Motivation Monday (On Tuesday): Choose to Help

I motivated myself so much yesterday that I didn't have a chance to even think about blogging. Obviously I haven't done much blogging recently anyway. I have lots of ideas, though, and thought a Motivation Monday (On Tuesday) post would help get me back into the writing flow.

Here's what's up. School started yesterday. I joined many tired-looking parents on the running trail at about 9:05 yesterday morning, just after the school busses finished their rounds of the neighborhood. I ran more than three miles for the first time since the Blessing ten-mile road race about a month ago. My IT band injury has migrated to my hamstring and it hurts like a son-of-a-gun but I have some additional stretches and an icing and heating routine to add to my stretching and running and resting routine. So, it's taking me more time to run fewer miles but I am still confident in my ability to run the Army Ten Miler in October. At the Blessing I tied my time from last year's ATM. I'm hoping to beat that time at this year's ATM.

I'm also doing some writing things and working on book reviews to share.

I made an appointment to donate blood today. Whether it stays in my community or gets sent to Texas, it's one of the few things that costs no money but will greatly benefit someone else. If you want to help, too, look for a blood donation drive in your area or send money directly to benefit Texas: Click here. It doesn't matter who the president is or what Congress is up to. We can choose to help, even from a distance.

I also voted in our county school board election today. Local elections make the biggest impact on the community.

What have you done to serve your community today?

Nineteen Miles

Today I ran nineteen miles. (I ran and am writing this on Sunday, but posting it Monday. I'm too tired to think into the future and change the tenses to match when this will be published and read.) It's my longest run to date. It was a lot harder than my seventeen-mile run two weeks ago. When I left early in the morning I was thinking a full marathon will be difficult but I can definitely get it done. By the time I hit mile eighteen I began to question that. I couldn't tell if I was hitting the wall or if I was simply hungry or thirsty. I cursed myself for choosing a route that had an uphill for miles fifteen through seventeen. When I checked my stats later, though, mile fifteen was one of my fastest; I don't know what came over me. I have a twenty-mile run in two weeks. I guess I'll see what happens when I keep ploughing on for one more mile.

The Marine Corps monument (pictured), also known as the Iwo Jima monument, is eleven and a half miles from our house. This is the second long run that I've passed it. It's the finish line for the marathon. It's an inspiration. I like stopping for a moment when I get to it to have my snack and contemplate what others have done and why I'm out doing this.

I've mentioned before that I'm raising money for Soldier On, an organization that provides services for homeless veterans. I need your help, guys. I'm six weeks out from my marathon and I'm going to start annoying everyone to donate. Click here to do so. Thinking about helping this great organization has been helping me through the tough miles. Thank you so much for helping me.

You Don't Really Train for a Marathon Alone

I'm not going to lie. Running has been difficult the last few weeks. It's hot. It's humid. It's downright Bamako out. Friends in the Northeast, friends in Texas, friends in London -- we are all struggling to run right now. I guess that's how the summer is for everyone who's insane enough to train for a marathon through these months. We accept it because we got ourselves into this and we'll get ourselves out.

On Saturday morning I snapped this picture just before starting a thirteen-mile run. I wanted to remember appreciating the beautiful scenery when the miles go tough. Sunrise on the beach. Early morning surfers. Folks out for a stroll with their coffees.

The beautiful scenery barely pulled me through the first mile. My friends did, though. I met up with Running While Mommy and a few others. We were all running different distances but stayed together for a few miles. I would have given up much sooner if it hadn't been for my friends. I wanted to think of my goal. I wanted to think of all the people who have things so much harder than I do but perform amazing tasks every day anyway. I wanted to enjoy the beachfront. But I couldn't. I was too hot and too tired. My mind was a blank. But I had footsteps beside me and as long as I was accompanied by another runner I was going to keep going. Slowly but surely.

