I am never one of the gals at work who has her cubicle filled with the scent of a dozen roses. I don’t get chocolates or receive singing telegrams.

If it weren’t for the other folks that make such a buzz on this day, I’d probably not even notice.

But that is okay with me.  Really. (Read more about my valentine at Momaha.com)

I started my training yesterday. I have 12 weeks to prepare for the half-marathon, and while I have been running a bit here and there, it is time to put my game-face on.

It’s a minimalist sport: just lace up the shoes, pile on the clothes, and head outside.

However, it was 28 degrees and the few inches of snow we had gotten in the early morning, the freezing rain throughout the day, and some of my neighbor’s obvious aversion to clearing off their sidewalks, makes for some treachorous outdoor running conditions.

Not to mention that I am prone to mishap, even in the driest of conditions.

Since I don’t own a treadmill or have a gym membership, and training starts in the dead of winter, I gotta get outside, regardless of the conditions. 

I wore my husband’s old sweatshirt and stocking cap, one glove (all I could find), my leggings that I wore to work (seriously), no socks and my running shoes I bought last march. Fergie Radio on my Pandora app (free) provided the motivation.

But the most important piece of training equipment….these little contraptions.

While they may appear to be some form of torturous device, they are simply the most important piece of equipment for running outdoors in the winner.

Yak Trax provide excellent traction even the most icy conditions. When I first stepped outside, I was sliding everywhere, and then I remembered my co-worker loaned these to me and I hustled back inside to dig them out (that’s also when I found my one glove!). 

I slipped those babies on and I was off.

(P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day!)

While my heart is breaking for the loss the music world suffered on Saturday, my soul rejoices that you are finally free.

No longer are you tormented by the things of this world.  No longer are you weighed down by the pressures and expectations of celebrity status.  No longer will shame and regret mar your image.

Now the chains are gone, your voice is strong, and you finally are experiencing peace.

You are free.

You changed the way I listened to music.  Your songs marked incredible moments in my life. You impacted my life.

I do not know what life was like for you. I will not pretend to understand fame, wealth, talent, and public image.  I have never used drugs, abused alcohol, or lived in an abusive relationship.

But millions of women have.  Millions. You are real to these women.

And you were real to your millions of fans, of which I count myself among them.

The first song I memorized was The Greatest Love of All, of which verse two is my favorite:

“I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can’t take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all.”

I don’t know if you ever learned to love yourself, but you inspired millions to do so.

Thank you for sharing your talent with the world.

Heidi and I have another date with 13.1 miles on May 6 in Lincoln.  We are looking forward to it.

I was planning on writing a New Year’s post about inviting the Momaha readers to join us, but the race was full by the end of December.

Sad face. (Let me know if you got in, I would love to see you there!)

But then I remembered that there’s more races than just the one on the first Sunday in May.

For instance, have you ever heard of The Warrior Dash?

It looks amazing.  3.3 miles of running obstacles, fire-leaping, and mud crawling. (Read more at Momaha.com)

Seven days.

That’s how long it’s been since I have touched my eyebrows. I must admit that I almost have a panic attack every time I look in the mirror, but I am going to stay strong.  I can wait another three weeks.

Since I was old enough to be teased about my eyebrows, I have tweezed my eyebrows. Every. Single. Day.

Actually, that’s not exactly true. I managed to go “tweeze-free” for 17 days during a service trip to Tanzania (I didn’t want to appear vain people!).

Otherwise, my brows have been tweezed or waxed with borderline OCD regularity.

You see, along with my father’s green eyes and olive skin tone, I also got his grotesquely bushy eyebrows.

The other bad news was that during those early, unfortunate years of self-image obsession I lived with my bachelor father.  So pretty much all of my grooming habits were left up to my discretion and a few magazine articles from Seventeen.

Draw an imaginary line from the nostril to the brow. Start there. 

What kind of advice is that? Do you have any idea how many angles one can make from their nostril to their eyebrows. Not good advice, Seventeen. I needed pictures. I needed tutorials. I needed Youtube.

