Another Cat!!

Dustin, I'm completely kidding! (My brother has only allowed me to own ONE cat…I don't know what the repercussions will be for the second cat, but he made me promise!)

This is NOT my cat! This is my neighbor's cat…I don't know my neighbor and I don't know this cat's name…but I call him Bo (short for Big Boy). Honestly, he is the biggest (and here I mean fattest) cat I have ever laid eyes on! I've seen photos of so-called 'fat cats' but I haven't really believe that a cat could get that big (you can do wonders with a computer and some PhotoShopping). This guy must weigh in around 20-25 pounds. I'm scared to even pick him up.

So far, Bo and Louie have gotten along just fine. They had a 10 minute nose-to-nose meeting last weekend while my Dad and I were working on the pipe trench.

We worked from mid-day on Friday until Sunday afternoon and pretty much got the whole house ready for the gas company to hook me up. It just took a little measuring, a lot of shopping, some digging, a few turns with the wrenches, a couple of holes drilled in the walls, and then scooting the gas appliances (dryer and range) into place! That makes it sound pretty easy, huh?

Louie kept us entertained by climbing trees in the side-yard and crawling through the trench.

My new 'jobs' at the NTC are picking up speed. I've had three morning sessions of my Masters Swim group and the numbers are staggering! There were about 17 people in the water last Wednesday, 15 on Friday, and about 20 this morning! The catch is…those were the FREE sessions! Now, the question is…how many people will show up on Wednesday when they have to start paying the $25 monthly fee? Keep spreading the word to people in the Clermont/Orlando area…I've got some IM sets written for next time!

Also, keep checking the NTC website (http://www.usantc.com/) for my latest Triathlon Camps! I've been planning, scheduling, preparing, developing, arranging, and setting up (yes, I used a thesaurus) all the pre-camp information. It's time consuming. I can sit down at my computer at noon and not realize how much time has passed until my alarm goes off for afternoon swim practice! (Yes, I set an alarm, even when I'm awake!)

House Photos

Louie was helping my Dad and I determine why the toilet tank in my master bathroom wasn't holding water. He performed all the up-close inspections!

I finally got the big comfy couches put back together and into the living room where they belong. Big Thanks to Dustin for letting me hold onto all his furniture!

With my Dad's help last weekend, we got the bunk beds for my second guest bed room built and in place. I also decided to move some of the black wrought-iron chairs into the room because it was looking sparse. Now I just need a cool rug to tie it all together.

My clothes washer is in place and working in the garage! No, that is not a dryer sitting next to it, that's the kitchen range! Since I don't have the house plumbed for gas yet, no hurry to get it in the kitchen (and the dryer hasn't arrived yet).

These are the awesome bookcases that my Mom and Dad built to divide my huge master bedroom. They are double sided and there will be two more coming out from the other wall. Eventually, the space in between will have some sort of swinging-shutter-door thing.

Breathing Time

Amazing how fast time flies! I have been living in Clermont for almost a month and I think I've posted one or two blogs since taking up residence. Between getting back into training, organizing the first winter camps at the NTC, getting ready to start coaching masters, working on my house, and taking care of a kitten…I guess writing is the first thing that goes out the window. I'm pretty sure that things will eventually settle down (especially with these camps…there is so much front work in the scheduling process) and I will be able to get back to blogging on a regular basis. (Keep in mind, it's as much for myself as for you…I loving going back a few years and reading what I was doing!)

As for training, I'm getting back into a groove. I was on my bike for two hours this morning! It's wasn't pretty or fast (or very comfortable) but I was happy and it was fun. That's what I was waiting for all last month…for the fun to come back into training! I've been attending the Fast Lane swim practices at the NTC again. Unfortunately, I am not going the same speeds that I was back in December…now I'm just happy to make the intervals at the back of the lane. (Not to mention that I have to get out early or risk drowning!) And then there is running. I'm testing my foot out every day and taking it very slowly. With just a few 20 and 30 minute jogs under my belt, I'm not 100% sure how things are going to turn out…but they are still on the 'OK' list right now.

