I just spent the last hour looking for a specific photo. I remembered that I posted it on my blog but I could not find it. Lo and behold, I just found out that I had a second blog focusing on law school and running between January 1, 2012 (ha, I was part of the new year new blog bandwagon) and August 2013 (clearly not a very often-used blog there).
Because I can barely keep up with one blog I definitely do NOT need a second blog. So rather than deleting all the posts on the other blog I will be adding them to this one. I don't know if you're going to get a ton a new posts even though these posts are SUPER old or not. If so, you can ignore them. I just don't want to lose anything.
Brother's 21st Birthday Trip to Vegas
The weather in Vegas was really comfortable, so much better than the humidity back east. The days were a dry heat and the nights were super comfortable. Plus there were numerous margarita bars along the strip to help. We stopped at Margarita Bar which provided oodles of choice. Seriously, there so many flavors:
We also stopped by the Borgata for the fountains. The first performance we saw was set to Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas. So fitting!
We also saw a few shows while we were there. First we saw The Beatles Love which I highly recommend. Even if you aren't a Beatles fan (we all are fans) you will still enjoy the performance.
We also spent a LOT of time eating the delicious food all along the strip. We stopped at the Bacchanal Buffet and gorged ourselves on pretty much every kind of food imaginable, including sushi.If you're looking for restaurant options on the strip we can recommend:
1. Bacchanal Buffet
2. Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill
3. Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen
There were options for every price point. There were delicious restaurants that ranged from cheap to super expensive. I wish we would have stopped at Nobu but it wasn't in the cards for this visit. Maybe next time.
On Saturday we rented a car and drove out to the Hoover Dam. Unfortunately their elevator was broken and they weren't giving tours but whatever we still could walk around the dam and see the sights.
And lastly, it wouldn't be Vegas without alcohol....so there is a photo of my now 21 year old brother enjoying our fishbowl drink at Guy Fieri's. So much alcohol.
Overall, Vegas was tons of fun and I can't wait to go back. There was so much to do and we definitely didn't get to all of it.
Have you ever been to Las Vegas? What did you like most? Anything you would recommend?
Bucket List #126: Tough Mudder - My Experience with the Tough Mudder Half
I'm so excited for this post because I'm checking something off my bucket list! I completed a Tough Mudder along with my brother, brother-in-law, and my brother-in-law's cousin (does that make him my cousin-in-law?).
Tough Mudder is a team race that focuses on completing a series of obstacles rather than speed/time. This is a map of the course for the full, half, and 5k participants. We did the Half so we ran 5 miles and completed 13 obstacles. By the end I was struggling!
The weather on the day of the race was intermittent pouring but we didn't mind. You're getting dirty anyway you know? Plus the rain added a level of legitimacy to the mud that made the race that much better. Loved it! It also made us feel super bad ass.
I do not take pretty running photos. So I'm going to put this photo up and then let's not talk about it, mmmkay? I'm right next to the red elbow. That's my cousin-in-law pointing at the camera and my brother-in-law in the blue. I'm making a suuuuper attractive face yes?? Moving on.
I definitely should have trained just a tiny bit more.
Let me walk you though the obstacles we completed:
1. Bale Bonds - a series of hay bales that you had to jump over. Yes, they were almost as tall as I was. No, I didn't need help to make it over them.
My brother had the easiest time jumping over these. And look at that mud on his shins! Glorious!
2. Quagmire - I honestly don't remember what this one was about. Suffice it to say it was probably muddy. According to the TM website it was 1000 gallon 10 foot crate of mud (yummy) with an 8 foot climb out at the end.
3. Berlin Walls - This obstacle was no joke. A daunting 10 foot wall that you had to jump up and hoist yourself over, only to have to find a way down. I think I'm slightly scared of heights because this one made my heart pound a little more than the running did.
4. Kiss of Mud - Army crawling for 40 feet under barbed wire in the mud and passing through dug out mud swamps? Yes. This one was kind of fun. Because it was SO muddy it was easiest just to kick off with your legs and slide on through.
5. Hero Carry - The only obstacle I legitimately failed at. You had to carry someone on your back and then switch half way through so they carried you on their back. I started out on brother's back, made it to the halfway mark, and then couldn't lift him, so I ended up going on my brother-in-law's cousin's back until the end. He's a personal trainer so he handled it well.
6. Mud Mile 2.0 - One of the hardest obstacles by far. Huge mounds of mud separated by varying depths of water. We all needed a lot of help on this one. I went first and then would grab my brother's hands and help pull him up. Then he would help the other two (I would try but I was pretty much useless). There were...7 of these I think. By the end my legs and arms were so tired. But we weren't done!
