In which I attempt to catch up ...

So, where did I leave off last time ... Walking/Jogging/LOCOMOTING with Jenny, Michael fixing the water heater ... What else has gone on?

Friday, I was talking to Michael after he got home from work. I had been looking online for new shoes, trying to find a good deal for after payday (and fantasizing about using the Nike+ system -- where you put a doohickey in the inner sole of your running shoe [Of course, they'd like you to choose to use a Nike shoe, but it appears that you can DIY a fix] and it'll sync with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPod nano to track your running [time/speed/distance]. And it can even play certain songs to help you stay motivated ... which seems really cool. ... If I didn't have Jenny to exercise with, this might be the only way that I could stay motivated to run/jog/whatever solo.)  ...
So, I was looking at show prices, getting a feel for how much I'd have to spend at, say, Target. And asking Michael why I was getting blisters and what I needed to do and all that (since, let's face it, I've never been mistaken by ... oh ... ANYONE as an athlete. This is really uncharted territory here for me!) ...

And Michael's all, "Well, let's go take a look at Costco. We'll get you some shoes and socks and Lego Harry Potter."

That's when I REALLY perked up. Because I've been wanting that for a while! (Especially after Bruise erased ALL my progress on Lego Batman. :,,,,( I know, I know. My life is HORRIBLE!!!!!! /sarcasm)

But, yeah. We went to Costco and I got a pair of Adidas for less than $30. And the fit well. And, hey, looks like I've gone down a little in my shoe size, since the 8 that I got isn't too tight. ^_^ Now, if only my thighs and  hips will follow suit. ^_^ ... I will admit, though, that after my second run, I was looking at my legs and I do see a little definition. I really don't think it was there before ...At least, I never NOTICED it there. (Thank you, magic Definition Fairy! :P)

I got to use my new shoes and socks Saturday morning while the kids were at the church to practice for the Primary Program on Sunday. I went to the park, armed with my new shoes and socks, a supportive bra, Michael's iPhone (for the free running program on it, so I could monitor how far I'd gone and how long I was out there) and my iPod (for the music). (Also, I need to create a workout playlist again. My old one is lost in the void that is a crashed hard drive -- remember last year? Yes, that's one of the casualties. *sigh*) ... I did laps around the park, dodging a man and his two dogs ... and I walked/jogged until I started to get another blister ... then I limped home. So, I was out there for just over a half-hour. And, according to the odometer app, I went just (JUST) over a mile. It could have been better ... it could have been worse.

Then I took a soak in Epsom salts and smeared Absorbine, Jr. all over my calves, ankles and knees. And I put band-aids on my newest blister (on one of my inner toes -- It's gone now. Phew!) and the veteran blister on my heel.

Then Michael came home and we relaxed for a bit before picking up the kids and heading out to Shrewsbury Faire. We didn't see any of the jousts this year ... but the kids both are enjoying their Faire swag. Bucket is the proud owner of a pair of rainbow-colored fairy wings and a matching wand. Bruise is becoming a swordsmaster with a wooden cutlass almost as long as he is tall.
Maybe next year, I'll get together costumes for all of us. For now, Bucket just gets to walk around in one of her dresses from her costume trunk.

We headed home after enjoying some shaved ice (Michael opted for Cherry/Blue Raspberry. I had Dragon's Blood [Strawberry]/Banana ... Next year, I think I'll get Cherry and Strawberry. Or Cherry/Lime. The Banana syrup was fine ... just really artificial tasting. Which isn't terrible in a snow cone ... but the cherry was REALLY GOOD.) and I made Lemonade Slushies in the blender.

In other news, the kids LOVE the Lego Clutch Powers movie. They've watched it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
And, really, I have no problems with that. Good clean humor. Yes, I'm being won over by Legos more and more.
BUT MY HEART BELONGS TO PLAYMOBIL.

The Primary Program on Sunday went well. Bucket looked very nice in a white dress with her hair done nicely. Phew! They said their lines into the microphone. And Bucket did WAVE. VERY. OBVIOUSLY. while in line to speak. Funny girl.
But not nearly as sweetly funny as one of their friends in another class who made his way up to the microphone and said with perfect diction and excellent volume into the microphone, "I NEED HELP." And our Primary president (the gal in charge of the 3-11 year-olds in our ward) was more than willing to whisper his line into his ear. Which he delivered.
His mom was trying to keep her composure. It was great.

It made me nostalgic for some of the past Primary programs in my home ward. Especially the Brinkerdinks (as I love to refer to one of the families in the ward. They've since moved. And the youngest boys are on missions! I can't believe it! I always think of those two as being six and four .... *sigh*).

Still, they were always a hoot ... For Mother's Day one year, the primary children sang a song in Sacrament meeting and then, one by one, told why they loved their mothers.
The Brinkerdink youngest totally made my day with their answers:
J: I love my mom because ... she buys me candy and LETS ME EAT IT!
(As opposed to all those moms that only let their children LOOK at the candy. :P It just gives me the craziest mental image. And I start giggling like a loon.)
K: I love my mom ... BECAUSE I DO!
(I had to, LITERALLY, refrain from pumping my fist, "YES!!!!" Since that was the answer that I wanted to give. It was awesome.)
Of course, K was also hilariously entertaining to watch when the kids sang. He was the ground bass of the Primary. For such a young'un, his voice was a LOW monotone. And he had POWER ... You could ALWAYS tell when he was singing. Oh, I really miss that.

Let's see ... when we got home, the kids and I made cookies.
NOTE TO SELF: As much as I love Paula Dean, I must remember that the back of the chocolate chip package has a much better recipe for chocolate chip cookies. That is all.

Yesterday ... we didn't do much at all. I played a LOT of Lego HP (I'm ALMOST ALL DONE!!)

We skipped storytime today. And Jenny and I got together and did almost two miles. It was really warm. But, hey! We got out there! That's got to count for something! Looks like slathering my feet with Vaseline prior to getting out there is working. I'm not feeling any new blisters ... so that's kinda awesome.

Oh, last night, I looked online and found a recipe for homemade Tend Skin -- it's for razor burn and you can also apply it on blemishes. This is a GOOD FIND, since I don't have the funds to spend $20 on 4 oz of product. And I already had all the ingredients at home -- Isopropyl Alcohol, Witch Hazel, and Aspirin. Really, if I ran out and bought all those, it'd still be less than $5. And I even had a properly-sized container to keep it in! Go me!

Now, should I go make myself a pore strip? Since I do have milk and gelatin .... Looks like people on Youtube are trying it out and it appears to work (NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST MICHELLE PHAN! She's such a cutie ... and I like the homemade sugar scrub that I learned from her ...) (OH! Looks like you can do the same thing with white school glue ... Huh!)

But, yeah ... that's about what all has gone on around here.  Unless I remember anything else ... like details from my CRAZY dream the other night. (Short story: There was a haunted red crayon. Like the wax had been used to torture/kill a lady WAY A LONG TIME AGO. And there was incest between cousins. In Regency time ... And I couldn't leave my Nana's old house, since I didn't want to let the ghost out. ... Yes, I KNOW. My subconscious has ISSUES.)