It's been a while

3.5 years to be exact.

What can I say, I've been busy.  I've:

• Gained and lost a roomate
• Lost and gained 20 lbs (twice)
• Run 2 marathons (and am training for a third)
• Run 7 or 8 half marathons (they're all starting to run together...pun intended)
• Written two novels (neither of them published...yet)
• Fallen in love twice
• Had my heart smashed twice
• Watched friends marry and divorce
• Met three of my favorite authors
• Watched a friend gain and lose a television show (but he's back on TV now...)
• Lost dear friends to cancer (LET'S FIND A CURE!)
• Joined the Bone Marrow Registry
• Joined the RWA
• Watched my sister meet the man she'll soon marry
• Survived a hurricane and an earthquake in the same week
• Camped in the woods (never again)
• Camped on the beach (again again!)
• Witnessed a full body apparition
• Went to Texas looking to meet a cowboy (and met a biker instead...NOT the same thing)

Interesting stories, all.  One day I might just tell them.  In the meantime, I'm excited to be back, sharing these little snippits of my life...or something resembling reality.

A moment of silence and a speedy recovery

For the fencing team at The College of William and Mary.... (pulled directly from the team website).

The William and Mary fencing team was traveling to Haverford PA this weekend to compete in our 2nd of 3 MACFA team events. We were traveling in two vehicles, a
van and a car, when the car was involved in a crash on I-95.

It brings us great sadness to report that our longtime coach, Pete Conomikes, died in the crash. Three fencers from the team were also in the car and are being treated at
Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Their injuries range from minor to critical.

We mourn the loss of our coach and are hopeful that our teammates will make a complete recovery.

Pete has been an amazing influence on so many in the fencing community. We ask that you keep those involved in the crash and their families in your thoughts and prayers over the next several days. We also request that the privacy of our team members and their families be respected in this time of great stress and uncertainty.

We will update this post with further information as we receive it.

Thank you for your concern.

William and Mary Fencing Team

11/11/07, 1:30 PM Update:
Matt Peppe has been treated and released from MCV. Spencer Butts remains in critical condition as does Ben Gutenberg.

Smalltimore

I haven't done a thing of substance today. All right, a thing of substance that has required me to get dressed. I wrote over 1,000 words for my Nano novel, and got a little bit of "real work" done, but I'm kind of digging the idea of spending my Sunday in my pj's belting songs from my Natalie Cole CD.

Thanks to Charissa and Danielle for organizing the Blogger HH on Friday. I really enjoyed meeting everyone!! I promised I'd look into organizing January. Hope people like karaoke.... ;)

I also figured out just how small this town really is this weekend. Friday night, it turned out that Summer and hubby (Matt) were neighbors of my friend Kristen. That was random enough, but after what happened Saturday, I'm more convinced than ever that this really is the "Biggest Small Town in America" (a much better slogan IMO than "Get In On It"):
When I'm nervous about a big decision, and after I get opinions from my friends (who are the most wonderful people in the world and who would totally have my back in any bar fight I may happen to find myself in), but I still don't know what I'm going to do, I employ the tried-and-true "man on the street opinion." Of course, in this case, it's the "Random Chick in the Bathroom" approach.

Yesterday, I asked the opinion of this girl in the bathroom, and we started talking (boys, this is normal female behavior, I assure you), and then we walked out. Never exchanged names, because that kills the "random chick" part of the whole thing. Plus, you'll never "see this girl again." To exchange names is kind of against the "random chick in bathroom" advice column code. I headed out the door to meet my friends again, and I was halfway up the street when this guy came rushing out of the bar yelling, "Hey Stranger!!!"

Turns out, "Random Chick" wasn't as random as I thought. I worked with her husband at T. Rowe for four years!!! He met her after I left, and married her about a year ago. Considering I had never been in that bar before IN.MY.LIFE. it wasn't supposed to happen. Yet it did.

One thing: I was named MVP of my football game yesterday. I actually made four catches and then, apparently, posed with the ball like I was dancing. Not sure what happened there, but I made four catches!! ;)

AND NAVY WON!!

Good weekend all around.

