Apparently I've just turned into a bad blogger. I can't say for sure I will get back to my regular blogging self anytime in the next century, but what I can do is blog when it's feasible and not blog when it isn't. Sounds fair to me!
Since we last parted ways...
I've suffered the loss of a friend. My friend was Friday Night Lights. I watched all 5 seasons on Netflix and then...felt empty. For 5 seasons I lived in Dillon,TX. For 5 seasons I "cared" about football and the lives of my many "friends". For 5 seasons, I got all caught up in the drama and then....nothing. Empty. I'm trying to replace my friend, but so far nothing has hooked me yet. I will let you know if/when that changes.
Since we last parted ways...
I've traveled to Huntington Beach, CA to visit my brother and sister-in-law. I arrived on Friday, 2/3. Eddie took me to our Surf City Marathon Expo where I stocked up on all sorts of goodies. Have you ever tried the Halo brand sweat bands? OMG! I have never in my life worn a sweat band that truly did not allow sweat to drip in my eyes. Best. Sweat Band. Ever. I also purchased a visor with a built in sweat band, but I've yet to try it out. I then purchased a pair of Experia Cool Max PINK socks which are awesome! We all know how much I enjoy NUUN, so I bought a few cylinders of various flavors to tide me over. Wouldn't you know I would forget my SPIbelt? No worries...I bought a bigger one at this Expo which totally holds everything I need - including my cell phone! =) Yes, I totally dropped a small fortune, but it was well worth it!
After the Expo, we headed to Slater's 50/50 - Burgers by Design. Eddie had been telling me about this place for quite some time. He wanted us to be bold and daring and try the Peanut Butter and Jellousy. We had amazing service and we were even encouraged to each pick out a burger and then they would split both burgers for us so we could each have half of the other's burger. We decided on the PB&J burger (pb, strawberry jelly, bacon, burger on a honey wheat bun) and the special of the month, the Pizza Burger (1/2 beef 1/2 Italian sausage burger, fried cheese sticks, red pepper pizza sauce, and pepperoni on a Ciabatta roll). Though we both enjoyed the pizza burger, we agreed the PB&J burger was the MOST AMAZING BURGER EVER! I might have convinced him we needed to go again to experience it in all of it's glory once more before I left.
Saturday was more or less a chill day with plenty o' carbo-loading.
Sunday was race day. Eddie and April had never done a half before. This was my 8th. I was, of course, walking the race since I have not been running for almost a year now. I have to say that it was probably the most boring course I've ever been on. You may recall that I did the OC Half back last May and the course, though VERY hilly, was fantastic taking us along the beach, cliffside, and through some beautiful neighborhoods. The Surf Side City Half was a different ballgame all together. We started on the Pacific Coast Highway (or the PCH as the cool kids call it) and with the exception of a 2 mile detour off a side road which looped back to the highway, we remained on the PCH through the finish line. Although I did appreciate the beach scene, it wore out its welcome at the 8 mile turn around. I will say that the runners and walkers in the race were incredibly friendly and supportive. The staff members working the race were helpful and sweet dispositioned.
A few cool / mentionable moments. Around mile 3, I met an older couple. We were chatting as we walked and they told me the best experience they have ever had was walking the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer two years in a row and that they looked forward to walking it again this year. What you don't know is that I've been listening to the advertisements for the Houston Walk on 96.5 thinking that this may be something I want to participate in. More on this subject in another post, but needless to say, I took this as a sign I needed to walk the walk! Near mile 4, I hit up a hydration station and disappointingly noticed they didn't have any Vitalyte available. I knew I needed electrolytes to help stave off the calf cramps, so I asked oned of the volunteers and he said he would look for some. I told him thanks, but not to worry about it and kept marching along. He apparently found some and ran it over to me. What a great guy! Then, around mile 6, I was traipsing along and some really awesome girl who was on the other side of the highway about 4 miles ahead of me came running across the median to give me a bracelet and some words of encouragement.
Overall, I was okay with my performance. I maintained a decent consistent pace through mile 8 and then it went completely downhill when the calf cramps blasted me around mile 9. I had a hydration plan of only drinking the Vitalyte at all stations, but the first one didn't have any and then I was only able to find it at the second and third. By the time I hit the 4th station, they were out. I hit up a medic tent around mile 10.5 and got a cup of Gatorade that took me to the finish line, cramps and all. I didn't end my race listening to music, so there is no finishing song on this one.
I think it's time I buy some salt pills to take with me on my journies. =/ Any suggestions of brands?
We pigged out on pizza Sunday evening. I think I was trying to replenish the 2260 calories I burned during the race.
April and I got foot massages on Monday. Then I headed back to Houston on Tuesday.
