friday quotations

I couldn't resist two quotations for today. I watched "Running the Sahara" last weekend (by the way, I think this is a "must see" for anyone who loves a story of human courage, determination, and heart) and besides being completely inspired, I was also really moved by these words. Trying to take them to heart and make them part of my daily life.

"...it has been said that our lives are measured by the footprints we leave behind, the courses we chart, the examples for others to follow."

"You better live the experience while you're in it because it's going to be gone."

switching gears

Tonight I was a walker. This morning I was a swimmer. Yesterday I was a runner and a corer (I think I just made up that word if you apply it to a person and not an apple corer). Tuesday I was a swimmer and a spinner. And Monday I was a yogi and a runner.
I have a whole new plan for the next 6 months or so until IM training begins in January. And in a funny way, this classic "loves a schedule, can do the same thing day in and day out, can eat the same thing each day" girl is excited about the fact that each week there is going to be a different training focus. One week it's running...the next it's swimming...and the next it's cycling...and right back around to running. Doesn't mean that I neglect the other disciplines. And I always do core (sometimes twice a week + lat pulls...argh...they have currently rendered my arms practically useless). But during the week there is more intensity directed at one thing over the others. Means that I won't always (be able to) go to some of my favorite practices because I'm also working in more rest so that I can really give it my all during the focus sessions. New, clean gears. What could be better, right? Well, I'm actually a little uneasy because I'm not always good at change.
Honestly, this all feels a little odd. And a little creaky right now as I begin to plan it out on the calendar because I don't know how it all fits together yet. Nor do I know how it all fits in with school/work...but I'll figure that out in less than a month - yikes. It's new. It's different. That's good. And scary. But what change isn't? Doesn't mean we shouldn't change, just means we have to let ourselves get used to it. Soon enough I'm sure this will feel like a well-oiled machine and all parts will be moving together nicely. For now, it feels like a brand new bike that I need to figure out the gears for and get used to. Might need a few adjustments along the way. But eventually, it will feel like I've been riding it all of my life. Or so I can hope. And then...another change in January! But for now, my focus this week is the present. Living into this new routine. Not comparing it to the past or what changes will have to be made for the future.
It's good for me. I know this. (Doesn't mean it makes it easier!) Change keeps me flexible (along with the yoga). Change keeps me on my toes. Changes in one area of my life makes me more able to adapt to changes in other areas of my life. Ultimately, I think that makes me a better, stronger person - certainly a better person to be around! (Trying not to be a stick in the mud when it comes to my schedule!)
Ahhhh...more life lessons through training. This time through shifting gears. Did anyone tell me that the emotional/mental part of training was going to be so exhausting?! But that good kind of "flop into bed because you simply can't stand any longer" exhausting. And, again, just gotta go through it.

goin' on a bear hunt...

...okay, not really. But these were the lyrics that ran through my mind today as I thought about track practice tonight. If y'all have followed my blog, you know my love/hate relationship with track. It's completely ridiculous, I know. It has nothing to do with weather or my teammates or Coach Logan or even running itself. It's this silly pressure that I put on myself to beat a previous time or not be the last one or not look like a total fool...or something. It's funny because in no other practice do I feel like this. I'm never the fastest in any of the three sports that we do so I should be used to it! I love hill workouts. I even like our long runs. I always feel inadequate in spin class and on long rides...although both of those have gotten A LOT better. Swimming just feels good and even though it's centered around time intervals sometimes, too, I just don't feel the same pressure. See what I mean - totally ridiculous!
Anyway, I got to a really good place with track after my running focus last winter. Except for one small freak out before mile repeats last spring, I actually looked forward to track practice and arrived with a smile on my face and a good attitude. All through CDA training it was part of my normal practice schedule and it didn't bother me one bit. But CDA training was nearly 4 weeks ago and I probably stopped going to track (because of our taper) about 5 or 6 weeks ago.
ETG + a long break from track = fear, dread, anxiety...SILLINESS. But very real all the same. So I told myself this week that I absolutely had to go to track practice. And that's where the song lyrics come in.

Goin' on a bear hunt
Gonna catch a big one...I'm not afraid
What's that up ahead...
A field! (a lake! a mud puddle! a tree! a cave!)
Can't go around it, can't go under it, can't go over it, gotta go through it...

You get the idea...
The main point being gotta go through it. And that's what I needed to do with track practice tonight. So I did. And I survived. And it wasn't really all that bad. And I felt better when I left than I did when I arrived.
And, well, that's a good reminder for life...and bear hunts...and track practice...or whatever it is that scares you. You just have to go through it sometimes. Sure, you can try to go around it, but it never goes away if you do that. I guess we always hope that our pastimes and our hobbies and our work or just whatever we do in our lives teach us more about life. Check. Life lesson reinforced by track practice. Again.

it's almost August and...

...I haven't done my summer reading for school! It's like one of those bad dreams from when you were a kid. You meant to do the reading all summer and now the beginning of school is staring you in the face and you are not ready! Luckily, I only have one book to read though. And I don't have to do a book report on it. But I do have to be ready to talk about it in an in-service in the fall. And I know better than to delay the reading until school actually begins. So, tonight I will begin The Parents We Mean to Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development. Yikes. Obviously, I'm not a parent. But I am a well-intentioned adult. Here's hoping I haven't messed up too much in my job where students are concerned in these past 14 years...

and so goes the flow

Some nuggets from yoga this morning...which, by the way, made me smile. Got to figure out a way to work it into my weekly schedule (and thanks to showers at the new Yoga Vida on 7th Street and Chrissie with her suggestions for my new training routine, I think I can!).
Here are the words that Dean started the class with:
"Imagine this, without me the birds keep flying. Without me the fish keep swimming. And the tides keep coming in and out. And the world keeps on going. We're really very small in the world...and so goes the flow."
I never think of myself as so important that the world would stop if I were to suddenly disappear. And I have certainly learned through years of practice of messing up and learning to say "no" that the world won't even stop when I make a mistake or say that I cannot do something for someone - don't laugh, for this little perfectionist this was a tough thing to learn. But still, it's sort of refreshing to be reminded that what we do day in and day out really does not mess with the flow of things on the planet.

