supermodels

I'd prefer not to divulge where this picture was taken, but don't we look pretty??

Chinese freeze tag

Anissa tagged me for a game of "Chinese Freeze Tag".

Here's how to play: I'll write 10 interesting facts (or not so interesting) facts about me and/or habits of mine. I'm supposed to tag 10 people, but I think I'll just leave it open for whomever would like to play.

1. I love to bowl. I'm not particularly good at it, but I did learn a few good tips when I took beginner bowling in college. I have my own bowling ball which I'm pretty sure intimidates people. ;)

2. My nose is always red. If I had a good sense of direction, you could call me Rudolph, but I don't...so don't even think about it!!

3. I nair my arms sometimes.

4. I have a freckle just underneath my left eye. When I put on eyeliner, it looks smudged (and not in a good way). It's VERY frustrating.

5. I have the coolest nieces and nephews ever to be born. They in turn seem to think that I am the coolest aunt ever to be born, which, of course I am.

6. I was afraid of using the phone for many years. So afraid that I couldn't even order my own food at training table (you order from your booth via telephone). I've gotten a lot better though in the last several years, thanks to jobs that centered around phone calls.

7. I can't bend my left thumb and I don't know why.

8. I love staring at myself in reflective surfaces. I'm a little narcissistic.

9. I chew gum pretty much 24/7 and my current favorite flavor is Mint Mojito. It's super delicious.

10. I think I've only been to the grocery store twice in the last month, and that was only for milk and cheerios. I have absolutely no idea how I've fed myself...I can't have eaten out for every single meal (besides breakfast) right?!

guilt

This has been the worst week ever as far as being healthy and active goes. I think I ran for 10 minutes on Monday, and that is all. As for my diet, I have gone off the deep end. 85% of all of the food I have consumed has been either fried, full of sugar, or both. I find it ironic that I have gotten more compliments about my smaller frame this week than in the last 3 months combined. I feel so guilty even accepting these very sincere compliments and instead of politely saying thank you, I have felt the need to confess my every sin, which is just unnecessary. So tomorrow I start anew. I just downloaded a new workout mix, I'm going to start my training program from the very beginning, and I'm going to stop eating sugar.

In related news, I got an email on Friday confirming my registration for the St. George marathon. When I read this email, I thought this meant that I had made the lottery and I immediately started crying, but I don't think they were tears of joy. It wasn't until an hour or so later I realized that this email just means they got my form. They haven't done the lottery yet. I guess we know how I REALLY feel about it. On one hand, I hope I don't get in, because running is HARD, and running 26.2 miles in one shot seems nearly impossible. On the other hand, I know that I need a tangible goal to keep running, and I know how great I'll look and feel if I have something such as a marathon to be training for. The lottery takes place on Thursday I believe. I'll keep you posted.

My week in pictures

Again, I found random pics on my phone. Maybe this will turn into a regular piece here on "My life through a camera lens..."

This is a page from the book "The Bureau and the Mole." I took this picture to give to my co-worker who apparently made a cameo in the book.

This is part of the menu at Gordon Biersh, have you ever heard of wahoo? Sounds a little sketchy to me!!


I went to Philly for work and in the mall there they had this can art exhibit. It was pretty cool.

My leg's maiden voyage into the sun. Not the most flattering picture, as I believe I have the most unattractive knees in the history of humans. Not to mention the fact that they're almost transparent!

Matthew, putting a discarded pinata to good use.

I love JIM!

How cute is he?! It looks like my office crush will be providing the voice for Lancelot in Shrek the Third. I'm so excited!!

Mmm...cake! Part 2

It's 4:30 p.m....almost time to go home. I'm mourning my cake. I can't stop thinking about it. It won't be there to have first thing when I walk in the house. What will I eat with my milk? Maybe there isn't any garbage on top of it and I can still get it.

