New Orleans Trip And The New Pet Sitter

Mardi Gras mask

Last week was my husband's convention in New Orleans so I tagged along. I love New Orleans and thought it would be a great opportunity to spend some time with the boy who is in school only an hour away.  I didn't realize that it was already Mardi Gras in New Orleans which meant crowds and road closings due to all the parades. Our taxi driver actually had to put us out about three or four blocks from our hotel because of road closings. This wasn't too much of a problem since we didn't have our luggage because the airlines losing it somewhere between Houston and New Orleans. All we had to carry were the carry on bags we had with us and my bag rolls so no problems there.

Because of the rain and the road closings, I discouraged the boy from driving to New Orleans so I wasn't able to see him. That was a drag, but the trip was fun. I got included in the fun parties and while my husband worked I did long runs through the French Quarter and then pigged out on beignets and coffee. The hotel had an awesome gym so I didn't miss a work out. I needed as many workouts as possible due to all the food and alcohol I was consuming.

Me and the Murph

The hotel we stayed in - Hilton Riverside New Orleans

Fog over the Mississippi River - Hilton Riverside New Orleans

Outside Hilton Riverside New Orleans - fog over the Mississippi River

Lining up for a Mardi Gras parade

Outside convention center - New Orleans Mardi Gras

Me outside convention center New Orleans

The Murph

Cafe Du Monde - New Orleans

Outside Cafe Du Monde New Orleans

While we were gone I hired a pet sitter to sit for our three cats. Phantom has to have meds twice a day, fluids every other day and syringe feedings even though he's eating some on his own now. I was very worried about leaving him and within the first 4 hours after leaving I called and left at least three messages on the pet sitter phone. I finally figured out that that was not her cell number which was probably why I didn't hear from her. As soon as I called her cell phone, she answered with, "Well I see you found my cell number". I guess I'm a little overprotective with my cats, but after that somewhat bad start, the pet sitter texted me updates every time she went to the house and also sent me pictures of Phantom playing with cat nip toys she brought for them and chasing laser dots. Apparently, they were getting very spoiled!

Entrance to Jackson Square - New Orleans

Mississippi River - New Orleans

When the Murph and I got home around midnight Monday night, all three cats were, surprisingly, waiting anxiously at the front door, not hiding under the beds as they usually do when they suspect strangers are coming in. I was so happy to see them, but the minute they saw us their little faces dropped. They all looked past us to the front door as if the say, "But where is the other lady? The NICE one that plays with us and brings us toys?"

The nice pet lady had left me a very detailed four page letter of everything she did while she was there, including all meds she was able to get down Phantom (she managed to get down all of them) even though he got mad at her and ran under the bed when he saw her coming with it. He does that to me all the time, especially at bed time when he thinks I will fall to sleep and he can wait me out.  I just leave the meds next to my bed and get up an hour or two later, when he's least expecting it, to give him the meds.

Needless to say, I will definitely hire this lady again to pet sit if she's willing to put up with me. I will, however, suggest she back a little off on all the playing and spoiling she does with the cats because I don't want them to get use to it. I spent the past week with them looking at me, bringing toys to me, judging me. I couldn't live up to the pet sitter in their critical, judgy little eyes.

They seemed to love chasing the dot so much that I've actually considered purchasing a laser pointer...

What's a pet mom to do? I've been judged! Crafty little fur monkeys!

What's Been Going On Around Here

Image from Argus Finch FB

I saw this on my FB feed this morning and LOVE it!  Not just because it has cats on it.  This one reminds me of Ed's attitude regarding yoga poses.  We have a lot of attitude in this house!

Speaking of attitude, a friend of mine was wearing these really great arm warmers during the race a few weeks ago.  Love them!

Some Girls Chase Boys
I pass'em

I don't know who the guy is in the above photo, but from the look on his face he doesn't appreciate getting passed by girls during a race.

This past weekend my Saturday run choices were getting up at 5am and meeting some friends to do a 9 mile run, doing a 5k race that didn't start until 8:30am or sleeping in and going to the gym with the Murph.  It was a beautiful day but I chose option number 3, sleeping in!  No run at all on Saturday.  I had also planned on doing at least 3 hours on the spin bike since for years Saturday has always been "long" bike ride day.

I slept in, went to the gym, did 1 hour on the spin bike and then went to get a manicure and a pedicure.

