Worst Day Ever!

I've had quite possibly the worst day ever! Even worse then 2 weeks ago, when my car broke down in the middle of lunch hour traffic on el camino and my phone went dead at the exact same time, while on my way to meet liz for lunch... yes its WORSE than that people!!

Heres what it included:

1) An 8 hour training session at work, stuck in a conference room all day with no email, no phone, and uncomfortable chair and no where to put my swelling feet up. It felt like an extended version of church... well maybe a little better because at least it was catered. I have Adult A.D.D. and I really do not do well at these all day trainings. I think they are counter productive, and I think that one really cannot learn for more than 1 hr stetches. Plus NO EMAIL... can you imagine the agony??

2) After my eight hour training session I had to go back to work to do a 7:30pm webex with our accounting staff in India. So, inbetween the end of my regular work day and my India call I decided to go walk the stanford dish to get some exercise (see #5 below) . Well, people when i started out it was sprinkling rain. But i thought, what the heck , i am a trouper and I LOVE the rain. The rain got progressively worse as i proceeded up the large hills, but it was too late to turn back. I was completely soaked by the end, including my feet. There is nothing worse than wet feet in squishy wet sneakers.

3) Now Im back at work, waiting for my Call to India to start. WAITING. i hate WAITING. And then once it does start, i have to teach the people on the other end of the phone how to run a new software application that my company is implementing. I am not a good teacher, and i am not patient in the least bit. (just ask my sister patience, she will confirm this), so you can imagine that this is not my favorite activity.

4) I'm wet and starving, and there is no food in sight for me until my 2nd shift ends and I get to go home

and finally, this is the kicker...

5) today during the training session a male manager who i've talked to maybe twice in my life says to me "so when is your due date?", to which i reply "December 11". and His response is " Wow, you look like you're due already!". I glared at him with my very best evil eyes and gave him a sarcastic "Thanks", and quickly turned around and walked away. The only good thing is that i could hear the ladies that were sitting beside him say " That was not the right thing to say". Gawd... some men are such idiots.

Now I have to go and cry myself to sleep.... but only after i train the India employees and have something to eat.


I sure hope tomorrow is a better day!

Eve

D.I.N.K.S

Holy Moley... Only 38 Work days of Left until maternity Leave on Nov 30!!

Sean and I joke that these are the days of bounty, you know because we are
"D-I-N-K-S"- double income no kids. I'm quite sad that this phase of our lives will be over soon... its been quite fun! I remember making my first purchase once I landed my first real job after BYU. I bought myself a $50 armband radio for exercising, and since i had a $25 gift certificate, it really only cost me $25. I remember feeling so free when i bought it... i had my very own money, no strings attached! I felt like an adult for the very first time, and it was exhilerating. I love being financilly independent, knowing that if something ever happened, i can support myself.

This child had better be worth loosing my independance. So Long Disposable income, hello disposable diapers, sleepless nights, and an Ulgh... Budget.

Dont get me wrong though we are both very excited for Dixie's arrival. A new phase of life, a new adventure, a new challenge to concur.

so i bought this awesome winter jacket on line in my pre pregnancy size..... is this wishful thinking? I sure hope not cause its hella cute, and i have no plans to re-do my wardrobe in a larger size post baby.

Sweet Release...

Things are slowly winding down at work. Still busy, but not working weekends or staying past 6:30pm during the week, so actually its just how i like it to be. I hate it when things are slow, as the days take so long to pass. I much prefer to be a busy bee all day long, but able to clock out at 6pm and enjoy the weekends to myself.

Anyhoo, after working the last 2 weekends including labor day (which the rest of the company had off as a stat holiday), but boss said that I should take some vacation. I told her that I was taking 2 days off next week to go to Mexico on my babymoon. She said, "Good, Dont Book it." Which means that I dont have to use my vacation hours, and it is essentially a free vacation, as I will be paid out the hours that I would have used up during my maternity leave in December! Bonus $$. Not that I havent worked for it... but its just nice to be recognized sometimes. It makes the long hours worth it in the end. She also called me her "right arm" during the past week, which is also nice to hear, because sometimes I'm just not sure if I'm cutting it in the corporate world!

So, anyhoo, next Thurs, Friday, Sat & Sun I will be in Peurto Vallerta Mexico hanging out at the Marriott Casa Magna pool, ordering room service, watching pay per view, walking on the beach, and just being a beach bum. Its our mini break before the baby :) I Cant Wait! I probably wont post any pictures because lets not lie here, a 7 month pregnant lady does not look good on the beach.

XOXO
Eve

Tis the Season


Ok, so i really should not be wasting time on blogger right now... as it quarter end close at work coupled with a last minute acquisition.... so I'm extremely busy in the land of accounting... we're talking public accounting days busy... but my eyes are getting blurry from too much excel... so they needed a break.

Anyhoo.. i just had to say that in order to make it into work this morning, i had to motivate myself with a yummy pumpkin cream cheese muffin for breakfast from starbucks. They are seriously Delicious. I only ever allow myself one or two a season (they are the fall specialty item), as they are full calorie, full fat... and full of deliciousness. The promise of having one for breakfast got me out the door this morning at 7:15am... so i think it was well worth the calories. Plus i had a salad for lunch.. so maybe that evens it up a bit.

Oh, and i DONT have gestational diabetes. My glucose test was perfect. My doctor is a hypochondriac.

Ode to joy, only 3 more months left of this!!


XOXO
Eve

Dixie's Cousin!

So we just found out that Dixie Mae is going to have a cousin born in April 2010! This is sooo exciting, she's going to have so many cousins close in Age. Little Georgia who will be 11 months older that Dixie, and now Adrienne's baby (sex unknown) that will be 4 months younger! Wow.. there must be something in the water. I wonder who's next??


Horray for cousins! Congrats to Rob & Adrienne!

XOXO
Eve

It's a Girl!!!

It's official, we'll be welcoming Dixie Mae Werner to the world on Dec 11, 2009, which is also our 5 year anniversary!

To anyone who Really knows me... you know that I am a type A planner extraordinaire. To some this is extremely annoying, and to others it is helpful. The point is, that when we got married we planned to wait 5 yrs to have a baby-- so it looks like we are right on Schedule. Now to cook up the next 5 yr plan :)

Oh, and I have to get tested for gestational diabetes as I've gained 23 lbs so far, and I should have only gained 16 pounds, leaving me 7lbs overweight and my Dr. is concerned. Looks like I'll have to cut out all of my extra curricular desserts (see previous post).

Otherwise all is well!

