Baby Shower!!!

Saturday evening was the baby shower for Linda and Craig!  Isn't Linda a cute preggo?

Linda at almost 30 weeks

Our mom put a lot of thought into the decorations. Here are just some of them:



front view of the "diaper cake" motorcyle my mom made



side view

rear view

other side view

Linda and Craig's "baby" board



Baby Craig - couldn't get the pic to rotate.  =/

Baby Linda

pouting Linda?  nah...it's a pouting Kimpossible that was put up on the board in error.  no worries, it was later removed.



Games were played, but not your typical baby shower fare.  Ever seen the show Minute to Win it?  5 games were chosen from the tv show, but instead of having 1 minute to complete the task, the guests were competing against each other.

We played "Hanky Panky" which had the players empting Kleenex boxes one tissue at a time as fast as they could go. 

We played "Baby Blockin'" which had the players stacking 5 baby blocks on top of each other upon a paper plate placed on their respective heads.

We played "Baby Bottles" which had the players drinking 4 oz. of beer or soda (their choice) out of a baby bottle.

Hey lookie there...it's Melissa from beerrunner - she represented the girls!

We played "Separation Anxiety" which had the players sorting M&Ms by color in a specific order one by one.

And...last, but not least, we played "Jingle in the Trunk" which had the players wiggling their bodies to displace 5 jingle bells from inside a Kleenex box tied to their wastes.

It was fun to see so much participation - from both the guys and the girls!!!

We had appetizers of jalapeno poppers, taquitos, fruit salsa with pita chips, chips & queso, and of course a fruit salad.

carved with love by Kimpossible!

My parents ordered fajitas and all the fixins' from Rico's Grill for dinner.

Of course it wouldn't be a party without cake.  We had a caramel tres leches cake and a chocolate tres leches cake courtesy of Rao's Bakery.

And...let us not forget the party favors:

candy "bar" party favors

Oh and Linda told me she had it all figured out what presents our other siblings and I bought for them for the shower because of my anti-BabiesRUs post a few days ago.  Turns out she was wrong!  That will show her that there is only one true Nancy Drew in this family (yours truly)! 

Here is what they received courtesy of me, Cathy, Jay, Eddie and April:

Beaba Babycook

Graco Lovin' Hug Swing

All and all, it was a wonderful baby shower!  Congrats to Linda and Craig on the upcoming arrival of their baby boy!

Kim versus The Race That Wasn't

A long time ago I signed up for See Jane Run.  It would be my first all women's half and it would be in Austin.  I honestly can't recall the last time I was in Austin.  It was quite possibly my freshman year in college...uh...a long long time ago.

I decided to make a whole weekend of it, though probably I should have dropped the race all together given my ridiculous lack of training.  Someone asked me why I was even going through with it.  I said that dropping from it gave me a license to continue along on the bad path I've been traveling.  Facing what would no doubt be yet another humbling/painful experience (see Kim versus The Half Marathon - Hottest Half) would hopefully be just what I need to once and for all get back on the right track.

I booked myself a room on Hotwire conveniently located a half a mile away from the "recommended hotel" (for significantly cheaper) and planned to leave after work on Friday.  I was really looking forward to the escape.

As I drove into Austin on the same street as my hotel, dread began building in my very being for the road leading to my hotel was extremely hilly.  I'm not dumb...I know Austin and the surrounding cities are called "the hill country", but seeing it was another story.  My only race with true hills to date was the Orange County half I did back in May and those hills were brutal.  Something told me this was going to be even worse!
I valet parked my car, lugged all my belongings to the lobby, and checked in.  My room was lovely, really.  A very comfy bed, a nice tv, and a strong cold blowing A/C.  I didn't have any real set-in-stone plans other than hitting up the Expo the next morning and visiting with a friend from college who I had not seen since those good ol' days.

I woke up on Saturday morning and read a bit, played my FB games, showered, dressed, went down to the lame continental breakfast, back up to my room to do my hair, and headed out to the hotel the Expo was being held at - just a half mile away.

sCaRy pic of me - hahaha!

I got there early, so stopped at Starbucks for my non-fat lite salted caramel mocha frappacino (no whip) and played around on my phone until it was time.

