running running running

So, yep. I'm going to blog about running. Again. I can't help it! It's been 5 weeks since I've updated this thing. I've been neglectful. Sorry. Well, I know you weren't really anxiously awaiting a new post, but I can pretend you were.

So...I went to Dallas this past weekend. I had a goal in mind. I just didn't know if it was going to happen. It was going to be hot, and I just wasn't feeling it. My goal was to break four hours. I wanted it badly.

So, the marathon starts...let me just say that I felt that the start of this marathon was very smooth AND very festive! I loved it.  I stayed with the four hour pacer for about 2.5 miles, then I REALLY had to pee! I have NEVER EVER had to stop and pee in a race before! So, I went... woo...I felt a lot better after that. My legs weren't feeling great and that was kind of scaring me...but I was hoping it was because I wasn't warmed up maybe?

I wasn't loving the four hour pacer. Her pace kind of seemed to be all over the place and it just was not smooth.  So, when I caught back up with her at mile 4, I just kept going at the pace I wanted. I said I wasn't going to break away from her...but I did. So, that's that.

Around mile 4, I had some friends cheering for me on the course...and that was AWESOME!  Here is me then...

 

I didn't see them again the rest of the race, but that isn't because they didn't try!

So I kept running and running. I started to feel a lot better and my pace was staying very steady. Well, in fact it stayed pretty steady the whole race. Overall, I am super happy with how I felt this race.

So, Vickie was supposed to run the last 6.2 miles with me, but she never could find mile 20. Soooo, I got her the last .2 miles. That's fine enough with me. 

Here we are! Vickie is pulling me across...and I'm freaking ecstatic knowing I just did it!

I am ecstatic that I broke four hours. VERY ECSTATIC! I don't know if I've told you that yet, but I am happy!

So then, the race is over...let me tell you, I feel WAY better than I did at the end of Indy. MAYBE because it wasn't sleeting on me.  So no tears this time! My one complaint I have about the Dallas Marathon is that the food is way way way way too far away from the finish. I had to go a long way for a banana. In fact, I gave up. When we walked into the building and I still didn't see food...I sat down. Vickie hopped to it though and found me a banana, an orange, and some chocolate mile. LOVE HER!

So we left the building to find our car, and a band started playing their next song, and wouldn't you know it???  It's Don't Stop Believing. That's my favorite of all favorite songs I do believe.  I think I did shed a tear...lame huh?  haha. 

Thankfully we had a masterful photographer with us to catch this moment on film.

You want to know what else?????????

BEST POST MARATHON FOOD EVER!

 

and that's that. :)

So I blog about running...a lot.

My friend Vicki made all sorts of signs to cheer me on in the marathon on Saturday...She couldn't go so she took all sorts of fun photos with them. I LOVE THEM. I believe they shall be making an appearance on here from time to time...


I can't help it. I kind of like running. I kind of like to talk about it. I like to type about it. I like for you to read it. I know you LOVE reading about running too. RIGHT???

So, this past weekend, I did a marathon in Indianapolis. It was called the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. I was incredibly excited to be doing a marathon in my hometown. I also had high hopes of breaking the four hour mark. We will get back to that in a minute.

It was very neat to be running on the streets that I knew. I thought the race was well put on. Indianapolis does it right.

So, the morning of...it was cooold...and there was a chance for rain. I wasn't worried though, I was pretty happy that I was about to do my first flat, cold marathon. I think it meant good things.

I started off the marathon with the 4:00 pace group and stayed with them until about mile 8. At this point, I started pulling ahead. I passed the halfway point at 2:00:26. This confused me a little because the 4 hour group was still behind me and the pacer has paced many marathons and says her miles stay almost right on.  I was hoping to be slightly under 2 at this point, but I was feeling good so all was ok.

I was keeping on and keeping a decent pace...Also, I was wearing pretty cool Marathon Maniac arm warmers, so I was meeting all kinds of neat people along the way. 

Well, then...at Mile 23 I hit a snag.  I know some of you know about it, but I'm not going to write about it on here...for my mom's sake. (Sorry mom...don't worry).  Well, I lost some time that mile and mile 24...but miles 25 and 26 I was able make up a lot of it.

I was trying HARD to get finished under 4 hours. I was giving it all I could possibly give... I came close...oh so close!

4:00:32.  So, next time...it goes down.

I felt comfortable the whole way except for the tiny little hang up.  So I know I did it right. I know if I do the next one with the same kind of care and effort to keep my pace under control, I have it.

So after the race, it was sooo cold.  I had to be reminded to get my medal... Andy was at the finish line, and he handed me a chocolate milk. My fingers were so cold, I couldn't open it. It was starting to sleet harder and harder and I was wet. My little emergency blanket thing was flapping in the wind. I could barely walk. So, I found a chair, I sat. I cried. We then walked to my friend Jimmy's hotel, and I pretty much cried the whole way I think because I was soooooooo cold.  I got in the hot shower and even it wasn't getting me warm. Wow, it took a while to warm up. My lesson learned...I WANT MY DOWN COAT at the finish line in a cold race...and maybe a wheelchair.

Finally, I got a picture with my medal...I don't look tired at all...huh?

