Upcoming Fall Plans (Friday Five Edition)

With my summer not being very interesting, I thought I'd try to highlight things that I want to do this fall.  That way I won't let the season get away from me without a little bit of excitement.


1. I have one real race this fall.  I really don't count the Bubble Run that I did last week as that is more of a fun run then a race.  I have joined a few other ladies and we will be doing the Baltimore Marathon Relay.  It's only 3 weeks away and with my lack of training, I hope I get the shortest distance. :)

2. I really need to get a massage or two or 50.  At least once a month my back tenses up so bad I have to spend a lot of time on my lacrosse ball.  I'm always saying how much easier it would be if I just scheduled regular massages.  I'm not sure if I like the idea of the big box places where you sign up for a membership.  I just don't know how reliable the masseuses will be.  But then if you find a nice independent one, they are only open during the week, during week hours.  So I go back and forth on what I want to do and then just don't do anything.  I need to get off my but and schedule one once a month.

3. I really want to try to keep biking over the winter.  I'm not talking like every weekend or anything like that, but it would be nice to keep riding even when it's a little on the chilly side.  I do have to say that more then anything I HATE the cold, so this will be a challenge.  I did buy a long pair of biking pants and a couple biking underwear.  Now don't laugh too hard at this.  They are basically very short biking shorts that make it easier to wear under normal (non-padded) pants.  This way I'm spending less money and able to use the tights and pants that I use for running.

4. I really want to try and get my house organized again.  I know this doesn't sound like fun, but it will really make me feel a lot better.  When I was out of work earlier this year, I really got some good cleaning done.  I didn't 100% finish everything and those rooms I did finish are starting to look a bit cluttered again.  I'd like to just pick something small in a room each weekend and get that done.  I'm hoping by the time winter comes around, I won't feel like I'm starting to lose control of the mess.  I just want to try and get ahead of it, just a little.

5. Fix up some things outside my house.  Again, it doesn't sound very fun, but it will make me feel much better.  I need to do things like weed and cut back growth from this summer.  I need to power wash one side of my house, which has green stuff all over it.  I need to power wash and stain my front porch.  I'd like to find someone to move the tree/bush things in front of my house to the back.  I feel like it's a security issue not being able to see my front door, but I don't want to cut them down.  Or maybe I can find someone who can trim it better then me to make them a lot smaller.  I'm not sure how much I'll get done, but we will have some nice weekends coming up in the next month or two.

This is from 2 years ago, those are at least a foot taller

I'd like to also try to spend more time with my kitties.  My old lady is 18 years old this month.  All she wants to do is to lay in my lap.  But that means I will just have to sit on my couch some extra. :)

Do you get massages from those subscription places?  Do you like them?  What races do you have coming up?  What fun fall plans do you have?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Planting a Tree

I have been wanting to plant a tree for about a month now.  I don't know where that idea came from, but as I recall, it started out small and got bigger till I really knew I wanted to.  Last week, I called my mom to see if she could help.  I really don't have any type of green thumb, in fact, I don't really know anything about plants.  But my mom on the other hand has a green thumb and loves to come over to my sunny yard and plant all the sunny type plants that she can't in her shady yard.

On Friday, I stopped by a local nursery to see what they had.  I talked to one of the employees and told her that I wanted some sort of fruit or flower tree that won't get too big.  I have enough tall and big pine and oak trees as it is in the back of my lot.  She showed me two types of fig trees.  She said something about other fruit trees needing cross pollination or something like that and said that a fig tree would be the best with my conditions.  So we picked out the best looking little baby tree.  And the best of that is, it fit in my car.  I was so afraid I was gonna have to maneuver it on its side or come back with a borrowed truck.

The Fig Tree that was purchased.

Sunday came.  Hottest day of the year so far in the upper 80's.  My parents came over with shovels and extra mulch.  I didn't buy enough soil, so my mom went to the hardware store for extra (and picked me up a basil bush since I'm cooking a lot more).  While she was at the store, my dad and I dug up the hole.  It was worse soil then I thought.  Lots of clay and rocks, not good for my baby tree.

The Fig tree in its new home, almost.

When my mom got back we sent my dad into the house to "watch" TV (when I say "watch", I mean he sat on the couch and fell asleep as he always does when the TV is on, but won't admit to his catnaps).  My mom and I rounded out the whole, put in the tree, and filled it up with soil.  I watered it till it drowned and then we covered it with mulch.  While I watered, my mom planted the basil in one of my pots.

My new Fig Tree!!

Just wanted to throw in a picture of my beautiful blooming azaleas.