13.1

My first half marathon went something like this:

Packet pick up Saturday, with beautiful clear skies and lots of sunshine.

Morning jitters Sunday - looks like I carbo-loaded a little too effectively, ha!

Race morning, cold and gloomy

A little Zumba to warm up....

a little waiting around under the big awning...

And we're off!  I started out behind this Handsome Pacer (holding the 11:00 sign).

Somewhere in Tetherow, I think.  The course was just beautiful.

Near the Deschutes River

Running past the Mother Ship as Ellen would say - The Deschutes Brewery

The 12:00  Handsome Pacer managed to pass me just a half mile from the finish, grrr!

Coming in for the finish - those ladies weren't in my age group so
I didn't really care about them coming in before me

Waving to Ted and Stevie

Bill catches me crossing the finish line, woo hoo!

Me and the kid (hiding a beer behind my back)

Great swag , including shirt, socks AND gloves

This was a truly fun first half marathon for me - mainly because I finished in under three hours, haha, and ran it at an average pace faster than I had run any other distance in training!  Also, the volunteers were terrific, and once the drizzle stopped, I was grateful for the cool, cloudy skies.  I just wish I knew where the heck we were most of the time, because the trails were just gorgeous.  The course map on the web site was illegible, but my Nike+ program mapped it out for me as I ran, so I should be able to figure it out.

What I learned:
(1)  Just because my training ground is very hilly, I can't expect the course to be less so.  This course was just as if not more hilly than my neighborhood.  Maybe I should actually look at the elevation change charts these race organizers send out.
(2)  I don't need music to run.  The scenery was so beautiful I didn't even put my headphones in until mile 8.
(3)  Mile 10 was my fastest, so this means I can do anything.

And of course it makes a real difference having family there to cheer me on - thanks so much for coming out on a gloomy day!

So, who wants to run my second half with me in September?

Gone, Gone, Gone

Whew - Jamaica, then sisters trip, then to Vegas for the wedding of our handsome and talented grandson,

Tim's bride Charra is lovely - sorry I didn't get a better photo! But Danny did....

Great-granddaughters

And we were off the next day to visit some dear friends in St. George - thank goodness because it was icky hot in Vegas.

"Our" casita

Miss Lily

Glo's chickens - love that gold one!

We brought a bottle of 2009 Stag's Leap Cab -
and put it next to Ron's Two Buck Chuck

Glo's refrigerator - it is to weep!  I want!

Return trip through Cathedral Gorge near Panaca

Lovely Pioche

Lovelier still Caliente

I'm ready to stay home for a while!

And they're ready for me to do so....

Wait, you were gone?

Sisters! (Mine, not Oregon's)

Bless your beautiful hide!  From the time we were kids, my sisters and I have watched that wonderful musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (or as my hubs calls it, The Worst Musical with the Worst Singers and the Worst Actors Singing the Worst Music Ever Written).  I think I must have seen that movie 100 times at least, from the time I was little to just the other day.

Well, a few months ago Sister #2 called to say that a nearby community theatre was putting on a production of the stage play (who knew?) and that we should all go.  No coaxing needed here, especially since it was her treat.

Sister #2 lives in SoCal, so I was looking forward to a little solo road tripping.  I left my house about eight in the morning, and ended up driving the whole way in one shot - only because it was too hot when I wanted to pull over to take a nap.

Day use area of the logging museum - only clean restroom on US97
between Bend and Klamath Falls

A little Oregon history.  Each of those
army officers later became a general in the Civil War.

It was kind of nice to see some different Cascades.  It's also nice that Oregon labels its mountains.  I was driving into Klamath Falls and saw a mountain to my right.  I wondered which one it could be, when I passed a sign with an arrow, saying "Mt. McCoughlin --->"  I could also see Mr. Shasta from about 100 miles away, which I had never noticed before.

