A summer of running

Man, these races are addicting! After we did the Cellcom in Green Bay in May, Ken mentioned he wanted 5 race shirts by the end of summer. Well, folks, we just completed our 4th run on the 4th of July!! We are scheduled for another run on July 9th, another on July 30th and one more on August 27th.

Pictured Rocks Road Race for the American Red Cross. June 26th, 2011. Munising, MI

Freedom Run, July 4th, 2011, Munising, MI

I am struggling with shin horrible shin splints and the last race I was having a bad mm day....so I walked most of that race. Ken beat his previous 5k times on this last race. It's a race within myself. I want to do better, and I will do better...the next race.

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself.
--William Faulkner

John Laurin Memorial 5k run

On May 28th, 2011 we ran another 5k. Yuppers, two in one month! Ya know, about 6 months ago, we never thought doing this was possible. It was a challenging cross country course down country roads, fields, trails in the woods, but it was pure awesome! We finished this race in 5 minutes more than the one in Green Bay. Which is not all that bad when you take into account this was a completely different terrain.

Our next race is on June 26th in Munising, MI, then another on July 9th in Gladstone, July 30th in Flatrock, MI, and our final planned one on August 27th in Ishpeming, MI. There's a lot of training and prep work going on!!

Run on!!!

A dandy night for a bikeride

When there is not snow on the ground one of the activities the hunky hubby and I enjoy is to take bikerides to the lake. We only live a short distance (blocks) from the shores of Lake Michigan. It's one of the many reasons I love being a Yooper. On this night my lil brother and his gf joined us on the pedal. Fun times!!

The impact of hearing loss overcome

The impact of hearing loss overcome: "There are many types of hearing aids to fit a range of ages and lifestyles"

When dreams become reality...our 1st 5k

On May 14th, 2011 we embarked on the Cellcom 5k in Green Bay, WI. Let me tell you....this was a dream come true!!! We trained, and trained some more...and WE DID IT!!!

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would attain the balance and endurance to compete. For months I spent hours at the gym on a daily basis, working on my balance that menieres had taken away. Ken worked his tail feather off too and built his endurance up. It was quite the preperation...even though it was only for a 5k.


It was a rainy dreary morning but our spirits were nothing but sunshine. We were doing our very 1st race, and we would be running on Lambeau Field, with the most fabulous peeps.

I started out strong and before long my shins were on fire so I walked at a fast pace until I could run again. Never going to give up. That first mile was the hardest. The remaining two just fell into place. Before we knew it, we were heading below the stadium and out onto Lambeau Field. I ran, swiping the grass, we looked around, took pictures and I even bent down on my hands and knees and kissed the tundra. Yup, I totally rocked that move. I mean, hey, how often am I going to be able to touch the field that my fave football team plays on. You know how many great athletes have played on that field.....amazing stuff folks!!

I can tell you this...this was our first run....but not our last! These things are addicting, much like getting tattoos. Ken said he wants to have at least 5 race bibs/tshirts by the end of the summer. As a matter of fact, we are doing another 5k on this Saturday in Carney, MI. There really is nothing that will 'distract' us, or I mean, ME this time. I lost a good 10-12 minutes taking it all in when we went onto Lambeau Field. This time, we are talking sheer focus, determination. Time to kick it up a notch and make some smoke!! Oh, and next years goal???? Half marathon!! YUP!!!

Booya!!

For the past three weeks, on Tuesday and Thursday nights I've been participating in a Boot camp program the the gym Ken & I belong to put on. The instructor is an ex Marine dude. We're talking hard core! I knew I was gonna get my ass handed to me! I was right....After my first session I could not walk for two days. That's no joke folks!! But, I went back... I must not be right in the head but the buttkickin I'd get felt fantastic! So, I kept going. The class only lasted an hour but in that hour we did numerous crunches of various types, pushups up the wazooo, more lunges than I care to even count and numerous other hard core fun exercises. I only missed two sessions. The first one I missed because my menieres had me all wonkified...meaning dizzy mess. The other night was because we were working hard on the Benefit stuff for our friend. Last night was the last session and I knew my friend Danna wouldn't be there. I was very apprehensive about still going. I was terrified what would happen if I went into a mm episode of vertigo. Who would get me home? Who would go to the bathroom with me if that happened? I called Ken and ya know, I ALMOST didn't go last night....but he gave me the push I needed and told me to just go....so, I did! And it was fantastical! I found myself doing more and more each week. Now, I know I'll never be top notch but hey, I did it!! I won prizes three out of the four times I went. The first time I won a water bottle, the second, a protein drink, and last night I won a free one month membership! Oh, and next week we are totally getting free Boot camp t-shirts! Exciting stuff eh!! (That's the Yooper coming out in me btw)

