Two weeks ago on Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet with an actual "stylist" who pulled clothing for me. Instead of watching celebrities on TV get dressed by people who actually know fashion, I was the one being pampered. "Do you want a water, Kari?" "Here are some candy bars, Kari." "Step over here so I can snap your photograph, Kari." Yes, the other shoppers in the store looked at me a little funny, "Why is she getting her photograph taken?"
It was all part of an amazing experience the BlogHer folks set me up on. Thanks to that Saturday, I had an excellent outfit to wear yesterday when I chaperoned during the third grade class' trip to see the insanely frightening version of "A Christmas Carol." (Head on over to A Spectrum of Reviews to find out more about my experience, and how you can win a $200 Gift Card to that store.)
Unlike the previous field trip, the Cat did fabulously. He acted like a third grader, not like someone who had come one "strike" away from triggering a functional behavioral analysis. After the last field trip, I held my breath because I didn't know what had caused such a regression, and worried about whether he'd improve. He then did improve, and hasn't slid down again yet (knock on wood.) So this field trip, I was holding my breath because the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come was very large and very scary.
But back to the Story of Saturdays.
Last Saturday, I was the opposite of pampered. I was the opposite of chic, or at least not stylish chic. No, last Saturday I was covered in mud.
I met my Shredhead buddy - and roommate for next year's Tiarathon - Laura, and we ran A Very Muddy 10K. But before we ran, both the Cat and Splig had their turn. They completed a one mile race. The Cat ran the whole way. Splig stopped and cried because he saw people passing him, but once he saw me at the finish line, he sprinted ahead to finish up. Both boys won their respective age divisions. Splig was his own age division, but with a time of 11:59, beat a bunch of older boys. The Cat had a time of 8:55.
When Laura and I ran, I was laughing because it didn't seem real. It was a foggy and damp day. We're really going to run 6.2 miles right now? And yes, we did. It was in some ways harder than the 10K I did in October, and in other ways easier. The mud made my shoes very heavy, and there was some interesting loose gravel that challenged my footing as well. But by the end of the race, I wasn't completely dead. I could see myself continuing to run (with walk breaks!) for awhile longer.
No, Laura and I didn't win our respective age divisions like my kids did - HA! - but we weren't last. In fact, we both placed second to last in our divisions. Go us!
So one Saturday all pretty, another Saturday pretty muddy. This Saturday it is all about the color green, and a little more of the theater. I can't wait!
