I mentioned the Nashville/Tennessee Flood from two weeks ago. This YouTube video is awesome, and I just thought I would pass it on to those of you who live outside Tennessee and did not see the true devastation.

Now, I am really out of here for a couple of weeks!

Labels: General

This week has been so surreal! If you haven't heard, Tennessee was hit with what historians are calling a 1,000 year flood over the weekend. There is devastation everywhere. Thankfully, all we lost was a computer to a lightning strike. The computer was on a surge protector, but the lightning came through the cable modem to the computer. I am hoping that my pictures and documents can be saved from the hard drive, but the loss of a computer is nothing compared to what others around us are facing.

The national media was very slow to take notice of the floods, but I am glad they are finally getting the images out there. If you have seen the pictures, you know the damage is unbelievable. It's Katrina-like in some ways: deaths, extensive flooding (some homes were ripped off their foundations by the swift-moving water, thousands of others were completely submerged), over a thousand boat rescues in Nashville alone, people in shelters, etc... The damages are estimated to be around the billion dollar mark, and so many people need help. Tennesseans are known as volunteers and for helping each other, but national media attention will bring much needed relief monies from around the country as well. Since many of the flooded homes were not in known flood plains, thousands of home-owners are facing the damage without flood insurance.

Roads, businesses, and services are slowing reopening, and of course, people are trying to return to normal activities. Sadly, it will be a while before many people can do that. Please keep the flood victims in your prayers!

Labels: General

In the last 24 hours, we've had about 12 inches of rain in our area. If you haven't seen pictures on the national news, you can check out our local news at wkrn.com. Interstates have become rivers with cars and buildings floating down them. The images are unbelievable.

Yesterday morning, my Favorite Boy's ballgame was cancelled, and we decided to head to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville for some rainy day fun. We had a wonderful time (it wasn't until we were on our way home that we realized how bad the situation was getting), and I am posting pictures of our fun times below.

This morning, we made it to worship for an abbreviated service, but the crowd was small. I am sure that schools will be cancelled Monday. By tomorrow, it should be sunny and the waters will recede. My Best Girl prayed for rain last week, and she has now declared that she will never pray for rain again!

Here are a few things we enjoyed at the Adventure Science Center. Finding our house on a satellite screen:

My Favorite Boy trying out an interactive sports exhibit:

Fun in an ambulance:

Learning about living with disabilities:

Labels: Family and Friends, General

I have enjoyed exercising for many years. Mostly, I attend classes at my local Y (aerobics and spin), and I also use the elliptical trainers. Because I was sick off and on all last year, my fitness routine really suffered. Now that I am returning to a more regular exercise schedule, I want to get back in shape!

I have never been a runner, but I would like to be. For some reason, I have always disliked running, and I have trouble sticking with it. I hope to change that this year. On Tuesday, I started a Couch to 5K program that lasts 9 weeks. For my first short-term goal, I want to participate in a local 5K in ten weeks.

This is not going to be easy for me. I really, really don't like to run. But, I hope that I will get to the point where running is as addictive for me as it is for so many others. I plan to have some smaller goals, like the local 5K, to keep me going, but I do have a BIG goal out there. My dream is to stick with this and run the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World in 2011. If anything can motivate me, it is the thought of running through the Castle and down Main Street (and a girls' weekend at Disney would be so fun!). Check out this video from the 2009 run. Doesn't that look great?

I have a friend working on this with me. I hope we can encourage each other all year long and make it to the half-marathon next March. It would be just in time to celebrate my 37th birthday. I would also like to note that my husband and son are very skeptical about this plan, and they have good reason. I have never stuck with running before. Of course, their doubt makes me want to prove that I can, and I know they will be proud of me if I do!

I look forward to documenting my journey here. Having an audience will help me when the going gets tough!

Labels: General, Running