Just Do It

Today I conquered one of my fears and ran 3 miles in the snow. So, given this accomplishment, I declare myself a true runner. Winter running can be extremely intimidating and with this being my first cold weather running season, I was totally freaked out about running in the cold, snow and ice. I did end up joining up with the running group to get ready for the Flying Pig Relay and that got me out for a run earlier this week. They also met on Saturday mornings, and tomorrow is supposed to be something ridiculous like 5 degrees. While I'm excited to be getting back out there with the girls, I'm not all about lacing up my shoes for that type of cold weather run. So, when I left work today and saw the sun shinning, I got a big burst of ambition and challenged myself to get out there today and do my 3 mile run when the temps were around 15 degrees and it was a bit warmer than it will be in the morning.

It may not have been my fastest 3 miles and I may not have had the best form, but today I got out there in about 5 inches of snow and just did it. I layered up in some cold weather running gear and like Nike says, I said to myself - "Just Do It" - so I laced up my shoes, headed out the door and before I knew it I was half way through the run. Overall, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. With the snow packed down, it was almost like running on sand just much colder and instead of hearing the ocean waves all you can hear is your shoes squeaking down as they pack down on the piles of snow, which is pretty freaking cool!

I took some video to document my run. That may sounds silly to some people, that I taped myself running, but it's honestly something that I never thought I would be doing, especially in the snow with the temperature around 15 degrees. So if you want a good laugh, watch this quick clip from my first snow running experience:



So here is today's message from CincySpin (courtesy of Nike):
"Just Do It"
No matter what it is, no matter how many time you've talked yourself out of it, no matter how much you don't want to, no matter what the out come - at least you will have tried and most likely succeeded at accomplishing your goal - just like I did today with completing my first run in the snow!

I'm So Ready....

for Spring! The weather in the 'nati the past couple of days has been glorious - low to mid 60s & sunny! The birds are chirping, the dogs are barking and people are out & about walking in the neighborhood. One of the local meterologist around here says he thinks there will probably be one more big snow for our area before old man winter is officially over. I accept this notion, but will be living it up in this wonderful weather we've been having, which is supposed to stick around for a few more days!

This past weekend was spent visiting with great friends, endulging in yummy cocktails, delicious dinners and even desserts. It was a great way to spend my time away from work and one other thing I did this weekend was enjoy taking Miss Ella on a big walk. JJ and I headed out on Sunday afternoon to cruise the neighborhood and let Ella burn off some energy. She was too cute, prancing down the streets with her ears back and her tail wagging straight up in the air. I have a feeling she's going to be one happy girl this week, exploring that thing in the backyard called grass (and mudd), which she hasn't seen in a long time b/c of some stuff called snow.

I'm looking forward to so many things this Spring - dusting off the ol' Dolce for some bike rides, walking (maybe jogging - gasp!) with my girl Ella in the afternoons, getting my hands dirty in the flower beds around the house. So many good things to look forward to this time of year.

There's got to be some type of drug (more than just Vitamin D) pumped out when the sun shines, because it sure does make lots of people feel super good.

So come on Spring - stay awhile why don't you!

Fun in the Snow

Over the past few weeks, the 'Nati has been hit with some snow and ice.  Also know as "Winter"! Thankfully, as I type this post, I see the sun shining and all the white stuff melting away (yah!).  

I did snap a few shots of Ella enjoying the snowy conditions!  Enjoy....

Fall Leaves - Beautiful, but a pain to take care of !!

With the warmer temps this past Sunday, JJ and I hit the backyard for one of the many tasks that are on the list of "homeowner" chores. Raking, Leaf Blowing, & Gutter Cleaning - Fun, Fun, Fun! (haha) It is true that the brightly colored leaves are one of my favorite parts of the fall season, but this is not one of my favorite chores!


The leaf raking and collecting went fairly fast with both of us working ... piling them up into big bundles and then using the ol' leaf blower on reverse to suck up the leaves into the bag. One nice thing about our city is that we are not required to "bag" the leaves into those brown lawn bags. We simply have to put the leaves & yard waste out on the curb and the street collection trucks will pick it up.

On to the gutters...the dreaded gutters - ugh! I will fully admit that JJ does the gutters and I simply hold the latter and trash bag for the stinky debris. Last season we bought one of those contraptions that attaches to the leaf blower to extend up to the gutters and blow out the leave build up.


So, we decided to give it a shot this time. It did take some time to get used to the power of the leaf blower w/ the attachment tube, and the tube didn't exactly fit our leaf blower, so we broke out the duck tape to secure the attachment, then we were moving at quite a quick pace.

All in all, we have determined that it did speed up the process, but b/c it blows the leaves out of the gutter, then more raking is necessary to bag up the debris. I do think that once JJ got the feel for how strong the blowing was, it went pretty fast and I was able to rake as he went on down the roof line with the blower attachment.


I could not resist taking a picture of this whole process ... We got quite a good laugh - Enjoy!!

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

We've been having some wonderful fall weather lately. JJ and I both had a Friday off from work recently so we headed towards Hamilton, OH to check out the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. This outdoor museum is full of art pieces, flower gardens, lakes and walking trails. The spaces consists of 265 acres of woods and gathering areas for people to enjoy.

(This Sculpture by George Sugarman is titled "Cincinnati Story")

(This adorable chocolate lab was our buddy during our visit to the park!)

According to the park's brochure, the land was donated in 1995 by Harry T. Wilks, a Hamilton area businessman. Pyramid Hill Park opened to the public in 1997 and since it's opening they have hosted several community events, such as an Annual Art Fair and a Holiday Light display.

(LW & JJ enjoying our day at the park.)

(This sculpture by Alexander Liberman is titled "Abracadabra")

One cool part about this park is that you can rent an "art cart" for a $15 donation. You can see this decorated golf cart in the picture above next to the sculpture. It's a fun way to explore the park and who doesn't love driving a golf cart!

(This sculpture by Clement Meadmore is titled "Extent")

We had a great time touring this park and I'd recommend it as a day trip if you're in the southwest Ohio area.

Great Fall Picture...

From our trip to the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, OH.
More details to follow in an upcoming post - Stay Tuned!

My favorite time of year...

Fall.
Reasons I love fall:

* trees. leaves changing colors into shades of burnt orange, rusty red & yellows...

(perfect time for a weekend drive to check out nature's beauty.)

* sweaters. all kinds of comfy tops to wear - fleece jackets, over sized crew necks...

* football. college games or NFL - either work for me. I'm enjoying our season tickets to the UC football games this year - nothing like sitting out under the stadium lights, cheering on the "home team"...

(despite the Bengals record, I still enjoy those games too!)

* pumpkin and mums. - love heading out to a local pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkin, tasting yummy hot cider, & grabbing a bag of apples for baking a homemade dessert.

(already have the mums on the front porch - went with yellow mum this season!)

* fire pits. - just enjoyed a nice fall evening this past weekend with friends gathered around the fire. we had some really good S'mores too - next time you make these, try using Reece's Peanut butter Cups, instead of Hersey's milk chocolate to go between the graham crackers & roasted marshmallows!