4 things about me

I have seen a bunch of you post something similar, but my sister emailed me this one which I feel obligated to reply to (only kidding)

Four places I have lived during my life:

1. Arlington, VA
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. College Park, MD
4. McLean, VA

Four Places I have worked during my life:

1. Stampin' Up!
2. US Senate
3. University of Utah Registrar's Office
4. One Hour Martinizing

Four TV shows I like to watch:

1. The Office
2. Ugly Betty
3. 30 Rock
4. Lost
*It's a miracle that there isn't even one reality show to be found on my list!!*

Four Vacationed Places:

1. New York City
2. Savannah, GA
3. Cancun
4. Myrtle Beach, SC

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Funeral potatoes
2. Steak, medium rare
3. french fries with fry sauce
4. chips and guacamole

Four Places I would rather be right now:

1. on a warm beach
2. curled up on my bed with my most comfy down comforter
3. watching a movie
4. eating something...anything...I'm STARVING!

Four things I would like to do:

1. Take some real photography classes
2. Buy a nice digital SLR, like the Canon 20D, so that I can make the most of the aforementioned photography classes
3. buy a house (or a condo, or really any type of property)
4. love running (not just tolerate the torture)

Four things I am proud of:

1. Not giving up on my running
2. Getting my degree, it's kind of a miracle I graduated. I was such a lazy student!
3. Moving to DC, away from most of my family and all of my friends
4. Taking risks, getting out of my comfort zone every now and then. I am very much a creature of habit.

Mmm...cake!

I just received this email and thought I'd share. I'm sure many of you can relate.

*All names and other identifying details have been omitted to protect the innocent*

I followed your counsel and went home and threw away the coconut cake (after eating three pieces, that is). Actually _____ threw it away and didn't do a very good job because it was on the top of the waste basket in the kitchen and I almost scooped off some of the clean top. _____ isn't a food junkie and so doesn't know that when you throw away food you have to put it in the outside can and make sure there is junk on top of it.

Money bags

the very nice taxman (who is happy that you filed your taxes!) has given you a $100.00 'virtual' refund. you can 'spend' this money to update one item in your wardrobe.what item do you choose? is it a favorite pair of every-day jeans that have gotten so faded they need to be replaced? do you need a new skirt because you've lost weight since last spring? how about exercise outfits? new shoes? a funky top for date night?are you clothes savvy? or clothes shy? do you
buy multiple versions of the same shirts in every color? do you buy 'outfits' or
do you mix-n-match separates? what's the oldest item of clothing you have that
you simply can't part with? will you blow the $100.00 on one fabulous item, or
will you be combing the clearance racks??

Wow, out of all of the SPT challenges, this has by far been the most difficult, as evidenced by my delay in posting. I've been racking my brain as to what I would buy with my virtual money and I couldn't think of one single solitary thing. I credit this to the fact that I pretty much buy whatever I feel I want or need. I probably could use a belt so that I'm not always pulling up my pants that I have to purchase in a slightly larger size thanks to the thunder thighs I inherited from my father, but belts aren't fun! I would get a swimsuit because I think this is the first year I won't be totally embarrassed to bare a little skin, but I just bought this swimsuit top in olive yesterday (see, I need/want it, I get it!)



Luckily, for the sake of the challenge, I went with my friend Holly to the mall for dinner, and we stopped in Aldo. I found something I would love to have, but would never spend the money on...



(sorry, no pics with me modeling them, this was the last pair and I am DEFINITELY not a size 6)

And since these challenges center around self portraits, I'll include a random picture of me that I found on my cell phone.



I don't know WHAT this face is, but the coat was another I like it, so I must need it, so I bought it. :)

Talk about procrastination

I have the hardest time completing tasks. Maybe I have ADD or maybe I'm just lazy, I'm not sure. Regardless, this means I have about a million partially finished projects floating around my room: several knitted blankets in various stages of completion, good mail for someone who had a birthday a month ago, the "beautiful" iron-ons I haven't sent out (I still plan on sending them, it just might take me a while).

