Team Fox Website LIVE!!

       Today is a day of mixed emotions.  Being from a small town where everyone knows everyone and grew up knowing everyone things seem to hit you harder when tragedy strikes, even more when it happens back to back.  On Friday, a rather funny individual who you couldn’t help but laugh with passed away in a tragic car accident who was only a year older than me, and was a cousin to my cousins (from the other side of my mom’s family).  On Sunday we celebrated a wedding shower for Betsy while part of her family had to leave a little bit early to go to the viewing.  It was bitter sweet to be celebrating while morning at the same time.  Word yesterday started to circle that sister friends of mine from high school, their mom passed who had been battling cancer.  She was good friends with my mom in high school as well.  Sometimes we take for granted the support of a small town, and tough times like this make me appreciate people who have surrounded me and my family through an ongoing battle and I hope to be there whenever needed for others as much as everyone has been there for us.

On a training note, I must admit I’ve been slacking.  This weekend I spent more time on the road driving I think then anything, but getting to where I was going was worth it. 

Saturday we attended Sophie’s Grade School Bingo Fundraiser.  We had a “vendor” table set up with some of the cards my cousin Carrie got donated and we’d made to help sell with all proceeds going to our fundraising efforts.  Then I played bingo with mom, and I must say it was a learning experience and rather funny.  Mom attempted to be pro since she attended her own school’s bingo event the week before and I did need a little bit of teaching to catch on.  I didn’t realize how serious some of those events were!  I’m kinda a sarcastic person and there were some 100% focused on their B..I..N…G…O..   Mom did bingo!  I lived in the “just one more” category all night.  I told mom if I did it again I needed medicated…the anticipation with my anxiety of needing one more and someone screaming BINGO was enough to exhaust me.  We ended up raising right close to $50 for Team Spangler, so it was great (with lots of cards still left to sell).    I didn’t’ get a run in this day; I assumed nobody would be in favor of me running laps around the gym during the little breaks.

On Sunday, I went to Ritchie County and got to see the Nelson side of the family and it’s always good to catch up.  I do know after all the Kitchen appliances and food accessories Betsy got, I have some high expectations of her baking skills! J  After that I went to visit dad at home.  I tease him, saying his medication must have given him a side effect of liking cats after all these years.  The cats would always run from dad, apparently they knew he wasn’t a fan of theirs.  Now he has the little kittens crawling on him and cuddling up and sleeping the day away next to him, and I’m certain he doesn’t reject too much.  I tried to update dad on all the NYC updates I could think of and say them where he could understand, if any of you know us Spangler girls we can talk 100 words a second when we are excited, but after all these years he’s learned to understand.  (That is until we all start talking that way at the same time, then he says the rule of thumb is to answer when he’s realized we repeated ourselves and star at him which means we expect an answer)  He also has relayed onto the men in our lives if we yell their name, and don’t respond to their “What” it just means come here…..no point in yelling "what" 10 times because we won’t answer.  Right dad?  I have to admit again I slacked today and didn’t’ get a run in as well, so I know this week I need to pull it back together!

Yesterday (Monday) Even though I was quite certain I would get blown away, I put on my “windbreaker” jacket (I really don’t think they break much wind) and took to the road.  I ran the usual route of about 5 ½ miles and honestly it was a little bit of a nicer run then I expected due to thinking it would be a little colder.

I have to tease with my OH friends with this picture…..  Due to living in Xenia, OH for a few years, hills really don’t exist…  I use to say when I first moved there I got lost so often because I could see so many exit signs at once due to it being so flat I’d get overwhelmed at turning on the right ones.  At least in WV we have a hill that separates them all.  So I chuckled to myself a little bit thinking ‘In OH they’d call this a mountain, but back here in WV it’s just a little rolling hill.

I’m heading after work toady to go speak with dad’s Parkinson’s Support group he attended when he could in Parkersburg to talk about the marathon with my sisters.  I do look forward to meeting them all and a few of the ones I’ve chatted with on the phone recently discussing the trials and tribulations.

The BIG NEWS today I want to share is our Team Fox Website is Up and ready for donations! J  I know several have been asking me a direct way to donate…so it’s ready to go!  I’ve got my account linked up now I believe from the events we’ll do etc, that I’ll be able to transfer the money to this….so I’ll hopefully get that done tomorrow to catch up on what I’ve already received. 

Let’s Go Team Spangler!!!  (click below!)

http://www2.michaeljfox.org/site/TR/Sponsored/TeamFox?px=1007327&pg=personal&fr_id=1210