A Full Saturday!

Today was a full day. It started out with me headed out to Lunkin Airport to do my long run of the week. Every week I try and do a run that is longer than my previous week's long run and a lot longer than my regular runs during the week of 4 - 6 miles. I ran 8 miles last week so this week I shot for 9 miles. We have had a lot of snow last month and it has begun, after melting, to cause flooding. The airport has a track around it that has mile markers at every 1/2 mile. I started out and got to the 4 mile marker and was going to go around once completing 5 miles and then do 4 more miles. However when I got half way to the 4.5 mile maker I was greeted with the picture to the right. I decided to turn around and then just add a 3/4 mile on the other end. I finally got done with my run and headed back home to change and head out for an afternoon of shopping with Melissa. I got back to the house, showered, changed and we headed out. We stopped at McAlister's Deli for lunch. I love McAlister's because they have several meals that are under 500 calories for you to choose from and they are actually filling for me. I chose a chipotle chicken wrap and taco salad. They were good! We then headed out the Babies R'Us because they were having a Diapers sale that if you bought 2 boxes you would get a $20.00 gift card. After that we got a call from Melissa's friend from Buffalo who was coming in to visit us. She was bringing something that makes me very very happy. She was bringing us La Nova Pizza & Wings! We headed over to meet her on the other side of town and did our grocery shopping for the week and then called her and met her in the parking lot. She brought her grand-daughters who we met last time she was in town and they were great to hang out with. They remembered my car was yellow and saw a car in the parking lot and screamed, "I SEE HIM!" However, what they didn't realize was that we took Melissa's car and that we were not the car they thought we were. Melissa's friend, Sandy, brought us the Yummy Pizza, Wings, and also brought us a couple of gifts for the babies, some blankets, clothes, and bibs! We went home and Melissa needed a nap and I needed some PIZZA! I heated up the Pizza, Wings, and got out the Blue Cheese and Celery and had a nice relaxing evening watching some NCAA March Madness (Kansas, Villanova, New Mexico...Wait didn't I say relaxing)?

Niagara Mini-Marathon Complete - We Both Made It!

Well we are one week removed from our trip to Buffalo for the Niagara Falls Mini-Marathon and I can't believe that we have a Mini-Marathon under our belts. Melissa and I ran the race together and I started to have some foot pain around mile marker 5 so we decided to slow our pace but move like the tortise (slow and steady wins the race). It was great seeing and hearing all the high school sports teams and groups along the way cheering us on and supplying us with water and gatorade. It was funny, at mile marker 3 I could see Niagara Falls and I turned to Melissa and said look and she just started laughing. At mile 11 though, we both looked and said: "That's not so scary and far now!" We crossed the finish line in just under 3 hours and they even annouced our names! I look forward to my next Mini and my first full Marathon!

Naturally, any trip to Buffalo means that we are coming home with some Buffalo food! Saturday night we went to Tops, a local supermarket, and picked up the following:

• Case of LaBatt Blue
• 6 Cans of Grandma Browns Beans
• 4-5 Bottles of Weber's Spicy Mustard.

We also had a post race celebration friends luncheon at The Anchor Bar (Home of the Chicken Wing). We took Monday off for the drive and then got ready to head out of town. We ran to J.C. Penny's for some Bills hats and clothes and then we were on to Tim Horton's to pick up some Tim Bits, Mighty Taco for lunch and some to go for lunch the next day, and then we called ahead to La Nova Pizzeria and had them make a large Peperonni Pizza and a double order of Bar-B-Q wings, with extra blue cheese. I don't know what it is about Buffalo blue cheese but there is just something about it and you can't get it better any other place. I took the week off of exercising to recover from the Mini-Marathon (and my waistline noticed) but tonight I was back on the case again running a 3 mile jog. I need to start training for the Turkey Trot. Talk to you soon!

Happy 80th Birthday Aunt Nett & SURPRISE!

This July 3^rd Melissa and I set out early in the morning to travel to Columbia, Illinois to see/suprise my Aunt Nett for her 80^th birthday. My mom was the only one who knew that we were coming to visit. It took us a little under 5 & a 1/2 hours but we made it. We went and checked into the hotel room rested for a bit and then got changed for the party. We showed up to the party, not even my sister knew we were coming and we walked in the door and my Aunt Nett was talking to someone so I had to wait a minute until Jennifer pointed her to me and said who is that. My Aunt Nett spotted me and started to cry and said, "Oh Gregory, I haven't seen you in ages!" We talked for a bit and I got to see my Uncle's, Bill & Larry, and several other aunts and uncles that I hadn't seen in a long time due to not having much vacation.
After the party, we went and saw Jennifer's new house and I took Melissa for a tour around Waterloo. I showed my old grade school, Ahne's Bakery, the post office, our old house, and several other local landmarks, there are not many in Waterloo :-). We then went back to the hotel and partook in a St. Louis tradition, Imo's Pizza! I would say that my listings of pizza would be:

1. La Nova Pizza & Wings - Buffalo, NY - Link.
2. Imo' s Pizza - St. Louis, Mo area - Link.
3. Bob & John's La Hacienda - Buffalo, NY - Link.

It was a close race between Imo's and Bob & John's but I think this recent taste test put Imo's on top. More to come tomorrow.