I've had a great week with my family, and I always love being at the ocean!
But I do look forward to getting back into my routine at home -- work, peanut butter sandwich for lunch, the gym after work, and my shady running path by the lake in the park. And passing the time with my husband and my cats. And a little TV here and there. And having computer time to blog and read blogs. And time to listen to podcasts!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Family Vacation
Me and all my immediate family are at the beach in North Carolina for the week, for our annual family beach vacation. This is our 18th year of living together for a week, and we're all still speaking to each other!
My parents, my husband and I, my sister, brother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law and three beautiful nieces all rent a front-row beach cottage at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina. It's about an hour north of Myrtle Beach. It's a great family-oriented beach, more cottages than hotels and still a pretty safe place to vacation.
We hang out, swim, play games -- Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno and cards -- play bocce ball on the beach, ride go-karts and jet skis, read, watch TV, sit in the sun and drink a little beer. We take turns cooking a meal every night -- lots and lots of yummy home-cooked food!
In order to offset the yummy food, I do usually get pretty good exercise during the week. Last year, three of us did a few miles on the bikes first thing every morning. This year I will run every other day -- hopefully three miles -- and bike the other days. We also usually go to the gym 2-3 days. And I swim in the pool and ocean, and do 1-2 beach walks a day.
If I'm lucky, I'll end the week without gaining any weight!
My parents, my husband and I, my sister, brother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law and three beautiful nieces all rent a front-row beach cottage at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina. It's about an hour north of Myrtle Beach. It's a great family-oriented beach, more cottages than hotels and still a pretty safe place to vacation.
We hang out, swim, play games -- Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno and cards -- play bocce ball on the beach, ride go-karts and jet skis, read, watch TV, sit in the sun and drink a little beer. We take turns cooking a meal every night -- lots and lots of yummy home-cooked food!
In order to offset the yummy food, I do usually get pretty good exercise during the week. Last year, three of us did a few miles on the bikes first thing every morning. This year I will run every other day -- hopefully three miles -- and bike the other days. We also usually go to the gym 2-3 days. And I swim in the pool and ocean, and do 1-2 beach walks a day.
If I'm lucky, I'll end the week without gaining any weight!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Caught Up
Wow, a few days of not checking blogs, and I miss a lot of action!!
Just caught up and discovered that our Team has had some good days and some bad days, but we are all hanging in there!
Let's just keep moving forward -- we've got five more months of good training ahead of us!
Just caught up and discovered that our Team has had some good days and some bad days, but we are all hanging in there!
Let's just keep moving forward -- we've got five more months of good training ahead of us!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Michigan Family's Magical Moments
Want to hear some really good magical moments? Feel like shedding a little tiny tear today?
Then listen to show #33 of the Be Our Guest podcast! Mike has listener Beth from Michigan (yay, my part of the country!) on the show to share her family's trip report. They have a son who has cerebral palsy, so it's a good insight on traveling with a special-needs child.
But more importantly, they experienced a lot of magical moments that are fun to listen to!
Check it out!
Then listen to show #33 of the Be Our Guest podcast! Mike has listener Beth from Michigan (yay, my part of the country!) on the show to share her family's trip report. They have a son who has cerebral palsy, so it's a good insight on traveling with a special-needs child.
But more importantly, they experienced a lot of magical moments that are fun to listen to!
Check it out!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Mousin' It Up At The Club
I'm so glad I got to go to the Adventurer's Club on PI earlier this year, since it's going to close at the end of September.
I had always wanted to go, since I do like improv. I LOVE the Citizens of Hollywood streetmosphere characters at the Studios. I always stop and watch the skits that pop up on the street -- much to my husband's chagrin -- and now even stop at Guest Services to find out the specific times they will be out. I really admire the quick thinking and creativity of improv actors!
