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Home Alone

Welp. I'm back in Tejas. Alone. (Wah! I'm a crybaby!) My Sam is leaving for his Army adventures in the Middle East today.

Rewind to Saturday night...we went downtown to the FANTASMIC Blackhorse Brewery in downtown Clarksville with some friends.

(If you know me, you know I love food and the fact that I will name this little brewery in this tiny town as my fave of all time says A LOT...they have VANILLA BEER. Holy Crap, man.) I wasn't really feeling the night but I tried hard for Sam. It was hard to have an excellent time when Sam leaving was in the back of my mind.


We left the next morning to head to Nashville. We wanted to have lunch at the Opryland Hotel and ended up watching the Redskins game. Sam is a die hard Skins fan and their game was on so we watched and ate lunch at a cafe. (I was so mad at them for making him excited they would win and then making stupid mistakes and losing!) Afterwards we walked around the beautiful hotel.



Then we headed to the airport. I made him pinky swear me that once we said goodbye at security meither of us would turn around. (I hate saying goodbye!) Of course, both of us did look back...very cinema of us haha :-) I'm proud though - there could have been a potentially ugly cry combined with sobbing and collapsing in the fetal position on the airport floor - but we both did really well.

Lastly, thank you, Sweet Baby Jesus, for Meggan. Meggan is one of my best friends in the entire world. My bashert. The maid of honor in my wedding. Her boyfriend, David, is Sam's roommate (how they met was totally not a setup, and truly a cute story) so she was in town to say goodbye as he leaves for Iraq too.

It just happened that our planes left at exactly the same time so we found each other, cried like blubbering idiots and then ate our feelings (fries from Wendys) before hugging goodbye. I'm so glad we could be there together!

SIDE NOTE: I'm glad that (at least for the past week) I've kind of found my stride in this blogging thing. I tried too hard to blog like everyone else (pictures of food and witty posts about random things) when that's not what I wanted from this experience at all. I just want to write down day to day things, put up pictures for Sam, and just generally have a nice (modern?) way to journal my new life as Mrs. D :-)

Christmas Extravaganza! (Take Two)

Our early Christmas celebration was awesome, I'm not gonna lie.

We drove down to Nashvegas in our running gear, checked into our hotel and then ran/walked about a mile to the start of the Rudolph Red Nose 5K. The race happened to be the start of the parade and was out and back along the parade route. It was pretty awesome to run downtown to Christmas music, with all the lights and the crowds cheering.

{The course - right down the main strip of downtown!}

Of course I made a Walmart and Target trip to buy us festive "costumes." Sam had a pointy elf hat (complete with elf ears.) I had some knee-high Santa socks (with faux fur, of course) and some obnoxious present bows attached to my hat.



The race was fun - lots of families, kids, strollers, and dogs. I was very distracted through most of it...I kept wondering why Samuel said he'd run with me but was running about 10 yards ahead of me the whole time. Finally, I managed to gasp out his name and get him to come back to me so I could make a snarky remark about his running - he said he was "pacing" me. His pacing ended up being awesome (and I thanked him for it later) because I beat both my fake goal (the one I say out loud) and my real goal (the one that I secretly attain to) and ran the 5k in 30:47! Wooooot!



{Evidence of some of the cute outfits}

The end of the race was also the end of the parade so we started walking and were able to see the whole thing. We'd walk and stop whenever we wanted to see a particular band or the Shriners or a float. Sam called it "TiVo-ing" the parade and we've decided this is our new way to experience them.

{Sam (really small on the right) TiVo-ing the parade}

We had so much that we lost track of time and totally missed our reservation at the Opryland - we had a big fancy dinner and carriage ride through the lights planned. But neither of us cared, we went for cocktails and steak at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and just enjoyed each other. If anyone is ever in Nashvegas for the first weekend in December - I 100% recommend the experience we had - as a family or with friends - it was a really good holiday experience and I'm so glad I got to have it with Sam before he leaves.


{Our race bags had Rudolph noses in them}

Christmas Extravaganza! (Take One.)

Merry Christmas! Today is The D Family Christmas Extravaganza!

I head for Texas on Monday and Sam leaves Baghdad 'Burbs on Monday so we decided to celebrate tonight. I'm really excited but just a teeeny bit nervous because the SRP (Soldier Readiness Processing) gave him about 29380238 shots and 2 flu mists yesterday...I don't want him to "get sick." If he does, so be it, I'll nurse him with pizza and ginger ale but I'm crossing my fingers because, in honor of our new family tradition, I signed us up for the Rudolph Red Nose 5K in Nashville tonight! I'm so excited that I even purchased us "outfits!" Woot!

I've been a little frustrated the past couple days because I've actually had time (been sitting in Sam's house for all the cleaners/painters/fixer-upper-men to come) and desire (let's face it, I'm lazy) to blog but I can't figure out Sam's new iMac! Hence, the lack of pics...oh well.

In other news - I just saw on a cooking show that FRENCH FRIES and POTATO CHIPS go excellently with Champagne. Hmm. That seems perfect for me...so classy.

Can't wait for tonight!

*Ali

Thanksgiving in Review

Sam came last Wednesday evening for Thanksgiving. We had dinner with friends at Chama de Gaucho on the Riverwalk. This was my first experience ever at a Brazilian steakhouse and I gotta tell you - it was Ah-maz-ing (and freakin expensive but we were celebrating Ash's birthday and we don't have kids so whatev)! You walk in and hit up this fabu salad bar/side bar and are also given this coaster that has a red side and a green side. When you turn up the coaster to the green side - Gauchos (the waiters) come from the woodworks with this huge slabs of delicious meats. It was so good I can't believe I don't have pictures to remember it.


Thanksgiving morning Sam and I decided to start a new Thanksgiving tradition where I get us insanely lost in the city I've been living in now for over three years, arrive late and run a mile to the start line, grab a "free" race number and then run a Turkey Trot. Actually, the tradition is just the Turkey Trot.




As I said - before I got us really lost in the SA ghetto and then we had to run to the start line. The race was held by the San Antonio Road Runners. I think they were overwhelmed by the THOUSANDS of people that showed up to run...the lady at the sign up table was being overrun and was just handing out the race numbers. (I signed us up last year and paid but we didn't go so I comforted my guilty feelings about a free race with that thought.) The four mile race was held in McAllister Park and I definitely recommend it to anyone. The park is awesome and the crowd was really laid back - everyone had strollers, dogs, kids, gramma - and just kind of took their time and chilled on the trails.


