On A Personal Note

V is for.....

2008-08-05T08:37:00.003-04:00

....Velvet?
....Victory?
....Vegan??? wtf??

By now, all 5 readers of my blog should be aware of the fact that I have changed my eating lifestyle rather dramatically over the last couple of months. Yes, the rumors are in fact true. I have converted to the rare form of vegetarianism. Most of you are wondering how this could happen, which leads me to the other rumor. Yes, it was because I read a book.

I picked up the book at my favorite bookstore, while I was picking up the latest book by one of my favorite authors. The title of the book itself was enough for me to pick up the book. Then I read the first couple of pages. I found myself laughing out loud while perusing the first chapter. On a whim I decided to actually buy the book.

The 'in your face' humor continued for about the first couple of chapters, and then things went downhill....rather quickly. I knew where the book was headed, I could see the warning signs here and there. But nothing could brace me for the few chapters on animal cruelty. I had no idea the book was going to talk about animal rights and I would not have purchased it if I did. I am not an animal rights kinda girl, but the animal torturing was just gross. (Excuse me while I run to the bathroom to puke.)

More importantly, the book helped me realize that my life was lacking in the fruits, vegetables and wholesome grains. So, what a better way to encourage myself to eat those things, when it's the only thing vegans eat! Extreme, I know, but it's been great. I have had more things in the veggie and grain world that I have never heard of, much less have tried to cook myself and actually eat.

The other benefit, cooking at home. Over the past couple of months I have cooked more meals at home than the first 5 months of the year combined. It is time consuming, but also very rewarding. And lately, the kids love to watch and sometimes help. It's nice to have a little bonding time with them. (Translation - a time during the day when they are not crying or screaming for something.)

I am not sure how much longer this phase will last, but I don't see myself changing any time soon.

PS - In case you are wondering, no I am not giving up my leather shoes, purses or belts. I only care about avoiding animal products in my body, not on it. ;-)

7 Years of Marital Bliss

2008-05-19T10:57:00.005-04:00

Happy Anniversary Kevin!

Bench Press Champion

2008-05-13T15:47:00.002-04:00

In case you were wondering how Kevin did in the Flying Pig Pump 'n Run 5k, here are the results:

He received a 30 second deduction in his 5k run time for every rep of bench press. Only catch, he had to bench press his body weight. Somehow, he weighed in at 160 pounds on Friday before the run. He was able to hit 12 reps at his body weight. That's pretty cool, if you ask me. He received a medal for exceeding 10 reps. As for his 5k time, his run time was 32 minutes, but with the 6 minute deduction for the bench presses, his official time was 26 minutes. It's a pretty neat race that incorporates your body strength as well as your overall aerobic fitness.

Rumor has it that he will appear on a box of Wheaties! (Thanks for the inside scoop, G!)

Just go with vanilla

2008-05-08T22:38:00.003-04:00

Note to self: any flavor, besides vanilla, is just a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs.

Flatline

2008-03-27T21:16:00.002-04:00

One aspect of my job as revenue operations manager at Mailtrust is managing our custom built billing system. Although I was not with the company when version one was built, I now oversee every piece of it. It's so amazing to me to see the transformation over the years, especially the few years I have managed the product.

I can go on for hours about the processes that were in place to get an invoice created for our customers. To sum it up in one word - manual. Unfortunately, manual processes are not scalable without increases in cost. In an effort to scale our billing system, we had to revamp a lot of our code to automate processes. The best part - the number of billing team members required in the first version was about 2 employees. Eight years and several versions later we still only need 2. Can you think of any other department that can sustain that headcount with assumed normal company growth?? I can't.

To highlight my most recent improvement to the billing system I was invited to blog about my cancellation project - Flatline, on the Mailtrust company blog. This project has been the most exciting release (recently) for me because of how much more we are cutting out the manual process. I will admit, writing the functional specifications for the project was challenging. I had to debate processes, steps that the customer would have to do, calculations, interface, logging, reporting, etc. Eventually, things fell into place and the technical specs were created. Add a little more debating, tweaking and debugging and finally, there you have it. Something that started out as an inconvenience is now automated.

Now that this project has been released, it's time to go back to the drawing board for the next biggest thing for our billing system. Hmmmm....where to start???

Mindless Entertainment

2008-03-20T22:55:00.002-04:00

Somehow I have succumbed to the world of mindless entertainment of reality television and HGTV. I guess it can happen to the best of us.

These are my favorites:

Gene Simmons Family Jewels, A&E – this is probably the funniest reality show I have seen in a long time. Well, I am not sure I have actually seen too many reality shows of this genre. At any rate, I think it is quite hilarious. Thanks to Jilian who introduced this addiction.

Rock of Love 2 with Bret Michaels, VH1 – Apparently the first season Bret did not find true love. So he's trying it again. My fave girl is Ambre, mostly because she’s the only one with a brain. The hottest one left is Megan. I like her because she’s mean in a quiet non-verbal way. For example one of the girls left a note on Bret’s door and Megan took the note down…..twice. Or, the time when she and Kristy Jo were on a date with Bret and she got up, straddled his lap and started making out with him, without notice, at the dinner table. Kristy Jo politely excused herself. Bret's pretty good on the show too, like the parts where he's talking with the camera. He's open and honest, to say the least. But fun to watch none the less.

HGTV addictions:

Hidden Potential– this show amazes me every time I watch it. I can’t get over how they can take a complete DUMP and make it fabulous. They usually tape in large cities or nearby suburbs and the cost of the house is completely ridiculous for the square footage.

Find Your Style

If Walls Could Talk…

What’s With That House? Or the special addition: What’s With That (Really Expensive) House? Come on, who really needs a $40,000,000 house???? And to even get an appointment to see it, you have to have a background check AND have a net worth of $50 million. Damn, looks like I am only a few million off....

Thankfully, I only ‘try’ to watch two of the all the above shows. If the others happen to be on tv when I am flipping through the channels before going to bed, I will watch them. So I guess it's a good thing that Kev keeps vetoing my decision for a DVR. :-)

Phone Spam

2008-03-18T14:08:00.003-04:00

I just received my first phone spam message. I don't know whether I am happy or upset about it. At first, I was upset. But then, I realized that I use my cell phone for everything now, even as my home phone. So it's not really a surprise that more businesses (and their marketing teams) have my number.

When Kev and I moved to Blacksburg, we decided that a home phone wasn't really necessary. The only reason we had it in Christiansburg is because we used DSL. Now we use a cable modem, which means we don't need the land line. Even our super-nifty security system does not require a land line. My mom didn't know what to say when I told her that I wasn't getting a Blacksburg number, she couldn't fathom it. Not surprising, as she can't get cell phone service at her house.

So I guess I will have to add my cell phone number to the do not call lists. This means I would miss out on the $3.99 pizza deal at the Blacksburg Domino's that is happening tomorrow!! Man, the decisions!

(Please, no sarcastic remarks about last post being on Jan 20th....yikes!! )

House Update - Stuff for Sale!

2008-01-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we submitted a counter-offer on our house and the potential buyer accepted! We will close on both this house and our new house by Feb 15th.....right around the corner. The good news is that we will be able to move into our new house on Feb 1st! I am super excited about moving in and decorating with my 'new' style. I am really not sure what that style is yet. Still working on some ideas.

With that said, we are selling some select items of our existing house. Be sure to check out the items pictured here for what we are giving up. Be sure to read the captions for prices. Please note, these are pickup only. However the smaller items I would be willing to work on a pick up at another location. ;-)

All offers will be considered for items with a price.

Don't miss out on some great opportunities!

Happy Birthday Little Miss J

2008-01-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

6 years old and in charge....happy birthday baby girl!

House For Sale

2007-11-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Kev and I are selling our house. We've had a lot of great memories at 840 College Street, that's for sure.

The Realtor.com listing is here and you can also view the house on the Long & Foster website. (Pictures will be updated on these sites soon.)

In the meantime, you can check out my personal collection here.

Please pass this information on to anyone you might know that is looking for a great place to live in Christiansburg!

If interested, please contact Rhonda Brewer - rhondabrewer@hotmail.com (540) 250-1353

Happy Birthday To Me!!

2007-10-09T08:39:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, it's not really my birthday....but! Kev decided to surprise me with my present a little early.

Here are some hints:
1. It didn't fall far from the tree.
2. Part of the needle in the haystack.
3. ET did it.

What's your guess?

Can the LG Voyager compete with the iPhone?

2007-10-04T10:29:00.000-04:00

Probably not.

But it's good to know that there will be other alternatives to those of us who actually like the Verizon Wireless service. (Please note: by service I am referring to the network - as in NOT their Customer Service...we all know they lack in that area.)

LG will be releasing to VZW the iPhone competition called the Voyager. It's scheduled to be released around Thanksgiving. It should be interesting to see how it stacks up against the iPhone.

Personally, I was kind of excited to hear about this. I have been wanting to switch over to the iPhone, but somehow cannot seem to justify the cost. But my excitement quickly faded after I got Kev's opinion over IM:

Kev: weak dude
Kev: "I don't have an iPhone but I do have this POS."
Velvet: haha
Kev: iPOS
Kev: lol
Velvet: damn you


Man....I don't know if I want to be one of *those* people....thank YOU Apple, for making me love a product I don't even own!  urgh.....

Over Time

2007-10-02T08:33:00.001-04:00

The benefits of not blogging for a while is that over time, new features get added and it's like starting all over again. Apparently during my hiatus of blogging, blogger.com has added the functionality of video.

Let's see if it actually works....

Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew!!

2007-09-28T20:59:00.001-04:00

Free Waffle Fridays

2007-09-28T13:33:00.000-04:00

Just another reason why I love working at Webmail.us....Free Waffle Fridays.

Ok, it's not really because I can eat free waffles at work, we all know that this girl could use some time away from waffles. (At least I skipped out on the butter!!)

I love working here because Webmail encourages leadership of all different forms. Something as simple as creating a fun activity for coworkers (to get them in to work earlier!) is well worth it. To be honest, the idea for 'Free Waffle Fridays' came on a whim while purchasing food for our office last week. Usually it's during the implementation process that great ideas get lost. So I charged ahead with it and got it going. Hopefully this new tradition will continue and inspire other workers to be creative and step up to the challenge. Leadership, after all, is always up for grabs.

And my coworkers don't know it yet, but, they will be paired with other people in the office that they might not normally work with to cook the waffles. We are all like family anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem! :-)

Just When I Thought Quiznos Was Expensive

2007-09-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

BTW - I haven't blogged in 2 months, so this story would make more sense if I posted the blog "K is for Kindergarten!"... oops! :-)

So I had lunch with Jordan today and thought it would be a great idea to buy a school lunch. You know, set the example, prove that school food is good, blah blah blah.

Ok, not only was it horrible, it was expensive. I had breaded fish sticks, fries, peas, a roll and a milk. The fish sticks were the worst things ever. Honestly, I don't think there was any fish in the bread. The fries - cold and rubbery. I guess they are still baking those things for a 'healthier' alternative. The peas and the roll were actually pretty good.

I go through the line and expect that with the amount of money I knew I had to pay I would receive almost double of everything. Wrong. My tray of food, which was the exact same in quantity as Jordan's, was $1.40 more. Can you believe that? Had I known that my serving size was going to be no different that Jordan's, I would have made her go through the line to get another tray of food and I would have saved $1.40!

At least Quiznos is a little bit more satisfying.

1-year Triathlon Anniversary

2007-07-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

Sunday marked my one year anniversary for the love-hate relationship for triathlons. As I promised in this post, I am happy to report that I am actually getting better at doing them. :-)

This race consists of a 300m pool swim, a 20k bike ride (about 12.4 mi) and a 5k run (3.1 mi).

2006 Recap:
Swim - 7:47
T1 - 3:03
Bike - 39:38
T2 - 0:55
Run - 27:25
Total Time - 1:18:26
Age Group Finish - 10th out of 25
Overall Finish - 57th out of 143 (females)

2007 Results:
Swim - 6:33
T1 - 1:53
Bike - 37:14
T2 - 1:16
Run - 24:25
Total Time - 1:11:20
Age Group Finish - 5th out of 26
Overall Finish - 27th out of 196 (females)

I think this race will be on my list of 'annual' races. It's run very well and in a convenient location.

Next race up - the Draper Mile. One mile of sprinting pain. Last year I was able to complete it in 6:09. I wonder if I have it in me to get sub-6??? Kev is on target to complete it in less than 7. I hope he pulls through on race day! :-)

Patiently Waiting

2007-07-18T08:57:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been waiting for my odometer in my car to read 100,000 miles. It’s one of those things you just want to be able to witness. It seems like every time I am in my car I forget about it. I will just happen to look down at my speed or something and notice the odometer. Every time I think to myself, man I have to remember to look at this thing every time I get in the car so I don’t miss it!

Today was a normal rushed morning for the Minnick household. Even more so this time since Kev had to take his jeep into the shop last night, so I was doing the driving this morning. We also woke up late, which I am sure had nothing to do with a late night episode of Deadwood and an excellent bottle of chardonnay by Veritas.

As usual, I get in my car and start driving, not even noticing the odometer. It wasn’t until we drove all the way to Blacksburg to drop the kids off at school that I even thought about looking down at it.

It’s a good thing I did.

The Matchmaker

2007-06-29T15:45:00.001-04:00

I never thought I would be the one to introduce a couple who would eventually marry. But sure enough, I did. A couple of years ago a bunch of us went to Roanoke to a co-worker's annual Oktober Fest. At the last minute Kev and I suggested that our friend meet up with us and go. To our surprise, he said yes.

Afterwards we all headed downtown to Cornerstone to dance the night away. I was trying to hook up one of my friends with some random girl at the bar. Not sure if he followed through with everything, but the girl was there with her friend April. As soon as my co-worker left with Girl #1, my friend J-Mack was like, grab her friend there. So, as any good friend would do, I said, "Hey my friend Jason would like to buy you a drink." haha, and the rest was history. :-)

I am happy to have helped this couple find each other, fall in love, and make that life-long commitment to each other. It's crazy that it all started with me.

