red hook 5k

my first race in new hampshire was after we had moved to maine for training. it was a 5k which i trained for with a group from the local running store - runners alley. there was a runners alley in manchester and another in portsmouth (about 5 mins from kittery, maine) so when we moved i was able to keep going to running group. it was a fun experience to meet people and see members from both the manchester and kittery groups while running the race. i was hoping for a pr but didnt even come close to my best time.

it was a fun race though nonetheless and every racer got tons of free food and a beer at the end (it was sponsored by a brewery). jeremy came (as the official race photographer he isnt allowed to miss races after all) and had a good time as well. there was a band and tons of people there. not as big as a race in los angeles of course, but still a wonderful time. next up on the list is registering for a race here in connecticut - im hoping krish and i are in tri shape by next summer - right krishy???

training post #1

on 0ur third day at kittery estates we took a cruise to the island of shoals on the thomas leighton with several of the residents and a couple other staff memebers. we passed the bridges taht connect maine and new hampshire, the portsmouth naval shipyard, a lighthouse, and old prison, and several little islands (some of which i ran to from portsmouth with the 5k training group). it was a little bit cold, but we learned lots of things about the history of that part of the coast and what battles were fought there, as well as enjoyed the fresh sea air.

holiday residents get to enjoy lots of amenities, and a bus that takes them to (often free) activities is only one of them. luckily for jeremy and me, we get to enjoy some of those benefits as well. there were tug boats and working boats out on the river and they each tooted their horns in ackowledgement as we slowly cruised by. it was really fun and a wonderful experience. the thomas leighton also takes people on booze cruise and other, different cruises to the islands of shoals area.

i'm tired

yesterday was our only day off last week and we spent it continuing to unpack, making a trip to the storage unit and driving around in search of free wi-fi because the cable man didnt come as promised. sheesh.

there is a lot of work that needs to be done in our new building, but there is also so much potential. the residents are awesome and we have lots to work with. it is going to be a big job to get everything back in shape though. we've been working 12+ hour days most days and not just sitting at a desk: moving furniture, serving food and pouring coffee, walking all three floors inspecting things, and answering phones. every night i lay in bed bone tired - i've been sleeping 10 hours a night (and thats a lot, even for me). as you can see 12+10 = 22 which means there isnt a lot of free time right now. i am way behind on blogging and catching up on emails because of no internet access in our apartment, and returning phone calls, mostly because when i can talk it is usually an inappropriate time to call someone because of time zones (unless my california buddies would like a call at 4:30am, or central timers at 6:30am. i'm guessing not so much).

we have a pile of stuff on the floor to mail: our nephew's birthday pressies from two weeks ago, postcards from maine, and a fun gift for my favorite person in nashville. who has the time to go to the post office? (and it is only .7 miles away. i know. its sad.)

thankfully we have most everything arranged in our apartment. there are only two boxes left to unpack and some shelves and pictures to hang. jeremy had to redo my closet yesterday because i piled too much stuff on one of the bars/shelves and it tore out from the wall. so that was awesome. i gave away tons of clothes and accessories before we moved and i feel like it multiplied again while in storage, but at the same time i feel like i have nothing to wear. so that makes plenty of sense, right?

hopefully within a week or two, after we get internet in our home and after things settle back to a normal hectic pace at work, we can catch up with everyone individually. for now, know that i think about all of you constantly (and im not just saying that - i really do). i will try to update here as much as possible in the meantime.

also, know that we are having fun as well as working. all work and no play makes meaghan a dull and cranky girl!

book review: shut up and kiss me

Shut Up and Kiss Me

Christie Craig

from the back:

welcome to precious, texas where fistfights serve as dinner theatre and fire ants rain from the sky. the locals are usually very friendly, if a bit eccentric. no pictures please, or you may find yourself a guest of the county morgue.

photojounalist shala winters already had her hands full bringing tourism to this backward, podunk town, but her job just got tougher. pictures can say a thousand words, and one of shala's is screaming bloody murder. now she has to entrust a macho, infuriating lawman with her life - but she'll never trust him with her heart.

trusted or not, sky gomez isn't about to let a killer get his hands of shala's nikon - or any of her more comely assets, for that matter. her mouth might move faster than a piney woods roadrunner, but all he can think about is how good it must taste - and how she'll never escape true love.

my review:

one of the authorss who blurbed the book said that christie craig reminded her of janet evanovitch, a favorite of mine. this book had wild escapades, awkward situations, and sweet romance. the two main characters were great, but the supporting cast made the book even better. sky's foster dad and brother cracked me up. this isn't serious fiction, and i loved it. i actually laughed out loud more than once. i will be looking for more books by christie craig in the future.

groton rhymes with rotten

although there is nothing rotten about it! we are moving to groton next weekend! woot! this friday will be our last day of training in kittery and then we get to go get our stuff out of storage and move into our new apartment. heres me, beyond thrilled.

a week from tuesday we start as co-managers of windham falls retirement community.

there will be many challenges and new things to learn but we are ready!

groton has tons of cool things to do and see. high on jeremy's priority list is a connecticut fishing license and the purchase of a kayak. high on my list are new heels and a new ipod. we have to wear super ugly non slip shoes while we are working and my feet are really upset about it. a couple new pairs of heels will go a long way towards evening that out.

can't wait to get settled, find a gym and a church and meet some new friends!

thankfully, we are only about 2-ish hours from our friends in new hampshire so we will still see them all the time. steph has already saiid she will be kidnapping me to go see eclipse when it comes out and she and ryan will be coming down to go play at the casinos. woo hoo! and cara (from la) has family in ct so i get to see her next spring too!

who else wants to come visit? we are across the water from nyc!