Sam was being sweet and wanted to stick around with me but I knew he wanted to see how fast he could go so I called him to me, picked out a guy in an Army Ranger shirt, and instructed him to find the guy and beat him. (He's goal oriented.) Of course, he took off and finished in enough time to get water and then run back to finish the race with me. I actually did pretty awesome (for me) and was really proud. I found two girls that seemed to have a steady pace and then just trailed them. It was nice because the two of them cut a nice path so I didn't have to zig zag around Gramma and the strollers. I didn't have my Garmin so I was just going with how I felt but was really happy when I finished in a little less than 40 minutes - less than 10 minute miles! Woot!


{my fierce competitor face}

We came home after the race and made Mexican food:-) It was delish. I've never been a turkey fan - it just seems like dirty chicken to me - and Sam has never been too keen on it either so I made his favorite. We had white chicken enchiladas, rice, beans, and all the normal fixins. Overall, it was an amazing day - just relaxing and acting like normal married people that live together, eat together, and celebrate together. So nice:-)


{mmm, delish...white chicken enchilada, homemade Mexican rice, refried black beans, and ensalada:-)}


Do you have any family traditions?

The Rest of my Thanksgiving List...

I never came back to finish my 27 Days of Thankfulness list! Things have been crazy getting ready for Sam to leave for Iraq...He was in Virginia for three days, California for two days, Texas for four days and now we are both in Tennessee!

It's a little crazy because Sam owns a house here that he wanted to sell before he left but with the market as bad as it is, he decided to rent it while he's gone. It should be noted that every once and a while we both make the attempt to say "our" house but it never sticks for me. I have never lived there nor decorated nor really had much to do with it. So besides lending a listening (sometimes frustrating) ear to my husband on house issues and decisions - I basically don't have much to do with it! Anyway, he's been gathering up all his stuff, packing, giving stuff to Goodwill, and hiring various fix-it/clean-it people over the past few weeks. Now it's getting down to the wire because the renters will be here on Sunday! Ah!

Today I took Sam into work and then made him very proud as I navigated myself from Ft. Campbell to downtown Clarksville for some oatmeal and to hit up my favorite scrub shop (Scrubs and More = AWESOME!) and then back to the gym on post. I jogged about 3.2 miles on the treadmill (really slow, took me about 36 minutes) before Samuel crashed my gym party and we went to Sonic for lunch:-)

I'm on Sam's new Mac computer so I'm afraid to try to load up pictures today. But here is the rest of my Thankful List that I owe you:

12. I'm thankful for getting to come to Tennessee to experience some cold weather and wear my cute winter pea-coat

13. I'm thankful that wear I normally live isn't this cold (there was frost on our car this morning!) and I can wear shorts even in December.

14. I'm VERY thankful for Carmax that is going to buy my old car (Bonnie the Jeep Liberty) even though I have not one single record of maintanence.

15. I'm very thankful Sam wasn't mad when he found out that I didn't know you were supposed to keep maintanence records for cars...

16. I'm thankful for my sweet and beautiful nieces. Not only are they gorgeous but they are smart and hilarious...what kind of three year old tells their teacher, "No thanks, I don't want to clean up, I think I'll just have time out." High-larious.

17. I'm thankful for the Air Force. Even though they make me mad sometimes (out of four Christmases/Thanksgivings - I've only had ONE OF EACH with my family. AND they barely let me see Sam before he leaves for a year.) They also afforded me the opportunity to go to Iraq which was the best nursing/learning/growing experience I could have asked for. They also gave me a sweet deal on going back to school with the GI Bill too. Oh and also they pay the bills:-)

18. I'm thankful for my sweet Amber Judith (I can't remember if I mentioned her before but she's so important she deserves mentioning again!) She has been with me since the summer of 2003 and has been with me through everything. Through the Great Breakup (and subsequent breakdown) of 2004, through nursing school, through moving home for a summer and then moving to Texas! Her sweet face and wagging behind has made me smile even on my worst days. Yes, I'm very thankful for her!

19. I'm VERY thankful for Alamo Crossfit. Even though I don't have the money or time to dedicate myself 5-6 days a week like I did before my wedding, Crossfit taught me the awesome benefits of intense, short, weighty workouts. They helped me get rid of my flabby chicken breast arms for my wedding photos too!

20. I'm thankful for my mom. There are no words to explain how strong she must be and how inspiring she is to have been through all she has and to still smile.

21. I'm thankful for my brother and sister. I love family dinners with them (and my sister and brother in law) because we always have so many funny stories and great discussions.

22. I'm so thankful for text messaging. Enough said. I just love it.

23. I'm thankful for iPODs and iTunes and singing at the top of my lungs every day on the way to and from work. I love music.

24. I'm thankful that people still make movies like The Blindside that are entertaining but have such a great message.

25. I'm thankful for pajama pants. I could count on my fingers the number of times I HAVEN'T come home and immediately changed into my comfy pants. I just can't sit around in jeans or real clothes like other people do!

26. I'm so thankful for my girlfriends. I am so lucky to have found amazing friends on every leg of my journey - my high school girlfriends, my William and Mary girlfriends, the girls I met at James Madison and nursing school, and my girlfriends in Texas. I actually do say thanks for my friends on a regular basis. I am so lucky to have found them!

27. When I finally find the right words to say - I'll finally write a post about my Sam. I feel it's so cliche to say he is my "best friend" or "the love of my life" because he is so, so much more. I am thankful for him every second of every day.

That's the list! Whew! I don't know if I even have the patience to proof read it :-) Wish I had pictures...maybe tomorrow!

*Ali

A Simple Thank You

The fact that today is Veteran's Day has not escaped me. Today I'm thankful for all the people that are and have served our country in the military. I could wax poetic and wordy but I won't, I'll keep it simple: Thank you to everyone that works to keep us free and safe.

{This is my sweet Boo in front of his helicopter in Iraq. A hottie fo' sho'}

Thanks A Lot

My sister started a daily post at the beginning of this month to say each day something she is thankful for...one for each day until Thanksgiving Day. Since obviously, I'm in the slow and lazy blogger group - I'm getting started just a wee bit late and have to make up time.

