On the mat

First, I am going to talk some girl talk.  If that offends you, and you don't want to read it, skip down a paragraph.  You have been officially warned.  After several months of no period, it's back and it's horrible.  I've had several days of cramps and bleeding with no end in sight.  I had really thought maybe I was done, but I hear this is part of the process.  0 out of 5 stars.  Do not recommend.  At least I get to use my new period panties that I got on black Friday sales right???

Okay off of women's stuff.  We had a big week of wrestling.  Andrew made weight and then lost his wrestle off, so he had to wrestle 165 junior varsity and only got one match in this week's dual.  He looked a little intimidated in the video that was sent to me, but I had another mom send me several photos and he had a very determined face on the entire time.  

I had to miss yet again due to my experiment which I will talk about later.  I hate that I have missed so many football and wrestling games/matches, but my job pays really well, and overtime is essential right now as I pay for Christmas presents and our trip to Tulsa.  

We also had a tournament this weekend at Junction City.  For some reason, the coaches moved the varsity 165 kid up to 180 and had Andrew wrestling Varsity.  I first thought that maybe the kid didn't make weight, but he did so who knows.  I'm not one to complain about his coaches as he loves them, but I'm just not impressed with them this year.  It was a four-mat tournament, and they had to multiple times be told what mat to go to by us in the stands, and when and then half the time when they were at the right mat, they were looking at their phones or just staring at the ground.  Sigh.  I just hope Andrew sticks around for high school wrestling.  The new coach they just hired is really, really good and I hope Andrew will stay and get coached by him.  I don't see a ton of value in Andrew standing on the side lines in football, but I do see a ton of value of him wrestling JV in high school.  

Andrew had two matches with his first match being really, really good even if I missed the whole first period.  They had announced that all varsity matches would be on mat one and two, so I wasn't even paying attention to mat 3 until I looked up and saw him already wrestling.  He worked his ass off, almost got a pin, but got pinned in the third period.  I'll take it.  He tried so hard and never gave up and that's all I've ever asked for.  He even executed a Peterson roll, a move he'd been working on in practice.  We have one more tournament and I'm excited for him to wrestle off for his position and possibly finish the season strong.

While I can't give specifics of my job, I can say that even though my project is not front and center for the company right now, it's nevertheless very important and I am hugely stressed about it.  My boss can't give her full attention to it for many reasons out of her control, and that's very frustrating being the person performing the experiment.  I've been working on this experiment for months and I am going to be very upset if they scrap everything I have done. It's been lots of super long days and weekends and I don't want it to be for nothing.  Yes, I still get paid for what I've done, but it's still very frustrating especially when I've been voicing my concerns to deaf ears.  I've had lots of 3 am wake up anxiety attacks.  We just had yet another very key individual leave in our company due to not being heard and I'm scared.  I don't like not being heard and that's what has been happening.  Sigh.  I wanted to retire in this job, and I hope that I can, but the words that the RD is the first department to go really scares me.  Everyone else is working on the main project and I feel like I'm on an island doing my own thing.  Enough whining and enough panic attacks.

Only two runs and two work outs, but overall, I got enough done this week with all that was going on. My lifting was quality and I'm seeing huge gains even with knocking back to two lifting days a week.  I'll take it and I have one happy Ollie to get out and run.  She also celebrated her 2nd birthday this week and I can't believe she's two already.  

Have a great week y'all!  Two and a half more weeks till a nice long break!  We've got this!

Of course I would

Of course, I would get whatever Andrew had even though they said it wasn't contagious.  That's what moms do right?  I started getting a sore throat Sunday night and even with the help of my elderberry immunity stuff, I still came down hard Monday with whatever this is.  I seriously felt like someone had taken a wire brush and used in on my throat.  I had to make it through three days of work before I got a break.  I had very important experiments all week and even had to go in for an hour Thanksgiving and the day after.  After having several experiments fail due to media issues that we still aren't sure what happened, I am happy to say that two of my experiments worked and mentally I needed that.  Ah the life of a scientist.  A whole lot of failure and a tiny bit of success thrown in to make you keep going.

For my mental health, I needed some work out and run time.  This week has been amazing weatherwise for running.   Instead of being stupid and training through, I took the time off, rested, and tried to get better.  Not going to lie, it killed me inside, but also, I wanted this mess to go away as quickly as possible.  