Kevin and I attended their wedding this past January. I would post a picture of the lovely couple, however, they have not sent us any pictures yet. (hint, hint!!) I did receive this picture below from J-Mack the other day, with the subject line "ohhhh aren't they cute".

I agree.

Great Expectations

2007-06-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

Before every race I set some personal goals on how I expect to do in that race. Lately, I have not been very good at setting these goals. The end results have been good, but I can’t seem to find a happy medium on how I think I should perform, and how it actually turns out.

This morning was my second triathlon event of the season. Located in Bath County, it was definitely a beautiful race venue. It’s about 30 minutes away from The Homestead, a very historic (and expensive) resort. After driving on a dirt road for about 20 minutes on the final stretch, the view of the lake proved to be as far away from civilization as expected. Since warm springs feed into the lake, the lake was a very comfortable temperature. The wet suit might have helped with that though!

Since I have been working hard in the pool lately, I set the expectation for my swim to be around 15 minutes. I guess that’s the difference from training in a pool then swimming in a lake. There are no lane lines, you can’t see in the water where you are going, you don’t have the walls to propel you through the water every 25 meters, people are constantly swimming into and over you….a lot of uncontrollable variables. The result – 18:15. Oh well. Better luck next time!

As for the bike, I don’t think I really had any expectations for that part. I just didn’t think it would be as hard as it was. It was basically uphill until the turn around. But once I started heading back, I was flying. I definitely think I made up some time, especially by hitting speeds of 40 mph. The result – (20km ~ 12.5 miles) 45:00.

The run….ugh…this part of the race I *always* set high expectations. It’s obviously my strongest discipline of the three. I have been doing speed workouts of paces from 7 min/mi to 6 min/mi. So, doing a 5k in 24 minutes or less, is definitely an easy expectation to have. Only one problem, this has to be done AFTER swimming and biking. Haha. Completely do-able though. The result – (5km ~ 3.1 miles) 26:25.

Another problem with these types of expectations is that I go to a new race venue and I have no idea what the course is going to be like. Running a fast 5k is easy on a flat surface! Add a few hills, the weather situation (sunny or shady run route) and you have factors out of your control. I think that’s what distinguishes a ‘great’ triathlete from a ‘good’ one. They are able to do well, regardless of the conditions. I am sure their experience level is also a factor in their success too. This is only my 4th one. ;-)

With these expectations I set for myself, and don’t achieve, it’s harder to appreciate the bigger picture. I did place 2^nd today in my age group. This is actually an awesome feat. But in my (competitive) mind, I feel that I didn’t do as well as I could have done. But that is no surprise!

Next up, Richmond in about 30 days. This is where I got started. Stay tuned for a comparison.

Something New

2007-05-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I keep my photos up on Flickr. I really like the look and feel of Flickr, but I do not like their printing quality. You can pay for an archiving service, that stores full sized images, but I haven't figured out to get those full-sized images printed.

Along came SmugMug. It's been around a while, I think I may have heard of it before, but it's relatively new to me. Now, I can upload my full-sized images and order superior quality photos. I have ordered my first set of pictures, Jilian's bridal shots, and they are fantastic. So now I am hooked.

I have 3 albums up so far, but more will be uploaded soon. It does take a while to upload, but well worth the wait.

Check them out here.

Gallop 4 Greenways

2007-05-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

In a last minute effort to make Webmail After Work something different, Pat got a few of us here at Webmail.us to sign up for a local 5k. I thought it was a great idea. Getting co-workers together outside of the work environment and doing something different. I can't wait for the next one!

The real challenge of this race was to not be the last Webmailer. There was no way in hell I was going to let Pat beat me. ;-) And secretly (cat's out of the bag) Marisa was not going to let him beat her either. haha.

I say the next event should be the Marine Mud Run. That way, we have to come across the finish line as a team. And who doesn't want to see their boss covered in mud??

Catch 22 - continued

2007-05-31T21:18:00.001-04:00

By running the CMM race I had to miss out on the wedding of the person to whom I owe all of my renewed distance running love. It was Jilian who got me back to my roots of running. She helped me train for my first ½ marathon, the CMM last year. I wanted to be there, sharing in joy as she and Todd made life-long promises to each other. Her ability to plan a wedding in 4 months is beyond me. I am grateful that she did include me in several aspects of the planning. I guess I didn’t do a good job of convincing her to move the date! haha.

Congratulations Jilian and Todd!

Catch 22

2007-05-31T21:13:00.000-04:00

Just like last April, a bunch of us traveled down to Nashville to run the Country Music ½ Marathon. And just like last year, it was a blast.

This year my Dad joined us for the fun. He actually had to overcome a couple of obstacles during his training, including knee surgery within 4 months of the run. I think my Dad and I have a lot in common when it comes to physical and mental challenges. I wanted him to be able to finish the race without stopping to walk. I had it in my mind that it was at least probable. I kept convincing him that it was do-able. I think I actually brain-washed him a little and told him that it doesn’t really ‘feel’ like 13.1 miles. Haha.

Right before we started I told him (more brain-washing) that we could do it in 2.5 hours. He just laughed at me. He was like, ‘the last time I ran 10 miles it took me 2.75 hours, and you want me to run 13.1 in less than that, you are crazy!’. But with the help of Marisa, we were able to pace him through the entire race and finish it in 2 hours and 27 minutes. We had 3 minutes to spare! The look on my Dad’s face, as he finished what he thought was the impossible, was priceless. I am so proud of him and his ability to fight the odds of his injuries. Oh yea, this was his first, and probably last long run. The doctor says that his knees are not going to hold up to the impact of running.

But that’s only the first part of the Catch 22

My Baby Graduated!

2007-05-31T20:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it’s just pre-school, but it’s one of those milestones in life. She’s a big girl now since she’s going to kindergarten in fall. At least that's what she tells me.

One of my vivid memories of graduation, both at Giles High School and Virginia Tech is of the girls who would wear their cap on the back of their heads. This was mainly because of the poof of hair in the front that they didn’t want to mess up. Come on, a mortar board goes on your head so that it’s parallel to the ground. I think diplomas should be revoked if people wear their hats in such a manner. But that’s just my personal opinion.

I am glad to see that Jordan isn’t ‘one of those girls’. Oh wait, maybe she didn’t have a choice. haha

Slow May

2007-05-31T20:22:00.000-04:00

It’s been a slow month for blogging. My sincerest apologies to the 5 readers of this blog. I know you have been eagerly waiting to hear more about what’s going on in my life.

So where to begin?

I suppose that since I love to gloat about my accomplishments, I will start with an update on my 2007 training and competitions.

On April 15^th, I competed in my first triathlon of 2007. It was the Angel’s Race in Lynchburg. The weather was horrible, to say the least. Basically, freezing cold and torrential downpours. I practically made up my mind that it would be ok if I just finished the race. As most of my close friends know, that’s not really how I end up doing races.

I am still not great at the swim, it’s definitely the discipline that needs the most work. The bike went well, until I got to Mt. Everest. This hill was conveniently located towards the end of the bike ride, just about the part where you think you are going to die. I kept pedaling, in my easiest gear, until I thought I was going to have to stop and walk my bike up. I even tried to un-clip, but my leg was too weak to get my foot out. I had a couple of choices: stay on the bike and pedal, fall over and wait for the paramedics, or just go down the hill backwards. I chose to stay on my bike and pedal. It was a good choice.

Next up, the run. It was relatively easy going out, but coming back in was a different story. The same incline at the end of the bike was again present at the end of the run. So Grandma Jones on the sidewalk was pacing along with her walker faster than I was able to run up the hill. It was a very technical race. Nothing like my previous two races.

After I finished, my coach and I were reviewing the results and realized that there was the possibility of me placing in my age group. We had to wait for all the athletes to finish before it was official. And that’s all she wrote. One of my personal goals of the year was to finish in the top 3 of one of my scheduled triathlons, and I hit the mark on my first one.

That is definitely one of the many highlights of my athletic career.

I will post a couple of pictures soon. I promise.

Marketing 101

2007-05-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while for various reasons, but I couldn't let this one pass.

Year Zero - awesome marketing approach.

I don't listen to NIN much these days, however, after reading this article my interest to start listening to them again has increased at least a smidgen.

2007-04-24T09:55:00.000-04:00

This year the Country Music Marathon has partnered with Bones in Motion so that athletes can send race status information to anyone who wants to track them. I tested it out this morning to see how it actually works.

Since I am creating this post from the BIM account, I will see how everything turns out before I give my final opinions.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	0 ft
Location:	Virginia Tech, VA	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	04/24/07	Up/Downhill:	[+0/-0]
Time:	09:37 AM	Difficulty:	0 / 5.0

Weather:	Mostly Cloudy
	64F temp; 69% humidity
	64F heat index; winds W 6

Performance

Distance:	0.16 miles
Time:	0:03:21
Speed:	2.8 mph
Pace:	21' 25 /mi
Calories:	0

Map

Elevation (ft.)

Speed (mph)

Splits

Mile	Pace (min/mile)		Speed (mph)		Elevation Gain
Mile	actual	+/- avg	actual	+/- avg	Elevation Gain
end	21' 25	-0' 00	2.8	+0.0	-- ft
Versus average of 2.8 mph

Posted from bimactive.com

Scarlet and Gray

2007-04-22T17:03:00.000-04:00

The Ohio State Buckeyes spring game was yesterday. The Buckeyes got permission to display the VT logo on their helmets. They honored Virginia Tech in front of 75,301 Ohio State Buckeye fans. I like this picture. The complete gallery starts here. Thanks, Dad, for telling me about this story.

A Message From My Dad

2007-04-20T12:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I sent my Dad this article written by ESPN's Chris Fowler about the events that occurred on Monday. I didn't expect a response. I just sent it to him because every year he makes the journey to Blacksburg to attend a football game. He even went to a Sugar Bowl game with me and Kev a couple of years ago. And to this day, he says that being down in New Orleans to watch the Hokies play and to show his support for VT was the most amazing trip he has experienced. He is always comparing his trips, including ones with his 'current' family, to the trip he took with us.

So, he too, is shocked by the tragedy on VT's campus. He responded to my email saying this:

"You know, I'm a Buckeye through and through, but I take The Hokies under my wing like it was my team. I feel for the families that lost their sons or daughters and wish them all the strength it takes to get back to a normal life. Even though I don't know these kids, I feel like I have lost my dearest friends. I've had the best experiences with your friends during tailgating and from your parties and they have truly treated me with open arms.

Tell everyone down there to keep their heads up and only think of the great things that Va. Tech has done. Great people come and go and I'm sure that the students that lost their lives would want the community to band together and be strong. It will take everyone to make this happen and I know from past experiences, it will be done."

Thanks Dad - today we are all Hokies.

Thoughts and Prayers

2007-04-17T10:39:00.000-04:00

There are no words that can express the sorrow that myself as well as the entire Virginia Tech community are going through at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers are with family and friends.

¡Consiga a pozo pronto mi buen amigo! ¡Hay partidos futuros de Cinco de Mayo para que usted atienda!

Update - Treasure Hunts

2007-04-13T11:21:00.000-04:00

I have officially been unsubscribed!!

Their response:

"Ok, I think I have this resolved. I searched our database by "velvet" and it came up with velvet@fieldParty.com. I think because we had the "p" capitalized it wasn't finding it with the lowercase "p" in the address. "

Again - I highly recommend a better solution for their email marketing needs.

Treasure Hunts

2007-04-13T08:43:00.000-04:00

I have been on a treasure hunt with someone in Seattle, WA. It’s not your normal type of treasure hunt, that’s for sure. Here’s the problem – I am on a bulk email list that comes from an organization that I had contact with about 7 or more years ago. After attending a training session here at Webmail.us about our new project, Outreach, I learned a lot about regulations on bulk email and spam. One of the issues discussed is the ability for subscribers to ‘unsubscribe’.

I have seen this on multiple occasions before at the bottom of my legit spam newsletter. “If you do not want to receive this newsletter in the future, click here.” Simple enough. I noticed at the bottom of the message that I receive – that I no longer want – there is not a link to unsubscribe. There is, however, the option to reply to the newsletter with the words “unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Here’s the problem – the email address to which they are sending is an account that has been forwarded to my existing account or an alias. Sucks. But getting off of this list *should* be easy. I know the exact circumstances why I have contact with them. Back in the day…..

….before Webmail.us, Inc. took the direction of email hosting services it was a company called Fieldparty.com. As most of us veteran employees remember, our non-paid duty was to collect events from all over the place to include in our database of ‘things to do’. Our site allowed people to search for what’s happening in their local area. As one could imagine – it seemed like my email address at the time was on EVERY spam list.

So again – I replied to the message with the word ‘unsubscribe’ and included the email address that I thought they may have. I have done this at least 10 times in the past 3 months and I am still on this freakin’ list.

Last night I decided to respond to the person and actually write out the problem and ask that they remove my email address. To my amazement, I received a reply from this person who said, “It appears that we don't have either email in our system.” Hmmmm – that’s odd. I don’t have too many email addresses, other than the 20 or so aliases I have with Webmail.us (haha, not really....sort of...).

Curious to see if I had any correspondences from this organization in the email account that I assumed they were sending information, I logged into that account for the first time since 2003. wow. Talk about a blast from the past. There aren’t too many emails in that account. The bulk of it is spam – conveniently filtered to my spam folder. But there are 30 emails in my inbox that at one point in my life I felt were important to me.

My favorite email message thus far:

From: "Velvet Minnick"
Sent: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 11:18:22 EDT

Subject: space

Dearest Patrick Michael Matthews,

Can you tell me who I need to speak with regarding more space for my mailbox? I would like an increase to maintain the adequate supply of emails that I receive. I greatly appreciate your timely response with this matter.

