My Heart Has Grown Ten Sizes

It was a dark and stormy night.

No, really— it was!

Tuesday had been so stormy all afternoon and evening that we had flood advisories, wind advisories, and tornado watches all through the area.  The local cross country meets were even postponed— so you know it was bad.  Perfect day to hunker down and stay home.  We settled down to watch a movie at home, hoping the power wouldn't go out, casting occasional glances out the windows at the sideways driving rain.  As the movie came to the end and the rain began to lessen, I got a text from Bekah, "Do contractions feel like period cramps?"

Am I Better Off Than I Was Four Years Ago?

This question is getting a lot of play right now as the election season heats up to full boil and the opposing parties are making their respective arguments for their candidates.  Am I better off now than I was four years ago?  I suppose the answer hangs on the definition of our standards of measurement.

It's Just a Little Bug Bite!

I've trained all spring and summer for a fall marathon.  Getting up at 6am every morning to get my run in early, sometimes even 5:30; sometimes 5— on Saturdays!  I've monitored my diet, gone to bed early, and foregone other activities in order to keep my training routine.  An "evening out with friends" was redefined to mean going to the track for speed and tempo workouts with like-minded lunatics— I mean, other runners seeking to improve their pace, strength, and speed.  I chose the Steamtown Marathon, in early October, and the Bird-in-Hand Half-Marathon as a really fun training run, next week.

The Appalachian Trail, Maine, August 2012

A little more than a year ago Erin joined Venture Crew 241.  As Venturing is not very widely recognized, allow me to explain.  Everyone has heard of the Boy Scouts.  Everyone knows that the Boy Scouts do Neat Stuff, such as hiking, camping, and tying knots.  (There's a whole lot more to what they do, but these are the activities about which everyone knows)  Venture Crew is a co-ed branch of Scouting, for young people ages 14 to 21, who also like to do Neat Stuff.  Isaac's Scout Troop has a Venture Crew associated with it; this Crew has a "backpacking" focus; and when Erin learned about this Crew she was immediately hooked.