Living in Seattle…I mean Vermont.

Well, in case you were wondering, it is pouring again today.  Not raining, but dumping large quantities of water on top of land that has already had an insane amount of water but on it all summer.  Luckily, I was able to get my long run in before the weather broke.  Today, I had to do nine miles which seemed like a lot, but after the first three miles of hills felt strangely serene.  The only buzz kill was the run took longer than I anticipated because of the long hills on Shaw Mansion Road.  I think I am the only person who was praying for the semi-big hill about 3/4 of the way down the road because the crazy downhill was killing my knees.  I was a little irked at this since I had such a great pace coming off Sweet Road and heading down Loomis.  I think next long run I am actually getting out on the route I will be running, which should be interesting because despite the fact that I enjoy running on dirt roads in the middle of the country where no one drives I hate this half marathon route.  I think it is because I hate the out and back concept.  Today I forced myself to run part of the route as an out and back, but it was on my favorite road of running in the entire world (except the loop around the lake in Greensboro, VT).  Of course, the most unusual moment of my run was running into a pretty large crayfish crossing the road at the end of Sweet Road by the pond.  I didn’t see it at first and when I did finally see it I thought it was a giant spider, but once I realized it wasn’t a spider I totally stopped to take a picture with my phone.  See…Very weird indeed.

On a different note, in the world of books, I finished Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich.  It was like having dinner with my best girlfriends.  Did anything out the ordinary happen — no — but there were some funny parts that made me laugh out loud for a bit (Stephanie dancing in a hot dog outfit — classic).  I am still trying to figure out who would play who if they made it into a movie, especially since in this book there was mention that Morelli has hair.  All this time, I have imagined him as someone who was totally bald.  Back to the drawing board.  I am attempting to read The Road, but it is a little hard to read an apocalyptic novel when you have an eight-month old who is totally happy-go-lucky.  I have two weeks to read it.  I am sure I’ll get it done, but it won’t be pretty.  I am still in the midst of Julie and Julia, but stopped to read the Evanovich book.  I am wondering how I am ever going to get a chance to read when the school year starts, but maybe I can find a way.

Now the torrential down pour has turned to monsoon conditions, which really is only a buzz kill because I wanted to run out and get take-out Thai food to go with our evening movie of Summer Catch with Freddie Prinze Jr. — a classic.  It is our back-up movie because the new Fast and Furious movie was out.  Maybe, in twenty minutes I can sneak out without heading down the mountain in a mudslide.

On the Town

Yesterday, we painted the town red.  Or rather I should say more of a coral color since it was mid-day and we only went to children’s clothing stores, book stores, and a pharmacy.  But, we were out.  We finally found the little man’s sunblock (one tube of it) at the small pharmacy on Main Street.  We bought the first tube at Target, but since we don’t have any Targets around here I have been to one supermarket, three pharmacies, and Amazon looking to see if I can get some more.  I know my sister can ship it to me, but that just seems a little silly to be that obsessed with sunblock.  Only, it is hypoallergic and somewhat natural and since my son has such sensitive skin I am not willing to risk another yeast infection or something else with that Banana Boat crap maybe it is worth it.  I’ve discovered that book stores have really upped their marketing to make reading seem exciting, thrilling, and something you have to do.  My friend recently sent me a bumper sticker from Powell’s Books in Oregon.  Never been, but she swears if I find myself in that town I have to go.  It simple said, “Reading is sexy.”  Well, duh.  I have known that for years.  Reading is mysterious and builds a bit of a persona depending on the book you are reading.  I was told, of course, that I had to use my discretion (because I have this???) and find an appropriate place for this sticker.  It now sits on the front seat of our new old truck ready to go on the back as soon as I get out to it.  It will be in good company with our Thunder Road sticker (“The Nation’s Site of Excitement”) and our drivers for NASCAR (Carl Edwards for me, Kasey Kahne for my husband, and Matt Kenseth for the little man), and the Wag More, Bark Less Sticker I bought a while ago, but am still looking for in one of my many piles).  I wanted to put it on my planner, but thought maybe it might be a bit much, plus I only had one of these stickers and my planner will last only until the end of the year and the truck will hopefully last longer, but then as I paid for a couple books at my local bookstore I saw them.  They had the “Reading is sexy” sticker only with the name of their bookstore on it and the new mantra for our times “Buy Local.”  I had to have more.  I bought two because now I can put it on my planner and give one to another literacy person.  What I didn’t buy and wish I had was the little more extreme version of how important reading is that read  ”Read or Die”  – complete with lots of cool looking skeleton faces.  I am interested in this new use of the word sexy.  Recently, a teacher told me that the creative actual stand up in front of the class and teach lessons, give instruction, etc. is the sexy part; whereas the grading and paperwork is not.  They had a term for that as well, but since a couple weeks back I couldn’t even tell you what the place where graves are located is called there is no way I remember that today.  Instead, I will continue to enjoy my lukewarm cup of coffee while my little man sleeps and maybe even if I get a chance get a chance to be sexy by reading the new book I just bought — Once a Runner by John Parker Jr.  Supposedly, it is the quintessential novel about running that was published a while a go and until recently could only be purchased for $100 or more as a used copy.  It was rereleased this past month.  I am hoping it inspires me with running so that I will be ready for the half marathon I plan to run in October.  Of course, running would probably help more.  Just as soon as I get done with my chiropractic work for my sore knee.  It’s what you get for carrying a twenty plus pound baby.  Here’s to hoping he is a developmental genius and starts walking at nine months!