Worst. Diet. Ever.

A few posts back I might have alluded to the fact that I have been wearing a lot of spandex pants because my regular pants weren't fitting.  I unfortunately wasn't making a joke, I really am having a hard time squeezing my butt into my regular pants.  It isn't like I've gained 30 pounds, but when you're 5'4" there is no place to hide an extra 5...okay, 7 pounds.

I'll admit it, I have been avoiding things with zippers for awhile and getting away with it because I am a stay at home mom and fortunately (or unfortunately) I don't have a dress code.  This was all fine and good until Thursday....Thanksgiving.  I guess I could have sported my spandex, but thought it would be a tad inappropriate.

 I finally went up to change into "real clothes" and told my husband I would be down in a few minutes.  After 10 minutes passed he came up and said, "Uh, what's going on here?"  Clothes were strewn about, I was visibly upset, and clearly not wearing any pants.  Upon surveying the scene, I think he was slightly concerned that he would show up late with a half dressed wife.  I replied that I was "trying to fit my fat butt into some pants."  He did what every smart husband does...he ran away.

I spent the next five minutes trying to find the least offensive option and arrange that option in the least offensive way.  What was worse, a camel toe or a muffin top?? ( In case you're wondering, a camel toe is always worse.)  I finally settled on something and sulked my way to Thanksgiving dinner.  My husband, bless his heart, tried to cheer me up but it was to no avail.  I found myself wishing I could drop a few pounds quickly so I could fit back into something that was made of a non-stretch material.

You know what they say, be careful what you wish for.

My wish did come true.  I dropped some pounds, and quickly at that.  Unfortunately, it was because I was infected with the dreaded stomach flu.  Words cannot express how much I hate the stomach flu.  When introduced to this nasty virus my stomach's motto is always "go big or go home."  I guess you can call me an upchuck overachiever.  I become violently ill and I have often begged my husband to show some mercy and kill me already.  He never does, which I suppose is a good thing, but at the time it just seems cruel.

This was my Black Friday shopping bag.

 A day of not eating (and involuntarily getting rid of everything you ate) and a day of eating saltines and vegetable broth will really get the scale moving....but so not worth it...So. Not. Worth it.  I will always choose a muffin top over a night with my head in the toilet bowl.

I am finally feeling human again and I am desperately behind in everything.  This week will be full of catching up and getting back into the gym.  That flu weight has a way of returning quickly and I really do want to zip up my pants!  This is also (hopefully) my last week in the heinous post-op shoe.  I get x-rayed at the end of the week and if all is well I will be cleared to bike (oops already doing that) and swim.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I see the light!!

A final inquiry: how many HBBC points do you think I can get for my night of puking?  By my calculations I have about 6 straight hours of a very intense core workout.  What do you think, does it count? 

Hope everyone had a much better Thanksgiving weekend!!   


Any good stories from the Holiday?


Anyone brave the stores this weekend??
 

4500 calories, a turkey idea, and what Ratatouille and Survivor have in common

Break out the maternity pants, it's Thanksgiving!!

 The average Thanksgiving dinner is 4500 calories.  If that doesn't scare you then you have no idea what calories are or how many you should be eating in a day.  4500 calories is roughly three times the amount of food you should have in a day....packed into one meal.

An average person (I believe it is actually based on a 150 pound person) burns 100 calories per mile.  So if you are going out for the annual Turkey Trot, you are only burning about 310 calories (give or take a few).  If you wanted to burn all the calories in the average Thanksgiving dinner you would need to run 45 miles.  I don't know of any annual 45 mile Turkey Trots, do you?

So, what's a person to do??  Do we boycott Thanksgiving?  Do we serve steamed veggies, brown rice, and grilled chicken breast, with fruit for "dessert?"  Do we suck down a turkey flavored protein shake and call it a day?  No way!  It is Thanksgiving and part of this holiday is gathering around good food.  I think, and disagree with me if you want to, overindulging occasionally is fine.  But when I say overindulging I do not mean by 1000's of calories, I am talking about 100's.  So this takes me back to my original question: what's a person to do??

