What in the World??!

I had a big breakthrough last week... you see I ran a 10K race - BECAUSE I WANTED TO... not because my family was (see Bolder Boulder posts), or friends were, or any other reason than I wanted to see how I'd do. Now this is shocking - to me at least. See, I'm not a runner - or at least I haven't been in the past. I'd kind of try to run during the summers when I was in college to stay in shape for basketball, but it just never lasted very long... my knees would hurt (the result of popped bursae), the plantar fasciitis would kick in or shin splints, and there was always something else to do instead of running at nights. But Rena and I started running in January and in the last 3 months I've run two 10Ks and 2 5Ks, with more planned. And next year I want to do a half marathon ... wait, this is me, right?? Not so sure!! And in case you were wondering, I RAN the whole race and my time was 61 minutes - just under 10 minute miles. Not bad for a non-runner, eh?!! Although I have to say, I am just not photogenic... not posting the other pic where I look pregnant!!

Only on the web...

Ahhh... email and the internet - a combination guaranteed to increase productivity and fill the world with useful knowledge or not...

Wolves t-shirt listed on Amazon.com - scroll down and read the comments (link sent to me by my boss... now there's a busy guy...)

Earth hour 2009 - very cool pictures of before and during the lights out hour on Earth day.

And my favorite of the week... For Trade or Barter - just don't know what to say about this one, except well, still just don't know... what could I use as bait??

4th of July... plus a week.

Better late than never, right? So my fourth of July weekend started off on Friday with buying a new grill... the buying went better than the trying to get it in the car. The box wouldn't fit in the backdoor, the passenger side front door, the trunk... what's a girl to do? Stand in Home Depot's parking lot, bust open that box, pull out all the parts and pieces and shove them into the back seat (and that barely fit!):

The neighborhood does a big show for the 4th - it starts with a pancake breakfast:

And continues on with a kids parade (complete with a fire truck!)

The last couple of years I've missed the parade because I've been on snowcone duty at the after-parade-activities - I'm starting to get good at snowcones!!

Apparently I need to get a cruiser bike!!

Kirk & Luci and the boys and my friend Bonnie came over and we made sure the new grill worked (very well - it didn't even burn the burgers - keeper!). Kirk, Luci and Z-boy went to find an Urgent Care and meds to help with their summer colds, J-man, Katherine and Alan who were visiting their grandparents next door did a J-man version of hopscotch (and you can see Bonnie's legs... how did she escape with just a leg picture?!!)

And then fireworks... love that I can sit on my front lawn and watch them!

So very grateful to be a citizen of this great country!! Happy 4th of July!!

What, Who, me??!!

I have no idea why your flowers are on the deck instead of in the pot Mom...

(the really damning evidence - a muddy snout and front paws - came off during our walk...)

I was just checking to make sure I hadn't put one of my treats in there for safe keeping and suddenly pooouuf!

Poor sad puppy - maybe I'm too good at reprimanding her??