12-13-14, Not again until 1/2/3000

Why oh why don't I get out more and walk in the winter?  Today was a great day for the 12-13-14 and it was in the 30's.  Didn't feel cold at all. Just bundled up and did it.  Maybe because it is way more fun to have my EAOD buddies with me.  The next race on a date like this will be 1-2-3000.  Not sure we will be here to do that one so we decided to do this one.  

Manatee Park on a December morning.  The pond was much more frozen than when I did the Turkey Trot. 

All the leaves frozen in the pond looked pretty fabulous.  The ducks thought so too. 

I wanted to get the light pole in the picture.  I must have tilted my camera to do that because the light pole looks crooked.  It isn't.

Robyn Nance took this picture. I tried to make the colors real but we got dots on our faces.  True.  Dots!

Kurt with instructions and Robyn explaining the Teen Closet Charity.  Kurt deciding to start the race at 10:11 was genius!  10:11, 12-13-14 just in case you didn't get the genius thing.

Could these ladies be more beautiful?

 Yes, even more beautiful close up!

 Here we go!

 I have never seen this in the park.  I like it!

Well, we did get a little side tracked on this walk.   Alternate route as we call it.  Who can resist beautiful flowers in the wintertime!

These pictures are what pictures look like when you have your camera outside and you walk into a warm green house.  The lens fogs up.  Not matter how many times I wiped it off it just came right back.  I went with it!  Glasses had to come off too!

 Better!

And this is what pictures look like when Freida keeps her iPhone in her pocket and it stays warm and doesn't fog up!  Thanks for sharing!

Back to my camera now!

Another alternate route.  We tried to teach Freida about geocaching and Sheila and I remember there was one close to this spot.  We never found it.  Had I thought about it I would have opened my geocaching app and it would have led us right to it.  I think this was our last alternate route.  Of course there was no official route so I don't think the flowers and geocaching count as alternate.

 Done. Next stop!

 COFFEE AND TREATS!

 We hung out with the big dogs today.  We were right there with the IronMan!  Yes, we were!

 Lovely house and love the red snowflakes.

 Cutest dog ever!

 So many treats to choose from!

Didn't have any of these.  A muffin for me.  The first one I choose had zucchini in it and I decided to trade for an apple muffin.  Zucchini is not supposed to be in muffins!

 Love these ladies.

 This is our new Christmas card picture!  Great morning with great friends.  I am blessed!

Bloomsday Number 33, May 2014

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ANNOUNCE I WON THE NON CONTEST, NON PRIZE.  I GUESSED THE SHIRTS WOULD BE LIGHT BLUE!  I AM A WINNER OF THE CAMOUFLAGE CAR!

Another year of Bloomsday fun!  I would be so sad if I couldn't do this run every year.  No sadness here.  Number 33 for me! Number 5 for my sister.  Not sure how many Katie has done.  I know I made her do it when she was younger.  Our first stop was the movie GODS NOT DEAD. We went on Friday morning so there were not many others.  Ok, no one at first.  Then two people showed up.  It is a must see movie.  So, so great!

 The star of the show, Patti.  Why not get a picture in front of the big screen!!

This is a story I am not sure I want to repeat but I am going to.  We drove by this not so great tattoo place.  Two guys were sitting outside smoking.  They were full of piercings and tattoos.  We noticed the name in white on the window.  WHAT?  They spelled the name wrong.  Beaver has an A in it.  Shall we turn around and tell them the name is spelled wrong?  Why not.  We drove up and they just stared at us at first.  Then I opened the car door and asked what the name of their shop was.  Immediately, one fine gentleman pulled out his wallet and said people always think the name is misspelled.  He showed me his drivers license.  Yes, his last name is Bever.  Whatever.  I know for sure no tattoos from this shop would ever grace my skin.

After we harassed the guys that the tattoo place we went to the Lathrops.  Patti gave the girls kites and they went right at the flying.  What a great place to fly a kite.  It was windy too.   Perfect!

 Look at the top left of the photo.  Kites flying high!

 Now for the climbing all over the deck!

 Patti and Layne were playing Hanging with Friends against Lucy and I.  I am pretty sure we won.

Saturday and the fun continues.  The Bloomsday expo where you pick up packets and spend way too much money on things.  We made some new friends at the Bloomsday gear booth.

 So it begins.  Bloomsday!  7.46 miles to go and some not so fun hills unless your name is Patti.

 What I lack in speed I make up for in cute.  Katie's headband.  So true!

 The car is parked and we are off to the starting line.  The three musketeers.

I love Katie.  Such a serious pose but we all know she is not serious and so much fun to hang out with!

 The Spokane River!  Raging!

 This helicopter sounds a huge blast to start us on our Bloomsday adventure.

Guess who we got to see!  Holly, Scott and their little girl born a month ago.  Cheryl's granddaughter!  Katie kept saying how cute she was all throughout the race.  She is a cutie!

 Here we are!  Me, Patti, Katie, Sheila, Scott, Holly, Shannon and Michelle.

I am sure the Star Spangled Banner has been played before Bloomsday before but I have never noticed it.  It was quite moving to see almost everyone stop and honor our country.

 And the wait begins.  We start in waves and it is not our turn yet.

Perfect picture.  If you have heard the story of the tattoo I have on my ankle this picture is it's inspiration.  When I was younger, much younger, I thought those sun rays coming out of the clouds were Jesus watching out for me.  I always smile when I see this.  You are right here God and I know it!

 We played a little joke on Katie.  This was the first reaction.

This is the second reaction.  It had to do with a whoopee cushion app on the phone and stretching.  I will leave the story there and let your imagination tell the rest of the story.

 All sweatshirts and shirts in the trees are donated.  Happens every year!

 Cheerleaders everywhere!

 How oh how did the sweatshirts get up so high.  Did someone crawl up the post?

 Here we go!

 Wow.  Just Wow!!!

We are always greeted here by the priests and some music. 

The hill! Here it comes.  Looks so innocent in this picture but it isn't!  Hardest part of the race and Patti ran up the whole thing!  Impressive.

All kinds of creatures like to lurk up on the top of Doomsday Hill to watch us complete the steep grade.

 Photo bomb!  The vulture! These people are wondering where Katie came from.

 Our neighbors always hang out at this house to cheer us on.

 Hugs anyone?

 We are almost done!

 There it is!  The finish line!

 We did it!  Another one in the record books.  I can't imagine not doing this every year.  So much fun!

We celebrated afterwards at the Swinging Doors and had a taste of Pilsner 37.  Part of the profits from this beer go to Team Gleason.  Supporting the cause. Thanks for the fun Katie and Patti!  Until next year!