I always find it awkward to do a race alone...especially out of town.  I felt...lonely.  I got my bib (no pins - rar), my t-shirt, and my goodie bag.  I perused the vendors and got myself a free sample of Pinot Grigio courtesy of Barefoot and my free Luna bar sample, and then headed back to my hotel to examine my swag.

I read some more of my book and decided I should go find food.  The night before, That Pink Girl recommended I go to Kirbey Lane for a meal.  They are several around town, so I decided upon the original.

What a lovely atmosphere, a delicious menu, a nice waitstaff, and next to me sat a friendly woman who chatted with me throughout our respective meals.  I ordered the Kirbey chicken which was a marinated grilled chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese mixed with kalamata olives and mushrooms.  It was served with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.  I also had a mimosa and loads of iced tea.  Seriously delicious meal!  Seriously.

After lunch, I left out to go find my friend who lives in Round Rock.  She hadn't changed a bit in appearance and we chatted and caught up while her nearly 2 year old napped.  Right before he woke up, her parents arrived in town - visiting from Houston, as well.  We had the most wonderful visit and they even took me to dinner at Fuddruckers that evening.  After dinner, Monica took me to Academy so I could buy a hand-held for my race.  I didn't want to bring my Camelbak - thinking it wasn't as hot as The Hottest Half and therefore a bit overkill for the race, but I also didn't want to only rely on the hydration stations as that as lead me to dehydration (cramping) in the past.

We said our goodbyes and I headed back to my hotel - hoping for a good night's rest.  I never really sleep well before a race, by the way.  Before I went to bed, I discovered an email from See Jane Run letting us know the medals had been lost by Fed-Ex, so that we would not be receiving one upon completion of the race, but once they were found they would mail them to us.  This saddened me.  It's nice to have that medal once you cross the finish line.  Ah well...

I knew the forecast screamed rain, but that was the way the cookie crumbled, I supposed.  I worried a bit about that and went to sleep waking up twice in the night.  I never really sleep well before a race.

I woke up on Sunday morning, hopped in the shower, got dressed, geared up, threw back breakfast, and headed out in the rain.  I was very confused while trying to park.  There were no signs...just a bunch of fellow confused participants.  I ended up riding around in circles for a half hour and then rolled down my window and asked someone once I noticed cars leaving.  Turns out the race was canceled - no reschedule, no refunds.  I felt somewhat relieved - again...wasn't prepared...wasn't happy about walking in the rain, but then I felt somewhat sad.  I mean wasn't this the reason why I left town - spent money?!  Didn't I want that pain and suffering to get me on task?!  Wouldn't it have been awesome to start off my week with a 2,000 calorie burn?!   What about my chocolate and champagne?!

These were posters at the Expo - there were more, but here are my faves:

I returned back to my hotel, crawled back into bed and read for a bit before dozing back to sleep for a bit.  I then collected all my belongings and checked out - riding back home to Houston in a whole bunch of much needed rain.

It was a nice get-away in that I was able to visit with an old friend, but really...the whole trip just left me feeling lonely.  It could be that it's "that time of year" or the rain.  It could be many things.  Maybe I was just missing the camaraderie I would have felt on that race course.

So, I have no race to report, no finishing song...BUT, I do have a next stop!  It's the Monster Dash in Chicago on October 29th.  Costumes are encouraged and I'm working on mine.  Right now I feel motivated to battle the bulge and train for the race, so cheers to a fresh start and 3 weeks to get ready!

Weekend Recap

I had a lovely weekend.   I didn't want it to end, actually.  I've been thinking lately that it would be a really great plan to make the work week 4 days and the weekend 3.  Who's with me?! 

I started out Saturday morning by making myself a peanut butter, banana, and honey wrap.  I didn't want the bulk of bread weighing me down when I headed out for my long WALK, so I used a whole wheat "homemade" tortilla from H.E.B.  It was perfect.

I opted not to carry water with me for my WALK because I wasn't planning on doing a whole lot of miles and because I truly do hate carrying anything more than I need with me.  I did pop a Powerade Zero in the mailbox so that I could stop on by the house without actually going in the house to hydrate. 

