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.

175. Go to a Springfield Cardinals Game

O175. Go to a Springfield Cardinals Game

July 4th, 2015


John, Cameron and I got the all-inclusive seats for the July 4th Springfield Cardinals game. It was a blast. The fireworks were okay, but the company was awesome.

#117. Sign up for OMRR

#117. Sign up for OMRR (Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners)

So I've wanted to sign up for OMRR since I heard about it a few years ago. However, my insecurity and excuses have always gotten in the way. I am actually quite good at talking myself out of something I really want to do. It is something I have realized and am now trying to fight against. But I blame it on circumstances, but when it comes down to it, I am just afraid. Afraid that people will judge me. Afraid of meeting new people.

This past weekend, I decided I have had enough of talking myself out of things. I just to do it. So I did. (insert nervous smile here). Yes I am nervous about meeting new people. Yes I am scared people will judge me. But I am not who I used to me. I have grown so much in the past year. And I need to step out. So here goes...

114. Challenge Myself

114. Challenge Myself.


Challenge myself. That could be any number of things. After the craziness of the past few months, I have decided to get back to working on me. I have let circumstances, relationships, and outside forces get in the way of working on me. Some of those have had a positive influence, but some have had a negative influence. It's time to do me.

As I was going for a run last week, I realized I needed a new challenge in my life. Something to keep me accountable to myself. To make myself healthy. And not just physically, but mentally, socially, emotionally and spiritually. I've focused so much on being healthy physically that I let the other stuff go. I'm not saying I went to any extremes, but I didn't make decisions based on a healthy whole person. I made them simply based if it would be good physically. I'm probably not explaining myself well, but stick with me.

It takes more than physical health to make a person a healthy individual. You can run marathons and eat clean all you want, but if you are not making good decisions about what you do socially or dealing (or not) with your emotions, it will reflect eventually.

So I decided to start a challenge for myself. #100daysofhealth. I started yesterday (June 1st) and will continue through the second week in September. 100 days of good decisions. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Socially. Not that every decision every day will be good. That is not the purpose. I would end up beating myself up for the wrong decisions. But one decision a day will be a healthy one. I am going to document my healthy decisions. The goal is for it to become second nature to make good decisions.

So yay! We'll see how it goes. :)

My dad. One Year Later.

It's been a while since I have written something that wasn't on the 200 list. But it will probably be happening a lot more. 

My dad and I. 

April 24th marked the year since my dad passed away. There hasn't been a day that I don't think about him and want him here with me. I would give anything to have him here. But then I have to remind myself of something... the bigger picture. While I would love to have him here with me, he is in heaven. Pain free for the first time in years. And I keep him with me. It's not the same, I know. Trust me, I know. I would love to have him hold me in his arms and tell me everything is going to be okay. But I don't have that. I have the memories and his voice inside my head telling me he loves me. 

In December 2013, four months before he passed away, my dad sent me a text that simply said "Praying for you Angie. And I love you very much. This year has been a hard year fro me. hope next year brings better things for the both of us....." As I read that now, I can't help but know that it came true. Its just not what either of us had in mind. We had planned to get together and start building a relationship again. But he is gone. He is pain free and cancer free now. And his death catapulted me into a year of transformation. It was a great but no great for me. It brought strength but it also brought suffering. 

On the year mark, John and I drove to Joplin. I had this 'big day' planned to honor my dad. I didn't know it would be as hard as it was. I was good while we were driving but the minute we turned on to Range Line, I just felt grief. I missed him so much. Driving to lunch, we passed places I went to growing up and all the memories, both good and bad, came rushing back. But I held myself together. Mainly because I didn't want to break down before going to eat. I'm a gross crier. We ate lunch at the restaurant that my dad and I went to a couple of times. It's the same one my friends and I went to after the funeral. It was good, but I just wasn't hungry. Half way through John asked me how I was doing. He knows me well enough to know I wasn't doing well. It was hard to be there. It felt more real a year later. 

As we paid and started walking to the car, John gave me a hug and I lost it. Even writing this now, I am tearing up. I miss my dad. I feel like this past year has been grieving his loss. But now, its more grieving the future and things he won't be around for. To walk me down the aisle. Father-daughter dance. Meet my future husband. Be there as I cross the finish line of my first half marathon. To go to Cardinals game with. Or take my kids to games and teach them about baseball or how to play the guitar. There are days now, that I see something that reminds me of him and I just want to text him. I forget that he isn't here. And that breaks my heart. 

