Happy Anniversary...

...to the best parents in the world!!!

I can't even begin to tell you how lucky and blessed I feel to have you as parents. I love you both so much!!

Cheers to a great marriage!!!


I hope you'll all go out and give your partner a hug and a kiss today and remember to love one another. It's as simple and as difficult as that.

Now, I had wanted to share one of my favorite songs with you all this week for some mid-week fun and chuckles and when I realized today was Anniversary Day, I thought, "how appropriate", "how inappropriate", "how appropriate", "how inappropriate...these are your parents"...but then I remembered that Pastor Ben showed this clip at church one day in a marriage series and I went with "Appropriate" ;-)  ....he IS a man of the cloth after all...

Monday Morning Dance Party

T.G.I.M. Make it a great one!!

For Ron...
Wasn't this one of yours??

Mini Me

Aaaaaaaand....I'm back. I actually "worked out" today...not just a dog walk, but an actual hike in Forest Park. Wildwood was entirely too muddy for my liking...

It was easier to run in the mud than to walk in it, but my lungs are still not going for it, so I slogged around the best I could. Uphill in mud is easier than downhill in mud with the snow dog...just barely.

We ran into Kiara's mini-me on the trail. Now that we have something to compare her to...This cute boy on the left is a miniature...

...and Ki is just very petite for a Husky.

Thanksgiving Day Marathon

That's right...while everyone else was out doing a Turkey Trot, I did a Thanksgiving Day Marathon...

...of House Hunters...


...followed by a couple hours of Property Virgins. After sending my family off to extended family, I curled up in bed all day and celebrated my PR on extreme laziness with Nyquil cocktails.

These last two weeks of Operation Run Again have not been as I had hoped, but thanks to the Holiday Booty Buster Challenge, I'm still in the game. I've been sure to get in my veggies, walked the dog daily and have continued with my physical therapy stretches that are sure to get me running again.

I also started taking antibiotics today, so I have a good feeling things are going to be looking up soon! Well, that's all I've got.

P.S.                           GO
                           DUCKS!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year I'm so very thankful for my family and...
...I'm thankful that last year I was inspired to write a poem for them that is timeless :o)
Happy Thanksgiving to my very loved family ~
Here goes again...

For someone like me
With such short memory,
This Sunday walk was quite the surprise,
The ultimate gift that brought tears to my eyes.

Each memory quickly followed in turn by one more,
They came flooding back 'til I dropped my head to the floor,
Thanking Dear Father God
For such a wonderful life
That has gotten me here to this place,
As a woman, a mother, a friend, and a wife.

One Grandmother's whistling, the other one's yodeling,
Their houses, their presence, so warm and inviting,
Two such important women to a child back then,
The memories of them now, still etched deep within.

Grandpa's jerky so salty up on the fridge,
My cousins and I would take turns opening that crumpled brown bag,
Then passing each other as we took turns at the freezer,
Where Ran kept all the holiday treats,
Fighting a turn with the Aunties with their own fists full of sweets.

A call from Grandpa Frank,
He asked how I was.
I felt just awful. How did he know?
That one and only simple conversation over the phone
Saved in my memory from so long ago.

Floppies and card games at Grandma Ruth's house,
Surrounded by so many, so loud, so much laughter.
Do you know I remember not a single frown,
This family I was blessed with, bringing each other up, not down.

Little brother and I lying on the floor side by side
Toasting our feet at the hearth,
Perry Como crooning songs, keeping the Christmas spirit alive,
Mom's dinner smells so good as we wait for Dad to arrive.

Most days while walking
I don't pay close attention,
But today, quite alert, with my eyes to the sky
I was primed for God's gift and I tell you no lie,
These memories have shaped me,
They're all back clear in my mind.


And all of this I swear ~ no joke,
Happened because of some sweet chimney smoke.

Fa La La La La La La La La

Trying to find my holiday spirit

Searching my radio for jingle bells and such

Last early November, they were blasting the cheer

2010 stations not cooperating so much.

