Funeral
I went to Salt Lake City this weekend to attend the funeral services of my grandmother. It was nice to see family and my two brothers. But it was a bittersweet affair. A journal was discovered after my grandma's passing. Apparently she kept one starting in 1976 for 10 years, writing in it off and on. Several entries describe things I did as a child. My favorite: my grandma, my uncle and I were sitting down to dinner and my grandma gave me mashed potatoes and gravy. I said, "Yuck!" So my uncle said, "Just pretend it is ice cream and chocolate syrup." I said, "Okay, then I'll pretend to eat it, too." I was three--and just as stubborn and snarky then as I am now it appears. And for the record, my feelings on mashed potatoes have changed, but I still don't like gravy.
Showing posts with label Salt Lake City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salt Lake City. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, August 13, 2010
Weekend
I am going to spend the weekend in Salt Lake City where it is 85 right now and my temperature outside reads 111 at this exact moment. It's so hot I cannot even take the luggage out of my car. I get to go to a baby shower for my cousin who is flying in from Colorado just for the event, pregnant belly and all. Yeah for cooler weather and family.
It is my 4th trip to Utah this year. I love it up there and love running there. This weekend I get to run at the parkway trail with a SLC running group.
I am going to spend the weekend in Salt Lake City where it is 85 right now and my temperature outside reads 111 at this exact moment. It's so hot I cannot even take the luggage out of my car. I get to go to a baby shower for my cousin who is flying in from Colorado just for the event, pregnant belly and all. Yeah for cooler weather and family.
It is my 4th trip to Utah this year. I love it up there and love running there. This weekend I get to run at the parkway trail with a SLC running group.
Monday, July 5, 2010
4th of July
I spent the 4th of July in beautiful, cool Salt Lake City. I landed in 73 degree weather and it was heaven. Utah had a rainy spring, so the mountains were so green they looked like Hawaii. It was breathtaking. I went to Park City with my brother and then watched fireworks and had a BBQ with my aunt, uncle, cousins, brother, brother's girlfriend and friends. I ate too much, but what else is new? We lit off fireworks in the street.
The next day I got up early to go running. I adore running in Salt Lake. It was one of my favorite cities to run and it is a tradition for me to run at Brighton High School in Sandy. Its track is located at the base of the Rockies and overlooks a good portion of the Wasatch front. I packed all my gels, water bottle and running clothes, but realized that morning that I forgot my running shoes. So I "borrowed" my brother's car (without asking) and went to the only thing open: Target. I would NEVER buy running shoes at Target, but I just needed something for a couple of days and Target would have to do. So I got my shoes and headed to Brighton only to find out that the track was gone. Totally gutted. No fair!!! But I ran anyway and loved it. I got to run in the middle of the day and felt like I could run forever. It was only 73 and it makes such a difference from 100 or the dreaded treadmill.
I spent another night with my cousins and played games and watched a movie. I miss everyone there. I miss it terribly. I was depressed getting on the plane and having to come back to the blazing inferno of Phoenix. I landed and felt like I was walking on the sun.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Salt Lake City Half Marathon
My poor quads are still burning and the lactic acid is staying strong. I have only gotten sore once before in a half marathon (this was my 22nd). My Salt Lake City half marathon was mostly downhill, which led me to pull off some 7:55 mile paces, but unfortunately, my quads were so sore by the end. Mile 11-12 was uphill and unfortunately, my body didn't kindly take to shifting from quads to other muscles and it slowed me down. However, I was fine with my finish time.
But, the race was beautiful with 70 degree temperatures in one of my favorite cities. The beautiful and fragrant spring flowers greeted me throughout the course, as did cherry blossoms with the wind blowing the pink blossoms all around. I loved this race and would do it again anytime. I love SLC and I love running, so put them together when it doesn't involve snow and I'm a happy girl.
I also celebrated an early birthday while in Utah with my cousins. We ate delicious thick banana splits and milkshakes at Leatherbys, discovered daffodils and spectacular colors of tulips at Temple Square, and toured the Gateway.
