Tuesday, November 23, 2010

1st Ornament!

Yesterday I received my first ornament in the mail from the ornament swap I'm participating in (courtesy of FreshlyBlended).

It's from Jade over at Yellow Hall Studio


Mine are still in varying states of disrepair on my dining room table - thank goodness for the holiday weekend so I can hopefully make some sizable progress on them!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

As Seen at the Grocery Store

This evening as I was leaving the grocery store I passed an elderly couple sitting on a bench waiting for their ride. She was sitting slightly hunched over in a dark tan trench coat with her sage green (dotted with pale pink flowers) scarf tied over her head and under her chin. She gazed wearily over the tops of her spectacles. He sat, more alert, to the right of her, his cane perched next to him at the ready. His black overcoat, too large for his frame, hung awkwardly about him. He had a fedora perched atop his head and it seemed to dance ever so slightly as his head swivelled about, keeping an ever watchful eye over them and their purchases.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Turkey Day in Recent Years

Last year was my first year home for Thanksgiving in about a decade, and you know what?  I can't even remember anything about it.  My post-college Thanksgivings had all been the same - on the road in some hotel celebrating with coworkers.

It's really not until those dinners though that you realize just how much of a family your tour-mates become.  The three years I was on tour with Christmas Carol it was usually just the crew who celebrated together - 7 stagehands and a bus driver.  Those were good times.  I remember my last very well - we were in Columbus Ohio and I was hung over - after dinner we went to see Rent at the movies.  My first year I don't remember the meal, but I remember the hotel - it was a Howard Johnsons in upstate New York, and they had a flooding problem so as you walked through the hallways the carpet just went "squish, squish."  It was sooooooo gross!

Sesame Street Live afforded me new experiences - international Thanksgivings!  It seems that no matter where in the world you are somewhere nearby there are other's celebrating Thanksgiving as well. 

Thanksgiving 2006 - Nassau, Bahamas:  After being perfectly fine the entire month we were in Mexico, I got a bug on the last day.  He was not a nice bug.  In fact he was quite a mean little bugger of a bug.  I was in so much pain that I had to be given a shot (of goodness knows what) at the Mexico City Airport by a doctor who didn't speak English but could only figure out what was wrong with me through motions and my bawling, and that was just to get me on the plane!  That day we flew Mexico City to Miami, had to go through customs in Miami, recheck our luggage, fly Miami to Nassau, go through immigration in Nassau, wait for the luggage only to find out that my bags were MIA!!!  I was miserable.  I spent most of the week, when I wasn't at work, in my room, in pain.  So that said, I have no clue what a Bahamian Thanksgiving is like.

Thanksgiving 2007 - Lima, Peru: 2 days prior to Thanksgiving I start having horrible pains and cramping in my stomach.  I did not get to enjoy a Peruvian Thanksgiving at the Lima Doubletree Hotel.

Thanksgiving 2008 - Madrid, Spain: Finally!!! An international Thanksgiving that I could go to!  The hotel did up a nice spread for us since we were the only Americans staying at the hotel.  I think there must have been one turkey for every three people - there was so much food!  It was nice, the cast, crew and management all celebrated together like the enormous dysfunctional family we were.

This year I will not be spending Thanksgiving with my family; they will be in Indiana (where my sister and brother-in-law live) and I will be in Pittsburgh.  I'm working the day before and the day after, so traveling to Indiana for one day did not make much sense.  Instead I will be at this:
I will be running a 5K with Alyssa through downtown Pittsburgh.  See - I told you I was still running!

For Thanksgiving dinner I have gotten a little 3 lb turkey roast, a box of Stove Top stuffing, and a can of cranberry sauce (NOT the weird jelly stuff that comes out shaped like the can - the stuff with whole berries in it), so Ellie and I will have our own little feast.  And since it'll be our first holiday together I'm even going to give her some turkey!

Stay tuned... Next Thursday I'll have the story of my favorite Thanksgiving ever!  It involves a popular children's television show, a popular holiday parade, a popular boy band, and a popular television mom - can you guess what it is?!?

Pardon the Mess...

I'm going to be playing around with layout for the next few days, so please pardon the ever changing mess until I find something I like.  And in honor of that I provide you a picture of the angry Korean construction monkey...


I'm not sure what it says, but given where it was located leads me to believe it says something along the lines of Keep Out - not that I want you to keep out... I'd like you to stay.  And bring friends.  And maybe your sister. 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Have I Told You...

