tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24488808748821167002024-03-18T20:38:22.105-07:00Little Fruit Fly in Rainbow Colored SocksFruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.comBlogger1446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-9140798949618517522022-12-31T18:29:00.000-08:002022-12-31T18:29:08.087-08:002022: The Year In Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHFPxR5AlJkfbUEDOupXNyYvNaMZ03VA0hcTQKcJARJ5bUhVm6BoqKfLgGl9ISnMNprUGdbp20GI-OWlznMb8ygVUtjBVq2z8LWm9mHVnThVWobNeKx0QMwbYl4_vKebGVOOzYTQn6--HPqEpDUnJ8mBYPIojEYJT16m0h2wiVb8VG6U_SZkHGsNc/s542/271605591_10159483262693382_2299584613775022403_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHFPxR5AlJkfbUEDOupXNyYvNaMZ03VA0hcTQKcJARJ5bUhVm6BoqKfLgGl9ISnMNprUGdbp20GI-OWlznMb8ygVUtjBVq2z8LWm9mHVnThVWobNeKx0QMwbYl4_vKebGVOOzYTQn6--HPqEpDUnJ8mBYPIojEYJT16m0h2wiVb8VG6U_SZkHGsNc/s320/271605591_10159483262693382_2299584613775022403_n.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is that time again, where I wake up my sleepy little blog to see what the heck I did in the past year. I never remember, so again I will cheat and consult my Facebook photos for help. Let's go!</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>January:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Katura had a great month! She was not only Student of the Week, but she also leveled up in gymnastics! While she was busy being a gymnast I was out running in the cold. And when I wasn't outside I was inside constructing the Titanic!</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAMv18WSdONbKJDA-xZsDa936Venrh-FWh3TRZd54QtYCJl19UNBRo3-TPy4uiJZRa-yKj0ZoBIHd84RdlabIXmIOLQygiihlEJo8jd_SfJPl__rdrj135DRtywWXc6s4GsPgyMS5ZtZ6nLQnkhMYEUNmi-dg0x8Ze40KMu6B6FAZYDuAVxlVlZnz/s2048/271888692_10159494365688382_6830277300021909146_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1354" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAMv18WSdONbKJDA-xZsDa936Venrh-FWh3TRZd54QtYCJl19UNBRo3-TPy4uiJZRa-yKj0ZoBIHd84RdlabIXmIOLQygiihlEJo8jd_SfJPl__rdrj135DRtywWXc6s4GsPgyMS5ZtZ6nLQnkhMYEUNmi-dg0x8Ze40KMu6B6FAZYDuAVxlVlZnz/s320/271888692_10159494365688382_6830277300021909146_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2YG8n79Q1Iy15-Y8KflhH7dWypbB7FF0kmYFaQQcOLMkrFBViMsEsKcnynffR-f_J84iApHU-W-N7VZ1wfYxHek5vtLTM6JRRXiJnSxh4hikkwn6sI7WqnT3jrQIpofXrPd2I84757PZmn_itygmalHvM_F2g7nbhZBUdIOKjf--SuRmM-XO8tfi/s2048/272843832_10159519747358382_2069277289455680976_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="2048" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2YG8n79Q1Iy15-Y8KflhH7dWypbB7FF0kmYFaQQcOLMkrFBViMsEsKcnynffR-f_J84iApHU-W-N7VZ1wfYxHek5vtLTM6JRRXiJnSxh4hikkwn6sI7WqnT3jrQIpofXrPd2I84757PZmn_itygmalHvM_F2g7nbhZBUdIOKjf--SuRmM-XO8tfi/w640-h357/272843832_10159519747358382_2069277289455680976_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>February:</b><div><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;">In February Katura decided to turn 6 years old! To celebrate we had a Harry Potter themed roller skating birthday party, which set off a year of visits to the skating rink. *Fun fact: I have my very own roller skates now. 2023, here I come! Her birthday gift from me was a ticket to Disney Princesses in concert. We had a wonderful time!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o_E93g_13DwPPQZZKeo_P1kUKuvtZwBEGzrnJS4gXaWmXRlqOvMdsO7Smp6M4mmrTetLaVZt-A8X5l6b0spGWkP7Q0PhEYQKCfxuGKqLY-C19TFMf5ifpnfDO9bOK3_ZCQR5Ve1hY6TgqzCkS9X2MgKipNiXsJSslWOl9VIPmacc9JTnnRL2yu2L/s2048/273589334_10159539924543382_592604079928964913_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o_E93g_13DwPPQZZKeo_P1kUKuvtZwBEGzrnJS4gXaWmXRlqOvMdsO7Smp6M4mmrTetLaVZt-A8X5l6b0spGWkP7Q0PhEYQKCfxuGKqLY-C19TFMf5ifpnfDO9bOK3_ZCQR5Ve1hY6TgqzCkS9X2MgKipNiXsJSslWOl9VIPmacc9JTnnRL2yu2L/w400-h225/273589334_10159539924543382_592604079928964913_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Katura's actual birthday we went bowling. And I was awesome. <b>209!!!</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby947qihZQs2gzdRFoI9aLkzCjV0UaeVJOnBipIgqS3pI8OSoP3ZEv1Rcv8Z1zCH-iHVJ73D5WnnRpf0wZVN0cRCu44a19AqTV_EVVRHHrog84CBP-ameT2GbD63aSxdlByr3-2CxjEeaLfASnnu2x7Wi2U5wJAdG70WRahP72JKMN8xkx0C0Fow5/s960/273650517_10159540230888382_1259558644489680110_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby947qihZQs2gzdRFoI9aLkzCjV0UaeVJOnBipIgqS3pI8OSoP3ZEv1Rcv8Z1zCH-iHVJ73D5WnnRpf0wZVN0cRCu44a19AqTV_EVVRHHrog84CBP-ameT2GbD63aSxdlByr3-2CxjEeaLfASnnu2x7Wi2U5wJAdG70WRahP72JKMN8xkx0C0Fow5/w400-h400/273650517_10159540230888382_1259558644489680110_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>School had a week of dress up days, and we just continued the make Katura my clone...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfhU9C6HHrHwwGCQgjsYsJfmWO0yTqMzOfmQPR_8t2vJdvlWw2pJJg91GeiBNv-CAg4VFPHoyPNYXUCYhlY6cyYIF-lts2hz8OvkCITWMk58l0cgBEmwIC58sYn8GTV_w9bfFGIAgbZSpcq4fptoFdAcZk5JFxTfK-QFQgYladJyWSEpfYU1J8q2h/s960/274691970_10159566919523382_4673993768663750308_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfhU9C6HHrHwwGCQgjsYsJfmWO0yTqMzOfmQPR_8t2vJdvlWw2pJJg91GeiBNv-CAg4VFPHoyPNYXUCYhlY6cyYIF-lts2hz8OvkCITWMk58l0cgBEmwIC58sYn8GTV_w9bfFGIAgbZSpcq4fptoFdAcZk5JFxTfK-QFQgYladJyWSEpfYU1J8q2h/w400-h400/274691970_10159566919523382_4673993768663750308_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">With maybe one hour of warning, and Shawn in intense back pain, somehow these Tew managed to get all fancy and make it to the Father Daughter dance! As I recall I stayed home alone watching scary movies on tv all by my sweet little self!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5cb0ZyWsc_RMWbKeXl4VbcLyaVl1dxCS5_HCbz5Idp2puLtywww4G5bVGH-oNlkMslNq0yv63isW7DG3fCOdU_MslUWh-gwjOWj-W9o8mKK7L7x_BCZ0BssQff8UQu2XEHVvAyA2ICChYgoDpaKpkDXzbYmCJXG7X3UvVEIN3wHc7TiE0ceBHrjZ/s2048/275884793_10159600422213382_2006820505954599605_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1460" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5cb0ZyWsc_RMWbKeXl4VbcLyaVl1dxCS5_HCbz5Idp2puLtywww4G5bVGH-oNlkMslNq0yv63isW7DG3fCOdU_MslUWh-gwjOWj-W9o8mKK7L7x_BCZ0BssQff8UQu2XEHVvAyA2ICChYgoDpaKpkDXzbYmCJXG7X3UvVEIN3wHc7TiE0ceBHrjZ/w285-h400/275884793_10159600422213382_2006820505954599605_n.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>March:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ooh, March was an awesome one and had probably the best experience of the year? Spring Break was insane!! The greatest vacation of my life perhaps? We had 24 hours in Walt Disney World with no parks... which meant non-stop pool time in Stormalong Bay at the Beach Club, followed by watching a late night rocket launch over Epcot. But the real highlight was spending a full week on the Disney Fantasy, sailing through the Bahamas and down to the US and Virgin Islands. It was breathtaking and I will absolutely do this sailing again! I found my happy place!</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bEnYrhJSCBsIfCPHeq01sVi2G9I4WEPeAcm045unV-80AsV9tjBwTmftZMN3V1DtcPCOaZxdVEhjZo4iGQD6DLczZij8aD4zuZzH1a_M_ATe-57xXYqfXgi7xHII48LGMMie44kblLMgC6bt-P1bp7nJzGoZFSux8WgYRhkxgtJGGlfG17j1ZpZB/s1740/277571158_10159630422783382_375244911815676791_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1740" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bEnYrhJSCBsIfCPHeq01sVi2G9I4WEPeAcm045unV-80AsV9tjBwTmftZMN3V1DtcPCOaZxdVEhjZo4iGQD6DLczZij8aD4zuZzH1a_M_ATe-57xXYqfXgi7xHII48LGMMie44kblLMgC6bt-P1bp7nJzGoZFSux8WgYRhkxgtJGGlfG17j1ZpZB/w400-h266/277571158_10159630422783382_375244911815676791_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0wxQ5gU534YYX-HkVA5w46kxdlXRE1SGi3WshVUKScgvtXfYPoGpW1r7KXILd6Pb4kaEfnDpXJkovYgSc7hrkqfgS9R95L10SzU0BKY7uw9I26UdXaDU_fx1omn3OG963d3MFvnDTXEFSG3W6-adku4VQR0C98vQ_ryzcjsqwf_A7jzCDj2doIMs/s1930/278195792_10159643572538382_1145187997974015888_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1930" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0wxQ5gU534YYX-HkVA5w46kxdlXRE1SGi3WshVUKScgvtXfYPoGpW1r7KXILd6Pb4kaEfnDpXJkovYgSc7hrkqfgS9R95L10SzU0BKY7uw9I26UdXaDU_fx1omn3OG963d3MFvnDTXEFSG3W6-adku4VQR0C98vQ_ryzcjsqwf_A7jzCDj2doIMs/w640-h480/278195792_10159643572538382_1145187997974015888_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>April:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The very busy month that made me cry. I was so excited to see Hamilton. I arrived at the doors just as they put out signs saying the show was cancelled. Heartbroken is an understatement. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddoL_N3qjevKYg6pxn33JQpK6AoR4As_f1Hkd_N-zd6A43xgLLdADE4Z_sqVwErFM4DgZ9zeX1lrK1FaOnmC2HRNcMwgyzJ2eWrllIp7cqH_WjCtSW3EM7_K7uTGpDUJf9k3QT16iriDCmUd3o9Cf7YG1n1WPKPmSwuXV9-iFLg80b1azMHNA3CXY/s2048/278639158_10159655081378382_2745663507996694980_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddoL_N3qjevKYg6pxn33JQpK6AoR4As_f1Hkd_N-zd6A43xgLLdADE4Z_sqVwErFM4DgZ9zeX1lrK1FaOnmC2HRNcMwgyzJ2eWrllIp7cqH_WjCtSW3EM7_K7uTGpDUJf9k3QT16iriDCmUd3o9Cf7YG1n1WPKPmSwuXV9-iFLg80b1azMHNA3CXY/w300-h400/278639158_10159655081378382_2745663507996694980_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I went far out of my comfort zone and was a parent helper at Katura's kindergarten field trip to the Wildlife Safari!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9XdWHyHXfBMTmPttQ-sFzb7KoR2qfidS336UI2LxCTXzCVpuQVV8hotNeZ7KeeIehZkzEngisUIevv2cQVXINQjdX6oV4g3Brjg4AQDKMP0YCZ7F-biYBMtDyJ9k_Y67hrlQNLOD9whiSrVPw8LahXGEI5AqbNQwWxn73k7x31KJgsqMwaS4OECU/s2048/279265068_10159675174188382_3522116561526993670_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9XdWHyHXfBMTmPttQ-sFzb7KoR2qfidS336UI2LxCTXzCVpuQVV8hotNeZ7KeeIehZkzEngisUIevv2cQVXINQjdX6oV4g3Brjg4AQDKMP0YCZ7F-biYBMtDyJ9k_Y67hrlQNLOD9whiSrVPw8LahXGEI5AqbNQwWxn73k7x31KJgsqMwaS4OECU/w400-h300/279265068_10159675174188382_3522116561526993670_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mom of the Year award goes to ME!! I took Katura to see Blippi live on stage!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1SVvSO-8rsbVPlRjVENGTkxVPEt8lW24C6sOZudgE-Zz_RIBFqCubm3nYdSoWefF4cnAEyBvt__32HvHOmYZPLhf46A0ZmDvRNaFf2oTNA1u3hC6pRoP9bZ7vpItj-e4klotMPtE3ChDpYjgQrQJDKZrvOgPITUetaLczmPP9aIUwwcn3h36Z1ht/s2048/279380561_10159675905938382_3641087516223717066_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1SVvSO-8rsbVPlRjVENGTkxVPEt8lW24C6sOZudgE-Zz_RIBFqCubm3nYdSoWefF4cnAEyBvt__32HvHOmYZPLhf46A0ZmDvRNaFf2oTNA1u3hC6pRoP9bZ7vpItj-e4klotMPtE3ChDpYjgQrQJDKZrvOgPITUetaLczmPP9aIUwwcn3h36Z1ht/w400-h300/279380561_10159675905938382_3641087516223717066_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our month finished off with Katura being awesome in the Kids Duck Dash before I ran the 5K race. She was so cool!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTuj6dNATVLVDwrKqs948DlbOv8XZwsQ3fTR7mb0FrzSla0AnrpbphJJ4vhm5-UbRFUwvUu0nhfnEMbj2Gs5ziCQvGVSkNojDRRgy_cgA8XSb3LRvb0n_a-HSKhfOs1hRh4QmRWdh_eZsDGN0NwvERrq40RWBBlsT6KCe4fzHrdy0KQODHDLRz80I/s2048/279520530_10159680371338382_403020513005118962_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTuj6dNATVLVDwrKqs948DlbOv8XZwsQ3fTR7mb0FrzSla0AnrpbphJJ4vhm5-UbRFUwvUu0nhfnEMbj2Gs5ziCQvGVSkNojDRRgy_cgA8XSb3LRvb0n_a-HSKhfOs1hRh4QmRWdh_eZsDGN0NwvERrq40RWBBlsT6KCe4fzHrdy0KQODHDLRz80I/w400-h225/279520530_10159680371338382_403020513005118962_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>May:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">April ended with running, May began with more running! I completed what I expect to be my final (at least for now) half marathon race. What luck I had when I found Emily at the start line and we got to spend 13.1 super fun, very chatty miles together. Thank you, Emily!!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yty4RNu2fEB-GWkONdFm3Cg81W7TY8CBiYH9vTM-FNoaoADsY2lyYGAJbVwVqA1-9Z-Vje_sqOIfvj42j63AuT6dYnMKSy6W0MEC3_0PrGXJvmEmBu4HHmNRTc573AkC349ifCpWHCG9GpRV0xbCCeJ7HXy2dxptrlCb0AFFojxk2iOciGsxjMn4/s1000/279768876_10159684437613382_1320832104747155689_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yty4RNu2fEB-GWkONdFm3Cg81W7TY8CBiYH9vTM-FNoaoADsY2lyYGAJbVwVqA1-9Z-Vje_sqOIfvj42j63AuT6dYnMKSy6W0MEC3_0PrGXJvmEmBu4HHmNRTc573AkC349ifCpWHCG9GpRV0xbCCeJ7HXy2dxptrlCb0AFFojxk2iOciGsxjMn4/w266-h400/279768876_10159684437613382_1320832104747155689_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We got to go to the school carnival and relive the Panther days for us former students.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJrWrZ2jnFNk9vVOaMbSy6lKDqaquBcXSuXpq496F9VHp-PDKnrUbqMhrpgqB_-lih0Wj0aTGEIeNcdfLS1d2dHtZ8Tfylnu8s1lgOagWtMRxhIdfkjsHmoJMNRfmvQjZNSPkQI3KDu6gkebSfXf8shBEc1IryaOp4tIhqqzXKoi-3Y3uOtVXsZFK/s2048/281003946_10159707367338382_2953456744849933529_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJrWrZ2jnFNk9vVOaMbSy6lKDqaquBcXSuXpq496F9VHp-PDKnrUbqMhrpgqB_-lih0Wj0aTGEIeNcdfLS1d2dHtZ8Tfylnu8s1lgOagWtMRxhIdfkjsHmoJMNRfmvQjZNSPkQI3KDu6gkebSfXf8shBEc1IryaOp4tIhqqzXKoi-3Y3uOtVXsZFK/s320/281003946_10159707367338382_2953456744849933529_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next up in May was the DisUnplugged Podcast Cruise on the Disney Dream. It sure started off chaotic when less than 24 hours before our flight to Florida my travel partner tested positive for Covid. We put our travel agent to use, traveled up and down Oregon a couple times and pulled off a miracle! Shawn and I were unexpectedly on a cruise alone! But were we alone? I successfully tracked down a person I had been online stalking for a couple months (I kid, I kid)!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cWDwAjfaXbVd-_GND7fxI-KIetyzF-33X7t7Z55RTZTJi41wo87LV_noWiMZ380DnxzCCQjLbetKgvXyjSDO9FWYHf2_nawhsA2ZYIpAH6HN9u_TDLdnFq8rMCWwzQnDGyQrNv-6e2dsybyruq5SQ3Fo6qj4lB7msJO_E4d7NtmoW5b999Oc63AV/s1440/283596597_10159735986028382_687809144559006641_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cWDwAjfaXbVd-_GND7fxI-KIetyzF-33X7t7Z55RTZTJi41wo87LV_noWiMZ380DnxzCCQjLbetKgvXyjSDO9FWYHf2_nawhsA2ZYIpAH6HN9u_TDLdnFq8rMCWwzQnDGyQrNv-6e2dsybyruq5SQ3Fo6qj4lB7msJO_E4d7NtmoW5b999Oc63AV/s320/283596597_10159735986028382_687809144559006641_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Also got to meet most of the hosts of the show I watch every week - my favorite two being the ones pictured below. Former Cast Members unite!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgql1y0LwopuJ6-12owpZ2PpVpwOh6iSGLKvxZPSPCjwBnG8Hz9j6yN3DY4FHhDECOX9BVPU921_1PZRJQm_KkVbsPiGrFigUwEnfr8n7ApMf-hviIWck2FIBrcyoLSjIgRt66CRUFreU1-FUITB9cL_rydDgv91VXgyiuVGQE0uuFdqAWV2ZVLkP0n/s2048/284005708_10159733607148382_4812990005625201085_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgql1y0LwopuJ6-12owpZ2PpVpwOh6iSGLKvxZPSPCjwBnG8Hz9j6yN3DY4FHhDECOX9BVPU921_1PZRJQm_KkVbsPiGrFigUwEnfr8n7ApMf-hviIWck2FIBrcyoLSjIgRt66CRUFreU1-FUITB9cL_rydDgv91VXgyiuVGQE0uuFdqAWV2ZVLkP0n/w400-h300/284005708_10159733607148382_4812990005625201085_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">One of the perks of our cruise was a private concert with none other than Jodi Benson, THE Little Mermaid! We saw her all over the ship and even ended up dancing right by her at the Silent DJ party on the final night. That was a crazy experience considering I've been listening to her sing since I got my Little Mermaid CD in 7th grade!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9yiwd1O94PlZUWivO2RI0m_2XZS11frJtiQLDHGmMuZZYEQFMnEf71zeC9KwfqcQIpE65vE1F8wFh_rjLMOnnaRkdL2OipCTxKEdHCV0m42qe1lCp9tklktvCr_-_LuB3nmAwgsX2i8PtdvGVI0sNYhBn1qk50mZIMYhvEbMxE2J-yk-nSj--Q9d/s2048/283951766_10159728024508382_2685151368144177396_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9yiwd1O94PlZUWivO2RI0m_2XZS11frJtiQLDHGmMuZZYEQFMnEf71zeC9KwfqcQIpE65vE1F8wFh_rjLMOnnaRkdL2OipCTxKEdHCV0m42qe1lCp9tklktvCr_-_LuB3nmAwgsX2i8PtdvGVI0sNYhBn1qk50mZIMYhvEbMxE2J-yk-nSj--Q9d/w300-h400/283951766_10159728024508382_2685151368144177396_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><b>June:</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My baby graduated from Kindergarten and the real craziness began. I didn't have a summer break. I had a summer of getting Katura to everything! Swim lessons, safari camps, gymnastics camps, gymnastics clinics, regular gymnastics training days. The girl was non-stop!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7A0a4xZHPLnlxwGJHQvd4QaR_8duEjUMxsvpVHS-XOb1kPjDscrJAk2lHUZzqqjC_LH2_ZhrdryMFQwNO2loVfcs9aPLP0A-Z3cKLL94iiaiq0CuUhuQ3TYOOk-xAZ6B-k4V9_sci8_5CTWd9EYRp3IX60L4M-KRCHBom4JWhS7h1wEwo4ia_q_F/s1440/287102049_10159763252493382_2910925469625767897_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7A0a4xZHPLnlxwGJHQvd4QaR_8duEjUMxsvpVHS-XOb1kPjDscrJAk2lHUZzqqjC_LH2_ZhrdryMFQwNO2loVfcs9aPLP0A-Z3cKLL94iiaiq0CuUhuQ3TYOOk-xAZ6B-k4V9_sci8_5CTWd9EYRp3IX60L4M-KRCHBom4JWhS7h1wEwo4ia_q_F/s320/287102049_10159763252493382_2910925469625767897_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l_PJCfMuDZEE_pzcS3osKM38pFt3C6eUFL0-3k0jZSjBPRrz2mTaOPG8nIPSw_chz2YhFFU8ndphKfRlGw32LojXiC3QLiuMJBevItwBOs3OOpOM6CAwGQnwUo1mnrES-MyFqXTY3ad5KRXRXixTIF9CQaKTAY9pQQEonIH7kD9VOGrII9QnW5KO/s960/290773306_10159797161993382_9058422756497120729_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l_PJCfMuDZEE_pzcS3osKM38pFt3C6eUFL0-3k0jZSjBPRrz2mTaOPG8nIPSw_chz2YhFFU8ndphKfRlGw32LojXiC3QLiuMJBevItwBOs3OOpOM6CAwGQnwUo1mnrES-MyFqXTY3ad5KRXRXixTIF9CQaKTAY9pQQEonIH7kD9VOGrII9QnW5KO/s320/290773306_10159797161993382_9058422756497120729_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>July:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I think most of the month was spent at the Wildlife Safari!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVnDsc6Ew3wloOfS3xzYCR2NDjph5TjFqCD2XHi3DTwqeMKd02UdyEjbEe_1UXIlkDSvYncDe9aZwEDCWUfSSC60kFGGx5kImv-VtZpEjvrwVavJVYm47jCMY0Tj1alkjClAR3YC206w4t-ACpH6IrtSVbzAEEyXP8lzWJOsvCwjNb5TNKx02bF9Z/s2048/292861939_10159816333378382_3938677114070422075_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVnDsc6Ew3wloOfS3xzYCR2NDjph5TjFqCD2XHi3DTwqeMKd02UdyEjbEe_1UXIlkDSvYncDe9aZwEDCWUfSSC60kFGGx5kImv-VtZpEjvrwVavJVYm47jCMY0Tj1alkjClAR3YC206w4t-ACpH6IrtSVbzAEEyXP8lzWJOsvCwjNb5TNKx02bF9Z/s320/292861939_10159816333378382_3938677114070422075_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE__04WJqI2kXaZH5QJee8SyvL4wzQ5hmBjNC866o5tHhzWNESxjV6MugFc8sWDPa9UNuVFSP73d4OVYg_kW-vGHtxI0hJVGQNX8ys3JKDZSumEyomSmeW3l_VJMPBg6OfX-_gc3lGVYdZGoBNfDj-_LGnPBEgQCJ0LOuOFJQf2nWUZKG_xpqI8Nc/s2048/293210065_10159819892913382_7576948267368985021_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE__04WJqI2kXaZH5QJee8SyvL4wzQ5hmBjNC866o5tHhzWNESxjV6MugFc8sWDPa9UNuVFSP73d4OVYg_kW-vGHtxI0hJVGQNX8ys3JKDZSumEyomSmeW3l_VJMPBg6OfX-_gc3lGVYdZGoBNfDj-_LGnPBEgQCJ0LOuOFJQf2nWUZKG_xpqI8Nc/s320/293210065_10159819892913382_7576948267368985021_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I've done MANY relays during my running life, and it was our team in July that I can say was the very best relay team EVER! How can you have a team of 12 women all living together in vans and running 200 miles and have zero drama?? We did it. We were freaking awesome!! <b>Glory Daze - the Remix</b> .... totally radical! Thank you, ladies!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgu3xUBbgq9SuVsP_tTQUqPVhUTffvwW8GZURoPfZ6MYhNOgIqFhGPpPNGOUQ0Edvq20KeKk2QDzlaj0kkYcVAV4eJL5ZJFsVo9-iCMT2QIMGLGtm_K9BVeb34FLwxxMLl7X-rUEfvjEYG8bH6rNfLMtlfIv53iclQE--CRPNyzcH-0vmxNgFPZAH/s1440/294563946_10159831624908382_1975465026803565242_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgu3xUBbgq9SuVsP_tTQUqPVhUTffvwW8GZURoPfZ6MYhNOgIqFhGPpPNGOUQ0Edvq20KeKk2QDzlaj0kkYcVAV4eJL5ZJFsVo9-iCMT2QIMGLGtm_K9BVeb34FLwxxMLl7X-rUEfvjEYG8bH6rNfLMtlfIv53iclQE--CRPNyzcH-0vmxNgFPZAH/w400-h300/294563946_10159831624908382_1975465026803565242_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1We50G8U386gc-U4La0a7BC6iHfVzqt_-V5RnWQD20xBPPwDNoNQDm8NQqumz0qeXV1xgSHxN07hCchiVEn-ii5xwyOBKqzBW2GaAhmLaFQ_uT658n8ZkYbu2Cbw2wQK9Vd04CA_9fGyPAYBqJ84cP2p8D5_0g5BmIyxU6huZOOPsCDFI5-EK5vi/s1920/294765154_10159832867273382_5145473959547174383_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1We50G8U386gc-U4La0a7BC6iHfVzqt_-V5RnWQD20xBPPwDNoNQDm8NQqumz0qeXV1xgSHxN07hCchiVEn-ii5xwyOBKqzBW2GaAhmLaFQ_uT658n8ZkYbu2Cbw2wQK9Vd04CA_9fGyPAYBqJ84cP2p8D5_0g5BmIyxU6huZOOPsCDFI5-EK5vi/w640-h360/294765154_10159832867273382_5145473959547174383_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>August: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This month was so dang busy! I think we had something almost every single day! Let's break it down...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We had a lot of fun at a fundraiser night with dueling pianos. Katura ran into her music teacher and it made her even more excited to start school again!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-3GpeIpTJPOqSU9KXZtzvvsYlDgrf2rByWj0uaVMCuLAH8L3KCQAcVGBP4CBsOAreByuKlsqZnSDGkgDdls116gPRrV6YaeMHJC7HtfOerPKE-lJwMjc6uNVamyl0YRQrg3T3zDM-hR22XvWvbRswPSRryDnzue4sp9t5WohuDCbqVs8kqyPACWL/s2048/298403448_10159868691468382_476919227742705542_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-3GpeIpTJPOqSU9KXZtzvvsYlDgrf2rByWj0uaVMCuLAH8L3KCQAcVGBP4CBsOAreByuKlsqZnSDGkgDdls116gPRrV6YaeMHJC7HtfOerPKE-lJwMjc6uNVamyl0YRQrg3T3zDM-hR22XvWvbRswPSRryDnzue4sp9t5WohuDCbqVs8kqyPACWL/s320/298403448_10159868691468382_476919227742705542_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This was Katura's first year testing out the rides at the fair. Turns out she kinda likes those big rides after all!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: justify;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumPW2F-jFl-qzQ78yXi_7zmi2RmZTVWqoehmoYOW9hjryjAMYT70IRnELk8Ihx7PQjUBi83nENzCZ9u8Yp4q8Mwl3cuygahgjqRRrsalAmnJH6lrC5b6ajyQbriymdc43h1kPZvHeSAlZNojsCBfrF_-00micnd3fWJW2fqa5gbq76MEEOW0GBXmh/s2048/298622226_10159866906953382_8023812959434373284_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumPW2F-jFl-qzQ78yXi_7zmi2RmZTVWqoehmoYOW9hjryjAMYT70IRnELk8Ihx7PQjUBi83nENzCZ9u8Yp4q8Mwl3cuygahgjqRRrsalAmnJH6lrC5b6ajyQbriymdc43h1kPZvHeSAlZNojsCBfrF_-00micnd3fWJW2fqa5gbq76MEEOW0GBXmh/s320/298622226_10159866906953382_8023812959434373284_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There was a sort of bright, sort of dark spot in this month. I sort of ran a relay. I retired from racing mid-relay. It was the first time I nearly told a teammate to F off during the race. Being the Captain I am, I refrained - and spent my time hanging with 6 other kick ass runners as we tackled Mount Bachelor while camping. Loved the views, loved with fun. The running and altitude combined with my Ménière's disease... well, retirement happened. Had to be smart and safe with that, as hard as that decision was to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is me actively dying after running. And about an hour before I sat alone in my tent almost in tears and making the call to retire .... and force Shawn to run my second leg for me. Stay tuned to see what Shawn was doing only days after....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8w1v55CyM1XYnak7AFerT_VPVD1AGFlQn6u4HnpxUoSteYxkCsSSroP7I4PavF2bVa7yUrcOHC85CufkdDNn3BGUSHY04wAgdIK77IGwfcKPk6WLGTYe7eyt118HFw7r3RCPQe1fLY8K1gufTyLKkWabzNTSuylRpbIO8zEDwowtXq6BE2MrQ55_X/s2048/298823527_10159877983573382_4791087555526753093_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8w1v55CyM1XYnak7AFerT_VPVD1AGFlQn6u4HnpxUoSteYxkCsSSroP7I4PavF2bVa7yUrcOHC85CufkdDNn3BGUSHY04wAgdIK77IGwfcKPk6WLGTYe7eyt118HFw7r3RCPQe1fLY8K1gufTyLKkWabzNTSuylRpbIO8zEDwowtXq6BE2MrQ55_X/s320/298823527_10159877983573382_4791087555526753093_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is Rebel Scum! Met a couple new teammates that were so awesome, reunited with 4 teammates from other relays, and then yeah, no comment. I DID get to help Shawn with his volunteer shift and that was really, really fun!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1EImdtKLdKzS0xkg84orooL8dHhRqzUnFIA5j4bcA8OkQPUll00dl4Hq2h2J4CAbQ3Pz0mGayzKSKzDLyWnuxO2LqeICW-UkBKcyk_jrbdar71mXtCvbt3J5_G6DmshFOZE7pijZfUx5OhympxSJNf2OvQRSes5_NjQrqjiEcfBHWPz2-D3W4NV6/s2048/300673321_10159880583178382_7459117726279987571_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1EImdtKLdKzS0xkg84orooL8dHhRqzUnFIA5j4bcA8OkQPUll00dl4Hq2h2J4CAbQ3Pz0mGayzKSKzDLyWnuxO2LqeICW-UkBKcyk_jrbdar71mXtCvbt3J5_G6DmshFOZE7pijZfUx5OhympxSJNf2OvQRSes5_NjQrqjiEcfBHWPz2-D3W4NV6/w640-h480/300673321_10159880583178382_7459117726279987571_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Gymnastics never stops. The summer came to an end with the Summer Showcase where Katura got to perform each event with a gym full of spectators. She kicked booty and nailed all 4 events!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Xu_-ayI-2V8gNF0V_p2Dm_j_P78ytItlBU3NxiE0V8vcf8lLR3Sk53J9HqAbH7XkXi8Q_A7TqDPxoC44WvD9gDzH-Xtyt8D8tuanioCFadt7qsIlE4CRLn8xP_wwB1SmsHWyheQqIb-dQccaINcMzrsIVh6c2SYpedlSkMWXYUHta-n2KBXpgx4f/s414/301126393_10159883386428382_2543828353854190614_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Xu_-ayI-2V8gNF0V_p2Dm_j_P78ytItlBU3NxiE0V8vcf8lLR3Sk53J9HqAbH7XkXi8Q_A7TqDPxoC44WvD9gDzH-Xtyt8D8tuanioCFadt7qsIlE4CRLn8xP_wwB1SmsHWyheQqIb-dQccaINcMzrsIVh6c2SYpedlSkMWXYUHta-n2KBXpgx4f/s320/301126393_10159883386428382_2543828353854190614_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Shawn had a much awaited spinal surgery. We had fun with that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TBi3gRcFNZD-XEawO8Dz4iTrCueAtKlVZV3-RY_BRs5O9gGKd1z2LhMkw51_W692iF6HZD6dAF4hrYP0Vl93SL21P0au9rEenp-2n-5HXGSKRsnsoiI4liuEu1wfht7fvAbEvnVbx1LVzkRixX_NmJL6NPQHRFMQV2z3kzfrss6Q0TgVD7cZPypr/s1080/303505367_10159892800843382_5614090425209932753_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TBi3gRcFNZD-XEawO8Dz4iTrCueAtKlVZV3-RY_BRs5O9gGKd1z2LhMkw51_W692iF6HZD6dAF4hrYP0Vl93SL21P0au9rEenp-2n-5HXGSKRsnsoiI4liuEu1wfht7fvAbEvnVbx1LVzkRixX_NmJL6NPQHRFMQV2z3kzfrss6Q0TgVD7cZPypr/s320/303505367_10159892800843382_5614090425209932753_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The day after Shawn's surgery we had an epic end of summer party, complete with a bounce house!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD8q0zMbVoK_Ro6EFLI2YOFKp8Pgakcc9xOt3yxuM4T6v2coMHmyNdG0mcV4io8sGAHbqiHGqiuidg3lrAH1-MBWssmLWC-BhBuHEP0tQY73Cz8AJGorOMzWI37mHCQtuIDPNGcGAEFuvvdRQXmfZ5bfvaPd1O8LhwDdE52orxXsnavKrE6C5VYLd/s2048/302145231_10159889661133382_6405587536193667160_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD8q0zMbVoK_Ro6EFLI2YOFKp8Pgakcc9xOt3yxuM4T6v2coMHmyNdG0mcV4io8sGAHbqiHGqiuidg3lrAH1-MBWssmLWC-BhBuHEP0tQY73Cz8AJGorOMzWI37mHCQtuIDPNGcGAEFuvvdRQXmfZ5bfvaPd1O8LhwDdE52orxXsnavKrE6C5VYLd/s320/302145231_10159889661133382_6405587536193667160_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In the same day Katura not only had her first day of 1st grade, but she also skipped 2 levels in gymnastics and was invited to begin working toward the competitive track of gymnastics!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKrRhtL0xynzyMUH4ZOS3DzofqhRTkCQz8dApdrDm6VrO3qVgLLFA1g_bJIT12i_wvGh39by8IwR2hS-p-TaWNz2TTRofSM4XLOiwMF620zRlnfFrfIswzh-_UEk-lJMvUTw_m6eqmfX_RpzcDYymFhlgmopxmeTNCWlnl0Jfe4zNpkOnTQmkvE3I/s1440/302538701_10159891522128382_6379778416581065038_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="837" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKrRhtL0xynzyMUH4ZOS3DzofqhRTkCQz8dApdrDm6VrO3qVgLLFA1g_bJIT12i_wvGh39by8IwR2hS-p-TaWNz2TTRofSM4XLOiwMF620zRlnfFrfIswzh-_UEk-lJMvUTw_m6eqmfX_RpzcDYymFhlgmopxmeTNCWlnl0Jfe4zNpkOnTQmkvE3I/s320/302538701_10159891522128382_6379778416581065038_n.jpg" width="186" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtsoR7mrqzVaapz9MMs1yj76bgVALlRODhBQWs83eIkGcKG9iJxtb0OD1YKK6_yhFQQMbA3RrmobOLpbdWv8QCviExwsu1lPoTfY-ta8c9PoUIvx4QI-GVdYHf9GcBUZ4CYOHmmODN-xUz267gn45ehN69WDv5XB6IWtzIrGoUYXUEwwhlmYv4kr2/s1440/302328876_10159891008743382_7132711414096432554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtsoR7mrqzVaapz9MMs1yj76bgVALlRODhBQWs83eIkGcKG9iJxtb0OD1YKK6_yhFQQMbA3RrmobOLpbdWv8QCviExwsu1lPoTfY-ta8c9PoUIvx4QI-GVdYHf9GcBUZ4CYOHmmODN-xUz267gn45ehN69WDv5XB6IWtzIrGoUYXUEwwhlmYv4kr2/s320/302328876_10159891008743382_7132711414096432554_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Woo - that was a lot, right?!?! Let's finish this year up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>September:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">September was all about one thing..... HAMILTON! I saw it THREE times! I cried all 3 times. I was in tears when I was sitting there in the 4th row before the show even started. It was magnificent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcBMiyMyUkKH4ojGZGbB3dadjaicqSvDRcSYom93ryr75oVBN58luQEsvP78rsdQiVyhlFjcQXr4aVqOiJqs56UmhIKYxm4xi0ld2X6EDuSX-amTVi7B5kWWFiQeABwwdypOEfKrfbp2qCV3i91bYOmmI-XTjstUueZajPD1QM1kpMhT8c2XrcxKs/s1440/307019554_10159917475013382_5318264117035945777_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcBMiyMyUkKH4ojGZGbB3dadjaicqSvDRcSYom93ryr75oVBN58luQEsvP78rsdQiVyhlFjcQXr4aVqOiJqs56UmhIKYxm4xi0ld2X6EDuSX-amTVi7B5kWWFiQeABwwdypOEfKrfbp2qCV3i91bYOmmI-XTjstUueZajPD1QM1kpMhT8c2XrcxKs/s320/307019554_10159917475013382_5318264117035945777_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB-Q1jgC-Cqj6AzhaaQYofQm15Mt7mkKuVrEnBh0nMBW9K75vIsa3CSbjyPZ-gWrs4V0dxJy8FutYc1ZiDCsYtOGV-DiwdRE3kNcABEBgqseRzGbS-I1nZRIges9Hzxz1DOMr6RUlXMaSOFHPlbVcqDprifV4SYb-hT5q6lQHCCEsRGslwypkrjLN/s1440/307768664_10159923541713382_6665510038358007784_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZB-Q1jgC-Cqj6AzhaaQYofQm15Mt7mkKuVrEnBh0nMBW9K75vIsa3CSbjyPZ-gWrs4V0dxJy8FutYc1ZiDCsYtOGV-DiwdRE3kNcABEBgqseRzGbS-I1nZRIges9Hzxz1DOMr6RUlXMaSOFHPlbVcqDprifV4SYb-hT5q6lQHCCEsRGslwypkrjLN/w640-h320/307768664_10159923541713382_6665510038358007784_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>October:</b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">October was so dang hot, but we tried to make it feel like Halloween season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWTh4R_L0SkrN1Noxvesj4pUGh1l2J66TxUIY2k6GrdTJ_Z6sjwA5MmWL9QDsZiK-AJ7k4F7VSIaOPl1kJJu64GsNxuRWT_aORg-kBC0cbIw3uVOxaAA9wPChREbICSWYbdT0sBtrZuAX7NKdj2eohHl-HWWRFPYOLfADHi_3Z36pp2siLxHT3keQ/s2048/309710691_10159964351983382_6515596970808148264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWTh4R_L0SkrN1Noxvesj4pUGh1l2J66TxUIY2k6GrdTJ_Z6sjwA5MmWL9QDsZiK-AJ7k4F7VSIaOPl1kJJu64GsNxuRWT_aORg-kBC0cbIw3uVOxaAA9wPChREbICSWYbdT0sBtrZuAX7NKdj2eohHl-HWWRFPYOLfADHi_3Z36pp2siLxHT3keQ/w400-h300/309710691_10159964351983382_6515596970808148264_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We did our traditional pumpkin photos, although that was very difficult with Kruse Farms being a thing of the past now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally we made it up to St Helens for the Spirit of Halloween. Very cute. Wet, but cute. I think we will definitely do it again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2DcO5n39Kncgb00_ZmrlFJSPanKzd0dIw6MVOvGTj7Ot74caRXuuwy-neZNyqFRK-orKaF5imkf7c5WA1yB6TcOcRSu6PzVocmlLUaTD4QrS8--tO9WR24q_N7B4G8CvtZ7irT8Px1SCW9_sFpLVBwofQCI4M4C8Y6r1GA-BvcDP4Gj6Kx6dBdbP/s1440/312603932_10160021165323382_1109151557973831678_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2DcO5n39Kncgb00_ZmrlFJSPanKzd0dIw6MVOvGTj7Ot74caRXuuwy-neZNyqFRK-orKaF5imkf7c5WA1yB6TcOcRSu6PzVocmlLUaTD4QrS8--tO9WR24q_N7B4G8CvtZ7irT8Px1SCW9_sFpLVBwofQCI4M4C8Y6r1GA-BvcDP4Gj6Kx6dBdbP/w300-h400/312603932_10160021165323382_1109151557973831678_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Halloween was fun! We had a huge group together for dinner and trick or treating. We tackled the neighborhood in the dark and pouring rain. So much candy was collected!