Wednesday was a pamper-me day. I got a MUCH needed haircut in the morning followed by a 70 minute hot stone massage that I purchased via Living Social a long time ago. Although the massage was relaxing, I have to say that I still prefer my deep tissue torture sessions. ;)
Thursday, I had eye surgery...AGAIN. 6 years ago, I jumped on the lasik bandwagon. Right before I was to have standard lasik surgery, the doctor decided he would prefer to do a procedure on me called Epilasik. This was as a result of my astygmatism and it meant a longer recovery period. I remember being totally miserable for about 5 days or so. Well several months ago I noticed that my vision had changed and since I had paid for a "warrantly" of sorts on my surgery, I was entitled to free touch-ups as necessary. I went through the whole process with Lasik Plus before they determined the procedure would be beneficial to me. This time they decided to do PRK surgery - slightly different than Epilasik and a longer recovery period. I wasn't able to return to work until the next Tuesday and even then...my eyes were not as they should be. My left eye was slightly over-corrected and my right eye was lagging behind. It made for a very unbalanced vision causing me eyestrain and glaring issues. It has since improved, but is still not perfect. My doctor basically told me to have patience.
I'm sorry for the lack of pictures in this post. Not only am I bad blogger, but I'm a terrible picture taker, as well. =/
I have so much more to catch you up on, so hopefully I will get to writing another post ASAP so you can share in my family's excitement!
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Whirlwind Recap
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| What would Christmas be without a decorated goose? |
So, with that I do a quick recap of events.
Christmas
As some of you know, for 33 years, I have spent Christmas in Chicago. With the upcoming arrival of the first grandchild to my parents, our family opted out this year because we couldn't stomach the idea of younger sister Linda having the baby without us being around and we also couldn't stomach the idea of spending Christmas sans Linda and Craig.
We all gathered to my parent's house on Christmas Eve and ate too much food and watched Christmas movies. Older sister Cathy, brother-in-law Jay, and I all decided to stay at my parent's house for the long weekend.
We all gathered again at my parent's house on Christmas Day and ate too much food, watched Christmas movies, and opened up presents from my parents. Normally we would have exchanged our sibling "Secret Santa" presents, but we decided to wait until New Year's Eve so that brother Eddie and sister-in-law April would be able to join us.
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| I lost our competition because my door knob was disproportionate to the door and house. But I'm not bitter...oh no. |
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| The whole line-up - Jay's, mine, my mom's, and Cathy's. Cathy won. Whatever. |
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| Linda, Craig, and Coco just a few days before Ethan's arrival. |
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| My cute mom and dad. |
Nephew time
My nephew, Ethan Edward, was born on December 28th. He was a whopping 10 lbs, 4 oz and measured 21" in length. Linda and Ethan remained in the hospital until New Year's Eve day. Linda started her own blog, so for more info go here.
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| Sweet Ethan on his birth day. |
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| too cute for words |
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| It's hard work being this adorable. |
New Year's
What a great way to bring in the New Year! We got to enjoy our little Ethan and we had Eddie, April, my aunt, my uncle, and my two double cousins - Nicole and Danielle all in from out of town to share in the excitement and anticipation of a brand new year filled with wonderful opportunities! We also had our sibling "Secret Santa" gift exchange, ate too much, watched my dad play Bejeweled, and brought in the New Year in the Spa sipping on champagne.
Freebirding
While my two double cousins, Nicole and Danielle, were in town, I made sure they experienced a burrito the right way - a la Freebirds (vs. the wrong way - a la Chipotle's which they do have at home back in Chicago). Danielle opted for the daintier "Hybird" while Nicole and I want all hungry-hungry hippos and ordered "Monsters". The verdict: those cRaZy girls prefer Chipotle. Whatever.
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| Nicole with her spinach Monster |
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| Danielle with her wheat Hybird |
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| A toast to the New Year - Freebirds style! |
Wedding
What does a year look like without a family wedding? I don't remember. We have had one every 1 to 1.5 years in our family for the past 5 years. This year, we all gathered in Springfield, IL for my cousin Anna's wedding to her new bride, Nicol, on Jan. 14th. I have two words for you: Photo Booth! Have you ever been to an event with one of these things? OMG - soooo fun! My cousin Rachel and I kept going in there - sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with a group and laughed the night away.
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Chicago
I was supposed to drive back with my family to St. Louis to grab our flight back to Houston, but work duties called me to Chicago instead, so I caught a ride with double cousin Nicole and her boyfriend Justin back to Chicago. I spent the next 3 days in meetings designed to improve the operations of our company. Have you ever spent 3 full days in meetings? Wow - it was really hard for this girl with A.D.D. who is used to multi-tasking the days away.
Now what?
