Halloween 2012

The Crew at Halloween Party.

Fun co-workers on Halloween

Halloween 2012 was a little subdued.  RIGHT!!  I love Halloween!!.  I dressed up for the party, and for work.  I love it!  I finally convinced Jason to dress up, mostly because the Halloween party we went to was costumes and food NOT optional.  *smiles*  Nicely played guys!!  We (Jason and I, and a couple of friends) dressed up like teenage mutant ninja turtles, and we brought pizza to the party (because that was what the turtles totally ate).  At work I was Mary Popins and one of the Turtles (had to change half way through the day).  It was fun times!

NC State Fair 2012

Sunset at the Fair

Surprise Aunt Chrissy get's to
come to the Fair too!

The State Fair this year was another fun time with some of my favorite people!  Jason doesn't do the fair.  And honestly I love it!  Mostly people watching, maybe it's just because I get to spend time with one of my best friends and her family....whatever the deal I always have a good time.

We decide this year (like always) we would go in the middle of the week.  We choose Tuesday.  So after I work I ran a couple of errands and headed out to the fair.  I met the crew in the parking lot.  Said Happy Birthday to my friend (her birthday was weeks earlier...but she had been traveling), and headed into the fair!

Pete eating corn.

Nate eating his hot dog.

We had a great time looking as stuff and walking around the fair.  We ate at our traditional places, except the church spot was full up so we ate outside with take out from there....plus corn on the cob and super sweet lemonade.  Fun times were had!!  We saw the animals (no touching) and produce, plus all the police cars and vehicles.  It was a wonderful October night!  

Pink Shamrock 5K

This year I got to participate in the Pink Shamrock 5K that benefits a local non-profit 1 in 9.  The 1 in 9 organization helps women who are uninsured or underinsured deal with the financial burden of being diagnosed with breast cancer.  Nationally 1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.  One of the dental offices that I work at has a doctor who just recently came back to work after battling it out with her cancer diagnosis. Our office decided to do this 5K and try to raise money for this great organization.  We raised over $3,000 and are continuing to raise more money as we can.  We just had a raffle for Zoom Whitening and I'm sure we'll have more things as the year goes on.  The office is mainly women (we have one guy who works there) so we are all about womens' cancers.

We met at the office and drove to downtown Raleigh for the race.  It was a cool and rainy day.  I think that kept a lot of people away...but not us.  We were pink and proud!  A big group walked the 5K and a few of us ran.  I ran with Jess....it was her first 5K!!  YAY!!  We had a great time as an office and raising awareness for breast cancer!

Trip to DisneyWorld with Special Olympics

So this summer I was lucky enough to be able to take a trip to Orlando for a special long course swim meet with our Special Olympics athletes.  The athletes had extra practices in a long course pool (50 meters instead of the standard 25 yards).  We fundraised for this trip....so THANK YOU to everyone who made this happen!!

Working and Sleeping
on the bus.

Coach Andrea with a cheesy
smile

The trip itself was a crazy wild ride.  We left on Friday morning early, and drove all day (making a pit stop and lunch stop along the way).  We made it to Orlando and got settled into our rooms.  We ate dinner as a group (ordered in pizza), and headed to bed.  On Saturday we got up and got ready for the swim meet, we walked to the pool (it was literally steps away from the hotel), and had an AMAZING swim meet.  After the meet (it was short) we ate lunch, and headed back to the rooms for some quite time.  We met up for dinner at Universal.  Sunday we packed up all of our stuff and loaded everything on the bus and headed to Disney World.  We spent the day in Disney, then headed to Downtown Disney for dinner and more fun.  Got back on the bus at 10 pm and headed back to Raleigh.  We got back to Raleigh at 8 am on Monday!  WHEW!!  It was a fast paced trip...but so much fun!!  I hope we get to do it again!!  The adventures we have are the Best!!

the Athletes before the meet.

NBA Restaurant at Universal 

Hanging with Goofy!!

The Castle.

Dinner at Downtown Disney - Earl of Sandwhich

A Weekend Trip

Sorry little blog, I haven't been very good at keeping up lately.  There are lot's and lot's of things to catch up on, but for today I'll focus on what's been going on recently.

***side note- I started writing this blog entry on the 12th of November, I finally finished it.

So for those of you who don't know we lost a sweet, smart, incredibly funny, tenacious, friend on Halloween.  Vashni fought valiantly against a cancer that she had beaten once, but could not overcome the second time around.  Vashni was someone who I got to know through a friend, so she was really a friend of a friend....until she was just a friend.  I'm sad I didn't get to know her even better.  Her amazing spirit was evident in the budding of our friendship, and then she moved to the D.C. area for job stuff.  I caught up with her via her blog.  Let me tell you...that girl could write!  She started her blog about being a step mom, that turned into a blog about her fight with cancer.  She was so amazing and she touched so many people's lives.  It was clear how many by the number of people who came to her memorial service last weekend.  To be sure there were many tears shed, but there was also laughter as we remember her quirky traits and happy attitude.  I feel sick that this sweet soul is not in this world to amaze us anymore, but I know that she is up there sending rays of sunshine down to us.  I know I have a guardian angel looking over me.