I think the best thing you can do is go into Thanksgiving informed and make a game plan based on that information.  I saw this on my AOL ticker this morning and thought it was pretty great.  It shows you the what a serving size looks like and how many calories are in each.

It is my opinion that when you know better you do better...oh wait that's Oprah's opinion, but I still agree with it.  It is my untrained, non-credentialed advice to take a look at the calorie counts of your favorite foods and just count them up before Thanksgiving.  Knowing how many calories you are planning on consuming can help keep your plate in check!  Here is an example of a typical, but well portioned Thanksgiving meal:

1 cup of salad (with dressing)- 125 calories
3 oz. of turkey (white meat)-135 calories
1/4 cup of gravy- 50 calories
1/2 cup mashed potatoes- 145 calories
1/2 cup of stuffing- 180 calories
1 roll- 180 calories
Butter for the roll- 35 calories
1/4 cup cranberry sauce-105 calories
Pumpkin Pie with no whip cream- 323 calories
Total Calorie Count-1278 calories

So even a well portioned meal (which, let's be honest, we don't always dish out a well portioned serving) is still way over the amount of calories we should consume in one sitting.  Oh, and I didn't even include everything that tends to find its way to the Thanksgiving feast (like yams with marshmallows, jello molds, green bean casserole, giblets(?), and sugary drinks).  

Here are some strategies to help keep the calories down:

•  Be picky.  Pick your favorites and leave the rest.  I don't love cranberry sauce.  I don't hate it, and I will eat it, but it isn't my favorite thing.  But for some reason every year I put it on my plate and eat it.  Now that I know a quarter cup of the stuff is over 100 calories, I won't be choosing that this year.  I will save those calories for my favorite- mashed potatoes sans gravy!
• Cut all your portions in half.  Maybe you don't want to be picky.  Maybe everything looks great and there isn't a thing you want to leave behind.  Half or quarter your portions and you can still enjoy all your favorites.
• Pass the salad!  Fill half your plate with salad or other vegetables and eat those first.  If you fill up on lower calorie fare then you won't have as much room for the calorie rich foods.
• Pass on the toppings.  Gravy, butter, heavy dressings, and whip cream can make your calorie count sky rocket.  If you are going to use them, use them sparingly.
• Keep your other meals light, but not too light.  Don't go into the meal starving because that is a recipe for overeating.  But maybe choose lower calorie options for the other meals you will be eating that day.  
• Screw it!  I'm eating!!  And now the strategy most people will take, the screw it option!  Forget all my advice and eat way too much.  Buttoning your pants is overrated anyway.

Okay, I am not trying to be the holiday buzz kill.  I just think with knowledge comes power (Oprah probably said that too) and simply knowing how many calories we are consuming can make us think twice about what we are shoving in our pie hole. 

I will leave you all with two random things:
1.  Here is a great idea for all of you cooking a turkey. 

2.  This is for the Survivor fans.  I was watching Ratatouille this morning with my kids and realized that if you put glasses on the chef :

he looks an awful lot like this guy:

Cochran in all his nerdy glory.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!  And of course happy (responsible) eating!!  Good luck to everyone who will be racing on Thanksgiving.  Also, good luck to everyone who will be cooking for mass quantities of people (I'm talking about you Marcia!!). 

What is your favorite holiday health tip?


What are you going to splurge on this Thursday?

Who is Turkey Trotting or Gobble Wobbling?

Things...

Thing that happened to my computer:

Things that caused that to happen to my computer:

Thing that came in the mail today:

Things that won't be allowed around my new computer:

Thing my daughter will probably be wearing when she is finally potty trained:

Things I have promised my daughter if she will poop on the potty:

Cars 2

A whole fleet of princess dresses

A pony

 Things at the gym I just started using (I like to refer to them as the "spread eagle twins"):

This one is for the saddle bags

This one is for the crotch biscuits

Thing you need to read if you have no idea what a crotch biscuit is:

Thing my daughter insisted on wearing to school the other day:

Thing that I get out of cooking every year because a) I am a vegetarian and b) I am a horrible cook:

For some reason nobody wants a Tofurkey dinner.