I'm Thankful for...
1. Pumpkin flavored things. I have a major obsession with pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin plug-in air freshners - I even had a pumpkin spice beer this weekend!

2. TiVo. I don't even remember the last time I watched TV with commercials! It's nice to have some shows I watch and like but not be tied to the television. I don't know if it's twisted or funny that I picked TiVo as my first (not top or most important!) thing on my Thankful List.

3. Frank (my car.) Sam and I (ok, mostly Sam) bought a new volkswagen to replace both our cars (he won't need one while he's gone, obvi.) I love Frank, just love him and his clean, dog hair free interior.

4. Okra. This is my new favorite vegatable and I really hope it's as good for you as I think it is (I refuse to investigate this for fear that it might not be as wonderous as I tell myself) because I eat it about 4 nights a week for dinner. I sound like Bubba Gump when I talk about okra and all the ways I like to cook it.

5. Facebook. I know it sounds freaky/stalker/obsessive but I love Facebook. I really do. How else would we keep in touch with those friends/acquaintances that are from our distant past or we don't know well enough to pick up the phone and call? It's awesome to put a nice comment on a wall or photo as a way to say, "Hey, I think you're cool, remember me? Let's be pals."

6. Monster Energy Drinks. Do I really have to explain? I would be driving to work taking naps one eye at a time if it wasn't for the [strangely yellow] sweet and addictive nectar of Monster.

7. My apartment. I finally found a place in San Antonio that is in a nice area, mostly away from the crazy traffic, has great dog walking side walks and really sweet neighbors.

8. Running. I actually hate running and almost every type of cardio but it's a necessary evil. I'm trying to adapt the attitude of being thankful that I can get up and go at all - there are a ton of people in the world that can't and would love to.

9. Magazines. The couple days each month when my new magazines come are so exciting! I love a fresh magazine full of new recipes, make-up tips, wardrobe ideas, and shopping websites to try...I save them (as best I can - it's pretty hard) for times when I know I'll be waiting somewhere or sitting on a plane.

10. Nicole! If I wasn't lazy, this 1oth thing on my list would be written by itself today, November 10th, which is Nicole's birthday:-) I've known this hott mamma since first grade. Happy birthday to one of my most specialest, funniest, best listeningest, overall bestest friends I have ever had!

{this is Nicole and I circa 2007...isn't she gorgeous?:-)}

So those were my first 10 things in my "Daily" 27 Days of Thankful journal. Thanks for the idea, Manda!

Bachelorette Party Madness

K, So I am super, super behind. In my defense...actually I really don't have one.

Anyway, October 31 AKA Halloween happened to fall on a Saturday this year (for those of you that weren't aware:-) and this Saturday also happened to be exactly seven days before my good friend Ashley's wedding. Um. Hello? BEST DAY FOR A BACHELORETTE PARTY EVER!

We started the morning with The WurstFest 5 Miler. It was actually my best race so far...incredibly flat and Marti and I stuck together most of the way. Then we all went home to nap furiously create costumes. We recycled a costume idea from senior year of nursing and went dressed as the shot "Dirty Girl Scout."

{Monty, Stacey, Ashley, me}

Ashley had her own special sash:

{our bachelorette, yay!}

We had a blast running around the River Walk in our costumes. I don't remember paying for too much either - all it takes is saying you have a bachelorette in your midst (and a cute costume named after a shot) and people are very kind! It was a great night and I'm pretty sure Ashley enjoyed herself!

{The End!}

I wish I had some pictures of making these costumes - they are so easy:

• Four dollar skirt from Target measured against another skirt and then cut off (no hem, hello, I'm not Martha)
• Square of orange felt cut into strips - 2 pieces pinned at the neck for the neck tie and 2 pieces fringed with scissors and tucked into socks
• Heavy brown felt cut and ironed together with fabric glue (again, they didn't have home economics at my high school) and then foam letters applied to the front.
• TaDa! One Girl Scout costume!

A Soldier's Wife

My father-in-law sent this Washington Post article to me a while ago. While Sam is getting ready for his second deployment and I've been waxing sentimental and getting 48034893 different kinds of moody and mopey...this article is a great reminder of why we do what we do. ("We" are Army/Air Force/Marine/Navy/Coast Guard/Defense Contractor wives that kiss our Boos goodbye. And wait. It doesn't matter if we agree, we are proud.)



A Soldier's Wife
By Georgie Hanlin

My childhood friend of 31 years visited my home on base, in Quantico, a
few months after I gave birth to my first baby. As we took a leisurely
stroll one evening through the lingering humidity of early September, I
explained to her how different military life is from the world in which
we grew up in San Francisco. We passed rows of colorful houses on the
tree-lined, manicured blocks and gazed at the playgrounds around the
neighborhood, ready to welcome the children of the officers who live
there. American flags hung from virtually every front door. The
occasional "My daddy fights for your freedom" bumper sticker adorned
some vehicles. As we looped around the bend toward my house, my friend
turned to me and asked, "How do you accept what your husband does for a
living?"

I glanced at her, startled. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I guess I just don't know how to accept it. I don't believe in war,"
she responded, matter-of-factly.

My husband is an infantry captain for the U.S. Army. This week, he left
on his sixth combat deployment with the 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker
Brigade. He is to be gone for one year to launch Stryker vehicles into
Afghanistan under President Obama's new surge. My husband served with
the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Ga., for 2 1/2 years before
attending the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Warfare School.

We have been married for three years; he's been deployed for half that
time. My husband loves his country and serves it proudly, and for that I
love him. Is being an Army wife easy? Not at all. The moving, the worry,
the separation, the danger, the evening news and the politics of having
your spouse risk his life for wars that most of us don't understand or
don't accept certainly does stir something within me.

Since we married, I have been introduced to and lived in a community of
honorable people. Do I have everything in common with them? No, but I
learn from them every day. Military life and married life have been an
adventure; overall, they have most definitely taught me to truly value
the vows I took on my wedding day. As an Army wife, I've learned the
meaning of the expression "HUA" (heard, understood, acknowledged). I can
now recognize an improper salute. I basically understand rank and
protocol. I am beginning to know the acronyms, even though they seem to
be endless. I've watched my husband parachute and fast-rope out of
planes while training. I have attended military balls. I have hugged him
goodbye and wondered way too many times if I would ever hug him again. I
have seen soldiers break down. I have seen wives break down. I have made
several friends and left several friends. I have been to an award
ceremony at which a young Ranger received a Purple Heart; he lost a leg,
but he stood proudly in front of the audience. I have heard horror
stories about wives receiving word that their husbands were killed in
action and I have thanked God that it wasn't my husband. I still get
butterflies when I pick him up after each deployment. That feeling is
indescribable.

