And I'm back in the game...

First news first....

I GOT MYSELF A JOB!!
*pat* *pat* on the back for me.

I was at the point where I was beginning to think my life would consist of interviews and more interviews, followed by more interviews, but no paycheck. Thankfully though, my prayers have been answered and I apparently wooed everyone over at the Ad Agency I will be working for. I'm really excited for this new endeavor, and while I don't start for 3 more weeks, that gives me ample time to find an apartment downtown and just relax.

Second in news today....playing a little catch up since my last blog...Last weekend we enjoyed a church camping trip at Lincoln Rock State Park near Wenatchee, about two hours east of Seattle. And on the way back home we acquired some yummy just-picked peaches and pears, along with a couple bottles of wine from a local winery. yum yum.

I've really kicked up my running mileage the past two weeks since I have a couple of fall/winter races on my mind (to be officially blogged about later). Mostly some 4 milers, but I even did a hilly 5 miles during the 'heat wave' that came through this week. And by 'heat wave', I mean 85 degrees. I think my tolerance for unbearable Kansas heat has left of my system because those 5 miles were a struggle at my normal pace, I had to slow down and just enjoy the evening. And I threw in a 6 miler with speed intervals, just to spice things up a bit.

And tomorrow I get to go sailing around the Puget Sound on a 39 ft sloop, sure to be the highlight of my weekend.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, y'all!!

Tour de Seattle

Whew!!! i've finally had time to sit down and recap where i've been for the past week. i got two new tires on my car, was able to pick it up in time to meet my parents at the airport and set out on a fun-filled week with them. i feel like the time passed so quickly, but i was able to show them so many things that i love about seattle. We did the obvious: Space Needle, Pike Place Market, ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island, etc. But I was glad that being a semi-resident, I was able to take them places most tourists don't get to go.

We enjoyed a picnic at Gas Works Park, where my dad was able to watch all the seaplanes take off and land. The Todd gave them a tour of the Microsoft campus, and we spent several hours at the ship locks and salmon ladders, which was really quite interesting. We walked a lot and took the bus as much as possible, except for Friday when we were headed to the Museum of Flight.

This is where my plans changed....much to my surprise and total obliviousness, my brother and sister-in-law flew into Seattle for the weekend. I was totally surprised and confused, but I finally got ahold of things and we picked them up and headed out for another round of Seattle sightseeing. We went back to Pike Place, rode the ferry, and Todd met us out for dinner and we all went up the Space Needle that evening. It was really great having my entire family here, even though at times there were six of us piled in my car and I had to deviate from my planned schedules.














Saturday we ventured out to Snoqualmie Falls where us kids did a small hike and then took a tour of Columbia Winery.













The weather turned rainy so we enjoyed an evening at the hotel with wine and Scrabble fun. I wish they could've stayed longer, but I'm glad we were able to spend time together and I could show them around the area. And it was nice, having their familiar faces, because every once in a while I do get a little homesick.

Consequently, I took a week off from running since I was playing chauffeur and did an ample amount of walking. But it was enjoyable to get back out for a 4 mile run yesterday. I think I'll do a short run along the Lake Sammamish trail this evening.

Weekend Getaway

It's not like I needed a vacation from a job, but I welcomed the vacation from searching for a job. Friday morning we headed to Idaho to spend the weekend at Todd's parent's new house in the Post Falls/Lake Coeur d' Alene area, about 4 hours east of here, just across the Washington border. After 3 hours of driving, we decided to take a pitstop at the Latah Creek winery in Spokane Valley for a free wine tasting.....and then we left there with 3 bottles of fruity goodness. (note: I did most of the tasting since I was just the passenger)

Saturday morning I was able to get in a 3 mile run down by the river, but after the previous night's delicious, yet very garlicky Greek dinner, my stomach just didn't have the gusto to do much more than that. We all drove about 45 minutes north to the quaint little town of Sandpoint, ID where they were having an arts festival along Lake Pond Oreille. I never knew Idaho was such a vacation destination, but after spending some time at their mountain lakes, it's easy to see why.














Who would ever guess this is in Idaho?!?














