The Long Winter

Excuse the long absence. I have a tendency to forget to mention when I leave the country. So, I went to Portland, OR (Not Maine, even though the gate for the flight to Portland Maine was right next to our gate for Portland OR....you can imagine the confusion that ensued when they announced the boarding for Portland...Maine...but did not say Maine...yes, that is right...we all looked around completely baffled by the last boarding call for Portland and we had not even heard the pre-boarding.)

So, the marathon...the thing I had planned for for the whole year...and I got very very sick the night before. I mean I could not sleep, move, stay still, throwing up, explosive stomach problems, and I was fretting about the race. We got up (JJ got up, as I was already awake) and I put on my clothes and resumed my post in the fetal position on the bed. I could not eat anything either, that was the real issue...aside from the amazing pain. So, I decided to give it a try. I made it 10 miles and realized that at mile 10, when I hadn't eaten anything and could not stomach anything aside from water that maybe ending up in the hospital at mile 17 was a bad idea. I bowed out and it was the hardest thing I have done in a while. I almost could not believe it was happening. Right before I quit I was listening to the Freakanomics podcast and it happened to be about quitting....it was so miserable. So, JJ finished and I went back to Ace Hotel and slept in the lobby. Why did I sleep in the lobby, do you ask, as apposed to our room. Well, we got cheap rooms with a bathroom down the hall and I decided for the last two days we should spurge and get a room with a bathroom. So, they were all full, but the guy said we could check out and check back in when we were done running...you see where this is going....I was supposed to be done at 1:30, but instead I came back at 10:30...so no room. Cut to me sleeping for 3 hours in the lobby, thank you Ace Hotel. The lovely counter man/boy let me use one of the bathrooms to take a shower and not smell like a hobo. By the time JJ hobbled back to the hotel our room was ready and we went to order room service and I cried. It was really hard, but I had not choice. I did not have an appendicitis, cancer, or anything life threatening. It was probably an ovarian cyst that burst....let me just say that if it happens again I may need to an epidural.

So cut to the day after we get home and I decide I am going to have my marathon. So, I signed up for Philli right before T-Day.

And now cut to 5 days after we got back from OR I went to Peru and Ecuador with my aunt. 16 days later and now Im back and ready to not take a plane ever again. The Matchu Pitchu and Galapagos trips need an entry all their own so maybe tomorrow. Pictures and art to come...and holiday cards are up and ready to go!