Notes on Vacation

I just got back from an extended family vacation in Marquette, Michigan. With family roots in Marquette, I've been making the trek north almost every summer since I was born. This year was the first time in about two years that both of my brothers and their families were able to make the trek from out east, plus we had many more family members in town than usual. It was so excellent to see everyone. Here's a little post about the fun I've been having...

Hello nature! Marquette has so many beautiful natural views and great nature escapes. We hiked up Sugarloaf Mountain, I ran several times along the Lake Superior shore, we swam and beached it at Lake Superior - the water was actually VERY warm. If you know anything about Lake Superior, you know this is not something that

happens frequently!

Overjoyed about the fact that I got to spend so much quality time with my baby niece who is only 7 months old. She's amazing! The entire family would sing her favorite song when she started to fuss a little. She'd perk right up and smile when we'd sing to her. So sweet! The family sing-a-long was caught on video at one point while I was holding her. I cannot wait to see that!

# # # # #

One of the best things about vacation is having unstructured/unscheduled days. There were plenty of opportunities to catch a little sun and cool breeze in the hammock or on the beach, sleep in and then stay in one's pajamas longer than you would or could on a normal day, play with my nieces and nephew. One day this week, literally, the most pressing chore of the day was getting ready to go out in public for dinner.

So many desserts, so little time. My mom makes a mean strawberry rhubarb pie. There were also a variety of brownies, including cream cheese brownies and regular. Macaroons! Other cookies. A spicy layered fruit dessert that involved pudding, whip cream and nilla wafers. A frozen pistacio dessert that my grandma used to make. And mini chocolate cupcakes. It was pretty ridiculous, definitely vacation-only type eating!

Lots of dogs. In all seven dogs. Newest dog memebers of the family include my cousin B's Vizsla and my cousin J's Jack Russell (pictured below). Makes me want a dog!

Whenever the family gathers together, Mehndi has been a family tradition ever since my sister (in-law) M joined the family. Such a great way to chill and have a bonding experience with the ladies in the family, plus you have a very cool reminder of the time together right on the palm of your hand!

I've seen Inception twice now and you should go see it if you haven't already. I loved how layered the movie is and how much discussion you can have about it afterward. Best movie I've seen in a while.

# # # # #

It's definitely better to do a longer vacation than a shorter one! Re-entry into real life is going to be a bit difficult though. I've only been home for a few hours now and I am already feeling a little bummed out about being home and knowing that it will be a while before I'll see that much of my family together again all in one place. Great times, great family! I'm so lucky!

Camp

The middle school I went to sent all its 5th graders to overnight camp. It was a three day, two night (from what I remember) adventure in the wild. Well, "wild" might be a stretch, but it was an adventure!

We stayed in cabins that were rustic. We made food in tinfoil packs over a fire. We made walking salads. Want the recipe? Take one lettuce leaf, spread a smear of peanut butter, sprinkle with shredded carrots & raisins. Roll, eat and enjoy. We did some sort of course through the woods that encouraged us to use senses other than sight. I believe we did some canoeing and campfiring. I do remember that it rained and that there was a cabin called Stargazer. Other than that, the details are a little sketchy. It was a loong time ago, all right?!

My two favorite camp movies are The Parent Trap, (the Haley Mills version, of course!). I love all the scenes at the camp and the camper hijinks. And really, how can you not love the whole, "What do you mean I have a twin I never met? Our parents are both still single? We should trick them into getting back together."

and a little known movie called Indian Summer, where adults who went to camp together as kids get together for one last stay at their summer camp located near Canada's Algonquin Provincial Park. If you haven't seen this movie and you have a love for camp, you should check it out.

Did you go to camp as a kid or maybe you were even a camp counselor? Do you send your kids?