XOXO
Eve

Quit your Complaining

For a girl who is constantly complaining about "pregnancy" weight- you're really not helping the matter by consuming delicious desserts EVERY day.

par example

sunday- homemade brownies & icecream from sandra
Monday- dairy milk minis from boss' trip to the UK
Tues- left over brownies & icecream from Sunday dinner
Wed lunch- flourless chocolate torte @ work cafe

its only wednesday people! There is no way my baby will have an allergy to chocolate. She is busy building plenty of antibodies in her prenatal life. And I say "she"... bc if it was a HE... im sure i wouldnt be possessed to consume quite as much chocolate.

PAYNE FAMILY REUNION 2009 in Disneyland!

Sean and I just returned from our family reunion in Disneyland. Besides our car breaking down in the middle of nowhere on the way down thus spending that night at the seediest hotel EVER, we had the best time ever! Here are a few photo highlights....

The Kiddies! (minus eden & abby who were too cool for this photo)

Sun bathing beauties

Ivy the pirate!

Laying out at the pool with the girls! We gave private lessons to Eden on how to properly sun yourself. This included a Q&A session. Eden asked "so do you ever go in the water" to which her aunties told her "Only if its really hot, but Never get your hair wet".

Mom after the grizzley ride in California Land! She was soaked head to toe!


The Boys!






The Girls!





WE LOVE DISNEYLAND!!

The Oakster-

Our #1 favorite nephew!! He's cuddly, energetic, adorably cute, and such a boy.

He shared all of his treats with us. He gave my tummy lots of kisses, and told me that it was

a boy cousin for sure, and he did lots of cannonballs in the hot tub at the hotel. Plus he wants to be a pirate when he grows up. Whats not to love about this boy?? We love you Oakley!!

Sean & Oakley playing in the hotel room

Lots of juicy kisses from the Oakster for auntie nunu

Oakley's main souce of transportation around Disney

Oakley & Sean, cuddling at the pool. Just look at that sweet face!

DISNEYLAND!

Whoop de Whoo!!! Disneyland for 3 days 4 nights with Mom, Dad, betina, Kenneth, Eden, Oakley, Ivy, Georgia, Serinda, Keith, Abby, Mina, Me, Sean, Patience & Nunu!!! Staying onsight in California Adventure Land with immediate access to the park and Downtown Disney. Oh, and a rooftop pool to cool off in the hot SO-CAL afternoons!

Does it get any better??? well, only if Anders, Celeste and Dan could make it too.

Party On Payne Family Reunion Summer 2009!!!
Pictures to come.

Best News EVER!!!

I just got this email from my dad, and It makes me jump for joy!!!! Note, this is an inside thing, so unless you've lived with Iron saturated Well water , you'll probably not be as excited as I am. But i KNOW that all my sibiligs are estatic Too!!

XOXO
Eve


From: Daniel Payne
Sent: Mon 8/10/09 1:44 PM
To: eve payne

10 AUG 09

EVE

we have town water NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

iiii

-----

Taste Buds??

So according to several pregnancy websites, my baby is now 10.5 inches long! No wonder my stomach all of a sudden "popped" out. And its supposed to grow to be 20 inches, which means Im only half as big now as I will be in December. This is crazy.. iIcan barely bend over to tie my shoes anymore. "Baby rolls" are much different that regular old "fat rolls", bc at least fat rolls squish up, allowing one to bend over to tie shoes, pick things up ect. I can barely touch my toes anymore!

Anyways, on to the taste buds- the baby is now swallowing aminiotic fluid and the baby websites say that the babies favorite tastes will be the foods that I am now eating, its very first flavor experiences. So basically my baby will be addicted to sweets (like unto his/her mom and dad), ketchup (mom), and carbs in general. I really really should be eating more leafy greens right now. Meh...i just cant seem to get it right. Oh, and I just had a pack of M&M's for lunch... healthy, i know:, but I tried to balance it out a little with a half hour walk around the hospital next to my work.

So anyways, Sean and I have determined that BOTH of our mom's were totatly eating desserts and sweets all the time in week 21 of our prenatal lives... as we both love our desserts. I plan on passing this same trait onto all of our babies, you know, for the sake of tradition.

XOXO
Eve

Bunny Art

You might be wondering why i am blogging so often as of late. It's because I've turned into an insomniac. I seriously CANNOT sleep!! I used to fall asleep in 10 mintues, and I could sleep for 8-9 hrs at a time... not anymore my friends. Same thing happened to Betina when she was with child- I hope it goes away soon. But in the meantime, I may as well do something useful like Blogging.

So, this is my first purchase for my baby room. I use the term "room" loosely, as its actually a baby corner. A corner carved out of my living room dedicated to future baby. Lucky kid, eh, imagine, and entire corner!

This is a set a prints that I bought off of my most talented baby sister Celeste (aka bunny). Shes in Art School in Nova Scotia Canada, and she is very talented. I dont like hanging up store bought prints on my walls. I like Art to be meaningful, and mass producted IKEA prints just dont cut it.

Instead of paying up the wazooo for custom frames (as they are not standard picture sizes), I just bought some frames with Large matting from target for $60, and cut the matts myself. Granted its far from a professional job, but i think it still looks pretty good. Im super excited to hang these babies up, thanks bunny! (on a side note bunny dearest, i'd REally LOVE a series of your faries in pastels, pretty please!!)

In case you're ever trying to matt a picture yourself... the trick is to use a really good and sharp exacto knife. My first try (ABOVE) was with the standard one out of our tool kit.. it was ok, but i had to re-cut several times- you can see the wobbly line on the RHS above. My second try I pulled out "the shark" that Sean got for christmas from my mom.. its AMAZING. I highly recommend the SHARK for all matting needs. Just dont let the kiddies get at it! (i used the SHARK for the following 2 matts, which turned out much better).

So, what do you think of my sister's artwork???? Shes a starving art student, so if you wanna buy anything from her i can hook you up with her info :) Plug Plug.

Aishia's Wedding in LA 7.25.09- the most beautiful Indian Bride ever!!

There are only a few times in one's life when you get to meet someone you truely connect with. One of mine is Ms. Aishia Premji (now werber). We met at our very first "real" job at PwC San Jose in 2003. In an area as huge as "the bay area", it was pretty amazing that we only lived 5 minutes away from eachother. We spent most evenings & weekends together roadtrippin to LA, shopping, cooking, watching SATC on sunday nights (yes, she had cable!) & hanging out in SF. She taught me to play the "game" and lure my seany-sean into my girlsh traps, and together we co-miserated our jobs. She moved only one short year after we'd met, back to LA (for a boy of course- why else would anyone leave their friends, job & northern cali??). I was heartbroken. Oh my dear aishia, how I will always love and miss you! Luckily we've stayed in touch over the last 5 yrs, and last weekend I went to her wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding ever. Seriously, perfection! I love you AIshia!! Aaron is a VERY lucky man indeed.

