I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

Beauty is skin deep. Or so I was always told. Last week when I was grocery shopping I got in line for what might possibly be one of the slowest checkers in the world. This gave me plenty of time to unload my groceries, decide which candy bar I really wanted but couldn’t eat and read the headlines of the tabloids. They were full of Angelina Jolie. I do not personally know Ms. Jolie. Do not think much of her reported morals, but I only know what is in the press. I do know right now they are reporting that she doesn’t like losing parts to younger, sexier women; one in particular who has modeled herself after Ms. Jolie down to mimicking her style and location of tattoos. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, you can cross a line. It is reported that she is taking jobs away from Ms. Jolie, but since it’s not exactly taking food out of the Jolie clan’s mouth that’s really not an issue.
What I felt when I saw this was sadness over the pictures of Ms. Jolie; four years ago and the current picture. We all look older in the last four years, especially a woman who has been pregnant twice, giving birth to three small children as well as having her three adopted children. I understand she has nannies and housekeepers and personal assistants. I did not feel sadness for Ms. Jolie specifically, even at 34 or whatever age she is she looks really good. I felt sadness for my gender. I hate that we are judged by how young we look and how sexy we are. I hate that there is such a shortage of good men, single and married, men that love their women and stay with them and don’t trade them in for a younger, sexier model. (I do realize that women judge men by their looks too, I just choose not to address that right now). There is a shortage of men that are judging women by their external appearance instead of what really matters, the beauty inside.
For those of you who know me well, or have read even one post of my blog, you know that I exercise like a fiend. I’m pretty honest about starting exercising because I wanted to be skinny. Somewhere along the way, I found out that there is so much more to it than just being thin. I realized the health benefits, physically, mentally, and yes, even spiritually. It has benefited my marriage, my spiritual life, some friendships and even my family. I dye, tweeze, wax, whiten, shave, condition, moisturize and perfume. I’m looking at investing in a whole wardrobe of turtlenecks.
I had this typed and scheduled to post, and then last Sunday saw Wendi’s post on Miss Ellie, from the world’s ugliest dog competition. Check it out, worth the read, wendiwebber.blogspot.com

Week 4

I have successfully completed 4 weeks of marathon training. This was the worst by far. Not in physical training, but mentally. I did all my workouts, but had two days I seriously contemplated quitting. Wednesday I did a trail ride with Steve. Fifteen miles, two hours of chasing him up and down hill, over rocks, through sand and sweating like crazy. I actually was able to ride through the sand for half a mile where it undulates, for the first time ever. Major victory for me. On the way home though, I just didn't want to do it. Unfortunately, had no choice. Thursday night I ran to Nate's baseball game, 5.5 miles. I had a six block stretch where it took everything I had to keep going forward. I literally wanted to sit down on the trail and not move. I gave myself a pep talk, something along the lines of "you want to run a marathon, that is going to be hard. If you can't power through the last 1.5 miles of a 5.5 mile run, you can't do 26.2." I finished, and I thought along the way that I can't take anymore failure in my life right now. Not any that I can control, anyway, and this is within my power to finish. THEN I got to the game and one of Nate's teammates stopped my on the way by the dugout and called me a runner. ME! A RUNNER! He said he told my son a couple weeks ago that he thought it was cool that his mom could outrun him. Then my 19 year old nephew (college athlete) commented that I didn't appear to even be tired. Appearances are deceiving. Anyway, the positive comments helped. Getting told I was crazy on Saturday by an adult friend from church was also taken in a positive light. See, I had just ran 12.5 miles successfully. First time I ever ran that far by myself without a friend or husband for moral support. 2 miles from church, my finish line, I actually got pretty emotional (tears, but with all the sweat no one would know) because I had thought about quitting earlier in the week, and if I had, I would have missed that feeling of accomplishment, that feeling that I CAN, in spite of my weaknesses which are many, over come them. I am going to digress from training for just a minute here and say that I was deeply convicted by the Holy Spirit that there are some spiritual disciplines that need the same perseverance applied to, and that is going to be a priority. There are still people in my life that comment that they are surprised that I did it, or on a new distance or challenge they doubted I could do it, even this last Saturday. Not sure what I have to do to prove myself to them, but am sure I don't care. It's not necessary to prove myself to anyone EVER AGAIN. I still hear that I'm crazy and people ask me why I do it. Not sure I have one definitive answer, but I guess because I CAN. I keep waiting for it to get easy. Hasn't happened, but I haven't fallen out of love with the run, so I'll keep going.