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rjvAdy86RihJAWF9Fk3i4AuRoh95kesep0fHU7FcYUpATu-hOuKJxmVoGiCihz3wFXItJ40CtTwtBiKwB9slHUxaaXPktTLSwZldTyk-AOuE8X_6nZ8S7_NrFyyPLIINgy5L2c2aWRre7U_lbc1RL1NfI1QU_zhXcF6f7OjGpNmiD9W-GPC3olC7/s2048/313859924_10160024944023382_3755511780018515980_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rjvAdy86RihJAWF9Fk3i4AuRoh95kesep0fHU7FcYUpATu-hOuKJxmVoGiCihz3wFXItJ40CtTwtBiKwB9slHUxaaXPktTLSwZldTyk-AOuE8X_6nZ8S7_NrFyyPLIINgy5L2c2aWRre7U_lbc1RL1NfI1QU_zhXcF6f7OjGpNmiD9W-GPC3olC7/w630-h640/313859924_10160024944023382_3755511780018515980_n.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Katura HAD to be Cruella, and she picked my costume, making me one of her Dalmatians. The things you do for your children!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_2B7dnJM7wpDpwzrN1A0YiQHJxJRCDGI0Pie70QQ7zqlydhjlF5hbUBynC4Ehdcbocv7xbg16JX4Li5LJJWOQ89YN1IhzwuKfZRyTNin2HynbNRwD_QN6u_Ip5iUviqFIIsN7lSvgJVeG4hWB0O3AicpGCyDMd4wUdAMbz0nV_rt76GQPKqaPoUH/s2048/313875030_10160024934043382_7850013049591184210_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_2B7dnJM7wpDpwzrN1A0YiQHJxJRCDGI0Pie70QQ7zqlydhjlF5hbUBynC4Ehdcbocv7xbg16JX4Li5LJJWOQ89YN1IhzwuKfZRyTNin2HynbNRwD_QN6u_Ip5iUviqFIIsN7lSvgJVeG4hWB0O3AicpGCyDMd4wUdAMbz0nV_rt76GQPKqaPoUH/w300-h400/313875030_10160024934043382_7850013049591184210_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>November:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I had a birthday. But I didn't just have a birthday ... I had a birthday on the Disney Wonder with my mom and my daughter! Absolutely perfect. Sorry Shawn ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaV2Is0wnXmjqakvB_kYXxE4twBfO1ONKpeC8C_RQqmNupyp1E2gzNKyxF6Lc1B6-XMrkc9ehRTfY3vhuleyn7gAVle1u9j6hZ04fFmPVQFAyrSzU-NYer2O_NdgnYYOrpkMS3JjecY6V-IR5sisu4DcetUCQ8hcEaQ5ukjYIVaGQemX-_G9RQFxr/s1170/314687015_10160047905008382_8057386582928366164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaV2Is0wnXmjqakvB_kYXxE4twBfO1ONKpeC8C_RQqmNupyp1E2gzNKyxF6Lc1B6-XMrkc9ehRTfY3vhuleyn7gAVle1u9j6hZ04fFmPVQFAyrSzU-NYer2O_NdgnYYOrpkMS3JjecY6V-IR5sisu4DcetUCQ8hcEaQ5ukjYIVaGQemX-_G9RQFxr/w369-h400/314687015_10160047905008382_8057386582928366164_n.jpg" width="369" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4atOAV05A5PlSPpc8bbLIuetmm9UelBkFHUrDzIZ8tGiMaogTpl4WRAbjqvHPAZWWH_fYm4ct6Q9L9loD-Glw2aM7UeE4Nnawb5M0rmEq-x5936HPrB_WsyxGFp8TwBb2cntiWUqjC_7anhaTRJhV5cb3oluML1A5f9f1E2dDRDOxrE7m5wcdx-lx/s2048/315222621_10160071519018382_412901697220589810_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4atOAV05A5PlSPpc8bbLIuetmm9UelBkFHUrDzIZ8tGiMaogTpl4WRAbjqvHPAZWWH_fYm4ct6Q9L9loD-Glw2aM7UeE4Nnawb5M0rmEq-x5936HPrB_WsyxGFp8TwBb2cntiWUqjC_7anhaTRJhV5cb3oluML1A5f9f1E2dDRDOxrE7m5wcdx-lx/w640-h426/315222621_10160071519018382_412901697220589810_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>December:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">December was quite mellow actually. A highlight was being a parent volunteer at Katura's classroom Christmas party! Very out of my comfort zone, but still a lot of fun getting see our friends we know and meeting the others kids whose names I hear quite often.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And we wore matching Grogu sweaters because why not?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFueN1I1QGSHoDAmc0a6NwNx06HJaYs618R_JK9n7ufeU5FrrrjQpct2L8XcFDIVBYum_YiLIewuavW3Im04XBFqEuJbts8ldziG54BFjPtI91HLwfIA0ZTlkAprXPFSOHSGOrL84rUVadR91e2VKxOpCmIEtq5Tk1WWbQf46yWh5MLHoYAoL3u7gD/s2048/320464443_1212605839671941_402385797997228567_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFueN1I1QGSHoDAmc0a6NwNx06HJaYs618R_JK9n7ufeU5FrrrjQpct2L8XcFDIVBYum_YiLIewuavW3Im04XBFqEuJbts8ldziG54BFjPtI91HLwfIA0ZTlkAprXPFSOHSGOrL84rUVadR91e2VKxOpCmIEtq5Tk1WWbQf46yWh5MLHoYAoL3u7gD/w400-h300/320464443_1212605839671941_402385797997228567_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeIVhCgQH0OQbWNSnhefPZk2-FZ3Vfn2InJD9rbawQYVkZpbq-e_7JYAdWywRpf5W-R9VfQdjAGphu22F7435Mh2yBwxwdqhcI7ljOvClGbtqj7uB1W1_nWVGlHLLfvNmztUlGmoXmlGZLy_UGq2BYelRY0LqGisXWEj8Os1CAAQqBiCki917uBGv/s1440/320435273_5889471051114022_5251288233150455270_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeIVhCgQH0OQbWNSnhefPZk2-FZ3Vfn2InJD9rbawQYVkZpbq-e_7JYAdWywRpf5W-R9VfQdjAGphu22F7435Mh2yBwxwdqhcI7ljOvClGbtqj7uB1W1_nWVGlHLLfvNmztUlGmoXmlGZLy_UGq2BYelRY0LqGisXWEj8Os1CAAQqBiCki917uBGv/w480-h640/320435273_5889471051114022_5251288233150455270_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />It wasn't a bad year I guess!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">2023 has a ton of fun in store! A lot of airplanes. A lot of water. A lot of sand. <br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And I bet a ton of gymnastics!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-3679981477259329612022-08-28T21:08:00.002-07:002022-08-28T21:08:42.114-07:00Ragnar Oregon Trail - Yellow Loop<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieM5uPitf0SxPrh0UGTtfFL6tn0lrYdR6IKw1LLkVUwH73qZcmAeDIvdHy2Z5fa2R4Dob8B1v04ksej17FepsftzhtRy0fvKeLBW_wxqyEWlTntRXXnoOLI70hFFi-uIux3l3ktMHXqGu976SBIpuaeMkil0JCE0KU9Qs9boNuRY2JDUO7uvC-Fiq9/s4032/IMG_1997.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieM5uPitf0SxPrh0UGTtfFL6tn0lrYdR6IKw1LLkVUwH73qZcmAeDIvdHy2Z5fa2R4Dob8B1v04ksej17FepsftzhtRy0fvKeLBW_wxqyEWlTntRXXnoOLI70hFFi-uIux3l3ktMHXqGu976SBIpuaeMkil0JCE0KU9Qs9boNuRY2JDUO7uvC-Fiq9/s320/IMG_1997.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <span style="color: #fcff01;"><b>Yellow</b> </span>Loop. The only one I can give a full recap on from the <b>2022 Ragnar Trail Oregon</b> relay. So let's just get to business! This was classified as medium on the difficulty scale, but I think we all agreed that was inaccurate. Ragnar tends to grade difficulty on miles, not actual terrain and hills and miles. This clearly was the easiest of the three.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">When we originally formed <b>Rebel Scum</b> I took the 8 runner names, wrote them on little pieces of paper, crumpled the papers and then drew them randomly to determine our order. Normally I run very early in a relay. This time, as randomness would have it, I was dead last! My loop order would be Yellow, Green, Red. I thought that starting on yellow would be pretty cool since it seemed the "easiest" although not easy. Ending on red was sure to be killer, but I wasn't scared. I knew it would be a crazy, fun, scenic challenge. I was excited to start on yellow. Lisa, Shelbe and I all had the same rotation so I was happy to hear their input before my run. <i>Plus I just want to add that Lisa and Shelbe are so dang cool in general. I was so happy to get to just chill with them all the time and I want to do it more often!</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZRt0V9dmNQgScUrz3S-0LYxQmPWG3SqGhuIWH8T0EdfNbemD7tUBlxUjYY_2yVZyL_vEQgn-ETBV6NTAqL57jVnMZQCsKSInE7QgoPfK5gR2qvYX_crAzTkmC0ka7j4J3buPENqfsHG-7-gxBD6Y-9_rGhLXtvKSFv36Ks7ZJia9Sj4ZZGSYykrV/s960/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZRt0V9dmNQgScUrz3S-0LYxQmPWG3SqGhuIWH8T0EdfNbemD7tUBlxUjYY_2yVZyL_vEQgn-ETBV6NTAqL57jVnMZQCsKSInE7QgoPfK5gR2qvYX_crAzTkmC0ka7j4J3buPENqfsHG-7-gxBD6Y-9_rGhLXtvKSFv36Ks7ZJia9Sj4ZZGSYykrV/s320/IMG_2934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 3:30pm I was in my race gear heading to the exchange. I was told by runner 7, who shall remain nameless, that she would text me at the 1 mile to go area so I'd know to be ready. I never got a text but went to the exchange anyway. When I arrived she was there in a huff telling me she had been there a couple minutes waiting. Ummm... where was the text? "Oh, I didn't send one. I never saw a sign and I was going to fast to do anything." <i>**No less than 15 photos were posted from that run she did including photos of a sign.** </i>Liar, liar pants on fire? Everyone else saw the mile sign so....</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I got the race belt on and took off ready for what I knew would be 4.4 beautiful, hard miles. I was all smiles as I ran by the runners waiting for their teammates to come into the final stretch. I waved at total strangers and had a bounce in my step. I was so excited! As I rounded the corner by the ski lift I heard Shawn in the distance and saw him with his camera going. Life was good! I got to turn and run down the path we had all walked so many times as it was the path from our camp site to the village. Surprise!! I know the team wasn't expecting to see me so fast since we had never gotten notice of a mile to go for the previous runner. But BOOM! There I was -- it took me 8 steps to get up the hill. I watched a guy do it in 5 and wanted to see how much competition I could be on that hill (none at all, of course. Ha!). Still with a bounce in my step I happily floated on by the cheering <b>Rebel Scum</b> and continued on to the trails.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was so dang giddy when I finally got to get off of the road and into the trails. I loved having to watch where I put my feet. Sometimes I'd need to dodge a branch. Sometimes I'd just go for it and let the branch graze my legs. It was such a free feeling to be out in nature way from people and roads. The deeper I got on the trail the more I could smell all the smells. It surprised me how quickly I did my first mile. No way did I do it so easily! My legs were feeling awesome. I had hurt my right leg back in July during the Northwest Passage Ragnar - like so bad I couldn't bend it without using my hands to lift my leg. So I was nervous about what this race would do. But I felt 100%!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One thing that had been bothering me the whole time was breathing. I joked about being out of breath when I'd run up the little hill by our campsite. I joked I'd die on these runs because of how early I was having a hard time breathing. Okay, never joke about that stuff again, Ronda!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkNud4ma1pSriHy5cRcY6C-W6G0qqtTH2RBYzmZr6mJZScrkVJEjCkZcby3wRuzmfsNEo4yVXOXgD-zunZNRf9tCYw9QJFHxUCcfE_VX9eevd23pZwWgsul0bvA0hoPtHJcuA9nhzbRebIsUGxvs6jIlVEZbuy_LcVUF5UTrueAnEQRmB47XcX9eB/s960/IMG_2935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkNud4ma1pSriHy5cRcY6C-W6G0qqtTH2RBYzmZr6mJZScrkVJEjCkZcby3wRuzmfsNEo4yVXOXgD-zunZNRf9tCYw9QJFHxUCcfE_VX9eevd23pZwWgsul0bvA0hoPtHJcuA9nhzbRebIsUGxvs6jIlVEZbuy_LcVUF5UTrueAnEQRmB47XcX9eB/w400-h400/IMG_2935.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As I was going I kept feeling like I couldn't breathe. Not in an "old lady out of shape and out of breath" way, but like in an "I can't get any oxygen in my lungs" way. I texted Shawn at mile 2 that was having a hard time breathing. He gave me some tips. I did what he said and felt progress. Then I started running more and it was just really not helping but instead getting worse. The heat was insane. I hadn't checked the weather - but at the end I was shown it was 85 degrees when I was out there. I struggled to get my water thing to work at first. Once I figured out I had to bite it off to the side and make myself look like Popeye when drinking - well then it flowed freely! So I had my water resolved, thank goodness. My Meniere's Disease was also kicking in with some issues, so while trying to navigate trails that would zig zag and hope to not trip, I was dealing with vertigo. What else can we add to this pile??</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can walk up a hill during a race faster than some people can run up them. So I was very optimistic going into this. My muscles will let me do it. No problem. Some times I would pull over into the shade, pause, trying to calm my brain and my chest, then really focus myself and work my way up the mountain. But the higher I got the harder it got. And it wasn't my legs, it was my chest.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZjEj8Xa3FDMmgxjCBGAH5HDasQVeRgruaSKFe-uPxI0gRdhc5JZPCJhctfUUUjqAksa432qkwppT6VIp6JfX4IGJ3ZxOouGpmk6URvsXNdabqkOONBZwafTxSTE3LuAoYA1K9FGOdCB1uTCfq_LBVyU-nDhBuv-jaZsV3X4yfY4C6u_9cm9tblDJ/s3520/IMG_2939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZjEj8Xa3FDMmgxjCBGAH5HDasQVeRgruaSKFe-uPxI0gRdhc5JZPCJhctfUUUjqAksa432qkwppT6VIp6JfX4IGJ3ZxOouGpmk6URvsXNdabqkOONBZwafTxSTE3LuAoYA1K9FGOdCB1uTCfq_LBVyU-nDhBuv-jaZsV3X4yfY4C6u_9cm9tblDJ/w400-h225/IMG_2939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This guy in a green shirt was struggling as well. I had passed him and we chatted a bit. The last 2 miles we spent together essentially. We were always in eye sight of each other and it just felt comforting I guess. It was nice to not feel alone in the struggle department. At the 1 mile to go marker a woman from Florida came up and was taking a picture of the sign with me. She dropped a few choice words about how she was feeling. All of us in the area agreed and wished each other well as we continued onward. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">That last mile was the single slowest, hardest mile of my entire life. I had been fighting tears for a mile or so at this point I think. If I could have spoken without fear of collapse I probably would have been talking to my mom on the phone during my hike. She'd have been ready with a big "<b>I told you so!</b>" I'm sure! I know, mom, I know! Each step got harder. Shawn told me he heard it goes downhill when you have .4 miles to go. That point took forever to come. Before I hit that spot I was at the point where I could go maybe 10 seconds of hiking then have to flat out stop. I've never stopped so much other than in a Disney race for character photos. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kDeQedfE1rDSdTC8S6PtVX4_3wtF3zaXsbvhEYqy14LaKBalN_oecRpn3VFdRYWpCH4YiEXj7FYAjXSq5BlMWQYNHeoPCucL7efNiTj3JbEbvUlWx24o6kJFrt3S4FW6NPyn87nlw6-2cZ7KnbFXe3gPmerQvbOj-4ZD85i7WfOQVRt_Tcof62Qh/s3520/IMG_2940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kDeQedfE1rDSdTC8S6PtVX4_3wtF3zaXsbvhEYqy14LaKBalN_oecRpn3VFdRYWpCH4YiEXj7FYAjXSq5BlMWQYNHeoPCucL7efNiTj3JbEbvUlWx24o6kJFrt3S4FW6NPyn87nlw6-2cZ7KnbFXe3gPmerQvbOj-4ZD85i7WfOQVRt_Tcof62Qh/w400-h225/IMG_2940.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My chest hurt so bad. I kept pulling on my shirt, my sports bra, my hydration pack. That wasn't the problem. I just couldn't get any oxygen in me. I had been battling vertigo for 2 miles at this point. I was so disoriented and constantly confused about where I was. Watch the vlog and you'll see just how lost I felt! All of my senses were starting to go wacky on me. It was starting to feel quite scary from a health and safety standpoint. There was a very strong runner that came to a complete stop just to check and see if there was anything she could do to help me. I love that about Ragnar. You can have some genuine moments with total strangers! I assured her I thought it was just my body not used to the altitude and thanked her and let her continue on her run.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I came upon a merge with another loop. I was certain it had to be the <span style="color: red;"><b>red </b></span>because it was so insanely steep. No. It was the <b><span style="color: #04ff00;">green </span></b>loop. What the WHAT?? I have to go up that and it is supposedly the "easy" loop? I was taking inventory of my body and the failing functions going on. This was the "flat" loop at the lowest altitude of the 3 loops. Can I even physically do the other 2 safely and not end up doing serious damage to myself? All of these things swirled in my head and I still had another insane climb.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was at the start of the downhill this other runner came up behind me and cheered me on. We did some bonding and then I saw him start to follow the wrong loop. I was so happy we have to wear bracelets to match the loop we are doing because that's how I knew he was about to really make a very wrong turn. I called after him and got him back on course, then we started the downhill together. I did pass that guy! Two passes for me the entire yellow loop!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6Wpq0xrDJxrKcPBzciHqThzNSkqjy4Bkv7QGa8Ly2JO2vHrRkL4Idc_9tkm2YUrjyqDVkzbZiej6edhgg87rsRzxNZaK7Ew9P2zF_UsX3CnA4if2QMQBm9f02M7scCCOMF6KEJ_IvDUcQ6tlEcdEJF8IMsiils355HeUw_OaPNj6YAkWdfnV3-JW/s3520/IMG_2942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6Wpq0xrDJxrKcPBzciHqThzNSkqjy4Bkv7QGa8Ly2JO2vHrRkL4Idc_9tkm2YUrjyqDVkzbZiej6edhgg87rsRzxNZaK7Ew9P2zF_UsX3CnA4if2QMQBm9f02M7scCCOMF6KEJ_IvDUcQ6tlEcdEJF8IMsiils355HeUw_OaPNj6YAkWdfnV3-JW/w400-h225/IMG_2942.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So finally it was my turn to run downhill. The rolling rocks made it challenging. I could feel myself going too fast and had to have my hands out to brace myself in case I fell as I tried to slow down a bit. I found a better patch of land to run on and soon was going through the timing mat that would alert Amber-Dawn of my impeding arrival. I wanted to run it all the way in. I couldn't. Everything in me was crashing - except for my legs. Ha!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the final flat stretch to the exchange I could hear Arthur and Sara cheering me on. That seriously helped! Hearing <b>Rebel Scum </b>come out of Arthur's mouth made me smile on the inside. I couldn't look to see them like I normally would since I was just trying to get to the end in one piece. I crossed the timing mat and could make out what I was pretty sure was Amber-Dawn based on the body language and happiness to see me. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">At this point everything went wonky. I couldn't see clearly. It was a swirly blur. Everything sounded like the school teacher in Peanuts. I remember trying to get the race belt off but I couldn't find it. You know that one belt over my shirt that is clear as day right there and easy to find. But I couldn't do it. I was starting to tip over and Shawn came running up. I think I was just leaning on him while Amber-Dawn got the belt and took off on her run. I remember I had texted Shawn that I wanted cold water. He had that and got me to a chair in the shade in the exchange. At this point my breathing got all crazy. I can't describe it. I couldn't get the water to my mouth. My hands were shaking. My chest was almost shaking too if that makes any sense. I don't know how long I was there. It felt like forever, it probably wasn't. I was so sure that I was going to end up being carted off to the med tent. I feel like there is a bit of time that I don't have memory of. It is all just blurry.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPwoxBEWrYhavfhwhZSKF9vw6uoQvWOl1Rnq8fxSvMYzms7kcQ8eh0X-7K0b54wJJwrwe7brgM_iIWqzSp4aB6dTR9LQXBoWhz1VwB8GClUvhmslNOCTLQ7vwaZpuIeO0x5QwFbUz_2UcQksifVXFBKvKtnDeJcCtjhYxxYZEppD8Ad1bPcWdUqJ1/s3520/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPwoxBEWrYhavfhwhZSKF9vw6uoQvWOl1Rnq8fxSvMYzms7kcQ8eh0X-7K0b54wJJwrwe7brgM_iIWqzSp4aB6dTR9LQXBoWhz1VwB8GClUvhmslNOCTLQ7vwaZpuIeO0x5QwFbUz_2UcQksifVXFBKvKtnDeJcCtjhYxxYZEppD8Ad1bPcWdUqJ1/w400-h225/IMG_2943.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I do not recall getting back to the campsite at all. I remember standing there leaning on something, maybe a chair, and having Shawn grab me my cane. I didn't part with that cane for the rest of the night. We did end up back in the village to get me food. Oh yeah, I think I had us walk around the lower lot camping area so I could try to get my body back to normal feeling. Yes, we did that then went up to the lodge for food. I nearly passed out waiting. It was almost an hour for my fries. No grilled cheese for me because they ran out of buns and bread! Party foul!! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And it was while I was waiting for that food that I made my decisions. There was a young guy from California that seemed to be in his early 30s at the oldest. Sounds like they used the AED machine on him and had to bring him down from the mountain to the med area. They told him if he hadn't made the decision he did it could have been really bad. So I was overhearing this, and thinking of Matt, the firefighter that died mid-run in December and I knew what I had to do. I had to just call it. It was just not worth trying to run anymore if I was already in this terrible state. No more running for that Ragnar. That was Friday evening. It is Monday evening as I write this and my chest is still not back to its normal, healthy feeling. Whatever happened up there really did a number on me. It was a tough call, but one that I had to make.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfggQp0zWG1J3JlumEa0bQbUmKHs95IPacpgwytpRhyvvc3dsIARIvC50sqTwmmUApUIa2FnGjXJ2RjQTQ6nkkhtAsKzm6j0f_roAohbf4tF41MlKvGHf3_2GFec3EcvmbkHzGZFtoLX5yaksYjbLPXUeuFOa2Anda83jmQnVwJO6b1HXqXSxzB5J/s3520/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfggQp0zWG1J3JlumEa0bQbUmKHs95IPacpgwytpRhyvvc3dsIARIvC50sqTwmmUApUIa2FnGjXJ2RjQTQ6nkkhtAsKzm6j0f_roAohbf4tF41MlKvGHf3_2GFec3EcvmbkHzGZFtoLX5yaksYjbLPXUeuFOa2Anda83jmQnVwJO6b1HXqXSxzB5J/w400-h225/IMG_2947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I do have more running stories to share from this race in the next post! I DID make it out on the red loop actually. So stay tuned for that -- it has a much better ending, I promise! And vlogs will be coming soon so you can run along with me and see the beauty and hear the delirium take over. *One thing that surprised me - in the end I was only 10 minutes slower than what Ragnar predicted me to be on that loop. Considering I felt like death crossing that finish line I'm shocked!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gotta love running!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G5HJad0S0EQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-29090192555535309172022-08-22T13:35:00.001-07:002022-08-22T20:06:47.304-07:00THE Retirement Decision - How It All Went Down (Behind the Scenes Dirt!)<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2a-FP0HLehXbrJaghRUUwnCFHFwUDovdWCysB1uoR8jx90CUIfWVArgdMv8LsaW6jp-eg3gT0VYFBidUvLwEBNv-MFIrwUHEafsQCZrYb3d8weLYqNa35bzGRJwwjdgVkisQu5QInxiswMqU3kIlvwbUgal9E0uO3lwZULDJGVEV5hbxhsRwbWzKG/s1440/IMG_2703.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2a-FP0HLehXbrJaghRUUwnCFHFwUDovdWCysB1uoR8jx90CUIfWVArgdMv8LsaW6jp-eg3gT0VYFBidUvLwEBNv-MFIrwUHEafsQCZrYb3d8weLYqNa35bzGRJwwjdgVkisQu5QInxiswMqU3kIlvwbUgal9E0uO3lwZULDJGVEV5hbxhsRwbWzKG/s320/IMG_2703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I haven't had a post-race blog in a while, and if any race warranted one this certainly does. The <b>Ragnar Trail Oregon</b> relay... which if you are in my generation or an Oregonian, of course you're just calling it the Oregon Trail relay. Ragnar missed out on some fun marketing and merchandise options with this one. Just swap the order of the words and you'd have had brought in some serious $$$ in the gear tent!</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The original <b>Rebel Scum </b>team was formed in 2019. The 2020 race was cancelled. The 2021 race was cancelled. We swapped so many teammates in that time due to normal life circumstances. In the end Lisa, Sara and I were the only 3 original teammates left standing! During all of these years from the formation to actually running I had my own life things going on and as many know I have been seriously pondering retiring from long-distance running. I LOVE running! I never said retiring from running all together, just not the long races. Going into this 2022 race season I was never certain of what the future would hold. Now I think I have my decision.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">But let's back up!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFbSDZd8HHcrYRgaL307D_vgnWPPbLzItvPgVTW8xtEajGjDXD3gwdxRAxe5-enDZI94y1BoHyrMBPRooS2n0Xd21OoLvUY5m9m3_hBLWIrPvWIxg4GVNN85IzngA8ME5z-U0VyI-nnZbPNv9tC88tO_rxex-7ThGUwBsuBhPx4UX8F_nHOgrEywd/s4032/IMG_1551.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFbSDZd8HHcrYRgaL307D_vgnWPPbLzItvPgVTW8xtEajGjDXD3gwdxRAxe5-enDZI94y1BoHyrMBPRooS2n0Xd21OoLvUY5m9m3_hBLWIrPvWIxg4GVNN85IzngA8ME5z-U0VyI-nnZbPNv9tC88tO_rxex-7ThGUwBsuBhPx4UX8F_nHOgrEywd/s320/IMG_1551.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm still formulating my thoughts as I type this..... I loved being close to home with this race! We all liked not having to load up into vans and constantly caravan our way around and navigate parking lots. We had our own little tent area set up, way too much food, a camp stove, a table, decorations. Rebel Scum was set! It was my first time camping other than sleeping in a tent in someone's yard once. And it was quite fun! We had no running water while we were there, so that was a change. I always want to wash my hands after a run and I couldn't do that. I kept using wipes and things like that - and then I'd just use water and ice in the cooler to get that hit of water to feel like I did a real washing. My bed was quite comfy. I came equipped with a little roll up air mattress, comfy themed pillow, stuffed toys, lights and lots of blankets. I was actually sweaty the first night!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So camp life was a win! We were right on the Yellow loop race path which was great. We could cheer on runners while having an unobstructed view of all of the mountains and very easy access to the potties!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagxRAS9Dr8FIzK4huPhgXBPrDcNyBOrK4-SmoqNw1oc4ha1_UVMx2PR0Sp2j2Q2UruMDwyRjGGWquNWlg3RmrzVXDQIYC2GK03h3_lcyeyKu6CL1ry5WDBUahJ1frpEY7QvP5l6gg7AqTFPItCA4YpflXpPykhd8Q1MDr1espQO0IdCBeDQnuMtvl/s4032/IMG_1625.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagxRAS9Dr8FIzK4huPhgXBPrDcNyBOrK4-SmoqNw1oc4ha1_UVMx2PR0Sp2j2Q2UruMDwyRjGGWquNWlg3RmrzVXDQIYC2GK03h3_lcyeyKu6CL1ry5WDBUahJ1frpEY7QvP5l6gg7AqTFPItCA4YpflXpPykhd8Q1MDr1espQO0IdCBeDQnuMtvl/s320/IMG_1625.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Team life.... usually I sugar coat things in my blog to be nice. F that. I'll be 100% honest this time. We can thank retirement for that? We had 9 people camping in our group (8 runners, 1 volunteer). I'll say doing the math, 88% of us were cool. That remaining 1 person... one and DONE. Never again. Basically let me put it this way -- if you want to be a good <b>TEAM</b>mate and be asked back to anything, don't be a self-important, all knowing, condescending bitch! And probably don't be that way non-stop to the team captain (ME!) ... especially when the team volunteer is the team captain's spouse. This isn't my first rodeo. Talking down to me and constantly questioning me is NOT the way to win any sort of friendship. This began before we even met - behind the scenes with constant private messages talking down to me about every little thing. One and DONE!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRwwACgnn3nTqgah0yLDnD5I-dHLJCQSkDWDxM4Se1Ib3R0w9E9LKF6tPU2K1aj51tJpLOAwIQn5WoDeQxE2QVREX-g-s92Xe0KYDXEMpkDqKFd7pplbOIrDxhq4PlbE5kPj4AmrFYIqwZEzWyVKPlBhFGzpv0tmlkIOr7sl23RcqQpdLRdIihkXE/s3088/IMG_2067.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRwwACgnn3nTqgah0yLDnD5I-dHLJCQSkDWDxM4Se1Ib3R0w9E9LKF6tPU2K1aj51tJpLOAwIQn5WoDeQxE2QVREX-g-s92Xe0KYDXEMpkDqKFd7pplbOIrDxhq4PlbE5kPj4AmrFYIqwZEzWyVKPlBhFGzpv0tmlkIOr7sl23RcqQpdLRdIihkXE/s320/IMG_2067.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let's talk running. The course was HARD! I admit I only did 1/3 of the loops (we'll get to that), but because I am a team player and I socialize with other teams I can say that 100% of the people said this was a challenging course. Crazy hills, heat, high elevation, blazing sun, pitch black darkness, so many things play into this and everyone felt it in their own way. I really wanted to run in the dark. I LOVE running in the dark. It is my favorite! I really wanted to run down the face of Mount Bachelor into the finish line on that red loop. Downhill is my forte! I can't get enough of it. So I really struggled with the captain decision I had to make.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was runner 8, the last runner in the rotation. I set out on the yellow loop of 4.4 miles at the heat of the day. At the end of my run I was shown it was actually 85 degrees when I was out there. <i>I might go into yellow loop detail in another post - this is just more about the captain call I had to make. </i>So anyway it was beyond hard for me. My legs felt great! I LOVED navigating the different terrain. It smelled so nice out there. I got to see mountain bikers working their way down the mountain. It really was beautiful. But I couldn't breathe. It got to the point where I was disoriented, battling vertigo and hardly able to take any steps without feeling like I'd fall over from lack of oxygen. I leaned on a tree for a while. And I kept meeting up with other runners all struggling to run. On the steepest parts every single person was walking and struggling. I wasn't sure I could finish. I did - but I also thought I was going to be taken away by the medical staff at the end. I knew I had to make some decisions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That course was the flattest of the 3 and it wasn't at all flat. And it was the lowest elevation. It wasn't feeling the safest thing to try to do the other 2 and risk something bad happening. I thought of the runner friend we had that was healthy, 1 year older that me, running before his shift as a firefighter and dropped dead on the sidewalk. I saw a staff person checking in with a kid that was probably early 30s at the oldest and they had to use the AED machine on him and bring him down the mountain during his run. Healthy, strong runners were succeeding. Healthy, strong runners were struggling and getting nasty injuries. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAd2FiT0lj_MEtqbc76EI-4tuJ8ApXOz7oNswoL4juPLLSBKlNOm0wY8oZ6w9WuFPEoAzLxxA8O0LLxUqkdLv3kGYsQ6UCRYqH3lq0H37gd1ub5omRyNkd_g_ahNDf8CwS_LIIR2FbYOmQCi9LWU-nDnd7DA9G-HLyjnRqUS1hsiO01GEDlTNYIbp/s4032/IMG_2319.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAd2FiT0lj_MEtqbc76EI-4tuJ8ApXOz7oNswoL4juPLLSBKlNOm0wY8oZ6w9WuFPEoAzLxxA8O0LLxUqkdLv3kGYsQ6UCRYqH3lq0H37gd1ub5omRyNkd_g_ahNDf8CwS_LIIR2FbYOmQCi9LWU-nDnd7DA9G-HLyjnRqUS1hsiO01GEDlTNYIbp/s320/IMG_2319.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I made the tough call. Initially Shawn was going to run the night run of 3.1 miles with me and I'd have my cane to help me out. After talking with other runners we made the call that it wasn't smart. The course wouldn't really allow us to go together in pitch black conditions. If I fell he couldn't help me. If he fell I couldn't help him. So in the middle of the night I sent our volunteer out to run my green loop for me. We are a pirate family - we make our own rules!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This didn't resolve my final run, however. So we went to the race timing expert in the morning and found out our options. We were at the point where we could all just run it and be fine time wise and finishing before the course cut off. Or we could double up if we wanted and be fine. We weren't running slow by any means, but if I tried to go on that red loop, well I don't know what would happen. So as the captain I found out our options, how to work it and made the call. I had our yellow runners double up and go together. Then when it was time for red 2 of us went at the same time. Then I bailed and was the ghost runner. My time was counted the same as the one that did the running. So I wasn't ignored, I was just an invisible, ghost runner. I met up with her and we went into the transition tent together. That let Sara be our final runner! She deserved that. She is an awesome runner, the one that got me on the Hood to Coast team, the most supportive teammate ever, and she was dressed as Rey! It was her finish line to lead us through!