The reception was at this beautiful country club. This is the view!

The Bride walking down the Aisle. So pretty!

Me, kissing my most favorite man.


Deepy, Aishia & Eve- we all met working at PwC in 2003!

My long lost Love- Ashia.

**** editors note for future reference...I am 5 months pregnant in these pictures, so please excuse the plumpness, and bad dress. Its really the ONLY dress in the store that fit me. Who wears Khaki to a wedding anyways?? Maternity sections are way to small. *****

Roadside Chatter...

Senerio: Sean is surfing craigs list for furniture deals even though we are in the process of clearing out our ONE bedroom apartment to make room for baby stuff, (namely making space to put a crib and rocker in the living room) while He SHOULD be looking for a crib...

Sean: Eve, its such a great deal... check it out, a pottery barn couch for only $200- and its really nice!!
Eve: SEAN- We dont Need another Couch!
Sean: But its just such a great deal... we'd find a place to put it
Eve: Ok, where are we going to put it?
Sean: In our living room (note, we already have one large couch, 1 recliner and end tables)
Eve: Ok, where are we going to put the baby?
Sean: The Baby can Find its Own Place!
Eve- laughing histarically


Seriously??? This boy has ALOT of learning to do!

Here are my ultrasound pictures from yesterday July 27, 2009

Patience….

So Sean and I have had our very first lesson in patience from our unborn child. Today was a highly anticipated day, and has been marked on our calendar for many weeks (9 to be exact). Today was the day we were to find out the sex of said child. Today was the day we could begin looking for baby bargins on craigslist. Today was the day we could finally refer to the child by name instead of by “it”. Unfortunately, today was also the day that said unborn child decided to have its legs crossed for the entire ½ hr ultrasound. So today my friends, is the day that Sean and I have had our first lesson in patience. I’m sure there will be many more, as I’m sure said child will not be quite as fast and efficient as we’d like “it” to be.

Sorry folks!

Bedtime Stories

So Sean and I are talking the other night, and this is how the conversation went:

Eve: So, what if i go into labor and you're working?

Sean: Oh, I can just leave work right away, its called Emergency Medical Leave

Eve: Oh good

Sean: Yeah, and I'll have a head start from Sunnyvale, so i can just meet you at the hospital

Eve: What!?! How am I going to get to the hospital??? I cant DRIVE MYSELF, I'll be having contractions!!

Sean: Oh yeah......

Sometimes boys are such idiots!


XOXO
Eve

Orange be Gone

Hallelujah, my hair color is finally back to normal! In fact, it’s even better than normal, as I am blonder than ever before! This last year has been a very bad hair year for me. This was a year of transition from Bright Red/Violet back to cool Blonde. It was a hard journey… one that I don’t recommend to anyone.


BEFORE


AFTER

Timeline-

March 2008: I first colored my Hair Bright Violet Red while attending Hairschool. I THOUGHT it was a good idea at the time. It looked super fierce… but I had to refresh it every 3 weeks to keep it bright red, as it faded fast. But my plan was to go work in a Salon upon graduation, and I wanted to look the part for job interviews.

Aug 2008: My last time coloring my hair bright Red. I decided to go back to work in accounting- (that’s right, I sold my soul to corporate America). This would be my last Red Color Job, as it just doesn’t fit in with the corporate setting like it does in a salon.

Nov 2008: I have noticeably blonde roots w/ dull Red hair. I chop about 6 inches of red off. I also book an appointment with the master colorist for color correction, but I find out it’s going to be like $400, so I immediately cancel and weight my options.

Feb 2009: I can no longer handle the dull red w/Blonde roots- I go to a less expensive salon in SF for “color correction”. My hair ends up Orange. I was going to go immediately back to get it re- done, but my hair was in such a fragile state that I decided to live with it and let it grow out for a month or so before attempting color again.

April 2009: I really really want to go back to the salon, but I am in my first trimester, so I opt to wait it out until 2nd trimester, when the pregnancy is not such a fragile state. This baby had better be worth the wait!

July 2009: I am DYING to get my hair done immediately, so I go to a spa in San Jose where I normally just get waxed, and I am randomly assigned to an open stylist. I was nervous going to someone new without a recommendation, but like I said, I am DYING! The girl (Kate) ends up doing a fantastic job. I haven’t been this happy with my hair in ages, and I finally feel like me again. ( I never felt like myself as a redhead-it was just too edgy for me). I immediately rebook with her for a cut in Aug. Yippeee, I’ve found a new stylist that does not charge me a fortune!

Moral of the story: Don’t ever color your hair bright red if you are a natural blonde. Just don’t. It’s so not worth it. You can do some peak-a-boos of red if you must, but steer clear of the all-over red. It will save you 12 months of heartache and pain in the transition phase. Blondes have way more fun anyways!

My Dad's Response to my Last Blog Entry (hes an MD)


17 JUL 09

eve

cream to prevent stretches does NOT work

do not waste your money

neither does cream after the fact work to make them go away

another lie by cream manufacturers



iiii


.... But the sales girl at A PEA IN A POD was so convincing! Too bad you didnt come shopping with me :)

** This is a coupon code for the gap online***

Maternity Clothes-

So I've been slowly buying maternity clothes over the past few months. I started at 10 weeks, and although I wasnt showing then, my regular Express Editors that I wear for work virtually every day (i have several pairs) no longer buttoned up. Rather than buy a larger "normal" size, I decided to just jump straight to maternity, as they would fit me the rest of the pregnancy, an not just for another month. I started at Valley fair mall and went to Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in a Pod, Old Navy and the Gap.

