Ahhh..the joys of aging..

There are certain things about being in my 50s that I really like:


1. I do not give a shit what people think of how I look. No really! I use to want to have the latest styles, the nails and hair..the whole bit. Now I just do stuff that I like..if others like it too..that's cool.

2. I get to not work. I have worked up until this point since I was 14 years old. I deserve it, have worked hard for it.

3. I get to enjoy my kids. Not the "oh my god I have this overwhelming responsibility to raise these kids and they drive me crazy half the time" anymore...they just love us and we love them and love hanging out with them. Now they are bringing grand babies to us to love. Need I say more?

4. I get to say I did an Ironman in my fifties!! Not just one, but three! I am sure doing IM is incredible at any age but when you add the fifties factor, it just sounds more impressive to me..

5. I can blame alot on menopause...tiredness, weight gain, crabbiness, almost anything..

Things that suck about being in my 50s:


1. I will never, never have a flat stomach. And it is getting worse. I have loose skin all over me where muscle use to be. Wrinkles in places I do not want to have wrinkles. I can't really botox my arms, can I?

2. I need more sleep. I just can't do the "get up at 5:00 to swim" anymore..just cannot..

3. I find myself thinking about death more often. Like it is more close than it use to be. Nothing to morbid, just a fact.

4. I am stuck in a routine and seem to have lost some of my spontaneity. Like, let's go to the movies on a whim just doesn't seem to make any sense to me these days..

5. The worst part is my memory really really sucks these days. It is a bit better than a few years ago but I still have a hard time remembering some conversations, mostly with the family. I must repeat myself because I cannot remember the stories I tell half the time...I use to be soooo organized!!! Now I am lucky to remember to get our bills paid. I was the anal traveler who always had everything order WAY ahead of time. Documents checked and rechecked months before big trips.

Well, this brings me to our current plight. H asked me a few weeks ago if our passorts were up to date and I said why of course they are good until 2010. Well, as I pulled them out of my drawer yesterday, much to my angst, H's expired in Sept. 2008. Oh shit! My memory failed me again!! Mine is the one that expires in 2010-duh!! We are leaving Tuesday for Cancun and as of 2007, you must have a passport to fly into Mexico. After many frantic calls to the passport government agency, it became clear there is no easy way to get a passport in 3 days. The only way to have a chance is to show up at one of about 6 locations around the country, one of which is Denver, in person and try and get your passport renewed. Weren't we just in Denver?? To make a longer story short, Hartley now has to fly to Denver Sunday night. He has an appointment with the official passport agency on Monday AM at 8:30 where hopefully he can get the process done right away. I fly to denver on Tuesday and we meet up to fly to Cancun. This change in travel schedule cost us and would have cost more if I went with him so he will be up there seeing my little Hadley along the way while I sit here at home packing. I don't think I have ever felt so stoopid. I do not think I have ever made a more dumb travel mistake..One time I lost my driver' s license and didn't realize it til I got to the airport and had to go home to get my passport instead and take a later flight.

I blame this on my age. CRS-can't remember sh#^*t!! We will laugh about this someday I know. I will be the butt of family jokes..I can feel it coming..Grandma Debi had some weird illness and had to wear a mask around the baby then forgot her passport had expired..something like that will be a family memory for sure...

Who is that masked Grandma?

This is not really how I saw my week going with my new grand baby. We arrived in Denver last Tuesday. I felt a sore throat coming on on Wednesday and the rest is history as they say. The cold has gone into a cough so I am wearing a mask at the new baby's house and not touching the little one. It is torture to say the least. But rather be safe than sorry..









I guess I should be grateful this did not happen before IMAZ. The fact is, I managed to train for the last 9 months without getting sick. That is pretty lucky..

Just wish it would have waited one more week!

We still have had a great time here with Becca, Dan, Allison here from California to help with her new little niece. Her presence and recent mommy experience was much appreciated. I do remember some things basic things, like changing diapers and breast feeding basics. Beyond that, it gets a little foggy. Well it as been 27 years since I had a little newborn. Dang Hadley is so little..Were my kids that little? There is something surreal about watching your daughter who was once that little, nursing and mommying the next generation. What a miracle!

I signed up for Beach to Battleship half IM , slotted for next November this AM at the crack of dawn. This is the one that all the Outlaws are doing next year so wanted to get in before it filled up.

I have not missed training. Not one bit! I am relieved to be finally, after all these months, to be "resting" The days are full right now in Denver but tomorrow we head home to rest for a week before we leave for Cancun. Then more rest..I can't think of a better way to head into Christmas! I am not even thinking about training yet. I think I will free form it until after Cancun then make some kind of a plan to keep some base over the holidays...right now it feels so good just to have no structure to my day and to go with the flow..