Ovarian Cancer 5k Walk/Run

My family and will be participating in the Ovarian Cancer 5k Walk/Run this coming Saturday, 15 May in Reston. It would mean a lot to me if you could either join the run or donate to show your support.

More information can be found here: http://www.tiny9.com/u/Team_Toto_homepage

Thank you

Broad Street 10 Miler

I ran the Broad St. 10 Miler run yesterday. You literally run 10 miles down one street. Overall, I have to say that it was pretty awesome. Of course I'm prejudiced b/c I PR'ed (set my personal record) in the 10 mile distance. But the crowd cheering the runners on- throughout the entire race, I don't remember a quiet spot at all- was amazing. As was all of the volunteers out there not only handing out water and gatorade (hatorade) cups but the police force blocking the streets as well. Considering how many runners there were- 30,000 I was told, it was organized well. Picking up my packet, from the time I left my car and walked a ramp up 4/5 flights or stairs to the time I was back in my car was 20 minutes. That's pretty awesome. I also think I really enjoyed the race b/c of the ease of transportation. In the past, I've had to wake up an extra hour early just to find parking. I was out of bed 2 hrs before the race and had no issues with transportation- though the ride back was smelly b/c of all of the sweaty runners. This race made me excited for the Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon and the full marathon I signed up for- both in Philadelphia in the fall.

pa vs va

I find myself enjoying Philly more and more, especially as I've been hanging out in this area more. On my drive back from VA tonight for Easter, I figured that I have spent at least more than half of my weekends since I moved away from Philly. I'd like to rectify that but then thought of my May schedule. Part of the issue is that so many of my friends aren't in Philly and I end up coming back for family stuff or appointments and end up staying for a weekend as opposed to a day to stay in touch. It makes me wonder what would have happened if I had moved further away from school.

public service annoucement

As a few of you know, my grandmother is really sick. I haven't said much about it to anyone because I can't without crying and I'm not a pretty crier. With that being said, she's been sick since last spring so if in that time I've been short/bitchy/a mean drunk/what have you, this is most likely why. I've never been very good about talking about myself/feelings/or whats going on so I figured that this would be the least painful way for me to share without having to hear people's "I'm sorries". Well no shit sherlock, no one wants this to happen. But it so I'm dealing, one day at a time. So, at this time I ask that you continue not to want to kill me and for your understanding as I deal in my own bitchy/mean/short way which is sure to get worse. And please, for the love of God, don't ask me how I feel unless you actually want to listen.

thank you.

Cupid's Undie Run

This past weekend I took place in the second annual Cupid's Undie Run (cupidsundierun.com) in DC. My friend and I did it last year and had a blast. I hope that this has become our annual run together. (Picture of us before stripping down).

It's short, less than 2 miles around the Capitol, and a TON of fun. Because the organizers were more prepared for a crowd, it was better organized. There was also more media. Not quite sure how I feel about knowing that there might be pictures of me in a sports bra and undies floating around the internet. However, it's for a good cause and I wasn't drunk. This year because the weather was much warmer and the roads were actually closed, we were able to stop and take pics in front of the Capitol. Our friends came out to watch and made us a sign. It was the first time that someone made me a sign. What a great way to end a fun run. All in all, definitely a great experience and can't wait for next year.

PA SEPTA VS DC METRO: A RANT

So I've been good about walking most places during the day in city so that I can learn my surroundings better. However, since walking in the dark by myself isn't my thing and it gets dark earlier now, I find myself taking the SEPTA/train/EL/ whatever the hell you want to call it.

It sucks.

It makes the DC Metro- something people have long complained about- look like a freaking class act.

I have wasted so many dollars in the past week or so in my attempt to get to the station to get tokens. The local machine is always out of coins. There is no automated system using a credit card to add money to your card. That was issue number one.

Issue number two. Not all of the stops are publicized. For example, the 13th & Market St. stop. Good luck figuring out how to get in there. I could also just be blind. But I definitely have yet to see a sign signaling that stop.

JMU vs Drexel

So other day I met with the graduate student career services coordinator. What a mouthful. Anyways, at the end of our discussion, he asked me which I preferred, JMU or Drexel. And I had to tell him JMU. While hands down it was the best four years of my life, I really learned alot about myself during my time there. Without going to JMU, I don't know if I would have made it to Drexel/Philadelphia. What some people might call courage, I call sheer stupidity. To anyone who knows me or has heard of my stories, you know what I mean. There were a lot of things that I did at JMU that I wouldn't get away with in Philadelphia. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but I've definitely gotten lucky. I also don't know if I would have been able to move to a place where I know virtually no one. I could go on about how my time at JMU helped to shaped me but in the end, no one really cares. Bottom line is that I needed JMU. At the same time, I love living in the city. From Harrisonburg I got the same town-feel and enjoyed being able to walk places. Here, I've been able to take that one step further and walk almost everywhere. I believe that my time at both schools will compliment each each and I can't wait to see where I end up.