5K #2

Yesterday I dragged Joe out to run a 5K at 8 a.m. I was super tired and the course was hilly, so it took us an even 37:00 to finish, but we both managed to run the whole thing, so I'm proud of both of us.

It's been a great weekend in Mountain Home. Friday night was full of crazy weather, so it took us almost 90 minutes to get from Harrison to Mountain Home. But I did manage to work in three naps and a lot of good food. I feel a little less guilty about my gluttony since I ran yesterday and walked today, but man, I have eaten way too much.

Estella made crab cake salad tonight for dinner and it was fabulous!

Fame and fortune

While I realize horoscopes and fortunes are hooey most of the time, I do admit to finding them amusing. I don't change my lifestyle based on anyone's random predictions concerning 1/12th of the world's population, but I find it intriguing that they sometimes can be correct.

I just had dinner with Joe at Pei Wei, and this was my fortune.



I am going to be with Jon Bon Jovi on the 13th. Perhaps that's my passionate love affair?

Footloose and totally free

My good pal Krista scored some free-to-us tickets to see Kenny Loggins in Fayetteville last night. Before yesterday, only two of the 6,000+ songs on my iPod were Loggins tunes, and one of 'em was an obscure song from "One Fine Day." So I wouldn't call myself a super-fan, but I was excited about the concert anyway.

Turns out Kenny is a great show. Granted, I didn't enjoy myself as much as the drunk people all around us (free booze at the VIP reception), but I knew all but one song. And when he did "Footloose" during the encore, even the uptight blue-haired ladies in the audience sashayed and clapped along.

We also enjoyed a fabulous pre-show dinner at Bordino's in what was my first--but certainly not my last--visit to that great restaurant. Overall, it was an awesome night!

My apologies for neglecting the ol' blog lately. I've become so high maintenance that I don't have a lot of time to write. Between all the running and tanning and looking fantastic all the time, my pithy self-reflection and random observations have been suffering.

I am packing to head to Hot Springs in the morning for a student meeting, then it's on to Little Rock for more work stuff mixed in with dinner with Joe at Pei Wei and lunch with the Tullgren's on Friday. And then I have... praise Jesus... nine days off in a row! Ok, so I'm doing some random work in there, but I've scheduled a whole week off. Need to burn some time. Need to de-stress. Need to be still.

Thou shalt not covet thy friend's pantry

I'm aware that I am commanded not to covet, but it's one of my biggest sins. I often find myself staring at another woman, thinking... I want her shoes. I love her handbag. I wish I had her six pack abs.

My friend Estella has many things I covet, not the least of which is the most amazing pantry you've ever seen. Her house was designed around it. Doesn't it just make you want to cook?

Her whole house looks beautiful. Check out our friend Sunny's pics on her blog from yesterday. (She took the pantry pic, too.)



Sunny and I iced and decorated sugar cookies for about five hours on Friday. Yesterday's Open House was a big success, with 60 people dropping by to taste the fabulous corn and crab bisque and citrus champagne punch, finishing with a masterpiece of a Christmas cookie.

Today we went to the Christmas cantada at church (where Estella rang bells) then had brunch at the club before a three-hour nap. We're headed to the movies in a bit to see "The Blind Side."



Guess I'll go home tomorrow.

Pretty in pink (and red polka dots)

My friend Lela is turning 40 and celebrated by throwing one of the greatest parties in history. Her "Pretty in Pink Totally Rad 80s Prom" was a very fun evening.

I've been planning my outfit for some time, but I didn't realize that "vintage" meant "too small." Joe had to help squeeze me into my dress and we were afraid it would bust at the seams all night. Luckily, it did not. All week sales clerks have been staring at me strangely while I purchased red hose, a hair crimper, and blue eye shadow. I really want to scream, "People, you're stocking this stuff... why are you surprised that someone is buying it?" I was a bit concerned that the crimping would cause irreparable damage to my hair, but it bounced back nicely this morning.