Sincerest Regards,
Velvet Sunshine Minnick

To which Patrick Michael Matthews responded –

Velvet! What's up. Go ahead and send an email to support@excedent.com and tell them I said to upgrade you. Its on me. :0)

- Pat

Patrick Matthews
CEO, Excedent Technologies
Virginia Tech Alumni
866.EXCEDENT X 80
703.242.8600 (Office)
703.xxx.xxxx (Cell)
703.991.4441 (Fax)

Excedent Technologies - Managed Email Solutions – http://www.excedent.com

Apparently the support team back then consisted of my husband, currently our Chief Software Architect and Bill, our CTO, because I got this response:

Bill is going to setup a velvet@webmail.us account with 20mb. So you can use that if you want. He increased the fieldparty one, but thought you might like to use webmail.us

Kevin

Although many things have changed since this email, it’s nice to know a couple of things are still the same:

1. Kevin and I are still married and possess the unique ability to have a marital relationship and work at the same company.

2. The company still exists.

3. My sarcasm to Patrick remains in full force.

4. Patrick’s email signature continues to beat out others in length.

As for the removal of my email address on the unwanted marketing list – the hunt is on. Perhaps the organization needs to look into a better solution. ;-)

Recently Added Photos on Flickr

2007-03-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Webmail.us - Hackathon 4

St. Patrick's Day - Virginia Beach

Family Walk on the Huckleberry

Happy 30th Birthday Patrick!!

2007-02-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

On Saturday a bunch of friends and co-workers gathered to celebrate Pat's birthday. We started the night off at Sigma Grill. Pat's mom and dad attempted to make it a surprise party, but the cat got out of the bag. It was a great evening that eventually ended up downtown at Big Al's. I enjoyed catching up with friends from the past!

Happy Birthday Patrick!

You can check out the slideshow from the party here.

UPDATE - Double Tall, Nonfat, No Whip, No More Mochas

2007-02-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

I FOUND MY CAMERA!!!

Apparently my camera is small enough to fit in the smallest pair of jeans I own. Who knew??!! My day of sorrow has turned out to be a day of miracles!! YAY!!

Double Tall, Nonfat, No Whip, Mochas are back on! ;-)

Double Tall, Nonfat, No Whip, No More Mochas

2007-02-26T09:21:00.000-05:00

I am completely sad and disgusted with myself. I somehow failed to maintain the where-abouts of (ie, LOST!!) my brand new digital camera on Saturday night. :'-(

Since I have been on a complete spending spree here lately, I have decided that before I can buy a replacement I am going to give up my morning drink of choice from Starbucks. Furthermore, I will not consider a replacement until my road bike is paid off. This is such a sad, sad day.

ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO FREQUENT BIG AL'S:

If you have any information regarding the location of a little digital camera with a cute red leather strap, please contact me immediately.

Thank you,
Ms. Responsible

A Parent's Worst Nightmare

2007-02-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

**Warning: The following post is not for the weak!**

Aside from the death of my children, any major illnesses, or being abducted there's basically one thing I don't want to experience as a parent. Unfortunately for me (as Kev completely lucked out on this one) this experience occurred tonight.

I had just finished putting the kids in the bathtub and was going to let them play for a few minutes. During this time, I was checking my email and reading up on some triathlon news. Then I hear it....my 5-year old daughter starts yelling for me...."Mommy!!! Andrew pooped in the bathtub!! It is disgusting!"

O....M....G....

Of course my first reaction is, "Jordan, are you serious?" as if she would lie about something like poop in the bathtub. I calmly walk to the bathroom and peek around the door hoping that it's just one floater that can be quickly scooped out (with a cup and gloves that come up to my elbows). Nope. Of course this would NOT be my luck.

I then proceed quickly to get the kids out of the tub and start draining the water. After it starts draining the thought occurs, what happens if the drain gets clogged? Oh well, I will deal with that if need be. So now I have to somehow re-clean the kids. The bathroom sink, yes! I will just put Drew in the sink run some water and wash him off with some soap, perfect. Ok, where's Drew? He's running around the house naked. I suppose the possibility of him dropping a deuce on the living room floor is pretty much zero since he cleaned out in the tub....but I don't want to chance it. I chase him down and go to put him in the bathroom sink only to find out he doesn't fit in it. Has it been that long since he was taking his baths in the sink?? Damn....I need a bigger sink....off to the kitchen! Finally, I was able to lather him up really good and I only pray that he got clean.

As for Jordan, she got to wash off in our shower. (We just have a stall shower, no tub.)

As for the bath tub....it's getting a major bleaching. Jordan and Drew don't know this yet, but by the time they wake up in the morning all bath time toys associated with this disaster will be in the trash.

As for me, I think I am experiencing post-traumatic stress. Maybe an apple martini will help....yes, good idea.

I'm In Love!!

2007-02-19T21:11:00.000-05:00

Belated Post For A Belated Birthday Party

2007-02-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

A week after Marisa's birthday, we all finally had time in our schedules to meet up for her birthday dinner and dessert. It was great to hang out with everyone since it has been a while. Our normal tradition includes finger foods, veggies, cheeses, bread and crackers, a TON of wine and a late night full of gossip and laughter.

This time around, however, we had a toned-down 'healthier' version. The main course was an awesome soup prepared by Beth that consisted of chicken, salsa verde, white beans and chicken broth. It was accompanied by a salad. For dessert, we had homemade sherbet.....well....sort of sherbet. It was definitely homemade though. haha! Our alcohol consumption was limited to one glass of champagne. (Note to self - find out what kind of champagne we had so that I can enjoy the entire bottle.)

The funny part about dessert is that it looked like cat food.

I think it was because the 'sherbet' had not softened up enough and it just chipped away as Beth tried to scoop it out. It was pretty tasty though!

Here's Nicole and Katrina poking a little fun at the dessert concoction.

As expected, it was a good time in good company.

Happy Birthday Marisa!!

A Treat For YOU!!

2007-02-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, three posts in one day. Sweet. Because we all can't get enough of Velvet. ;-)

Tonight's the night!! I have been waiting sooooo long for this! I am bouncing off the walls with excitement!! (maybe that's the Enviga I just drank.....) My skin is prickling with goose bumps!

My favorite reality show couple are BACK ON TV!

I loved to hate them in their separate Survivor seasons. I loved to love them in Survivor: All-Stars. I watched with tears of sorrow as they finished as runners-up in the Amazing Race 7. I watched with tears of joy as they vowed to be together forever in their televised wedding. And now, they are back....

Rob and Amber will be taking on 10 other teams in the Amazing Race: All-Stars!! Wahoo!!

I am looking forward to the countless hours of unproductive tv watching. I mean, with a show as captivating as Rob and Amber....er, I mean the Amazing Race....why would anyone want to stop watching tv??

The food sign up list for the season finale party coming soon!

Product Review - Enviga

2007-02-18T10:02:00.000-05:00

There's a new so-called 'calorie burning' product out on the market called Enviga. The product claims that a normal weight person between the ages of 18-35 can burn between 60-100 calories, just by drinking this product. It has antioxidants including the metabolism boosting one called Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. It also contains about 100mg of caffeine per can.

You have to drink 3 cans of this stuff to receive the 'optimal' calorie burning effect. And as the can states, drinking more than 3 cans will not have an additional effect. It has 5 calories per can and provides 20% of your recommended calcium. Lucky for consumers it is available in three flavors: Peach, Berry & Green Tea.

At first taste, I was reminded of Red Bull with it's carbony zing. Even more so like Red Bull Light with the substitute sweeteners. I have only tried the Berry and Green Tea flavors. The Berry was pretty good. But as with most drinks (other than alcohol) it's hard to have more than one. You just get bored of it. Maybe if you chug it real fast then you wouldn't get sick of it. Or, maybe we can have Enviga-vodka instead of Red Bull-vodka......hmmm....it would definitely be a more healthy alcoholic drink. It has antioxidants!

I don't know why I even picked it up. Maybe it was the thought that I could burn calories by not doing anything. Yes, as I am typing this I am thinking about the calories that are burning away inside. burn baby burn.

The only problem, you burn at most 100 calories, assuming of course you drink the 3 recommended cans. 100 calories.....blah. It's not worth it. In order to lose 1 pound, you have to burn 500 calories a day for one week. Alternatively, you can decrease your calorie intake by 500 calories per day for one week. Even better, decrease your calories 250 and burn 250 calories per day for one week, i.e. diet and exercise.

I am not for sure how this product will take with consumers. I am sure it will follow the normal weight loss craze that new products often endure. It will probably fizzle as quickly as it came to market. Here's the problem with this product:

1. It's expensive. Although I can't be 100% on this as I myself didn't look at the price (a bad habit, I know), but I am sure it was at least $1.50 per can. And don't forget, you have to drink 3 a day.

2. It's target market. The product states, "Three cans per day of enviga have been shown to increase calorie burning by 60-100 calories in healthy normal weight 18-35 year olds." Um, hello??? Shouldn't your target market be non-normal weight people? Have you not listened to the news that the majority of people are not healthy and are over weight, they are in fact, obese?? Good job guys! Even as I write this I should have known this product wasn't for me since I don't fit into the 'normal weight' category. geesh.

3. It has caffeine. I don't know how your heart handles 300 mg of caffeine, but mine can't handle it.

Maybe their true intent is to provide a healthier alternative to caffeinated drinks like coffee and Red Bull. But they add the calorie burning aspect which makes me think of weight loss.

My vote: nay!

Bad Design - Clear pacifiers

2007-02-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I was thinking when I purchased the new pacifiers for Drew. I believe it went something like, "Oh cool! Clear pacifiers, how neat!" You can now replace those words with, "Where the hell is that damn pacifier? Does anyone see Drew's paci?"

Whoever thought a clear pacifier was a good idea didn't have a crying kid looking for a lost one!

Valentine's Day.... Bah Humbug!

2007-02-14T21:01:00.000-05:00

Before I get to the really great parts about Valentine's Day, let me tell you about my experience with Valentine's day with kids.

So, just like last year, Jordan comes home with the class roster so that we can write out Valentine's Day cards. She also comes home with a slip of paper saying to bring in chips and dip for the 'party'. No big deal. I buy the cards for Jordan, she preferred Hello Kitty this year, I spend about an hour with her. I have to spell the names out for her and she writes them on the card. This is a great exercise with my patience. At least this year she wrote out about 99% percent of the names herself. Cool...done.

Jordan came home with the her class roster about a week ago, plenty of time to prepare. Well, the other day, I get this sheet of paper of from Drew's class....it's his class roster. At first I thought, how cute! I will write all the kids names on the cards and give them all suckers. It will be so nice. I mentioned this to Kev and I basically got 'the look'. This 'look' can be vocalized as, 'haha, yeah right, I don't think so." I am sure most of you know this look. I quickly dismiss my 'it will be a good motherly thing to do' idea and say, 'you're right dear, why would we do that?!" Let's face it, A - they are 12-24 month old babies, B - they can't write, C - they can't read, D - they can't even eat cool candy like the conversation hearts! A complete waste of time.

I go and pick up the kids today, totally excited to see what kind of candy Jordan would be bringing home. I am leaving Drew's classroom and the teacher hands me a brown bag.....filled with Valentine's Day cards and candy. Are you kidding me? I mean, didn't these other parents realize that this was a complete waste of time?? APPARENTLY NOT!! One set of parents even went as far as making rose-tinted rice krispy treats!! Whoa! Now that, my friends, was an awesome treat. Ridiculous.....yummy, but ridiculous.

Did the parents really think that I would believe that these cards were hand-picked and 'from' their 18-month olds? lol...

Ok, so on to the good stuff! Check out my cutie pies!! Check out the difference from last year with these below. Man oh man....they are quite the trouble makers so don't let these pictures fool you! I am sure they would try to rip your head off if you took their suckers!

Of course the most amazing husband in the entire world went the extra mile to buy me flowers and cook me an awesome steak dinner. He even remembered the red wine! :-)

Snowshoe Trip 2007

2007-02-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

Finally....a much needed break from life, in general. Last Thursday a group of us went to Snowshoe for 4 days of skiing and snowboarding. Thanks to Jilian who did all of the arrangements and by coincidence scheduled the trip after good snow fall! The conditions on the mountain were perfect.

I attempted snowboarding for the first time and in one word, it was painful. It was definitely harder than what I expected. Everyone said that I needed to give it more than one day, but there was no way that I could physically do it after one day of trying. I was sore everywhere. It was fun to try, but maybe I will get some more practice in the future.....maybe.

I rented some demo skis that were shorter than the skis I own. I couldn't believe the difference in the control I had. I think my skill level increased 100% just by switching the skis. I completed my first black diamond runs at Snowshoe. By the last day, I was able to handle the Western Territory like a pro. haha....ok, maybe not like a pro, but at least like someone with experience. I definitely felt confident going down those trails. I feel like I have a lot more to practice though. Especially keeping my skis closer together. I wish we could ski there every weekend!

Some highlights from the trip:

*imagining what it looked like to see myself wipe out every 10 feet on the snowboard (painful)
*listening to the boys pick on each other almost 24/7
*learning about 'fives'
*playing the boxing game on the Nintendo Wii with Kev and kicking his butt ;-)
*playing the golf game on the Nintendo Wii using the character Jilian set up (left-handed) and not realizing why it wasn't working for me until it was over.
*BrianH saying, "Hey we can all fit on this lift"
*and then almost dying on the same lift when Matt decided to putz around and not get in front of it soon enough while trying to load
*laughing at Matt and Mike who were under dressed for our first night out on the town....apparently I was right when I told them that a short-sleeved shirt and a denim jacket wouldn't cut it in zero degree weather.
*making everyone run from the comedy club to the dance club - somehow the fact that snow making would be occurring on the mountain didn't cross my mind at all.
*watching Todd's face as he saw Kevin R make a beeline towards our group and hockey stopped only inches away from the whole group - there was a split instance where the snow covered the entire area and I thought we were all going down
*learning that Webmail.us hit another single day SMB sales record and telling Cameron that we should pay for him to take vacations more often ;-)
*Mike trying to start a mosh pit at the dance club.....and almost being thrown out about 3 times
*Matt trying to memorize all of the trail maps
*conquering the Western Territory - congrats to both Mike and Matt who also hit these trails on their first visit to Snowshoe. They went from doing greens all day Thursday to hitting the blacks Saturday and Sunday - awesome job guys!! :-)

Other pics can be viewed here.

