I am really digging the new nail colors--these are actually smoke grey!

SIGNS THAT SPRING IS HERE

The neighbors heat is radiating through the floor, so I turned

the furnace off and opened the windows, 

while I sleep under an electric blanket!

My fingers miss the feel of dirt under the nails

The mornings are just right for a sweater, 

but the evenings need a coat


All of a sudden a pair of gloves in every jacket I own,
in the glove box, and sitting on the passenger seat
 of the car does not make sense


I've started rolling the windows down at stop lights and 
opening the moon roof, and turning the seat warmers off

I feel the need to take a walk, or a ride,

or just sit outside on the deck

My Best 2K Ever!

This is me at the starting line of the Leprechaun Lope, all motivated to beat the time I posted at the Human Race 5K last Thanksgiving.

With less than 5 minutes to race time, Walker decided he wanted to run!?! So, we lined up towards the back of the pack and sent Vonnae several hundred yards ahead and told Walker to run until he saw Vonnae and Savana, then stop.  He blew past them without a moments hesitation so we let him keep running.

Someday we will tell Walker that the course had three distances, 10K, 5K, and 2K, but for right now he is happy knowing that he ran the whole thing! I wonder how long it will be before he starts beating my time in the 5k's?

I've never been to Ireland....

...and I am certainly not Irish, but ever since my sister was born on March 16th, she somehow believes there must be some Irish blood in our family; why else would the world throw a big green party and turn into red beer drinking 'pinchers' for one day (the day after her birthday) if it wasn't all about Vanasa?

So, this year to make it 'all about her' I signed us up for the Leprechaun Lope, a charity run and parade held in Memory Grove this Saturday. See big sisters rock!  The problem is that way back last winter after our 5K Human Race I optimistically thought that I could push  myself a bit and run a 10K, unfortunately, having spent the last several months hibernating, I am starting to chicken out a little bit....maybe I can convince Vanasa we should do the 2k children's run/walk so we have plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast. :-) after all St. Patrick's Day is an all day event, she'll want to pace herself.

It is finally artichoke time and this week the real big ones are on sale at Fresh Market for $1.49 so if you want a yummy (and cheap) lunch just fill a cereal bowl with an inch of water, place the artichoke in the bowl with plastic wrap loosely on top and microwave for 5 minutes. 

Toilet Woes

MY TOILET IS PISSING ME OFF!

Looks like it should work perfectly!

My guest bathroom toilet had a leak through the flapper.  Not a big leak, not enough to be heard when you are in the kitchen cooking or in the living room watching television, but just enough to inhibit a good nights sleep in the middle of the night when the building is really quiet.....and only until you were arm deep in cold water sealing the flapper.

In my many trips into the tank I realized that the toilet arm screw was broke in half so about a year ago I made a trip to Home Depot and for just under $20 purchased the items to fix the leak and replace the arm.

And ever since then, when you flush the toilet you have to hold the handle down! WTF? This isn't rocket science, it is plumbing.  For a while I gave up using the toilet (opting to walk back to the master bath) but eventually I find myself in bathroom swearing at the toilet. I finally consulted the internet for some guidance and here is what I came up with:

The middle part of the flapper should be removed, or it should be intact,

The flapper chain is too short, or it is too long,

The toilet handle needs to be bent towards the front, or towards the back.

Maybe plumbing is rocket science after all! In the meantime I will be pausing an extra second
when I am in the bathroom to hold the handle down.