The RLBT Looms

After two incredible weeks of vacation at my favorite place on this earth, we are back home, and the dreaded countdown to the Ridiculously Long Business Trip (RLBT) has begun. We are talking next week, people.

There is much I want to say and share, and boy have I got some pictures stored up that I need to slap on up here, but my computer time must be limited due to this craziness called vestibular neuritis. It started 5 days ago, and it is making me a little cuckoo. I will describe it at length when time and focus permit, but until then just cut out the Gutsy and call me the Dizzy Mom.

Dizzy, dizzy all the time. We are talking permanent (but slowly fading) vertigo. So as we approach the RLBT I am completely un-myself, I can barely think straight, I cannot drive, and I can accomplish almost nothing.

LOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxo Dizz

Mmm...Bier!

We went to our first fest last weekend right here in our little hometown. Jillsie drank Apfelschorle from a glass bottle and was delighted when Papa let her play with his stein. We all enjoyed the excuse to eat bratwurstsemmeln and schoko-crepes, not to mention, of course, the hefeweizen. Mmmmm.....bier!

Gadget Girl

At some point, beginning roughly 8 years ago, I started to transform from an Artsy Fartsy Gutsy Woman to a complete and utter Gadget Geeky Gutsy Mom. What happened? I met my future husband, that's what happened. I have totally absorbed his gadget geekiness, and I say that with deep, deep love for him. So here is my latest acquisition, my Garmin Forerunner 205, which was a birthday present from my husband. I LOVE THIS THING!!! Since I do a lot of running in the woods and on trails where I cannot drive the car to measure the route, I have come to rely on this wonderful GPS to tell me how far I've gone. Two other cool things it does (among the myriad things it can do) are (1) it automatically laps at whatever distance you want it to; I've chosen every mile and (2) it automatically calculates your pace--it shows you your current pace, tells you what your pace was for the mile you just ran, and, at the end of the workout, tells you your average pace for the workout along with the fastest pace you ran. It's exhilerating to see that at some point during my runs I am running less than a 9 minute mile. Current average is usually around 12:15 for the overall workout.

So I thought I better check in with myself before going on vacation. Here's the nitty gritty:

Weight: 155 (5 to go to reach pre-pregnancy weight)
Runs completed: 69
Miles covered: 173
Longest run: 3.94 miles
Fastest pace: 11:53 min/mile

Pounds to go til Goal #1: 5
Pounds to go to ultimate Goal #2: 25

Current plans: to train up for a fictional 10K race, beginning August 27, for 8 weeks. If that goes well, I'll train up for a real or fictional Half Mary, beginning November 5, for 12 weeks.

THOSE LAST 5 POUNDS WILL BE HISTORY SOON. THEY CAN HANGOUT DURING VACA, SURE, BUT THEN THEY ARE OUTTA HERE.

'Kay, folks, that's it for now. I leave you with a few yummy pictures of my running partner:

Beautiful Land

I couldn't believe the pink to purple to blue in my favorite flowers, here, outside the Four Seasons in Prague. Jillson, H is for Hydrangea.


B is for the Best Damn Margarita I've had since moving to Europe. A halleluja moment for the Gutsy Mom. Did I mention they also had guacamole? Jillsie loved it, too. We ate here three nights in a row.


R is for Red Sox. YEEHAW!!!!!!!!!!!!


F is for Family. (Check out Miss Loungey with her feet kicked up!)

"Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life." -- Albert Einstein

I was lucky to stumble upon this quotation today after my run, and it made me grin from ear to ear. As my daughter approaches her first birthday, and as we three approach the start of my husband's Ridiculously Long Business Trip (RLBT), I really find I am rejoicing with my family in every little thing we do together, whenever, wherever I can. Those two creatures make my heart overflow with love; life truly is a beautiful land.

This land is also populated by a rare and wonderful species: good friends. See Covie and Matt, above, with the yummy crazy drinks, pictured at our favorite restaurant in Prague, called Cantina. How cool is it to have become a person who can have a favorite restaurant in Prague? Friends like Covie and Matt, who are really more family than friends, also make this land beautiful. Know what they did? They came all the way over here on their vacation, after I hadn't seen them for over a year, and we all traipsed off to Prague together, and they were AMAZING with the Jilly Bean. She just loved her Aunt Covie and Uncle Matt. And what a treat it was for me and my hubby to have two extra sets of hands around for the pass off!

We love you and we miss you, Aunt Covie and Uncle Matt!

A special shout out now to the Gutsy Dad. As he prepares for his RLBT, he's been working really long hours. We were sad but understanding when we learned that he couldn't join us in Prague. (The plan had been for us to go ahead midweek and he would join us on the weekend.) Weren't we surprised to wake up that Saturday morning in Prague to have Papa knocking on our hotel door! (Actually to say we woke up to the Gutsy Dad is not accurate. He arrived while I was in the shower and Jills was still asleep in her travel crib. It's a bit disturbing to me that whilst I was showering he came into the room, woke Jillsie, changed her diaper, put her back into her crib, and exited the room, knowing that if I stepped out of the shower and found him standing there I probably would've passed out from shock. It was shocking enough to have someone knock on your door when you are just in your towel and only have one contact lens in...)

Anyway, bottom line, points for you, Gutsy Dad!