What Matters

think I've always had a pretty good head on my shoulders. I mean... I forget where my car keys are, I sometimes forget where I'm going and head in the wrong direction. But when it comes to what matters most, I've got that down pat.

Sometimes though, we get caught up in the "stuff" of life. The expensive toys, trips, goodies. It's easy to do, especially when those around you are also caught up in the same stuff. Yeah okay, I'm being vague. But lately, life has reminded me that much of that stuff really doesn't matter. What matters is the family that surrounds me, the light in my five-year-old's eyes when he reads a book or wins a game, the hug from my husband when we've both had a difficult day. Stuff can't do that for you. I've also been reminded, by said five-year-old, that you can derive immense pleasure from the simplest things in life. The color of fall leaves, stars on a clear night, the innumerable uses of scotch tape.

Stuff doesn't matter. Love, family, fall colors, hugs. That's what matters. Who needs the car keys? For that matter, who needs the car? I think I'll go for a walk.

There's No Charge for Awesomeness

We took our four-year-old to Kung Foo Panda this afternoon and that's my favorite quote. It was a cute movie and I think I ate a whole tub of popcorn. My son has now come down from his Skittles high and is in bed, hopefully not dreaming of becoming a kung foo fighter.

The great news from today is my brother and his fishing partner won their first fishing tournament. Yey! This is their second? summer on the tournament circuit and their first win. Unlike the dog agility show circuit I am on, my brother actually gets a big check when he wins. I am very proud of him. He is an expert fisherman and also makes and sells his own lures. He should write his own book on fishing Washington state lakes.

Hey, now that Lost, Grey's Anatomy and House are done for the season, any ideas on good shows? I love my down time in the eve...I may have a crazy schedule, but veg time in front of the TV is soooo important! Maybe it's time to break down and join Netflix.

Rainy Days are Girlfriend Days

I know the time stamp on this will say Sunday, but I'm posting for Saturday. I didn't mind the rain too much today because I met the girls for a movie and drinks. We saw the ultimate girlfriend movie, "Sex and the City." Was it predictible? Yes. Long? Yes. But I enjoyed it, and the company, immensely. Afterward we had drinks and got caught up. For those who don't know this, I've had the same group of girlfriends since junior high, and in one case, since preschool. There are five of us, and we make it a point of getting together at least once a month. It's become increasingly harder with careers, spouses, kids, etc. But we all make it work. We each have our own network of friends and separate social circles, but there will always be the five of us. I feel lucky to have that.

I started the day with my long run. According to the training shedule, it was supposed to be 9 miles. I mapped out a new course on http://www.mapmyrun.com/ and hit the road. All was well until about mile seven, when I discovered that a road on my map didn't actually exist in real life and was, in fact, a solid wall of trees, brush and nettles. Oops. Had to improvise...got a little lost...then my Garmin informed me I'd completed my run...and I was still 1.5 miles from home. Oops. I walked a bit, then reset the Garmin and ran the last mile. This of course gave me an excuse to indulge in a large portion of thai food and many glasses of wine with said girlfriends later in the day.

Sunday (okay, technically today) we are taking our four-year-old to see Kung Foo Panda. Sounds like an odd movie, but he saw a trailer and he really, really, really (reeeeaaaallly mommmy) wants to see it.

Okay...it's 4 am and the house is completely quiet. I should be writing...

Mileage goal: 9 miles - done, plus one!
Song of the Day: "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. This song came on the iPod at about mile 5 of my run and made me smile like a lunatic as I powered up a hill.

Sniffle...

Came down with a horrid cold this week. So, today, I am sniffling my way through my work day and I run into a colleague, who is sniffling his way through his work day. We both came to the conclusion that ALL cold-type viruses can currently be blamed on our LACK of sunshine. That's right. We're blaming it on the weather. I just read that California is in the midst of a drought. TAKE OUR RAIN, I say.

I'll stop whining now because I have a random question. If you order chinese food to go, do you tip the cashier? I am generally a very good tipper...so when I pick up my food from the counter and sign my credit slip, I feel guilty not leaving something on the "tip" line, even though I'm not dining in. Is there an etiquette rule here?

My four-year-old finally filled his marble jar with "good behavior" marbles. He has been talking for weeks about earning a periscope when his marble jar is full (he learned about periscopes from Curious George and PBS Kids...not all TV is bad). Last night we gave him his periscope (a green, plastic thing that cost $20) and he was so excited but he very solemnly told me that periscopes "are not for spying. Spying is wrong." Perhaps our current administration should watch more Curious George, no? I am quite sure their good behavior marble jar is not even close to full...but that's another story.

I finally worked through a sticky part of my plot outline for "Take One" and am very excited with the outcome. More details later...

Mileage goal for the day: Can I run with a fever?
Song of the day: "Stronger" by Kanye West
Take One word count: Hasn't changed from Tuesday. sigh.