Archive for the ‘Mindless Meanderings’ Category

As if my shoe shopping experience were not enough, apparently shopping for shoes is making the news.

Another good guideline is every six months or every 300 to 500 miles, retailers said. Most shoes’ cushioning won’t perform well for much longer, and then the benefits of the shoe are lost.

Another good indicator: If you wake up with sore feet after an activity, it’s time to buy new shoes.

I swear, I’ve been through this kind of thing already!

Lohman said he performs a quick gait analysis on customers, then combines that information with the wear patterns on an old shoe and the aches and pains reported by the user, then starts narrowing the hundreds of choices to a few dozen. Runners need the most cushioning to absorb the pounding pavement. Walkers want shoes with a skinnier midsole.

“That helps transition as you pull your toe up, and makes the transition smoother, since you don’t leave the ground,” Lohman said.

All right, kids, I have a lot to do. More from me later. I promise.

wRitErsbLock

Post a Comment

what is that big, bright, glowing ball in the sky?

I’ll have to post pictures of our unbelievably high pond later today.

wRitErsbLock

Post a Comment

Just before lunch, I inexplicably downloaded a super nasty virus onto my computer. I spent my lunch hour pulling my hair out and using someone else’s computer to research how to remove super nasty virus that had completely crippled my computer.

Around 130, my favorite IT person, hubby’s best friend, mercifully came by my office to check on me. He left just before 3p, problem solved, he said.

Five minutes after he left, I sat down at my computer and watched in wonder as the screen alternated between the start up screen and very wordy blue screens of death.

I called my favorite IT person who told me how to do a system re-install. He said it was idiot proof and I shouldn’t have any trouble doing it.

I called him moments later and told him the computer was not responding. He pronounced it dead/dying and congratulated me on getting a new computer. He also said it was purely coincidental that the computer would go belly up the same day I acquired a super nasty virus.

So, here I sit, on the brand new, previously unclaimed computer installing programs.

I hate technology, but at least I have a brand new computer, right?

wRitErsbLock

Comments (1)

I’ve been mostly awake since 312a when the wind kicked up. I hate listening to things whipping around outside in the dark.

We’re waiting to head out to work, what with our relatively high-profile vehicle and all. My MIL is on the road right now ::shakes head:: retrieving her other granddaughter. In about an hour, the wind should be better.

How did you fare in this little storm?

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

Lost power. Inexplicable, really. Fay is barely a storm at all.

I had been slow cooking a stew all day long. Around 4p, I thought I should finish it off and we could have a ridiculously early dinner. I put some noodles to boil. As I turned off the stove, the power shut off. It was a lovely candle-lit dinner.

Now that the power is back, we’re going to take some drinks out of the refrigerator and put them into the cooler, just in case we lose power again.

And if we lose it again, we have that generator in the garage we can dig out.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

My office is closed tomorrow!
As are schools.
And, since we already dragged it to the curb, no trash pick up tomorrow either.

Did someone say something about a hurricane?

wRitErsbLock

Comments (1)

Sheesh. Nothing like racing home to prep the house for a storm.

We had a safe drive. Encountered a bit of rain.

And, the house is now prepped for a hurricane. Apparently we’re pretty efficient at that!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

Well, kids, it’s been a lovely four day weekend. Sadly, we must go home today. We’ll be on the road here shortly, and it’s already later than we planned.

wRitErsbLock

Post a Comment

that’s pretty darn impressive.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (3)

Okay you crazy kids. I’m leaving work in ten minutes. Stopping home to finish packing the clothes that are in the dryer. Then, it’s 391 miles to our mini-vacation destination on the Gulf Coast! Woo hoo!

I’ll be online tomorrow, but likely not at all the rest of today. Think happy thoughts for me and sherlock as we drive. And for RTY as she attends back to school night tonight at her middle school.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (3)

Right, so the only reason it’s tuesday is because I’m heading to the gulf coast beach tonight for a lovely four day weekend. Tuesday is so not conducive to water-related activities. And I’m especially cranky and irritable and yucky feeling because the Olympics have been robbing me of sleep. Yeah, I’m a joy to be around! Heh. Bosslady offered me some of her progesterone cream to try to calm my out-of-whack hormones down! LOL! Thanks, but I’ll stick to the old grey goose remedy!