(Exception: messing with the flow of traffic in Austin is a totally different deal and can be accomplished fairly easily.)

this is me...

...in a nutshell. I don't normally give a play-by-play of my day in my blog because, well, usually my days just aren't that interesting! But today was such a typical ETG day that I am going to give you the . Somehow a wonderful blend of me being girly and handy and athletic and domestic and social and solitary.
7:00 a.m. meet with with T3 folks at the rock for a 7 mile run...can you say Scenic?! YES!!! I was a little anxious about this being my first real run back with the group since CDA. Found a running buddy in Eric and we pounded out a little over 7 miles, hills and all, at a nice pace. Humid. Sweaty. But good. (Bonus: saw two students at the end of my run...they are always a little surprised to see me out there running...and I love surprising them!)
11:00 a.m. get all cleaned up and go to church with Amy to see her cousin preach...cool. Then lunch. I'm feeling the need for carbs, carbs, and more carbs today?!
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. time to be at home...quiet...and still (sort of)
- laundry, movies (I sort of went on a movie binge and finished three that I had started?! Seriously, I won't watch a movie for weeks and then I'll do this!), catching up with friends on the phone, and a nap (which was necessary because last night I was a textbook ETG mix: "I'll just drop y'all off wherever you want to go downtown..." suddenly turned into me staying out with the gang...very late...fun times, friends!)
4:00 p.m. - I finally motivated to leave the house again after some quality time on my couch. First stop - pedicure! Lovely. Nice to be pampered a little bit.
Second stop - grocery store...typical run through except for gathering ingredients for a pulled pork recipe. I needed boneless pork butt and was only able to find pork roast so I hope it will do.
Third stop - post office to pick up Ayesha's mail. Note to self: get in touch with Ayesha, she is now back in the USA and might not need to keep this PO Box here in Austin anymore!
Final stop - bank and then home...
Here's where the multiple sides of ETG really shine through:
- family...talked to Gran - we're both excited about my trip to see her.
- fix-it-girl...time to attack the oven door and show it who's boss...with music blaring in the background...more tools that you should probably need...all while wearing a skirt. I swear, what a sight I must have been. Too bad no one was around to capture it on film. But I did manage to snap a few shots of the progression of things:

- cooking...while I was watching the movies I was also marking cookbooks with recipes to try. So I had the pulled pork recipe all ready to go - mixed up the spices that you rub the pork with to "marinate" overnight. And then I set about dealing with the pork. Yuck. I hate dealing with raw meat. But I tackled the pork roast just like I had tackled the oven door and soon enough the meat was wrapped up in Saran Wrap so that it could absorb the goodness of the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cumin, and cayenne overnight before it gets tossed in the slow cooker tomorrow.
And finally, I'm blogging...and getting ready for bed. Yippee! I need a solid night's sleep for the upcoming week. Will start my day tomorrow with yoga and end it with a hill workout. With work, acupuncture, a meeting with Coach Chrissie, and chatting with friends in between. Looks like it will be another ETG day...love it.

kitchen mishap

For a while now the handle to my oven has been loose...and Friday night it just popped right off. In the middle of baking banana bread. Never fear...I can still get in and out of the oven. But I do need to figure out a solution. And I'm afraid that in order to actually access the attachment for the handle I'll have to take the front of the oven door off entirely. I'll experiment on Sunday. But I'm also prepared to take a trip to Home Depot and buy some epoxy or something to reattach it without dissecting the oven door. Adventures in cooking...and home ownership!

friday quotation

"The world is so huge that people are always getting lost in it. There are too many ideas and things and people, too many directions to go... The reason it matters to care passionately about something is that it whittles the world down to a more manageable size. It makes the world seem not huge and empty but full of possibility." (Susan Orlean, The Orchid Thief)

Here's to down-sizing our worlds.

snake boots

For weeks now, Gabe and Alfred have been wearing boots around campus. As you know, we've just recently had any significant rain in Austin in a long time so I knew they weren't wearing their galoshes to keep their socks dry. Nope...they are wearing them because evidently one too many snakes has been spotted on our campus. Hence...snake boots. Every time I see Alfred and Gabe I check in with them, "Any snakes today, guys?" They shake their heads and laugh at me. "No, but we're playing it safe."
Reminds me of some summers at camp on the swimming dock where we seemed to have an abundance of snakes. We lived with a machete at the ready to take on whatever water snake or copperhead might come our (or our swimmers') way. I was pretty handy with a machete. Or a rake. Wonder if I should have one in my office here at school?! Or at least consider whether I need to trade in my standard summer flip-flops for something a little sturdier as I tromp through the grass over to the office on a regular basis. Nah. I think I'll just watch my step instead. Live on the edge a little. And take care not to go wading through the tall grass and dark, cool, perfect-for-a-snake-coiling-up corners that Gabe and Alfred have to deal with on a regular basis.

funny but true?

