Bahston

Day: Three Hundred and Eight

Photo taken on Sunday, June 5, 2011 at the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston, MA at 247pm. (Pictured: Me and my double chin, Maeve, Kim, and Preston)

This has been such a fun day that unfortunately at this point is coming to a close. The weather is so gorgeous that it feels fantastic to be out walking around Boston but before we could fully enjoy the scenery, we have to let Preston take the T. I truly wish I had his enthusiasm for riding public transportation because it would make my work week a helluva lot better. Preston is a train expert and can literally sit for hours on Youtube watching Amtrak trains go by so how could we deny him the T?

Look how excited he is!!

From here we head to Thatcher Street to meet up with Kim's fabulous friends: Jessica with Michael, Taylor and Avery, Alyssia, Brooke with Rider and Nate, and Kim with baby Addison. I am thrilled to finally meet them all since I have heard and read such wonderful things about them. (Don't you just love the BLOGging world? We're all so connected!) We join them for lunchies at Regina's Pizza which is A-MAH-ZAAAAH! Preston orders a sausage bar pie and I help myself to two slices of that awesomeness of awesome.

After the delicious grub we head down to the playground with our desserts for some fun with the kids. I'm so very proud of Preston that he has no fear when sliding down the pole and gliding across a sand pit holding onto the glider for dear life.

We end the day with a stroll through Faneuil Hall Marketplace where we encounter great street performers and also a moving statue. Preston gets a kick out of her when he hands her a dollar and receives a fortune:

What a great trip! I am very glad to meet new friends, catch up with my hottie sister and sweet nephew, and hang out with my beautiful BFF! I'm looking forward to my next Boston excursion!

PS- How cool is Maeve's hat?!

Backstreet's Back Alright!

Day: Three Hundred and Seven

Photo taken on Saturday, June 4, 2011 in the TD Garden in Boston, MA for the NKOTBSB Tour at 935pm.

For those of you who don't know what the above acronym stands for, Maeve, her very nice friends, and I are at the New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys concert. And I don't care what you say, it's pretty damn awesome!

The reason I am here and such a huge fan of BSB is because of the lovely lady I am pictured with. Back in high school, Maeve, Krysten, and Kristina begin a little dance group where they would copy the moves of Fatima Robinson, the choreographer for BSB as well as other stars like Aaliyah and Hillary Duff, and just string together routines. One day I invite myself over to Krysten's house to watch them incorporate some Janet Jackson moves into BSB's We've Got It Going On. They eagerly teach me the steps and by the end of the night I am the fourth person in their dance group, Angels Way:

And I LOVE being a part of this group. It is so much fun to dance around Krysten's living room, taping ourselves dance to anything on the radio and just dissolve into giggles when one of us does something real silly (like tuck my shorts into my underwear when singing "we wear short shorts!"). For Krysten's sweet sixteen, she decides to head out to Hollywood to do all the great celebrity touristy stuff and she picks the week that BSB is going to be on Jay Leno. Angels Way accompanies her on this trip and we have a blast, packing our days with excursions to Mann's Chinese Theater, Universal Studies, The Hollywood Bowl, and the like, taking a ton of pictures and chasing down the members of BSB:

(That would be Maeve, Krysten, and Kristina on the ground trying to get a look of the boy band as they exit The Jay Leno Show. And that would be me looking at them, wondering if putting one of them on my shoulders is a better idea...)

We spend many nights dancing and creating a beautiful friendship and it's amazing to be here tonight with Maeve because it means so much to me. I wish the other two could be here with us tonight but they had prior engagements though they are here in spirit. Especially when the boys take the stage to do one of our favorites, Everybody, I can just feel us all together again, dancing happily in our socks, practicing for the Harborfields Talent Show.

And speaking of that Talent Show...do I have a treat for you or what? The following video is Angels Way circa 1999! How awesome is that?! So without further ado...Angels Way performing BSB's hit Everybody. The first part is a technical issue that is soon fixed and there are a few glitches in the tape but it's still fun to watch. I am all the way on the right, then Maeve, then Krysten, then Kristina. Enjoy.

Maeve, Krysten, and Kristina...thank you so much for all the memories and amazing nights we shared just being our kooky selves. It is a time in my life I will be forever grateful I had!

Crack is Whack

Day: Three Hundred and Four

Photo taken on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 in the upstairs hallway after a Hawks doubleheader at 1137pm.

