** :: Happy Halloween! :: **

katie, tracie & nicki, circa 1998

scott, becki, nicki & steve, circa 1980
(this was labor day, not halloween, by the way)

nicki, october 15 2007

brandon, october 20 2007



becki 2007

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.” W. H. Murray

What will you start today?

my $3.50 world series experience

The World Series is in town! With Coors Field being just about a mile away from our place, we decided to take a walk downtown, taking off just about an hour before game time.

About 5 blocks from the stadium, the city set up a JumboTron in a park where fans could watch the game on a big-screen for free.



We watched them announce the starting lineup on the big screen, and indulged in a spicy hot dog with cream cheese. I added some saurkraut and 2 jalepenos, because 3 or more would have just been too much.



The JumboTron was right below the big clock tower on the 16th Street Mall.


After a while, we decided to walk to Coors Field. We found some brightly-colored cowboy-themed art to appreciate on the way.

Brandon and Koda just a few blocks from the stadium.

Koda taking in all the bright lights. Koda kept putting his paw up as to say, "Yo, I'm lookin' for one ticket- whooze got one ticket," in his Boston accent, until we finally reminded him that dogs aren't allowed inside the field.

Between ticket scalpers, potential scalp-ees, Halloween party-goers, and budding photographers like myself, there was quite a crowd gathered around the intersection in front of the stadium. Any time you go to a game, there are unofficial vendors outside selling food at a fraction of the price you'd pay once inside, so I bought some peanuts for $1. During a time when $10 parking is $40 and $5 Rockpile tickets are going for $500 on StubHub, it warmed my heart to note that they're still selling peanuts for just a buck.

Hot Dog: $2.50
Peanuts in a Ziplok bag: $1
Hearing the World Series announcer yell, "Play ball!" with the sound of the roaring crowd in the background: Priceless

It snowed in Denver yesterday! Brandon made a mini snowman, and I assisted with the accessories.



Brandon and I went Halloween costume shopping on Saturday. It's the first time I've ever gone costume shopping more than 72 hours before the big day, so I keep thinking Halloween is this week instead of next.

Brandon got a great costume, which I'll wait until next week to reveal. In the meantime, we went to his work Halloween party on Saturday night, so here are a few photos of his costume. He actually won a prize for best costume! I think it was the realistic moustache-afro combination.



If I hear "Rox versus Sox" one more time today, I think I'm going to freak out. It was clever a week ago when I first heard it, and today it's already old- and the World Series hasn't even started yet!

My dear friend Sarah emailed me tonight to check in on me because I've been so quiet around here post-race. I'm going to post an excerpt of what I sent to her:

"I've been in total recovery mode this week- laying low and eating way too much. I suppose some of that is good for me as my body recovers, but seriously... must set down the Halloween candy already!

I had a blast with the race on Sunday. My only wish is that I could have carried a camera with me to document it all, because there are so many parts of the experience I don't want to forget. I've never pushed myself so hard at something that came as such a challenge, and as a result, have never felt so amazing about accomplishing something in my entire life. It was cold and rainy, but there was a distinct moment in the race that I remember where I was freezing cold and my muscles were tired, and I realized that in spite of it all, I definitely felt so vibrantly alive-- and how many times in our life does that feeling come along?"

I'm trying to take care of myself and start eating normally, trying to compile my to-do list since I put a number of things on hold while I was training those past few weeks, and trying to think about what I'll do with myself next. Make some new jewelry? Plan for a 5k? Take a dance class? It was such a rush doing something outside of the norm. Crossing that finish line felt great, but now I find myself missing having that big thing on the horizon, which I guess is probably normal.

P.S. Congrats to Tracie and Steve, who just moved into their new house this past weekend! We want pictures!

Also, congratulations to my sister, who ran faster than 80% of the people in her age group in her first-ever half-marathon. I am amazed!

P.S. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts, has offered words of encouragement this week, and who have been supportive in various ways throughout this 18 week process of training for a half-marathon. Collectively, Team Easter Seals Denver Marathon Team has raised over $6,000 toward the Stroke Day Program.

Thoughts of the big day tomorrow are all-consuming today! I'm icing my foot, drinking water, charging my Ipod, and reading various blogs and news articles for last-minute inspiration and advice. I've got to figure out what I'm going to wear- nothing new, they say, and something you won't mind throwing off in a nearby bush if you get too hot. I've already cried twice today- once explaining to Brandon what his volunteering at the Easter Seals-sponsored water booth means, and once watching a video of the kids Denver Marathon fun race that took place this morning. Okay, so I just realized I've cried THREE times- the last being after getting a good-luck phone call from my Aunt Lisa, who recently ran her first 5-k last month so had lots of great words of wisdom for me!

