A Girl Walks Into A Bar...

Alright... so it wasn't a bar.  It was a wedding.  And really, the heading should be 'Two Girls Walk Into A Wedding in the EXACT SAME DRESS'.  It's like every girls nightmare come true - no one ever wants to be the one who shows up in the same thing as someone else (it's bad enough when you are a bridesmaid and forced to match up to 10 other peeps).  Well... nightmare realized.

A guy friend asked me how my weekend as a bridesmaid was.  Well... it was awesome.
B-squad bridesmaids - just in case you need backups.   

For the record - one of the most annoying things you can do is walk up to a set of girls at a wedding and ask 'do you know that you're wearing the same dress?'.  Nope.  Hadn't noticed.  Unless you see that one of us with a seeing eye dog - it's probably safe to assume that we are aware.

Although it was mildly annoying - there is no one that I would rather match than this girl.  She obviously has great taste.

The wedding was one of my sorority sisters and while I have expounded on the joys of being a Gamma Phi Beta before - let me just do so again.  My life would be drastically different if I had not walked into the house and met these women.

Yes.  We're all wearing green and blue.  It was apparently a Seahawks themed event.
Unbeknownst to the bride and groom of course.  

No matter how much things change - marriage, kids, death, divorce - some things never change.  We're all older and wiser (okay - it's guaranteed that we're older.  Wiser is still up for debate.).  We can still reminisce about the old days - but we know when we've hit our limit (or most of us do - some of us still end up kissing boys outside the wedding.  Me?  Never.  I'm an adult.)  We are there for each other thru thick and thin, that's just how we roll.  It's like a marriage vow - only without the benefits.

Joining a sorority was the best decision that I ever made.  Not just because I can now call myself a sorority girl for the rest of my existence (you are welcome future children!) but because the girls that I met will be stuck with me for the rest of forever.  For. Eh. Ver.  (Just like the Sandlot folks, just like the Sandlot...)

In other news.  I caught the bouquet.  So... stay tuned for updates in that realm.

Hawaii... Part 3 (And 4. And Maybe 5)

Well, my Hawaii adventure is officially over.  I seriously think I'm having withdrawals from the beach and the sunshine.  And I'm already agonizing over losing my tan.

Anyways...

Part 3: No one told me to bring long johns.  

What they should really put in the Big Island guidebook is that you probably won't see any actual lava.  Don't get me wrong... seeing the glow of lava at night was pretty darn cool.  But besides the illusion of lava, we really didn't see anything but rocks.  A lot of rocks.  So. Many. Rocks.

Walking the lava rock wasteland.

The other thing that should be in the guidebook?  How bloody, freaking cold it was on the volcano side of the mountain.  At least we brought sweatshirts and wore yoga pants.  It could have been worse - I saw people grossly unprepared.  That gift shop must make a killing off of sweatshirt sales.  It's probably the only place in all of Hawaii that sells more sweatshirts than anything else.

We saw almost every major volcano site on the Big Island.  We even saw where the lava flowed into the transfer station. For those of you who don't know what a transfer station is - it's a dump.  We saw hardened lava at the dump.  That's not in the guidebook either.  

Bucket List Item #394: See a volcano.  

Check.  

Part 4: We would have been terrible Vikings.  

Let's just get back to the fact that the ocean is terrifying.  The creatures that swim in the ocean are ginormous and sneak up on you.  I'm prepared to handle the predators of land - I can hear a bear crashing through the woods a mile away (okay... that may be a little exaggeration) but you get the idea.  Sharks?  Those suckers sneak up on you.  Urchins?  They just sit there like silent jagged rocks.  Manta rays?  Don't even get me started... 

While my first snorkeling experience didn't exactly go swimmingly (pun intended), my second was much better.  We look a sea kayak tour that included some snorkel time -  and after a serious internal battle (one in which my body was pretty adamant about remaining in the kayak and my brain was saying 'stop being a baby'), I jumped out of the kayak and snorkeled around a bit.  Actually... it went something more like this: put feet over edge of kayak. Pull them back in. Get yelled at by Paige for being a weenie.  Put feet back out - touch them to the water and try not to think of the story of the guy having his legs bitten off by a shark out of a kayak (thanks for that, Maui guy).  Fling self into water (yup... just as graceful as it sounds).  Immediately try to curl up into a floating version of the fetal position.  Realize I'll drown if I don't swim.  Tentatively swim.  Finally... snorkel.  I definitely never let the boat get more than 20 feet away from me.  But I did it.  And I didn't cry.  

Proof that I was, at one point, totally submerged in the ocean.
And not because I was drowning.  Two thumbs up!

Sea kayaking on the other hand was something COMPLETELY different than what I've gotten used to doing around here.  This was for several reasons:  

1. There are waves.
2. There is seasickness.  
3. There are shadows under the water that you are convinced are manta rays (and come on, at least one of them must have been something slightly more terrifying than a rock). 
4. We were terrible at rowing in tandem.  

Oh well... you can't be good at everything. 

When no one else is on the water to take your picture - selfies become your only option. 

We're in a sea cave. (If you sing it to the tune of 'I'm On A Boat', it gets way more exciting) 

Things we learned while on our kayaking adventure?
We would have made terrible vikings.
 Rowing in tandem?  Not our thing. 

