These are some of manuals that I have been using to facilitate my understanding of life, the universe and everything. They are of course, personal to me, and though I would recommend them to most everyone, I would certainly not assume they would become guidebooks for life for anyone else. And, for purposes of full disclosure, I actually have not gotten through the books. I have read most of the 4 agreements, and have started the New Earth. I also want to be clear that these materials are helpful to me now. In the future, they may not be, or there may be other things that I may place higher on the list of things that are helpful to me. As for the past, well, all of these have fairly recently found their way into my realm of existence, so I won't speak on the past either.
Books:
1. The 4 Agreements
2. A New Earth
Movies:
1. What the Bleep
2. The Secret
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Triathlon Results
Chapter One
My 38th birthday triathlon was great. The swim was strong. I did 18 laps, with my sweetie watching me, timing me, and counting laps with me. My timing was consistent, with 7 laps at 11 minutes and 14 at 21 minutes. It was smooth. The transition was slow, but I suppose it could have been slower. I used the restroom, took a very quick shower, dried, and changed clothes. Jo was waiting for me outside the Y with my bike ready, helmet and bike gloves in hand. Jennifer, John, Meg, and Erin were there too, all smiles. John was mounted on his bike, helmet on. We were real slow out of the ramp and down the side walk (bus transit station, not supposed to bike at all), and fairly easy down the hill. Once we were on the Greenway we were off. I was hoping for an average of 10 miles an hour. But I pretty much pedaled constantly – other than mandatory stops where we crossed traffic. I frequently saw 11 and 12 even 13 mph on my bike computer. The last few miles were harder. Up the hill on William Berry was hard, and then around Lake Harriet I found myself going slower. I guess that’s good to know. I usually bike about 10 miles, and it makes sense then that the last 5 would be harder on me. The first 10 though, I was loving it. I was enjoying the speed, the ride, the weather, the route, and even singing a little. I used the porta-potty before I started walking. The walk was H-A-R-D. It was long, my legs felt really off, and I was just exhausted. It was amazingly wonderful to have Jennifer with me. We talked, and I ignored my discomfort for the most part. Three miles is along way. All the way around Lake Calhoun is a long way. When we got to the end, Jennifer asked me what time I thought I’d be done. I told her I was hoping for 12, but for sure wanted to be done by 1. She said it was just past 11:30. I screamed in jubilation! Whew Hew. I crossed the finish line at 11:40 or so. I was hoping to do the swim under 30 minutes, and did 28 minutes. I wanted to do the bike and the walk each under an hour and a half. I started the whole thing at 8:10. I was in the pool at 8AM, and did 3 warm up laps. I shook Joanne’s hand, and she started the timer when I pushed off. As I write this first draft, Jo still needs to add up the rest of my times. Overall my time was 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 27 seconds.
Before the event I was super excited. I had butterflies in my chest from the time I pulled up in front of the house after work, 7 pm, the night before. I did not sleep well, and I was super nervous and excited the morning of. I thought the butterflies would calm down during the swim. They didn’t. They were there the whole time. Sometimes, especially after pushing off from the other end, they were extreme. Other times, they were a little quieter. Sometime soon after I hit the Greenway on the bike ride they calmed down.
I have to say, Jo did terrific. She helped me pack and prepare before hand, and followed all of my instructions to a tee. I could not have done it without her, honestly. And, it was so nice to have John bike with me, Jennifer walk with me, and her Meg and Erin as added encouragement. Without Joanne the event would not have happened, I am sure. And, without Jennifer, I would have either stopped to rest, cried, or thrown up sometime during the walk (or maybe all three).
Chapter Two
Sunday we went to the YWCA Women’s Triathlon at Baker Park Reserve in Medina/Maple Plain. It was so good to be there. I learned a lot. I have a lot of work to do to be ready for next year. I heard the bike route was a lot of hills. OK, so 15 miles of a lot of hills. My route on my birthday was flat. It was good to see the transition area, especially how racers handled the swim to bike transition. It was good to be out there, get a sense of how things are set up and how they look out there. It was good to have Jo there, to have her get a sense of what it will be like for her (and me) next year.
Chapter Three: The times for my unsponsored, unofficial triathlon on 8/15/08 are IN
Swim (18 laps = just over .5 miles) 28:26
Transition 1 (swim to bike) 14:04
Bike (15.4 miles) 90:00
Transition 2 (bike to walk) 3.5 minutes
Walk (3.1 miles) 69:27
Total 3 hours, 25 minutes, 27 seconds
My 38th birthday triathlon was great. The swim was strong. I did 18 laps, with my sweetie watching me, timing me, and counting laps with me. My timing was consistent, with 7 laps at 11 minutes and 14 at 21 minutes. It was smooth. The transition was slow, but I suppose it could have been slower. I used the restroom, took a very quick shower, dried, and changed clothes. Jo was waiting for me outside the Y with my bike ready, helmet and bike gloves in hand. Jennifer, John, Meg, and Erin were there too, all smiles. John was mounted on his bike, helmet on. We were real slow out of the ramp and down the side walk (bus transit station, not supposed to bike at all), and fairly easy down the hill. Once we were on the Greenway we were off. I was hoping for an average of 10 miles an hour. But I pretty much pedaled constantly – other than mandatory stops where we crossed traffic. I frequently saw 11 and 12 even 13 mph on my bike computer. The last few miles were harder. Up the hill on William Berry was hard, and then around Lake Harriet I found myself going slower. I guess that’s good to know. I usually bike about 10 miles, and it makes sense then that the last 5 would be harder on me. The first 10 though, I was loving it. I was enjoying the speed, the ride, the weather, the route, and even singing a little. I used the porta-potty before I started walking. The walk was H-A-R-D. It was long, my legs felt really off, and I was just exhausted. It was amazingly wonderful to have Jennifer with me. We talked, and I ignored my discomfort for the most part. Three miles is along way. All the way around Lake Calhoun is a long way. When we got to the end, Jennifer asked me what time I thought I’d be done. I told her I was hoping for 12, but for sure wanted to be done by 1. She said it was just past 11:30. I screamed in jubilation! Whew Hew. I crossed the finish line at 11:40 or so. I was hoping to do the swim under 30 minutes, and did 28 minutes. I wanted to do the bike and the walk each under an hour and a half. I started the whole thing at 8:10. I was in the pool at 8AM, and did 3 warm up laps. I shook Joanne’s hand, and she started the timer when I pushed off. As I write this first draft, Jo still needs to add up the rest of my times. Overall my time was 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 27 seconds.