Since we all ran different distances we finished at different times. We caught up with each other by group text later in the day. Everyone was happy to have the motivation of meeting other people to get the run done. We were happy to have the run finished for the weekend. We probably all would have either skipped it or run shorter if we'd been on our own. It felt good to check in with my support system like that.

What made me feel great all over again was when the official Marine Corps Marathon account liked my image (to the right) on Instagram yesterday. It's a screenshot of the alarm on my phone going off at five in the morning with a caption of how I'm meeting my friends for the long run on what was the hottest day of the year so far. That little thing, that "like" from the organization that's putting on the marathon boosted my spirits immensely. It made me feel like I'm part of something big and they are recognizing every mile that the runners are putting into their training.

The marathon is less than a hundred days from now. My daily runs aren't as long as I'd like them to be, but I'm getting out there and doing something almost every day. And I'm confident that as long as I complete the long run each week I'll be able to complete the marathon.

Remember to check out my page for making a donation to Soldier On: Click here. Thank you to everyone who's donated so far to help me raise money to support homeless veterans.

I Want to Give Back. And I Need Your Help.

I had a mild cold and the weather was so hot and humid I put off my long run until something gave in. Fortunately after two days of rest, my sore throat and exhaustion cleared up. The weather, however, remained oppressive but I had no choice. This morning I was determined to do the long run. Only eleven miles, I said to myself. I'd done twelve milers the two weeks in a row before so eleven was practically an off week.

Mike had had a lot of our outdoor gear shipped from Bamako ahead of our main shipment so I sweated in the shed yesterday pouring through boxes for my CamelBak. I hate running with water (I don't like carrying stuff) but I knew it would be a necessity. This morning I geared up, forced a smile for this photo, and took off.

The water sloshed. I'd forgotten to press all the air out of the bladder. I also wondered if it had something to do with the ice cubes, too. I didn't want to stop and undo it all to press out the water on the road. I sucked it up and hoped the sloshing would stop bothering me.

For the most part the sloshing did stop bothering me. I had a lot on my mind. The heat. The traffic. Where it would be best to adjust the route to make it eleven miles instead of twelve. Muffin's upcoming birthday party plans. Our upcoming move. The constant sloshing mostly became background noise and my need for the water far outweighed my annoyance at the sound it made.

As I the miles wore on and I became more tired, the noise bothered me more. Then I passed a building with the flag at half-staff. And another. And I remembered that far more horrible things are happening in the world and my life wasn't so bad if I was on a voluntary run with water sloshing on my back. I sucked it up, ignored the water, and finished that eleven miles.

I'm giving back to those who have endured things more difficult than I have. I want to say "Thank you" for their sacrifices and hard work. I'm using my training for the Army Ten Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon to raise money for Soldier On. Soldier On helps homeless veterans by providing temporary housing and transitional services, eventually leading to permanent homes. I'm asking for your help. I have a fundraising goal of $2,500 by October 30, the date of the marathon. Every little bit helps. With all the headlines in the news lately it's easy to forget that other groups are struggling as well. This is something I can do to help. So can you. Visit my CrowdRise page to donate. I'll be paying the CrowdRise user fee myself so that all of the donated money will go to Soldier On. And please share.

Thank you so much.

Motivation Monday: Awesome Edition

Image from Pinterest.

"Is this... is this a weekday?" says The Dude in The Big Lebowski. Between the family illnesses of the last couple weeks, last week's strikes, holidays, and car troubles, and today's holiday, I have absolutely no feeling for what day it is. But Muffin went to school today so it must be a weekday.

I have to run again. I have to finish up my homework this month before I begin two months of school vacation (while Muffin stays in school!). I have to make Muffin's Halloween costume. I have several baking commitments for charity bake sales and seasonal parties. I must be awesome right now. But I must also delegate tasks where I can and not spread myself too thin.

