2008 Chicago Marathon Race Report

I signed up for the marathon this year with the thought, “I might as well do it this year since the chances are so slim that it could possibly be as hot as it was during last year’s race”. With Chicago being a candidate city for the Olympics in 2016, I knew they really needed to fix the mistakes that they made during last years race. I am very happy to report that yes, there was plenty of water, Gatorade, wet sponges and cooling water misters. I wish I could report that it wasn’t as hot but I’ve read various reports that it soared to 86 and 84. Luckily, we were blessed with low humidity.

I have been nursing a right hip flexor injury for about 4 weeks. Unfortunately, the only way to let this injury heal is with rest, which is impossible to do with the amount of running we had to do in order to train. I knew going into the race that it was going to be a painful one for me, but I didn’t train for 18 weeks to hang up my shoes without stepping up to the start line.

When we stepped off at the start at 8am, it was already 65 but with lower humidity. I wasn’t so much worried about the weather as I was about my hip flexor. There was a bridge at Mile 2 and as soon as we ran up the bridge, I could feel my hip flexor starting to say Hello. By Mile 4 or 5 it went away and I felt great. The crowds were amazing during the entire race, but they were especially amazing on the near north side of the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park and in Boystown. Man I love those dancing queens!!! I ran with a friend until about Mile 9. At that time she needed to slow her pace as she was nursing a back injury that was bothering her. I found one of my best friends, Chanthana, running a little ahead of me and I sped up to meet her. Around Mile 9, I noticed that now both of my hip flexors were hurting. I sort of laughed at the fact that here I was worried about the right one and the left one came out of no where to surprise me. Go figure. Chanthana and I continued to run together until about Mile 17. Somewhere between Mile 10 and 15 my left knee was now killing me. I had a sharp pain that went down the outside of my hip to my knee. At this point, I took some Ibuprofen at an Aid station. I noticed that when I stopped to get water and Gatorade, it was very difficult to start running again. My body was now hurting in all sorts of places and running was clearly the last thing it wanted to do! It literally took a good half mile to find a good groove; a nice painful groove, at that. Around Mile 18 I ran past a bank that had a digital sign and the temperature read 86 degrees. It was certainly warmer out at that point, but it didn’t feel like it was 86 degrees. I had to make one pit stop at a porta potty around this mark but kept going afterwards.

Around Mile 22 I was amazed at the crowd support. I tried to focus on the people around me and their smiles and cheers and not think about the pain in my body. They had already raised the running conditions to “Red Alert” and they had announcers telling us to slow down and drink more water. At one point I started saying “I feel good, I feel good, I feel good” out loud. I knew if I could just stay positive, I’d get through these last few miles. I laughed when a guy who was running by me turned to me and said, “You look good, too!” I didn’t know my mantra was loud enough that my neighbors could hear me. Ha! He and I made some small talk until the next aid station. At that point, I popped a few more Ibuprofen and I also took an Imodium AD to prevent the gastrointestinal issues I always have post-race.

I was really hoping to run my race in under 4 hours. I looked at my watch at mile 24 and I was already at a time of 3:45. Even though I felt like I was running 8:30 minute miles, my watch told me I was over 9’s. That’s how I knew it was even hotter as I couldn’t seem to run any faster than 9’s. I quickly did the math and realized that there was no way I would be able to finish in under 4 hours. So what was my next goal? It was to beat my last marathon time. This was still possible so I just kept my head down and kept moving one foot after another. I envisioned myself crossing at 4:03. The sun was blazing on my back and I could have moved over to the right side of the street that was somewhat shaded but I couldn’t even think about making the effort to do that. I just had to keep moving my feet and finish. I thought about my husband who was waiting at the finish line, and the fact that my training was over now and I could relax post-season and eat a lot of chocolate and drink a lot of wine. I just pictured all sorts of things that made me happy. J

I crossed the finish line in 4:07, beating my last time of 4:09 by a mere two minutes. At first I was very disappointed with this time, but seeing all of the people in wheelchairs and in the medical tent, I realized that I should be happy to have a PR (Personal Record) in these conditions.

My “marathon moment” was at the finish line. I was making my way to get my medal and I passed a woman who was soaking wet, crying and looked a little lost as she was walking against “traffic”. I reached out and said, “You did it! You finished!!” and she just took my hand, squeezed it and quietly sobbed. We walked to get our medals hand in hand without saying a word. I think she just needed a little support at that very emotional moment and I was happy I was there for her. We went our separate ways without saying anything but just smiled at each other. I knew the 18 weeks of training and a grueling race was worth it at that very moment.