I decided to count the change I came across as I've noticed a lot of coinage lately on the ground.  I found a penny, but no...I didn't pick it up.  Then I happened across a dollar bill.  Eureka!  I surely did pick that puppy up (but only after looking around me to make sure nobody was watching as if I was doing something wrong).  Later I happened across another penny.  So, the dollar made my long WALK profitable, I'd say!

this is a dramatic reenactment since I didn't have my camera with me at the time of discovery


Around mile 3, I returned to the ol' mailbox for a drink.  I then continued on my merry way.  My left knee started giving me a bit of trouble - complaining, I guess you could say.  It was kinda popping a little bit here and there as I rounded corners.  I made it back to the house around 5.5 miles and decided I should ice it.  Good thing I did, too, as there was definitely a bit of fluid in there.  =/


We didn't have family lunch this weekend because my dad was flying in from San Fran later in the afternoon and we didn't want him to feel left out.  I did, however, go with my mom to IHOP for a second breakfast of sorts.  Hey...when you burn 800 calories so early in the day, you get HUNGRY!
 

After IHOP, I hung out with my mom for a while, then we ran errands, then picked up my dad from the airport and went to BJs for a late lunch. 

I dropped them off at home and then headed to my own place to chill with my doggies until it was dinner time.

I had purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for The Brownstone Cafe and my friend Kim and I decided we needed one of our infamous KNOs (Kim Nights Out - it originated when we were in college together).  We had a most wonderful time enjoying our respective meals, catching up on our respective lives, and sharing a Nutella crepe for dessert.  Since we all know I'm terrible about remembering to take pics, this is one I found on Google that closely resembles the deliciousness that melted in my mouth!

source here

 


Sunday, I decided to not set my alarm.  The dogs woke me up at 6:56am because they were STARVING.  I swear you would think I never feed them.  Shortly after they ate, Penelope decided to put herself back to bed (she never leaves my side, so this was weird).  Delilah and I decided to join her and we slept for another 3 hours.  Bliss.

My parents and I then went to see The Help.  I loved it, though I wish there were a few things they had included in the movie that I thought were pivotal parts of the storyline.  I then went back to their house to enjoy the new puppies as older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought them by for the afternoon.  Later younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig joined us and we had a wonderful family feast!

I tracked my food all weekend long, I started reading a new book (The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers) that is quite good, I hung out with some of my fave peeps, and I rested up.

 

Now let's just get to another weekend, shall we?! 

Weekend Getaway

I know I just took my vacation back during the first week of May, but oye...it seems like eons ago.  Sadly, I don't take my second vacation until October. 

I find that weekend getaways are sometimes just what the doctor ordered to refresh/renew a girl, you know?! 

I headed to Dallas on Friday after work.  I played the whole silly game of trying to get out at 4pm which in my head meant I would really be gone by 5:00.  Unfortunately, I didn't end up leaving until 5:30.  =/  Since I had gone home at lunch time to pick-up my dogs and take them to my mom's house for the weekend (thanks mom!), I was home free once I got out that door.

The drive to Dallas from Houston is pretty boring.  I find myself looking for landmarks.  The first one is always the Sam Houston statue in Huntsville.  The second is Buc-ee's...I think it's in Madisonville.  I guess that's about it.  I had an audio book I was listening to that I finished pretty early on in my jaunt.  I switched it out for another one and just couldn't get into it, so I ended up listening to the radio for the rest of my ride.

That Pink Girl so gratiously offered for me to stay at her house for the weekend.  Last time I went to Dallas for a race (Dallas RnR back in March), I stayed with a friend of mine in Fort Worth.  I didn't realize FW was soooo far away and it was really a nuisance to drive all the way out there, so TPG's offer was awesome!

My mom had asked for her info because...for all intense purposes, TPG is a stranger.  I laughed it off and was like, "Mom, we've hung out twice before....she's totally normal, I swear."  It didn't dawn on me until I was about 30 minutes from her house that it could be totally awkward.  It wasn't...like at all...cuz TPG is that kinda awesome, sweet, and fun!

We stayed up late on Friday talking.  When I went to bed in her delightfully pink guest room, I saw she left me out a care package of sorts - her favorite running socks, NUUN, some bottled water, snacks, a magazine, and my race shirt and bib she picked up for me.  Soooo sweet and thoughtful is That Pink Girl!

Saturday morning, I talked her ear off while she prepped food for the brunch/party she was hosting.  How fun to combine all her groups of friends - she had work friends, running buddies, and bloggies all intermingling.  I ate soy sausage for the first time ever - guess what guys?  It tastes just like regular sausage.  Weird, right?!

