MidSummer Night Dream Women's 5K 2014

I heard about this race on Thursday afternoon. Sounded fun so I asked around to a few friends to see who might be willing to run it with me. My head was on crooked, so I thought it was Saturday night. Shannon had a Thursday night commitment and her head was on crooked too, so she declined. Aimee was planning another 5K on Saturday morning and wasn't sure how she felt about doing 2 5Ks back-to-back. I bullied her into it. She told me it was Friday night. Yikes.

So, I got a text from Aimee on Friday afternoon. She signed up. Now I have to do it!! So, I signed up too.

Had to pick up my bib at the race site. So, I drove down and skipped the parking lot to park a few blocks away down a muddy dirt and gravel road. Aimee tried out the parking lot and got a primo spot. Turns out everyone thought the parking lot would be full, so they just bypassed it. Lots of open spots. I walked through the mud, picked up my packet, walked back through the mud to my car to drop off my packet, and back through the mud to the race site. The shirts are kind of cool with wings on the back.

The finisher medal was in the bag. I can go home now, right?
Crap!! Water bottle is in the car. I didn't want to go through the mud again.

Guess what Aimee does for a living . . .

Pre-race selfie

Had a pre-race margarita, but didn't find the martinis. 










Ran into a few other friends doing the race. Jennifer is a fitness BEAST, but she won't admit to that. Loralei is 12 (I think, maybe 10?) and has already done a half-marathon and 12 5Ks. She is going to be a formidable woman!!! 

The run was fun. Lots of women, easy course . . .flat and winding on nicely paved golf trails. Cute guys in short shorts handing out water at multiple water stops. Turns out I didn't need my bottle afterall. Seeing a path of women lighting the way ahead of us was really quite beautiful. So many women dressed up. It was a real party atmosphere. Wings, and glitter, and tutus, and masks. . . .I wore my peacock kit, but it doesn't show up like wings. I'm not so much for dressing up for races, so this was as close as I get.

Aimee and I are exactly the same pace, so it was great. We talked the whole way and I am always more impressed by her the more I learn about her. I am still learning my new Garmin and what all the vibrations mean. I also have old lady eyes and can't read the fine print after a vibration to know if I'm in a walk interval or run interval. So, except for water, we ran the first 2 miles and then were spent. We walked a few times during the third mile and had a sprint to the finish . . .we couldn't let the walker in front of us finish ahead of us.

Had some water. Aimee ate some meat on a stick. Found cookies. Relaxed a while and headed home for an early work day on Saturday. (Post script . . . Aimee did do the 5K on Saturday morning, she ROCKS!!!)

Post-race selfie

A few days later, I saw a FB post on a group I joined that is running Beat the Blerch in Seattle in September. She posted her first 5K picture and I thought I recognized the shirt. Here is some small world stuff . . .she lives in San Antonio, she grew up in the town I was born in and lived for the first 8 years of my life (just 2 years younger than me), she graduated from the same university as several of my family members, her birthday is a few days after mine, her wedding anniversary is a few days before mine. I have a new FB friend, and as soon as our schedules allow it, hopefully a new real-life friend. Now, isn't that a cool way to finish a race?

Escape Monthly June 2014--Vegas Baby!!!

Escape Monthly is a destination-inspired monthly delivery of luxury products to help you relax, renew and escape! Indulge in experiences inspired by luxurious spas, tropical getaways, cultures of the world and more! - See more at: http://escapemonthly.com. If I can't take a real vacation every month, at least I can pretend with a vacation in a box. One monthly box includes a trip to the destination. If you just can't live without any extras of items in the box, you can buy them at escapemonthly.com/offers for a discount. All you have to do is enter your email address and they will send you a coupon code for the discount. They are now offering a less expensive (but no discounts) on a mini-box. It has fewer items (4-5 instead of 8, and no travel guide), but still full-size and costs $24.95. 

I was out of town when the boxes shipped and saw reviews before I opened my box. Even knowing what to expect, I was excited. I really really like the chevron pattern. I don't know why, but it makes me happy. 