Totally blew my workout Saturday!   After I got my nails done, the Murph and I did go back to the gym and I did 30 minutes of weights and crunches so I'm hoping that makes up for the failed bike ride. I got up early Sunday and ran almost 13 miles with a friend (who I can no longer call the running nazi or she'll hit me), but you know who I mean.

I love daylight savings time, but I've heard complaints everywhere.  Seems I'm one of the few people who actually likes it.  I guess nobody likes losing an hour.

My friend (who use to be called the running nazi) texted me Sunday morning to make sure we were still meeting.  Really it was to make sure I remembered to set my clock ahead an hour.  I texted back that "sure I reset my clocks and was good to go."

Just to make sure I was on the right page she then texted "okay, see you in 40 MINUTES."

She knows me too well.   I can totally bail on a normal, non-time changing morning.  Who knows what I could manage to do when I lose an hour in the morning.  Not to mention she knew we were going out the night before and the last time I did that I had that margarita mishap and failed to show for a morning run.  That one was different though because the entire group was running, not just me and her and I hadn't really totally 100% committed that morning so things were cool.

After the run on Sunday I went to the gym and did some time on the spin bike to make up for Saturday and then did lower body weights.  My overall workout time for the week was 30 minutes more than the week before so I was happy.  I'm going to try to get over 12 hours of workout time this week and then cut back next week to about 8 hours.  I'm hoping to average around 15 hours a week for the summer by adding swim workouts and longer bike rides on my real bike, not the trainer or spin bike.

The Boy is home from college for the week.  We drove 8 hours to get him on Friday and it was a long ride back, especially when he decided to take his shoes and socks off.  It smelled like he must have been wearing those same socks all semester although he says they were clean.  He also said he washed clothes at least 3 times this semester, but from the load of dirty laundry, I have my doubts.  And the smell of it all!  His shoes had to go back on his feet while in the car or we weren't going to make it.

I didn't want to touch the basket of overflowing dirty garments, sheets and towels the Boy had in his room, but the Boy had his hands full with books and computers, the Murph had the rolling suitcase so it seemed I was going to be stuck with the nasty smellies. I knew that somehow I was going to have to convince the Murph to switch with me without him realizing why I wanted to switch.

Being the gentleman that he is, he saw me hesitate over the basket and thinking that it was because of the heaviness of the basket, he immediately offered me the rolling suitcase since it was easier.  I grabbed it and ran!

Once outside, the Murph looked down at the basket of nasty smellies he was carrying and wrinkled his nose and realized his mistake. I started laughing and he immediately realized what I had done. Luckily for me he was a good sport about it.  I mean, that basket was smelly!

Image from FB

Tomorrow the Boy has a dentist appointment which should be "fun"as usual and then I'm going to have to try to convince him to get a hair cut. He still wants his hair to grow down his back even though he will look like a girl. This is probably somehow my fault from back when he was a toddler and I let his hair grow out and didn't want to get it cut because I thought it looked cute.

Now it's not so cute like that especially when he can never find his brush or comb.

I guess it's his hair though and his decision.  He will be 21 years old in May.  How old are they when mom's can no longer tell them what to do?

It's That Vowel That Thows Us Off

Image from health.com

I was trying to explain to the Murph tonight that my friend has decided to get a C-Peel.  He got confused and thought I meant she was taking a vitamin C pill.  After a few minutes of trying to get him to understand C-Peel instead of her usual microdermabrasion, not the vitamin, he finally understood what I was saying.  Our conversation sounded somewhat like the Abbott and Costello skit (who's on first).

Image from drugstore.com

Me:  My friend is going to get a C-Peel.

Murph:   A pill.  She's taking a vitamin C pill.

Me:  No, she's getting a peel.

Murph:  What kind of pill?

Me:  A C-Peel.

Murph:  But you said she wasn't getting a C pill and now you are saying she is.

Me:  She's getting a C-PEEL.    PEEL not PILL!

Murph:  Wait, how do you say pill like a vitamin pill you take.

Me:  Pill.

Murph:  Okay, now how do you say peel like your getting a peel instead of microdermabrasion.

Me:  Peel.

