::treadmill casualty or reason no. 89 why I hate the gym::

Well, if I'm going to laugh when other people get hurt, I guess I have to laugh at my own dumb ass. And share it. Because god knows if it happened to anyone else in my general vicinity, it would end up here.

So my friend Laura (who is running the marathon with me) and I went over to the gym to get in our daily workout. We were on side-by-side treadmills and at one point, I hopped off to go turn the fan on, and then stepped back on to continue my run.

Only I forgot that I'd left the treadmill running.

As soon as my foot hit the moving treadmill, I was down. I swear it happened in slow motion: me casually stepping on and then slowly going down...down...down onto my side, where I could not move because a) the damn treadmill was moving so there was nothing to grab on to and b) I was too stunned and laughing too hard. So I just stayed there laughing while the moving rubber gave me a road-rash on my leg.

The very best part? EVERY ONE IN THE WHOLE GYM SAW IT HAPPEN. The cool, young, athletic attorneys...our administrative director who competes in Iron Man competitions....the gym staff....the ex-Marine who works in my program. Ooooh yeah, no one was able to miss me, laying on my side like a beetle and Laura laughing so hard that I think she peed her pants a little bit. My saving grace is that because it was still running, it eventually spit me off the back end.

Oh, I wish I had the video from the security cameras. I'm pretty sure that's going to be a classic in the gym-staff break room.

Gratuitous injury photo: they are both actually MUCH worse than they look. I swear.

Oh, and then Laura had to go and tell me that once? She knew someone who got a scrape like this and that person ended up spending a week in the hospital with a raging staph infection and the doctors thought they were going to have to amputate her leg. Isn't that a great story? I tell you, Laura's the person you want by your side when training for a marathon.

Oh man

Look at this: paragliding on Maui. Eeek! I may have to do this...

::soaring with birds::

I don't have many regrets in my life; but one of the things I've always regretted is not trying Paragliding when I had the chance.

Who doesn't dream about flying, soaring with the birds? I've long thought that some day I want to try sky-diving. But as I get older, I realize that there's just something inherently WRONG about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Paragliding seems not only considerably safer, but much more like actually FLYING as opposed to just hurtling toward the ground at 180 mph.

When Eric and I lived in Pacific City and owned our coffee-shop/bookstore, every summer Saturday morning a group of Paragliders would meet at Migrations for coffee and to establish their plan for the day. Pacific City, specifically Cape Kiwanda, was a GREAT place to Paraglide due to the safety of the sand-dunes and the wind currents coming up off the ocean. One young couple were the instructors, and they told me that they would take me up for a tandem-flight any time I wanted, for free, for "allowing" them to use our shop as their meeting place. At first I was busy working every Saturday morning...and then I was pregnant....and then Eric convinced me that I would be a baaaad mother to risk orphaning our small, helpless child.

Whatever. It totally would have been worth it.

But I'll NEVER forget this one day: It was during what would turn out to be our last year in Pacific City. It was Mother's Day and Eric was working. So Anna (who was two and a half at the time) and I climbed up to the top of the highest sand-dune overlooking the ocean. It was a glorious, uncharacteristically warm and sunny day. We could see for what seemed like hundreds of miles out to sea. We wandered down to a little saddle between sand dunes where there was no wind at all and it was just the perfect temperature. We were laying on our backs, looking up at the beautiful blue sky....when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a Paraglider with a beautiful rainbow-canopy came soaring right over our heads. Anna squeeled with delight and the guy gave us a big smile and wave...and he was gone...soaring out over the Pacific ocean. It just felt sooooo magical.

Shortly after that we moved away from Pacific City forever....and I never got to take the instructors up on their offer.

Someday? Now that Anna is able to feed herself and, according to her, doesn't even NEED me anymore? I am going to Paraglide.

Anyone want to join me??

::grace of small things 2::

1. Beautiful blue sky and sunshine for the first time in weeks
2. Listening to This American Life podcasts on my IPod...
3. while running 4 miles today! Whoohoo!
4. red licorice
5. It's hardly a small thing, but I am so blessed by David's HUGE love of both Anna and me. (see his comment on my previous Grace of Small Things post). Seriously, how did I get so lucky?

::grace of small things::

1. Laying in bed with my daughter's long legs draped over mine as we each read our books
2. Flannel sheets the color of dark chocolate
3. Feeling strong during my daily run
4. Listening to Story-Corps every Friday morning during my drive to work
5. Strong, organic coffee in a heavy crockery mug

Wage your own battle against embitterment and participate in Grace of Small Things

::challenge::

On the day of the inauguration, my sister issued a challenge . She made the point that while our new President is certainly inspiring, each and every one of us needs to get involved to make a difference in our world. It's true: change starts with each of us. No one person nor a new administration can fix all that is wrong. We must each be willing to do our part.

As many of us are struggling to buy groceries, to make the mortgage or rent, not to mention the luxury of health insurance it is easy to say "What can I do? Hell, I need help myself!" The challenge is to look outside yourself, past your own struggles and to realize that you do have something you can give. Each day, opportunities present themselves for us to make a difference, to show kindness to our fellow man. It can be, as my sister said, gathering your extra blankets or gloves or coats and dropping them by the park where homeless people congregate. It can be taking a moment to help an older person load her groceries into her car. You can surprise an elderly neighbor with a warm home-made meal. Perhaps your kids have outgrown some of their clothes or toys; donate them to the local shelter for women and children. If you are crafty, use your talents to knit or sew hats or blankets to donate to the local hospital or cancer-care center.

This morning on NPR I heard a story about veterans coming home who have not been given the government assistance they need. They have had to resort to relying on the kindness of strangers and there is a website you can visit. Needs range from money to help pay their mortgages to baby items to a washing machine requested by a soldier who suffered terrible burns.

The challenge is to go out into the world each day with an open mind and an open heart and find opportunities to make a difference. Change begins here, now.

::wonderful day::

*I am so grateful that I work for an Indian Tribe so that I got to watch the Inauguration LIVE!

*I am so PROUD that Dr. Martin Luther King's words about "judging a person not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character" came true today.

*I am proud that we elected a leader who is smart, articulate, capable and, I believe, genuinely wants what is best for ALL Americans, not just the wealthy, white ex-frat-boys.

*I loved seeing people of all colors on that stage today.

*I love that he flubbed his lines during his oath of office.

****

*I was stunned and pleasantly surprised that Obama acknowledged that we are a nation of Christian, Muslims, Jews, Hindus....and non-believers!

************

*I believe that, while President Obama has a huge mountain to climb to "fix" things in this country, he is going to work toward making this country what we all hope it can be.

*****

*I LOVED just seeing images of "W" boarding a helicopter to take him back to Texas where he belongs. I am thankful that I never have to hear that man speak again.

*I believe that this country will never be the same after today. In a very good way.

*I am excited that for the first time in my life, we have a leader that I believe in.

It's a glorious, beautiful, hopeful day.