Cowtown Ultra - Race Recap

I got plenty of sleep. 

Hit that biscuit bright and early Saturday night.  When my alarm went off I was ready to get up.  I ate my peanut butter sam, got dressed and my girls picked me up.  Any normal girl would be nervous, at least a little.  But the nerves hadn't hit me.

I borrowed a mantra from Katie.  "Faith, not Fear."  I look super tired in this pic. Let's chalk it up to being blurry, shall we?  Mmm, kay.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Dallas area race if I didn't run into plenty of people that I know.  Saw my old coaching buddy Alan.  And one of my training partners from my first marathon, LaMar.  It's always fun to run into peeps and catch up!  I'm always amazed at how we can all find each other in the masses of people.  You can imagine my surprise and delight when this cute as a button tapped me on the shoulder.  It's the Shabby Princess!!!  I pink sparkle heart this girl - she is SO FUN and SO SWEET!

  

  

Here I am with my girls.  Kat and Coach Swimmifer.  They were so kind to pick me up and take care of me all day long! 

I knew that I couldn't start off with everyone else.  I knew I had to keep my pace slow.  So I bid them farewell almost as soon as we started. But not before an ultra runner dressed as a cow gave me some "advice."  He told me that this would be a really rough race but to hang in there.  Uh, thanks?  We weren't even to mile one yet and already he was telling me how awful it was going to be?  Yikes!

Coach Swimmfer suggested that I sidle up next to one of the young, cute ultra runners and get to know him during the race.  Great idea, 'cept we couldn't get to the start line and had to hop the fence. We ended up starting with the second corral.  There was no way I was going to be able to keep up with those speedy guys, cute or not! 

I spotted coach Alan about mile 2.  He does the Galloway method so I was able to hang with him for a while until he started walking.  Always good to see a friend on the course!

Going through the Stockyards was a fun experience.  Worth getting out the phone and snapping a pic. So Texas!  I ran into Adriana at this point.  We only stayed together for a little bit but it was a great pick me up to chat with her.

I ran into Kat after mile 9. After the very hilly mile 9.  I knew I needed to walk the big hills and I did walk up that great big hill.  Until I saw Kat.  Then I sprinted to catch her.  We chatted for a bit and then I bid her farewell around mile 11 when the course split.  All that sprinting gave me a side stitch that lasted for about 6 or 7 miles.  Yuckness. 

 There were not a lot of dogs to look at on the course.  Actually, there wasn't a lot of anything to look at.  Sweet Natalie and her mom were at mile 12.  I was so excited to see them and her "Go Pink Girl" sign - complete in pink and green!  I saw her over and over along the course.  She's a great cheerleader! T.O. and Kathryn joined them and at mile 20 or so Lauren handed off a fresh supply of Shot Bloks.  I have the BEST crew!!!

So fast forward.  The marathon split off from the ultra around mile 25.  At this point it got really lonely.  And sunny.  You have to know it was close to 80 on race day. Humid and warm.  Remember that 20 degree rule?  Yeah, it felt every degree of it.  Thankfully it was overcast.  But the last hour the sun came out.  Blech.  You should see my killer sunburn.  Yes, I am bright pink - in February.  Good golly Pete y'all, February!  I have to say, runners are a great bunch of people.  I got so many shout outs along the course.  So many "Go Ultra girl!" from volunteers and spectators but also from other runners.  So many people wished me luck.  It was really humbling to say the least. 

In addition to my first ultra, I had another first. I was recognized by a reader!  Lance, it was great to meet you; I hope you had a great race!  Leave me some comment love so I can find your blog.  Forgive me, but my brain was a little cloudy when we talked around mile 17 or so! 

Here is the course after the split.  See how lonely?  And sunny!  Every time I'd pass another runner, we'd give each other the thumbs up and some words of encouragement.  We were really doing this!  I kind of wanted to hug everyone I saw.  I was so proud of each and every one of them!!!  All along I kept thinking, "It's just 5 more miles. What's 5 miles?"  And you know what?  Those are five loooooong miles!  Five of the slowest miles I've EVER run too, ha!  But I honestly felt strong the entire time. 

