Flashback Friday!

For kicks and giggles I decided to play along this week and post a picture of way back when!

When I was a baby, I was shy, but it didn't take me long to go from this:

To this:

and this:

No, my father isn't Earl Hickey.

Yes, we realize they could be twins.  And we're quite scared.

Anyhoo - I was a sassy, skinny little thing.  Not sure how I got from there to the woman I am today, but in this little girl I can already see early shades of the KFW's own Athena. 

Of course Athena isn't around any more, but I'm seriously considering wearing her tiara in the Disney Marathon next January.

Refresh my memory - have you all met Athena before?  If not, I think we're over due for a post about her stint as the general manager of KenFolk Wrestling.

You might be married to a redneck if...

aka - Lord help me I've married my father!





I hope Lora doesn't mind me coming up with my own Thursday's 10 - I thought we could all use a light hearted break today.

You might be married to a younger version of your father if...

1. The lady at the gas station near your house exclaims "I know who you are!" by just your last name and your request for 2 cans of long cut natural Red Seal tobacco.  (Apparently my dear husband is the one that requested they keep that specific kind in stock. 
2. Your husband insists on listening to David Allen Coe (living room window open, stereo at full volume) while working outside in the yard.  Ever hear "Would you lay with me in a field of stone?"  Only my father and my husband could enjoy listening to that macabre song and find it poetic.
3. He hasn't yet turned 31, and he's already balding...
4. And it seems to be falling from his head and making his chest hair thicker.  Don't know about you ladies but I <3 chest hair.  I am, however, bracing myself for the day it starts sticking to his back. *Shudder*
5. Because of said balding he wears a cap everywhere but church.  Even out for a run.  In the 70 degree weather.
6. He spoils me rotten - although unlike my father, he's not ashamed to admit it.
7. He does sporadic exercise, but isn't consistent.  My father sprints on the football field every Friday night come August, but doesn't bother to exercise beyond that.  Jay exercises when he's bored and needs to reaffirm how much more awesome than me he is. :P
8. He wants a pickup truck for his next vehicle - even if it has to be a 4 door version so that he can use it to show property to clients.
9. They love chatting with one another about random sports events or the latest UT Vols news (be it a new recruit or an arrest.)
10. He loves me - despite the millions of reasons he shouldn't.

So there you have it - proof that I've become a cliche and married a man just like my father.

I will say, however that I desperately hope it doesn't take such extreme measures for Jay to quit dip as it did my dad.  Daddy had to watch his own father die a slow and painful death from lung cancer - not to mention the trips together for my Papaw to receive radiation treatment.

Are you married to your father?  A spitting image of your husband's mother?  Tell me all about it!

Wednesday...you know what that means, right?

It means my last official Weigh-in Wednesday post at the Sisterhood!  You read it right.  I'm done with weighing myself.  I shared a little yesterday about my life changing weekend, and I wanted to explain it a little more today.

I borrowed the following from Lora, who borrowed it from from the Stuff Christians Like blog. 

...the day my 5-year old got a scrape on her face playing in the front yard. I rushed in the house and returned with a princess bandage. As I bent down to apply it to her forehead, her eyes filled up with tears and she shrunk back from me.


“What’s wrong?” I asked.

"I don’t want to wear that band-aid.” She replied.

“Why? You have a cut, you need a band-aid.” I said.

“I’ll look silly.” She answered.

Other than her sister and her mom, there was no one else in the yard. None of her friends were over, cars were not streaming passed our house and watching us play, the world was pretty empty at that moment. But for the first time I can remember, she felt shame. She had discovered shame. Somewhere, some how, this little 5 year old had learned to be afraid of looking silly. If I was smarter, if I had been better prepared for the transition from little toddler to little girl, I might have asked her this:

“Who told you that you were silly?”

I didn’t though. That question didn’t bloom in my head until much later and I didn’t understand it until I saw God ask a similar question in Genesis 3:11. To me, this is one of the saddest and most profoundly beautiful verses in the entire Bible. Adam and Eve have fallen. The apple is a core. The snake has spoken. The dream appears crushed. As they hide from God under clothes they’ve hastily sewn together, He appears and asks them a simple question:

“Who told you that you were naked?”

There is hurt in God’s voice as He asks this question, but there is also a deep sadness, the sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever, wrapped herself in shame.

Who told you that you were not enough?

Who told you that I didn’t love you?

Who told you that there was something outside of me you needed?

Who told you that you were ugly?

Who told you that your dream was foolish?

Who told you that you would never have a child?

Who told you that you would never be a father?

Who told you that you weren’t a good mother?

Who told you that without a job you aren’t worth anything?

Who told you that you’ll never know love again?

Who told you that this was all there is?

Who told you that you were naked?

I don’t know when you discovered shame. I don’t know when you discovered that there were people that might think you are silly or dumb or not a good writer or a husband or a friend. I don’t know what lies you’ve been told by other people or maybe even by yourself.

But in response to what you are hearing from everyone else, God is still asking the question, “Who told you that you were naked?”

And He’s still asking us that question because we are not.

In Christ we are not worthless.

In Christ we are not hopeless.

In Christ we are not dumb or ugly or forgotten.

In Christ we are not naked.

Isaiah 61:10 it says:

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.

The world may try to tell you a thousand different things today. You might close this post and hear a million declarations of what you are or who you’ll always be, but know this.

As unbelievable as it sounds and as much as I never expected to type this sentence on this blog:

You are not naked.

What do I think when I read this?

Who told you that your legs were fat?

Who told you that your 5K time wasn't fast enough?

Who told you that you needed to weigh 120?

I have spent the last year focusing on myself and its time for that to change.  God doesn't care what I weigh, how quickly I run, or what my thigh measurement is. 

He does care that I'm healthy, but that's never something that's been called in to question for me.

What could I accomplish for His kingdom, if I put half the energy into living for Him that I put into tracking calories consumed, burned, weight fluctionations?
This past year I've spent a lot of time learning how to train and how to eat healthy.  I'm not throwing that under the bus.  I'm going to continue my training - I'm just losing the tracking.
 
I mentioned yesterday about my revolutionary 12 minute mile run.  Here's how it changed my life - I ran, I know I gave it my all, and even though the statistics weren't all that good, I enjoyed every minute of it.
 
Starting today, I am not weighing myself.  Comparing my body to others.  Comparing my training to others.
 
