Not a bad weekend, especially running-wise, although it was all treadmill based running.
Friday evening I hoped on the treadmill and turned my Battlestar Gallactica on.. Well, it seems it was a season premiere – so it was not the usual 35 minutes in length. After watching the first half, I decided I wanted to see the whole episode, so my nice 2 mile run turned into a 5 miler! I will be honest with you (after all, this is the internet and everything on the internet has to be true) – it was not just the show. I also wanted to see if I still COULD run five miles. Not only did I run it, but I wanted to go further. discretion being the better part of valor – I did not. (That and the fact I was fairly certain walking was going to be a problem on saturday, simply from being a moron and running 5 miles instead of the usual 2.)
I went up stairs and did the first 20 minutes of the Yoga program, just to stretch everything out. I am VERY happy to report, that I had no out of the ordinary tightness the next day! GO YOGA! I put out another 3 miles on saturday, followed by a brief stint of yoga afterwords (my wife walked by and accidentally kicked me… Combined with my being a bit self-conscious about doing yoga in front of her, it seemed like a good time to stop), and two miles (no Yoga) on sunday. I’m not sure how far I walked through various stores and malls on Sunday, but there is some extra mileage there in the walking-sense.
So a ten-mile weekend, and no residual pain! I am still taking today as a rest day, simply because I had run 3 days – but I am very pleased! Although I am still not a huge fan of Yoga (I don’t really enjoy it), I am a huge fan of the results! I think I will keep in my repertoire for now – and perhaps, it will even be the long-term solution to my Plantar Fasciitis.
This was one of those weekends that seemed busier than the work week. That leads to a long tiring monday for sure!!! But although it was tiring, it was good!
Saturday, was an up-and-at-em morning, as we had to get my son to Bates Middle school in Annapolis. He had asked us if he could audition/interview for the PVA (Performing and Visual Arts) middle school. As we came from a small town in upstate New York, our immediate response was…. Whats a PVA School? After some research, and a visit to the school – we found out that it focuses on working more arts into the school day, and then goes even further than that. The school uses the arts to help teach other subjects, they also bring the kids to 8 events throughout the school year (Such as Symphonies, Operas, etc) to expand upon the real-world arts. Twice a week the kids stay later than normal schools – for additional arts-related classes.
Waiting for the interview. HE wasn’t nervous…
So in short, my son asked if he could try out for a school that would focus on his singing, and use his love of music to expand his knowledge of both the arts, and other subjects. As a parent – how could I object? So Saturday morning we were sitting in the middle school waiting for #13’s turn to go in. After we checked in, they gave us the score sheet so we were able to see the two questions AND what they were going to grade them on… Umm.. Really? So we came up with his talking points for the two questions. It’s not everyday that someone is kind enough to give you prep time on the exact questions you have to answer! I wonder how many people there didn’t look at the sheet, and never realized the gift they had in their hands.
Bryce came out of the interview excited, he felt he had done well. The person interviewing him was impressed with his background, where he was going with his chorus and his answers to the questions. On a scale of one to ten, he got (2) eights, and (2) nines. On the 2 questions that scored 1 or 2, he got a 2. So now we wait until january to find out if he made the cut AND to see if he got picked in the lottery. He wasn’t nervous for the interview, nor does he seem overly concerned about the lottery… His mother and I can’t say the same..
The folks and Aunt Kathy!
Back at our house, my parents had arrived – along with my Aunt from Santiago, Chile! We had a great time catching up, due to the intercontinental distance we don’t have the opportunity often! Strangely, Elspeth was not upset over opening the birthday presents that Grandma and Grampa brought. Although our insistence that she started with the Card wasn’t as fondly looked at!
As usual, that night we had neighborhood kids spend the night.
Bryce in his Maryland State Boychoir Uniform.
Sunday morning, up bright and early and out of the house again. (Really? on BOTH Days of the weekend? ) We met up with my folks at Ikea for breakfast/coffee – and the mandatory walk through of the greatest store in existence. From there – out and about to find all of the assorted items my kids needed for their concerts. Boy and Girl’s School concert was easy – white shirt, black pants. The Maryland State Boychoir? We had to get the specific shirt, tie and pants from a Uniform shop – and a specific model/make/color of shoe that isn’t sold in the same shop.
The let down here was that we couldn’t go to the concert, as it was in a “retirement village” – and the residents fill the hall. I will say that while I didn’t get to hear it – I know they did well due to the excited comments of those that did get to go!
All in all, a VERY productive weekend.. Not restful, but productive. So on that note I leave you with this:
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
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