made to run

i have been made to run.

when i write "made," i don't mean as in designed to run. i mean "made" as in forced to run against my will. i don't want to run--at all!! today my husband and i are suppose to get out there and run 10 miles. 10 miles!! my entire body revolts at just the thought of having to run. my brain says, "heck, no!" my knees say, "please don't!" and my heart can barely be heard. even my nose says, "you know that you can't breathe through your nose when you are sitting down just resting..." and it's true. i have a ....i forget what the allergist said. a slant inside my nose?? my nose slants to one side on the inside?? i don't know, but i can't breathe right. that's what i know. running and trying to breathe with a slanted nose is nearly impossible.

we will see...

not Finished!!!

so here it is...

last week, i went out and wrote "finish" on the spot where our nine mile trek would end. like i have mentioned in the earlier post, i finished the required miles. ironically, the more i see the picture, the more i wonder if it was a sort of harbinger of my training ending. once again, we will have to wait until tomorrow.

goodnight, good people...

falling off the wagon

there i went---i fell of the wagon this week. last sunday, my husband and i ran 9 miles. and my knees have been hating me ever since!! so, i only ran on tuesday for thirty minutes. the pavement went silent from my knees not pounding it this week. the saddest part is that my husband only ran on tuesday, too. but, tonight he went and ran 9 miles! talk about feeling left out and left behind!! i decided on wednesday that i would not run again until monday, which by the way is tomorrow. i need to stop being a crybaby and get out there and kick some concrete! we will see if i put my knees where my mouth is tomorrow, won't we?

in training

i have signed my husband and myself up for a half marathon in november. i don't remember exactly when i signed on the dotted line, but it has been several weeks. soon after i started my training, i came down with a sort of bronchitis and could not run for a week; the week that was suppose to be my second week of training. nevertheless, i timidly started again, trying to redeem lost training time. as of tonight, there are six weeks left before the event. i will not call it "the race" because i will surely not be racing on that day. i will only be trying to finish!!

my husband and i ran/jogged for 75 minutes tonight for the low price of $25.00 for the sitter. this would be the time to do one of those commercials: jogging for 75 minutes, aching feet, knees, ankles, $25.00 for the sitter...getting one step closer to finishing the "event": priceless...


my point in blogging tonight, however, is to begin a sort of weekly jogging journal.

how i felt tonight: my husband always starts out faster than me. i trail about 10-15 yards behind him for the first 20 minutes or so. i pretty much hate running for the first 20 minutes every time i run. but, then, about the 25 to 30 minute time, i start feeling my legs getting stronger. i feel ready to stretch them out--widen my stride and pick up my pace.

in the end, my left knee began to act up, my toes felt swollen, and i was once again hating running. but we finished...

next week: 90 minutes...

what did i get myself into?

good luck, mommy!

as i was driving my girls to school on wednesday, i let them in on my big plans for the day.

"i want to clean all three bathrooms today!" i told them with some trepidation because i wasn't really sure i could pull it off.

yes, you see, that would entail a herculean effort on my part. i have been SO tired, and dare i say it? LAZY!!

they both looked at me and said, "good luck, mommy!"

since i have been home this semester, it seems like i'm calling eva (the woman who helps me clean) more than when i was taking my crazy and record five classes in the fall and spring semesters.

what have i been doing, you might ask?

well, i have been trying to organize my girls rooms, my kitchen, their bathroom linen closet, and other things. i also have been reading, eating, and sleeping. my three faves!!

what i haven't been doing is clearing out the forests of paper that i have from my school work, their school work, and everyday mail.

so, on wednesday, i thought to myself, "no, you can't call eva today. you must do it on your own, save money, and be industrious. In opus, maiestas."

but, is there really dignity in cleaning three toilets? can you clean toilets summa cum laude? i will not get a transcript with grades for housework, fortunately for me.


well, i came home, took a nap, and then gave myself an impromptu pep-rally when i woke up! "mommy, mommy, she's our toilet bowl-cleaning-girl! if she can't do it, no one can!"

ladies and gentlemen, i cleaned all three bathrooms, swept and mopped my entire house, AND i did it better than eva!" the last bit is probably because this is my house, and i have a vested interest in a sparkling toilet, thus, i use more elbow grease.

throughout the day i kept hearing my girls wishing me luck as they scurried toward the school crosswalk. i guess they knew i needed it! :)


good luck to all the mommys that are facing a house full of chores!

now, martha...

i've been reading "the path to power" by robert caro. it is an interesting book about lyndon b. johnson. eye-opening--and that is just the introduction.

but, i guess because i've been reading about people moving to texas, i was remembering an old co-worker named andy. i always remember him saying to me, when on occassion i did not want to (um...um.) let him in on something. or just plain didn't want to answer his question. he would always say in in west-by-God-Virginia accent, "now martha, you can go to hell for lying, the same as cheating..."

i always found that hillarious!!!

here is to Andy Anderson! (wherever you are!)

summer reading kickoff

i have officially started my summer reading. actually, i began by finishing my winter reading. i had to put "my life in france" by julia child in a drawer next to my computer desk when school started in january. i began reading the book during the winter break.

