good, bad, and ugly

the good: 

memorial day weekend balloon launch. 

we were pleasantly surprised by some practice launches taking place on the track of the kid's school while we were having running club.

more good:

my constant companion wearing a backwards bicycle helmet pretty much everywhere we go.

good:

impromptu car hugs after church

good and bad:

first swims of the season and first pool diarrhea and sudden pool departure of the season.

good:

awards ceremonies at school for the big kids.

bad:

two separate hour long ceremonies on different days in which i had to entertain this little treasure. started off well,

then it deteriorated to bad. very loud, and obnoxious and bad. 

GREAT:

getting almost my entire house steam cleaned including the sofa and love seat. this made me happier than i could possibly imagine. better than a shopping high. better than waking up before your alarm and getting to go back to sleep. heaven is full of clean carpets.

bad(for everyone else but GREAT for me):

making the kids eat on the front porch so they won't even be near the clean carpets. 

 good and bad:

my yearly(but not on purpose) haircut. i finally carved out some free time to finally get my hair did. this is the longest it has ever been, to the end of the top of my bum. i have always wanted loooooong hair, but it had gotten so damaged because of my constant washing and styling and tight pontails for exercising that it was becoming just unmanageable. plus, that much hair is really, really hot. i was a sweaty mess for most of everyday.

plus, it was just getting obnoxious. i couldn't do anything without it getting caught in my armpit. any time i was doing weights or abs on an exercise ball, my pony would get stuck under the ball, making it comically ridiculous to try and get unstuck while i'm laying on a ball. 

so, i went to my hair gal whom i also visit teach(two birds, one stone!) and she talked me down from the ledge and calmed my hyperventilating and this is what resulted:

before, mom on the edge:

(crazy brittle, dead and gross air-dried hair that takes HOURS to dry)

after, edgy mom

 ten inches chopped! the back is actually a couple of inches shorter than the front. i really like it but i still cried quite a few times at my loss. it's like breaking up with a boyfriend that you know isn't right for you but you can't stop driving by his house for a looky lou. thomas is really tired of hearing my talk about my lack of mermaid hair. not everyone appreciates my grief. 

finally, the UGLY:

i got up early for my regular saturday run on my regular route.  i'm a big believer in running in familiar areas in case i need help. i was almost a mile into my run when i ran past my good friend's house. across the street from her house live 2 BIG golden retrievers. those dogs were both lounging in the yard as i was running by. then both of those dogs were running straight at me. then they were both jumping on me. then they were biting the really fatty(and probably perfectly delicious) part of my thigh! the owner came out and called to his dogs and i screamcried in my crazy person voice, "your dog bit me!" and i turned and ran back down the street. then i finished my six mile run because i am totally hardcore. i wanted it to be eight, but my leg was really hurting.

 

upon further examination when i got home i noticed it was actually 2 dog bites.

(all of the cellulite and varicose veins are also the result of the dog bites. my legs were perfectly smooth before the attack.)

this is from this morning. really, really ugly. and painful. 

i didn't want to make a huge deal out of it. i've been chased by dozens of dogs in my day and i've never actually encountered a vicious dog. plus, i happen to own a dog who likes to take a bite out of crime too(but only when provoked). i had to say something to the owners, because my kids play on that street on occasion and also to make sure i wasn't harboring rabies and thomas would have to have an old yeller moment with me. i don't know why when i need to to say something to someone when i am 100% not in the wrong, i still feel all weird about it like i'm needing to apologize. i drove by this afternoon and i saw the owner out walking the dogs. i introduced myself and she was so kind and apologetic which was a total relief. then i felt like the need to apologize too for the freak incident(why do i do that???). her dogs are all up to date on their shots so i get to live another day and this saturday, you better bet i am running up that road with confidence.

the best:

i have about 49 of these self-portraits on my phone. all exactly the same.

the end!