18 miles and an escape plan!

One of the great things about this training is that I have had the chance to explore areas on foot that I have only driven, areas I never thought I would go and areas that seemed insurmountable. In preparing for my planned 18 miles this weekend, I tried to find a course that would be beautiful and have plenty of pit stops, if needed.

I was helping some friends out with a Garage sale in Pasadena (near the foothills off Altadena- just North of 110) on Sat. I knew I wouldn't be able to come back and work on Sunday but thought, wouldn't it be cool to walk back up and check in! On top of that, my good friend Gabriel lives nearby and when he stopped by the sale on Sat, he said that he would join me for a mile or so if I did come back by the next day.

So I took a look at Google Maps and found that from my house to the garage sale was approx 9.2 miles. If I added in walking down the street to my friend Gabriel’s house, that added in an extra 0.5miles or so. This plan was starting to make me nervous. I had never done 18 miles before and definitely didn’t want to plan to do more my first time. Then my husband said he would be around that afternoon and I could call him to pick me up if I needed. I thought- What a great idea! Granted, I didn’t want to give myself the option of calling him before I hit 18 miles- but having that freedom meant I could go where I wanted and call him when I needed. What a gift!

Originally he had offered to go part of the way with me- but suggested I find a route that was a figure 8- so he could walk part way and then be dropped back off at home while I continued. There really aren’t that many places around my house I still want to explore- so the figure 8 idea - while well intentioned- wasn’t gonna fly for me today.

For some reason it takes me forever to get ready to walk. I always have the best intentions of leaving before 9am- but between putting on my gear (this time I forgot to powder under the lycra pants that I wore under my knee braces), packing my "power pack" (I was told it wasn’t a "fanny pack" since a.- I don’t wear it on my back. I wear it on my tummy and b.- it has bottle holders with insulation to keep them cold. It is MUCH more than a fanny pack) and stretching. I get so distracted as I am getting ready with all the things I feel like I need to do. I will have to make sure I pack up my power pack and layout my stuff before the marathon or I will be late to the starting line!

So I got out the door at 10 mins to 10am. And what a gorgeous day to be walking! The sun was out, but not too hot, there was a slight breeze and I was feeling fine! I took Huntington Drive all the way down to Sierra Madre/ San Marino Dr. At this point I had drank a little of my Gatorade (which I remembered to freeze the night before!). On the corner there is a BofA and I had a check with me I needed to deposit, so I paused my Nike Plus and stretched out my calves while at the ATM.

I guess its just Murphy's Law that every time I pause my Nike+ it stops my whole workout. I think its real progress that I don't freak out anymore. Before I would be upset at my Nike+ and think my whole workout was ruined, because my Mini me would not reflect the total number of miles I woudl actually complete, etc. Now, I just take it in stride (all puns intended) and start a new workout, so as to not have too long of a pause between them. Then I add up the totals at the end for my own edification. This was at 6.5 miles.

I continued up San Marino/ Sierra Madre towards the foothills. There really isnt any sidewalk on that street, so I went into the wide grassy median and walked in the middle of the road, beneth the trees, looking out for dog poop. It was getting warmer now, it was after noon and I knew I was getting closer to my destination: Garage Sale central. I was also feeling like I might need to go pee.

I hadn’t drank a lot of Gatorade yet, but I did have 8oz of "Joint Juice"- which is my Glucosamine supplement- before I left and it was catching up to me. I made it to Colorado, then Walnut and realized my Chiropractor's office was right there. I had the code for his office park door and knew there was a bathroom inside, so I went there. Incidentally- it is 8.7 miles to my Chiropractor from home (in case I ever wanted to walk there again).

Leaving my Chiropractor's I continued up Altadena. I was in the home stretch. Soon I would be seeing friends (as if at a finish line) selling their wares at the garage sale, and walk up triumphantly! I texted my friend Gabriel who was going to meet me nearby when I crossed the intersection of Altadena and Paloma. He says "Stop at Paloma, I am almost there". I write back "I don’t want to stop where are you at?" He texts, "Call me" so I do. I turn around and walk back down Paloma and see a figure walking toward me with a dog.

I meet up with Gabriel and Nikko and double back up the street and arrive at the Garage sale which is incredibly quiet... actually its done. Its put away. The car is in the driveway. I am too late to get kudos and accolades from my friends. Well it is 1:10p. 10.5 miles.

