Top 5 Sparks

 (source: We Heart It)

I've been officially blogging for a year & a half now, can you believe it? After a while you loose track of what used to be mile-markers or looking for any kind of round number to celebrate. It seems silly in the same kind of way you roll your eyes at couples who celebrate 4 month anniversaries. But on this nominally momentous occasion, how would you like to take a little trip down memory lane with me?

Ladies & Gentlemen (who am I kidding? Ladies & more ladies....) I present to you: the top 5 posts in Sparky history for your perusing pleasure...

#5 - C25K

The story of how Tink & I went from couch potatoes to 5k finishers. I can't remember another time in my life when I felt so proud of any accomplishment. It makes me remember what it felt like to love running.

#4 - Flashback Friday, Week 4

A love story for the ages: 3 best friends & a Valentine's tradition to remember.

#3 - Vlogging & Karaoke

You'll notice a trend with the top 3, they all involve being Germanic or embarrassing myself (apparently they're real crowd pleasers!) This one happens to be a combo. Who knew I had such skill to be absurd AND German at the same time?

#2 - Fastnachts Day

I don't blame you guys one bit for making this a favorite. Fatty balls of deep-fried delish... who can resist? Go ahead & get your Pennsylvania Dutch on while you give this one another look. Although I swear I just gained 3 lbs. from reading.

#1 - Please Vote

This post rose to infamy when my pup was in the running for a cutest baby contest. I'm sure it's still burned in most of your memories for better or worse. Voting became a fierce rivalry & this post was the launching pad to the polls. But all's well that ends well... aka my dog totally kicked those toddlers' asses.

Did I miss any other favorites over the past 18 months? Don't leave me out here on Memory Lane all by myself, I'd love to hear the posts you love the best. I think the period mix will be going down in history as a personal favorite. haha 

Thanks for all the comments typed & friendships made over this year & a half... I don't have the most readers in the world but I'm fairly certain I have the best. Much love to you ALL.

Please Vote

Please? Pretty pretty please with a dog biscuit on top?

Voting has opened for the "Work It Wednesday" contest over at WCMCNW? & although I think Natalie is a dead-ringer, I know there are still some people out there who actually prefer children to adorable pup-faced angels like my Natalie. Hard to believe, I know.

All you have to do is GO HERE & Vote Natalie.

Can you honestly resist this face?

It's Christmas Time in the City

(May I suggest pressing PLAY before viewing
for optimal Christmas cheer & blog enjoyment)

"City sidewalks busy sidewalks .
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There's a feeling
of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on ev'ry street corner you'll hear

Silver bells silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring a ling hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day "

Banjo Night & Beyond

Somedays I'm completely taken aback by how much I don't know. Last night it was so blatantly clear that this city still has a whole treasure chest full of surprises for me as the cuteness-meter went way off the charts. It was my very first banjo night at the Elks Club.

My friends have been going for ages & I've never cared to join in because the thought of 30 old guys practicing banjos sounded too redneck to stomach. As usual, I WAS SO WRONG. Not redneck at all, it reminded me more of a U.S.O. show & I instantly fell in love. I can't even describe how enamored I am with this group right now. The music was jazz & big band style... very WWII... & of course they did a lot of Christmas classics that haven't melted my heart like this since the first time I heard Bing Crosby.

There whole room was a mix of 60+ folks & 20-somethings, with very few in between... but it was like a great big family. There was this sweet old lady who kept telling me & a friend we were such a cute couple & trying to get us to dance... when we corrected that we weren't together she said "Well that's no fun!" with a big wink & elbow nudge. haha How can you not love that?!



That sweet little gem belting it out on the mic is the fabulous DJ Devine. The rest of the night she wore a boa & made her rounds to all the tables, & let me tell you that dame has SASS. One of the guys with us tried to butter her up by telling her how great she is, to which she responded "Do you mind writing that to me on the back of a $20?" haha This isn't her first rodeo. Clearly.

And then I discovered something else I had NO CLUE about until now... there's a website called FNtv that did a special on finding community in strange places, using 3 Pittsburgh groups as examples. Banjo night was one, my tattoo artist was another, & a hula-hoop club as the 3rd. I love love LOVE it for so many reasons... but partly because it was MY community in this video!!! The tattoo shop was filled with friends of mine in the background, even with the hula-hooper who I didn't know they interviewed a girl who was on my marathon relay team! Even just-friends-nudge-wink-from-old-lady friend is in the video too & he never mentioned it before. It just brought to my eyes what a connected web we're all in. It's amazing.

