Blogging Revival!

Not that I think anyone is actually reading this blog, but I feel a little guilty for not having updated it in such a long time. My sister recently resuscitated her own blog, and I thought I'd do the same. I need to get an app on my iPhone to allow me to post mobile-ly, otherwise it's not gonna happen very frequently.

I've been in Minneapolis quite frequently over the past month, and it amuses me to walk by this Accenture ad in terminal E. I snapped a photo of it this morning because I'm sure it won't be up for much longer. "It's what you do next that counts." Beneath it, the smaller print reads, "We know what it takes to be a Tiger Woods." I can totally see why they're dropping him from their ad campaign... I only think of really bad jokes now when I pass the Accenture ads. Probably not what they were going for.

We serve an awesome LORD!

I wish I could think of something to say about this video but I do not have the words. I love this Easter season when we contemplate how amazing it is that God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins.

Sheldon's Family Reunion

After finishing the race I walked a little bit past the finish line and ran into Brittany and Sheldon, who had just met up with Mike, the breeder from whom she got Sheldon back in November! Mike and his family live in Athens, so a couple of days before the race, Brittany emailed them to let them know she was going to be there and would bring Sheldon if they wanted to see him. Mike and his daughter came, and they brought Sheldon's little sister. Here's a picture of Sheldon and Vitra. Vitra, by the way, is short for Lavitra, which has to be the funniest dog name I've ever heard. Before Brittany adopted Sheldon, his name was Crotch Junior ("CJ"), because he takes after his dad, who is named Crotch. Yes, I'm serious. They are really nice people who love their pugs like we do! 

Athens Triathlon

Yesterday I did a sprint triathlon in Athens, TX, about 90 miles from Dallas. The weather was perfect (NOT). Earlier last week we were having gorgeous weather, sunny and in the 80s, but then some rain moved in and stayed for a few days. On Saturday morning, it was about 40 degrees and raining. Yes, you heard me. Ugh. This is the exact same race that Phil and I signed up for last year but chickened out because it was 28 degrees! So hard to predict the weather in Texas in March. I wasn't exactly happy about the conditions this year, but I just went ahead and did it. (And I was glad I did.)

It started with a 300 meter pool swim. Why can't the swim be a little longer? It's my best and favorite part! It was seeded by estimated time and so I was #29 of several hundred participants. Someone about 3 spots ahead of me must have been really optimistic about her swim training and then never followed through with it, because things got jammed up after the first 50 meters (and that was with 10 seconds between each person!) I quickly decided I'd had enough and blew past three people in a row, and then the rest of the swim was a breeze because there was no one in front of me for 25 meters, and no one catching up to me. I was happy....

Until I had to get OUT of the pool and run outside, where it was soooo cold. I took a LONG time in the transition area to dry off and put on some tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, full fingered gloves... the works! I was glad I did because BRRR - once I got on the road it felt very windy. 

I only averaged about 14.5 mph along the 15 mile bike route. By the end of it, I couldn't feel my feet at all. When I pulled back into the transition area was told to dismount, I wasn't even sure whether or not my legs would hold me up! They did, kind of, and I proceeded back to my spot on the rack and sat down to massage my toes... feeling nothing. I changed my socks because my biking socks were soaking wet, laced up my running shoes, and headed out.

As I took off on the run course, I ran past Brittany and Phil, who were there to cheer me on. I grabbed a drink of water and yelled, "I can't feel my feet!" and smiled and then hobbled off. My lips kind of felt numb too... I guess that's the reason for weird face that Phil captured on camera...

I'm a seriously slow runner, but I didn't let myself walk which was a good accomplishment. Finally when I passed the "Mile 2" sign, I was able to feel every one of my toes, which was such a luxury! It was an out-and-back run course, and when I had just a quarter mile left to go, I ran past an older lady who was just setting out on her run. I smiled and said "Good job!" to her and she responded, "Courtney?" It was Diane, who swims at Baylor with my masters team and was a part of the group that went to Maui in 2007! It was so fun to see someone I knew and it definitely cheered me up for the finish! 

As I ran up to the finish line it felt like I was running on a trampoline, the grass was so soggy. It had been raining in the Dallas area for about 3 days straight! Ugh. Phil was there at the end snapping some more pictures. He is such a sweet and supportive husband!

 

Ta da! Done. It took me an hour and 40-something minutes, but I haven't done a sprint tri in so long, I couldn't remember if that was a good time for me or not. Who cares? It was fun! 

Pug 'o War

Sheldon (left) with Ruby (top) and Dora (right) in late December 2008.



Ruby (top), Dora (bottom), and Sheldon (right) in early February 2009.

It's crazy how much he has grown! You can also see the scar on his back from where his tumor was removed. It looks bad, but like I said in a previous post, he acts like nothing ever happened!

Sheldon update

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's mostly because nothing new has been happening. However, this was a big week for Sheldon. In addition to losing his manhood on Monday, the vet also had to remove an ugly tumor that had been growing on his back. Back when my mom noticed it at Christmas, it was just a tiny bump and everyone assumed it was a mole. However, it just grew and grew, puffing up and turning pinkish-purple. At the time it was removed I think its diameter was about the size of a dime. Brittany just got the test results back today, and fortunately it was benign.

For now, Sheldy is sporting a big bald spot on his back and a long "zipper". Don't worry about him, though. On Monday, after Brittany brought him home from the vet and the anesthesia wore off, he was chasing Ruby and Dora and jumping up on the furniture like nothing ever happened. He's so wild that we have to keep him separate from Ruby and Dora during the day. We're worried that he'll get so fiesty that one of them will bite him on his back.

Playing telephone

The bananas at Tom Thumb are imported from Honduras. Brittany pretends to use them as a primitive communications device to dial up Trey. The smile on her face didn't last long; the call could not be completed as dialed.

Scenery courtesy of God

I was blessed with the most beautiful sky on my run this morning!

Blogging game... "Have You Ever?"

Thanks for the fun idea, Ruth! Copy and paste the list below, then mark in bold the ones you've done. Then you can add one item to the list and keep it going!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo Karaoke in my family room with no one listening
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Made amends with someone who offended you
101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot
102. Ran out of gas
103. Eaten fried okra
104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea
105. Peed in a swimming pool
106. Rented a beach house
107. Hosted an exchange student
108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need
109. Worked on a political campaign
110. Coached a sports team
111. Baked bread from scratch
112. Driven from coast to coast
113. Paid off all of your debt
114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire
115. Cut up a credit card
116. Drove a car through a flood
117. Been on t.v
118. Seen the twin towers.
119. Been to ground zero
120. Been on top of the Empire State Building
121. Lived outside of the United States
122. Been on a safari
123. Been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ through faith