love these people

How much more fun can you possibly have on the most painful hill during the largest 10K in the world? This city seems small when you run into people you know and love. 

And not just any people...people who use empty beverage jars as restrooms before the race...(not him)

And people who generously give you impromptu rides home in costume.

Happy 4th of July! 

We had an amazing chocolate cake for dessert later that night but it was devoured before I could get a shot.
Sorry Martha. 

how the deal went down before the 4th

The transaction took place in the Starbucks' parking lot at Peachtree and 7th this afternoon. Pulled up to the dumpster area (no other spaces available) and looked for a guy named "Randy" in a "navy blue t-shirt". I told him I had "red hair". He was already waiting for me which made it that much easier. I thought I might just roll down the window, throw the money and grab the bag, but then decided I could be a bit less of a junkie than that. I paid him in cold hard cash and we exchanged a few words. He wished me luck and said he really wished he could keep it for himself, but it was doctor's orders that he not participate.

The goods...

In all seriousness I had no idea what kind of goods these really were!! I felt like Willy Wonka with the Golden Ticket! #3752 out of 55,000?! I wasn't prepared for this. I did start running again back in the Spring, but this group runs just behind the elite class aka: Kenyans. I think I'll be staying to the right--side of the sidewalk.

Three cheers for Randy--who even crossed out his name for me and put an exclamation after mine...he's excited and I'm just wondering if I'll live to tell about this. 

nyc this weekend!

It's been a while since I've posted, so there's lots to blog about! I decided to start training for the Peachtree Road Race and ran my first 5K a few weekends ago, it went really well other than catching a glimpse of the back of a girl's sorority t-shirt with the same letters as mine, and a rated X picture on the back. Someone please call the standards board on that one. Sheesh, all chapters are not created equal. Then, I spent last week on Blue Mountain Beach for 7 glorious days and will write all about that trip soon. Nearing the end of the week, the girl to boy ratio was 1:2.5 which was interesting and fun. I love how simple guys are, it's refreshing! Anyway, the subject matter at hand is NYC. I'm headed there this weekend to celebrate my friend Jenn's birthday and just can't wait. I've had the chorus to this Jay-Z song stuck in my head all week long. Three of us are going, each with distinctly different hair color, which begs the question, "who's who?" I'll let you know after the weekend. How's that?

On a more serious note, I actually prayed for some fun/inexpensive trips about two months ago. I know it sounds crazy, but this beach trip and then NYC  have both come up since then, and both have come at very low cost. (Thanks to Jenn for the plane ticket...seriously!!) I just have to say that this is a reminder to me of how much God does care about the little things as well as the big in our lives. I'm not saying he always gives us trips (my sister laughed and told me that sounded really bratty to ask God for "fun trips") but whatever. All I'm saying is that he knows every detail of our hearts including when, in his timing, it is appropriate to give us gifts, which he by the way delights to give. Yes, even fun trips--and I'm thankful.