I walk up to the door and knock and the organizers are in there counting money. They congratulate me on the distance I came just to check in on them and thank me for the time I spent yesterday selling. I feel good :)

So I go back out and walk with Gabriel to his house, sit down for a couple mins, he gives me some of his left over "Accel Gel" and we sit for about 15 mins and drink some water. Its nice to rest for a moment. I don't think the walk would have been half as enjoyable without knowing the rest time was coming and enjoying the shade of the back porch, some cold water and time with my friend.

He leashes his other dog, Hannah and we say goodbye to his partner and head back out, towards home. He catches me up on all the latest, come cool séance work he has been doing at the Pasadena Playhouse, the drama of Paranormal investigation and tells me the best houses to look at in Pasadena are on San Pasqual (one of his 3 favorite streets in Pasadena).

We walk south, out of the foothills, past Colorado, past Del Mar to San Pasqual. I hug my friend and pet Hannah to say goodbye and continue the rest of my journey alone. San Pasqual doesn’t disappoint. It is a beautiful street, lots of trees, wide road, amazing homes with beautiful details. The type of neighborhood I never think I could afford, but love to visit. I admire the other families walking by and the open house- trying to get a glimpse without actually going in.

The street ends at Hill, right at the Cal Tech campus. I have never been to Cal Tech and really haven’t been on a college campus in a long time. I forgot how independent they make me feel. How quiet they are with nature the only interruption of people studying. There is a serenity here that I didn’t expect existed in the middle of this city. It feels like this is the birth of science here.

Since I have never been, I am little afraid I will hit a border on campus and not be able to get out, so when I see cars passing, I head to that street. Its is California. At this point I have had my first Powerbar Gel. I was starting to feel a little hungry, tired, kind of worn down and had already eaten my power bar "gummy" gels. Those are great- not quite as much as the gel packets- but just enough to feel like I am doing something for the fatigue.

I took California all the way east, past Pie and Burger on Lake, past Euclid, Marengo and then turned left and headed down Arroyo Parkway. Now at this point I am starting to watch my mile count. I know that to get all the way back home would take me FAR more than 18 miles. I don’t want to be a hero today. Besides, my husband said I could call and he would pick me up if I reached a point where I couldn’t go on.

I began thinking about eating- I was getting hungry as I walked down Arroyo Pkwy. What if I was able to hit 18 miles, at a sushi restaurant, then call my husband and have him meet me there and have a late lunch! That would be perfect! I passed by one on Arroyo- 16.7 miles… What about the one on Fair Oaks? – 17.2 miles! Dammit! This plan wasn’t going to work. So I kept pushing on, consuming another powerbar gel to take away the hunger and what I knew would be an impending headache if I didn’t.

I took Fair Oaks to Monterey and then took Fremont to Huntington. I got myself on the left side of the road as I walked back, planning for my pick up. I was almost at 18 miles as I passed the Starbucks. Soon I would approach the $0.99 cent store. I looked at my iPod and say- 18 miles (once I added the 11.5 showing to the 6.5 I had got earlier). I grabbed my phone and texted Gabriel- “I DID IT and now I am calling my husband.” I called him and said, “I am on Huntington, on your side of the road. Please come get me! J” And I kept walking.

Ultimately I did 18.75 miles by the time I climbed into his truck on the side of the road. He took me home and I unraveled my gear and found I had achieved a MAJOR rash on both calves and behind my knee, this time. (Not sure why- though the lycra pants weren’t fresh and clean like last time and I did forget the powder.) I think this is heat rash, but I am not sure of that either. My legs are incredibly sore now, but I did the best stretch I could and plan to do another before I go to bed.

I got in the shower, cleaned up, and rewarded my efforts with a drive to Little Toyko (downtown) and a sushi feast. Good protein and carbs. Healthy and delicious. Plus I felt I earned the hell out of it.

The times, they are a changin'

I just found out today that Hirono is not going to be doing the marathon. Its bad enough I don't see her at work everyday now, but now- not even the marathon to look forward to with her!