My poor brother was supposed to travel to Spain and France on Sunday, but his flight got canceled with the volcano. Soo sad.
I have been waking up early, stupid early. Friday I got up at 5am for a work function, Saturday I got up at 3:30am AZ time for the race and Sunday I got up at 5:00am AZ time to take my brother to the airport, only to have his flight canceled.
This weekend I will be in LA, then my birthday, then off to Peru for a full marathon, then a triathlon in Arizona, then the Great Wall of China marathon--my even poorer quads.
My poor quads are still burning and the lactic acid is staying strong. I have only gotten sore once before in a half marathon (this was my 22nd). My Salt Lake City half marathon was mostly downhill, which led me to pull off some 7:55 mile paces, but unfortunately, my quads were so sore by the end. Mile 11-12 was uphill and unfortunately, my body didn't kindly take to shifting from quads to other muscles and it slowed me down. However, I was fine with my finish time.
But, the race was beautiful with 70 degree temperatures in one of my favorite cities. The beautiful and fragrant spring flowers greeted me throughout the course, as did cherry blossoms with the wind blowing the pink blossoms all around. I loved this race and would do it again anytime. I love SLC and I love running, so put them together when it doesn't involve snow and I'm a happy girl.
I also celebrated an early birthday while in Utah with my cousins. We ate delicious thick banana splits and milkshakes at Leatherbys, discovered daffodils and spectacular colors of tulips at Temple Square, and toured the Gateway.
My poor brother was supposed to travel to Spain and France on Sunday, but his flight got canceled with the volcano. Soo sad.
I have been waking up early, stupid early. Friday I got up at 5am for a work function, Saturday I got up at 3:30am AZ time for the race and Sunday I got up at 5:00am AZ time to take my brother to the airport, only to have his flight canceled.
This weekend I will be in LA, then my birthday, then off to Peru for a full marathon, then a triathlon in Arizona, then the Great Wall of China marathon--my even poorer quads.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Headaches
I've had one too many headaches lately. When I was in Utah on Sunday evening after a beautiful day in heavenly Park City shopping and sharing the relaxed lifestyle of the Park City elite, I was driving back down the canyon into Salt Lake and my vision started to go. I knew right away a migraine was coming. When I get migraines I lose my vision for a while and then the pain starts. The vision started going away, while I was driving mind you, down a canyon, and I got nervous. I drove as quickly as I could without completely breaking the law to a grocery store to buy the most powerful medicine I could find and took over the maximum limit of pills as to hopefully put me into an Excedrine-induced coma. Unfortunately, that amount of pill popping didn't do the trick. I laid in total pain till about 3am when I was finally able to close my eyes and fall semi-asleep. At 6:30am I woke up, wide awake and still had a migraine.
My family was killing me this weekend. Slowly and surely. My grandmother's Alzheimer's mixed with a little dose of senility = a deadly combination.
I did enjoy the heat reprieve because when my plane touched down, hot hair came straight to burn my bones. I could actually see the air from the plane. It was steaming hot. I think the windows of the plane were fogging up.
Now it was my car's turn for a headache. I had trouble with my car since I got back from my 4th of July weekend and it finally gave way. It completely overheated and started steaming. I had to quickly shut it off and mysteriously a AAA van just happened to be in the same parking lot as I...what are the odds? Heaven sent. Well, turns out that my hood wouldn't open because it was stuck, so all he said to me was "good luck" and drove off. Boo hoo! My dad and brother came to my rescue from my overheated car and were able to pop the hood. Perhaps they should get a job with AAA. I got it to the mechanic the very next day, but having to drive in 107 degrees with no air-conditioning. Yeah me. Fortunately, the mechanic was able to fix it, it just hurt my credit card $335. My poor credit card, my poor car, my poor body driving in desert heat with no AC. But it is fixed and the air conditioning blows cold. It better blow cold, that's some expensive AC.