Well, it is only Tuesday

Two full days left to get holiday perky

The eggnog can wait a little bit longer

Think I'll grab a Coors Light and listen to this turkey...

Did you know I have a crush on him? Yes, completely unrespectable, I am.    Don't Ask.
My husband has Martha Stewart, I have the Kid.

I Think This Just About Says It All...

...Mama needs to get these kids out of the house...AND SOON!



It's a snow day...why wouldn't she be wearing a bikini?

Monday Morning Dance Party

This one HAS to be dedicated to my man, who put up with me for the last 5 days and made sure I got to crawl into bed early every night and even cooked his woman some chili today...cleared my sinuses but good!

Now don't go complaining that you don't like this song, my honored man. It's called Monday Morning Dance Party, NOT Metallica Monday... Enjoy...


ok, fine...

Hey Hey Hey

I feel pretty good. This morning didn't start off so stellar, but it's noon and my throat's not so bad and the 4 mile dog walk didn't kill me.
Husband awoke to find me cooking breakfast in my Go Ducks Snuggie and hair that hasn't been washed since Tuesday. He was less than impressed...
however, I actually kind of feel like showering, shaving and degreasing now...so here I go!!! See you on the bright and shiny side of a new (and hopefully snow white) week where running and working out replaces sitting around on my butt watching Kendra and The Kardashians recuperating.

Codeine...I Thought You Would Be My Friend

When Jack woke me up early this morning saying both ears hurt super bad, I knew it was time to get us to Urgent Care. We were waiting on their steps when they opened and left with antibiotics for his double ear infection and cough suppressant (although I don't really have a cough) with Codeine for me. We were both negative for strep, but I have a bad feeling as this day has gone on.

First though - I hope everyone who is doing the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge had a great start. I was pretty bummed that I started this challenge at urgent care, but I managed to get in 7.5 points today and I'm very happy about it! I almost felt like I shouldn't count them because it was a pretty lackluster day, but I did manage to get in all my fruits/veggies and my doctor ordered stretches and then went out for a brisk 2 mile dog walk and then when the codeine kicked in, I did P90X stretching video. Unfortunately the codeine is not sitting well with me and really hasn't seemed to do much for my throat pain. I mostly feel like I'm going to puke very soon. BUT>>>if it hadn't been for the challenge starting today, I would have done ZERO of the above, so I'm proud of myself and I'm counting those points!

The last time I felt this bad and had a negative strep, I ended up having mono. That was not a good experience...at all. Can you get mono more than once?

The Up Side

Last week, Sweet Boy said the following:  
"Mama...everything has an "up" side and a "down" side. Everything but you, Mama...you're ALL UP"

Soooo ...now that he's assured that I WILL most definitely love him forever... it got me to thinking this morning as I was sitting over my coffee...just able to barely smell it's goodness through my snot, but not able to drink it because my throat won't open up enough to allow anything in...
...there MUST be an upside to all this sickness.


Downside: Can't drink my coffee...That. I. Need.
Upside: I already have the most incredible headache known to mankind, so I won't even be able to feel the caffeine headache.


Downside: Every time I wipe my eyes, I grab a doorhandle before I have a chance to wash and leave my goop all over the place.
Upside: Passive aggressiveness towards germaphobe husband doesn't even require thought today.


Downside: I know I haven't been spending time with you lately, Lord...BUT TODAY I NEED YOU SO DESPERATELY. Here...I'm going to get out the bible and spend time with you. Please heal me.


Upside: God grants me with a whole new book in the bible. The book of Saiah?

Saiah What? That can't be right...I'm going to go take another nap.

Ugg Already

I'm seriously not well...
...and I can't believe that the last 6 hours have passed by so quickly. Both the kids were complaining of various symptoms this morning so being the considerate parent that I am, I gave them both Tylenol and sent them off to school. Today is the last day before a 10 DAY Thanksgiving Vacation. WHAT?
They had to go.

So now, The Perfect Storm (I love you Marky Mark...(and you too, Clooney)) and two episodes of The Good Wife later, I'm expecting my own two perfect storms to come blustering in within minutes.

