Oh. My. God. (again)

This is so so so wrong.

Yet, so so so funny.

Especially given this.


*Do y'all notice my new ability to link things?? Thanks Michele!

My kind of calorie counting

This is how I am planning my daily dietary needs from now on!

Notice they give you the calories for the entire bottle?!?!

Way to go Dove!

I am sure you all have seen Dove's ad campaign for their new firming products featuring "real women" with real curves. They are every where. The first time I noticed them I was with my mother and we turned to each other and commented on how refeshing it was to see.



All I have to say is, thank you Dove! You now have a loyal customer for life.

SF (Half) Marathon

I've been simultaneously looking forward to and putting off this post because I, quite frankly, am not sure I can get it out in writing, how tremendous this experience was. But I'm going to try, wish me luck. (Forgive me if this starts to sound like an awards show acceptance speech.*)

Well y'all know, I have been training for a marathon (my 2nd) for 6 months with the San Francisco AIDS Marathon program. This program follows the Jeff Galloway method, which I have to say y'all, really works well. Together, our training group raised over $672,000 for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation! That money (your donations) will support HIV services and prevention programs through out the Bay Area. Until there is a cure...

What a great cause this is and what a phenomenal group of individuals who are so committed to making a difference in the fight against HIV and AIDS that they come out month after month, year after year, to train budding runners and seasoned athletes alike to run (and ENJOY) a marathon. A special thanks to Coach Scott whom I have alternately loved and hated over the past 6 months. I never thought I'd say it but I'm going to miss your perky little self screaming "Good Morning AIDS Marathoners!" into a megaphone at 8 am on Saturday mornings... Perhaps you could call my house and leave it on my answering machine so I could play it every so often when I need some motivation and/or am feeling nostalgic?

To my fellow Z-Girls - I could not have asked for better running partners! If I had to give up 6 months worth of weekends, that I could have been spending with family and friends (being decidedly NOT sweaty), I'm glad I got to spend that time with you. Thank you for sharing all your stories with me and listening to all of mine. We logged over 250 miles together! To Heather, Heidi, Jane, Connie, Marcie and Jenny - You guys ROCK! You are so awesome, so inspiring, I am so proud of us all.

So by now most of you know that I injured my knee during our 23 mile training run in June and have been struggling with recovery since. After speaking to no less than 3 different doctors and trying all manner of stretches and strengthening moves I decided that perhaps I should pay attention to the folks with the medical degrees and only run the half marathon. Can I tell you how disappointed I was (am) that after 6 months I couldn't run the full marathon?? *sigh* I was going back and forth, over and over, until practically the day of the race! The 4 days of food poisoning (a week before the race) was the clincher. Stupid comedy club nachos...

Because BestFriend Liz is SUCH a nice person... She agreed to come up with me to the city on Saturday to the Expo. I don't think either of us was quite prepared for that Expo. First of all, it took us WAY too long to get down the Embarcadero - traffic was STOPPED y'all. And the Ferry Building is soooo much farther down than I remembered. But we finally made it down there and found parking. Upon walking into the Expo all I could think was "good Lord it is going to takes AGES to get through this chaos!" But it didn't! Like the good little sheep I am, I followed all the signs "look up bib number here" "pick up bib here" "pick up timing chip here" "follow arrows to pick up poster, t-shirt and hat" etc... Not too bad actually even though there were roughly 1200 people in that tent. And there were vendors selling cute running things inside, and totally NOT running related, er, paraphernalia for sale outside.

AND while at the Expo I did a mad dash around the area trying to locate the information desk so I could change my registration. I really did try y'all. But that's okay, they eventually figured it out and now if you go here you will notice I am back down in 858th place or something. Right where I should be. But *ahem* I am DETERMINED to make it on the front page of the results in my next marathon! Top 500 baby!

After a semi-quick lunch at Gordon Biersch, in which Liz and I noticed a full on raging bachelor party at 2 in the afternoon! 2:00 in the AFTERNOON y'all. Seriously. I heard one guy say that it was an 18 hour rager... They even had a blow up doll! (Which they proceeded to name Liz which I thought was flippin hysterical but BestFriend Liz wasn't so keen on) In broad daylight! But I digress, where was I? Right. After lunch we headed back home so I could carb-load and rest before the big race day.

The race itself was fantastic y'all. I managed to catch up with several runners I knew at the starting line and everyone was wishing people luck and giving last minute tips and hugs... It was the best feeling of camaraderie. As we lined up at the starting line waiting for the gun, Heather and I commented on the amazing feeling of seeing so many hundred of people in front of you and realizing you are part of something so much bigger than yourself. It was truly awesome. Truly.

