what the heart sees.

"Self-Portrait" by Naolito, seen here

i love this.

my first race

three Saturdays ago i ran in my first race ever- the Get in Gear 10k here in Minneapolis. i've been sloooowly increasing my mileage over the last 6 months and wanted to run something that would feel like a challenge, like meeting a goal. i never understood racing- why pay money to run a route you can run any day of the week for free? but i can now confidently say- i get it. it's a totally different feeling to be running with thousands of people in a celebratory atmosphere, vs. plodding along by yourself with just an iPod for company. i don't know if it made me run faster, or if my previous attempts at timing myself by the podcasts i listen to were woefully inaccurate... but i was quite surprised by my results. i was hoping to finish in under 56:00, and this is was really happened.

i guess all the fast 30-34 year old ladies stayed home, because somehow i landed in the top 10% of my division!

the day before, Matt had gotten a new camera in the mail- a digital 8mm. so instead of pictures of my first race, he took some video and edited it into a little film that is pretty great.



other things of note that day:

- it was cold with drizzling and sleeting off and on. i was surprised by the number of seemingly experienced runners wearing garbage bags as rain gear. apparently that's a "thing"- it's insulating and when they get too warm they can just toss 'em. who knew!

- i'm glad i decided not to bring my iPod- with the wet roads, potholes, and weaving through hundreds of runners in the first half mile, i had all the distractions i needed.

- the race route is one that i run on a weekly basis, so i'm very familiar with the landmarks. there is a synagogue near the end and whenever i see it, i think, "yay almost done." when i approached it during the race, there was a guy on the front lawn holding up a sign that said ALMOST DONE! apparently i'm not the only one!

- as i rounded the corner for the Ford Parkway Bridge (less than a mile to go) i was suddenly pretty tired and had to give myself a pep talk. as i crested the top and started jogging down the other side, the music from DJ positioned under the bridge started coming up through the grates. and what was the song i heard as i ran by? Shook You All Night Long by AC/DC. suddenly, i had all the energy i needed.

so what race should i run next? another 10k? a 10-miler? or just wait for the half marathon in October...?

you don't say?

Blowing up carcasses is a little bit of an inexact science.

- favorite thing i heard on NPR last week

wednesday night.

worked a long, annoying workday... while staring longingly at the beautiful weather outside. came home to find that Matt had picked up our favorite take out meal for dinner. that, a Kayak Kolsch and old episodes of Biggest Loser made it all better.

in other news, tonight i learned that Matt has never heard of Raffi. and this man calls himself a musician!



when i was little, my friend Katherine & I were obsessed with a snake. she was a giant boa constrictor named Joyous Squeezer who lived at the Discovery Center in Charlotte, about 1.5 hours away. our moms would often drive us up there to go visit her- stars in their crowns for sure. i remember sitting in the back seat with Katherine, under a blanket, and singing along to the Baby Beluga album & Paul Simon (the "mama pajama" song), over and over and over again.

Garden update. week 1-1.5

this is more for my mom and godmother Robin, who flew up 2 weekends ago to transform our blank slate of a backyard into the beginning of something beautiful. they were so generous with their time and resources; i want to keep them up to date on the plants they left in my black thumb's care. eep!

first of all, whoever convinced the other 2 of us to get the bleeding hearts is a genius. these things are blooming like champs right now and make me so happy. (click any of the photos- except the first one for some reason- for an enlarged version)

the rhododendrons have lost most of their original blooms, but there is new growth on both of them. 

this guy has lost a few branches... super mutant squirrels hopped up on flour tortillas?

the hostas are all doing great. the ferns are surviving despite periodic trampling by our mutant squirrel and bunny population. (i even tried staking one, to no avail. edit- i tried staking the FERN, not the squirrel/bunny) i did put out some red pepper flakes around the bed by the garage, but maybe i need more...?

the lilac is looking alright, but some of its leaves are browning a bit on the tips, and a couple of the blooms are droopy despite the rain. any idea?

the burning bush, hydrangea, and arborvitae all looks the same. ditto for the herbs. we've gotten enough rain lately that i haven't had to water. it's actually raining right now and will continue through tomorrow. it has been so, so nice to look out our windows or come home from work and see actual gardens with beautiful plants in our yard. i am excited to get another fern & hosta, and hopefully decide on what to use as a border. right now i am thinking about brick... mom, feel free to pin any brick border gardens on Pinterest for me!