Weekend Highlights

• Finished watching Up, complete with homemade popcorn. Loved it so much I watched it a second time later in the weekend.
• Painted the basement: one dark green accent wall, "latte" for the rest.
• Started cleaning up the yard: raked up the sawdust and sticks from the wood Mitch cut this fall, pulled out the cinder blocks that previously held a hot tub and flattened out the hot tub pad
• Went biking with Jon and one of his coworkers, Ned. The wind was wicked on the way back, but other than that it was great to get out.
• Laughed our butts off with Dave and Dwayne at Mitch's parents' church! The dinner theater was lots of fun, even if we didn't get nearly enough hot fudge on our sundaes.
• Experienced an exceptionally powerful message at church. One of our worship leaders had many in tears with her performance of Nichole Nordeman's Why, and Pastor Tony delivered a powerful sermon on the crucifixion titled, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
• Cleaned up the house and did some laundry
• Hosted our small group. We laughed a lot and had some good discussions on pride and selfishness. And they all loved little Macie!

And speaking of Macie, here's a cute photo my father-in-law took of her. She looks so sweet!



We're most certainly looking forward to having a short week and celebrating Easter with our families. And the fact that we're going to have beautiful weather just makes it better! Spring, I think you may be coming!

Personal Record

When I ran track and field in high school and college, I was all about the personal record. Each race was a chance for me to set a new PR, each practice a chance for me perfect the technique I'd need to reach my goals. And since we had two meets a week plus weekend invitationals - at least in high school - I had plenty of opportunities to be better, faster and stronger.

Mountain biking, however, only gives me fewer than ten chances per year to go out, race and potentially set a PR. And because every course is different, and a single course can change from year to year, I sometimes miss being able to set new PRs and quantifiably measure performance improvement.

But now I have a new benchmark. Yesterday, I rode home from work and blew any previous road ride PRs out of the park. I wanted to have an average speed of 15 mph or greater (previous best was 14.5 mph), and I wanted to keep my cadence in the eighties. Modest goals for anyone who is a serious cyclist, I know, but I'm kind of new to this whole road riding thing, since I just got my road bike in January. Anyway, the ride was awesome! It was a shade under 23 miles with a crosswind most of the way. I averaged 17.3 mph, did pretty well with my cadence (my computer doesn't measure the average) and finished in an hour and nineteen minutes. I should disclose that these mid-Michigan roads are pretty darn flat, and I would have been much slower if there had been hills to tackle. But I'll take what I can get!

So now, in part to satisfy my need for new PRs and in part because it's an easy way to get a good ride during the week, I plan to ride home more often. Maybe, after a few weeks, my coworkers will even stop shaking their heads when they see me in cycling attire at the end of the day. :)

Recap

This has been a lovely week for us! Well, until the snow started flying today, that is.

Mitch's Birthday: We celebrated Mitch's 28th birthday on Tuesday with a road ride in the sunshine, rainbow trout for dinner and Dairy Queen ice cream cake for dessert. He also opened presents, of course: a new pair of mountain biking gloves and a set of carbon fiber handlebars for his road bike. Combined with the carbon seat post my parents got him (to replace the one he broke earlier this winter), his bike looks pretty sweet - just in time for outdoor riding to truly begin!

Macie: She's such a sweet puppy, and pretty smart, too! Housebreaking remains our most challenging task, but she has figured out that she should pee on her papers instead of her towel if she has to go while she's stuck in her crate (though as she develops the ability to "hold it," those instances become fewer). She is also good at telling us - by running to the door and whining - that she has to go out when we're home. At just 10 weeks, she knows the "sit" command, especially when we're playing fetch with her toys. And, stubbornly, she keeps trying to make friends with Chip, who has just recently started venturing out of the bedroom and becoming a presence again. There has been some hissing, some barking, a swipe or two...but I think, eventually, they'll find balance and boundaries.

Work: Oh-so-stressful right now. I think I've mentioned that we're implementing a new, campus-wide administrative software program, which will fundamentally change many of the ways we operate. It's a huge task, and I do not envy those who are most responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly. I do have a pretty big role, however, and almost every week for the last month and a half has involved all-day training or consulting sessions, multiple meetings and lots of work. Admissions "goes live" in May, and some significant Web enhancements follow in August, so perhaps by then I'll have a little time to breathe. But I still have tons of other projects, like managing my territory (ultimately the most important) and working on next year's publications. And it seems like, when I'm not in meetings, I can't leave my office without someone wanting something. I don't mean to whine or sound ungrateful, because I'm blessed to have a job that challenges me in an environment with great people who support me...but I sure am glad when the weekend - or even the end of each work day - rolls around.

