*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear monday, I set my alarm so I could register for Boston! I really didn't have to set my alarm because I have three days to register but I wanted to make sure it didn't slip my mind. Yeah right!  Now I'm crossing my fingers, toes, arms, legs and hands!  I have a 3:34 minute buffer this year, which is not like my 12 minute one last year and so I am sweating it a bit, but also pretty confident the cut-off won't be more than 2:30 or so. The highest the cut-off has been is 2:28.  Cut-off meaning, you have to run your qualifying time FASTER by that much.  Fair?  NO!  But, it IS Boston!  If they changed the BQ times so everyone that BQ'd got in then it would create a whole new set of problems.  Just grateful I BQ'd!!!  Now the waiting game begins!

I ran my usual 5 mile route.  Saw the cowies!  How can you not think these things are so stinkin' cute!  (Literally "stinkin" cute!)  

I then headed to lunch with the Sista's for Bonzo's birthday at the Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square. We had eight show up!  Eight 10 cow women!  Sorry, I couldn't resist! We haven't had eight for a while. We even had to take two cars.  That's a good problem to have, other than you don't get to chat with everyone.  It was fun! Robin cracks me up!  We were all trying to get the waiter to lighten up.  He finally did. We took a LOT of pictures!  Due to a lack of time, I couldn't decide which pix to keep and which not post on some of these, so I am posting most of them.  Hopefully I can come back at a later time and collage the rest instead of posting all singles.  Or not.  I think collages tend to hide a lot of what's going on.  A lot of these are almost identical BUT every single one has someone doing something different and I didn't have time to choose the best of everyone.  So here ya go!  Even some with eyes closed!  hah 

BEST food on the planet!  Half browned butter with Mizithra cheese and meat sauce!

Birthday girl.  She brought us all Lobster Poop to remind us of Boston!

We were trying to calendar our next two lunches.  This makes me laugh!

 Pix in the TROLLEY!

I did collage these but you can't really see the smaller ones and there were some funny faces.  Robin was cracking my up in all of these!

These make me smile and some make me LOL.  Fun times!  

We shopped a bit and I bought a floral centerpiece. I REALLY wanted it because I need a centerpiece for my dining table, but I refused to pay the asking price and so I tried to the lady to discount it because most of their spring and summer stuff was being marked down. She thought it was, but it wasn't. Then I turned it around and half of the leaves were missing on the back and so I told her I would buy IF she would give it to me for 40% off.  She agreed. It was a good deal for her, because most people wouldn't buy it for even 50% if it was missing parts.  But I love it.  Fun day.  

It was a cloudy and rainy afternoon. For FHE watched a video of Elder Holland.

dear tuesday, got up at 5:30 to run because I had my harp lesson today. It was rainy! 

I showered and then practiced the harp for about 90 minutes.  Then headed to my lesson.  It was great.  I feel like I am finally in a good place and I feel like my technique is coming along.  I really like Nanette. She is so fun to talk to.  She is one of the most amazing people I know.....talent wise, but also as a person.  

I ran some errands and then came home and cleaned the house for a few hours.  I went through all my race t-shirts and chose which ones to have made into a quilt. So excited to finally get that done!  Talk about a project.  Mr. Cat took advantage of the pile of soft shirts.

Dinner was easy because Dave brought home some Zuppa salads from work.  Love Zuppas!  Yay!  Love not having to cook!

dear wednesday, it was 42 degrees this morning on my run!  Brrr!  I got in 10 miles.   I forgot to snap a picture of the 42 degrees, but trust me it was!

By my half way point it started to really warm up. When I was out west a bit I ran past this car of seriously creepy guys.  Luckily, another car drove past me where they were because I had a bad feeling about them.  Then when I got back to my car, I grabbed my key from the grille of car but it fell down below.  I worked and worked on that to get it out but couldn't get my hand inside. I went in the school (where I had parked) and asked Julie for a hanger.  She had one, but it didn't help. It just shoved it back further inside.  Groan...  I called Dave to rescue me since he was off today.  He came and within minutes he figured out how to get it out.  I also figured out how to get my hand inside.  I will never hide my key there again!  I will just take it with me even though it's big and bulky.  

I had a lunch with Susan and Robin. We went to Ricardo's.  We had a lot of fun chatting.  

Ooo...bad angle on this!  I look like a two ton Tilly!

After lunch Robin and I went to Bella Me. Susan couldn't come because she had to teach violin.  We tried on lots of cute things and ended buying the exact same boots.  We have the same taste in clothes.  It was fun.  When I got home, I actually took some time to sit down and read from a book!  hah  Seems like I do most of my reading lately from the internet.  It was cold so I like to snuggle in my heated blanket and read.  I also gave myself a pedicure.  My toes are pathetic.  Most runner's toes are, but I held off on that for a while but now I am missing about four toenails.  And with another marathon in a couple weeks, there's not much hope for them.  :( Dave is on call this week. 

dear thursday, it was cold this morning!  But I headed out because I had to do speedwork today.  I drove to the high school track but there was a ton of workers so I decided to hit the cemetery.   There were so many walkers!  Have I said how much I hate speedwork?  It is of the devil!  But it's a necessary evil to get faster at running.  I ended up getting a 3:34!  There is no screenshot of that time because just as I finished I ran into (literally) Valerie and her cute mama and I hit reset instead of pause!  Oh well.  I do that a lot.  But, I was very happy with it.  Especially since I this is only my third time doing speed work - at least Yassos!  Yikes!  I chatted with Val and her mom for a while about Boston.   

