Here comes the bride...

So it’s been a whirlwind, so sorry I’m behind…I've been working on this and the Italy post for days, pictures to come!

So Thursday, May 24th we got back from Italy at around 7p.m. or so in the evening. Then Friday, I had a lunch time flight right back out to go to South Carolina for Tiffany’s wedding! Of course before I left for Italy I had all of my bags packed – and good thing because I was busy getting everything turned around again to go back into the airport again!

I made it there safe and sound (was almost a close call there at the airport but all ended up ok and that’s all that mattered – obviously my luck from our Italy trip was carrying over, thank heavens)! Tiff met me at the airport looking very bronze and bodacious, and we went to her place to pick up the rest of the bridesmaids (BM’s from this point forward – we were very big on the abbreviations this weekend) and we headed out on the town for Tiff’s bachelorette party – whoop! We had a wonderful dinner at Chocora Alley there in downtown Greenville, which is Tiff’s favorite place. In attendance was of course the B2B (Tiffany), myself the MOH (Matron of Honor), and BM’s Betsy, Twyla, Cathy, ReAnna and Kaci. Dinner was FABULOUS and enhanced by some wonderful lemon drop martinis for me, and a combo of those and margaritas for the ladies. We were having some fun! Next was some ice cream, and hurried back to the house for some girl time pampering and massages from a massage therapist – woohoo! This was so nice – we all had a great time chatting away and sharing this time with Tiffany before Saturday’s big day of Rehearsal and Rehearsal dinner (wedding on Sunday). So we slept in on Saturday, met for the rehearsal, and the wedding site was just gorgeous – as Tiffany said, like something out of a Thomas Kincade painting. We were there in the heat of the day, so it was hot, but we were thankful the ceremony the next day would be in the evening! Tiff looked beautiful, the rehearsal was a success, and then we went and had some munchies with Mrs. Helen and Tiff and I went to get our toes done, and then time to hang out before the rehearsal dinner! The Rehearsal dinner was at Furman University which is a beautiful Ivy League school – and the dinner was excellent and a lot of fun… we girls had a lot of fun together over the weekend and we couldn’t believe how fast time was going!

Before we knew it, Tiffany’s wedding day had arrived – we got to the site to start getting ready, and MOH Tasha went into high gear! It was not at all stressful, and Tiff’s nerves were treating her nicely, but there was a lot to do to make sure Tiffany’s day was perfect! Her hair and makeup were gorgeous, and when she was done I was next, and I was really happy with my look as well (very different for me but I loved it!) and then pictures, getting nervous about my toast and Joe’s wedding ring, and making sure everything in order took over… thank goodness my mom was there to help, too, she was a savior for me in more ways than one and I was happy to have her support as well! Everything was perfect – the colors, Tiffany, the flowers, the dresses, the venue, now all we needed was the groom and the bride to say “I do!”

The ceremony itself was perfection – Joe looked great, Tiffany looked great, she had the most beautiful GM’s and BM’s (quote of the week from the BM’s – “We do not have ugly friends” which was funny, and kidding btw) and flowers, there were 150 of their best friends and family members, and just magical. I did a GREAT job passing the ring off – you think that this is not a hard task, but I had Joe’s ring on my right hand behind my Aggie ring so it wouldn’t fall off, then before I walked down I switched it to my left thumb which was to be holding my bouquet at all times so no chance of it dropping there, and then I had to take Tiffany’s bouquet, fluff her dress (so a huge bouquet, my bouquet in one hand, me kneeling in grass in heels trying to make her beautiful) and then nonchalantly slide his ring off of my thumb while death gripping both of our bouquets with my right, and then having it ready to put in the palm of the pastor’s hand – this stuff is complicated folks so give any MOH’s out there a pat on the back! Then the ceremony concluded, pictures, then party time! The Texas girls represented well – lots of dancing and having fun, and showing those SC/Ohioans how it is done! Next up for me nerves-wise was the toast… I practiced it on the BM’s during dinner and bawled my way through it, so that wasn’t a good sign, but they said it was great. After dinner, they did their first dance, then some more dancing, then before I knew it, it was time to cut the cake and do the toasts – here we go… I had my one page typed toast with me in case I needed it, but I went through it with flying colors, choking up twice which caused Tiff to choke up, but had some laughs in there as well so in my mind it went beautifully – whew! Then a toast from the Best Man, really nice guy from Ohio, then dancing, then rushing around to make sure all was taken care of for Tiffany so she could change and get on the road to the Bahamas! It was a whirlwind, again, but so much fun and so amazing! I was thinking all throughout the weekend, that even though I was married, that this was the first wedding of a friend that I had been to. Ashley is married, but I wasn’t there in Vegas (still bummed) so it had never really solidified to me that we are old enough to get married?! Very bizarre feeling but I guess that is what getting older is all about!

So lots of fun… up next for us is YL camp the first week in July (just for me, Curt doesn’t have enough vacation) which will be at Crooked Creek in Colorado which is very exciting! And other than that, I’ve told Curt that this summer I want to practice living a slower lifestyle – will keep you posted on how this goes!

Love,
Tasha xx

When the moon hits your eye...

Ah, Italy... I wish we could still be there!

The trip was so amazing, and of course it's too much to be able to write so I'm going to give the nutshell version (which will still end up being a novel, I'm sure)! And keep in mind, the theme for this trip was no planning, which is a type of trip we have never experienced before so it was a little out of my comfort zone! Another theme that we experienced along the way was that this trip was all about PURE LUCK! From beginning to end this trip was just a series of fortunate events, and it was exciting and adventurous!