I was very happy to reunite with my husband and my in-laws at the finish for a nice cold beer. Even though my mother-in-law is still recovering from knee surgery, she and I limped together a mile or so to their car.

Then the real fun began!

I took a few more Ibuprofen at the finish line. I didn’t realize that I basically took over 2000 mg’s of Ibuprofen between 6am and 12:30pm. Oops. That’s a bit too much. So I spent the entire afternoon and evening in my bed with severe cramping, dizziness, shivers and a fever. The only time I was able to move around was when I raced to the bathroom every 15 minutes not knowing which end was going to surprise me this time (sorry for drawing that picture). It was a horrible, horrible night. Brian noticed the bottle of Ibuprofen expired in 2003. Damn you, Costco, for making bottles impossible to finish!! Lucky for me, Brian’s best friend, Andy (who also ran the race that day) is an ER Nurse. He instructed me to drink lots of fluids and try to eat something. At 9am Monday, I finally ate some cereal and kept it down. Any runner can tell you the only way to help your muscles recover is to eat protein. Going the entire day after the marathon not eating a single thing is not going to help my recovery.

I’m still very sore, but I know the worst is over. I'll definitely lose another 2 toenails, bringing the grand total to 3 this season. Ahh, toenails are overrated!

Kudos to all of my friends who pushed through the hot and horrible conditions and finished the race!!! Thanks to everyone for your emails, calls and texts!! You are all amazing!

Happy Labor Day

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day weekend!

We're headed up to Michigan to celebrate with my husband's entire family....can't wait to make some memories!

Be safe and have fun!

It's been a while

Hello there, internets!! I know I've been horrible with posting lately, but what can I say? Summer is in full swing! We've been back and forth from our new place in Michigan every weekend since we closed and when we're not there, we're cramming everything we need to do into a 4 day week. On top of that, I'm in Week 8 of my 18 week training program for the Chicago Marathon....so any spare time is spent pounding the pavement. As I sit here now, my back is sticking to my leather chair as I just got in from a 7 miler. Have I mentioned how much I hate the humidity!?!

We're LOVING our place in Michigan. The lake is fantastic (very low boat traffic and it's super warm but still refreshing), the neighbors are fantastic and friendly and every Sunday we find ourselves bummed to head back to the concrete jungle of Chicago. To give you an idea of what life is like at the lake, I thought I'd map out what seems to be a typical weekend for us.

Friday:

We arrive around 5pm (which is really 6pm Michigan time). The first thing that happens when we pull is up is let Cooper go for a swim. It's so funny to see his face when he knows we're at the place with all of the water....he LOVES it and will swim for hours. After that, we open the windows, vacuum and do a quick dusting of the first floor. We take the covers off the boat and the jet ski's and crack a few beers. We say hello to other neighbors who have also just arrived.

We walk up to Melvilles, which is a restaurant about 75 yards away and enjoy some dinner. After dinner, it's a ride on the boat with the dog. Fridays I normally go to bed early as I have a long run the next morning and Brian walks over to the neighbors where everyone hangs out together in a nice screened in porch all night catching up after the work week.

Saturday:

I get up before everyone else to enjoy my long run. Last week it was 14 miles ~ this week it's 15 miles. I've found a few gorgeous back roads that are hilly and great for training. My neighbor has offered to show me 2 paved trails around the lakes - one is 12 miles and one is 17 miles. She saw me running on a main highway and I got a nice ass chewing for it. "Deanna! It's dangerous up there! I don't want to see you running on M40 anymore, you hear??" haha....everyone is so caring!! So different from Chicago!

I get back to the house 2 hours later to find Brian and our friends returning from a morning ride on the jet ski's and then we all enjoy a nice home cooked breakfast together. We all pitch in and clean up, do dishes and do some "chores" around the house. There is seaweed to be raked up around the dock, the gutters need to be cleaned, the gazebo needs sweeping, cobwebs need to be knocked down and almost everything needed to be power washed. After an hour or so of that, it's play time on the boat. We gather the toy of the day ~ either a tube, the water ski's, the knee board or the wake board ~ and head out to the water for a few hours. After some fun in the sun, it's back to the house for another home cooked meal of burgers or brats or hot dogs. We clean up again and then all chill out in the front of the house for a game of bocce, corn hole or volleyball. Last weekend we watched the dogs play with each other for a good hour...ha.