7. Skidmarked - This was one of the scarier obstacles. It was similar to Berlin Walls except that it was pitched at an angle so when you walked up to it it was angled toward you. Despite the fact that it was looming over me I was able to get up and over (with a LOT of assistance from the boys) and made it safely back down to the other side.
8. King of the Mountain - A heap of haybales forming a pyramid. You climbed up each level, over the top, and then back down again. Wasn't too difficult except for the twig that I rammed my butt cheek into. I've got a nice bruise from that.
9. Pitfall - A pit of mud with a bottom that contained some holes and some steps. I had to walk very carefully and I still ended up submerged multiple times. You'd be walking fine and then bam, fell in a hole.
10. The Block Ness Monster - By far my favorite obstacle. A series of turning blocks in a pool of mud where you had to keep it spinning to hoist yourself, your teammate, or some random stranger over the top. Once they made it over the top they had to hold on and use their weight on the way down so you could get hoisted up. I was too short to reach the bottom so I had to tread water the whole time.
11. Devil's Beard - A long cargo net that you had to walk under. I took the easy way out and just followed a taller guy. So, even though my shortness was a pain at Block Ness monster it definitely came in handy here.
12. Everest 2.0 - The hardest and scariest obstacle. I nearly gave up.
I was able to run up the incline, reach the rope, and climb up, but then my arms just would not go anymore. I couldn't reach anyone at the time even though they were trying so hard to get to me. A guy from the bottom climbed up behind me on the rope (no lie) and tried to hoist me up further so I could reach them but eventually we ended up failing. I went to walk around the obstacle but two people started yelling at me that they could get me up the wall and not to give up. Against my better judgment I decided to listen and try again. Well, sure enough, I ran up the wall, climbed the rope, made it to a similar stopping point, and then they really stretched to grab my hand (they held someone by their legs and lowered her to reach me). Once they had my hand they grabbed one of my legs and up they pulled. I am eternally grateful for them helping me over that wall. There is no way I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if I failed at the most iconic Tough Mudder obstacle ever. I wish I knew who they were.
13. Happy Ending - One of the easier obstacles. Grab a rope and then walk up a way less steep incline, cross over the top, and then slide down a slide into the last pool.
And I got some pretty sweet bruises as souvenirs. Lol.
Overall we had a fantastic time and would definitely do it again. Maybe if I train I'll give the Tough Mudder Full a go! Here is a parting photo of me rocking my "Tough Mudder Half Finisher" T-shirt from when I was cleaned up. Such pride!
I do not take pretty running photos. So I'm going to put this photo up and then let's not talk about it, mmmkay? I'm right next to the red elbow. That's my cousin-in-law pointing at the camera and my brother-in-law in the blue. I'm making a suuuuper attractive face yes?? Moving on.
My brother takes great running photos though. Look at how happy he looks to be alive (he's in the gray):
Let me walk you though the obstacles we completed:
1. Bale Bonds - a series of hay bales that you had to jump over. Yes, they were almost as tall as I was. No, I didn't need help to make it over them.
2. Quagmire - I honestly don't remember what this one was about. Suffice it to say it was probably muddy. According to the TM website it was 1000 gallon 10 foot crate of mud (yummy) with an 8 foot climb out at the end.
3. Berlin Walls - This obstacle was no joke. A daunting 10 foot wall that you had to jump up and hoist yourself over, only to have to find a way down. I think I'm slightly scared of heights because this one made my heart pound a little more than the running did.
(This photo is not of me or my particular race. It just shows the obstacle--taken from here)
4. Kiss of Mud - Army crawling for 40 feet under barbed wire in the mud and passing through dug out mud swamps? Yes. This one was kind of fun. Because it was SO muddy it was easiest just to kick off with your legs and slide on through.
5. Hero Carry - The only obstacle I legitimately failed at. You had to carry someone on your back and then switch half way through so they carried you on their back. I started out on brother's back, made it to the halfway mark, and then couldn't lift him, so I ended up going on my brother-in-law's cousin's back until the end. He's a personal trainer so he handled it well.
6. Mud Mile 2.0 - One of the hardest obstacles by far. Huge mounds of mud separated by varying depths of water. We all needed a lot of help on this one. I went first and then would grab my brother's hands and help pull him up. Then he would help the other two (I would try but I was pretty much useless). There were...7 of these I think. By the end my legs and arms were so tired. But we weren't done!
8. King of the Mountain - A heap of haybales forming a pyramid. You climbed up each level, over the top, and then back down again. Wasn't too difficult except for the twig that I rammed my butt cheek into. I've got a nice bruise from that.
