Wine Makes Festivals Better!!

Who loves to pretend she is a classy drunk and have wine all the time?

ME!!!!

Guess who won tickets to the Cleveland Wine festival courtesy of Cleshopaholic over at Things I Luuuuurve?

ME!!!!! 

I heart contests, and winning, and....wine! The tri-fecta!

Luckily I still have a single friend left in the world who was able to be my date for the event on short notice! Even if she wouldn't even let me FB any pics we took together, let alone, posting them on my blog. Jerk!

It was an absolutely perfect day weather-wise, not too hot, sunny, and fabulous!!

You can pretend it's not Lake Erie, when the sunlight dances off the water. 

Hi Cleveland waterfront, we have arrived!!

This is totally an advertisement for drinking wine...notice my hair blowing in the wind...Yea...I'm drunk..

The band was Lloyd Dobbler Effect (who doesn't love Lloyd Dobbler?) And their "stage man" (who was like....10)  was the only guy I met all day...he gave us several CD's and posters. He was super happy to have his pic taken with us stage-side, can you tell?

I on the other hand, was so completely  amused at this moment.

We each got 10 free tastings....plus the extras people randomly gave us..plus the times we got tastings without tickets...plus the 20 more my date bought because I paid for parking...if she were a boy I'd totally marry her.

Tastings quickly add up. Especially when you add in the two FULL size free beers I had at the beer garden!! Lunch and dinner drinking is pretty dangerous without actual lunch or dinner!!

 Who is wine drunk before 8:30? Ok, me, and everyone else at the festival.

Aside from all the delicious wine tastings, laughing, and random conversations with drunk people..I finally got to meet live, and in techno color, the amazing  Alexa over at Cleveland's a Plum  after allllll these years  in the blogosphere! That was totally unexpected! Hi Alexa!

Me again, all alone! I'm so totally drunk at this point. I loved the wine festival!!

The ride home was made up of car singing and dancing. Including, but not limited to, Melissa Gorga's "On Display" from the Real Housewives of NJ.Cheesy? Yes, but then we belted out the chorus together at full volume.

This led to pulling into our neighborhood gay bar for some full body dancing to top off the night. (old person alert...there are not many people in the club at 9pm, but you get your requests played straightaway)

The day after? No hangover, let's be honest, I am no stranger to large amounts of vino. But my body was certainly tired. I may run 5-9 miles in a day....but it has got nothing on tripping the light fantastic on no food, and I was beat! I was at McDonald's at 7 am for the best post drinking breakfast in the world...a large coke, and sausage biscuit.

I got out of my PJ's long enough to take the dog to sniff dog butts at the dog park. Then...more laying around.

Me and Mr. Magoo ended the night with some forbidden chinese takeout. I had the vegetable lo mein, and he had a menu.

mmmm chinese menu!!

Team Leader, Means Business...

I have enlisted four of my coworkers to do the Akron Marathon this year, as a relay team.  

I'm team leader.

Last year, I did the first leg, at 3.9 miles, and was so afraid of the whole experience. I wasn't a "runner", I ran only for an extra calorie burn before my bootcamp class to lose weight. I only agreed to the relay because the team needed to replace a dropout.

But when I passed on my relay bracelet, I had wished I picked a longer leg....the excitement of a big race, does so much for you!

And I can't wait for my team to experience the excitement of race day! I know they are going to love it! Plus, I am selling it as a "team building experience" at work....so far, so good!!

One member runs casually, one works out alot, but does not run, one hasn't ran in years, one can do a 7 minute mile (our finisher) and then there is me. A mediocre runner, with not much speed, but a whole lotta spirit!!

I am taking the longest leg of the relay, at 7.5 miles. I'm not afraid of it at all. Even if it is one week before my second-ever half marathon!


I developed a spreadsheet for the team to track our weekly mileage, as a "healthy competition" to get them use to running, and hopefully make them inclined to get out and do some miles because I am sharing it with the team every Monday.

I have no expectations...your first race goal should be to finish without injury. Otherwise you will hate the entire experience. I am hoping to get a new (or more) race mate out of the whole experience!


I never in a billion years expected to enjoy running....or racing.. let alone, lead a team of newbies down my same path! But if you never push yourself, you will never know how strong you are, or what you are capable of.

Accomplishing what you thought was impossible, is the best gift you can ever give yourself!!

This is the message I want to share with everyone!

I think when all is said and done, seeing my team gather at the finish and retrieve our medals.... will be my most rewarding accomplishment to date!!