So how do I accept what my husband does for a living? Quite easily. He
serves his country and does so courageously, next to other respectable
men and women. He represents America with the utmost dignity while
overseas. The Army is lucky to have him, and so am I. While people sit
back and criticize what soldiers do, my husband risks his life over and
over again. Let's be honest: It's a job that most people don't want.
Many don't think about it because other people do it.

Other people do it.

Instead of trying to figure out how to accept or justify or understand
what my husband does because you don't believe in war, I'd beg you to
know that no one wants war; no one likes war. We'd all love a perfect
world, but we do not live in one. Our country is at war; two of them,
actually. Soldiers, my husband being one of them, have to deploy. We, as
families, have to worry and wait and hope.

I believe that the next time somebody asks me how I accept what my
husband does for a living, I will simply tell that person to appreciate
my husband's service and to enjoy his or her freedom while my husband
does what his country asks of him.

The writer, an elementary school teacher, lives in Virginia.
Washington Post
July 4, 2009
Pg. 17

CHALLENGE: In the beginning...

A while ago (in this post) I challenged my sister to run a half marathon with me in March. Not just any half marathon THE DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON! She thinks that I have forgotten about her initial reply, her making me wait for an answer, and most of all - she thinks I forgot she said, "yes!"

Oh my, my, my was she wrong. In fact, I just told my mom that what I want for Christmas is this trip to Florida. If my Christmas miracle comes true then my mom, two nieces, and sis will meet me in Florida. We will run the race and then frolic around my Promiseland (Disney) for a couple days. It will be a "Williams Girls Reunion" of sorts. (None of us are named "Williams" anymore but it's the sentiment that counts.)

So, Manda, here is your initial training plan (created by Jeff Galloway and found here):

Week 1 (Run for 5 seconds/walk for 55 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 10 min run/walk

Tues: 15 min walk

Wed: 13 min run/walk

Thurs: 18 min walk

Fri: off

Sat: 1 mile run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 2 (Run for 5 seconds/walk for 55 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 15 min run/walk

Tues: 20 min walk

Wed: 17 min run/walk

Thurs: 22 min walk

Fri: off

Sat: 1.25 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 3 (Run for 10 seconds/walk for 50 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 19 min run/walk

Tues: 24 min walk

Wed: 21 min run/walk

Thurs: 26 min walk

Fri: off

Sat: 1.5 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 4 (Run for10 seconds/walk for 50 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 23 min run/walk

Tues: Walk 28 min

Wed: 25 min run/walk

Thurs: Walk 30 min

Fri: off

Sat: 1.75 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 5 (Run for 10 seconds/walk for 50 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 27 min run/walk

Tues: Walk 30 min

Wed: 29 min run/walk

Thurs: Walk 30 min

Fri: off

Sat: 2 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 6 (Run for 15 seconds/walk for 45 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 30 min run/walk

Tues: Walk 30 min

Wed: 30 min run/walk

Thurs: Walk 30 min

Fri: off

Sat: 2.25 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 7 (Run for 15 seconds/walk for 45 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 30 min run/walk

Tues: walk 30 min

Wed: 30 min run/walk

Thurs: Walk 30 min

Fri: off

Sat: 2.5 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

Week 8 (Run for 15 seconds/walk for 45 seconds on the run/walk days)

Mon: 30 min run/walk

Tues: walk 30 min

Wed: 30 min run/walk

Thurs: Walk 30 min

Fri: off

Sat: 2.75 mi run/walk

Sun: off/walk

I'll be checking on you, Manda - and you check on me too!

{My sis and I in September}

Run Gear Run 8 Miler

So this blog was never meant to be an exercise blog or a diet blog...it does seem that way lately, though, doesn't it? Yesterday (October 25) Ashley and I ran the Run Gear Run 8 Miler in Comfort, Texas.

I got there early and was REALLY FREAKED OUT...it was dark, we parked in this field in the boondocks, and all I could see was tall, skinny, fast looking people around me. I sat in my car to keep warm (it was 41 degrees out) until I saw Ash and then we got in the very back of the line behind the teeny tiny start carpet.

What happened after the start announcement can only be described as complete mayhem. The trails were so small and there were big groups of chatty ladies spread out across the width with NO getting by. At once point Ashley and I almost stopped and walked back to get breakfast. After about 2 miles the way cleared and we could run/walk/skip about as we liked. It was absolutely the most challenging, hilly course I've ever run. We ran about a mile up a steep hill and I swear if I'd gone any slower I'd have been going backwards!

I told Sam the night before that my goal was to run less than 11:30min/miles. I made my goal by 4 seconds. They had chili, jalepenos, cheese, and beer at the finish line! Woot! Sorry, no pictures from this race - we peaced out pretty much as soon as it was over to hit up the biggest and best TJ Maxx store in San Antonio (on the way home:-)

Racing on a Sunday

Today I talked three girlfriends (and one girlfriend's fiance) into traveling up to Austin with me to run the Austin Uptown 10K. It was SUCH A GLORIOUS DAY to run! The sun was shining and it was only 65 degrees outside (chilly by San Antonio standards.)

It was my friend Marti's first run after having her baby on September 2 (hells yeah she ran the entire thing less than two months after having a baby!) so despite her being a tried and true runner - she stuck with me and ran my way - the Galloway Method! Using Jeff Galloway's formula we ran 2 minutes then walked 1 minute the entire race. (Ok, that's a lie, I walked during one run session because it was up a murderous hill.) I hit a new PR today racing this way!

I know I've said before that I have always, always, always wanted to be a skinny, fast, little person that just goes out to run mile after fast mile...but I'm not. Sam introduced me to the Galloway Method after the Country Music (Half) Marathon disaster and I've been hooked ever since. It's not for everyone...you really have to let your pride get over all the runners whizzing past you while you're taking your walk breaks. The trick is that you're running fast and then taking breaks at regular intervals. While other runners slow down during the second half of the race, a Galloway runner is able to keep their pace for the duration. Our friend Ashley ran the entire race and we all finished together - two completely different styles of running with the same positive result.

