I am a Statistic!

We are all statistics in some way. Gender, Race, Occupation, etc.

Well, I have been down and out these last two days with what they believe is the Flu.

My Strep and Flu tests were negative, but they think they caught it really early and they will treat it as if it is the Flu.

I had the Flu 10, 12, 15 years ago, and this isn't quite the same, but oh, well. Meds, liquids, and rest--that's all I've been doing for nearly 48 hours.

So much for using hand sanitizer every time I turn around, using my sweater sleeve or paper towels to open doors, holding my breath around sick people, and not using phones after others. I took precautions, but I guess they weren't enough.

My husband has been amazing.  At night, when my fever is super high, he wakes me to drink to cool down.

Anyone out there feeling sick--I am so sorry! I feel your pain!

Hot Chocolate 5K

This is my 6th year, I think, to participate in the Hot Chocolate 5K (Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K/5K).

When I began participating in this race, I walked it.  Most years, I simply walked it. I am not a runner.  However, this year, I jogged most of the first mile, part of the second mile, and the last 500 meters.

I set a new personal record!

Before the race

Waiting in my Corral

It is somewhere between 35 and 39 degrees. The wind chill is much colder.

Heading toward the starting line

Afterward

My sweet man found a little office with chairs to hang out in while I raced and then took me there to rest and warm up.

An official pic from the race

I need to figure out how to look glamorous while running. Ha ha!

Pictures Taken for the Community Challenge

Here are some random pictures of me from the It's Time Texas Community Challenge. 

walking during cafeteria duty

chicken, rice, and green beans

banana, chocolate chip, peanut butter blender muffins made into bread

trying a new yogurt

actively monitoring during testing

chicken, rice, and peas

salad for dinner with my sweet man

banana, chocolate chip, peanut butter blender muffins made into bread

trying another new yogurt

actively monitoring during testing

chicken, rice, green beans, and peas

trying a CarbMaster yogurt for a snack on a late dinner kind of night

more homemade peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins (made in a bundt pan)

Books!

Over on Facebook, a friend asked for book recommendations. I put off answering b/c I knew it would take some time as I created my list. I get so excited when I talk about books.

My BFF, Jill Culmo, whose list and Blog I shared with you on January 1st, is much better put together.  Here is a list of books I have enjoyed or read lately.

The Never List by Koethi Zan

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Any book by Gillian Flynn

Any book by Liane Moriarty

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

The Last Mile by David Baldacci

You can also check me out on Goodreads!  I keep track of what I have read and what I plan to read on there.

My problem with creating a list is that as soon as I think I am finished, I think of something else to add.

Girl Scouts--Adult Awards

These last 2-3 years, I have been the ARS for our Service Unit.  I am responsible for getting out the info about nominating adult volunteers for awards. I also have access to training records and the nominations to make sure everything is in line for the adults to actually received the awards.

What I have found is that most Girl Scout volunteers do not like to nominate themselves and most girls/families won't nominate their volunteers.

I just simply keep communicating. I send out emails to volunteers/leaders. Our communication person sends out info to our families. I post info on our social media site.

I nominate everyone I think of to get the ball rolling.

I was just sitting here thinking. I can see all the nominations that come through for our SU. Very few, if any, are done by girls and parents. Why not? The amount of time and energy leaders put into Girl Scouting warrants these awards.  Why are the girls and parents not nominating their leaders/volunteers?

Anyone else out there have this problem? Found a solution? I would love to hear your ideas!

Valentine's Day Ideas

So, I am a newlywed, and I want to do something or get something special for my sweet man. I have been searching through some sites based on a 1-800-FLOWERS email I received. Saw some cute ideas, but I was wondering what you all might suggest for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.

Hashimoto's and My Thyroid

My labwork finally came back, and my dr called to say she wanted me to come in to chat about the results. I was a bit nervous at first thinking something might be seriously wrong, but she didn't sound overly concerned, so I calmed down.

Apparently, my brain is not registering much, if any, Thyroid activity or hormone creation/activity. This really surprised me. We discussed changing my meds to something that should work better, decided on a milligrammage to start with, and discussed what to expect. I cannot start with the full mg b/c it will be like I'm on Speed or something, so we will start a little lower and work our way up.

In the past, I have been able to tell, or so I thought, that my THyroid has been off, but I haven't felt that way lately. That is why this surprised me.  However, it does explain a few other concerns surrounding hormones.

I am looking forward to working with this dr and getting answers.

Anyone out there have any ideas or suggestions for those with Hashimoto's?