The Magic of Christmas

Paul and I traveled home to California for the Christmas holidays. It was a nice visit and I was happy to spend the time with my parents in the sunny warmth of NorCal.
Months ago we found cheap fares leaving out of Newark airport, but we stalled on it, didn't book it, and the fares wound up increasing. So, we decided we'd try flying out of JFK in NYC instead.
Paul's cousin Jen in NJ was kind enough to let us crash at her house the night before our flight. Paul's Aunt Joann made arrangements for us to leave my car in a local parking garage while we were gone so we didn't have to worry about it. We got on the train the next morning and headed to Newark Penn Station where we changed trains and went to New York Penn Station. From there, we took the subway to 53rd and 5th where we hopped off because I really wanted to see the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. We walked down 5th Ave and admired some of the shops' decorations. Soon enough we arrived at one of the biggest Christmas Trees I've ever seen. It was quite beautiful, even if it was daytime. Ice skaters joyfully skated nearby and we were quite happy. Some photos and we decided to keep walking. We peeked in on where they film the Today Show and headed toward Times Square. I popped into Starbucks to get a coffee because I was freezing and we grabbed a couple of bagels from a street vendor.
After a while of walking and freezing, we ducked into the Rockefeller Center building to escape from the cold for a while before reevaluating what to do next. We figured on walking a bit more, so back out into the cold we went. We admired the tree from another angle and walked down 5th Ave until I ran onto a street vendor selling cashmere scarves. I am a scarf fiend. I was trying to decide which one to purchase when my dad called to tell us that our flight was delayed---5 hours! Boo!
I wound up not buying a scarf and instead we tried to figure out what we wanted to do. We had been about ready to get back on the subway to head to the airport, but that plan was now out the window. I thought maybe we could find a Barnes & Noble to waste some time, but I wasn't sure where one was. I looked up and no kidding, just down the street was a BN. We popped inside and browsed around before we purchased Alice in Wonderland/Alice Through the Looking Glass--a classic that we don't own. Then, it was back out into the cold.
We decided to start walking down 5th Ave because I thought maybe we could go to Mario Batali's pizzeria (Otto) for lunch. I thought I remembered the address, but I texted my mom to double check. We headed on our way downtown through the sloshy streets of NYC. The recent storm left lots of snow and slush piled up near the sidewalks. Sneakers were not the shoes of choice for the day as our feet got wet. For the record, however, we didn't plan on walking as much as we did. Anyway, we walked all the way to Otto (near Greenwich Village) and got right in for lunch. The pizza was quite fantastic. I had a margherita and Paul had pepperoni. We even took photos. : )
After lunch, we wondered about what to do. I was actually getting tired because we were carrying fairly heavy bags (after all, we had all our luggage with us). Paul mentioned something about a place Brian took him once with lots of street vendors selling knock off handbags, etc. Perfect! A great way to waste some time! I texted Brian and he told us to go to Canal Street. We did ask for directions before we left the restaurant, but we wound up lost and had to backtrack after walking a very long way. Oh well.
We eventually made it to Canal Street and were asked hundreds of times if we were interested in this Rolex watch or that Prada bag. It was comical. And the people! So many! We found out later that Paul's grandfather used to work on Canal Street! We probably passed right by the location and didn't even know it!
We had our fill of people and knock offs, so we did our best to find the right subway line and plopped ourselves into a train. Changed trains once, then twice, and eventually arrived at JFK only to find our airplane was delayed another half hour. And it still didn't leave when they said it would. Annoying!
We didn't leave NY until after 10pm, AFTER we should have already been in California. The worst part was that my dad was driving up to San Francisco to pick us up AND he had to work the next day. We finally arrived in California, but not until after 1am. Stupid American Airlines and their maintenance problems! Oh well, we arrived safely anyway and that's what's important I guess.
Unfortunately Dad was working the next day, but we got to spend the day with Mom and that was nice. Paul and I planned a menu, went grocery shopping, ran errands, and decorated the Christmas Tree. We also got busy with rebuilding Mom and Dad's computer (their Christmas gift). Paul and I ordered a new CPU, motherboard, RAM, and DVD-rom before we flew out. I told Mom and Dad not to open the box once it came and while they probably suspected we were up to something, they couldn't be certain.
We took the old components out of my 2003 homebuilt and carefully put the new components in. We did keep the same hard-drive because it was still working well and that allowed a quicker build because we didn't have to install an operating system. It booted up and while we had to make a few corrections with USB ports, it worked extremely well and we were quite pleased. We configured everything so they each have a user name and we hoped they would love the newer, faster machine.
Christmas Eve morning I made cornbread for dressing the next day. Mom also made a pumpkin pie. At least we got a jump start on cooking. Paul and I drove up to San Jose to have lunch with Dad, then went to Whole Foods so I could get some fresh fish for dinner for the Feast of the Seven Fishes (an Italian tradition I learned about from Paul's family--I'm Italian but didn't know about it!) The store was a zoo! Not the best time to be grocery shopping! We got what we wanted and got the heck out of there, but still had to stop at Safeway on the way home because Whole Foods didn't have all we needed.
We had a nice dinner and we finished wrapping our gifts before waking up to a beautiful, sunny Christmas morning. It was such a gorgeous day, Dad decided he wanted to fire off one of the model rockets that we gave him a couple years before. He had enough engines for three launches. We could not believe how high the rocket traveled on the first launch. Dad is a good judge of altitude (being a pilot and all) and he says over 2,500-3,000 feet! Paul and I had to run through the pasture and up a neighbor's driveway to retrieve the rocket after the first launch. Even though there was no wind at ground level, there is wind up top and it traveled a little ways.
Put in another engine, repacked the parachute and changed launch sites for launch number two. Another successful launch, but this time it went a little further. Again, Paul and I set off across the pasture and Paul ran down the road to make the recovery. One more launch and this time it nearly landed on the roof of the house! I think it hit the roof but bounced off. Paul caught it once it came down. It was a lot of fun. Here are two launch videos:



One is not uploading...I'll try it again later...

