I'm so uncreative at the moment that I can't even come up with a good title! AGH! What is wrong with me! I think I just have so many things going through my head right now that I can't even think straight. Between finishing up my work from my old position and starting work for my new one - I can't seem to figure out how I'm gonna make it all fit. I'm only working 4 days this week since Ben and I are heading off to DC on Thursday night so that doesn't leave a lot of time to get it all done! Oh, did I mention I have to give up my big office to go be in the sales pit... aka a cubicle? I've got to start cleaning everything out from in here and taking it home with me. I will miss the large amount of space that my office provides, but more than that I will miss my door. I don't close it very often but it's comforting knowing that when I want some privacy, I can close it.

side-note: the lady in the office next time mine has downloaded "solider boy" as her ringtone for when her 13 year old son calls her. She doesn't understand the concept of turning down the ring volume, so about every 15-30 mins I get to her "YOUUUUU CRANK THAT SOLIDER BOY..." blaring from her phone. She has some other ringtone for her husband, and something different for her mom - argh



Sunday morning Becky and I got up at the crack of dawn and headed out to Millington. Okay, it was actually 6:00am but on a Sunday, that's the crack of dawn! She and I had volunteered to help out at the Memphis in May triathlon. Since I've done a few marathon/ half marathons before I know what that is all about, but I've never been to a triathlon before so that was new ground to me. I was impressed and intrigued all that the same time. This was an olympic distance event, so the participants swam .93 miles, biked 24.8 miles and ran 6.2 miles. Impressive huh? I couldn't do it.... not right now. I've always been interested in doing a triathlon, but I've gotta get serious about running again before I can commit to something like that. Not to mention the cost that goes into just being able to participate. Do you have any idea how much a decent bike can cost? Anywhere from $1000 and up! Then you've gotta get the right shoes, and tires, and swimming gear! Surely a wetsuit can't be too expensive huh? Anyway - I may never actually get around to doing one of these, but it's fun to think about.

As I've mentioned before, Ben and I are going up to DC this weekend to visit his family. They were very generous and gave us some money to help with the cost of our plane tickets. This was something they just offered to do without us ever asking, and obviously it is very much appreciated. I mentioned to Ben a few weeks ago that I wanted to get them a little gift as a thank you - not only to thank them for the money but also just to thank them for letting me visit and have me in their home for 4 days. If you know Ben at all, you can probably predict what his response was "we're not getting them anything. me being home is a gift enough." I very much disagree with this statement so yesterday afternoon I got him to go downtown with me to find them a gift. I have been thinking that I would make them a Memphis basket with various items from here. Memphis is known for their incredible BBQ, rock - n- roll, the blues,and of course - Elvis - so I thought this would be fun and easy. WRONG! Everything I picked up Ben said "oh they wouldn't like that..... they don't use cookbooks......oh here, let's get them this magnet that says 'i got porked in memphis'..... here, get my mom this snowman(from the 75% off christmas basket) she loves snowmen." So needless to say I was super frustrated by the end of shopping trip. We ended up with a bottle of BBKings BBQ sauce, a magnet that says "Memphis" and a bar of soup with a C on it - it's their last name initial. Yes, I'm aware that the soap makes no sense, but it's the ONLY thing Ben liked that I was semi-ok with. I spent my lunch break today trying to find other items to go in the basket. I ended up with a picture frame in which I will frame a picture of Ben and I (who wouldn't want that), a cookbook about Grilling, and some Rendezvous BBQ rub. It's still all pretty random, but I'll make it work the best I could. I just don't have time to go back downtown and go through the gift shops again. I love him a lot but sometimes I just wanna kick him! Do you think all of those things are completely ridiculous? If so, any suggestions? I've never been to his parents house so I'm really kind of clueless as to what to get!

Disappointment

Have you ever been so excited about something, only to have the outcome not go the way you had hoped or planed? Of course you have, we are all human. I am living that right now. My friend Becky and I decided a few months ago that we wanted to do the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco this October. This is a huge marathon, and it fills up so fast every year. Last year it filled up (20,ooo women!) within 3 hours of them opening registration. We knew we'd be taking a chance by trying to get in this year but we went for it anyway. Since the registration closed so quickly last year they decided to do a random drawing to select the participants this year. What makes this marathon so special? Well, this is what Runner's World had to say about it:

This marathon has special touches galore--most geared toward the 95 percent of runners who are women, including a "coat check" to drop your warmups at 2.5 miles; a "pedi-care" station for blister treatment or a change of socks; a Ghirardelli chocolate stop; and a Tiffany's necklace given to you at the finish by a fireman dressed in a tux.

ROUTE: The course takes you past so many scenic areas that many runners carry cameras. From Union Square, you run through the Financial District and Fisherman's Wharf; along the bay with unobstructed views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge; up into the eucalyptus and cypress forests of Presidio National Park; five miles apiece in Golden Gate Park, along Ocean Beach, and around Lake Merced; and finish on the ocean. The city's steep, cable-car hills are avoided, but three hefty climbs at miles six, eight, and 11 mean you should run to have a good time, not to run one.

ENTERTAINMENT: There are 39 stations with live music, DJs, and cheering squads, plus two more bands at the finish.

SPECTATORS: Some wait at the finish, which is near miles 11 and 16. Others take free shuttle buses to two of the four cheer stations, where comedians keep them in good cheer.

REFUEL: Fourteen fluid stations and seven food stations with Luna Bars, Luna Sport Moons Energy Chews, bananas, granola, or chocolate. Postrace spread features Bear Naked granola with yogurt and bananas, and to wash it down, Jamba Juice smoothies.

SCHWAG: Technical T-shirt, loaded goody bag, plus the Tiffany's version of a finishers' medal. The Nike Expotique also offers massages, manicures, and yoga classes.

STAR POWER: Nike athletes give expo talks; 2007 speakers included Joan Benoit Samuelson (who also led a pace team) and Brandi Chastain.

TAKE NOTE: Men are outnumbered by women, 20-to-1, but they are welcome to participate, which gives them a rare shot of a great placing in the men's division.

So if the Tiffany's Necklace as your finishers medal isn't enough to get you excited, they have plenty of other great elements and sights to get one excited.

Anyway, back to the point of this blog......
They opened registration on March 4th and it was open until March 18th. They had 30,000+ enter and there were only enough spots for 20,000. Our odds seemed pretty good, so we were excited. The drawing took place on April 1st. Becky and I waited and waited on our "CONGRATULATIONS!" email, but it never came. Later on in the afternoon Becky sent me a link on the nike website where you could check your status. I entered my name and waited with held breath..."not selected." *sigh* Becky got the same response.

Our only other option is to go through Team in Training (which is actually how Becky and I met). Anyone can do Nike if they go through TNT but the only thing is that you have to raise $4000.00. The money does go to a great cause, but I've been there and done that w/ the money raising thing and it was very difficult! The other option is for me to coach for Team in Training again. I did this last fall and I really enjoyed it, but of course there is a catch.... As a coach you typically have to go to one of the events you coach for, and the event I would have to go to is the Marine Marathon in Washington D.C. So what? you ask... well the Marine Marathon is the VERY NEXT weekend after Nike. And I physically don't know that I can do that. So as of right now we don't know what we're going to do.....

I'll keep ya posted!