Life on the Runn...

As Sunday was Mom's birthday, it was the perfect time for some good, quality family time.  Dad and Mom have made a bit of a tradition of taking a trip to Door County for a weekend away over Mom's birthday; this year, Dad asked Brian, Brian, and me to join him.  When Mom walked into dinner Saturday evening, her kids were there waiting.  I think we did a pretty good job of surprising her.  Then, after dinner and despite the chilly temps, we got in a family round of mini golf.  To say it was entertaining would be an understatement.  And while poor weather - go away, rainy days - thwarted our plans for a hike Sunday, we did manage to make the most of our time before heading home.  We went for breakfast, took a drive to Peninsula State Park, and sat in front of the fire at Mom and Dad's.   In all, I'd say it was a lovely weekend, one fit for a wonderfully lovely mom, my mom!  Happy birthday, Mom!  The Bs and me  I found me a badger  Can you tell we&#

Brian and I made it to our first Brewers game in about two seasons this past weekend.  The invitation came from my mom, whose work was holding its annual gathering at Miller Park. There was no tailgating for us this game - it was practically snowing after all, and there were drinks and plenty of food waiting on the Dew Deck inside - but  the cold temps and blustery wind were no deterrent to our fun.  Our bank/family outing was a great one! Notice the family resemblance?  How about now?    Our Wisconsin sports team allegiance does not run as strong as some people we know (unless you're talking about the Badgers; then, let it be known that I am entirely obsessed with all things my alma mater), but both Brian and I do enjoy a good round of sports, so we had been looking forward to a good reason to check out the Brew Crew.  Plus we got to spend time with my parents and my mom's good friend Deb, who is part of my extended family; we got to chat about rock climbing thanks

 This Saturday was my first race since graduating my second round of PT, and while I am feeling better than before - though not totally recovered - a nagging injury and less than spring-like weather made me carefully consider my approach to this race.  It was my first 10k on home turf and my first 10k with Jenna, and I like to have goals and high expectations (hey, who doesn't love to set new PRs?), but Coach Brian reminded me that pushing too hard would mean re-injury, and that would be just about as pleasant as the weather was for the run.   Jenna and I always start our runs together (well, other than the half when we rule followers thought we couldn't), but we typically settle into our own paces/racing styles and greet each other again at the finish line.  This time, it seemed wise to have someone nearby, both to motivate and to call on in the event of a face plant into the pavement, which was, for the duration of the run, a real possibility.  It was slushy and slick; th