Those of you who "listen" to me FB or Twitter, know that I like My Fit Foods. I'm just sooo not in a cooking mode right now. I haven't been for quite a while, actually. My Fit Foods has fresh prepared meals you can just pick-up, warm-up, and eat. I've gained back a lot of the weight I had lost. I'm not happy about this, but not being happy about it doesn't change the situation. I've tried to restart South Beach time and time again and I keep failing. My mom thinks this is because I enjoy life's challenges and I already conquered South Beach (um...before the weight gain) so now I need a new challenge. Younger sister Linda and her hubby, Craig, have started Weight Watchers Online. I've decided to follow in their footsteps - so basically I'm food tracking and I'm eating most of my meals via My Fit Foods. I'm kinda squashing most of my racing for now because I've not been training and it's becoming a bit of a joke (that isn't funny). I have plans to get back into the groove, one mile at a time.
So...please forgive me for getting behind in my blogging and blog reading. I will make a concerted effort to stay on top of such things moving forward!
Cheers to a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Monday, November 28, 2011
M.I.A.
Apparently I went missing again. Not from the real world, but I've been relatively quiet on the social media front. I think, as a whole, I'm not very happy with this year. That makes me sound like a spoiled brat when you read what I've been up to in my absence, but doing things and feeling things are sometimes two VERY different things. Does that make sense?
October 18th was the last time I blogged. 6 weeks ago. Bad Blogger. Here are the highlights of things that happened during my disappearing act...
Painting Class
I bought a Groupon for one of those painting classes at Merlot to Masterpiece a while ago. It took a bit of coordination to get some friends and fellow bloggers (Kim, Amanda, Marg, and Britt) together, but we finally managed to swing it. Here is what the "goal" was supposed to look like:
Here was my finished (and framed) product:
The group shot:
Vacation
I headed to Chicago at the end of October to hang with family and participate in The Monster Dash. My cousin Courtney and I walked 13.1 decked out in Angry Birds gear. It was Courtney's first (and I'm told last) half and I promised her we would stay together. I never left her side and we finished it.
While in Chicago, I made sure to eat all my favorite foods. I hit up Portillo's twice - the first time for Italian beef and the second time for hot dogs. We may or may not have managed to get the car towed while on our hot dog run during rush hour traffic downtown. =/
I managed to pick-up some of my favorite candies from Fannie May - most notably Trinidads.
Of course, the best breakfast in the world can be found at Walker Bros. Pancake House. Carbo-loading at its finest.
Post race, Courtney and I indulged on the BEST Chicago-style pizza EVER - Lou Malnati's.
Although it's hard to beat the BBQ of the South, Famous Dave's is quite delicious especially when hanging out with some wonderful cousins!
While downtown, I got to experience Chicago from the tourist perspective instead of my usual in and out of our designated commitments routine. It was a nice change of pace. I saw the famous Forever Marilyn statue (26 feet tall) and the Cloud Gate.
Management Meetings
Not even 2 weeks after my Chicago vacation, I set-off for Chicago again for my company's annual Management Meetings and Award Banquet. Every year a book serves as the theme for the meetings and the upcoming year. This year, Ubuntu! was the chosen one. The basic concept is that "I am because we are" and that "we are all in this together". In short...teamwork. I have to say that some of my disgruntlement regarding work this past year has been as a result of a lack of teamwork, so this book and theme were much needed and appreciated (and will hopefully pay off).
After arriving in Chicago on Thursday, 11/10, all the managers (traveling from 12 Service Centers located nationwide) were whisked away to check into our hotel and then managed a caravan downtown to meet up with all the management of our headquarters to the Signature Lounge at the 96th Floor of the John Hancock building for a marvelous dinner (and an open bar).
Friday was filled with various meetings and followed-up with our Award Banquet. Upper management has been really great about giving us monthly and quarterly statistics so most of us had a basic idea of our rankings in each category, but there is always one award whose recipient is always a mystery - the Service Center (SC) of the year award. This award originated 8 years ago. My SC won it for the first time in 2008. We won it for the second time in 2009 becoming the 2nd SC to manage a repeat. Then came 2010...we had dreamed of a 3-peat just to end up in 6th place (boo!). I had a plan to win it back. I can honestly say I worked the hardest I ever have in all my 12 1/2 years with this same company. It paid off! Now the only problem with being #1 is that there is a large target on your back! =)
On Saturday we spent half a day finishing up our meetings and then it was off to my aunt and uncle's house to hang with family for the evening. Wouldn't you know we managed to get our happy Lou Malnati's pizza for dinner!
Thanksgiving
Apparently I like to fly every 2 weeks. =/ I only get sick EVERY time, but no big deal. So we decided to resume our annual Thanksgiving trip to Vegas despite the fact that younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig were not going to be able to join us because of the upcoming arrival of their first child. Older sister Cathy figured out that this was our 15th Thanksgiving in Vegas. We spent 14 of them in a row, but detoured to Orlando last year for a fun-filled week in Disney and Universal Studios.