I feel sooo fortunate to be able to be doing the things I am doing. So jazzed up that I wrote my friend, who is also club manager, a lil note telling her just how amazing the gym has been. This is what I wrote:

"Jayne, I just have to tell you how amazing you all have been at the gym. Boot camp has been incredible!! I just feel like giving high fives and hugs to everybody! Just a few years ago I was unable to do so much due to my balance issues from menieres disease. Just riding my bike was difficult without getting extreme vertigo, I had to hold walls to walk, I couldn't cross country ski or run anymore without falling down. I was apprehensive about doing boot camp because of my wankerd up hearing but it has been beyond awesome!! The gym has given me back so much! I've met incredible people that always keep me wanting to do more, my balance has improved slightly and very soon I'll be sportan single digit jeans! A to the freaking men! I just want you and everybody to know how incredible Anytime Fitness is and I cannot thank the gym enough for giving me bits of my life back!! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could get back to running and now we are doing the 5k in May. I know it's only a 5k but it's gonna be beyond spiffytastic!!"

I'm tellin ya...life changing stuff folks! Take that Menieres!!! It may eventually take away my ability to hear but it sure as hell isn't getting MY LIFE!! =) If you are somewhere in your life, that you don't think something isn't possible, know that it IS possible! Never give up on your dreams, goals or yourself!! You are worth it, believe you can do it.

Where's Kathy??

Ken & I have taken on a big project. A good friend of ours was involved in a horrible car accident on 2-19-11. Steve was in a medically induced coma for a little over two weeks. He was on a respirator, kidney dialysis, had a shattered pelvis, hip, broken wrist and a badly injured left leg. His left leg is so bad that the doctors had surgery scheduled to have it amputated. But, the following morning, the swelling went down slightly. Steve is now out of the coma, off of dialysis, breathing on his own, has had 5 surgeries on his bad leg (which they are still unsure can be saved), surgery on his pelvis hip and wrist. I brought it up to Ken about having a benefit for him...and it caught like wild fire. It's been amazing. We live in such a remarkable community. People are coming together. It's truly been a blessing.

Spaghetti & Meatball Benefit Dinner

for Stephen Ewing

Escanaba VFW April 30,2011

4pm-8pm

$6 adult, $4 children & kids under 5 free

***Raffles and silent auction***

Steve was involved in a devastating car accident in Manistique, MI on February 19th, 20 II. He was in a medically induced coma for 2 weeks, on kidney dialysis & ventilator. He has had surgery on his broken pelvis, hip, wrist, and numerous surgeries on his left leg. The doctors are still trying to save his left leg from having to be amputated. He has numerous surgeries and many months of rehab in the future. All $$$ raised will go to the Ewing family to help defray travel expenses and bills.

We are also hoping to get Steve a laptop and new hearing aid. Steve is deaf, therefor, he isn't able to use the telephone to keep in touch with family and friends as he is bedridden in the hospital. His communication with the outside world is done primarily through the computer. His hearing aid is also broke.

***Info: Kathy Woodbury kmw825@yahoo.com or 906-789- 1064 ***

Special update: Last week I put the benefit info on my facebook and mentioned that we also want to get Steve a new hearing aid because his was broke in the accident. My fab friend brandy saw my status and told me she would talk to her aunt at Miracle Ear. That very night brandy called me with amazing news!! That very day her aunt Rose had been given a set of top notch hearing aides from a family member of a person that had passed away. The family wanted the aides to be donated to someone who really needed them and can not afford them.

Now, hold on, that's not all. Rose will travel to Steve free of charge. She's doing this on her own. She will do his hearing exam, make his ear impressions and program the aides out of the kindness of her heart. Amazing right!! A pure stranger helping someone out!! Rocks my world!

The only cost is $100 for the actual earmoulds. Which several of us pitched in for. So, Steve will be getting his hearing aides in the near future. Rose told me Steve will be hearing better than he ever has before. What a remarkable gift!!

Being part of this experience has made me realize just how amazing people are. I am honored to be involved in such an amazing event. So, that is where much of my time has been spent. Gathering donations, answering emails and phone calls. It's fantastical!!

15yrs

On 3-23-96 I was given the greatest gift. I became the wife of my best friend, soulmate and lover. He is the kindest, patient, goofy, dorkipotamus, handsome lovable man I know. I love him more that I ever thought a heart was campable of loving. He completes me....

