12.21.2008

I've been disgustingly busy...

so i haven't posted in about a week, and even then, i was only copying/pasting my goodreads The Book Thief review...so i feel kinda guilty because i know all of my many followers are waiting anxiously to hear what i've been up to.

i have a whole slew (sp?) of photos i want to post, too, but i left my camera at a friend's house and am trying to pick it up from another friend's house sometime soon...but you'll understand why i haven't after i explain the following...

so last sunday i finished reading The Book Thief and before that i was posting about Christmas decorating. since then, in a somewhat chronological order, i've been:
  • Tuesday, 12.09.08: Wake Up @ 5:30 and Run, Riverside Runners Woke up early and ran with Kelly at the YMCA. Treadmills suck, but we ran 5 miles in 45 minutes. Decent.
  • Wednesday, 12.10.08: Gold's Gym Health Fair for Riverside Runners This included set up and tear down of a table that held a bazillion shoes that i brought from the store, some other products (sox, SuperFeet, goggles, free keychains) as well as conversing with gym members about their feet, and measuring and checking lower leg mechanics. It was fun to be there, but traffic for the Health Fair wasn't particularly high (possible location problem--in a room where none of the gym-goers really go regularly?). i informed several folks about footwear and what we do at Riverside Runners, so that was good for us. Hopefully some of them show up at the store and we get some business.
  • Thursday, 12.11.08: Wake Up @ 5:30 and Run, Riverside Runners Woke up early and ran with Kel again. Good run, sprinted at the finish...5 miles, 45 minutes. Worked at the store after Jeff called to tell me that he was locked out. Turned out to be a busy day. Had plans after work to go to Sarah's and hang out for one last time with Emily still in town. Gregg had a work party at Perky's in Altavista. Went to Sarah's and then to La Caretta for dinner, came back and watched The Holiday and fell asleep on the floor. Loved spending time with my 2nd family here in L-burg. Sarah even gave me a lovely nutcracker ornament complete with a turquoise glitter suit!

  • Friday, 12.12.08: Day Off, Run with Joel, Bunko Christmas Party Spent the day lazing in bed and baking, then Joel came over around 3:30 and we ran from my house to Huntingwood Apartments and back (7.5 miles). Cleaned up and rocked the Bunko Christmas party with Gregg...had lots of fun and WORE OUT the karaoke machine.

  • Saturday, 12.13.08: Riverside Runners, AREVA Christmas Party Worked from 12-6:15 (learned how to close the store for the 1st time) and then went home and cleaned up for the Areva Christmas Party at Cattle Annie's. Met up with Todd and Tracey, Jimmy and Ashley, and some others. Had a good time...photos to come.

  • Sunday, 12.14.08: Church & Food Donation, Lasagna, Run, Eat Woke up and went to Holy Cross with our Jessie Tree food donation. Saw Sarah and Ryan after the service (we had to sit in the front row!) then went home, ate lunch, and made 2 lasagnas for dinner. Went out to Timberlake for a run with Stacey and Gregg. Came home, sat by the fire, watched football, and ate lasagna with Stacey and Gregg.

  • Monday, 12.15.08: Riverside Runners and Baking Worked from 11-4, came home, relaxed, baked, and worked on newsletter for Christmas cards.