My parents stayed at the Venetian while the "kids" resided in my grandmother's condo located a couple of miles from The Strip. This year was a bit different, though. Normally we manage a movie or two walking from The Venetian all the way down to the Showcase movie theater by the MGM. This year, we didn't see a single flick. I also normally hang out at Casino Royale, but...not this time. I mostly gambled away at The Venetian, the Palazzo, and the Las Vegas Hilton (because it was located across the street from our condo).
We did swing a show - taking in Sting at Caesar's Palace. It was in the Celine Dion theater, so a more intimate setting. I loved listening to the background story of how his songs were conceived and I have mad appreciation for his violinist who made amazing music!
The ladies swung a spa day! My mom treated older sister Cathy, sister-in-law April, and me to a spa treatment at the Canyon Ranch Spa located in The Venetian. I chose a European facial and experienced rejuvenation in my skin! I literally felt my skin glowing the rest of the day. Upon completion of our respective services, we spent over 2 hours in the wonderment that is the spa-experience...the Hot Tub, Steam Room, Sauna, Herbal Laconium, the Igloo (yes, as cold as it sounds) Salt Grotto, and Wave Room while sipping on orange-infused water and delicious herbal teas.
Though I pretty much came home a big loser, I had some really nice hits throughout my gaming that kept the days fun and entertaining. My favorite slot machines this year were Quick Hits and Hot Shots. I will definitely be revisiting them next year!
And that's about it in a nutshell. Hopefully I will be posting more frequently since it is now "the most wonderful time of the year!" I leave you with this pretty dress displayed at The Venetian:
October 18th was the last time I blogged. 6 weeks ago. Bad Blogger. Here are the highlights of things that happened during my disappearing act...
Painting Class
I bought a Groupon for one of those painting classes at Merlot to Masterpiece a while ago. It took a bit of coordination to get some friends and fellow bloggers (Kim, Amanda, Marg, and Britt) together, but we finally managed to swing it. Here is what the "goal" was supposed to look like:
Here was my finished (and framed) product:
The group shot:
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| Top Row - Amanda, Me, Kim Bottom Row - Marg, Britt |
Vacation
I headed to Chicago at the end of October to hang with family and participate in The Monster Dash. My cousin Courtney and I walked 13.1 decked out in Angry Birds gear. It was Courtney's first (and I'm told last) half and I promised her we would stay together. I never left her side and we finished it.
While in Chicago, I made sure to eat all my favorite foods. I hit up Portillo's twice - the first time for Italian beef and the second time for hot dogs. We may or may not have managed to get the car towed while on our hot dog run during rush hour traffic downtown. =/
I managed to pick-up some of my favorite candies from Fannie May - most notably Trinidads.
 |
| The beauty of a Trinidad lies in its decadent layers of rich, creamy real dark chocolate, covered in a golden toasted coconut shell. |
Of course, the best breakfast in the world can be found at Walker Bros. Pancake House. Carbo-loading at its finest.
Post race, Courtney and I indulged on the BEST Chicago-style pizza EVER - Lou Malnati's.
Although it's hard to beat the BBQ of the South, Famous Dave's is quite delicious especially when hanging out with some wonderful cousins!
While downtown, I got to experience Chicago from the tourist perspective instead of my usual in and out of our designated commitments routine. It was a nice change of pace. I saw the famous Forever Marilyn statue (26 feet tall) and the Cloud Gate.
Management Meetings
Not even 2 weeks after my Chicago vacation, I set-off for Chicago again for my company's annual Management Meetings and Award Banquet. Every year a book serves as the theme for the meetings and the upcoming year. This year, Ubuntu! was the chosen one. The basic concept is that "I am because we are" and that "we are all in this together". In short...teamwork. I have to say that some of my disgruntlement regarding work this past year has been as a result of a lack of teamwork, so this book and theme were much needed and appreciated (and will hopefully pay off).
After arriving in Chicago on Thursday, 11/10, all the managers (traveling from 12 Service Centers located nationwide) were whisked away to check into our hotel and then managed a caravan downtown to meet up with all the management of our headquarters to the Signature Lounge at the 96th Floor of the John Hancock building for a marvelous dinner (and an open bar).
Friday was filled with various meetings and followed-up with our Award Banquet. Upper management has been really great about giving us monthly and quarterly statistics so most of us had a basic idea of our rankings in each category, but there is always one award whose recipient is always a mystery - the Service Center (SC) of the year award. This award originated 8 years ago. My SC won it for the first time in 2008. We won it for the second time in 2009 becoming the 2nd SC to manage a repeat. Then came 2010...we had dreamed of a 3-peat just to end up in 6th place (boo!). I had a plan to win it back. I can honestly say I worked the hardest I ever have in all my 12 1/2 years with this same company. It paid off! Now the only problem with being #1 is that there is a large target on your back! =)
On Saturday we spent half a day finishing up our meetings and then it was off to my aunt and uncle's house to hang with family for the evening. Wouldn't you know we managed to get our happy Lou Malnati's pizza for dinner!
