4 days ...

... until Zoom!Yah!Yah!  I'm getting excited. :-) I'm being a good girl this week, exercise-wise. Monday I got on the Stairmaster, Tuesday I swam, today I got on the Stairmaster. Likewise tomorrow (one or the other, depending on how cold it is). Then I'm done until Sunday @ 6:30 AM when 150 laps around the St. Olaf indoor track commences. :-)

I'm still baking cookies for race director Dick Daymont to give to the runners and volunteers. Yesterday I made monster cookies ... the BIG recipe (2 sticks butter, 1 1/2 lb. peanut butter, 9 c. oatmeal, 6 eggs, ...). It takes a HUGE bowl and makes LOTS of (yummy!) cookies.

So that was 69 more cookies to add to the Cookie Count Contest total. I'm still taking guesses. Send me rsaxman@charter.net your guess as to how many cookies I'll bake this year. Closest wins a batch of cookies of your choice. That's all there is to it! Tonmorrow I think I'll make Oatmeal Raisin.

Yesterday I went to the track. It was set up for a wrestling tourney, so we had to run around the back side of the bleachers on the west side. Some stayed to run, some went elsewhere. Persevering: Tom O, Trevor, Marilee, Roger, Ray, Dave, Paul, Andy, Alice, me. But I got a few miles on my shoes so it's all good. Here are a few photos (thank you Tom O'Leary):

I brought a few cookies to share. Here's an article from an email I got today (some outfit called lovemygym.com ... I have no idea how I ended up on that mailing list). It's about mile repeats. I just skimmed it.

For dinner last night I made Butternut Squash Lasagna from Cooking Light on the recommendation of Amy Anshus (and her daughters). It was delicious. And nutritious (squash, spinach). I highly recommend it.

Last night Matt learned how to use my sewing machine. I had a big piece of leopard print fleece that he decided he wanted to make into a lap throw, so I thought that would be a nice easy thing for him on which to learn to operate a sewing machine. Which he did beautifully.

I am freezing in this house with a hooded sweatshirt on. Matt is quite often shirtless. (He's also the one that ran in SHORTS outside in the last week And goes around barefoot ALL the time. I have to have slippers on 100% of the time or I'm miserable!)

I got notified that my laptop shipped and should arrive tomorrow. Fun! But then I have to go through all the hassle of moving stuff from one to the other. So much to do ... so little time.

I put a stoneware crock in the basement this afternoon. I looked inside and this is what I found ...

Some baby shoes of Eric's. The toes are scuffed up and have holes in them (probably from crawling). They are so little, so precious.

I made some (reduced fat) Chex Mix for Matt to take back to Winona tomorrow.

I can't seem to ever find bagel chips, so I usually use Goldfish crackers. Didn't have those, so I used reduced fat Cheezits. Works fine. :-)

I got the tree undecorated and brought it to the basement this afternoon. I also took down my Santas and replaced them with snowmen. The house feels more open, less claustrophobic somehow, after some of the decorations get put away.

Time for sum running "shorts": 1) Fool's Five Road Race is 4/11 this year, a week later than usual, and the day after my race, the Fetzer 20K. I'm not too excited about that and what it might do to attendance at my race. : ( 2) Off-Season Striders from John: "This Saturday will be the second annual Test Run of the Lace Up Against Breast Cancer Half Marathon Route Run. We will meet at the Heintz Center on the RCTC campus (across from the Olmsted Medical Center Hospital) at 7:30 AM. (Meet in the west parking lot.) Like all OSS runs, you can cut this short or go longer if you wish. A map of the route can be found at www.luabc.org. Our post-run gathering spot will Brother’s Grill in the Soldier’s Field Plaza on South Broadway—sort of across from the Running Room Store. We will guarantee that the temperature will be warmer than it was last Saturday." I will be a non-exerciser that day, but will join the crew for socializing at Brothers' afterwards. With some kind of treats, of course. I found a Nutella Pound Cake recipe that sounds delightful. 3) RTC banquet, also from John: "The RTC Annual Banquet will be held Saturday, February 6, 2010 at Holiday Inn South (now the Clarion Inn). A happy (half) hour will be held from 6:00 to 6:30 with dinner served at 6:30. Pre-payment is required (sorry, but we have to guarantee, and pay for, the number of meals whether or not everyone shows up). Menu: Buffet with two meats, tossed salad, vegetable, bread, dessert. A vegetarian option is available upon request. Cost: $20 per person, payable in advance. RSVP by Friday, January 22. Checks payable to RTC may be mailed to RTC Banquet, c/o David Sletten, 606 3rd Ave NE, Byron, MN 55920. Questions: contact David Sletten, dsletten2001@yahoo.com or via phone 507.319.2491 lv msg."

Well, I think I'm fresh out of news. Quote for the day: "“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”
 
Cheers, my friends.