There are rumors that next year's trip is getting started! Next year - the house that sleeps 21 people....sweet!! Who's down??

Getting Fitted For a Road Bike

2007-02-01T21:25:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would get fitted for a road bike. Especially after my first experience in a spin class that was completely dreadful with two days of walking funny and not being able to sit. And after I claimed I was dying after my first triathlon.

I have been thinking about how to take my triathlon experience to the next level, i.e. place in my age division. Of course there's the obvious, train to be more efficient at all three disciplines. Then there's the equipment side of things. Better gear. Improving my bike is definitely one piece of equipment that can help me.

Apparently, there are all kinds of special angles and sizes of bikes that affect your power on the bike. I went to East Coasters today to get measured and find the right bike for my body. It was a great learning experience, to say the least. The biggest ah-ha moment was during the discussion of the pedal cycle (like looking at a clock face) and understanding the muscles involved at each point during this cycle. With the incorrect fit of the bike I used last year and the fact that I didn't have clipless pedals, I wasted about 1/2 of the power I was putting into the pedal. Wow...all that hard work I put into the bike was giving me half of the results!

Just by getting the fitting done, I think I learned twice as much about the road bike than what I knew before going in the store. What's next? Well, I am waiting for the measurement results and analysis on cost to either enhance my bike to fit me or purchase a new bike. Once I get the results back maybe I can convince a company to sponsor me so that I can afford the enhancements or a new bike. Any takers??? ;-)

What the hell?

2007-01-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

I am sure you know the phrase, and you probably use it a lot to, "What the hell?". Or maybe you like the version, "What in the hell?". This statement....er question, is usually followed by some other words like, "...is that?" or even "...are you doing?" These questions, or any version of them, should definitely not come out of a 5 year old's mouth.

So, I am getting my 5-year old daughter a sippie cup with milk before we go to bed. I look for a cup that has a special thing inside that keeps the cup from leaking. There are no special things to be found, and all of the other cups are in the dishwasher that is washing all the sippie cups we own. I think to myself, "Jordan will be pissed that the cup leaks, if she tilts it and milk comes out, even by accident." There's nothing I can do, because there are NO MORE clean sippie cups. I fill the cup with milk, without the leak prevention piece, and give it to Jordan. I go back to doing the laundry.

The *instant* I get back to the dryer I hear the following coming from my daughter's mouth, and I quote, "Mommy! What the hell? You didn't put the thingy in my cup and milk is leaking all over me!!" Yes, she said, "what the hell?". Ugh.....where did she learn this??!! I ask her where she had heard that before, and she says that she just made it up. haha, yeah right.

How did she know to use it in the correct context though? That's pretty clever of her.

I told her that it wasn't nice to say that and she assured me she wouldn't say it again.

It's so funny (laughing on the inside, of course) because if she would have heard something like this: "What in the hell? I hate you!" she would be the first in the room to say, "We don't say that word, it's a bad word" and she would be referring to the word "hate". So that's what they teach her at school, that "hate" is bad, but not "What in the hell?". But how many 5-year olds do you know use a phrase like that? haha....parenthood!

Got it right, for once

2007-01-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my longest run to date. I was scheduled to run 3 hours and 10 minutes. I believe the longest I have gone without stopping was right around 2 hours and 15-ish minutes. All of my previous runs that were greater than 2 hours of running have not been successful. It's very frustrating. It's not like a short run where you can pretty much remain in control of how you feel mentally as well as physically.

When you get to anything greater than 2 hours there are so many things you have to think about. The weather for one. Let's face it, Blacksburg is known for freaky weather and within a 3 hour span it's bound to change. The digestive system - I am sure it's safe to say that most people urinate at least once during a 3 hour time period....but you won't find porta-potties on the trail for your urinating needs. And forget about it if you feel a #2 coming on. The mind. What does one think about for 3 hours of running? My first choice is music, but I did finish an audiobook..... and it was an 18 hour audio book. haha. Food. You have to eat a lot before hand, and consume calories during the run. We're not talking about Jimmy John's either. My food of choice is PowerBar Gel in the tangerine flavor. I think I am pretty lucky that I can take one of these packets while still running. A few of my friends (you know who you are!!) have bad gag reflexes and have to take it little by little while stopped.

With all these different factors, sometimes it's just hard to know if a run is going to be successful. One factor that I think I have nailed down (because it worked) is my pre-run meal. Apparently I was not eating enough. This time around, I made sure I ate more than what I thought was enough. By the time I finished eating, I could barely breathe. But the result - my longest continuous run ever. My 3 hours and 10 minutes amounted to 18.75 miles. That's crazy! I literally could not move another inch after I finished. But I felt a sense of accomplishment because I did not stop during the run. I also had the help of Kev, who rode his bike for about 2 hours of my run. You should ask him how he felt after the run. ;-)

Marathon Training - it's hard

2007-01-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

Yup, that's right, it's hard. Imagine that, right? Ugh. I suppose enduring 3 hour long training runs wouldn't be as bad if the weather was nice. A couple of weeks ago (maybe longer ago now that I think about it) I did a run and couldn't believe that I had to take off my running jacket to run in my Nike dri-fit t-shirt. That was a good day of marathon training, at least from what I can remember.

But then winter weather decided to grace us with her presence. How nice! So now I get to wear 2 layers of cold gear (insulated, sweat wicking material) along with the windbreaker. Oh, and normally I don't like to wear gloves while running. I even have two cool running shirts with thumb holes in the sleeves, and one with extra long sleeves that I can wrap around my hands if it's cold out. This time running though, I had to break out the cold-gear gloves. And I wore them the entire time while running.

So anyhow, cold weather and long runs make for quite the experience. I have only 2 more months left of training. And probably only 1 more month of long runs before I taper for my race. Not too much longer and I will be finished with this training. I am welcoming that day more and more. :-)

Also, if you would like to enjoy the nice winter weather we are experiencing, feel free to stop by our house. Sometimes I wonder if it is warmer outside than inside our house. It took an act of Congress to get the house thermostat up to at least 70 degrees (from 68!!). Apparently giving Kevin the Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook for Christmas had it's repercussions. He insists that Martha's house temperatures are adequate for us too. Yeah, but I am sure the book failed to mention that every fireplace in the house is lit too, thus justifying a low temperature. Us, on the other hand, we have no fireplaces and I can feel the cold air enveloping me as I type. :-) I will have to admit though, I never thought we would have a picture-perfect garage! ;-)

Pure Happiness Is....

2006-12-18T08:49:00.000-05:00

finding out that one of your girlfriends is engaged!

Congratulations Jilian and Todd!

My First Book Review

2006-12-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading my first business-related book, “Inside Intuit” and now I can be one of the cool kids on the block by writing a review. ;-)

The book basically tells how Intuit got started and all the trials and tribulations that they had to overcome to become the #1 money management software for individuals and small businesses. Being a QuickBooks user myself (for Webmail.us) I was able to connect to a lot of the issues they faced while developing the software. Being a part of a start-up company, I was able to relate (sort of) to the hardships Intuit had to overcome in order to succeed.

One day in the fall of 1982, the founder (Scott Cook) was listening as his wife was balancing their checkbook and trying to pay their bills. She was tired of how time consuming it was to track their finances and the amount of time it took to write checks to pay the bills. Cook sat down with her and discussed the things that would make the job “easier”. As his wife made suggestions, Cook started thinking that if his wife hating balancing her checkbook, then surely many others felt the same way. That’s how it all got started.

The first employee of Cook was a Stanford electrical engineering (closest to a computer science degree that was offered at the time) student, Tom Proulx, who just happened to be outside of the engineering building when Cook approached and asked, “Where is the best place to post these fliers”. The flier boasted of a great opportunity for an innovative PC program. The job required to write in the computer programming language BASIC. Proulx asked a few questions and then took a flier. Within two weeks, Cook and Proulx started working on what was known at that time as Kwik-Chek.

In order to make Kwik-Chek successful, Cook knew that if he conducted surveys among individuals who had to balance their checkbooks and pay bills, they could create a product that could address those specific needs. This led him to call several people that he knew as well as random people to ask them a couple questions on what would make their life easier with regards to paying their bills. This grass-roots approach reminded much of the early Fieldparty.com days. Although I was not directly involved, I do remember the stories of our co-founders’ visions.

The book continues on about how they eventually grew to like 5 employees and were working on their first software release. As with any software release, sometimes its hard to make it 100% bug-free. So they had to overcome not only missed deadlines for release, but fixing bugs as they became known. This required working more than 24 hours straight for Proulx. How many times have our developers seen 24+ hours of coding and debugging?? There are so many instances in this book that I can replace “Intuit” with “Webmail.us” in many of them.

They saw hardships and barely survived in their first years of operation. But one thing that held them afloat was their dedication to their customers. Everything they did was done with the customer in mind. They listened to all customers. At one point, all employees of Intuit were required to read the “comment cards” that were sent in from customers. (Wow, comment cards?? OLD-SCHOOL!) But as the employees read the comment cards, they were able to think of new ways to improve their product. They would even invite local townspeople into one of their labs to study and observe every move the townspeople would make while using the software. This attention to customer detail allowed Intuit to streamline their areas of needed improvement of its software. These study groups provided the co-founders with indispensible insight into the market that they would soon dominate.

As the company grew, its focus grew to more than just individuals. They thought that if individuals needed this type of software, then small businesses might have interest in the software as well. Besides, most small business owners were made up of 1 or 2 individuals that were faced with similar tasks. They were able to mold their software to accommodate the needs of the small businesses. This would soon become known as QuickBooks.

In my opinion, Intuit was presented with a lot of opportunity during its growth. They were a company that started out with software on floppy disks, and then experienced the CD-ROM boom, to eventually the Internet. With the birth of the internet, Intuit needed to be creative to stay at the top of their game. They were able to capitalize on all of the bru-ha-ha that the internet created. But their gains into the internet world did not come without some recognizable failure.

Some of the failure that Intuit faced was its decreasing focus on the customer and soon its employees. At one point, 10% of Intuit’s workforce was laid off (a total 420 employees out the door!) just to announce the next day (literally) that they were going to align with a company to the tune of a seven-year deal at $40 million. Talk about a slap in the face!

The company faced leadership changes throughout its growth. The current President and CEO, Steve Bennett was hired in January 2000. With his appointment came the leadership qualities to move Intuit past the $1 billion dollar revenue point. He brought back the faith of Intuit’s employees and outlined core values to “wow” customers. Their goal is to not just satisfy customers, their goal is to “wow” them.

Overall, I thought this book was great. It helped shed some light on areas of my company, such as customer care and why it is so important. It provided insight on how important it is to be innovative and not just be complacent about your products or services. It re-emphasized the greatness of individuals and what they can accomplish when the odds are against them.

One of the immediate realizations that I had after reading this book is that our company is still small but yet growing. Having worked at a $6 billion manufacturing facility, it was more of culture shock coming to a privately-held small business. All of my dreams to “number-crunch” were quickly dismissed when I came to Webmail.us. But that’s ok! I realize (better) now that we are still growing and we will soon be at a point when I will be able to crunch numbers until my heart’s content. But until we get to that point, I can focus my talents and abilities to help our company stay in line with its #1 goal, to provide the best email hosting service and maintain its dedication to its customers. I definitely recommend reading this book.

Two Different Worlds

2006-12-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

Every time I travel to my parent’s house I am amazed at the differences in which we live. I had to help out my sister by watching her kids while she is basking in the luxury of a cruise. This involved spending the night at my mom’s house (who has been watching them since Monday) and assisting with the kids on Friday.

After having dinner at the house with Kev and the fam, I go ahead and pack for the night. Once I have all my stuff ready I sit down for what will be my last experience with high-speed internet for the next 12+ hours. I check and respond to some emails, finish up some billing stuff for the company and browse around before shutting down and heading out.

As I am driving over to my mom’s house, which usually takes 35-40 mins, I make a couple of phone calls on the cellular. There are no cell phone towers within 15 miles of her house which means I have about 15 mins of chatting time. How is it possible that I can be so close to civilization (the Burg’s), but yet sooooo far away?

I get closer to my mom’s house and the flurries we experienced over in B’burg had accumulated to like a 1/2 –inch of snow and very slippery spots with ice. The first thing I am feeling is that the kids will have a delay for school and I will be stuck in the archaic world without the comfort of text messaging and high-speed internet.

I awoke early this morning to get the oldest girl, Alazay, in the shower. Seconds after getting her in the shower, the dreaded words filled the airwaves of Q99….”Giles County – 2 hour delay”. UGH!! So instead of being able to be “kid-free” by 9 am, this means the earliest I can head over the mountain to work is 11 am. UGH!!

I bite the bullet and continue getting the kids ready for school. Alazay is on the bus by 9:30 and I load up the other 3 (Jordan, Shayda & Kaylonie) to head out to Pearisburg. I suppose I would have felt better if I had my morning dose of emails, however, I was not about to use a poor dial-up connection. I just keep thinking that once I get Jordan to Kev’s parent’s house, and drop off Shayda and Kaylonie at pre-school life will be better.

My thoughts of how 18th century my mom’s “neighborhood” is further confirmed as I am heading out the country road and slow down so that I do not run into the Amish horse-drawn carriage that is in front of me. Yup, that’s right, sub-zero weather, and the Amish are ridin’ around. Crazy. I suppose they have stuff to tend to despite the weather.