Lately that I love Badescu?  As in Mario Badescu.  MB makes some of the best skincare products ever.  Like totally completely ever.  My roommate my senior year in college, Stacy, introduced me to their products, and let's just say from that moment I was hooked!  I have been using this stuff for about 8 years now and I love it!!! (yup totally worth the triple exclamation points)  You might have seen them in different magazines like Glamour, Vanity Fair, Allure... you get the idea.  Pretty much they're famous for this:
Drying Lotion
It's their Drying Lotion - it's this weird pink goop you put on white heads at night, and they disappear - seriously - they vanish practically overnight! I bought it once and used it for a while, but I'm not good with actually knowing where stuff is if I only need it occassionally and so I lost it and never replaced it (oh well).

They've expanded their line a lot since I first starting using their products but these are my old standbys that I love, love, love!!!  (Also you can now buy them online and in stores across the country - back when I started using them you had to go to their office or go to Henri Bendel in NYC)

Enzyme Cleansing GelSpecial Cucumber LotionOil Free Moisturizer (SPF-17)Orange Tonic MaskKiwi Face Scrub
I suppose I should preface this by saying that according to my skin survey that the consultant did at the store(which you can also do online) I have combination skin, so most of these products are good for all skin types.  The Enzyme Cleansing Gel is the work horse, it cleans without being too drying or abrasive.  The Special Cucumber Lotion is the astringent, very refreshing.  Oil Free Moisturizer with SPF 17 isn't too greasy, which I'm always worried about (they also now make it in SPF 30).  The Orange Tonic Mask and Kiwi Face Scrub (actual kiwi seeds are what does the scrubbing) are used on alternating days (in a perfect world - I've never been one for schedules though).  Best of all?  They actually work!!! I hate when I buy something that says it'll do one thing but doesn't live up to the hype - total annoyance.  AND everything smells totally yummy!!!

PS... if anyone needs to know what to get me for Christmas, I'm running low on all my old standbys.... (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Don't worry, for those of you not ready yet I will not utter the "C" word.  However it is looking a lot more like it.  Friday is Light Up Night here in Pittsburgh and the town is getting dressed up to the nines.  I always loved the holiday season downtown, especially when I was in college post-9/11 and it was cheaper for me to take the train home from NYC than to fly (pre-9/11 it was only $99 roundtrip to fly... that more than doubled).  My dad would come pick me up at the station at night (the train always got in way after dark) and we would drive through downtown and see all the lights and decorations and such, which is why this season always feels like coming home to me. 

I had hoped to post some pictures of Pittsburgh all decorated in preparation for Friday, but the weather has been so gross I haven't really had a chance to take any.  So here instead are some pictures of other cities decorated for the season that I have visited in recent years:

DSC02295
the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris



CSC_0298
Oviedo, Spain

Cologne, Germany

Christmas Gnomes in Cologne, Germany

Cologne, Germany

Breakfast at the Christmas Market in Cologne, Germany
Potato Pancakes, Curry Wurst, and Gluhwein - yum!

Brussels, Belgium

Fun with photography in Brussels, Belgium

Hopefully this rainy, yucky weather stops soon and then I can show you how well Pittsburgh does the holidays up!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

As Promised...

A few years back while I was visiting the Museo de Arte de Ponce (in Ponce, Puerto Rico) I was introduced to a wonderful company called The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.  For sale in the museum's shop was an expansive variety of their products.  Personally I was torn between the Vincent Van Gogh, with removable ear
and the Teddy Roosevelt finger puppet.  Obviously I chose the finger puppet.  My reasoning was as such: a) I was reading a biography of TR at the time; b) I was traveling and did not want to lose valuable suitcase space; and c) TR is possibly the coolest President of the US ever!  Don't get me wrong though, I totally do want to eventually get the VVG doll - who couldn't love him, removable ear and all?!?

After traversing the globe, TR now sits at my desk at work and occasionally when I'm looking for an answer (or comic relief) I turn to him.  An added bonus is that he is the spitting image of one of the head honchos at my office.  Recently (with the creation of the White Mustache Club) I decided TR needed his fellow club members to join him, and so yesterday marked the arrival of his pals Albert Einstein and Mark Twain.  I don't know if these men ever did meet each other, but how I'd love to a fly on the wall if they ever did! 