I juggled my rest days from Monday to today, will cross train tomorrow. This week is
Monday - strength and elliptical
Tuesday - 8 mile run
Wednesday - 5.5 mile run to ball field
Thursday - cross training, trail ride
Friday - rest
Saturday - 14 mile run, running with a friend from church who is training for a marathon and has a 9 mile run and has never run that far before. Then I get to run another 5 miles.

I praye that you all would be strong and healthy. God bless.

Conversations with Whitney

Setting: Heights High School cafeteria, high school boys baseball awards night

Coach Topping: This years “Most Valuable Player” award goes to Eric. Eric is great, blah blah blah, Eric can do anything, blah blah blah, Eric is going to college, blah blah blah etc.

Whitney: (in a very loud stage whisper) I can’t believe Eric won.

Me: Why not?

Whitney: I wanted to be Most Valuable Player.

I have learned

1. You can mark ugly shoes 80% off and they still won’t sell.
2. Throwing the noodles in the sink before you put the colander in there pretty much ruins the noodles, at least if it’s the side with the garbage disposal, you haven’t cleaned your sink that day or there are dirty dishes piled in it.
3. An 11 mile run on a 94 degree day with 70% humidity is a tough workout. If you stop to use the ladies room after 8 miles, pulling your spandex pants back up over your sweaty body is a tougher work out than the 11 mile run.
4. If there is a personality trait (flaw) that you don’t like about yourself, one of your children will have it. If there is a personality trait (flaw) your siblings have that you didn’t like or found especially annoying, ALL of your children will have it.

To know me is to love me

I have to do it, must make fun of something. FACEBOOK quiz, “How well do you know me?” This cracks me up. I thought of creating one for my husband and then answering it so I would get 100% and impress everyone. But you don’t have to know me well to know that I don’t participate in quizzes, I like to think I’m an enigma. “I’m a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”, Winston Churchill. I’m actually pretty easy to know. I think it’s hilarious when wives or husbands miss questions about each other. This is how I would post a quiz “How well do you know me?”

1. How well do you think you know me?
25%
50%
75%
100%
2. Am I married?
Yes
No
3. How many kids do I have?
Two
Five
4. My favorite activities are:
Reading
Running
Riding my bike
Spending time with my family
All of the above
5. Pick two creatures I don’t like:
Frogs
Snakes
Feathered creatures
Dogs
Cats
6. My fashion preference is:
Traditional/Classic
Hip Hop
High Fashion
EMO
Even I don’t know
7. Which one of these careers does not belong in my dream list?
Rock Star
Fashion Designer
Author
Teacher
Marathon runner (if you are good enough you can earn money doing this)
8. Which is my favorite Christian Band?
Chris Tomlin
Gaither Vocal Band
Newspring Band
George Beverly Shea
9. My greatest goal/passion is to
Run a marathon
Live a godly life
Travel the world
Make people laugh
Feed squirrels, because no squirrel should go hungry

Aren’t you glad I don’t home school. With quizzes like this, my kid’s career paths would include “would you like fries with that?” Now, I could try and stump everyone, but where’s the fun in that? I want to feel popular and loved, and my self esteem can always use a boost, so what better way than to post a quiz about myself where everyone gets 100%. That means you know me. And to know me is to love me!!!

Week 3

No one ever drowned in sweat, but I wondered once or twice this week if I might. Good sweat equals a good workout in my book, so I'm not complaining. This was an eventful week training, Steve broke me in on some new pushups, hands on two large medicine balls, feet on the flat side of a bosu, and let me tell you those suckers are hard. I ended up on the floor and did push ups with the medicine balls, feet on the floor. After that workout, my upper body hurt for two days.

My six mile run only had one moment that was difficult, I had to find a way around this.

Steve also did a cross training day with me, trail ride. Encountered a western hognose snake. They are so big that when Steve ran over him on his bike it didn't even phase him (the snake). In trying to get away, I gave myself this bruise.

