Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mmmm

Butterbeer at Harry Potter = good!!

Total brain freeze!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

80 Degress and Perfect!

What a day! We still haven't even been in Florida for 24 hours yet we've done a ton!

NASA was awesome as usual. I am such a space geek, so I was enjoying every ounce of our time there. We saw quite a few gators - which Ryan is scared of - so Jessica and I really enjoyed that.

The ocean felt amazing. I wanted tp throw my entire body in and grab the surfboard from the old guy that wasn't even trying to surf.

We had a great dinner at an outdoor patio bar that was pretty much right on the beach! The weather today was absolutely perfect, and nothing like the Pacific Northwest!

It sucked to get to our hotel room and we were STILL locked out. Finally it is fixed, but imagine being exhausted and unable to get to your bed!

My alarm is set early so I can run in the morning, but after not getting any sleep I am not sure if it will happen or not.

Tomorrow is Islands of Adventure (mini stop at Margaritaville!) and Halloween Horror Nights. SWEET!!

Good night everybody, this girl is beat!

Insanity. AKA I Feel Like A Griswold

Last night was crazy!! We landed at 12:25am. It wasn't until about 2am that we were in our cheap rental car and driving to Pop Century. The rental line took forever, all because 1 family was being anal about their mini van and what country it was made in. Ugh.

Check-in at the hotel was a breeze until we got to our room. We are in the 50's building with the bowling pin stairs! AND our keys wouldn't open the door. Finally at 3:15am I was in my bed trying to sleep.

7am came early, but I was up! After stopping for drinks and bagels in the insanely busy food court we were in the car and on our way!

Right now we are at the Kennedy Space Center getting on the tour bus. I was the very last person to fit! Maybe my luck is turning around!

It is a big race weekend. I hope all you runners have a fabulous time!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Look At All the Room For Activities!

We lucked out and got the Exit row on the way to Denver. It was a pretty relaxed flight! Now we have 4 hours to kill before the flight to O-Town. We have plenty of time for a relaxed lunch... And as I type this all 3 of us are busy playing on our phones! I think a dude is falling asleep while reading at his table, not really sure. Okay, so I have absolutely nothing exciting to share. Jessica says: "That's hooker talk" ....(don't ask). Ryan says: "I'm the one that said hooker talk!"
Should be an interesting trip!
Ooh my pasta is here. BYE!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

It Happened

That moment where I almost burst into millions of floating pieces of pixie dust filled with excitement ... that has finally happened. Believe it or not I was suppressing the excitement pretty well up until about 120 seconds ago. Now I just want to be there! I want to see it all NOW. I want to smell it all NOW. I want to hear it all NOW. I want to taste it all NOW.

I am such an only child! ME ME ME MY MY MY NOW NOW NOW!

So here's the rundown - (which you'll be able to read along as it happens with now that I am skilled and can blog from my phone!):
  • Tonight: Driving up to Portland to stay over before our flight. Possibly having a detour to visit with the sushi date before going out of town. :)
  • Friday: Flying to Orlando via Denver. I will wave to you all below if I am passing your state!
  • Saturday: Kennedy Space Center & Cocoa Beach. Ron Jon Surf Shop, here I am!! (I am a total wannabe surfer girl at heart. If only I had warm enough water at home to try surfing in.)
  • Sunday: Islands of Adventure, where I WILL try butterbeer! A pit-stop at Margaritaville, 'cause I wouldn't be a true Parrothead if I didn't stop! Then Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios!
  • Monday: 3am Florida time - registering for the Hippie Chick 1/4 marathon!!! Then relaxing before Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.
  • Tuesday: WDW
  • Wednesday: WDW
  • Thursday: RONDA'S 32ND BIRTHDAY PARTY IN WDW!!! Character breakfast, Epcot, Food & Wine Festival, drinks, food, friends, drinks ... FUN FUN FUN!!!
  • Friday: WDW
  • Saturday: WDW
  • Sunday: WDW
  • Monday: home via Dallas/Fort Worth - again I'll be waving!
So stay tuned for short updates along the way. I'll try not to go overboard, but no promises!
Good luck with all of your training runs and for those of you with races, go kick some ass!!

ºoº

Here's one from the vault!
That little girl in braces and the ugly coat? That's me!
December 1997 - my Frontierland hot dog cart.


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Let There Be Lips


I wouldn't feel right if I didn't do a mini-review of last night's Rocky Horror episode of Glee.  It has positives. It had a huge, glaring negative. First a mini-RHPS and Me history!

At the start of my 7th grade year my mom rented Rocky Horror Picture Show for the two of us to watch together. I instantly was in love. We had to have the soundtrack. I had to have the official collector's book. I had to have posters. Life was pretty much All RHPS All the Time. I would introduce my friends to it one at a time. Before high school was over we almost had our own cult like following. Even one of my boyfriends got in on it and shared it with his friends. Yeah - we were so cool. We were better than glee kids --- we were the band geeks!  At our Grad Night party in 1996, my friends and I took 3rd place (we were totally ripped off!!!) in the lip sync contest. We won $125 - I was Columbia, 'cause she's the coolest.

I had an awesome run in my fishnets - and a sparkly top hat!
So with all that being said, I was very excited about this episode of Glee!

I had chills at the very beginning when it opened with the iconic red lips. And I continued to be thrilled when the show immediately went straight into Rocky Horror music. The costumes were fabulous for the characters, too!

One of the highlights - the cameos of Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf. And I loved that their character names were Barry and Tim. Sigh - if only Tim Curry had been in this episode. That would have been epic!

All in all I really enjoyed this episode. I even proclaimed that I liked it better than the Power of Madonna episode. However, they might be tied now. And that is because of one huge disappointment.

Tim Curry is one of a kind. I would love to meet him in real life. He is creepy, he is sassy, he is funny, he is charming. He seems to be one of those actors that can do anything in a unique way. Frank-n-Furter is the ultimate Tim Curry role.  His portrayal was perfection. 