Before the event I was super excited. I had butterflies in my chest from the time I pulled up in front of the house after work, 7 pm, the night before. I did not sleep well, and I was super nervous and excited the morning of. I thought the butterflies would calm down during the swim. They didn’t. They were there the whole time. Sometimes, especially after pushing off from the other end, they were extreme. Other times, they were a little quieter. Sometime soon after I hit the Greenway on the bike ride they calmed down.
I have to say, Jo did terrific. She helped me pack and prepare before hand, and followed all of my instructions to a tee. I could not have done it without her, honestly. And, it was so nice to have John bike with me, Jennifer walk with me, and her Meg and Erin as added encouragement. Without Joanne the event would not have happened, I am sure. And, without Jennifer, I would have either stopped to rest, cried, or thrown up sometime during the walk (or maybe all three).
Chapter Two
Sunday we went to the YWCA Women’s Triathlon at Baker Park Reserve in Medina/Maple Plain. It was so good to be there. I learned a lot. I have a lot of work to do to be ready for next year. I heard the bike route was a lot of hills. OK, so 15 miles of a lot of hills. My route on my birthday was flat. It was good to see the transition area, especially how racers handled the swim to bike transition. It was good to be out there, get a sense of how things are set up and how they look out there. It was good to have Jo there, to have her get a sense of what it will be like for her (and me) next year.
Chapter Three: The times for my unsponsored, unofficial triathlon on 8/15/08 are IN
Swim (18 laps = just over .5 miles) 28:26
Transition 1 (swim to bike) 14:04
Bike (15.4 miles) 90:00
Transition 2 (bike to walk) 3.5 minutes
Walk (3.1 miles) 69:27
Total 3 hours, 25 minutes, 27 seconds
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Final Results for 4 month training goal
My April through July results are in!
Goal: Swim 26.2 miles (932 laps), bike 500 miles, walk 100 miles.
Final: Swam 28 miles (991 laps), biked 500.75 miles, walked 111.1 miles
Net: swam 1.5+ miles over goal, biked .75 miles over goal, walked 11.1 miles over goal.
Goal: Swim 26.2 miles (932 laps), bike 500 miles, walk 100 miles.
Final: Swam 28 miles (991 laps), biked 500.75 miles, walked 111.1 miles
Net: swam 1.5+ miles over goal, biked .75 miles over goal, walked 11.1 miles over goal.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Motivational Murder Attempt
MURDER ATTEMPT: YMCA MINNEAPOLIS ATTEMPTS MOTIVATIONAL MURDER ON PLUSED SIZED TRIATHLETE
Reports indicate the 38 y/o woman is on motivational life support in an attempt to continue her swim workouts and find a new location for her unofficial, unsponsored triathlon on her birthday next month.
This could have been the headline for my life last week. I was at the YMCA to shower Wednesday morning after biking to work and saw a sign that said the Pool was closed indefinitely, as of that day. I had just gotten everything arranged to change the triathlon to August 8, including getting the day off and having Jo change her day off to the 8th.
We are back on for the 15th. The question is where, and how. I'm working on that. And, I am working on where to swim in general. I went to the DT YMCA yesterday. It was a weekend day, middle of the summer, middle of the day. It was pretty dead. It's a nice facility and a nice pool. It's an inconvenient location with no free parking. It cost me $12 to park. Yeah, it was pretty dead downtown and I paid $12 to park for two hours. OUCH! Apparently, I was supposed to park at a different ramp a block away (not the one right next to the front door of the Y), but I didn't know that. I do now. If I'm correct, it will cost me $3 to park with validation from the Y. That's a lot better than $12, but adds up if we are looking at 2X a week. So, again, I need to figure out where I am going to swim. Today, I hope to go to the YWCA for a tour. I think I'll also by a lottery ticket. If I win, I can either get my own pool, or I can join multiple health clubs and be able to deal with multiple pool closings at once, all while not worrying about checking in 12X per month somewhere to get the $20 off from my health insurance.
On a positive note, I am on track for all my training goals. My personal one (April through July) only has left 26.25 miles of biking. I've completed the walking and swimming portions. For the 5 week YMCA triathlon (7/7-8/10) I have 12 miles of walking to do and 35.25 miles of biking. I need to focus on the walking, but it is very doable. And, yesterday Romie and I (on the same bike) rode for 9.5 slow miles as part of the N. Minneapolis Neighborhood Associations' Camden Bike Tour. It was a lot of fun, and I was so proud of her that she rode so well with me for 2+ hours (with stops). Next time you visit us, bring your bike/s and we'll ride together!
Reports indicate the 38 y/o woman is on motivational life support in an attempt to continue her swim workouts and find a new location for her unofficial, unsponsored triathlon on her birthday next month.
This could have been the headline for my life last week. I was at the YMCA to shower Wednesday morning after biking to work and saw a sign that said the Pool was closed indefinitely, as of that day. I had just gotten everything arranged to change the triathlon to August 8, including getting the day off and having Jo change her day off to the 8th.
We are back on for the 15th. The question is where, and how. I'm working on that. And, I am working on where to swim in general. I went to the DT YMCA yesterday. It was a weekend day, middle of the summer, middle of the day. It was pretty dead. It's a nice facility and a nice pool. It's an inconvenient location with no free parking. It cost me $12 to park. Yeah, it was pretty dead downtown and I paid $12 to park for two hours. OUCH! Apparently, I was supposed to park at a different ramp a block away (not the one right next to the front door of the Y), but I didn't know that. I do now. If I'm correct, it will cost me $3 to park with validation from the Y. That's a lot better than $12, but adds up if we are looking at 2X a week. So, again, I need to figure out where I am going to swim. Today, I hope to go to the YWCA for a tour. I think I'll also by a lottery ticket. If I win, I can either get my own pool, or I can join multiple health clubs and be able to deal with multiple pool closings at once, all while not worrying about checking in 12X per month somewhere to get the $20 off from my health insurance.
