I would love love love to have an organized closet. If any of you organizers are ever this way please help! My side of the closet looks like Nordstrom threw up in there, husbands side is super neat. That is a goal for 2010. Make my side look like a boutique. Funny, the only things I can find with ease are my work out clothes, I have buckets on shelves in the wall with all that stuff in there.
On P's recipe did you add any liquid to the crock pot?
Here's another fab crock pot recipe I made the other day. Take 1 pork loin, I used a 3 lb one, and 1 jar of your fav BBQ sauce. Cook on low over night or for 8 hours. Shred with a fork and serve on a bun. MMMMM good.
I give all of you organized gals a ton of credit. I'm just entirely too lazy! Well that, and Dave is total closet hog. Took me 3 years to be allowed space in the walk in closet (I had a closet in the spare room).
Our system is simple- we each have a bin that all workout clothes go into. There have been many many an occasion we've left with each others tights or shirts in our gym bag. haha. totally works in my favor at least.
On the crock pot thing: Have you guys ever cooked beans in one? Oh. My. God. I bought some dried chickpeas once to grind for chickpea flour and threw the leftover ones in the pot with a bunch of water for a few hours. Dried beans are SO much better than real ones. They're yummy al dente goodness.
On the clothes organizing: All I can say is, you girls are amazing. Alphabetizing??? This is where I share my shame. Once, about a year after I'd moved into a new place, I decided to go through my dresser to donate old clothes. As I was going through every drawer I suddenly realized that there was one that I hadn't opened since the move. Like, an entire year had gone by and I'd somehow forgotten that the drawer existed. It was full of all these shirts that I'd been missing, assuming that I'd donated them in a prior cleanout. Who uses a dresser at least twice a day for a year and forgets about a drawer? And then after I'd integrated the missing shirts back into my wardrobe, the drawer stayed empty for the longest time because I'd gotten so used to living with 5 drawers that I couldn't think of what to put in the 6th.
I bought my husband an fingerprint safe for the bedside. He keeps it open at night and locks it in the morning. Because we have kids' friends over often we keep them locked up in a safe behind a locked door to the man cave. I'll let you know how the class goes on the 20th. Gina, our instructor told us that, surprisingly, the .22 does the most damage because it doesn't exit the body but stays in the body but they guy at the gun store on Monday said that is a myth. Do you know? Just curious. Interesting how many of you hunt....I don't but love the fruits of the labor. I am an animal lover and don't want to meet them before I eat them. I like the anonymity of it all.....
Suzanne, we mostly do beans in our crockpot. I love beans as an alternative to meat. We aren't vegetarians but like to take a vacation from it sometimes.
the bins came from the Dollar Store, you know ultra cheap! or go to Container Store for more high style!! yes made the BBQ pork in crockpot yes and good, today doing a roast in mine. yes we love beans too. Last night's dinner: sauteed green onions with sliced red pepper with strips of chicken breast, served with tortillas (multi grain or white) and broccoli slaw, lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, light, and rice and beans. I smelled like a Fajita and set off the smoke alarm!! as I forgot to turn on fan! but other than that a hit.
OK, why did I never think about doing beans in the crock pot?!? Suzanne, I think I love you! I'm going to have to give that a go!
Guns, huh? I've shot a shotgun before. Clay pigeons were the target. At this point I can say without a doubt that I have no interest in shooting. Husband hunts 2x/year once for elk or deer once for birds. I got really grossed out by the doves he brought back. They're so small, and so difficult to deal with for food purposes (yes, we did eat them, made dove etouffe -I got really grossed out by the meat), that we collectively decided that he will no longer bring any of that home. In fact, over the last two year's he's not gone bird hunting. Hasn't come back with any elk or deer meat ever. That might be interesting. Generally though I think his interest in hunting is waining. Been some discussion over the years about going pig hunting in TX, but there hasn't been any actual movement there.
Leigh your closet comments sound familiar. You should see my section of our closets vs. Brian's muliple sections across all closets. It's funny!
Felt great on this week's workouts! Guess I really needed that extra rest day, as well as a break from 30/30s! I know they're on the schedule for the weekend again, but glad that I felt different! Went to a great class last night at the gym called Neurokinetics. All we did was very small exercises to open up each vertebra in the spine, and then worked on opening the SI joint. Holy cow! When I got home I felt as if indidual sections of my spine and upper femur/piriformus area had received a direct very gentle opening massage. Slept like a rock last night too!
