Memorial Day Weekend

I must say that this was a fabulous weekend! All the planning was left up to Ben, which many of you know is hard for me to do, I'm such a Peggy planner that relinquishing control actually felt great!

Friday I arrived in DC around 5ish, Ben met me and we hit the metro to our hotel. Ben had switched hotels for the weekend so we could be closer to all the action. We were two blocks from the man, it was great! We had dinner at Rosa Mexicana, which I was really excited about because of all the hype from the restaurant in ATL and NYC. To be honest, it was just okay... in fact, I had better guacamole at Lauren's lingerie shower. But it was fun, GREAT pomegranate margarita, and definitely great company!

Saturday we got up early to eat breakfast in the Concierge lounge. Yes, we've gone platinum! It seems we've spent more nights in a Marriott bed than our own so we get free eggs, snacks, and dessert throughout our stay. Ben and I took full advantage. Most days we got up early enough to hit breakfast twice before they closed. It's the small things (and free dessert) that get me going. While at breakfast we also met our new friend, Jeeves. Not actually his name, but he was the head concierge. He was a machine, you'd ask him a question and he'd spit out an answer. This guy was great.

So anyway, back to the Saturday activities. Ben was able to pull a few strings with some of his peeps and got us a White House tour (that's one thing I bet Jeeves couldn't do). I was really hoping for a Michelle or Barack appearance, or for their dog to coming running down the steps, but that didn't happen. And for some reason every time I saw the young secret service guys I kept thinking of Mandy Moore in Chasing Liberty. I'm sad, I know. So no presidental appearances, but I did see all the different colored rooms and where the President holds his press conferences. We then headed for Ford's Theater and got in on the last tour of the day.

After Ford's Theater we walked up to Chinatown to get some lunch. When in Rome... I decided to be adventurous and eat at a local joint. Several places were advertising lunch for $3.25 & $3.95. Awesome! We walked into one and looked around to see only one couple eating lunch. Needless to say, I got scared and ran out. I'm up for an adventure but I don't want to ruin my vacation. We ended up going across the street to get the $5.95 lunch, for some reason, two dollars more made this place sound much more appealing. There were several people dinning and they ranged from American families to Asian couples, so I was happy. Food was good, but we ate WAY too much. After lunch we hit up the Portrait gallery before heading back to the hotel to rest.

Saturday evening we went to 5:30pm mass at St. Patrick's church. There was a mix of people attending but, for some reason, we were the ones approached to take up the gifts. "Um, I'm not Catholic, is that going to be a problem?" Apparently not, because about twenty minutes later I'm getting up and walking to the back of the church. Now, the whole time leading up to this moment I was thinking, okay, no big deal, I just hope I get the bread because there's no way I can drop it, spill it, or break any crystal. What does the guy hand me? The wine. Great. Ben and I walk towards the priest and I'm nervously smiling the whole time. Is this an appropriate time to smile? There are people starring at me after all. I successfully handed over the wine, bowed, and got the heck outta there. Now, what is comical is the fact that when everyone got up to partake, I was the only one still sitting. I'm honestly surprised lightening didn't strike.

Saturday night we ate at Chef Geoff's kitchen and toured around a bit. Got some wine and decided to enjoy the view from our hotel room and watch helicopters come in and out of the White House all evening.


Sunday we headed over to Arlington, watched the changing of the guard and all the motorcycles lining up for the Rolling Thunder arrival into the National Mall. We walked from Arlington to the American History Museum and then headed to lunch down by Union Station. We hit up the Capital only to find out that tours weren't going on but would be on Monday. While walking back from the Capital we realized the parade of motorcycles was still rolling through, three hours after they began. It was amazing to see. Exhausted we headed back to the hotel, swam, cleaned up, had hors devours in the concierge lounge and headed out to take some night shots of the memorials.

Monday we slept a little later, maybe due to the fact that I think we walked 8+ miles the day before and had a nice breakfast in the concierge lounge. We hit up the Capital tour, but the House and Senate wings were closed so we only got to see the dome and the hall where the inaugural brunch was held. After the tour we headed to the botanical gardens to get some pics and then it was time for lunch. Ben had heard of this great pizza place that he wanted to check out back up in Chinatown, Matchbox. This place had only been open for a few years. It was previously an old Asian grocery store, 15ft wide and three stories tall. It was great!

After lunch we walked back to the hotel to get my suitcase all packed up, which was really hard to do. The whole weekend was so much fun that I just wanted to stay out there with Ben. We had a little time before we left so we caught part of the Memorial Day parade and got to see Gary Sinise (or Lt. Dan), parade's grand Marshal.

