Not my lucky day

The day before my second half marathon finally arrived and I was very excited to get to Athens and enjoy some time at my old stomping ground. We got to Athens around 2pm and I got checked into my hotel and even got my requested late checkout without any problem. 
Then we went and got my Dad checked in at his hotel (I booked a prepaid room before I knew he was coming and he got a free room with points he had). We headed over to where the race expo was being held and I became quickly deflated over how crazy it was and finding parking was just plain hard. We finally broke down and paid $5 to park in one of the decks. 

Went in to the expo, got in line under the C-F to get my bib and guess what? No bib!!! My bib was no where to be found, so after several minutes of talking to a few different people and giving my name several times (I am so tired of spelling it out for everyone) they finally decided my bib was gone and they would give me a new one from the stack of those that hadn't been registered yet. So I went from 1007 to 2955 and have no idea if that number is even going to be associated with my name as I have to trust that they will get my info attached to the new bib correctly. Needless to say I about had it at this point, don't get me wrong they were very apologetic about it and did try to rectify the situation but I didn't leave with a good feeling. The expo was ehhh, didn't have anything I was looking for and way too many people focused on what they wanted and not looking where they were going. I hope this isn't an indication on how the race will go tomorrow. 
So after all that stress my Dad and I decided to walk around a bit and see where the race was going to start and end (we did pay $5 for parking, might as well get some use out of it). So I broke the cardinal rule of the day before a race and did way too much walking but it was worth it to get this picture.

After all that walking it was time for dinner so we stopped in at one of the places I remember eating at when I was in college...The Grill. 

I just wanted something light and not fried so I got a chicken salad sandwich and ate some non greasy fries off of my Dad's plate (he is so nice to share with this hungry girl). My poor waitress had to bring me 5 glasses of water (got to stay hydrated). 
 






Now it is time to relax in this wonderful room big enough for 4 people but is only holding little ole me.  

This lovely king bed all for me???

Plenty of room to spread out

I thought this nook is just the coolest thing ever!

 

My Happiness

I realize that I am a sporadic blogger. I started blogging to get some of my thoughts in order and to try to discover some insights about my running and my life. However, Some days the thought of sitting down and writing sounds so tedious and I don't want this to become a chore. I want it to be fun and therapeutic. Instead of forcing a post, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the little things that make me happy and wanted to share some of them. 

1. This delicious pasta dish that my Daddy made for dinner my first night home, and yes I had seconds on the pasta and thirds on the garlic bread.

2. This miniature mason jar I found in my parents cabinet, seriously, it is the cutest thing and is the size of a salt shaker. I am so stealing asking if I can have this.

3. Remembering how much I love running hills! There are not any hilly areas to run where I live and it is so nice to challenge myself when I visit my hometown. 

4. My sweet Bella, she is the sweetest dog you will ever meet and just wants tons of loving. She loves to have her belly scratched.

5. Remembering why I loved growing up in the country and stepping out on the front porch to enjoy all this beauty. 

6. Just starting to see the changing colors of the leaves and enjoying the mild temperatures that fall brings to the South.

7. Getting amazing deals on running clothes from the Under Armor Outlet. Seriously, those shorts were only $5!

8. Knowing I will be visiting the wonderful city of Athens, GA tomorrow, my home for 4 years during my college days. I will always bleed Red and Black!

9. Testing out running in the cooler weather this morning and knowing that I will be able to handle the cold morning for Sundays Half Marathon.

10. This awesome shirt that my wonderful husband sent me. He is just the best and most amazing person ever!

What are some of the things that make you happy?

Anyone jealous of my new shirt?

Are you running a race this weekend? Where?