Things that I am loving right now...

My Red Coral Bead necklace that I bought from the Asian lady at Montgomery Mall yesterday...starting to introduce some red accents into my wardrobe.

My black and grey leopard print cardigan from Target

The new Under Armour running socks---the new fabric stays nice and super white and silky wash after wash

Beth Moore Study on the Book of Daniel

Radio Paradise!!!

New challenges at work-get to start doing broker trainings and client meetings on my own this week!

Moving into the 13+ miles for my long run on Saturday

Annapolis Ten-Miler

The weekend was great! Started Saturday morning with a nice little drive to Annapolis to pick up my race packet for the Annapolis Ten-Miler on Sunday morning. Proceeded to spend the afternoon at my favorite pool in Baltimore with Noel with a nice big margarita, some mindless magazines and my favorite view of the prisoners in SuperMax prison...I will post a pic next weekend, because it is hilarious---you get a bird's eye view right into the center courtyard where they let the well behaved prisoners come out for a bit of fresh air...went to church and enjoyed the house to myself for weekend as Garianne was at the beach celebrating Marianne's 50th.

Woke up at 4 on Sunday morning to get ready for the '8th most popular 10-miler in the world' or something like that race in Annapolis. Earlier in the week I bribed my new friend Ed to run the race with me. (Ed is a very fast runner who can easily run a 7:00 mile with the greatest of ease...he took pity on me and ran with me...the entire race) It was fun; we talked, and ran a good race. I failed to ever look at a course elevation because the race fit the criteria: good premium and good food/free beer post race. I really wish that I would have known that the course was incredibly challenging and it was great to have the encouragement of another to keep me going. It was slightly reminiscent of Austin; but it was about 50 degrees warmer and mostly uphill. We ran into someone from Ed's gym after the race who asked him if he was just jogging or had an injury because he was running much slower than normal. Ended the race experience back in Baltimore at the Nautilus Diner with Chipped Beef and over easy eggs...then a nice long nap!

Susan got back from Germany last night; Noel and I picked her up and it was great to see her. I have been so very blessed by the additional of these two women in my life over the past few months. Truly, truly an answer to prayer and proof of God's continued presence in my life. They make a possible DC move a lot harder. I was told this weekend that we appear to be 'high maintenance and intimidating' I thought that was hilarious because we are anything but high maintenance, I could take slightly intimidating...Anyway, this high maintenance crew is going to West Virginia on Sunday to go tubing---I am sure that there will be many colorful characters floating on the Shenandoah river...it's an all day combo-trip with flat water and rapids! Looking forward to it!

Step into my office...

this is 495...it's a really good day if I go 15 miles an hour
this is my desk
i know, it's impressive...
some of my pictures...very tastefully displayed.

My Morning Commute...

ready to go...

my morning stop...

my new ghetto stereo

$1.89/day

525,600 minutes since I last had a....

It's almost hard to believe that it's been a year since I quit smoking! This is a huge anniversary for me. I am very proud of myself, but I could not have done it without all of the support of my family & friends.

68 Days, 13 hours & 57 minutes...

until the Marathon...that is scary. I have been slacking in the areas of mid-week training and my homework for my bible study. The past two weeks have been a blur for both of the aforementioned. I have been managing my long-runs. I need to get the fire lit for both; and I am starting today. It's difficult to manage my time when I get home after working in DC all day; I just want to have a glass of wine and watch Project Runway. GRRR...

Mom was in town this weekend for a short visit. It was nice to spend time together without an agenda. She likes to have projects; and we did not have any...so that gave way to some unstructured time. (Note to self: Don't do that again) I got to run a good chunk of the second half of the Baltimore Marathon course yesterday. Again, I am so glad that I am not running that marathon. It was super-hilly; starting at what would be mile 17 to about mile 23 or so on the actual marathon. No bueno! I also have a bone to pick because I think that the marathon casts Baltimore in a bad light. Once you reach Mile 2 you are essentially in the West Side ghetto....then again near the end of the race you run through the East Side ghetto...and yesterday it smelled really bad. I think they need to restructure the course to put Baltimore in the best light that it can.

But, the upside to the run was that I met a new running group; the Running/Walking/Eating/Volunteering Group...I am going to run with them from now on.

This thing is getting wonky...and I should probably get back to work.

