Happy New Year 2016!!!!

May last year's accomplishments, no matter how minute, be a source of pride for you.

May the gains of this past year propel you towards your dreams, whatever they may be.

May the losses you suffered be fuel to push you further; be reminders that life is fleeting. 

Appreciate each day that you rise; often our human nature is blind to the finity of life itself. 

Be gentler with yourself this year; kinder even - many a times we forget that we too, deserve our own unconditional love.

Live fully, leave no day unfulfilled of its purpose. What waste it would be for the sun to rise in splendor only to meet gloom in your face! 

Be radiant. Be joyful. Be present.

Happy New Year 2016!!!! 

Mrs. Roulette 

Paradise Island - 3 year anniversary

A three year journey may not seem like a lot to many married couples. It may be a scratch off the soapstone of life for some..... it may still be a season of settling in to 'We' for others. 

A nice break in the normalcy that has been work, work, work, and more work, we needed a time out and focus on simply joy. So off we went towards the waters....Paradise Island. Everything was beautiful. From the restless waters, the weeping skies (yes, it rained each and every day!), to the over-priced outdated items in the mall, we had a great time. In between the funky weather, there were moments of sun and warmth. Those are the times I squeezed in a beach horse-riding tour, managed a tour of the historic forts of Nassau and the great Anglican Church that qualified Nassau as a city, and hit the straw markets.

The peace and serenity was surreal. we already cannot wait to go back! Our taxi driver Derrick was amazing. The resort was nothing shot of perfection with the great price, service, and location. Rio outdid themselves. Rio it will be on our next adventure.

For days after our return we suffered from withdrawal. Withdrawal from a few days of 'Away' that had refueled us and pumped us back into excitement since moving to Austin. We talked about the people, the places, the nothingness of each day. My most memorable was the city tour and my short run along the beach in my bikini. The feeling of the wind beating the sand onto my bare legs, the waters threatening to sweep me away from the shores into the bowels of the Atlantic Ocean, and the sudden burst of winds that had the palm trees bending to near surrender. Watching the power of the unseen over the seen was a spiritual experience. God indeed is an awesome God. The vast waters roared and turned and the sounds was praise to my ears. How could one not see that the Lord God is an awesome God?

Back in reality, gotta get back into the groove of life's demands; bills, people, and the pressure of time. Ugh! But since we have tasted the joys of international travel and the draw of the waters, we relish the thought of doing it again, and again, and again! We must return to Paradise Island to re-live those special moments. But for now Negril awaits our foot prints, and Kenya awaits the return of one of its daughters..... she waits to meet the boy that stole her heart. 2016 is bound to be a great year. Mexico beckons with its alluring beauty, Australia has so many secrets it wishes to whisper in my ears. We are young, we are healthy. We must give back to these bodies that serve us so well so often. Our spirits need freedom to roam away from the typical schedules that define our day to day lives, and our bodies need to rest, rejuvenate - and change of environment does just as well to accomplish this. 

Here is to more adventures in this married life. To many more anniversaries!!

Have a good day and love yourself today. How often do we forget to do that? Actually love ourselves? Be kind also to yourself. Many a times we are hardest on ourselves.

Be blessed!

Mrs. Roulette

Sole Surprises - Running with the Wind

So yesterday I pulled what I call a Nana.... she will kill me but she knows I love her. I overslept. Well, memory is kind of hazy but I think I cancelled the alarm and fell back asleep instead of the usual battle in my head: Do I really need to go? Can I go later? blah blah blah. My resolve usually wins. I lay my running clothes out the night before and even make smoothies and all that ritual thing. But I fell back asleep. Jackie texted, Emily called, and I just about hit the ceiling. 7:14 am. I was going to hola at my BGR girls and join the Every Mother Counts ambassador for 6-7 miles. Now I am off-balance coz I missed my run. Maybe later. Day is still young Jackie said. I agree but I am doubtful. I had tackled Big Bertha the night before. A sign to kick back and let it flow? Donno.

I have to get my 6 miles in tomorrow.

It is tomorrow. Alarm goes off at 6:15. Take a guess. Yep! I turned if off and went back to sleep. So weird and unusual for me! Bertha must have kicked my butt and I just didn't know! Nah-uh. Get up! It was a lot of self-talk. Sun was creeping up. Lawd knows I get 5 shades darker when I run later in the day and I tire so fast!Crawl to the bathroom, Prep. Struggle into running gear, Cereal. Water bottles. Extra water. GU gummies GU gel. Banana. I-pod. Key. Brushy Creek sounds like a good idea for 6 miles. Out the door.

