Help from friends DOES keep you more accountable...

I've been absent here, yes, but I have been blogging quite a bit over on Unraveling the Stash. Check it out if you haven't already.

If any of you made New Year's Resolutions to get/stay in shape, I've got a tip for you: enlist a friend to help hold you accountable. It's not a new or revolutionary tip. They tell you that in all the fitness magazines. However, it's been working pretty well for me. Even if your workout buddy lives across the state instead of across town, she really will help your motivation.

Kathryn (lives in Wichita) and I text each other each time we work out, so I always feel guilty if I tell her I'm going to do something and then I don't do it. And, she works out before work most days (she doesn't have to be there at the crack of dawn like a high school teacher does), so when I see that she's worked out for the day, it makes me go later in the day.

I didn't really want to work out yesterday, or Friday after school, but I'd already told her I was going to do it, and I didn't want her to call or text and make fun of me for wussing out.

Of course, I'm typing this after having skipped Zumba class at Lifetime this morning, so will I get a workout in later today?

I guess we'll see.

Happy New Year - 2011

To family and friends - we love you all! Be safe and joyful in 2011.

I've started a new blog project for this year. I'll still be updating here with friends and family fun times, but if you'd like to know what's happening in chitknit's world, check out unravelingthestash.com.

The first post went live tonight, and it will be a yearlong project. More on it later. For now - it's bedtime.

As one of my Facebook friends said, "Midnight used to be the starting point. Now it's the end point."

Getting old is hell, ain't it?

Thanks to Betsy for a great dinner tonight, along with Adam's awesome chocolate fondue and homemade popcorn.

Knitaissance

I hadn't really been knitting much since this summer. I don't usually knit much during the summer just because the heat makes the feel of yarn less enticing, but I feel like this summer I didn't knit ANYTHING.

Then, the beginning of the school year was crazy busy - I was like a rat on the treadmill for those first 10 or 12 weeks. When I would get home from school, I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open, let alone make pretty things with needles and loops of yarn.

Thankfully, I've rediscovered my needles and yarn, and I'm knee deep in a bunch of quick projects right now. You might notice when you see the photos that most things are very gifty, so spoiler alert - if you think you might be receiving one of these gifts, you might want to stop reading now...

Hee hee. Sadly, my Etsy site has fallen victim to craziness in my job and life, so I haven't made anything to sell in AGES. I would really like to start doing that again.

Here's a quick knitting round-up:

Obviously, this little mitt needs a mate. I've made up two left hand mitts, so I need to get going on the right hand ones. This is the Mock Cable Wristers pattern from "60 Quick Knits" in Cascade 220. It truly was a quick knit.

I've made up a couple of these java jackets. They fit perfectly on these grande cups, and as a bonus, they're totally re-usable and environmentally friendly.

I love this tiny wine sweater cozy! Even though it looks complicated, it was a quick project. I think I finished it over about three days. One sleeve one night, the other sleeve the next night, then the body and turtleneck the last night. Simple, and a really cool gift idea, I think - just add the bottle of wine...

This is the "Ballband Dishcloth" pattern from Mason-Dixon Knitting. It's a special order for a certain aunt of mine - she's got a great idea. Need a gift exchange gift? How about a couple of knitted dishcloths (they feel so much better than the other kind) and a nice bottle of fancy soap?

I knit this hat for the wife of one of Adam's co-workers. Again, a super-quick project.


And, last but not least, here's Lauryn modeling her mom's birthday present - it's the Ribbed Pillbox Hat also from the "60 Quick Knits" book.

I would really like to tackle something larger (a sweater for myself, or the sweater my husband has been asking for for years), but for now, the little projects will have to do.

Sports and News

Big things have been poppin' around here lately. Good ol' BV's football team just won the 5A State Football Championship over Bishop Carroll this weekend. This was great news for a couple of reasons - one, hello...STATE CHAMPS! Two...got to see my good friend Jaime Green at the game. Even though I'm not one of the "special" ones anymore (no official press pass), I managed to get down on the field to visit her for a few minutes during the game.

