We Only Get One Chance

AN AMAZING VACATION

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:49:00 +0000

So I will be making a few posts so that you can experience some of what i experienced in Costa Rica from December 18-28. I met some friends from chiropractic college and we had an amazing week of fun in the sun at the Ylang Ylang Beach Resort in Montezuma...www.elbanano.com. My personal accommodation was a luxury tent, which I will post pictures of at a later time. I was awaken by howler monkeys every morning, which are pretty much like roosters here in this area, start their daybreak noise at the first moment that the day begins to hint it is on its way, right around 6am. The first two mornings I had no idea what it was, and sounded huge (something the size of an elephant) and I could tell it was getting closer and closer. Naturally my stomach was dropping as I wasn't all that confident that the canvas that separated me and the outside world was going to actually keep out this monster. After the second morning of waking up in sheer terror, I began to ask around. Of course, the first time I asked any of the locals it was all cleared up. There were a ton of monkeys, both white faced and howler, on the resort property and one of my friends took this picture of the one that was more than likely playing my alarm clock. Such a beautiful sight. Pura Vida!

THE GETAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:35:00 +0000

I will be out of town for Christmas this year and am looking forward to getting away and having some serious down time. I am heading to Costa Rica with 3 great friends and a set of parents of one of the friends. It is a good mix of people, low drama, active, healthy and of course, all chiropractors...well the parents are not chiropractors however they do live a chiropractic lifestyle. When I get together with these friends, it is really wonderful and refreshing. We all start from the same platform, meaning we all live our lives the same way and do the same things and view the world the same. You know those kind of people in your life I am sure. They are the ones that when you get together, some really great conversations happen, some amazing realizations occur and the the vibration together is high. I have a bunch of these friends, though none of them live very close to me. It's sometimes a bummer however it gives me great reason and destinations to travel to. So I am looking forward to getting on the plane early Friday morning. There is a lot to do between now and then though so I will remain 100% present here until I am gone. Then I will be 100% gone for 10 full, fun days!!!

DO I DARE HEAD OUT?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:48:00 +0000

So I just found out a day ago that my family is celebrating Christmas tomorrow...thanks mom for the update... So this means I have to get out the the mall today, two weeks before the big holiday, on a Saturday, do you think I dare do it? In reality, I have no choice as there is absolutely no way to get any shopping taken care of online that would potentially show up tomorrow...not an option. I am going to head down to Somerset in Troy which is probably a death wish in and of itself. I have to pick up a couple things for me as well since I will be heading to Costa Rica on Friday the 18th for 10 days and where do you find bathing suits at this time of the year. So off I go...well probably a shower would be a great way to start:) HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

LET IT SNOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:34:00 +0000

In my mind, if it is going to be cold, we may as well have snow with it. I mean really, if it is cold outside and if there must be precipitation falling from the sky, then give us some of the big white fluffy stuff! I love the snow. BRING IT ON!!! Actually I am just finishing our annual celebration with the Cafe of LIFE Book Club and sitting by the fire with my dog however just before I sat down, I saw a dusting of the fluffy white stuff. I love the snow. I am a snowboarder and my happiest place on earth is anywhere that I can be strapped to my snowboard carving down a hill. I will keep you posted with my white winter adventures this year. I am not sure what I have in store yet for traveling to the slopes but I am sure I will come up with something. I love snow and I love snowflakes. In fact, if you drive by the Cafe of LIFE during holiday decorating season, you will find snowflakes are our main event. I would actually like to keep them up all winter long, but most people start getting on me about it during the middle of January to get my decorations put away. So if you life in Michigan, it would probably benefit you a lot to get out there an enjoy the snow...it's going to be here anyways, it is inevitable. I love the snow, have I said that yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:29:00 +0000

...there is something so wonderful about creating a post and then pressing the "spell check" button and it says "there are no misspellings". I love that feeling...the simple things...

I ALWAYS SEEM TO...