Thanks ladies- you've reminded me that the crock pot sitting under the counter (tucked behind the crape maker and fondue pot) could be the answer to my bean dilemma. We also like dried beans better than canned, but it seems for us the soaking/cooking process takes forever and I never have the beans ready when I want them. Gotta go find that crock pot!
I know! That's why I never tackle them. But apparently the crock can take care of both functions.
Also helpful is the fact that you can freeze beans. When I made that batch of chickpeas I froze cupful portions in sandwich baggies and threw them in the freezer. Now I have the equivalent of a can of beans ready to go anytime I need them!
@CarrieH - yes- I added abt 1 cup of apple juice and 1 cup of water to make sure veggies cooked through
Ok- so as a self professed meatatarian, I am ignorant of any of these fab bean recipes etc ya'll keep talking about. What types of beans do you like and how do you prepare them? Working on cleaning up the diet & looking for any all ood meal tips!
I'm just a beginner on the bean recipes. I mostly add them to soups and chilis. I saw a nutritionist a few years ago and, though I'm a fish and poultry eater, I eat a LOT of veggies dishes and we talked about how adding beans can increase the protein and fill you up for longer.
I went to Greece this summer and found a great dish called Giant Beans - giant lima beans in a tomato sauce. Ooh yummy. I've tried to replicate it at home and the other week was at a Greek tapas restaurant and the owner was nice enough to attempt to explain how to make it. If I get it down I'll post it - my biggest challenge is finding lima beans that don't disintegrate during the cooking process.
I think I've posted this elsewhere but I'm a huge fan of 101cookbooks.com. She uses a lot of non-mainstream items but is nice enough to explain how to substitute (e.g., all purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour).
Beans, the night before!! get the beans out and dump whole bag in big bowl of water and soak the beans, then next morning the beans will have soaked up the water but rinse the beans and then get the crock pot going... this is what I do... and we like ours southern style which is NOT Al dente!! smile. Traditionally throw in a ham bone, or hamhock for seasoning or to make it meatier, add in a bigger boned ham, some onions and I use chicken broth and anything else you want and cook all day on low. and traditionally served with Corn Bread and if you have apple butter! honey or preserves and some cold milk in a tall glass!! At the end the beans are a thick soupy mixture and the ham has fallen off the bone, so remove that. keeps in fridge and tastes better next day or yes it freezes well.
@Gina - that day was a bit of both. That particular dog stays with me year round and when her owner isn't hunting with her I take her out and do some polishing. She is a really cool dog - knows all the stuff Linda described with blind retrieves, etc.
That is really the reason I like to hunt - watching their inate abilities come together with the work I have done with them is just so satisfying and they LOVE IT! They are like little kids when they come to you so proud of something they have accomplished When they know exactly what they are supposed to do and are sitting there quivering and just can't wait to be released to do their job is just such a great charge! That day we were hunting doves, which is what I do mostly these days. I love to duck hunt too, but I haven't been able to since the kids were born. In a few more years we will be able to take them with us and I will be able to go again. Like Marianne's son, my 9 YO got his first shotgun and shot some doves this year. It was so exciting for all of us! My husband goes down to M's neck of the woods to duck hunt in Stuttgart every year. Maybe next year I'll tag along (and bring my bike ) He would freak . We eat everything we shoot and I don't ever shoot anything we won't use as food. I only shot one Canada Goose and it was so gross I said I wouldn't ever shoot another. The people that own the farm my husband manages also have a Plantation in N Florida and the quail hunting is a lot of fun too, but really really hard to hit those suckers in the woods. One of my favorite trips was driven Pheasant shooting in England. That is actually how I got Esther in a way. I hunted with her grandmother over there and loved her so much imported two of her puppies and then one of those puppies produced Esther .
