Dinner and a Show!

After determining that the home cooked dinner was a "no-go" last night (note to self - only use that really REALLY cheap beef roast in the crock pot if it's going to be cooking more than 5 hours cause it's hard to shred shoe leather), we went (drum roll please) to the WAFFLE HOUSE for dinner! We were the only people in the place except for the 2 employees and we had a blast.

What a bargain - not only do we feed a family of 4 for less than $30 (excluding tip), we got:

• Experienced Waffle House employee hearing TimBob talking about waffles and getting the waffle iron fired up for him - $1.50
• Kids picking Elvis songs on the jukebox - $1.00
• Kids finding "I Saw Elvis at the Waffle House" on the jukebox - $0.25
• Floor show of kids DANCING to "I Saw Elvis at the Waffle House" - FREE
• Newbie Waffle House employee cooking his own dinner and wondering where the bacon went (when it stuck to the bottom of the bacon press) - FREE
• Same Newbie Waffle House employee looking strangely at us and asking "What's this for?" when we hand him the check with the money at the register, followed by "How much is it?" - PRICELESS

We left him a $5.00 tip as the value of the floor show was exceptional!

Hmm - off to see if I can find I Saw Elvis at the Waffle House on iTunes. It ROCKED!

Toenails just in time for winter

Woot! My toenail is growing back!

I felt like a runner. I finally had that runner cred of having a mortally wounded toenail from running. After the 15 miler from you-know-where, my toenail was trying valiantly to fall off. It loosened, was only attached at the base of the nail bed, but it never turned black, never hurt, and never fell off! I was ROBBED of having that cocktail party casual "yeah - I'm a runner. See - I even lost a TOENAIL" conversation to show people just how awesome a runner girl I am.

Since it never truly fell off, and remained covered in polish for the summer, looking annoyingly attractive to those who didn't know, I didn't give it much thought and just left it alone. Well, the fact that I haven't done any serious running since just after Labor Day and the killer bee also had a lot to do with its survival.

So I'm prepping for my festive surgery one week from today (pity is welcome here), and I dutifully took off the skanky polish remnants as part of the "no nail polish" surgery rules. Much to my surprise, I see that the nail is growing back and reattaching itself! It still feels "weird", but I admit it will be nice to have 10 attractive toenails just in time to start Winter Training and hopefully have one come off completely this time! Princesses don't have 10 toenails, right?

I'm so excited!

Proving to Coworkers You Are a Runner

OK - I cannot take credit for finding this, but I do take credit for sharing it with you!

Unofficial Turkey Trot & Winter Running Thoughts

The SAG Lounge and 2009 Calendar

Alrighty ladies & gentlemen. The SAG Lounge is now up & operational. If no one posts, well it won't last long - but there it is regardless. http://4girlsrunning.com/lounge

AND - the 2009 Race Calendar is already started. http://www.4girlsrunning.com/calendar.asp?action=year&date=2008-11-22 If you have a race planned and it's not out there, send me the 411 including the link to their website and I'll post it! I've tried to get all the local popular ones plus the road trips that I know people are going to, but there are some big gaps there during the summer months.

Tra la la! I *heart* running and I'm looking forward to a good winter training season heading up to those early spring (half) marathons.

My goal for 2009? Run FOUR half marathons -- Disney Princess, Dismal Swamp Stomp (just cause it sounds like such a cool name), Virginia Beach Rock n Roll, and Richmond Half.

What's YOUR goal?

Not for me....

Well, not good news at the doc this week. Let's just say that I have a surgery appointment on December 5th and leave it at that. Hopefully I'll be able to apply enough non-Jewish mother guilt to my youngest to give him a lifetime of therapy sessions trying to get over it.

But - LADIES - you ROCK ON tomorrow! Linda - you need to kick it for me. Ginny - it has been pointed out to me that you ran on a broken foot at RnR, and that I'm a slacker for not running on my injury. Although I'm apparently not as tough as you are - you go out there and get the amazing time you deserve!

Team ShanDee -- aka the Pinkies -- I can't tell you to run fast, but I can tell you to stay strong and stay safe!

Most importantly everyone - have FUN and run SMART!
I'll see you all later and Moose swears I will be running like a princess in time for Disney! Woo hoo!

* I expect race reports, ladies! I'm tired of writing this blog by myself!

I had a dream....

I had a dream… that the doctor cleared me to run, and I went to the Richmond Half Marathon.  You know those dreams where it’s “your” house or “your” friends – but it isn’t your real life house?  This was one of those.

 

In my dream, I was apparently cleared to run, and went out to the Richmond Half Marathon to run the whole thing.  Of course it’s a dream, cause I see the doctor tomorrow after not running for a month and the half is THIS Saturday.  HA HA

 

So in my dream, I started running the race, but realized I forgot to put my timing chip on.  Oopsie!  So I began running back to the “staging” area.  I ran through apartment complexes and alleys getting back to my “locker” to get my chip.  Run, run, run.  Of course, the actual Richmond Half is not run through apartment complexes or suburban neighborhoods, but starts in downtown Richmond.  I’ve run races there – I know what it looks like in real life.  But apparently my dream self thought that it would be funner to have to go up & down stairs through apartments.  And apparently it’s at least a mile from the start line back to the staging area.

 

I run all the way back to the staging area to my “locker” and get my chip (which is actually correct in my dream – that new “disposable” D chip tab thingy) and catch the hayride (!!) shuttle back to the start.  How fun is that!

 

How weird!  But I’m taking this as a premonition that I will be cleared to run tomorrow.  No, I have no expectations that I could go run 13.1 miles after 3 days of catch up training, but this is a good thing!   At this point, I have paid $75 for a technical race shirt from a race I won’t be running, and sorry, I’m not paying an ADDITIONAL $10 for the privilege of downgrading to the 8k and run/walking it.

Martinis make you run faster.

OK - it's official. New Year's Eve at the Cavalier again this year, and the Hair of the Dog 5K the next day. Hmmmmm - last year I posted a PR at the Hair of the Dog after imbibing in chocolate martinis the night before. Is there a direct correlation between the number of drinks consumed and the speed at which I run?

I intend to find out.