In addition to enjoying my time at Vineman, I also had a great weekend with my aunt in California. A long breakfast on Saturday with plenty of time for conversation and getting caught up. At the end of it all she said, "I'm so proud of you. You've created a life for yourself." It's sort of a funny comment. But it's true. I guess I have created a life for myself. One that I feel pretty good about right now. Sure, there are plenty of things left to figure out, improve on, let go of, add in...some of which are important to me...some of which will forever be cast to the bottom of the list because they are more in the "should" category rather than the "I feel it in my heart category". But overall, I'm in a sweet place in terms of relationships (with friends and family), communities (St. Andrew's and T3), work (St. Andrew's), play (triathlons, movies, downtime with friends, shared meals), etc... So, yes, I have created a life for myself out of all that I've been given. I think that is all that we can do. Work with what we have. Change what we can. Accept what we can't change and try to make peace with it. Maybe that's how we create a life for ourselves.
Which is a very "zen" outlook, I realize that. And that makes me laugh because one of my colleagues and I were having a conversation today about balancing and managing our lives. I joked, "Oh, I gave up on that a long time ago...well, actually, what I've realized is that I can only manage what is right here, what is in my face, what is on the most near horizon. I can't manage it all for all of eternity." And he responded, "That's so zen of you."
Hysterical. ETG + "zen" in the same sentence. Who would have imagined that I've calmed down about life as I've gotten older? I'm not sure I really have but it's nice to think so for at least a day. Perhaps another thing that's funny...but true.

beach read

So, I wasn't at the beach. Or in a lounge chair much this weekend. But I did satisfy my "beach read" quota for the month! Picked up a wonderfully trashy novel in the airport on my way to CA and knew it was good when I had finished 1/2 of it before I touched down in San Francisco. Sometimes it just feels good to not take my reading so seriously and read for frivolous fun. Not a college counseling journal. Not something about education. Not even something about triathlons or running or training. Pure fluff.
It reminds me that I love a good story. That I'm a total sucker for a quick read and mindless plot. And that I enjoy getting lost in someone else's life...even if it's a bunch of fictional characters. It's just fun to escape from your own life this way. Movies can do the same thing but reading has always been an escape for me, too. And with August right around the corner and one more out-of-town trip I might just have to pick up another airport novel and get lost again.
P.S. Speaking of books...I got the one that I had made for Gran's birthday today. A book of my blog posts from the first one through her birthday post. A present only a grandmother could love. I'm giddy with excitement to give it to her when I see her in a few weeks! (Thanks, Erin, for the good tip on how to do this!)

a little stroke of luck...

I've never really considered myself a lucky person. Don't get me wrong. God has smiled down on me far more times than I deserve. When I look around at my friends, when I think about my family, when I am thankful for my job and my colleagues, when I remember what I've overcome and the dreams that I've already fulfilled (and the ones that I still have), when I think about my health, I know that I have lived a very charmed life by all standards. I have way more than I need in most areas. But I don't put this in the category of luck.
Luck is that winning lottery ticket. Or being the name drawn from the hat for the random prize at a party. Or getting a free something because you are the 53rd customer. Or having your bag make your connection in Denver when you were an hour late from San Francisco, when Southwest (God bless this airline!) held the plane for 25 minutes for you and four other people, and then having your bag actually make that plane to Austin with you. I'm not usually that lucky person. But today I was because that last scenario describes by stroke of luck today!
Happy to be home. Happy to have my luggage with me. Happy for some sleep in my own bed. And happy for great memories from my time in CA - strokes of luck and otherwise.

Sherpa pride!

Can I even begin to tell you how proud I was of my T3 teammates out here at Vineman today?! Seriously. I felt a little like a mother hen with lots of little chick-a-dees running in a million directions as I tried to race after them to keep track of them, check in on them, and ultimately let them do their thing! And they did do their thing...and they were great.
Some first time 70.3-ers and some veterans. Some who had great swims or bikes or runs. Some who had lousy swims or bikes or runs. Some who nailed their nutrition. Some who are heading back to the nutritional drawing board. Some who loved parts of the course. Some who were not that enchanted by any part of the course. And some things they had in common...long hours of training going into this; T3 - coaching, support, teammates; hotter than expected weather; and a doting Sherpa.
Seeing everyone out there reminded me of the guts it takes to tackle a triathlon (of any distance). People had to make difficult decisions on the course today about whether to keep going or call it quits. They made the best decision they could - I hope they all sleep well with those decisions tonight. They were supporting one another and allowing themselves to be supported.
Doing something like this makes you really vulnerable - you put yourself and your goals out there...the former quite publicly and the latter often privately. You risk disappointment. But there's the possibility of great joy. You often surprise yourself...and maybe others, too. But most of all yourself.
And from the sidelines you watch this all unfold, never quite sure of each person's exact story but always trying to figure out what to say or do that will be "just right" as you watch a friend and teammate (or sometimes a complete stranger) go by. It's neat to be on the sidelines as someone who's also raced because you have a small idea of what is helpful (and what is not helpful!) to hear. It's also really rewarding to be able to be out there for teammates who have cheered me on. It's sort of a "pay it forward" and "return the favor" all at once. And it's totally inspiring. All the more so when you know the people doing the race.
At the end of the day, I discovered that I'm a better Sherpa than cheerleader (are we surprised?!)...that I have the odd urge to race again (odd because I don't really like to race...but I do like what it brings out in me...although I'm content to wait until November!)...that T3 is a wonderful little family to be part of...that showing up and getting out there and doing your best still matters...and that it's a privilege and an honor to have friends and teammates like this in my life. Proud of you, all you T3 Vineman-ers!!! Most of all, I hope you are proud of yourselves.

