That One Time When I Blogged....

Admittedly, I have been a major social networking BUST so far this year. 
I unintentionally kind of put blogging on the back burner. 

Like, waaaaaaay way back there in the back of my closet.
 Next to the pants from high school that I swore one day I would fit into again. 

Needless to say, I decided to resurrect the blog and give away the high school pants. Let's be real, those things don't stand a chance.

When 2 Chainz talks about the girl saved in his phone under "big booty", he's actually referring to me. I am collecting royalties as we speak.

I figured now was as good of a time as ever to try and get back with it. I love writing and kind of miss it! So, here's a quick update of life's highlights so far in 2014. It may be only 4 months in, but there are plenty of things to share. 

I smelled the roses.

 This boondoggle really deserves a post of it's own.
 

Getting to the National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was a true test of God. But once I was there, it was all worth it.

 

Summary:

• Find out at 10pm the night before our flight that our 6AM leg from Tampa to Atlanta had been cancelled.
• Called airline. Weighed options: fly stand by, fly out of another city and miss part of game, not go at all.
• Thought of one more option: DRIVE TO ATLANTA and then get on the plane there (mind you Prateek had not packed yet...yes...it was 10pm the night before. Welcome to our life.)
• Confirmed that the 8:30 AM Atlanta to LAX flight was on time. 
• Packed, rented a one way car to Atlanta, and drove 8 hours through the night
• Pulled into the Atlanta airport with about 2 minutes to spare and got to the gate as they were boarding the plane.
• Got off the plane at LAX, went to In N Out (duh), then went straight to the Rose Bowl

The game was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Even though Auburn didn't pull through with the win, it was worth every sleepless minute it took to get there.
 I was so proud of them I almost cried. War Eagle, y'all.
 

I injured myself. Like, really bad this time.

I've had running injuries before. But nothing that has kept me in a sedentary state for THREE AND A HALF MONTHS. A strained tibial tendon may sound minor. After a month in a boot, another 6 weeks in an ankle brace, and then being limited to only "low impact" activities for another 4 weeks, I officially respect my tendons.

My waistline (and my sanity) can't wait for me to fully heal.

Thankfully, a resurgence is near. I ran my first pain free mile last week. I was so happy I cried. It was slow and I had a side stitch the whole time and I kind of wanted to throw up at the end, but it was the best mile I've ever completed in my running career thus far. Bring it on, recovery! I have new Oiselle duds that need to be worn!

I sold the first "big girl" thing I've ever owned. And then purchased the first "big girl" thing I've ever purchased.

 I sold one of the loves of my life -- my 2002 Honda Civic with 190,000 miles on it - and bought a new car. I cried when the Honda sold. Then I cried again when I signed the paperwork on my Audi.

I think maybe I cry too much.

I am the greatest fantasy football commissioner and player to ever exist in the history of time.

OK, not really. But I did kinda love being commissioner. And I did in fact win two of the three leagues I was in this year (and came in 2nd in my other one). 

Had hit records on my demo..did y'all boys not get the memo?

Oh, and I went on to win the March Madness office pool as well.
I think everyone at work hates me. It's tough at the top, y'all. Haters gonna hate.

I got Bollywood Fever. 

This also really deserves a post of it's own.

  

 Everyone knows I'm no stranger to a packed social schedule. I've been fortunate to have attended hundreds of concerts and shows and events in my lifetime. IIFA, however, tops the list of them all.

The IIFA Awards are Bollywood's version of the Oscars, and had been hosted all over the world but never in the United States. This year, Tampa won the bid to host the awards and Prateek and I were so lucky to attend all of the events and their respective after-parties.

 

Imagine mixing the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, a Broadway musical, and Cirque du Soleil. That is what the IIFA production was like.

I've never seen anything like it and probably won't ever again.

The show was taped and will air sometime in June to over 800 million viewers worldwide. Incredible! 

And that brings us to May. 

The month that I have been simultaneously looking forward to as well as dreading since around this time last year.

But I'll save that for another blog post.

An Open Letter to Auburn Fans

Figured I'd add to the spirit of Iron Bowl week and share this recent post I read.