I had always meant to check out the AC during my 25+ visits to WDW, but never quite got around to it. (Sort of like one of our Team Voice members who has NEVER done Haunted Mansion!!) It just goes to show that you should try to do everything at least once, since you never know when something's going to leave The World!
I have to admit, it was a shock when I first walked into the AC, entering up on the balcony level. Visually, it's a very unique environment that you look down onto -- lots of trinkets, 1930s safari furniture, and a crowd milling about. There was also an AC club member in full regalia (i.e., improve actor) espousing on some adventure or the club rules, or something "real" to their world. I was being pulled to so many visual and audio experiences!
It was quite an adventure being immersed into this crazy world, but I'm so sad that I only got to make one trip.
Big Brian, of the Mousin' It Up podcast, posted some audio from one of his visits to the AC. Take a listen to episode 37 if you want to experience of the AC for the first time or the last time!
Thanks Brian, and Kungaloosh!!
I had always wanted to go, since I do like improv. I LOVE the Citizens of Hollywood streetmosphere characters at the Studios. I always stop and watch the skits that pop up on the street -- much to my husband's chagrin -- and now even stop at Guest Services to find out the specific times they will be out. I really admire the quick thinking and creativity of improv actors!
I had always meant to check out the AC during my 25+ visits to WDW, but never quite got around to it. (Sort of like one of our Team Voice members who has NEVER done Haunted Mansion!!) It just goes to show that you should try to do everything at least once, since you never know when something's going to leave The World!
I have to admit, it was a shock when I first walked into the AC, entering up on the balcony level. Visually, it's a very unique environment that you look down onto -- lots of trinkets, 1930s safari furniture, and a crowd milling about. There was also an AC club member in full regalia (i.e., improve actor) espousing on some adventure or the club rules, or something "real" to their world. I was being pulled to so many visual and audio experiences!
It was quite an adventure being immersed into this crazy world, but I'm so sad that I only got to make one trip.
Big Brian, of the Mousin' It Up podcast, posted some audio from one of his visits to the AC. Take a listen to episode 37 if you want to experience of the AC for the first time or the last time!
Thanks Brian, and Kungaloosh!!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Up Close And Personal
If you are interested in the nuts and bolts of animation, check out The Animation Podcast by Clay Kaytis. He's got 28 episodes of one-on-one interviews with a ton of Disney animators.
This week's episode is with Ken Duncan, who animated Meg in Hercules and Jane in Tarzan -- two of my favorite movies. They both have great music, strong well-rounded characters, fun and drama.
Unfortunately I can't draw worth a flip. Playing Pictionary once, I drew what I thought was an alligator -- but my team was pretty sure it was a cow! But I wish I could draw, and am certainly fascinated by the shapes and colors and style in each animated movie.
In addition to technical discussions about animation, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes tidbits from the various movie productions.
Check it out!
This week's episode is with Ken Duncan, who animated Meg in Hercules and Jane in Tarzan -- two of my favorite movies. They both have great music, strong well-rounded characters, fun and drama.
Unfortunately I can't draw worth a flip. Playing Pictionary once, I drew what I thought was an alligator -- but my team was pretty sure it was a cow! But I wish I could draw, and am certainly fascinated by the shapes and colors and style in each animated movie.
In addition to technical discussions about animation, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes tidbits from the various movie productions.
Check it out!
Friday, July 4, 2008
We're All In This Together
Jonathan's been posting a lot of details about his training plan, and I've posted a little about mine, and Rae gives us a lot of details about her training with Isabeau. And other Team Voicers share thoughts on training, and the ups and downs we all experience.
We're all on this same journey, but boy are we drastically different in our experience! There's some young, fast healthy Voicers, and there's some like me that will be perfectly happy (and relieved) to finish the race in 3 hours and 30 minutes.
We're all in this together, and a lot of our experiences are similar -- bad food days, missed training, mild injuries (except for Rae's arm), gas station mistakes (Hostess Ding Dongs for me)!