The video is actually really well made, they did a beautiful job. I know it's asking a lot to say watch a 30 minute video... but if you do get the chance, I'm sure it'll warm your heart a bit. (it's so chilly out, at this point any kind of warming is good warming!)

Hoop Art

About a month ago I let you all in on the scoop about how Sam & I were busy little bees getting ready to sell some crafts at a fair trade/handmade market at our church. It's the first time I'd ever made anything for SALE & I was filled with nerves & doubts leading up to it.

What if we couldn't get it done in time?
What if no one likes them?
What if they're the worst items there?
What if they're completely not cost effective?
What if they don't turn out like I imagined?

Thankfully those what-ifs didn't come true. We finished most of them much quicker than expected & took our good ol' time with the rest. In hindsight we could have probably produced double what we did.

Also, they didn't suck. THANK GRILLED CHEESUS! They actually turned out just like I pictured in my head. And it was a real, honest team effort. I had an idea of mostly what I wanted to see but not the drawing ability needed to make it happen, Sam totally took everything I told her & made them into patterns. Then we both stitched them into reality.

(Yep, still taking crappy phone pictures. Need a new camera, Santa)

Here's the amazing part... they sold out the first week! (wha....?) I was so worried that no one would want them, but I actually got 4 orders from people who wanted one that already sold!

It kind of makes you wonder... I've been making crafts for gifts, but maybe I actually could be a successful seller as well? Especially with a talented partner like Sam. I'm not ready to say "Etsy here I come" just yet, but I might start to crunch some numbers & see if there's a way to make a decent profit off this kind of idea. (that practical business-minded me side isn't as easily convinced as the side that wants to stay home & drink tea & embroider all day. THAT girl is ready to go!)

So for any of you crafty types who have made that leap into opening up your products for sale, I'd appreciate any feedback, stories, best-practices, or cautions you have to offer.

Cat-Call Worthy

Alternate Title: Sexy Manifesto

I believe that from time to time you just need a night when you can look in the mirror & think "damn I look good". I believe it's a woman's right to be sexy... not to attract or impress anyone, just to give honor to that side of you. I believe that there is a time & a place for smokey eye makeup.  I believe that time is anytime, even if there's nowhere special to go. I believe you don't need a reason to feel good about looking good.

The other night I went out with friends for a celebration. The truth about how this started is that I hadn't showered, didn't WANT to shower, so instead I looked at my I've-seen-better-days hair & said "let's go with this". I added product to make even more of a bed-head mess, & then went on to charcoal eyeshadows. And it felt GOOD.

Then something strange happened. I felt awkward about uploading photos from that night... like I was embarrassed to post photos that say "Hey look at me, I'm hot". I'm not conceited, Lord knows I'm way to self-conscious to cross that line, but I should be allowed to feel good about looking good. So I will.

Grandma Chic

Oh deary me, once something strikes my fancy it's hard for me to let it drop. And what's got me daydreaming now is this idea of Grandparent chic for fall. It's a term made up between me & Jen (& I'm sure to spread fast) which goes beyond "vintage" to downright elderly. It's hard to explain in a way that makes it sound appealing, but imagine ladies playing bridge except turn them all into 20-somethings & give them much nicer, non-orthopedic shoes.

I've been searching & want to show some of my favorite things I've stumbled upon:

1. Satin Short Gloves - I imagine them with a cocktail dress or just anytime I leave the house


2. Glasses Leash - not just for librarians anymore


3. Sweater Clip - I already bought 1 from Goodwill but I love the different length chains on this one


4. Brooch - need I say more?

Backpacking Adventure

Labor Day Weekend... a time to rest, relax, enjoy the last of summer, & apparently not be able to move your body for several days after.



There we are at the end of a 12.6 mile backpacking trip through the Laurel Highlands... yep, that's 6.3 miles each way over hills & through forest with a night of "sleeping" in a hiker's shelter in between. *sigh* Fun right? I've been camping plenty of times before but this was the first time to backpack with no chance of escape & no option but to finish this godforsaken trail you've started because no ambulance or helicopter or hearse will be able to reach you.