I'm going to go hide under a blanket and pretend to be asleep.
Shhhh.

By Pounding Brow and Swollen Lip...

By pounding brow and swollen lip;
By fever's hot and scaly grip;
By those two red redundant eyes
That weep like woeful April skies;
By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff;
By handkerchief after handkerchief;
This cold you wave away as naught
Is the damnedest cold man ever caught!

- Ogden Nash

UGG! All seemed well this morning when I was at bible study. I even went in workout clothes so I wouldn't be tempted to skip out on my workout when I got home...

However...once home, I realized that things were going downhill fast. 

No workout, but I eventually donned rainboots and parka and headed outside in the wind and rain to scoop a month's worth of dog poo JUST in case it should snow this weekend. Nothing like finding poo logs sticking out of your snowman (right, Mom?).

After school, I made my way through the aisles of the grocery store with head pounding and kids in tow in order to get the necessary medications for tonight and tomorrow...along with some O to help me fall asleep... and again...just on the off chance it snows...some hot cocoa for post-sledding this weekend. No sense not being prepared, right?!

Steve and the kids just left for swim lessons with instructions that I'm to be in bed and heading off to sleep by the time they get back home. I don't normally like taking orders....but this one will do!

Knock Knock.

Who's there?

Ach.

Ach who?

God Bless You!

Sometimes It Takes A Village Of Bloggers

I had a good run this morning, a good walk with the pooch, a good Plyo workout with Tony, a productive day at work and it's still mid-day with nothing to do tonight but hang with the family. I HEART days like this.

I'll show you how my day ended last night...

Hope you have a good nite. XOXO Mai

I found this note taped to my dinner plate where Mai had set up a romantic candle lit dinner for us.
I had to move it to the glass before we served up our yummy meal.

Then this morning, my day started with these two notes taped to my monitor...

I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER! I don't deserve her.
...and it is so hard. Harder than I ever thought it could be.

And I had already been thinking about THIS POST and was affected in a very positive way by all of it, but a great bit by this:

"I want nothing more than Peanut to have the same feelings about her childhood that I have of mine. And I don’t recall my mom/dad being on the phone, emailing, texting, putting any “work” over/before family."

...but please go read the whole post~!!!

 AND then I read THIS POST about not being the mother we want to be and was as touched by this Taylor Swift song as Heidi was:

I’m five years old, it’s getting cold, I’ve got my big coat on

I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run

Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold

I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall

But I know you’re not scared of anything at all

Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away

But I know I had the best day with you today

I’m thirteen now and don’t know how my friends could be so mean

I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys

And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away

And we talk and window shop ’til I’ve forgotten all their names

I don’t know who I’m gonna talk to now at school

But I know I’m laughing on the car ride home with you

Don’t know how long it’s gonna take to feel okay

But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger

God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he’s better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run

And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three

You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you’re talking to me

It’s the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs

And Daddy’s smart and you’re the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall

I know you were on my side even when I was wrong

And I love you for giving me your eyes

For staying back and watching me shine

And I didn’t know if you knew, so I’m takin’ this chance to say

That I had the best day with you today

BUT please go read Heidi's whole post.

It's so hard being a mom...and you all know it and live it! It's so hard and so worth it and SO HARD...AND SO WORTH IT.



Thanks to these two women who shared so openly how they were feeling in their own motherhood. It helped me today. Sometimes it takes a village to raise your kids...even the virtual village of Blogdom.

Top Three Things I Hate About PIcking Up Dog Poop Today

Top Three Things I Hate About Picking Up Dog Poop Today:
1) Not realizing until the steaming hot poop touched my hand that there was a hole in the *#*^$! bottom of the poop bag.
2) As I was leaning over taking care of said business, dropping one of my ear buds on top of the poop in the poop bag (again...)
3) Double bagging it and still being able to smell the poop...
but...I guess since it was all over my palm and now in my ear...the lingering smell was inevitable.

I did have a great workout today, though. The gym is officially closed for the next two weeks, so it's me and Tony Horton. I did P90X Back and Chest and AbRipper. I'll call it AbLoungingAround, though...as I'm still working up to his Rippidness.