That, and watching the PBS special "The President's Photographer" have really made me miss the old job, even though I love the current job. I need to get out there more and make more documentary photographs.

If you haven't watched that special, go to their website to read all about it and watch online. It was so good even Gracie wanted a front row seat.

Your Big Backyard

Way back when I was in elementary school, one of my favorite activities involved reading the "Your Big Backyard" and "Ranger Rick" magazines. Maybe they came once a month or so, but I loved them. I've chosen to title today's post about things growing in my yard as an homage to one of those favorite reading memories.


I'm a big fan of perennials - it's just too hard to try to plant annual beds. The end of the school year is so hectic that I don't have time to baby new plants like you really need to. I'd plant them, then I'd have crazy weekends and they'd die. So, lately, I've been transplanting perennials from my dad's yard and from my friend Betsy's sister Molly's house. The great thing about this is: IT'S FREE.

I don't have to spend a ton of money at the garden center and then cross my fingers that the plants will survive. Plus, I think that plants raised in similar areas/soils just do better than something purchased that was probably trucked in from a nursery miles away.

Mostly the plants I've transplanted have been hostas, lilies and iris. The iris have bloomed and are done for the year. But, some of my lilies are blooming, and I've got one patch that will look amazing next week. It's full of buds that haven't opened yet.

These are hostas and a shasta daisy that I got from Dad. The daisies are starting to bloom. I wasn't sure if they would since I just planted them this year.

Readers who are family members might be interested to know where some of this stuff is planted, since we live in what was my grandma's house (and honestly, it's probably still considered grandma's house - I know we still call the back bedroom "Julie's room").

The plants above are just under the Julie bedroom window and the bathroom window (in the front yard, but behind the giant ornamental grass thing).

The plants below are planted in front of the playhouse which is now our garden implements storage shed. I would have posted an overall photo of it, but there's nothing except peeling paint on the wall, so the photo wasn't that great.


This year, I got the bright idea to try and reclaim the sideyard between our driveway and the chainlink fence. Adam tilled it a couple of times, and I planted some random stuff. Some of the lilies and irises I was talking about, some lamb's ear. (All of this will come back with a vengeance and spread, spread, spread.)

You see, that's why perennials are so great - low cost, low maintenance...

Aunt Alice sent me some seeds for other flowers this year, so along the sideyard, I also planted this morning glory in a couple of places. I can't wait for it to bloom and see what color the flowers are. It's doing really well, but I've got it in a couple of other places that aren't quite as robust.


Alice also sent pumpkin, gourd and giant pumpkin seeds. I planted those in the sideyard because I know they'll soon grow crazy and take up lots of space.

I'm pretty sure these two are the giant pumpkins. The photo on the package is a 5-year-old boy standing next to the pumpkin and it's almost as tall as he is. So, we'll see what happens with that.


Below is one of the mammoth sunflowers. There are about six of these growing out there. Again, can't wait for them to bloom.

The worst part of the sideyard reclamation project is that it's super weedy since this is the first summer we tilled it up from grass. The past two weeks I've spent a lot of time out there cleaning it out. But, now that that's done, I think I can mostly Garden Weasel it to keep it clean.

Avid readers will probably remember garden posts from last summer. The photo below is just so you can see how large the garden is. You're looking over various lettuce, onions, potatoes, cabbage from this angle.


Over on the other side, there are a few herbs, like this basil. SO. MUCH. BETTER when it comes straight out of the garden.


I'm not sure when the cabbage will be ready, but it sure is growing. Probably won't catch me making sauerkraut any time soon - I remember the smell from Aunt Fronie's cellar when I was a kid. Love the taste of it, hate the smell!


We've got a bunch of green tomatoes growing too. That's what I'm really waiting for.


A quick photo of the front of the house. This bed is the one I started when we moved in three years ago. It's shady all the time, so it's just hostas and ferns.


Technically, those are in the front yard, so I guess they don't really match the title of the post. You'll just have to deal.