And then there is Mercedes. Ugh. Glee producers ... WHY??? It was horrendous. First of all, Frank is a dude. He is also a sweet transvestite from TRANSSEXUAL Transylvania. NOT "sensational" Transylvania.  When did "transsexual" become an obscene word?? Is it just the gay rights activist in me that finds this particularly annoying?? I mean my blog title says it all - I'm a major fruit fly. I love the gays! They love me! Why on earth did they censor that song?? Transvestite is okay but transsexual isn't. Um, huh??  Okay, lyric changes aside - Mercedes is my least favorite character. I just don't like her attitude. And I hate her singing. Frank does NOT yell that song. She freaking yelled it at me. I absolutely hated it. Sweet Transvestite is one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack and she just ruined everything I love about it. Bad, bad, bad.

And then there is Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me .... (really I LOVED this episode, I swear!) .... the lyrics changes. I suspected they would change things with this song given the nature of it. But is "if anything shows" really any better than "if anything grows" ?? Some of the changes just seemed pointless or even stupid. 

But hello to the eye candy! How many shirtless guys can they cram into one episode?? More of that please!  And more Santana. I lover her and I love her voice.  And Kurt was Perfect as Riff Raff. Why Quinn had to sing Magenta's part of the Time Warp in such a weird way, I'll never know. 

Some things are just classics. Tweaking too much isn't always a good thing. I guess the parts I really enjoyed were the parts that stayed truest to the movie!

I swear I loved it. I just had to vent!
So let us end with a look at the REAL Frank!


Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Is This Thing On??

If you are seeing this (Sarah and I at the Royal Family 5K last March), that means I figured out how to upload photos and text!

I am crossing my fingers!

2 for Tuesday

Here I am - post number 2 for today. This is due to me finally being super duper excited about vacation!! I just talked with my best friend, who lives there and hooks me up with all the Disney perks. So now I'm just not going to be able to concentrate on anything non-vacation related.

For this post I will be sharing a photo with you, as mentioned in the previous post. I kid you not, this is 100% real. It has been there for more years than I have been alive. It is something every one in town knows about and jokes about ... yet we all flock to eat the yummy food in all of its greasy goodness. (Odds are you WILL have a tummy ache at some point after eating there. It is almost a rule.)

Now I present to you .....


I'm not sure if it is coincidence that they always hire young girl in tight clothes to work there, or if they are using this sign as a way of advertising food AND a casting call.

And the next issue - blogging. I have set it up so I can blog from my phone while I'm on vacation. As it is right now, it seems I can only send text blogs. But what if I run into my buddy Bruce again, or I see a pretty Florida sunset that I want to share?

Does anybody know how I can get a photo to upload, too? I've tried, but with no luck. But I've seen other blogs in the past that did have photos and were posted via cell phone.

Any advice is welcome!! 

And if you are on the facepage, I will have access to that via my lovely phone, so it will be updated quite often with silly statuses and photos! (My link is over to the right!)



100 Days - Week 9 Recap ... and other stuff, too.

Week 9. What happened to you?? Did you just come and go and leave nothing but French fry grease on a napkin??

I only ran TWICE. Once for just 2 little miles. And once where I set that really amazing PR that I haven't been able to shut up about since it happened! I had intentions of running on Sunday, but last time I had a great race and ran the next day ..... hip bursitis happened. So I was superstitious and not going to make that mistake again.

And then there was the food. I blame the Jimmy Buffett concert! You see I wanted to get out of town ASAP, but I was really hungry. There was a train - which seriously cuts the town in half - so I wasn't able to get home ASAP. So I went to Dairy Queen and grabbed a grilled cheese and fries.  That was all I ate that day.

The next day my mom said that she wasn't having lunch with Grandpa and we should have something together. She asked me to pick us up food from Pete's Drive-In .... they have ho-made fries! OMG, I will HAVE to upload that photo to share with you all sometime!!! Anyway, another grilled cheese with crispy fries and goop. Mm, sinfully good. 

And then my friend wanted a lunch date the next day. We had lots to catch up on -- Buffett, work drama, boys -- and so we tested out a newish restaurant downtown. Their grilled cheese was good - but their fries were DELICIOUS! 

So pretty much I gorged on French fries. I don't even feel bad about it. I guess in my head I know that once I get back from vacation I'm going to be forcing myself to eat better and the 1/2 marathon training will start, so I had to enjoy the yummy stuff while I could!

*******

Which leads me to vacation .... I'm leaving Thursday after work. I won't be back until November 8th. I'm taking my laptop so I can register for the Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon at 3am Florida time! BUT it will cost $10 for a 24 hour internet connection in our room. So basically what I'm saying is, while I'm in Disney World I will be busy playing in the parks and frolicking on the beach, so I won't be able to stay caught up on everyone's blogs. I'm already behind as it is. I try to stay caught up, but then things like work and Glee get in the way. 

Don't forget to watch Glee tonight!!! RHPS 4 EVER!!!


Monday, October 25, 2010

The Touch, The Feel of Cotton

.... the fabric of our lives.


Why do they have commercials for cotton? We all know that song. But why? I mean I don't really get who they are advertising to. Am I supposed to choose only cotton clothes? Am I supposed to be a fashion designer and pick out the cotton fabrics when I go to Mood with Tim Gunn? (I NEVER hear the word "cotton" on Project Runway.)

Honestly - does anybody know? It seems like such a silly thing to waste money on a commercial for something like cotton.


Here's one of MANY versions of the horrible cotton song. This is much better than the Aaron Neville commercials for sure!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Monster Mash 5K - A HUGE Success!

I went into this race wanting to have a PR. The current 5K PR was 33:44, which I set in May just before hip bursitis and the summer heat had me sidelined for a while.  