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:18:00 +0000

...fill up every single second of any time that I have off from work. A four day weekend felt like a 1 day weekend though there is no possible way to fit everything I did into less time than four. It was super fun! Thanksgiving dinner with my family which was probably the best Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had. There is a fresh cranberry/horseradish thing my aunt makes that I could seriously eat it by the spoonful and it tops off the dinner wonderfully. The rest of the food was amazing as well however I am such a horseradish fan, that is the part that really sticks out in my mind. Then I got up on Friday and made an impromptu trip down to Chicago. My youngest brother and his wife live down there, right on Michigan Ave. It is an awesome spot. And though I didn't do too much shopping, the view out of their condo is amazing and great people watching. I drove down on Friday and came back up on Saturday afternoon which made for a long day (The picture is my brother, his mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, her half-brother and of course me at the Chicago zoo checking out their lights display). I needed a break from my week after all the stress I was under for the previous two weeks so it was a perfect time for that trip. Saturday night was spent down in Royal Oak, celebrating my cousin buying her first home. What a great spot and a wonderful party. Sunday was a little bit more family time and home and to bed early. I am sure I am not the only one that needs a break from the long weekend, a vacation from the vacation. Happy Holiday season...now bring on the snow!!!!

NOVEMBER

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

What a wonderful month. I think this way mostly because of my favorite holiday (aside from my birthday) happens in November. I love, love, love Thanksgiving. I think Thanksgiving has everything that Christmas has to offer and none of the expectations. It is a day for family, friends, and food and really, what else is much better than that? This has been an interesting year for a lot of people, especially in Michigan with all the change and many have found themselves getting wrapped up in all that is just not going their way. But when the holidays come around, and especially Thanksgiving, it is a time that we are reminded of all our blessings. Look around you...you have so much more to be grateful for than you have probably thought about in a long time; a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food to put in your belly, water to drink, the love of family and friends, a country that when compared to what else is out there is a pretty great place to live, among so many other things. Be grateful and tell others you appreciate them. One of my most favorite songs of all time is Natalie Merchant's "Life is Sweet". The part of the song that chokes me up every time goes like this:

"...But don't cry

You know the tears will do no good

So dry your eyes

Oh, they told you life is hard

Misery from the start

It's dull

It's slow

It's painful

But, I'll tell you life is sweet

In spite of the misery

There's so much more to be grateful...

...But, I'll tell you life is short

Be thankful

Because before you know

It will be over

'Cause life is sweet

Life is, oh, so very short

Life is sweet

And life is, oh, so very short..."

I love it. In spite of everything, there is so much to be grateful and life is sweet and oh so very short. Get out there and enjoy it! Look for chances to be grateful at least once per day no matter how low the day may feel because "LIFE IS SWEET!".

WE WON!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I haven't won any contests in a long time but my luck has finally turned around today when we won the Chamber of Commerce's Scarecrow Contest. As I was putting this one together, I thought I was being pretty clever and it turns out a few other people thought so as well!!! So I just have to share a picture with you. Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!

"IF YOUR MOMMY LOVED YOU..."

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:37:00 +0000

This is an actual statement that I heard from one of the practice members here at the Cafe of LIFE. This woman came in the other day and said her daughter told her that her teacher said "If your Mommy loved you, she would take you to go and get your flu shot". Now, I am not a psychologist, however I can imagine the ramifications of a statement like this. This particular family has been under regular chiropractic care here at the Cafe of LIFE for a couple years now and they understand that the body has a miraculous and wonderful way of taking care of itself. Here are some examples of the miracles that happen in our bodies every day. Actually they are not miracles at all, they are the body simply doing what it is supposed to do when it is supposed to do it.

Fever is created when there is an organism, bacteria or virus, in the body that is not supposed to be there. These micro-organisms live at temperatures around 98.6, the "normal" body temperature. The body is so intelligent that it knows that if it raises the internal temperature it will kill off the invader and we will return to health. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE???

Diarrhea is when there is an organism that has invaded the body that is not supposed to be there. The body sends an excess amount of fluid to the stomach, small intestines and large intestines to create a quicker flowing rate to rid the body of whatever is invading it. Now if the intruder is not supposed to be there and the body is doing its absolute best to flush it out, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SLOW OR STOP THAT PROCESS?

Inflammation happens to injured tissue in order to create a healing cascade which has to do with sending excess blood and fluid with repairing cells to the injured area. If the body is doing its best to send in the repair crew and creating discomfort so you will stay off that area, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STOP THAT NATURAL HEALING PROCESS?

