I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Tomorrow morning we are leaving town (again), this time flying to Europe! Merrick has a job interview in Villach, Austria on Monday morning. I was lucky enough to be invited to go with him. AND, the company is paying for the whole trip. You just can't beat that.

Most people who know me, know that I love to travel. That hasn't changed, but I am starting to hate the packing and unpacking process. Since June 10, there has not be a single week that I haven't packed and/or unpacked a suitcase. We have been on a few amazing, fun and relaxing vacations, and we have done a lot of traveling between Portland and Eugene for various family get togethers. By the time we get home from this next trip we will have traveled more than 20,000 miles in less than three months. And that doesn't count daily commuting. Yikes!

As exciting as it is to be flying overseas, there is a part of me that would love to just stay at home. As I sit staring at the empty suitcases in front of me, I wonder what I could do to further procrastinate. The house is clean, the laundry is done... I guess I just need to pack. I know it won't take long - I am, after all, practically a professional.

Well, here goes nothing...

"I would like to spend my whole life traveling, if I could borrow another life to spend at home. " ~William Hazlitt

Fabulous free food...

Tonight we met some friends at a Mongolian BBQ restaurant to celebrate Dan's birthday. That alone is wonderful because I love Mongolian BBQ. The night only got better when our waitress dumped 6 full drinks all over our table. Don't get me wrong, I felt terrible for her, and the mess wasn't pleasant, but since some water and soda was spilled on the purses, all of us girls got free dinners. The best part was, my purse was hanging from my chair and wasn't touched by the liquid disaster. You just can't complain about that.

It's raining, it's pouring...

Okay, well it isn't exactly pouring, but it is raining! I love this time of year. Although there is still almost a month of summer left, I can tell that fall is creeping in. Yesterday it was 93 degrees in Corvallis, and last night it was in the 40's. It is this time of year when sleeping is once again enjoyable - opening the window just before bed and breathing in the cool night air as you allow a good book to put you to sleep. It was cloudy this morning, but still warm as I was out running. It wasn't until after noon, when I went to deliver Merrick's lunch, that I walked outside again, this time into the rain. I was immediately reminded that flip-flops are not the ideal shoe for Oregonians - a truth that is somehow forgotten during July and August.

I look forward to the remainder of this summer and I promise myself to enjoy the warm and sunny days - something that will soon be missed. I am, however, awaiting the arrival of fall with great anticipation. It brings with it so many wonderful things... football season, Thanksgiving dinner, and the much needed rain!

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life." ~ John Updike

The adventure of a lifetime...

I can't think of a better phrase to sum up the Hood to Coast relay. It is now Sunday morning. I have had a full night sleep, and am getting ready for breakfast, both of which mean a lot more after this weekend.

At two o'clock on Friday we loaded up "van 2" and headed to Sandy - our first exchange point. Once I had met my team mates and was in the van, the nerves settled down, and the excitement kicked in to high gear. We got to Sandy and joined the other 6,000 people waiting for their first vans to make it down the mountain. The parking lot at Fred Meyer was packed with vans, buses, SUVs all sporting team decor. (Let me just say that there are a few very "creative" people involved with some team naming and van decorating). Some teams were even in costumes, all running dressed as cheerleaders or hula dancers.

Our van ran from Sandy to the banks for the Willamette River between 5 - 10 p.m. There we again met van 1 and they took over for us. I had just finished my first 6-mile leg and felt pretty good. We headed into Portland to take showers and get some food. We set up a picnic in an empty parking lot with the food that my cousin and I had packed, which was more than enough to supply the team. That is when things went down hill...

From Portland our van needed to drive out to St. Helens and try to sleep at the fairgrounds until the next exchange took place. Unfortunately, I got extremely car sick on the way out there and "lost" every calorie and electrolyte that I had just fed my system. We only had about an hour before the next van arrived and our first runner took off again. I didn't feel good, and never fell asleep. I did get to lie down and stretch/rest my legs. Some nice ladies at the snack cart happened to have a pack of saltine crackers and shared with me and Sarah (who was in the first van, and who was also very sick from heat exhaustion).

Our van left the fairgrounds at about 2:30 in the morning. We were tired and it was dark and dusty for the next 20 miles. I was the last runner in our van, and had until about 6:30
before I would need to go again. By the time I got out to run, I had managed to keep down 5 saltine crackers and a "nasty gel" - one of those packs of sugary solution that give athletes a kick of energy for an event. I ran my leg, slow, but I did finish. We again loaded up and headed to our final van exchange point. There we were able to lay out a tarp and get a little sleep. I was cold, and stayed in the van, but was quite content to curl up on the seat and rest.

At 11:45 a.m. we again met van one and began the final legs to get us to the beach. It was a very hot day, and there was little shade for the runners. We stopped frequently to make sure they had water to drink along the way and doused them with water to keep them cool. Fatigue had set in, the hills were steep and the going was tough. I was feeling pretty jittery about my last leg - another 6 miles to the finish. I was still not feeling good, but had managed to eat a plain bagel and a vitamin water. Once I started, I just settled in and went. I had about a mile up hill followed by a nice bit of downhill and then a lot of flat ground to the coast. There were people everywhere cheering, and that gave enough adrenaline to get me to the finish - faster than anyone anticipated. Half of my team was waiting at the finish line, and the rest met me there and we were all able to cross together! I was so happy to be done, and amazed that I had actually finished.

My conclusion: my body is capable of doing things I never would have imagined. I ran almost 17 miles on a mostly empty stomach and about one hour of sleep, and at the end was smiling and ready to sign up for next year!

"Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed." ~ Charles M. Schultz

Take it one state at a time...

When Merrick and I lived in Colorado we became accustomed to seeing many out of state license plates. We decided to try to find all 50 states in alphabetical order. This was easier said than done. It took us two weeks to find Alabama. Conneticut and Deleware were the next two problem children... Now, over two years later, we are still playing. We have alphabetically spotted Alabama through North Carolina. Now we are onto Ohio. The game was much easier in Colorado - the middle of the country.

If you need a fun game to play while you travel, try this out. It is helpful to first know your states in alphabetical order (which is also useful if you ever want to be on Jeopardy).

She passed...

If you ever have the chance to tutor a student, I would highly recommend it. There is nothing more rewarding than helping a child succeed. This summer I have had the daunting job of tutoring a student who failed pre-algebra. Yesterday she had to take a placement test to determine if she was ready to move on, or would need to retake the class. I just got a call from her mom letting me know that she passed!!! In 8 short weeks she was able to learn and comprehend what it takes most students a full school year to accomplish. In my last session with Ashley on Monday afternoon I saw it click. I witnessed the moment when she realized that she was able to do the problems in front of her. She is now confident - and that is a major key to success in any part of life. Her mom is thrilled!

"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started." - Marcus Garvey

Running scared...

I am only 2 days away from the Hood to Coast relay. Those who don't know much about the Hood to Coast - it is a 200 mile, team relay. Each team has 12 members who each run 3 legs of the relay. It is the longest relay in the world, and teams come from all over to run. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and this is my first chance. Now that it is here, I am not sure how I feel. I guess I am as ready as I'll ever be, but I am starting to get nervous. I made the mistake of reading the online bulletins from other runners - advice, tips, questions... Most was good information, but there was the occasional message that about scared my pants right off.

So this weekend, while you are sitting back enjoying your last Friday and Saturday of August, say a little prayer for me.

Everyone else is doing it...

So, some of my friends have started getting into this blogging thing, and it has been fun to keep up with them by reading their entries. I figured I'd give it a go and see how I like it. No promises on how often I'll actually think about posting. We'll see.