Bob Marley - Everything's Gonna Be All right

4-25-12  I am feeling better and everything little thing is gonna be alright!  I know that , now that I am out of my funk that lasted a few days.  I don't know if I will be running the marathon on May 26, but I do know that I'll be running again and things are going to keep moving forward.

So, Monday I checked with my insurance company to see what an MRI would cost.  Approximately $1000 and for that type of service, not provided by my primary physician, year but provided by an in service provider, I have 90% coverage after I meet my $1500 deductible or $3000 per family deductible.  None of us go to the doctor except the kids for well care visits which are counted differently.  Net story, I have spent $00.00 towards my deductible (I guess that should be viewed as good because that implies I am healthy).  The MRI would be paid totally out of pocket.  The $1000 question, do I need this or is there an alternate route to go.  At the time I was struggling over this, I was honestly pretty depressed.  Monday was a bad day for me.  I went to the office but wished I had worked at home because I kept getting all teared up over this crap.  I talked to Mom, talked to Teresa, texted with Kai, texted with Bob.  I finally made a decision that I would move up my appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Gittins and see what he would recommend.  The doctor that I had seen over the weekend is a partner of Gittins, but that doctor does shoulders. 

In the meantime, my pain has not subsided.  It sort of feels better when I rest for a while, but then when I start walking, it comes right back.  Driving the car makes it worse with the motion of flexing your foot back and forth as you apply the brake.  I also work in a very large building. I do a lot of walking from the parking lot to the building and then once inside, from one wing to another to go to different meetings.  Our CEO described the building that I work in like taking the Empire State Building and laying it on its side.  Here is what Wikipedia says about it:

"The facility—¼ mile from end to end—houses approximately 10,000 employees in a space equal in square footage to the Empire State Building. It is the largest JPMorgan Chase & Co. facility in the world, and is also the second largest flat office building in the United States, second only to The Pentagon, from which the McCoy Center has borrowed its way-finding system."

This is not me, but this is what I looked like

 when I broke my foot in 2009 and had to use

this contraption and my crutches, in the snow!

I work at the farthest point north in this building.  If I have a meeting at the other end, I really have to allow about 10 minutes of time to walk there, take the stairs (3 story building) and then find the conference room based on a numbering system that makes no sense.  This is why I had to rent that "roll about" 3 years ago when I broke my foot.  I tried to maneuver through this building for a week on crutches before I gave up and got the rolling knee apparatus.

Today I saw Dr. Gittins, same doctor that took care of me when I broke my foot.  I really like him.  He said this.....My xray does not show any stress fracture, but they never do when you first have the injury.  (I knew that).  He examined my leg and said that based on what he saw, he would treat this as a sprain or shin splint.  He said that he could feel some swelling and some temperature changes in the muscle in my leg as he moved his hands up and down my lower leg, which is indicative of swelling and inflammation. ( I think I got all of that right).  We talked about my training, and he wanted to know how far I had gotten, when the Marathon was, etc.  He said that he'd use this approach to treating me.

1.) Treat as if I have a sprain or shin splint.  Use ice cups to give ice therapy.  This is different than putting an ice pack in a towel and icing a muscle.
2.) Get me in physical therapy 3 times a week to help get me back to running faster
3.)  Put me in a compression sock which gives me some stability but doesn't totally immobilize the ankle.  (I think the immobilizing of the ankle, i.e. boot, would have made it harder to get back to running)g
4.)  Cross train heavily!  He said I have come so far, don't lose the momentum and conditioning that I have achieved.  Swim, bike or do upper body training.  Don't slow down!  I like that idea!!!!
5.)  Xray again in 2 weeks.  If this is a stress fracture, he would expect to start to see the healing, which is what shows up in an xray.

I feel a thousand times better already!!  The compression sock really helps, I feel less pain when I walk. I called Bob on the way home and asked him to but paper cups, needed for the ice cup therapy.  As I said at the start of this message, I don't know today whether I'll make the marathon, but I do know this.  I will be in Traverse City for the marathon, run or not.  I will do everything I can between now and then to help me get back to running.  If I can't run the marathon in Traverse City, its in my blood now and I will do a marathon this year.  Maybe Columbus.  I dont' know, one day at a time.

Since I felt pretty good about my appointment and the doctors optimism about my getting back to running quickly, I decided it was time to celebrate.  I went to Anderson's and bought a bag of Mary Janes, my favorite candy!