We walk around in one of the most amazing pieces of equipment, in one of the greatest designed vehicles, with an intelligence inside that is NOT MAKING MISTAKES. Our bodies have the ability to heal that is much more powerful than anyone has ever led you to believe. So LET THE BODY DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO and not inject, expose it, and poke and prod it with all kinds of extra stuff. Under most circumstances, the body will fight off the flu with flying colors! It is amazing!!! So let's let the pharmaceutical companies keep their pills and elixirs that they claim will make you healthy. HEALTH COMES FROM WITHIN and the brain/body connection needs to be free of interference (come get your chiropractic adjustment). Let's get back to trusting our bodies to take care of themselves. It is all part of the design. Nature needs no help, just no interference!

THE AFTERMATH

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:14:00 +0000

The Detroit Half-Marathon happened this past Sunday and I was a participant. It was a wonderful race though many of you may not think of it that way if you heard the news reports on what happened. 3 men died during the race, ages 26, 36, and 65. WOW! That is tragic for those families. Statistically speaking, 1 of 100,000 die during long road races. 3 in 20,000 is a much higher than that, a lot higher! It has been a topic of conversation here at the Cafe of LIFE all week because many people knew that I was running on Sunday. Now that I am in this "running world" I have noticed an overwhelming amount of caffeine raging through these runners. Now I do not know if caffeine or heart conditions were the cause of the deaths, I am just speculating and it is the only thing that makes much sense. A typical race looks something like this (by the way, not MY typical race, but a typical) wake up and have a cup of coffee with breakfast, then a shot of caffeine in their packets of "Goo" that energize them during the race, sometimes twice or more, as well as caffeinated jelly beans. That might be just a little too much. To add to that, many runners take Tylenol, aspirin or Motrin prior to running because to be frank with you all...it is painful to run long distances, I don't care who you are (just for the record, I do not ever have caffeine and I do not take any over the the counter drugs or otherwise). So potentially this (and as stated before I am just speculating), combined with 30 degree temps outside, led to some tragic deaths. My prayers are with their families as they try to understand their losses.

Please remember, caffeine is a stimulant. It alters how our bodies function, how our brain processes information, decreases our immune system, leaches calcium from our bones, and the list goes on and on. The only safe amount of caffeine is none at all. Be conscious of what you are doing and look towards other alternatives of increasing energy; eating raw, nutrient-rich foods, drinking lots of water and alkalizing your body. Health is a daily choice and every decision effects every day in the future.

DETROIT HALF MARATHON

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:32:00 +0000

If you are downtown Detroit this Sunday morning, be prepared to run into some intense traffic and people as it is the running of the Detroit Free Press Marathon and Half-Marathon...and its going to be a good time! I have been training this year to run the Half-Marathon so look for me in the thousands of runners:) The challenge I am running into is that I am also heading down to Atlanta, GA on Thursday morning to finish my continuing education credits which means flying back really late on Saturday night to make the race the next morning. The race route is unique to Detroit as the only route that runs in two different countries. In fact, in order to even pick up race packets, it requires a passport and Homeland Security will be monitoring the race expo. We begin on Fort Street right downtown and run over the Ambassador Bridge, do a couple miles in Windsor and run back through the tunnel. I ran Chicago Marathon (yes the entire 26.2 miles) back in 2006 so this should be a piece of cake, YEAH RIGHT!!! Wish me luck. I am very excited!!!

GREAT FUN FOR $25

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:58:00 +0000

I had the most fun over this past weekend. There is not much you can do in this life for just $25, however you can take a Beginning Motorcycle Safety course for that kind of money. It was a long weekend course but so super fun. I had never ridden a motorcycle prior to the class and really haven't been on any 4-wheelers, snowmobiles or much of anything else that is motorized so I wanted to start from square one. Which for safety purposes, that is the very best place to start. There were 45 people in the class and it was offered on the campus of Washtenaw Community College in Ypsilanti. We had 4 hours of in-class instruction followed by 10 hours of riding broken up into 2 hour segments over 2 days. And it was solid riding time. Then they give a knowledge test and a riding skills test (which I proudly say I aced) which then allows you to go into the Secretary of State office and take a law test for your motorcycle endorced drivers license. I cannot say I am completely road safe yet as a rider yet but I will be soon. I am looking at getting a bike, hopefully before winter rolls in. In fact, I am more looking into a Piaggio bike, it is a super-scooter pretty much. My step father is going to help me find the bike that is right for me as he has been riding motorcycles for many, many years. Should be fun!!!

