I opted for more sleep instead.

Not wanting to miss a run entirely today (we're going out for dinner tonight, so I don't think I would do it this evening), but not wanting to expose Norah to 95 degree temps at 8 am, I decided for some middle ground: A quick 2 miler on a path that is entirely shaded. The shade helped, but 95 degrees + pushing the stroller? That equals a sweaty, hot Jess!

Back to the Heat and a Messy Baby

Since getting home last week, I have been on a few short runs, and I can't believe how tough it has been to re-climatize to the heat and humidity. I was spoiled by the moderate temps in MN, and to return to the extreme heat has been a bit of a shocker.

Yesterday morning, I took Norah for the first Bob run in more than 3 weeks, and it was awful. Just awful. For one thing, I shouldn't have gone out so late in the morning (it was 8 am before we got out there), and I didn't check the temp before we left, but when we got back, I wasn't surprised to see that it was 86 with a "feels like" temp of 95 (71% humidity; 75 dewpoint -- it's like the threshold of hell here). I was a river of sweat and even poor little Norah was a bit sweaty from sitting in the stroller. She didn't complain, but I felt bad about having her out in that heat. I may have to either do very early mornings for awhile or evenings because I think our previous 7:30/8 am runs are just too hot this time of year. We'll see.

But, on a completely unrelated note, I just have to post these messy baby pics (sorry for the redundancy for those who may have already seen these on FB).

Here's Norah enjoying her spaghetti: And here she is doing some finger painting (I learned my lesson from the spaghetti mess and stripped her before we started our "art"): I'm not sure about her posturing here. Is she pretending that's war paint?

Garmin Forerunner 110 Review

As most of you know, I had been running with a Garmin Forerunner 205 for years, but in early April, it went caput on me. After reading about the forthcoming Forerunner 110, I had my heart set on getting the new model as a replacement Garmin; however, I had to wait nearly 2 months before I actually got my hands on it. I got it while I was on vacation (I had it shipped to MN), and after running with it for about a week and a half, here is my assessment.




Likes

• Size. As you can see, it is much smaller and sleeker than my old 205:And, thus, I think it is a better fit for a small wrist like mine, and I think for many women in general, this new size would be a better, less cumbersome fit. This is a huge plus in this device's favor.


• It's simplicity. The Garmin Forerunner 110 is only designed for running, so it's settings are simple. When running, it simply displays distance, overall time, and pace. And despite the fact that the watch face is smaller than the 205, I still find it easy to read while running.
• Garmin Connect. This is the software that comes with it; and when you upload your run history, it gives you all kinds of information, including a Google map of your run, an elevation map, as well as the basic break down of your distance, time, pace, calories, etc. I never used the software much with my 205, and I think this software is more user-friendly and really doesn't require much on the user's part.
• Quick satellite lock-in. So far, I haven't had to wait more than 30 seconds for it to locate and lock-in satellites. Sometimes, with my old 205, I would wait nearly 5 minutes for a signal.

Dislikes

• The price. I got the "unisex" model with the HR monitor and it retails for $199.99 (I got it a little cheaper because I had a discount code for the retailer I bought it from, but still, it is pricey). For the limited features, I think this is too expensive. Especially since you can find a 205 or 305 on Amazon or eBay for less than $100 and both models provide way more features. Of course, the point of this model is for its stripped down approach, and it is marketed as an "entry-level" GPS-enabled sports watch. It's features are stripped down, but because the price isn't, I feel as though it is over-priced.
• Viewing the run history. My biggest complaint about this watch is that when you finish a run, and save it, you can go back and immediately see your run's overview (distance, overall time, and average pace), but you cannot see each lap. Major fail, in my opinion. You can see each lap once you upload the info to Garmin Connect, but it cannot be viewed on the watch itself. I honestly think Garmin really missed the mark on this point. Since even beginning runners may be doing intervals, tempo runs, or other speedwork in which they will want to immediately have access to the more detailed breakdown of their run. For me, it's not a huge deal -- I'll adjust to waiting until the info is uploaded, but still, I am used to being able to scroll through each mile right after completing a run, and to not have that feature on the watch feels weird to me.
• Pace display. As you run, the pace displays your mile's average pace, not your current pace. Get that? The average pace, not the current pace. So, if you had been running a 9 min/mile, but then you speed up to a 7:30 mile, it won't tell you that you're running at a 7:30 pace; instead, it will average the two paces and that's what the pace calculator will display. Again, very bad for any kind of speedwork.