Not quite time to pack the U-Haul

I am slightly frustrated and tired on this lovely August morning. Overall, I had a pretty good weekend. Started Saturday AM with the dead battery; so another 'grown-up' purchase and a stereo that does not work (apparently the geniuses that designed my Civic have some stupid security lock when the power is disconnected from the stereo... and unless you know your security code you have to take the stereo out to get the serial number from the stereo; call Honda and get the security code...now I ask you, if you STOLE the stereo you would be able to call and get the code---makes no sense what so ever---this morning my commute consisted of my iPod hooked up to a camping speaker)

So, I get a new battery installed and venture down to DC to look at a share house in NW DC, the girls were cool, the neighborhood was unbelievable and the price was awesome---but they picked someone else! I am sort of bummed because I really would have liked to have the opportunity to move Labor Day weekend. I am always looked over and guided, so this was not the right place; but it still stinks because I really loved it. Back to the anxiety table. I have to continue to pray about where I am go...

Enjoyed the incredible weather on Saturday night grilling out with Susan, Noel and Gary even endured an evening with the girls. Although, I have also learned that I can only maybe have a beer the night before a run. Margaritas are not very good pre-run.

I took advantage of another awesome day and headed north to close to the PA state line and had an OK 12.5 miler on a trail along the Gunpowder river, it was really pretty and I enjoy taking some time away from pounding the concrete in the city, and my body really appreciates it! I have not run with my group for 3 weeks...but I am keeping up with my mileage and not missing my long runs. Next weekend I have another supported training run on the Baltimore marathon course...I feel better because there are lots of people that run my pace...and I don't feel like the slowest 29 year-old runner in the world.

Radio Paradise...

A couple of years ago my very cool BF introduced to a wonderful little streaming website: www.radioparadise.com I was instantly hooked, but also could not fully relate to the lifeline of music that Radio Paradise could provide working in a cubicle. It has only been over the course of the past couple of weeks that I remembered the beauty of RP after listening to every song on my iPod at least 100 times...

Sadly, MBRox's company no longer allows access to streaming radio...and actually KAIG 'strongly discourages' streaming radio, but who cares about clogging up the network when there is good music to listen to!

Moving....again!

I have been blessed...and I truly mean blessed to live with the Waugh's for the past year. I have learned a lot about life, marriage, being a Christian and having a family on the East Coast. I never would have imagined that living in a basement could have been so life-changing. Well...they are selling their house-it went on the market yesterday. (Sidenote---getting a house ready to sell IS NOT as much fun, or as easy as it looks on HGTV with a fabulous gay man rearranging and organizing your stuff, and now I have to make my bed every morning before I leave for work) I have the option to move with them; or make a big move. I love them, and I love my friends (really only Susan and Noel)

I am leaning to the big move to DC at this time---It's sort of scary and could happen pretty quickly. I realized after de-cluttering my stuff, I don't really have a lot of things so I could move pretty quickly. I looked at a great place in Northern VA on Monday and taking a look at a share house in NW DC on Saturday. I am excited about the NW house---I would only have to be on 495 for 3 miles!!! DC is such a cultural melting pot and the girls in NW house sound very diverse, one is a Spanish professor, one is a law student and the other a young-pro...could be pretty cool. I am very worried with my questionable credit history that I won't be able to 'do it'

Work is work, and I still love it. Training is alright---I feel like I am in a lull right now, and I am very, very anxious about getting all my long runs in, a possible move and I have some travel, too...the weekend of my 18-miler I have to go to stinking South Dakota for my cousin's wedding----I guess I can trail behind Cory & Matt...

Be sure to check out Dylan's Nicaragua blog link----he just spent another awesome week in Nicaragua on a missions trip working with orphans and underprivileged children. I have a heart for children, but I truly cannot relate to the depth of the poverty. There are actually cities in a dump.

Also, if you are so inclined check out Cory or Matt's charity runner webpages. They are running the Chicago Marathon for the third time, this will be the second year they are running with the American Cancer Society Charity Runners. This is a nice, tasteful charity organization (read: NO TIT obnoxious 'mentors' and 'coaches' on the race course) and if you make a donation they will wear a ribbon with the name of your loved one that has been affected by cancer and wear it on race day..pretty cool. Our family loves the ACS!

http://register.charityrunner.org/site/TR?px=1074045&pg=personal&fr_id=1050 Cory's site
http://register.charityrunner.org/site/TR?px=1073105&pg=personal&fr_id=1050 Matt's site