Saturday I had an 11 mile run. Waited till it stopped raining and took off at 12:45. Ran 5.5 south, and then turned around and headed home. Stopped at McDonald's for water and 3 miles from home it started sprinkling. Two miles from home it was raining pretty hard and the lightning and thunder hit at the same time. I was reaching for my phone to call someone to come get me and it was buzzing before I got it out of my pocket. Steve told me he thought I had the sense to turn around when I saw the storm. I had to explain to him that the storm came in behind me and was moving a lot faster than I was.

Ended up today with an hour forty-five minute ride on the bike path by the river. Totally uneventful. Been a tiring week, but a good week.

Conversations with Whitney

Setting: Car with Dad, Mom and Whitney

Whitney: Mom, can I have go-cart.

Me: No

Whitney: Why not?

Me: Cause they cost $1400.00

Whitney: Some are just $1300.00

I suffer from insomnia. I have tried lots of things. Doc says my mind just never slows down. He says its stress related. I believe him. He prescribes low dosage anti-depressants to level me out. Can’t do that, I like being manic, moody, and emotional. Don’t take away my tears! Actually, I can’t abide the side effects. So when it’s bad I rely on Tylenol PM or Benadryl and late night television re-runs. Enter: The Real Housewives of Orange County, New York City, New Jersey, Atlanta, etc. I don’t like many of these women. I know the editors show you what they want to, and you may be missing out on the real person, but I can only say WOW! I wouldn’t let anyone follow me around with a camera, but the excesses of these women are unbelievable.

I was thinking of this show in context of the women I know. I would love to have a “The Real Housewives of Wichita, Kansas” show. Although finding a woman in Wichita that owns a $16,000 orange purse would be impossible. Here’s the thing though. While Wichita is not without its excesses, I can afford to eat in any restaurant Wichita has to offer on our measly annual 5 figure income. Yeah, I said it. 5 figure income, are you jealous? We don’t even have Macy’s or Nordstrom’s. We have Dillard’s, Sears, and JC Penney. If its high end and you want it, you are driving to KC or Dallas or ordering on line. I think I would make good reality television (except that I hate to be on film). I am blessed (cursed?) with a sharp wit, a quick tongue and very few filters between brain and mouth, so the “lost footage” surrounding me would be golden. Back to my “Real Housewives of Wichita, Kansas” saga. Do you think people would watch us take our kids to the water park? The local water park that cost $5.00 to get into? I’m not talking “Whitewater Bay” or “Oceans of Fun”, Derby Water Park, Winfield Water Park, or better yet, YMCA Water Park. Or how about getting together for the zoo? We do our own remodeling projects. When I say we do our own, we get paint on us. We pour cement. We stain floors. We put up wood. I don’t have a single housewife friend that has help with her housework (unless you count my friend who has two kids and Grandma babysits them and sometimes picks them up and will run the vacuum or fold laundry or load the dishwasher). OKAY, I’M TALKING ABOUT ME. Thanks mom. And Sheila’s mom. Can you imagine following us to the clearance racks on shopping trips? Or to Target? And please, a day at the spa? We do our own pedicures. Well, I have some friends that spring for professional ones. (Once I started running and needed them weekly I couldn’t afford to have it done anymore, do it at home now). I do have a handful of friends who have had plastic surgery, but usually we are having stuff taken out, not put in. And it’s really hard to get in and see the one plastic surgeon, because he gives top slots to burn victims and breast cancer patients.
The women I described above, none are above middle class. None have ever hosted a charity event to raise money for “their” charity. But everyone gives. Maybe not as much actual cash, but percentage wise, and time wise and talent wise, they out give every one of the women on these ridiculous shows. They are as real as their bodies. (Was gonna say as real as their boobs, but didn’t want to offend anyone.) And NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM is married to a wuss. Their men are stand up guys that take care of their families and their wives. They do manly things, like golf and build decks and run marathons and volunteer in their churches, and help each other out, and have other men friends. Real friends. They play catch with their kids and throw their babies in the air till they laugh. They take their wives out for dinner because they want to, not because the cameras are on them.