A (potential) wardrobe malfunction

Sadly, not what you may have in mind. This one's a bit more innocuous.

The first Sox game is tonight. Even though I harbor a love for the O's that, at times, rivals Jimmy Fallon's in Fever Pitch (the love for the Sox, not the one for Drew Barrymore), I can't help cheering for the Red Sox in the post-season. I'd like to blame Johnny Damon's super-hot ass, but I really thing the fault lies with Ron Goldstein and that Roger Clemens game freshman year.

But yeah, back to the wardrobe issue.

See, some friends and I are going out tonight to cheer on the team at a supposedly Boston-friendly bar (we'll see how this goes). I have a cute hat. It's from Cheers, so it fits the whole Boston thing. The only problem is that it's pink, and the Sox colors (blue and duh, red), if I chose to wear them, would completely clash. It's rather unfortunate.

If I didn't wear the hat, I may face the wrath of the monsoon outside.

Either way, I'll look like a doofus. But would I rather look like a doofus who got caught in a rainstorm or a doofus who doesn't know how to match her clothing?

It's all very confusing.

Whose @#$#%@ Idea Was This?

Actual sign worn on a woman's shirt on Saturday. The woman running with her had a sign that read: It was YOUR'S, Mom!

Some of you guys got text messages from me on Saturday claiming that I finished the Baltimore Half Marathon in 2:50:40. If you didn’t, I’m sorry, the phone was dying a slow and agonizing death. Kinda like me at that very moment. ;)

Turns out that my time was based on the clock that I passed as I went wheezing and hacking (though still running) my way into M&T Bank Stadium. What I didn’t take into consideration, however, was that it took 2 minutes (we started and stopped a few times because, well, I don’t know why) to get to the “official” starting line from where I was standing (without my iPod b/c I followed the rules – still bitter) when the bell went off. Soooo, my OFFICIAL finishing time shaved two minutes off of that.

2:48:40

Is it great? Not really. I’m in the 39% of my age group, and I don’t think they offer an ISAT curve. However, I did finish before the VT/Duke game reached the end of the first quarter. Small victories, right?

A few observations:

• Apparently it’s ok to take candy from strangers when you’re running along a marathon course – though, had I looked at the girl with the Swedish Fish, I would have realized I actually knew her. Dude with the gummy bears, not so much.
• According to the guys with the beer shots, you’re allowed to drink before the 3 mile mark (where the half- and full marathons merge). I passed, but major props on the idea.
• When you know you’re not going to win, it’s more fun to run in costume…Elvis, the New Jersey Light House, a few Miller Light Cans, a couple of guys in kilts, an old guy in a powder blue tuxedo, and a juggler made for interesting watching. Any chance someone out there knows where I can get a Duke Dog costume for next year?
• I am more than willing to jog through parts of Baltimore that I would NEVER dare to drive through without the doors locked, the windows rolled up, and a can of mace in the glove box – provided I have 15,000 people with me for backup.
• Funeral processions and marathons do not mix – we won.
• “It’s all downhill from here” is not any sort of encouragement unless it’s true. If you’re yelling it on Mile 11 and you’re standing in front of a hill, do not be surprised when 30 participants “miss” your extended high five and get your face instead.
• Skinny courses – though flat – around a lake and BANANAS (whole) do not mix. I’ve seen enough Marx Bros. movies to tell you how this was going to end.
• When a pregnant woman (due in 6 weeks!) beats you to the half-way point, it’s time to rethink your training strategy.
• If my friend Jen and I were antelopes and there was a lion on the course looking for dinner, Jen would escape with absolutely no problem. I, on the other hand, am best served with cranberry sauce and a nice Pino Grigio.

Officially, I'm hooked. The Frederick Half-Marathon is on May 4 (more than six months away!), and it's only $40 to sign up before New Year's Eve. Who's with me?

It's back!!

Between VT/ECU and JMU/UNC-Chapel Hill, I am happier than a kitten in a milk jug. Seriously, not much is better than college football season, when entire communities come together for sunny Saturday afternoons, ESPN coverage, and of course, stupid pranks being played on each other.

