It's been awhile.

I haven't written anything in awhile.  I guess I haven't felt like I have anything to say.  Should I write just to put words down?  I don't know.  The last that I wrote talked about the arthritis in my hip and Pars Defect, well, it turns out I do not have Pars defect.  After my second x-ray I got a call from my doctor's office came back with different results.  I have a slight narrowing between two of my vertebrae that is natural aging, and no pars defect at all.  So that is good news.  Although, I really thought that the ache in my leg was due to a pinched nerve and the pars defect fit that nicely, but it's likely from the osteoarthritis forming in my hip.  =| 

I have been extremely unhappy with the doctor's office, they tell me I have a degenerative disease, that from everything I've read, can be slowed down with proper care, and yet they haven't told me anything about what I should do to receive "proper care."

I've been running, not as much as I should be if I'm going to run my last marathon this year, but I am working on it.  And I'm slow.  So slow.  I'm averaging close to 10 min miles even on my short runs, I would like to achieve an under 4 hour marathon before giving it up, but at this rate, it's not going to happen. 

I also had an epiphany a couple weeks ago.  Ragnar was happening, and it just so happens to run through my town (right by my old house), and I was at the store when it was going on and I saw several vans that were obviously part of it.  I thought, that is something I've wanted to do for years, so I need to do it.  I'm gonna have to quit doing the really long distance thing sooner or later (probably sooner than I'd like) so I my goal is to do it next year.  I know several people that have run it, so hopefully it won't be too hard to get into a group.

I've been plugging away at school.  I think that is probably a big reason I haven't written much.  I'm writing a lot for school.  I'm in my 3rd class (the first one being a short one that was an "Intro to Grad studies" type of class). 

We went on vacation the first week of July, which I'm sorta sad about because it's already over. 

We visited my Mom's grave, the first time Maddox was there,
on the way to the Lake.

Schoolwork on vacation sucks

My dad visited while we were there, his head
was getting sunburned so I put my hat on him

We were there over the 4th of July

Immediately after we came home I got sick.  I took some new antibiotics and those made me even sicker.  A week after coming home from vacation I went to Utah for a work conference.  It was fun, but not very relaxing.

I went on one hike while I was there.

I visited the Salt Lake on my last day.

Don't put your feet in really salty water if you
have a cut.  My toe hurt for hours afterwards

And I visited the Mormon temple

I also ordered custom decals for my car and my family.  I love it.  This is a tattoo that I got with 2 of my sisters and my Mom, so it now has even more meaning to me.

And that's the extent of my July.