Gotta go pick up the boys from school. They have a Boy Scout lock-in tonight so DH and I are meeting friends in Lexington for a nice dinner before he is homebound for the rest of the mare foaling season. First babies are due next week and once they start arriving he doesn't stray too far from the farm so I am going to eat well!!!
my husband and extended family are avid hunters here in upstate NY. They deer all season with gun, bow and black powder, process all the meat and we freeze and eat all of it. I've gotten very proficient in cooking venison in the 7 years we've been married (here's where the crockpot also comes in handy!). He also went to New Mexico to hunt elk a few years ago. I've sort of moved away from eating venison lately...
took a "bootcamp" class tonight. Holy crap! It kicked my "boot"-y!
Sorry M - IMHO kennel is the only way to go in the car, but truly is impossible for some due to car size I understand. It's the safest for the dog too in case your ever in an accident. I have no experience w/ the doggie seatbelts and don't know anyone that has. One thing that might help though is that they can actually ride in smaller crate than what the airlines outline quite comfortably as long as it's not for really long extended periods of time. They just curl up in a little ball and go to sleep while they ride anyway or at least that has been my experience
We are having venison tenderloin for dinner tonight! Yummy, yummy - very lean and an excellent alternative to beef if you have access to it and if you are a serious carnivore like me . 50+ degrees in January calls for a little cooking on the grill! that and my younger son has a Boy Scout achievment that calls for helping plan and cook a meal outdoors and he absolutely LOVES venison. Luckily we have a friend that supplies us because we don't hunt deer.
Had a great run at the track this AM - happy happy I hope everyone else is having good weekend workouts!
Marianne, I agree with Robin - the crate in the car is the way to go for safety, and it can be pretty small. Having said that, I have a few patients who come to the vet wearing their "seatbelts", and they seem to work well. I bought a seatbelt thingie for my beloved cattle dog I had before Reese. She was getting old and arthritic, and was undergoing chemotherapy, and I didn't want her to be at risk. Well, after 10 years of riding free in the car, she pouted so much about the seatbelt restriction that I gave up on it and let her have her way.
My sister and I had a great time at the marathon expo this morning (she's running the full and I'm running the half). We found a booth with great t-shirts, panties, stickers, etc. I bought a pink longsleeve tech tee that says "Some girls chase boys...I pass them" and a pair of panties that says "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago". Reesie got a bandana that says "I run for treats".
Posted By Kristen Olson on 16 Jan 2010 01:39 PM I bought a pink longsleeve tech tee that says "Some girls chase boys...I pass them" and a pair of panties that says "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago".
Those are my kind of clothes! I have a shirt from Moab, UT that on the back says "I may be a girl, but I'm ahead of you!"
Happy day! It is over 40 degrees and sunny! Had to get out for a run just to remember what that sun feels like! Lots of chores to do though. I'll take a thaw anytime!
Had to do the ice bath today. My legs just felt dead. Put them up while tub filled, then sat in tub for 8 minutes. What a huge difference. Glad I did that.
Dumb things for my week! yep I talk about the challenges and etc. but here goes what i did stoopidly.
Washed a brand new pack of gum and DRIED it and just spent the last hour with GooBgone getting the drum clean, still there and I am sorta smelling the stuff... it got on run clothes, tights and etc.
and lastly, this morning, driving across the bridge and Rudy comes from the back to the front seat! I am now wearing an Irish Setter sort of like a Boa constrictor! with his head peerin out by my right shoulder and his hind legs around my left shoulder slipping down to behind me like a backpillow with my seat belt tightening and his ear covering my right eye. all the while I am either laughing or prayiing that I make it across the river and can pull over! in the meantime I get him to go sideways towards the front seat and he then moves car from drive to 2nd gear and turns on the hazards! I am now driving with a dog in my seat, not just a little one either. we had finished a 10k and normaly he just lays down on the quilt in the back, so not sure what possessed him to take up driving! when I pulled over, I was laughing and saying "Rudy what am I gonna do with you?" and got this selfportrait... and so I posted my earlier question!
Good luck tomorrow, Kristen!! Have a blast while you're out there tearin' it up! Can't wait to hear how it goes.
