So. I'm 39. It's remarkably unremarkable. I've felt 39 (whatever that feels like) since my husband turned 39 in October. I wonder if 40 will be the same way? Ho hum. Hope so. (JEEEEEZE I gotta plan something for him, though. He does not go gently into the middle ages, methinks, and he's in need of a Big Thing. Ideas, anyone!?)
I lucked out with the calendar in some ways: it's Saturday so there was no rushing out of the house today. But March (not April) is the cruelest month when you are the spouse of the high school theater guy who takes his students to festival competitions. It's always an insane schedule and this year the regional festival is today. So, Scott was out the door by about 4:15 this morning and won't be home until... I don't know when. Anywhere between 10PM and 1AM is feasible. Unfortunately the school where they were participating is a 2 hour drive, so there was no way I was going to load up the 3 boys for that trek to see a, literally, 35 minute show.
Instead, my day started with Elliott tip toeing downstairs at exactly 6:00 (he must have been watching the clock in his room for it to turn to 6, as they are not allowed downstairs until then) and saying happy birthday. We snuggled up for a minute before Gabriel declared his awakedness.... and thus at 6:03, my day began.
It was a pretty typical Saturday of grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry. I did manage to coordinate a little cake baking with the big boys. (Gabe was exceptionally helpful, pulling on my pant legs the whole time. I think he knew deep down that he wasn't going to get any, so that was his protest.)
One very welcome birthday present was our income tax return coming in... YAY! So, this afternoon the boys and I went to town and I got LOOOONG overdue running shoes. I found the same exact style I had been wearing (Brooks Summon) $25% off. This led me to decide on a second long-desired (but not really needed) item - a 'condom on your head' running hat. (I don't think they are actually called 'condom on your head' running hats, but that's what I call them. Check the photo and you decide. The brand of this one is Swix - for nordic skiing, I think - and I'd honestly never heard of it till today. Because it's the end of the season, the hat was 40% off, so I ended up getting both items for way less than I thought I was going to pay for just the shoes. Woo to the hoo!
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| (It's more condom like, I'll admit, when there's no colorful print on it...) |
I will have ample opportunity to see if this new gear is up to snuff tomorrow morning because I'll be doing a solo 16 mile training run. This would have been no big deal solo a year ago, but I'm used to taking on the double digits with my BRF and now, sniff, I am just sort of dreading it. That and, by the way, it's supposed to be about 12 degrees at 6AM when I take off. My (St.) Patty is going to be (St.) Frozen. I have 4 podcasts at the ready (Another Mother Runner, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, This American Life, and Ask Me Another). Hey, I'm just a running/NPR nerd looking for someone to talk me through it!
This run is the final test to see if I can manage the Eastern States 20 which is coming up next week. GULP! Because Lauren broke her arm, I sort of acted like I had broken mine and let my running slide a good deal. I still went out regularly, but my weekend long runs were never more than 10 miles. Eeek. She's back and determined to resume with her race schedule - maybe slightly modified but maybe not - and I'm all in. I got the confirmation email from Eastern States today and,well, I guess it's a go! At the very least she and I will have a great time driving to and from the race together, even if the entire running part of the day is a big, fat bummer.
The boys spent 90% of the day being their normal selves - not too good, not too bad - and 10% of the day remembering it was my birthday and rushing up for hugs and saying happy birthday. It was very sweet. They were happy to sing and take my picture as I cut the cake, but I think that had more to do with the cake and ice cream that was coming up than with just being angelic. It was, I have to say, freaking delicious. Not exactly the best pre-long run fuel, but I'm not going for land speed records. Just survival.
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| Pre-used birthday candles. (I'll take, Ways That You Know it's Only MOM's Birthday for 600, Alex) |
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| Accidentally Artsy. (A good title for a novel or a memoir, I think. You have my permission to steal it.) |
Thanks for the birthday wishes, which I hear were plentiful on FB but none of which I read due to my continued Lenten FB Fast. (So virtuous and yet they still made that Argentinian the new Pope! Huh. Something about not being Catholic. Or a man. Or celibate. Or familiar with liturgy in any real way... They're so damn fussy...)
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