Motherhood Maternity Sucked. Everything was cheaply made, had WAY to many patterns, and just looked like dowdy "mom" clothes. Plus when i put them on, i truely looked pregnant...and Im trying to disguise people. I only spend about 1/2 in there and left empty handed. C-

The Gap in store had a very small selection. The stuff they had there was ok, but there just wasnt enough to choose from, so again, i left empty handed. B-

A Pea in A Pod had a ton of cute stuff. Designer maternity jeans, awesome tops, wraps, belly creams you name it- they have it. It was all high quality- but very very expensive. As this was my only success of the day, i spent a little more than i should have, but it made me feel good so whatever. I got a pair of jeans, a pair of black work pants (that i've been wearing everyday since), 2 shirts and belly cream that is supposed to prevent stretch marks (we'll see about that in coming months). Overall, great success, nice stuff, but expensive. A-

Old Navy in store had a larger selection than the Gap... however, as Im really not an Old Navy fan in the first place, I didnt find anything I liked. They cut their clothes really large, and nothing fits properly. That said, i did buy a few regular sized Large T-shirts, and they are pretty awesome. I love Old Navy T's, but the maternity clothes are so-so at best. B

Target- Target's selection really sucks. I was sadly dissappointed bc I am a big fan of Target's young adult women's section (mossimo & Xileration). I always get several tops, bathing suits, and tanks from Target- so i expected more from the maternity section. They have like 2 racks of clothes and its all pretty dowdy. C

Nordstroms in store- Doesnt even have a maternity section so dont try. How can such a huge department store that caters to the rich palo alto moms that lunch not have a maternity section?? D-

Since visiting the mall stores, I've jumped on-line- and have had much more success, as the selection is far superiour to the mall stores.

Old Navy Online- Huge selection of stuff at great prices. Again, Im weary of buying anything Old Navy, bc it never fits my shoulders right, but i did get a cute Maternity tankini Top for like $12 that is really cute. There is absolutely ZERO breast support though, and i find this funny bc hello people, maternity boobs are like 4 times the size of normal boobs. but i guess that is what you get for 12 bucks. B

Nordstroms Online- Huge selection of stuff, but nothing is on sale, thus you are forced to pay full price, which at norstroms is usually too much. But if you're looking for a nice dress for a wedding or something like that, this is the place to go. Lots of designer brands, nothing looks like "mom clothes", its all pretty chic. I havent actually ordered anything from them, as I just cant pay that much for clothes that will only last me another 4 months. B

The Gap OnLine- Ok so I've saved the best for last. I absolutely LOVE GAP ONLINE MATERNITY. They have a huge selection, there is a ton of stuff on sale, the prices are reasonable, and I can order with confidence bc the sizing is the same as your pre-pregnancy gap size, and the quality is decent. I've ordered several tops that are all cute, more black work pants and a pair of maternity jeans. One caveat on the jeans- I've never really been a fan of Gap jeans as there is not enough "wear" in the pants- ie fading ect. But they were cheap, they fit well, and I guess i can take some sand paper to them to give them the worn in look that expensive designer jeans already have. I've definatly had the most success at GAP online, and Since i dont have to try them on at the store, i dont feel all big and fat in their oversized mirrors. A+.


If you need any maternity clothes shopping advice- just ask me. I've done my research and I feel like an expert. Oh and in case you're wondering, Nike, Speedo & TYR DONT make a "Sport Maternity Racing Suit". Speedo has a couple of "casual wear" maternity suits--- but why would you pay $80 for a casual wear suit?? So if you're looking for a maternity racing swimsuit... just buy a size 40- its working out pretty well for me thus far.


XOXOo
Eve

Mom’s SF Visit

This weekend my most favorite mummy came to Cali for a visit! Here’s the breakdown:
1- Bucca De Peppa family style Italian dining- yummy

2- Sprinkles gourmet cupcakes for dessert- because who doesn’t want a $5 cupcake?

3- Girls Spa Day! Facials, Massage, Mani & Pedi complete with nice robes and a spa lunch- We were in absolute heaven. Such a great way to spend a day! If you live around here, I recommend Plum Spa in San Jose.

4- Movie Date to see “My Sisters Keeper”- a perfect chick flick to see with your mom. Complete with popcorn & diet coke- Because a movie just isn’t the same without it.

5- Wal-Mart * 2- because the states have so many more As Seen on TV items for sale than Canada
a. Items purchased: Slap Chop & Debbie Meyer’s Bread Bags
b. Items I convinced my mom she didn’t need: The bump it and these bra strap holders that keep your straps in place.

6- Target- lots of clothes were purchased by both parties. 2 new sports bras for me, and 2 cute skirts for my mom.

7- In & Out- Classic California Take out. Kicks McDicks ass any day of the week!

8- Pool Day- One of the perks about being an apartment dweller- Lounging by the Pool Reading trashy mags & drinking diet cokes with Lots of Ice. We pretended we were in Mexico.

9- Sweet Home Alabama- Enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon nap/movie after the pool

10- Pizza- For Sunday dinner we ordered Pizza and chatted the night away

11- Caltrain- Mom took Caltrain by herself up to SF for a city tour. I gave her maps and directions and I really hope she makes it back in one piece! I told her not to look any one in the eye and keep her hand on her purse at ALL times.

Coming up

12- Last dinner at Fresh Choice- I figure we should probably throw in something healthy to eat

13- Fire Station Tour- Tonight we’re visiting Sean at the fire station for an official tour complete with photographs with my sexy fireman.

Thanks for coming mom!! I always love your visits and our chats.

Photos to come…


XOXO
Eve

Vancouver Trip

So- I visted my BFF Iris in Vancouver over July 4th long weekend and we had a blast.

I still havent found my camera, thus there are no pictures. So Sad, bc it was sooo beautiful. If you ever make it to Whistler BC, i Highly recommend the Peak-to-Peak Gondola. So pretty (and high). But skip the 1/2hr line for the one with the glass bottom... the other one is just as great.

Vancouver has great food. I had the best Margerita pizza ever! Authentic Itilian, Lots of sauce, chewy crust, and just a little mozza (the real kind). Plus it was only $13- a steal!

Skip Victoria Island- the best part about it is the ferry ride to and from, which is insanely beautiful, but the actual city is like RedDeer Alberta. Just a regular city with a bunch of chain restaurants... in fact, i think that the BYU campus is far prettier and more lush than Victoria, and its in the desert people.

Next trip is to LA to see Aishia get married! I love Indian weddings- so colorful, great food, and lots of people.

Then Disney with the family for 4 days, yippeeee-- i love summer!

XOXO
Eve

Here is a picture of me and my sisters that ran the Seattle Rock n Roll Half.

Yes, this picture is borrowed from Serinda's blog

and yes, that is my big belly :)

My Rockstar Moment

So this weekend was one of my most fantastic weekends ever! I met up with all 5 of my sisters (Betina, Serinda, Patience, Nawana & Celeste) in the beautiful, clean city of Seattle. We all travelled there from different places to run the First Ever Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon. After becoming pregnant 4 months ago my ability to run has been greatly hampered by several factors namely exhausting, nausea and cramps. So I decided about a month ago that I was just going to Cheer them on, but not to race. In fact, in the last 2 months I have been on one 5 mile run, and that is it. Running had just become far to tiresome and uncomfortable. Besides that I have been swimming a couple of times, and to spin class a couple of times, but in all honestly, I’ve been a complete lazy ass.