So Curt and I were leaving a couple of days before the family was (long story, but jist is cheaper flight) so we embarked on our flight, which was late in getting off the runway as a result of stupid Newark airport just "deciding" to ground all planes so we were REALLY worried about catching our connection as we only had an 1.5 hour layover to begin with! So we FINALLY get in the air, sprint through the terminal to our connecting flight to Rome and got there JUST as the lady was calling final boarding call - Lucky Instance #1! So we made it, and we were sweating and exhausted, but we made it and that's all that mattered! So the flight was great, we made it Rome, and then we were off to Florence to meet Tom in Figline! We had a few hour train ride to get there and Curt got to see a lot of Tuscany and the smaller Italian towns, and it was just gorgeous and we had such a great time. Tom met us at the train station and we had a lovely dinner, and it was just so lovely to be there with him. The next morning Curt and I took a few hours to go to Florence and had a great time tooling around the leather market, the Duomo, Palazzo de Vecchio, and just seeing the sights. We left early in the afternoon, Tom picked us up again, and then we went to see Tom and Carolyn's digs! We went to their other place at the mill, which is so awesome, it's actually a home that used to be a mill that they converted! We also got to see the olive grove which was amazing - 100 trees that they manage and harvest olives from to make their Amici oil! Tom walked us around the property, showed us the trees and the baby olives that will grow big by fall, and we had cherries from their cherry trees! Then we headed back to their place for dinner, and while Tom prepared us an amazing Italian meal, he suggested that we go hiking in the mountains so we did, and it was so peaceful! Then our meal was just so delicious, probably one of our best on the whole trip! And Tom also treated us to Vinsanto, and also some *grappa* which Curt and Tom had fun with!

The next morning we got on the train to Rome and headed out - it was sad to go but luckily Tom and Carolyn only live an hour away so we'll them again very soon! Rome was great as well when we got there - we did the Colesseo and Palatine hill tours which were GREAT, and then went out to dinner with the Mariandes! We met at the Trevi and made our wishes, and had a lovely dinner... the next morning we were heading out to make our way down to Sicily!

So we had an obscenely long train ride, but we made it down south, took a ferry to Messina and spent the next couple of days to see Taormina and the area, and Taormina was just so beautiful... we saw the Greek theatre ruins, and the sea was just beautiful, and this town was just so picturesque - probably one of the most beautiful that we were in the entire time...

It was so fun to have Grandpa Dan there - along with my family (Mom, Dad, Kendyl, Curt and myself) Grandpa Dan was there to share in our quirks and family time... it was fabulous! We had such fun making jokes and spending this time with him... and he was such a trooper with the backpacks! We literally did a true backpacking trip and we all had our backpacks and walking sticks making our way all through Italy!

We then started our journey back up the coast, and stopped next in Cosenza to head into San Giovanni in Fiore which is where my family is from! This town is way in the mountains, and we rode a bus to get there, and then we hiked down to find the church that my Grandpa's grandparents got married in and where everyone was baptised, etc. It took us awhile to find it as no one along the way spoke English but we found it, it was very old and felt very holy and special. We found a special hotel where a guy was very helpful in giving us a map, some history, and everything! We would have stayed there but they didn't have hot water (just for the night) so we ended up going back north and up to Salerno (I think? It's all blurry) so that we would be well positioned to go to Sorrento the next day! So In Salerno we saw their local church, an old man who thought I looked familiar (so sweet) and then we got on our way...

Sorrento was another amazing town - one of my favorites from last time and we had a great time there! They had the most amazing gelato place there, the sea was gorgeous, our hotel was GREAT (Il Faro on the seaside) and we even got a dive in (Curt and myself I mean, not the fam). On the dive, Curt ended up seeing 5 octopus (or is it octopi?)... (I had troubles with my dive suit, which led to ear-clearing problems and so much pain, so I had to abort the dive but “told” or rather communicated to Curt to stay down, and of course he sees 5 octopus, and on the second dive when I abandoned the dive hood and was fine, we didn’t see any – ugh… but nevertheless we dove in Italy, saw some wonderful things, experienced the cold Mediterranean, and had a great time. Ever since then, however, I have still had troubles with my equilibrium and ears, so hopefully no lasting damage there, but still giving my body some time for recovery with everything we were doing! Also in Sorrento we went to our favorite inlaid wood factory – Notturno – and I bought a few things there, and the owner, Michele (Michael) remembered me! Was very excited! I bought a beautiful box (to go with my music box from Grandpa from 5 years ago) and have them both on our new furniture at home.

Next we went back to Rome, and had a lot of fun doing the catacombs tour, which was very special and humbling for me, saw the Circus Maximus, the Catacombs themselves, the Mouth of Truth (Curt and I stuck our hands in – we’re free and clear!) and also St. Peter’s Chains at a smaller church near there, and then of course the Vatican, Sistine Chapel (this is amazing every time I see it – how the people on the ceiling look like they come out of the ceiling is so amazing, it almost makes you dizzy!), and of course St. Peter’s. I have to say that St. Peter’s has gotten a lot more confusing with the way they try to herd people around in there – it wasn’t like this at all when I went last, and it didn’t seem to serve any purpose? By the time we were finished no one wanted to climb to the top with me, and I conceded as I was tired, and have already done it once by myself, so maybe next time.

Curt and I also did some shopping from our souvenir budget that we had been saving up for – Curt bought some shoes that he loves, I bought my box of course from Sorrento, and we also bought some art in Piazza Navona, one of which is a very large painting of Venice (yes, we know we didn’t go there this trip but it is beautiful and Curt fell in love with it) that we got for so cheap! You couldn’t buy a print at Bed, Bath and Beyond for this price, and this one is an original oil painting! So we’re excited to get it framed – it will go in the living room above the couch, and Curt will rig some lighting so watch for it!