I've got to tell you, I had more fun last night than I did at my real proms. Sweet Joe even brought me a fancy (read: gaudy) corsage to wear. Then we slow danced to "Crazy for You."



If you're interested, the rest of the pics are here.

After breakfast this morning I headed to Rogers for the Saving Grace Open House. It was such a great afternoon! Hundreds of people showed up and I got to tell them about the amazing ministry there.

I'm trying to rest up for my busy week in Boston. I went to the doctor on Friday with a sore throat and sinus pressure, and the doctor was a bit befuddled and never really gave me a diagnosis. He finally just said, "It could be swine flu (it's not). It could just be allergies (more likely). It looks like you just need to get lots of rest this weekend." Yeah, that cost me 35 bucks and exposure to disease during my 45 minute sojourn in the waiting room.

So, it's been a great weekend. Busy and cold week in New England ahead. Can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving!

Big time in Little Rock

It was a great weekend in the capitol city. The hotel was first-class all the way, from the three valets who scampered to park my Toyota to the turndown service and chocolates on the pillow, the Capital Hotel exceeded even my bratty expectations. As I told Estella, I just felt fabulous walking through the front door.



The Race was great as usual (Little Rock has the best RFTC of all those I've done, except Jen's not there), and we finished a full 30 minutes under last year's time, which is miraculous considering how hard it is to walk while sandwiched among 50,000 other people.



Estella and I met Joe and Kevin for dinner at Ya Ya's on Friday night, which was yum yum, and we had a fabulous brunch of fried green tomatoes and lox and bagels on Saturday before my return to NWA.

This morning I left off the deodorant and perfume in preparation for my annual boob smashing extravaganza, but they called me when I pulled in the parking lot to tell me the machine was broken, so I get to skip smelling nice on Wednesday now too. I didn't have time to do yoga with Pam today, but I did do six miles on the treadmill to make up for the excessive calorie consumption of the weekend.

In a mere 10 days I get to go to Temple. Wahoo! Can't wait.

Oh, and Taylor texted me today to ask if he could borrow a pageant dress for powder puff homecoming on Friday. Yes, I will be attending, and yes, there will be video. Especially of halftime, when they'll be performing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance. Heh.

Halfway there

My life is full of dichotomies. On the one hand, I get to travel all the time. On the other, I have to travel all the time. Room upgrades are fun. Sleeping in a strange bed not so much. Sometimes it's awesome to be me, but sometimes it sucks. I suppose it all evens out in the end, right?

This morning I had a massage (nice) then worked through lunch (not so nice). After office yoga with Pam and perky Bethany, I worked a bit more then went to a business after hours event. Now I'm sitting at the Fairfield Inn in Russellville, where I got upgraded to a suite for no apparent reason (they know I used to be Miss Tech, I'm sure). But when you arrive around 10 p.m., there's not much time to enjoy the luxury.

Tomorrow I'm working in the Little Rock office, then it's dinner with Estella, Joe and Kevin before my night at the Capital Hotel (which is very, very nice). Saturday's the Race for the Cure in Little Rock, so I'm happy to be staying downtown and not fighting traffic.

The point of all of this, you wonder? I spend half of my days thinking how very lucky I am to have a cool job where I get to stay in nice hotels and eat at nice restaurants, and the other half of my days thinking how uncool it is that my job stresses me out so much. I get sick of the car. I forgot to pay my house payment. I obsessively check my BlackBerry. But at least I often do it in a hotel suite or while eating a fabulous meal.

My boss was right. I do need to get a life. And perhaps sleep in my own bed.

Weekend wedding

Awesome weekend in Mountain Home! Heather's wedding was beautiful, and the reception was a lot of fun. Now back to the old grind...

Another manic Monday

While I'm absolutely loving this weather, it's wreaking havoc on my allergies for some reason. This morning I helped out with 'Day of Caring' on campus, and I've had a headache since. Perhaps it was all of those tree limbs I hauled to the curb. Whatever the reason, I wish my headache would go away so that I could return to my former levels of productiveness.

