Welcome to Kathmandu

Posted on April 28, 2014 by knevinger

So, Kathmandu has blackouts, lasting 14 plus hours a day. But the hotel has a generator, so as I type this, the light above is flickering overhead and I’m wondering if it’s just going to go out at some point.

Kathmandu is…something I’ve never seen before, yet oddly familiar. I think maybe it’s similar to some of the more rural parts of China, but definitely very different too.

Getting into the place was pretty crazy, there were so many forms and signatures and lines…and more lines. Luckily our bags made it through just fine…and we got waved through customs. Apparently we must have looked friendly or something.

Why is there someone playing a flute outside our window??

I only had to tell two taxi drivers we didn’t need a ride before the REI guide found us. Really glad they picked us up at the airport…I don’t know if I’ve seen anything crazier coming out of an airport. Pre-paid taxis and regular taxis and people with signs and travelers and don’t forget the guys who want to carry your bags for money. Luckily the REI people told him to go away.

We met one of the other ladies going on our trek. She was actually on our flight. She’s American, but currently stationed in Seoul. Very nice and very friendly.

The REI people hid us a ways down the airport driveway to keep us out of the clutches of the bag carriers and taxis for hire while they brought around a van.

The drive to the hotel was interesting. No traffic lights and police directing traffic, but the police weren’t armed. There were other guys in the streets will weapons…army, maybe? Amongst the traffic and the motorcycles and the bikes and the people, we also found cows in the middle of the road….just chillin’.

We got to the hotel and met someone who I think is an REI person…he gave us orange fanta, a folder of information, and told us where to be when. Then, the day was ours. I couldn’t wait to explore. We wandered for a bit…traffic is crazy – one lane dirt roads with cars and bikes and motorcycles and rickshaws and people…and no sidewalks…yeah busted foot, I see this going well…

It was cool to explore, until we came upon a giant traffic jam and I got hit by a rickshaw. Good times….something else to cross off the bucket list. And then he tried to get us to ride in his little cart. Yeah, right. You just hit me, do you really think I want to ride with you?

We had a quiet dinner at the hotel, and could pretty much tell the minute the power went off, when all the air conditioning units quit. After dinner we did a quick night walk and realized how dusty it really was. Luckily, you can buy a buff here for $1. So I now have a yellow buff with red Asian writing, I wear it pulled over my nose and mouth and look gangster…hahaha. We also procured a couple of pens (if that’s the only thing we forgot, I’ll take it). The hotel in Seoul didn’t have any and the one here just has a pencil – I didn’t see that holding up while trekking.

What I’ve learned so far…I need to drink water, lots and lots of water. Don’t entertain the people trying to sell you something, unless you actually want to buy it (they’ll follow you down the road). And the yellow buff I bought for a dollar may make me look like a bandit, but it may save my lungs.

Wow…I’m far more tired than I thought. I’m not sure how far we wandered, but I’ll have to wear the Garmin tomorrow and track it. Apparently I will be falling asleep to the musical stylings of the Kathmandu streets…the pied piper, car horns, hammering, and the occasional voice.

4500 feet….over and out. Until next time…

Everest Bound!

Posted on April 26, 2014 by knevinger

After over a year of planning, training, and getting excited, it’s finally here! Somehow, we got through the crazy week, where it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. But, it’s all worked out, or we’ve been able to plan around it.

My busted foot is healing, still multicolored with bruises, but far less swollen. Hopefully it will continue to get better before we start trekking. My hand is still sore, and probably going to scar (awesome), but it did scab, and will hopefully be almost gone before we start the trek. We weren’t able to get the xterra back (huge thank you to the jackass who threw the rock through the window), but we have a friend picking it up and we were able to super shuttle it to the airport. Our bags were far too big for both the trek and the plane, but Brian’s friend brought us new ones last night. Granted, packing everything at 9am was an adventure, but at least we found out in time and fixed it. Even my work project came together well (I hope) and got sent off this morning.