Hawaii... Part 2 (Or... How I Puked in a Hawaii Costco Parking Lot)

I realized as I typed 'Part 2' that there may be many parts to this series... I'll be like the never ending Fast and the Furious franchise that is already up to like 18 or something mind-boggling like that. Although I legitimately would like to see the newest edition to the franchise - mostly as a tribute to  Paul Walker, who I had a gigantic crush on after the first movie - which I saw at least 5 times in the movie theater and totally fan-girled out over the cars at Universal Studios when I was a senior in high school. I almost wish I had access to those pictures just so I could share the total dorkiness that was me at 18... almost.

Anyways... back around to Hawaii...

Hawaii is still beautiful and I am still a shade of cherry tomato red.  Apparently my ability to rock a tan abandoned me when I became a Seattle resident. Fingers crossed that the latest in my battle with the glowing orb in the sky is a tan tomorrow.

PBR smells like college.

In other news... I SNORKELED!!!  And I didn't drown, cry, or freak out.  Okay... maybe I freaked out a little bit.  But the lifeguard didn't have to swim out to get me - so we're going to go ahead and call it a win.  I'll be the first to admit that I didn't love the general snorkeling experience.  There's something unnatural about breathing through a plastic tube with your face in the water.  My depth perception was all out of whack and so fish that were 20 feet away looked like they were right in my face - it's freaky.  When I saw a sea urchin that was no less than 12inches across, I was done.

So while yesterday started with some innocent snorkeling - it ended with a night out on the town.  For those of you who are familiar with my schedule - you are aware that generally my bedtime is early.  If I'm up til 10, I start to get concerned that I'll be all yawn-y the next day.  And I wish I could say that this only applies to 'school nights' but it doesn't.  It's all the time.  I like bed.  And sleeping.  It's a thing.  8 hours of sleep and I are a match made in heaven.  

Let's just say that I didn't get 8 hours of sleep yesterday.  I probably didn't even get 4.

We shut down the bar.  We made friends with locals.  We convinced a guy who wouldn't go away that we were a lesbian couple here for our wedding (to which he still didn't get the hint and hung around telling us how beautiful our love was and getting teary eyed over the fact that he isn't married. True story.).  We played giant Jenga.  We drank all the beers.

Today we went to one of the beautiful white sand beaches near Kona. (What I have learned is that Hawaii is the newest of the Hawaiian Islands and is full of lava.  Most of the beaches are really rocky because the rocks haven't broken down over hundreds of years into sand.  Just a quick knowledge bomb for you.) And I woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a Mack Truck.  Apparently 72 IPAs and two Gilligan's Girl coconut cocktails will do that to you.

So a little known fact about me is that I get terribly motion sick - the back seat of cars, rides at amusement parks, probably boats on the ocean - all of them make me want to hurl.  Well.  Today I did.  In the parking lot of Costco.  Awesome.  Vacation high point.  But, like Paige pointed out, at least it wasn't in the parking lot of a Walmart.  Touché.

Hawaii... Part 1

First off, I know that I've been a terrible blogger for the last year.  I've had a lot of personal things going on that have made it hard for me to be collected and put my thoughts down on paper and definitely, I have not been funny.  So... moving on. 

Hawaii!!!  The land of secret beaches in the middle of lava flows. 

I have been talking with one of my best friends for at least two years about taking a vacation somewhere - we've talked about London and Paris, all over the United States, and finally, Hawaii.  Paige is one of my sorority sisters from college and we are very much like two peas in a pod - minus that she carries a gun for work and I'm typically accessorizing the crap out of myself.  Well... she turned 30 this year, and I never took a 30th birthday trip - so we decided to make Kona, Hawaii, our big trip.  It's perfect - her family has a condo here and so basically all we had to do was get here.  Perfect.

She brought me a lei at the airport!  HAWAII!!!!

I've never been to Hawaii.  Growing up, our family vacations consisted of wherever we could go in the camper (i.e. NOT Hawaii).  I did get to spend a lot of time camping on a beach in Mexico - something that most people will never get to do (namely because now people get beheaded for even stepping foot in parts of Mexico).

Even growing up in California, I was never much of a beach kid.  I can't remember ever spending much time there (with the exception of Mexico).  I'm sure we went, but I just can't really remember it.  I have a vague memory of camping near the beach with my parents and my cousin and it being cold and rainy the entire time.  That being said - this could just be some dream I had once and it never actually happened.

Moral of the story?  I haven't spent much time in the ocean.  One time, in Mexico, a kid camping near us stepped on a sea urchin and impaled himself with no less than 70 quills in his foot (that's why you wear water shoes kids!).  It led to my first child-sized anxiety attack - in a less than ideal location - a boogie board in the middle of a deep tide pool.  There's some debate in my family about what happened next - but the general consensus is that I screamed my head off until my mom crawled out on the rocks and rescued me (thanks Mom).  I was 8. Add in the discovery of movies like Jaws and the ocean has been ruined for me since.

I am now 31 and am generally consider myself to be relatively tough. Well... tell that to the sea turtle who scared the shit out of me yesterday.  (And yes, he was 20 yards away - something I didn't know when Paige said 'Oh look - a sea turtle!')  Here's the thing about the ocean:  it is TERRIFYING.  For those of you who think sharks are the only scary things out there - you'd be wrong.  I have discovered my new greatest fear: manta rays (no - not manatees - I've conquered that fear - or at least laid it to wait until my next Florida or Puerto Rico trip).

