Look-Alikes

Since we adopted Bear, we've been spending some time at the local bark park. We go because Bear loves it so much, but it always ends up being entertaining for Casey and I too. Spending so much time around other dogs and their owners, I have been reminded that more often than not, pets are like their owners in some way. Whether they reflect their physical looks or personality, it almost always makes sense when the pup to person relationships become clear.

So far, we've mostly experienced new faces, but there are a few regulars. One of whom is a very thin, nearly frail female with a male, medium-sized chunky nugget of a dog. As far as the physical aspect is concerned, these two are not even close. Person does not like to socialize much, and spends the entire time on her smart phone while looking generally distraught. Nugget pup is the dog version of an aggressive, grumpy old man. He will go up and greet other dogs but the endeavor always ends up in humping, barking, growling or all three.

Spending time watching people and their mini-me doggies has left me borderline obsessed with the question: What does Bear say about us?

Check out some people/pet look-alikes!

[half] Marathon Monday

So, yesterday was the day. I completed a half marathon!

Sadie & I after the run.

It's amazing that a few short months ago I could barely run a mile and yesterday I ran 13.1 of them!

Sadie and I were getting a post-run pedicure today and her pedicurist started asking us questions about how often and how far we run. She said she's been thinking about running but needed to start walking first. I briefly told her about my progression from non-runner up until the half marathon yesterday, and she seemed pretty enthusiastic about giving it a try. I hope to see her on the memorial trail loop soon! Let me tell you - if I can do it, you can do it!

We woke up bright dark and early (waaay to early in Sadie's usual time zone) and started getting ready for the run. Even then, I don't think I had fully processed what I was in for that day. Some of you may know that I have heard many horror stories about running in Austin. "I ran a 5k there once and almost died!" avid runners would tell me. It was a little intimidating, but luckily I would soon find out that it wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated.

Crossing Lady Bird Lake at mile 8.5

We ran throughout Austin and surprisingly stayed with the marathoners until nearly the very end of the half marathon course where we (thankfully) broke off to stop running. There were local bands playing along the route and tons of people holding signs and cheering everyone on. Casey made some signs too, my favorites of which were, "run like you stole something" and "your feet hurt because you're kicking so much butt!" A huge Team Livestrong group (the team I registered with) was offering some much needed encouragement and high-five time at about mile 9.

Tip of the day: If you live in a town with some sort of running event, go down and cheer the runners on for a bit. They will really appreciate it. The more ridiculous you are, the more appreciated you will be. If you actually live along the course and decide to sit and watch, please make a sign, play some music or do something.

In front of the Capitol on our way to the starting line.

It definitely wasn't easy. Familiar pains struck and new ones appeared, but  I did it with Sadie's encouragement and the support of my friends and family. We crossed the finish line 2 hours and 37 minutes after we started running. I raised $775 for the Livestrong foundation and might have started a new habit. Believe it or not, half marathon number two is on April 1st. (whaat?!)

So stay tuned folks - There are more half marathon Mondays to come! And a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has made generous donations, encouraged and supported me along the way!

Huffin' for Hooters! Many of the people we dedicated
our run to have battled breast cancer.

We ran with just a few other people...

Casey & his awesome signs!

By the Skin of My Feet

When it comes to demolishing feet, running 20 miles a week has nothing on a week in New York breaking in a new pair of heels. Even better is running through an airport in said heels. The skin on your feet isn't completely necessary, is it?

This is the second year that I have traveled to our New York office in the winter to work on a project. It may sound glamorous, but really it's all about databases, spreadsheets, and being quarantined in a conference room until your brains turn to mush. Even as I climbed into bed at the end of the day to rest my mind and my battered toes, I would dream about this database. Inevitably, it stars doing strange and confusing things like dreams do and I wake up, flop around and start the database dream all over again.

The view from my room on the 37th floor of the UN Millennium Plaza
overlooking the east river and Long Island City. No complaints here!

I was scheduled to leave straight from work at the end of the day to catch the last flight to Houston. Lesson #1: Don't try to hail a cab to take you to the airport at rush hour unless you want to hear, "I don't want to go there."

Another colleague and I managed to snag a cab and off we went! Did I mention that we went at about the pace I run? Literally. It took an hour and a half to drive just over 8.5 miles and we had given ourselves two hours to get to the airport and onto our planes. We take an exit and I get excited, then I realize we're on another freeway, and I swear this must have happened 5 times. I resigned to the fact that I would be in New York for another day when I was still on the freeway as it approached my flight's boarding time. I was trying to decide if I would just go to the check-in desk to figure out alternative plans or if I should still go through security check when we turned off on the final exit.

Office to Airport - just over 8.5 miles. Google says this is a 16 minute trip.