Every regular box comes with a travel guide and this one came with the Moon Travel Guide. Always handy, but I'm getting quite a collection. I like Vegas and Nevada has other interesting locations, so I suppose it may come in handy one day. I'm starting to think I may be getting too many guides that will just collect dust because they will be outdated if, and when, I get around to using them. Retail $19.99  

3 Girls Holistic Calming Mist Body Spray. I like body sprays, but I'm amassing a collection of these also. This one smells nice, lavender. There was a little spillage, I think, in my box, because the box smelled like lavender when I opened it. Retail $12     

Iadora Charcoal Salt Body Scrub. I love body scrubs. This doesn't smell soft, but it is very softening for the skin. It does have a charcoal smell, so not everyone will like it. I don't mind it and it does work to moisturize my knees and elbows, which need the help. Retail $15                   

Vegas Wine Stopper. Who doesn't need a wine stopper? I can easily get some use out of this, and it's kind of cute. :) Retail $5.39

Las Vegas Shot Glass. Again, there is always a little extra room for another shot glass in my cabinet. Retail $3.95.

Tahoe Toffee Candy Company. The card said "gift box", but it isn't, so I'm not sure the value. I would estimate $2? But, alas, toffee means butter which means dairy. I gave it to a friend and she liked it.

And more items that I might have picked up at a souvenir shop.

Authentic Clipped Casino Playing Cards. These are previously used and clipped so they can't be used for counting. Kind of neat. Would be good to pack in a bag when going on a trip. Retail $4.99

Vegas Nail File. I always keep files in purses and cars and desks, so another one comes in handy. Retail $1.25

I'm still on the fence about this subscription box. It's pricey at full price $49.95. I have 20% off for life, so I pay $39.95, which is similar to other boxes I get. The value of this box was $64.57 including the travel guide. I would like to see higher value as my other boxes are valued at double (or more) than their price point making me feel like I got a bargain. And this box had a lot of little things that I could have picked up at a souvenir shop, so they don't feel special and aren't necessarily the items I would choose for myself. Not bad, just not really what I would have spent my $$ on. Next month is India and I'm looking forward to something exotic, so I will see how I feel after that one comes out.

(This post contains affiliate links. These opinions are my own and are unsolicited. I have not received any compensation for my comments.)

PopSugar MustHave June 2014

PopSugar Must Have boxes are like a Christmas stocking in a box every month. Last month my box came late in the month. So far, I have really liked almost everything in the boxes. They are filled with little things I might not purchase for myself, but that I enjoy. That's how a gift should be. This is a gift I give myself, but I don't have to do the shopping. I was excited to receive my box. I was out of town with the box shipped and I saw reviews on-line before I had a chance to open my box, but I was still excited to see what was in store.

PopSugar Must Have is a monthly subscription box of hand-selected items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness, and food. It's not a box of sample items. I love the variety . . .it's not just make-up or food or whatever. Everything is full-sized. Price is $39.95 per month, and they have 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans that lower the effective monthly box. Seems that almost every month there is a $10OFF code that can be found on-line.  So, you could un-subscribe and subscribe on a regular basis to get the best deal, while not missing out. They also offer single-purchase premium boxes at different times of the year. Every box comes with a card detailing the items. 

The One and Only by Emily Griffin. This a a 418 page romance by a New York Times Bestselling author. Nice light fiction is good for summer months. I have heard mixed reviews and I suppose it depends on the type of reading you do. Seems like it would be pretty relaxing reading by the pool. I'm currently in the middle of another series that I can't put down, so this one will wait. Retail $28






You Smell Wet Wipes. I  think the name is funny. They are individually wrapped and supposed to smell lemony, but I have to admit I haven't tried them yet. They are free of pthalates and parabens, and I like environmentally friendly. Handy to toss in a beachbag to have if you need a wipe for hand-cleaning. . .or otherwise. Retail $5


One Potato Two Potato Kettle Potato Chips Hawaiian BBQ. Do I have to admit it? I opened these and ate the whole bag immediately. I liked the texture, but I am a fan of kettle chips. Hawaiian BBQ is always a little sweet for me, but these weren't too strong. I'm going to Hawaii in a few weeks, so it set the mood. Retail $1.50





Sacha Juan Body Lotion in Shiny Citrus. I have a lot of lotion, but I keep trying more. I liked it. Clean and fresh smelling, but not really heavy. It went on light and wasn't greasy. I need to use more lotion because it has been a pretty drying summer. This one would do the trick. Retail $24




Lollies Hair Ties. I have long thick hair and always need hair ties. These didn't stretch out too quickly and didn't pull my hair, so a win in my book. I like the braid and ring. Seems to give a little function and style. And, as a curly top always has a hair tie on her wrist, these were cute. Retail $8


Turkish T Towel. I don't know why, but I was expecting a beach towel. This is a soft fabric that is thicker than a scarf, but not plush like a towel. I think it would be great to cover a pool lounge chair, or even wear a a sarong. I like the light summery color. It will add to my closet and I hope I get some use out of it, but it will require me to remember to take it to the pool (in addition to a towel for drying) or it will require some creativity for use in my wardrobe. Retail $32




Native Union $15 Voucher. I'm not really a fan of gift cards to places where I will be forced to spend more $$ in order to use the card. Native Union is a tech gadgetty site with some cool things, but nothing I really need and nothing that isn't  pretty pricey. Although valued at $15, for me, it has no value because I don't think it will be used.


