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The last couple of years have been hectic, work-wise, such that my workaholic nature easily amassed a large PTO balance, since I never really took any time off, even given that I had to eat my PTO balance down to 0 when my daughter was born. Our company has a limit of 120 hours that you can carry over from year to year. I started the year with 119.

Did some math tonight. Given my accrual pace and the limited amount of PTO I’ve taken thusfar this year, I need to take 15 days between now and the end of the year just to break even to the 120 barrier again. Plus I’m taking a week of training at the end of August that doesn’t count towards those 15. So, we’re talking a month away from my various projects in the next six. Uh, I think I’ll be losing vacation time. Damn.

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The itch is back. Never really went away. Just went dormant for a while. 26.2 is calling me. Calling me to what looks like an impossible goal, at least in terms of aiming for this fall. My longest run of late has been 4. My brain’s sick enough to say, well that’s already 1/6 of the beast. (My brain also tends to give me the benefit of a few more miles after a long run: I’d rather not peter out 2.6 miles before end end.) I’m registered for a ten miler at the end of August on the theory that I’ve somehow gotta be able to run 10 miles then to be able to run 26.2 in October’s local marathon.

Jason’s out of town this weekend, else I’d push the 4 to at least 5 and maybe 6 depending on my hubris. I have hopes of waking up before the girlies tomorrow and putting in some miles on the treadmill, though treadmill running for me is a wonderful exercise in complete and total boredom in which I never seem to accomplish the miles that I intend. Put me out on the road or on the trail and I’ll make the distance, particularly if I don’t have to do multiple rounds around a loop where I get to make a decision to stop at some point. N miles is best done in an n/2 out and back kind of setup. Then I only really need to aim to get to n/2: after that n is inevitable, given that I gotta get home somehow.

Thinking/scheming tonight: half-marathon in October locally, full marathon on a flatter course in November near my sis. But then there’s no real backup plan: if I stick to the plan as-is right now, November can be my backup. Better get to bed, so the plan of the run in the morning can hold true, regardless.

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Our Sunday school class (19 or so 1st and second graders show up each Sunday) is examining the 10 commandments over the summer quarter. We’re up to #3 – not taking the Lord’s name in vain. The Israelites took this so seriously as to never say the Lord’s name…. today we typically count ourselves to be “in compliance” if we don’t pronounce any of a variety of curses including the term “God”.

I’m glad I have a lesson plan laid out by a curriculum publisher who’s thought through how to explain this to a group of 1st and 2nd graders, and gotten through the concept of honoring and revering the Lord’s name. Otherwise, my lesson would look something like this: “Here, if you or your parents use this particular term, either out loud or in your mind, you’ve broken the 3rd commandment. This other variation is pushing the limits. Now let’s all practice not saying “!@*!””