This and that....

• Happy Anniversary to my parents!  They're celebrating 46 fabulous years together today. 
• The Race for the Cure was a big success, but holy smokes - it was like 92 degrees, with 92% humidity.  Needless to say, we didn't set any records, but it was fun to experience the huge turnout.  My favorite shirts said "Save Second Base!"  Plus there were a couple of pink poodles, a bunch of pink tutus, and a pink fire engine with fire fighters decked out in pink gear to boot!  Really cute.
• I got my hair cut this weekend, and for the first time in my life I think I need to call them to get things re-cut.  Right now I have a bunch of random bits that are longer than others, and I'm probably obsessing over it more than I should...but it's hard to ignore.  The appointment ended oddly anyways -- she had cut it dry, and then said she'd re-shape after color and shampoo, but then forgot about it and I didn't have a chance to really check things out before leaving - so I only noticed when I got home.  
• We took Daisy and Lilly to a dog park with a big pond...it was tons of fun!  Daisy swam from one end of the pond to the other, chasing after tennis balls left and right.  Lilly was a little more apprehensive about the water.  She had a pesky dog that kept nipping at her heels, but she loved chasing some other dogs around, and did manage to do a little swimming too.
• I need to find a good hostess gift!!  We're going to a work get-together for SB next weekend, hosted by the head coach and his wife and I have no idea what to bring.  We don't think they drink, so we are brain-storming, but we haven't come up with anything good so far!  We don't know them that well, but I would hate to show up empty-handed.  All ideas are welcomed :)

Racing for a cure....

Tomorrow SB and I will be running the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with 70,000 of our closest friends.  That's right.  70,000.  It just broke the record for the world's largest 5k.  It will be interesting to see how packed the run will be (maybe the crowd will spread out enough to work up to a trot??).  The Race for the Cure (Madison) was the first race I ever ran.  My sister and I did it together a few years in a row.  The first year the organizers had to shorten the course to 1 mile because the majority of it had flooded the night before.  At the time, I hadn't really been running, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to find out that we'd only have to run 1 mile.  Funny how things change!

This year SB and I will be running to celebrate two women in particular who are battling breast cancer right now (the mother of the best man in our wedding, and our SIL's mom).  If you haven't ever participated in a Race for the Cure event, I highly suggest you check it out.  You can run it or walk it, but the feeling of unity among women is really touching.  It is tragic to see how many lives are affected by the awful c-word, but it is empowering to see how many people are committed to finding a cure.

Reliving a favorite....

My 9-year-old niece recently discovered one of my favorite cartoons:  Calvin and Hobbes!  It's so fun to see her enjoying it as much as I did when I was her age (side note:  saying things like that makes me feel old!)

I've already purchased part of her Christmas present....one of the big anthologies of "the BEST of Calvin & Hobbes."  I know she'll love it.  (I also found a good Far Side one too....both were on big time sale!)

Things that make me go "hmmm???"

• Is it just me, or are the biggest loser t-shirts just 100% cotton t’s?  They look like it…and it always makes me feel so badly for the contestants.  They’re just sweating away in those awful, clingy, soaked-to-the-bone t-shirts when there’s such a great substitute – dry-fit, anyone!?  Maybe it’s purely aesthetic, and the producers just want them to look as sweaty as can be??

• Does it seem that Amanda Seyfried’s last 2 movies are the same?  I mean, granted I’ve only seen the commercials/previews – but “Letters to John” and “Dear Juliet” seem strikingly similar!

• Is it just me, or are there a lot of sponsorships that don’t seem quite right?  Like the pairing of Diet Coke and the American Heart Association….now don’t get me wrong, I do love some DC – but I’m pretty sure it’s not “good for your heart.”  Same goes for McDonalds and the Olympics….french fries and elite athletes don’t seem to mix in my opinion.  I mean, kudos to the companies for supporting great causes – but it still doesn’t seem quite right!

• The Dutch sleeze-ball admitted to killing the woman in Peru.  I have a feeling he should be making a few more admissions regarding another certain-someone’s death.  He just makes my skin crawl.