Saturday morning I was up at 5am, at my mom's by 6:15am, and on the road by 6:30am. Check in started at 8:15, so we kind of got there 30 minutes early. But that's okay, my nerves were calmed just by getting to the parking lot.  I was pleasantly surprised upon checking in to find out that not only did I get the socks that were promised, and the cool tech-shirt I paid extra for, but also a backpack with a water bottle and an apple inside! My number? Oh my number ... I'm pretty sure that gave me an extra confidence booster. If you can't feel cocky when you have my race bib, then when can you?  Yes, today I was OchoCinco! Not Chad Johnson, but ME! Little ol' me. Perhaps it is an OSU Beaver thing? We grow up to have #85 in our adult lives?? After I was checked in I had to head over to the costume judging tables. I had no idea I was going to have to stand in front of about 6 people all asking me questions about my costume and my inspiration. Yikes!


Malice in Horrorland
Here I am trying to explain that my bunny wasn't fast enough. He was late. So he met his demise ... by ME. After seeing who won I realize they had NO taste in costumes. I mean really, the girls that won best duo were just in some neon shirts and were trying to look 80s. I saw costumes that were soooo much better than the winners - and better than mine, too.  But that's okay. I didn't expect to win, I just wanted to dress up and be silly for once in my running life!
She thinks cheerleaders should have jazz hands!
For the first time since March, my dear Mommy was my cheerleader! She wasn't too thrilled about the cold temperature, but it eventually thawed out and she was fine. We had a blast before the race just watching the costumes on the dogs! So many cute dogs were dressed up, one was even wearing glasses! And they were so well behaved. My little Lady would NEVER be able to do this. Aside from the fact that she is out of shape and chubby, she does NOT like dogs. I'm pretty sure she doesn't realize she is one.
I've never seen such a huge dog - and this one had a parrot!
Okay, so time for the race. It was chaotic at the start. I was disappointed that it wasn't chip timed, so I vowed to be closer to the start than I normally would. Unfortunately they decided not to start dogs, strollers and walkers after the runners, so the first bits were spent trying to get around them. Ugh. Didn't they know I had a time to beat here??


I was run over by a stroller. And then a dog. I admit for the first half of a mile I was not thrilled. I did manage to work up a happy "look at me I'm going to kick ass" moment for the camera though!
Hi Mom!
The crowd finally thinned out and I found myself constantly by/slightly behind this woman that had to be in her late 50's. We were going fast. I mean faster than I ever go. I would try to slow down, but I couldn't do it. So I just kept with her. Around mile 2 I passed her and never saw her again. I couldn't believe I was passing people, and rarely being passed. I was soaking it all in - and also felt like I was soaking in sweat. That costume, as flimsy as it is, is NOT breathable at all. I was ready to rip it off at mile 2.5. I just wanted to get to the end so I could switch into a normal shirt (I had a running skirt on underneath.)  A 10K and 5K were happening at the same time. Nearly every single person running the race was from Eugene, so when they heard the instructions that 5K was supposed to take the Defazio bridge, well I'm sure they knew what that was. Me? Not so much. I lost a couple of seconds asking directions from people behind me when I got to that point.

So here I am, coming off the bridge, down into Alton Baker Park. I can hear the crowd and I know my mom is somewhere with my camera. Did I ever mention how she doesn't know how to use one and was very nervous about her job as professional photographer? She did a good job!  Okay, so the finish line is ahead of me, and in true fashion I kicked it into high gear. I wasn't going to leave anything on that course. This PR was going to be mine.  A woman and her two dogs were blocking my path. I felt bad, but she saw me coming and started to move. I said, "Thanks! I'm getting my PR!" So then she laughed and cheered me on. I was FLYING. It was awesome!  I crossed the finish line. Immediately hit stop on my Garmin. Looked down in disbelief. Squealed something -who knows what I said?? And jumped into the air so high. I couldn't believe it. And maybe you don't either? Well .... my "professional" photographer managed to capture it!


Final time (my Garmin was only 2 seconds off from their official time - not bad) .... 31:11 according to the race directors!  Let me refresh you .... prior PR was  33:44.  NOW 31:11. Holy cow!!

I didn't win any awards, but I did the best I have ever done! Overall I was 105 out of 209 5K runners. (There were 3 overall race categories going on.)   Here's the stat I am thrilled with ... 6 out of 19 in my division. Yipee!!

After the race they had no water for humans. The dogs were all hooked up, but humans could have chocolate milk (which is a no for me since I have my 16 year no chocolate New Year's resolution thing) or they could buy coffee. Hmm.  I found a drinking fountain. My mom and I split a bagel, grabbed a flashing light thing for me to put on when I run in the dark, and a bag of Beggin' Strips for my darling dog, Lady!

Then it was off to shop for leg sleeves. The guy in the store wouldn't even get off his ass to help me. He looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about when I asked where I could find them. Then he said,  if we had anything like that they'd be over there.  Gee -thanks. Well, I found some Adidas leg sleeves for only $12. Figured that was inexpensive enough that I could try them out before buying something else. Next stop - pizza. Then the Metropol bakery for some bread to take home. Then a detour to Pre's Rock which was a failure due to road construction. Bummer.  I was kind of talking to my running idol during my race when I was needing extra oomph to push me through - so I was hoping to go to his rock. But that's okay, Pre still helped me! ;)

Hooray for no rain - I thought that eye shadow would be all over my face!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Antsy Pants

Just call me Miss Antsy Pants today!

I can't sit still. OOh, I should drink this water. Anyway, yeah, I am having major pre-race jitters. Maybe "butterflies" is more appropriate. I'm not sure if I'm just nervous or excited. I have put major pressure on myself, so now of course I'm second guessing everything. Last night I ran just over a mile before going home. It felt pretty good - but I still had mental visions of the pain I was in for my last two runs.  I'm sure the race day adrenaline will kick in and I'll be fine.

I just really want to PR. I feel like my running has improved a lot since I set my last PR in May, and setting a new one seems like it is within my grasp. The course looks about as flat as you can get in Oregon, so at least I have that working in my favor. Perhaps I am feeling concerned about running in my costume. Word on the street is that it will be rainy tomorrow. And I'll be out there in my running skirt, sports bra, and Halloween costume. Last time I checked, Halloween costumes aren't really moisture wicking, anti-chafing, pro-racing articles of clothing. But I know if I don't run in my costume I'll regret it later.  

