So here's to my husband

I kiddingly call my husband my own "idiot savant." The man can't seem to remember to take out the garbage every Wednesday, but he can look into the sky and name any plane going by - the manufacturer, where it was built, the type of engines it uses, the airline that's flying it, other airlines that fly it, and a myriad of other details that make my head spin.
Perhaps what attracted me to him...after he got down off the ladder and I took my eyes off his cute 29-year old butt...was his ability to intelligently discuss practically anything the news services could put in front of us. My favorite day of the week is Sunday (as long as it's not a shooting day - then he's out the door, over/under in hand, before I get the first sip of java in!). We've got our coffee, a big old newspaper spread between the two of us, and great conversation.
I usually can keep up with him, but I have to say this time he's got me. He tore through a book called "Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland." He would read me passages from it. From how excited he was about it, it sounded like one fantastic book. OH MY GOD - IT'S BORING! It's like reading Genesis 36 or 2nd Numbers where they go on and on about tribes and who belongs to who. And this after reading Jodi Picoult's "The Tenth Circle." I'm trying, I really am. But I stare off into space and think about all the other books on the bookshelf calling to me - "Judi, come read me. I'm fun. I'm an easy read. I won't make you think!"
Hmmm...I believe my friend Melissa needs her "Any Place I Hang My Hat" book back, I'd better switch over to that book, so as to not inconvenience her by keeping it too long. :-)

No more "Oh, that's too bad."

That was what I said when I heard about someone who died. "Oh, that's too bad." I sent a sympathy card. Sometimes I went to calling hours or the funeral. Then my life moved on.
This past weekend, I heard the sister of one of my high school friends and college roommate, past away from cancer. My faithful words "Oh, that's too bad." never came into my head. Instead, I relived our last few weeks with Jimmy and then the time leading up to the funeral, and this past five months. My heart wept for what my friend will have to endure. It won't be exactly the same as me, but I'm willing to bet that it'll hurt just as much.
I'm sorry for her and her family in a way I never imagined possible.

The Spirit of the Marathon

My neighbor, and used-to-be running partner (before she became gainfully employed), talked me into going to The Spirit of the Marathon movie last night. It was really pretty good. Neither of us thought we'd survive 2 hours of watching other people prepare for and run the Chicago Marathon in 2005, but we did. It held our interest and semi-motivated us. I thought "Okay, I can do the Disney Marathon once I get over this foot problem." She thought "Okay, I guess I can start running again." ;-) Not sure I want to do a big city marathon like Chicago. I'm not a city-girl, nor do I care for crowds...so 40,000+ people all jammed into the lakefront roads of Chicago doesn't really sound appealing to me. But Disney just sounds like fun and that's what I'm looking for. One of the highlighted runners in the movie ran across the finish line in 6+ hours. Heck, I think I can do that! (Famous last words.)