Because when I told you to go to bed you didn't

Alternate titles for this post might be karma, revenge, or just the worst dinner guests ever.

Last night Fishstick and her husband had Ryan and I and my sister and her husband Wes over for drinks and dinner. Fishstick and Mr. Fishstick and Pookie and Wes are all newlyweds. They don't have kids. So they like to entertain and have other adults over. They do this because they have the energy and because they need to have a reason to use all those place settings they registered for. Otherwise, what's the point. Not to mention, since they don't have kids they still have all their place settings and nothing is chipped or broken. So they can entertain.

The Fishstick's and Pookie's are also younger than Ryan and I. I also use to be both Fishstick's and Pookie's babysitter. Neither of them ever listened to me about going to bed. Pookie is my sister so it is totally expected that she would ignore me about going to bed because really, who listens to their big sister? Fishstick and I worked out a deal: when Rae and George--her parents-- came home she would run and jump in her bed and pretend to be asleep. She got to stay up late and I still looked like I had it together.


Anyway it is nice to have young and newly married couples as friends. Most of Ryan and I's friends have been married as long as we have (almost 9 yrs!) if not longer than us. They all have kids. See the plural? It is the plurality of children that drastically cuts into your entertaining. Because once you have kids all your entertaining energy goes into arranging play dates and super fabulous children birthday parties. There is no time, energy or money left for adult parties. Not to mention what are you suppose to do with the kids even if you do have a dinner party. That whole hiring a babysitter to sit upstairs with them doesn't work. Kids? They like a party.

Which yeah, Ryan and I still entertain. We just invite everyone--kids and adults over and hope for the best. Trust me, it isn't the same.

So last night we got a sitter. Not the original sitter mind you. Lala was too worried that Pam might go into labor and somehow Lala has it in her mind that she is going to help birth this baby so she couldn't be saddled with my kids. Because my kids? They get in the way of birthing babies. So Bubbles and Poppy watched the kids. Thanks! And yes, as of this writing Pam is still preggars. So Lala's midwifery skills are still on alert.

Ryan decided that we should take his car. I was like fine whatever but I am not driving then. The Ford F250 superduty is way too big for me to manage. So Ryan drove. On the way to the Fishsticks--who lives ITP by the way( we are very uncool and live OTP)-- Ryan told me a really cute story. It was about how his truck almost died on him yesterday and he barely made it to the auto parts store where he determined his battery was dead. He got a new battery and assured me all was good. Having owned a Jeep for 11 years and learned just slightly less than a professional mechanic about cars I briefly wondered if maybe it wasn't something more than the battery but then my girl brain took over and I applied more lipstick.

Then at the gate getting into the Fishsticks neighborhood the truck died and the thought that been in my head about the alternator reappeared. Ryan conceded that maybe it was the alternator and not the battery that was the problem.

We had to call Mr. Fishstick for come help us. Did I mention that truck died just outside the gates?

How embarrassing is that?

Well probably really embarrassing for most people who have not owned a Jeep. But seeing how I am not lucky enough to be one of those people I am fairly comfortable in car breakdown situations. No big deal. Annoying, yes. But eh, once a fairly regular occurrence for me. You know once you have your drive shaft shear in half and have oil spilling out of the bottom of your car and you have to depend on perfect strangers to help you push your car out of the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour traffic not much that happens with a car is going to faze you. Really.

Mr. Fishstick jumped off the truck and we managed to get it parked. We enjoyed the dinner and looked at entertaining video from Pookie and Wes's wedding and marveled at how little we all remembered of the event.

When we first got to the Fishsticks I told her that I wanted her to know that I wasn't petting her cat because I am allergic to cats not because I don't like cats. Which confused Fishstick since my cat Thor( who yes is still alive and lives with Lala) I actually got from her. I had to explain how I am not always allergic to cats but sometimes I am and not touching cats seems to best combat the problem.

Unfortunately last night was one of those times that it turned out that I am allergic to cats--despite be vigilant about not touching said kitties.

And apparently Ryan, Fishstick and Pookie have never witnessed what happens to me when I have an allergic reaction to cats. I find this hard to believe seeing how Pookie and I grew up together and we have always had cats but whatever.

They were all greatly horrified how my right eye almost swelled shut and was all puffy and watery. They kept saying I looked like the guy in There is Something About Mary and were pushing the Claritin--which I declined since I have never taken it and didn't want to see what happened when you take Claritin after some cocktails. Besides once you reach the point of swollen eye the worst is over. It is all the itching while the eye swells shut that is the miserable part.

And, for the record I did not have hives. Just one eye that was severely swollen. I get face hives and vomit and lips swell when I eat fin fish. All over itchy giant welts on my body when I take penicillin. Hayfever and asthma to grass pollen. Really, when I think about it, the swollen eye is the most comfortable of all my allergic reactions. Totally manageable. Just really scary looking.

So my sister and Wes took us to their house and we spent the night. Lala and Pop had to go get Lola for us and were totally freaked out that our "dishwasher was on". As if we'd had a break in and the crime that occurred was that someone loaded and started a dish cycle. Certainly not that we had set it to run while we out. No, definitely could not have been that.


We called a tow truck this morning and Ryan right this second is off buying an alternator and will be playing auto mechanic this afternoon with his friend Jeff.

At some point during that time I will be going running.

Last week's workouts were as follows:
Sunday: Running and some walking on the beach for bit over an hour. Just calling it 5miles since I know it was at least that.
Monday: Same. 5 or so miles on the beach again.
Tuesday: Travel day but hit the elliptical for 45 minutes. I forgot how very boring the elliptical is.
Wednesday: 21 miles. I forgot the pace. It was just under 9 minute miles.
Thursday: 6 miles recovery in the rain. One hour on the bike at the gym in the afternoon-20 miles hill workout.
Friday: 5 miles on the treadmill--3 miles at or close to 10k pace, 1 mile at tempo and 1 mile recovery pace. Around 37 minutes for whole run. Walked it out for a half mile cool down. 1 hour continuous swim--about 2 miles.
Saturday: In the morning an hour on the bike at the gym-21 miles hill workout. 10 mile general aerobic run after lunch. Run felt great! I sprinted up the hills, practiced running hard on the downhill and recovered on the flats.

Totals:
Run: 52 miles
Swim: 2 miles
Bike: 41 miles (I feel the need to qualify that all miles were on the gym bike which is way easier than any miles on the road.)

Last bit of business. Deciding on races:

My marathon training is getting back on track. I have managed 3 21 miles and 2 19 milers. This week will be a cut back week because I am racing a 10k on Saturday (however not at all optimistic for a sub 42). I feel like I am in a good place to do either GA ING full or the Country Music Marathon. I am pretty much definitely planning on doing the CMM so that I can visit with my friend Chris but can't decide whether to do the half or full at ING.

My thinking is that since I do usually do a 24-25 miler long run a 4-5 weeks out from a marathon the GA ING (March 30) falls perfectly in that range for the CMM(April 26). But then maybe that is too ambitious and I should just do the half at GA ING and save myself CMM. Thoughts? Opinions? I made a poll if you just want to vote and have no 2 cents. . .