Pet peeves

1. People who run faster than I do and don't even try or train. They just can run a marathon and run it quickly with little effort. Some people just naturally qualify for Boston every year.
2. Men who lie about their age. It's okay for women, but for some reason, I'm not okay with it when a man does it.
3. When all the radio stations take a commercial break at the same time. Same with television stations.
4. People who obviously hate cyclists. Share the road.
5. Scam charities. Sick people are profiting off of the current situation in Haiti by setting up fake charities. There's a place in he** for you I'm sure.

Haiti

Life is so short. Seeing the images on the Internet of the destruction makes me want to get on a plane right now and just do anything I can to help.

Mother Nature is one big beast.

I believe...

I believe that Starbucks can make life feel better
I believe that if you challenge your body and push it harder, it will respond
I believe that all men are innately jerks. Some can overcome this, but most don't
I believe that everything happens for a reason
I believe that a good run can make you feel better
I believe that if you really want something bad enough, you will do what you need to do to make it happen
I believe that dancing will liven your spirit
I believe that sunshine lifts your spirit
I believe that you have to smile when eating cake. It just makes you happy

2010

New Year's Eve was quite forgettable. I went to see Joel McHale's stand up and that's about it. I'm ready for 2010.

New Year's Resolutions:
1. Run 3 marathons
2. One of those will be an international marathon
3. Bring up my bike time in a triathlon by .5 mph
4. Go to a party for this year's New Year's Eve
5. Find a literary agent

We'll see how these resolutions go :)

Happy 2010!

2009 Reflected

2009 was a good year to me. I had some great achievements and some losses. Here is 2009 in remembrance:

1. Finishing Ironman. I completed Ironman Arizona after months of very long weekends spent on my bike and in my running shoes and swimming laps in the pool. During the heat of the summer, I had to awake in the 4 o'clock hour to beat the triple digit temps. But, when all is said and done, I crossed the finish line to a very challenging endurance event and now I am an Ironman finisher. It was an amazing euphoria.

2. Running the Copenhagen marathon. In my quest to run a marathon on every continent, I participated in this Denmark race and visited the land of models, aka Sweden, while there.

3. My best birthday ever. I went to LA to the Festival of Books and personally met my future husband Curtis Stone. He signed his new cookbook and wrote "happy, happy birthday Jennifer." Sigh :) My dad also surprised me and appeared in Newport Beach in California on my birthday. I was so happy that weekend and nothing will top that b-day.

4. Getting braces on and off. For four months I had these ugly white braces which made me feel like I was 12 years old. But after a quick 4 months, they were removed and a straighter smile was found beneath that gastly metal. I now smile in photographs. Yes, it was dang expensive and yes, it was worth every penny.

5. Seeing Dinner Impossible filmed in person. At an Ironman dinner, the Food Network was filming the show right in front of me. Robert Irvine was feeding hungry triathletes. As a Food Network addict, I was giddy as a school girl. You can ask anyone who was there.

6. My brother moving to Utah. He got a job in Herriman and took off :(

7. A major bike accident in July that left me with stitches, a sprained wrist and scars for life. I completely lost consciousness in my fall and luckily two men driving by found me.

8. A friendship ending. I received a letter by mail from a friend that I have known for 9 years now. She was very candid in her letter explaining all the things she didn't like about me. It made me change the way I view things and I feel like a much more positive person because of it. I tried to take a sad situation and turn it into a learning experience. I also ended a friendship with another person. Sometimes in life you have to learn to let go to become something better.

9. Not getting a wanted opportunity. Enough said about that.

10. Participating in 30 races. This was a year devoted to training and racing. I competed in events ranging from a 5K to a full Ironman. My muscles can feel it and after Ironman my stamina isn't what it was before the race, but I am proud of my accomplishments in my marathon and triathlon life.

Here's to a wonderful 2010! I am looking forward to it. I will have to write down my new year's resolutions.

Christmas

I think being around family is hazardous to my health. I have had three very nasty migraines in the past year and all fell during a holiday period when I'm around family. I got another bad one yesterday morning and was sick all day.

But Christmas was nice. My brothers both came into town and we opened gifts and spent Christmas Eve dinner with relatives.

I had a movie marathon and saw three new movies: Up in the Air, It's Complicated and Nine. I really enjoyed Up in the Air and not just for the eye candy that is George Clooney.

Back at work today and all week.

All I want for Christmas

On the eve of Christmas eve, here are the things I am asking Santa for:

1. A special meal prepared by Curtis Stone himself
2. George Clooney underneath my tree Christmas morning. Santa can just pick him up on his sleigh and drop him off. If he is unavailable, Clive Owen will do just fine.
3. Faster legs to get a faster marathon time
4. An expense account at Armani, Max Mara, Sephora and Tiffanys

Is that too much for a girl to ask? I should be on the nice list this year.