So, in packing for Seattle I brought my gym clothes including shoes, shorts & sports bra, but not my running specific items (sunglasses, hat, fuel belt), as I was only planning on going to the gym. But Im not going to lie… in my heart of hearts, I really did want to run the race.

We got to the expo on Friday to pick up our race packets…. and I got a little caught up in the race excitement and I too picked up my number and purchased a new fuel belt and visor just in case I changed my mind about racing on Friday morning. From that point, my fate was sealed…. I was running that damn race, like it or lump it! My sisters also encouraged me to do it, and I was a little jelly that I wasn’t going to run with Poo and Nunu for their first ever race!

Saturday morning came along and I was ready. I was running the race! We all started out running together, and then Poo, the rockstar jetted out ahead of us at about mile 5. I was not going fast. I was taking it easy as I didn’t want to get any cramps, and I knew that I was pregnant and ill prepared for the race. I ran a nice easy jog pace, adding ½ hr onto my last half marathon time. We finished at 2 hrs 26 minutes-- And it was super super fun. I ran with nunu and betina the whole time, and we all crossed the finish line together! There was a point when betina and nawana were ahead of me, but I was so lonely behind them that I pulled out my old running legs and caught up to them just in time to finish the last mile together.

Even though this is the slowest I’ve ever run, it is the most proud finish I’ve ever had! Come one people, I am 4 months pregnant and have not been running! So… that’s my rockstar moment. Crossing the finish line and running the race with my sisters.

And a special thanks to Serinda and Celeste for being the best cheerleaders ever and taking care of baby Georgia while we ran. Go Team! Way to go Girls! I love you!


XOXO
Eve

Swimming!

I am having such a hard time focusing at work today, so I thought i'd write a little blurb to mix things up a bit.

I went lane swimming last night (with my friend Molly) for the first time in literally years. I was on the swimteam once upon a time in jr high and highschool, but it has been 10yrs+ since I've seriously swam! Ive done alot of other things in the meantime including running and biking. Running has been my main source of exerise for the last 3-4 yrs, and I actually became pretty decent at it. That was however until I became an incubator for an alien lifeform. Now my body is heavy and every step i take running hurts 4 times more than it should. And I just cant get into the Zone... you know, the place where you just sail along and you dont really feel anything? Yeah that place disappeared many weeks ago.

SO back to swimming.. it felt amazing! I didnt feel my extra weight at all, and I just glided through the water. Plus its so nice and cool in the water, you dont even feel the sweat! LOVE it LOVE it LOVE it. I have found my pregnancy exercise of choice, swimming!!! the only thing that sucked was buying a swimsuit. I had to get the largest size they had, and I know its not going to fit for too long (they didnt have any "maternity" sport suits.. just flowery things that i knew would not hold up for serious lane swimming). I look one of the larger girls on the swim team. All stuffed into the suit, no real shape or form.. just a giant puffball with back fat!! So, next time, im ordering on line. No change room or mirrors required!

Ok back to work.

XOXO
Eve

Gaining lots of weight....

Just in case you dont know.... Im having a baby! Crazy......I've never actually thought about being a "mom". The idea is so foreign to me that i just try to take it one day at a time, endure the weight gain, exhaustion and nausea, and I try not to think the "big picture". One day at a time, right?!? In fact, I bought that book "What to expect when you're expecting", and I've barely even looked at it. Its all just so disgusting, I'd rather live in ignorance :) So if you have any dirty details you're dying to share... tell someone else... Ignorance is blissful! Im sure I'll find out all about it soon enough.

I got an ultra sound yesterday and it was really cool! the baby is fully formed, arms, legs, head ect. It was totatly chilling with its legs up, and at one point the baby looked straight at us (although im pretty sure it doesnt have eyes yet).

I belong to Kaiser HMO... a everyone i know seems to complain about Kaiser... but in the 5 yrs that I've been covered by them, I've only ever had pleasant experiences. I can make and cancel appointments online, My OBGYN has an ultrasound machine in her office, so i get an ultrasound at EVERY appointment, and they have all these cool health classes that they keep signing me up for (early preganancy, prenatal nutrition, 2nd trimester ect). I didnt show up for a class on monday and I actually got a personal phone call to reschedule me. They are sooo Cool. Plus my co-pay is only $5 per appointment, my labs are free, and check this out... when i go to labor and delivery, my co pay is $000000000. FREEEEE... i have the best insurance ever!!!!!!!! Well, Tibco has the best insurance ever. And when I have to switch to Sean's insurance it will be a few thousand dollars, so im just enjoying my amazing coverage while i have it!

Hmmm What else... oh, I am fat. Not like cute belly fat.. more like the freshman 15 boy shes getting chubby fat! I had to switch to maternity pants very early on... only like 10 weeks along, how embarrassing is that! Plus Im not helping myself at all, as i barely work out anymore. Im just SOSOO Exhausted after work i basically eat and sleep. Im hoping to jump back on the running train tonight after work.

Anyhoo... my estimated due date is Dec 13, a christmas baby! This means I wont be all hot and sweaty in my 3rd trimester, great news! Our 5 yr anniversay is Dec 11, so this fits right into my 5 yr plan! Come December I am going to have to come up with a new 5 yr Plan.

Ok, that is enough babbling for now.

XOXO
Eve

Homeward Bound

Im trecking up north to the homeland tomorrow. This is no easy feat as home is a tiny northern albertan town 3hrs away from the nearest airport... so this means a 3 hr plane ride, a 3 hr car ride plus 4 hrs airport wait time (2hrs each way since its "international"). PhEUFFF!!! Luckliy my mummy dearest is picking me up at the airport, so i wont have to bear the tretchous drive alone! Its a 2 lane highway filled with slow moving lumber trucks, and passing them is always so scary. Plus there is always the chance that you are going to hit a moose!! Shes picking me up in her smart car, which should be an experience in and of itself! Guess i need to pack light!

Home is SLAVE LAKE alberta... a small oil/lumber town of approximately 7,000 residents. It is winter 9 months of the year, and rainy the other 3. This said, it really is quite beautiful, and has a lovely beach that can be enjoyed for about a week every year!

Its been extremely hot in cali the last week or so, we're talking 38 C (100 F). My SL friend Danielle has just informed me that there is still snow on the ground... oh me oh my, whats a girl to do?? I guess I'll have to leave the flip flops at home and hope my old seral boots are somewhere in the vast bootroom.

OHHH.... im so excited for some small town fun!! And im so excited to see my mom, 3 sisters and the 2 very dear friends that I have left there. I'll try to take pictures... I've been so bad at this lately!

