[the little engine that could]

Good luck to my dearest tracie who embarks on a half marathon journey this weekend in Virginia Beach. She will run hard, she will push herself, she will think positive thoughts about all her accomplishments...how far she has come. She will cross that finish line while listening to her family cheering her along.

I will be cheering from my apartment.

She better hear you, too.


...and just in case, here's some motivation....
















(not just a hug from me, no, the beer too.)


I'm very proud of you woman!

[returned & refreshed: a recap]

Can you believe that today is August 29th?

I'm back in DC and I apologize for not saying hello while I was away. I spent some of my time in Maine with The Boyfriend and his family, some of my time in Massachusetts with my family and an evening with my Bruter in Boston. This past Saturday was the Allman Brothers concert at The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA and there were like 25 of us, rocking the tailgating, eating shrimp cocktail, steak and pasta salad, indulging in Magic Hat #9s while playing the Bean Bag Horse Shoe Game Thingie in front of all the jealous Passerbyers. And jealous they were. Other activities of the week included:

• Boat adventure in Portland waters with mom & gram.
• Project Runway T.V. Marathon (this is what happens when you don't have cable).
• Drinking Jeopardy @ Bruter's rocked out condo with his coolio friends.
• Singing to Kansas "Wayward Son" with Melissa.
• Riding the Commuter Rail & the T into the city and enjoying every second of it.
• Wandering the streets of Boston with my new BFF Mike M.
• Equilibrium with Dad, Mom and The Boyfriend.
• Schwinn Bike Store Spree in Haverhill. I'm good to go.
• Liquor runs pre-concert to the Cheap-Booze Capital of the World, New Hampshire.
• Charlie Bella sleeping with Dad.
• Dad's yummy breakfast sandwiches and waffles and bacon and sausage and...
• Walking the Breakwater in Rockland with The Boyfriend.
• Playing with Kimmy and Panda - the cutest kittens ever.
• Seeing the end of that James Bond movie where Sean Connery blows up the chick with his pen just one more time.
  
• Spending an hour at Jennie's Antiques in Haverhill to purchase E.T. trading cards, a scary antique doll and 4 comic books...so inspiring.
• A nice Walmart stock-up session.
• An expensive run to Fresh Off The Farm for all natural organic goods.
• Mom's chocolate chip cookies.

Visual evidence soon to come. As of today I have picked up my student ID, been assigned a locker and determined the location of my first class. Art History I tomorrow at 1:00. Wish me luck.