Thing I am in charge of cooking for Thanksgiving dinner:

Things I got to do at preschool last week:

Emerson's Thanksgiving Feast

Mason's Thanksgiving Feast

Thing you should not accidentally sit on because you will break it and that will make you feel pretty fat:

I guess I know what to put on my Christmas list because I don't think I can go back to actual books.

Thing I am ridiculously proud of:

My son just started reading today!  Honest to goodness, sounding out words, and comprehending the words he sounded out.  This is one of the most magically moments that I have experienced as a parent.  There have been great moments and milestones, but there is something about watching the wheels turn and seeing him figure out how to read that has been amazingly awesome to me.  Okay, I am done having my self indulgent parenting moment.

What things do you have going on?

Best parenting moment (furry parenting moments also allowed)?

Where will you be for Thanksgiving (we are staying home)?

Who are you going to believe, the accused or the accuser?

Today I am going to stray from my normal format and tackle a more serious subject.  It is something I don't usually do, but I just feel compelled to talk about it.  And it is my blog so frankly I can talk about whatever I want to talk about, right?  This of course doesn't mean you have to read and I understand if you want to pass on my more somber topic.   

On Friday my husband was working from home which means the TV was on ESPN.  As I was doing stuff around the house I could not escape the two stories they were circulating between.  The first was of course the awesome Bronco victory over the Jets and the amazing play by Tim Tebow.  (All non-Bronco/Tebow fans can insert groan here.)  The second story was yet another sex scandal involving a coach at a prominent university.  Two former ball boys for Syracuse University's basketball team have accused Bernie Fine of sexual abuse.  I am sure it was receiving extra attention in light of the Penn State scandal.

The thing that stuck with me in this coverage was head coach,  Jim Boeheim's statement of support for Bernie Fine.  He vehemently defends Fine and even called the accuser "a liar."  There is no mistake what side he is standing on, and I guess everyone picks a side when they hear a story like this.  Who are you going to believe, the accused or the accuser? 

When you don't personally know the parties involved the decision of who to side with seems easier.  Personally, whether it is right or wrong, I tend to believe the accusers.  When we personally know one of the parties involved it is usually easier to pick a side as well.  I think, whether it is right or wrong, we tend to believe the person we know, like Boeheim is doing.  When the accused seems like a horrible scum bag it also seems to be an easy decision.  But what do you do when you know and love everyone involved?

I very unfortunately have been in this situation.  Someone I respected and loved was accused of the unthinkable.  Behind my parents he was the most influential person in my life between the ages of 12-mid 20's.  He taught me so much about integrity, commitment, and honesty.  I not only learned from him, I laughed with him, I got advice from him, and he was always there when I needed him.  I already had a wonderful father, so he wasn't exactly a father figure, but close.  Yes, I loved him and his wonderful family so very much and I can't imagine the kind of person I would be without the influence from him and his wife.

In July of 2006 I was about to call my parents to tell them that they were going to be grandparents again.  I planned to call them and then of course this family that meant so much to me.  Before I could make the call a friend I grew up with called to tell me the news.  He was being investigated.  Not only that, but I knew every single one of the girls accusing him.  These girls were not just acquaintances.  These girls were my friends, I knew them well.  And in my heart, even though I really did not want to believe it was true, even though I wanted with everything in me to believe that these were lies, I knew they were not.  I had to choose a side, and although it was heartbreaking, I knew what side to choose and I never made that second call.

If I am going to be honest, this has devastated me.  I have had to mourn for my friends who were abused and violated by a man who should have been protecting them.  My heart aches for the pain and torture he put them through.  But I also mourn the loss of the man I thought I knew.  He might physically still be alive, but the person I thought he was does not exist.  He was merely a monster hiding behind a put together, well educated, family man.