We made pecan pie bars and lazed around much of the afternoon. I had put a turkey breast in the slow cooker earlier in the day so we were in good shape for food. It was nice not stressing out about cooking this and that. Once the turkey was nearly done, we cooked up the sweet potatoes and put that casserole together, Mom made the dressing, and we had a lot of great food! We enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner. Afterwards, we piled into the living room and opened our gifts. We were spoiled, as usual, but hopefully Mom and Dad were surprised with their computer! We appreciated all the gifts!
The next morning, Dad wanted to try out his new waffle maker. After nearly all the batter was used up, the handle broke off the machine! Brand new and already broken! What a bummer! At least we got waffles out of it first. : ) We returned it promptly too.
The next few days we basically took it easy. We watched the Everest series on The Discovery Channel, made lots of good food, ate lots of good food, we ran, we played with the dogs and cats, we visited, we shopped.
One night we went upstairs to go to bed and I heard something outside. It sounded like a car revving its engine. I figured someone must be stuck in the mud. I went downstairs and Paul, Mom and I watched from the Living Room as someone down the street was indeed stuck in the mud. There really wasn't much we could have done short of getting the tractor out and since Dad was asleep already, we weren't going to do that. Eventually a tow truck came and pulled them out. The next day Paul and I walked down to see how much damage the car had done in the orchard across the street. There were some significant ruts for sure. And, apparently in a last ditch effort, it appears they sacrificed all four floor mats to try to stuff under their tires to get the car out. I guess they didn't want muddy floor mats, so they just left them in the orchard. Nice.
Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve and time to head back to New York. We booked a red eye flight because it was cheap, plus it gave us a few days to readjust before we had to go back to work on Monday. We flew JetBlue for the first time and I would recommend them over most other airlines. Well, except over Southwest. They're my favorite. : )
The flight was uneventful and fairly smooth all the way. The only celebration we did was Paul and I brought glow in the dark bracelets/necklaces. Even the flight attendants seemed to like them. This was the second time Paul and I have welcomed a new year on an airplane.
We arrived at JFK just before 7am. We picked up our one checked bag and headed upstairs to the Airtrain, to the subway, to NY Penn Station, to Newark Penn Station, and eventually back to Somerville where we dropped of a little thank you gift to Jen, grabbed a bagel and coffee from Dunkin' and hit the road. I fought the sleepies all the way home because I hadn't slept on the airplane. Paul was kind enough to drive, but he was tired too. Once we made it home we actually felt good enough to unpack. I thought we might have headed straight to the couch for a nap, but we wound up staying up for a while, eating dinner, and THEN crashing early.
It felt strange to be home. We hadn't been gone that long, but it seemed as though we had. I immediately missed the mild temperatures, the comforts of home, my pets, and of course MOSTLY my parents. Fortunately, I'll be heading back soon and I know the time will fly.
I need to get photos from Mom & Dad's camera, but here are a few from ours.
Hope everyone had a great holiday season and best wishes for a fabulous 2010!

Photos include our little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, NYC photos, and photos from California.



Christmas 2009

Catching Up: 16 days to go!

It's hard to believe that it's only 16 days until Paul leaves for Argentina and I leave for California. We've been busy vacuum sealing food, setting aside gear, making reservations, and ensuring all the last minute details are falling into place. I think Paul is confident about where things are at, but probably won't rest easy until he's there, been to the summit and comes back down again. I can't say I blame him. This is a tough mountain to climb, but I know he has done his best to prepare for it and I know he has the ability to make it. I hope the weather and everything else cooperates.
Tom will be bringing his SPOT unit though we're not sure how well it will work in the Southern Hemisphere. Hopefully the "ok" messages will transmit and when I receive them I will be sure to post here letting you know when I've heard from them. Paul will be in touch when possible from Mendoza and also from Base Camp (Plaza de Mulas) and I will update here to let you know.
The countdown has officially begun!

The Mountain


Mendoza and Aconcagua Location

The Dog Who Loved Snow

We had our first snow this past Saturday. One of the funniest things that happens when it snows is that our dog, Moab, goes outside and rolls around in the snow. Sometimes he'll tunnel into it head first, then roll on his back, legs up in the air. Sometimes it's a quick roll, other times he'll roll and roll and roll for minutes.
I was finally ready with the camera when I let him out in anticipation of him rolling and he didn't disappoint. This isn't one of his long sessions, but it gives you an idea of how silly this canine really is. Oh and the ending is funny--turn your speakers on. LOL

My New Love: A Kitchen Appliance?

I have a new best friend! It's our slow cooker.
Paul and I invested in one about a month ago. Since we make all of Paul's lunches, we thought it might be a good way to mass produce good, healthy meals for him.
I've been going crazy with it!
So far I've made beef stew, pulled pork, pot roast with potatoes & carrots, and roasted 2 full chickens. It does a great job! It's easy to use and Paul has been enjoying the food! I never thought I would love a kitchen appliance as much as I love this one! : )