The VT game is in the 4th, and JMU doesn't get started until 6, but I can already sense it's going to be an amazing season for both of my favorite teams. Tech, frankly, needs this. They had a nice ceremony this morning commemorating the 4/16 tragedy and the victims, and then they went straight to business. Though ECU hasn't rolled over and invited them to take the game as well as its money (a $100,000 donation from ECU to Hokie Spirit resulted in both teams entering Lane at the same time to discourage booing), they've given me a great game to watch while I've been working my ass off. It was clear that the emotions were with the guys during the first half, but things have improved considerably. If Tech can hold it together for the next 9 minutes, Lane Stadium is going to be shaking to its foundation.

I'm not sensing great things out of Chapel Hill tonight. I love my Dukes, but the UNC program is solid, strong, and playing at home. Not too promising, but I hope I'm wrong!!

Only one more week until the VT-LSU game, and three weeks until I'm at Lane Stadium to scream 81 North/64 EAST!!!!


BTW, is anyone else laughing their heads off about the Michigan/App State game? Michigan has no idea what they're looking at!

It's Preakness Day!

First Thing: Happy Anniversary S&A!!!! I'm sad to admit that I don't quite remember the exact date, but I'll always remember that you were married on Preakness Saturday two years ago!! ;) You guys are an amazing couple, and wonderful friends. Here's wishing you another two years (and more!) of happiness and health. Love you both!!!

While I'm not at the race, I'm still excited about it. I can't help it. I've been watching the Derby, the Preakness, and most of the Belmonts (I skipped a few years when the first two jewels weren't won by the same horse) my entire life. My parents raised me to understand and appreciate horse racing, and I had the awesome pleasure of taking in the race from the infield last year. Here's the link to last year's story.

I've learned since then that I'm a bit too old to take on the infield in future years, but it's still fun.

Next year I'll be back. I'll be in a super-cute hat (I picked up some great tips on making a hat on WBAL this morning) and a super-cute dress, in a seat that actually will allow me to keep my outfit nice.

In the meantime, GO STREET SENSE!!

UPDATE: About 4:30 this afternoon, in the 10th Race, two horses threw their jockeys. One was Robbie Albarado, who's supposed to be riding Curlin this afternoon. Right as that happened, dark clouds descended over Baltimore. What are the odds?

Albarado The other jockey barely missed the railing (they were running on the turf and he sailed through the gaps into the the other side. He didn't get up right away, and considering that he's already had one head injury, that wasn't a good sign. Albarado's horse, Einstein, took off without him after leaping over Mending Fences. Albarado actually ran over to the other guy, so he was ok. Mending Fences doesn't look good after his fall and roll. Albarado's been cleared to run this afternoon. That's a good sign. So, hopefully Curlin will have a good race.

And it's raining now. Man, I'm glad I'm not in the infield today.

UPDATE #2: Curlin won!!! That was definitely a race that I was glad I didn't have to wait three hours to see on the 11:00 news. At first, I didn't think Street Sense was going to live up to his hype. Then he came out of nowhere, took the lead, and I got all excited. Then, Curlin got him at the last little bit. Literally. Photo freaking finish. That's awesome.

A Word from the Hokie Nation

Virginia Tech family members across the country have united to declare this Friday, April 20th, an "Orange and Maroon Effect" day to honor those killed in the tragic events on campus Monday, and to show support for Virginia Tech students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and friends. "Orange and Maroon Effect" was born several years ago as an invitation to Tech fans to wear orange and maroon to Virginia Tech athletic events. We invite everyone from all over the country to be a part of the Virginia Tech family this Friday, to wear orange and maroon to support the families of those who were lost, and to support the school and community we all love so much.

Also, many young Engineering Professionals around the country are taking their Professional Certification exam this Friday. Many are young VT Graduates who have lost professors and friends in these awful events. As Certified Engineers will tell you, studying for this exam has consumed their lives for the last several months. To have this happen in the home stretch is simply not what they need. If you could please take some time on Friday to send some warm thoughts and good luck their way, I'm sure it will help and be appreciated.

The Dawg Pound ♥'s Hokie Nation!

Do you believe in Faries?

That bitch owes me big.



Anyone who's seen the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan knows the scene...

"Do you believe?" he cried.