So to all my Housewives of Wichita, I’m thankful to know you. You have made my life better by being a part of it, and I think anyone who doesn’t know you has missed out on some brightness in life. While I don’t ever want to be on reality television, I think it would do the real housewives of New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, Orange County etc. a world of good to see what the term REAL HOUSEWIFE really means. So strut your home pedicures, at home hair color, or even if you get it done at the salon, don’t tell anyone we only pay $75.00 for that here. Strut your small chest, your saggy chest and less than perfect body, your real nails, skinny lips and knock off purses. Continue to make your coffee at home or get it at Kwik Shop for $.99 instead of $4.00 at Starbucks. That’s what makes us REAL!

You guys know I love you, and I’m praying for all of you.

I am afraid

I really am.  I was reading my Bible at lunch today and came across a passage. It’s not a new passage, I was raised in church and Christian school and in a minister’s home.  I’ve heard and read it all many times.  Why is it that something that should be so familiar to me can be forgotten?  Job 23:13-16 “But he is the only God.  Who can come against him?  He does anything he wants. He will do to me what he said he would do, and he has many plans like this.  That is why I am frightened of him; when I think of this, I am afraid of him.  God has made me afraid; the Almighty terrifies me.”  I have been unhappy with things in my life.  Things I have no control over.  No matter how hard I have tried to bring about certain outcomes, I can’t do it.  And these are not bad things, not really even selfish things I want to see.  They are good things, necessary things.   I have been, well, let’s just say I have NOT been content with the state of my life lately.  This has translated to discouragement and even on some days feeling like God doesn’t care about me.  How dangerous is this?  I believe every word in the Bible, which means I have been really testing the patience of God.  Good thing he is longsuffering or I would be a pile of ashes right now.  I know he is working in lives, and it’s not about my comfort and happiness.  I know it’s about my growth and character, not about my wants, and even what I think I need.  But knowing all this has not kept me from being dissatisfied.  The second half of verse 13 that says “he does anything he wants”.  Well, then this is what he wants, at least for now.  I have to live for Christ, and do what I can, but then I have to leave what is out of my control to him, and really trust that he does know best.  I constantly think of James 4:17 “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”  I need to do what I know is right.  PERIOD.  I need to have a fear of God.  He hates sin, he doesn’t want it in my life.  Doubt and discouragement are sin.  Anxiety is sin.  Disbelief is sin.  Thinking God has forgotten about me or doesn’t care about me?  I know how badly it hurts for your kids to think you don’t care about them, knowing it’s not true, knowing it’s the decisions they have made that have them struggling.  Why would I act that way to my heavenly father?  Am I some special kind of stupid right now?  (That is rhetorical, please don’t answer).Patsy Baker

Week 2

This was a rough week for me. I managed to get in both my strength training work outs, but missed the cross training work out. I did run 3 days, Tuesday 3 miles instead of 5, but coming off the half marathon, I felt I needed a slow recovery run, so I went with it. Thursday I set off to run to Nate's baseball game and it felt great. I was rolling along at record pace for a 5 mile run. I got to the half way point and my palms started itching. This is serious, it means I'm in the early stages of an allergy attack. I had let my Singulair prescription run out and it was waiting for me at Dillons. I get hives inside and out. Chest and lungs swell, ears, nose, eyes and throat all swell up and close on me. I get big itchy welts all over. So I called my knight in his shiny red Camaro who came and rescued me with a bottle of water, benadryl, and a tube of benadryl lotion. He drove me to the game and dropped me off. I was okay with the exception of being really sleepy. At least I didn't have to use the epipen. So I got half that run in. Saturday was supposed to be a 10 mile run. We had a very stressful day, and while this usually translates to a great day for running to work off the stress, it really woren me out, so I ran 3 miles and called it good. Fortunately, tomorrow is a new day, start of a new week, and I CAN and will do better. I want to be healthy as I get older, and I know it's going to take a lifetime commitment to a healthy lifestyle to achieve that.
This week is two strength work outs, one cross training work out, two 5 mile runs and 11 on Saturday. We'll see what happens. I have a pretty easy week schedule wise.
Hope everyone has a great week! Do something good for yourself this week.

Conversations with Whitney

Setting: The mall, and the car

Whitney: Can I have new flip flops?

Me: Purchased two pairs of flip flops.

Whitney: Can we go to Penney’s and get that Snoopy stuff I saw?

