I just don't feel like it

I don't feeling like blogging today. This blog isn't turning out the way I thought it would. I don't have a focus. I need a focus. A blog is no good without a clear focus and 'my life' isn't focused enough to focus an entire blog around.
I need to re-focus my focus.

I'm not ready for this

It's the end of April in Ontario and the temperature reached 28 degrees today.

I am not a fan of hot summer weather. Give me a cool spring day, give me a sunny fall day, even give me a cold winter day but over 27 degrees? No thanks.

I was expecting this weather to hit mid-June but not April. My run suffered this morning because of it and that really pisses me off. Along with the heat it's extremely windy today too. That combination really hurt my run. It was like running into a hot brick wall.

The sky is getting black now and it looks like a thunder storm is moving in. Great for me, but not so great for Molly who is terrified of thunder and lightning. It's going to be a long night, but at least the temperature will be in a more acceptable range tomorrow.

Pizza's here - gotta go!

Sunshine and Lollypops

In an effort to be more positive I started a new tradition last night with my husband. Each night before we fall asleep we both have to share our favourite moment of each day.

Sometimes life can just be crappy and I think we've both gotten in the bad habit of focusing on the negative lately and not thinking enough about the positive.

The best moment could be something as simple as hearing an old song on the radio, rolling the window down and singing along. I'm not looking for Comedy Central moments just the best moment we experienced in the last 24 hours. Secretly I think I will always hope that his has something to do with me, but realistically I know that is probably not going to happen as often as I want.

Today I found myself stopping along the way to think 'could this be the favourite moment of the day that I will share?'

I've got nothing on this woman

I just read an article written by a woman who ran the Boston Marathon yesterday 25 weeks pregnant. That's pretty friggin awesome.

Next time I want to skip running because I'm tried, I need to remember her.

Never a dull moment

The biggest news in my life today is that my beloved George has a tapeworm. I have just finished googling them and I probably wont sleep tonight thanks to those images.

Poor George has had a rough time these last few months. He's had pretty much every worm you could imagine living in his little belly, chomping on his innards, but through it all he has never swayed from being a sweet, happy, gentle little soul.

We're going to kick this worm's ass. Send 'em packin'. Run him outta town. Hopefully, once it's gone this will be a new beginning for Gorgeous George. Hopefully.

Run for your life

I dabble in running. I say dabble because even after sticking with it for the better part of two years, I still do not enjoy it and I am nowhere near good at it.

I tried winter running for the first time this year and learned A) it's cold in the winter! Sometimes too cold to run and B) I enjoy running in the dark.
Now it's spring and although it's wonderful to have more daylight, I do miss those night-time runs.

I am struggling to get back to being able to do 10K. I had done the 10K route twice - twice! - back in November just before all things Christmas started and since then I have not been as committed as I'd hoped and now find myself struggling to get back there. I'm happy with 10K. I feel accomplished. I feel strong. I feel successful. Until I get there again I'm not sure I will feel any of those things.

The running group I run with has a new crop of runners this spring and I'm finding it hard to fit in. I have never been a fast runner and usually I don't care, but now there are older, lager women kicking my ass and it feels horrible! Over the past few years I have been trying to train my mind to not think about the other people, to just worry about myself, but having an older, larger woman who has just joined the group sail by you is a little humbling to say the least. Is it bad that I hope she falls and suffers a minor but significant injury? Okay ,yah that's bad.

Today I am proud of myself. Today I went out and ran on my own just because I felt like it. I am going to try to do that more often. I think it will boost my fitness level but more importantly my confidence. I've always had a problem running without the group and I think that is a big factor in my inability to improve.

My husband told me the other day that sometimes he thinks I run because I have to, not because I want to. I laughed. That is exactly why I do it. I hope one day the opposite is true.

Blogging in hard work

So on my 5th day of blogging I have officially run out of topics. Who knew it would be this difficult?

I guess I live a sheltered life.

I'm exhausted today which doesn't help the creative juices flow. I had a very busy and stressful week at work and I can't seem to rebound from that.