The first 5 miles were great, I was making good time, running in familiar territory in Golden Gate park and just generally enjoying chatting with the other runners. After mile 5 we left the park and entered the Haight. Y'all I can't even begin to describe to you the feeling I had running through town. I have goosebumps right now just thinking about it. Y'all there were HUNDREDS of people out lining the course. HUNDREDS! With signs and balloons and they were all clapping and cheering. Some people were sitting on their cars, some were leaning out of their windows with their stereos blaring and some were having little mini-tailgate parties right there on the course. The SFAF had people with signs proclaiming that we were all heros. Street performers were out on the course. The cops on traffic duty were telling us that we were awesome. It was something so much... Bigger. I know I am not explaining it well but... It was... Etxraordinary.

Seeing as this post is already it's own epic (a virtual War and Peace of running), I won't bore you too much longer. My knee started hurting around mile 11 (half marathon is 13.1) and really made it known that it was NOT amused by the running by mile 12. At one point I didn't think I would be able to cross the finish line! But I did hobble across it and y'all, I'm not embarrassed to say, I almost sat right down there and bawled. I guess the experience was just overwhelming. But I managed not to cry and instead I received my medal, and went to eat, drink and celebrate with my awesome, excellent, super duper supportive friends who came up (on the train - we learned our lesson) to see me run. Thanks to TheBoy, Liz and Christine, I love you guys!

So to everyone who has had to listen to me go on and on and on about this marathon over the past 6 months. I did it! And it was everything I thought it would be. Also, stay tuned because, while I promise not to bore you to death with the details of the training any more, I am planning two more runs in the next 6 months. Whether they are full marathons or halfs remains to be seen. But I will be racing... It's addicting y'all!



*Wrap it up!

Sheriff's? On the Train?

I'll preface this post by saying that I am a natural blonde. If by "blonde" you mean taupe and if by "natural" you mean fully high and low-lighted. But there you have it. Since the base color is somewhat blond-ish in nature and I was a total tow-head when I was younger I consider myself a natural.

All of that was to say that last Thursday I had an appointment to have my "blonde" touched up and to have a bit of a trim. And since out of the 3 vehicles currently residing at our home, only one works, I decided to take the train from my office in Palo Alto up to Menlo Park. Originally I had planned on walking but, y'all know... The Knee.

So I pull out my handy dandy train schedule, pick a train and walk over to the train station. As I'm making my way over to the train ticket dispenser thingy this woman walks over to me and offers me her day pass. Apparently she had no other need for it that day and as I was mildly wary at spending $2 for one stop on the train I gladly accepted it.

As I was thanking her I noticed that there were two sheriff deputies standing right there watching this whole drug-deal-looking exchange of the tickets. I thought quickly to myself, surely there is no harm in me using this ticket that someone else bought and couldn't use? I mean it would be a waste, right? But I smiled at the one closest to me and he just smiled back so I assumed everything was A-OK.

But then I started thinking... WHY are there sheriffs at the train station. Sheriffs with full on tazers and guns and walk-talkie radio things? Why? Is this a fall out from the London bombings? Do they have some reason to believe they should be at the train station right now? Seriously y'all, I was getting freaked out!

However, all they seemed to be doing was walking up and down the platform and once (unsuccessfully) trying to catch a pedestrian that was walking along the train tracks on the inside of the fence. Which along with being really stupid and dangerous, is also apparently illegal. The train before mine came and went and there was no big ruckus so I called down and decided that actually, I kind of liked having them there. They were keeping people in line. Because, y'all know, even if there are signs all over the place, there is always that one smoker who lights up right on the platform. And he's usually standing right next to me.

So I was feeling better about the whole thing really until my train came and they got on it! They were looking for someone y'all. There was lots of static back and forth on the walkie-talkies about "do we have confirmation" and such... Thank goodness I was only going one stop! I did not want to be there for whatever was going to happen. Because I've been on the train when a fight breaks out. It involves holding the train between stations until the cops can show up at the next stop to arrest the bad guys. And it takes a LONG time. I had a hair appointment to get to after all!

Then I saw this which explained so much. So perhaps my imagination was just going on over-drive and there was nothing sinister about the "confirmation" on the walkie-talkies. I'll blame it on the insomnia.

Southern-isms

Howdy y'all! (okay is that a bit much?!?!?)

I'm feeling especially Southern today. I cooked up a bit ol' pot of ham hocks and greens and baked a Johnny cake last night and that's what I'm having for lunch today. Yum! But really, this dish couldn't get more Southern unless I had black-eyed peas, fried okra, grits and chicken. But that would be too fancy for lunch y'all... That's Sunday dinner right there!