dialing back the speed of life

I've forgotten what it feels like to not have an agenda. Or a schedule. Or a "to do" list. Or a plan. I think I'm a "doer" by nature. I think I enjoy being in constant motion. But I have to say that today, I have enjoyed doing a whole of "nothing". Well, "nothing" by the world's standards. I woke up without an alarm clock to the sun pouring through the screen door of the room I'm sleeping in at my aunt and uncle's house in Calistoga. I rolled back over and tried to sleep a little more, but eventually I rolled out of bed, grabbed my book & my hoodie, and headed out to the porch where I got to sit and read for about an hour before my aunt woke up. One of their barn cats was walking his laps around the porch and stopped to check on me each time. Still reading, buddy, still reading. The sun was beginning to bear down on the fields to the side of the house. And I listened to the birds and the sound of the fountain. I can't remember the last time I had a morning like this. Even if I have a "lazy" morning at home I am always staring at the cobwebs feeling the urge to clean or planning what I have to do next - laundry, dishes, cooking, paying bills, etc...
But here, away from home, with nothing I "need" to do I could just relax. Something I'm afraid I'm not very good at. But this morning I excelled at it!
After some coffee and a simple breakfast complete with fresh watermelon and yummy bread, we walked down to the Farmer's Market, checked out the museum in downtown Calistoga, and turned around to hike back up the hill to my aunt and uncle's house. The good news - I wasn't totally out of breath at the end of it. Although I can't imagine running up it! Might have to do that on Monday as my hill workout for the day before I head home. Or maybe not.
Maybe I'll just have total downtime while I'm here - aside from cheering on my T3 teammates tomorrow at Vineman...which will be a workout of another sort. One that I'm really excited about!
Maybe I'll just focus on being still - which is a different sort of workout for me. To be still enough to listen...to my body, to my heart, to the little chirpings of my mind... When I'm busy, it's easy not to listen because there's always something to be paying attention to. And sometimes it's easier not to listen because listening makes me think and ask myself hard questions - yuck! But a good yuck.
So while this weekend is about speed and racing for some of my friends, it's about slowing down for me. Something I really haven't done for a good long time. I'm a little rusty at it. It's not natural to me. It's pushing me to new places in different ways. But I suppose it's good for me...even if it feels a little uncomfortable trying to live at 15mph instead of 95mph.

friday quotation

some believe in destiny
some believe in fate
I believe that happiness is something we create...
(Sugarland)

I know, I know, these are sort of cheesy lines from a cheesy country song, but I love the message. It leaves us with all sorts of power to find ways to make ourselves happy! Like going to see family and cheer teammates on at Vineman this weekend. Like getting a good run in that makes me feel healthy and more alive - even if I felt like I was swimming through the humid air. Like spending time with friends. Like finding pleasure in the simple things (sno cones, a favorite song, cold water when it's 100+ degrees, seeing someone smile, a green light just when you need one...the list could go on and on).
At the end of the day, I'm realizing that I'm more simple than I thought. Sure, I find ways to complicate my life - and sometimes life just gets complicated. But in terms of what I really need materially (except for this crazy sport of triathlon), emotionally, socially, etc... I don't need a whole lot. So, maybe the answer to happiness for me is to create a life full of simple things.
Friends. Family. Love. Laughter. Staying healthy.
Here's to whatever it is that makes you happy...make it more a part of your life!

so it would probably be a good idea...

...to stop letting myself eat a cookie everyday now that I'm not in serious training mode. But oh, they are SO good. My new favorite treat (if I'm going to try to be sort of "good" and steer away from a gingersnap or oatmeal raisin cookie from a bakery...yum...and really my preferred treat but honestly that would be disastrous as a daily treat!) has been the Kashi Happy Trail Mix cookies. Delicious! And they are not that guilty of an indulgence. Still, I'm pretty sure that at some point here I need to stop eating them daily.
Well, maybe only after I've tried the Kashi Dark Chocolate and the Kashi Oatmeal Raisin cookies...
P.S. I didn't feel guilty about my cookie today at all...especially since it was good comfort food for Blythe and Joe leaving town today. I know I'm not the only one who will miss them...but I really will. I'm not very good at good-byes but for Blythe's sake I tried to keep it sort of light today. I didn't even cry...at least not when she could see me. And we left one another laughing about something so I have a wonderful memory of her great smile in my mind...which is usually what happens when you're around Blythe. She's smiling and that makes everyone else smile and the world just feels good. Already looking forward to seeing them again in October!

today was a reminder..

oatmeal at Magnolia - $2.75
chocolate dip cone from Dairy Queen - $2.00
carwash - $6.00
time with friends - priceless

Thank you, dear friends, who made my day so very wonderful. Core...breakfast...IM chats and emails during the day...taking Avery out to the Blakistone's...cleaning an oven, a pantry, a kitchen sink...eating pizza... From beginning to end I was reminded that I'm one lucky gal! XOXO!

time to regroup?

So...I've been living in post Ironman bliss for about three weeks now. And it has been LOVELY. What does this mean? Well, to me it's meant only going to the workouts that I've really wanted to go to. Not killing myself even when I'm there (85% has been lovely!). Not running too long or too hard. Going to spin class but allowing myself to be a few gears off. Swimming a lane over from where I used to swim so that my interval is slightly longer and I'm toward the front of the pack instead of hanging on for dear life at the back of the pack.
But things are starting to change...and it's probably time. Time because as I look at the calendar and see the Ironstar Triathlon on November 8, I know I need to start getting a plan in motion. And time because I'm beginning to feel it. I feel like I'm getting back into it. I felt stronger at swim this morning (even though Suzanne moved me up a lane and I was hanging on for dear life again!). I felt stronger at the hill workout last night (even in 100+ degree heat). And I felt stronger at the spin workout tonight. Emotionally, I'm ready to get back to doing all of the things that I love. Not at Ironman intensity...nope...saving that for January! But I'm ready to contemplate training again.
And the nice thing about 1/2 Ironman training at the beginning is that contemplation and my CDA training will let me start training without being a crazy triathlete-in-training person again. In the first weeks, the hours are not too many...the intensity is not too intense (for lack of a better word!)...so I can keep listening to my body and ease back into it all.
Or at least I think so...consultation with a coach is next!

