Sock filth, soft pretzels, and trips to different countries

I've been MIA a bit lately, but the past week or so I just haven't had energy to do much on here...for some reason the last week all I've felt like doing in the evenings is hunker down, sitting on my neck, and watch Man vs. Food.  I'm pretty sure it's because insomnia has been worse lately, but thankfully the last couple of nights I've been able to sleep better!

We decided to try to incorporate one trail run a week into our schedule.  It's hard, but so worth it - the scenery is beautiful! It is so dusty, though.  I was super low on socks, so Jake was nice and gave me a pair of his...he even wrote my name on them!  He was so funny when he gave them to me - he said, "Aw, weell....the colors of sharpie looked good together before they were on the socks...".

One 4 mile run and this is what my socks looked like

My feet aren't actually 4 different colors, the flash and dust just makes it look that way.  I understand if you have to de-follow me after seeing this picture, but for reasons I still don't understand it seemed like a good idea to immediately walk in the house and take a picture of my post run feet.  Calm down, veins, the run is over now.

 

 Filthy!

Let's move on...

Soft pretzels, oh yes! These are so easy, and quick to make.

Soft Pretzels:

2 1\2 tsp Yeast          4-5 C Flour

1 1\2 C Water            Pretzel Salt

1 tsp Salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add salt, sugar and flour to make stiff dough.  Knead 5-8 minutes. Shape into twists, brush with egg whites, sprinkle with coarse pretzel salt.  Bake at 425º for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  When taken out of oven, brush with butter.

We leave for Malawi on the 12th! The plan is to leave at some horribly early hour since it's going to be about a 15 hour drive.  I have my lesson done, though, and am getting final stuff together to teach a children's class one Sunday morning.  We're planning for a minimum of 50 kids. Yeah, 50!  We'll be gone for two weeks, but hopefully I can get a post ready and set it for while I'm gone.  Heh heh, real tech savvy.

Mom has been needing to make a trip to visit her parents, so we made the plans for her and I to go to California to visit them, and then also to visit my sister in Tennessee! I am so excited to make a visit to the States!  We'll leave in the beginning of November, and spend a month before we come back.

Are your feet hideous right after a run?

Mine, obviously yes...I guess I'll have to take a picture of them normally to even things out. 

Soft pretzels - like em?