Help Me Help Others

This was definitely not the blog entry I was planning to post next, but it is definitely fitting.

I have officially decided to run a half marathon! I've joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to run the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon. I'm either crazy or really motivated and at this point I'm not sure which one it truly is!

I suppose this all started a few years ago when I was inspired to start running from a friend I worked with. She is awesome and has run the Chicago marathon twice! I had no intention of ever running a marathon or even a half, but wanted to get moving. Last year around this time I was convinced I was going to run the very race I'm training for now. Unfortunately, my grandpa got sick and I lost focus after he passed away. Not succeeding has been haunting me all year. I decided this year that I needed to actually do it for a few reasons:
1. I wanted to finish what I started.
2. The race is two days after my 30th birthday (what better way to end my 20s and start my 30s!).
3. Last year, when I was training, I mentioned to my grandpa my goal. He laughed because he didn't think I'd do it. In a way, I'm doing this for him as much as for myself.
4. I want to focus more on helping others and this is a great way to help myself and bring help to others-all through exercising!!


Part of training with TNT is raising money for LLS. They require that you raise a certain amount of money for their organization and in turn give you resources and a training schedule to succeed. For my race, I must raise $1700. That is a lot of money in a short amount of time! If I don't raise the appropriate amount, I will be forced to forfeit running in the race. I really don't want to let myself down or the people at the LLS who are counting on this money. If you'd like to donate to my cause please follow this link to make an online donation:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/gat/stlouish10/azakrzewsk

I'm nervous about the training because the race is April 11(!) but I'm super nervous about raising the funds. I'm trusting that God will provide, but also begging everyone I know just in case!

Gotta run (literally!)!

Yikes!

Holy time flying Batman! I can't believe it has been so long since my last entry! I promise I will try to do better this time around. Look for a great entry on giving next!

Boston continued...

Saturday we spent going to Harvard and more of Boston. Vicky teaches a course at Harvard so mom and I wanted to see the campus. Plus I had to get a t-shirt. While we were there we stopped at Lush and awesome store where I bought a great lotion! Then to the gift shop where Vicky and my mom tried to convince me to buy a law school alum t-shirt.


Here I am with Mr. Harvard! I had to push through a bunch of tourists to get my chance up here.













Pretty campus! We were surprised there weren't more green spaces.







We headed back to Boston to see the Boston Public Library or the BPL as Vicky called it. She made sure I saw lots of libraries. Inside are murals done by John Singer Sargent, which were AMAZING!








My mom knocking on the door in the mural room. No one was home.











My mom and I in the courtyard of the BPL.








Woohoo! Boston Marathon!








Swan boats in the Boston Garden. While sitting here we saw 4 different wedding parties taking pictures.








Sunday
Sunday we headed to Concord, Massachusetts. We stopped at the Concord Museum, Orchard House, and the North Bridge.


Mom and Vicky walking in front of the Concord Museum. It was really interesting. I didn't realize that Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau were all from this area. We didn't make it to Walden Pond.






Hysterical picture that we saw in the museum. This is a little girl named Annie. We think there was something wrong with her or the artist was terrible. Her eyes followed us. I don't think she appreciated being laughed at.









Orchard House, or the house of Louisa May Alcott. This house was what the house in Little Women was based upon. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Louisa's novel was largely based on her family and over 80% of the items in the house belonged to the family.








Orchard House








Me in front of Mr. Alcott's school. He was a huge part of reforming education in this country. I was amazed that a lot of the things he helped to change we still do today. What a cool guy!







Me in front of Ralph Waldo Emerson's house.










Me on the North Bridge, where the Revolutionary War began.











Sorry for so many pictures! Coming soon-pics from the All-Star race and Jammin' at the Zoo!

Beantown Trip

My mom and I just got back from Boston last week where we went to visit her cousin, Vicky. It was a short trip Thursday to Monday, but we packed a lot of stuff in a short time!

Thursday
Thursday was pretty laid back. We got in around lunch time and Vicky picked us up from the airport. We headed back to her house and settled in before meeting up with Vicky's man-friend Carl at their private club. I don't have any pictures but this was a hilarious evening. We all got dolled up and headed out. The club is housed in an old home that is just HUGE! We listened to some piano music while enjoying drinks and apps. The entertainment was just that-entertainment. An older gentleman and his daughter and her family played for us. At one point, they played Let it Be which lead to an impromptu singalong. Not what I was expecting from an older, reserved crowd. I sat next to a guy in a pink seersucker jacket whose name was Morgan and he kept me entertained.

