Love Love Love Arizona...

I do have to say life is a lot different here then the busy Urban City life. It took a little adjusting, but I think I'll be just fine. It was when I was coming back from a run and the sun was setting when I realized I was really home. I have missed those amazing sunsets. I have two great new roommates Andrea and Kelly ( I'm so happy Kelly has a long board skateboard too!)I'm really excited because Nicole and Jo just live a few doors down too. There are going to be some fun times ahead!

Last Memories of DC...

New Favorite Restaurant...

CARLYLE!! This is my new favorite restaurant in Shirlington! My roommates and some friends took me out to brunch the morning before I flew out. I'm sad the only time I went to it was the very last day I was in DC. Everything on the menu is looks AMAZING! I highly recommend Brioche french toast lightly breaded in almonds and cinnamon. I loved the ambiance of the whole place. From the cool light fixtures to the big round leather automen, and the art deco was pretty cool too. I'm sorry I tried to label the other photos but for some reason it wont let me. Earlier in the week their were many events and happenings. Anne is headed off to Guatemala and I to Arizona. So one night we went to dinner at Maggiano's up at Friendship Heights. after filling up on pasta, we finished the night off with their chocolate with chocolate cake, that made everyone a bit goofy with a sugar high. Then we had a little desert party that Meghan, Matt, Jen, and Cassie put together and finished that night off dancing at the Skydome! Best panoramic view of the city while the floor rotates.

3 years with my sister

The last 3 years has been amazing. When Megan decided to make the big move to Connecticut, I was so excited. I'm not sure at first if she was going to like living with me as a roommate. At times I'm sure I was being over protective. For me I'll was look back at this as a special time. Without living with Megan I never would have developed a close bond like we have now. Hygiene school enough would do it, but with the day to day encounters too, those have been priceless. Their are many things I've learned about Meg living with her, But three stand out the most. Meg loves to bake yummy pies, cakes, cookies, cupcakes! If you ever tried them you would know. She makes it looks so easy when she whips up these treats! Another thing about Meg I love is she is so witty. So of the things she says are so funny and they come to her so fast! I laugh for a while when she is telling a story, or even better if she is playing a practical joke on someone with her funny voices she can do. The one thing I love the most about Meg, is her Christ like attribute of not being selfish. She would amaze me with how much she is willing to give to others. She is a great example of giving, and good example to me. I'm so thankful for our times together as roommates. We even had Rachel live with us last summer. That by far was my funnest summer ever. It was a special time with my sisters. I really learned a lot from them both.

Life In a Box....

I'm packing it all up, my life that is. After living and working four years in Connecticut, NYC, and DC, I'm headed back West. I've been doing some major consolidating as I sort through everything I have. Just trying to pack up everything nice and tight as I get ready to ship it off. There have been some great times in my life here. So many experiences that have happened that I truly have grown and taken something from them. It was hard for me to leave California and my beach lifestyle, but it was the best decision I have ever made. Now I feel it's hard to leave my fast pace urban living life here. More than anything I will miss those wonderful hart felt friendships I have made. Let's not lose touch...

I fell for it !

Tyrone fron The Hood
The two master minds

So Megan lost her phone yesterday, she thought she may have left it at the basket ball game. Well about 10pm I got a text message that said "I just found this phone! I think you know who it belongs to". So I text back saying yes I do know, then I called. This guy in a deep hevey voice said his name was Tyrone and she could stop by and get the phone, He was just kicken it with his buddy and to bring a forty for the trouble of it all." I gave him Rob's number and I called Blake right away to see if he was home and he could go as back up or something. Maybe it was because I was watching Law and Order at the time, but this Tyrone sounded scarry. I just had a bad image in mind of how this all was going down. Well right when I was telling Blake the whole story Rob called my phone and I switched to talk to him. Rob asked who this guy was and said he lived in a bad part of Richmond and woundered if it sounded leget. I was like man I dont know, you need to bring some back up or something. In my mind I could see Tyrone giving them a hard time. He just sounded like bad news. Right then Rob said someone wanted to talk to me, Then in this same deep hevey voice Tyrone started talking!!! You guys got me good can't belive I fell for it like that. Don't worry I'm alredy working on getting ya back...

A day of Chocolate

Actual dresses made in Project Runway
Best Ewey Gooey Sunday Ever...
Cassie Jenn and I
Cassie, Jenn and I
What? Is that me blowing kisses...

Saturday I spent the day with some girlfriends in Hershey Pennsylvania. It is only about a two hour drive, so it was the perfect day trip. First we stoped at the World of Chocolate and walked around a little. They don't do tours in the Hershay plant like the one in Oakland California, although that one has moved to Mexico. After having an amazing Reeses peanut butter cup sunday, (that was the best sunday ever!) we headed over to The Hotel Hershey. It is a beautiful old hotel, that had a unique ambance. At the hotel there is a Chocolate Spa where we had scheduled a Whipped Coco Bath. It was a a very relaxing day at the spa. We ended the night at the resturant Fire Ally. It was a very cute place with the most wounderful cheese bread that you dip in a spicy peppered olive oil. I could eat the whole loaf myself.

