Running, with Runners. It hurts.

Yesterday I was in Florida.  Now, I'm back in MI.



That's Deborah on the left, and me, messing with my snot rag on the right.

I've decided I'd rather eat less food than run.  Oh, I'm not just saying run in the snow, I'm saying run. (that . has been bolded for em-pha-sis)

Now, back to starving myself...Until next week, when I run, again.

Where in the world is Snotty?

Cheers from sunny Florida!!



I'm staying with my Mom, PK and stepDad Dan.  When they aren't plying me with alcohol and key lime pie



we're out having...ADVENTURE!!!

We went to Cocoa Beach and tormented sunburned tanners, then...

We chased down and wrestled Alligators at the Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge.  They generally don't want you to wrestle gators there, since it's more of a refuge and less of a Gatorland place, but we couldn't resist.  I had so many gator bites in my belly already, I was feeling a bit spunky.

There were many more adventures, with photos even, but I'm blogging on the sly today.  I'm supposed to be earning my keep by setting up the home computer network.  Gotta keep these retirees from stealing internet.

Randomly, I found a Contractor

So I go into this Construction Place* and scared the crap out of the lady there.  No, I wasn't all in my zombie slaying garb, and I wasn't acting assertive like I do at 4 way stops.

She was just surprised I was there. She was all "ok, what do you want?"  I said "construct, build or design a 4th bedroom on our house."   That my friend, is not what they do.  They only work in commercial construction.   I laughed and said "oh, then can you build a pole building in my back yard to keep my kids in?"  She asked me what size I needed.

Then random other guy popped his head out and he was all "I've got what you need."  Sadly, that Biz Markie song has been in my head ever since.



His relative does residential construction and he gave me the info for Construction Place.* This is how I get stuff done, completely randomly.

If you'd like to offer random suggestions, as you can see, I'm open to them.

 

*Names were changed to protect the Construction Places.

Pancakes and Fish Hats! You know you want it!

I just finished knitting the Fish Hat [Dead or Alive.]



Of course I went with dead!  See, it's cool because when you wear it, it looks like a zombie fish is eating your brains.  Oh, those crazy zombie fish!

It's from Knitty Winter 2008.  I know, I'm always late to jump on the knitting band wagon.  Honestly, I had tried making one of these before, but I was confused by the w & t.  That's wrap and turn, I know because I normally ignore patterns that have w & t in it.

This time though, I was knitting for the Cub Scouts Silent Auction and I really wanted to make something fun and awesome that kids would whine for their parents to bid on. So I sucked up my pride, and check out how to w & t on youtube.

Now, if you'd like a delightful pancake breakfast, served up by Cub Scouts AND a chance to bid on this great hat...Come on out to the

Cub Scout Pack 251
invites you to our Third Annual...
Pancake Breakfast
a fund raising event to benefit Cub Scout Pack 251 activities
Sunday, February 13th
at Vicksburg United Methodist Churchk
8 am to 1 pm
Tickets available from Pack 251 Cub Scouts
Adults $5.00  Youth(5-10): $3.00
Kids under 5: FREE  “Family Pass” Tickets: $15.00
Serving Pancakes, Sausage, Coffee, Juice & Milk
Silent Auction featuring Great Items from local businesses

Chili, it brings out the Zombies

Saturday, was the Vicksburg...

Ice Festival and Chili Cook-off

This event has also been referred to as the "People in Vicksburg are standing WAAAY too close to guys with chainsaws.  Oh, and they are standing in the middle of the road" annual event*.

Of course we were there!

Pig 1 was totally representing his Scout Pride.  Or duty to the scouts.  I'm new to this whole boy scout thing, but I'm pretty positive he wasn't being reverent.

Pig 2 was enjoying the cocoa, while Pig 3 was hanging out in front of the Village Hideaway.



I love the Hideaway.  It's so not hidden, and it's on the main drag.  Ah, the Hideaway.

Back to the event-why are there no photos of me?  I had just raided a zombie nest behind Apple Knockers, our local ice cream joint.  I was a horrible mess of chili, zombie parts, and well, a chocolate malted.  Yes, even covered in parts and bits I still had to have a malted.  They're that good.

Oh, yeah, they also serve chili. So with that, did I talk you into visiting the Chili cook off next year?
*Actually Vicksburg has at least 2 annual "standing in the middle of the road" events.  But, this has the distinction of being the winter one.

Running, well, sort of

So I lived through my first day of Borgess Run Camp.  It was actually super fun.  I can say that, because my group didn't so much run, as practice run.

Yes, practice run.  I was in the first timers 5k "where the hell do I belong??!!" group.  Now, you know I've done plenty of 5ks, but that my friends was walking.

[caption id="attachment_4211" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="My 1st 5k"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4212" align="alignright" width="112" caption="Shelly, Instigator of Original 5k madness"][/caption]

Which, I'd like to point out, I'm hella good at.  I've also been sort of kick ass at training for 5ks...

5ks where walking is involved.

So this whole running thing is an entirely new beast, thus the practice run.  Sarah asked if I was in the group that was running out on Riverview (which is a whole hell long way away from where I actually was.)

I laughed heartily and said "uh, no Sarah, those were probably the marathon runners."  She pressed for more info.  "Sooo, where did you run?"

With pride in my voice I shouted "in the parking lot!!"  Which, if you need to know is outside.  Where, if you still are interested, it was a mere 13 degrees.  For someone more accustomed to say, hot cocoa and peppermint schnapps, outside running in a parking lot was a really big deal.

I'd like to thank Deborah, who is the Running Instigator of this new version of 5k madness, Gazelle Sports for proving that Teal and Red is not just a Kelly J thing

[caption id="attachment_4213" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Pattern available at YourLocalYarnShop"][/caption]

-it's also the official colors of our Team Leaders Jackets, and KWAK who was there rockin' it knitterly with all her hand knit awesome.

Which reminds me, I need a signature look.  I need to be highly visible so I don't get hit by cars.  I'm was thinking this may be the way to go.

 

Running from the Snow? No, in it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to run.  Outside.  In the snow.  The snow that I mocked the other day.  I don't see this ending well.

[caption id="attachment_4204" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="the snow, and my knees-TOGETHER!"][/caption]

Why, O, Why? Why do I find myself in these situations?

ADVENTURE!

Plus, Deborah made run camp sound super fun.

Yes, she made it sound super fun.  Plus, here is what it says on the Borgess Run for the Health of It site:

"When you sign up for Snow Busters, the 2011 version of Borgess Run Camp, you not only improve your own health, but also serve as a role model for your family, friends, coworkers, the neighbor’s kid, your mail carrier and all those people driving down the road asking themselves what you’re doing out there running in the snow, cold and the wind."

You know I can't resist being a role model!  Ah, yes, being a role model. Me.  It's like being crowned queen of the world.  Queen of the "look at those jackasses out running in the snow" world.

Did I mention I also bought a treadmill?

Michigan, Snow. Yeah, we get that.

When Marty sent me the dire weather report for this week, I noted "yeah, it's going to be Michigan all week."  Then I felt like an ass for saying it because according to the news, the weather and the giant cloud mass over much of the United States we were supposed to get the Storm of the Century.

[caption id="attachment_4195" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It is the Day After Tomorrow"][/caption]

In the end, I was right.  Snowpocalypse of 2011 turned out to be pretty much regular MI weather.




Ok, I'll give you slightly more drifting.

There is a VW bug parked in the middle of Portage road due to an impassible drift.  It's like that REM video, they just got out and left...

Also note that the Mazda 5 could get down the drive way, but would promptly be stuck in the middle of our road.  Because our road is one big drift.  It's really pretty.