We had a great weekend in Tulsa. Didn't spend much time in the pool, but we did do quite a bit of shopping and a little bit of napping. Not to mention a whole lot of eating. Joe made some awesome amaretto brownies. I walked two extra miles on the treadmill today, but I think it's going to take awhile to get over my weekend gluttony.

All for now. I'll write more later when I'm more coherent.

Lookin' good

I'm happy to report that Hope survived her first day of Kindergarten and, more importantly, so did Mrs. Howard. I didn't learn much about her academic endeavors, but she happily described recess, her new friends, and what she wore. She is so much like her sister (and a little bit like her aunt).

It's been a great week of work. Tonight I joined Kelly for yoga at the gym (my goal is to look like her, but I don't think it's happening), and now we're hanging out at her place. I can't wait to move to Rogers and be her neighbor. I can see my office from my bedroom window here.

Tomorrow after work I'm headed to Tulsa to hang out with Joe and the Tullgrens all weekend. We've got major plans of lounging by the pool and taking naps.

It's a beautiful night... the weather is crisp, and football's on TV. All is well in my world. (And yeah, I met LB one year ago today, but who's counting? Enough!)

Hello... anyone home?

Girl is full of it. Yeah, I called him back. He was as excited to hear from me as one can be when they're awoken from sleep. In my defense, it was just past 10 and he is not that old.

Last night I had an amazing dinner at Michelangelo's and got to catch up with my friend Joe. The only drawback was that they were out of tiramisu, but my rear end is probably thankful. If only I'd hadn't eaten that three cheese pizza and shrimp brandisi. But oh, it was so yummy.

Now I'm sitting at a job fair in NLR and so far, there are no degree seekers.

Yesterday I subjected myself to searching for a dress at the mall. I don't even own one. But when you wear jeans to church and pants to work, the need to show your knees diminishes. Anyway, it was totally a depressing endeavor. How is it I can lose 30 pounds and still look like a stuffed sausage in this season's cute belted dresses? I may have to wear my housecoat to the wedding next weekend. Memaw would do that, right? (Just kidding, Memaw... love you!)

I'm determined to find a dress this afternoon before heading back northwest. Perhaps a muumuu would be in order. If I put an orchid behind my ear, it would be festive. Aloha!

I so need a Diet Coke...

Christmas Party

I've been in Mountain Home since Thursday, helping Estella get ready for her Christmas Open House. It was so nice, but I'm pooped. Here's a pic of Joe and me, right before the party.

The long way home

Jen's probably the only one who cares, but I'll try to update my blog for the rest of the masses who might care about what's going on in my life.

I've been in Central Arkansas since Friday, and I got the brilliant idea to go home north by northwest this morning rather than my normal west then north route, which showcased the beautiful fall foliage but made my trip 4.5 hours from Little Rock to Siloam. It was a gorgeous drive, but by the time I got back to my beloved NWA, I napped through the entire Cowboys game. Turns out that wasn't such a tragedy.

To catch you up, I was a moron who gave myself a mere 24 hours to recover from anesthesia and being sliced open with a large knife, so I presided over a day-long meeting on Wednesday and marched into the very large home office of the world's largest retailer on Thursday to pretend that I'm a big girl with marketing prowess. Luckily both meetings went well and were very productive, but I was in pain for the whole two days that I pretended to be invincible. Sometimes the Superwoman cape feels a bit snug.

On Friday I stopped in Russellville to say hello to Alisa and Shauna before meeting my friend Erin for coffee in Conway to discuss politics, violence on college campuses and the need for responsible choices. Oh, and world peace. When you're getting ready for a pageant interview you have to work that in, right? Joe and I had dinner at Kobe on Friday evening (he brought me some gorgeous pink roses because he's amazing).

Yesterday I spent six hours talking to people from all over the state who want to be teachers. Okay, I talked to two. So it was a very long day, saved by the fact that two pals from the Center of Learning were there to catch me up on my former coworkers and eat lunch with me so I didn't look like such a loser. Then, last night, I went to dinner with my good friends Dave and Brent at one of my all-time favorite restaurants, Sonny Williams.

