Muddy Buddies

Last Friday night we spent the night in Athens, GA. We got up Saturday morning, drove to the middle of nowhere, turned left, and at length, arrived at the Tough Mudder racecourse. This was an eleven or twelve-mile run with 21 obstacles, most of them involving feats of strength or the willingness to get completely filthy. There were, like, at least a thousand people with this willingness.

Matt and his gang had trained, prepared, and purchased performance fabrics. They gathered as a group, listened to pep talks, and had to climb over a wall to even begin the race. As they ran away from the start, I was giddy with pleasure at not having to do it myself. But then it started to look like they were really having fun.

Splash.

Just dudes in mud.

Then, after Matt and his friends were all wet and slicked in mud, it was kind of, um, hot, and I realized the full eye-candy potential of this whole scene.

Ceremonial finish-line sweatbanding.

Then they got handed beer.

Then shower time.

Matt and his friends made it through in good style. He felt like his training had been good, he had something left in the tank, and nothing hurt too bad. Nobody liked the electric shocks though.

If I'd been thinking that the race looked really fun, the electrical component was a deal breaker for me.

Hank loved the whole scene.

Muddy family.

And somehow I was really tired after all of this, even though I didn't do anything. I did step in an ant bed though. My struggles! And then we set out for a night at the beach and Hank threw up all over the inside of the car as we passed through Statesboro but it all turned out okay.

If you are into it, there are more mud pics here. 

And then yesterday, my brother-in-law Jason did this down in Sydney. Only it is autumn there. Crazy! These boys and their games.

Pretty Much All Downhill from Here

Brrr! Pool's open, y'all.

Laura is still with her friend at the beach, and this morning I packed Hank off to Stone Mountain with his buddy for the day. Then I went to play tennis under a blue sky. While I was there, it dawned on me that Fabienne was on her way over to clean. I said to my friends, "Girls, listen. Other women are caring for my children. Yet another woman is cleaning my house. This is really pretty much the peak for me and I don't expect that it can get any better." They all affirmed me, with sisterly satisfaction.

Oh, and even the dog is away. She stayed at the mountain house for doggy spring break with Mom and Dad.

Thank God we don't have to deserve the good things that happen to us.

You know?

Then I stopped by the pool, just because it was open, and snapped this pic. Then I had lunch with Matt. Now I'm going to go get my car headlight replaced. I called the auto place to inquire as to whether they could fit me in, and the guy goes, "Well if we have the right bulb, it will take about fifteen minutes. If we have to order it, it will take about thirty minutes." I was like, whoa, where are you ordering it from, magic man? Next door?

I just talked to Laura on the phone. She is having a fabulous time. They rode their bikes to Seaside and saw the house from The Truman Show. Then she saw Reese Witherspoon in a bar. Another mother might have asked, "What were you doing in a bar?" But I was all, "OMG REEEESE!"

I am pretty sure we would be best friends if she would just call me.

Tonight, Hank, Matt, and I will get on the road to head down to his Tough Mudder race. That will be in the morning. I had to sign a waiver to watch this thing. I will keep you informed.

You please do the same. xoxo