Goodbye Lady of America

I've been checking things off my to-do list since I got up this morning at 6:45am. I have so much to do in the next couple of days, that it's a little overwhelming! But, gauging from my progress today, I'd say that I have it in me to get a lot done :) I packed up a ton of boxes already, and am very much ready for the big move. I packed up my scale yesterday, and I'm hoping that wasn't a bad move just because I tend to over-eat when my scale is not there to keep me in check.

I also cancelled my gym membership today. I've been going to Lady of America in Rockwall, but there isn't one near McKinney, so I was able to cancel my membership. However, they are charging me 20% of my remaining contract fees to cancel - even though when I signed up the girl who took my money/did my contract assured me that there would be no cancellation fees if I moved 25 miles from the nearest gym (the guy on the phone this morning said my house was 30 miles from the closest one). I am feeling pretty cheated (it's close to $150!) , but the rep on the phone was adamant that I'd have to pay. When I did some research on the place online, basically everyone said that they are HORRIBLE to work with and people have had all sorts of problems cancelling their memberships there. It makes me a little sad because I've been going there for six months now, and I (for the most part) really liked it. It makes me sad to leave with such a bad experience.

But on that same note, I am now looking for a new gym! This time I plan to look at more than just one gym and to get multiple quotes and then before I sign any contracts to use the gym's "free pass" that most gyms offer for the first week to see if you like the gym. The YMCA and Lifetime Fitness sound really cool, but I know they will be around $70 - $75 a month. I'd like to keep it around $50 - $65, so I'm really going to have to search for what I can afford. Both the YMCA and Lifetime Fitness, though, have other perks for being a member (I know the Y's swim lessons and other kid-related classes are cheaper for members) so I need to consider that as well. Guess I'll add that to my to-do list as well.

Now I have to go do some work. Sometimes it is SOOOO hard to motivate yourself to work when you work from home. I have a lot of work to do, before the month is over (2 grants to write and a big report), but getting in the work mindset can sometimes be so very rough. Especially when I want to use my 2-3 hours when Piper naps to work when I really want to be relaxing and enjoying a little alone time (since Danny usually takes P's naptime as a rest time). It's hard being a work-from-home mom!

A New Place to Call Home

Well, I looked at three houses today, and two of them were pretty nice. One of those though, was already taken, and the other one had an application in. Crap! My new realtor called the property manager/realtor from the house with the application in, and it turns out that the applicant had two big dogs and the owners weren't crazy about renting to big-dog owners. So, I filled out the application and we were approved!

YEAH!!!!!!

The house is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath with two living room areas (one of which is now a play room), a community pool complete with a splash pad and an adjacent playground, and it's in McKinney. Oh - and it's about a 10 minute drive from my husband's work rather than a 45 minute drive. Could not be happier! I was totally nervous about putting in the application because Derek couldn't come with me, so he signed off on it sight unseen. I can't help but question if he will/will not like it. I'm sure he will, right??

We move in on June 15 - which will be a week before we have massive amounts of family come to town and then we all drive down to San Antonio for vacation. I'm hoping that doesn't make it an extremely stressful move. Anyway, off to bed!

It's Friday Already??

I don't know where the time is going. But it's going quickly! I have about five minutes to blog (while I'm waiting to make sure Miss P actually stays in her room for her nap) before I have to go change out of sweaty gym clothes and get ready to go look at rental houses. So, here goes!