Oh yes, and then there is my make-up. My plan is for blood red lips, or even a hint on the darker side of blood red. And my eyes.... since I'm not going to have the full make-up I wore the first time through (no blood on my wrists or smudges on my fingers), I figure I have to really work the black eye shadow. Oh black eyeshadow, how I've missed you. Did you know I went through a goth period?? It still tries to come out when I go out to bars - which is really mostly just in Vegas.

Okay not Goth goth like all emo and oversized pants with a lot of buckles and zippers. More like smiley blond girl with short skirts with subtle skulls on chains,  and knee socks, and my trusty black eye shadow. Who am I kidding? I still dress like that at work during the winter.

You see how I've gone all over the place here? That's been my mind all day. I'm officially in the peak of my pre-race spaz session that I always go through.  This was going to possibly be my last 5K before the 1/2 marathon.... but that's changed.  The hot Chilean sushi date was supposed to race with me tomorrow, but that fell through due to unforeseen work obligations. So I told him he would have to do the next one - and he agreed! Now I'm eye-balling a Christmas themed race and one that starts at midnight on New Year's Eve. I'm itching for a night race, so that one seems perfect!

And then there are the leg sleeves. I'm going to the running store tomorrow to get some. I really, really hope they have them - but the Zensah website said they did, so I'm trusting it. PLUS it looks like maybe they sell some Prefontaine stuff at that store?? OMG I hope so!  On the way home, this is not going to be a shocker, I'm taking my mom to Pre's Rock.

Um.... I lost my train of thought.



Thursday, October 21, 2010

3 Things: Visions of Buffett Racing Through My Sleep

  1. I am still on my Jimmy Buffett high. I promise to stop talking about it after this post. I will share a funny thing I realized about that concert experience though. My "date" -- I was his first date with a women EVER!, and I suspect his partner got a total kick out of that! -- and I noticed that a lot of the men at the pre-parties were checking out my coconuts. They would comment on them directly, or they'd comment on my glasses, ask if they could get a picture, and then suddenly back up and turn the camera on its side for a full body shot. A couple of wives gave me the stink eye. Sorry! :)  Vernie Vern (my date) and I were giggling about it the whole time. He even got a couple of nods from other guys there, seeming to kind of high five him for being their with such a younger woman. Now trust me, I am not at all delusional and thinking I'm worth turning your head at. I've NEVER experienced anything like the attention I got that night. And then I realized WHY I was getting attention .... I was the minority. I was one of the few younger women there. I have blond hair, not gray. I was dressed up more than any other younger people. And basically, I wasn't an old lady!  That concert was a sea of gray! But hey, if it let me feel somewhat pretty for one time in my life, then I'll take it! Fins up!
  2. Because of that awesome night, and the fact that I drove until after 1 o'clock in the morning before I stopped to sleep, I am STILL tired. I try to sleep and I can't because my mind can't stop singing A Pirate Looks At Forty and One Particular Harbor.  Tonight I will go home, have my first run since Sunday, and then go straight to bed!
  3. It is Race Week! I ignored that fact, due to my obsession with Buffett. But it is time to be serious. I have to hydrate. I have to make sure my costume is clean. I have to be sure to go get my bagel and my banana BEFORE race morning. I was under prepared for a couple of races and I don't want to make that mistake again. This one is the last 5K I am registered for before the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon weekend is here. I imagine I will find another race or two between now and then. But as it stands, this is it. The last fun, short, fast race. And I hope it will feel fun, short and FAST!! I am itching to set a new PR, and I really feel I can do it!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

THE Coolest Man on the Planet

.... nay the coolest human on the planet!  That is how I will now describe one Mr. Jimmy Buffett!  How does one even go about describing the most amazing night of their entire life??

At about 1pm I rolled out of town, still curious where my earring went. It was there, and then it wasn't. I grabbed a back-up pair, but the original choice was the perfect choice.  Traffic on I-5 wasn't so bad, so I got into a nice cruise control pace and held it most of the way. While adjusting my top I felt something very strange in my cleavage. ... yeah, I was shocked there was cleavage, too!  Upon further investigation I found my missing earring! Who knew I was just carrying it around with me the whole time?? What a relief!

The relief quickly disappeared once I hit Portland. I was ahead of schedule, and it is a good thing I was. Traffic was a nightmare. Mark my words, I will never live in Portland or its suburbs! This total asshole (I can say it, it's my blog!) would NOT let me over and therefore I missed my exit. I ended up going way out of the way, having to find the first exit and then drive through neighborhood streets back toward the Rose Garden. STRESS!! I mean I was flipping out so much I actually applied deodorant while at a stop-light!

My date at and I got to the parking garage at the same time, so it all worked out well in the end. He helped me put on my coconut bra - and of course I had to break the strap in the process. Ugh. We fixed it! It was very cool to meet my date in person finally! I stole him from my mom earlier this year when I kept talking to him on facebook. He was so cool, just as I imagined he would be. He even let me decorate him so he'd blend in with the rest of us Parrotheads! The costumes people came up with were great. I didn't even feel the least bit silly in my tropical creation!


First stop was a Parrothead pre-party in the Memorial Coliseum. After a round of margaritas and listening to a band we moved to the outdoor Margaritaville party.  I went home with so much swag:  tons of temporary tattoos, two types of margarita salt that is not yet for sale, a t-shirt, an awesome drink holder tote, a magnet with directions for making margaritas, and samples of chips, salsa, margaritas, iced teas, chicken and shrimp. I confess I only sampled the margaritas - I'm that kinda girl! ;)  It was pretty cool out there. They had Jimmy Buffett kararoke and Rock Band, limbo, tattoos and just random silliness!  Back in the indoor party we got to see the Coral Reefers up close, so that was pretty cool. More drinks, more bands, and then off to the concert!

Before taking our seats I HAD to stop at the souvenir stand. I ended up going home with a cute mauve hoodie with a simple concert logo on it. I wanted a t-shirt, but they were a little too loud for me.  :(  Our seats were nice and close. I bet if I had something to throw at him I could have done it. He came out to introduce the opening act and I couldn't help but squeal. I mean there he was! It was Jimmy Freaking Buffett right there!! And I'm pretty sure he waved at ME on his way down the stairs to go backstage. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!


