I've missed you all.

So...let's start with the obvious - it's been awhile. My deepest apologies to the 4 people who read this blogging masterpiece. While I have been delinquent - I do have a good reason - I'm back in the working world.

It must be said - working has really put a damper on my life of leisure. Everything I do now is just so much more rushed - no more mid-morning trips to the gym - no more pouring over cookbooks, picking out recipes then a nice stroll to Whole Foods for the ingredients. Alas.

Since it has been nearly four months - here is a quick recap of life in the Elastic Sandwich world -
1. we bought a new car (I have to commute for this new job) - her name is Maude and she is f-ing adorable. I have never named a car but Maude needed a proper title - she is a lady after all.

2. All my friends are having babies! I could not be more excited. One is hatched and the other 3 are coming early next year - all within 2 weeks of each other. Some moons must have been aligned 4 months ago when everyone got knocked up all at the same time.

3. I ran the San Francisco Half Marathon. If I had to sum up running a half marathon in one word - it would be LOOOOOOOOONG. Incredibly painful and it felt so damn good to do it. At the end - when I could hardly walk - I was ready to sign up for another one. Glutton for punishment I guess. Here's a photo - I'm the nerd with her arms in the air.

4. Took a few little trips - New York for work and friends. LA for a trade show. Eureka to visit the grandparents. Portland to visit the brother. Scottsdale for a bachelorette girls weekend. Upcoming...Washington DC (never been) for Labor Day and Tahoe the weekend after then back to New York for a week in October for wedding and work. Phew - lots of fantastic adventures this year.

It's my late mid-year resolution to get back in the swing of blogging and crafting and cooking. Expect to hear from me a little more often. Come back soon.

Cheers -
B.L.E.

rollin' rollin' rollin'

All this running lately has given me quite the tight ass. Unfortunately - I'm not giving myself compliments here - my ass is not yet modelesque high and tight. Instead my backside is just painfully sore and in need of a good massage - preferably the Thai or Swedish variety - no American style Sharper Image massage chair BS is gonna work on these knots.

Until I hit it big selling my strange birds and sock creature creations - I am going to have to find another solution to my backside problem that does not involve have a foreigner with hands of gold on my constant payroll.

Thus comes in the elegant blue foam roller. Six inches wide, 36 inches long, bright blue solid hard foam - simple, concise, ugly and somewhat unruly (stupid thing rolls around the whole apartment) but gets the job done. Just 5-10 minutes of sometimes painful rolling and stretching has made a huge difference - especially if I am well behaved and roll out my legs and butt right after my run and not later in the week when I am also trying to read the new US Weekly sideways. The bonus is that you can use the thing for tons of other exercises - including abs - since you are unbalanced on it you engage your core muscles more - very pilates.

So if you are having some stiffness in the leg and bottom area - get rollin' - it will change your life.

B.L.E.

run run and run some more

Goodness gracious - I really do not know what is coming over me. Just 2 weeks after finishing my freezing cold, rainy, windy miserable 12k I went ahead and did a 10k and - gasp - almost enjoyed it!

Almost everything was better with this run- the weather, my speed, the course and on and on. The day was absolutely fantastic - sunny but cool with just a touch of breeze. The course went over the Golden Gate bridge and back. I doubt there was any more beautiful place in the world to be running right then.

It was sad to do the race without Mean Wendy by my side this time. Luckily - I had a few other good friends running along with me (Britney, Beyonce, Katy, Fergie etc.) and no offense to Wendy but they are much better singers.

Oh by the way - at the end of the race I was burnt - that's right - just two hours in morning sun will now cause me to burn. I went ahead and bought a hat to run in from now on but at the rate I am going I will soon have to run in a full body sun suit and only at dusk.

If all goes well with my running over the next few weeks - I will be running a half marathon at the end of May - the race is in Alameda and called....drum roll please...I Run for Chocolate and Champagne! Seems so fitting because - let's be honest - I run to eat and drink. If they called it I Run for Nachos and Margaritas - I would have run it years ago.

Let's hope this running thing continues a little while longer because I am now officially signed up to do the Nike Women's Half Marathon in mid October!! There is a lottery every year to even race because it is so popular. It's the creme de la creme of all races - people come from all over the world to participate in this fancy pants race (Tiffany's necklaces at the finish line fancy).

Phew - good thing I don't have a job because I have a lot of miles to log over the next few months. Pesky things like jobs and kids get in the way important goals like champagne and Tiffany's necklaces. Ahem - I mean - personal goals like bettering myself through exercise and raising money for important race sponsored charities.

Cheers -

B.L.E.

I ran I ran as fast as I could

Fog? Check. Rain? Yup. Wind? Of course! Butt cold temps? Done. That's right - all the conditions for a perfect race day.

Luckily - despite the miserable conditions - I had one hell of a running partner in "mean" Wendy - my longtime trainer and now friend. Not only did she volunteer to run this race with me (and got up at the crack of dawn on a rainy Sunday) - she pushed my naturally lazy ass to do my best - even resorting to jokes and a little singing on the hills. In fact - when running up the big hill on the approach to the bridge - she was giving advice to other runners!!

This race was more than a 12k, more than those 7.4 soaking wet miles - this was a personal accomplishment - the first race I have competed in since being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and going on those months and months of steroids. It feels really good to know that I am back in control and able to push myself again.

I am glad I did it? Absolutely. Am I happy it is over? Abso-f*cking-lutely. Somehow I agreed to do a half marathon at the end of May. Must have been drunk. Stay tuned!

B.L.E.

run run as fast as you can...

In a confusing mix of wrong dates and delusional ambition I have convinced myself I can complete a 12k race a mere 3 weeks from now. Nevermind that I have not run more than 3 miles in over 2 years.

If all goes well - on Sunday March 15th - I will be running from Sausalito to Aquatic Park - across the Golden Gate Bridge en route to the finish line. There is no more beautiful city than Francisco and I will get to see it in all its foggy gorgeous early morning haze. Seriously - if I am going to do this torturous event I might as well have a nice view.

So far I am off to a good start - ran 5 miles yesterday and can still walk. My goal is to do three runs a week (each from 3-7 miles) with my usual spin class, yoga and Mean Wendy trainer session mixed in. I will be nothing if not sore and beaten down by the end of this.

Wish me luck.

B.L.E.

Want to join me? Sign up!! http://www.rhodyco.com/across12k.html It will be great fun - you even get a t-shirt and they give you candy at the end. Everybody likes candy.