You know what's funny?  I actually ended up having a vegetarian weekend.  It wasn't even intentional! 

After the party, we went to some shops about town - Run On, a bike shop, and some of those little cute boutiques.  We then landed at Ulta.  Oh how I love me some Ulta and it was perfect timing because I had been scraping the bottom of my make-up compacts/bottles for the past 3 weeks!  Next was Academy (another fave store) and then we went home to relax for a bit before dinner.

We went to this really great Italian restaurant named Scalini's for a carbo-loading dinner.  I have said it before that I have a tendency to prefer a more vegetarian approach to my pizza.  Mine had black olives, green olives, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms on it.  It was delicious!

Later we organized our race gear and then I assisted TPG in making her first vlog.  You really need to check it out here.  It's pretty funny!  We were having way too much fun as the hours crept up on us.  I think we finally made it to our respective beds around 12:30am and I had set my alarm for 5:30.  Yikes!  Once my head hit the pillow, I figured out I wasn't tired, so I tossed and turned for probably a half hour or so before I finally slept.

Sunday was race day.  Here is my race recap if you missed it.

After the race, TPG took me to one of her fave sandwich shops called The Great Outdoors because she had remembered me saying in this heat, sandwiches are often the only thing that sound good.  Again...how thoughtful!  I ordered their Summer Sub on wheat.  Oh wow was it yummy.  It had cream cheese and meunster cheese on it along with mushrooms, cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and red wine vinegar.  Be still my heart!  I have since purchased all these ingredients to recreate that sub at home!!!

After lunch, we headed back to TPG's house.  I already had my bags packed, so I just needed to shower and put on some comfy attire for the 3 1/2 hour trip back home. 

Although my body was stiff and my very existence was tired, I felt...at peace.

Thanks to That Pink Girl for a wonderful weekend getaway! 

Oh and sorry I'm such an awful blogger that I have no pics to share from the entire weekend.  What in the world is wrong with me?!

Kim versus the Half Marathon - The Hottest Half

Well...it was a personal worst, but I did it.

13.1 is far, y'all.  For reals.  13.54 is even further!  I don't know about you, but there is nothing that agitates me more than seeing the distance I truly traveled in a race you only get credited for 13.1.  Usually I can look back and see where I did some weaving (or...um...getting lost), but since I put myself at the very back and walked The Hottest Half, well...there wasn't much weaving at all.  =/

So, it would be VERY easy for me to tear myself apart with regard to this race.  I mean I hadn't trained for it except for a few longish walks and a couple of weekday jaunts - none of which ever attained my goal pace and none of which lasted more than 8 miles.  As I've mentioned before, I've gained some weight back and I just haven't been eating as well as I should and I haven't been moving as much as I should.  To bottom-line it, I'm out of shape.  I thought about opting out of the race altogether and/or knocking my registration down to the 10K (which also would have granted me a medal upon completion), BUT I decided I was to be punished for my wayward lifestyle as of late and that come hell or highwater (in Houston?  in Dallas?  in this drought?) I needed to complete this race and use the blood, sweat, tears, and pain to catapult me into getting back on the right track.

I will say that this was one of my most humbling experiences of all time.

After splitting a peanut butter and honey sandwich with That Pink Girl, we headed out to White Rock for our race.  On a side note, I think I liked the PB&H over oatmeal as a pre-race breakfast.  This was a smallish race in that there were 1375 finishers.  My goal was to not be last.  haha!  Well I had more goals - although I wanted to finish in legal time, I knew my lack of training would probably not allow it.  I was right.  So my other goals were to not dehydrate and just to finish.  Pretty simple, right?!

I had a hydration plan.  I was going to take water from all 6 hydration stations on the way out (it was an out and back course) and then drink from my Camelbak (filled with G2) on the way back.  It became clear pretty early on that this plan wasn't going to work for me.  It was hot y'all AND I'm one sweaty girl AND seeing as I was walking the course (not in the best shape), I knew early on to avoid cramping calves and other symptoms of dehydration, I needed a new plan.  I ended up grabbing a water from all 6 hydration stations on the way out while sipping on my Camelbak in the interim.  On the way back, I alternated between water and Powerade at the stations.  This all paid off - by 10.5 miles, I had drained my Camelbak.  By mile 11.5, the twinges started in my left calf.  Some volunteer had offered to let me re-fill my Camelbak around 9 miles, but silly me thought I still had plenty left.  =/

