MIA

Here I am - back yet again. How do you like the new look of this blog? If you're reading this on Facebook, it probably doesn't look any different, but if you click on this link, it will take you to my actual site and you can see the improvements. And if you feel like it, you can follow me there. Emily has been fooling around with design a bit, and since I felt I needed a facelift (and my blog did too!), she gave it one. She has started blogging again daily (click here to go to her blog - she is awesome!), which gave me the impetus to get off my butt and write more. Actually, she asked me about a prior entry I had written, and when I went back to reference it, I remembered how much I like to write. So for better or for worse, heeeeeere's Cathy! Showing up again.

Food: Well, I have gained the requisite five pounds of winter weight that seems to be necessary in these northern climes, especially THIS winter. And it really hasn't been all that bad here in Nebraska, compared with the rest of the country. Thank god we don't live where it's REALLY cold. But dang, it's March, and the windchill is below zero. I am so ready for warm weather. Although my pasty, flabby legs would disagree about wearing my putting on shorts any time soon. Too bad - we're headed to Phoenix in a few weeks and I am not wearing long pants on the golf course!

I could show pictures of all my breakfasts over the winter, but just look back on every picture for the past two years. My breakfasts don't vary much. Today it was - you guessed it - PB bagel thin and fruit with coffee.

Lunches: still yuck.

Dinners: I've tried a few new recipes, the latest being proscuitto-wrapped, artichoke and sun-dried tomato-stuffed chicken breasts that Emily wrote about. We had them last night and I didn't get forgot to take a picture, so I'll just link to her post here so you can see what they look like, and follow her link to the recipe if you're interested. It was really easy to make, and really, really, really good. Have I mentioned - really good! So good, in fact, that I would serve them to company. We had them with some roasted red peppers.

Race training: Where to start? I was doing great until we went up to Grand Forks for the UND-UNO hockey series. Who goes north in February? We do:

Bev and Kirk, the only people who went north with us - not once, but TWICE!

 I missed my eight-mile run that weekend because I just couldn't do it on the treadmill in the hotel. Ugh. And since I had a few extra weeks built into my training schedule, I figured no problem. Right? The following weekend our Michigan kids came through on their way to Lincoln to visit Aly's family and dropped Ella, the second-best golden retriever ever born (after our Mandy) at our house for the week. While I didn't get my eight-miler in that weekend, I got at least two miles every day walking that girl. Then the following weekend, ALL of the kids were home, complete with the most beautiful grandbaby ever!

We had such a wonderful time, I can't tell you how happy I was. Seriously, this family makes my heart smile like you can't believe. It was noisy and messy and hectic and I loved every minute. (But I sure couldn't get eight miles in then either.) Here are some photos:

Both Pete and Ella want to be rightnext to Dwight

You're smiling right now, aren't you?!

I LOVE THESE GUYS!!!

Not only did we have great family time, but Aly and Alex brought Brody to knitting. What a star that little guy was - all the moms (and some of the dads) held him, and he even modeled some of the pieces the ladies were working on:

Nancy is knitting hats for the NICU, not great big two-month-old boys

And Pam just finished a hat for a friend...

But back to my workouts: even without getting the long runs in, I managed to log the miles for the short runs, and still, with the built-in extra weeks, feel kind of on track. Until last week, when things came to a screeching halt. In the words of my mom, who said this at least once a month, I never get sick. But seriously, I really don't. It's been three years since I've even had a cold. I got the big pay-back last week. Holy moly. I haven't worked out in a week. Maybe tomorrow? (When the kids were little and sick and would ask why God made colds, I told them it was so we could appreciate when we were healthy. I kept repeating that to myself, especially when my headache - which I was sure was an aneurysm - woke me up at 3 am). Knocking on wood here, but I may be on the mend. I am however, stopping and getting some Excedrin on the way to work. And regular coke - the best cure for bad headaches.

So for better or worse, I'm back. And I now have a real camera, so be prepared for lovely pictures of food. Oh, who am I kidding. You'll probably get the iPhone shots, at least until I figure out all the bells and whistles. Then, watch out!

TTFN!

(Okay, Emily made a really nice signature for me but I can't find it now. TechnoCathy.)