I'm off to have a salad with garden greens and peas.

You are (dead) everybody. You are (dead) everyone.

(Don't worry - that title is not some scary call to action. If you watch LOST, you'll get it, if you don't, you won't.)

I'm still not sure what to think about last night's LOST series finale. All I know is that I went to sleep thinking about it, and I woke up this morning thinking about it, still trying to decide what I know and what I don't.

That show has been with me since I started teaching - it premiered in September of 2004, just after I left the newspaper business.

Adam and I watched the first season in the basement TV room at our first house in Valley Center.

I watched seasons 2-3 at our little pink house on Holyoke in Wichita. Betsy and Mitzi and Adam and I watched season 4 (with great premiere parties at a certain principal's house). The girls gave up on it because they got behind, but Hubs and I stuck with it.

At one point during season 3, our DVR quit working, so I watched most of the shows on ABC.com in our back computer room. It was FREEZING in that room, and I spent the winter huddled under a blanket watching people on a desert island on my iMac screen.

I loved those characters. Each was flawed in some way, but all they were trying to do was make their way in the world and do the right thing. I'm not ready to talk about what actually happened in the finale just yet. I think I still need some processing time, and I'm interested to see what all the TV gurus out there have to say.

Did you watch? What did you think?

Monday morning caption madness 2

And the winners are...

Even though they technically missed the Wednesday deadline, the winners in the caption contest are Aunt Janet and Kollen! (Thunderous applause)

Best Pop Culture Reference Caption goes to Kollen for:
I gave you my heart, and you give me a crayon?

Best Reading of Body Language Caption to Aunt Janet for:
"Do these polka dots make my butt look big?"

"No, I think its the diaper."

Most young women can relate to that second one, I think!

Thanks to those who played, and look for a more grown-up version of caption madness this week.

Sunday morning at the Nelson

Betsy rallied the troops for a photo outing on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art this morning. Molly brought Ellen, and Molly and Betsy's friend Marie brought her son, Preston. The weather was perfect for a little outdoor time to hone photo skills, which Betsy has been doing a great job of on her other blog.

Preston sorta kissed Ellen when asked. It was more like a drive-by kissing (or an air-kiss, I guess).


The lovely McKnight-Lund ladies.


You might have seen this little one over on the View Across Town.


I don't have kids of my own, so I might not be the best judge, but I'm guessing that free will in children can be a scary thing for parents sometimes!


Ah, and the woman saying "I know, I don't know what the heck he's thinking" has already started.


It's not a photo shoot at the Nelson without pictures of the shuttlecocks.


Caroline and Ellen take a nice little walk along the shaded path.



Thanks, Betsy, for getting us all out to enjoy the beautiful weather and friendship.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post - it will be a caption contest with an outtake from today.

Can I get a fist pump for GTL?

If you don't know what that stands for, consider yourself among the lucky (and smart) ones.

I've been hearing here and there of a new show on MTV called "Jersey Shore." Bobby Moynihan did a great impression of one of the main characters on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago. My interest was piqued.

That says a lot, considering I haven't actively turned the channel to MTV in, say, 12 years. Oh, wait, there was that one season when they ran "The Paper" about a high school newspaper staff. I did watch that show each week.

But I digress. I hate MTV these days. Not for the reasons one would assume a 32-year-old would grow to hate it. When I was young (middle and high school) I thought old people wouldn't like MTV because it would be too loud, and they would grow to hate the type of music played on MTV. Little did I know the reason I would grow to hate MTV is because it's not M TV any more. Ridiculous "reality" shows about self-involved 20-somethings just do not hold my interest.

After watching last week's "The Soup" I decided to DVR an episode of "Jersey Shore" so I could see what all the fuss is about. I figured I couldn't deride it til I tried it.

Let the derision begin.

Basically, all you need to know is that GTL stands for "Gym, Tanning, Laundry" which, combined with barhopping, fist pumping and general debauchery, is all the cast members feel they need to do with their lives. I'm hoping that any teens who are watching this stupid show are watching it because they get a good laugh out of it, not because they aspire to be like this and be on MTV.