XOXO
Eve

CHUCK LOVES BLAIR!!!! AND BLAIR LOVES CHUCK BACK!! FINALLY!! Best EPI ever, i cannot wait for Next Season of GG!

XOXO
Eve

bRITney Bombed

Ok, so i am a die hard britney fan, and have been for years. I've always believed that she'd make a comeback post k-fed. Finally after 10 years of being her #1 fan, i got to go to her concert! Sounds exciting, right? Yeah, I was super excited.. and to my disspointment, she bombed big time. Heres a low down on the concert:

1) SHE DIDNT SING LIVE: THis of course was expected, and I think its ok when the performed dances their asses off, but...

2) SHE DIDNT DANCE: All she did was walk between four different areas on the stage. Or she was getting pushed around by a dancer on her circus cart. No Dancing.. this was the biggest dissapointment.

3) No Close ups: You know the big screen that shows close ups of the singer... well there wasnt one! There were a ton of video screens playing retarted videos, and NO CLOSE UPS. So basically it may have been a stand in for Britney, I'll never know for sure.

4) SHE DIDNT TALK TO THE AUDIENCE: You know how some of the best concerts are those where the preformer really pumps up the audience, getting us excited?!? Well, Britney didnt do that at all. She said 2 things to us the whole concert, in a monotone, non excited voice: "Whats up Oakland" at the beginning and "Dont Drink and Drive" at the end.

In contrast, the Pussycat dolls opened for Britney, and they were awesome. THey danced their asses off, they sang live and they got the audience totatly excited.

4 thumbs down for britney... and this is coming from a die hard britney fan. Im sooo dissappointed... I need to find a new pop tartlet to worship. Rhianna was in the running until she got back together with Chris brown the woman beater.... so Im not sure now.

Girls Weekend!

I had the most fabulous weekend with my 2 very good friends Jessie and Lindsay from BYU. Jessie and I met on the Spring 2002 European Business study abroad and have been best of friends ever since. Here’s a little recap:

Friday- I left work early and picked them up at the airport. We headed straight to North Beach in San Fran and had a late lunch at a nice little nondescript Italian place. We ate outside and people watched on the always interesting streets of San Francisco. Next up, a quick stop at the Golden Gate Bridge for the necessary tourist pictures, and a drive down Lombard Street. I always get scared driving up and down those steep hills. Finally, we ended up at the Giants baseball game. They played Arizona and won 2-0! Go Giants! We further indulged in Gilroy garlic fries at the game. When in San Francisco, everyone should go to a Giants game. The stadium has an old-school theme, and it is right on the water. It’s a nice little taste of America at its finest.

Saturday- Saturday morning we slept in and then drove up to the Paul Mitchell school in SF and had a mini recessionista spa day! We all got facials, eye treatments and waxing all for well under $100. The girls even bought some skin products, which meant that the students did a good job selling it. I know better and only buy it with a discount J.
After the spa we were all starving so we jetted across the street to the BEST pizza place in SF- Extreme Pizza. The pizza has a perfect crust. It is thin and crispy on the outside, but the inside is nice and chewy. The toppings are all fresh and they load it up with tomato sauce with just a dash of cheese. It is a pretty healthy choice when it comes to pizza. I used to eat it OFTEN when I was going to school up there. Boy do I ever miss that place.
Next we made a pit stop at home, got all dolled up and headed to Santana row for the evening. We saw the new Russell Crowe movie “State of Play” which I would recommend to anyone who likes a good suspense flick. Russell put on like 35lbs for the movie, he’s absolutely huge! After the movie we did some shopping at Anthropologie, and then my personal favorite, lulu lemon. I spent way too much $$, and should probably take at least one thing back…. But I probably won’t, because I just Love it all!
Finally we went to dinner at Roux, a Louisiana/Cajun place. The food was ok and the service was just ok as well. I probably wouldn’t go back there again, so don’t waste your money. Dessert was Kara’s cupcakes… I was good and just had a tiny bite of Sean’s. J

Sunday- Church Holiday! First I did Lindsay’s hair in the morning. I retouched her highlights and gave her a trim with the addition of new bangs for a hot young look. Then we drove to Santa Cruz to enjoy the afternoon at the beach! Let me tell you, the Drive was insane. I have never seen traffic that bad. Sean forewarned me that it would be back, bc it was the first nice weekend marking the start of summer. What normally takes 45 minutes to drive, took an hour and a half in bumper to bumper traffic. There was an incident with a small angry Asian man in a Mercedes that got out of his car and started yelling at me in broken English. At first I tried to reason with the man, and then after seeing him get more and more hot headed, I said forget about it and ignored him until I got to my parking place. Don’t worry; I wasn’t in a accident or anything. He was just a mean little man who needs to take some valium with a shot of tequila.
After the “incident’ we headed to the boardwalk and hopped on the BIG DIPPER. My absolute favorite ride! It is an old rickety wooden rollercoaster, built in 1924. It’s got lots of dips, but no loops. I hate loops… I have a weak stomach and always barf after crazy rides. Then we got some freshly dipped frozen bananas… the healthiest fair food available. It was that or the funnel cakes, so I think we made the right choice. After walking the board walk we headed to the sand where we laid out our blankets, slathered on the sunscreen and read lots of trashy gossip mags while enjoying the sunshine. Two weird European guys in booty shorts and waxed legs came over to us and attempted to flirt… but I’m married women, and Jessie and Lindsay were not the least bit interested, so we shooed them away as politely as possible. The drive home took just as long as the drive there, so once we got back, the girls packed up and we headed to the airport.

What a fabulous weekend. I just love girl time! Especially when it is mixed in with a little bit of Sean time too.

XOXOEve

Hey Bloggers! Im going private, so if you'd like to read my blog, please leave me your email address. I know it will probably only be my sisters who care ..... but I've had some trouble in the past with my blog being public..... so im going private.

XOXO
Eve

Its Gonna be a good one!

Looking at my calendar of events for spring & summer, I realized that I am doing a ton of travelling and other awesome fun things!! Heres a sneak peak:

April
1) My girlfriends Jessie & lindsey are coming to Cali to visit me! Hello girls weekend:)
2) Sean and i are going to Utah to throw one of my dearest friends ms. marjie ralph a bridal shower! (unfortunatly the wedding is during qrt end close at work so i cant make it to the big day... im still so sad about this... damn fiscal calendar)

May
3) Im going to LA for my dear Friend Aishia's bridal shower. Its going to be a massive celebration! Hopefully I'll hit up the grove and melrose while I'm there :) Oh and some celebrity spotting at the IVY would be appreciated as well. Last time i went there i saw Ken Pauves (Hairdresser to the stars)!
4) Aishia is coming to Nor-Cal and her sister is hosting her bachelorette weekend.... more girl time!
5) Im going to my home town in Northern Alberta canada (basically Sibera) for a few days to visit my dear mummy & my only 2 friends that still live there! We're going to the one-screen movie theater, BPs for dinner and the beach for a picnic. I love small towns.