Here are some photos of the club members at my desk:


TR anxiously awaiting the arrival of his friends

The three of them hanging out at my desk (literally!! they have magnets in their heads)

Mr. Mark Twain

A close-up of Mr. Twain's suit coat - little buttons and all!

And finally.... Dr. Albert Einstein

Aren't they a great bunch?!?!?!?!?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Holiday Ornament Swap

Yay!!! I got my names for the Freshleyblended Holiday Ornament Swap today - I'm super excited.  I already pretty much know what I want to make, here's a sneak peek - see if you can figure out what and how I'm gonna make them!


A Preview of What's to Come...


Yes, yes that is a Teddy Roosevelt finger puppet....

wah hahahaha, wah haha, wah hahahaha (evil laughter)
;o)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Where I've Been

Ok, so some people (i.e. those who don't know me personally), may be wondering why I chose to name my blog The Lady Nomad, since if you've been following I haven't been anywhere in almost 2 years (which by the way is killing me!!!).  I used to travel - a lot.  I was a touring stagehand, first doing over nighter tours living on tour buses and then with Sesame Street Live where you pretty much live out of hotels. 

I am hereby justifying my title of The Lady Nomad by stating that I have traveled to these places:

United States: All 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico
Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec
Mexico: All over central Mexico - most time spent in Mexico City
Bahamas: Nassau
Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo
Costa Rica: San Juan
Panama: Panama City
Colombia: Bogota
Guyana: Georgetown
Peru: Lima
South Korea: Seoul
Philippines: North Luzon (Manila, Baguio, Vigan, Laog)
Thailand: Bangkok
Singapore
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Penang
Germany: All over western
Austria: Innsbruck
Switzerland: Luzern
Liechtenstein
Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, Santa Maria da Fiera, Figuera de Foz
Spain: All over - most time spent in Madrid
France: Paris
Belgium: Brussels
Great Britain: Scotland (Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle of Skye) and North Ireland (Belfast)
Republic of Ireland: Dublin, Kilkenny

Is that enough places for you?  I certainly hope so... I also hope to eventually write about my experiences in each place. 

Polaroids

Dear Polaroid Company,

Your new "classic" instant camera is ugly and stupid.  Granted, yes, my old 600 series is ugly too, but not as ugly as the 300 series currently available.  AND you still charge $10 for a 10 pack of film.  If you were to bring back the 600 series instant film, I would pay this outrageous fee. I will not, however, pay the $100 some people are charging for a 10 pack of film just because they stockpiled it when it was discontinued and are now trying to make a buck off of poor saps like me.  I will stand firm!!! And then I will go cry in a corner because I can't afford to use my Polaroid camera anymore. 

I will admit that I am intrigued by the PoGo though, but it's still not the classic!!!  I do realize as well that some Polaroid purists will claim that the 600 is not a classic either, but it is definitely more of a classic than the 300 is!  Stupid 300....

Sincerely,

A Disgruntled Customer



Here are a few pics I came across the other day while going through a box of random things looking for something else I never found (boo...)


These were taken my second year on tour with Christmas Carol, they are of (clockwise from bottom left) Kinley, Zach (not to be confused with Zach of Flat Zach fame), and Jason.  For some reason living on a tour bus and owning a Polaroid camera seem to go hand in hand.  

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cell Phone

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago.  It was a virtually indestructible Nokia, and believe me I did almost everything to it you could do.  My favorite way of demonstrating its durability was to throw it across an arena - yes I still had the same phone when I began touring.  The phone would split up into pieces (main part, battery, and battery cover), but other than that be unharmed.  It was fabulous.  Following that I got a flip phone; I was not nearly as happy with it as I was with that old Nokia but it got the job done.  I left that phone in a hotel in Calgary (oops), the nice hotel people sent me my SIM card, but I had to get a new phone.  After a brief stint with a pay as you go phone (horrible, horrible, I hated it!), my mom and I went and got matching phones - hers was green and mine was red.  Sancho ate mine.  Literally, he chewed it up into little bits, but at least (again) my SIM card was salvaged.  The next phone I got was a Samsung Blackberry wannabe, within days of having it Sancho decided to test that one out - cracked the screen and screwed up the keyboard (the 'a' always stuck after that). 


"I'm sorry I ate your cell phone momma..."