Ok I'm being a bit dramatic, I really did have a grand old time. But I also was in tears saying "We're never going to make it, we'll die out here!" at one point too. Also I puked... I didn't tell my group b/c I didn't want to be a debbie-downer, but I was so exhausted trying to climb this one damn hill that I puked.  I know, I'm not making a very good case for fun, but honestly I loved spending the weekend with friends out of the city. Really... look at my photos... don't they look like fun? See, smiles!

Fictional Friends (and real ones too…)

A week ago I called Tink & out of boredom we ended up forming a book club with just the 2 of us as members so far. A week later I can't even get my lesson plans done at a decent hour because all I want to do is read our book. I'll regret it tomorrow but it's so good!

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"

As if the name alone weren't enough to hook us, Elizabeth Gilbert said "I can't recommend this book highly enough" on the front cover... & since we were debating between this or her sequel to Eat, Pray, Love we took her recommendation. I guess I'll do whatever Elizabeth Gilbert tells me to... I also do most things Oprah tells me to, but I digress.

It's fiction but set up as correspondences between a post-WWII authoress named Juliet and her friends... who I now feel are MY friends as well. She gets a letter from a man on the island of Guernsey about a book & is so intrigued by the literary society that by 1/2 way through the book she's now dear friends with a half-dozen characters on the island. It all centers around their lives during the German occupation & how the society & the relationships forged  got them through (and are still getting them through).

A few pages in I was so sure I knew how the book would end & who would fall in love, but it threw in some twists & I'm less sure 200 pages in than I was at 10 pages! What I am sure of is that I love every one of these characters. I love the way they rely on eachother & have formed a family. I want to go live on Guernsey with them & have tea together, it hurts my heart just a tiny bit when I remember that they're fiction & I shouldn't expect a letter in my mailbox from my new friends.

But it's nice to read a book like this with a friend so when I'm thrown for a loop I can call Tink & yell "Did you know Sidney was....." & she can understand why I publicly cried about Elizabeth. So I'd like to extend an invitation: if anyone would like to read this book & needs someone to gush about it with, CALL ME. You could be the 3rd member of our yet-to-be-named book club. It'll be hard to come up with a name that can rival Guensey's, but I'm up for suggestions.

p.s. Not that this is criteria for all my books, but doesn't it look lovely on my end-table? It matches my apartment to perfection!

Wordless Wednesday

(I've never participated in a "Wordless Wednesday" before... but every time I tried to post about Emma's wedding the words kept coming & coming to the point of WAY TOO MANY. I want to tell you how beautiful she was, how much I adore her new husband, about the perfection of the ceremony, about the PAR-TAY afterwards, about the hoagie bar, & on & on & on & on...  But maybe, just this once, no words are better to end a perfect Month of Love. PS- These words don't count, right?)

[caption id="attachment_1831" align="aligncenter" width="384" caption="photo shamelessly stolen from the lovely Danna Cascone"][/caption]

A Little Birthday Vino

They say a little red wine is good for the heart. I say an afternoon of wine with the girls is the best thing for the heart... ever.

One of my most lovely friends, Emma, had a birthday this month & it's impossible not to celebrate the birth of a lady like that. (She also happens to be another main component of the Month of Love & is getting married in just 2 & 1/2 weeks!) But as much as this little day trip was for her, I think it did all 3 of us a world of good to take a day-cation with the girls to laugh & drink wines.

One of my favorite moments was the conversation to plan this, apparently the minds of Sarah & I work in strange ways but to good results. This was literally our thought process... Sarah: "What could we do that would be relaxing?" Me: "I don't know... Where could we find lemon trees?" "Ooo, the Mediterranean" "Yeah, where are there Italians? Near wine." haha What? I wish I could share more of my favorite moments of the day but they're really not appropriate for public reading. I'll just have to cherish them in private... & laugh out loud when I think of them... & make people uncomfortable about me laughing to myself.

The whole experience was SO lovely. Sampling wines, sharing fruit & cheeses, a delish fire grilled pizza, more wine, being waited on, the perfect weather & our umbrella shaded table. Lovely. I actually wish I could share where to have such a day for yourself, but I can't. It was just so special that we made a pact to never tell anyone else about it. It will remain our private little oasis. (ok let's be honest, there are only so many wineries in western PA, you could probably figure it out if you really wanted to. But I'll never tell.)