Murph:  (laughing and shaking his head)  Now I get it.  You pronounce those two words the exact same way and you add and extra syllable to both words.  Listen to me and see if you can tell a difference in the way I say the two words.  1.  I have a headache so I am going to take a PILL.  2.  I am going to the spa to get a C-PEEL.  Can you tell the difference?

Me:  Sure.  I can tell a difference.  Can't you tell the difference when I say them.  1.  I am going to take a PILL.  2.  I am going to get a C-Peel.  There!  See the difference?

Murph:  (Laughing and shaking his head)  It's okay.  That's one of the reasons you are so charming.

Wait!  Is that a Yankee way of saying, "Bless your heart"?

Pill or Peel.  Correct Southern pronunciation for both  =  /pi /ul/

Grammy's vs Honey Boo Boo Christmas Special

The Murph and I will be fighting over the control of the television remote tonight because the Grammy's is on as well as several hockey games and one of them is the NY Rangers AND Honey Boo Boo's Christmas special.  Who could miss Honey Boo Boo's Christmas special in February? (sarcasm here if ya couldn't tell)

The NY Rangers are actually the Murph's team, but I  adopted them when we got married since I really didn't have a favorite hockey team and now I'm watching hockey games just about every night whether I want to or not.  We're all about football here in the south.   Roll Tide!   I also adopted the Murph's baseball team as my own, the NY Mets.  I'm still a Cardinals fan and a Braves fan, but now I added his team.  That's what a good wife does.

Now I love, love, love the Rangers.  That has been an easy team to adopt.  The Mets, on the other hand, have been a little more difficult, but I had to because that's the Murph's most favorite team and favorite sport out of the whole lot of them.  So I'm in even though it's tough being for a team that rarely wins!  Just sayin...

As for watching the Grammy's tonight, I will probably watch some of it on the upstairs tv as I'm riding my bike trainer.  The Murph wins control of the downstairs remote every single time.  Luckily, we have more than one tv.

Here are some of my favorite songs that I hope will win tonight.  Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" is one that I want to add to my Ipod's workout play list.  Great song!  I love Kelly!

Every time I hear this song by The Black Keys, I want to get up and dance.  It reminds me of something that should be in the movie "Pulp Fiction".  Or is it just me?

This song is already on my Ipod and has been for awhile.  Will it win the best record of the year?  I hope so!

I'm curious to see if everyone will adhere to CBS's new Grammy's dress code.  No more side breast, nipples or "puffy" areas around the genitals showing.  Or butt curves.

Seriously, it's unfortunate that CBS has to tell adults how to dress.  Isn't that something their parents should have taught them?

I'm not sure what "puffy" genital areas mean, but I don't care to see that or any one's butt cracks or breast nipples on prime time television (is this prime time?).  I have HBO for that.  I don't see anything wrong with side boob though.  Lots of cute styles show side boob and that's sexy not necessarily skanky unless slippage happens.  There's fashion tape to stop that.

So as I'm drenched in sweat riding my bike trainer, I will be switching back and forth from the Grammy's to Honey Boo Boo.  From sexy Grammy styles to "smexy" redneck Sugarbear styling in  a Santa suit.

Gotta go find my bike shorts!

Asperger's From My New Husband's Perspective

I tried to convince my husband to do a guest blog post for me on his perspective of Asperger's and what it's like to marry someone who has a child on the autism spectrum.  He had never even heard of Asperger's or been around an autistic individual until he met my son.  I felt he could give some advice or pointers or something to help other step-parents coming into a situation with an autistic child.

The Murph didn't think it was such a good idea.  The conversation went something like this:

Me:  I want you to do a blog post about how you feel about Asperger's and how you've learned to deal with the Boy and his Asperger's and any pointers or advice you may have to contribute to help others.

Murph:  I have no advice or pointers to give anybody.  I don't even know how to deal with the Boy myself.  I STRUGGLE to deal with the Boy.  His personality is not so pleasant most of the time and I don't know how much of that is Asperger's.

Me:   I've told you most of it is because of his Asperger's and he's really NOT that bad!

Murph:  Yes, but I don't know how much of the meowing and biting and pulling your hair and following you around is Asperger's.  I don't think all Asperger's kids do that.  Not to mention at the wedding when we were trying to take pictures before the ceremony and he decided he was hungry and wouldn't leave you alone.