Anyway, MY moral of the story is that I walked about one third of the race and for the first time in basically forever I broke 11min/miles! I'm never out to beat anyone but myself - and today, for the first time in a long time I finally did.

**Marti, Stacey, me, Ashley after the race**

P.S. I'm not gonna lie - I'm definitely headed to Stacey right now to eat pizza as a reward for the run today:-)

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Hey ya'll! I'm back! I can't believe the last time I posted was months ago! I wish I could say I have been so, so incredibly busy (which, in reality, is not entirely a lie but really I'm more lazy than anything.) I just got SO FED UP with Blogger! It was infuriating for me to load up pictures onto my own blog - they would be in the wrong place or cut my sentences in half or sit on top of each other...it wouldn't be such a big deal but all my favorite blogs are ones with pics so it wouldn't seem right if I didn't put them in myself! Now that I've found this nice help website I'm hoping it won't seem like homework to work on this blog anymore because I really do enjoy writing it AND the bloggie friends I've made:-)

I really like the whole online journal thing and I think with Sam leaving (in December for a year deployment) it will be nice A. for him to see some pics and read what's up while he's gone and B. for me to have something to do!

So anyway, I haven't been wholely idle the past months - I've actually GOTTEN MARRIED! and gone on a HONEYMOON! Woot!

In case anyone has the same problems that I do, here is the link to the wonderful Blogger tips that I found.

Here's a picture from September 6, 2009:

The Sister Has Spoken

She responded! My sister responded to my CHALLENGE (you can read her response here) and when I called her tonight she said she would make a decision by this weekend! Yayayayay! I'm so excited to hear what she says!


I'm also excited because I get to see my fiance this weekend! He told me he'd help me find training plans and running success stories to inundate (oh, man, I love that word but I don't know how to spell it!) her inbox with to help her make a decision.


I'm a little nervous because although I have a ticket to Virginia (Sam and I are meeting there to attend his fraternity brother's wedding) I'm going to try to go standby on an earlier flight...this means I'll have to carry on my luggage. Firstly, I never carry anything in the airport except my purse because I am really irresponsible and sincerely hate keeping track of a ton of stuff. Secondly, I'm a chronic overpacker and have been my whole life. Even in high school I took between 3 and 4 pairs of underwear and at least 3 pairs of shoes just to spend the night at my best friends' houses. My new carry-on suitcase is about the size of what I normally pack my face/hair stuff in!

Anyway, enough babblings...I'll take pictures this week AND keep you updated on my packing AND (most importantly!) let you know what my sister decides! :-)

CHALLENGE

I am hereby challenging my sister, Amanda at Serenity Now, to train for and FINISH the Disney Princess Half Marathon with me on Sunday, March 7, 2010.

She recently wrote this post about running because I had the {amazing} idea to get all my bridesmaids to run a 5K with me before the bachelorette party. Sadly, I can't find a race in Virginia that is convenient to all the other things going on that weekend AND all the girls' schedule.

BUT THEN SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED! I was watching television the other day and saw this girl wearing a wonderful pink shirt kissing a medal hanging around her neck that looked like a tiara...I watched as the screen panned out and holey moley there was Cinderella's castle as the lady on the commercial invited me to a princess weekend at Disneyland! I never knew there was such a thing! aldfa;lfjj!

Anyway, here are the reasons that this is an amazing idea for my sister and I to plan for/train for/save money for this amazing princess-y event:

1. It's something to look forward to...everyone needs something to look forward to!
2. It's my birthday weekend and you could race with me as a present (You're cheap, you admit it, it's ok.)
3. We can get in better shape so that,
4. We will look amazing in our new PINK SHIRTS
5. Family vacay afterwards?
6. We can be a team and get our names on our bibs!
7. You can blog about it!
8. Mom will pay your entry fee (heh heh she doesn't know this yet, but I'll break it to her tonight.)
9. It's only 13.1 miles and regardless of if it takes 2 or 6 hours - it will feel so good to do it!

So, here it is Manda - do you accept my challenge?!?!?!

{Picture is from DisneyWorldSports.com}

This could be us (but you can wear the heinous pink running skirt :-)

Chaskis 8K

Yesterday I met Stacey bright and early to run the Chaskis 8K in Helotes and then walk around the festival after. I was really nervous because since I have been getting used to Crossfit workouts - I haven't run more than a half mile in almost a month. For anyone that has never run with me - I am SLOW. My dream times are usually 10min/mile paces but what I make for my goals are usually around 11 or 12. Today being my first run back I decided to make my goal 60 minutes (a pretty generous time for 4.96 miles!) I walked through the water stops (something Sam taught me a while ago) and definitely walked up this monster hill on the third mile but other than that I jogged/ran the whole thing! And in less than my goal time! According to my Garmin (one of the best investments I ever made) I ran 5.07 miles in 56:36. Stacey, of course, was gone and out of my site within 2 miles and finished the race in about 40 minutes (she is really, really fast.)




Afterwards we walked around the festival until Stace had to leave for puppy class with Sugar. We found out the festival is actually a recurring thing that happens every first Saturday and we are definitely going back! I bought Sam some Strawberry Habenero preserves from a fruit stand man and myself a scallop squash because I've never seen them before and the vegetable man said they were delish.







Question: Has anyone ever done Team in Training or a similar marathon/half-marathon training program? Stacey and I were thinking about doing one but wanted some advice...

Peeves.

As in pets. Pet peeves. Today my preceptor at work must have said at least three times "that's one of my biggest pet peeves." (She was of course talking about impatient, needy surgeons that constantly point out the 5 seconds it took to fetch whatever it is they asked for adds up to hours over the course of their careers - that's annoying.) Anyway, once the surgery got started and I was just wandering around the operating room (I was too short to see the surgical field and the video monitors were turned away from me) I started thinking about my own pet peeves. I actually narrowed it down to five (and not surprisingly most of them have to do with driving.)

1. Very slow drivers in the very fast lane. What the alajkdfl;adjfl; do you think it's called the fast lane for!?!? I have been followed by a black cloud of curse words all the way to and from work several times over the past 3 years of driving in San Antonio because of these slow people making me sooooo furious!


