Facebook Friends-- Top 10 List

Ok...here is a total departure, but it's something that keeps making me laugh some, so I thought I'd write about it. This post is somewhat in the vein of the "Stuff Christians Like" blog by Jon Acuff, which I am a regular reader of...but, hey...it's fun, so why not?! So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 types of Facebook Friends I have...maybe you have some like this too??

1. The Food Picture Poster: We all have that friend (heck, sometimes we ARE that friend) who posts endless pictures of their food. Sometimes its stuff they have cooked, so they can brag on how great of a cook they are, and sometimes its beautiful restarant food, so we can feel totally jealous we aren't eating there too. They will post pictures of a big roast chicken, browned to perfection...or maybe some ribs on a bbq pit, or a big hunk of chocolate cake. Sometimes its a pretty dessert with strawberries on it. These friends often also post check-ins at restarants and frequently have statuses about meals as well.

2. The old-picture person. I have a few friends that have pictures up on their facebook profiles that are at least 20 years old....and nothing recent at all. I guess this is supposed to make me feel bad for how badly I have aged, when they still look 20 years younger. Sometimes they will fess up to it being old when someone is like "Wow, you haven't aged a bit!" and sometimes they won't, but yea...its just funny.

3. The vague status poster: You know the one who likes to make you wonder what is going on, good or bad in their world. They are the statuses like "Sometimes, I just feel like I could..." or better yet just "I am______".....like, fill in your own blank and guess how they are. This can also be used for exciting times. Like a countdown for something that no one else knows about. Or prayers for something exciting to happen, but not actually saying what it is. Yea, I see a lot of those.

4. The person who posts mostly those cutesy little pictures and sayings: We all have a few of those. We steal their pictures too, because they are so darn cute and funny. Sometimes because they are thought-provoking and sentimental...naaah, nevermind...I would only steal the funny stuff!

5. The person you keep around as a friend just because they are a little bit of a freakshow! You know them, but really you probably wouldn't want to hang out, but its sorta fun to see neuroses on parade. Cmon, you all know we have those friends!

6. The person you really don't even like, but you keep them as a fb friend so you can just not like everything they post....Please don't tell me I am the only one this shallow! I do have a couple of folks on there that are simply for that reason. I am so wrong for this, I know..but sometimes it just makes you feel better...ok--even wronger.

7. That person you forgot was there because they only creep and never post, and then...you hear from your mom that your great aunt Bessie found out that you were at Wal-Mart at 11 pm because you posted it on facebook and why were you out so late...you know how it works!

8. The person from high school that was so cool, and you feel cool-by-association now that you are grown ups and friends too! I was never a cool kid...but facebook sometimes makes me feel like one now, since it is a place where I can actually hang out with the cool kids! Growing up can be a great thing!

9. The people you vaguely remember who they are but not really but since you have tons of mutual friends you accept because they are legit. Yep, that says it all. I have several of those. I mean, I think I remember who you are, but not really, and I am certain we never talked, but yea, I will be your friend.

10. The people you wish you'd have gotten to know now that you see how amazing they are through a window like facebook. I must admit, I have several friends like this from my past. People I knew who were nice people and all, but I never knew what a strength of character they have or realized how much I would admire them for the beautiful person they are inside, by God's grace....Facebook gives us a little window sometimes into a person's brain and their heart. We can see what someone's thoughts are, and you realize what a great person they are through that window. Those are really fun..the kind that make me want to seek that person out and hang out with them now.

Birthday Bike Ride!

