interesting

Thanks Hannah for introducing me to this site. I'm a little embarrassed at how well I relate to "#99 Grammar." Apparently, as was pointed out to me by Meggie, I've marked grammatical errors in books as I'm reading. Is it so wrong to want things to be grammatically correct?

Tapout

Yesterday at lunch, the guys from Tapout were there. Of course, I had to have my picture taken with them. I think these are just the kind of guys my parents dream of me marrying!

race for the cure

Yesterday, Meggie, her friend Ashley and I (and thousands of others) participated in Race for the Cure. I have to say this is one of my favorite 5Ks to run. No, the course is not a screaming fast down hill nor do they give away oodles of great swag. The beauty of this race is it's non-competitive nature and all the people. It is fun (and a little sad) to see who people are running the race to honor or celebrate. And, you will never see better slogans on t-shirts than at this race. If you're interested, search for a race in you area here.

I guess I have to start training

The results are in. Looks like I'll be running the St. George Marathon.

Devotion

Have you seen the inspiring billboards springing up across the country? Check out my favorite here. You can also read about "Team Hoyt." Truly an inspiring story. The first I heard of them was when watching NBC's coverage of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii (1999 or 2000 I think). I cried throughout the coverage (and cry every time I read about them.) Although I didn't see them, I did run the Boston Marathon "with" team Hoyt in 2006.

Making a come back

The New Kids on the Block will always remind me of Jessica Esco. I'm so glad they're making a comeback. Check out their new single here.

quotables

Sometimes, it's fun to eaves drop on conversations in a public place. Upon listening to a conversation, the following were said: "If she were my friend, we'd be friends no longer." The woman at the table next to us leaned over and said: "Someday you'll be as cool as her."

5 days and a wakeup!

I'm so excited! My sister Mandy is coming to visit next week. I can't wait to see her pregnant belly, eat Cafe Rio, hang with the munchkins and have a fun baby shower. I only wish she lived closer.

Because Amy is one of my oldest and dearest friends...

The last 8 books I read:

1. Into the Wild
2. The Audacity of Hope
3. Love
4. Middlesex
5. The Road
6. The Great Gatsby
7. To Kill a Mockingbird
8. The Mist

8 things I say often:

1. I can't, I have to (swim, bike, run, get in a workout)
2. Fantastic!
3. It's great to be me!
4. Who's a skinny-minnie? You're a skinny-minnie (I'm trying to promote good body image to my nieces)
5. Loves
6. Thanks so much.
7. You're the best!
8. I'm just happy to be here

8 songs I never tire of listening to:

1. You and I--The Beatles (really, anything by them)
2. Liar--Built to Spill
3. Imagine--John Lennon
4. Fidelity--Regina Spektor
5. I Feel It All--Feist
6. Be Still My Heart--The Postal Service
7. If I Could I Would--Phish
8. anything on my ever expanding running play list

8 things I'm passionate about:

1. running
2. all things triathlon
3. family (especially all munchkins!)
4. ice cream
5. fabric, especially those by Amy Butler
6. cooking
7. shoes
8. crossword puzzles (and other trivia/word games)

8 things that attract me to a friend:

1. honesty
2. loyalty
3. passion for life
4. trusts me with their secrets
5. over look faults in others
6. has something new to teach me
7. quick to forgive
8. can laugh at/with me

8 things I want to do before I die:

1. finish an Ironman
2. travel
3. own my own business
4. write a book
5. run the NYC marathon
6. learn to play guitar
7. learn Spanish
8. finish all the projects I start

8 things I've learned (or re-learned) this year

1. I can finish triathlon without dying
2. I have greater tolerance than I realized
3. I'm blessed to have such loving and supportive parents
4. I can swim in open water
5. true friends are hard to find and even harder to keep, but worth all the effort
6. my 7 year old niece really does know everything
7. 36 is not as old as I once thought
8. I love getting older and (hopefully) wiser

8 random things about me:

1. In the 5th grade, my goal was to make perfect cookies (and I have)
2. Cross country camp is good for my soul.
3. I've run a half-marathon in 1hour 30minutes 36seconds (and will probably never be that fast again)
4. My proudest/happiest moment in life is crossing the finish line of my first marathon.
5. I LOVE puns (seriously, more than any person really should)
6. I might just be the teensy, tiniest bit OCD.
7. I still love to celebrate my birthday and love an entire day dedicated to me.
8. I love having family waiting for me at the finish line of a marathon (seeing my sisters 2 blocks from the finish at Boston was unbelievable)

Party decor

I'm always trying to find a good use for all the fabric I seem to collect (Thanks mom for that inherited trait!) I saw this on etsy and thought it would be such a fun banner to hang for a summer BBQ. And, I actually own about half the fabrics that are pictured here. Now I'll have one more project to start and not finish for at least a year!