Now I'm home, punch drunk from the long nap and needing to do laundry. But at least inquiring minds no longer need to wonder what's new with me. Not much.

Under pressure

Well I suppose today was a bit better than yesterday considering nobody tried to put any body part in a vice, but it was still filled with a lot of pressure. The metaphoric kind, not the literal kind.

So I had a stinky morning and came home for lunch to feel sorry for myself. It was tough considering I'm on day two of my 48-hour fruit fast, but alas, I did not succumb to chocolate. I did, however, succumb to a long talk with God, during which He told me to get over myself. (That's just how God rolls, I'm convinced. I don't think He always talks to us in KJV lingo.)

My afternoon was much better. Less talking, more action. But also more meetings.

Tonight I'm doing laundry, ironing and packing to hit the road again. I'm relying on the hospitality of friends for the next four nights. Tomorrow I have LBC, then speaking at a board meeting, then back to LBC in the afternoon. Tomorrow night I'm driving to the Fort for a Chamber dinner with Ashley. I'll be crashing at Vance and Sorne's.

On Friday I'm driving to the Rock to have lunch with Ann, then Brent and I are going to Cold Stone to celebrate his natal anniversary. That night Joe's meeting Estella and I for dinner, and we'll be getting up early on Saturday to walk in the Race for the Cure in Little Rock. I've always wanted to do the Race and never have. I hear it's indescribable and I'm very excited.

Saturday afternoon/night I'll be driving to Nebo to stay with Scott and Alisa. On Sunday afternoon my ol' Tech friends are coming up for gumbo and good times. Then, late Sunday evening, I'll be driving to Rogers to stay with Kelly so that I can be at a 7 a.m. meeting on Monday.

Good grief. When did my life become so crazy? But I love it. And I'm grateful to have good friends (with spare bedrooms) to share it all with.

Sinuses and sunburn

Well I'm back in Benton County for now. Lola and I have logged over 700 miles since Tuesday, and I'm pooped. I got sick in Kansas City on Thursday night, so when I got up yesterday morning, I had to go to the doctor for a shot to cure my sinus infection.

Yesterday afternoon Estella, Joe and I rented a pontoon boat on Lake Norfork. It was hotter than blue blazes, but we had fun. Now I'm sunburned and coughing and sniffling. Hopefully I'll get to feeling better soon.

Balancing act

Life, like an ecosystem, is a delicate balance. Too much of any one thing throws the whole thing off. It's a series of give and take, this and that, and trying to keep all your balls in the air. While riding a unicycle. On roller skates. In the rain.

{Disclaimer: I made a "C" in each of my two science classes in college, so I'm not quite sure about the ecosystem analogy. But I'm sure Jen can correct me if I'm wrong. Or Lon can get out his "Science for dummies" book he reads to prepare to teach Biology.}

Perhaps this is the reason I have a love/hate relationship with traveling for work. I love that we have offices near friends and family. I hate that many of my trips are so tightly scheduled that I feel like the Pope. It would be much easier if I had a personal assistant who could call everyone and make them grateful for 15 minutes of Lori time.

In a few moments I'm leaving for Little Rock. My plan is to have dinner tonight with Lon, Jen, Huey, Dewie and Louie; coffee after that with Joe; a lunch meeting tomorrow for work; dinner tomorrow night with Brent and Dave after a work meeting at 5 p.m.; lunch on Tuesday with Alisa, Shauna and Amy; a Tuesday afternoon visit with Ashley and the twins; stop by the Fort Smith office to check on things; dinner with my grandmother; and Chance's baseball game at 7:30. After that I'll come back home in time to unpack and fall into bed, exhausted. Oh, and somewhere in that time I need to figure out how to get some work done.

Anyone else want a piece of me?

P.S. Dad, lest you feel left out, remember that I'll be seeing you for hours next weekend. Aren't you lucky?