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVISvgDg1ZPvp55Sv5viukwqTVh8TIWFEFdj0wTZRTb0jRIdEqdwAFWlc7OdCHviNgq2oE8yztHa9eRUZwuTjt_SBH2gnAATtjFWMDOriAQjoG3pdrw8LGkEPMJzYPxhPjrpaR7mDNRlSNL6wIQvkdVJ4BGtXmz7PEhxo-N-yRBLD_7rSRhFV-bsh/s3520/IMG_2609.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVISvgDg1ZPvp55Sv5viukwqTVh8TIWFEFdj0wTZRTb0jRIdEqdwAFWlc7OdCHviNgq2oE8yztHa9eRUZwuTjt_SBH2gnAATtjFWMDOriAQjoG3pdrw8LGkEPMJzYPxhPjrpaR7mDNRlSNL6wIQvkdVJ4BGtXmz7PEhxo-N-yRBLD_7rSRhFV-bsh/w400-h225/IMG_2609.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Well let's just say the one that was condescending did not like MY captain decisions and even went to the timing tent to question things. SHE tried multiple times to get me to switch so she could be the final runner before we ever even hit race weekend. By the time we go to the decision making process I can tell you I would let ANYONE but her be the final runner. Being a team player goes a long way. Who chose to not even cross the finish line with us and instead got multiple massages? I think you know. I thank her for not hanging out with our team very much. It was better that way. In the end I got to have a lot of fun with everyone and that almost helped me with my decision making....</div><p></p><p><br />Here's where I am, around 48 hours after finishing the relay....</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3rYLnNPBpQ9R3khQjFhnutiv4VkgViIqomP_6ulWnG8DG-2Bx_nyc-UQOvy0--7k-QxipjD4utTmn1XUGjP9gZxX3SJuxxEkEZ5rW6SdMfpVcdHLHWUuov8ImK-eJZUDAQl0eVO2BkMnKGLdMtOoD_wDAtwDYXI6SWU8W-e1Vbwf1YitYiKIbuJ8/s3088/IMG_2775.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3rYLnNPBpQ9R3khQjFhnutiv4VkgViIqomP_6ulWnG8DG-2Bx_nyc-UQOvy0--7k-QxipjD4utTmn1XUGjP9gZxX3SJuxxEkEZ5rW6SdMfpVcdHLHWUuov8ImK-eJZUDAQl0eVO2BkMnKGLdMtOoD_wDAtwDYXI6SWU8W-e1Vbwf1YitYiKIbuJ8/s320/IMG_2775.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shawn was the team volunteer (every team is required to provide one or pay $120). He signed up to take finisher photos of the teams with their medals. The rest of the team was able to go home and I went up to the village to watch him work. Dude, it was so fun! I started talking with the teams and would try to help pump them up from the background when they needed help to figure out how to pose. I talked to so many people. I've even connected with some on Instagram after returning home. I love the vibe of a race, especially relays. I don't want to just quit them forever. And that's when it hit me! <b>I can still be a part of the atmosphere by being a volunteer and helping everyone out!</b> I love being at exchanges and cheering for everyone - not just my own teammates. I am great with spreadsheets. I love to plan. I've got this captain stuff down! Sara had said maybe we can co-captain and split up duties, doing the stuff we each excel at - then I can just be the required volunteer and NOT risk dying on a mountain while running. And then I can still run at home for fun of course. I have no plans of stopping. I just can't kill my body anymore. I have a gymnastics dynamo I'm raising and I need to be able to keep up with her, so I have to stay healthy!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So there it is. My thoughts on the relay from a teammate/captain stand point. It was the first time of all the teams that I had a vibe from the start (and was right) that I was almost being bullied into doing what one person wanted. I was NOT going to let that happen. So many years I have been working on this race. No stranger was going to come in and just steamroll me. I'd consider this a win! I made new friends, I hung out with old friends, I made the tough decisions, I stood my ground, and I never told anyone to F off right to their face!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fx-7XcMtaj3tIGoPgKW1hsO3xfDkst8cUf76ZzQ2YQdDjJ4k1x4NSNkI7lqVnbS-iKXynxVkphFWyqlOBZzczJ5etZCJv7J4g5UKVfPN6lxhKnflOxK2UNbwNHUASVUfAmwyoJr8A3rrCrqipZfp2dMCZi-z1DYkSbSQ2854t0a_GT-qJWHr5AAf/s1440/IMG_2920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fx-7XcMtaj3tIGoPgKW1hsO3xfDkst8cUf76ZzQ2YQdDjJ4k1x4NSNkI7lqVnbS-iKXynxVkphFWyqlOBZzczJ5etZCJv7J4g5UKVfPN6lxhKnflOxK2UNbwNHUASVUfAmwyoJr8A3rrCrqipZfp2dMCZi-z1DYkSbSQ2854t0a_GT-qJWHr5AAf/w640-h480/IMG_2920.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-36553662183664336452022-05-05T22:05:00.001-07:002022-05-06T09:16:45.394-07:00Looking Back at 13.1 Miles of Memories<p style="text-align: justify;">I began running in 2009 just to see if I could. I couldn't make it around the block, and the thought of running a half marathon was laughable to me. Fast-forward a bit and suddenly I was LOVING half marathons. I was doing them constantly and always excited to pick out the next one to register for. In 2019 I registered for the 2020 Eugene Half Marathon Doublestack Challenge and was feeling fit and ready to do it. Then Covid cancelled everything. For two years. And in the meantime my Ménière's disease really let me have it. Training stopped being fun because it was a constant battle between my legs wanting to run and vertigo wanting to knock me over. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and realized I need to retire from the long distances. Maybe some day things will improve and I can return, but for now I'll be sticking to shorter races and relays. It was a really hard thing to come to terms with, but now I feel pretty okay about it. So I thought I'd kind of wrap up my half marathon career with a little look back at each and find a highlight to attach to each race!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/03/disneys-princess-half-marathon-race.html" target="_blank">2011 Disney's Princess Half Marathon</a></b> in Walt Disney World. It was the first! That is the memory. I ran with Leslie and we had way too much fun sprinting from photo op to photo op. Hello Jack Sparrow! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtINCoDlpNSR_nEXw61QiQ3TzoqAKHhFYjbwiy8Y8m226BEX8lV8IDox7j8IMYT-bopP6G-Z2nyfGCRTZpey-FXp2qhuz7_5qpk3CelQ8B4CAm8l8n3hmHzKOoKmmFTQecghaBAanMTDGVkXe3ZY9QpjeiGqAPKkiNnNONTmaev4u10IDRad9Lx1q/s640/DSC02963.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtINCoDlpNSR_nEXw61QiQ3TzoqAKHhFYjbwiy8Y8m226BEX8lV8IDox7j8IMYT-bopP6G-Z2nyfGCRTZpey-FXp2qhuz7_5qpk3CelQ8B4CAm8l8n3hmHzKOoKmmFTQecghaBAanMTDGVkXe3ZY9QpjeiGqAPKkiNnNONTmaev4u10IDRad9Lx1q/w400-h300/DSC02963.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">2. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/04/inaugural-corvallis-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2011 the Inaugural Corvallis Half Marathon</a></b>. My iPod ended up having NO music on it. I was all alone. I was battling vertigo the whole time and kept drinking way too much water and each stop to try to feel normal. I puked my guts out at the finish line thanks to all that water.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">3. <a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/05/eugene-half-marathon-131-miles-with-pre.html" target="_blank"><b>2011 Eugene Half Marathon</b></a>. Amazon Parkway killed my IT band. I still deal with that if I run on an uneven surface! I ran great. I threw up on the track at Hayward Field. Hahaha. Go Beavs!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">4. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/06/seattle-rocknroll-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2011 Seattle Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. I ran this one with my leg all wrapped up because of the IT band issue. My doctor hooked me up with tons of shots in my leg prior to the race so I could get it done. I got to meet Abby at the finish line party!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc1-aRalu4_qQ9z9dFht1_6s--NmXa6_03X5rhKMfdpUDu4eyW4gl2iqt6wwCGnpCXbWid6YX33TWBzrwim_HEuC1zFPMtHL1-YFLZ-VYs-IJ9gD9cZ3ZMxzjwRWpgTndoUEKFnq654Wa5wzTkFtRC_cPq4NeTHVfF9OxlKDiPkY9MakiXonhcUE_/s800/DSC03075.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc1-aRalu4_qQ9z9dFht1_6s--NmXa6_03X5rhKMfdpUDu4eyW4gl2iqt6wwCGnpCXbWid6YX33TWBzrwim_HEuC1zFPMtHL1-YFLZ-VYs-IJ9gD9cZ3ZMxzjwRWpgTndoUEKFnq654Wa5wzTkFtRC_cPq4NeTHVfF9OxlKDiPkY9MakiXonhcUE_/s320/DSC03075.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">5. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/07/it-is-with-pure-exhaustion-that-i.html" target="_blank">2011 Lacamas Lake Half Marathon</a></b> in Washington. I hated it. Absolutely hated it. The course was NOT what it was advertised. I saw no great views. And I had a terrible reaction to my Meniere's medicine which derailed me. Then the medal was seriously the size of a flattened penny. Never again. HATED IT.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjs9X2ptrf7ZkoDYFS4T4t-O_Pv-ckMO3oS9xNlW5dVDKQVqXXqFmHKS9VlYTBIL-X8QzR2AmMHgex3wodlcVRDscd6zb6ZBvsRGEn1x7W5zac3Q_vmSgaNPBPEfamHRMho7SFPxarLeSLu2S2M6uvqRpG0fIslNd2H5yMKlrb8HDva8WVnSIc1Ys/s320/pathetic%20medal.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjs9X2ptrf7ZkoDYFS4T4t-O_Pv-ckMO3oS9xNlW5dVDKQVqXXqFmHKS9VlYTBIL-X8QzR2AmMHgex3wodlcVRDscd6zb6ZBvsRGEn1x7W5zac3Q_vmSgaNPBPEfamHRMho7SFPxarLeSLu2S2M6uvqRpG0fIslNd2H5yMKlrb8HDva8WVnSIc1Ys/s1600/pathetic%20medal.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">6. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/09/disneyland-half-marathon-epic-o.html" target="_blank">2011 Disneyland Half Marathon</a></b>. Team Jam was born! This was the group race people aspire to have, but no one will ever be able to replicate. We. Were. Freaking. Awesome.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qxe0LRXUOKpzNJ_NaLlr35-dbH1zk50i7TXo-tTx8DCjccYzOb971pzla9R0Glaxo59Uw_wCb3dBJwqPFHYS0OqgOMSE1LhxDXiBB5KBjNEJKhym11MgXa8HAYp29-liIaKIjCtSujFRDgt8_zMHgqV2JMMS0YeEz3w0qKxX1FfASIWNEz9ssPgC/s400/DSCF0464.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qxe0LRXUOKpzNJ_NaLlr35-dbH1zk50i7TXo-tTx8DCjccYzOb971pzla9R0Glaxo59Uw_wCb3dBJwqPFHYS0OqgOMSE1LhxDXiBB5KBjNEJKhym11MgXa8HAYp29-liIaKIjCtSujFRDgt8_zMHgqV2JMMS0YeEz3w0qKxX1FfASIWNEz9ssPgC/s320/DSCF0464.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">7. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/10/portland-half-marathon-pre-race.html" target="_blank">2011 Portland Half Marathon</a></b>. More memorable than the race was the expo. I met Jeff Galloway. I listened to awesome runners speaking about my running idol Steve Prefontaine. And then I met this woman ... and she was Steve Prefontaine's sister!! And she welcomed me to her family that day instantly. I adored her. AND THEN she introduced me to Frank Shorter - Pre's friend!! I never would have expected any of that. She and I still message now and then! And I got the PR I told Jeff Galloway I was going to get.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUUJv_mLJQL7ICSGtjyPXkHHhvX1pl3o05cs4fuqUgwejazIQqThUz-oOKwiVpfqlZGEHssrXc-AU2Ya-sNyYyOzVySA5d055HrmLwwymbt37wYWf0K8cbMHbALvy052kQOezKZbcYhZY3IZqVhjmDPHFhG3jJtezR4zLoZ1GCWgxEmwLdRS9YSki/s320/1000000129.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="320" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUUJv_mLJQL7ICSGtjyPXkHHhvX1pl3o05cs4fuqUgwejazIQqThUz-oOKwiVpfqlZGEHssrXc-AU2Ya-sNyYyOzVySA5d055HrmLwwymbt37wYWf0K8cbMHbALvy052kQOezKZbcYhZY3IZqVhjmDPHFhG3jJtezR4zLoZ1GCWgxEmwLdRS9YSki/s1600/1000000129.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">8. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/11/runaway-pumpkin-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2011 Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon</a></b>. I ran dressed as the Cheshire Cat. I finished in tears because I had hurt myself during the race and was worried it was going to mess up the next race on the schedule. But I did it with a bunch of friends so that was awesome!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">9. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2011/12/vegas-rnr-half-marathon-story.html" target="_blank">2011 Las Vegas Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. It was the cluster f*$@ sh!t show everyone talked about after. I loved the course. I loved that it was at night. I loved the lights. I didn't love that I was one of the many, MANY people that got sick during the race. I collapsed after the race inside Mandalay Bay. A volunteer, Nancy, came to my aid with salt. It was insane. I really really do want to do this race again and have a fresh try!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">10. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/01/walt-disney-world-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012 Walt Disney World Half Marathon</a></b>. Characters galore! And running with new friends.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKxgkI-cjpf96k6Qg-pgmHzixpHfJZW-7V6zGbn8ZC2ikeEZqoozT2OT1LiZkVF4knfu38aNIIUG7ZT-GXODVm00Y8crMhZB52aKvnUVQVE50vpFRjYqkW5_iafckUe4D1CLj11ZZtjibJlDSFPZ1pdink_v_lXqYo-uw7Q4IKCuMchE1Bxu7Rm5D/s320/DSC00393.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKxgkI-cjpf96k6Qg-pgmHzixpHfJZW-7V6zGbn8ZC2ikeEZqoozT2OT1LiZkVF4knfu38aNIIUG7ZT-GXODVm00Y8crMhZB52aKvnUVQVE50vpFRjYqkW5_iafckUe4D1CLj11ZZtjibJlDSFPZ1pdink_v_lXqYo-uw7Q4IKCuMchE1Bxu7Rm5D/s1600/DSC00393.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">11. <b>2012 Inaugural </b>(and only) <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/01/walt-disney-world-marathon-relay-o.html" target="_blank">Walt Disney World Marathon Relay</a></b>. I surprised myself by running back to back half marathons and doing incredibly awesome on the second one. I was with Corral A runners, so I guess they just intimidated me into running faster. I hit every photo stop without a line thanks to running with the people that never stop!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7kqMUgOkqh2rbKGDH6WlgcveV73VfaMokK4FC2Lg3sR_N03rc4agCcY1iplwSqaTstnFeK27aCWXNUwTynotI_lDf5mHFqzpCX1oFO8StpeETbds1Tvyp0Haz7PDWnXYH2eGQejfJftwqBPxgHCjPpVUIydIA-NZNL9LrI_9kTCBDkgcihJT3Y9b/s381/38.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="381" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7kqMUgOkqh2rbKGDH6WlgcveV73VfaMokK4FC2Lg3sR_N03rc4agCcY1iplwSqaTstnFeK27aCWXNUwTynotI_lDf5mHFqzpCX1oFO8StpeETbds1Tvyp0Haz7PDWnXYH2eGQejfJftwqBPxgHCjPpVUIydIA-NZNL9LrI_9kTCBDkgcihJT3Y9b/s320/38.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">12. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/02/heart-breaker-half-marathon-surprise.html" target="_blank">2012 Heart Breaker Half Marathon</a></b>. I saw Jeff Galloway again. I PR'd again. Is he the key?? And they gave us strawberries on the course.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">13. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/04/eugene-half-marathon-round-2.html" target="_blank">2012 Eugene Half Marathon</a></b>. Another PR for me. I was on fire.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">14. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/05/portland-rocknroll-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012 Portland Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. That course was a deceptive beast! So much uphill.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">15. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/06/seattle-rnr-half-take-two.html" target="_blank">2012 Seattle Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. The first race Shawn and I ever did together. His first race, period. He just followed my lead and we did awesome!! Then I convinced him to run the marathon with me that year. It was our first out of town trip together, too, other than our first date. I guess it all worked out since here we are still together a decade later!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhvV0-rc6a8NyOSdooeI0hW_dCOMFpYX2LaAgVJ0J8z_p3LaJV89abEQgzMxhDPqJwQToPXY_r3vkyBCRh0kbIauw1sV8Mbyd1oiqt3zOC_j4slKniX0FTuvb3UFr1ywquH3H3izjJgY5D171VaEmXKEh1dbLbBbj8ECLsup-yaY3zN9BwNaklt1u/s400/7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhvV0-rc6a8NyOSdooeI0hW_dCOMFpYX2LaAgVJ0J8z_p3LaJV89abEQgzMxhDPqJwQToPXY_r3vkyBCRh0kbIauw1sV8Mbyd1oiqt3zOC_j4slKniX0FTuvb3UFr1ywquH3H3izjJgY5D171VaEmXKEh1dbLbBbj8ECLsup-yaY3zN9BwNaklt1u/s320/7.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">16. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/11/scappoose-half-marathon_11.html" target="_blank">2012 Scappoose Half Marathon</a></b>. This was essentially a training run for the next full marathon on the calendar. It was sooooo cold. Insanely cold.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">17. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/11/run-to-stay-warm-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012 Run to Stay Warm Half Marathon</a></b>. No memories of this one. It was also a training run for the Disney races coming up.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">18. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/12/reindeer-run-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012 Reindeer Run Half Marathon</a></b>. Not enough aid stations along the way. I got so thirsty I was debating drinking water from a ditch.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBJjrpT4tz9U5F8HZGUm8XLpERdX-pgMpGqWuliAcq8qwNHLVxnuMkV5mkOzZOw1JCTATNEAqyoOjetCsGCvDLt5NPqcSuiX41TsBudCuArZPRw4-Bgli7MF8UCph4ixHrH3i4Yr1oB54QPzK2AjOl549GMjZdndLHQizLc5fL6zhYXLnnQfw7_n0/s400/Fullscreen%20capture%201222012%2033820%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="400" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBJjrpT4tz9U5F8HZGUm8XLpERdX-pgMpGqWuliAcq8qwNHLVxnuMkV5mkOzZOw1JCTATNEAqyoOjetCsGCvDLt5NPqcSuiX41TsBudCuArZPRw4-Bgli7MF8UCph4ixHrH3i4Yr1oB54QPzK2AjOl549GMjZdndLHQizLc5fL6zhYXLnnQfw7_n0/s320/Fullscreen%20capture%201222012%2033820%20PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">19. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2012/12/eugene-holiday-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012 Eugene Holiday Half Marathon</a></b>. They had gingerbread man cookies and electrolyte drinks on the course that, when taken together, tasted like delicious dessert! And free Cliff Shot Block packages, too. We left with soooo many in Shawn's pockets.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">20. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/01/walt-disney-world-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Walt Disney World Half Marathon</a></b>. Shawn and I ran as Jessie and Woody from Toy Story and ended up on the news! The next day we ran the marathon as Batman and Batgirl and we melted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE9bOiXfvFm5qiNPwxU0Jopp0ik3UKU4OFk2hZDY2j4KzNBfURkE-stt5Yziy6LTBV1FvglJRSGJa65orFYcjYVc2IuiY8N7_nlf16zIZfPUMWIXsGfAbmzlydB4PtsLxM-I74pbezT5PqD8ASoHwLzM25zXuGjaZEwaUpBUTFxeGlOXSyD1iRiDP/s320/725917-1009-0015s.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="212" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOE9bOiXfvFm5qiNPwxU0Jopp0ik3UKU4OFk2hZDY2j4KzNBfURkE-stt5Yziy6LTBV1FvglJRSGJa65orFYcjYVc2IuiY8N7_nlf16zIZfPUMWIXsGfAbmzlydB4PtsLxM-I74pbezT5PqD8ASoHwLzM25zXuGjaZEwaUpBUTFxeGlOXSyD1iRiDP/s1600/725917-1009-0015s.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">21. <b><a href="https://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/03/inaugural-hop-hop-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Inaugural Hop Hop Half Marathon</a></b>. A girl my age collapsed and an ambulance came. She looked lifeless. Her eyes were rolled back. She survived but I hear was hospitalized. It was really scary to see.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">22. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/05/portland-rocknroll-half-marathon-take-2.html" target="_blank">2013 Portland Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. I was better prepared since I knew their elevation charts were deceptive. Andy Grammar was the post-race concert.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">23. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/07/grapes-of-half.html" target="_blank">2013 Grapes of Half</a></b>. Gorgeous. Nature. Wineries. Killer hills at the end. Gravel road, going downhill. I had to sort of walk sideways down so I wouldn't slip.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">24. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/09/dumbo-double-dare-part-2-disneyland.html" target="_blank">2013 Disneyland Half Marathon</a></b>. Part of the inaugural Dumbo Double Dare weekend. We ran as Mario and Luigi! And found many friends along the way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobmBBzYc0kB3C6sFrU7-490dlR1ldck-a1w_UPeSMjEaoUionT0bzh7VA7A2-nkjnhigWwKhrctxxqJGfK-Uiqot1eu3vruaudA-cdkmag5x_fLYicmwV3MTcB2NoHxyMraXpYyy2CB4-HXy-r3ETCmeaWl19Vsx0MaRtjKO0B-2oia7ucttCRX5z/s640/735635-1015-0026s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobmBBzYc0kB3C6sFrU7-490dlR1ldck-a1w_UPeSMjEaoUionT0bzh7VA7A2-nkjnhigWwKhrctxxqJGfK-Uiqot1eu3vruaudA-cdkmag5x_fLYicmwV3MTcB2NoHxyMraXpYyy2CB4-HXy-r3ETCmeaWl19Vsx0MaRtjKO0B-2oia7ucttCRX5z/w400-h266/735635-1015-0026s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">25. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/11/scottsdale-womens-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Women's Running Half Marathon</a></b>. This was in Arizona. There were maybe 5 dudes, Shawn being one of them. The altitude and change in air completely shocked me. I wasn't expecting that!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">26. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2013/12/eugene-holiday-half-marathon-take-tew.html" target="_blank">2013 Eugene Holiday Half Marathon</a></b>. I forgot my tech shirt at home and had to wear the cotton race shirt we all got. This is soooo NOT me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">27. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2014/05/portland-rocknroll-threepeat.html" target="_blank">2013 Portland Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. At the finish line the announcer saw us and said, "Always be yourself, unless you can be a pirate. Then be a pirate!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">28. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2014/06/seattle-rocknroll-half-marathon-take-3.html" target="_blank">2013 Seattle Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. I got to see Sir Mix A Lot!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">29. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2014/07/eugene-half-marathon-round-3.html" target="_blank">2013 Eugene Half Marathon</a></b>. I actually began this race with my DAD and Shawn. I ditched both of them somewhere along the race and waited for them at the finish line. Ha!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">30. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2014/10/vancouver-rocknroll-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Vancouver BC Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon</a></b>. Shawn had to walk it - doctor's orders - but we both went dressed as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police! We even had police officers stop us to compliment us on our outfits as we walked to the race! My first time in Canada!! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-BjsiPdMFueRoypc2lxOuwzgGAGCSSFPC4CVQfpcd19Hf-WLdikGn1oUbfcbdApUi6MvCmCQXxpnrBstpg0swJMmi7YoMw7u-6WZDjXf72cshRyxP2bmsehORpZd23xmyJqrFgS8rmxUqFvbLv6wgPrsCRAVaTcFuPqybv7L_c5Y80jnZL53xsnh/s600/12019763_10153577452848382_3729729447190458899_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-BjsiPdMFueRoypc2lxOuwzgGAGCSSFPC4CVQfpcd19Hf-WLdikGn1oUbfcbdApUi6MvCmCQXxpnrBstpg0swJMmi7YoMw7u-6WZDjXf72cshRyxP2bmsehORpZd23xmyJqrFgS8rmxUqFvbLv6wgPrsCRAVaTcFuPqybv7L_c5Y80jnZL53xsnh/s320/12019763_10153577452848382_3729729447190458899_n.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">31. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2014/11/disneys-wine-dine-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">2013 Disney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon</a></b>. The 5th anniversary of the race. That morning we were on RunDisney's social media for our Jack Skellington and Sally costumes in the 5K. For this night race we were Pinocchio and Gepetto. This would be the last half for a while because we were about to start the whole IVF process.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDTGnxYmOeOHlE-gS3R-V7tQ3KD9KXd4z6WWPqimaSo6csQ4jwdbYvyrCde1-lY-NSBsHsfpLYp8XIN0qFVJe-DNdsycNp56lLt2BmyzpgsGqaCZY_ZkKvJse6aLTGexFScqa9skv1WZyhTtfCJ2e-O5b4Qec9JqrdgfE2oIBsL9pfWLlwCl8nScB/s960/10650009_10152587414098382_8811798972742890401_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="921" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDTGnxYmOeOHlE-gS3R-V7tQ3KD9KXd4z6WWPqimaSo6csQ4jwdbYvyrCde1-lY-NSBsHsfpLYp8XIN0qFVJe-DNdsycNp56lLt2BmyzpgsGqaCZY_ZkKvJse6aLTGexFScqa9skv1WZyhTtfCJ2e-O5b4Qec9JqrdgfE2oIBsL9pfWLlwCl8nScB/s320/10650009_10152587414098382_8811798972742890401_n.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJkQmWhcBU8PA2jqXyMKOKVyLtvo0xHiq-eiPbn5qgbpIVsRKmKXYbu09UeagE5zrS7Bm5jR-_wkvmkMXb5-KRKc55HawzeS8FnrMM5DcwHb2i7Tdtaz3vYu6a5iZonDKcwY_yqC9wo8D1lYUjTbhTqz6B1LFsygtVdKRYgwOKtt-zWjHwAv2KNX9/s640/IMG_8722.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJkQmWhcBU8PA2jqXyMKOKVyLtvo0xHiq-eiPbn5qgbpIVsRKmKXYbu09UeagE5zrS7Bm5jR-_wkvmkMXb5-KRKc55HawzeS8FnrMM5DcwHb2i7Tdtaz3vYu6a5iZonDKcwY_yqC9wo8D1lYUjTbhTqz6B1LFsygtVdKRYgwOKtt-zWjHwAv2KNX9/s320/IMG_8722.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">32. <b><a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-race-that-didnt-happen.html" target="_blank">2014 Inaugural Shamrock Half Marathon</a></b>. Did not do it. Doctor's Orders! NOT allowed!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">33. <b>2014 Corvallis Half Marathon</b>. Did not do it. Doctor's Orders! NOT allowed!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">34. <b><a href="https://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2018/04/eugene-half-marathon-2018-edition.html" target="_blank">2018 Eugene Half Marathon</a></b>. Felt so good to be back at my favorite distance again and running with a new friend I had just made at Ragnar the year before!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">35. <b><a href="https://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2022/05/eugene-half-marathon-my-final-12.html" target="_blank">2022 Eugene Half Marathon</a></b>. The final race. I'll never forget it. Emily let me be with her the entire time and we had so much fun! The poor guy by us having to hear all of our stories. I didn't train at all. I wasn't sure I'd do it. But I am so glad I did!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw4HC_RDC2F3Ctl5hBtGWbi4UT_fE9ix32GieKLN_npLqpFKF_d3XJfHMJ5_uDHGSrNRhAbkXJOVRjMyt7N-ppbXfb625reT1hccHqePTvIJdtXIXJYzj7aJceY23nz5_QHhYYWgyA0K_9aEXilB2oE02Cq6LoguKI33R9eT0oPU6zR0B-D9b66DX/s1800/7C69B3CF-046C-422D-A623-E69C61BCA132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw4HC_RDC2F3Ctl5hBtGWbi4UT_fE9ix32GieKLN_npLqpFKF_d3XJfHMJ5_uDHGSrNRhAbkXJOVRjMyt7N-ppbXfb625reT1hccHqePTvIJdtXIXJYzj7aJceY23nz5_QHhYYWgyA0K_9aEXilB2oE02Cq6LoguKI33R9eT0oPU6zR0B-D9b66DX/s320/7C69B3CF-046C-422D-A623-E69C61BCA132.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Is it the end? I really don't know. I hope not. But if it is, I had a great ... run! </p><p><br /></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-78366254003251819312022-05-05T21:13:00.001-07:002022-05-05T21:13:46.000-07:00Eugene Half Marathon: My Final 1/2<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvEhdwsk4KN3rpfFh7z0n89wGf8UT59ZbK2QXvJPgwnPvzpXJe7fMIsZkDhzy2SifkuKyM6kTxLaCC_FaIqaSPjefZQljLlE_JE3NW2VhZCeq92vjs8JT3XfwQIfN_HfCP-XgEc5q7MSn8XHLR4x-iM-92bNnS7Nnzet3lj_LsrWchlLSOICK7V8Z/s4032/IMG_0717.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvEhdwsk4KN3rpfFh7z0n89wGf8UT59ZbK2QXvJPgwnPvzpXJe7fMIsZkDhzy2SifkuKyM6kTxLaCC_FaIqaSPjefZQljLlE_JE3NW2VhZCeq92vjs8JT3XfwQIfN_HfCP-XgEc5q7MSn8XHLR4x-iM-92bNnS7Nnzet3lj_LsrWchlLSOICK7V8Z/s320/IMG_0717.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">My FINAL half marathon? Is it?? I think so. Or is it, I think so? I spent so much time during my training just struggling. When I could run I was doing great. My legs were happy, my mind was happy, training was awesome! But just as awesome as it was, it suddenly kept shifting to being really difficult and scary. I never wanted to run too far from home or Katura's school because what if something happened? Ménière's Disease was taking over and the joy was fading. I felt a bit of relief when I finally accepted that I needed to just retire my half marathon shoes. I am NOT done running. I LOVE relays. I can still run a lot of miles, just broken up into 3 different chunks. 13.1 miles has always been my favorite distance once I finally did it, so having this be my last was kind of emotional and sad. BUT I had a happy surprise that changed it so I didn't run a sad race!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I completely abandoned training for this race. Who goes out and runs 3 races in a row with zero training? Apparently ME!! Going into the Eugene Marathon weekend I still didn't know if I would run or not. In my head I was visualizing the course and trying to figure out a game plan if I couldn't finish or if I had a terrible Meniere's attack and needed to stop or get help. I wondered if I was going to drive up to Eugene and end up turning around and driving home. I WANTED to run, but was also scared. So finally it was race day. At 3:30am my alarm went off and by 4am I was on the road to Eugene. When I arrived I was super early, which I prefer, and settled in my parking spot. I walked to the porta potties and then to the start area to see them setting everything up. That solidified it. I was ready to race!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF29aHNGzGg2ZwWU8yFWMEcTBNDOJ4yVUWb7cNsUkfr2g4475h4eGQDJyIokhdsRE5f_o0jrtn2cy_90sI0ssvzl15E1WVLc4s40nvBivoA9C_-xG2JodBBjmLK9pGeR5oLwSKVydPXvMzA5gqDce83xMrzk6s-mFzD5vRaFGg2kqBQj9b9NYChgEV/s4032/IMG_0605.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF29aHNGzGg2ZwWU8yFWMEcTBNDOJ4yVUWb7cNsUkfr2g4475h4eGQDJyIokhdsRE5f_o0jrtn2cy_90sI0ssvzl15E1WVLc4s40nvBivoA9C_-xG2JodBBjmLK9pGeR5oLwSKVydPXvMzA5gqDce83xMrzk6s-mFzD5vRaFGg2kqBQj9b9NYChgEV/w400-h300/IMG_0605.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sun came up and I made my way to the start area. As I was walking around just taking it all in I was so excited to see Emily! This was going to be a great retirement race! We decided we'd get through it together, and I am sooooo so glad we did. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFbiTd372e5RsJzYojsiGoLtSVwP-GxVEDwhYstsmZtvHsr0kaL0apMYqvqXfMl3Mm2nXyUxpljscad0mRcEVPMqaluyFDiAFJDx0cNB3nKoaF0IYXXxYvOotDbzZ3xCKo0sUVpT_G8TMixUzd0ChOQiEiZ8EW_51qjoto933x_pCdE4ZExuMuqiu/s3648/IMG_0720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFbiTd372e5RsJzYojsiGoLtSVwP-GxVEDwhYstsmZtvHsr0kaL0apMYqvqXfMl3Mm2nXyUxpljscad0mRcEVPMqaluyFDiAFJDx0cNB3nKoaF0IYXXxYvOotDbzZ3xCKo0sUVpT_G8TMixUzd0ChOQiEiZ8EW_51qjoto933x_pCdE4ZExuMuqiu/w300-h400/IMG_0720.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I conducted an experiment during this race. Okay, if you missed my pouting .... I had tickets to see <i>Hamilton</i>. I didn't let myself get excited about it until I was there. I was not even a block away and said to my mom, "Well, now I can get excited! We are here! It's happening!" Less than one minute later I learned the show was cancelled due to a flu outbreak among the company. Instant tears. I was heartbroken. **I now have tickets again for later this year.*** So to celebrate my new tickets I had decided to listen to <i>Hamilton</i> during the race and see how far could I get in the course before the show ended. This was my plan before I saw Emily, but I decided to stick with it because why not?!?