I still find myself breaking down and I have to be easy on myself. I tend to think that I should be "over it" or at least more over it than I am at this point. I feel like I've made so much progress in dealing with things that I should be able to move on. But do you ever move on from loosing a parent? I don't think you can. I think it is something that is with you every day. I think its how you react to the grief that helps you. I am realizing, with the help of great friends, that it's okay to not be okay sometimes. But I can't stay in that mind frame all the time. 

After I pulled myself together, John and I drove the half marathon course. I grew up in Neosho and we drove to Joplin almost every weekend to go to dinner, the mall, or grocery shopping. And my dad lived in Joplin for close to 15 years before he died. So I'm pretty familiar with Joplin. When I looked at the course on my phone, it couldn't really tell where we would be running, so I wanted to drive it. There are reminders of my dad all through the track... a Steve's Auto Body (his name was Steve), the funeral home, his home, places that he and I would go to, etc. It was bitter sweet. I want my dad there when I cross the finish line. But he will be with me along the course. Little reminders that he is with me in my memories. I can't help but think he would be proud of me. 

#96. Play Pool

#96. Play Pool


Playing pool. It seems so simple. But I have never played pool. Well not really. When I was at Evangel, a couple of us would try to shoot the ball in the pockets, but I've never actually played.

A few weeks ago, John and I met up with Brandon and Shayla and played pool. It was fun. I'm not as bad as I thought.

Yay! Checking things off the list.

#4. Participate in a Half Marathon, #14. Go On A Weekend Get A Way, #168. Go to the Casino, #153. Eat Somewhere new, #160. Get dressed up for dinner

#4. Participate in a half marathon
#14. Go on a Weekend Get Away
#168. Go to the casino
#153. Eat Somewhere New
#160. Get Dressed up for dinner

I'm only half crazy... for now.

Yes. A half marathon. 13.1 Miles.


The Race: Joplin Memorial Half Marathon
The Date: May 16, 2015
The Distance: 13.1 Miles


I've always wanted to participate in a half marathon. It may be because it is something I never imagined I could do a few years ago or my slight obsession with medals. It is crazy how much you can push yourself to do something when you have the right frame of mind. These days what I used to think of as a challenge has become my warm up. The once long, dreaded 5k distance has become a quick and easy for me. This will not be my last half. I want to do more. I will probably walk/jog/run/power walk through most of it. But I am determined to run a full half marathon someday.

Some people have asked me why I picked the Joplin Memorial Half Marathon as my first one. Well the short answer is I didn't give it much thought actually until after I signed up. I had originally planned to do the Bass Pro half in the fall, but thanks to me getting distracted with work and lack of motivation, I didn't feel like I was ready for it. A friend of mine had signed up for the Joplin half and asked me if I wanted to do it with her. Reluctantly, I said yes.

A few days after I signed up I started thinking about the reason behind the half. It's a memorial half for those who lost their lives to the Joplin tornado a few years ago. I decided to dedicate the race to my dad. While he didn't die during the tornado, his house was affected. And due to the tornado, when he found out he had cancer, he was transferred to a specialist in St. Louis right away because the hospital was destroyed in Joplin. I can't help but think that was a way of prolonging his life a little longer. So my race is in honor of him.

A few weeks ago, marked the year anniversary of my dad passing. To say it's been an emotional couple of weeks is an understatement. But more about that in another blog. On the year, John and I drove to Joplin for the day. We went to the restaurant a few of us went to after the funeral. It was a restaurant I had been to with my dad before he had passed. After lunch, we drove the half marathon course from start to finish. It was an emotional course, and a challenging one. There are various reminders of my dad throughout the course. A Steve's auto body store within the first mile. (My dad's name was Steve). The course also takes me right by the funeral home and about a mile away from his house. It's bittersweet. I would give anything for my dad to be at the finish line that day. To see what I've accomplished. But he is not going to be there. But he will be there in spirit along the way. Constant reminders that he is with me.

Post Race Update:

Be prepared there are a lot of pictures.  :)


We left Friday afternoon for Joplin. There was no way we were going to be able to wake up to drive to Joplin on Saturday morning. Especially when the race started at 6:30am... Nope! I am not a morning person. John was nice enough to drive us, be our photographer, and our cheerleader.

Ready for the road trip to Joplin

First stop in Joplin: Runners Expo @ MSSU

All checked in!

After we checked in at the runners expo and got all of our free stuff, we drove the course one last time. It was still a long way. Lol. Then we went to our hotel to check in.

Next stop: Super 8.