This brings on mixed feeling for me. I totally respect her decision- she hadn't been able to get her training rolling and she always told me- you get out of it, what you put into it. She did her last marathon in Oct- which was not that long ago. She wasn't able to do the Pasadena Half- because she was sick. But there's another part of me that's a little disappointed. I didn't originally get into this to do it alone. I thought it would be great to have a buddy. Even though I admit, I thought I might drag her down since I am walking and not running, but knowing she was going to be there was also exciting.

All in all, there was something inside me that kind of knew this might happen. Call it instinct, call it divine light... I think its all about accepting things being the way they are supposed to be at this moment in time. I have been doing the majority of this training alone. I have been finding more strength in myself to make tough decisions that are about my personal independence and letting go of interdependence and enmeshment. It had been a journey in finding my way, my strength and my peace as I got through these extraordinary circumstances. It has been finding time for ME- to take care of ME- while still taking care of others, the right way.

I know Hirono will be with me during the race, even if it is just in spirit. She is the one who opened this door for me. But I am definitely the one who is power-walking her way through it.

God Bless you Hirono and Thank you for everything.

17 miles in 90 degree heat

I was really excited and gung-ho about this walk today. I knew I got up a little later than I had wanted. I knew it the first min I stepped outside and felt like it was already 80 degrees at 10:45am. But I felt prepared. I had slathered on sunblock all over my uncovered skin. My hair has become long enough to pull back in a ponytail and leave off the do'rag. I had just received my new hi-tech fanny pack from eBay, so I had a place for my cell phone, ID, money, iPod, AND two water bottle holders for my Gatorade! I wore a pair of Lycra leggings under my knee braces with powder under them- to combat the continuing heat rash issue. I was freaking ready to rock!

I mapped out the route I would take this weekend last night. I decided I would head to Griffith Park. When I looked online, getting to the tennis courts on Riverside was only 7 miles, but if I went into the park a little ways, I could reach 8 miles and then turn it around to complete my planned 16 miler.

I started out walking down Mission to Broadway and took that big hill up and over to Lincoln Height HS. I could see downtown skyline to my right as I cruised down the rest of the street. I was already noticing it getting hotter, so I started re-planning my route based on where I could find shade. I didn't want to crap out early or drink all my Gatorade too quickly and have to pee. I feel like I have been learning that lesson as I go- to not GULP the liquid even when I feel thirsty and to take mouthfuls even when I don't feel thirsty.

I cut over to Ave 26 and took it to Figueroa- walking over the 110 FWY. Down Figueroa past Home Depot and onto Riverside. I noticed that there was a bike path along the LA Rive that seemed to start right there. I had been WONDERING where that started! All last week coming to work I saw people riding their bikes alongside the 5 FWY and wanted to see if I could find my way there- and here it was!

So I hopped off the main road and onto the trail. Walking along the LA River (or rather the "LA Trickle" where I was) was quite beautiful. And also a little scary. A lot of it was cement and graffiti and I walked past a group of students/ juvenile offenders that were picking up trash with a vehicle following them. There were some stray dogs who barked and followed me. Lots of lizards, lots of herons, lots of ducks (especially as the river started being more than a trickle. It looked to have its own wetlands in the middle)

There were people fishing in the river, babies playing in the river and it got hot enough that I was starting to wonder if swimming in the river wasn't such a bad idea. I knew it looked gross and a little infected- but MY GOD it was brutal!

I was starting to wonder if picking this LA River trail was a good idea or not? I didn't see any place where the trail connected back to Riverside and I had been walking for a while. Finally I saw a freeway up ahead that was going perpendicular to my path and I realized it was the 2 FWY.

The path I was on started to wind up to a gate that reached a street. It was Fletcher. I walked through the decorative gates that I had seen border some of this path and saw a sign that said RATTLESNAKE PARK. Wow. Rattlesnakes, huh? Had I know that was the name of the park, maybe I wouldn't have ventured into the high grass along the side- the only shade I could find on the trail as I walked. Oh well- so far so good.

I kept drinking swallows of Gatorade as I went, but by the time I reaches mile #7 I was already feeling a little weak. I had eaten some oatmeal before I left to power the walk- but it was either not enough or too recent to be fueling this walk. I had had pasta the night before- but I guess it wasn't enough. At least I had a couple sugary snacks with me too. I ate a tootsie pop and started to feel better. But I had a sugary residue in my mouth that wasn't really helped by the Gatorade- which was getting hot.

