A Weekend in KC

#124. Get a Manicure
#132. Get a Pedicure
#21. Attend a NFL Game
#93. Visit an Art Museum
#144. Try a New Restaurant
#157. Attend a Festival
#198. Tailgate at a Game


Birthday trips are fun. Especially when you get to experience new things.

Get a manicure and pedicure aren't necessarily on the bucket list of things never done. But due to work and lack of money, they are few and far between. I love them, though. Relaxing and having a moment to myself to just breath.


Saturday morning - leave Springfield and head to KC. The first stop...  Art Museum. Because I love them. And it's my birthday weekend. lol. And they love it too, just like they love taking pictures with me. :)

The museum has a glass maze. It was small, but fun. The landscaping and the building was beautiful! 

Next stop, the hotel to get ready for dinner. I was able to use my Hilton Honors to get us a decent priced hotel for the weekend. 

The vote was BBQ, since we were in KC, for dinner. That was fine with me, but I wanted to dress up. So we did. And we all looked great, if I do say so myself.  After researching, and trying to find a reservation, we ended up going to Jack Stack on the Plaza. Delicious food and well priced for the food. The Plaza was packed due to a Street Art Fair. It was nice walking around and looking at the art work. There were some great pieces. There was only one bad thing... remember me saying I wanted to dress up... well that included heals. And by the time we had walked a little bit around my feet were hurting. The shoes came off and barefoot I went down the street back to the car. Luckily someone was watching out for us that night. We came pretty close to getting mugged. 

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick stop at Walmart for some supplies for the big game.. namely ponchos and snacks. Did I mention it was my new car's first road trip? Well it was, we took my car. Only downfall... my wipers weren't the best. And it was supposed to rain all day Sunday. So I purchased new blades and John and Cameron were kind enough to put them on for me. Such gentlemen. 

GAME DAY!!!

Going to an NFL game has always been on my list, so when I got tickets, I was super excited. And we got to meet up with some Houlihan's people and tailgate. 

 The view from our seats!

 The weekend summed up in one picture. 

#195. Half Marathon

Half Marathon Number 3.

The Joplin Memorial Run is a run I plan to do every year... at least as long as I am able.


Compared to the previous year, I would say I was half ready for this race. I wasn't training for it. Actually I signed up last minute on an emotional whim. Looking back, I have no regrets. I needed to do this race for myself. Last year, I had a full support team with me, both at the race and with me through messages, and I had been training for months. This year I was not training at all. A few runs here and there, but not all the effort I put into the previous year.

So what was the difference this year? It looked like, from the outside, I had everything I needed to make the race a great one. And please don't misinterpret what I am saying. It was great race. The one I will remember because it was my first one and I was surrounded by support. The difference was me. Last year, I had a ton of people around me and they were all telling me I was able to do it. But I didn't believe it.

This year, I felt the need to prove to myself I could do it. I could take the trip myself. Stay in the hotel myself. Go to the race myself. And complete the race myself. I needed to do it for me. So I wasn't prepared physically. In fact, it was the hardest race I've done yet. I wanted to give up on mile 2.... with 11.1 more to go. Mentally I was ready for it leading up to the race. The drive to Joplin was full of up beat songs blasting over my new (to me) car speakers. I went to the expo to pick up my packet, still doing great, I was excited. I got dinner, and checked into the hotel. And that is when it hit me. I didn't want to do it anymore. It was 7pm and I was in a hotel by myself. My head began telling me that I should just go to bed and not set an alarm. I didn't need to do the race. I wasn't ready for it. Instead, I could just sleep in, wake up and drive back to Springfield.

But for once I decided not to let the voices in my head win. I went to bed and woke up determined to finish. It was hard. I finished in more time than I had previously taken. But I FINISHED! At that point, it was an accomplishment for me. My third half marathon was done.

 Driving down to Joplin.

 

Runner's Expo Swag

I did not want to do it, but trying to smile anyway. 4am wake up! 

The starting line. The 161 balloons represent the lives lost in the Joplin EF-5 Tornado that went through a few years ago. 

The yellow banners are lined up along the first mile of the race. There are 161 banners, each with a name of someone who died in the tornado. It is also the last mile of the race. It's a great reminder of the purpose for the race. 

Run.  Remember.  Rebuild. 

Finished!!!! 13.1 

I'm glad I did it. It was rough. But I finished! 

Yay!!! 

