Where's the AT-HOME in Stay-At-Home-Mom?

I'm going through a bit of a transition right now... becoming the SAHM I've never been, aside from time right around the births of the children. The current state of the economy has many of my clients deciding to make-do with older maps or more generic versions they can get on line. This made the last six months very good for scaling back as the contract income dwindled.

I started to worry a bit during the last couple of projects about what I'd do with myself when I didn't have to answer to clients or meet deadlines. Figured once the house was clean, I'd have big chunks of time each day for running, riding or studying. (My version of bon-bons & soaps.) Also figured it would be a great time to start figuring out what would be next. (Enrolling in school - either for personal growth or future dream career?)

Oops.

Turns out keeping myself busy shouldn't have been on the list at all. I don't think I've had a full day at home since the beginning of the school year.

First there's the move, and some changes in the family dynamics causing good deal of upheaval. (Some of this should be dying down soon, once the boxes are unpacked, the rain stops long enough to seal crack in basement floor, and the teen is enrolled in the HS down the street.)

Second, third & fourth, there's the three children in two different schools. (Next year, it will be three - ES/MS/HS.) Charter schools, which require volunteer time. One hour at one school, three hours at the other may sound like only four hours, but it's really a full day commitment, by the time you figure in travel time between, along with being in the right place at the right time for regular school pickup. Then there's the volunteer opportunities which pop-up unexpectedly. Once you volunteer last minute for a couple of different things, then you're known as being "flexible" about hours. Being "flexible" puts you on email lists.

Maybe all this running about is a good thing for making the transition. When things finally calm down enough that there are stay-at-home days, it'll feel more like a blissful mini-vacation, and less like a time to panic about losing a sense of purpose. Contemplating the future in a relaxed state of mind ought to make coming up with ideas more a creative process of figuring "want to do" without as much worry about what I "need to do." (MizFit's posts so far this week have me thinking about making those future plans with the What would you do if you couldn't fail? question in mind.)

That's the future. For today, I'm getting the fans and wet/dry vac ready for the next 24 hours of heavy rain. Tomorrow's cross training workout will be bailing out the basement and pulling carpet... should that count as cardio, or weights?

Since a tweet changed my outlook last week, should I say I had a good tweek? (a.k.a. Big Darn Week, part two)

It was a no good, terrible, horrible, very bad day or two to start the week last week. Super busy. Trying to put together offer on house. Spacey children who kept leaving lunches at home in the morning, and homework at school in the afternoon. A puppy in a combination of growth spurt & teething phase, leading to regressive behavior.

My heart wasn't really into any exercise that wasn't two-wheeled, and even that was only because of the escape into audiobooks & podcasts I enjoy on rides. My running continued to stink, as it has since getting back to hot & humid Atlanta from vacation, in June.

I was following my normal early morning routine (lunch packing / breakfast rush, stretching, coffee, blog reading, weather checking), when I thought I don't really want to do any of this stuff today. Then I saw an early morning (for her, since she's in TX) tweet from MizFitOnline. It was something about taking on the day with open arms.

It struck a chord with me. What the heck did I really have to complain about? Nothing on my list of grievances was beyond the level of minor annoyance. So, I scrapped all the plans which weren't possible to work out, opened up, and took on the day.

Strapped leashes to my pups for the morning upper body workout - I mean walk. Laughed my butt off at the ability of my lovable little idiot to tangle everybody up in the leash, and at the look on the face my sweetheart of a Peter T. Dog. I would swear he rolls his eyes at Clifford, and that the head tilt & lolling tongue is his own brand of laughter.

Dropped off the forgotten lunch at the elementary school, and took my lunch down to Riverside Park for a ride. Realized my helmet was hanging from the roadster back at the house, so went to a less heavily traveled road, with bicycle lanes for my ride. 10 miles or so, listening to the Adam Smith episode of The Thomas Jefferson Hour (fantastic episode, btw - almost enough to make me start a 3rd attempt to make it through The Wealth of Nations)

Hopped off the bike, changed shoes, and headed down the trail by the Chattahoochee River. Before I'd lost sight of the parking lot, the heavens opened, and I was completely drenched. Ugh. So much for that.