Dinner rolls around and we either grill out again or drive into town for a meal. The food was delicious at "Anchors Away", a restaurant we tried for the first time this weekend. We couldn't believe how good it was!!

After dinner, it's back on the boat for a night time boat cruise and to hopefully see the sun set. This past weekend we enjoyed fireworks for Venetian night. After the boat ride, we came back in to build a camp fire and make s'mores. Yum ~ I love s'mores.

Everyone crashes for a night of much needed shut eye and come Sunday morning, we do it all over again. Jet ski's, breakfast, work, boat, lunch, work, play, dinner, boat. You can see the theme here...a little work, a little play and repeat.

I'm telling you ~ it's the life. It's a life that Brian and I didn't think we'd enjoy SO much. Even our dog is bummed when pack up the house and shut it down to head back home.

So that's what I've been doing this summer. How about you??

The Douchiest Phone Message In History

I just HAD to share this video/voicemail with the readers out there. This is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time.

And if Dmitri ever comes across this blog, dude, get a grip!!!!

Summer is in Full Swing!

Hello.

It's been a while, I know. But as I sit here with a head cold and a sore throat and procrastinate working, I'd thought I'd give ya an update.

To finish my last post, an old friend from Ohio reached out and found me online! She and I were bff's up until 3rd grade when she moved away to Arizona. It wasn't until she said via email that she lived in Casa Grande that it hit me. I vividly remember writing her letters (remember when we did that? We should to talk to someone about bringing that back!) addressed to "Casa Grande, AZ" and my imagination was filled with scenes out of an old western movie complete with horses drinking out of a water trough on a dusty road as I put those letters in the mailbox. She used to ~ and still does ~ do barrel racing. So Stacey has 2 kids and has been married for 10 years. We exchanged pictures and got caught up and are throwing around the idea of a reunion. Hey, I now have 2 newly reunited old pals that live in Arizona...why not go out for a visit?

What else? Brian and I have made an offer on a lake house in Michigan. There were 2 that we liked but of course we both liked different houses. I opted for the turn-key immaculate smaller house with a two story gorgeous deck and a brand new dock that comes with no toys.....Brian opted for the the bigger house that needs a lot of work, all walls are covered in dark wood paneling with a small deck and crappy dock, choppy layout but comes with LOTS of toys. I call it the "Polygamist House" because it currently sleeps 18 or 19 ~ the place is filled with twin beds and baby bassinets. We made an offer on the Polygamist House. I agreed because I have personally witnessed magic moving from Brian's brain to his hands when it comes to home renovation. The man is a visionary in that sense so if he tells me he can make it not only nicer than the other house, but better, then I'm on board.

We went out to Michigan a few weeks ago and Mike and Carolyn, the owners of the clean house, took us out on their boat and gave us a tour of the lake and the adjoining lakes. They are GREAT people and now I know why it's never a good idea for buyers to meet the sellers ~ because emotions are involved. They bought a bigger house on the same lake and they are waiting to move in until they sell their 1st house. Mike actually called Brian and said 'What's up, buddy? I gotta get my wife out of here! Let's make a deal!" He really needs to sell. Then the realtor called Brian the next day and said "I've got something to tell you. Mike wants to make YOU and offer. He dropped his price and is throwing in the brand new dock and the bar." Ain't that some shit?? Have you EVER heard of a seller making an offer to a buyer??? Crazy. Gosh we'd LOVE to help them out but we need to do what's best for us and our situation. Mike and Carolyn will still be on the same lake so I do look forward to hanging with them more. I hope they just want to hang with us if we don't buy their house!

In other news, I'm training for the Chicago Marathon again this year. Haven't run it since 2004 as I got into the sport of Triathlon for the summers of 2005 and 2006. Last year I took a break and used wedding planning as my excuse, but that's all it was. I just needed a break. Training is going well and we're already into Week 3. Brian's best friend and Best Man is also running it this year so he'll be making the trip here from Virginia so that'll be fun. Too bad he runs a lot fast than me. He'll finish in about 3:30. I'm hoping to beat my last time of 4:09 and run the race in under 4 hours.