Perfect Summer Afternoon

One of the fun, stylish blogs I follow, What I Wore is hosting a contest sponsored by Coach and Polyvore. Here's the gist, just create a look on Polyvore featuring Coach's new Poppy fragrance and post the link in the comments of the What I Wore contest entry. Up for grabs is the fragrance itself and a some Coach swag worth $498. It's been awhile since I've played in Polyvore, I was feeling inspired and who doesn't love a chance to win a fabulous prize. If you're feeling equally inspired, go make your own set. Contest runs through July 21, 2010. Here's my set:

Perfect Summer Afternoon by *fish featuring Coach bags

Sleepin' In Summer

I love my sleeping mask for weekends in the summer! If the cats were allowed in the bedroom and if I had perfect hair, this is how I'd look when I slept during the summer - minus so many blankies, unless the A/C is on. Is there anything Audrey did that wasn't glamourous?

The bedroom gets Eastern sunrise sun and lots of it, so if I ever want to sleep in past sunrise I have to don my trusty sleep mask. I was a bit dubious at first, because who actually uses those? For real? Yeah, for real, it works! I tried it out of desperation and lack of early morning sleep and have been quite happy with the sleepy results.

Sun got you rising before you want to? Try on a sleep mask and you too could be slumbering away long after day break! Just thought of you folks with kids or barky dogs, I don't think there's a mask that allows you to keep sleeping after they've been summoned from their slumber in the morning. Sorry!

Today's Catch

I found a crumbled $5 spot on the floor while grabbing an iced coffee this afternoon at the company Starbucks. I gave it to the lovely barrista who knows all her regulars - figuring she'd know who had just been there before me. I'm hoping the $ gets back to its rightful owner.

# # # # #

I love the Pure Michigan ads on the radio (they're on tv and online too, but I usually only hear them) narrated by Tim Allen. They are really well written, captivating even. If you're from the mitten state you know how well they've captured the feeling of vacationing/visiting our special state. If you're not from here - check out the ads, then come visit and see what you think!

# # # # #

Procrastination. Why do you eff with me sometimes? I hate you.

# # # # #

Ever go to the car mechanic and think you're just in for something simple and then it becomes the car equivalent of The Money Pit? That didn't happen to me today, although the potential was there. Whenever the VW is close to needing an oil change, it basically yells at me until I get one. This scary oil pressure warning light comes on whenever I'm driving through loopy turns (think loopy highway exit ramps). It actually says STOP! Then the check engine light comes on. I don't stop because I know it's not the end of the world, but the first time it happened, I freaked out! I told the dude at the dealer that the light had been coming on again and he said they'd check it out. Turns out I was right, the VW is just really particular about getting its oil changed!

# # # # #

Guilty TV (hulu.com) pleasures lately - The Bachelorette and Losing it with Jillian Michaels.

# # # # #

Do you have a dermatologist? Do you visit often? I went this week for the first time in years just so she could have a look-see at my 30-something skin. What's up with a bit of what I don't want to call "age" spots? How about sun spots? Apparently, yes, my fair skin does have a bit of sun damage. Crikey! All the more reason to stick to my Arbonne lotions & potions and up the sun screen factor on my face!

# # # # #

Here's where I tell you something completely nerdy about me - I bought a new dehumidifier this weekend for the basement and it's amazing how much water it collects, seemingly out of thin (actually thick) air! Yep, I'm stoked about an appliance and it's not even one of the sexy kitchen appliances that people get excited about! The old dehumidifier had been running constantly for years and it finally lost its magical dehumidifying powers, leading to a clammy basement. This new one made the basement feel better in just a few hours. Dry basements are where its at, yo!

# # # # #

Is there anything better than going to bed early? I'm headed there now. I almost fell asleep before going to the gym tonight (way too hot to run outside tonight!) so I'm feeling the need for some extra zzzz's! I hope I get lucky and have some cool dreams. Good night!

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

I blogged a while back about wanting to try some new recipes this summer. A new, adventurous salad was on the list. I bought one of those cute mini seedless watermelons (so cute, right?) this week and decided to try making a salad with it. I had seen several different recipes involving watermelon, feta and mint. They were all slightly different, so when it came down to choosing I ended up using different elements of several recipes. I wanted to keep it simple and involve the fewest ingredients so the flavors would burst through.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

1/2 mini watermelon, cubed

8 oz feta cheese

hearty bunch of fresh mint, cut into ribbons (chiffonade)

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

olive oil

white pepper

Cube the water melon and place in a bowl, add the feta cheese. For the dressing, I combined probably a touch more than a 1/4 cup of balsamic, and just a bit (probably about an 1/8 of a cup) of olive oil in a bowl with several grinds of white pepper (black pepper would probably work just fine too). Once whisked together, pour the dressing over the watermelon feta mixture. Chiffonade the mint and add to bowl. Mix in most of the mint and gently combine everything and save a bit of the mint for a garnish so your dish looks pretty before serving.