Winter camps at the NTC…did I ever mention that I was hired to organize Triathlon Camps for the National Training Center in Clermont?!? Well, that is what I'm doing with 90% of my non-training time. I've come to realize that putting on camps are very front and back heavy on the work load. After a few weeks of hammering out schedules, getting the times, locations and permission, working on the publicity, and getting the information up on the web…then you just sit back and wait for the camp date (which, of course, is the other very busy time). So if you are interested in ANY type of triathlon camp, check out the NTC's website as I slowly get the camp info hammered out and posted.

Tomorrow is my first day of Masters Swim Coaching at the NTC! It starts at 6am (my alarm is already set) and runs until 7:30am. I'm slightly nervous and quite a bit excited. I have done my best at getting the word out and encouraging people to attend (especially since this session and the next two are FREE)! The details of my first session will surely be the topic of an upcoming blog post:)!

The previous post includes photo proof that I've made some more progress on my house. My Dad came over last weekend with some of the cabinets that will divide my huge master bedroom into an office and bedroom. They, just like the beautiful shutters, were custom built by my Mom! I was able to help a bit with the sanding, construction, and painting on the previous weekend when I visited DeLand.

Finally, Louie is doing great. He's a happy and sweet kitten. On the second day he was already comfortable exploring the whole house and spending time outside when I was not home (I leave the garage door open a few inches for him to scamper in and out). So far he can't even eat a third of the canned food for dinner. Which is fine by me (and my wallet…cat food is not cheap:).

Surprise!

Please give a big welcome to LOUIE!!! As I was planning on adopting a cat from the Humane Society this weekend...Louie just beat me to the punch!
I was at the NTC this afternoon for a series of workouts. The plan was a 30 minute jog, then swim practice until 6:30 and then yoga from 7-8pm. Well, I was 10 minutes into my run around the soccer fields when Louie jumped out of a drainage ditch and bounded over to me. He's a beautiful silver/grey color and very friendly.
I couldn't just keep running and leave him there so I snatched him up, carried him to my car and we took a trip to the pet supply store down the road where I picked up some essentials. After that it was a stop around the corner at the vet's office to get him checked out and then I took him to his new home on Carroll Street!
Right now, he's waiting for me in the guest bathroom where I closed him up so he couldn't get into TOO much trouble!
By the way...I'll be waiting for the phone call from my family when they read this post...that's why I included photos so they would fall in love with him right away:)

All 3 pounds of 3 month-old Louie....but I think he'll grow into a hefty boy!

Sound asleep after a few minutes of playing! I think he already knew he was safe and finally had a home.

Exercise…What’s That?

I might not have mentioned this on my blog, but if you didn't figure it out from the complete LACK of exercise-related posts: I took a training break after my last race (Lifetime in July)! With the exception of the 10 days I kicked Matty Reed's butt out in SLO, I have steered clear of everything that might resemble swimming, cycling, and running. It has been amazing! After four great years of racing and training toward the Olympic dream, everyone deserves to step back and find their reasons for competing.

For me, it was the perfect time to take training out of the schedule because I was filling every waking moment with renovations on my house. Never before have I ever fallen asleep so quickly at night withOUT a hard training session during the day…which is why I now consider laying wood floors, cleaning tile, and painting walls all new forms of strength training! You try holding you arm over your head with a roller full of paint for more than a few seconds…and you'll see what I mean!

But that still leaves me quite out of shape in regards to my main 'job'. So, today, I am pleased to announce that I swam two thousand yards in the pool! See how I make that sound like such an accomplishment, just by spelling out the words…it wouldn't look half as impressive if I just typed 2000y…right? On Wednesday, I walk/jogged four laps around the track (see, if I just said one mile, that wouldn't have sounded as far!) and I followed that grueling workout with a 1500y swim.

Watch out world, I'm coming back with a vengeance! It might help if I actually had my bikes here…but of course they are still in DeLand at my parent's house…oops! I'm driving over there this weekend to pack up a few more things (bikes included), do my laundry, help my Dad install a huge shutter job, help my Mom with my bedroom/office bookshelves, and just visit.

Swing On By

The list of visitors to my Carroll Street house is growing. The first non-McLarty inside was my across-the-street neighbor, Bertha. Bertha has lived in that house with her family for almost 50 years and she is a spunky ol'gal! We always have a chat in the street if we happen to be outside at the same time…getting mail, garbage, etc.

