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.