Random Musings on a Half....

I went...
I ran...
Slowly, but I ran....
and here are some random things about my adventure.

1.  I can not run and drink from a cup at the same time.  Runners, is there a class I can take?
2.  No matter how many times you offer me Gu at an aid station, I will never ever take it.
       Seriously, it is gross.....
3.  I can run and eat an half of a banana or gummy bears.  I felt so coordinated after my drinking misadventures.
4.  Apply your anti chafing product with gusto.  I was whiter than normal, but made it thru ok.
5.  Steep hills during mile 6 are just mean.
6.  Kids dressed as superheroes that are willing to run up with you make mean hills slightly better.
7.  Volunteers along the course really keep you motivated with cheering.
8.  5:25 is early to get up and get ready for a 6:30 start time.
9.  Runners, as a whole, are an amazing wonderful encouraging group of people!
10.  I ran the first 1 1/2 with a runner from Texas in a race in Morgan, Utah.
11.  Misters are the greatest thing ever on a race course.
12.  Otter pops at mile 11 rock!  I even got my favorite flavor--grape.
13.  13.1 miles is a long way, but it is doable.
14.  I ran slower than I had planned 3 weeks ago, but you know what.....it doesn't really matter.
15.  I will be running another Half Marathon in October.
16.  I will run on Tuesday, because that is one of my running days.....
17.  Yes, I am tired, but not in pain.  Added bonus....no loss of toenails.
Melissa

The Build-up

I have been training since the end of March for my first Half Marathon.  That statement alone should give you a clue to my sanity and reasoning as of late and give you an inkling of what I am about to describe.

It started off great.  I had a training plan, with 4 extra weeks, to get ready.  I ran; I swam; I did yoga; and I rested.  It was not easy, but it was doable.

About 3 weeks ago, I hit a groove.  I had finally conquered the mental block for 10 miles and I was cruising.  I began setting goals for myself beyond just finishing, which when I started this adventure was my only goal.  I began worrying about pacing at certain speeds and about my finish time.  I began comparing myself to a weird ultimate runner who only existed in my head.

My dreams starting to have a running bent to them.  The Half Marathon was taking not only time and thought during my waking hours, but in the nighttime too.

I was stressing out.

Then on Saturday, I got sick.
A bug that has left me exhausted, tired, and drained.  My appetite has been off.  I have missed my last 2 training runs.

On Monday, I considered canceling my hotel room and missing the race.

Today is Thursday and I will be running on Saturday.
Without a watch....... I will run at what my body tells me is ok, not what I think I should do.
Without a goal.......except to cross the finish line.

With joy......I love to run.
With gratitude.....A year ago, I barely ran a 5k.  On Saturday, I will run 13.1 miles.

Why do I do this to myself?  And it is all on me.  Everyone in my life has been so supportive and encouraging about just attempting a Half Marathon.  I was the one who started putting time limits on it.

A thought keeps popping in my head that sums it all up.....

Let it go
and it will be what it is meant to be......

Melissa

Am I Crazy?

The bathroom in my house is hideous.  I'm not exaggerating, just telling you the simple truth.

It has peach/pink tiles, not just around the bathtub, but halfway up the wall the entire length of the bathroom.  It's like the 70's threw up in there.  To make it even worse, the cabinets were painted to match the tile.  euwwwwww.....

The colors have driven me crazy the entire time I have lived here, but have you ever done a bathroom remodel?  They are insanely expensive.  boo.

So, I lived with it and painted other rooms and lived with the bathroom.

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I have a Pinterest problem.  How does this relate to my ugly bathroom you may ask?  Pins that show cheap and easy ways to redo a bathroom.  I have been stock piling those pins, and then asking people who know these things if they are a good idea or if I would just be making a bigger mess of things.

I have planned and plotted and dreamed......

and now I am springing into action with the pace of a turtle.  This will be a slow process, as I will be doing the majority of the work, but the end result will be worth it.

The Plan......

Sand, prep and then paint the bathroom cabinets from their icky peach/pink to Chocolate Coco from Behr.