If you're looking to make a little money in the stock market, look into hair gel, because these gentlemen are ALL ABOUT the hair gel, and god knows it's only a matter of time before it becomes a trend.

I suppose the show is good for a laugh, because Adam, Mitzi, Bets and I got some good laughs out of one we watched last night. Our laughs mostly came from the ridiculous nicknames they've given themselves: Snooki AKA Snookers, Snickers, Mike The Situation, Sammi the Sweetheart, etc.

If you want to find out what your "Jersey Shore" nickname would be, there are a few nickname generators out there. Here's our group nicknames:

Me: The Tight End
Adam: A-Train
Mitzi: The Opportunity
Betsy: Tanny

I need to stop writing about this right now, because I'm afraid that combined with the drop in IQ I experienced from just watching the show, trying to dissect the show might make me a total idiot.

Have any of you watched it?

Cabin Fever - It's set in

And, we are off AGAIN tomorrow.

I would be much more excited at this prospect if it wasn't 100 below outside, and if I didn't feel crappy. I must have a cold or bronchitis or something, because I've got an awful wheezy cough, and my body aches.

Good news is - it shouldn't be H1N1 or the seasonal flu, since I've been vaccinated for both this year (first time I've ever gotten a flu shot, at least as an adult). I'm not really sure how I got sick, since it was winter break and I was only around a few of my friends, my husband and my parents, and none of them are sick.

Maybe one of the other teachers got me sick on the first day back, or maybe someone at the gym didn't wipe off/sanitize the treadmill when they were done and I got their germs. Jerks.

So, today I knit some, watched a little TV, and read a book - "Olive Kitteridge." It's good. I'll read it some more tonight, but first I need to do a little work on my grad school assignments. I'll be reading those for the next few hours, and possibly doing a little writing. The more I do tonight, the less I have to do this weekend.

I just wish I felt like going somewhere, but I don't want to leave the house. Good thing we've got plenty of food! Adam is working tonight, so I'll do my work while he's AT work.

I may not be blogging, but I have been tweeting...

And here's the proof. It's a word cloud of words I used most often in the last year.

My mom rocks.

Those of you who know her probably already know that, but just in case you didn't, here's a little newspaper story to let you in on the secret...

Mom's dream a difference maker ran in the Shawnee Dispatch. The story really shows the effort that Mom had to go to to get Dreams Work off the ground and keep it running, and the support she's received from friends and family all these years as well (they're always the ones we ask for money from first, after all).

You can support Dreams Work by purchasing an opportunity to win this large queen size quilt:

The chances are $1 apiece or six opportunities for $5. If you bought this quilt outright, it would probably be worth a few hundred dollars. It could be yours for just a few dollars if you're lucky!

Send checks payable to Dreams Work, and your name and phone number will go on the ticket. The address is 13717 W. 108th Street, Lenexa, KS 66215.

The drawing will be held on Dec. 3 at the Eighth Anniversary Open House. Need not be present to win!

You can also support Dreams Work by visiting their web site - there is a donate link.

Crawling before I walk

I haven't been running lately. At all.

I've still been exercising, but it's mostly been walking and doing the Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred videos. I've tried to run a couple of times since this summer, but it just didn't feel right. I think part of it was the heat toward the end of the summer, but I also think I was burned out after the marathon training earlier in the year.

Betsy and Mitzi were over here on Saturday and we were talking about Mitzi's KC 5K experience Saturday morning (it's a great story - you'll have to ask her to find out...). As we talked, I realized that she and I ran two half-marathons and one full marathon since this time last year.

We did the Kansas City Half-Marathon last October, the Olathe Half-Marathon in April, and the Seattle Marathon in June. Of the three, I'd say I had varying results - I finished KC 10 minutes before my goal time, Olathe right at my goal, and Seattle 45 minutes later than my goal. Each time, though, crossing the finish line felt damn good.