So no more Daily Plate or Daily Mile for me.  But yall know that I can't say goodbye to the Sisterhood!  I'll still be around - I hope to do Wednesday posts about my training or race reports and still link up with you all (assuming that's okay). 
 
I'll also be sporting this fancy button from now on -
 

 
Am I scared that I'll gain those 15 pound back?  Of course.  I also know that is completely illogical - I weighed almost 140 pounds because I ate fast food every day for lunch (it got boring and expensive, I'm not going back to that life) and being inactive (I got lethargic & unhappy, I'm not going back to that life). 
 
Over the past year I've changed, and for the better.  Now its time to stop obsessing and move on to the next big adventure!

Weekend Revelation

Doesn't that sound dramatic?  I'll confess that it is a little hyped to suck you in, but there certainly was an air about this weekend that was more than just your standard couple of days off.

I took Friday off, yet my alarm went off at 4:30 AM.  Ever year I volunteer (aren't I a good Tennessean?) at a charity shooting tournament my boss hosts to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research.  I mostly stayed inside in the (over) air conditioned club house tallying scores, but it was an exhausting day.  That night I came home and crashed.

The weather forecasters were calling for thunderstorms all weekend and I had a long bike ride to squeeze in.  Thankfully the bad weather was a little delayed getting to us, so I was able to get in a 10 miler before showering and heading to church Saturday morning.

From 10-4 my parents church was hosting a live simulcast of Beth Moore's "So Long Insecurities" lecture.  I've been reading the book for a couple weeks now, and was excited to hear more about the topic.

Earlier in the week a friend of mine (who seems to be the only secure woman in the world) told me that insecurity is nothing but vanity concealing itself as humility.  While at first I resisted the idea - after all what did she know about insecurity, it wasn't anything she had struggled with - the more I considered it I realized her theory had at least a grain of truth to it.

Wouldn't you know Beth Moore said the same thing.  She said she wanted to make women think enough of themselves so that they thought of themselves less often. 

How self centered to assume that the people over in the corner whispering are whispering about you.  Do you really and truly thing that everything revolves around you?

Another point that she really hit home is that our security must come from our heritage in the Lord.  That's something that I've been considering on my own for a while now, so it was like a slap upside the head from the Holy Spirit.

This past Thursday I ran the SMARM 5K course in anticipation of my upcoming race this weekend.  I could feel that my pace was sluggish and I berated myself for not going faster.  After all what would it mean if I repeated my first ever race and didn't better my time?

If you let your worth come from racing, what are you left with when you don't achieve your goals?

Sometimes I argue with the Holy Spirit.  He nudges me in the right direction and I respond "but..." or "well the thing is..."  This time I had no argument.

A years worth of training and competing and what has it gotten me?  A couple of racing bibs, some self confidence when I reach my goals and the blues when I don't. 

I'll spare you the details of Saturday night - we'll just say that it was a huge reminder that I'm not the woman of God I'm called to be.  I went into Sunday with a different attitude. 

Well sort of. 

I was still considering how I could change up my training schedule so as to not conflict with my triathlon training but also to give me at least one day of rest before the race.  Thankfully I was able to get a run in Sunday afternoon which clears up my Friday for just rest.  A mini taper of sorts.

You wanna know what I learned on that run?  That I enjoy running.  I enjoy challenging myself.  And even if my Daily Mile stats aren't anything impressive, I can still feel good about myself. 

How did one 3 mile run at a 12 minute mile become so revolutionary? 

You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!!

Time to Face it

Fear that is. 

Only I've already faced my biggest fear.  The way I fear nuclear radiation you would think I grew up in the Duck & Cover days rather than during the cold war.

The scariest movie I've ever seen?  K-19 the widow maker.  Scary to no normal humans in the world.  It gave me nightmares for weeks after watching these movie characters die a slow and painful death because of radiation exposure.

Clearly I have issues.

But did I let that stop me, when the only half marathon I could find last fall was ran right next to the very sight that the "Little Boy" atomic bomb was created?  No ma'am I sure didn't.

I signed up, trained, then showed up on Department of Energy property to run my first half ever - the Oak Ridge Half Marathon.  The train cars labeled "hydrochloric acid" didn't even stop me (if anything they made me speed up).

How do you top that on the fear scale?

Christie says I have to at least try...

If you fear something, do it.



If you want to try something, try it.


If you want to push yourself further than ever before, do it.
 


That's this weeks Monday project.
 
I know you think she must have inspired me to go ahead and officially register for the Sprint Triathlon I'm training for right?
 
Right?
 
Wrong.  Still holding on to the "its an expensive entry fee, what if I get injured between now and then" excuse.
 
What I did do that pushed me far out of my comfort zone was a little more personal than that.
 
I trained with Jay.
 
Twice.
 
Seriously I do not like working out with him.  On hikes he runs off and leaves me because I'm too slow to suit him.  On runs he walks the same speed I'm jogging.  Its just annoying that he's naturally more gifted than me.  He'll always be more athletic than me no matter how hard I work at it and now matter how long he's sedentary.
 
More than I want my pride, I want him to be healthy.  So twice this week I sucked it up and allowed him to join me.  The first time I asked him to join me.  We did a trail run with my training buddy/friend/coworker.  It was a lot of fun and something I'd be wanting to try for a while. 
 
I made it clear to both of them that would need to jog more slowly than they are accustom to so that I could keep up.  My buddy did a better job than Jay, but I managed to make it through the 40 minute run only getting slightly annoyed with him.
 
Then came my brick last night.  Jay asked me to wait 15 minutes for him before I started.  After all he couldn't be expected to exercise before he had his afternoon taste of smokeless tobacco.  I told him I'd be out for an hour (30 minutes of biking and 30 minutes of running) couldn't he join me after the dip?
 
Nope.
 
He wanted to run while I biked so that he could challenge himself.
 
Like a dummy I waited.
 
All the while thinking that either he seriously overestimates himself or underestimates me.  Or else he's just ignorant about typical bike speeds vs running speeds.
 
After waiting 15 minute on him to join me, I put on my bike helmet and took to the road. 
 
He dropped out around the half mile mark.  Passing him on lap 2 he looked at me and said "now I know how you feel."
 
Um, no dude you don't.  Cause if I couldn't outrun you on a bike I'd be pathetic.  Nice try though.
 
So that's my something uncomfortable/something new/something I fear - if you will.  I fear killing him ever time we set out to be active together.
 