I was talking to a co-worker and let slip my most often used Southern saying - "I'm just saying is all" at which point said co-worker looked me straight in the eye and said, "what the heck does that mean anyway?" *ahem* So as I tried to explain the intricacies and nuances of the Southern, I had the wonderful idea that I should post translations for all y'all on the blog. That way if ever confronted with a confusing "Southern-ism" you won't sound like the hopeless Yanks you all are!

Here goes: (feel free to send me any additions you might have)

"I'm just saying is all" - the preceding statement was the God's honest truth.
She really shouldn't be wearing those skin tight pants. I'm just saying is all.

"As easy as sliding off a greasy log backward" - pretty damn easy.
Riding a bike is as easy as sliding off a greasy log backwards.*

"Busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly time" - very, very busy. Great visual too.
With all these new deals coming in, Jane is as busy as a stump tailed cow in fly time.

"Do go on" - you must be kidding.
Sam: I'm the best lover in the world!
Jane: Do go on.

"Don't let the tail wag the dog" - show them who's boss.
Remember your lawyer works for you, don't let the tail wag the dog.

"Either fish or cut bait" - do it or don't just make up your mind. I also like "shit or get off the pot" - but I think I heard that here in California.
Pretty self-explanatory. Most often used when talking about relationships, ie: if you want to get married - tell your partner to fish or cut bait. That's a propose or I'm leaving kind of thing. Highly inadvisable.

"Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then" - everyone gets lucky sometimes.
Words of wisdom to a friend going through a spell of bad luck. Those would be the kind of people you tell that if they didn't have bad luck they'd have no luck at all.

"Every dog should have a few fleas" - no one is perfect.
Usually implies that it's okay that you are not perfect.

"Get the short end of the stick" - left out or slighted.
A negative thing. Sort of like "she's a sandwich short of a picnic" or "a playing card short of a deck". Y'all know.

"Go whole hog" - go for it all.
If you're going to do it, go whole hog. Coincidentally TheBoy says "go balls out" which I think is clever.

"Gone back on your raising" - deny heritage or think you're above where you're from.
Billy's done moved up north and gone back on his raising. There ain't nothing wrong with being from Miscogee!

"I do declare" - means anything, but usually nothing.
Thank you Scarlet!

"In high cotton" - coming up in the world or the good life.
We bought a house with a pool and 80 acres. We're walking high cotton now! Beware though, being "in high cotton" generally leads to "going back on your raising".

"In a coon's age" - it's been awhile.
I haven't seen Sam in a coon's age. I personally like "in a month of Sundays" better. But that's just me.
"Pull a plank off the wall" - celebrate.
My mother always said "tie one on" but it's the same thing. PARTY! Although I have had many hours of fun trying to picture where this saying came from...

"Sight for sore eyes" - good to see you.
Damn Jim, you sure are a sight for sore eyes.

"Too big for your britches" - too much pride.
My mother used to say this to me when I was being a smart ass kid. Getting "too big for your britches" can also lead to "going above your raising".

"Well, shut my mouth" - I am speechless!
Seriously, shocking news in my family generally involves a chorus of "Well shut my mouth" and "I do declare". And if someone did something bad you'll hear, "that just ain't right. I'm just saying is all."


*Unless you are me.

Ummm... Ooops!?!?

So. Um. Yeah.

I actually decided kind of last minute to run the half marathon instead of the whole... A mysterious knee injury and Dr's orders, combined with 4 days of food poisoning will do that to a girl.

And Liz can vouch for me that I totally tried to change my registration at the Expo on Saturday. But the woman said "all you have to do is cross the starting line at the half and they'll know that you only ran a half. Well I don't know who "they" are but damn "they've" made me look like a stud!!!

I'll post more on the marathon and the whole experience in greater detail soon. But TheBoy just got home from work (at 10:00 PM!!) so I'm done for tonight y'all. Just thought you'd enjoy the chuckle! Me! In 6th Place! Well actually if you read the fine print - I'm in 43rd place for my age group... But I digress! Me! A 7 minute mile! Ha! I like it!

So the question remains - when I do this race again next year and don't score even remotely close to that... Will people think I've slacked off? Become lazy? Hmm... Maybe this is something to shoot for?!?!

HaaaHaaaHaaaHaaaHaaa! Whoo... I crack myself up!

Jen and Sean DeLapp's wedding

A big heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS goes out to Ryan's cousin Sean and his lovely new bride Jen who tied the knot Sunday July 24th. The wedding was held at the Natural History Museum in Los Altos which is a fantastic setting - I had never been there before. The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and the ceremony (performed by the bride's brother - how cool is that?!?!) was blissfully short and sweet given the rapidly rising temperatures. Ryan and Josh even got to help out with the wedding at the last minute by ushering some of the bride's family to their seats.