  • Tuesday, 12.16.08: Riverside Runners and Sick Man Worked from 11-4, came home and found Gregg home with the sickness. Tried to take care of him and finish newsletter and do some baking. Worked on Gregg's mom and David's Christmas present: a Snapfish photo album.
  • Wednesday, 12.17.08: Babysit, Riverside Runners, Sick Man, Book Club Christmas Babysat Ella in the morning...she cried for a steady 3o minutes and told me she didn't love me and wanted her mommy. Ed woke up and had to help with the rescue efforts, but she finally calmed down. Got her dressed and was on my way to meet Meghan at Kindermusik when she called...met her at the BP instead and then worked from 11-4, got new Asics socks at the store (LOVE THEM!), met Patterson for the first time, and came home to still Sick Man. He was running a 102 fever still. Feel sad because he's sick. Made Buffalo Chicken Dip and got ready for the Book Club Party. Got gas cause I was on empty. Went to Jody's for the party, spilled dip en route to the party, cussed before I went in her house with 1/8 of dip left on my car seat. Party was excellent, dip was a hit, rest of the food was delish. We enjoyed a Grinch's Christmas Martini and shared Christmas memories. Very worthwhile.
  • Thursday, 12.18.08: Library, Riverside Runners, Sick Man Ran to the library because my books on hold were about to be returned to their libraries, made it just in time to see Ella and my sister (by chance!) pulling in as well. Picked up my books, got to work in the nick of time, then worked from 11-4. Came home and worked on Christmas cards and baking and took care of still 102 fever man. He won't go to the doctor.
  • Friday, 12.19.08: Day Off, Worked for VMFA, Baked, Christmas Cards, Store, Etc. Didn't work at RR, but worked online for VMFA (it's nice to be in bed and do that). Baked cookies, made a bazillion Christmas cards (of which I'm pretty proud) and took care of STILL Sick Man. Went to Walgreens and Food Lion for important baking needs. Looked for paraffin wax but couldn't find it. Called Kroger when I got home and they said they had it. Good news.
  • Saturday, 12.20.08: Jingle Bell Fun Run, Riverside Runners, Post Office, Kroger, Bank, Baking, Sick Man, Dinner, Etc. Woke up early and helped set up a little for Fun Run. Met Stacey there and ran with her for a 4.75 mile run. Worked the rest of the day til 4, then rushed off to the post office to mail the 80 cards I made yesterday. Postage on 59 of them was $0.63 and 28 of them was $0.83. Remind me not to use things with lumps on next year's cards. $55 is too much for sending Christmas cards. Stopped at Kroger to pick up paraffin and Andes mints, then deposited checks in the bank. Came home to sick man (getting better man) and made dinner, finished my buckeye cookies (that's what the paraffin was for) and finished up baking other stuff. Finally sat down to blog...and we're back to being caught up...

Understand why I haven't posted?
I'm also:

  • Reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
  • Interested in the Chicago Stockyards at the turn of the century
  • Wondering about other uses for paraffin wax
  • Hoping that the cards make it through the mail before Christmas Eve
  • Stretching my Achilles tendon
  • Wishing for a Christmas wish
  • Dreading the laundry
  • Cleaning up the kitchen
  • Making about 5 more types of cookies
  • Knitting a scarf
  • Shopping for friends/family

Photos will be up soon!!!!!!!!!

12.14.2008

the Book Thief

The Book Thief The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
Liesel Meminger is a very strong character. Her relationships with Rosa, Hans, Rudy, and Max are very likable and interesting. Definitely a good story and great for Nazi Germany interests.


View all my reviews.

12.09.2008

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rules #3, 4, 5, 6, & 7

as i continue through the Christmas Decoration Saga, you'll get to enjoy some of the most important features of a properly decorated Christmas. in this post, i'd like to share:

Rule #3: Ornaments Mustn't Rest on the Branch Below

Rule #4: Rough Ones in the Back

Rule #5: Tinsel No-No's

Rule #6: Properly "Lit" Ornaments

Rule #7: Stars are for the End

To be able to properly finish your Christmas decorating, make sure to follow along.

  • Rule #3: Ornaments Mustn't Rest on the Branch Below
    I think it's very important to place ornaments on the tree and make sure each individual ornament has a happy home. Ornaments should not be placed so that they rest on branches below. If the ornament hangs really far down when you hang it, so much so that it rests on the branch below, then you need to find a stronger branch above to hold that heavy ornament.

  • Rule #4: Rough Ones in the Back
    If you owe it to certain ornaments to make it on the tree, even if they aren't in the best condition or aren't the most beautiful, the back of the tree is the perfect place. Now, all trees have a side to them that's near a wall, unless of course, your tree is in the center of the room, and the wall side of the tree still needs ornaments too. Rough ones can easily be hung in the back of the tree with no questions asked.

  • Rule #5: Tinsel No-Nos
    Sorry to those of you who use tinsel on the tree, but according to my decoration saga, this substance should absolutely NOT be used on a Christmas tree. It's just a no-no. It's unruly, clingy, messy, and annoying. It doesn't look good. It's a waste. Don't use it. Pretty simple.

  • Rule #6: Properly "Lit" Ornaments
    Ornaments with a special ambience, clear glass, and transparent ornaments should be placed so that light comes through them. This is easy to do with the help of strategically placed Christmas lights. Just make sure they are hung so that a light shines behind them. Pretty easy.

