May 25th, 1976

Today is a exciting day in our house. 34 years ago today, my handsome husband was born in Massachusetts. He was a blue eyed baby who was born to love the Red Sox like so many New England kids before him. Little did he know that he would grow up to be an brilliant engineer who would marry a Giants fan. The horror. :)

Today we are celebrating my best friend and the man I am lucky enough to wake up with everyday with those big blue eyes smiling at me. He is my biggest fan and the reason that I strive to be the best me that I can be. When I am struggling, he listens, loves, and supports. He has broadened my horizons more than I could have ever imagined. We have had fantastic adventures in the nine years that we have known each other and I can't wait to see what lies in store for us.

Happy Birthday T! I love you more than I can put into words.

I hung out with Oprah.

A few weeks ago, I read that Oprah was going to bring her show on the road to NYC. In honor of the 10th anniversary of O magazine, she had a giant weekend planned, titled "Live your Best Life." It would kick off with an Oprah show taping at the beautiful Radio City Music Hall. Tickets were free but given out only in a random lottery drawing. I decided that I probably wouldn't be chosen so I logged out. But I thought about it again and wondered why shouldn't I give it a shot? So I entered my name and that of my friend S.

When I checked my email in the morning, I received a confirmation! I immediately called S to let her know and make sure that she could go. (She could) I tried to tell people at work because I was so excited but they're all men and couldn't care less. So I called my Mom. I got the appropriate reaction from her. Thanks Mom!

S and I had to be in line by 8:30 the morning of the taping and the amount of people at Rockefeller Center was staggering. We found out later that 5300 people, both women and some fabulously dressed men, were waiting excitedly to get in. There was such an amazing energy as we waited in the line that wrapped around 4 city blocks.

We made it inside and into our second level mezzanine seats a little after 9am and waited for the curtain to go up. When the assistant finished going over the order of things and the rules (no cameras during the show or else you would be escorted out) the amazing Oprah took the stage! She was glamorous in a lavender, glittery mermaid style skirt that was topped with a white wrap top. She joked with the fashion expert later in the show that it was a ball gown that she loved and wanted to turn into an "everyday" outfit.

The assistant had warned us that the show would go by really fast and it did. The first segment was all of her peeps, her experts, her dream team. Suze Orman who told us not to buy on credit. Dr Oz who spoke about his new show after a funny montage of him answering medical questions from his new neighbors at 30 Rock, Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. Matt Lauer asked him if it was exzema on his head and Dr Oz said no it was baldness. :-)

Dr Phil talked about changing your routine and to prove his point, he shaved his mustache live on the show. His wife Robin was in the audience and said she hadn't seen him without his stache in 38 years. He looked a lot younger after it was done. During the commercial break, Dr Oz jumped up to help do the shaving. He dabbed a bit of shaving cream on Phil's bald head which lead Phil to quip that he was sure that wasn't necessary. Funny Phil!

Last but not least was the adorable Nate Berkus who talked about his new show (sensing a theme here?) and his new loft in Manhattan. It is beautifully decorated with an amazing view of the Hudson River through the floor to ceiling windows. Officially jealous.

Next we were treated to a Mother Daughter Fashion show starring Vanessa Williams, Cybil Shephard, and the amazingly tiny Susan Lucci! She came out with her son who is about twice her height. We hoped for a pair of the heels as an audience gift. We learned that this year is all about the nude shoe, statement shoes, and cargo pants. Clearly lessons to live by.

The main guest was Christina Aguilara. I was so impressed with her during the interview and the performance she put on was incredible. I was especially moved by one of her responses. Oprah asked her about becoming a mother, and she replied that she has never felt better about life or more comfortable in her own skin. We could tell during the performance! She was incredible. I've never seen fireworks at Radio City but she had them. She also had an awesome black cape that she flung around as she danced. She rocked.

The grand finale was when Oprah brought up all the staffers from O Magazine to honor them for all their hard work in the last ten years. And the last surprise was when Buddy the Cake Boss from TLC wheeled out a giant cake! I think it was five layers tall and it had the O logo all over it. S and I were hoping that we could snag a bit, but it was only for the magazine folks. I bet it was delicious!

One of my resolutions this year was to drink up every experience that I could, see new things, and be present in the moments of my life. In other words, live my best life! Oprah thanked us all profusely for sharing our day with her and I want to thank her for sharing her show with me! I loved being in the amazingly beautiful Radio City Music Hall with Oprah Winfrey and 5299 of my closest friends. :-)

And just for the record, we took this with my camera phone after the taping had ended. S and I did not break the camera rule!

I did it!

I ran my longest race yet and raised money for Cystic Fibrosis all while enjoying the rolling green hills of Vermont and looking out for the occasional explosion for brightly colored tulips. What a great day. And a great weekend! But, let's start at the beginning. Tim and I headed to Middlebury, VT early Saturday morning. It is a small college town with one main street. Our room at the Middlebury Inn overlooked it. It was a beautiful place that served tea in the afternoon and is on the National Historic Building Registery.