This weekend was hard core workouts. I got up at 4:30am to beat the heat with my friends from Racelab. We swam in Saguaro Lake with many bees who spent the morning trying to mate with my bike. After a 45 minute open water swim, we biked a little over 30 miles into an Indian reservation. Then I ran 5 miles in 110. It got up to 115that day and broke a record. Now it's time for my poor dehydrated muscles to hurt and a dehydration headache to start. Then I had a 12 mile run the next day at 4:30am and a swim session in the outdoors. Tomorrow I have a swim session at 6am and a run with my group at 7pm. Two workouts outdoors in the heat. Just kill me now. I'm already living in hell. If you kill me now, I won't have far to travel and maybe I wouldn't have to get up so early to workout.
Headaches, headaches, headaches.
I've had one too many headaches lately. When I was in Utah on Sunday evening after a beautiful day in heavenly Park City shopping and sharing the relaxed lifestyle of the Park City elite, I was driving back down the canyon into Salt Lake and my vision started to go. I knew right away a migraine was coming. When I get migraines I lose my vision for a while and then the pain starts. The vision started going away, while I was driving mind you, down a canyon, and I got nervous. I drove as quickly as I could without completely breaking the law to a grocery store to buy the most powerful medicine I could find and took over the maximum limit of pills as to hopefully put me into an Excedrine-induced coma. Unfortunately, that amount of pill popping didn't do the trick. I laid in total pain till about 3am when I was finally able to close my eyes and fall semi-asleep. At 6:30am I woke up, wide awake and still had a migraine.
My family was killing me this weekend. Slowly and surely. My grandmother's Alzheimer's mixed with a little dose of senility = a deadly combination.
I did enjoy the heat reprieve because when my plane touched down, hot hair came straight to burn my bones. I could actually see the air from the plane. It was steaming hot. I think the windows of the plane were fogging up.
Now it was my car's turn for a headache. I had trouble with my car since I got back from my 4th of July weekend and it finally gave way. It completely overheated and started steaming. I had to quickly shut it off and mysteriously a AAA van just happened to be in the same parking lot as I...what are the odds? Heaven sent. Well, turns out that my hood wouldn't open because it was stuck, so all he said to me was "good luck" and drove off. Boo hoo! My dad and brother came to my rescue from my overheated car and were able to pop the hood. Perhaps they should get a job with AAA. I got it to the mechanic the very next day, but having to drive in 107 degrees with no air-conditioning. Yeah me. Fortunately, the mechanic was able to fix it, it just hurt my credit card $335. My poor credit card, my poor car, my poor body driving in desert heat with no AC. But it is fixed and the air conditioning blows cold. It better blow cold, that's some expensive AC.
This weekend was hard core workouts. I got up at 4:30am to beat the heat with my friends from Racelab. We swam in Saguaro Lake with many bees who spent the morning trying to mate with my bike. After a 45 minute open water swim, we biked a little over 30 miles into an Indian reservation. Then I ran 5 miles in 110. It got up to 115that day and broke a record. Now it's time for my poor dehydrated muscles to hurt and a dehydration headache to start. Then I had a 12 mile run the next day at 4:30am and a swim session in the outdoors. Tomorrow I have a swim session at 6am and a run with my group at 7pm. Two workouts outdoors in the heat. Just kill me now. I'm already living in hell. If you kill me now, I won't have far to travel and maybe I wouldn't have to get up so early to workout.
Headaches, headaches, headaches.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July
I have enjoyed a beautiful 4th of July weekend in Salt Lake City. I started off by arriving Friday afternoon and taking a nap. Friday morning, a holiday, I met my group at swim practice at 6am and then did Saturday's workout on Friday: an over 2 hour bike ride and 40 minute run.
But then on the plane I could relax. I then went over to visit my uncle and cousins.