  • Rule #7: Stars are for the End
    Prior to this year, I was never taught the "put your star on the tree last rule." I don't think my mom and dad ever followed this rule, as far as I know, and they just put the tree topper on when it was convenient, be it in the beginning, middle, or end of decorating the tree. I saw the movies where the star was the crowning touch of the tree, added only at the very end when everything else was finished. I guess I just never had anyone to enforce the rule. This year, when I was about to put the star on the tree while we were decorating, Gregg stopped me and said, "No!" I wasn't sure why, I thought I had done something wrong, but it turned out that he just wanted me to wait until the end. Now that I've been introduced properly to the rule, it will become a tradition for years to come. We'll top the tree at the very end of the tree-decorating. You should too.

Now that we've covered all the ground for the Christmas Decorating Saga, go out there and make sure you do your very best decorating if you haven't already.

You'll be sure to have
a gorgeous tree.

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #2: Ornament Collectors

if you haven't yet read the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #1, then please do so before reading any further.

the extravagance of decorating for a new, exciting Christmas season comes with several rules. we've covered the major steps about lighting the Christmas tree with Rule #1 (click above) and can now move on to some other important details.

once the tree is lit, it's usually a good idea to stand back and check your work with the rest of the lights off. if satisfied with your lighting performance, you can begin to look at the ornament possiblities.

now, many people, young and old alike, are probably the kind of ornament collector i am:
Type D: Preferential and Non-Preference Multi-Collector.

There are about 4 different types of ornament collectors in the world:
Type A: Preferential Ornament Only Collector
Type B: Non-Preference Ornament Collector
Type C: Multi-Tree Preferential Ornament Collector
Type D: Preferential and Non-Preference Multi-Collector

Type A ornament collectors buy and collect ornaments that go with only one type of Christmas tree with one theme.

Type B ornament collectors will buy and collect any and all ornaments that do or do not go with any type of Christmas tree theme.

Type C ornament collectors buy and collect ornaments that go with two or more types of Christmas trees with different themes.

Type D ornament collectors are a collaboration of having both ornaments for a theme as well as collecting ornaments for trees without a theme.

I am a Type D ornament collector. I've recently started my own Nutcracker ornament collection so that I too can have a nutcracker tree like Sarah. I also cashed on the jackpot of my Gram's vintage Christmas ornaments last year and am planning on starting a "Vintage Christmas Tree" every year. But, along with 2 "theme" trees, I also have a plethora of ornaments that i've collected that have no rhyme or reason and are just part of the main tree in the living room.

Figure out which type of ornament collector you are so that you make sure not to buy ornaments that don't go with your plan if you're a Type A or Type C collector.

Stay tuned.

12.08.2008

the Christmas Decoration Saga...Rule #1

when Gregg and i got our tree yesterday, it was easy enough. we got a 7.5 foot Fraser fir from Lowe's for $29.99. i'm all about deals and coupons right now (since i'm trying to pay off my debt with 2 small jobs) so a coupon for Lowe's added to the savings. we ended up with a tree for $19.99 using a coupon for $10 off a $25+ purchase.

so, we brought the tree home, Gregg planted it firmly in the tree stand, and we put it in the living room.

i asked him if he'd put the lights on the tree while i decorated other things.

this is where Rule #1: Lighting the Tree comes into the picture.

Gregg, without any proper coaching, was un-complainingly stringing the lights from the top of the tree and in a sort of "wrapping" way, just circling them around the tree.

in no way was i trying to be a scrooge, but there's no way you can just string lights on a tree by wrapping them around by walking around the tree in circles.

so here it is:

Rule #1: Lighting the Tree If your hands aren't sticky and sappy after having lit the tree, you've not done it properly.

Why you ask? WELL, to properly light a tree, you must:
  • Unpack the strands of lights.
  • Plug them in.
  • Check for burnt-out bulbs.
  • Meticulously, (starting at the top), intertwine the light strands with the branches by wrapping and looping so that the strands are hidden to the best of your ability.
  • Keep connecting light strands until you get to the bottom of the tree.
  • Plug the final strand into a switch (either a foot switch or hand switch) and...voila!
  • *If your hands aren't sticky from the sap from touching all those branches, then you mustn't have done it correctly.

    Your tree will be a lit masterpiece.

