A Nashville Photo Narrative

Arrival day, taking a quick look around:  

(I was blown away by how much the AT&T building on the left looks like Batman.)

Morning pre-race dance off:

Three girls happy to be done running and onto drinking:

We found the most interesting man in the world:

Mariah got her Greek on:

Kari got a new tattoo:

I did too:

And then I held an eagle:

And then we came home.

Changes

The crib has been removed.  Alex now sleeps in a toddler bed.  A toddler bed that he can get out of whenever he so chooses.  So far, all's good.  He has slept through the night without getting or falling out.  I am a bit concerned about the falling out part.  Only because if he does in fact vacate the bed, he will abruptly meet the bare hardwood floor.  A sensible person would put a nice rug down next to the bed to soften the blow.  Yes yes.  But a sensible person wouldn't have an asshat for a dog.  We have learned our pee-soaked lesson with the rug in his room.

Yesterday he stayed in his bed in the morning and only got out once he successfully beckoned me to his bedside.  This morning, not so much.  I could hear him rustling around in there while I was getting ready, but I figured I would let it play out and see what happened.  He finally called for me once he had collapsed his clothes hamper on himself.  I went in expecting a scene straight out of Twister, but was pleasantly surprised.  He had his little Cars futon unfolded and aside from his leg being stuck in said collapsed hamper, everything was as it should be.  Who is this child and what has he done with Alex?

In other My Baby Is No Longer a Baby news, we are starting potty training like for real.  I am taking underwear and eight pairs of pants to daycare now every morning.  I have a hard time believing this is going to work since that kid will sit in a completely soaked diaper for hours if it means he doesn't have to go inside.  But apparently at daycare he immediately tells the teachers when he needs to be changed.  Another indicator...when he was at my parents' while I was gone, he called for Grandma saying he needed help.  She found him in the living room, standing in front of the tv with his pants down, no diaper.  The diaper was sitting next to him on the white carpet with poop in it.

So although he doesn't seem to be ready at home, he is obviously ready.  Now he just needs to find a mom who's ready.

Already itchy

At the end of the race in Nashville, I threw my head back in relief and thought, "Cross that off the list!"  Done and done.  Thank goodness!  I was so satisfied.  I set a goal and achieved it.  And not a small goal either.  Not one of those things where you make a list of things you have to do and add stuff you already did just so you have stuff to cross off right away.  A for real challenge I made for myself and then kicked its ass.  I set out to do it and sweet sassy molassy it was done.

And now, not even a week later, I am looking at local half marathons this summer...

What's that now?

Apparently burning a zillion and five calories while running 13.1 miles doesn't make up for gluttonous consumption after said caloric burning endeavor.

Yeah, I gained 4 pounds in Nashville.  Miller Lite, margaritas and yummy food will do that to a girl.

Ah Nashville

We did it.  We ran a half marathon.  Did you hear that?  We ran a HALF MARATHON!!!

The first three things I learned about Nashville?  1.  It's hot.  2.  It's humid.  3.  It's gots some hills.  Holy man.

I was all nerves and smiles at the start when the sun was still waking up and it was a little overcast and a lovely 70 degrees.  But then the sun woke up and it was really excited to see all the runners!  I believe it hit 85 before we were done and it was so so so humid.  And I don't know how they managed it, but I swear that entire course was uphill.  It was really hard, but with a little help from Gu, a lot of help from the awesome people at the water/Gatorade stations, and a little walking here and there, I finished.  It took me 2 hours and 36 minutes.  I was shooting for 2:30, but I will gladly take a finish time 6 minutes off my goal.  And they gave me this at the finish line:

I will say, it made me feel so much better on Saturday evening, whilst eavesdropping on a table next to us at dinner, to hear a woman say, "This is my 10th half marathon, and this is the first time I have ever had to walk."  That took the feeling of wussiness due to walking down a couple pegs.

After all the race stuff was over, we got to hang out in Nashville for a couple days.  Ummm, yeah.  Why haven't I gone to Nashville before?!  Every bar on Broadway Street has live music pretty much from open to close.  And there are a lot of bars on Broadway Street.  All the bars and restaurants and lights and music...it's kinda like a mini Honky-Tonk'd Vegas, and I pretty much never wanted to leave.

So, I'm betting you've guessed tomorrow's letter is "H".  While pondering I thought of herbs.  What is wrong with me?

G is for...

Last week Thursday's letter was the letter "G".  All I could think of for the longest time to send was a gnome.  Alas, I didn't.  I sent grapes...'cause, ya know, I'm not a total asshole.