Needless to say, I have never felt like I have earned a beer more than this one...ever! 

Better feed Kay before she goes all T-Rex on the place.

There's a new girl in Fort Smith. Well, there are probably plenty of new girls in Fort Smith, but there is one in particular I know. Her name is Kay. She moved here from Missippi for a job as a perfusionist.  What a town to move to huh? Fort Smith, Arkansas. Hey! I did it too. It's not so bad.

Kay is a runner. Actually Kay is a triathlete. She's a pretty cool girl.

So, why does Kay get her special blog post? Well, really she doesn't, but she's part of the story, so she needed to be introduced.

Last night, I went to some historical thing with Kay. She's kind of nerdy and likes things like that. It was interesting. Well, we were going to grab dinner afterwards, and I suggested going to the German restaurant that is in town. After all, she is new in town, and it would be neat for her to see some of the things Fort Smith has to offer. I have always had a good experience at this restaurant.  That's obviously why I suggested it. I wouldn't suggest crap!

So, we get there.  Kay is hungry. She keeps saying she is about to get all T-Rex on the kitchen.  There was about a 25 minute wait for a table. That in itself is not a big deal.  They needed to hurry though because Kay was getting cranky! She kept saying she was, but I couldn't tell. I asked the hostess if I could go ahead and order a beer from the bar, and she tells me the bar is closed down because it is set up for Sunday Brunch. ??? It's a Saturday night a 7:30.  I don't think a restaurant should shut down things during prime dinner time for something that happens on Sunday, but that's beside the point.

Finally, we get a table.  We were surprised to see once they sat us at our table that nearly the whole restaurant was empty. When our hostess came over to us we mentioned that.  She said "well the people at this table just got up, sorry about your wait." What? We don't care about that! We care that it's not busy and we had to wait...and we are HUNGRY!!!

So I order a beer, and we order an appetizer and our meal.  They come back and tell us that they were out of the entree we both had ordered.  We then had to make a second choice. We were less than enthused, but it is what it is. 

They bring us some egg rolls on the house to apologize, and after we finish that we ask about the fried cheese we had ordered. She had neglected to ring that in!

I was ready for my second beer, and I was excited to try the next of three different Octoberfests that they had.  Well, they were out of the next one I ordered, so I ordered the next one, they were out of that too!!!  Grrrr...

So we get our food, we eat it...then...then...this is where it gets interesting...

Our waitress comes over and asks how everything was. Kay says "well, it was pretty underwhelming."

 

Want to know what the waitress says next???

She says "Well you did order the hamburger steak?" 

What?? You are blaming her underwhelming experience on what she ordered off YOUR menu? 

Here's the thing...it ISN'T what she ordered...they were out of what she wanted!

So I pipe in and say...no no it's not her food...it's the whole experience. I tell them I she's new in town, and I suggested this place because I like it, but the whole experience since the time we walked in the door has been unpleasant.

She then proceeds to tell us how it isn't her fault that we had to wait or that they were out of food. She tells us that the hostess is new, and apologizes for how the hostess had us wait.

I'm sorry, I know she's a waitress and some things are out of her control.  However, the blame game isn't good, and I like to see a waitress be apologetic. This girl was not.

It did have me laughing though. "Well you did order the hamburger steak." How hilarious!!!!  Duh Kay, order something better if you don't want to be underwhelmed!

Now Kay isn't going to let me pick where to eat again. My credibility has been shot down. Thanks German restaurant that I will not name.  Thank you much.

Our waitress ends up comping one of my beers...she then tells Kay that she hopes Kay will give them another shot. I tell her the only way Kay is coming again is if someone offers to pay for her food. I'm not sure I ever want to go back either.

See how disappointed Kay is?

One more thing is to be said...it is soo sad but true that bad customer service will get written about and spread around more than good customer service. 

I love the sky.

Neat huh? Neat that a skydiver broke the sound barrier after doing the highest sky dive ever???

what a jump

I used to want to be an astronaut. I would go to the mini space camp every year. I loved the stars...so then I wanted to be an astronomer. I had glow in the dark stars on my ceiling in the patters of different constellations. I had a little planetarium machine. I LOVED space and all it was.

I still LOVE LOVE LOVE the stars. That was one of my favorite things about working at Astrocamp.  I loved working with the telescopes, I loved the showing kids everything in the planetarium, and I loved looking up at the constellations and pointing at them with the green laser pointer.

If it's dark outside, you can bet I am looking up into the sky to see if I can see the stars. If I am running, and it's dark outside, just watch me.  I will look up at the sky  with a big smile on my face. How wonderful all those stars are! 

My favorite constellation is Orion. I don't really know why, but it is. 

Leo...In the summer, Leo is neat to see, and you really do see a lion in the sky. 

Venus, Venus is so bright when you can see it.

I love the way Saturn looks in a telescope. It looks like a little sticker.

Wow, I love the sky.  the stars take my breath away. 

If she weighed the same as a duck... she's made of wood

Monty Python!!! Especially Monty Python and the Holy Grail! I love that movie.  I remember some friends and I had a girl's movie night in college. I got to pick the movie, and I picked the Holy Grail.  I was told afterwards that I would never be allowed to pick a movie again. What??? 