Mile 1 was pretty smooth sailing save for the bridge located around 0.5.  Now, I'm not one of those chickies afraid of a bridge, but I am a chickie with some equilibrium issues and many runners/walkers and bike riders trampling over a bridge makes for quite a bouncy experience.  Can you believe there was another bridge around 1.5 miles?  In my head there were two more, though I might be mistaken.  The one that was located right before mile 5 (and mile 8 on the way back) was by far the worst.  Coming off that cRaZy bridge was a hill.  We all know how much I love to hate hills.  My legs felt disoriented from the bridge and it was just a bad feeling all the way around.

I still felt strong Miles 2-5 as there was quite a bit of shade along the course.  During Miles 4-5 I practically had my own cheer squad.  As the runners on their way back passed me, many of them would high 5 me or clap or shout out encouragement.  It truly brought both a smile to my face and some tears to my eyes.  It was extremely heartwarming that people were so awesome to take the energy out of their own race to help motivate mine.

Miles 6-8 were okay.  At some point, I made a friend.  He was walking the race, as well, and we just chatted along for a couple of miles. 

Miles 9-11 were rough.  I wanted to quit half a dozen times, but I reminded myself that punishment isn't supposed to feel good.  I wasn't hurt, mind you, so there was really no reason to stop...I was just tired (well except for that stupid left calf that started acting up right past mile 11).

Miles 12-13 felt like they took an eternity.  The aid vehicles kept passing me and the girl in front of me.  She was struggling with a hurt leg, so they asked her a time or two if she needed help, but she declined.  We both just wanted to be done.

Around 12.9 miles, TPG came from around the corner and I swear to you that she was the best thing I'd seen all day.  She instantly put a huge smile on my face before she put her coach face on told me to start running to the finish line.  I tried for a few hundredths of a mile, but that lame calf was threatening me.  I started walking again and I was telling TPG about a dude who almost knocked me over around mile 4.  He was coming in the opposite direction of me and stopped to tie his shoe - without pulling to the side.  Some girl told him to get off the course and without looking, he scooted over onto my side of the course.  I girl-screamed in fear of falling over and somehow managed to avoid him and the ground.  TPG pointed out that if I had enough energy to tell a story, I had enough energy to run the rest of the course (I love when she goes all coach on me), so I started running and as I neared the finish line, the MC shouted my name and where I was from.  A fairly large group of spectators cheered for me as I crossed the finish line. 

The Hottest Half peeps handed me a medal and I thanked them for allowing me to finish and giving me the medal even though I didn't finish in legal time.  She laughed, congratulated me, and told me she was proud of me.

Nice people rock my world!

After some much needed water, TPG and I headed towards the car.  A nice aid guy stopped us and offered us a ride.  I didn't want to take him up on it because of pride issues, but then he said if we didn't let him take us, he was going to have to go back and become part of the clean-up crew.  We laughed and thanked him for the ride.

I will say that this was one of my favorite races as far as organization, staffing, and hydration stations go.  It was the absolute best race as far as my fellow racers go. AND if I could ever get my act together...despite the heat...I would consider doing it again (the right way).

I will leave you with a couple of pics and my stats.

This is a pic of my fingers after the race (no, they were not painful, but definitely uncomfortable)...

These were my fingers 24 hours later...

This was my post race AWFUL pic, but hey...it's me with my medal and TPG was kind enough to take it...

Time - 3:57:57
Calories Burned - 1989
Finishing Song - Lady Gaga's Paparazzi
Next Stop - Beach Palooza (5K obstacle course) in Galveston on September 24th.

I heart my weekends!

I started off my weekend the right way.  I met up with my friend Amy for dinner at Alicia's Mexican Grille.  Do you know how I met Amy?  I always say she is the only good thing that ever came to me from Craig's List.  I did the dating thing for a while (no, that isn't how I met her) via Craig's List and although I met a couple of nice guys, I didn't meet the right guy.  I also met some weirdos, wife cheaters, etc.  I have since vowed to not go that route again, by the way.  Anyway, I posted a CL ad about 3 years ago seeking out a gym buddy and Amy was the only one to answer the ad.  We became fast friends...eventually foregoing the gym for dinner/tv nights at my house once a week.  Amy moved to the other side of town a while back, so our dinners have become less frequent, BUT the good news is that she is moving closer to me (ironically in the same apartment complex I lived in before buying my house) come mid-August, so that makes me happy!