Me: It’s at Sears at the other mall.

Whitney: I need new face wash, my nose is oily.

Me: Okay, remind me at Wal-mart

Whitney: Ooooo, can I have an Ed Hardy swimsuit?

Me: Do you think I have a money tree?

Whitney: No, but I know you make XX dollars an hour.

Me: I have to pay bills.

Whitney: Like what?

Me: House payment, gas, electric, trash, water, cable, Verizon.

Whitney: We don’t need a house. We can go live in Uncle Kris’ house (he just moved to Seattle, hasn’t sold yet). We don’t need cable because I don’t watch TV. See I just saved you like, $1000.00 a month. Now can you spend it on me?

Making life a little easier

Have you ever attempted to make your life easier and made things worse, or am I alone in this? I was running last week and decided I didn't want to run downhill under the bridge and then uphill the other side. In avoiding the hill, I crossed the street and found out there was no sidewalk on that side of the bridge, just a two foot ledge with no railing and traffic whizzing by. After successfully walking across this, I found there was no side walk to get me to the bike trail, I had to walk 50 feet across the field. The field was full of pokey weeds that get in your socks and shoes and poke you. I had to sit down on the cement path and take both shoes and socks off and pick each pokey weed. This took longer and was much worse than running uphill would have been. I also got lazy on a 9 mile run and wanted to cut a mile off. Climbed up hill, jumped a fence only to find out I would have to cross 4 lanes of 70 mph traffic on the interstate. Back over the fence, down the hill and ran the rest of the way home.
I do this in other areas of my life too. In trying to avoid something that appears unpleasant, I make things harder. I have done this in relationships, finances, and at work. Untangling the mess I make trying to avoid something difficult is much worse than if I had just plowed forward and stayed on track. I am attempting to get some areas back on track, and it's not easy. Staying on budget is not easy. Fixing relationships that have hurts in them whether caused by you or to you is not easy. But avoiding them and or circumventing them is not the answer either. If God wants me to take a circuitous route around a problem, that's the way I should go. But if God wants me to meet it head on, then I better meet it head on. And trying to manipulate God into my plan instead of following his will never work out in my favor.
Isaiah 55:8-11 "I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work. God's decree, for as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for the farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them". I want to get it right the first time. Not try to get around it and then spend 15 minutes picking sharp weeds out of my shoes and socks. Invariably I will miss one and find it 50 yards down the trail and have to stop again. You would think I would stay on the path God has for me. I still wander off from time to time, and have to be shepherded back. I find comfort in the fact that I'm worth God pulling me back, and he doens't let me wander to far before I feel the tug to get back where I belong.

Week 1 training update

Finished week 1 of marathon training. Got every workout except the 30 minute bike ride in. Yesterday ran a half marathon at El Dorado Lake. Trail running is harder than street running because the terrain is not smooth. We ran part of it on horse trails, which recently had horse traffic on them. Big hoof size divots in the ground that had to be avoided. It's hard to get a rhythm. Ran half a mile on rocks, and the climb up the side of the dam was killer. But all that was mild compared to the turn at mile 7 and the next 4 miles was directly head on into 24 mph winds. Not gusts, a constant wind. If you've ever lived in or visited Kansas, you know what I speak of. It was also a gradual uphill climb at this point. Then there was the snake on the trail, fortunately for me a runner in front of me must have stepped on him and he was dead, so the screaming and high stepping didn't last long, but did deplete some energy and air stores. My running pal laughed so hard at my antics she was doubled over gasping for air.

All things considered, this half was a success for me. I learned a lot from the first one I ran in March, and took 6:01 off my time. I think I could have done better yesterday, I didn't push till mile 11, and I know I had more in me. My calves and my abs are letting me know I worked them hard yesterday, my right heel is sore, but I feel pretty good. I am very tired, thirsty and hungry, but I burned 2035 calories, so that 's to be expected.

I will leave you with a picture, consider this my "before" and in October after the marathon (yes, I still plan on training and running one or more, although the thought of running twice as far and twice as long as yesterday seems daunting) I will post an after. I love running and I know I won't stop unless health dictates that I have to. My kids are old enough that I have the freedom to do this. Tomorrow I will run the 5 miles to the baseball field for my son's double header. It's all bike path with lots of shade, so it's a nice run. I will do this again on Thursday before his game as well. Saturday I have a 10 mile run, I think I will run the bike path from K96 and 127th to the nature park at Oliver and 29th and the rest of the week will squeeze in a day of cross training and two days of strength work.