On the bright side: just over five hours to my vacation! Woo hoo!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (1)

Wow, I think Red Robin might just be my favorite restaurant ever. And I’ve never been. (We get their commercials, but to the best of my knowledge, there are none in the area.)

First, Crystal of Boobs, Injuries & Dr. Pepper posted an angry email she sent to the heads of Red Robin.

Then, she posted their response.

And now… well, they’ve really done a superb job of fixing the situation.

I heart superior customer relations. More people and companies should be so kind hearted.

When I find a Red Robin, I’ll go.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

Wow. Rachel Lucas made a pitch to her faithful followers last night about my Team in Training fundraising goal. A big, huge thank you to the people who have left comments or emailed words of support, and to those who don’t even know me who have been donating to this wonderful cause. I am… humbled. I am in awe at your generosity. Truly, youse guys rock!

I know my fund raising page does not reflect the generosity of Rachel’s readers, but it will. It takes a few days to transfer the money out of Paypal into my bank, and then on to the LLS site. I’m all for making it easier on you to donate and taking a few extra steps on my end.

I depleted my thank you note stash last night. And that’s a good thing, right?!

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

in internet hell today.

But I think it’s fixed now.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (2)

Okay kids, here’s the deal. I told you that I have signed up to be on the Team In Training team for the Disney Marathon coming up in January. They will train me and cover my expenses but I have to raise money for a very worthy cause: to help fight blood born cancers.

By helping to raise funds for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services, you’ll receive:

* Personalized fitness training by certified coaches for a period of four to five months
* Training clinics
* Your own personal Web site for online fundraising
* A supportive group of teammates
* Lodging and airfare to more than 60 accredited events in the United States and abroad.

I have to tell you, I am very, very apprehensive about doing fund raising. It is not something I have ever been good at, mostly because asking people for money is so far out of my comfort zone. But leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research and patient services is a very worthy cause. I have been blessed to not know anyone personally who has been affected by these horrible diseases, but I want to help anyway.

So here’s the deal. I have been asked to raise $2,400 by the end of December. That number is quite intimidating! But with your help, I can do it! I figure I have probably fifty regular readers. If each of you fifty could commit to just $10 a month for the next five months (August through December), that would put me over my goal, $2,500. Ten bucks a month is pretty easy to fit into a budget, isn’t it? It’s taking your lunch twice that month instead of eating fast food. It’s skipping two mocha latte’s from evil coffee conglomerate. Super easy. And for such a good cause.

Please, talk it over with your significant other, and please consider pledging just $10 a month for the next five months to help fund cancer research and help me train to run the marathon in honor of a person currently fighting cancer (I think I meet my person in two weeks). You and I can make a difference!

What happens to the money I raise?

Good question. Team In Training figures my expenses will run around $600. They multiply that by four to get the $2,400 figure I have been asked to raise. So, for every dollar I raise, twenty-five cents goes toward my expenses. My expenses include marathon registration, training, a team tee-shirt, two or three nights in a hotel the weekend of the marathon, a high-carb pasta party the night before the marathon, and a post-run party. (I think that’s everything.) I’ll be upfront with you about what I’m involved in because I want you to believe in me, believe in this cause, and believe we can make a difference by raising funds to help fund cancer research.

If I do not raise the full funds by the end of December, I have the option of not running (NOT AN OPTION!) or funding the rest out of pocket. If I fund the balance, I then have two additional months to continue fund raising to reimburse myself. No matter what, the money goes to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

With your help, I can meet my goal!

One more thing, if you are interested in joining a team to run a marathon, either here or in your area, please mention you heard it from me as that will knock a little bit of money off the total I have to raise. And if your company would like to be a corporate sponsor, I can find out more about how to do that. Your company’s logo will go onto our marketing materials, and the back of our purple shirts as our team runs the marathon in January. Since it’s a charity, talk to your tax adviser about tax benefits of donating to charity.

UPDATED:
Rachel Lucas had a great suggestion. For easier payment options, you can either hit my Amazon tip jar or my Paypal button to save having to enter in your credit card information. I will redirect all funds to my Team In Training account.

wRitErsbLock

Comments (6)