Overall Assessment

For me, I feel as though the pluses and minuses pretty much even out, and I especially like the new size of the 110, so on the whole, I am happy with it; however, I don't think I would recommend it. Especially not to any of you, most of whom are experienced runners who are used to the features of GPS-enabled sports watches. In theory, I would recommend it to a newbie runner or a runner who is just testing out running with a GPS-enabled watch, but, honestly, unless the price drops significantly, I wouldn't recommend it to a new runner.

New runners should learn to invest money in good shoes and appropriate clothing. Gagedtry is really secondary, in my opinion. If this watch cost $60, yeah, I would be telling all runners (especially women who would appreciate its size, I think) to go out and get it. But for $200? It should do more.

More on MN Running

Running in a different location always offers some variety for a runner; some aspects of a new location are advantages, and of course, some aspects are disadvantages. For me, runing while on vacation in Minnesota offered a lot of new terrain, routes, and conditions. Some of this I loved; some of it, I did not. Here's my final breakdown:

Loved It

• The Temps. While there, I don't think it got any warmer than the mid-80s, and most mornings and evenings were somewhere between 50-70 degrees, which are prime running temps, in my opinion. And because the temps were so moderate, and the humidity was non-existent, I could run at virtually any time of day, which made the running so much more versatile and easy to fit in.
• The Scenery. Yesterday's post featured the most scenic locale for running while I was there, but every place we stayed offered plenty of rural scenery since our families both live outside of small towns. So, I saw deer, little baby bunnies, ducks, and plenty of farm animals.
• The Variation. At home, I have memorized nearly all my routes because I run them again, and again, and again. But being someplace different offered new places to run, and the change of pace was refreshing.
• The People. Granted, you might get some weird, sidelong glances from drivers cruising past you on those two-lane country roads, but at least they slow down and give you plenty of room as they go by, which is in direct contrast to drivers in South Florida, who are likely to honk and drive so close you nearly poop yourself. Plus, most people in Minnesota will either give you a friendly wave or a smile. People in FL will likely give you the finger.

Didn't Love It

• Running on the Shoulder. Few of those country roads offer much by way of a sidewalk or pathway, so I mostly ran on the gravel shoulder of the road. This unnerves me, especially going over hills or around bends. I ran during the day, so I was clearly visible, but without a clear, distinctive pedestrian path, I felt exposed on the road, and that seemed a bit treacherous.
• Running on Gravel Roads. I'm used to running on pavement or asphalt, and for some runs I did run on these surfaces, but about half my runs were on dirt roads for at least some portion of the run. I discovered this is slower and harder running. Especially after a rain. Let's just say, I did a little "mud running."
• Hills. I know I said it before, but I gotta bring it up again, I never previously thought of MN as hilly, but it turns out that compared to FL, it's like the Rockies. This was made very apparent to me once I got my Garmin and was able to compare elevation maps: My MN runs showed all kinds of up and down; in contrast, my FL runs show absolutely zero elevation gain. Here, the line is literally flat as a pancake.
• The Bugs. Here in FL, the city must lay down a thick smog of pesticide to keep the insects at bay, because despite living within spitting distance of swampland, I hardly ever get a bug bite. But in MN, especially "Up North," the mosquitoes are the size of small birds and the ticks will leap out at you from the side of the road. Thankfully, it was too early for deer flies and horse flies, and I'm glad I didn't have to swat at those!

All in all, it was good running, and I enjoyed the change of pace, and now that I'm home, I am loving the familiarity of home turf, as well as the flat terrain, but I am hating the heat, humidity, and concrete scenery.

MN Running

As I mentioned yesterday, I kept up with the running while on vacation, but I kept most runs short and didn't run anything longer than 6 miles. In general, the running there was great: Temps were perfect, scenery was beautiful, and the change of environment and routes was refreshing. But, by far, my favorite runs were the ones I did at the Cowling Arboretum, which is on Carleton College's campus in Northfield, MN where Jerry's family lives. After first entering the "arb," the trail crossed over a scenic little creek, and on one run, there were even a few ducks splashing around there as I ran by!

