MCM 2013!!!

This weekend was the 38th running of the Marine Corps Marathon.  Joey was initially registered to run, but after aggrivating his stress fracture from the last marathon during the Shamrock half this March, he decided to defer to next year.

My sister, Laura, flew up from Orlando, FL to run the race.  Joey and I (and Laura's boyfriend Chris) went along for the fun as well as to cheer on our friend Mike and help him out along the way.

The morning started bright and early with a 4:30am wakeup call. (Hey! It's better than 2:30am at Disney!)  We headed to the Springfield metro station where we met up with Mike and got our tickets and boarded the slowest moving metro train EVER.  It finally picked up speed after an agonizingally slow first 20 minutes.

We arrived at the Pentagon and walked with thousands of our new best friends over to the start area.
Security was TIGHT.  All bags were searched.  I heard at the expo, people were actually patted down and scanned.  I'm actually glad for that. I don't mind at all. When we got to the finish line at the end of the race, NO BAGS whatsoever were allowed.  I'm so glad we read up ahead of time and followed directions! I stuffed everything into my jacket pockets!

It was also FREEZING!!! It was sooo cold :*(
We did all the usual start line activities- wait in 45 minute bathroom lines, get confused about where to go, take stupid pictures, etc etc etc. 

 

Finally it was time to say goodbye to Laura and Mike, and me, Joey and Chris headed out past the start line to get a good vantage point for the starting gun!

BOOM! The Howitzer went off and the race began!

We scanned the crowd, watching the pace groups, and finally we saw Laura and Mike!

After they passed, we headed off to the Lincoln Memorial to post up at Mile 10-11.  We had some time to kill, but we didn't want to stray too far.  We watched the hand cyclers pass and finally, the front runner of the marathon.  He was FLYING.  He was way ahead of the other runners.  Slowly but surely, more runners started coming through.  We cheered and yelled encouragement.  I kept checking my phone waiting for the first splits to come through, but I guess the system was overloaded because I only got one person's 10K split all day :( (I was tracking a ton of people!).

My friend Teresa is a freaking speed demon and I got her 10K split (45 mins!) and knew to expect her soon.  Joey and I spotted her amazing American Flag shorts and Joey had to jump in front of her to get her to notice us.  (Sorry Kanye)  She lives in Colorado and is a Marine wife. It was so great to see her, even though she was totally in the zone and almost missed us.  I'm going to brag for her because she finished in 3:17!! HOLY CRAP. GREAT JOB T.

While waiting for Mike and Laura to run by, I was also noticed by two of my sorority sisters who were running!!! I didn't realize it was them until they had almost passed- I jumped up and started yelling anyway! It's great to know SO many people out there.  They both also killed it in ~4 hours. 

Since we didn't have splits, we had to base our whole day off of the pace groups.  We saw the 5 hour pace group and shortly after, there was Mike! Joey ran in to give him his first gatorade refill.  He ran with him for a bit and then it was back to waiting.

A little while after, Laura came by! She was looking strong.  She had been running the entire time and actually ended up running the entire first half before her first walk break.

After they passed, it was time to head over to the gauntlet at the Mile 17.5 marker (aka the dreaded Mile 18).  We actually had to cut through the course to get there, which I HATE.  I hate it when people cut through the course in front of runners. It's rude.  Joey had a genius idea, though.
 We were all dressed in running clothes anyway because we anticipated that we might have to run for a little while to help out our friends.  So we waited for a natural break in the crowd, and hopped into the race!! We crossed diagonally, basically running at speed with everyone else- sort of like merging onto a highway.  Please remember this if you ever spectate a race- do NOT cross straight across like a crosswalk. That will make people angry.  If you MUST cross the race course, merge in like you are a car into traffic.  And use your turn signal/look behind you. These people are TIRED. They should not have to waste energy trying to avoid your dumb a$$.

ANYWAY


We got to the gauntlet area and Chris and I went to a food truck because we were all STARVING (next time, we're eating breakfast).  We got hot dogs, sausages, pizza, soda... omg. It was amazing.
We posted up around 17.5 and waited for Mike to come along.  We finally saw him and Joey jumped in again and ran with him a bit, helping him refill his gatorade again and encouraging him.  Mile 18 is the hardest part of the marathon for most people. 

