Y'all are going to have to bare with me, because I injured my wrist last night while cleaning the windows. Tragic, I know. And it could only happen to me. I'm completely taking it as a sign that window washing shall now be preformed by my husband. For the rest of our lives. Anyway, typing is kinda a crap shoot. If I type fart instead of farther, now you know why.
OK,
Dog-N-Jog Weekend Replay!!!!
The weekend was funtastic! We traveled the ohsolong distance (2 hours) north to my mothers home on the Indian Reservation. Yes, she really does live on 'The Rez'. We are
these people, folks. The really weird, totally random,
slightly hickville, have lazy-susan gun racks in the dinning room type of people. It's fine. Anyway, Ryan said his Hi's and Goodbye's and went in search of the Thunder Chickens (aka turkeys; yes, hunting season is upon thee and I will now become a hunting widow till May, don't be jealous).
Soon it was dark
and our first batch of spring storms rolled through:
It was all southeast of us, so we didn't even get a drop. But it was a purdy show!
Saturday morning came WAY.TO.EARLY. The race started at 9am, and we were about an hour away, and we needed to pick up my SIL and her two adorables still. Oh, and we had to get them plus all the dogs loaded in my mom's boyfriends super large truck. Like seriously. It's huge. I tried to find a picture, but I don't have one. Sorry. Anyways, we had to wake up and get on the road by 6:30am. Boo.
We get on the road, dogs loaded, kids loaded, us loaded, gear loaded, stroller loaded and head to KSU Vet Med School (where the race starts). Do you know what it's like having your 5 foot 5 mother, who barely can see over the steering wheel, try to park a pickup with tires the size of Texas? Pretty much hell. And does she pick a spot that has space open on both sides.........ohhhhhh no. That would be two easy! We like a challenge in our family. She picks a spot next to the itty bitty four door car with this little college girl sitting in it, wide eyed and about to cry because she just knows her car is going to get straight up ran over. But! Mom did it. She parked it. ThankyouJesusThankyouLord.
It was only after parking that she ended up damaging the poor girl's car. Trying to get chairs out of a pick up bed that is 2 feet above your head is a wee bit challenging. But instead of WAITING till I pole vaulted into the back, she just pulls the chair over and it lands on the hood of the poor girl's car. Christ. I can not take this woman anywhere. Luckily there was no real damage, and she told me later that she's praying for hail so she can get a new car, so one little scratch wasn't nothin'. Dodged a bullet there, mother.
Next, we herded over to the registration, dogs, kids, mother in tow. I drop all the excess baggage off so they can set up 'camp' and I head to check in. Easy peezy.
Let me introduce you to the group:
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| From Left to Right: Julie(mom), Corn Dog (Seranade), Me, Wyatt, Adorable Trinity, Brougham (dog not looking), Jennifer, and Adorable Kyron. |
We are quite the group.
And I got a pic with Corn Dog and Wyatt:
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| Wyatt and I right before the race started. |
It's almost race time, so Corn Dog and I head to the START line. Leaving poor Wyatt behind. He was NOT happy. Not happy at all. Apparently, once I left, he just turned to face this really big tree, and put his head down. My poor SIL thought there was something wrong! Then my mom said, "oh no, he's just pouting." I've apparently got a jealous little animal on my hands! Don't worry, after I returned he damn near pummeled me and then never left my side, telling me that everything was A-OK.
We get in line for the race, I forgot my MP3, so had to use my phone and my mom's earbuds, which didn't fit right and kept falling out, so I was trying to screw around with that, and hold Corn Dog while she's taking it upon herself to sniff any and everyone's butts, human and canine alike. OH, and I never asked anyone where we were actually going, so have no idea what the race route is. Awesome. Ill-prepared much???
The race started and off we went, with a mass of runners and doggies.
It was kind of a cluster because they didn't block off any streets, we had to use the sidewalks, and a 100 people and a 100 dogs all trying to fit on 3 foot wide pavement just don't work, mmkay?! So I braved the light traffic, and moved off to the street for more space. That's when I tried to pace myself and find my rhythm. Unfortunately that was starting at a hill. Damn Flint Hills in Manhattan!!!
After that monster it was then downhill forEVER, which was just sweet bliss. I picked up my pace and tried to make up some time. Mind you, I also forgot my watch, so I was having to look at my phone for the time.
Apparently she didn't like the hills either. Tongue a hangin'!