Training: It should come as no surprise, given the puppy and the work schedule, that I'm not as dedicated to my training as I should be. I didn't make it down to the Rec at all last week; though I've had a pretty good track record overall, and am even running a mile before I do my strength workouts. To any hardcore runners, that would be pretty weak, but I don't like running at all so I consider that an accomplishment! With the nice weather, I have gotten out on a few road rides, but I'm really looking forward to being able to ride home from work a day or two a week once the weather turns for good.

Church: We are still loving our church. Our new teaching pastor is wonderful, and he's breathed some good life into the congregation. Today we participated in something called 3rd Serve, where the third Saturday of every month offers some type of service opportunity. We made and delivered food baskets for Easter, which was a nice way to show God's love to those in our community.

Family: My Papa (grandfather, not dad) is having some health problems right now. He hasn't been truly healthy for a long time, but now his bladder cancer is back and he has to have some pretty aggressive treatment (once they can get another condition under control). I'd be thankful for any prayers you can offer up for him, and for Gramma as she cares for him.

Well, I think that's it for the moment! While Macie snoozes and Mitch works on his car, I should get working on some chores. Yay, scrubbing the bathrooms...

I'm a Growing Puppy!

It's me again, Macie. Wow, I've been home for over two weeks now and I can't believe all the neat things I get to do! I know how to sit (even though I don't always listen) and Mom tells me I'm a good puppy if I come when she calls (which I try to do, but sometimes I get distracted). I don't have many accidents in the house any more, but I still can't hold it all day or all night.

But speaking of night, I'm letting Mom and Dad sleep again. I thought I had them trained to get up with me when I was noisy, but one night they just stopped. I kept trying, but it didn't work. I'm pretty good about not making a racket now, though every once in awhile I give it a shot, just in case. But I have learned that if I run to the door (because they don't just keep me in the kitchen anymore), they'll let me outside so I can do my business. That's a lot nicer than being interrupted when I squat on the carpet!

And I can climb the stairs on the deck now! When I was just a little puppy, I fell down them and have been a bit scared ever since. But Mom and Dad showed me I can be a big girl, and now I scoot right up them without any trouble.

Mom says I get to go to the vet tomorrow and get some shots. That doesn't sound fun, but she's promised to take me to the park later in the week. I don't know what "the park" is, but she makes it sound really fun.

Self Control

I've decided to start deleting stupid emails that insult my intelligence. They do not warrant a response, and I would struggle mightily to write back without being a jerk. But sometimes, especially when I'm overtired from a puppy who whined and yipped all night long, I want to leap across the hall and yell: "I KNOW HOW TO DO MY JOB!"

Whew. Good morning. From this point on, it will be a good day.

Hi, I'm Macie!

Hi, I'm Macie! I just came home on Friday and I'm so happy! At first I was a little tentative in my new space, but after just a few days it was the best! I get my own little bed for when Mom and Dad aren't home or sleeping, but when they're here I get to run around the whole kitchen!



My favorite thing to do is cuddle. If you sit on the floor with me, I'll crawl on your lap and burrow in. Chances are, I'll fall asleep.





I also love to play! My favorite toy is Squirrel, because he squeaks and I can chase him all over the place. I spent a lot of time playing outside with sticks today, and that was fun, too. I think when it gets warmer, playing in the yard will be lots of fun. For now, though, I'll take the kitchen. My paws get cold when we stay out too long!

Sometimes I cry at night because I want Mom and Dad to pay attention to me, and sometimes I make messes in my crate or pee on the floor. But I'm learning really fast because I'm very smart. And I'm very cute, so that means Mom and Dad don't get mad at me. They know I'm trying to please them.

I know there's another animal in the house 'cause I can smell him. They call him Chip, but he hasn't come out to see me yet. Maybe he is shy. I hope we can be friends, because I want us all to be a happy little family!

The End is in Sight!

Just two more assignments stand between me and freedom:

• A leadership analysis about Alma's upcoming presidential transition. The completed draft is out to my team for editing, and I'll submit the final version tomorrow morning.
• A post-campaign summary on a Google AdWords campaign for UM-Flint's BBA program. I'll finish the draft, minus the final numbers, this morning and send it to my team for editing. They'll return it by tomorrow morning, I'll plug the final numbers and graphs in (the campaign goes through today) and then I'll turn it in.