Our room was nice. The hotel was recently remodeled. The only problem I had was there were no stairs... and we were on the third floor. Normally I wouldn't mind, but I knew that stair climb after the race was going to be rough. But we toughed it out. After we got checked in and freshened up, we met up with my mom, aunt and uncle for dinner. They had drove in just to see me in the half marathon. Their hotel ended up being right next to ours. We went to Cheddars for dinner. It was good, as always. 

Our alarm for the Saturday morning: gross! We were up before the sun! 

Unfortunately, I let my nerves get the best of me the morning of the race and I got sick... several times. But I pushed through it. It was rough to say the least. I haven't been that nervous/anxious in a long time.  I used to let everything get to me and end up getting sick. I thought I was over it. Clearly, I'm not. I'm a work in progress. 

 Getting our last minute layers on

After the threat of storms all week leading up to the race, the weather ended up being perfect. 

Cool and cloudy. 

Before we started... Notice I look like I'm gonna throw up?? Because I had just thrown up. :(

Rounding up the racers

Like I said, the race was rough. After throwing up three times before the race, I thought I had got it out of my system. Shelley and I started running the first part. The first few blocks were lined with banners of names of the 161 people who lost their lives on May 22, 2011 due to the tornado in Joplin. It gave purpose to the runners. We were going to run the whole length, but after about two blocks, I had to start walking. The more I ran, the more I felt more sick. I ended up walking the entire thing. Every time I tried to jog, I felt sick or I felt like I was going to pass out. Note to self: drink more water!!! When you think you've had enough, drink more.

Though out the course, there were moments I wanted to stop. I wanted to text John or sit down and cry. But John told me that he wouldn't come pick me up even if I asked. I would have to finish this... spoken like a true cheerleader. He randomly showed up through out the race at points for both Shelley and I. Around mile 8, which is the road by my dads house, I got sick again. I threw up about 5 times on one stretch of road. I wanted to give up. I didn't want to do this anymore. I felt like I had disappointed everyone. My family, my friends, my dad.

Then a song came on my playlist... Stonger, by Kelly Clarkson. I looked down at my tattoo "strength" and remembered I could do this. I was stronger than I have ever been. And I could do this. I had to do this. For me. Not for anyone else. Around mile 9, the race was giving out energy gels. They gave me an apple cinnamon one. Sounds weird but my dad loved apple cinnamon. It was like a sign he was looking down. I had the gel and stepped up the pace. Before I knew it I was killing it. Still not able to run but I was walking with the best of them. Passing people that I had in front of me for miles. It got a second wind. After I turned the corner and saw the finish line about 1/2 mile down the road, I couldn't believe what I had just done. Me. I just did that. No one else did it for me. I had support, yes. But they couldn't run for me. I had to do it.

When I crossed the finish line, my mom was standing there to give me a hug. She has always been my number one fan! After I got my medal, I made my way over to my "fans." My mom, my aunt and uncle, my boss Jessie and her husband, Michael, Brandon and Shayla, Shelley and John. It was humbling that they came. I felt thankful for people in my life. Family and friends who feel more like family. Day made!

Jessie and I 

Shayla and I 

Me and Shelley!! We did it!!

Jessie, me, and Michael

My mom, me and my aunt

Shayla, me and Brandon (they totally surprised me by coming down)

Me and John

Me and my medal!!! 13.1 baby!!

My aunt captured this picture of my uncle Scott and I after the race. He has always been a big support to me. He and my dad were very close. As he gave me a hug, he told me my dad would have been proud. I almost started crying. It made me so happy to hear that. 

My uncle Scott and I

Me and my mom!! 

The results are in! 

 I finished!!! :)

After the race was over, we all went to Denny's for breakfast. Then said our goodbyes. John, Shelley and I were staying the night, but everyone else left to go home. The three of us went back to the hotel for showers and a nap! That evening we decided to go to Downstream Casino for dinner and gambling. I had never been and I wanted to cross something else off my list. We also decided to get dressed up because it's fun!

We made reservations at Red Oak Steakhouse at the casino. Fantastic! It was delicious! I didn't take pictures. But it was on point. Next, we went out to the casino floor and played the slots. I brought $5 with me. The first machine I played was penny slots. I ended up winning $19.45 so I cashed out. I did end up spending the other $4, but I didn't win any on those. I was happy I won something. Beginners luck.

 Back home...

 But first - BREAKFAST! @Cracker Barrel. One of the best breakfasts I've had at a restaurant. It was so fresh and delicious!

Progress.