Overall this is a really simple recipe to make. Chopping the watermelon was the most time consuming part of the process and it didn't really take that long. You could also use a melon baller, which may make the process of freeing the rind-locked melon go more quickly. Plus you get to call yourself a "baller" while doing it!

I took the salad to A's 4th of July gathering. (A- we had so much fun with y'all! Thanks!) I really liked how the flavors tasted altogether - absolutely love the mint- others may have not known what it was all about. It seems like it has the potential to be one of those salads you start seeing at every summer gathering since it's so easy, but I think the look and idea of the flavors has yet to catch on as a mainstream go-to pot luck staple. Give it a try if you're looking for something a little different and absolutely refreshing to do with watermelon. I just ate some as a snack and it's still delicious the day after. It does get a little juicy the day after. Just drain off some of the juice and use a slotted spoon to scoop it out of the dish. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Celebrate your freedom today by celebrating you - the choices you've made, the growth you've accomplished, the goals you've set and squashed and the adversity you've been strengthened by. Become truly liberated by feeling free in your own mind, free from our own negative self talk, free from past baggage, free to express yourself and be who you are meant to be. We are an integral part of this country and deserve to feel true Independence!

I'm celebrating with R and friends tonight with a barbeque and fireworks! Looking forward to it! How are you celebrating your freedom today?

Food Mood

Summer is typically not the season for slaving away in the kitchen on elaborate meals. And in my case it seems that recently it's not about slaving away on any meals. I feel like I've been eating horribly and for every time I think, "I need to be eating better," there's no motivation to work up a healthy menu for the week and make the trip to the grocery store. Seriously, you'd think it involved walking across hot coals or scaling the Mackinaw Bridge the way I've been avoiding making healthy eating a priority.

They say you'll keep repeating the same crappy, self-defeating behaviors even though you try to talk yourself into better behavior, until the pain is too great not to change that crappy, self-defeating behavior.

It's time for a change, people. I'm sick of not having the energy I want. If I'm tired, I want it to be because I've just had a really good run or I've just had a heck of an active/productive day. (I could do a whole other post about how my running career is doing right now. I'll save the post and just say it's in serious need of a kick in the running shorts!) I'm sick of the hassle of getting dressed for work when there are a few items I'm avoiding because they feel pinchy and a liiittle too snug for the workplace. Ugh!

Remember that whole cleanse I did back in January/February? You'd think I did that eons ago and then suffered severe memory loss the way I've been eating. While I don't necessarily want to do another cleanse right now, I want to re-embrace some of the principals - more protein, more veggies (hello, Farmer's Market?!) fewer carbs, low to no-sugar (I don't want to stop baking, it just would mean more sharing of the baked goods!) and definitely no more sodas.

Good thing it's never too late to rededicate yourself to healthy!

The Yarden

I said I'd post some pics of the new landscaping in the backyard. The space is super shady, so proper "shady" plants (ha, that reminds me of "Shady Shorts", the nick name my friend K had for someone who shall remain nameless, but totally deserved the name) had to be installed once the crazy, wild ground cover was ripped out. The space used to be all ivy, doing its ivy thing. But then wild strawberry (huh?! where did that even come from?) invaded and the whole space looked ridiculous and overgrown. I'm so happy with how it looks now! Even happier that it was done in record time, (seriously it felt like magic) by the good folks at Tazzia Lawn Care. I'd highly recommend them if you're in the market for some landscaping.

