Merry Christmas!

The holidays came and went in a blink of an eye . We had a great time at our work holiday party and then rung in Christmas Eve with a surprise for Eddie, an American Christmas at the Hotel Del Coronado, a dinner and musical in one. We left work at 4p and while Eddie had no idea where we were heading, we arrived at the grand hotel at 5p, scoring the few spots left in the lot. Since we had a time before the show start, we sat outside next to a firepit and ordered a caprese salad and a beer for Eddie. It was a picture perfect night with a toasty fire and carolers nearby. As we neared the start of the show, we ran into a co-worker who was kind enough to take our photo. From there, we were welcomed into the grand ballroom by the performers who greeted us in character with cups of hot cider, salami, mortodella, and other goodies awaiting us. The show kicked off with introduction to the characters who set the stage for the early 1900s. Each course was introduced with a song. The four course meal ended with silent night and cheese cake (the best cheese cake ever by the way). By the time we got home, it was 10:30p. Eddie loved it!

The next day, I slept till 11a (which never happens, but I guess I needed it). Eddie went to church and picked up bagels and donuts. A great start to a great day as we ended up opening gifts and sharing some laughs. Thankfully, Carls Jr. was open since I forgot to get us something for lunch. Dinner included ham, corn, rice, stuffing, and crescent rolls. Too full for the apple pie I bought. As the meal concluded, Eddie remarked he was sad it's over. However, there more to look forward to. My dad and brother's arrival tomorrow, New Years, the So Cal Half, Las Vegas, National Conference, Eddie's birthday just to name a few.

 

Company Holiday Party...and the best dressed award goes to...

Looking forward to a great show at the Hotel Del Coronado

An Active Thanksgiving

Eddie often remarks, "Wow, we've had an active day." I'm not sure if Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of rest. I suppose some look forward to doing nothing and watching TV, but it's so much more enjoyable to do something out of the ordinary, get outside, and use Thanksgiving as a kick start to the holidays. So this year, I signed us up for our first ever Oceanside Turkey Trot and donned our Carlsbad Running Lab shirts courtesy of my running coach who registered us as team for the race. It wasn't easy getting out of bed at 6a on a holiday, but once we were up, we were so glad to be together at the start line of a fun and fast race by the ocean. The mood was festive with many runners in costumes and turkey hats (much to Eddie's disappointment he never got one). Here's our take on the Turkey Trot and there's not a lot we would change.

Pros
Well organized
Nice quality shirts
Awesome medals
Plenty of bars and fruit at the finish
Flat course
Late start time 8:20a
Announcer continuously reminded the crowd to line up in the right corral

Cons
No water bottles - cups of warm water instead

While few places were open for breakfast, I managed to find a pho place close by. That meal was highly forgettable, but I did take Eddie to a new donut place that he really liked. Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey legs, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, roasted vegetables, rice, biscuits, and cranberry sauce. My favorite was the lingon berry/apple cider from Ikea that was slightly tart. We set up our first artificial Christmas tree while celebrating our first Thanksgiving in our new home. I love our scented tree ornaments that makes our home smell like a real tree. We decorated while listening to holiday classics.

My surprise for Eddie delivered to the office.

 

Eddie high fived this gnome named Jerome during the race.

Feeling chipper and ready to start the race.

 

The start line on a gorgeous sunny 65 degrees day.

Done! When do we eat?

The Carlsbad Running Lab Team

 

0 miles and Tons Food

We went way off the grid on this most recent trip to San Francisco. With heavy rains and cold weather, it wasn't exactly enticing to run outside. So we dined on dim sum, pizza, beer, and then my Aunt Tina surprised us with an early Thanksgiving dinner. While we could have saved Eddie some dough by not stopping at the casino on the way home from Russian River Brewery, I guess it wouldn't have been as memorable as we had many firsts on this trip such as the first time doing a beer tasting with my family, first time eating pizza at a restaurant as a family (always done delivery), first time I saw my brother and Eddie get a little tipsy at 12p PT. Just did my Monday run and feel every mile of it. 3 day work week - here I come!


My brother and Eddie - it's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Dad's Masterpiece - a hot pot dinner.

Eddie and Pliney the Elder

 

7.5 Miles and a Surprise Trip to Irvine

Our weekend didn't start or end the way I expected. The schedule said 10 miles, but we ended up both running 7.5. With the sun glaring and the finish location just too close, I opted not to run the extra 2.5 miles. I just wasn't feeling it, but I was delighted to see Eddie walking towards me at the finish, greeting me with a huge smile. It was the toughest 7.5 I've done in quite some time. As all runners know, we all just have those days. After our run, we were eating breakfast when Eddie said he had a surprise for me. He had booked a getaway for us in Irvine! I had been wanting to get away for a while and I couldn't believe he had planned this for us. He took me home so I could pack, and after lunch, we headed up north.