Gotta love a carefree world and life with Bob Marley.  I didn't even hear this song today but for some reason it came to mind and I think it is the approach I need to take.  Lighten up a bit!!!  I didn't copy in the whole song because it is so repetitive.  Not much depth in the lyrics. 

"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")
Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Smash Mouth - All Star

4-22-12  34 days until Bayshore and I am not doing well and I am pretty upset about it.  I have worked so hard at this and have come so far.  I started getting really bad shin pain in my right leg a couple of days after I fell last weekend.  I really have no idea if it is even related.  It is my right leg.  I have had problems with shin splints for years but it was always in my left leg.  This does feel like really bad shin splints though.  I iced my leg a lot over the last few days and it was feeling perfect yesterday when I got up.  Yeah!  I was really glad about that.  Yesterday it was raining and windy and really cold.  The forecast for Sunday was no rain, no wind and a high of 50, low around 42 in the morning.  I decided yesterday that I would run on Sunday.  Yesterday afternoon, I got in the car to go to Blick's Art Supply and Whole Foods.  I drove 5 miles down Sawmill Road, lot of traffic, lots of stopping and starting.  When I got out of my car at Blick's, I had intense pain in my right shin!  What the heck?  As I was driving home, I realized that the motion of putting my foot on and off the brake was aggravating my leg.  Just that short amount of time and my leg was all messed up.  I got up this morning and it hurt just a tiny bit.  I got ready to run and less than a 1/2 mile from home it started hurting so much that I had to go home.  I walked home and took some Advil.  Bob thinks I have a stress fracture and I should get it x-rayed.  I don't think it is a stress fracture, but I have no issue with going to a doctor and getting an x-ray.  I am getting pretty stressed myself.  I am roughly 2 weeks behind now on my increase of mileage with only 5 weeks to go.  I guess if this isn't a serious injury, I'll find a way to get back on track.  If it is a bad injury, then I am screwed.

As I said before, I really think it is shin splints.  I just did some reading about them, and it sounds like what I have.  Found this helpful in reading:

Prevention: If you experience shin pain when running, it may be because of weak anterior tibalis muscles, which are on the front side of your lower leg. This muscle is responsible for flexing the foot upward and, because it's often underdeveloped in non-runners, you may experience shin pain if you're new to running or you increase your distance too quickly. Do these toe raises and heel raises a few times a week to develop the muscle and prevent shin splints.

I also watched a video (Jonathon E. Stewart, About.com) on how to prevent and how to treat shin splints.  Pretty basic stuff but the guy was quirky.  When he talked about wearing the proper footwear, he finished this part by saying "so remember to think twice before taking a spin in your favorite strappy shoes or sandals, it only takes a pop top to blow out a flip flop!".  then when he was talking about stretching he said it wouldn't hurt to "air dry your toes with the alphabet a couple of times a day".  I don't even know what that one means.

Carson knocked that kid down!

7 hours later....I went to Carson's soccer game this afternoon.  One of Buzz's partners, RJ Nowinski has 2 boys that are on Carson's team.  I asked RJ about the boys' Mom, Erin.  She ran in the Boston Marathon Monday.  Apparently she passed out and of course then wasn't able to finish.  I don't know the details, but feel so bad for her.  I know she worked hard for this and we had exchanged messages Sunday night and she was optimistic.  While talking to RJ and his wife Candace, I mentioned my marathon and problem.  RJ said I really should rule out a stress fracture.  He said he'd take me to his office right after the game.  We did go to his office.  They are opened on the weekend for urgent care visits.  He had my leg x-rayed.  He could not see anything, but said that it is rare to be able to see a stress fracture on an xray.  Usually you will see them much later as they heal when you can see the calcification.  He said that I need an MRI.  The scheduling lady will call me tomorrow.  He told me to wear the boot that I have from when I broke my foot.  He said it will do nothing to speed the healing, but will provide stability and comfort.  I have not worn it yet.  He also said that if I have a stress fracture, I will not be running a marathon in May.  This has not been a good day.

Enough crying and feeling sorry for myself.  This morning I really wanted to get hyped up for a good run.  We spent a lot of this weekend watching the Shrek movies.  I love those movies.  There are a few songs done by Smash Mouth that I really like from his movie.  Not sure I ever heard these songs (by Smash Mouth) before this movie, but you know how it is when you first hear a song in a movie, it just sticks with you that much faster than if you heard it on the radio.  I decided last night that I would download these songs to my phone to listen to them today.  All Star was meant to pump me up for a great run today!  Hey now you're a rock star!!!  ( well maybe not after all)

Shrek Cast!