Well I need to stop procrastinating and get to work. I'll try not be such a stranger here this summer!

Google Alerts are the best!

Do you all have Google alerts out there on yourselves? I do. I get Google alerts on some friends from High School, the Marines and many of my clients. How great do I look when my clients launch a new product and I call them up the same day and say "Hey, I heard about that new natural chicken sausage in Kroger!" Basically, it saves you the time of having to Google them. Google does it for you and if a new entry pops up across the net, you get the email informing you.

I received an email today with my name as the alert. I thought maybe my company removed my name from their website (I resigned a week ago), but this is what I found:

Google alert for http://www.zabasearch.com/.

Original Message:
Message Sent Monday, June 2, 2008 11:05 pm (Pacific Time)From: , , USArea Code: UnknownZip Code: Unknown
To: DEANNA S***R Deanna, I am looking for Deanna S***r that lived close toon Johnny Cake in Mayfield Ohio or around that area. I moved to AZ when I was in 3rd grade. Just wondering how you are. Please contact me.
Email the person who wrote this Respond to this message Leave a new message Email this message

So of course I replied back but the person doesn't say who they are. The only friend I can remember that moved away was Casey Hubbach, but she moved to Tennessee.

Who is the sender!?!?!

Stay tuned!

Why, yes, yes I do!!!

Love black people, that is. And brown people and yellow people and shit, if there are green people out there that I have yet to encounter, I'm sure I'll love them, too.

Who don't I like? It's a short list, but it includes:

1. Lowlife racist pigs who treat other people with no respect and spew hatred from their mouths.
2. Americans who make other Americans look bad when traveling abroad (seriously, their passports should be revoked!).
3. People who don't know how to have 1 conversation without cussing or raising their voices.
4. People who don't take responsibility for their actions and continually play the blame game.
5. People who aren't supportive of their loved ones through hard times.

So next time you want to call me an "N***** Lover", don't look so suprised when you are wearing my drink.



It all comes back to Karma. I've definitely seen that what goes around comes right back around two-fold. All I can do is hope that you learn how to become a miracle worker...because there are so many wounds on every single person you have ever crossed paths with. It's time to start the healing and put an end to the hurt you've caused every day of your life.

No Extra time for me!

So I saw a sneak preview of the Promotion last night ~ you know ~ the movie I was supposed to be in with Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly.

Our running scene was in the first 3 minutes of the movie and they showed a total of 2.2 seconds of it. I wasn't in it. I did see my friend, Angelle, and another friend, Kelly, was standing next to Seann in a scene that took place on the El.

My review of the movie? I give it 1 thumbs up....it's a definite renter. But since no one has seen one single preview of the movie that is supposed to be out this Friday, I'm sure it'll go straight to video.

Hey, at least I got paid 100 bucks to be an extra!

Happy Memorial Day

I was going to finish the 2nd part of the last post this weekend, but I'll have to do it later this week.

My step-sisters found out their Mom has stomach cancer 2 weeks ago and she died on Thursday. It's really so sad.

2 freakin' weeks and that's it.......she's gone.

I'll be headed to Ohio on Monday for the funeral services and back in Chicago Wednesday eve.

Until then, I hope you all enjoy your Memorial Day holiday and get to spend some quality time with your loved ones.

The Butterfly Effect Part 1 ~ Cleaning out the skeletons

So where to start this one??

I recently reconnected with an old Marine Corps girlfriend through the miracle of MySpace. She tracked me down right before my wedding and we recently chatted on the phone and we've been emailing. She brought a few things from the deep confines of my memory "black box"....you know, the place where you store things that, for whatever reason, you don't want to remember.

Turns out some mindless things I did as a 19 or 20 year old really affected more than a few people. When I was 19 I got married to a guy I was dating for only 4 months, but I'll go into that in my next blog. After that ended, almost as quickly as it started, I began dating a guy who was also going through a divorce and had been separated from his wife for some time. The military took note of this and had warned us to stay away from each other until our divorces were final. Ha! Little did they know we were already living together in an apartment off base. So we had to play it very cool and try not be seen together in town while we waited for the divorces to become final.

Now this is where my memory stores were just dusted off.