Eddie had scoped everything out in advance. The hotel we stayed at was nearby plenty of shopping and entertainment. We saw Beyond the Lights, a romantic comedy that I'd wanted to see, and we both really enjoyed it. It was really nice to spend some time with my hubby. It was so thoughtful of Eddie to surprise me! What a gentleman.



Irvine Spectrum - it was great to spend the day walking outside.

They even have a ferris wheel.

9 and One of Us it Not Feeling Fine

After a strong finish of 9, one of us is not feeling all that fine. With a headache and a bit of fatigue, Eddie isn't totally in tip top shape, but maybe corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage will help him feel better tonight. We had a nice breakfast with eggs, pancakes, and sausage. Eddie had his usual eggs omelet. We couldn't find a good comedy on Netflix so we opted for Side Effects, which was a thriller but we found it terribly slow. Eddie fell asleep but came to when Clueless came on. I guess the thriller wasn't so thrilling. We're getting some house stuff done tonight, and I'm looking forward to a productive week and more activities next weekend!

Traning Schedule - 10 weeks to Half Marathon

17 11/8/2014 9 mi
18 11/15/2014 10 mi
19 11/22/2014 8 mi
20 11/29/2014 10 mi
21 12/6/2014 11 mi
22 12/13/2014 8 mi
23 12/20/2014 10 mi
24 12/27/2014 12 mi
25 1/3/2015 8 mi (or 6 mi since we're running the half next week)
26 1/10/2015 So Cal Half

8 Miles

We started with over 200 pieces of candy and had about half left at the end of our first Halloween at our new home. Our showpiece were lanterns that lit up and spoke when people approached. It was fun to see the kids' reactions, which ranged from scared, curious, and delighted. It was a busy night shuffling between providing directions to a lost pizza delivery boy with poor cell reception to non-stop visitors. Thankfully, the pizza and wings did show even if it was almost 2hrs later. We really felt the fall weather arrive when a very loud rainstorm woke us up at night and our 7a run was met with a strong cold winds . Still - we made it through 8 miles and both finished strong. Despite Eddie's work travel this week, I was proud to see him run ahead with a burst of energy in the second half.

While there are many reasons I love my hubby, today gave me one more reason. After our run, he suggested we go for Pho for breakfast. Thank goodness for places that open at 9am, because it was exactly what we needed after running outside on a cold day. I wonder if they're open on Thanksgiving? We are doing a turkey trot after all. We also bought a 7ft Christmas tree today that Eddie says we can set up on Thanksgiving. Bring on the turkey legs, stuffing and cranberry sauce, we're ready!



Is Eddie a pilot or old man from Up?

9 Miles

I can't say that this 9 miles was enjoyable. Actually, it was downright hard. Eddie felt like he could have ran 10, but afterwards, we both agreed we felt like we ran a half marathon. It was the longest distance we've ran in a long time so I suppose it should not have come as a huge surprise, but it always does. Shouldn't we feel like this a breeze with 7 halfs behind us? Just goes to show that you've got to be really committed, which is why I'm so glad Eddie has really kept us accountable to our scheduled mileage. Our long awaited backyard is finally finished. Thanks to my hubby for helping with our projects this week! We are slowly but surely making our house a home.


Happy Halloween! We are preparing for a slew of trick or treaters this Friday.

Oktoberfest and 8 Glorious Miles

After a long hiatus, we've returned. Yes, faithful readers, the long awaited return of our running stories, race reviews, and weekend jaunts has finally come. As I was reading our entries from years prior last night, I realized just how many great memories we have already. It's so easy to forget. That's why we decided to returne. We still have so much more to experience and we've only just begun our journey. 

 

So here's the latest and greatest.  We got married in June, followed by a wedding reception in May, followed by a new home, alongside a new job, and did I mention we're training for our 7th half marathon together? With Eddie's encouragement, he signed us up for our running group once again and I have to admit waking up at 6am on the weekends aren't as tough as they use to be. The 8mi run last week was tough for Eddie, but OK for me. In fact, I'm actually looking forward to our 9mi run this Saturday. Eddie has been extremely upbeat this training season. Hard to believe that just a few years I never thought he'd ever say yes to my crazy idea of doing a half marathon. Now he's waking me up on Saturday!

 

The past few months have been a blur of handymen, furniture delivery people, and stuff and more stuff. So I'm happy to report, that life is finally beginning to gain some semblance of what we had before. For Eddie, this means regular home cooked meals, which makes him happy.