Friday
Friday we headed into the city of Boston for a tour of the Otis House (one of the museums that Carl's organization is in charge of-the house dates to 1796 and was amazingly preserved). We had to wear booties to protect the carpets-didn't get a picture but it was pretty funny!

Next we headed up Beacon Hill for a bit and saw the brownstone where John Kerry resides.

Then we really headed into the walking part of our tour which included the state courthouse (where Vicky used to work), the state house, a private library that Vicky and Carl belong to, various parts of the Freedom Trail, Paul Revere's house, and a gelato stop.


This is the state courthouse...it was beautiful inside!


The state house and where we picked up the Freedom Trail.












The view from one of the rooms in the private library. A historic graveyard of some sort.







My mom and I on the balcony of private library with Boston in the background!









Mom and Vicky on the same balcony!









Site of the Boston Massacre.








Quincy Market where we had lunch. I had an AWESOME peanut butter brownie here too! And yes, that is mom's head at the bottom of the pic!






We stopped to have my picture taken in front of my restaurant.








Vicky and I in front of Paul Revere's house.









I'll finish up in another post!!

What was I thinking?! and Viva La Block!

First of all, I have to mention that I saw NKOTB in all of their retro glory again last night. Basically a few tweaks of their first tour but the addition of Popsicle made my friend Sara's night! I will post pics whenever I get home. Again I screamed like I was 9 again and danced around with a bunch of my friends. It was awesome. The night was made complete by the drive by of Waffle House to see all of the silly 20 and 30 something women hoping that the boys (I mean, men) would be dropping by. It was literally a crowded House. Oh, and Donnie or D Dub as you are now called, please stop making the smarmy comments about getting with little girls moms and us having boobs now. It is creeping us out. As Ashley put it, our 9 year old selves are here not our 28 or 29 year old selves. We're too young to hear this kind of talk. Thanks-love you!


My friend Kristin called the other day to schedule a dinner and mentioned that she is running the All-Star 5K for the All-Star game coming up in a week or so. She told me I should run it with her and what does my dumb self do? I signed up. Keep in mind that I only started running again this week and am only up to about a mile without stopping. I'm really only in it for the t-shirt. Oh, and to top it all off, I'm going to go see Kathy Griffin the night before. I love that broad. And, yep, I'm a glutton for punishment.

Here's to memories of childhood, free t-shirts, and celebrity trash talking!

We interupt this regularly scheduled non-blogging to bring you...

this! I went to see The Proposal with a few friends yesterday and it was so funny! Seriously, like, I don't remember when the last time I laughed out loud that much at a movie theater. Plus, there was lots of Ryan Reynolds (aka Berg!). Ryan and I go way back to the days of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. I love, love, LOVED that show! Anyhow, I just needed an excuse to post this picture again.

In other news, I was forced to sit in virtually no air conditioning with no air circulation or windows all morning. I think I'm a little loopy and have a raging headache. I drank as much water as possible and am now peeing every five seconds. A nap was certainly called for in this situation. I feel a little bit better but am going to take it easy tonight.

Off to Blockbuster to trade in Vicky Christina Barcelona (odd but decent movie) for something lighthearted that I can watch tonight from my couch. I promise pictures of my spending spree soon!

Wait..what was the title of my last post?!

Well, school's back in session. Summer school that is. After a fun week with my friend Amy in Chicago that involved WAY too much shopping (like such a thing exists!), I'm back at work. The nice part is I'm finished by 12:30 so I still have all afternoon to do nothing-which is what a good summer vaca should entail. I'll try to remember to take a picture of all my loot from Chicago and post it along with the incredible view from our hotel room. (Please read the part about hotel sarcastically-view was terrible!)

In order to get off this weight that keeps creeping back on, I am planning to hit the gym this afternoon to go for a run. I haven't run since the GOTR 5K about a month ago! It is amazing to me how life gets in the way of great intentions. Wish me luck that I don't die on the treadmill this afternoon!