Monday night ramblings

It's Monday night already. And it's 10:00 p.m. It seems to always be 10:00 p.m. in my world by the time I get down to writing my blog. I'm really not sure how that happens. I finish whatever evening event is on the calendar - a workout, a flight coming back from a vacation, phone calls to friends and/or family, dinner with friends, a movie, paying bills, doing laundry, making dinner, packing my lunch & bags for the next day...and suddenly it's 10:00 p.m. Even if I'm home by 6, I seem to fill the hours between 6 and 10 with activities that make the time pass quickly. My "to do" list is not necessarily shrinking, by the way, and it's already mid-July! Ah! Got to get on that. Have one more trip planned for this weekend and I will make it to New Orleans before the first week of August is out, too, but I actually really need to hunker down here and get some of my summer projects done at home...and at work. This week! This week!
I think maybe I'm in a quiet rebellion from structure and efficiency right now since I'm still decompressing from 6 months of Ironman training. I'm all about doing what is fun and enjoyable...and that doesn't always include tending to problems in the guest bathroom and that sort of thing. Oh, well, I'll get it done...I always do!

come down to Monterey...

...come down to camp, and you're sure to have a lot of fun...

And we did...as campers...as counselors...and now as alums.

This past weekend was Camp Monterey's 65th reunion. Quick background on my history with camp. It's a girls camp in Monterey, Tennessee (about an hour east of Nashville in the Cumberland Plateau). It's the camp that my mom went to as a little girl and that I started going to in 1983. I was a camper from 1983-1991 when I became an assistant counselor and then a counselor and then even a "junior senior staff" member the year that I graduated from graduate school (1996).
Camp was the place where I went each summer (first for one month and then eventually for two months) where I suddenly had the sisters I'd always wanted, where I got to be a carefree kid, where I learned how to appreciate the outdoors, where I got to leave the city behind and listen for the frogs and whippoorwills at night instead of the sounds of sirens and car alarms. It's the place where I first experienced what it was like to be on a team - go Wataugas! Where I came to see my potential as a leader. Where I learned the fun of making a complete fool of myself. Where I messed up, was allowed to apologize, and got to experience forgiveness from all sides. It's where many of my childhood role models came from. And it's where I eventually got to "pay it forward" by passing on my love of camp with my campers.
It's where I grew up and remained a child.
The memories that are summer at camp for me feel endless...and I was reminded of so many of the wonderful moments of my childhood this past weekend. Nights around the campfire. Swims in the lake (which still smells the same). Waiting for some wind so that I could get the sailboat across the lake. Getting over my fear of horses (I brushed Mr. Ed for the first two summers because I was afraid to ride!). Our two teams - the Wataugas and the Nolichuckies. Volleyball games. Flagline. Songs in the dining hall. Rides in the cattle truck. Team parties. Banquet. Hotdogs and s'mores on a Thursday night. Scrambled pancakes and pie irons and blackberry cobbler when we were "fancier" on our cookouts. Trips to the Obey River. Hikes to the Rock House where we jumped off the "big rock". Counselors like Kenna, Dani, Kelly, Tricia, and Francie. Miss Dollie. Miss Sara. Vespers. Rafting on the Ocoee. Trips to Cumberland Caverns. Rainy day hikes and Miss Monterey Pageants. Talent shows. The flea market. The Cumberland County playhouse. Water pageant. JC Cabin. Cabin tennis. Fireflies on the fun field. Cow tipping (or trying to cow tip). Meteor showers. Showering under the trees. Late night talks as we looked for shooting stars.
The list could go on and on...and it doesn't even include all of the shared moments with friends and counselors that formed our friendships (I've been friends with some of these girls since I was 8! Talk to them for the real scoop on me...). The silly inside jokes. The quiet moments of tears from a disappointment or a hurt feeling. The years when I got to share my love for camp with my campers (two of whom I saw this past weekend...as one of them put it, "Elizabeth pretty much raised us...even though we weren't the best campers when we were 8!" I adored seeing Emily and Weesie again this weekend...if I can take any credit for the people they have become then I must not have done too much damage as their counselor!) And, of course, the time with my mom.
There's a book that Sally Rodes Lee put together about camp and she asked me to write about my mom. I won't share my entire entry but some parts of it seem appropriate to include here: "An inside joke. Hearing a 'camp song' on a loudspeaker in a store and smiling at one another. Stuffing each other's Christmas stockings with blue and white or green and gold items that only a Monterey girl or Watauga could appreciate. Laughing over our trips across the country from California to Tennessee each summer because I had fallen in love with a place and the people at Camp Monterey...a place that my mom had introduced me to because she wanted to share this special spot in the world with me and because as an only child she wanted me to learn things that you need 'camp sisters' to teach you. Mothers and daughters don't always get along, and mom and I were no different. But the one thing that we always had in common was our love of camp. And so whether we were agreeing (which we did most of the time) or disagreeing (which we did some of the time), I knew that as soon as a conversation or a planning moment turned back to camp that everything would be okay again... I'm proud to be part of a large group of mother-daughter Monterey pairs. I am so grateful for the sacrifices that she made so that I could come to know Monterey. We're both better individuals and a better mother-daughter duo as a result. Anyone who knows my physical features (blonde hair, blue/green eyes, fair skin) and how they contrast with my mom's physical features (brown hair...now gray!, "M&M" brown eyes, olive skin) might wonder, as I sometimes do, just what parts of my mom I inherited and what genes we share. The simple answer for me as always been - the Monterey gene." Mom has become quite an institution at camp and so it's always special for me to go back and see her in a place where people absolutely adore her and hold her in high esteem. There's even a plaque in the office dedicated to her and her 30+ years of service to camp. Go mom!
This weekend reminded me of so many things... Of the simple pleasures in life. Of the value of friendships. Of the importance of having at least one place in the world where everything feels safe and good. Of how childhood friends are often the ones who judge you the least AND remind you of who you really are (and that with those people who really know you well, you can reconnect within a matter of minutes!). Of how certain places can represent the same wonderful things to generation after generation. Of the need for moments of quiet in our lives. Of the grounding power of something old and familiar.
Where would I be without camp? Where would I be without these friends? Certainly, I would not be the person who I am today. And seeing all of us gathered back in the hills of Tennessee, meandering along the paths through the woods, splashing around in the lake, I can't help but think that Miss Dollie (founder of Camp Monterey) was smiling today as she looked down from heaven on the place and people that she had created. Hugs to all of my special camp friends...even though it's been years between visits for some of us, you will always be among the nearest and dearest to me.

