On Monday, Emile asked me if I wanted to do a 5K this weekend – his company would pay the entrance fee. On Monday – as you’ll recall – I was being audited and feeling guilty about not answering my grandfather’s call. So, I said, “What the hell? Sign me up”.
June 19th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: This doesn’t seem like the best idea today.
I get nervous about lots of things. I don’t like to make mistakes. Which is funny because if you asked anyone – most think I am bold and brave. I’m not really – it’s just bravado.
I couldn’t sleep last night worrying about our race the next day (Band On the Run – 5 km). What if I don’t get enough sleep? What if I can’t handle the hills? This is a much harder race than the Chocolate Race. (we burned 300 calories just walking the race route) What if I don’t hydrate enough? What if I hydrate too much? Should I run or walk up the hardest hill right at the beginning? What if I can’t handle it? What if it rains? So I lay in bed, counting down how many hours of sleep I might get if I go to sleep right now.
But here I am the morning of, up, hydrated, eaten, and listening to my husband update his FaceBook about his “wife going to do great”. Now he’s proclaimed it. I’d better do it.
June 9th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Being stupidly nervous about things that just get worse when you get nervous about them. Don’t you think I know that?
It’s race weekend! Off we head to St. Catharines to participate in the annual Chocolate Race. No ordinary race for us. No sirree! I mean, if you are going to run, then you should pick the shortest distance available that also serves chocolate at the water stations, don’t you think? And then serves post race chocolate? I’m proud of how far Emile has come in just one month. He will be able to beat his personal best and run the entire race I am sure. I’m going to be dragging a bit, but nonetheless, I can run about 500% further than I used to – so an accomplishment regardless if I can run the entire 5K. We both have targets we are hoping to beat, so we’ll see how much chocolate drags our butts back!
About 12 or 15 years ago, my friend Mark and I had the same late 80s navy blue Honda Accord. (though mine was a standard – even more fun to drive) We both loved our cars – so well-built, so reliable and so easy to drive. And with 4 doors, great for moving people and things. I drove mine across the country and back, he drove his back and forth between British Columbia and Alberta. Mine helped me move 8 times in 2 1/2 years while I earned my MBA at McMaster. But Mark drove his further than I ever got. So much in fact, that one day we were all treated to an amazing email. And I was sure I kept it, but there is no record in my mail. Nonetheless, I remember it well. It was a picture of his odometer and trip meter:
Odometer: 333333.3
Trip Meter: 333.3
The text told us all that this “miraculous event” took place in some mall parking lot in Edmonton (can’t you see him driving around in circles, then yelling “Stop!” at just the right moment?). And that car kept going beyond that. Mine eventually died from electrical problems – the battery kept draining for reasons unknown to anyone. Mark’s. . . I am not sure what happened to Mark’s, but I know it got him far, but only so far.
In my most recent Honda – a 2007 Honda Fit – I’ve only had cause to drive it across Ontario. St. Catharines, Toronto and I swear that thing could drive from Midland to Huntsville by itself. When Emile and I are together, we always drive the Fit to save the 1996 Honda Prelude SLR that is on its last wheels. Today we celebrate a little milestone on our trip to St. Catharines, silly as it might be. I like silly.
April 26th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: I only wish I could have lined up the Trip Meter:
The Daily EO 