  

 

Oktoberfest - We had  "free" bratwurst, potato salad, pretzels, strudel and beer, finally putting our HOA fees to good use.

 

One of the  best pho places ever and we found it in Palm Springs.



A San Elijo Hills Sunset. Gorgeous!

Married in Kauai

Where we got married at Poipu Beach at this very spot, which is very bit as magical as it looks.

It was a significant milestone to have survived our respective bachelorette and bachelor happy hours (x2 for me). I can honestly say that I've consumed more alcohol in the last month than I have in my entire 30s so were delighted to finally be off to Kauai to get married. At long last, after months of planning and anticipation, we were so glad to discover that we 100% made the right choice to celebrate our marriage and honeymoon on this island.

Here are some highlights from our trip - where we visited and where we ate:
Day 1 - R&R/Lavas @ the Sheraton - Best Wings/Puka Dog
Day 2 - Get marriage certificate at a very official government office - The Wine Shop and get a cabana on the beach/Koloa Fish Market - Best Mac Salad and Laulau
Day 3 - Kauai Movie Tour/Tahiti Nui Bar - Best Mai-Tais
Day 4 - Get married!/Tidepools @ the Hyatt
Day 5 - Kilohana Plantation and Train Tour/Mark's Place - Best Teriyaki Chicken
Day 6 - Kauai Coffee Plantation Tour
Day 7 - Good bye for now Kauai!

Can you believe you get your marriage license at The Wine Shop?

 

The Puka Dog, a hot dog inserted in a cylindrical bun with delicious sauces. We choose the spicy chili sauce with mustard and coconut relish. We would definitely eat this again!

Wailua Falls - the backdrop of many famous movies and shows, like Fantasy Island.

The Coco Palms Hotel, made popular by the movie Blue Hawaii, is being renovated. It will be great to see it when it's done.

Waimea River - the photo does not do it justice.

Our fabulously entertaining tour guide, Mickey, from Alabama. He was hilarious.

George Clooney filmed The Descendants here - also where we ate lunch and enjoyed a mai-tai.

I made a friend at the Kilohana Plantation.



We were given bread to feed the goats. I admit I was a little nervous at first, but they are so friendly!

These wild pigs were hungry and angry, squealing at baby pigs to get away from their food.

A baby pig - so cute!

 

Just got my make-up done for the big day and wearing my just married shirt already.

 

Our big day.

Eddie's first luau (not to be mistaken for lua which means the restroom in Hawaiian).

Eddie asked me to dance to a song by Elvis at the Luau.

Opening act - hula dancers.

Chickens are everywhere on the island. It was a very strange sight to see when we first arrived.

On our coffee tour and it's very hot - we couldn't wait to get back to air conditioning.

After missing the malasadas (Portuguese donuts) from two previously failed attempts, we finally made it. When the sign says back at 2pm, it really means back whenever. This plays open "around 10a" which can mean 11a.

These malasadas reminded Eddie of dessert at Michael Mina's restaurant in Atlantic City, but these were 3 for $1.50. Amazing!

 

Dad's 64th B-Day and a Coyote

Eddie and I celebrated my Dad's 64th birthday in San Francisco with an 8 course seafood feast followed by a decadent chocolate cake. He looks pretty happy here, and I know it's because we were all together. Of course, as is customary with any SF trip, however, it's possible even Eddie hit his threshold for Chinese food. Since my brother has season Warrior tickets, he and Eddie got to see a game.

My mom and I enjoyed a nice run/walk together that morning at a Lands End, one my favorite routes with picturesque views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our run was cut short by an encounter with a coyote that crossed our path. Posted signs suggested we throw rocks or clap loudly, but we opted to turn around and hope it wasn't chasing after us. We survived unscathed.

To make up for the shortened run, I decided I to run to the Golden Gate Bridge the next day, a hilly 7 mil trek. It was one of those perfect mornings quiet, cool, and slightly misty. As soon as I got to the bridge, the rain began pouring down hard and I still had 4 miles to go before getting home. I don't mind rain, but I wasn't wearing a windbreaker and the water began to make my eyes sting. My mom and Eddie were waiting for me when I got back, I was completely drenched. I felt like I was 10yrs old again when my mom ordered me to take a shower before I caught a cold. Some things never change.

Of course, we also did some wedding stuff. My mom had set up the cake tasting and we selected a very unique wedding cake and flavor - that will have to be surprise. Eddie, my Dad, and I went to select floral arrangements. As bride, I never knew how many decisions need to be made. Now that decisions have been made, I feel like I can finally look forward to the celebration.


