Fight For Air Climb - May 21

Today, with two friends, I climbed 48 flights of stairs. Using the First City Tower fire escape, the American Lung Association set up a race that was harder on the lungs than it is on the legs.

My first mistake was starting off too fast (ok - if we back track a little more, I didn't train very well at all...). So, yes, I started off too fast. By the 5th floor I was not only out of air - I was becoming desperate for fresh air. The desperation was making me feel as though I just might pass out!! This fire escape doesn't have circulated air so you're breathing the stank of the people that have gone before you and those who are quickly passing by you!! There are also no windows so you really feel like there is no escaping this...

From then on, I stopped for water at every rest stop which was every 10 floors. I stopped one more time that wasn't a rest area...

Mistake number 2 - I don't know how y'all do with races and stuff like this...but I usually don't eat all the energy stuff that everyone talks about. From what I hear, people love that stuff...and fruit too...and whatever else. For me, if I eat during a work out, it'll come back to say hello. I ate one slice of an orange, because I was desperate for fresh AIR and an orange looked as fresh as anything I could get. I was feeling queasy afterwards though - it really sucked!

Then I finally made it to the top!! And I was surprised that it did go by faster than I imagined...and that my legs could've done more...

Breathing though - that's what makes this climb such a fight!

Would I do it again? Hmmm....I'm not sure. I think I like running outside more than I liked the enclosed space... I'm glad I did it. It was a good experience.

ROCK-tober

October has been like the elevator business. It’s had its ups and its downs.

Oct. 3-4, Mosaic Fall Retreat. My Sunday School Class had a "retreat." It was a NICE dinner and AMAZING dessert prepared by our Martha Stewart - Jeannie. We carved pumpkins. Played some Sharades. Stayed up until I couldn't handle it anymore (11:30pm for me). And the next morning, we had breakfast, bible study, etc. It was really nice. See Pictures Here.

Oct. 5-9, I was in DC. I got to do fun things like:

1. Spend more than enough time at Union Station.
2. Stopped By St. Matthews Cathedral where JFK’s funeral services were held.
3. Took the over-rated Double Decker Tour. It was good for my grandmother otherwise money not wisely spent. I say – get a map, comfortable shoes an start walkin!
4. Went to the Holocaust Museum (Not sure this qualifies as “fun” per se).
5. Evening walk around the National Mall – I am still and forever will be amazed by my grandmothers endurance! We chilled at the Washington Monument for a bit. Sang silly songs and laughed at each other…or was it with each other…I can’t remember.
6. A visit to Mount Vernon! THIS WAS MY FAVORITE…I felt like I could be Elizabeth Bennet walking through the hilly landscape to visit Mr. Darcy – or something.
7. A walk through the Arlington National Cemetery. Saw the changing of the guards and a really HOT guy in uniform. Thought it would show extreme disrespect if I slipped him my number.
8. After Arlington Cemetery, we walked to Iwo Jima. Kind of funny that the President of Slovakia was there. Secret service told to me stay on the grass. I barely even touched the pavement…

I went back to work on the Friday the 10th.

Oct. 16, Without asking for my permission my brother Tim turned 17 years old. I gave him a cool wallet for his birthday. I still owe him Korean food. MMmmmm, can’t wait.

Oct. 18, Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. While I was in college I carved my first pumpkin and LOVED IT! Every year my friends would get together to carve pumpkins. When I came home I thought – UH HELLO! This would be fun with the FAMILY! This tradition started in 2007 and will continue till kingdom come! It’s my favorite party to host for the family. Talk about TONS OF FUN! The pumpkins are amazing…and some of us still face pumpkin carving challenges, but I won’t single anyone out (one of my cousins ended up cutting their pumpkin in Half!!). Oh - and I totally have to share with you a Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe! It's SOOOOO delicious!

Oct. 20-25, Crazy week at work. Parties, Seminars, Board Meetings, lots of food. I did sneak in some fun with friends! (snort, snort) And Saturday the 25, was my Sunday Schools second Flag Football game. I and another friend decided to be team “moms” since we weren’t playing. Fun stuff – and AMAZING PLAYS!

Oct. 31, Dressed up as an 80’s girl. And went to Long Point’s Fall Festival.

Nov. 1, HoeDown. My church has an annual hoedown for the singles ministry. It was A TON of F-U-N!

I'll post pictures...It's amazing I even got this post out.

Buon Compleanno!

Thank you family and friends for making me feel so special on my 26th birthday (April 19)! I have to say that this is probably my FAVORITE birthday yet!!

The festivities started at work on Friday with a nice lunch, cheesecake, a cupcake with a lone candle, and a hilarious card that probably tells the truth on me needing to “get out more.”
I was surprised by the Sunday school crew with a chocolate cake and a nice card on a little shin dig we had on Friday.

So – contrary to popular belief, I’m not big into HUGE parties for me. So the way my birthday was celebrated this year was right on the money. My family treated me to a picnic by the Bayou down Allen Parkway. There we ate, played catch, took silly pictures, and laughed a whole lot. There were these teen boys walking by with skateboards and I asked one to let me borrow his skateboard. His friends gave him the okay to talk to a stranger and he agreed. I took that skateboard to the top of the hill and rolled my happy self down a couple of times!

After the picnic my dad, my brothers and I went to an Astros game. That was a fun game! The only crappy part is that an out was called when it WASN’t a fair out. The really cool part was that I got to see Manager Cooper get in the Umps face about it and get kicked out. I got your back COOP! I got’ch’yer back!

I also got nice cards in the mail, lots of texts and several renditions of the Happy Birthday song!

So, that was my birthday. It was nice!

Uh-MAZING! Hip Hip HOORAY!

THIS SUPER BOWL GAME WAS AMAZING!!!!

WOW! OMG. Like the most INCREDIBLE game I've ever, Ever, EVER seen! Even I, pretty much a non-football girl, was on my feet hooting and hollering throughout the entire game for the Giants! Wow. I hope you guys didn't miss out on Mr. Hollywood losing! The Patriot's coach is a sour puss! But who can blame him really? It's a true upset. OH BUT WHAT A SWEET VICTORY!! AMAZING! UNBELIEVABLE!

And one more thing - I CANNOT believe Paula Abdul! Is she really serious with the new single or is it a promo for American Idol? If that's the case (promo for AI) I think it nullifies all commentary from both her and Randy! I mean, seriously? Seriously, she made a single? Where is Simon to shoo them off stage?