What fun have you had for $25 lately?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:47:00 +0000

"TOUR DE TROIT"

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:36:00 +0000

What an amazing and wonderful weekend! It was filled with friends and fun and of course, went by too fast!!! One of the super fun things I did over the weekend is a bike ride called "Tour De Troit". It is a 30 mile bike ride through the city of Detroit. Naturally 30 miles would take us winding around in the streets, exploring all the little nooks and crannies of the city. It was amazing as I had never even explored the city by car. So you may think, what is it like to tour Detroit on a bike? Well ask any one of the 2,000 participants and they will say they enjoyed themselves immensely. It was police escorted and 2,000 people stopped a lot of traffic. In fact, at some points, I felt bad for those people in cars as the group took quite a few minutes to pass at any point during the ride. It was a perfectly sunny day and the trip took about 4.5 hours, which included a 30 minute stop for snacks. All ages, all levels of bikers, everyone just having fun. It is definitely an event to return to every year. Join me next year, maybe we can put together a Cafe of LIFE group!!!

(the picture is me hydrating before the ride:)

BABIES

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:31:00 +0000

There seems to be an unusually large number of babies being born right now. It makes me wonder what was happening 9 months ago that is leading to all of them being born in the past couple of weeks. I don't know...maybe the start of the brutally cold winter:) One of the most wonderful parts of my work is seeing pregnant women and children. I work with women throughout their pregnancy and often see many of the children once they are born. In fact, there have been quite a few times that I have gone up to the hospital and checked and adjusted the infants just following birth. Many people ask what I am doing checking and adjusting infants and what would make them need an adjustment if they were just born. Last week I had the privilege of going to the hospital to check baby Sheila. If you were in the room for the adjustment, you would be able to confirm the need for the adjustment as well. The little body of the almost 24 hour old baby was beautiful though you could tell she was contorted in utero and had been in one position for a long time which led to misalignment in the neck and pelvis. Sometimes misalignment's like this will lead to inability to breastfeed on both sides comfortably, digestive challenges and who knows what else. Also the birth process, no matter how natural and uncomplicated it is, is very traumatic for the spine of the newborn. The parents of this little one were so ready for her to come into the world, however they also wanted to allow her to have the best chance of expressing life to the fullest, and that is why I was invited. When I left the room, I could tell that little one was started off on the right track. She was balanced and at ease and about to get her next meal. Happy babies lead to happy parents and happy and healthy families. If you would like more information about checking and adjusting newborns or children, please feel free to ask at anytime. So many parents are realizing that the health of their children largely depends on the health of their children's spine and nerve system. At this Cafe...we serve LIFE!

LET THE SUN SHINE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:07:00 +0000

I do not ever remember having such a perfectly sunny and beautiful week here in Michigan in a long time, or maybe even ever. The evenings have been chilly with super brisk and crisp mornings and the afternoons open up to such beautiful blue skies, the kind of skies that one sees while out west. The temperatures are ideal and the sunshine is so wonderful for keeping attitudes and ultimately spirits lifted. Because so many people come to be served at the Cafe of LIFE daily, their moods infiltrate this space and even if we didn't have any windows, I could tell you what it was like outside by the energy people bring in. Soak up the sun and let this week be a wonderful reminder of the reason we live here in Michigan. This state has so much to offer, so many beautiful sights to see and fun things to do. We often lose sight of the many ways we are blessed by being Michiganders. Get outside and take advantage of the sun shining over these next few days and into your long holiday weekend! We will too and we will all meet back here on Tuesday, September 8th, the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

(The picture is a sunrise over Lake Huron from a vacation I took a few weekends ago. Beautiful!)