Tink sat up in bed almost briskly to listen to her fate.

She fancied she heard answers in the affirmative, and then again she wasn't
sure.

"What do you think?" she asked Peter.

"If you believe," he shouted to them, "clap your hands; don't let Tink
die."

Many clapped.

Some didn't.

A few beasts hissed.

In case you were wondering, from now on, I will be one of the hissing beasts.



Today was the O's Home Opener, and of course I missed the game. Strangely enough, it was my choice. See, Arizona just got back to town, and while he was gone, he didn't mention anything about the game. Then, the "pajama game" happened, and I thought that he wasn't as into me as I was into him. So I decided to give him up emotionally, but since he was out of town, we didn't exactly have the conversation that completely ended the situation.



But still, in order to have gone to the game, Bea and I would have had to come up with our own tickets. Then we would have done this whole switching around thing where we would have been in the "good seats" for half the game and the "bad seats" for the other half.



Small problem, Bea and I never found tickets.



So, there we were, resigned to not going and making plans to find a sports bar to go watch the game at. Until I got the most random text last night: What's the plan for tomorrow?



Tomorrow? I thought we weren't going! I thought he had completely forgotten about the plan since he hadn't mentioned anything about it in six weeks.



Frankly, I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, this wasn't the first time he had pulled a stunt just like this...tossing out a half plan, ignoring me for an extended period of time, and then coming out of left field with the idea that I had somehow agreed to the whole thing.



Almost immediately, I decided that I wasn't going to play this game again. I was honest: Bea and I never found tickets, and started the debate amongst the group.



At one point, I threw out the idea that "If he was a 'gentleman,' he'd give US the tickets, and let us find cute boys." Imagine my surprise when, just after I hit the "SEND" button, he called with that very idea. Well, not the cute boys part, but he offered to let us sit together, and he'd take the odd-ball ticket on the other side of the stadium.



I was tempted. Very tempted. Then, I started thinking. Would it really be right to take the seats? After all, it wasn't like he was going to get another shot with me. If I took them, he may have interpreted that as a signal that I was willing to play along with his totally screwed up sense of what's supposed to happen when someone shaves her legs and flies 3,000 miles to see someone else.



So again, I was honest: Way too cold to go today. And I started to convince myself of that very fact.



Until, of course, I actually went outside to meet Bea at the bar. The weather was actually gorgeous. A little chillier than the normal start of the season, I suppose, but certainly managable.



So really, it was down to the ethics fairy. She was the whole reason I decided to miss the game.



Does anyone have any bug spray?

Big Day

Just wanted to wish my Jewish friends a very Happy Passover. In case you're not familiar with the story, here it is.

And just so the Gentiles don't feel left out, Happy Opening Day! Dare we dream that the O's can take it this year??

Super Bowl 41

Like most of you, I watched the game last night (ok, so maybe I fell asleep on Ryan's hawsome recliner during the third quarter, but DUDE I need to get one of those couches), and I was sorely disappointed in the offerings of some of my favorite yearly pitches. For example, did you know that there was absolutely NO Clydesdale commercial? I count on my horsies to make me cry like they did in 2002 and 2006 or laugh like they did in 2003, 2004, and 2006!! They made a quick cameo in a lame dog-centric commercial this year, but Bud, if you're listening, please bring back the horses.

My favorite commercial last night, hands down, was the Rock, Paper Scissors ad by Bud Light, with the wedding being a very close second. Nonetheless, it didn't quite live up to the Magic Fridge from last year.

Since I want to assure you that my favorites from years past don't strictly focus on beer (though it does help), these two are also classics in my book.

Of course, my all-time favorite sports-related commercial wasn't a Super Bowl spot at all. It aired just after the conclusion of the 2004 World Series, and I get chills every time I see it.

Got some favorites? Share them in the comments. As a special bonus (and just because you know you remember it from your childhood):

Just remember: as of today, they're all undefeated.

Football Mania 2007

Now you guys know I don't watch much football to begin with, but with the Ravens out, I wasn't sure who to root for during the rest of the playoffs.

Fear Not, the NFL is here to help.