Lace & Buttons Headband

I had a special request from a special friend... make a headband to match her shoes for last weekend's wedding. Just another story about the Month of Love. (In case you didn't read yesterday, we are currently IN the month of love. I have declared it so, let it be written.) The inspiration: light blue sneakers with orange polka dots to go with a navy dress.

The supplies: I found the orange lace hem tape in the perfect shade, and I wanted to go with buttons to mimic the polka dots on the shoes. Once I found that big button with the flowers it all started to come together.

Not only would I do anything for Lena, and I enjoy being crafty, and it's the Month of Love... as if that weren't enough reasons to get into the project... I also just got a sewing box from Goodwill the other day that I was excited to put to use! And to my most pleasant surprise, it came fully stocked! Threads, needles, thimbles, measuring tapes, clasps, random old buttons, everything you could hope to find in a second-hand sewing box. I'm so excited!

Oh yeah, I tried curling my hair at the same time. It didn't turn out as well as I'd hope, BUT the headband DID. (stay tuned, when my hair grows out a little more I hope to be able to rock Marilyn-eque curls)

Here's what I did:

• measured out the lace hem tape to the size of my head with the hair-tie connector loose


• I used a piece of plain orange ribbon on the under side of my lace as my sewing base to attach  everything that needed to be sewed on


• on one end I folded a triangle with lace & ribbon to attach a button as the clasp


• sewed the hair-tie with a strip of ribbon on the other end to complete the clasp


• pinned a long strip of ribbon lengthwise slightly offset from center where I would sew on all the decorative buttons & cut off the excess once I had them all sewn in place (you can hardly see the solid orange ribbon peeking though)

Tah-Dah!!!!!

 

Twinkle Lights on a Wednesday Night

Sometimes I think I'm just wired differently. There's really nothing inside of me that has the urge to see the red rocks of Sedona... but a white tent with twinkle lights filled with people I love & music is the most beautiful sight in the world.



We all know I really don't even want a wedding someday, just the perfect little elopement, but if I had to I think it would look something like this. (On the sneak-attack of course... like Julia Roberts style with the surprise wedding... and maybe with candles in hanging mason jars) The lights & art & brick & rain & warmth... beautiful.

Service Project & My 15 Minutes

Something very bizarre has happened...

It all started when Craft Hope announced the current project: making towels to send down to the Gulf where agencies are cleaning off those poor animals covered in oil & trying to save their lives. I can send some towels, they want them to be wash cloth sized & they're collecting Dawn soap too. So I hit up the facebook & email to get some friends on board too. I also sent it out to the church since it's basically just an extended family... & here's where the project starts to snowball.

Apparently a WPXI reporter used to go to our church & gets the email. Next thing I know there's been an online article & 2 interviews aired, dozens of email responses, & thousands of towels. Oh... my... gosh. Apparently people are really in need of a way to be involved, it's understandable when there's a situation that feels so helpless & you just sit & watch. But I never expected to become this rally point where Girl Scouts are emailing to set up service days with me. What? My students are coming in & telling me they saw me on TV. It's all just so bizarre.

Watch Interview #1

Watch Interview #2

Just so you know, it's not to late to do this yourself. You don't need to send 3,000 towels, they're asking for sets of 10. And if you're crocheting or knitting they'll take any amount. You don't need to go through me, all the info you need is on the Craft Hope site.

{spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time}

p.s. I'm going to start being careful about the faces I make. Oye! haha

Hanging With Peeps

That's me. That's a chicken.

Any of my friends can probably tell you I'm a city girl. Oh sure I like to camp & get all wilderness-y, but there's not a farm bone in my body. Or so I thought... until I got to hang out with Justin's chicks. (ahem, his chickens... not his ladies)



I love these adorable little peeps! I think they love me too because they know I don't like to eat chicken. They are so funny to watch & still super soft because they're only a few weeks old. It's the best! I don't think I eat eggs often enough to justify having chickens of my own, & I'm pretty sure my dog would eat them, & they poop all the time... but if you look past all that they'd be such sweet little pets. Peep peep peep!

Hipster Puppies are my Friends

Not long ago I found a photo blog that I adore, thanks to my office-pal, Rebecca. See I love puppies, & I love to laugh at hipsters... & now I can adore both at once because of HIPSTER PUPPIES. It's amazing... confirmed amazing by the fact that they're making a Hipster Puppies book, so check it out.