Spectacular day here in Denver!! I did my bike workout indoors, nailed it, in fact. Then I headed outside into the 57 degree glory for my run!! What a joy! I think I was actually smiling. You should have seen all of the bikes and runners out on the path. Probably 3/4 of Denver's cyclists took this as a great opportunity to get out. Many of them are going to have a heck of a load of laundry trying to get that skunk line off of their shorts and jerseys, but I'm sure the joy of riding in the sun will make that not so bad
Thanks to all of you for your support over the last few weeks when I was struggling. The extra rest, my renewed effort to ensure a steady flow of calories during my days, and my resolve to go to bed at whatever time I feel like it (even if it's 8 PM) all seem to have helped. Can't say it's any one of those things for sure or even any of them together, but I have a hunch they're all contributing to things coming back in line. Just a couple more weeks of OS!!! Then it's onward to IMSG race prep! Can't believe I'm saying that!!
Olivia, glad you feeling better! It's amazing what going to bed EARLY can do! (I love climbing into bed before 9...it's like a special treat!)
Marianne, before I got my van, the dogs would try to the same thing. Now with the van and the baby carseat, they definitely stick to the back! That was a hilarous story! Glad all turned out ok! Be careful , Rudy Dog!
paging Linda! and others ... y'all doing okay? Mary, Carrie, Carrie.... et.al. Good work Olivia! *okay we are talking about family vacations? what are the ideas.. so we can plan and work around everybody's sports/school. A trip to England to see my relatives, a cruise, learning how to scuba dive and snow skiing are all on the table, I want Yellowstone but that has been cut! what y'all doing this year? cleaning up kitchen, took a rest day today, a nap today and deadheaded plants outside as it was 56 and sunny!
We have friends who just moved to their vacation home in Summit County Colorado to semi retire so we are headed there in March to ski for a week unless we suspend reality for one minute and someone actually hires me....(not likely). 70.3 New Orleans to finally have a first in person meeting with my birth father, time at IM WI and then another Christmas out in Maine and vacation time for my hubby is gone. I think, though, that I will be planning a trip with http://www.activenewzealand.com/ the following year for our 50th birthdays. Anyway...that's our vacations this year.
So...my husband just came up and asked if I wanted to go to a gun class with him for Valentine's day...the incurable romantic.....
Hi Ladies! -- I'm back from skiing. There were moguls, trying out the new fatty skis, lots of spectacular falls, Sleeper, Mary Jane, rocks, ice, four ski instructors, and spending an afternoon with Mac's bff, Jorge, who is an inclined to crazy, hairbrained ideas as I am (let's ski all the blues on the mountain). Now, do I remember how to ride my bike? =-)
Olivia - great to hear YOU'RE BACK! That's very encouraging.
Beth - welcome back from vacation - sounds fantastic! Makes me want to go skiing...
Sheryl - wow, sounds like an awesome year of travel coming up!
2010 vacations for me: I'll be leaving for a week of warm weather next Sunday...a pilates retreat at a resort near Cabo (Baja, Mexico). Can't wait!
Also will be taking the week off after IMCdA to hang out in Portland and maybe Seattle. I love the pacific northwest (but in a very different way than how I love Mexico...).
Posted By Sheryl Woodworth on 17 Jan 2010 07:40 PM
We have friends who just moved to their vacation home in Summit County Colorado to semi retire so we are headed there in March to ski for a week unless we suspend reality for one minute and someone actually hires me....(not likely). 70.3 New Orleans to finally have a first in person meeting with my birth father, time at IM WI and then another Christmas out in Maine and vacation time for my hubby is gone. I think, though, that I will be planning a trip with http://www.activenewzealand.com/ the following year for our 50th birthdays. Anyway...that's our vacations this year.
So...my husband just came up and asked if I wanted to go to a gun class with him for Valentine's day...the incurable romantic.....
Hahahah, Archie is so genuine! What you see is what you get
Sheryl- that' s funny 'cause I was just thinking after all our biathlon talk last week that I'd ask Joe for another shooting date for valentines this year!!
Vacation? Uh, let's see, TOC, Cowgirl Camp, IMWI- heck I don't think I've got any vacation left!!! Joe and I hope to take a few 3 day weekends to the mountains (NC & VA) this year and maybe do a a 4 day weekend of overnight sailing. That's probably the extent of our vacations this year- 2011 will be another good year to plan something a little bigger (like maybe 2 weeks of sailing!)