Thanksgiving
Apparently I like to fly every 2 weeks. =/ I only get sick EVERY time, but no big deal. So we decided to resume our annual Thanksgiving trip to Vegas despite the fact that younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig were not going to be able to join us because of the upcoming arrival of their first child. Older sister Cathy figured out that this was our 15th Thanksgiving in Vegas. We spent 14 of them in a row, but detoured to Orlando last year for a fun-filled week in Disney and Universal Studios.
My parents stayed at the Venetian while the "kids" resided in my grandmother's condo located a couple of miles from The Strip. This year was a bit different, though. Normally we manage a movie or two walking from The Venetian all the way down to the Showcase movie theater by the MGM. This year, we didn't see a single flick. I also normally hang out at Casino Royale, but...not this time. I mostly gambled away at The Venetian, the Palazzo, and the Las Vegas Hilton (because it was located across the street from our condo).
We did swing a show - taking in Sting at Caesar's Palace. It was in the Celine Dion theater, so a more intimate setting. I loved listening to the background story of how his songs were conceived and I have mad appreciation for his violinist who made amazing music!
The ladies swung a spa day! My mom treated older sister Cathy, sister-in-law April, and me to a spa treatment at the Canyon Ranch Spa located in The Venetian. I chose a European facial and experienced rejuvenation in my skin! I literally felt my skin glowing the rest of the day. Upon completion of our respective services, we spent over 2 hours in the wonderment that is the spa-experience...the Hot Tub, Steam Room, Sauna, Herbal Laconium, the Igloo (yes, as cold as it sounds) Salt Grotto, and Wave Room while sipping on orange-infused water and delicious herbal teas.
Though I pretty much came home a big loser, I had some really nice hits throughout my gaming that kept the days fun and entertaining. My favorite slot machines this year were Quick Hits and Hot Shots. I will definitely be revisiting them next year!
And that's about it in a nutshell. Hopefully I will be posting more frequently since it is now "the most wonderful time of the year!" I leave you with this pretty dress displayed at The Venetian:
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| display dress made entirely of paper and ribbons |
Monday, October 10, 2011
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.
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!
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.
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| sCaRy pic of me - hahaha! |
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!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Where in the World is KIMpossible?
I know, I know...I've pulled a disappearing act. I'm back, though. So that's what matters, right?
This is gonna be a hodgepodge of stuff. Bear with me.
I know I owe y'all (and me) a checkpoint, but well...big shocker here...I haven't been quite as dedicated and diligent as I planned. Back on the wagon, though, so I guess it can be said that at least I don't give up. =/
My brother and sister-in-law planned a vacation to Jamaica. A flight from Los Angeles (where they live) means a necessary lay-over. They were able to manage an overnight one on Friday, 9/30, which allowed for my entire family to celebrate older sister Cathy's birthday. We went to Perry's Steakhouse and had a most wonderful meal followed by this:
and maybe a little bit of:
Afterwards, Cathy opened up her presents. My siblings went in on the gift thing with me, so we were able to get her some Brighton jewelry that she wanted and perfume. Here is my cute packaging:
Oh and in other news, I chopped off all my hair.
I decided this hairstyle looks better straight than curly, so I've been straightening it daily. There is the fast way - round brush - and then there is the slow way - Chi. Nine times out of 10, I do it the fast way.
Oh...and I'm embarrassed to say I blew off my first race. I did not end up doing the Beach Palooza 5K obstacle course on 9/24. I woke up that morning and was just not feeling it....the drive all the way to Galveston by myself...the fact that the only friend I knew who was racing it had a time slot a couple of hours before mine...and finally that I want to be able to run a 5K outright again before I sign up for another.
I have my See Jane Run half coming up on Sunday. My training has, of course, not been as I had hoped for, but I am still excited. I will be leaving on Friday after work to enjoy a nice leisurely Saturday meeting up with friends from days gone by (college) and perhaps even a blogger meet-up later that day. My father's birthday is also on Sunday, so I will high tail it home after my race to celebrate with my family.
I had some Chinese food at family lunch and this was my fortune:
Can I substitute "dogs" in place of "children" since I don't have kiddos yet? No? That's okay cuz I don't think I would ever call my dogs the most wonderful - haha! I do love them dearly, though.
This past Saturday, we all ended up hanging out at my parent's house - swimming, eating, and watching the dogs play. On Sunday, my dogs were both dead to the world. Besides breakfast at 6am and a prompt return to bed, Penelope didn't join the world of the living until 3:30pm. Yikes!
I have a slight obessesion with Tai Pei's wonton soup. I eat it almost every day for lunch and I buy it in the frozen section at Walmart. Don't judge me.
Another slight obsession I have is with dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels. I just can't get enough!