I just realized I never did post about my birthday bike ride! We went to Liberty Hill, which is very near to my hometown, and I had signed up for the 44-mile version of the Spokes and Spurs Ride, which benefits a beautiful ranch up there, Spirit Reins Ranch, where they do equine therapy with children. Beautiful, beautiful area and a near perfect day for a bike ride! We had also gotten Craig his road bike not too long before, so he took it and he and the boys rode in the 6-mile family ride, while GG went and had an amazing girl-day with my mom. Anyhow....My kids did amazing. They were super proud after their 6 miles, and did a great job! My 44 mile for my 40th bday was super fun...but tough! First of all, I saw a friend from high school that I have kept up with on Facebook, but haven't seen since high school, over 20 years ago. He is all into running and triathloning and such and in great shape, so 40-year-old me was sort of embarrassed to show my fat self, but I was friendly and it was good to see an old friend. The day started out a little overcast and cool, but felt great. The first couple of miles weren't too bad, and then we hit some hills, which to locals up there who are used to riding them aren't so bad--but for someone who mostly rides in the flat swamp, it was tough! I was kicking in my Granny Gear within the first 5 miles on some of the hills, and was thinking to myself "Good Grief, how I am I gonna do THIS??" And sometimes I would kind of have to stop and tell myself it wasn't a race...not that I am fast...but I would feel like I had to hammer out and keep a certain pace, and really, I didn't need to. So, once I kept remembering it was for fun and just relaxed, it got a little easier and more fun. Well...for awhile! Just before the first rest stop at around 13ish miles or so, we came around a corner, and were looking pretty much straight up a wall of a hill with a sign at the bottom that said "Get ready to climb"...holy cow! They weren't lyin! I had to dig in and give it all I had to keep moving and almost fell before I was able to unclip and I had to walk up it the rest of the way. I always feel like a weenie when I have to walk, but this was killer! There was one other hill I had to get off and walk up later on, but I was able to ride to the tops of the rest of them. By the time we hit 30ish miles or so, it was getting out and out hot outside, and somewhere around 35, my phone started to lose charge, so I had to quit using my Cyclemeter, because my power button on my phone is broken--I am afraid if it turns off I will never get it to turn on again! so, the last 9 miles or so was kinda tough not knowing exactly where I was mileage-wise (oh, how spoiled we get!) but it was fun! I hit 40 miles and thought to myself that I could technically quit there if I wanted to, since it was for my 40th bday...but I kept on going and made it the whole 44, and it was awesome! I didn't feel great after that (headache, etc) but got over it later that night and had a great bday dinner with my mom and dad. My mom had made an amazing chocolate cake for me with chocolate cool-whip stuff inside it and I indulged freely since I had ridden so far. Gosh, it was good! The next morning I got to sit beside the San Gabriel River where we were staying and just sorta think and be thankful for the 40 years I have been given. I want so badly to get healthy so that I can have many more birthdays...not because I want some long glorious life, but because I want to see my kids grow up and know my grandkids, and I often pray that I might get to meet my great-grandkids. Kind of a bold prayer for a woman who didn't have kids until her 30s, but I pray it anyway. My God is big enough....and He is big enough to help me get smaller....Here's to an amazing 40 years! Thank You, Lord!

And...again!

Hey there, me myself and I! Well, here I am again...recommitting myself to getting this crazy weight off. How many times is this in the last year now? The last 10 years? I took some really nasty "before" pictures of myself (you know, iphone in the mirror pics) and they will never see the light of day unless I get to a point of having some "after" pictures. They are a great motivation though, because I sure am disgusting. I really have had it with this weight battle. I have tried to reel in the eating and have done pretty well for about a week now. I have successfully kicked the Diet DP habit, having only had 3 or 4 cokes in about 2-1/2 weeks. I went 2 weeks without, and then Craig got some free diet cokes at the kids' school festival to bring home, and so I did drink a couple of those the past few days, but overall, I have that part kicked. I am trying desperately to get back into running. I still think cycling is my favorite--there is still nothing quite as fun to me as sailing through some miles on my bike. But, I have seen a common thread among many I know and just those I have read about who have lost big--running, more often than not, plays a central role in the weight loss process. I have done it before, have done well at it before, so I believe I can again. Just takes a lot of discipline. I am trying to have some grace with myself and get back to it slowly, but consistently. The kids and I have been going out on walk/runs, which seem to work pretty well most of the time. Well, most of the time. Today was a bit of an exception. My boys were sticking really, really close to me, one of them in particular, and I could hardly move on the sidewalk. When he wasn't beside me (like, right beside me) he was trying to hang on my back or hold my hand. And let me tell you...there is no way--no stinkin way--this momma is EVER gonna turn down one of my kids who want to hold my hand. It may be sweaty and really tough to walk much less run, but I know there will be a day when they don't want to hold my hand, so I will never turn it down now. I love that they are wanting to be close, and I love getting to hang out with them. I just think between my allergies, lack of sleep, benadryl hangover, and just general pissy mood I was in that today's run was sorta rough. I fussed at them more than I should have, and I really want to work on not doing that so much. Anyhow, we are trying to get a routine of the walk/run stuff in the evenings before we eat dinner after school and then going longer on the weekends when we have more time. Time is the biggest problem for us right now. We only have about 2 hours between school pickup and my work leaving time, which cramps the time quite a big, especially when you add in cooking supper, sitting down to eat together, and kitchen cleanup, no matter how limited. But, we are trying! I am also trying to kick the sugar habit, and get my portions down. Haven't been terribly successful at either yet, but I have made small steps in the right direction, so I am hoping my small steps will add up to some results at some point! So there it is!