2. People decelerating on the highway instead of in the deceleration lane. Samuel has been the victim of my wrath over this many times...please turn on your blinker and negotiate your vehicle into the deceleration lane in order to slow down and turn. (P.S. I actually don't even know if that's the real name of this turning lane or if that's how you spell it...it may just be that Samuel has feared correcting me when I start yelling about it:-)


3. People who do not do the customary "thank you" wave after you do something nice for them on the road. If I slow down and let you merge in or I stop traffic in order to let you turn across an intersection - just let me see your hand give a little wave, it's not hard.


4. My fourth pet peeve is when people in apartment complexes (I don't live in a house) do not put their dogs on leashes. THE SIGN SAYS KEEP YOUR DOG ON THE LEASH AT ALL TIMES. I love my sweet baby Amber Judith but she's rude and has bad manners and when someone's poodle comes rushing around the corner baring it's teeth - someone's gonna lose an eye or part of an ear and it's probably not my junk yard baby!


5. My last and final and perhaps my worst peeve is when people make comments about other people's food. "Wow, you ate all that?" or "What is that? It smells weird." are just not nice things to say...maybe I'm weird but I've been known to throw away a whole meal because someone made me really self-conscious about the smell/amount/look of what I was lunching on!

Ok, wow, I sound so rude! Haha..help me out here, what are some of your biggest pet peeves? I've made the next 24 hours judgement free - you can say whatever bothers you and there will be no judgement or consequences (plus it will make me feel better for complaing so much.) Sometimes, like a good cry or scream at the top of your lungs, it just feels so good to let it all out:-)

{Just for grins - and because I love blogs with pictures - this is a picture of my Amber with her Stacey's cat, Oreo}

Cross what?

If you name a trendy exercise class/group/video I can probably tell you exactly what it is, how many times I've done it, why I hate it and why I quit. It's no secret I've spent the last 6 years of my life trying, trying, and trying again to find some form of sweaty exercise goodness that I actually liked and could stick with.

I tried joining a gym but found myself just walking from machine to machine gently touching them, eventually going so far as to actually sit on them and attempt to read the directions...but usually just getting onto a treadmill until I felt adequately sweaty and never actually working out. I even hired a trainer at one point but we ended up chatting on the mats about movies/relationships/anything but working out and I never actually got a work out from that either.

Next I tried BodyPump which was a group workout of circuit training using weights. I actually enjoyed the class but it was at weird times for my schedule so I always found an excuse not to go.

Eventually, I convinced myself that since I liked dancing perhaps I might like to try a fitness dance class or some step aerobics. The people I saw from the gym window always looked like they were having so much fun! It took me all of 20 minutes to "get a drink of water" and just never come back...the steps were way too complicated and made even more so because I don't know my right from left without some serious thinking.

Last but not least - there was running. I want to be a runner SO BAD but it's just so damn hard. Not only that but I'm so self conscious running on the sidewalk. In my mind people in their cars wondering if the lumbering girl they're driving past is having a seizure or exercising and the folks on their front porches are thinking that perhaps they should stop trimming the hedges and offer me CPR or supplemental oxygen.

I could continue to go on and on about my exercise endeavors. There was the time that Stacey and I decided tennis was a good workout and bought raquets, skirts, and tennis balls (only to use them twice.) Then there was swimming which meant a new bathing suit and goggles that I only wore once. Not to mention spinning (my butt STILL hurts from that seat!) and Bikram Yoga (too expensive.) I could have started to get discouraged buuuuuuuuuut...

{***drumroll please***}

I found CROSSFIT!!!! I officially think I found my workout love. Crossfit is a workout I tried while in Iraq (it was the trendy thing to do after work) but absolutely despised it. I swore I'd never go again because I hated the jumping jacks, jumping rope, and jumping onto/off of boxes.

Recently, however, I decided to try again and holy moley am I glad that I did! Turns out the workouts I did in Iraq were just poor imitations of the actual Crossfit. It should be more like boot camp and less like step aerobics with some jump rope laced in.

My motivation in trying again was figuring out that our wedding is now less than 100 days away (gotta get rid of the chicken breasts hanging from my underarms!) combined with the fact that the Alamo Crossfit gym was literally 100 yards from my front door. I have been made to run, lift weights, use a rowing machine, and do squats until it feels like my butt will just fall right off (a good feeling, actually) alongside other people of every weight/age/fitness level you can imagine.

{This is not me, obvi, but an example of an exercise.}

I was DREADING going to the first day I signed up for Crossfit. Once I got there it was even worse when I looked around and saw the fit/cut/ripped/hard-core people. I started thinking, "no one knows me, I could run out right now." I even started coming up with alternate routes I could drive to and from my house so that I would never again have to drive by the gym.

BUT I DIDN'T LEAVE. I didn't do what I normally do and bail out and make an excuse. I almost died the first workout (and still come close to death almost every time) but I feel different this time. I look forward to going to see what I can push myself to do that day. I love feeling so tired it takes me 20 minutes to walk the 1/2 block home to my house. I love being so sore I have to use the handicapped bars to make it up the staircase. If you have a Crossfit gym around you - TRY IT! I'll be writing more about my adventures at the gym...and in the meantime - go try a workout and let me know how it goes! You won't regret it:-)

DISCLAIMER: It's now been 2 weeks and I have yet to tire of this place...check with me in 2 more weeks and we'll see if it's still as great as I currently think it is;-)

Don't knock 'em til you tried 'em!

So, like I mentioned in my last post, I've been experiementing lately with different things in my diet and exercise routine. I've been reading lots of blogs and articles and recently read that Jillian from The Biggest Loser said (something close to/that sounded like,) "If it didn't have a mother or you can't grow it - you shouldn't be eating it." This stuck with me and got me thinking...Hmmmm...Doritoes do not have a mother, nor do they grow on trees. Poptarts and McDonald's Spicy McChickens do not have mothers and I don't believe there is a McChicken tree that I am unaware of. (I guess technically, yes you could argue that there IS parts of chicken in the McChicken. However, I'm going with the "spirit of the law" in this case and though I love McChickens dearly, I fully believe that the "chicken" is just beaks and toenails...which don't count in either the "mothered" or the "grown" categories. But I digress...) Anyway, I decided to try some healthier cooking - which led me to today's experiement - healthy french fries!