It’s still going to be an interesting time to travel to Nepal and Everest, with everything that’s happened with the avalanche. Luckily, the treks have not been impacted…yet. Hopefully the Sherpas and the government can come to an agreement soon.

The super shuttle ride was an adventure in itself…we had a ton of bags and of course it was full. And I’m pretty sure the driver took the most inefficient route through the city. And then the last people tried to fight with her over something. Good times! But we made it. Check in was painless, thank you Korean air. Security was smooth, and we’re at the gate in plenty of time. And, we’re pretty much the only people at the gate. Sounds like the perfect time for a glass of wine…5pm somewhere…haha…

And our adventure begins at 167 feet of altitude…over and out, until next time…or I get back.

It’s Going Down….

Posted on April 19, 2014 by knevinger

So, I had one thing I had to do before Everest, well, two, I guess. I really didn’t want to get sick either. But, I managed to avoid strep throat, the office stomach flu, and whatever cold Brian caught earlier this week. So, what do I do to ring in the seven day count down? Go for a run in my new trail shoes, of course. And what else would I do while doing that other than crash. Pretty hard. And skid…my friend told me she heard it, but thought the noise was me catching myself. My right leg was covered in dust from the skid….took a chunk out of my left hand….and rolled my left ankle (I’m pretty sure that’s what caused the fall). I heard it pop on the way down, but once it was over, I seemed to be in one piece. At least enough to hike myself up and out of there, and back to the car. That’s the thing about trail running…..you can cut the route short, but there’s really no way back unless you walk. And it’s generally just as far to keep going or turn around.

So, ouch…not how I wanted to spend the week before my trip. I run that trail all the time….of course I would crash today. Ugh….I’d take being chased by a turkey again….

It’s actually not too bad….only a little bigger than a golf ball….and it doesn’t hurt too bad if I just stay off it. Cause I’m good at that, and do t have anything else to do….

In other news, I spent the week with one of our counterparts from Japan. I’d met him when I traveled there two years ago, so it was cool to see him again. I also really enjoyed learning from him as much as I enjoyed showing him what we do in stores here.

Alright…off to dinner with some friends….if I can navigate the stairs….haha…

Until next time.

Three Weeks and Counting….

Posted on April 5, 2014 by knevinger

I realized today that we have three weeks until we leave for Nepal…crazy. And it feels like it’s so much closer now than when it was four weeks away. haha…I’m sure next week, when it’s down to two, it will feel even closer. Second to last prep hike tomorrow….eeek! Crazy….

We got the final trip email yesterday, so that may be why it feels closer too. It looks like there will be eleven of us in the group, plus the staff from REI. They’re going to pick us up from the airport, which will be nice. Less to figure out is always good. Of course, they’re going to identify us by our REI t-shirts, which they ran out of in my size. Good news, they’re sending me a bag…bad news, I’ll get lost at the airport. Haha…we also have luggage tags, so I should be good. But, knowing my luck, who knows.

It also looked like our carry-ons might not count toward the 30 lb weight limit, which, if that’s the case, will be a huge relief. Not that I want to bring a ton of stuff, but 30 lbs is not a lot and once I add in contacts, contact solution, medicine, first aid kit, etc, etc, I feel like it’s going to add up quickly. As long as I can bring enough snacks to quell my ‘im always hungry’ appetite, everything will be ok. haha…I emailed them to confirm, so we’ll see what happens.

I spent a few hours today running through the headlands. I added a trip down to muir beach into what has become my normal route through pirates cove. Time wise, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I felt like I was walking a lot more, but I was only a few seconds/mile off of my pace from last week. Looking at my splits, I think my time through pirates cover was a lot faster than I was last week and the week before. Hopefully that means I’m getting stronger and will continue to do so. I’m trying hard to build some distance before the trip – who knows what I’ll lose or gain while trekking for days on end, but we’re looking at a 50k (classic me, right?) a month after we get back, so want to at least give myself a shot at it.