Stay tuned for more Decorating Rules, to be continued...

hot coffee and cream

it goes without saying that i am an official coffee drinker now. it's funny how a year of life really changes you.

prior to december 1st, 2007, i had never liked or drank a full cup of coffee-type product. i had your typical flavored cappuccinos before, but i always drank hot chai tea.

i never liked the taste of plain black coffee, and even just the taste of coffee once it was doctored was gross to me.
but then, Gregg broke me. he brought me a vanilla latte from Starbucks, and I've been hooked ever since. for awhile, i drank my coffee with vanilla caramel coffee-mate. but then switched to milk and sugar. when i realized that i think i was adding too much sugar to my coffee, i recently switched back to coffee-mate. now, with the holiday flavors arriving, i've picked up a few new favorites. if you're a coffee drinker and you haven't tried Peppermint Mocha or Caramel Apple Coffee-Mate, i suggest getting over to Kroger, buying a 16-oz. for $1.99 (on special) and using a coupon from the "Sign Up for Savings" area on the website for $1.00 off! That means you'll get 16 oz. for 99c plus tax!

12.06.2008

It's a Blog-A-Versary

A list~100 things...
in honor of one year of blogging...
which may be more blog-concentrated in my last 3 months, but who cares!?
  1. I love hot coffee in bed.

  2. I never drank coffee until I met Gregg.

  3. Gregg brought me a vanilla latte from Starbux last year on December 1st, 2007 before the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K.

  4. That's how I started drinking coffee. But before that, it was definitely skinny chai tea lattes for me.

  5. Chai tea reminds me of my friend, Laura, who inspires me to be a better blogger and to copy her 100 Things list from her blog-a-versary.

  6. The reason chai reminds me of Laura is because she used to live in the basement of this old lady's? house and I went there once and she made me chai and gave me a hand-crocheted scarf, which I still wear.

  7. Her crocheting skills inspired me to learn how to knit...which I did...in 2005 on a snow day from one of my student's parents, Kay Collie.

  8. Now I love to knit but I rarely get out my knitting bag. I have it next to the bed right now because I need to get started on some knitting Christmas presents. I have one scarf started. UGH.

  9. I love Christmas! I'm so glad it's Christmas time right now! My favorite thing is a glass full of glass ornaments:
  10. I love getting a real live tree and dragging needles through the house.

  11. I love when you put the lights on the tree and it dazzles at night.

  12. I can't wait to have the tree in the same room as the fireplace. That's pretty cozy.

  13. I love to bake. My stack of recipes just for Christmas cookies is getting pretty high.

  14. I love reading good books,

  15. making delightful home-made Christmas cards,

  16. and finishing a pile of ironing.

  17. I'm a big fan of souvenirs from other countries, like this teapot from London and this globe from the Dominican Republic:

  18. I love mental math. If you can do the math in your head, I'm all for it!

  19. My favorite number is 49 because 7 x 7 = 49.

  20. When I taught math to 2nd graders, I loved using things like buttons, keys, and bread tags (AKA: Junk Boxes) to count, sort, group, add, and subtract.

  21. I want to own my own book store someday. It might be kind of like the book store in the movie You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan was the book shop owner. She dressed up like characters and read stories to children. That's what I want to do.

  22. I would love to have a section of the book store devoted to book clubs where groups could meet, read, and chat about their books.

  23. I would like this because I am a member of 2 book clubs and we like to find good places to meet: such as The Good Cherry in Forest, VA.

  24. I would also have an area in the book store where there was a small stage and curtain and a big throne-like chair where I would have Story Hour and little performances (maybe poetry readings from a poetry workshop for kids, etc...).

  25. If you've never seen the movie You've Got Mail, you should. Meg Ryan's character, Kathleen Kelly, has the shop I want: "Shop Around the Corner."

  26. I'm currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

  27. After I finish this, my next readings are to finish The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger,

  28. and to read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch,

  29. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls,

  30. reread Great Expectations by Charles Dickens,

  31. and Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema.

  32. I'd like to finish all of those before February.

  33. I would also like to do a lot of other things before February, such as: make Christmas cards and send them, visit a lot of schools for my job, and bake a lot of Christmas cookies.

  34. I think goodreads.com is a great site for cataloging the books you read and reminding yourself why you liked them.

  35. I'm also a huge fan of runnersworld.com's Training Log feature and I find it pretty convenient to map out each run I complete and log it in my training log.

  36. Which brings me to the point that I REALLY love running. I wouldn't have met Gregg if it weren't for running.

  37. I have personally best-ed myself in almost every race I ran this year. My current fastest 5K time is 25:09. I ran that at the Flemington, NJ Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving last week. You can see the results here! (PS: Look for Gregg Cavaliere and you'll see his amazing time, too!)