Thinking about those three accomplishments has gotten me thinking about running again. Plus, I REALLY want to beat my last year mile total. To do that, I'll have to run about 30 more miles this year. I think that's doable.

Tonight, I ran a TINY bit. Like, just a half-mile. It felt good, and I'm sure I could have done more, but like I said, I just haven't been feeling the running lately. My plan is to keep doing the Jillian workouts, but try to alternate those with walking/running days. I'll just add a couple minutes to each run, and hopefully I'll hit that end-of-the-year goal.

Beautiful weather like we had today certainly doesn't hurt the cause. It was 74 degrees when I left school!

Maybe I'll shoot for Olathe again next spring. I do so much better when I have a race in mind.

Who's with me?

Big day at Oak Park Mall - Making Over America with Clinton Kelly

So, anyone who knows Betsy and Mitzi and me knows that we're big fans of TLC's "What Not to Wear."

Imagine our excitement when we heard that Clinton Kelly would be coming to Overland Park for his new project "Making Over America." Weeks ago, when Adam and I were out shopping at Town Center Plaza, we passed at poster at Macy's promoting the event.

I made a mental note of the date, and made sure to tell the girls. Adam, of course, was nonplussed by the news.

Today was the day. I haven't seen that many people at the mall since the day I saw Jamie Walters ("How do you talk to an angel?") at the mall in 1995.

There were chairs set up on the first floor, and priority seating for family members of the 15 chosen makeovers. We decided to stay up on the second level, where we had a "front row" seat at least. It was a little hard to hear since the speakers were angled for those on the ground level, but it was still a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, I did not have a long lens with me, so my little kit lens did the best it could.

At the start of the show, before the big reveals, Clinton brought a couple of women up on stage and did a live version of the 360 mirror. How nerve-wracking that must have been. Bets and I made sure to wear "cute" outfits in case we were spotted by Mr. Kelly. Alas, our spots up top weren't the best for that!

I definitely think that after watching "What Not To Wear" for the last few years, I've discovered some tricks for dressing better. Now, if I could only afford to buy all the clothes I see on the show. Damn teacher salary.

One thing he said today that I thought was funny (and so true) is that all women watch WNTW hoping to see someone their exact size and proportions and style so they can find out how to dress for themselves.

We didn't stand in the book-signing line - at least 100 of our closest friends were in it by the time we walked by, and many more were on their way.

Probably the most exciting part of Betsy's and my day is that Clinton actually @replied to us both on Twitter. We both follow a few celebrities (Betsy more than me, I think), but none have ever replied to us on Twitter (not even when I was raising money for Team in Training).

I did learn something that I can tell my classes on Monday (and no, it wasn't about fashion). After the show, Clinton took questions for a few minutes. One young lady asked where he went to school and what he majored in. He told her he attended Boston College, majoring in environmental (something I couldn't hear) and communications, then I THINK he said he has a master's in journalism. (The speakers were poor for us up high, remember.)

He said he was working as a magazine editor when he went for the WNTW audition. Those communications and people skills you develop as a journalist can help you do a lot of things in life.

I thought that was pretty cool - a little connection we share!

Seattle PRIDE Parade - Sunday, June 28, 2009

Race weekend was a biggie for the city of Seattle.
The marathon alone brought in 25,000 runners, not to mention their friends, family and supporters.
Shuttle drivers told us there were three or four cruise ships in port, adding even more people to the fray.
Then, Sunday, when we woke up and went out in search of breakfast, Mitzi and I found the staging area for the Seattle Pride Parade - right outside the front doors of our hotel.

It was a nice distraction for us as we walked along trying to loosen up our tired legs. After we had breakfast, I went back and got Adam, and he and I walked along the route for a while. The parade started 11, and when we were waiting for our airport shuttle at 1 p.m., it was still going strong!


Adam took a bunch of photos. I was playing with the flip camera, so no stills for me.

The floats and parade walkers were pretty amazing and intricate.


We thought maybe we found a girlfriend for Minnie...