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead

Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture

Smash Mouth

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The waters getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire how about yours
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
 Smash Mouth is not my usual kind of band but I like some of their work.  In addition to All Star they have a recording of the Monkees, I'm a Believer and the Beatles, Getting Better.  They also played at a Gumby birthday party, gotta love that!

Dan Fogelberg - Run for the Roses

4-20-12  Starting my ramp back up to where I should be at this stage in the training.  I feel like I am a couple of weeks behind.  I need to catch up but I want to do it right.  I don't want to move too quickly and feel the pain and consequences.  I ran 4 miles today and it was okay but my toe started swelling and my shin was hurting.  More ice tonight. I am not exactly sure how I will spread my miles over the next 2 weeks, but I have to be ready to run 20 miles on May 5.  If I can meet that goal, then I will start feeling better about my training.  Right now I feel like I have had a few setbacks and not feeling particularly good about it.

Ran around the golf course today, it is so beautiful right now!  There is some new construction at the entrance to our neighborhood.  I have no idea what it is.  I hope it is a restaurant and not something boring like a Jiffy Lube or something like that!  The weather was beautiful today.  Temps in the seventies and rain expected this evening.  Right now it is 9:30 at night and the rain predicted for 4:00 pm has not started yet.  The skies looked like rain before it got dark.  My worry at this point is that they said the rain would start early evening, rain all night and be done around noon tomorrow.  My plan is to run at noon.  I hope this isn't going to start later and rain all day!  If so I may have to do a treadmill run.

Matthew

Carson

We have had a lot of fun in the last few days with the new basketball hoop and the balls from Mom and Dad.  When I got home from my run tonight the boys were shooting hoops so I have to include a couple of shots of them.




I know I am a few weeks early for the Kentucky Derby, but i was listening to this song today and I just really like it.  The Kentucky Derby is 14 days away and it is the day that I'll be running 20 miles with Kai.  It is also my Mother's birthday and it is obviously (if you speak any Spanish) Cinco de Mayo.  Maybe Kai and I can have some tacos and margaritas, or some Mint Juleps after we run.

Born in the valley
And raised in the trees
Of Western Kentucky
On wobbly knees
With mama beside you
To help you along
You'll soon be a growing up strong.

All the long, lazy mornings
In pastures of green
The sun on your withers
The wind in your mane
Could never prepare you
For what lies ahead
The run for the roses so red --

And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --

From sire to sire
It's born in the blood
The fire of a mare
And the strength of a stud
It's breeding and it's training
And it's something unknown
That drives you and carries you home.

And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --

The Beatles - Taxman

4-17-12  I went for a very short run tonight, 2 miles.  I just wanted to see how I felt.  I am still sore and stiff on my left side.  I have one toe that I think I jammed and it is swollen and a bit bruised too.  I actually felt pretty good running tonight so that is encouraging.  I will not be able to run Wednesday, I have a meeting that goes until 7:00Pm and then there is dinner afterwards.  I think I'll try to skip out of the dinner and come home but it will still be too late to run.  I'll see how I feel and then adjust my running schedule for the remainder of the week and for next week since I missed my goal for last week and looks like I will for this week too.  I need to be ready for 20 miles on May 5!

I saw my first lilac of the season in bloom.  Pretty amazing for April in Ohio.  We are supposed to have another week of warmish weather, 60's.  I'll take that.  It sure makes getting outside to run a lot nicer when the weather is pleasant.  We have had so much wind lately, yesterday with winds in the 40+ MPH range with gusts higher.  It was a good day to lay on the couch with ice packs and Advil.

Tax Day!  What better way to celebrate than with the Beatles!  Taxman, written by George Harrison:

                                                                 

 Let me tell you how it will be,

There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

(If you drive a car ), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit ), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold ), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk ), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.

‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Haha! Mister Wilson!)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Haha! Mister Heath!),
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
(Taxman).                                                           

John Mayer - Free Fallin'