  38. My boyfriend, Gregg, was a 5-time All-American for Lynchburg College in cross country, indoor and oudoor track. That makes me very proud. He was/is really fast! He's also in the Lynchburg College Hall of Fame.

  39. He also has a lot of all-time track records at Lynchburg College. Can you tell I'm proud of him?

  40. I want to do a marathon (26.2 miles) and maybe an Ironman (2.4 mile swim, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles) someday.

  41. If I do either or both, I will feel very proud of myself. (Not that I don't feel proud of what I've done already.)

  42. Pride, humility, joy, and love: feelings I like to have.

  43. Too much pride, sadness, guilt, and pain: feelings I don't like to have.

  44. Google, filibuster, sprinkles, and l'ananas: words I love.

  45. I speak some French. Je parle le francais, un peu.

  46. Je voudrais aller a France...peut-etre a Paris et le sud de la France a la plage de la mer Mediterranee. Peut-etre.

  47. Translation for #46: use Google Translate.

  48. I would also like to visit: Egypt, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Poland, England, Sweden, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Turks & Caicos, Alaska, and Mexico.

  49. I lose my 2nd toenail on my right foot when I run long races.

  50. It hasn't grown back the same since I first lost it.

  51. I love ice water and white wine. Not together.

  52. My favorite white wine ever is any kind of Gewurtztraminer.

  53. I love reading about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. It's SOO interesting. Books like Number the Stars, All But My Life, and The Diary of Anne Frank are some of my favorites.

  54. I used to count calories on everything and throw up sometimes. I don't do that anymore.

  55. I'm usually pretty happy in my body these days. That's a big step from my college years.

  56. Gregg always points out that I, too, am a huge proponent of efficient movement around the house. If I'm moving through the house, I probably have something to move with me. Laundry, dishes, etc.

  57. I have a shoe problem. It's very convincing when you look in my closet or if you refer to another blog of mine, Shoes: My Stomping Grounds.

  58. I once sewed my own patchwork quilt. I want to learn how to quilt for real, and I want to make a t-shirt quilt for Gregg.

  59. I like the following names: Kyria, Persephone, Carrington, Easton, Tellulah, Tucker, Alden, Aiden, Asia, Madison, Zoe, Noah, Jakob, Eva, Thomas, Eden, Harry, and Marisol.

  60. I don't think Gregg likes any of them.

  61. I love coupons...online kind or paper kind...whatever you've got, I want it. Especially coupon CODES!

  62. I am convinced that learning the dance from the video below would make me feel happy everyday. When I needed it, I'd just start doing this dance. Beyonce must be a happy gal.

  63. I met a guy at the running store today who is a senior at E.C. Glass. He runs track, but his first obsession is dance. He can do the whole Beyonce Single Ladies dance. Wow.


  64. I don't have cable. We get like 3 major channels. You won't get those channels with an antenna anymore unless you order the converter box before February.

  65. You can apply for a coupon for the converter box here.

  66. My favorite subscription: National Geographic.

  67. My favorite country: USA.

  68. My favorite famous American: Susan B. Anthony.

  69. She and I share a birthday and she's got her own dollar coin. How cool is that?! Plus, she helped pave the way for my suffrage. Sweet, huh? Don't know what I'm talking about? Read about her here.

  70. I am a huge fan of Wikipedia. I know everything isn't accurate, but I still love it.

  71. I'd love to write several books. One will be My 492 Prince Charmings about the dating story of my life.

  72. Another book will be a biography of a man named Tommy Harris. He is a very famous guy in Lynchburg.

  73. I would also like to write several children's books. One of them would be about Belize, a country I visited twice in college.

  74. Another children's book I'd write would be about Christmas and traditions.

  75. Which reminds me, I really want Elf on the Shelf (the book and the toy) for my Christmas traditions collection.

  76. I also have a list of other things I want someday: a decanter, a candle snuffer, a really nice nativity, my own nutcracker tree like Sarah's, and a vintage ornament tree.

  77. I also want to marry Gregg. So I kinda want a ring. Like this, or this, or this. I also like this, this, and this.

  78. I feel very happy about wearing Smartwool socks. They are warm and snuggly.

  79. I also really like socks made by the sock guy and gizmo. I really want the "flying pig" and "pinky" pairs from the sock guy.

  80. I have a recent sock obsession. It might be from working at Riverside Runners.

  81. I also have a shoe obsession. Oh wait, I already told you about that. My new aspect of obsession de la shoes is with running shoes. I just got a pair of Nike Vomeros...and I love them. But I also want a pair of Nike Lunar Racers, and a new pair of Asics Nimbus, another Mizuno Wave Creation 9, and a pair of track spikes. I never really liked these shoes that much before. WOAH!

