It looks even better in person...the room I took those pictures in always puts a yellow-ish glow on any of my pictures.
Yep...I am bound to have a good Wine & Dine experience at some point after having it go somewhat poorly for me twice.
And you're right, not much time left to decide!! Just about 1.5 months until registration!Thanks! Same here.
Glad to be back and on the mend.Me too! The improvement is definitely encouraging. I'm hoping Wine & Dine works out this year too...I am thinking that it will as long as I am healthy enough to train for it!Glad you've gotten some improvement in your bothersome symptoms (numbness, itching, etc.) I'm rooting for you to make it to Wine and Dine this year (as long as your injury and training allow!)
Which would mean I'd want to be ready to start training by early August, I guess...and that seems realistic to me, I think.
I really like the Miko tights too, but I just can't bring myself to buy them. I think I'm concerned they wouldn't go with many tops? Only solid colors, I guess...but I definitely like the tights. I'm with you on not liking the shirt, I like the pattern on the back, but the lady on the front doesn't really do it for me.
I love the cruise pattern. It's so whimsical and fun!
At the rate things have been going, it probably will! I have not been having the best luck lately, and the weather has been awful 2 years in a row for that race...part of me wonders if the race is cursed, but the more optimistic side of me thinks it's due to have a good year.
A rollercoaster is right. It's been a rough end to 2015 and a rough start to 2016 for me. And it continues on...my sideview mirror got knocked off my car this morning. Not a great start to the week!
Thanks.As usual, even your down times are worth reading because they totally describe the running experience, and especially the runDisney experience!!
Always an inspiration
I think it has been helpful for me to have this thread to use to vent, because I don't want to pile all of those sad/bad feelings on to Mr. A (who has been awesome through this, of course). Eventually I'm hoping that these back issues won't be such a big part of running for me, but I guess I'm just not there yet!
).
I am definitely doing better, but I have never been a patient person so I am frustrated that progress seems to have slowed down. I'm trying not to be too whiny about it.It sounds like things are definitely on the mend. Just continue to be slow and methodical in your approach as you improve. I know how tempting it gets to do more as you start to feel better and then you end up back in trouble again (I speak from experience here
Ugh, so this was my fault - I was driving in to work this morning and this person behind me was a little close to me. I saw some construction barrels coming up on my right that were sort of in my lane, and I really should have slowed down and gotten over into the next lane to avoid them. But I let myself get distracted/rushed by the person behind me and just thought I could sort of creep over to the left in my current lane to avoid the barrels...NOPE. I clipped a barrel and now my mirror is hanging by a wire. I was hoping I could pop it back in but it looks like the clips that hold it in got broken off, so I'm pretty sure something needs to be ordered/replaced. I'm hoping they can just order the bottom plastic part and not the entire mirror (because the mirror itself seems fine) but I'm preparing myself for the possibility that they won't be able to just order the one part. And that I'll be driving around for a week with a dangling mirror like a really cool person. Fun!
"I'm preparing myself for the possibility that they won't be able to just order the one part. And that I'll be driving around for a week with a dangling mirror like a really cool person. Fun!
Ugh, so this was my fault - I was driving in to work this morning and this person behind me was a little close to me. I saw some construction barrels coming up on my right that were sort of in my lane, and I really should have slowed down and gotten over into the next lane to avoid them. But I let myself get distracted/rushed by the person behind me and just thought I could sort of creep over to the left in my current lane to avoid the barrels...NOPE. I clipped a barrel and now my mirror is hanging by a wire. I was hoping I could pop it back in but it looks like the clips that hold it in got broken off, so I'm pretty sure something needs to be ordered/replaced. I'm hoping they can just order the bottom plastic part and not the entire mirror (because the mirror itself seems fine) but I'm preparing myself for the possibility that they won't be able to just order the one part. And that I'll be driving around for a week with a dangling mirror like a really cool person. Fun!
