Dear Postpartum Body

Dear Postpartum Body,
Please work out your differences with my prepartum body. Put your running shoes on. I'll see you on the street!
Love,
Stinky Pete

PS: I spent a small fortune on new running shoes and inserts. Let this be your motivation.

News

Well it's been an exciting (and not always in a good way) start to school. I'm a little overwhelmed with everything that's going on but hope to reach the light at the end of the tunnel (or quarter) some time soon.

One of my favorite bloggers wrote a touching piece about leaving his job as a teacher...it is both inspiring and disheartening. I wish there was something I could do to keep good teachers from being swallowed by the system that is public education. Check out this post.

On a totally unrelated note, I'm taking a new fitness class. It's hilarious. They could make a Saturday Night Live skit about it. I won't go into details until I'm done taking the class because then I would be making fun of myself.

Some things

There's been a lot of hobbling around, whining, and a general procrastination of all things productive here at the Pete household. You won't believe what you can't do with a broken toe (think logicially, grade papers, pay bills...the list goes on I tell you). I think the toe is healing rather nicely. The jury is still out on the nail. It's now a dark shade of black (think OPI's Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ or Midnight in Mosco...good thing dark colors are in).

Other than that, it's been pretty quiet. I'm going to post soon about all the "green" information I've been collecting lately. Mr. Pete and I are in the market for a composter and energy efficient washer and dryer. We also purchased a share of a co-op farm. More about that later.

Since we haven't had any snow days (that's what winter's for), I find myself daydreaming of spring time. I can't wait to get out in our garden and tear things up.

That's all for now.

I am some super awesome runner

I'm always correcting students when they make disparaging comments about each other or about themselves. They're not allowed to give disclaimers when they offer comments or questions to the class; they can't say, "I know this is a stupid question but...." I've noticed lately that my own self-talk is really unhealthy. On my way home from work today, I was beating myself up for all the mistakes I made today and then I started beating myself up for beating myself up. Once I got to the gym, I did a little weight training and then headed up to the treadmill. It's been a while since I have put miles on the treadmill and my legs were cold and tired at the start. After just about 27:32 on the treadmill, a woman approached me.

Annoyed woman at the gym: Sorry to bother you. How much longer are you going to be on that treadmill?

note: this is the treadmill closest to the fan

Me: um, let's see like 23 minutes and some change

Annoyed woman at the gym: Oh (looking at the mileage and time I'd completed on the screen), you're some super awesome runner, huh?

Me: (thinking)

Me: I'm trying to run 5 miles today

Me to myself: yeah, I am some super awesome runner

I know I mentioned that my students could teach me some things about peace and all, but I never thought that I'd learn some things in the process of teaching them things....