After Bertha, it was Martha Scott. She came over and helped with the massive living room paint job. Over half of the beautiful yellow walls were done by Martha and her paint-roller.

If you don't count the propane guy and the natural gas guy that came inside to check out the range and dryer locations, Beth and Robert were my next visitors on Monday. I had a very successful cleaning frenzy on Sunday night to make the place presentable…and I did so much and made it so live-able that I actually haven't done much more since that night!

Dad and I screwed the newly-upholstered chair backs and seats on to the wrought-iron dining room sets. We carried in the 10-ton glass table top. I put felt pads on the bottom of EVERYthing to prevent scratches and black streaks on my beautiful and clean tile floors. I made a little living room arrangement with some of the wrought iron couch pieces and then got to work with the vacuum in every room.

And then my guests showed up! I gave them the 'grand' tour…which lasted all of 30 seconds…they 'ohhh-ed' and 'ahhh-ed' in all the right places and then we just sat and chatted until our tummies let us know it was lunch time. At my suggestion we went to a good Mexican place down the road where I was impressed with the food on my previous visit. Nothing is better after Mexican than ice cream…unless it's CUSTARD! It was a nice surprise to find a Ritter's here in town and I will find any excuse to visit…so be prepared if you are dropping by!

My First Set-Back

(as a result of my limited internet access and laziness, this post was actually written about a week ago:)

So, I just realized that it's actually the second set-back of the remodeling experience if you count the A/C conking out on me last week. But today's drama was a disaster that was narrowly avoided…and it was ALL my Dad's fault!

Let me start at the beginning and give a little recap on the latest developments. As you know, we have been working in the kitchen installing some appliances and new counters. Of course we are doing things the 'McLarty' way which involves buying a product and then reinforcing and enhancing it before actually using it. In this case, I'm talking about the 10 or 20 extra wood blocks that my Dad screwed into the cabinets and walls before putting the counters on top of the cabinets.

Well, one of those screws happened to go right through the middle of a quarter-inch copper pipe that fed water to the ice-maker in the fridge!! No kidding…talk about wrong place, wrong time! But, he had NO clue at the time…the pipe was behind a metal plate which was under the sheet-rock which was behind the cabinet which was now behind an extra block of wood!

It was only a few hours later, as we were getting ready to install the dishwasher that he noticed a wet spot on the floor, seeping out from the corner of a cabinet. Locating the problem wasn't easy…I now have a hole cut in the side of a cabinet (you can't see it once the dishwasher is installed) and a hole in the wall (you can't see it either, now that the cabinet is back in place). But, the good news is…I DON'T have a hole in my pipe anymore!

Unfortunately, the work that ensued from the water leak put us slightly behind schedule and I now expect the kitchen to be finished on Sunday (not including the range). The master bath will also be completed tomorrow (no including the vanity top or shower). I'm so proud of how everything has turned out…I've taken photos the whole way through and the before-and-after shots are just stunning…this could be have been on Extreme Home Makeover:)!!

I must include a huge THANK YOU to my parents who have been amazing with their time and energy to help me make this dream a reality! The other day I realized that this is what I have dreamed about for a long time…every since I was a little girl. For some people, it's a 'big day', for others it's a world vacation…but I've always pictured how my own house would look. What I would do with the inside…What colors I would paint…Where I would hang things on the walls…How the plants would be arranged outside (Okay, so I'm not to the outside, yet!)...etc, etc.

My best friend, Beth, and her husband, Robert, are stopping by on Monday (9/7) for a visit! YEAH, my first 'visitors'! They are going to be driving from his parent's house on the West coast of FL to her parent's house on the East coast. I just happen to be right smack-dab in the middle, how convenient.

But, forgetting all the visitor excitement, I've got to get my house presentable! There are tools all over the place, dirt and construction dust in every room, and half of my furniture is still living in the garage! At least the Monday event has given me a deadline to have all the basics (like a couch and dining room table) in place…wish me luck!

Today’s Observations

1. I tend to get carried away…especially when it comes to remodeling a house. But, I couldn't have told you that until last month, when I started getting carried away remodeling this house!
   