Well, we have a place in town called the Movie Lounge. It's one of those places that play movies on a big screen while you eat and drink.   This Friday, they are going to be playing Monty Python and the Holy Grail! I am freaking excited!  I get to see this movie on the big screen?? What??

She turned me into a newt...I got better.

So, I used to work at this camp called Astrocamp. We had to perform skits for the campers.  My group did a Monty Python skit.  It was fun.  We accidentally broke a ceramic duck that belonged to the head maintenance guy after we promised we wouldn't.  It was caught on film.

What else floats?

Oh Astrocamp.  Ok, this blog is pure nuttiness.  That's ok.  I just want to ask you one thing:

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

That is all.

I love you fall.

That is all really. I love fall.  It's by far my favorite season!  I love apple cider and caramel apples. I love seeing the leaves change color and fall to the ground. I love the crisp air and cooler temperatures. I love that I get to start wearing my warm hats.  I love drinking the seasonal Octoberfest beers.  I just love fall.  I love how the air conditioner can be turned off for a while, and how the windows can be kept open. I love the smells!  I love it all. 

2 months????

My oh my how time flies! I haven 't updated this poor little bloggy blog in over two months. I don't know how I let it slip away.  Everyone can thank Andrea for reminding me of my neglect.

So, when last I updated, I had just ran a 50k.  Turns out a lot has happened since then, so I figure I will just bring you up to speed.

*I turned 30. Yep. 30.  I am excited about it though. It's a new chapter in my life, and I'm excited about where I am.  I have the future ahead of me and the past wasn't that bad.  Life is good.  Crazy to think though...I've had this blog since December 2004!  If you are bored, and want to know what 22 year old me thought or was up to, go back and read.  Oh how times have changed. :)

So...here's me at 22 with my dear cousin Sarah...

And, now here I am today at the good ole age of 30 with a couple spectacular people...

Age is on my side if I do say so myself. 

What else besides turning 30?

*I ran another marathon. That makes 4 marathons and a 50k since March. I may be insane.
*Then I ran a half marathon.
*Then I ran another half marathon.  Yes, I said I might be insane.  I'm not lying.
*I bought a bicycle! (actually Andy got it for me for Christmas and Birthday and every other holiday possible) and it's pretty :) and did I tell you I might be insane?

So now I've been riding it some, and it's fun.

*But then yesterday...I was bad...I put the bike behind my vehicle, then I got in my vehicle and started backing up. LUCKILY some people yelled at me to stop or else the damage could have been far worse. I can't ride it until I fix it, but I think it won't be too hard to fix, and I know the right people. I won't be doing that again.  I can tell you that much.

*There, now you are all up to speed. I promise I won't go two months with out updating this time. Promise!

So I ran a 50k.

I should probably say something about it huh?

What is a 50k? It's a 31ish mile race. This particular one was a trail run at Lake Sylvia in Perryville, AR. It was at night. It basically was on a gravel road the whole time.

I had no idea how this race would go or if I would even like it, but I decided to give it a shot. 

Well, I liked it. :) I had so much fun on this race.

I finished in 5 hours and forty minutes. It wasn't a half bad time for my first 50k, or for this course.

I loved the aid stations and the amount of food that were at them. It was my first ultra, so I had never experienced a run with such amounts of food. I even drank Mountain Dew!

I felt good the whole time and even finished very strongly.

As soon as I finished, I didn't feel good! My calves wanted to cry!

Sooo, I took a glorious ice cold shower, and the hard stream of water felt so wonderful on my calves...and my back.

What else? I saw 2 snakes and may have stepped on a third.

I only ended up with one blister.

I ate a hot dog afterwards.

I drank beer.

I hung out with cool people.

Today was the first day  I really got a run in since, and I ran 14 miles and felt good...so I'm ready to keep on training!

I will do this again.

I will do a longer distance too. I may like ultras. I may like trail running. I may be crazy.

I know several other crazy people though.

Here are some of them:

Things I miss about Indanapolis...

I basically lived my whole life in and around the Indianapolis area. I spent several years after college there. I know this town. I love this town. I haven't lived there since the end of 2006. I don't think I will ever live there again. Who knows though. I do miss things about it. I'm going to make a list. I'm too lazy to add in links or pictures or anything. The list is in no particular order.

1. Yats- It's cajun food, and it's fast, and it's cheap, and it's soooo good! If you haven't eaten there and you are in Indianapolis, you need to go!!!

2. Broadripple- I love the whole area. I used to be able to walk down Broadripple Ave and see people I knew, and I spent a lot of time in this area.

3. Broadripple Deli- They make steamed sandwiches on bagels. Oh my, Oh my, Oh my!

4. The Monon Trail

5. The Canal

6. IUPUI- oddly enough.

7. Living in a city- there is soo much to do! I love it.

8. My family-of course

9. My friends- of course

10.  The Spaghetti Factory- Soooo good.

11. The Athletic Annex running club-This club got me to start knocking races out of the park and I miss the weekly group runs we had. I was chasing the faster runners and that helped!