Prep and paint the walls from their dull beige/peach to Organic Green from Sherwin Williams.  (I won a gift card to them a year ago that really sparked this idea)

The tiles are the biggest project and the one that has given me the biggest grief.  I saw on Pinterest a way to paint tile.  Was this really possible?  Would it last?  The answer is yes, but with some major qualifications.  You have to use the correct paint; properly prepare the tile and make triple sure the grout is clean, free of mold and in the best shape possible.  I can paint with the best of them, but grout work is  not my forte.  That is where professional help will be brought in.

The cabinets will be painted first.  This will be an upgrade even if I do nothing else.  The mismatched portion of this adventure will occur when I paint the walls, but the tiles will still be their icky color.  I've  already prepared my tidy organized soul that this will be an uncomfortable phase.

Say farewell to this....

UGLY Peach/Pink Tile Begone!!!

My budget for this entire project... $250.
DIY!!!!

I'll keep you posted on my progress......
Melissa

Silence, Bliss, and then every thought in the Universe

Meditative Frogs

A meditation student went to his guru and said, 'Every time I sit down to meditate, my mind goes crazy and I can't calm down.  My mind wanders and it does not seem to be doing any good.'

The guru responds, 'Don't worry, just wait two weeks.'

Two weeks later, the student comes back in and is soooooo excited and exclaims, 'My mind is calm.  I'm finding bliss and peace every time I meditate.  This is the greatest thing ever.'

The guru calmly replies, 'Don't worry, just wait two weeks.'

My meditation challenge has been exactly like this.  It goes in ebbs and flows and brick walls and stops.

I've practiced many different forms of meditation since January 1st.  Guided meditation, Zazen meditation, moving meditation, sleep inducing meditation, and holy crap has it only been 5 minutes mediation.

I've learned to let my mood and day choose my meditation style for the day.  If I have an idea of what I want to do and force it on my practice that day, I WILL STRUGGLE.  As I prep for my meditation, turning off my phone, etc.,  I ask myself, 'What is going to work today?'

So, Lesson #1 of meditation,
Let it flow.  Do not force it.

People have been asking me how long I meditate....  The answer is a bit complicated.  It varies.  Some days I'll meditate for almost an hour, the next 10 minutes.  The goal is to meditate with full intention, not time.  The Zen meditation practice of Zazen is very structured and regimented.  You sit for a specific time in a specific posture.  I have done this style, but I started rebelling against the time restrictions.  For 25 minutes, I would be in bliss and peace and then I would feel like my meditation was complete, but I would still have 25 minutes left in the time.  I would then sit in frustration and lose what I had gained.

Lesson #2 of meditation.
Be flexible on time.  Listen to your body and mind.  However, challenge yourself every once in a while and do a longer timed meditation.

My New Year's Resolution was to meditate every day.  By a bit of luck, I put no other conditions on it, like time or style, which is not normally my style.  I have missed a few days, but not a lot.  Ironically, it's on the quiet days, that I have a tendency to miss.  On crazy, busy, hectic, stressful days, I crave my meditation.

Lesson #3 of meditation.
Make a habit of it.  Consistency is the key to this....  You'll survive the brick walls and stops, if you just keep meditating.

The best part of my meditation  has not occurred during my practice.  It has occured in the rest of my life.  My critical inner voice is calming down--you know the one that says you can't do this.....  During exercise, I am able to find that quiet space in my mind and just let my body do what I set out to do.  I am also sleeping better.  And on those nights that I'm not sleeping well, I do a guided meditation that sends me right to sleep.

So, the final Lesson of meditation.  #4

Enjoy the results.  Enjoy the silence and bliss.....
just Enjoy.

Since I've started this, friends and family have been sending me quotes and cartoons about meditation, so I will leave you will this final thought.

If you do not have time to sit in silence for 30 minutes,
you need an hour.

Namaste,
Melissa

Humphrey, the Ham.....

This is Humphrey.....

You've met him a couple of times before here on the blog:  here, and here, and even in the one where his sister wrote, but he's never had a post dedicated to just him.

