Harry Potter Hype

When Harry Potter was first released I didn't understand what the big deal was. However since marrying a Harry Potter fan and sharing the stories with my girls I have developed a definite affection for Harry and entire Hogwart's gang. I enjoy curling up on the couch with my girls and a bowl of popcorn to watch the movies (we have all of the previously released installments). My girls love to play make believe and I have played every character from Hermione to Dobby. My fondness for Harry though seems to be of a slightly different vein than other adult fans.
I find it troubling that so many adults have gone to the trouble of over analyzing this great work of fiction. I saw a show on A&E where several academics discussed and debated the Harry Potter story. They analyzed character persona's and discussed Hogwart's happenings as if they were fact. And though I understand that all great literary works are subject to this type of dissection I couldn't help but think of how these so called experts had managed to suck the fun and dare I say "magic" out of J.K. Rowling's work. For as much as I love Harry and as much as I wish that Hogwart's was real so Chloe can realize her childhood ambition to learn witch craft and wizardry, the fact is that Harry Potter is a brilliant work of FICTION. Harry Potter is one of the world's finest representations of true unabated imagination, an ability that is in my opinion disappearing. Perhaps it's disappearing because of the human need to over analyze and pick everything apart. So I will leave analyzing the conclusion of the Harry Potter series to the eggheads, and I will enjoy it for what it is and always will be; a wonderful story, brilliantly told by someone who has never lost their childlike ability to dream.

An Open letter to my Nemesis

Dear Nemesis,

I know you and you know me. Everyday when I enter the gym we face off in a silent battle. Neither of us wishes to acknowledge the battle exists but I have had enough. It's time to call you out and set the record straight. It's time to let the world know exactly what you are all about.

You are out of shape and eat trans fat. When you come to the gym you walk for 20 minutes on the treadmill at a 2.0 mph pace. You slog along on the elliptical trainer at a pace so slow it looks as though you are crawling through the dessert on a journey toward hell. You are afraid to break a sweat and you are afraid to really work. Yet you sit there and wonder why you don't lose weight. And oh yeah, you hog EVERY fan in the entire cardio room.

You look at me with a wrinkled nose and a scornful lip. You see me as a "skinny bitch" and think I've never had to struggle with my weight or body image. You watch me push the envelope and think I'm just an empty headed bimbo. You think that you are justified in monopolizing all of the fresh circulating air in the gym because "it's so much harder for you to workout" than it is for me. Sometimes you offer me a mocking apologetic smile and inane comment as you steal the fan from under my feet. Sometimes you have the nerve to say something "like sorry hon but I need this more than you". To this I say HA. I need the fan and you know it. The fact is you take secret pleasure in my excessive perspiration and dehydration. You love the fact that I am so overheated and think to yourself "that will teach you for working out so hard". Well my dear Nemesis I have news for you. Despite your attempts to turn me into a shriveled raisin, I will prevail. I'm not afraid of a little hard work or a little sweat. And even though you don't deserve it the next time I see you panting away as you walk slower than my baby crawls I will share a fan with you, because I'm not a gigantic fan hogging bitch. So to sum up the next time you steal my fan I hope you slip on my dripping pool of sweat.

I love the lake

We are lucky enough to have close family friends with a cabin at Christina Lake. We are even luckier that they are hospitable enough to host us for a couple days each summer. And even though it is not our place, I look forward to my time out there each year.

It was a little crowded with all the kids running around but that was a small price to pay to be surrounded by utterly beautiful landscape. I was able to enjoy a run to the marina, a night of visiting with friends over a bottle of wine on the dock, swimming in the bath tub warm water, and delicious meals out on the deck. I slept like a log each night and have returned home feeling totally rejuvenated.

Getting a cabin of our own is a dream of mine and Brads'. Until we can afford it, I'm grateful for the generosity of my friends and those stolen moments of peace on the shore of Christina Lake.

The healthiest cart contest.

Okay so I confess when it comes to standing in line at the grocery store, I'm a little nosey. I have developed a consistent habit of peeking at my line mates grocery order and seeing how they stack up on the nutritional scale. Here are some of the things I've noticed.

1. People who purchase large quantities of white bread and whole milk almost always have diet coke as part of their order (like its going to make a difference after all that fat and refined carbohydrate).

2. Young girls in their early to mid twenties are experiencing their first taste of a slowed metabolism. They try to compensate for their studentesque diets by purchasing the "low fat" version of cookies & chips. Perhaps they'd have better luck if they ate some fresh food instead.

3. Families that have carts heavily laden with items from the snack aisle tend to have chubby children.

Though it might not be any of my business, I think the items that wind up in your grocery cart speak volumes about the kind of lifestyle you lead. That's why I think as part of a healthy living campaign, a grocery chain should sponsor a healthiest cart contest. Points could be awarded to all foods in the store inventory based on how healthy each item is. Customers that accumulate the most points could receive a discount on their total grocery order and save some money. I think that this would be a fun way to motivate people to make healthier choices at the grocery store and to keep nosey Noras like me from having too much to gawk at.

The girl outside my window

Every evening at about the same time a girl runs by our kitchen window on the coulees. Without fail she is there hot, cold, wind or rain. She is a dedicated athlete. And even though I do not know this girl and we have never spoken, she is a kindred spirit. In her form, her consistency and speed you can see she loves to run. This is my connection to her and although it may sound cheesy we speak volumes as she passes by.

Jenn Davis is a crazy gym addict

This post is to quell any rumors and to put your mind at ease. It is to answer the question I am most frequently asked by friends and well wishers when I talk about my day to day activities. That question is "how do you do it?" This is the question that is asked of me when people discover that in addition to being a wife, mother of three small girls, college teacher and university student, that I am a dedicated runner and fitness enthusiast. I am always surprised and a little embarrassed by the fact that people are impressed and dare I say amazed that I work out so regularly. So here is the best explanation for why I do what I do....

1. I love the runners high. No I did not fall down and hit my head on the pavement but the endorphin boost I get during and following a good workout is rivaled only by an extremely satisfying orgasm.

2. I love the camraderie. Finding out you share the bond of running or training with someone is the equivalent to what women experience when they become mothers. You are indoctrinated into some kind of sacred fold where tales of bonking and scars from road rash are badges of honor. I have made friends for life with this common thread and when I go to a social function we runners huddle in a corner and talk of our exploits our victories and losses. It's a great way to meet people and it's a great way to strengthen friendships. I'm sure Heidi will concur that some of our best talks have been while we've been out pounding the pavement in our Asics.

3. It is time for ME ME ME!! Some days my run or trip to the gym is the only time I get that is TOTALLY mine. I adore my daughters and I know they adore me but this adoration comes with a price. Most of the time I live in the world where I pee with an audience, eat with someone sitting on my lap and converse in Ellinese (the official language of Elle). That one or two precicous hours when it's just me and the trail and the sound of breath and foot falls is like a sanctuary. I can think, I can dream, I can relax. These moments are GOLDEN and they make it easier for me to keep up with the rest of my life.

So in a nutshell that is why I do it. That is why I love it.