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once we crossed the start line I hit start on my Garmin and start on Hamilton! And we were off for 13.1 miles of non-stop chatter. Seriously, Emily, I had so much fun. Thank you! We talked about so much. Crazy medical things, races, Broadway, traveling. We never shut up except for when we were drinking water I think!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Run wise I don't really have things to report. We did it! Emily had her Garmin beeping at us in ratios so we'd rotate between running and walking. Thank goodness we had that. I honestly don't know what I would have done solo. I mean clearly I'd have been that girl performing Hamilton alone, but would I have remembered to start running if I walked? Would I have survived that last 5K?</div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh282SoK7yNjPHV8U3FRGPhZnodi83C5V1xnfnKARUXhJaLcCYqHeDAO_wCg6faFIVgK2_dqm2HciMK1zYBMvJVaw9b1grIo54f8nlI49A7jfpJR3xaCJ1JimbeqJP-V-QiiagWD_On_Cs3mcU1ZnjmTj4B5RXxU8_fqfL8cA-UKu_I20oFcE1B2Wjq/s1799/2822565C-9FF8-493A-A5B2-D4097F9C107F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh282SoK7yNjPHV8U3FRGPhZnodi83C5V1xnfnKARUXhJaLcCYqHeDAO_wCg6faFIVgK2_dqm2HciMK1zYBMvJVaw9b1grIo54f8nlI49A7jfpJR3xaCJ1JimbeqJP-V-QiiagWD_On_Cs3mcU1ZnjmTj4B5RXxU8_fqfL8cA-UKu_I20oFcE1B2Wjq/w320-h400/2822565C-9FF8-493A-A5B2-D4097F9C107F.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The last 5K. Ugh. I've said this every time I've run the Eugene Half Marathon. The first 10 miles are the physical part. The last 3.1 is the mental challenge. The course gets quiet. No spectators. No hills. Just you and the half marathon runners since the marathon course diverts at that point. Around mile 8.7 you actually pass the finish line. From that point on it is just this mental battle. You get tired physically and you need your mind to help you, but it gets hard. Thank goodness for teamwork and laughter!! Another bonus, we found Jenn on course during this rough spot. Sometimes you just need to see a happy, familiar face to help revive a bit of a bounce in your step!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The last mile actually seemed to fly by now that I think about it. We entered Hayward Field and oops, costume fail. For some reason it seemed like I needed to put my sunglasses on. I don't know why. My brain was dead. When I tried it made my pirate bandanna fall off. So yeah, I totally had us stop so I could fix it for the finish line. I don't know!! I think we did a great job on the track keeping smiles on for the photos and coming in strong to the finish line. I even heard them say my name! I never hear it because I'm usually in a fog. I'm so glad that for this final race I actually heard it!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the finish I really noticed my Meniere's battle, and thank goodness I found a fence I was able to grab on to. I didn't even grab my medals right away! And what I noticed and really appreciated was nobody tried to shoo me along. Sometimes at the finish they try to get you out ASAP. I physically couldn't do it. Heck a volunteer even brought me a barf bag (that I didn't have to use thank goodness). They were all so nice and patient then smiled when I was finally ready to grab the bling.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHA_gFiDyVEawyjRukQJmixHdCuhzTkVeQHSa6W5kKUZs-kopm477Qi5Z5PEQzvnOWMEef_c56w1ooC_5OhE6k1qZ-cXc88BMmxreDeT21UDd7TzcXmmcwsqNYC2E0QlCfp5KnE8iZJX_tACSsBf8VYyXS2aBOUNBG6h4qKRFGe2EkyflZYdn55u6/s1000/IMG_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHA_gFiDyVEawyjRukQJmixHdCuhzTkVeQHSa6W5kKUZs-kopm477Qi5Z5PEQzvnOWMEef_c56w1ooC_5OhE6k1qZ-cXc88BMmxreDeT21UDd7TzcXmmcwsqNYC2E0QlCfp5KnE8iZJX_tACSsBf8VYyXS2aBOUNBG6h4qKRFGe2EkyflZYdn55u6/w426-h640/IMG_0750.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfStMhnDheW9RGywRzxl-c2e5SL97k3BdgbRnktm8AVH_jbQo-xy3EsQyDQnT0iowomqxidR_I4Cdiq7wKAUQGUQwuNwCDcY8ACT5y_2ihJxfP-cZSKX6aOumzfSCv1h2buM5NPCBfB8ftYbvRs-y0-krlPJE25wNqdUPdI-py-AOfOxjO_8ntpW5u/s1800/F6472E3E-62B3-4CF9-AAAB-A64D92F82022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfStMhnDheW9RGywRzxl-c2e5SL97k3BdgbRnktm8AVH_jbQo-xy3EsQyDQnT0iowomqxidR_I4Cdiq7wKAUQGUQwuNwCDcY8ACT5y_2ihJxfP-cZSKX6aOumzfSCv1h2buM5NPCBfB8ftYbvRs-y0-krlPJE25wNqdUPdI-py-AOfOxjO_8ntpW5u/s320/F6472E3E-62B3-4CF9-AAAB-A64D92F82022.JPG" width="256" /></a>Yeah, we got TWO medals! Both Emily and I were doing the Doublestack Challenge which meant the bonus medal. Hot dog, I like ending with a bang and bling! Lots of photos happened before we made our way to the post-race party. I indulged in grilled cheese sandwich squares at the end and collected some yummy cookies. From there it was a mission to McDonald's for salty fries and a Coke! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm so glad I did the race! It got hard at the end, but felt so dang good once I hit the track and got to see the end in sight. It's been a great run of great runs, and I am happy they aren't all done for good. Maybe some day I'll be back reporting on 13.1 miles. We shall wait and find out!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-LNeO_R63c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-60206129902125247582022-05-04T18:41:00.000-07:002022-05-04T18:41:11.581-07:00Eugene 5K<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ytc4HKBZfBRN6lMtYXbSch5imKNP4G_Ob2X5JfpD2xGuNZjnrzP_nfvt8icUYZFdvD7zZYS6xN3eIyF4Q98s9qp1vimv1-J55R7TXB0XzYQQa5pA2TPY14DdcM5PBsxwnaD2fdPIPTon64wCptFadUgPLCVLKexjb8bqDwjFF0xqY_yCrsLDZJHA/s853/279584062_10159680368983382_8695906533087446190_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ytc4HKBZfBRN6lMtYXbSch5imKNP4G_Ob2X5JfpD2xGuNZjnrzP_nfvt8icUYZFdvD7zZYS6xN3eIyF4Q98s9qp1vimv1-J55R7TXB0XzYQQa5pA2TPY14DdcM5PBsxwnaD2fdPIPTon64wCptFadUgPLCVLKexjb8bqDwjFF0xqY_yCrsLDZJHA/s320/279584062_10159680368983382_8695906533087446190_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was the race I expected to run in 2020, back when I was feeling great and planning on training for another marathon. Covid happened and races all came to an abrupt halt. I had to defer to 2021. And then I had to defer to 2022. Finally it was race day.... and I wasn't trained.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had started my training plan and was feeling really excited about following my full calendar with short runs, long runs, cross training on my spin bike. It felt great to finally have racing becoming a reality again. But I was also faced with another reality... Ménière's disease. I've been dealing with this for close to 20 years and it seems like when it comes to running my desires are losing the battle to what my body wants. I was finding it more and more difficult to train. I'd sometimes only make it to the end of my street and I'd have to turn and walk back home. I'd always tell people where I was running and have someone on alert in case I needed picked up. Vertigo was dominating my runs and it just wasn't fun anymore. It was frustrating and scary at times. So after a lot of thinking I came to the realization that I can't fully train for the half marathon and I'd need to "retire" from long distances. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KKOHFsciPDXWR8IkqBSczE7GPyaRhXgUjCrcaex9sGSyMuWWMwBoP38Mm2fYqsieWKrTkNt8UmWYt25gx403tyU9a3QJwsKMQMBYCvJaQxGgnAkqPSt5kEDp7R0o2He8h-K_zzu-faHEBeRhZhSTNCwdswbf65oEhrOpyrqxaXTg2-OG5Cs6Q8a_/s2048/279459043_10159680968393382_2761630388470270307_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KKOHFsciPDXWR8IkqBSczE7GPyaRhXgUjCrcaex9sGSyMuWWMwBoP38Mm2fYqsieWKrTkNt8UmWYt25gx403tyU9a3QJwsKMQMBYCvJaQxGgnAkqPSt5kEDp7R0o2He8h-K_zzu-faHEBeRhZhSTNCwdswbf65oEhrOpyrqxaXTg2-OG5Cs6Q8a_/s320/279459043_10159680968393382_2761630388470270307_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Clearly the 5K race I was doing was not what I'd call a long distance. BUT the fact that I didn't train for the half meant I also didn't train for the 5K! Fortunately when it comes to racing I'm pretty dang casual. I don't set time goals for myself. I don't compete with other runners. I just go out to enjoy myself and the people. I didn't want to do virtual races during Covid because my idea of racing is having spectators, water stations, other runners. And that is exactly what I wanted from this 5K - to just enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie that comes with these big races.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I stood at the start line by myself, listening to some music and getting myself mentally prepared for the challenge ahead of me. Then I looked up and boom, there was Emily! We were both surprised to see each other, and also super happy. Emily and I have a knack of finding each other without trying when we don't even know we will both be somewhere. This has happened in Oregon multiple times, California and Washington. Clearly we were meant to be friends!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So we began the race together. For a little time we were separated because I think I just had the whole Eugene vibe rub off on me and I pushed harder than I should have. Add in that downhill and I hauled ass. I enjoyed that they changed up the 5K route. I was kind of over the one I have already done so many times.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Half way into the race I was bringing out my phone to vlog and Emily was back! We spent the rest of the race together and it was so much fun. It has been so long since I ran with a friend - and one that isn't Shawn. I think the last time I ran with someone that wasn't Shawn would be Dustin and I doing the Holiday Half in Portland back in 2018!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCVJBK4KPZd58tG86u_e8kAqs0FI1ClZtzWvwCRSYV2G9OErOPXKmMH185aaSrVsiuaNnAmkTOEnd_emxhTBkAe40xBqRJptcOX1tOHL_OKIbAEo9YJOaeEoC0zdUq3e-v57oU1JDRclFqkdtL0MJ4r21GSivLi3qmXyz4TTeG3Ch-CghVdfl1LYx/s2048/279627218_10159680723998382_5466555180489423756_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCVJBK4KPZd58tG86u_e8kAqs0FI1ClZtzWvwCRSYV2G9OErOPXKmMH185aaSrVsiuaNnAmkTOEnd_emxhTBkAe40xBqRJptcOX1tOHL_OKIbAEo9YJOaeEoC0zdUq3e-v57oU1JDRclFqkdtL0MJ4r21GSivLi3qmXyz4TTeG3Ch-CghVdfl1LYx/w400-h225/279627218_10159680723998382_5466555180489423756_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Time flew by and soon we were approaching Hayward Field ready for our big finish. I don't even know if they said my name because I was too busy waving at Katura and she stood at the side by the finish line cheering with her cowbell! That is a great way to finish a race!!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhE0tSxa9F_IaSy9ZB3ZnCEsAc945144eKzftor_JIj81tqXXQvRXjevnFL1_5j9IBIidi1dJrzs1_9IUU6ttrFY8WywVUNG-JBk_ZWpJY_CKfKG25V3ecg5ANhIY7J5dkRwScAEaT4Xp5aWG8nMaVDqhB1-tAz5O_mmMFYSl3xKRAWF5wcVRFc_u/s2048/279608541_10159680722788382_8606690687434725594_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhE0tSxa9F_IaSy9ZB3ZnCEsAc945144eKzftor_JIj81tqXXQvRXjevnFL1_5j9IBIidi1dJrzs1_9IUU6ttrFY8WywVUNG-JBk_ZWpJY_CKfKG25V3ecg5ANhIY7J5dkRwScAEaT4Xp5aWG8nMaVDqhB1-tAz5O_mmMFYSl3xKRAWF5wcVRFc_u/w300-h400/279608541_10159680722788382_8606690687434725594_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We got our medals, took our finisher photos and then parted ways. As I went home I was optimistic about the half marathon the next day, but still also not really sure if I would do it. And if I didn't, I at least had a blast doing the kid race with Katura and the 5K with Emily!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Spoiler alert... I DID do the half marathon!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhgJTApoZ3xfzz9Ca-LqWG2uY3XB0Fmf7xnU6HA1cGcAEiBaLdUtaBoXabke-3UX0iUnPlbdQkWw7w89d5d3PpM3KhF20lDBcKAJu1tmz44x8XXYC_0NQclWoSNENouqMLK5gQKBigqagEM6vxL-d0LStQfhDvNyOSDde62aTEsRPerkGBfZ1aBXf/s1000/279768876_10159684437613382_1320832104747155689_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhgJTApoZ3xfzz9Ca-LqWG2uY3XB0Fmf7xnU6HA1cGcAEiBaLdUtaBoXabke-3UX0iUnPlbdQkWw7w89d5d3PpM3KhF20lDBcKAJu1tmz44x8XXYC_0NQclWoSNENouqMLK5gQKBigqagEM6vxL-d0LStQfhDvNyOSDde62aTEsRPerkGBfZ1aBXf/w426-h640/279768876_10159684437613382_1320832104747155689_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-10397489200316505502022-05-02T20:05:00.004-07:002022-05-02T20:05:33.876-07:00Eugene Kid's Duck Dash<p style="text-align: justify;">Well here's a first... a race report for a KIDS race!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 2019 Katura and I registered for all of the 2020 Eugene Marathon weekend races. Well life had other plans. In 2020 and 2021the races were cancelled. Finally, in 2022 we had our change to have our first race together without a stroller!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Katura's race began at 8am right outside of Hayward Field. She was lined up and excited for her first race, a 1K. The plan was to just let her do her thing and I would follow. It was HER race, not mine.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She was a bit hesitant at the start, I think because she had no idea what was actually going on. I tried to encourage her and started showing her how sometimes you need to weave around other people to get an open path. Once she figured that out she was having a blast and on fire!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW2AbnLBhXK65kvBtOhHzOW7ytBviotxSBSuEuEVXmEJVIdWg-3cwqxJjq_qUQzXFHCy5S9q6-d448O-v7sWjGTFZQq9r0RIg1XmFrsypdT7li59F7VIvW_9nBi9W3m3W__iAIzc9gWHYcVNxgF1hfT--m6WRjJcaIraqhZ1bgb17PpPg6WP9C19U/s2048/279605040_10159680372623382_3051811775668761261_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW2AbnLBhXK65kvBtOhHzOW7ytBviotxSBSuEuEVXmEJVIdWg-3cwqxJjq_qUQzXFHCy5S9q6-d448O-v7sWjGTFZQq9r0RIg1XmFrsypdT7li59F7VIvW_9nBi9W3m3W__iAIzc9gWHYcVNxgF1hfT--m6WRjJcaIraqhZ1bgb17PpPg6WP9C19U/w300-h400/279605040_10159680372623382_3051811775668761261_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me tell you, she was awesome! There were times I had to work to keep up with her. After the race she said I was holding her back and next year she will do it all on her own without me. **All kids 6 and younger HAD to have an adult with them, as per the race rules.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoxkIulzUOf0N7615l5A6fihM8TGQAVo30mqvSJBuPbMBXJ2t93-54_H8e-3ay1WqacZf9mlxRGvNyUek0x1OymA5lVhsk0w8Dvmhm0aa1yD_SV3yJw16JQal-Dhr88E90DZhyx67Q3jXCUzwbm6gzZAzj7nMWWfM-2j7qZc7xX_odI7KGxYdIF3d/s1000/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoxkIulzUOf0N7615l5A6fihM8TGQAVo30mqvSJBuPbMBXJ2t93-54_H8e-3ay1WqacZf9mlxRGvNyUek0x1OymA5lVhsk0w8Dvmhm0aa1yD_SV3yJw16JQal-Dhr88E90DZhyx67Q3jXCUzwbm6gzZAzj7nMWWfM-2j7qZc7xX_odI7KGxYdIF3d/w426-h640/22.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We got to the entrance of Hayward Field and I could tell she felt the energy. The crowd was roaring and all of the kids were smiling and ramping up their pace. I deliberately stayed pretty far behind because I wanted her to have her own experience. I was just there as her documentarian.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've got this girl trained without even trying. She didn't want to wear her medal because it was a Duck Dash medal, and not a <b>Beaver</b> Dash medal. She humored me and wore it for one single photo. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygN6Atasbici5CWf1OoPqS--xJ8TYpVhE9O26x49Co8mqwK1x5jCg43Ck1_YTPhtlps5KXP0bV6Ts-Z9TV3XSXPd1dX8QK1ba9jDJrkRiuhPKTk3ImEHTvHpWr7eJBoEd8Hs3MN8nY0rOvMj8p9opU_bRXCsVQOcUuRFvYAUficD_eciyX0OA8bNi/s2048/279520530_10159680371338382_403020513005118962_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygN6Atasbici5CWf1OoPqS--xJ8TYpVhE9O26x49Co8mqwK1x5jCg43Ck1_YTPhtlps5KXP0bV6Ts-Z9TV3XSXPd1dX8QK1ba9jDJrkRiuhPKTk3ImEHTvHpWr7eJBoEd8Hs3MN8nY0rOvMj8p9opU_bRXCsVQOcUuRFvYAUficD_eciyX0OA8bNi/w640-h360/279520530_10159680371338382_403020513005118962_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was pure chaos at that finish line. Kids. Parents. Volunteers. Medals. Water bottles. Goody bags. Too much in one little spot that all had to exit UP the stairs into the grandstands. Then the post-race party... yikes! I left Katura and Shawn to head to the start line for my next race and they tackled the crowds to get some free pancakes and a cowbell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She had a great time and definitely seems interested in next year's race. I told her as long as she wants to do them, I will happily be there and let her race!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG75I6QakVGI8U6ju9jFHdOviI2epxIGZhR0HqDPrlxk6chdjuYWibeXJHR3pTNnngQOjBiiQZuHz7u59QdjiwyOFyDDXA7Yn6WIUnUlUVMVq4oUv24cw4M9HmkSXYjv0pr18MXrRaXJdxE16Un1kJWdkcXoKmbGr2B7hG3s5egc3HhFOjcJcLqVX7/s2048/279521032_10159680381723382_2392542803011576119_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG75I6QakVGI8U6ju9jFHdOviI2epxIGZhR0HqDPrlxk6chdjuYWibeXJHR3pTNnngQOjBiiQZuHz7u59QdjiwyOFyDDXA7Yn6WIUnUlUVMVq4oUv24cw4M9HmkSXYjv0pr18MXrRaXJdxE16Un1kJWdkcXoKmbGr2B7hG3s5egc3HhFOjcJcLqVX7/w300-h400/279521032_10159680381723382_2392542803011576119_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-19352369274855109482022-05-02T19:36:00.000-07:002022-05-02T19:36:06.434-07:00Castaway Cay 5K and a Half?<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">During our 2022 Spring Break cruise on the Disney Fantasy we were lucky enough to stop at Castaway Cay on our final day. I say "lucky enough" because we were already behind schedule the night before at dinner, then the weather wasn't good in the morning. Word on the pool deck among crew members was that they weren't positive we'd be able to dock. But we did! That meant running my fourth Castaway Cay 5K race on the island.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimthlcOwrD5ARrkwGyW6YEqELBH6j6W0YTMOuATYR_tuwbF-YLHsh0XOVVILUgbsPObnk5LfsGjGB_lxYtK9kloAKgEkt_hUkCKbQGhoXMueXH8Pq0KBeXDWY2K6Vy17C8jqafXrfZQ7NGFEnXH7qLmQumDxazqYTpkKfusDEqh3U7toGrb_OjxJ62/s843/278440143_10159648768008382_5480871294307219236_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="843" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimthlcOwrD5ARrkwGyW6YEqELBH6j6W0YTMOuATYR_tuwbF-YLHsh0XOVVILUgbsPObnk5LfsGjGB_lxYtK9kloAKgEkt_hUkCKbQGhoXMueXH8Pq0KBeXDWY2K6Vy17C8jqafXrfZQ7NGFEnXH7qLmQumDxazqYTpkKfusDEqh3U7toGrb_OjxJ62/s320/278440143_10159648768008382_5480871294307219236_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><br />In all 4 times of running this is has never been 3.1 miles. Maybe I'll find the sweet turnaround spot next time?<br /><br />I enjoyed the course, as usual. It was raining off and on. And crazy humidity at the same time.<br /><br />I was running great, but the humidity always knocks me down. Oregonians and heat and super wet humidity don't mix, okay?!? <br /><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1UWI0shbfXLezAhBGAJgt3lvWgh9DBh2ESwpt5sxx-uDPfwZQGPETfBRmUkAKaplFc2wt6Jh80HVg1EQBhgR_Yi-wWwI2qQQpIZKNNaH3661zTWWNOQlyY3t_9bqU6cplMoM_4t1JfJPebRhl6o33221GJJ3wOU7KEKNae23PxJZ8J9qfgPxGxyk/s1930/278502684_10159648767908382_2262368191051833786_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1930" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1UWI0shbfXLezAhBGAJgt3lvWgh9DBh2ESwpt5sxx-uDPfwZQGPETfBRmUkAKaplFc2wt6Jh80HVg1EQBhgR_Yi-wWwI2qQQpIZKNNaH3661zTWWNOQlyY3t_9bqU6cplMoM_4t1JfJPebRhl6o33221GJJ3wOU7KEKNae23PxJZ8J9qfgPxGxyk/s320/278502684_10159648767908382_2262368191051833786_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One thing I noticed very different during this race than the one in August was the amount of people. So many people this time! All ages, skills, sizes. It was really cool to have us all out there together. But what I also noticed was they all vanished. I followed the signs. I took the right hand turn and went toward the cabanas. And then I never saw another runner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also never saw a turn around sign. So I went to the end of the path and turned around when I hit the end - but not before taking in the views of the ocean and a nearby island. Back to the bicycle rental shack I went and hurried to the finish line.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3.6 miles.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">A 5K race is 3.1 miles. I had an extra half of a mile. That's a lot when you want to just hurry and get back to the beach to go swimming! And all those other runners? Heck, I can tell you then didn't even get close to 3 since they didn't even make it to the cabanas at all. But you know what, I don't care! They were the smart ones. They got to the beach faster than I did. Smart!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEDy4PUmDUIHugQKxz_kF1x3a14L6uEhunNsL5DqYNfYJng1tsNePd6Ds6Om2VP_hEBwTgDKk8znnP9iG2XaZQ9I82F-1OWZh4n2b-xaSFuJYy-jqHBsnV-WiqMQpf-zPguKrnD10h1fVok9EdGC91ik2_ZMVK27k099OluOEbVsZRCnJgpy3KpQS/s2048/277463716_10159619450723382_4788245099810861854_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEDy4PUmDUIHugQKxz_kF1x3a14L6uEhunNsL5DqYNfYJng1tsNePd6Ds6Om2VP_hEBwTgDKk8znnP9iG2XaZQ9I82F-1OWZh4n2b-xaSFuJYy-jqHBsnV-WiqMQpf-zPguKrnD10h1fVok9EdGC91ik2_ZMVK27k099OluOEbVsZRCnJgpy3KpQS/s320/277463716_10159619450723382_4788245099810861854_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end I was given my medal and a lady I had been around a lot during the cruise was getting hers. So we figured why not celebrate each other and get some photos!?! I seriously love Disney Cruises and the people I meet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdo0OZnqR23MhcGr2b2w58kaIOjqGTA5pyA9AEX-hE4B3BmgOv-EFzvtxLDVndz64O_hmgzFKnqJWd7cqbU3WEY4qhyaoYWFQREEXJ99VbXBR2NsNO9XRNw1V89syGT5ZgEPEFJgscjQn0f4BWKTMWYbciHcG1zMdedo09ZpGCrvsR4W3pKXGgArqB/s2016/278378868_10159648767943382_3635226676637111687_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdo0OZnqR23MhcGr2b2w58kaIOjqGTA5pyA9AEX-hE4B3BmgOv-EFzvtxLDVndz64O_hmgzFKnqJWd7cqbU3WEY4qhyaoYWFQREEXJ99VbXBR2NsNO9XRNw1V89syGT5ZgEPEFJgscjQn0f4BWKTMWYbciHcG1zMdedo09ZpGCrvsR4W3pKXGgArqB/s320/278378868_10159648767943382_3635226676637111687_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As per usual I loved it - even if it was long. Will I do it again? Yes. Very soon!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9Mg6tzT3F-vrVF6DmRQxtJZ4DZGTxablPiYiPOZ6vaYOpVbf-YHEaAA-Uu0Muy15IEHEWFmJv4uLcJg1SEqVfjpMV-zCDUYTQbWcW4WM3yUoe6EmKMMGKpt438_DPSNGCfTlEIrTPBhlAjGkTRIilzV4l84n7uCpIaR29mbZoSlQwrL6rq1CBlvz/s2048/277462025_10159619441333382_7668350824931090082_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9Mg6tzT3F-vrVF6DmRQxtJZ4DZGTxablPiYiPOZ6vaYOpVbf-YHEaAA-Uu0Muy15IEHEWFmJv4uLcJg1SEqVfjpMV-zCDUYTQbWcW4WM3yUoe6EmKMMGKpt438_DPSNGCfTlEIrTPBhlAjGkTRIilzV4l84n7uCpIaR29mbZoSlQwrL6rq1CBlvz/w400-h300/277462025_10159619441333382_7668350824931090082_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-78551767876164214062022-01-07T18:39:00.002-08:002022-01-07T18:39:17.779-08:00Looking Back at 2021<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUCvxe4IzEVte3oupmcfrKXnPtMkK7QTSUVli7bRyakOSel3OzrJ1F8yKEYlMUn3Y1PI8MYrDvKUUWfxi2ZsCq1vEEjU3xlX3LV6zJPFRPty3BiFWxexRPS1q6lWAPjXLmhjruKtlGwVrrktVy34CnDUGPoT_63AjoSPzcPzOe2CKC94Ab8bnxWTzr=s960" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUCvxe4IzEVte3oupmcfrKXnPtMkK7QTSUVli7bRyakOSel3OzrJ1F8yKEYlMUn3Y1PI8MYrDvKUUWfxi2ZsCq1vEEjU3xlX3LV6zJPFRPty3BiFWxexRPS1q6lWAPjXLmhjruKtlGwVrrktVy34CnDUGPoT_63AjoSPzcPzOe2CKC94Ab8bnxWTzr=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Well it is that time of year again... the time where I act like a blogger and recap my prior year. Honestly, if you had to sit and try to remember your 2021 month by month would you be able to do it without cheating? I can tell you I can't!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I turned to my 2021 Facebook photo album for help. There are some memories I have and at this point I can't remember the month or if it even was last year. This might be entertaining for me!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know this was the year of cancellations, unplanned plans, last minute tweaking of plans, new things, saying goodbye to old things... and a whole lot of mystery in the process. So as Hamilton would say, Let's go!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />January</b>: Nope. My memory right now isn't giving me one single thing. Wow. Time to cheat. I hit 15 Years of Service at my job. That's pretty big I'd say! I am NOT a job hopper!! Katura discovered our Nintendo Wii and we began bowling and dancing a lot at home. I built what used to be my biggest Lego set yet. I vividly recall I was doing that on January 6th...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaPMkjFt-hGyJXRnVKKToybbwjtE7gw87DqmIpop98z_awhVs1oxTfOWvwdmHhT6GXVyMMi1sR30SC_4TEIkI-myJjloIFIl0nfqMeV4HMMkwDTS776vCt1ZMnXbGiLtZT-UTY24lLih0A1qjh8-fCiDQsUjl7NaPi-NnWkqYyIh5qFyT5Ex6s2jb0=s562" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaPMkjFt-hGyJXRnVKKToybbwjtE7gw87DqmIpop98z_awhVs1oxTfOWvwdmHhT6GXVyMMi1sR30SC_4TEIkI-myJjloIFIl0nfqMeV4HMMkwDTS776vCt1ZMnXbGiLtZT-UTY24lLih0A1qjh8-fCiDQsUjl7NaPi-NnWkqYyIh5qFyT5Ex6s2jb0=s320" width="317" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGSsoeANjESIQzq_XUXbQe8glGmMafNecvGYYNv5dmn3DhuqW277bmeErGyS24LBSgTbKgCrxT80FQ-MApPGRSLRGgs3oXv8zjsuIg8iBdeohPV7OyCaj3aj2RrVStvLO25LTUH9nJMaE_dHzsknKPNYm3bgruCfNGOlfFoCInsuSrf9vtM1EoMBfx=s1930" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1930" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGSsoeANjESIQzq_XUXbQe8glGmMafNecvGYYNv5dmn3DhuqW277bmeErGyS24LBSgTbKgCrxT80FQ-MApPGRSLRGgs3oXv8zjsuIg8iBdeohPV7OyCaj3aj2RrVStvLO25LTUH9nJMaE_dHzsknKPNYm3bgruCfNGOlfFoCInsuSrf9vtM1EoMBfx=s320" width="320" /></a></div><b>February</b>: For the first time in my life I happily tuned in to watch the entire Presidential Inauguration. Such relief. My sweet little girl dared to grow up and turn FIVE!! She was supposed to turn 5 in Key West during a Disney Cruise on the Wonder out of New Orleans. We were going to be at Mardi Gras, too. Obviously that didn't happen. BUT instead of doing nothing we just changed our destination and took my mom with us on a girls trip to Walt Disney World! Like I did for my birthday in 2020, Katura spent her birthday in Epcot doing spin art before having dinner at a restaurant she loves, Enzo's Hideaway Tunnel Bar! Ooh - and then our flights were messed up because of a storm in Oregon, and we ended up in San Diego and driving all the way back home. Sheesh, what a trip!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oolGZ7HnY_8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>March</b>: I got my first Covid vaccine shot!! And according to Facebook photos we lived on our trampoline in the sunshine!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQVMG-GHFMR1hmRO0AjsmwFDsoqXbYDjgCQCl8miQJVnpKW7K3Qfd0MkfCuBcPSx97HEMncjfzqmwJ50VTZehK5AoC8lIeDxHBMZ0jIFhL-2gnqYmb9rRR9GkguUPIX004CQeCo1SOCyMhMPBnhkkmhwVSOD9zdEx4-y1nwJCyePFzaAJBSj3fsWWe=s960" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQVMG-GHFMR1hmRO0AjsmwFDsoqXbYDjgCQCl8miQJVnpKW7K3Qfd0MkfCuBcPSx97HEMncjfzqmwJ50VTZehK5AoC8lIeDxHBMZ0jIFhL-2gnqYmb9rRR9GkguUPIX004CQeCo1SOCyMhMPBnhkkmhwVSOD9zdEx4-y1nwJCyePFzaAJBSj3fsWWe=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div>April</b>: Clearly I then got my 2nd Covid vaccine. Woohoo!! Shout out to my fellow Moderna peeps! We were outside A LOT. We had a girls trip to the coast to play around with vlogging and a fun day at the beach. Katura spent a lot of time playing with friends. And she discovered the joy of driving around our property in her pink Jeep. She got that for her 1st Christmas, now she can actually use it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>May</b>: Yeah, May. This was a month. We had some high highs. And we had a low low. I don't want to cry, so I'll keep this month short. We had a wonderful family vacation at Aulani in Hawaii for Mother's Day. It was beautiful and we can't wait to go back! And the night before we flew away, the world said goodbye to my step-dad. Ugh.... okay, moving on...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv0noUP3X_d_EqyNBdHidClJyilbWZcdhDNGHzY2L033SPqwHeIb7_wtuD8ID0wXZXi8qq6VTpXcNlveR5JWwsOT_3yeJvRIu2Bf8JI7yWCVBDNuejC552w8dsZNY3LBypjZPIimpupZsAECfZHqTR_Hgfa0bBdLkOYsXtpPmQYEMcp9ydJcoHe2S9=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv0noUP3X_d_EqyNBdHidClJyilbWZcdhDNGHzY2L033SPqwHeIb7_wtuD8ID0wXZXi8qq6VTpXcNlveR5JWwsOT_3yeJvRIu2Bf8JI7yWCVBDNuejC552w8dsZNY3LBypjZPIimpupZsAECfZHqTR_Hgfa0bBdLkOYsXtpPmQYEMcp9ydJcoHe2S9=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7syNuRVWv2s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>June</b>: Graduation!! It was the month of parties! Multiple birthday parties for preschool friends. And then we had preschool graduation!! I'm sad the little trio of girls had to split up for new schools now, but I am so glad to not have to go near that church the preschool was attached to anymore. Love the school and Director Kathy. Despise that church. Graduation means a party, and we hosted a big party for the entire class. It was so much fun! And not to be ignored, our new life began in June. Katura became a gymnast! Gymnastics has taken over our whole house and we all love it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjghgUQ3Z7eF9FY1cA19gQmYgN3bb-LcgXCGgBtKBoulcobrAbe4mktsrL2LTJ5CVlGnHDf6jHffXNwY4JheoD02tjCFnKlMaJxe7hzJUhu8_FQY1_kfcTHFWhfbKkg4DPvgsAf16D7SRDPJvj6zcXljYjHS6Ee-TS8AzFOFgOpB05bKleGwHhKMg1x=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="960" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjghgUQ3Z7eF9FY1cA19gQmYgN3bb-LcgXCGgBtKBoulcobrAbe4mktsrL2LTJ5CVlGnHDf6jHffXNwY4JheoD02tjCFnKlMaJxe7hzJUhu8_FQY1_kfcTHFWhfbKkg4DPvgsAf16D7SRDPJvj6zcXljYjHS6Ee-TS8AzFOFgOpB05bKleGwHhKMg1x=w400-h354" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGobpyUfAW5rQWPrpXuBXpP57Mi_mxogw-K36XDM3_v6OHoZT2hXqmv3EUIsalbL7ZV3CDyJ5piIR57N9D708ZEderG4RFF0hD07t8DAu-plSohporPQN_d0jTU6-6TcL3YdABUDTQCAKG22KfC_dhpopHuhlJeOQggQABckBWz4RTXrevU6cxjSf8=s960" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGobpyUfAW5rQWPrpXuBXpP57Mi_mxogw-K36XDM3_v6OHoZT2hXqmv3EUIsalbL7ZV3CDyJ5piIR57N9D708ZEderG4RFF0hD07t8DAu-plSohporPQN_d0jTU6-6TcL3YdABUDTQCAKG22KfC_dhpopHuhlJeOQggQABckBWz4RTXrevU6cxjSf8=s320" width="240" /></a></div>July</b>: This month can be summed up easily. Katura has a social life. I just tag along! Play dates all over the place, gymnastics, vacation Bible school, safari camp. She was a busy girl and I was the exhausted mom taking her everywhere. And while doing all of that for her I was busy behind the scenes working on what would happen in August....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />August</b>: We had a very special unveiling of a memorial bench at Legion Field in honor of Jim. It was really nice! And right after that our family was off to Florida and somehow ended up being part of the few people that were on the very first Disney Cruise after the long covid shutdown. It was surreal, unexpected, completely awesome! We had the best time and I legit cried walking off the ship. The crew was incredible. I became Facebook friends with one of our servers and am hoping to see our serving team again in a few months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEyPSxuHY0hG7zEH4vd2yWb2yhyYd9CAjqaupAATqlQg1_fBMEOhYVXnS859yw3MZ7hd3XP-spzNHdoKKwxo5Gulxdb6xo487Z4YVWxBjjnESFsjbU-XT_ISR71wSYqUj0qi0OzGCcWjH7HBS06VKd6qkZnY2x_aT9icPoYfrin1ydWKnuYro55ecE=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEyPSxuHY0hG7zEH4vd2yWb2yhyYd9CAjqaupAATqlQg1_fBMEOhYVXnS859yw3MZ7hd3XP-spzNHdoKKwxo5Gulxdb6xo487Z4YVWxBjjnESFsjbU-XT_ISR71wSYqUj0qi0OzGCcWjH7HBS06VKd6qkZnY2x_aT9icPoYfrin1ydWKnuYro55ecE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NVHUZPdJsiM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzywiIwS8zPH2-hZAe5l6kmAqGlL3oLadt1BaQLNmANNF9DbiTcJA-VWvjd5rvtX8spwUU_JPblmQHQHuW5Z1luveR2EN4GdoSPlmJcKXpdy_lzpwOECZo8JvHmNqBnwPkMSdouNnnc3qBZMXs6CAuaxB0_p_1U19qBxnCisnoxQrLIehaOkYKZBBH=s960" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzywiIwS8zPH2-hZAe5l6kmAqGlL3oLadt1BaQLNmANNF9DbiTcJA-VWvjd5rvtX8spwUU_JPblmQHQHuW5Z1luveR2EN4GdoSPlmJcKXpdy_lzpwOECZo8JvHmNqBnwPkMSdouNnnc3qBZMXs6CAuaxB0_p_1U19qBxnCisnoxQrLIehaOkYKZBBH=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div>September</b>: Kindergarten begins!! Katura became a Panther just like her mom and her grandma and all the rest of the family! She had an immediate love of school, and I have had this whole new discovery of mom things to take care of - homework, drop off, pick up times, early release, library day, book fairs, school lunches, racing from school to the gym. So much. I sleep pretty well every night now because I'm always tired! Ooh, something freaking awesome happened in September..... Alanis Morissette concert!!! And I now have her autograph!!! It. Was. The. Best. !!