A couple weeks ago I got an iPhone, and I absolutely love it!!!  Today I left it at home by accident though, and I got to thinking: a) would Ellie try to eat it as Sancho did my previous phones? and b) how has it come to pass that society is so dependent upon these little bits of technology?

Well I won't know the answer to the first question until I get home tonight, and the second question is one a person could expound upon for ages writing essays and dissertations and novels and stories about - all I know is that I feel like I'm missing a part of my entity with it not on my person and that I am ashamed that I feel thus, like it is morally wrong to rely so fully on a bit of metal, plastic and glass.  I'm like an addict without my fix - perhaps it's time for intervention - not just for me, but for all people suffering from cell phone addiction.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

3 White Mustaches


Apparently I have a thing for men with bushy white mustaches.  Of course this does not apply to just any man off the street - oh, no - there are prerequisites:

1. He must be world famous
2. He must be published
3. He must have been alive in the year 1900
4. He must be dead
5. I must think he's really kinda awesome

The three world famous, published, alive in 1900, dead, awesome men pictured here are: Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein.

Mark Twain:
1. World famous author - occassionally noted as the father of American literature
2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - among many others
3. He was born in 1835
4. He died in 1910
5. Really, he is more than just kinda awesome

Teddy Roosevelt:
1. 26th President of the United States
2. The Naval War of 1812
3. He was born in 1858
4. He died in 1919
5. He's totally my favorite president which makes him awesome

Albert Einstein:
1. E = mc2
2. Origins of the General Theory of Relativity
3. He was born in 1879
4. He died in 1955
5. How can one not think Einstein is awesome?  Because he is.

ps I apologize for the picture quality... it was taken with my IPhone

A Sad Start to the Morning

OK, maybe not sad per say, but worrying nonetheless.  A woman I work with, Eileen, was admitted to the hospital early this morning...  Flowers were out of the budget so I sent her a text:


Please keep her in your thoughts today.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Picture Time

I was rummaging around some different websites and found some of my favorite pictures of me from recent years:


This is me!

This was taken in the fall of 2005 I believe, in New York City outside of my favorite restaurant - Cafe Lalo - as seen in You've Got Mail (it's the restaurant where Meg Ryan is supposed to meet Tom Hanks, but doesn't know it's Tom Hanks she's supposed to meet and they end up fighting and she gets upset...)


This is the original photo, with Ruth who interned at Texas Star Theatre (where I worked) and who later also worked for Sesame Street Live (we never did a tour together though)


Speaking of Sesame Street Live, this is one if my Christmas photos taken my second year on tour with them - Telly is upset because I chose Rosita to hug over him (my Christmas photo the previous year was with him)


Thanksgiving 2000

Now that my big race is over (don't worry... I'm still running and training for other races), I figured now would be a good time to write down various stories about things that happened in my past.  This is the first of such posts:

Thanksgiving 2000 (before I was thoroughly jaded by the idea of Thanksgiving)

I was living in the apartment on 1st Avenue, it was a tiny two bedroom pre-war fifth floor walk-up, where I lived with four other girls paying enormous amounts of rent, but overall living the whole "New York experience."  Kate and I were the only two staying in the city for the holiday, as such we were going to make a celebration of it.  Kate's friend Evie flew in from Seattle and my friend Danielle stayed over. 

I remember that kitchen so well.  Almost immediately inside the front door, it was long and narrow spanning the width of the apartment.  One one wall was the stove, a small counter and the sink; on the other was the fridge, microwave (on a small set of shelves) and the table.  A small window at the end of the room looked out over the alley and onto a brick wall, which you could practically touch.  Occasionally pigeons would brave the metal prickers on the sill and try to come visit - they never stayed long (see aforementioned prickers).  I was working at Laura Ashley that year and made the curtains for the window from a light blue fabric printed with cherries that I had purchased there - the seats of the kitchen chairs were also covered in Laura Ashley fabric (my first foray into upholstery).

We had planned to wake up early to go see the parade, I had seen them inflating the balloons the night before on my way home from work (the store was behind the natural history museum when the parade traditionally starts).  But after some early celebrating the night before, we crashed and only woke up in time to watch it on television.  It was my first (and last) time making a turkey and I may or may not have forgotten to remove the baggie of giblets and goodies, but it was so much fun.  We all crammed into that tiny kitchen making our family specialties, the Carlos Rossi sangria was flowing, and John Denver and the Muppets Christmas music was playing.  It was a wonderful magical holiday spent with friends.

