Archive for the 'Jenny Jen-Jen' Category

Not a happy post today

Posting today is a struggle. One reason is - utter physical exhaustion. I feel like I am participating in a relay obstacle course… except there’s no one to tag to go to the next obstacle. I just tag myself and keep going.

Another reason is burden. Sadness. In May my husband’s uncle was killed in a motorcycle accident… which brought up latent sorrow from his dad’s death last September. I just can’t seem to bring myself to write about any of it. Not that I need to, but at times I feel like I am not being honest with those who read this… I tend to shove the more painful stuff aside and dig into utter silliness. I suppose it’s my way of coping…. maybe escaping.

I saw a grandpa-type-man today and thought of my father-in-law. The man was wearing a goofy old-man hat. I looked twice because I could imagine Jim wearing that along with his warm, loving smile.

Continue reading ‘Not a happy post today’

I taught Sunday school

the other day… To the 2-4 year old class. There were 10 of Them. Ten. My chest hurts thinking about it.

I got my degree in Social Studies. I received a teaching credential to teach at the secondary level. I actually taught high school for a whole year. I decided to teach youth because I was afraid of little people. I was afraid of - Yard. Duty. If I wanted to be a bouncer, I’d have worked at a bar.

You know what I think? I think pubescent lunacy is tame compared to… to… Preschoolers. In. Sunday. School. I’m quivering.

How the hockey sticks does classroom management work in Sunday School? Can you give a detention to a 2 year old in Sunday School? Not so mauch. Where’s the principal? Back up! I need back up! 

Continue reading ‘I taught Sunday school’

Confession - Cosmetic Surgery

If I had the hard cold cash, or room in my budget to make the monthly payment on a credit plan… I would totally get my tummy “done”. 

After gaining 50+ pounds in each of my 3 pregnancies, and then losing 50+ pounds three times… Miss Belly just couldn’t handle the pressure. All that stretching… well, stretched her to her limits and she’s just never been the same. Poor girl. And it seems I do have a threshold when it comes to public humiliation, so I will refrain from posting a picture or explaining further. Our lives will just be better that way.

Let me just say this, I am so grateful for clothes. Clothes = a really good thing. Oh, and layering rocks. It’s “camouflage” on a whole other level… “fashiou-flage”, if you will.

Anyways, I’d TOTALLY cosmesurgetize my bellyness. I know - I should be proud of who I am… “work it”… “own it”… be proud of my womanity… yadda, yadda, yadda… 

I guess without a tummy fixin’ I could be a model…

***water spewing from nose***

I mean, they hire people who just pose for “before” pictures, right???

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The Margarita in NYC

If you haven’t been to New York, you may not know what a margarita looks like in “the city that never sleeps”. By the way, NYC is not as “never sleeps” as is touted - because when I wanted Cold Stone ice cream at 3 a.m., Cold Stone was definitely NOT awake. I felt a wee bit deceived. Anywho…

Because I got your back, my readers and lurkers… I took pictures of The Margarita Margar-Awesome-Ita in NYC. 

Before…

A

Afterer…

I enjoyed another Margar-Awesome-Ita, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find my camera to take another picture. Maybe it was because by the end of the second beverage-of-awesomeness I just focused on lady-like barstool balance. That’s me, always respectin’ the public. Ka! Pow!

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Where in the world is Jennyonthespot?

Broke it.

Not my ankle.

Not my arm.

Not my clavicle…

But the “2 hour wall”!!!

Today, my friend Katie and I ran the North Olympic Discovery Half-Marathon. Our training has been less than ideal as far as speed-training goes. Some may use the phrase “not at all”… So the thought of finishing in under two hours (which is actually not all that fast when one considers how fast summa these people go, but it’s fast for me!) was just that - a thought. Plus, I did not eat very well yesterday… Continue reading ‘Broke it.’

Race schmace…

I must go to bed. Tomorrow is my half-marathon and I am far too tired. Thank goodness I do not expect to “win” or break any records, ‘cuzza I’ll be lucky just to make it upstairs to bed tonight. The weekend is half-way through and I am just taking it hour by wonderful hour. Seriously. This week and week-end has been full of great things, but full. Not the best strategy when preparing to participate in an endurance event. 

But rest assured, I worked hard on my pre-race fuel-up today. For my first breakfast, I ate a banana and a croissant baked with cheese and ham. My hands were shaking, so I knew something was wrong, and I needed to take action. Perhaps it was from the half-a-chocolate bunny (solid & dark) I ate at midnight…

I washed down my first course with a vanilla, caramel latte.

For my second breakfast I had eggs, peanut butter and jelly on toast, and strawberries. For lunch I filled my belly with baby shower food. I had 4 crostini with tapenade… 3 prosciutto-thingies wrapped in puffy pastry, 2 helpings of tortellini salad (served on a bed of fresh mozzerella!), 1 pinky-sized carrot (dipped), two broccoli-thingies (dipped), a couple of strawberries, a little pineapple, 2 glasses of sugary party-juice (a tasty mix of Sprite, cranberry juice and lemonade)… 2 handfulls of Trader Joes peanut butter cups, half a cuppa coffee with sugar and cream, and about 4 Ghirardelli chocolate/raspberry chocolate candy heaven squares.

