Something new...

I just got some pictures from a month ago and just thought I'd put up something new on my tremendously exciting blog...



The top is my niece Lucy and bottom is Brandon and me with some of my cousins after my Grandma's funeral.

REAL SL...what to say...

We are VERY photogenic...


Brandon and I went to the last Real game because his co-worker was playing the Star Spangled Banner with his electric guitar. It was Brandon's first soccer game (other than my weekly indoor games) and it was excellent!

My lucky day :(

So I have quite possibly the worst luck of all time. Anyone who knows me very well knows that I have had back problems for years. The last two marathons I've run I've gone in for cortisone shots before each marathon, and my Escape from Alcatraz triathlon time was well, let's just say it wasn't as good as it could have been because I almost personally amputated my back during the bike part to ease the pain...

Anyway, so since June I've had this crazy pain in my hamstring and thought I pulled it. After continuing to run on it, it got worse and worse to the point where I would have this stabbing knife pain in the back of my leg randomly/frequently throughout the day when I wasn't running or even doing anything, then it would spread to my bum, hips, and back. I just kept training even though the pain was awful. So finally I went to the doctor thinking that I pulled my hamstring, turns out that I am having Sciatic nerve problems in my back that I've been masking for years with the cortisone and it's just getting worse.

I had to go in for an MRI a week ago (While I've been taking a boat load of pills- a steroid pack, Loritab, and Ibuprofin), and let me tell you what a weird experience that was! So I opted for Valium because I'm slightly claustrophobic, and hello-fabulous! I walk into the room and check for possible wedgies because I am warned over and over that if I move at all they will have to start over- and who can resist picking a wedgie for 20 minutes! Then you lay down and get moved into this tunnel that has zero room and the fun begins. You lay there while the machine goes crazy and is all loud and disturbing, but lucky for me I was so medically-induced relaxed that I could have been in the middle of an open fire battle in Iraq and not flinched a muscle!

So long story short, I have a mild broadbased posterior nerve impingement (yeah not sure exactly what that means, but all my pads between my back bones that lead to my sciatic nerves are bulging or slipped or something) but physical therapy won't do anything and my doctor doesn't want me operated on because I'm so young, so I now have to go have steroids injected into my back with a needle while I'm having a real time xray. Again-not really sure what's going on. But the worst part is that I can't run, bike, or swim-I can't do squat! I have to completely leave everything alone until I can have this intervention done to my back to see if it is effective.

What does this mean- I will probably be setting the record for least fast person ever running(or crawling) the New York Marathon. Ahhhh, how great to have the back of a 90 year old...Life has a swell way of giving you a sense of humor...

It's Business Time!

I know you're all dying to know what has been going on since my last post. I got tired of looking at the same stuff so now that's it's officially fall, we can reminisce about September 2007.

Brandon and I are still training for the New York marathon. I will be honest though-we have not been faithful followers of the training gods. We have tried, but are being a bit too casual about it. All things considered,we have been doing our long runs and we know we will finish the marathon and are way psyched about finding bakeries to visit on the marathon route to stop at and taste deliciousness along the way. Doing these yearly marathons has had the opposite effect on me as I think most people- I care less and less about my time and more and more about enjoying the ride...Hooray for lazy marathoners~!


My teeny tiny grandma Hales passed away two weeks ago. She was the sweetest lady with the best old-lady-raunchy-sense-of-humor personality. She had been sick for some time but always had a smile on her face and was so fun to be with. I will miss her cackle hello on the telephone, her wanting to know all the latest gossip, and how much she loved all of us. I couldn't have had a better Grandma:)

Oh and school is alive and well at my little classroom at West Valley Elementary. This year I have been so lucky as to have an autistic boy and a boy that whips girls and kicks boys in the face at recess-oh and both have the same name. Needless to say that this particular name will never enter into the names of my potential future children...Other than that, school is good. OH! and I almost forgot. So turns out I am probably going to get my masters in education cause I just found out that I'm already halfway there and didn't even realize it (way long story, and no I am not a complete idiot) so anyway-yay for ignorance!

Oh and Brandon's news...he's still a wasian. Thank you and goodnight.

Happy (late) Anniversary!

So our real one year dating anniversary was in July, but because of scheduling stuff, we just decided to celebrate it on Labor Day evening. It's been the best and funnest year ever, so I can only expect that it will get even better. I know I've turned into a cheese ball, but I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later;) Brandon took me on the best date with all sorts of surprises, it was incredible!

Our new arrival!!!

Not to be outdone by all of the peeps who are popping out children these days, Brandon and I got our own little bundle of joy. Don't be deceived though, this is not the Wicky we all know and love- it's our new baby Charly.They are both pekingese's though, the best dogs! Let me remind everyone though that Charly is not replacing Wicky, she is merely adding to his majesty! She is teeny tiny and has the funniest underbite with her sharp teeth sticking out of her mouth. Mostly I love her cause she's and Asian like Brandon...I wonder if she too can weld a Samurai sword?...

The Zoo!!

TO celebrate Labor Day, we rid ourselves of our white outfits and went to the zoo, along with every single other child in Salt Lake County...