1. Our current property owners have decided to let us go month-to-month on our lease so that can have more time to look for a house.
2. We have a new realtor. Did I tell you this already?? Anyway, she rocks, and I'm going to meet her to go look at more houses today. Some in Allen, and some in McKinney.
3. Having 3 cats really limits the amount of houses you can look at. So does wanting a 4 bedroom house.
4. Went to eat at Fireside Pies on Wednesday night with my sister. The first pizza they brought out had big bubbles in it, so they made us another one...and let us keep the bubbly one. Score! Free extra pizza :) Oh, and if you go to Fireside Pies, get the pizza fondue. OMG! Amazing! I could just go there and order that.
5. Going to go see Cars 2 outdoors tonight in Rockwall. They do an outdoor movie every Friday in June. Pretty cool, huh? I hope it is fun - and not too crazy. Derek is not sure he'll be able to make it and two kids outdoors *might* be a little crazy if there are a ton of people.
6. I've been going to the gym. Haven't started running again, but have done some biking and walking. Feeling good and really strong. Love it!
7. The Patriot Half race director sent out a message and is offering half price registration for yesterday and today only. That's a half marathon for $22.50. Holy Crap! I totally signed up for it and can't wait to run it next Memorial Day. If you are interested in using the discount - the code is "2012" and, yes, they said I could share the code. But hurry, because it expires today - June 1. Register here. It's in Rockwall, TX, by the way, and is a fun, hilly course.

Quick Update and a PR

Because I have a lot of work that I need to do today, I just wanted to quickly update my blog and then get to the business of grant writing.

1. Piper is feeling 95% better and has slept through the night (or most of it anyway!) for two days now. Woot!
2. I totally blew my 2:45 half marathon goal out of the water. Well, maybe not TOTALLY, but I did a lot better than I anticipated: 2:38:45 (official time I got today - my Garmin said 2:38:55 though...but maybe I forgot to pause right away??). Woo-hoo! So proud of myself and I killed those hills. They respectively killed my glutes though, and my booty is hurting today.
3. Surprisingly, I'm not incredibly sore from my half yesterday. Last time, I could barely move afterwards. Must be getting stronger! My glutes are pretty sore, but other than that, I'm feeling fairly decent. I can even sit down and stand up without feeling like I might cry. That's a good sign, right?
4. I think I found a good realtor to help us house-hunt. I had asked our current property manager if they could help us, and the guy hasn't been responding to emails and calls - either ignoring them entirely or just waiting 24-48 hours to get back to me. Frustrating! So, I emailed another realtor and am meeting with her tomorrow. Fingers crossed we can find something.
5. I think I am getting a cold. Or maybe it's the weather changing. I don't know. Yesterday, I was wheezing pretty hard core by the evening and then today my head is killing me : (
6. I have a lot of work to do but am kind of overwhelmed by life right now and it's making it hard to work. I really need to focus on my work.
7. I had to cancel my hair appointment that was for tomorrow. I am starting to think I will have two toned hair for a long, long time.

Still Sick and Back to Square One

Little Piper seems to be worse than before. She's now coughing so much that she is throwing up pretty regularly :( I was cuddling her on my lap about an hour ago reading her a book when she coughed and then threw up. EVERYWHERE! All over me, herself, her brother, the floor, her blankie, toys, books, etc. It was a mess. I felt so bad for her! I put both kids in the tub, cleaned up the mess, and then took a shower myself. This was everyone's second shower in the last 15 hours. I hope the little miss starts feeling better soon! And I really, really hope I don't catch it! I can only imagine how crummy it would be to run while feeling like kaka. And yes, I'm silly, and would still try to run the half if I felt bad. That's just how I am. I *did* pay $60 for it!

The motorcycle that Derek was looking at on Craigslist ended up being a scam with a guy selling sub-par motorcycles. So we are back to square one on getting him some sort of vehicle. I am going to look at a house that I don't really like on Tuesday morning (if it's still available) just so that I can look at something. I'm anxious still, but resigned that nothing is going to happen over a holiday weekend, so I better just get over it. I'm really hoping that I can put my anxiety, fear, and strength (seriously, I haven't ran - or been to the gym for that matter- since MONDAY and my legs are ITCHING to run!!) into my half marathon and leave it all on the racecourse.