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3iC9BSr0YNI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>October</b>: October was basically 3 things. School. Gymnastics. Halloween. We lived at the Spirit Halloween store. We went to multiple Halloween costume events. Katura and her bestie were the same character from two different movies and HAD to trick or treat together. And we all had a blast doing it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdmBc4MmM9fuVBJ5j6hWuakNYEIdI6LK7i28FjW_Fb3s6IkCTNKMSMv3eiMsy088iKYYXB0aBwtaYpglABFt1k4aTVm2gxYS5NL3unEgPsfAVIngmcD1YWDnP4YZxr30iE_5OFljOawLxiTOeFIiA6wKPK9Hsq2d-wi0r12zzt5HNMcSSuT9GqmYce=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdmBc4MmM9fuVBJ5j6hWuakNYEIdI6LK7i28FjW_Fb3s6IkCTNKMSMv3eiMsy088iKYYXB0aBwtaYpglABFt1k4aTVm2gxYS5NL3unEgPsfAVIngmcD1YWDnP4YZxr30iE_5OFljOawLxiTOeFIiA6wKPK9Hsq2d-wi0r12zzt5HNMcSSuT9GqmYce=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>November</b>: Hahahaha. I think my whole month was just one long vacation, right?!? We did a last minute tweak to our original vacation plans, and ended up having the best time! Not having a set agenda, and just relaxing on a golf course was so so cool. My mom and I always have Thanksgiving together at home with the parade and dog show. This time we just did it in a new place and let Mickey Mouse cook dinner for us! Could this be a new annual thing?!?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9TDoCVAsvk6yuUrt9YTMY7zugGdhIhBBQXadcfSS16oHZwfGQD6wlPGDJzHQbd_wVL96DFmpaZsq8iFQmrqn3FW3LzSxBhyTJZrZRFkf8S1OSrj3NkmNnDEhGKZWNc7Uvc_JY_Rm5pN4s7ypCvhfTCyhWxhAG0Z5qLHhgLNk6EFJJDVXIuZgFqboE=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9TDoCVAsvk6yuUrt9YTMY7zugGdhIhBBQXadcfSS16oHZwfGQD6wlPGDJzHQbd_wVL96DFmpaZsq8iFQmrqn3FW3LzSxBhyTJZrZRFkf8S1OSrj3NkmNnDEhGKZWNc7Uvc_JY_Rm5pN4s7ypCvhfTCyhWxhAG0Z5qLHhgLNk6EFJJDVXIuZgFqboE=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>December</b>: TMI - I'm a grown up and had my first mammogram. I passed! I also got my booster shot, and Katura got her first vaccine shot. By the time you read this she is already fully vaccinated! Our December was pretty quiet. After all of the November travel we just needed some downtime. Katura and I got our ears pierced together and went to gymnastics all the time. That and school is pretty much it. And then Christmas happened.... and we were spoiled! Harry Potter toys AND the gigantic Lego Titanic. It sold out instantly when it became available, and Shawn was one of those lucky people to get one! And somehow I was completely clueless. I stared at that wrapped gift for one and a half months dying to know what was inside. I was completely stunned! Construction HAS begun and you'll be seeing that soon, FYI! To finish off the year I had the most wonderful night with my number one person. Katura and I had our own little party at home with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, some popcorn, ice cream and tons of games! We even made it up until around 1am!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhid_hvyZ-gCOFG8EGfWSAkfYegsiAmjIOmyZncOPrFr2cwc_5bQBu5AEh9HTNQc9YM0dDJq2vtiCeOM7RsFXBTfMGdZ4Y5YpBUq-Ca4nDVc4GbA-u-59-gWf2djLgBMaYja_RR5Zt2HjZsQ8KDVklhNAWYGFHNRhmmEiTTEOqpz6qZ-c-X8ck2_xkA=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhid_hvyZ-gCOFG8EGfWSAkfYegsiAmjIOmyZncOPrFr2cwc_5bQBu5AEh9HTNQc9YM0dDJq2vtiCeOM7RsFXBTfMGdZ4Y5YpBUq-Ca4nDVc4GbA-u-59-gWf2djLgBMaYja_RR5Zt2HjZsQ8KDVklhNAWYGFHNRhmmEiTTEOqpz6qZ-c-X8ck2_xkA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">So that was my year. Like I said, some great highs and an unexpected very low low.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What does 2022 have in store? Ha! Who really knows, right?!? Things that are supposed to happen look cool though. Races, cruises, HAMILTON!!!! My mind went blank after typing Hamilton. How did I manage to score tickets to Hamilton???? I don't even know. But I refuse to get all excited because we have seen how things go. They get canceled. In 2021 a cruise was canceled, the Alanis concert was one that had been delayed twice, the Hawaii trip was one that had been delayed. You just never know anymore, so now I have tons of exciting things lined up but my excitement level is actually just flat. Hopefully it will rise and things will happen, but I'm just going to go a day at a time and stay optimistic, but just be chill at the same time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's to 2022. Let's all try to make it a good one!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-67460766623661169282021-12-21T16:22:00.000-08:002021-12-21T16:22:53.127-08:00Dear Disney, Please Get Your Sheet Together.<div style="text-align: justify;">You might think I have nothing but glowing things to say about Disney. Umm, No! I don't focus on the negative in our vlogs, probably because we are too busy dealing with something to bother recording it. But we did have an incident (and sadly I somehow lost that footage during an Airdrop to my computer I guess) that was infuriating and very disappointing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Is it going to be a new Disney trend given their non-stop excuse of changes being made because of Covid? Changes meaning "we are taking things away and charging you more."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's what happened. . .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We were staying at<b> Disney's Caribbean Beach </b>resort. Since it is not a Disney Vacation Club Resort and we just paid cash for it we were going to have housekeeping every other day. At DVC resorts you get housekeeping every 4 days, but they come in daily to take your garbage. So we are very familiar with not having our beds made each day and fresh towels daily. And that is fine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But what we received at Caribbean Beach was NOT acceptable. For our week long stay we had housekeeping TWO times. And that was not typical housekeeping. What that meant was they gave us fresh towels and took our garbage out. <u>Two times in one week</u>. That is all the service we received. Nothing more at all. No vacuuming. No straightening of a bed sheet. Just towels and trash. Twice. In a week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-tSk_924hlJqIpA_jshANtFA9eDYPBJ41r51lA_UvAs9oPhR941HPUSuPGP1x8lyv45OD_J7Zy7WaEmCs1s84-ticpof8iQKxcoQ4UUq4FvHzCpM1jf1qYlbYMIEq-Si3xsBFGkdBVKx7c4zEbVPK_HEwWPefabmCoHOeA2xIoIF0R_PTkU3zJtuh=s3840" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-tSk_924hlJqIpA_jshANtFA9eDYPBJ41r51lA_UvAs9oPhR941HPUSuPGP1x8lyv45OD_J7Zy7WaEmCs1s84-ticpof8iQKxcoQ4UUq4FvHzCpM1jf1qYlbYMIEq-Si3xsBFGkdBVKx7c4zEbVPK_HEwWPefabmCoHOeA2xIoIF0R_PTkU3zJtuh=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And here is what happened that caused me to decide to never stay at this resort again....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One night we had a spill in one of our beds. It did not go down to the mattress (which I think was plastic anyway.. sure sounded like it). I stripped our sheets and we grabbed the bag on the "closet" shelf that had a spare blanket and pillow. First off, the comforters are sheets. The spare bedding ... sheets. They do not have anything at all above what you'd expect at the lowest tier resort. So we put the spare sheet on the mattress and called it good for the night. In the morning, knowing it was one of our housekeeping days, I stripped the bed and put the dirty linens on the floor by the door. The top sheets were pulled back showing a bare mattress. Clearly we needed some new bed linens. There is absolutely no way you wouldn't be able to figure this out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had our day in the theme park, stopped by the main dining area on our way home to grab food and then took the long walk to our room to finally sit, relax, and enjoy our dinner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That isn't what happened.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Upon returning to our room a housekeeping cart was outside of our door. Were they still there that late at night? It was already dark out! I opened the door and saw the dirty linens were gone. Great! Then I looked... and our remaining sheets were still draped off the bottom of the bed partly on the ground and the mattress was bare.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Are you kidding me, Disney?? We couldn't even have ONE bed made during our entire week stay, especially when a guest clearly needed the assistance?? I was absolutely disgusted. My mom and Shawn ended up making the bed with the bedding we took from the cart that was outside. This should have never been an issue. We should not be having to go find our own materials to rectify something that housekeeping could have done very easily during their one of only two visits to our room that week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That cart was still sloppily sitting outside of our room when we left the following morning to go to another theme park. And I can tell you it was wiped clean. Clearly others passing by needed things and helped themselves to it, and rightfully so!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was happy to leave that resort, which is never really the case unless I am staying at an All Star resort. My comment card at the end expressed all of this. I never had a reply from them. Don't ask for comments if you don't want them. And I guess don't go to Disney expecting to get any sort of housekeeping service for the $$$ you're paying. (I want to make sure it is clear that every other aspect of our stay and every Cast Member we encountered there was fabulous!!) Let's just see something... hold on....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't get an exact quote for the 2022 equivalent of our room, but doing some calculating based on what's available and our military discount, I'd guess around $2,000 or more (definitely more for guests without that sweet military discount!) .... and they couldn't put sheets on our bed ONE time in that week. Leaving us a completely bare mattress was what they chose to do. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do better, Disney.</b> It is absolutely inexcusable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love pirate things, but I will not be staying in the most uncomfortable bed of my life in a resort that doesn't care about us ever again. And I am here to recommend to you to save your money and skip this particular resort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are currently figuring out accommodations for our next Florida visit. I'm really eye balling some <b>Universal </b>Orlando resorts if a DVC room isn't available once I can use my remaining points in holding. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Do better.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-35788355518344327312021-12-20T19:57:00.009-08:002021-12-21T08:11:28.569-08:00The Ego of Vlogging<p style="text-align: justify;">I have nothing in the works vlog wise, so I figured I'd head on over to the blog! Hello and welcome back!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As you probably know, I've been having fun playing around with vlogging during our family vacations. We were talking about it the other night, how instead of making scrapbooks, as a family we have fun creating video memories we can go back and watch whenever we want. I have scrapbooks in the closet that are not complete because scrapbooking takes up so much time and supplies. I can whip out one of those Shutterfly photo books in a day or two and call it good. So much faster and cheaper that way. But our vlog is a whole different creature.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2aTlRqiVR8RywuBzB_YPyER5qdGDrauoQ69tHjsTyT4hHK1KXiO8-7SG_3iSnoveEClu4Rx8BEGDTm51PUtHP5--jzKVP1UtgMo-QBx0Jgfu6aar7APK30UK5-b6MpG7BvH6ZPz1Kom1xl_j4IALTxSkpII50lSEtMM36n1zvhEy_tCxlcWEfNIWn=s3088" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2aTlRqiVR8RywuBzB_YPyER5qdGDrauoQ69tHjsTyT4hHK1KXiO8-7SG_3iSnoveEClu4Rx8BEGDTm51PUtHP5--jzKVP1UtgMo-QBx0Jgfu6aar7APK30UK5-b6MpG7BvH6ZPz1Kom1xl_j4IALTxSkpII50lSEtMM36n1zvhEy_tCxlcWEfNIWn=s320" width="320" /></a></span>Some might think vlogging our trip means I am just staring in my phone or camera the whole time. Ha! If you watch them you'll possibly figure out that isn't true. You might recall I lost my phone for about an hour during our August vacation right before we were about to head to Port Canaveral. Oh my, the stress, the drama, the tears! To prevent that from happening again my lovely mother suggested I get a lanyard for my phone. Of course I laughed at her idea.... and then went and got a phone lanyard. So now, as we are wandering around I just have it hanging at the ready for me. When something seems like maybe a moment we want to capture I just have to grab it, slide my finger across the screen and boom, I'm in video mode in probably one whole second. Do I stare at it when I record? Not that often. I just kind of hold it up and what you see is what you get. I do use video mode to take photos, so that would be when I do pause to actually look and get a nice shot. But part of the fun is once I start to edit I actually see what I recorded. On attractions? Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest are excellent examples of me turning the video on and letting it just hang on the lanyard and we see and hear the results of all the fun we have. On Soarin' I did the same. Turned it on, held it against my chest and just enjoyed the ride without even looking at my phone one time. That video came out awesome! I was pleasantly stunned! So no, I definitely live my vacation and experience it and don't have my face buried behind a camera.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgktnIGt8aU7L2dmOpiVfRdVW1ZHeP87Ch5-djioZOOw0m0rshckRKRaMXafHzftsDcckIkTWdImyVTSBNyPAoM0IP5RBvSxnQqINdQOdIv8h3g5ZWsJirDPIUT5YoV9Iie6eTbMjO5Rvz_Hw0VgxVYdztQFqkilE6R5xJQaYMdDbd-whWWc2GDQbsG=s3084" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="3084" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgktnIGt8aU7L2dmOpiVfRdVW1ZHeP87Ch5-djioZOOw0m0rshckRKRaMXafHzftsDcckIkTWdImyVTSBNyPAoM0IP5RBvSxnQqINdQOdIv8h3g5ZWsJirDPIUT5YoV9Iie6eTbMjO5Rvz_Hw0VgxVYdztQFqkilE6R5xJQaYMdDbd-whWWc2GDQbsG=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That all leads me to the negative, since clearly I assumed that everyone thinks I'm not really living my vacation when I'm vlogging. There are so many professional vloggers. I am far from being that and I am not trying to be one. Like I said, this is just our way of making our own scrapbook and if people watch and enjoy, well great! But in vlog world people also "hate watch" people just to make fun of them. As I edit I do this to myself. I "know" that "you" (meaning anybody in the entire world that might see it) are seeing all the bad. Trust me, any negative thoughts you have about me and my videos, I have them but wayyy worse. </div><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I hear my awful voice, which finally I am used to after more than a year of doing vlogs. I see my gross face. I notice my tired makeup at the end of the days. I roll my eyes every time I say "happening" or any variation of that word. I know I'm judged for what I eat. I'm sure people hate my commentary. Die hard Disney fans might not enjoy my opinions on some things. My list goes on and on and on.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In vlog world viewers can be cruel. Nobody is safe from it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being a vlog that doesn't get watched I guess spares me from the mean comments being actually typed on my YouTube page. But I know they are thought. It is human nature. So that makes me wonder.... Do vloggers have big egos and feel super confident when putting out their videos? Do they have poor self esteem so they make videos trying to seek positive comments and attention from others? Do they just not even care? Do those "famous" vloggers read the comments, good and bad? Do they secretly read the gossip forums where people dissect them and trash them? </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8egMbWhhIZ7i6loeWeKxDxWkrLNhgiAgDg2R3q5qMyKE_ocBsZAagytRIBL-2oFJFPjcWdtBvkATCCd8jWkAZ2QmdgLs2TKcDJVR0AqvgAnOVzriGP_1wc4QUFdQtv9KhfLQc2ueNr01uDFhqZm5eX8eLtl_EYpLhSkklgn-hZtZoG_he_AWiJvxD=s3088" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8egMbWhhIZ7i6loeWeKxDxWkrLNhgiAgDg2R3q5qMyKE_ocBsZAagytRIBL-2oFJFPjcWdtBvkATCCd8jWkAZ2QmdgLs2TKcDJVR0AqvgAnOVzriGP_1wc4QUFdQtv9KhfLQc2ueNr01uDFhqZm5eX8eLtl_EYpLhSkklgn-hZtZoG_he_AWiJvxD=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where do I fall in all of this? I definitely do not have high self esteem, but I also don't have super low. I just pretty much don't care. All those negative thoughts people would have about me, like I said, I am way harder on me than anyone else ever could be. At one point I apologized for emphasizing my T's too much - and then I promptly took it back because it is just me. Watching yourself on videos, you learned things. And I say my T's clearly, so there! Yeah, I am a vegetarian and I don't eat a lot of strange things. That's fine. I'm okay with it, it is my mouth and taste buds. Does my Disney opinion bother you? Fine, that's okay. Yeah, I'm happy a horrible attraction that was always 101 is finally torn down and I very much celebrated it! I think being a Cast Member for so long in a variety of roles probably has me see things through different eyes. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And add in being a Disney Vacation Club member now, that probably adds a different spin. Suddenly we are in much different accommodations than I ever thought I'd be staying in. But with that comes us paying annual dues and monitoring the status of our home resort - a probably high expectations. Aulani had a chunk of pool tiles missing. We pay for that upkeep, so yeah, Shawn did bring it up. I'm still in awe of those resorts, and maybe that annoys people that I get so excited when I see our rooms. That's fine. I stayed at Value resorts for so long, you're damn right I'm going to be stunned when I walk into a freaking villa at a new resort!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuEhXein-Dz-zMm7nRDKpxXUgRvMxLyvd9ggmHGapRNXKiuj9CMe-ZqjVmnns_D2QWFpgJGAtw31Os3sf2xFCUZrsJpEs0Zy9lyS3wP2D-8c3vxcgSQvH8t_IOhc-toASsKljYfYdgzbQw3GewoOO_38zt6g5yP1WcZBhikIfcMhb0lkGGl9hRkovV=s4032" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuEhXein-Dz-zMm7nRDKpxXUgRvMxLyvd9ggmHGapRNXKiuj9CMe-ZqjVmnns_D2QWFpgJGAtw31Os3sf2xFCUZrsJpEs0Zy9lyS3wP2D-8c3vxcgSQvH8t_IOhc-toASsKljYfYdgzbQw3GewoOO_38zt6g5yP1WcZBhikIfcMhb0lkGGl9hRkovV=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So yeah, we vlog. We share our lives during our vacations or other little outings we might do around Oregon. We know we will be judged. I lean toward thinking it is a harsh judgement, but I'm sure some watch with kinder eyes than I watch myself. I have fun playing around with footage, picking out music, inserting old photos that match the video, laughing at things I forgot had happened. I spend a lot of time doing this, too! On average I had about 1 hour and 15 minutes of vlog footage per day. The exceptions to that would be Sea World and Universal Studios. I won't say how much I had on those! I go through every single tiny video and edit, combine things, and then present it in a little package. A 22 minute video to you is much longer than that for me. I don't know times but I'd guess 2 hours would be how much time it takes to create depending on interruptions. The compilation video? Yikes! I watched every single completed video again, writing down which moments to go back and find and put in the video before doing major trimming to create the final product. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is so much fun! I slaughter my own ego in the process and at times can't even look at myself (notice who you see on camera the least.... that would be ME!), but still I love it! Seeing Katura dancing in the "snow", my mom pouring champagne into a kid cup, Shawn dancing in the mirrors, capturing the monorail spiel... all these little fragments make it all worth it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO05uh7JI3RDYcBxwN-9rtKQJSARKyG8zsiurKpIAromBvyqgwHOi_-v6E1HMJMBijZvocz6vywNjl0_DT3Q3cW34Q2H3YU0SQmIOfAfGbPXQOcqRssv0Ozgpkos4rmrF5tCRD7Y0vYQDXWDXPwGUi0tf2qnHWnlOjXvwZxWRgDERDtXx0AxjaimGz=s3840" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO05uh7JI3RDYcBxwN-9rtKQJSARKyG8zsiurKpIAromBvyqgwHOi_-v6E1HMJMBijZvocz6vywNjl0_DT3Q3cW34Q2H3YU0SQmIOfAfGbPXQOcqRssv0Ozgpkos4rmrF5tCRD7Y0vYQDXWDXPwGUi0tf2qnHWnlOjXvwZxWRgDERDtXx0AxjaimGz=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">So there's the messed up psychology of my vlog. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And if you haven't watched any of them, here is the recap from our most current adventure!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P_Dfi4NjCow" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-85193460167130303902021-09-19T11:19:00.000-07:002021-09-19T11:19:11.899-07:00I'm Not Leaving. You Can't Make Me.<p style="text-align: justify;">I don't want to go home!!!!! *picture me stomping my feet with a frown on my face*</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJki0XwW1z9ph9N9DZyhYsQA2RTA-vl_3OD4809L_E24E2WLHXoUuADAc3y5gNgNl12emtvWapsrt1jU4vpDg_idw3WCg7apPM4Vj_X17V0T7gS40Fc2jGlkkKrgorB5o1PjQCzrTSwg/s2048/IMG_4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJki0XwW1z9ph9N9DZyhYsQA2RTA-vl_3OD4809L_E24E2WLHXoUuADAc3y5gNgNl12emtvWapsrt1jU4vpDg_idw3WCg7apPM4Vj_X17V0T7gS40Fc2jGlkkKrgorB5o1PjQCzrTSwg/s320/IMG_4224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I woke up to the sounds and motions of the ship. Yeah, that was the ship docking at Port Canaveral. I dreaded looking out that window and seeing the continental United States waiting for me. But there it was. And it was wide awake. We were still in our room, thankfully dressed, when there were people ON OUR VERANDAH helping to prep the ship for the next sailing! TWICE I saw dudes go by our verandah! So here's my friendly tip, if you're going to be at all nude, keep the curtains closed now that you're back on land!!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I got ready really fast and made my last walk through the ship to pickup our thumb drive of all of our professional photos. Juan gave me our little envelope. I enjoyed him. He took our fun pictures of Katura and I at the beach with our drinks! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RDlc2zUDfeOPbaS3JAmm3kcCOrwQy5uNKARUSNZKMMDSKuQFqda9XX4Pw1vI0o_SNixyEnuRA9FmndTV3-DfzD21Fo3vlYrbGD-xBu0s6qP_urxa5qlnzGGBkjadrbwaG1IAvMVQLAk/s2048/IMG_4267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RDlc2zUDfeOPbaS3JAmm3kcCOrwQy5uNKARUSNZKMMDSKuQFqda9XX4Pw1vI0o_SNixyEnuRA9FmndTV3-DfzD21Fo3vlYrbGD-xBu0s6qP_urxa5qlnzGGBkjadrbwaG1IAvMVQLAk/s320/IMG_4267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is a strange feeling on the ship that early in the morning. Some people are already lining up to leave. It was quiet. Everybody seemed sad. It is like this feeling of denial. You want to have the chore of getting off the ship go quick and smooth, but you also don't want to actually get off the ship. You don't see characters anywhere. The stores are closed. You CAN go get food in the main dining rooms or Cabanas. We didn't do that. Had we been allowed more time we would have been having breakfast at Animator's Palate with Ikbal and Noel, but the Disney bus was leaving early and we had to be on that bus or..... or stay on the ship forever???!!!!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Leaving the Dream and getting through security and customs was way too easy. We had a porter help us with our luggage as well, so that was nice. We had just enough tip money left for that. Phew! And then the bus ride....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VWzZlcs78W6KXHKO3qZOPh5iI91nHLIoN6XwGWUW6fV9FKtiSiaD1gfkdTj13_Z4P7N_p6nEPPCzItETeJ2k8cbZKZtvVGo3z3SKQY7aH_5-Skxgqperupxm6JdEtqOVJEJ0wV2SGrI/s2048/IMG_4238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VWzZlcs78W6KXHKO3qZOPh5iI91nHLIoN6XwGWUW6fV9FKtiSiaD1gfkdTj13_Z4P7N_p6nEPPCzItETeJ2k8cbZKZtvVGo3z3SKQY7aH_5-Skxgqperupxm6JdEtqOVJEJ0wV2SGrI/w400-h300/IMG_4238.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAHtxDmnL7T-idnIbROjZ-1ccr5D6ww8z3ulAZMYe8WTkmwbO8OwkgKu80Uu4O5gheQaS4CAeIXeDAgx_pdor23sjUTLh_fpPXGEkboBpeKlJX8FbFcsBU2R7r5IQ_Lap560_rIZfHuw/s2048/IMG_4341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAHtxDmnL7T-idnIbROjZ-1ccr5D6ww8z3ulAZMYe8WTkmwbO8OwkgKu80Uu4O5gheQaS4CAeIXeDAgx_pdor23sjUTLh_fpPXGEkboBpeKlJX8FbFcsBU2R7r5IQ_Lap560_rIZfHuw/s320/IMG_4341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was depressing. And went too fast. Too fast? Yes. We were at the airport so dang early. Too early to even check our luggage. We had to hangout in the food and shopping area with 2 large suitcases, 3 roller carry-on bags, 2 backpacks, a duffle bag and a stroller. We weren't alone. The family waiting by us with all of their luggage was the same family we rode to the port with at the start of our cruising adventure!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then finally the drama of trying to get home... you can watch this video to see how that all played out! At least we didn't have to DRIVE home like we did on our last Florida vacation!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OjHExahELEQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-42087383024767513772021-09-18T08:56:00.001-07:002021-09-18T08:56:38.322-07:00It Was A Bittersweet Night.<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmLfBO85AaASoYaeey0lX_WGwFvRaoUn9kbrNQQHDn36fmnh_Knb-AhkC7oG_2Aw6TPoPRHitAKzwTONfbf-hc0g3x4VrvQmF2hFmnelSSzE1ro2pbEs83Rh0an8OHlVEDrJvC0AJbLo/s2048/1244-328694-C+Moon+With+Rail-554_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmLfBO85AaASoYaeey0lX_WGwFvRaoUn9kbrNQQHDn36fmnh_Knb-AhkC7oG_2Aw6TPoPRHitAKzwTONfbf-hc0g3x4VrvQmF2hFmnelSSzE1ro2pbEs83Rh0an8OHlVEDrJvC0AJbLo/w400-h320/1244-328694-C+Moon+With+Rail-554_GPR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I don't even want to blog about it. I want to pretend I'm still enjoying life on a beautiful ship. But here it is, the final night.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0ShDqkbXnO7U9djMpw5Rg_tSnDE1DQ8Qmf-K48ScJORYHhx3zh4KYCrPSjfYI4tSFp_x59yR3yqubS3jgHUTMObCg63ITUfj9jeKUotlFCtbCBcoVgvSZTE4-agOBo6MVQzWfAxaBc0/s2048/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0ShDqkbXnO7U9djMpw5Rg_tSnDE1DQ8Qmf-K48ScJORYHhx3zh4KYCrPSjfYI4tSFp_x59yR3yqubS3jgHUTMObCg63ITUfj9jeKUotlFCtbCBcoVgvSZTE4-agOBo6MVQzWfAxaBc0/s320/IMG_3835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What you don't see in the vlog is Beauty and Beast. There are no photos or video allowed in the theater, so obviously we didn't share that. The show was great! Katura really loved it. It is a legit Broadway style show, with this version being based on the live action movie more than the original cartoon. It was fun to see the same actors that we saw the night before in Believe, just in different roles. Both Shawn and I noticed that Lumiere from Believe was NOT Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The princesses were VERY chatty this evening. And of course Katura, being a little girl, was in heaven. But we parents were ready to get to dinner! I don't like to be late. I feel like that would be rude to our awesome servers, so we did have to kind of shuffle Katura along.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNkbLy4Oyjyix5FKR4svTqOw-_hB9o0kIkUBUOXeAreo-aMkfNeof9iQdXpU2nlUqrmOmuZK2SNCNGNwrUCrMdAcreYlp8nBH2SZKsg8CC7crmr9L2eYx-OBTCQtwhEOvWqWMuMBqopg/s2048/IMG_3876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNkbLy4Oyjyix5FKR4svTqOw-_hB9o0kIkUBUOXeAreo-aMkfNeof9iQdXpU2nlUqrmOmuZK2SNCNGNwrUCrMdAcreYlp8nBH2SZKsg8CC7crmr9L2eYx-OBTCQtwhEOvWqWMuMBqopg/w640-h360/IMG_3876.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RZOarMrqXglyxqLeoAx8t-Xl2G8yJyzlT0krDizWCpOxnwhER8GXZLNDZlRftf1E4LSxt3xUafc94HwwQ5VV61WV6jy7gpIsz-974oleGF6Q36kgLlklDY_XKwvw353SZaz5iJEVuRY/s2048/IMG_3941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RZOarMrqXglyxqLeoAx8t-Xl2G8yJyzlT0krDizWCpOxnwhER8GXZLNDZlRftf1E4LSxt3xUafc94HwwQ5VV61WV6jy7gpIsz-974oleGF6Q36kgLlklDY_XKwvw353SZaz5iJEVuRY/s320/IMG_3941.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before cruising I had watched promotional videos of the ships and Animator's Palate always looked like the most incredible experience. And it DOES live up to the hype!! The food is so delicious here, and the atmosphere literally speaks for itself! I cannot wait to take my mom here soon. We haven't experienced it on the Fantasy yet, but I know it is going to be delicious!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sad part of the night... saying goodbye to Noel and Ikbal. I genuinely felt sad. Isn't it crazy that I am the pickiest eater in the world and could live off of the pizza on the pool deck, but our dinners every night are my favorite part, and I can truly say that Noel and Ikbal were a huge reason for why it was our favorite!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoOXen5NrsMyZbJ7px2xMb4bl3vbFhx8sqn9IDfuThllOfrP1a6jU6GTJryZTpt7YnorKRHR0x12YFVT8iCf11PPnTqQCbH-FZ9yO77a8pzoX0W3k2PXXD5hIfbHfzDJLAjZ9nU5XNhE/s2048/IMG_4031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoOXen5NrsMyZbJ7px2xMb4bl3vbFhx8sqn9IDfuThllOfrP1a6jU6GTJryZTpt7YnorKRHR0x12YFVT8iCf11PPnTqQCbH-FZ9yO77a8pzoX0W3k2PXXD5hIfbHfzDJLAjZ9nU5XNhE/w400-h225/IMG_4031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other sad part, and slightly stressful... packing. On the final morning you can haul all of your luggage yourself and get it through all the customs stuff, but doesn't that sounds like too much work? Yes. So we opt to have our luggage picked up the final evening and we are then reunited with our bags in the customs area after they have already done whatever they have to do. What does that mean for the final night? </div><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Get everything packed!</li><li>Do NOT pack what you need to wear the next morning!</li><li>Do NOT pack your toiletries that you will want to use that night or in the morning!</li><li>Keep your passports accessible since you need those at security.</li><li>And get all packed and outside of your room by 10pm.