See.  Terrifying.  And no, I didn't take this picture.  I will never in this lifetime be that close to one of these sea monsters. 

Manta rays are like the giant bats of the sea (and I don't particularly love the bats of land either) and here in Hawaii, they grow to a wingspan of something like 12 feet (sometimes bigger).  12 feet.  12 FEET.  We saw one at a distance yesterday - I mean a LONG distance, like 100 yards - and while it was beautiful, it also made my stomach jump into my throat.  People do night scuba diving with these creatures here and let them swim all around them - they are attracted to the flashlights.  Hell to the no.  Those people be crazy.

I'm looking forward to trying snorkeling (yes, I'm 31 and haven't snorkeled since I was probably 8) but I'm also terrified that I'll have a full fledged freakout in the water.  Water creatures are squirrely and the current adds to the mystery of where they are going.  On top of that, I'm not a super great swimmer - I can swim to save my life and the life of someone who is drowning - but besides that - not really great.  I didn't grow up swimming... that's not a thing we did in Montana a lot.  Floating the river?  Yes.  Jumping off the bridge into the river?  Yes.  Swimming?  No.

Turns out that I'm much better with scary land animals.  Maybe it's because we're on the same playing field.  When I get into the water, I very much feel how a fish out of water must feel.  I have been raised to know how to handle running into a bear in the woods - but put me in the water with a sea turtle and I have no idea what to do.  And before you say it, those suckers bite - I've seen it on NatGeoWild.

So... fingers crossed for my impending snorkeling experience.  I've borrowed an underwater camera so I can chronicle the entire experience - complete with scared face underwater selfies. Maybe I'll even get a picture or two of fishies.

I should be off - Hawaii is a land where everyone gets up at the crack of dawn and sitting out here on the lanai (can I please start calling my patio that?),  I'm pretty sure I just saw a small child out jogging with her parents. That probably means its time to get my butt in gear. Unfortunately, no one that I'm staying with understands the importance of coffee like I do.  At least Paige knows that I'm much more amenable to life in general after a cup of coffee. That's the joy of having a friend for 10+ years.

Throwback Weekend

This weekend, I went back to Spokane for a quick trip down memory lane.  And by memory lane - I actually mean Cheney/EWU - my alma mater.  Okay, college was probably some of the best four years of my life.  And that doesn't mean that all the awesome stuff that has happened since or before doesn't matter - but I wouldn't trade my years at EWU for anything.  This weekend was so much fun - great time with great friends.  So glad I went.

That being said, this weekend made it grossly apparent that I am now officially an adult and not a 20 year old kid.  This is why:

#1) My appreciation of clean bathrooms.  

Wait.

Let's actually make this more general.  My appreciation of clean spaces period.  I was in a sorority. Hands down - joining Gamma Phi Beta was one of the best decisions of my life.  But I'll be the first to admit that sorority and fraternity houses aren't always the cleanest places.  This weekend, I definitely had a moment of 'wait... were frat houses always this gross? is this a new thing?'.

Yeah... I'm pretty sure they were always that gross.  I was just impervious to the grime.  And I probably drank enough vodka that I was immune to the germs anyways (shh... don't tell).

#2)  The bar at 11:50pm.  

Okay - lies.

The bar at 9:45pm.

I know that I lost my cool factor like 5 years ago (maybe I never had it? Unsure), but seriously, I'm too old to show up at a bar later than 9:45.  At 9:45 - I'm pretty sure that if I'm not already out, I am probably in my sweat pants.  Old?  Yup.

#3) I actually go to the football game and care about who wins (us, obviously).  

When we were in college, I'm pretty sure that I went to approximately 50% of the games that I tailgated at.  EWU was only mediocre when I was living in Cheney and so, unfortunately, no one really cared.  We were way more concerned with how much beer we could drink (again... shhhh... don't tell!).

EWU games are a totally different beast than they were when I was there.  The tailgate situation is awesome.  The team is AMAZING. It's just so much more fun.

#4)  Day drinking is fun.  Until it's not.  

As an adult, there is a wall that I hit during day drinking. That wall is directly proportionate to the  amount of sleep I get the night before and the amount of food that I have eaten that day.  And for every hour that goes by - you should probably make sure that I have food - I'm like one of those guys in the Snickers commercials.

I officially hit a wall after the game.  And was tired.  And hangry.  And thirsty.  And a little bit car sick.  And therefore SUPER grumpy.

And THAT never happened in college.

My Next 30 Years

Today is the last day of my 20s.  Holy crap.  Some things just sneak up on you - and 30 was one of those things.  

There were many things that I thought I'd have figured out by 30.  I thought I'd be married, I thought I'd be well on my way to kids, I thought I'd be well established in my career.  But it's like they say 'Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans'.  Seriously.  Nothing in my life is as I thought it would be on the eve of turning 30.  Even though I'm not where I thought I'd be, it doesn't mean I'm in a bad place.  My 20s included some of the best and worst times of my life, both which will be hard to duplicate in my next 30 years.  Let's recap my 20s, shall we? 