Without further ado, here's the before (after ivy and wild strawberry were cleared) picture, followed by the beautifully ever after:

Cleaning Up

My spring cleaning came a little late this year. I've actually never adhered to an actual by the calendar schedule for spring cleaning, it's more of a feeling that comes over me after the snow is gone and the weather is nice. Time to clean, declutter and organize! I had some landscaping done (which was something I'd been thinking about for a while. I will post pics soon!) and I think it had something to do with my mental shift toward cleaning and organizing. I basically took the better part of this past weekend and did the following inside and outside the house:

Shredded documents that I no longer needed. I'd be embarassed to tell you how many. There were SO many.

Gathered all my recycling, including a giant stack of magazines that I finally cut recipes out of. RECYCLE, Ahoy!

Cutting recipes out of the old magazines led to reorganizing my recipe notebook. I have a three ring binder with clear plastic sleeve pages where I keep favorite recipes from family, friends and other various sources. I love it, it's my own personal cook book!

Straightened up my closet, which included buying a couple stackable wire shelves for further organization and a few more plastic shoe boxes for my growing shoe collection.

Made piles for the dry cleaner, laundry and Goodwill. Found out that my dry cleaner has a special on pants on Wednesdays, which I did not know. Too bad it was Monday when I dropped them off! I'll know for next time, right?!

Cleaned all my silver jewelry. I don't mean that to sound like I'm sitting on a pile of jewlery pirate-treasure-style, it's just the stuff I normally wear. Silver gets a little tarnished even though you wear it all the time, so I like to freshen it up now and then. Now it's shining a bit brighter for summer!

Vacuuming. Keeping up with two felines is a full time job.

Dusting. See note above about felines.

Transferred an old perfume that's been trapped in a leaky bottle to a purse-sized spritzer. I've been wanting to do this for a while and finally had the time to do it.

Basically weeded and or hacked away at anything left in the yard that was over grown. Mowed the lawn and then cleaned up all the debris. Then sat back and enjoyed the pretty view.

And of course, there's always more to do, but I was grateful to be able to start the week feeling super productive and loving how clean and uncluttered the house feels! I am thinking about putting tiny dusting mits (maybe "kitten mittons - an elegant, comfortable mitten for cats" would do the trick!) on the felines so they can help me keep the place tidy! Wouldn't that be great?!

What's for Dinner?

A bit ago I re-discovered the corn tortilla. There's a great family-owned authentic Mexican restaurant in Grand Rapids called Maggie's Kitchen. My usual gig when I go is a veggie burrito with guacamole and onions. One day after a long run, I made my way to Maggie's in search of nourishment, lest I chew my own arm off in my savage hunger. I got my regular burrito to go AND a cheese quesadilla made with a corn tortilla. I ate the quesadilla on my way home and the first bite brought me back to a favorite childhood food memory. Mmm...warm, soft corn tortilla!

We used to have build-your-own-taco nights when I was younger, complete with soft corn tortillas. My mom would assemble all the fixings: beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, salsa on this fantastic table top ceramic lazy susan. Spin it to win it, or um, to make your winning taco. I loved it when we had taco nights!

Hit by a bit of nostalgia for build-your-own-tacos and a wicked taste for corn tortillas, I've begun holding my own build your own taco nights and you can too!

Here's what to do:

Gather your favorite taco ingredients. Here are mine:

Refried beans

Cilantro Lime Rice

Guacamole

Tomatoes, chopped

Onion, chopped

Lettuce, chopped

Corn tortillas (Taco-sized, natch)

Other optional ingredients could include:

Salsa

Sour cream

Cheese

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Meat (if that's your bag, baby!)

Once you have everything chopped, assembled and ready for taco building, heat a larger frying pan with a touch of vegetable oil. Heat a few tortillas at a time, moving them around and turning them so they heat evenly, just until they're soft and warm. You want to be careful not to keep them on the heat too long because they may get a little tough and veer dangerously close to tortilla chips. Hand a couple heated tortillas to your first guest and have them get started building their very own tacos. You can heat the tortillas as you go for each individual taco builder or heat them all, keeping them covered and warm as you heat enough for your taco builders.

He or she who builds the perfect-size taco, without overflowing filling wins a prize! I've found it pretty tough to not want to heap a ton of all my favorite ingredients into each tortilla. Mind the eyes bigger than the tortilla phenomenon.

