the great outdoors

*A good trick for people who look stupid in photos like Lee and I often do, wear sunglasses then no one sees if your eyes look weird.

Every year the master and I take turns planning our anniversary celebration.
This year was my turn.

I took Lee to Park City where we went hiking at the Canyons resort.

We found a weird cabin full of empty beer cans.

Then Lee asked me to take pictures of him to document this special day.
hmmm... not really

We had to ride a gondola to get to our hiking point.

Then we took stupid pictures at the Olympic Park after we rode the zipline and the alpine slide.

No making fun of this butt shot.

Or my shorts; if I intend to sweat like a cup of liquid during any given activity I deem it appropriate for myself to wear work out clothes.

Lee begged me to take a picture of him in front of the cabin.
Not really.

This photo should probably be featured in an art exhibit somewhere.
I will call it:
girl in forest

Other highlights of the trip included:

• Eating delicious steaks, with a side of broccoli covered in the greatest cheese sauce known to man (should have taken a picture of that!)
  
  
• Having a contest in our FREEZING hotel pool to see who could tread water longer
  (you know, like in the movie the guardian)
  but we decided to have a tie after about 5 minutes instead of wearing ourselves out to the point of fainting since we are too competitive.
  
  
• Asking a bunch of different locals where to find a redbox three different times before they actually got it right.
  
  
• Watching "Unstoppable" and then looking up the true story it was based on online and finding out that basically pretty much the only thing that was true is that there was a unmanned train, everything else was totally exaggerated.
  

All in all it was a great time and I hope I get to hang out with Lee for at least 96 more years.

Running like Elvis

Yesterday I ran the Hobbler Half Marathon and I totally won!
Um, not really, if you believed me then, wow, you are kind of gullible.

I should have probably gotten some kind of award for pulling an, "Elvis" face for this picture my dad took.


What's that you say, you can't see the elvis face? Okay, here it is closer up.


I can't wait 'til the professional race photos get posted online so I can make you guys look at more. Race photos are awesome because people generally look like death in them. At least I looked like Elvis instead of death. Trust me guys, I felt like death! Sometimes I wonder what would be worse giving birth or running a full on marathon? Someone tell me. I think I want to do whichever is worse first, so that the other will seem like a cake walk. Sound logic right?

Totally.

Special for you, I made this really awesome photo strip, sort of like a comic strip. It basically tells a story; no words necessary.

Okay, maybe some words are necessary: this is just me, passing two grown men at the finish line.
It's cool.
They never saw me coming.
BAM!
Just kidding, if this was last year, this picture would be of me starting to sprint to the end and running out of gas and having to jog really slow. True story. Super embarrassing. This time I made sure to save some energy to look awesome at the end.

I finished in 1:52:58 for anyone who cares about that stuff.
My goal was to finish in under 2 hours, but I also had a secret goal to finish in under 1:50, but last time I was 2:15 so I am stoked.

I could tell you guys a bunch of fun stories about the race, but it's weird how I don't think anyone cares! So I will spare you the details. More to come soon about adventures where Lee and I actually got off our couch and went somewhere!

4th day in July

How are you celebrating today?

Today I am celebrating my freedom by:
running up a giant hill at 8:00 in the morning
and
eating an entire container of guacamole on my own

later today we'll do the traditional family BBQ and fireworks

Thanks for writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson!

Here's a wicked awesome song I use to teach eleven year olds about the Revolutionary War; they love singing it, especially the part where King George III says, "I don't care."

enjoy:



and

Thanks to all the people who are now serving or have ever served in the military to protect our freedom to do whatever random crap we want because this is America!

Now go do some random crap, because you can...
like having a party to watch Mel Gibson in the Patriot because what would be more appropriate today?

starting the morning off right

if you wake up at 6:30 AM
eat cereal
watch TV
and eat cafe rio leftovers at 9:30 in the morning
there is just no telling what the day will bring

i do know that yesterday, my first day of vacation, I called Lee at work 3 x from boredom
i guess i need some friends

In case you are worried about the state of my religious affairs and the fact that I am not fasting (because my religion asks its members to fast once a month); I decided not to fast since my half marathon is on Saturday. Last time I fasted it was the day after I ran ten miles and oddly enough, not giving your body nutrients when it is trying to heal itself doesn't work out so great; that is the same week I hurt my IT band... coincidence? I do not know.