And that brings me to something that bothered me in the coverage of the Syracuse sex scandal.  Many people have come forward to defend Fine.  And I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing.  But I keep hearing statements like, "he is an upstanding guy" "we never saw him do anything" "he has a great character" etc.  The thing is, appearing to be a stable, upstanding, trustworthy individual is kind of a sexual predator's wheelhouse.  If they weren't those things people wouldn't leave their kids with them.  I don't think it is wrong to support an accused person because there are sometimes false accusations, but please don't base it on the fact that the person seemed like a good guy, or a great guy, or even an excellent guy.  And parents, please don't think that because someone appears to be upstanding that they won't try to take advantage of your children.

I will forever be haunted and effected by abuse that did not even happen to me.  It changed my life and robbed me of my trust.  I have simultaneously felt gratitude for what he gave me and hatred for what he did to others...and then guilt for feeling gratitude...and then guilt for feeling hatred.  It is a complex thing.  I feel sorrow and rage and intense disappointment, so I can not imagine what my friends who were the victims must feel.  I wish I knew what to do to make their pain go away, but I don't.  So I pray.

Sexual abuse of children (and teenagers are still children) is the worst kind of evil.  I hope with everything in me that the victims in both these recent cases can get the help they need to move forward.  And if these men did in fact do these things, I hope they rot in jail for a long time.  Unfortunately, I have seen first hand that the prison sentence someone serves for this crime is appallingly short and the recovery period for the victims goes on and on.  But I hope justice is served all the same.

(Ugh, sorry for the downer post, but like I said, I felt compelled to talk about it!  I will be back to business as usually on the next post!)

Things you never knew you wanted for Christmas

It is that time of year again!!  The turkey, the tree, the lights, the endless marketing.  Ahh, tis the Christmas season and everyone is trying to win your almighty holiday dollar.  From now until Christmas we will bombarded with ads on TV, radio, the internet, and of course, the "shop at home catalog."

A couple of days ago something came in the mail claiming to be "America's Longest Running Catalog."  This is funny because I had never actually heard of them.  Hammacher Schlemmer?  Frankly, it sounded made up to me.  Hammacher Schlemmer's tagline is "Offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected."  Hmm, since my husband happens to be impossible to shop for I thought I would take a little browse through the pages of the famed catalog.  Who knew, maybe I would find the illusive "perfect gift" for the hubby.

Did I find it?  No, but I did see some pretty interesting things in there.  Let me introduce them to you just in case you want to add them to your Christmas List.

The Password Vault:

This thing stores all your passwords. A couple of questions: 1) Why don't you just use the same password for everything like I do.  Wait what, you aren't suppose to do that?  Oops.  2) Where do you store the password for your password vault?

The Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler:

I can see wanting this if you are in college, male, and currently living in a frat house.  Who else is buying this and why?  Has America really become this lazy?!

Authentic New York Hotdog Cart:

This is only $5,500.  You either need to eat a lot of hotdogs or be running an amusement park out of your backyard to make this thing worthwhile.  Again, I ask, who is buying this?

The Magic Wand Remote Control:

This remote control is both ridiculous and very confusing to use.  You have to learn to move it in certain ways to control different devices.  Is this for the Harry Potter enthusiast who is also a couch potato?

The Bionic Bopper Cars:

Okay, I can't lie, these actually look pretty cool.  I would totally play with them!  There is just one little problem.....they cost $17,000.  In our house we reserve $17,000 for actual cars, not bopper cars.

Heated Outdoor Cat House:

For the person who loves their cat....just not enough to let it in the house.

Pet's Personalized Six Pack:

For just $40 bucks you can get your dog their own six pack.  Because doesn't your dog deserve to crack one open after a long day laying on the couch licking themselves.  

20 Foot Animatronic Triceratops:

 I swear I am not making this one up.  For just a measly $350,000 you can have this animatronic Triceratops.  Can you take out a mortgage for a Christmas present?  Besides the insane price, I think I will pass since we all know what happened the last time my kids were around robotic dinosaurs.

There are so, so many others that you can check out here.  These gifts are so ridiculous...and I only want about half of them.  I mean who doesn't want their own Zoltar?  Or a flying car?!  Or a power nap capsule?!  Seriously!