it is a lovely book. i couldn't wait to finish reading it as soon as school let out. i don't know what i will read next. i'm thinking of reading "wuthering heights." i've never read the book, only watched some of the adaptations.

i know that i loved, loved, loved, "jane eyre." and i think i would like wuthering heights, too.

we will see, so far the summer is my oyster..:)

see ya!!

sleepless in the valley

if only i could convince my brain to write another 1500 word essay. it is my last one for the semester (probably for my career as an undergrad), but in vain have i sat in front of a computer to write. i wander off into ...my blog for one thing...and i wonder about what i should write. but, i can't seem to concentrate for two consecutive seconds.

i got my research paper done the day it was due. actually, i finished it around 3:30 a.m. then i slept for two hours and went to school. this kind of schedule is killing me!!

so, here is looking at another sleepless night. (hopefully my last as an undergrad!)

and, because i can't help it, "here is looking at you, kid." you're almost there!!!

really...in the whole scheme of things...

what are another 5 pounds added to the weight i have already gained? i keep telling my husband that the ONLY way i'm going to get through this research paper that is due on friday is if i go on an eating binge. i can work better when i'm snacking on oh...let me see...krispy kreme's, hamburgers, pizza, chocolate cake, cheesecake, etc., etc.,

i can't be hungry and try to think. my tummy needs to be full so that my brain can be at full capacity. i know...it is STUPID!!!!!!

BUT, SADLY, ALL TOO TRUE!!!

4 1/2 MORE WEEKS, BUT WHO IS COUNTING???

SEE YOU ALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MAY!!!

six weeks left

there are six weeks left in this semester. if you ask me, that is six weeks too many! i still haven't started on my research paper. i really need to start on that ASAP!

there isn't much to write, but despair, despair, and more despair. so, i will spare you the despair and write when things are looking up.

au revoir!

11 weeks left

o.k. so this past week was a train wreck. i had three exams and i gained four pounds!!! yes, ladies and gentlemen, i pig out when i'm under stress; especially if i have to be up until all hours of the morning!!!! i had german choclate cake, tuna salad sandwich, cokes until i was high on sugar!! the stupid thing is that i'm so wired that when i'm finally finished, i'm too wired to go to sleep! i guess i need to quit the coke earlier. my mom has promised me that all of my teeth are going to fall out, if i keep drinking coke. i really must stop, but i find it hard. i think if coca-cola is my worst habit, i'm actually doing pretty good. (can you tell i'm in denial?)

o.k. so let's rewind:

anciet rome: i'm having to read the aeneid--again!! i read it for world lit with mrs. marez a couple of semesters ago. remember? when i read the iliad? oh, well....i really need to start working on my research paper. THIS WEEK WITHOUT FAIL!!!

language and culture: i had an exam in this class on wednesday. i did o.k., but i gave away 6 points!! is that stupid or what? of course, that is one of the days i stayed up until 2:30 a.m. and woke up at 6:00 a.m. my brain said one thing, and my hand wrote another. and on the other question, i didn't finish reading the entire question before i answered it. the last give-away was when i should have stopped for a second and REASONED WITH MYSELF!!! oh well, live and learn!!

mexican cinema: we've been watching Cantinflas. seriously, i don't get his humor. yes, it's kind of funny. but i think it is really for stupid people. i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry!!! i just don't get it. what i really think is funny, is when my mom repeats one of his famous lines, "Que falta de ignorancia." when my mom says it, she is usually cutting someone down in the nicest possible way. that my friends, I LOVE!!!!

contemporary mexico: mas tragedia!! my goodness, did mexico ever get past the point of, "i'm going to shoot you because i don't agree with you!"??? let's see, madero, zapata, villa...and the hits keep coming. literally!!!!!

western civ: i have a test this tuesday. on a more serious note, my professor was speaking about elizabeth I on tuesday. he was saying that a woman's most important man in her life is that of her father's when she is a little girl. if she has a good father, she will grow up to be confident and have good self-esteem. if she doesn't...well the results could be sad. maybe it was the way he said it, maybe its that i have a more personal understanding of it, i don't know, all i know is that i nearly cried in class. what can i say? it's true.

that's it folks!! i have a new week ahead of me. i have a lot of things to do and very little energy to do it with on top of everything.

i bid you a good week! bonne semaine!!

good night, good people!!!

12 weeks left

yes, i know, if i have this countdown attitude, i will not enjoy the "moment." but truth is that i can't wait for this semester to be over (and it technically just started)!

i feel like although i'm taking history classes, which i love, i'm taking history classes that i HAVE TO take. i really don't know what is wrong with me. i'm beat for one thing. i get about 4 1/2 hours of sleep on average. i have an awful pain at the nape of my neck. i'm really starting to get concerned. seriously. either i have just have some sort of permanent stress disorder, or i have some sort of malignant...i don't even want to mention the word.

i can't say that i have hated everything about these first couple of weeks. so, i will write about some of the things that i have liked.

