Penelope and the Ice

I have a car. A Honda to be exact. A Honda that we didn't have any idea whether it was an LX and EX or an SE. Turns out, for all interested parties, it's an SE. Buying brakes was an adventure since my car has decided to be anonymous and there are no identifying markers anywhere.  FYI, the brakes for one model may not work for another model. It's best to know this prior to taking off the old brake shoe, just sayin'.

My car has a name. She was an orphan without one. Penelope is actually Penelope the Second. It's not a cop-out but I kept calling her by my last car's name.  Anyway, Penelope II had not the time in Yankeeland to become accustomed to winter conditions. I bought her a mere month before moving to the Deep South in springtime. I, however, have approximately 16 years experience of driving on icy and snowy roads. I have never had any accidents, incidents or mishaps in Penelope (other than the time I was hit by a Schmuck. Literally the man's name was Schmuck and it was well worn.) in winter weather.

A couple weeks ago there was a run of really bad weather here. Temperatures were near zero with the wind chill, snow and ice poured from the sky. I had the opportunity to pick up an extra day at work in order to not use vacation time (a whole other post). The weather was predicted that day to be ice falling from the sky and the world was possibly going to end. I met boyfriend for an early breakfast and then headed into town before the roads were really bad. Ice was spitting at my windshield but Penelope II is a sturdy girl. Er...she was until we came down an exit ramp and hit the only patch of icy road between my house and work. The tires slid, we ping-ponged between curbs and ended up half off the road. Panic ensued slightly and then reason took over. I backed off the curb and we continued on to work since the car was usable even though the steering was wonky. A technical term I know.

I parked in the behemoth of a  parking garage where I work while wondering what I would do if I found a flat tire and puddle of my car's entire fluid and lubrication system upon leaving work. There's no way a tow truck would fit in that garage. Anyway, the bumper was cracked and I thought my alignment was off.

Three weeks, one abhorrent rental car, one knee, one steering rack, one alignment, countless hours of labor and a bill of $2400 (thank you Lord for parents who taught me the necessity of good car insurance!) Penelope II is back.  After shelling out almost $75 in gas alone last week, I have never been more grateful for my Honda.

Every time I've gone somewhere since picker her up on Friday I gaze lovingly at the front bumper and then give all the drivers around me the evil eye. I'll adjust eventually...I think.

Running 4 Justice

Hey y'all!

On Feburary 12 I was able to be part of a movement and initiative so much larger than myself. It was a humbling and awe-inspiring morning. The Run:4Justice that I blogged about HERE was held at Meadowmere Park here in the Deep South. I headed all advice given to arrive early due to limited parking, getting there at 7:15 for a 9:00 event. It was cold here that day.  I'm talking bone chillling, finger numbing, lung aching cold. It was about 28 degrees when I got out of my car. I took to pouring hot coffee just so I could walk around holding it. But my own discomfort was forgotten as I walked along the wall that 121 Community Church had created detailing the abject poverty and abuse that surrounds young girls in the sex trade in Cambodia. The wall was heart-breaking and convicting all at once. Slowly the field by the starting line filled with runners and walkers, parents and singles, couples and canines, jogging strollers and teenagers.

I was lucky enough to find the two others I knew in this sea of participants and we all started together.  I kept a faster than normal pace with Chris for the first half of the race and then realized, once I could feel my feet again, that I just might die if I continued at such a pace for another mile and a half. I slowed down, took the time to pray as I ran. To pray that Satan would be kept so far from that place. To pray for the runners. To pray for the girls that we were symbolically running toward with freedom in our hands. To pray that the stitch that developed in my side would give up because I absolutely could not walk part of a 5K. Pride. I'm working on it.

The funny thing about being so focused on the race and why we were running it was followed after crossing the finishing line by thoughts of how I did, what my time was.  I suddenly and shamefully reverted to a "me, I, mine" mindset. Did I run a faster time than usual? Yes. Did I place pretty well, for me, in the field? Yes. Does any of that matter? No.

I didn't find out until the next morning how much money was raised for International Justice Misson to end sex slavery in Cambodia. As a reminder, the goal was 1000 runners who each raise $100. The total number of runners? One thousand three hundred and thirty some, it may have been 1338. And this is where our modern day miracle happened. The total raised was $133,000! Even though some people raised less than the $100 per person and some raised more, God was amazing enough to have not only our goal met but exceeded in His perfect planning!

