Team 'Ohana 2009: No One Left Behind

[grizbuzz]

Hi!

Just got back from a week business trip in Plano, Texas. Still need to catch up on thread, but I see there is some good advice on training vs. maintaining a base. Thanks so much!!!

Happy Belated Birthday Maria!!

I tried to do some treadmill or elliptical every morning. Not much...just 25 or 30 minutes, but enough to wake me up in the morning and get the blood flowing. Eating wasn't so good. So now I have some "repair" to do from that week of too much work, too little sun and not enough healthy food.

Also lots of housework and quality time with the family to catch up on!

'til soon,
JenG

 

[tiberius]

Hi Team!!

I've been doing a poor job of keeping up these last few weeks, but life has been busy here. Next week I cram 5+ days of work into 3 days as I prepare for my water district's monthly meeting and all the regular stuff, while also taking off Thursday and Friday to go to Galveston for a conference. I am getting put up at a really nice resort, the Moody Gardens Resort and Hotel ( http://moodygardens.com ), best of all DW is coming with to relax and rest for a while. Then upon returning home on Friday, I am taking my daughters to Dallas for the weekend to see the Jonas Brothers concert. Finally, I'll return home Sunday to a backlog of work to be done before starting another busy work week.

Back to more current news, yesterday's bike ride was much better than last week (where I got a flat tire) and I tried a new route, but it was a little shorter than I expected. Today's run (7.5 miles) just blew up on me in the last couple miles--too much heat and humidity and I just was nopt into it either....really haven't been much into exercise the last week where I took 3 consecutive rest days--2 without good reason. Maybe this week I can get back into it.

Finally, the best for last, I made my January reservations for OKW for Jan 2 - 9 in a 2BR! Yes, I am still doing the Jan 10 marathon, but my family is going back home a bit earlier, so I will likely get a hotel room for the weekend--or a studio, still to decide there soon.

Have a great week, y'all!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Hi Cousins! I missed the posting of the weekly mixer question for today so thought I'd drop by to at least say hello! Happy training!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hello?

Sounds like we are a travellin' bunch! Debra, Richard, JenG

Julie -- Have you recovered from the sleepover yet? I don't mind the events, for us it's now become a challenge to feed them -- they are bottomless pits, I could cook all night! They may be 11 yr. old boys, but they eat like teenagers!

JenB -- I love to use the summer to catch up on things I want to watch. I missed Fringe, so hopefully that will be on dvd soon.

Debra -- Ok, your face is not that red -- C'mon back we miss you!

Jeanne and Nancy -- I love hearing about your trip! You guys make your own fun, whatever the conditions!

Ok, I'm off to eat dinner, pack a little, sleep and hop up for another run before work! We leave for our FL trip in two days!!!

Maria

 

[laughinplace199]

Hello Cousins!

Maria - I did survive the sleepover, but I'll admit, I'm still tired! They had so much fun though. They decorated pillowcases, painted their nails, and ate a ton. I can't imagine how much boys must eat because these girls ate plenty! I loved hearing them giggling until the wee hours of the night. DD has such a nice group of friends - it's always a pleasure to have them here.

You must be getting so excited for your trip. How many days will you be spending in FL? Are you going to Universal? Busch Gardens? Sea World? Is your DS bouncing off the walls yet? My kids are always so excited before our trips. I think the anticipation is almost as much fun as the trip itself. I hope you have a wonderful time and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Debra - Are you back yet? How was your weekend?

Richard - Have fun at your conference and the Jonas Bros concert (what a good dad you are ).

I still haven't gotten out of my running slump, but I've been reading a lot. I raided DD's bookcase one day when I had nothing to read and I picked up the first book in the Narnia series. OMG - these books are great! I'm almost done with the series and I don't want it to end. Anyway, I'm planning on running tomorrow and hopefully that will be what I need to get back into it.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

[Jen117]

*hits head on forehead, V8 style*
DOH

Sorry Jen. It's not that I forgot you're pregnant...it's that I forgot these two things are incompatible.

Thanks Maria. Boy is my face red.

How about wording it this way... Jen is working on NOT gaining too much weight because she is already too heavy!!! I was up 5 pounds, but when I weighed several days ago I had lost 2 of those. If I stay at 25 gained I will be happy!!!

Maria - Emma was 6 pounds 7 ounces and Kate was 7 pound 8 ounces. Those are perfect sizes for me and make for an easy birth!!!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Ok, Jen, I won't wish a bumper crop baby on you!

