Some Things Are Worth More Than Money

The best thing I've seen this week. (even though it's not really new.)
(I make them learn the difference between ソ and ン, among other things)
With thanks to Kinga for turning me onto it.

Couch to 5K Update

I just finished Week 4 of the Couch to 5K training plan. So far it's going good, even though it is officially more like my fifth week since I did an extra day of a couple of the weeks' plans. The first and second weeks were pretty easy in a lot of ways; psychologically they weren't tough but all my ever-aging tendons and joints needed the time to get used to what I was doing. Week three was good. Week four had me worried at the beginning because it had me running for longer intervals. The first day was a bit tough and this morning I was not feeling very inspired to go finish up day three. So, I convinced myself to just go to the gym and ride the bike, not run. I figured some sort of cardio was preferable to not doing anything because I didn't feel like running.

Then, once I got to the gym there I was on the treadmill finishing up the third day of week 4's workout. It turned out to feel pretty good and, just like the previous weeks, I was able to increase my speed for all of the intervals. I'm still not a fast "runner" (okay, jogger) by anyone's standards, but I'm improving. I haven't lost any weight, but I feel a whole lot less jiggly in the butt and thighs than I did a month ago. And the point isn't weight loss, the point is to run this on Mother's Day with my girl.

"This Is the End of My Childhood!"

So proclaimed The Girl as she headed back into the dark, tropical depths of the orthodontist's office this morning to have her braces put on. This event was preceded by many days of pre-teen angst and fluttering of stomach. There was some pouting for a short while after the procedure was finished, but all in all I think it wasn't nearly as painful or horrid as she had suspected it would be.
My favorite moment of the day happened right before the appointment. I left work and picked The Girl up from school in my usual t00-prompt manner and we were almost at the orthodontist's office nearly 15 minutes earlier than the appointment time. There's a market right nearby so we decided to go in and see if they had any soft food (for later) or soon-to-be forbidden food she might want to get. We ended up sitting in the car in parking lot of the orthodontist's office with a small container of sour gummy worms on this completely gray, rainy, messy disgusting February day, recklessly eating gummy worms and cracking up at our own dorkiness. Good times!

The Big Game

So, are you all ready for tomorrow? Got your chips and dips and pigs in a blanket all prepped and ready to go? I sure hope so because, you know, I wait all year just to watch it-- The Puppy Bowl !!!!!!! (Puppy Bowl IV, to be precise.)