To all of you who were able to donate financially, thank you. To those of you who could not donate but were prayer warriors, thank you. Most especially, for those of you who read my first post and may not agree with my faith but still gave, thank you. That is a modern day miracle and I pray that I will remember my first Run:4Justice and all the lessons learned until the end of my time here.

I know, I know...

I've been absent.  And just after I made the resolution to blog more frequently (thanks to OliePants and PW for that motivation!). I owe y'all a long update regarding running, the Run:4Justice, the new man in my life, cookie pictures, a whirlwind trip to LA, swim lessons (I didn't drown!) and my decided lack of driving ability on ice.

It's coming, I promise.

Morning Run

This is what I love about a morning run:

Waking up feeling like sleep would be best but getting up anyway.
The first mile when I find my stride...and this morning concentrated on my headache.
Being the only person in the gym at 4:30 am and enjoying the quiet of the morning.
My headache disappearing about 1.25 miles in...I must have relaxed.
Watching the calories tick up on the LED display.
Recognizing that the calories are probably inflated since I'm not running an 8 minute mile but being motivated all the same.
Thankfulness for having a body that can run, can push through and go a little further.
Endorphins and energy flooding my system. It's a little ridiculous actually.
The feeling that while the world sleeps (except for the guy on the elliptical) I'm accomplishing something.

Remind me to come back and read this about 10 am when I suddenly feel sleep deprived, Ok?

The Idea of Doing Good

There's something I have to get off my chest. It's a frustration and a challenge all rolled into one. Are y'all ready?

It seems that on Facebook there is a constant round robin of "Change your profile picture to XYZ if you support ABC" or "if you want to help end LMNOP". The two that leap to mind immediately is breast cancer and child abuse, which deserve to have action happen.  One of my friends reposted a link to a commentary about this practice and it put into words everything I wanted to say. Examining the absolute lack of action associated with changing a profile picture.  What does it accomplish?  I hate to say it, but nothing. There is no one out there donating to a cause for every person who takes the three seconds to change their picture. It supports our own idea that we have "helped" a cause without us having to do any work. 

Work can be a donation directly to a cause, volunteering our time, running a race, fundraising directly through an organization, even spreading the word to other people about what options are out there to help.  Sometimes we cannot give anything except the passing along of an injustice so that others are aware of what's going on. Planting the seed that someone else can foster.  But all too often we are satisfied with that or less when we can do much more.

There is an organization that exists called IJM - International Justice Misson.  You can check them out here at IJM. They have partnered with 121 Community Church in the Run4Justice which will be held next Saturday in Grapevine. The goal is to have 1000 runners/walkers raise $100 each. That equals $100,000 to be donated completely toward eradicating sex and human trafficking in Cambodia.

One hundred thousand dollars to be utilized for lawyers, criminal justice, habilitation, medical follow-up, schooling and restoration of girls, some who are as young as 6 years old.  Six years old in the sex industry. Think about that for a moment.

I've met my first fundraising goal and am shooting for more.  This money doesn't go to 121 Community Church in any part. Not one cent. There is no "overhead" cost that they need to cover. No employee paychecks to cut from it. As of last week we had raised almost $50,000 to do good. To offer little girls and wounded young women a second chance for a life that is not a constant stream of heartache and abuse. Where they have value that is not monetary and related to what a buyer wants from them.

I'm not going to ask you to change your Facebook picture. I challenge you to use the link below and donate.  Donate $1 if that's all you can afford. Donate time the day of the race in manning tables or helping organize the race. Send the link to someone else in your life who may be interested in giving back. Don't do this for me. Do it for the girls who would otherwise be locked into the sex slavery trade.

http://www.active.com/donate/run4justiceGrapevine/antoline2011

Just Keep Swimming

This is not a post about

but rather it's a post related to this.

I can't swim.  Shocking, I know, even for someone from Yankeeland. There are two parts to my lack of flotation: physical and mental. When I was a little kid I had, what I remember as, a huge amount of ear infections which ended up with me getting pressure equalizing (PE) tubes. The most common misconception that accompanies parents into my office is "The fluid in his ears is because we washed his hair this morning." Um, not quite how an ear infection works.

Here come's the technical explanation:

(Thanks google images)

Notice the space from the outside of the ear to the ear drum, or the ear canal.  That's where we audiologists look with our fancy flashlight.  If there's water in your kiddo's ear, I'm gonna see it right away. The part of the ear that causes problems when you have an ear infection is the middle ear space. Take a look above. I'll wait. The part of this system that goes wonky and causes fluid to build up isn't the ear at all usually but the tube that leads from the ear. That tube serves the important purpose of letting fluid drain and air circulate between the middle ear space (behind the ear drum) and the throat. Sometimes that tube malfunctions and sometimes it's a matter of a baby growing enough to allow that tube to do it's job.