You're welcome for all the great gift giving idea! Is this what I'm doing with all my non-running time? Why yes, yes it is!  Just kidding!  I am back at the gym and cheating by riding the exercise bike.  Plus I have found a whole lot of other exercises that do not, in anyway, involve the big toe.  I am not nearly the sad sack that I have been.  Only two more weeks in the ugly post-op shoe, which is fantastic because two people have asked me if I had bunion surgery.  Bunion surgery?! 

***Update- I just read Kim's post about ridiculous kid's toys from FAO Schwartz.  I think FAO and Hammacher are related.

Be honest, do you want one of these things?

What's on your Christmas list?

The top 10 signs you're a running blogger who isn't currently running

10. You mention you can't run.....Every. Single. Post.

9.   You start posting about very random things (i.e.your dogs, things you hate, pop culture, Top 10 Lists).

8.  You repurpose your hydration belt.  Instead of Gatorade and gels, it now holds wine and Cheetos.  You start to wonder why you didn't think of this earlier.

7.  Your toddler tells you to stop whining. 

6.  Instead of a race countdown widget you have a "days until I can run" widget.

5.  Your race schedule stops including marathons and triathlons and starts including things like Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

4.   Minutes into the New York Marathon you turn off the TV, yell "I hate all you bastards!!!" and burst into tears.  Your children are confused.  They might ask their teacher what a bastard is.  You might get a phone call.

3. You start wearing a lot of spandex.  You tell people it is because you miss working out.  It is actually because they are the only pants you fit in now.

2.  When the doctor tells you not to run for 6 weeks, you ask if that is negotiable.  When he says no, you ask for Prozac. 

1.  You sob while reading race reports and then leave comments like, "You suck!  I hate your freaking guts....er..um..I mean congrats on the great race!"

Thanks to everyone who is still reading my now totally random blog!  Oh, and I have only done a few of the things on the list.  I'll let you guess which ones.

Pop culture phenomenons I just don't get

Michelle Duggar....I just don't get her.  It isn't that I don't understand wanting to have a big family.  I think that works for a lot of people.  I don't get wanting to be pregnant 20 times!!  In case you haven't been pregnant, it is just horrible.  I think being pregnant was the worst....the end result was wonderful, but the being pregnant part just sucked!!  Twice was enough for me!  Oh and potty training 20 kids....not enough money in the world!!!

Kids love this show.  Celebrities love this show.  I don't get this show.  If you have never seen it, I will try to explain:  If Barney mated with Dr. Who, their love child would be Yo Gabba Gabba.  It is like a mix between Mr. Rogers and a bad acid trip.  Or Sesame Street on crack.  It's weird.  But the worst part is that I find myself singing the songs from it.  "There's a party in my tummy!  So yummy!  So yummy!"  Ugh!  If you haven't ever seen it I put a clip below.  You kind of need to watch it to understand the total bizarreness that is Yo Gabba Gabba. 

I gave it a chance.  I did.  I watched the first movie.  It was awful.  I watched the second movie and all I have to say is, "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me."  I wasn't about to be fooled a third or fourth time.  Team Jacob?  Team Edward?  How about Team Normal Human Boy?  If your only two dating options are a vampire or a werewolf, maybe you should just be single for awhile.  What am I missing?  Someone please explain to me the appeal of dating the undead.

I don't get why 100% of fashion is based on the 1% of the population that looks like this.

Can I get an amen!?

It isn't that I don't get these shows...I just don't get the title.  Are any of these women actually "housewives?"  When I think of a housewife I think of someone driving carpool and doing laundry and, you know, actually taking care of their children.  So why "The Real Housewives?"  It would be like naming a vegetarian restaurant, The Steak House. Crazy Rich Chicks, Horrible Women, Cat Fight!, those are titles I would understand.....but not "The Real Housewives."  Is it suppose to be ironic?  Someone help me out. 

Okay, what am I totally off base on?


Tell me the thing you just "don't get."