I could carry on about the concert forever, so I'll just be short and simple. It was AMAZING! I have been to too many concerts, and this one tops them all. Even *NSync! Even KISS!  He was just so cool. That's the word I am stuck on. Cool! Laid back, personable, having fun doing what he's doing, good music, good stories, barefoot(!!), great performer, COOL!  He played all of his big hits, and then some older ones that I wasn't as familiar with, but still enjoyed. I was up and dancing and moving my fins to the left and right, singing along, shouting random things at the right times. I never stopped smiling. I mean my face actually hurt from smiling at one point! I cannot wait to see him again. Once I get the opportunity I will jump on it without hesitation!



A nice bonus for me was the drive home. It took almost 30 minutes just to get out of the parking structure, but luckily they started replaying the concert on Radio Margaritaville (XM55). So I drove home listening to the whole thing all over again. I was in heaven!  I didn't sleep well, but because I was still on a Buffett high. I close my eyes and I see him. I hear him singing. I am still at the concert in my head!

There he is in the same photo that I am in! YES!

Let's just say I took an obscene amount of photos and video. If you are desperate for more ... and I KNOW you are!.... just let me know. Or find me on the ol' facepage as I like to call it (link is on the right side of this page), 'cause there are a lot more over there!

Look at all this nonsense I typed. I could have summed it up in 3 words.

BEST. NIGHT. EVER!

Monday, October 18, 2010

100 Days - Week 8 Recap

Week 8 sucked.

That's all there really is to say about it.

Only had French fries once, but I did have tater tots - and I'm giving myself a pass because technically those aren't fries!

And only one run worth mentioning - which was that fast 2 miler. But still, the other two were really bad, really short and really painful.

Enough said.






*******I'M GOING TO SEE JIMMY BUFFETT TOMORROW!!!!! FINS UP!!*******

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Part 2

If you missed part 1, click HERE and you can see how this whirlwind weekend came to be!

So now let us continue ... I believe we have our group together and are heading into the darkness and down into the Death Tunnel, a.k.a the Body Chute!

In my new pajama top ??? with our tour guide
500 feet long, no power, no lights. Heading down the chute, you walk on the left hand side where there are steps. The right side is more like a ramp ... for rolling gurneys to the bottom. The story is that the tunnel was used for transporting corpses to the bottom without the living patients seeing how many people were actually not surviving the tuberculosis plague.  Some in our group were feeling timid, but not me! I was more than happy to volunteer to lead us down to the bottom of the chute. I opted to spend most of the night without a flashlight, but for this part we did have to use one to at least see the steps. 

View from the entrance - I have an amazing flash on my camera.
Along the way we saw a ton of graffiti - and considering 3 of us had just shared a huge margarita in a bucket, the naughty images did cause us to giggle. I mean we weren't drunk or even tipsy by the time we got to Waverly, but we were still in a silly mood.  About every 25 feet there were holes in the ceiling - acting kind of like a vent. That gave us our only glimpse of light, which was just from the moon. Mostly I used my flash as a way to see. (Oh yeah, and I had my EMF detector out and ready for action - as seen in the photo to the left!) I just wanted it to be as dark and scary as possible!  

At the start of the night we all partnered up. I insisted everyone have a "buddy". Sara and Jason, being married, got to be a pair. My buddy was Marshall. He is/was my step-brother? Let's not even go there with that side of my family right now!

Why did they let me go out in public looking like that?? I blame it on the tequila!
Eventually we were at the bottom. When my friends and I turned around, most of the group had chickened out and went back up! We hung out at the bottom for a while, just checking things out and hoping that something scary would happen. The ground outside of the chute was covered with a lot of old debris that appeared to have been inside the building at some point many years ago. It was too dark to get a good view of it at the time. We really wanted to explore the wooded area, but it wasn't allowed.


Occasionally we would hear noise over toward the right side of the above photo.  Since we obviously couldn't prove or disprove any sounds, we gave nature a break and decided we probably just heard whatever sort of Kentucky nightlife was in the area.


It wasn't until we started walking back up that I had my first REAL moment of curiosity about what I was hearing. Sara, Jason and I were the only ones left to walk up. It was a rather dark trek up to the top! Seeing as I led the group to the bottom of the chute, I wanted to be the last one to go up. This gave me a chance to linger and go up slowly, leaving opportunity to feel more alone. However, "alone" is not how I felt.


I would always put a great distance between myself and my friends. And every time I did something would happen behind me. I'd stop walking for a while to make the gap larger, and it was like I was hearing footsteps coming up behind me. Obviously nobody was there, but on at least 3 occasions I really felt like I was being followed. It was awesome!

Looking behind me on the walk up to the entrance.


This post went on long, so I'll continue inside the building in the next installment of Waverly posts!


Saturday, October 16, 2010

Wasted Away Again in the Science-Fiction Double-Feature

  • In only 3 days I'll be at the Jimmy Buffett concert. I am FREAKING OUT!! I am so dang excited. I already warned my "date" that there is a high possibility of me squealing like a girl when Jimmy comes out. My "date" is one of my mom's old school classmates. Basically, seeing as I am a little fruit fly and am drawn to them like a magnet .... I kind of stole my mom's friend. I can't help it, I love my gays!
  • I did have another date last week! This time it wasn't sushi. Instead he cooked food at his house - mainly little dishes for me to sample. All went down okay, except for the grilled jalapeño pepper with cheddar cheese baked into it. And would anybody be surprised to hear we watched Without Limits? At least my Prefontaine obsession came out very early in our friendship!
  • I am watching/acting the Rocky Horror Picture Show right now. Tim Curry is amazing. I have every single line of this movie memorized. I'm actually working up quite a sweat with my one woman show. A lot of singing and dancing. My pets aren't really being a supportive audience either. Pft. They don't know true talent OBVIOUSLY! 
  • I've tested out this year's Halloween costume, looks like it is coming together nicely! I'm not sure about the Bump-It. I did give in and buy one - and I swear to you the customer in line in front of me saw it and laughed - but I don't know how to use it. I need Snooki to come meet me in Florida and help me!
  • And I also did a test "run" in my house with my costume for Saturday's 5K race. I think if I just stay focused and ignore my clothes, I'll run just fine. I know the belt will slide up and in normal life that would drive me nuts. Saturday I will ignore it because I am running for that PR!
  • Janet! Dr. Scott! Janet! Brad! Rocky!
  • I'm working on my 2nd posting of my Waverly Hills Sanatorium trip. I expect it will be posted tomorrow!
  • I must leave now to go drink something and get back to the Rocky Horror Picture Show!
  • Oh, and I am currently starting to pack for my vacation. YESSSSS!!!!!  ºoº

