Our big hunk-a-lunk of loving Donkey is taking a nap – he still favors sleeping on his non-cancerous side. His shaved square is so silly looking, but we love him still. The report from the vet says the cancer was well removed and he has an 85% chance of a full recovery. He goes in for a check up soon and I’ll give you the full report then.

On April 15th our Donkey had a biopsy done and was diagnosed with probable carcinoma. Yesterday he underwent surgery to remove the mass, we are awaiting the extensive test results.  All you religious types out there, please say a prayer for our Donkey boy. He’s home today and resting comfortably. (Although a little embarrassed about his recent hair cut.)

Are we not in Texas anymore? They said the windchill around White Rock Lake was -2 degrees. Wind blowing sideways. Really. Sideways. The bridges were covered with ice. Ice, in Texas. Ice. Real, live icy stuff. Where is global warming when you need it? I don’t know if that is accurate or not, but it seriously felt like we were in Antarctica. I have never, ever, ever, ever been so cold. The last four miles of the race absolutely brutal – there wasn’t a place on my body that wasn’t numb. I’m still cold. Really. And I’m chaffed so bad I’m still oozing puss. Gross, I know.

My time: 2:14:05 – which, considering the wind was blowing sideways and it was either move or die of frostbite, I’m okay with. If it wasn’t for Jeanne and Nod I would have bailed. I’m so glad they are here!! And I can’t wait to share our shopping extravaganza reports with you.

Are we the cutest Popsicles on the planet or what? Jeanne did great, Nod did great, Donkey did great, I did great. When in Antarctica, survival is the only thing that matters.

More photos here. And funny thing is, this was the smallest part of our vacation. I almost forgot we ran a half marathon. Silly  me. More on that later. Fun. Fun. Fun. I love them both – I want to adopt them and force them to live with me.

Internet people, I was at Target the other day and it was 106 degrees outside and I saw a car in the parking lot with a border collie in it – granted the window was cracked, but still the dog was panting like a fool! How can people be so stupid? Honestly? Stupid! I left a not so nice note on the windshield and brought attention to the security guard on duty who paged the shopper.

With that in mind and with my new running buddy ready to go, I thought I’d post this link to an interview I did last year about running with dogs with the Good Dog Podcaster, Joanne Green.

Good Dog Podcast, Running with Dogs.

There is no denying it – we were the cutest Martini Twins on the course. Which of course means Michelle and I rode a lot faster than if we showed up completely uncute, because we all know speed is 80% cute, 15% bike, and 5% motor. That’s a little tip I picked up from BettyBetty, of course I think she might have had the priorities lined up a little differently, I just can’t recall quite accurately at the moment.

It was hilly, and a few of those hills were so steep I was only going 3 – 5 miles and hour up them because they were more like walls than hills. I felt like Spider Man in a Martini Jersey. But on the bright side, it’s good to know I can drive my bike that slow and still stay upright. I’m sure it’s a lesson I would have learned sooner or later, but all I have to say right now is THANK YOU ROLLERS.

Here we are being cute and adorable before the ride:

Here’s the cute Chef and I before the ride (he did the 100k on Saturday and the 50k on Sunday placing 2nd on both days – he’s bummed because he still only has 30% vision in his left eye from his lasik/bike crash injury and can’t see well enough to race the crits):

And here’s the Martini Twins making a stop on the way home from the ride:

We rode past this building and felt obligated to stop in for a martini. But since we didn’t know the secret knock and realized that the building didn’t have any windows, we hopped on our bikes and drove back to our hotel as fast as possible.

Here we are in true Martini Twins form back at the hotel – Daisy’s butt added for extra cuteness (in case you were wondering, dogs like to lick salty legs):

Then later that night we put on our party dresses and took the hubbands out for a nice dinner. It just so happens that we went shopping the weekend before and bought several of the exact same dresses (fashion show coming soon).

We even walked Daisy cute:

Then after we got home I dressed Donkey up in Michael’s Tulsa Tough shirt – he was quite handsome, I must say.