Sadly, I even used a razor once.  It was a disaster.

Once I learned the beauty of having my eyebrows waxed, the tweezers were only used for those in-between times.

But I know I need to be rehabilitated if I want to have some shape and arch to my eyebrows again.

And according to my artist and friend, Joy Sakalosky (owner of Via Mia Spa in Omaha) I have to wait four weeks before they will be ready to shape and arch.

I am really hoping I can make it another three weeks. If not, do any of you know of a good Eyebrow-Plucker’s Anonymous meetings?

Any of you struggle with this? Or am I the only one?

Aside from the four months during the summer of 2010, I have not worked a 40-hour work week since becoming a mother.

As you know, we are getting out of debt.  A sure fire way to help tackle that debt involves this mama adding a day to her work week. (Gulp!)

So, if you see me rolling through town in a Cadillac Escalade, you have my permission to hit me, because I can’t afford it, even in my plumper paychecks make me think otherwise.

But aside from more money, it also means more time away from home. That, my friends, is going to be the real challenge. (Read the rest at Momaha.com)

I am not.

But it is by choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no qualms with e-readers.  While I prefer a physical book in my hand, I would welcome this fancey gadget.

No, my lack of one is 100% self-imposed.  If I had one my children would go unfed, I would go unbathed, and my home would continue to go unkept….all because I am lounging on my couch reading the next great book. (Read my list at Momaha.com)

After five years of  living out in the country with neighbors a half-mile away on either side, our family had to learn what it means to live as civilized human beings again.

-Gotta buy halloween candy

-Gotta mow sooner than just before the grass goes to seed

-Gotta rake

-Gotta pee inside

-Gotta wear clothes all the time

For the most part, we have adjusted well.

(Read more at Momaha.com)

I love the library.

I couldn’t believe that when we moved to Waverly, our little town had no library of it’s own. 

Yet.  But that’s another post.

But last Monday, I was flabbergasted at what my boys showed me on display at a branch of  the Lincoln CityLibrary.  I wrote about it at Momaha.com.

But in all fairness to the Lincoln City Libraries, I sent them an e-mail to hear their “official” stance on the issue.

Here’s what I wrote:

On Monday night, I was returning our books with my two sons, ages 6 and 8.  

As I was checking out, they kept telling me to come over and see the funny picture. 

On the New Release stand, was the above mentioned book, in full display at the eye-level of two kids under 4-feet tall. 

 

I understand the concept of library, and books, and I really appreciate all the services you provide for me and my children. 

 

However, I don’t understand why a book with two naked women on the cover should be displayed just because it is a new release. 

 

Is this common for all new releases? Is it up the discretion of the branch librarians?  Any feedback would be appreciated. 

Sincerely,

Judy Daniell

Within minutes I recieved an e-mail letting me know that the matter was being sent to the director of the Lincoln City Libraries.

Here’s the response:

Your email below was forwarded to me.

I’m sorry that your experience at the library wasn’t what you had hoped for, and I very much appreciate your calling your concern to our attention.

Although you’re probably aware that the library owns a very wide variety of materials, we typically ask our public service staff to use judgment in terms of what items are placed on display, and where.

I will review this with staff at Anderson Library, and also with our Management Team the next time that we meet.

Again, I appreciate your calling this to my attention; I know that takes an added measure of time and effort. It’s important to us so that we can respond and always improve.

Yours–Pat

I feel a lot better that it was more an error in judgement rather than a matter of equal display for all types of material. 

Whew.

But I learned a good lesson in treading carefully when it comes to the innocence of my kids.

Christmas 2011

Yelling, Whining, Screaming. Crying, Stomping, Surrender. These are the stages of Daniell family Christmas photos.

I have not sent out a Christmas card since 2008. That was the last year the children allowed me to pick out their clothes. We all matched and looked quite adorable.

It has been a downhill slide into the depths of photographic despair since then.

Read more at Momaha.com