And as if puppies dressed as hipsters (all with corresponding captions of angst) weren't enough, I made a remarkable discovery: they all remind me of friends.

So without further adieu (and putting aside the fact that this might make my friends angry & no longer my friends... worth the risk in my opinion... there's even a hipster puppy for myself to make it fair) I present my friends as hipster puppies:

(click for larger photo)

[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

Passover Seder

What a perfect night in every sense. The weather, the people, the ceremony, the wine, the food... everything was perfection for our Seder on Thursday night.

We ended up with about 24 people, I originally was expecting only 9 so it came as quite a shock while trying to plan this crazy thing. But it all worked out beautifully! Beyond beautifully. We took turns reading from the leader's book, since there really weren't kids (just teens & "adults") we all participated in the family activities, & we just enjoyed.

Here's the rundown of the actual ceremony: get rid of the leavened bread hid all over the house, light the candles, 1st glass of wine (out of 4), wash hands. Then we went outside to the dinner table. Story of the exodus from Egypt & the plagues, the foods all told a part of the story: bitter herbs, matzoh, salt water, sweet apples, egg, etc. Another glass of wine, eat up the ritual foods, then time for real dinner. It was a fabulous potluck spread, I can't believe I worried we wouldn't have enough! Another  glass of wine, but this time it served as communion along with the hidden piece of matzoh. And another glass of wine....

Party!

Some of us stayed at late as 1:30am, which was unexpected for just dinner, but we had SO much fun it was hard to leave! And there was still more wine that needed to be finished, of course.



You like that "Last Supper" reenactment? haha That was probably my favorite part of the whole night. That & talking bear. (don't ask)

But other than just having an amazing time, it was a meaningful night for me too. I feel like it helped me to understand a few things better

1. If I knew tomorrow I'd die, this is EXACTLY how I'd want to spend my last night. Lots of friends, food & wine.


2. Jesus' water-into-wine miracle... I totally get it now. I was so afraid we would run out of wine... almost panicked. "We'll run out & we need 4 glasses for the ceremony & everything will be ruined!" It would have been the worst thing that could have happened, so I respect Jesus looking out for even petty situations like that when they mean a lot to us.


3. No wonder the disciples fell asleep in Gethsemane... have I mentioned how much wine you drink? Seriously.


4. The people who arrested Jesus were Jews too, I believe, which means they'd be having the same meal time with their families. The whole ending of the Seder is hope for the coming Messiah... so basically they're going through the motions & hoping for a savior while at the same time plotting to kill him. Of course they didn't believe he was the same guy, but that's still pretty ironic & sad.

Anyway, those were just some of my thoughts on it. The Seder was the perfect start to a long Easter weekend that ended similarly: dinner with friends. And wine.

Murder & Karaoke

You want to know who killed Ricky Salsa? I'll tell you right now... it was this crazy building, the thing is haunted! Or was it his karaoke rival, the bar manager, the mistress, or the crazed fan? There's not a person in the place that didn't have a reason to want Ricky dead.

Yup, this is how I spent my weekend. Murder & karaoke. Pastor Jim actually wrote this murder mystery dinner theater himself & somehow a misfit gang of "actors" actually pulled this thing off. Don't ask me how! All I know is I've never laughed so much in my life.



And as if that weren't enough, spending hours upon hours practicing our karaoke mystery & entertaining a couple hundred people, I guess we just can't get enough of each other because for our cast party we went to... karaoke. I honestly feel bad for everyone else in that bar when 20 of us took over the place & barely put the mic down all night.



A little Salt'n'Peppa, Johnny Cash, Celine Dion, Eminem, Jay-Z, Neil Diamond, Cindy Lauper, & plenty of shame to go around. If I had to rate this night against all the others in my life... the singing, the dancing, the inappropriate lyrics, the screaming... it would be a solid spot in the top 10. EVER.

The only thing that made it even better was Sunday morning... bright & early at church... it was the camaraderie that only comes from a night like that. All you need is eye contact with eachother to start laughing all over again. Like an unspoken "oh yeah, I know what you did last night." It was certainly one for the books! So much love.

Photoshop with a Side of Self-Loathing

Well this post took a crazy turn halfway through. Originally I just wanted to post a picture of my new highlights, dying my hair was a coping mechanism to deal with STILL being snowed in & having crazy cabin fever. So I snap a picture... oh glasses are making a glare. Ok new picture without glasses... crap I have giant nose-marks from the glasses. That's ok I can just photoshop them out. (here's where it starts to go astray)

So a little touch-up here & there...