I had planned on either going to Manhattan Thanksgiving morning and running the 5K there or doing one at home with miss Ollie.  Neither happened thanks to being sick, but Ollie got lots of outside time thanks to the amazing weather.  She may love running, but chasing squirrels in the backyard comes in a close second.  She also loves her dad very much thank you.  She loves to be held like this and cuddled like a baby but only by dad.  She is the weirdest dog I have ever had.  

We had a pretty uneventful Thanksgiving with all the usual food.  It was just the three of us and we will have leftovers for days.  I have so much to be thankful for!  I did get lots of black Friday deals online and am done with Christmas shopping early this year other than some small stocking stuffers. Check out my Facebook page at Running with Reds for great deals that extend till the beginning of December and beyond.  Some of my favorites are Oiselle, Shokz, Knix undies, Stunt Puppy, Gypsy runner, and our local running store.

Towards the end of the week, the sickness seemed to lessen its hold on me just a tiny bit.  While I did get end of the month book work done and lots of computer stuff done that I needed to do, I was getting a bit stir crazy.  I had lifted at the beginning of the week which takes care of my one lift a week minimum streak I've been doing since May, but I wanted more.   I tried a leg work out Friday night with the promise that If I felt bad, I would stop and I made it through just fine.  I also did a PUSH work out Saturday and again, felt pretty good.  We had brief periods of snow and horrible winds all day.  Sunday and I had decided if there was no ice that I would try and get a run done.  

Ollie had been waiting patiently, and I woke up feeling good and ready to try.  It was feels like 8 F so perfect running weather for us.   I asked if Tony could pick us up out by the feedlot instead of doing an out and back so that we could maybe see eagles.  I had gone out the day before and they were out.  

The puddles were all ice, and the snow was swirling, and it was just perfect.  Did I cough my ass off when I got home, you bet, but it was worth it, and I even had a second cup of peppermint mocha flavored coffee to celebrate.  

Have a great week y'all!  The final push to Christmas break as begun and I can't wait for another chunk of time off!  I didn't realize how much mentally I needed this big break and I do feel very refreshed and ready to tackle the next three weeks of school/work/wrestling/life.  

Birthday Week #48!

Let's start out my birthday week with some work outs, shall we?

Two runs with miss ollie girl and two work outs.  Almost the sweet spot.  I'm loving it.  I love night runs, especially this time of year when people are putting up their lights and their decorations.  

One dual and one match on JV.  Still not at 165 but getting closer.  I was super proud of this match because he was a varsity kid and Andrew went toe to toe with him.  Andrew made one mistake and the kiddo capitalized on it and that is okay.  He learned a lesson and probably won't make that mistake again.  That is what wrestling is for Andrew, still a learning process and still improving even though he's been doing this for 9 years.  

Came home from the dual complaining of headache and dizziness.  He had a very low-grade fever and a sore throat that I felt like was either drainage or his lymph nodes.  Woke up and was just kind of stuffy and had an easy day anyway of a choir field trip.  Still no fever.  Called me pre practice and said he felt like shit and wanted to come home.  I was okay with it as I didn't want the entire team to come down with something even though I am sure they are passing something around anyway.  He kept saying his ears were really bothering him and kept asking me to clean them out because he couldn't hear out of them.  I suspected maybe an ear infection so when he got up the next day and still didn't have a fever but felt like shit, I made him an appointment to see the doctor as soon as we could and called him in sick to school.  They did all the swabs which he truly hated but needed to be done and he was negative for the big three, covid, strep, and flu.  He did have a double ear infection and some sinus infection, and the doctor wanted him home another day and no wrestling.  Thankfully we have fall break next week so he can rest and recover and hopefully join wrestling next week.  

Now to my birthday day!  My work bestie bought me a tea and shake, and Brickhouse got me a candle and had me blow it out.  LOVE Kelsey and Amanda.  

It wasn't a great day at work as we had to remake a ton of solutions and lots of stress with an experiment we have been trying to get done before Thanksgiving.  Science can be a cruel mistress for sure.  

I came home to flowers, some new windshield wipers, and a new key FOB that actually works for my Tahoe since mine literally fell apart.  