• How in the world can it be okay to allow off-shore drilling without some sort of emergency cut-off valve?  I am just sickened by the pictures of how the oil spill is ruining the Gulf --  its pristine water, beautiful beaches and wildlife.   It’s hard not to feel just completely helpless – and I can only imagine the heartache/panic for the people living in the communities that will be directly affected by the spill.  I sincerely hope they can come up with a quick fix….because the thought of that continuing into the Fall is just outrageous.  We need new, environmentally-friendly, renewable energy sources pronto.

These are a few of my favorite things....

An unexpected hug from behind from my husband (bonus points for back rub and/or kisses)

Cold-nosed puppy-dog kisses

An ACE!

 Finding that perfect item…..on SALE!

 Running with my husband and dog

Warm chocolate chip cookies

 A blooming flower

 Husbands returning home after traveling

Ice cream on a hot day!

 Hair and spa appts

Backyard BBQs with friends

 Holiday meals with family

 Free time to read 

(this is what I'm currently reading)

I may have a problem.....a Lilly addiction....

IF I were in the market for a new summer sundress, and IF I were working with an unlimited budget, these Lilly dresses would surely be hanging in all their glory in my closet!  (don't worry, SB, I know I'm not!!  and I know I may have already gone a tad overboard in the Lilly department this summer.... but their colors and patterns are just too, too irresistable!)

French Open Finals This Weekend

 and I'm loving it!!!

I'm watching the 2nd set tie-breaker between Stosur and Schiavone right now, and I'm really pulling for Stosur!!!! (Schiavone actually just won it as I'm typing this.  Kudos to her!  Tears always well up in my eyes when they collapse to the court, and then run to their box to celebrate with their family and friends.)

Tomorrow morning:  Rafael Nadal vs. Robin Soderling (the only man to have ever beaten Rafa at the French Open....and there's some bitterness in their relationship.  Nadal is courteous to a fault, and apparently Soderling isn't known as the nicest guy in the locker room.  Needless to say, I am very much pulling for Nadal to win his 5th French Open title.)

Puppy Pics IV

Here are a few pics of Lilly and Daisy in the last week or so.  Lilly continues to grow like a weed -- she is getting so big!

We had a lot of fun with the dogs in Wisconsin (photo below taken en route).  Daisy and Lilly did great in the car -- sleeping almost the entire way there and back!

 The dogs stayed on the back screened-in porch at my parents' house (my parents actually really like dogs, but my brother's dog allergies prohibit them from actually being in the house.....even though he lives in NYC and won't be visiting for months), and they did really well out there.  My nephew Chase took a liking to Lilly's crate, and wanted to try it out for a bit.  It was too funny.  He just crawled right in, and then asked me to shut the door.  (don't worry, we were right by him the whole time, and even accommodated his request for reading materials!!)

 My niece really took a liking to Miss Daisy....(and here she is showing off her new prepster watermelon collar):

1/2 Marathon Mix

One of the keys to a long run for me is a really good, upbeat, motivating mix.  It's all about fun, fast music that keeps me excited, and helps me forget about some of the mundane repetition of the sport of long distance running.  You'll see it's a crazy combination of country, pop, alternative, and rock.....a few embarrassing ditties (um, Miley??!)....but what can I say....if it works, it works :)