However, crawling out of muir beach was as awful as I remember it. Not as bad on the way down as it was during North Face, but the way up was pretty rough. Probably not as rough as North Face, since I was only at mile five or so instead of mile 16. Of course, as I’m crawling my way up the crazy hills, I come upon paw prints…giant paw prints. Sweet…I was hoping I could get mauled by a mountain lion today…but, after a nice trip down miwok cutoff, I was back to my car. Which was in a really good parking spot….complete with the satisfaction that the car in front of me blocked traffic for several minutes to wait for someone to pull out, yet, I ended up with the best spot and didnt hold up traffic.

Other than that, Game of Thrones starts tomorrow! Yay! We’ve been waiting for quite some time for that….like, since the end of last season. haha.

Until next time…

An amazing vet, typhoid medicine, and a trip to Orlando

Posted on March 14, 2014 by knevinger

So, first things first, we have an amazing vet. I was texting Brian about my crappy run this afternoon, and he told me to come home – that he had something that would make me smile. When I got home, he handed me a letter from the UC Davis Vet school. As I pulled out the letter, I tried to figure out why we might have received it, but I couldn’t think of one. As I began to read the letter, I almost cried. It was a letter informing us that our vet had made a donation to the school in the name of our cat, Gordon. The cat we loved, and she had only known in the last few days of his life. We already knew she was amazing (seven hills vet in diamond heights – go there), but this is so above and beyond. I can’t think of a better way to remember my first mammal pet.

In other news, we had our annual field conference last week in Orlando. It was a good time, but exhausting. I flew in early to help, whichever as quite the adventure. I started the following during my travel adventure, but never got a chance to finish and post it:

I love Uber…order on the phone and a ride shows up three minutes later – even at 4am. However, the adventure began once I got to the airport. But, flying united is never anything less…

So, first, I get to the airport and try to check in…should be easy. Swipe credit card and enter destination. Of course the system tells me that my ticket and itinerary don’t match and to see an agent. Which might not be an issue if, oh, I don’t know…there were any around. So I try again and enter my connection city. Same thing. So I try to ask the guy behind the counter…and he just blows by me. Awesome…and the ‘I hate united’ thoughts begin.

Luckily, I was able to flag down one of the ladies directing people to kiosks. Of course by then the message is gone, so we have to start over. Destination city, connection city, and confirmation number all yield the same result – ticket does not match itinerary. So she takes me to an agent…

The agent takes my confirmation sheet, ID, and credit card….tells me there isn’t an issue. Oh wait…the system has kicked me out incase I want to take a direct flight at 9. Right…cause there’s nothing I want to do more than hang out at the airport for three hours…if they had asked last night, I probably would have taken them up on three more hours of sleep.

To their credit, the two ladies that did help me were very polite and in good spirits for five am.

Of course, this has taken time, and now I’m hoping I’ll still be able to grab breakfast. And the security line is a cluster…why wouldn’t it be. The guy checking tickets at the end of the line looks at mine and asks me – are you part of a group? No…not really. I mean, gap travel booked my ticket… Oh wait, he’s asking cause he has my boarding pass…or someone else’s…or just a random handful of them in his pocket…cause that’s normal. Then he decides it’s not mine and lets me go on my merry way.

Like I said, the conference was fun, but exhausting. I spent the first few days putting together packets and name badges and running from here to there. The highlight – the packing party involving tequila. I worked the registration desk the second day of check in, so got to see a lot of people and hang out with the territory assistants – a great group of ladies! Biggest learning – it is actually possible to be so tired that the glass of wine three feet away is just too far to grab.

By the time the conference started, heels were actually more comfortable than running shoes for a day. Until I had to open the door for the mass entrance…haha. It was fine, just a little crazy. I got to ride a roller coaster again – yay evening event at marvel island and the hulk. I rode it twice – note to self, pee before you get in line for the roller coaster. Haha. I also checked out Spider-Man, which was fun, but hulk was better. And I still like roller coasters :).