On a positive note, I am on track for all my training goals. My personal one (April through July) only has left 26.25 miles of biking. I've completed the walking and swimming portions. For the 5 week YMCA triathlon (7/7-8/10) I have 12 miles of walking to do and 35.25 miles of biking. I need to focus on the walking, but it is very doable. And, yesterday Romie and I (on the same bike) rode for 9.5 slow miles as part of the N. Minneapolis Neighborhood Associations' Camden Bike Tour. It was a lot of fun, and I was so proud of her that she rode so well with me for 2+ hours (with stops). Next time you visit us, bring your bike/s and we'll ride together!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Triathlon Update
WHAT!?! I JUST READ A NOTE AT THE YMCA BLAISDELL STATING YOU ARE CLOSING THE POOL FROM 8/11 TO 9/22. THAT'S 6 WEEKS! AND IT INCLUDES AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT DAY FOR ME REVOLVING AROUND THAT POOL. TO SAY I AM UNHAPPY WITH THIS IS A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT. PLEASE SEND ME THE NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND E-MAIL ADDRESS OF A SPECIFIC PERSON THAT I CAN DIRECT MY COMPLAINT TO AND PROVIDE MORE DETAILS AS TO THE NATURE AND DEGREE OF MY DISAPPOINTMENT.
Above is an email I wrote to customer service at the YMCA a week ago. Yeah, I was not happy. I'm still not. So, I have two things to figure out now. 1) What am I going to do about my triathlon. I can cancel it, reschedule it, or pick a new location. None of those are all that easy to do. The other pools available to me with my YMCA membership are downtown and New Hope. I will not be biking downtown, so that's out. And, I know nothing about what routes I would take to walk or bike around New Hope. As for the date, the 15th has a lot of meaning to me. It's my birthday, and the day I did a step-down of this current version of a triathlon three years ago. None-the-less, it's better to change the date than to just cancel the whole event. So, I think I have decided to change the date to August 8. I have to get that day off and get Joanne to get that day off and decide if that means I am working on my birthday this year. As for doing the triathlon a week early, I'm ready for the biking and swimming, and honestly, an extra week would not have added that much to get me ready for the walking. I would still enjoy company during this event. If you are considering that, check with myself or Joanne to verify the date, the location, and that I didn't just get frustrated and cancel it completely. Now, for 2) I have to figure out where I am going to swim for 6 weeks. Again, my options for twice a week swimming if I stick with the YMCA are downtown and New Hope. New Hope will not work for mornings before I start my work day. It's the opposite direction from work, I'd be traveling during rush hour, and I already cut it close to be at work on time. Honestly, if I were to swim at New Hope before work I'd have to get up at 5:00. I don't like the idea of swimming at the downtown location at all. I have heard parking is horrible, and my guess is the pool is packed with downtown business people right when I want to swim in the morning. If I stick with my YMCA membership, that's where I have to go though. I am going to check out the YWCA. It's a little more expensive, and a little less convenient, but honestly, this is my second displacement from the YMCA pool due to long-term, temporary closings. I don' t know for sure what will happen yet. I need to check out the YWCA, and am waiting to hear back from the person at the YMCA. They wrote me back, and on Friday I left a message for the contact person they gave me. Honestly though, what is she going to do - keep the pool open just for me? Obviously, that won't happen.
Above is an email I wrote to customer service at the YMCA a week ago. Yeah, I was not happy. I'm still not. So, I have two things to figure out now. 1) What am I going to do about my triathlon. I can cancel it, reschedule it, or pick a new location. None of those are all that easy to do. The other pools available to me with my YMCA membership are downtown and New Hope. I will not be biking downtown, so that's out. And, I know nothing about what routes I would take to walk or bike around New Hope. As for the date, the 15th has a lot of meaning to me. It's my birthday, and the day I did a step-down of this current version of a triathlon three years ago. None-the-less, it's better to change the date than to just cancel the whole event. So, I think I have decided to change the date to August 8. I have to get that day off and get Joanne to get that day off and decide if that means I am working on my birthday this year. As for doing the triathlon a week early, I'm ready for the biking and swimming, and honestly, an extra week would not have added that much to get me ready for the walking. I would still enjoy company during this event. If you are considering that, check with myself or Joanne to verify the date, the location, and that I didn't just get frustrated and cancel it completely. Now, for 2) I have to figure out where I am going to swim for 6 weeks. Again, my options for twice a week swimming if I stick with the YMCA are downtown and New Hope. New Hope will not work for mornings before I start my work day. It's the opposite direction from work, I'd be traveling during rush hour, and I already cut it close to be at work on time. Honestly, if I were to swim at New Hope before work I'd have to get up at 5:00. I don't like the idea of swimming at the downtown location at all. I have heard parking is horrible, and my guess is the pool is packed with downtown business people right when I want to swim in the morning. If I stick with my YMCA membership, that's where I have to go though. I am going to check out the YWCA. It's a little more expensive, and a little less convenient, but honestly, this is my second displacement from the YMCA pool due to long-term, temporary closings. I don' t know for sure what will happen yet. I need to check out the YWCA, and am waiting to hear back from the person at the YMCA. They wrote me back, and on Friday I left a message for the contact person they gave me. Honestly though, what is she going to do - keep the pool open just for me? Obviously, that won't happen.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Triathlon... training
History:
A few years ago I decided I will do a triathlon. I have been in training ever since. At times, it's fairly intense training, and other times, much more focused on things like recovering from a C-section taking care of our little one, and doing what I can for my clients as a medical social worker. You know, I even won several Toastmaster competitions with my triathlon speech 4 or so years ago. If I can find that old speech, I'll post it on here.