I looked ahead to my last mile before I turned around- it was already 12:30p and I saw a stretch alongside the 5 FWY that had no shade up to the sign for the Colorado exit. I decided to do it. Just get to the Colorado Exit sign and turn back. I knew I would be in straight up sun, but I was coming around the half-way point. It would be fine.

I took a look at my hands- which often get a little swollen during these walks and they were REALLY swollen. I felt like my fingers were sausages about to explode! My wedding ring looked like it was getting tighter. I was having trouble opening my Gatorade bottle top, since grasping things wasn't comfortable.

As I got closer to the sign for Colorado I pulled out my iPod and saw I was already at 8.5 miles. I guess I wont be going into Griffith Park, but just stay on the other side of the freeway from it. At least I could see the golf course from where I am. I got pretty darn far!

No need to push it here- everything in my body was saying turn around, so I did. I started walking back toward the shade- knowing it was a couple miles out. I also decided I would get off the trail as soon as a street came up (Fletcher) and walk down to the nearest gas station (Chevron) to get some COLD water and maybe fill my empty Gatorade bottle with ice.

Turning around on that path was a mixed bag. I was now walking against the cars on the 5 FWY, so there was a breeze from the cars- even though it was a HOT breeze- it was at least some movement. I was starting to feel tired. I just kept telling myself I was already half way done- or more! I felt like I had a piece of something in my shoe, too. With all those thoughts rattling around, I looked over to my left back at the river and saw horses crossing from their stables across the way. That was calming- but it was still HOT.

I finally arrived at the Fletcher break in the trail and got to Chevron. I bought a liter of COLD water and chugged half of it right then. I asked the guy who was working there and watching a Lakers game, if he didn't mind me actually spending a few mins in the air conditioning before I went back out. His ice machine wasn't working- or I would've filled up my Gatorade bottle there, too.

AS I left, I tried to unpause my workout on the iPod and instead it ENDED IT! I hate when that happens. At least I am not so crazy about it as I was when I started. Instead, I just started a new workout and figured, in the end, I am the one who knows how far I have gone- this is just a way to track it for myself, no one else. And while I like having my little Mini Me reflect the right amount of miles I did in one trek and I like getting that kudos from Lance Armstrong, that's not what makes or breaks this for me. I feel like I have grown a lot in the last couple months.

I got back on the trail and was happy to see a lot of shade as I went. While the time didn't seem to slip as quickly as when I was on the first part of this journey- it wasn't dragging as badly as it was before the water. I was contemplating calling my husband and seeing if he could pick me up- but on the other hand contemplating finishing. I kept looking for landmarks so I could tell him where to meet me, and kept not finding any- like I was supposed to do this on my own. So I forged ahead.

Right about then, my phone rang. It was a friend who needed some advice. It was a nice break in my thought flow to think about someone else and what they needed. Even though we only talked for a few minutes- it definitely seemed to carry me even farther forward. I was almost at the end of the bike path and about 13 miles into this walk.

I came off the trail when I had met it, under the 5/ 110 FWY overpass. I started walking onto Figueroa, back the way I came. I stopped in at the Circle K to get more COLD water and their ice machine was working. So I filled up my Gatorade bottle with ice, bought a water, spend a min in the AC and took off again.

While I wish I had a fully renewed sense of the journey, the last leg of my walk was still pretty brutal. It was almost 3pm- the sun was still high- and I was headed up Broadway. I didn't realize this on the way out (cuz it was downhill) but the walk is a gradual incline all the way for 5 blocks. By the time I made it over, I was feeling worked. I knew I just needed one foot in front of the other to make it.

I finally made it around to my block and then one last hill. "I can do this, I will do this, I am doing this" I was saying to myself. I saw some neighbors- but couldn't muster enough breath to say hello. I made it to our gate and went in the house. I went right to the sink to soak my hands in cold water- they felt so big. My husband took an "after" pic to go with the before one at the top of this entry.