Pulled Pork

Roast Chicken

Thanksgiving and the Cranberry Lake 50

Paul and I found out about the Cranberry Lake 50 sometime last year and have been takling about doing it ever since. It's a 50 mile loop hike around Cranberry Lake in the Adirondacks. We figured we'd need more than a typical 2 day weekend to complete it, so as Thanksgiving approached, we decided we'd take a shot at it.
Thanksgiving morning we drove up to Paul's parents house where we celebrated the holiday with his folks and his sister Karen's family. Unfortunately, the rest of the family couldn't make it, so the gathering was smaller than usual this year. We still had way too much food though! : )
We enjoyed our visit there and hit the road to head north aiming to cover some miles that night to help ease the mileage for the next three days. I have to admit I was a little hesitant to go because of the lousy forecast.
We made it to Cranberry Lake sooner than we thought and were able to get ourselves ready to go quickly. The three of us (me, Paul, Moab the dog) set off on the road at just after 8pm on Thursday. Part of the loop has hikers walk section of road (Hwy 3) and we wanted to get that out of the way first. It was just shy of 6 miles in total and we wondered what the passing cars must have thought as we walked with our packs and headlamps down the road!
Luna peeked in and out from behind the clouds and she helped light our way for much of the walk. As we passed one house, I was able to see a television through the window and could see the Denver Broncos on the screen. We were missing the NY Giants game--Paul's team. We found out later that the Giants lost, so I guess we didn't miss much! We made very good time on the road and turned off to begin our journey into the wildnerness.
We planned on hiking 3-4 miles to a lean-to where we could sleep for the night. That way, we wouldn't have to set up the tent and could have dry gear when we started on Friday. The terrain wasn't too bad and we made good time, but we were tired by the time we got to the lean-to. And, we were excited that it was empty!
The rain had let up, so we walked the short walk down to the pond to let Moab have a drink and some stars shone through holes in the clouds. Their light was reflected on the water in front of us. Neat image! We unloaded our packs and set up our sleeping bags and were in bed by 1am. Not too bad for covering almost 10 miles!
For whatever reason my feet were cold and would not warm up so I couldn't sleep. I may have cat napped a little, but by and large I was awake the majority of the night. Moab seemed uneasy and restless too so that didn't help. It rained most of the night but it tapered off a little when the alarm went off at 6am. We lazed around a bit before we got up and packed up camp. Things looked a lot different in the morning light. The view of the pond from the lean-to was beautiful.
We headed back to the main trail for the beginning of what was to be a very long day! We knew we had to cover a lot of miles to make a dent in overall mileage. It was going to be a long day. Did I mention that?
We had some light rain to start off with and soon it turned to snow. We had fairly straightforward terrain once again, definitely not what we're used to in the High Peaks. We had another road walk as we made our way toward the town of Wanakena, NY We passed the SUNY (State University of New York) Ranger School which teaches courses in forest technology and other forest related studies. We made good time on the road and made it to Wanakena, which used to be a booming little town in its day. We saw a general store that had its open sign lit, but decided we didn't have a reason to stop in. Once we left Wanakena, we were back in the wild with no hints of civilization except the sound of commercial airliners overhead every once in a while.
We took a quick side trail to High Rock. From there you have a wonderful view of the many bends and turns of the Oswegatchie River. Oswegatchie is an Indian name for going or coming around a hill. Paul and his family and friends have paddled this river in the past and it looks like it would be a nice trip to make.
We didn't stay at High Rock for too long because we still had a lot of distance to cover.
Onward and another side trip opportunity that took us to High Falls. We're big fans of waterfalls. Paul has seen this one before, but I hadn't so there was no question of whether we'd go or not. It added about another mile roundtrip, but it was worth it. Unlike the name, it's not a terribly high waterfall, but it's unique nonetheless. It was a little chilly and we didn't stay there long either. We found one of the two lean-tos and saw someone's stuff placed inside. It was the first evidence of other humans on the trail that we'd seen all day. We made a quick stop at the outhouse (yay for outdoor potties)and Paul asked me what I wanted to do. Do I want to find the other lean-to at High Falls and try to stay there? Do we want to set up a tent? Share this lean-to? Or, do we want to move along? To that point we'd only covered 12 or 13 miles. We were already feeling the weight of our packs and our feet were in rough shape. We couldn't figure out why we were struggling so much. I told Paul I felt we should continue to push at least as far as the next lean-to. While neither of us felt like going 6+ more miles, we knew we had to.
Our pace was not that slow, but for some reason the miles seemed to take forever.
At one point, Paul had Moab off leash and I barely had time to look up to see him run toward something and start barking. It was a person! A hunter, in fact. We talked with him briefly. He told us he'd seen deer, rabbits, and grouse. I hadn't seen as much as a bird all day! He didn't have much in the way of gear with him. He may have only had his gun, actually. He asked where we were heading and told us about how far it was. We bid him farewell and moved on toward our destination of Chateau Lean-to. : ) We wondered where he was heading though. We knew we'd be pushing our luck to make the lean-to by dark and we were right. We had to dig our headlamps out before we made it. I was crossing my fingers that the lean-to was empty and it was! Relief! We climbed into the lean-to and began to unpack. I put on extra layers and climbed into my sleeping bag to conserve warmth. We got Moab situated and Paul boiled some water for dinner and we had a warm meal. He went and got some water and treated it and we called it an early night.
I still didn't sleep very well even though I was quite warm. At one point we got up to have a drink of water and to let Moab out and we found the Sham-wow we brought (to dry Moab with) was chewed up. Yes, there was as mouse in the lean-to. Yuck! I didn't want to think about a mouse crawling over me while I slept! And I think it was windy that night. A few reasons I probably couldn't sleep!
Packed up camp and headed on our way knowing we weren't even half-way finished with the hike yet! That wasn't the best feeling. Saturday was another very long day. We seemed wiped out earlier than we would have expected. The miles were slow even though our pace was not. There were some areas, both Friday and Saturday, that did slow us down some. There is a lot of beaver activity in the area. Some of the beaver dams are quite impressive. The problem is that it makes it difficult to get around--especially without getting wet! Our gear is good, but even good gear will leak a little bit if you step in too much water. At least one of Paul's feet got wet and wet feet on a long day's hike is no fun.
On and on and on the miles went. At one point I asked Paul how far we'd gone (he carried the GPS) and it was only about 12 miles. I couldn't understand why I was as tired as I was. I know I hadn't been out hiking very much, but I felt more tired than usual and so did Paul. Paul had a heavy pack on though--at least he could justify his tiredness. My pack didn't weigh that much. Still, I was dragging!
We discussed options of where to stay for the night. We opted to go to Dog Pond and see how we felt when we got there. In my mind though, I knew we had to push to Curtis Pond to get further ahead. Neither of us wanted a long hike out on Sunday since we had to make the drive home as well.
Once at Dog Pond we stood at the intersection and "hmmmmed" and "wellllled". We would have been content to stop right there, but we had daylight to burn and knew we'd appreciate the fewer miles on Sunday. The sign said it was 2.6 to Curtis Pond so I asked Paul if he had another 2.6 in him and he said he did, so on we went. At some point we made it to a pond and I was certain it MUST be Curtis Pond, but Paul kept moving. Since he had the GPS I knew he knew it must not be it. Boo! Step, step, step. One foot in front of the other. It felt as if Curtis Pond was as far away as the moon at that point. Walked. No pond. Kept walking. No pond. No sight of a pond. Not even a tiny glimpse of what MIGHT be a pond. And then...Paul said, "I see a pond." I was thanking my lucky stars!
We found the campsite and set to work getting things set up before it got dark. We set up the tent and emptied our packs. I hopped in the tent and began setting up our sleeping pads/bags. I dried Moab off the best I could and Paul gave me a tarp to put at the bottom the tent. I hopped in the tent and Paul brought Moab in. He was so tired he pretty much collapsed right on top of my legs. We warmed each other up while Paul finished up outside. Again, Paul was kind enough to boil water for dinner. We enjoyed a warm meal and called it an early night.
We woke up earlier on Sunday morning since we had to hike out and drive home. We were on the trail before 7am and had about 8 miles to cover. Paul set a blazing fast pace to get out. While it still seemed like it took a long time, we made it back to the car before 11am.
We were happy to see the car! We changed clothes and started on our drive home. We stopped for food in Watertown and made our way south. All 3 of us were tired and sore and we took it easy all night. In fact, it took us several days to fully "recover".
Overall, we were quite proud of our accomplishment. Total miles hiked: ~54. Our names are on the Cranberry 50 website too! Check it out: http://cranberrylake50.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=41



Cranberry Lake 50

High Rollin' in the AC---The Race of a Lifetime

After the San Francisco Marathon, I took a break from running because of a problem with my left foot. I worked on cross-training and focused on swimming, plyometrics, and other cardio in the gym. I eased back into running slowly and as I did, I noticed my running was actually faster than before.
I really wanted to run the US Air Force Marathon in September, but I knew I couldn't do it with my foot the way it was. I was bummed! Eventually I decided I could probably handle a half-marathon and started looking for a race to train for. About 5 weeks out I found the Atlantic City Half and began training. I ran 4 days a week with moderate mileage and kept the plyo workout in my routine.
Paul and I had never been to AC and I was excited. The race was Sunday (15 Nov) so we headed down on Saturday. We took our time and stopped at several places on our way: Ikea, REI, shopping galore!
We arrived and checked into our hotel--yes, we stayed in a hotel this time, not the car! Amazing, I know! : ) It was just getting dark and the bright lights of AC were shining just as they do in their sister town of Vegas.
We hit the street and decided we'd walk down to the boardwalk to see where the start of the race would be. The boardwalk was great! Most of the major casinos are situated right on the boardwalk and you can walk up and down from one to the other. Not to mention all the shops, eateries, etc. It's such a fun little beach town! We stopped into a candy store and bought some salt-water taffy, yum! We enjoyed our walk but started to get hungry. I'm sort of picky when it comes to pre-race meals, so we were choosy about where to go. We walked through Donald Trump's Taj Mahal casino, through Bally's (where we lost $5 in a slot machine, boo), and a few other places before we decided we'd head back and eat at the brew pub at our own hotel--the Sheraton. As it turned out, they may have had only 2 veggie friendly items on the menu and it was not what I wanted for a pre-race dinner. The server was kind enough to ask the cook to make me a grilled cheese with fries and it worked out fine. That with some of Paul's pumpkin ale made me fairly happy!
We had walked a ton and we both were fairly tired and I had a big day ahead of me. We pulled the sheets back on the bed and I noticed something on the flat sheet---something that looked like dried on bloody something or other! Ewwwwwww! Are you kidding? That was gross! Thank goodness the room had 2 double beds! Blech! We slept in the other one, obviously. I'm sure the sheets were clean, but whatever it was was just plain disgusting. Sorry to share that, but it's part of the story!
Up the next morning and I was not all that motivated to run! I usually put a lot of pressure on myself to set a PR (personal record), but the night before I told myself just run it and don't worry so much. I actually felt relieved when I started the race. I knew where I had to be pace wise if I wanted to PR and I never let that get out of my sight of course, but I didn't let that drive me either.
I started my first mile out just as I felt. It was faster than I'd planned. I continued on and ramped up a little bit. As I went, I felt good. I felt inspiration from the ocean as I looked over at it while I ran on the boardwalk. I cruised. I didn't get a side cramp. I felt good! I actually felt great. That, for me, is unusual during a race.
I got to see Paul several times during the race. Once just after the start, once about mile 5, and then again just before the finish. It's great to have the support!
I was able to push hard the last 1.1 miles for a strong finish and a new PR of 1:54 (8:42 pace). That may not be super fast to many of you, but it's fast to me. : )
We headed back to the hotel so I could shower and we hit the road for home. Stopped to have a nice lunch at Panera and popped into another REI store (couldn't find what we wanted the day before). It was a nice little mini vacation and I ran the best race of my life. I hope I can repeat for the next one. : ) We'll see!
Oh and unfortunately our camera decided to act up. You'll notice a black line in some of the photos... : ( Boo!