<br /><br /></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBaxPPeqDI01cOSCBcENvYg_5BaAS-zB8g9Yzh7fifjL4Jdp17FaVRNwtCxxGokDo5vlcNSmAeyzFqDbTW0oXfqfjq6foppwNs6C8HiMawLeJ1G53Fq2r-crNUwptGHswRE4yFm6ViIY/s2048/IMG_4095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBaxPPeqDI01cOSCBcENvYg_5BaAS-zB8g9Yzh7fifjL4Jdp17FaVRNwtCxxGokDo5vlcNSmAeyzFqDbTW0oXfqfjq6foppwNs6C8HiMawLeJ1G53Fq2r-crNUwptGHswRE4yFm6ViIY/s320/IMG_4095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As you may recall, we do second seating for dinner. We were assigned to show up for dinner at 8:25pm. Then Katura had an evening reservation for the Oceaneer Club. So we had to get all packed up and organized right after getting on the ship at Castaway Cay. Then get us all dressed for dinner, but leaving out the above mentioned things. Hurry to the main atrium so we can do our final evening photos on the way to dinner. Have our delicious dinner. Then get Katura to the Oceaneer Club and back to the room to finalize all the packing so the luggage can be picked up and we can avoid trying to cart it all around in the morning. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So you do hear me panting in the vlog. Running all over the ship in a mask in the heat while talking to the vlog.... how can I not sound like I'm wheezing? But we pulled it off and took care of everything just in time. We slept great, but it was sad to lay down for that final sleep. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Clearly there is one solution.... Go on another cruise!</div><p></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W0VDe7f7Ylw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-30307992876347702652021-09-14T13:14:00.000-07:002021-09-14T13:14:35.705-07:00Double Dipping In A Thunder Storm<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHFoL1Gh1TiFIpPx75wkqMgdnCSfd2bjUIqJnLcLPxBQicDwrCcFRvN6B33POaE0wP-Rg6ZA9DG-Aei83WeyWXwif4KBEzdxg-QanlTxIumWRSnpUS9OZR7vRTqY9AcBb1WqcUWrVejI/s2048/1244-317331-Beach-550_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHFoL1Gh1TiFIpPx75wkqMgdnCSfd2bjUIqJnLcLPxBQicDwrCcFRvN6B33POaE0wP-Rg6ZA9DG-Aei83WeyWXwif4KBEzdxg-QanlTxIumWRSnpUS9OZR7vRTqY9AcBb1WqcUWrVejI/w640-h512/1244-317331-Beach-550_GPR.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div>This post shall count as my Castaway Cay 5K race report for day. It will be short. Here we go:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">I did the race again. (Now my 3rd time doing this race.) </li><li style="text-align: justify;">It was soooo hot... 88 degrees at the start to be exact.<br /></li><li style="text-align: justify;">I was supposed to be doing the Ragnar Trail race in Oregon this weekend, so instead I did these two races back to back. Felt appropriate!</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I forgot my headphones and my water.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I let myself stop for selfies at photo spots.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I hoped for more rain because I was dying.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">I finished and THEN the storm came back.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">So I went to the beach and ordered a drink that was waiting for me when I returned from changing out of my race attire!</li><li style="text-align: justify;">And if you watch the video ... I DID save my run.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Jxv12RC7cPjqydXm0wz1enLKnn4HDKs4pZWjTpS3N9SVyldPtgx0x3WZgDqa-80baxwC-IhWpKnyrhfx1zMocO4TiR2VJ8o-MT6L7OnJ1gKLQZIp9vps03QWMHBWKSve2tMn2qG9Ik/s2048/IMG_3449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8Jxv12RC7cPjqydXm0wz1enLKnn4HDKs4pZWjTpS3N9SVyldPtgx0x3WZgDqa-80baxwC-IhWpKnyrhfx1zMocO4TiR2VJ8o-MT6L7OnJ1gKLQZIp9vps03QWMHBWKSve2tMn2qG9Ik/s320/IMG_3449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxB4nOu4IjcLyPzvHmBO8o6NYhaaO5lD2V8V2Dsc0wSFRY8mRKi8l-aBiZN72p17JjmiQqQhXuQvMOTawJ90_iQVjZVs84zcwGbWOLzKMnSB-67ENGfrXYC-M4cenVRNLKIbLa9-hCSDE/s2048/1244-310422-Fresh+Catch-547_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxB4nOu4IjcLyPzvHmBO8o6NYhaaO5lD2V8V2Dsc0wSFRY8mRKi8l-aBiZN72p17JjmiQqQhXuQvMOTawJ90_iQVjZVs84zcwGbWOLzKMnSB-67ENGfrXYC-M4cenVRNLKIbLa9-hCSDE/s320/1244-310422-Fresh+Catch-547_GPR.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>I started off the day already smelly when I put on my damp race clothes from the day before. Eventually I was adding fresh, new sweat so then I didn't notice the leftover sweat. That's a win, yeah?!? I brought both of my medals with me so I could get my post-race photo with them (although I took them before I actually even made it to the race course).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The storm was freaking awesome!! It really was the highlight of the day. Perhaps it is that we are from Oregon, but the rain didn't phase us at all. It was so hot that the rain was refreshing! And my life in Florida was always enjoyable during storms, so I was in heaven with all of that thunder we had. At one point we were the ONLY people in the water on our entire beach. When can you ever have <b>all </b>of a Castaway Cay beach to yourself?? There was no way I was going to just hide in the ship or under cover somewhere. I was going to be wet in the water anyway, so why not just go for it during a storm?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">A highlight of this day was because there weren't any other people there we were able to get VERY up close and personal with some fish. We would just sit still and relax and these very large, almost see-through white sort of clear fish would appear practically touching us as they swam though. So cool!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW2kQjlSRK1CXgo9XJTS_l9S4tO0sonfl4Gd-86i7PBAphog-gB1Tq_-5OcoMMjJscvrvpQ6T6RaC431MAl27ZArLXfSXqPghRc8hgfpLD-4IZ2Fa5yYxqCNK3nzcQmYnuvG16D7sdK0/s2048/IMG_3447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwW2kQjlSRK1CXgo9XJTS_l9S4tO0sonfl4Gd-86i7PBAphog-gB1Tq_-5OcoMMjJscvrvpQ6T6RaC431MAl27ZArLXfSXqPghRc8hgfpLD-4IZ2Fa5yYxqCNK3nzcQmYnuvG16D7sdK0/s320/IMG_3447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kGD7zJS60hSAU03D2Cm_3DDls-OxcqaBs5miXKz6IflDWrSCia_uLY64gblnipXMb_4PbV-ZNqVnaX_bieumq4V_yIkMLxyQUfR0cHAHaI-VzdbGdvOFaajEFu10aP6eI4IWBkV5AFM/s2048/IMG_3731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kGD7zJS60hSAU03D2Cm_3DDls-OxcqaBs5miXKz6IflDWrSCia_uLY64gblnipXMb_4PbV-ZNqVnaX_bieumq4V_yIkMLxyQUfR0cHAHaI-VzdbGdvOFaajEFu10aP6eI4IWBkV5AFM/s320/IMG_3731.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Last, the bike ride.... We live on a hill. We don't have easy access to flat places for Katura to practice riding a bike. And I can't fit her bike in my car, so we don't just pack it up and head to a park. So when she and I decided to rent bikes for a trip to the observation tower we did it knowing this was going to essentially be her first ever REAL bicycle ride. Yeah, she fell a few times. But she got back up and never got hurt. We walked a lot of it on the way back and she said never again would she do this. I bet she will change her mind some day. I was really proud of her, and we did have a lot of fun on our adventure. And you know what ---- she fell, but I almost did, too! Like mother, like daughter!</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some come along with me and see a stormy day at Castaway Cay!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(I'd like to pretend that rhymes, but sadly Cay is pronounced like "Key".) Oh well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yq11mj7o7rw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">See ya real soon!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-25475745060964939142021-09-14T12:30:00.000-07:002021-09-14T12:30:05.185-07:00What Do You Do With A Lazy Pirate?<p style="text-align: justify;">I cannot change the words to that song. I tried. It was so hard! But shall we back up?<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2RRWviX5NTQWac4Z0RPPcYBAtPPJkOmFEwB6crjxkuiXyWRuAsEo3qrrqn6IKltlyMXUo8FRZQbTpixy3iqSKZVJjQ0ggTTkSE74i7Fs9w3G1arDaGAg6Mzu8W56LeejfPoBjki86GI/s2048/1244-283696-C+DCL+Pirate+Shipwreck-543_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2RRWviX5NTQWac4Z0RPPcYBAtPPJkOmFEwB6crjxkuiXyWRuAsEo3qrrqn6IKltlyMXUo8FRZQbTpixy3iqSKZVJjQ0ggTTkSE74i7Fs9w3G1arDaGAg6Mzu8W56LeejfPoBjki86GI/s320/1244-283696-C+DCL+Pirate+Shipwreck-543_GPR.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Prior to this cruise we did not know if we would have Pirate Night or not. I had done an online chat with a DCL cast member and that person was really not helpful and said there were no deck parties so there wouldn't be a pirate one. Fine. That's not what I asked. Pirate Night is way more than a deck party!! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is music in the hallways. It is special photo opportunities. It is our favorite characters dressed up in pirate attire. It is a special menu at dinner. It is all of the dining crew being decked out in pirate attire. The deck party was just one little piece. So being the pirates that we are there was no way I was going to go on this cruise without our pirate attire! I was very happy when I heard our cruise director on the morning report mention there would be pirate activities happening that evening!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t6_Jre9T52kT_154A6PMVjwG0Nik_-ZJSX78CKMsK4jNG9aPwYuhxnVqZzsyjPmL3pJZwHxzpjT6h_mOWdffkZplfUAa2zO2BPT6lJI9dr0SPFvdoYGsf1Be6yOP3crRqjqEjg1YyUs/s2048/1244-284738-C+Stairs-545_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t6_Jre9T52kT_154A6PMVjwG0Nik_-ZJSX78CKMsK4jNG9aPwYuhxnVqZzsyjPmL3pJZwHxzpjT6h_mOWdffkZplfUAa2zO2BPT6lJI9dr0SPFvdoYGsf1Be6yOP3crRqjqEjg1YyUs/s320/1244-284738-C+Stairs-545_GPR.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>After Castaway Cay (where I raced in my pirate race attire!) we were very excited to get dressed up! First we were in casual dress attire to see one of the stage shows, but once that was done it was time to transform into our true selves.... pirates! Enjoy this little snippet from Wikipedia:<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><span style="color: #01ffff;"><b>Thomas Tew</b> (died September 1695), also known as the Rhode Island Pirate, was a 17th-century English privateer-turned-pirate. He embarked on two major pirate voyages and met a bloody death on the second, and he pioneered the route which became known as the Pirate Round. Many other infamous pirates followed in his path, including Henry Every and William Kidd.</span></blockquote></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Like I said, we ARE a pirate family!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And so the party began. So many photos at every spot to get one. And the photos came with sound effects! We even got to see Chip and Dale... which was so awesome because the crew members with them recognized Katura's Uma costume from <i>Descendants </i>and immediately started singing her song together. I loved it! You can hear that at the 2 minute mark of our video. Some photographers even recognized her as Uma!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRLvaVfw_-gvAnYtkIQMawePXPSikZ2Ky7XUtkvd7-xaInBeTx0jhXRE2kUdh1SvET8RLWxIYHKprcle7mmq2UK4XBwdclRtT7B-0bt2x7OATYPAxIIBpwn_YeLKaPFXMjz3wA_v4w-A/s2048/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRLvaVfw_-gvAnYtkIQMawePXPSikZ2Ky7XUtkvd7-xaInBeTx0jhXRE2kUdh1SvET8RLWxIYHKprcle7mmq2UK4XBwdclRtT7B-0bt2x7OATYPAxIIBpwn_YeLKaPFXMjz3wA_v4w-A/w400-h225/IMG_2897.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSxP0gj6XZSJWZAiuZKinUHhtG4d9wgrJpy7j6P0CBKajY4nhTC25p7ag6gL0W0o5w4ycyCf6KL-VkdUL9vwmBFZ-kiaoMENRGMdJ65HEohCaXXUUBI6fJVBjyhI28n5-BwcNVP-Rmsc/s2048/IMG_3216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSxP0gj6XZSJWZAiuZKinUHhtG4d9wgrJpy7j6P0CBKajY4nhTC25p7ag6gL0W0o5w4ycyCf6KL-VkdUL9vwmBFZ-kiaoMENRGMdJ65HEohCaXXUUBI6fJVBjyhI28n5-BwcNVP-Rmsc/s320/IMG_3216.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Our entrance to dinner was quite unforgettable as well. Every dinner should start the way this one did! And dinner itself... that was a nonstop party. A party in my mouth AND all over with the singing and dancing pirates! But dang it how do you expect this pirate wench married to a Navy veteran to switch and NOT sing "drunken sailor" and instead say "lazy pirate"?? It was nearly impossible, but I did it!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We hit the second night of fireworks while Katura was in the Oceaneer Club. Our video doesn't show as much of the party because we were way too busy dancing all night to every single song! And what was Katura doing while we were away? She was hanging out with THE Captain Hook!! Lucky girl!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Pirate Night was one of the big selling points for me before we ever took a Disney cruise, and this night sure did not disappoint! Now if you'll excuse me you can go watch the video and I'm going to continue figuring out our next sailing's outfits! Yaarrrr!!!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/idJg89zM16A" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-33185370683397494542021-09-12T07:00:00.001-07:002021-09-12T07:00:00.230-07:00I Freaking Snorkeled With Stingrays!!!<p style="text-align: justify;">I can't even find words to describe this! As Katura declared in a video, I am NOT a good swimmer. I've never passed a swimming test. I went to the lessons. I didn't exactly leave them with passing grades. And when I do swim I don't really go underwater. To go under I HAVE to use my fingers to plug my nose. In Hawaii I tried to snorkel once and I completely sucked. I didn't even do it for a second. I ended up using goggles<span style="text-align: left;">, plugging my nose and holding my breath while my brother in law guided me around with my lifejacket. So when Katura and I decided to sign us up for snorkeling with stingrays I really had no idea what was going to happen.</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGFnYZyouvmpisrZcd9of9R2C0NXvhC3Al3WDQXMqqk5oGLMR31jq2FUY563TO4NfiNJWMdYxNcX4O2Eg3BhqXjXbeOBpZrvXpQUcpi2AJyqmhG3hn1SYOnQWa55GLGe5Fx57uikuLMY/s2048/IMG_2487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGFnYZyouvmpisrZcd9of9R2C0NXvhC3Al3WDQXMqqk5oGLMR31jq2FUY563TO4NfiNJWMdYxNcX4O2Eg3BhqXjXbeOBpZrvXpQUcpi2AJyqmhG3hn1SYOnQWa55GLGe5Fx57uikuLMY/w400-h225/IMG_2487.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Upon check-in we received our lifejackets and snorkel gear. Shawn is pretty much a pro at snorkeling, so he was great and got our goggles fitted for us and taught us how to get all situated. He taught us how to breathe, and Katura had no problem. Breathing should be easy, right?!? But for some reason I could not get myself to become a mouth breather. But I wasn't going to give up!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a little orientation with one of the Castaway residents that takes care of the stingrays. They are all female rays and many of them are pregnant. It was really cool to see the pregnant ones and it was easy to tell who was pregnant once we learned how to identify it. Also they assured us that we cannot be stung. They can trim the stingers just like we trim our nails, so there is no pain for the ladies and they will grow back. </div><br /><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWHK1LRpLGr3DmLk2KEbB6Squjs3uiwW8c2p9ug_DHz9XPw83ntgImI_TZqtXyGJKcAjrWgLZHTf0p_oEcJuzo5F3g8QGVblLgh3UVmdMU-LTu29IaUyVGXWpnyWx84zPJbpG7oUMtw4/s2048/IMG_2528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWHK1LRpLGr3DmLk2KEbB6Squjs3uiwW8c2p9ug_DHz9XPw83ntgImI_TZqtXyGJKcAjrWgLZHTf0p_oEcJuzo5F3g8QGVblLgh3UVmdMU-LTu29IaUyVGXWpnyWx84zPJbpG7oUMtw4/s320/IMG_2528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Soon we were off to the beach and being presented with a bucket of slimy seafood to feed the ladies when they came up on the platform. You just hold the food under the water on the Mickey head. When they swim up to your hand just move your hand away leaving the food and they will grab it. Also we had to be careful with our feet. They were constantly tickling us when they swam by, and we were taught to do the Stingray Shuffle so we wouldn't risk stepping on any that had buried themselves in the sand. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EQCfptgXQhhwGjRoBy4pz5Sr2DuuoHQpTEpBaWRW-DuaDT6ZdCuJiE2We2jQhdGQoEYq7SEkt5_O1m3XFkTAtdksbgJDaCcjaQsC3Eyh8h23yKyoEzxV4yV6bJ8DOXKfiVrSRn91Nro/s2048/IMG_2586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EQCfptgXQhhwGjRoBy4pz5Sr2DuuoHQpTEpBaWRW-DuaDT6ZdCuJiE2We2jQhdGQoEYq7SEkt5_O1m3XFkTAtdksbgJDaCcjaQsC3Eyh8h23yKyoEzxV4yV6bJ8DOXKfiVrSRn91Nro/w400-h225/IMG_2586.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I absolutely loved them! They felt so soft, and not really slimy, but definitely slick. But not slick in the way the dolphin felt. We even felt their tail area which was NOT soft! You definitely wouldn't want to accidentally step on that. Ouch!!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So feeding was done and we had a lot of time to head out into the closed lagoon area to swim with the stingrays. Time to put myself to the test and see if I could actually snorkel or if I would be floating and looking down into the water. The title of this blog gives it away, I DID IT!!! It was hard at first. I had a huge mental battle, but I looked over and Katura was already gone snorkeling like she does it all the time, so I had to try. I feel like I was always telling myself "breathe in, breath out, mouth in, mouth out". I even got fancy enough that Shawn and I were able to talk to each other underwater without me drowning!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMguEVtEg1V7jXSjlGtIdQ1ubKdmS-w0BU_AEyLIdg6ihIrfUmf7ihkQGt6nqNN0yzK5NavcIe2tH0JR8JThV_nrUlY8KOKULQr7pe7pRxmSir9xwnsiFT16QbwVBF9LgUU2lV8MUF5s/s4000/GOPR0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMguEVtEg1V7jXSjlGtIdQ1ubKdmS-w0BU_AEyLIdg6ihIrfUmf7ihkQGt6nqNN0yzK5NavcIe2tH0JR8JThV_nrUlY8KOKULQr7pe7pRxmSir9xwnsiFT16QbwVBF9LgUU2lV8MUF5s/w640-h480/GOPR0303.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We all loved it so much... so much that we are signed up for it TWO times on our next cruise! This time my mom will be with us and she feels about it the way I did before I tried. So hopefully I can help her be a mouth breather and we can fumble our way through the lagoon together!</div><p></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AFEy0V_Zd1Y" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-1939489662399019132021-09-11T08:00:00.001-07:002021-09-11T08:00:00.263-07:00Castaway Cay 5K - The Race Report?<p style="text-align: justify;">I always write a race report after I finish, so we shall count this as that report, although there isn't much to "report"!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">It. Was. Hot. </span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGDfpZT5pOtxBrBC7i9Gf3TCgADzhWTGZonX0QOKl-E05vt6aX1ltlI0fP55tP_REB2cx6CgiyaXRaLZOAZ6aA4L28zLIcUpehDGHi7Z-9W6c57bTI75mDRIeQ9aU_To0OflbMyRC2zk/s2048/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGDfpZT5pOtxBrBC7i9Gf3TCgADzhWTGZonX0QOKl-E05vt6aX1ltlI0fP55tP_REB2cx6CgiyaXRaLZOAZ6aA4L28zLIcUpehDGHi7Z-9W6c57bTI75mDRIeQ9aU_To0OflbMyRC2zk/s320/IMG_2161.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I feel like those 3 words could summarize everything! It was 84 degrees when I began running (and even hotter the next day, but we will do that when we get to it). <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So let's ba<span style="text-align: left;">ck up! The official race was not happening now due to the whole social distancing and experiences being changed thing. You could still do the race, and upon completion head to Guest Services on the ship and collect your medal. I did this race in 2019 and really enjoyed myself, so of course I wasn't going to pass up the chance to do a Disney race and get my Disney medal in one of my favorite Disney places!</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Katura and Shawn went to the beach while I went the start line. I had my Garmin getting a signal, my music playing and my water bottle full. I was ready. What I didn't remember to do was load up on sunblock all over my entire body. My head got such a sunburn. My scalp was hurting the next morning. It was tender to the touch. And I even had on my traditional pirate bandana I race in. It slipped back and the Bahamian sun took advantage and fried my part! Like I said, it was hot!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVz_atuI9qENxyBY_eOp-Xqgl5ZyvyL9AhQpoApzgv73xG5ZzvjyIK9BiRnaO-v_v7Isj3QdEZZepESjXrtuolUKiWXIB_79jhk0tYnosk6b2pYeQJDPCXI7PB2sOVgfbOz3ljt4zNzcM/s2048/IMG_2256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVz_atuI9qENxyBY_eOp-Xqgl5ZyvyL9AhQpoApzgv73xG5ZzvjyIK9BiRnaO-v_v7Isj3QdEZZepESjXrtuolUKiWXIB_79jhk0tYnosk6b2pYeQJDPCXI7PB2sOVgfbOz3ljt4zNzcM/w400-h225/IMG_2256.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Remember my last post where I said I keep running into the same annoying vlogger everywhere I go? Watch this video. You'll see him dragging his brother along in matching shirts just before I start to run. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And so off I went to run this race apparently all by myself! Wait, no, I took you - the viewer of my vlogs - with me and I talked to you the entire time! Did I mention it was hot? And humid? Uh, yeah.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL1ibMNR1PyoS9qLqsEfUPEQqzBrEnyBHfOwxXArPCf7s4yPcsjHl1rTPgZl7bKA18MDiWg3Kc8S3U0sFzLNd96YWzLUM-baC7AxlQy6wn2ORGgJoqJ8CyELsauDoYeBPs47j-GepkNQ/s2048/IMG_2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL1ibMNR1PyoS9qLqsEfUPEQqzBrEnyBHfOwxXArPCf7s4yPcsjHl1rTPgZl7bKA18MDiWg3Kc8S3U0sFzLNd96YWzLUM-baC7AxlQy6wn2ORGgJoqJ8CyELsauDoYeBPs47j-GepkNQ/s320/IMG_2226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Running wise, since this is a race report, I was doing great. My legs felt great and were so happy to be running. But the heat was just zapping me. I was racing to get out of the sun and into shady sections so I could try to find any little ounce of slightly lower temperatures. The course was absolutely beautiful. I love all the little things along the way for photos. This time I didn't stop at them really, just grabbed photos as I ran and walked by. <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Water stops were few. I think I encountered 2. Where there was another water stop in 2019 I just found empty space. And signage was lacking. Had I not run before I wouldn't have known to turn right after the airplane. I didn't end up doing exactly 3.1 miles because I turned around too early. I just wasn't sure with the misplaced sign I saw earlier on. But you know what? I worked hard! I've run farther and faster many times, but physically this one was the hardest. I haven't raced on the surface of the humid sun before and my body really noticed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I picked a spot to finish my final walk break and then pushed hard to the end. I got to finish listening to Jimmy Buffett, so that's pretty rad! And I saw someone I knew at the finish line, so that made it even better! Still panting and dripping in sweat (because really I was sweating from the moment we landed in Orlando) I went to the gift shop and loaded up on some essential 5K items like a shirt, backpack and water bottle. Then it was a beeline to my swim suit, sunblock and the ocean! And by 10ish in the morning I was sipping on a delicious rum drink and swimming. Best post-race celebration ever! <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Yy23OOI2p-xOGewFhE7AIy6JtZeQu7c66y7BMHuqcn2IIrO16zkBqYft8H8LT4NdoZ2l8-rLy1IF-sajBZWwQLtDRSMtaWH_t27itFGovndf8IJ2L-MBskOYUC-QuQcWo9wbgKBHEFg/s2048/IMG_2286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Yy23OOI2p-xOGewFhE7AIy6JtZeQu7c66y7BMHuqcn2IIrO16zkBqYft8H8LT4NdoZ2l8-rLy1IF-sajBZWwQLtDRSMtaWH_t27itFGovndf8IJ2L-MBskOYUC-QuQcWo9wbgKBHEFg/w400-h225/IMG_2286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">*Oh, and I did get my medal back on the ship! I hear they have run out, but I happily didn't race and go home empty handed!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vsVRfibTC-E" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-25884859821087846622021-09-10T19:19:00.000-07:002021-09-10T19:19:39.714-07:00This Post Will Make You Jump Around<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37sTy-mTKbmDqAqDq0rM6xJrvFsFDHT6bI1MzK09BruNDoVoXJDtZ7ZJrHS70anMyye6_a1PB5zME5J5Vv3LXL92l30yEVXTgVVHZUkwXN5a1K9Ag4C3sB0gIdUbVmS5ykKbDDm-NM9g/s2048/IMG_1770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37sTy-mTKbmDqAqDq0rM6xJrvFsFDHT6bI1MzK09BruNDoVoXJDtZ7ZJrHS70anMyye6_a1PB5zME5J5Vv3LXL92l30yEVXTgVVHZUkwXN5a1K9Ag4C3sB0gIdUbVmS5ykKbDDm-NM9g/s320/IMG_1770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>First off... my dinner on night 2 was sooooo good!! I had tofu and couscous and I cannot wait to have it again on the next cruise! For non-tofu eaters that probably sounds gross. I swear to you if <b><i>I </i></b>like it it <b><i>HAS </i></b>to be good!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This post will not be all about food though, it is the after party that we sort of crashed. I've crashed weddings and high school reunions, so why not a deck party, too?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After dinner Katura had a reservation for the Oceaneer Club. That meant we adults got to have a night alone again! Typically there are fireworks on Pirate night, but because of the current changes there aren't any official deck parties and no pirate fireworks. BUT they didn't skip the nighttime fun all together. Instead there would be two fireworks presentations, the first one being for those that had first seating at dinner. The next night would be for those of us that had second seating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mb8T10h5wSn8yIYltJN5mELzYlNHjAtkDyUYlHmA669F52ilyoBNoY6PymIVgPjq-shUbLPo3EZBCoZPvfF2tHdKjRwGO1gRgxui710gBmhQk3MCgCE-rQlIN_c0QZ90fjvSseZbybE/s2048/IMG_1862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mb8T10h5wSn8yIYltJN5mELzYlNHjAtkDyUYlHmA669F52ilyoBNoY6PymIVgPjq-shUbLPo3EZBCoZPvfF2tHdKjRwGO1gRgxui710gBmhQk3MCgCE-rQlIN_c0QZ90fjvSseZbybE/w400-h225/IMG_1862.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The fact that I said I crash things might be the big indicator that we ended up seeing the fireworks BOTH times! It wasn't completely intentional. We were alone and did our typical thing of wandering around the ship. We decided to head up to the pool area and see what was going on. Nobody ever stopped us to make sure we were first seating people, and it was very empty. Next thing we knew a lovely crew member was directing us to our big dot that would be our official spot for the evening. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We were all socially distanced, and Shawn and I happened to have an awesome dot right along the water on the same side of the ship that the fireworks would be launched. It was the perfect spot! Not only was it the perfect spot for the fireworks, but also for the people watching!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Let's back up.... Prior to this sailing I just knew we would end up on this cruise with "real" YouTube people. Which ones? I didn't know - but I knew there would be some. <i>The one I didn't want to see ended up there, of course, and I kept running into that douche bag everywhere I went. Katura and I kept running into him in November, too. WHY???? </i>Anyhoo... in the health screening tent I glanced over and was like "Hey, I know that dude! Shawn that's the vlogger we saw just before our last cruise working at The Studios!" Of course Shawn, not being shy AT ALL, asked if I wanted to meet him. Um, NO! Dude, I'll just watch from afar and talk about him like a normal person!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZD2X0AFx9mtxHIurVk0YV0zwKN1YRa30tZsLCETTWTCTfKlehpYakUR2lyJn2gYYzF4QXN0A0Jg3TwtMeX1l0Of_jJG4udWF5Z54iEx4MrndNNLkaGyYYZev98QcZ7Ndko3NllAkwcQ/s2048/IMG_1811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZD2X0AFx9mtxHIurVk0YV0zwKN1YRa30tZsLCETTWTCTfKlehpYakUR2lyJn2gYYzF4QXN0A0Jg3TwtMeX1l0Of_jJG4udWF5Z54iEx4MrndNNLkaGyYYZev98QcZ7Ndko3NllAkwcQ/w400-h225/IMG_1811.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Well now here we are on the upper deck and who is right by us? That vlogger! Could Shawn resist? Oh heck no. So the next thing I know we are chatting about how we are all vloggers<i> (psh, I don't count. I'm not famous. I'm just a mom that makes fun videos with my child)</i> and how our daughter loves watching his videos because he always makes people Jump Around and she always wants to jump as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And now her parents have officially been in his video doing the whole Jump Around thing (and he's in ours as we jumped). He was disappointed that she was in the Oceaneer Club so they couldn't meet and she couldn't jump. But she is happy to hear our story of that night at the fireworks and see us in someone else's YouTube video!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinl6ZF-7JkXYah5d5Z3HgN_1mj04kRa4PIMFt8bfDcwJtGi7LClAEGQiF8YQOv2xD-uNXT1fNuIt0c5gautn17VcGGNFraOUkeGRCAX8AcXrf3dOoprzE0i1MXfxTagehE9JmFw0IsqaU/s2048/IMG_1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinl6ZF-7JkXYah5d5Z3HgN_1mj04kRa4PIMFt8bfDcwJtGi7LClAEGQiF8YQOv2xD-uNXT1fNuIt0c5gautn17VcGGNFraOUkeGRCAX8AcXrf3dOoprzE0i1MXfxTagehE9JmFw0IsqaU/w400-h225/IMG_1901.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">*Incidentally I saw a parody video of that douche vlogger and who ended up in HIS vlog? ME! Walking to the 5K start line. He's in my video from the same time. You'll see that in the next blog!</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxcroHVZShc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />See ya real soon!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-16930608820035414322021-09-01T19:59:00.000-07:002021-09-01T19:59:57.381-07:00Pinkies Up!<div class="separator"><div style="text-align: justify;">I hadn't planned on repeating this. But I also hadn't planned on canceled cruises and never knowing what was going on. So once it was our window to be able to sign up for port excursions and onboard activities, well, I went a little crazy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And back to the <b>Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique</b> we went! <i>I'd like to have a mini rant here. It drives me absolutely insane when people say BiPPiTi BoPPiTi. Especially Disney know-it-alls. Is it THAT hard to say it the right way? I mean they say it over and over in the song, so just get the right letters, okay?!?</i> Yes, back to the Boutique....</div><p style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEXcOjlqsddKscoDpVEGEfEYfnu0WUXE7Gukd57za7_rxDHu7OUD3_3O6Msg8kPhohyphenhyphenpSe0KnEIHyv0L2M7ijWc9sQaFasW181xgPRTMHfcwxvgUFgleS8NmdaHMQ0LDA142-7q3guBA/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" style="text-align: justify;" width="320" /></p></div><p style="text-align: justify;">This round of the Boutique was far from the same as November 2019. Obviously new protocols are changing this, and this experience was one that had an obvious change. Last time we did this Katura not only had her hair and nails done, but also her make-up. This time we DID get make-up, but it was just given to us in her little backpack. We went back to our stateroom to put it on for the tea party. But obviously it is harder to do make-up when you have on a mask. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think another thing that possibly caused a difference was the fact that the ships haven't had guests since March 2020. This was the very first cruise and Katura got her make-over on the sea day - which was the first full day of the cruise. So the Fairy-Godmothers-In-Training really felt like they were in training. They didn't have the team rapport that the last crew had. I remember Virginia from Italy was the awesome stylist that did Katura in 2019. This time Katura had 2 and I don't remember either one's name. And they were much quieter, so it was hard to interact. With masks on I think they needed to perhaps speak louder so Katura could hear them better to really have the full experience. So no fault of these ladies at all, they just haven't gotten into a fun group groove yet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG_yyLcY0KO5-oBHiEBUzJCtcWc78Qoq_FEJOR8gTPg3hF4wBHei1g-9egkehVrPuGrEPsCoIMTt2bU6vs2LMdzwIEqi_8OwrwVCGv_Y4jkpiuHc_e01uS16aD2Gem9E9jK-aojhGtV0/s2048/IMG_4807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfG_yyLcY0KO5-oBHiEBUzJCtcWc78Qoq_FEJOR8gTPg3hF4wBHei1g-9egkehVrPuGrEPsCoIMTt2bU6vs2LMdzwIEqi_8OwrwVCGv_Y4jkpiuHc_e01uS16aD2Gem9E9jK-aojhGtV0/s320/IMG_4807.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Katura loved her time there and left feeling like a beautiful princess, so I absolutely cannot complain at all!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next repeat item for us was the <b>Royal Court Royal Tea</b>. This had many changes, and I loved all of them! This is, from what I hear, a hard to get into event. It happened only one time on our sailing, and the spots are VERY limited. If you want to do it you pretty much have to make that reservation ASAP when your window opens. Katura was so excited to be able to do this again, and so was I actually!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Katura and I were there early to take some photos of her in her new gown at the entrance. We were pleasantly surprised when it was time to be seated and Katura was the first little girl taken inside. They announce each Princess as they come inside and are escorted to their own table where they are greeted with a variety of gifts.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the past multiple Princesses shared larger tables, as well as sharing the trays of food. We had our own food last time because we marked that we are vegetarians, so that was a plus. Now we had our very own table which I think helped us feel a little more relaxed and free to interact with each other and dig into the food!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EM14a_gAFbyjTPSR_-vrjwQzUt5EvHjNBMlstcoUGy5-f2-VaQsk2NEtU-2toCXQUdp6hVkPQooIIDtuURvfb1FrknuHCCrNun5OldRyXeXjMw5joELXs0Ip479uvjuY_V6x9rLTuN0/s2048/IMG_4811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EM14a_gAFbyjTPSR_-vrjwQzUt5EvHjNBMlstcoUGy5-f2-VaQsk2NEtU-2toCXQUdp6hVkPQooIIDtuURvfb1FrknuHCCrNun5OldRyXeXjMw5joELXs0Ip479uvjuY_V6x9rLTuN0/s320/IMG_4811.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also different was the array of gifts. The tiara this time, sorry Disney, was disappointing. In 2019 it was legit!! It was solid and had lots of blind. This time it was something plastic you could get from Oriental Trading Company or the Dollar Store. For real. She got the same Cinderella doll that is exclusive to this tea party. She let me have this one since she already has one. That was so darn sweet of her, but I'm not taking it. It is for her! Instead of a Disney Cruise Line princess jewelry box she was given a DCL princess purse, with her bracelet, necklace and charms inside. Last time the princesses came through and presented each girl with their charms. **We will get back to this! Instead of an autograph book and pen the girls received a different princess pen and a princess journal. Makes sense since they can't get autographs right now. Lastly we were given a large DCL princess lithograph. In the past instead each girl got photos taken with all of the princess and then a large print of one was left in a leather holder in our stateroom that evening. Since photos can't be done the same we got this lithograph.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQotKWEIx78MJbpgxakb2MLQF4W_CXfjVxikDSNP4gUvtuy7dYaDBw31RJUe0zYMOkUj9l5A-88FRJru39x-DcTPQYFy1gQw6Y0VPZJKOAhrzSN1LQJw-pRv7luhi1gAKRQdlreeAFVs/s2048/IMG_4809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQotKWEIx78MJbpgxakb2MLQF4W_CXfjVxikDSNP4gUvtuy7dYaDBw31RJUe0zYMOkUj9l5A-88FRJru39x-DcTPQYFy1gQw6Y0VPZJKOAhrzSN1LQJw-pRv7luhi1gAKRQdlreeAFVs/w640-h640/IMG_4809.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Okay I'll hurry this up! The food was all the same and quite enjoyable! The "show" was different, and I think better. Last time the princesses would come out and then visit each table and do the whole charm thing. Now they came out and each told a little story. Then during dessert they came back one at a time and they had conversations with every single girl there. You could really see these little princesses feeling so special when their favorite princess talked specifically to them and asked them questions. It really made it feel a lot more intimate even though everyone was socially distanced!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So much princess. So many pinkies. So many little sandwiches. So much dessert!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJNqt-ZQ0zBcuy3n1k-sCVGl_SUVESJ4U6joLp0edzHv2dtwx3hjUSdyCOkOshCbPKFQmN-cwIBn6jHa38gu9P7E9NsFd67VutaTsBYNDHXaMuaRox2dNc2tz6YUtlQvD2jaZzSXv02Y/s2048/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJNqt-ZQ0zBcuy3n1k-sCVGl_SUVESJ4U6joLp0edzHv2dtwx3hjUSdyCOkOshCbPKFQmN-cwIBn6jHa38gu9P7E9NsFd67VutaTsBYNDHXaMuaRox2dNc2tz6YUtlQvD2jaZzSXv02Y/w640-h360/IMG_1174.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Come have a taste with us!</p><p><br /></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Vk7s9vkcmI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-16763147422312764502021-08-29T19:22:00.003-07:002021-08-29T19:25:02.818-07:00Come On B14... Adult Time!<p style="text-align: justify;">The day Shawn developed a cruise crush??</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Katura spent the morning at the Oceaneer Club which meant Shawn and I had all this time to ourselves and no idea what to do. Not having Katura around is something we haven't really experienced since before she was born! So what did we do??</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt1LlMB1zz4tJOrDIYSWpcHjfLUKaizyGke0KFwJJ6fYGd5BQwYyNsTAd41Xr-LhQygb22PKl9jwCngdqUFww_FWs4vLjrAoS3qEACJo_z4W3rCHDNunGZMZZQVtODO64yxh058wT6VA/s2048/IMG_4798.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt1LlMB1zz4tJOrDIYSWpcHjfLUKaizyGke0KFwJJ6fYGd5BQwYyNsTAd41Xr-LhQygb22PKl9jwCngdqUFww_FWs4vLjrAoS3qEACJo_z4W3rCHDNunGZMZZQVtODO64yxh058wT6VA/w400-h300/IMG_4798.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We played BINGO! And who won the very first game of Bingo on this first Disney cruise of 2021? </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">ME!!!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3tbEYU_vWDeIJ7n12bBdgjhSH8peeSNPxGGK99QHFxswS5yFlLrwk9rLgPaPBllvXePh1-zWthpo1JgYdcAcEChRNgTevMQqTGBulfP0MVOWLAjXrVwVsRB838FY1i3RDJ1TCeiB6CM/s2048/IMG_0439.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3tbEYU_vWDeIJ7n12bBdgjhSH8peeSNPxGGK99QHFxswS5yFlLrwk9rLgPaPBllvXePh1-zWthpo1JgYdcAcEChRNgTevMQqTGBulfP0MVOWLAjXrVwVsRB838FY1i3RDJ1TCeiB6CM/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, I just wanted to share that. We weren't sure we were going to play, but we figured we may as well check it out since I've heard it is a lot of fun. It was on Deck 4 in the Evolution lounge. Such a cool setting for sure. It felt like Las Vegas! There were 3 different pricing options based on how many games you wanted to play. I figured to just go big and get us each a set of cards for 4 games. So now that I'm thinking back, was it $40 for the two packs of cards or $40 per pack?? I really think it was $20 per pack, so $40 total for the two of us. My Bingo winnings essentially paid for our drinks and games, so that was a fun way to spend some time!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And this is where Shawn discovered Natasha! Oh my, every time we saw her on the cruise he had to be sure to point it out. Meanwhile I was totally loving adorable Darrelle. I wanted to just keep him. He was so cute! But I guess if I had a cruise crush like Shawn it would have been our server Ikbal. I mean I am a sucker for a charming Indonesian guy after all! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRGFVEkn3t-sjXSTLrYVHZgyGjJjdFpOQQgaDZQxp23RXjgQF4txi7zZtaJsTpoz31_4K0j2KuUzfxq4vP6Q-e4V-55xnKrtd4_aOaN5Q3bhGdCfbU30aX6yi9d06V8JaLjvWudTmmV4/s1876/IMG_4797.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="1876" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRGFVEkn3t-sjXSTLrYVHZgyGjJjdFpOQQgaDZQxp23RXjgQF4txi7zZtaJsTpoz31_4K0j2KuUzfxq4vP6Q-e4V-55xnKrtd4_aOaN5Q3bhGdCfbU30aX6yi9d06V8JaLjvWudTmmV4/s320/IMG_4797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Natasha and the entire crew there were such a blast. So much fun music, lights, things we would all holler together, the crew dancing for B11, random prizes, our drinks.... My drink was called Papillon ... VeeV Acai Liqeuer, Grand Mariner, Agave Nectar, Ginger, freshly squeezed Lime Juice *served with a souvenir Acai seed bracelet. Basically I ordered it for the bracelet. But the drink was tasty, too!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After Bingo we went exploring. Shawn said he saw ONE elevator that went all the way to Deck 14. Neither of us even thought about where that would take us. We just found the elevators, got the one that said 14 and went up! Nobody was there. It was small. We saw doors that said Crew Members Only. The Radio Studio was there. And then there were the closed doors. Shawn opened them. Oh my gosh that view!! I was so sure we were going to get caught and sent to detention or something. We had no idea we were IN THE FUNNEL at the front of the ship!! We were in the Overlook Lounge. It was crazy cool! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ15eH34-PhFAfYB6tvPGlw0nYI9WMSkd2agKw5FURQ_u6N6mbo0vnSfscrw9WGkwrV5Q6W0KxJ3k1s9XB-A95koWdqdXhAiMYxjk1dbxfXjGV4lS6LX3hFqBihfxZhp_L5lEaRm9KTQM/s2048/IMG_4946.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ15eH34-PhFAfYB6tvPGlw0nYI9WMSkd2agKw5FURQ_u6N6mbo0vnSfscrw9WGkwrV5Q6W0KxJ3k1s9XB-A95koWdqdXhAiMYxjk1dbxfXjGV4lS6LX3hFqBihfxZhp_L5lEaRm9KTQM/w640-h360/IMG_4946.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So come along with us in this video to see it all play out. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Would you have lingered in the Overlook area? Would you have bolted quickly like I tried to?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Is Natasha the one you would be fawning over? How about Darrell, isn't he just the cutest thing ever? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And how about that drink? Would you choose mine drink or the one Shawn got?</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VnhSz7QkA0Y" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-38749585363892206392021-08-28T19:54:00.000-07:002021-08-28T19:54:25.658-07:00Let's Eat ALL The Things<p style="text-align: justify;">Up next on our behind the scenes of the vlogs blog we are at Enchanted Garden for our first dinner during this first 2021 sailing of the Disney Dream!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_MCBqOYYkwY55yqqavVf1QsfPsCOCCGvIl42F_MvcNqsvqCHhStEz6ffp5p_N5s0JhHTQPCK5Mz2flwUkIaTAH-M3lHhskWM5WqyUSI2JG-LepsKoCGDF0KyE6WMRpGw-aFhlzhpyVk/s1440/IMG_4770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_MCBqOYYkwY55yqqavVf1QsfPsCOCCGvIl42F_MvcNqsvqCHhStEz6ffp5p_N5s0JhHTQPCK5Mz2flwUkIaTAH-M3lHhskWM5WqyUSI2JG-LepsKoCGDF0KyE6WMRpGw-aFhlzhpyVk/s320/IMG_4770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is pretty much common knowledge that I survive off of a few basic food ingredients: pineapple pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, rice, Cheerios. So what does that mean when we go on a Disney cruise and I am presented with a variety of food options? On this particular night it meant I got Macaroni and Cheese with Steak Fries and Vegetables. And you know what? I don't regret it. It was tasty!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Shawn, on the other hand, tried all the things!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">If you haven't done a Disney Cruise basically all of your food is paid for before you cruise. You do pay extra for alcoholic beverages or any type of drinks in the lounge, and for snacks at places like the Cove Cafe or Vanellope's Sweets & Treats. So your dinner is paid for, and what does that get you exactly? Anything you want! Don't want salad? Okay, you don't have to have that. Want more bread? Just ask. Want to have double of the same appetizer? No problem. Want to try THREE main dishes? Well... you can do that, too! And that's just what Shawn did on our first night out! He had ordered two originally, but then he saw what a neighboring table ordered and got the hookup with that food as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMemMNQ9kZnBruAB27VZv1MlNl0dyqSut-n8NLEgei9PK3TGLng_T3M1VYjOm7MTAhRjVR-m8OSF6rKna2coZyTWaZ_PjEYOgFpaB9gpOV5L6hkPlcI_60xRfsfDjGkf7bXG146pw2Lc/s2048/IMG_9858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMemMNQ9kZnBruAB27VZv1MlNl0dyqSut-n8NLEgei9PK3TGLng_T3M1VYjOm7MTAhRjVR-m8OSF6rKna2coZyTWaZ_PjEYOgFpaB9gpOV5L6hkPlcI_60xRfsfDjGkf7bXG146pw2Lc/w400-h225/IMG_9858.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoPSgvOrlKEX6AXDW9iVsXKR0p9_vEVF3JxvbAg9WVpODBSyoQGGyr8ROLev62RKdOmAQeNWNb5Ju4bWjDv7YwRco1hVYp5eW9alUDPC76MDN5lyXoUwSQqJMW5-NTa7nAKTeP8MhM1Y/s2048/IMG_9850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoPSgvOrlKEX6AXDW9iVsXKR0p9_vEVF3JxvbAg9WVpODBSyoQGGyr8ROLev62RKdOmAQeNWNb5Ju4bWjDv7YwRco1hVYp5eW9alUDPC76MDN5lyXoUwSQqJMW5-NTa7nAKTeP8MhM1Y/w320-h180/IMG_9850.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>*I'll add that while I had the kid food on night one I did eat like an adult the rest of the nights, and even I had a second order of a fancy appetizer!!<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So you can eat all you want. And you can essentially drink all you want. Noel always made sure we had drinks. I wasn't just drinking my water. I had the Drink of the Day every night AND a Coke. It is a very strange thing to just order whatever. All of this food stuff is well beyond my comfort zone for sure. But I can tell you we had a couple of things that helped with that....</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that is what my favorite part of the dinner experience is. Our servers!! Ikbal and Noel took such great care of us every single night. They knew our drink orders without us even having to say. Ikbal suggested some delicious things for me that I never would have even looked twice at probably. But I trusted him and loved the results! Noel hooked Katura up with some tasty desserts, so she was a fan. Ikbal did magic with Katura that she is still practicing at home! We gave both Ikbal and Noel rave reviews on our survey card and an online survey we got after the cruise. If we could take them on all of our cruises I would. They made it all so much fun!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm-8oStuYiAnZvwhm-nFaH0Gf1hhjumZHRSenq5Vxw_03ZeDVFxEX1JRbyLpA-0t7YNa5gBRSPTdV7wNKmh32FCJ2ksvqL9MpiG4uIDkw9Lh2rlWa7rufmEZGPcNoGppEwx5iSnxU-Gw/s2048/IMG_4766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm-8oStuYiAnZvwhm-nFaH0Gf1hhjumZHRSenq5Vxw_03ZeDVFxEX1JRbyLpA-0t7YNa5gBRSPTdV7wNKmh32FCJ2ksvqL9MpiG4uIDkw9Lh2rlWa7rufmEZGPcNoGppEwx5iSnxU-Gw/w400-h225/IMG_4766.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also fun was the fact that every night we had a different sort of entertainment. You'll see bits of that throughout this blog as I share the videos. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So now get your napkin on your lap and enjoy some dinner with us on Deck 2 at Enchanted Garden!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FC7mZK7sS1I" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-30857394926152706802021-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:002021-08-24T11:25:01.247-07:00Can You Cruise and NOT Cry?<p style="text-align: justify;">Was it all the anticipation? Was it the relief? Was it months of being uncertain all coming to an end? Was it the absolute pure Disney magic? I don't know but it seemed everything made me cry once I was actually in the process of boarding the Disney Dream!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL_sviXyjlL4C8Iu8CTfqdov2TMiPm21yMzhdJBiprdNI0WogTxQsPOlAlUf_HcJ7Il73xpNj6JYkY1iqLE0gHNDb9DbycjObHRvNJyubff9tFNhJvL63ndi6HY_wKu45cs3_NXIcpMs/s2048/IMG-4749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL_sviXyjlL4C8Iu8CTfqdov2TMiPm21yMzhdJBiprdNI0WogTxQsPOlAlUf_HcJ7Il73xpNj6JYkY1iqLE0gHNDb9DbycjObHRvNJyubff9tFNhJvL63ndi6HY_wKu45cs3_NXIcpMs/w400-h225/IMG-4749.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div>I was feeling so many emotions I can't even pinpoint what they were. We were going through the gangway and as soon as I saw the first crew member waiting for us the tears started. Then we got to Joey who chatted with us before we were announced to everyone and it was just all... I don't even know!! It was a blur, but yet I remember it all so well. Prior to sailing I had told the members of our private Facebook sailing group that I will believe we are actually sailing when I hear our name called as we enter the ship. When that moment happened it was a huge feeling of relief and excitement. As I said about 23 times in this video... "It is happening!" Seriously - I dare you to make it a drinking game any time I say it. Don't drink and drive.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmgXY9S5vwnXbHZHhJOI_HXoMx_xI5Oi5EGwMPkDtPD2Vf2PzWZ-4_8EMKc-5Yn7h4AXOTpYs106pliXYyV1HHuup54TIxuU5qR2rFUI-Xu3nztJ54BnayTBDTWR-mPa9DdgVsuhFeJ8/s2048/IMG-4750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmgXY9S5vwnXbHZHhJOI_HXoMx_xI5Oi5EGwMPkDtPD2Vf2PzWZ-4_8EMKc-5Yn7h4AXOTpYs106pliXYyV1HHuup54TIxuU5qR2rFUI-Xu3nztJ54BnayTBDTWR-mPa9DdgVsuhFeJ8/s320/IMG-4750.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The whole time on the ship before we set sail was just a time of feeling in awe. Awe of being there. Awe of the beauty. Awe at the atmosphere of all the people. All of us guests were so happy to be there. And I think even happier were the crew members. Every single crew member we interacted with during that entire sailing was fabulous. I can't remember a single moment that didn't feel like something positive. I was genuinely happy to say hi to each one I passed, and I was genuinely said to say good bye at the end.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ikbal, Noel, Natasha, Darrell, Raf, Clive, all the photographers, those in merchandise, the crew in the Oceaneer Club - all of them exceeded any expectations and I am truly appreciative of them! They really helped bring out the magic of this sailing. And it felt like it hit me all at once during these first hours on the ship. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Times I cried: </p><p>- seeing the first crew member waving at us</p><p>- seeing Joey</p><p>- Joey announcing us to the ship</p><p>- Mickey and Minnie appearing and waving</p><p>- nearly every time the ship's horns went off</p><p>- when the people on the shore cheered loudly and all of the guests on the ship started cheering </p><p><br />That's just during this one video! All happy tears, fortunately!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRuruRdyRtdPiaIpNFFPMJfX0cOSAyCsQC0WfraWFpRDYm0PiPwpBYtcWPDg6Uf48evOsI9WiIvtqIpx7rKV_TuAV8SD7EcCLGASnJ94X7iOdBpYsVBk0FrP3_4VYfClSNZBlwpqlHoY/s2048/IMG-4759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRuruRdyRtdPiaIpNFFPMJfX0cOSAyCsQC0WfraWFpRDYm0PiPwpBYtcWPDg6Uf48evOsI9WiIvtqIpx7rKV_TuAV8SD7EcCLGASnJ94X7iOdBpYsVBk0FrP3_4VYfClSNZBlwpqlHoY/w640-h360/IMG-4759.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">If you ever have the opportunity to do a Disney cruise, don't pass it up! The feelings we used to get in the parks back in the day.... those feelings are well and alive on the ship! It has this feeling of old fashioned family moments. And that feeling gets even greater during the Merrytime cruises. Gosh, if only I could take my mom on one of those with me.......</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sc1od42Er8g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">See ya real soon!</span></div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-36700009556499955372021-08-23T19:13:00.000-07:002021-08-23T19:13:02.153-07:00Welcome to Our Disney Cruise Line Experience<p style="text-align: justify;">To make a long story short[er]....</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />I had to take vacation time at work. We looked up a Disney Cruise for the same week I had originally planned to be gone for a race. We found one with a military discount and couldn't pass it up. Meanwhile all cruises were being cancelled since March 2020, so we really didn't even think this would sail. Up until the last minute we were never positive it would and kept waiting for cancellation notices to come to our email. That never happened. Simultaneously we booked a Walt Disney World vacation with our DVC points and Military passes. Which vacation we would be on, we didn't know! It was fun, anxiety filled waiting game. In the end we were on the very first Disney Dream cruise to resume sailing since March 2020 when the pandemic shut it all down!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We created a vlog series to bring you along on the trip with us, but I thought <i>maybe</i> I'd try to add on any little things via the blog for those that enjoy reading things here! There are a bunch of videos of the Walt Disney World portion on our YouTube page if you are wanting to join us there as well! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So to begin let us jump to Embarkation morning at Saratoga Springs! The video is shared below, so I'm not going to just give a minute by minute account. Mostly just added thoughts or maybe explanation of things that didn't get said. I don't know! I'm making up this plan as I go along... 😁</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * * *</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVcZm1u7iPRMXeobh6a9190VTOKrTzeZp_LWY8h63ahjsrfgg0WS1ND0kTK3XJ1ar0dFiqt1FJtvkXIRRWcwAVlzBV7FGQT9I1Kh3Q5IjvrldI6ErX8IO8C2NZ6tpx1d58cpQ3K3h6TE/s2048/IMG-4706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVcZm1u7iPRMXeobh6a9190VTOKrTzeZp_LWY8h63ahjsrfgg0WS1ND0kTK3XJ1ar0dFiqt1FJtvkXIRRWcwAVlzBV7FGQT9I1Kh3Q5IjvrldI6ErX8IO8C2NZ6tpx1d58cpQ3K3h6TE/s320/IMG-4706.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was up late the night before getting everything packed. Disney Cruise Line would have our luggage picked up starting at 8am on embarkation morning. To me that meant get everyone up, dressed, teeth and hair brushed ready to go by 8am so when our suitcases were taken away we didn't have to bother carrying anything extra with us. Whatever they didn't take we would be responsible for the entire day until we got to our stateroom. This plan worked and we were ready to go. Luggage didn't get picked up until just about 10am!! You KNOW if I wasn't prepared they would have been there at 8 o'clock on the dot!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So far so good.... or so we thought!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Katura and I went up to get breakfast and bring it back to the room. That was all good, but we had failed to find an ATM. In Oregon we never grabbed cash for extra tips on the ship and what tip money we had for bus drivers I had already used. So we needed to find at ATM fast before boarding that bus. The ships are all done cash free. Things are charged to your room. You can use cash to tip for room service or extra gratuities to your servers. We prepay our required gratuities in advance, but like to add on at the end of the cruise to show just how awesome they are! So we needed that cash!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sure, it seems simple. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ATM at Saratoga was in an area closed for refurbishment. Since it was August in Florida and the surface of the sun we decided to hop a bus to Disney Springs at hit an ATM there. And then things went downhill so freaking fast. Of course the one time I decided to not vlog and just enjoy the ride is the time I put my phone in my pocket (which I NEVER do) and the time my phone falls out of my pocket and is left on the bus! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was instant panic. There are tonnnnns of buses in Walt Disney World. They don't just keep making the same circle over and over. My phone could be anywhere at this point! I had discovered it was missing only minutes after getting off, but once I ran back to the bus area it was long gone. Fortunately I knew where Guest Relations was and I was running to get there. The poor cast member that greeted me. I was sweaty, out of breath and crying. I had lost all of my photos, videos, records of things we needed to get onto the ship. What if someone found it, cracked my code and ended up accessing everything?? I had no idea what to do. I was prepared to run back to Saratoga to find that bus if that's what it took.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ1gsnStl1GsFzNjQ2XNsZEgTLGzuvtWWjcgUbstRFZ09pp2Fgo2rgZKfChb81CZHxQ9hWcBDuL2WBY-Di7R_Blw7N6J2HaBj6l-WX2vqXWnxJ-SmVQN_MUSc8q2dmreB6vdJjdDE86w/s2048/IMG-4711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ1gsnStl1GsFzNjQ2XNsZEgTLGzuvtWWjcgUbstRFZ09pp2Fgo2rgZKfChb81CZHxQ9hWcBDuL2WBY-Di7R_Blw7N6J2HaBj6l-WX2vqXWnxJ-SmVQN_MUSc8q2dmreB6vdJjdDE86w/s320/IMG-4711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Fortunately for me I had noticed our bus had <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> on it. And I knew we got on just after 10am because I had heard the horse races music thing playing just as we were walking to the bus stop. These were key in getting my phone back! They only have ONE Guardians bus!! Still it seemed things weren't moving fast enough. I had to get back to Saratoga and be checked in for the DCL bus by 12:15. WDW is HUGE!! I was going to do whatever it took to get that phone back. Meanwhile I was trying to get the DCL app on Katura's phone I gave her to use for music. That phone was too old, the app wouldn't work. Dang it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I suggested to Shawn that he retrace my steps since I was still needed at Guest Relations. Off he went. Katura sat with me and tried to help me feel better and tell me it would all be alright. She was so sweet. I ended up using my iPad to message my mom so she knew I was out of touch possibly until I was home in Oregon. Meanwhile Shawn was back at the bus stop and calling my phone non-stop. I remember I had turned the sound on, so hopefully someone would hear the Oga's Cantina song from <i>Star Wars</i> playing in the back of the bus and grab my phone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once Guest Relations sent Katura and I on our way I was that mom walking through Disney Springs back to the bus stop with my iPad out trying to use FaceTime. I mean it was a good idea I guess, but it was trying to call using my phone, which obviously wasn't going to be working right now. Quickly, stressed and just broken down feeling I arrived back where the Sheriff deputy was with the security dog. He could tell I was in a state and asked if I needed help. I told him I was looking for my lost phone and that my husband had been retracing my steps. He directed me around the corner to the Disney transportation lost and found. Guest Relations never even mentioned this little gem to me!! I hurried that way and I spotted Shawn. He had a big smile and was waving me to him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OScEh1nZrJg8ySznQSJVy4z0FuhYYUzQIDRAhd4Bz8EF4gwBiGYGN_DZ1WRdq6K0ASLZK48VJAqgDD7EY_42OaVwDdglFPsYzEvnbVF_KWeaxOQYzLO0jSfYh8tGy4Ze7wEhJPnOycw/s2048/IMG-4713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OScEh1nZrJg8ySznQSJVy4z0FuhYYUzQIDRAhd4Bz8EF4gwBiGYGN_DZ1WRdq6K0ASLZK48VJAqgDD7EY_42OaVwDdglFPsYzEvnbVF_KWeaxOQYzLO0jSfYh8tGy4Ze7wEhJPnOycw/w640-h360/IMG-4713.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a Disney miracle you guys!! We think a fellow guest found my phone and gave it to the driver, Jean. I am so incredibly thankful that he broke the rules and answered it during one of Shawn's calls! I remember as a Cast Member we weren't allowed to do anything with a guest phone that was found other than take it to Guest Relations at the end of the day. Well my phone was now at Disney's Caribbean Beach resort and on its way back to Disney Springs! When I saw that Guardians bus come into sight I was just a bundle of nerves and joy. All 3 of us were eagerly waving at him as he pulled up to a stop. Jean appeared and had my phone in hand. Shawn immediately called it, and he was able to match the face on it to all of us... and I was reunited!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our cruise could officially begin!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So that's the behind the scenes story of this video that obviously didn't make the vlog due to the previously mentioned story!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YU9OKxR2bSk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">See ya real soon!</div>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-64876484179946590912021-08-22T20:48:00.005-07:002021-08-22T20:51:34.611-07:00Did the Blog Become a VLOG?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKAdp778XzKyWYtcDyjjMR7_t8iJuC1c2mlJoj5QLqrj4KWtJVQZoHmIJ1sVH9VcignjzCxTru6fqo8VftU982NFolDPLvy4gzA9jqydmEC1RIaMYNf5os-PGo_F8JMD_df1NP8ly2KQ/s2048/1244-238318-D+Magic+Pluto-523_GPR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKAdp778XzKyWYtcDyjjMR7_t8iJuC1c2mlJoj5QLqrj4KWtJVQZoHmIJ1sVH9VcignjzCxTru6fqo8VftU982NFolDPLvy4gzA9jqydmEC1RIaMYNf5os-PGo_F8JMD_df1NP8ly2KQ/s320/1244-238318-D+Magic+Pluto-523_GPR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Wow. I haven't posted anything since January 2021! One could say it is because I haven't had anything interesting worth blogging about happen. One would be wrong!!<p></p><p>It's been quite a year! Everything was at such a halt last year so plans that had to be put on hold all suddenly started to happen. And then unexpected plans came to life. But instead of writing about all of them we sort of developed a new family hobby. We? Yes, my 5 year old daughter and I! </p><p>She loves watching other kids on YouTube so she wanted to start vlogging and making her own videos. We experimented with it in November 2020 with our mother daughter trip alone to Walt Disney World. No idea what we were doing, but we sure had fun with it! So much fun that it has become a thing.