See this face?  This is the face of 30 miles.  I felt great!  Tired, yes. Hot, yes.  Pooped, you bet. But loving every single minute of it.  Y'all, I loved running an ultra.  Loved it.  Distance is my friend!  I was on track to finish in under 6 hours; that was my original goal.  But it was so stinkin' hot and I was really feeling good.  I wanted to keep feeling good and avoid hurling so I made the decision not to push it and I threw that 6 hour goal out the window.  I walked when I needed to.  At one point I saw a dude with an Ironman tattoo walking. I figured, if an Ironman can walk, a Pink Girl can too.  :o)

I rounded the final corner and I could hear Nat, T.O., Kathryn and crew cheering loudly.  I smiled and knew it was almost over.  I kind of didn't want it to end!  (but was more than ready to stop running, ha!)  Here is a pic I snagged from Sare Bear.

As I got closer to the finish line I heard Sare Bear and her family yelling loudly.  "Run!"  My calves were cramping up big time but I picked up the pace as much as I could.  I felt like I was running in mud!  I smiled, they called my name, I raised my fists and crossed that finish line. 

I did it.

It felt great.  Over 31 miles all on my own two pink feet.  My verse throughout this training and throughout this race was from Isaiah 41:10  "Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with the righteous right hand."  God has helped me so much.  He has been faithful; He has held me tightly.  I've been trying hard to be not afraid.  I felt God's hand on me the entire day.  From meeting up with friends on the course, making new friends along the way to the amazing volunteers...I was given strength every mile.  Faith, not Fear.

I took a few minutes post race and stretched out my calves.  I collected my medal and then wasn't really sure where to go next.  Being so late in the day, there weren't that many runners still finishing.  Out of nowhere, I heard familiar voices.  Suddenly, all of my friends were there!  I was surrounded by love and hugs!!! 

Nat, T.O. and Kathryn.  Love these girls - they are awesome cheerleaders!

Sare Bear, Ava and Matt. 

Sweet Nat brought me cold chocolate milk!  She knows just what I like post long run!  It was delicious - thank you Natty for thinking of absolutely everything!!!

 

Adriana ran the 10K on Saturday and the half on Sunday. Talk about hard core!

My official finishing time was 6:03, not far off from my goal of 6 hours.  And by my Garmin, with all my bobbing and weaving, I actually ran almost 31.5 miles.  Someday I'll learn to run those tangents better!  I was pleased with my effort and thrilled with my time.  What mattered to me, was that I did it.  And I'll do it again for sure!  (gotta get in under 6!)

My sweet girls took such great care of me.  I was loved and supported every single minute of the day.  They brought fresh tortillas and chips from Joe T. Garcias.  The carried my things.  Kat surprised me with the cutest pink seat cover made from a super soft towel.  All I had to do was get in the car!  They even stopped at Whataburger so I could get a Coke.  Side note, the final aid station was amazing. They had Cheese Its, pretzels, m&ms, water, wet paper towels (that I hung around my neck and uh, stuck in my top - it was hot y'all!) and Coke.  Cold, sweet, caffeinated Coke.  That tiny cup was like rocket fuel.  I would have never thought of Coke as fuel but it was just what I needed at mile 27!

It was a great day from start to finish.  If you are toying with the idea of running a 50K - do it.  No regrets.  It's definitely a challenge.  Those "5 more miles" were tough but totally doable.  When people's mouths fall open, it kind of hits me.  50 kilometers is a long way!  Who is this girl???

An ultra marathoner, that's who.

Sunday Eve

I had some sick plans.

But turns out this place is open by appointment only.  No appointment, so no plans.  I searched for something that A. Wouldn't wear me out and B. Didn't cost anything.  I ended up just staying home.  Wah, wah.  I did bust out several Perry Mason episodes as well as plenty of Cosby Show.  I ironed.  I know, I'm wild.  Drank plenty though!  See?

Most people that head to the store to buy 20 lbs of ice are gearing up for a party. Not this Pink Girl.  I'm gearing up for some serious recovery tomorrow.  I actually haven't taken an ice bath for my last two marathons.  But I'm thinking that since its supposed to be so warm and this is a new distance for me, I best give myself the option. 

If I said it once, I've said it a jillion times, I have the BEST friends.  Ever.  Like ever, ever.  Sweet, sweet Ally offered to pick up my race packet since she was working the Expo.  This saved me from driving to Ft Worth AND from you know, actually going to the Expo. We all know how I feel about Expos.  Eschew.  Thank you, thank you sweet Ally!  This is really going to happen!