Not only did I overcome this fear - I didn't even kill him.
 
I maintain, however, that even if I had've there wouldn't be a judge in the country that would make the conviction stick.
 
 
 
What fear did you stare straight in the eyes this week?

I am lovely...

I'll just come right out and admit that this may not be the most well written blog I've ever posted, but I think its desperately important that I post it.

Last night on the way home from work, I started composing it in my head with no knowledge of the evening God had in store for me.  I wanted to talk about the mistakes we make comparing ourselves to others.

Whenever I get down on myself or head down that road, Jay points out all the great things I have going in my life.  "What if your blog readers feel the same when they read about all your victories?"

I assure him you all wouldn't do that.  After all you're not as crazy as I am.  In reality though, I know its not just a problem that I have. 

So in my head I decided to compose a blog about how nothing is more annoying than a conceited blogger.  Whether is the runner chick talking about her "easy run" of a 9 minute mile pace (for the record a 10:41 pace is my personal record) or the frugal mommy blogger talking about how being a 2 car family is a luxury not a necessity.*

*Maybe for her - but I HAVE to work to provide my hemophiliac husband with good medical insurance.  Public transportation isn't an option for us.  Him driving me to work every day so he can have the car just in case he needs to show property isn't a viable option.

Notice how defensive I become when I perceive that some else thinks I'm not good enough? 

Any way I never want anyone to read my blog and come away with that feeling.  Sure I'm obsessive/compulsive but because I exercise I think I have to do it 7-10 times a week, doesn't mean I think everyone should.  Heck I'm even just sane enough to realize that a more healthy, well balanced individual couldn't exercise that much!

One thing I love about the Sisterhood?  Even though my weight didn't start out as high as some of the other girls - in truth my starting weight is some people's goal weigh - there was never any judgment from the sisters.  In a way I really do think that we sisters with smaller weight loss goals add something important to the group.

If there is anything I could pass along with Sisters just starting the journey is that just losing 100 pounds isn't going to make you love yourself any more.  You will not like you at 150 pounds any more than you liked you at 180 unless you change you who are in the process.  Change how you view yourself.  Change your mind along with your body.

I hesitate to talk finances much on this blog because I know that there are people out there truly hurting right now due to money problems.  I don't want my victory to be the salt in their open wound.

But  why does it have to be that way?

Then I sat down last night to read more of my So Long Insecurities book by Beth Moore.

What a message God had for me.  Fitting (and not at all coincidental) that I read those chapters just a few hours after composing the above blog in my head.

The first part of the book wasn't revelational to me.  She took the first half to describe insecurities, what they look like, and how the root might have developed in our lives. 

Lady I know I'm insecure, you don't have to convince me. 

I did, however, enjoy reading that I wasn't alone.  I'm not just some messed up anomaly. 

Last night we began to dig deep.  Chopping off the top of our insecurities isn't enough.  We have to pick up our shovels and pull these guys up by the roots. 

She hit me with a couple of verses that about knocked me off the couch.  Had God written these verses just for me?  Dang I must be special if He wrote it in one book, I skimmed over it, and He felt compelled to included it in another book 2,000+ years later just so I'd get the message.

Psalms 84:1 is the verse I took this blog title from:

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!

Considering that believers in Christ have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them - that means I'm lovely!  She even had us say those words out loud - twice.

"I am lovely."

The with more emphasis (and as a chronic pleaser I obeyed)...

"I am lovely."

"Yes, you are."  Okay so I thought Jay would think I was insane for talking to myself while reading.  Apparently he doesn't think I'm crazy, just lovely.

Then I continued reading and saw Beth Moore's next words "Yes, you are."

"Hey - you and Beth Moore agree!"

Seriously though, she recommends saying it every morning when you first wake up and look at yourself as you brush your teeth.

For whatever reason that means so much more to me than the verse Lois is constantly reminding me about when I read her blog about being fearfully & wonderfully made.  Sure He made me in His image, but those trips to McDonald's really screwed up His masterpiece.

This verse, however, speaks to today.  Today I am the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. 

The other verse she shared was one that really got me - Galatians 5:26.

That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Did He really inspire those words all those years ago?  Cause it sure sounds like He thought them up after seeing me compare my running & biking times with all my friends on the Daily Mile.

Maybe none of this is as touching to you as it is to me.  Maybe I'm the only one in the blogosphere that needed this lesson, but oh how I needed it!

I hope today you realize just how lovely you are.  And if you're like me, and sometimes have your doubts, I pray that you would remember these scriptures. Claim it.  Own it.  Know it.

You are lovely.

Why yes, yes I am.

Spring Fling - Final Weigh in

Good morning all!  The sun has found its way back out just in time for my BRICK workout this afternoon and its the final weigh in for the spring fling group challenge.



We'll just cut to the chase.

Challenge start: 125.4
Goal weight: 120?
Last week: 123.4
This week: 122.8
 
Not exactly the big numbers I was hoping to post to help the team pull out a victory for the challenge, but I can't be too hard on myself.  At this stage in the game even a 0.6 loss is hard to manage.
 
Okay that's a lie.  It wasn't hard this week. 
 
Wednesday: Pizza, beer, & wings (with Jay's client) at the local microbrewery.
Thursday: Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni* - although I did measure my portions to ensure staying within my calories.
Friday: "Best Italian Restaurant" to carb load for the marathon.  Since we were walking and we planned on eating all along the way, I got the Atkins meal of italian sausage, sliced peppers & onions, and marinara.  I also had the full fat homemade Italian dressing on my salad as well as 3 garlic knots covered in olive oil.
Saturday: I have assed my calorie counting as I packed my bag for the marathon.  Then I liberally ate whatever they had at the refueling stations - bananas, peanuts, more bananas.  Then I partook (without guilt) of the pulled pork and doritos they had waiting for us at the finish line.
Sunday: I felt like I ate everything in site.  In reality, the 2nd helping of baked spaghetti was all I truly had to feel guilty over.
Monday: The one day I was actually good.  Breakfast for dinner without a fatty pork product on my plate. 
Tuesday: Yet another dinner with a client that involved pizza.  I didn't get full on pizza so I ate a salad with some sort of homemade thousand island dressing and an orange for dessert.
 