It was cool to see all of the support for the gay community - there were TONS of people at the parade.

Teamwork makes the Dream work!

Any of my co-workers who read that title will smile, since it's something we hear a lot at school. Even though it's a school thing, it's quite appropriate for Mitzi's and my latest hare-brained scheme.

We did it! We finished the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon last Saturday morning. We did it together - not only the 5 hours and 45 minutes it took us to run the race, but all the miles and miles of training and the ups and downs of raising more than $4,100 each.

Five months of Saturday mornings coming WAY too early, five months of sending e-mail after e-mail to all of our friends and family (thanks to all of you by the way!), five months of What Ifs? and How do wes? Five months of pounding the pavement in our trusty running shoes.

The above photo is deceiving because the light makes it look like it's in the middle of the day. That picture was taken about 4:30 in the morning when we got to the start line area. That's Mitzi on the left, along with other TNTers Jeanne, Melinda and Mary. You can see us all there with our various gear - water, Cytomax, PowerBars, sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc.

Mitzi and I woke up at 3:15 that morning, put on sunscreen, put on Body Glide (in hopes of heading off chub rub and blisters, at least in my case), put on sports bras, socks, singlets and shorts, and finally shoes, waist packs and hats. Each of us laid out everything we would need on Friday night, so we wouldn't have to look for anything on Saturday morning.

Even though we were far from home, in a different time zone, we tried to keep everything as routine as possible that morning.

It was anything but.

Up super early, bus to the starting line. We arrived there about 4:30. We brought bagels and peanut butter with us, so that we wouldn't have to start the race hungry. Usually we only have about an hour between eating and running, and this time it was much, much more because of the wave start.

Luckily, the coffee shop behind the girls in that photo had a $1 cup special, so we were able to have some coffee with the food, which is a BIG part of the morning routine.

We started in corral 25, so it took almost 50 minutes for us to cross the start line after the gun went off. If you look at our finish time, it looks like it took 6 hours, 28 minutes, but not really.

The first half of the course was nice - ran along the water, some nice downhills, saw a bald eagle perched low in a tree, lots of spectators.

The second half - not so much.

Adam took this photo of us as we passed him and our friend David around mile 15. It was somewhere near downtown Seattle. Here, we're still feeling mostly okay...

The second half of the course was much hillier than I expected, and most of it was running on elevated highways, so they wouldn't let the spectators up there. When the going got tough, it was tough to be up there. We had to dig deep to keep on moving. We told a few stories, played a few games, yelled "Go Team!" to all the other Team in Training runners. We took walk breaks (more than we typically would), since it was hilly and actually a little bit hot.

I know - it was like 110 in the shade in KC that weekend, and only about 75 in Seattle, but when running, it feels 20 degrees hotter, so it was a little warmer than we expected.


That's Mitzi as she crosses the finish line. Didn't Adam do a great job taking photos?


I still had some gas in the tank for the last quarter-mile or so, so I really kicked up my pace so I could finish strong. It made me feel great and proud to hear people saying "Go Jill, you're doing great!" but in all the photos after I crossed the line, my mouth is open since I am breathing so heavy!

I've now finished two marathons. I think if you'd have told my 18-year-old self that, she would say YOU'RE CRAZY - there's no way!

Thanks to Adam and Mitzi for being great travel companions and Mitzi for being an awesome training partner. I couldn't have done it without either of them.


I will put up another post later this week with travel-type photos of places we saw and things we did. I wanted this one to be mostly about the race itself.

Memory Lane

So Betsy posted this a long time ago, and Mitzi finally updated her blog with it, so I thought tonight it would be my turn.

The rules: Bold the things you’ve done, and post on your blog!

Update: post has been edited to add asterisks to the things I've done. After I posted, I checked the blog and couldn't tell the difference between the bolded and not bold things.

