When I was a kid, my mom took me to see a bull fight in Spain. (We were stationed in Germany at the time.) I remember being horrified and crying when they dragged the bull out, after the poor animal had expired.

I can appreciate tradition, but I think this one is barbaric.

Spanish matador Israel Lancho is gored by a Palha’s ranch bull during a bullfight at the San Isidro’s fair in Las Ventas bullring in, Madrid, on May 27, 2009. Lancho was hospitalized with an eight-inch wound below his ribcage. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Good Luck, CSM Kimmich – we’ll miss you.

Farewell to a great mentor

Remember when I said that blogs are a great way to stay accountable ?

Huh.

John (my darling) says to me the other day that “…probably the only way we’re going to stay thin, Hol, is if we sign up for another marathon.”

It’s true, actually.  This time last year (about to run the Disney marathon) I was sixteen pounds lighter.  It’s a little amazing how you can wear an extra sixteen pounds and beyond maybe your belt feeling a little too tight, you don’t really notice.  

I remember when I lost 10 pounds a couple years ago in Germany (I was working with a personal trainer named Mitzi who was incredible) and she handed me a 10-lb barbell and told me “walk around with that a little while.”  It took a minute for the light bulb to go off in my head, but once it did, I thought – “MAN!  I want to get rid of this thing!” 

So, yeah, now I’m thinking about nearly two barbells and it makes me mad.

Anyway, we’re starting Monday with our Hal Higdon marathon prep routine for novices again.  The Hatfield/McCoy marathon (God help us) is in mid-June in (yep, you guessed it) West Virginia. 

I’ll be posting stats.  Hopefully those will be labeled as “inches and pounds lost”!

We’ll be Bringing Our Courage – just like these good ol’ folks did…

(…this here’s a picture of the Hatfield clan.)*

I

*courtesy Wikipedia

Love this picture, taken when my best friend Sisi was visiting in Tampa two months ago. Spectre has never really been around babies, but he caught on fast.

Before…

Happy Birthday to Mom Silkman – 70 on the 29th!

John and I (obviously) could not be there with her to celebrate, so we sent 69 white roses and 1 pink one as well wishes – because #70 is, of course, quite special.

We have two “borrowed” Siamese (from Amy in Iraq),

…our scared-to-death-of-fireworks dog (Spectre, who will endure the “night of the long knives” tonight)…

…Deadeye (who loves Bill – and it’s a one-way relationship, believe you me.)

…and lastly, Dosie – who doesn’t move her girth for anyone or anything…no matter how exciting…

May 2009 be your Best Evah!

…we’ll be running this sucker…

Sure hope we’re ready. As I was running 18 with John on Saturday, I shhhhure wasn’t sure.

On the other hand – tomorrow morning I’m running 5, and I’m actually looking forward to it.

Small victories.

I hired Landscape Rescue Man (not his or his company’s name – but what I’ll call him here) who is devoted to Green Practices and I have been so impressed. Our yard already looks better than it did and the new sod’s not even in yet.

Mom and I talked (briefly, due to the crazy phone lines over here) every couple of hours yesterday since it was the work crew’s first day on the job.

Lots of discussion about mulch, bougainvillea trimming, when to touch and when to leave a Crepe Myrtle alone, and how many boxwood plants will make a decent hedge.

There was even talk of fencing and Magnolias! Heaven!

Looking west, before (notice the chinch-bugged lawn)…

And, looking west now,

…and after! Wow!

…and After! You can see the pathetic little heather plants I planted - God Bless my landscaper. He apparently thought they were worth saving. (I think he just didn’t want to hurt my feelings.)

Gone, Baby, Gone.

Here’s our poor yard, looking north. Landscape Rescue Man’s first question to me was a pointed, “So – we’ll be sodding this?”



(Now that I think of it – it was probably more of a declarative statement.)