Yoda's Disciple

A few weeks ago I posted about being thirty seven years old, and wondering when I would feel truly comfortable and confident in my own skin. I made a vow to either banish the thoughts/insecurities once they entered my mind, or to find peace with them.  For the most part, I've had great success with two main issues that used to plague my mind relentlessly (let's just call them Issue A and Issue B). But I learned this doesn't always translate into success across the board...because when a little snafu came up recently regarding Rich's job, my brain went into overdrive...for 5-6 (exhausting) sleepless nights straight. Even though I knew that I had ZERO control over the situation, I couldn't let it go.

And I fell back into my old habit, which was to refuse any sleep aid(s) because I wanted to be strong enough to stop my my mind from racing on my own...even if it meant laying in bed until midnight.

So, yeah...epic fail.  Clearly I'm not quite at that place yet. Obviously I am far from exuding zen in the face of adversity, but what I did takeaway from this all is that every person needs help from time to time. Note to my stubborn self: Sometimes you need a good night of sleep more than you need to be strong & independent.  

But overall, I've been much, much more at peace not having to worry about Issues A & B, thereby allowing me more time to revel in the joyful blessings of my life- health, family, running and travel.

So.  Moving on...

We've been crazy busy this past week- with a close family friend's funeral service, my first long run of the season (a 16-miler), a fantastic luncheon at a friend's house, a late night pool run with the three boys, a Peaman 1-mile race with the boys (Ry did awesome!!!  17:07 min/mile!  Not bad for a scrawny, 31-pound midget!), and Rich's Improv show (he did great...the troop was lucky to have a very supportive & rowdy crowd of about 125 people)!

This week brings even more excitement.  We leave on Thursday for San Francisco until the end of the month. Unlike our last two trips to California (which were lovely, but far from restful), this one is going to be very, very chill.

We'll be spending most of our time in the city, with a few day trips to Sacramento (to see the train museum and ride a steam engine...trains are one of Ryan's passions in life), Oakland (a children's theme park for Ryan) and best of all...a few nights in a yurt (ger) in Yosemite.  :-)

Back in '00 when Rich and I were passing through Mongolia, we saw them for the first time. I desperately wanted to be able to sleep in one, but we had ongoing tickets to Russia (via the Trans Siberian Railway) and didn't have enough time.  Even though I had a History degree that focused on Asia, I had no idea what a yurt/ger was, so if you're unfamiliar with the term, don't feel bad.  It's defined as: A circular tent of felt or skins on a collapsible framework, used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia, and Turkey.  And here's a picture of some that we took in the middle of the city of Ulan Bator (Mongolia).

Nomadic tribes use these gers because of their ease/mobility.  However, I estimate it would take me roughly 4.7 months to correctly assemble one (so it's a good thing I was not born Mongolian).

I'm also really excited about a few things happening right now and/or on the horizon:

• Camping trip #2!  We have only one free weekend between now and when the boys leave for Japan for the summer.  I want the three boys to have one more fun, family experience before fall, so we're pitching a tent at a new location we've never tried before the weekend we come back.  :-)  
• Enjoying my runs.  I'm happy to report that I have fallen back in love with running. It could be the cooler weather, the confidence from running the ultra...but I've really enjoyed training for this race (the Kona full in June) and getting back in shape after a two-month hiatus.   
• Our 15th anniversary!  Five years ago, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with a renewal of vows in our backyard.  This year, we're celebrating in San Fran in Golden Gate Park.  But even better- with an addition to our original family unit...little Ry!  (Who I swear, is going to be the official photographer of the event.  That should be awesome.)

Ten years ago...

Fifteeen years ago...please don't be mad at me Joey!  Wow...JJ (my ring bearer) only came up to my shoulder back then!  Now fifteen years later he's at least 2 inches taller!!!!  (Ba ha ha ha.)