Headband winner and trying not to think about the Butterfly Effect

First and foremost, I need to announce the winner of the headband!  I used Random.org to pick the winning number and it was 2!  That was Heidi Nicole at Run Around Aroo!  Please email me (katieanneschmidt@aol.com) your mailing address and headband choice so Emily can send out your headband.  I promise, you will love this thing!!

It is amazing the factors that go into picking the winner of a random contest.  How many people entered, how many entries, the order in which they were entered, the time of day I picked the winner.  If any of those factors were different than there would be a different winner.  This of course had my mind wandering (it tends to do that) to the Butterfly Effect.  In case you don't read chaos theory in your spare time, the Butterfly Effect states that something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings can cause someone else to win a headband....okay it was actually something about causing a tornado in Texas.  Basically, the tiniest things can have huge impacts on the future.

It is an interesting theory, but a dangerous place to let your mind linger.  What if?  What if I had done this?  What if I hadn't done that?  Would my life be unicorns and rainbows instead of the crap I'm dealing with now?  My guess is a "what if" has already popped into your head.  We all go to that "what if" place at times.  Maybe it is a big thing like cancer, an accident, a personal tragedy.  Maybe it is a little thing like getting pulled over or breaking your freaking big toe.  Yeah, in case you haven't guessed I have found myself playing last Friday afternoon in my head and saying "what if...."  What if that butterfly hadn't flapped its wings and I didn't break my toe right in half.

Though we often entertain these thoughts, they are completely useless...unless you have a Delorean and a flux capacitor.

Oh  Doc Brown!  I know it would mess up the space/time continuum, but can you please take me back to Friday around 1:00ish....oh and maybe back to the day we saw Bug in the pet store.

We can not change what has already happened.  We can't go back and run faster in a race.  We can't train harder for an event that has already occurred.  We can't un-injure ourselves no matter how much we want to.  All we can do is accept the present and look for the silver lining.  Good things can come from bad situations.  Don't we grow and learn so much in our most adverse times (and no, I don't think having a broken toe is my most adverse time!)?

Sometimes bad things happen for a reason, something they just happen.  But if we spend all our time in "what if" land we can miss out on the good stuff that comes from the bad. 

I am off to the gym this morning(!) for some upper body weight lifting.  I'll try not to cry when I pass the treadmills.

What is your biggest "what if?"

Expectations in Health Care

Several times throughout our day we are customers.  When we walk into a store I think we, as customers, have certain expectations from the employees.  If they were rude and unhelpful we would take our business elsewhere.  When we go to a restaurant the same thing applies.  If the wait it too long or the food tastes like crap we aren't going back, right??  When we pay for a service we expect that service to be good, whether it is from our barista or our mechanic.  And the more we spend, the more we expect.

One service I pay an arm and a leg for is Health Care.  My husband is self employed, so every month we have to shell out big bucks for coverage.  I am not going to lie, this stinks.  We picked the most affordable option for us and it is still obscenely spendy.   It is just one of those things that comes with self employment.  The company we use has a reputation for lack of customer care...and I am using the word customers because really that is what we are...customers.  I won't call them out but their name rhymes with Schmaiser Schmermanente.  Until recently Schmaiser and I have been on pretty good terms...but then this weekend I got a taste of their infamous lack of customer service.

It wasn't quite this bad...but it was close.

I will not get into the whole thing but the post op shoe I was "fit" with for my broken toe was not working out.  I couldn't walk without pain.  The PA was less than helpful when I came back in and he even said to me, "what do you want me to do about it?"

Was I asking too much?  Was it wrong of me to ask for something more than a "one size fits all" solution?  Should I have suffered in silence because this jack hole didn't want to do his job??

The whole thing led me to ponder what we expect from health care professionals and what we should expect from them.  After all, we are paying...and we are paying quite a bit.  I am realizing that all too often I am met with the attitude that I am being granted a favor instead of paying for a service.  I have had health care professionals be rude and unhelpful.  I would never put up with it from a store or a restaurant, so why am I more willing to put up with it from a doctor, nurse, or PA??  What gives?

