Sea Level is for Sissies

Or so they say at the BolderBoulder , so I didn't really train for the Hamptons Half Marathon. Needless to say, 13.1 miles is not for sissies, no matter what the altitude. The half marathon did not represent my finest judgement. I may or may not have done the following.

• Tapered for two weeks, and by taper I mean "not run."
• Forget to eat breakfast.
• Stay up until midnight the night before while still suffering from jet lag.
  
• Pop the same pill I took when I got my wisdom teeth removed before the race. You still feel the pain, you just don't care about it.*
  

I think that's about it. I ran the race with my sister Carly. This was her first and hopefully not last half marathon. And it was in the Hamptons. And we stayed in the Hamptons. And the race swag was really great. On my list of Half Marathons, this might be the best one I've ran, despite the time!**

Carly, Adam, and me, Post Race.

*I actually think this was one of the wiser things I did.
**I've only ran two. It's not a hard list to top.

Bike MS

I like to ride my bike.


My sisters like to ride their bikes, too.

And we love New York.
Thus, we are combining our loves and joining the National MS Society to help raise money to find a cure and better treatment options. When we raise enough money, we get to ride through New York City with NO CARS. Yeah, I wonder how often that happens. Help me join my sisters by donating here.* If you donate, I will personally deliver homemade cookies to you if you live along the Wasatch Front. If you don't live local, I will mail them to you, with a thank you note, of course.

*Update: It works now!

Tech Support

My grandparents frequently need help with their computer. I am no expert, but I frequently perform tech support for them. Here is what I should take up with me next time my assistance is required.

Tech Support Cheat Sheet from xkcd.org.

Fugly, but oh so comfortable.

It's official. Boulder has ruined me. Yesterday, I bought a pair of pants with an elastic waistband, and I like them. Fashion is a thing of the past.



You can buy your own pair here.

*For the record, they actually do look pretty good on, but I just can't get over the fact that they have an elastic waistband. Whatever. Try them on. You'll love them, too.

Far Away in the Near East

A little over a year ago, I returned from a study abroad in Jerusalem. It was, without a doubt, the best thing I did with my undergraduate education. This is my favorite picture from the trip. It's falukas on the Nile in Luxor. The picture was taken in full color, not sepia, and this is amazingly what the place really looked like.

Office Space

Here's a list of things I love about my work. I'm really not being sarcastic.

• My boss takes us out to eat at least once a week.
• Yesterday when I came in, my (male) office mate was wrapped up in a fleece Harry Potter blanket because the office is so cold.
• And he had slept in his car the previous night, too.*
• My boss yells (in a non-angry way) instead of emailing/calling/walking next door when he wants to talk to someone in another office. ("Hayleeeeeeeeeeeeeey")
• My project supervisor calls me "Hay".
• They brag about me to clients because I am currently the only female in the office. ("Look, we hired a girl!")
• I am the only female in the office. There are eight guys.
• The person I email the most is my office mate, and we sit within an arms reach of each other.
• He and I pick songs of the day, every day.
• My project supervisor compliments me on my outfits.
• My office mate has been known to address his emails to me as "howdy neighbor."
• My office is within walking distance of the Gateway. Don't worry, I still drive there...

*Although it was casual Friday, we are generally required to dress professionally, so every Friday is a bit of a shock to see people look normal, let alone walking in to him with his blanket after sleeping in his car.

Picky, Picky

I used to be a picky eater. I was reminiscing about foods I used to not like (and by not like I mean I probably hadn't tried them) and now I'm wondering what I ever ate. Here is a sampling of foods I used to not like but now I really love.

Strawberries
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Honeydew
Pineapple
Honey
Syrup
Caramel
Yams
Squash
Zucchini
Green beans
Lettuce
Peas
Scrambled Eggs
Whipped Cream
Cheesecake
Green Beans
Bagels
Mint flavored anything
Frozen Custard
Mushrooms
Avocados
Tomatoes
Granola
Rice
Beans
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Cashews
Marshmallows
Anything Asian
Lunch Meat
Dark Chocolate
Couscous
Pie

I'm amazed I didn't starve.