The Sports Park (by the 2.5 mile marker) seemed like a good spot to start my run this morning. My running app has been acting up since I got my new phone, so I felt I didn't need to take the darn thing with me. I love tracking my runs. Plan B. My generation One  Ipod Nano (Yes. it still works perfectly) has a basic timer. And the trail is marked. I can do this. Separation anxiety. Facebook, whatsapp, Email. Crazy. Ok. That's it! Get going! Alright, alright, alright!  Not so excited but I am moving right? Finish gummies. Water belt. Stretch, Go! French Montana's don't Panic is second or 3rd on my 10 mile playlist. Well, I did. Panicked. 6 miles is a no-go! I am tired! Before the 3 mile mark I am walking? This was not a good sign. Maybe I should go for 3 miles. Maybe 4. Maybe 2 and just go back home? But I breath....a lady says to me "You are doing a great job"and just like that, my legs get life. A black lady with a young son gives me a smile by the splash place near the 3 mile mark. There is a ton of people running! JHUD's "He ain't going nowhere" hits my ears and I smile and know that I can make my goal. This jam is awesome! Compiled it last year for the Run For the Water 10 miler with hubby's help. Songs that had ways to go before being released were in there.Sam Smith and Mary J Blige added a pep in my steady run and before I knew it, I passed the 6 mile marker. Heck! Might as well, go to the end! No pain whatsoever. I had my songs alternating so that every few upbeat cuts were followed by a slower one to remind me to slow it down and not go flying. I found myself at an even keel, cruising.

 In my head I had power legs like those of Karen. I was hearing voices other than my music. Ayeesha telling me to relax my shoulders. She is a force to reckon with! But it is the words of a patient of mine I once had that kept replaying and guiding my strides. Dude was 89. Had been running marathons since his 20s but get this. his fastest time was a marathon he ran at 57. Imagine that! He still ran and he oozed wisdom and knowledge of the sport.Do you run with your heels first or toes first? Flat foot? I didn't know. Running is a science I guess! Do your arms sway past your midline? You are messing up your center of gravity. Stack your shoulders to your hips, Today, all his words came into play. Nana's reminder to breathe through the mouth, Ayeesha's instructions... There was a rhythm I do not always get. Strange.

At the 6.75 mark, I still had no idea just how many miles I would have done by the end of this run. See, Math was never a strong suit of mine.Pause. It would have been too late anyway lol! Stretch. GU. Hydrate. I love my belt but the bottles could be bigger. Amazon.Ebay? For one of those packs for running silly! I don't have ADHD (*whisper* I really think I do though). Go. Second half!

The universe was turning and I could feel it. I was floating, Running with the wind. I was flying. Not in pace but mentally. Snapping my fingers to Anthony Hamilton's Let me In and swaying my head to Beyonce's Drunken Love. Butterfly strides, heel first, Relaxed shoulders, arms facing forward and flush with my sides. Controlled breathes, through my mouth. Blissful running! This was the high runners speak of. This was it! I was in sync with my body and my legs were feeling strong. I walked fast when I needed to catch my breathe when I forgot about mouth breathing, I stretched my legs at stop lights when I had to wait. I was in control! Such a powerful feeling.

8.5 freaking miles. I must be crazy!

So how did a run that was bound to fail become what I personally think was my best this running season? Many factors came into play. I did not give in to my mind's thoughts to stay home and sleep in. It was a conscious decision to get out no matter what. Preparation. All the runs, short, intermediate, and long, hills, yoga, and stretches to prevent injury all culminate into safe running and accomplishment of goals. With my steady increase in mileage, I was getting stitches a lot despite regular and adequate hydration. So I had to remind myself of Lily's advice to replace electrolytes because we lose so much through sweat. Waiting till after the run is useless. Today i did the GU gummies prior to my run(started while driving to the trail) and finished just before start of run. Halfway through, I did the GU gel and gulped a good amount of water. To allow for fast absorption of the electrolytes. Amazing the difference with and without these electrolyte replacements. I have a few changes to make on my playlist but a long run would be depressing without great music. I even have Kenny Rogers in there. Whatever picks you up. I can't list all the stuff that I do to prepare me for the Austin Distance Challenge in one blog. Every one has their own little routine. Ayeesha's degree of preparation would not fit me, or anyone for that matter, neither can mine fit anyone else. it is so individual yet so many commonalities!

I made my run all about my legs and my overall body, nothing about time or pace. It was liberating. It was peaceful.

Happy running!

I see Beauty

 

I could see it as an hour drive,

A drive that feels like I am getting closer to the horizon than ever before....

I could see the needle on my odometer, the gas gauge... and frown.

But I choose to see the beauty.

The most gorgeous of sunsets I ever laid my eyes on reside on this route,

Yellow skies turn to orange, then an impossible range of hues.

Hues that don't exist on any color spectrum you ever knew,

Highland beauty, I like to call it.

The closer I get to the often sleepy (compared to the others anyway) campus,

Oh the lavender sheets of sky turn to velvet!

Deep indigo, I can almost feel the softness caress my skin 

As the night engulfs the hill country.

On these drives I lose myself in peace I only find on 29,

Funny I know, maybe a little weird too.

Maybe it is the scent of wineries I hear abound here,

Maybe it's the gift of openness taking flight

And lifting me to where my calling dwells, in those that hurt,

In those that find assurance in my touch, in my presence.

I find beauty  so I see beauty. ​

Friday at the Oasis... What?!!!!

Yep! Tune is changing this summer! A few more discoveries at our love den! Well, Oasis. Memphis Train. Boy! This band rocks!! Hope to see them again soon!  They whipped and ne-ne'ed, brought soul train to serenade the sun as it dipped behind Lake Travis. I thought I saw a few familiar faces, maybe not. I was too busy watching that cute gay couple making out behind the pillar. .... must be young love!