I am not trying to bag on doctors here.  My best friend is a doctor and I know how ridiculously hard they work and there are some really amazing, caring doctors out there.  What I am trying to say is I think it is okay to expect and demand appropriate care from someone we are paying!  They are taking care of the only body we have, shouldn't we expect them to do a good job?

I guess my lesson here is I am going to expect more from the people taking care of the me.  I am done with this "do the bare minimum (or less) and get them out the door" mentality.  I don't really care if Joe the PA thought I was annoying and a nag.  He should have been concerned that his patient was in pain, not put out that I was making him do his job.

I'm raising the bar and expecting:

• To be treated like an individual with unique needs
• To be listened to
• To be given alternative options if the first ones don't work
• To be treated like a paying customer and not chattel

So I am leading an Occupy Schmaiser Rally if anyone is interested....just kidding.  But I am going to encourage all of you to expect and demand the best for your bodies!

What do you expect from your doctor?

I think becoming a runner and triathlete has made me more demanding in my health care.  Do you think athletes have higher expectations?

Comments and Coping

**Warning!  This is not the most exciting post, but it could be useful if you want to switch up your comment system!

When I started blogging in March of this year, I didn't think too much about layouts, designs, or formatting.  I was pretty sure it was just going to be me typing to no one and maybe my mom would read every now and then.  As time went on, I started to read more blogs, comment on more blogs, and in turn, more people started to read and comment on my blog.  I soon realized that I was not in love with Bloggers comment system.  Let's just say it leaves a lot to be desired.  Here are a few of the issues I have noticed:

• Responding to comments is not always easy!  Often, I want to send a response to someone who has left me a comment.  I hit reply and I am staring at "no reply" on the screen.  I can't tell you how many times I have sent an email to no reply.  I could respond on my comments but I don't know if that person will come back to the blog to see the response.  So I don't usually do that.  If I have never responded to a comment you made it is because you haven't linked up your email, so don't think it is because I am rude or didn't appreciate the comment!
• Comments can be very static.  Sometimes I see a comment made by another blogger and I really like what they said and I want to respond.  That isn't really possible with Bloggers current comment system.  I would like a comment system that encourages more interaction.
• There are limited ways to sign in and comment.  This isn't a problem for people who have blogs because we all have Google or Wordpress sign-ins.  I think non-bloggers can be a little confused on how to sign in to make a comment.

I thought that it was unfortunate and unchangeable....then Miss Zippy changed to Wordpress and had a fancy new comment system.  Then Amanda at Run to the Finish got the same fancy comment system.  I had comment envy.  Not only could you easily respond, it allowed the commenter to link up their blog.  I thought it was pretty cool, but I thought it was only for Wordpress blogs.  Would the only way to get this cool comment system be to completely change over to Wordpress??

Well, since I am doing a lot of sitting around at the moment, I thought I would investigate the possibility of adding it to my Blogger blog.  10 seconds later (thank you Google) I found out that you can add Intense Debate to Blogger.  Bingo!!  So yesterday I launched it and did a test.  I had to do a bit of adjusting, especially to get the Facebook button to work, but over all it was pretty easy.

The first time you comment with this system you have to fill out a few things and decide how you will log in.  You can even use Facebook or Twitter.  You will also want to put in your blog url so others can see your latest posts.  Subscribe to the replies and you will get an email notifying you if anyone replies to your specific comment.  That way you don't have to subscribe to ALL the comments.  Then let me know what you think.  Better, worse, pain in the butt to use???  Feedback good or bad on this new system is so appreciated!