• I graduated from college with some of the best friends and sorority sisters that I could ask for.  I literally couldn't have asked for a more awesome 4 years at Eastern.  It was incredible.  The friends that I made there are my sisters, my best friends, my soul mates - I could not ask for more from them.  The experiences that we had together were/are unforgettable (even the ones that we don't remember).  
• I moved to Seattle.  This was supposed to be a 3-5 year venture.  It's now going on year eight and I can pretty much say that I've made this wet, rainy place my home.  I have made wonderful friends here (Fab 5 + Lisa!) and seriously couldn't imagine a world without them for happy hour, brunch, lunch, cocktails, cocktails, cocktails, and gossip.  
• I fell madly in love.  At 24, I met the love of my young life.  Even though it was touch and go for years (y'all who were around then know exactly what I'm talking about), we pulled through and had the most incredible relationship I could have asked for.  Even though it didn't work out how we all hoped - it doesn't change the fact that Will was the one for me in my 20s.  
• I got engaged.  IN PARIS.  That just doesn't get to happen to everyone.  I'll consider myself lucky for the rest of my life that I got to have that experience.  
• I dealt with earth shattering loss.  And I survived.  Sometimes I don't know how.  But I did.  I kept seeing the quote: 'You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have'.  I don't even know if I can appropriately call me getting through that being strong - I just did what I had to do to survive.  And if I can make it through the loss of my person - I know that I can make it through pretty much anything. 
• I found a new passion in CrossFit.  The loss of Will was soul crushing and CrossFit gave me something to be excited about again.  And now as I coach - I try to share that enthusiasm with our athletes (or annoy the crap out of people who just want me to shut up and let them workout.  It's 50/50 really.).  
• I left my job and ultimately decided to start my own business.  If you can't do this at 29 - when can you do it?  Biggest professional risk I've ever taken.  But I'm happy again.  And I was miserable at my old job.  There is definitely something to be said for being happy and terrified. I'll take it over miserable any day.  

There were a lot of really exciting things about my last decade but I'm excited (albeit terrified) about the next 30 years.  I'm a different person that I was a few years ago - I'm older, stronger, and hopefully wiser   So let's see what's next... 

Things I Learned This Weekend (Or Why My Neighbors Think I'm a Hot Mess)

This weekend was the wedding of one of my favorite couples.  You know those couples that you just knew were perfect for each other from the first time you saw them together?  This wedding was for that couple.  There was never any doubt in any of our minds that Julie and Danny were perfect for each other and their wedding was absolutely beautiful.  However, with every wedding that you attend, comes much anticipation and preparation.  I'm so jealous of men... suits on, run a hand through the hair and done.  We spend HOURS on preparation - not to mention the amount of time it takes to just physically get into the dress (which is never just as easy as putting on a pair of pants).  Being a girl sucks sometimes.  

Anyways... this is what I learned this weekend:

1. Just because your adorable hair dresser can McGyver her broken high heels, doesn't mean that you can too.  Anything that involves super glue, pliers, and heavy books is probably not a plan that you are going to be able to do well in a time crunch.  At least not well enough to be able to put it on your feet and wear successfully for the evening.  
2. Even if you think you are badass enough to McGyver your shoes - get a back up pair just in case your plan fails (as it almost inevitably will).  This will save you from having to make not one, not two, but three trips to Nordstrom in the course of the day with the last being in a panic 45 minutes before you are scheduled to be picked up.  
3. Even though you've made it home, in one piece, and alone - it will still look like you are doing the walk of shame out of your own house in the morning.  Last night's pretty bouncy hair plastered to your face and mascara/eyeliner smudges all over.  It is times like this that you will inevitably run right into your neighbors and apparently the weekend guests that they had staying with them.  Awesome. 
4. After you mumble something about having a wedding last night to try to explain your disheveled appearance, you'll get your dog in the car and go for lunch.  And by go for lunch, I obviously mean go to Wendy's (seriously, a Wendy's delivery service would make bank) - as nothing cures a slight hangover like a spicy chicken sandwich and a frosty.  
5. It's also inevitable that you will return home from your adventure for lunch to find your neighbors still standing outside by your parking spot.  Shame is having to walk past them again - this time, with a giant bag of Wendy's goodness.  Especially because Wendy's is literally one block away - and you quite obviously drove there.

Awesome.  It's been an awesome day.  

My date and I practicing our sorority girl pose.  

Things Often Left Unsaid

It's that time of year.  The time where I need to take some time to recognize the most important person to ever come into my life.  Two years ago, I lost my fiance, Will, in a skiing accident.  I don't talk about him a lot but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. I always hesitate to post about him - it's so unbelievably private and hard to share - but here goes.  

Tomorrow (Jan 22) is the actual date that he died but today is almost just as hard.  It's the last totally normal day that we had - filled with hair cuts, trips to the Post Office for wedding stamps, homemade dinner, and a bad made-for-tv movie.  Today is the day that I really miss him - tomorrow is a day I remember to be totally filled with chaos and shock.  Nothing about this week is easy - I don't think that it ever will be.  But I stay busy and smile and go about my regular life - all the things that he would want me to do.  Even when I'm older and hopefully have a family of my own - he will never cease to be a crucial part of my life and his death was one of the defining moments that made me who I am now.    

Will was my other half. He was that person who made my life complete and the last two years have been harder that I ever like to admit.  It's hard to explain, but you move forward knowing that someone can't come back - but yet you are still holding out hope that it could somehow happen.  

