The Money Pit (and other topics)

I started a post two nights ago...but it's been one of those weeks, and I was pretty surly about work, and the house, and life. But I finally came to grips with reality and realized that I really have nothing to be surly about, so I deleted the post. It was really was really, really, REALLY too whiney...even for me.

So...this week has been all about the money pit (aka our house), DramaGirl (aka -soon to be middle school promoted*), work, and a little bit of running thrown in for good measure.

The Money Pit
On the house front...10 years ago, we bought a "fixer" and we've been "fixing" it ever since. It's our  very own money pit. Most of this is my fault because I have a GOD DAMN VISION for this house and come hill or high water, I will see my VISION come to pass. Walter, would live in a shed and be happy (so long as there was a little black and white TV that he could watch sports on... You may think I'm exaggerating, but you'd be wrong.)

Anyway, after several years of whining and nagging and suggesting and plotting, I finally got Walter to agree to put in a pool about 4 summers ago. LOVE the pool. But, I've been looking at a hill of dirt behind a retaining wall for about 4 years thinking it would make a LOVELY upper patio. Finally, this week, we poured the pad.

Pouring concrete...amazingly difficult work. The concrete is brown, so it's not just dirt your're seeing.

OK...so now there's another concrete pad above the pool. So what's the big deal? And No, that box of Corona is not a landscape feature....

OH...now I get it. I'm talking about the view,  not the Corona... It's just filled with random crap...I swear.

See...

So...much of the week included me dealing with the contractor and the cement guy.

DramaGirl
The other part of this week has been all about DramaGirl, who is "promoting" from 8th grade to high school. We went to the high school registration this morning. She'll be going to the high school where i used to teach, so I have relatively few worries. After school today, I took her and two of her friends to a nail place to get pedicures and manicures...they're such chicks!

DramaGirl and friends getting pedicures...

Runs
I don't wanna write about work because it's BORING...but I will write about running! I managed to get in THREE WHOLE RUNS THIS WEEK. (Can I hear a WOOT! WOOT!)

• Monday - Walter and I ran around our very hilly neighborhood. MEH! I have some hill work to do to get ready for San Francisco next month. We KNOW that won't be a flat course. (3.03 miles, 34 minutes)
• Tuesday - I went to the SDTC track club workout. Walter was meeting with a client in Ontario***, so he had to miss it. Too bad. It was a tough-ass workout! 2 mile tempo run followed by a set of 8 x 100 strides (with calestentics) and another set of 8 x 100 sprints, followed by more sit-ups, planks, and other evil core exercises. OMG it was tough (and it was the first workout of the season...an alleged "easy recovery workout" for those who'd run the marathon. I'm wondering if I should be scared...very scared.
• Wednesday - My back ached...could it have been all the dropping to the ground and sitting up/plank/pushup action I was into the night before (Don't get all excited G, I'm still talking about the track club workout).
• Thursday - Three mile treadmill run. Used to love the 'mill. Now I can barely tolerate it. My whole goal, once I get on the 'mill is to see how quickly I can pound out three miles. Today it took me 32 minutes.

Tomorrow, Walter and I are going to do some strength training and Saturday, our second run with the track club's 1/2 Mad Group. Oh yeah...and there's this little "promotion" exercise in the morning.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone and Happy Father's day to all the dads out there!
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* They don't call 8th grade "graduation" here. They call it "promotion" instead. So tomorrow morning, there's going to be a "promotion" ceremony. I'm  pretty much OK with the nomenclature. I mean after all, it's 8th grade. But to be honest, all the hoopla certainly makes it FEEL like a graduation**. 


** Also if we call someone who is graduating a graduate, do we call someone who is promoting a promoate?


***There's an Ontario in California too. I am sure it is nowhere near as lovely as the one north of the border. The Ontario in SoCal is mostly known for what might be the most enormous strip mall EVAH. When driving from the south, you're also grateful when you get to Ontario because that means you're past  Norco, which is the most toxic smelling place EVAH due to the methane emitting from all the COWS!****


**** Heffers do NOT emit methane. Not like this anyway. I'm just sayin'