On the way back to Seattle on Sunday afternoon, we stopped in Spokane to walk around the riverfront area and took a gondola ride above the waterfalls.


























It's looking to be a very busy week, I have a couple interviews and my parents are flying into Seattle for a 5 day visit. I'm super excited to show them around. But just my luck, my tire has severe damage and i have to take it into the shop tomorrow, manage to find my way downtown on the bus in time for my interview and hopefully meet up with my parents sans car. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Good night.

Into the woods

Last night (wednesday) we joined a group of our friends for an outdoor showing of Back to the Future at Marymoor Park in Redmond. We got there early to grab some lawn space and played some bocce ball and bingo. I even packed a picnic dinner for us :)














Thankfully, someone brought extra sleeping bags, because once it got dark, the temperatures dropped to the low 50s. But even with a chilly nose and my coffee all gone, it was lots of fun watching the movie out in the wide open with a crowd of people.













Today I decided to have my first experience with some Pacific Northwest trail running. Being a newbie, I didn't want to go to some forest deep in the woods unprepared, so I headed to the next best place....Bridle Trails State Park.














Bridle Trails is a 482 acre forested park located within the city of Redmond with more than 28 miles of trails for running and horseback riding. I figured, even if I did get lost, I'm pretty sure I could find my way to a busy street. But once I was wound my way deep amongst the tall fir trees, I could have easily been out in the forest miles away from civilization.


















I ran a 3.5 mile loop with a few steep hills, then decided that I enjoyed it so much, I picked a 1.6 mile designated loop and galloped on. This just might be my new favorite Seattle running spot. It was so peaceful and since it was during the late afternoon, I only came across 2 people and their dog, 1 scientist picking some mushrooms, and 1 lady on a horse. Which means there was only one negative to running here: make sure you watch out for horse manure.

We're headed off to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the weekend to visit Todd's parents so that should be lots of fun!

Faces in Odd Places

I took advantage of the cool weather and went for a longer run yesterday afternoon. I headed north along Lake Sammamish for about 4 miles, then turned around and headed back.


I wasn't quite to 8 miles, so I kept going, when I ran past this outdoor art gallery:

It's Fence Art by Jim, and while there is plenty of nature and large lake houses to look at while running on this trail, these artworks add a nice, unexpected surprise.

my movie review

I skipped my Saturday morning longer run as we joined the throng of other Bourne fans and saw Bourne Ultimatum instead. (I'm not really training for anything right now anyways, and this movie was top priority of the day)

Although I really liked the 2nd installment, Bourne Supremacy, I think this 3rd one might be my favorite. In fact, we're thinking of going to see it again this week. If you haven't seen it yet, you're missing out. And Even if you haven't seen the first two movies, the action scenes and smartness of the movie keep you on the edge of your seat.

It's a cloudy, cool 63 degree day here, perfect for a run and far different than the hothot humid summers I'm used to back in Kansas. I'm a big fan of this fall-ish weather.

Purple Dinner

Last night was the inaugural Thursday Night Dinner Club.
ok, so I just came up with that name myself and haven't verified it with the other members. Todd met Ryan at Microsoft and over the past year whenever I came out to visit, I got to know Ryan and his wife Aubrey better. I really like them and it's helped make my transition to Seattle much easier having them around.
Anyway, this week's restaurant of choice was Purple Cafe & Wine Bar.

Purple has 3 locations in the Seattle area: Downtown Seattle, Woodinville, and Kirkland. We chose the Kirkland location, which had a nice patio outside to enjoy the cool evening.

Ryan perused the wine book and selected a bottle of Troken Riesling and baked brie appetizer to share. I need to figure out how to make it at home, because it was oh, so delicious, as was my blackened salmon sandwich with mango chutney. Purple has an extensive wine selection, and you can get cheese and wine flights too. The downtown location has a tasting bar, to sample multiple appetizers for cheaper prices, which i'd like to check out sometime.

I'm on the lookout now for next week's dinner location. It's probably going to be a more casual (ie: cheaper) dining spot.

I'm super excited for this weekend though, because do you know what movie comes out? I think we're planning on going to see it tomorrow. Matt Damon is a stud.