My girl Staci rang me up and stopped by with all sorts of fun treats.  Now isn't that just the most thoughtful thing ever?  I love that girl!  Can't wait til post race to enjoy it all!

Some people are about pasta pre-race.  I do plenty of that in the days leading up, but night before I'm usually a pizza or breakfast girl.  Breakfast tacos it is!  Heavy on the salsa.  Don't worry, that's not meat.  Bocca breakfast links.  Mmm.

Now just to decide what to wear.  I know it will be my new green shorts.  Natch.  But do I wear my trusty  old Nike pink and white sleeveless top?  It's super light weight.  Perfect for the warm humidity we are expecting.

Or my favorite Nike v-neck pink tank?  The fabric is a little thicker so, not sure about this one.  But it is comfortable and I've run in it in warmer weather plenty o' times. 

Or my supersoft Nike dri-fit tee?  It's the perfect shade of pink and oh, so soft.  It fits a lot closer to the body so it might help me out with better, uh, wicking. 

We'll see tomorrow, shant we?

The miles are logged.  I'm ready.  My nails are painted.  My water bottles are filled.  I'm off to soak in an Epsom salt bath, a little trick I learned from Morgan and Meb.  Then it's nighty night for me.  I'm excited for this new challenge.  I've got it in me; I know I do.

What are YOU doing this year that is new and exciting?  (and just a little bit scary?!?!)  Do tell!

Big Ball's in Cowtown

So I'm running this little race.

My 5th marathon and 1st ultramarathon.  This one is a 50K.  I picked it because it would be a good opportunity to run an ultra that was a road race and not a trail race.  I've got no skillz in trail running.  Not yet anyway.  It came at just the right time after my Houston training so it's not like I was starting from scratch.  Houston was basically my longest run and I tapered from there.  We'll see how that works.  Fingers crossed.

Am I nervous?  Uh, well, I guess I should be.  But I'm just dumb enough to not be scared.  In my mind it's only 5 more miles. What's 5 more miles, right?  Well, if you had asked me that about mile 22 of my last marathon I would have give you lazer eyes.  I promise I'm going to slow down a teensy bit after Cowtown. 

Okay, teensy might be an exaggeration.  I did schedule my first 5K of the season for the very next weekend.  I know, I know, crazy town.  It's a very small local race benefitting the high school.  It was only $19 to enter and I figure I'll run slow enough to se the bar real low.  Room for improvement, right? 

My training has gone well, relatively pain free.  I've managed to stay flu free.  Let's hope that I can stay that way the rest of the week.  So now I only need to worry about the logistics of getting there and, finally and most importantly, what to wear.

I bought a cute new pink shirt for Houston.  But didn't wear it because it turned out to be about a thousand degrees so I opted for a tank instead.  Now, I have lots of grubby old tanks.  But only one that is super cute, fits really nicely and makes me feel fast.  And I wore that for my last race. With, the saggy, baggy, too big shorts that have now been relegated to a box in the closet. 

A quick peek at Runningwarehouse.com and lookee what I see...

Cuteness in the form of the Nike Apple Green collection.  This is my most favorite tank, the Nike Pacer.  Cause y'all know I'm a Nike girl.  Through and through.

 And here are the shorts I tried on in gray a while back. But couldn't find in my size.  Um, how cute are THESE?  Very, the answer is very.  Annnd, how cute would these apple green short looks with a bubble gum pink top?  Please note that they are NOT Nike Tempo.  A departure for sure.  Here's hot pants make me run faster. 

Of course, I'll wear the traditional double pink bow.  And prolly a pink hat if it is raining. Which it just might.  And my pink Zensah leg hugs.  So you know I'll be sporting plenty o' pink.  No worries there.   

Other than my fashion conundrums, I'm just trying to be all chill this week.  Went to yoga yesterday and today.  I'll run tomorrow and Thursday.  And more yoga Wednesday and Friday.  Lots of extra water and sleep.  Desperately trying to keep the drama at bay.  Carb loading like the semi-pro that I am. 

And some reflection.  Reflection on why I'm running this crazy long race in the first place.  On what I'm trying to prove to myself.  I do have a lot to prove and I'm very hopeful that I'll find it out on that course. 

