Race Day (A Quick Report) ...

This morning was our annual Huntington College Founders Day 5K race. I can call it annual since at least one of us ran the race the last three races.

For a quick recap of the previous years race, you can go back to the Feb 23rd 2008 blog. We had a big group for the race last year but this year it was only Lil Bit and I. Big E is stuck at Faulkner University with our oldest daughter trying to squeeze some extra scholarship money out of the school (I hope she sharpened her bargaining skills).

Since this wasn't my first race, I wasn't as anxious (nervous). I did follow through with a healthy dinner last night of "Ho Fun" at the local Chinese joint but this year I chased the dinner with a couple of tall cool ones (I didn't do that last year). Wheat and barley are carbohydrates, right?

Like last year, we awoke to a cold morning (28 degrees when we awoke). Thankfully the sun came out by the time the race started and we could no longer see our breath.

We've been training with the Couch Potato to 5K program and are up to week 4 now. I figured that I am a little better prepared for the race this year. As a result, I was feeling confident that I could finish it better than I did last year.

Our morning routine this time was very similar to the previous years routine and at 7:30 we departed for the race. Upon arrival, we registered, grabbed our goodies, and promptly returned to the truck to thaw out. We couldn't help but watch some of the other racers arriving and their outfits. I won't make fun of those people as they all finished before I did, so maybe it is the shoes or the tight leotard looking pants (on men no less). I don't care if it is the pants, I ain't wearing tight leotards for no one.

I loaded up (on the MP3 player) week four of the Couch Potato series figuring that I would be nearing the end of the race by the end of the podcast, and for good measure threw a few extra songs in the mix.

We started at 8:30, learning from the previous years fast start, I hung back in the pack and followed my own pace. I lost Lil Bit around the first half mile point as she was running with the pack. Once again this year, I found a couple of other runners to pace myself against and resorted to doing what I had to do to finish and not finish last. It really is sad to resort to being satisfied with next to last so early into the race.

All was going fairly well at the one mile point. I was following the program. I wasn't too out of breath, my knees where no longer hurting, and the back was happy with the stick on heating pad. At the two mile marker, someone hollered out 23:00 minutes and I realized that despite my training and progress, I was on no better a pace than last year.

At this point, I would like to pause and review last years race.

1. By the half mile point last year, I was passed by a woman pushing a stroller!! The little kid in the stroller, that could not even walk, finished the race before me. This year, that didn't happen. Oh, there was a woman pushing a stroller in the race this year, but I tripped her at the one mile marker and dared her to get up. NO, that didn't happen, she actually started the race ahead of me and I never saw her again till the end.

2. Last year, I had a short and round man to pace myself against but in the end I pulled ahead for the win. This year I had a short and round "fast walker" lady to pace myself against and in the end she strolled past me like I was standing still. Yes, that did happen. I got passed by a "fast walker" at the two and half mile point, while I was running. What the .... I was running!!!!! Maybe I shouldn't call it running anymore.

3. Last year, at the end of the race, I was thrilled to still be breathing and had to lay down for five minutes to recuperate. This year, I was mad that my time was actually worse than last year, but I could still breath and stand on my own two feet. Yes, that actually is true too. I finished with a turtle record of 37:08 BUT I COULD STILL BREATH AND STAND ON MY OWN.

After completing the race, Lil Bit informed me that I was only 1 minute behind her. Huh??? She took a little over 36 minutes to run the race. She did it in 33:40 last year. What happened? As she tells it, she managed to run the first two miles without a problem but she never took a walking break, so she ran out of stem and had to walk the entire last mile. She blew up!!! If I had known that she was blowing up, I would have stretched it out a little harder and passed her. OK, so that wouldn't have happened.

In the end, we are both happy that we got out of bed and ran the race but disappointed in our results. I am going to blame it on the shoes ... no,no,no ... the weather. It was too cold to be out there running.

Speaking of shoes, the podcast ended not long after the two mile marker. I was thankful that I loaded the extra music on the ole MP3 player. The first song that came on was "Sensible Shoes" by the David Lee Roth band. How is that for irony? Even funnier is that I finished the race listening to "Greasy Grannys Gopher Gravy" by The Government Mule. Sounds yummy, I'm hungry.