But, wait. That's the kind of thinking that put me into a funk in the first place. Mopped off my face, and started into the woods. Everything was lush and green, and the rain quickly dropped the temperature and cleared away the general pea soup humidity we'd been having for days.

It was the best time I've had running in months. Jumping over rocks and roots. Ducking under branches. Splashing through the runoff streams the trails had turned into. It. Was. So. Much. FUN!


While leaping over a particularly deep & mucky puddle, I was reminded of MizFit's recent posts about being your own superhero... and I definitely felt like one. Pulled out the iPhone, risking water logging, snapped a few pix and moved Mighty Little Man to the top of the playlist.

I'm not sure what my superpowers are yet, but do know that kid chaos and weather are not going to be my downfall. (The photo is of my super soaked feet, as light blue speed silk singlet & white sports bra are better suited for dry, sunny day superhero activities.)

That one tweet was just the nudge I needed. With the improvement in attitude came a big improvement in my workouts. Running is fun again.

The Duchess is dead. Well... sort of.

In addition to the last minute craziness with school prep - Yea for Monday the 10th! - there's been minor crisis which has demanded a bit of attention.

Duchess, my vintage Raleigh 10 speed, was run over by a car.

It was in the carport, at less than 5 mph, and I wasn't on it at the time.

My helpers (note the lowercase h) pulled the bikes out of the truck after Saturday's ride. They failed to lock my bicycle up with the rest of the stable, choosing instead to leave it propped against the side wall of the house. Next day, somebody (who shall remain nameless) was pulling into - or out of, never really got the whole story - the carport on a milkshake run with children, and...


Car snagged front wheel, put a lovely S-curve into the rim. (It's hard to show in a photo, since the fender bent with it partway, leaving it looking less warped than it is.) On a more recent bike... not that big a deal. But, as I've learned since Sunday, rims are no longer made with the same number of spokes, so the LBS will need to build the old sturmey archer hub into a new rim, and replace all the spokes, plus extras for the extra holes. $120-150, which isn't really all that bad. But...

There's the question of what's next. Completely mismatched rims will likely bug me, so I'll have to get the rear wheel rebuilt... but what happens when the ancient rear cogs are added to a new wheel? And, the crank has about a year or two left in it, tops. When the crank goes, that is also likely to mean most everything attached to it will need to be replaced, just so it all works together.

This means Duchess has gone from a useful bike which also happens to be a slow DIY project, into a full-blown PROJECT. I'm still scrubbing off the rust, tinkering with the mechanism in the bell, polishing chrome and conditioning the Brooks saddle, but won't be riding her again for a while.

Seeing as how school starts next week, and my schedule opens back up for 90% of daily commute and errands being done on two wheels, the lack of a city bike is a problem. After some browsing on Craigslist for a suitable replacement, ended up going to REI for a 2008 Raleigh Roadster Step Through. It allows for an upright position, is perfectly suited for riding around my 5 mile radius... in street clothes. I can have a generator hub and light installed when the days are shorter. REI installed the rack for me, so I'll be able to pop on the panniers Monday morning for my bank / library / coffee / grocery trip.

Went for a short inaugural ride Wednesday evening. Gotta say, it was kind of nice, not having to guess where the lever needed to be for a gear shift, or figuring out exactly how much pressure to put on the brakes (varies by humidity level... I swear). This is going to be a fun bike to ride, but I do miss Duchess.

Hopefully, the new bike will gain a personality as I ride more. The kidlets are debating names right now, and once they've settled on something, that'll help. After convincing one child that "Silver Surfer" is not an option, here's the list of finalists:

Artemis
Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena in Percy Jackson & The Olympians book series)
Persephone

On a happier note, the green hybrid (Peppermint Patty) which was my very first bike as a new adult rider is going to a new home. A family friend has need of a starter bike, and I hope mine will do for her what it did for me.

Photo Library Heartbreak

I'm generally not big on the whole idea of revenge. I'm a fan of restitution when it comes to property crimes. But I'm having to fight some serious anger issues at the moment, in light of the thief who hit my house.