After rush hour traffic and passing a few wrecks, we finally reached the airport at 6:30. My flight time was 6:50, so I hit the ground running. If I was going to miss this flight, it wouldn't be for lack of trying. Little did I know that I was going to get one final training run in ...in an airport ...in heels. I stopped running only for the security check which was an extremely painful waiting period. I could see my gate as I waited to go through the metal detector and I could see that no one was there. Then, the most amazing words came from the other side, "Is anyone here going to Houston?" ME! I'm going to Houston!!! I threw my shoes back on, jammed the liquids back in my purse and took off running again, this time so enthusiastically that a gate agent had to flag me down so I didn't pass up the gate entirely. (In my defense, the A2 sign came a ways after the A2 gate.)

I made it by the skin of my teeth feet. There was no room for my bag in the overhead bins so it was gate checked, I was starving, had to pee (headed to a window seat, of course) and missing substantial amounts of foot, but I was going home. You see these types of adventures in movies, and let me assure you, it is not nearly as glamorous in real life.

Going Postal

This is the joy our mail carrier regularly brings to our lives. Needless to say, we've decided he has anger management issues - despite the fact that our landlord swears he's a lovely man. I present to you: today's mail.

More or less our mailbox situation

We have slot style mail boxes that are filled from the top. When using force, this is ideal for turning nice, straight pieces of paper into over-sized spit wads. I've come up with many theories as to why this might be happening. Maybe we're the toward the end of his route and he's sick of stuffing mailboxes by the time he reaches ours. Maybe he's in a hurry to get home. Maybe he's afraid of cats (there are many outdoor cats in our complex - many of them hang out by our mailboxes). Maybe he has known a Casey, Christine or some Zumwalts that were unfriendly - mean, even. Or maybe he enjoys making other people's lives more... interesting.

No matter the reason, our mail comes this way all of the time. It's particularly upsetting when we receive your beautiful photo Christmas cards or wedding invitations in this abhorrent condition. I've thought about leaving notes or doing something clever to pass along the message that our mail is not in any sort of normal or acceptable condition, but I just haven't come up with the right idea. Your suggestions are welcome!

[half] Marathon Monday

I run in celebration of Julie Sies.

Julie at Race for the Cure in Portland, 2007

Some moments in life leave such an impact, you remember exactly where you were and what was happening when the event took place. Getting the phone call from Julie to tell me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer is one of these moments in my life. I don't remember how long we talked or what happened after that - everything was fuzzy. I remember being in shock, being reminded once again that cancer is not a disease that happens to other people. Cancer happens to my family, to people I love.

At 18, I could now wrap my head around what this diagnosis meant and how it can affect the diagnosed and their family. It was heartbreaking knowing that my best friend's family would have to take up the fight endured by the family of my closest childhood friend. I desperately hoped Julie's battle with cancer would end differently than Janice's had.

Julie and I in 2006 at the high school graduation of
her youngest daughter, Danielle

Julie was not only my best friend's mom, she was a surrogate mother for many years of my life, including the most difficult years to date (you know, the angsty teenage ones).  She gave me a sense of stability and a normal routine when I needed it most, and for that I will be forever grateful. I can say with certainty that I would be a very different person if it were not for the Sies family and their impact on my life.

I am grateful to be able to run in celebration of Julie's life, one that is sure to be full of many more cancer-free years. Her faith and bravery through treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation is inspiring; as is the support given by her family and friends. If Julie and many other women like her can endure all that they have, we can surely take up walking, running, completing marathons or anything else to raise awareness and support to find a cure.

Ready to Race for the Cure, 2007

As I run the Livestrong half marathon in less than two weeks, I will think of Julie, her immense faith, strong spirit and love for life. She has been a positive influence in the lives of so many people and her determination will be a force that pushes me across that finish line.

Julie and husband Dale at oldest
daughter Tori's wedding

Here's to many more years full of love and laughter!







Learn more about Livestrong and their resources for those affected by cancer.

Donate to my fundraising page. Yes, I have raised the minimum required to run, but every bit (even the "extra") goes to a great cause!

10-ish Miles

I know it's not terribly precise, but I ran 10-ish miles this morning! I used other people's entries on MapMyRUN to plan out a route at Terry Hershey Park that I thought would be at least (and hopefully not much more than) 10 miles. This was my last "long run" before the half marathon in Austin, which is two weeks from today. Eeeek!

Terry Hershey Park

Since I don't have a smartphone, GPS watch or other fancy device to tell me how far or fast I've gone, I had to figure all of that out once I got home. It turns out I went a total of 11 miles, and made it 9.8 miles before stopping to walk - a new record by far. This might be the craziest thing I've ever done (South American adventures included).

I still don't know how long it took, because I accidentally turned off my stopwatch about 2 minutes in. I finally figured it out when my new birthday watch (thanks Casey!) told me I had burned 16 calories. I thought, "16 calories?! I must have burned at least 1,000 by now!" The watch counts calories (based on heart rate, I think), but only when the stopwatch is going. It had probably been off for a mile or so. My best guess is somewhere between 2:00 and 2:15.