#26. Buy a New Car

#26. Buy a New Car


There are several things I put on my list knowing I would most likely not completely them, but I wanted to keep trying. Buying a new car is one of them. To say I haven't had the best of luck with cars is an understatement.

My first car, a Ford Tempo V6, was my moms before I bought it from her. It had to have a ton of work, but it worked for a year. My second car, I was the proudest of because I bought it. It was a Chevy Caviler. It was red and I was in love with it when I bought it. It was a great car. I got it in 2002 and had it for almost 10 years. After a few years though, it started going down hill. Partially because I didn't know anything about cars, regular maintenance, or anything I was supposed to be doing. And partially because money was not something I had. I would rather wait till the last minute to do anything. Don't worry --- I've learned my lesson!

Now on to the real reason for the post.... MY NEW CAR!!!

A little back story: I got my Pontiac Grand Prix about four years ago after my caviler had died. It was a quick purchase. I knew it wasn't going to last forever, so I was happy when I got four years out of it. It has been going down hill rather quickly lately. I've been saving for a while, but I really wanted to make it last until late fall. But that didn't happen. Obviously.

About a month ago, I was picking up a friend from the hospital and got pulled over on the way. The officer proceeded to let me know my tags were expired. Since they were expired I had to get an inspection for my car. I went to get the inspection done and it didn't go well. The mechanic told me I had about $800 worth of stuff that needed fixed before it would pass. And then he told me that even if I fixed all of that, it still wouldn't pass. The bottom of my car was so rusted it had a created a weak spot. He said he couldn't in good faith pass my car. I had a 'scrap metal car.'

I had been looking for a while for a car so I had it narrowed down. The Ford Fusion or the Ford Escape. I hadn't really looked at a ton of different cars. After looking at cars and suvs as I drive I knew just by looking at a car from the outside what I wanted. I really wanted an SUV. I've always loved them. It didn't have to be big, but I didn't want something super small. It needed to be just right and when I found it I would know.

I had been looking online at the Ford Escape for a few weeks but everything I found in my price range had over 150k miles on it. I was done buying a "for now" car. I wanted something that I would have for long term. Then came Friday night. I actually had a Friday night off. I happen to be looking online and found it... my car.  2013 Ford Escape. It has 81k miles on it and it was in my price range. I called the dealer about it and set up an appointment for Saturday.

I knew going into Saturday that driving anything would be wonderful compared to my car. But I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it when I got in. It fit like a glove. I loved it down to every little detail, including the dashboard having a blue tent (my favorite color). The dealer let me take it for a test drive and it was marvelous.

When I got back to the dealership I knew I had to have my game face on. I knew I couldn't let them know how much I loved it. And I couldn't get myself worked up because I knew there was a small chance I would even get a loan. As I walked in my salesman met me at the door and asked if I liked it. I said yes. He then asked me if I had a trade in. I laughed and said no, because I had planned on selling my car to the junk yard for $150 when I finally found a new car. Well the salesman said they would give me $500 for my old car. I laughed and asked him if they were sure. He said yes and we went to talk to the accountant. After being upfront with him about everything on my credit report, we started the paper work to apply for a loan. Then came the wait. It took about thirty minutes for us to hear back about the loan. As I sat and waited in the lounge area, I kept convincing myself that it wasn't going to happen and not to be discouraged. There would be other cars. When the guys came to get me we went in the office and he started saying this is my payment, etc. I just paused at one point and said "I got the loan??" He said yes, like it was no big deal. I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. Within an hour, I was walking out with a new car.

Crazy. It was not what I was expecting to do that day. But I did it, on my own. I bought a car.

Well here's the pictures. Some from the dealer. A few from me.

I love it!!

 

138. Try a New Restaurant, 141. Visit a New State, 152, Go onVacation & 158. Road Trip

158. Road Trip
141. Visit a New State
138. Try a New Restaurant
152. Go on Vacation

What do you do when one of your friends gets married in another state? And a state you haven't been to??? You decide to drive cross country and see your friend get married and combine that with a vacation!!!

I met a lovely lady named Melissa a few years ago at the The Barn. She has been an encouraging force in my life. She is one of those people you want in your life forever. She is a beautiful person inside and out. So naturally, when I got the text that she was engaged, I immediately asked if I could come to the wedding. lol.