Benjamin was 7 lb 10oz., and I agree, a 7 pounder is plenty big!


I am really excited, I can't believe we leave tomorrow! We're flying JetBlue, so I don't have to entertain anyone during the flight. We are going to Tampa for 3 days to stay w/my SIL and take my younger two nieces to Busch Gardens with us. Then we have a brief visit at DTD (I talked dh into it by telling him we didn't want to impose on his sis and bil over Father's Day, so we needed to go somewhere & DTD is free!), then we move to Loew's Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal. We'll be there for 7 days. We have Flextickets, so we'll be visiting Busch Gardens. Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Aquatica and Wet 'n Wild. Our tickets allow us to also go to Sea World, but my fellas are seriously tired of Sea World and refuse to enter.

Today was ds's last day of school -- if you could call it a day. They went until 10:30, and from 9:30 on they were in church. Luckily dh has the day off (Bunker Hill Day -- what you don't celebrate? ). They are spending the day doing a list of chores I left. Ok, that's the theory. I'm going to get home to find out they had baseball tournaments on the Wii and nothing is done So, I'm expecting to do alot when I finally get home. DS packed yesterday. I have everything laid out, and I need to pack it. I also need to mani/pedi, so I'm lookin' cute

I am going to miss checking in with everyone, you guys keep me working out and eating right. I had a gain on Saturday, so I set a goal to lose 5 lbs in 5 days before we left. I'm 4/4 so far. I'm going to run one more time tomorrow. So, even if I make it, I'll really only be showing a 2.5 lb loss for the week, but I will be very happy. I'm at my lowest weight in 2 years as of today, and I think tomorrow will push me into meeting my goal. I don't really want to get up at 4:30 tomorrow, but I am going to do it to try to reach the stars!

Everyone have a great end of June, I am looking forward to reading a ton of posts to catch up when I get back!

Maria

 

[laughinplace199]

Maria - Congrats on being at your lowest weight in 2 yrs. That's fantastic! I'm sure your DH & DS will get all their chores done today. My mom is off today too (gotta love Bunker Hill day), so I'm going to try to send at least one or two of my kiddos to her house to "help" her garden. That way, I can try to get some stuff done around my house. It sounds like you have a great trip planned. I hope you have a wonderful time and I'm looking forward to hearing all about it when you return.

 

[deekaypee]

Wow, it's been quiet here. 'Ohana roll call, please!

'Ohana Roll Call
1) Let us know what you've been doing, training or otherwise. Any races? I don't have details on a couple events on the first page. Upcoming events?

2) And good books? I just finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I enjoyed it, but it's an odd book, and doesn't quite live up to its promise. Also, DOOD is going to be teaching some honors courses this fall. He's looking for books and movies about books. Any suggestions?

3) A new get-to-know you prompt for the cousins...what are your summer plans?

JenB: How is DD feeling? I'm sorry to learn she's been ill. And that your computer was ill, too. Isn't it amazing how training for a race helps us in other areas. My house is generally cleaner when I'm in training, too, almost as if I have to be more organized in all areas to "find the time" to train for a race. What have you been watching as your distraction, btw?

Julie: Good news on your DS's celiac test. That makes things a lot easier. And I'm glad to hear about (and not to throw) your DD's slumber party. Did ANYONE get any sleep? I do like the idea of decorating pillowcases--very cool. About your running slump--I'm going to ask you tomorrow what you've been doing. be warned.

JenG: Isn't it amazing how much a trip can throw you off schedule, etc. I just love the idea of needing to "repair" after a trip, too. Makes me think of our bodies as well-oiled machines. Or in Jeanne and Nancy's case, well hydrated with the finest of spirits.

Richard: Thanks for the link to Moody Gardens. It looks lovely, what with the waterfront view and the rainforest pyramid. Not sure about the dinosaur, though. I'm sure you and DW will have a good time, despite your work demands. I hope you get some good exercise in, too, as last week sounded like it was rough. Yay for making reservations, too!

Maria: I might have missed you, but if I didn't, have a great trip. You've earned a little R & R, and I know you're going to have a great time! And I know your DNs will have a great time with you, too. CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss and the numbers--that's wonderful and well-earned news. What a good start to your vacation, too.

Jen: Your pregnancy sounds like it's progressing quite well. But I don't care what you say, 6 lbs., 7 lbs....can't imagine any birth being an easy birth.

As for me: Back from D.C. and trying to catch up. We went to several museums on the mall and the Nat'l archives. Saw a D.C. United game. Ran on the mall. Went to Artomatic, ate with friends, and did a little research and writing. Busy.

