Five on Friday

There has been a lot going on in the Amick household, yet nothing all at the same time.
Matthew has been traveling a LOT lately. He has one three-day trip to DC next week, and then he's pretty much finished for the season.
To say I'm excited to have my husband back is the understatement of the year.

I'm following the lead of my blog AND real-life friend Aishlea (pronounced like Ashley) in doing a "5 on Friday" post. But the Grammar Nazi in my won't let me start a post (or a sentence) with a numeric symbol, so I have to spell it out. :)

So here are five things I want to share with you on this HOT, HUMID Friday. (Yes, I know you live in Texas or wherever, and it's 118 there. Doesn't matter to me. It's still hot when it's 95. So quit trying to one-up me, thankyouverymuch.)

1. Running update

Matthew & I ran the Riverbend 10K last Saturday. Last year, it was my first "longer-than-a-5K" race. I did it last year in about 1:12. (That's one hour, twelve minutes.) This year, I did it in about 1:07:30. That's quite an improvement! And, I gotta tell ya, the race felt amazing.
I am NOT worrying about speed right now. Especially in the summer. (Did I mention it's HOT AND HUMID?!?!?!?!???) I am only concerned right now with running. Putting one foot in front of the other. Running three times a week. I'm not currently training for a race. But I know that I will run at least 2-3 half marathons this winter, and a handful of 5Ks. But I don't want to lose my distance.
So right now, I am doing two short runs a week (six laps in my neighborhood, which is about 3.15 miles). Every-other-Saturday, I'm doing 10 laps in my neighborhood (5.25 miles), and the other Saturday, I'm doing a longer run at the Riverwalk (8.5 to 10 miles).
That's what I have on the schedule for tomorrow. It's supposed to be 70 degrees (with a 93% humidity) at 6 a.m.
Fun times.

2. My latest go-to quick meal

I literally threw this together last month, and now eat it at least twice a week.

One microwavable cup of Minute Rice (I like the brown & wild rice kind.)

One 6.4-oz packet of tuna (I like the Starkist albacore white tuna in water. You have to use the packet, not a can, b/c of the added moisture. I tried it with a can of tuna, and it was dry.)

several splashes of lemon juice

half a cucumber, diced

several cherry tomatoes, halved

3. Father's Day

Here I am with my goofy brothers and our dad outside of Texas Roadhouse on Father's Day. My stepmother took the picture. We had such a nice time together!!

4. Summer colds suck

We might be smiling, but only for the camera.
Benjamin has had a cold for about a week and a half. So, you say? What's the big deal?
Well, the big deal is that any time Benjamin gets a cold, we have to do twice-a-day Pulmicort breathing treatments (in the nebulizer) so the cold doesn't spread to his chest. He is prone to frequent pneumonia, and we obviously want to avoid it at all costs. So after lunch and before bed each day, we have a little sit-down on the couch in my bedroom, turn on the Baby Signing Time, and, kicking-and-screaming, do a breathing treatment. We had to do these for months all winter (whether there was a cold or not, just for prevention), and I have loved not having to do them in the spring.
But now it's summer. So it's especially annoying!

5. Beach memories

This is a picture I took in the mid-to-late 90s from the balcony of our (rented) beach house. We went to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, every summer from 1990 until 2004. Our first four years, we stayed in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage, a block from the beach. We had no air. And 13 people. Best. Memories. Ever.
But by the time this picture was taken, we had graduated to one of the nicer cottages right on the beach with the big balcony and (usually) a hot tub. HOURS of fun were spent on the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean with my siblings and cousins.
Good times.

That's all for now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Stay cool.
It's hot and humid.