TGIF

This has been a long week!  The week started out rough, because last weekend was action-packed.  Despite laying around doing absolutely nothing last Sunday, we still were not fully recovered by Monday!

Monday and Tuesday I had my sweet daycare kiddos!  It made me so happy to have them here for those two days.  I love all of them, so it almost feels like my own children leave me for the summer.  But, I do forget how exhausting having that many little ones can be!

Our air conditioner decided to give up the ghost on Monday night.  Supper was cooking, the house was clean, Little Man was playing in the back yard, and Barb Wire Man was going to be home from work soon. I decided to seize the moment and sit and knit for a bit.  I sat down, the AC kicked on, and I noticed it sounded odd.  I didn't think too much about it until the house started filling with smoke! I flipped out, called Barb Wire Man and told him to come home!  Just turning the system off didn't work.  The fan kept running, and nasty electrical fire smell kept pouring into the house, and I finally had to switch the breakers to get it to turn off!  Thankfully, the weather this week has been cooler, so I was able to open the windows for fresh air.  Besides, I am the type of person who could totally live without an air conditioner and be just fine.  Barb Wire Man, on the other hand, is not.

Speaking of missing kids...this week has taken forever to end because I have something I'm so looking forward to tomorrow!  I get to see my Flower!!!  She has been out in South Carolina since the end of May, visiting her dad, step-mom, and sisters.  I know she has enjoyed it, but man, do I miss her!  I will be picking her up at the race I was supposed to run on Saturday morning.  I cannot wait!

The race I was supposed to run.  That makes me sad.  The Palo Duro Hot Dog is a 15K run that takes place in the Palo Duro Canyon, which is about 40 minutes or so from my house.  Erika, Mattie's step-mom and my friend, really encouraged me to start running.  So I did!  It was not something I ever thought I would really enjoy, but come to find out it was something I love to do.  I ended up hurting my ankle, and in my stubborn-ness refused to go to the doctor.  I didn't think it was a big deal, so I would just keep running each night, stopping only once my ankle was hurting so bad I wanted to cry.  I Barb Wire Man told me to go to the doctor and have it looked at.  I'm in an air cast now.  (See?  This is the reason I didn't want to go to the doctor.  I knew something was wrong with my foot.  I knew he would tell me I couldn't run, and that was unacceptable!  I asked if I could wear the cast up until a few days before the race, then take it off and go ahead and run on Saturday if I was really, really careful. The doctor's response was "Sure.  If you really really want to tear all the ligaments in your ankle, wind up having surgery, and be in pain for the rest of your life every time you run."

Well, now that you put it that way....

And so, I get to sit on the sidelines this year.  I'm so disappointed.  But, those closest to me know how hard I worked to get ready for this race.  I know that in October, when I am finally "allowed" to run again, I will come back with a vengeance and have even more time to prepare for next year's race.  And I will be at next year's race.

This year, I will be at the finish line, helping time the runners as they come in.  At least I can still participate some way, even though it isn't the way I had hoped.  Get ready, Hot Dog.  Next year, I will be there ready to go!

Be blessed, and have a wonderful weekend!!