What a difference a day makes

Today is going sooooo much better! Felt so sorry for my running buddy on Sunday ... it wasn't pretty. And Monday I just felt out of sorts all day long. I was pretty dehydrated so I downed 80 oz. of water (yes, that's correct--4 x 20 oz.) by early afternoon. Had an extra piece of bread with peanut butter on it mid-afternoon since I was just starving all day long. Took a nap. Got a good night's sleep last night. I feel like a million bucks. :-) My workout this morning--90 minutes on the Stairmaster. Didn't have to take any rest breaks other than to set up a new program every 30 minutes. Felt great.

There's a beautiful new addition to the RTC family ... Miss Ella Marie Minnich.

She's the daughter of RTC member Julie Yost-Minnich and was born yesterday weighing in at 9 lb. 9 oz. and measuring 21.5 inches long. There's nothing more precious than a newborn baby. She's a keeper. ;-) Pictured below at Stewartville Summerfest are big brother Ethan and mom.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, at Running Room at 6 pm is Carol on the Run . The whole route which includes 4 stops is 6 miles. Run to the first stop (Charter House) and back ... 1.6 miles. Bring your Santa hats, antlers, jingle bells, whatever. I'll have cookies for post-run. Hoping for a good crowd once again! If you can only carry a tune in a bucket, that's just fine. Join us.

The Polar Bear Fun Run and Free Lunch is being held this year. It's Saturday, December 27 at the Y beginning at 11 AM. Routes are 5K and 10K. A free lunch (past years it's been BBQ chicken or pork sandwiches, sloppy joes, calico beans, chips, veggies, cookies) will be provided by the RTC afterwards. Leftover race T-shirts will be given away. Bring your families and friends. It's low-key and a lot of fun. And you don't even have to run if you don't want to ... just come for the free stuff. :-)

Note: To bid on the 8 dozen holiday cookies on the RTC website, just reply to the post in the forum. No bids yet ...

Off-Season Striders will be running from Panera South on Saturday, 12/6 at 7:30 am.

Beer Run 12/31 mid to late afternoon. Location TBD. Challenge: Please consider new lyrics to a potential theme song!! Beware—you may find yourself singing this in your sleep! Bob and Tom's Beer Run

If anyone is interesting in donating to Lace-Up Against Breast Cancer but doesn't want to run the 5K or half marathon, donations can be made online .

Totally useless information ...

My second place cookie recipe in the Post-Bulletin cookie contest appears in tonight's edition of the paper. There's a nice photo of the cookies in the link. Paul Christian said my photo does appear in the print version. I so do not look forward to seeing it. Wet hair ... not a bit of make-up ... dressed in black running clothes ... oh, my. This isn't going to be pretty. I'm very un-photogenic even on a good day.

The hot pink supermodel wigs have shipped. Since 4 of us that will be donning the wigs for the Polar Plunge will be at the RTC board potluck next week, I'm thinking maybe a premiere showing might be in order. With photos, of course. Let's see ... what might go with hot pink hair ... ??

Spent much of yesterday evening embroidering. My eyes aren't what they used to be. They're getting older, just like the rest of me. To see where I should put the needle, I hold the fabric close, but then it's too close to focus so I have to move it farther away but then I can't see the hole ... It's been rather slow going. I believe some reading/magnifying glasses might be in order here.

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head that just keeps playing over and over? That happens to me on occasion. It's usually the last song I hear before turning the radio off, or whatever. Today at work it was Kid Rock's All Summer Long ... over and over and over ...

Got my first two Christmas cards yesterday. Oh my. Some people are just way too organized! This job isn't even on my radar yet.

Thought for the day: Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. --Dalai Lama

Later.