We are planning young sister Linda's baby shower. It's going to be so fun. My mom has made a motorcycle "diaper cake". Wait until you see it! I've been commissioned to make a watermelon carriage like I did for Melissa's baby shower and I'm also making fruit salsa to be eaten with cinnamon & sugar pita chips. I love party planning/preparation! So fun!
I've been watching Medium on my Netflix. Oh my goodness, it's so very good. I'm half way thru with season 6 (out of 7 seasons). I've picked out my next show once I finish. It's gonna be Friday Night Lights cuz my parent's swear by it. Have you seen it?
Okay, that's all I have for you for now. I better start catching up on reading all the blogs I've been neglecting!
This is gonna be a hodgepodge of stuff. Bear with me.
I know I owe y'all (and me) a checkpoint, but well...big shocker here...I haven't been quite as dedicated and diligent as I planned. Back on the wagon, though, so I guess it can be said that at least I don't give up. =/
My brother and sister-in-law planned a vacation to Jamaica. A flight from Los Angeles (where they live) means a necessary lay-over. They were able to manage an overnight one on Friday, 9/30, which allowed for my entire family to celebrate older sister Cathy's birthday. We went to Perry's Steakhouse and had a most wonderful meal followed by this:
and maybe a little bit of:
Oh and in other news, I chopped off all my hair.
I decided this hairstyle looks better straight than curly, so I've been straightening it daily. There is the fast way - round brush - and then there is the slow way - Chi. Nine times out of 10, I do it the fast way.
Oh...and I'm embarrassed to say I blew off my first race. I did not end up doing the Beach Palooza 5K obstacle course on 9/24. I woke up that morning and was just not feeling it....the drive all the way to Galveston by myself...the fact that the only friend I knew who was racing it had a time slot a couple of hours before mine...and finally that I want to be able to run a 5K outright again before I sign up for another.
I have my See Jane Run half coming up on Sunday. My training has, of course, not been as I had hoped for, but I am still excited. I will be leaving on Friday after work to enjoy a nice leisurely Saturday meeting up with friends from days gone by (college) and perhaps even a blogger meet-up later that day. My father's birthday is also on Sunday, so I will high tail it home after my race to celebrate with my family.
I had some Chinese food at family lunch and this was my fortune:
Can I substitute "dogs" in place of "children" since I don't have kiddos yet? No? That's okay cuz I don't think I would ever call my dogs the most wonderful - haha! I do love them dearly, though.
This past Saturday, we all ended up hanging out at my parent's house - swimming, eating, and watching the dogs play. On Sunday, my dogs were both dead to the world. Besides breakfast at 6am and a prompt return to bed, Penelope didn't join the world of the living until 3:30pm. Yikes!
I have a slight obessesion with Tai Pei's wonton soup. I eat it almost every day for lunch and I buy it in the frozen section at Walmart. Don't judge me.
Another slight obsession I have is with dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels. I just can't get enough!
We are planning young sister Linda's baby shower. It's going to be so fun. My mom has made a motorcycle "diaper cake". Wait until you see it! I've been commissioned to make a watermelon carriage like I did for Melissa's baby shower and I'm also making fruit salsa to be eaten with cinnamon & sugar pita chips. I love party planning/preparation! So fun!
I've been watching Medium on my Netflix. Oh my goodness, it's so very good. I'm half way thru with season 6 (out of 7 seasons). I've picked out my next show once I finish. It's gonna be Friday Night Lights cuz my parent's swear by it. Have you seen it?
Okay, that's all I have for you for now. I better start catching up on reading all the blogs I've been neglecting!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
It's all starting to come together!
I know I've had the RunGirl 13.1 half mary on my sidebar for quite some time now, but I officially registered for it this morning.
I remember being super excited last year when I found out about this race. It would have been my 3rd half and it was especially exciting because it was a female-only run AND in December. This practicially guaranteed decent (read: coolish) weather.
I was so bummed when my pelvic stress fracture kept me from racing. I vowed to register for the race again this year...AND...to actually participate in it.
I let life conquer me for a bit...hence the weight gain and the lack of training as evident in my Hottest Half race, BUT it's not going to conquer me any longer.
As discussed in my GOALS - SHORT TERM/LONG TERM post, I'm back on the wagon and feeling fierce!
I can already see the fruits of my labor. I have decided to ease back into running by incorporating small (increasing) runs at the end of my walks. I tested this out on Monday night...walked 2 miles and then ran 0.23. My average pace was 16:27. This was not great, BUT I was out there doing it and that is what matters. Tuesday was a cross-training day, so I hit up my stationary bike for 50 minutes. Wednesday was another walk/run. I managed 3 miles in total and I ran the last 0.4 mile. I lowered my average pace to 15:43. What does that tell me? With dedication and determination...I'm gonna hit my goals!