On to a totally different subject....coping with my injury.  Thanks to some suggestion, I have a great ideas for exercise.  Bummed I can't do what I want?  Totally!  That I can deal with.  Being a full time mom to my two small children, however, has proven to be a little more challenging!  I had to upgrade to the boot which has made things a little easier, but still it is hard to keep up with them.  Yesterday, my daughter (who is super 2 right now if you know what I mean) had a total breakdown coming home from preschool.  This involved me running in the boot after her in the school parking lot and up and down my street.  I also had to struggle to get her in and out of her seat.  It was trying, there was a time-out involved, and she only managed to step on the broken toe a couple of times.  Navigating motherhood with a boot seems to have a steep learning curve.  I have confidence I will get it and it is also a great excuse for not vacuuming.  I am going to hold on to this saying and do my best:

And try not to become this:

***If you like this system and want to add it to your blog, just let me know if you need any help!

Don't forget to enter my headband giveaway!!!  It ends on Thursday!

Voodoo, Gypsy curses, or just bad luck??

Check out the awesome look I will be sporting for the next 4-6 weeks.  I like to call it orthopedic chic.

Nothing says sexy quite like a post-op shoe

In case you are new to this blog, I hurt this foot during the Rock n Roll half marathon on Oct. 9th.  But that is not why I am wearing the post-op shoe.

Two weeks ago I was shopping at Target with my two children.  We were in one of these carts:

They are roughtly the size of an ocean liner and just as maneuverable.  I was attempting to turn around in the aisle, which mind you is no easy feat.  As I am struggling with the fully loaded beast, I accidentally run completely over my pinky toe (on my already hurt foot).  It was bruised and pretty painful.  But that is not why I am wearing the post-op shoe.

Yesterday I went for my first run in almost a month!  It was glorious even though I only went a mile.  It was a fantastic mile.  I wanted to keep going but I thought I should take it easy so I wouldn't re-injure my foot.  After the run I assessed how my foot was feeling.  Great!  So obviously that is not why I am wearing this post-op shoe.

After the run I picked up my daughter from preschool.  Not long after we got home she said, "I have to go potty!"  If you have ever potty trained a child then you know that if you hear this, and you don't act fast, you will pay for it   I picked her up and started running (since I could do that again!).  My big toe caught on something, bent in half, and I put full weight (hers and mine) on my bent toe.  Blinding pain!  I screamed, "Hoochie Mamma!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  My daughter asked, "Mom, what is hoochie mamma?"  I was glad at that moment that she was asking me that and not "Mom, what does #@$% mean."  I am pretty proud that I kept it relatively clean.

I finally stopped screaming and looked at my toe.  It was already gross.  Today, I went to get an x-ray and it was confirmed that I broke my first distal phalanx right in half.  It was a clean break, not on the joint, and would only require the oh so attractive post-op shoe for about 6 weeks.

So in the past month my poor left foot has had a strain, a smashed pinky toe, and a broken big toe.  What the heck?!  I am beginning to think someone made a voodoo doll of my foot.  Or maybe that foot accidentally kicked a Gypsy and she cursed it?  Or maybe it broke a mirror?  I don't know, but I am seriously considering amputation.  Maybe I should have gone to the witch doctor after the medical doctor.

Whatever the cause, it is definitely some bad luck.  After 4 weeks of limited activity I was given these instruction for the next six weeks:

What's left?  Am I going to have to take up this:

Chair aerobics, here I come!!!!!

They should have just given me one of these along with the ugly orthopedic shoe: 

4+6 is 10.  10 weeks of no running!!!  Am I bummed and sad and mopey?  Yeah, a little bit.  Is it the end of the world?  No.

November is a month to really reflect on our blessings and all we have to be thankful for.  My toe might be broken, but not my spirit.  It is just a little bone and it will heal and I will be able to run again.  For that I am so grateful!  I am grateful that the rest of my body is healthy.  I am grateful for a sister who watched my kids so I could go to the doctor.  I am grateful for a husband who was working hard so we could pay for that ridiculously expensive weekend doctor's visit.  Life is good....my toe is not...but life is.  God has given me so much to be thankful for and I don't want to forget that!

Although I can hardly believe this happened, and I am upset to say the least, I am choosing to focus on all the good stuff.  And now, if you will excuse me, I am off to locate a copy of Sit and be Fit! 

How is your weekend going?  Better than mine I hope!

Whose got a broken toe story?  Any advise?