and so it begins...

Monday marked the first day of construction at our home.  I should be much more excited but I'm not at the moment. I refresh the Boston.com page about 100 times a day waiting for new stories or photos of the Marathon.  Debbie Downer today. Ugh, sorry.

In an effort to lift my spirits {and hopefully give you a chuckle} I'll write about what I am thankful for.

Today, I'm thankful for makeshift, ghetto fencing. Part of our wood fence had to be removed in order to get the excavator into the backyard.  In an effort to keep our pal Brody from escaping our contractor erected {great word} the most ghetto of all fences. Seriously, between the mud, fencing, and plastic toys in my yard it looks like a scene from Dukes of Hazard.

Apparently I failed to inform our contractor of Brody's penchant for eating through screens and fences.  After all, my furry lil' fella did eat through a screen at our last home, jump out the window and was spotted roaming the streets of Salem by a neighbor that recognized his shaggy stride.  Brody is a special dog - special in the sense that he would ride the short bus if one existed for pooches.

I digress. Back to the fence.  Brody can easily eat through, tear apart or jump over our new makeshift flimsy fence.  I did not say any of this to the contractor when he asked if the fence was okay for the Bro.  I smiled and told him it was just perfect.  I lie.  I'm on the fast track to hell my friends. I would be thrilled if he scaled the fence and ran down route 128 and ended up at my parents house.  They need a dog.  I can provide them with one.  It's the prefect scenario.  But instead, Brody will jump over the fence and then go sit on the front step and bark until someone lets him in.  The dog simply won't runaway.  So, I am thankful - not that he won't runaway but that I am making it a tad easier for him to do so. Perhaps he'll come to his senses sooner rather than later and opt for 128 instead of my front stoop...

Stay tuned folks.  We've got a long road ahead of us and lucky for you you're coming along for the ride. xox

GL Marathoners

To the thousands of runners setting out to conquer the Boston Marathon on Monday - good luck.   Jealous.  Very jealous. I made a promise to myself to run that beast of a race again someday. Stay tuned.

For all the runners out there I highly recommend Michael Connelly's 26 Miles to Boston.  Fab book detailing the history, triumphs and tribulations of the nation's most famous race. Fav excerpt from the intro:

Each April, people from every corner of the world travel thousands of miles to run twenty-six. Nowhere on the face of the earth do more people from more diverse backgrounds gather for a one-day event. The Boston Marathon is a celebration of tradition, a celebration of health-and-fitness, a celebration of life. From Hopkinton to Boston, the spectators and runners are provided a stage to act out a play that stretches the gamut from Shakespeare to Pee Wee Herman. Tragedy, triumph, love frustration and comedy are all components of this road race. 

The twenty-six miles of roads, sidewalks, and bridges are nothing more than a backdrop for athletic conquests, athletic failures, weddings, inebriated college students and overpriced vendors-all of whom play an intricate role in molding this race and its legacy. 

The Boston Marathon's ultimate purpose is as distinct as the people who embrace it. Whether your goal is to run, to barbeque, to say hello to your neighbor, to gather with your family or to delay studying for college finals, the race is a willing partner for all who come to celebrate. 


Best of luck marathoners.  I admire each and every one of you. xox