Monday Morning Dance Party

Make it a good one, People!!

Multnomah Falls To Wahkeena Falls

I had such big plans Friday night for Saturday's hike. I was going to go a little farther from home and found a trail in WA that I've been wanting to try. Last minute, I decided to google if there were bear sightings near that trail and the first two hits I got were blogs where both mentioned bear AND cougar sightings...with pictures to prove the bears...so...since I was hiking on my own (with Ki), I decided to stay closer to home on a path with more human traffic.

When I woke up, it was a miserable day in Portland... and I really didn't want to go for a hike at all, but was glad I went. We were slooooooowwww and finished the Multnomah Falls to Wahkeena Falls loop in about two hours. The Coho Salmon trying to get upstream made the day worthwhile. I spent about 10 minutes filming them and they never got any further up river while I was there. I felt so sorry for them - such HARD WORK!

The short version:



Long version: if you're into 8 minutes of me stumbling around. It really is a beautiful and peaceful hike once you get past the top of Multnomah Falls.

The Signs Were All There

This week's loss of motherly maturity and an insatiable desire for chocolate, wine, and chick flicks should have told me sooner that I need to keep better track on my calendar (if you know what I mean). It all became clear today, so I took Mai's timely placement of this note today to heart

Put a s-m-i-l-e on your face
A smile is welcome any place
When your wering a frone
trern it upside down
and yuol be wering a smile.

The kids are happy I've pulled out the treadmill again... and boy does it need to be dusted off. Jack is my purist runner... he likes to run free...so I can only share his legs...

Mai would spend 2 hours straight on the thing if I would let her...

My own run was good, but short...with just a little shin trouble. It became apparent early in the afternoon that I really needed some me time, but rather than hit the pool for a long swim like I had planned, I followed my cravings for the chick flick and went all by my lovely lonesome to see this movie that perfectly fit the bill...

Then, when I got home, Mai helped me with my chocolate craving by taking me to Nectar, the new frozen yogurt lounge in Sellwood, where we totally overestimated our hunger level and ended up with sugar tummy aches...

Then, when she couldn't talk me into a trip to the mall (NO WAY!), we found ourselves at Fred Meyer to get milk and ended up reading magazines for free while lounging in the furniture section...

Now I need to find my trail book so I can plan out a nice hike for Ki and I tomorrow... Just have to be home in time for the Duck game!!

I Hate Ugly Days (and the ugly is all ME)

Sometimes you wake up at 6am on a NO school day and can't fall back to sleep and realize this is going to be an ugly day.

You enjoy your coffee and peace and quiet for 20 minutes before the boy wakes up early on a NO school day and then the day begins.

You try to get work done in your office and realize it will be close to impossible with the kids wandering in and out while trying to explain to you about the different axes of rotation on Jupiter and Saturn and what gases they consist of.

You grab some duct tape and make your daughter do the shark skill test over and over until she's winded and sweaty while you continue to try to work.

Then you give up on work completely and decide to take the dog and kids on a hike and get in a fight over whether or not wearing a coat is an option, which it is obviously not. You arrive at the trailhead in the midst of a huge rain shower and find out the girl didn't bring said coat on this cold and blustery day. You lose your mind, turn right around and make them ride the entire way home with the threat of wedgies and purple nurples if either one of them utters a peep.

You take the dog for a measly one mile walk around the neighborhood once the girl gets her coat.

The pooch is TICKED.

You (who never swears, let alone in front of the kids) are informed by the 6 year old that you said three naughty words today:
Mama, you said D.A.M.M.I.T twice and P.I.S.S.E.D once. (girl can spell!)

You decide that you should probably give yourself a "time out" so you get in the car to go to the bank and sit there for a minute thinking that you should be better behaved and that God is Great and Life is Good and you have so much to be thankful for.

You turn on the car and the gas light comes on and you forget that last sentence and curse the only other driver in the house.

You drive on fumes to the bank and realize that the reason the kids are home from school today and why you've been "liking" all those Veterans notes on Facebook is because it's a freaking holiday and the banks are closed.