But, like all good things, it had to come to an end. And, I was ready to get back home. Since then, we’ve been continuing to prep for our trip – six weeks from Saturday…squee!!!! We have most of our stuff, I took Tuesday off and we went out to the friends and family mountain hardware store and got my gloves and hiking pants. We tried to get prescription sunglasses, but they were going to be $1200….yeah, not happening. I’ll go for daily contacts and sunglasses. And pray I don’t get an eye infection. But, I did get to make a custom pair of oakleys. That was fun…black and purple, nothing crazy, but still fun.

I also started taking a typhoid vaccine. I’m not sure what’s more amusing…the fact that there’s such a thing as a vaccine via pill or the fact that I’m traveling somewhere that I need to have taken said vaccine. It has a host of fun side effects, but I’m half way through and have been ok.

Other than that, the get back in shape project continues. I can’t wait to dive into the 50 miler training when I get back. Pirate’s cove, I will conquer you. And muir beach…and the rest of you. Haha.

Ok….up early for a friend’s 50 miler tomorrow. Until next time….

Pirate’s Cove!

Posted on February 22, 2014 by knevinger

I returned to the trails in the headlands today, for the first time since since the North Face marathon, I think. Knowing that I need to get faster for the 50 mile, especially on hills, I chose one of the most challenging parts of the marathon course – pirate’s cove in the Tennessee Valley. It’s pretty much seven-ish miles of straight up followed by straight down, straight up, straight down (you get the idea), and some scary stairs mixed in. These are the stairs I slipped down during the race, hence, scary stairs.

I ran pretty slowly, and walked a lot of the hills. However, it was the strongest I’ve felt on this course in the three times I’ve been on it. So, hopefully a great start to building a foundation, because I need to learn to run that hill well. Really well, since I’ll hit the back half of it at mile 40 or something crazy like that. I’m not really going to look too much at training until after Nepal, but hilly runs will help with that training too. Here’s to practice making perfect….or just the ability to finish and have fun.

In other news, the hike we have planned for tomorrow is in an elk preserve – that should be interesting :). I also have hiking pants….finally. And they fit. Haha. And they’re not black. I’m also trying out bag number three. This one is a way better pack – better ventilation, pockets, fits better, etc. also, it’s bright blue and not black. Apparently I won’t be the goth chick on the mountain. Haha.

Until next time….

Everest, et. al

Posted on February 9, 2014 by knevinger

Apparently, I’m not as good at updating this thing as I thought or hoped I might be. I was shooting for once a week, but it’s been more like once a month. Or in the case of January, not at all. Oh well, things happen.

I thought January would calm down, since the holidays were over, but that wasn’t the case. There was getting sick, dinners with friends, getting back in shape (I re-joined bootcamp), and the end of the fiscal year at work. Early February brought Brian’s birthday and the super bowl, as well as a trip back to NY for my aunt’s funeral. It was my dad’s sister, and she was too young – 69. She was always the fun, eccentric, artistic one, and I have great memories of her from when I was little. Many of them involve standing on a chair telling a story. I’m pretty sure that happened a lot when I was six. Many of the stories I heard about her over the weekend from family and friends made me wish I had more memories of her from adulthood. Seeing a lot of family that I haven’t seen in awhile was nice – I met one cousin’s two little girls, met new second cousins, and learned that one of my cousins is an ultra runner. While it was great to see the rest of the family, but would have been much better under different circumstances.

At the end of January, we picked our seats for Nepal and Everest. So on 1/26, we were 90 days from take-off. I don’t think I could be more excited. We’ve been hiking every weekend to break in our stuff and get back in shape for the trip. I’m treating this like a race – nothing new on race day, nothing new for the trip.