Past:
So, here's the latest. I decided April was the month to do another month long iron man. The YMCA here calls it the Lazy Man Ironman. That's how I first got going with this training version of a real triathlon. My goal in April was to stationary bike 112 miles, walk 26.2 miles and swim 2.4 miles. Well, that's not completely accurate with the swimming. Swimming is my favorite and my best of the three events. Swimming 2.4 miles is 85 laps. I can do that in a half a month, so my goal was to swim 170 laps in April. In actuality I swam 250 laps (yea, I really rock with the swimming), biked 121.5 miles, and walked 26.2, meeting or exceeding each one, and completing my April triathlon goal.
Current:
It is very difficult for me to keep active like this without a challenging goal. And, I decided to continue it. I have from the beginning of April to the end of July to do the following: walk 100 miles, Swim 26.2 miles, and bike 500 miles. My April totals count, and I am on track to for what I need to get done in May. It pretty much means doing my swim twice a week (just under a mile of front crawl swimming each time), biking 10 miles on the stationary most days of the week. And walking 1.5 miles a day 5 days a week (every day I don't swim). I also plan to do more and more biking on the road vs. stationary. It's actually much more difficult, and I do about half the miles in the same amount of time. The other trick is that I saw a podiatrist a few weeks ago for foot pain. He wants me to not do as much walking, and substitute more biking, swimming, and other aerobic activities. Well, triathlons are not more biking, swimming, and other aerobic activity, so I am trying to compromise with that. For now, I have decided not to increase my walking distances, and to just keep at the 1.5 per day. When I get new shoes and new orthodic inserts and my foot pain goes down, I'll steadily increase the distances up to 3-3.5 miles.
Future Plans this Season:
These four months are accumulating into a real triathlon. My birthday is on a Friday this year. I will be doing an unsponsored and unofficial triathlon. The event distances are the same as the Sprint Distances in the annual Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis. I will start at the Blaisdell YMCA at 7AM and swim 15 laps, then transition as quick as I reasonably as I can and bike 15 miles. The route primarily includes the Midtown Greenway and Lake Calhoun so I can avoid road biking as much as possible. I will then lock my bike up at the Y or put it in the van, probably take a bathroom break, and walk 3.2 miles. It's 1.6 miles from the Blaisdell Y to the Lake of the Isles. I'll take 31st all the way to the lake, turn around and head back.
Does this sound interesting to you? It is unofficial and unsponsored. However, if you want to join me for any or all of the events, I am sure I would enjoy the company. The walking is my weakest event, and I imagine I'll be tired by then, so company on the walk would be especially nice. Note, it will be a s-l-o-w pace if you want to actually walk with me. If you want to bring a book and some tunes and do timings for me - each event, transition times, and grand total - that would be awesome. If you want to be part of my birthday dinner out somewhere later that day and hear how it went, all right then, see you there. I am fine with doing this by myself, except for the dinner afterward part, but would enjoy company if anyone thinks it would be fun.
Future Ideas: I have some trepidation to say much more about future triathlon plans because my ideas past this are not as set in stone. And, a friend told me that sometimes talking about plans too much diminishes the likelihood that they will become reality. I'm still not sure I believe that, but I'll be a bit careful here just in case. Let's leave it that I still plan to do a "real" sponsored and official triathlon before I end my 41st year, and I am thinking of other ideas to keep my training interesting. More to come....
History:
A few years ago I decided I will do a triathlon. I have been in training ever since. At times, it's fairly intense training, and other times, much more focused on things like recovering from a C-section taking care of our little one, and doing what I can for my clients as a medical social worker. You know, I even won several Toastmaster competitions with my triathlon speech 4 or so years ago. If I can find that old speech, I'll post it on here.
Past:
So, here's the latest. I decided April was the month to do another month long iron man. The YMCA here calls it the Lazy Man Ironman. That's how I first got going with this training version of a real triathlon. My goal in April was to stationary bike 112 miles, walk 26.2 miles and swim 2.4 miles. Well, that's not completely accurate with the swimming. Swimming is my favorite and my best of the three events. Swimming 2.4 miles is 85 laps. I can do that in a half a month, so my goal was to swim 170 laps in April. In actuality I swam 250 laps (yea, I really rock with the swimming), biked 121.5 miles, and walked 26.2, meeting or exceeding each one, and completing my April triathlon goal.
Current:
It is very difficult for me to keep active like this without a challenging goal. And, I decided to continue it. I have from the beginning of April to the end of July to do the following: walk 100 miles, Swim 26.2 miles, and bike 500 miles. My April totals count, and I am on track to for what I need to get done in May. It pretty much means doing my swim twice a week (just under a mile of front crawl swimming each time), biking 10 miles on the stationary most days of the week. And walking 1.5 miles a day 5 days a week (every day I don't swim). I also plan to do more and more biking on the road vs. stationary. It's actually much more difficult, and I do about half the miles in the same amount of time. The other trick is that I saw a podiatrist a few weeks ago for foot pain. He wants me to not do as much walking, and substitute more biking, swimming, and other aerobic activities. Well, triathlons are not more biking, swimming, and other aerobic activity, so I am trying to compromise with that. For now, I have decided not to increase my walking distances, and to just keep at the 1.5 per day. When I get new shoes and new orthodic inserts and my foot pain goes down, I'll steadily increase the distances up to 3-3.5 miles.
Future Plans this Season:
These four months are accumulating into a real triathlon. My birthday is on a Friday this year. I will be doing an unsponsored and unofficial triathlon. The event distances are the same as the Sprint Distances in the annual Lifetime Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis. I will start at the Blaisdell YMCA at 7AM and swim 15 laps, then transition as quick as I reasonably as I can and bike 15 miles. The route primarily includes the Midtown Greenway and Lake Calhoun so I can avoid road biking as much as possible. I will then lock my bike up at the Y or put it in the van, probably take a bathroom break, and walk 3.2 miles. It's 1.6 miles from the Blaisdell Y to the Lake of the Isles. I'll take 31st all the way to the lake, turn around and head back.
