Tag: Jeff

  • I’m so hydrated you can’t even see my pee

    Gear I would not do this trip again without: In addition to the usual stuff, of course … – Yaktrax – attaches to your hiking boots to make them easy to walk in snow/ice – Toe Warmers – I used to think they were a luxury. In this weather, they were a necessity. Next time, I will…

  • Cold feet. 30 extra pounds. Questions of survival.

    Quotes from the trip: Me: We saw some tracks that looked like a cat. Would that be a bear? A mountain lion? Andrew: No, that’d be a cat. Chris: I’m gonna get one of those at some point (spoken every time someone showed him a piece of gear. Any gear.) Chadd: I hate rabbits (spoken every time…

  • The family that dyes hair together …

    So, better late than never on the Christmas blog post, right? I’ll try not to bore you with all of the details, but I wanted you to see what my grandmother thought of this present I made for her. Instead of telling you, I’ll show you with pictures, all beautifully captured by Jeff:   —————…

  • I sleep on the floor

    Ok, so I’ve showed you my completed closet (really, is anything ever really complete?), my hallways, one of my guest bedrooms. So now I’ll show you my bedroom, and of course I am showing you this so you can laugh at me: Yes, it’s true. I have 2 fully furnished guest bedrooms but no furniture…

  • What do you get for the person that has everything?

    When I was a child, going to visit my grandmother, who we all call Mia, I would ask her what we were going to eat for dinner. “Food,” she would always reply, in a tone that clearly conveyed “Get the hell outta my kitchen” or “Whatever I serve, you will eat.” Mia has never been…

  • From the yellow brick road to the Jaws of Life

    I wrote this post last week, and I almost didn’t publish it today because there’s another canine friend , who is very much alive, fighting for her health across the country right now. But I wanted to share this story with you of the littlest family member with a big heart. And Daisy, I’m thinking about you…

  • The stuff they don’t tell you

    Ok, I’m sure that’s not true – runners will talk about anything and everything. But I’ll tell you the unexpected stuff I faced during the Thunder Road Marathon (and training for said marathon.) First, the blood. Yes, blood. Okay, not a lot of blood. But when I got back to the hotel room after the…

  • I am a marathoner.

    How do I put this experience into words? Where do I even begin to describe this moment? Jeff said I should title this blog post “I beat Superman.” Because I did, in fact, beat Superman at the Thunder Road Marathon on Saturday. But I know it’s not about who I beat or who beat me.…

  • Writing designing running hiking traveling – let’s just all move to New York City!

    Time to update my bucket list. I wrote this a little more than a year ago. Here’s what the list was then, and how it’s going (items in green are in-progress or done!): 1. Write a novel. How it’s going: I have written the first draft of a novel. And I am working on the…

  • Tradition, emotion, birthday cake and booty dancin

    So yesterday I mentioned going to the Marine Corps ball this past weekend in Charlotte. I’ve been to a lot of these balls over the years, but it never ceases to amaze me how touching/meaningful/fun they are. So, the ball always starts with the dress, as does any formal event. Colleen and I spent a…