Two weeks ago, we did a seven mile hike in the headlands and tried out our packs, poles, water bottles, as well as ourselves (those hills were no joke ;)). I should have tried out some gatorade powder or something in my water. I ended up fighting low blood sugar all day. Not fun.

The pack (Kelty Women’s 40 Liter pack) felt great, hardly knew it was there. I did struggle all day to get the water bottle in and out of the holder on the bag, luckily, I would have time to practice. Or so I thought. Last week, I noticed a hole in the water bottle holder, so it had to be exchanged. Good bye blue bag, hello black bag. Which is fine – other than all of my outer layers are black. Apparently I’ll be the goth girl on the mountain.

Poles were a great help once I got used to them. Helpful going up hill, fantastic going downhill. Excellent way to feel a little more stable.

Today, despite the rain, we decided to hike and headed up to Mt. Tam. We were planning on a short hike, since it was raining and a little chilly. But, we were excited to try out some more of our gear. I had my new pack (still Kelty, but now black), it would definitely need some adjustments to fit me.

So, I pulled out the heaviest of the three base layers I had – Smartwool’s Women’s Mid 250 hoodie, and a pair of Exofficio underwear – tag line, ’17 countries in 20 some days…one pair of underwear’….(let’s hope it doesn’t come to that)….I also grabbed the shell of my component jacket – Marmot Women’s Cosset Component Jacket, as well as the rain/snow pants – also Marmot…I think the PreCip pant, but I can’t remember.

The good news is that the gear was fabulous. I was actually a little warm, despite having only a base layer and an outer shell. I also stayed dry. All good things with the mountain coming up in just over two months. We had a great hike….found a salamander, trekked through a waterfall (thank god our boots are fabulous), and got to experience nature in a way that it hasn’t been in a long time.

Overall, a good weekend – rested up Saturday, got some cleaning done, and then hiked today. Now the Olympics are on for the rest of the night. Until next time….

Long December

Posted on December 31, 2013 by knevinger

So, this probably be a long post, written over several days, because…well, it’s been a long December. Apparently, the year decided to go out with a bang.

The month started out normal enough…marathon planned, zero training, first trail marathon. Typical me. haha. and, as I mentioned in a previous post, it was so much fun. I need to train better, but I do really want to do the 50 mile race next year.

After that, it seems like it all went crazy. Some good crazy, some not so good crazy. The following Tuesday, I had my last class ever. Very surreal, and a stressor ’till the end, but it was over. Brian surprised me with some wine and a poster when I got home. Thursday that week our good friends got married at city hall. It was a beautiful wedding, city hall is really pretty, especially all decorated for Christmas. I can’t believe I hadn’t been there before. Following the wedding, we spent the day in Sonoma and had dinner at Seven Hills here in the city. The following day, my parents arrived for my graduation, which was later that evening. Graduation was fun, and I still can’t believe it’s over. But, I am excited to have more free time.

Throughout all of this, Gordon, our oldest cat, got sick and kept getting sicker. He had stopped eating his regular food, so we changed him to wet food, and he started eating again. The. He stopped eating that…sometimes, he’d pieces of ham, or chicken, and we started feeding him baby food. And then, force feeding him baby food when he quit eating all together. We took him to the vet, and they couldn’t find anything wrong, and then took him back to the vet, and for an ultrasound. And, they still didn’t see much wrong…a kidney infection, but his numbers weren’t bad. Ugh…poor kitty. They gave him pain pills and antibiotics and different food, and he seemed a little better for about a day. They were going to give him a feeding tube, which was a little more invasive than I wanted to sign up for, but if for some reason getting him to eat was the key to him getting better, I wanted to give him that chance. But then he started to have trouble breathing. We took him back to the vet, and she let us know that there was something pretty bad going on – brain tumor, advanced heart disease, or both. None of which are good. She offered to send us to a specialist, but, what would come of that? Torture him a little longer to find something we can’t fix? No, that’s not right. So, we made the tough decision to let him go. Which, was awful, but the vet was wonderful. Seven Hills Vet in diamond heights. Highly recommend. Highly. The vet called later that night to let us know she was thinking about us. Today, we received a card in the mail with a sweet note from the vet and a paw print from our kitty. Very touching and very nice.