Does this sound interesting to you? It is unofficial and unsponsored. However, if you want to join me for any or all of the events, I am sure I would enjoy the company. The walking is my weakest event, and I imagine I'll be tired by then, so company on the walk would be especially nice. Note, it will be a s-l-o-w pace if you want to actually walk with me. If you want to bring a book and some tunes and do timings for me - each event, transition times, and grand total - that would be awesome. If you want to be part of my birthday dinner out somewhere later that day and hear how it went, all right then, see you there. I am fine with doing this by myself, except for the dinner afterward part, but would enjoy company if anyone thinks it would be fun.
Future Ideas: I have some trepidation to say much more about future triathlon plans because my ideas past this are not as set in stone. And, a friend told me that sometimes talking about plans too much diminishes the likelihood that they will become reality. I'm still not sure I believe that, but I'll be a bit careful here just in case. Let's leave it that I still plan to do a "real" sponsored and official triathlon before I end my 41st year, and I am thinking of other ideas to keep my training interesting. More to come....
Saturday, May 10, 2008
My little one is much improved. She's not 100% for sure, but a lot better. She had a fever yesterday mid-morning, and none since. She is tired and whinny today, but mostly A-OK. Oh, she's hungry. She ate breakfast, then 20 minutes later ate breakfast, and then when I sat down to eat a few minuets later, she put her bib on and asked for... breakfast.
Now, for some other news. Let's start with history. When I was two years old my family bought a dog. Some neighbors up the road had a new litter of puppies, and we picked the runt. She was a cute little black puppy. She was a mutt, but mostly a Coca poo. We loved her, a lot, and kept her very busy. That little dog went through so much with us. How could she not being in a family of 7 kids? She was my best friend growing up, available 24/7 to listen to my sorrows and my ramblings. By the time I was past the annoying little kid for a dog stage, she picked me as her favorite (I hope my sibs don't read this). She slept with me every night, and if my twin brother tried to take her for a night, she would cry and scratch at his door until he let her out and she found her way upstairs to my/her room. I remember walks and taking her on car rides. She would get so excited to run free, and would run circles around us in the yard or in the park, yapping happily. We even took her sledding with us. She would chase us down the hill barking and trying to bite our mittens. We think she was actually scared we were in danger and was trying to slow us down and protect us. Even when I was an older teen and very busy, I always made it a point to pet her and greet her each time I walked by her. She often slept right in the middle of my small bed, with me manoeuvring my body around her to not disturb her slumber. When I was way too old for an early bed time and she was getting old, she would sit by the door to my room and wait for me, crying to go to bed. The door was open, the bed available, but she wanted me in there with her. There were many times during those growing up years that I told her my sorrows, or cried into her fur. Somewhere I have a picture of her curled up on my bed. That's how I usually remember her, the skinny, wonderful little dog named Bridgette.
Around Christmas during my senior year of High School, Bridgette got a tumor in her mouth. My twin brother and I were on winter break, and drove her to the vet. We had no idea how sick she was, as no-one had noticed this thing growing on the roof of her mouth until all of a sudden it was there and huge. The vet said she had cancer, and would likely not survive any experimental treatment due to her age. He was also concerned she would be terrified to be separated from us during any long term hospital stay. He told us she was in a lot of pain, and he suggested we put her down. The vet called my mom who said to please do it right then, as she thought it would be too hard on the family to have her home for a night or two to say goodbye. Both my brother and I were very upset. He could not be with her while they euthanized her, said goodbye, and left the room. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to die alone, and I held her while they gave her a shot. She died in my arms, with me telling me how much I loved her. (Yeah, I'm crying remembering it). Honestly, the God Dog probably timed it right. I don't think she would have tolerated being separated from me when I went away to college, and I would have been that much more upset to think she died from heartbreak, with me so far away from her. At least this way I could be with her. She was almost 17 years old.
Growing up, or even after Bridgette had died, had someone done a survey and asked each member of my family to name one or more of us kids who would not have a dog in the next 20 years, I am sure my name would not have been mentioned by any of them. Everyone expected me to have a dog, including me. Alas, things don't always turn out as expected. I went to college, then Mexico, and then lived in apartments. In 2002 I rented a unit in a duplex and bought a cat. I loved her, and still do. We have been through a lot together, me and Isis, and she is a very good friend. In 2003 I bought a house, and expected the dog to come soon after. The house even came with a fenced-in back yard. It was missing a back door though, and I wasn't quite ready to be walking the dog around the house every time I needed to let her out. I was a new home owner and on the brink of a layoff. Yeah, that was a stressful time! Then came Joanne, my wife. She didn't want a dog, yet. But hey, she cut a hole in the back of the house, put a door in, and built a deck. Oh, from that time on I started the slow pressure to get a dog. Of course I did. We'd talk about breeds and suitable characteristics. I was making some progress, but not really close to results. I thought I'd have to wait for our daughter to get old enough to ask Joanne for a dog directly, and repeatedly, then we could gang up on her. Only a year to go, I hoped.
Then, one day, one of Joanne's employees told her he had an older puppy that he was going to bring to the pound if she didn't take her. She was a good dog, he said, he just didn't have room for her in his mobile home. She was mostly an outdoor dog, he said. I said YES, and Joanne said no, but I'll look at her. He was going to bring her by to work on the way to the pound. She said if she liked her, which she doubted, she would take her for a weekend trial. That Thursday she called and asked to meet me at a restaurant for dinner. This wasn't unusual, it's a little neighborhood place we like to go to once a month or so. Ah, well, no dog then, I thought. I pulled up, she got out of the van, said "stay" toward the door, I looked and.... A DAWG, a real DAWG. I went to say Hi to the dog through the window and she shrunk away from me. She wasn't too keen on me later, either, when I was outside at home, alone with her. She thought she was Joanne's dog. I told her she had to warm up to me, and she didn't realize it yet, but I would be giving her at least as much love and attention Joanne. I think her whole initial sole attachment to Jo worked in our favor though, cause she was very loving to Joanne every time she came into sight. There is nothing but that kind of love and devotion to facilitate attachment. We had her for the weekend and then on Sunday night Joanne and I talked. We talked about the problems, jumping on people, etc. and agreed that was all solvable with training. Joanne said she liked the dog, but wondered if we were ready for dog. Well, after 15 minutes of talk we finalized it, and the next morning announced to the pup that she was an official member of the family. So yeah, after almost 20 years, I am again a dog owner. Each of my other siblings, including one who never really liked dogs, has been a dog owner for y-e-a-r-s.