Atlantic City & Half-Marathon

Watkins Glen State Park

Since Paul has been training for his trip to Argentina, he wanted to get out to hike with a pack on over the weekend. We headed up to Watkins Glen, NY to the state park there to hike and view the 19 waterfalls that attract people from all over the state. We were lucky we went when we did because the trail we took was closing for winter the very next day!
The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed our walk through the cool, misty gorge that makes the park what it is. To add extra mileage to help Paul train, we hiked up and out of the park and hiked a section of the Finger Lakes Trail. Then, we left there and found a trail on our way home called the Catharine Valley Trail. We hiked a few more miles there and then headed home. Not bad for just another Sunday.



Watkins Glen State Park

"Oh look! Apples!"

After a busy day on Saturday, we were uncertain of what to do on Sunday. As it turned out, we worked some more.
We started out by getting the stuff out of the attic and throwing it in the dumpster. Then we took the last window in the attic out so we could scrape it down and repaint it. Once we got a coat of primer on and one coat of paint, we thought we would head out to run to Lowe's. We also decided to head to Apple Hills to do a little apple picking.
It was a beautiful morning and Apple Hills was crowded. I had called earlier to see what apples were ready for picking so we knew Honeycrisps were waiting for us.
We picked some Honeycrisps, a couple Galas, and a couple Ginger Golds. Satisfied, we headed down to the main building where we got ourselves an apple cider doughnut (donie). : ) It was quite tasty.
From there we headed toward Lowe's but stopped at the Subaru dealership to browse cars for a few minutes. It's so nice to be able to look without being hassled by salesmen. We made it to Lowe's and got what we needed then went to the car wash to vacuum my car out. It was so dirty! Poor thing! After a vacuum and a wash, it was back home to get back to work.
We first had some lunch of fresh apple, peanut butter, cheddar cheese and crackers, yum! We put the last coat of paint on the window and sill, then I headed outside to clean the inside of my car. Paul worked on some roofing on one side of the house and when I finished, I gathered up some yard waste to put to the curb.
By the end of the day, we were tired but felt like we'd accomplished a lot over the weekend. I was glad we decided to stay home after all. And with a bucket of apples still waiting for me, I think maybe tomorrow I'll bake a pie. Mmmmmmm. : )

What a Dump.....ster!

For a long time now, Paul and I have been talking about getting a dumpster in here to get rid of a bunch of junk in the shed and basement. While we originally talked about heading to Richmond, VA for the NASCAR race, we decided instead to stay home and get the dumpster. Finally!
The guys brought the dumpster in early Friday morning and when Paul got home Friday night we headed outside to get started.
We began in the shed--after all, that's where the biggest mess was. It was full of old wood, metal, you name it. You can only place certain items in the dumpster--most of what we had could go, with the exception of the metal. We'll have to take the metal to a recycler or else see if they send anyone out to pick up what metal we have. I'll make some phone calls this week to see about that.
We didn't spend too much time outside because it was getting dark, looked like it might rain at any second, and Paul still needed to do his workout. We still were able to make a big dent in the pile.
We slept in Saturday morning. We couldn't get an early start since we would have made a racket dumping stuff in the metal dumpster. We worked all day and got the entire shed emptied of its junk, raked/swept, and organized. The stuff that was staying was put back in and when we finished, everything was neat and easy to get to. We also cleaned up the basement and got the junk out of there. Any metal that was in there went into the shed to await transport to the recycler another day. The basement hasn't looked this good ever!
We got everything cleaned up and mostly picked up when it started to rain. We came inside and had planned on going to get the stuff out of the attic, but decided we'd call it a night. We'll leave the attic for Sunday since there isn't that much up there.
The funny thing is that when we looked at the empty dumpster yesterday, we both felt it was too big. Now, the dumpster is nearly full and we're not thinking it's too big anymore!
It feels good to get junk out of here and to get things cleaned up. It really makes a difference!

Acadia National Park or How We Ate Too Much

Paul and I obsessed about what we were going to do for Labor Day weekend. It's not often we get 3 days to play with. We talked of our options and seriously procrastinated on this one.

Finally we decided to go to Maine. Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island specifically. : )

We left Saturday morning and dropped Moab off at Paul's parents' house. It was a long drive up to Bar Harbor, but we were able to take our time and enjoy the trip. We got to the park just before 5 on Saturday. We popped into the visitor center and purchased our entrance pass. We decided to do the 27 mile park loop drive to see what we could before dark. Then, we'd know what we wanted to go back to see on Sunday.

It was a nice time to drive because there wasn't much traffic. We both were surprised there weren't more people since it was a 3 day weekend. Our first stop was The Precipice. It's a steep, exposed hike to the top of Champlain mountain. It was only about .9 mile long, but narrow and very exposed. There are cables in place for handholds if that gives you an idea. We know this because of the sign at the trail head. They don't want just anyone attempting this hike. I knew I probably wouldn't feel comfortable and I told Paul that. I was fine waiting for him while he climbed it if he wanted, but we weren't sure we had time that evening. We looked up and could see people on the route above us. Looked scary to me. Looked fun to Paul. Go figure!

From there were drove to Sand Beach. There were quite a few people on the beach even though the temperature was starting to drop as the sun dipped lower in the sky. We actually saw people in the water too! Brrrr! We walked around on the beach for a bit before returning to the car to continue on our drive. We made a few stops at some look-out spots for photo opportunities. We hiked down some rocks to look into tide pools. We saw mussels and plant life. We stopped at the stables and petted some horses. We found a great spot to watch the fabulous sunset and then headed into Bar Harbor to have dinner.

The town of Bar Harbor is quaint. It's very tourist oriented with many shops, eateries, etc. We ate dinner in a restaurant called Geddy's. Paul had a burger and I had a veggie burger. Their fries were fantastic! Full, we decided to walk around and look through some of the shops.

Many were closing soon, so we put gas in the car, found a place to park, and went to sleep for the night.

The alarm went off early the next morning because we planned on heading to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sun rise. The peak is first point in the United States to see the sunrise between Oct 7 and Mar 6 each year. Sadly, we just missed that time frame, but still, it's one of the first places to see the sun rise. It was VERY chilly that morning and by the time the sun came up, Paul and I were frozen! It was a gorgeous site though and one we're very glad we did. It was worth freezing for.

