Tag Archives: sorella

sisterlove.

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When I was home this past weekend, seeing family, crying with my cousins, and saying goodbye to a wonderful uncle, I also got to see some of my sisterloves. They are scattered on the eastern seaboard, but we all gathered in New York on Saturday and Sunday morning to snuggle and love each other. And it was exactly what I needed.

We snacked on burgers, we drank Blue Moon by the river, “It’s just New Jersey,” we laughed as we watched people take pictures across the river. We ignored people we may or may not have known from a previous life. We walked far and wide to find the right thing for the right person. We stood a little too close on the train and laughed and talked a little too loud everywhere. We celebrated fall temperatures will pumpkin ale over cookbooks. We ate a plate of cheese. We laughed, and laughed, and laughed. We walked Lola the dog, and took a ride with Frank to our countryhouse stay. We snuggled three in a bed. We got up, we went to breakfast to gather our fourth. Or rather, she gathered us. We got breakfast and laughed some more. We stopped for cider donuts, feeling the crisp air on our arms, and we contemplated another visit, and soon. We took a very forced picture, because gd’it, I need a picture of my girls every few years, and NO I still do not think it was SO much to ask for you to take off your sunglasses, K.

 

6th Place: Relative Danger.

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Today was D-day for my 5K with my sister. The race started at 10:30, which meant we had plenty of morning to…get nervous! I was up until 1:00, making sure I had hot beats to jog around Ypsilanti to. Getting up at 8:30, I knew we were in trouble.

On Friday, I arrive in Michigan to 80 degree weather. By Saturday afternoon, it was 50 degrees, and rainy. And Sunday morning? Race morning? 42 degrees. Pouring rain. Dripping rain. Rain sideways. Rain upwards, downwards, blustering across the roads, flooding the race track.

As we drove to Ypsi, I realized that I was under dressed, nervous, cold, and maybe worried that I was not ready for this after all.

“Maybe they’ll cancel the race,” I said.

“I forgot my rain jacket, maybe we should turn around and go home and get it. We’ll…make it back,” I gasped.

“There’s no one here, we should go,” I chimed as we pulled up.

“I am pretty sure I can’t go.” I blurted out.

“What if I am last?” I mused.

“Then I’ll run behind you so I’m last,” Nikki said, as she basically pushed me out of the car. Before I was out of the car, my mom did manage to give me her long-sleeved shirt so I wasn’t so cold, and then Nikki and I ran into the building to find the check in. There were so many people around (although Nikki assured me this was one of the smallest races she’s run in) and we had to figure out where to get our bibs. We finally did, and managed to pin them on and find a place to stretch.

“This is the most I’ve ever stretched before a race,” Nikki said. I felt tight. I felt weak. I felt nervous. I felt cold. But alas, here we go.

We headed out to the start line with the crowd. bib on, headphones ready. Headphones on. Headphones not working. Definitely a moment of panic as I looked to Nikki, screaming in the pouring rain, “IT’S NOT WORKING. IT’S NOT WORKING.” I pushed the start button once, twice, three times…nothing. “Do you want mine?” Nikki said. And then, fourth’s a charm, and my tunes were on.

“ON YOUR MARK,” says the man, “GO.”

We were off. In my morning haste, I had also forgotten my watch. So, per usual, Nikki was boss. We were off. The rain was pouring down, and we were soaked by two minutes in. My jams were jamming, but I was running pretty slowly. But I was running. Nikki was running with me, making sure that I only walked when I really needed to, and kept alternatively singing out loud, yelling at me to run, and looking at her watch.

As we rounded mile 1, I couldn’t believe we had so much more to run. Mainly because I was freezing, wet, and already my ankles hurt. But we persevered. Or I should say, I did, as Nikki obviously could have finished no matter what. Anyways, so we got back to the beginning, as this was a lapped course, and  we had to run around it twice. There were people stationed along the route cheering for us, and I looked for my parents, who were warm in their car, and beeped at us for encouragement.

As we went around the first bend again, and I tried to trick myself into running harder, running longer, running at all. Nikki definitely kept me moving, but it was definitely hard. We hit the mile 2 marker running, and I knew that we were getting somewhere. The rain just kept coming down, and I just kept moving. Finally, about the 2.5 mile point, Nikki said, “It’s freezing, we’re cold, we’re wet, let’s go.” I picked up my pace, pushing myself as much as I could.

As we got around the final bend, I skipped through a couple jams to get myself to the end. My parents were at the finish line, cheering us on. In our matching shirts, Nikki and I finished at 41:11 minutes. It wasn’t my goal (under 40 minutes) but it was finished. I had done it. In my age group, I came in 6th place. As a sister team, we came in 4th. And Nikki and I did it together. In matching shirts. And, matching wind-burned cheeks.