Jenn and Vashni after Chicago Tri

So last Saturday I rode up to the DC area with my friend Jenn to hang out with our other friend Krista, before going up to PA for the service on Sunday.  OMG- time flies.  I haven't seen Krista (in person) in YEARS!!  What??  Thank you facebook for letting the world keep in touch, but really??  I think it was like 6 years!  Krista, Jenn and I all did Team in Training (I know you notice a theme in my life), the second Azalea festival Sprint Tri Season (for me).  I felt an almost instant bond with these chicas and I'm so happy to still have them in my life.  Not only were we all embarking on more endurance craziness....we were (at the time) all like minded.  None of us were planning on having kids.  Since then things have changes....as things do.  Jenn and I have stuck with the plan (*winks*), Krista on the other hand and pull for wanting little ones.  She has a 4 year old boy who is the sweetest, a 7 month old little girl, and one in the oven.  Yup....things change.

When we got to DC, after my horrible navigating around the beltway and made it safely to Krista's place.  The kids were left with their dad and we headed out for a Girls Night Out!!  We had a fun time at Cadillac Ranch, where the girls surprised me with a little birthday fun.

After Mayo Lake Tri

We slept on air mattress that night....or rather I slept on an air mattress and Jenn started on an air matteress that was on it's last leg and ended up on the couch.  Neither one of us got much sleep.  To much on our minds.  So we both just tried to let our bodies lie still so at least some part of us was somewhat rested.  When we got up , we started folding up our sheets etc and working on putting away our sleeping arrangements when the 4 year old came charging out of his room (when his clock turned green) to ask us if we wanted to see his room, and talk and talk and talk.  I think they told him he couldn't come out of his room until the clock turned green (some nifty clock...and a system I think all parents should use).  He was so happy to have a captive audience that he about showed us everything in his room.  It was so cute.  Then Jenn and I took sweet Maggie (the dog) out for a long walk.  It was both for us and for her.  After a fab breakfast that was cooked by Krista and some Wii gaming, (I'm happy to say that I just barely beat the 4 year old.  *winks*) we headed out to PA.

Beautiful Vashni.

The drive back was a little somber.  Mostly because we were drained.  We stopped and changed into comfy clothes after the celebration of life, and drove on.  Well to be fair Jenn drove on.  Jenn drove up, and Jenn drove back.  Jenn got a new car 4 days before the trip.  It was a nice ride, but a little hard on the driver.  Lot's and lot's of driving.  We got "comfort" food on the way back (milkshakes and tuna melts).  We kept each other awake....sorta.  We made it to my home, and Jenn eventually made it back to her home.

Not exactly how I would of wanted to spend my birthday weekend, but at the same time I wouldn't of wanted to not be there to remember the sweetest soul.

Jenn and I at the Turkey
Trot, with Vashni shining
down on us.

I will think of sweet, funny, intelligent, AMAZING, Vashni as the sun shines down on me.  I know that she would not want us to dwell on the loss of her human body.  I'll think of her sending her love and encouragement.....I know I have a guardian angel watching over me.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride!

Hardest thing I've ever done (endurance wise) to date.  My 7th Team in Training event was America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, which was a 100 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe!  Yes, there were mountains climb.  Yes,  there were altitude changes.  Yes, it was AWESOME!!

At RDU

Training for this ride was so incredible.  I thought I knew how to ride my bike.  I mean, I've been riding my bike for a really long time.  However, I didn't know how to ride my bike in a group.  I had more than a few eye opening moments during training, and I'm sure I still have more to learn, but I feel good about being able to fit into a bike group and go.

in the SUV limo

In and Out Burger

So on Friday June 1st I got up early and Jason dropped me off at the airport, where I met some of my teammates for our flights out to Sacramento, and subsequently the drive to Tahoe. The first flight left at 6 am from Raleigh to Houston.  We flew on United (not that I would EVER fly on United again). We got into Sacramento around 11:30 am, and got surprized by our travel vehicle being a Stretch SUV Limo!  It was pretty awesome!  We were all starving so we stopped at In and Out (classic west coast - California staple) for a late lunch (we didn't get there until 2 pm.  We were STARVING!!

the bike outside our hotel

After our drive up the mountains we checked into the Mount Bleu Casino and Resort in Nevada. We got settled and picked up our bikes from the transport company (ohh yeah, our bikes were sent ahead of time on trucks) .  Then we went to check out the area, and walked down to California!  It was 2 blocks from our hotel.  We ended up eating Pizza with most of the crew in California.  It was awesome catching up with most of our cycling group and just hang out.

