Tap the Mic

Is this thing on?

Yes?

Just checking.

When the year comes to a close and I do my normal - LET'S MAKE ALL THE RESOLUTIONS - I peer back to this blog with a sigh and I must admit, I really do miss it.

My last post was in 2017. I had to transfer it here, because in typical fashion, I created numerous blogs that I could never maintain. Better to keep it simple. Better to bring it home.

It is a little hard to come back to. It contains a lot of the nitty gritty before the gals, the challenge to get them here, and the growing pains we had as parents when they finally arrived. But I can safely say, as I look back on it now, damn we were lucky, and that the trauma has passed. (Well except for that whole not wanting to have anymore kids because it was a nightmare process thing...)

I've had a ton of friends catch the blog bug again and it's exciting. I can't lie, I've fed off of the enthusiasm. I can't wait to support them and see their content. Platforms come and go, but the blog writing is cathartic, and I think we've realized that.

I realize I have a lot of updating to do here. I'm no longer the workout obsessed, hardly eating type in the left hand picture of your screen. Many of the links are broken, but I will fix that, I promise. Things have been really good though! New jobs, new house, new phone, who dis?

So Cheers to Us! Let's have an awesome 2019.

When you want to find a cute family pic, but this comes up in your Google Albums, and it just speaks volumes, as it just describes you so much better. 

I Went for a Walk Around Atlanta

I proclaimed yesterday that I would be going for a walk. The gals were at camp. Dave was at work.

With a high of 61 and not a cloud in the sky, I dropped the gals off at dance camp, and set out. My plan was to stick to the Beltline, but as soon as I got to Piedmont Park, I couldn’t resist a romp in the city.

The day was grand and I walked over 12 miles. The air was crisp, my step was upbeat. I enjoyed my time alone, had a nice little reset, and remembered why I love this city.

Bring it on holidays.

Here’s some of my adventure:

Going for a Walk

I’m going for a walk tomorrow. Ideally it would be up a mountain. Instead it will be more of the urban variety. I’ve taken off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving, but my family is still on the go. The gals will have their last day of dance camp and my husband has to work. This means…*GASP*…I HAVE THE DAY TO MYSELF.

For those who know me, this does not happen. Days off BY MYSELF do not happen. So I’m going to live it up as best as I can.

I tried to think of all the things I’d like to do. All of them involved spending large amounts of money on myself, but y’all know that is not in the cards. I previously mentioned hiking, but we are a one car family and the closest mountain requires a car ride. So the next best thing in my mind is hiking around the Atlanta Beltline until it’s time to pick up the gals from camp! I have several podcasts to catch up on and I’ve downloaded a new book to listen to from the library. My favorite Pandora stations will be on rotation. Snacks will be packed and maybe I will cross-stitch or journal during a break. All in all, I’m excited for some time to myself. Great for reflection and a reset before the chaos of the holiday season descends upon us.

I’m a big fan of Instagram stories {@happytubbs}, so feel free to follow my solo adventure around the Beltline. I’m hoping to log some quality miles, especially on the unpaved sections that I haven’t visited since it’s early inception.

Thanks Dance Camp!!!

Experiences

The idea of two of everything when the gals were about to be born was so overwhelming. I remember having a mini-meltdown while organizing an oversized mound of hand-me-downs. So much STUFF. I’d like to think my minimalism roots started here. The idea of two of everything seemed so opulent, but it just boiled down to wasteful. We lived in a small space, and I’d like to think that we did the best that we could to keep it simple.

But now the gals are older. Our home is still small, so we crusade on. We talk about donating to those in need. We have a regular donate bag by the door that leaves monthly. If we don’t use or need it any more, into the bag it goes. Do I think there is still too much stuff in their room? Yep, of course I do! However, I want them to adopt my philosophies by choice, not by force. I can continue to guide, and hope that they too will understand that “things” are not important. People and experiences are what matter.

Today they found a left behind fidget spinner at the park and “Whoa Mom look at this! It’s so cool! It’s a Figgey Spinner! AHHHHH!”

So they aren’t immune. I get it.

