New Toys!

Last weekend was a busy one for us. I ran a 5K trail run with Christian and my friend -- and fellow Post-Bulletin columnist -- Tracy McCray. Tracy wore a shirt that said, “Chatty Chicas” and she wasn’t kidding. It was fun to talk away the race (and solve the world’s problems in the process) with her. And, really -- what else was I supposed to do? Christian stuck by my side for exactly 75 feet, until I said, “You can go ahead of me if you want.” Off he flew.

Other weekend activities included gardening, going to a soccer game to watch Christian’s friends, hanging out at the Freetly's campsite at Chester Woods. We took in a movie. I finished the paperwork that marks the end of my third semester. I managed a hilly 10-mile bike ride to prep for the impending (and WAY too close) triathlon.

So with that much weekend action, is it weird that the highlight might've been getting a rain barrel and compost bin?

On Saturday morning, still in my running clothes and bed-hair, Jay and I hit the parking lot at the Apache Mall, where there was a truckload sale of -- you guessed it -- rain barrels and compost bins.

When we arrived, I saw my friend Katie right away. "How do we know which line to get in?" I asked, since she was standing in one of three lines that ran the expanse of the parking lot.

"It's all one line," she said.

I laughed. "Seriously -- what line do we go in?"

"It's all one line," she repeated.

I stepped back and took a look. It was all one line, snaking back and forth across the parking lot.

Who knew rain barrels and compost bins were such hot items?

The process actually went fairly quickly. We were home with the goods in an hour. This morning, I set the compost up in our garden and started filling it with the potato peels and eggshells I'd saved from last night's dinner and dessert. (I'd made my first lemon meringue pie -- a success even if I never did get that *#&@$%#&% meringue to peak.)

The rain barrel--which, claims Rochester Public Utilities, can cut our water bill by up to 40% by collecting rain water for use in watering our lawn, gardens, plants--is going up this week. According to the EPA, a rain barrel saves most homeowners "about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months." Amazing.

I'll let you know how it goes.

This Week in Jen's World...

Here's this week's column... about an experience I'm repeating tomorrow! Christian and I will be up bright and early for the Chester Wood's Trail Run in the morning.

T minus 10 hours

I'm running my second 5K of the season tomorrow at 8 a.m.
The last time I ran was two weeks ago, at my first 5K of the season.

And swimming and biking? It's been nearly as long.

Do I need to tell any of you that this doesn't bode well for the Rochesterfest Triathlon? That's 16 days away?

16 days.

ha ha ha ha hahahahahahhahahahha....

Writing Workshop. Check.

Last night marked the final session of spring's small-group writing workshop. I am so proud of my students, who created honest, compelling work and who thoughtfully contributed to discussion. It was fun to watch these writers grow over the last four weeks as they shared their stories and found common ground.

And really? Where else does a person get to read nail-biting running stories, long-held family secrets, and how a complete set of Hot Wheels tires came to be found in a rather unexpected place. (Hint: It rhymes with piper.)

I'll be launching another workshop later in the summer. Watch this blog for details and registration information.

Why I Love June

Memorial Weekend in 20 Words

Hammock
Chainsaw
Deet
Wheeler
Tomato Juice
(Skunk)
Cousins
Grandparents
Sisters
Mississippi
Boat
Anti-itch cream
Fire
S'more
Football
Cupcakes
Happy
Nap

Today in Jen's World...

Little known fact about this week's Jen's World promo video: My son, Christian, is holding his head so (unnaturally) still because it's covering up a picture in the background that I didn't want in the video. Though, now that I type that, it seems to me that it would've been easier to just take the thing down...



Hmmm... for a reason I don't understand, Christian is cut off when I embed the video. To see the video in its entirety (and Christian's amazing head control!), click here.