Another thing that has been sitting mostly completed on my desk was an application to be a volunteer at the children's hospital in DC. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to work with children in a hospital setting. This dates back 15 years or so when I was asked by a neighbor to go hang out with his daughter who was in the hospital for spinal meningitis while he went to be with his wife who was also hospitalized for spinal meningitis, but in a different hospital. It was one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done. To be able to relieve a little of the burden and stress that this family was feeling, as well as being able to get this little girls mind off of what she was going through, if only for a little bit, was just awesome. In college I contemplated a career as a Child Life Specialist, which is someone who helps children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful healthcare experiences, but decided against the program because I was lazy (man do I regret that!!). Six months ago I decided that I needed to spend less of my time laying in bed watching tv, and more time doing fufilling activities, so I decided to look into volunteering in the hospital downtown. I printed out the application several times before I started filling it out. I stopped at one point because I didn't have all of the information necessary. On a separate occasion I had it complete except for one question, which I wanted to compose before writing it on the page. That was three months ago, and I have thought about it several times with every intention to finish it up and send it off...I never did. I decided that today was the day! I printed off a fresh application, filled it out (in one sitting) and put it in an envelope. I stopped short of sending it off because I didn't have a stamp at work, but now that I'm home I can put a stamp on and put it in the mail. I'm super excited about it. I attend an orientation session next month and after that will find out if I'm selected. I'm hoping that I have the background and qualifications that they are looking for. I really want this! I guess I'll find out next month!

Look what I found

Sometimes I take pictures with my phone and then forget about them. Here are some I've taken over the last few weeks (with explanations of course).

This is how thin I WISH I was. If only I could stand in front of that pillar forever!! *sigh*

I found this dead Christmas tree when I was out for a run...no, not in January, TWO WEEKS AGO!!

This is what I look like sitting in an airport at 5:30 am after being awake since 3:00 am. I don't even have enough energy to smile!

This is cute Abby and I. Notice how I have no lips...yeah, they're completely flesh colored. Hot huh?! This is why I cannot live without lipgloss. I need to give my lips dimension somehow!

This is a page from my niece and nephews new book. When you pull the arrow (where it says "all dogs pee") the dogs leg raises and you see a stream of pee (if you look closely you can see it)


My cousin discovered the website peteranswers.com, it's like a tarot reading site and you ask it questions and it gives you answers. Check out the question, it was right on. How freaky is that?!

Running frustrations

Two weeks ago I successfully completed a 10 mile run. You would think that my diligent training of the past few months would mean that I would have no problem sustaining a certain level of physical activity. Not so! Since my race I have struggled and struggled to run. I've pushed myself as far as I could and still I can barely run two miles at a time. Not only to my feet cramp (more on this later) but I don't think my lungs can handle it. I have absolutely no stamina. I would have expected that working out 5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes would condition my lungs to be able to endure that physical activity, but I'm dying after 10 minutes or so. What am I doing wrong?! Also, I don't know if I just have a short stride, but I watch all these women on the treadmills next to me running effortlessly at a speed of 6.0 when I feel like I'm sprinting at 5.0. I hate it. I mentioned that my feet were cramping. It's this crazy pain on the outside (I don't know what that part of my foot is called, the long skinny part next to the arch) and the last time I ran it was tender for hours after. I know I should probably see a doctor for that but I don't know what kind of doctor to see. Do I see a podiatrist or do I see an orthopedist?! I want to love running, I really do, but I can't tell you how many times I've just wanted to quit. At this point, the only reason I still run is that I have committed to run more races. It just sucks that I don't see myself improving at all. While I might be able to push myself further, I don't see myself in any different position than I was when I first started.

Can you relate? Do you have any brilliant ideas? Do you know what kind of doctor I should see? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Despite their identical temperatures today...

...I wish I was STILL in Utah. It is too late in the year to be wearing my wool coat and drinking peppermint tea and hot chocolate in the office to keep warm. Mother Nature, we are OVER! I am through putting up with your teasing.