For the most part, the trail was wide and flat as seen here:

So it was easy to run on; although, parts were more narrow and hillier, but for a trail-rookie like myself, this was perfect. An additional benefit to the trail running is that it was mainly solitary, so when I had to pee, I just dropped trou and peed along the trail. The downside to that was when I stopped running, the mosquitoes caught up to me.

But don't let the mental image of me squatting by the trailside surrounded by mosquitoes ruin the picturesque description I am attempting to demonstrate about these runs. Here, to make up for it, is a picture of some of the wild flowers that sprinkled the forest along the trail.

All in all, I thought my runs in the "arb," were some of the best runs I've ever had. Period. I wish I had scenery like this near me, but sadly, here in South Florida, I mainly get to look at traffic lights and cement. Oh well, at least I now know where I want to go run when we go back for future visits.

I have one more post about MN running that I'll post tomorrow, and then...drumroll please...I will have a review of my new Garmin Forerunner 110 for you! Yes, hold onto your pants, I know you're eager, but be patient.

MN Vacation Highlights

This would be an incredibly long post if I were to post all the pics (I took nearly 200 pics) and all the stories from our vacation to Minnesota, so I think I will spare you guys the boredom of that and just summarize the nearly 3 week trip we just returned from.

As most of you know, the first thing we had to attend while there was the wake and funeral for Jerry's grandfather; here are Jerry, Norah and I before the funeral. We are so rarely dressed up as a family that, despite the occassion, we wanted to get a few good pics of us.Later that week, we got to enjoy some lake time and Norah got her first boat ride. Poor thing was really smooshed in her life jacket, so we ended up taking it off when we weren't moving. Shhhhh...don't tell the MN DNR!

Up at my parent's house, Norah got to do lots of other classic Minnesota activities, like riding a 4 wheeler. My parents were even talking about buying her her own kid-sized ATV! Silly grandparents; they just get cookoo over a grandchild.

Here's Norah out front of my parents' cabin. While up there, we did lots of 4 wheel riding, played a lot of horse shoes, and built a bonfire one night and roasted marshmallows (vegan marshmallows, actually -- my sister-in-law-to-be is vegetarian and she brought the 'mallows and I now understand how marshmallows are non-vegetarian freindly; did not know that before!).

While at my parents', we also had to get out on the lake for the day in their boat, but it was a bit chillier that day than it had been the week before, thus, the sweatshirts.

My parents live near Bemidji, MN, so while there, we just had to get some pics with Paul and Babe!

While we started the vacation with a funeral, we ended it with the baptism of our niece, so here's Jerry, Norah and I after the baptism. Funny story with the baptism is that during the service, Norah dropped a hymnal on my big toe and I had to do everything in my power to not curse in church!
The drives up there and back were long, but I can't believe how great Norah traveled; she really is a little trooper! Scooter, on the other hand, is the more experienced traveler and yet he was more of a handful. Here he is in the car making sure that no Cheetos remain in this bag.

And, here's a cute pic of Norah and Scooter snoozin' together on the looooooong drive. They're always cutest when sleeping, right?

On the whole, a great trip, and it was wonderful to see and spend time with so many of our family and friends that we see so rarely. And, Norah was great. She wasn't shy of meeting so many new people, and she readily adapted to each place we stayed. And, like I said, she did great on such a long drive; it's a long time for a baby to sit in a carseat, but she was a champ about it!

So, a great trip, but like I said earlier in my previous post, it's also great to be home.

While away, I kept up with the running and I have some stuff to write about that, as well as some pics to accompany my tales; and....I got my Garmin while I was there! So, I have plenty to tell you about that as well, so stay tuned in the next few days -- I have lots more to share!

I'm Back!

Sorry for the long stretch between posts, but we were busy on our trip visiting with family and friends; plus, access to a computer and/or internet service was limited for part of our vacation. But, we got home late last night, and I can't express how awesome it was to sleep in our own bed! It was a great trip, but it's also great to be home.

Of course, being home means trying to catch up on a zillion things, so I don't have time to share much now or catch up with what you guys have been up to for the past 3 weeks. But, later this evening, I should have more time, so you can look forward to some pics and stories -- I have lots to share!