War Eagle, y'all. 

It's hard to watch your team go 13-0 and miss the chance to have a national title.

It's hard to finally get that championship and have the NCAA and media breathing down
your neck the whole time. 

It's hard to watch your team go winless in the SEC and 3-9 overall, and then see your beloved trees ripped from the ground because one of your detractors doesn't know the difference between rivalry and hatred. 

It's hard to see your program's rich tradition and moments of greatness denied by a never-ending chorus of haters who don't care what it means to believe in Auburn and love it.

But it's also hard to think of a greater memory than Tommy Tuberville leading the perfect team out arm-in-arm onto the field.

It's hard to find a better pre-game tradition than an eagle circling the stadium to the soundtrack of 90,000 people united in our rallying cry.

It's hard to find a fan base that could take the death of another tradition in the wake of a terrible season and turn it into a picturesque celebration of everything Auburn.

It's hard to catch a ball you can't even see, to juggle the weight of an improbable comeback and an improbable year, and then carry it into the end zone like you meant to do it the whole time.

It's hard to find a better coach than Gus.

The truth is, I'm not too worried about this Saturday. We are the underdogs, and it'll be hard work to pull off the upset. But hard work is exactly the kind of work we believe in. And no matter how easy it might be right now to just roll with the Tide, I will look back when it's all settled and know that the hardest moments and how we dealt with them are just part of why it was, is, and always will be 

GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER.

 - Tim Tyler, via All Things Auburn 

Eulogy

Dear Jadoo,

You came bounding into my life with your giant paws and long fuzzy tail. You pushed your big Rottweiler head into the side of my leg and forced me to pet you (and almost knocked me down in the process). Ever since that moment, you filled a hole in my life that I didn't even realize I had. 

 

You never met a stranger and gave kisses freely. You protected me from terrible predators like lizards and pelicans and squirrels, and wouldn't stop barking until they were gone.You let me dress you up in ridiculous outfits for the holidays. You would do just about anything for a cookie. You knew when I was happy or sad and would come lay next to me when I was sick and not leave my side.

I will miss how you ran around in circles in the backyard right after a bath. I will miss having you at the bow of the boat as the first mate. I will miss how you would lie down right smack dab in front of the bathroom sink every single morning, making me stretch and reach over you to brush my teeth. I will miss doing my cool down walks with you after a long training run. I will miss having you rush to the door to greet me after getting home from work. I will miss how you barked at the swimming pool whenever someone would jump in. I will miss hearing your footsteps go up the stairs like a herd of elephants. I will miss how you attempted to attack the vacuum cleaner but then would get scared of it and run away. I will miss sitting out with you on the dock watching the boats go by. I will miss how you tried as hard as you could to get comfortable in the back seat of my Civic, 99% of the time being unsuccessful because you were just too big. I will miss the tumbleweeds of your hair swirling across the floor, no matter how often it was swept. I will miss how you tilted your head to one side and hiked up your ears when I said the word "hungry". I will miss constantly picking up your toys (which also included the empty milk jugs that you would chew into a ball of shredded plastic). I will miss how you'd follow me from room to room.

Most of all, I will miss your unconditional love.

You touched so many people's lives and will never be forgotten. I can't wait to cross the Rainbow Bridge with you someday. Until then, rest in peace my handsome boy.

In Sickness and in Health

For the typical marathoner, you are married to your sport. You wake up with it, think about it all day, hang out with it after work, and have dreams about it at night. Through all the trials and tribulations, you continue your relationship with it and work on it every day to try and make each day better than the last. 

My Twin Cities Marathon experience was a true test of my relationship with running. 

It was a perfect day for a race - temps in the mid 40's with a little cloud cover. The course was absolutely gorgeous and full of fall colors. I had never felt better at the halfway point of any marathon I've ever done and was hitting my goal paces almost spot on. I felt totally invincible! 

Then mile 15 happened. 

It felt like someone punctured a knife through my stomach. Then the nausea came, with dry heaving shortly thereafter. 

Ummmm, excuse me running, but WTF?! We were doing so well!