Me:  That was Asperger's.  He has no filter.  I should have made sure he ate something before I left to get my make up done.  (The Murph cringes at this because it was my wedding and the Boy is old enough and able to feed himself)

Murph:  I do see that there are varying degrees of Asperger's and autism and not everybody is the same.   Some are different than others.  I do see that.  When I first met you and you told me your son had Asperger's I didn't know what that was.  I told my sister-in-law that your son had Hamburgers or something and she said "Oh no!  You mean Asperger's!  That's what so and so has! ( so and so is a son of a cousin)"   All I could think was, oh no, because so and so was a strange, weird kid and I wouldn't even let the Girl get around him alone.  But like I said, he was different from the Boy.  Maybe the difference is medication or parenting or just other things he has besides Asperger's.  I will also say that whenever the Boy is around you that you change and not in a good way.  You change whenever he's around.    My only advice to people is that you really have to love the mother and then you will be able to put up with just about anything.  And I do mean ANYTHING!

Me:  I guess  I do change a little bit when he's around.   Just like you did on the wedding day the first time you had to deal with getting the Boy moving since I had already gone to get my make up done.  You looked stressed.

Murph:  I was just frustrated because I told him to get his tux on and we had to leave and he still wasn't ready to go and I had to get to the country club to get pictures and only had 15 minutes left.  Then he kept asking "Where's my mother?" over and over and when he finally saw you, he attached himself to you and decided he was starving to death and we were trying to get pictures done.

Me:  Well, that's me.  I get frustrated.  And he's in my personal space and I've been trying to teach him about personal space since he was about 4 or 5, but it still hasn't sunken in.  I get stressed when he's meowing and biting me and pulling my hair in my personal space.  When he has appointments that I have to get him to then it gets even more stressful.  I think you get it now.

And that's how the conversation went and that's about as close to a blog post as I can get from the Murph!

I will say that when I first met the Murph, I had very low expectations of his acceptance of the Boy.    I warned him more than once that he should think twice before he started dating me (he disagrees with this).

 I tried to explain to him that my son had Asperger's.  I tried to explain what life was like with a child who had Asperger's.  Even though at that point, the Boy was finishing up his Junior year of high school and things had become increasingly easier over the years, it was still stressful.

I didn't know if the Boy would be going away to college or staying home and going to a two year college.  I didn't know if he would even get into a four year college.  Heck, I didn't know if he was going to graduate from high school the next year.  I thought if he did go to a four year college that I might have to move with him because he would need me close by.

Things could have gone any number of ways.  That's the thing with autism.  You just don't know.  Things will get better, but then worse and then better again (you hope).  You think you've conquered something and then there's a backward slide.

I'm tough so I can handle it.  I didn't know how tough the Murph was though.

I've been happily surprised.

Back then the Murph assured me that he could handle whatever came our way.  That he would be there to back me up with whatever I had to do to help the Boy.  So far, we've been lucky and the Boy has taken off on his own and is doing well in a four year college and is living on campus.  He's doing better than I could ever have imagined.

I have the Murph to thank for that.  I could do it all on my own if I had to, but I'm glad I don't.   I did do it all on my own for several years as a single mom, but it sure is good to have a partner that is supportive.  I wish he could have been there with me through all the IEP meetings at the school and all those times I had to deal with the Boy's dad who seemed to be against me instead of for the Boy.

Or that time when the Boy was 10 and called me a "bitch" because I was trying to make him clean his room so I "threw" all his toys away and he didn't even care because he had paper clips and other random office supplies to play with.

I'm glad the Murph doesn't think the Boy is as weird as so and so, whoever so and so is!  And that he cares enough to know it's Asperger's not Hamburger's and that everyone on the spectrum is different and unique.

I did warn the Murph that I have a weird kid, bad cats and an obsessive triathlon habit, so he came in with his eyes wide open.  I even included that line in my wedding vows, although I changed "weird" to "teen-age" because I didn't want to give the Boy an excuse to act weirder than his normal weird.  He would've taken that and run with it.

Weird is the new normal for the Murph and personally I think he likes it better.

February Things- Mercedes Course, New Yoga Cat Position, Etc

It's hard to believe it's already February and now we are on a new cat yoga pose on the wall calendar.  Is that really a yoga pose?  Because I'm no yoga expert, but I don't think it's physically possible to do what Ms. February is doing in that picture.

