Famous in Bend, Oregon

Hey look! Bend bloggers, including Chubby Mommy, made it to the front page of the Bend Bulletin today. Slow news day, or are we really this cool?

Click here to read the article... I'll wait to continue 'til you get back.

I thought the reporter did a nice job of weaving real life and blog life into one story, and Shannon had some great quotes, too.

Plus I like Jake's shirt, and his attempt at humbleness with his quote: "I'm amazed that my blog is as popular as it is, as I really didn't start it to get popular..."

Uh huh. I'm totally with you on that one Jake.

And I'm hopping at least 300 people will buy a $3 used book from Duncan today. Maybe even Sally can afford to shop at Pegasus, if her aunt will give her a few days off to come back to "Marvelous Bend."

Spring Run Mantra

Here's my foot avoiding the last of the snow on Overturf Butte in NW Bend. I had to wear my old shoes since its still quite muddy out there and I didn't want to ruin my fabulous orange Asics for no good reason.

I'm so happy that Spring is popping out and the snow is finally melting. This will help my running career blossom, I think. Nice weather and working from home again make it easier to get outside.

Yesterday, I emailed a friend who runs with me sometimes to tell her I was going running and I'd be back in an hour. She couldn't join me, so she emailed back "You ain't gotta tell me in the future, but if you are trying to help me get my fat a** moving, thanks." We encourage each other, in our own special way.

I've got a new mantra for getting in shape: "Try, Not Cry!"

I'm hoping this will help me with my PMS angst, during those few days when I know I'll feel better if I get out, but just the thought of running those big hills makes me feel weepy. Of course, on those days, all thoughts make me weepy. I call those my "Cry Days." I can't watch most commercials or Little House on the Prarie re-runs on those days. It's just too hard on my family.

Maybe I'll put my "Try, Not Cry!" mantra on the back of the new Chubby Mommy Running Club t-shirts, as an encouraging statement to anyone who's watching me from behind as I chug up those hills.

Hmm...if they're watching my rear when I'm running up the hills, they'll definitely need something encouraging to focus on and read, for their own peace of mind. They might need some counseling or maybe some medication, too.

Maybe I should get a "Big Pharma" to sponsor my blog? They should run their PMS commercials during Little House on the Prarie. Do you think Ma needed a mantra?

Best Name Tag

Chubby Mommy Gets a Logo

There have been several requests for Chubby Mommy T-Shirts, so I asked my friend Dan to make a logo, and my friend Chris to put it on some shirts, and my friend Jen to put it up on my blog for me.

Thank goodness for friends.

So, watch carefully. One of these days, the logo will magically appear and the look and feel of Chubby Mommy will change. Ahem. I'm talking about the blog, of course.

And let me know if you want a shirt. I have no idea how much they'll cost yet, but I know they won't be free. Even friends have bills to pay.

I do know that Chubby Mommy Running Club T-Shirts will be this season's must have item for non- runners, real runners, pretend runners, mommies and daddies, and maybe even for MR. ANON.

Clever Tricks for Working Moms

My friend in France is going back to work after staying home with three kids for the past 8 years. She asked me from some practical mommy advice to help her through the transition, so here are my top ten clever tricks for working moms:

1. Just say no to mommy guilt and anxiety attacks. For me, exercise is actually an excuse to "run away, run away!" and it does help counteract work and family stress.
2. God invented cleaning ladies for a reason. If you don't have one, it's not your fault the house is a mess, it's the non-existent cleaning lady's fault.
3. You’re doing the best you can for your kids, and you might actually like doing grown up things away from them, and it is okay. God invented day care for a reason.
4. Your children are luckier than most, and it won’t harm them to watch t.v. or play video games in the evening so you can catch a break or take a hot bath.
5. Take long baths every night. The running water drowns out the kid’s and husband’s whining, and you can say “I can’t hear you, I'm taking a bath, you’ll have to wait until I’m done!” Sing while the water’s running. This improves your mood and makes it clear to everyone around you that you’re busy and can’t hear them.
6. You’re not crazy if you talk to yourself all the time. It’s actually quite normal, and helps you figure out how to deal with work stress before it eats you alive. Also, the dog actually enjoys listening to you talk to yourself, it makes her feel useful.
7. Cheezy paperbacks were written for a reason: “escape.” Spending a Saturday reading in the living room is a clever trick; the kids can jump around you and still feel like you’re with them, but your brain can take a break. You can smile and nod when forced to watch them jump off the back of the couch 100 times in a row, while you’re still thinking about the character in your book, who is doing something engaging, like getting ready to have sex or catching a thief. Don’t read “Important” or “Useful” books on Saturdays or this tactic won’t work. I recommend Janet Evonovich’s “Stephanie Plum” series, they are like little soap operas, and you can read them in a few hours. Stephanie’s an accidental bounty hunter from New Jersey. Enough said.
8. Despite what French women say, there is nothing wrong with cooking frozen pizza for dinner. It’s actually quite normal, and if your kids will eat it with green peppers or spinach on top, voila, veggies! Also, orange juice counts as a fruit, and the kids can drink it at dinner with their pizza so you can feel smug about giving them fruits and veggies at dinner.
9. Drink wine within a half an hour of walking in the house at night, and definitely while cooking dinner. You may even feel like playing a game with the kids after dinner, if you drink enough wine. Careful, though, if you drink too much, even the little ones will beat you at checkers, so pace yourself. Of course, you can tell yourself that the four year old is just above average to notice that triple jump, it does not have anything to do with her drunk mommy not paying attention. Also, if you drink too much, you’ll fall asleep, miss your bath, and your husband will get crabby because he knows he won't be getting any sex.
10. Try to have sex regularly, even if you’re tired, because you’re husband will be much less crabby, and so will you, actually. Also, and this is really important: God invented vibrators for a reason. Just don't use one in the bathtub.

Portola Valley - New Job

Sitting on the porch of a cute cottage in the hills, enjoying the views from here to San Francisco, listening to Erin and Mark on CNBC, wondering who can beat McCain.

We did go running up in the hills the other day, and my orange shoes seem to like it up here in winding roads surrounded by the green, green oak trees.

It's just so unfortunate that the houses cost $2 million each. Maybe Bend isn't so bad after all...

More later, as soon as my difficult work week allows.

Apple Pie, or Running?

The good news: I "drove" my run in the car to see how many miles I'm actually running. My round trip route is 3.0 miles! I'm so happy. I thought it was about 3 miles, but I wasn't sure.

The other good news: we found the best apple pie recipe online, and man, oh man, is it good.

The bad news: no time to run today or tomorrow, since husband is out of town and I'm going off to California for my new job on Sunday. Single mommyhood is harder than it looks. I'm so used to the man being at my beck and call, and basically here 24/7 to hang out with the kids whenever I want to go anywhere.

So, even though a 3 mile run would go a long way towards counter-acting the pie, I'll just have to let those calories sit and wait. They are good at that, they're used to it.

News: oh, right, I forgot to tell you, I'm no longer at Ruff Wear, I quit a couple weeks ago, and have already performed another "New Job!" dance. It was a quiet dance this time, in the kitchen, with my husband and the dog. The kids were at school, so I didn't have to embarrass them.

I'm going to try to post some pictures of the finished pie up here later. Don't hold your breath, since I'm learning all about my new camera, on my own, what with my tech helper taking the weekend off, and all.

Yum. Pie. I can smell it already! I invited two little old ladies over to help us eat it.