flooded by memories...

the old dirt road into camp with all of the same dips & ruts...cooking hotdogs over a campfire...s'mores!!!...a swim in the lake...wandering down the camp paths...the smell of the lake, the woods, the outhouses (the freds)...songs around the campfire...seeing old friends & laughing so hard that I have cried tears of joy...seeing former campers who are all grown up & wonderful...visiting with mom & her friends...fireflies in the field...remembering where I learned to be a kid. And loving every minute of my trip back in time. Pictures to follow...

what's in a name?

I'm being pleasantly reminded as I head to camp that very few of us really went by our real names at camp. Kathy quickly became K. Falk. Marion became Mern (a name she ALWAYS hated...sorry, Mern!). With two Christas we called them by their last names - Furtsch and Stumpf (or Stumpfy or Stumpfhead). Somehow Isla kept her real name...maybe it was creative enough already? Susan was "whittlin' Sue" or Sue Canoe.
And true to form, I had a number of names. (I think this happens naturally when you have a long name!)
E...Juice...E. Guice...and last, but not least, Terry's daughter (mom ran...and still runs...the water front at camp so everyone knew me in connection with her. Meant I had to keep my nose clean as a camper!)
Those were the main ones. Many of which are still used today by people from other times and places in my life and that always makes me smile. Of course, people now have other nicknames for me and I have to say, I love them all. Whether they make sense or not. They make me smile.
So, what's in a name? A lot of memories and personal connections with others for me.

friday quotation on thursday...

...because I'm headed to camp for the 65th camp reunion on Friday! Can't wait to see childhood friends again. Make s'mores at a campfire on the big hill. Swim in the lake. Sing silly camp songs. Relive moments from when we were young. Bonus: I get to see mom since she's running the waterfront at camp this summer! (And I'm driving to camp with K. Falk...my captain buddy and sweet friend whom I have not seen in way too long.) I hope camp is ready for all of us!

So in the spirit of camp...

Remember
Remember the times you've had here,
Remember when you're away.
Remember the friends you've made here,
And don't forget to come back some day.
Remember the blazing campfires,
The swims in our lake, too.
For you girls belong to Monterey,
And Monterey belongs to you.

P.S. Being at camp means being away from the internet and blog updates, etc... It will be awesome to "unplug" for a few days. I'll be back with great stories, new memories, and hopefully some good pictures to post!

happy birthday, Gran!

My Gran turns 92 today. 92. WOW! That's an accomplishment, folks! We had a HUGE bash for her when she turned 80 because she'd just survived emergency open heart surgery only days after returning from a trip to Hong Kong. Let's not even think about what might have happened had she collapsed on the plane...clearly Gran was meant to be with us longer! Then we celebrated her with an ENORMOUS celebration when she turned 90 because, well, let's face it - how many 90 year olds do you know? And 90 year olds who've survived Hurricane Katrina. Right. It's another huge milestone. And today she's still kicking, still quizzing me on Michael Jackson's funeral, still learning the ins and outs of an Ironman, still emailing, but most of all still loving all of us. Without a moment's hesitation, I will say that I hope to be like Gran when I grow up. She's a survivor. Lasting many more years than she predicted when Granddaddy passed away (when I was in 8th grade). Watching both of her children battle cancer. Supporting her grandchildren as we make foolish mistakes. Loving us with both a tender heart and a stern word. Nurturing friendships across generations and being loved by everyone. She believes in giving people second (and third and fourth) chances but she doesn't let you off the hook entirely. She seems to have mastered holding people accountable and forgiving and loving them at the same time. She's the one people turn to when they want to hear the truth. And what many people don't know is that as soon as she hangs up the phone with you, having been direct and honest, if her heart is breaking for you then she will cry for you, too. Sometimes she cries with me on the phone. And that's when my heart gets to break for her. But we always seem to comfort one another through the tears or the joy.
Her "hi love" when I call can brighten up even the darkest day for me. Getting an email from her is always a joy - especially when it goes on for a page and ends with "no news here"! And the way that she's always looking for ways to support us warms my heart.
I'm not sure why Gran and I have the relationship we do. It is as if God knew that I was going to need some stability in my life amidst a tricky divorce as an only child and poof...GRAN! I grew up going to her house every day after school when I lived in New Orleans and we always joke that I knew the rules of her house from such a young age that I never questioned them. And my mom certainly kept us in touch by calling Gran frequently when I was a little girl so that I was always comfortable talking to her. As I grew up, we discovered that we had a lot in common...that classic "skip a generation" bond between grandchildren and their grandparents. Whatever the reason, Gran has been my rock. We talk almost daily and as she wrote to me recently, "Love you. Enjoy our chats so much. Wish all grandmothers had such a relationship with their granddaughters. Some things money can't buy - and we have that." Amen.
So today...here's to you, Gran - "if I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." (Jane Austen) I will never know what I did to deserve you. I will always be grateful for you in my life. Much of who I am I owe to you. The way I try to love others is modeled after the way you've loved all of us.