The reception was at Spago in Palo Alto. I had been to Spago a few other times and quite honestly wasn't too impressed however, they really do pull out all the stops for the wedding receptions. Very fun! Also, the people were wonderful and the toasts were hysterical and appropriately embarrassing to the lucky couple. The bride's mother and aunts even got up and sang a couple of songs for the bride and groom, which I thought was sweet.

All in all it was great. And you know me I love any excuse to dress up! Love weddings, love, love, love! So congrats again to the lucky couple. May you have a lifetime filled with the friendship and mutual respect you so clearly share.

(Because the ceremony was brief I didn't manage to get any pictures - I'm new to the whole digital camera thing y'all. But we did get some pictures of the family while we were waiting for the reception to begin.)

Josh and Kristi


Me and TheBoy


Me and TheBoy with his dad and stepmom (Doug and Kate)


Doug, Kate, Josh, Kristi and me and TheBoy


And now y'all all know why I love TheBoy and his entire family... Look how handsome the Mooney men are!!

Shabu Shabu (or Hot Pot!)

Do y'all notice how when I download pictures there are lots of posts all at once?? That's cause I love pictures! And I love sharing the pictures!


So thanks to Christine and Michael, who found this wonderful little place randomly in an out of the way shopping center, I am now fully in love with Shabu Shabu! It's mas yummy!

So we had a bit of a night out on the town a couple Fridays ago (notice the timeliness of the posting?) and started out with some Hot Pot for dinner. We arrived at the restaurant and then proceeded to eat huge amounts of food (can't get enough - yummy Hot Pot), drink large quantities of Sake and Beer (2 for 1 specials! On booze!) and generally annoy the staff by being loud and taking photos.

I love my friends!

Here's a couple pictures of Christine and Michael - aren't they so cute?



Christine and Michael being schmoopy.


Me and TheBoy - Gotta love that Boy! But me? Could I look any fatter? My arms?!? What are those? Be careful - wouldn't want to run into me in a dark alley! Gi-normous, fat octopus arms! Seriously y'all.


Mmm... Fried Banana! I love fried banana!
(Yes - we are a little bit crazy - why do you ask?)


And of course, we conned some unsuspecting wait-person in to taking our photo together. Good times y'all.



Ach! The arms! Geez... This should forever quiet the discussion about posting unflattering pictures.

More Picnic Photos...

Sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry yesterday as TheBoy threw me off by actually getting off work ON TIME. Here's some more pics...

Liz, Liz and Will. Look at all that HAIR! They grow up so fast...


John and Jack. The other half of the Park twins. Aren't they sweet? Unfortunately they are old enough now to look suspiciously at you. Ah the good old days when they were just happy that you held them...


Angie and Erik being schmoopy... It's okay we'll let them be schmoopy while they're still in the honeymoon phase. But be warned y'all we expect all the schmoopiness to be firmly cut off somewhere between months 6 and 8.


Yeah. Good times y'all. Nothing like a little food, a little velcro catch, a little conversation, a little sun and a little booze to round out the weekend. Oh, well at least until the ranger came over and told us that we couldn't drink any more. We might have been able to play it off... "What drinking? There's no drinking here." If someone* hadn't been pouring a beer as the ranger walked up.

Also, a word to the wise, apparently if you set up a table in an area where there are no tables allowed, secret people will be watching you from a distance and it will spawn a whole mass set up of picnic tables. And that would just ruin the park y'all. Heaven forbid. Luckily our "table" (2 saw horses and some marine ply TheBoy had laying around) was easily moved to the ground so as not to cause said ruination.

A big thank you to Christine for allowing us all to crash over at her place and swim in her pool. Even if the pool was slightly warmer than outside! And thanks for letting us raid your fridge! Yummy BBQ!

Also thank you to Michael for teaching us all how to do flips. In a pool thisbig (holding fingers up to show you the tiny size of the pool). And for flipping us again and again and again (and again). Even if it took someone (ahem) getting "slightly" inebriated before she could gather the courage to attempt it.

The biggest thank you of all goes to Ms. Lizzie (whose brain child this picnic idea was) for organizing it all and providing 2/3 of the food. It was fun to be reminded how much fun something as simple as an afternoon playing in the sun with friends could be. Good for the soul y'all.


*It was totally Christine.


PS - Speaking of Christine... Her photos are way more fun than mine!

I liked this one of Michele and Ryan... At least Ry isn't making a weird face. And notice how Michele still manages to look cool and composed? Like it wasn't 182 degrees outside? Not fair! Also, that is sweet tea in that cup y'all. Not beer. Because we would. Never.


And Angie, me and Linda in Christine's kitchen during one of our short breaks from swimming. No my cheeks don't flush when I'm drinking... Why do you ask? I purse my lips at you! Also, note the proof of my wonderful sense of humor? I apparently crack Angie up. However, there was pomegrante vodka punch involved. Also, maybe ciders.