I don't care about the television, the cell phone or laptop. That's just stuff, which will all be replaced over the next couple of days. It's the photos not yet categorized and backed up which get to me.

• The yellow-bellied marmot B1 caught on camera on the Cog Railway, which none of the six others in the group managed.
• Swarms of ladybugs which turned tree trunks solid orange.
• The shots taken while bracing themselves against the desert winds at the top of the Capulin Volcano, with mountains far in the distance; or in the snow at the summit marker on Pike's Peak.
• Mahogany which had been converted into giant, silk-strung ghosts by throngs of green/blue caterpillars.
• The double rainbow my daughter spotted after the rainstorm on our way into Odessa, Texas.
• A beautiful shot of Birmingham, taken at 2 a.m. by a child who I thought to be asleep, but was quietly playing a gameboy. (It's quite pretty at night.)
• The many cool buildings we saw in small towns on our highway driving. Some still in use, and others hollowed out stone and brick shells, like something from a ghost town.
  

I have snippets of some of these places, taken on the iPhone, but it's just not the same as some of the great shots the kids captured on their cameras.

Between anger about the theft of a part of our lives, and the restless week of sleep, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to meet up with the fellow(s) and introduce him/them to a few of my other possessions... and yes, being the potential domestic threat that I am, I'm talking about firearms.

Unbelievable...

...we're gone for 2-1/2 weeks, and the house is fine. Four days after getting back home and into our regular routine, we come home from the daily trip to the pool to a missing 42" flatscreen and laptop.

Somebody walked into the family room through the one door I didn't think to check on the way out of the house, and braved a loud, 85-lb dog.

Whoever it was unhooked the cables and cords from the television and picked up the remote from the coffee table. Left the xbox 360 completely alone. Then they must have noticed the laptop which couldn't be seen from the (locked) kitchen door on the carport. That was simply unhooked from the surge protector and taken away with the mouse still attached.

Must not have walked through the rest of the house, as I don't see anything else missing. The officer who responded was pretty certain we're physically safe, as he thinks it was probably a younger offender, since they were careful to take the things they'd need to use both items right away, and didn't go through the rest of the house.

On the phone with insurance now, and should hear from the detective tomorrow.

My initial thoughts are:

• Thankful nobody (including Peter T Dog) is hurt.
• Sad about the photos the kids have copied over the 4-6 weeks. Without the Flickr uploader working this week, I was unable to get them backed up. I wish I'd copied them to my computer with the vacation photos.
• Disappointed in the kids, for not locking the back door when I told them to; and in myself, for not following behind them to check.
• Anger at the thought that I now have to wonder about every teen, lawn guy, contracter and construction worker from the road project by the park. And, I have to wonder if it's bad to be predictable by following a set routine. Oh, plus wonder if dropping our 42" projection television off at Goodwill might have been the tipoff for this act, and not some random crime of opportunity.
  

Now, to fix some brinner and make a catalog of everything else... after I go put the lock on the bikes. Yes, the stable of bikes had just been moved back out to the carport yesterday, were not locked, and are all still siting there.

Grumble, grumble

Back up to speed today, after a couple of crazy days. The heavy rain in my area moved out late Tuesday, pushed by strong winds on Wednesday. Tree limbs were dropping all over the place. Power lines were knocked out in two or three spots in my neighborhood, shortly after lunch. Headed to the YMCA, figuring it was safer than being on the constant watch for flying sticks and overhead wires. Enjoyed my time on the treadmill, watching Stargate Atlantis on SciFi.

Thought the power would be back by the time I got kids picked up and home. Nope. As of 3pm, Ga Power estimated restoration by 8 pm. So much for cooking. Packed up for dinner at Ted's Montana Grill. 8 pm - no power. The younger kids had a blast taking showers by candlelight and turning bedtime reading into creepy ghost stories by flashlight. Lights popped back on right as children were drifting off to sleep... of course. Reset clocks. Checked batter backups and computers. Tossed the ice cream. Emptied the ice bin. Counted our good fortune, everything else was still frozen and/or cold.

