These last few weeks have been crazy with one big "event" after another. It started with the Run Around Erie race in September -- which was the culmination of a summer-long training program for a group of inner city kids I was working with. They completed the 1-mile race and I could breathe a little easier...one less thing to worry about.

Then a baby shower for a friend. Inviting 25 co-workers to your house is bound to make any woman nervous...is the house clean enough? Do I have time to get new furniture? I should've painted the kitchen...you know...that kind of stuff. But, I calmed my home insecurities the same why I calm my own -- by accepting what is. Love it or not...it's me. A good time was had by all and itty bitty baby clothes and diapers were all appropriately ooohed and aawwwhhhed at.

The last of the big fall events was Saturday -- the Her Times women's 5K (for which I am the race director, i.e. "race queen"). A race is a LOT of work. Thankfully, I have a lot of wonderful friends who all offered their help and support and...now, finally...it's over and I can breathe (and sleep) again.

Saturday's race went well with 500 (YES FIVE HUNDRED) women and children participating. That's a pretty big number when you eliminate half the gender and I was thrilled (if not a little overwhelmed). Aside from running out of food at the very end and a minor mix-up on the younger kids' results...it all went off without a hitch. The weather was perfect, the women were great, the kids' races were sooooo cute and all that's left to do now is pay the bills (and order and mail more shirts since we ran out of those too!).

After the race -- I mean immediately after the race (barely got a shower) -- I was off to the For Women Only expo to meet-and-greet for a few hours.

Wheeww...it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks.

So, today, I'm thrilled to have a load off my mind and to be enjoying Columbus Day off (just finished putting up all my Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria decorations) -- a whole day of much-needed R&R.

I'm looking forward to having nothing more pressing to worry about than the usual deadlines and the Steelers tough schedule.

Can you even imagine how the Obama, Palin, McCain and Biden families must feel?