Washington, DC
56°F Clear Wind: NW at 24 mph Humidity: 34%
Today 54° 39°
Sat 54° 42°
Sun 50° 36°
Mon 52° 34°

Salt Lake City, UT
56°F Mostly Cloudy Wind: NW at 16 mph Humidity: 26%
Today 56° 37°
Sat 67° 41°
Sun 58° 37°
Mon 60° 39°

Ooh, did anyone watch The Office last night? Probably one of my most favorite episodes EVER. Man I love that show!!

Dear One Republic,

Release an album already!! How dare you tease me like this! I don't want to have to go to your myspace page every time I want to listen to your awesome music, and as much as I love the Apologize remix on Timbaland's album (yes, of course I bought it, and yes yours is my favorite track), I like the original better. Oh what I wouldn't give to be able to listen to your music on my ipod, in my car, while I'm running, while I'm doing anything and everything!! Please...I'm begging you...PLEASE!

Hugs and kisses,
Your newest and biggest fan

Family/Fun filled weekend (the play by play)

I headed out to Utah Easter weekend to celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday, lucky for me it coincided with Easter Sunday. I was supposed to leave straight from work on Friday afternoon to catch the 5:00 pm flight, but upon realizing that I would be one of three people in the office with absolutely nothing to do, i looked into leaving earlier. Luckily my personal travel agent Ben informed me of Delta's Same Day Confirm policy, which means that if you want a different flight on the same day of your originally booked travel, you can call three hours prior to your desired flight and provided there is a seat available, you can change your ticket for 25 dollars. AWESOME!! We had determined that there were several seats on the 6:30 am flight so we made a plan to change my ticket, meaning I had to be up at 3:30 to make the change. Luckily Benny lives in Utah and didn't mind staying awake until 1:30 his time to help me out. The successful change meant that I had to leave for BWI (in Baltimore, 45 minutes away from my house) around 4:00 am. This was after I had gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep the night before. This little sleep trend would continue through the weekend. I got to Utah at 11:00 am, dropped my dad off at work and met my friend Kelli (come back to DC, I miss you!!!) at the hair supply store by my house (I love happy coincidences like that) and had a nice time catching up for a bit. After that I stopped at Marti and Tony's (my brother) house to give the little ones hugs and kisses and to meet their new teeny dog Sam. Then Amanda (my sister) stopped by and she and I ran a few errands (she to Xpedx and I to Crown Burger) and then dropped by my Grandpa's house with M&T to sing happy birthday and eat pound cake. While we were there G-pa let me scratch some of the 91 New York lotto scratchers that my Uncle Denny and his girlfriend Judy had given to him for his birthday. I won a dollar (for him of course)! Man those things are fun! I think by the end of the weekend he had won 87 dollars. Not too shabby!! On our way home, Amanda and I stopped by her niece (and my friend and surrogate family until they moved back to Utah from DC) to say hello. She has the cutest kids and Drew had drawn me a plane which is now being displayed at my parents house. They have a very artistic family! I don't know what time it was by this point but I had definitely been up for more than 12 hours and I was WASTED! On my way home I stopped at the gas station to stock up on energy drinks. I bought two 20 oz cans and slammed them in the span of 5 minutes. This is Tony helping me finish up the last of it. Needless to say I was fine the rest of the evening.

I then went up to my friend Triscia's house to catch up with a few friends from high school. Both she and Kate (who also came) were pregnant and I realized that this was the first time I had ever seen any of my friends, or family members for that matter, pregnant. It was fun catching up with Trish and Glen and see their two cute boys, Kate and her little dirt loving girl Ivy, and Ben (mentioned above) and his fiance Silvana. It was a fun evening, although I must say (and I hate that I'm admitting it) that I felt a little left out in the conversation that consisted mainly of babies, being pregnant and getting engaged. I just don't relate to any of that at this point in my life. Kind of sad.

