As the Mind Wanders.

I had a long run this weekend, and I noticed that while I ran I had the most interesting, bizarre thoughts.  So, of course I want to share them with YOU.

I cannot be held responsible for what pops into my head after mile 13.  You've been warned.

Mile One:  ... and we're running - WE ARE RUNNING!!!!!  Whooo hoo this feels great!  run.run.run.lalalalalalalala!!

Mile Two:  Do I have a rock in my shoe?  Are my laces too tight?  Hmmmm.  That's a new squeek I haven't heard before.

Mile Three:  GATORADE!!!  I wonder how they come up with their flavors ..  what is a blue raspberry anyhow??

Mile Four:  I wonder if this ear warmer head band is going to give me a weird tan line across my forehead.  Must remember to take this off...

Mile Five:  Is someone smoking pot around here??  Maybe it's the dandelions - do dandelions smell like pot??  I guess I don't know.

Mile Six:  DONT STEP ON THE CATERPILL.... oh, nope, just a weird leaf thing.  Phew...

Mile Seven:  Is that a dead frog??  Here, let me - ugh, yup dead frog!!

Mile Eight:  Re-fueling station in progress.  I wonder how much water I can drink before I get that sloshy belly noise?  Ah, better not push it.  Push it??  I wonder if I have Salt N Peppa on my iPod.

Mile Nine:  Heyprettyladyinthesecondrow - she's an 8, she's a 9, she's a 10 I know... where the heck did that come from???  Beyonce... must. find. Beyonce.

Mile Ten:  Hey!!!  It's high water pants guy!!  Let's smile and wave - oh, god, my lips - I have cracked my lips - I must certainly be gushing blood. OUCH!!!  *touches face - looks at hand*  no blood. 

Mile Eleven: It's a KITTY!!!  Oooh, scary kitty - did it even have eyes??  Wait, maybe it was a blind kitty.  Why would someone let their blind kitty outside - that's just mean.  Poor little blind scary no eyed kitty.

Mile Twelve:  ARE WE THERE YET!!!  Nope, only four miles left - is that horse dead??  It's just laying down in the sun??  Do horses sun themselves?  Hmmmm, hope you're not dead big fella.

Mile Thirteen:  Well, now I am halfway there.  HALFWAY THERE!!  Who signs up to do this stupid running nonsense - I mean really, 26.2 miles - that's just a bit much right... I mean it sounded like such a great idea in October, and I really like those medals...  yeah, it's not so bad after all.

Mile Fourteen:  Puttin' on my big girl pants, puttin' on my big girl pants, puttin' on my big girl pants...

Mile Fifteen:  I'm on my WAAAAAAAAYYYYY home.sweet.home!!!!  I think I really need to make t-shirts for my long training runs.  "Who's Got Two Thumbs and Has Just Run 15 Miles - This GIRL" - I'm hungry... Is Arby's REALLY that bad for you??  Wonder what is in the "cheese" sauce anyway...

Mile Sixteen:  Heeeeeeeey - the horse is gone.  Yay, not dead horse!!! Well, unless he was moved by a forklift and he is now in horsey heaven.  Nevermind.

Mile Seventeen:  Did that goat just say "hello"??  I am pretty sure he just said "hello".  (out loud)  HELLO GOAT!! 

Thank You, Thank You Very Much!! My Winning/Presentation of the Liebster Award!!

When I got the notice that ArmsWideOpen had presented me with the Liebster Award - I was thrilled!!  I may have squeeked a little, fist pumped, and hollered "that's what I'm talking about!!"

As Patsy most eloquently states:  "Liebster" is German for "dearest" and it's a blogger to blogger award for those having 200 or fewer followers, so they can get more exposure." And since I love for people to read my blogs, and have fun - YES!!  I am accepting.  (all the while amazed that folks enjoy my rants, ramblings, and serious chats).


... And now for the rules that I have been given.
 
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog. - check
2, Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you. - check
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog. - yup yup, done
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less, who you feel deserve to be noticed, and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been nominated. - just about done
5. Answer the 11 questions the blogger presented you with, create 11 questions for the blogs you are nominating, and list 11 facts about yourself. - little bossy don't ya think??