4 Years

4 years ago today...
I was here...

Dear Lee,

We made it through 4 years of not driving each other crazy; wait, what? That happens every day... Nevermind.

Thanks for...

• not thinking I am annoying
• not getting grossed out about how I can often out eat you
• or by how I am so sweatastic at the gym
  
• coming to yoga and spinning class that one time
• letting me get a dog
• taking Biff out pretty much all the time
• giving me awesome lessons every day
  (aka lessons on how I can try to be as awesome as Lee)
• beating me at every game and competition on the planet so as not to bloat my ego :(
• going running with me those 2 times even though you didn't really like it
• never saying anything bad about my cooking
  
• giving me a hug when I get home from work, most of the time
  
• everything, every day, forever
  

Things I have learned from/about marriage:

• Even when you love someone, and even when they are thebomb.com, marriage is work and that is okay
• Getting married is a big step of faith and trust and I don't know how I got so lucky. I really don't think I knew what I was doing when I picked Lee or that I was any better at making a decision than other people, or that I had a divine revelation that we were meant to be. It just kind of happened and I am so grateful.

I must have tricked Lee into marrying me somehow 'cuz I really am just a big weirdo.

Here's to getting old and wrinkly with my best friend.

is it summer?

How do you know when it is summer?

I know it is summer when...

I wear my hair up, which I hate doing.

and when...

It is still light outside at 8:53 PM
Everyone else is out of school and yet I am not.
Otter pops taste really good.
Other people are tan, I am not.
During a 5 PM run I: stand in someone's sprinklers, almost die of dehydration, and get really excited about the water fountain in the public library.

that time I almost died OR that time I watched too many episodes of unsolved mysteries as a child?

the time I nearly died...

OR

the time my imagination ran wild...

you decide...

PS: look at that photo again and smile about Biff's paw being in it.
Did you do that?
Alright, I guess I can tell you the story now.

but FIRST push play on this video and listen to the music so you will be sufficiently ready to be creeped out.

Our story begins with me deciding to go running at the high school track by myself. I have done this quite a few times now and have never worried for my own safety.

I ran a mile as two gals ran up and down the bleachers.
I ran another mile barefooted on the grass and the two girls leave.
I went to put my shoes back on for the next 2-3 miles on the track and into our story enters a shady figure.

An older (50-60 years old) gentleman walks toward the track wearing jeans and and buttoned up long sleeved denim shirt. From a distance he looked like he could have been a custodian, so at first his presence seemed a little odd, but not too out of the ordinary.

As he approaches the track the weirdness begins and he unbuttons his long sleeved shirt to reveal his bare chest.

The man then begins to walk laps around the track holding his shirt in his hand.

At this moment I am thinking: a little strange, but whatever. He wants some exercise, he wants some sun.

As I (jogging) pass him, I notice he has something in his hand, but can't see what.
On my second and third lap since he arrived I can see that it looks like he is tossing the thing around in his hands, switching hands and doing bicep curls.

On my fourth lap I see that thing in his hand is a rock with about a five inch diameter.
With each lap I jog he seems creepier, until I have imagined him as a Ted Bundy like attacker and when I realize he is holding a giant rock I imagine he will soon be using it to bash me on the head.

This is where I book it to the car, decide it is time to go, and leave my workout early driving all the way to the gym to finish.

So here is where you decide. I cannot trust myself because I truly did watch too many episodes of unsolved mysteries as a child.

Did I almost die?

Or is it time for me to be diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic?

Now that my friends is an unsolved mystery...

For no reason at all please enjoy a picture of Biff's blue tongue,
because your dog's tongue is not blue.