(me, Glen, Triscia, Ben, Silvana, Kate)

Saturday started off with a Clawson tradition of scones (we eat ours with butter and syrup) and then the neighborhood Easter egg hunt. You can read more about it on my SPT post, but it was such a blast. I ran into a bunch of old friends and neighbors who barely recognized me, which is a great thing. So fun to see so many old faces! After the hunt, we got ready and headed up to the UofU Alumni House to get ready for the big party. Wow, the U is not the same U I attended 5 years ago. The campus has changed so much, I hardly recognized it!! My very design intensive family created a lovely atmosphere for the party, my Grandpa's artwork and family photos were everywhere. We even had a dvd of his wedding playing. It was awesome!

With the exception of my brother in law Matt and the crazies, Grandpa's entire family was there to celebrate with him. My aunt had tracked down many of my grandpa's old friends, so it was lovely to see all of these people there to wish him well.

I spent a lot of the time watching/following around baby Will. He's such a cute little kid!



After the party, we went our separate ways, but not for long. The cousins got together at Lauren's house to hang out. I have the funniest family ever. I didn't stop laughing the entire time. I hadn't seen a few of my cousins in years so it was so fun to see them.

Greg, Betsy and I in our aviators. Aren't we stylin?!

Sunday was spent just hanging out, trying to sleep and a big Easter dinner with all of the extendeds again.

Don't those chickies look real? Yeah...that's cuz they are...er were...

We had both lamb and ham and my favorite funeral potatoes. Yummy! I hung out with everyone some more and then went with my friends Melissa and Jeff to Wendy's for frosties before I had to head off to the airport for my redeye flight. Whoa man, that was pretty horrible. My plane left Utah at midnight, got into Atlanta at 5:30 (my seat wasn't very comfortable, I barely slept) and finally got into Baltimore at 8:30. I had to go straight to work in the morning, so I was a total mess yesterday. I think I got close to 11 hours of sleep last night, I definitely needed it.

It was such a great trip. So good to see all of my hilarious family and some of my great friends! I'm excited to go back this summer to do it again!

You can see the rest of the pictures here.

good mail Monday

I came home from my trip to the greatest stack of mail. Not a piece of junk mail in sight (when does that happen?!), just these beauties!!


Starting at the 12 o'clock position, a fat free chocolate bunny from Kristi, a congrats on my race card from my running hero, Annalisa, a just because card from SPT founder, Lelly, a Happy Easter card with the CUTEST velvety rickrack from Kelly, and an Easter card from my old friend Ali, what a surprise that was! I haven't seen her in years and we maybe exchange one email every year or two. I miss that girl!!

SPT - Easter Bonnet

This weeks challenge:

in your easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it what are your fondest memories of easter as a child? are you chocolate, or jelly beans? did you ever actually have an easter bonnet?!? as you gather with family and friends (in their matchie clothes), remember to get yourself in that group shot!! when you were finding those perfect outfits, did you remember to find something for you? will you snap casual photos around the family table, or will you troupe out on the lawn for a staged shot? have FUN with this challenge!! while you're at it, hunt a few eggs or pilfer a chocolate bunny from the basket. as you sit around the easter table, take a few moments to tell someone how much you appreciate being able to spend the day with them.

I had the greatest Easters growing up, sans bonnets. The street that I lived on was full of children and it was the perfect layout, a track oval, for Easter egg hunts (and track meets). My next door neighbor Wendy organized a neighborhood Easter egg hunt/potluck breakfast each year. This was a HUGE deal for me as a kid. It started the night before, when the older kids in the neighborhood would hide eggs at all of the participating houses.


I remember one year my friend Emily and I slept in my front room just below the picture window so that we could find out where the eggs would be hidden (and later go outside ourselves to scope out the goods). The following morning we would wait anxiously by the door until we heard the honk that would mark the start of the hunt. We'd make a beeline to the houses designated for our age-groups, and gather the goods. Wendy eventually moved away and instead of letting the tradition die, Sharlene took over. By this time I was old enough to hide the eggs, which was almost as much fun, if not more so, than hunting them.


