100 Miles

Yes, I am still going to the gym. I know you were ALL worried. I haven't faltered from that miraculously despite the cold weather, increase in writing time and not having a partner for work-outs.


My new thing is 100 MILE challenge. I created a chart, hung it in a common room in our house and I am charting how long it will take me to run 100 Miles. I am gunning for 31 days. That is a lofty goal. So far I have run six. It is a start.


I mapped out a radius around my house to see where I would run to  if I ran 100 miles, but there was nowhere more interesting than Rutland, VT. I can't imagine running a hundred miles. People must be enemies to their bodies to run that far. That's why there are cars, bikes, horses, camels, etc. It is pretty great if someone can do that, but work smarter not harder.


Well here is to running 100 miles!

Nothing Funnier than Kids + Lauren + Spoons

2013 Spoons Champion Lauren

Since this blog is called Keeping Life Hilarious I should start being funnier. Lauren came over last week and Christmas. Both times we played Spoons. Spoons is a card game that everyone gets four cards in their hands. The dealer adds a card to his/her hand then passes a card to the player to his/her left. The first person to get four of the same number or face card grabs a spoon. Whoever does not get a spoon is out. It is kind of like musical chairs.

This is the first time I got to see Lauren's competitiveness at work. She won all of the 4-5 games that we played! In one of the last rounds, she actually pushed away Emily's hand to get it. The kids and Lauren and I were in hysterics. Emily made her a trophy spoon and Lauren took it home with her only to return on Christmas with the spoon and we played again!

My partner was in the mix this time and Lauren won again! During the game spoons her misgrabbed and flung into the air only for someone else to grab it. Grown-ups dove across the table to grab a spoon that was knocked across it. People were scratched. It was rough.

We are looking forward to next time Spoons 3.0.

New Adventure: Mudderella

My cousin posted that she was hoping to pull a team together for Mudderella. I thought, "What the heck is this?" Now you need to know I have boycotted the whole "women in their 30-40's doing marathons, iron woman, triathalons, etc." So I checked it out.

Mudderella as seen here is a non-compe
titive 5-7 mile course with over a dozen obstacles. You get really muddy while working as a team to get over, through and under obstacles.

What better event for Lauren and I (along with anybody else) to do together. It would be great training for the Amazing Race, give us some good pictures and footage, and be fun. Most importantly it will give me another reason to get in better shape.

The website offers you ideas of work-outs to do to get ready for the event. The event in is May and the next price cut-off for registration is Jan 15th. I emailed Lauren to see if she would like to do it, but I have not heard back yet. She has been busy covering for me at work and skiing these last few days.

I hope I can get someone to do that with me. I have a few prospects. I will keep you posted.

Goals for New Adventures

Lauren and I have not spent much time together outside of work. That needs to change if we are going to sharpen our team work skills. We need to try new, challenging things together and spend more time together. I decided I need to come up with  list of things that we could do.

1. Go on a road trip. It doesn't have to be too far or too long. 
2. Build something together. A desk, dresser, complicated puzzle.
3. Take a (free) class in something we have never done. Fencing, crochet, laying tile, feeding monkeys, etc.
4. Watch episodes of the Amazing Race together.
5. Talk about our weaknesses and strengths. (Notice out pictures above. I am in sunny weather and her in winter weather.)
6. Work in a stressful environment. (check)
7. Do something where we are conversing with strangers.
8. Work in an environment where we have to sell things or a service. We could volunteer at a booth at some event.
9. Teach each other tactics or skills that we already know but the other person does not.
10. Instill the motto "work smarter not hard."
11. Get someone to set-up a day of traveling and doing obstacles.

I will get some ideas from Lauren and I will keep you posted.

Confident in being a Good Team: Not as Bad a 9 & 11 year old

Lauren and I used a 60 piece, puppy puzzle to show our weakness of putting together puzzles. It took us nine minutes! Two of my kids were making fun of us for it. Lauren spent Christmas with us and brought the puzzle along. It took them over 30 minutes to do it. As long as Lauren and I are up against 9 or 11 year olds we will be fine!

No idea why this picture is here.

The more I work with and get to know Lauren, the better team I think we will make. We know what each other is going to say, we take on tasks equally (with exception to a workforce that she is in charge of) and we enjoy spending time together.

My daughter got a video camera for Christmas, and she said she would film our next video application for the Amazing Race if we don't get on this year. I still haven't given up hope on getting on the show this year!

Letter to The Amazing Race Casting Crew

Dear TAR Casting Crew,

I am sorry to say that your voicemail or email must have gotten lost. That is okay. Lauren and I are available at anytime to fly out and meet you. Just send us an email and we will be there.

Lauren and I have been training and planning for the Amazing Race. I figured I would give you an update on how we are doing.

1. I started this blog to keep me motivated and to let ALL our fans know how things are going. They are all up in arms about why you haven't called us yet. I told them that you are busy, and to be patient.

2. Lauren drove in the snow for the first time during a bad snow storm. Everyone else left work at 2pm, but not Lauren and I. We kicked up our feet, ordered a pizza and waited until the roads were at their worst. Then at 7pm we hopped in our cars. I drove East and she drove South. We turned a 30 minute drive into a 70 minute drive. WE LOOK DANGER IN THE FACE AND LAUGH. HA!

3. I have been working out. I brave the treadmill regularly. I have been bulking up on the weights, because if you saw our video, there is no helping Lauren get upper body strength.

4. I have been funnier lately. Lauren does a joke board at work. We are working on our funny.

5. When we did the video, Lauren and I were only four months into being co-supervisors. We are getting to know each other better. She is spending Christmas with my family and last week she met my kids. She beat them in the card game SPOONS. She is undefeated.

6. I talked a pet store into giving me two bags of dog food for the price of one!

7. I finished writing my second book and I am 80% done with my third. (Nothing to do with TAR but I don't miss an opportunity to do some marketing).

Well that is it for now. So give us a call. We will be the most memorable team. You just watch us! We have the natural chemistry of funny and sweet and competitive.
Sincerely,

Michele (and Lauren)

Lessons from this last season of The Amazing Race

With our application in for this Spring Amazing Race Lauren and I have been watching it from a whole new perspective. We have been watching it from the "what would we do", "how would we do" and what have we learned perspective.

What have I learned from this season?

1. Karma will catch-up to you. The winners of the race had some good karma going for them. Even on the last day of the race Amy (the female contestant on the winning team) took time to help someone with their task.

2. You can never be prepared for everything. Amy wrote things down from pit stop to pit stop and seemed to be very observant. Then the last task was to spell out the currency of the countries they went to. She didn't record that but they still did it and won.

3. Never give up. There could be an elimination ahead.

4. Read the clue. Duh, someone doesn't do this every season. Lauren and I will read it 3 times!

5. Go with a good partner. Someone who will put you down is not someone you want to go with. Get someone who will support you and laugh with you, and can read your mind.

6. Enjoy it.

7. Don't psyche yourself out. If you have to eat something gross, just eat it and pretend it is something you like. If you have to jump off something high, just jump (after you are strapped to a cord or something first). If you have to dress a camel, dress a camel.

8. Avoid animals tasks whenever possible.

9. Hydrate.

10. Don't assume anything & don't underestimate anyone.

11. Don't make enemies. Stay out of the drama.