I had a reservation for 20 people at 785 Brewing in Topeka.  Their Christmas pop up was starting and it's seriously my favorite.  I love the over-the-top decorations and the lights and the themed food, and I wanted to share it with some of my closest friends.  

We had the BEST time and of course I said NO GIFTS, and they came prepared anyway.   I got cards, gift cards, beer, and the best handmade bracelets ever.  I love these families and their kiddos so much.  We've all been through some shit working in the tower and on the board and we've tried to handle it with grace and a smile and then drinks later.  

Finding and keeping friends when you are an adult is hard.  I'm glad I've found some people that are here to stay in my life.   While our kids may not race together next year, I will still be coming by to watch and cheer them on!  They all have raised such amazing young women and men that are respectful, kind, and smart.  I can't wait to see what these kiddos do in the future!  It was an amazing night, and I won't forget it.  Thanks for making this girl feel so special.  

We also celebrated another birthday Saturday night and got to hang out with some of our local sports kid's families.  It was so good to just sit and talk without the yelling and the screaming of a gym or football field.  We had a great time and had some yummy drinks and did some shots.  Let's just say I am getting too old for back-to-back nights of fun!  Happy Birthday Bobbi!  We sure do love you!

Sunday, I had planned on running but instead, I had the urge to clean and organize, and I ended up working all day long on several projects I'd been putting off.  I reorganized our metal shelving unit in the kitchen, cleaned out Andrew's bedroom, got all of his metal awards on the wall, and took 4 bags to the garbage and one to donate, cleaned out tow junk drawers, and just sorted and pitched stuff we didn't need.  Tony even helped me go through some stuff including a total clean out of our fridge and his desk.  While I spent all day cleaning and sorting and didn't work out, I am so glad that the urge hit me and could just work all day on the house.  We aren't hoarders by any means, but we tend to hold on to things that we don't need to.   Andrew has a TON of art supplies and lots of stuff he's brought home from school every year that needed a new home.  We bagged up three HUGE bags of pencils, markers, and old crayons to donate to his school and found several things to donate to his school's Santa's workshop.  It feels so good to see some of his stuff go to new homes and still be used and loved.  

Onto next week and Thanksgiving with some time off mostly.  Have a great week y'all!

The End...of this Book

Let's start out with the easy stuff.  Three runs this week and only one work out with the app.  I did complete a workout in my backyard that was more functional per se than typical gym work out.  Let me explain.  

We had new neighbors move in a bit ago and they approached us about our fence that we share.  When we bought this house, one of the main reasons was for the fence.  It's wooden and in decent shape and tall, but our new neighbors wanted to put up a fence of their own.  They asked if they could just butt up to our fence OR take our fence down and put up theirs in its place.  I was torn because they wanted to put up a metal fence and I wasn't sure how I would feel about it.  In the end, we decided to go with the metal fence because it's maintenance free and should last the rest of our lives in this house.  It will also be super hard to tear down because it's welded.  Anyway, the guys doing the fence work have a lot going on so it's taken quite a bit to get it done.  They finally got our side done and there was a gap in places under the fence that I just could see Ollie getting out of.  We inherited from a job site lots of landscaping limestone stones that over the years we've used here and there but still have a ton of.  Since it was originally piled up against the fence, we had to move it and I thought why not use it to block those holes???   Let's just say I did a ton of squats and lifts of these heavy buggars, but they are placed and I've used up several of them.  It was a great combo of arm and leg work out for sure.  Functional fitness is the best!  I am hoping we can redo our backyard now, finally get grass to grow because we have sun, and maybe build a fire pit in the middle of the yard to make it more usable.  Honestly the past years it's just been a dog toilet, and I would love to change that.  I love our deck, but would love a fire pit just as much.  

We also had another wrestling dual this week.  Andrew did not make weight, clocking in at 170 so he had to wrestle JV.  The first dual team only had one kid at that weight, but they kindly let him wrestle both JV and varsity to give Andrew some mat time.  The match ended in a pin, but Andrew put up a fight and that is all I ask of him.  This kid was a BEAST and normally that would freak Andrew out, but this time it didn't.  Baby steps and small victories.  I will take it.  Still on the journey to lose those last five pounds.  

We also had yet another round of Northern lights.  This will never get old!  I could see them faintly with the naked eye but my camera on my phone got some good ones, even with light pollution.

