My trainer, who is running the Seattle Half, was dead set against me running the race at all.  Apparently I have been over training which has resulted in stalled weight loss progress.  So, I’m going to try and respect the rest days on my schedule and really try and do the shorter, less instense workouts she plans, instead of always feeling like I have to kick it up a notch.  And, I am going to start seeing a nutritionist as of this week.  So, I am doing all of that and in exchange, she didn’t give me a hard time about registering and running the marathon against her advice.  Whew.

Ryan Molenkamp and nephew McRae

Of course I wouldn’t be saying this strictly because one of the artists just so happens to be my super talented brother, Ryan Molenkamp.  Oh, who am I fooling?  Of course I am.  Well, at least a little bit.

Wednesday night the husband, the kids, and I got a sneek peek at Vermillion’s upcoming show titled “We Built This to Leave,” which includes work from three amazing artists - Trevor Johnson, Sharon Arnold and Ryan Molenkamp.  Located in the bustling neighborhood of Capitol Hill, Vermillion is easy to find and accessible, even for country bumpkins like myself.  In fact, it was so accessible that my kids had a hard time prying themselves away from the gallery, the peole, and most especially, the street poles covered in advertising, which they found supremely interesting.  Wyatt will tell you that he also really liked the pay phone booth with the missing phone!  And McRae enjoyed the window plastered in Van’s stickers – he thought that was the coolest thing…well, besides the art hanging inside the gallery.  Katie will tell you she enjoyed the Pellegrino, which she guzzled like a sailor on shore leave.

Back to the art.

The gallery describes the work as:

“This show speaks to the obsessive creator in all of us. From our youngest memory of playing with blocks to the daily compartmentalization of our lives we are always building, organizing, and making something new. Each artist in this show explores what we are all so busy building, why we are compelled to do so, how those creations impact the environment, and what becomes of the left over materials.”

While standing there gawking looking at Trevor’s “cloud” installation, a mighty form you can see protruding as if from the wall itself upon entering the space, I knew this was the perfect show to bring the kids to.  Any parent who has ever purchased their child anything larger than a matchbox car will tell you that toys, among other things we consume like televisions and computers and leaf blowers, come with a ridiculous amount of packaging.  I have found my living room, on more than one Christmas morning, mostly unrecognizable under all the styrofoam that encased their gifts.  I have also, on more than one Christmas morning, advised my kids that yes, they could play with the styrofoam for 1 or 2 days…but no more because my goodness it makes a lot of little styrofoam babies in the form of tiny pieces all over the house!  And then off to the recycler we go…until the next birthday or holiday.  And this tradition repeats itself over and over again until by the time my children have reached the age of twenty, I hate to think of all the packaging that has made it’s way to a landfill simply because of my 3 kids.

Trevor gets that.  He gets the packaging and consumption part, and he gets the kid part.  His pieces are moving and whimsical, but they also have a message.  And my kids loved them!  Although I stood like a hawk over them to make sure they did not touch the artwork, viewing the pieces was something we all enjoyed.

Speaking of not touching the artwork…Sharon Arnold blew that all to pieces.  And I mean that in the nicest possible way.  Since we were there for a “sneek peek,” the gallery was not too crowded, which was nice.  When Sharon approached my kids and asked them if they “wanted to touch her artwork” I nearly fainted.  Touch the artwork?  Are you kidding?  But an assured smile and nod from her and the next thing I knew she had my daughter’s hand and was leading her, with the boys following, over to one of her pieces, a fascinating and familiar installation that looked like toilet paper rolls…except much prettier.

Sharon’s pieces are a feat in meticulousness, you can tell that by looking at them.  When I asked her how long it took to create each individual roll for her most fascinating (in my opinion) installation, she said “30 to 40 hours per roll.”  If memory serves me right, and you never know about that these days, there were twelve rolls comprising the piece.  That, in itself,  blows me away.  Her pieces all evoke some sort of mischief in my inner child.  The temptation to pull on those rolls, like a toddler left unattended in the bathroom while mommy paints her toenails, is powerful.  And that is just what she asked my kids to do!  “Go ahead,” she urged them, “Give it a yank.  A good pull.”  They looked at her.  They looked at me.  I nodded and away they went, silly, giddy smiles on their faces – amazed at what they were actually doing.

