Another One Bites the Dust...

...this past Saturday, Matt's good buddy Ben got married!!! The wedding was in Clayton at La Chateau. Here is the happy couple:

Here is another happy couple, please disregard my husband's eyes that are shut. He refused to take another picture after this one.
"Look man, we have super powers with these rings!"

The wedding was very small but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! Matt and I didn't think we'd know any one there, and we really didn't but we ended up having the BEST time!!! Here are just a couple stories from the night...

*The ring bearer walked half way down the aisle then stopped, waited about a minute then walked up to Ben. Then the female pastor told him to go back to his dad so he sprinted back down the aisle to his dad where he asked for everyone to hear, "Can we go home now?"

*The female pastor started the ceremony by saying, "This is when we typically ask who gives this woman away but in today's world, women have the right to make up their own mind so we aren't going to ask that..." Nothing like women's lib to start off a wedding!

*They had the BEST cake!!! Super moist, the icing tasted homemade and the best part...there was this little chocolate ball beside the cake which I thought was like a truffle or something, oh no, it was like the hard shell chocolate over a scoop of ice cream and we all know how much I LOVE ICE CREAM!!! I was going to ask Matt if I could have his for half my cake but his was gone by the time I turned to him. Guess he liked it too.

Thanks for letting us share in your day Missey and Ben! I hope you two have a great time in Mexico this week!!!

Welcome to the World Colin!!!

...My bestie and friend forever Candace welcomed her baby boy, Colin Patrick to the world at 3:25PM on Thursday, May 6. He was named after his momma's maiden name Collins.
She went in Wednesday morning at 5am to be induced after an entire day and only getting to 3 they decided to stop trying until 4am on Thursday. When I spoke to Candace at noon on Thursday, she had to pause to have a contraction while we were talking and I helped her through it...he he whew...he he whew, she said the doctor thought he might be too big and that's why he wasn't moving. She called me at 4pm to tell me the little stinker came out the naturally way weighing in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces!!! I love this picture. The boy already has attitude and is giving his dad the finger saying, "Dude-stop taking my picture!"
I'm so happy for her and Chad!!! I just wish I lived closer so I could go see them but I'll be there soon enough and Colin will get to watch me, hopefully, survive and race my first half marathon! Chad and Candace are going to be wonderful parents, I can't wait to see them with their son over the years! Welcome to the family Colin! Aunt Lyss can't wait to meet you!

Would It Make You Feel Better???

...so this past Saturday, I got up early and headed to my sister's. We were supposed to be going to my niece's t-ball game but it was rained out so INSTEAD we had a couponing party!!! (14 Vitamin waters for only $7...yeah, I'm bragging!). In the meantime, Matt was left at home to tidy up, run some errands and then headed to a bachelor party which was a full day of bowling, paint balling and partying.

I come home from my exciting couponing and head downstairs to let the dogs out. If the direct path to their cages which is the only way in or out, one of them has pooped. I grr to myself, let them out, clean it up then call my husband. Trying not to be that bitchy wife that they are all going to complain about when you hang up, I wait for Matt to answer. Our convo:

Me: If I were to calling you and tell you I was pissed about something, would you know why?
Matt: No...
Me (raising voice slightly): Don't you lie to me Matthew G! There is only one way in and one way out to put the dogs up. I know you saw it!
Matt: Oh yeah...one of the dogs pooped in the basement.
Me: YEAH! There are paper towels in the basement, why couldn't you take the 5 seconds pick it up?
Matt: Would it make you feel better if I told you I stepped in it barefoot?
Me: (trying not to laugh) Just don't do it again...

I never answered him but yes, it did make me feel better and I could totally tell someone had to stepped in it, too so I know he wasn't lying.

Ending Our Relationship...

...Tuesday morning, I did. I ended our relationship. I broke up with my girl doctor. Remember this post where I told you that I got charged for a $1900 surgery that I never had and I wasn't even in town the day it happened? Well, I called my insurance company today because I looked online and didn't see the charges were reversed. Sure enough, two months later and STILL not fixed! My doctor's office told the insurance company that, "The check is in the mail." Well, they have two weeks and if the check isn't there then I'll be making a fraud claim. I'm so glad I was out of town at a conference for work so I have proof that I wasn't here.