4-15-12  I had a bad day.  I started with a plan to run a new route.  There is a route called the Ohio Erie Trail.  It goes from Cincinnati to Cleveland.  The trail is a mix of road, paved paths and dirt paths.  I found a section that starts in Westerville and is all paved path.  I set out to run that trail.  First, I had a hard time finding the starting point of the trail.  Once I found it, I now think I may have run the wrong way to begin with.  Anyway, about one mile in to the run, I came to a street that I had to cross.  There was no sign that said which direction to pick up the trail.  I could not find it.  I ended up running on a path that ran along Cleveland Avenue, not very picturesque.  I continued along Cleveland until I got to Polaris Parkway and headed east to State Street which takes you back in to Westerville.  All screwed up.   I cut over on County Line Road, thinking I could double back and get the mileage that I needed.  I approached Africa Road.  The crossing light for pedestrians was illuminated so I picked up my speed a little to get through the intersection.  I tripped on one of those bumpy areas for wheel chairs and went air born in to the intersection.  I landed on the pavement and crawled quickly to the sidewalk, then got up and brushed myself off.  There was a couple sitting at the light that got out of their car to see if I was okay.   They offered to drive me back to my car.  I really felt like I should keep running but I was hurting and shaking so I accepted their offer.  They took me to my car.  I have really bad scrapes on the left side of my knee and big bruises too.  My shoulder has  a lot of skin missing and is badly bruised.  My hip is very sore, just a little bruised.  The palm of my hand is bruised and very swollen.  I think my Garmin took a lot of the brunt of the fall in the wrist area and that may have been a saving grace. The metal part of the watch is pretty badly gouged.  That would have been my wrist if not for the watch.  Five hours later, now my back is starting to hurt.

This is just before I fell

I drove home and found no one there.  I really wanted a bit of sympathy.  Sounds silly but I am still upset about this.  It was pretty scary as I tripped and knew there was no recovery as I was flying through the air and then landing on the pavement.  Then I thought of the comment Julie made about us dropping like flies.  I don't want to drop.  I have worked too hard for this.  I really want to make it!

One of my very best friends in the whole world, Sandy, sent me her play list of music that she listens to while exercising.  I downloaded the same music so I could listen to her music.  Many of the songs  I have never heard of but I trust Sandy and had to go with her suggestions.  As it turns out, I loved every single song.  It was fitting to listen to Sandy's music today since I was running in Westerville because that is where Sandy lived and where her parents' house is. 

Free Fallin' - There were many songs that I liked on my run today. Funny thing is that I was listening to Free Fallin' when I fell, so this had to be my song for today.  I had not heard John Mayer do this song before.  I am more familiar with Tom Petty's version.  I really liked this version.

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too

She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too

It's a long day livin' in Reseda
There's a freeway runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy, 'cause I don't even miss her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart

And I'm free, I'm free fallin'

All the vampires walkin' through the valley
Move west down Ventura Blvd
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
All the good girls are home with broken hearts

And I'm free, I'm free fallin'

I wanna glide down over Mulholland
I wanna write her name in the sky
I wanna free fall out into nothin'
Gonna leave this world for awhile

And I'm free, I'm free fallin'

Gordon Lightfoot - Summer Side of Life

4-12-12  Today was a busy day and and I feel like a camp counselor must feel at the end of the day. We started at 8:00 am going to IHOP for breakfast.  There is a new IHOP just down the street from us and this was my IDEA.  I told the boys last night that I was going to take them there.  I REALLY made a big deal of it.  We left home and went down the street and guess what?  Not open yet.  They have all the lights on and a 'now hiring sign' in the front window.  Since I made such a big deal of this and had the boys sold on going there, I had to find another one.  The closest IHOP is 15 miles away, but we went there anyway. 

Next stop, the Chiller for some ice skating.  It feels like winter this week, so why not?  All the public schools are in session, they had break a couple of weeks ago so it was literally empty.  There were 4 other people on the ice.  It was great for the boys.  I did not skate.  I figured that I have not had such great luck lately and the Benjamin/Robinson girls are "dropping like flies" to quote Julie after Hannah broke her toe.  I didn't need to fall on the ice and break something.

After skating we went home to get dry clothes on and then headed to the Columbus Zoo to meet our friends, the Elisco's.  The Zoo is always fun with Consolata Elisco because she makes all of the boys work.  For example, in the Aviary, she makes them find each of the birds that are listed as living in the Aviary.  In other areas she tests them on which species are endangered and why.  If they get out of line, she seems to have a knack with them (may be fear tactics) but it works and they do all love her so it must be good.  We stayed at the Zoo until 4:00 pm and then Bob was home from work so I was able to go for a 5 mile run.  After that, he left for a poker party and we played outside and I grilled sliders.  It was a fun evening, especially since the weather is warming up.  They spent a little time across the street at Nate's.  They claim the the bugs are better over there.  Hmmmmm.