After our delicious fajita dinners, we decided to go to the bar Amy works at once or twice a week for a drink.  I saw this sign in the bathroom and it made me laugh:

I went home relatively early because I had to work for a couple of hours on Saturday.  Boo! 

On Saturday, after work, I decided to hit up Target and Walmart to look at their recumbent bikes.  A wise woman I know encouraged me to purchase either an elliptical or a bike to ride while I'm doing my zoning out (reading, watching tv/movies, etc) thing after work.  This way I'm at least getting some kind of movement in and I can do so in the comfort of my own home.  Target, it turns out, only sells recumbent bikes on-line.  Walmart, on the other hand, didn't let me down.  I found the one I wanted (having done a bit of research on-line) and discovered that I could buy it $15 cheaper on Amazon.com, so I instantly ordered it.  Yay for the Amazon.com application on my phone!  It will be here on Tuesday - can't wait!  =)

I then went home and showered in preparation for my family lunch - this time at ol' faithful BJ's Brewhouse.  I ate the jumbalaya - delish (but my mouth was on fire - haha)!

After lunch, I went home and took a much needed nap.  I was exhausted for the week's work stress.  After a 2+ hour nap, I went to my parent's house for a puppy-welcoming party!  Older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought home their cutie patootie little puppies.  They are Shih-Poos (formerly called Shitzapoos) - a Shihtzu/Poodle mixed breed - named Willie and Waylon.  We had the best time watching the puppies play with their new toys and with Oliver!

On Sunday, I went out to do 6 sweaty miles.  I walked them and met my goal pace which was to keep it under 16 min/miles.  I am capable of better...or I will be once I get back into my routine and get into better shape.  Just hoping that 3 weeks is long enough to get me where I want to be!  Lesson here - procrastination does NOT pay off when it comes to race training!

I chilled at the house for a few hours and then I went out to my Meliska's house to hang out with Meliska and Liam!  We had a blast!  I can't get enough of Liam's smiles and laughs!!!

Last night I decided to make the infamous overnight oats (Fit Chick Britt is always posting about them, afterall).  I Googled how to do it (cuz I was too lazy to search through Britt's posts, although I should have) and then I got down to business.  The tip I read was to do 1 part oats to two parts liquid.  I had a peanut butter jar with a little bit of peanut butter remnants hanging out.  I added 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup skim milk, cinnamon, a Splenda packet, and half a banana (sliced).  I then shook it all up and put it in the fridge.

I couldn't wait to try it this morning (after stirring it up, of course), BUT then...when I did...I was kinda disappointed.  My oats were runny.  I'm a fan of thick oats.  My usual routine is to mix 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup of water, 1 TBSP Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, and cinnamon and then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.  It's heaven in my mouth.  These overnight oats have potential, but I think I have to work on the right mix and measurement of ingredients.  Good thing I've been stocking up my "empty" jars of peanut butter!

So, all in all a nice relaxing weekend...just what I needed to get me through another hell week at work!

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, as well!

Day 21: Favorite TV Show

Did you think I forgot all about my 30-day Challenge?  Nope...just went on hiatus.  2/3 of the way done.  No worries...it's only taking me 5 months+ to get through these!  Oye!

We are on Day 21 - A favorite TV show

I have to go with my favorite show of all time.

Do you know what it is?

Do you know me at all?

source here

I remember watching the very first episode all by myself at home.  I really wasn't sure what to think.  I mean I guessed I liked it.  I was intrigued enough to keep watching.  Sometime during Season 1, I started watching the show with some friends (who I'm no longer friends with for a very good reason).  We would get together each week either at their apartment or at my house and watch our beloved show and then discuss it afterwards.  We did this for Season 2 and part of Season 3, as well.  Then our friendship ended and I believe I watched the remainder of Season 3 by myself, but I knew I needed to find some other friends to get LoSt with.

See how my Meliska is always there when I need her?  So true!  Meliska and Greggy-D opened up their home each week for friends to get Lost together.  It became one of my weekly rituals that I cherished!

I watched Season 4 through Season 6 with my buddies.  We theorized all kinds of crazy ideas (mirror matter moon theory) we found in our research (obsession what?).  We would get together at the season finale each year and sort of make a party of it.

