59/365

Sharing.

58/365

Drive to work. Good morning, President Lincoln. (Yes, another picture taken while driving)

57/365

Kennedy Center lit to look like the Nordic Lights. (Yes, I took this picture while driving across the Roosevelt Bridge)

56/365

Awesome!

55/365

Winning bid.

We won this bowl at the silent auction we attended last night. We paid more than I wanted to for it, but it was worth it for many reasons...

First, it was SO much fun being all stealth and stalker-ish watching the bid sheet as the auction came to a close. With five minutes of bidding remaining, we were not the highest bid. We upped our bid one last time with two minutes to go and prayed that the other bidder would not notice that we had outbid him/her. When the auction staffer came and circled our winning bid, I was excited.

Second, it is a beautiful bowl.

Third, it is handmade and we had the privilege of meeting the maker and his wife before leaving the auction.

Finally, this bowl is made of wood from a red oak tree from the Franciscan Monastery that fell over the summer during a storm. We had our wedding reception there and have always loved this spot in DC - beautiful gardens, buildings, walking paths. As we prepare to leave DC this summer, we're excited to have a little bit of the Monastery to take with us.

54/365

Entertainment at silent auction we attended

53/365

Walk with K. She lasted two minutes.

52/365

51/365

Spoons are over-rated

50/365

Snacking

49/365

Naps still a necessity

I'VE LOST MY RUNNING FEELING

Top Gun is one of my favorite movies.

There are SO many great quotes (several listed below for your enjoyment and mine), scenes, and life lessons in the movie. One of my favorite scenes, pictured here, is when Maverick and Goose sing You've Lost That Loving Feeling in a bar to gain the attention of a pretty lady, who turns out to be an instructor at the Top Gun training school. I've known every word to the song for years - because I've watched the movie too many times to count.





Lately, however, I've been singing my own version of the song. It goes a little something like this...

I've lost my running feeling. Wow... my running feeling.

I've lost my running feeling and it's now gone, gone, gone.

Wow-wow-wow...

I ran last Monday (a great 4.5 miler) and haven't been out since. Sure I've been busy and distracted, but no more than normal. In all honesty, things have actually slowed down. I'm finally reteaching a course, which means no new course prep this semester. I have two sections of the same class, which means the same lesson plans each week. I've decreased my service responsibilities at work in order to focus on my individual and student priorities and this has freed up a lot of my time. But I'm still finding excuses not to run.

Running is a discipline. It is easy to get out of practice and lose your running feeling. On the other hand, it is H-A-R-D to get back in the routine of running. 

All weekend I've been standing at a crossroads... If I head in one direction, I will lose my running feeling for the spring and try to get back into it when marathon season begins in the early summer. Or I could head in the other direction and work on building the discipline again. Doing so would mean competing in the two half marathons I'm signed up for this spring and using my gym membership at school.

Today is the day to get out of the crossroads. 

And I chose to run.

After researching how to get my running groove back, I am determined to do the following:

1. Run at least 1 mile every day starting today and ending with the DC Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon on March 16. I'm not going to try to PR at this race. Honestly, there is no way that I can based on my lack of training to date, but I am going to run the race with confidence; knowing that I am in the middle of a running streak.
2. Follow these simple 8 tips for finding your running groove. Specifically, starting slow, listening to my body, being present, and incorporating yoga (or other cross training) into my routine.

Here's to 27 days of running - between now and the RnR half marathon...

Hopefully after a successful streak and a half marathon my days of singing about my lost running feeling will be replaced with something more inspiring. And I'll be in the groove and ready to PR at the Pittsburgh half marathon in May.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Favorite Top Gun quotes:

-- Maverick & Goose: I feel the need... the need for speed.

-- Goose: The plaque for the alternates is in the lady's room.

-- Stinger: Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the tax payers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers, and one admiral's daughter!

-- Stinger: And if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog sh*t out of Hong Kong!

-- Goose: Great balls of fire!

-- Viper: You'll pick up your RIO when you get to the ship, and if you don't, give me a call. I'll fly with you.

-- Viper: Gentlemen, you are the top 1 percent of all naval aviators. The elite. The best of the best. We’ll make you better …

48/365

Reading together.

47/365

No matter what or where, we always find time to play dress up.

46/365

Monkey bread - we've baked a lot this week.

45/365

Making Valentine's Day brownies.

44/365

On repeat.

43/365

Size 3 footies are too small, but she loves them too much to part with them. Solution: cutting slippers.

42/365

Purple from a PB&J sandwich

41/2013

VooDoo Brewery

40/2013

My little slice of heaven

39/365

List of smoothies to be made

38/365

Disaster after a WONDERFUL dinner party

37/365

36/365

This game is called: run as fast as you can, don't trip on a book, and then face-plant into the big pillows.

COPPER ANNIVERSARY

Today is my seventh wedding anniversary.

Yes, I got married on 2.4.6.

I should take the time to reflect on the past year and remember all the good times we had together. However, we're in the midst of a c-ray-zee time here. For those of you in the know, we have a huge decision to make this week. I'm not sleeping; not getting anything done; not thinking about much else.

I'm grateful that we have seven years behind us. I'm grateful that D is a good listener; is supportive of me; is willing to think about change.

Happy Anniversary to us. We had a great wedding seven years ago. We've had a great seven years of marriage. We have a monumental decision to make this week that will likely change the next seven years of our marriage.

Heaven help us!

35/365

Congratulations flowers!

34/365

Baking

33/365

Anniversary wine

32/365

Cups are over-rated