Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Unlock it!

You should may know that the NHL is going through a lock out that began on Sept 15th.

 
Being a Blue Jackets fan is tough these days. Our team is already terrible, but we continue to purchase tickets and support our team time and time again. Why? Because that's what fans do. We pay for over priced food at the concession stands and cheer too loud at times but we show up. Shouldn't the players be expected to do the same. We're just asking for them to show up. Sounds easy enough. They don't even have to win, we just want to see a game. I understand that it's not just that they don't want to, it's all about money. I think it's ridiculous. Both the ownership and the players need to figure it out soon because they've now cancelled games through November and are already talking about cutting the whole month of December as well.

Then there's the All Star game. Columbus has been lucky enough to host this year but it doesn't look like they're going to go through with it. How can they play an All Star game if none of the teams have stepped foot on the ice for an actual competition yet this year? I'll be super bummed if they announce that it's cancelled. Until I get my money back for the tickets I already bought, that might make it feel a little better. I'm pretty sure we're up to almost $400 with all the cancellations on our quarter season ticket package. I guess that means more money for Christmas. No, actually we'll probably just save it. How boring.

If women were running the show, we would have this whole thing figured out by now. Here's how it would go...

Players: "We want more money"
Ownership: "No, we want more money, but we'd settle for a hockey themed party. You can find ideas on Pinterest" 
Players: "Wait, we want a hockey themed party!"

On second thought, we would probably not help the situation. Silly women and their parties.

I hope this whole thing gets figured out soon, but I probably won't be buying tickets next year because of it. They should know not to piss off the fans. I know this isn't just a Blue Jackets issue, but I wouldn't be surprised if they go kaput and Columbus no longer has a hockey team. They've already been struggling so I hope this isn't the last straw. 


Monday, October 29, 2012

Sandy's a comin'

Yes, we all know there is a hurricane out there ready to hit land but are you prepared?


We live in Ohio so I'm not really worried about it, but those of you on the coast better watch out. I don't want to hear stories on the news about how you didn't prepare and now you're sad and your puppy is lost. I love puppies, but maybe yours is better off without you since you seem to be irresponsible. Just sayin'. Here's what I think you should do to prepare:

1) Find a deck of cards - Boredom sets in when you lose power and cards are what people played to stay entertained before Facebook. Brush up on your Rummy skills and kick your husband's ass. Better find a piece of paper and a pen while your at it because keeping score is mucho importante. Unless you lose, then shred that shit and deny, deny, deny.

2) Secure your outdoor furniture - Seriously, I wouldn't want your glass table breaking apart in my yard and having to yell at you. While you're at it, put away your grill, chairs, pink flamingos, childrens toys, tacky portable plastic gazebo and that blowup pool you still haven't put away from this summer.

3) Charge your phone - There's nothing like not being able to tell your family that you're safe and having them go all panic mode and call the cops from another state to go check on you to make sure you didn't drown only to find out you're living it up in a Red Roof Inn watching HBO and not charging your friggin' phone.

4) Gas up your vehicle - This is a must. How else are you going to drive around after the storm to see all the damage it did to your neighborhood? Don't kid yourself, this is your favorite part. You can act all concerned but I know you're really thinking "their house is totally flooded... neat".

5) Stock up on Halloween candy - When you can't cook legit meals without power, you can absolutely live on Halloween candy. Ladies, chocolate will keep you happy because let's face it, when the power is out and we have no control over things, we all need a little bite of chocolate sanity.

6) Do your laundry - Ya know those piles you've been walking by for a week? Well, it's even harder to do laundry without power so get to it. And hurry because you don't want to have a load in the washer when the storm hits and have it start stinking up the place. I mean seriously, is there anything worse than smelling the washer after you forgot about those clothes? Foul. 

7) Update your Facebook status - I put this on the list because you might as well write something super interesting like "wish me luck, the storm's a brewin' here" as if we care. We're really just waiting for that second update saying "I have to take a row boat to get to my house" and hope you post a picture, then wait for the comments to roll in with empty offers to help.

So there you have it. Then if you need to evacuate, hop in your vehicle with that full tank of gas with your deck of cards, charged cell phone, Halloween candy and fresh laundry. And you might as well stop somewhere for booze because when you get back to your house in that row boat, you're gonna need it. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

26.2 Miles! (Because 26.3 would be crazy)

I'm officially a marathon runner! After 18 long weeks of training, I completed my first full yesterday.

Being a runner since 7th grade, I've always wanted to tackle a marathon so I slapped it on my 30 Before 30 list and let it simmer there for a while. Then I got this crazy great idea that I would do it this year. Why not, right? So in June, I began the training schedule that would take over my life. And make me very, very sweaty in July. Do you remember those 100 degree days we had this year?!


My husband decided he would train with me and run the half marathon. I was thrilled! I think that lasted about 2 weeks, God love him. Somehow I got faster (who knew) and he got winded. From then on, he rode his bike next to me and provided water and entertainment on the long runs. I seriously could not have done it without him. There's no denying that. Sure, there were days when he wasn't thrilled about waking up at 6:30am on a Saturday to go to the bike path, but he did it. If I didn't hurry up and get it over with first thing in the morning, I would never do it. Especially when the mileage got up in the 16, 18, 20 range. That takes a long time to run and I wanted to be finished before lunch! We even mapped out 18 miles in Georgia and completed that run while on vacation. Now that's dedication. He bought roller blades to mix things up when he got sick of his bike, but that ended in hard plastic rubbing on his foot for so long it left his sock bloody and his mood dampened. I think he liked my cross training days the best when I could ride my bike with him instead of running.