I would love to run my last three half marathons for the year, but realistically I'm just not going to be able to accomplish that. What I can do, however, is establish goals for each one based on my current (at the time of the race) fitness level.
For now, I will focus on See Jane Run (another all female half). This half is in Austin on October 9th. I have no way of knowing what to expect temperature wise (please God let it be cooler outside). The elevation chart hasn't been posted yet either, so I don't know what to expect regarding hills. We all know Austin has them. =/ So, I'm just going to focus on hitting all my training walks/runs and lowering my average pace to allow me to finish my race with a 15:45 pace. This means 3:26:19 will be my goal.
On a side note...I just booked my hotel for See Jane Run using Hotwire.com. My dad swears by this website as he uses it for all of his business travel (and even some personal trips). I went "pot luck" instead of choosing the specific hotel and I got the La Quinta Inn hotel downtown for $78.00 per night (which includes breakfast each morning). I looked up the published price per night and it's $99.00. Yay for saving $42.00 in total! =)
Ahhhh....it's all starting to come together and that makes me happy!
I remember being super excited last year when I found out about this race. It would have been my 3rd half and it was especially exciting because it was a female-only run AND in December. This practicially guaranteed decent (read: coolish) weather.
I was so bummed when my pelvic stress fracture kept me from racing. I vowed to register for the race again this year...AND...to actually participate in it.
I let life conquer me for a bit...hence the weight gain and the lack of training as evident in my Hottest Half race, BUT it's not going to conquer me any longer.
As discussed in my GOALS - SHORT TERM/LONG TERM post, I'm back on the wagon and feeling fierce!
I can already see the fruits of my labor. I have decided to ease back into running by incorporating small (increasing) runs at the end of my walks. I tested this out on Monday night...walked 2 miles and then ran 0.23. My average pace was 16:27. This was not great, BUT I was out there doing it and that is what matters. Tuesday was a cross-training day, so I hit up my stationary bike for 50 minutes. Wednesday was another walk/run. I managed 3 miles in total and I ran the last 0.4 mile. I lowered my average pace to 15:43. What does that tell me? With dedication and determination...I'm gonna hit my goals!
I would love to run my last three half marathons for the year, but realistically I'm just not going to be able to accomplish that. What I can do, however, is establish goals for each one based on my current (at the time of the race) fitness level.
For now, I will focus on See Jane Run (another all female half). This half is in Austin on October 9th. I have no way of knowing what to expect temperature wise (please God let it be cooler outside). The elevation chart hasn't been posted yet either, so I don't know what to expect regarding hills. We all know Austin has them. =/ So, I'm just going to focus on hitting all my training walks/runs and lowering my average pace to allow me to finish my race with a 15:45 pace. This means 3:26:19 will be my goal.
On a side note...I just booked my hotel for See Jane Run using Hotwire.com. My dad swears by this website as he uses it for all of his business travel (and even some personal trips). I went "pot luck" instead of choosing the specific hotel and I got the La Quinta Inn hotel downtown for $78.00 per night (which includes breakfast each morning). I looked up the published price per night and it's $99.00. Yay for saving $42.00 in total! =)
Ahhhh....it's all starting to come together and that makes me happy!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Vacation Planning
Have I ever mentioned how much I love vacations? Oh I do, it's quite true! It can even be said that I live for them. To me, vacations are the reward for...life.
I know I've spoken of my love for Playa del Carmen, but alas...Mexico can't be in the cards for me. You see, I have to plan my vacation with the thought process that I will be "all by myself" (sing it Celine). I don't know for a fact that I will have anyone to go with me and so I have to choose a vacation spot that would be safe for me to travel to alone.
One of the huge appeals of Playa for me...or any beach, for that matter...is that it's AWAY and it's peaceful. I can choose to do everything or nothing. This got me wondering what it is that I could do here in the states that would give me that same sense of utopia. Then it dawned on me. I can choose a hot springs resort and spa escape.
I then began my research. My requirements were - hot natural springs, adventurous activities nearby, and of course...a spa.
No matter how many different search options I Googled, I kept coming back to this place - Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa in N. Bonneville, WA. The only downside I can think of is that the high temp will be around 56 and the low 31 (ye gads!) while I'm there (early May 2012). Oh...and brother-in-law Jay wanted to point it out to me that I might not be safe in the Pacific Northwest because there are a lot of serial killers from around those parts. WHAT?! Well you know that lead me to serial killer research! I'm morbid like that.
Within 30 minutes of the resort, I will have the opportunity to do a zipline course, white water rapids, hike waterfalls, see Mount St. Helens, and tour wineries (with wine tastings).
The resort also has a lovely restaurant with wonderful meal offerings, but if I wanted to eat off-campus, so to speak, Portland Oregon is only 35 minutes away with some great offerings like Veritable Quandary and Salvador Molly's.