Team Martini tied for 41st place out of 288 and finished in 2:07 – I think that is around 15.5 mph. Not bad for no hill training or even hardly training at all. It was a fun weekend and the Martini Twins are already planning their next run, ride and possibly tri. Except that whole swimming thing is freaking me out a bit.

Donkey wears a t-shirt from Runner Susan on Vimeo.

Tulsa Tough report is on the way soon!

Donkey is terrified of the rock. He hides under the table if he thinks we are going to make him get near it. He’s even more afraid of the rock than he is of vacuum cleaners. I have no clue why. Maybe he’s afraid someone will mistake him for a goat? If we leave him in the back alone he spends all his time on the complete opposite side of the yard. We’re working with him to be one with the rock. This is progress, but I don’t think it’s completely working. The second Michael gets up, Donkey darts back under the table.

My friend Marta and I took the Aussies to the dog park this morning . . . and what a blast, I’ve never seen the Aussies so happy.

Oh, and I also ran 20 miles yesterday (not 24, shut up David) at an 11:27 pace. Not the pace I was looking for, but more on that later.

It’s such a busy month. We celebrate Michael, Kenza and Donkey’s birthdays and Mother’s Day all just a few days apart. Michael got a lovely leather bracelet, and Donkey got a lovely hat, which he doesn’t think is so lovely.

And on Monday Cherry Berry had surgery to repair her severely luxating patella. It was a lengthy and painful 3.5-hour surgery and she really isn’t acting like she had surgery at all – which is bad – because having an active, 3-legged dog with a giant cone on its head herding you is a little annoying and really, really not so good for the furniture.

To add to the loving chaos my parents will be in town this weekend for Kenza’s birthday party. A birthday swim party, complete with eleven eleven-year-old girls. I can’t believe my baby turns 11 on Friday. ELEVEN. This past year she’s grown more than any year I can remember. She’s just as tall (or short) as I am and she has already surpassed my shoe size and is able text message faster than you can blink an eye. She’s very proud of her texting skills, especially since Mom stinks at texting.

Mom also stinks at running. Last week I had a good week of very slow wogging on the Sunshine PIMP. But this week isn’t so sunshiny. The ankle is mostly better, but now I have a very mysterious pain in the bottom of my left foot beneath my fourth toe. It was really bad this morning and I had to only walk on my heel for a good ten minutes or so. I’m not sure what it is but it comes and goes and is making me insane. And all this birthday cake is making for a FAT Runner Susan. Woe is the Runner Susan. Woe.

I love it when his tongue does this.

Or, when good dogs get stuck in the automatic irrigation system.

I did attempt to run my 15 miles yesterday. I made it 4.29 before my medulla oblongata, my sinus cavity and several of my teeth dropped into throat and forced me to stop. The same thing happened Saturday, however I only made it .61 miles of my attempt at a 1-mile run and was forced to use a Januarathon qualifiable sick day. I personally think I should get bonus miles for running near death, but that wasn’t in the original rules.

But on to more pressing things. This is Cherry. She’s a black tri Australian Shepherd – which, I believe, is fancy for Super Mutt. From what we’ve learned from Donkey, Australian Shepherds are extremely smart, active, gentle, and protective – all reasons why we wanted another one.  Although, Donkey appears to be part Australian Shepherd and part moose, he’s about 30 pounds bigger than most Australian Shepherds, but we don’t tell him that. And Rowdy? Well he’s one part Maltese and one part Romeo. Who doesn’t love themselves a good dose of Rowdy.

I’m not sure why we Americans call them Australian Shepherds; they have nothing to do with Australia. Maybe it’s because they have so many darn cute animals. Someone show me a koala bear that isn’t cute?

Taken by my friend Cindy!

I ran for 30 minutes with Donkey this morning and he got bored because I ran to slow for him. He tugged the leash a million times. I was slightly irritated about that. I’m slightly irritated with the world right now. Of course, it’s easier to stay mad at the world than it is a 75-pound hunka lunka loving donkey. When, when, when is someone going to invent the magical disappearing-hormone pill?