थे टेक्सास Christmas

christmas morning
0545 - santa fills and lays out the stockings
0800 - wake up, rejoice that I actually half slept the past 2 hrs
0930 - cinnamon rolls come out of the oven all gooey and are devoured as the whole family arrives
1100 - time to pump up for the 1.5 hr run scheduled for Sat. am...christmas or not the training must go on
1130ish - Trilly and I shiver our way onto the raised trail that circles the park. the wind is blowing head on, after about 1 minute my exposed arms and legs are red and cold. After 5 minutes I consider turning back right then because this training thing is just for fun after all. 10 minutes brings numbness to the arms and legs, only the hands are needing constant fisting to protect the exposed tips on the three fingers with holes worn in the gloves. 15 minutes and I'm telling myself I am almost half way there...to the point i will turn around anyway. I've decided by this point 40 min out and back is okay. pretty soon my mind starts flashing back to past runs in the biting cold where your snot rockets feel like ice as they are swept away by the raging wind. I wonder why I do this, dressed in shorts and t-shirt, running when even my dog looks back at me with imploring eyes. Maybe I just imagined the dog looking at me and smirking b/c she is obviously warm under that fir coat. I consider for one second growing out my leg hair for warmth, then recant as I recall the hairy legs I touched at work the other day and think it really wouldn't be that much better.
i remember running on ice and tip-toing in spots to keep on my feet, that was for a team, to train and be a part of something bigger than myself...why am I doing this again?
I see girls from over the years, women I spend hours trotting alongside in inclimate weather who I'm bonded with for life even though I don't see any of them on a daily basis anymore. I wonder how she is, what's new in her life, how many have kids, how many are still running....did she ever do her ironman?
We move down to the side paved part, hoping to escape the head wind...didn't work.
35 min, okay let's turn around, after all last week I didn't run that far, don't want to over do it.
Ahhhh...so much better, my front side is feeling warm without the arctic blast blowing on me. I think i'm super fast now too! I love running, look, Trilly is cruising along side me, wearing down, she was jumping the ditch earlier back and forth, back and forth for no other reason than she loves to test the speed, jump the great divide, take life one leap at a time. Chase the birds down the hill only to run back up. You know how they say dogs and their owners resemble one another? I think it is totally true, or at least i want to be as cool as my dog. I mean she got greeted by everyone in the house upon returning today and we people accompanying her got a second thought shout out.
She has it all, cute factor, cuddly, cheery, athletic, obedient (mostly), fun and energetic...yep, yep we are similar ;)
0100 - back to the hizzy - suprise! homemade buckeye ice cream! what a great Christmas gift.
0200 - dinner time death balls! Midwest has landed down south
0300 - finally we get to open presents, good thing no one wanted a nap first this year
0500 - games followed by nap! yes!
0700 - more games, snacks, laughing
0900 - friends stop by for more holiday fellowship, gifts, laughing, sharing
1100 - slumber party begins, falling asleep to movie or chatting, not sure, not that it matters I am utterly content after a wonderful Christmas!