Nature Lovin'

as captured by cell phone . . .

This AM's little adventure

We had a simple little adventure this morning that started reminding me of a children's book about halfway through. It was all about trying to get to the store to buy some bananas or "mana" for my little banana fiend and all the obstacles we encountered along the way. I'll tell you more about it later. I gotta work but I just wanted to write this as a little reminder to myself. Hope you don't mind.

fistful of love

I've been thinking of this song lately, because:

a: It's on the running mix I created in 2005, which I have been rediscovering
b: Apparently toddlers really do use violence to say I love you (well, mine does). Just change the words slightly: "I feel that slap to the face/punch to the gut/toy you are whacking me with repeatedly, and I know it's out of love." (By the way, PSA, just because toddlers do it does not make it okay. In fact, most things they do are not okay for grown-ups.)

I love this song, though. It's gorgeous and tragic to the max.

Okay, that was a little better

I ran again. See, I told you I would, internets. This time I only walked at the very end to "cool down." Believe me, my running is not much faster than your walking but I still count it. Feeling like slightly less of a lump today anyway.

I "ran" a mile yesterday

So I did not have too hard of a time losing the baby weight. It was not immediate, but I was back to normal (or at least close enough--we won't talk about belly skin) by 9 months after. Hooray for breastfeeding! NEVERTHELESS, I am in terrible shape, except perhaps for my arms. So yesterday I went jogging for the first time in a long, long time. It is finally light enough outside after dinner (when LCD can watch the babe)! A mile used to be no problem for me (to be fair to myself, there are a lot of hills in this mile and I got just-ate-dinner cramps) but it took me for-EV-er and I had to walk about HALF of it. I can't think of a time in the rest of my life that I have ever had to walk HALF of one stinkin' little mile. I really did not think I would be this weak SIXTEEN MONTHS (!) post-baby. It convinced me all the more that I need to get back into running a few times a week. So, going for a repeat on Wednesday, maybe with slightly better results? I'm hoping that within a couple of weeks I can run the whole time and start to add more distance.

I feel like kind of a loser compared to the women that are back to an exercise regimen a couple weeks after the baby. I won't lie. Baby recovery was not easy on me and my insides and I honestly could not walk without pain until maybe 2 or 3 months after, so I doubt I will ever be one of those women. But still . . . next time I ought to be able to do more (yoga is not enough, it turns out) at least by 6 months.

Anyway, you gotta start somewhere!

Please legitimize me

Or not so much me as the songwriting challenge. We could use a few more votes in the latest contest. Frankly, I think three of the songs for this contest are just about equally outstanding and you should listen to them. I wish I could give one vote to each, but I had to choose somebody.