And as I cross that finish line (and I will cross that finish line) I'll carry with me this verse, this verse that I've carried in my heart for months now.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

I'm not afraid. 

Random Friday Facts

I totally stole this from Katie. 

Just so we are clear.  Once again, I have no original ideas.

1.  My computer is a fraud.  Apparently.  I keep getting this warning message that my copy of Windows is not authentic.  I'm not super worried because I also keep getting a blue screen and it completely shuts down.  I figure this old laptop isn't long for this world.  Eh.  Not the first thing to quit on me and turn out to not be authentic. 

2.  My mileage is very low.  Remember that I'm doing this Run Less Run Faster plan.  I'm running WAY fewer miles but I'm getting faster and faster. So I guess it's working.  But it still scares me a bit.  'Cause I do have to run 50K next weekend.  Gulp.

3.  I gave up cable to save money.  I have Netflix now instead.  It's like a $150 savings so really it was a no brainer.  Yes, I'm limited to watching old shows and there is sadly no HGTV, but it's working.  I'm considering giving up my iPhone as well.  As much as I love it, I just can't bear the price.  Not sure yet. 

4.  I'm obsessed with www.mint.com right now.  I'm a total finance nerd.  It makes budgeting so easy.  I love all the graphs and reports.  Check it out!

5.  Speaking of television.  I've discovered Veronica Mars. Why did I not know about this show when it was on???  Wednesday night was so intense I kept pausing it and leaving the room.  I just couldn't handle the suspense!  It would really be a good show to watch with someone else who was just as in to it. 

6.  It's Friday night and normally I would go to yoga.  But my knee has been wonky all week and I thought it  best not to anger it the night before my long run.  But I'm totally missing yoga tonight.

7.  In my other life, we would have headed to the mall on a Friday night. Just to wander around and hold hands.  You couldn't pay me to go to the mall now.  I start getting anxious just thinking about it.

8.  There has not been another human in my house since, well, forever.  My sweet friend Lauren is coming over tomorrow and I could not be more excited.  I may not let her leave.

9.  There have been a lot of burglaries in our neighborhood over the past 2 weeks.  All forced entries.  So, I changed my locks to better ones, I have some version of home security stashed away, ahem.  But mostly, I worry about someone breaking in while I'm gone and letting my cats out. 

10.  I've been watching a lot of Fight Quest too.  This makes me want to try my hand at MMA.  (Mixed Martial Arts)  Krav Maga has a lot of appeal for me.  As does Hopkido and boxing.  After my Ultra next week I'm going to try a few gyms.  Burglars, watch out. 

11. I'm probably going to have eggs for dinner.  I may or may not eat them.  Eggs and I have an uneasy relationship.  Sometimes I'll crave them but once they are cooked, the smells is too much for me and I just throw them away.  If that happens, I'll have Cheerios.  I'm no gourmet.

12.  It was 80 degrees today.  This time last week there was still ice on the ground. Today, I drug out a chaise lounge and laid out in shorts and a tank top.  Seriously.  I am NOT ready for it to get hot again.  Not yet! Where's that groundhog???

13.  I've got P!nk's "F'n Perfect" on replay.  Thank you P!nk for this song.  Your voice is so heartfelt. 

14.  I'm excited about the OPI Texas Collection.  I'll prolly need "Do you think I'm Texy" and "Austin-tatious Turquoise" in the near future.  Good think I have Ulta rewards for free nail polish!

15.  I'm starting a new fitness challenge at work.  Flexed Arm Hang. Remember that from elementary?  I've already beat 2 boys.  And one of them played professional sports.  Once again, burglars, watch out.  I've got guns. 

Tell me something random about you!

Wordless Wednesday

Cat and computers.

Alternately titled, why I have a difficult time working on the sofa.

Hello, is Anybody Out There?

I've seen  Fire and I've Seen Rain.

Seen sunny days that I thought would never end.

But lately, I'll I've seen is ice.  And then to top it off, some snow.  Granted the snow was much prettier than the ice.  But don't be fooled, the ice was still there, under the pretty snow. Work and schools shut down for days.  Like days and days.  Some of the coldest weather we've had on record.  And I've been housebound since Monday. 