Like most things, the grad school experience has both flown by and dragged on. It doesn't seem so long ago that I enrolled in my first course, but at the same time, I can hardly imagine life without being tethered to a computer even when I get home from work. One thing is for sure, though: I'm very excited to celebrate this accomplishment and, for all I have complained about it, I'm glad I put in the time, effort and money to earn my MBA.

So today's goals are to finish the assignments by lunchtime; catch up on some housework, get a few more things ready for the puppy; and pick up Macie, our sweet little lab! We've done quite a bit of "puppy prep" already, and I've been told by the breeder that the most important thing is simply lots of love and attention right now. I can guarantee she'll have plenty of that!

New Puppy!

We have a house. With a yard. By Saturday morning I'll be done with my MBA. Obviously, we need to tackle another big life event and apparently, we don't know how to take things slow. We just started seriously looking for puppies on Sunday evening, and yesterday we put a deposit on this little girl:



She's a purebred chocolate lab with a sweet personality. We don't have a name yet, but we'll have one by the time I pick her up on Friday afternoon. Isn't she adorable?!?!?

My New Road Bike's First Ride

You know your priorities are screwed up when you by a new bike in January, and it takes you over a month to take a photo and show her to the world. Well, better late than never. Here she is: my Trek 1.5 WSD!





I've been getting a few trainer rides in here and there, but no bike is content to sit inside and be pedaled without going anywhere. So Mitch and I took advantage of the warmish weather (he may have had to coax me out of the house) to go for a short road ride this afternoon.



I was surprisingly warm! With my ridiculous pink hat under my helmet, new cold weather gloves, Mitch's old booties and a windbreaker, I was downright toasty on a few uphills. Mitch, on the other hand, froze his fingers because, riding at my leisurely pace, he wasn't working hard at all.

Now I hear they're calling for some more serious snow this week. We have one more skiing weekend planned, so I'm OK now that I've gotten a little biking fix. But after we hit the Highlands with my family next month, bring on spring!

Eight More Days!

Here are just a few things I'm looking forward to once my MBA is done:

• Not spending all evening on the computer, especially after having spent all day in front of a screen.
• Working on the house - most of the walls are still bare, we haven't chosen a color for the basement yet, and my library is not the cozy haven it was intended to be.
• Getting more involved in our church.
• Training and riding. I'm especially excited to ride my bike home from work when the weather warms up...something I intended to do last year but could rarely spare the time.
• Keeping the house clean. I don't even want to think about the dusting I've neglected.
• Writing for me again. I have some projects I'd like to attempt, and maybe this blog won't be so dull once I have more time.

There are lots more, but I have to (you guessed it) study if I want to take my very last exam on Saturday!

Yes, more government services, please!

This week, I discovered that the government has misplaced two separate payments: interest due to the IRS because we made a mistake on our taxes two years ago, and the substantial student loan interest payment I made last summer.

So yes, I'd feel very, very comfortable with government run health care. In case you were curious.

In other news, just eleven days, two papers and one exam until I'm done with my MBA!

Progress, Progress

I finished my final journal entry and discussion board post last night, despite not getting home until almost 7 pm. Mitch works some long hours, which means I work some long hours since we drive in together. Despite still having lots to do, we made time for that sauna: I had a long, hectic day at work and I'm trying to fight off another budding cold. Steam and sweat...that's the treatment for stress and sickness!

Today is study day during lunch, and Mitch will probably work a bit late again. My goal is to make some solid headway on my self-improvement plan and ride the trainer this evening. Though my muscles are in a constant state of semi-sore thanks to the increasing intensity of our lunchtime workouts (which now include about a mile of running - a huge feat for me!), I've severely neglected my bike. In March, perhaps, my road bike and I can make a solemn vow to spend more time together.

What's Between Me and an MBA?

• Seventeen days
• One journal entry
• One discussion board post
• One exam
• One 8-10 page paper on leadership at Alma College
• One leadership self-improvement plan
• One quiz
• One Google AdWords campaign for UM-Flint's BBA program, and the accompanying summaries

I'm taking two days off work this month so I can crank through all this work, and then I'm DONE! It's been a long road, but I'm almost there...

Music from Another Time

I bet Grandma Eccles never thought her only granddaughter would someday sit in an office and listen to her old vocal recordings to melt the stress away. Yet here I am, sandwiched between an impossible workload and looming deadlines, knowing that each precious second means I fall farther and father behind. At this moment, a break for song and scripture seems perfectly appropriate.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Dad likes to point out...