1. Started your own blog*
2. Slept under the stars*
3. Played in a band*
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower*
6. Given more than you can afford to charity*
7. Been to Disneyland*
8. Climbed a mountain*
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo*
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea*
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch*
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning*
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables*
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight*
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill*
24. Built a snow fort*
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping*
27. Run a marathon*
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse*
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset*
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise*
33. Seen Niagara Falls
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community*
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied*
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke*
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing*
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling*
52. Kissed in the rain*
53. Played in the mud*
54. Gone to a drive-in theater*
55. Been in a movie*
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies*
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason*
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check*
68. Flown in a helicopter*
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy*
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial*
71. Eaten caviar*
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square*
74. Toured the Everglades*
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle*
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car*
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper*
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House*
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox*
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous*
92. Joined a book club*
93. Lost a loved one*
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo*
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone*
99. Been stung by a bee*
100. Bought your own home*

I have done 50 of the things on the list, so I'd say that's a good start for a 32-year-old. Hopefully I'll get some frequent flyer miles saved up and knock out the traveling items I haven't done yet...

Lists like this have to strike me when the mood is right. Usually, I think they're silly, but it was fun to go through this one. It brought back tons of memories of my early time in Wichita - the meteor shower with Travis, Teresa and Andy, filming "Dancing on the Moon" with Rod and the crew, the awesome Eagle ladies book club, and Hubs and my honeymoon. Each of those would have been blog posts unto themselves had I had a blog back then.

I wonder who comes up with lists like this. If I were to make up my own list, what would I include? Maybe that will be a blog post for another day.

The goal is in sight

THANK YOU so much for your support along the Team in Training journey to this point.

My goal is to raise at least $4,100 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and I am SO CLOSE. According to my handy-dandy spreadsheet, I'm up to $3,900.

I could not have come this far without your help and support - whether it was a monetary donation, a thumbs-up to a Facebook post, or just asking "Hey, how's the training going?"

Knowing that there are that many people out there who are behind me is really pushing me to continue without becoming discouraged.

Each time someone asks how the training is going, it keeps me honest. It gets me out of bed at 5 a.m. to head to the gym. It keeps me running up those darn hills even at mile 16 or 17.

I've attached a photo of my training partner, Mitzi, and I. It was taken just after our long run last Saturday - 18 miles! We're still smiling, and it's because of you!

My efforts for Team in Training have become even more important just in the last few weeks. I will wear the name Lynsey Fitzgerald on the back of my racing singlet in memory of a 2008 Blue Valley High graduate who passed away three weeks ago after a years-long battle with Leukemia. Lynsey was known around BVHS for her love of students and teachers and her BV Tiger spirit. Her will to be at school even when she was in horrible pain is an inspiration to us all.

Again, I truly appreciate your willingness to support LLS research, programs and patients even in these economic times.

If you haven't donated yet, you still can. Visit my website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/mid/rnrseatl09/jchittum

I promise I haven't died

I've just been really busy, that's all. And, now I've gone and gotten you all excited that there's actually a new post, and it won't really be that long.

I spent part of last week in Phoenix for the National High School Journalism Convention, and I have tons of cool photos to post from that, as well as a trip to Minneapolis the week before that. I will do it this week.

When I got home yesterday, I headed straight to Panera to do some grading with Betsy. For some reason, I get more done there than I do at home. Adam was working at the Home Depot (or, the Dee-POT, as I call it) when I got back in town, so Betsy and I passed the time until he got home.

Adam and I ate at the "sushi train" restaurant - not really called that but it's what we call it. Shawnee-ites will know it as Sakura at 75th and Nieman. We loved it last time we went, but this time it was too close to closing time. The same pieces of sushi that no one wanted kept coming around on the train. Lesson learned - go earlier in the day if you're going to be eating sushi off of a train that circles a bar.

Then, of course we had school today. Stayed til 5 to get some stuff done, and then I HAD to get a run in. Only did that once while in Phoenix, and we go 18 this weekend. Yikes.

Check back with me later this week for photos and more. Kickball practice Thursday and the season starts next week, so that oughta be some good blog fodder...

For now, bedtime!