I Keep Telling You I Need to Move Home

The result of my blogthings quiz asking what state I should live in:

You Should Live in Connecticut

If you don't want to live in Connecticut, you might also consider: New York North Carolina California Delaware Maryland

What State Should You Live In?

The Autumn Test - The Results Were Pretty Acurate

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find hard work to be the most comforting thing in the world. You like the feeling of accomplishing something. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

The Pros and Cons of a Running Partner

So I have been running three times a week for 4 months now and so days I run by myself and some days I run along side some one else. For me, my personal preference is to run as part of a group but alone. Here are the pros and cons of this relationship for me:

Pros:

• Someone to talk to
• Someone to pace yourself with
• Someone to complain about "why are you running, how much running sucks and how damn hot it is" (sorry for the language, but those are the things we say)
• A great way to learn about someone (for some reason you share a lot intimate info while running)
• A feeling of safety (you don't worry about that noise in the woods or the creepy guy walking the other direction when someone else is with you)

Cons:

• You feel obligated to keep pace (no matter what your strength, pain, comfort level is that day, you feel obligated to keep up)
• You feel obligated to slow down (our partner needs to walk, stop for water, use the port-a-potty, etc you feel like you should wait for them

Now although the pros far outweigh the cons, the two cons are so big. For example, last weekend (and I know it was really hot) I ran with a partner. Some who I've run with before and always enjoy running with. Well, last week neither of us were motivated to run, so we both walked more than we should and finished 18 miles in 4 hours (today I did 16 in 3:17 - much more realistic). Today though, he decided to run solo (fine with me). He started out way faster than I feel comfortable with (I usually start out very slow as to sustain my energy) an of course by mile 12 or 13 he was walking. He finished at least 15-20 min after me (I had already completed my stretches).

But there were many times today that if someone had said to me, lets walk I would have. Instead I ran all 16 miles without stopping for water, the bathroom, the water stops (I bring it with me) or the need to walk. I sure had a desire, but I knew that I could make it all 16 miles and that it was all in my head to get over the mental hurdle and run the whole thing. In the end, I am very glad that I did and proud of yet another run under my belt! Next Sunday is the long 20 mile race - the peak of my training schedule. I'll have to admit, I am a bit scared and nervous for next week. Lets just hope for cool temps and cloudy skies!

Returns

There have been many great things that have returned or will return in the past/future 24 hours. My power returned, my good mood returned, Bear's energy (not always such a good thing) returned, my husband will return home from his business trip in less and 45 min and my bff will again make a trip from CT, via Cleveland to spend just a few short hours with me.

This time we will not just be having lunch, going to target and watching the boys play video games. We will be heading up to the OSU v. Troy football game. This is not really a return though, since neither J or I have ever actually been to an OSU football game in the year we've lived here in CBUS.

I hope that there will be a return of a clean house, a day where I can sleep in and cool weather all also in my near future - some things in life I have more control of than others.

Enough Already

So today was the day that I got fed up. I am tired of doing this alone. I am tired of hauling my stuff back and forth and being in someone's way. I am tired of walking around in the morning with a flashlight, picking out my clothes, feeding the dog, finding shoes. I am tired of buying my coffee and my breakfast. I am tired of not being able to just relax about it. I just want to come home, sit on the couch and not do anything but watch tv or play on the computer or put a DVD in. I am just plain sick of this power outage.

I am sure my frustration is also because for the third week in a row, J is on a business trip. He was absolutely miserable while he was home for the past three weeks, because he didn't want to leave and I used all my will power to keep him happy and amused. Thus he drained a lot of the energy from me. Now that he is away he is having a great time, fully scheduled and not able to talk except for the few minutes before dinner, or while getting dressed or while I am tired to say goodnight. That leaves me to do everything from taking care of the dog, to cleaning the house to rescheduling my life. Today I just broke down about it. I cried. I got it out! I could never make it as a single mom, even to just my dog. I give credit out there to all those who do it. I just am not that tough.

And I just found out that I will not have power until Saturday! UGH!! I hate AEP Ohio! They originally tell me Wed. by 8 pm, now its sometime on Saturday! I have most certainly had enough already.

Still Without Power

So there is still no power at my house - 48 hours after the storm blew through. I should not complain as there are 400,000+ other central Ohioans also without power. I am also very grateful that I have an incredibly generous network of friends here in Ohio that have offered use of their freezers, bed, showers, laundry machines, etc for me to share. I couldn't be more thankful of this extended family that I have formed here in the last year. It is during times like this that you learn who these people are and how special they are in your lives.

