Psych hospitals are not summer camps. thursday 13.

Dear Diary,

13.  This week I actually started feeling like an athlete again.  It started last week on Tuesday when I joined a bunch of the Albuquerque Roadrunners for the weekly La Luz run training.  I'm now able to keep most of the runners in sight.  They don't get so far ahead of me that I'm alone in the wilderness. 

12.  Friday, we found out that one of our local running shops was going out of business :-(
and they were selling their stuff 50% off  :-)
Sweet Baboo and I met over there after work.  Turns out the skinny bitches had already made a run on the place, so what was left was for me: I snapped up some Moving Comfort size L shorts, coupla bras, coupla running tops.  Oh, and there was a pair of women's size L CWX compression running tights.  My old ones had a hole in them.  Awesome!

11.  I've discovered that the perfect shoe for me is a man's size 8D running shoe.  Seriously.  I put in 16 miles over the weekend in a pair of men's New Balance 759s, size 8D, are my perfect running shoes.  Not a single hotspot.  

10.  Sunday, we went for a 10 mile run up in Northern New Mexico.  It was a nice out-and-back that went from 9200 feet up to 10200 feet.  Up that high, it was cool out. 
Most of the trail was totally runnable, but there were a few marshy areas where my feet were completely soaked.  Quite a few stream crossings, too.  The fun part was when we were headed into the last mile down to the parking lot, and there were people walking up the trail toward the lake, which is about a 1-mile walk.  They were huffing and puffing and asking us if the lake was very much further? and women were fanning themselves. 

9. Very soon, monsoon rains will begin.  These occur on and off throughout July and August, and comprise about half of our annual rainfall here.   

8.  Gosh, I can't believe how much fitness I lost over the spring semester.  After Sunday's 10 mile run, my body was kind of in shock, like I'd run a marathon.  I'd fall asleep, and then leap up and eat a whole bunch.  then sleep, then leap up and again.  It was weird. Clearly, I have a lot of work to do. 

7.   The weather report says it's raining outside right now.  It is not.  Is there someone I call?

6.  Current weight: 156, and holding steady. 

5.  My MIL is coming next week.  She is someone I truly like spending time with.  I realized, I needs to do me some cleaning.  Sweet Baboo will be at the Leadville Training camp this weekend (I can't go, since it encompasses two work days getting there and coming back) so my weekend will be spent cleaning.  Luckily, I love to clean the Dream House. It's one of my favorite things. 

4. Each week at work seems to have a theme.  Last week was "can I drop off my irritable teenager week," to which I replied, uh, NO, this is a psychiatric hospital, not a summer camp.  This week seems to be the week of kids who are truly, truly in distress. 

3.  Speaking of which, I'm going to get on my soapbox here for a moment.  "Moody" does not need to be medicated.  Teenagers, by virtue of their developmental level, naturally frequently change from zero to bitchy in a matter of minutes, and then back to happy just as fast.  It doesn't mean they're bipolar.
Bipolar disorder requires actual, real MANIA, which involves euphoria and at least a full day or more giddiness and sleeplessness, that losing sleep that THEY DO NOT MISS.  If a kid stays up all night, and then is tired and cranky, or sleepy the next day, that is not mania.  If a kid has a pissy, negative outlook, that is not mania. If a kid stays up all night to play video games with a friend who's sleeping over, that's not mania. 

Bipolar disorder is all the rage now, and they are giving kids very heavy-duty antipsychotic drugs with very serious possible side effects to control them. If someone is trying to diagnose your angry, oppositional kid as bipolar without mania, find someone else.  Of the 100+ kids I've seen come through with "bipolar disorder," I've only seen 4 that actually had it. 
It's a fad.  Ride it out.  Luckily, in my job, I get to change their diagnosis to something more appropriate.

2.  On a completely unrelated note, much to my embarassment, I discovered this week that when your toenail turns black, there's actually black stuff in there.  This was discovered during a pedi this week.  ew.  I know.  You're welcome for the visual.   

1.   I've been asked to put up a picture of Chloe., who I can't stop calling Sadie.  I've been trying, but she's very very wiggly.  it's hard to get a picture of her.  Here's what I have so far.  Enjoy.

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