12. Downtown Indianapolis- If you want to see a city that is well planned, check out Indianapolis. If you want to see a downtown that is easy to navigate and very vibrant, check out Indianapolis. Also, they have the coolest system of tunnels.

13. FLAT RACES- enough said.

14. Bazbeaux Pizza- mmmmmm.

15. Plenty of places to eat.

16. The Colts!- I miss being able to go somewhere and watch a game and have such an atmosphere of so many fans together.

17. Pacers games- I miss going to them.

18. my cool house on Pennsylvania St.- minus the crazy roommate.

19. The Catholics- there was a mighty cool group of them there.

20. 4 hours from the Red River Gorge

21. I have to be missing something.

Well, there you go. Indy is a good place. I miss the people, I miss the stuff. I miss being a city girl.  However, I do love my life now, and don't get your hopes up, I'm not moving back anytime soon :). Sorry grandma. :)

slightly embarrassing...

If you want to read a story about yours truly...then click here.


There ago, you did it. You may have already read it, so didn't have to click there.

Just thought I needed to post it on my blog.

I'm excited for this weekend! I'm doing a race in Indianapolis called the Mudathlon with Jessie and Patrick. Three miles, forty obstacles. This should be fun.

Jessie and Patrick are getting married in September. :) I was there when they met. This picture was taken the day they met. We were at a party at Jake's house. Jake's was a coworker of our friend Lynsey. I thought Jake's roommate Jake was cute. He did triathlons.

Here's Jessie and I that day:

So, back to Jake...this could be embarrassing. haha. For the sake of this story, I'm going to change one of the Jake's names to cute guy. I got Jake's email address from Lynsey, and I emailed Jake about his roommate cute guy. Well, thanks google, it saves everything.  Here is the email I sent.

how are you?  what's new?
my thoughts for the day...
I think your roommate is really cute....and really nice...and really cool...because he runs...and likes outdoorsy stuff...plus...he's a Christian...I like that. 
I think your roommate and I...and for that matter...you and I should be friends. 
You should pass this along to your roommate... :)
Rose

WHAT WAS I THINKING???????? Wow. I was gutsy.  I got a response... suppose I will show you.

Jake forwarded the email on to cute boy with the response "here you go brotha."

Then cute boy e-mailed me!!!!

Really cute, really cool, and really nice, huh? If onlythat were enough to get me through life I'd be set. So, you seem to begetting into rock climbing. I went to RRG about a month ago to climb forthe first time. Climbing is definitely a good time. I do more than run,by the way, I bike and swim too (and a lot of other stuff). I competedin a half Ironman on Sunday. Finished in 5:43:32. That's a long time. Thatwill wear you out. What have you been up to since that awesome party Jakeand I threw? Anyway, I'm training for a marathon right now. Maybe we canhook up for a run on the Monon sometime. You better bring your fast runningshoes though, because I run like the wind. -Jake

We emailed back and forth a few times, and then I guess I got gutsy enought to ask to hang out... haha.  I through it on at the end of an e-mail.

so yeah, if you ever want to get together to run, or ride a bike really slow, or eat, or watch a movie, or kick a soccer ball...or climb...or go to church...well, we should :).

The response I got at the end of the e-mail he sent back?

Anyway, about getting together... It sounds like of like a date and I usually don't date shy girls which you so obviously are. I might be able to make an exception for you though. When do you leave/get back from KY this weekend?

That's Jake sitting next to me...

So we went on a few dates...but nothing came of that.

I told you all that because it really is funny. I went back through our e-mails, and they are pretty boring. I thought they were pretty fantastic at the time, but I guess that is what a crush is. All we talked about was soccer, running, climbing, and triathlons, and church. Fanstastic huh?

Well I did my very first Star Wars movie with him. That's significant. I am sorry Andy if I told you differently, I may have forgot.


This isn't the same story as Jessie and Patrick.  Jessie and Patrick also met at that party, but things turned out way differently for them :). I am so happy for them!

I ran a 5k with Jessie the morning of the day of their first date. They went to a baseball game.


This is Jessie and I on the morning of the day of their first date.

That's my white Jeep in the background, and the car in front of it is one I bought for $500. It was amazing.

So, anyway, I'm glad they went on a date. Turns out she is marrying one of the funniest guys around. He is spectacular. Here he is.

Ok, I picked a very old, very goofy picture, but that's Patrick. :)

Here they are now.

Well, this was really chaotic. It will be fun to read a few years from now, and that is what is making this blog fun anyway.

Congrats Jessie and Patrick! Can't wait to see you this weekend!

Shop Local

We hear this a lot. As a small business owner, I agree with this a lot. I will spend a little extra to buy local too. As long as it is within reason.

If possible, I buy my climbing shoes and my running shoes locally. I will pick Beauty's Boutique or Suite One if I want to buy some clothes. I'd pick The Woodsmen if I wanted a jacket or some chalk. I love Blaze'n Burrito.  Andy buys his brewing supplies from GrowFresh.

I would rather eat at Friday's or Beef O Brady's rather than Olive Garden.

Wait a minute...WHAT??????

Yeah, that's right, I feel like I need to clear the air. We say shop local, shop local, but them we turn our noses up at franchises.Turns out a lot of places we recognize as being everywhere can be locally owned too.