Sharon Arnold sharing her work with children

And this, is what art is all about.

I’m not certain if everyone will be invited to pull on Sharon’s pieces, but it sure was a cool experience for my kids and they’ll never forget it.

As for Ryan’s work, I’m really at a loss as to what to say without sounding biased since he is my one and only brother (whom I teased unrelentingly in our childhood and will forever be apologizing for that- and I will always thank him for letting me tie his wagon to the back of my Big Wheel and tow him around our patio with impressive speed…without a single injury – I’m sure these experiences translate themselves into his painting in some way or another), but his work is so interesting it hurts.  I’ve watched his talent grow and grow and grow and only get stronger with each piece he unveils.  They are small, they are large, they are in the middle too – in size.  They are intricate, they are surprising, they are unique – in form.  When I ask him if a certain painting is of a landscape from our hometown he answers, “It could be,” with his trademark raised eyebrow (a trait only the males in our bloodline inherit).  His pieces have a message too.  They speak about the impact of people on the environment with their contrasts of the man-made and the…not.  The urban sprawl and the way it makes it’s mark upon the landscape are familiar themes that run through many of his pieces.  But what I think I love most about his work is that it is unlike any I’ve ever seen, and he doesn’t argue with you if you say you see a floating lily pad (even if it is not, indeed, a floating lily pad at all and you were just saying that to see what his reaction was).

Ryan’s work is grand and it is intelligent.  My favorite pieces are those with a lot of color, but the black and whites hold just as much impact.  And I could be completely swayed because we share the same DNA, but I think this is his best show to date, even though he wouldn’t invite you to touch his artwork, like his lovely co-artist would.

All in all, “We Built This to Leave” is an eclectic blend of 3 different viewpoints on basically the same thing, our world.  The show is a great one to bring kids to as it can spark not only their creative spirit, which seems to remain right beneath if not plastered all over the surfaces of our children, but a good conversation about how humans affect the environment.  The show opens tonight, November 6th, and runs through November 29th.

Carrie Blankenship is the author of the blog Stop Screaming I’m Driving, where she attempts to tell her story of motherhood, as only she can.  She likes long walks in the park, dancing in the rain, and can be bribed to do just about anyting for a vanilla latte, extra foam.  Contact her with column suggestions or just say “hi” at carrieb[at]seattlemomblogs.com.  Or, blankenship.carrie[at]yahoo.com.

Check out her portfolio, she does an amazing job!

To enter:  Leave a comment below (entrants MUST be near the Seattle area).  One entry per person…UNLESS, you link to this contest on Facebook or Twitter, then you can enter twice by leaving a second comment letting us know how you told your friends.

A random winner will be chosen on Nov 8th using Randomizer.org.  If you win and would like your images before the holidays, you need to schedule your photo session with Rebecca within a week of the contest end date to ensure that the photos will be available for the holidays.

Good luck and spread the word!

the kiddos

Alright ladies. This one is for the children… and the teachers… therefore… the future! As usual, I am keeping things very non-dramatic. Look… the children…

Have I pulled your tender mommy heart-strings?

I was contacted by BlogHer a few weeks back. I was asked to be part of selecting local projects for their DonorsChoose Social Media Challenge…

DonorsChoose is an online charity that makes it easy for everyone to help fund educational projects around the country. During the Social Media Challenge bloggers, Tweeters, Facebookers, (and BlogHers) will come together to raise money that goes straight to the place it’s needed the most – the classroom.

Last year, bloggers raised more than $275,000 and helped fund projects in 65,000 public schools.

Here’s the deal – we need to spread the word! There are 4 Seattle-area projects highlighted in this challenge! All in high- poverty level schools:

• A listening center for first graders
• Books for a third grade classroom library
• Dry erase boards for a fifth grade classroom
• 15 piano keyboards for a high school music class

Friends. Women. Moms… Former students… Would you mind spreading the word? Would you mind making a donation yourself? I know times are tight… but there are several ways to help!