I took my first "ice bath" after this walk. Well- closest thing to an "ice bath" I peeled off my sweaty clothes and say in the tub with the water as cold as I could get it. I soaked my feet- which were ACHING and my hands, till they became a little more normal sized and less throbby. I noticed after the bath and shower that my ankle was stiff, i got heat rash on only ONE calf (woo hoo!) and i got sun burnt! Even though i had on all the lotion- it crept through between the tank tops. Oh well. More to learn from. I figure this walk was probably the closest to what I will experience in MAY. I know the LA Marathon is starting at 7:10am- but if it takes me 7-8 hrs, I will be walking at the same time I did today for the last half. If I could make it through today, without anyone with me, no support, no aid stations, I can DEF make it through the marathon. I can't wait to tell Hirono about it. After I finish icing. Its still freaking HOT out!

Squeezing in 4 miles before a meeting

Along with all these big decisions I have been making and this revival of my authentic self, I was asked to share my experience strength and hope at a meeting tonight. I am excited and a little scared. The last time I went to this meeting in Burbank was the last time I spoke at it and I felt like I did a poor job.

The same challenges that have been plaguing me recently were what came up then. "How do I tell my story in a way they will all still like me"- or- "that doesn't make the other people involved hate me- or that doesn't make anyone look bad..." What I have been learning lately is all I can be responsible for is how I feel- not how others will react. So the best I can do is be honest, authentic and let the words that are supposed to come, flow out of my mouth. I know I am guided everyday to do the right thing, as long as I get out of my own way and do it.

So when my class this week ended a little early- 5pm instead of 5:30p - and I was done catching up on work by 6pm, I went straight to the gym to walk it out. I got on a treadmill and watched Larry King (without sound) concede "Twitter"ing defeat to Ashton Kutcher as he sat next to Puff Daddy. It was a little surreal, but it was a way to put my body in motion and clear out my head. It was a chance to meditate on what I would say and then let it go. It was a chance to let go of the expectation that anyone else would be there to root me on.

I have been doing a lot of things for myself lately (but not by myself) and it has been empowering. I am looking forward to tonight.

16 miles- Thanks, Easter Bunny- Bwok Bwok!

I tried to get more walks in this week-but it just didn't work out. I KNEW that since I missed my long run over my b-day weekend, I HAD to try to get in this weekend's. Looking at my training plan, this week 4/6-4/12 is week #10 of my 16 week official training and was to be a 5/8/5 then 16 mile week.

This week had been an incredibly difficult one. Following our show on Sat night for my b-day I was feeling in credibly exhausted with the whole band thing. I felt like I was taking on too much- promoter, manager, den mom and trying to be creative talent on top of that. It wasn't working. I was getting stressed out. I was upset that everyone wasn't behaving exactly the way I wanted to (like that would ever happen anyway) and I realized I wasn't expressing what I needed, what I wanted with my music and therefore it was stifling me from being able to write new stuff. I realized I was getting a little sick over it, too. I was feeling run down all the time, getting pains in my head and feeling a little sick to my stomach. The biggest thing was the feeling I was overwhelmed- all the time- and then dreading the commitment I had made to rehearse 3x a week. I was exhausted.

Well I spoke to several trusted people in my life and tried to figure out if I should just take a break from the band, or what. I know this was all my own doing- but I didn't know how to undo it without taking action. Ultimately, what I decided was that I needed to quit. To just step out completely for myself. While it was sticky- because I do this thing with my husband, but I cannot make a decision for him- I feel like it was the right move for me right now. That's what a lot of this marathon training has helped me decide- what is right for me RIGHT NOW. So I have stepped out. I think the guys are taking a break- but I have stepped out. They might continue with the name and a new singer to write new music and I cannot wait to see what they do. I wish them all the luck in the world. God Bless.

Speaking of tough decisions, I had more to make. With today being Easter, I didn't know when I would be able to squeeze my run in. I was supposed to go with my husband to my sister-in-law's for Easter ham and an exercise in holding my tongue. I thought we had to be there between 2-3pm, so I might be able to get my run (which I anticipated would take 5 hrs) in during the morning. I had been out the night before a little late with friends after a meeting, so I was planning on setting the alarm and try to do it all.

When I talked to my husband as we went to sleep- he said we actually had to be there between 12-12:30p. That changed it all. How could I fit in 5 hours around that time? It wasn't possible. I expressed that to him and he actually said... "well if you cant make it tomorrow, that's ok." and instead of me ignoring that and assuming I HAD to be there for him, I made a decision for me. I said "Are you sure? It would mean a lot to me to have that time for myself." He said "I'll miss you, but I'll understand." It was like I was given a pass- and this time- I actually took it. I love him so much for understanding and not resenting me for taking him up on it.