First off, I apologize for my butt. I toyed with the idea of censorship so you wouldn't vomit upon seeing my Grand Canyon by placing a large black strip in the valley but that just looks silly. I am brave enough to wear boobie shirts all the time and my cleavage resembles a butt crack anyway so why be embarrassed of the real thing?

Now let's move on...

17 has always been my number and I really don't know why. Maybe because it is the number of the house I grew up in or that it's Moma's birthday or Marty McFly's age in Back To The Future or that people mistake me for being that young. Whatever the reason, I always make sure to have it on the back of my jersey all those years playing softball for Tri Village. Then I make sure to get it when playing hockey for CU. Now I have it again playing softball as an adult.


I take three years to consider this tattoo. 17 is important to me because it encompasses more than just a number, it represents many moments in time so it makes sense to permanently brand it on my body. The image to accompany it is hard to choose until I make captain for CU my senior year. It is a great honor to be considered by my teammates because I am not the best hockey player but I am a great team player both on and off the ice and this is why they have chosen me. At the end of the year I tell Christine my wish to tattoo the number and something hockey related on my butt so she sets to work designing different options. Three other players join us at the tattoo parlor one day and forever link ourselves to each other:

Katie P. opted for Ralphie over the hockey sticks with her number (3) as well as an "A" because she joined me in the ranks of hockey leaders our senior year. A speedy defenseman that played hard in practice and even harder during the game. She also shared my love of Traveling Wilburys and skiing, beating me down the mountain through the woods in perfect form. Definitely one of my fave peeps I met at CU.

Mallory chose Ralphie and the hockey sticks and instead of an arm, gave her rear. A fierce goalie that was fast and flexible, keeping our team on top throughout the entire year. Mal has a great spirit and is just all around fun. She's one of my fellow runners that keep me abreast of her races via Facebook which helps me train harder when I hear of her success.

Naughty chose the same awesome hockey tattoo as yours truly and included her number as well. I was so worried about my parents finding out about our tattoo excursion so I begged her to wear a sweater to graduation which she did because she is wonderful like that. Looking back on it now, I don't know why I would think my parents would have seen her tattoo on her arm and automatically know I had a matching one on my ass? But Naughty is a trooper and a very good friend so she didn't mind my craziness. After all, she did live with me for a year so she understood how off the wall I could be.

Naughty was a big reason why I stayed in Colorado when I was flirting with the idea to come back and go to BU instead. Our friendship was chock full of singing Moulin Rouge loudly in the car, playing Harry Potter on PlayStation to all hours of the night, and when I needed help getting better in order to stay on the team, she was there to give advice.

After having so much fun designing our respective tattoos, Christine decided to get one too. For two years I played with her, enjoying having her at point and being so supportive of everyone on the bench. The last year I played she was assistant coach and team mom (Mama Pee Pee) instead and I have no idea how we would have survived without her. She kept the drama amongst us at bay, made numerous calls to straighten out travel issues, worked very well with Stef (our star player and other "A") to make everything smooth sailing for us fundraising wise, and was always there for anyone in need. Christine is a great person, easy to get along with, and always willing to bend over backwards for a friend. She is also a great companion to have on trips because she's fun as hell!

Despite me putting this picture last, I actually went first because I was afraid if I watched someone else in pain I would chicken out. Katie kept giving me updates on the progress and Mallory let me squeeze her hand. It lasted about 20 minutes or so and it felt like someone took a dull key and rubbed it back and forth on my skin, giving off that rug burn feeling. It wasn't too bad having my ass in the window of the shop and even having other team members drop by to check out our new editions to our bodies. It was an experience I will never forget and hope to repeat with someone special again.

Born To Run

Day: Two Hundred and Sixty

Photo taken on Monday, April 18, 2011 on Clarendon Street in Boston, MA at 332pm. (Pictured: Me, Jamie, and Allan)

I HAVE COMPLETED MY FIRST MARATHON!

And I could not have done it without out the help and drive of the two I am pictured with.

When Allan and Robyn first toss out the idea of me running as Jamie's second coach, I figure, well why not? I don't have a race planned for that day. Besides, when could I ever qualify for the Boston Marathon? I think my age group has to run it in under lightening speed or something equal to that and everyone knows I'm a turtle compared to other women in my category. They ask if I am interested in doing half of it and I quickly agree but once I start training and make it through that first long run of 17 miles, I am hooked. I am in it for the long haul (that and Allan has taken advantage of the mileage to talk me into it, which honestly he had me at, "what's another 10k after these 19 miles, right?").