You make it to the gas station and are forced to squint your eyes tight and plug your ears and say lalalalala over and over again so you aren't mistaken for someone who might have overheard the following and be called to court in a sexual harassment case.

Female Gas Station Attendant on #4 (who is having trouble with the nozzle and a car): I can't get this in.
Male Gas Station Attendant on #5: That's what I always say.

Phew! Got out of there fast and made it to Blockbuster Express to turn in the movie I rented last night that I HAD ALREADY SEEN BEFORE! but didn't realize it until I got all nice and cozied up and made it through the previews.

Who said you need a chick flick to enjoy a good glass of wine by yourself..
Wasn't me :-)

My Secrets and Mai's Secrets

Mai told me she wants her own laptop. I told her how much it would cost her. She improvised.

She has a "secret" laptop where she keeps her Top Secrets that she won't share with me (check out the mouse).
I see she has a facebook page, but she hasn't asked dear old mom to be her "friend" yet.

The dog just found Jack's stash of Halloween candy under the bed and ate a whole bag of skittles and an unknown amount (at least one full size Hershey bar) of chocolate...

The carpet can't be found under the solid layer of dog hair...

The laundry has piled up so far that even though it's all clean, I couldn't find a sports bra to save my life today (sorry gym people) ...

I just found out Eat Love Pray STILL isn't out on DVD yet and the lack of a good chick flick is the ONLY thing keeping me out of my wine cellar box 'o wine tonight.


I have exactly 30 minutes before everyone gets home from swim lessons...
Bubble bath?...Calgon...do your stuff.

News From The Wet Room

Yes, it's time again to share some news from the wet room. First, my swim SUCKED. About 10 minutes in, I got a pool chemical cocktail induced headache. I eeked out one mile...but not without a little karate chopping involved... (see #1) on my top 10 Weird Wet Room News.

Top 10 Wierd Things I witnessed at the pool tonight:

1) When people join your lane in the pool and start to do the butterfly stroke. (insert my wicked karate chop here).

2) Two women using an entire swim lane to dance on their tippy toes and talk...(isn't that what the hot tub is for?). Please people...let us swim!

3) Speaking of hot tub. Am I the only one who thinks kanoodling in the gym hot tub is kind of wierd? In your own hot tub (hot!), in the tub at a party (possibly)...but at the gym? Wierd.
Get a room!

4) The Eastern Indian guy continually sloughing sweat off his moobs in the sauna. Would it be ok if I sloughed off my boobs for 15 minutes straight? I only mention he was Eastern Indian because when he saw the little old Russian guy heading into the sauna with us, he made a face.

5) Speaking of the little old Russian guy, I wonder why he was wearing size 9 Crocs when it was quite obvious his foot is a size 4...

6) Ahhh... I remember him now. I've googled his prison tats before. I wish I knew his story...or maybe I don't.

7) I made room for him and we watched Eastern Indian scrape his athletes foot itchiness on the wooden seat and then he disgusted us some more with some action across the drain in the middle of the room. He left.

8) My Russian friend made a face and said "hmph...Indians".
Now lest you think I'm racist in any way...I'm not - this is their story, not mine.

9) I learned that with a few laughs and a little sign language, I speak pretty good Russian.

10) Lots of men in water aerobics tonight. This place is turning into a meat market.

oops...I guess I have eleven...

11) Apparently Chewbacca used the shower stall right before me. It was a massacre in there.


And that is the news from the wet room.

What craziness do you see at your gym?

All Hail The Shrooms

I'm so excited!
And I just can't hide it!
I'm gonna run again and I think I like it!

Really...just 1.84 miles this morning...on the treadmill...intervals...but it felt oh so good to be moving again! I had exactly ZERO ankle issues and cardiovascularly fine, but the shins were t.i.g.h.t.
Nothing a little more daily stretching can't cure.