Girl Talk...

Cats love the sun.

This weekend, I went with one of my BFF's to a local pool/waterslide park. We had so much fun! I screamed with enjoyment every time I went down the waterslide chute on my innertube, I felt like a kid again!

While slowly meandering around the "lazy river"  on our double innertube...which was just a circle of water that you are propelled around and around, we had two very in-depth conversations..


One about male body hair, and why men that have an entire back full of hair would not shave or wax. Especially...when they have a willing significant other to do so for them! Meanwhile, they expect us women to be completely shaved...uh...double standard? 

Wake up call boys, we don't enjoy your body hair any more than you would enjoy ours!

And two, about how you would hide a body if you killed someone. My girlfriend said to bury them, to which I cited animals digging up the body, or someone building on the burial site one day...the bones could still be found decades later.

Since I watch too much TV...I said the only way is to incinerate the body...(clearly I win....)

Disclaimer, neither of us is in the market for hiding a body, but it proved a very interesting conversation nonetheless! We really put a lot of thought into this before our final two decisions.

In the end, after 5 hours in the sun, swimming, and watersliding, I was quickly reminded that in fact..I am no longer a kid, because I needed a nap when I got home.

And some vinegar and aloe for my sunburn.

Another Race, Another Goal!...

Tonight was my second 5k of the season. I was so terrified it would be in the 90's as it has been, and I'd end up having to walk most of it (smoker...guilty...) but last night I asked the universe for rain. Rain would make me run faster, and cool me off.

I didn't get rain, but I got 70 degrees! Granted, it was probably still about 80% humidity, but I'll take it!

I did the Rock The Lock 5k, which was a night run thru the city which I reside, and mostly, on the hiway, which was kinda sweet!! Race start time, at 6:45, finished, post race food collected, and home by 7:30. Ya can't beat that!

It starts and ends where we have our free concert series for the city, so we crossed the finish right behind the band playing on stage!! Pretty cool!

My only goal for my second 5k this year was to beat my first 5k time of 31.59.

I did that!! I finished at 30.35, at a 9.51 pace!! I've never gotten under a 10m pace for a whole race, I'm so freaking proud!

I started to do tempo runs a couple days a week to beat my half marathon time come October, and by doing so, I have learned what my comfortable pace is without technology, because I don't have a fancy race watch.

If I feel uncomfortable, but can still run, I am at my max pace of 6.0 . And I can tell when I am at my "usual pace" when I slow it up.


My shining moment was that this race I am in an older age group. This did wonders for me, as I placed 12th out of 27 women in my age group.

Go me!!!!!

My end of season goal is still to do a 5k in under 30...but it looks like working on increasing my pace, just since June...is already working!!

Suit Yourself....

What women on earth enjoys bathing suit shopping?

I know "the rest of us" imagine models have a pretty easy go of it, but if you listen to them speak, even they hate their bodies, it's part of our "woman's curse". Along with cramps, mood swings, extra body fat, being emotional, PMS, periods, loving men, and childbirth. (I know there are more, but who has the time?)

I have not dipped the toes into a body of water since losing my last 65lbs. I was kind of excited to look for a suit this year, thinking I would hate it less, since there is much less of me to cover.

But alas....it's the same damned thing. Nothing is just right. I have arm flab. My inner thighs are fat. There is no boob support. A halter top strangles me, and makes me look hunched over. My cellulite is gone, but I have that little spot under my cheeks that is a crease and won't hold a pencil. (the sign of a firm rump is holding a pencil between your cheeks and your upper thigh....)

I am now down to the wire, as I have a swimming date with one of my besties this weekend. We are going to a pool that has waterslides, so I can't just get something that looks good, it has to also be functional, so I don't show the world my goods and get us kicked out!!


You either have to be super thin, have no boobs, or be old, and not care that the only suit that looks right on your body, and won't fall off has a skirt, or an ugly floral pattern, and no underwire.

Seriously? What am I doing wrong here? 

Where is the best place to find a great bathing suit? 

Dating is Ok...

As I like to tell my only other single girlfriend....when we feel sad about not being in "a relationship" or "where we thought we would be" at this point of our lives....our married, and or friends with kids are far more jealous of our single girl status, than we are of theirs. So, we need to embrace every moment while we have it!

I've been on a few dates with a guy over the last couple months. I have been keeping it low-key so as to not be like "the girl who cried love". Not that the "L" word is a factor. But you get to dating people, and get your hopes up and start jumping to conclusions, and I'm trying not to do that this time. Slow and steady wins the race.