Vacation planning. Something I avoid. Good thing Max does it all. Unfortunately he gets many more weeks than I do. I have already taken 2 of my 3 1/2 weeks vacation for WI camp and IMWI. He is pushing hard to go scuba diving in Costa Rica in May or June, a 12 day trip minimum. What is hard for me is that I will constantly be living on the edge of zero vaction. So if I get sick or something, I am screwed. He will go to the Galapagos in August. If we don't do Costa Rica, then it may be back to Palau in November. See, I find it stressful just thinking about it. I prefer when it just gets done without me.
Comments
On P's recipe did you add any liquid to the crock pot?
Here's another fab crock pot recipe I made the other day. Take 1 pork loin, I used a 3 lb one, and 1 jar of your fav BBQ sauce. Cook on low over night or for 8 hours. Shred with a fork and serve on a bun. MMMMM good.
@Gina-Also love my breadmaker! Have you made pizza dough in it yet? I want to try that.
Our system is simple- we each have a bin that all workout clothes go into. There have been many many an occasion we've left with each others tights or shirts in our gym bag. haha. totally works in my favor at least.
On the clothes organizing: All I can say is, you girls are amazing. Alphabetizing??? This is where I share my shame. Once, about a year after I'd moved into a new place, I decided to go through my dresser to donate old clothes. As I was going through every drawer I suddenly realized that there was one that I hadn't opened since the move. Like, an entire year had gone by and I'd somehow forgotten that the drawer existed. It was full of all these shirts that I'd been missing, assuming that I'd donated them in a prior cleanout. Who uses a dresser at least twice a day for a year and forgets about a drawer? And then after I'd integrated the missing shirts back into my wardrobe, the drawer stayed empty for the longest time because I'd gotten so used to living with 5 drawers that I couldn't think of what to put in the 6th.
I bought my husband an fingerprint safe for the bedside. He keeps it open at night and locks it in the morning. Because we have kids' friends over often we keep them locked up in a safe behind a locked door to the man cave. I'll let you know how the class goes on the 20th. Gina, our instructor told us that, surprisingly, the .22 does the most damage because it doesn't exit the body but stays in the body but they guy at the gun store on Monday said that is a myth. Do you know? Just curious. Interesting how many of you hunt....I don't but love the fruits of the labor. I am an animal lover and don't want to meet them before I eat them. I like the anonymity of it all.....
Guns, huh? I've shot a shotgun before. Clay pigeons were the target. At this point I can say without a doubt that I have no interest in shooting. Husband hunts 2x/year once for elk or deer once for birds. I got really grossed out by the doves he brought back. They're so small, and so difficult to deal with for food purposes (yes, we did eat them, made dove etouffe -I got really grossed out by the meat), that we collectively decided that he will no longer bring any of that home. In fact, over the last two year's he's not gone bird hunting. Hasn't come back with any elk or deer meat ever. That might be interesting. Generally though I think his interest in hunting is waining. Been some discussion over the years about going pig hunting in TX, but there hasn't been any actual movement there.
Leigh your closet comments sound familiar. You should see my section of our closets vs. Brian's muliple sections across all closets. It's funny!
Felt great on this week's workouts! Guess I really needed that extra rest day, as well as a break from 30/30s! I know they're on the schedule for the weekend again, but glad that I felt different! Went to a great class last night at the gym called Neurokinetics. All we did was very small exercises to open up each vertebra in the spine, and then worked on opening the SI joint. Holy cow! When I got home I felt as if indidual sections of my spine and upper femur/piriformus area had received a direct very gentle opening massage. Slept like a rock last night too!
Also helpful is the fact that you can freeze beans. When I made that batch of chickpeas I froze cupful portions in sandwich baggies and threw them in the freezer. Now I have the equivalent of a can of beans ready to go anytime I need them!
Ok- so as a self professed meatatarian, I am ignorant of any of these fab bean recipes etc ya'll keep talking about. What types of beans do you like and how do you prepare them? Working on cleaning up the diet & looking for any all ood meal tips!
I went to Greece this summer and found a great dish called Giant Beans - giant lima beans in a tomato sauce. Ooh yummy. I've tried to replicate it at home and the other week was at a Greek tapas restaurant and the owner was nice enough to attempt to explain how to make it. If I get it down I'll post it - my biggest challenge is finding lima beans that don't disintegrate during the cooking process.
