Musings From My Run

I had a lot on my mind when I started out on my run this morning. 

First of all, I was happy just to be out running. Last Saturday, at mile 4.5 of my planned 6 mile run, I  passed a soi ( read "wild") dog going in the opposite direction. Why a soi dog was even in Nichada is another question for another day...

I increased my speed and turned my head to keep an eye on him in case he came back after me. I was not paying attention to where my feet were landing and caught my right foot in the lip of a utility cover. I went flying. Literally. I have no idea how I landed but both of my knees were ripped up and were bleeding profusely, the palms of both of my hands were bleeding and my right hand/wrist/arm/shoulder were bleeding and numb. The first thing I thought as I peeled myself off of the pavement was, "well, if my knee wasn't messed up before, it sure is now". Although, I might not have used those exact words.  

I limped back home, bloody, dirty and crying. I thought for sure that my right wrist was broken and that the rest of my day would be spent in the ER. After taking a hot shower to wash the dirt and blood off, I re-assessed the situation and felt better about my wrist. Do you know that little knobby bone that sticks out right at the junction of your wrist and arm? That bone and my right knee took the direct impact of my fall and both were swollen, bloody and bruised beyond belief. I could move my wrist (although very slowly and with a lot of pain) so I knew it wasn't broken. After a few Advil, a soak in Epsom Salts and a long nap later, I felt like I was at least going to live another day. I was a little surprised at how painful the cuts were and how sore I was. I expected a pain and soreness for a day or two but I had to take Advil several nights before bed to help with the pain and the lightest touch of anything against my injured knee was agonizingly painful. It was Thursday before I was able to wear anything longer than shorts and could actually sleep under the covers. 

So, on to what I thought about during my run...

I was so thrilled to hear from Kevin that our nephew, Connor, was chosen as Homecoming King at his high school Friday night. Woo hoo! I can't report on what Connor's reaction was since he was in the locker room with the rest of the football team at halftime when the Homecoming Court was announced and Kevin left before the end of the game but we are so happy for him! Connor and my two gorgeous nieces with their wonderful grandmother (and my great MIL). 

This photo made me just a wee bit homesick but we are now down to only 8 months until our move back to the U.S. We have so much planned for the next few months and I know the time will fly by.

Am I the only one who is so disappointed, confused and dismayed over all of the events that have transpired surrounding Lance Armstrong? Although I don't really "like" Lance as a person, I read both of his books ("It's Not About The Bike" and "Every Second Counts") many years ago and was very impressed by his determination and commitment to beating cancer and succeeding on the bike and in life. Now, I just don't know what to think or whom to believe. The "evidence" against him is overwhelming but I am having such a hard time reconciling that "evidence" with who I thought/believed/hoped Lance Armstrong is and was.

Please get out and vote on November 6th! We registered for our absentee ballots early in June but, as of Friday, they hadn't arrived here in Bangkok. Given that we are registered to vote in Florida (home of the hanging chads), this wasn't such a shock. I spent a lot of time Saturday  afternoon trying to figure out how to vote absentee without an absentee ballot. Once I got to the right website, it was just a matter of completing the on-line absentee ballot and then printing, signing and scanning the ballot to email to the elections commissioner in Miami. I repeated this all over again yesterday morning when I walked Kevin (who is in Virginia) through the entire process. Make your vote count. Whoever it is for.

Try explaining "hanging chads" to a 12 year old...Or, even better, electoral college! My political science classes are but a faint memory and I didn't even know where to begin. Being the smart mother that I am, I told Christopher to wait until his father came home. So, Kevin, be prepared!

The book I blogged about last week ("Black Heels and Tractor Wheels") was great. It was just what the jacket described so if you aren't interested in reading something that is light, breezy and mindless, don't pick up this book. It is a quick and fun read for sure. Perfect for the beach (or, more seasonally appropriate, the ski lodge). Be prepared to giggle. And cry. Although, I cry at EVERYTHING so that isn't saying much. The kids were absolutely mortified when I broke down sobbing during Toy Story 3. 

Last Tuesday was 6 months since my sweet Simpson was killed. I miss him terribly and think about him every single day. Ironically, I just gave his airplane crate to a friend in Nichada who is going home with one more dog than she moved here with. Talk about sobbing. That was not a good day. 

On a more positive note... this is my 200th post on the blog! Wow! Although some weeks are better than others, I have impressed even myself with my commitment to posting. I will be honest - when my life gets too busy, blogging is the first thing that I have to give up. Between the writing, any research (i.e., google.com) that I need to do, and photo editing, some posts can take a couple of hours to prepare for publication. However, each month, my page views "count" increases over the previous month and it makes me so happy to know that people are reading what I am writing. And, maybe even liking it. Thank you!

Have a great Monday.