In the long run though, I hope that they don’t think this day at the park was grand because they found a fidget spinner. I hope they think it’s grand because we hiked to the park on a beautiful day, found magnificent leaves, played catch, ran fast, practiced gymnastics, had snacks, kicked the ball, chased friends, and had fun as a family.

That's Enough

I’m trying to avoid the blog post with the explanation of where I’ve been. I’ve always been here, but struggle to find time to put everything into words beyond the easy Instagram post.

Post a picture with a caption.

That’s enough.

Satisfy the masses…

…or at least the grandmas?

Yet, I continue to have this never ending inner monologue. I am writing in my head, and sadly, none of it goes further. No pen to paper. No typing on a computer. So here’s the commitment to myself. Write for at least 30 minutes a day. Whether it be just a journal entry, or something much more, but in the long run, I’d like to get more of our experiences out there. I know with every challenge I’ve faced, there is someone out there that can relate.

I’ve contemplated for quite some time if this new blog will have a theme, and honestly that’s just too constricting at the moment. I enjoy so many experiences lately, that having one thing define me is overwhelming. I’m more than a mom, more than a runner, more than my job, more than a minimalist.

I’m more than that.

2016 Goals

I’m not the “roll your eyes over resolutions type of person.” I love making them and I love supporting others in their endeavors for the year as well. I think it’s all because, in the last several years, I have been successful at sticking to them. Personally, I enjoy at attempting to make myself a better person.

So here it goes! My goals for 2016…

Health:

In the past, a lot of my goals have been health related. Mind & Body. I’m in a comfortable space now, and realize that maintenance in that area will always be a constant. I will always be an active person. I love to compete, but I still struggle with my food choices. So my wellness goals for the year are to be mindful of what I eat. If I want to indulge, do so only once a week. I always seem to fall down the slippery slope of bad eating habits, and find it hard to pull myself back out. I’m hoping 2016 will be a better year in that sense. I’m currently doing another round of whole30 with my friends to jump start it all.

I NEED to stop biting my freaking nails & cuticles. In fact, keeping my hands out of my mouth all together! It’s such a bad habit, and this week with the cold, I made my fingers physically hurt. This has to stop. I bought a gambit of nail products and polish to help with this matter.

Athletics:

In 2015 I PR’d my half marathon & completed my goal of coming in under 2 hours!  I finished the Jeff Galloway 13.1 in 1:57:44. I was really excited, especially considering I ran the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon a few weeks earlier 10 minutes slower!

EVEN JEFF GALLOWAY WAS PROUD OF MY PR!

I’d love to expand on that and start running miles in 8 minute range consistently. I want to be more diverse with my training this year. I got slack about strength training when I was training for the half marathons and I shouldn’t have. I also want to weigh the pros & cons of the triathlon. For me it’s all about the road block of buying a quality bike. It’s a huge investment for us, and I want to make sure I am serious before I go ahead.

Home:

I have this really bad tendency, after dinner and the gals’ bedtime, to just veg out and play on my phone. Then all of a sudden I realize it’s time for bed, and I haven’t done much for getting ready for the next day, let alone finish the dishes that have built up in the sink. (In our house, whoever cooks, doesn’t have to clean up the mess, and since Dave is usually home before I am, he is the chef.) So my goal here for the year is to nightly take that 10-20 minutes it take to clean up the kitchen and have everything ready for the next day. I want to expand upon that and daily clean one area/item that doesn’t get cleaned often. I leave things too long, then everything is a mess, and it stresses me out. Taking the time to do it in small chunks should help this.

I want to decorate my home. I’ve always moved after 1-2 years in a place, so I’ve never collected “cute” decorations or had the time to really make it ours. Maybe I will crack open that wacky Pinterest site I can’t stand for some inspiration…

To do lists. I love these at work. Time to bring them into my personal life.

Relationships:

Dave and I have decided we will try and have at least 30 minutes of game time every night. Tonight, for example, he easily kicked my ass in UNO. The gals are finally old enough to play several board games, so a weekly game night with them will be started. I want to make a big deal out of it. Popcorn, treats, puppies, kitties, and rainbows.

Blogging:

At least one blog a month.

Hobbies:

Reading – I met my goal last year of 20 books. This year it’s 30.

