March 9, 2010 • No Comments
Last December a couple of friends invited me to run the Mickelson Half Marathon with them in June of 2010, and as much as I enjoyed my first half marathon experience, I simply wasn’t prepared to allot that much free time to training. I’ve heard the Mickelson Trailis a beautiful run and didn’t want to miss out entirely, so naturally I signed up for the marathon instead. Heh, the marathon relay that is!
I have several co-workers that enjoy running whom have also been interested in this race, so we formed a 5 person relay team called The Jolly Joggers; I know, we aren’t that creative. Each member of the team is assigned a leg with pre-determined mileage. I’ll be leg two, which is a 5.2 mile interval. This will not require an extensive amount of training, but it will push me to continue running throughout the remainder of winter - which admittedly, I have been slacking on. :S
For those interested, the other legs of the marathon are as follows:
- Leg 1: 8.4 miles
- Leg 3: 4.4 miles
- Leg 4: 4.0 miles
- Leg 5: 4.2 miles
February 20, 2010 • 1 Comment
Reduce is a family of products that assist you in reducing your carbon footprint by either using eco-friendly materials, or eliminating the need to use disposable products. For Christmas, my friend Kari gave me a set of water bottles from this company. WaterWeek™, pictured in the upper left corner, is a set of 5 stylish reusable water bottles and includes a fridge tray for organization.
I love this set because it allows me to enjoy pure water anytime and anywhere without the continual cost and garbage build up of bottled water. I use them when working out, sitting around my house, or when I’m on the go (they fit perfectly into my purse, so I often take them to the movies or bring them along when I’m out shopping). If you’re interested in reducing the number of plastic water bottles you use, I’d encourage you to consider this product!
February 15, 2010 • 11 Comments
Today the Argus Leader ran an article indicating the South Dakota Legislature is looking at two bills to restrict the use of indoor tanning for underage children.
One proposed law, Senate Bill 154, would outlaw tanning for anyone under 18. A second measure, S.B. 158, would let children use tanning beds but only with written permission from parents if under 18 and from a doctor if under 14.
full article here
While I appreciate the idea of protecting young adults from the dangers of skin cancer, I don’t think this is the appropriate route. Most, if not all, salons have regulations that require parental consent and/or provide education on the risks of skin cancer (albeit, not a lot) prior to signing up for a tanning package. I’d prefer to see government regulate skin cancer awarenes by making it a mandatory part of the public school health curiculum, or by creating public advertisements.
On the other hand, I do acknowledge that kids tend to take future health concerns with a grain of salt and feel impervious to risk.
What are your thoughts?
January 29, 2010 • 6 Comments
I am a T.V. junkie. I have been since childhood. I was so mesmerized by the television that my mother refused to purchase a cable plan for fear I would do nothing else. Though her decision greatly impacted my knowledge of 80’s and 90’s pop-culture, it was probably a wise choice at the time. 
I’m not a typical T.V. junkie, choosing to sit on the couch over a social life, but I am addicted to several shows. With the assistance of my DVR, seasons on DVD and the Internet, I lead a normal (whatever the definition of that is) life and catch up at random. Mike recently made a blog post about some of the series we’ve been catching up on, which got me thinking about what shows we (or just me) follow. And with that, here is a list, because I love lists!
Honorable Mentions (programs I enjoy catching on television, but don’t follow):
Shows I Am Behind On:
Shows I Am Caught Up On:
What shows do you enjoy?
January 28, 2010 • 3 Comments
I don’t have a poem, but I want to praise my eyesight.
Today marks one year since I had LASIK. I must say, it was one of the best decisions I made in 2009. Throughout the last 4 seasons, the benefits I’ve reaped include:
- 20/20 vision (weeeeeeeeeeeee).
- The ability to see when I wake up.
- Not having to mess around with contacts in the morning; my tired eyes go burn free (and it saves time).
- The ability to see while swimming.
- Wearing sunglasses whenever I please.
- Running without having glasses slide down my nose.
- Not having to wipe rain or snow off of my glasses when going outside.
- Not having glasses that fog over when coming in from the cold or cooking.
- Watching TV in bed and not worrying about bending my frames if I lay on my side.
- Not having to constantly clean my lenses.
- Going to theme parks (or any outing really) and not having to carry a contacts case and my glasses in the event something gets in my eye and I need to take them out.
- No contacts during allergy season. This was a major bonus.
- Just smiling for a picture instead of wanting to take my glasses off first.
- And I’m sure there are many many more.
If you’re considering the procedure, but are in the midst of weighing pros and cons, I encourage you to go in for a consultation. It’s worth it!!