*What's a girl to do?  I'm trying to use up my Hamburger Helper stockpile never to buy it again.  I want to switch to healthier eating.  Sneak a veggie or two onto Jay's plate.  Thursday night he sat down at the table and said "You know this is one of my favorite meals right?  Why don't we have this more often?"
 
I had considered giving myself a calorie counting break after this challenge.  I'm definitely getting my exercise in - I'm on week 6 of my triathlon training (I may or may not have skipped a couple of weeks at the beginning). 
 
Now I'm questioning that.  My "goal" weight is 2.8 pounds away.  If I can half heartily count calories and still reach it, why give up now?  Because unless all 2.8 pounds comes from my legs I'm not going to be happy even then.
 
So here's the new plan.  Stay with my calorie counting and try to get to 120.  When life happens and I can't, I don't beat myself up.  Like this weekend.  Friday I'm volunteering all day at a charity sporting clays (shooters hitting clay targets) event.  I won't have the ability (neither will power nor time or opportunity) to eat 3 healthy meals on Friday.  I'll pack some healthy snacks, do my best not to binge on the yummy, unhealthy goodness around me, but sample a small taste and enjoy myself.
 
How'd you do?  Did you finish the challenge strong?  Or are you excited for the next challenge to get you motivated again.  Or are you one of my readers who admited yesterday to being more like Jay in the motivation department?
 
Hopefully you did well - after all you've only got one body.  You need to take care of it.  Sure there are titanium joints, pig hearts, and things of that nature you can use to replace what you trash, but that's just icky, gross, and requires a lot of downtime.
 
Sisterhood unite!  Sisters - link up!
 
I'll leave you today with a picture of me and my 3rd place Civilian team medal.  Sure the 4th place person was the one sitting on the couch all day Saturday, but 3rd is 3rd no matter who's behind you.
 

True Confessions Tuesday

I have a few things to get off my chest this morning!  After burning 2,000+ calories at the Mountain Man Memorial March this weekend, I took some liberties with my calorie couting.  I may have had some cookies, doritios, and a couple of chili dogs.

I also did absolutely nothing on Sunday.

Nothing.

Okay I know that you're supposed to take a rest day after a big event like that, it was just hard for me.  It was a gorgeous day and I desperately wanted to take my bike out for a ride.  Or go for a run.  Anything to get out.

But none of that is my confession this week.

Wanna know what I've got to confess?

I'm a sneaky wife!  I'm trying to come up with ways to get Jay involved in exercise without him really knowing.  All that talk at the first of my blog?  Just trying to convince him this is a post he needs to skip over.  He reads my blog (and even comments sometimes) but he's admited to skipping over my weight loss/workout blogs.  Hopefully he's skipping over this one today!

Last night he went trail running with my training buddy and me.  I like to use the excuse that the trails are isolated and it wouldn't be safe for two women out running alone.  That's true, in part.  I certainly wouldn't go out there by myself.  But its also a good way for me to get him out there and get him moving.

Jay is an athletic guy who enjoys sports.  Weight isn't an issue with him, but his inactivity (due to his focus on work) can't be healthy.  He followed his father's footsteps into his occupation, but I don't want him to follow in the sedintary life. 

My FIL is a great provider for his family.  He's set a good example for Jay to follow.  He loves his work.  The danger of loving your work, however, is that it becomes your hobby too.  People need to be diversified, just like investments.

Jay has a great work ethic, but pushes himself to the point of burnout.  Then he goes the opposite direction and just shuts down for a while.  It can't be good for him.  I'd love to see him get involved in some sort of sport or activity so he has a venue to channel his work stress.

Beyond the trail running I'm going to heavily suggest we hike more this summer.  What are other ways I can get him active and involved?  I get annoyed with him and call him Captain Critical because I can't keep up with him running or hiking, but I have to put myself aside for the sake of his health and well being.

I'd love any suggestions you have to give!

Head over to the Sisterhood to check out more confessions!

Mountain Man Memorial March

Several months ago I signed on to participate in the Mountain Man Memorial March. At girls night out, one of the ladies mentioned wanting to put a team of 5 together in honor of her husband. He's in the Air Force, and she knew that he would be deployed to Iraq by the time the March rolled around. She'd done the march the previous year with him, now it was time to do it for him.


Our training consisted of long walks every other weekend, starting at 10 miles and building up to a 22 miler. The lady putting together the team lied to us told us that the course was pretty much like the rolling boulevard we'd been training on, excluding one fairly substantial hill.

My friend/coworker/training buddy and I carpooled to the event Saturday morning and upon looking at the course route and information knew that we hadn't been given totally accurate information. The "fairly substantial hill" was a 9% grade.

(source)

For those of you that don't live in mountainous/hilly areas - that's a big ass hill! And it continued on forever.

Or at least a mile.

The other hills were in the 5% range, which is still nothing to sneeze at! While conventional wisdom says that for every up hill there is a down hill, sometimes it just doesn't feel that way.

During the training walks we split up into two groups; it was just too difficult to find a time where 5 adult women with busy lives could set apart 3+ hours of their weekend. My friend/coworker/training buddy and I did most of the walks together and for several of the walks we chose hikes instead.

The 12 miler was our first/only group walk together, and she and I led the pack. We worried, once we got by ourselves, that we would have to adjust our pace down significantly to accomodate the group.

Turns out we were only partially right.

I would say that I'm at a fairly high fitness level, but for some reason I strugged on the hills. The few flat spots I had no trouble keeping a brisk pace, and on the down hills my legs prefered to jog. But for whatever reason (weak quads?) my legs were slow in carrying me uphill.

My friend & the team leader had no such problem (even though the team leader complained of our brisk pace on the 12 mile walk) and went off ahead of the rest of the group several times.

Another girl in my group welcomed my slower pace. While the rest of us had completed our final long walk 2 weeks before the event, she hadn't been able to make it to the walks so the team leader insisted on walking 22 miles with her the weekend before.

Big mistake.

Poor thing started the walk with blisters on the balls of her feet. Its a long convoluted story about how and why she had the blisters, and I don't want to point my finger at any one. (They aren't reading this any way so what good would it do?)

It basically boils down to the event not being well thought through from a team stand point.

About a hour and a half in our team broke apart, and two of the walkers went headed. At about the 12 mile point (at the base of the monster hill) they waited on us to catch up, but the hill was steep and long and eventually they got ahead of us again and waited at the top.

Finally, at the half way point, they decide to just go on.

