Rants, Recipes, and Running

Day 1 of Operation Deep Freeze is over. I can't help but snicker when this happens here in Southern Arizona. Out temperatures hit 24 during the night, and the media and citizens pop a hernia over it. However, when I lived in North Dakota -- and night of only dropping to 24 meant spring is coming! In the defense of the desert rats, the ramifications are a little different here when it gets cold. We have constantly running pool pumps. We grow gardens year round. Our pipes are only a few feet under the ground. So if your pipes are not well-wrapped and insulated -- you will not be showering in the morning. I am speaking from experience. 2 years ago, I was unaware of this side effect of Tucson's deep freezes and didn't get to take a shower in the morning due to frozen pipes. So far, the only damage is a dead geranium plant and a frozen Tulsi Tea plant. I pray I can revive the Tulsi plant! Love my fresh tea. So enough "cold" talk....let's talk about somethin...

Is it really a new year? I didn't even get to make my bullet-point list of goals for the next year. I know one shouldn't make excuses for themselves, as it's a nasty habit. However, December wiped me out. Our house literally became the revolving door for entertaining, hosting christmas shin-digs, you name it! It didn't stop until the clock striked 12 on 01/01/13. And I realized, "Shoot, it started and I didn't even make any resolutions". (But I will say the month of December was an absolute BLAST. I love Christmas season!) Another large influence for my lack of setting any goals is the big life-changer that is about to happen in....3 weeks. I kiss my best friend and love of my life goodbye. The 1st 6 weeks, he's allowed 1 phone call home. For the past 6 years, I don't think we've gone a single day without at least exchanging texts. Although the past 1.5 years he's traveled a lot and we've had months where he's out of town more th...