Changing my run schedule, I hope....& some reflecting

My goal for the summer is to get to bed earlier & get up at least 2x a week for a morning run. Yeah, I know, I know...I sound lazy but I am NOT a morning person. I purposely set my alarm to go off 20 mins early just so I can lay in bed & listen to the news. After I've heard about all the accidents, shootings, & gas hikes, I check my email & head to the shower. I live 20 mins from work & I'm at work at 7:30am Mon-Thur & 7am on Fridays. I need at least 45 mins to get ready in the morning just so I don't look like a ragamuffin dragging into the office. Something's got to change. I cannot run in 90+ degree heat at 5:30-6pm all summer long. Last Aug, I managed to log about 150 miles. It's a wonder I didn't suffer a heat stroke.


19 years ago ago today, I began a journey that ended in 1999. On that journey I met some GREAT people, three of which I would not trade for anything in this world.


James Quinn of Medina, OH: He was my ex husband's first roomie upon arriving in Germany. (Sweet, quiet, well educated guy) He was a college professor who got bored & wanted to see the world so he joined the Army. He & two other guys that we were friends with over there were like my big brothers. I wish I could find the other two. So, Derek Brown & Barry Frederick, if you stumble upon this blog, leave me your contact info, please. Long story short, my ex saved Quinn's life during the Gulf War. I thought those two would be life long friends after that but turns out after the divorce, I got custody of Quinn, which is perfectly fine with me. I'm the one who gets the Christmas cards every year. He's finally, REALLY happy now. You see a few years ago, he was sitting in church praying & asking God why he didn't have anyone to love him. As he put it, "God, I'm not a bad person. Why is it that the Menendez brothers can find love but I don't seem to deserve it." Well, Betty came along soon after that. Ahh, the power of prayer!


Cheryl Honaker of Brick, NJ: We met at TR Thornton Co. in Belton, TX. Ft. Hood was over 100% capacity & it's a wonder she & I could find jobs at all. We shared an office with an accountant, Jim. (He was hiliarious!) We worked basically customer service. It is a bridal apparel company. They make knock offs of bridesmaid dresses. Oh the stories! Let's just say we survived & if either one of us had to work that job for the rest of our lives, we would have hung ourselves. There were days where we hardly had time to go the bathroom & then there were days that we were so bored the boss encouraged us to bring reading material. We even had a rack of dresses we would try on and prance around the office in....it was too funny. When she left for Germany, I seriously missed her. I'm so glad to still have her as a friend today. She's still married to the same great man she had in TX & has two beautiful girls.


Annmarie Friebe of Philmont, NY: (I hope I spelled her last name right!) Annmarie was probably the ONLY sane coworker I had in Clarksville. We worked for a United Way funded Preschool for underpriviledge children. There were a few that the parents could pay but not many. I had the 2.5 yr old room & Annmarie had the 4 yr olds right next door. She was my saving grace if it had been a bad day. Annmarie had been in a car accident many years before coming to Clarksville. Over the years she had to endure one eye surgery after the other. As a matter of fact she's getting a synthetic cornea a few days before I head to NY at this end of this month. She hopes to join us at some point while we are there. I haven't seen her since 1997. She still has "Sarge" (the dog they adopted while living in Clarksville) & the same Ft. Campbell soldier, Daniel, as her devoted husband. I'm so glad we've kept in touch!