TheBoy doing what he does best. Erik says "no photos". Michael says hello. You gotta love our guys!

Summer Picnic

Hey y'all. Remember how I told y'all I was going to post the pictures from the picnic on Monday? I bet you thought I meant the Monday following the picnic didn't you? The Monday that was 9 days ago? Yeah. Well you were wrong. And apparently I didn't mean Monday at all but Wednesday. Because Wednesday is such a better day for the posting of photos don't you agree?

*ahem*

So. Yes. The picnic. It was LOADS of fun! If a teensy bit warm.

Here's the gang.


We might have gotten a tad carried away with the food. But when do we not?


Angie and Erik - Erik is new... But he held his own. Even if people got really drunk and belligerent. We like him.


Nicole and Cody - say it with me - Awwww... Although they did have to leave early to go shopping... I guess I will never understand the shopping thing!!


Christine and Michael - Mwah!


Liz and Ryan - the best friend and the boyfriend, isn't it nice when they get along? Not sure what face TheBoy is making though...


Me and Michele - Could I possibly look any sweatier and hot? Damn it Michele could you at least TRY to look hot and rumpled too?!!?

Another MeMe (I love these things!)

And it's a BOOK one! Y'all know how I am with the BOOKS!

Here's the questions:

How many books do you own?

Um... Is that a rhetorical question? I have no idea! I'll hazard a guess of 500.

What is the last book you bought?

Harry Potter! But actually that's not true because I pre-ordered in months ago... SO, I'd have to say it was Wuthering Heights, Emma and Jane Eyre. I kind of have been on a classics binge lately. I decided to order the female authors on that list. Sometimes there is rhyme to my reason.

What is the last book you read?

Y'all know I am never just reading one book at a time! I just finished - We Thought You'd be Prettier by Laurie Notaro (lake reading) and Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara (Civil War stuff - y'all know).

What's the one book that you can't wait to read?

I'm reading the new Harry Potter right now! But I guess that doesn't count. I have a stack of books at home right now. I'm not sure I could pick which one I want to start with... Oh but there is a new Diana Gabaldon book coming out in the Outlander series that I can not WAIT to read in Septemberer.

What 5 books are most important to you?

Important as in life altering? Or just like important as in loved to read? Would read again? (and again? and again?) Hmmm...

1) Gone With the Wind. Favorite book of all time. I used to borrow it from the library at least twice a year and then for my 16th birthday my Mother got me a hard bound version. Love you Mom! I know I'm crazy but I have always kind of based my actions on that book. I'd like to be the best possible combination of Scarlett's spunk, energy and ability to land on her feet no matter what and Melanie's calmness, sincerity and just plain old niceness. There. Now I've shared something embarrassing.

2) The Outlander Series. I count all 5 books (soon to be 6) as one because they are a series... I just love these books. They have it all. History, romance and good old-fashioned blarney.

3) Reading Lolita in Tehran. This book opened my eyes again to the wonderful world of Literature that I had left behind when I left college. It also spawned the list of classics that I MUST READ which prompted the purchases of the Bronte sisters' books and more Austen, above.

4) The Chronicles of Narnia. Again with the series. These books kind of awakened my passion for reading when I was younger. The whole Judy Blume book series and such didn't really do it for me. But I loved Narnia. Also, Sweet Valley Twins. But I would never mention it out loud. *ahem*

(Gosh this is harder than I thought it would be!)

5) The Joy of Cooking. Come on you knew there was bound to be at least one cookbook on the list. This was my very first ever cookbook. Many of you that know me are still eating recipes out of it today. You could say that learning to cook out of this cookbook spurred me on to be the chef I am today! How touching... (wiping away an imaginary tear) Well. At least there certainly wouldn't have been a Delectable Mae's Catering. And I certainly wouldn't have collected the 30 cookbooks I have laying around at home now.

(Oh I forgot to add the cookbooks into the total of books owned in question 1. Make that 530. Give or take a few.)

Now the fun part! I tag Liz, Michele and Mary. Because I need more stuff to read!

Insomnia

(And no, I'm not talking about that Al Pacino / Robin Williams / Hilary Swank movie from a few years ago... Though I did think that was a good story.)

So I didn't sleep last night. Again. It's starting to feel like I haven't sleep in ages. But if I concentrate my remaining 3 brain cells long enough I think it's actually been about 5 weeks. 5 friggin' weeks y'all!

I was looking online for tips - because I don't believe in self-diagnosis but I'm pretty damn sure this is insomnia. Womenshealth.gov says insomnia is when you have one or more of the following problems:

*difficulty falling asleep

*waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep

*waking up too early in the morning

*unrefreshing sleep

Let's examine these 4 things shall we? (Humor me y'all it's the sleep deprivation!)