We waited for a while and then we saw Laura.  She was in tears.  Did I mention she did little to no training for this marathon?!?! She is CRAY CRAY.  Her knee was killing her and she was so upset and frustrated.  I jumped in and walked with her up to the medical tent where they sat her down and she had a chance to calm down.  We waited outside for a little and then suddenly, she popped out and had her game face back on.  She was so determined, I have to admire that.  She jumped back in the race and said she'd see us at the finish!

At this point, we had walked all over DC.  We headed to the nearest metro station and rode back to the start/finish area (7 metro stops. holy. mileage.).  When we arrived at Arlington Cemetary the Marines were turning people away who had bags or backpacks of any kind.  I was thankful for the added security.  We went in and posted up right before Mile 26.   I had a great time cheering on the runners who were about to accomplish their ultimate goal.

We watched for our telltale pace groups, and we were actually getting some splits by this time, so we were ready when Mike came along! He was tired and sore, but we screamed and made a scene and Joey actually went running along side of him (through the crowd, not on the course) yelling all the way through the last .3 mile to the finish line. 

 

Now it was just time to wait for Laura! We finally saw her, and she was ALL SMILES!! I don't know what happened between  miles 18 and 26, but she was happy as a little clam.  We screamed and yelled and she went off running into the sunset, er, huge hill that is the finish (terrible. just terrible).

 

After everyone collected their medals and goodies, we (slooowwlllyy) walked over to the metro- the line was terrible.  We decided to get lunch at Quiznos instead.  After lunch, we made it to the metro and after a really long day that started at 5am, we got home around 5:30pm. 

CONGRATULATIONS to all of my friends, co-workers, sorority sisters, fraternity big brother (Mike!) and sis (Laura!) on such a huge accomplishment.

<3

It's Fall Y'all!

Instead of titling this post as "Random Updates and Tid Bits of Information that you Probably Don't Care About" (which is what it is), I figured I'd get a little festive for ya.

1. Even though it's been in the mid-80's all week, it is really, actually FALL and I'm thrilled.  When it was officially September, I pulled out the "Fall" box which has all the autumn decor in it.  When it was officially October (this weekend), I pulled out the Halloween box and danced around to "Boo to You!" and nobody but the dogs was there to judge me because Joey was off hunting for opening weekend.

2.  I'm going back to school! (Sort of...) I'm getting a Certificate to enhance my knowledge at work.  So that means going to classes on Friday nights and Saturdays.  It's not my favorite thing to do (I've already freaked out a few times because I didn't understand which formula to use) but I am determined to pass with flying colors!

3. It's hunting season! Well, I don't care much, but Joey went out for bow season for the first time this year, and he got a doe! His Dad was suuuper proud of him, which of course is really cute.  Bringing home more deer meat meant that we needed to finish up last years, so we had deer stew for dinner last night.  You know? It's not too bad.  Think tender meat with potatoes, corn, onions, peppers, etc in a thick broth. Pretty tasty actually.

4. Currently Reading: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown I'm (impressively) still going strong with my book club.  I always wanted to be more of an avid reader, and being involved with the book (and wine) club has made it a fun and rewarding thing to do. (Read the book, Drink the wine. Simple.)

5. Disney in 1 month!!! We have (about) one month to go until our next Disney trip!!! We're heading down for the International Food and Wine Festival and the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  I have no goals for this race other than to finish because Joey and I are both still recovering from injuries sustained during marathon training (it's no joke, yo!).

6. The NFC East.  I just had to mention it.  If you are totally out of the loop: I'm an Eagles fan, Joey's a Cowboy's fan, and we live in DC.  But this year it doesn't matter. Because we all suck. And I hate to say it, but the Boys are the best looking team we've got.  And that's not saying much...

7.  Our Anniversary: Is coming up in a few days!  Three years! Woooo!

8. The Great Gatsby.  We read the book in school, we re-read it for book club, but I hadn't made it out to see the movie yet.  While Joey was away this weekend, the pins and I cuddled up with a blanket and some popcorn (to share, of course) and watched the latest version of the story with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.  I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

That's all for now.  I'll be back later this week (maybe) with a post about Joanna/Joe's wedding :-)

~SG

NASCAR!