Back in the car for some heat and a cereal bar and we watched the summit go from very crowded to empty in a matter of minutes. Once we were warm, we walked around the summit a little bit. The views from the top were beautiful. Oh and yes, we drove to the summit. We didn't hike. I know that will surprise and disappoint some of you, sorry--but that's not what this trip was about. : )

It was just after 6 am so it was too early to head into town for breakfast. We decided to drive out to the Southwest Harbor area of Mount Desert Island. It was a nice drive because there was little traffic. The day was sunny and beautiful. We made stops at certain viewpoints and took many photos. We visited a lighthouse and soaked up every bit of sun we could.

By then, we were hungry and decided to head into Bar Harbor for breakfast. We had seen an ad for a restaurant in a travel magazine the day before so we headed to Jeannie's to check out what they had to offer. And in fact, we had seen the restaurant the night before while shopping, so we knew where it was located.

It was packed when we got there and people were waiting. They said it would only be twenty minutes, so we decided to wait. It was sunny and warm, so standing outside was enjoyable. The time passed quickly and we sat down in a brightly colored, cheerful feeling dining room. Old time photos lined the walls. One that I liked consisted of two men in a small boat with a live bear standing in the front of the boat. Nice!

Paul ordered the pancake sandwich--pancakes, eggs, bacon, and home fries and I ordered the Maine blueberry pancakes. With juice for Paul and coffee for me, we both finished our meal and were stuffed to the gills! The pancakes were some of the best I've had in a while. Yum!

Full AGAIN, we decided to walk off some of our meal. I saw a shop the night before that I wanted to visit, but it was closed at the time. We decided to try again. When we got there, there was a sign that said, "Back in 10 minutes". Ok. Maybe it was a sign. It had to be, right? Besides, through the window I saw a price tag of one of the items and it was way more expensive than I imagined. Scratch that! So, we went into Bar Harbor Brewing Company instead to see what they offered. The girl there offered us a free tasting of beer, but it was only 10:15 in the morning and we were stuffed! They allow you to customize a 6 pack--picking from all the beers they make. We split it and Paul chose 3 and I chose 3. They don't even charge you more for doing so. Cool!

We walked back to the car and decided to head back to the park.

By then, I think I had talked Paul into hiking The Precipice without me. I honestly was content to sit in the car and read or to watch from the bottom. And with all the carbs in me, I was sleepy, so a nap wouldn't have been out of the question. Once we got to the parking area though, he quickly changed his mind. The parking area was full and the remaining cars spilled onto the roadway, with cars lined up almost as far as the eye could see. Paul wasn't interested in dealing with all the people, so instead of stopping, we continued on. I felt bad because I knew he wanted to make the hike.

We drove down to Thunder Hole which is a small inlet in the rock. It's been washed away by the ocean for many, many years. Just before high tide when water rushes in, air and water are forced out causing a big splash and a big "boom" sort of like thunder. We didn't stop at Thunder Hole Saturday night because it was low tide. We knew high tide was at about 11:30 on Sunday, so we tried to time things right, but I think we got there a little too late. Thunder Hole was still cool, but definitely not at its peak. Still worth seeing though.

Maybe the most exciting thing happened while at Thunder Hole though. When we first arrived, we heard people making quite a commotion, pointing and "oohing" and "aahhhing". Then we heard "whale". We walked down some steps and out onto some rocks and sure enough, way in the distance, we could see activity in the water. It was hard to see definition, but I'm pretty sure we both at least one whale tail breech. It had to have been a pod of whales traveling because there was quite a bit of activity, but at least once both Paul and I think the shape of a tail was spotted. That was a joy to see! It's too hard to say what type whale they were, as there are at least 15 different types of whales in the area (according to Frommer's Guide).

We found a nice spot on a rock and stayed there for a little while then decided we'd move onto to find a more secluded and quiet spot. We drove to Otter Point which we'd visited Saturday night. While there, we'd seen several people lounging on the rocks, enjoying the sun and solitude. We thought that was a perfect idea, so we brought our stuff and found a nice area to spread out and lounge. Paul brought a book and we sprawled out onto the rock in the sun like two lizards. The day was perfect. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and cloudless, the ocean was crashing on the rocks below. It just doesn't get any better than that. We basked in the sun for nearly two hours before we decided to pack it up and move along. It was incredibly relaxing though and hard to leave our little spot of perfection.

We drove down and explored another area we missed on Saturday and thought we might try to see what Bubble Pond was all about. It would be a little walk to get there. When we arrived at the parking area, it was completely full! There was nowhere else to park, as parking on the road was not allowed there. Oh well! We both asked one another if we'd had our fill. Had we seen all we wanted to see? The truth was that we could have spent TONS of time in the park, but we didn't have tons of time. For the time we did have, we really did a lot and saw much of the park. It was a wonderful trip, albeit too short!

We made our way out of the park and started on the long drive home. We decided to drive part of the way just to make Monday's drive a little easier. We followed some back roads for a while that took us on a more direct route into Augusta, ME. We stopped for dinner at Panera Bread and had an interesting experience there. We both ordered soup and a grilled cheese sandwich with Swiss cheese. When the guy put the food on the counter, he said, "Wait, that's not right. This is American and it was supposed to be Swiss". Neither Paul or I cared that much, so we told him not to worry about it and he apologized. No big deal! We sat down and began to eat and out of nowhere he came over with a plate with another sandwich with Swiss cheese and said to enjoy. Paul and I were dumbfounded. Who does nice things like that anymore? That being said, we were hard pressed to finish all our food! And, once again, were stuffed when we left!
We piled ourselves back into the Element and continued on our journey south. We made the decision to at least make it to the Mass Turnpike before calling it a night. We stopped at a rest stop just outside Worcester and prepared Hotel Element for our stay. We'd made a big dent in our mileage and felt good about our decision to head home when we did.
Up the next morning and on our way again. We stopped for gas in Rotterdam and Paul mentioned that we should stop at Altamont Orchards for some cider doughnuts. I pulled the number up on the GPS and called to see if they would even be open. The lady said they opened at 9:30 and I asked about cider doughnuts and she said she was making them right then! Score!
But, it was just before 9. So, we had a little while to wait. We drove to the orchard and got out to admire the potted mums and aster they had for sale. Before long, it was 9:30 and we ran in to check out what they had to offer. We picked up a half gallon of cider and some yummy cider doughnuts (donies). These are probably the best cider donies I've ever had.
It was a quick 10 minute drive from there to pick up Moab and we visited with Paul's parents briefly before hitting the road for our final leg home. It was a long time to be in the car, but it was such a lovely weekend that it was well worth it.


Acadia National Park-Sep 09

Paul Sr.