Novel idea, I am just dating the person for the sake of dating. Going out, having fun, and whatever happens, happens. For the first time in a very long time, I'm quite content with my single-girl status, so the idea of not being overly gung-ho is quite easy. I got my own thing going on, and going on dates are just a bonus to my already awesome life.

Welcome to your mid-thirties!!

When we are together, it feels like it is just us, and that's all any girl can ask for when just "dating" someone.

We went dancing a couple of weeks ago. I don't remember the last time I was dancing with a boy....probably several years back with exmanfriend. It was a blast. I didn't even care that I was so sweaty, it looked like I was caught in a rainstorm...and neither did he.

At one point,  Michael Jackson's "don't stop til you get enough"...came on..which I happen to have a dance routine to from my hip hop cardio class, and I sooooooo wanted to get out on the floor and cut a rug...but at that point, we were seated at the bar, and he said he was having fun flirting with me. Thank God, I don't know what would've happened had I tried to break it down on the dance floor, solo!! Vodka...I love it!

This weekend we took in a winery, and had our own table down on the lawn away from the crowd, and got to see some fireworks. (not just the ones we may have created from kissing....watchout!) 

I missed enjoying someones company, and not just looking forward to the moment when they leave so I can go about my business. I like sharing my business with someone else, if it's the right someone.

And, it was nice to tap into his god given talent as a man, to master my new DVR box for me, and got my remote to work on all my electronics. (I was unable to watch DVD's...I could NOT figure out how to toggle the TV...don't judge!!) (I'll never understand why this comes so easily to men....???)

We are going to see each other again, and are talking about planning a camping trip. I havn't been "real" camping in YEARS, and I SO love it!!

This weeks focus, however, is to get in all the miles I can, so I can get an awesome 5k time on my Friday night race downtown!! I can't wait!!

The Meddling Mother....

My mother cannot stand the fact that she has no grandchildren. I feel for her I suppose...but I also have given her 5 perfectly nice grandpets in the place of needy human children.

She feels it is her duty to marry me off, so I can produce said grandchildren. I'm 36, and my married, and or/with children friends far more envy my life, than I do theirs. Not that it matters...but I love to be so free!

Said meddling mother, has now taken it upon herself to try to get me to go out with someone I am just friends with. Friends, because I am just not attracted to him, and I don't fell it!!!

My Mother, has friended said friend on "FB", because he has a business, a house, a boat, and a sense of humor...but after their becoming friends, this has led to an even greater reason I will never date said friend!  They tend to team up against me publicly when I go on "dates".

I don't need my personal life laid out as a commentary between my own Mother, and a friend....on facebook!!!..ummmm....get a life!

Really? I'm finding my life of leisure is quite enjoyable. I have no strings. I can date whomever I want, plan my life according to what I feel like doing.....? I don't need the bullshit backlash, who does?

I'm gonna keep on keepin' on, until I find someone who makes me want to stop the keepin! I owe it to myself, afterall!

So I TiVod Porn?....

Recently, I have had to say goodbye to my TiVo, and our 12 year relationship....a person without TiVo, who has been slumming it with a DVR, cannot understand just how heartbreaking this really is.

My new DVR, is merely a glorified VCR. It doesn't have any of the bells and whistles that TiVo has. Sure, it records what I tell it to, sort of, but it doesn't know what I like. We do not share a connection. I guess you don't know what you are missing, if you have never even had it....Maybe my TiVo is a metaphor for love...?

I traded TiVo in for my new box, so I wouldn't be charged for the equipment. I disconnected her in haste, and boxed her right up to send back. I didn't get a chance to erase all my saved shows.

At first thought, I wasn't  worried about the myriad of TV shows still left on there.

But, in addition to seasons of Lost, American Horror Story, many, many Houswives,....I also had a handful of "skinemax" movies I had recorded and saved.....

I guess, when you come right down to it...I cannot possibly be the worst porn offender that has returned a unit, right?

I mean, I really don't think that "Coed Confidential" will land me on any federal pervert lists....Right??!






 

Rescue Dog Days of Summer...

I live in Northeast Ohio. Once in a blue moon, the temperatures reach 90. It's rare. I don't remember the last time they have exceeded the 90's, let alone, for weeks on end, as they have been, and caused such distress on the inhabitants....dogs included!

