Back in the Game

I got tired of being lazy after I hurt myself last fall. Since I couldn't run for a few months (including the marathon) :( I got into a bad habit of doing nothing. And not just nothing for someone who was up to running 16 miles... I mean nothing to the extent that I only moved off my couch to eat, sleep, and work.

Okay... and play softball. And bowling. So I guess I wasn't that lazy, but it felt like it. Either way - I'm done with the lazy. This week I've been good. Really good! I've been better about not missing a workout than I was even when in training for the marathon. Part of it is that I'm back to my baby runs of a mile or two (and can I just say, that only running a mile is AWESOME!) so it doesn't take long, but a bigger part is that I just feel better.

I've been starting off slower, combining my running with swimming (which I still suck fantastically at-just for the record), lifting weights to build the strength to prevent injury, and well, I feel awesome not being lazy. It's super. Add that to the softball, bowling, and now golf (yup - I've taken up golf. Golf! Don't worry - I suck at that too, but I'm okay with it.) and it makes for a busy, active, and all around happier week for Erin! Yay!

So all that to say, hooray for getting off the couch. It's awesome. Except the persistent elbow pain that I have. I think bowling gave me tennis elbow. Lame. Needless to say, I'm just pretending it doesn't exist and playing through it. After all, it's only an elbow!

Gardening 101

I've been working on my master garden plan for a really, really long time. But up until a few weeks ago it wasn't anything more than several weedy starter beds with one shrub and a new orange tree. It all started with removing the unfortunately huge cottonwood tree from one side of the yard...

Before

Thanks to Mike and his super-de-duper generous birthday present of a truck-load of plants for the garden it finally is starting to take shape!

After

Now ... please ignore the unfortunately large dead grass patches. Along with the tree went the large root that stretched almost across the yard... and most of the grass went with that. I'm trying to get my master plan drawing converted to digital (not so easy without a scanner), but I'll try to walk you through it with the creative use of chairs. :)


The red(ish) chairs in the middle are where I plan to have a small pergola with a wood swing. It will sit on a blue-slate paver-pad with a matching walkway that will cover some of the dead ground that is in the front. The beige chair is eventually going to be a (very) small water feature. I'm still debating between a waterfall-pond combo (again - very small) or just a small pot-fountain water feature of some sort. That part is still in work.

So anyway - that's the back yard these days... It's all still in work and I'll have about twice as many plants in this bed by the time I'm done, but it's finally starting to take shape! Here's a slideshow of more pictures of the current flower bed.

And for his sake - Mike's the best. He even walked around the garden store when he didn't want to. How super, huh? ;)