To be honest it sort of annoyed the rest of us. Okay I can't speak for the third girl, but me and blister girl were annoyed. The whole point of doing it as a team - we thought at least - was to stick together and be a team. To not get bored over the course of the hours that walking 26.2 miles takes. Being a military event with their 'no man left behind' creed - crossing the finishline 20 seconds before or after your team results in immediate disqualification.

What's the point of going ahead if you can't be done with it?

I'll have to say there were points in the last portion where I was bored out of my mind. Girl #3 is naturally quite, blister girl was hurting and didn't want to chit chat, which left me to walk for hours without saying more than a few sentences.

Chatter box that I am, I'm just not cut out for that. When soldiers would catch up with us, I'd chat with them for a bit, then I'd notice I was too far head of the group and fall back so that at least the 3 of us could stay together. I desperately wanted to put in my earphones and listen to music but I didn't want to be rude.

For the last mile, our other two team members doubled back and rejoined us. They had unofficially finished the walk in 6 hours and 50 minutes by incorporating jogs on all the down hill portions.

Our official team time was 8:18:38 (by my watch at least). We came in 3rd place in the civilian team category out of 3 teams.

You know what? I'm okay with that. One team that beat us was a group of cop types that our team leader knew. They didn't train much for it, but their over all fitness level is pretty high. The other team that beat us had group t-shirts made. On the front was a soldiers name and picture and on the back a phrase "It can't always be someone else's son."

Trust me, I'm much more okay with losing the race than dealing with the kind of loss that team had experienced.

There were many times through out the race where I was inspired by our military. Some didn't make it the entire way, and had to be picked up. Around the 15 mile mark we saw a soldier on the side of the road with his 40 pound pack on the ground. He had his cell phone in his hand starring at it. You could see the question in his eyes - time to call it quits or no. Later we saw him continuing on, although we're still not sure if he made it he whole way.

I'm relying on my team members for pictures, and they haven't gotten them to me yet. I'll be sure to share when they do.

Friday Free for All

I was a bad girl and didn't try anything new this week, so I'm not able to particpate in the Shrinking Jeans Monday Project.  I really don't have anything new to chat about so I thought I'd throw a little of this and a little of that.

Financial Friday

Jay and I conquered 2 big financial hurdles this week - taxes and opening Roth Iras.  I was a bit worried about taxes this year.  We had a ball park about what we thought they should be, and had the money squirreled away in savings.   I feared the worsts - that Jay had miscalculated somehow and we would owe more than he expected.

Thankfully that wasn't the case. 

We had actually over funded our tax savings so we used the remainder to open up Roth IRAs for each of us.  For the first time in my life I know what those people who get huge tax refunds each yera feel like - only I had the privilage of keeping my money all year and earning interest on it.

We were on a time crunch with the IRAs because up until April 15th you can fund a Roth for the previous year.  Choosing to use the money towards 2009's investment limit means that we can work the rest of the year to save up and try to add for as 2010's contribution.  Its really a win-win, we have the opportunity to save more later if we can, but if the funds just aren't there they we don't have to contribute again this year.

Fitness Friday

This weekend is the big walk - the Mountain Man Memorial March.  26.2 miles walking with 4 other ladies all in support of our team captain's husband.  She's currently station here, with their 3 year old son, while he's station in Iraq serving our country.  After registering this evening, we're going to dinner for a girls night out/carb load combo.  Not sure we'll be going hard enough to need to carb load, but who can turn down great Italian food?

This morning I shaved even more time off my swim.  I did 400M in 16 minutes.  Not a great time, but good for my considering I did 300M on Monday in the same amount of time.  I'm not great at this swimming thing, but I'm coming along.

I freaked out earlier in the week when I learned that the community center indoor pool would be closing for renovation on May 1st.  Normally the outdoor pool doesn't open until Memorial day - May 31st - the day of my triathlon.  Thankfully they are going to open the outdoor pool to lap swim early to accomodate the indoor pool users. 

Great news.  Only its going to be as cold as wiz in that pool. 

Fashion Friday

I wore a super cute outfit - accessorized well and everything - earlier in the week.  So well that I wanted to get a picture but as usual I never got around to it.  I found a cute spaghetti strap full length dress on sale at target in the dead of winter ($5 and size XS - can't beat that!).  I wore it once in the winter with a long sleeved tee under it.  This week I wore a short sleeved white tee (the dress is hot pink) with a long silver strand with white beads ever 3 inches or so, and a cute pair of gray flats. 

Totally much cuter in person than in the description.

Oh well.

So, what's up with you this weekend

Spring Fling Week 7 aka the End is in Sight!

Good morning all.  Okay first things first - the scale.

Challenge start: 125.4
Goal weight: 120?
Last week: 123.8
This week: 123.4

What?  Um, that totally wasn't supposed to happen.  If you read my confessions yesterday you know that this was my sabatoge week.  No, I don't plan it out, but as I was sitting in the McDonald's drive thru on Monday I realized that's exactly what I was doing.

This week is my week for Aunt Flow to visit, for me to ride the cotton pony or whatever silly phrase we use to talk about the week that all hell breaks loose on our bodies.  We blame our cravings on Mother Nature, we blame her for the bloat gain for the week.  No, its not the burger, large fries, and large coke in my hands - its that damn TOM.

Only what was really keeping me from losing was me.  I'm insecure.  The more you know me the more you know to what degree.  (In case you were wondering I fall in the "lightly more than normal" teetering on the brink of "effed up nut job".) 

What if I lost more and it still wasn't good enough?

Add to that revelation my darling love.  Any of you who are married know that sometimes men are idiots.  As Mrs. Charlie says in the Farm Bureau commercials "I didn't want you to fix it, I just wanted you to listen."

(BTW - If you're not a southerner and haven't seen the FB/Charlie commericals you're missing out.  They're very cute.)

I'm trying not to let the scale be my sole guide, so for the past year and a half I've been measured by one of the fitness instructors on a quarterly basis.  She does my wellness assessment for work, and then afterward takes all the standard measurements.

(BTW - I lost 1.5% body fat in the past quarter.  I'm down to 21.1% body fat.)

Here were the results -

Biceps -¼ each, -½ total


Upper chest -¼
Upper Stomach +1
Waist -¾
Lower stomach -1
Thighs, calves, hips stay the same.

The chest/upper stomach measurements might not be accurate, as I was too lazy to change from my regular bra into a sports bra (which is what I usually wear for measurements.) 

