MarathonMum Roundup

There's lots going on at MarathonMum headquarters, which is why the posts have been less than frequent lately. Here's a quick roundup of all the things going on with me right now:

1. British Real Estate Transactions: Having bought and sold a house in the U.S., I can say the following with authority: The British real estate system is downright bizarre. We are in the midst of trying to sell our flat and buy another house (just down the street from this one). The important thing for my American fans to realize is nothing is definite until you get to the pre-closing, which is called the exchange, and happens about a week before the closing (called the completion). Consequently, you get to experience a new kind of hell, like we are at the moment, when you are days away from the exchange and the buyer wants some major last-minute concessions. We've already packed boxes and mentally moved into our new house and now it might not happen at all. Things are much more guaranteed in the U.S.: once your offer is accepted and you've placed your deposit, which happens three days after the offer is put in, it's much less likely that the transaction won't occur. I hate British real estate laws, I really do. We're trying to stay positive about everything at the moment, but it could easily go either way.

2. Running: I have been running, albeit not nearly as frequently as when I was training for the marathon. Last week I actually voluntarily did a hill workout, even though I have no races planned at the moment for the spring. Greenwich Park is great for hillwork, you can't believe the variety of hills from which to choose. Anyway, I was starting up one of the more perpendicular ones, when another bloke was starting as well. "Do you want to do them together?" Now, MarathonMum fans will know that I really hate running with anyone else, but I thought why not. When we finished the first one, he said, "Wow, you're really strong!" and then we went on to do four more. At the end I was ready to pass out and throw up simulataneously. Good times, let me tell you.

3. Go Nova! My alma mater, Villanova University, is currently ranked fourth in collegiate basketball in the U.S. Yeah!! They're having one of their best seasons ever. They're playing so well, I'm tempted to fly back and see a game, but of course, I have to contend with British Real Estate Laws and the possibility of moving. Tonight, Villanova plays Connecticut, who are ranked No. 1, so it'll be a Battle of the Titans. I'm trying to figure out if I can watch the game via the Internet, but I'm not really sure that I have the stamina necessary to start watching at 1 a.m. and stay up until 3 a.m. I might just have to read the recap tomorrow and cheer in my sleep.

4. Chicken Little: MarathonMum's family went out in force to see Chicken Little over the weekend. It got positive reviews all around, though Nicholas thought it was, "A little bit scary."

5. Finally, to all my family and friends who are buried under two feet of snow on the East Coast, remember the final rule: Have fun!