What's Up???

Today was one of those days. One of those perfect, amazing days that couldn't have been better if I had an event planner mapping it out for me, minute by minute.
I started out with a 9-mile run, complete with random conversation and a recap of the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, all done prior to 7:30 am. This was followed by the longest, hottest, steamy-mirror-causing shower known to man. Followed by two hours of solo shopping/browsing therapy complete with the Starbucks pumpkin latte, which was recommended by Lisa. (Thanks girl!!) This was followed by a two hour, deep-sleep nap with two noisy fans going full blast in my bedroom. Followed by several hours of TV-watching and laughing with my husband. Followed by dinner with my parents and brother. Followed by a night filled with non-stop chatting, sarcasm and laughter with my girl, Tracy. (Oh, and p.s: her dog just had four puppies, so in addition to four hours of laughing/talking, we actually got to spend the last 20 minutes or so playing with these tiny little piglet-looking puppies, who want nothing more than to nibble your fingers and cuddle.)
Seriously - what's up with today???
It's not often that I can look back at an entire day and think that there's honestly not one tiny little detail that I would change about the day if I could. But today was one of those days where all the little things stacked up to make one gigantic, perfect day. I will definitely have to say a few extra "thank you's" to God before I head on to bed. I wonder if it would be selfish to ask for an encore?

Today is...

...THE SEASON PREMIER OF GREY'S ANATOMY, BIOTCH!!!

Peace

This is what I love the most about working on the seawall in Galveston:



That's the view (with the zoom going full blast on my camera) from the back door of my office. There's nothing more therapeutic after a hectic day at work...

Shite.

Why the german curse word title, you ask?
Well, that would be because this week starts "hill work" in my running group.
And being that I live in the coastal flat lands of Texas, I'm pretty limited on where I can go to get in my "hill work."
In fact, my only "hill work" option (singular) is shown below:





That would be pictures of the Kemah bridge, route of about a bazillion cars a day, surrounded only by water which lies about 150 feet below the bridge. On the upside, if this bridge were to collapse under the weight of the bazillion cars plus the additional 500 runners that comprise my running group, the fall alone would kill us long before the drowning, so death would be quick, at least.
Holy crap.
What have I gotten myself into?

This week, I've been back at my regular office in Galveston. Had a two week reprieve from training in Downtown Houston. And let me tell you, if you happen to see on the news that a federal worker in Galveston chained herself to her desk and refused to leave the office, you're probably hearing about me. I don't want to deal with the damn Houston traffic again. EVER.
Let the chanting begin, "HELL NO, I WON'T GO! HELL NO, I WON'T GO!"

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my little Shibbie!!! Hope your day is fantastic!!

"Get on the PIG SKIN!"

How is it already football season? I'm not sure how it snuck up on me so quietly, but it's definitely here, as is evident by the fact that my husband has been ignoring me all night, choosing instead to focus all of his energy on "the game."
Thinking about football always reminds me of this guy that I semi-dated during college. He was, and still is, a super nice guy. But much like my husband, he turned CRAZY when it came to football games. I can still remember the mortified feeling I got when I first attended a game with him. The screams of "HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH!!" and "GET ON THAT PIG SKIN!" still haunt me to this very day.
And it always makes me think about how life would be if girls were typically as crazy during sporting events as semi-ex-boyfriend tended to be. Just imagine the looks of shock that one would get, say, at the ice rink or the gymnastics meet if you just screamed out, "HIT HER IN THE MOUTH! YEAH!!! KNOCK HER OFF THAT BALANCE BEAM!"
I'm thinking of trying it out next time the Stars on Ice make their way to the Houston area...

Metaphor

I throw myself in to things. My current obsession is running. I'm sure I've mentioned it more than once on here...
Anyway, I joined a running group a few months ago and we're training right now for the Houston Marathon (well, half marathon in my case) in January. We started off at 3 miles and progressed each week. Last week was the 8-mile run. Eight miles.
When I first started running, I would have laughed out loud if somebody had told me I'd be running 8 miles without stopping. I'm not a traditional runner, and that amount seems ludicrous to me. But each week builds upon the last, and each Saturday run gets a little bit longer.
I was looking at the training schedule, and in less than a month, I'll do my first 10-mile run. It seems overwhelming to think of running 10 miles all at once, so I have to focus on getting through this Saturday's run. And then next Saturday's run. And I know that eventually, I'll get there.
I've finally come to realize that running is the perfect metaphor for life. Baby steps, and with the right preparation, nothing is out of reach. Every move builds upon the last. Sometimes injuries set you back, but there's always time to make up for lost ground. Or if not, there's always another race waiting for you. You just have to set your goals and go after them. And the most important thing is being surrounded by people who go with you and encourage you along the way. I love that about running. I love it about life.

Five Years!!

It's amazing how quickly time flies! Kevin and I have now been officially married for five years.


(This was us on 8/30/02, the night before our wedding)

We had our anniversary on Friday and spent the day yesterday discovering Downtown Houston.

(And this is us five years later, celebrating our anniversary :)

We got massages, ate at the cutest Italian restaurant ever, and spent the night watching the city lights from the 24th floor of our hotel.
Ooh, and big props to Kev for not griping about not being able to watch football on the first Saturday of the college football season!! Big points for that :)