Duly Noted

It's the morning before the Madison Marathon. Rachel woke me up early and we headed out for an easy 3 mile, a loosening the legs and stretching kind of run. I started "carbo loading" yesterday (including sharing a piece of peanut butter cup cake with Mike!) and I am trying to eat mostly carbs and supplement that with recovery drinks today (plus the coffee I am having now!). Tomorrow, at this time, I will be 1 hour into the race! Unbelievable! Last night, I tallied the number of miles I have logged over the last 17 weeks in training for this marathon. Guesses? Okay, I will tell you. Approximately 689 miles, an average of 40 miles a week for 17 weeks. I gotta say, no matter what happens tomorrow morning, I feel proud and ready to race. Looking back on my training, there are many memorable runs- many with amazing runner friends (and dogs!) and some with just me testing my limits, endurance, and spirit. Tomorrow morning, I plan to wake up with a smile on my face, fre...

This past weekend, I traveled to Disney World (perhaps my least favorite vacation destination...I am admittedly part snob, part anti-consumerist) in order to attend the National Council of Teachers of English mega conference! Although "consumer world" itself (Mike's nickname) was over-priced and bridged on ridiculous, I did manage to have a fabulous time and not spend too much money. Actually, the price was really right for me as MCTE (the Minnesota division of NCTE) paid for my flight, my gorgeous room, and my conference fee in honor of an award I had been given- MCTE's early career teacher leader. Truly, I was so surprised to have been nominated, and I felt very grateful for the nomination, the award, and the opportunity to attend the conference. For me, the highlights of the weekend were many. I was absolutely inspired at the sessions I attended on Friday and Saturday. The teachers and researchers seemed to really stress the value of student engagement and mot...

An amazing trip with family and friends to the boundary waters to start off summer.

For the last 20ish days, Mike has been traveling the west with Orange Mighty Trio . As professional musicians, touring is incredibly important because, as I understand it, there is no better way to get your name out there, grow a fan base, and make a few dollars while you're at it. Touring goodbyes have always been tough for me. A committed adventurer of sorts, the lifestyle of the touring musician has generous appeal: new places, new people, fresh perspectives. Yet, at this point in my life, I've needed to stay home. Over the last couple years, I've realized that, if we are going to last, I would need to make peace with the idea that Mike will continue to tour and travel for as long as he can! I can deal with that reality if I discover and create passion in my own work, projects, and daily toodling. As Mike returns home with a list of wild stories and inspiration, I can also look back on the last weeks and offer some of my own: -Canoeing seventeen miles down the St. ...

For better or worse, in recent months, there's been a familial infestation of relocation. (Sounds like an epidemic, doesn't it? Clearly, my current read, Tracey Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains , an account of the internationally renowned doctor, Paul Farmer, has had some bearing on me...linguistically if not career-wise.) But, alas, it is true; underlying individual motivation aside, the challenge of reestablishing roots is nearly habitual in our tribe. It seems only proper, then, that my mother put aside my Grandma Jean's yellow suitcase set as she cleaned out the fortress of stuff (many treasures, I'll admit) lodged in my mom's childhood home in Pennsylvania. Knowingly, my mom thought I'd appreciate the suitcases (the train case in particular) as I've always been fond of "playing olden days" (a phrase coined by my sister and I as young girls). In transit from my parents' new home in Cleveland, my boyfriend toted the set across t...

This fourth, Mike and I are on our way to Naperville to visit the Vasich fam. Our parents are in tow on interstate 294 headed south after a night in Milwaukee watching fireworks down at the lakefront with old neighbors. Highlights from our Milwaukee rendezvous- *Lunch at an small outdoor bistro in the third ward (man, I would definitely live in that district if we were in milwaukee. So cool.) *breakfasts at the mueller's- fresh fruit, scones and cinnamon rolls, coffee, and guava juice *dinner at a new "french" restaurant in wauwatosa *a fabulous green dress Previous to our Milwaukee jaunt, Mike and I spent more than a few days in the Chicago area. Although I plan to blog more on a few of these experiences soon, here are some brief highlights- *rooftop Orange Mighty Trio concert in Chicago proper *multiple graduation parties *36 hole mini golf extravanganza *cool evenings playing bags out on the Vasich patio *shopping with Mike's cousin Diana * learning the prowess...