Thanksgiving all year long

It's Crockpot season, and I have a recipe that will have you thanking me all winter long.

It's called Chicken and Stuffing, and it's as easy to make as its simple name implies. Ben and I spent five minutes prepping Monday night, and threw the pot in the fridge over night. On Tuesday morning, we covered the ingredients with dry stuffing and some melted margarine and set the Crockpot on the 10-hour setting.

When we got home, it was like Thanksgiving. We had some garlic mashed potatoes (instant) as a side to our chicken and stuffing.

So here's the recipe. Try it, and I bet you'll thank me.

Ben got me a dog!

I wish. This is Cyrus, my sister's adorable puggle. My sister, her man Tony and Cyrus stayed with us this weekend.

Another puppy post...sorry.

I have puppy fever.

On Friday night during a lovely dinner with another couple -- proud owners of Panda, a Papitese -- I dominated half the conversation about wanting a dog.

They gave us the name of their breeder, and I have been daydreaming about a future Morkie or Malti-poo every since. They are both cute, non-shedding dogs. The puggle still pulls at my heartstrings.

I know the barriers to not getting a dog:
--Ben says not yet.
--Although our rental contract stipulates we can have a pet for a monthly fee, our landlord has changed his mind. He can ignore serious fixes the house needs -- including a front door we asked for when we moved in a year and a half ago -- but he won't allow a five-pound puppy to live in our home? Where are his priorities?

Barriers aside, I still want one. And I think there is no harm in looking at classifieds and various breeders' Web sites until I get a dog.

What happens post 26.2?

There I am at mile 26, still smiling.

On Sunday, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon and finished the 26.2-mile race in 4 hours, 20 minutes -- my personal best. I have only run one other full marathon, and that was three years ago.

It wasn't an easy race. It rained between miles 3 and 13. And not some mist, either. Ponds formed in the road. My hands got so cold that when my shoelace came undone at mile 8, I couldn't get my fingers to work to tie it. After two minutes, I asked a spectator if he would kindly double-knot my shoe. He did, and I wish I got his name. I'd write him a thank-you letter. My soaked shorts and T-shirt stuck to my skin. And my shoes were water-logged within the first few miles.

Crummy weather aside, I had fun. And I would run the Twin Cities Marathon again in the same weather conditions in a heartbeat. I might wear gloves, though.

The best thing about the marathon was having those I love come out and support me. They cheered me on like I was a rock star athlete -- at least in their eyes -- for a few hours one day. At mile 7, Ben showed up on his bike. He shouted and made certain every runner near me knew I was his wife. A few steps later, my cousin Stef and good friend Britt cheered me on. They were soaked, too, but didn't mind standing in the rain to see me run by. I saw them near miles 17, 21 and the finish. My friends Naomi and LeAnn showed up, too.

And the spectators I didn't know -- who cheered me on by yelling out my bib number or the color of my shirt. The ones who reminded me there was a cool T-shirt at the end. The ones who told me that I looked great and it would all be over in a few more miles. The one who didn't know me, but got down on his knee and tied my shoe anyway.

I was happy to cross the finish line Sunday. But within a few hours, I was mourning the end of training and having the marathon behind me. What happens next?

Today I signed up for a half-marathon that I will run with my friend LeAnn on Oct. 25. I hope to run the Fargo Marathon in May. And Ben and I plan to sign up for the Chicago Marathon in October 2009. .

Running is in my blood. It relieves my stress. It boosts my confidence. It almost guarantees that I will get to spend time with my good friend Naomi every week (we're running soul mates, though she's the faster runner of the couple). And when I'm running around the lake or along the river by myself, it's a time when I get to think of only myself. There are no outside demands -- it's just me and the sound of my feet hitting the pavement.

It's my thing.

Twin Cities Marathon

So I'm running the Twin Cities Marathon Sunday. Yep, all 26.2 miles of it.

So if you're interested in watching 10,000 runners race from Minneapolis to St. Paul, come on out. We could use all the cheers and good wishes we can get.

Must-have luxuries

I know what luxury is: It's car windows that roll up and down.

For years, my windows have not worked. The one has refused to roll up 100 percent since my senior year in high school. The other window doesn't roll up at all. It's like the motor has died (I have power windows). In May, my mom rolled the window down. Big mistake -- BIG. Now, it's stuck about a half-inch from the top. You might be wondering how bad a gap a half-inch really can be. Well, let me tell you:

--when it rains, I get wet.
--you cannot go through car washes. I learned this the hard way. I was in Blaine covering a murder when, before I returned to work, I thought I should treat my 98 Pontiac Grand Am beauty to a little bath. At first, the water is just a sprinkle. But within seconds, it turns into a soapy downpour. Dressed in all black that day, I trudged into the office with some soap spots. One, in particular, covered my butt. Fortunately, I was dry by the time I got to work. I used a bag to soak up some of the water in the seat. And I turned the AC on full blast.

Yesterday I drove Ben's 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee into work. I felt powerful, on top of the world, luxurious behind the wheel. Best of all, I could roll down the window to use my pass to get into the ramp. I've had to open my door since I started using the ramp -- which was February -- because of the window.

Why was I in Ben's wheels? Winter's comin', and I can't deal with a window that is perpetually open. So it was in the shop -- where it still sits today -- to get fixed. By the end of today, I'll have a new $300 luxury -- a car window that opens and closes.