Difficulty falling asleep. Well this starts off positive because any of you who know me know I have no problem at all falling asleep. I have fallen asleep at your houses, in the car waiting for you, during movies, at bars, and once (notably) during a particularly LOUD rock concert. Definitely not a problem for me. Unless there was mass consumption of RedBull during the day... Or I have a date with Harry...*

Waking up often during the night and having trouble getting back to sleep. Ding ding ding we have ourselves a winner! Because while, as discussed above, I have no problem getting to sleep I do have some huge problems with staying asleep. Right now I'm averaging about 3 or 4 hours before I am bolt upright in bed. What the hell is wrong with this picture?!? And seriously y'all, there isn't that much to do at 3 am. I pet the cat. I draft blog posts. I blog stalk people. I read (not my favorite option because I don't usually retain what I've read at 3 am). Sometimes I have fully insightful conversations with TheBoy while he's sleeping. But that's a whole other sleep disorder isn't it?

Waking up too early in the morning. Hmm... I'm torn as to whether this applies to me. See because I like getting up early in the morning. I'm what you might call "a morning person". So it doesn't bother me if I wake up early in the morning. Usually. But when I have just managed to get back to sleep at 5:30 or so... And the alarm goes off at 6:00. I'm not a happy girl y'all. Not at all happy. So we'll leave this one as a maybe.

Last but not least, Unrefreshing sleep. I'm going to have to give this one a resounding yes. Y'all know.

And the effects of insomnia? According to my good friends at women's health they are: sleepiness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Oh let's not even get into the sleepiness and fatigue. It's a given. I'm pretty sure my boss thinks I'm hung over. All the time.

The difficulty concentrating? Oh yeah. I have that. I can't even speak clearly. My generally expansive vocabulary has shrunken to about 5 dozen phrases. And I can't even get those out correctly all the time! *sigh*

In my own defense I will not discuss the irritability. But I will take the chance to apologize here to anyone I may have offended in the last 5 weeks. I probably didn't mean it. In fact chances are good that I didn't. Aren't I normally a nice person? But things have been getting to me y'all. Stupid things. And I realize I am being irrational. Also, sleep deprived. So, I apologize.

And I apologize for future irritability too. Because, so far, there is no end in sight.

*Harry Potter y'all. Sheesh. Dirty minds...

12 days and counting...

Marathon Day is July 31st. It feels like I have been training FOREVER! Oh wait... Needless to say I am very excited. Also, anxious, nervous and in pain. But I digress. In 12 days I'll be running through the great city of San Francisco.

So, many of you might be wondering about the knee situation. Well I've finally found a Dr. who doesn't think I am insane for attempting to run ever. In fact he's a tri-athlete himself. He does the Hawaiian Iron Man. Which is THE Iron Man to end all Iron Men for those of you who don't follow triathalons. It's the Boston Marathon equivalent. Yeah, he rocks.

He also is very, very (saintly even) patient. Especially when I do totally reasonable and grown up things like start crying in his office, going on and on about the fact that I am injured NOW so close to the race instead of EARLIER when I could have had time for a full recovery, and how everyone is going to be so disappointed in me, blah, blah, blah. Not one of my finest moments y'all. *sigh*

But we've discussed it and we have a PLAN for race day. The PLAN is even supplemented with a PLAN B just in case the knee decides to be difficult. So wish me luck y'all. I'm going to need it. Seriously.

However, as we get closer to race day the group that I have been training with gets more and more sentimental. We've been through so much together! We've shared our life stories! And the life stories of several of our closest friends and family members! I love you Z-Girls!

Here's some photos that Jane was kind enough to send out of our 20 mile run which was May 21st. Yeah I know... Better late than never. I get it!


Here we are at the un-Godly hour of 7:45 am holding on to our time sign. Pre-Run.


Here we are at the top of the Lyon Street stairs.

If you've had a conversation with me about any of the training runs, you've heard about the dreaded Lyon Street stairs. They are my arch nemesis! I hate them! Stupid, steep, stomach turning, thigh burning stairs!



The half way point.


Back at camp... The End.

And just for fun...

Here's a picture of us from the 23 mile run on June 11th on the Golden Gate Bridge. That is the only time I've ever been across the Golden Gate all the way like that! It only took me 13 years y'all! And it was beautiful. Despite the fact that my knee was hurting like crazy and was secretly plotting to stop working all together in another 3 miles or so.

Sweet Obsession...

Why yes. I am a huge geek. Yes, yes I am. ThankYouVeryMuch.