It's Saturday y'all.  Saturday.

Cabin fever started to set in on Wednesday.  Remember how I got all Laura Ingalls  and traipsed to the store in the ice?  Well, my adventure only took me so far. Friday I woke up to 8 inches of snow.  And I looked.  And I looked.  And then I finally headed outside.  Y'all, living alone gets boring. You have to make your own fun!  I bundled up with the totes adorable flower pin that Lauren made for me.  (she's sweet AND talented!)  I took one of the cats with me.  Don't call the SPCA just yet.  He only thought he wanted outside.  He got as far as the first step and high tailed it back inside. 

I then decided to do what any sane Pink Girl would do and build a Snow Mountain.  Every few hours I'd go outside and pile up some more snow.  Sadly, this snow wasn't very wet and sticky.  My mountain didn't grow very quickly.  And, you know, it's just me and one tiny little shovel. Slow going. But it gave me something to do.  I even went out late last night and shoveled in the moonlight. For reals. 

Then I organized some cabinets.  Ever doubt that I love pink?  Notice the obscene amount of forks that we own.  When I got married I was determined to have enough forks and dessert plates so that when we had parties, we didn't have to use paper plates or plastic folks.  It was just a thing I had.  And every time we've had a party, I've been delighted to bust out all the forks.  They make me happy.  Plus, I can go for weeks and not have to run the dishwashwer.  That's me, eco friendly.  We just can't even invite over 24 people or I'll have to dip into the smaller forks.  I've got 24 of those too!

Something about being stuck at home makes me want to eat garbage.  Well, that and I pretty much had to make do with what I had.  A peek in the pantry revealed cake flour. I could do one of two things: make a cake or make biscuits.  I chose biscuits. Y'all, I might lower myself to pop some cinnamon rolls out of a can.  But let's face it, no self respecting Southerner will bake canned biscuits.  Not when it's so easy to make them from scratch.  Ooooh, they were good!   I ate the entire pan while I watched Season One of "Say Yes to the Dress."  I just love that show.  I get so excited  when they find just the right gown.   

Which got me thinking about wedding dress shopping.  Which made me sad. Soooo, I headed over the internets and started dress shopping. Just regular old dress shopping. Found this cutie at Nordstrom.  Taylor Dresses are the BEST.  These polka dots might just have to live in my closet come Spring.  Who can resist a polka dot?  Not me, that's for sure.

All the thinking about weddings of course led me to Tiffany.  Hey, I'm window shopping folks, I can go in any "store" I want.  You can see I started off pretty modest and then moved very quickly into the "never gonna happen" category.  I just love pink sapphires. ALMOST as much as I love blue sapphires.  The one in the middle?  It's only $770,000.  Top right?  Just over 2 million.  12 carats of amazingness.  Eh, get a couple, one for each hand. 

Actually, if things in my life keep going the direction it looks like they are going, I'm going to eventually sell a piece of jewelry that I've had for years. And pick up either the one featured below the center pink sapphire ring, the triple circlet or this beauty. 

Now wouldn't that just compliment my polka dot dress real nice like?  I think so. 

Today though it finally warmed up midday and things started to melt.  I got out of the house and to hot yoga this afternoon. It was so good to see actual people!!!  Even if there was no talking.  It also felt so good to sweat.  This has been the longest forced recovery week I've ever taken!  I have plans with Coach Swimmifer to run in the morning thankfully.  Here's hoping it doesn't refreeze everything tonight so that we can actually bust out some miles.  I've got an Ultra to train for! 

We Heart Our Runners

So your sweetie is a runner.

I know most of you who are reading this ARE the runner.   But one little e-mail, hyperlink to this post inserted, and I can help a brotha out with some creative Valentine's Day ideas!

1.  A girl's gotta stay hydrated.  Even when she isn't running.  This Pink Girl is never without her BPA free Camelbak water bottle.  I have the 16 and 24 ounce styles.  My water never tastes plasticky and they don't leak. At all.  Get her a red one or a pink one.  She'll love it!

2.  She's gonna get thirsty while she's running too.  Pick up the super cute Nathan pink handheld water bottle.  It's ergonomically shaped; I promise it's comfortable to hold.  The zipper pocket will hold her keys.  I've tried other brands, they leak. Who wants water running down her hand?  No one that's who.