(Not from my race but shows what the obstacle generally was like. Taken from here.)
9. Pitfall - A pit of mud with a bottom that contained some holes and some steps. I had to walk very carefully and I still ended up submerged multiple times. You'd be walking fine and then bam, fell in a hole.
10. The Block Ness Monster - By far my favorite obstacle. A series of turning blocks in a pool of mud where you had to keep it spinning to hoist yourself, your teammate, or some random stranger over the top. Once they made it over the top they had to hold on and use their weight on the way down so you could get hoisted up. I was too short to reach the bottom so I had to tread water the whole time.
(Not from my race. Taken from here.)
11. Devil's Beard - A long cargo net that you had to walk under. I took the easy way out and just followed a taller guy. So, even though my shortness was a pain at Block Ness monster it definitely came in handy here.
12. Everest 2.0 - The hardest and scariest obstacle. I nearly gave up.
(Not from my race. Taken from here.)
13. Happy Ending - One of the easier obstacles. Grab a rope and then walk up a way less steep incline, cross over the top, and then slide down a slide into the last pool.
(Not my race. Taken from here.)
After Happy Ending we climbed out of the pool and ran to the finish line. My arms were jelly and I was sure I broke my elbow on Everest but everything was fine and we made it through!And I got some pretty sweet bruises as souvenirs. Lol.
Hello My People! Life Over the Last Few Months
Phew! It's been a few days weeks months, hasn't it?! Life really took off there for a minute and I had to wait for things to settle down a little before dropping in for a new post. But then I tried to sit down and write this post and there was just SO MUCH I wanted to share that I would start typing and then realize how long it was going to take and I would stop. What?! I know. But here I am, let's get this post finished! What have I been up to?
We bought a house! Finally! It's a good area, with good schools, great space, and some pretty solid potential. I can't wait to share more photos but for now I only have these.
The top left is obviously the front door (apologies for where I blurred out the realtor info and street number--I'm not sure yet how to handle privacy concerns while blogging about my home!) and the "SALE" sign. We didn't get a photo opp with the SOLD sign unfortunately. Bummer!
The top right photo is the big ole' bag of keys the sellers handed to us when we closed on our home. To be honest, we don't even know what half of them go to and we changed the locks as soon as we moved in so now we'll never know. We do still use the garage openers though.
The bottom left is me with our new door key. Although, I have never actually used it because I always go in through the garage and we added one of those keypad locks that don't need a key. So I just assume it works the locks. Also pictured is one of one our adorable new monogram doormats.
The last photo is a fantastically creepy photo of our garage. I think I was most excited that we both have a spot to park in the garage and I'm no longer fighting other apartment dwellers for a parking spot. Ugh, that struggle was too real. Believe me I will be sharing a lot more about the house but this is all for now.
We ended up settling on our house the day we got engaged, which I thought was pretty special. We celebrated our Engagement Day (Is that a thing? Can we make it a thing?) by returning to where Husband popped the question. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we had a great time reminiscing and walking through the gardens and the new grotto area by the fountains.
And this is the actual spot where we got engaged. At the time it was covered in the most beautiful tulips. The tulips hadn't bloomed yet this year so it looks somewhat barren but you can see the tulip bases growing.
They always have the most beautiful flowers at Longwood Gardens. I would live there if I could...
Also, I seem to be obsessed with yellow these days. No idea why.
We also celebrated our Dating Anniversary (Is that a thing? Can we make it thing?) which is around the same time as our Engagement Day (obviously many years apart though). We went to dinner at The Capital Grille, home of the most delicious creme brulee ever.
We also celebrated my 28th birthday. Husband surprised me with fantastic prezzies and a birthday feast!
He surprised me with gifts, including new sunglasses that I desperately needed and an amazing raclette grill! You may remember how much I love raclette from my visit in Paris during our honeymoon and celebrating my sister's 30th birthday in New York. The grill he gave me is perfect because it came with eight small raclette melting pans (4 on each side--can you say raclette party?!) and a cook top surface for grilling meats.
I ate way too much food. Don't let this small plate fool you. I had many plates before and after this:
How amazing does that melted cheese look? On that bread and over those potatoes?! Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering and now I really want raclette for dinner. And before you say "oh that's just like fondue" no, it's not. It's better. Much much much better.
I also completed my first Tough Mudder Half.
This will have to be a post by itself but it was absolutely insane. It was scary, difficult, and on a consistent basis had me wondering why the heck I wanted to do it in the first place. But it was also a really great time and I'm really proud that we made it through.