Thursday morning, while making breakfast and packing lunches, I noticed the frozen produce. The freezer/fridge kicked into overdrive when the power came back on. The strawberries and blueberries could be cleaned and popped into the freezer to use in smoothies, but the lettuce, herbs, celery, cucumbers, etc., all had to be tossed, or used immediately to make vegetable stock. Ugh. So much for the grocery budget.

Got out the stockpot. Cleaned the fridge. Added Wednesday's bread & cookie baking to Thursday's muffin batch. Tackled the laundry which had been halted mid-cycle. Finished the map work which had been promised Wednesday afternoon. Then, school pickup, homework, dinner, music lessons (x3), homework checking, kitchen cleanup, bath/storytime/bed, ironing...

Whew! With only a hill run and volunteer time at the elementary school, today is practically a holiday.

Tough Week

Now that we've made it through the surgery, and the orthopedic post-op is looking good, I'm ready to talk about our Labor Day adventure. It started out with a simple premise: Let's get the kids to round up their gear and go for a family ride on the Silver Comet Trail.

I thought it would be a little crowded, and a great opportunity for the little ones to practice signaling walkers and joggers when we pass, to practice passing safely in busy stretches, and to pay attention to where they are in relation to the center line. (The little ones drift a bit much for me to try bike lanes on even low traffic roads yet.)

While we're at it, why don't we have them supervise the safety & equipment check? Tires, orange safety flag on back of D's trail-a-bike, helmet adjustments, mini first aid kit, water bottles, the works. Get them thinking about being prepared, right?

Started off great. Parked at the elementary school. Unloaded, started tire check, then moved to helmets. All ready to go.

5-1/2 miles out, with a stop by the Depot for ice cream bars on the way back. Things were going great. Until B2 had a panic attack about his balance, and knocked Dad off the paved trail, a couple miles before we got back to the truck. If this had happened by the grassy shoulder, it would have been easy to recover. It happened where the shoulder was non-existent. Dad went straight into the graveled ditch. Caught himself, and the weight of his bike, on his left arm.

D & I usually ride a bit farther than the guys. With her on the tandem/trailer, we ride a little faster. (Plus, we just like chicking the boys.) We turned around at the 30 minute mark, and so were arriving at the scene about five minutes after it happened.
Dad was stretched out on the trail, arm completely limp by his side. It was obviously very broken. Looked like Harry Potter's arm after Professor Lockhart fixed a break by making all the bones in his arm disappear. I didn't dare move it.

B2 was dazed and upset, but seemed to have nothing but scraped knees, hands and cheek. (So glad we tightened the chin straps on his helmet.) A very nice jogger had already called 911, and a cyclist rode up to the nearest access point, to wave in the ambulance. (I really wish I'd thought to get their names, but am thinking a giant THANK YOU their way.)

Less than 10 minutes later, Dad was being packed in the ambulance, with a shot of morphine, and the Cobb Co. Sherrif's deputy was helping me get four bikes (3.5, technically) and three people back to the truck.

Rest of day spent at Cobb Wellstar, where they told us it was... broken. Finally got his arm splinted, a referral to Resurgens for an orthopedic surgeon, and an Rx for pain meds. Dinner at McDonalds (I skipped, can't make myself eat that anymore.), then home to try and sleep.

Tuesday was a bit of a blur. Wednesday, still blurry, but included consult with surgeon. Thursday, less of a blur for the four uninjured people, but a gigantic blur for Dad. I got all three kids where they needed to be, homework completed, clean uniforms, and fed. Even ran once or twice (short runs, during school day), and squeezed in some work along the way. Didn't sleep much.

Friday was surgery. Left radius and ulna lined back up, then reattached with plates and screws. I forget how many screws I counted in the post-op x-ray, but I seem to remember it being way more than a few.

Now that we're past those first couple of days where we needed to worry about nerve damage, bleeding and infection, things are looking up. Work, family and sleep schedules are still a bit off for everyone, but I think we're all starting to feel human again... even Dad.