Since I left Utah 5 years ago the event has gotten bigger as kids who once hunted long ago have had their own kids (and bring them back for the occasion), and many families from the neighboring streets join in as well. This year I was lucky enough to be in town to relive the memories with my nephews and niece.


It was so fun sharing this tradition with them. I helped Thomas by directing him to the bigger eggs which would most likely contain better goodies. It was such a blast!

Ummm...

I received the following email from one of the professors in my major of study at the U:

Dear Former University of Utah Student:

We know students stop attending school for many reasons. We are in the process of trying to learn more about the reasons Family and Consumer Studies (FCS) majors decide to stop for a period of time. We have identified you as one of our majors who has discontinued your enrollment at the University of Utah. To better understand why students elect not
to attend for a period of time, we ask that you complete the survey at the link below to tell us about your experiences at the University of Utah and with the FCS Department. The survey will only require about 5-10 minutes of your time. All responses you give will remain confidential and will not affect you personally or as a student at the University of Utah.

Ummm, I'm pretty sure that I discontinued my enrollment at the U because I graduated...Now all of the sudden I fear that somehow I just imagined my graduation and the past 5 years of my life have been based on a lie! Maybe I should take advantage of the extra 8 hours I'll have in Utah tomorrow and head on up to the Registrar's office to make sure all is well with my education.

sweet escape

I'm leaving this:

Apr 7 Saturday
Considerable cloudiness. Highs in the mid 40s and lows in the low 30s.

Apr 8 Sunday
A few clouds. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the low 30s.

for this:

Apr 7 Saturday
Sunny. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.

Apr 8 Sunday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the low 50s.

Yay for being able to wear cute spring outfits and bare toesies in Utah!

When the cat's away...

Both my partner and my director are on vacation this week, so my co-workers and I decided to take advantage of that fact, as well as the fact that it is gorgeous outside and go on a fieldtrip for lunch. Our destination? Ben's Chili Bowl, a DC institution, for chili-cheese fries and chili half smokes with cheese. I'm now in a chili-coma. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Me eating chili-cheese fries, aka a heart attack in a basket

Plays well with others

This weeks challenge:

remember when you were 'graded' on things like stacking blocks, tying your shoes, sharing your crayons? you might have gotten supportive comments, like, "always has a smile," or the dreaded, "runs with scissors!" [i remember, in about the second grade, getting my first "U" for unsatisfactory. i don't remember what it was for, but i remember exactly how i felt .]

one of my favorite comments has to be "plays well with others." elementary school social skills speak volumes for the people we will become. were you a shy child? were you the class clown? the social butterfly? do you still identify with that inner child? what are you doing for "play" this weekend?

i would love to see how we play with our friends, our neighbors, our siblings. are you having a game night? a date night? a girls morning out for coffee and target? will you go to a party? or a picnic? are you on vacation? do you find yourself intimidated by these gatherings, or do you jump right in and organize them yourself? do you play well with others?

I don't really remember what I was like when I was younger. For some reason I have blocked out a vast majority of my childhood. The only reason I can think of is that maybe my brothers tortured me so I've suppressed those memories. Who really knows though?! As far back as I can remember (which isn't very far, I'm talking Junior High and High School), I have been painfully shy and self-conscious, easily intimidated, quick to judge (or really make assumptions about people before I actually met someone. People usually blew my assumptions out of the water, like one of my best friends, Triscia, whom I met in Jr. High. I thought she was a snot before I met her. She's actually one of the nicest people in the world.) and always assuming that people don't like me. I have always found myself surrounded by friends with big, outgoing personalities, and I am mostly content to hang back and observe. Always afraid that I might say something ridiculous or stupid, I rarely contribute to conversations, especially when in larger groups. And parties? They're out of the question. I have been known to leave a party in tears, simply because I couldn't handle the masses of people, or because I was too shy to speak to anyone. While I have come out of my shell a bit in the last few years, these things still ring true (except for the judging thing, I don't really do that anymore).

