The Mother Load

Accountability time: I only ran twice last week. I posted last Tuesday and ran again on Thursday (to great results). The weekend found me completely out of energy. Rather than go running, which would have corrected that problem, I succumbed to excuse making and stayed home.

Sunday night, I did some soul searching and am now in the process of simplifying what I can. The blog is staying. Feel free to cheer with delight or sob in relief.

Today was the day I ramped things up and started running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute. I'm still restricted to 15 minutes total as my ankles continue to improve. I look at 1 minute/1 minute and it seems like such a small thing. Not for non-runner Sarah.

I think each step up my incremental couch to 5K journey will be the same. I started with the 1 minute walk, counting the seconds until I would have to commit myself to a full 60 seconds of running. Once I got into the 50s, I experienced the same feeling of terror I feel when a roller coaster car is almost to top of its dizzying incline and will be descending in mere seconds.

What am I doing here? Why am I doing this? Am I CRAZY?!

I'm happy to report that the minute wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  In fact, it was only my last minute run that was even a little bit challenging.  I'm huffing and puffing, sure.  My muscles are burning, sure.  But it doesn't feel impossible anymore.

Mom, today I learned that these can help me be Annie for only $6.99.  Leapin' Lizards!

Today's news comes from the Utah state legislature which is currently in session, fighting about ridiculous laws with the ridiculousness of people who know that most citizens don't notice they exist anyway. I heard about this story while listening to the radio, but here's a link to a print story about a bill that proposes a loosening of booster seat laws in Utah.

So, some lawmakers here in Salt Lake think the law that requires youngsters up to age 8 to be strapped into booster seats is excessive and should be pulled back.  No one was going to go for that, because it's ridiculous, so a committee has sent an amended version of the bill to the floor of the UT House of Representatives.

The new bill would make it legal for kids under 8 to go booster seat free as long as the car they're riding in is within four miles of their homes and not on any roads with speed limits above 45 mph.  Liberal lawmakers, parent groups, and doctors are calling this a "bad bill."  Conservative groups call it a blow for freedom.

"They can force our kids into carseats, but they'll never take...our FREEDOM!"  Simmer down, Braveheart.  Simmer down.

Can someone tell me how a bill this silly (and potentially dangerous) becomes the rallying cry of freedom fighters?  We've gone from "Give me liberty or give me death!" to "Give me liberty or give me a meaningless approximation or give me death!"  If the bill passes, will they throw a party?  "We got what we fought for...20% of the time, in certain circumstances, unless there are already booster seats in the car and parents don't want to unstrap them!  Take THAT, imperialist swine!"

I like parties.  Maybe I'll join the freedom fight.  I think this business of needing a driver's license is infringing on my God given rights.  I propose a bill that says I have to have a license to drive except when I'm driving a white car on a two lane road in the summer.  Booyah!

William Wallace would be so proud.

Mom, today I learned that dyslexia can strike anyone, anywhere.