Most of you know I'm a big fan of motorcycles and I am also a fan of the TLC television show American Chopper. I've been watching the show for years. Back in 2006 while on my way to NYC, my friend and I stopped by their retail store in Newburgh, NY. It's a little over 2 hours from here. We looked at the show bikes, took a few photos, and headed on our way.
A couple of weeks ago I found out that Orange County Choppers was going to be hosting a car show and gathering Paul Sr. was going to be at their shop in Newburgh. This is the new shop and retail store combination. Anyway, when I heard that Paul Sr was going to be signing autographs, I was stoked! If there was anyone from the show I wanted to meet it was him!
I figured that it would be crowded and most likely I wouldn't be able to meet him --after all, he was only signing for one hour! I was hesitant to make a decision about going down there.
The weather was lousy when we woke up and Paul and I procrastinated (as usual) about what to do. We decided we'd go for it and hit the road.
When we got there, the parking lot was crowded, but it wasn't as packed as I'd anticipated. The autograph session had already started (we did REALLY procrastinate that morning) so we headed inside to see what the line situation was. Believe it or not, the line was not that long. I was so excited because I knew I was going to get an autograph! I know this might seem silly to some people, but I'm a big Paul Sr. fan. I have a lot of respect for him. He may be cranky and argumentative on the show, but he has overcome a lot of adversity in his life and has become successful against the odds. He has built an empire out of very little. Maybe he argues too much, maybe this, maybe that, but he's still a cool dude to me.
The closer the line got, the more nervous I became. It was weird. He's just a normal guy. I bought a print for him to sign and when I walked up to him, I didn't know what to say! I said hello and he asked how I was and I said, "Good". LOL Wow, exciting! He signed my print and I thanked him. I asked to take a photo and Paulie took our photo. He told us to have a good time and that was it! I was excited to have met him, but I felt like an idiot for not at least saying something else. I didn't even shake his hand! Sheesh! Oh well. What can you do?! : )
We walked around the store, saw the shop through a viewing area, took photos of show bikes, and hit the road. It was a quick stop there, but well worth it. The photo of me & Paul Sr. takes the cake. : )
We stopped at Panera Bread for lunch and then headed into Jersey to visit a few stores that we don't have near us. We figured since we were that far, we may as well incorporate as much as possible into our day.
Our first stop was IKEA. The store was packed with people and we did our best to browse and dodge shopping carts. We wound up buying new dishes and new bedding, yay! It's always fun to make small changes around the house. The best part is that IKEA is very affordable so you can make the changes without breaking the bank.
From IKEA we went to Campmor, a camping gear store of course. Paul was looking for a fleece jacket for his upcoming trip (hopefully) to Argentina. We took some time browsing there as well and he decided to purchase a fleece pullover which is just slightly different from what he was originally looking for.
There were several other places I would have loved to stop in, but it was getting late and we had to get home to let Moab out. We began the drive home and stopped for dinner at Olive Garden. We had a gift certificate to use so we figured it was the perfect time to do so. After dinner it was back in the car for our drive home after an exciting day. : )


Orange County Choppers

Brunch and Ice Cream

Paul and I invited Walt (our biggest fan) over to brunch a couple weekends ago. His wife Brenda is currently in Hawaii taking care of three grandchildren while the kids' parents are deployed overseas. Walt is staying here until he retires in October, then he'll join Brenda in Hawaii until sometime next year.
We made Dutch Babies and Paul cooked eggs for himself and Walt. It was a tasty meal. We visited over brunch and then Walt wanted to take us into PA to show us a stone viaduct he and Brenda had visited before.
We drove down to Susquehanna, PA and found the Starrucca Viaduct nestled in a small residential neighborhood. Its stone work is quite impressive and is a naturally beautiful structure. It was constructed by the New York and Erie Railroad and was completed in 1848. It was then thought to be the most expensive railway bridge in the world. It was made mostly of locally quarried ashlar bluestone with the exception of some concrete. It's possible that this was the first structural use of concrete in American bridge construction (this is all according to Wikipedia.org). It stands about 100 feet high and is just over 1,000 feet long. It is still in use today.
Walt and Paul decided that they wanted to try to get up on top of the structure, so they found what looked to be a way up and bushwhacked the short climb to the top. I opted to stay at the bottom because my foot was still bothering me.
After checking it out and taking some photos, they came back down, took some more photos, and we headed back toward the highway, stopping at a local ice cream parlor before heading home. : ) Mmmmm, sherbert!
It was a neat little side trip that often reminds you of how many interesting things may be just outside your doorstep!

I look pretty small!

Rail Up Top

Walt & Paul

Big Guns

A few weekends ago, Paul and our friend Joe talked about going rock climbing down in the Gunks. We waited to see what the weather was going to do and unfortunately, the forecast kept getting worse. We decided to bag it since it looked like rain was imminent.
Joe asked us if we wanted to head to a gun competition instead. I'd never been to one before, so we drove over to check it out.
Joe's a member of a local shooting club and they host shooting events frequently. Paul and I were able to watch the competition take place and talked to several other club members. They wanted to know why we weren't shooting, of course! Anyway, so the competition takes place in several different pits and each one is set up differently using various scenarios. You have to follow the instructions and do your best. You're scored on how well you do. Cool stuff.
After the competition was over, Joe took Paul and I to the pistol range where we each got to shoot. I haven't shot a pistol since I was in the military and qualified on the 9mm. That was 11 years ago!
Joe started me out with a .22 pistol. It was nice to shoot, with little kick. After that, I shot both Glock .45's--two different guns. They had a lot more kick and I didn't do as well with those guns. Still, I wasn't a horrible shot, but I wasn't as good as I'd hoped to be.
It's hard to describe the feeling you get when shooting a pistol. It's a combination of nervousness, fear, adrenaline, power, excitement, and respect--this is the real deal, not a toy.
It was a lot of fun to shoot and I may consider trying to compete in one of the upcoming competitions...you certainly don't have to be a marksman to compete and you can only get better by practicing! Check out some shots of us shooting. I look sort of mean, don't I? Ha! As we used to say in the military, "Get some!"

A Busy Day in Buffalo

Saturday, August the 15th we got up early to drive to Buffalo for Meredith's Christening. Meredith is Henry & Keara's second child. Henry is Paul's brother--for those who don't know. : )
We arrived at the church and waited for everyone else to arrive. Once inside, I was amazed at the beauty of the stained glass windows, the height of the ceiling, and the overall "feel" of the church. Quite a beautiful place. This church is where Henry & Keara were married in 2000 and where their first child, Kyle's Christening also took place.
I kept myself busy taking photos while things were being set up and soon I heard commotion near the foyer. I turned to look and could see something flying inside the church foyer. Back and forth it flew. Someone said, "A bird got in the church!" Then I heard, "That's not a bird, it's a bat!" I looked closely and sure enough a bat was flying back and forth in the church foyer and wound up perching on and then hiding behind a speaker up in the corner of the room. I thought it was awesome, personally. I know, I'm weird, but I think bats are amazing little creatures.
They closed the doors to the main church hall and tried to get the bat out, which they eventually did. I was glad it didn't seem to be harmed. The joke of the day was hoping that the 2 o'clock wedding party didn't find out about the bat!
The ceremony was brief but meaningful and we took photos then headed over to a restaurant to share a meal before we all departed for different destinations.

The Church

Keara & Meredith

Henry, Keara, Meredith, & Kyle

It was a beautiful day, albeit hot and humid. Paul and I decided to head to Niagara Falls since we were so close.
While we hadn't decided we'd go into Canada, we did bring our passports just in case. It wound up that we didn't want to pay $10 for parking on the US side, so we drove around and parked in a free 2 hour parking spot. We were not far from where I parked when I went back in 2006 in fact.
We began our walk and I couldn't believe how hot and humid it really was. It was like Alabama all over again. We made it to the bridge (Rainbow Bridge I think it's called) and walked across, passports in hand. The views from the bridge are beautiful, but they get even better on the other side. We passed through Canadian customs quickly and were on our way.
We walked and walked and walked! There were so many people and it was so hot! The occasional spray we felt from the water felt wonderful. We walked all the way down to where the water spills over on the Canadian side. We took photos and videos. We saw rainbows in the mist and we soaked up the sun. We finally had our fill and decided we'd better head back to make sure the car wasn't towed!
Back across the bridge, through US customs where you have to pay .50 cents to come through--pay to come home?! Insanity! The car was patiently waiting for us and by that time we were hot, thirsty, and tired. We'd walked close to or just over 4 miles. It was just so nice to be outside in decent weather since our summer had been anything but!
Hopped in the car and started on our drive home. It was a very long day, but well worth it. : )

Paul & The American Falls

Jen & The American Falls

Jen and a Beautiful Flower Garden

The American Falls

The Canadian Falls

A Rainbow in the Mist

Maid of the Mist Boat at the Canadian Fall Base

Back in NY

Dippikill

Every year Paul's family rents a cabin in the Adirondacks for a weekend. The whole family gets together to visit, get outside, and just generally be together. We headed up Friday night and met everyone there. And by everyone, I mean everyone (almost--we were missing some key players this year), but there were 12 adults and 6 children. Oh and Moab the dog of course.