Part of the reason I started this journey was because I was sick of my circus freak shape.  My bottom half was 3 sizes larger than my top half.  Never had a problem with my top half.  At my biggest?  I was a size 2 up top (and a 32B I might add - I rather enjoyed being a B). 

What the beep am I supposed to do with these numbers?  My waist (which I'm apparently still losing from) is only 2 1/2 inches bigger than ONE thigh!

I'll admit it - I snooped in the Hood Shred group measurements.  I'm the queen of comparing myself to other people. 
So what does this have to do with my darling hub-sand?  When he took me out to lunch yesterday, I was bemoaning the fact that through out everything I've done the past 6 months - the half marathon training, the triathlon training, the calorie counting - I can't get my thighs to budge. 
 
His answer: You're not pushing yourself hard enough.
 
Seriously??  The previous measurements were done half way through my half training.  When I was measured I was only up to a "long" run of 6 miles.  My training took me all the way up to a race distance of 13.1 miles. 
 
But I'm not pushing myself hard enough?
 
My triathlon training program calls for me to eventually swim 350m surrounded by other swimmers in a pool.  Do you know when I was taught to swim?  NEVER.  Over the course of the past two months I've taught myself the following: how to keep my head under water.  how to breath to the side instead of to the front, that my arms should enter the water bent instead of straight.  Things I'm currently working on: bilateral breathing & leading with the top of my head instead of my forehead to reduce drag. 
 
But I'm not pushing myself hard enough?
 
I set a goal of a 10 minute mile for my last 5K.  I worked for 8 weeks doing speed work and consistant runs in order to get my time down.  My obstacle for speed?  Not being able to catch my breath.  Gasping for air and wheezing.  My doctor has since given me 2 prescription drugs for exercise induced asthma.  But the reason I can't run faster, can't breathe at the faster pace is...
 
Because I'm not pushing myself hard enough???
 
You know what the real pisser of it all is?  Even though it makes no sense.  Even though I have this list - and more - to prove just how off base he is.  Depsite it all.
 
Deep down I actually believe him.
 
That's the part that scares me.  That worries me. 
 
Despite all I've done to try to prove to me (and bottom line - I do all of this for me and no one else) that I can do what I set out to do - I still don't believe it.
 
Ironic that this all should come to a head this week.  The week that I'm elbow deep in So Long Insecurties by Beth Moore.  I feel like screaming up to heaven I GET IT - I'M INSECURE.  NOW FIX ME!!
 
Because what's the point of understanding all of this in my head if my heart is still asking What if I'm never good enough?
 
I know, I know.  I owe you my $15 copay for you making it to the end of this blog.  Sorry.

I'm a ungrateful brat.

Its True Confessions Tuesday time and the title says it all.  So we're done here.  Have a nice day!





Okay so you knew better than to think that you're going to get off that easily right? 

I'm a grateful brat because...

• I've gotten down to 123.4, but then I get scared.  What if i can't get down any smaller?  So I sabatoge myself and make sure that I don't lose.  I typically do such a great job that it takes me about 3 weeks to undo all the sabatoge damage.  By the time I get back down, the yo-yo heads back up...
• I didn't lose even a quarter inch in my thighs and calves this past 6 months.  I was hoping to see a little movement on the tape.  I have, however, lost 2 1/4 inches from each thigh since I started this journey over a year ago.  That's 4 1/2 inches lost from my total leg circumference.
• Wanna know something else?  In  my lower stomach (you know the area that pooches on ever woman in the universe except those darn Victoria's Secret girls?)  I've lost 6 inches.  6.  Seriously!  Again that's over the course of more than a year, but still.
• My husband is a hard worker - in a field that he loves and allows him to provide well for our family.  Yet I'm grouchy because of the big fat check I just had to write to the government for income taxes.
• Said hardworking husband wanted to meet me for lunch to finalize said tax information, then he took me out to lunch to celebrate the 3 year 6 month anniversary of the first day we met.  And I'm grouchy because he made me miss my total body conditioning class.

I suppose life is pretty sweet...no matter what the scale says tomorrow.

PS - This was sabatoge week, so I'm hoping I'm not up too much and I can begin today putting an end to the cycle.

Weekend Update

Hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend!  I didn't do anything eventful - but that's eventful for me here lately!  I got most of the work I wanted done in the house marked off my list - can I get a big woot, woot?  I got 2 workouts in (normally I struggle to do 1 on the weekend) and I made a scrumptious dinner last night for the MIL's birthday.

I've got an exciting/nerve wracking week ahead of me.  My "to-do" list contains the following:

• Allergist appointment this afternoon.  Must work up the nerve to ask him if I'd benefit from an inhaler.
• Triathlon shopping in the University town.  I figure while I'm there for my Dr's appointment, I might as well get some much needed supplies at the sporting goods store.
• Entertain the in-laws.  Okay so they pretty much entertain themselves while they are in but can throw my schedule for a loop a bit.  Case in point - I didn't get in bed until 11 o'clock last night, an hour past my bedtime.  They are gracious and wouldn't have minded me going to bed while they were still hanging around, I am just mental and didn't want to seem rude.
• Going out with 2 clients of Jay's for dinner.  The first is very casual - I've told you about Stan before.  The other is a bit more formal, not sure how well my hillbilly self will go over at that one.
• Do my first official brick workout on Wednesday.  I've never made the bike to run transition but I've been warned about wabbly legs for the first portion.
• Finish "So Long Insecurities" by Beth Moore.  The conference is the 24th and I'd like to get my copy of the book to my mother so she can at least start it before the simulcast.
• The Mountain Man March.  26.2 (or so) miles of walking all in the name of honoring a friend's husband currently serving in Iraq.  We're certainly not going to set any land speed records, we're hoping to complete the walk in about 8 hours.

What does your week look like?  Whatever you have planned I hope you have a good one!

The Monday Project Book Club Edition

Christie O. was generous enough to give us two weeks to complete this Monday Project - read a book on healthy/fitness/nutrition and report back.



I chose Triathlete Magazine's Complete Traithlon Book by Matt Fitzgerald.  My friend/training buddy loaned it to me right as my training began and just in time for the Monday Project!  She had considered doing a sprint triathlon and had purchased the book for herself.  I can't really remember why she never raced in one.