Throughout the training, I tried several unusual methods to feel better. I drank pickle juice to help with muscle cramping. I soaked my legs in ice cold water to reduce swelling. I even ate Cuzzins Frozen Yogurt thinking, surely that would help. And it did. But I always went back to the classic R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method. That or just whine about being sore. 


 
 
Although I took many pictures of my purple toenails and blister covered feet, I've decided to spare you and leave those off this blog post. You're welcome. But just know that toenails turn deep purple and sometimes fall off and it's possible to have multiples blisters on top of one another. These things cause lots of pain, crying out at random times of the day when your sock gets snagged and when you have to try to sleep with your feet hanging off the bed because even the weight of a blanket is incredibility uncomfortable. Then just imagine putting running shoes back on and slamming them into the pavement yet again for another 10+ miles. That's a terrible kind of hurt that I will not miss. But after all that training, even though it was painful, I was ready to run yesterday morning.
 
 
Brandon's cousin, Maria stayed the night, so the three of us ventured downtown just before 6am. Maria was running the half marathon so we planned to stick together. I knew I would be super jealous when she got to turn and be finished and I had to keep on truckin'. Before heading to our designated corral for the start, we took one picture and tried not to freeze. I believe the temperature was in the low 40's. The day before, we had gone to Goodwill and bought "throw away" jackets for $3! Any discarded clothing was going to be donated back to Goodwill so it was a win, win for everyone. I was glad to have it. They also gave out free gloves. Although, I only wore mine for the 30 minutes we stood at the start waiting for the gun to go off. We had brought hand warmers so that helped. I ran with mine until mile 20 or so!  
 
 
When the gun went off, we still had to wait for thousands of people in front of us to start running. By the time we crossed the start line, the clock read 5 minutes, 14 seconds. Then we were off! Bobbing and weaving between people trying not to step on anyone's heals. The first mile was almost a minute slower than our ideal pace so we had to pick it up once people thinned out and it wasn't elbow to elbow. From that point forward, we were spot on our goal pace. It was amazing really. I guess that's what happens when you train. You're body just knows what to do. I felt great the first half! Maria clocked in at just under 2 hours, which was her goal. So proud of her! I kept pushing and crossed my half way point at 1:58. I was stoked! Then I had to pee. Figures. I found the first available porta-potty along the route and hopped in and out as fast as I could, nearly dropping my cell phone in, never to be seen again. I had a pocket in the back of my pants where I was keeping it and forgot all about it.
 
Around mile 20, I hit the proverbial wall. I knew this was going to be the hardest part of the course anyway because of the gradual uphill but I couldn't make myself run any faster. This is the furthest I had ever gone in my training. They say if you can do 20, you can do 26.2 but at that moment, I was doubting it. I had to play mind games and tell myself "I can't stop now, I've come so far". Around mile 23, I started feeling better. Shortly after, I heard a spectator say "all you have left is a 5K" and thought "I can do a 5K in my sleep!" so I pushed harder. All of a sudden I was at mile 26 and running as hard as I could! I crossed the finish line at 4:11:03 and felt pretty proud of myself. Had I not hit the wall and stopped for a porta-potty, I could have gone faster but that's all part of the gig. Plus, my goal was anything under 4:30, so mission accomplished. As soon as I found Brandon and Maria in the sea of people I said "never again". I can cross it off my list and stick to half marathons from now on. At least that's how I feel today. My legs are so sore, the tops of my feet get sharp pains, I have blisters the size of small children and no matter what I do, I can't seem to eat enough food to get full! I took the day off work to relax and not get off the couch all day. Ahh, sweet success. Thank you for everyone who has congratulated me through this journey. You kept me going in training and your comments and texts and calls were overwhelming when it was over. You guys are the best!
 

 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Holy addiction, I’m hooked


I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to jump on board, but I just joined Pinterest and holy addiction, I’m hooked. Where have you been all my life, clever ideas and dream homes?! Oh, right there on the internet with thousands of other people? My bad. I just didn’t think I need yet ANOTHER thing to sign into and become a technology zombie over but I’m so glad I changed my mind.
 

I could care less about a lot of the things that people “pin” like fashion and healthy stuff but I LOVE the home section. I told my husband that I can finally show him the way I want my dream home to look. To which he responds “never gonna happen”. *Sigh* If I win the lottery, I’m hiring an designer and pulling up my Pinterest page to point out every feature I could ever want. Like this gem:
 

I don’t have any kids but that doesn’t stop me from pinning adorable animal shaped food or craft projects. What I do have is a niece & you bet I’ll be testing some things out on her. I don’t know who you brilliant moms are out there, but whoever thought of all the child activities on Pinterest, bless you. I can’t wait to be the cool aunt & uncle who teach her how to paint with bubbles and a little food coloring:
 
I also love the things that make you say “why didn’t I think of that?” because they make life easier. Plus, they make me feel smart even though I totally stole someone else’s clever idea. Whatever. Thanks to Pinterest, I now know to put my shoes in a shower cap when packing my luggage so they don't get my clothes dirty. Brilliant!

 
 
Oh and the pictures of places I want to travel to are mesmerizing. Even if I can't afford every trip I pin, I can dream about them. What I don't like is when I find a picture and they don't tell you where in the world it is?! Are you people holding out on us because it's your secret retreat? Ok, I don't blame you. Like this one... it could be Italy, but I don't know.
 

I'll keep finding treasures to fill my boards with every day! And it looks like I'm not the only one addicted. Happy pinning everyone :]