An accident waiting to happen...

My left foot/ankle was killing me last night when I got home from Harvey's. (I iced it & took 600 mg of ibuprophen.) It didn't hurt bad enough to skip spinning at 5:30am, though. It's only slightly sore right now as I sit here with the bone growth stimulator machine attached to my right shin. Am I pitiful or what? I threw yesterdays black "SATC" shoes that I wore to work in the trash. Seriously, I did! They were bought on sale several years ago anyway.

I found out yesterday that my insurance & the company that makes these machines (Smith & Nephew-can I call them "Smith & Wesson"?) are not charging me a dime for this Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System. Yippee!!!

The 45 minute Spin class was GREAT this morning. B.B. & I survived it & the few mins of crunches she had us doing afterwards. Tonight I plan to do weights again at Harvey's but I will do a slow walk on the treadmill, too. NO YARD WORK! We're supposed to get rain.
Thursday is off to rip roaring start & I have on white wedge sandals that won't turn on me today. :) Life is Good
A little inspiration for MORE TENSION on the spin bike.....

Weights....and mowing....

A lot of socializing at Harvey's tonight & weights....
Finished the push mowing in 30 mins when I got home.

Turned my left ankle in the parking lot in some shoes that may end up in the trash...it's sore but not sore enough for me to miss the early morning spin class tomorrow...

I'm so looking forward to a FUN weekend! :)

My Ass is kicked...

Intermediate/Advanced Spin class on Tuesdays is a serious workout.
(serious for me anyway!)
Funny how when a man teaches the class there's more men in there. ha!
It's an hour long & I worked my tail off. It's only as difficult as you make it so I make it to where I'm working HARD. I don't feel right unless I can wring out my clothes when I leave the class. I wish he had turned off the lights. The girls never turn on the lights. We had gawkers who watched us as they went into & out of the center. You would have thought there were a bunch of flying monkeys on bikes in there. (Two of the four walls are glass windows that face the entrance.)

I had stretched pretty well before class & I used that dang 90's ab roller upstairs. After I finished class, I drove home legs shaking, jumped out of the car & push mowed for 45 mins to get the legs straightened out.

Yes, it is time to get some bike shorts or put on the awful running short tights. I hate those. They rarely look good on anyone unless you are a stick figure. Are bike shorts tax free this weekend? ha ha!!!

Days Gone By....

Today was a just a feel good, all around Monday. :)
I got in a great workout & heard from an old friend.
We knew each other when I was about 19 & he was 18.
Talk about "Days Gone By"!
Ahhh, "youth"...we take it forgranted.
My best memory of him was when we both skipped school.
(Me: Junior college & him: High School)
We both worked at the Tullahoma cinema at that time in 1986 when it was much smaller.
We unlocked the theater & fired up "Ferris Bueller" that particular day.
(We did that quite a bit in those days! ha!!)

He drove a Nissan Pulsar, if I'm remembering correctly, & he would boom "Take my Breath Away" by Berlin. I loved that song. We were also working there when "Top Gun" was released. I had it timed to the minute to where I could run upstairs or in a theater when it was time for the volleyball scene. :P
Brian, I will come see you in MA sometime soon, I promise! Be prepared to drive up & down the marathon course, though. :P

Sunday:
Nothing but weights before I took off for Nashville to see the boys
(I sure hope Bironas' groin strain gets well soon!)
Monday:
Crunches
30 min slow walk on deathmill
45 mins spinning
30 mins aqua jogging

Camp is Fun

I have Drew Bennett's old pants. Yep, you read that right. I have some actual pants he wore in some games in 2005. I giggled like a little girl when I saw "83" in those pants. Now if he had only been in them. *sigh*
After training ended, I wandered into a tent & joined a few guys in digging around for pants of all things. I also got a practice jersey. It said "Smith" on the back so I had to have it. They were really cheap...Baptist Sports Park practice jersey's are $27 & the pants were $11. I did get my practice jersey autographed by four Titans, too.
Possibly future Halloween costume, eh?
I have to say despite the heat, it was interesting. They have to acclimate themselves to play in any type of weather, much like runners have to run marathons in ANY TYPE OF WEATHER... There were some tempers flying a little. I heard someone call someone else a "dumbass". ha!

I noticed that it took TWO Titans to bring Big Albert down. Haynesworth is strong as an ox!
Punt returns!

