Couch to ATHLETE!

I have a bit of insomnia AND my buddy has no concept of time. When Dukie has to go out, he has to go out!!! So, this morning, I crawled out of bed and danced outside in my PJs begging Dukie to hurry up so we could get back into the warmth. We got inside and then it occurred to me; it is Thanksgiving morning!!! YIPPEE!!! Turkey and Brussel Sprouts and Stuffing, OH MY!!!!!!! I get way more excited on Thanksgiving than I do on any other holiday. You see, this is my favorite holiday, and here is why... It isn't about gifts and galore, but instead about sharing a ridiculously large and DELIGHTFULLY DELICIOUS meal with your family and friends. So, what am I thankful for you may ask? I think I have been pretty clear on my blog over the past several months, but here is a quick run down: My Family - Always appropriately entertaining and overly involved at all the right times. My Friends - This year hasn't been easy but man do I have some solid people in my life. Special shou

Whoa, I swear I only had one glass of wine. Have you ever had to say that because suddenly you were off balance and couldn't seem to stand up straight? I know I have, on several occasions actually. In life, there are moments where things may seem off balance. There are some theories that include a triangle, each point, or side, of the triangle represents something in life. I honestly don't recall, at all, what those points include but some theorists (if I'm remembering correctly) say that we are all striving for balance but one of the sides of the triangle will always be a little shorter than the other. I'm always seeking balance, even in my athleticism, which is likely why I gravitated to triathlons in the very beginning. It gave me something different to work on every day and taught me that by working on every sport, your race would be better. Now let's take racing out the the equation. Yes, I love the start line of a race, and even more I love the finish l

Dukie, not to be confused with dookie, is my dog. He isn't just a dog, but rather the best dog! When Dukie took over my world we ended up being fast friends. He was here for less than two weeks when a terrible storm rolled through town and Dukie was in my bed, laying right on top of me in seconds flat after the clap of the loudest thunder. I laid there and pet him as he was shivering in fear and I knew he found the right home. After that night Dukie got comfortable taking over my bed and life and, now, literally follows me around the house from the moment I wake up, until I go to bed. He is a tripping hazard, but one I would NEVER trade. He makes me happy and loves me in a way that no human could ever love another person. I should mention how Dukie came to be with me. Dukie was my nephews' dog and when my sister's family moved to the United Arab Emirates, Dukie needed a new home. I could not have this guy go to a stranger and so he moved 1,300 miles to his retirement h

I am kind of a needy person. Ask the people I am closest with and you will hear that I text incessantly, call a lot and have lots of opinions. I hope that they would also say that I listen well, treat them with respect and love them unconditionally. I think I do, and I had to have learned that from someone. Right? Yep, my dad... Growing up, my dad was always around. He is the guy who always told me the truth, even when it hurt. Case in point... When I was young, maybe five or six, I walked down to the basement of the house, where my dad was slaving away making me my Christmas present. I had heard rumors that Santa Clause didn't exist but I didn't want to believe it. Being the youngest child has its disadvantages. Anyway, he was building a doll house for me... I asked him if Santa Clause was real, to which he replied with a very careful no. I cried... Fast forward twenty some odd years, I called my dad just to chit chat, and the call swiftly turned into finances, he is an

The past couple of weekends, I have had the honor/pleasure of helping a friend with a pretty big house project... I'm not going to go into details but like any house project,  the endless trips to Home Depot, the staring at the project, the researching and the labor are tiring, but 100% pleasurable when you can laugh along the way!!! So, who cares, right? Well, I have officially decided that housework is a workout. I used to think it was lame when people would use cleaning their house for weight watchers exercise points. Here is the thing, if it is out of your normal routine, those simple tasks really can be a workout. So, here I am, week 2 of this awesome project... And knowing there will be more in the future, I am ecstatic about the benefits I have reaped as a result of this project. Here are the details of my life... Over the past several weeks, I quickly gained 17 pounds because I was sick and had to take some medicine that contributed to that weight gain. You know what

Welcome to the first edition of Thankful Thursday. I would like to first address all of you folks who think I am being thankful ONLY because it is November, and well, what do you do in November? Be thankful. Well I can tell you that is not the case. I am thankful every day I wake up, every day I take my first step in the morning because it means I am alive!!! I am thankful every day, the thing is, I don't tell people every day. I do believe I am fairly good at letting people know that I am thankful for them. If you haven't felt the love from me recently, well tell me. Furthermore, after discussing this with friends the other night, I can tell you that I love that people are blowing up facebook and other social media sources with their thankful posts daily, simply because I know people are thankful but don't always take the time to express their thanks. What I would say is this... I challenge you to continue your thankful posts and continue to tell people you are thankful

For the month of November I am going to do, what I am calling, a 'Thankful Thursday' post. That means you can watch for two posts a week from me, for this month only. After all, I'm so tired right now, that I literally have no energy to do anything but tell you I am creating more work for myself for the remainder of the month? Okay, that doesn't make much sense, but it is the least I can do to express my gratitude for everything that swirls around me on a daily basis. To kick this off for the month, I'll start with a thankful post about my weekend... Yep, you heard me right, I am thankful for my weekend that included painting, raking, sanding, shopping, running, laundry, sandwiches, diet coke and rededicating myself to begin the process of giving up one of my vices. And now I'm tired and am for once going to keep this short. Here is a song that I found myself singing while thinking about 'Thankful Thursday'. My favorite lyrics: How about me enjo