Happy birthday and many happy returns!

P.S. Happy birthday to Dodd, too! He and Gran are birthday buddies!!

sometimes I need my head checked

So on Monday I got a little excited about having a day off and being a little more rested from CDA and maybe I got a little over ambitious with my workouts. Funny thing is that my legs feel great today - they are usually the things that hurt when I overdo it.
It's my arms that are about to fall off. And here's why. Please be prepared for another brain trust moment for ETG.
- A.M.: an hour of yoga that had my arms shaking within the first 15 minutes. Note to self: get back into yoga ASAP! Clearly I need it!
- P.M.: arrived a tad early for the T3 hill workout and the pain from yoga had not set in yet so while I missed the majority of the core workout (on purpose!), I arrived just in time for a push-up pyramid. (Start with 10 push-ups, then 9, then 8, and so on...) It's a killer but for some sick reason, I love doing it. As Logan said, "If it's not hurting then you aren't doing it right." Well, I must have really done it right because it's still hurting today!
And I discovered the pain this morning at our swim practice where we practically pulled the entire workout. Okay, not really, but we had at least 2 500s pulling. Never my favorite thing. Definitely not my favorite thing this morning!
I'm praying for a lower body workout at core tomorrow. (Don't worry, fellow "corers"...I have NOT breathed a word of this to Chrissie so if we do end up with a lower body workout it is NOT my fault!!!)
Maybe someday I will learn? Maybe not...it's all too much fun!

surprise!

I love surprises! Correction...I love surprising people! I don't mind being surprised (like when Kimberly and John surprised me at CDA...wow. That was amazing!) but I get a kick out of surprising other people. The planning. The scheming. It totally plays into the little "sneak" in me that likes to be "up to something" that I know will bring joy to someone else. Birthdays. Random surprise gifts. I swear, I become all giggly like I'm 5 years old again.
Of course, there's always a chance that the person whom you are surprising isn't going to be that excited...but you can always hope they have a great reaction. Sort of like Amy's reaction today when I surprised her with the news that I'm going to be at Vineman to cheer on my T3 friends and teammates. (I won't go into details but it involved excited noise! Lucky me!) My aunt and uncle live about an hour from the race site so I decided a month or so ago to combine a visit to them with a little trip over to Vineman. I was actually going to do this race before I signed on for CDA so they were half expecting me to be in CA sometime this summer to visit them. I have never been to their place in Calistoga so I'm looking forward to ALL aspects of this trip. I'm looking forward to spending some time with (Aunt) Mary and (Uncle) Rob...to being in northern California again...to maybe enjoying a little cooler weather...and to being in Napa (never been there!).
And I'm super excited to be able to be able to cheer on my T3 friends! I feel like there haven't been that many races lately where I've gotten to return the favor of cheering so I'm all smiles about getting to do that. Need to get my cheers in order so that I can appropriately embarrass...I mean, inspire...my teammates! Yeah T3 athletes at Vineman...I can't wait to see you rock the course with your training and your smiles!!!
P.S. Other great things about today...yoga...lunch with Rebecca...randomly running into Malia...hill workout (I've missed this workout - and I didn't die!)...oh, yeah, we didn't have work today so I got to do all of these things!

little projects...

...were my task today.
I have had a lot of little projects sitting around my house since...well, I'm not really sure how long I've been meaning to do some things. But for a good long while. Taking the recycling to school. Getting rid of old issues of magazines. Trying to fix a pipe under my sink (might be calling for some assistance here since I can't seem to get it to stay for very long...).
But today the main project was my desk. It's in my spare bedroom which quickly became my "tri room" when I took up more serious triathlon training. Boxes with Gus, Honey Stinger chews, Body Glide, USAT registration forms, etc... sit neatly in one corner of the room next to the book shelf where some photos live, too. A chair from Gran and Granddaddy's room is in the corner and I would like to say that I sit in it and read and put my feet up on the ottoman that Granddaddy used to sit on to put his shoes on with his shoehorn each morning. But I don't. Maybe this coming year I will. On the other side of the room is my desk. Or what in previous years was used as a desk but somehow became more a collecting spot for random items this past year.
Anyway, I want to start using it as a desk again. Which means I needed to clear it off! So after my run (first run since CDA and I did a 4 mile walk-jog that felt really good) and some T3 tennis (what a hoot...I need a little - okay A LOT of - work before I'm allowed on the court in any serious capacity!), I "grounded" myself and cranked up the music in my condo to make the work pass quickly. Or make it more enjoyable. Or something.
After many hours of making decisions about whether to keep, recycle, or shred stuff...filing stuff...moving stuff to other rooms where it belonged...and vowing to myself that it would never get this bad again (how many times have I said that?!)...I am finally sitting here at my clean desk blogging and feeling a certain sense of accomplishment.

Happy 4th of July!