I had to fight a few men to get this photo. Ha! Lendale had just dropped a ball. :(
Funny how the camera adds pounds to people. These guys do not look as big in person as they do on tv. (They are ALL tall, though!) For instance, Jeff Fisher looks a little pudgy on tv but he looked just fine today to me. :)
Fun, long day but totally worth the drive! I love Fall & Football.

Why I went "private"?

Too many anonymous posts from idiots. I'm not even going to explain those...so NOT important.
DLAG is on the loose & viewing my posts (DLAG:Dead Last in Age Group because he doesn't believe he has to train)
I just really don't want people from work viewing it. There are maybe 3 that have access to it now.
Not that my cell phone has anything to do with this blog because obviously my cell has never appeared on here, duh... BUT over the last few months, I've got way more than my share of "private numbers" or "restricted" calls. As a rule, I usually don't even answer those calls. The few times I've answered, the weirdo just holds the phone. Friday morning I got three calls & once I heard a TV in the background. Someone has too much time on their hands, obviously. This has been going on since May.
I am a wee bit uncomfortable with people being able to put in various things on google & finding my blog. At first it was cool, I noticed through my statcounter that I had people who would routinely come back to my blog from all over the world. (Russia, Puerto Rico, & even Iraq)
The world wide web is a powerful thing and I'm just a bit intimidated by it, when it comes to my vacation photos being viewed by someone who may be calling me just hear me say, "hello, hello..."

2 Little Tullahomans do VERY well in Akron, OH

I talked to Terry Q. this morning, who was gushing with excitement. You would too, if your little boy won 8th place in the world for the Stock division at the Soapbox National Championships. There were 150 cars in the Stock division, Cody Q. was 8th & won a HUGE trophy just about as big as his is according to T.Q. Normally, when children go for their first time, they're eliminated in the 1st round. It took C.Q. 5 rounds to obtain 8th place. There were three children that went from Tullahoma. A little girl, Hailey, won the overall Super Stock division. (Can you believe it?! Two big time winners from this small town.) C.Q. went up against a little German boy named Ernst & another child from Connecticut in the first heat (if I'm remembering this right from Terry...). Obviously, C.Q. won & then smoked the next heat, & so on... They've had one exciting week & weekend. Next year, C.Q. will be in the Super Stock division & I'm sure he'll do well. Something tells me that soon, little Claire Q. will be riding in a Stock division car.... :)

On the marathon front.....apparently, Denver is next to check off Terry's list...

Raining....blah!

Off & on all day, RAIN.....it did stop long enough for me to get some sun, though.

I felt fat so I skipped "Carlates" 9:30am class for the 9:00am Spin class.
Saturday's Spin had a totally different instructor & she was wonderful.
When she cranked up AC/DC & Bon Jovi, I knew it would be a good, sweaty class.
1 hr Intermediate Spin (my 1st try at intermediate & I LOVED it!)
My legs were toast. I told Carla that she needs to come with me to Tuesday's class.

I did manage to do about 30 mins of pilates/stretching upstairs in the hallway where I had plenty of room. (I got a new yoga mat a few weeks ago & I finally remembered to use it.)
I did some ab work & hit the pool. 20 mins of aqua jogging was all I could stand. Seriously, my legs were tired. I got into the therapy pool for a while & let the jets massage my left hip that hurt me a lot last Fall. By the time I left I was STARVING.

Weight was 126 lbs on the Rec Ctr scales. So, no change. It would help if I wouldn't eat so much on friday's. My caloric intake at dinner last night was not something to be proud of.....eeekkkk!

Going private has gone smoothly...I have just about everyone's emails that I know look at it. I think I accidentally invited David to be a blog author, though! ha! I did notice that after 2 weeks I supposedly have to "re-invite" everyone again. What's up with that? June, can you explain?

The rain & my tiredness kept me from training camp but tomorrow we have plans to go. It's going to be HOT, but I'm sure it will be fun!

Carry your Pepper Spray!

Yesterday morning, a coworker of mine stood in our office white as a ghost. He was obviously still in shock of what happened to his wife at their church Wednesday night. Below is a brief synopsis of what happened. (He said that it's in the Tullahoma news today also.) There's so much more to the story but I'm not going to put it here. Knowing what happened to her gives me chills. I beg you guys, please be careful while out alone. This happened in a rural area of Franklin County.