Derek is just as stressed out as I am. We're a pair I tell ya. I'm just glad I have a fantastic husband and partner to share my troubles with. And children that are so incredibly sweet and beautiful that it makes my head spin sometimes. And I have a mother, father, sister, brother, and in-laws that love me and make me laugh and remember that this is just a small blip in the course of my life. As stressed as I am, I know I have a wonderful family and that all of this will be over soon.

Sick

I'm feeling really, really anxious and sick to my stomach because we don't have a place to move into yet (really, though, we don't have to be out of our current house until 6/30/12). And that Derek is trying to get a new car in the midst of us trying to find a new place to live. It's just so stressful! When we moved to Dallas, we did a short-sale on our house, and now that should be showing up on our credit report. Which makes even more wary because what if we don't pass a credit check? I don't know what rental agencies really think about short-sales. Or what they'll think if we take out a loan for a new car with an already bad credit score. *hyperventilating*

I am seriously hoping that we can find something nice, but right now there just aren't any rental properties available. Shouldn't they be starting to advertise some that are coming available? Derek found a guy on craigslist that was interested in trading his custom-painted motorcycle (custom paint job was neon blue with skulls on it. Freaking. Awesome.) for Derek's volvo. He's going to look at it today and see what happens. So maybe we won't even have to get a loan?? But then I guess I can worry about Derek being on a motorcycle and getting into an accident. haha There's no end to my anxiety!

Piper, meanwhile, is actually sick. She has a cold and has thrown up twice; the throwing up I think is just due to her cold, but I'm not positive. Either way, we are just taking it easy today and I am letting her rest. I'm planning on focusing my energy on working to make some extra money and just trying to get as many hours in as I can without completely ignoring my kiddos. I've got to think of something fun for them to do today while I work that won't make a huge mess. I'm thinking about busting out their giant coloring pages and letting them go crazy. They like that. Right now, though, I'm going to go make another cup of coffee, and settle into a work groove.

If you are the praying type, please say a prayer that Piper starts feeling better, we get some extra money to make the burden of finding both a house and car a little more bearable, and that a nice, 4 bedroom, 2 bath house comes available in Allen in our price range and that they accept our 3 ten year old cats as well.

Jumping and Napping

Today I met up with my meetup group of mommas and kids and went to Jump Mania out in Plano. The last time we went (which was our first time), the kids kind of stuck near me and didn't really venture out to the bounce-houses very much. This time, though, they were everywhere! Piper mostly played with the cute play kitchen/house/BBQ stuff that they have there, but Danny bounced through every play structure that they had. Twice. He loved it. And I was able to actually talk to the moms (and one dad!) which was nice too. I love my moms group, but I sometimes wish that we had like weekly moms only activities to really get to know the moms a little better. It's hard to interact when one of us is constantly chasing a kid!

The kids both came home tired though, and for 20 minutes, they both napped. It was glorious! I was working while they rested/napped, so it wasn't like I really had genuine time to myself, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I'm trying to work extra this week since I'm not focusing on working out, but that is SO hard to do when there are so many other things I would like to be doing. Namely, not working haha I'm reading the second book in the Outlander series - Dragonfly in Amber. I think technically it's supposed to be a period romance novel, but I think it is so much better than a romance novel! Not that I've really read many romance novels, but I have a ton of preconceived ideas about them ; ) and this book is better than those preconceptions, so clearly, it can't be a romance novel. It has a lot of Scottish history in it too, and I am really liking that. The point is, though, that I am enjoying reading this book and don't really want to put it down. Especially when my choice is reading or working. But reading books doesn't bring in extra money, and working does. I'm a slave to my part-time paycheck. What can I say?

I have been tapering very nicely. And by tapering I mean not exercising at all. Tomorrow morning I'm going in for a one - two hour workout, but tonight, I'm just icing and resting and preparing mentally for my race. Hungry Runner Girl had a great post today about mental toughness and I really thought this was timely for me. I think running half marathons (and I'm sure further distances) requires a certain amount of mental preparation and "toughness" to finish the race. I think that's why I love distance running because it is a mental sport. And I love it.