The Ragnar Relay New England

The Course Details

194.9 miles -- Leaving from Lighthouse Point: New Haven, Connecticut and arriving into Harvard Stadium: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Our team of 12 -- named "Jen's Wonder Women" met at 5:45 am on Friday Sept 11. We packed up the suburbans and drove to the starting line.

We ran the race in honor of our friend, Jennifer, who is running her own race against breast cancer right now.

At 8:00 am with cloudy skies and 54 degrees, runner #1-- Krista took off.

There were 36 legs of the race with each person running 3 of them.

Our last runner arrived into Harvard Stadium at 4:00 pm on Saturday, Sept 12.

Here are some pictures and captions that tell some more of the rest of the story covering the time in between.



Now while this tells a lot about it -- there is more
the getting lost, the getting found, the things you eat, the reactions to the things you eat, the rain, the runner's diareah suffered by some, the car sickness, the pitch blackness, the headlamps, the potty breaks, the hunger, the fatigue, the exhaustion, the tiredness, the friendships made, the fun, the pain, the conversation, the watching everyone dig deep for one last run, the taking one for the team, the swapping of legs for someone who needed it, the going the extra mile (in this case literally), the cheering, the support, the teamwork, the comraderie, the months of training, the voice inside everyone's head telling them to keep running, the prayers said and answered, the cars that start, the joy of the finish, the vow while doing it that you will never do this again, and the realization while typing this that you probably would.

FYI

For all of my friends who may read this blog who knew the Cluff family, (Rod, Melissa, Jessica, Jane, and Grace). I just wanted you to know that Grace, their youngest daughter (almost 6 yrs old) has been diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma and has begun chemotherapy in Austin, TX. They have started a blog to keep everyone updated as well as a care calendar (the info is on the top of the blog) for those wanting to help. Their blog is rmcluff.blogspot.com

Best of Friends!

My friends had a "farewell fiesta" for me and Sheree as we are both moving. The food was delicious and the company was the best! Thanks to all you girls! You made me feel at home in Katy, taught me many new recipes, played with me and my kids at playgroups, and were the best listening ears whenever I needed them. I hope we all stay in touch (doesn't that sound very high school yearbooky?) Thanks for all the memories!

Baby Shower for my neighbor Amy

Meme tag, You're it

I am sure we all remember the game tag played out on the schoolyard at Recess. I remember all sorts of varieties. My favorite was always "freeze" tag. And even though I loved playing it, I really abhorred being "it." There was something isolating about being selected out of the crowd and being unlike everyone else for a time. While it was fun to run and chase, it still felt a little lonely.

Now I find I am engaged in a new kind of tag-- Meme tag is the technical term for it. And for being such a simple game, there is actually quite a bit of philosophy behind it. (Just read about memes and memetag at Wikipedia and you'll see what I mean). But simply put, it is about the transmission and evolution of ideas across time and how the different people change the meme and yet keep it the same.

This is a long intro to explain that I got tagged by my friend RangersRus. On her blog she identified college courses that would help her today in her life and then tagged 5 people by leaving a comment on their blog encouraging them to do the same. So here goes. . . (and I must say I thought all of her courses were great)



Devise a list of 5-10 courses you would take to fix your life. It’s more fun to be in classes with friends, so include one class from the person who tagged you that you’d also like to take. Tag five more people.





1. Laundry 501 -- This graduate level course is designed for the person who does laundry night and day, everyday. Their laundry should include multiple age brackets (thus exposing them to a myriad of staining options), both genders (glue, glitter, makeup stains for girls, dirt, grass, blood stains for boys), and excessive volume. Special topics will include vomit and other bodily messes, markers and crayons, and Laundry extended (cleaning carpets, couches, draperies).



2. Haircutting/Styling 101: If you can't hold a comb and a pair of scissors in one hand at the same time without dropping one or the other or both, then this class is for you! We'll start with the basics, the timeless styles everyone should know, for boys and dads, the buzz, the tapered cut, the bowl cut and more. And for girls the bob, straight cuts, layers, and bangs. But cutting isn't everything, you'll learn 1,001 ways to style little girls' hair and how to make all the bows and ribbons to match. And for little boys, you'll get a complimentary water spray bottle and comb.



3. Lunch Packing 301 : For the semi-experienced, Lunch packing 101 and 201 are pre-requisites. Ready to move beyond PB&J? Do fruit snacks count as a fruit? Can packed lunches be healthy and exciting all at the same time? This class will explore a variety of different new ideas that have been kid tested and approved. We will incorporate new technology and innovations regarding lunch gear (both disposable and not). We will also place a large emphasis on lunch packing under great duress while still maintaining speed.



4. Homework Motivation 100 : This is for parents today. Helping your child succeed in school, recognizing which things are important and which are not, understanding how much to “help” and how much to “let” them do are just a few of the many topics discussed. Especially great for parents whose first child is in the early grades so that good habits can be started from the beginning.

5. Photography 515 : For those that have already mastered blurry shots, shots that are too dark, fancy shots where only part of it is in focus (but not the part you want), backs of people faces, closed eyes, red eyes and other common shots. We will teach you how to photoshop them into award winning photographic art. Other topics will be straightening and whitening teeth in photos, losing weight by photo editing, and generating new smiles where only frowns existed before.

6. Diplomacy 300 : This mid level course is designed to help us meander through the politics of daily living. How to communicate with teachers and principals so that you can be an effective advocate for your child, how to tactfully address issues with your spouse about their style of parenting, and how to do volunteer work at your school, church, or community center without offending those around you and getting burned out. There will a special night seminar discussing specific issues related to serving in a ward calling.

7. Magic 100 : This class is for the beginner. Simple charms (like decluttering a room, cleaning dishes, automatic dishwasher emptying) will be taught. Always a favorite among students and A's awarded based on effort not necessarily skill.

Well, that would be my class schedule. If I only had time to go . . . and a babysitter . . . and an extra 36 hours a day . . .

And the best part . . . I tag Jimnjennie, Amy, Sheree, Mckell, and Amber.

The Joy of Friends

Madelyn loves little Gym. Well, let me clarify. . . she loves little Gym when her 2 girlfriends are there to go with her. If they are not there she cries and doesn't want to do it at all. She reminds me of me. . . I'll do almost anything with friends (run at 5:30 am, dumpster dive at post offices for discarded Kohl's gift cards, try new recipes like English toffee over and over again until it is just perfect, etc. . .) Without friends I just want to cry too!!!

High School Musical

Two of my friends and our daughters all went to see a community theater production of High School Musical. The kids had a great time. We sat on the front row and when they concluded with "We're all in this together" All the kids could go on stage and sing and dance with them. Our kids moved right to the back and tried to hide from us. I finally had to go up there just to get a picture of them. They had a great time. My kids are huge fans of High School Musical and are counting down the days until #2 comes out.