Mobile First Light Marathon

This time last year when we took the Boy back to college after the holidays, we went to the beach for a few days (you can find that post Here) and I ran in the Pensacola Beach half marathon.  It is a very fun, scenic half marathon that starts at the public beach in front of Crabs restaurant and runs out parallel to the beach and back.  If you aren't up for the full half marathon, there is turn a around for the 5K and 10K so you can decide during the run how far you want to go.  

My plan was to do that race again this year when we dropped the Boy off at school.  Unfortunately, someone (and I'm not naming names) forgot to reserve our condo for us for this weekend.  It's rented all of January and February, probably with some snow birds trying to escape the cold from up north.  This is good and bad.  Good because it's rented for two entire months, bad because we can't stay there until March.

Mobile First Light Half Marathon

Lucky for me, there was a race in Mobile, Alabama this weekend.  The Mobile First Light Marathon and Half Marathon.  I've done the half marathon before and really love the course.  I would love to do the entire marathon one day.  The half marathon is flat and runs through some very quaint, old neighborhoods and then along Government Street, Spring Hill Avenue and back in on Dauphin Street. I've heard the full marathon has some hills.

It was overcast, warm and humid, but not overwhelming.  I prefer warm to cold any day!  It was fun and everybody out there was friendly and seemed to be in good spirits.  Even The Murph made a comment about how everyone seemed to be having a good time.  I think it was because it wasn't freezing cold like Chickamauga Marathon and Mercedes Half was last year.  Maybe people are in a better mood when they aren't freezing.  I know I'm happier.

We dropped the Boy off at school on Saturday evening and tried to purchase his books, but the bookstore was closed.  I hope the Boy doesn't have any trouble getting them Monday.  This is the first time he will have to do it himself and sign up for a meal plan.  He didn't want to do it by himself and I am worried too, of course.  At some point he needs to get out of his comfort zone and do it himself.  It's not like he doesn't know where to go or how to do it.  This will be the fourth semester he's had to do it.

I started worrying about it on the way home today.  The Murph says I do way to much for him and he needs to do things for himself.  I have to agree on this one thing.  It would be different if the Boy did not know where to go or how to do it.  He knows what he's suppose to do, he just feels more comfortable when I'm there helping him.

I can't really blame him.  That little old lady at the bookstore can be very intimidating, but he has to deal with her because she's in charge of the financial aid distribution.  She doesn't take crap from him.  He didn't have his class schedule printed out when he went to get the books and she made him print it out so she could make sure the books were for those particular approved classes.  She wouldn't except just looking at them from his phone.  We had to find a printer and print it out.  I had already told him before we left the house to print it out, but he didn't listen to me.

I guess I need to text him and remind him to print that thing out before he goes to the book store.  Yes, helicopter parent I am!

More First Light Marathon/Half Marathon pictures below.  A short, but fun trip!

Merry Christmas!

Ed says, "Hope everyone had a very, Merry Christmas and was on Santa's nice list like I was this year."

Phantom says,"Just give me another slice of that honey baked ham and throw in some bacon and a sugar cookie.  I'll try harder to stay off the naughty list next year.  I promise!"

And Cadence....

Well, we haven't seen him most of the day since my brother got here bringing along his little purse dog/rodent who he calls Sassy.  He's a little attached to this particular canine, but my cats don't care for her that much.

Here's a picture of Cadence in his favorite spot during calmer times on Christmas Eve.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without pulling out the only ugly Christmas sweater I still have leftover from the mid-nineties when the Boy was small and I purchased such things.

Ugly or not, I would like it better if it had cats on it instead of dogs, but we had a dog back in those days.  A very super-hyper dalmatian named Spot.

More pictures of our Christmas day with family below.  I forgot to take pictures of not only the food, but also my mom.  I'm going to assign someone else to be in charge of the camera next year.  I don't do a very good job.

Look who got a new Coach bag for Christmas. My niece.  Lucky girl!

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Ed's beat!

This mess is still waiting for me in the kitchen.

Wish I could train Phantom to clean the kitchen and wash dishes.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  We are having a line of strong storms coming through Alabama right now.  I heard that a tornado touched down in downtown Mobile.  I am so glad the Boy is home and not down there right now.

Stay safe everyone!

I Say Comfortable - The Murph Says Sexy

We didn't take too many pictures while we were at the beach this Thanksgiving.  We went out a couple of times while we were there though. I really love this dress.  It is very comfortable and versatile and not very expensive at all.  It can easily be dressed up or down.  I have actually worn my black Ugg boots with it.  (I know!  Sorry!!)   I also have it in leopard print, but I don't really get to wear that one as much.   And, of course, this dress has spandex!  I've come to realize that almost all my clothes do!

The shoes are Jeffrey Campbell purchased last year.  I don't get a chance to wear them much, but I LOVE them!  Phantom was being very cooperative to let me hold him and get a picture too.  He is VERY heavy though!

Sunset over Mobile Bay. To the right is a picture of the US Alabama Battleship.  I remember taking The Boy to see it when he was little.

Going through downtown Mobile, Alabama heading back to the beach.

Another one of the US Alabama Battleship in Mobile Bay.

You can barely see them, but there were hundreds of birds flying around together in the Santa Rosa Sound.  Migrating?  Who knows, but The Murph grabbed the camera and started taking pictures from the balcony.

And a big squeeze for my beach cat who did NOT want to come back home the other day.  He should have been an only cat, but he will have to tolerate the other two cats for now.  I could send him to live with The Boy in his apartment and pay the pet fee, but I think I would miss him too much!  It is bad enough that The Boy's not here anymore.

That's it for this beach trip.  Can't wait to get back down there after Christmas!

The Dolly Parton Bridge

General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge
aka Dolly Parton Bridge

It rained during the entire drive back home from the beach today.  We stopped along the way and took The Boy to lunch before we headed back.  At least the rain will wash some of the yellow pollen away just as we are getting home to the "ham".

It is amazing how much cleaner the air is at the coast.  My sore throat and sinus issues cleared up immediately and so did Ken's.  I hope the worst of the pollen has passed and we will have cleaner air.  (at least as "clean" as it can get here).

This is a bridge that is 20 miles north of Mobile, AL on Highway 65.  It spans the Mobile-Tensaw Delta and is about 7 miles long.  We travel across it whenever we head south to visit The Boy.  Ken says it's the ugliest bridge he's ever seen.  I think it's kind of neat the way it seems to appear out of nowhere as we get closer to it.  Out of curiosity, I googled it and found out that it is called the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge after one of the engineers who designed it.  It's also known as the Dolly Parton Bridge for obvious reasons.  Now I will never be able to travel across it without thinking "boobie bridge".  Thanks for that...