I tried this recipe (from Hungry-Girl.com) for "Butternut Squash Fries" tonight. I recently bought the Hungry-Girl cookbook too and it's pretty awesome. Almost all the recipes are for 1 or 2 serving dishes which is sooooo great for me (who is always complaining about how every recipe out there is written for families of 6.)

Butternut Squash Fries
- Take a Butternut Squash (I had to read the labels on the vegetables at H.E.B. to find this because I had never seen one before.) This is what it looks like:




















- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut the ends off the squash and then cut it in half
- Using a peeler, remove the skin
- Cut the squash into french fry-esque looking slices
- Arrange on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray
- Quickly spray the tops of the squash with cooking spray and then sprinkle with salt or your favorite seasonings (I used salt but next time will go for some Cajun Seasoning Salt or some Crab Seasoning.)
- Bake in oven for 40 minutes, flipping the fries halfway through

Here is (someone else's) a picture of what the squash fries really do look like when you're done:

















I was pretty amazed at how close to steak fries these actually tasted. You can eat a HUGE serving of them for around 110 calories too. I had a meatless "chicken" patty on an English muffin with them and it was pretty tasty, I'm not gonna lie. Try 'em out and let me know what you think!

DISCLAIMER: I will NEVER EVER give up my frozen ice cream bars or my weekly dinners out with the girls...but really, seriously, that's just asking way too much :-)

I'm coming back...I swear it!

I've been MIA for a while (that term just seems grossly inappropriate after Boo was in Iraq for 15 months...but for lack of a better term at 5am, "missing in action" it is!) Anyway, I started my new job in the operating room, moved to a new apartment across town (still unpacking! doh!) and have been experiementing with food/drink/exercise nonstop for a couple weeks now.

I religiously keep up with a few blogs that have truly inspired me to do/try different things. Gina, Jenna, Angela, and Danika each have a fun, friendly, and really inspiring blog about health, eating and/or running/exercise. I wanted to put in a plug for my favorite blogger ladies (because while I haven't been writing, they have and they are brilliant!) and let you know that AFTER this weekend (I'm going home to see my Boo, my family, and tie up some wedding ends) I'll be back and with updates on all my new endeavors! Happy Humpday :-)

Country Music (Half) Marathon

Once upon a time, when I was still in Iraq, Sam, Flo, and I signed up for the Country Music Marathon. I trained hard for about 2 months and then came the day (around 'bout January) I realized I didn't have the dedication nor the chutzpah to run a marathon. The one running goal I had always had - to run the Army 10 Miler - I had accomplished while deployed (yay!) but I still wanted to participate so I changed my new goal to the half and talked Ash into coming with me.

Training for me - between switching from day shift to night shift, going home to Virginia, and visiting with Sam - was spotty at best. Ash and I showed up on race day having not trained in months much less run up a hill in years BUT decided we were going to make the best of it no matter what. We'd signed up for the 2hr 30min finish and during the run decided to shoot for a 3 hour finish instead. We did it! Finishing in 3:06!

I have to say the race was truly inspiring. It was so awesome to see people whizzing past us or even the people who, like us, walk/ran the entire thing. We started walking after the first 5K and after many apologies to Ashley (a former cross country runner and a much "smaller" girl she probably could have gone faster) I finally got over the pain and regret of not training and just enjoyed the route. The fans were EVERYWHERE...old ladies passing out fruit, kids handing out dixie cups of water, families and college students standing out with signs.

Sam made a game time decision to run the whole 26.2 and did AWESOME! Flo and Sam's roommate also ran the whole time and met their time goals and then some. Sam's other roommate and parents were there along the route to cheer us on.

I was so upset with myself for not training and yet so inspired by the other runners that I decided I will definitely do another 13.1 again! My goal is getting faster and not overwhelming myself thinking about how far and fast other people are going - just to focus on myself. Today I ran a 10:20 mile followed by another 0.5 at the same pace (pretty proud of myself.)

{The starting line 38,000+ people!}

{The first of THREE four leaf clovers I found on the course}

{A picture with one of the spectators and his 'free beer' - you can see all the many people we ran with in the background}

{My Boo after 26 miles...we waited for 1.5 hours to get a picture of him at the finish but somehow missed him!}

{A good one of Flo running - the skyline and the bridge we ran over in the background}

{That night Sam, Ash, Sam's roomies and I went to see Dave Matthews and Jason Mraz}

Point ate.

Nine days and 0.8 lbs. I ran my half marathon four days ago (I'll post about that later) and considered myself "on vacation" so I was definitely not being very "diety." Either way, point eight pounds is not so bad because the "point" is that I "ate" pretty much whatever was my hearts desire for this weekend and a loss is a loss is a loss...right? Right?!?!




In other news - I'm done with my old job! Wooo hooo! I have 5 days off and then I start my Operating Room Course on Monday. Can't wait:-)

Sam, don't read this.

I did something I NEVER EVER EVER thought I'd do - I'm publicly posting my weight and BMI. I have never even told my sister, my mom, or Sam my weight and I just posted it on my blog for all the world to see! Oh crap.




{Stay tuned for a once a week update on rehabbing my rear}

I had to do it though. I really did. I realized if I don't put it out there for myself and everyone else to see - I'm never going to accept the truth and be accountable for it. (It's a hugely added bonus that now I actually have to make changes instead of just talking about them.) So, cheers to 161.2 pounds and a 26.8 BMI! I'm not ashamed anymore to admit either of those numbers out loud because, on my honor (I was a daisy in the Girl Scouts once upon a time!), they won't be around much longer!

Miss Sugar Cookie

I was walking Amber on Saturday morning before meeting Stacey for yoga when I spotted a little puppy sitting on a porch in my neighborhood. I looked around trying to see if perhaps a drunk and/or tired person had just brought their puppy out to use the bathroom but hadn't put them on a leash...but there was no one in sight. The puppy was too scared to come down to me because of Amber (rightly so, Amber is kind of a beotch to dogs she doesn't know) but I could see that she (the puppy is a she) didn't have a collar on. She was whining a little like she wanted to come see me but just looked so skinny and weary.