I pulled over to the side and was assisted by an EMS guy on a bike who gave me some fluids. They asked how I felt about 5 minutes after the heaving stopped, and I lied and said I felt much better.

Stubborn, party of one.

By the 22nd mile, I had to pull over to the side again. The same EMS guy on the same bike saw me that second time, walked me to a nearby emergency aid station and gave me hot chicken broth. They advised I drop out and said I looked pale. 

Sorry dude, but I always look pale. It's my German/Irish heritage. I'm continuing on. 

Plus, there was no way I was dropping out at mile 22. I would walk/crawl/stumble my way across the finish line before I DNF'd.

I thanked them for the broth and continued as best I could for the next 4 miles, all the way across the finish line. 

My legs felt great. My lungs felt great. It was just not my day on the G.I. side of life. But, like Nemo with a bad fin, I persevered and just kept swimming.

A day later I am already in heels with hardly any soreness in my legs. And I am already plotting another marathon in the next few months for redemption. 

Marathon #5, I'm coming for you.... 

The Great North Left

Everyone has a life bucket list.

For some, it may be walking the Great Wall of China. For others, it may be riding a Gondola in Italy and getting serenaded by a Venetian man with a straw hat. Or maybe it's something like running a marathon or going scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

For me, one of my life bucket list items was to see Dave Matthews Band live at The Gorge.

God's Amphitheater. It's a religious experience, y'all.

When I found out back in February that I had scored tickets to the show, I decided to base a Seattle vacation out of it as well. I'd never been to the state of Washington, and the idea of spending time in the Pacific Northwest during a hot Florida summer sounded better than a post-race ice cold IPA. (Well, actually, maybe those two things are about even.)

For the cherry on top of the trip, I was accepted onto the Oiselle Volée running team, and oh hey guess what?! Their headquarters are in Seattle. Two birds with one stone. 

Hmmmm maybe that reference doesn't really work here. Sorry Oiselle. You know I love birds.

 We rolled Eastward through the mountains of Washington on our way to the Gorge and I was fascinated by how different Eastern Washington was from the Western part. It was brown and dry - very desert canyon-ish. But absolutely beautiful nonetheless.

 

I have seen some amazing DMB shows in my time as a fan (God bless the moment when I first popped in that Remember Two Things cassette tape in 1993). I tried to count how many times since my first show in 1996 that I've seen him live, and it's gotta somewhere around 20.

Sure, I don't remember every single song from every single show, but I can say without a doubt that this show as a whole was the best I've ever seen him live. And probably overall the best live performance of any band I've ever been to.
Ever. 

Hooray for iPhone panorama! 

 

  

Playlist


After cleansing my soul in Eastern Washington, we headed back to Seattle for some rest and relaxation.

Which you know, of course, included me running a half marathon at the last minute. 

  Because why not?

Seattle also just so happened to be hosting a music festival the weekend we were there. 

Y'all know I was all over that like flies in a freshly manured farm field.

Bumbershoot is their music and arts festival they've held every year for the last 42 years. Great vibes, good bands, and a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Labor Day in Seattle City Center. 

                                                                            One of my faves - The Lone Bellow

We also went to the Pike Place Market and got a coffee at the original Starbucks, took a ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island, went to the top of the Space Needle, and (shocker) drank some local brews.

A major highlight of the trip was, of course, my visit to "The Nest" - AKA Oiselle Headquarters.

I was immediately welcomed with open arms (wings?) and felt right at home with these ladies.Their office is open and lively and has such a vibrant positive aura. I am very blessed to fly with this flock! 

@drlesko, @kemetcalf, me, and @JackElizabethK sporting our "Got Birds?" tanks

 This was about a week and a half before the Oiselle debut at New York Fashion Week. Sarah and Jackie totally rocked the runway along with Sarah Mac, Lauren Fleshman and Fast Kate.

Real runners on a runway...what a fantastic concept!

Check out the amazing runway photos here, and read about it here! (and here and here)

Between Oregon in June and Seattle in September, I think it's safe to say I have a love affair with the Pacific Northwest.