Me and the Giant Picnic

The weekend got off to a busy start, Todd was 'working' out of the office on Friday, so we took the convertible to the University District to eat at Pita Pit. MMmmmm... I hadn't tasted their pita deliciousness since i was back in college a couple years ago, and it was well worth the drive.

I went for a 5 mile run Saturday morning, knowing that I was going to be attending the largest picnic known to mankind*. We drove to the Microsoft campus and got on the charter bus headed for the company picnic (this was just 1 of about 45 buses they were shuttling around throughout the day), which was located out east about 20 miles at Mountain Meadows Farm near the base of Mount Si.

[*that is not a factual statement, but if it's not the largest, i'm pretty sure it's one of the top 5 largest]



I have no way to accurately describe the scene, but imagine a town of about 10,000 people having a carnival where everything is free (and this was just 1 of the 3 possible days of attendance). Food, games, massages, casino, music, more food, beer & wine, clowns, puzzles (it IS Microsoft, afterall).
Here are a few pics of the day:

Hanging out with some Microsoft friends...



There were games for all ages...






The food tents stretched on and on...


Mmmmm...i heart gyros..



It was a fun couple of hours, then we caught a bus back to campus, and went out in Bellevue with our friends Ryan and Aubrey to see HAIRSPRAY and then enjoyed some sushi and dessert to cap off the evening.

Sunday was much more relaxing, but the week ahead looks busy. Tonight is trivia night at Celtic Bayou, Tuesday i have another interview and a bbq with a small church group in the evening, and Thursday is our weekly dinner with Ryan and Aubrey. We're on a new quest to try out a different restaurant every week. This means no room for me to slack off in my exercising :)

A New Look

i figure since i moved to a new city, i would give my blog a new simpler look.

yesterday i hopped on the bus in Redmond and headed to Seattle to meet Todd, since he was working at a coffee shop in Capitol Hill instead of his office. we figured it would be a nice little 'date' night since it was a beautiful sunny evening.

He even suggested we go get some sushi (well, ME get some sushi, since he's not fond of seafood). We walked around by the waterfront and headed back through downtown when we passed by the Cheesecake Factory. If you know Todd, you know that nobody loves their cheesecake like he does, so being the awesome girlfriend that i am, i suggested we eat there instead of getting sushi. Quite the sacrifice for me, since this town is full of unique eateries.

still, i need to find someone for sushi dates. i could make that part of my next mission:
• Find me a great sushi place to replace my love for Kona Grill in KC.

but for now, i need to get out and soak up the sunshine. it makes it awfully easy to run when this is your playground

I DID IT!

No, sadly, i did not find a job. 

But just as exciting to me....i ran up the entire Inglewood Hill smack dab in the middle of my 5 miler. Without stopping. 

Ever since i gave myself the challenge to run the entire hill, i was just anxious to get it done with.  No matter how hard my heart was beating. No matter how dead tired my quads were.  No matter how bad i wanted to stop and log roll all the way down.

I kept on pushing myself, and a 600 ft elevation rise and over 1/2 mile later, i jumped around like an energy sapped Rocky when i reached the top. It was a successful start to the week.

I had an interview at a marketing firm yesterday that i really enjoyed, but i'm thinking that i don't have quite enough experience as they would prefer. And today I have an interview for a contract job that i already know is not something i would enjoy.

So, i keep on looking.  The gorgeous weather makes me want to play outside instead of job searching. 

Blogless in Seattle

I was out running this morning and figured it's long past time that i get around to posting a blog.  Obviously it's been too long when i have trouble remembering my password to log on here.  But i can't go much longer without blogging, b/c i have people out there who are trying to track my every move, and it's hard for them to do that when i don't give them any indication of what i'm up to. 

So since i arrived out here about 2 1/2 weeks ago, here's a recap:

1. I am still jobless.  You know, being unemployed is fun for awhile, until you stop getting paychecks and have to dig into your savings.  I've had a few interviews, and have more lined up for this next week, so at least i'm being proactive and not just waiting for someone to come offer me a job (which would be awesome if things worked that way).