Top Ten Most Funny Moments:

10. Curt and I literally running down the hill with our backpacks, a sack of food, and walking sticks in Castiglion to make sure we caught the train back to Rome!
9. Guessing Kendyl’s next meal (was ALWAYS pizza margherita)
8. Walking through the Naples train station with our walking sticks poised as swords for whoever dared approach (pickpocket centrale)
9. Seeing a taxi cab driver in Cosenza dance in the street to an accordion music mix blaring from his cab (he asked Mom to dance)
7. Seeing a large boxer first chase a dog down an alley, and go back up the alley, only then to jump on his owner’s scooter and head down the road (seriously, this dog had to weigh 80 pounds and loved riding on this tiny thing – hilarious and we have a picture!)
6. Meeting the dog who refused to lick my gelato bowl clean b/c she only liked “Vaniglia”
5. Looking at each other in the evening to see who would suggest more gelato, and then us ALL agreeing
4. Having grappa with Tom, enough said
3. Seeing the road sign with a car going off into the water in Sorrento, clearly b/c it has happened
2. Trying to stalk the man who had a Spadafora bag to get a picture of it
1. Seeing Grandpa make our pbthhh face and many other funny moments on the train when we had to entertain ourselves

Hardest laugh I have had in years: Kendyl is in the shower, and Curt and I are unpacking – all of a sudden, I smell something very odd and look up at the a/c vent and make a face. I go about my business, and then I smell it again and make a really bad face, and am saying to Curt, omg, do you smell that (thinking, and the next sentence out of my mouth would have been, “I think someone upstairs died,”) but at that same moment, I looked at Curt and he was taking off his socks and shoes, and it dawned on me that this atrocious smell was his feet, and I just died laughing for like 10 minutes, and then the next morning when I was retelling the story, I couldn’t even get it out… disclaimer: normally Curt’s feet do not smell (hence why I had no idea where this smell was coming from) but for some reason with us walking non stop all day, and possibly the lack of Zinc in his system, it really was smelly… and omg so funny… I’m giggling to myself just picturing it again… LOL!

Top Ten Favorite Things I Saw:

10. A line of the Olds’ and Proske’s with our backpacks, walking sticks, walking all through Italy like ducks in a row…
9. Family’s roots in San G. in Fiore
8. Statue on a very tall mountain as we passed in a train – was a huge angel with arms outstretched open towards the sea - gorgeous
7. Tom & Carolyn’s Olive grove
6. The rows and rows of trees planted by the monks after WWII in the mountains of Saltino, near Figline by Tom’s house
5. Palatine Hill and Domitian’s Palace - incredible
4. Taormina: the bougainvillea vines, and alley ways, and sunlight in the town with Mt. Etna off to the side was just so gorgeous
3. Pompei – I still can’t get enough of this place… Curt really loved it here and I would venture to say that this, Taormina, and Sorrento were his faves
2. Castiglion Fiorentino with Curt, and showing him my school, room, where I would eat, etc.
1. Catacomb tombs in Rome

So in a very small nutshell, this was our trip... there is so much more to tell, but of course I just could go on for hours so I will spare you! We had such an amazing time as a family, and it will be a trip that is with me always so I'm very grateful that we all got to go together.

Next up is Tiff's wedding - stay tuned! And I'll get some pics posted soon, as well!

Love,
Tasha xx

BP MS150 - A great adventure!

Life Goal #26 – Check!

Ok, so I don’t have my life goal’s actually numbered but it was an actual life goal, so yea for checking things off such an important list!!

I am so tired and sore, but I know the story has to be told so I will start from the beginning. Before I begin, let me preface with a few facts that will help as a background:

The MS150 is a two-day bicycle ride to benefit research for Multiple Sclerosis. There is more than one “MS150” in the states, in fact there are quite a few that happen all over the country, though I think that the MS150 ride from Houston to Austin is the biggest and raises the most money (goal is $12 million this year)! We did the BP (sponsor) MS150 from Houston to Austin this past weekend with my company team, and my company has never participated in this event, nor has Curt or myself (the longest we have ever ridden is 38 miles consecutively. To train for this ride, the National MS Society suggests you train for 1060 total miles over a period of 4 months, Curt and I did 86 total - yikes! Curt and I are NOT hard core bicyclist enthusiasts, or we weren’t before Kendyl bought us road bikes for our wedding (we had wanted them for awhile to get into the sport, but we are amateurs)

Ok so here we go – get ready!

Friday night was busy packing and getting everything ready to go for the big weekend. Curt and I were very fortunate to have my mother act as our “official support vehicle” so we packed our lunches (they are provided for the riders but we wanted to make sure we had a back up plan, we are Girl Scouts you know!), got our bikes tuned up, and I even wrote an email to the lady that signed our bandanas – if you don’t know someone with MS that you want to “ride for” they’ll give you one that is signed by someone who has MS, so I emailed her and told her how much inspiration she would provide to us! And she wrote us back (I found out this morning!). We even packed 25 bags of mulch that we were taking to CP & Judy from our Young Life fundraiser, along with their HUGE housewarming gift, so the truck was loaded full! So we got everything ready, had pasta and such for dinner, and got to bed as soon as we could, which didn’t end up being until 10:30 – my goal was 9 p.m.!

So the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. – we have to be ready to go by 4:30 a.m. and make our way down to Katy for the start. All was successful the morning of, got things together, Mom got to our place so we packed some few last things and set out. It was so dark and early out, and yet it was hysterical to see a ton of people out on the road, all with their own bikes and gear all heading to one of two places – start point Tully or Rhodes. At this point I’m feeling a little nervous, but just so ready to get things underway already! This event had been consuming my thoughts and worries for so many months now that I was finally just excited that it had arrived. So we got to the stadium (traffic, everywhere!) and started getting ready. We met up with other team members, and all lined up at the starting line, took some pictures, and waited and waited and waited for the fog to lift. The fog was so heavy that they decided to delay the start by 45 minutes or so, so at 7:57 (I looked at my watch) we finally rolled out and got on our way. There were so many people, and the feeling that I was feeling at this moment was just sheer adrenalin, so we just got into our pace and got going…

The weather was so wonderful and cool, and with the fog and clouds we had a nice start to the morning. By mid morning the sun was peaking through the clouds, and right as we met up with the riders from Tully is when full sun started to break through. When we merged with the Tully riders, all of a sudden things got really crowded, but over time we spaced out naturally again so all was ok.