I'd love to hear if you have your own festive taco building night. What is your favorite meal from childhood? Have you procured the recipe and made it your own in adulthood? Do share!

Bad Romance

Dear new next door neighbor,

Although I have not met you yet, I already feel like I know a bit more than I should about you and your "boyfriend". Last night you woke me up with another fight in the street/alley. This was the third one I have heard in the middle of the night or very early morning. You've been crying and or screaming at him each time. And each time, from what I can tell from my nosy neighbor window, he can't be bothered to get out of his truck to talk to you nicely. I heard you scream something about another woman. Really, that about sums it up. If there's another woman involved and you're not happy about the way he's handling things or his actions and words are not adding up, get as far away as possible from the guy. And stay away!

Clearly, there's absolutely no way I can know exactly what your situation is, but with each Jerry Springer moment that plays out on the street for me to hear, I hope you come to some clarity about what's really going on and leave well enough alone. Life is too short to be that upset on a continual basis, in any relationship.

Your neighbor,

*starr fish

Cutie Biker Chic!

Inspired Summer Biking by *fish

Had a little fun assembling some items that would be both fun and functional to wear while tooling around town at a leisurely pace on that fantastic-looking bike. I haven't done much biking yet this summer, but intend to. I'm very lucky to live in an area that is super bike friendly - bike lanes, bike paths, and lots of fellow bikers and group rides. Go, Grand Rapids!


Get on your bike and ride! I've got a road bike and after studying this bike, I've got a hankering for something a little more relaxed and mellow. Road bike + necklace = probably not, but I could probably rock everything else with comfort on my bike.


Are you a biker? What's your style? Cruiser, mountain bike, road bike, fixie? There's something out there for everyone and plenty of places to ride and things to wear while riding. Perhaps I shall compile a spread for road biking...

Gulf Oil Disaster

Birds and wild life are covered in oil.

They are COVERED in oil!

I don't watch TV news, so I have not been seeing any video or photo coverage. I just saw a few pics though and they literally made me cry. I cannot believe how terrible things are and that there's not really an end in sight. I wish there was some way I could help.

The entire eco system in the Gulf of Mexico is extremely effed because of the BP disaster - the fact that it's being called a "spill" makes me sick. You might spill some water or a soda, but oil gushing into the ocean? It most certainly is not a "spill." There's no telling how far reaching the effects of this debacle will be. We probably won't know the true environmental impact for years.

Sad state of affairs.

Holiday Weekend Hightlights

So...the Memorial Day weekend was a good one! Oh, how I love the long weekend. I even had Friday off, which made it a full four days off. Delightful! That should really happen more often.

Highlights included:

Passing my written motorcycle endorsement test at the Secretary of State! Pretty excited about having the little CY on my driver's license now!

Having a lovely dinner on a sunny patio with some of my girlfriends and then seeing Sex and the City, 2. The movie wasn't as good as the first one or even the series, but it was fun to see the girls (and Aiden) again!

Playing lots of pinball (and playing pretty well, I might add) after a delish dinner at Stella's with R. If you go to Stella's, try the World Eater! MM...goood!

Doing a something akin to a circus act with R to trim the back hedge. Who says shoulder rides are just for kids, or playing chicken in the water? Our combined height came in pretty handy for tackling the overgrown hedge!

Wading through a torrential downpour yesterday afternoon with R to see the 2010 Regional Arts Competition, which is the juried art show for Festival of the Arts.

Helping a friend move her closet! R & I dug hanging out with A and her man B. for a bit in their new place. And I scored a few closet cast offs, can't wait to rock the harem pants, thanks, A!

Having book club dinner and ice cream on a beautiful Sunday night in the neighborhood. We didn't talk much of the book...but it's really more about spending time together and catching up with the BC gals who can be there. Missed our Depeche Mode-loving friend A, our friend CurlyGirl, who just had a baby boy and our on BC hiatus since she's living out of town friend, AP.

Having an indoor picnic at my mom's last night, complete with indoor s'mores!