I also watched the Royal Wedding.
How could I not talk about the Royal Wedding? Remember how my roommate and I had a viewing party at 6 AM back when Kate Middleton and Prince William got married? I couldn't do a watch party this time (and I had to miss the watch party my sister had) because I had the Tough Mudder on the same day but of course I watched it when I got back! Meghan Markle, or no I'm sorry, the Duchess of Sussex looked beautiful and I was dyyyying over her reception dress. That white halter Stella McCartney looked amazing! I also think I'm cool now because I wore a Stella McCartney dress to one of my formals in high school. See the resemblance?
And finally, my younger brother turned 21!
My dad was sick so he couldn't partake in the "first shot" experience BUT my broski, my dad, my husband, and I all celebrated with a small trip to Vegas a few days later.
I think they both had a good time and I really enjoyed hanging out with them for four days! I can't believe he's 21. Time didn't feel like it was moving so fast when I was waiting to turn 21. I'll post more about Vegas in a separate post but for now I think that's everything. You're all caught up!
We bought a house! Finally! It's a good area, with good schools, great space, and some pretty solid potential. I can't wait to share more photos but for now I only have these.
The top right photo is the big ole' bag of keys the sellers handed to us when we closed on our home. To be honest, we don't even know what half of them go to and we changed the locks as soon as we moved in so now we'll never know. We do still use the garage openers though.
The bottom left is me with our new door key. Although, I have never actually used it because I always go in through the garage and we added one of those keypad locks that don't need a key. So I just assume it works the locks. Also pictured is one of one our adorable new monogram doormats.
The last photo is a fantastically creepy photo of our garage. I think I was most excited that we both have a spot to park in the garage and I'm no longer fighting other apartment dwellers for a parking spot. Ugh, that struggle was too real. Believe me I will be sharing a lot more about the house but this is all for now.
We ended up settling on our house the day we got engaged, which I thought was pretty special. We celebrated our Engagement Day (Is that a thing? Can we make it a thing?) by returning to where Husband popped the question. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we had a great time reminiscing and walking through the gardens and the new grotto area by the fountains.
We also celebrated our Dating Anniversary (Is that a thing? Can we make it thing?) which is around the same time as our Engagement Day (obviously many years apart though). We went to dinner at The Capital Grille, home of the most delicious creme brulee ever.
Swoon. I dream about the decadence of this dessert. Mmmmmmm.
We also celebrated my 28th birthday. Husband surprised me with fantastic prezzies and a birthday feast!
He also had quite the spread prepared, including asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, prosciutto, Genoa salami, skirt steak (to be cooked on the grill), sliced baguette, cornichons, and of course the raclette cheese.
I also completed my first Tough Mudder Half.
I also watched the Royal Wedding.
How could I not talk about the Royal Wedding? Remember how my roommate and I had a viewing party at 6 AM back when Kate Middleton and Prince William got married? I couldn't do a watch party this time (and I had to miss the watch party my sister had) because I had the Tough Mudder on the same day but of course I watched it when I got back! Meghan Markle, or no I'm sorry, the Duchess of Sussex looked beautiful and I was dyyyying over her reception dress. That white halter Stella McCartney looked amazing! I also think I'm cool now because I wore a Stella McCartney dress to one of my formals in high school. See the resemblance?
Meghan Markle stole my look. LOL.
But let's just say her date was much better than my and all my friends' dates combined!
And finally, my younger brother turned 21!
Swatch: Essie Knee High Life
My sister gave me this nail polish as a random gift one day and I am so thankful she did because not only is the color absolutely gorgeous BUT the name is totally awesome. We both went to an all girls private high school when we were younger and that came with a uniform, including knee highs. So I guess you could say we really did live the "knee high life" like this polish is named.
This polish is a really pretty berry/wine type color. It has an excellent formula and dries well.
And here is a photo of the infamous uniform....with knee highs of course! Turns out that after you graduate your private school uniform becomes a perfect go-to Halloween costume. Haha.
Check out those knee highs. And yes, Husband was Charlie Brown. Lol. Also say hello to some of my college buds!
I'm so glad it's Wednesday. This week has been so busy running from courthouse to courthouse. I didn't even make it to the office on Monday or Tuesday. And tomorrow is going to be the same. Can it be the weekend already?? At least the weather is nice so I can finally go for a run outside! How is your week going?
I'm so glad it's Wednesday. This week has been so busy running from courthouse to courthouse. I didn't even make it to the office on Monday or Tuesday. And tomorrow is going to be the same. Can it be the weekend already?? At least the weather is nice so I can finally go for a run outside! How is your week going?
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