I came home and took a long hot shower.  Felt so good!  Dave came home for lunch and Bryce headed to Idaho to look for housing. I called mom and caught up. Then  McKay showed up!  I made him a hamburger but felt bad I had to leave to go to  Stake YW Vball.  We only had two games tonight but we had fun!  It was nice to get  home early.  I was tired :(

dear friday, it was pouring rain this morning. I waited for it to calm some and then headed west and got in a few miles. It was chilly!  Somehow we skipped fall and went straight into winter!  Came home and took a very long HOT shower. It felt SO good!  I worked on the bridal shower we are giving my niece Rachel.  She wants an Emergency Preparedness one. Hmm... Not much out there on that theme. I am going to have to get creative!  Dave brought lunch home from the clinic (Maddox) and I was so grateful! I was famished!  I ran and got a gift card for Linda B. at Alpine Gardens.  That place is so fun!  They are loaded with fairy garden stuff and with my fetish for miniatures, I was in heaven!  I need to start a fairy garden!

 I picked Dave up at the clinic and we headed to Layton to Lynn's Dad's viewing.  We chatted with lots of Lynn's family.  They are all so nice.  Then we hit Target and I got a Panda head for Carson! Well, more for me to Skype with Carson but I'm sure it will come in real handy over the years.  

We then headed to The Five All's Restaurant to celebrate our 

35th Anniversary

....finally!  It was great!  

 Dave took me here during medical school after he had been to a meeting there.  We couldn't afford it back then but he still took me there for one of our anniversaries.  The atmosphere is VERY romantic! It's been about 25 years or more since we ate there.  

 It's an Old English style place.  You eat off of real pewter. 

 The menu

 35 years and counting! 

 They serve a FIVE course meal!  Unfortunately, I only got photos of four of the five. I forgot to take a picture of the cauliflower soup and shrimp cocktail we had for course two.  That soup had to be the best soup I have ever had.  All of the food is outstanding wtih the exception of the main course.  I had the stuffed pork chops and it was okay but not worth what we paid.  Dave had steak and felt the same.  But the rest of the meal couldn't be better!  They give you a banana lime slush kind of drink at the start and that is thee best stuff!  But my favorite part of all has to be the almond macaroons!  They used to serve them hot out of the oven, but I guess they stopped doing that because ours weren't even warm but still soooo good!  

 YUMMY!

It was worth it!  Not the trip to San Francisco I was hoping for, but still fun. 

I fell asleep on the way home!  So tired!  Sky was home!  He was asleep but glad he was home!

dear saturday, Sherri and Tad picked me up at 9:30 a.m.  We met Robin in Mantua and then Tad dropped us off at the sheds.  We ran from the sheds to Sherwood Hills golf course.  It was our LAST long run and we only had to go 12 miles!  Yippee!  It's a relief to have those 20's out of the way!  Marathon is only two weeks away!

We saw Taylor drive past us by the sheds!  He was heading home from Logan. We waved and yelled and he saw us.  He sent me a text that said: "It's freezing. You crazy!"  He was right ! It WAS freezing!  It was only like 37 degrees but heated up to a balmy 42 by the time we were done. We ran around part of the dam to get in our full 12 miles.  They were having a Donut Dash (bikes) and they offered us a donut.  Yum!  

So cold already!  And St. George is two weeks away and it's supposed to be 88° or so!  All this HOT HOT HOT training ALL summer and now we will lose all that just in time for a HOT HOT HOT race!  I'm a bit nervous about that!  When I got home I chatted with Sky and Taylor for a while.  I took a very hot and long shower. That seems to be the theme for the week!  I couldn't get warm!  It rained some in the afternoon.  Dave killed the fatted calf for the boys....burgers with ALL the fixins.  Then we had to go to the Women's General Session meeting at the church.  Dave had to sit on the stand.  I sat by Jen and saved Robin a place.  She got there late.  The meeting was FABULOUS!  I soaked it all in and was furiously taking notes.  Hopefully, I can share a few of the best things I learned.

These aren't my notes, but comments I stole from Facebook. I need to take a photo of my notes but my writing was so sloppy because we were in the dark and I didn't have my glasses!  

I loved Pres. Uchtdorf's talk.  Here are a couple of take away's from that and the link to it.

You cannot allow your circumstances to make you sad. You cannot allow them to make you mad. You can rejoice that you are a daughter of God! You joy and happiness in the grace of God and in the love of Jesus Christ. You can be glad." -Dieter F Uchtdorf

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865689518/President-Dieter-F-Uchtdorf-choices-not-abilities-make-the-difference-in-life.html

We came home and had Dutch Apple Pie alamode.  Sky has bronchitis or something. It's fun having all the boys home.  Well, we were missing McKster, but glad at least the three were here.  

dear sunday, I skyped with Carson early on Sunday morning cause Sarah had to work.  She had to wake him up and so he was pretty tired.  I wore the Panda head. He wasn't as impressed as I hoped, but he was still halfway asleep.  Love that boy!  He is so cute and melts my heart.  

I then finished my SS lesson and headed for church. I had to say the closing prayer.   When I say a prayer I don't usually get many people comment on it, but for some reason I had several people tell me nice things about it. My class was small but went well.  RS was also very good. It was raining when we came out.  Dave killed the fatted calf again but Taylor had already left.  Oh well.  We had a delish dinner of fatted calf (well cow - roast) with all the trimmings.  Can I just say how happy it makes me when he cooks?  SO happy!  I did make the biscuits and most of the salad.

dear random,

Tired Mr. Cat

Taylor sitting atop Crouching Lion in Oahu

This makes my heart happy!