And it seems like everyone else was, too. Very quiet here on the thread. So I'll pose a question to you. Should we put the mixer on hiatus during the summer? I was unable to post, and I'll be doing more traveling to family in the summer, and everyone else seems busy. I can continue posting for the most part, but it was never my intention that the mixer seem more like an obligation for the team than a joy.

 

[jbucci]

Hello, sorry for the long silence-- computer is acting up and randomly crashes making posting a bit tough.

Maria: Have a great trip and congrats on the wt loss, hopefully you are packed and ready for fun.

Debra: Glad to hear the trip to DC was good. We love going there and taking in the museums-- DD especially loves it. Nothing great on the tv front-- been watching lots of Mythbusters and Law and Order reruns.. looking for something better. We did get the movie Spirit of the Marathon which was fun.

Jen: Glad to hear the pregnancy is going well, hope you keep feeling good.

As for me, I think my computer is finally fixed I've been running around a bit getting end of school year stuff together. DD has 2 more days left of kindergarten and it's tough on me-- first grade will be a new school for her and I'm going to really miss her current teacher and school. Right now she is in the same preschool/kindergarten that I attended and the director was there when I was a kid so I feel a certain comfort in the place. I know very little about her new school so it makes me nervous although I know she'll do fine.

I've been good about exercise and watching my diet and have actually started to see the scale move in the right direction (I'm actively trying to resist snacking as I type this ) We are training mow for the DL 1/2 and just officially signed up for the Philia Distance Run.

Also in the midst of planning a party for DD-- she will be 6 I was up way too late last night making invitations so her school friends would get them. We're having a Webkinz party and I'd love some ideas for party games and/or carnival style games the kids could play.

My final big time wasters have been games. We are pretty into European style board games and just found one called Agricola-- great game, very addictive. We also got hooked on a computer game called Plants vs Zombies-- from popcap games-- we were late to school yesterday due to a small zombie problem...

 

[MouseDogMom]

Debra - Was headed to bed when I saw your post. Am so jealous - one of my great running desires is to run on the mall someday. When we were there 2 summers ago it was just for a couple of hours, and we took a leisurely stroll on the mall, but the entire time I was staring longingly at the runners! Amazing what this "hobby" can do for you... And my vote is probably to put the mixer on hiatus for the summer. It seems that no one is posting anywhere, so either everyone is traveling or busy running, just not posting. I love checking in with the cousins, but it seems that other teams just don't have time to visit right now. But hey, if everyone else says keep mixin', I'll do my part!

Took last Thursday & Friday off for DD's graduation, then came back to work Monday with one of my coworkers on vacation for the week. I can't remember when I've had a harder week. DH and I went out for dinner tonight - well, actually we went out for drinks and got food as an afterthought. I had THREE martinis, and I doubt I've had that much alcohol in one sitting (other than our post-marathon/anniversary dinner at WDW in January) in YEARS! Yes, I'm a lightweight and not afraid to admit it!

We are only days away from committing to Disney for January - actually thought I'd probably be inebriated enough tonight to go ahead and book, but I'm too tired. DH and I are going to do the Half - will book through Anthony Travel, who have graciously agreed to allow us to stay where we want even though it's not on their list of available resorts. Will be our first trip without DD. She doesn't know yet.

Jackie

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Super quick post -- I did it! I lost 5 lbs in 5 days! Now I have to try and not gain it back in 10

Everyone have a great rest of June, and I will catch you later!

Maria

 

[deekaypee]

Quick post now, more later.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

to all the great dads here in in my cousins' lives! I hope you're all celebrating and spreading the love.

 

[deekaypee]

Arrrghhh. The thread is dying! Okay, I know I didn't overwater it...

I'm gonna post another Monday Mixer until I get more input from the cousins--not that I don't respect your input, Jackie, I do! I just was hoping for more...well, posts, frankly. Cousins ('Ohana and otherwise), let me know if you want to put the Mixer questions on hiatus, temporary or permanent. (See above post.)

JenB: I think taking kids to D.C. would be a blast, a lot of fun. DOOD and I were talking about how my parents never took me and how I found that a little strange as an adult. It seems like a natural trip. How was the end of DD's kindergarten year? Pretty emotional for you, it sounds like, and probably for the teacher, too. And woo hoo for all the good training stuff: nutrition, the Phila. Distance plan, etc. P.S. Must look into that computer game. Love the zombies.