Another September, another chance at Nascar tickets.  And why, why would we not take this chance?!

This year, we went to both the Friday night Nationwide race and the Saturday Sprint Cup Race.

One of Joey's fraternity brothers from George Mason was racing on Friday and the fraternity was actually sponsoring his car.  How freaking cool is that?!

He made the big time!

Gorgeous sunset w/paratrooper

View of the race track

Whee!

Saturday was the Sprint Cup race and Joey, A Love and I headed down to the track nice and early so we could have a few beverages before meandering around the trailers and trying to win free things such as hats, free samples of 5 Hour Energy, and cups.  Joey played a game where you throw a ball and try to knock things over and he got kicked out because he almost broke it...

We took pictures IN Clint Bowyer's car, which A Love was thrilled about, and bought Chik Fil A sandwiches to bring in with us.  One of the most awesome things about Nascar races (besides it being a redneck good time) is that you can bring your own food and drinks (yes, alcoholic ones) into the stadium with you.

Dale Jr. My hero <3

We had absolutely GORGEOUS weather.  The race was unfortunately, not too exciting. And by that I mean there weren't too many wrecks... near the end, the three of us decided to head back to the camp site where we Joey built a fire and we partied well into the evening.

Happy NASCAR Everyone!

Til next time, 

~SG

Corinne's Bachelorette

For Labor Day weekend this year, I traveled to Atlantic City, NJ to celebrate with my sister-in-law-to-be.  

We had a completely awesome trip.  We stayed at The Chelsea Hotel. The room was spacious, the pool had a DJ and waitresses, and you could walk right out onto the beach and grab free chairs/umbrellas if you got there early enough.  

We spent our first day at the pool and on the beach before a delicious dinner at The Melting Pot and a night out on the town at Bally's Wild Wild West (Yeehaw!).  The next day was more beach time and some fun and games and another night out on the town at Providence Nightclub at The Tropicana.

Corinne's Fiance (my brother) was also in Atlantic City that weekend for his buddy's bachelor party, so I made sure we steered clear of them all weekend.  We ran into them ONCE, and I freaked out until they assured me that Alex was not with them, however he was safe and sound off gambling (by himself) in another casino...

In all, we had a great weekend and we were sad when it was time to go home.

Best part?? My sister came all the way from Florida to party with us!!!!!!!!!! (see below).

Unfortunately, we accidentally left her in the club.

I can't believe the Bachelorette Party has come and gone! That means we are really starting to get close to this wedding!  

Can't wait for 1/4/14.

~SG

My Thoughts/a PSA

I don't like emotions.

If you know me, this makes perfect sense as I refuse to watch movies where I'm going to be afraid, sad, or the dog dies.  

On September 11th this year, I didn't say anything on social media.  Not because I didn't feel anything, just because I didn't know what to say.

If you've been following my blog/facebook/life for the past several years, you may know that I'm a Navy contractor and that I worked at the Navy Yard for a long time and that my husband also works there.  

If you followed the news this week you'll know that something awful happened there.  

I don't really know what to say. I'm thankful that it wasn't our building, my colleagues are all safe and accounted for, and I'm super extra thankful that Joey didn't drop me off at HQ on Monday and then head to the Navy Yard as planned because we would have had to call someone for a ride back to Woodbridge at 8pm when they lifted the lockdown.

When crazy things are happening in the news, please remember that everything you hear in the media is not true.  While everyone wants to get information out as quickly as possible, try not to post something on Facebook/Twitter unless you know it to be true or at least multiple media outlets are reporting it.  The worst thing to do is spread rumors that aren't facts.  I saw several posts about shots fired at the White House and Bolling AFB... they were simply not true.  Why would you cause even more hysteria if it's not necessary?

Perhaps it's the Comm major in me, but I think it's important to leave emotions out of communication during these situations.  Tell people the facts and give them guidance but leave your feelings at home and be sure you are reporting accurate information.

We are going to move forward.  

Let's remember to pay attention to our surroundings and give all our loved ones an extra squeeze.

