Sister's Reunion

I spent the weekend with all of my sisters!  I have 3 sisters; one lives in California, one lives in Maryland and the other one lives about 30 minutes away from me.  It's been over a year since I've seen my California sister.  The far away sisters flew in Friday and we all stayed at my close-by sister's house.  Our parents even showed up on Sunday and we all had lunch together!

My nephew and I in the back of my Brother-in-law's truck (no, we didn't ride there!)

  

My nephews, with whom I also got to spend time!

My parents, my sisters, my nephews and me

We all had a great time.  Saturday night we were looking for people we knew in high school on Facebook.  It all started because we were trying to find out why a high school classmate of my sister's passed away recently.  One thing always leads to another and we ended up looking for a bunch of people we knew as kids!!  We had several dinners out and more than one ice cream eating session!!  Before we knew it, it was Sunday night and my far away sisters had to pack up to fly out in the morning.  My CA sis had to leave for the airport around 5 am.  I came back home Sunday night.  Monday morning it was time to get the notes out and study for my final exam which was today.  I've never totally blew off all school work for an entire weekend, especially just before a final!  I did study Wednesday and Thursday before the weekend. 
I took my final this morning.  I felt very unprepared and wasn't too sure of too many of the answers. I don't like this feeling at all.  All I can do now is wait until the teacher posts the grades.  I am sure I will still end up with a 4.0; I had 98% going into the final.
I now have 7 weeks off!!!!!  When I do go back, it will be my final semester!!!!!!  I graduate December 15th!!!! It won't come soon enough. 
I missed running group tonight. :(   After school, I went to a friend's house to retrieve a lawn chair that we had left there recently.  I ended up talking with them for 3 hours.  They are going to Key West in August and have been there many times, I'm going in January so we had a lot to talk about!!  When I got home it was nearly time that I'd have to get ready to go and I was tired so I didn't go.  I did go out and run 4 miles a couple of hours later.  It felt good to go running without any school work hanging over my head!

Runner Nerd
nervously awaiting final exam grade

Leaping Over roadkill and Well Behaved Heel

The myofascial release work I had done on my foot/heel/leg on Monday seems to be helping.  I ran the Firecracker 5 miler on Wednesday morning pain free.  I made it through weight workout class yesterday and then met my daughter in town for some mother/daughter shopping afterward.  When I'm with my daughter, no isle of a store goes unwalked!  I ran 4 miles this morning and my heel behaved nicely! 
It still does have it's moments.  Wednesday after the race, I went to my car to put on a dry shirt and foolishly cut across the lawn of the fire station.  Walking on uneven ground can make my heel hurt.  I changed my shirt and went back to the fire barn to see if results were posted yet.  I was 4th in my age group and my friend told me that they were giving awards to 5 places!!  This is the first time I've placed in this particular race!!  I think the heat may have caused some people to stay away!!  I know it was over 80 degrees before the race started.  I got a pair of red/white/blue socks!!  I like them! 

This morning it was 92 when I set out on my run and 95 when I finished.  I felt pretty good.  My clothes were soaked!  I knew I had to get a run in this morning; it's likely that I will not get to run again this weekend.  I'm spending the weekend goofing around with my three sisters!!  I haven't seen my sister who lives in California in over a year. 

There must be a variation of Murphy's law pertaining to running.  I ran on the roads around where I live, rural and with little traffic once I get off of the road that I live on.  As I was running a 1.1 mile stretch of one of the roads, the ONLY car that came by was just as I was approaching a decomposing, stinky opossum roadkill!!  I had to get over to the side which was right in line with the roadkill and had to jump over it as the car was passing by!   The joys of running on rural roads!!
I also saw another lady out running; I never see anyone running out here around where I live!! 

Well, I'm going to get my running clothes out of the washing machine then study a little for my final exam then I'm off to see my siblings!!!!!! 

Runner Nerd
leaps over roadkill

and the blogger disappears for 3 months

I just logged in here and saw that I last posted on July 4th after running the July 4th race. 

What has happened since then???????  I'm not sure I even remember!

I finished my semester at the end of July on a Monday.  The end of that week, Friday, Saturday, Sunday I had continuing ed classes for renewing my EMS license.  Sunday after the last class ended at 6pm I took off for the Upper Peninsula to visit my parents.  My sister from California and my sister who lives in Lansing were already there.  They were staying in a cabin at a resort near my parents' house.  I got to the Ferry dock at midnight.  (My parents live on an island serviced by a car ferry) The next ferry wasn't until 1 am so I had an hour to wait.  There was quite a party going on at a bar near the dock and there were people wandering in the streets so I did get to talk to some very drunk people!!  It was quite entertaining. 



My car in the ferry line at midnight. (I was first in line an hour early)

 


Just about to board the 1am Ferry to the island

I really had a great time with my sisters, my 2 nephews and my parents up on the island.  We were able to float around Lake Huron on a pontoon.  I went for a run, of course!!  We did lots of grilling and eating!  I got to spend time with my nephews who always have me laughing and always amaze me with their knowledge of dinosaurs, outer space, you name it!!  I made a run to a store to get a few things for dinner and as I drove into the place I saw the most amazing sight!  I was nearly 600 miles from Ann Arbor but...there it was....a lighted sign on the side of the building:  "ZINGERMAN'S bread sold here"  HUH????  Zingerman's bread on an island in the UP??  While I was there I continually checked to see if my grades were posted and when they finally were, I was one excited nerd!!!  All 4.0 once again!!  I was very relieved.  I rocked my 2 finals!!  My sisters just rolled their eyes! 

600 miles away from Ann Arbor



All too soon it was time to head back home.



In line to board the Ferry back to the lower peninsula





southbound on the Mackinac Bridge



I still had 5 weeks of freedom! 

I worked several shifts during the next 3 weeks.  I got my training on track for the half marathon I ran last week.  I got my mileage back up in the 30s per week.  I had been doing speedwork with a group from the gym since early spring.  I enjoyed time with my daughter who was home for the summer and enjoyed not having homework to do and just having time for myself. 

Eventually I had to go back to school.  I ran my half marathon, the Grand Rapids Half Marathon.  It wasn't my fastest but it also wasn't my slowest.  I ran a halloween themed 5k Saturday which was a lot of fun.  It was a night race.  I dressed like a jack-o-lantern and had spider knee socks!  It was a beautiful evening and I didn't even have to wear tights!  I wore my running skirt just to make it look even more silly! 

All dressed up for a night Halloween 5K

Well, that's about it.  I'm a tired nerd.  Tomorrow there is homework to do, a test to study for, 2 online quizzes to take and then it's running group night. 

Next up is the Wayne County Lightfest 8K, a fun night run through a lighted drive through light display.

Runner Nerd
back from non-blogging
still the world's oldest college student nerd and still a runner