3.Running around in the cold is going to wreak havoc on her lips. Keep them kissable soft and oh so delicious with Cherry ChapStick.  Yumm.

 

4.  Keep her toes warm and toasty with Thorlo Experia socks. These aren't the old school super thick Thorlos, these are only padded in just the right places.  They come in scads of colors, but red or pink would be just right for this holiday of love, right?

5.  After a long run, she's gonna want to soak in a tub. Even the girliest of girls, will forgo a soak in scented bubbles for a healing Epsom salt bath. Epsom salts are a natural anti inflammatory and will help ease her sore muscles.  It's cheap and you can buy it in bulk at Target or any drugstore really.  Not the most romantic gift, but practical and if she hasn't already discovered Epsom salt baths, she'll think you are a genius.  I'll let you take the credit.  ;o) 

6.  It goes without saying that arranging for her to get a Sports Massage is also a welcome relief for achy gams.  A Sports Massage isn't the same as a relaxy massage.  Call your local chiropractor and see if they have a masseuse.  She won't leave in a massage induced coma, but she will leave with all the kinks rubbed out.  Check into it. 

7.  She prolly goes through Gu, Sports Beans or Shot Bloks like they are candy.  Replenish her supply. Red and pink flavors abound. Early on Saturday morning as she fumbles through the junk drawer for nutrition to take on her long run, she'll smile when she once again finds the stash you so thoughtfully provided for her.  Git it boy!

8.  You want her to look cute, right?  Okay, win major points by ordering her a glitter Sweaty Band.  These things are amazing!  Don't be fooled by cheaper drug store version. Don't do it.  They'll fall off her head and end up on the gym floor or the neighborhood streets.  She'll never see them again and she'll STILL have crazy hair.  Get the real deal Sweaty Bands.  Totally worth it.  Pink or Red, natch.

9.  We all know how important safety is.  So pick up a blinky red light so that cars can see your precious pookie bear while she runs. 

10.  Speaking of safety, order her a Road ID.  No one wants to think about WHY she might need this.  But good golly Pete, if she ever did, you'll be so glad she was wearing this.  It has her info on it and YOUR contact numbas.  That way if, heaven forbid, she can't speak for herself, they can call you to her side.  I prefer the kind that Velcros on to my shoe, that way it's one less thing to remember to grab in the morning. The red one is really cute!

11.  Yeah, there is a lot to remember to grab as she heads out the door.  She can keep her phone and nutrition handy in her pink or red Spibelt.  Oooh, this thing is lightweight and stretches like you wouldn't believe.  It might look like a fanny pack, but it's way cooler. Trust me.  All the cool kids wear them.

12.  Body Glide.  Nope, it isn't one bit sexy.  But it's necessary. And it comes in pink for girls! 

13.  We all know that I'm obsessed with my Zensah compression calf sleeves.  I call them Leg Hugs.  And hug my tired legs they do.  I run in mine for runs over about 20 miles.  But I also swear by them for recovery.  They come in fun colors - pick up a pair for your athlete!

14.  Last, but certainly not least, my very favorite long sleeve shirt, the Nike Soft Hand Half Zip. This is the softest shirt you'll ever hug.  (hug her BEFORE she heads out and she'll smell better)  It's like butter.  The half zip is perfect for venting and the sleeves are long enough to pull over her hands when she gets a bit chilly.  She's gonna love this in red!

There you go.  14 ideas to surprise and delight your runner honey this Valentines.  Happy Shopping!

One Happy Hobbit

Houston held many excitements.

Even more so than the race, I was looking forward to finally meeting three wonderful women that I've known through blogging for a while now, but never had the chance to meet IRL.  We comment, text, e-mail, facebook...but it occurred to me that I had never heard their voices!  So strange to know so much about someone yet never have met them.  What a weird blog world we have created here.

Side note, can you believe that I hustled all the way down to humid Houston and left every single hair product at home? Quel nightmare!  Yep, no straightening cream, defrizzer, nutin.  So they got the real deal, all natural crazy headed Pink Girl. 

Frizzy headed or not, one of the first things I had to do once I made it to town was to meet up with Lauren, Kim and Melissa.  Knowing that both Lauren and I are vegetarians, Kim thoughtfully researched veg friendly restaurants.  Oooh, she found a cute one too!  We met up at the Hobbit Cafe in the trendy Upper Kirby neighborhood.  It reminded me so much of my beloved Austin! 