After a little planning and begging from my boss to give me time off, I committed. Some say driving cross country with your ex-boyfriend is bad idea. But I did it. We drove out, and then I flew back home since I had to be back at work before he did. The trip started off a little rocky. If you didn't know this about me, let me fill you in... I get motion sick. Easily. So like 90% of my road trips, I got sick within 45 minutes of leaving Springfield. Did I mention it was about a 15 hour trip???




So I turned my side of the car on blast AC, reclined the seat, and took some dramaine. I was awake off and on, but I slept for most of the trip. I woke up once we got to Ohio and stayed awake for the rest of the trip. We drove through West Virginia and then finally we were in Maryland. After getting lost, thanks GPS, and traveling around back country roads, we finally got to where we were meeting Melissa and Matt.





Since I don't want to bore you with all the details, I'll hit the highlights. Thursday, Matt (Melissa's soon to be husband), John and I ran errands for the wedding decorations and hung out. And we went to lunch at a place called Castiglia's Italian Eatery in Keyser, WV. It was delicious!!! So much food, for not a lot of money. I would totally recommend it if you're ever in the area.

I had 5 full days of no work. I brought my computer to do work, but I didn't. I do not regret not doing anything work-related. It was nice to get away, enjoy spending time with people, and not thinking work.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I have helped plan and been to a lot of weddings. The best weddings are the ones that fit the couple. That reflect their love. This one did just that from every aspect. To the way Melissa was stunning in her dress, to the way Matt looked at her with adoration when she walked down the aisle. The hymns, the love shown to family and friends. They really love each other and it was very evident. I was happy to be a part of such a special day for an amazing couple.

Wedding Selfie... because why not?

Friends reunited. Sue (and Ben) came to the wedding from Rhode Island. 

It was good to see her again! 

The wedding picture collage. 

10. Get a Tattoo, 65. Visit an Art Museum, and 130. New Hair Do

10. Get a Tattoo
65. Visit an Art Museum
130. New Hair Do

August 22, 2015

I decided to do something different and a little drastic with my hair. I wasn't sure if I liked it, but I went for it. ha ha.



John, Cameron and I decided to spend the day hanging out. First stop, the art museum. We went to the Springfield Art Museum. I had never been, surprisingly. It was a lot of fun. At the end, we went to the gift shop and saw some temporary tattoos, so we decided to get them.

After the museum, we went to Bambinos for dinner and then to see the movie Straight Out of Compton.

Fun Day.

126. Participate in a Half Marathon

126. Participate in a Half Marathon


Half marathon number 2. To say that I wasn't prepared would be an understatement. I signed up on a whim after a pastor at church had asked how my running was going. He talked to me a for a while and said I should sign up for the Run for the Ranch half because its an easy 4x loop and its flat. After thinking about it, and lacking motivation for the past few months, I decided to go for it. One, because I thought for sure this would help me get back in to it. And two, because I wanted a medal. We all know I have a thing for medals.

So I did it. I signed up a month before the race. And then life and job and everything got in the way of training. The morning of the race, I woke up and I did not want to go. I felt self conscious. I felt insecure. I felt like it wasn't worth it. But there was a small part of me that said "do it for the medal." So I woke up and got ready. Still trying to convince myself to go. I got in the car and felt decent about going. Then I pulled up and I wanted to turn back around. Here I was, out of shape and in no way ready to run this. I had my mind made up to walk. And thanks to my doctors appointment two days before I would be walking. I felt alone.

Then I got a call. The same pastor from above called me to find out where I was in the crowd. I thought he was just coming to say hi. Instead, he said he had fell and couldn't run but still wanted to walk, so he asked if I could use a walking partner. Before he called, I was about a minute away from leaving. But I stayed. We walked for almost 4 hours together. We finished. I was not easy. It was easier than my first because I was in a "whatever" frame of mind. There were no crowds of my friends and family waiting for me at the end. There was no fear of disappointing anyone but myself. It was really just me and myself walking. Yes, my pastor was there, but I was finally doing something for me.

I don't know if I would say it was my favorite, because if I'm honest it was a little anti-climatic crossing the finish line with no cheering squad, but personally, it was the best for my mind. I overcame my insecurities and faced it. Did I mention the medal is silver and blue??? LOVE!!!

165. DIY Project

165. DIY Project


Bri and I both turned 30 this last year. We decided early on that we wanted to do something with each other to celebrate being 30. So we decided on a do-it-yourself project: mugs!

We spent a morning talking about life and decorating our mugs.