Accomplishing all that stuff means I should probably either be doing homework right now or going to bed early instead of messing around online. I have a plan though. Rest up tonight. Do homework while Muffin is at school tomorrow morning and continue with that every weekday. Go fabric shopping for her costume while she naps tomorrow afternoon with the baby-sitter and do my sewing during subsequent afternoon naps. Start hoarding ingredients for holiday baking whenever I see them in the grocery stores. Stick to my Saturday long runs even if I don't do any other running during the week.

It's not impossible. Just wake up and be awesome. And really, really go running to combat the effects of all the baked good test batches.

The Littlest Supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness

This morning we attended the Pink Ribbon Walk in Hyderabad, the kick-off event for Breast Cancer Awareness month. It was a short two-kilometer walk and we were surprised at the number of people who participated.

In India the rate of detection is so low that the majority of women who have breast cancer aren't diagnosed until such a late stage that it is usually terminal. In Western countries it's easy for women to talk about their health. But remember a couple of centuries ago, when (male) doctors in the West had no idea what was going on with women's health? In India, because of the conservative culture, it's more difficult for women to discuss health problems with their doctors. It's more difficult for them to seek out treatment because of a lack of trained specialists. And then it's nearly impossible to pay for medical bills. Here in Hyderabad, KIMS (Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences), the organizer of the Pink Ribbon Campaign, is working with corporations and charities to get free and low-cost mammograms and treatments to the women who need them.

The press was mad for Muffin, especially once she got a hold of a sign. This is one time I didn't mind all the photos. If her little mug on the front page of the newspaper helps raise awareness it will be worth it. 

Merry, merry

I don’t think I mentioned the toy drive here on my blog! The big distribution. I’ve bombarded most people with my flickr photos, so this is my last mention for a while, I promise.

It was a lot of fun. There were some confused, but overall quite happy, children. (Note the ramen noodles in the corner. I don't want to talk about it.) These kids are so sweet. It breaks my heart that I can’t bring them all home with me.

Some of the “children” at the orphanages are actually older teenagers. There are also some adult residents who are physically and mentally handicapped and thus unable to find jobs. (I believe they were wards of the orphanages as children, then allowed to stay there as adults if they’re unable to work.) After my first trip to the orphanages I was concerned that we were collecting too many toys and not enough gifts for older kids and adults. Some people donated money which we used to buy sneakers and messenger bags. I’m glad we did that! They seemed to be much appreciated.


Click on the photo if you haven’t seen the pictures yet to go to flickr.

Two Things

1. Mike and I had our first tennis lesson on Sunday. The instructor said we both did quite well for complete beginners. He moved us on to the backhand right away since we both had good forehands.

My extendors are a little out of shape, though, leaving my arm a bit shaky. Now it's just a tad sore. But we're excited to continue with lessons. We think it will be a good activity for the two of us to do together. It's somewhat self-contained, we can do it any time, and there are tennis courts all over the world.

2. Yesterday we visited the two orphanages that we'll be donating Christmas toys to. Oh, those kids are so adorable and heart-breaking. I wanted to take them all home with me. They walk right up and take your hand and say Bonjour. Comment t'appelle tu? Je m'appelle... ("Hello. What's your name? My name is...") They know how to get themselves loved.

Get ready for the feats of strength

Holiday party planning is in full swing. The party’s on Friday, so once it’s over I get to sleep until Christmas.

Not really.

I’ve thrown myself into activities to divert my attention from… I’m not homesick exactly but I feel a bit off. Of course there’s the party on Friday. I’m also working on toy donations for local orphanages. (Check out Toys for Tots in your neighborhood! If we can do it in Bujumbura, you can do it wherever you are.) We may do the toy delivery on Christmas morning! Not that these kids have much of a notion of Christmas, but it’s a day we have off and there’s no big family meal to prepare for, so it’s a day of free time.

Today I hosted a woman who works with a local women’s shelter that does embroidery for tablecloths, napkins, and other linens. She came into the office with many products and also took custom orders for more. It was a great success! A lot of people stopped in to see the embroidery and learn about the shelter. I’d like to do events like this with more local artisans and organizations. It’s convenient that the shopping comes to you and you’re supporting local enterprises.

