OK, Erieites! The weekend has arrived!
It's time to peel off the polar fleece
and get out there and enjoy the summer.
Maybe do some exploring and see what there is to see.
Here is selfie I took on Tuesday evening. At the time of the photo, the temp was 66. Later in the week the nighttime temperature dropped to 54, and the daytime temperatures hovered nearly 20 degrees below normal. The uncharacteristic chill in the air was due to what the weatherman calls The Polar Invasion.
The July skies could easily be mistaken for October.
Here are the fans at Ellen's softball game,
covered in stadium blankets and zipped to the neck in polar fleece.
I found this windbreaker in the back of the van for Natalie.
I think she looks a lot like me in this photo.
Taking advantage of the cooler temperatures,
this week Eloise did some exploring of her home turf--
Harborcreek, PA
(two words for the school district, compound word for the town).
and the city of Erie.
But before I get to that, here are some of my favorite things of the week:
First, this commercial for Girl Soap for Girl Parts.
This commercial made me laugh out loud.
The gladiator helmet was my favorite part.
Check it out on the link below:
If you are a fan of kids and photography like Eloise,
check out www.boredpanda.com
Thanks, Melissa for thinking of me.
Amazing shots that (almost) make me want to be a world traveler.
Here is the link to 30 Magical Photos of Children Around the World:
Here's a Mom Favorite for you:
Sam's little league season ended with a tournament between the four teams in Boys Instructional. Last weekend, over the course of two days of double headers, each team had the opportunity to play each other. At the finish of Day #1, each team won one and lost one. A mother's dream--all of our sons knew what it felt like to win and also to lose.
Sam's team made it to the championship game
in which he had to play against a bunch of his friends and classmates,
most of his old team from last year.
Having no brother growing up, boys befuddle me.
I'm learning lots from Sam and I have found that,
it doesn't matter as much to boys as it does to girls.
Sam kept his head together and ignored the jeers from the opposing team,
and dodged a few bullets.
The weekend had a great ending, and everyone is looking forward to
Sandlot style pick up games through the fall.
With little league on its way out, it has
freed up some time for my favorite of all workouts.
The Tuesday group tried to attack me upon my return.
The Thursday group was a bit more cooperative about seeing me back.
Erie's own Roar on the Shore is going on this weekend.
(photo credit, Ellen Louise!)
My Challenge Erie 5 group had our own version of Roar on the Shore last weekend
for the finale group event--a beach challenge.
My friend from Philly, Angie made a guest appearance.
She got to witness how I single handedly lead my team to victory
in the Water Bucket Challenge.
(photo credit Erin R)
More on the Challenge Erie 5 wrap up in a couple of weeks.
Final assessments are being determined now.
I'll let you know who wins the $500 top prize.
I hope it's me!
Eloise and family hit the libraries this week.
My brain is yearning to learn.
Here are my top picks:
This was my favorite.
It's over ten years old though.
I've contacted the author to see if he plans to do an update.
I told him I want in on the next one.
This one is very clever and proves that you can do a lot of creative work with an iPhone camera.
I am totally into this one.
Does anyone have scuba gear for loan?
I am needed.
I chose this one out of extreme personal interest.
I'm weak in the War of 1812.
It's shameful because Erie was a key city in this war.
My city pays tribute to this man,
Oliver Hazard Perry.
I am so interested in him that I'm developing a teaching unit of study devoted to him for the fall.
As with any historical character, they have to be sold to students.
To make him more interesting to the younger bunch,
I've renamed him #OHP.
Prepare yourselves for more information over the next several months.
Special note to my Little Nerds.
Don't go storming the libraries for these books. I have them for a week.
Cool your jets and utilize the internet until they are returned,
then fight amongst yourselves for them.
Nothing pisses a nerd off more than keeping a library book beyond its due date.
Eloise's biggest adventure was prompted by this fitness article posted on the Team Adrenaline facebook page. It made the most sense out of anything I've read to date. I posted the link for you below.
The article concluded this way:
The upshot is simple, said Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab: If you think of your physical activity as fun, you're less likely to feel the need to reward yourself than if you see your workout as a chore.
"Do whatever you can to make your workout fun. Play music, watch a video or simply be grateful that you're working out instead of working in the office," he said.
That is exactly how Eloise attacks fitness.
The Fun Factor must be present in order for me to participate.
Once every season I get the itch to run Forrest Gump Style,
and an itch I did have this week for sure!
If you are unfamiliar with the movie,
click here for the Long Run scene
(and climb out from underneath the rock you've been living under).
After being with my family for weeks on end, and traveling to many unfamiliar destinations, I yearned for some time in my own places and spaces. I had been wanting to head out to the peninsula with my camera to capture wildlife. I also wanted to take some time to learn more about this special place by taking the time to read all of the historical signs and markers.
On Monday, I did just that. I woke up at 5:00 am feeling rested and adventurous. I packed my bag, left my family a note, and headed out.
Armed and loaded with several Zombies Run missions, my camera, phone, a park map, Benedryl, Swiss Army knife, Kleenex, 2 waters, and a pack of honey stinger chewies, I set out on my journey to traverse the peninsula on foot.
It was 6:01 am when I started out.
I had no idea of my route, nor how long I planned to be out there.
The park is crawling with rangers, so I promised myself if I got too tired
I'd flag one down for a ride back to my van, parked at Sara's.
I went wherever my two feet and my good conscience took me.
I caught the sun rising over the bay, which was a promising start to my journey.
Instead of sticking to the main 13 mile path, I ventured off of it,
exploring every nook and cranny of the place.
I read and took photos of every historical marker,
and learned so much in the process.
