October 20, 2017

Two Weeks of Catch-Up!

If you missed it, I posted a belated Thrifty Thursday post earlier today.

There has been so much going on lately that I can't even remember all the things I planned to write about. Things are winding down a bit, since fall baseball is now over and cross country will be over on Saturday. Here is a (hopefully short) recap of the last couple of weeks:

As you already know, Jerry and I went to Seattle and Portland for vacation, and we had a blast!

I've been doing physical therapy for six weeks, and my back/neck/shoulder are definitely getting better. The scoliosis and bone spurs in the middle of my back likely won't get better, which is where I have the most pain; but the tight and thickened muscles in my upper back and shoulders have felt much more relaxed. My physical therapist is fantastic, and I actually enjoy going.

This machine makes me feel like I weigh about 70 pounds

Our last cross country meet is tomorrow. This year of coaching has been my favorite so far--most of the kids we have are very enthusiastic about running, which makes them a pleasure to coach. I'm especially impressed with the girls! They never ever complain or try to get out of running (the boys come up with every excuse in the book, haha).

One of the parents got this pic of Renee and I watching the start of a race

Speaking cross country, Eli ran his fastest mile yesterday--8:12!! I couldn't believe it. I've said it at least a dozen times, but I am sure that the orthotics and physical therapy have a lot to do with his improvement. He's also been more motivated to beat his times this year, so he's been working harder. He's certainly much faster than his mom!



And speaking of that, I actually went for a run! After dropping the kids off at school earlier this week, the weather seemed so nice for a run. And the kids at cross country have been motivating me to think about running again. So, I got dressed in my running clothes and headed out.

I deliberately didn't look at my pace, but I guessed it was around 10:30. I felt surprisingly decent! It wasn't easy by any means, but I didn't hate it. My pace was actually 11:30, though--it's surprising how much fitness I've lost over eight months!

The run made me start to think of goals again. I feel like a beginner--not the way I was before, because I can run three miles without stopping right now--but my pace is very slow compared to last year, and I probably couldn't run much more than three miles.

A screen shot of a video--pretty much sums up how I felt about running, haha

When I stopped running in February, I felt like I had hit my goals and I didn't have anything to work toward. I had run three marathons, and had no desire to run farther than 26.2 miles. I busted my ass to run a 10K PR, and didn't want to work on getting even faster.

By hitting the goals that I desired, I really didn't feel the drive to run anymore. I'm not saying that I'm going to start running again now; but if I do decide to, I will have new goals: things like a sub-30 5K, a sub-60 10K, maybe even run a half-marathon again. All of these feel new to me, and challenging. I like a challenge! So, I'm going to think about it.

In other news, Jerry's and my budget is still going very well. This month, we probably won't be able to pay much extra onto the credit card, because we have extra expenses and we won't earn nearly as much as last month.

Eli's orthodontist appointment is next week, and it's $560 just to get started. Jerry's ER bill arrived yesterday, and that is $200 (but we'll get a few more bills for it soon, I'm sure). My physical therapy is $20 per session, and I go twice a week. We had to pay for the boys' baseball jerseys and tournament ($80), a rental car for Seattle/Portland ($115), Halloween, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting.

Thankfully, due to our zero-sum budget, we will be able to handle it without relying on credit cards to pay for it. It's been so exciting to see the progress we've been making on our debt! I'm hoping we'll have it paid off in the early spring. If we hadn't started the budget, it would have taken us years; but with the budget, it will have taken roughly 9-10 months when it's done.

Speaking of money, Jerry and I took the kids out for pizza after a cross country meet, and I used $10 of my allowance to play Keno while we waited for the pizza. I played a 7-spot for the first time (I usually play a 4-spot, which means you choose four numbers). The odds are slightly better with the 4-spot, but I decided to change it up.

I actually won $100 on the third draw! It was SO exciting. To play Keno, you pick numbers between 1 and 80 (the amount of numbers you pick, up to 10, is up to you--each with different odds). Then, there are 20 numbers pulled, and the amount you match determines how much money you win. It's a fun way to make a little gambling money go a long way, and to kill some time before your food arrives.

Anyway, I played my usual four numbers plus three random ones. As the numbers were popping up on the screen, I saw several of mine coming up--and I even lost count! I noticed that 33 still hadn't been pulled, so I was hoping to see that one. It didn't come up, so I knew I hadn't won the top prize--$2,000--but I counted the rest of my numbers, and I'd matched 6, for a $100 winning. I won another $5 on that card, so I actually profited $95--fun!



Tonight, I'm getting together with my friend Andrea. I'd like to get another ear piercing, so we're going to go somewhere to do that (I haven't decided exactly where on my ear yet, but I'm looking at photos now to decide). I've been wanting to do it for a long time.


Right now, I'm liking the "snug" one, but we'll see. By the time this post goes live, it will likely be done :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
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4 comments:

  1. I have an industrial and love it. It took over 6 months to heal all the way but now it's been years and it good to go. Hope your piercing goes well :)

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  2. Can't wait to see what piercing you ended up getting...I could not go there...although, I am always thinking about another tattoo....ha!

    I guess I missed a post...what's up with your back and neck??? Can you link me to a post about it if you did one?? thanks...hope the therapy helps!

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  3. So awesome about Eli! Must be inspiring to see your child surpassing you in that arena! I feel that way about my 6 year old working on cartwheels. If she learns to do it, it will be the first time she will have done something I've never been able to do. Onwards and upwards with the next generation!

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  4. I'm sure it's done, but I would advise against a tragus piercing. They can impact your hearing :) But new piercings are fun! What did you get??

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