I went to my running group this morning only out of guilt and as suspected I had a horrible run as a result. Since then, I've puttered around the house, cleaned, shopped for groceries and walked the dogs twice and now my husband and I are watching 'Milk'. I even managed to squeeze a nap in there but I'm still exhausted.

Anyway enough complaining, tomorrow I promise a riveting and thought provoking blog for all my loyal followers.

Better Half

This believe it or not, is my better half.

My handsome, loving, thoughtful, talented, smart, funny, did I mention handsome? husband. I'm not only saying this because he is currently the only follower of my blog, but also and more importantly, because it's true.

I really do have the best husband out there. He is all the things I've listed above and so much more. So much more that even when I might forget just how wonderful he is, someone always reminds me.

I hear my friends complain about their husbands, how they don't cook or clean, they don't help enough with the kids, they just expect their wives to do it all. I am thrilled each and every day to know that is not, and will never be, my reality. Partly because unfortunately for him I can't cook worth a damn, but also because it's just not his style.

There are so many reasons why I love him and I don't mean to simplify it by making it all about household chores, but I think it's displaying common courtesy and doing the little things like making a nice meal or cleaning the house before I get home that really make me feel loved.

Honey I know you're reading this - you're the only one reading it - so in case I haven't told you today... I love you and I am very lucky to be your wife!

Bartender... another round

I try. I really do try to see the positive in most things. Despite my best efforts I know that I'm guilty of being a 'Negative Nelly' more often that I'd care to admit. Today I forced myself to see the positive in the situation I was facing, and to my surprise it actually worked. The day that I once dreaded, turn out to be not so bad.

I have recently become aware of just how much other people's positive or negative energies impact my mood. Ideally, I would love to rid myself of the negative energy, but sometimes that is not possible. Many times these negative thinkers are integral people in my life, and ridding myself of them is just not an option. The truth is, sometimes they are not wrong. Some situations are just crappy, but the energy that is expended lamenting is often just not worth it. It is what it is, and no amount of moaning will change that.

I have decided to make an honest effort to see the glass as half full more often than half empty. I will not promise absolutes. I will not promise to never see the negative, I will simply aim to be on the greener side of the grass more often than not.

It's only fair

I could not dedicate an entire post to Molly without doing the same for George.

Gorgeous George, George of the Jungle, Georgie Pie, Porgie Roo - he has so many names after only three short months of being in our family.

We adopted George January 10, 2009 and although it has been a long struggle with illness, we have never regretted our decision to bring him home.

George is the definition of the perfect gentlemen. He is handsome, sweet and gentle. He craves love and provides it in spades in return. His kind soul radiates through his big brown eyes and the difficult life he lead before we met can be seen on various parts of his body.

George wants nothing more than to be loved and to love us each and every day. The lessons he teaches us are endless, but the most important is to be thankful for the gifts life gives you.

Take a moment and smell the air

As promised here are a couple of my favourite photos of Molly.

In one her face just says it all. The camera loves her. She has some of the best expressions I've ever seen on a dog and I take advantage whenever I can.

Molly makes me smile even on the crappiest of days.

She makes me forget about all the crap and reminds me that it's the simple joys in life that matter.

The second photo is another favourite. After a long, cold winter spring has finally arrived and she will spend hours, just sitting, smelling the air. I think we could all learn a lesson from that. Next time things are getting you down just take a moment and stop to smell the air.

Developing

For years now my husband has been telling me I should start my own blog.
What do I have to blog about? is always my response. He seems to think I have a lot to say. I'm not sure if that is meant to be flattering or not.

I have been following several other blogs for a while now and I've noticed the best ones, or at least the ones that speak to me, contain lots of photos, are updated regularly and are based on specific topics of interest. I don't know at this point if I can live up to any of these good blogger traits, but I will do my best. Except for the last one. I truly have no idea what this blog will focus on aside from saying 'my life' which hopefully will turn out to be a very vast and broad sea of topics.

If you plan to follow me, prepare yourself for numerous photos of my Beagles and my husband, discussions of improving my running time and pace, the odd 'does this outfit make my butt look big?' question and hopefully a lot of laughs.

Marcie