We stopped for lunch (before actual lunchtime but we were hungry!) and met up with my mom – by this time it was pretty hot out, so we were careful to reapply sunscreen as I could feel myself starting to burn a little on my arms! We ate lunch with her at the truck and relaxed, then started to get geared back up and ready to go (and of course port-a-potty stop – insert these at EVERY breakpoint b/c I had to go all the time)!! After we buttered up, and I went to the restroom for the second time we got on our way. Side note about the port-a-potties… or not them themselves but me using them… turns out that I discovered that I do not really retain water. I ate lots of salty foods, and was working really hard, but everything was running right through me. My mom and everyone else said this was a good thing as it meant I had effectively hydrated myself so my body wasn’t having to suck every drop available, but it was a pain to get those sweaty spandex shorts up and down numerous times throughout the day! Anyway, so on again after lunch for another many-a-mile! After lunch we really got our pace but then started to hit some hills which were a challenge mph-wise for us. I mean we weren’t poking along but this is where the extra training would have come in handy for sure – I kept thinking to myself, if THESE are the hills on Day 1, then WHAT THE HECK will the DREADED Day 2 hills look like b/c no one mentioned Day 1 being difficult at all?! Haha… And an added pain in the rear was that every time I tried to shift into the hardest gear to pedal FAST downhill, my chain would pop off so I had to just not pedal and go as far as I could until we could stop and pop it back on (usually at the bottom of a hill – ugh!). This ended up happening 5 times, and you really need that large gear for momentum and saving your energy, so this was a big hindrance for us on our first day.

But what annoyances we had with my chain and the hills, the scenery more than made up for – WOW it was a gorgeous day and there were just fields and fields of bluebonnets as far as the eye could see!

It was so exciting to go through the small Texas towns, too – people were so great all along the way, too. There would be people out clapping, saying “thank you” and just cheering us on in general, and boy did it help! I especially loved rolling into Fayetteville, Texas – thriving metropolis with population 261, and they were our biggest crowd! It seemed like much of the town came out to play music for us, dance and yell, and they even had bubble blowing machines on two sides of the street for us to ride through – it was GREAT!

I also really enjoyed the riders that had iPods with speakers rigged up on their bikes… I was working hard to keep up with this one guy who had “On the Road Again” playing on his by Willie – gosh I love that song and it does have special meaning to my family and our adventures so I hummed it to myself for a while…

As the afternoon got hotter and the hills got higher, we were getting pretty ready for the ride to be over, but we started to have a nice distraction about 10 miles outside of La Grange when we started to see signs for US!! Curt’s Aunt Heidi and cousin Savannah had made a bunch of signs for us encouraging us along, and then about 7 miles outside of town we saw a truck on the side of the road, and Heidi and Nonnie (Curt’s grandmother) were waiting for us to pass by! So of course we had to pull off and visit (thank goodness for the break!) with them for awhile… it was so much fun! They had some chairs set up in the shade, and told us of the passersby that they had seen so we had lots of fun chatting with them before our last 7 miles in (with THREE huge hills right in a row – just the thing we needed to give us the motivation we needed to get in)!

So after we couldn’t delay any longer, we decided to get our rears back in gear and climb those hills and make our way into La Grange, and all I can say is thank goodness for the “Granny Gear!” We (or at least I) definitely used it but we never got off and walked, which by that time of the day with the heat and the previous 80 miles you’ve already ridden, isn’t such an uncommon thing! So we finally got onto the highway, and completely forgot all of our ailments as we pulled into the Day 1 finish line to lots of cheering people at the La Grange fairgrounds. And what an amazing set up – talk about every corporation in America being present with their huge company tents, personal chefs and masseuses and everything else you could imagine! There were so many people, tons of great music, food, entertainment and of course the massage tent for those of us who didn’t have access to their own personal massage therapists, which I immediately got in line for!! Curt felt alright muscle wise so he only got 10 minutes worth (a dollar a minute) but I was no fool – I went for 30 and it was heaven! My massage therapist was Grace, and she was an older woman but had so much strength it was unbelievable… she started with the two most sore points on my body – each side of my neck (from hanging your head in the very unnatural position for so many hours) and she told me she could relieve a lot of the tension but it would hurt because she would have to use the pressure points. I told her to go for it, and the pain was so great that I swear I saw stars… I was gritting my teeth as the pushed on the pressure point and I could feel surges all the way into my toes – HOLY COW it was painful! But I could immediately feel the relief so I was glad that I gritted through it (she even commented on my pain tolerance – yes I am a tough cookie)! The rest of the massage was joyous – I couldn’t even comprehend how sore my body was already and it was still technically warm and loose – I knew I was in for a doozy later!!

So I finished up and then talked to teammates and visited, and then at about 6:00 p.m. or so we decided we should head out to Curt’s Dad’s place in Giddings for a yummy dinner, hot bath, and a nice comfy bed…

We rolled up to their house at about 7:30 p.m. (after a bathroom break of course for me) and just had such a good time visiting with them. We got our baths/showers and changed into comfy clothes, and then sat down to a WONDERFUL meal. Judy made pasta with homemade marinara, bread, hashbrown casserole, and yummy grilled chicken with a steak for Curt – SO good but I couldn’t even eat that much. My body was not only not hungry, but it was pushing back from the delicious food I was forcing in! I ended up only eating half of what I normally would have eaten and was so disappointed b/c it was so yummy. We talked some more and had lemon bars for dessert (my fave!) and at 9:30 p.m. Curt and I hit the hay as we had to be up again at 5 a.m.