Beautiful Mt. Shasta, and what looks like a parasitic twin volcano

Soooo, I get to Sister #2's house late that night, and since she got up early the next morning to ride her horses, and BIL #2 had to work, I got to hang by their pool in the 95 degree weather.

Basenji #1 apparently didn't think I was warm enough.

Sisters 1 and 4 weren't due in until the next day, so when Sister 2 came back, we ate some great greek food and ran some errands.  One was to her post office, which has the some of the creepiest art I have ever seen in a public building.

Right?  Can you imagine checking your P.O Box with these zombies looming above you??

That night, Sister 2 and I thought we'd better watch the movie again so we could brush up on the song lyrics, so as to better serenade our fellow theater-goers the next day.

And lo and behold, whose name appeared next on the screen?  Why, the name of someone my hubs believes was one of the greatest songwriters of all time:

That's right, the great Johnny Mercer!!  After I picked myself up from the floor where I was laughing fit to bust, I texted him this photo.  Worst music ever, ha!

The next day, Sisters 1 and 4 arrived, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the play.

We had a wonderful dinner, again courtesy of Sister and BIL #2, and I won't talk about that night's sleep since the Freight Train Snore Queen already knows about it.

The next day, I headed home (not in one fell swoop this time), and the charm of driving that long solo had completely worn off.  Nonetheless, I loved my visit and love my sisters.   It was a wonderful, wonderful day.

Before I forget:  no road trip is complete without snacks:

That's right, baby food.  Fruit on the go with no mess.  You heard it here first....

Jamaican Farewell

Just some quick pics and thoughts about our Jamaican vacation last week.  First, a scene from our backyard about two days before leaving for Portland to catch our flight:

And my sister wonders why I don't start tomato plants until June.....

Here's some scenery from the ride over Mt. Hood headed into Portland:

...and here's a shot from the shuttle bus at Kennedy International Airport.  We had to stop to let a gigantic 747 pass by.  Spooky being on the same concrete as planes that big, in a little, squashable bus.

 After a very long day of travel, we arrived at our lovely hotel in Ochos Rios.  We had stayed in Negril when our friends Paul and Nina married about six years ago, so this side of the island was new to us.

Oh, and our transportation from the airport was driven by a lovely woman named Colleen, who was able to tell us a ton about Jamaica's history.  I was tres impressed - so much so that I actually had a picture taken of the two of us despite the fact I had been up for over 20 hours and traveling for about 12:

Down in Jamaica they've got lots of pretty women.

That's a peacock nesting in the tree above Ted.

The main hotel from the patio dining area.

The food was completely awesome, and the portion sizes perfect.

<------ this is the view from our "french veranda" which really means "sitting area with a patio door."

The east beach 

Main entry

Courtyard

Ted provokes the peacock into display mode.

A clever little towel-dog facing the TV with the remote and front legs crossed.

The trio that played on the lower patio near the west beach area.  Kind of
nifty to hear "Jamaican Farewell" in Jamaica.

This place was great - smallish, boutique style resort with impeccable service - and by impeccable I mean it takes longer than you like but once you get it, it's terrific.  We had our own butler to bring us coolers of drinks by the pool, and pretty much whatever else we needed.  A big shout out to my friend Susannah at LeBam Vacations for finding this place and then telling us about it!

And I can't finish up about Jamaica without mentioning that I did my longest long run ever - 11 miles - on a treadmill in their spotless gym.  A great view of the flowers and plants outside the gym door didn't hurt, either.  Now it did take me a very long time (2 hours plus), and a young man who worked at the resort kept coming in, ostensibly to clean the glass and mirrors (which he did - twice) and giving me a weird look, but I did it.  When I finished and hit the floor to stretch, he came in again, looked around, and not seeing me on the floor, turned on the television to watch a cricket match!  I think I gave him a heart attack when I stood up to leave!

It was beautiful.  I loved it - frankly, I think I like Jamaica better than Hawaii (of course, I've never been to Kingston).  I was sad to say I was on my way,

but let's face it.  My

Now it's off to L.A. for a sister-trip!