Paul, Moab, and I were staying in the bunkhouse which is a large room on one side of the cabin. It has multiple bunkbeds with room for quite a few people to sleep in. The rest of the family was on the other side of the cabin in separate rooms. I figured we would sleep well since it was so quiet on our side. I thought wrong! Moab was so agitated all night that he wouldn't stay still and he wouldn't go to sleep. If we got 4 hours sleep we were lucky. I was a crab apple when I woke up.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and we headed to a Garnet Mine that we'd been to last year. It was a lovely day. Paul and Moab climbed up the rocks to the top to look around. My foot was not going to allow me to do that, so I stuck to the bottom and searched for garnet remnants. I found quite a few pieces. I'm not sure you can do anything with them, but I picked them up all the same. After we got our fill, we all trekked back to the cars and went back to the cabin for lunch.

We spent the afternoon visiting, watching the kids play with squirt guns, reading, basically lazing around. Paul, his uncle Water, and Paul's nephew Gehrig hiked down the pond to paddle in the canoe. I took Moab for a short walk and worked on obedience with him a little bit. I tried to take a short nap, but was unsuccessful.

We had a large meal for dinner and spent more time visiting and then it was time for bed. I thought to put my earplugs in that night and it was much better. Moab was exhausted from the hike and walk and we made sure he didn't nap through the day. That helped keep him quiet that night!

I still felt exhausted when I woke up Sunday morning. We packed up our stuff, cleaned the cabin, and said our good-byes to everyone. We decided to take a different route home to allow us to pass through Old Forge. It's a cute little touristy Adirondack town. We hoped to find a carved wooden bear and while we did see some, we either didn't like them or they were too expensive. Oh well. We did get some candy in the coolest hardware store though! We tried to grab a meal at the pancake house, but it was incredibly crowded and the wait was long. Plus, they wanted us to share a table with other people! I wasn't into that, so we left and started on our way home. Stopped for a meal in Utica and eventually made our way home. Even though it was a relaxing weekend, we were still exhausted from the lack of sleep and the drive. We made homemade pizza for dinner and took it easy the rest of the night.

In the Old Garnet Mine

What a Pain in the Foot!

I was pretty sore after my marathon, but after a couple of days, that muscle soreness started to fade. I actually felt pretty good with one exception. My left foot. My feel almost always bother me after strenuous activity. I tried to write it off that it was bunion pain and that it would subside. The strange thing is that it kept getting worse as the week went on.
Once back in NY, I decided I should go to the doctor. The doctor wanted an x-ray to check for a stress fracture. It came back negative and I was referred to podiatry. I did some research on the internet and came to the conclusion that it was probably related to my sesamoid bones. They're two tiny bones in the ball of the foot that can become inflamed or can fracture given enough stress is placed on them. The podiatrist took a look at my x-ray and my foot and figured that I had sesamoiditis. Wow-I was right! She didn't think there was a fracture, but she said she couldn't be sure because the x-ray was taken too soon after the injury for a fracture to show up. Plus, if it was a tiny fracture, it might not be picked up on film. She told me to take Vitamin I (ibuprofen) and rest as much as possible. That meant NO RUNNING. : (
But now what? I had planned on trying to rest then ramp back up for the US Air Force Marathon in Sept. Boo! Oh the depression! Seriously, telling a runner NOT to run is bad news.
I stewed around for days, really upset. I tried to take it easy. I tried to give it time, but I was back in the gym that week on the bike. I was climbing the walls! I had to do something.
Little by little I've tried to get back into activity but the truth is that I'm probably doing more than I should. Today marks one month from the marathon and my foot is still not well. I haven't run in one month! Yikes--actually writing that down makes it sound worse! Fortunately, I have been able to do other activities for exercise, but I'm concerned about the future of my foot and how it will impact my running. I think it might be time for another podiatry appointment. I'll keep you posted.

The Fun Part of Home

Ok ok, it's taken me longer than I'd planned to get back to the blog, but as promised here is my "fun part of home" sequel... : )
After the marathon, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel, so we really didn't plan anything just in case I needed some quality rest time. Monday was spent running errands and relaxing. We talked about going to the beach, but we didn't. We did a few small projects around the house for my parents and took it easy. Tuesday was much the same. Wednesday and the rest of the week were busy because my dad had those days off. He and Paul worked on the deck and were making progress there. I clipped and groomed the dogs, helped my mom in the yard a little bit, and did other small, random projects. I got to visit with my friend Kim, visited with my adopted "family" Bob, Mary, & Terri, went swimming, and cooked a bunch too. We made jam, sorbet, ice milk, and some other great meals. But, before we knew it, the entire week was gone. : ( It went by so quickly!
Our last day in town was fairly full. We ran a bunch of errands in the morning. One stop was to get my hair cut. Back in 2003 I grew my hair long and had it cut to donate to Locks of Love. I had decided to do it again, but hadn't made the commitment to cut it before I went home. I was going back and forth and finally decided it was time. So, there I was, sitting in the chair and I was nervous! And, in the blink of an eye, 11" of hair was cut off! Once finished, I felt lighter but strange! Everyone seemed to like it or at least they told me they did to make me feel better. I wasn't sure I liked it...It made me think about our dog Checkers (rest in peace, buddy) and when summer came we'd shave him down to the skin. For several days afterwards, he would seriously look sad and depressed. I think I finally understood how he felt! : ) Strange but true.
A few last minute things, dinner, and then the drive up to SFO for our red-eye flight back to NY.
We arrived at JFK and had a connection to Albany, but apparently the 2nd seat didn't show up to work. Seriously? We waited and waited and waited. Finally we boarded and made it to Albany. Annoying! We got on the shuttle and made it to the car and the car battery was dead. Boo! We called Paul's dad and he came down to the airport to give us a jump. Unbelievably, we left a small cargo light on and over a week's time, killed the battery. Oops! After a quick meal at his parent's house, we hopped in the car for our 2 hour drive home. We stopped at the grocery store to grab some eats and it was home to prepare for our friend Derrick's arrival. A whirlwind of unpacking and Derrick arrived. We enjoyed catching up with him for the evening but were fighting the sleepies. We were exhausted (we don't sleep well on red-eyes).
Monday morning and it was back to the grind. Overall it was a great trip, but just not long enough. We had beautiful weather, got a lot accomplished around the house, enjoyed visiting with everyone, and above all appreciated the time spent at HOME. : )

The Fun Part of Home

More to come!! Promise!