The route ended up going through KSU campus and right by some of the old buildings that I used to spend A LOT of my time 'studying' in.
Here is Willard Hall, where most of my photography and painting classes were:
All the buildings on campus are limestone, because of the surplus available in the flint hills around that area. Some buildings are also about 1,376 years old. Like Willard Hall. Makes it interesting to do art when it is -15 degrees in the winter and 128 in the summer. Joy, I tell ya.
Anyways, that was about half way, so I weaved my way through the sidewalks and roads till I finally came up to the finish. I knew that I didn't have the best time, #1: I was stopping to take pictures all the time, and #2: I stopped to see if Corn Dog wanted any water a few times too.
But here we come, barreling down the sidewalk:
I know the picture's blurry, I forgot to change it from Manual focus to Automatic for my mother.
But here's a few more shots post-race:
My time was probably about 30:45 or so, but I still don't know the real time, because I forgot to look at my phone. But it was almost under 30 min, so I'll take it!
My post race 'glow'!
Me and my running partner!! She did sooo good too. She only pulled a few times when other dogs went to the bathroom in front of us and she, of course, had to smell it. But other than that, she stayed right by my side and was always looking up at me to see what my pace was. She's going to be such a good assistance dog when she grows up!!
In case you don't remember what Dog-N-Jog is all about, it's put on by the Vet Med students at KSU, and half the proceeds go to
KSDS, which is the organization that my mom participates in, by raising puppies to be assistance dogs for blind, deaf, disabled, nursing homes, etc. She takes the dogs from 8 weeks old, to about 2 years old and trains them to sit, stay, fetch, etc., all the 'basic' commands. Then after 2 years they go back to the KSDS facility to get formal training and to be paired with their 'partner'. Mom has done several dogs, two of which help two wonderful ladies now. Corn Dog has a few more months with us before she goes back and get trained.
Once we got cooled down, water in us, food in us, I paid more attention to
my puppy, trying to make up for me leaving him behind.
Big smiles! So happy mom's back!
After the 5K race, we then participated in the 1.5K walk, which is what Mom usually participates in every year.
Off we go! Dogs, stroller, kids, mother, water, more dogs, more kids:
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| Jennifer, Trinity, Kyron, and Brougham before the start. |
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| Walking through campus. |
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| Wyatt, finally happy he gets to participate! |
The race was a blast! And it was so neat to see all the dogs! I think I've talked my SIL to do the 5K with me next year!!! I definitely think this is going to be a yearly event for me!
After we said our Goodbye's, we piled back in the monster truck and headed back to Mom's.
And I got to play with this little cutey:
He just couldn't get enough of Aunt Laura! I was in heaven.
Oh, and he also couldn't get enough of this guy:
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| "Mom, tell this small person to quit picking on me!!" |
Mr. Wyatt also got a little jealouspants when I was playing with Kyron. He kept coming up and nudging my hand and laying down
practically on top of me next to me. So I cuddled with him and all was right with the world.
OH, I forgot!!!! Guess what I was wearing post race???!!!!!
That's right! I got my purple sparkly Toms! And they are perfect! And I will pet them and cuddle them and I love them forever
My brother came to Mom's from work and first words out of his mouth were, "What the hell are you going to do Laura, click your heels back to Wichita?"
Hater's gonna hate, Michael. Hater's gonna hate.
Next on my agenda was this:
My mother's AMAZING fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy! Yummmmmmmmmm!
And then I did a little of this, with Colt as my couch-mate:
But I soon needed to get up, and this is what happened:
Really Colt? Really?
He's just beyond ridiculous, that dog.
I did learn one very important lesson, from all my adventures this weekend: If you have a race, do not, I repeat DO NOT, drink about 6 beers the night before, then drink 12 sips of water the entire day of the race, eat only a banana, forget to stretch, before and after, then proceed to empty a 30-Pack of precious Bud Lights after the race. Not at ALL a good idea. Why, you ask? Because your body will pretend it's 87 and your thigh muscles will feel like an elephant did a jig on them for 12 hours. I just now can sit on the toilet without crying. It's been a rough couple of days, I tell ya.
All in all, great weekend!
Now I need to get my pooper on the treadmill and stop shoving donuts, hamburgers, fries, donuts, milkshakes, Thin Mints, beer, donuts, candy bars, more fries, and more donuts in my pie hole.
Ughhhhhhhh.