I remember him every single day and I know that I will for the rest of my life.  I'm a different person now than I was when I was with Will - neither is better, neither is worse - I'm just different.  It's impossible to go thru something like that and not come out differently. 

In November, Will was honored by the military by having a room at the European Command Center in Stuttgart, Germany dedicated to him.  During Will's time in Germany - he helped design and implement a communications suite.  It was a huge project and one that he was incredibly proud to be a part of.  I remember him talking about it almost daily during our long-distance phone calls and chat sessions.  He worked his tail off on that room and the military honored him by naming it after him.  

Will would be incredibly humbled and honored to have his name on a room that he worked so hard for.  It sounds so silly.  After all - it's just a room right?  No.  It's not just a room.  One of Will's best friends (who happens to be married to one of my best friends and is the reason that Will and I were together in the first place) sent me an email explaining to me just how big of a deal this is (and I hope he doesn't kill me for including it here): 

There are currently 10 Combatant Commands.  Each with a 4 Star General or Admiral in charge.  These commanders along with the service chiefs (top ranking officer of each service) run the DOD.  It doesn't get any higher than a Combatant Command unless you are at the Pentagon.   Will having a bronze plaque, dedication and room named after him is monumental.  To put things in perspective: I have served in the Navy for 18 years and have never known anyone to receive this honor and I have been fortunate to serve with a lot of great Americans that people refer to as Heroes.  There have been roughly 6,500 Service members who have lost their lives serving their country in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  I would guess less than a 100 have a bronze plaque with a room named after them.  Even less at a Combatant Command.  Think about this, 50 years from now meetings will be held in the William J. Barnette room.

I've always been proud of Will.  Ever since I met him over six years ago.  Everything he's done has made me proud to call him my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend, my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend (and so on and so forth for a solid two and a half years), and finally, my fiance.  We were together for just over four years at the time of his accident and no matter how mad at him I was - I was always proud of his dedication to his service to this country.  Because of this, we did most of our relationship apart - deployments, being stationed abroad - we did it all.  But because he loved this country so much and was so proud to be part of the military - I was proud of him.  And it was okay to be apart, because he was making a difference. 

I have never been more proud of him than I am now.  He has been gone for two years - but the things that people still say about him are incredible. He is making a difference, even in his passing - this room will be a crucial role in the military operations at that base from here forward and Will was an integral part in that.  

Will was the best person that I have ever known.  I remember telling someone that I knew I wanted to be with him because he made me want to be a better person. I feel that way even now - there is hardly anything that I do without thinking of him first.  I have lived my life since his death thinking about what would make him proud. He was one of the good ones - kind, compassionate, loving, smart, loyal, funny - everything that you want in a husband and a friend.  If anyone has ever deserved their name to be molded in bronze and installed on a wall at a DoD building - it's Will.

What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!  Today's the day when we gather with our family and friends to salivate in the kitchen for hours and then eat ourselves into a tryptophan-induced coma while watching too much football and drinking too many cocktails. (What? That's not the norm for you?)

Check it.  I made a turkey.  It's a mini turkey.  But a turkey nonetheless.

While you are spending your time overindulging, I hope that you are also able to take a second to be thankful (after all - that is the reason for the day.  Contrary to popular belief, it's not just the day before Black Friday.). Today, we will eat more food than some people get to see in a month and we are safe and warm in our homes surrounded by loved ones.  There are a lot of things that aren't perfect - but today, instead of complaining, try to embrace the things that are pretty darn good. 

Today, I'm thankful for a lot.  My parents are here to share the holiday with me and help me with things around the house which is much appreciated.  They brought their adorable puppy who makes everything just a little bit better (I mean, really, EVERYTHING is better with a puppy).  The Cowboys are losing (scratch that, the Cowboys won. Damnit.).  I've managed to not burn down my house while cooking Thanksgiving dinner (although it was touch and go for a bit). I have the best friends in the world (you know who you are!) - you keep me sane, you deal with my neurosis and you are just generally the best.  I'm pretty much just thankful to have the life that I have.  No, it's not always perfect (it's actually usually a hot mess) but it is what it is and I'm making the best of it!

So... what are you thankful for? 

Going to the Chapel

This weekend, I made a super quick trip to California to see my oldest friend get married.  (No, I don't mean my 'oldest' friend.  I mean, my friend who I have literally had for almost my entire life - not an 85 year old friend.)  

Diana and I have been friends since we were in first grade.  Seeeeeee... 

We were obviously the most awesome (and adorable) kids ever (proven because my mom cropped everyone out of this picture who wasn't awesome).  And our Brownie uniforms were totally rad circa 1990.  The fact that we were this adorable at 6 is only a sign of the amazing things to come.  Seeeee....

We have been friends for almost our entire lives. We were what? Six in the first grade?  That's almost 24 years.  Crazy.  It's hard to imagine that I've been friends with someone for that long!  Growing up as an only child, Diana and her sisters are the closest thing to siblings that I've ever had.  Diana's mom is one of my mom's closest friends and a lot of my childhood memories involve being in and around their house or our house - most likely running around like banshees (or chasing the neighbor boy, Doug). 