Anyhoo, I was quite relieved to get back into town limits at which point I turned on my cell phone to welcome a flood of text messages that I had missed. Ah! Cellphone-sweet-cellphone. I just can’t get over the fact that within a 30 minute radius of a forward-thinking, high tech community such as Blacksburg, that I have to deal with dial-up, the lack of cell phone towers and horse-drawn carriages. They are definitely two very different worlds.

PS – this blog was written at Kev’s parent’s house. They do have high-speed internet (cable, I think) and if you stand in the right place you can get a signal on the cellphone. This is the bridge that connects the two worlds. ;-)

The Turtle

2006-12-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

I was introduced to the “Turtle” this past weekend at a party. My friend Marisa explained that models will sometimes pull their shoulders back and stick out their neck to give the illusion of a slimmer body. So of course myself, Marisa, Beth, Katrina, Nicole, and even Kevin and John attempted this pose to see what we would look like.

The most extreme difference was obvious with me. We deduced that with my broad shoulders I was able to slenderize to model size most successfully. Check out the pics below…..they are hilarious! You will have to try this at home, just hit Marisa up with the instructions on how to do it.

All pictures from the party can be viewed here because blogger doesn't work well with pictures.

Aside from all the turtle pics, check out this one of me and Kevin.....I know, we're hot. ;-)

Is It Worth It?

2006-12-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

I often feel like I need to run races the following year so that I can see if I can get a better time, or run a better race than the previous year. The two that come time mind, in particular, are the Country Music ½ marathon in Nasville and the 3Sport Sprint Triathlon in Richmond. My goal for Nashville was to complete the 13.1 miles in 2 hours or less. I finished that race just 2 minutes shy of my goal. For the Richmond race, I just wanted to complete the triathlon successfully. Looking back on these two races has given me some insight for personal growth in 2007.

Take the ½-marathon for instance. Right now I am currently training for a marathon in March. So my training runs will include distances far much greater than the distance of 13.1 that I ran in Nashville. I know that over the past year I have become stronger and that I should be able to complete the 13.1 miles in less than 2 hours without a doubt. Yesterday I had to run for 2 hours and 15 minutes at an “aerobic” pace (anywhere from 9 to 10 min miles). At 2:02 (official Nashville time) I had already completed 13.5 miles. Knowing this information, would it benefit me to run the race in 2007 to aim for a better time? I don’t think so. With that said, I can’t wait to run it with my Dad and take a bunch of pictures of all the sights that I missed the first time around! :-)

As for the Richmond race, one defining moment still lingers in my head. After crossing the finish line I realized that all of my energy resources had been used and that I couldn’t go another step. This feeling of pure exhaustion is only beneficial if you believe that your race was done as efficiently as possible. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. But with the experience of completing another triathlon and honing my skills, I know that doing this race again will provide excellent feedback with my triathlon growth. This race is definitely on my schedule for next year, and look out ladies, this chick is coming with a vengeance.

So Much To Write, So Little Time

2006-11-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that this is the last week of November. Where has the year gone?? For myself, this past Thanksgiving Holiday was jammed with a lot of interesting items. I could probably write separate posts for each one, but for the sake of time you all will be thrilled to just receive the "update" version.

1. celebrated the big 'ole Turkey day in Ohio with my Dad. Left early Wednesday and came back on Friday. It was very enjoyable and relaxing. also discovered that Buckeye fans are everywhere (imagine that with a perfect season, right?) While grabbing a quick lunch at Wendy's, I was pleased to know that I could have the Buckeye Brutus Burger with a Buckeye Frozen Frosty for dessert. I would love to see what Wendy's would do for the Hokie fans.

2. celebrated Christmas too with my family (haha) since we wouldn't be back up there until the new year. Jordan and Drew made out like bandits, as always. Maybe this means that we don't have to get them anything else! sweet!

3. ran in a 4-miler race with my Dad "for fun". There were no expectations for this race, well, kinda. I just wanted to finish in 30minutes. Came across the finish line in 30:12. yay. :-) We were rewarded with a Dri-Fit long-sleeve shirt by Brooks, a finisher's medal, gloves, a hat & a free sample of Body-Glide, and a bottle of wine that could put hair on anyone's chest.

4. watched the final football game of the season. Go Hokies! It was great to watch a game in it's entirety. Rumor has it that the Hokies will be going to the Peach Bowl. Good for them, although I think Kev and I are going to pass on it.

5. enjoyed a great tailgate with friends and co-workers. this was by far the most enjoyable tailgate. i even ventured outside of my box and participated in a round or two of flip-cup. yay me. i also stepped up to man the grill for the first time all season. it was extremely pleasing to force people to eat 3-4 hamburgers just so we could get rid of them. oh, let's not forget the granny keg-stand!!

6. i am still experiencing laryngitis....you can stop laughing now, it's not funny. ;-)

7. most enjoyable food this weekend - nope, not the turkey and trimmings....the shrimp tempura (and beth's hawaiian roll) at Poor Billy's. yum!

8. funniest line said at the tailgate - "I worked at, um....er..... at Chuck E. Cheese for 2 years" (Thanks John! I never thought I could laugh so much without making a single sound!)

9. weirdest moment - witnessing a friend practically strangle another friend while being escorted out of the bar. i am sure it was all fun and games....just weird to watch. (i hope you two have worked out your differences! haha!! ;-)

10. funniest event - watching kevin and zach carry bill all the way into bill's house to put him on the couch....only to have bill "magically" walk only seconds afterwards to go to the bathroom. haha!

11. started reading the book, "Inside Intuit" and I am completely amazed thus far. Just from weekend reading I am already halfway done. I can't wait to finish it up. It has sparked a lot of ideas for me, especially with the aspect of software development.

Finding The Right Running Shoe

2006-11-19T19:16:00.000-05:00

I am having a time and half finding the right replacement for my current running shoes. I have even tried running in the same model (but newer version) as my old pair, but still no luck. I can't believe that I am having such a hard time finding one that doesn't make my shins hurt. I have truly tested out (by running outside 3 or more miles) in two different models of Adidas. Both cause my feet to roll out more than normal and eventually make my shins extremely tired. I have tried on 8 different kinds so far. I am upset about all of this because it is hindering my training! :-(

Hopefully the folks over at Fleet Feet in Columbus, Ohio can help me out with their extensive fitting and gait analysis. Who knows....they might not have a solution either. haha. But I am willing to try every shoe available though, that's for sure.

Note

2006-11-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

The following note was left in my car door the other day at work:

"Rt. front tire needs air -
check all 4 -

Tire Marshall"

Thanks for the heads up Tire Marshall....I haven't had a chance to actually check the pressure yet, but I thankful someone is looking out for my safety! ;-)

Graveyard Shift and Turning 100

2006-11-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

Kev and I didn't have a babysitter for today to watch Drew who is still getting over his disease. (haha....the disease isn't really that big of a deal. It's hand/foot/mouth disease. He has a mild case of it and you wouldn't think he has a virus by looking at him.) Anyhow, he has to be out of daycare until it clears up because it's contagious. We couldn't get a babysitter for today and the only way that we could both get to work (and actually get something done) was for one of us to come in super-duper early.

I offered to go in early because I am the nicest wife in the entire world. ;-) Actually, I wanted to come in as early as possible because I can get a lot of stuff done without the interruptions. Jordan and I headed off to bed around 8:45pm. I set my alarm for 4am. Around 2am I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep despite my efforts of trying. At 2:30am I said to myself that it wasn't worth it to go back to sleep and decided to go into work.

On my to work I realized that I didn't have my card key to get into the building. Luckily, my company has 24/7 support and I was able to call our support line and leave a message for them to prop open the door for me. ;-)

Here I am, at work, waiting for my extremely slow accounting software (aka - QuickBooks) to load invoices. If family were not an issue, I would definitely consider the graveyard shift. It's amazing how much you can get done with no one around!

This post also marks the 100th post for my blog. You will not be showered with confetti as I turned that option off in blogger. :-P

Better Choices

2006-11-08T16:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those days where a Snicker's bar is quite OK to have. I went upstairs during work to do just that. I brought a dollar in change thinking that my snack would only cost 75 cents.....wrong! How did candy bars get so expensive? I am glad that I was prepared and brought extra money!

I go to type in 52 for the Snicker's selection and I immediately change my mind to 44, the York peppermint patty. It's obviously the better (although less satisfying, of course) choice between the two. I was quite proud of myself for making the last minute switch, until my dark chocolate covered peppermint patties get stuck in the turn thingy. Very sad. :-(

I discretely tap on the window to see if will fall, but no luck. I had to resort to a barbaric vending machine tilt to get it to drop. To my surprise, not one....but TWO peppermint patties fall from their resting place!

My conclusion from this experience is that A - you get rewarded for making better food choices with more food or possibly B - the vending company realizes that two packages justify ripping people off. :-/

Family Update

2006-11-07T18:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have been putting off this particular post for a while now. I suppose this blog is "all about me" but my kids need some mention here.

So let's look at the last few months in review:

1 - Drew finally got a tooth like a week before his birthday. He's currently cutting his third one. Heaven help us once he gets a full set, we won't be able to keep food in the house.

2 - Drew started walking. I think he started walking about 1-2 weeks before his birthday. This was very surprising to us as Jordan didn't start actually walking until after her 1st birthday. That was a neat experience. Too bad YouTube wasn't actually good for us novice film makers. (I wonder how I can get the good quality uploads??!!)

3 - Drew turned 1 year old. Amazing stuff. It's hard to believe that he will be 14 months old this month. I know, I know, a little behind with the updates. Thank god I actually take pictures though.

4 - Jordan is getting smarter every day. I was actually shocked that she believed us when we told her that Halloween only exists on one street in Blacksburg and that people don't give out candy on other streets. However, she remembered the exact street that we went down last year even before we told her we were going down it again. As we left the area I thought for sure she would say something about all the other kids running around on different streets, but by that time she was diggin' into her candy so she was totally distracted!

5 - Jordan is the best big sister/daughter ever. She is always looking out for Drew, especially if he needs something. And let's not forget that when we need something she's all about helping us. Occassionally we will get the response, "I can't help you right now, I am too busy with something" which cracks me up that she has that kind of talking ability.

6 - Jordan is getting better at memorizing words to spell. She loves to look at words and then tell you that she can spell them. She will say, "Mommy, do you want to hear me spell the word 'on'?" I willingly agree and she will close her eyes and spell the word. It's really neat. The words have progressed from 'on' and 'off' to 'Kevin'. I think it's fantastic that she will close her eyes and visualize them while she is trying to spell. This is going to be helpful for her in the future when she is memorizing a mathematical formula or some kind of coding process. ;-)

7 - Jordan is an awesome singer. Believe it or not! It's just so freakin' amazing to hear her sing songs that she has memorized. My favorite thus far has to be the songs from the Little Mermaid DVD that we bought a couple of weeks ago. She started busting out the words the other day and I couldn't believe she had them memorized. She can also hold notes for the proper duration. It's nuts. Don't worry, I have captured some of the moments on video, but not with the songs from the Little Mermaid....I'll get them shortly though!

8 - Drew is still a Momma's/Daddy's boy at night. Kevin will wake up almost every night with Drew and sleep with him until he wakes up in the morning. Occassionally I will do it, but what's amazing is that we know that there is nothing wrong with the kid, he just wants to snuggle. haha. We'll prop him up in the nook of our arms and he will just face you and go right back to sleep. Of course there are those nights though where he will not stop moving and we have to send him back to his crib to cry himself to sleep so that we don't loose it.

9 - Speaking of loosing it, sometimes I will joke around with the kids and say that if they don't stop crying I will be checking myself into the cuckoo house. The other day I attempted to say this but I couldn't get cuckoo out. I kept saying crazy house. Jordan quickly corrected me by saying, "Mommy, you will end up in the CUCKOO house." hahahaha. She's so smart.

10 - Both of my children have distinct features that remind me of myself, or Kevin. The obvious are Jordan's cute pointy ears (Kevin) and Drew's round face (Me). I can't quite get Drew's personality pinned down to either me or Kevin, but Jordan's personality is definitely one that reflects mine. It's quite scary how type-A she can be at times. ;-) Perhaps Drew will continue to be laid back, just like Kevin. But heaven forbid you take away his cup of milk because he will come after you with avengeance. :-)

Ok, that wraps it up for this version of the family update. I'll be back in the next few (prolly 6) months with another great family edition update!

Wanna be like Mike...er...Kevin

2006-11-06T22:40:00.000-05:00

Do you remember those commercials with Michael Jordan? Instead of wanting to be like Mike, I want to be like Kevin. I have decided to take on a bench press goal. I mentioned it last week, kinda as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. Without having a general idea of what I could do right now, I told him that it would be cool if I could bench 100 lbs. It just seems like a nice round number. :-)

This morning he got me on the bench to test out my strength. I warmed up with the bar 12 times. easy-peasy. Then he added 10's on both sides and I did 10 or 12, can't remember the number. He added 10 more on both sides, making it 85 total. I pumped out 10, I think. For my last set, he changed out the 10's and replaced them with 25's on both sides. I looked at it, and thought, no way...95 already?? Sure enough, pressed out 5. Yay! I suppose I have to re-evaluate what a good bench press goal should be. (Maybe I will check the k-minnick bench press archives for a recommendation.....hehe!!)

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and not be able to lift my arms.

Birthday Weekend

2006-11-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

I got an early start to my birthday weekend with dinner at Kabuki Restaurant with my family. Surprisingly enough, all the kids displayed great behavior. It kinda helps with the vent thing they have going on above the grill, it helps drown out all the noise they make. Including Drew who seemed to not get enough white rice. I think he grew about 6 inches, girth-wise. He's such a big boy. The night was topped off with what would turn out to be the first of 3 birthday cakes. yum!!!!