Finished my work early and decided to take Ki out for a quick hike. Steve tried to calm my nerves scare the crap out of me by bringing to my attention that a woman was attacked by a bear in Gig Harbor and I saw in the news that John Chelminiak is back at work after his bear attack a couple months ago. What's interesting, though, is that these two recent Washington attacks were not really "out in the woods", so even though I wanted to be comforted by this vision in the middle of my trail today...

...I really wasn't.

We saw some great shrooms growing everywhere and I wondered if they were edible.

Then the black skies came crowding in on us. Soon the hail was blasting down on us like tacks and finally the biggest downpour I've seen so far this year. Would YOU head back or stay out and enjoy the cleansing the sky delivered? We kept on going - faces to the sky - soaking it all in.

By the time we got back to the truck it had started to hail again....

I loved it!

I remember telling my brother some years ago...maybe when I was training for my first marathon in 2005...that I had never run in the rain before. He couldn't believe it!...and now neither can I. I love being out in the fresh air...the rain, the snow, even the hail.

I have definitely struggled with extremes like the 95+ temps at Pac Crest in 2008 and the extreme cold on the top of Mount St. Helens that had me shaking so badly it hurt, but for the most part I like being out in it.

So how about you?

Do you just suck it up and get 'er done? Or enjoy it all? Or stay inside when the weather turns bad?

Happy Monday Morning, People!!

On this Monday morning, Mai wants to remind you to:
Have fun with life.
Have fun with exercise.
Throw your hands up in the air and celebrate today. Yesterday is over and tomorrow may never come. Today's the day you have in your hands. Give it some love!

We Dare You, Black Skies

Had a great time down in Eugene visiting the family...

Tea time before bed with Grammy.

and watching the Ducks win their 9th game in a row! What a weird yet satisfying game. It rained before, it rained after, but what a DRY game.

Woke up this morning and swam just shy of 1.5 miles in 50 minutes. Fueled by yesterday's game food of Cheetos and hotdog and lasagna dinner at Mom and Dad's this swim was simply E.Z.

After picking up Ki from the kennel today, Mai and I took her to Forest Park for a hike. I figure we went about 4 miles. Started at Macleay Park and headed up to Pittock Mansion

and then down Wildwood a bit more...

before heading back the way we came. It dumped on the way to the trail, it dumped on the way home, but our hike was bone dry, so we got our Taio Cruz on in the truck on the way back and made some fellow motorists laugh because they just don't understand:

We gotta throw our hands up in the air sometimes
Saying ay-oh, gotta let go.
We wanna celebrate and live our life
Saying ay-oh, baby let's go.

I Like To Coast

To be honest...this is one of the main reasons I haven't been on my bike lately...

I get more flats and have more trouble pumping up my tires than anyone I've ever known.
I finally got Cadence in riding order this a.m. and then asked the husband if he would stay close to his phone in case I got a flat, because I had no co2 cartridges handy. He agreed <3

So I set out on really what is probably my first ride OF THE YEAR...without kids, with actual bike clothes on and no plan on where I was headed. I putzed around and found a new neighborhood I wanted to check out and then hopped on the I-205 bike path until I got to about Flavel St and realized 1) I couldn't figure out what happened to the bike path. It sort of disappeared. 2) I was in felony flats. 3) There were a bunch of not-so friendly "looking" people watching me look confused. I'm sure they were very nice, just grumpy because of this lovely weather or something??? C'mon...Crack a smile people. Ok fine...they probably did have something to be grumpy about...Not everyone got to just take off in the middle of the day today for a leisurely bike ride in the sun... (yes, I'm gloating).

I finally figured out the path and shortly met up with The Springwater Corridor. Now, I've only ever been on Springwater from Sellwood to Downtown, so this was all new to me and I was having a grand old time until I realized around 138th that I was on 138th and something, but had no idea what that street might be and if I DID get a flat, how would I even tell Steve how to find me??...so I snapped a picture of the Hood...

...and headed back...
with my tummy rumbling...
and my bladder a quiverin'...
...to find myself locked out of my house :-(

Now where was I? Oh ya...You want to know how far I went? How fast I went? Well, I'll tell you - I've never been one to race against myself. If there is someone with me, I will go exactly as fast as it takes to keep up with them and not get lost. When left to my own devices...I cover 20.13 miles in exactly 1.5 hours with an average page of 13.4mph and the knowledge that I like to coast. Ain't nothing wrong with that. There's plenty of opportunities coming up where I'll have to shake a leg to keep up with the fast girls.