All in all it was an amazing trip. We ate way too much food, but that's what a good vacation is all about. Ben comes home tomorrow and then we leave for California a week from Saturday.

Life is good.

Hemmoraging

Somebody stop me!!! I've turned to shopping as therapy to get me through these two months of being a bachelorette.

As some of you may know, and those of you who don't will probably find this amusing, I have a monthly clothing allowance. Well, these past two months I keep adding up the receipts and now both cells on my excel spreadsheet for April and May have turned red (yes, I have them conditionally formatted) and I still can't stop!! I keep moving funds from upcoming months to cover these overages, but it's not helping. What will happen in August when I want new fall clothes and my budget was blown in April?

Don't get the wrong impression of me, I'm still cheap. I guarantee you I didn't pay more than $29.99 for any one item, that's really the only reason I'm able to sleep at night.

I do have good reasons to be shopping. One, I'm doing so much work around here on my own and being so damn independent that I deserve to. And secondly, we've got two vacations coming up that a girl MUST have new clothes for.

I leave for DC this weekend. Since it's Memorial day weekend it will inevitably be hot (as hot as me in my new dress from TJ Maxx). I need fun new shorts and tanks to be the cutest tourist in the capital. Ben and I are then heading out to San Francisco/Wine Country over my birthday. Of course those temps are much cooler (as cool as me in my new gladiators from Target) so I'll need nice capri's, slacks, and light weight sweaters for that. AND did I mention it's my birthday? So of course I need new clothes!

See, all the purchases are justified but how do you tell that to an excel spreadsheet, or your husband? Actually, I've got the husband under wraps, I just show him how awesome the yard looks and how successful my garden is and he'll be just fiiinnnneeee with the overages.

I think.

I only have a few, don't we all?

While making my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch today I began to think about how it drives me nuts when someone else makes my sandwich and puts too much jelly on it. It then made me begin to think about all (few) the little nuances I have.

For example:

• I like more peanut butter than jelly on my PBJ.
• I freak out if I get ice cream on my hands, subconsciously I think its going to spoil immediately. I'm already grossed out just thinking about it.
• I have to travel with my little baby pillow Ben gave me or I can't sleep at night, I will sacrifice an extra pair of shoes just to pack it.
• When I set my alarm (that's WHEN I set it) I triple check it before actually falling asleep at night.
• I organize my grocery cart into categories so it's bagged correctly, it really irritates me when the baggers don't follow along.
• I can't drink milk on or past the sell by date.
• I'm a terrible back seat driver.
• I put one ice cube in a glass of red wine if the wine has been kept at room temperature.
• I won't fly in sweats, but I'll run to the grocery store in them
• I have to carry my handbag on my right shoulder, if I carry it on the left I feel like a different person.
• I cut my spaghetti with a knife; I cut it once, rotate the plate and cut again.
• I can't re wear socks, ick.
• My work email inbox serves as my to-do list and must stay clean and organized. My home email inbox has emails from 6 months ago.
• I'm a sympathetic cryer, I can cry at a drop of a hat. Don't consider me to be the shoulder to cry on, I'm more the friend to cry with.
• When golfing I have to take two practice swings before lining up for each shot.
• I can't fold the blankets down onto the foot of the bed when I sleep, the weight of the blankets on my feet immediately makes me furious.

I'm sure most of you know me well enough that this list could go on and on, but I would ask if you do feel inclined to add on, be nice.

"I live in my own little world, but it's okay, they all know me here!"

Hired Help.

I called in the troups this weekend to help me with spring yard work. Actually, I approached the subject like this: "Mom, wanna come down for mother's day weekend with Grandma & Grandpa? We can celebrate Grandpa's 94th birthday and Mother's Day together!"

When they arrived friday I had food prepared so it was easier to drop the bomb on the weekend's planned activities. I'd already gone to Lowe's & Home Depot for my annuals and mulch so the garage was stocked. All I needed was their helping hands. I was actually amazed at how much work we accomplished and what a good time we had doing it.

Dad trimmed trees, pulled weeds, and trimmed the yard. Grandma worked on dead heading the plants. Grandpa trimmed the driveway and cleaned up two mowers, one that works and one that doesn't. Mom helped me plant and lay mulch all around the house. I finally grabbed the bull by the horns and started up the mower. I actually started it on the first try! We got everything done that I had slated for my two weekends at home while Ben is still away. As long as I kept feeding them, they stayed happy. We even had to make a run out for another flat of flowers and five more bags of mulch and no one complained.