Will I do it again? Well, I told Ellen I’d run one with her this summer. I definitely want to explore swimming more, and I am really enjoying going to yoga regularly. I want to work on my endurance by really focusing on 1 mile runs to run for longer. I am glad I did one, and I am excited to find a sunny LA one to do this summer.

Thanks for all your support guys! It’s made running a 5K a piece of cake.

 

 

Un’amica Stretta

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Like, for instance, we just learned the other day that un’amica stretta means “a close friend.” But stretta literally means tight, as in clothing, like a tight skirt. So a close friend, in Italian, is one you that can wear tightly, snug against your skin, and that is what my little Swedish friend Sofie is becoming to me.

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I am finally back from my road trip with Corelyn. We left last Saturday, April 23, and were on the road until Sunday, May 1. It was, as any road trip, a life-changing experience. We had a lot of adventures on the road, from the Grand Canyon to the Alamo, and I wouldn’t change a second of it.

On Monday, Corelyn put me back on a plane to LA. Neither of us cried, we just said goodbye, and I headed off. “I’m not going to watch you go through security,” Cor said, as we sat waiting as each moment ticked by. “So you don’t want to watch me inch forward and waive at me every one second?” I questioned. We laughed, but knew secretly we’d stay together every moment we could.

On the plane home, I started reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The above paragraph is from that novel, in her “Italy” section. As I sat on the plane, headed home, I let a few tears go reading that section. Corelyn is un’amica stretta. She is my close friend, and I will wear her tightly, cliché or not.

I will miss her as she starts a new chapter of her life back east, but I know we will always be sorelle. In New Orleans, we stopped at a house that had been left dilapidated by Hurricane Katrina. An artist has repainted one of its walls and left a section for you to answer the statement, “Before I die…” I wrote “Open a restaurant.” Corelyn wrote, “With JP.”

I believe someday, I will open a restaurant with Corelyn. It will probably be on Apple Tush Farms, the farm I plan to have with K, SS, and M. And, my friends, we will all live happily. ever. after. For now? Filling the chapters in between with my California adventures that will restart this weekend after being away for so long. Wish me luck, loves.

 

Relative Danger: a story of sorelle

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Chicks, it’s Friday. I am trying to keep my spirit up, despite the fact that apparently I am allergic to the entire state of California.

Last night was a hectic night, as are most nights at the HAP house. We’re shooting a photo shoot this weekend for Garlic, My Soul, and we had some prep cooking to do. We made doughnuts, pancakes, and muffins last night, and Corelyn spent today decorating our baked goods. Becca will be on hand for makeup and quiche-making, and Jeff will be around for man-power. Literally.

Anyways, this week has been long – and it’s been the week of 2.25 mile runs. I can’t believe I am already past 2 miles, and its killing me. I think it’s because I haven’t been to yoga in a while — too busy!! — but my shins have been KILLING ME. My sorella told me I could take a break, so this morning I dragged myself to the gym to do the elliptical machine. At 6:50, I was already late and turns out, it takes you longer to travel the same distance on an elliptical, unless you pump your legs so hard you have to hold on to the machine so you don’t fall off.

I kept an eye on the clock, and had to jump off at 7:20 to make sure I got to work on time. 1.75 miles is all I got before my time was up. It took 22 minutes in all (which actually was about the amount of time it took me to run it, so I guess I wasn’t that far behind.) I somehow had forgotten my lock (who knows where it is? I am hoping on the floor at home) so I had to go out to my car to get it then hustle back inside to get ready for work.

Needless to say, it was another crazy morning. Where’s the yoga when I need it? But when I got to work, Nikki and I signed up for the race. That’s right, folks; on the day I broke and needed a running break, I signed up to run a 5k that I’m not even sure I can do. We signed up with the team name “Relative Danger” just the right amount of truth and cheese. So cheer me on, send me shin stretches, and good vibes…I’m going to need them.

 

blistered feet, as your spinning round my mind…

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Well folks, I took a two day break, which was mostly uncalled for, so to make up for it I made myself get up on a Saturday morning to run. I was two days behind! It’s like I screwed up the whole training schedule and I’ve only just begun! To make sure I went (and he went, too) Scott this time said he’d pick me up. (We were supposed to run together on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we had a six-am yoga date, and I was stood up both times.) 7:57, Saturday morning, and he was downstairs, ready to go.

The result? Always run with a buddy. I ran my mile in 13:00 flat, at a .5 incline (because Lauren told me too, and there are only 2 people in the world that can boss me around: Lauren, and my sorella.)

My fastest mile yet, at an incline too. And my iPod was on my team this morning, too. So, even though I went to bed at 1:00 am after another successful pizza night, I think it was worth it.

Today includes: bball with my five year olds, archery with my ladies, a few hours of getting stuff done and then a girls’ night in. I cannot wait.