The Melting Pot

If anyone has a chance to stop in and have dinner at The Melting Pot, I highly recommend it.  I've heard people talk about it for 15 years and FINALLY made it there.  Bill and I went out last night to celebrate his birthday.  Neither of us are really into making a big deal out of our birthdays, but we do both enjoy a nice dinner to celebrate!!!  We've been talking about dinner for a week or two but didn't decide on the location until the last minute - what a great decision.   It's not the kind of place you swing into for a quick dinner, but for a special occasion, it was a really great experience.

It's Fondue...how could that NOT be fun!!

Starts with a steamer pot...

Add a great waitress to help explain everything since we were both newbies...

Then the appetizer...we chose the spinach and artichoke version.  We had Granny Smith apples (I know, that sounds weird, but VERY good!), bread, tortilla chips and veggies for dipping.

The salads were great too.  Then the entree... we chose a combo to share that included filet, chicken, lobster and shrimp.  I ate the fish options, he ate the meat options.  It was really good!



But the best, of course, was dessert.  We chose dark chocolate with Bailey's.

And for dipping, lots of goodies!

We were definitely full, but had a really great time!

And no, I'm not drugged, this happens to be the best of several pictures we took (you wouldn't want to see the others... scary!!)

So, if you ever get the opportunity, I highly recommend checking it out.  I have a Fondue set that Mom bought me a LONG time ago and now I feel inspired to break it out!!!

Happy Halloween!

I am as close to a Halloween grinch as you can get.  I think costumes are fun and I like the "idea" of trick-or-treating for kids, but I haven't been much into handing out candy - ESPECIALLY in a neighborhood where thousands of kids were projected to come through. 

But on a positive, in the spirit note, I did go to a Halloween party Saturday in Baltimore and had a blast!  It was at a place called Little Havanas.  Bill and I danced for HOURS - we were both sweaty (enough that someone asked me what happened to my hair....).  normally he is involved in the production of the party to some degree (usually to a very large degree!) and this time we could just enjoy it.  The costumes were VERY entertaining.  We ended up going in formal attire, not sure what we would say we were, but shortly after we arrived we were told we made a great Mr. and Mrs. Smith - so we went with that!  I'm sorry to say that we have no pictures to share.  There are a few in circulation, I'm told, so if I get my hands on one, I'll share.

The marine corps marathon was yesterday in DC (one day I'll be there!!) and there were a lot of people dressed up for that.  I'm not sure where the energy comes from to run 26.2 miles, but to wear a costume too???

And then the guys that carry flags - they keep them with them the entire time!!!

I think I'll hang this by my treadmill for the next time I think I should give up early!!!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!!!

Treadmill 5K

Today was the day - run the entire 5K distance (3.1 miles) on the treadmill.  Run.  I didn't have to be super speedy, just run the entire time.  AND I did it!! 

I finished it in 38:51.  I started at a moderate pace, increased the speed for mile 2 and a little more for mile 3.  Overall, I am very happy with it.  I cooled down, stretched and iced my ankles.  The race is in 2 weeks (yikes!).  Again, my goal is to finish, so I think I will make it.  I've been warned that there is a REALLY steep hill on the course...great! 

The next 2 weeks for me will be filled with mostly 1-2 mile runs, with two 5K distances thrown in there, one each week.  I'm also going to focus on getting rest and eating right so my body is at least prepared.  AND it might be cold, so I'm going to check into some cold gear so I'm not miserable.

We're off to a Halloween party...should be fun!!

Denim and Diamonds

With the thought of plummeting to the forest floor to my death lurking from last Friday, I forgot to share another event that I attended over the weekend.  After leaving Calleva, I drove to PA for a Denim and Diamonds Fundraising Event for the Martin Library in York.  The idea was to have a formal event without the formal part...almost.  That's not to say that there weren't people in tiaras....I know.  But it was a lot of fun.

We had champagne, ate a ton of great food (what fantastic non-meat options too!!) and the most amazing mini desserts!  Since they were tiny (and delicious), we had one of each!!!

We were also entertained by Real Diamond - a Neil Diamond cover band.  The acoustics were terrible, being in an open atrium, but the band was good. 

After a VERY long day (and some sort of crazy sinus headache), I crashed HARD when my head hit the pillow.

How Lucky Are We???

I will probably cause massive winds and rain to fall on Girls On The Run because I am saying this, but we have been soooo lucky.  There are so many groups that have been rained out on a lot of sessions and we have somehow managed to run outside EVERY time so far.  Even days when it poured most of the day, somehow the sun found its way out by 3:15.  And yesterday, it was beautiful!!!  The temperature was 68 and the the sun was out.  We finished up at 4:05, headed inside to take care of some housekeeping things regarding our upcoming race, and the skies opened up...really opened up.  The wind and rain haven't stopped yet!!!  In fact there was a tornado watch until 3 am. 

I did decide to re-evaluate my race goal.  I've been told by the other coaches that the field is packed with thousands of girls and setting a time goal is just unrealistic, especially since there is no staggered start.  So, my goal is to finish.  I think that's a pretty good goal since not finishing would mean troubles found me along the way!!!  Yesterday we did 2 miles, I ran the whole time and finished in 20 min.  I'm happy with that, and it's on track for my original race goal, but I'm not sure I could have pulled off the final 1.1 miles with the same endurance, so my time may have shot up a bit.  We are doing a 5K next Thursday to get an idea of what we are going to bring on race day.