On Friday I joined up with the girls to get a massage. We went to the Blue Ridge School of Massage and were test subjects for their students. I would say that getting a good student is hit or miss. The massage was only $35 for an hour and 15 minutes. No wonder it can be hit or miss! In my opinion, I definitely got a good student. Of course, it could have been that I mentioned that it was my birthday so he “performed” better. Who knows, but the student (Sam) that was assigned to me was awesome! If you happen to get him you are in for a treat. Thanks to Katrina for setting up the appointments for us!

After massages Katrina & Nicole hosted a wine social at their place. We had an assortment of cheese and fruit and enough wine to quench the thirst of a small army. Marisa and Beth were also able to join in on the fun. Katrina even made me a cake that looked like it said I was turning 1306, instead of just 30. They surprised me with a new running shirt for cold weather and a mini foot spa soak, lotion and socks. The soak will definitely come in handy with all that marathon training that is starting up. The shirt is great. It has extra long sleeves so that I can easily wrap my hands inside of them. I am not a big fan of running gloves. The shirt worked out splendid for my first ever Happy Hallow run. (More on that later!) I intended on staying for just a couple of hours because I had a big run to do on Saturday. A couple of hours led to 12:30am….yikes! That wine is not gonna feel good tomorrow morning!

Saturday we all (except for Nicole who is taking it easy due to an injury) headed over to Windsor Hills for a morning run. Beth and Katrina were just out for a portion of the run, meanwhile Marisa and I were scheduled to do an hour and half run. This was the first time that I did Happy Hallow and I will have to say that it was freakin’ hard. Just imagine the worst hill you can think of, and multiply it by 100. I think it was harder for me because I didn’t know when the hill would end. I wasn’t about to charge up the hill and come to find out I was only ½ up it! It was a great run though and I am going to write more about it. (I know, you can’t wait! ;-)

After the run I met up with the family (my sister and her three girls included) at NRV Gymnastics to watch Jordan and my nieces. Afterwards, I went back to the house and showered while Kevin hauled the kids over to his mom’s for the evening. Once Kev returned we went on a little shop spree. :-) He bought a new pair of running shoes and a dress shirt. For my birthday he purchased me a new outfit, including boots, ColdGear (running shirt, tights and a light-weight jacket) by Under Armour. The jacket was an added bonus as the shirt is a little tight by nature and makes me look like the perfect sausage roll. Haha. I can’t wait to try them out tomorrow though!

Once Kev finished shelling out the dough, we headed over to Red Robin for a few drinks and an appetizer. Then we went back to the house to change and drove over to our friend Heather’s house to enjoy the Tech game. Heather made me a cake too that was strawberry with cream cheese icing. It was delicious! It was perfect with a Hokie victory.

Next stop, Big Al’s. We stopped here briefly to catch up with my girls. After a quick drink (ie, SoCo and lime) we shuffled on over to The Nerve for a little dancing. It was great! The place was completely empty, thus no smoke & we did not have to worry about dying of a heat stroke. It was like they reserved the place just for me. ;-) It was nice having everyone around for my birthday. I hope they all had just as much fun as me. (My stories end here for the sake of my mother’s sanity. If you ever need a chuckle, feel free to stop by and get the rest of the scoop.)

Who says turning 30 is such a drag?? Like my friend Marisa wrote in my birthday card, “You are only as old as your friends”….which means I can thank Justina because I get to be 21 again on July 3^rd. Sweet!! I definitely can't wait for that!!!

I will post pictures sometime soon.

Hokie Effect!!

2006-10-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

Don't forget that tomorrow night's game vs Clemson is the Maroon Effect!!!

Full body painting in maroon - optional....it's gonna be a cold one.

Miracles and Heart Problems

2006-10-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

Last night I thought I was going to die. No, not from my heart problem, but because of my cell phone!! I just recently got a Motorola Razr (in pink, but looks purple). I love this phone. Let’s face it, there’s God, my family, and then my cell phone. I know you are like that too, you would be absolutely lost without yours!! So last night while I was patiently (haha not really) awaiting the arrival of my husband from work, I thought I would give the kids a bath. Giving them a bath is a guaranteed 15 minutes of non-crying. I keep checking my phone to make sure I don’t miss the “On my way” text from Kev. No message, so I put my cell phone in my pajama pocket….which happens to be on the side towards the bath water. As I am sitting on the ledge washing both Jordan and Drew’s hair I am thinking that this isn’t so bad…I can handle watching the kids on my own (haha). They are being so funny. Jordan loves to laugh just to make Drew laugh. They both have shampoo in their hair and just look at each other like it’s the funniest thing in the world. I start to dump water on Jordan’s head to wash out the shampoo and then I hear this “plunk”. It startles me more than anything, I thought something fell from the top of the shower. I look down and I see my pink phone in the water! I reach down and grab it and start wiping it down immediately. At first glance, it appears that everything is ok. Then….and then…buttons are not working, the screen part is not lighting up and the screen starts to get warm….as if it’s short circuiting and melting inside. I start to sniffle….then cry. It’s so sad. Meanwhile the kids are left to tend to themselves….they can bathe themselves, right? I finally regain my composure and finish with the kids. I even put clothes on them. I just sit on the couch and stare at the tv and at my phone. This sucks! I just got this phone! Kev finally gets home and I just say, “Well, I know what you can get me for my birthday now, a new phone!” And this is what really bites, over the last few birthdays and a couple of other holidays I have gotten a new camera, because, yes, I tend to drop my camera a lot. The last thing I need is another present replacing an existing (but yet broken) one. Maybe those warranties were made for people like me…..perhaps, but that’s beside the point. I prayed and prayed to the cell phone gods, just to give me ONE MORE chance. Just one!! This morning I jumped out of bed and anxiously put my cell phone back together. I took out the battery thinking that it would help it dry out (haha!). And then I eagerly pressed the power button…..(come on cell phone….please!!)….and there was light. My cell phone powered up, the buttons were working properly….I could even make a call! Wahoo….it’s a miracle! Immediately I tuck my phone into my purse, grab my gym bag and head off to workout. It’s going to be a beautiful day. :-)

And now on to my heart problem. I have confirmed that the caffeine intake is a direct culprit to my premature ventricular contractions. I refrained from my one cup of coffee to test the theory. It took only one day to notice that I didn’t have a single “missed” beat. I went caffeine-free for three days and enjoyed the peacefulness of my heart….not really because I was tired as crap the whole time. The only positive is that I could fall asleep faster. I drank coffee over the weekend and yesterday morning and they now they are back. :-( Now I have to make the decision….coffee or no coffee?? WebMD.com also indicates that PVC’s can be related to stress or too much exercise, I suppose I should test those theories as well….haha, I wish.

Final Race of the Year

2006-10-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

Before I knew the splits for the Giant Acorn race, I had signed up for the Saint Mary's Light the Fire 5k. I did this because I wanted to try and get a 5k time under 25 minutes. I really didn't think I had smoked the 5k like I did during the triathlon. At least it didn't feel like I ran it that fast!

As luck would have it, I got my goal of a sub 25 min 5k. Yay! But now I am signed up for another 5k...yikes!! Oh well, I signed Jordan up for the 1-mile fun run, so I might as well do the 5k while I am there. :-)

Ugh...it was soooooo cold this morning. There was even frost on the ground!!! Now I really didn't feel like running. I did the fun run with Jordan at 8am....and she rocked it! Can you believe that my 4 1/2 year old ran faster than some older kids??? She ran it in 12:42!! I am so proud of her and she LOVED it! She said she is going to do more races in the future. I think it's because she got a "Participant" ribbon at the end, so she thought she won, even though everyone else was getting them! Too cute!! She was waving that ribbon like she was the queen of 1-mile runs.

We sat in the car for a little bit to warm up some. I hopped out about 20 minutes until race time to "warm-up". haha....you don't get warm very quickly when it's like 20 degrees out. Still at this point I am thinking to myself, "I really don't feel like running, I am still yawning!". But I head up to the start line anyhow and just hang out and stretch before the gun goes off.

I get my first mile split and I can't believe my ears....7:15....what?? That can't be right! My legs don't feel like they are moving that fast! We head up the big hill to Country Club Dr (the turn around) and I just keep pushing. The cold air is piercing my lungs but after the turn around we get to go downhill some and this helps me relax a little. So after that hill we get to mile 2, and they are calling out times there. I hear "15:08" and I still can't believe it. I thought for sure the previous hill took me longer to complete. At this point I am thinking, "No way, I can't believe that, I can run a sub 24 5k??!! What??!!". This motivates me to have a quick leg turnover in hopes to get to the finish line before 24 minutes is up.

Right before I turn down the final street I have to count steps in my head so that I distract myself from the distance I still have to run. Once I turn down the final road and catch a glance at the clock I see it's 23:36 (ish)! I am sprinting the rest of the way baby!! I cross the finish line at 23:46! WAHOO!!

I can't believe it, I started the race not really wanting to run, then end up getting a PR! This time puts me at a 7:40 per mile pace, and THAT my friends is pretty darn cool. ;-)

Oh yeah, not to mention....I was the fastest female in my age group (24-29). 1st place baby!

My first 5k of the year was done in 27:16. I was able to shave 3.5 minutes off of my time over a period of 6 months. What a way to end the year! Now I can put those racing flats up for the season and start the training for my marathon.

Yes, you heard me correctly, my first marathon. Stayed tuned for more details!! ;-)

Triathlon - the 2nd attempt

2006-10-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

I suppose a lot of training CAN help an athlete! haha. So my first experience at a triathlon wasn't all that great. I finished saying it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and didn't plan on doing another one anytime soon. This idea was quickly dismissed once I realized a couple of things. First, triathlons are in fact difficult....imagine that! Second, I am a competitive person, I was not going to let this "triathlon performance" win the psychological battle. Third, it was my first experience, so the whole process was just overwhelming. Lastly, if I could figure out how to swim properly and efficiently, the rest should be a piece of cake! right??

On one particular morning of my swim training, my Coach video taped me so that I could see exactly what he was talking about with my movements. This video tape was the light shining down from the heavens, so to speak. We noticed that my kicking was out of control. I was kicking way too fast. In fact, as I have learned, the kick should be almost non-existant. This was the turning point of my training! All of a sudden I could swim for minutes upon minutes. The only thing I had to do was be able to think of things to pass the time! What a difference! So I can now check off learning to swim efficiently from my list.

So over the last few months I kept working on my swimming, with some running and biking mixed in there. And before I knew it, it was race time again. Like I mentioned on Saturday, the weather outlook was not all that great. It was actually quite miserable. The type of weather where you just want to crawl up on the couch with a nice warm blanket and your favorite paperback! But Sunday proved to be exactly what I wanted, weather-wise. Overcast without the rain. I would have liked for it to be a little bit warmer, but you take what you can get.

On to the results! This race I competed in the Athena's division. This group consists of women of all ages but they have to weigh 150+ lbs. Honestly, I barely make this weight so it might seem to others that I have advantage, but the numbers don't lie Velvet > 150. ;-)

There are a total of 7 girls in my group and I finish 3rd.

The Breakdown:

Swimming 750m - 20:20
The swim part....haha....I placed last, but that's ok! It was my first lake swim ever!! The most important part was that I didn't feel like quitting after I swam! The hardest part about swimming in a lake is the fact that you can't see where you are going. This is something that I will definitely have to work on. At one point I was going in the wrong direction and had to turn almost all the way around! ha! Oh well, room for major improvement here, that's for sure.

Transition 1 - 2:26
Getting better at putting clothes on! At least better than last time. I have these great triathlon shorts that I actually wear in the water. That helped me save some time here. Also, I had to take off the wetsuit....rather hard when you are in a hurry!

Biking 20k (~12.4mi) - 41:35
This is where I start to make up my time from the water-logged swim. I thought for sure I did this one faster than my first triathlon....but a couple of minutes longer this time. There were a couple more hills on this course which I suppose made the time difference. But the key here is that I didn't feel miserable like the last time. I was able to actually ride and enjoy the scenery!

Transition 2 - 0:48
Here you run in from the bike dismount line and put your bike on your assigned rack then grab the needed items for the run. Since I don't have clip shoes (like all the real bikers) I just have to throw on my running hat and go. If you look at the overall female results, you will see that I was the 3rd fastest female in T2. Sweet!

Running 5k (~3.1mi) - 24:50
Did you read that??? TWENTY-FOUR minutes and FIFTY seconds. Oh yeah, that's right, 8:01 per mile pace. I kicked some serious butt in the run!! haha....seriously though, my goal the whole year was to run a 5k in less than 25 minutes. Obtaining this goal in a triathlon made me realize that all of my hard speed-work during the summer had paid off.

Completing this Sprint Triathlon in a total time of 1:29:58 makes me so proud of myself. I am so glad I decided to try another triathlon.....and now I believe I am hooked! ;-)

Thanks Coach Jim for all your training!

And thanks to Kevin for at least humoring me when I get these "great" ideas.

View my pictures here!

Outlook promising?

2006-10-07T17:21:00.000-04:00

Upon arriving at Lake Anna this afternoon, it was 51 degrees, raining, rather windy and nothing but fog. You could barely even see the lake!! If this is what race time will look like tomorrow, then I am in trouble! Maybe the weather gods will be nice and at least stop the rain!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2006-09-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

My sister presented me with the idea of sending my Dad a singing telegram for his birthday. I told her that it sounded like a cool idea. She quickly passed the buck and said, "ok, then you organize it!" haha. I googled for singing telegram services in Columbus, Ohio and found this place called Contemporary Balloons. I placed the order for the Bag Lady to come and sing happy birthday to him.

With the help of his good buddy and coworker Matt, we were able to get people to witness the event, including the President and VP of Columbus Industries where my Dad works.

DAD - Happy Birthday....I am glad you enjoyed it! :-)

PS - Since the free service of Blogger sucks, you have to go here to view the pictures. Thanks to Matt for capturing the moment for us!