The run wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, which was a lovely surprise. For the first time, I think I hit the "groove" that I hear runners talk about, where you feel like you could keep going as long as you needed to. Well, within a reasonable distance. I definitely got some practice pushing through difficult spots and switching up my stride/pace to figure out what hurts the least. I was surprised to find that my runner's knee pain (which eventually forced me to walk for a bit) would not be the most uncomfortable part of the journey.

Another shot of Terry Hershey Park

As I crept up on 10 miles, I could feel the swelling in my hands, legs and feet and started to pray that I would make it back to the car before any of them exploded. I contemplated asking oncoming pedestrians how far it was until the parking lot. Then I decided it would probably make me look even worse off than I already was and wouldn't have any impact on how far I had to schlep my bones until I could sit down. Eventually I made it; and oh, what a feeling! I stretched a bit, piled in the car and called Casey to let him know I had survived and was on my way home. I also informed him that my knees might require that I be carried up the stairs to our apartment. I am proud to report that I made it all by myself!

We can run a half marathon!
See - we're good at taking on difficult tasks.

I would be lying if I said I felt prepared for the half marathon in two weeks, but now I feel pretty sure that at least I won't die attempting to run it.

I am definitely excited to see Sadie and take on this adventure together!

Now back to my regularly scheduled icing.

Meet Bear

Hi! My name is Bear

How cute is is this pup?! Naturally, he belongs in our family. We fostered him from the organization we have been volunteering with for a few years and just couldn't give him back. So, as of this morning, he's officially ours.

Here are the facts: He was picked up in a field in Pasadena, TX and brought to the city shelter as a stray. We don't know anything about his life up until now, but assume he lived with a family at some point. He was rescued by Buster's Friends and given the name Brooks (we like Bear better too). He's the standard pound puppy breed, "terrier mix" and is estimated to be about two years old.

We have had Bear for about a week now and we're still learning what he likes and doesn't like, which has proven to be pretty interesting.

Things Bear likes:

I see you're coming close. Do you want to rub my tummy?

• Tummy rubs
• Blankets
• Snuggling under blankets
• Tummy rubs
• Cheese
• Bacon
• Bacon flavored treats
• Squeaky toys
• Tummy rubs
• Naps
• Riding in the cart at PetCo
• Rawhide
• Hanging out with his people

Things Bear does not like:

No more photos please.

• Camera Flashes
• Peanut butter  
• Carrots
• Dog cookies
• Not having his tummy rubbed
• Tile floors
• Cheese flavored treats
• Visiting Buster's Friends
• Standing still
• Having kennel cough

We are still getting to know each other, but he's been a wonderful little guy so far. He loves to snuggle with us and, obviously, have his tummy rubbed. He'll lift his leg for your convenience and easy access any time you get within 3 feet. He's totally potty trained and doesn't bark (score!).

There will surely be more Bear tales to come. Until then, here are a few more photos:

On a walk - at the park

Getting to know the living room

First squeaky toy investigation

Such a handsome little walker

Unspoken Rules

In life, there are many guidelines that we live by that no one ever really talks about. I have been noticing these silent rituals a lot lately and thinking about the groups that create them. For example, when you use an elevator, women typically get on and off first. Everyone faces the door and tries their hardest to make room for as many people as possible while managing not to touch each other. Pretty standard, right?

What's most fascinating to me is how this manifests in much smaller sub-cultures, like a group of 20 women who work on the same floor of an office building.The one thing we all share in common is the ladies' room. The majority of people do things like wipe down the counter after washing their hands due to faucets that more closely resemble high-powered sprinklers than anything else. And there is the more widely recognized etiquette of not using the handicap accessible stall unless you require the space or all of the others are full. Well, in our work environment, there are very specific procedures. And it is all thanks to one tile.

To all of my design and architect friends out there: please don't put polished granite tiles on restroom floors. Not even one. There is a pattern including about half a dozen said tiles in the 2nd floor women's restroom of my office building. One of them happens to be between two stalls. Let me tell you - it may take a while, but eventually you will realize that polished granite is a reflective surface. A little awkward for a restroom floor. Many decisions revolve around this tile and avoiding being stuck next to someone on the other side of it. Once in a while, someone will break these sacred rules which throws a wrench in the whole process. But someone has figured out a solution, even if only temporary. Once a week or so I visit the loo to find a piece of toilet paper or a paper towel neatly placed on top of the mirror tile, blocking it's unnerving reflective powers. It's not the ideal solution (not having mirror-like restroom floors), but it will do in a pinch.

It's been very entertaining to pay closer attention to the rules that nobody knows they're following... or breaking. I sincerely suggest standing any direction other than forward on an elevator and watching people watch you. It's pretty fun.