Mission 10 and California Trip Catch Up

Here are the race pics that I never got around to posting

The 10 mile racers:

Back Row: Paul, Zac, Loren

Front Row: Me, Erin, Melinda, Stephani, Caroline, and Amy

Mark and Josh ran the 5K with Taylor, Garrett, Parker, Zach, Tyler, and Brock.

Garret came in first in our group for the 5K. He tried to be cool and act like he was only doing it for extra credit for his PE class...but I think he was impressed with his time, I know we were!

Go G!

Josh and amy also ran the 1 mile fun run with Steven. It was so cute!

Taylor, Me, Amy pre race and freezing! (see that cute white jacket? Yah, it finally warmed up after the race started, so I took it off at mile 2. It's lost now. Boo.)

Me, Paul and Tay gettin' fired up!

Stacy (go Hollister psycho runner's group!), Me, Amy, Melinda

Paul standing by as bodygaurd ;) while we show off our Purple Pinkies...End Polio Now!

THIS is the reason I signed up for this race.

Rotary is committed to getting the Polio vaccine to the ends of the Earth, and created the Purple Pinkie Campaign as a fundraiser for their determination to End Polio Now. I support that.

If you live in America, you really do not have to worry about your child getting Polio.

You have Rotary to thank for that.

I LOVED the course: 3 miles flat/rolling, 2 miles up a crazy hill, turn around, 2 miles down the crazy hill, and 3 miles back to the finish line. Having only run one time in the 2 weeks prior to the race (Thanks for nothing flu, sinus infection, and bronchitis. You are not my friends. Please do not return to my home ever again. Ever.), I had set a goal to finish the 10 miles in under 2 hours.

It's my blog, I reserve the right to brag. I finished in 1 hour and 46 minutes. PR for me? Yes! My pace was a consistent 10 1/2 minutes for 10 miles! I'm a pretty slow runner, so this was a pretty big deal for me. Plus, I came in first out of my family...which was an even bigger deal for me ;) A BIG thanks to my family, and Paul's folks for coming to cheer! Racing is a lot more fun when you have loved ones waiting at the finish line. (How sweet is Corbin snuggled up and sleeping under his turtle blankie on my mom's lap?)

The post-race feast took place at Running Rooster. (thanks for buying, Dad-o!)

I got all of my favorites there: the spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, french fries, apricot milkshake, a big fat chocolate chip cookie, and a my other favorite: a second big fat chocolate chip cookie.

You'll notice I am wearing shorts in those pictures.

California was BEAUTIFUL.

Like, perfect.

We ate outside, sat and chatted in the sunshine, watched the birds, felt the breeze.

I am trying to remember that it will not feel like Hell has frozen over forever.

The 18 inches of Freak Snow that fell last night and today will melt.

Right?

I say it, but I don't even know if I believe it anymore.

The rest of the visit was just lovely. I helped my mom sort through a fazillion pictures, put them into frames, and covered an entire wall in the hallway with them. It looks great.

Corbin enjoyed my parent's toy closet, and had 100 books read to him by everyone.

We dined at the place where you go to eat food dreams are made of. Well, my dreams, anyway.

Corbin was PERFECT on the flights. He just sat there, holding his toys. Once we took off, he would fall asleep peacefully in my lap. I couldn't have asked for a better baby, and we still managed to get crusty looks from other passengers. A silent 20 month old on a 3 1/2 hr flight (followed by a 1 hr flight), you can't ask for anything better than that. It makes me sad that the mere presence of a child on a plane disgusts some people.

One day that I was there, my mom and I had lunch with my friend Annie, (and I finally meet her husband who dropped her off for her "date" with us) We enjoyed Erik's Deli outside (did I mention the weather was perfect?), then did a little shopping at the Gilroy Outlets, where I scored some freaking cute Aeropostle Bayla Skinny Jeans for $10 (woot) and a pair of $19 Ashley ultra skinnies. (Two pairs of jeans for $30? Double Woot.) They were so cute, we picked up a pair for Taylor, too.

Funny story: I first tried on jeans at JCrew ($60 and not as cute) but they were out of the color I wanted in the size I wanted, plus....$60? At an Outlet? Really?

I came out of the dressing room and wandered around the store looking for Annie and my Mom to get an opinion on the jeans.

Annie: Uhhh Megan? Where is your purse?

Me: Huh? What? I don't know. It's in there. Back in the dressing room. Do you like these jeans? Are they worth it? Annie? Where'd she go?

Mom: [laughs] You are not in Arkansas. You can't just leave your bag in a dressing room at the outlets!

Annie returned, carrying my bag, "I'll just hold this for you, while you shop, Sweetie."

Oops.
I guess I've been away too long?

Usually, I leave California feeling soooo glad that I don't live there anymore. Not that I don't miss my family. I do. Too much. But I usually can't get past how crowded, expensive, unsafe, and busy busy busy everything and everyone in California is, to have any desire to ever even consider moving back there.

This time was different, and I was pretty sad to leave.

I had a REALLY nice visit with my family (missed you, Scott and Kristie), we spent one evening just looking at my parents old pictures, talking, playing Farkle (ahem 6,000 point record holder, right here, folks), and laughing at funny youtube videos. I wish I could have stayed to spend more time with them...especially since I returned to Snowmageddon and we were all on house arrest for the week that followed. Next trip to Ca, I am bringing the whole family, and I am staying longer than 3 days.