What was the highlight of your Memorial Day weekend? Did you see Sex and the City? Good eats? Time with friends & family? Did you make it to the beach? Do tell!

Shaka Shaka

My geometry teacher had this deal for choosing lucky contestants to come to the board and write out proofs from our homework assignments. She called it "shaka shaka." Every student's name was on a tiny slip of paper in a can on her desk. She'd give that can the ole "shaka shaka" and pull out a name. If she picked you, it was your lucky day for putting your geometry skills on display. Everybody loved/hated shaka shaka. It broke up the routine of the same kids always solving proofs, but breaking up the routine meant you could be the one put in the geometry hot seat.

I'm hoping to shaka shaka my life, by breaking up my routine. I'm so craving excitement and fun. I've felt stuck in a rut for a while now. Perhaps that's why I've been a little more quiet than normal around these parts, there's been nothing terribly noteworthy to blog about.

Shake It Up, Hand Painted Giclee Print on Canvas

by Russell D'Allessio

Instead of waiting for something exciting to happen that I can be a part of, I need to make my own excitement. This could take on many forms. Mainly, I can't keep waiting for the good stuff to happen. I need to make it happen. It's so easy for me to get trapped in the daily grind of work, run, eat & sleep that I forget there's so much more to life. I'm not in the thick of training for a race right now, so now is a perfect time to shake things up, to do things a little differently, to do things I've been thinking about doing, but haven't.

I've already changed things up a bit today. I got my running miles in this morning. I actually got out of bed at 5:00 a.m. and was running by 5:15 a.m., which when you consider my previous snooze button abuse, this is a big deal. I'm already so into the morning run, I'm looking forward to getting up tomorrow and doing it again. Tomorrow isn't even a day I'd usually run! There's something very cool about being up before the sun. The streets were mine and I was home before I would normally even be out of bed! With the heat we're experiencing here in Michigan, the morning run will probably save me from heat stroke.

So that's just one example of me giving my routine the old shaka shaka. I've got to keep the momentum going so I'm continually looking forward to something. I'll try to keep you posted. What do you do to break out of a rut?

Slaw-nomenon

I made a batch of broccoli peanut slaw last night. It technically serves eight grown adults. I will admit, I can't stop eating it. This is something of a phenomenon, dare I say a slaw-nomenon, with me. I have been known make a batch of slaw and eat it like it's my first meal after being stranded in the desert for years with nothing but sand(wiches) to eat. Then I'll make another batch and do the same thing over again a few days later. Repeat scene until I burn out. It's slaw, not sweet rolls. I guess that's why this seems so odd to me. My food obsessions usually involve a bread or starch of some sort. Seriously, does anyone else have recipes like this where you make it and you can't help but eat it like a fiend and then make it again a few days later? If you do, please share!

This is a first time I've made the broccoli peanut slaw, but I've had it many a time when other's have made it. I think I actually got the recipe a while back from my Aunt. Out in the non-vegetarian world, this little veggie has to be careful because people usually make it with real bacon. I made mine with fake bacon and it tasted so good, I had to tell you about it. It makes a ton - perfect for potlucks, picnics or back yard barbeque parties. Or, if you're me, it a perfect breakfast, lunch and dinner. No special occasion needed, just grab a fork!


Broccoli Peanut Slaw
1 12 oz. pkg. broccoli slaw mix (I used Mann's brand)
2-4 cups broccoli, broken into small florets (I used just over 1/2 of bundle of broccoli)
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cups dry roasted peanuts, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 strips fake bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped

Dressing
1 cup slaw dressing (I used Marzetti Light Slaw dressing)
2 Tbsp. sugar

Mix together package broccoli slaw, broccoli florets, raisins, peanuts, onion and "bacon" in a large mixing bowl. Whisk sugar into dressing in a separate bowl, then pour dressing over veggies. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight so flavors can meld. I added a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy and share, if you can!