Spray Starch for the Soul

Yesterday was an odd day. Not enough sleep, in a bit of a funk, restless in both mind and spirit. Baking, laundry and ironing were my salvation. Nothing like the smell of oatmeal muffins coming from the kitchen and combining with spray starch on linens fresh from the dryer to soothe the soul.

At least, until the tree limb came down through the power lines.

No damage to house or property. Fell into the street. Didn't even take down the lines; just knocked out the power to the street. The Georgia Power crew had us up and running again in fairly short order, kind of. It did put a stop to the ironing, mid-basket.

Today's trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden is on hold while we wait to hear about tree service. There are a few more branches in the overhanging sweetgum which should probably be trimmed before the next big storm moves through.

I'll be working on my $125/week grocery challenge update, and keeping the kids occupied with some chores around the house.

And, I'll get back to my ironing. A little more starch and steam ought to set me back to rights.

Ouch!

Had a very active weekend. Three mile hill run Friday. 32-mile Silver Comet Ride Saturday. Trader Joes bicycle trip and swimming on Sunday. Felt great, and had my plan for alternating run/bike days all week this week.

Monday morning. Groin pull. Ugh.

I'd like to say it happened in some super cool, sporting accident. Trail running in a sudden downpour & slipping while leaping over a stream. Or wiping out on my bike while setting a new personal speed record. Even an incident involving blushing and snickering silence would make for a better story than what really happened.

Heavy basket of wet towels + Darting cat = OUCH! I turned too quickly on one foot, while standing on a spot of orange juice splashed by a child. (I don't want to know which one.)

Oh well. Gives me a chance to start on the next round of closet clearing. And to work on arms and shoulders while pulling myself through the water at the pool.

Crying Over Spilt Milk?

Managed to get a little over 30 solid minutes of run time yesterday. For the first time since being sick, I did not feel there was an elephant sitting on my chest every time I breathed in.

Tackled the breakfast/lunch making mess in the kitchen when I got back home. I know, I should have changed first. But, I wasn't quite ready to hop in the shower, and it was only supposed to take 10-15 minutes...

...I knocked a half-empty cup of milk over. Directly onto the top of my right foot. That icky sensation when you misjudge the depth of a puddle, and water seeps into your shoe? It was like that, only it was MILK! Yuck.

Peeled off my shoe, and pulled out the insole. Started running cold water through the top, until the water went from cloudy white to clear. I replaced the newspaper stuffing this morning. I think it's almost dry.

No running today. I'll stick my trail shoes in the truck, and go for a walk after I finish being the Mystery Reader in my son's class. Right now, I'm off to search online for a second pair of my shoes. Really hope I can find them. Having an in-store expert help me choose the right shoe was worth it, but I think I can find a backup pair for less than $108.

When Laundry Gremlins Attack

This sweater was my favorite. Or 2nd favorite. Actually, it was tied with the black one I picked up during one of those great 2-for deals at Old Navy a couple of years ago. Soft, comfy and warm, but not too warm, because it's cotton. Super versatile, and now, super splotchy.

I check pockets before putting clothes in the wash. Keys, coins, crayons, rocks, hot wheels cars, lego men, barbie shoes, sharpies, candy, and chapstick are all regularly caught on my fishing expeditions. Apparently, I missed a chunk of dirt. Not dirt, really. It must have been a clod of bright orange-red georgia clay. My sweater looks like it was wrapped around a rusting stove grate. Rewashing, oxyclean, nothing helped.

I'm not sure which of my family members saved that special little memento of the day in the yard or playground, and it's probably better if I don't find out.

Since I'm in the process of whittling down my wardrobe, I figured I'd NOT purchase a replacement. That was before the morning temps dropped below 40. Two mornings in a row, I climbed out of bed thinking I'd wear this skirt or those jeans with my cream sweater.... darn! Just now, while putting away clean clothes, I set out my chocolate cords to wear tomorrow, opened the shirt/sweater drawer, reached for....

So, I'm online, complaining, and shopping OldNavy.com for a replacement. Seems off-white, ivory and cream are not hip enough color names. I'm ordering something called "oxygen". And, since when do I show up as a small on the size chart for tops? Whatever.