Then… I ate 2 chocolate cupcakes with chocolate chips in them - each frosted generously with buttercream frosting (I believe the clouds in heaven are made of buttercream frosting)… I drank water on the 3 hour drive home… When I arrived home I sizzled up 2 eggs that I topped with cheese and salsa… then made it all cozy in a white flour tortilla.

And THAT, my friends is how I carbo loaded the day before my 13.1 mile run.

I know, you wonder if I will be able to meet my hopeful goal of finishing in under 2 hours. Nu-uh. Nay. Negatron. Nopedy-dopety. Now, my big goal is to burn off the cupcakes and chocolate bunny… My biggest concern is I hope I don’t get my big post-run stomach ache because Lucy’s preschool’s end-of-year party is after the race. I know there will be cookies and chips and dip… prolly brownies too… and if my belly hurts - I won’t feel like eating more party food… and hellooo???…  what fun is that???

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Because, *ahem* I kinda rock.

Before I begin, I feel I should state, I am not AT ALL full of myself… I am innately gracious and humble and meek… I would never draft a post about all My wisdom… My wonderfuliciousness… My prodigal and creative vocabulary… My penchant toward things philosophical… My uncanny ability to use the triple period to evoke conversational pause in a written setting… Ya know. Yes. It feels really good to be So. Completely. Unpretentious.

While I am a naturally humble person, I know that you - My Internet, My Friends - all want to know about the newest excitement in My life. I know you do. And I am here for You. This blog here, it may seem that it is all about Me, but it is really all about You… allaboutYoureadingallaboutMe…

Today I was:

Woohoo! Woo! Hoo! Click here for My inspirational and insightful quote. Click here for the post that contained the quoted… umm… quote… Have You ever visited Blogtations?  Go there. Now. I’ll wait here. 

*whistling*

Does your side hurt? Have You laughed so bad You peed your pants a little? Good. It’ll do Your heart good, and laughing gives Your abs a little workout too. 

I was contacted by Musing Woman at Blogtations the other day - she asked if she could quote Me. I was all, “Uhhh - YEAH!” And started visiting the site a bunch because I have this thing about laughing, and I laughed and laughed and laughed… I am hooked. This gal reads lots of blog, finds quotables and posts them… she explains it better - here. I like it when someone does all the work for Me.

Now, I hate doing this, because of My innate bent toward humility-n-such, but it appears Blogtations has set a little awardy-type contest in place. Folks can vote for their favorite quote of the month (even year) and the winner wins bragging rights. I know, I know, I do not brag. That’s just not how I roll… but if you vote for Me and I win, I wouldn’t dream of insulting My voters by turning down this “bragging right”… because, after all, My blog is all about You…

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Amish Friendship Bread, among other things

Goody! A list of Downey Downersons:

My Amish Friendship Bread is baking for another 35 minutes… The kids wanted to help make it. I forgot until after they were asleep (thank you Lord they fell asleep). It is day 10, and I had to make it. I am so bummed the kids didn’t get to “help”. This makes me feel like I have ripped childhood joy from their sticky, filthy palms. However, I am keeping one of the “starters” and we’ll try this again in 10 days…

I have a butt-load of emails and phone calls I have not been able to return in a timely manner.

With the layer of dust on my furniture, one might presume Mt. St. Helens blew her top again.

What happens to my hand towels in my guest bathroom? We. Have. Not. Had. Guests. Recently.

I just ate a bowl and a second bowl of Oreo ice cream with a couple of scoops of Jif - cuz that’s the smart thing for a girl to do when she’s packed on a few in the last couple of weeks and has to run in a half-marathon in, like, 10 days. Just keepin’ it real pzeeple.

I am not usually embarrassed at the condition of my home. But I was today. Someone came by who has never been here before. I gave a quick tour. There was not one corner that didn’t have crap piled in/on/upon/around/within it. Not. One. Now, I don’t need a clean house, but there are limits.

I stink. I worked out this afternoon and need to wash off the stank of fitness (all undone due to that double bowl of Stupid-n-Jif I ate a little while ago).

My desk. Oh my heck. You don’t want to know.

Yeah. Blog365. That too. It’s usually not a problem for me, but there are days. This is one of them. I have posted everyday this year, and do I blow it because of stink and dust and paperwork and emails and chaos? I know, it’s not a competition… except I am all about frivolous pressure and adding stress and intensity to my life… because, ya know - my life needs to be “spruced up”.

Watching the finale of Lost now - at 11:20 p.m. (recorded)… I’m feeling a little better now.

 

Training Weeks 5, 6 and 7

Boring documentation of my training ahead. This is mostly for my own reference for future training plans. Pardon the numerical regurgitation… 

Continue reading ‘Training Weeks 5, 6 and 7′