2.  While being jobless and pinching pennies has its disadvantages, it leaves a wide open slot for doing whatever i what, whenever it want.  Namely, going for runs whenever i so desire, instead of waking up at dawn to do so.

3.  On a related note...i heart Washington.  For many reasons.  But mostly because i can go run at high noon and not die from heat and humidity after 1/2 mile.  The weather is just great, and despite their record high temps last week (lower 90s....pish posh), it's not an unbearable heat like back in Kansas. 

4.  On the downside, it's a bit hillier here than in kansas.  You may think- 'Duh, captain obvious', but kansas is much hillier than people give it credit for.  But i'm talking 12% grade, 3/4 mile long hills here. Last week i gave myself the challenge of running up Inglewood Hill.  I started up it after running 3 miles, and had to catch my breath half way up. What was i thinking???  Not one to give up, i've made it my new goal to run up the entire hill without stopping for a breather.

Inglewood Hill link (use Internet Explorer or Firefox)

5.  Oh yeah, i did not end up doing the Seafair Half Marathon like i had planned to.  Mostly because, i didn't feel like ponying up the $75 entrance fee when i'm jobless, but also because i hadn't been able to get any good longer distance runs in over 10 miles.  I thought about doing the 5K, but that also had an entrance fee, and honestly....my ego told me that a 5K would be too easy.  That's the problem with being a long distance runner.  You convince yourself that you're too good for the shorter distances.  It's dumb, i know, and i need to get that idea out of my head.  So i'm keeping my eyes open for some 5Ks and 10Ks coming up this summer but looking ahead to November for the Seattle Marathon. 

Ok, well all that recapping made me hungry. We're heading downtown to Bite of Seattle, where a plethora of food and wine awaits. 

what a long strange trip it's been...

2,000 miles, 9 states, and a bazillion tanks of gas later....we made it to Seattle.



i'll post more later, but just for those keeping tabs on me, i have safely arrived in the northwest. and it is hot here.

it's 'GO TIME'

the day is finally here!!! everything i own is in a box to the left....to the left..to the left....

the U-Haul is all packed. i've said my goodbyes. i've cried some tears (only thanks to the U-Haul company's poor reservation system). and we are westward bound early in the morning, after breakfast with my parents and brother. i still don't think it's hit me yet, and i forecast that somewhere between Sioux Falls and Rapid City, i'll become a soppy mess of waterworks.

i'll do my best to post updates, but who knows where we'll stay. perhaps the back of the truck. just move a couple boxes and crash on the couches.

farewell KC, you've been good to me. oh, so good. no need to fear, i will not forget you and the good times and great friends you've given me.

the clock is ticking down

there i go again....not blogging.

it just seems like i've been too busy. i do feel bad for not keeping everyone up-to-date on my life, i promise to do better. here's a recap of the past several weeks:

i turned the big 25, and it was bittersweet spending it with my family and friends, knowing that it was my last birthday here in KC.

my time here is dwindling down, and i've reserved a U-Haul, notified by Starbucks manager, and am slowly getting everything packed into boxes. i move to Seattle in 9 days!! EEEEEEK!! i'm scared. i'm excited. i'm ecstatic. i'm sad. i don't think it's really hit me yet, i kinda still think it's just another visit and that i'll return again. (well, i will return 2 weeks after i move, but just for a weekend wedding) i still have a lot of preparation to do, the house is in disarray, and i can't even think straight.

between weddings, work, packing, i have managed to do some running. not as much as i would like, but i'm at least keeping an 8 mile base. i'd still like to do the SeaFair Half Marathon the weekend after i arrive in Seattle, but we'll see what transpires between now and then.

i'm more concerned about finding a job AND place to live, than i am about training for a race. i'm sure i'll have plenty of time once i get settled in out there to focus on training, when i'm homesick and missing all my family and friends. (i'm going to go cry now)

i am, in fact, still alive

i told myself that i wouldn't let an entire month go by without blogging anything, so being the procrastinator that i am...i'm cutting it close and finally blogging before the month ends.

i'd apologize for being a bad blogger, but the truth is, i'm not sorry. i've been busy and blogging wasn't ranking too high on my 'must-do' list.

and since i don't have much time today, i'm just here to give a quick rundown of my last month.