Saturday, I actually shopped, which is not one of my favorite activities, but I love the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. It is an outdoor shopping mall complete with fountains and a theater. Saturday evening I went to my aunt's house in Magna and saw all my mom's side of the family. I ate too much and made myself sick, but that's the way it should be...consuming too much picnic food and cake and ice cream. I then went over to my uncle's house where my cousin light off fireworks in the street. Coming from the heat of the unbearable desert, Utah is a welcomed reprieve.
I also went to Park City and enjoyed a beautiful arts festival and all the lovely outdoors people Utah brings.
My grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's and is very forgetful, but also very mean. I don't think there is a filter from her brain to her mouth now. So I have endured a weekend of "What's wrong with you? Why can't you get a man?" "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you married?" My grandfather asked "Have you been in the paper lately?" I said no, and my grandmother yelled "Why? What's wrong with you?" It's like a broken record. I usually take her out shopping, but I just can't handle it anymore. I left to go running at Brighton High School, one of my favorite places to run, as it has a view of all of Salt Lake, just to get away from the house. My grandfather can't hear, so everything has to be yelled and repeated and repeated. Ohhh, growing older must be hard.
I have enjoyed a beautiful 4th of July weekend in Salt Lake City. I started off by arriving Friday afternoon and taking a nap. Friday morning, a holiday, I met my group at swim practice at 6am and then did Saturday's workout on Friday: an over 2 hour bike ride and 40 minute run.
But then on the plane I could relax. I then went over to visit my uncle and cousins.
Saturday, I actually shopped, which is not one of my favorite activities, but I love the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. It is an outdoor shopping mall complete with fountains and a theater. Saturday evening I went to my aunt's house in Magna and saw all my mom's side of the family. I ate too much and made myself sick, but that's the way it should be...consuming too much picnic food and cake and ice cream. I then went over to my uncle's house where my cousin light off fireworks in the street. Coming from the heat of the unbearable desert, Utah is a welcomed reprieve.
I also went to Park City and enjoyed a beautiful arts festival and all the lovely outdoors people Utah brings.
My grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's and is very forgetful, but also very mean. I don't think there is a filter from her brain to her mouth now. So I have endured a weekend of "What's wrong with you? Why can't you get a man?" "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you married?" My grandfather asked "Have you been in the paper lately?" I said no, and my grandmother yelled "Why? What's wrong with you?" It's like a broken record. I usually take her out shopping, but I just can't handle it anymore. I left to go running at Brighton High School, one of my favorite places to run, as it has a view of all of Salt Lake, just to get away from the house. My grandfather can't hear, so everything has to be yelled and repeated and repeated. Ohhh, growing older must be hard.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Cloudy Days
I love cloudy days. When I lived in Seattle they were a dime and dozen and sunshine was a novelty. But those days are now reversed. I got up at 5:45am to go on a delicious bike ride. It was beautiful and not hot and sprinkled a bit. I looked down at my watch and was already 45 minutes into my ride and didn't even realize it. I love workouts like that...when time passes quickly.
Today I will be swimming a bit and then getting up early for a swim session with my group tomorrow. I am putting two days of workouts into one day because tomorrow mid-day I go to Salt Lake City for the 4th of July. Looking forward to seeing my family and cooler weather.
I always try to be out of town on the 4th of July. Last year I was in Australia running a marathon, the year before I was in Miami visiting my brother, the year before I was in Seattle visiting friends, and so on.
I love cloudy days. When I lived in Seattle they were a dime and dozen and sunshine was a novelty. But those days are now reversed. I got up at 5:45am to go on a delicious bike ride. It was beautiful and not hot and sprinkled a bit. I looked down at my watch and was already 45 minutes into my ride and didn't even realize it. I love workouts like that...when time passes quickly.
Today I will be swimming a bit and then getting up early for a swim session with my group tomorrow. I am putting two days of workouts into one day because tomorrow mid-day I go to Salt Lake City for the 4th of July. Looking forward to seeing my family and cooler weather.
I always try to be out of town on the 4th of July. Last year I was in Australia running a marathon, the year before I was in Miami visiting my brother, the year before I was in Seattle visiting friends, and so on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
