I'm Allergic...to Everything

Do you have allergies?

I've been a cronic sneezer since I was in elementary school. I am one of those people who will rattle off 5-10 sneezes in one breath. People get tired of "blessing" me?!

As an adult, it's become more apparent that I am allergic to something. There are days that I feel like I have the flu or a cold, but just know it has to be something else, something in the air.

On the advice of a co-worker, I went to see an allergist a few weeks ago.

I've tolerated the symptoms for so long. Plus, being the competitive person that I am, I was hesitant to communicate with my doctor that essentially, "I might not be tough enough to handle this anymore". Silly, I know. He must have heard through my "I'm tough" routine, because I went through the battery of tests a few days later.

Scrapes on my back and 29 shots in my arm! The results...

I'm allergic to almost everything! Well, not everything, but a lot. I'm allergic to something in every season here in Austin. My list includes cedar, ragweed (big in the Midwest), grasses, molds, fall elm (among other trees), cats, and cockroaches(!).

The good news is that he gave me medicine to start immediately that should relieve my symptoms and keep them from returning. Even better news is that I don't have to go on shots (yet, anyway)!

Here's today's forecast...

I now know that I do, in fact, have allergies. I know exactly what I'm allergic to, and I know that I'm doing something to keep me from feeling itchy, runny, and foggy because of it.

Even though the molds and fall elm are through the roof, it's a good allergy day for me in Austin, Texas!

A Trip for Two

Gareth and I just returned from a vacation in Banff Springs, Canada.

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with breathtaking views of the Canadian Rockies! Here are three of my favorite photos...



We went canoing at Lake Louise, mountain biking on the Spray River Trail and Sundance Canyon, white water rafting on the Kananaskis River, and hiking through the town of Banff. Gareth even indulged me for a trip to the hotel spa together!

Here's my mountain man during one of our bike rides.

The best part of the trip for me was having time to spend with Gareth. It was so surprising, that sometimes we didn't know what to do with ourselves!

The grind of everyday life sometimes makes it tough on us to find that time together...our jobs, housework, exercise routines, and time with our own friends often get in the way.

For these five days, though, it was so nice just to be with him...

In Stores, Oct 2nd

Exile on Mainstream by, Matchbox Twenty...

I'm driving in my car, fliping the channels on the radio and settle in on a station. The sound is familiar, but I've never heard the song before.

Wait a second! Who is that?! I know that voice!

I wait a little longer, and hear the chorus..."let's see how far we've come".


I'm listening to, "How Far We've Come"! Matchbox Twenty's new single. I only just learned that the band was recording again a few days ago.

The album will be in stores this October, but the first single has already been released.

I can hardly wait for the tour...woo hoo!

Austin Quote of the Day

Radio DJ: I am so sick of this rain, I wanna kick every cloud in the crotch!

Five Friends Every Woman Should Have

Story found here.

By Michelle Burford

(OPRAH.com) -- "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves," writer Edna Buchanan once said.

I consider the "family" I've gathered -- with five kinds of pals I count on for completely different things -- among the wisest choices I've made. If you can find even one who embodies any of the characteristics that follow, you can consider yourself fortunate.

The Uplifter: This woman's favorite word: yes. You could tell her you're trading your six-figure income for a career in offtrack betting, and she'd barely pause before yelping "Go for it!" Don't you need someone who looks past the love handles to notice the extraordinarily gorgeous you?

The Travel Buddy: When the hotel in St. Lucia is a bust, one characteristic becomes all-important: flexibility. This agreeable companion need not be the girl you traded pinkie swears with on the playground; it's enough that she's comfortable with quiet (between gabfests) and is a teensy bit mischievous (as in tequila after midnight).

The Truth Teller: Intent is what separates the constructive from the abusive. Once you've established that the hard news is spoken in love (not in jealousy or malice), you'd be smart to seek out this woman's perspective.

The Girl Who Just Wants to Have Fun: One Saturday a pal and I -- and yes, we're both over age 12 -- pored over every glitter lip gloss in a drugstore aisle for an entire 45 minutes. Forget the crisis download (for that, see the Uplifter); this partnership is about spontaneous good times.

The Unlikely Friend: "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive," Anaïs Nin wrote. My friends -- some twice my age, others half, some rich, others homeless, some black like me, others Korean, Mexican, Caucasian -- have added richness to my life that only variety can bring.

United Sucks

Arrive at Calgary airport 2 hours early; three hour layover at Denver airport...
Plenty of time for bags to be put on Austin flight?

Wrong!

No luggage in Austin. BOO for United!

The Way I Are

I'm SO Happy for You!

Congratulations are in order for a few of my dear friends...

Jeremy & Tiffany
...on the birth of their daughter, Bella Anne!

Blair & Dawn
...on their recent engagement :-)

Damn, It's Hot!

Last night's Quality Workout took Camp Punishment to the track at the Texas School for the Deaf...in 94 degree heat. The assigned torture workout was to run 6 800's at 5K pace with 200 recoveries. I was the only one who had raced on Sunday to opt for straights and curves.

I ran straights and curves for 2 miles around the track.

Straights and curves is not a difficult workout. I'm glad that no one reminded me of that last night, though! I made it through 5 laps and was sweating profusely. Sweat was dripping into my eyes and I couldn't see...it was a disaster! I stopped for water, and finished my 8 laps.

I saw my heart rate skyrocket each lap on the half of the track that was in the blazing heat (which I knew thanks to my handy Forerunner)!

I don't think that I ever really cooled down and I was especially exhausted last night following the workout. Right now, I'm sitting in my office and I still feel hot.

One of my teammates summed it up best when I asked her how her workout was going...with a smile on her face, she told me, "it's miserable!"

Tri it Again

Rogue Women's Tri

Sunday, 8am

300m swim, 12M bike, 2M run

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one doesn't get rained out!!

...and so Little Time!

I am looking forward to the Fourth of July! ...to a day off!

The whole day - to do anything I want to do. It seems like an infinite amount of time as I sit here on a Tuesday afternoon, waiting for tomorrow to arrive.

Whenever I have a day off, inevitably, "my eyes become bigger than my stomach". I accumulate a list of things to do that becomes so long and so unreasonable that I end up frustrated. I find myself sitting on the couch, watching movies, and doing nothing...after all, it IS my day off :-)

Here is my list for this day off...

What I HAVE to get done:

- trip to the grocery store
- quality run workout (that I'm supposed to do tonight and won't)
- swim (since I just signed up for a tri this weekend, yikes!)
- fireworks downtown

What I also WANT to get done:

- sleep late
- watch a movie or two
- turn in my keys to the old roomie
- get at least one part of the house "settled"
- buy some new lamps
- order photos
- read a good book

So, here's to hoping that I find the energy to tackle these lists tomorrow. I will probably find myself on the couch for an hour or two, but that's okay...I've still got a shot at being productive!

Always so much to do...