Downward dog yoga pose is good for runners like me with tight calves.  It has really helped keep me from having chronic achilles pain.  No runner wants this.  Believe me!  

This is my finisher medal from last year's Mercedes Half Marathon.  We had a huge group turn out to run the course Sunday.  There was a little bit of a change in the course from last year, but just a tweak. Overall, I really like the course.  It isn't too hilly and it is all familiar to me.  The full marathon does two loops of the course.  I personally haven't done the full since they changed it to two loops, but it is probably better this way if you are trying to qualify for Boston Marathon.  The old course was much hillier than this one.

After the run, the race director had Dunkin Donuts and coffee for all the runners at Boutwell Auditorium.  That was a very nice surprise!  I don't have any pictures, but I can promise you I had some of each!  Eating healthier is wearing me down!

I do have pictures of the almond pillow cookies I bought for my dessert as I watched the Super Bowl Sunday night.  I am very disappointed the 49ers didn't win.  The cookies helped me drown my sorrows.     The Murph doesn't like to have these in the house and he told me to hide them so he won't eat them.  The only problem is he knew they were in the house and in a weak moment he asked me to get some for him.  Since these things are valuable and we don't have them around that often, I had to put my foot down.  

No way was I giving up any of these babies!  Later he thanked me for not giving in and letting him have a cookie.   One of us has to stay strong!  

Besides, I don't share cookies very well.

Is anybody running any marathons or half marathons this Spring?  I'm still looking for a marathon to run.

Deputy Barney Reporting for Duty!

Photo from thelastdrivein.com

We've often wondered what goes on around the house at night with the cats after we've gone to bed.  We know that Phantom is very bad and extremely territorial, so he gets locked downstairs every night in the Boy's area which is now his area since the Boy's at school.  Cadence and Ed get free run of the house.  Sometimes in the morning Ed is hiding underneath the couch upstairs and refuses to come down even for breakfast.  He is very old and declawed and isn't much of a match for younger, hyper Cadence, but we usually don't see Cadence acting aggressively toward Ed. 

 He's sneaky that way.

We have been increasingly suspicious of Cadence's behavior toward Ed when we aren't looking and wonder what exactly happens between the two of them that makes Ed take cover under the couch on some mornings.

Last night we got a clue.

The Murph is still getting over the cold I shared with him and now has a terrible hacking cough.  It was so bad last night that he got up from bed and went to sit on the couch so he wouldn't wake me up.  During this time, he noticed Cadence circling the rooms in the house at a fairly fast pace.  It looked like he was a cat on a mission.  The Murph said it looked like he was "patrolling" the house.  He did this for a little while, just circling among the different rooms, until he seemed satisfied and left.  Then he came back an hour later and "patrolled" again.  All he needed was a doughnut and a deputy hat to make the picture complete.

Ed wanted nothing to do with this and ran upstairs and hid.

That's why this morning Cadence's new nickname is Barney Fife, named after the fictional character played by Don Knots on "The Andy Griffith" show, a sitcom from the early 1960's.  Barney was sort of a bumbling idiot who tried to do everything by the book, but constantly screwed up.

Cadence aka Barney Fife Reporting for duty!

Photo from tumblr.com

See the resemblance?

The Wrecking Ball Strikes Again!

photo from kwicsys.com

Well, I've done it folks!   I've single-handedly ended the Murph's seven year wellness streak.  Yes folks, for seven years the Murph has not had one single illness.  Not viral nor bacterial or anything in between.  He has been the epitome of health and wellness.  Until I came along with my filthy little germs and ruined it for him.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I got the flu shot, just to be "on the safe side."  Since I have asthma and the flu virus is so prevalent this year, I didn't want to take the chance of getting the flu, so I got the shot.  I usually never get the flu shot.  If I had told the Murph beforehand that I was going to get the shot, then he would probably have talked me out of it.  He's sort of anti-flu shot.  Maybe this is the very reason I didn't inform him of my intentions until after the fact.

Me:  "Oh by the way, I got the flu shot today.  You should too!  Flu's BAD this year!"

I know the flu shot didn't give me the flu.  Of course not, that's impossible!  My theory is this:  I got the flu shot.  My immune system was so busy building up antibodies to the flu virus that it didn't have time to respond fast enough to a random cold virus that invaded my worn down body.  Worn down because I had just finished running a half marathon in a strange city with strange and different viruses lurking around every corner that my body wasn't use too.