So, today is Humphrey's day here at A Little to the Left.

A little background information about Humphrey.

His full name is Sir Humphrey Dyson Murphy, aka Boo.

I got him at a Petsmart Super Adoption.  He was on the last row and the last cage and when I saw him, he walked over to the edge of his cage and looked up at me and said, "I'm yours."  I had no intention of getting another Basset Hound that day....  I went looking for any type of dog, but a Basset.  I was still getting over the death of my previous Basset Hounds, Tobie and Daisie, and did not think I could take another one.  Humphrey changed that idea and came home with me that day.

When I got home, I realized this full grown 70 pound dog had no leash training and was terrified of almost everyone and rapidly had separation anxiety anytime he was left alone.  The leash training took a couple of weeks of long walks, giving him a stick to carry so he wouldn't bite his leash, and a lot of patience.  The fear took quite a bit longer and a lot more help.  Humphrey was about 2 or 3 when I got him, and was (and I still believe) a handsome hound dog.  He's a big guy,  but not fat, just long and dopey looking.  People along the routes of his walks in the early days would want to talk to him, but he was just too scared and shy, but there were a few dedicated dog lovers who took the time to earn his trust.  Humphrey soon realized that in addition to me and the family, most of the world is very nice to dogs and he did not have to be so scared.

Humphrey still has a few quirks from his early abuse and lack of socialization, but has become an amazing dog.  He's a little more protective in the house than I would prefer but is easily disciplined.

Why did I explain all of his?

To show the growth and love this dog now has for people and the belly rubs they give out and the joy I feel when......

Humphrey, the Ham shows up.

You see it on walks when he sees kids, who are the most likely to pet, and he puts his tail up and his ears out to look very handsome.

But it really comes to life on a couple of events a year.
1.  The St. Patrick's Day Parade in Salt Lake City, when the Utah Friends of Basset Hounds (the Basset rescue group I now belong to) has an entry in the parade, which we call the Wasatch Waddle.  Humphrey spends the entire parade route on the edge getting tickles and pets from anyone who will give him one.

This photo is from a couple of years ago, but you get the idea.  Notice how he rolls over to get his belly rubbed.  I call him a 'BellySlut.'

2.  The Easter Bone Hunt at Wheeler Farm.  While this is more a dog event, Humphrey always seems to find people to pet him and basically make a big deal about him.

By the end of the event, I joke that Humphrey had a fan club and they were his 'peeps'.

3.  Strut Your Mutt....  I don't know what it is, but Basset Hounds seem to draw a lot of attention at events, and Strut Your Mutt is no exception.

Here is is taking a break in between all of his 'peeps' and pets.

4.  Walk, Wag and Swim.   This is a great event!!!!  The Saturday after Labor Day, the Draper pool is open to dogs.  Humphrey loves to swim and his people are there.  Could there be anything better?

If you are wondering about Bacall, she tolerates all of these events.  She loves her family, but other people are a bit suspect.  I always tell the people who she lets pet her that they have a special touch.  Dogs, however, she'll say hi to and play with.  She always makes sure Humphrey is in her sight, but stays off to the edge and let's him have the spotlight.

If you're out and about and see Humphrey, please feel free to give him a pet.  He'll probably sit on your feet to keep you there a while and if you show any skills at belly rubs, he will roll over so you can test your skills.

Later,
Lover of Basset Hounds,
Melissa

Like Totally Tubular, Man.....

We've actually had a winter this year with snow, storms and cold weather.

I am not a big fan of this.

Mild winters are happy!  Mild winters are sane!

Yesterday I was running around in a t shirt without a jacket.
Today, it is in the low 40's with wind to make it seem colder.  This winter does not want to go away.

Starting in January, when I realized that this winter was serious, I had to make a plan to keep my sanity.
I had to find activities to get me outside and actually enjoying the snow, instead of cursing it as I shoveled, shoveled and shoveled some more.  Seriously, at one point, I had to shovel paths in my backyard so the dogs could go outside.  The snow that fell around the middle of December and all of the snow that fell after did not leave my yard until this week!!!!  Three months of snow on the ground and a lot of it.