Phew - this was lot of work, but nothing worth having comes easy, so I gratefully accept this challenge!!

Patsy came up with some interesting questions.  You know what they say - if you are crazy enough to ask, I'm crazy enough to totally take your questions and Andrea-fy it.  (okay nobody says that,but you get my drift!!)


Questions From My Nominator:
 
1. Why did you start your blog?  I started writing to get down all the random thoughts in my head (and yes, there are many of them).  I used to write a column in my high school newspaper, and I loved it.  Plus, blog writing is totally cheaper than therapy.  Wait, did I just write that down...

2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Oh gosh, 10 YEARS?!?!  You do realize that I have horrible vision, and need serious glasses/contacts.  I can't even really see down the road - let alone 10 years into the future!

3. Would you support me in my endeavor to be Queen of our country?  All women are Queens in the figurative sense, and we should celebrate each other as such.  However, if you are asking me to support you actually fighting people to turn 'Merica in to a Monarchy... well, you're on your own sister.

4. What is your dream that you're afraid to talk about but secretly think about all the time?  Boston. 

5. Of course, because I love to read, what's your favorite book? The Great Gatsby (le sigh), and most recently, The Fault in Our Stars.

6. If you had total control of the world, what are 3 things that you would do immediately, aside from crowning me Queen?  THAT is a lot of control - So, first - DELEGATE.  second - DELEGATE.  and third - provide cupcakes for everyone.

7. What is one goal that you achieved that you are most proud of (not counting family)?  Finishing a marathon was pretty amazing.  

8. What are you working hardest at right now? Enjoying every moment, and every opportunity that comes my way.

9. What is the most hilarious thing that has ever happened to you?  Being me is very hard work - the MOST random things always happen to me.  I am always in the wrong place - right time.  The time the TSA Agent accused me of being Katy Perry, and not giving him an autograph or having my photo taken with him was pretty amusing.

10. Finish this sentence: In 2013, I will _____________________. be the best me I can be!!

11. They're making a movie about your life. Who would  you choose to play your part?  Zooey Daschanel.  If she's not available - I guess Katy Perry would do.








 
11 Fascinating Facts About Me

1. Before 2010, running was the worst type of punishment ever bestowed on mankind.  Now, it is my most favorite thing ever.

2.  I have four plates, and seventeen screws... in my face.

3.  My elbows are double jointed (and they always get me in trouble in fitness classes).

4.  If competitive eating lasted all day long - I am pretty sure I could take home the top prize.

5.  I have a super human sense of smell that often time scares my husband.  I can tell if he has been sneaking treats, or if one of the animals has gotten into something, or if there is a fire within a 25 mile radius.

6.  I am a coffee junkee.  I also drink my coffee black - which is crazy being as 4 years ago my standard Starbucks order was: 16 ounce iced raspberry white chocolate mocha, whipped cream, half the coffee.  It was pink, and fabulous, and pure sugar.  It's a slippery slope folks - so we just drink it black.

7.  I spoke at my college graduation.  Ooohhhhh, super fancy pants.

8.  I stay the same size no matter what I do.  I had to go on a liquid diet for 4 weeks (see fact 2) and nothing.  I couldn't even buy a smaller size of pants.  Couch Potato Andrea - same size.  Marathon Runner Andrea - same size.

9.  I have an uncanny knack for rapping. 

10.  It is my life long goal to learn how to play the air drums, and the air guitar.  Yes, you read that right.

11.  I don't know how to rest.  I have two speeds: on and off.  If I am not full speed ahead - I'm not mobile.  It makes movie watching difficult!!


Questions For My Nominees
 
1.  How did you come up with the name of your blog?

2.  Favorite Treat?
3.  The story behind the most favorite picture of yourself?
4.  Pet Peeve?
5.  Guilty Pleasure?
6.  Favorite song of all time, and why?
7.  If at the end of your life you'd die content knowing you did this _______ - what would it be?
8.  Favorite Quote?
9.  Do you collect anything?  If so, how'd the collection start?
10. Your Weakness?
11.  Your Strength?