I would discuss the show with my brother-in-law the day after it aired, as well.

I remember Meliska's parents inviting us over to their house for the series finale (Mellie's dad was a HUGE fan, too).

I know a lot of people weren't down with the conclusion of this epic adventure, but I was satisfied, for the most part.  Really there is sort of a mourning you have to go through when a beloved television show comes to an end.  I know our parent's generation might have felt that way about MASH, for example.

Never before has a television show made me just think and wonder and theorize and research before.  Never has one intrigued me.  Never have I eagerly awaited each and every episode of a program before.  Never have I gotten so enraptured in the characterizations and I kind of wonder if I ever will again.

What is/was your favorite TV show of all time?

Vacation Recap: Spring 2011

Let's talk numbers.

I was gone for 8 nights. I traveled on 4 different flights - Houston to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Chicago, Chicago to Greenville (SC), and then Greenville to Houston. I read 4 books - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and The Search by Nora Roberts. I saw 3 movies in theaters - The Conspirators, Something Borrowed, and Water for Elephants. I participated in 1 half marathon - The OC Half. Wowsers - I was a busy girl!

I don't want to bore you with all the sordid details of my vacation, so I will hit you with the highlights.

I left Houston on Saturday, 4/30, Los Angeles bound. I chose L.A. as the beginning of my adventure because my brother Eddie and sister-in-law April live in Huntington Beach and because I could coincide my visit with The OC Half Marathon.

Eddie picked me up from LAX and took me to Pinky's. He assured me it was an L.A. staple. So, hot dogs we had.

Eddie's on the left and mine on the right.

Next, we happened across the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Not to be all morbid or anything, but we were kind of looking for celebrity graves. We managed to find Estelle Getty and Johnny Ramone and, of course, the lovely peacocks you see pictured below.

After a crazy turn of events which were detailed in my race recap, we ended up arriving a bit late to our dinner reservation at Bandera's. We met up with our friends and coworkers (from New Jersey) Joe and Carie. I somehow never did manage to get pictures with them or of them (bad blogger). Joe and Carie's son and daughter-in-law just so happen to also live out in HB, so they came along to dinner as well so that Eddie and April could meet them.

Saturday was half marathon day. After the race, we met up with the gang at their hotel for breakfast. It just so happens when we finished that Muscle Milk decided to stop right outside their hotel and hand out free bottles, so I had myself a bottle of Muscle Milk Lite - mmmmm....tasty.

Later Eddie and I went to see The Conspirators. I knew nothing about it and found it fascinating. I was so exhausted from the day, however, and couldn't wait to crash and burn that evening.

On Monday, April and I got foot massages. $25 for an hour - awesome!!! Just what a girl needed post half marathon! We also hung out at the beach for a while.

On Tuesday, I had lunch with Eddie and then later April and I took their dog Roxie to the dog beach. so much fun!

I enjoyed my visit and can't wait to go back to sunny beautiful Cali!

Wednesday was a day full of travel. I headed out bright and early for my first flight of the day to Chicago. Unfortunately I ended up delayed once in Chicago for an extra hour above and beyond my layover. =( Ultimately it took me 12 hours to get to Greenville, SC.  Factor that in with a 3 hour time change and I was beat!

My friend Dana had to work a half day on Thursday, so I decided to power walk the hills - yes, my little lamp chops, Greenville is one hillatious city. yikes! I managed 6 miles and I was one sweaty mess! I got cleaned up and once Dana got home, we decided to get pedicures. Next up was our little Cinco de Mayo celebration at Senor Salsa's.

Dana was able to take Friday off. We were lazy bums half the day. yay! Then we went to lunch and saw Something Borrowed.

On Saturday, we had a picnic in the park. It was a beautiful day and downtown Greenville was having a Duckie Derby. It was fun to people watch! Later we went and saw Water for Elephants and then headed back to the house for a cook-out with some of Dana and Michael's friends.

We convinced Dana's parents to come up to Greenville on Sunday. I had not seen them in 3 years (since Dana's wedding). We had lunch with them and it was great to catch up. Before you knew it - my vacation was over and it was time to come back to reality.

My next vacation won't happen until AFTER the summer craziness that is my job.  Hopefully this one will carry me through the rough days ahead.