Next thing I had to do was figure out where to go. I decided to try to combine my cat sitting for a friend in Pasadena with my walk. I packed up a backpack with my iPod, phone, ID, money, water, Gatorade, granola bar and skittles. This was to be my longest run so far, so I had to be ready- ready like a squirrel is ready for winter. I mapped out a route that took me down Huntington onto Main, into Alhambra, left on Atlantic and into Pasadena on Los Robles- then left on Colorado pas Paseo Colorado (where I made a quick pit stop) and through Old Town Pas, then down Arroyo to my friend's house. That was 10.3 miles.

I stopped, pulled off my knee braces, took care of the cats, fed them, cleaned sandboxes and took out trash. 1 hour later, I had put one of my knee braces in my backpack, since my leg was already getting a painful rash from the shifting brace. The backpack had gotten lighter over the trip with me finishing the Gatorade and some of the water- but it was still hurting my shoulders a bit. As I left her house, I got into the most beautiful part of the walk, down the Arroyo.

I walked under Oak, Elms and Pines, smelled jasmine, honeysuckle and spring blossoms and actually saw a bunny poke its head out from a bush. An EASTER Bunny! I weaved my way on Arroyo drive and then down along the stables and the golf course. I walked up a hill that took me to Pasadena Ave and ultimately to my hill on Monterey. As I reached the peak of that hill, amongst the trash, I saw a child's school craft- a pair of bunny ears- laying along the road. 'Thanks, Easter Bunny- bwok bwok!' and I had to smile.

I saw children still searching for Easter eggs with the baskets, little ones in pretty Easter dresses with their parents and grandparents and I felt myself smiling with pride. Feeling the rebirth that this holiday is representative of. I wished them Happy Easter as I walked on listening to the birds with one ear and Madonna with the other. (I walk with only one ear bud in these days so I have a beat- but am tuned in to the world around me).

I was tired, but felt SO GOOD for taking the day for myself, to do something positive for myself, to allow myself to be filled with memories of Easter with my Grandma and mom, to smile and laugh at the birds and the bunnies and feel love for the world around me. To spend the day feeling open and loving instead of protective, restrained and cynical- which would have been the alternative.

When I got home it was a little after 5pm and I was beat- I had finished another 6.1 miles- making the trip a total of 16.4miles. I didn't even care about the Lance Armstrong announcement I knew was coming, I just took off my headphones and figured I would upload the mileage later. My feet hurt on the outside edges, my knees aches under the caps, the heat rash on my calves and behind my knees was brutal- even though I had put powder on underneath the braces. I immediately showered and thanked my husband for freeing me of the day's responsibilities (since he had just arrived home). Then I sat in the recliner in front of the TV and ate a big plate of leftover ham, green beans and mashed potatoes.

All was well. It was truly a rebirth day.

Birhtday Cupcakes

Can I just say? - I love Hirono!

I am not going to let her leave. I have the duct tape ready to keep her down in her chair...

Birthday weekend- no runs

I didn't get any runs in this weekend- but I did get in:

• Disneyland on my b-day 4/3
• Universal Bar & Grill- show at 11:40pm- 4/4
• District Service Meeting at 1pm - 4/5
• B-day dinner at Black Angus at 7pm - 4/5

Get to sleep for work. I'll try harder this next week to get some in. Hirono leaves on Tuesday but she said she would make me b-day cup cakes tomorrow! I can't wait!

28 years old again, for the 6th time

Its my birthday! And I celebrated it today at the Happiest Place on Earth- for free!!

I love that Disney has a birthday club where you can get into the park (either one) for free as long as you can show your driver's license and prove you were born that day- YOU'RE IN!

Its a pretty good racket for the park, too- because you have to figure no one is really going to come by themselves for their b-day. If they want to celebrate, they will bring a slew of people (who all have to pay for their OWN tickets). Pretty smart idea. Worked on us!

My husband had to buy his ticket to join me and I am so glad he did. We had such a fun time together. Plus I put on my running shoes and originally planned to track my mileage. I forgot my iPod, so I wasn't able to officially do that- but judging from my feet pain at the end of the day, I feel like we at least went 6miles.