Chlorine Is My Perfume

Sometimes it just feels too good.

I haven't been in the pool in months, I would guess.
At least two.
The kids started swim lessons today...
and I got the itch...
and had the pool to myself...
and swam a mile for giggles.
It felt good.
Slow and good.

Kiara Tackles The Trails #22 Sauvie Island - Warrior Rock

Today was the third day in a row Kiara has been able to hit the trails.
Today was the second day in row that I stepped on a live snake.
Today was the first and hopefully last day in a row that I shat my pants.

First, let me take you back to THE LAST TIME  I visited Sauvie Island - remember this?

 

















Yes, that lovely ride out to Sauvie Island where I smashed up my knees a month before the big race. The year before that? Sheryl crashed on our way back from the Island a week before the big race. The year before that? I got lost out there running my long weekend run of 12 miles and ended up having to run 16 to get back to my car.

However, today I felt that enough time had passed to try it again. Give Sauvie a chance. This morning was so foggy it was hard to tell what kind of a day we would get, but Ki and I headed out with the weather looking something like this...

We started out on the beach and I had high hopes to make it all the way to the lighthouse without going inland, but only a short while later we ran out of beach and had to scramble through blackberry bushes to find our way to the trail. It was pretty uneventful. The trail is nothing to get too excited about - just an old overgrown service road, but when big boats would go by the river, I could hear the water lazily lapping up against the shore and there were lots of birds out and the leaves were fluttering down from the sky.
I was anxiously waiting for the shipwreck to come into view...

but before I knew what was happening, something came barreling...
AND WHEN I SAY BARRELING...I MEAN
BARR. E. LING. through the brush directly for us. It sounded HUMONGOUS. Ki was on instant alert and I just wanted to run to freedom. I quickly thought about what it could be...bears? No, there aren't bears on Sauvie. A dear? Would a dear try to attack us? Well...there was that death by goat up in Washington last month. A hunter?
AHEM. Clear the throat again. Ahem. No...not a hunter...he would call out to me when he heard me clear my throat, right?
Ok. Ki wants at it whatever it is.
But whatever it is...is deathly still now.
Shhhh. Back away slowly, but don't turn your back, Julie. WHAT? We're not going to continue on?
But I wanna see the lighthouse.

So...what would you do? Go ahead and sink yourself a half mile further into the wilderness and have to pass this spot again on the way out?
OR...do you turn tail and get home as quick as you can to clean up and put on some fresh drawers?

Try as I might, Ki was not budging, so neither possibility seemed like it would happen...but I finally got her to start backing away with me and then we got down to the beach as fast as we could...but it didn't feel fast enough. Now I'm wondering if it was an injured dear. I know there were hunters out there today...is it deer season?
p.s. To anyone who may be rolling their eyes right now...
I'm SERIOUS this time. There REALLY was something there.
Fo. Sho.

Once out in the open again, I realized just how beautiful the day had become...

...and even though we didn't make it up close to the light house, we had fun playing in the water until we headed home to find the kids home from school and in need of some fun in the sun themselves. We made a trip out to Cedar Island and enjoyed the day...

...until the shadows started heading our way and we started heading on home.

In My Own Backyard

On the way to Tryon Creek yesterday, we drove by Mary S. Young Park and since I had never been there before, Ki and I went to explore it today. What A Find! I've been griping for so long about not having a running trail super close and here I find 5-8 miles of trails in my own backyard! What a great park. We went along this trail and that trail and then another trail...until we made out way down to the river and decided to circle Cedar Island. It took us 20 minutes to walk the very rocky/sandy circumference and what we found on the far side made me SO HAPPY!! Somewhere to do some open water swimming...that again... is right in my own backyard! I can't wait to take the kids there for swimming next summer. For now, we might just head down later to toss some rocks in the river.