The dog's name is Maddie or Madeline. She came to us with the name Maggie, but we changed that. She is a medium sized dog. We don't know if she'll grow to be a big dog, or just a little bigger medium sized dog. Her paws don't look that big for her body now, but her head is kind of big. Her fur is golden, as are her eyes. She was born sometime in November of 2007. Her first evening in our home was Thursday May 1, 2008. She wants nothing more than to be around us and be loved. She is easily trainable I think, we just need formal training to assist with that (which we are working on). She has not had any shots or any medical care. We are working on that, too. She is trying to figure out who is at the bottom in the hierarchy of the family, her or Romie (yea, we're working on that, too). She's good with Romie, but wants to play, and push her over, and can be very jealous if Romie is getting love and attention and Maddie is not. She likes to be a lap dog. She is an indoor/outdoor dog. She is outside when we are gone and overnight, and mostly inside when we are home. She can apparently climb the fence, however, and Jo is working on making some adjustments outside to prohibit that. She is wary of strangers, but warms up quickly. She doesn't bark a lot unless someone she doesn't know is outside next door. She is not a great walking companion, but the gentle leader I bought is helping, and again, we are working on getting to dog training classes. Finally, I think she is happy to be part of the family, and we are happy to have her home.
Now, for some other news. Let's start with history. When I was two years old my family bought a dog. Some neighbors up the road had a new litter of puppies, and we picked the runt. She was a cute little black puppy. She was a mutt, but mostly a Coca poo. We loved her, a lot, and kept her very busy. That little dog went through so much with us. How could she not being in a family of 7 kids? She was my best friend growing up, available 24/7 to listen to my sorrows and my ramblings. By the time I was past the annoying little kid for a dog stage, she picked me as her favorite (I hope my sibs don't read this). She slept with me every night, and if my twin brother tried to take her for a night, she would cry and scratch at his door until he let her out and she found her way upstairs to my/her room. I remember walks and taking her on car rides. She would get so excited to run free, and would run circles around us in the yard or in the park, yapping happily. We even took her sledding with us. She would chase us down the hill barking and trying to bite our mittens. We think she was actually scared we were in danger and was trying to slow us down and protect us. Even when I was an older teen and very busy, I always made it a point to pet her and greet her each time I walked by her. She often slept right in the middle of my small bed, with me manoeuvring my body around her to not disturb her slumber. When I was way too old for an early bed time and she was getting old, she would sit by the door to my room and wait for me, crying to go to bed. The door was open, the bed available, but she wanted me in there with her. There were many times during those growing up years that I told her my sorrows, or cried into her fur. Somewhere I have a picture of her curled up on my bed. That's how I usually remember her, the skinny, wonderful little dog named Bridgette.
Around Christmas during my senior year of High School, Bridgette got a tumor in her mouth. My twin brother and I were on winter break, and drove her to the vet. We had no idea how sick she was, as no-one had noticed this thing growing on the roof of her mouth until all of a sudden it was there and huge. The vet said she had cancer, and would likely not survive any experimental treatment due to her age. He was also concerned she would be terrified to be separated from us during any long term hospital stay. He told us she was in a lot of pain, and he suggested we put her down. The vet called my mom who said to please do it right then, as she thought it would be too hard on the family to have her home for a night or two to say goodbye. Both my brother and I were very upset. He could not be with her while they euthanized her, said goodbye, and left the room. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to die alone, and I held her while they gave her a shot. She died in my arms, with me telling me how much I loved her. (Yeah, I'm crying remembering it). Honestly, the God Dog probably timed it right. I don't think she would have tolerated being separated from me when I went away to college, and I would have been that much more upset to think she died from heartbreak, with me so far away from her. At least this way I could be with her. She was almost 17 years old.
Growing up, or even after Bridgette had died, had someone done a survey and asked each member of my family to name one or more of us kids who would not have a dog in the next 20 years, I am sure my name would not have been mentioned by any of them. Everyone expected me to have a dog, including me. Alas, things don't always turn out as expected. I went to college, then Mexico, and then lived in apartments. In 2002 I rented a unit in a duplex and bought a cat. I loved her, and still do. We have been through a lot together, me and Isis, and she is a very good friend. In 2003 I bought a house, and expected the dog to come soon after. The house even came with a fenced-in back yard. It was missing a back door though, and I wasn't quite ready to be walking the dog around the house every time I needed to let her out. I was a new home owner and on the brink of a layoff. Yeah, that was a stressful time! Then came Joanne, my wife. She didn't want a dog, yet. But hey, she cut a hole in the back of the house, put a door in, and built a deck. Oh, from that time on I started the slow pressure to get a dog. Of course I did. We'd talk about breeds and suitable characteristics. I was making some progress, but not really close to results. I thought I'd have to wait for our daughter to get old enough to ask Joanne for a dog directly, and repeatedly, then we could gang up on her. Only a year to go, I hoped.
Then, one day, one of Joanne's employees told her he had an older puppy that he was going to bring to the pound if she didn't take her. She was a good dog, he said, he just didn't have room for her in his mobile home. She was mostly an outdoor dog, he said. I said YES, and Joanne said no, but I'll look at her. He was going to bring her by to work on the way to the pound. She said if she liked her, which she doubted, she would take her for a weekend trial. That Thursday she called and asked to meet me at a restaurant for dinner. This wasn't unusual, it's a little neighborhood place we like to go to once a month or so. Ah, well, no dog then, I thought. I pulled up, she got out of the van, said "stay" toward the door, I looked and.... A DAWG, a real DAWG. I went to say Hi to the dog through the window and she shrunk away from me. She wasn't too keen on me later, either, when I was outside at home, alone with her. She thought she was Joanne's dog. I told her she had to warm up to me, and she didn't realize it yet, but I would be giving her at least as much love and attention Joanne. I think her whole initial sole attachment to Jo worked in our favor though, cause she was very loving to Joanne every time she came into sight. There is nothing but that kind of love and devotion to facilitate attachment. We had her for the weekend and then on Sunday night Joanne and I talked. We talked about the problems, jumping on people, etc. and agreed that was all solvable with training. Joanne said she liked the dog, but wondered if we were ready for dog. Well, after 15 minutes of talk we finalized it, and the next morning announced to the pup that she was an official member of the family. So yeah, after almost 20 years, I am again a dog owner. Each of my other siblings, including one who never really liked dogs, has been a dog owner for y-e-a-r-s.