Snowshoeing was put on the agenda, including a full moon hike that went straight up a mountain and straight back down.

Then a LivingSocial deal showed up in my inbox......
2 hours of tubing at Soldier Hollow.

I seem to get one every year in late January.  :)  I've gone with the deal for the past three years.  The first year, the tracks were fast, not too fast and perfect.  Last year, there was very little snow and it was warm.  You would have to push off your tube 3 times to get down the hill.  This history lesson was to set up what occurred when I went this year.

I went up on February 27th.  It was cold and there had been fresh snow a couple of days before.  The tracks were packed down and ready to ride.

On the first ride up the tow line, I noticed a sign that I did not remember......

When you get to the cones, drag your feet to slow you down.

Ok... I took note and took off down the hill sitting in my tube.
Got to the cones and realized a problem, my feet really did not reach the ground.
I was flying!  Excessive speed was reached....
I met the safety fences.
And eventually stopped.

For the rest of the runs down the hill, I laid down on my belly on my tube and DUG my feet into the snow to stop before bonding with the safety fences again.

At one point, the staff drove a snowmobile up the runs with an attachment behind it to grind up the tracks to slow them down.  They were running that fast!!!

All in all it was a very fun day that made all of this snow bearable.

Being pulled up the hill!!! What a way to Tube.

 Still thawing out.
Melissa

The Great Crayon Massacre of 2013

Hi, my name is Melissa and I am addicted to Pinterest.

It started out simple enough with an invitation to join by my cousin 2 years ago at Thanksgiving.  I started slow with a couple of boards and a few pins.

And then,
it quickly went out of control.

Soon I was planning to build furniture, build an arbor, redo counter tops, outfit my friends and family or anyone who would let me for Halloween (seriously, I have over 50 costume ideas in my Holiday board), create the best workout ever from tips I found, and create amazing meals and desserts .

It stayed at the virtual level and planning for quite some time with only a few simple easy recipes making their ways into the real world.

Life was good.

Til that fateful day, when I stated, "I need to do more than just pin; I need to start doing these crafts and such....'

Little did I know what would happen next.

Gauze ghosts at Halloween
Subway Art printables at Christmas
A cake that took 4 HOURS to prepare (it's reallllllllly gooooood, but just beware)
A clean oven using ammonia
A wreath, including making my own frame for the base
Cleaning my toilet with Alka Seltzer
Cutting glass bottles with fire and nail polish remover
A crockpot that is begging for mercy from all of the recipes
and I could go on....

and then I saw it....
a Valentine's Day craft that was cute, not cheesy or overly gushy....
and thought, I can do that.

Here's the link to my pin....

martha, you done me wrong.

Yes, Martha Stewart is the blame for the great crayon massacre of 2013....

I read the directions, and tried to follow them, really I did, but my crayons, which I had purchased for this hare-brained idea would not shave in a sharpener.

So, I hacked them to death with my butcher knife.  That should of been an indicator to stop right there, but I forged on.  I proceeded to crimp, or so I thought, the edges of my wax paper and layered my precious crayon remnants between the craft paper and ever so lightly began to iron them to melt the wax.

Did you know that melted crayon wax can go thru wax paper and craft paper and completely leave your established work area in a heartbeat?
I do.

Once again, the universe was saying, "STOP", but did I listen,
No.

Attempt #2 included folding of the wax paper before crimping and leaving a 3 inch gap of empty space before the edge and multiple layers of craft paper and an iron turned WAY down.  I think my breath was probably hotter than the iron.

I got the crayons to melt, not in a pretty and even way like the photo for the directions, but in a weird streaky abstract sort of way.

I did not care.  I let them cool and cut them into hearts and hung them in my front window for the world to see.

6 hours of work, mostly in clean up

If you drive by my house before the end of February, take a look at the Pinterest addiction problem in my window, and warn your friends about the dangers of Pinterest........

I've gotta go,
I think some new pins have been added since the last time I was on.

Melissa