Then we were off for the holidays! Somehow, we flew first class to buffalo – I’m still not sure how we swung that, but it sure was nice. It was nice to get home and see the family and extended family, really busy though. Lots of people to see, but it was a good time. I did have a bottle of wine crack/burst/something in my suitcase, luckily, it didn’t escape the plastic bag it was in. We also ordered a bunch of stuff – coats, pants, etc. for our trip after consulting with Brian’s uncle. Getting excited about that….other than having to buy a bunch more stuff. Fun, but ugh….

Work wasn’t that crazy, what was it I said….an alert a day keeps the boredom away…haha. A couple of fire drills at odd times, who doesn’t love working at 3am ;). But, it’s been fun, and I had a really good store visit while I was there. However, I am looking forward to some time to relax.

And, now 2013 is coming to a close. Where did it go? It really doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was eagerly awaiting the departure of 2012, and announcing that 2013 was going to be the best year ever. I had goals, wishes, things I was going to accomplish. Did it all happen? No, but…I do feel like I’m in a better place than I have been the past couple of years. It must be all about a positive outlook.

So, what was 2013? It was a year of a second ironman, which I still didn’t finish….it was the year where one of my neighbors tried to blow up the apartment building, nothing like hanging out in the street all afternoon..the Jetta exploded and now we have another car payment….it was the year my first pet died, and I’m sure the year of plenty of other things I don’t care to revisit.

However, it was also the year I turned 30 and had one hell of a party. It was a year where I presented a paper at not one, but two conferences. It was a year where I got to visit and find my way in Germany and had so much fun doing so. I visited a lot of places – Colorado, Louisville, Raleigh, Chicago, Arizona, Bremen, Hamburg, and I’m sure there are others. I met up with a lot of friends, both near and far, and realized I know some pretty amazing people. I heard Hillary Clinton speak and saw Kelly Clarkson sing. I discovered the headlands, and know I will always have a place to lose myself. I bought a bright green car because I could and drove it home blaring Katy
Perry’s Roar. It was the year I finally got to walk across the stage at USF, something three and a half years in the making. It was a great year, for these reasons and more. But, I’m ready to turn the page.

So, here’s to 2014 – here’s to new adventures and getting back in shape. Here’s to Everest basecamp and a Rhone river cruise. Here’s to more free time and finding something to do with it all. Here’s to another exciting year that’s better than the last.

And the countdowns begin….

Posted on November 23, 2013 by knevinger

I spent the entire day in class….what fun for a Saturday. Ugh…but, then I realized it was the last time I would have class on a Saturday…ever. That made it much more bearable. So, I began my countdowns, and realized how excited I am for the future. And, without further adieu, days until:

Berkeley half – 12 hours and counting….
Thanksgiving – five
Black Friday – six
North Face Marathon – 14
Last day of class – 16
Graduation – 19
Christmas – 32
Everest – 154

So much going on….I figured out that the next day I will be able to sleep in will be some weekend in mid-December. Or possibly thanksgiving. If the old navy world doesn’t blow up. Fingers crossed. And possibly a couple of toes.

I also realized that I completely forgot about my 14 year work anniversary. Not a huge deal, or a milestone year or anything…but, probably the first time I’ve just forgotten about it. Just a testiment to how crazy it’s been….

And I just had a passing thought about what day it was….was it a weekend. Sadly for a second, I really couldn’t remember. Oh the joys of holiday crazy at work and weekend class and a race.

I’m eating a cookie that tastes like the holidays…it’s amazing. And Brian made up the recipe himself. Amazing….I don’t want to know what would happen if I tried to create a recipe. Haha….