In other words, I got a cold.  Sore throat, sniffles, aches, general stuffiness, coughing, mucus, etc.  Then, since I'm such a generous person, I shared this cold virus with the Murph, who hasn't been sick in 7 years.  Not to mention that he's also very proud of the fact that he hasn't been sick in 7 years.

Yes, believe me when I tell you, I know the exact date and time of this sickness that occurred 7 years ago and every detail thereof.  I've also been warned that the "sick" Murph is not a pretty sight.  It's gonna get ugly from here on out unless of course, his super human immune system can kick this virus's butt.

I, in the mean time, had my annual ob/gyn appointment today and in between the poking and prodding, getting dressed and undressed, managed to get a prescription for some steroids and antibiotics for my illness so I should be good as new soon.  I did try to get a shot, but they didn't have any steroid shots (or those 3 in 1 shots that the Babysitter told me I should ask for) available so I was out of luck.  At least I tried.

The Murph went to the drug store and loaded up on cold meds and kleenex.  He will probably thank me tonight when I grease up again with my Vick's Vapor Rub.  I'll have all three of us breathing easier in no time - me, The Murph and my snuggle kitty, Cadence (who has also been sneezing).

Hey,  I don't get called the Wrecking Ball for nothing!  I hope for all our sakes that the Murph gets better soon.

The Wrecking Ball strikes again!

The Cat With The Loudest Purr In The World

Nope, not one of my cats although Phantom sounds like a bumble bee when he purrs and Cadence can get up to at least 70 decibels in the middle of the night when I'm trying to get him to lay down, get out of the Murph's face and go to sleep.

This is Merlin.  I hope he makes it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the cat with the loudest purr.  Anyway, he's cute and he made me laugh, sort of a cough/laugh really since I'm getting over the illness caused by the flu shot.  Yes, that's my story and I'm sticking with it!

Damn flu shot!

Mobile First Light Marathon

This time last year when we took the Boy back to college after the holidays, we went to the beach for a few days (you can find that post Here) and I ran in the Pensacola Beach half marathon.  It is a very fun, scenic half marathon that starts at the public beach in front of Crabs restaurant and runs out parallel to the beach and back.  If you aren't up for the full half marathon, there is turn a around for the 5K and 10K so you can decide during the run how far you want to go.  

My plan was to do that race again this year when we dropped the Boy off at school.  Unfortunately, someone (and I'm not naming names) forgot to reserve our condo for us for this weekend.  It's rented all of January and February, probably with some snow birds trying to escape the cold from up north.  This is good and bad.  Good because it's rented for two entire months, bad because we can't stay there until March.

Mobile First Light Half Marathon

Lucky for me, there was a race in Mobile, Alabama this weekend.  The Mobile First Light Marathon and Half Marathon.  I've done the half marathon before and really love the course.  I would love to do the entire marathon one day.  The half marathon is flat and runs through some very quaint, old neighborhoods and then along Government Street, Spring Hill Avenue and back in on Dauphin Street. I've heard the full marathon has some hills.

It was overcast, warm and humid, but not overwhelming.  I prefer warm to cold any day!  It was fun and everybody out there was friendly and seemed to be in good spirits.  Even The Murph made a comment about how everyone seemed to be having a good time.  I think it was because it wasn't freezing cold like Chickamauga Marathon and Mercedes Half was last year.  Maybe people are in a better mood when they aren't freezing.  I know I'm happier.

We dropped the Boy off at school on Saturday evening and tried to purchase his books, but the bookstore was closed.  I hope the Boy doesn't have any trouble getting them Monday.  This is the first time he will have to do it himself and sign up for a meal plan.  He didn't want to do it by himself and I am worried too, of course.  At some point he needs to get out of his comfort zone and do it himself.  It's not like he doesn't know where to go or how to do it.  This will be the fourth semester he's had to do it.

I started worrying about it on the way home today.  The Murph says I do way to much for him and he needs to do things for himself.  I have to agree on this one thing.  It would be different if the Boy did not know where to go or how to do it.  He knows what he's suppose to do, he just feels more comfortable when I'm there helping him.

