I often wax sentimental. Sometimes it’s the Italian in me; other times, it’s the big queen’s doing. Whatever the reason, last night, I found myself there. Full-on. The girls and I were in the car. I recently got A a new booster and E asked if we could switch sides. E has been behind me since taking that position when A was born. (Some baby safety groups recommend putting a baby’s car seat on the passenger side so it is on the sidewalk side when entering/exiting the car.) Now that the two of them are self-sufficient at putting on their buckles, I thought it would be OK. Truthfully, I would…
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Why’s Men Say…
A while back my coach challenged me with thinking about “why” I run. This, I can promise you, many runners do a lot of the time ourselves, even without someone asking. Like when we set an alarm for 4:30 to go running in the summer to get our mileage in before it gets too hot. Or when we dress like the Nanook of the North to go for a run in the winter. Or before we embark on some distance most people wouldn’t normally do. This one is hard to quantify because that number is very variable. For the non-runner, even three miles sounds like a lot. Whereas many distance…
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Groundhog Day
We are coming up on Groundhog Day. Other than the tradition of it, I have always found it a bit preposterous. On February 2, in central Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil “determines” whether there will be six more weeks of winter. Whether he sees his shadow or not, in reality, most of us have at least 8 weeks of winter left. I’ve always found it to be simply annoying. Besides, I have my own Groundhog Days. They don’t happen just on February 2. I sometimes feel like Bill Murray. And it can be on so many fronts. Let’s start with weight. I’ve lost at least 300 pounds. Oh, fear not, those of…
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Striving to Non-Strive
If you’re like me, you often feel the struggle of the 100 things you “could” or “should” do and the desire to just do nothing. That’s right now for me. Well, not that writing is nothing. But it’s not sorting through the boxes of Christmas decorations that I didn’t use to better store them and maybe even cull a la Marie Kondo. It’s also not going through the massive pile of the kids’ art and memorabilia that I have stuffed inside a triathlon transition bag (read: giant backpack) only to have it grow with each week. It’s funny. It’s not like I think that everything my children create is worthy of saving…
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Time Warp
Every now and again, when I’m picking up the 100th thing of the day or putting clothes in the hamper that only I can see, something hits me. I get an image of my kids’ fleeting childhood
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Let’s Get Physical
New year, new you. There is something about flipping that page in the calendar, revealing the new year that gives many of us a new outlook. It’s the ability to begin again, start afresh, become a better version of the prior year’s you. If you are embarking on some sort of resolution, you are probably not alone. Whether it be diet, exercise, quitting a vice, all of the above – hordes of people are starting this year, perhaps even like last year with great ambitions. Some will persist and for some, the novelty will wear off before President’s Day. Some of my blogging this year will be about fitness. A…
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“Social” Media
Sometimes one has to take a step back to see things more closely. Social media is fraught with problems – it’s pervasive, it can be a competition, and it is full of misunderstandings. It has become a constant in our worlds and while it can bring people closer, it can also drive them further away. We have all been in rooms when multiple people “together” have been on social media simultaneously. One has physical company but is not present with those who are actually there. I certainly share blame with this one. I have a twisted sense of humor. It’s very sarcastic, edgy, sometimes juvenile and often time-sensitive. There are…
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I am enough…
Enough. It came to me this morning. How appropriate that it should happen on New Year’s Day and after a few days of wondering about my deficiencies, how many I have and how deep do they possibly run. That’s when it came to me. “I am enough” is my motto for this year. I was at OrangeTheory with Greg doing a New Year’s Day workout. He had already run 6 miles this morning and was now doing a HIIT class as the second part of his day. I was having a good workout when I looked up at the board and realized that though I was giving it my all,…
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Saddle Up, Missy!
Last night, Greg and I had an incredible dinner at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk. We had been wanting to try it for ages and finally had the chance. (Thanks Mom and Dad for minding Elly!) While waiting for our table, we decided to have a drink at the bar. As luck would have it, the only two open seats were at the piano. So we (quite stereotypically) sat there. In a matter of no time, the pianist began to play “Over the Rainbow”. All we needed was a tv showing the Smucker’s Ice Skating Competition, Liza Minelli and a local field hockey team and we would have had…
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The Road to Fatherhood – Part 1 – A Visit to the Lesbian Lair
The road to fatherhood is like a roller coaster – exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I imagine that this sentiment is shared by all men regardless of how they get there. Because our experience is through Domestic Private Infant Adoption, I will speak of it through that lens. Since this is a fairly in-depth process, I am writing about it in multiple parts. Even so, I will still be only scratching the surface… The first step in the long road becoming a dad through adoption is being certified by the state in which you live as having the physical, mental, emotional and financial capacities to parent. This is…
