Running Update

On Saturday, I went for a run with some of the Wasatch Back team. I ran 5 miles. Yes, it took me almost an hour, and yes, my knees and feet hurt for the rest of the day, but I did it! I'm not even sore today!

(Thanks, Miz Mooz 'Vanessa' sandal! You saved my feet during church today!)

It's the farthest I've ever run in my entire life so far, so I'm proud of myself. I can feel less undesireable jiggling of certain body parts and clothes fitting in a looser and more comfortable way. Of course, as I sit here typing this, I am eating Easter candy, but that's what tomorrow's run is for, right?

The Monkeys in Their Penguin Suits

When Mom & Dad Kim came for a visit last week they brought the boys some new Easter clothes. What do you think of my handsome boys?

Here, H is trying to climb out of the stroller so he can come see the picture, O is being himself, and S is still posing, as still as a statue.

...Enjoying the bubbles from their Easter baskets

As I write this, S is reading, O is throwing Reese's peanut butter eggs up and down around our living room, and H is resisting his nap. J is on the couch listening to music. Dinner's in the oven, and church was uplifting and spiritual. Love the Lazy Sundays!

Time's a Wasting

I'm generally not one to toot my own horn, but I have to say that I can be really good at wasting time. Like right now, for instance -- I knew there was a reason I hadn't started blogging, besides the fact that huz is paranoid about anything that goes out on the internet, it's totally wasting my time! Another thing I waste my time on is Sudoku. Maybe it's because every number has a specific place and there is only one right answer. Maybe it's because I'm a geek. I have this great little app on my phone that gives me 7 new Sudoku games daily of varying levels. When you've completed a level, it tells you your speed and how fast you were compared to everyone else who has played that game. I waste a lot of time on my phone with that game. I justify it by telling myself that I need something to keep my brain from oozing out of my ears, since I'm not involved with a lot of book learnin' anymore. Crosswords waste my time too. What are some of your time wasters?

The Appeal of the Nerd

Let's face it, people. My type of guy is The Nerd. I began in 7th grade with a skinny, gangly red headed boy who liked computer programming. I moved onto crushing on a tall red headed boy who looked great in a lavendar t-shirt who also liked computer programming. I suppose I took a departure with the soccer jock, but who could resist that Irish-Italian, dark-haired, blue-eyed boy? Then there was the tall, dark English-Egyptian who graduated as high school Valedictorian. In college there were the crushes that went nowhere, but that I remember well -- gangly dark-haired, glasses trombone player and quiet, awkward, slightly-scarred from teenage acne french horn player.
At last, tumbled down into incurable love with J, my love forever. Awkward, rounded shoulders, glasses (before the Lasik), quiet, shy, mellow, humble, funny, patient, brilliant, wonderful J. He's at the top of his profession in the internetworking expert world. Not too athletic -- no Church ball for him -- but strong and wiry beneath the cushion he's acquired over the years (it's going away -- he's running the the Ragnar with me in June). He is my nerd of nerds. For those of you who just don't get the appeal of the nerd, watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXe_3gVz6I

Come on, you can't tell me there's not something sexy about that!

She's magic

So, on the occasional Thursday, I watch my friend and neighbor's adorably boy Ty. She, in turn, pays me for my time and cuts my hair. I swear she's magic. For those, including myself, who thought my hair would never hold curl longer than a few hours, I give you...


It's the next day. I slept on it, and it's still in. She's magic. John followed me around with the camera when I got home, he thought it was so cute. Oliver's comment when I went in his room to sing to him before bed? "You look weird." Well, you can't win them all. Thanks, Crystal!

Fear

So, I'm officially announcing that I am registered to do this in June:

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/wasatchback/index.php

Honestly, I am freaked out.

I am not a runner. I am not an athelete. While others were participating in sports in high school, I was sitting -- playing violin, playing bassoon, reading, doing homework, making out with boys -- not running. I fenced, which was cool, but it is not an endurance sport like running is. I must be crazy.

The night my friend Amy called to ask if I wanted to do it, I did not fall asleep for hours. Then I decided to commit. To face my fear. The afternoon she called and said she was signing us up, I felt literally sick to my stomach for a couple of hours. Call my a wimp. Call me a coward. After June 20, if I'm not dead, there will be one less reason to call me either of those names.

I'm ignoring the discomfort my flat feet are causing me. I am ignoring the apparent exercise-induced asthma I am experiencing. Bring it on Ragnar. You just might kill me.

Updates...

In March John's brother Adam came up from Arizona to do this:

and this:

John will sheetrock it when he recovers from this:

Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition Surgery.

While it will hopefully improve his quality of life by taking the pain away and returning feeling to his ring and pinky fingers, it has diminished my quality of life a bit. Everything is on me now: diaper changes, putting to bed, getting out of bed, lifting anything heavier than 5 lbs, driving, dinners, laundry, picking up -- oh wait -- been doing all that anyway.

There have been a few bright points of light in all the craziness lately. Who can not be happy when threadless.com has their $5 shirts sales and you can get beauties like this:

,

this:

,

this:

,

this:

,

and don't forget this one:

.

Plus, when the perfect bag to replace Hello Kitty arrives in the mail,

,

and then the next day Mom and Dad Kim arrive from New Mexico for a visit,

who can complain?

When my parents were up we went to dinner at Red Lobster (the boys were squeamishly fascinated when they were introduced to the live lobster that they later, with horrified expressions, watched my mom dismember and eat, after it had been cooked, of course).

We made bul go gi and kimchee, hiked up Rock Canyon, lunched with Grandpa-Great at the Olive Garden, and generally had a good time. Thanks for visiting, Gomma and Gompa Bim (as H so eloquently calls them!)