Hope everyone has a blessed week!

Me and my wonderful man who ran "his" race this time and took 51:21 off his time from the last one when he ran with me to make sure I could do it.

Conversations with Whitney

Setting: Whitney often tells me that I love Nate more than I love her. I talk about him more, put more pictures of him on facebook (she wants to be seen). I told her that I post about her on my blog, she asked what about:

Me: I tell everyone the things you say to me.

Whitney: Like what?

Me: (gives examples)

Whitney: You mean you have dedicated Fridays to me on your blog?

Me: Yes.
Whitney: Cool! I’ll have to keep saying stuff.

Things I've learned

1. Shaking your hair and running your fingers through it is sexy. Squeezing a pimple or plucking a stray eyebrow is not sexy.
2. Raising children is not a roller coaster ride. It’s that ride that you sit down, strap in, and it shoots you straight up and then it drops you straight back down. Over and over and over. And you can’t get off. And it costs $400,000 to ride.
3. If you wear your nastiest work out clothes to the gym and decide to stop for something from the grocery store on your way home, you will run into at least 5 people you know. If you smell really bad, it will be 7.
4. Whitney pointed out all my annoying habits the other day. I learned I have a lot of them.
5. My pet squirrel “Lerriuqs” (pronounced Lareeks, it’s French, okay, not really, it’s squirrel spelled backward, thank Whitney for the name), will now come to the front door and put his paws on the door and peer inside, (and will try to knock) waiting for his dinner. Bread makes squirrels fat. One thing I haven’t learned yet is how to tell if a squirrel is male or female.

Me and Lerriuqs

Whitney and Lerriuqs

6. My whole family needs tetanus boosters.

WOW!

I have commented on this before, how God gives me the same message from different sources. Today I got a double whammy. First off though, let me share a couple of wonderful verses from Lamentations 3. Verses 19-26. Nothing new for Christians, but great message of hope! "Lord, remember my suffering and my misery, my sorrow and trouble. Please remember me and think about me. But I have hope when I think of this: The Lord's mercy never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great. I say to myself, the Lord is mine, so I hope in him. The Lord is good to those who hope in hi, to those who seek him. It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save". I used these verses the other day, and I returned to them. Steve and I are once again facing a rough time with our family. He has asked that I not share, and I definately honor that request, but I keep returning to this scripture. Here is where the double whammy came in.
I listened to my IPOD preacher, Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch.TV out of Oklahoma today. Sermon 2 in the True(ish) series. Good sermon on God wanting us to be happy. He does. Kind of. But he wants other stuff for us more. He went on to talk about a fish out of water on the beach. What happens? He gasps and his scales dry. He's not happy. How do you make him happy? Cover him with money? Get him a beach chair and sunglasses and a copy of "Playfish" and a martini? No, you make him happy by putting him back in his element, the water. We are like that fish out of water. We are not made for earth, we are made for Heaven. I loved this, especially the "Playfish" magazine and he commented, "nice tail". Gotta love that pastor.
NOW IT GETS WEIRD! This is not original Groeschel material. You know how I know? Page 989 in my New Century Version Max Lucado Bible right after Lamentations 4 has this exact same illustration. Since my devotional Bible was copyrighted in 2003, I'm guessing Mr. Lucado wrote it, but I'm sure he's willing to share.
How freaky is it that 4 years after I get this Bible I read this particular devotion? I have never read this devotional before, I would remember "Playfish" magazine. And I'm behind on my sermons. It's from the end of January of this year. I can only believe God wanted me to get this message today. It's not that I'm unhappy, but I think he wanted me to know that in this world there will be trouble, because I'm not made for this world. But I have hope, for a better day. And I know that he does have all of this turmoil around me under control. Now, I'm going to get Runner's World magazine and a diet coke (yeah, that's how I roll, no "playfish" or martini for this girl) and be as happy as earthly possible. And these two things make me pretty happy.

Will there be diet coke in heaven?