Emergency Appendectomy...

This was right after surgrey. Those ice chips are so yummy!!!
Waiting in the ER... Thomas the big flirt kept us entertained. I think we made his day
Cassie with her special VIP visitor pass... I owe her big...
Right after I woke up from surgrey. Christian stoped by, it was nice to see a doctor I know.

So it turns out last Friday my appendix was a little inflamed and needed to be removed right away! I knew my body felt a little different, but I just thought I was gaining weight and getting fat. So I was going to the gym and working out more. In fact the night before I went to the ER I made myself go to a spin class! Funny to look back now, that night I was in pain and I knew something was not right. First thing in the morning I called my doctor and he sends me right away to the ER. He thought it sounded like my appendix, because most of my pain was on my lower right abdomonal. Thankfully Cassie was able to take to the Hospital. When I arrived to Washington Hospital Center, we were in the heart of DC. It was such a long and drawn out day. So much waiting and tests taken that resulted in more waiting... Cassie stayed the whole time at the hospital. I tried to send her home. We tried to keep entertained by all the ER patients that would rolled in. It was fun to see the hospital staff working away too. The CT scan was the absolutly the worst ever. First they give you this lovley cocktail of iodine and berry juice and make you down that while you wait a half hour. Then they take you down to Radiology where they prep you for more fun. Rectal intubation to say it nicley. That was the weirdest feeling ever! I had this metalic taste in my mouth, while more iodine was filtrated through out my body making everything very warm. Although I am glad I had the CT, doctors were able to see right away that my appendix was infected. Good news was that it was not perferated and that they would be able to operate laproscopicaly. Thank goodness! No scars! The only sad thing my scuba trip to Grand Cayman Islands has be postponed. The surgrey was exactily 7 days before scuba diving! I was really looking forward to this amazing trip. I was planning on doing at least 7 dives including the advance open water certification dive to 100 feet. Not only was it in the best place ever to scuba dive, but I felt like I was physicaly and mentally ready to dive again. I felt I was ready to overcome this hinderance of water because of what happened last time I went diving. As sad as it is I trully am thankful my apendix reacted when it did. For sure something would have happened in the Caymans and the situation could have been alot worse. There will always be another chance and my appendix wont get in the way of it next time...

This is it....

Meg and I just got back from test driving the XC90. It's Volvo's midsize SUV. I love it !!! We dove the 2006 silver with black leather interier. The rear window was a little hard to get use to. It seams so small. I love that it was such a smooth ride compared to the Explorer. The Volvo is the safest SUV out there, it's built as one frame. Which helps with stability control system. Yeah I'm sold it only took 60 seconds for me to figure out It's what I really want. Thanks Chris for helping us, and offering us all that soda. I'd buy a car from you!

Loves water again...

I can't believe I made it through 12 hours a day all MLK weekend of SCUBA DIVING.
It has been 7 years since my slight incident with running out of air during my last scuba trip. The first time I went swimming again in the ocean again was 3 years ago at Long Beach, Long Island. This scuba course was another big steep for me. Dan has been a good friend the whole time telling me there's no pressure with this dive trip. Only 12 more days until I'm diving in Grand Cayman Island!!!

This was before the race, it was freezing...
Cooper and Elle made us a sign and waited a long time for us to run by
Mile 20, it was really great to see Cassie's family here, just 6 more to go
We did it!!

Well I set the year off right by knocking out 26.2 miles in the Arizona Rock & Roll marathon. I ran it with my friend Cassie. I never would have been able to make it with out her!!!! We only got up to 14 miles in out training. With different schedules, some knee injures and 30 degree tempters to work with made it difficult at times. In fact I flew there thinking we were going to skip the race or at the very least run in the half marathon. Well when Cassie and her sister picked me up from the airport, she said we are doing it! I'm so glad we did. There was so much excitement in the air the day of the race. I was feeling pretty good until about mile 7. That's when I questioned myself on what in the world I was doing, there was so many more miles to go. Cassie uploaded music on are ipods, the night before. Their were some great songs that were good to run to, and others that entertained me and gave me a bolt of energy. Around mile 23 /24 I was having trouble. By then my legs were like caring heavy weight as I ran. Their was pain but just ignored it. Their was no way I would quit now. The finish line was almost there. Cassie and I ran the whole 26.2 miles together and finished in 5 hours and 5 minutes. I love to tell people that we beat Katie Holmes time when she ran her NYC marathon. We did amazingly well, Thank you Cassie for pushing me when I needed the little push. This was her first marathon and I'm so proud of you. You did amazing!!! Now that the high is over and pain gradually subsided, it's sad to see all those memories fade off in the distance. Although we just saw the movie The Spirit of a Marathon. Which I can say was inspired to run the Chicago Marathon next!