I ran through my neighborhood and Big Bear Farms.  My right foot still hurts and this is from the trash can incident still.  I just think I pulled the muscle a bit and I don't know how long that takes to recover from.  It hurts.  It doesn't hurt enough to stop me from running.  I don't know if a week off from running would have allowed me to recover more quickly???  I'm new at this so I haven't a clue.  So funny, that when I was just starting my training, Bob and I met the Berasi's at the club for dinner.  I have a neighbor that runs all the time, very seriously.  We ran in to Liz that night.  I told her that I was training for a marathon.  She seemed impressed and said that I would need a marathon coach/trainer and that she would send me the information about a good trainer.  Okay.  Well, she never sent me the info and I didn't contact her.  First, all I want to do is finish the darn thing.  I don't need someone telling me to work harder or go faster.  Second, I have a great book that my Mom bought me and I have a great sister that, well, Mom gave me too!  I think I have all I need with those two gifts from Mom.  Third and last, I cannot spend money on a trainer for the marathon. 
The good thing about running is that it is relatively cheap.  You need a pair of shoes.  Plain and simple.  From there it is up to you what else you want to buy.  Now, anyone that knows me very well at all, will know that I have purchased just a few other things.  I bought my hydration belt, that was a must, unless I wanted to just hold a bottle of water in my hand.  I bought two running skorts, not necessary, but they look good!  I hate shorts that hike up between your legs
while you are running.  There are the shorts
 that are like biking shorts, tight to your skin,
 but unless you weigh 100 pounds or you wear a really long shirt, they look bad.  So, the running skorts, are like the skin tight shorts, but they have a skirt over them.   Then, during the cold weather, I needed mittens.  Mittens are better for me than gloves.  My fingers get too cold with gloves, even when I ski I wear mittens.  But in the world of smart phones with touch screens, you really need mittens that open up and flip back easily so you can check RunKeeper or so you can change your music or so you can take a picture!  Had to have those.  I have a pair from New Balance that have the flip open feature with a magnet that allows you to have all kinds of fun with your phone while you are running.  I think the most fun I have shopping for running is the food.  I love things that allow you to eat food.  Being pregnant was one of those occasions.  You are permitted (expected) to eat something extra on a regular basis.  Running is like that.  I have bought Stingers, Sport Beans, Cliff bars, Energy Blasts, Shot Blocks, Quench Gum, and of course,
amazing as it is, regular candy bars work too!  Pay Days are good.  I now throw a couple of Mary Janes and Squirrel Nut Zippers in my pocket too when I run.

The Summer Side of Life is a sad song if you listen to the lyrics.  The music, however, makes me like running a bit more.  It is one of those songs where the melody makes me want to run faster and take longer strides along the road.

He came down through fields of green

Edmund Fitzgerald

On the summer side of life
His love was ripe
There were no illusions
On the summer side of life
Only tenderness
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long
There were young girls everywhere
On the summer side of life
They talked all night
To the young men that they knew
On the summer side of life
Goin' off to fight
And if you saw them now
You'd wonder why they would cry
The whole day long
He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
He prayed all night
Then he walked into a house
Where love had been misplaced
His chance to waste
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long

Carole King - Beautiful

4-11-12  My car is fixed!  The dealership that was fixing it is 15 miles from my house.  I had hired a sitter today for three hours so I could go for a run.  I didn't know this would be the day that the car was ready too.  I ended up using a good chunk of my running time going to get the car, but needed to be done.  There is a trail in Hilliard that I have been curious about and since the dealership is near Hilliard, I thought that would work out nicely.  I left to get the car, all ready for my run.  When I got to the trail head, there were no cars there.  I didn't have a good feeling about that.  Running on a new trail that I am not familiar with and no other people, I don't think so, so I left.  then I decided that I would go to a short trail along the Scioto River, near a house that I rented many years ago.

I lived in this house, in the early 1990's.  I know for sure I was there in January of 1994.  Mom and Geiya came for the Martin Luther King weekend.  We got 9 inches of snow and as we were getting up on the morning of Jan. 17, we heard on the news, reports of the earthquake that hit LA, 4:31 am PST.   I know that Mom called Jeff and I think she talked to him very briefly and he said he had to get out of the building.  If I remember correctly, Jeff put on his Rollerblades at some point that morning to cruise around and check out damage.  I think there were several aftershocks that day.  Meanwhile we were snowed in, in Columbus Ohio.  BTW, this house looked much better when I lived there.  They desperately need some shrubs in the front!  How ugly could you get? I took this picture yesterday after my run. I am not sure anyone even lives here right now.   It did have a pretty backyard.  Lots of peonies surrounding the patio.  I remember when I first moved there.  It must have been winter and as it turned to spring, I noticed these funny dark reddish, pointed things shooting up out of the ground.  I assumed they were weeds and started pulling them.  More kept coming over the next week or so and I gave up on trying to get rid of them.  Turned out the entire patio was surrounded by beautiful peonies.  Ha-ha and I was trying to get rid of them. I didn't have much of a green thumg back then, much better now. This is also when I bought my first lawnmower.  I had the hardware store load it into my Ford Probe trunk.  The neighbor helped me get it out and then I assembled it.  I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to start a lawnmower, but eventually got the hang of it!