This is Mr. Magoo's sad and pathetic "I'm bored" face...he thinks I'm terrible for not walking him, or taking him to the dog park in the hot weather, but he is a stumpy faced dog, he can't cool off in the heat...it's for his own good

 So, as any good Mother would do, I finally went and got him a doggie pool. At first, he's not sure about it...what's this business? 

Then, after a quick backyard chase session, he decided that it met his approval..."yes, this feels nice!!"

"Thanks for the pool Mom!!" (I got a kiss!)

From 4 years of life in a cage w/no human contact... to having his own doggie pool, and a human that thinks the sun rises and sets with his sweet face....Mr. Magoo hit the jackpot with my adopting him.. and as always, I am equally as lucky for having adopted him...

Later That Day....

Every time we "went outside" which usually means "potty"...we had to check out our pool..... I didn't have the heart to correct him. He lounged around in the pool, and then still did his business. 

I'm just going to go through a lot more towels each week than I am accustomed to... it's totally worth it to see how happy he is walking around in that silly doggy pool!!

Self Esteeem

I have kept in touch with exactly two of my exes in my whole life. One has been since we broke up back in 1999. It's been different thru the years, friends, friends with benefits, friends, we just never lost contact.


When I met exmanfriend, I changed the rules, it was 3 years of him wanting to see me, and my firm answer of no. Every few months he'd check in. and I'd say I had never been happier. I couldn't see myself without exmanfriend in my life, so the benefits are not on the horizon.

Now, said ex is getting married. For some reason his upcoming nuptuals, and my single-ness have spurred his interest in having friendly benefits with me again. "one last time" as if it is perfectly OK, because I am single.

I try to be a friend and tell him he shouldn't marry someone he doesn't think he will be happy with, and is trying so desperately to cheat on, but he thinks one last "hurrah" is going to make his lifetime of matrimony better, because, through the years, I've been there. 

But what about me? I am so not the girl that will settle for a romp with an ex just because they want to. If all I wanted was sex, I could get it anytime, with a single guy...hello, I'm a girl!

I am a firm believer in karma. What goes around, comes around.

I don't need that bad karma in my life, I have had enough bad luck in relationships!

Recently, said ex needed to buy a quick used phone from the same provider I have, and I happened to have a perfectly good phone, and the need of some fast money, so I said I'd sell it to him.

We met up for the business transaction, and I got such a great satisfaction at the fact that he couldn't believe how well I've aged, and how amazing I looked. I don't care how it may sound, it never gets old to hear an ex talk about how they messed up by letting you go because you are such a great person, and how good you look, no matter how little interest you have in them. Score one for me.


I listened to the crap about how I deserved to be happy, and how some day I will be getting married too. I couldn't help but respond with "I know what I deserve, and I will marry the man of my dreams, and when that happens, I'll never for a second think about cheating on him".

For the first time in a long time, it felt good to make decisions based on what I want, and not what I thought I deserved. I know what is coming my way, so long as I stay true to myself.

In the meantime, I'll be over here, swimming in my crystal clear karma pool, waiting for the future Mr. Me to show up, and knock my socks off!

It's a Break....Not a Break Up...

Yes, I just may be a TV addict, but there are way worse things I could admit to.

Sadly...it's the end of an era for me.

I have long been in perfect relationship with my TiVo. Twelve years of happy.

TiVo knows what you like. It finds you awesome things to watch, and when you get home to check TiVo, you often find a show with your favorite person, or something you didn't know about. 

It has the charming "bloop, bloop" sound when you make selections. The peanut remote. The TiVo guy dances for you on your menu screens. TiVo gives you the option to learn more about things that are advertised on TV commercials at the push of a button.

TiVo lost local channels, and a few other cable channels last week. I kept thinking it was a fluke since I still get them on my newer reciever in my bedroom.

An hour with tech support proved I needed to download a software upgrade, either via a wireless router, or my landline. Neither of which I am a proud owner of. Besides, the cost of hooking up a landline or buying a router is greater than a simple box upgrade to DVR.

So, until I save up for the new fancy TiVo box, (which I could lease from Direct Tv, but after the initial fee, and monthly service, costs about 3 times as much as purchasing the new unit...) I am going to be like every other regular Joe in the world and have a plain old boring DVR.

Also, I will have to re-enter approximately 45 season passes into the new box.(This is minus all the ones I never cleaned out, I had about 60 canceled shows in there!!)

And set another 100 wish list items. (if DVR even has a wish list equivelant, who knows.)

I'm probably more sad about the lost relationship with TiVo, than any other in my life thus far.

12 years is a long time.

RIP TiVo. You served me well.