During this time in the Marines, my 20 year old girlfriend, Cindy, the one I just reconnected with, had apparently confided in me that she was dating our 41 year old Battalion First Sergeant. Now as you can imagine, if the Marines didn't want 2 people who were separated from their spouses dating each other, do you think they wanted a female E-3 dating a male E-8 (those are pay grades)? Hell no...that's blatant fraternization and can be punished by Non-Judicial Punishment in the military.

So I guess I was questioned by our unit about Cindy's relationship with 1st Sgt Hall (this I still do not remember) and I spilled the beans that yes, they were indeed dating. Looking back at it now, I'm pretty sure the motivation of this was to take the spot light off of my relationship with Tony and put it on someone else. A selfish short-term fix to MY problem turned out to be a very long-term consequence for Cindy and 1st Sgt Hall (Jason).

Now what does the Marine Corps motto "Semper Fidelis" stand for? It's Latin for "Always Faithful". So who exactly are you supposed to be faithful to? Your fellow marines? Your unit? Your leaders? Your Country? I'm still not quite sure of the answer but all I know is that now, 13 years later, I'm embarrassed of that decision to narc on my friend and her boyfriend.

Turns out that Cindy was punished through NJP (Non-Judicial Punishment) and she decided to get out of the military with an Honorable Discharge. 1st Sergeant Hall ended up retiring and they both moved to Phoenix, where they continued their 13 year relationship which ended almost 2 years ago.

Tony and I? We still ended up being punished for dating. We, too, were NJP'd and our punishment included a month of restriction to the barracks and our pay was docked for a few months. I got out of the Marine Corps a few months later and stayed in Arizona for about a year and continued my relationship with Tony.

So could I have kept my mouth shut and saved Jason's 20+ year career in the Marine Corps? Yes. Would it have changed the outcome of mine and Tony's situation? No. Did I learn a lesson about loyalty? Yes, but ONLY because Cindy reached out and reconnected with me. Otherwise, that memory would still be locked away in the little black box.

It still blows my mind that 13 years later I'm just going through life, living in Chicago, married to a great guy and back in Arizona are 2 people who's lives were MAJORLY affected by MY actions. Actions of a stupid 20 year old that didn't know shit about shit.

I guess I've come a long way.

Cindy DID tell me though that after I spilled the beans, I was bawling my eyes out in the bathroom and apologizing to her for it. I do remember that, albeit a bit fuzzy, but it is comforting to know that I felt remorse for my actions. I'm happy to tell you that she does not hold a grudge and we're even planning a reunion trip. I guess her motto is "Semper Fi" and ya know what? I think a lot of people can learn from that, including me.

...to be continued.

The Promotion

So I was an extra in a movie over TWO years ago and it's FINALLY coming out in June! I'm pumped!

There is even a shot of one of our scenes in the trailer. We shot in a few scenes with Seann William Scott (aka Stiffler) where we are running in his marathon training group along Lake Michigan.

Check it out!
http://movies.aol.com//movie/the-promotion/33211/video/trailer-no-1/2120893

I heard it supposed to be HIGH-larious!

If you do go see it at the movies, I’m in the very front row of the running group as we run towards the camera in the center. You can't miss me seeing as I was a good twenty pounds heavier at the time!

Why spray tanning isn't always the best idea

Here is a picture of Mariah Carey and her new husband, Nick Cannon.

The person in charge of her tanning airbrush should be fired.

Oh No She Di'nt!

My friend Lisa just posted a comment about BE. She gets her on Ebay for like half the price!

I went to Ebay myself and sure enough, I got a few $13 eye shadows for 6.99. She also pointed out that that I can my super-duber expensive Dermalogica products there, too!

I'll never pay retail again! Thanks, Lisa D!!!!

Here's the Cyst-uation

I had my 6 month ultrasound today with my reproductive endocrynologist to see if my ovarian cysts came back. I've had to go every 6 months since my surgery to remove them in December 2006.

I'm very happy to report they have not returned and my ovaries look good. Yay for me!

My doc, who always always pushes Brian and I to have kids NOW, even said that I don't have to come back for a whole year. A whole year! He wanted us to get pregnant before we were even married and had us a bit worried about the fact that we might not get pregnant in the future if we wait too long. I'm 33 and I really want to enjoy life with just the two of us for a year or two.