Other than that, not too much going on. Rode my city bike for the first time in forever. Great ride to class and the ride home wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it might be. And fun to back on a bike. Now enjoying a relaxing night at home – no work, no school, just relaxing. And thinking about that race tomorrow. Perhaps it’s time for a glass of wine…..mmmmm….wine.

Until next time….over and out.

Weekend Adventures

Posted on November 17, 2013 by knevinger

Oh, what a weekend….maybe the most adventurous in awhile. A lot of fun, but not the most restful…haha.

Saturday, I did my last long run before the north face marathon. And, I might be in trouble (I only made it to 15 miles…maybe 15), but it’s such an adventure every time I’m out there. Saturday I had planned to run to the lighthouse, back to the car, and then do another loop in a different direction. But, I couldn’t figure out how to run to the lighthouse…why would the trail be labeled on the map? So, I went a different route, and ended up finding one of the trails on the race course, so I ran Alta until it ended, and then all the way to the starting end. And, found several places where the trail went off state land and onto private land. Which you were allowed to cross, as long as you stayed on the path, kept your dog on a leash, and cleaned up after your dog. The benefit to running through the trailhead was that there was a map, so I figured out how I would get back to the car…what fun is simply going back the way you came?

So I planned a new route…Alta to the end, pick up SCA, then the costal trail back to the visitor’s center. Then I could assess the distance and decide if I needed another loop on one of the closer trails. Of course, nothing goes according to plan….especially when it comes to trail running. So I’m running along, feeling great, enjoying the awesome views of the SCA trail (single lane trail on the side of a mountain), when I see it…….

A kitty….a rather large, muscular, kitty. Crossing the trail and running up the hill. Too big to be a bob cat….which leaves one option. Yup, definitely a mountain lion. And, as I later found out, there is one living in that area, and they’re warning pets and small children to stay away….

Good times. Luckily, I had plan B – there was another trail a bit back that would take me to the trail I started on that morning, thus taking me back to my car. So, I backtracked. And got back…but then it was cold, and I was stiff, and it was windy. I got back to the visitor’s center and actually went inside, and….it’s pretty cool. Half store and half museum, lots of cool stuff to look at. And a good place to thaw out. Of course, then I didn’t want to run anymore….but I made myself walk a few miles to get them and some more time in. Saw the hostel and the art center…cool to see, but still cold, so I called it a day. Despite the race….I decided that I was doing it (and trail running) to have fun. So, I’m going to have fun…have an adventure…and hopefully finish. If not, well I’m the first to admit that I probably bit off more than I could chew with this. And I’m still up for next year….50 miles would be cool, right??

We had a somewhat low key night….friends over for dinner….cookie baking….sent a pizza back for the first time in my life. Let me back up, we ordered pizza from Paxtis, the only place that delivers to us…not the first time, and probably not the last. We get the pizza an hour later….and one of them looks like it’s been tipped over. The other, well, it looks like its been kicked down a few flights of stairs. So, I call them…not sure what I’m hoping to get, because this has never happened before. They were very nice, and offered to bring us new pizza. An hour later, we had decent looking pizza to eat. Great customer service. And lunch for the rest of the week.

Today we went on another hike, to further break in our boots for Everest. I took Brian and one of our friends on the trail I ran a few weeks ago. Great views of the bridge, and of course we went off the main trail and found a bunch of bunkers in the hillside. Some connected underground. Sadly, they were all covered in graffiti and full of garbage. But, still really cool to see. I love the headlands…so much cool stuff to see. I also ran into one of my former classmates…cool to see him too.

I can’t believe the weekend is almost over…and I’m back to the craziness. Is it December yet? Really, is it mid December yet? Then school will be over too. I can’t wait for graduation. Really, I can’t wait for Black Friday. I definitely had nightmares both nights this weekend….that I hadn’t set the alarm, and was late for work/to deal with whatever crazy had come up now. Just like I used to dream about new flow and inventory when I was an assistant manager in college…glad to see some things never change. Haha….it will all be over soon.