Johnson Family Dish

And the Race is On…

…And I mean that in more than one way. 

I have been meaning to post about our race but I just have not had time lately (hence the double meaning in the title).

First, Randon and I ran the Lost Dutchman 1/2 marathon last Sunday.  It was really fun to do that together but, it was really tough (as it is intended to be).  The Lost Dutchman course is very hilly and so that adds to the challenge of running 13.1 miles.  Randon and I both agree that miles 1-3 were tough (we were getting some little cold so it was really hard to develop a breathing pattern for those miles), and then miles4-11 were really fun and challenging but miles 11-13.1 were hell.  Our bodies were just plain tired and I got an injury in my left knee and hip.  On the last 1/2 mile of the Lost Dutchman there is a very large hill to climb and it just takes everything you have left in you to climb it, so much so that on the other side (the down side of the hill) you cannot even tell that you are running downhill (which normally feels like less work).  But, we did it and we are proud of ourselves because it was so difficult and we did not give up.

I think Randon may be finished with his running career, he much prefers working with weights to running, but we will see in 6 mo. when it is time to train again.  Kelcie wants to run it next year so, I will run it with her (we will see how badly she really wants it when we have to wake up really early to train and it is cold outside).

But, we have also been running in a thousand other ways too.  Scott earned his Arrow of Light award and will probably have the ceremony in May.   And school has kept us all hopping. 

Algebra is going pretty well for me, though it is really challenging for me to think like that (mathematically).  I must be a sicko because I really like the challenge of it and I ask myself, “is this why some people like math?”  In addition, of course, to my rant on right vs. left brained individuals. 

And I have 2 research projects I am working on currently.  One on multiculturalism in education (some call it affirmative action).  I have not formed an opinion yet, I am currently reading a 22 page analysis of the Supreme Court ruling in 2007 regarding this issue.  I have already read a lot about it, I just haven’t adopted my position yet.  And then I have a year long research project I am working on for my honors colliquim.  I am studying happiness (why some have it and some don’t) and how our perceptions (and other factors) affect our happiness.  It is a very interesting subject, I am enjoying it thouroughly.  My mentor gave me 115 articles, of varrying length, to start on and I have several books on the subject.  I have a lot of reading for my Literature class and my regular work in the honors program so I am feeling like all I have been doing lately is reading, good thing I love to read.

So, if you have called and need your hair done, or called to chat and haven’t gotten a call back, that is why.  I am probably reading somewhere or running my children to school and back but.  I will not be doing hair until spring break, if you can wait, I will call you then and get to your hair.  And as far as fun goes, if you consider reading fun, that is the only fun I will be having until summer (except the fun things the kids and I do together, I just don’t have time to squeeze in any other fun right now).

Secret Admirer

When picking Morgan and Kelcie up at the bus stop today I noticed that Morgan was carrying a heart shaped box, a ballon and some other Valentine themed stuff. 

When she got in the car I asked her what it was and she turned bright red and said that during 2nd hour she was called out of class to the office where the secretary handed her this little cache of treasure. 

No one owned up to having given this to her today so, she has another secret admirer.  She is such a sweety, we here all admire her too, but that is no secret.

She was telling me the story of her friend telling her to be cautious about eating the candy.  Telling her that though it was wrapped it could have been poisoned and then put in a machine to rewrap it and given to her.  She warned Morgan to look for injection sites on the box also.  After having given it a good Mom inspection, I find it to be perfectly harmless and untampered with (LMBO).