Summer (Dreaming) Eats

The weather here in Michigan this week has been far from desireable for late spring. It's been about 45 and cloudy and/or rainy since earlier this week. So what else can a foodie girl do but start dreaming of all things summer? I've been thinking about food in particular, things I want to make that will help enhance the summer mood, once it finally does arrive. Here's what I've got so far:

Ice cream sandwiches made with homemade cookies and or graham crackers.
Salsa from scratch.
Blueberry pie.
Peach pie.
Pesto with fresh basil.
S'mores.
Grilled corn on the cob.
Pasties.
Potato salad.
New and adventurous salads.

I've made a number of these things already, but look forward to them each summer. I love things that are rather simple, yet full of flavor. There's nothing better than making something with items I've picked up at the Farmer's Market earlier in the day. Each of the recipes I've made are seasonal palate pleasers that pretty much fit that bill (except maybe the S'mores!) and I can't wait to create some new summer snacks to share with family & friends and you. My plan is to document a few of these and post pics here.

What foods are your summer favorites? What am I missing out on? Wanna swap recipes?

Riverbank Run! Run!

Through cold and wind, my legs kept going for the full 25k on Saturday for the 33rd annual 5/3 Riverbank Run. Since I had run the course two weeks ago, I wasn't really concerned with not finishing, although I did want to improve on my time from two weeks ago or my time from last year's race. I finished with a 2:43:38, about two minutes faster than last year's time and about three minutes slower than two weeks ago. Go figure! I was happy with my finish time. Next time though I'm hoping to improve even more!

It managed to stay dry for almost the entire race. It did start to rain when I had about one mile to go. Not that big of a deal since it rained only briefly and with 14.6 miles behind you, you just push on.

A & I found our running buddy Fred near the start and we ran with him and the 10 minute mile pace guy for a while. I was feeling really good for keeping that pace and was hoping to be able to keep up for the whole race. I ended up losing them somewhere around mile 6 & 7 though. My knees historically get very tight between those two mile markers and I had to stop to apply some Tiger Balm. The knees chilled out and I was able to keep moving. A & Fred were rock stars and finished about eight or nine minutes ahead of me! WOW! I really have to get on my speed work to be able to kick through the end with them next time!

It made a big difference to see this guy Paul from GRRC (whom my friend A dubbed Motivator Man before we knew his name) a couple times along the course. He showed up a few different places to cheer people on. So cool to see a familiar face and get that boost of energy. I also ran into Dry Cleaner Mike in the home stretch. He was actually running the race and keeping an eye out for GRRC runners.

The finish was good. I was able to tap into my reserves and pick up my pace once I rounded the slight bend on Ottawa and could see the finish. I love that feeling! Best feeling ever though is being able to stop, collect your medal and know you don't have to run again for the rest of the day! My mom, her friend D and R were at the finish. I actually saw my mom, which was cool since the finish line can be a bit of a blur!

Post race included a small bagel snack, water and picking up gear from gear check (something we did for the first time ever and will do again.) Then hot shower, warm clothes and a trip for celebratory pancakes! I am so happy to be a runner and thankful that I can include it as part of my life. I'm still not sure what our next race will be, but I'm already looking forward to getting back on the road and logging some miles.

Photo Shop

"I'll take you to the Photo Shop, I'll let you cut and paste photos till you hit the spot, C'mon girl, don't you stop."

...That's gotta be Premier Skateboarding's favorite song. Hehe! I follow this local skate shop on Twitter and was intrigued when they mentioned 50 cent in a recent tweet. The intrigue comes because Mr. Curtis Jackson is currently in my fair city shooting a movie, in fact the current set is just a short walk from my house. So I clicked on the link to find this little story about how someone at the shop had met Curtis and convinced him to come back to the house for a little impromptu show for some girl's birthday. Here's the pic they posted with the story:

I actually believed it for a second and then got skeptical. I did a google image search and found this, it was the second image on the page:

Uh, huh. Look familiar? I had to laugh! They got me for a second. Just think there are probably kids out there who actually still think the story is real, that if they come to the shop they've got one degree of separation with 50. The light and the fact that it's only May in Michigan, you just wouldn't get that sweaty if you were on the mic on someone's front porch with your shirt off, gave it away. Nice work taking us to the Photo Shop though, guys!