Prayers For The People Of Aurora

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Coco

In times of true tragedy, I turn to the Bible and the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer. I find that the words express what I want to say, and what I need to hear.

From the Prayers of the People:

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.

Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

A prayer for the departed:

O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our brother (sister). We thank you for giving him to us, his
family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on
our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion,
console us who mourn. Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue
our course on earth, until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A prayer for parents (and others who are grieving):

Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding: Deal graciously with (Parents) in their grief.
Surround them with your love, that they may not be
overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your
goodness, and strength to meet the days to come; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted in My Faith | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Wet In The City

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Coco

This week I had a quick business trip to New York City for a meeting on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, I took an early afternoon Acela so I could meet a friend for dinner. As the train approached the city I could see flashes of lightning in the sky. I figured we were in for a quick afternoon storm, but I grossly underestimated the situation.

When I got out of the train station, this is what I saw:

It was pouring, and the sidewalk was flooded with puddles several inches deep. People making a run for it looked like they were wading up to their knees!

I waited it out for about 1/2 hour, and then finally bought one of those $5 umbrellas from the newstand. Just then, the skies opened up for another deluge, so I kept waiting under the building overhang while I assessed the taxi situation. The storm had blown over the taxi queue dividers, and there was a free-for-all of people racing to be the first into the few taxis that were stopping. Once a bit of organization was restored and the rain slowed to a heavy rain, I got into the newly forming queue and waited for another 20 minutes until I finally got in a taxi. In my rush, I threw all of my bags on the seat, and then realized that water was pouring off the umbrella into my lap. Ugh!

I gave the taxi driver the address of my hotel, but apparently that was not a good decision. The last time I stayed at this hotel I walked from Penn Station, but I noticed that we were going much farther than I would have walked–even on a nice day. I finally realized that he had confused the street number I had given him with the cross street, and was heading about 32 streets too far! Luckily I noticed this when we only had gone about 15 blocks past my hotel.

By this time, the situation was so ridiculous that I didn’t even think of being mad. I remembered that Carla (@MizFitOnline) had an even more bizarre lost taxi driver experience in New York City, and so I decided to celebrate the detour in honor of her birthday. 🙂

https://twitter.com/Got2Run4Me/status/225702965644783617

When I made it to my hotel, I changed into one of their crazy bathrobes while I used the hairdryer to dry my dress.

By the time my dress was dry enough to put on again, it was time to meet my friend for dinner. It was still raining, but barely. After being fourth in line for a taxi for 10 minutes, I decided to walk to the restaurant, which was about a mile away. My friend already was there waiting for me, and I was more than ready for some girlfriend time!


We had a lovely dinner, and she was nice enough to walk back to my hotel with me, to extend our time together.

Do you have a crazy lost taxi story?

Have you ever had to dry your clothes with a hotel hair dryer?

Posted in Life | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Product Review: Bengay Zero Degrees

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Coco

A few weeks ago, BENGAY® reached out to me to let me know about their new product, BENGAY® Zero Degrees™.

 

According to BENGAY®, it is “the first and only topical pain reliever that can be stored in the freezer, combining the instant sensation of ice with the long-lasting, pain relief of BENGAY® Gel.” I was intrigued, and since my physical therapy exercises sometimes leave me with achy spots, I told them I would be happy to try a sample.

As you can see from the picture, the product comes in a dispenser that looks like deodorant, and it works the same way as a cream or gel deodorant dispenser–you turn the dial at the bottom, gel comes out at the top, and you just rub it on where you need it. 

As they say:

Developed with a unique, no-mess stick delivery system, BENGAY® Zero Degrees™ starts to soothe tired muscles on contact with a vanishing scent that begins to disappear in minutes.

I keep the product stashed in the freezer and have tried it several times. It definitely feels cool going on, and the scent does dissipate quickly.

I usually use Biofreeze, so I decided to compare the two. I applied approximately equal amounts to each calf, and tried to notice any differences. At first, they both felt about the same–except for the coolness of the frozen BENGAY® Zero Degrees™. They both smelled about the same, and they both “tingled” about the same. The sensation seemed to last about the same length of time. Menthol is the active ingredient in both products, and BENGAY® Zero Degrees™ is a 5% formulation, while Biofreeze is a 3.1% formulation.  Pricing them on Walgreens.com, they seem to cost about the same ($14-15 for 3 oz.).

The bottom line: I like the BENGAY® Zero Degrees™ product. When I run out of my sample and my supply of Biofreeze, I certainly would consider buying it, especially if I can find it at a local store.

FTC Notice: I was provided with a free sample of BENGAY® Zero Degrees™.  This review reflects my own personal opinion of the product.

How do you care for your sore muscles?

Have you ever braved an ice bath?

Posted in Fitness, Product Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Simple Gazpacho

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Coco

When my Mom called me in a panic over the number of tomatoes ripening on the vine in her yard, I knew it would be a perfect time to make gazpacho.

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Posted in Food | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Running Any Day Of The Month

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Coco

This is not a sponsored post, but it should be. At least then you might understand why I am writing about feminine hygiene products. 😉

Since I am a pre-menopausal woman and a runner, I sometimes run at an inconvenient time of the month. I am lucky that I don’t get cramps that keep me sidelined–and my family is lucky that I can get a dose of endorphins to counteract those moody hormones! Although that time of the month makes running more complicated, I have found two products that help keep me running any day of the month, even when Aunt Flo is visiting.

The first product is the Tampax® Compak line. As described on the website, they are full-sized (with a full-sized plastic applicator), but packaged in about half the size. They are small enough so that I can fit several in my fuel belt pocket, and I even can tuck one in that little pocket that is built into most of my running shorts.

The second product is Always Feminine Wipes in the individually wrapped packaging. These are useful anytime of the month, and especially good to have on hand if you have to brave the port-a-pottys before a race. They also are small enough to fit in a fuel belt pocket and I probably could squeeze one into that small shorts pocket.

Does your period interfere with your fitness routine?

What euphemism do you use to refer to TTOM?

Posted in Fitness, Product Reviews | Tagged , | 8 Comments