randomness

So, since it's been a month since I've posted last, I thought I'd just make this blog entry exactly like my blog sounds...random. Random things I've been doing and thought about

1st...I just like this picture. This is the tree that it outside my office window. I've been loving the fall colors this past week. So beautiful! I could just go out to the blue ridge parkway and watch the leaves for hours during this time of year.

2nd...in college there was a saying that went, "I just pulled a Mandy." Now it was usually when you told a story that you found hilarious, but you were the only one who did so. I did something this week that made me think, "I just pulled a mandy." I was talking to Joe on the phone while cooking dinner. We all know I cannot multitask. A lot of people say this, but for me it is completely true. So, I've got the meat in the oven, the rice cooking on the stove, and I'm cutting up the broccoli. I put the broccoli in my pamper chef steamer that I use weekly. I love this little plastic container that steams your veggies in the microwave in just a few minutes. So easy to use and clean. So, I'm talking with Joe and I look over at the stove and there is smoke billowing off of one of the burners. I lift up my vegetables and tell Joe, wow...there is something really smoking on this burner. It literaly takes me about 30 sec of looking at all of this smoke to realize that what is smoking is....my plastic pampered chef steamer. That's right...in my great multitasking skills, I put it on the stove instead of in the microwave. The situation got funnier from there, but I'll end this little narative here. Dinner ended up turning out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. I love these funny stories I seem to continually supply myself with.

Another thing I did a few weeks ago was run the Chicago Marathon. I essentially ran it with two groups of people. Above is my family group :) I ran it with my brother and two cousins. They all rocked in this marathon! It was Bryan's first, and I really can't say enough how proud I am of him. This marathon for me was not the best. I actually hope to not repeat the experience again. I got dehydrated and essentially had to walk A LOT at the end (I'll spare you the gory details). My brother and cousins waited for me for a couple hours at the finish line. Bryan was so wonderful and had flowers for me. I really am so glad I just finished though. The other group I got to run it with were two girls I ran the Great Wall of China marathon with back in May 07. Brenna lives in Seattle and Judy lives in London. The three of us agreed that this marathon was harder for all of us than doing the Great Wall marathon. Crazy. And, in case you wondering...yes I actually think I would do another marathon. I'll keep you updated on that :)

The weekend after the marathon I got together with some of my dearest, dearest friends...The Appgirls. A group of seven of us girls from college share an email address called appgirls. I am so blessed to keep in touch with them over the years. After college we would meet up in Boone, NC for a weekend reunion once a year, but this stopped a few years ago. Well, we picked it back up again last month spending the weekend in Greensboro together. It was absolutely wonderful. We honestly talked the entire weekend. The TV didn't get turned on once. Have I said it was great?! We've already got a date set for our next reunion...and it's not a year away. I know I can't wait another year before getting together with these girls. Hopefully next time I'll have a picture to share with you of these dear friends.

Okay, that's enough randomness for this email. I'm procrastinating packing for a weekend trip to the mountains. I still need to shower and pack in the next 1.5hrs....