We met up with our friends and went to the Otter Creek Brewing Company for a tour and lots of samples.

This was our main bedroom. It was very charming but the wallpaper actually made me a little nervous because it was so busy.

Our sitting room. Who knew we rated such a great room? Our friends down the hall said their bedroom was smaller than our sitting room. Thus began the jokes about our private butler and the turndown service that would actually tuck us in.

I loved the antique bathtub.

We picked up our packets after the brewery. I usually sign up for races on the basis of how cute the t-shirts are. True story.

We were up bright and early when the churchbells rang. Told you it was a small town! I was so nervous about the race that I didn't actually sleep much. I headed to the room Saturday night after our carbo loading dinner and tried to do my zen breathing. Since neither Tim or I were remotely ready to tackle the whole 13.1 miles , we ran it as a relay, split it in half, Tim took the lead on the first 7 miles and at the appointed halfway point, I took over. The anticipation was nerve wracking but I had some friends that were also running the second leg so they kept me calm. I was nervous because this is the longest distance I had ever run and although I've been training for 10 weeks or so, I'm not a natural runner and was scared that I wouldn't be able to do it.





Tim came around the corner at the end of his 7 miles with a time of 1 hour and 7 minutes. I unzipped my hoodie, turned on my ipod, gave him a fist bump and was on my way. I started out at a pretty good clip because I was so excited to finally be moving but I didn't want to burn out too early so I slowed myself down and concentrated on my pace. The course was relatively flat at first and I worked on my breathing and enjoyed the bright blue sky overhead. Before I knew it, I was passing the 9 mile mark (2nd mile for me) and wasn't even breathing hard yet. I was just feeling great.




At Mile 3, I hit the first water stop and rather than stop and take a break like I had given myself permission to do, I felt so good that I just kept going. I felt the fresh mountain air filling my lungs and I just ran. I had no joint pain or lung issues, I just ran.




At Mile 4, I was hitting a great stride and enjoying my surroundings. We ran past a horse farm and through a valley of green. Spring has sprung in Vermont and the trees and flowers are all blossoming. We got so lucky with the weather. It was a high of 62 and a shiny blue sky. Mile 5 had a few fairly steep climbs and the wind was whipping around me which made me feel like I was going in slow motion. I was working hard and not getting very far. Once I got to the top and the beginning of Mile 6, I knew I was getting close and was able to speed things up a bit. I knew I was going to finish and I couldn't believe how great I felt. I wanted to yell out!



Tim used the hour I was running, to head back to the hotel for a quick shower and pick up my camera. I was so excited to see him as I came down the last stretch!



Finishing time for Team M: 2 hours and 15 minutes. My time was 1 hour and 8 minutes. I can't believe that I ran for that long. Straight through. In training, the longest I was able to do was 4o minutes. I felt absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever been prouder of myself than when I crossed the finish line and jumped into my husband's waiting arms. I really don't have the words to describe that feeling.

Two Brothers Tavern for cold beers and a well earned lunch.

And these were our souvenir. Limoncello cupcakes from one of the local bakeries. Shannon and I split one and loved them so much that we bought all 11. They gave us a bulk discount, $1 each! They are to die for.

So this weekend was a success. A wonderful success. I am beyond thrilled with how my training paid off and how great I felt during the run. I loved seeing Vermont in that way and spending the weekend with dear friends. I also accomplished one of my goals for the year, to do a CF walk or run. As I was running along that winding road, I thought of my friend Amanda, who struggles with CF and inspires me every day with her courage. I ran this for her and for all of the people who struggle to breathe on a daily basis.

I came across a new blog today and wanted to repost this video. This montage was created by a mother who is watching her son lose his battle with Cystic Fibrosis and while I've never posted a video before, this one made my heart hurt. A dear friend of mine has lived with CF for 31 years and I hope and pray that a cure will be found. A portion of the money raised in our half marathon relay this coming weekend is going to CF research. It is a cause that is close to my heart and as I run, I will be thinking of Connor and all the other children and adults who are fighting their own battles with this vicious disease. You can read about Connor and his family at notsobrightandshiny.blogspot.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Running half of a half marathon

The girl with 6 knee dislocations, who successfully got out of running throughout junior high and high school with the same sixth grade doctor's note, is running a half marathon relay this coming weekend. I know, I'm shocked too!

I have been so inspired by friends who have run marathons and as an adult, have dreamed about being a part of one. Marathon Day in NYC was one of my favorite events because the participants are courageous and strong, both mentally and physically. They truly astound me. The energy in the city is electric, the crowd is cheering for people they will never meet and you feel as though you can feel every footstep.

Last year when I was thinking about my goals for 2010, I decided I wanted to go for a half marathon. I was in relatively good shape and was looking for a way to change up the boredom of going to the gym. I wanted to make and stick to weekly training goals. It wasn't as much about the race itself, more about working consistently to complete the steps to get me to that point. Once I started training, I became nervous that I didn't have it in me to physically complete the distance. I am not a natural runner and I was having a hard time getting past 4 miles.

We settled on the race in Middlebury, Vt. When we signed up, Tim and I decided to do the relay and split the 13 miles. I felt that 7 miles would be a better distance to start with, so that's the plan.

Now that it's this coming weekend, I'm starting to get nervous. I know that physically, I'm prepared. I know what time I'm shooting for and I know that I need to focus and not let my mind talk me out of running. My mind likes to yell at me that I'm tired and my knee hurts and I couldn't possibly run another step. My 12 weeks of training tells me otherwise. I have been doing the mileage and the cross training and more importantly, feeling good doing it. My runs have become a time to let my mind roam and de-stress and not have to think about anything. It's freedom and sun and confidence. I feel strong, both physically and mentally.

So my goal for this race is simply to finish and have fun. I want to enjoy my time on the course and finish it strong. I want to enjoy the spring flowers in this town in Vermont. I want to hear the crowds cheering me on and maybe I'll be able to inspire someone else. I want to finish. That's it. That's the goal.

I'll be back next week with a recap. Wish me luck!

Spring means projects.

Two weeks ago, I pulled on a small section of our wallpapered entryway. I just wanted to see how easily it would come off. It turns out that it came off really easily. Great right? Well, I fixed this minor (!) hole in the drywall and primed everything. Unfortunately, I also found a section of drywall that had been rotted through, so my small project became a big one.

Armed with the knowledge and a spare piece of drywall from my work friend Mark, I attacked the rot this weekend. Yep, that's right, I drywalled. (Is that a word?!)This is the wall in the middle of scraping off the wallpaper paste. Dif gel was recommended to me and was a lifesaver in getting off the crap left behind after I peeled off all of the paper.

This was after I primed and before I found the rot.

Rut Roh. As much as I just wanted to paint over it, Mark advised me not to. So you can see in the below photo, I pried out all of the rotted drywall and was left with a blank canvas. Of sorts.


I cut the correct size to fit the empty space. I used a nifty exacto knife that I picked up during my second trip to the local hardware store. I forgot it on the first trip when I bought the drywall tape.

I nailed on the drywall, joint compounded, taped and joint compounded again. When I got up this morning, I sanded a bit and re joint compounded. The pink makes it very clear to someone like me when the goop is dry. Below, it is wet. By the way, none of the terms in this post are actual technical jargon. I have a long way to go before anyone mistakes me for Bob Vila.

While I was trying not to get the goop all over the place, Tim finally got the lawnmower working! We worked for a few hours yesterday in the yard, raking leaves and cleaning up the winter's casualties. Today, he attacked the lawnmower with some brand new oil and after a few minutes of cursing he was off and running.

After the lawn was chopped in half, we played with lawn nutrients that we bought at Lowes. It's in remarkably good shape for being covered in snow for four months.

It was a very successful weekend and we checked a few things off of the Excel Master House Spreadsheet.

More fun to come. With any luck my joint goop will dry smooth and be easily covered with paint. Cross your fingers!

My incredibly late Dominican trip post...

We had such a great time at Excellence Punta Cana last year, that we decided to go back again this year. And this time we brought along some great friends. We also made a new friend. He and his parrot buddy live at the resort and this one decided to hop up on my shoulder and nibble on my earring.

The other parrot preferred T and tried to stick his beak in T's beer.



We really sold this trip to our friends by telling them all about the beachside Superbowl setup, complete with full buffet and bar. Unfortunately this year, they were having issues with the television and the signal. So we made a gametime (get it?!) decision to head to the onsite sports bar and watch the game there. Here we are during the first quarter when it appeared that the Saints hadn't shown up. We were pretty calm at this point.





We went nuts when the Saints won! The rest of the people in the bar were pulling for Indy, so once again we were THOSE people. We're used to it! It was an amazing game and T and I are even more excited about our upcoming New Orleans trip.




We did a lot of hanging out at the pool on this trip. The girls read and caught up with eachother , the boys hung at the pool bar and we all played a lot of cribbage. It was a perfect week of relaxation. The girls and I pried ourselves off of the pool chairs for one afternoon and headed over to the spa for massages and some hydrotherapy. My reflexo massage was pure bliss.



T and I on the last afternoon. We were in the midst of trying to figure out where to go for dinner. Life in the DR is full of tough decisions. :-)




This is the amazing view from our room.




Another amazing night in the Dominican. This was our last night, right before we headed out to dinner at the Italian restaurant. We finished off the night at the ABBA cover band show. We released our inner Dancing Queens.




This is one of my favorite views. We hope to come back next year!