Goodbye Money! Harvey's for Disney Couture and Disney Dooney & Bourke (More Balloons, WDW 40th Anniversary and DCL Sketch)
That's right, more Dooneys...even though I said I was done. In my defense, I have been good about sticking to the in-and-out rule (as in, I can only buy a new or new-to-me bag if I sell enough to cover the cost)...so these bags were part of some switcheroos.
Yes, I know...I have issues.
Anyway...first item is not a bag, it's a wallet. A few weeks before our trip, Mr. A and I met up with his parents for lunch. They had just traveled to WDW over Thanksgiving weekend (sidenote: they are retired. Had I known they were planning to travel over that weekend - no one told me until they were very close to leaving - I would have STRONGLY encouraged them to pick a different time to go, but I digress). Anyway...my sweet MIL had picked out a Dooney for me! A sketch wristlet. And I am the worst gift receiver ever, because I knew right away I was going to return it (I didn't tell her that, though).I have mentioned before, and will mention multiple times in this post, that I don't trust the quality of the newer Dooneys. And I almost never use wristlets...so as bad as I felt, I was planning on returning.
She had included the receipt for me, which said I had 30 days to return - and the day we were due to check in at Disneyland was 30 days exactly. So after arriving and checking in at PPH, we headed to The Vault at Downtown Disney to return the wristlet. I received a merchandise credit and turned right around to use it on this...a Harveys Disneyland 60th Anniversary Poster Wallet!
Harveys doesn't seem to put out a ton of stuff that really grabs me (which is fine...because if there's one thing you can take away from this journal, it's that I DO NOT NEED MORE PURSES!!!), but this wallet is perfect for the parks. It's durable, since it's made of seatbelts, and with the detachable wrist strap it's really easy to carry around. I was able to fit my phone and a chapstick inside, in addition to cash and cards and stuff, and didn't end up bringing any kind of bag into the parks that week. Super convenient - and I just love the poster design. It's so classic!
Now...on to the Dooneys!
FIRST...let me mention the Dooneys I DID NOT buy - the Princess Half Marathon weekend Dooneys! When I was telling a friend that I had deferred GSC, she pointed out to me that had I done the Dooney pre-order, I wouldn't have been able to cancel said pre-order...so I would have lost at least $200 since I wouldn't be at the expo to pick up the bag.This is something I hadn't thought about and I am SO GLAD I didn't pre-order! I most likely wouldn't have anyway since the print wasn't released before I decided to defer (and there was no way I was going to drop that kind of cash without seeing what I was paying for first) and I really don't trust the quality of the newer Dooneys (this could be like a drinking game...take a drink every time I mention I don't like the newer Dooneys!
)...but still. Bullet dodged.
Anyway...the bags I DID get are older, retired styles. Now that I think of it, I'm to the point where of the bags I do have, only one of them is "new," as in, produced sometime in the last 6-12 months (the Haunted Mansion satchel - because that print is perfection).
Bag #1 is the Black Balloons Drawstring (produced in 2010-2013):
It's sort of an odd shape (and one that, along with my other 2 new bags, Dooney doesn't seem to produce in Disney prints anymore...lately they have been sticking to the same 3-4 styles for Disney), but it's another perfect Dooney print, and it holds a lot of stuff. I was lucky to find this one in like-new condition, and it wasn't crazily-priced at all. Really not that much more than retail. Win!
Bag #2 is one that got away from me a few years back, and I'm VERY happy to have it now - the Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary Bucket (produced in 2011...obviously as that was the 40th anniversary of WDW):
Back when these bags were originally available, I wanted the bucket...but I went back and forth over it for too long and by the time I decided I wanted to actually buy it, that particular silhouette was sold out. Sadness! I loved the print so much that I decided to try a different bag in this print - the Kristin tote.
