Road Trip Anyone?

So...it was an interesting weekend to say the least.  We arrived in St. Cloud pretty late on Friday night after stopping in Alexandria for supper at Doolittle's.  The salad was excellent but would have probably rather had a burger!
Saturday morning we woke up to cold weather and wind for the race.  Despite the weather, Jason and I toughed it out.  I was a little disappointed with my time but finished in 1:54:58 which is an 8:47 pace.  Jason did amazing with a finish time of 2:01:15 which is a pace of 9:16.  One the race was finished it was off to the next race which was getting back to the hotel, shower, and get on the road to catch the plane!  Well, all was going well, so we thought, when we were out the door within about 20 minutes, heading for the freeway.  Once on the freeway, less than a mile along, Jason gets pulled over after he had just told me to "hold on".  The trooper was not much of a trooper...Jason was clocked going 83 mph...needless to say, he got a ticket.  The tropper did reduce it to 79 as to only get him 1 point on his record and a reduction of the fine by a whopping $10...Not the best $125 spent!  Once we got to the airport it was another race, we literally RAN again, through the airport, on the moving walkways to get to our plane.  We had about 10 minutes to spare, just enough time to hit the bathroom and get on the plane.
Once in St. Louis, we had a smooth process renting the car and were off to the hotel.  We dropped our stuff off and headed down to the park to see "The Arch".  Lines were too long to actually go in there, but we got to see it.  We also took a stroll a few more blocks to see Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play.  I think if plans would have worked out and we would have been able to attend a Cardinals game we would have froze to death!  The weather was cold!!  Didn't feel like we left home!  Windy and Cold! 
Deciding on where to go for supper was the easy part, getting there, pretty easy, the atmosphere, well...almost perfect.  There was a guy very underdressed for the type of restaurant this was.  After only being there about 15-20 minutes he had 7 or so glasses of wine and was working on a steak and mashed potatoes.  Something went terribly wrong...he started talking crazy, making a gun with his fingers and pointing it at the bartender.  The bartender called someone to come and get him.  The manager comes out only to find out that this man not only doesn't have a way to pay which his tab with the wine and food had to be well over $100, but also doesn't have an I.D.  She proceeds to call the police who in turn want her to call 911.  She calls 911 and in the mean time, this guy is almost falling off his chair, talking about how he doesn't want to live anymore in between his head dropping and druling.  There were several waiters around him and two of them ended up escorting him out to meet the cops.  Interesting to say the least.  Jason started teasing our waiter telling him we couldn't pay either...wish we wouldn't have had to, especially after the speeding ticket that could have paid for most of supper!
Then we were off to the show "Next to Normal".  The theater was beautiful.  The architecture was unbelievable!  It was huge compared to the theaters in NYC.  The show was not really what I was expecting, it was a good show but somewhat depressing and all probably too common.  I think more than half the theater was crying!  Back to the hotel to catch some ZZZZ's before getting up to fly back home!
Turned the car into the rental and shuttled to the airport.  We actually had time to enjoy some breakfast before boarding.  Drove back to my mom and dad's to get the kids and then homeward bound!

DEDICATION

Dedication is defined as setting aside for a particular purpose.
Dedication is playing an important role in my life at the moment.  With the semester's end upon me, writing 10 page papers seems like torture.  It seems to get more and more difficult with each passing day to dedicate the right amount of time for each part of my life.  Trying to keep it all balanced is always a challenge.  To find time for my kids and family seems so short...when in reality they are what really matter to me most and should receive the majority of my time.  With classes and training, those days are few and far between.  I do feel like I am teaching them though, the importance of being dedicated to something you have set out to do.  Without dedication, determination and perserverance where would any of us be?  So I have to remind myself that it isn't all that bad to have them see me under stress and maybe not having quite the time I should with them because I am teaching them about all the things I mentioned in addition to the importance of continuing education and making the best out of life.  I feel like I am instilling a value in them they might not understand with only words, but that my actions speak louder.  The important thing is, they know that I love them more than I could ever express and to me that makes it all OK for now.

This winter at Buffalo State Park.  We had a blast!

"Love doesnt make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." Franklin Jones

So as you may or may not know, Jason and I will be traveling to St. Cloud to run in the Earth Day Half Marathon.  Jason and I had been trying to decide if we wanted to take the whole weekend for ourselves or if we should head back home and get the kids.  Since the Twins are not in town that weekend, I told him that it didn't really matter either way and that he could just decide.  So yesterday while I was at work he had emailed me and said that plans have been made but he wanted it to be a surprise....so I had to ask...will I like the surprise or is it going to suck?  He said that he thought I would like it.  So last night, I told him that I would like to know what was going on.  He brought up a web page on the internet that was for a Broadway show down in St. Louis!  So here is the deal that I still don't know how we are going to pull it off...our race starts at 8:30 and our flight leaves out of Minneapolis at 1:00!  Talk about pressure!!!  Jason said that should be motivation to run fast!!  Boy is he right!  We will fly back home on Sunday at 9:00 in time to drive back to get the kids and head home!!  His plans are always the best!

Purpose

Purpose: the reason for which something exists or is done. 

Looking back over the past 3 years that I have been a charity runner for the American Cancer Society, I realized that training and attitude go much smoother when your purpose is for a greater good.  Yea, running gets me in shape and is my mental solitude, the time when I can think or clear my head, but I like to run for a purpose when it comes to marathons.  I am still so very honored that Vicky has so kindly let me run in her honor this year, you just can't imagine.  Yesterday when I was running my 18 miles it started to get a little tough around 16 so I walked for a moment and ate a couple shot bloks, sipped some G2, and picked it up again.  I just feel like running these grueling miles is nothing in comparison to what a cancer patient must go through.  Survival of the fittest, right?
My daughter received a gift from Vicky today when we were over visiting and tonight when she went to bed she held it in her arms and was hugging it.  As I tucked her into bed with her many blankets she insists on having she gave me a hug and kiss and said, "look mom, the rabbit Vicky gave me".  I said "yes, honey, it was very nice of her to give that to you."  And she looked at me and said, "I am very lucky to have Vicky and Becky."  And I said "yes, you are..." 
I also had gone earlier in the day to visit my other dear friend Becky who has been in the hospital for almost a week now!  She looked great and seems to be doing better, each day gets better.  I know she is very anxious to go home, but no luck getting out today.