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Whoa! Did You See That Girl Go Flying By?

No? You missed her? Is it because she was going so fast in her mis-matched running skirt and top? I bet it was just a blur of blond hair, right?  

Well that girl you just got buzzed by - that was ME!  I am fast!  ;)

Okay, I was fast on one run. Maybe it is because I just had 5" of hair chopped off so I'm lighter? Yes, that must be it.
Mommy, Arwyn, and Me - it was very Steel Magnolias of us!
So here's the short story:  Tuesday I didn't run because I was just run down and tired. I covered 5 different jobs at work that day, including sitting by the judge in the court room and helping out in Traffic Court. (FYI, I work in Finance. Not court. I'm such a multi-tasker!)  Last night after my pre-Jimmy Buffett/vacation hair appointment I decided to do my Tuesday night run.

As per usual, I thought I was starting off on a nice slow, warm-up pace. Looked down ...my pace about 9:15. I tried to slow it down just a hair, but I thought why try to be too much over 10:00 if my goal is to get faster and this is going to be a short run anyway?  I think the first mile was done in 9:38. Not my fastest, but still fast for me! I didn't slow down. I thought, "Let's just see what we can do in 2 miles!"  So I just went for it. It was hard to get used to breathing a lot harder, but my legs were feeling fantastic. 

It was close to 10pm at this point, so the streets were empty. October 13, 2010 now marks my most nerve-wracking run. We know that I tend to have an active imagination and "fantasize" about serial killers chasing after me when I'm running. Well with about .25 left to run I heard a noise behind me. I whipped my head around as fast as I could and there was a man. Hairy, dark clothing, messy looking. He's riding a bike with no light. And he isn't riding at a normal pace at all. It was far too slow and far too creepy. I mean I pretty much was running faster than he was once he came up behind me. That shot my adrenaline up a TON. I was right in front of a close friend's house, so I knew if I had to get help before this bicyclist left me for dead, at least help was right there. A little neighborhood park borders my friend's house, so without missing a beat I jumped through the plants, ran across the grass, jumped back over the plants to the next street and continued on my way. Woo hoo - I ditched "Buffalo Bill" again!

That little rush helped me get to 2 miles .... in .... wait for it......  nineteen minutes, twenty seconds. Yes, that's right 19:20 for 2 miles! That is HUGE!!!! My best 2 mile pace, EVER!!

That elusive sub 30 minute 5K is getting closer and closer!

I also have to send some Thanks to Lesley -- this was a comment she left on a blog once: You just have to really suck it up and tell yourself the whole time "this is over in 30 minutes, just GO". I am fully confident you can pull it off.  That was running through my mind last night as I was daring to tackle a fast second mile. Apparently it helped, so Thanks a Bunch!!


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

It's So Close!! aka Why You Should Hate Me

I have eleven days of work left. I am missing 2 half days to go to and come home from the Jimmy Buffett concert. So 11 days... at the conclusion of day 11 I am in my car heading north to Portland, picking up my companions along the way.  Once 5 o'clock hits I am on vacation! 

Two weeks ago I paid the remaining balance on our hotel (Pop Century for those of you just itching to know, because you really DO care, right??).  The only thing left to pay for is our rental car once I return it, and those pesky baggage fees. LAME!  I love going into a long vacation knowing that basically everything is paid for! WAIT - Kennedy Space Center, we didn't pre-purchase those tickets, so add that to the total that we owe.

How much does it cost to have a vacation starting October 28th at 5pm and continuing until November 8th at 7pm-ish?  Per person .... $898.00.  This is why you should hate me. I'd hate me. Well no, not hate. Hate is way to strong of a word. But I just think maybe it isn't fair? 

$898 includes:  hotel in Portland, airfare to and from Orlando, rental car, admission to Islands of Adventure, tickets PLUS Express Passes for Halloween Horror Nights, tickets to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and our WDW hotel ... and Pop Century, if you missed it the first time. ;)  We like that cheesy little hotel 'cause we consider it to be our summer camp. We have been known to walk around in pajamas to the food court, run around screaming "CANDY" (even though I don't even eat it), and then there is that whole Bohemian Rhapsody performance that really wowed the crowed! 

So all of that fun for $898. Ooh, that includes park hopper passes every day. It pays (or rather, it Saves!) to have connections!

Thank goodness I'll spend less $$$ for my February trip when it is Princess 1/2 marathon time because I won't have the hook-up for the Labor Day Disneyland trip. Dang it, I'll actually have to pay full price like the rest of the world. Shucks. Not fair!

Okay, so that is my obligatory "I'm super excited for vacation" post. No more. I promise. I promise to try to not post anymore.

My previous trip to WDW - March 2010.
***Side note:  I WILL be bringing my running shoes to Disney World with me, so I won't become a slacker. Plus I'll be eating so much at the Food & Wine Festival that I'll HAVE to run! And I won't be on the world wide web, which means I'll sadly be unable to keep up on reading every one's blogs. I apologize in advance - I promise I'm not being snobby on purpose!***

100 Days - Week 7 Recap

Week 7 happened.
Wasn't very exciting. Wasn't good. Wasn't great.

