"The sky looks like cake batter"

That's what my 15-year-old granddaughter said yesterday as we were driving home from the library. The sky was churning with all colors in the gray scale and this is the image that came to her mind. She's from California (central coast) and is awestruck by the massive sky here in Wyoming.

She's on her cell phone constantly, talking to friends, texting, taking pictures of everything that catches her fancy, including a pair of pink and black mod-style flipflops at the mall; she sent the photo to her friend in CA who LOVES that style (Nessa wouldn't be caught dead in pink...she has a self-proclaimed "skater/surfer" style). Other photos include: the front of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, a lightning storm, a stringer of rainbow trout she caught on her first day here. She's a real shutterbug, just like her grandma.

So, like, is this cute, or what...

Run, Luana! Run!

Last year I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and that put an end to my running. The result? I gained 15 pounds over the winter, despite almost daily workouts on the elliptical. Sheesh!

Add to that an addiction to reality TV. I had become a human sloth.

So I'm taking control of my life. No more ice cream, cake and cookies. No more chips and soda. No more sitting around watching "America's Next Top Model" marathons on Bravo.

I am eating healthier foods and nixing the lumber jack portions. I'm also starting my running program again and doing the elliptical on the days I don't run. I bought some new Sauconys and now that it's summer I can do early morning runs. A few short years ago my routine was to get up early while it was still dark and go for a run before work. I was so dedicated that I'd run in any weather...even blizzard conditions.

Here's where my running program started going down hill (pun intended):

October 2005: I twisted my knee in a run. It was so bad I could hardly walk, much less run. After several months, I was able to run again. But I had to be careful.

October 2007: While running, I was attacked by a dog that chewed up the flesh behind my left knee. That set me back several weeks and as winter kicked in, I totally lost my stamina.

April 2008: The heel of my right foot started hurting when I ran. It was plantar fasciitis. I couldn't run for several months. I still have to do stretches and wear shoes with arch support. No more going around the house barefoot.

Now, over a year later, my plantar fasciitis is pretty much healed (pun intended), but I've discovered I have tendonitis! Nevertheless, I'm going to run again. It won't be like it was in my glory days, but at this point I'll take what I can get.

In the words of George Costanza: "I'm back, baby!"