1. in ancient rome: just learning about rome is interesting. i should probably use the word fasicnating, but i'm too tired to express myself in that way. i'm working on a research paper (at least trying to) on julian, whom some historians have lableled as the last pagan. my job is to prove it (or something along those lines?). i have read alittle. but i have a ways to go.

2. language and culture: today we saw a short clip of the "I Love Lucy Show." we saw it and did not hear any of the conversation. the purpose of this was for us to read their body language. this is pretty much the scene: ricky walks in upset, he calls lucy, lucy comes in and tries to hug ricky, who is apparently upset, etc., etc., i want to see the episode now.

3. mexican cinema: el compadre mendoza is the first film we watched. tragic and thought-provoking.

4. mexican revolution: yes, again it is tragic and thought-provoking.

5. world civ ii: we started in 1492--we have also learned a lot about spain. i really like the fact that the professor has taken the time to give us the historical background of spain.

what i know: i'm tired. i really need encouragement.

throughout my academic career, i have had some excellent professors that have taught me a great deal. however, i think the best professors, the ones that i hold dear, have been the ones that have always encouraged me, as well. it means the world to me when a professor will tell me to persevere. when someone takes the time to say, "you can do it." and beyond that, i have had professors that i continue to communicate with and reach out to for guidance.

tal vez esos professores no saben cuanto unas palabras de guianza puedan ayudar a un estudiante, pero yo he recibido esas palabras con mucha gratitud. me han dada aliento para seguir esforzandome. y la verdad, ahorita estoy desanimada y cansada.

week 1 1/2

well, my spring semester has officially started.

let me see, i'm not up to my eyeballs with homework, yet. i do have a lot of reading to do, however. i'm suppose to be reading "Mexican Mosaic" by Buchenau (?) and Cicero, and some other online readings that i have not yet gotten to.

so let's talk about what's going on so far:

in ancient rome: we are discussing the geography of rome. so we won't be lost and know exactly where the professor is when he speaks about the seven hills of rome. i think that pretty much covers the first week. we also had a trip to the library on friday, so that we can get started on our research papers.

i picked up an English class with Dr. Heckler on Friday. i had pretty much promised myself, my husband, and my kids that i would NOT take 5 classes. but, if i want to finish in this millennia, i really need to. so i'm taking language and culture...so far it has been a repeat or blend of grammar and descriptive linguistics from last semester. arbitrary rings a bell, and so does prescriptive and descriptive grammar/language.

in mexican cinema: we have literally sprinted through thousands of years of mexican history in a week. from the people that walked across the berring straits to the calderon election. a very compact, concise (not very detailed history), but enough to get us started on our first movie tomorrow.

in contemporary mexico: we are covering the same thing as mentioned above (it is the same professor) up until benito juarez (yesterday). the class will cover 1910-present. so, i think we are just about to start on the real class material.

in world civ. II: guess what? it is pretty much starting with columbus, cortes, the treaty of tordesillas....so my life and classes pretty much feel like groundhog day (the movie). yes, again, i have heard of ysabella and ferdinand. etc., etc. i think we are suppose to have a quiz today. lucky for me, i lost my folder with my notes on friday at pan-am.

what i know:

this is semester is going to pick up speed and come at me fast and furious. i need to prepare. i guess that means that i should stop blogging and get ready for class.

interesting coincidence, though. in my hemingway class, my professor explained to us the significance of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Well, my civ II professor in speaking of spain, said that the best paella he has ever eaten was in Santiago de Compostela. so i guess i have to someday visit the place for its historic significance and for its awesome paella. don't you think?

spring comes early

well, so much for loving my semester break. :(

i received an early email from one of my professors, who is anxious to dive into Ancient Rome. hmm? what i'm trying to decide is whether or not this is a good thing. yes, i can get a head start on one of my classes. no, i don't to start worrying about my classes.

oh, well...

Shall we dive in?

the first book is The Nature of the Gods by Cicero. so, i made the long trek to the university bookstore today to buy it. i have started on the introduction and have had to stop to look up 2 things. (and please forgive me if i sound stupid!)

1. what does Hellenistic mean? i'm sure i was suppose to have learned that in my civ I class, but it just doesn't ring ANY bells.

well, according to the merriam-webster definition it is:

of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great.

of or relating to the Hellenists, which is a person living in Hellenistic times who was Greek in language, outlook, and way of life but was not Greek in ancestry.

2. what does the translator mean when he writes, "This early acquaintance with prominent figures...made him the most highly educate of emergent orators when he embarked on a forensic career in his mid-twenties.."

surely, Cicero was not part of CSI, right? or would it be RSI for Rome Special Investigation. what does CSI even mean? i never watch the show.

no, my dear reader, upon further investigation into the merriam webster dictionary, i believe forensic means his public career. the definition is: belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature, or to public discussion and debate.


o.k. so now i've moved past page xv. i still have a lot of pages left in the introduction. i wonder how much more "research" i will have to do in order to get through this book.

i'm going to spend another 10 minutes reading and call it a night.

bonsoir et bonne annee!