And now to pay it forward!!  My nominees for the Liebster Award are:

One Tough Mother Runner
Stacey Runs and Eats




Fitness Bliss With Kris
Colene, In Training
Devon, In Training
Fattest Salmon
It Figures, Karly Goes National
Running on the Fly
Fitness By Fit Miss
RUNinspired
Kayla Dawn Writes

Now, go and check out their blogs.  Offer them congrats, and let them know Scrambled Legs sent you!!

I Can't Be-Leash It!!!

I LOVE dogs - that said, I don't want yours to eat my face - and I also prefer it if your teeny tiny little pooch wasn't responsible for an ankle sprain.

Let's back up...

At the very end of town lies a trail, a nice paved 1K trail.  It's perfect for all kinds of activities, and people.  I was running mass amounts of intervals one day and saw: runners, walkers, bikers, roller skaters, dog walkers, and a slightly sketchy scene watcher.  I think it is GREAT when people are out running/walking their dogs - I WISH my dog would run with me, but she is 14 and diabetic, and when I start to run - she firmly plants her butt on the concrete and challenges me to a duel.  (Don't let her fool you though because if I was a squirrel, and not a human, she would totally be running).

Anyway - along comes a lady, her teenage daughter, and their two teeny tiny dogs.  The dogs are not leashed (even though the sign says to do that in big fat letters), and when I run toward them (the dogs - not the ladies), they (naturally) run toward me, and I have to give them the okie doke to get by.  This is not a comfortable move.  It strains my ankles, ruins my pacing, and kind of panics me.  The lady and her daughter laugh, and continue to walk (as if to say - aw, wasn't that awkward interaction totally adorable - it was not). 

** FORGOT TO MENTION - they have leashes in their hands**

Because the trail is a giant circle - we meet again.  Do they learn from the first time, they do not, SAME EXACT THING HAPPENS.  As they are laughing merrily on their way, I ask (way nicer than I wanted to) Can you please leash your dogs?  The gasp was audible.  SOME NERVE!!  Could you imagine - ME - not wanting to try to out juke two small creatures every kilometer.  And now, I am the bad guy.  Ugh - I have GOALS, people - and one of them is not to be sidelined due to a zig when I should have zagged.  I also don't want to be responsible for an injury to your dog - I was moving as a pretty decent clip (or that's what I tell myself) - one wrong move and it could have been bad for the all of us.

AND TODAY!!!  New dog walker, new dog.  The dog was beautiful - a huge, no a gigantic, pitbull attached to a very small man.  So, when I ran by, and the dog decided "Whoa, that looks way more fun that this walking business" he took off at a dead sprint - I had to hold my breath.  The end of the leash caught, and it did hold him, but yowza!!  I walked for awhile - so as not to provoke him with my speediness (okay not really, but certainly faster than walking).  What I really wanted to do was ask his owner: "would your dog run with me without eating my face - because if so, I would totally take him out!"  Sometimes, my better judgement wins - in that I kept my mouth shut and kept walking.

Here's to the furry friends (runners and non), and their owners that follow the rules.  This runner thanks you.

I am not a steak.

Small Morning Rant:

I have seen a lot of posts lately with things like "your man wouldn't want a steak that's all bone - why would he want his woman that way" - DO NOT PERPETUATE THIS CRAP. 

A.  As long as I am comfortable in my skin - who cares what "my man" or ANY one thinks about my size and shape.

B.  Since WHEN is it alright to go around judging other women based on each others size.  Does that sound even remotely alright??  Isn't society harsh enough on our figures??  Do you think that these type of sentiments make those that are smaller feel good??  And what if smaller people were making fun of bigger people - there'd be a riot, right?  Because we should love someone because of their inside, not their outside.  IT FEELS THE SAME.  Stop doing this.

Judgements, and hate, and bullying, and being mean - are still ALL of those things whether they are wrapped in a joke, or a harsh statement.  Criticizing others, judging others, putting other down - none of that is funny.  It's hurtful.  It's unkind.  It's rude. 

... not to mention you are comparing women to an effing piece of meat!!  Are you kidding me right now - do I really need to tell you how wrong that is, on SO many levels.

You are better than this.  Stop it.