I sorta feel like I just bought a year with Brian. :)

And since it's Friday, here is a funny little tidbit: I was telling my coworker about going for the ultrasound and he asks, "So is your stomach going to be covered with that cold wet stuff they use?" I said, "Well, no. They do my ultrasounds internally". Long pause (he's obviously drawing a picture in his head). "What? How?" I said, "Well, they use this plastic probe and put a condom on it and they lube it up". He says, "No way! They use condoms? Seriously?" I said, "Seriously! There is a bowl of Trojan Non-Lubricated sitting right there on the table." He replies, "Shut up!!"

So I took a picture with my cell phone to prove it:

Yay for Minerals

Allow me to speak to the girls for a minute:

I recently switched to Bare Escentuals mineral makeup. I admit....all the hype and advertising peaked my curiosity and I gave in. I bought the foundation, blush, mineral veil (it goes over the foundation) and recently, I bought some eye shadows.

I was skeptical at first as I didn't really think that a powder could give the same coverage as a liquid, but I was quickly proven wrong. When the guy at the store was going through the many reasons why minerals are better than the rest, he mentioned that these minerals actually help improve your skin. I thought, "Yeah, right, keep selling me".

After 3 months using this makeup, the jury is in. My skin DEFINITELY looks better. It's not only clearer, but overall, it's the same tone and not as blotchy as it used to be. I normally suffer from breakouts once a month (every 28 days or so if that tells you when it happens), and recently, I didn't have any breakouts during that time of the month. Now I'm left wondering if my breakouts are from skincare of from hormones.

Secondly, this makeup is SO much easier to apply and saves a lot of time. This is a HUGE bonus when getting ready in the morning. I also notice that the eye shadow stays on longer than your average drug store brand, but it's in line with the quality of Mac.

Thirdly, this makeup is so much lighter. I don't feel the makeup and it feels much more natural. I'm pretty sure this is the main attribute to why my complexion is better. It's breathing again! When I used liquid, it would sort of "fill" those fine lines around my mouth and you could see it. Eww...I don't want to point out the fact that I'm aging!

Finally, I don't have to worry about if my makeup matches my skin tone. Knowing that I'd be tan in Mexico, I bought a few different colors and they are all easy to blend, if need be.

The only downfall is that it's messier than liquid. I have to wipe down my bathroom counter every few days due to the various powers of foundation, blush and shadow.

After 3 months using BE, I just tossed my old Almay liquid foundation.

As seen around Chicago

I was witness to a few things over the past few days that have stayed with me and make me ask the question, "What if?" more than a few times.

The first situation: I was driving down Webster on my way home from running a few errands. I spotted what I thought was a bald runner sitting on a front stoop, catching his breath from a tough run. His long lean legs were spread out and his elbows were on his knees and his head was down. As I approached a stop sign and was slowing down, this 30-something guy raised his head and I instantly noticed that he had no eyebrows. I looked down and between his legs was a big puddle of what can only be described as "his lunch". I couldn't take my eyes off this guy. He tried to stand, with the help of the brick wall behind him, and then he leaned over to pick up 3 grocery bags, swaying the entire time as he was completely off-kilter. It took him a few seconds to gain his balance and find the strength to pick up these plastic bags from the ground. I wanted to stop, pull over and offer to carry his bags and lend a hand to help him get to his destination. Just as I was playing my moves in my head as to not offend him in my offer, he slowly walked around the corner and into a building. I guess he was home.

Obviously this young man was going through some kind of treatment to treat some kind of illness. Here I was....just mindlessly running my errands, probably irritated at the traffic and wondering what I'm going to have for dinner....all while this young guy is literally fighting for his life. For a few days after that and even now, I wished I had stopped to help him.

The second situation: I was sitting on a curb waiting for Brian to pick me up from the Metra train that I take to and from work about 3-4x a week. Our meeting spot is a 7-11 convenience store parking lot that is smack dab in the middle of an industrial area of Lincoln Park. As I was listening to an audio book on my iPod and appreciating the fact that the sun was warming my back, a man in his late 30's who was accompanied by a young girl who couldn't be more than 9 or 10, walked in front of me. I noticed that he was opening a box of Banquet fried chicken that he apparently bought in the 7-11. They started eating the frozen chicken right out of the box as they crossed the street. I noticed that they were both pretty dirty and their clothes were stained and worn. The man was eating ferociously. From the time he walked past me to cross the street was no more than 5-10 seconds and by the time he crossed the street, he was already throwing a bare chicken bone into the street while he reached in for another.