Guess what? When you eat, shop, or whatever you do at a franchise, you are supporting the local economy. They are providing jobs, they are buying things in town, they do care.

Ok, so not all franchises are locally owned. It's worth checking out before you slam it.

I know you may not think you are slamming them, but as a franchisee when you say to avoid these types of places and go elsewhere in order to "shop local" , I just don't like it.

Did you know that many McDonald's are locally owned? So is Sonic. So is Burger King.

Andy was talking with a guy at the climbing gym whose family owns four Mcdonald's. Andy said it was hard to look at him and think that eating at McDonald's (some of them) isn't shopping local. I knew a girl growing up whose family owned a Sonic. The parents of a kid I went to high school with with opened a Burger King.

There are over 300 Plato's Closets in the country and each and everyone of them is locally owned.

Buffalo Wild Wings is a franchise. I'm so excited that one of these is coming to Fort Smith. I have talked with the owner of the Fort Smith one. I have met the owner of Friday's. I have met the owner of Beef O Brady's. How could you say that you aren't shopping local?

Don't hate on these places just because the owners chose to buy a franchise.

These local business owners still put a lot of blood and sweat into their business.

One argument I heard was that franchises don't support the local economy. These businesses will use their parent company for supplies and services, so they aren't pumping money back into the local economy. This isn't so.

Here's a small list of stuff Plato's Closet uses the local area for:
pest control
air conditioning repair
window washing
employees
some office supplies
all of our used inventory
our sign
electricians
plumbers
advertising
carpet cleaning and water removal (thank you premiere carpet cleaning for coming to our rescue in the middle of the night.)

and the list probably could go on.

So how could you say supporting a franchise is not supporting local business? If you still feel like this is true, let's talk. Maybe just a short conversation with Andy and I will change your mind.

My dad...

It's Father's Day, so I thought I would go ahead and write a little something about him. It seems appropriate, doesn't it?

If you know my dad, you know he isn't the picture of normality. He is truly a unique individual. I love him that way. 

*He used to send me a check for $5 every week when I was in college. Sometimes it would just be the check in an envelope. Sometimes it would be the check with some random object. I looked forward to that every single week.

*He likes to give us sketchy looking bags full of all sorts of randomness. He will hand Andy and I a bag and tell us we can't open it until we leave Indiana, or until he leaves Arkansas. You never know what will be in these bags. It could be a tax return from the 80's, a receipt from a lunch we had at Fazoli's two years ago, a bunch of safety pins (all not in their safety position), a flashlight, tea, pictures, newspaper clippings, and well...you get the idea.

*I don't understand how he has a tax return from the 80's but doesn't hold on to many possessions at all. If I want to buy my dad something, I know not to give him things that I want him to keep for long periods of time. It is likely he could pack up all his belongings in the back of his Saturn and be on the road at any moment. For Christmas, he asked for hot sauce with the wooden top.

*When I was in high school, he had this Volkswagon Jetta that had a wrecked side. The door wouldn't shut correctly and it was bungee corded shut. When it rained, he would put a bath mat over that side so that water wouldn't get in. He got in an accident in that vehicle and the police officer was very confused.

*After that, he got an 87 Crown Victoria. That car was something.  I was able to win my dad Colt's tickets because I called into the Smiley Morning Show and described it. It won "worst car in Indianapolis." My dad was proud of that. He would be. 

*He once bought my mom a shower cap for Christmas. My mom doesn't take showers. It was a thoughtful gift. My mom doesn't take showers because she doesn't want to get her hair wet. (She washes her hair in the sink). My dad got her the shower cap so she could take showers.

*He once came home with an inflatable boat. His idea was that this could be a bed for my sister or me. My mom did not agree.

*He calls me with random facts all the time.

*He likes to hide things around my house when he comes to visit.

*These are some of the things I will always remember about him...and I am hoping for many many more memories in the years to come.

I'm a maniac :)

Well, I've neglected this thing. I'm good at that. I have had this blog since 2004, and it started out strong. It fizzled out completely, but now I'm back to it.

Why don't I update more? That's a simple answer. I don't ever want to spend the time to do it. Now, that doesn't mean I don't have the time. It just means I don't want to spend my time on this. Plus, nobody comments on here anymore. :( I know I know...I'm lame!

So Andy said I needed to update. He said you've ran a marathon since then. That's true. I've done a marathon plus some other stuff.

I did the Andy Payne Memorial Marathon in Oklahoma City. It was a tiny tiny marathon on a terrible course and it was windy and hot. Sounds fun huh? Well, sort of. :) Besides my legs cramping up on me. At least some good people ran it with me, and a good friend of mine worked hard on the sidelines.

So why did I do this? Well, it turns out if you run 3 marathons in 90 days, then you can sign up to be a Marathon Maniac. What's that you ask?  Click here and find out.

So, let me introduce you to Marathon Maniac #5578

Well I look crazy enough don't I?

In other news,

*I went on a cruise. I won 3 trophies, 4 medals and a bottle of champagne. That's what I do.  Maybe I will blog about that another day.