~SG

Jen and Corey

Ohhhh my goodness.

Life has been cray cray.

It's moving faster than ever and we're booked solid for the next 2+ months!  From weddings to a visit home, a book club meeting (with an author!) and getting a certificate for work, I hardly have any time to sit down on the weekends!  I'm also trying to get back into running, which is another story for another time (...on another blog.)

Today's update is about the wedding of Jen and Corey, two friends from college.

Corey was in our wedding as one of Joey's Groomsmen: 

I love an excuse to share our wedding pictures... 

They have been close ever since their Kappa Sigma days at Mason.  Jen is the sweetest and most genuine person.  We are so happy for them!  

All the Kappa Sigs with the newlyweds!

It was a really REALLY fun wedding.  The ceremony was sweet.  The reception was a blast! We got to see all of Joey's crew from college, many of whom we haven't seen in ages. 

I hardly took any pictures, but here are the few that I DID take.  Jen looked like a princess. Corey looked fantastic.  Everyone had a wonderful time.  Congrats to the bride and groom! 

Mr. and Mrs.!

First dance, from afar.

Aaaaaaand one rando pic in the bar afterwards with my BFF Dan.

Around the World: Sarah's 29th Birthday

Hooooly moly. I always find it funny that I never get any views until I post something about Stitch Fix. 

Now it's time for me to share my latest genius themed party.  I'm not humble when it comes to theme parties. I mean, I LOVE throwing parties. I love it. And I'm good at it. I love getting way too into it, going overboard with decorations, favors, FOOD (I'm Italian. Can't help it.) and this time, beverages.  

Many of you are aware that Joey and I are Disney Fanatics.  Yes, with a capital F.  We go ~twice per year and don't plan on stopping any time soon.  One of our favorite activities to take part in at Disney is to drink around the World Showcase at Epcot.  There are 12 countries (including the African Outpost) and the goal is to have a drink in each country.  Sounds easy, right?

Wrong.

Before I start sharing the pictures, I'll let you know that there aren't too many pictures of the actual party.  Thank goodness there are pictures at all otherwise many of the guests might not believe it actually happened.  We are blaming the "jungle juice" in Africa for everyone's memory lapse.  It seems there is good reason that Disney does not use grain alcohol in their beverages.....

And now, without further ado, I present to you Epcot: World Showcase, the Gish edition:

The side porch was the entrance area.

The International Gateway was located in the kitchen.

There were eventually snacks on this table.  

America (Bud Light)
You may recognize the cooler from last year's Civil War birthday party!

Japan (Sake)
The pictures you see around the countries are pictures of us and our friends in the real Epcot, in those countries.

African Outpost (Jungle Juice)

Germany (Weihenstephan beer)
I also served soft pretzels here.

Norway (Carlsberg)

Italy (Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio)

Morocco (Sangria)

Canada (Labatt Blue)

China (Plum Wine)
We figured the gym was OK for China since they have such good athletes... 

(More China)

United Kingdom (Bass)

France (Champagne)

Mexico (Dos Equis)
Mexico was actually located outside on the back porch.  It rained, but thankfully we had friends with a canopy!

And then came the guests.   Here are just a few pictures of the many friends and family that attended.  The rule, as with all of my parties, is that you get to drink my booze if you come in costume.  Luckily, everyone knows this by now and we had lots of GREAT ones.  I can't share them all... but here are some:

Me (Germany) and Joey (Norway)

A Love and Ryan (Canada)

Krystle and Robert (America!)

Chelsea and Cragin (Mexico!)

A Love made passports.  They were ridiculously detailed and completely awesome!!!!!  She also made stickers for each country.  The rule was you couldn't put a sticker in your passport until you finished your drink!

I mean, seriously. OMG.

"Eh Love".... GET IT?!?!?!?!
PS How mad was Joey that I dressed up his deer... hahah

Flip Cup

Birthday cake!!!!!!!!

Dance party.  I mean, look at Kyle (Ireland). That is some serious effort.  Also, no one is sure how Alex (Mexico) got A Love's Canadian shirt.... 

Thanks to everyone who made it out and helped make my 29th birthday one to remember!! (Or... maybe not).

~SG