Tonight I will be sleeping at home but eating some things from the freezer and cooking at a friend's house. Hopefully tomorrow I will be fully functioning back in my own home. My husband though will not be happy with the fact that my house is still a mess - sorry no lights to see what I am cleaning and no power to work the vacuum!

So much to blog about - so little power

This blog was previously titled - Ohio Fall = Horrible humidity

So let me wrap up a few things. We have no power. M phone (at my house doesn't work), my Internet is obviously down and J is of course AWAY! I also have a new found day off because my office has no power either and thus I get to spend the morning here at Panera, drinking loads of coffee, charging my phone and my laptop and checking my email till my heart's content. All this extra makes for a very happy me!

A very unhappy me this weekend was the me that ran 18 miles on Saturday. The humidity was so gross and the temperature so hot that I was miserable. I wasn't able to run as I had hoped to. I had to walk more than I wanted to and my time (all four hours of it) was more than I wanted it to be. Saturday was far from ideal running conditions. To make matters worse, I tried to run in at 6:30 but had to wait until 8 because of the thunderstorms.

Saturday evening was entertaining but not surprising in that the OSU Buckeyes got clobbered by the USC Trojans. Only true die-hard Buckeye fans did not except this to come. Those without Buckeye blinders on knew that we were going to lose and lose big.

I just look forward to this coming weekend when Marci comes back to visit and this time we get to go into the shoe and see an actual game inside the stadium. She is the only one of the three of us who won't be wearing an OSU shirt, but she said she will search around this week for some scarlet and grey to wear. I BTW picked up a Pryor jersey this weekend and will be excited to support the future of the Buckeyes.

So, for the rest of the day, I will be sitting at home, enjoying my book and maybe picking up some extra D cell batteries for the other flashlight in my house. Hopefully AEP will repair the wire that is hanging down across our street and I won't have to throw out the contents of my refrigerator. Cross your fingers with me!

You gotta love an ice bath

So first off, I apologize that I haven't updated all week. I started a new job and don't know what to write about. I don't want to write about all the funny personalities at work and thus I really had nothing to blog about, especially since J was away and I didn't cook.

So today I ran 16 miles. Yes, I ran all 16 miles, including the footbridge that I hate. I made a brief stop around mile 12 to refill my water, but in all, I ran for just over 3 hours and covered 16 miles of ground. Only 10 more to complete the marathon. Good thing its over a month away. Next week I run 18 miles - ugh! The ease of my running was aided by the beautiful, cool morning with little sun, and even a bit of rain. The last four miles were aided by the thoughts of an ice bath.

I came home (after breakfast) filled the tub and dumped in the ice from our ice maker and then J brought home a bag of ice from the grocery store. It was painfully cold, but oh so nice. It kept me pain free, until about now, when I am starting the feel the pain after sitting for awhile and then getting up to climb the stairs.

On a more personal note, the laundry is happily running in the next room, the recycling has been taken to the park, dinner is complete and ready to eat whenever we want and I can happily enjoy my beer and my sports on TV - too bad Time Warner Central Ohio is not showing Bret Farve in his new uniform and the rest of the Jets. I can just watch it online.

My GRAS comes to an end...

So Labor day always ends my ...gras. It's a family thing. J definitely tried to make up for forgetting my birthday last year. Friday nigh we had my favorite dinner - steak, baked potato, and creamed spinach (although I made the spinach) and of course - birthday cake! Which J made by himself! Very impressed. His first time since we've been together. I was very proud of him.

Saturday I ran 8 miles and then we drank with our neighbors and went to Little Bar with them. Where I saw some running friends and had fun. We then went to Bodega with other friends and home to nap. J left to "walk the dog" but I found him asleep on the couch when I got home 15 minutes later, dog not walked. We stayed in the rest of the night - a good call.

Sunday we had a great brunch at Sage and then did some shopping for our dinner at Weilands. Dinner was cheese and wine at Schiller Park for a play in the park. We saw Cyrano and J said, "I am surprised by how many people are here. I thought it would be us and like 7 other people." Clearly he didn't think other people liked culture or that the plays in the park have been going on for 27 years and thus it must be well attended. He also commented on how the average age of the audience was close to our age and not our parents and that led to the comment - "We must be getting old." You man are old, me I am still in my 20's! Young and youthful.

Finally, today we went to the annual Greek Fest - very uneventful and disappointing. I'm glad we didn't pay to get in. Then we relaxed at home while I read my book, sat n the sun while I could still take the heat and then went to a simple dinner at The Rossi. Now we are getting ready to watch 21, Tivo the Prison Break primere and get to bed around 11. It is my first day at my new job tomorrow and I need to be up at 6:30 to walk the dog.

All in all, a nice last weekend of summer!