Seriously, I know I am getting older, but I didn't think it was time to officially call me old (at least not till March 28th of this year). I cant believe that I was a full minute slower this year compared to last (can you say 10 pounds?). Hopefully there will be another race coming up in April, I will be better prepared, it will be warmer AND I will be old enough to move up to the 40 - 45 year old bracket too.

Until next time, I am hungry and I must go grocery shopping. Publix better be prepared for the coupon machine.

Green Tip of the Post: Haven't had one of these in a while. Try using white vinegar instead of fabric softener. It works just as well and it doesn't leave your clothes stinky unless you use way too much.

Starring tidbits of us .....

Elizabeth sent me this link today, check it out .... Keith Urban's "Sweet thing" video.

If you aren't a country music fan, I can understand that, just bear with it. There are several hints related to me and my beautiful bride in the video. Most of the stuff is pretty subtle, no pictures. I spotted 12 items the first time I watched it but I may have missed a couple.

If you watch it, leave comments with what you spot.

Speaking of Keith, Elizabeth purchased tickets for our yearly trek to see him. Ths time we are going to the Huntsville, AL show in May. I really like the Von Braun Civic Center. We are sitting front and center on the eigth row this time. She is so excited!!! I think her sign plan is to have a poster asking Keith to sign her "Monkeyville" tatoo (since she wants to get the autograph tatoo'd below the emblem).

In addition, she is really pumped that Dierks Bentley will be opening the show. I got to meet Dierks a few years ago here in Montgomery before a show. As a part of the deal, she is getting a signed copy of Dierks new CD.

Its like Christmas in February at our house.

Coupon report

So I've been really working on the art of using coupons and store loyalty cards for the past two months. I had one of my best trips this morning and thought I would share it with you ...

This is my trip to CVS this morning ….

Products purchased (sorry I dont have a picture today)

3 Suave body Washes
2 Colgate Total Toothpaste
1 Charmin Ultra 9-pack
2 Herbal Essence Shampoo
1 Gillette Shampoo
1 Venus Razor Blades

Here is the breakdown on the costs ... ECB are "Extra Care Bucks" that you receive when you purchase certain products, etc. that can be used for future purchases at CVS.

Total value 35.93
Coupons Used 9.75
ECB Used 24.49
OOP 2.83
ECB Back 14.98

The plan would have been a little better but the store was out of Pringles, CVS children chewables and Bodiheat heating pads. The original plan would have cost me an extra 2 dollars and netted me an additional 5 dollars in ECB. I will go back later this week to finish the plan.

Stockpiling is awesome. I don’t have to purchase toothpaste for the rest of the year unless its free. I have enough mens shampoo to last the next two – three years for myself (so unless its free I don’t need it or I can give it away).

At this point, we have stockpiled:
6 toothpaste tubs
8 or more female shampoos
4 deodorants
2 packs of toilet paper
1 hair coloring thing
5 body washes
4 facial cleaner towelettes (those things are expensive)
and a small group of one off stuff.

Now, I need to start concentrating on the grocery bill a little more but grocery sales of stunk of late. We are low on meat, so I may have to break down and actually pay full price for a few things.

I'll keep everyone posted with more later.

Level my ....

Sorry mom, but I couldn't help the title. It was just too good, once you read this update.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I installed a new toilet on Sunday. I had a little trouble with the installation (self induced trouble). You can read the post, no need for me to recap.

Anyway, while I thought the toilet to be stable, my lovely and caring wife did not feel the same way. Apparently, when she used the toilet, it would rock a little from side to side. At the risk of getting into a LOOOOOOTTTTTTTT of trouble, I will simply say that I did not notice this issue when I used the new toilet.

I may be a risk taker (see the previous paragraph) but I am not a full blown idiot. So, we had one of the local plumbing companies out this morning to fix my mistake.

The end result was a $200 dollar learning experience for me. Some lessons are hard to learn, but this was not one of them. Even worse for me (and I haven't owned up to this one to Big E yet), is that Elizabeth suggested this solution but I blew her off. Can you imagine the trouble I am in now???????

The plumbers arrived and promptly walked in the door with the exact parts that Big and Little E purchased initially yesterday (again, see the post). Then they explained the process that they planned to use (which I told Big E would not work) and did it. No less than an hour later, the toilet was back in place, and did not rock (I tried really hard to make it rock but it wouldn't do it).