A Georgia man is in critical condition following a traffic accident Wednesday night.The accident happened on Highway 64 in Franklin County.Charges are pending against Abbass Hussein, of Atlanta Georgia.Hussein allegedly entered the Center Grove Baptist Church in Franklin County and attempted to rape a female in the building.The woman was able to escape, and Hussein fled the building, and allegedly stole a pick-up truck, leading police officers on a chase across the county.The suspect proceeded to wreck the vehicle on Highway 64, crossing the median, rolling several times, and ejecting the driver.The crime is under investigation.

Friday morning coffee thoughts

Thursday evening:
45 mins elliptical, various weight machines, much needed stretching, 30 mins push mowing

I cut my workout a little short last night in order to get some mowing done, but I only got about 30 mins of it done before it got dark . I had not mowed in a while so parts of the yard looked like it had grown a foot overnight with the recent rain. There were stray sticks EVERYWHERE from the storm earlier in the week! I think I managed to drag half a tree to the front of the yard for pick up. This was one morning that I think I could have just stayed in bed & slept forever. I find that I need at least 1-2 days like this a month. I call them my "recharging" days. It's like I have to plug myself into a charger & wait till my red light turns green.

Anyone seen the Vince Young Reebok cleat commercial?
Man, I hope they have a GOOD year! Depending on how my weekend shapes up, I may head to training camp on Saturday. If it doesn't rain, it would be a nice way to unwind & watch some great athletes. (and by the way, I have seen some of the tour.....) I would love to watch some of that in person one day. It's amazing how they can focus & ride with so many people watching & screaming on the sides of the roads. I don't know that I could block out all that while on a bike climbing hills! What an event!

Speaking of events, turns out the National Soapbox Derby is a week long celebration in Akron, Ohio. If I heard T.Q. correctly, they are racing against a German car. There was a parade this week & various other things going on. (Sounded like they were having a great time!) Cross your fingers guys.....that the little Tullahoman wins! If he wins, he gets to be inside or on the cover of the Children's Sports Illustrated, scholarship $, & various other things...

I was asked to help with the Staggerwing Duathlon but I've got plans that weekend. Last year I roasted in the sun while doing back up counting. I hope that the person who does that this year insists on a tent over them. That was brutal. No sign of "DLAG" in the participants list so far. Maybe they'll be shy one self proclaimed "natural athlete" this year. ha!
Translation:
DLAG = dead last in his age group at a recent Triathlon
Natural athlete = someone who doesn't train enough because he thinks he doesn't have to...but see DLAG for his race reality
When I go "private" in a few days, I will explain that.....maybe. :)

So far, 2 days into the "treatments"... I hope the Aug 14th X Rays show some drastic improvements in bone repair. Gesh! I truly hate the thoughts of missing some fall races & the usual December marathon, but it's a time for regrouping, obviously. I have no choice but to heal. :P Mark my word, I will get a whole new set of PRs in the future. I will run again! :P

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

5:30am Spin Class

Hell froze over, I got up in time for the 5:30am Spin class! B.B. from the office joined me. He is walking around the office now seeing spots from his first Spin class. ha!
It's such a great sweat & my body seriously thrives on it. This will be a mainstay in my weekly workout schedule for sure. It's amazing how much faster I can get ready for work with no TV or internet too. :P

Tonight I'm heading to my regular gym for my regular workout. Thursdays will be my "2 -a days"!

Happy early Birthday to Jill (July 25th).

Don't anyone get jealous of this thing, ok?

Exogen 4000+ Bone Healing System

Two Gym Memberships?!

After one phone call & investigation, I've determined that it would be cheaper for me to buy a ONE year membership at the Rec Center than to keep paying $5 each visit once a week & I would go more often! I could probably catch the 5:30am Thursday spin class now & get ready for work there. (I live about 20 mins from work.) I'm psyched!

One membership in the town I live in & another in the town I work in....is this insane or what? (All for the sake of my sanity, getting this bone healed, & weight management while not running.)

I'm stuck at 126-127 lbs still!
I'm thinking that my body fat has gone down, though. I would almost lay money on it.
Last night's workout:
65 mins elliptical
30 mins bike
weight machines for my legs

By "invitation only"

Sometime this weekend, I will be changing the settings on this blog to "by invitation only".
This means I would need to have your email in my "addresses" for you to view the blog. You will have to use your email to log into my blog. That's all it means.
It may be a temporary thing but I've decided that I need to do this for a while. So, if you want to view it, just zap me your email at my yahoo...blond849@yahoo.com. A lot of you know my "regular" email address so you can contact me there. Obviously, there are quite a few that I will add automatically so no big deal.

