One more reason I know I'm not a Kenyan . . .

In running circles, there is a t-shirt that I often see that says "In my dreams, I'm a Kenyan" . . . for the obvious reason that Kenyans seem to be among the speediest folk on the planet.  For this reason alone, I know without a doubt that I'm most definitely NOT a Kenyan.

Yesterday, as I was running, however, one additional reason occurred to me:  $$$$.  As my feet pounded the pavement, I was mentally calculating the cost of the outfit and all the running paraphernalia I had on my body.  It came to at least $300, not including the iPhone strapped to my arm, and the Apple headphones plugged into my ears.

That outrageous amount is not intended to brag about how rich I am, because I'm surely not (I teach preschool after all . . . ),  but simply to give a picture about how fancy, high-tech, and yes -- expensive, running has become as a sport.  Granted, a Kenyan probably wouldn't need a Brooks running jacket to combat 35-degree weather, and if he/she were running in Kenya, their Nike+ GPS app on their iPhone would probably fail big-time for lack of a wi-fi signal, but still.

Believe me, I do appreciate the advances that have been made in running gear, especially at this cold time of year.  But my goal from now on is to -- mentally -- keep my priorities and motiviations simple, focused, and as Kenyan-like as I possibly can.

Oh, and by the way . . . MERRY CHRISTMAS!

a blog . . . really???

Initially, I only signed up for a blog account so that I could comment on someone else's blog.  I never intended to actually USE my own blog for any purpose, meaningful or otherwise, yet here I am.  After all, my life is pretty simple, with nothing exciting happening on a fairly regular basis. 

I've seen other friends' blogs that are ever-so-intriguing:  some share the journey of growing a family, some are job-oriented, some are about trips or projects, some are a tool for chronicling a battle with cancer, some highlight accomplishments like training for and completing a marathon (which I've done, btw, but never really found anything insightful about which to comment).

So I figured I would simply ramble about whatever suits me, or about whatever is going on in my life at the moment.  Be prepared for some ridiculousness, silliness, and possibly even some visits to snoresville.  Dull or exciting, though, it's my life, and I'm living it.