I think I've posted this elsewhere but I'm a huge fan of 101cookbooks.com. She uses a lot of non-mainstream items but is nice enough to explain how to substitute (e.g., all purpose flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour).
@Gina - that day was a bit of both. That particular dog stays with me year round and when her owner isn't hunting with her I take her out and do some polishing. She is a really cool dog - knows all the stuff Linda described with blind retrieves, etc.
That is really the reason I like to hunt - watching their inate abilities come together with the work I have done with them is just so satisfying and they LOVE IT! They are like little kids when they come to you so proud of something they have accomplished
When they know exactly what they are supposed to do and are sitting there quivering and just can't wait to be released to do their job is just such a great charge! That day we were hunting doves, which is what I do mostly these days. I love to duck hunt too, but I haven't been able to since the kids were born. In a few more years we will be able to take them with us and I will be able to go again. Like Marianne's son, my 9 YO got his first shotgun and shot some doves this year. It was so exciting for all of us! My husband goes down to M's neck of the woods to duck hunt in Stuttgart every year. Maybe next year I'll tag along (and bring my bike 
) He would freak 
. We eat everything we shoot and I don't ever shoot anything we won't use as food. I only shot one Canada Goose and it was so gross I said I wouldn't ever shoot another. The people that own the farm my husband manages also have a Plantation in N Florida and the quail hunting is a lot of fun too, but really really hard to hit those suckers in the woods. One of my favorite trips was driven Pheasant shooting in England. That is actually how I got Esther in a way. I hunted with her grandmother over there and loved her so much imported two of her puppies and then one of those puppies produced Esther 
.
Gotta go pick up the boys from school. They have a Boy Scout lock-in tonight so DH and I are meeting friends in Lexington for a nice dinner before he is homebound for the rest of the mare foaling season. First babies are due next week and once they start arriving he doesn't stray too far from the farm so I am going to eat well!!!
Happy Weekend Everyone!
took a "bootcamp" class tonight. Holy crap! It kicked my "boot"-y!
Happy Friday night everyone!
Sorry M - IMHO kennel is the only way to go in the car, but truly is impossible for some due to car size I understand. It's the safest for the dog too in case your ever in an accident. I have no experience w/ the doggie seatbelts and don't know anyone that has. One thing that might help though is that they can actually ride in smaller crate than what the airlines outline quite comfortably as long as it's not for really long extended periods of time. They just curl up in a little ball and go to sleep while they ride anyway or at least that has been my experience
We are having venison tenderloin for dinner tonight! Yummy, yummy - very lean and an excellent alternative to beef if you have access to it and if you are a serious carnivore like me
Had a great run at the track this AM - happy happy
Marianne, I agree with Robin - the crate in the car is the way to go for safety, and it can be pretty small. Having said that, I have a few patients who come to the vet wearing their "seatbelts", and they seem to work well. I bought a seatbelt thingie for my beloved cattle dog I had before Reese. She was getting old and arthritic, and was undergoing chemotherapy, and I didn't want her to be at risk. Well, after 10 years of riding free in the car, she pouted so much about the seatbelt restriction that I gave up on it and let her have her way.
My sister and I had a great time at the marathon expo this morning (she's running the full and I'm running the half). We found a booth with great t-shirts, panties, stickers, etc. I bought a pink longsleeve tech tee that says "Some girls chase boys...I pass them" and a pair of panties that says "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago". Reesie got a bandana that says "I run for treats".
Have a great weekend, ladies!
Those are my kind of clothes! I have a shirt from Moab, UT that on the back says "I may be a girl, but I'm ahead of you!"
Happy day! It is over 40 degrees and sunny! Had to get out for a run just to remember what that sun feels like! Lots of chores to do though. I'll take a thaw anytime!
Had to do the ice bath today. My legs just felt dead. Put them up while tub filled, then sat in tub for 8 minutes. What a huge difference. Glad I did that.
Dumb things for my week! yep I talk about the challenges and etc. but here goes what i did stoopidly.