Sorry for the inconvenience but it will more than likely be temporary anyway.
thanks fellow bloggers/readers! :_

I LOVE Spin class!

If there was ever a day where I truly needed a good sweat, today was the day.
I stretched & went into class to find out that we were having a different instructor. The other one is good but this one really kicked it up a notch. First of all, it was not just 45 mins, it was closer to an hour & she tacked on an extra 10 mins with us doing crunches on the floor. My abs were screaming simply because on the floor, I was using different ab muscles. It was awesome!
I was slinging sweat from my head & really loving it. She was very upbeat, much like the other one but this one reminded me of Carla.......(show no mercy!). This was only Beginning Spin, too. I would love to see what this woman does when/if she teaches intermediate/advanced Spin. Gesh!
I only did about 20 mins in the pool aqua jogging but that was perfectly fine with me with Spin running over & the extra ab burning...

Ultrasonic Bone Growth Stimulator

Ok this little gadget is retailing at $3,000 but my insurance is supposed to pay 85% of that, thank God. We shall see....the bike fund may be taking a little hit soon. The company that sells them says that they will most likely give me a discount & if I qualify after completing the paperwork, I might not pay anything but that's a long shot. Ugh!
Once I buy this thing, I'm renting it out to injured runners. I'll do treatments out of the back of my car for $1.00 each session. That way if the police want to check for a business license, I can jump in & leave.

See how crazy this has made me?!

Low Key Weekend of Cross Training, what else?

Saturday morning, I managed to get in 20 mins slow on the bike & my 200+ yoga ball crunches before pilates started. Carla was rather easy on us, no bands this week! :)
I early voted (can't wait for the signs to come down!) & headed to the swimplex for 45 mins of aqua jogging & some swimming. (45 mins wears me out!) I ate way too much on friday so I had to kick it up a notch. I pretty much had the indoor pool to myself & the outdoor pool wasn't that crowded. NICE!

Today was a 2 hr walk....yes, 2 hrs walking while reading & watching tv at the gym. I also did all my weight machines & some free weights for my arms. I feel tired today. I guess it's the heat. The news says that some places will see 100 degrees tomorrow. :(
Some man in the gym told me that I must work out every day because he's been seeing me a lot lately. Well, sure...I'm in there more now that I can't run. I think he thought he offended me because he said I looked good. I thanked him..... ha!

I had wanted to see "Momma Mia" this weekend but man the theaters were crazy this weekend with the release of "The Dark Knight" so I may try to go next weekend. Personally, dark knight just looks like it might bother me. When did Batman movies get so dang scary. I don't know...maybe I will go if I can sit in someone's lap. ha!

Now I'm thinking I should go touch up the hedges. The yard is so dry, not much growth over last week so the mowing can wait a while but the hedges are starting to look like something from "The Dark Knight".
I hope everyone had a great weekend, I sure did. :)

Reiko - Issue of Strider's newsletter

Oh yeah, little Michigan Reiko is in the July newsletter (click on pic to enlarge-bottom right photo) Girl, you should have been the centerfold. :P

Slow Healer?!

Well, I'll find out tomorrow for sure but it looks like insurance may be paying for this little gadget for my slow healing bone. Who knows.....
When I sent out my massive text to everyone, Carla's husband asked if it was like viagra? (goober!)
I'm going to read up on this Ultrasonic Bone Stimulator tomorrow. I'm still too mad to think about it tonight.
To say that I'm disappointed in the X rays is an understatement. I've gone from a few tears to picking up the trash can & slinging it into the road. :(

Dr. "What are you running from?" was WAY nicer about it this time around. He sounded really frustrated & disappointed. When he discussed the options, he admitted that telling me to stay off of it was not a good thing to even bring up. He asked me if I was this wound up all the time. He was sympathetic but if he had uttered the words "What are you running from?" to me again I think I would have picked him up & thrown him in the road. (weight training usually makes me so damn bold!) ha!