...that, at 28, I'm almost thirty. I like to point out that he is old enough to have a daughter who's almost thirty. I think I win.

Wait, of course I win. Because it's my birthday! It's been wonderful so far: Mitch sang "Happy Birthday" to me first thing in the morning, sent me beautiful flowers at work, let me eat a piece of birthday cake before dinner, grilled melt-in-your-mouth venison tenderloin steaks, and got me a light for my bike. Now he's downstairs setting my NEW ROAD BIKE up with a computer so I can do some spinning and start getting comfortable with her. (Note: The bike was not a birthday present. I've been saving my pennies, though I didn't anticipate making the purchase so soon. But these things happen...)

Training Motivation

Last week was a really good training week: I went to all three strength training sessions, did (a very painful) half of the CTS criterium DVD on Tuesday and did an easy half hour spin on Thursday. I also shoveled our entire driveway - does that count as cross training? :)

Everyone motivates themselves in different ways. I need some sort of competition to keep me enthusiastic, which is one reason I love mountain bike racing: I can do something I really enjoy, but it also speaks to my competitive spirit and helps me push myself. One of my main problems, though, is that in all my athletic experience, I've never trained for anything that required endurance. Cheerleading (no joke, one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I've done) was a bunch of isometrics, a healthy set of lungs and a perky smile. Skiing was a technique thing, though our coach seemed to love making us hike the hill. In track and field, I was a sprinter and a long jumper, and the training for all my events focused on drilling technique into me. This mountain biking thing, on the other hand, seems like it's all about being fit and having endurance. And yes, a certain amount of technical ability, but I think we're safe to say I'm used to developing technique and can handle it easier than endurance training.

I've hit on three training maxims for myself to help me, mentally, as I continue training. The first is that I'm training so I can learn to suffer better, for longer. This is never going to be easy. This is never going to be automatic, like learning the hang style for long jump. This is always going to hurt, because I'll always be pushing to be faster or go longer. My goal, then, is to get better at suffering on the bike.

Second, I can't cheat myself. If I'm not working hard - if I'm not suffering - I'm cheating myself out of a good workout. I won't accomplish my goals by cheating. And third, I always have to keep fighting for it. Not cheating myself requires that I fight for that last interval, for that unattainable cadence, for that final set of lunges, squats, push-ups, whatever.

I'll probably fight this mental battle throughout the entire training season, and then through the race season as I seek to maintain fitness between events. But maybe, just maybe, there's a secret weapon in the basement to help. Maybe she's shiny and blue, with skinny road tires...

Brag Time

I fought off a cold. That never happens, but I put my mind and body to the task, and it worked!

Laurie's Recipe for Fighting the Common Cold

-Airborne, three times a day. Mmm, fizzy Gatorade!
-Lots of water. If you don't get annoyed with how often you have to pee, drink more.
-A bit of physical exercise. I found an easy 30-minute spin on the trainer to be perfect...as long as it's combined with excessive hydration.
-Time in the sauna. Clear those pores, release those toxins, soothe the chest and sinuses, elevate that temperature...just be sure to hydrate! (And yes, friends, you can come use our sauna. Because who realistically has access to one of those on demand? Oh, you do! Because we have one in our basement!)
-Periodic rest time. Take half an hour and relax every so often, especially if painting bathrooms is really starting to tire you out. (Can you tell what I was doing when my most recent cold started coming on?)

I am proud to say that, for once in my life, I was actually able to defeat a cold before it hit me full force. Yeah, I still had a night or two of minor congestion, but that is worlds better than the usual weeks of misery. If I can go all winter without a monster cold, then I'll really have reason to brag!

Happy New Year!

I feel like I'm required to post an entry that kind of wraps up last year and looks ahead to 2010. Well, here are some of the most memorable things that happened in 2009:

*We took an awesome ski trip to Searchmont with our friends (and we're already scheduled for an encore later this month)
*I visited a friend in Colorado, where we skied both Vail and Beaver Creek.
*We joined the On 2 Wheels race team and had a great mountain biking season.
*God especially blessed us during Mitch's period of unemployment: he was able to work for my brother over the summer, which provided him with a dark tan and plenty of time for miles on the trail.
*We spent a week mountain biking in Northern Michigan and had all sorts of adventures.
*Thanks to Mitch's new job with ETX, Inc. in Alma, we bought our first house! Blessings in disguise, folks: we never would have considered the location while he was working in Mason.