*I did a Warrior Dash with my lovely friend Vicki. It's always an adventure with her. We had sooo much fun and I got third in my age group and seventh overall for the women. Doesn't it look like we are having fun?

*The day after the Warrior Dash, I ran with my friend Case in her first real half marathon :). We had a good time, and I drank mimosas. I'm proud of her for finishing. She had ran a total of 3 miles in the past 6 months before doing it. Maybe I shouldn't have talked her into it, but I knew she could do it. On another note, aren't we sexy??

*I like peanut butter sandwiches

*I can't live without chapstick

*I like bananas

*My puppy dogs are cute

*Andy stole my Darth Vader helmet I was using as decoration at work.

*Random enough?

*I read through old blog posts recently, and you know what? I used to talk constantly about the Pacers.

*I still love Scot Pollard. No idea who he is? It doesn't matter.

*Do you know who Here Come The Mummies Are? If you don't, google them.  They are great.

That's it.

What should I name this?

I think I need to change the name of Ladies Room Fashion Show. For one thing, I stole it from Carrie. For another thing, I don't think it is a fashion show. I think it is something that holds me accountable. It helps me get motivated to dress better. I need to dress better. I want to dress better. I just am a t-shirt and jeans person at heart. I feel like I did very very good this week, and hope that I can continue this. I think i may say that this motivates me about every week, but if I keep saying it, maybe it will keep motivating me.

Shirt: OKC marathon shirt
Shorts: BDG from Plato's Closet
Sandals: Chacos
I wore this the day after the marathon. I had a pretty relaxing day, and didn't need to dress all that special for anything. Plus, this way everybody could know I just ran a marathon! Haha. kidding.

Hat: Plato's Closet
Shirt: Junk Food from Beauty's Boutique
Shorts: BKE from Plato's Cloet
Shoes: Keds from Warrens
So, I'm sitting. My employee told me to sit down...and I immediately did. Haha. This outfit was comfortable and had lots of grey. It is very me. I love these keds so much too!

Dress: Beauty's Boutique
Shoes: Lucky Brand from Warrens
What??? Nothing from Plato's Closet?? This was my first try with wedges. I love love love this dress, and I love love love the shoes.  I like how I got a little height added on and they were actually pretty comfortable.

Hat: Charlotte Russe
Shirt: Wet Seal from Plato's Closet
Tank: Julie's Closet from Plato's Closet
Shorts: BKE from Plato's Closet
Shoes: Warren's
Necklace: American Eagle from Plato's Closet
I tried out the wedges with a more casual look. I think I like it...but I honestly felt so weird in this outfit.  Do you think it a good look?

Necklace: American Eagle from Plato's Closet
Vest: Daytrip from Plato's Closet
Tank: Mossimo from Plato's Closet
Black skinnies: Old Navy from Plato's Closet
Shoes: Toms from Warrens
Might I say that this outfit (besides the shoes) would cost you $24 at Plato's Closet. This includes the necklace. I think it is a great look for that price...so why aren't you shopping more resale?  Also, I might add that I should smile in the pictures...because trying to pose like this just didn't work. :)

Should I keep doing this, or are you getting sick of looking at pictures of me? I'm sort of getting sick of looking at myself. haha.

sooo...I did another marathon

This past weekend, I ran the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I had a BLAST.

I can't believe I did it. I decided to do this marathon less than a week before I did it. I signed up for the marathon the day before the race. A marathon? 26.2 miles? Just my 2nd one ever.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go. I planned to go to Oklahoma City to cheer on some WAR folks. I thought there may be a chance that I would maybe sign up for the half marathon.

But then, I did the full. I did the full marathon about seven weeks after I had done the Little Rock Marathon. I hadn't continued to try to stay in marathon shape, but hey! I thought I could do it.

Sooo...let me tell you about it.

I made the trip with 4 other girls that also did the full. It was the first full for three of of them, and the other one had walked 2 other marathons previously.  The trip was pretty fun. Oh, the things that will be said in a vehicle full of five girls. :).

Fast forward to race day...because you don't honestly care about the other stuff.

We woke up EARLY, ate our breakfast, and made our way to a race shuttle stop.

We waited...and waited...and waited. We saw shuttle bus after shuttle bus pass us up. Apparently our shuttle stop was the last stop, and the bus was always full. We sort of had passed the point of  no return. It was to drive and look for a parking spot, and we were nervous a shuttle was never going to pick us up.

These wonderful girls that were standing in front of us offered to drive and let us ride with them.  Sooo...we got in a vehicle with complete strangers and made our way to the start line. It was 6 am at this point and the race started at 6:30.

Side note...Sheri and Rachel got to ride in the back, just like our dogs do.  How cute. They now know what if feels like when the driver takes a turn too fast. Haha.

Sooo...the wonderful girls that drove us dropped us off near the starting line. We are soo thankful that they did that. We rushed to get our gear checked and get into the start corral. It was madness!

As we headed to the start line, a man asked me what time it was. It was soo chaotic, that I lost Kathy and Staci. I was going to start the race with them, but I knew they would be ok. (and they were :) ). 

There was no time to stress about the race, because, oh! It started.