I stumbled into the path of some amazing wildlife.
These suckers hiss if you get close to them!
There are some really neat markers out there, too!
I peed in every single restroom and drank from every water fountain
(there are LOTS of them!).
And when I got tired, I sat down to rest for a minute.
Interesting story with this one:
When I plopped down on Kenny's Bench on the bay side to tie my shoe,
I spied an envelope. Thinking I had stumbled upon one of those hidden money envelopes,
I let out a really loud whoop--
but alas, it was empty.
The cool part though, is that I knew the person to whom the envelope was addressed!
AND the address was in New York City!!!
Small world.
My favorite part of the journey reaching the Perry Monument.
I stopped for a whole five minutes there to read all of the interesting information
about #OHP, the Battle of Lake Erie, and Misery Bay.
Several tourists were doing the same thing, and we got to chatting.
"You sure do live in a neat city!" exclaimed one Delaware native.
"I know!" I replied.
When I got to the Lagoons, my camera battery was about dead,
and I didn't bring my back up.
I don't have photos from the lake side.
I'll get those next time.
I had so much fun, I'm going again for sure.
When I was on my way out to the Coast Guard Station, I noticed I was getting into phone trouble. My battery was quickly depleting with two games playing, Zombies Run and The Walk. I also made several phone calls to the hubby to let him know I was alive. I learned that my phone lasts about 5 hours this way.
So, on the latter part of my journey, I had to haul butt a bit to get back to my van before my battery died. I was afraid my Zombies Run missions wouldn't log in and my base would be in jeopardy.
I don't run for pace, for time, or for pre-determined distances and probably never will. It's not my style, and it would suck the fun out of what I do. But if you like those things, good for you! There are certainly lots of options out there for you to track your distance and time. They just aren't for Eloise.
For me, my only log is Zombie's Run. I am about two-thirds through Season 2 and should finish this summer. Season 3 is already out and I'm looking forward to the story continuation this fall. Here was my run log for Monday morning. Consider this your Summer Math Homework for today.
How far did Eloise venture?
(Add up the missions marked TODAY).
If you math scholars calculated over 19 miles, you are correct!
I'll put a sticker on your paper next time I see you.
I saved enough juice in my camera battery to take one last snapshot.
Here I am on Beach 1, legs immersed in water to cool them down.
It was 10:01.
The journey took me 4 hours to complete.
19 miles.
4 hours.
157 photos.
4 Zombies Run! missions
2 full The Walk journeys with 20 story segments unlocked.
9 turkeys
1 deer
countless historical markers
lost count of the bathrooms and water fountains
2 tired, arthritic feet
After a call to my hubby, I headed directly to Dr. Krauza's office to see if he had any appointments open that day. I loped into his office barefoot, sweaty, slimy, and covered in sand. Fortunately, I slid into an open space and with a quick snap, crackle, and pop, I was back in alignment. I think of a post run adjustment just like a wheel realignment on a vehicle. You have to straighten the steering out or you'll cause big damage over time.
A few days prior, I prepared for the run I had in mind with an adjustment from my other chiropractor, Dr. Scott Prichard. I knew my body was in good shape, yet I knew 19 miles did create a fair amount of stress on it. I am always concerned about my feet.
So, how did you feel afterwards, Eloise?
I heard your curiosity through the screen.
I felt GREAT!
My feet did not hurt at all. My quads were very sore on the second day, but I was able to attend a workout with little to no trouble on Tuesday. I rested Wednesday and went for another run again on Thursday morning and felt completely normal.
I am prone to chafing, and blistered skin can sideline me quicker than sore feet any day. I've tried Glide, but for some reason, I haven't had a lot of success with it. I switched things up and tried this product and had no chafing whatsoever! Give it a try.
\
I didn't come out of the 19 miles completely unscathed, though.
I have a little problem....
well, a spreading problem, actually.
And I got in trouble for it from my mother.
Did you ever hear those stories about people peeing in the woods and contracting a rash?
Well, if you didn't before, now you have.
Eloise has a bit of a rash on her @$$.
It kind of looks like this.
This is a Google image, not a selfie!
During the last leg of my jaunt, I was between bathrooms and had to make an emergency pit stop in one of the trails. It seems that distance legs don't take too well to squatting, and I fell over under the fatigue and my own weight. A small patch of bumps soon became a large patch. As of this morning they have spread to the other cheek and are now creeping down my leg. Had they been moving upward and inward, I would have sought treatment days ago.
Still wary of doctors, I've tried to self remedy the best I can. This morning, I had to call in the big guns--
Grandma! The rash is on a place in my body only a mother can see. After a firm talking to about the uncleanliness of outdoor potty stops, she gave me some ointment. I'm going to give that a try.
Heck, maybe I'll give this a whirl, too.
I'll tell Louie to start crafting his gladiator helmet now.
Warning to the locals: Be wary if you think I am holding a secret grudge against you. I'd think twice about letting me use your bathroom. You may find a little residue on the seat, and we can begin to bond again by sharing my discomfort.
Hopefully you found this post educational, humorous, and a little inspirational. That is always my aim here at The Lamp Post. I'll end with the words from my newest hero, #OHP:
I couldn't resist the chance to Eloise this photo.
If you have been dreaming of doing something big,
from running a long distance to saving up some extra cash for a much needed vacation--
YOU CAN DO IT!
The biggest obstacle you have to achieving a dream is YOURSELF.
You are your own worst enemy, so the saying goes.
Fortunately, you also have the potential to be your own Biggest Cheerleader.
Go, YOU!
Enjoy the photo story from the week, appropriately set to Eric Church's Give Me Back My Hometown.
Explore Your World,
Eloise