Ironing out the wrinkles

I know that aging is inevitable and infinitely preferable to the alternative, but when did I get so old? It’s as if an alien has invaded my body and I don’t like it.

This morning, after painfully rolling myself out of bed, taking an Advil for my back and head pain, and slathering moisturizer on my formerly oily face, I got in the car to head to work. On the way, I was looking in the mirror at a stoplight (hey… I’m old, but vain) and noticed craters in my forehead. When did that happen? Jimmy Buffett once said, “Wrinkles only go where smiles have been,” but I doubt my forehead’s had much to grin about. Man, I’m tempted to call Dr. Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery and schedule some botox. Maybe they can suck the fat out of my rear end or thighs and fill the crevices in my face.

It’s very disturbing when you realize you’re getting old. My friend Joe and I were talking on Monday night about how we’ve stopped trying to be fashionable and have started buying clothes because they’re comfortable and stretchy.

Now I know why your eyesight goes as you age… so you can’t see how haggard you look. If I feel this old at 35, how am I going to feel in 20 years?

35’s not hold, right? I mean, my uncle’s mother was celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary when she was my age, but that’s unusual.

Guess it’s true what they say… getting old ain’t for sissies.

Evening update

Just got back from a trip to Maumelle/Conway/Maumelle/Little Rock/North Little Rock. I met Joe at his place, and we had an awesome meal at Michelangelo's. We started with a cheese pizza, which had Gorgonzola on it and was fantastic, then I had some great shrimp pasta, and we shared a tirimasu for dessert. Yum!

After dinner I stopped at the Hester Zoo to see Lon, Jen, Huey, Dewie and Louie. Those boys are always so thrilled to see me {sense the sarcasm}. Peyton says repeatedly "Hi, fart blossom" and "Bye, fart blossom" every time I arrive and leave. Jen suggested I write, "I stopped to see the coolest family I know." So there ya go.

Now I'm back in the ol' hotel, waiting on the snow. It's supposed to snow 4-6" in Siloam. Wonder if I can get home tomorrow.

I've been everywhere, man

Let me preface this post by admitting that I'm a brat. A spoiled brat who has a cheese-ball life. The past four days have merely confirmed that.

On Friday, my event ended at 9 a.m., so I took a minor detour on my way to Mountain Home through Branson for a bit of shopping. My outlet shopping experience has always been that it's either great and you find lots of stuff, or you find zilch. My shopping fell into the former category. Not only did I find Ann Taylor suits for $50, I found shoes for $19. And it was such a beautiful day, that I walked down the cobblestone pathway at Branson Landing and felt pretty bratty.

Estella, Chris and I had dinner at El Chico on Friday night. Then, on Saturday morning, I had a fantastic massage, followed by lunch at the club with Estella and Heather, a two-hour nap, and an evening movie.

Yesterday I went to church with Estella and Chris (ET had to play handbells); Chris let me drive his vehicle, and let me tell ya, there's no cooler feeling than driving up to the club for Sunday brunch behind the wheel of a Porsche. Nice.

After brunch yesterday I took a nap, then we went to see the worst movie ever, There Will Be Blood. I want three hours of my life back.

I had a meeting in Mountain Home this morning, then I drove for three hours in the deluge. Now I'm in my hotel room, getting ready to meet Joe for dinner at Michelangelo's.

Hey... I told you I was a brat.

There you go, Jen. The weekend update.

Another one bites the dust

Well, I've been on the job 22 days, and I've lost two staff members (that's 22% of my total staff, for those of you keeping count). Wow.

Tomorrow's my last day in the office until next Wednesday. I'm off to Eureka Springs tomorrow for a couple of nights, then going to Mountain Home on Friday for three nights of rest, relaxation, cooking and fellowship with Chris and Estella. Joe's not coming, so we can cook green stuff this time.

After a meeting at the hospital Monday morning, I'm headed to Central Arkansas for more meetings, but at least I get to see friends and fam.

All for now... time to pack!