I had no idea what to expect. My longest run since Little Rock had been 14 miles. I figured that I could at least make it that distance with not much trouble, so I could probably make the whole thing even if it gave me all sorts of trouble.

It turns out that this race was spectacular! I can't even believe how awesome it was.  I started out nice and slowly. The course was lovely, and the weather wasn't bad.

I kept it slow and steady and had fun with it. I found the support on the course to be great. I found the runners on this course to be amazing. There were firefighters walking the half marathon in full gear. I couldn't help but to just pat them on the back as I passed them.

I caught up with Kathy and Sherri, two WAR members running the half-marathon.  I chatted with them for a moment and continued on my way.

I saw Rachel P on the course...

I saw Kathy and Staci on the out and back and was pleased to see that they were so close behind me. I wondered if they were going to catch me.

I joined in song with a guy singing Firework as he was running.

I gave kids high fives. I posed for the cameras.

The weird thing? I didn't it hit a wall. I felt great the whole time. I purely enjoyed every second of this run.

I finished 11 minutes faster than Little Rock...and I did not feel great the whole time in Little Rock...that's for sure.

I negative split this thing.

I could not have been happier.

I loved being able to see the other WAR members cross the finish line. It was a monumental experience for everyone...and I am glad I got to be there for it.

I am ready for the next one. :)

Ladies Room Fashion Show

Alright! I did well this week! I remembered to take pics. It's been a few weeks since I've done this. In the past few weeks, I have really upped the amount of running and climbing I have been doing. I can see a difference for sure. See? I told you I was going to get in shape as soon as the Little Rock Marathon was over. Turns out though, I'm going to run marathon #2 this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes. I am proud to say that most of the stuff I wore this week is from Plato's Closet! Which by the way, it's a cool store, and if there is one near you, then check it out! 

If you aren't sure why I do this, I will tell you! It isn't because I think my clothing choices are the best out there. It isn't because I just love snapping photos of myself. (although it doesn't hurt...haha). It is more so I can show you that resale works!  Plus it helps me dress better. I need to make more of an effort to dress more put together. I mean come on! We own a clothing store! This helps me do it. If I know I need to post these, I put a tiny bit of more thought into what I will put on.

Shirt: junk food from Plato's Closet
Cardigan: No idea from Plato's Closet
Jeans: American Eagle from Plato's Closet
Sandals: Chacos

First of all...this has got to be one of the best t-shirts I own! Second, the jeans are comfy.

dress: Plato's Closet
cardigan: Hollister from Plato's Closet
leggings: American Eagle from Plato's Closet
Shoes: Toms from Masons

This dress is great! I am looking forward to dressing it up a little more with heels or something, but this was a good work outfit for sure...

T-shirt: Beauty's Boutique
Shorts: Prana from a looooooong time ago
Shoes: Toms from Plato's Closet

I went climbing after work, and these are my favorite climbing shorts...I hope they keep lasting and lasting because I have been climbing in them for nearly 6 years now! haha.

Tank: American Eagle from Plato's Closet
Jeans: Miss Me from Beauty's Boutique
Shoes: Toms from Warrens
Necklace: Plato's Closet

Plain and simple, and super comfortable...I am glad that it looks pretty good on...doesn't look like I didn't put any effort or thought in.

Necklace: Plato's Closet
Shirt: Plato's Closet
Capris: Big Star from Platos Closet
Shoes: Toms from Warrens

This is probably my least favorite of the week. I'm trying to embrace this style of shirt, but it isn't working. I'll keep trying. I need to look semi-fashionable at work.  Our backroom is lovely isn't it?

Dress: Plato's Closet
Shirt: Forever 21 from Plato's Closet
Tights: Plato's Closet
Boots: Plato's Closet

Pretty backroom? haha. I love this outfit...you can't see the sleeves and shoulders up close, but they are cool. The dress itself is cool, but it is so skin tight, that it is just not work appropriate. The shirt over it helps this out. It was a little too warm for this outfit today, so I don't think this dress will be making another appearance anytime soon.

Yep! I got the tutu at Plato's Closet!!! haha.  This is my outfit for tonight's $5 5k. I ran with the kids in the kiddie run and it was a good time.

Ladies Room Fashion Show!

I haven't done one of these in a couple weeks. Sorry! The main problem is I forget to take pictures. Plus, am I being too narcissistic? Oh well, I had to do one this week. You only get one picture too. :)

I wore an outfit the other day to see a band called Big Smith play. If you haven't heard them, go look  them up! I've had one of their songs stuck in my head all week.

It goes like this:

My overalls don't fit me anymore
Don't fit me anymore
Don't fit me anymore
My overalls dont' fit me anymore
Don't fit me anymore
No More

Hehe...so you can see that my boots I'm wearing are for certain my dancing boots. I love them!

tank: Plato's Closet not sure the brand

shorts: Plato's Closet- J.Crew

boots: Plato's Closet- no idea the brand



Silly picture, I know. Andy took it and I'm moving my arms. It will have to do. First of all, like I said, I love the boots! Second, I love the shorts! This outfit was soo fun, it will for sure make another appearance. I think I'm loving red right now. (remember the red jeans???)