I couldn't thank them enough. It was nice to have some action around the house, family to visit with, and someone to make dinner for. Enjoy some of the pictures from the weekend and be glad you weren't here, I'd have put you to work too!

Grandma & Grandpa working hard

I LOVE using the hedge trimmers, somebody STOP ME!

Grandpa, you left something behind!

Mom, watering my hands instead of the flowers

Action shot!

Make note of my flourishing garden

Taa Daa!

Grill Master at work

Take a time out for a photo

My yard work coach

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!

A Liberated Woman

I mowed this weekend. Ben was home for my race and, on Sunday afternoon before he headed out, I was determined to become a liberated woman and learn to mow my own yard.

We got the mower back from the shop, part was 10 bucks (which was cheap so no harm done) but the shop failed to mention the $25 dollar minimum fee, so my first attempt at lawn mowing on my own cost us $38 bucks plus tax. Needless to say, Ben was not pleased. Oh, and that's $38 on top of paying my lawn boy each week. Oops.

But you will be happy to know that I gassed up the mower, started it, and operated it all under the practiced eye of my husband, beer in one hand and camera in the other. I know the neighbors loved that, but you should always document life's (or your wife's) milestones.

There were only a few girlish shrieks along the way, all of which I'm sure the neighbors heard. They were justified though, I got beaned in the head with mulch, started to slide down the hill with the mower, and got a little tangled up in a tree. All clearly reasonable reactions.

I will say that I was sweating quite a bit, probably more than the half marathon I ran the day before. I also managed to maintain a worried expression on my face the entire time I was mowing. I guess that's me concentrating. Kinda scary looking.

I finished the yard and, like all good husbands, I headed into the house for an ice cold beer. I never believed Ben or my dad until now, a beer does taste so much better after cutting the grass. Ahhh....

Mom and Dad are here next weekend so I'm going to take full advantage of having another coach at the house while I attempt this fretful feat on my own again.

Lions, Cows, and Bears... oh my???

This weekend was the much anticipated Indy half marathon. This is the race that I had truly been training since for, even though it fell just two weeks after the Illini half.

What?? I heard that! I'm not crazy!

We all (Heather, Kerry, me, and family in tow) arrived Friday afternoon and headed to the convention center for packet pickup. I was looking forward to this because with the packet pick up comes a health expo. Last year I got my cholesterol checked for free and was banking on it again this year. Instead they were testing body fat... really? Nobody wants to know that. I can tell you how fat I am by looking in the mirror. I can't, however, tell you if my arteries are clogged.

After the expo we headed to Champions to load up on carbs. (That would be Heather, Kerry, and me along WITH our spectators.) It takes a lot out of a person to watch 35,000 runners finish.

Saturday we had to be in our corrals at 7:00am for a 7:30am start. This year I was in corral F versus last year's R. So I've already moved up in the world, but since that was based on last year's achievement I still had to run this race to validate my insanity. Along the route I high-fived a lion, bear, and a cow, which, for a moment, I thought I was on the yellow brick road and not the brick yard. I also counted nineteen hot air balloons and ran behind Spiderman. I would say running behind Spiderman was a huge step up from being passed by a banana in Champaign. Kerry somehow managed to eat a Krispy Kreme doughnut along the route. I missed that pit stop but it almost made me want to lace up again and head out to find them.

Ben ran

in the 5K as Matt Erickson's proxy. Matt (Kerry's husband) had signed up but at the last second opted out and ask Ben to ru

n in his place. Not preparing to race he dominated! This was his fastest 5K yet; 21:11, breaking a seven minute pace. Ben didn't want to take the spotlight off of me, but I know he was beaming when the annoucer congratulated Matt Erickson over the PA as he cross the finish line.

I finished in 1:56:49, which was ten minutes faster than last year and about one minute slower than Champaign. I would have liked to beat my Illini time, but given the mass amounts of people, just keeping a pace was a challenge. Stats: (please pause as I relish in them) finished in top 23% overall, top 11% of all females, and top 14% of my age bracket.

After reviewing the photos I made a mental note that at mile 13, I should try to relax, breath, and smile. Every photo of me at the finish I appear to be dying instead of smiling. Apparently it's hard to mask the ever present signs of pain and exhaustion.

It was such a fun weekend. Not sure if we are signing up for next year's Indy, I know the Illini will be back on the books. The rules say to take one day off for every mile you ran, I may take a week instead of a day. The weather is getting warmer so for me the running shoes retire and the flip flops and swimsuits make their appearance. Cocktail anyone?