But, most of our training -- techniques, weekly mileage, longest runs, average pace -- are all vastly different, because of our physical/athletic differences.
But what's MOST important is that we are DOING THIS! And we've been doing it for almost seven months!
And honestly, for me, the fact that I will have worked for a year towards this goal is really more important than what happens at the race. I want to finish, of course, and I when I start to goof off at the gym, I think about the fact that I need to feel like I gave it my all.
But I have thought about not finishing -- what I will do, what it will feel like. But as awful as it would be, I know that I will also be really, really proud of my year of training and my year of being part of Team Voice.
And that will be enough ... almost.
We're all on this same journey, but boy are we drastically different in our experience! There's some young, fast healthy Voicers, and there's some like me that will be perfectly happy (and relieved) to finish the race in 3 hours and 30 minutes.
We're all in this together, and a lot of our experiences are similar -- bad food days, missed training, mild injuries (except for Rae's arm), gas station mistakes (Hostess Ding Dongs for me)!
But, most of our training -- techniques, weekly mileage, longest runs, average pace -- are all vastly different, because of our physical/athletic differences.
But what's MOST important is that we are DOING THIS! And we've been doing it for almost seven months!
And honestly, for me, the fact that I will have worked for a year towards this goal is really more important than what happens at the race. I want to finish, of course, and I when I start to goof off at the gym, I think about the fact that I need to feel like I gave it my all.
But I have thought about not finishing -- what I will do, what it will feel like. But as awful as it would be, I know that I will also be really, really proud of my year of training and my year of being part of Team Voice.
And that will be enough ... almost.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Rainy Run
Well, I had planned to make sure I did one long run in the rain this summer, as practice in case it rains for the big race. And I succeeded.
On Saturday when I headed out to the park under very gray skies, I did wear my older running shoes, just in case. It really wasn't supposed to rain until later in the day, so I wasn't 100% prepared, but at least I did think about my shoes!
I got in three miles before the rain started, so I figured I would do five miles instead of my scheduled 7.25 miles, since I would be back to my car at the five-mile mark. I happen to like rain, so part of me didn't mind it. It was interesting having to dodge puddles, my shoe grip was okay, and I had already taken my glasses off. I did have to put my runner's watch and my iPod in my pocket -- note to self, on a gray day take a small zip-lock bag for these items.
Now just as I approached the parking lot, the rain stopped and the skies cleared. So I thought, what the heck, my shoes are not too squishy, why not keep going? So I did, aiming for my 7.25 mile goal.
Unfortunately, at the 6.5-mile mark, the rain came again. And I got back to my car at 7.1 miles, and just couldn't make myself do another loop to squeeze out the remaining .15 mile! I know, how silly! But I had done my time in the rain, so I didn't feel too guilty.
The good news is I don't have to run in the rain again -- at least not on purpose!
On Saturday when I headed out to the park under very gray skies, I did wear my older running shoes, just in case. It really wasn't supposed to rain until later in the day, so I wasn't 100% prepared, but at least I did think about my shoes!
I got in three miles before the rain started, so I figured I would do five miles instead of my scheduled 7.25 miles, since I would be back to my car at the five-mile mark. I happen to like rain, so part of me didn't mind it. It was interesting having to dodge puddles, my shoe grip was okay, and I had already taken my glasses off. I did have to put my runner's watch and my iPod in my pocket -- note to self, on a gray day take a small zip-lock bag for these items.
Now just as I approached the parking lot, the rain stopped and the skies cleared. So I thought, what the heck, my shoes are not too squishy, why not keep going? So I did, aiming for my 7.25 mile goal.
Unfortunately, at the 6.5-mile mark, the rain came again. And I got back to my car at 7.1 miles, and just couldn't make myself do another loop to squeeze out the remaining .15 mile! I know, how silly! But I had done my time in the rain, so I didn't feel too guilty.
The good news is I don't have to run in the rain again -- at least not on purpose!
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