runningwise, i've been doing mostly 6 or 8 milers two or three times a week, sprinkle in a 3 or 4 miler and maybe a 10 if i feel like it. i've either been out of town, or working on saturday mornings, so i really miss seeing my Saturday morning running buddies :(

and just as i was thinking about training for the SeaFair marathon in Seattle (instead of the half marathon), my running took a sidenote when i got really sick for a couple of days. the sick where every single muscle fiber in your entire body hurts, and you can't eat, can't sleep, can't do anything except lay on the floor and cry. it was absolutely awful. i've had back problems since a high school car accident, and the vertebrae i injured is linked to the stomach, which is linked to my head, which is linked to my muscles. and basically, all of those shut down.

but i'm better now (i think).

i took a trip to Seattle for some fun with the Todd, and it makes me really excited to move out there.


packing up my stuff and getting ready to move is exhausting. and i went home to my parents farm for Memorial Day and was able to see some of my cousins i hadn't seen since my grandma's funeral last year. and lately i've been working so much that i feel like i live at Starbucks. and i've been getting ready for my friend's wedding this weekend, finishing up designing the wedding programs, etc. (and making sure i fit into my bridesmaid's dress).

other than all that...not much is going on :)

one last thing: Happy Running to everyone running Rock n Roll San Diego this weekend!!!!! can't believe that was a year ago when i suffered through that :) i do wish i were doing it again this year, though.

Oklahoma, you're OK!

Actually, better than just OK. The weekend in Oklahoma City far exceeded my expectations. It was GREAT.

Going in to the half marathon, my only goal was to finish under 2:00. I wore my GPS, but didn't even look at it once during the race. The primary concern was to just have fun and enjoy all that Oklahoma City had to offer us. We ran at a comfortable pace, singing songs, dancing (as much as you can while running) along with the music and just having a grand old time.

Finish time-- 1:57:24

I was certainly glad i did the half, because shortly after we finished, the temperature skyrocketed, leaving us concerned for our friends out on the marathon course dealing with the heat. But they all did great, and there's nothing quite like being rewarded for running a marathon than with a fresh-from-the-grill Carl's Jr Cheeseburger. mmmmmm.



And the main reason I enjoyed the weekend....running in remembrance of the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Before the race, the running crowd of 15,000 reflected during 168 seconds of silence. And we started off running past the Memorial. It was extra motivating during the run to see the 168 banners that lined the course, displaying the names of the innocent lives lost and seeing all the 'In Honor Of' signs on runners during the race.

Afterwards, we took some time to visit the Memorial and pay respect to the 168 victims. I'm really glad that I was able to finally visit the Memorial and get a better sense of Oklahoma's spirit of survival.



I admit, i've never been a fan of anyone who calls themself a Sooner (bad past experience at a KSU/OU football game).

My opinion has been completely changed.

The city was welcoming and had a clean, vibrant downtown area. There was also a Festival of the Arts going on Saturday evening that we went to. The supporters all along the race course were amazing and i've already deemed this as my favorite half marathon. I'd love to return in the future, maybe even run the full marathon.

Thanks OKC, you were great.

just me and the boys

it's that time again.

half marathon time.

only this is probably the least prepared i've ever been for a half. i've ran 8 milers on the weekends and mostly 4 and 6 milers during the week, but i haven't ran anything over 8 since the Olathe Half a month ago.

oh, i have no doubt that i'll finish....but if i finish under 2:00 i'll be happy. my endurance is not up to its par and i've convinced myself i'm out there more to enjoy Oklahoma City than to try and run a PR.

other than some slight apprehension, it should be an excellent weekend. just me and the boys.

have i mentioned that i'll be traveling in a van with 5 guys? and sharing a hotel room with josh? yeah, well i am. and i'm pretty excited about it.

as long as they all shower afterwards.

me and a van full of smelly guys is not my idea of a good time.

this day

this day...April 19...i'm not a fan of it at all. and i feel that more so than any other day of the year it always brings up a mixture of emotions for me.