Saturday warm up ride

The plan for the next day was to get up and do a short ride to make sure our bikes were in order.  That all of our gears were good and no issues before Sunday (the big ride).  When you are not in control of your bike during transport, and even when you are it's a good idea to do a little warm up ride.  Most everyone was fine on the ride, we had a couple of flats on the ride and one issue that needed the bike shop to fix.  Good thing it was on the day we could get it all done!  My bike was fine and I had a fantastic warm up ride.  The weather was amazing and the air was dry (not like our weather in NC), and the scenery was beautiful!  After the bike ride, and going to packet pick up (to get our race info and swag - long sleeve shirt, water bottle, patch), some of us went to the bike shop to help one of our teammates with his bike.  While there we found the worlds LARGEST bike SADDLE.

checking out the route on Saturday

After all that our teammate (and my running coach for the Marathon) Bob and Peggy (his wife) had a car and took us around Lake Tahoe to see part of the route for the ride and enjoy some the beauty before experiencing it on the back of a bike.  We stopped at couple of overlooks and enjoyed the day!  It was so warm on Saturday, in fact the whole weekend was warm and beautiful.  The mountains were gorgeous, the water was amazingly blue.  The company was great!  It was Bob and Peggy, Jeanne, GMac, and of course me!  Our little band of friends had a great afternoon!




The morning of the ride (Sunday) was upon us.  I was excited!  I was ready!  I had trained for this, I had a great group of people around me, it was going to be a GREAT RIDE!

The start line was cool.  We lined up by state, and started with our groups.  Half of the riders were TNTer's.  So we got to go first!  Cool benefit of raising money for cancer!

Jeanne and I before the big ride

the lake behind us

We started out on the ride, and the first little bit was easy, E-A-S-Y, flat, cool, fun.  Then the switchbacks came.  I knew they were coming, we rode up them on Saturday as part of our see what the route is like tour in the car.  The switchbacks were hard, H-A-R-D!  Mostly because they were at the beginning of the ride while everyone was still bunched up together and the roads are very narrow.  Because of all these things you have to be careful while climbing up the switchbacks.  As I was climbing I kept gearing down, stayed on my line, but got caught behind slower riders (climbers) and as a result I became slower, and finally I ran out of gears.  I was at my lowest gear and not able to keep going.  I pulled over to the side and dismounted.  And climbed the rest of the switchbacks on foot.  The saddest part about this is that they put photographers at the top of the switchbacks, so there are pictures of me walking my bike up the road.  As soon as I was at the top, back on my bike I went and off to the first rest stop I started to go.  I wasn't sure if I would meet up with the rest of my group until we got to the rest stop but I was hoping I would.  Luckily I did meet up with most of the rest of the group and we enjoyed some riding to the rest stop together.

Most of the rest of the ride was enjoyable, with great friends chit-chatting, while riding along, and some  easy drafting off each other, and pulling at times.  The rest stops were stocked with yummy treats and good substance (my favorite was the boiled potatoes that you salted!).  I re-filled water, ate a little, and off we would go again.  The next memorable moment of the ride was the "trek into Truckie, and back".  You had to options, one was to follow a greenway trail along the river to Truckie, and the other was to take the highway in.  We decided on the highway because the greenway trail was mega-crowded.  All of the people in our group have been riding in traffic before and felt comfortable doing our thing up the highway.  AGGGGHHHHH!!  What we didn't know was how horrible the road conditions would be.  The road was mega bumpy and pot-holey, and the shoulder was big, but had giant grates in it to catch the snow melt (as the snow was melting of the mountains).

Greg sandwhich

the 3 amigos riding along

 We made it to the rest stop in Truckie.  Most of us shed our outer layer at this point and made a bee-line for the grocery store and inside bathrooms!  The people were super nice at the store!  We ate a little, filled up water bottles, and headed back out to the horrible road.  I should mention the reason for the trek into Truckie is so that the ride is a 100 miles, because just around the Lake is 72 miles.  The road back to the lake was just as bad, and added an extra fun element of riding into the wind.  It was HARD.  The group took turns pulling and drafting, we had a good system going and we were getting through this tough road.  What we didn't know on the road that we were battling is at the same time the coach from Charlotte's aunt was dying from a blood cancer.  To put it into prospective, that road wasn't so bad after all.  We were back going around the lake, and looking forward to "the Lunch Stop".  We stayed a little longer at this rest stop, ate a little more, took a few pics, and off we went to climb Spooner.  Aggghhh Spooner.