I’m also organizing talks on avian flu and malaria next week. Fun!

I sound so great, don’t I? As George Costanza once said, “I could be a kick ass philanthropist!” That reminds me, Festivus is coming up soon too. There must be an aluminum pole around here somewhere.

Christmas time is here!

Mike's home and we had the first normal weekend we've had together in ages. Well, relatively normal. It's not every weekend that we get a Christmas tree and watch Christmas movies.

We got our tree at Target. How soulless is that? Yet so convenient because we bought a stand and lights there, too. Plus paper towels and other household necessities.

So far the cats are doing fine with the tree. We didn't anchor it to the wall because it's pretty sturdy in the stand. We did use floral wire for hanging the glass ornament and that has already proved to be a good idea. Ellie has been sitting on the arm of the couch batting at ornaments and chewing on branches.

On Saturday night we went to a party with some of Mike's work friends. Drinking and merriment ensued.

Yesterday we decorated the tree and watched TV. We also went to farmers' market and Mike ran a load of stuff over to Goodwill. After clearing out the Goodwill clothes, the newly free space in the wardrobe was instantly filled with boxes of fabric I've purchased over the last few months. That wardrobe is like a vacuum that can't stay empty.

Today, Housecleaning Part II begins, as I get the place ready for my mom's arrival on Wednesday. (Part I was all the prepping I did for Mike's homecoming. Now I must tackle the guest room.)

Random Holiday Stuff

Martha Stewart recently did a segment on making your tree safe from pets. There were some good ideas, like fastening the tree to the wall with fishing wire and using floral wire to attach glass ornaments to the tree branches. What I thought was odd that throughout the segment she talked on and on about ornament safety. Not once did she mention pet safety. Sure, I'd be upset if my tree fell over and some glass balls broke, but I'd be even more upset if my pet was squashed by the falling tree. Good info, but odd priorities.

According to Real Simple, you should not be a superwoman or superman. Don't be a control freak, and get the kids involved. Kids can stick bows on packages and stamps on cards. Put the little critters to work!

For holiday cheer, listen to David Sedaris's Santaland Diaries and read his essay Six to Eight Black Men.

Gifts for Kids
Did you know Johnny Cash put out a kids' album?
I want some of this music for myself:
Children's Tunes Revive Spirit of Punk Rock

Festive Grendel Pics: Grendel Notices Fur Trim on Stockings

Most importantly, share happiness:
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
- Buddha

I'm all better now!

My living room has become Santa's workshop and I have two skog-elves to help me. I've pretty much caught up on the shopping I had originally planned to do last weekend, before I got sick. I need to double-check my list, but I think I'm done with Christmas present shopping. I have two more gifts to finish sewing. Then I can concentrate on wrapping and decorating. Cards are almost finished being addressed. I'm on top of things this year.

I've had to put aside my raincoat sewing. I'll get back to it soon.

As I was buying a bottle of vanilla that cost nearly $10 and that I'm hoping is large enough for all my holiday baking, I was reminded of a gift tip in my Amy Sedaris book (see sidebar at right). She recommends vanilla as a hostess gift for someone who likes to bake because it's so expensive. Keep that in mind when you're running into Stop & Shop or Safeway on the way to someone's party, desparate for a gift to bring that is thoughtful yet effortless.

Also, if you give someone stationary or note cards as a gift, include a book of stamps. That's not specifically from Amy, but it's what I inferred from some of her advice.

I have a lot of free time on my hands.

Think Pink!

I'm pleased to show off my SWAP storyboard!

Think Pink!
Subtitle: Pink is the color of breast cancer awareness. Visit AvonFoundation.org or Komen.org for more information.

Do a Good Deed

I ran my miles in the fight against breast cancer, but the journey is not over. My friend Vicky is walking for the cure in Washington, D.C. next year. Please consider a donation to her team here. It's the season of giving.