While configuring my Ipod, I've discovered a theme in my favorite running tunes, which has me somewhat embarassed yet slightly amused. My running alter ego likes any song that references a booty- Back That A## Up, Milk Shake, Money Maker. Those who know me well may not be surprised at these choices, but I think the majority of people who would meet me would be surprised by these selections. Besides my apparent obsession with gluteous maximus-themed tunes, I'm typically not into lyrics, but instead I appreciate songs with a good beat. There are many things I imagine or visualize while running to take my mind off the act of running. One is taking in all the beautiful visuals found outside, another is pretending like I'm this amazing hip-hop dancer who is not running, but instead doing some sort of dance routine. Although I can't say I've got a detailed coreographed routine in my head- but wouldn't it be funny if I did? - I do use this one a lot. In addition to my extensive rap collection, I've also got some Queen, 311, Sublime, and James Brown on the mix, in addition to some of my most humiliating selections by none other than Fergie, Hanson, and the Pussycat Dolls. Apparently I'm in the sharing mood today, because who really admits to listening to the Pussycat Dolls?

It's all starting to come together this week. The Denver Half-Marathon is this Sunday at 8:00 a.m. I designed the team Easter Seals t-shirt, which we had made in addition to the official Denver Marathon t-shirts. I never would have truly appreciated this saying prior to this race, but once we started training, I came across "May the Course Be With You" and it made me laugh out loud. Runner-nerd humor.



I'm runner 3498! We picked up our runners packets tonight, complete with our race number and a plastic race-time tracker with a microchip that we attach to our shoelaces. I can't believe all the little details that go into a race- wow. As someone who has planned holiday parties as part of my role at work several times, I can appreciate all the time that goes into the small details.


Here's the Denver Marathon t-shirt! We worked 18 weeks for this thing.

As part of our Easter Seals fundraising, we received two tickets to a reception tonight. It was fun to spend a night in a cocktail dress with my sister, sipping white zinfandel and eating sushi and mystery appetizers.

In honor of Brandon's 30th birthday this weekend, we planned a mountain getaway. Here's a photo of Longs Peak, the only fourteener in Rocky Mountain National Park.


There's a charming little Catholic church made of stone out in the middle of the mountains. Photos don't do this church justice!



Here's a photo from inside the charming little church.



Here's a photo of the beautiful changing leaves.

Koda loved running around the woods. He and his golden retriever buddy, Memphis, played chase-the-pinecones on Saturday.

Here's a picture of a happy Koda with Brandon relaxing in the background.

We're heading up to Estes Park this weekend to celebrate Brandon's 30th birthday. Earlier this week, he was feeling that same feeling I think we all get in some form when this milestone hits. I jokingly said, "Oh, Brandon- that's so 2006 to be worried about your looming 30th birthday" since me and most of my friends all had our 30th birthdays what feels like years ago. What's he feeling bad about, anyway- he's a toddler compared to us!

It's supposed to be cold in Denver this weekend, so I've pulled out all my sweaters, and I'll finally get to wear my new red vest. You know if it's cold in Denver, it's going to be really cool up in the mountains. The first time I went camping in the mountains, I forgot about the temperature difference, and just brought a few blankets along. Having learned a lesson the hard way, I immediately invested in a sleeping bag the following week, and haven't been camping since. Go figure.

Have a great weekend, all. I'm looking forward to being away and will hopefully drink in the beauty of the Rockies for some pre-race inspiration. Only 9 days to the half-marathon!

(a friend recently pointed out that I used to talk about my dog 24/7 on my blog, but now it's shifted to my dog AND running, so thought I'd shake things up by talking about mountains and birthdays this time) :)

Am I dreaming?

If you ever get a chance to train for a race, whether it's a marathon, half-marathon, or 5k, I highly recommend it. It has done wonders for shaking up my normal routine, and for helping to refresh my sense of self. I feel like a new and improved version of myself. I have a new appreciation for my body- both it's abilities and limitations. I'm listening to my knees and feet and hips. Trust me- they've been talkin' to me. I feel like if I can survive this, there are a lot of other things out there I can accomplish if I set aside the time and make the effort. I still have the 13.1 mile mark to hit, but if I can do this type of thing, trust me- you can, too. We signed up in January, and I couldn't even run a full mile without stopping.

I ran 10 miles yesterday and know what Body Glide and Clif shots are. I'm cheering out loud for the Rockies as they enter the bottom of the 12th inning. I have to keep my hands busy making some new necklace charms to remind myself that I'm still Nicki- just version 2.0.