Jackie: I remember that exact same feeling about running the mall the last time I was in D.C. It's well worth it--I hope you get to visit there soon. BIG CONGRATS on signing up for the 1/2, and for getting your resort of choice. (And that resort would be...) P.S. Yay for DD's graduation--what a significant rite of passage. Well worth a few drinks.

Maria: Just to reiterate what I've said elsewhere. You rock, woman! You rock!

As for me: I've fallen off the posting wagon since late May, what with traveling and DOOD being gone and me being the single lady. It turns out that absence does make the heart grow fonder, as I've missed WISH too much to stay way. So expect me to be annoying about our team's postings, soon. We have stuff to plan for January!

'Ohana Monday Mixer

I asked a variation on this above, but it makes for a good general prompt for a mixer. Lots of us are finalizing our late summer/fall/early 2010 race schedules and/or in training for them. So let's talk events. Two questions:

1. What event have you committed to that you're most looking forward to, Disney marathon weekend excluded? And
2. What are you most looking forward to about Disney marathon weekend, if you are attending? (With sympathy to those who are not.)

 

[smileyk8]

hey hey ohana!

Thought i'd pop over to join in mixer time. (it's quiet tho so i'll in).

I finally got down to it and registered for the WDW marathon in Jan. Flights are booked and to keep my mum happy, she's coming too! More because she hates the idea of me alone- i did tell her there'll be a whole herd of WISHers there! I know i was meant to exclude that one, but i only booked it yesterday so am a little Tempted to book us both into 5km but she's very reluctant- i know she could walk it though, hmm.

Apart from that I'm really looking forward to my first ever run with my boyfriend on 5th July! It'll be a totally different experience and possibly a shocking one for him as he's never seen me run ha ha ha. It's not a great look, which is why i've avoided running with him for so long

Soooo what's everyone else upto?

Maria i've just seen your post- 5lbs in 5 days in phenomenal! I don't know how you've done it, but that must have taken some determination. Well done!

 

[laughinplace199]

I asked a variation on this above, but it makes for a good general prompt for a mixer. Lots of us are finalizing our late summer/fall/early 2010 race schedules and/or in training for them. So let's talk events. Two questions:

1. What event have you committed to that you're most looking forward to, Disney marathon weekend excluded? And
2. What are you most looking forward to about Disney marathon weekend, if you are attending? (With sympathy to those who are not.)

1. So far, I haven't committed to any events. There's a half in Boston in Oct that DH & I might do IF we don't do the Disney marathon.

2. I'm not sure if we'll be attending Marathon weekend. After I completed the marathon last year, I swore I'd never do it again. However, I also said that after the birth of my first child, and now I have 3 kids. I've since changed my mind and now I want to do it again (the marathon, that is ). DH & I have to look into our finances to see if taking a Jan trip is possible (we already have a trip booked for April 2010), but the major deciding factor will be whether or not my parents are available to watch the kids.

So, this is my long-winded way of saying that if I attend, I'm looking forward to seeing my WISH friends and hopefully running the race a little stronger and smarter than last time.


P.S. I really like the Monday mixers, so I vote for continuing them.

 

[jship210]

[*]What event have you committed to that you're most looking forward to, Disney marathon weekend excluded? And
[*]What are you most looking forward to about Disney marathon weekend, if you are attending? (With sympathy to those who are not.)

Debra~ Do you lay awake at night thinking up these

We are having a 5K here in August that I will be doing, but really the premiere is WDW
What am I most looking forward to besides Finishing? Meeting everyone from our groups and sharing a drink or five.

 

[getnthinr]

Oh please don't let the Monday Mixer die! I can't answer right now (WORK!), but I'll plug in later.

 

[Lynn G]

Good Morning Team Ohana!

I think I am most looking forward to the RFTT, just because we have not done that race before, otherwise it would be TOT, I really enjoy the night race, and, of course, seeing all our friends!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[jmasgat]

Hello Ohana!,

Given that I have only truly committed to 3 races (I have this tendency to train, but not sign up til last minute--the pessimist in me waiting for something to go wrong!), I would say I am looking forward to the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge run. To run it, you had to run a qualifying race and enter a lottery. I was fortunate enough to get in. The governor runs it with her family, too.

As for Disney, well, I haven't signed up for that yet, although I have a room reservation! I will enjoy seeing my virtual team-mates and other WISH'ers, and if I end up doing the marathon, I would most look forward to my photo with Mickey and my medal!

Maura