I think I only ran 10 miles total, maybe 10.5. But far short of the 13 I did on week 6. I was a good eater on week 7 though, so that was some improvement.

And overall, without this being a goal, my weight is now  "X-2.6".  Can't complain about a minus sign in your weight! Yeah, I know a lot of bloggers are very free about their weight -- but when it comes to me we're dealing with 30 years of food/body image issues, and weight is NEVER discussed! Heck, I even avoid going to doctor until it is absolutely necessary for fear that the nurse will decide to weigh me. I don't know that I would ever share my weight, even if it was whatever my "ideal" number is. 

And that's all for week 7. Kind of a blah feeling for that week.

A "just because" picture - this is my little Lady at the beach,
sticking her tongue out at her mommy! Too cute!


Monday, October 11, 2010

How Did It Go??

Okay, so last Friday I had a mini-freak out over sushi.  Would I like it? Would I even try it? Was it a date? Was it just two friends that both happen to be runners going out for strange food to talk about running? Of course on the inside I was wondering "what am I supposed to where?"  Skirt? Dress? Pants? Running Skirt? (Okay, I'm totally kidding on the last one. Thank goodness!) No really, if you ever catch wind of me going on a possible date in my running clothes please just throw cold water in my face or something. Don't let me do it!! Can't you just see it?  "Hey there, sexy man! Don't you wanna get a piece of this? What? Oh that? Those are just the built in shorts for running. Yeah, see they even have these handy pockets on the side. Yeah, that's why I don't have a purse with me - check this out, it's called a Spi belt! So hot, right??"  Um - yeah, don't let me do that!! I bet of you!!

I cannot believe I'm actually even posting this. I'm totally not one to discuss my personal life at all, but since I involved you all before the "date", I figure we may as well have a follow-up. After this story we can play the telephone game or something. Or maybe truth or dare? But we will not forget the pillow fight! Slumber Party!!

* * * * *

I opted for a short black skirt. I know, how skanky of me, right? ;)  I love that skirt. It is so comfy! Oh no, confession ... I wore black flip-flops. I suppose I was supposed to wear cute strappy black heels. And I totally would have done that ... a year ago.... before I started running and started obsessing over keeping my lower body in tact. I mean I can't risk twisting an ankle or something. No way!

I drove up to his house about 45 minutes from mine. Got the tour -- which meant I got to pet the neighbor's horses. Yay - they were so cute! Then it was off for a 20 minute drive to a neighboring town for sushi. Being the procrastinator that I am, I flipped out when I saw Dick's Sporting Goods was right by Sushi Domo!! He was very polite and let me drag us in on a quest to find compression socks. No such luck. Darn! 

Finally it was sushi time. Ugh, I can't even explain my nerves to you. He even grabbed my hands and made me stop fidgeting while we were waiting to be seated. I wasn't nervous about the company -it was all about the food. You see, I live off of grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta, potatoes and pizza. Sushi was VERY out of my element!

To start off I got the Sake sampler. Three different types of sake, in a nice presentation actually. Also we had edamame? That was my favorite part. Very yummy! I'm a freak about peas, so that's probably why I was loving this. I mean peas are like candy to me, which by the way is something else I haven't had in almost 17 years!

Of the 3 samples, I liked the middle one the best. It was fruitier. I didn't know kinds I was trying, so I won't really know what to order next time. Oh well.  (I really enjoyed the ice water, too!)  Gosh, I'm such a kid.

Once I was getting settled with what was before me, the actual main order came out. My eyes must have been huge when I realized I was about to actually put that stuff in my mouth! Everything we ordered was vegetarian, so I knew I wouldn't die if I ate it. But I did feel like I was on Survivor when they have those food challenges where you just try to get the food down without gagging. Sadly, I did almost gag. The sizes of the bites were much bigger than I expected, and it kept hitting a spot on my tongue which made it hard to remain lady like!



Taste wise it wasn't horrible. Things that were new to me:  avocado, asparagus, seaweed, cucumber, cashew, ginger. Things that I had tried before: white rice, soy sauce. My problem was the texture. There was crunchy mixed with soft. I wasn't expecting that. In the end, my favorite type was the one with seaweed, asparagus, rice, avocado and cashew. I had 2 of those. In total I had 4 pieces of sushi.. I was too scared to try all that stuff on the right side of the plate. It looked way too exotic for me!

After dinner we went to this cool little bar that had 3 bands playing throughout the night. It was very laid back with all types of people and ages. I liked it a lot. It wasn't a typical college bar, thank goodness. I would have felt ancient in one of those! I really do miss college. It must have been around 11:30 or later when we left and went to our next destination. I took pictures, but it was so dark, they didn't come through very well.

One little section at Pre's Rock
First up, a return trip to Pre's Rock. I had to admit to my driver that I am mildly obsessed. I mean I've been to his home, his grave, his rock, his high school... crossed a finish line on his high school track, and next year will cross the finish line on his college track. I can't help it. He was so cool. He is my athletic idol! So we drove the windy road, in the rain, to get to where he lost his life. We were the only people there, which made sense considering it was around midnight. If you are ever in the area, go visit. It is kind of a humbling experience.  On the way down the hill we were right at Hayward Field. Don't get me started on my physical reaction to the University of Oregon! HATE IT. Anyway, I wanted to see Hayward Field since that's where my 2nd half marathon will start and end, and it is where Pre did his last race. That place was huge! It is going to be so surreal to cross a finish line with these huge grandstands and people watching!

Time to drive back to my car. And to wrap up my story. We did hang out and watch some crazy, extreme biking stuff. And talk running. And decide who had the coolest muscles - I totally lost that one!!  And um.... yeah, so I ended up getting home, You know, um.... eventually! I can't reveal the time, because my mom is dying to know. She doesn't even think I went home after. She is wrong. But it will be fun to leave her hanging and wondering! ;)
Will we meet up again? Most definitely! I had a fantastic time. Conclusion - it was not just a platonic friend meeting. Phew!  And that's the most I've ever shared about my personal life EVER!! Enjoy it while it lasts!


