San Francisco

For the last five days we have been relaxing on the West Coast! Well, I was relaxing. Jared had a surgery conference and I tagged along for a mini vacation. :)

The weather was pretty dreary but we made the most of it. On Friday, we walked all over the city, had lunch in Chinatown and walked through Little Italy...

 

All those hills were a work out! So, we needed to refuel with some HUGE ice cream sundaes at Ghiradelli.

Next we scoped out the Golden Gate Bridge (which we barely saw through the clouds), Alcatraz, and Fisherman's Wharf's sea lions at Pier 39.

Lastly we met up with some of the docs for the evening and had a great night out with LOTS of wine!

Of course it wouldn't be Saturday without some Hokie football. After another VT win, and while Jared was busy with the conference, I went exploring in the city at the Port of San Francisco...

 a local street fair...

 and a farmer's market with some beautiful flowers!

On Sunday we took a day trip to Muir Woods. The view was breathtaking except that we had a cold rain pouring down on us!

 

We didn't have enough time to go to a winery but we drove through Sonoma/Napa on the way back to the city for another night out with the docs! Met up with Jared's medical school boys, Charlie and Steve...  

and current co-residents from South Point Hospital, Matt and Mary.

Finally on our last day we got some SUNSHINE! We took a ferry ride to Sausalito and it was the perfect end to our trip!

Honor The Fallen

On April 7, 2003 one of my best friends, 1LT Jeffrey Joseph Kaylor, was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I miss him every day. It is difficult for me to talk about Jeff. It still hurts so much that he is gone...

So, instead of posting about who he was and how I knew him, I wanted to post about one of the ways we remember him in my family. We run in the Army 10 Miler. This is an annual race held in Washington, D.C. and the race is this Sunday. It is inspiring, emotional, and one of the most special things I get to do. Jeff and his wife, Jenna ran in the Army 10 Miler while they were in college. And in his memory we run.

We run to raise money for his scholarship fund at our high school.

We run because he would think it is hilarious that some of us are attempting to run at all.

We run and are inspired by the soldiers that run with one leg.

 

We run, as Jeff said, to "Stay Strong, Stay Low, and Kick Ass!"

We run to remember him.

I won't be able to run this weekend but my family will be. And even though I will be at a conference supporting my husband, I will be thinking about my family, The Kaylors, and most of all you Jeff. 

HOOAH! 

Just The Two of Us

This past weekend Jared and I visited our Alma mater, Virginia Tech. Normally our football weekend visits are filled with running around from tailgate to tailgate to catch up with friends from the past. This weekend was different. It was just the two of us.

The weather was gorgeous! We had the best time, no plans, just the game and walking around the place where we fell in love.

 We were so silly... it was perfect!

 Go Hokies!

24 Years

I moved to Virginia in 1986 and became friends with a girl who lived right around the corner from me, Tracey. We became best buds and over the years we would be in and out of classes together until we went off to college. We were in CCD with her Mom as our teacher, Brownies with mine as Troop leader, spent hours playing the Oregon Trail, making igloos and sledding in the snow, watching scary movies and hiding in my closet while comparing sister stories.... and that was only elementary school. 



Yes, I have a perm...



 Tracey is one of a group of women that I couldn't live without. I was blessed to have them all as bridesmaids in my wedding two years ago.

Three of them knew me before I really knew who I was... and love me still, anyway.

I could go on and on with memories of high school days, college nights, trips to Spain, Gonzo's Nose in Clarendon and the times since but this is only a little blog not the memoirs of my entire life. And I am so sappy I would start crying from the memories that are mostly good, a few sad, but all worth it.

Women's relationships are like waves... and like waves, we have had our ups and downs. But what is most important, is that after all these 24 years I still call Tracey my friend. And today is her birthday.

Happy Birthday Tracey! The friend I have had the longest! ;)

May you have a most wonderful day.



Clambake

Before Jared began his residency in Ohio, I had never heard of a Clambake. I have grown to LOVE this Midwest tradition! Every fall the hospital hosts one at a country club where we eat too much chowder, lobster!!, sweet potatoes, corn, fried chicken, fillet, dessert, open bar with yummy drinks and of course, clams. And since I do not eat clams, I make up for it with some extra lobster. :)

This year in addition to the cornucopia of food, they had karaoke. Now I do not sing. I can dance, but singing... oh no. When I am belting out a song while driving and the satellite looses signal for a minute and I hear myself I wince, it is not a good sound. Yet, somehow I ended up singing MULTIPLE times last night.... and now it is up on YouTube.

And yes, I was apparently using my Bud Light as a microphone. Could have been the lobster, or the many, many hot apple cider and Captain Morgan... who knows....

Enjoy!