So once it is established, I make sure Maeve is going to be around for her birthday weekend and what psyches me up for the event even more is that she wants to take Patriot's Day off and be my cheering section! I am floored! I am so looking forward to having a mini fan club at the biggest race I will probably ever run. Steve even takes a day off without pay because he doesn't want to miss me crossing the line for my first 26.2 miler.

Though I almost don't cross...

Everything starts out wonderful but also very cold. I am glad I make the decision to wear my snowman pj bottoms as throw-away clothes (clothes that you discard before a big race that are then scooped up and donated) because it is windy when waiting for the busses to get us at 5 in the morning. The three of us, plus Alie and his three coaches (Randy, James, and Stephen) get on the slightly warmer bus for a ride that feels way more than 26.2 miles.

I am so stoked when we reach Athletes Village and as I clamber off the bus and see all these runners the nerves start to set in. I start wondering if I have enough body glide on and if I'll be able to hit the bathroom before we start in two hours and if I made a big mistake taking on this challenge.

On the trek to the starting line and the other smaller version of the Athlete's Village, I come across a family that has a whole station of first aid stuff set up for free. I am astounded at the generosity of giving out Band-Aids and what not to strangers you don't even know. They even let me crack open a jar of Vaseline and I thank them profusely as I run to catch up with my party. It is the one of the many many MANY fans that have tables like this set up for the runners and the amount of food and beverages that are passed out along the way is great. (But I don't know this yet when we line up with several other runners that get to start an hour before the first heat.)

We witness the great spirit of the Boston by ourselves for the first 8 miles. The only people to pass us so far are the wheelchair runners who are absolutely amazing so all the cheers have pretty much been directed at us as we pass. One particular bar is already half in the bag but call out to the three of us as we pass and Jamie is loving the attention. He's smiling and laughing and we're just cruising and enjoying the gorgeous day.

Then the elite women pass us and they are a sight of beauty. The lead runner has a stride three times the size of mine and the pack that passes right after her have seriously no fat on their bodies so I can see the muscles working and it's fascinating. Two miles later it's the elite men with Ryan Hall in the lead and then it hits us a little bit later...the massive wall of EVERYONE ELSE. It's definitely nerve wracking and I worry I'll lose sight of Jamie so I stick to him like glue. I'm thinking if I run another marathon as his guide I should definitely put a "guide" sign on my back as well to maybe ward of the people who have squeezed in between us already.

By Mile 15 I'm aching a bit. As Allan and Jamie take a bathroom break I shoot off a text to Steve and my dad that I'm in pain. They cheer me on and Maeve sends me a text telling me where they'll be at the end. By Mile 18 I start to cry. The excruciating pain radiating from my right hip is just wearing me down. I've tried to compensate by favoring my left leg but it's not working. My body is giving out but Allan is hearing none of that. He's pulling out all the stops to convince me to keep going and I feel so incredibly guilty that I'm slowing them down because Jamie has hit a good rhythm and I don't want to mess that up for him. Allan gives me an Advil and tells me to run another mile and then we'll discuss me quitting.

Keep in mind we're in Newton right now, the four mile stretch of straight hills, the hardest four miles I will ever run in my career. On my way to Mile 19 a girl hands me a homemade brownie and it's delicious and I am thankful for it since I haven't eaten a thing since 730. But when it comes to discuss my quitting at mile 19, I am nausceous on top of being in pain. Allan goes into his Spibelt which is doubling as a pharmacy at the moment because he pulls out two ginger candies to help. "Let's get through Heartbreak Hill then we'll figure out what to do."

But as I reach the top of Heartbreak Hill, there's nothing to figure out. I am feeling fantastic! Better than I have felt all day! My second wind carries me through the last 10k with ease and I am pain-free when I round the final corner and see the finish up ahead. I am overcome with emotion and think that when I spot my fan club that I will dissolve into a teary mess though when I reach Lord and Taylor I hear her and instead of tears I smile.

There's Maeve, blonde hair and big sunglasses waving enthusiastically at me, holding up her pink phone to snap my picture. I am so happy I end up going faster and I don't catch Steve but I see Robyn, Randy, and Alie in the stands, cheering for us as we cross at 6:01:45.

This is such a fantastic experience and I consider myself so lucky that I am asked to partake in Jamie's first Boston Marathon (I am sure the twins will do it again in the near future!).