*ahem*

Excuse me while I turn into a hermit for the next few days. Ah the times insomnia is a beautiful thing!

4th of July Trip (FINALLY!)

Yes, I realize that this post is almost 2 weeks late. But, better late than never? Or, good things come to those who wait? Whatever. We've had a house guest for the past couple weeks who is sleeping, shockingly enough, in the guest room/office/home gym so I haven't been able to download photos at home. But yesterday I brought my handy dandy cable in and downloaded them here at work. So I could complete this post. Because I am slightly AR and it's been bugging me. Yes it has.

As is to be expected, TheBoy and I headed up to Lake Shasta for the 4th of July holiday. We also dragged along DJSean who promptly made us feel about this big (holding up fingers mere millimeters apart) by saying "Wow, this boat looks great - I haven't seen it since you restored it." Because we've had that boat for over 2 years y'all. This is it's second summer in post-restoration glory. *ahem*

We actually managed to leave the Bay Area at a reasonably early afternoon hour and, surprisingly there was hardly any traffic so we pulled in to Bella Vista right about 10 pm. Plenty of time for several rounds of "beer pong" which is remarkably difficult given the quantities of beer you have to drink. Of course I was a little rusty on the ping pong skills so I kind of started at a disadvantage.

But I digress.

So we finally get out to the lake Saturday morning (a tad later than planned due to beer pong related hangovers) for three whole days of fun and sun and wake boarding. It was just what the Dr. ordered y'all. Hot summer weather and warm Shasta water combined with a little (lot) of beer and wine... Perfect!

Here's some pics:

Me wake boarding... Don't I look graceful? And poised? And slightly knock-kneed?


DJSean wake boarding... Yeah, he took to wake boarding like a fish to water y'all. Like he'd been doing it his whole life. In this picture he is accidentally doing a 180. Accidentally y'all.


On a side note, DJSean, also know known as Lawyer-to-be, attempted to bring legal briefs on to the house boat. Which looked a little too much like work. But never fear. I'm pretty sure he took them home mostly unread and splashed with beer and bean dip. Ha.

We managed to drag Dawn out to ski...


And I was going to try to post a small video of TheBoy attempting a back flip here. But it doesn't work. And of course I didn't download any other photos of him off of the camera. Because I am a bad girlfriend. *ahem* I promise to post more later. And y'all know. The back flip quest of summer 2005? It's firmly within reach. He's close to landing them man. It's pretty awesome.

But other than the wake boarding we did a lot of hanging out in the water. The girls even conned Jerry into making a booze run out to them in the dinghy so they didn't have to swim back to house boat and get, y'all know, exercise or anything.


Of course then TheBoy and DJSean had to test out the dinghy.


And did I mention it was Doug's birthday? It was. June 28th. Happy Birthday Doug! So, of course there was some birthday party embarrassment going on.


Who knew a man could look so attractive in a purple feather boa, embroidered turquoise bowler hat and rainbow colored starburst sunglasses?!?!?! Of course all the "gifts" were appropriately gag-y and over-the-hill themed.

And just so you guys don't think TheBoy's dad is overly-fond of drag, here's a picture of him doing what he does best at the lake. Chillin'.

Happy Hour in Downtown PA

Last Friday night was the first Friday night in about 5 months when I wasn't either:

a) getting up at 6am the next morning to run obscene distances, or
b) out of town

I couldn't join my group for the "celebration" run of 26 miles on Saturday because I can hardly manage a hobble for 3 miles these days with the knee. (However, the supplements are helping I think!) And we didn't make plans to go to the lake because I *might* have been able to run and I didn't want to rule the possibility out all together.

So what does a girl do when she can't run and isn't going wakeboarding and has a whole Friday night to herself? Why, she goes out for Happy Hour with some girlfriends! What else? We started with a couple (3) martinis on the outdoor patio of F&A's, because the weather was fantastic y'all! Summer has finally decided to grace us with her presence.



Then because we had drank large quantities of vodka on an empty stomach we decided perhaps we should have dinner. And wine. So we headed over to Lavanda where we promptly won over our bartenders/servers.



And we drank wine. A bottle of red wine. Then we shared a flight of white Burgundy tasters - because doesn't that sound so summer-y and delicious? It was. The we had port.* But in the midst of all this we had dinner. And it was fantastic. Really, really good. I recommend it. Especially the gnocchi.

And when it was all said and done? That was the best 5 hours of drinking and eating and girlfriends that I've had in ages. Because my girlfriends? They rock! And don't even blink when I randomly start to cry in the bar. (Because I mentioned there was vodka involved right? Also, that I don't sleep anymore?) We just had the best time y'all. Seriously, let's do it again. Soon.



*I might have been the only one who had port - mmmm, yummy port.