June
6) Sean's oldest brother is getting Married (miracle of miracles), and his other brother and wife will be staying with us (on our new pull out couch... hopefully its comfortable!).
7) 2 weeks of hell at Q2 quarter end at work (also margies wedding in utah, which i cannot attend, sob sob)....... followed by
8) Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon-aka Sisiter reunion Celebration!! All but one of my sisters are meeting up in Seattle and running the race together, or cheering us on. Since there are 6 sisters total its often hard to get us all together, so this should be good!

July
9) Im going to Vancouver to visit my BFF Iris in her new city Vancouver, BC. I get to check out her new life and I am sooo excited for her. The thriving PR career, the great apartment in a city that is just like SF only Cleaner & no bums. We might make it to Victoria island for a day trip which is supposed to be really beautiful, yea!
10) Sean and I are road tripping to LA for Aishia's wedding!!!! Aishia is one of my soul mates..... and i am sooo glad she found her one and only :)

August
11) Another Road Trip to So-Cal, only this time to Disneyland to enjoy 3 glorious days at my dad's disney timeshare with almost my entire family!!! This again, a true miracle considering the size of my family and distance apart we all live. Im really looking forward to this one... and since its the last event of the summer, it will be the end to a faboulous and busy season of family , friends, fun and many many airplane trips!

September
Oh, and September brings another quarter end at work.... 2 more weeks of hell to start off Fall.. how lovely. Im sure it will feel like I have a massive hangover.


What do you have planned for the summer?

XOXO
Eve

Its Official- I made the Cut for the 2009 Nike Marathon random Drawing!

What a nice way to end a long and boring MONDAY at work... getting an email like this:

Dear Nike Runner,Congratulations, you have been selected in the 2009 Nike Women's Marathon random drawing! You are now registered for the 2009 Nike Women's Marathon. Your credit card has been charged the race fee, and you will begin receiving emails with more information about the race. In the meanwhile, don't forget to check out the Nike Women's Marathon website at nikemarathon.com for additional information.

Yeah!!!! so exciting. Anyone else get in? We can train together if you like :) Lord knows i need help on the long runs!

XOXO

Eve

And just in case you were wondering,

one tinee tiny little bag of plain m&m's is 5 WW points. FIVE. Thats a meal people.

XOXO
Eve

Im Quitting M&M's today!
I feel like a stuffed sausage in my clothes.
Something must be done!

Check out our New Couch!


Heres a link to our new crate and barrel couch! We bought it this weekend off of craigs list- it is only 7 months old and kept in storage the whole time! I got it for 50% of retail, gotta love a good fire sale! It is a queen sleeper sofa, so now when you come to visit me you will have somewhere to sleep, oh yeah! Only problem was getting it up to our 3rd floor apartment. It suffered a minor fabric scratch, but its well hidden by the fabulous pillows! This thing was SOOO heavy, i couldnt even lift it. Luckliy our big strong neighbor was there to save the day.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=936&f=11073&q=axis&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1


XOXO
Eve

Im addicted to M&M's.

No matter how many times i try to quit them, I always go back.

they are the perfect afternoon work snack.

the hard crunchie outside contrasts perfectly to the smooth chocolately insides.

they dont melt in my hands and make a mess on my paperwork.

I think I'd rather have 5 extra lbs on me then give up these delicious treats.

I just can quit them!

Busy Season is Over .... Halehjehal!!!

In case you're wondering why I haven’t been very responsive via phone or email, The last 2 weeks I have been crazy busy at work for my quarter end. This means 12-14 hr work days including 8 hrs on Sat & Sunday. This means no working out. This means free food from gourmet restaurants provided by my company. This means 5 extra pounds on my tummy.

Oh, I’m so glad it’s over and I can get back to the gym, cooking healthy meals, and surfing craigslist for deals.

Now to relax for the next 2.5 months until the next quarter end (June 1-14). Ohhhh and the cycle continues….

Presidents Day Long Weekend-

Sean and I were in Washington over the LONG weekend visiting my sister Betina's family. We got to meet our new little niece Georgia who is 6 weeks old! She is just as cute and fuzzy as a peach :) Betina complains that she is at least 2 sizes larger than she ever hoped to be in her life, but truth be told she is my size now... She looks great having just given birth 6 weeks ago! (I dont have this excuse, and should probably go on a diet).

My nephew Oakely is still the cutest thing ever...I seriously want to eat him up for breakfast. I love that kid! After the blessing we had a nice lunch in the church gym. Oakley was spotted grabbing Ivy's celery stick from her mouth, throwing it on the floor and laughing while Ivy burst into instantenous tears. As a mother Im sure i would have been furious with him... but as an auntie, I couldnt help but laugh out loud! He also pinky swore that he would still want cuddles when he turns 5 in July.

Eden is growing up so fast and is showing so much maturity. When I was evening out her hair (from an unfortunate Supercuts cut), she was all wiggly and and I told her "stay still, it hurts to be beautiful". To that she responded, "that's what hairdressers ALWAYS tell me when i get my hair cut!" Hahhaha... too funny. I told her to get used to it.... there would be much pain in the pursuit for beauty as she got older.

Ivy is a stubborn 2 year old and knows exactly what she wants. A child after my own heart. She wanted Uncle DAN all weekend long. Dan... did you put something in her bottle ??? She loves combing Eden's lucious hair.. and im sure there will be plenty of hair envy in her teenage years.

Unfortunately I still haven't found my camera but Betina did sent over 2 pictures from the visit (see below. Note that these are in black and white, so you still cannot see the orange glow of my hair).

ORANGE

So- as most of you know, i turned myself into a vibrant red head last spring... well, its been about 10 months of being red, and i need to return to my blonde roots. I just missed the way i felt as a blonde. I felt younger, prettier and friendlier. With red hair, people looked at me differently... like i was scary and intimidating. In the fashion world, this would be called Fierce... but I’d rather be friendly. After 10 months as a "fierce" red head...I can honestly say that blondes really do have more fun!

I spent 6 hrs in the salon on Saturday. One of my old teachers (a color specialist) worked her butt off to get the red pigment out of my fine locks. A very delicate process you see, since I've got fine hair, it is very easily damaged. Red pigments are dominant and are hard to erase. So, long story short, I was there for many many hours, and the results are really not what I was going for. I wanted darker (level 7) cool blonde with platinum highlights (level 10). Instead I got a medium warm blonde.... which under bright lights looks Orange/Yellow to me. I don’t mind the yellow so much... but the orange makes me want to barf.

