Mommy Guilt

I actually managed to motivate myself to go do the first day of the Couch-to-5k program today. If you've never heard of it, C25K is a training program that allows you to build up your running endurance, rather than try to jump in and either get discouraged or hurt yourself. As someone who has never been a huge running fan, I thought this would be a good way to get into the sport and give myself a healthy past time in which to engage myself. It helped today that Reid ended up gaming tonight otherwise I wouldn't have been motivated to start the program. Instead I planned on convincing him to walk the mile-long trail across the street. As he was otherwise occupied, I decided to bring along my alternate training partner.

This is Beeler.

As a doggie mommy, I have a certain responsibility to take care of Beeler and keep him healthy. This includes walking him and making sure he gets outside, so any time I go for a walk I feel guilty if I don't take him along. Since I decided to start C25K I thought I would take him a long so we could both benefit from the exercise.

Today's Stats
Time: 35 minutes
Total Distance: approx. 1.6 miles
Total # of Doggy Pit Stops: 2
Total Distance Traveled Carrying a Bag of Dog Crap: 1 mile

Needless to say, my four-legged training partner will no longer join me for these excursions. I don't think I can handle another session of carrying dog poop as I try to jog.

After coming home, I made some sloppy joes, pasta salad, and the freshly shucked corn that I picked out at the grocery store. Beeler and I shared a couple of strawberries (love when those are in season!)...the weather here is so beautiful. I can't wait until the farmer's markets begin popping up on the weekends so I can pick up some of the fresh berries and other fruits to make pies. Last year Reid and I picked out freshly harvested rhubarb and strawberries, and I managed to make my very first pie crust from scratch. The pie was a little runny, but the experience of wandering through the market and spending some quality time together made up for any of the pie's shortcomings.

As much as I look forward to moving on from Reno and starting a new chapter in our lives elsewhere (hopefully in the near future), this is by far the best time of year. The days are sunny and not too hot, the winds become breezy rather than gusty. The Thursday farmer's market in Sparks brings live music, local microbrews, Indian tacos, and funnel cakes. Now that we have a Whole Foods Market they sponsor mini-farmer's markets on Saturday and Sundays. My birthday present from Reid last year was a bike, and spring marks the beginning of my chance to explore some of the great biking trails around town. Last year I managed to survive an 8-mile journey with a friend of mine. Don't know if I'll make it that far this year.

Late summer brings softball season for Reid and I, and a short while later we can start our kickball league again. Before we know it, we'll be on our way to Australia for that amazing trip. Everything is going really well right now, and we feel very lucky.

Good times!

The first few months of our marriage have been flying by! That is likely due to the fact that little has changed. Reid and I are still very happy, he still games, I still watch terrible TV shows...the rings haven't changed us. :)

In my view we have definitely been learning more about communication and compromise, something that can never be a bad thing. We're examining where we want to be and the steps we need to take to get there. We are both incredibly grateful to still have our jobs and livelihood when so many people are suffering. We will never take that for granted, but we will continue to look for the best opportunities to better our lives. This could take us in many different directions and we both agree that we are willing to do what it takes to be successful together.

I still want to go back to school. It's always at the forefront of my mind, but sadly I have a difficult time pinpointing what it is that I want to do. Law school is the ideal, but the commitment, both financial and intellectual, frightens me. What if I can't do it? What if I get there and realize that it is the wrong thing for me? I believe I tend to be my own worst enemy, lost in a sea of "what if." I am thankful to have someone as supportive as Reid by my side, but feel bad that the "five year plan" isn't panning out. :) If you don't know what that is, you should definitely ask him.

I'm trying to get more disciplined about the food I cook and will strive to lead a healthier life (and drag Reid with me kicking and screaming!). I'm also going to work on the Couch to 5k plan so that I can try running without giving up. We'll see how long that lasts...

The most exciting news happened today though: We are in the process of planning a three-week vacation to Australia, and booked our tickets today. We will be there for nearly all of November and I cannot wait! We will fly from LA to Sydney, then on to Brisbane. While in Queensland we'll be visiting the places that Reid loves and I will finally get to meet some of his incredible friends. We can't wait to share this amazing experience together.

I'll be using this blog as a place to update everyone on the things going on in our world, and post some information as soon as we know more about what we're doing during our trip. Thanks for being a part of our lives!