March Madness

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plants." ~ John Lennon

My husband, my mother-in-law, my daughter and myself just returned from the most delightful family vacation.  We have been pinching pennies this year and so were only planning on one family vacation this year.  My niece gave me the Christmas gift of a ticket to the St. Patrick's Day 15K in Portland.  My husband, my sister-in-law and myself planned a trip for my mother-in-law to Portland to stay with my sister-in-law the week before and I would pick her up and take her back home with me after the race.  Well last minute I was talking with my husband about how much my daughter wanted to come down to Portland with me, and how much she would enjoy the trip even though he hates the thought of big cities with LOTS of traffic and people.  Enter the pity pleas, and one last minute guilt trip about how "unsafe" it would be for me to drive all the way to Portland alone.  I'm not sure if it was my persistence or his exhaustion, but he finally caved and agreed to come down as a family to Portland.  Saturday my husband, my daughter and myself ventured forth to Portland.  We had a family dinner that night with my sister-in-law and her husband, and my niece, and her family.  The race was set to start @ 0745 in the morning, yes whoever set that time for a 15K has a sick, sadistic streak so I stayed the night with my niece and her family, allowing my husband and daughter to rest up while my niece and I were loosed upon Portland.  The Shamrock Run is a race that is held in honor of St. Patrick's Day and given that it IS Portland there is a lot of festivity present and people dressed up in everything green and Irish.  Between the green Tutu's that people and dog alike were wearing to Leprechauns and pots of gold it was a sea of color.

    My niece and I had a VERY hard time finding a parking place at the race, as the Shamrock Run in Portland had approximately 35,000 people between the 5K, 8K, and 15K races so we were 20 minutes late to the start of the race.  We made it at last call, vaulting over the fence and began our journey from Portland's waterfront up to the VA Hospital on the Hills surrounding Portland and back down to the Portland waterfront.  With our late start and me desperately out of shape we were among approximately the last 10 people of the 15K.  As we continued in our run we were followed by two police cars who were reopening the city of Portland as we passed by.  As one police officer joked they were kind enough to close the city down for us.  I walked half of the race and ran half of the race.  The balloon was given to me around the second Kilometer from a lady handing out free balloons advertising H & R Block; I was feeling festivious so I thought, why not?  I was going to give the balloon to my daughter so I tied it around my wrist and it completed the last thirteen kilometers of the race with me.  After the race it was family time the rest of the afternoon and nap time for my niece and I, followed by dinner out with my husband.  My husband and I were celebrating 12 years of marriage.  Ibuprofen was and still is my friend as I learn how to move after the race.  The day after the Shamrock Run I was astonished to see a picture of me on the Oregonian website, and the day after that I made the photo of the day.  All I can say is that it must have been a slow news day, lol.  :) 

    Monday the girls and I invaded a local mall for some shopping, frozen yogurt and aerial trampoline, with a trip to Good Will and finishing the day with a family dinner.  A delightful time was had by all.  My daughter scored a new to us puzzle book, some pants and a pair of shoes, and I scored Leopard print rain boots (which I had been eyeing for quite some times at Wal-Mart, but couldn't succumb to their listed price) and a book on gardening. 

    Tuesday morning our family had brunch and then began our six hour drive home.  By the time we got home we were all exhausted and stumbled wearily into beds for rest.

    One delightful thing came out of this trip, a new family tradition as my husband states that next year he'll join us in the Shamrock Run.  It should prove to be an entertaining trip since it involves our family if nothing else.  The picture below is one of me on the Aerial Trampaline that my daughter and I tested out a local mall.  It was a hoot, and even though I am not fond of heights I managed to pull off 3 back flips.  I can now scratch this one off my bucket list, lol.  Until next time, take care.  Yoko