Update:
Been a busy summer, and mister and I seldom made it out. But it's been a fun one so far. We have to squeeze  in a few Oasis trips though; hoping we don't make the wrong turn to the right. ....it leads to Hippie Hollow. Ahem.  Nude beach, smack in the backyard of Oasis. But I won't let my imagination run crazy.

Happy summer!

Runner's High, runner's low

No lie I had missed the rush of the wind against my face! See, I have been off the trail with a groin pull 😁 Ouch!! Since October. Torture. Six months. It's been that long?? This stupid injury is no joke. Every time I even tried to jog, a running stance quickly took me back to that October pain...... Misery. So I was afraid to even imagine myself ever running again. Maybe I should float a bike idea to hubby, maybe I need to reignite my swimming hobby coz obviously ground was no friend of mine. Air and water may be safer.

My point is, it was depressing not to be able to put in miles on my Runkeeper. My shoes looked sad in the back of the closet. And I feared my running clothes would shrink.....😝😝😝. You get my drift.

Foam rolling and stretching I did, but inconsistency yields very minimal positive results. Another excuse to throw in the towel. So I just let it go. Let it go, let it go🎶🎶🎶🎤. Frozen is one of the best movies of all time. What was I saying? Oh, oh! Yeah. Results. Or lack thereof. Then last week I thought I felt...... No pain, no discomfort! Really? Can't be healed can it? I'm through with running. Kaput, done, finito. Then weird, hubby suggested getting back to being active. Do I look fat? 😳. What I shared was my fatigue despite plenty of sleep. Never mentioned that my groin injury might finally be healed.

That was a sign. So I toyed with the idea of running again. He must know something I don't. Sneaked to the gym. Walked on the mill then jogged half a mile. I must have held my breath the entire time, waiting on the now familiar dull pain that starts from where my pelvis meets and that tendon on the inner right upper thigh that runs to the inner knee to radiate thunder. Nothing. I get off the treadmill expecting my right leg to give out in pain. Nothing. My excitement is held at bay, chained in doubt and darkness. Two days later I dared run a mile. What? No limp, no ouch? No nada? I allow myself to glimpse the future, with the wind rushing against my face again.... running Gilbert's race again.

I knew my game had to be different this time around. I had to be patient with myself. I had to be hard on myself even if I didn't like it. Yes, I had to walk even when every fiber of my being wanted to let the Kenyan legs out and run till my lungs couldn't take it anymore. I had to listen, really listen to my body and protect it; even from myself.

I have experienced the runner's high. It is intoxicating. I have also experienced the runner's low. It is suffocating and almost depressing if you let it. Whatever position of the tide you find yourself, find ways to deal with the situation. I learnt to enjoy yoga during my lows, and in so doing, have carried the habit through to my highs to prevent injury through adequate stretching.

Happy running my friends! 

Song of Songs

New Year's Day. 

It's here. A fresh opportunity to begin again. What better way to rekindle my romance with God than to read of all the pleasures that mutual love evokes? The passion is almost palpable through the lines of Solomon's greatest song. I see Solomon's arm cradling his lover's head as his right one caresses her body....(Song of songs 2:6 and 8:3) Love is a beautiful thing... Romance, is ahem, a beautiful thang! 

You are altogether beautiful my darling,beautiful in every way (4:7). Who is to tell me otherwise? These words flow like honey. Smooth and sweet! Makes you feel a thrill in your heart right? (5:4). I thought BB King invented the 'thrill' line. Nope! Just found it here in 960 BC. So much for originality BB! I don't want to ever say "thrill is gone". So I have to keep my A game on all.the.time! 

Such connection as that of the two lovebirds Solomon sings of is what I desire for myself with God. Such oneness that the night watchmen will help me find my lover when I lose sight of him. They will not bruise me and strip me of my veil. They will all know. The young women of Jerusalem too. Those absolutely gots to know! 

I am his, and he claims me as my own....this line repeatedly affirms the steadfast nature of Loverman. God claims me because I am His. Sorry guys, I am taken! 

To be free in my expression of my love for Him, as I would be expressing my love for my brothers.... Now that is a place I want to be in my spiritual journey. Unashamed, unhindered and leaning on Him, weak on my knees with love (8:1-5).

For love is as strong as death (8:6). Wow, wait, really??? Oh how lightly we use that word then!! Its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Uhmm, I know a little something about that. I imagine you do too, LOL! Oh how wise Solomon was! His words transcend centuries! 

That money cannot buy love. Thousands of years later, peeps still trying to prove Solomon wrong. Smh.

I wish Song of Songs had a hundred chapters. But I guess such is love. It leaves you yearning for more, so you can seek it more. As I begin this new year and this venture to grow in knowledge of God's word, may the same fire keep burning despite the many winds and torrential rains that are bound to come my way. 

May my lover be delighted when he sees me, may my vineyard bear fruit worth making the sweetest wine. May my heart stay awake so I can hear him when he knocks on the door...( 5:2)

Happy New Year to you and yours. 

Blessings!