Okay if you're new to triathlons run far, far away from this book!  It really freaked me out.  I'd talked to Christie and Pubsgal and had myself psyched up for doing a sprint tri myself.  Then I read this book and got completely intimidated.

$1,000+ for a bike?  A wet suit?  This is a sport I can't afford to get addicted to.  Thankfully Christie was around to talk me down and point me in the direction of Beginner Triathlete.  I'm already in a mentor group working along side a group of tri newbies like myself.

Having said that, the book did have useful information in it.  I'm sure more experiences triathletes would benefit greatly from the book.  I even learn that I needed to tweak my swim - who knew that your arm should break the water bent at an angle instead of straight?

Okay so everyone did.

Go ahead, I'll wait until you get finished laughing at the 29 year old that knows nothing about swim technique.

*Waits*

I'm not getting any younger folks.

*whistles*

Anyhoo - the author doesn't seem to think that a triathlete in training should eat in a deficit, but who knows more a writer for Triathlete Magazine or Christie O.?   It seems to be working for her.  Maybe with the longer distances (Olympic, Half Ironman, Ironman) I can understand that, but I'm not increasing my training any so I shall survive.

Enough about that - I'm excited to check out what you're reading.  Don't forget to link up over at the Sisterhood. 

If you're not a shrinking sister, I'd love to hear about what you're reading in the comments.  I <3 books!

PS I haven't started the Beth Moore Insecurities book yet.  I'm scared.  I know its gonna be painful. 

I < 3 Planning

I love planning and organizing things. Call me a dork but its just plain fun. In the world of housework I love making a "to do" list then having a mini celebration (in my head) every time I mark something off.


With exercise and racing, I love finding a training plan then adding it to my calendar immediately. Who cares if its 4 months worth of training. I love being able to look today at my calendar and see what I'll be doing 6 weeks from now.

As much as I loved weight training, getting up at 5:30 in the mornings was killing me. I either had to be in bed by 9 or I crashed the following evening.  Great for strength building, not so great for getting my new home together.

I've been working a little on the house all week this week and I feel good about the progress I'm making.  This will be my first Saturday free in a long time, so I'm looking forward to opening the windows and making some real progress.

Because I'm crazy like that, I've already started planning my 30th birthday party.  My birthday isn't until June, but I figure I need to go ahead and decide exactly what I want, so I can present Jay with the details of what he's going to do for me ;)




Lora doesn't have her Thursday's Ten up yet, but I decided to choose my own adventure and give you a list of ten goals I have for myself this year.

1. Complete most of the races I ran last year so that I can have an apples to apples comparison of how much I've improved.  This starts on May 1st with the SMARM 5K Rescue Run.  It was my first race ever.
2. Complete my first triathlon May 31st.  Even though its "just" a sprint distance, I've got a lot of work that needs to be done between now and then.
3. Have my house finished by the time my birthday party rolls around.  I've got a gorgeous home and I want to be able to show it off to friends and family.
4. Open Roth IRAs for both Jay and myself and contributed our maximum alloted amount.
5. Read 52 books.  I tried that last year - a book for every week, and didn't quite make it.  Right now I've got a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to hit it this year, but I still have plenty of time left.
6. Find my maintenance weight and stay there!  I want to be able to be very low maintenance about my food.  I don't want to obsess about every little calorie, but I also don't want to gain back all the weight I've lost.  I have confidence it can be done.
7. Pay extra on our mortgage.  We want to be able to be completely debt free in 5 years.  Doing the math we've figured out approximately how much we'll have to pay down each year in order to acheive this.  Especially with other savings goals, it won't be easy.  A lot of hard work on Jay's end (making money) and on my end (budgeting) and I have faith we can do it.
8. Shave 15 minutes off my half marathon PR.  They've changed the course this year, so there is no killer hill at mile 8.  2:30 isn't quite as embarrassing as my current PR.
9. The Disney marathon.  That's technically not until 2011, but my training will begin as early as September. 
10. Enjoy life.  Sometimes I get so caught up in my planning that I don't take the time just to sit back and enjoy.

Weigh-in Wednesday - the Downhill ride

Good morning all!  Ms. Downer is around here somewhere, I just wanted to pop off a quick post before she turns up and tries to ruin things.  :P



I'll get the numbers out of the way first:

Challenge start: 125.4
Goal weight: 120?
Last week: 125.0
This week: 123.8

I'm trying not to get too excited about the loss, because I fear next week the roller coaster of my weight heading back uphill.  (Aunt Flow is coming to visit Debbie next week.) 

I've decided a few things in the past week.  The first is after this weight loss challenge is over, I'm going to give myself a break on calorie counting.  Not allow myself to go hog wild, but follow Karena's lead and not obsess about every bite I put into my mouth.

Also, when I'm finished with the triathlon training, I'm going to give myself a couple of weeks off.  Christmas was really the only break I've had from running since I started back last March. It doesn't hurt that right smack dab in the mittle of those two weeks off is my 30th birthday.  I'm hoping my body will come back ready to push harder than ever.  Even if it doesn't, it'll be a nice little vacation.

I'm considering finding alternate means of exercise for the months of June, July, and August.  Still run a time or two a week, but focus more on cross training.  Once September arrives I'll begin training for the Disney Marathon, so my legs deserve a little calm before the storm.  Any suggestions for things I could take up? 

Its tempting to combined heavy lifting and eating at maintenance or a little above to attempt to build muscle mass during this time period.  I guess its still far enough out there that I don't have to make any decisions right away.  Last time I restricted calories because I wasn't sure I could mentall handle the weight gain that would come from a mini bulking phase. 

Okay I know I'm a freak.  While most might find having their year planned out already constricting, I find it liberating!  I love knowing what's in store for me.  I love being in control having a plan.

Mhahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

PS - I've actually been getting some work done around the house and it feels wonderful.  Now if i could just find a way to get the cob webs out of the corner of our 16 (ish??) foot tall stairway wall.

She's back...

