Great Aloha Run

Well, we did it! We participated in the 25th Annual Great Aloha Run, which was our first time running this 8.15-mile race, and actually accomplished our goals...

1. Don't stop running!

2. Finish under 1h 30min

Here's the evidence!

Before...

After!!!

Here are our finishing times...

Mike 1:21:01

Greg: 1:21:55

Ash: 1:21:58

Can't say we weren't tired, though! Greg and I took two naps during the day, and were in bed by 10pm (two hours earlier than normal for us). What a day, though. We'll wear our "Finisher" shirts with pride!

(Sorry the pics aren't so great, they were taken on the iPhone.)

My Week (Thus Far) In Pictures...

Superbowl Sunday... Or in my fiance's words, "football, football, football, football" (**insert drool from corner of mouth)

Monday I had off. Spent it cleaning. Watching an episode of Lost was my reward. (View from master bedroom.)

Chicken saltimbocca, prepared by my loving fiance, who not only cooked, but walked the dog and went grocery shopping. (Only error - couldn't find the right cheese for this 5-star recipe, so inserted mozerella string cheese instead. Classic! Tasted awesome, though.)

The "Manah Manah" muppets... see one post prior to this one.

P.F. Chang's for dinner. Yum!

Saw this clip on another blogger's site, and had to add it. Poor Gladys must be related to my mom's side of the family... bless her heart. :)

**update**
I know... it's the day of the youtube videos, but had to post this one. I dedicate it to my Dad, not only so he doesn't feel left out (see post above), but also because he and I used to ALWAYS sing this when I was little. Yes, I am a muppet-raised child.

Sorry, it's been over a week since I last posted. Not too much new to share except this one exciting moment from last weekend. Here's the setting - I was covering a ten-hour wrestling match (yes... ten hours), which was way too long. I know I was tired, bored, and somewhat figety, so I was very surprised that this little boy (who must have been 2 or 3) was behaving so well. He sat patiently and watched his brother wrestle in two matches, and although he kept inching closer and closer to the mats, he never misbehaved. After his brother was finished, I glanced over and noticed that the little boy was donning his brother's wresting headgear. The official must have noticed him, too, because he carried the little boy out onto the mat and staged a match with him, even letting him win (see below).

It's life's little moments like this that keep me going. Have a great day, friends!

In Training...

Greg and I decided a few months ago to attempt to tackle the Great Aloha Run this year. It's an 8.15 mile run, and will be held on President's Day, February 16. The training for this run will (hopefully) help us get into shape, get ready for the wedding, and grow closer as a family - because true emotions show after you've pounded the pavement for hours.

We were supposed to tackle our first 6-mile run of the training session this past Sunday (with Katsu in tow... he's an awesome runner). Greg's been doing great at plotting out our workouts, minus the one incident of running at night on a two mile stretch with no lighting. Well, we hit another blunder, and the path ran out of sidewalks and practically took us on the freeway. Oops! We did make it home, a bit exhausted, and found out that we'd actually almost run 7 miles instead. Needless to say, we were a bit exhausted...

(Too tired to stand to drink water...)

(Having the right running shoes makes all the difference...)

Rainy Day

God must have known that I was sad about having to work 8 hours tomorrow on my 25th birthday, so he gave me Friday off instead... in the form of a major rain and wind storm. Every school on island is out because of it, which means for me it's definitely one of those stay-at-home-and-get-everything-cleaned-and-straightened days. Well, that was my intention at least. Here's a photo of self-incriminating evidence of how I actually spent my rain-granted vacation.

Everything a girl could need within arm's reach... The computer to update blog, the remote for the TV, my phone, Starbucks (the true sign of a relaxing day), craft magazines, and craft supplies galore. Perfection.

Don't worry... Katsu had his own fun, too!

Brilliance

Now don't get me wrong. Those who know me... I mean, really know me... know that I love my puppy as if he were my child. And those who own Goldens will also agree, this breed of dog is loving, compasionate, and loyal beyond belief. You can view the heart and soul of these dogs just by peering into their eyes.

But those same owners of this loving, good-natured breed will also agree with me when I say they aren't always the brightest stars in the sky.

Enjoy the video below, an example and testament to this fact.

Poor Katsu. I love you buddy. Thanks for always entertaining me.