RUNNING WITH GRATITUDE

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:30:00 +0000

There are quite a few of you that ran the Crim over this past weekend. What an amazing race. 16,000 runners in all the races combined and what a party!!! There are some wonderful programs and ways in order to get the "non-runners" through this 10 mile race and a huge Crim Training Program that helps so many people reach goals they set. So the crowd is amazing and diverse and wonderful and what a trip!!! Anyways what I discovered 3 years ago when I ran the Chicago Marathon (yes the full 26.2 miles), is that it is better to dedicate the miles to something or someone. Otherwise, you find yourself dedicating your mind to focusing on the pain and the results are very painful. So I do not dedicate all 10 miles of the Crim to something different, I spend the entire race in deep gratitude: gratitude for having the ability to get up that morning and eat what I need to eat; gratitude to have a nice roof over my head and clothes to put on; gratitude to be able to have a car to get me to the race; gratitude for being able to share the race experience with my mom and a number of friends and practice members; gratitude for my life, my work, my family, my friends, and the list goes on and on. There is a moment in each of the long distance runs that I am welling up with tears of gratitude. Gratitude is an amazing and powerful attraction force in life and I am so grateful to have discovered that early so that I may use it everyday.
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." -Cicero

G.R.A.C.E

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Many of you reading this blog from the local Fenton area, definitely have hear of the wonderful work of Nancy Stockholm, a social worker in the Fenton area that just gave and gave and gave. Anyways her organization was/is so perfectly called G.R.A.C.E. and stands for "God Rewards All Caring Endeavors". That name came to mind when one of my practice members, we will call her J, came in today. J has been caring for an elderly woman for a while now and has really become a huge part of her life. J would go and sit with her, drive her around to any appointment she had, take her on small outings, etc. Well the elderly woman was recently put into a nursing home as it became challenging for her to live on her own anymore. This happened within the past two weeks, and in that process actually GAVE J her car. She actually just handed over the car, keys and paperwork for her to just have. Who does that anymore?!?! So J thought she was out of a job because the nursing home would take care of whatever needs that the elderly woman would have. But the woman's family still wants J to swing my a couple times a week because of the friendship they have created. And wouldn't you know it, J's car, which was on its last leg anyways, has finally transitioned to not running. Perfect timing. The Universe always provides...

FALL

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:53:00 +0000

Every year at this time there is a tree down Hartland Rd that likes to be the first to warn the area that fall is coming. I am by no means ready to wish the rest of summer away however fall is my most favorite time of the year. The tree is an anomaly...when all of the other trees are going about their summer business of being green, this one decides to switch colors first as a warning of the fall season which will be upon us soon enough. In case you would like to look for it, it sits on the east side of Hartland Road (State Rd) just about .25 miles south of State Road Elementary School. I am pretty sure I am not the only one that has seen this tree, but I never noticed it changes colors before everyone else until someone pointed it out. Mother Nature, please hold off for about another month and then bring on the color show!

KIDS ARE HILARIOUS!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Hilarious kid #1:

Two days ago, one of my practice members was in and she has this granddaughter, we will call her "G" with this personality that would best be described as larger than life. G was staying with her for a few weeks over the summer since she was out of school. Just the other day, G had a curious look on her face as asked "Fanny (that is what she called her grandmother), what is an ex-wife?". So the grandmother took a considerable amount of time explaining the concept of "ex-wife" to little G. At the end of the discussion, little G turned to her grandmother and said "Fanny, I think I want to be an ex-wife when I grow up." I realize that later in life she will hopefully have aspirations not to be an "ex" anything however it makes sense to her at this point.

Hilarious kid #2:

Three weeks ago this gentleman came in for his weekly adjustment. With him came his 10 year old son with two friends of the same age and their plan was to go to Uncle Ray's Dairyland where they plus about 15 other people were going to share a 5 foot long banana split. The three boys were sitting and watching intently as the father got adjusted. As my assistant and I were wrapping the visit up and getting things scheduled for his next visit I could hear his son begin to chuckle in the background. As they were leaving the son said under his breath to his friends "My dad just got beat up by a girl!"

