7 Days

I signed up for a free week at Lifetime Fitness and have been trying to make the most of it. I went on Saturday for 4.8 mile run on the treadmill. On Sunday I went swimming for 10 minutes, rode the stationary bike for 30 min. and ran for 20 min. The gym is having an indoor Triathlon event (for the same times) that I won't be able to participate in as a non-member, so I thought I'd try it on my own. I really had fun and remembered how much I enjoy swimming. Today I ran another 5.3 miles on the treadmill and then took advantage of the hot tub and steam room to relax. It's a shame that the monthly fees are WAY beyond our budget. It really is a nice gym, and I only have two more days left to use it. The treadmill is nice for making quick and easy changes to my incline and pace, but it's monotonous for long runs. I know some people enjoy running in the rain, snow, and cold, but I think it would be nice to have treadmill access as a backup. I guess I'm not hard-core enough yet. Marathon training starts in six days. Maybe that will toughen me up.

Winter Wonderland

After three winter storms, our backyard (like the rest of the city) is covered in a deep, thick blanket of snow. To see how much more than our first snow, check out the picture on my White Christmas post. Polo seems to love it, but he might feel differently if he was the one who had to shovel the driveway. I may have to shovel my fair share, but I love the snow too.

All around update

Reading
As much as I enjoyed my reading challenge of 2009, I'm looking forward to the freedom of reading anything I want from any genre again. Like so many other people, I like to read books before I see the movies based on them, so I recently read The Lovely Bones and The Lightning Thief. I enjoyed The Lightning Thief so much, that I decided to continue the series and just finished Sea of Monsters. The plot can be described as a cross between Harry Potter and a Greek hero tale. I enjoyed the adventure and the use of Greek mythology, which also makes it a good read for any students studying mythology in school. Fun, easy reads. The rest of the series is on reserve at the library, which is an AMAZING place! I can read just about any book I want for free. I may have to wait for it, but reserving books is super easy. I recently checked out The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, and Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. Plenty to keep me busy.

Running
Thanks to my former roommate from NYU, the winter weather has not kept me from running. She and I both use the Nike+ running system, which allows users to create and compete in a variety of running challenges. She challenged me to a contest to see who could run the most kilometers in 30 days. As I can be quite competitive, this was a perfect way to ensure I would not let the snow or below freezing temperatures stop me. I've run over 40 miles in the last three weeks and have four days until the challenge ends. After that, I plan to start my official marathon training, which is another feature the Nike+ website offers.

Polo
He's still getting bigger. We haven't weighed him in a while, but I would guess around 50-55lbs. He loves sleeping on our bed and couches, carrying around socks in his mouth, and joining me for runs. He still gets overly excited around guests, which we need to keep working on, but we love him a ton.

Michael
He started a new rotation at Nationwide that he seems to enjoy, yet he still has plenty of time to be a wonderful husband. We grabbed Chinese take-out on Saturday night in celebration of Chinese New Year (Feb. 14th), and on Valentine's day, he made a delicious dinner of shrimp pesto fettuccine with seared scallops as an appetizer. The best part, though, was the cheesecake. He used a recipe from Junior's in New York, which is the best cheesecake he's ever had. I'm not as distinguishing, but I know it was really, really good. It may fit under "reading," but I'll tell you here that I just started a book called The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, and I'm excited to see how focusing more on praying for my husband will positively affect our marriage.

Vista
I really enjoy the church we've found here. Michael and I are involved in a great small group and volunteer with the set-up/tear-down team. I also signed up to be in the Easter choir. It may seem crazy to those who know anything about my singing ability, or lack thereof, but I'm hoping to blend in. I'm really looking forward to getting to know some more people this way.

Work
We had two snow days last week, Friday was a teacher workday, and today is a holiday, so I have not been subbing very much. I'm hoping it starts to pick up. I really like the district I'm working in, and I generally enjoy each of the subbing jobs I take. It keeps me busy and helps pay the bills. I'm hoping to get a full time job for the next school year, and I actually think I would prefer middle school, which may seem insane, but it's my favorite place to sub. I don't know that I will have much choice though. It's very competitive here.

Weather
Freezing (literally) cold and snowy. Today is the third winter storm in as many weeks. I may drive a 16 year old car, but I'm grateful that it is an all-wheel drive. Our street does not get plowed or salted, but we keep our driveway and sidewalks shoveled. Michael and I take turns with that.

In the words of Porky the Pig, that's all folks!

Sunday Night In

We've been having really laid back weekends lately. On Saturday, we had some friends and their dog over in the afternoon. The pups ran around the backyard tiring each other out, the boys watched the Indiana basketball game, and the girls chatted in the kitchen, oh so stereotypically. Then the four of us played, but didn't finish, Trivial Pursuit. Michael and I actually went out for dinner that night, which we haven't done in nearly a month. We had a two for one coupon for Spagheddie's, which is a much cozier place than expected. The food was so-so, but it was a good deal :) After our typical Sunday routine of church followed by grocery shopping, I took Polo for a nice five mile jog. I have to take advantage of as many sunny days in the 20's and 30's as I can before the weather turns bad again. I baked oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries, and then Michael and I watched the Grammy Awards while playing another round of Trivial Pursuit. Polo tried to join Michael's team but was of little help in answering any questions.