We can never plan for everything the future holds, but I do have some definite things to look forward to in 2010:

*I'll finish my MBA in March and officially graduate in May.
*Thanks to our first-time home buyer tax credit (!), our basement should get a bit of a face lift.
*We're in for another race season with On 2 Wheels and have already started training: Mitch hopes for strong performances at the expert level and I'd like to improve my times in the sport category.
*We'd like to take a few summer vacations this year, like a week of biking in the U.P. and at least a weekend at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. Oh, and a fall trip to the New River Gorge!
*It's time to start rock climbing again (in preparation for the aforementioned trip to the New)!
*I want to get more involved with our wonderful church and the MMBA. After all, I'll need something to keep me busy once my grad work is done!

To top this off, I'd like to say that I'm not really a resolution person. I don't need to wait for an arbitrary point in time to make positive changes in myself; however, a sermon about finding peace (the last one of 2009, in fact) really made me think hard about how I handle challenging situations. I would like to seek peace more in 2010 by praying more and spending more time building my relationship with God.

So here's to 2009, with all its joys and struggles. And here's to 2010, with the promise of peace.

Christmas is coming so fast!

I'm trying to slow down. Really, I am. In the grand scheme of things, I'm doing OK on time: granted, some people won't get their Christmas cards until after Christmas and a couple of gifts still need to be wrapped. Other than that, everything is done. I'm usually way ahead on everything, though, so I feel like I'm scrambling.

Still, this is my favorite time of year. We've had some wonderful Christmas celebrations already, with more to come:

Work Parties: Mitch's employer hosted a very nice dinner at the Elk's Club in Alma. It's a brand new facility, and we had the *best* prime rib. The Admissions party was a good time, as always. We do the white elephant exchange: hot presents this year included a sexy firefighter calendar, the infamous "half-shirt" (a polo that looks, from a distance, like you're only wearing half a shirt) and some awesome 'eighties workout videos.

DeYoung Christmas: Little kids + presents = FUN! Watching my nephews open their gifts was fantastic. It was also great to go to church with the whole family (the pastor called us all out when she asked who was traveling for the holidays) and eat *all* the tasty food. And I had my first experience with "A Christmas Story." Mitch and his brother laughed hard at the "triple dog dare" scene, while Mariah and I just kind of looked at each other. I guess it has to be a part of your childhood!

"Our" Christmas: Mitch has always worked up through Christmas Eve, so we've basically rushed around trying to get to my parents' house in time for our usual traditions. This year, though, we both finish up today and we're not leaving for my folks' 'til tomorrow afternoon. So we get to have our very own "Christmas" this year! We're having a nice dinner together and watching Charlie Brown Christmas, and while we're sleeping, Santa is going to make an early stop at our house. On Christmas Eve morning, we'll open our stockings and a few gifts and have a nice breakfast together before heading out to the various family Christmas celebrations. It's fitting, I think, that we get to do something special for just the two of us in our new home.

Eccles and McGrath Christmases: On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we'll celebrate with the Eccles and McGrath families, respectively. I love all the time with my extended family...but the *best* is Christmas morning at my parents', when we open our gifts under the big tree and have a special Christmas breakfast. Someday, when Mitch and I have kids, I want this tradition to continue under our own tree.

We are so very, very blessed. We've had challenges and disappointments, successes and joys; but looking back, I can see God working in even the hardest times. As we gather with family and friends this season and as we share gifts (including ones that can't be wrapped), I hope we reflect on the season's most perfect treasure, the birth of our Lord and Savior. He's sustained us and blessed us, and continues to do so each and every moment.

I'm so bad at surprises.

Good: I love sharing everything with Mitch.

Bad: I love sharing everything with Mitch.

What?

Obviously, marrying your best friend and having someone with whom you delight in sharing is a good thing. Most of the time. At Christmas, it's a very bad thing. Because I desperately want to tell him all about the AWESOME Christmas presents he has coming. I want to brag about my deal-searching and my patience in waiting for the *perfect* purchase. I want to show him his gifts the moment they arrive. But I CAN'T. Because it's CHRISTMAS. And these are supposed to be SURPRISES. And I'd say someone else should call me and let me tell them all about these fantastic finds, for a bit of relief, but it just wouldn't be the same.

Because sharing with Mitch is my FAVORITE. Good thing Christmas isn't too far away!