Ouch. Part 2

A Half Marathon Play by Play:

Friday Afternoon:
  • Alyssa is sent home early from work due to excessive vomiting - gross.
  • Alyssa goes to Med Express and is diagnosed with the stomach flu and prescribed anti-nausea medicine
  • Alyssa informs me she will let me know by 6 if she's going to the race
Friday Early Evening:
  • Texts fly back and forth between myself, Bob, and Alyssa - the consensus is I need to go to their hose to help force her into the car
Friday Night:
  • Finally on our way, Bob drives through a mixture of rain and snow in the dark to get us to Canton
  • We check into the Days Inn
  • We crash for the night
Saturday Morning:
  • Snow is on the ground
  • Complimentary breakfast at the hotel - bagels and waffles
  • Check in at the winery
  • Sit in the car trying to stay warm for about an hour (we later learn the temp never rose about 35 degrees)
  • I venture out of the car's warmth to use the facilities and check out the winery store - it's super cute!
  • After reporting back to Alyssa and Bob the cuteness of the store, we three spend the rest of the morning inside
  • Bob and I eat fresh pumpkin donuts while Alyssa shoots us dirty looks (her instructions from the doctor say she can only eat bland food)
The Race:
  • Lining up we are behind another guy from Pittsburgh (he commented on Alyssa's Steelers hat)
  • In later conversation, I dub him "Pittsburgh" (i.e. Pittsburgh just passed us.)
  • The first half wasn't too horrible except for the congestion in the park where the relay exchanges were taking place.  Having to fight our way through runners, spectators, and vehicle traffic was not pleasant.  After crossing over the half-way split, we were subjected to the torture of running past the finish line, and being as slow as we were the leaders were crossing as we were only halfway!  Boo to the course layout.
Most of the other highlights I detailed in Part 1, but here's a couple other random things:
  • Animals passed
    • Living - Cows, horses, dogs, and 2 adorable kittens keeping one of the cops company
    • Roadkill - Raccoon, groundhog, and a snake (I don't think Alyssa saw this though, and that is a good thing ;o) she is Mary Warmbein's daughter after all)
  • Name that the group who came in last dubbed themselves
    • the Waddlers
  • Our official finish times
    • Alyssa - 3:01:19 - 656th place
    • Me - 3:20:00 - 680th place
  • Number of official pictures we appear in
    • Alyssa - 2
    • Me - 0 (boo...)
  • What I bought myself to commemorate the fact that I completed a 13.1 mile race
 
(it's a car magnet)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Ouch. Part 1

Oh my goodness, that was possibly one of the most painful 3+ hours of my life. Even with the stomach flu Alyssa kicked my butt finishing about 20 minutes before me. I came in 680th place out of 687 finishers (Alyssa came in 656th). The first half was about what I expected but mile 8 on was torture. That was where I lost Alyssa. My legs and my feet pretty much seized up on me and I could barely walk, let alone run. I caught up with one woman, asked if I could walk with her, was told not to expect a conversation, and so we plodded on in silence for almost 2 miles. We parted ways at the mile 10 water stop and I felt doomed to failure, but somewhere within that mile I caught up with another girl, Nikki, and we stuck together until the end. She, like me, had hit her wall around mile 8. We walked and talked, keeping each other going and when it was time for that final .1 mile we both ran it in like champs!

Part 2 will be up tomorrow covering: weather (nasty), course (horrible), winery (cute) among other things. :o)

Friday, November 5, 2010

Not Good

So this is completely not what I wanted my actual 100th post to be.  Alyssa, my running buddy, has viral gastroenteritis (commonly known as the stomach flu) and is looking like she will not run tomorrow in what was to be our first half marathon.  I will still run if she doesn't, but it won't be the same.  I get bored after 2 miles running alone, imagine how I'll be after 13!  Oh goodness....

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Diverse Picture Time

This is Ellie... we had to buy her a sweater since it's been so cold - I think she looks rather collegiate in it, don't you?



These are the place setting from last Thursday when my tour friends came to dinner. The leaves and place mats are from the dollar store, glasses are from Ikea, plates I bought at an antique store, and the little treat boxes I made at one of Alyssa's Card Clubs.


Boo as Rick James

Justin as a Sesame Street Martian

It's the holiday season!!! Macy's already has their Christmas displays up!

