Hooray for nice weather!

So after that weeklong break I took due to stomach troubles coupled with not eating more than 1000 calories in 6 days, I have been really struggling this week. Which sort of sucked, because this was a heavy week finished with an 18 mile run. Right.

I slogged through the shorter runs this week-- it's been really hot and humid again, so it just sort of sucks the energy right out of you as soon as you step outside. I've been doing a lot of stopping and walking this week, which just makes me feel like a loser, and I have had a hard time determining if I'm still sort of trying to catch up from being so weak and lame last week, or if the weather is really draining me that much. I guess it's probably a little bit of both, because the weather finally cleared this weekend and it's beautiful here-- in the eighties with a really low humidity level.

So I got up at 4 this morning and I drove to Annapolis and I started my run, and I swear the first ten miles were a breeze. And then 11 and 12 got harder. And then 13-14 got REALLY hard. And then 14 through 18 were so slow and pathetic that new mommies with strollers could have passed me, if only they'd been out walking this morning. But I finished, and now I'm really sore and tired but thrilled to be sort of back on track. But I did pull off my shoe and discover that the middle toe on my left foot had a bloody toenail. I did notice some pain on that toe while I was running, but that's not all that unusual. I'm hoping it was just a cut or something... few things freak me out more than the threat of losing a toenail in the pursuit of a marathon metal.

I was completely planning to go and get the vehicle emissions test that Maryland sent me a notice about last week... but then I realized that the operations center closes at 1:00, and it's already noon. It doesn't really seem worth it anymore, because my understanding of these things is that you have to get there pretty much right when they open in order to get seen that day at all... so maybe next week. Fortunately it doesn't absolutely NEED to be done for another six weeks, so I'm glad I got on the ball early. Next weekend is only a six mile run (Yay, finally a step down week!) so I'll probably just push that run to Sunday and go get this dealt with on Saturday... no sleeping in for me next weekend! And then I need to figure out how to renew my vehicle registration. I hate being a grown-up! When you're a kid, you just don't have to worry about stuff like this... you spend your summers collecting bugs and going to the pool and riding your bike and it seems like it's endless. I miss that.

Also, I got a new TV this week. It's baller, but I wish Mike were here to fix the resolution on it. I also got a DVD player. Mike actually bought it for me... I was going to hold off until my bank account was replenished after the big TV purchase, but I think he feels bad that I've seen him for a few hours every couple of weeks this summer, while everyone else has had a decent chunk of leave to spend with their loved ones. The week he DID get off he spent at home with his family, so I've only gotten a weekend or two and then a few evenings here and there with him. It hasn't bothered me that much; what has been more frustrating lately is that when I call him, I almost invariably get a text (always the same text! It must be one of those pre-sets) that says "Call you back later" and I don't hear from him for six more hours and then I get maybe 10 minutes of phone time. But I'm consoling myself this weekend with my new DVD player, and maybe a nap, and then spending the evening making myself a fancy fruit salad. (I happen to love fresh pineapple, but unfortunately it takes me like, 20 minutes to just cut into one because I'm so inept in the kitchen.)

Anyhow, I'm noticing that all the plebe girlfriends are getting very excited about Parent's Weekend next weekend, and ohhh the memories that it brings back. Haha I'm excited for PPW too, because then Mike might be able to actually take a phone call for a change. With the thirty minute phone calls the plebes have gotten this summer (we only got FIVE minutes!!) the plebe girlfriends may have talked to their dudes even more than I talked to Mike! Haha for the last phone call, he said he'd call me while the plebes were using their 30 minutes, but then he ended up allowing someone else to use his phone because that plebe didn't have a cell phone. :( That's kind of sad to think about, so I hope his family comes to town next weekend and buys that kid a phone!

I think I might walk over to the Giant and pick up a DVD from the Redbox-- even though it would be way faster to drive, I feel like I may need to stretch out my legs a bit and loosen up all of these tight muscles! Next project: joining the world of NetFlix so the DVDs come directly to my door.