5:00 a.m. came pretty darn quick and again did not feel so hot… but we got ready, had another great meal (scrambled eggs, yummy bacon, and biscuits – umm umm!) that I couldn’t eat as much as I wanted to, and said our thank-yous and goodbyes and got on our way… it was fun getting closer and seeing those that had stayed on the outskirts riding in and I was so nervous – another day, how in the world were we going to do this?! I was also really nervous about this legendary downhill that people kept talking about where you could get up to 40 mph, and then somehow not getting caught in the challenge course and finding our way to the lunch express route!

It was another foggy and cloudy morning, so we got on our way at 7:45 a.m. in the overcast weather and my body was not happy with me. The first 20 miles or so were tough – I felt like I was working so hard and we weren’t going very fast at all! It was frustrating and I was worried at what the rest of the day would look like if things continued… as I got more Goo and Gatorade in me, it seemed as if my energy was picking up… then we got to the big downhill and omg it was incredible. My nerves flew out the window and I got into a tuck and let out a primal yell as it was just such a rush and so exhilarating. We were going so fast that tears were streaming out to the sides of my face, but I did put my brakes on as there were others around me (with me screaming LEFT!) and it curved to the right at the end and out of view, so I didn’t want to crash going who knows how many miles an hour… which Curt told me when we got down that we were up to 37 mph on his computer – WHOA!!! It was so awesome and we just loved it and laughed together when we were finished. YES!

I can’t remember when this was in the day (I think before lunch) but there was ANOTHER huge downhill that was so fun I was just giddy, but this time you could see the biggest hill in front of you which was such a spoiler – this hill was a killer for lots of folks, but we pushed and pushed and finally got up it (and were moving faster than the many cars that were stuck in traffic beside us which I’m sure was frustrating for them)!

So as my energy was increasing our speed was as well and by the time we pulled into lunch I was feeling pretty good! We met up with my mom (she saw us roll in) and we also saw Luke and Damon and invited them to come and eat with us at the truck, so we had a nice lunch together eating sandwiches, chips, and lemon bars with Gatorade – yum! They had gone through the state park (challenge course) and I knew we made the right decision b/c these guys are the best on our team averaging over 20 mph on a regular basis, and at one point on the hills THEY were going less than 3 mph which is almost fall over off your bike speed… if that was them, I’m pretty sure I would have been walking or furious in my granny gear… maybe next year if we get a chance to train more!

So they had to get going as they wanted to beat other members of our team, and Curt and I headed back to the port-a-potties, reapplied butter, chapstick, etc. and got on our way about 15 minutes later, and the closer we got to Austin the faster we kept going! Curt even said he started having a hard time keeping up with me because he was starting to feel pain (he took 4 Aleve before 2 p.m.!) and I just kept feeling better and better – we ended up in the last 20-30 miles averaging 19-20 mph with me just pushing harder as we got closer (I just wanted to be finished!) It was hysterical though as we got closer and closer and checking how many miles between the next breakpoint and how many total, etc. and how HARD it was to do simple math like 11+12+8 is how many miles left?? And we both decided it was interesting how when your body is so tested physically that things like math really do not matter, only elements directly related to survival matter to the brain in moments like these – was at first frustrating that simple math took more than the normal 2 seconds, but then really funny because it persisted over other areas!


So we just focused on getting to the next breakpoint, and the most frustrating thing of the ENTIRE weekend was the little yellow signs that said “3 miles to the next breakpoint.” These killed me because it always seemed that after you saw these signs, it would take a century to get to the next breakpoint and you would wonder how it was even possible that you hadn’t gone three miles yet?? I think I would have rathered that those not been there – haha!

The last breakpoint was actually the Baker Hughes sponsored breakpoint, so we did our business there (the routine became, bathroom, oranges, bananas, Gatorade, any reapplications necessary, eat your Goo, and get on the bike) and were so excited to just have 11 or so miles left, but then we had some massive hills, and TONS of traffic (both bikes and cars) with stop lights that seemed to stop us every mile or so, I just so wanted to get in there! I even got kind of in trouble by one of the ride marshals, but only because I am such a Lance Armstrong on the downhills! I know it sounds kind of silly and intuitive, but really we soon found out that I was a stud on the downhills, and that we lacked on the up hills… and I’m being dead serious, I could beat the best of them going downhill (even without extra weight) but about half of who I had just sped by would beat me on the uphill – lol! I am not sure why Curt and I were so good on the downs, but on this last stretch there were just so many people and I needed all the momentum I could get so I went outside of the cones into our “cushion” lane to pass by the hundreds of people at break neck speeds! Curt has a rearview mirror on his helmet, so he would frequently shout that we were still clear in the back, but apparently a ride marshal didn’t want us out there, period, but the quarters were just so close inside the cones!! So I eventually tucked back in but I got as far as I could without being unsafe on the outside, and we did a good job.

At one point it was so disheartening to see the Austin skyline when I thought we should be really close, and it still looked so far away!! Ugh – I thought we only had 5 miles left or so! Turns out that on a bike you really can cover some ground, and before I knew it we were coming into t.u.’s campus and all smiles knowing we were almost there! We turned a corner and saw a massive finish line in front of us, and Curt and I gave a soft high five and went in for the glory, and glorious it was… soon after we crossed the finish line I saw Mom on the side with her sign, and I was just so overjoyed that we had done it… what a great feeling!