Cross stich – finish the 3 projects that have been collecting dust in my desk drawer for the past 3 years.

Photography – I have this fancy camera, and I love to take pictures with it, but I barely know how to use it. This year I learn how to use it properly!

Photos – So if I figure out my camera, then I really need to start doing something with the photos that are currently taking up almost 200 gigs of space in the cloud. I want to start making yearly books for the gals and boy do I have some catching up to do.

That’s it…I think?

Whoa, that’s a lot to accomplish, but hey I’ve got a whole year right?

Stoutness in the ATL & The Hotlanta Half Race Recap

She was here! She came back! It’s been far too long, but Stoutness returned to the ATL. It was a 6.5 hour drive that we made every few months back in the day, either myself to Cincinnati or her to Atlanta, and then…kids.

Yea, we both had a couple of ’em. They are wonderful, adorable, and sweet, but they sure do monopolize your time!

Enter getting back into shape. Enter running.

It’s something that has helped us stay in touch. We’ve trained for races and cheered each other on through the interwebs, but never have done a half together. We set our sights on The Hotlanta Half.

“It’s in June now, much easier than when Dave did it the first time in August 2014. Where he proceeded to run off the Marta train and puke everywhere! It can’t be THAT bad…” I said to convince her.

So we trained. I was really into Orange Theory this time around, so my short distances were fast, but man did I find that my long runs were SLOW.  Of course the heat and humidity were a lot more severe that my fall races (I PR’d the Jeff Galloway half). I did however, feel fabulous. Man did Orange Theory do wonders on my body image.

Race weekend finally came, and so did the heat. We’d had some quality weather building up to the race, but in true Atlanta fashion, this one was going to be a scorcher.

Friday night we had a bit too much fun.

OLD LADY SNAPCHAT

Probably not my smartest idea, since I had a tennis match in the morning. I played horribly. Many apologies to my partner. Stoutness brought her sketch book though and got a good shot of me at the net with her creation.

GAME. SET. MATCH.

We headed back to my hood for an afternoon outside and a quality dinner. Chicken Tacos for all!

We forced ourselves to bed early, but not before laying out everything for the next day. The plan was to wake up with enough time for coffee and a quick breakfast. We didn’t want to drive over, but take Marta instead. Dave and the gals planned on heading out at the same time to cheer us on by Turner Field.

FLATBECCA & FLATKATIE

When we woke, we were on time, ready to roll, but the coffee did not do the trick for me. No worries, I thought, I can hit a port-a-potty at the race start.

OH MAN WAS I WRONG.

We passed a public restroom with a smallish line. We got into it, but we decided, hey let’s just get closer to the start and find the port-a-potty setup. As we saw people coming the opposite way to go to this restroom, we should have caught on. There were NO port-a-potties.

They weren’t delivered.

Look at Katie. She’s so smug. Her coffee did the trick before we left home. She’s a jerk.

So we waited in line a mile long for another public restroom near the Coke Museum, which ended up being the line for the Men’s room. The race at this point had already begun. We then heard rumblings that there were port-a-potties on the course.

Fuck it. Let’s go run.

When we ran through the start we were by ourselves, yet there was a steady stream of bathroom hopefuls behind us. Two miles in, HUZZAH, we got our bathroom break. It took forever, because this line was also a mile long. Thankfully, going into it, Katie and I had both determined this would not be a race for time. We were going to run it together and not drop each other, just simply have fun.

So here we are, mile two and I finally feel like a human again. Time to RUN! We wove our way around downtown towards Turner Field. We saw some cute cheerleaders (aka Dave and the gals) on Memorial, briefly said “hi” and made the loop back to see them again. Throwing care to the wind, because hey, our time was already shot with the bathroom break, we grabbed a quick photo.

We kept on rolling.

The hills kicked our asses.

Playing tennis the day before wrecked my feet a bit and I had to stop and re-tie them twice.

Hydration was fab.

We slogged along, but could still chat and have fun.

We took unflattering race photos.

We finished!

And in true BFF Fashion we celebrated!

The weekend was fabulous and I can’t wait to do it again. The plan is that I will run a full Marathon with this lady in the fall!