If I was a betting woman, I'd bet that this was a homeless father/daughter duo walking back to the spot they called their "home"; probably in an empty warehouse or factory.

Talk about seeing things that tug at your heart strings! Let us all be grateful for our health, the roof over our head and our livelihood.

And if I see someone else in distress, next time I'm going to try to help.

The Wedding Reception is on YouTube

Yes, I'm serious.

I don't mess around. What better way to share our special moments with those who couldn't join us than to post them on YouTube?

www.youtube.com/djstoer

5 Year Itch

I don't know if it's just that it's still 39 degrees in Chicago on April 28th and less than 2 weeks ago I was enjoying the hot weather in Mexico, but I definitely have the itch again to move.

I want to be in the warmth.
I want to be in the sunshine.
I want to jump up out of bed and go for a run or a swim or a bike ride and not put on a coat first.
I'm sick, sick, sick of the cold!!!!!!!!!

Let's take a look at where I've lived and when:

(I left for the Marine Corps when I was 17. )

1993 - 1998 Yuma, Arizona

1998 - 2003 Cleveland, Ohio

2003 - 2008 Chicago, Illinois

Do you see the trend here? Why is it that once that 5 year mark rolls around, I want to get the F out?

Please give me some sunshine and warm weather, God, please!

The Wedding

I know this is long overdue, but since we've been back from Mexico, it's been REALLY, REALLY nice to just come home from work, go the gym if I want to or stay home if I want to and just walk the dog.

Not having anything to do.....heaven!

But I thought it was only fair to at least post a little somethin' about the day I've been blogging about for a year.

The whole week in Mexico was filled with the hot sun, smiling faces, flowing drinks, never-ending buffets, tequila shots, volleyball games in the pool, beer drinking contests and best of all, happiness.

Cue the "awwwwwwww".

The main reason I wanted a destination wedding is this: every wedding I've been to as a guest, I've barely spoken to the bride and groom. You could see the whirlwind they were surrounded in and you just knew they'd barely remember it all. I wanted time with my guests. I wanted to savor the experience. I wanted something that they remembered. And all I can say is....SUCCESS!

B and I got to Mexico on Tuesday. This was great for all but one reason: I had to eat buffets 3x a day and watch everyone sip daiquiri's, margaritas and cerveza's for FIVE LONG days before my big day. When we arrived, I was down to about 17% body fat and 125 lbs. Every morning, I got up at 8am and threw on my running shoes and was out the door with my iPod. After a 30 minute jog, I was in the jump for another 30 minutes of calisthenics. I'm very happy to report that I was STILL 125 lbs on my wedding day...thanks to the fact that I barely touched alcohol the previous 5 days.

Okay, so, yes. I have some body-image issues. But they are mine and I'm okay with that.

Every day B and I would meet and greet our arriving guests. Almost everyone got there by Thursday, we had 3 couples arrive on Friday. I think we were able to sit down and chat with almost every single guest, one on one. That was the great part of Mexico.

On Thursday, a few of us were heading inside to the lunch buffet and in the lobby I was greeted by one of my bridesmaids, Loretta. We hugged and kissed and she told me she had a surprise for me. Low and behold, there was my girlfriend, Carmen, who was supposed to stand up in the wedding but found out she was expecting. The baby was due 2 weeks before the wedding but he came 5 weeks early. So she got a plane and left her 8 week old baby with his Dad and she surprised me in Mexico! Oh my God did this moment rock. I cried and cried. It was one of my favorite moments of the week. How blessed am I to have people like this in my life?

Thursday we had a Meet and Greet Happy Hour in one of the bars so that our guests could all meet one another. It was awesome to see everyone bond instantly. There is just something about vacation that allows you to check your stereotypes at the door and allows you to be happy and carefree.

We lugged 50 lbs of gifts to Mexico. That was no fun. We gave everyone a yellow beach bag with a yellow and white cabana towel in it. We filled them with disposable cameras, candy, candles, sunblock, chap stick and the like. The bag proved to be very useful as EVERYONE used theirs when they were there, so it allowed people to spot those in our group very easily. If Uncle Bob didn't know my friend, Loretta, they spotted each others bags and struck up a conversation. Nice.