I actually ended up selling this one on eBay because it was so awkward to carry (the handles are smaller than they look in this picture, so the bag was right up in my armpit - always where you want a nice purse to reside, am I right?). It's funny because people on the Dooney Facebook groups FREAK OUT over this particular silhouette (the Kristin), and I just sort of hated it. Different strokes for different folks.
Anyway, I finally got my bucket...almost 5 years later. I actually "know" the person I bought it from (I recognized her from another message board I used to frequent) and I know she takes good care of her stuff and is a genuinely good/nice person, so that made the buying process easier for me. The bag itself is almost perfect - just a small mark on the leather clasp. And like the balloon bag, I didn't pay much over retail for it. Really I don't think I could find it for much less than what I DID pay, so I'm pleased.
I bought these first 2 bags 1-2 months ago, and like I said, the Harveys wallet was from returning the wristlet I got as a gift. They have been hanging out in my closet with their siblings, and I thought I was ACTUALLY done...but then...the splurge.
In the interest of full disclosure, this particular purchase was partially fueled by feelings of, "I got a promotion with a significant raise, #treatyoself!" and "I hurt my back and had to defer GSC and I'm feeling sorry for myself! Wahhh!!" --> I realize the second point isn't great, but back in 2009 - the last time I significantly injured my back (falling down stairs at home...fun times!) - I ate my feelings, so to speak, and put on 20-30 pounds over the course of a couple of months.So while retail therapy may not be the best way to "cope" with being sad and all of the other bad feelings that come with an injury/deferring/not being able to run, I'll take that over emotional eating. What can I say, I'm keeping it real.
This is a pattern I've been wanting for awhile, but as it's another retired print (produced in 2012) made even more rare because it's a cruise print, these bags can get insanely expensive. I just saw a weekender (which is sort of like an overnight bag) in this print sell on eBay for $1,000!
I did not get the $1K weekender...I got this tote:
And if I'm being totally honest here...it did make me a little less sad, receiving this in the mail.
This bag is HUGE. The person who was selling it posted lots of pictures (including one of her wearing it), but somehow I didn't realize how gigantic the bag really was until it arrived at my house.
It's in really excellent condition - there is one area on the side where the white part is yellowing (very common, unfortunately) and one area on the back where there was a red mark, likely from the strap. I knew about both of these things before buying, so I was ready when the bag arrived. There's nothing that can be done about the yellowing - it's just something that happens with this type of fabric as a bag ages - but I'd read a tip on one of the Facebook groups that marks on bags can sometimes come off using an eraser, so I had a pack ready to go.
Here's the mark when I received the bag...you can see it (the red line) near Pluto and Goofy:
And here's the bag after I went to work with the eraser!
It took more elbow grease than I expected, but it was totally worth it. The bag looks practically brand new! And that red streak likely knocked the purchase price down, and it only cost me about $3 to fix it. Woohoo!
I'd like to say I'm totally done buying now - I THINK I am - but we all saw how well that worked out the last 2 times...
Continued in Next Post
THE MIRROR IS TEMPORARILY FIXED! A technician at the dealership yesterday figured out some solution so that it's attached (not even noticeable that anything is wrong) but I'm still getting it replaced on Friday.
Thanks, I hope so too! Definitely happy to be seeing some improvement!
I am definitely doing better, but I have never been a patient person so I am frustrated that progress seems to have slowed down. I'm trying not to be too whiny about it.
And I am TOTALLY trying my best not to rush things, but yeah, it's tempting! I will say that the super cold weather we have been having has helped me not to miss running outside TOO too much...
Ugh, so this was my fault - I was driving in to work this morning and this person behind me was a little close to me. I saw some construction barrels coming up on my right that were sort of in my lane, and I really should have slowed down and gotten over into the next lane to avoid them. But I let myself get distracted/rushed by the person behind me and just thought I could sort of creep over to the left in my current lane to avoid the barrels...NOPE. I clipped a barrel and now my mirror is hanging by a wire. I was hoping I could pop it back in but it looks like the clips that hold it in got broken off, so I'm pretty sure something needs to be ordered/replaced. I'm hoping they can just order the bottom plastic part and not the entire mirror (because the mirror itself seems fine) but I'm preparing myself for the possibility that they won't be able to just order the one part. And that I'll be driving around for a week with a dangling mirror like a really cool person. Fun!
