Slightly over 11 and apparently, I'm IT!

I spent the majority of the week in Tempe, doing some final work for a systems conversion project that I've been part of for several months.

Here are the successes from the week:

1) I did not have any candy, cookies, desserts or other refined sugar during the week. Honestly, it was very hard. (see below)

2) I worked out several times: I went to the gym twice (first workout was treadmill and weights; second was weights and a 600 yard swim). Also did a run of about six miles or so.

3) Played nice with others. (see below) The project has been stressful and many people are involved. That means many personalities, many opinions, many opportunities for problems. Fortunately, every one involved is very dedicated and, outside of the project, they are a lot of fun, so it went very well.

4) Enjoyed very nice weather. Sunny, in the 70s and 80s. I was very grateful to be out of the cold.

I go back to Tempe tomorrow for the final phase of this part of the project. I'll be there until Wednesday. Although it will be nice weather (again), I will be glad to be home for a while, with Hubby and the kitties and some normal routine.

It was GREAT to come home for the weekend -- although poor Hubby has been sick all week. Still, all in all, nice to be comfortable with him and the cats, in our own little house.

I had to get in a long run today and was considering going with my running club. The class that will train for Grandma's Marathon started this morning. But, I had not slept well all week in Tempe, so I elected to enjoy being home.

I did go out this afternoon and got in 11.37 miles, according to MapMyRun.com. The temps were in the low 30s, but it was very pretty out and there is just the slightest hint of spring in the air.

I also stopped during my run to watch one of those Polar Bear Plunge charity events that was taking place at Lake Calhoun. A very large number of people elected to jump in to a section of the lake that had its ice layer removed.

I watched the first several groups jump off a perfectly good wooden pier in to freezing water, bob up like corks and then high-tail it out of the lake and in to one of several waiting, bubbling hot tubs.

BRRRRRR.

I've done plenty of seemingly crazy things in my life (see below), but jumping in to ice cold water has not -- nor will be - one of those things. I absolutely hate to be cold.

Anyway, my run was okay -- but I'm still not running very fluidly or comfortably. I'm getting a little concerned about doing a full marathon. I'll have to give that some serious thought. Anyway, here is the route.

Below

So my good friend, Nat, has tagged me and I'm supposed to write down 7 "interesting" things about me....

Here were the rules are as follows (I'm required to post them):

# Link to the person who tagged you

# Post the rules on your blog.

# Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.

# Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

# Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

So here are my weird things:

1) My enough-o-meter is broken. By that I mean I really don't under what "enough" means. Be it shoes, chocolate, food, alcohol, whatever, I don't seem to have the normal regulator that tells most of you that you've had enough. I've had to completely give up some things in order to "regulate" them; for others things, its been sheer will or pain that has enabled me to stop. (For example, the realization that I just can't bear the pain any more of squeezing my feet in to those oh-so-sexy spikey heeled shoes any more...I still lust after them every day, though...)

2) I am much better in a crowd. I can do presentations in front of hundreds of people at a time, but have a very difficult time feeling comfortable with small numbers of people or one-on-one. It is a weird, low-self esteem thing, I'm sure. Enough said.

3) I peeed on a State Capitol building when I was 17 years old and drunk. I thought, at the time, that it would be one of those really "cool" things that I could share with my grandchildren. Since I don't have kids, and therefore will not have grandchildren, I get to share that "fun fact" with you.

4) Famous people I've met include: Gloria Steinem (cool), Todd Rundgren (WAAAY cool) and Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick (don't ask). I'd gnaw tree bark for an opportunity to meet John Cusack.

5) If it weren't for the math part of the GMAT or GREs, I'd take the tests and go back to Graduate School in a heartbeat.

6) I've recently moved in to the 21st century and enabled my cell phone to allow me to text.

7) I'm a secret MTV/VH1 viewer. Programs I love to watch include: Celebrity Rehab, Celebrity Fit Club, The Flavor of Love, that really bad show with Brett Michaels, True Life and Made...

The folks I'm tagging are: Megan, Dennis, Waddler 26.2 and RunnerGirl