Marine Mud Run 2006

2006-09-10T07:52:00.000-04:00

Wanting to try something different, I entered in the Marine Corp Mud Run that was held yesterday. It's basically a 5k race that includes running through the Roanoke River, a tunnel, trails, mud obstacles, and a HUGE mud pit at the end. I say running through the river, but that's not really true, the water eventually came up to my chest....so wading through the river is more like it. Oh, not to mention it was *freezing* cold. It was really neat though. Nothing what I expected, to say the least. The end of the race has you going through a massive mud pit, where you have to crawl through water/mud to get to the finish line. It was fun, but with all the scratches and bruises and sore muscles, I don't know if this will make my race list next year. haha ;-)

Check out these pictures

Jil and me before the race:

Jil and me after the race:

the pit!

Jordan and me after the Pollywog Jog:

I unexpectantly got second place for my age group, (18-29) with a time of 27:52. That was so surprising with the wading through the river and at least a 2 minute hike up a monster of a hill on the trail part. I didn't find out until after the medal ceremony, but I hunted down the medal giver and made Kevin take my picture on the winner's podium. hehe! Check out more pictures here.

Season Opener

2006-09-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

As expected, the VT Hokies pulled off the season opener against Northeastern with great success. Thankfully, the weather was in our favor for an excellent tailgate and game!

Check out some pictures here and a great video here.

Hokie Respect

2006-08-17T08:36:00.000-04:00

It's great to see organizations such as the VT Alumni Association take proactive steps to Show Hokie Hospitality.

With only 16 days 4 hours 52 mins and 20 secs left to kickoff, Hokie fans (and perhaps Hokie athletes) should take a moment to read about respect. There's even a video for those who don't like to read!

It's actually funny that the respect campaign is across all forms of athletics at VT, however, most pictures and the video focus only on football.....coincidence.....not hardly. Thanks Marcus.

They Grow Like Weeds

2006-08-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

well....sort of

Jordan 11/06/2004:

Jordan almost two years later, still able to fit in the same dress:

At least she's grown up and not out! ;-)

Draper Mile - 25th Anniversary

2006-08-05T16:07:00.000-04:00

I have lived in the Blacksburg/Christiansburg area since 1996 and actually lived in the next county over since 1990. For over 16 years, I have never heard of the Draper Mile Road Race. Is this possible? Since this is SWVA, where the main form of publication/announcements are flyers posted around town, the yes, I believe so! I was introduced to this race by my good friend and running partner Beth. It just so happened that at the time I found out about this race that Runner's World magazine had published an article on how to train for 1-mile road races, which are pretty common during the summer times.

So Beth and I set out to conquer this road race with the aspirations of completing it in the 6-minutes. As our speedwork at the VT track progressed, I made myself realize that anything 6:30-ish would make me happy! Twice a week we would jog from the office at Webmail.us down to the VT track to do sets of 200m sprints or 200/400/600/800/600/400/200m ladders and then jog back up for the cool down. One word - painful. But we were determined and persevered, week after week.

Race day was finally upon us last night. Our nerves continued to grow throughout the day. We drove over to Draper Road and parked my car so we could start our warm-up. It didn't take us very long to get warm since it was 6pm. Normally we are warming up at 6am....quite different!

Since our race aspirations were around the 6:00 finish time, that allowed us to enter the Elite running group, which ran separately from the open group. (Ladies had to have a finish time of 6:15, and men a time of 5:15 to enter in the Elite group.) We lined up and I was quite amazed to see that of the 200+ participants, there were only 33 people in our heat. Before we knew it, we were off!

I would say that I felt really good for the first half. The second half, however, I started to feel the pain. Mainly it was pain from the hard breathing. I felt my lungs working overtime. By this time, the majority of the group had a substantial lead and I was bringing up the rear. haha. Right around the 3/4 mark I passed two people, who then kicked it in the end and passed me back. My friend Beth was one of those people who just kicked at the end. She blasted past people to get a time of 5:49. This was amazing! I am so proud of her. She is one of those people who can truly dig deep at the right time to make things happen. She ended up second overall in our age group. Congrats Beth!!

As for me, I finished in an astonishing 6:09....a lot faster than what I thought I was going to do. I can't believe it actually. :-) This time put me in 5th place. Yay! Often it takes me a while to figure out or realize that my results from a race are actually good. After I saw my time posted on the Run About Sports website I was happy. The fastest I have ever ran a mile was during a track meet where I ran it in 6:00 flat. It's good to know that after 10 years and two kids I am only 9 seconds off from that time. That's pretty cool. ;-)

Only one more race of the season (for me) left. Anyone up for practice swims at Claytor Lake??

Don't Be Fooled!!

2006-07-23T13:27:00.000-04:00

Triathlons are in fact HARD! To summerize in one word, "UGH!!".

So let me spend a few minutes talking about the good things before it gets u-g-l-y. First of all, I would definitely recommend this race to anyone who feels like they can do a triathlon. The swim was in a pool (thank god), the bike & run courses were flat, and the transition area was *very* easy to get in and out of. I don't have this one to compare to any others, but it was very clear as to what I had to do. I didn't have to ask questions about anything. Even the body marking wasn't that bad!

Luckily the weather was on my side, completely overcast! The sun stayed away for the entire race!! The Shady Grove area just outside of Richmond was nice too. Our hotel was just minutes from the race site and convenient to everything without all the congestion of traffic. We ate at a great restaurant called Capital Ale House on Saturday...probably not the best place for a pre-race dinner. ;-) The drive was easy, maybe that was because I didn't drive. haha! But it wasn't like you had to go off of many roads to get to it. It was straight forward, turn here, turn there, voila! Good stuff.

Now the race.

Swimming - 300m - 7:47

For those of you not familiar, you are ranked based on your estimated swim time. The athletes then start one by one in the pool at 10 second intervals. My estimated time was (supposed to be) 6:30. That put me at 223 overall. So I was the 223rd person to start which put me starting 46 mins after the official start time of 7:00am. The first lap was awesome. I felt good and strong. Kev says that I may have finished the first lap in 52-ish seconds, which would be a record for me if I could keep it up. Well, unfortunately, I could not. By lap 4 I think I went into panic mode. All the good techniques that I was taught and so consistantly practiced during my training went straight down the tubes. My technique sucked just about as much as water that I inhaled. I was passed by a couple of people....ok, maybe like 5...and all I could think was "get me to the end without drowning". I finally make it to the end and heave my body up out of the pool. Most of the athletes were able to do this successfully, by lifting themselves and throwing one of their legs up on the end and pushing themselves up. In all of my pre-race visions, and during my warm-up, this is how I thought I would exit......um, no. I am so tired already that I heaved my self up out of the water and basically layed out like a beached whale. I was NOT going to fall back in the water, that's for darn sure! I finally make it out of the water and run towards the transition area.

Transition 1 - 3:03
It's funny how your mind perceives time. I thought for sure I was out of the transition area in like 1:30....haha, nope! The good thing here is that I was calm and got everything on as smoothly as I thought was possible. I had to remove my cap & goggles and put on my running tank, cycle shorts, socks, shoes & finally my helmet. Again, I thought this was done in minimal time, but apparently not.

Biking - 20k (~12.4 mi) - 39:38

(Sorry it's sideways, Blogger is stupid!)

I think, for this race, that I loved the biking the most. Which is *very* weird. Maybe it was because I actually passed people, and they weren't passing me! haha! I finally passed those darn 12 & 14 year old girls that had faster swim times than me....whew! Although this was the longest event, it felt as though it went by quickly. Since the course was so flat, it did not require me to come out of the saddle, which in turn made my feet numb. Mainly my toes, but that kinda sucked with the run! I feel satisfied with the bike time. :-)

Transition 2 - 0:55
Wow!! Less than a minute! I am happy about this transition. I was ranked 10 out 146 in this....LOL. It's nice to know that I am very good at taking off my helmet and putting on my race number. geesh.....oh well, I will take it!

Running - 5k (~3.1mi) - 27:25

I will admit that I was a little ambitious about estimating a 24-25 min run time. I had it all planned out too! I would just overcome the mental game by repeating "I am a machine! I am a machine!". Well, "I am a machine" went quickly to, "Oh god, just don't walk". I was in so much pain by the time I started running. My body was hating me. I was just so physically exhausted that even all those good runs off the bike during training was not going to happen today. Fortunately, I *didn't* walk and was able to finish strong. My first comment after crossing the line and seeing my husband was, "I am never doing this again. It was the hardest thing I have ever done." To which Kev replied, "Harder than your half-marathon?" And I said, "Yes, harder than my half-marathon.....I would rather run a marathon!!" Seeing as I have never ran a marathon before, I don't know how true that last statement really was. haha! But I definitely think that the 1/2-marathon was easier than this. ;-)

Overall, I finished 56th out of 142 females and 10th out of 25 females in my age group. I suppose that I can call myself a triathlete now. I am glad it's done. I am glad I completed it successfully. I am glad I didn't suffer any major injuries. I am glad I had a coach who tried to keep me in check with reality. I am anxious for my next big race....maybe I can get in that Army Ten Miler! Or perhaps another shot at a triathlon up at Lake Anna??

Thank you Kevin for being so supportive with all this craziness that I put myself through. Oh, and thanks for assisting me with the changing of my flat bike tire!! It's nice to know that you are always there to take care of me. :-)

Making The News

2006-07-21T18:32:00.000-04:00

i kinda sorta made the news....at least the scrolling news on my running coach's website. ;-)

thanks jim, for training me how to swim "correctly" for my upcoming triathlon!

Hello Bloggers, Meet My Sister

2006-07-21T14:13:00.000-04:00

My sister is now trying out the whole blogging craze. She has some funny stories to tell, that’s for sure. I suppose they are even funnier if you know her children. They are the most explorative bunch of girls that I know. Tough kids, but yet so lovable. She has three blogs, for your reading enjoyment. (Don’t ask!!)

About her children

About her dreams

About her childhood memories

Just to give you an idea, here are pictures of her children:

Alazay, 7 years old (yes, that is a salamander crawling on her arm, her dad caught it while fishing)

Shayda, 4 years old (*towers* over Jordan)

Kaylonie, 3 years old (notice how she has decorated herself with some stickers?? too cute!!)

Whew....

2006-07-19T09:01:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to fixing up my blog a little. Maybe that will prompt me to blog more often!

A New Sport For Me?

2006-07-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

Webmail.us now has a recreation softball team! We will be playing in the Blacksburg B-Rec League. It's going to be great! I myself have not really played softball on a team before. I have been around it for ages though. I haven't told my Mom that Kevin & I are playing. I think she will forever hold softball as part of the reason for the divorce of her and my Dad. :-(

Kev bought me some gear this past Saturday and we went out to a softball field to do some practicing. We threw some, then he hit some grounders and fly balls to me. The whole time I was having flashbacks of my Dad. ha! If only I was as good as him!

So here's what I got from Play-It-Again Sports:

Mizuno GFN1206 Finch Franchise Series 12" Fastpitch Glove

Mizuno Finch Batting Gloves (yes, they have pink in them! ;-)

Worth SuperCell2 Softball Bat (34/30 & used)

12" 47 core softball

And I am currently bidding for these: Mizuno Finch 9-Spike Low Fastpitch Softball Cleats.

I have never heard of Jennie Finch until Saturday. Thanks for filling me in Kev! Maybe with all the Finch gear I now have I will be able to play like her! hahaha!!

Let's go Web Sox!!

fun times for sure

2006-07-12T06:14:00.000-04:00

word

Count Down

2006-07-06T10:47:00.000-04:00

The 3Sport Triathlon is right around the corner.....the participant list is up and the event is sold out!!

Anyone who would like to come see me participate in my first ever triathlon, you are more than welcome! ;-)

Nashville Again?

2006-06-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

I was on the phone the other day with my Dad and we got to talking about running. He told me that he thinks that he wants to do the Nashville 1/2 marathon next year!! He used to run all the time but stopped after having a knee injury which led to surgery. (Something like that anyhow.) He tells me that he is seriously considering it and asks for my running "expertise". haha. I gave him a few pointers and then we said our goodbyes.

Later on that day, I receive a message from him saying that he is definitely going to start training and even went out to buy a new pair of running shoes!! How cool is that? I am just so proud of him for wanting to take on a such a challenge. He will have so many rewards from running, both mentally and physically. I told him that if he wanted to do the Nashville race then I would be more than happy to do it with him to provide him with any support he may need. I might even let him finish before me. ;-)

Being the competitive person that my Dad is, I wonder if I can get him to train for a sub 2-hour race?? hmmm........

Time for myself

2006-06-21T08:19:00.000-04:00

Saying that I never have time for myself is somewhat misleading. Almost every day of the week I wake up around 5:30am, or hit the snooze until 6, to start my day off with a swim, bike, or a run (depending on that days workout). During most of those times, I am by myself. But it's not what you would call a relaxing time for yourself. Sometimes I just want to be able to sit at my computer and read online articles, pay my bills, analyze my workout stats, blog, peruse current eBay items (haha), you know, the fun stuff. But I never really get a chance for that.

Today I decided to do something different. :-)

First of all, I didn't hit snooze as many times as I usually do. I arrived at the Blacksburg Aquatic Center earlier than normal. I was showered and ready for the day by 7:30, which by most days is a miracle. Normally that time is around 8:30. So today, I thought I would *treat* myself to breakfast at Our Daily Bread while reading my morning batch of emails.

I noticed last week that the bakery boasted about having wireless internet. I thought that it would be a great idea to come in and have a cup of coffee while going through the normal morning procedures. And so far, it has been an awesome experience.

The very friendly baker made me an egg sandwich on their freshly made non-fat, whole wheat bread. (Whether not it's truly non-fat, is beyond me.) The lady made my sandwich without hesitation and poured my cup of coffee. I also purchased a small piece of their Lemon Almond Biscotti....I highly recommend this!! So I have been sitting at one of their oversized booths and have been catered to from the moment I have stepped through the door. I wish that I could afford this experience every day.

If you are ever in need of a great place to have your morning coffee and/or breakfast, I definitely recommend Our Daily Bread.