We mostly vlog our vacations, but we have added in other little things like trips to the Wildlife Safari or even a shopping challenge and school graduation. So yeah, life hasn't stopped - it is just very different, like it is for all of us. </p><div>I actually spend quite a bit of time editing our videos. From our latest trip I have an obscene amount of data. I filled my phone and had to airdrop files to my iPad multiple times so we would have available space left on my phone to keep making videos and taking photos. But why do all of this? Because it is fun! Katura and I have so much fun watching our old videos. We always laugh and reminisce together. It seems we each always come up with a new memory that the videos help bring back to the surface, and then we like to share stories with each other about it. I keep learning more and more about things she has done without me just from us watching our videos together! </div><div><br /></div><div>So yes, the world CAN watch them, but we make them for us and don't really expect others to join. What are they like? Some money-making YouTube people have a lot of promotions in them, sometimes subtle, other times too in your face. Some vloggers seem to try to be the next Travel Channel host. Some never stop using selfie mode. We aren't like them. I guess our style of vlogging is bringing viewers along with us like you are part of our travel party. Heck at times we talk to you, we ask you questions, we ask you for help, we offer to carry you so your feet don't get tired! There is no goal of raking in views and likes and subscriptions and comments or money. We just do it for fun and a way to remember our trips. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is so funny how just a little video ...<i> they are too long for some, but trust me, I edit!! I usually have an hour worth of footage that I reduce down to try to get to 25 minutes or less!!</i> .... anyway... a little video can bring back so many memories and emotions. What might be nothing to a viewer feels so different to we girls that lived it. The video I just edited of the Disney Dream leaving Port Canaveral, oh my gosh... I can't even describe how it felt at the time and how it feels watching it. Walking onto that ship was just I don't even know the word. I'm not lying when I say I started crying before we even got to the ship and I could see all the crew eagerly awaiting our arrival. Then they say your name and it gets so real! When we were on our verandah and heard those Disney horns... goose bumps central. Leaving the Port there were so many people at the beach and docks and local restaurants there to wave and cheer as we went by. We directly interacted with so many of them and it just felt so surreal. Like we were in a movie but it was our real life and it was happening. And this is why we vlog. We get to keep reliving those moments that make words escape my fingers.</div><div><br /></div><div>We happily invite you to join us on our vacation! Lucky for you it is completely free and you don't have to worry about your suitcase weighing too much or smelling any smells of sweating laundry and dirty shoes! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNLZnxyOLvLSloI7gXEmoFg/" target="_blank">Our YouTube Page can be found here.</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sc1od42Er8g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448880874882116700.post-82230249714802651292021-01-03T15:32:00.000-08:002021-01-03T15:32:38.207-08:00The 2020 Recap. What Was That Anyway?<p style="text-align: justify;">You can't have a blog and not do a yearly review, right? As I stand here typing this I find myself wondering what the heck DID happen in 2020? I shall consult my Facebook photo album of 2020 to see what happened and maybe discover things I forgot? I don't know. Hold my hand, and let's get to it....</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">January</span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>- </b>It looks like we started off the year optimistic. Ha, didn't we all sort of?!? Katura and I were busy training for the Eugene Half Marathon and Eugene Kid Races. She was also taking swimming lessons. We were very busy being busy!</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVnXRGkjMyfLZJGPh5rA8WfrblvrENo-10_gFAg2TWTY_IFZkZXt_Jmf6Vxp9bGxQy26pQnUTNOahaSTJN___w80gXUjMOEVUkQr_ID7SKFi6-WBYpxzLN5PBUaKKINta0BC5opzLdYs/s960/january+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVnXRGkjMyfLZJGPh5rA8WfrblvrENo-10_gFAg2TWTY_IFZkZXt_Jmf6Vxp9bGxQy26pQnUTNOahaSTJN___w80gXUjMOEVUkQr_ID7SKFi6-WBYpxzLN5PBUaKKINta0BC5opzLdYs/w320-h320/january+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>February </b></span>- I'm scared to even look.... Ooh - we had some freaking awesome moments!!! Let's start with the parents day out...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4Sfp9a4nvcdLJHchAsbQ6XjwVkcYXH58zD6X64pEMTUtz4O9iMWRFM5UkGrqZoi0C8LsU0MxcywuOYsZ3BHVxHWfRdj05oSC20FkiuTaTXHa5XWbtYJLC4BMVrZYv2va2CWQWfllzZQ/s960/february+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4Sfp9a4nvcdLJHchAsbQ6XjwVkcYXH58zD6X64pEMTUtz4O9iMWRFM5UkGrqZoi0C8LsU0MxcywuOYsZ3BHVxHWfRdj05oSC20FkiuTaTXHa5XWbtYJLC4BMVrZYv2va2CWQWfllzZQ/s320/february+1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineCajICPzcUlhnOe48JC9wSx0SWwBmQfBVVGBa9fg74YmvJCkW3XTAj_LKhDf8XtPdBSTWik0BGPdxrfvlH9aZyhmnQfGxCqP7eU4HhI85viXoJ8lcfE_1WsEHGJ69aALH9Ui1xVtWo0/s960/february+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineCajICPzcUlhnOe48JC9wSx0SWwBmQfBVVGBa9fg74YmvJCkW3XTAj_LKhDf8XtPdBSTWik0BGPdxrfvlH9aZyhmnQfGxCqP7eU4HhI85viXoJ8lcfE_1WsEHGJ69aALH9Ui1xVtWo0/w400-h400/february+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Shawn and I went up to Portland for the smallest Comic Con ever. BUT by it being small it actually led to some ridiculously cool moments. I freaking met Michael Rosenbaum!! And not just for this photo. We went to the <u>Smallville</u> panel and had second row seats in the center. Then I did the photo. Then I got his autograph and chatted quite a bit. THEN we were back to buy his Left on Laurel CD, and in the midst of that he took off to sing with a band, which led to us walking back to his table together. WHAT?!?! Plus we chatted with other celebs that were wandering around - like his dad from <u>Smallville</u>! And I brought home ridiculously cool art. February started so rad!!<br /><br />THEN we had the most fun birthday party ever! Katura's 5th birthday was <i>supposed</i> to be happening on a Disney Cruise, so I went big for her 4th, inviting her friends from school. The kids were freaking adorable, embracing the pirate theme, playing games, petting a snake, feeding animals AND getting a private encounter with a baby cheetah and its companion dog. That was totally the best time!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />March </span></b>- Oh March. Yeah, you happened. I had this chance to go pick up Katura at school during Crazy Hair day. I really miss those days of getting to go to her class. I loved seeing all of her little friends. They would always come tell me stuff, and it was just fun seeing her playing and learning with her classmates.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_74_lqA78LjxFAc57sU_wLFsiDzYwXjW8P3PR4IJxcrReXv7ASLDQ98LPaE-2VoBoZFHR_0t2UwxObbxvcp5rOcF8ETFu2UpXUZFuYjdG9ggsOFotIsDb_sjYONyr7akjYQCmZ4QyhTs/s960/march+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_74_lqA78LjxFAc57sU_wLFsiDzYwXjW8P3PR4IJxcrReXv7ASLDQ98LPaE-2VoBoZFHR_0t2UwxObbxvcp5rOcF8ETFu2UpXUZFuYjdG9ggsOFotIsDb_sjYONyr7akjYQCmZ4QyhTs/w400-h239/march+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I was still trying to be optimistic. Covid was suddenly a thing. People were hoarding toilet paper. Stores were insane. Everyone was on edge. While people were hitting Costco for that coveted toilet paper I was going there for camping supplies. Katura and I spent a day getting things together and practiced setting up a tent to be used for our August Ragnar trail relay. Sigh, optimism. That was cute. It is now January 2021 and I still have my gear and supplies ready to go....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3eNz8D0-KRKxCIL5VT5sVb0iUUFszsRpVWIOmT5RP-1cIivlB6wgJ0fOc9OIgLO-QJoehDtHvTRtyS2iE_efwoKsUki7O6QypkyvvxooiY_voM0_D-ajQd2ljhNn1-Do38CfncK2OAY/s960/march+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3eNz8D0-KRKxCIL5VT5sVb0iUUFszsRpVWIOmT5RP-1cIivlB6wgJ0fOc9OIgLO-QJoehDtHvTRtyS2iE_efwoKsUki7O6QypkyvvxooiY_voM0_D-ajQd2ljhNn1-Do38CfncK2OAY/s320/march+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was also in March that my scientific, logical brain decided I didn't want coworkers standing on top of me. I created a barricade that people still literally stepped right over encroaching on my space. So annoying. It took months for the rest of my work to get on board with social distancing. Some still won't do it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7yWAHN9rQ19CVd4LjxTQ5-lZ8upldRKipEQE-URlUhYqAu93cYIvyPuwrGp71R-6SZH0KbGXlsMaISmUcWkiyDWVfCVJkwSKUrkR-eOpnToj013zU7aIf6stOulJ0IZdvbaSJU3ndVc/s960/march+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7yWAHN9rQ19CVd4LjxTQ5-lZ8upldRKipEQE-URlUhYqAu93cYIvyPuwrGp71R-6SZH0KbGXlsMaISmUcWkiyDWVfCVJkwSKUrkR-eOpnToj013zU7aIf6stOulJ0IZdvbaSJU3ndVc/s320/march+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">April </span></b>- The inevitable happened. Our Ragnar Relay races were officially cancelled. I was so sad. I knew it would happen. It was the safest decision. But still I look forward to racing with friends.</div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-T0SbtARhgBDUWVcBQ6m1TvI5nppiiI7YdCeqW2mUjd3f6z9wTbEn4oaVx0XLzh6uQwvEurjwGZG92SEoLfzP5YI_OX5zKEcQFiLt0BQDdojfl2BpP4R5Qyg_HfHVbuB-NeamkPBQXE/s2064/April+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="2064" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-T0SbtARhgBDUWVcBQ6m1TvI5nppiiI7YdCeqW2mUjd3f6z9wTbEn4oaVx0XLzh6uQwvEurjwGZG92SEoLfzP5YI_OX5zKEcQFiLt0BQDdojfl2BpP4R5Qyg_HfHVbuB-NeamkPBQXE/w640-h198/April+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Our work sort of got on board with Covid safety, and we temporarily had alternate work schedules. Suddenly instead of working 4 hours a day 5 days a week I was working 8 hours a day every other week. It was strange. But it allowed me lunch hours to do some runs in different parts of town So I guess that's a positive. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5CQkiGIF2Zkyaa8JqjJYkkdXi08yWPi7fMET8-XpghiTSIywcg09r_1BC4poJ6FOEXMwpNyfFIo7YykRH8_gBuo4FUuZUBrZoqAnXutQ8SLUwzo7HVWPGNOTkgIrZwZIX-Ggl-WmafE/s960/april+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5CQkiGIF2Zkyaa8JqjJYkkdXi08yWPi7fMET8-XpghiTSIywcg09r_1BC4poJ6FOEXMwpNyfFIo7YykRH8_gBuo4FUuZUBrZoqAnXutQ8SLUwzo7HVWPGNOTkgIrZwZIX-Ggl-WmafE/s320/april+2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">May </span></b><b>-</b> Things were officially different. The Wildlife Safari became our home away from home since we can be socially distant in the safety of our own car. We did get to go into the aviary once, just Katura and I, and I was attacked by millions of birds. Terrifying. One went in my shirt. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBHgOmvnxvO7wV2Gr_-0tlAUsTOyjCyD379iY9oT-O7sq4pJmhycmdefg-NmajJWm7WG3A49A55cgQNTZ6dAPKHWMz4qxlFBr6AYv2UlKnE9Q0rRBi3vUXoqhESTORfM5jGnXvl7KTOw/s960/may+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBHgOmvnxvO7wV2Gr_-0tlAUsTOyjCyD379iY9oT-O7sq4pJmhycmdefg-NmajJWm7WG3A49A55cgQNTZ6dAPKHWMz4qxlFBr6AYv2UlKnE9Q0rRBi3vUXoqhESTORfM5jGnXvl7KTOw/s320/may+3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We had a family day away at the beach. Katura and I enjoyed the weather. Meanwhile, Shawn was remembering how our last beach day was in the Bahamas and he was cold, as seen by the photo below.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SEP3NFyURosmi4Nxg8I83M3ZBS2HApJ0_msdaNvjl27jL8lLD_3tH7SiOJ04IAeLK1mKMM-Lchy4jppCmQqDucqBE0XdLtLbmF5LwG13le3HW_bU2_js91dM4WgTeWu9knTzjVKWv7U/s960/may+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SEP3NFyURosmi4Nxg8I83M3ZBS2HApJ0_msdaNvjl27jL8lLD_3tH7SiOJ04IAeLK1mKMM-Lchy4jppCmQqDucqBE0XdLtLbmF5LwG13le3HW_bU2_js91dM4WgTeWu9knTzjVKWv7U/s320/may+2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is also when we began making masks and I was the only one wearing one at work. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR-RDqsu5oKxCQGKrlc4zisO9f3rZU8W4WHY0H6oumqanEbYYaLwr8YfC_V1j7wa3p82BfbXvxifPvOXq5CaccUGvV-ko9T_SQDyUIeXyk1z8TJ80uG5NfVjJ_yQ-fdng3bkugVjklr0/s1160/may+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR-RDqsu5oKxCQGKrlc4zisO9f3rZU8W4WHY0H6oumqanEbYYaLwr8YfC_V1j7wa3p82BfbXvxifPvOXq5CaccUGvV-ko9T_SQDyUIeXyk1z8TJ80uG5NfVjJ_yQ-fdng3bkugVjklr0/s320/may+1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">June</span></b> - June was bittersweet. Our family decided that we are all being careful and Katura could safely resume spending time with her Grandma after a couple months of far away hellos and phone calls/texting. We spent a lot of time out in the boat enjoying nature and avoiding people.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiZxDpNKHYOw0S8FUMpVlrCDmGSv6urIkjanILlul0Bvd6mX3aVdM1RFgBSS4sSoqwV4x4sFt9LW-wJeTy4jJaR7EMYIhr_gkWK5Ns2ZJNhOs8ETzkei00KCUK1ktvR8izd_7LJtBanA/s960/june+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiZxDpNKHYOw0S8FUMpVlrCDmGSv6urIkjanILlul0Bvd6mX3aVdM1RFgBSS4sSoqwV4x4sFt9LW-wJeTy4jJaR7EMYIhr_gkWK5Ns2ZJNhOs8ETzkei00KCUK1ktvR8izd_7LJtBanA/s320/june+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">School continued for Katura, while a lot of students weren't allowed to come back for a while. But one big change was that the classes were split and couldn't mix with each other. Katura had to leave many of her friends behind, which meant we would do good bye waves to her former class while we were in the parking lot. I miss those adorable little friends.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rtW0ZuhGFsj8yELF7cTp5-KzIRxY1uNuP8RmJ0PyTpRfidL1dF87Bf_QVOdhu9IUNqO4kCTxR_1IdRJewD4iooQ6G5MDkfuK5zrdEYNAF8zEm15aBMob75h-hqu7uhw-BNPPl3kqwgs/s960/june+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rtW0ZuhGFsj8yELF7cTp5-KzIRxY1uNuP8RmJ0PyTpRfidL1dF87Bf_QVOdhu9IUNqO4kCTxR_1IdRJewD4iooQ6G5MDkfuK5zrdEYNAF8zEm15aBMob75h-hqu7uhw-BNPPl3kqwgs/s320/june+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">July</span></b> - We got our Covid pet in July ... the Venus Fly Traps! These little ones lasted a long time, but they are no longer with us. We do have a larger plant now though! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyowNr1aya31wpbv2ygnDjsRxOFMqs_0vHJsxDqDzV_SHg0B4ZWsy_3auzi8TFQT035L9vtA_VLdCjfVANk2gIUSCerQS08RYl4r2vlMBZQBmc6DWFjwI3CsN-L2Mc4ZmvgXBs2k_VeA/s960/july+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyowNr1aya31wpbv2ygnDjsRxOFMqs_0vHJsxDqDzV_SHg0B4ZWsy_3auzi8TFQT035L9vtA_VLdCjfVANk2gIUSCerQS08RYl4r2vlMBZQBmc6DWFjwI3CsN-L2Mc4ZmvgXBs2k_VeA/s320/july+1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Katura and I spent a day at River Forks Park doing a princess photo shoot. We had so many great photos from that day. It was nice to just be out with no people around, having fun with costume changes and lots of imaginary play. She loved pretending to be Rapunzel jumping from her tower!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9apUGq2q_IOLdqoBQ2S2ZeRCjZDY3SSkzUJRrFnAgyVHawmXzayXDzYSoe1mwGZDLUexwHZT04ZT7mmyNtc0Iff2XjL88DaYZDi6_uon6I2DLxDqmLuOYW8P9z_00pCygs7dKVkcqCx8/s1944/july+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9apUGq2q_IOLdqoBQ2S2ZeRCjZDY3SSkzUJRrFnAgyVHawmXzayXDzYSoe1mwGZDLUexwHZT04ZT7mmyNtc0Iff2XjL88DaYZDi6_uon6I2DLxDqmLuOYW8P9z_00pCygs7dKVkcqCx8/s320/july+3.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That fun came to a halt when I ended up in the Emergency Room with still undiagnosed intense chest pains. I'd like to say they are over, but just last week I had to rush home from work to take some meds and lie down because of it. A heart attack was immediately checked for and ruled out, so that's good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwIwiRIq2D_-y2_iNOVSw9Ai5gRbHxMkhDs8ThsgsekjBkweiqAUWheCYliLyKAeSmxnFoexDc6hH8ZJqGXVDXDMiPznSgdWbrxXiaJWnQp8fVP7jpP6-fs_8ywaivlXsyoIUCb-PJDM/s960/July+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwIwiRIq2D_-y2_iNOVSw9Ai5gRbHxMkhDs8ThsgsekjBkweiqAUWheCYliLyKAeSmxnFoexDc6hH8ZJqGXVDXDMiPznSgdWbrxXiaJWnQp8fVP7jpP6-fs_8ywaivlXsyoIUCb-PJDM/s320/July+2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did not get to run a Ragnar this July. :(</div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">August </span></b>- August was busy!!!! First up, we learned how to do tie-dye! It was quite fun, but we never wear these things. Maybe I'll make a point to wear that shirt some day in 2021. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0U99OyCdFmdFVb9d_xyyivgnl04PaubSfHlPsx0MBZpuvpybgCIg2BW7lyGxBNBRJRTQD7YaRtEkypmSpLcjmvATvlKkUvwKFMYlFITH19X2u2TsvQmA7dXbe2GPbZZwBCxNvJrwHv0/s960/august+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0U99OyCdFmdFVb9d_xyyivgnl04PaubSfHlPsx0MBZpuvpybgCIg2BW7lyGxBNBRJRTQD7YaRtEkypmSpLcjmvATvlKkUvwKFMYlFITH19X2u2TsvQmA7dXbe2GPbZZwBCxNvJrwHv0/s320/august+1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Katura and her friend did summer camp at the Wildlife Safari. It was so cool when we got to have our own private animal encounter with the new Red Pandas. I never expected I'd be on the other side of the gates and feeding one of these little cuties, but it happened. Katura absolutely loved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iOsI3rBGmuao25jVfKnAIMNjFCVeXRJzHuRgULbNUBRMhlDDweKoiDNa_lphdGUrQjrNp1WBRdB2_p2IgwjkBNj3DGfNDfiPI4y8MPC8oEg4nPd0TgHaIu5jIJw3Rpi4O9GSNSKd4LA/s960/august+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iOsI3rBGmuao25jVfKnAIMNjFCVeXRJzHuRgULbNUBRMhlDDweKoiDNa_lphdGUrQjrNp1WBRdB2_p2IgwjkBNj3DGfNDfiPI4y8MPC8oEg4nPd0TgHaIu5jIJw3Rpi4O9GSNSKd4LA/w400-h300/august+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Did you even live in 2020 if you didn't get a <a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2020/08/my-corona.html" target="_blank">Covid test</a>??? </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcRyo_tyLvewF6yeJfpyGIU4H3SObAMnMAczfZTZ8y54mKk-cMBxm9GkbFjksg7G0-14_FOy6a-_7zNYG9ufoat_X9ksG6DdsUXG7pgK5MJAtpfbG8rNW_tNBjvDUim9h-H5nYwbXG2U/s960/august+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcRyo_tyLvewF6yeJfpyGIU4H3SObAMnMAczfZTZ8y54mKk-cMBxm9GkbFjksg7G0-14_FOy6a-_7zNYG9ufoat_X9ksG6DdsUXG7pgK5MJAtpfbG8rNW_tNBjvDUim9h-H5nYwbXG2U/s320/august+3.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I was soooo excited when my NordicTrack bike arrived!! Meniere's Disease makes running more and more challenging for me, so I decided maybe a bike would be a good way to cross-train when I am not able to get out and run. I seriously love it! Padded shorts are a must, FYI!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj295insxylch7QFLHAMlN9LNZllgGsdKcuwI8mQOoP0hwNpdj5NpYOD3eTLqkX6D5P7cnE7w_5I4WE2krF0KVHdcsavAAqjs2l7khbKJ9YtLmeqv0aGARESc85ArrYwmIB9yazyhfyd0Y/s960/august+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj295insxylch7QFLHAMlN9LNZllgGsdKcuwI8mQOoP0hwNpdj5NpYOD3eTLqkX6D5P7cnE7w_5I4WE2krF0KVHdcsavAAqjs2l7khbKJ9YtLmeqv0aGARESc85ArrYwmIB9yazyhfyd0Y/s320/august+4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Work was pressuring me to take time off because I had such a high vacation accrual, so I had a staycation in August. One of the highlights was a day on the North Umpqua River with my mom and Katura. We hiked up to Susan Creek Falls and had a lovely time. And it's a good thing we did....</div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByfaBBTiDdUR2kQ3C1nxNROAv4Oh_I60_-E5tU63yvR4DmB6ndxq3Fa_DA4I5pS30iP7-J1lru99yqMrbwnvOuvFJL3OGmdsnfzYflRO2524rfu0ZffISARP7yMIVnYLDROCNzn6ZT6k/s960/august+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByfaBBTiDdUR2kQ3C1nxNROAv4Oh_I60_-E5tU63yvR4DmB6ndxq3Fa_DA4I5pS30iP7-J1lru99yqMrbwnvOuvFJL3OGmdsnfzYflRO2524rfu0ZffISARP7yMIVnYLDROCNzn6ZT6k/s320/august+5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">September </span>- Fires tore through Oregon in September, and that trip we made to Susan Creek Falls in August would be the last time we saw it green for a long time. We girls made a drive that way after the fires were gone, and it was pure devastation. See the photo below - Homes with nothing left. Trees down everywhere. There was still the smell of smoke in the air and some pockets still had red embers burning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrlABHbORgA45ilovi2k6RF4HgVuCpOzCenL2hVNbdxeMZWa89vhCDm3ch3rgkUWeEk8GaN6S9s_Y52NOSjsoAOo-FyKTqnCZ2_HagfEaCmCwHIy8-jP3_D3t3jL6OGU1ECmhWVFwAz4/s960/september+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrlABHbORgA45ilovi2k6RF4HgVuCpOzCenL2hVNbdxeMZWa89vhCDm3ch3rgkUWeEk8GaN6S9s_Y52NOSjsoAOo-FyKTqnCZ2_HagfEaCmCwHIy8-jP3_D3t3jL6OGU1ECmhWVFwAz4/w400-h225/september+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/77FbhJC4pTM" width="320" youtube-src-id="77FbhJC4pTM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had crazy skies during the fires. But seriously, let's not do a repeat of that!!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW4qkzOhyiW55RPLrpn5b6cn_YGQnkYL7N7Cv7srbEuhhPl5qrtOLVZcQepKeElypxJBDLh8Mi0sbBsxtdnrjQwozzpkVXO1kEQBJpDACEWik88WraCvVEjmOp025JQJ-E6aFSec0xvo/s960/september+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW4qkzOhyiW55RPLrpn5b6cn_YGQnkYL7N7Cv7srbEuhhPl5qrtOLVZcQepKeElypxJBDLh8Mi0sbBsxtdnrjQwozzpkVXO1kEQBJpDACEWik88WraCvVEjmOp025JQJ-E6aFSec0xvo/s320/september+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even though she goes non-stop, the new school year started for Katura, and now she is one of the big kids! We parents aren't allowed inside the building anymore, so our daily routine is me dropping her off, she sanitizes her hands, I verify her temperature isn't high, and then we wave good bye to each other through the window. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hXXqYi0cGAYD83pE6xLT228skpUdf5LzkRta0LxhsEWu6hwBjZQCQWCCee0w_a6jmomdCSXSJUmvGyH1mXXUaowB6_vCikPGCjPTO7jJdyE35Ch5p_9PbXZFNs0UoPdW4jHTCFEa5Ew/s1202/september+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hXXqYi0cGAYD83pE6xLT228skpUdf5LzkRta0LxhsEWu6hwBjZQCQWCCee0w_a6jmomdCSXSJUmvGyH1mXXUaowB6_vCikPGCjPTO7jJdyE35Ch5p_9PbXZFNs0UoPdW4jHTCFEa5Ew/s320/september+3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">October </span></b><b>- </b>I did a lot of Legos in October. I did a lot of them all year. That was my Covid entertainment. 2021 is lining up to have a ton of construction as well! We also spent a lot of time embracing the Fall and Halloween! I should be showing Hawaii photos here. Hawaii closed. I had another staycation. Hmph.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For Halloween this year Katura was Uma (Ursula's daughter) from the Disney <i>Descendants </i>movies. I was her sidekick, Harry Hook (son of Captain Hook), although I changed it to be Harriet Hook. It was a very last minute costume idea but when you do pirate things a lot you can throw this type of stuff together quite easily! We didn't trick or treat, but we still took advantage of the day and dressed up for a very socially distant safe day at the Oregon Zoo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEjjaJZ7aIJCjpzeBB8oGWn_9oOXxp1HowBgkJnBe0dV_ccNwXibHoH4rL3_CCYd4r9Jo-KYrMRyh1pdqFyoF4IhRWXiaDPtiGytXIsHEfy8LH0DVVnKKoY36bsYdTJ4RlLXZcXlNLWk/s960/october+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEjjaJZ7aIJCjpzeBB8oGWn_9oOXxp1HowBgkJnBe0dV_ccNwXibHoH4rL3_CCYd4r9Jo-KYrMRyh1pdqFyoF4IhRWXiaDPtiGytXIsHEfy8LH0DVVnKKoY36bsYdTJ4RlLXZcXlNLWk/w400-h300/october+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We also spent a lot of time at Kruse Farms taking photos and trying the corn maze. Something was up with the maze this year. It was impossible to complete without cheating. The Wildlife Safari also had an awesome safe Halloween experience that I hope becomes a thing. It was a drive through the Safari in the dark, with treat stations set up and a contest to hunt for ghosts. We brought lights to find the animals in the dark. It was ridiculously fun!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMc8ObZ6J52mXLLHf1ialLkyvToRxVqjtzeNFi7i3kvpzhxiOXsCE7YOAshLtq4xc8m6wLQE8SMZq5ytjnes7CvHMP7vdx_0sXOm5gQwAPQZojZKDaBYOtnBnCOBd1F4FyRDkdbtoMXc/s960/october+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMc8ObZ6J52mXLLHf1ialLkyvToRxVqjtzeNFi7i3kvpzhxiOXsCE7YOAshLtq4xc8m6wLQE8SMZq5ytjnes7CvHMP7vdx_0sXOm5gQwAPQZojZKDaBYOtnBnCOBd1F4FyRDkdbtoMXc/s320/october+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The most important thing I did in October? Voted for Joe Biden.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBV9Lln4qR63BjV2T7iW0c0TnieYr1TdvItS7DzYhKrpeEbbH0G8pEqKG5ZVe4ZGKwubDEF4I2asas1BpTdXXruteXPAF1SkH5RrKGNBjnHFpOMJdY4Po6Sfy9B2ri8fJlDv1-LCMQs/s960/october+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBV9Lln4qR63BjV2T7iW0c0TnieYr1TdvItS7DzYhKrpeEbbH0G8pEqKG5ZVe4ZGKwubDEF4I2asas1BpTdXXruteXPAF1SkH5RrKGNBjnHFpOMJdY4Po6Sfy9B2ri8fJlDv1-LCMQs/s320/october+3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">November </span></b>- I'm 100% sure I was judged about how I started my November, and it wasn't a decision taken lightly. Katura and I were supposed to be in Disneyland. I had booked a surprise trip before Covid was ever discussed, and it was for the 1st week of November. There was a lot of homework done when making a decision on what to do that week since work really wanted me on vacation. Mental health is important and I was going stir crazy, so our family discussed it and Katura and I safely pulled off a vacation in Walt Disney World. It's been said so many times that Disney feels safer than a grocery store right now. Raise an eyebrow all you want, but it really does! It was a mother daughter trip that was soooo much fun. A completely different Disney experience, but completely positive and safe! They have this stuff down and I have absolutely no regrets! Plus, I got to reunite with Vinny!! If you've ready any of my Disney life blogs then you already know about him. Katura and his daughter hit it off and I sense a reunion of those girls sooner than later!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEJOccidM1h_nCK4ejDSydm3CZIMaWanWBa1SrAM0pTOinhCtDxq6lMEeVof9T6bxvV2fDgccAqv6ItUg_ZmkHHFrqHKEJfrFgRl6-zd9ZHlq-_Dp6nWeaa3Qfom3Xkwa5TZkLJLLtbY/s2048/8dd02729-5267-4a2d-835f-4728da7bb794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEJOccidM1h_nCK4ejDSydm3CZIMaWanWBa1SrAM0pTOinhCtDxq6lMEeVof9T6bxvV2fDgccAqv6ItUg_ZmkHHFrqHKEJfrFgRl6-zd9ZHlq-_Dp6nWeaa3Qfom3Xkwa5TZkLJLLtbY/w400-h266/8dd02729-5267-4a2d-835f-4728da7bb794.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">We turned into vloggers on this trip. Feel free to check our videos out if you're so inclined.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GriJ8U6RrgI" width="320" youtube-src-id="GriJ8U6RrgI"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Other than Disney our November was nice and quiet. We did the Safari like we always do, and just hung out enjoying life amid all the political chaos that is swamping this country. This was the first time I wasn't with my mom on Thanksgiving, and I managed to pull off cooking our family a complete and tasty dinner!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6EGsmztLaFChyphenhyphennvB9Pom-9i4nAZ0zd0Nw2KylBPVwWDdUt2c3FPPjVtMonx_QE4XGvb4a4epAboiDGzxgbUh9Qu4YzqeUk_plzJNkXqkjmrNAqAnozn_8aGtScL6BYuyzzhHu9O-8YQ/s960/november+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6EGsmztLaFChyphenhyphennvB9Pom-9i4nAZ0zd0Nw2KylBPVwWDdUt2c3FPPjVtMonx_QE4XGvb4a4epAboiDGzxgbUh9Qu4YzqeUk_plzJNkXqkjmrNAqAnozn_8aGtScL6BYuyzzhHu9O-8YQ/s320/november+1.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">December </span></b><b>-</b> There was an incident on Thanksgiving. It involved a 4 year old, scissors and my hair. So now I have what feels like short hair! </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLspVWYk2G0PGneKade2ox1GQLna_7MLOVj3CHTFZYY25nc01vh9BcFlv4texhGovMVut-jqVuFWRlvZn4TIsHNeCNU-IPB9v-3p3P07p7qYeB95pz0MAXMbn-XL-E-mmufMLt8Z2mt-E/s960/december+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLspVWYk2G0PGneKade2ox1GQLna_7MLOVj3CHTFZYY25nc01vh9BcFlv4texhGovMVut-jqVuFWRlvZn4TIsHNeCNU-IPB9v-3p3P07p7qYeB95pz0MAXMbn-XL-E-mmufMLt8Z2mt-E/s320/december+1.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Our family participated in a 24 hour race to raise money for local families in need this holiday season. You can read about that by <a href="http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/2021/01/that-one-race-i-did-in-2020.html" target="_blank">clicking right there</a>.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeM6rNv8WL-GU-nhbEPDLTqjSUP6w3tp7lsvui4i335fb9LtbHIqODlnpXB2wvruPpABF0m1eENCyNaJzVhT7EnXPzptp9GkPQUggJ1sXUELbKXL-k_Lv05hUaPrJ6z6456kXZ36Ai9s/s665/december+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="665" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeM6rNv8WL-GU-nhbEPDLTqjSUP6w3tp7lsvui4i335fb9LtbHIqODlnpXB2wvruPpABF0m1eENCyNaJzVhT7EnXPzptp9GkPQUggJ1sXUELbKXL-k_Lv05hUaPrJ6z6456kXZ36Ai9s/w640-h358/december+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We had a lot of fun decorating for Christmas, shopping online, wrapping gifts, singing Christmas songs and planning fun things coming up in the very near future. It wasn't a bad month really, all things considered. And we wrapped up the year with a sunny bike ride in our neighborhood. Can't complain about that!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ3qxCyqLStOozOnF8M2Q07ww3cynhhA_VQzXDdZE2ZlUjBfdinNP93PhT3XXN7qChLlJM3pQqO3mcMcjAOUX3FDutOCcargZ5lhqYdOg-lmHLuzO4wmN1mhZceOmv5FcOAyQhoGAO_0/s960/december+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ3qxCyqLStOozOnF8M2Q07ww3cynhhA_VQzXDdZE2ZlUjBfdinNP93PhT3XXN7qChLlJM3pQqO3mcMcjAOUX3FDutOCcargZ5lhqYdOg-lmHLuzO4wmN1mhZceOmv5FcOAyQhoGAO_0/w300-h400/december+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Recap:</span></b> Things not mentioned - we gained a bunch of turkeys as our new "pets". I have 16 that I keep track of. They started out little and are gaining in size all the time. I adore them. They make the cutest noises. While gaining "pets" I also lost family members. My Grandpa passed away first, and thanks to Covid I didn't get to see family or anything during that. Then my step-dad's mom passed away. And on Thanksgiving his dad passed away. I learned a lot about people this year - not always the best things. I learned what businesses I'm not going to be a patron of anymore based on their behaviors during a pandemic. I sit quietly watching things and damn, our country is just an embarrassing mess. I do have a very impressive collection of masks now! I make a lot of them, and I even know how to wear them properly. Our family did the whole social distancing thing and our normal busy summer days with people over at the river or pool didn't happen. Vacations were cancelled, postponed and altered. I enjoyed not eating out in restaurants. They are too noisy for me anyway. I missed not racing. I miss not getting to go IN Katura's school. I don't even know where her classroom this year is, but her teacher is great and sends us photos periodically so we can see what they are all up to. Katura is loving school and loves making friends, so that's been the highlight for our year!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Looking forward to 2021:</span></b> Who knows what to even expect at this point. I'm being optimistic as always. As of now our Ragnar Relays are scheduled to happen, with Covid modifications. I deferred my Eugene Half Marathon entry to 2022 because I don't want to pay $$$ to do a virtual race at home. I want the experience. In case the 2021 race doesn't happen I am set for 2022! I have fun trips on the calendar, more than I'd expect - thanks to 2021 Covid plans and all that adjusting we had to do. Katura will begin Kindergarten this year and she is soooo excited! We just have to make the big decision of WHERE to go. Private school sure has been nice, I'll miss it! Hopefully I'll get to see more friends in 2021. I really miss the Enchanted Forest, so let's hope that can be a more "normal" experience this year. And I guess we just continue to wait...... for Mandalorian season 3!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Fruit Flyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10747205899650070873noreply@blogger.com0