The ear drum that separates the outer part of your ear and the middle ear space is a, listen closely, SOLID PIECE OF ANATOMY. It's made up of 4 layers and it's purpose is to keep junk out of the middle ear while moving sound towards your auditory nerve. So if water from the bath is causing your kid's ear infection then we have a big problem.

If that explanation just made your eyes roll back in your head and you now require a quick caffeine injection, here's the simple version.  Ear infections, for the most part, mean there's liquid or fluid built up behind the eardrum. That can make one cranky kid! If this is an on-going problem you may need to see a specialist. And they might do one of a couple things including "wait and see", allergy medicine or PE tubes.

Oh, you want me to get back to the not swimming stuff?  Ok, so I had PE tubes as a little kiddo.  Somewhere along the way my  mind had morphed the idea of ear infections into water getting into my ears causing the searing pain. As a result? I freak out and shudder and shy away from water anywhere near my ears. It makes me break out in a sweat and want to run for the hills, literally. Even knowing what I paid a pretty penny to learn, I completely get kids and parents who think the ear infection came from the bathtub.

Today that all changes.  This afternoon I will start swim lessons. Editor's note: The pool was closed for "inclement weather" as the sun was shining and the ice and snow disappeared. Up first is floating. Heaven help me if I can't float! The reason I can now become aquatically adept?

Thanks Westone for providing audiologists one free pair of earmolds a year! These bad boys seal your ear and don't let a drop of pool water in. Now I just need to get past the idea of being under water.

If you need a visual of how challenging this may prove, here's a picture of what I looked like in swim class as a kid. Envision a little girl, cute, big dark eyes, dark brown hair, standing in the shallow end. What I forgot to add was trembling, tears in her eyes and stubborn. She bends toward the pool surface to complete the task: blow air bubbles under water. The tip of her nose touches the water and every muscle freezes in place. Threats, cajoling, bribery, nothing makes a difference. That was me.

I'll keep y'all posted on how big of a freak out I have today and how many little kids laugh at me.

Pittsburgh's Going To The Super Bowl

Da Stillers are in town. Word. The Packers are in town. Boo. Snow and ice are in town. Eek! This weather could make for an exciting game except that Cowboy Stadium will be covered. I'm not really sure if it still warrants being called a Super Bowl if the weather conditions are controlled like this. Oh, and by the way Mayor of Arlington and Super Bowl Committee, if you want the residents of North Texas to ever support another Super Bowl, perhaps you should not request that the stadium/Bowl events be exempt from rolling blackouts. Those of us who lost power multiple times in one day, sometimes for HOURS in sub-zero temperatures, pretty much think y'all can stick that idea somewhere a lady doesn't mention.

Super Bowl madness is ensuing and will reach epic proportions this weekend!  In honor of this I will, of course, be contributing sugar cookies. It's been over a month since I made cookies and I forgot how relaxing and soothing it can be.

Warning: These cookies are an indication of my sense of humor. The trick here is if you can figure out what cookie cutters I used to make these cookies!

This is what happens when I make royal icing.  Sorry, Mom, the idea of attempting to make gold icing necessitated a glass of red wine while I contemplated the myriad ways it could go wrong.

Apparently this is training camp and everyone is skins...

Well who do we have here?

I smell a smack down ...

Ok, so here we have Green Bay Offense. The football is a little wonky. The green was made using a mix of Leaf Green and Super Black AmeriColor gels.

Da Stillers Defense. I'd say it's The Bus, but he doesn't play anymore. The black on the jersey and helmet are more dark gray because I didn't want the Super Black gel to taste bitter.  Someone please explain how to make black royal icing without it tasting like dirt! You know, like Green Bay's gonna taste dirt this Sunday.

Don't tell, but I stole the play books for Sunday. I predict we'll see some offensive and defensive maneuvers. Oh, and also, I didn't mean for the PGH to be quite so large but I wasn't paying attention and used a larger tip (#3) than I meant to.



Who are y'all rooting for this weekend?  If you're not watching the Super Bowl, what will you do instead? Now if you'll excuse me I have to go visualize what SEVEN Super Bowl rings looks like.