Not sure why, but Debbie Downer is back.  I'll try to keep this post short so she doesn't rear her ugly head and get cranky.  Let's see what I can give you confession-wise

• I over ate (as usual) at my parents house this weekend.  Between Jay, my sister, and I, we polished off a bag of Doritios in less than 30 minutes.
• Then she & I split a bottle of Yellow Tail Riesling.  I could do that more often!
• I felt disconnected most of the weekend - I was happy to be with family, but overall was melancholy and I couldn't figure out why.
• Last night I was bitching about something someone had said to me that rubbed me the wrong way.  Jay nicely told me I was being petty and to let it go.  I wish I didn't get offended so easily.
• He wants to spend Saturday weeding the flower beds around the house.  My first free Saturday since we've moved in.  Keeping in mind that my living room still has saw dust on the windows and ledges.  The weeds can wait.
• I've been feeling very anxious the past few days.  It always comes in the spring - I suspect its allergy related even though my allergist knows of no such correlation between nerves and allergies.  I swear its there.  I can feel it. 

Now its your turn!  Don't forget to link up over at the Sisterhood.

Wakey Wakey...

The past few nights I've been kept up late by family and chores partying like a rock star and I'm exhausted.  I won't complain though, I loved being able to spend the weekend with those that I love.  What'd I do with myself for the long weekend?

Friday Jay & I met up with one of the girls I'm walking the marathon with in a couple of weeks for our final training walk.  We'd  decided on Old Settler's Trail.  From everything we'd read about the trail - it was a fairly easy, but long hike so we could bank our mileage in style.  Why walk 22 miles on the sidewalk of a major road whilst sucking car exhaust when you could be strolling along side rock walls built by settlers several generations ago?

The trail was steeper than we'd anticipated, slowing down pace and limiting how many miles we could log.  (Jay had an appointment with a contractor that afternoon and my friend's family was coming into town.)  We ended up hiking 6.7 miles to the camp ground, then hiking on for another 30 minutes before turning around.    Estimating a hiking speed of 3 mph (which would be very generous in some spots) we hiked any where from 16-18 miles. 

Needless to say I was pooped - diet and budget be damned, I was not going home and cooking after all of that.  Instead I convinced Jay to make a run for the border and enjoyed a plate of Nachos Bell Grande and a large Dr. Pepper.

Saturday morning I woke up stressed.  We were meeting my sister in town around 11 for an Easter egg hunt, so I had just enough time to get a project started and not enough time to actually get much accomplished.  I decided early on that my 10 mile bike ride would go out the window.  Horrible, since my only other bike that week was on a flat tire and I averaged 7 MPH. 

Oh well a dirty house was calling my name.  I put on a pot of coffee and dropped some toast into the toaster when I saw the bowl of soup sitting on the counter.  I'd made soup 2 nights before, then Jay helped himself to left overs the night of the hike.  Only he forgot to put it back in the refridgerator when he was done.  My grandmother assures me since there is no meat in it and it was a cool night it'll be fine.  Just in case I'll be feeding every last drop to Jay.

After breakfast was done and I got side tracked unloading the dishwasher I had 45 minutes to work on the house.  Surely that was plenty of time to clean the window in the landing upstairs right?  It was a beautiful morning.  The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the air was crisp.  Then out of the blue I hear a cow bawl.

With that I started to cry.  I haven't felt at home, really truly at home in a while.  I didn't realize what a country girl I was until the loud grunting of a cow completely took my stress away for the moment at least.  As I cleaned the rest of the window I felt very much like Snow White.

Dancing about the landing I my head was in the clouds - and I was actually getting work done.  Then I heard "Would the party with with 10 o'clock tee time please report to the golf club?  party with the 10 o'clock tee time." 

Okay so maybe I don't live out in the country any more, but at least its better than a beagle neighbor flanking every side of the house.  Its nice to at least be in a community where the houses are more spread out. 

We egg hunted, then we went back to my mother's house and played on the swing set, then we stuff our faces with steak and other yumminess.  Jay & I didn't head home until about 8:45 or so.  And I hadn't yet made my pasta salad for Easter dinner. 

I spent the next 3 hours being productive around the house and fell into bed at midnight.  Needless to say we skipped sunrise service, but did manage to make it to both Sunday school and regular service.  When we got to my mom's house we found the Princess laying on the couch with a damp cloth on her head - apparently she'd gotten brave on the swing set and fallen face first into the dirt. 

Not to be out done, the Little Man ran around the house and decided to grab onto the electric fence and not let go.  The Princess was crying harder than LM as she ran back to tell us what had happened.  It felt like an eternity as my dad was running toward him, yelling at him to let go.  When my dad finally reached him, he had to be pulled off -not sure if the current was holding him on or what. 

Let's see what else happened yesterday afternoon...

Please click to enlarge.  I'll wait.

The wardrobe malfunction.

Jay decided we needed to have family races - 100 yard dash to be exact.  My BIL was afraid of getting hurt so he backed out.  Jay and my two cousins were the only two in their "age bracket."  Michael (the one on the left in the black shirt) already suspected that Zack (the one on the right in the navy) would win.  He's an active 16 year old boy after all.

Not wanting to be last, Michael decided he was going to stop Jay from getting 2nd come hell or high water.  Moving faster than I've seen him move, he pushed himself for about 15 yards - long enough to grab ahold of the back of Jay's shirt and hold on.  Jay kept running so Michael hung on like he was skiing or something.

And that's the story of how my husband bared his hairy breast to all of my family.

So - how was your weekend?  Got a story to top that?

I'm pregnant!!

Or its April Fool's day - your choice  ;)

Seems like the perfect day to let it be known - I won an award!!

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.

Thanks Kristina!  woot! woot!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

Yes ma'am!

3. Link to the person who nominated you.

Done, cause I can multi task like a champ!

4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.

1. My middle name is Inez.
2. I won a "name the easter chicken" contest in middle school for my choice of Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight (NKOTB fame).  They thought it was 4 submissions and I won for Marcel.
3. I got kicked out of college with one semester to go for sneaking booze onto a dry campus.  I was later aquitted because I squeeled on my roomie.
4. I was kissed by my first ever celebrity crush - Ricky Morton during a wrestling stunt.  Jay wasn't happy and stormed out of the building.
5. I like to occasionally rock a faux hawk.  Thankfully my CVS stockpile is well equipped, because it takes a lot of gel to accomplish!
6. I have "Don't Hassel the Hoff" tattooed on the typical lower back/tramp stamp location.

Which is the truth out of all those lies?  I'll leave that up to you to figure out!

5. Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.

Lora

Christie O.

Lucy

Amanda

Helene

RR Mama

Amy

I love reading what all of these ladies have to say and hope you'll check them out!

 

6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.

Ahem...I just did that up there ^^^^

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

will do!

What's your best ever April fool's joke/prank?