The dog's name is Maddie or Madeline. She came to us with the name Maggie, but we changed that. She is a medium sized dog. We don't know if she'll grow to be a big dog, or just a little bigger medium sized dog. Her paws don't look that big for her body now, but her head is kind of big. Her fur is golden, as are her eyes. She was born sometime in November of 2007. Her first evening in our home was Thursday May 1, 2008. She wants nothing more than to be around us and be loved. She is easily trainable I think, we just need formal training to assist with that (which we are working on). She has not had any shots or any medical care. We are working on that, too. She is trying to figure out who is at the bottom in the hierarchy of the family, her or Romie (yea, we're working on that, too). She's good with Romie, but wants to play, and push her over, and can be very jealous if Romie is getting love and attention and Maddie is not. She likes to be a lap dog. She is an indoor/outdoor dog. She is outside when we are gone and overnight, and mostly inside when we are home. She can apparently climb the fence, however, and Jo is working on making some adjustments outside to prohibit that. She is wary of strangers, but warms up quickly. She doesn't bark a lot unless someone she doesn't know is outside next door. She is not a great walking companion, but the gentle leader I bought is helping, and again, we are working on getting to dog training classes. Finally, I think she is happy to be part of the family, and we are happy to have her home.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We've been lucky, I guess. In two years our little one has not been seriously ill. She's had a few fevers, and pink eye, and some falls, but nothing serious - until yesterday. She's had a fever the last few days. At times high it's been, and a few times really high. We almost brought her to the emergency room yesterday morning. Even in kids, I didn't know thermometer readings went that high. I won't tell you the reading, it still frightens me to remember it. But with children's Advil and a room temp bath it came down quickly, and we felt comfortable waiting untilour clinic opened a few hours later. Because both her parents really needed to work, we agreed that one of us at least would complete some work obligations. And, I brought her into an overbooked appointment in the middle of the morning.
Well, the fever was down when we got to the clinic, but she wasn't looking good. She was glued on me and didn't talk to anyone. She looked very sick. She was, of course, and she was also sleep deprived, which did not help anything. Her fever went up, and up, while we were there, even after they gave her Tylenol. The did lots of scary things to figure out what was wrong, and then said they wanted to hospitalize her to keep her from getting dehydrated, keep an eye on her, etc. Well, just before we left the clinic she was due for her next dose of Advil, which they gave her. And, by the time we got to the hospital, after stopping at home, the Advil had kicked in and she was doing better. They ended up not keeping her in the hospital and sent us home after several hours and parental tears shed (mine) out of stress and frustration.
She's still has a fever, but at the moment, seems more her normal self. She's watching cartoons 2 year-old style, which at least for her is very interactive. She's going through her toy box, talking, and seems more or less OK. We'll bring her back to the clinic today so they can look at her again, and give us more info on some of the other labs they did.
In the meantime, I have now had the experience of watching my child go through numerous back-to-back frightening medical procedures; some of them painful, some of them extremely restricting of her body, all of them uncomfortable. I don't know who is more traumatized by the experience, me or her. And, as a couple, her parents have solidified some of our differences regarding health care services, and we have clearly established that despite the vastness of these differences, our love and concern for our child are the same. And, we have created a plan for how to communicate more effectively the next time she is sick and we are not together. As for today, I am so thankful that our beautiful child is a little better. And I have way accepted the fact that my juggling of multiple out of state trips between yesterday and Sunday are not going to happen.
I have to end this post, my "sick" child wants me to read to her, and keeps bringing over books to read together, and animal toys to enjoy the reading experience with us.
Well, the fever was down when we got to the clinic, but she wasn't looking good. She was glued on me and didn't talk to anyone. She looked very sick. She was, of course, and she was also sleep deprived, which did not help anything. Her fever went up, and up, while we were there, even after they gave her Tylenol. The did lots of scary things to figure out what was wrong, and then said they wanted to hospitalize her to keep her from getting dehydrated, keep an eye on her, etc. Well, just before we left the clinic she was due for her next dose of Advil, which they gave her. And, by the time we got to the hospital, after stopping at home, the Advil had kicked in and she was doing better. They ended up not keeping her in the hospital and sent us home after several hours and parental tears shed (mine) out of stress and frustration.
She's still has a fever, but at the moment, seems more her normal self. She's watching cartoons 2 year-old style, which at least for her is very interactive. She's going through her toy box, talking, and seems more or less OK. We'll bring her back to the clinic today so they can look at her again, and give us more info on some of the other labs they did.
In the meantime, I have now had the experience of watching my child go through numerous back-to-back frightening medical procedures; some of them painful, some of them extremely restricting of her body, all of them uncomfortable. I don't know who is more traumatized by the experience, me or her. And, as a couple, her parents have solidified some of our differences regarding health care services, and we have clearly established that despite the vastness of these differences, our love and concern for our child are the same. And, we have created a plan for how to communicate more effectively the next time she is sick and we are not together. As for today, I am so thankful that our beautiful child is a little better. And I have way accepted the fact that my juggling of multiple out of state trips between yesterday and Sunday are not going to happen.