• Share this project on your blogs!
• Tweet it!
• Facebook it!
• Might you put the widget on your own blog?
• Donate!

There are projects from across the country highlighted in BlogHer’s effort. The really neat thing here is projects from our own local schools are included! Let’s make a showing here – for the kids, for Seattle! Go grab a widget for our local Seattle giving page and put it in your side bar or feature it in a post! Pretty please? I’ll make it easy on you – click here for the widget page.

I’ll even spray you with glitter if you need that extra “umph”. On your mark. Get set…. GO!

I had never really thought about what goes into the business of a grocery store. I make my decisions with my wallet, choosing where I can satisfy my cheapskate brain while making my growing pregnant belly happy. There have been many nights where I’ve taken credit for the mushroom meatloaf I’ve picked up at the QFC meat department, so when my husband asks how I was able to make such a “special dinner” after working all day, I say, “Oh it’s nothing! Just something I put together because I AM SELFLESS.” So I had been very thankful to QFC for letting me feign real work while making a deposit in my SUPERIOR TO MY HUSBAND account.

We were led through the store’s different sections and learned that QFC offers flowers from local wholesalers and there are no mega-cryogenic-sized freezers in the back of the store, so all product is turned out quickly. Everything is fresh and updated daily, providing customers with a constantly new selection. We were given a glimpse into the meat selection and the Chef’s Express section, a line of affordable prepared dishes such as mushroom meatloaf, stuffed pork chops, and kalbi marinated flank steak.

For those families conscious of allergies and cross-contamination, QFC makes it easy to choose foods right for their home. We learned that for those people concerned about ingredients, labels can be easily printed out on request without purchasing an item.

QFC President Donna Gjordano

After a tour through other sections like the vast wine department and the Wellness center (which featured a brand new touch-screen computer that finds vitamins, recipes, and more) we were led upstairs for a tasting from the areas we had just visited. We also spoke with some of the QFC execs who are all moms themselves and were interested to find out about what makes bloggers tick and to answer our questions about QFC.

Lew, the meat genius

Here is Lew talking about the layers in meat, the marbling, and fat content that makes it extremely delicious. He was a veritable fount of flank steak wisdom, sharing carving techniques and different ways to prepare the meat. Unfortunately, I captured him in a moment that looks more like he’s explaining that this is the church, here is the steeple, open up the doors and there’s all the people!

Some pictures of the dishes we tasted, or in my case, devoured until I was tempted to lick the plate clean:

chicken parmesan with marinara sauce

chicken florentine

fruit flan

kalbi flank steak with garlic mashed potatoes and valencia green beans

My favorite dish was by far the kalbi marinated flank steak, prepared with garlic mashed potatoes and Valencia green beans. The sweet, savory juicy “meat candy” was incredibly rich without being heavy. I loved every bite and when I was offered seconds, I just shot a look that repeated what was already going through my head, “YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! I GOT LOVE IN MY TUMMY”

All of these dishes are available in the deli section, meat department, and bakery which means that I can again pretend that I slaved over a hot stove for chicken florentine, poured my blood, sweat and tears into a pesto and pea salad and worked until my bony fingers gave out over fruit flan. Who needs to know that I didn’t exactly make this macadamia nut flan with white chocolate shavings?

white chocolate macadamia nut flan

The dinner was so delicious, it was like I had forgotten that there was life outside those meeting doors, like when you walk into a casino and can’t see the clocks, so you’re thinking, what’s a few dollars at this slot machine and then you’re calling the benefits office at your work trying to find out if they can wire what’s left in your retirement account to the casino. It was like I entered a food trance and I still can’t believe that I can make a food lineup like this on my own. All I have to do is visit QFC and I can replicate this entire smorgasbord and keep my nest egg in tact.

the ladies

I was so glad to spend an evening with Stacey, Carrie, Alexis, Kim, Shannon and Angie. We are busy, budget-minded and demand quality without hassle. And we love food. It was great to know how QFC appeals to our varied needs, and not just for frazzled moms, anyone needing convenient and mouth-watering meals can enjoy. I wish I had known what they offered back when I was in college and survived on frozen pizzas and dinners I had to pull out of the microwave half-way and stir. Never again!