These girls are serious fun!  They were everything I expected and so much more!  I felt like I'd known them forevs and there was never a lull in the convo.  They are SO FUN!   (l-r Kim, Lauren, Melissa)

We got to the business of scouring the menu.  It all sounded sooo good - I had a tough time deciding what to get!  As Lauren mentioned, you know you are in the company of bloggers when the food arrives and cameras come out.  So nice to be in the company of other people who photograph their food!



After much deliberation, I ordered the Gandalf.  Mushrooms, cheese and my beloved avocado.  I asked for them to add tomatoes -  yum.  Can you believe this is a "slim" version of the sam?  There must be two entire avocados on this!  It tasted as good as it looked.  Nom nom nom.

We sat there for hours and just talked and talked.  I felt so comfortable around these good friends, and honored that they included me in their group!  They really are very special women and I have been very blessed by their friendship for sure!

Here I am with sweet Kim.  She is HILARIOUS!  Her blog posts have me rolling and her story is so inspiring.  Plus, this woman can write a comment like no other.  Her blog comments alone have me in tears I'm laughing so hard.  She's got a heart bigger than all of Texas and I'm so excited to follow her progress as she continues to grow in her running.  Witty this one.

Lauren is such a genuine soul. I've been reading her blog the longest and the real her comes through in her writing. She was JUST like she is on her blog!  (what did I expect?  I dunno)  She's funny and sincere and so observant!  The first thing she noticed is that we drive the same car!  Gosh, and what style this woman has.  I need to make it down to Houston more often so she can give me fashion lessons!

 

Melissa just recently birthed one of the cutest little boys you'll ever see, baby Liam.  Oooh, that little guy is precious!  He had a really rough week of being terribly sick - he was even hospitalized for a few days.  To top it all off, she has been sick too!  Thankfully they are both getting better and stronger but I would have totes understood if she couldn't make it.  But I was so glad she did!  Like the others, she's just like she is on her blog.  She and I bonded over our lack of culinary skills.  Cereal  Chefs, that's us! 

Ladies, I had a wonderful time meeting up with you!  Thank you SO much for taking time out of your busy lives to drive all the way downtown and hang out at the Hobbit Cafe with me.  It was GREAT to finally meet you and I promise I'll be that way again soon. Y'all are too fun!

Pioneer Days

It's been chilly y'all.

I know y'all up in the Great White North just sit back and laaaaaaaugh at us silly Southerners and how we just fall apart when it drops below 50 degrees. And we do.  We head to the grocery store and buy out all the bottled water and bread as soon as the freeze warning is issued.  We cover our plants with bedsheets and put a pot of soup on to cook.  Then we pop in some cornbread, put on an extra pair of socks and wait for the cold front to actually show up.  I know, it's hilarious.  But here is why we absolutely freak out when we hear that an ice storm is on the way.  

Because our towns shut down.

Shut down.  Y'all, we just aren't equipped to handle this kind of weather. Snow is one thing, but ice, really, ice?  It makes things slick.  And our communities don't have the budgets for sand/salt trucks to cover our streets.  We don't own snow shovels to clear our sidewalks.  So you can't get anywhere.  Schools are closed, work (if you are lucky) closes too. And then you are stuck at home, freezing. You better hope that pantry is full!  

We aren't entirely stupid about weather.  See you in August when we've had 30+ days of well over 100 degree weather.  We're like, "what heat?"  We are all about keeping cool. We have it down. But cold?  Paralyzing.  We don't own heavy coats.  Why would we when it dips down below freezing so seldom?  Laugh all you want, I realize it's funny.  I'm sure we are a sight to see. 

Woke up yesterday early to thundersnow and sleet.  Sleet is difficult to sleep through. One, it's loud and two, you just know what is coming.  Ice Day.  Around 4:30 am my phone rang and it was my boss telling me that we'd be closed for the day. It had been sleeting for hours and was only going to get worse.  Smiling, I rolled over and went back to sleep for about four more hours.  Bliss.

And then woke up to two snuggly cats and this.