Mary Jo

Mary Jo is an amazing woman. She is running a marathon this weekend. The marathon is in Spain. She is running the marathon for Team in Training. She has spent months raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

She has trained hard. She is ready! She is such an inspiration. I know many runners are inspired by her. This woman works hard!!! She ALWAYS wins her age group.

She has qualified for the Boston Marathon before. I hope to do that in the next couple years.

She always has a great attitude.

Good luck this weekend Mary Jo!

She's in the white hat. 

life. and my grandparents.

So, I figured out why I had such a long hiatus from this blog. It was called life. Life happened. So, that's why this past month I didn't get on here much. It was called life. Life happened.

Sure, I could have made time. I just didn't want to. I feel like lately I haven't had much time to just sit and relax. When I am getting these brief moments, getting on here isn't the first thing I want to do.

What a shame right? I mean, admit it, this is the most interesting blog out there. Nope. I don't think so. 

I need some deep insights or some witty comments. Something.

I am a little sad because I wanted to write a blog post about my grandpa. This past month marked the 21 year anniversary since his death. His birthday also would have been a few days ago.  I guess I can write about it now though, better late than never, right?

Here is a very old picture that I was able to scrounge up off of facebook. There is my grandpa with my grandma and their four very wonderful girls. (My mom is in the back row right of the picture).

My grandma could not have found a better man for her. My grandpa was an amazing man, and she loved him dearly. Loved isn't the right word. She loves him dearly. There is no man that has compared to him since his death. He died too young. He died of lung cancer. I am so grateful that I had the chance to know this man.  I have so many great memories with him.

I remember the time I got to ride with him to Tennessee. I ruined his compass because I was playing with a magnet too close to it. I didn't know. It was winter outside and kind of icy. He accidentally hit a road sign. We got stopped a long time by a train. I had two dollars I could spend, and it was "burning a hole in my pocket." He stopped at a gas station for me, and I bought a pen with a pink fluffy creature on top. I am so thankful for that trip.

My grandma has a home video of the last Christmas he was alive. He came up with the idea to hook sleds to the back of the riding lawn mower and let the grandkids ride on the sleds while someone drove it around. I remember that Christmas very well. He was sick at this time, so he watched up from inside. I'm glad that we have that on video. I've watched it several times with my grandma.

I learned my lesson. Don't EVER stick my tongue out at my grandma and grandpa.

I made him cakes in my easy bake oven.

I'm glad he was my grandpa. I'm glad that he was my grandma's husband.

My grandma on my dad's side died very shortly after he did.  She was my Grandma Rose. She lived in Florida. Obviously, I was named after her. I wanted to write a blog about her too. I guess this is it. We would visit her about every year. She would send us wonderful packages on what it seemed like every  Holiday. She was a beautiful woman. 

She raised five wonderful children. I wish I could have known her better, but I am glad that I got to spend the time I did spend with her.

I remember going to her apartment. I remember Christmases in Florida. I remember going to the beach with her. I remember getting Peeps in the mail from her. I remember her smile. I love listening to stories that my dad tells about her.

I am so glad that I had wonderful grandparents like these in my life.

Ladies Room Fashion Show!

Well, I have been absent from this blog since March 11. Here I am! I'm back! I didn't go far. I have just been a very busy busy bee. I have a few quick minutes, so I wanted to jump back into the ladies room fashion show tradition.

Truth is, the following photos are the ONLY photos that I have taken in the last two weeks! I keep forgetting to take them and I have been rushing all over the place. As soon as I leave work, I generally need to change into something else! So, then I blow it. I don't want to change back into them just to get a photo.

Here's what I got though...

Everything-from Plato's Closet!

This outfit just SCREAMS comfort! and trust me, it was! I like it. These leggings are my favorite because they are sooo soft.

Everything-from Plato's Closet

I LOVE this belt, and the back of this dress is really cool. I don't usually rock flats, but it worked for this outfit. Those flats are soo old. They used to be my work shoes at the portrait studio. The comfy leggings also made another appearance.

Everything-from Plato's Closet

I'm afraid my face shows a little bit how tired I am! Or...maybe...hopefully it's just the lighting in our back room! I really did like this outfit. It was super comfy. The blazer is made out of stretchy cotton and I like it that I can look dressed up and still be comfortable.

Everything-from Plato's Closet

This is the outfit that I wore to go to the Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week's final fashion show. The back of this dress was really cool and I loved the dress. This is Staci, my sister-in-law, and I love her dress also.

I'm proud to say that I wore all Plato's Closet stuff in all these pictures. I love that store! :)





One year...

We made it. I'm still Rose, and he's still Andy.

He likes to make beer. I like to run. We like to rock climb. We like beer. We like wine. We like Star Wars. We like Hulu. We like junk shops. I like sour patch kids. He likes dark chocolate. I like pale ales. He likes stouts. I like mustard. He hates mustard. His dog is Chilli. My dog is Lumiya. We live in Arkansas. We are business owners. We like Dave Ramsey. We went from being a three vehicle family to a four vehicle family to a two vehicle family. One vehicle per person. That is sufficient. We have all sorts of silly things we do. I like it that way. I like him. He likes me. That's why we got married. Of course we love each other, one year down, 1 million more to go.