January Miles

6.                  Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

Okay, is this blog turning into just running?  I need to branch out on my list.  :)  But I did participate in the Tartan Trot 10K http://www.tartantrot.com/  this weekend as I prep for my half marathon coming up in March.  (Just one more 5K to go until then!)  It was a brutally hilly course I thought, and a lot of the pavement was graded, which made me feel like I was running on cobblestones - not fun.  Although I trimmed off a little over 2 minutes off my PR for a 10K, I didn't make my goal of 2 minutes shorter than that - but I was still really happy!  That is, until they posted the official results, and stopped listing any results about 6 minutes before I crossed the finish.  They are "looking into it" for me.  I hope it is just an error, and that no one assumed that anyone as slow as my time would not bother to look at the results!  ;)

16.                  Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

I'm also happy to say that in January I picked up more miles than I've done in a few months, edging back up to the higher numbers.  I put in 41 miles this month, and I am heading ever closer to Anneliese in Chicago metaphorically.  After hovering around Murfreesboro, TN for two months, I have now flown past Nashville and my friend Cheri, and I am almost to the Kentucky line!   As I head into Kentucky in February, I'll be looking for my friend Drew who lives there.  Looking forward to waving as I go!  Just so you know, this means I've put in 281.4 miles since I started my trek to Chicago, and I have 459.6 to go to get to Anneliese.  But - with my goal of 500 miles, I "only" have 218.6 to go.  She might have to metaphorically drive to meet me!  :)

A Much Needed Break

3.                  Have a massage.

How lucky am I?  My sweet friend Alison asked me and our friend Lisa to have an overnight at her cabin near Blue Ridge over the weekend.  The timing was perfect - we were out and back home before any of this Atlanta snow hit!  While we were there, we all treated ourselves to a massage at a spa called Serenity in the Mountains.  http://www.serenityinthemountains.com/spa/  I had my favorite - the Hot Stone massage.  I rarely have the pleasure of a massage, so when the opportunity arises, I'll opt for hot stones every time. 

21.                  Say YES.  But only to what is right to say YES to…

25.                  Spend time with people I love.

This weekend out of town was also a qualifier for #21 and #25.   With busy schedules, it is easy to just go from one thing to another and never do what really matters.  I have been concentrating on this so much since October, and making very conscious efforts to not just say yes all the time.  It is hard, not because I feel obligated anymore, but because there are just so many good things to say yes to these days!  I am finding instead that leaving room allows for the most thrilling of things - peace and quiet. 

We loved our time in Blue Ridge.  We all commented on how good it is for our kids for us to leave sometimes too - they all loved spending time with dads all on their own.  We are fortunate to have great husbands too!

We also spent a lot of time talking about shallow relationships where people invest in you only if they see you as a leg up to someplace else for themselves.  It is so very sad.  I see people like this all the time, and one day they are going to wake up to the fact that they have missed out on some wonderful relationships. 

I'm grateful for Alison and Lisa!  I feel so lucky to have so many special friends in my life - real people who like me just as I am.  How blessed I am!

December Miles + Pages

16.                  Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

Looking back on my slow December, I put in the least amount of miles since I started my metaphorical trip to Chicago to see Anneliese.  I'm happy to say, however, that my 30.5 miles this past month did finally put me into Nashville!  So, I'm waving at my friend Cheri who lives in that area - wish I could see her in person!  And this month I'm getting back on track and expecting many more miles - at least I can hope!

26.                  Read 50 books or more.

I also got through three books this month.  Check them out below.  Only 30 more reads to go...

18.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294070484&sr=8-1

Cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book!  I kept seeing the buzz about it and wondering what the fuss was about.  It sounded like Mad Max or something, and not at all my usual interest.  But thanks to my friend Sue at Field Trips with Sue http://www.fieldtripswithsue.com/ I heard about a warehouse sale at Scholastic and went.  There I found a lot of great books at super prices, including The Hunger Games. I decided to give it a try.  I am so glad I did, because I plowed through this book in just a few days.  Yes, it is violent.  No, it is not happy.  Yes, it is different.  No, it is not my usual read.  But I'm here to tell ya - I can't wait to read the second one.  Coming soon!

19.  Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Wizardry-Brian-Sibley/dp/0061997811/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294070724&sr=1-1

This book was a real indulgence for me.  I found it at Barnes & Noble calling my name from a table of Harry merchandise.  At first, I thought it was something else, but I so enjoyed flipping through the pages that I knew I'd have to buy it so I could sit down and indulge in the whole thing.  I loved reading the behind the scenes details - it brought out the Communication major in me big time - and I read every word.  This book was just a fun read that required nothing of me but the time to sit and soak up the pages. 

20.  The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

http://www.amazon.com/19th-Wife-Novel-David-Ebershoff/dp/0812974158/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294070913&sr=1-1

This book was picked for our book club and seemed really interesting.  It has gotten amazing reviews and was a NY Times bestseller.  But I just couldn't get into it.  It sat on my nightstand not beckoning to me at all for more than two weeks.  I got lost in the flow and who the narrarator was, why there were "news clips" and what was going on in general.  It may be something I have to return to at some point.  Maybe my timing was off?

So, some miles and some pages behind me for December, and I'm looking forward to clearing more ground in 2011.  No new resolutions for me - just keeping with my 13x40 list.  And now that I'm down to 8 going on 40 - I am realizing how fast my 13 months are passing and how much I want to focus on.  So - expect more blogs now that the holidays are behind us. 

And may your 2011 be off to a great start!