Long Time No Write

2006-06-11T19:18:00.000-04:00

I guess I can believe that I haven't posted anything for 3 weeks now. Things have been a little crazy these days....imagine that. So anyhow I think I will just make this one the highlight edition. ;-)

(no particular order, of course!)

- Nell-Marie (my office-mate) gave birth to a beautiful baby boy (William Daniel Colman) on Wednesday, June 7th! yay!!

- Jesse and Shaun finally tied the knot yesterday...wahoo! The wedding was beautiful!!

- My friend/running partner, Jil, finished her first marathon! AWESOME job! Maybe she will blog about it soon!! ;-)

- My friend/co-worker/running partner Marisa got engaged! Maybe I will buy her a wedding planning book. (lol, jk Marisa!! I know the three you already have will be good enough!)

- Helped out with a community yard sale where the proceeds went to Baby Ian

- My aunt Barbara got (re-)married and a gorgeous wedding (apparently this was her first in a church, even a wedding dress...lol)

- Watched Jordan successfully ride her bike for the first time that her uncle Brian got her for her 3rd birthday. It only took a year and half, and yes the kind with training wheels. haha!

- Met my running coach Jim for the first time since I hired him in April. What a great experience!

- I am learning how to swim "properly" for my race, thanks to the help of Jim.

- Got a road bike for my race thanks to the kindness of my strength/spin teacher at TWC.

- Decided that it would be a great idea to compete in a triathlon. Yeah, I know, it's next month....maybe I am not so bright after all. ;-)

- Also thinking that running the Draper Mile and the Army 10-miler will be great ideas too.

- I ran my fastest 400m this year, 1:31 (sweet!!)

- Went whitewater rafting for the first time ever.....what a rush! I don't think I will be going back soon though, maybe in a year. haha!

- Experienced great improvements with our billing system! Thanks guys...you know who you are. :-)

- Learned from my husband's blog that he has already met some of his 2006 goals....hmmm....maybe we'll work on the communication piece of our relationship! haha.

- Watched Drew roll over for the first time...perhaps trying to reach for more food as he is getting so big now!

- Watched Jordan complete her first level of Kindergym at gymnastics. She's going to be the next Mary Lou Retton!!......ok, maybe not.

- Last, but not least, fiddled with my blog template....I started this a while back and actually forgot that I wasn't finished. haha...I do apologize for the mess, maybe I will get back to it before my next post.

I think that's it for now, however, if you feel that you should have made the "highlight edition" please let me know! (For a small fee I can make up anything!)

Coming up soon - bridesmaid dress fitting, girls spa night and Tracy's (first) bridal shower. Fun Times!!

What A Weekend!

2006-05-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

This past weekend has been so busy that I just now have the time to blog about it.

So the main highlight, of course, was celebrating the good ole 5th year wedding anniversary. To give you a recap on the actual day of the anniversary it went something like this:

Wake up, go to work, pick up the kids, drop off a deposit for the company at the bank, go home, feed drew, cook/eat dinner, put drew to sleep at 7pm, then "rest" on the couch at 7:01pm.....ok rest in this case meant accidentally falling asleep on the couch and only waking to move from the couch to the bed. oops.

Not really a celebration, eh? No worries though! The next day proved to be exactly what I wanted to celebrate the occasion!! We had planned to take the kids to their Memere's and let them drive her crazy....er....spend the night! While Kevin drove them over to P'burg, I enjoyed a great run on the Huckleberry. (yes my friends, a 9.25 negative split run CAN be fun!) After which we headed out for a round of golf at The Hill. We then headed over to B-Ws for some cervesa mas fina. After una siesta pequena (ok, enough espanol), we dined at the Summit which was very delicious. We then capped the evening off with a couple of episodes of the Sopranos.

This may not sound too exciting for most people, but the thought of being able to do what we wanted for one day was just relaxing. We are really lucky to have family live close by to allow us to enjoy times like this together.

Kev also surprised me by getting me the one gift that I have wanted for a long time now. It was such an awesome surprise! He's so sneaky!! ;-) I could have had the iPod earlier, if I had stuck to my original game plan. But it was a good motivator so it was pushed back a notch. So now, since I have one, I will have to make sure I shed those 1.5 pounds remaining to officially "earn" it. At least now I can do it to the beat of some great music!

Happy 5th Anniversary Kev!

2006-05-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

My European City

2006-05-17T14:09:00.000-04:00

You Belong in Barcelona

When it comes to Europe, you don't want to decide between culture and fun. You want art by day and a big party by night.
Barcelona is ideal for you. You can check out some Picasso, eat some tapas, take a siesta, and then dance all night!

Your Turn

What a fun little quiz! Thanks Jil!! I think this is me to the T. haha!!

Bringing my race finish to you!

2006-05-16T09:04:00.000-04:00

I figured that since this was my first 1/2 marathon I might as well pay the extra few dollars to get a video clip of my finish.

(BTW, the quality is not as good as the file I have. If you would like the 7.5MB file to view in WMP I would be happy to pass it along! Or share with me your secrets on vidoes on the web ;-)

Look at the number of people I passed at the last second!! I am on the right hand side of the screen with the white hat and blue tank top. I almost plow over another finisher who is walking alongside the fence....lol.

It's funny to see the amount of people that are there finishing at the same time that I am. I don't remember that many people there at all!! I just remember seeing that finish line and looking at my watch, that's about it.

Family Vacation Photos

2006-05-15T21:30:00.000-04:00

(the lazy man's blog)

we had a great family vacation! i am taking the easy out on this one:

1. read what kevin has to say about the Disney trip
2. and then go here to view some pics

enjoy.

My Uncle

2006-05-08T21:13:00.000-04:00

My uncle came in from Iraq this past weekend. He's currently serving a year over there helping out the Iraqi army, teaching them how to fight, protect their own people, etc. I was happy to get a chance to see him during his R&R. He won't be home for good until August. :-(

Seis de Mayo

2006-05-08T21:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all who came out to celebrate Seis de Mayo!!

Recycling for a Good Cause

2006-05-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

There are a couple of efforts currently going on in the New River and Roanoke Vallies that are helping a young child in need of a liver transplant.

As this article explains:
"Ian was born with Biliary Atresia and is in need of a life-saving transplant"

The communities are helping raise money to help offset the $100,000 cost of the transplant.

My company is actually a sponsor of a community yardsale that will take place on June 10th at Pathway Christian Academy. All proceeds from the items donated to this yard sale are going toward the trust fund (which is being funded by COTA) for Baby Ian.

Another sponsor, CCS, Inc., is also collecting old cell phones and inkjet/laser cartridges to recycle. Go to these sites to get more information on how you can recycle your items to help Baby Ian.

Pictures from the Race!!

2006-05-04T21:30:00.000-04:00

Check out these great pictures taken of the runners during the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 Marathon:

don't hate me guys!

Me (i accidently ripped my name card off during the final sprint, too bad!)
Jil (and you say i look at my watch 24/7....hahaha!!)
Andy (the serious-face runner...kinda like me)
Marisa (do you always smile when you run??)
Joel (the professional/"what marathon"/tour guide runner)
Robert (now, how do you know where all the cameras are located??)

Great stuff!

Hip-Hip Hooray!

2006-05-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

When you work on a team that consists of 1 person (basically) you seldomly get recognized for things that you get accomplished for the business. No biggie really, just a slight oversight by my coworkers who, in my opinion, seem to take for granted all the wonderful things that my company has to offer them. Once again I am faced with the monstrosity that we call billing. I know that when billing arrives, I am guaranteed to get behind in the 500 other responsibilities that I have, during which I am sure to piss someone off. And normally it also includes working on Saturday for at least 5 to 6 hours. I am not complaining the least bit, just trying to state some facts here. The future looks very bright for our billing system and all the magic that occurs behind the scenes. I am anxiously awaiting the day when I don't have to stress over the hundreds of invoices and whether they are correct or not. I will have to admit that the system has come long way. In fact, I still remember telling the boss I was not even going to take over the responsibility unless it was somewhat automated. But anyhow, another billing cycle is upon us, more money in the bank, and more growth for the company, well, except for my department. ;-)

On to good news! After almost 4 months of early morning workouts I have finally melted off (haha) more than 30 pounds of disgusting and useless fat. I think I am going to make this the year of the 30's: turning 30 (boo!!!), losing 30 pounds, losing another 30 pounds, running 30 miles, and anything else that sounds good to do in multiples of 30.

Another Milestone Accomplished!

2006-04-30T20:48:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I did it! The race is finally over and after weeks of training I can finally say that I have completed a 1/2 marathon. I can't believe how much fun I had running this race. It was completely amazing to run through downtown Nashville! I am soooo glad that Jil convinced me to sign up and help me train for the race. Especially since I had no idea how to even train for one!

I am keeping this post rather short, just to let everyone know that I have completed the race and survived it! I am extremely exhausted and should be in bed right now, but I wanted to share my results. Thanks to all who have supported me over the last few months, I was thinking of all the kind words of support (and advice) throughout my run.

Overall Place: 3,504 out of 14,638
Overall Womens: 1,313 out of 9,209
Division Place: 377 out of 1,939

Thanks to my GPS watch I was able to get the following information. And as it turned out, my watch time matched my chip time to the second! Unbelievable!

Mile	Time	Heartrate
1	9:38	157
2	9:49	166
3	9:33	172
4	9:22	176
5	9:08	175
6	9:00	179
7	9:14	183
8	9:06	182
9	9:11	183
10	8:43	184
11	9:16	187
12	9:31	189
13	9:55	191
0.1	0:49	194
Total	2:02:24	179

Congrats to Jil and Andrew who also completed the 1/2 marathon. And to Marisa, Joel & Robert who all did the full marathon!!

Advice

2006-04-27T13:39:00.000-04:00

While getting ready at home this morning I was reminded of various times in my life that advice was given to me. It’s funny that the one that sticks out in my mind the most is one of my childhood. First of all, for me to remember something like this from a long time ago is something just short of a miracle. I normally don’t recollect too much of growing up. I think the memories are there, in my mind, just hidden by a bunch of cobwebs. But this one, this one is different.

My family lived in Florida at the time, I think it was 1989. It was gym class and that day we were being timed on the mile for one of those fitness tests. At the time I remember thinking, “Oh my god, a mile?? Are you serious?? This is torture; it has to be against the law!! AND we have to run it again if we don’t get under a certain time?? WHAT??!!” But one of my friends gave me some advice, some advice that I wish I had never taken. She told me, “Don’t worry about it, it’s easy, all you have to do is run the straights, and walk the curves.” At the time I thought the plan was so brilliant, it sounded so great, so that’s what I did, ran the straights and walked the curves.

I finished the timed mile (under the cap, as I didn’t have to run it again) and was barely breathing heavy. I felt as though I didn’t work hard and that I took the easy way out. I felt as though I cheated myself. I don’t remember the exact time I finished in, but I am sure it was nothing to be proud of. To this day, I still regret running that mile the way I did. The advice that I chose to take was the worst advice ever.

So as I prepare for my ½-marathon (far from that measly mile in grade school!), I am trying to sort through all the advice that has been given to me. There has been plenty! But there’s a time when you just have to put all the advice to the side and just go with your heart. And that’s how I plan to run my race on Saturday.

5k Results

2006-04-18T09:12:00.000-04:00

I guess I got my 15 minutes of fame! Check out this picture from the rec sports website. (Yes, that's me in the sunglasses and pink shirt.....thank goodness it wasn't a closeup!!) Check out the results by age group too. It looks as though I came in 15th out of the 51 females. Sweet!

My race number for this event was 73, and oddly enough, I finished 73rd out of 161 participants. Kev, of course, said I should have requested a lower number. haha. If my race number predicted my finish position, then I am in trouble for Nashville, with it's projected 17,500 1/2 marathon participants. ;-)

Hello, I'm 15596

2006-04-17T20:17:00.000-04:00

my number for the race is officially 15596. ;-)

Dashing for the Cure

2006-04-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

This Saturday I ran in the Rugged Warehouse Dash for the Cure 5k. It felt good to not only contribute to the American Cancer Society, but also to get in a race before my 1/2 marathon in a couple of weeks. I was quite pleased with my results since this was the first 5k I have ran since about 1997-98. Back then, I think I finished the 5k right at 30 minutes. This time it was a different story:

Mile	Time	Heartrate
1	8:06	177
2	9:14	186
3	9:12	188
0.1	0:44	190
Total	27:16	184

Nice. ;-)

PS - my coworker and friend Marisa just completed her first marathon this weekend! I am so proud of her accomplishment. Congratulations Marisa!! :-)

Smiles

2006-04-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

Despite my face being half numb from the dentist, reading this put a smile on my face.

Bad Gear

2006-04-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

As you all know, Sunday was a beautiful day especially for a run. I actually felt great and prepared to run my 9 miles in record time. Kevin even dusted off his mountain bike to join me for the 1 and 1/2 hour tour of the Huckleberry. Despite everything look like it was going to be a great run, I had issues with my new running shorts. To make a long story short, I am never going to wear them *ever* again. I am going to stick to my trusty ole spandex shorts!!

Here's a break down of my times:

Mile	Time	Heartrate
1	9:01	154
2	9:10	168
3	9:25	174
4	10:33	176
5	9:25	178
6	12:54	169
7	11:18	163
8	10:06	168
9	10:33	171
Total	1:32:25	169

So overall not bad. I had to walk on 3 separate occassions to cool off the chaffing that was being caused by the shorts. I have never been so mad at myself for trying something new on such a long run! I mean, my turn around point is in Blacksburg for crying out loud!!! What was I thinking?? I don't know if it was because of my "new" pain, but the rest of my body felt great for once. I felt like I could have kept on running if I had the right shorts on. My heartrate and breathing recovery was very quick, about 2-3 minutes after completion.

My last long run before the race will be a 10-miler in 2 weeks and I am actually looking forward to it. And I am not trying anything different for this run! :-)