Yes, I DID run 45 minutes at an 8-minute mile pace last night... That wasn't my long day either ;-) Our bike trainer should be in w/in the next few weeks as well. It'll be exciting to be able to run an hour...and THEN add on my biking workout. If I'm able to add my swimming sessions on w/the start of the new year, I'll be right on track to bust out some awesome sprint tri's w/the start of the next season. As long as my motivation stays high through Joey's deployment, a 1/2 ironman should be w/in my grasp.

The dogs were beautiful at the dog park last night. They were streaking across the park faster than any other pair of pups and everyone noticed w/awe. Harper is growing more and more aware of us...and Eure is growing more assertive, which troubles me. Now that she has Harper to dominate, she seems to think more highly of her "alpha" self and is being a bit of a butt all over again. It's like she's reliving her teenaged years. Sooooo, we have more work ahead of us w/her as the pack dynamic continues to settle. Hopefully we can get it worked out before Harper becomes a teenaged butt, too. I'm already dreaming of the day both our dogs have matured...we have wonderful dogs.

My car is STILL not here. We're going on month 3 w/a single working car...and it's really wearing on me. It must be worse for poor JC, my chauffeur.

Outside of that, I'm tentatively looking forward to this coming weekend. It'll be the first social drinking event I've gone to w/our generation in MONTHS. I'm been avoiding our normal clique purposefully as my distaste for heavy drinking split me from what seems to be most 20-somehtings. Wow how my priorities have shifted post-college. Anyway, our costumes were so good that Eure didn't recognize Joey in our dress rehearsal. Boy did she tell me about the intruder in the house.

So, that's a taste of the life of wee. This little engineer is out.

We are not the beautiful people...

...but that's ok.

This is how I'm more comfortable. We camped out near Granite Falls last weekend and did the quick hike up to Lake 22. Next time we'll run this trail.

Just tried to burn the house down with rice. Like a ninja! May need a new pot.

...grant that I may always desire more...

For the life of me, I cannot understand the type of person who curls up to watch TV every night (i.e. MOST of the people I work with). My soul is not content being still and there is rarely a day where I am sated with what I've accomplished. You cannot imagine how demoralizing it was to waste a beautiful summer planning a wedding that I knew would make me miserable. Top that off w/the death of the golf, so the loss of my freedom, and WOW was that rough. W/the winter rolling in and my mini predicted to arrive THIS WEEK, I find my head absolutely spinning w/the possibilities. We'll be able to alternate a few week nights w/the dogs so I can go run 6-10 miles (this bores our pups) and Joey can guiltlessly go play soccer w/friends. I'm also scheming to figure out how quickly we can train Eure up w/canicross & skijoring. Then factoring in how quickly Harper will be able to join us. Top that off w/thoughts of pushing myself to be ready for the Seattle 1/2 marathon and some winter camping...and omg, I can barely sit still @ work. There are, of course, the plans for the house, too: Jezahellions cat walk, finally finishing the painting of our home (yeah, we've been there for over a year now), convincing myself to make my master tree/universe quilt, re-organizing the garage (again) to fit in more equipment (winter camping gear and my glorious new road bike), finishing up the brakes for the Honda, and planning the minor mini upgrades (tinting windows, 3M protectant, and black vinyl wrapping the chrome)...

There's a quote I still remember enjoying in High School:

"Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.” ~Michelangelo

Sooo, while my Love, Elle, gets to tear apart buildings for volunteer work ;-) and my other love, JC, is home sick (running all the errands we'd been neglecting), and my other loves (Jezahellion, Eure, Harper) are home sleeping... I shall return to the work where I drill away @ stress analysis...secretly plotting a fantastic girls weekend.

PS We climbed Mt Si last weekend, which was a pretty easy jaunt.

It's good to get back to it, but I struggle w/pacing our increase of activity.

This is how over a month of lame happens:
9/11 thru 9/13: My wisdom tooth removal weekend.
9/18 thru 9/20: Still not supposed to workout (see above surgery), so spent time getting the house back in order post-wedding (seriously took ALL weekend).
9/25 thru 8/27: Worked through the weekend.
10/2 thru 10/4: Worked through the weekend.
10/9 thru 10/11: JC's sinus surgery weekend.
10/16 thru 10/18: JC's drill weekend.

Finally - 10/23 thru 10/25 - free, free, free! May go visit Marlo if things work out. May pick up the mini if it's ready. I hope we'll get out hiking at least - camping would be even better! Puh-lease hold off rainy season.

Facilitating Adventures

I've been wanting a preformance road bike for a while - both to ride to work and to be my future Tri bike. Lately, I've come to realize that anything I purchae now, will likely (with care) last till I'm in my 40's or OLDER. Sooooo, I'm upgrading the quality of items I purchase. That said, it wasn't difficult for the sales people to talk me into this originally 3K 2008 Specialized Ruby Expert.

Isn't she pretty? Aaaaand, omg, she'll be fast. Considering the pending Mini Cooper, our wedding debt, my school laons, and my need for a few other toys this winter...well, I did the responsible thing and put her on layaway. This is the first time I've EVER used layaway, and i'm pretty excited about it. It's not like I'd ride this beauty much this year, considering the Seattle rainy season is starting to kick in. I have up to a year to pay her off, but plan on upping that so I can bring her home in the Spring when all the new 2010's are in high demand...yet, I'll only have paid a lovely end of season price for a 2-year old new bike. Wow, am I excited.

Next up on the must-have list:
Second set of skijoring gear (in a few months after Harper has matured).
X-country skate skis (@ an end of Season sale...so in the spring).
Mt. Climbing Gear (around February when we take the B. Alpine climbing class).

For now, I'm 'end of summer' cleaning out the house from unused gear and kinda wishing I was going back for Rose Homecoming. The onset of fall/winter should bring more snow shoeing, x-country skiing, and canicross adventures. Color this little engineer SOOO excited the wedding biznasstyness is over and we're moving on to real adventures.

090509 Favorite Pics

B4 climbing the mt...

On top of the crater rim...

Wonderful boy...

Wonderful friends...

I'm a lucky girl.

This little engineer is out.