SBD Hell Phase - The END!

Okay so remember how I said that the first time I tried the SBD Phase 1 I made it about 8 or 9 days in and then passed out carrying laundry up the stairs? And how I might be mildly hypo-glycemic? But that I was going to give the evil phase 1 a second try?

Well... I lied. I made it all of about 2.5 days this time. And then there I was, sitting at my desk, feeling light headed, when my boss comes over to explain something to me. I turn my head quickly to look at him, which is of course the polite thing to do, and all of a sudden realize I am about to lose the string cheese and hummus I had for lunch!

*ahem*

So, after I make it back from the ladies room, and endure a few good-natured jokes about morning sickness (at 3 in the afternoon but I digress) I decided that I had had just about enough of the SBD.

Stupid diet.

People watching at the car wash...

I love to people watch at the car wash! I used to go every week. But now I feel guilty spending the $10 to have my car washed because TheBoy reminds me again and again that it's free if I do it... But I HATE washing the car! Give me a stack of dirty dishes or a toilet that needs scrubbing and I'm all over it. But washing the car? Hate it. Also, ironing. But that's neither here nor there.

So yesterday I took my little $10 bill and my coupon and drove down to the car wash. Because it was time y'all. Between the birds that shit fluorescent colors, the pollen, and the trips through the bugs back and forth to Chico and Lake Shasta my car was in desperate need of a bath. It got to the point that people were being very careful not brush up against it as they got in or out. I'm embarrassed y'all. It wasn't pretty.

But I'm so happy I went. Because I've forgotten how much fun it is! I got to practice my Spanish. Which apparently I can understand but not speak back. I think my brain doesn't work quick enough to translate. But I did get appreciative glances from the guys doing the vacuuming because I could understand what they said to me. Even if my responses were in English. Also, I think they did an extra thorough job with the vacuuming. Something to keep in mind for next time.

Then I got to people watch. Which was distracting me from the yummy smells of free popcorn... (Can you have popcorn on the SBD? You can have corn... Though I don't know about for evil stage 1)

There was the totally harassed looking mother of two who were having a popcorn fight. They totally belonged to the minivan. And let me tell you that minivan had seen better days.

And the completely high maintenance woman who was all glam-ed up at 4 in the afternoon. Seriously her look was borderline "walk of shame". She got into a black convertible BMW. Of course. But even though the weather was perfect, she didn't put the top down. Because that would mess up her hair.

But me? Y'all know me. The novelty of the convertible has not worn off in 5 years. So what do I do? I turn in my slip, hop in the car, put the top down, crank the tunes and drive away. In my newly clean car. Life is good. It's the little things y'all. The little things.

South Beach Diet Hell Phase - Take 2

Remember a few years ago when the crazy low-carb / no-carb craze began? Well I'm a big girl, I'll admit it... I tried it. I went out, bought the South Beach Diet book, read it cover to freaking cover, promptly threw out all the "evil" carbs in my kitchen and started fresh.

And I lost weight. I did. Like 8 pounds in a week. But then I started feeling weird and one day I just up and passed out on the stairs. Thankfully I was at home and carrying a whole load of towels and sheets down to the washer which broke my fall. Turns out yours truly is borderline hypo-glycemic. Who knew? So, thankfully I might add, I progressed out of horrible, hateful stage one into marginally better stage two. Where I stayed for several months... Until the beer started screaming my name so loudly I couldn't think and I began training for a marathon (running requires carbs don't you know).

So, you might ask why I would EVER willingly go back to EVIL phase one? Because I am stuck. I have hit the proverbial weight loss wall. Of course you know it might be because me? I like beer. Also, vodka, red wine and more beer. Did I mention I like beer? And beer is like the antiChrist of the South Beach Diet. Something about malt sugar... Blah, blah, blah... I even gave up beer for Lent this year. Longest 40 days of my damn life. But I got on the scale after getting back from 4th of July at Lake Shasta (photos and trip stories coming soon) where there may have been (was) a small amount (copious quantities) of beer consumed. *Ahem*

Y'all I have GAINED. Damn it! Not only am I NOT losing, but I GAINED a few pounds. Something has to be done! Something drastic. Something like South Beach Diet Phase One. So last night I went through the kitchen and got rid of anything tempting and went to the store and stocked up on String Cheese, Eggs and Hummus. Here goes nothing.

So for today? First day without booze, caffeine or carbs? I feel pretty good y'all. Like, I'm making progress, look at me, good. Like, I have enormous quantities of will power, good. Of course I could be still riding the carb high from my pasta lunch and Thai food dinner from yesterday... And it has only been about 17 hours since my last cocktail. And 6 of those hours I was sleeping. And 9 of those I've been at work. But never the less... Right now? I am doing great!