We went on almost all the rides without much wait. We used the Fast Pass system to get onto Magic Mountain, we got to the Matterhorn early in the day. We went through the House of the Future (Innoventions), Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Nemo's Submarine, Snow White, Mr. Toad's wild ride, walked through Sleeping Beauty's castle, Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise and Thunder Mountain Railroad. The only ride that we really had to wait in line for (like more than 1.5 hr) was Peter Pan ride.

Now for any of you who know the Peter Pan ride, you might be thinking- that ride lasts less than 2 mins- how could you wait that long? Well that ride encapsulates almost all the magic of my childhood. Waiting in line, hearing the music, I think of my mom singing "Never smile at a crocodile"... and then you get on the flying pirate ship and fly over London with all the stars below you- it is truly magical, even for this 34 yr old princess. Well worth the wait to do that and to share it with my husband.

The other cool thing about going to Disney on your b-day is that they give you a button with your name on it that says "Its my birthday!". Therefore, I was wished a "Happy Birthday" by more employees at the park than on any b-day ever! Also- it was like a b-day convention! I didn't realize how many people were born on April 3rd, too!! I was wishing happy birthday to kids, to teens, to people my age, to people older than me, to people on crutches and wheelchairs, to people in strollers- it was incredible. It was a great day for sharing the love.

Lastly- we spent some time in New Orleans Square and I got to reminisce on my trip out there last year for Jaime and Charlie's wedding. My husband took me to the New Orleans cafe where I had gumbo and a seafood crepe. Plus I got a birthday beignet that was shaped like Mickey and my husband serenaded me with Happy Birthday! It was an awesome day!

To top it off, when we got back to the car, I had voicemail messages from everyone in my family, including an incredible rendition of Happy Birthday sung by my sister, bro in law and my 4year old niece. I felt so filled with love and happy to embark on this new year, sober and with renewed commitments to myself.

We were talking about WHAT?

I convinced Hirono to go with me to Sushi again at Empire Center today (didn't take much convincing) and to walk there again (took a little more convincing). Walking there was easy- we were both hungry so getting TO the food is no big deal.

Its when we finish eating and feel a little full and then we want Starbucks before we go (which she bought for me- so I was ALL ABOUT THAT!). Then we're walking with coffee saying to ourselves- why isn't the office closer! Its at those moments when the weirdest things come out of our mouths to pass the time. I am not sure how we arrived at these topics but we ended up talking about (in no particular order) Oct-a-Mom, L word, gay sex, man on man, "goo", humidity, beef jerky, cupcakes, and more...

And dammit if we didn't distract ourselves enough to get back to the office with one foot in front of the other. :)

To and from sushi = 2.49 miles today. Time with Hirono = priceless.

Will Walk for Sushi

Its so nice to be back to the office with Hirono again. I was sharing with her tales of Omaha, how great it was, how sick I got and the time I did manage to get my walks in. She was really proud of me! Between catching up and filling me in on what I missed- which included some very big news for Hirono- she agreed to walk with me to our Sushi place in Empire Center.

We as we walked we talked about things- like the tornado, the class, the weather in Omaha. We talked about past colleagues and how they are doing. And then we addressed the elephant in the room.

Hirono had told me the last week I was in Omaha (though I promised I wouldn't say anything till it was public) that she was going to be leaving Yahoo! and taking a job in the Healthcare industry as a trainer/ instructional designer. It sounded like an AWESOME move for her, as she would have people reporting to her, continue to do what she is incredibly good at (ID) and be challenged everyday. Not to mention that she would be working with people she knew from past jobs, so there was definitely a comfort level coming into that job.

I know I will miss her madly. She and I have gotten incredibly close since the RIFF in Dec. With it being just the two of us at the office as part of our small team, we have learned to rely on one another. She has been my cheerleader and my confidant. She's been to my house, on a road trip with me, knows more than almost anyone at the office about my true nature and continues to inspire me, as well. I hope I have been to her even half of what she has been to me.

To and from the sushi place today was 2.42 miles and took us 46.5 mins. Leisurely and nice- gorgeous weather, a little hot, and lovely.

It looks like she will be leaving a week from today on 4/7- so everyday that we are at work together I am going to try to get her to come to lunch with me and get my Hirono fix before she leaves. I have never been more inspired in my marathon training, than when I am running with Hirono. It will be weird without her...