Thank you to Robyn and Allan for including me in their training and for letting me be a part of something really awesome! Thank you everyone for all the well wishes and good lucks throughout my month of training and on the big day. And giant hugs to Maeve and Steve-O who help me celebrate with fatty food and good beer directly after being healthy for 6 hours. Much love to all!

^_\

True Story

Day: Two Hundred and Fifty Nine

Photo taken on Sunday, April 17, 2011 in front of the Christian Science building in Boston, MA at 901pm. (Pictured: Me, Maeve, and Steve)

Allan told me I should be in bed by 9 tonight to be fresh for the Boston Marathon in the morning but I just can't help squeezing in every last possible second with my BFF!!! I am totally bummed that I miss out on her birthday activities last night because my schedule with moving, work, and the Con interfere at the last minute so Steve and I make sure to take her out for some fun times tonight. We let her pick the restaurant but she chooses Cheesecake Factory so I can find something bland enough to eat (she's too thoughtful even when it comes to her birthday dinner!). As I longingly watch her marsala disappear I suck down what I thought was a bowl of white cheddar broccoli soup (which is very scrumptious) but is informed by the waitress halfway through that someone brought me a cup of soup. There is no way that's a cup! It is bigger than a "soup mug"! No wonder Americans struggle with their weight.

After being thoroughly fed, we exit happily with our cheesecake "to go" and make the trek back to Maeve's cool new digs (which is seriously down the block from her old place). It is such a nice night out and the walk calms my nerves, that is until I start stressing out before bed. I feel terrible that I'm getting anxious and that I'm complaining and worrying over my quickly expanding tummy. Steve and Maeve tell me everything is going to work out and I climb into the comfy air mattress and before I know it I'm out for the count. I must have been on the brink of sleep for days and just needed some peace of mind. I think the night walk and lots of laughs at dinner definitely do the trick. That and spending quality time with one of my favorite people ever!

^_\

Cabin Fever

Day: One Hundred and Forty Eight

Photo taken on Monday, December 27, 2010 in the Walt Whitman Mall parking lot at 741pm.

Bossdad made the call last night that the Surge would be officially closed today. I didn't even get the chance to do my "Annoy Dad" routine before he called it. Every time it snows I phone him and ask if he will close the Surge and he always tell me, "It has to snow 8 inches for us to close."

I usually wait two minutes and call him back. "What about 7.5 inches?"

"Nope, 8 inches."

Two minutes later I call again. "What about 7 and 3/4 of an inch? Would you close then?"

"Nope. It has to be 8 inches." The fact that he even entertains this with an answer anymore is beyond me but yesterday he makes the call before I can. So being that Maeve, Steve, and I have been in our respective houses for four days straight now, we need to get out! We're going stir crazy! When I suggest a late lunch to Fridays, Maeve counters with Cheesecake Factory, and the next thing we know, Chris Reed is at the table with us and we're enjoying cheesecake. We are so immersed in our own world that we don't notice any commotion around us until they wheel a gurney past our table. Apparently a girl fell backwards out of her chair and hit her head. I'm sure she's okay because I didn't hear any screaming as she is pushed along to the door.

Afterward we hit the mall even though half the stores are closed due to weather and Maeve and I reminisce about the time in senior year when half the power in the mall went out for a few days. She was so jealous that Jean Country (the store I worked at) was closed because we had no light yet her side of the mall she worked on (J. Crew) was in perfect functioning order. I think they had to close St. Anthony's too. I was a very lucky individual that week and enjoyed my free time, that is, until the power was restored.

We hit up Macy's and Sephora and even let Steve walk around Game Stop for a bit. We then conclude the evening by trekking back to the car for some snow pictures and laughs. I am definitely happy to have gotten out today!

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape.

Day: One Hundred and Eighteen

Photo taken on Saturday, November 27, 2010 in the Farmingdale Multiplex at 344pm.

Maeve and I are HUGE Potter geeks totally knee deep into Pottermania and we don't care what you think about that. Even though the seventh movie came out last week, we waited for the chance to watch it together for the first time. It is soooooo good! We eagerly await the next and final part and hope all you other Pgeeks come along for the ride. (Don't try to hide, we know who you are.)

PS- Maeve bought me that scarf!!

Ah the potatoes.

Day: Sixty Four

Photo taken on Monday, October 4, 2010 at night, out by the garages.