After I got off the phone with the insurance company, I called the doctor's office and asked for the office manager. When she answered, I could already tell she sounded like a cold-hearted person and sure enough she was. I told her that I was no longer going to be using their office but I wanted to let her know why. The only reaction I got from her was when I told her that they'd TOLD me who was supposed to be charged for the surgery, I got an, "Oh my!" Other than that, when I finished, I just got a, "Well at this point the only thing I can do is apologize and make sure the money gets returned to the insurance company." OH! I was so fired up, I wanted to say, "Yes at this point, all you can do is apologize but I CAN do a whole lot more."

So for now I wait to see if insurance gets the check. I wrote a review of their office through Yahoo. It just really sucks because they are like their own people so they care that they're losing one client but I feel as though what they've done is 100% TOTALLY wrong and they don't even care nor have then done anything to correct it! A co-worker suggested I find out if they are part of the local hospital or group and write a letter to them. Any ideas? Suggestions?

I can't wait for the insurance thing to be done so I can officially wash my hands of them but at the same time they STILL make my blood boil AND now I have to find a new doctor-ugh!

18 Holes=a LONG Day...

...Monday was the big golf tournament through my work. It was a lot of fun but it was also a VERY long day, I think I was in bed by 8pm and Tuesday morning, I was STILL dragging a little bit...and I'd only had half a margarita!!!

My team was a little concerned with my skill after the first tee when my ball almost hit a passing truck on a local road-oops! It just took me a couple holes to warm up and, since it was a scramble, they used my ball a lot more than I expected! My goal was to give them at least 2-3 good shots but I definitely gave them more than that. I was on a team with three males so by the end of the day, I was one of the guys but not without getting a couple good pictures.

Here is Matt posing and *trying* to look sexy (this was like the 16th hole we'd played if you can't tell)

Oops! I hit my ball into these people's yard so Matt retrieved it for me. Hitting it into the yard is better than hitting the house which is what some people on my team did...three times.

Here are the girls from work that played, yes I was the lucky one paired up with the boys. Probably a good thing since I'm used to the rough guy talk thanks to my hubs and his friends.

My bragging moment: I didn't even want to hit but Jeremy offered me a ball so if it went in the water, no big deal. If you see the black arrow, I hit it from there, over the water and BAM! Right on the green (see the red arrow).

So there's my day of golf that I was so nervous about. It was a lot of fun and I actually wasn't too bad. We'll see if we play again next year.

Spring Has Sprung...

...yep, spring has sprung here in the Midwest. Most of the year, we have this dull, boring vine climbing around our flagpole looking like weeds but now that spring has arrived, check out how gorgeous this is!
Matt's not here as I write this but I think it's called a clematis, not to be confused with chlamydia which is what Google kept suggesting when I was trying to type clematis...I just can't stay away from Google!

Race Redemption...

...bright and early this AM, the race crew pictured below and I headed to Union Station in downtown St. Louis to run in the Delta Gamma Race for Sight 5K. After last weekend, I was really hoping for a good race for a confidence booster to get me back on track for the half.

As soon as we arrived, we hit up the potties because, as you know, the wait for the women's bathroom is always super long. When I came out, I saw Jennelle waiting in line, I looked at her and we immediately recognized each other (surprisingly because I try not to post bad pictures of myself on here or if I do, I keep them at a distance and I was NOT looking my cutest at 8am on race day). We chatted for a second and I saw her at the start line, it's always great to run into people you "know" even if it is only through blog land.

I was also supposed to meet up with Amy and her husband but I left my phone in the car so I didn't have to run with it. I walked around the entire morning saying to my race crew, "Do you see Amy or Chris?...Amy?...Chris?" Needless to say, if I ever had to describe a wanted fugitive to the police, you would all be suspects because my explanation of what Amy and Chris looked like basically described every person there...oops! Oh well, hopefully, we'll be able to meet up soon!!! I'm just glad you all had a great time (and by great I mean as great as exercising can be at 8:30AM on a Sunday morning).

Here is the race crew (L to R): Me, Trent, Stevie, Matt

So now for the race report...This was the first race I'd ever run in where you had to put a tag on your shoe. Seriously, the four of us on the "race crew" could NOT figure this out. We'd think we have it then we'd look at the diagram again and start over. Then we'd think we had it again and we couldn't tie our shoes, finally we said screw it, we'll see what everyone else is doing when we get there. We also reminded each other to be sure to look at the clock as we finished in case we royally messed these tags up...good news-we didn't mess it up and we all got timed properly.