Saturday, October 9, 2010

Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Part 1

In honor of the Halloween season, I will be sharing the story of my night with the spirits of years past!

Growing up in a "haunted house", I have always been very into the paranormal. So this sequence of events is of no surprise to me. Around Christmas in 2006 I found myself at a table by the fire in a local bar talking with friends. I was telling them about this place called the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky and how I really wanted to go investigate. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but my friends (who were living in Arizona) thought it was a great idea, and we all just decided to go!  Fast forward to the end of May 2007 .... we hopped flights to meet up in Indianapolis and began THE craziest weekend of my entire life!

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former hospital for tuberculosis patients in Louisville, Kentucky. An obscene number of people died there during its operation. It is said to be one of the most haunted places in America. If you've seen Ghost Hunters, Celebrity Paranormal Project ... any of those types of shows, then you've seen Waverly. Things we knew about it: The Death Tunnel, Shadow People, and room 502. All things I was more than ready to investigate.  I've had so many crazy paranormal experiences in my life, but I was ready to experience it on a grand scale. For four hours in the middle of the night my friends and I would be exploring this massive building. Did I mention there is no power? That means no heat, no lights. Just us, cameras, flashlights, and my insane thirst for ghostly adventures!

After working a full day I drove 3 hours north to Portland to catch a red-eye flight to Indianapolis. My dad picked up my friends and I, and we began our trip to Kentucky. The most memorable part of that trip? The truck full of dead pigs in front of us. It was so sad, gross, smelly. I wish I had never seen it. Once in Louisville, we were so anxious to see this massive building that did we a day time drive-by. Even from afar it was massive! The outside was certainly uninviting - we barely had courage to go to the gate for a picture, let alone any desire to cross beyond that barrier!

We checked into our hotel and decided to head down to Fourth Street Live for dinner. Oh how much fun it was! I think I was too excited to eat, but not too excited to drink.  At the Hard Rock we all sampled different concoctions, then moved over to Howl at the Moon. I have been a long time fan of piano bars, so I was in heaven. The 84 ounce margarita didn't hurt the fun, either!  For the record, we split the margarita... I did NOT down all 84 ounces myself.  The fun could only last so long. We had to be at Waverly around 11pm or so.


Back to the hotel to freshen up and grab our gear. Layers to wear if it was cold, EMF meter, cameras, batteries, directions.  The margarita was still flowing through me, which made my new Hard Rock Cafe pajama tank top seem like the perfect thing to wear for this adventure??? Lucky for me it ended up being pretty warm and humid, so I was very happy with my inebriated decision!


The guards opened the gate for us, showed us where to park, and ushered us into a small brick building off to the side. We checked in, looked at old artifacts, watched a video, and were split into two big groups. I had befriended our tour guide on myspace, so our group ended up getting a pretty good tour and extra info. Go me!

So it was finally time for the tour ... up first?

The Death Tunnel

.....stay tuned for Part 2!

Let Me Entertain You....

Let me make you smile, 
Let me a few tricks,
Some old and some new tricks,
I'm very versatile....
.... at least so says hmb!

So now that I am Versatile, I get to share 7 things about myself!

  1. I tried sushi last night for the first time ever. The taste was not bad. I liked the edamame best, and sampled 3 flavors of sake. My only issue was with the strange textures and the size of a bite was bigger than my mouth wanted to handle. Oh, and it was just vegetarian sushi. No eel or other creepy little animals in my food. The company, for those of you that read yesterday's blog, was excellent!  ;)
  2. I have been using the same Excel spreadsheet to help pack for vacations since I created it in 2005. I organize by tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories, bathroom things and miscellaneous. I work on it for weeks or longer, then print and actually check off the boxes after things are packed. Obsessive compulsive much??
  3. I am pretty sure I died in a past life by drowning. This might have something to do with my Titanic obsession. Not just an obsession with the movie, but with all things Titanic related. When that movie came out it was heaven for me .... suddenly even more documentaries on TV all the time. I won't even tell you how many DVDs I have on the Titanic. Or books. Or souvenirs. .... I do have a piece of coal from the ship. That's pretty darn cool!
  4. I am a very proud graduate of Oregon State University. I was sort of a football groupie, if you will. Not groupie like rock star groupies though - I'm a good girl, sheesh!  Some football players I went to school with:  Chad Johnson (Ochocinco). Never did meet him or anything, but certainly cheered for him at every home game!  TJ Houshmandzadeh - softest hands EVER. I couldn't believe it! They were softer than mine. I met him once, and shook his hand. I think I may have accidentally fondled it a little too long. He was really cool though. And little Nick Barnett. Freaks me out that he is a big name for Green Bay now. When I first met him he was the obnoxious little freshman living on my floor in the dorm. Drove me nuts in a pesky little kid type way. But then we had photography together and he ended up being absolutely hysterical. He was a DJ at a bar we'd go to sometimes - he wasn't even 21 yet.  And now he is old. Sigh.
  5. When I race I ALWAYS play Usher's Yeah. Always in time with the music, no matter how many people are around, I smack my ass at the right part of the song. Left. Right. Left. Right.  I feel it helps. It is REALLY hard to suppress the jazz hands sometimes, but I do my best to try!
  6. In the 6th grade I wrote an essay about Eli Whitney at the cotton gin. It must have good... it won me a trip to OMSI to meet Harrison Schmitt - an astronaut on the final Apollo mission to the moon. I've been a space geek ever since. (3 weeks from today I'll be at the Kennedy Space Center!)
  7. I always have female pets. The only exception was my step-brother, Bubba. He was an Old English Sheepdog that lived to be 19 years old. He was so sweet. But yeah, I always have female pets. I'm too scared to cuddle with a boy dog and want to spoon and pet a little tummy, and then accidentally touch his.... ugh, I can't even say it.

I think I'm supposed to tag people, but I am super tired after last night's sushi date, so I'm going to let you decide if you are also versatile and wanting to share 7 things about yourself with the blogosphere!
Thanks, HMB!!

No longer a sushi virgin!


Coming up next on this blog.... a visit to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium!