Houston Rodeo

Florida Georgia Line

I figured I'd give you a quick update on what's been going on in my world lately. Long story short - I've been working like crazy (I have a citywide event I'm planning for September. And in case you haven't heard, Houston is the 4th largest city - anyways- I'll let you do the math). I've always been a big believer in work-life balance. So in between having fun with friends and work - it's left little time for anything else. The Houston Rodeo comes to town every March. This year- we went a bit Rodeo crazy if you will. We were lucky enough to score tickets to see some of my fave artists this year:

• Miranda Lambert
• Zac Brown Band (a personal favorite of mine)
• Florida Georgia Line
• Blake Shelton (another personal fave of mine - who doesn't like Blake?)
• Brad Paisley
• Luke Bryan (he can sure put on a good show)

Zac Brown Band

Brad Paisley

Luke

 Let's talk about this Luke Bryan pic real fast. We had good seats to Luke- courtesy of Miller Lite. And by good- I mean we got to touch him! He came right up to the fence - and we got to get real personal with Mr. Bryan. It was quite an experience - and by experience - I mean it was cool, but he has quite the diverse audience if you will....

 Growing up in California, I was never exposed to anything like this. The rodeo is indeed- an actual rodeo with real cowboys and real livestock. Who knew? Each evening, the rodeo takes places a couple of hours before the concert. And honestly, one of my most favorite parts about the rodeo might be the mutton bustin' (if you don't already know what it is... basically they stick small children on large sheep and they ride the sheep until they fall off). Exhibit A:

Naughty Sheep!

 I also love the other events:

Chuckwagon Races

One of my favorite events to watch is the Calf Scramble. They release a bunch of calves and the kids (all members - I believe - of local FFA branches) chase the calves. If they catch a calf, they can raise it for the next year!

They are stubborn little things!

I felt like we were at the rodeo at least once a week this year! I can't wait for it to come back again next year! Anyways, Happy Thursday! I'll be back tomorrow!

Workday Wisdom and Life Lately in Photos - 5 Words or Less

Life has been crazy in the good kind of way lately. Remember this post on slowing down? Well, I hit the nail on the head, and that isn't happening anytime soon. This space has been neglected lately, but I'm not apologizing. Sometimes, when the tasks out-number the time, it's important to prioritize the things you can logically accomplish- and put items that can go on the back burner- on the back burner non-apologetically.

I've been preparing for a big meeting that happened yesterday afternoon. And by big, I mean B-I-G. It went well, and I happy to say we are moving forward with a B-I-G project. What I can say for now (as this remains semi-confidential at the moment)- is that hard work pays off. I am more professionally satisfied today (4 and 1/2 years) into my big-girl job than I was when I first started. It takes some time to sit back, re-evaluate and really listen to what type of work speaks to you.

My advice to those just starting out:  do your very best always.

• Be polite to everyone without exception-always. you might never know in which capacity you might need their help. 
• Do your very best at every little thing-always. what you might consider to be a minimal task, might be a big deal to someone else. 
• Cross your t's and dot your i's- always. professionalism is always important. run that quick, five-second spell check before you send off an email. I'm much more inclined to take someone seriously if they don't have misspellings or grammar mistakes in the body of their email. 
•  Be professional-always. even in the break-room. dress appropriately, speak and act appropriately- always. I would rather have someone judge me based on my work, than a conversation gone awry in the break-room.
• Work hard-always. you don't get ahead without hard work. period. there will be long hours and tasks you might not always want to do. nothing should be beneath you, because everyone has to start somewhere. do your best at every little thing and people will take notice. 

That being said, as I start off my 28th year (my birthday was Sunday), I feel so incredibly thankful and hopeful for the year ahead. If it's anything like 27, we are in for quite the ride. I'm looking forward to making more memories this year ahead. Thank you all for the birthday wishes and the celebrations. I feel loved and my heart is so full! 