 

Yep, that's my driveway, looking like a skating rink.  The garage door wouldn't even open, it was frozen shut with ice build up.  Having a detached garage means there is only one way to get in my garage. And all the tools that might help me dig it out, welp, they were trapped inside said garage.  Lovely.  I had nowhere to be so I spent the day relaxing, making soup and watching Netflix.  I really enjoyed this unexpected day off!  Around 10 pm as I was getting ready for bed I noticed that it seemed kinda cool in the house.  Then it occurred to me that I hasn't heard the heater come on in a while.  Sure enough, it was only 58 (14 C)  in the house.  The thermostat was set for 67 (19.)  Yep, heater done broke.  I'll admit, I freaked out a bit.  But what's a Pink Girl to do?  So I just put on a few more layers, piled on a couple more blankets, scooped up the cats and hunkered down.  It's not like I was going to actually freeze to death. 

It was all very Little House on the Prairie.  Anna reminded me that Ma used to put cooked potatoes in bed with the girls to keep their feet warm, ha!

Have no fear, I woke up safely only to find that we had a delayed opening today.  And yet, they were calling for us to conserve energy and avoid traveling the roads if at all possible.  Eyeing the tundra like conditions in my neighborhood, I made the decision to just take PTO and stay home. Stay safe. 

We've had rolling electricity blackouts all day.  They are encouraging us to use as little electricity as possible. The grid just can't handle the demand.  It's only one of the coldest days on record here.  Ever.  Brr.   Trying to be a good citizen, I kept tv and computer off. The heater wasn't working so there was that.  I cleaned house, which wasn't difficult since it really wasn't dirty.  I broke with the electrical ban and busted out the vacuum.  Moved all the furniture away from the walls and vacuumed like nobody's bidnas.  Wiped down the furniture with furniture oil.  Organized cabinets.

But around luchtime I started to get ready to be out of the house.  I hadn't seen another human since Sunday.  Yikes!  So I made the decision to bundle up and walk to the neighborhood store, about a mile away.  Y'all, we are so bad at this cold weather thing, we get warnings like this one.  Go ahead, laugh.  Seriously though?  Who needs a reminder to wear gloves and a hat when it's in the single digits? 

I put on my running tights under some jeans, layered a comfy shirt that my  roommate left behind and pulled on some boots over two pairs of socks. I really wish my roommate would have left behind some socks.  Boy socks are thick and tall.  All I have are low cut, thin running socks. Footwear FAIL. 

No worries.  I wore a hat and gloves too.  Two pairs of gloves actually. Roommate left behind thick boy gloves that are much more effective than my super cute, but oh so thin, pink gloves.  Appropriately bundled up, I cautiously headed out. 

Here is a shot of the terrain I had to navigate.  The seemingly gray area is the road, covered by a very thick layer of ice.  The white in front of me is the sidewalk. Also ice.  So I tried to stick to the yards, the grass was frozen, but at least it was crunchy and had a little give.  I walked heel first to try to get some solid footing.  I totes felt like Laura Ingals walking to school, uphill in the snow both ways.  No heat, trudging through the ice, so Pioneer Days.

 

I only fell once!  And I landed firmly on my tail.  Fortch, I had so many layers on it didn't hurt a bit!  I didn't have a plan, I knew I wanted a coke, but that was about it. I picked up some cornmeal to make cornbread to go with my soup and just for good measure, some canned cinnamon rolls.  What is it about inclement weather that makes you crave j-u-n-k? 

Safe at home once more, they called off the blackouts.  Apparently they've got the energy thing under control.  Talked to the heater repair guy and after, embarrassingly, making sick heater noises over the phone for him, he determined that there is in fact, nothing wrong with my heater.  They can't meet the gas supply either.  I have a gas heater.  So, every now and then they cut off the gas supply. Then air gets in the line and when the heater tries to come on, it can't.  It's been working on and off.  I'm comfortable with that. 

Who wouldn't be comfy with this little guy all snuggled up next to me?

All in all I've enjoyed my second Ice Day.  It was good to get out of the house for a bit but in all honesty, it's been nice to relax at home.  Sometimes we need nature to force us to slow down.  The Pink Pioneer Girl got the message!

UPDATE:  Just noticed that the brand of cornmeal I got is "Pioneer."  Perfect for this Pink Pioneer Girl!