Even after 15yrs of being married. He is still the hand I reach for, the man I will grow old with, the man who knows all my secrets, supports my dreams, give me a push when I need it, and pulls me in his wonderful arms and wraps me in a hug. He completes me. Fifteen years of wedded bliss...can't wait to share another 128 with this fabulous man!! I love you Ken!!! =)

Warmpth

You are looking at the gynormous, unsafe, non efficient unit that has heated this home for a few decades. We have only owned this house for 5yrs. On Sunday, February 20th she died. Ken & I were watching a lil tv before he had to go to work that night. I started sweating, asked Ken what the dealio was. Our house was 77 degrees!! He told me he was cold so he turned the thermostat up a couple degrees. Silly boy! If he'd wear some actual clothes in the winter....he was just in gym shorts. He does not parade around the house in the buff. Anyways, he turned the heat down on the thermostat...heat kept pumping through the vents. He went in the basement to shut the actual furnace off and restart it.

When he came upstairs he had that "this is not good" type look on his face. He said that he shut it off and when he turned it back on, flames shot up the side. YIKES!! We called the furnace fixer men. Yup, on a Sunday night. The fella came and confirmed it, our furnace croaked. Totally non fixable. He said that someone can come Monday morning to give us an estimate on a new one. Ok....So, we're gonna have a slumber party for a night and then get a new furnace. No biggie. Ken called his dispatcher and told her he would not be able to go to work until this problem at home was fixed.

We quickly shut the curtains and hung blankets on the windows that we do not have window treatments on to keep the heat in. We turned on electric heaters and blocked off the staircase going upstairs with another blanket. We were going to camp out in the living room for the night.

I put on my pink footie pajamas with polar bears and blew up the queen sized air mattress. We put an electric heating blanket on the top of the mattress and then our sheets and blankets.

Got up on Monday morning and the fella came her to check it out and get the info needed to make an estimate. The day dragged on, no word of an estimate...we thought he forgot about us. Ken called and a short time later we had two estimates. So, Monday night we slept in the living room. Again.

It really wasn't bad at all and we had fun. Reminded me of when we would camp in a tent. On Tuesday we thought, ohh awesome, we will give them their $ and work will begin on the new furnace. Nope, we had to wait until Wednesday. Ok, so night three on the living room floor.

Wednesday morning the banging began promptly at 8am. The guys took a break around 10am. Oh, and one of the fella totally looked like an older Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. I contemplated how I could get a picture of him to show yas. But the hubby thought it would be a bit too odd. LOL

At lunch time Ken & I decided to go get sub sandwiches and we offered to get one for the fella that was still working in our basement. Neither Ken nor I hadn't the slightest clue who this man was, but we were grateful that he was going to hook us up with some heat. When we got home with our sandwiches Ken asked if we were going to make the guy eat in the cold basement or in the semi warm dining room. I said around the dining room table with us of course! Ken was thinking the same thing. Folks, we had a stranger eat a meal with us and it was fun. We learned about where the guy went to college and his family. It really was pretty neatotastic!

After we cleaned up lunch we realized that an aspiration on my 2011 list was completed. We paid for a strangers meal & had them eat in our home with us. Pretty cool if you ask me. By 4pm the 93% efficient new furnace was in and we had heat. I felt like hugging the man!!

Crazy Birthday Hats

Beware: If I know you, know where you live, know where you work or know what vehicle you drive I am sooo going to make you a crazy birthday hat. No if, and's or but's about it. It's part of my 2011 aspirations actually... to make gifts. Well, I decided this year I am going to crochet sillified hats. I started with a monkey hat for my brother Bruce. His bday is in February. I gave it to him before we went on our annual family sleigh ride.

Then came Cody's 5th bday the beginning of March. Totally hooked him up with a dragon hat.

My lil brother JJ's bday is in March too. Made him an Escanaba Eskymo hat with the #58 (his football #) on the back. I'm working on a few more of these for other 'Mo' fans and bdays.

Then my brother Pat....He's got to be one of the biggest Green bay Packer fans I have ever known. He sooo needed a Packer helmet hat. Can you believe he wore this at our family fun day bowling this past weekend!

I still have a couple more March bday hats to deliver. I think it might be the most busy birthday month in my family. Hmmm, people get really antsy for summer in June I guess.

I only have one bday hat in April to make for my very immediate family. If I hear through the grapevine that YOU have a bday next month you better bet that somehow a personalized crazy bday hat will be delivered to you!!