I have not seen Maeve in at least sixty four days. That is so not cool. I miss hanging out with my bestest. Yesterday Maeve and I discuss my self portraits and she tells me that she's bummed that she hasn't been in a photo yet. I wholeheartedly agree. She then comes up with a clever idea to get herself in one of my pictures even though she's out of state which I think is a marvelous idea:

Here I am, in mid-conversion with Maeve courtesy of one of her Facebook default photos.

I love you, BFF! I'm looking forward to when we can take one of these for reals!

PS- I'm totally wearing the Bride hat she got me.

And the winner is...

Day: Fifty

Photo taken on Monday, September 20, 2010 at 138pm after our mini golf game at Pirate's Cove in Orlando, FL.


...not Kate. I suck at mini golf. Seriously.

In 3D!

Day: Forty Eight

Photo taken on Saturday, September 18, 2010 on line for Philharmagic in Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL at some point in the afternoon. (Michelle joins us in our Disney adventure for the day!)

I'm not a fan of how every children's movie out now has to be in 3D. I think the only things that should be in 3D are some rides at amusement parks. I feel that our retinas should only be exposed to 3D for short amounts of time like two to three minutes if that, therefore rides are perfect for this exposure. The reason I feel this way is because after watching something in 3D my vertigo acts up, my eyes strain, and I feel nauseous for three hours. 3D can't possibly be good for you.

The first time I experience 3D is in Epcot as a child when I watch Michael Jackson's Captain EO (which by the way, they have brought back to Disney). As a kid we love this stuff, we eat it up, but as an adult it bothers my optic nerve. Though for the quick awesome rides at Disney and Universal, I can definitely stomach it. Christine introduces me to 4D when she's interning in Disney World back in November of 2004. It is then that we start the tradition of taking silly pictures with the 3D glasses and we have been doing this religiously ever since.

Here's the first time we hit up Philharmagic together six years ago. We haven't changed a bit!

Frowny Face

Day: Forty Seven

Photo taken on Friday, September 17, 2010 in the early evening in Epcot, Orlando, FL.

We're learning very quickly that we haven't planned out our Disney days very well. We hit up MGM today but it closes early with no Fantasmic! show until the weekend. We already know that tomorrow is Magic Kingdom which is also closing early due to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party so no fireworks then either. That leaves Epcot for some fireworks so we head over to the countries tonight for some dinner and drinkies (and in Christine's case not-so-much dinner but so-much drinkies). We also head to Japan so I can catch Matsuriza, the drummers I am so very fond of but learn that I will not see them perform today because they don't on Fridays. No worries we're back here on Sunday so I'll see them then...not so much. They don't perform on Sundays either.

So the schedules aren't in our favor this time around but we make the best of it with more drinkies and I try on a kimono for the first time with the help of a really nice lady. Oh and I buy more sneakers because you can never have enough sneakers (most girls would say shoes instead of sneakers but I’ve always been a wee bit odd).

Hogwarts a History

Day: Forty Six

Photo taken on Thursday, September 16, 2010 in Islands of Adventure, Orlando, FL in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We’re currently on line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.


I really wish my Potter buddy, Maeve, could have been here for this experience because you literally step into the magical world that is Harry Potter. All the stores from Hogsmeade are present and I enjoy that all the architecture in the town is capped with snow to give the desired effect of all the Christmas-y trips the students take each year. There's even a Butterbeer stand by the Hogwarts Express which I definitely indulged in (we think its cream soda with cream on top but delicious regardless of what it really is). Steve shows immense patience with my giddiness as he provides his own interpretation of John Williams' score as we enter Hogwarts to tour the inside corridors. Christine is also very patient with me throughout the long experience since I want to see and do everything the town has to offer. The HP merchandise alone had me running in circles because I wanted it all!

If you're a crazed Potter fan like me, I highly recommend the trip down to Universal. It's worth it.

I think I'm losing my hair.

Day: Forty Five

Photo taken on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at night in our Orlando, FL Doubletree hotel suite that Christine scored for us since she works for Hilton.

I have high hopes for my self portrait tonight; I'm going to shoot my happy reunion with Christine. I figure I could snap a quick shot of us joyously hugging and it will be sentimental and pleasant. It could have been all of these wonderous things if yours truly didn't fumble her camera and drop it on its lens, successfully breaking it 35 seconds into the trip.

Yay for bad camera phones!

And yes, that is totally a water bottle full of vodka that Christine brought with her in order to make it through a vacation with us.