I see the crow, I grab the crow, and now I will proceed to eat the crow. The crow tastes terrible but will definitely be better than the crap that I will take from my lovely and caring little lady when she reads this one.

So fellows, the lesson learned from this one is to lie to your wife. No, no, no, that's not it. Maybe the lesson is ... If the toilet is a rockin, don't bother a knockin. No, no, no, that's not it either (but I thought a Stevie Ray Vaughn reference would be fun). Actually, the lesson is that if your lovely and caring wife offers a suggestion, it might be worth taking a minute from your disgusted, angered, childish temper tandrum and consider it. It might actually save you a little money (that could have been a down payment on a Playstation 3!!!!!)

OK, so I've told on myself, again. Does the title make sense now though? I thought this blog was supposed to be about the women in the house, not me. Lately, it seems to be more about me and the trouble I cause them. Arrgghh.

A little update on the walking and running. We are still following the Couch Potato to 5K podcasts.

Little Bit is way ahead of me (she is on week three) and I feel she is ready for the February 21 run. I am way behind (I am on week two) and not ready for the run. Big E is somewhere in between (she is ready to start week three) but she is ready for the run. I will try to post pictures and times of the race. If you need a great way to ease yourself into running, the podcasts are a great way to do it.

Its Sunday and Time for an Update ...

Its time for another update ...... so sit back and relax on this cool stuff .......

We got more new stuff in the house!!!!! Today's new stuff isn't really that exciting (except for the green factor). We replaced the toilet in the master bath this afternoon. Normally, this should be a fairly simple procedure, but nothing is ever simple in our house. During the removal of the old toilet, we (read: Stephen) broke the toilet flange. For those in the know, the flange is what actually holds the toilet down to the floor (nothing like rocking in the toilet room) and insures a connection to the out flow.

I broke it. Not just a little, I broke the entire thing. Mind you, the out flow pipe is fairly important!!! I would prefer the "stuff" (wink, wink ... momma has to be proud that I didn't use another word) to go out of the house not flow back into it.

I am proud to say that I did not freak out at this point!!!

Big E and Little E made a quick trip to Lowes to find a soution. When they returned home, they had exactly what I wanted except that neither would fit the out flow pipe. It seems that breaking the flange still left a small (and well glued) portion of the old flange in the out flow pipe. This means that the out flow was no longer 4 inches, but more like 3.5 inches in diameter. Guess what they dont make, a 3.5 inch flange.

Maybe I'm not the only one to ever make the mistake but I guess it isn't made enough to warrant a 3.5 inch flange.

So, I made a quick trip to Lowes and Home Depot with Big E. Finally, we found someone with a solution at Home Depot. Granted, the solution worked, but I didn't like it and it didn't happen smoothly. In the end, what I thought would be a quick one hour solution turned into a slow five hour and several adult beverages later solution.

Worse, I regretfully admit that the girls got a nice lesson in "drunken sailor talk" before I finally rigged that toilet into place. I am happy to report that it is stable, a nice feature for a toilet, and it is not leaking, that we know of yet.

For all of the hassle, we managed to replace the next to last big water waster, the water heater is the last one in need of replacement. I won't be handling the replacement of the water heater. I don't know when that will occur, but I won't be involved except to actually write the check.

Enough of the funny stuff, lets try a few additonal items ...

1. We decided to do a little work on the front door. I will have pictures as soon as Big E completes the work. She decided to show off her artistic stylings on the door. So far it looks awesome, I will post pictures when it is done.

2. Coupons are awesome. If you need a little help saving money (and who doesnt these days), check out the Coupon Mom or the Thrifty Momma. I added them to the list of haunts. I am also proud to say that I now have my sister doing the coupon and store saver thing. She managed a 45% savings at Publix this week. That is pretty awesome and I bet it is pretty helpful feeding the twins.

3. Hard to believe that school ends in three months even harder believe that we will have one graduating this year. I guess we need to start saving for the big graduation gift.