An adorable owl ornament from Macy's which I figured I could probably make better myself!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Oops! False Alarm

Hello All!!!  Today is very exciting - it is my 100th post!  No, no it's not, sadly I cannot count... it's only my 98th.  And as such I have so much to cover - Alyssa's birthday, Bob's birthday, Curious George Live, Halloween, and Costumes for a Cause.  Oh yeah, and there's a slightly big event coming up this weekend...

I had previously mentioned Alyssa's birthday in passing, but I forgot to mention what I got her!  I made a gift basket fit for a Running Buddy - Power Bars, Honey Stingers, Cliff Bloks, Gatorades, a running magazine, a Camelbak water bottle (like the one I have with the bite valve), Body Glide, Tiger Balm, and a mini almond torte from Prantl's.  I do believe she enjoyed it!  Her birthday was celebrated with friends at the Saloon in Mt. Lebanon, deep fried pretzels, and Hello Kitty cupcakes from Sam's Club (surprisingly delicious!).

Curious George Live was in town which meant Boo and Seth were here!!!  Thursday night I cooked dinner for them plus Angelina and Dan; we had - cider glazed pork chops and shallots, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted asparagus with brown butter hazelnut sauce, Mancini's rolls, and really yummy caramelized pecan brownies (from a box).  It was so much fun and they didn't leave until around midnight because we all lost track of time telling tour stories.  Seth showed me around backstage on Friday and Boo got me tickets for Saturday's show - I took MJ (from work), her son, and her granddaughter.  The show was fun, but sadly it is closing in just a couple weeks.

Saturday night we celebrated Bob's birthday by everyone getting dressed up for Halloween and going to the Hofbrau Haus and Claddaugh's Pub on the South Side. 

Everyone's costumes were:
Alyssa - Katy Perry (from the SNL sketch)
Bob - Conan O'Brien
Boo - Rick James
Justin - Sesame Street martian (also known as a Yip-Yip)
Andrea - Slutty Hogwarts student
Kristi - angel
Tom - death (black robe with a skeleton mask & hands)
Me - sassy Elmo (google it)

Also there were 2 of Andrea's friends, Angelina, Dan, and Angelina's twin sister Christina.

At Hofbrau Alyssa, Bob, Boo and I did a "shotski" (a ski with shots lined up on it that everyone does together) of Swedish fish shots.  I've never had a Swedish fish shot, but they were quite yummy, and I've never done a shotski, but it was quite fun.  We did discover though that all persons doing said shotski should be the same height - by the time the ski was fully tipped Alyssa and I were on our tiptoes trying not to have liquor dumped on us! 

Sunday was Costumes for a Cause, which was possibly the best race all around ever!  After a slightly late start and an unexpected detour we checked in just in time to warm-up before the race.  There were over 300 participants split into 3 categories - a kid's fun run (which took place an hour before the 5K), and then 5K walkers and 5K runners.  At least a third of the people were in costume and there were even 3 pierogies!  If you have ever been to a Pittsburgh Pirate game you probably know all about the pierogies - every game there is a pierogie race between two of the innings, and they all have fun names like: Sauerkraut Saul and Cheddar Chester.


Here are all the runners getting briefed on the course...


 Almost time to start running...


Alyssa crossing the finish line...
(the course went around the lake you can see in the background)


And me 8 seconds later...
(not quite sure what's up with my pants though, I must have had them hiked up to my rib cage!)


What's a race without Smiley cookies?


Here come the Pierogies!!!
I was impressed by the pierogies, even in those exceptionally restricting costumes they came in at about an hour.

The swag bags were awesome as well - a long sleeve t-shirt, small LED flashlight, pen, notepad, cookie, toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste, sample of BioFreeze, sample of Biore makeup wipes, and a 50% off coupon for an hour long massage!

It was the best post-race party too - the kids painted pumpkins and were playing catch with a football, there was a costume contest, spiced apple cider, hot dogs, popcorn, Smiley cookies, Frownie brownies, and door prizes!  Alyssa won a free ice cream sundae, and I won a camo print backpack from the National Guard. 

Alyssa had only one complaint about the whole event - they got her name wrong and she was listed as Amy.

Only 4 days left until the half marathon, our 5 mile run on Saturday went great, Sunday's race we were content with and now just a couple short runs left!

Check back in the next couple days for more photos from last weekend and more info on preparations for this weekend!