Anyway, long story short....I don't see any running the rest of the summer/early fall at all. I'm starting to see the bike I want in my budget now. (funny how that happens!) I've got plenty on my mind these days to keep me busy, making some changes....& moving along with a cracked shin bone. I'm looking on the bright side & this is what I've come up with below:

1. It will heal EVENTUALLY!
2. I'm feeling really strong thanks to the weights.
3. I heard the word "Wow!" recently & it was in regards to my abs.
4. My weight hasn't changed.
5. Think about all the gas & registration fees I'm saving right now on races.
6. It's always nice to volunteer....bittersweet that it is.....it's fun.
7. My regular running shoes are just sitting...no wear n' tear
8. I really did need one more running injury gadget to add to the collection.
9. It could be worse, I could be seriously sick.
10. Lastly, my chest is coming back.....thanks to the weights, I can fill up my bathing suit top.

Tonight I did 60 mins elliptical SLOWLY, some arm weights, and big time stretching/pilates moves. Made me feel better!
Due to a dinner invitation, I'm taking a rest day tomorrow...happy early TGIF.

TGIThursday

Wednesday's workout was pretty similar to Tuesday's....but with more leg weights. No arm weights. Tonight I'll work arms more. Keeping a food diary has kept me in check, thank goodness. My weight has not changed since I stopped running. I'm finding that I'm picking up the pace & intensity (on the treadmill/elliptical, of course) more now & it's not making the shin hurt. (progress?!) We shall see what the X ray shows this afternoon. (fingers crossed!)

Wed:
65 mins elliptical (moderate pace)
20 min treadmill walk
various leg weight machines
some stretching/pilates moves
Lots of ab work

Yankee Stadium

When we were leaving NY, I told Hannah that I was totally regretting not going to a Yankees game. They're closing Yankee stadium you know... I'm not even a baseball fan but the thoughts of going to one of the last games appealed to me. I'm not going to lie, I think Derek Jeter is one of the sexiest men alive & I'd love to see him in action. :P

The All Star game was about to come on tv. I watched the red carpet parade while on the elliptical this afternoon (65 mins). The parade went down 6th avenue. OMG, they had Yogi Berra, Hammering Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, etc... Of course they had current ones too, A-Rod, Jeter, Chipper Jones, & so on... It's amazing how healthy & sharp Yogi seems! Some commentator mentioned that it seems like NYC has a parade every week. I believe it.

The rest of my work out was quite boring....
30 mins walking, free weights on my arms (which are looking a lot better!), & some weight machines for my legs.

You spin me right round baby, right round like a record baby, right round, right round....

How's that for a long title?

Tonight @ the Manchester Rec Ctr:
225+ crunches with ab roller (remember those?)
30 mins slow walk on treadmill
45 mins spin (love it because I SWEAT!)
30 mins aqua jogging (my legs were toast but I survived!)

It has started....

We're meeting in the hallways, whispering, planning, plotting....the tickets went on sale Sat. I didn't bother trying logging in because it locks up every year. The search is on...
This is when I become another one of the guys at work...my Engineering & MIS buddies start their Fantasy Football season.
I have my Rams Preseason tickets & I'm pumped. I become one of the guys until it's Super Bowl time & I like it! :)

Diet Sundrop

I don't drink many sodas at all. I think a good guess is that I probably drink about 3-4 diet cokes a month. I used to drink more but I stopped craving them when I took up drinking fat free Nestle chocolate milk after long runs. Today, I had a diet Sundrop. Needless to say, I was VERY productive ALL day long. I push mowed for 1.5 hours, spent 65 mins on the elliptical at the gym, did a few weight machines, washed, vacuumed, & armoralled my car, etc.... The list goes on.... Maybe when I do my next marathon or race, I'll just down a diet sundrop at the starting line. :P

Margaritas & the pool

Yesterday afternoon, I spent a slow hour reading while on the elliptical & someone mentioned mexican & margaritas...the next thing I know I'm sitting on a patio... :)

This morning, I drug myself to the gym for a quick 10 mins on the bike then 45 mins in Pilates class. I knew we were in for it when Carla started throwing the bands at us. I'm so sloppy when we use those things. I got my usual spot where she can't see everything I do & she yelled at me to move. I pretended to be ever so busy with the bands. ha! If she reads this, she'll be after me now....ooops!

By the time class ended, it was storming with lightening. I debated about aqua jogging in Winchester's pool...after 200+ yoga ball crunches with 1 lb weights, I decided to head over there. The rain had stopped & the sun was peeking through. I got in 30 solid mins of aqua jogging & read by the pool outside. Because I'm not running, my tan just isn't there much this year & my hair hasn't got the natural highlights from the sun much yet. Today, I think I made up for it. I got home, looked in the mirror & realized "summer" Lisa had finally arrived. Whew!