It's weird to have your oldest and dearest friend get hitched.  Although a lot of my friends are married by now, most of them I met in college - and we already thought we were adults then (even though we were horribly, horribly wrong). I've literally known Diana since we were tiny humans. I could not be more excited for her and her new hubby and I am so incredibly honored to be a part of her big day.  

It was a fantastic weekend.  I loved spending time with her family and helping her get ready for the day.  I had an amazing time hanging out with her sisters and her mom and all getting pretty and ready together.  Overall, wedding success.  I'm sure there will be more pictures to come.  

Oh. And I did my part to help out the CA budget crisis yesterday.  I got a speeding ticket in Calabasas (before you ask... yes, THAT Calabasas.  AKA Kardashian country. And I hate myself for even knowing that).  It was totally my fault.  I'll own it - I was speeding.  But seriously?  Worst luck ever. This girl. WORST. LUCK. EVER.  You are welcome, California-ites, you are welcome. 

Naked and Loving It?

Let's not kid ourselves, you want to read this because of the title.  Sorry to disappoint... but this doesn't involve pictures.  

Okay... I'm going to overshare here for just a minute.  I got a spray tan today.  And it was GLORIOUS.  I haven't had one for almost a year and I honestly forgot how much I love being fake tan (yup.  There is something wrong with that statement.  I'm able to acknowledge it).  BUT, do you know how much better everyone looks with a tan?  Ridiculously better.  And thinner.  Ridiculously thinner.  It's all an illusion you say?  Whatever.  It's a GREAT illusion.  

The awkward part of a spray tan?  Being TOTALLY NAKED in front of the lady who is all up in your business.  You are literally doing yoga poses in front of this person in your birthday suit.  That's a real thing.  It happened today.  And Suzanne from Nordstrom Spa had a totally normal conversation with me about bridesmaids dresses while making sure that the tan was even across my  booty.  Hmmm.  Yeah.  That happened.  

But Danielle, why do you want a spray tan?  Don't you want to embrace the pastey white that is a Seattle girl in late September?  No.  No I don't.  I am going to California tomorrow to be a bridesmaid in my friend Diana's wedding.  Diana has been my friend since we were 3' tall (not kidding - I have the pictures to prove it).  First grade.  FIRST grade.  So... why the spray tan?  Because everyone else in this wedding is from CA.  And is tan.  And I'm from Seattle.  Do I need to spell it out or do you get it now? 

And before you crack any jokes... no.  This is not what I look like.  

But I do know people who looked like this in college.  I won't name any names... but you all know who I'm talking about. 

Moral of the story?  Fake tan and loving it. 

A Weekend Report

Seriously. That's the feeling that I had after seeing the WOD posted on Friday (I know, I know... it's Sunday... why it take me so long to post? Because I'm busy, damnit). Lateral, over-the-bar burpees.  As if burpees weren't hellacious enough - now we have to jump over a bar to do them?  Blah.  That's just atrocious.  There was puking.  There was complaining.  There were people canceling out of classes left and right.  Turns out that we hate lateral burpees at my gym.

This weekend, I closed the door on a big chapter of my life - I turned in the keys to my rental house.  This may not seem like a big deal... but it is.  It's big for a couple of reasons: 1) I'm offically not a renter anymore. I know I've been a homeowner for a few weeks now - but seriously.  No more landlord.  No more being able to call someone else if things are broken.  2) This was the place that I lived with Will.  Not to bring this post around to sad note -  but that's a hard thing to walk away from. We had great memories in that house for the short time that we lived there together.  But, I know that it's the best thing for me.  And I love my house and am looking forward to making lots of happy memories here too.  Big steps forward.


On another homeowner note... I had my first plumbing mishap this weekend.  Thank god for friends who know more about plumbing than I do.  After seeing both my dad and Will deal with a backed up garbage disposal - I thought that I could do it too.  Wrong.  Dead wrong.  I managed to remove the garbage disposal - resulting in water and sweet potato pieces shooting EVERYWHERE.  Then I couldn't get it back on.  And the 'what did I do?!' tears started.  I could not be more grateful that Tara was already on her way over for breakfast and a puppy play date.  She walked in and knew EXACTLY what to do.  We even fixed the clog.  AND... it wasn't even my fault.  The prior owner lodged a baby spoon in the pipes.  Awesome. And then we moved the treadmill out of my old house.  Note to self:  when you have a friend who can fix your plumbing AND doesn't look at you like you are nuts when you say 'we can just deadlift it into the truck'... they are totally keepers.

Other random tidbits from the weekend: 

• Cyclocross is the most awesome hipster sport in the world.  Craft beer garden.  French press to-go cups.  Spectators in lots of flannel and hats with teeny tiny bills. 
• Seattle does, in fact, have a velodrome. 
• Let's add cycling on a velodrome to things that I never want to do.  Holy scary.  

On a completely different note... when did Carrie Underwood take over for Faith Hill as the theme song singer for Sunday Night Football?!?!  Hmmm...

Granite Mountain Hotshots

Having been raised in a fire family, I've paid extra attention Sunday's tragic deaths of the 19 Hotshot crew members in Arizona.  My dad was a Los Angeles City fireman and I've lived my entire life being surrounded by all types of firefighters.  The people that my dad worked with are in some of my favorite childhood memories and his best friend and his wife have never been known to me as anything but Uncle Denny and Aunt Laura.  I consider them and their children to be my family in the fiercest way possible and when my uncle passed away a few years ago - it was no different than losing a member of my own genetically-connected family. 