... & there...   & there...   & there...   & there & there & there & there...

Before I knew it I was obsessing over the pores on my nose & imaginary lines! What am I doing?! *sigh* Some days I'm a mess.

• erased glasses marks


• erased & evened-out under eyes


• erased freckles & blemishes on right cheek


• smoothed pores on nose, cheeks & chin


• added color to top lip, right side


• darkened eyelashes


• took out red from my nose-crease


• warmed & saturated colors

This is so not healthy.

In the fall I had a really tough month or so, & my way of coping with stress & lack of control in my environment was to just hate on myself... I guess because I'm the only thing that I could control. I knew it wasn't healthy so I took a weekend away on this retreat in the middle of nowhere where I figured God & I would get some quality time to work on our issues: self-control, strength, perseverance, etc.

Wrong. That's not at all what He wanted to work on. Before breakfast on the first day I went for a "run" (this was before my 5k training so running did NOT last long. Even more reason to hate myself) It's probably the only time in my life I CLEARLY heard God. Not audibly, I'm not crazy... but clearly. More like how you read something & hear it in your head.  Here's what I heard:

"If you really love me... how can you hate what I love so much?"

He was talking about me.

That pretty much changed everything. Not that I don't get bouts of self-attack, clearly that's what just happened this morning, but I'm a little more aware of what's happening here. I think that my esteem & insecurities are just my easiest point of attack. But if I really love God & want a heart like his (which I do) then how can I possibly hate someone he made from scratch & loves so so so so so so much?

C25K

"What Have You Done Today To Make You Feel Proud?" 

Well I'll tell you... today I graduated from C25k!!! It's a 9  week (0r 11 in our case) running program that's supposed to take you from the couch to running a 5K. And believe me, I was planted very solidly in the couch end of that spectrum. Basically, here's what my progression looked like:



12 weeks ago I was on my friend Allison's couch watching The Biggest Loser & jamming the the theme song when she jokingly asked me those very lyric: What have you done today to make you feel proud? Well crap. Nothing.

11 weeks ago at Cambodican with Tink eating seafood wontons I said "Hey, do you wanna run?" Of course she laughed at me, wouldn't you? I don't remember the exact conversation but somehow we went from "Yeah right!" to "See you on Tuesday to run." Thus began our C25K journey.

10 weeks ago... death. Can't breathe. Hurt everywhere. Oh dear Lord, make it stop. Embarrassment... & that was only for 60 SECOND INTERVALS! But we had determination (& just to make sure there was no way to wimp out, we told everyone we know.) I told Jeff about our running program & he immediately was like "You should sign up for the half-marathon in May!" Ha! Oh ouch, I'm too sore from 60 seconds of running to laugh!!

1 week ago we took this picture at Dunkin Donuts celebrating running the full distance of a 5k for the first time!



We're runners.

(yes, we do understand that donuts negate all the work we just did... so does our usual ice cream reward... but I like to think we're just training Pavlov style. Mmm running is delicious...)

I'll admit that this has never been easy... not 1 step of the way. Calf pain, dodging dog poop & roadkill, the geese by the river trail who hiss at you & chase you, snow storms... it's been... *sigh* it's been... great. Seriously, I've loved it! I mean,  I still feel like death at least once during any given run, but it can't stop us! Know why? Because we're runners.

January 23rd, 2010: Graduation from C25K

February 13th, 2010: Our First 5K Race. (fans & supporters with glitter signs welcome at the finish line)

There's still no way I'm running a half-marathon by May... we may be runners, but we're not delusional. But maybe a relay-team marathon? We'll see... Next up is a little speed training until our race & then on to 10k training! Bring it. We're runners.

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Tink & I have some sincere thanks to hand out. We have this ridiculous support system that I would never have expected for 2 people just trying to get up to what "normal" people can run. Jen, thanks for being a great trainer while we were constantly convinced we would die. Emma, thanks for helping us push ourselves farther. Sarah, Jeff, Erin, Rebecca, Allison, John, the Facebook group & so so many others, thanks for all the moral support & for never laughing when we only ran for a minute at a time! Love you guys.

Sore knees, happy heart.