The Run Part of Home

Paul and I traveled out to California for two reasons: 1) To visit my family 2) To run my first marathon.
We arrived in San Francisco on the 25th of July and my parents picked us up and we headed into the city so I could pick up my packet for the race. We hopped out of the car and went to the Expo center and found it to be an absolute mobbed mess! I got my packet, but I wanted to browse through some of the stuff for sale. I found a fuel belt I was interested in, but wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money. Paul and I had actually made a fuel belt, but after a trial run, I was not convinced it was going to be what I wanted on race day. Sort of reluctantly, I purchased the fuel belt then got the heck out of there! We drove home and spent the rest of the day visiting and relaxing. We tried to go to bed early because we had a very early morning coming up.
The alarm went off at 3:30 and I was not thrilled to be getting up so early. I was still somewhat on NY time so it wasn't too bad, but it was still stinkin' early.
Got dressed and made sure I had everything I needed. Had a quick bowl of Cream of Wheat. Said goodbye to my mom--she didn't feel good enough to come with us. : ( I felt bad leaving her behind. Next time, Mom! : ) And we were on the road. It was a dark, sleepy ride to the city and as we got closer, I realized time was really getting close. Some of the roads were closed and we arrived at the parking garage to find it full. I had to tell them to let me out of the car because I was getting concerned I wouldn't make my start. I also had to use the facilities before I started and when I saw the lines for them I about choked. I was very, very anxious that I was not going to make it, but I did--with just a couple minutes to spare. I ditched my warm up sweats and tried to calm down a little bit--the nerves were there in full force. I had no idea where Paul and my dad were and figured I wouldn't see them until Golden Gate Park at near mile 13. Our wave started and off we went. I focused on trying to set a steady, but slow pace for mile 1. A girl just in front of me tripped on a speed bump and fell flat on her belly. I almost tripped over her. Poor thing--I felt so bad for her. It was so crowded that we were literally elbow to elbow at the start.
There were loads of spectators at the start and it was nearly impossible to see if Dad and Paul were anywhere, but for some reason, I turned to my left and looked, and there was Paul! I yelled twice and he heard me and we both waved. I couldn't believe how random it was that I saw him. Strange! I was so glad they got to see me start afterall!
Running down the Embarcadero was great. It was foggy and cool, you could smell the water, the streets were filled with nothing but us runners. When we approaced Fisherman's Wharf, we could smell seafood and salt water. The smell of sourdough at Boudin's was amazing and torture at the same time! They were busy baking bread that early morning. One runner even ran over to take a photo of them! In fact, lots of runners carried cameras and I saw many taking photos throughout the day.
Mile 1 was 10:00 exactly. That was ok with me. I wanted to run a little faster, but I knew I wanted to start out slower. I looked at my GPS watch at mile 2 and saw 9:38. That was better, but I knew it was very early and I had to be conservative. While I wanted to run fast, I wanted to finish more. That was my ultimate goal.
We ran down past the marina and aquatic park. We ran by Crissy Field and The Presidio and all the while the Golden Gate Bridge loomed in the distance. The roadbed of the bridge was visible, but the upper span was not. Engulfed in thick fog, it looked strange, but still beautiful. I was excited to get to it. To run across it!
Before I knew it, I was on the bridge. It was crowded--2 lanes were being used by the runners. One toward Marin, one toward SF. It was tight though and hard to pass. A girl dropped her camera or phone and had caused a traffic jam. Another girl tried to cut over to the side and I nearly ran over her. It was a lot of "excuse mes" and "sorrys" across the bridge.
I made it across and did the loop before returning and then heading down toward Golden Gate Park. Up to that point I had been feeling pretty good. I had one slight side cramp from a downhill section, but I was able to get through it. I wasn't in too much pain and I had a good attitude. So far, so good.
I had never been in Golden Gate Park before (I know, I know) and thought it was very nice. It was cool with the protection of many trees. The smell of Eucalyptus made me quite happy and I ran my way along the side of the road. I started looking for Dad and Paul and saw them up ahead. Smiles and cheers from them gave me motivation. I knew I'd see them at least one more time before leaving the park.
Along with the full marathon, two 1/2 marathons were being run. The first half started with us back at the waterfront. We split off from them close to the park. As we made the split, I noticed most people went left for the 1/2, while fewer stayed with me to the right for the full. Some dude running nearby me wished me luck which I thought was nice. I might need it!
The second half started in the park and it was just as I was getting to that area that I actually heard the gun and announcer start them off. Before long, my wide open running space became full of eager, fresh legged half-marathon runners. That was tough because it made me feel as though I was going backwards. I was getting passed like I was sitting still, but I had to try to tell myself it was just because I had already run over 13 miles and they were just starting. Patience, grasshopper!
Running, running, running. Keep going. Mile after mile went by. I saw Paul and Dad again twice more and then I knew I wouldn't see them again until the finish. I left the park and headed into the neighborhoods of the Haight-Ashbury District. Funky shops lined the streets and some tough hills made this part challenging. I was definitely tired, but I knew I could finish. That fortunately never was a question in my mind. Though I did think about the condition of my feet and legs, not finishing was not an option.
The fog was thinning out as we continued on and I kept waiting for us to return to the waterfront. My GPS watch wasn't matching the marked miles anymore (various reasons why) but it was very close so while I wasn't looking at it anymore, I heard it chime at every mile. I chose not to look at it because I didn't want pace to drive my overall race. Time was not my main goal (as I said earlier) and I wanted to run this race strictly by how I felt.
I knew I had slowed down some around miles 20+. I was stoked though when some nice guy on the side of the road was handing out full bottles of water. I took one and drank quite a bit before tossing it. I had been drinking from my fuel belt all along, but knew I had to sort of ration it because I didn't want to run out. The water stations along the run can get very crowded so I tend to avoid those if I can. I did take fluid from at least one or two of them though so I had supplemental fluids which was good. Still, that water was cool, refreshing, and I think it gave me a little boost toward the finish. I actually almost spit some water on a girl just behind me, but I just missed. I felt like an idiot and apologized. She said, "It's ok, you just missed me!" Yikes! I won't be spitting during a race again!
Eventually, the race turned and we began our way back toward the water. I saw the Bay Bridge and knew I was getting closer and closer. It was sunny, the water was shimmering, it was warm, and I was almost done! I ran by AT&T Park (where the Giants play baseball), ran under the Bay Bridge, and then came the finish! I had turned on the last bit of power that I had and crossed the finish line in 4:20:54--just under a 10:00min/mile pace. Not bad for my first marathon, though I would have liked to have finished faster. But, overall it was ok.
I grabbed a water and waited in line for my medal. I heard a yell and saw Dad and Paul waving at me. I got my medal and heat sheet, then got some goodies and made my way over to the cable car where they were taking finisher photos. I had my photo taken and found my way through the mess to Dad and Paul. Took my recovery drink, walked around a bit, stretched a little, and sat down for a bit. We took a few photos then made our way toward the car. We made a quick pit stop in the Ferry Building and looked at the neat shops and food spots there and then walked to the parking garage.
We decided to stop for lunch before we got home and about the only thing that sounded good to me was Panera. I was able to stomach soup and bread and it settled quite well. I was stiff getting out of the car, so it was good to stop and stretch my legs. Back home, I cleaned up and tried to take it easy the rest of the day. That wasn't hard to do! I was proud of my accomplishment and really couldn't believe my race was over! All my hard training had paid off and I was an official marathon finisher! Pizza for a celebratory dinner and a good night's sleep capped off an awesome experience in one of my favorite cities. Photos to follow.