Dad's Chocolate Cake

 



Coyote - not the actual coyote, but it looked like this only bigger.

From A House Mouse to a House

Marvin's arrival and departure might have been a sign that maybe it was time to move. While I am always looking at homes online to keep a pulse on the market, I never considered anything too seriously. That all changed when I saw our future home. It was love at first sight for both of us. We choose the flooring, tile, and carpets in record time, because we agreed on everything. What can I say? We have great taste! I love being by the beach, but I'm very much looking forward to hiking and running the 18 miles of trails around the area. This weekend we went on an adventure to find a new restaurant closer to our new place. What was supposed to take 15 minutes ended up taking an hour, but the journey was fun. We went on a hike afterwards and enjoyed some laughs and great views. We were glad to have pizza delivered tonight after all the activity today. Another great weekend with my fiancé and the best part is we still have Sunday.

We said yes to the house!

 

We personally selected our flooring, carpet, and tile. Love the dark wood.

My rugged man on hike with a full beard.

 

House Mouse and 1020

Eddie was awoken at 11:45p by an unexpected visitor, a house mouse we would eventually name Marvin. A curious mouse, he snuck in through the spare bathroom and ran onto Eddie's flip flop, before scurrying back into the bathroom only to peer his tiny head from the doorway once again. All this happened unbeknownst to me who was sound asleep. A few hours later and numerous articles on the internet, Eddie had become an overnight expert on house mice, lining the bottom of the bathroom door with a towel to trap him temporarily. Apparently, Marvin works pretty hard, because by the next day, he had managed to leave wood shavings from an attempt to break into the kitchen. He'd been working all night. Thankfully, Eddie has a heart for animals and so we found a humane trap, filled it with peanut butter (a house mouse favorite) and the next day, Eddie released the mouse out on a grassy field 200 ft away from the house. Marvin was free at last.

Besides a visit from our furry friend, we finished the inaugural 1020 Race today in Del Mar today. Yes, we still run, despite the absence of blog posts lately. It was a cool, misty morning that became a gorgeous sunny afternoon. As Eddie and I discussed our run today over a meal we could not agree to call breakfast or lunch, we felt grateful that it was a 10 mi race today and not a half marathon, we both agreed it was a well run race and felt fortunate to live in such a fantastic spot for running, and we were proud of our achievement but recognized the need to be more disciplined about our training.

Pros
Well-organized
Timely start
Efficient parking
Fantastic medal - the largest medal we've earned to date
Quality tech shirt
Plentiful bands on the course (unlike the Rock n Roll races which seem to spread out)
Unlimited portions of goodies post race (tangerines, bananas, peanut butter crackers, fruit chews, water)
Clean bathrooms - what treat to use real bathrooms at the Del Mar fairgrounds
Flat course except for a few hills

Cons
Loop course (this is only my comment - Eddie likes loop courses but I find these boring)
1-2 more water stations (one water station had no cups)
Lack of music at the start of the race
Expo was a snoozer with only 8 vendors, but I think that will change in the coming years
 

Where's Waldo? Can you find us in this photo?

At the finish line

Eddie's 40th Birthday - Special Guests Elvis and Jerry Rice

We had an incredible kick-off to Eddie's 40th. First, we somehow managed to choreograph a successful surprise party. Thankfully, I had a lot of great helpers that kept our plan mum. He was shocked! Elvis paid a visit to the party and very appropriately sang, "Viva Las Vegas" since we were leaving that day at 12:30p for our flight. 40ish friends and work colleagues shared in the celebration. It was a blast for everyone. For the birthday boy, he was sincerely surprised and so touched that all the managers had chipped in for the Elvis surprise. We ate a little at our potluck, but then we had to leave to head to Vegas! I had planned the trip as a surprise gift, but he already knew. However, he didn't know I hired a sleek sedan to pick us up at the airport - total surprise. We weren't disappointed once we arrived either. We won $400 in the first few minutes on a slot machine. Better yet, the next day after my run, I decided to take a walk. I saw a sign that Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver of all time, was signing autographs in 15 minutes at a store in the hotel. What?! I walked there, and sure enough, there he was! Thankfully, Eddie had woken up in his nap and headed down to meet him together. We had a wonderful trip and it's not even Eddie' real b-day yet.

Eddie walks in and SURPRISE!

Elvis singing "Viva Las Vegas" and Eddie sitting center front.

Elvis working the room.

Eddie sang "Hound Dog" and pictured here strutting some moves.

Now Eddie's really in the groove.

I was giddy when presenting Eddie his b-day cake.

Our guests cheering Eddie on!

Eddie's 40th - a totally unforgettable event!

Elvis and us.

Jerry Rice and us.