Life on the Runn...

It is certainly true that sometimes unexpected or unplanned events can  make a person's day. Monday, for example, I made what I thought would  be a very brief stop at my aunt and uncle's house to drop off a book.  I wasn't sure anyone would be home, but I thought I would swing by and see.   Instead of running in and out, I got to spend a bit of time catching with the both my Auntie Bunna and my Uncle Ed.  After he was done with his chores and between practicing his hurdling (he's definitely got a future in track!) I also was able to spend some time talking  with my cousin Dylan. We got to talk about all of the comings  and goings in my cousins' lives, and we talked about my upcoming  travel plans, school, and everything in between. I was reminded how  lucky I am to have such a wonderful family, and at a time when I am  very stressed and busy, taking a moment to slow down and enjoy time  with loved ones reminded me of what life real...

Several weeks ago, our friend Mark extended an invitation to both  Brian and me; he and some of our other gym friends would be traveling  to Kentucky for a week of climbing and thought it would be fun for us  to come along. The climbing team at the gym would also be in Kentucky  for its team trip, an event that Brian and I used be responsible for  organizing when we were coaches. Brian would not be able to join in the fun, but  being that it is summer, I have some time on my hands, and I was able  to join Mark, Patty, John, Heather, Howard and Kathryn. The trip started out on Saturday afternoon with a short jaunt to Indianapolis,  where the kids were climbing. We grabbed dinner, chatted a bunch and drove the four hours to our hotel.  On Sunday morning we watched the kids  climb in finals, and in the late afternoon we were back in the car and heading  to Kentucky. We arrived to pretty significant storms, but luckily they...

Just over a week ago now, Brian and I headed to Kentucky for Memorial  Day weekend. We left Friday after I was done with work, which meant we  hit a little bit of traffic on the way down, down, but when we woke up  Saturday morning, we realized it was so worth it. The weather was  gorgeous, especially for this time of year, anywhere able to avoid  much of the crowd that descends upon the Red River Gorge on Memorial  Day weekend. We climbed both Saturday and Sunday, and spent evenings  on the deck roasting marshmallows, drinking wine and bourbon, and  enjoying the great company. While I certainly wasn't ready to leave,  Monday's drive home was quite pleasant, which helped; there was almost  no traffic to speak of, so we were home by late afternoon. Not so long ago, I would have laughed at the idea of driving seven  hours south, to Kentucky of all  places, to spend the weekend outside  doing things like hiking and climbi...

On Wednesday Bri and I ventured south (not nearly as far south as we typically travel) for an adventure evening.  Brian had surprised me with the Chicago trip to see Of Monsters and Men perform at the Aragon Ballroom. While I did feel a bit old when we first arrived and made our way into the crowd, mostly because I was with an old guy, I quickly found myself in the zone and enjoyed both the opening act and the show.  At the end of the night, when I waddled to the car (I'd been standing and dancing the whole show), I couldn't help but smile and keep singing. And as Brian and I were laying in bed, chatting about our night, I thought about how lucky I am in life.  I get to spend each and every day with an amazingly supportive, loving man, who has encouraged me to be my best and see the world.  How could I ask for more than that?! Of Monsters and Men - Chicago, IL concert crescendo - gearing up for the finale with confetti

This past weekend, as has become a tradition, I joined my mom, my  Auntie Lynn, my cousin Jenna and a few hundred of our closest friends,  including my mom's  bestie, Elaine, and my brother's awesome  girlfriend Lori, in attending  the Kenny Chesney concert.  The fun began  when everyone met at Deb's house and  boarded the school bus that was responsible for getting 30-some  people to Miller Park.  Once we arrived in MKE, we had to coordinate unloading the bus (grills, coolers, drinks and ourselves) and finding  places to put everything, not an easy task considering the buses are parked about  two feet from one another. Somehow we were able to negotiate an entire  open bus parking space between our vehicle and the next, which served  us well as a as we snacked, sampled many varieties of shots, took  pictures, made friends with our bus neighbors, one of whom resembled  the dude from 'Duck Dynasty',  and...

A short time ago, while Brian and I were in Colorado, I was struggling to find the hotel's hair dryer.  Then I noticed a small black bag on the self and found what I was looking for -- a hair dryer in a hair dryer bag.  Being the insanely organized, everything-has-its-place, love-to-compartmentalize-everything person that I am, I thought this was one of the best ideas ever.  Surely I posted about it on FB or Twitter, and Auntie Barb, crafty, talented woman that she is, saw it.  She got to work, and the end product is just grand!   Aside from having a bag to store my hair dryer in (at home in my cabinet or when I travel), I can sport my BADGER PRIDE - and we all know that is one of my favorite things to do.  And, as an added bonus, Auntie Barb whipped up a bag for Brian -- with his Climbing Narc logo and all.  I imagine so many ultra-organized uses for Brian's bag; he will be so neat and orderly, he won't know what hit him. THANKS, Auntie Barb...

 For some time now, my cousin Jenna has been a regular Zumba class attendee.  She speaks very highly of it and has shared her love of it with other members of our family, my mom, aunt and grandma in particular.  While  I have been meaning to get to a Zumba class, it wasn't until this past weekend that I finally gave it a try.   Jenna had invited me to an event she was hosting at my former high school, a Zumba-thon.  As I understand it, Jenna oversaw the entire event -- from planning, to promoting to managing the actual event.  Kudos to her for that!!  After meeting Jenna to help her get set for the event, it was time to throw aside any apprehensions and Zumba my heart out, which I did for the entirety of the 90 minute session.  What a blast it was! A nd after it was all said and done, I had to admit that it was a nice feeling beging back in my old gym doing something athletic -- it has been a few years.   Somewhere in ...