Sadly, I feel that there are very few people in this world who know the real me, who see the Anne that I wish I could be all of the time, the obnoxious, funny, goofy, endearing, spunky, quirky, weird girl that I am on the inside (I kind of feel like my hair is a manifestation of my inner-self). I still fear that if people saw the real me, they won't like what they see. Damn you low self-esteem!! I think that as I grow more comfortable in my own skin, the real me comes out more and more, and the less I care about what people think of me, but I still have a long ways to go. I don't know if you've checked out the video on Tara's blog, but I think that's a little glimpse of the real me if you're curious. :)

Well, enough of the soul purging, and onto the photo portion of the challenge. I don't think I have to tell you what I did for "play" this weekend, although I think i'd consider running for 2 hours more of a chore. Rae, Tara and I did get a chance to get some playful shots in after the race though. I'm kind of cheating a bit because I wasn't the one who held the camera, but they ARE self-portraits and I AM in them...

It just occurred to me that these pictures are much different than my previous self-portraits (and really all of the photos I post of myself) in that I don't have that same perfect smile. It all comes back to the idea that I am super-aware of the image that I reveal. Maybe it's time to let go and be ME.

I totally give in to peer pressure

My brother just talked me into putting my name into the lottery for the St. George Marathon on October 6. This comes just one day after I swore I would never run a race any longer than 10 miles. I'm officially crazy.

DC's new tourism catchphrase

I was listening to Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, and at the end of the show, they have their panelists make a prediction. This week they had to come up with Washington DC's new tourism catchphrase. One of them I just didn't get, so I won't post it, but I thought the other two were pretty funny...

"DC: we hear you...no really, we hear you. We've got your phone tapped."

"What happens in DC will eventually be revealed over an excruciatingly slow series of leaks, hearings and autobiographies."

Oh, the joys of living in such a politically charged city!

horrible habit!

I have the hardest time staying awake when I go see movies in the theatre. Last weekend I went with some friends to see Premonition, and if you've seen previews, you will know that this is one movie you can't afford to sleep through, but of course I did. When the movie was over, I found out that I had slept through the most pivotal scene of the movie, the one that explains the plot and sets up the reveal. I walked out of that movie being VERY confused. Luckily, however, my friends who had been awake the whole time, told me that it was just as confusing to them, so I didn't feel so bad.

Friday night I was having one of those woe is me days where I feel like I have no friends, but instead of sulking at home all night I treated myself to a movie. I decided on Meet the Robinson's which was playing in 3D. It was so cool! I feel like EVERY movie should be 3D, well except maybe slasher films, that might just be TOO scary. The movie was cute and clever and touching at times. The only problem? I slept through the scene that answered all of the questions and unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to fill me in on what I had missed. Aargh!!

Does anyone have any tips for staying awake in a darkened theatre?

we have a winner!!

With a guess of 1:48:46, Michelle A came closest to my official race time of 1:48:02, which was a pace of 10:49 mph. Congratulations! Your awesome prize (if I say so myself) will be sent out shortly!!

Check me out

Tara posted her account of today's events here. You're welcome to read all about her weekend, including a successful event she executed (she's a corporate event planner) but if you're short on time, she writes about the race toward the end. There are lots of pictures and even a video. This video is awesome! I can't believe I have such great documentation of my accomplishment as well as my sexy legs. ;)

They still haven't posted the net time results, so no word on a winner...

Race Recap

So right after I posted last night I got sick. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that it wouldn't have been very fun to run my race in that condition. Luckily it was a one time thing and I woke up feeling fine. I woke up at 5:45, got ready, had my english muffin and gatorade and headed to the metro. My friend tara happened to hit the metro right about that time as well so we were able to meet up and head into the city together. Man was I glad to have some company! I got off the train before Tara who was going on to meet Rae further down the line. The lines for the shuttle were SO long, they wrapped halfway around the block and back again but luckily they moved us through pretty quickly.