Nothing hurts, seriously

Wed: (slow while reading Self Help book!)
15 mins bike
30 mins walking
65 mins elliptical

Thurs: (harder workout tonight, no book, I'm all "helped"!)
Stretching/pilates
65 mins elliptical
10 mins bike
arm & leg weights
crunches

I feel like I could kick some butt with all the strength training this week.
I think I'll go to a bar & pick a fight. NOT!!!
(Absolutely nothing hurts right now. The knarly shin feels smoother on the bone.)

MeMe Survery

I'm honored to be one of June's top 5 blogs so I'm doing the MeMe survey in honor of her & her "future" outstanding performance in the NYC marathon this year. :)

1. What was I doing 10 yrs ago (1998, I had to think for a minute, ok....)
I had just spent a week in Hawaii with my sister, her family, & my ex husband. I was probably tending to him, our two dogs, & our house after we got back. I was working at the academy then, too...

2. Five snacks I WOULD enjoy in a perfect, non-weight gaining world:
chips, cheese, salsa (counts as one, right?)
Chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven
Birthday Cake
Ice Cream
Snickers bars

3. Five snacks that I do enjoy in the real world:
Popcorn
Baked chips (Sun chips ROCK!)
fruit (love Grapefruit!)
Jello fat free pudding (chocolate!)
100 calorie snacks (cheese its, newtons, little cookies)

4. Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off all debts my sisters may or may not have..they're by no means in debt but it would make me feel better since I have 3 nephews
Build mom her dream home
Travel my ever loving booty off
Buy a NY apartment
Donate and give a lot of it away, especially to my TRUE friends

5. Five jobs I have had:
Purchasing
Marketing & Sales Support
Movie theater Asst Mgr
PreSchool Teacher
Full Time Military wife

6. Five habits:
Brushing my teeth
Flushing my sinuses
Working out (running when NOT injured)
Making time for fun with my friends
Reading blogs pretty much every day!

7. Five places I've lived:
Murfreesboro, TN (MTSU)
Weidenbach Germany
Katterbach Germany
Harker Heights, TX
Oak Grove, KY

8. Five people I'd like to get to know better:
Easy, Tom Brady! (kidding!!!)

Five bloggers or just people I barely know in general? Ummm...
Well, I think if Jill, June, & I got together, ran a marathon, & started drinking afterwards, we might be dangerous....so yeah, one day we'll have to do just that. I think soon we'll all be in the same age group! ha!
The other two....would have to be male & more than likely beyond my "world".

Trying to find my '05-'06 STRONG body...

Sunday:
My workout included push mowing for an hour.
Monday:
65 mins elliptical
15 mins walking
crunches & lots of weights (arms were sore!)
Tuesday:
65 mins elliptical
15 mins walking
20 mins bike (worked up a sweat at least)
stretching/pilates moves & lots of weights (light weights-arms & legs)
ab machine

In '05-'06, I was running...true, but I wasn't obsessed with mileage, injury free, & ran both my best marathon times during this time (CMM '05 & '06) & I felt STRONG! (My weight was where it is now varying between 124-128) Of course, I still have a messed up right shin right now so no running until the x-rays say so....BUT I'm really concentrating on getting that strong body back. Next week or this weekend, I will hit the pool again. (Thanks to those who've asked about the shin via email.) Keep your finger's crossed on July 17th. I've been having running dreams lately. Last night I was in a park with Chris & Carla running & everything was right in the world. ha!
I've been burning my Keith Urban CD up this week...I think his "happy" music is making me EXTRA happy. Life is Good!

Top of the Rock

After sending out the link to some folks to view, 2 people immediately stole it & sent it to me. ha!

June 28th We're off!!!