This job is the greatest! Because I see so many full families, one of the best parts is watching the children figure out the world. They have an amazing at putting things together in a way that makes sense in their own little minds. I get some of the greatest laughs from them!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Medical Doctor: "You chiropractors haven't changed in 100 years, while medicine is constantly changing! What do you have to say about that?!"
Chiropractor: "You only need to change what doesn't work" (true story from Tedd Koran)

LIFE UNIVERSITY

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:51:00 +0000

So this weekend will be spent in Atlanta, or "Hot-lanta" as it is dubbed. It is going to be a super fun weekend filled with friends and colleagues and prospective chiropractic students. Life University is located just north of downtown Atlanta and boasts the largest population of chiropractic students in the world. It is a wonderful place, on a beautiful campus, where true philosophically based chiropractic is taught. The weekend is more than just recruiting, it is about pushing these students outside of their comfort zone and introducing them to the idea that the sky is the limit, whether they choose chiropractic as their career field or not. We need more chiropractors here in the US as well as around the world. If you or someone in your life has ever considered chiropractic as a career, please come or send them to come and chat with me. There are some awesome resources out there to aid in the transition into school and financial aid available to make your career dreams come true. See you there!

A VISITOR

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:04:00 +0000

This morning, as Victoria was opening the Cafe of LIFE, she realized that there was a HUGE, beautiful dragonfly caught in a spider's web. She rescued him from and she has become his new best friend. He is super content here in the Cafe of LIFE for the day and we are happy to have him. I wanted to share this photo so you could all enjoy him as well. This is him posing on a rose in our reception area as his best friend takes his picture. The book "When Animals Speak; The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small" by Ted Andrews says that "when dragonflies show up in your life, you may need to get some fresh air in regard to something emotional. You may need to gain a new perspective or make a change...the dragonfly remains a nymph (baby) for almost 2 years before it transforms into an adult, which can indicate that an approximate two-year period of change is about to reach its culmination...Life is never quite the way it appears, but it is always filled with light and color. Dragonfly can help you to see through your illusions and thus allow your own light to shine forth. Dragonfly brings the brightness of transformation and the wonder of colorful new vision." I like the sound of all that!

1 MONTH LEFT

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:25:00 +0000

I am runner. Did I ever tell you that? I officially am a runner and the only thing that really makes it "official" is that I really love to run. I have always, as far back as I can remember, wanted to learn to love to run. So in January 2006, I decided I would sign up to run a marathon, Chicago Marathon, on October 22 (which is actually my "half birthday" which made it kind of fun). So I started training. From January to October that year, all I did was eat, sleep, work and run. My weekends were spent running, cross-training and recovering and I had it planned out during the week exactly when and how far I need to run on what day. If I varied from that schedule, my training schedule would be off so I was regimented. It was great and on October 22, I woke up, ate breakfast, bundled up (when the race started it was a mere 35 degrees), and ran 26.2 miles (the picture to the right is me running that race). Finishing that race and actually crossing the finish line was one of the most incredible feelings I have ever had in my life. I would maybe do it again just for the feeling at the finish line. Incredible. But in the meantime I still like to participate in some other races and the CRIM (dubbed Coolest Race In Michigan) happens this year on August 22. I haven't done a whole heck of a lot of running lately, but I can easily pull off 5 miles without any prep. My body just reverts back to all that training in 2006. So over the next 4 weeks I need to get some serious miles in my sneakers. I am looking forward to it. This will be the 5th year running the CRIM, the first year just did the 8K and the last 3 I have completed the 10 miler. It is a great race, a super fun day in Flint and I will be ready. I know there are a lot of runners out there that enjoy that race as well and if you are there....MEET ME ON THE DANCE FLOOR AFTERWARDS!!!!

THE WANDERER

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. E) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:29:00 +0000

Yesterday at 6:15pm, while Victoria and I were finishing up with things here at the Cafe of LIFE, we are startled by a big chocolate dog (that would be Choco) charging in through our opened front door. We both just looked blankly at each other as our brains began to run a few obvious panic questions; "Where was he?", "When and how did he get out without one of us noticing?", "How long has he been gone?" and "How many cars did he have to dodge to make it to and from where ever his destination was?". This was the very first time he has ever pulled a stunt like that. YIKES!!! It was an interesting "mothering" moment for me and needless to say I am so grateful to his angels for watching over him on his expedition.

"Dear Angels,

Instead of watching over him during his expeditions, please convince him not to go on them in the first place.

Thanks,

Choco's Mom."