I immediately started running for my house and dialed Stacey out of breath. I told her to come outside, we wouldn't be making yoga today, I had found her a puppy. (I'm very lucky that she actually agreed with me because she'd never mentioned wanting a puppy, now that I think about it...but history has shown Stacey and I can talk each other into just about anything. Anyway, she didn't argue she just said, "This better be good.") I dropped Amber in my house and Stacey and I went back to get the puppy. We found her cowaring in front of an apartment and she was COVERED in fleas and immaciated. I don't doubt someone just dropped her in our neighborhood to be found.

Stacey automatically decided she was adorable (phew!) and we scooped her up and took her to Becker Animal Hospital near our house. Dr. Becker was so understanding and didn't push Stacey one way or another in the puppy's treatment (it was VERY pricey because she had a virus and needed plasma and fluids.) They told us no matter what we did there was only a 50% chance she would recover because she was so young and so sick. I (and I'm sure Stacey) worried about that little dog all night and all day Monday. We went to visit her after work and she looked SO MUCH BETTER! She wagged her tail at us and ate 2 whole bowls of food while we watched. The vet tech said her chance of coming home is greatly improved since we'd brought her in and that Stacey can pick her up tomorrow. I'm so glad that we found her and that she has a new, cozy home with someone that will love her!

{Stacey named her "Sugar" - like the cookie - because her cat is named Mr. Oreo Cookie}

{Stace and her new puppy}

New Camera

I have been living without a camera for 'round about 4 months now and FINALLY got a new one! I had serveral things I wanted to blog about in the past month but felt really stupid always searching google images for pictures that weren't mine! In regards to my "old" camera I have an apology to make:

"Thank you, Sweet Samuel for the pink beauty you bought me. I am forever sorry that I took it to Howl and the Moon and left it on the beer soaked table!"

That being said, I'm going to mail my broken pink camera into Fuji and see what they can do for me...best case scenario - I have 2 cameras. Worst case - I have my new one and have to sing taps as I throw the remnants of my pretty pink one in the trash can.

I ended up with this Canon Elph (picture from Best Buy) and it's reeeeeally simple to use and so far has done everything I asked of it. I didn't want anything too expensive (my last camera was beer soaked and the one before it was washed and dried in my pants) or with too many settings and buttons. This Elph is perfect for anyone like me that just likes to snap pictures for memories and simple photo albums.

Now I have to get to something I should have done last week - my award! My sister at "Serenity Now" linked me to the Kreative Blogger Award! These are the rules:
1. Link Back to the person who gave you the award.
2. List 7 Things you LOVE!
3. Link to 7 Blogs and let them know you have an Award Waiting for them on your blog!

I'd like to pass my award on to a few of my favorite Kreative Blogs:

Victoria, Meggan, Blair, and Nicole

And now for 7 things I love:

1. My Sam. I've been practicing writing my "married name" since the fourth grade and as my mom puts it, "I saw you dating other guys in college and I knew, I just knew you were just waiting for your Sam." Love you, Boosky.

2. Flipflops. These are not only my favorite shoe but when I start to see them - I know it's getting to be time for my third favorite thing...

3. Sunshine. Can't get enough. I love warm weather and sunshine!

4. Amber Judith. My lovely redded headed mutt. She's been with me through everything (and only once ate something important of mine.)

5. My family. I'm really jealous of people that get to see their families all the time BUT it makes life sweeter for me when I do go home - I always get to pick what's for dinner. haha:-)

6. My friends. I don't think anyone has funnier, smarter (getting her doctorate!) or more giving friends than me. I may be biased (but I'm right.)

7. My job. In an economy like this I am thankful EVERY SINGLE DAY for the good fortune I've been afforded just by having a job and paycheck. Because I currently despise where I work (not my patients or my coworkers, mind you) I have been trying to stop my pity parties and just be thankful for working at all. (and P.S. I start my new job in 2 weeks!!!!!!)

I have to share

Everyone needs to run to Bath and Body Works and load up on some Wallflowers! They are on sale for less than half the normal price this week! Honestly (very very seriously) they are the best and longest lasting air fresheners I've ever used! ---you can tell I'm very serious about this buy all my exclamation points. Anyway, if you head out for errands make sure you stop at Bath and Body to get in on the sale.







I tried the Black Amethyst for the first time after my sister-in-law gave me the perfume for Christmas. I was afraid it would be too "perfumey" for my apartment but it smells AWESOME!

What's in a name?

Just to make myself clear - this site/blogspot/blog in general is not about mullets. I just needed a random name for my blog that would not get me stuck to writing about one thing. I tried MANY different names on for size including but not limited to:

• "Tea and Strumpets" (from a Dumb and Dumber quote but this didn't work out because "strumpet"is actually another name for a hooker)
• "Zuzu's Petals" (a nod to my boo and his favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life)
• "Eat, drink, and be married" (a very cute suggestion from my sister but I didn't want to write all about food or marriage)

Anyway, back to the current title of my blog and how it came about. I have, since the young and sweet age of 18 been struggling to find a haircut and a stylist that work for me. All my problems started when I decided it would be acceptable to "just get a trim" at one of those cheap hair places in the mall. It probably would have been very OK but I decided to change my mind at the last minute and ask for "long layers."

This was the birth of my first mullet.

I never really thought too much about this fateful day over the next 8 years as I went to hairdresser after hairdresser and tried style after style trying to find something that was right for me...that is until about 2 weeks ago. I was coming home from a trim and decided to call Sam and let him know I'd just had my hair cut. "How'd it go?" he asked. I answered, "Well, it's kind of a mullet but I think it'll be OK after about a week because it hasn't made me cry yet." He paused and said, "You say that every single time you get your hair done." Of course I disagreed but then I did a quick movie montage-ish flashback of the past few years and realized that yes, in fact, I have said I have a mullet EVERY SINGLE TIME I've gotten my hair done. (Sometimes screaming the words, sometimes laughing at the ridiculousness, sometimes crying in the fetal position on the bathroom floor.) This realization came at the perfect time and last week when I needed a good, random, interest provoking name for my new blog, I, without thinking, I just banged out the name of my notorious hairdo and the exclamation that always follows it - "They gave me a mullet!"

In it's honor (and because I have no handy pictures of my own) I've created the following:

Mullet Hall of Fame

The Church Mullet


The Long and Flowing Princess Mullet


The Sexy Superhero Mullet


The Sweaty Beach Mullet

and my personal favorite....


The Loving Family of Mullets