My run was beautiful, even though quite shortened from what I had planned.   I used to run on this trail when I lived in the house above.  A few times I even ran in to these two ladies that live on a a horse farm along the river, on horseback on early morning runs.  We are actually lucky to have some very beautiful areas here in central Ohio. (when you get away from the farmland).    The weather was a bit cold and a bit windy (15 MPH).  I was supposed to run Tuesday, but the winds were 26MPH and that is more than I am willing to tolerate, especially when it is cold and there is no sun, so I have shifted my schedule from T-W-Th to W-Th-F.  Bob has agreed to come home from work about 3:00 pm on Thursday so I can run in the afternoon.  My lower back hurt a lot today.  This is not really normal for me but I think it is because I wore heels on Sunday to church.  I know I said I wouldn't do that but it was Easter Sunday and my black Merrells just don't cut it with a nice spring pant suit. I thought since it was only an hour, I'd be okay.  This just throws my whole body out of alignment.  I had  a touch of the shin pain too, but not bad enough to stop me.  At least I made it the three miles that I would have done on Tuesday if it had not been so windy.  Now I will have to do five or six miles Thursday afternoon.

This trail starts at the Griggs Dam.  There is a large boat launching area, a boathouse where OSU stores their racing boats (shells) that their crew club uses.  A lot of people just come here to fish along the shore.  Apparently, they don't want no stinky trash in their cans here.  either you throw the fish parts in the water, or take them with you.

After my run, Matthew, Carson and I went to the Franklin Park Cpnservatory to see the Blooms & Butterfiles exhibit.  It was a lot of fun, beautiful gardens and exotic butterflies.  The conservatory was built in 1895 and is on the national registry of historic places.  In 1992, the Franklin Park Conservatory hosted Ameriflora,  an international horticultural exhibition that filled the park's 88 acres, celebrating quincentennial of Christopher Columbus arriving on the shores of the new world in 1492.  Mom came to visit and we went to see the exhibition.  I think Geiya might have been with us for the too, but I am not sure.  Mom will probably remember that better. I sometimes feel bad that we never take our kids on exciting vacations so when they have a break from school, I like to

make sure we don some fun things that we don't normally do.  I want them to have a fun answer to that age old question "so what did you do on your spring break?"           

Carole King.  I have always loved her.  I saw her on the CBS news today, talking about a book she has written (A natural Woman)and that is what made me think of her and had me looking for her music to load to my iPhone.

Her Tapestry album which came out while I was in high school was one of my all time favorites.  In our high school yearbook, each senior had a full page for a picture and a quote.  I had two quotes, one was a combination of lyrics from a Robert Lamm song (Goodbye) and a James Seals song (Dance by the Light of the Moon).  The other quote was from Carole King's song, Beautiful.  The first two lines, in italics, were printed on my year book page. This is also my favorite quote on Facebook.

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face

And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes, you will
That you're beautiful as you feel

Waiting at the station with a workday wind a-blowing
I've got nothing to do but watch the passers-by
Mirrored in their faces I see frustration growing
And they don't see it showing, why do I?

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better

James Taylor and Carole King

You're gonna find, yes, you will
That you're beautiful as you feel

I have often asked myself the reason for THE sadness
In a world where tears are just a lullaby
If there's any answer, maybe love can end the madness
Maybe not, oh, but we can only try

You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And show the world all the love in your heart
Then people gonna treat you better
You're gonna find, yes, you will
That you're beautiful as you feel

This was my other yearbook quote, just for the record....

Remember the good times we shared together, and now they're just a song.
Remember the old friends we knew together, and how they've all gone on.
There must be room for growing somewhere else and I'm going....
Goodbye.     

(sort of sad, isn't it?  Not sure how I came up with the combination of lyrics from two different songs and writers. Just reading this again today makes me miss all my Kingswood friends)