While walking to the staging area I saw that the cherry blossoms did indeed bloom, so I was happy to know that I would have a picturesque run. Wow, if you have never been to DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival you should really consider it. It is so gorgeous!

I got to the staging area with a half hour to go, just enough time to stand in the Port o John line for 15 minutes and catch up with T&R for some pre-race self portraits and to give them all of my crap. I saw an old friend while I was waiting so it was fun to catch up for a few minutes before we had to go (she was running the 5K). I made a new friend while walking up to the start line, Petra, and we decided to run together, at least for the first mile. When she told me she planned on running at an 11 mph pace I didn't think our partnership would last very long, but amazingly I was able to stick with her for a good 4 miles before she made her break.

The energy of the race is so awesome, there were people lining the roads with signs, funny hats, noise makers, even bull horns, cheering everybody on. I saw T&R around mile 2 which was awesome and Betsy and my sister and her family around mile 3.5 (Matthew was so engrossed in his Nintendo DS if he looked up it was only briefly!), and T&R again shortly thereafter. There is nothing like familiar faces to get you pumped up and running a little faster! They had a bunch of water and gatorade stations but I didn't want to stop because #1, it was crazy chaotic and I'm not quite sure how to drink liquids while running without it getting up my nose and down my shirt. I did give in around mile 8, but only because a kind soul was on my side of the road so I didn't have to slow down or anything and yes water went up my nose and down my shirt, but I did get a kick out of throwing my cup down on the ground. This is really the only time you can litter and get away with it, or at least do it without feeling guilty (at least me anyway). I know you runners are probably cringing at my lack of liquid intake, but I felt sufficiently hydrated throughout the race. I chew gum and I think that helps.

Ooh funny story...if you looked at the race course, you would have seen that it goes up and back so a lot of the time you are running alongside the runners either faster or slower than you going the opposite direction. Well on my way up, I could see that a group of people were giving out cups of beer on the other side of the course. I for one can't imagine drinking anything other than water after exerting myself for several miles but I guess it was a hit. When I passed them on the way down, they were all out of beer and when the runners would express their disappoinment, they'd say things like "next time run faster!!" It was pretty funny.

I saw Betsy, Amanda and the kids again around mile 9 which was fun. When I could finally see the finish line I averted my eyes, because it still seemed too far away, but when I got a little closer I picked up my pace so I could make a good finish. I think I made my break a little too soon because I wanted to stop like 10 feet from the finish line. I think the only thing that kept me going was the Chariot's of Fire theme song playing through the speakers. I mean, honestly, how could I NOT run to that? Post race I had the thought that it would have been funny to slow down and run in slow motion, but that probably wouldn't have gone over so well. The time as I passed the finish line (and also the unofficial time posted on the website) was 2:04:29, however, because I was in the last wave, I have to take into consideration the lag time while we waited for the earlier waves to start. I'm hoping that they will have the corrected times posted later, but I might just have to guesstimate to declare a winner to my contest. I know what it SHOULD be, but I'm going to wait to tell you. I'll just say that I am quite shocked at the pace I was able to run.

**Stay tuned, action photos and links to video, as well as the contest winner to come!**

the countdown begins

I can't believe that in twelve hours I will be in the middle of my first ever race. I am so nervous, I picked up my packet this morning and when I saw all of the people I got sick to my stomach. There were so many people, and that was only a small fraction of the runners. I have to say that I can't wait for it to be OVER!!

I've pinned my number on my shirt, laced my ChampionChip timer thingy to my shoe, put all of the gear I need into my bag to be checked, layed out my outfit, set my alarm for 5:45 and am about to head to bed so I'll be well rested in the morning.

Thanks to all of you for your well wishes and words of encouragement on my blog and in the mail (I got your card yesterday Kristi, thank you!). I appreciate it more than you know. I'll check in tomorrow to let you know how it goes.