As we waited at the starting line, I started listening to my Ipod to get pumped up. FYI-running a race with friends is so much better than running on your own. The horn went off and Trent was gone...see ya later! My goal was to finish in under 35 minutes and to "try" to keep up with Matt (the husband). He totally frustrates me because he doesn't work out a day in his life and then goes and runs like it ain't no thang. This is why when he asked if he could run the half with me, I said no. I politely told him that he could cheer at the half and point and say, "That's my wife!" but there will be no running it for him.

So we start off, my Ipod blaring "Super Freak" in my ears (don't ask-my sister and six year niece made the playlist) and less than 50 yards from the start line, I look at Stevie and point, "Someone lost their underwear!" Stevie laughs at me and lets me know that I'm super loud with the headphones on. Oops! I started laughing and thinking, it's going to be a long race if I'm already laughing and messing up my breathing.

Basically this course just looped up and down the streets of downtown St. Louis (I still haven't seen a map of the course). They changed it from last year and this year had a LOT more hills in it, sorry Trent we lied to you about it being fairly flat. So I make the first turn and Stevie starts to fall behind, I run a little further, turn around and see her about 30 yards back and make a big waving motion for her to come on...I never saw her again until the finish line.

Right before where I'm assuming mile 1 was (no sign for it, apparently they were yelling at us that it was mile 1 but I was on to Katy Perry blaring in the ears so I couldn't hear them), I see two guys that I saw Stevie talking to before the race run off course. I get to the cross street and I don't see them...hmm, guess they had to take a pit stop (after the race we ran into him again and he reluctantly confirmed my suspicions-must be nice to be a guy!). I'd lost Matt by this time but I could still see his bandana-ed head in front of me so I felt good that he was within my site.

I finally hit mile 2 and checked out the time, 25 miles after start time...no way was I going to meet my 35 minute goal. Instead of getting down on myself, I just shrugged it off because I was already having a great time with the "race crew" and I knew the race was for an awesome cause (they had some of the kids there that benefit from Delta Gamma and they were so stinkin' cute!). At about mile 2.5, I almost TOTALLY wiped out and while most of the course didn't have too many spectators along the way, of course, this spot had a TON! Thank goodness my headphones were on so I didn't hear the group OH!!! I actually started laughing and just kept running.

I was on the last road stretch before the turn behind Union Station telling myself I could do it when I just lost it all. I think because I knew how much was still ahead of me from running the race last year. There was a lady in all black, we'll call her the "Black Widow", ahead of me that I was trying to keep within distance but as turned the corner and was gone. UGH! So I kept truckin' on...

Now let me tell you this, I do NOT brag on myself for being a runner...at.all. On Daily Mile, I originally listed myself as a walker because I don't feel that my slow turtle pace classifies me as a runner. I DO, however, have one hell of a runner's kick. I would like to credit that to my many years of being a defender in soccer and having to chase down the opposing team. So I see the three mile marker and I...turn...it...on!!! I was running faster than I thought my little body had it in me, for a second I didn't think I would be able to keep it up until the finish line then out of no where this guy with a stroller shows up sprinting beside me (scared the bejeezus out of me since I couldn't hear him coming) and then I saw the "Black Widow" ahead of me (keep in mind I hadn't seen her for probably at least a tenth of a mile or more) and I told myself I had to keep it up. Seriously, this was like the last 10 yards of the race, so I kicked it up and passed her with about 4 steps to spare!!! I glanced at the clock and saw it said 34 minutes...I was so freakin' excited!!! I passed about 10 or so people (some may have been part of the walking part of the race) in the last .1 of the race, caught and passed "Black Widow" AND finished under 35 minutes!!!

It's almost 2pm as I write this and I'm STILL excited about this morning!!! It was exactly what I needed to clear my mind and get back on track for the last 30 days or so of training for the half!!! Tomorrow is a 5 or 6 mile run then golf tournament in the afternoon. It's nice to have the gusto back in me for running.

Final results for my "race crew"

Trent 27:05 (his first 5K ever!!!)
Matt 28:29 (shaved about 2 minutes off last year's race and ran in his brand new "princess" shoes for the first time, he totally credits the shoes for his awesome time)
Me 34:23 (WOOHOO!!! Last year's race time was 37.46)
Stevie 36.34 (she also shaved a minute off last year's race time)

Thanks for all the positive thoughts to get me there today! You all rock! I credit all the support from my blog, Daily Mile and real life friends and family plus the great "race crew" with me today and maybe even the chocolate PB thing I had for breakfast too...