Had I not been to beauty school...i would have been really upset right now. But after a weekend of staring in every mirror I passed, and rationalizing that i as long as I stay out of floursent lights for the next year (this means no visits home), maybe no one will notice??? I know that my colorist did the best job possible... and it will probably be another year and several more salon visits before I can return to my dark cool blonde roots, with platinum highlights. Until then...i hope you can all still be my friend even though my hair is Orangish. My hair is going through some tough times right now and it really needs some TLC. Super strength shampoo, weekly deep conditioners and heat seal spray prior to heat styling here i come. Maybe I'll resort to wearing a pony tail for the next year. I'll post a picture when i can find my camera again :)

XOXO
Eve

Congratulations to one of my nearest and dearest friends ms. Marjie Ralf!!

She's engaged and getting married June 4, 2008.

Her groom to be loves her dearly and treats her like a princess

There will be a bridal shower in Orem, Sat April 25th. If you're going to be in town
then please join in the fun!

XOXO
Eve

My Confession


Ok.... so December was a really really hard month for me. It was year end at my new accounting job, and it kicked my ass. I havent had to work those hours since public accounting and it did a serious number on my head, my health and my attitude. I got the christmas blues in a big way, and I decided not to celebrate the season. No tree, No christmas music, No decorations of any sort, No christmas cookies, No presents, and I didnt even make our annual christmas card (so no, YOU weren't excluded from my mailing list... I just didnt send any out). This is very out of character for me, as I am usually quite a fan of christmas, and I never miss a chance to bake , decorate and give away christmas cookies. But with work kicking my ass from Dec 1 through Dec 20, and the fact that Sean was working and my family was in Washington I just didnt feel any christmas love. So.... my confession is this....

All of those lovely Christmas cards you lovingly addressed to me with your sweet letters and beautiful pictures of you and your family...... yes those are the ones I mean.... well.... I kind of threw them all in the trash without reading them. PLease dont hate me for this. You see.... with work kicking my ass ( the theme of this blog) I didnt have any time to open any of them. THen when Christmas morning finally rolled around (when i was all by myself) I was tooo sad, depressed, and lonely.... and then seeing those cards gleeming with christmas tidings..... well they made me angry. So in a fury of rage and tossed them all in the trash, unopened.

There.... thats my confession. I promise I'll be better next year. Even if Sean has to work, I'll travel to see my family solo. And I'll send out cards.... probably early so that everyone can re-include me on their christmas mailing lists again.


XOXO
lonely girl

Sunday Fun

Today I gave a cut and color on my new friend Katie from church. I'm always a little nervous to do someone new, as I'm not quite sure of their "vision", so its nice when our minds meet. In this case she was smart and referrenced a current celebrity hairstyle, and since we all know I am a celebrity gossip whore, this works for me. Plus she was super specific with the color- she knew exactly what she wanted. Thanks for trusting me with your beautiful locks Katie- it was so fun getting to know you better!

I'll be in Utah for thanksgiving, so Im looking forward to do Margie's Hair again. She always lets me do whatever I want (and she really means it), she even lets me experiment with fun colors and placement techniques, so Im super excited for the next visit. She was also my hair model for my state board test. I didnt write about the occasion, but lets just say it is a long grueling day in which she couldnt talk, I gave her about 20 different hair services, I chopped about 6 inches off her hair, gave her a fake nail, a perm (with fake chemicals) and many other unpleasantrys. She was such a champ- so thank you margie. Free cuts and colors for life- I owe you.

XOXO
Eve

Me and my pops-
My dad came to see me last weekend and we had a great time. Whenever he comes he requires that I keep him busy and that we do something new. After 5 yrs of semi-annual visits I have always come up with something new.... This is afterall wonderful california where endless opprunities await. Here are a few pics:

I tried to post more pics but blogger is super slow right now... grrr!

Nike Women's Half Marathon 2009

As I've mentioned before, I am a Craigs list addict. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, its there. It’s like the best friend that you can always count on (for a fee). Anyhow, I decided on Tuesday last week that I wanted to run the Nike Women’s Half Marathon the following Sunday. This race sells out Months in advance, so I decided to look on Craig’s list for a bib, and guess what, I found one! The price was heavily inflated, but its all about supply and demand baby, let the market set the price. Everyone that posted a bib got at least 100 emails from anxious buyers, so I was just glad to get one. And whatever price I paid, it was well worth the experience, as the race was so much fun!

Physically I felt a million times better running this race compared to 3 weeks ago at the San Jose Rock n roll. My legs were not sore at all, which made such a huge difference. The weather was perfect for running, cool and cloudy. There were 20,000 plus women (and a few men) competing, and the mood was lively and enthusiastic! (At first I thought all of the “men” were transsexuals being SF and all, but I was informed later that the race actually allows men to register to, go figure.)

I met up with Julia, Maren & Molly at the start line and then we were off! Julia is such great running inspiration; she’s always got another event on the docket, and is perpetually training for something! Oh, and did you know, she is a NWM “legacy” member, meaning she’s run the race all 5 yrs of its history. Thanks For the inspiration Julia!

The course was way harder than SJ, with some fairly steep hills, some long gradual hills, and lots of rolling hills. However I was mentally prepared for this, plus since I run the Stanford dish quite often, it wasn’t too bad. I kicked those hills asses! Ha!

Starting at mile 8 they started “serving” the best race refreshments ever. Thank you Kaiser for the fresh Orange slices; they were exactly what the doctor ordered! Thank you for the Luna gummies, I was so sad earlier when I realized that I left my personal stash in my bag check bag. And thank you Ghirardelli for the milk chocolate square at mile 12, delicious! Seriously good stuff.

To top it all of the finishers “metal” was a beautiful sterling silver Tiffany’s necklace delivered by the San Franciso fire department. (Sean- next year you should volunteer for this). If I were single, I would have hung out at the finish line for a lot longer- that is all I have to say.

After we all crossed the finish line we went out for a nice breakfast (after the 2 mile walk to Kaylynn’s car). It was so nice to see everyone again!

And finally my results: I couldn’t believe it but I actually did better than at San Jose Rock n roll. I thought for sure it would take longer since there were so many more hills, but I guess San Jose was just a warm up.

My Time: 1:53:17
My Pace: 8:38
My Rank: 472/ 20,000 (ish)
My Name: Denise Wong- thanks Denise!

I think Im going to go for a full sometime next year………… maybe...