We dismounted and changed our shoes (Mom had brought them) and proceeded to go pick up our certificates and pins, and take some pictures and enjoy the moment. After checking out the tents, we found another restroom and started to get ready for the journey home. While at the port-a-potties, we heard this screaming and looked to see a poor raccoon bolting across the street (middle of the city, guys, was so weird in the middle of the day)! It ran across the intersection (through tons of people) and then decided to turn back so ran back and hid under some dumpsters – I bet it was scared out of its mind with all of the loud music, and noises, etc but it was pretty comical!

Then to the parking garage to pack up, and then I got cleaned up with a sock and water (next year we will bring towels) and then settled in to sleep and revel in our accomplishment on the way back to Houston…

What an awesome weekend. Curt and I mentioned that it would be so cool on Monday to ask people what they did over the weekend, and then when they asked us how awesome it would be to say, “eh, I rode over 150 miles on a bicycle to help battle a horrible disease!”

Enjoy the pics!

Love,
Tasha xx

Back from London town!

So again, it has been much too long but I just can't keep starting off my blogs with apologies so there you go, things have just been non-stop and that's the way we like our lives so oh well!

So over the last month, I've been to London three times, each for a week a piece... it was business of course as I wouldn't be there three times in a row for pleasure (would be nice but wouldn't happen) and I was there training on the software that we're implementing. Had a GREAT time even though it was business - saw some good friends and got to spend a lot of time with Jo, and see her village (Witham on the Hill, how English is that?) and meet her dad, and also saw Lori and Ian as well as Stuart. It was great to catch up with everyone and also roam around my old stomping grounds. I was actually training in Leatherhead (way south of London) but was staying in Sutton (in between Leatherhead and London) so I could get into London for an evening if I needed to. Plus in Sutton they have a nice large hotel that is safer and more accomodating which helps, too.

So diving into the details... the coolest part was probably getting to spend time in Jo's village this past weekend and the rest of the weekend with her. We caught a train north and it took about an hour to get there, and her dad picked us up and we went to this great place for dinner that's been around for hundreds of years! It's even cited in Pride and Prejudice where they stop over for a bit to rest - I mean maybe Jane Austen had even been there?! Who knows... we also saw Daniel Lambert's cane (it's ok if you have no idea who this is, I didn't either but apparently the largest man in Britain in a time where McD's didn't exist) and his cane was like a log, for real... I think at his heaviest he weighed over 700 pounds - you can read about him on Wikipedia if you want!

The last week I was there the weather was amazing, and I just had such a good time going to Harrod's and walking around London when I had the time to do so... on a free day I walked miles and miles all through the city, only to happen upon the Wallace Collection which a friend had told me to go see, and I had 30 minutes to see it! Yea!

It was so great... here are some pics, sorry there aren't more but I promise for Italy coming up I will do better!

Tasha xx

Cade, London, and lots to share!

Howdy everyone!

Well lots has been going on, but things have been really good despite being insanely busy!

First and foremost, congrats to Ashley & TJ in the birth of their second baby boy, Cade Thomas who arrived on Monday in the afternoon, weighing in at 8 lbs, 3 oz! We are told he looks exactly like Cody did so I can’t wait to meet him… Ashley did a great job in the delivery room, just popped him right out in no time! We’ve seen adorable pics, and one really cute one with Cody kind of checking him out… we know that Cody is going to be a great big brother! Speaking of Cody - today is his 2nd birthday - I can't even believe it but I'm so excited for him. He is growing up to be such a beautiful boy!!

So yea for the Dortch’s…

As for me I was in London for a couple of weeks on business, and am back but am still not feeling up to par. Usually jet lag never affects me, and if it does for maybe a day at the most, but I was sick all last week and just miserable, so this is the only thing I can think of as to why I’m just not feeling like my normal self!

London was great though – saw some friends that I haven’t seen in awhile which was *fantastic* - dinners and just good company – and saw the sights again! I was amazed at how well I still knew my way around although I hadn’t been back in 2.5 years – I mean down to being oriented knowing where the Thames was and about how far, which “landmark” was close by on a back street, etc – came into good use as I was the impromptu “tour guide” for my fellow colleague who had never been to London. When I showed her Big Ben she had no clue what we were looking at (we came out right under it at the tube station) so I took out my Discover Card to show her exactly what she was looking at as I have Big Ben and the houses of parliament design on my card – LOL. It was hysterical! We also had a fantastic time shopping at Harrod’s and enjoyed shopping (I got the most fun and amazing necklace, and we had great fun shopping for perfumes for her – I recommended Jo Malone and we found the most heavenly fragrance – nectarine, but strangely it’s not all that citrusy smelling which is good for me). So she bought some perfume and I got some samples, but tried to stick with my necklace which soon came to be impossible when I decided I HAD to have a tea cosy (a teapot cover essentially that keeps your teapot warm for awhile) and some tea tidies. But I really did stop there – whew! Then we took a look at the Rock N’ Roll exhibit where I saw the first electric guitar – 1931 – looks like a small banjo with a very long neck – looked like it had been to hell and back but it was still smiling at me… thank goodness for the inventor (American, by the way, and this is the first time the guitar has ever been allowed outside of the good ol’ USA). Was so happy to make its acquaintance. And don’t worry, I got my fix of Wagamama chicken katsu curry in (heaven as far as food goes), and my Pizza Express… also had two long walks along the Thames (my old favorite past time) and all in all was very enjoyable! Lots of people keep asking me about the weather, though in truth it wasn’t any warmer/colder than it had been here, but it definitely rained a LOT – probably about 80% of the time I was there with one beautiful day that of course I was training for. Oh well – soon after we figured it would be raining all the time, and I experienced day after day one of my biggest pet peeves – wearing heels and pants in the rain, and feeling the cold wet pant cuff against your bare skin – ugh – makes me cringe! – our party decided to forget about the daily commute (walk 13 minutes from hotel to train station, ride 40 minutes on the train, wait for 10 minutes in the rain for the bus, ride the 10 minute bus, walk 5 minutes down the hill from the bus stop to the building, oh yeah, in the rain, and the whole time with laptops, training materials, etc) and just cab it to and from – oh, was so much nicer and really not that much more expensive, and certainly was a time saver! LOL – I really don’t mind the tube/trains for public transport, but all that switching all the time in the elements in heels that fall in the cobbles really just isn’t enjoyable at all, so hence why after 4 days of this we were like, nope, not doing it. So good times – am scheduled to go back in mid-March so I’ll get to see everyone again and spend some more good time there!