Nonbloggers: FYI, I've had a lot of people ask how they can view older posts. Scroll down to the very bottom & click on the words "older posts". You can also look at the "Blog Archive" on the left of the screen. You can view everything I've posted over the last week, month, or last Fall there. (For instance, the Good Morning America post is still there even though you don't see it on the main screen. Click on the 7-1-08 Good Morning America link in the Blog Archive WAY down on the left)
I appreciate the interest! :)
Southwest Departure/Arrival: ON TIME
Cheryl in van: ON TIME
Baggage: ON TIME

2-2.5 hr road trip with Cheryl in her mini van....priceless... Cheryl, you are the best!
Her GPS system has an English Accent which I made fun of most of the drive.
She got us right to the hotel NO PROBLEM, parked her van in "Icon" for her 24 hr stay, & was ready to go! She was the one who had enough sense to get photos of the room. :P
Mark Twain slept here...well, not really but he did live in this hotel at one time. We rearranged some furniture & set up Cheryl's rollaway before heading down Broadway to dinner at "Angelo's Pizza"(next to Ed Sullivan theater) & then to "Hairspray".

Funny thing happened around the corner from the hotel. Hannah saw this blue cheese in a cheese shop & wanted her pic taken with it. She went in, I snapped it, & then we got yelled at for taking a photo. (Please educate me on the wrong doings of cheese photos? Does it make the cheese go bad to take a photo or was this woman just being mean?)
Below: NYC models (who eat) :P (The Hotel Belleclaire is booked solid for the marathon-Nov.)
My logisitics are worked out for '09 IF I get into the marathon, stay here, take cab down to the Pier to Staten Island ferries, jump into cab, head to starting line on Staten Island....just sayin'....

3 of us in Angelo's (GREAT Pizza & watermelon martinis)

Painted on side of building.
My bootleg photo of the inside of the Neil Simon theater... I got in trouble for this one. See how close we were to the stage? We could see under the skirts of the gals when they twisted & swirled & we could see the sweat rolling down the temples. I have a whole new respect for George Wendt who was playing the role of the mother of Tracy Turnblad. (John Travolta played this part in the movie.) You will be happy to know that I refrained from screaming "NORM!!" when he came out on stage. ha! 2nd row orchestra was a good place to be! I will be honest, this was my 1st Broadway play EVER & I found myself screaming as if I were at a Titan's game. It was that energetic & cool! I highly recommend it. My 2nd choice would have been "A Chorus Line" with Mario Lopez. :)
After "Hairspray" we were not about to wait in line for the restrooms so we went into the "M & M Store". Of course, I had to buy a couple of things & get my photo taken with an M & M.

I'm sure I've forgot a lot...like driving past Hell's Kitchen, Larry Flint's Hustler building, running past the Museum of Natural History (for another trip!) and by the "Bodies" exhibit....but we didn't go into these places. My next trip, which hopefully will be a long weekend or the 2009 NYC marathon, I'd like to do museums only. I hope everyone had a safe & happy 4th of July!
Bergdorf Goodman's 4th of July windows.

June 29th: Part 2 (finally)

As I slowly come to life after going to bed at 3am, I'm going to attempt to wrap up our NYC trip. I now have new photos from Cheryl & Hannah. They're much better photographers than I am for sure!
The 5.5 hour bus tour of Manhattan was the SMARTEST part of the trip. Sure, it was a lot to see, but it really made the trip for us. Again, I highly recommend it if you're ever in NYC. Both buses that we were on for two different tours were air conditioned & one was brand new.
Below: The pic of the torch in Madison Sq Park when the statue was being assembled.