Overall, I'm pretty happy about the June box. It was very summery and felt right for summer vacation. I paid $39.95 because I haven't been canceling and joining with a discount code. I suppose I could, but that would take effort and I'm feeling a little lazy. I like a bargain and the value of the box was $113.50 ($98.50 if you take out the voucher I won't use and probably won't have anyone to gift it to), so still a deal.

I'm looking forward to July.

(This post contains affiliate links. These opinions are my own and are unsolicited. I have not received any compensation for my comments.)

Galapagos 2014--Overview

I have wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands for as long as I can remember. I recently found a travel brochure that I have been saving since 2002 about planning a trip. The Musician and I realized that for several years, OK, most of our almost 15-year marriage, we haven't really taken "vacations." We've been places, but mostly the same old thing, and for several years, not really much beyond visiting family (and housesitting in Hawaii . . .different story). This year was a milestone for me with promotion and we decided to bite the bullet, and not cheap out on travel. We booked a week-long trip on a 16-person (plus crew) catamaran to the Galapagos. There are so many islands to see, that there is no way to see it all in a week, but we packed in a lot. We took almost 2,000 pictures, so there is no way to post everything and I'm planning to write a little post about each day separately over the coming week or so with more details of each day. So much was packed in that I have to write it all down now, or I will never remember it all.

But, a general overview . . .we booked through O.A.R.S. and they contract through R.O.A.M. We found out we were passengers 10-11 and the first 9 were from one family. We saw a group of 5 adults and 4 children (ages 12-17) in the Houston Airport and they seemed excited about a trip to the Galapagos, so we barged in and asked . . .sure enough, it was our group. Among them were 2 doctors and a professional photographer and some really cool people. They are now extended family to us. In Quito, we met a representative from O.A.R.S. who was going on a "familiarization" trip, another passenger (doctor #4), and a representative from R.O.A.M. who was learning the trip to be a tour leader in the future.

I was anxious about landing in Quito, but shouldn't be. The formerly 9th most dangerous airport in the world is now a city park and we landed at the new airport about 45 minutes out of the city. In the wee hours, the whole group was taken to our lodging. Casa de Hacienda "La Jimenita" is a former farmhouse that is being converted to a spa hotel with 20 rooms (currently 12). It was beautiful. The rooms are lovely.

 

The grounds were beautiful.  The beds were comfortable. The food was amazing. And . . .we were greeted by the resident English Bulldog, Faris Francois, who followed us to our room to make sure we felt comfortable.  The people also were so welcoming and wanted us to feel like it was our home . . .except ours is not as nice.

We had a day tour before leaving for the Islands. I was surprised that the Galapagos is 600 miles off the coast and was a 2 1/2 hour flight . . .with a time change. After meeting our park naturalist guide and crew, and settling into our cabin, we set sail on Nemo III...On the island, we met one more passenger...a cool, adventerous, 20-year-old finishing her 42 days in Ecuador and Galapagos on a Catamaran with us.



Over the next several days, we made stops on the Islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Santa Fe, Espanola, Floreana, and Bartolome. We didn't make it to the biggest Island Isabela. We learned a lot about how the islands were formed. Each location had different landscape and it felt like we were on different worlds at each location.

The plants were beautiful.  We saw lots of Blue Footed Boobies, Frigate Birds, Sea Lions (who played with us in the water), Giant Albatross, Hawks, varieties of Finches and Hummingbirds (including a vampire), Giant Land Tortoises, Sea Turtles, Land and Marine Iguanas, and so much more . . .We took videos and 1,871 pictures. The group is planning to upload the best photos so we can share. Can you imagine how many possible pictures there will be? But, still not enough to fully appreciate the beauty of the land.

I was sad to leave on the 8th day, but happy to see Faris back at the Hacienda.


We relaxed and admired the grounds before another day tour of old Quito and a red-eye home. I'm exhausted and need another vacation to recover. Back to work in the morning. But, I want to go back one day and see even more!!!!