Spooner comes at about mile 80 of the ride and it's a real mountain, with a real climb (1200 ft over 7 miles).  I was climbing and climbing and climbing.  I was feeling good, I was staying with the group, and then, all of a sudden.....I wasn't.  It was getting harder.  The air was getting thinner, or something.  My legs felt like lead.  My hands were shaking.  Ohh no.  I pulled over.  I pulled myself together, I rode up some more.  Leaded legs, light headedness, ohhh noo, I pulled over.  One of my teammates pulled over next to me.  Ohh thank goodness you stopped.  I can stop for a second too then.  We start to climb again. Pull over again.  CRAP!!  I thought we'd have a rest stop soon.  A car pulls over in front of us, with a bike rack on the back.  People get out and ask if we are okay.  Are we okay?  Hmmmm.  Sure we are fine.  They are looking for friends.  Hey- Any chance you wanna give us a ride to the top?  Unless it's really not far- we can make it 1/2 mile, we can't make 5 miles.  Ohh it's about 2 miles.  Hmmmm.  We can give you a ride if you'd like.  Yes Please!  We strap our bikes on the back and ride up to the top, and wait for our teammates there.  We found them at the rest stop at the top.  FYI about .5 miles from where we were was a water stop and the big crazy climb lessened.  I'm pretty sure if we had gone to that stop, we would of made it the rest of the way.  We saw it in the car, but felt bad asking the people to stop since we already loaded the bikes and all.  Down Spooner we went. Fast fast fast.  And then 5 more smaller "rollling"mountain climbs.  Then we were at the finish line.  We made it.  We did it!  (minus my 2 mile lift).  Most of the group pulled in together!  We did the ride in 8 hours!  6 hours and 15 minutes of actual ride time.  It was AMAZING, it was BEAUTIFUL, it was the hardest endurance event I have done!

at the finish!

Great Friends

We hung out at the finish area for awhile, then went back to the hotel, dropped our bike off at the transport, and went and took showers.  Some of us met up to grab something to eat, and drink!  We walked down to California and had food and beer.  And as you might of guessed, exhaustion set in - at least for me.  The after party was that night, but I was dead to the world.  I was so tired I went back to the room and passed out!

limo ride back was tighter.

Got up the next morning (Monday), took a regular stretch limo (not as comfortable as the SUV limo) back down the mountain (2 hours) to the airport.  As we left the snow started to come in, we saw it falling as we were going down the mountain.  Thank you Tahoe for a lovely weekend with beautiful weather and great friends....doing a ride that was FANTASTIC and AMAZING!

With this event I earned my triple crown, which is doing a running event (full or half marathon) a triathlon event, and a cycling event.  I just happened to do all of mine in one year.  My year of crazy came to an end with having completed a Half Ironman Distance Triathlon (Augusta 70.3), a Full Marathon (Disney 26.2), and a Century Cycle (America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride -100), and raising $11,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

A little break for now, and then on to the next adventure......let's go take a hike........

Scout...more results

It's been crazy lately!!  Scout and I spent a day at VSH (Vet Specialty Hospital) last Tuesday.  He woke up and had a really hard time moving his back legs.  He is already having a hard time with his front left leg due to arthritis.  He didn't want to come down the stairs.  I got him moving around the bedroom, but the stairs were just to scary for him.  Jason picked him up and brought him down the first group of stairs, and Scout really didn't like that.  He came down the rest of the stairs himself, but he wasn't stable, and struggled coming down.  During our morning walk he walked, but it was a drunken walk.  He almost fell down while going to the bathroom.  It was a scary thing.  I called into my dental office to let them know I wouldn't be in, and called the vet....which it was of course before hours (emergency hours).  The VSH near our house was very helpful, but let me know they didn't have an internist at the moment, so recommend I go to the Cary office.  I did and spent the day at the Cary office, through the Emergency Service.  Of course we didn't see the internist because they were to busy.  The results from the day was that there wasn't anything URGENTLY wrong.    They thought there might be something going on with endocrine system.  They could of kept him overnight and checked him, but I didn't want to leave him overnight.  I made an appointment with my normal vet to have the same tests done the next day (where I could drop him off and Jason could pick him up).  We were worried he might have Cushing's.

Scout in the room at VSH waiting and waiting and waiting......

Scout being stubborn in the dead weeds!

my old man....didn't want to go for a walk....

The results have come back, and for now it doesn't look like he has Cushing's.  He does have hypothyroidism, so we are starting him on a doggie Synthroid.  It'll take a couple of weeks to a month to get into his system and hopefully get him feeling better.  I'm hopeful that I'll get my sweet playful pup back.  It's been a dramatic change from a playful soul to an old man.