One of several man made waterfalls. We saw this one when we were on the bus tour which included a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry can transport up to 6,000 passengers in ONE trip & it's free. So, if you live on Staten Island & work in the city, you would be on this ferry every day, twice a day.
Staten Island Ferry
3 gals on Staten Island Ferry (Note to self: do something different with arm weights!)
Pier where we got off bus to board Ferry
I regret that I didn't get a pic of the Norwegian Cruise ship on the harbor. It was bigger than most malls in Middle TN. That's Staten Island off in the background. There were runners running down the side of the harbor. I wanted to run so BAD!
The New Amsterdam Street market was under the pier. I signed a petition they had out along with the fresh breads, jams, cheeses, & sorbet. It was to allow them to have their own building space.
Federal Building on Wall Street (George Washington statue: he was inaugurated here)
New York Stock Exchange: LOVE the Flag! (click on photos to enlarge)
Soup Kitchen: aka "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld
Ground Zero: I knew there was construction there before we left. There was a HUGE billboard showing what it will look like by 2012 when finished. We were told that there were 2 beams found in the shape of a cross under all the rubble. I'm sure you all heard about it on the news. They kept the beams as they were & they will be erected in the memorial. Matt told us that every building down in the immediate area suffered some damage, some more than others. The older buildings held up better than the newer ones & both churches only had major dust everywhere. (No damage at all-click on photo to see church in distance) In all the misery that happened on that day, I believe God was there. With all the sadness that resulted from such an enormous display of terriorist action, I do believe God was there in many ways. There are too many miracles of survival. I will never take my life, freedom, or those I love forgranted for many reasons & this is one of them. (click photo to enlarge)
So many things we drove by & so many we got off to see for photo ops. I know I'm leaving some stuff out, but all I can say is take the bus tours. Don't wander around aimlessly wasting time. Happy gals at the start of the "On Board" trip. (They had a cooler full of free water for us, too.)
After the trip, Cheryl left to get home to Gary & the girls. :( Hannah & I were free to wander after 2pm because we had nothing planned. That changed quickly! We decided to see "Cirque de Soleil Jungle of Dreams". It was very Cool!! But before we attended that event, we had to get into some trouble. We got caught in a downpour in the middle of 5th avenue in the middle of the Pridefest parade that our tour guide, Matt, had managed to avoid all morning. I was not about to leave the area without photos so you have been warned. :P (again, click photos to enlarge) Hannah with a guy we couldn't resist on the street...there were many like him. ha!


On the street corners during Thanksgiving, they were selling cashmere $10 scarves, hats, & gloves. This time around, it was belts, books, $5 umbrellas, & believe me, I used mine on this particular day.
After the rain, we got our Cirque tickets & headed to the "Top of the Rock", Top of Rockefeller Center. I'm scared to death of heights so this was a challenge for me. It was cool, though, & I can cross it off my list of things to do in NYC. (Not really worth the $20 entry fee), but it did give us the history of the center & NBC studios, a gorgeous view, & sense of how big central park really is...fyi, body of water way off in the distance in the park is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir.

We then headed to the famous, "Tavern on the Green". LOVED IT! I had someone totally put it down by telling me the service sucked & it was overpriced but thankfully, I didn't listen. (I'm so glad I don't listen to NEGATIVE people who try to rain on my parade.) Sure the food was pricey but when you think of the location (Central Park) & how many famous people have eaten there, who cares! Our service was good, my sandwich was fine, the desserts we shared were great, & the martini hit the spot. We ate in the bar area upstairs. We arrived around 4pm which is in between lunch & dinner so all the fabulous rooms were closed for cleaning. That fact didn't stop us from barging in to look after we ate. ha! See waiter taking photo in mirror? ha!

Nobody famous there, except for Hannah & myself. We managed to escape the paparazzi by taking off on a near sprint with our umbrellas. Turns out Hotel Belleclaire was basically a QUICK 20 min walk from there. After cleaning up a bit, we headed to the Cirque show which was 7-9pm. We then hung out in Times Square for a while. There was the "naked cowgirl". Remember the "naked cowboy"? Well, guess they are related or maybe she's his wife, ex wife, or whatever...I do know one thing, she should have reconsidered her outfit. (attached grainy cell photo)

June 28th next.....our arrival........yes, it's still a backwards account of the trip. :P

Thank you, Ms. Rimes, Mr. Hagar, Mr. Urban, & Mr. Chesney

Poets & Pirates Tour 2008
Me with Kirby
Uhhh, I'm sure she does...
Nicole's man, Keith Urban...he sang a song he did for her...can't help but like him!

Yeah,I took more photos of Keith!
Ole Kenny boy!

Jennifer Nettles singing "Why don't you stay?" (Sugarland)
Ok, I truly believe all concerts should be at LP Field in the warm months. It was an awesome experience. I can't imagine that Vegas would have been better, seriously. We got there in time to listen to Leanne Rimes for an hour, then Sammy Hagar, Keith Urban, & then Kenny Chesney. (He brought out the "Sugarland" gal Jennifer Nettles for one song)

From about 5pm until 11:30pm, it was almost nonstop. It was well worth it! :)

I do have to say, I have always liked Keith Urban but he went up a few notches on my scale tonight. He plays guitar like Eddie Van "freakin'" Halen. He's pretty awesome. Kenny....well, don't you fans get mad but I could take him or leave him. Sammy Hagar was great but that's the rock gal in me there! After 2 margaritas, I was ready to run off to the beach. We bounced beach balls, sang, & danced. I loved every minute of it.