most notable to many people is that 12 years ago the Oklahoma City bombings occurred and i can remember where i was, what i was doing, and how incomprehensible it was. i was in 7th grade social studies class when we were told about the bombing and watched in disbelief as the events of the day unfolded.

this is one of the main reasons why i really wanted to take part in the Oklahoma City Memorial (Half) Marathon next weekend. and in some small way, it's a chance for me to honor the victims and their families.

but this day...April 19...cemented itself as one of the worst days of my life when i was a senior in high school. i don't talk about it much, many of my close friends don't even know this part of my life. but every year it's an unavoidable sorrow that hangs over my head. and with the recent events at Virginia Tech and all of the bomb threats around this area lately, i can't help but weep.

my senior class was exactly one month away from graduation, we had just had our senior prom 'Heaven Awaits', and our close knit group of 88 students were loving life and looking forward to that last month before we all said our goodbyes and headed off on our separate ways.

but this day...April 19, 1999... this day would forever change us.

every year, the senior class would help participate in the city-wide cleanup. as part of our community service, we would assist the city workers in picking up unwanted large items that people put out on their curbs. it was a day to be excused from classes, get out and enjoy the weather, and goof off as we drove around town looking for garbage.

this day....it's still as vivid as the day it happened.....a group of about 8 of my friends had split into two trucks as we drove around and we were headed back to the dropoff spot to unload. we had to find spots to sit amongst the trash in the truck beds and i was in the lead truck, facing backwards, waving to the girls in the truck behind us.

we were driving down Main Street, they were sitting in their truck bed also, atop mattresses, chairs, boxes....Tara waved back and giggled.

and then the wind blew.

the gust caught the edge of the mattress she was sitting on. she was just a little girl and the wind flipped that mattress, knocking her off onto the pavement like a ragdoll. her boyfriend was sitting next to me, and we noticed that nobody in her truck had seen her fall, so we pointed and yelled that they wait for her to hop back on the truck.

but she didn't get up.

she never got up.

they life flighted her to Topeka, and we were sent back to school where we waited all afternoon to hear good news. it never came.

It didn't make sense. The truck was only going 20 mph, she only fell 4 feet. she was doing community service...one month from graduation...she was headed to college to be a teacher just like her mom.

Tara never woke up. She died that afternoon and our lives were forever changed.

There is a picture of Tara at prom, beaming from ear to ear, standing under the words 'Heaven Awaits'...and it makes me smile.

this day. April 19. it's a day of remembrance.

new toys

i like to prove myself wrong....
the thought of running in the snow on saturday morning actually exhilarated me, so on friday night i set my alarm for 6 am on saturday morning and made the sleety early morning drive out to Independence.

and i'm glad i did. we ran on a crushed gravel trail and there was some puddle hopping required. but after a while, it was pretty pointless to try and avoid them so i just splashed my way through the 8 miles. the rain/sleet dissipated after the first couple miles, and it turned out to be a nice, peaceful early morning jog.

plus, i got myself some new running stuff with our TNT alumni discount: Nike Tempo track shorts, Asics Hera running gloves, and some mmmm....Espresso Love Gu.


and finally spring has returned to its rightful owner!!

yesterday the temps were back in the 60s, so my roommate and i went on a bike ride. we stopped by Bike America on the way to the trail and i bought myself a Giro Transfer bike helmet so i wouldn't have to keep borrowing hers.


i don't have to work today so i'm heading out to enjoy the sweet, sweet sunshiney day. first to the gym, then out for another bike ride and run this afternoon.

April's a Fool

Oh, that April....she's such a jokester.

The forecast for tomorrow morning:


This weather has just been hampering my running style. Since the Olathe Half almost two weeks ago, i've logged a total of 7 running miles. I took last week off from running and made myself run 3 & 4 miles on the treadmill this week.

April needs to get her act together and warm up. I have another half marathon in 15 days and need to get some longer runs in. The snow tomorrow morning will probably keep me from doing the 7 am run, especially since it's scheduled on a trail 30 minutes away. I'll have to motivate myself to get my running in by myself.

And I finally registered for the Oklahoma City Half this morning, so i can't back out now. Gotta deal with this wintery weather and get my butt running. I can handle another treadmill run for today...off to the gym i go!