Another Independence Day on the books...and really, what's not to love about the 4th of July? Celebrating our independence and freedom as citizens of the United States - this always means more to me when I think about other people in other countries and how their freedoms are limited. Celebrations usually involve friends, family, hot dogs on a grill or bbq (my choice this year!), watermelon, fireworks...general goodness. The weather is usually hot but somehow I'm rarely where it's raining...and the heat just makes the cool beverages taste all the better!
I have great memories of July 4th celebrations. I spent most of mine at camp in Tennessee (headed back there this weekend for a reunion...awesome!). We would start the day with some marching formation at flag line. I know, I know...bizarre. And it was. Looking back on this it just makes me laugh. What were we thinking?! We would then be chosen for a team. You were either a red, a white, a blue, or an "and". I always wanted to be an "and" because you got to wear red, white, AND blue. No such luck. Was a red for the majority of my years at camp...a blue a couple of times...and a white once. Anyway, each team competed in a crazy relay that took you all over camp from the archery range to the stables to the tennis courts to the woodshed to the canoe dock to the church to the dam to the swim area through craft park and finally back to the flagpole where the victor raised her team's "flag" (or a piece of some article of clothing of the appropriate color) up the flagpole first. The reward - King Leo candy! Peppermint, lemon, and vanilla candy sticks were always a hit. The clove flavor didn't go over so well one year! The day at camp always ended with fireworks over the lake...very cool.
This year I started my 4th of July with a ride out 360 to Parmer. Even though Liz, Blythe, and I didn't break any speed records, we had a great ride! Nice to know that my legs can still do the 360 hills (the "triple bypass" as Laura calls it!)...and they don't seem that bad compared to CDA. Did I just say that?!
Evening fun at the Salt Lick for some family-style bbq. This is just good stuff. With good people and friends...Laura, her friend Graham, Yvonne, Matt, Amanda, Gordon, Blythe, Joe, and Logan. And then some time on the Wii. Oh my gosh! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time...what a great memory of the 4th of July!

good stuff...

...that's what today was full of.
- 40+ miles with Amy on the bike...Kyle-Valero...love that route! Plus a new way back home which was fun...and pretty.
- breakfast at Magnolia and Amy and Cass...good food...good laughs.
- haircut at Tracy's...I was in serious need of this! It's a little like Steel Magnolias when you are there. She has two cats and two dogs. The phone is ringing. Sometimes (like today) Robyn, Rebecca, and I all end up there together. I can't remember a time when I was out of there in under 2 hours. And if you stay late enough in the evening, Tracy will pour everyone a glass of wine! Do you want someone cutting your hair while she is drinking?! With Tracy it's okay!
- snow cone from Sno Beach with Amy...new flavors. Hang on, folks...cranberry for Amy (thumbs up) and 1/2 lemon + 1/2 lime for me (thumbs up...on the lime especially)
- massage at Performance Wellness with Katie Cully...awesome! Saw Jess there...always a bright spot
- quick trip to Whole Foods to pick up recommended Plant Life bath salts (hot bath before bed to work out all of the junk that got stirred up during the massage today!
- chicken rolls from Whole Foods for dinner...just the right thing in 100+ degree weather
- movie on the couch...nice to be home and just be lounging...
- and early to bed so I can get up for a little ride tomorrow...I had so much fun today and actually loved being on my bike (I know, I know...what's gotten into me?! Maybe the 112 miles in CDA strengthened my affection for my bike!)

when the weather stays hot...

....snow cones seem to be one way to stay cool in Austin, Texas!!
I've long been a fan of Sno Beach and I think Amy and I are currently on a personal mission to see just how many snow cones a girl can eat in a summer. We might even branch out and try new flavors sometime soon!
But today Malia and her girls and I went to Jim Jim's - which is actually "water ice" and not a snow cone. I think that's a bad name for it because it is way more than "water ice"! It is a delicious concoction of very fine ice mixed with real fruit. Oh my gosh...it is incredible. Apparently, it is a favorite in Philadelphia. I know it gets hot there in the summer, folks, but really, you would think that someone in the south would have come up with this! Anyway, the flavors I can vouch for are mango berry, mango, strawberry, and strawberry lemonade. We had all of those today. I know...that's five flavors and there were only four of us. Loula (age 4) had strawberry lemonade but liked my mango so much that she had to get a small little cup of it. Bo (a little over 1 years old) thoroughly enjoyed hers...as evidenced by strawberry stains all over her white shirt. And Malia and I just sat and laughed and got cooled off by ours. Good find!!! And certainly a highlight of my day to spend time with Malia and her precious girls. Really, what is sweeter than a little kid sitting in your lap eating some water ice?! Bo and Loula made my day with their big smiles and hugs...lucky me to spend time with them.
Malia asked me which I liked better Sno Beach or Jim Jim's...really, this is an unfair question! But I think they are just different. Both cool and refreshing and sweet and delicious...just different.
I'm now a fan of both...got any other snow cone spots we need to try out this summer?

rain!

As I write this it's sunny and super humid but earlier today it was storming...and it that was only a mild storm compared to yesterday's massive thunderstorm.
I love a good thunderstorm. I love them more when I'm watching them from a front porch or when it's all dark in the house and the lightning creates a light show for you. But even sitting in my office yesterday as the rain pelted the tin roof and the windows, I was in heaven watching it.
It's been so incredibly hot here in Texas...endless days of over 100 degree weather...so we were all thrilled to see the rain yesterday. The temperatures dropped and I laughed at myself because I was feeling like I needed a sweatshirt when it was 75 degrees outside! Believe me, that feels cold when it's been in the triple digits. I think we've seen the last of it...the cooler weather, that is...looks like the triple digits are here to stay through the end of next week. Ah, well, I sure did enjoy it while it lasted!!