Washed a brand new pack of gum and DRIED it and just spent the last hour with GooBgone getting the drum clean, still there and I am sorta smelling the stuff... it got on run clothes, tights and etc.
and lastly, this morning, driving across the bridge and Rudy comes from the back to the front seat! I am now wearing an Irish Setter sort of like a Boa constrictor!
with his head peerin out by my right shoulder and his hind legs around my left shoulder slipping down to behind me like a backpillow with my seat belt tightening and his ear covering my right eye. all the while I am either laughing or prayiing that I make it across the river and can pull over! in the meantime I get him to go sideways towards the front seat and he then moves car from drive to 2nd gear and turns on the hazards! 
I am now driving with a dog in my seat, not just a little one either. we had finished a 10k and normaly he just lays down on the quilt in the back, so not sure what possessed him to take up driving! when I pulled over, I was laughing and saying "Rudy what am I gonna do with you?" and got this selfportrait... and so I posted my earlier question!
Spectacular day here in Denver!! I did my bike workout indoors, nailed it, in fact. Then I headed outside into the 57 degree glory for my run!! What a joy! I think I was actually smiling. You should have seen all of the bikes and runners out on the path. Probably 3/4 of Denver's cyclists took this as a great opportunity to get out. Many of them are going to have a heck of a load of laundry trying to get that skunk line off of their shorts and jerseys, but I'm sure the joy of riding in the sun will make that not so bad
Thanks to all of you for your support over the last few weeks when I was struggling. The extra rest, my renewed effort to ensure a steady flow of calories during my days, and my resolve to go to bed at whatever time I feel like it (even if it's 8 PM) all seem to have helped. Can't say it's any one of those things for sure or even any of them together, but I have a hunch they're all contributing to things coming back in line. Just a couple more weeks of OS!!! Then it's onward to IMSG race prep! Can't believe I'm saying that!!
Marianne, before I got my van, the dogs would try to the same thing. Now with the van and the baby carseat, they definitely stick to the back! That was a hilarous story! Glad all turned out ok! Be careful , Rudy Dog!
*okay we are talking about family vacations? what are the ideas.. so we can plan and work around everybody's sports/school. A trip to England to see my relatives, a cruise, learning how to scuba dive and snow skiing are all on the table, I want Yellowstone but that has been cut!
what y'all doing this year? cleaning up kitchen, took a rest day today, a nap today and deadheaded plants outside as it was 56 and sunny!
We have friends who just moved to their vacation home in Summit County Colorado to semi retire so we are headed there in March to ski for a week unless we suspend reality for one minute and someone actually hires me....(not likely). 70.3 New Orleans to finally have a first in person meeting with my birth father, time at IM WI and then another Christmas out in Maine and vacation time for my hubby is gone. I think, though, that I will be planning a trip with http://www.activenewzealand.com/ the following year for our 50th birthdays. Anyway...that's our vacations this year.
So...my husband just came up and asked if I wanted to go to a gun class with him for Valentine's day...the incurable romantic.....
Beth - welcome back from vacation - sounds fantastic! Makes me want to go skiing...
Sheryl - wow, sounds like an awesome year of travel coming up!
2010 vacations for me:
I'll be leaving for a week of warm weather next Sunday...a pilates retreat at a resort near Cabo (Baja, Mexico). Can't wait!
Also will be taking the week off after IMCdA to hang out in Portland and maybe Seattle. I love the pacific northwest (but in a very different way than how I love Mexico...).
Hahahah, Archie is so genuine! What you see is what you get
Vacation? Uh, let's see, TOC, Cowgirl Camp, IMWI- heck I don't think I've got any vacation left!!! Joe and I hope to take a few 3 day weekends to the mountains (NC & VA) this year and maybe do a a 4 day weekend of overnight sailing. That's probably the extent of our vacations this year- 2011 will be another good year to plan something a little bigger (like maybe 2 weeks of sailing!)
Vacation planning. Something I avoid. Good thing Max does it all. Unfortunately he gets many more weeks than I do. I have already taken 2 of my 3 1/2 weeks vacation for WI camp and IMWI. He is pushing hard to go scuba diving in Costa Rica in May or June, a 12 day trip minimum. What is hard for me is that I will constantly be living on the edge of zero vaction. So if I get sick or something, I am screwed. He will go to the Galapagos in August. If we don't do Costa Rica, then it may be back to Palau in November. See, I find it stressful just thinking about it. I prefer when it just gets done without me.