Blizzard Baby 1985

Exactly twenty-eight years ago, (sheesh I'm getting old) my then 25 year old mom and 23 year old dad settled into bed on a blustery and treacherous November night in the small town of Limerick, Maine. {Population around 2,000...small}. Mom looked something like this, but probably a little more pregnant, because judging by her shoes this is only October...Early November at the latest. Or maybe her feet were just too swollen to fit inside closed shoes at that point. Maybe both. 

Regardless of the incredible blizzard brewing outside, I was snug as a bug inside that nice round belly, plotting my grand entrance for the most least opportune time I could. 

When mom woke up and gave dad the cue, he whisked my 17 month old brother off to the neighbor and attempted at driving their little old Subaru (pictured above) to the hospital, a mere 40 minutes away in the middle of summer with no traffic. After several failed attempts at this, they called the local rescue squad to come take over. The winds are howling and the snow continued to fall as mom crossed her legs tight (I was kind of in a hurry)  and waited for the ambulance to arrive. 

I can imagine her concern as they watched the ambulance approaching, and proceeded to watch it slide right on past the apartment, even as the brakes were engaged. Once this part of the event concluded and the ambulance backed safely into the driveway, mom began to climb up into the rescue when {this is where the small town part comes in} the driver turned around and revealed himself. THE MAILMAN! 

I'm not joking. It was a very small town with a volunteer rescue squad and the lucky guy that night was our very own mailman. The guy mum saw everyday as he brought her the electric bill and LL Bean catalogs that they would dream from but never buy from. My mom {whom we refer to lovingly as 'Goldie Locks'...she likes things just so} was NOT happy about having the mailman see her in all her laboring glory. But, unless she wanted to deliver me in the dooryard on a blanket of snow, she had no choice in the matter. 

I'm imagining the mailman chuckling to himself as he delivered all of the congratulations cards and gifts postpartum, and thinking to himself...'I was there!'. 

The ambulance miraculously made its way back up the hill with my mom and dad in the back, holding on for dear life as they made their way through the ice and snow. I wanted to do things my way however, (my family will tell you nothing has changed about that) and I was not going to wait a moment longer to make my grand entrance. My brave and strong mumma delivered me somewhere along Old Alfred Road in Waterboro, Maine at approximately 6:30 in the morning. 

The headlines the next morning read 'Blizzard Baby' and retold the story of my not so uneventful birth. It was exactly this day, the day before Thanksgiving, 1985. There is still a pink stork on the side of that rescue to this day signifying my birth. {That's right. Since the day I was born I like to make grand entrances, do things my way, and leave a lasting impression for all to remember me by} 

Although flowers are usually given to the birthday girl, I wanted to celebrate my mom this year. For keeping me cozy and warm for almost 10 months, braving the severe elements on the morning of my birth, and delivering me in the back of a cold, sterile ambulance that was driven by our mailman in the middle of a good ole New England Nor' Easter.

I put it together myself :)

She's still just as brave and strong as that day, and loves me regardless of the number of hair changes I've had, tattoos I've gotten, or times I've moved back home. 

(Thank you again mummsy)

Here's to you mom! At least now you don't have to make a Thanksgiving centerpiece ;)

I love you to the moon and back. 

my latest adventure

It's February 26, 2012..no 2013 (that's the first time I've made that mistake this year), and although it was one of my New Year's resolutions to write at least 2 blog posts per month, this is my first blog post of 2013. can't win 'em all. 
That's ok, I'm looking forward this year, not backward. 
Another thing I'm looking forward to is running a 10k. Last year I thought I was gonna jump the gun and go right to being a half-marathon runner. think again. It was less than a year after I tore my hip flexor, and in less than 2 weeks I was running 5 miles straight. But I could hardly walk the next morning. not smart. 
This year I'm doing it a bit more wisely, and following a couch to 10k program, which I started yesterday. First I had to purchase a new pair of sneakers {mine were fossils in the world of runners}. My sister had a wonderful time buying her sneakers from the local shoe guy, so I followed her suggestion and went to the same gentleman. boy, am I glad I did. 
Not only did I find out I have been purchasing the wrong kind of sneakers all together, I also learned that I have "wicked flat" feet, according to Jack {the shoe guy}. Yup. We just tell it like it is up here in the north east. He had me doing a 'fast walk' down the center aisle of the store in my socks while he was down on one knee and staring intently at my feet. 
Conclusion: I need sneakers for "wicked flat" feet. 
Jack knew almost everything about sneakers and running and side walks and treadmills and 5k's and 10k's and...well, you get the picture.
He sure did like to talk, and I appreciated everything he told me. I even appreciated the fact that he told me if the $120 sneakers didn't feel $20 better than the $100 sneakers, to just by the $100 sneakers. I did just that. I walked out of the store doting a brand spanky new pair of Asics Duomax GT-1000. These are my favorite pair of sneakers yet. 
I gave them their debut run on the treadmill yesterday doing Week 1 Day 1 of my Couch to 10k program and I loved them. Doing Week 1 Day 1 of my Couch to 10k program on a treadmill, however? Not so much. It consists of jog slogging for 1 minute, walking for 1 1/2 minutes, and rotating this for 20 minutes or so. That my friends, is obnoxious to do on a treadmill. I felt like all I was doing was increasing the speed, then decreasing the speed, then increasing the speed... my neighboring treadmill runners must have thought I was crazy. To be honest, I could probably run 2 miles right now if I wanted to, but I want to do the program the right way. No more injuries for this girl. That results in no activity {i.e. putting on 20lbs...yuck}
Today was Week 1 Day 2, and the sun is beginning to stay out long enough for me to enjoy it after work. I hit the sidewalks full stride, with the sun on my face, and my Drop a Beat play list on Songza. If you haven't discovered songza yet, that should be the next thing you do. It's like Pandora on steroids, with no adds, and free. It WILL change your life. {Much like my Vitamix did. See Previous post} 
There I am, enjoying my combination of walking/jogging, and breathing in fresh air, until I come to an enormous puddle stretching the entire width of the sidewalk, and then some. It's wintertime in New Hampshire, and the weather here is like a woman on menopause. Hot, cold, snow, rain, warm, cold, colder...It can't make up it's damn mind, and makes for sloppy sidewalks. 
I'm committed though, and apparently committed to the sneakers I've run in only once before, because I ran through the thinnest part of the puddle I could see. It wasn't so bad, but the 20+ enormous puddles that followed didn't make it any better. At one point I was running up on the foot and a half high snow banks, because it was less wet than running through the 4 inches of water. I am definitely not returning these sneakers now. {good thing I love them}
I also came across Jacob Marley and his pooch. You know. Jacob Marley from A Muppet Christmas Carol. He looked just like that door knocker. creepy. 
And apparently we were on the same track in opposite directions, because I saw him again on the other side of town on a side street. 
Today I felt accomplished and ready to take on Day 3. 
Running outside is considerably harder than running on a treadmill, but it is much more fun, and I live a mile and a half from the beach. Summertime morning runs along the beach? I think so. 
By then I'll be finished with my Couch to 10k program, and ready to enjoy the coastline for as long as my little legs can handle. 
Thanks for coming along with me on my latest adventure. I'm excited to see how this one will turn out.