My heart absolutely breaks for everyone who was touched by this tragedy.  All of the crew members were so young and had so much of their lives ahead of them.  It's such a loss for the community in Arizona, the fire department, and their families. In reading several articles about the fallen heroes, I found out that several of them worked out at Captain Crossfit in Prescott, AZ.  The coaches were quoted about how awesome they were to work with and how encouraging they were to other athletes.  It's a huge loss for the CrossFit community as well.  I can't even begin to imagine losing a single gym member to that kind of tragedy, much less a whole crew.  

I know that as a CrossFit community, we take the time to recognize our fallen heroes - crossfit.com always pays homage with a special WOD named after them with what I can only assume are favorite (or most hated) movements, on Memorial Day - almost every gym does Murph, and I've seen several gyms that do fundraiser WODs for fallen members of police, fire or military.  I sincerely hope that a kick-ass Hero WOD will come out of this tragedy so that as a CrossFit community, we can honor these fallen men in the way that we do - by sweating and pushing ourselves to the limit in a way that would make the fallen proud. 

Why is this such a big deal to me?  Probably because I was too young to realize the danger that my dad was in every time that he went to work.  It never even crossed my mind.  I knew that my dad and the other firemen were my own personal heroes - but I was too young to realize that it was a real possibility that they wouldn't come home.  Now, as an adult, I can put myself into the shoes of those who lost husbands, fathers, sons, friends, and heroes.  

I think we can also all take a lesson from the Hotshots.  The coaches from Captain CrossFit were quoted as saying that the fallen were among the most encouraging at the gym.  So... take a minute - stop tearing down your equipment and running out the door the second you are done with the WOD.  Instead, grab your water bottle, take a drink, and show some encouragement to the athlete who is struggling to finish.  Help your dead dog tired classmate put their plates away after a grueling workout.  Introduce yourself to someone new - especially when they have that panicked 'first official WOD' look on their face.  Help someone get into their pullup bands - even if it extends your time by 2 seconds.  Give your team a high five after the workout - everyone just worked their asses off and deserves it.  Smile!  Just go the extra mile for the others at the gym.  

Photo courtesy City of Prescott, AZ

Interested in helping out the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew?  Click here for information on donating.  It may not seem like a whole lot, but trust me, the kindness of total strangers after losing your loved one to a tragedy - means the world. 

Tough Mudder Whistler (or... Where the *%@! is the Finish Line?)

Well... it happened.  We've been talking about the Tough Mudder for six months and it finally happened.  Phew.  Let's just summarize, shall we?  

First off... Tough Mudder is hard.  I knew it was going to be hard.  But it was harder than I expected.  Mostly because I didn't take into account that the Whistler mudder was at higher elevation and ON A SKI HILL.  Duh, Danielle.  Duh.  At one point we walked straight up the mountain... well... normal people walked.  I was practically crawling at that point.

I was pretty much a nervous wreck pre-race.  I've never done anything even close to this... starting with a Warrior Dash or Spartan Race may have been a good course of action - but since when have we ever done things the easy way?  Oh yeah... pretty much never.  We didn't rename ourselves Team Bad Decisions for nothing.  I had pretty much every nervous tic possible during our bus ride to the race - finger twitching, nail biting, the works - go me. 

Look at how nice and clean we are. (Please note that this was also the last time for the next four hours that we were warm and dry.)  Notice the matching socks/headbands.  We also had wristbands.  I decided that matching outfits were totally necessary and was vetoed on t-shirts.  Next time... next time...

Some things I learned during the race?

1) I am not an endurance athlete.  Never have been and odds are good that I probably never will be. My lack of running prowess made me the weakest link on my team (sorry guys!).  Being the weakest link is never a good feeling - I actually feel really terrible about it.  I really did my best - but the hills kicked my ass.  Running up a hill covered in 10lbs of mud was not my favorite thing.  

2) You really can do anything with an awesome group of people.  I would not have wanted to do this race with anyone else and honestly, I don't know if I could have.  I just really can't say enough about doing something that terrifies you with people who are super supportive - especially when you are practically peeing yourself with fear while contemplating jumping off a 20' ledge.  Also, having someone to hold your hand or literally push your ass up a hill is extremely helpful when you are exhausted. 

3) 65 degrees is NOT WARM.  Especially when you are soaking wet and climbing up the mountain.  

4) Even your teammates will tackle you into the mud right before the finish line.  True story.  

5)  Apparently - I bruise like a peach.  I look like a victim of domestic abuse and will not be wearing sleeveless apparel for a while.  Look:

Ouch.  Oh... and I am SUPER pretty today.

But look... we finished!!!  YAY!!!

I'm not 100% sure why I look all grimacy.  Maybe it's because I'm freezing.  Maybe it's because I'm still reeling from the fact that Jess tackled me.  Pretty sure I'm probably just freezing. This is my 'I'm cold and trying to smile' face.

Here are miscellaneous other event pictures for your viewing pleasure: 

We were obviously taking our photo session less seriously than the guys did.

At this point - we are at the 'get us out of here and into a hot shower' stage.

Overall - Tough Mudder Whister was AMAZING.  Hard, painful, torturous - but amazing.  I am so glad that I did it - and I am so proud of us all.  