  82. I would love to have a dog someday. If I did, I'd own a pug, a mastiff, or a boxer.

  83. I've never had a pet in my life.

  84. My little sister had 2 goldfish, but she fed them Oreo crumbs, and they died.

  85. She also had a hermit crab named Sandy, but like all hermit crabs, she died too.

  86. My parents have a kitten named Joy now. It is anything but joyful. I call her Lucy (short for Lucifer) because she spits at people and hisses.

  87. I am ultra-emotional.

  88. That explains why I sometimes cry with just a change in the tone of one's voice.

  89. Though I do try to hold back, it never works.

  90. I'm also a big fan of jewelry.

  91. I like loud, silly rings in bright colors that my mom rolls her eyes at.

  92. My mom rolls her eyes/sighs at me a lot.

  93. But that doesn't mean we aren't close and that she isn't really important to me.

  94. Because she is.

  95. She's very inspirational.

  96. I hope that I can be a mom like her someday.

  97. Then I'll know I've given something to this world.

  98. If only I could work on getting that ring I wanted.

  99. So that then Gregg and I can get married.

  100. And then we can have our own little miracles to teach, love, and enjoy.

12.04.2008

Shoes: My Stomping Grounds


I read somewhere that there are 6 main reasons why women buy shoes:
  1. The shoe matches an outfit we have in our closet.

  2. We buy the shoe to potentially match a future clothing purchase.

  3. We bought it because it was cute.

  4. We bought it becase it made us feel sexy and powerful when we put it on.

  5. We bought it on sale.

  6. We bought it off the clearance rack and can't take it back.

Now, I'd like to personally link a shoe to each of these reasons and talk about how each said shoe has changed my life (or wardrobe).


1. This is a shoe I bought because it would definitely match something I already had in my closet. It matched one green shirt that I bought and that justified me getting the shoe as well. I haven't worn it that much, but it's still cool to pull it out every once in awhile:



2. This is a definite example of a shoe bought to potentially match something in my closet someday. Now, for what it's worth, this shoe has had proud moments at TJES and as the unforgettable Amy Winehouse shoe:




3. I bought this shoe because it was so cute. It went well with a pair of black Bermudas and a cute black sundress this summer. Also pairs nicely with jeans:



4. I definitely bought this shoe because it made me feel powerful and sexy when I put it on. I had no idea what I would wear this shoe with...but I knew I had to have it. It was gorgeous! Now, after over a year of wear, this shoe probably should be retired (it's old) but it's just so fun to wear with jeans that I can't come to grips with parting with it:



5. I bought this shoe on sale and thought it was cool, but once again didn't know what I'd wear it with. After I wore it this summer, my sister told me she looked at the same shoe and asked if she could borrow it. Guess it was worth it:


6. And the last shoe, bought off the clearance rack (for $16.97, down from $68.00!), was not returnable. It's a Chinese Laundry shoe, and I wanted a t-strap sandal all summer. Was it worth it? YES! I wore this a ton:



My ode to shoes. There are plenty more in the closet. Hope you enjoyed just 6 pairs!

12.03.2008

gals on the run

Saturday, November 22nd, Sarah, Emily (her sis), and I
ran the Girls on the Run 5K celebration run with a bunch of 3rd-5th grade girls from Lynchburg and the surrounding areas.

Girls on the Run is a program for girls in 3rd through 5th grades that encourages girls to run (obviously) and make healthy choices. It also helps girls with peer pressure choices and talking about "tough" issues, like using drugs, smoking, and drinking as well as body image, eating disorders, and being a friend.

The celebration 5K is a "race" but isn't timed and recorded. There's a clock at the start so you know your time when you finish, but it's non-competitive and is more about promoting the girls' and their big accomplishment of finishing a 5K!

As a teacher at one of the GOTR schools (Thomas Jefferson Elementary), Sarah wanted to support some of her former students and cheer on the TJES group. I went with her since I knew a lot of the girls, too, since I also taught at TJES. Since I'm not teaching there anymore, it's always fun to see the kids from school and get huge hugs from them when they come running up to say hello! Sarah's sister, Emily, went with us, and we all ran the race, had a great time chatting, and felt better that morning for having done it.

So here's to the GOTR of Greater Lynchburg! The run was a huge success!