I have to end this post, my "sick" child wants me to read to her, and keeps bringing over books to read together, and animal toys to enjoy the reading experience with us.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Sometimes I have somethig to say, and I thought this may be a good way to say it. Besides, my friend M.B. has been telling me I should blog for awhile now. Sometimes I want to blog about my love for my daughter, sometimes I want to blog out my anger at "the system" and the horrors of the world that I see through my practice as a professional social worker, sometimes I want to blog about abstract things happening on the periphery of our awareness, and sometimes I want to blog about whatever other random thought has occured to me. It sounds like I should have several different blogs. I'll start with one. And as I think about a blog I think of two people whose blogs I have visited regularly. My dear friend, MM, has two blogs. One is about her family, and the other about her art. I enjoy them both. They are uplifting and postivie and reading them is like drinking hot chocolate by a fire, surronded by friends in soft conversation. The other blog was from my partner's daughter-in-law during her pregnancy. It was very informative and enjoyable to go into her blog from time to time to get updates on her and the baby. The baby is here now, and I haven't checked the blog since the birth. Mom and baby are well, and I look forward to being in that beautiful, wise, and wonderful child's life as she grows into adulthood and beyond. I think about these blogs, and then think about how sometimes I want to rant and rave, like my niece T.R. sometimes does in her blogs. Well, I may do that from time to time, I admit, but my hope is that my blogs are more often positive, as well informative, interesting, and perhaps inspirational.
After all of that background, here's my main focus for this particular first blog. I want to blog about friends. I saw my best friend from my childhood this week after being separated for 15 years. It is so amazingly wonderful to have her in my life again. I received a call from my best friend from graduate school this moring. I love her so much and miss having her wit and mischieviousness around me. My best friend from work is in Wisconsin visiting her family, and my thoughts, as they often are, are with her. Several months ago I connected with my best friend from college (see blogger MM above) and it was so wonderful to see her, talk to her, hug her, meet her son, and it remains wonderful to have a sense of connection with her now. And then there's my friend W.F. We were close when we were younger, and I have to say, out of all of the friends from my childhood and youth, she is the one I have stayed the most connected to, despite having years here and there without any contact or even knowing where she was at. I remember when I graduated from high school thinking that no matter what, we would remain friends, and if ever separated for any length of time when we saw each other our friendship would be as if we were never out of touch. That has remained true. Although, my hope at this point in my life is to not have us disconnected any more. You know, when I saw V.S/J. again, I remembered something my partner and I had written into the program for our daughter's Welcoming Ceremonly, it was about the importance of people in our lives now, in the past, and in the future. MW was there that day, as was MB, but all of these other friends I speak of were absent physically, but there in recognition of their impact on my life and their importance to me.
It is a cold February day in Minnesota. Valentine's day has just past. WF told me about a space you can rent near her home. It's in a lodge with fireplace and it has a living room feel. As I write this blog, I am in that space. The fire is going. There is hot chocolate and hot tea in abudance. My amazingly wonderful partner is there. Our 1 y/o daughter is playing on the other side of the room with her friends; Collan, Brawnwyn, Sara, Oliver, Megan, and Erin. These are the children of my friends. And around the fire are these amazing women. Comfortable in soft chairs and cozy couches sit myself; my partner JR; my first best friend, the sudo sister I grew up with, V.S/J; my childhood friend that I never lose connection with no matter where we are or what is going on in our lives, W.F.; my best friend from college, who made me laugh and brought me to her home in rural Wisconsin on weekends, the warm thoughts blogger, MM; the witty and adventurous best friend from graduate school, JH; and one of the most amazing women I have ever known, she shares my name (sort of) and my birtdate (different years) MW; and last but not least, my partner's best friend who has become very dear to me, another sister and always good company, MB. In my heart, mind, and vision we are all together, on this day, enjoying each other's company, and knowing that the love and companionship of female friends rejuvinates, sustains, and inspires us. I am grateful to each of them, my dearest friends, and to all of my other friends from the time I started school and into the future, until the day that I die. Happy Valentine's Week. I love you, my dear friends!
After all of that background, here's my main focus for this particular first blog. I want to blog about friends. I saw my best friend from my childhood this week after being separated for 15 years. It is so amazingly wonderful to have her in my life again. I received a call from my best friend from graduate school this moring. I love her so much and miss having her wit and mischieviousness around me. My best friend from work is in Wisconsin visiting her family, and my thoughts, as they often are, are with her. Several months ago I connected with my best friend from college (see blogger MM above) and it was so wonderful to see her, talk to her, hug her, meet her son, and it remains wonderful to have a sense of connection with her now. And then there's my friend W.F. We were close when we were younger, and I have to say, out of all of the friends from my childhood and youth, she is the one I have stayed the most connected to, despite having years here and there without any contact or even knowing where she was at. I remember when I graduated from high school thinking that no matter what, we would remain friends, and if ever separated for any length of time when we saw each other our friendship would be as if we were never out of touch. That has remained true. Although, my hope at this point in my life is to not have us disconnected any more. You know, when I saw V.S/J. again, I remembered something my partner and I had written into the program for our daughter's Welcoming Ceremonly, it was about the importance of people in our lives now, in the past, and in the future. MW was there that day, as was MB, but all of these other friends I speak of were absent physically, but there in recognition of their impact on my life and their importance to me.
It is a cold February day in Minnesota. Valentine's day has just past. WF told me about a space you can rent near her home. It's in a lodge with fireplace and it has a living room feel. As I write this blog, I am in that space. The fire is going. There is hot chocolate and hot tea in abudance. My amazingly wonderful partner is there. Our 1 y/o daughter is playing on the other side of the room with her friends; Collan, Brawnwyn, Sara, Oliver, Megan, and Erin. These are the children of my friends. And around the fire are these amazing women. Comfortable in soft chairs and cozy couches sit myself; my partner JR; my first best friend, the sudo sister I grew up with, V.S/J; my childhood friend that I never lose connection with no matter where we are or what is going on in our lives, W.F.; my best friend from college, who made me laugh and brought me to her home in rural Wisconsin on weekends, the warm thoughts blogger, MM; the witty and adventurous best friend from graduate school, JH; and one of the most amazing women I have ever known, she shares my name (sort of) and my birtdate (different years) MW; and last but not least, my partner's best friend who has become very dear to me, another sister and always good company, MB. In my heart, mind, and vision we are all together, on this day, enjoying each other's company, and knowing that the love and companionship of female friends rejuvinates, sustains, and inspires us. I am grateful to each of them, my dearest friends, and to all of my other friends from the time I started school and into the future, until the day that I die. Happy Valentine's Week. I love you, my dear friends!
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