Ollie also got an early Christmas present.  She's not very sure of it and Boom hates his so I am not sure why my dogs don't like these Noxgear light up harnesses.  We need to continue to work on fitting it I guess, but she needs something at night so I can see her black butt in the darkness.  

We also finally got to a playoff game!  Wamego got the W and Andrew got to play in the pep band for the first time.  He smiled all night!  We have a tough opponent at sub state next week, but I am proud of this team for working hard and going far this year. 

Saturday was the end of year banquet for our little racing club.  We had a very hard-working committee this year that knocked it out of the park.  The venue space was decorated nicely, the food was amazing, and the awards and raffle were great as always.  Somehow even though we voted someone else in for the volunteer award for the year, my name was called and I was SUPER surprised!  I don't do what I do for any awards, but it sure is nice to be noticed for my hard work.  

I love this club deeper than most.  Some of us hardcore people have been with this club for many years and frankly it's all their kids have.  My kid may do other things, but this is his favorite, his safe space, and I will protect it at all costs.  I hope that I have passed the torch and the love for this club on to others.  They have an amazing board in place now and I can't wait to see what they do next.  It's for the kids, about the kids, and should remain as such.  

We also got some thank yous to many of the volunteers who give up nights and weekends for these kids.  I am proud to serve with them and can't wait to see another group step up and join in.  

Andrew ended up 4th in heavy Honda.  Our size made this class tough, but he never gave up, and he got a podium most weeks.  Just got bit by the rookie average.  

He got a flip award for two flips this year which is two flips too many.

2nd in Unrestricted animal.  Love this class and love the sound and the speed of these engines but hated that we fought keeping the car on the ground so much.  

3rd in Heavy 160.  Our weight got us in the class, but he battled hard for that 3rd spot.  So proud of him.  

We also got to celebrate Dash's first year in Heavy World Formula in the Coleman Electric car.  We are SO proud of how far this kid has excelled in just one year of driving a new to him car and motor.  We can't wait to see what big things lie in store for him next year!  

It's so bittersweet.  Our last year racing QM, our last banquet, our last time seeing some of these people.  I will miss it because it really has brought some of the best people into my life.  Even the bad people taught me things about myself I didn't know so I am still thankful for them as well.  I've learned so much about myself even in the toughest of situations, that it makes it worth it.  Okay this post is super long and it's a week behind so I am going to hit post and then probably revisit this topic at some time.  As one of my good friends said, at least we are moving to some other form of racing and not saying goodbye all together.  Racing is in our family now and even if Andrew moves on, I could see Tony picking up the torch and continuing.  

Have a great week y'all!!!!!

A routine?

 Three runs and two work outs BOOM!

I even been out on my running route and it feels SO good to be home.  Yes, I will never get bored of those gravel roads.  

This also happened this week.   The little or I should say big stinker told me he lost his wrestle off and wouldn't be wrestling this week.  Low and behold I didn't go, and he got his FIRST pin of the year!!!!!  He lost his second match, but no one videoed it so not sure what happened.  He got pinned but it was the second period which is a huge improvement from last year.  I loved watching the video and seeing the improvements and hearing his club coaches coach him from the stands.  We need to get him down to 165 but I am not sure that is going to be possible.  He's been in the 170s most of the year and he's growing so he's eating a ton.  

Of course, it's cold out and she finds the biggest mud puddle to lay in because she literally loses her shit on every run we do.  I may never have another distance doggie like Stella.  

We had district honor band in Junction City for Andrew and they sounded amazing.  Yes, I did cry when they warmed up becuase it brought back so many great memories of the honor bands I did in high school.  They were all such great experiences, and I made a lot of new friends from all over Tennessee.  Of course, when I was a kid, we didn't have all the bells and whistles to keep up with other kids as easily.  He made a few friends that I hope he keeps in touch with.   

On our way back we checked in with the Christies who were in town wrestling at the Manhattan tournament.  Jaxon is trying wrestling for the first time and is doing amazing for just now starting.  They were about ready to eat, and we were hungry, so we met up for pizza and then beer.  That started off an epic night of good beer and live music.  I will never not check out live concerts and will pretty much stay and listen to anything.  Plus, the kids had a coloring station that had some pretty amazing artwork to color and they loved just coloring all night.  

It was a great week!  Have a great week y'all!!!!