Ugh! That stinks!
That's the worst when a seemingly simple fix just lingers...
#enabling
Of course I am going to go ahead and combat those sad feelings by doing a bit of planning for my future runDisney trips. Disney planning is always happy. 
I tacked on an extra 30 seconds at the end to make it to 1.1 miles. Just like Tuesday, I had some pain in the beginning and by the end I felt way better. I am definitely finding myself excited to do the walks. They're boring, but I feel like I make real progress during them, and feel much better for the rest of the day, pain-wise. Sigh. I'll just put them away for next year!
What fun! It's hard to stomach dropping significant cash on a car, but my car (a 2009 Civic) has been pretty good to me, so it deserved some TLC. I was able to take my work with me, so that's a plus. And I had a punch card for the oil change, so I got that for free...so yay? 
), and then the fartleks began. I did 8 total, and basically just "sprinted" (relatively speaking) from one driveway to the next. The first 4 went well, but starting with the 5th one I began to feel some pain. Not excruciating, but it was there. And it was a little discouraging because through all of them, I could feel that I was sort of dragging my left leg along. It still feels like my heel cannot pick up properly or something. Anyway...I did my 8 and then walked for the remainder of the 25 minutes.
) and he said it's weirdly hard to get copies of scans from any hospital, so I'm not sure I'll ever get to see them. Harrumph. Anyway...Dr. Spine did have a technician report to go on, and from that report he could definitively say that I don't need surgery. I sort of thought we had established that at our first appointment, so it was surprising that it was still a possibility. 
Or maybe he was just saying so as extra confirmation. He asked me how the running was going, which was something else that was surprising to me. I gave him the update that I hadn't been doing any for the most part, and that I'd deferred Princess weekend, but that I have been lifting and walking. He basically said to keep on doing what I am doing, and even recommended adding 8-10 fartleks to some of my walks (see above). His big concern was that I would experience muscle spasms at some point, so he prescribed me a muscle relaxer to keep on hand in case that happens. I haven't had any yet and I REALLY hope to not have any in the future! He said he could tell right when he came into the room that I was in a much better place, both physically and mentally, compared to my first appointment. He seemed surprised that the numbness had improved already (another sidenote: it hasn't really improved at all this week)...at first he was almost concerned because he said such a fast improvement made him think that this wasn't actually a spine issue, but the MRI report confirmed that it actually is. Not sure what to make of that. 
I got an email with a tracking number on Wednesday night and it didn't actually move at all (per the tracking) until Thursday. I'm now in 3 INKnBURN groups on Facebook - 2 fan groups and one group that is just for club members - and I REALLY wanted to avoid spoilers, but by the time the box arrived I knew almost everything that was in it and had seen pictures (silly me for thinking people would stick to the "spoilers" threads on Facebook...
). Next time INKnBURN does a surprise item (I'm assuming they'll hold tradition and do one for April Fool's Day) I'm just going to avoid Facebook entirely. 
Sigh. ). I finally sold a couple of pairs of INKnBURN capris I've been trying to unload for about a month now after figuring out my correct size, along with quite a few Raw Threads shirts and a Disney Dooney (the 2015 Flower & Garden bag). I also sold my Garmin Forerunner 220 and FitBit Change on eBay, since I don't need those now that I have my Forerunner 230 (which I still love). The FR220 went for more than I expected, and the FitBit went for about what I expected. The sale prices of both of those almost completely paid for my FR230, so I am pleased about that. 
Assuming I have the nerve pain under control by mid-late spring, I should be good to start training for this.
