9 Events in my 99th Post on the Last Day of 2009

Even though I haven't been blogging much lately (and not because I've been passed out in yoga since then...luckily, that was a one time occurrence and I appreciate y'all's concern), I still have been keeping up with some of my blog reading and I'm really enjoying everyone's end-of-the-year-reflection-looking-forward posts. Everyone is more creative than me. Look at how lovely these are:

I don't know how Chic Runner did this, but I think it's adorable. There is even a little pop up caption for each one.
Natalie compiled a list of her stats this year which include, but are not limited to, having a baby, running the Boston Marathon, and logging 1,645.5 miles. All of the sudden, I feel like I've been incredibly lazy. : )
L. has her resolutions ready, including the goal of Michelle Obama arms. A worthy goal, indeed!
Mrs. Everlasting recorded her year at a glance, which I definitely should do because I like to remember what happened (I think L. has a good idea directly above.) but I'm way too lazy to do right now.
I thought Meredith had a really cute idea for her last post of 2009, so I totally just copied hers. I'm pretty sure I've completely copied other ideas from Meredith's blog before, too. : )
I like the idea of narrowing it down to 9 events and it just happened to be my 99th post. 2008 was a really busy year (moving 3 times, getting married, getting a new job, buying a house, etc.) so comparatively I thought I hadn't done that much in 2009, but looking back, I think it's been pretty okay for 365 days.

9 in 2009

1. I ran a marathon. Sorry, I'm still just really happy about that.
2. I started work on my masters in Instructional Technology and am becoming a huge tech geek.
3. We got our first pet, a lovely little cat named Gayle.
4. I have run 360+ miles this year. (Ironically when I added up my monthly totals plus an estimate of the few measly miles I've run in December it was 364 miles...which is pretty darn close to 365, which be ironic because it's not really 365 runs, but still. I'm still keeping that goal in the back of my mind.)
5. With a group from my church, I read the entire Bible, cover to cover, in 90 days.
6. I starting blogging, obviously.
7. My husband and I have settled in here, setting up our house, meeting new people, having a mostly failed attempt at a garden, etc.
8. I was awarded my first grant and my students have been working on their reading fluency with iPods.
9. I've gotten a little bit better at this whole balancing act of life, work, family, etc. I'm still busy and I'm still working on doing even better in 2010, but 2009 was this first year that I've really loved being a teacher and not let it take over my whole life.

So, anyway, that was 2009. Tomorrow's a new decade!

It's a Simple Equation.

Giving blood + developing a cold later that day + reduced sleep due to cold + cold medicine = Passing out and throwing up in yoga class the next day.

Yes, at my very first yoga class at the one and only studio in the county.

They were really nice about it though. I think the repeated phrase was, "Listen to your body next time."

Lesson learned.

Milestones that Shouldn't be Milestones

Today, on my first weekday of Christmas break, I decided it was time to check a few things off my list. I decided to get in a workout, any workout, even if I didn't go outside. I popped in a Dancing with the Stars DVD and it had the desired effect: Four minutes in, I got bored and felt like I was getting a "real workout" so I dug out my running shoes and then realized my iPod was dead and spent 15 minutes recharging it and buying new songs for my running playlist and hit the road.

It's amazing, but not surprising, how quickly I've gone from 26.2 miles to phhhhhmmmpt. ("phhhhmmmpt" meaning that I'm not even continuously running a mile right now.) You would think I would feel guilty for letting my endurance go without a fight, but I really just needed a break after the marathon. This was my first run since Thanksgiving and really represents how much I need to sign up for a race and get motivated!

(Does anybody else have problems with sore teeth when they run in the cold? That bothered me even when I was little and ran around playing in the yard in the winter. And, come on, this is North Carolina we're talking about...it's not even that cold.)

In other milestone news, I finally went and signed up for a library card after living here for 1.5 years. I already was a little embarrassed about this and while I was filling out the new card application, who should walk up but my husband's primary school librarian who goes to our church! A librarian found out that I hadn't even entered the public library in over 14 months! (In my defense, I did spend most of the summer finishing the Bible in 90 days with my church, so I hope she remembers I was reading something.)

This got me thinking about all the things that I loved doing as a child...reading, playing the piano, tennis, exploring outside, swimming...and how much we encourage children to do these things, but then when you grow up you're supposed to be too busy to worry with such frivolous things. One of my 2010 resolutions will be to prioritize these types of "enrichment" activities. (Except swimming, because there is not an indoor pool within a 45 minute radius of here...)

And lastly, I decided, on a whim, to stop a blood drive today and give blood for the first time in 5 years. I usually make up all these halfway valid excuses like, "I'm running 8 miles tomorrow," or "All I've eaten today is a pile of brownies and Diet Coke," but since I jogged a grand total of 2 miles this morning and think yoga class is the most strenuous exercise I'll get tomorrow, I really didn't have an excuse.

I was kind of worked up and nervous, but I thought of how I tell my 3rd and 4th grade babies that it's not that bad to be stung by a bee (since there is an infestation between our mobile unit and the bathroom, I'm sending at least one bee stung child to the office a month) so it shouldn't be that bad to be stung by a needle. It really was fine, but I asked the nurse to cover my arm with a paper towel because I really don't like to see the blood exit my body.

So, all in all, it was a pretty productive day. Let's see if this can be the new pattern.

Great excuse, right?

I know it appears that I've dropped off the edge of the blogosphere, but I'm still poking around reading other blogs, just completely neglecting mine. Things have been hectic, but last weekend I wrapped up my grad school classes for the semester and now there are only 4.5 more school days with my babies before Christmas break!

Then...back to running. And blogging (which equals accountability for me). I'm researching races right now, but too occupied with cooking and eating Christmas treats to run now!

Great excuse, right?