I decided that my watch for good luck golfing (sporty with bling!) could also be put to very good use for running, so I broke it out and made it my official running watch (once I start timing, etc, I'll need to switch it up, but for now, it's Perfect!)

I also decided to ice my ankles, now that they feel really great, it's easy to skip.  I have to get that in my head as a habit!!!  AND I have to continue to work on my breathing - that is one thing that has always bothered me when I ran and it still is.

Overall, the running is progressing...YAY!!

Beautiful Fall

Well, Fall is upon us and it is beautiful.  The town I live in is very small, but there are some benefits...

It's beautiful  here.  I know the winter will be upon us soon.  And if it's anything like last year, we are in for some fun!  Take the time to look around over the next few weeks and enjoy the wonderful changing colors of Fall.  Have a great Tuesday!!

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

I always thought this phrase was more about talking to people, public speaking, things where you wouldn't die if you messed up.  I found a WHOLE new meaning to this on Friday (I think I am still mentally recovering which is why it took me until today to get to this post!!).

I organized a Team Building Event.  I did something similar last year where we held an Iron Chef competition.  We had a blast!!

Again, other than a chance of food poisoning, no death involved!!

This year I had my mind set on a ropes course.  I found Calleva and it was right in our neck of the woods http://www.calleva.org/   I think maybe it's self torture, I'm nervous on a high ladder but somehow thought it would be fun to swing from trees in the woods....not sure WHAT I was thinking.

It actually ended up being SUCH a great time.  We all REALLY stretched ourselves WAAAAAY past the limits we ever thought possible. 

We were harnessed for everything, but somehow your mind does not allow that to help you think you are safe! 

I had to climb a tree (try getting size 11 shoes on tiny pegs that were obviously stapled into the tree years ago and were slowing disappearing into the tree as it grew!!), then get myself out onto a balance beam tied between two trees very high up.  Did I mention it was swaying?  Or that it was on an incline?  Again, what was I thinking????

Once you got all the way across and back to the middle, you then had to jump off...backwards.  That's right, I am officially a crazy person.  Somehow I survived and actually really liked it.

The zip line was a blast too.  Again a long climb (this time up a pole so no growth = no peg disappearance...still not the easiest for shoeboxes!)

Then there was a swing.  No ordinary swing.  As we were hiking through the woods to the location of the swing, I was convinced that it was placed very deep in the woods so if you die they can just bury you right there and no one would know!  I don't have a picture of this one because it involved the whole group, but I'll do my best to give you a mental picture.  I'm in a harness that straps around both thighs and my waist (of course the plastic helmet that would be of absolutely NO help if I fell to the forest floor...but anyway).  Two hooks were placed on the front of my harness at the waist, one was attached to a Y shaped bungee cord like device between 2 large trees and the other to a long rope around a pulley.  The whole group held the end of the rope and raised me into what felt like close to heaven.  Since the hook was on my waist, I am now VERY high in the sky laying flat on my back dangling by a hook.  Whenever I'm ready, my instruction is to pull a ripcord that will release me from the rope my group is holding and send me at the speed of light toward the dirt (backwards) at which time the other bungee device kicks in pulling me backwards up into a high swing JUST so I can then see the forest floor coming as I swing the other direction.  I didn't hesitate to pull the cord (I'm not sure exactly why, maybe just wanted to get it over with), but let me tell you that my life flashed before my eyes on both the backswing AND the frontswing.  After that, and I realized I was alive, the next 20 swings (you are moving at such momentum, it takes a while to stop) were a lot of fun!!!!

And finally to the death jump.  Yes, that's right, that's the name, the death jump.  I don't have to tell you why I was a tad nervous.  But I threw on a happy face and decided to dive in.

The goal was to climb a very high pole (oh and did I mention that it was swaying like a palm tree, except it was 30 times as high as a palm tree!!).  Ok, check...climbing the pole.  Now, swing your leg over a plank that measures 8 inches in width and was about 3 feet long.  Check.

That's where it all went bad.

I looked down.

I saw how far up I was and I was on a small piece of wood on a swinging pole.  I think the only reason I didn't faint was because I was more afraid of falling off if I fainted then just sitting there until a crane could come rescue me.  No crane.

This is what I was supposed to do:

Stand on the plank.

Then jump off the end and reach for a trapeze bar.  Right.

Instead, this is what I did.

I came back down.  And then I did a victory dance for being alive as my group applauded me.

Joe went before me and ended up standing on the plank for 15 minutes BEGGING to come back down.  He was finally ENCOURAGED, yes, that's what they call it, to step off the end.  I asked our guide when I got down why he let me off the hook so easily when I said I was coming back down.  He told me that he has done this for 10 years and he just knows when someone needs to come back down.  Can I tell you how much I admire experience????

Anyway, that was my adventure.  Despite not completing the last task, I have to say that I really had such a great time.  And, believe it or not, would be willing to go back and try again.

We were told when we started that the goal was to take a step or two beyond what we thought we could do.  So, complete it or not, I think I took A LOT of steps beyond what I ever thought I could do.  It was such a great experience!!!  Luckily the rest of my group agreed.  Everyone thanked me for putting it together and I think it was a great success.  Now, how do I top that next year???