According to the answers I gave to the NFL, I need to jump on the Bandwagon and root for (drum roll please):

THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Tom Brady is a bit of a hottie. I can totally do this. Plus, the Pats' next opponent is the Colts. You don't have to have lived in Baltimore very long to figure out who the enemy is in that situation.

Meet the Mets

Most of you know how the story ended last night, the NY Mets held off the St. Louis Cardinals until the last inning of the 7th Game of the NLCS. Then, with a single homerun, the Cards scored the two winning runs and the final Met struck out LOOKING at the ball.

Note to all ballplayers attempting a career in the majors: if you've been watching an umpire call a wild strike zone all night, you're known as a "home-run hitter," bases are loaded, you're two runs down, and there are two outs at the end of the ninth inning...YOU ALWAYS SWING AT THE BALL!

But that's the way the story ended. Now, let me tell you how it began.

It all started in a cow pasture in Cooperstown, NY. The year was 1839, and the bases were steaming piles of....

Eh, maybe we should skip forward a little.

The story I want to tell you is how I, a lifelong O's fan with a minor affinity for the Mets (thanks to the Tidewater Norfolk Tides being their farm team) ended up at Shea Stadium with a boy from college and 35k people having what can best be described as a group therapy session.

That is, of course, if group therapy is supposed to be a good thing.

It all started Tuesday night when I accepted a drinks-date with Jeff. Just a casual thing that was a bit of a relief after the whole Friday night minor-drama.

Wednesday, I called Ben to get his email address for a friend who's looking for a new job (she's fabulous if you're hiring). While we were on the phone, he mentioned the game. Granted, we weren't sure there was even going to be a Game 7, but, like me, Ben likes to keep his options open. Long story short, there was a Game 7.

This then posed an "interesting" problem for me. See, while I had accepted the ticket to the game (and I had promised to pay for it), I didn't have:

1. A place to stay in NYC
2. The necessary time off of work
3. Any clue how I was going to get out of my date with Jeff.

Problem #2 was the easiest to manage. I walked out of the office, promised my boss I'd make up the time I needed, and scored his agreement that I could work from "home" today. Yes, I'm in NY and my sister's firewall isn't exactly letting me get into the files that I need to actually accomplish anything, but my coworker sent me a few things, and I'm doing a lot of thinking. That works, right?

Problem #3 also seemed easy. I sent Jeff this fabulous little email saying that while I'd totally love to go out with him, it was a once in a lifetime (I'm an O's fan, remember) opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I figured it he was any sort of a guy I wanted to see again, he'd go along with it. And he did.

Problem #1 proved to be the hardest. Julia is committed to not having her house turned into "Hotel Charles," and while I respect that, I do have an open invitation from her fabulous roommate. The problem, however, was Ben. Julia didn't know who he was (she does now), and didn't want him staying at the house. Since I couldn't find a place for him to stay, the whole plan was almost abandoned. Which caused a couple of emails to be sent back to Jeff.

• Email #1: Was the one I mentioned earlier.
• Email #2: Was the one I asked Julia to send when she told me that Ben couldn't stay and then Ben decided that it would probably be "easier" if we bagged the trip altogether. I don't have access to my Gmail, so I thought I'd see if I could reschedule with Jeff.
• Email #3: Was the one Julia sent after I convinced her Ben could stay. I needed to cancel again (obviously).

Truth be told, I probably was better off staying in Baltimore. See, every time I get together with Ben, he forgets that we're not dating and tries to get me to kiss him. He's a nice guy, but NO. And the more he throws himself at me, the more that I realize that I want nothing to do with him. I'm going to give him a cooling-off period and then contact him around Christmas.

Funniest part of the evening happened on the train on the way home. Gotta love that post-game zone-out, right? I was sandwiched between a bunch of boys on the 7 when one of them starts bitching about it not being an "Express Train." I turn around and go, "There is no express train; there is only ZOOOOL." Didn't realize I was being loud, but apparently I was. Look for me, on Overheard in NY sometime this fall.

So, kids, no more baseball until the spring. Since the Mets, the O's and the Red Sox are completely out of it, there's no reason to watch the Series. I'll be back in February with a new Baseball Blog, so stay tuned!