Whirlwind

Well, here we are, more than halfway through the month of March, and the whirlwind of activity known as my life continues to spin more violently as rapidly as ever.  Although basketball season is long gone, absolutely nothing has slowed down, particularly relating to Daughter.

This week, in a story that involved me sprinting across the Gloucester Court House lawn in high heel shoes and sliding in the courtroom sideways, disheveled and winded just as they were shutting the doors, Daughter received her official driver's license.  She's been driving for a while, but with a provisional license.  Around here they make the teenagers and parents suffer sit through an official ceremony performed by a judge, a sheriff and a probation officer to pound home the fact that texting and driving don't mix, alcohol and driving don't mix, and mothers who work an hour away from the court house where their daughters are due in court and who also happen upon an accident that stalls traffic but who are still due in court nonetheless or else said daughter does not get her license are more than likely going to break a few minor traffic regulations, up to and including every speed limit from Williamsburg to Gloucester,  in order to get there just in the nick of time.

For example.

Daughter also represented the basketball team at a recent school board meeting, where she learned she was second team all-district with all-academic honors.  Yesterday she informed me she was nominated by the school to attend Virginia Girls State this summer.  She has a 4.3 grade point average, but was quick to tell me last night on the ride home from a King William track meet that all this can change based on what's happening in English here lately.

If getting a B or receiving any sort of grade that reduces an already over the top GPA is the worst thing she has to report, all while juggling all the sports, I'd say I'm pretty darn lucky.

Speaking of the track meet, which was her first ever, she placed first in the 200-meter dash and third in the 400m.

Speaking of running in general, which I've not been doing diligently, Baby Sister and I will participate in the Virginia Beach half marathon this weekend. Although we always say we haven't prepared properly, this time we mean it more than ever.  The longest distance I've run in the entire year of 2015 is the six miles we ran on Valentine's Day in freezing temperatures.

A half marathon is 13.1 miles.  6 and 13.1 are not even kissing cousins.  They aren't related. They don't live in the same neighborhood.  They barely recognize each other as numbers, they're so far apart.

As such, Baby Sis and I are lowering our competitive standards for this Sunday's race and are permitting ourselves to think about walking if we need to.  We also are trying not to focus on the fact that because of this lowering of standards many senior citizens will likely beat us.

Hopefully this will motivate us to do even better for the next half marathon we sign up for.  And if even one senior citizen beats us, we'll be signing up for another one.  We will not rest until we have beat a senior citizen in a half marathon!

I will be in Virginia Beach until Monday and will provide an update by mid-week.  If you don't see anything new here by Wednesday, I'm probably in the hospital recovering from a cardiac event incarcerated for Intentional Tripping of a Speedy Senior Citizen.

p.s. There is a good chance we will see Kilt Man at the finish line of this race since he is from Virginia Beach.  If you're unfamiliar with that whole story, click here.