Good news in Michigan today!

I got up early today and handed in my "hardcore" card.

I've actually been holding on to my hardcore runner status for a few years without really qualifying. I used to be hardcore. Winter of 2005-2006 I ran outside in cold and ice, and then summer of 2006 I could be found running outside, even on 100-degree, 100% humidity days. I was that girl! (Actually, I was just nuts and overtraining myself like a moron, which is how I ended up with a foot injury that still plagues me!)

Now? Not so much.

I just haven't been able to bring myself to run outside the past couple mornings, thanks to the snow, gusts and sub-zero wind chills. I don't know... maybe I never was quite hardcore (insane?) enough to run in winter weather that was quite this bad. Hard to say. I do know that I'm not that crazy now, though.

Plus, I'm not ready to ruin my shiny new running shoes by wearing them out in the slush, and I can't afford a different pair just for outside, and I'm not about to wear my old broken down ones and ruin my feet even more!

So, I've been on the treadmill instead. SO BORING!

Like at 5:30 this morning when I was plodding along like a hamster on a wheel, watching three different news shows on the TVs in front of me and listening to my iPod. Talk about sensory overload too early in the morning! But that's when I saw a GREAT news story.

Here in Michigan, they are FINALLY banning smoking in ALL bars and restaurants! YES! The only exception is the gaming floor areas of the casinos. That's OK. I'm not a big fan of going to the casino anyway. Whenever we go I might throw a couple dollars into the nickel machines but then I head to the bar and read until everyone else is ready to go. I'm that dorky. And cheap.

So, come next summer we might actually get to go enjoy the super-yummy Calvelli burgers AT Calvelli's! Currently, we just get them take-out because the burgers are really good but the restaurant is WAY too smoky. I can't even handle being the one that goes in to pick them up. I will have a burning nose for the rest of the day if I so much as walk into that place.

Of course, there are a lot of smokers who are unhappy about this, but I have a hard time believing that they are surprised by this bill. I think it's been a long time coming. Smoking, in my opinion, is kind of like drunken driving... it's endangering other people too, not just yourself.

Now if they would just ban smoking RIGHT OUTSIDE OF STORES! Pretty much every time I walk into our local Wal-Mart, I have to hold my breath. It's gross.

Anyway, that was the good news of the day!

Not much else going on today. I would like to get some gifts wrapped. I did inventory for the boys' presents this morning and was happy to see that I haven't really gone too overboard. Each boy's gifts fit into one medium-sized box. Logan's pile is kind of an expensive one because Santa is bringing him a Wii and a couple games for it, but that's also a gift for all of us to use. Now I am hoping Santa Hubby doesn't go too crazy... Sometimes he does. He loves to go out shopping and get stuff for the kids that I don't even get to know about until Christmas morning. It's actually pretty sweet that he does that. He's a really good Daddy.

So, TGIF and all that good stuff. Hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Stay warm!