The fest is here

Our town’s annual Peach Festival is in full swing this week, even though the activities won’t really start until Friday. Peach eating contests, peach cooking contests (we here in La. like to eat), marketplace vendors, a diaper derby…and friends. Lots of friends.

Some of the old college reporters who I worked with on the newspaper are coming into town this weekend, too, and I’m really excited about meeting up with them (even though my time will be cut short due to the World Cup play time at 1:30, but I digress) and running in my first Peach Fest 5K.

I’m expecting the run to be fairly bad.

With the temperature hitting the three-digit mark pretty much every day this week, my running schedule is from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Nothing between the daytime hours. However, the 5K is right at 8 a.m.

Seriously?! We couldn’t schedule it for 7 a.m., when it’s just 90 degrees? I’m not kidding! I wake up and run at 6 a.m. and it’s 85 degrees. I’m not used to this hot weather. That’s why I have an A/C.

A couple of years ago, when I worked at the paper with Rindy (which is how our friendship started, btw), we had the pleasure of participating in our first Peach Festival parade. The paper had a float, but to be on the float, you had to help create the huge peach (see pics below). I was more than happy to help out. The theme was "Peaches and Dreams." Aaaannnddd…We won!! Our float was the best float in the parade. Naturally. I mean, look at that float. It's amazing!



Me and Rindy


Me, Tina, Barb, and Mike


Friends and hubby (wearing black)


There was also that Peach Festival when I volunteered and then swore never to do it again. I really think I got a little dehydrated. I was under a tent and only worked two hours, but I truly thought I was going to pass out. Thank God one of Kyle's cousins passed and noticed apparently that I looked a little more pale than usual. He asked if I needed anything, and I requested a drink. Bless his heart for getting me that drink.

This year, though, I'm expecting more memories. My Peach Fest 5k time will NOT be good, let's just go ahead and get that out of the way. If I can finish in 35 minutes, I'll be elated. If not, well, I will have a T-shirt from it anyway. =)

Twitter updates

Day 1
I am taking too many IT classes.

Day 2
I sent myself an e-mail "to do" list yesterday with the first three words for today being, "Don't freak out."

Day 3
Oh my gosh, I think I've got things under control. For this week.

Day 4
I feel lazy. Probably not a good thing.

Day 5
Heading to Super Duper U. The Sirius and I are going 2 fight if it doesn't start working right.

Sirius FINALLY played Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. What a great way to end the day!

However the Sirius radio will be tossed out the window if it doesn’t start acting right!

Day 6
Let the panic attacks ensue. I hate coming back on Tuesdays and being behind in my work.

I. Am. So. Tired.

I have to play 2nd Life for my DOCTORAL class. It's a requirement. Any other "what the heck" moments for today?

Day 7
Do I get points counted off if I tell what a lousy job some professionals did on their tech grant plan? Is that okay?

I am an expert procrastinator. I should teach a class on it.

Day 8
I'm looking forward to having a life next week. I just wish it wasn’t Second Life.

Day 9
Glad my moonlighting for BBW finishes up today. Now I can play 2nd life! http://bit.ly/uSnSu (I feel like Jim)

Update

Sorry for the lack of an upate on Rachel, but here's one now, yea! She's home from the hospital, the clots in her lungs are dissolving, and she's on meds to help the one in her leg. She still needs help to walk, but thankfully her hubby is able to stay home with her for about a week and a half to help out. And, praise God, many family members and friends have offered to help out. =)

Keep praying for her, though, as she continues to recover. There will be lots of needles involved with medication shots and getting blood drawn, and she's like me -- abhors needles!!! And pray for her family, too, especially her husband, who is working 'round the clock to make sure she's comfortable.

And, btw, how awesome are social networking sites? Thank God for things like Facebook, which allowed Rachel and her husband to update her status so people like me (haha!) could get the information quick and know specifically what to pray for. Sometimes I hate things like Facebook and MySpace, but this past weekend, they have been highly appreciated.

Prayer request

Hey, guys, I know this is circulating around our little bloggy world, but for those of you not familiar with her, please pray for Rachel. She was admitted to CCU last night for blood clots in her lungs and leg. She and her husband have the most adorable four-year-old. Anyway, if you would just continue to pray for her, for her family, and for the doctors, that would be wonderful. Thank you!

Hubby runs, too

(NOTE: Since I have started my residency with my Ph.D. program and the full-time job, the blogs will probably be fewer and more sporadic over the next two months. So if there’s a two-week lapse between blogs, don’t worry, no one’s killed me…hopefully.)

I’ve been a running fiend this week.

It’s fairly strange, too, because after finishing my 50 Miles in May challenge, I had planned to take some time off from running. Maybe run 10 miles a week instead of going for 15. Maybe it had something to do with the 10 miles I ran the last three days of May. Maybe it has something to do with my pool pass expired this week. Or maybe it’s because since school started back up, I’m not two steps from crazy – it’s just one step.

But Hubby has joined the race with me – as has Rindy!

Hubby picked up his running shoes Monday and, for a nonrunner, he’s done quite well, running a mile Monday and a mile yesterday. He’s going for three miles a week to start with and get up to four miles a week by the end of this month (he also wants to be able to actually RUN the whole thing, not stop-and-walk like I’m fond of).

As a side note, I actually tested myself to see how far I could run without stopping. I got to 2 miles in 20:25 and then quit. I had run a mile previously with Hubby and was running a mile later on in the evening with Rindy.

Actually, let’s go back to that side note. I went crazy last night. I ran with Hubby at 5 p.m. (in 93 degree weather, kill me now) and then he headed to his men’s Bible study. What’s a girl to do? Hit the treadmill and put in a couple of miles. Do some weights (I’m really trying to work on this more). Oh, and once Rindy gets off of work, run 1.25 for funsies.

I slept so ridiculously good last night, though, that I very well might do it again tonight (especially as I’m training with Hubby and Rindy separately again tonight).

As a negative, though, because of the heat and humidity, it seems like I’m constantly drenched in sweat. Even worse, you know those running shoes I’ve had since I started running? You know, the ones that have gone over 400 miles with me? I was telling one of Rindy’s coworkers how I needed to buy new ones, and he mentioned something I hadn’t thought of before: the sweat aspect. “Just think,” he said, “about all the sweat that has penetrated inside those shoes and is stuck in there.” Ewwww….TMI? Hehe!!

Just to let you know, I’m getting new running shoes this weekend. Hooray!