1.  I Gotta Feeling -- Black Eyed Peas
2.  Tik Tok -- Ke$ha
3.  Just Dance -- Lady Gaga
4.  Hell Yeahhhh -- Rev Theory
5.  Hey, Soul Sister -- Train
6.  The Impression I Get -- Mighty Mighty Bosstones
7.  Party In The USA -- Miley Cyrus
8.  Empire State of Mind -- Jay-Z
9.  All I Want To Do -- Sugarland
10.  Here It Goes Again -- OK-Go
11.  Southern Voice -- Tim McGraw
12.  Outside My Window -- Sarah Buxton
13.  Hot N Cold -- Katy Perry
14.  Shake It -- Metro Station
15.  Mr. Brightside -- The Killers
16.  Wild At Heart -- Gloriana
17.  Hands in the Ayer -- Flo-Rida
18.  Rain is a Good Thing -- Luke Bryan
19.  Hollaback Girl -- Gwen Stefani
20.  Your Love is My Drug -- Ke$ha
21.  Learn to Live -- Darius Rucker
22.  I Do Not Hook Up -- Kelly Clarkson
23.  Let it Rock -- Kevin Rudolf
24.  Second Chance -- Shinedown
25.  Almost -- Bowling for Soup
26.  My Life Would Suck Without You -- Kelly Clarkson
27.  Life After You -- Daughtry
28.  Vertigo -- U2
29.  Forever -- Chris Brown
30.  Paralyzer -- Finger Eleven
31.  Tick Tick Boom -- The Hives
32.  Red High Heels -- Kellie Pickler
33.  Welcome to the World -- Kevin Rudolf
34.  Times Like These -- Foo Fighters
35.  Since U Been Gone -- Kelly Clarkson
36.  Accidentally in Love -- Counting Crows
37.  How Far We've Come -- Matchbox Twenty
38.  Inside Out -- Eve 6
39.  Glamorous -- Fergie
40.  Haven't Met You Yet -- Michael Buble
41.  Where the Streets Have No Name -- U2
42.  I Run to You -- Lady Antebellum
43.  Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon

13.1 miles later....

 and we're still smiling (although I am walking a bit like an 85 year old lady today!)

We had a great weekend in Madison!  The weather was gorgeous...but quite hot!  We arrived Friday afternoon, and picked up our race packets on the way in.  My sister's family met us at my parents' house, and we grilled out and played with the dogs in the backyard.  I never thought that Daisy would tire of playing fetch....but she came close to it this weekend thanks to my niece and nephews.

On Saturday we woke up early, I walked the dogs, SB went for a quick jog, and then we drove downtown to meet my sister's fam at the Dane County Farmers' Market.  It was amazing per usual, and we walked away with fresh cheese curds, homemade pumpkin bread, and some yummy chocolate croissants from L'Etoile.  We stayed pretty low-key on Saturday afternoon, and then my sister's fam came back for dinner (spaghetti).

Sunday was race day!  I woke up without an alarm at like 5am thanks to a bunch of butterflies in my stomach!  The Capitol Square was buzzing with excitement!  It was hot at the start - in the 70's, with lots of humidity!  Not exactly the ideal marathon conditions, but I actually liked it. (although it was much better for the half.....the race officials ended up stopping their timing for the full at 11am -- 4 hours in -- b/c there were so many medical emergencies due to the hot weather)

Miles 1-3:  My legs felt a little heavy, but I was loving my race mix, and it was fun to watch the crowd and feed off of the excitement/adrenalin with all the other runners.  My sister's fam was at the start and surprised me about .1 mile into the race.  My parents surprised me just before the 3 mile marker which was lots of fun.  There was a huge up-hill climb just after mile 3.

Miles 4-6:  Felt pretty good!  I grabbed two waters at the mile 4 station -- one to drink, one to splash on my head.  I also grabbed a packet of gu there.  I hadn't ever tried one before, and even though you're not supposed to test anything out during a long race like that, I needed a little energy boost and it tasted great.

Miles 7-8:  I started to feel the heat (probably in the 80's at this point).  I was still having a lot of fun -- the crowds were great, and really supportive.  We ran through a cute downtown neighborhood here -- and lots of families had their water hoses out, spraying the runners, which felt amazingly great. 

Miles 9-12:  H.O.T.  There wasn't much shade, and I actually missed seeing a couple of the mile markers, which threw me off a bit too.  Fortunately the route was pretty flat here, and I knew the area because I used to run it with my sister when she lived over there.  Unfortunately I was starting to lose some speed, and I could see the Capitol (where the finish line was located), but it looked really, really far away.

Miles 12-13:  I was really dragging, it was scorching hot, and the race ended with an up-hill climb.  I didn't have much left in me, but I managed to keep one foot in front of the other.  SB was cheering for me near the end, and I didn't even see/hear him.  My husband finished the race in 1:34, which just blows my mind.  He really trained hard, and should be happy with that time!  I managed to cross in 2:09.  I had been hoping to run faster than a 10 minute mile, but I wasn't sure if I could do it.  I'm happy to say that 2:09 makes for a 9:51 pace!  I think I trained a lot better for this half compared to the last one I ran, and I actually feel like I want to do another one sometime next year.