In addition to the free dinner, we received a gift bag of various Kroger brand items, coupons and a $25 gift card. AND SUPER BONUS! We have a $25 gift card to QFC to give away to a lucky Seattle Mom Blogs reader! All you have to do is leave one comment by October 30, 2009 by 5 PM PST. The cold, unfeeling random integer generator will choose and we will contact the winner. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or we will choose another person. Good luck!

Tomorrow marks one day since I ran my first marathon.  In the past 12 months, I will have run 3 marathons, a half marathon, done my first open water 1/2 mile swim race and my first and second triathlons.  Almost all of those races were actually done in the past 3 months.

L and I have set a goal to run the marathon tomorrow in under 4 hours.  A goal that is more than likely impossible at this point but one that we are going to shoot for.  I’m going to give my Blackberry to my fantastic friend, Debie, who may live Tweet updates on the race from my Twitter account.

Regardless of whether or not we are able to finish in under 4 hours, the whole thing will be over in less than 27 hours from now.  Here’s to shooting for impossible goals!

It was a whopping 54 degrees as we waited for the start and was actually a relief to step into the water as the 63 degree water was WARMER than standing on shore.  This triathlon started with a 1/2 mile swim, about twice as long as the last (and only) triathlon I did.  So I swam swam swam and was only bothered by 2 facts: 1) I can’t swim a straight line to save my life; and 2) the sun finally came out and was at such an angle that I looked right into the sun every time I took a breath.

Then came the bike leg.  Oy.  “Hilly” does not even begin to adequately describe this course.  I was huffing and puffing for most of it.  It didn’t help that I had my bike adjusted 2 weeks ago (and then had NOT ridden it since then) and when I started up the FIRST (OF MANY) hills, my bike seat started to twist and then DROPPED all the way down.  Yep- I was riding with my knees in my armpits.  Sigh.  At one point, at some steep hill, people were dropping off their bikes to walk and I was struggling, some guy along the side of the road started yelling at me that I had another wheel and to switch gears.  I was trying so hard to switch gears and was at a loss until he yelled at me HOW to change to the other wheel.  Yes, I was that brain dead from lack of oxygen at that point.

Then came the run.  After that horrendous bike leg, I had no feeling (0ther than pain, obviously) below my hips.  I started off (uphill, BTW) with my soon to be patented triathlon run shuffle and it took at least 2 miles for any blood or oxygen to reach my legs.  During the last mile, I saw one of husband’s co-workers who gave me a cheer and that helped.  Then out of nowhere comes husband sprinting like no one else and gives me a hug as he runs by.  That gave me the oomph to reach the top of the last hill and head down to the finish line.

And my second triathlon was completed.  16th out of 74th in my age division.  I’ll take it.

I may have taken it too far one day when I signed up for a fitness evaluation at the gym.  For 5 years I have avoided the initial free consultation with a trainer.   I decided to avoid it no more.  Back at the beginning of August, I agreed to a fitness evaluation and set a time and date with a trainer.  At that time, the 2nd week of September was weeks! away!  And then suddenly it was today.

Despite my anxiety freak-out this morning over voluntarily being weighed, measured and evaluated by a stranger, it went fine.  The trainer was nice and, even though she is young, she seemed knowledgeable enough.  I liked that she focused on my goals, and really incorporated them into our discussion and her initial set of exercises.  I’ve decided to have her put together a good cardio/weight program that I can do by myself at the gym on the days I can’t make it to circuit training or am not training for the marathon/triathlon.  And then I think I’ll check in with her once a month for accountability.

This is unbelievable progress for me.  Do I dare say that I may be seeing some signed of some “personal growth” going on?