4. We are three weeks into our Scale Back Alabama thing. So far, both Big E and I have lost 7 pounds each. I probably put them back on today, but Big E is really hanging in there. We are also on week two of the 5k podcasts. I probably will be doing week two again (back pain is getting to me) but Big E is ready to make the leap to week three. If you need an easy way to shed a few pounds, try using these podcasts.

Until next time, get out and enjoy the wonderful weather, try a walk around the block or a thirty minute walk/run.

Even more changes at the house ...

There have been plenty of documented changes going on at the Lee Household, but we've had a few additional changes that I probably should mention....

1. We got six more new windows installed this week. We replaced two sets across the front of the house. One set was so bad that I actually had a pair of ripped up jeans stuck down in the gaps trying to block the outside weather from coming inside. The new windows look good but highlight the other windows along the front that we're not changed, so we will be saving like dogs to get those windows replaced soon.

2. Along with new windows comes new window treatments (must be a female thing?). We purchased faux wood blinds for the new windows. In addition, we bought the same blinds to go on the door so that it matches the windows. I have to admit that the difference looks really good from the street. In addition, it should help with heating and cooling costs as these windows were the ones for the play and computer rooms (two VERY used rooms). We better see some cost benefit from all of these new windows (nine so far since Christmas, maybe some tax break?).

3. My eyes continue to improve. Most of the haziness is gone. I can tell that they are not fully stabilized as my I now can tell that distance judgement is totally off. Its hard for me to think that after 30+ years of playing baseball and softball, I dont think I could catch a fly ball now to save my life. The doctor said that this will improve but could take upwards to four months.

4. Big day for the household today. Elizabeth was inducted into the National Honors Society today at her school. They had a short ceremony for the seventeen kids being inducted from their school this year. To be honest, Elizabeth and I underestimated this acheivement and had really downplayed it as nothing more than a "geekfest" until the ceremony and seeing the production. Actually its pretty cool to think that Little E is in the top 2-3% of her junior class. Maybe we will see a little college tuition help?

5. Speaking of saving money, are you cutting your coupons and shopping the sales. Since Christmas, I have become VERY diligent about cutting coupons and shopping the grocery bargains. With the economy worsening, we dont have a lot of choice. In addition to changing our shopping habits, we have also dramatically cut down on our eating out for dinner. The savings compared to eating out is tremendous for a family of five (that one is obvious) BUT in addition to those savings, I am also averaging around 40-45% on our grocery and health products bill a month. In reality, we are spending less on food and health products despite the increase in expenses with Little E moving in full time and the increased eating at home. If you are looking for some starter tips, check out a few of the links to other blogs on this site (Jane is good, The Thrifty Momma is awesome).

Its Super Bowl Sunday, Big E is pulling for the Cards and I am pulling for the Steelers. Regardless of who wins, the real winner is the channel showing the game. With advertisements costing 3.5 million for 30 seconds, someone (not me) is making a little money. It will be interesting to see the companies that are advertising during the game and comparing that to the current state of that company!!! I better not see any "bailout" companies advertising!

For my brother-in-law Chuck, I hope the Coach Potato to 5K program is still going strong and working. I've been a little off track the last couple of days but I will be starting week 2 of the program this week. Our first 5K of the year is coming up on February 21. We are not going to be as far along as I had hoped but we will be participating. If I am able to run 5 minute runs with 2 minute walk intervals for the course, I will be very happy with myself. Big E will be running and we are bringing Little E along to defend her first place age group win from last year.

Speaking of excercise, I mentioned previously that Big E, two co-workers and I are particpating in the Shape Up Alabama competition. The goal is for each person to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. We are two weeks into the project and both Big E and I have managed to drop about 5 pounds each. For Big E, the loss is related to the excercise. For me, I think it is a combination of the limited excercise and cutting the "diet cokes" in half (except for this weekend, way too many diet cokes).

Enough rambling, I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight. I hope you have a great week because I plan on having one. I will try to post a couple of pictures from the Honors Society as soon as I get pictures. Until next time, try to avoid fried foods (by the way, great BBQ is not fried so it is all goooooooodddddddddd ............).

If you want to know more about great BBQ, check out the Southern BBQ trail. If you ever are in the mood for BBQ and need someone to eat with, call or email me. Trust me, I am available to BBQ and a diet coke pretty much 24 / 7!!!