2. Why do people put paper in drawers and cabinets that STICKS?? I mean, I'm all for protecting the surfaces…but doesn't it defeat the whole purpose when you have to take a jackhammer to the shelves when you want to get the paper OFF?? I just spent an entire day trying to scrape some gross old paper off of my kitchen cabinets…after a few hours I just gave up on the whole process, nuked them all with disinfectant and decided to cover them with some MORE paper! (Well, non-sticky rubber mats to be exact…I wouldn't wish another removal disaster on my worst enemy:)!
   
3. Not having internet access SUCKS! Depending on what angle you are looking at it…because if you want to get non-computer related things accomplished (like remodeling a house) not having internet access is GREAT! I have so much more time every day when I can't sit down at my desk and read blogs, shop online, and write emails. Which brings me to my next observation:
   
4. My back HURTS! I had the idea of remodeling my house from 'top to bottom'…which makes sense if you don't want to clean the same areas more than once. So, it's gotten to the 'bottom' point and I swear that I canNOT bend over anymore. I can't sit on the floor without back support anymore! I just can't do ANYmore! Which brings me to:
   
5. I'm DONE…with the floor…all of it! I cleaned my last lines of grout this morning and then applied my last strokes of grout sealer this afternoon. All the wood floors were done a long time ago. I painted the last section of base board yesterday. Now I'm going to take some Advil and only do things that I can accomplish at a standing level!
   
6. I have eaten more microwave dinners in the past week than in the rest of my entire life! This is not by choice…I LOVE to cook fresh and wholesome foods. This is because only the microwave and refrigerator are operating at my house:)! To be more specific, only the microwave is installed. The fridge is chillin' out here in my living room…waiting for the counter-tops to be installed before we can wheel it into its slot between the cabinets. And, to be even more specific…BOTH fridges are chillin' in the living room! Did I mention that I purchased some new appliances? Oh yeah…microwave, fridge, and dishwasher!
   
7. No kitchen stove at the moment. Okay, you want specifics again: the stove is also in the living room, hanging out with the dishwasher. But that's the OLD stove, I want a new stove. But not just any ol'stove. I've got my mind set on one powered by natural gas or propane (much more energy efficient) which requires ordering a tank and getting my house wired for gas services. (Reminder: read observation #1 again if you have any questions regarding this decision.)
   
8. I'm making a lot of green additions to my house. The easiest was getting the compact florescent lights for as many outlets as I could. I've got CFL's in the bathrooms, guest bedrooms, living room, and outside lights. Unfortunately, a few of the fixtures that came in the house (kitchen, dining, hall, my bedroom) don't fit with CFLs. I plugged one into my bedroom fan and then tried putting the light cover back on and it hit the bottom of the light bulb…hummmm!
   

   When my first electric bill came from Progress Energy there was a flyer inside that explained their 'EnergyWise' program. If you volunteer (like I have) for this program, they send an electrician to your house who installs some 'switches' to you A/C and water heater. These switches are controlled by the power company and they are able to turn off the power to your appliances when there is a high demand on the power grid (like mornings and dinner times). Apparently, people who are part of the EnergyWise program don't even notice that anything is different…but they DO notice the rebate on their power bills (yes, that was also an incentive for me to join:).
   

   See #7 for my desire to have a more energy efficient stove…gas uses less than half the energy of electric models. And, I grew up with a propane oven/stove so that is what I know how to cook with…not to mention the more precise heat control so I can cook like a pro (when I'm no longer moving dinner from the freezer to the microwave to my stomach). My new fridge replaces the old, out-dated model that was pre-Energy Star ratings…also, it just leaked cold air out the bottom of the door where the gasket had disintegrated.
   

And last, but certainly not the least…#9. I am extremely out of shape! Yesterday I got in the pool for the first time in over three weeks and it was slightly embarrassing. 1000 yards and I was done. I could barely hold my breath off the walls for one stroke. My muscles and joints we creaking and popping (more than normal:). That was the first thing related to triathlon training that I have attempted since I was in San Luis Obispo with Matty Reed before the Olympics. Yep, my bike is still in the bike box…I should probably start thinking about building it up and moving it over here to Clermont. Or, maybe not…do I really want to re-start my training in the hilliest city in Florida?