Rules: Questions for when I meet my Maker

I'd like to introduce you to a new and ongoing collection of blog posts that I am going to make entitled

"Rules: Questions for when I meet my Maker"

These are rules that I believe, if followed, would make LIFE more enjoyable for all of us or just ponderings about certain strangeities of life and things I am definitely going to be asking my Maker about (yes, I realize that I just made up a number of the words in that last sentence....I'm okay with it). So, without further ado...

Rule #1 - Toe Hair

It is in my opinion that there is absolutely no need, anatomically or evolutionarily, for toe hair!

Eyelashes keep crap out of my eyes.

Even my longer and thicker than humanly normal arm and leg hair can be argued to keep me warm (or cool me off).

But toe hair serves no purpose besides

looking grose,

sticking out through my sandles,

and adding a step to the already arduous daily routine of shaving!

What's even stranger is that its not always there. Some days "my" toes look waxed, and other days I swear I could dread "my" toe hair. This is seriously going to be one of my questions when I meet my Maker!

*** It should be noted that any knowledge of and/or understanding about toe hair can neither confirm nor deny the presence or absence of toe hair on my own personal toes. These thoughts are merely speculation and observation!

oops....

I fell off the wagon. In my defense, I've had a LOT going on. Here's what's been going on over the last month!

I started running...

Went to camp (camp Celebrate from an earlier post)

Kept running...

Went to California for 5 days (where I ran EVERY day)

Still running...

Went camping for a weekend

A little more running...

Had surgery to get my tonsils taken out

okay, no running since then!

Its been almost 2 weeks since my surgery and I've FINALLY turned a corner and feel functional again. I just KNEW that while I was recuperating from surgery I was going to blog all the time and catch up on editing photos, etc. Yeah, I was wrong about that in a big way! All I could focus on was trying NOT to swallow and making it through the day until I could just go to bed again.

The good news, I lost 11 lbs in 12 days! Ha....I may write a book. I think I'm going to call it The Vicodin Cleanse! I couldn't eat without taking the meds, but once I took the meds I had no interest in eating.

Anyway, I'm about 90% better now, returning to work on Thursday and moving on with life...tonsil free!!!

I tried as hard as I could to rack up miles before surgery since I knew I'd lose a lot of time during recovery. I was able to get almost 30 miles in. Not quite as much as I'd hoped but still pretty good. So, now I've got 70 miles left in my challenge. Its a bit daunting but I'm up for the challenge. I won't be able to really start running for another 2 weeks but I'm hoping to get a few laps in of a slow "trot" until I'm back in the game!

Wish me luck!

and for those of you so inclined...i'd love some inspiration and accountability to keep running so leave me a FB message or a text if you think about it!

Perseverance!

I was off my routine last week because I was at camp for work (see previous post) but I DID pack my running gear for the weekend in hopes of getting in at least 1 good run.

Well, I did exactly that....1 good run. It was tough fitting in a run into such a crazy weekend but one of my co-workers and I decided to take some time on Friday morning to get out there.

It was fun to have someone to run with, and a new place to run as well. We ran on the road just outside of camp which is this long winding, basically flat road that goes by farms and fields and beautiful EVERYWHERE.

Because we didn't get to start as early as I'd hoped, it was already pretty hot and I didn't know how far to run so I just decided to go until I felt like I was going to die and that would probably be about the right distance.

Well, we ran for a while, and I definitely felt like dying. Later on I was able to clock it with my car and I ended up running 1.8 miles! Go me!

I spent the rest of the day with a horrible migraine. I'm may have to rethink the outdoor running in the heat thing. Just glad I was able to push myself further than I thought. Honestly, if i'd known how far I'd gone, I probably would have stopped running a lot sooner!

Celebrate!

This past weekend I attended Camp Celebrate, a camp for pediatric burn survivors hosted by the NC Jaycee Burn Center. This was my second year and it was just as much fun as the first year!

The camp is held at Camp Kanata...a YMCA camp in Wake Forest!

After all of the kids register at Triangle Town Center Mall the get to ride fire trucks in a parade the whole way up US 1 into camp! Fire stations from all over the state show up to volunteer for the parade and for the entire weekend. Its so much fun and such an honor to have them support and love these kids the way they do!

The Wake Forest FD cooked us dinner Thursday night! It was super yummy!

The theme for camp this year was "bringing back the 80's". Natalie and KC are two of the nurses in the burn unit and the 3 of us made up the "medic's" for the weekend. Here we are sporting some of our 80's headgear for the weekend!

There were a few articles in the N&O from the weekend if you are interested in reading more.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/21/1213530/burn-survivors-see-camp-as-a-balm.html

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9628571/

This is one of the parts of my job that I really love and I hope to be able to participate in this camp for many years to come!

and then there were 3!

Ran my third mile tonight....

And while it seems hard to believe, it was actually a bit easier. NOT EASY, just easier!

My lungs didn't burn so much, and I didn't collapse and die at the end. Progress is being made!

Finished up in the rain. VERY refreshing!

"Day 2"

I ran my second mile today.

It wasn't any easier than the first. Maybe tomorrow will be! Ha!

However.....

I decided that I would be doing my "miles" in my neighborhood. I have this teeny tiny little neighborhood and the entire circle is only 0.4 miles. So I walk half a lap (0.2 miles) to warm up and then run 2.5 laps around for my mile.

Tonight it was so fun because I saw tons of neighbors out in their front yards with kids, folks walking their dogs, mom's pushing babies in strollers, and a few other "runners". It was so fun to get out in my little community and see people. I'm hoping that as the summer goes on I will be able to get to know these folks more and more and build relationships with them.

2 down, 98 to go!

I'm sorry....did I really sign up for this?

So today was my "day 1". Officially the running starts this Saturday but I'm going to be out of town so I started today.

Lets just state the facts here.

1. I have "pretended" to be a runner for a lot of years now.

2. At one point in time, I actually could run 5 or 6 consecutive miles outside without dying (though it was usually a close call)

3. This is NOT that "one point in time"!

For a while now, I have only run on the treadmill and only done about 3 miles at a time. Today that changed. Not only do I want to reach my 100 mile goal for the summer, but I'd like to try to do it outside. The problem is, running outside is SOOOO much harder. Its not air conditioned, there are bugs, and the ground simply will NOT propel itself under foot like the treadmill does!

But I did it. My first mile, non-stop, outside! And as my feet hit the last steps of pavement leading up my driveway, the skies opened up and poured down cleansing rain! I will consider this the Lords way of giving me a fresh start!

1 down, 99 to go!

RunWithMe

Earlier in the year I got to hear 3 of the sweetest boys stand up at our missions festival and talk about how they were raising support for a Christian school in Malaysia and an orphanage in Cambodia. Last summer they had set out to run 100 miles and through that goal they were able to raise over $2000!

This summer they have asked others to join them and have added another missionary to the list of who they are supporting. Go check out their blog at RunWithMe!

I've been able to get to know their parents a bit through my sunday school class at church and this family is pretty amazing! They spent 5 years over in Malaysia and now they are back stateside!

I'm excited, and a bit nervous, to join in the adventure this summer! If you would like to support me just send me an email to let me know. I'm asking for $0.10/mile ($10 for the entire 100 miles) or whatever you are able to give!

I'm also asking for prayers and encouragement. HA!