I can't really blame him.  That little old lady at the bookstore can be very intimidating, but he has to deal with her because she's in charge of the financial aid distribution.  She doesn't take crap from him.  He didn't have his class schedule printed out when he went to get the books and she made him print it out so she could make sure the books were for those particular approved classes.  She wouldn't except just looking at them from his phone.  We had to find a printer and print it out.  I had already told him before we left the house to print it out, but he didn't listen to me.

I guess I need to text him and remind him to print that thing out before he goes to the book store.  Yes, helicopter parent I am!

More First Light Marathon/Half Marathon pictures below.  A short, but fun trip!

Mac Daddy's Theme Song

FYI Mac Daddy is a car.  One of the fleet of cars in our driveway, all of which have names.  Mac Daddy is the biggest luxury car that gets neglected most of the time because we prefer to drive the SUV.  The Murph named the SUV the Black Panther.  It's considered my car because I have to have something big to carry around all my stuff.  Triathletes need big cars to carry all their stuff.  It's mandatory.

The other car that the Boy use to drive is called the Silver Bullet and the convertible is Little Red.  It only gets driven during the warm months.  During the colder months, like now, Mac Daddy gets driven more just so it gets a little attention. The Boy's Jag has no name and gets no attention whatsoever.  Both the Silver Bullet and the Jag will hopefully be up for sale soon.

 Honestly, we really don't need Mac Daddy either since we have the Black Panther and Little Red, but try to explain that to the Murph.  Our driveway looks like a used car lot right now.

Mac Daddy

But I digress.  The reason for this post is because over the past year or so, every time I've ridden in Mac Daddy, the same CD is playing.  That CD is a jazz one by Miles Davis called Kind of Blue (find it here.)  The first song, All Blues, always starts playing the minute the car is running.  Like EVERY SINGLE TIME I'M IN THAT CAR!  It's another one of those songs that sticks in my head and stays there for the rest of the day.

Today I finally deemed that song as Mac Daddy's theme song.  Have you ever heard of a car that had it's own theme song?

Well, now you have!

Just Hanging Around The House Cause It's Too Cold - Fashion Friday

I don't handle cold weather very well and the past two weeks have been miserable for me.  I'm tired of Winter and ready for it to be Summer again.  Really.  I can't take any more of it!

 Phantom has the best idea.  Find the sunniest spot in the house to nap and refuse to move until the sun moves to another spot.  Then move to that spot.  The cats know where all the sunniest napping spots in the house are.  I'm following them!

Jeans:  True Religion (old);  Black Tank: Express (old);  White Shirt:  Abercrombie and Fitch (old);  Scarf:  Portolano (old);  Necklace (old);  Leather jacket (old);  Shoes: Carlos 

With all these "old" items I'm wearing in these pictures, I think it might be time to go shopping!  It's been all wedding planning for months and now that that is behind me I can focus on other things like shopping, getting back into the pool and getting in some 50 mile bike rides.  I'm newly motivated and ready!

While we were briefly outside, we caught a rare glimpse of the Boy leaving with a friend.  He went out his "apartment" door to avoid going through the main part of the house and having to talk to us.  It's still daylight outside and therefore kind of early for him to make an appearance.  I would like to take him to breakfast or lunch before he goes back to school, but he's usually asleep during those normal times. 

 He went to his dad's for dinner last night and I forgot to set the alarm so it wouldn't go off automatically when he came in the door.  He wasn't too happy when he came in and the alarm went off.  We weren't too happy that he was so late coming home and woke us up by setting the alarm off.  It's been an adjustment for all of us.  Scheduling anything is tough with vampire boy around.  We'll probably get it right just as it's time for him to go back to school.

This was our New Year's Day dinner.  Black eyed peas for luck, cabbage instead of the usual greens (not sure why you're suppose to eat greens on New Years) and the Murph made a stuffed pork roast using a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten's cookbook.   I thought it was delicious, but the Boy didn't like it that much.

I went online and discovered that the beach condo was rented out all of January and February so looks like no beach trips for us until March.   I'm not going to be able to do the Pensacola Beach Half Marathon this year since we won't be down there.  I did find another one to sign up for in January and one in February too.  I haven't signed up for a marathon yet, but am considering the Little Rock Marathon in March.   I wish I could find an April one that's close instead of the March one.  That would give me more time to train.  March may be a little too soon.  I had a really fun holiday and need more time to recover from it.