Other news – Mam has moved into her new house which I think is perfectly suited for her – as soon as I got off the plane I headed up to help her move, and my aunt Kelli was down from NC, too, so it was so fun to hang out! It is closer to us on the freeway, and I still get really excited when I think about being close to my family down here, and that I get to see everyone more regularly without having to plan a big weekend!

Young Life is going great and just loving it… it fills our time like sand but it is so rewarding for us to develop great relationships with the kids. The girl leaders also have a Bible study going that I am getting so much out of and am enjoying so much – I look forward to it all week and the book is so good!

Anyway, have to get back to the daily grind but had 10 minutes to give you guys an update… will post pics later b/c I have some good ones!

Love,
Tasha xx

February ALREADY?!

Ah, so much time has passed again – do you think that in truth time does really go faster and faster as you get older, because really I can’t understand where the time goes!

So quick update – we are still having a ton of fun enjoying our new house – we’ve lived there for a month and not quite a week! Whoop! We regularly enjoy our hot tub, and now almost finished media room! It is fantastic – my only regret is I don’t get to spend that much time there – sigh! Oh well, maybe things will slow down in a month or so… but for now I guess not so much.

Work update: still working long hours but have a perk coming up on Friday – I’m going to England for two weeks! YEA!!!!!! I’m really so excited although I know training end users on software will be exhausting! But it will be a great way to break up the day to day, though I know I will miss Curt and home and the semblance of a routine that I have built tremendously! Stay tuned for that…

Also, this past weekend Curt and I officially started our MS 150 training, marking it with a 38-mile bike ride from Kingwood to north (parallel to The Woodlands) which was really fun and really insane of us… I mean it was our first group ride ever (and I’m sorry but people get all up in your space and when you’re clipped in to an inanimate object this can be stressful!) and we have not been keeping up with our training as we should be, so of course it was difficult. And don’t get me wrong, cardio wise we were fit for this ride, but on a bicycle for hours wise, no we were not… the same rote body movements, over and over and over and over, is what really wears on you… the backs of my knees where the tendons join were aching, my shoulder and neck muscles were screaming at me b/c who holds there heads out like turtles for hours at a time, I’m sorry, not me… it was only at the end in the last few miles that our energy was sapped so we had some gooey fruit stuff that only the *cool* bikers eat (or suck, I don’t know, obviously not a cool biker yet as I don’t know how to describe the function without question?). Anyway, so Saturday we were aching, and thought for sure Sunday would be worse, but actually we were fine and I’m sore like I would normally be after a hard workout of any other kind, so that’s encouraging! Or maybe it’s really the benefits of our hot tub as we soaked both Saturday and Sunday night??

Let’s see, what else… Young Life has been awesome and I love everything about it… we have been making great new friends, developing relationships with the kids, and I’m so excited about this semester and getting to know them even better! Our Leader’s Leader, if you want to call her that, started a new women’s Bible study for the girl YL leaders that I am already getting so much out of – it’s thought provoking, and encouraging, and a great place to just have some girl time. Probably when I get back from England we will begin the exhausting process of church shopping which will probably be hard as our church in Fort Worth was so fantastic after we finally found it!

Curt is walking to work on the days that are not rainy, so he’s really enjoying this kind of start to the day, and he listens to books on tape which I think is adorable! In mind, whatever works is wonderful as he does not enjoy reading the way that I do… though admittedly I’m only getting a half a chapter or so in each night of my current pick, Marie Antoinette, so I wish there was more than 5 minutes to devote each night, but oh well, I guess I have a couple long flights coming up so that will help!

Speaking of long flights, Mom and Mam are currently down under!! I smiled so big reading their first email update… they were in Sydney and are now on the ocean on their way to Melbourne… SO jealous!! They get to hold koalas and kangas next! So fun, can’t wait to see all the pics!

I have missed her on our morning workouts at the gym, this morning was especially lonely as I had no one to complain how sore I was, and no one to talk to in the sauna… but it was still great – I love this new part of my routine although I do NOT (and neither does Mom) enjoy waking up at 5:15 a.m. every morning and having to go to bed by 10:30 p.m. at the latest each night, but it is important for our health and also for training for me, so oh well. The other ladies at the gym are nice and they do actually crack me up… I hope I have as much energy as they do when I’m that age!

Anyway, must run but I’ll post pics of the house, media room, and other events soon… which by the way, wish me luck on my travels, this upcoming week (lots of crazy stuff going on), and our training b/c I need it!

xx

My Ruby Slippers...

So a month later....ugh - sorry again!

Here is an update since my last posting... and there is a lot so I'm going to try and nutshell version it!

First, in mid-December my b.f.f. (I love using a 14 year old's vocab sometimes) Vicki came home from London! I am so happy to have her home... she is currently very busy getting a new chapter of her life off the ground - finding a job, deciding where to live (I'm next up after her parent's place!) and in general has a lot on her plate, but I've seen her a ton and again, and happy that I can see her a lot!

