Gimme a BREAK! Gimme a BREAK!

Don't worry, I'm not dead.. I just needed a break, from everything... triathlon, blogging, training, being on a schedule, everything.

Sometimes I wonder how my brain doesn't actually explode I'm trying to do so many dang things at once sometimes. I'm not saying I'm the busiest person in the world, no, I do not have children, but I do have just a few things going on right now and sometimes the "grind" of just trying to work, eat well, sleep enough, cook, do dishes, start this dang business, and still take out my garbage every once awhile (which I have missed the last two weeks due to BSLT 70.3 and now 4th Holiday.. dang.. my basement is STINKY!) is just a lot.

I didn't do a thing training wise - FOR A WEEK... yes, I know some of you are having a small heart attack right now.. a FULL well, yepper my friends. NADA, nothing.. didn't look at my bike and even say nice things to it, I took a break from that too. Poor Blue probably thinks he's done something terribly wrong! I didn't put on my running shoes, I didn't break out the cap and goggles, I did NO extra workout clothes laundry, I cleaned no water bottles. IT WAS AMAZING! I really did need it. I slept in, called people, finished my USAT exam, watched movies, drank wine.. it was grand I tell you!!

We all need a mental break more than anything else sometimes. I do really well when I pick some early season A races, and then have a break and go all out to the end the year. That's when I excel.. so now it HAS to be break time or trust me kids, I would NEVER made it into the fall.

With that said, I've been tossing around a few race ideas, and some seem to be emerging.. But like a little egg, they need time to hibernate and grow before they might hatch into a full on race plan. We'll just have to wait and see!

So, what have I possibly been doing with all that time.. and yes folks, it is a LOT of time when you take the swim, bike, run, lift out of it!! Crazy how much time I had!!

I started with a modeling job outside of Pittsburgh as a "Mom" teaching her son how to ride a bike. I had a cute little kid working with me name Oscar and he was a doll!

The set was a long dirt road and the ad will be for a hospital in the fall. It was 85-90 degrees that afternoon, so a perfect time to put in a long sleeved shirt, fleece vest, jeans and rubber boots! Ha! I was so sweaty by the end!!

We were going for a J-Jill look or something like that. After this, I knew there was SOME kind of bribe involved for Oscar to be on that bike for three hours with me holding him up. I asked what he was doing afterward - BINGO, they were going to get a trampoline! Darn it! I want a trampoline!

On Saturday, it was time to head to Clarion to see my Mom for one last time before she moves to Florida and more importantly, to clean out my childhood room. Oh man..talk about a weird mix of emotions, saying goodbye to my Mom, seeing all those memories, packing them up, throwing some out.. it was TOUGH! I did enjoy some of it though. I will say it took FOREVER!

My friend Holly and I were cheerleaders back in High school.. yep, I was a cheerleader.. She's still a good friend going through some really tough stuff. It's amazing how we never realize how easy things are back then until we have some major life issues.. I guess that's being an adult.. YUCK!

Then I had to decide what to do with all these. I collected them from 16 years old to 29 years old, and now it was time for some of them to just move on. I don't need a monument of plastic to myself to put anywhere I will be living now, so I just saved a few and the rest are being recycled! It was fun to look at all the high school, 5k and 10k, marathon and triathlon ones though! I've been racing for a long time!

The rest of the weekend was spent like this..magazine, raft flotilla!! YES! It was 90 degrees and perfect weather for floating and boating!

They called me "Kyle's Foreign Wife" Whatever - I'm Italian folks.. this is what I get like in the summer. I can't help he's an albino!

Morgan and I had the best rafts of all! Mine was called the "King Cool Lounge!" Or, well, QUEEN cool lounge I guess!

Finally, the long weekend came to an end. There was only one accident with fireworks and I was thankful we live in a country with all of these wonderful opportunities. Thanks to our troops for protecting us and allowing us to enjoy this wonderful country!

Finally, on Tuesday night Ty and I met at my favorite little restaurant and did a little Ballou Skies Planning for the year! Much is yet to come and I CAN"T WAIT!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! God Bless!!