The spa menu is superb. I've already picked out several services I want such as:
Ultimate Relaxation Bath, Wrap & Massage
Our Chamomile bath and wrap or our Lavender bath and wrap followed by a relaxing 80-minute massage is perfect for those days when you just want to relax. This ultimate treatment also includes a foot massage followed by a warm towel foot wrap and a warm towel face wrap.
140 minutes
Just for Women Bath, Wrap & Facial
Enjoy a bath in YonKa Phyto Bain bath oil followed by a warm wrap and an
80 minute European Facial.
140 minutes
Rock N’ Rain Signature Massage
Try our Bonneville Hot Springs Spa Signature Massage. Six therapeutic essential oils are delivered down the spine in the Raindrop Technique, and then massaged in with warm basalt rocks followed by a full body massage.
80 minutes
Having something relatively planned for the future gives me the motivation to commit (fully) to getting to my goals. Now, unfortunatley I have a bit more ground to cover than initially because I went wayward, but the point is I'm back on track.
Speaking of track...I decided this is going to be key in transforming me into the girl I want to be. Starting today, I am tracking EVERYTHING. I have Daily Mile to track my exercise. I have Myfitnesspal.com to track my calories and water consumption. I have Sleep Bot (an app on my phone) to track my sleep.
If only I could mentally get beyond this ridiculous weather. I'm sure you are sick and tired of hearing me (and every other Texan) complain about the heat this summer, but I can honestly say that in all my 24 years of living here, this is by far the hottest summer. Yesterday around 3:30pm, I took this picture (and no, my car had not been sitting in direct sunlight...this was after I had been driving for over 20 minutes).
So, what kind of vacation are you planning OR do you prefer?
I know I've spoken of my love for Playa del Carmen, but alas...Mexico can't be in the cards for me. You see, I have to plan my vacation with the thought process that I will be "all by myself" (sing it Celine). I don't know for a fact that I will have anyone to go with me and so I have to choose a vacation spot that would be safe for me to travel to alone.
One of the huge appeals of Playa for me...or any beach, for that matter...is that it's AWAY and it's peaceful. I can choose to do everything or nothing. This got me wondering what it is that I could do here in the states that would give me that same sense of utopia. Then it dawned on me. I can choose a hot springs resort and spa escape.
I then began my research. My requirements were - hot natural springs, adventurous activities nearby, and of course...a spa.
No matter how many different search options I Googled, I kept coming back to this place - Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa in N. Bonneville, WA. The only downside I can think of is that the high temp will be around 56 and the low 31 (ye gads!) while I'm there (early May 2012). Oh...and brother-in-law Jay wanted to point it out to me that I might not be safe in the Pacific Northwest because there are a lot of serial killers from around those parts. WHAT?! Well you know that lead me to serial killer research! I'm morbid like that.
 |
| source here |
Within 30 minutes of the resort, I will have the opportunity to do a zipline course, white water rapids, hike waterfalls, see Mount St. Helens, and tour wineries (with wine tastings).
The resort also has a lovely restaurant with wonderful meal offerings, but if I wanted to eat off-campus, so to speak, Portland Oregon is only 35 minutes away with some great offerings like Veritable Quandary and Salvador Molly's.
The spa menu is superb. I've already picked out several services I want such as:
Ultimate Relaxation Bath, Wrap & Massage
Our Chamomile bath and wrap or our Lavender bath and wrap followed by a relaxing 80-minute massage is perfect for those days when you just want to relax. This ultimate treatment also includes a foot massage followed by a warm towel foot wrap and a warm towel face wrap.
140 minutes
Just for Women Bath, Wrap & Facial
Enjoy a bath in YonKa Phyto Bain bath oil followed by a warm wrap and an
80 minute European Facial.
140 minutes
Rock N’ Rain Signature Massage
Try our Bonneville Hot Springs Spa Signature Massage. Six therapeutic essential oils are delivered down the spine in the Raindrop Technique, and then massaged in with warm basalt rocks followed by a full body massage.
80 minutes
Having something relatively planned for the future gives me the motivation to commit (fully) to getting to my goals. Now, unfortunatley I have a bit more ground to cover than initially because I went wayward, but the point is I'm back on track.
Speaking of track...I decided this is going to be key in transforming me into the girl I want to be. Starting today, I am tracking EVERYTHING. I have Daily Mile to track my exercise. I have Myfitnesspal.com to track my calories and water consumption. I have Sleep Bot (an app on my phone) to track my sleep.
If only I could mentally get beyond this ridiculous weather. I'm sure you are sick and tired of hearing me (and every other Texan) complain about the heat this summer, but I can honestly say that in all my 24 years of living here, this is by far the hottest summer. Yesterday around 3:30pm, I took this picture (and no, my car had not been sitting in direct sunlight...this was after I had been driving for over 20 minutes).
So, what kind of vacation are you planning OR do you prefer?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
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?!
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?!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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