In continuing with the theme of questions we didn't think we'd have to answer for a long time, if ever, The Boy came up with this one last night, as we ate dinner in a casual restaurant and the hubby and I each had one beer.

First it was, "Dad, does that beer taste good?" This one was easy. "Yes, but probably not to you. Plus, you have to be 21 years old to try it, anyway."

But then, "Dad, did you… Read More

I did it: I finished the Ironman triathlon in Penticton, British Columbia on Sunday.

I wrote last week about how it was going to symbolize something important: that I can push through adversity and accomplish something big. That life is full of possibility. That the fat girl I used to be had huge potential inside her.

And you know what? It does mean all that. But in watching all the hundreds, possibly thousands of volunteers out there helping to make my… Read More

On Sunday of this week, I will toe the line with 3,000 athletes and begin the Ironman triathlon.

An Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. All in one day, all back-to-back.

Once upon a time, when I looked more like this photo, I saw race numbers from 5Ks and sprint-distance triathlons on a co-worker's wall. I remember thinking, "Wow. I wish I could do that."

And I remember being a teenager living down the street from a… Read More

Today was the Seattle Danskin Women's Triathlon, and the kids and the hubby participated right alongside me. Except rather than take the hour and 20 minutes or so that I take to do a sprint-distance triathlon, we spent five hours at the race - working it as water-station volunteers.

I love the Danskin race. It was my first triathlon three years ago and I love all that it stands for: the empowerment of women of all ages, sizes and abilities to get… Read More

The Boy came home from camp this week with this proclamation: "Mom, there's a kid at camp, and he says he's going to smoke cigarettes when he grows up."

Inside, I'm thinking, Really? REALLY? Is it time to have this kind of conversation? After all, The Boy is only 7. But I have to answer regardless, so I start out casual. "Oh really? What did you say to him when he said that?"

"Well, I asked him why, and he said because… Read More

It's that time of year again! It's time for me to buckle down and start enforcing the rules, go back to a disciplined, scheduled life and forget the long days of 16 or 17 hours of light. Yup, it's back to school time.

This year, I'm going to go into it with some resolutions. Hopefully they'll stick better than the ones I made in January!

Resolution #1: I resolve to do a better job helping The Boy with his homework. This means

… Read More