Hmmm... other tidbits from a weekend in Whistler?  

Canada is gorgeous.  See?

We saw a bear.  True story.  Maybe 50 yards away (but I really think it was closer). 

That black spot in the distance?  It's a bear.  Apparently you are supposed to speak firmly to the bear while staring them down.  We chose the back away/stand and stare option. 

I went on the Whistler Blackcomb Peak-to-Peak gondola and didn't throw up OR have to hold someone's hand.  Total victory.  

Hot Yoga is Hard, Part II (And... Why I Need To Workout More)

Yes... it's been a while since I posted.  Let me just tell you - I have been crazy busy on top of being sick and exhausted for the past few weeks.  I feel like since I came back from Dallas - it has just been go, go, go - and I'm beat.  There have been quite a few things going on - so let me just try to quickly summarize:

1. I have spent more hours at the gym lately than hours I've been home and awake (sleeping hours don't count). The awesome news is... I start coaching on my own on Tuesday!!!  YEAH!  I'll be coaching the 6:30/7:30pm classes on Tuesday for the month of June as well as some other classes thrown in when we need someone to fill in.  I'm psyched about it.  So... if you want to witness my glorious debut in person - 6:30pm on Tuesday.  Can't wait. 
2. I have been sicker than I'm willing to admit (direct quote from Dr. Tara).  I have been exhausted and just run down and went to the doctor a few weeks back to find out what was wrong.  She tested me for everything under the sun - Vit D deficiency, anemia, epstein barr, a whole bunch of other stuff I didn't understand - AND... turns out I have mono.  MONO!?!  Who gets that who isn't in college or high school? Well... me apparently.  Before the kissing jokes start - I wish I got it that way.  No sir - I am not that lucky.  I simply got it from having a cold, getting run down and having it turn into something ugly.  Awesome.  And I've had it before in college... but then, (Mom/Dad - skip this part!) I definitely got it from too much drunken boy kissing. Whoops.  So... for those of you who say you can't have mono twice - you're wrong.  And no... I probably haven't been taking care of myself like I should be.  I'm still working out - I'm still going to work - I'm still having to act like a normal adult.  I'm just napping a lot.  Sometimes on the floor of my office. 
3. I'm house hunting.  Which is so stressful.  I hate it.  Trying to find a place I want to live for the unforeseeable future makes me all cringy.  It should be exciting - but I find it overwhelming and nerve wracking. 
4. I've just in general been an emotional wreck.  Being tired all of the time will do that to you.  I've found myself wanting to retreat into my house and hide from the world - but I'm too busy to do that (which is probably a good thing).  I'm trying really hard to keep it together all of the time and am so grateful that I have some of the most stellar friends who know exactly what to say when I'm feeling all blah-ish. 
5. The end result of items 1-4?  No time to blog.  Or cook.  Or date.  Or do anything besides sleep, work, or do CrossFit-ty things.  BUT... it's June now.  So I'm making time.  Starting now.  

 Moving on...

Today, I went to hot yoga.  I bought a Groupon a while back for Urban Yoga Spa - it's conveniently located a block from my office so I figured I could go one day a week after work to their 4pm class.  Well... turns out this hot yoga is significantly hotter than the other yoga place I went to back in April.  I spent at least 45 minutes of the 75 minute class laying on my back on the mat trying to figure out how I was going to get to the end of class without dying, or at the very least, passing out.  So hot.  So uncomfortable.  This place uses infrared heat - which should have been a sign that I was going to be massively unhappy about 5 minutes in.  I felt like I was in a slow roaster.  It was awful.  I did approximately 12% of the moves.  Holding a plank in 110 degrees? No thank you.  It's questionable on whether I will be going back to take advantage of the remainder of my pre-paid visits.  Ugh.  

On the positive side - I'm hoping that all the sweat helped release some of the icky sick toxins floating around my body.  So... hot yoga was either a really good idea... or a really bad idea.  Stay tuned.

On another CrossFit-ty note...

This weekend, the coaches at SCF went to watch the NorthWest Regionals and holy god, those athletes are INCREDIBLE.   It was definitely eye opening for me and made me want to go to the gym immediately and start doing more athletic things.  (The irony is that I haven't actually gone to the gym since... but I'm going tonight... I swear.)  Workout #4 for the men/women was 100 wall balls, 100 pull ups, 100 pistols, 100 one-armed DB snatches.  Yowza.  We watched at least 10 heats - so you can do the math on how many that is.  A lot.  Not going to lie... I was ready to see a different movement by the men's second heat.  (Bonus fact for the day: most of the men's heats did it shirtless.  Hello!)

It seriously makes me want to get into the gym more to work on skills - need to figure out when exactly I can squeeze in extra hours of gym time on top of my already packed schedule.  

I am also thrilled with the results of regionals - Rory Zambard was one of my Level 1 Cert trainers and she kicked ass at regionals and is moving on to the Games.  So excited to watch her on TV (and you had better believe there will be some sort of CrossFit Games viewing party somewhere...).  She was the instructor who worked with me on squats - my quads hated her - but my squats have improved a million times over since that course.  Yay!!! Go Rory!

This isn't actually relevant.  I just love the fact that she's carrying him like it's no big thing.  (And also the fact that he looks slightly panicked.)  Partner carries anyone???