Friday was so fun. We got out early and reserved a spot by the Activities Pool (aka the crazy pool with the loud music and beer drinking contests). Most of our friends had arrived by then and we all gathered at this pool and hung out, drank and played a nice game of volleyball in the pool.

Afterwards, everyone cleaned up and we met at the Rehearsal Dinner. I shared a wonderful moment with my Mother-in-Law. She pulled me aside and looked like she was going to burst into tears. She told me how happy she was, how beautiful I looked and how excited she was to have me in the family. It was a tear-jerker.

Game day:

I thought I'd be nervous as hell on Saturday but I wasn't. I waited for it to come, but it didn't. It was right. All was right in my world.

I had sent my dress to be steamed and it still hadn't been delivered to my Mom's by Saturday morning. My MOH took charge of the situation and she called my wedding planner and found the dress.

I met my bridal party for a nice breakfast and then hit the salon for a mani/pedi. We went back to the room to start getting ready. I was so lucky to have my girlfriend, Holly, there who does hair and makeup for weddings. She brought her airbrush and all of her makeup down and did everyone's makeup. I got a little teary eyed while we were getting ready; every time I'd make eye contact with my MIL or my Mom.

When it came time to head out to the beach, my heart fluttered but I still felt really good. I was just happy, I can't really explain it. I wasn't nervous at all. A golf cart took us to the beach. My Mom walked me down the aisle where I met a weeping Brian. I was shocked that he was so emotional but it was so touching. I thought I'd be a mess, but when I saw him crying, I think it gave me strength. I wanted to comfort him.

The officiant was great. Everyone told us what a great job he did and how touching his words were. The ceremony only last 20 minutes and we all enjoyed champagne on the beach before we took pictures.

After pictures, we headed into the Theater bar, a bar open to the ocean, and enjoyed cocktails for an hour. The reception was poolside and started an hour later. It was great...everything was beautiful, the weather was phenomenal and the food was the best we had while we were there. So far I was a happy bride!

The only real glitch that day was finding out our DJ didn't speak a word of English. So we had to pull a guest to MC for us. He introduced us for the first dance and he MC'd the garter and bouquet throws. The first dance was great....Brian and I took lessons for the Foxtrot and we weren't nervous or anxious...that part was great.

My FIL, Best Man and MOH all gave toasts/speeches. They were all fantastic but I'm happy we got them on video because I, too, gave a speech and I was rehearsing in my head while they were talking (rude, but necessary). Now let's get one thing straight: I had public speaking. I always get real nervous and sweaty and I can usually hear my heartbeat in my ears. When it came time for me to speak, I stood up and told Brian I'd be back (he had no clue I was giving a speech) and I took the mic. I had a full 8.5 by 11 piece of paper filled with one paragraph after the next, but I read it so many times that I didn't need to use my notes (even I was surprised by this) and I was able to look at each person I was speaking to. My strategy was to say it so many times over and over that it would just be one word after the next and I could get through it without crying. Easier said than done. I was able to get through it with minimal tears but I was still shocked at how easy speaking in front of my loved ones was, but what I wasn't expecting was everyone to be crying with me. I thanked our guests and said a few words to my friend Carmen, my bridesmaids, my MOH, my new in-laws, my parents and then, Brian. That moment was awesome. Brian looked like a deer in the headlights. He didn't know how to react to my speech. I loved it.

We all danced the night away and after the reception we went to the Hacienda, which is a disco at the resort that opens and 11pm. Most of us were exhausted so it was still an early night. I think everyone was back in their rooms by 1pm.

Sunday Brian and I went with my MOH and her boyfriend on a zip line tour. We mountain-biked to each of the three zip lines and then swam in three cenotes (pure Mayan water-filled caves with century old hanging stalactites). It was gorgeous there. It was also nice to spend some one on one time with Laurel, too.

Sunday night the hotel delivered a chocolate cake and champagne to our room. It was a pretty decent sized cake and you know what? I ate it all. haha....I did! We were watching our wedding videos and I was eating one bite at a time...I looked down and it was gone. But damn did I deserve that cake!!

Monday we hung at the pool and just relaxed. I ate and drank whatever I wanted. And then I ate some more.

We got back to Chicago on Tuesday and headed back to the grind by Thursday. Now we get to enjoy life as newlyweds ;)

More wedding pictures!

We were very lucky to have a semi-pro photographer as one of our guests. Click here to see his awesome photos of our wedding extravaganza!