Then of course came Christmas... my favorite holiday!!! Hold on - tea break! Ok - am all set to keep typing and going... so Christmas was SO GREAT! The day before, Vicki came over and we exchanged gifts as we were going to be otherwise occupied on Christmas Eve and Day - she got me awesome gifts! She gave me a beautiful painted piece of art that she got from Prague which i *love* and framed a photograph that she took herself in Ireland... and won't forget teh cool London CD she made me, too! I'll be listening to that tomorrow morning on my first day back to work... more on that soon....

Then Christmas Eve, Curt and I took our godson, Cody, to Build a Bear Workshop to give/make him his Christmas gift... we had him all to ourselves (Ash said he would be better if she and TJ weren't there) so we got the carseat, stroller, juice (really milk, but Cody calls it juice), the backpack with a couple diapers, and everything ready to go... and were on our way! So we got to the mall and walked around for a bit, went to see Santa (Cody is very smart and can point out Santa *anywhere*) and let him push his stroller, and then when we got to Build a Bear his eyes were so wide! So we went in, and I showed him the different ones he could choose from, and he immediately went to the frog and pulled it out, so we went with a frog - we stuffed it, bathed it, and found a great outfit for it... this was the hardest part for Cody. He kept going back and forth between the soccer and basketball outfits, but finally settled on the soccer outfit. Did I mention that Cody is almost a 2 year old? Sorry for those that didn't already know but I'm guessing they could guess with the diaper reference - or I hope so! So Curt dressed the frog in the soccer outfit (complete with a ball) and we went to give it his name and birth certificate and Cody helped us to decide on Frankie Frog - very cute. It was such a fun morning! What was even sweeter is that Cody starting saying "Curtis" - it sounded more like "Kuckis" and we didn't know if that's what he was saying or not, or if he was saying "Christmas" but Ashley verified that he apparently was saying Curtis (though we don't know where he got Curtis and not just Curt) b/c Cody recently pointed to a picture of Curt and said "Kuckis" again! LOL - I just love it... he knows my name is Tasha, but still gets a bit confused b/c there apparently is a hippo on a popular child's show that is also named Tasha so there you go - it's tough to be almost two. :-)

Christmas Eve after that was spent watching movies, and then getting ready for the big night... we had a big dinner planned with the Warner's coming over, and the Castagnos' so that was a TON of fun - good friends, good food, good times over the holidays... gotta love it. So dinner was fab (as always when Mom is cooking), then we had dessert in which more people came over which was really great too! Then everyone left and the Olds family and the Proske family (me and Curt) went to the late service (11 p.m. - so late!) to celebrate the reason for the season... I love Christmas Eve service. I always find myself reflecting on the past year, how I would like the next year to be different or how I can be better, and it always brings me great peace and promise for the coming year (even if I've had a bad one). May sound silly but I love it - I always get choked up, too!

So after church, we went back to the house and proceeded to open presents. Everyone cleaned up pretty well... I would list what I got but I'm tired, but it was GREAT! Highlight though - Curt got me a docking station for my iPod, and we tested it out and the family was dancing in the living room to fun tunes like Billy Idol, "Dancing with Myself," ACDC's "Thunderstruck," and more Tasha classics... so at 2 a.m. we decided to get to bed so Santa could go ahead and visit, and Christmas morning we were again happy to see that even as we approach our mid twenties and beyond that Santa still comes to see us - thank goodness! He brought me a *gorgeous* pair of red toe shoes - he knows I've wanted some since I was 13 or so, and I got them out of the blue! They are so beautiful that I just pet them so far, but I will get around to actually piercing them with my needle to sow my ribbons... sigh... they are pure magic. They are my ruby slippers...

After we ate traditional Christmas homemade by mom waffles, Curt and I got ready and headed out to celebrate with his family in Ledbetter (very close to Giddings and where his Nonnie and PaPa live) - the whole Ullrich clan goes so we were excited to see everyone! We had a great day with a YUMMY turkey lunch, played Apples to Apples (fun card game) in which I was losing miserably (I won at Thanksgiving!) and then made a HUGE come back and was so close to winning! Then we had yummy dessert, opened presents, and in the evening Curt and I left to head back to The Woodlands.

So that was Christmas... the day after I went in to work and worked that week (I was the only person in the city, I think) so I could take off the week AFTER so we could MOVE INTO OUR NEW HOUSE!!! Whoop! :-) So Friday, the 29th was our close date of our new place... we made it through that without event, thank goodness, and proceeded to move in that Saturday after... So we moved like crazy all weekend, took a break to celebrate the new year with friends at a great new pub, hit the hot tub (LOVE our hot tub) and then got back to making our new house our new home! We had a deadline of Curt's birthday party the next weekend so we were working hard!

Let's see... so the move was brutal so we won't bore with the details but we are settling in nicely... moving on to Curt's way fun party! So we invited friends and family, and went to dinner at Buffalo's for a quick bite to eat, then headed to to see the hockey game downtown which was a BLAST! and then we came back to our new place for dessert and showed off our house... everyone seemed to like it (maybe they were just being nice) but we had fun regardless if they really did or not so it was great! And more importantly, we love it so of course that's all that matters... :-)

So Curt's birthday was a hit, we slept in REALLY late on Sunday, and we (plus Kendyl) went shopping and spent some of Curt's Christmas money, and he and Kendyl worked on the media room while I did other things like take the dogs for a run, etc. And then Kendyl came over again last night and we hit the hot tub which was of course so fun. Maverick was going nutso snapping at the bubbles and steam in the light - it was *quite* hilarious.

So watched some TV to unwind and got ready for my first day back at work... which was so long (hence the days it took me to write this). So pulled a 12 hour day, came home and am doing misc things like this before bed...

And am exhausted, so I'm out for the moment.... I'll try to write back sooner than last time!!

xx