Krob's first time kayaking:

Picture with the fake Orbit:

First Baylor game this season:

Sawyer supports the Baylor Bears: 

LOVE my Barrington Baylor crossbody:

Sweet snuggles with my puppydog: 

Birthday cabana at Hotel Galvez:

Birthday friends: 

Birthday Kendra Scott bling: 

Our view from Hotel Galvez: 

Birthday brunch decorations: 

On Friendships

 

As a females, I think it's so important to have girlfriends in your life. Over the years, I have been incredibly blessed by many women who are still around to this day. We have shared many memories, many laughs and been through some big milestones. I think it's so important to support each other, encourage each other and to love each other. Because at the end of the day, we are all in this together. I am thankful to have a family of some great friends here in Houston. It just so happens my "little (from our sorority days- we were Zetas)," Kate, is in Houston. (Fun fact about Kate- she is the nanny for the Little Couple.) And she and her fiance, Trey- make me laugh. So last night, they invited Aaron and I to a mid-week Astros game. After a long day at work for both of us (some non-professional time was most definitely needed), I rushed home, took Sawyer for a quick walk and we were out the door. We ran over to Irma's Southwest Kitchen for a quick adult beverage... and some snacks. And yes, that does mean that I missed my Tuesday evening yoga class. Which also means, because I did not partake in my Tuesday evening workout, that I will be training on Friday (I give myself one day off from training a week to give my body a rest, and that day is usually Friday).

The Astros were playing the Twins last night. Two things about the Astros. They have a player on their team with the last name "Hoes," which I find to be rather funny. Thanks to Cody and Andy, Aaron now wears his "Hoes" shirt that he received as a birthday gift. I'll return the favor one of these days, Andy. And the second thing about the Astros, is that their mascot, Orbit, is kind of a creeper- and I love it. I could watch him for hours. It's mine and Kate's new goal to get our photo taken with him.   

via

And of course, the evening would not be complete without a group selfie. Kate, Trey, Aaron and I have quite the group selfie history- as in- some major group selfie fails. So, we always try to get a good one. 

Attempt #1

Attempt #2

The third, and final attempt

 So today, I'm thankful for these friendships, old and new, and thankful for the memories that we have all shared and the ones to come!

Happy Wednesday!

Houston Restaurant Weeks

We all know I run so I can eat! Right? If we're being honest, I'm not one to pass up a nice, doughy cookie (or any cookie for that matter), and I do enjoy a good, hearty meal after a nice long run. That's the reward. You might notice that the title of this post is plural. As in Houston Restaurant Weeks! That is because Houston actually dedicates an entire month to the gloriousness that is Restaurant Week.

If you want to read more about it, the list of restaurants, etc... click here.

It began in 2003,to benefit the Houston Food Bank. A portion of each meal (and there are over 100 restaurants on the list), goes to the Food Bank. This year, it will run August 1 - September 1! The roomie and I have already had a discussion about which restaurants we want to try.

I've been to Hugo's- and love it, so we will for sure be going there. I've been wanting to try Indika's brunch for awhile, because I've heard it's fantastic, so that is for sure on the list as well. I am a sucker for some good, Indian food, and this menu sounds delish: spinach cake chaat, crab samosas, a grilled naan and cheese (I'm for sure getting this)?!?! The Melting Pot is an oldie, but always a goodie, so we will be heading there as well.

I also want to take the time to try some restaurants I'm not familiar with as well!

Speaking of brunching, I have tomorrow off, so I'm taking Andy to brunch here!
(and as if I needed any prompting after looking over the menu):

• Houston Chronicle review here
•  Houston Press review here
• Eater.com review here

Kristen, Andy, Kira

and meeting up with Kiana and Tatum before their baby boy arrives!!!!!I'm hoping that will help take my mind off of this. 

Kristen, Kiana, Kira

Training for the week so far:

Sunday: 5k at race pace, hill runs
Monday: 2 miles, 30 seconds faster than race pace
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: 3 miles, race pace

Running Beginnings

I started running back in 2009 when I was in grad school. I lived in Austin pretty close to some neat trails and would hit the pavement when classes were finished for the day. I would consider myself a fair-weather runner during that time. If it was too hot, or even a smidge too cold- forget about it. I had done a couple of 5K's, but more for the social aspect of the race.

I started to take running more seriously in 2011. I had just been laid off from my first job out of grad school during a "reorganization" of the company. Albeit, a "sign- of the economy," but as someone a year out of grad school and ambitious my whole life- to say I took the whole thing pretty hard would be an understatement.

I needed a goal. I needed some structure to my days while I searched for my new place in the working world. So, I signed up for a half-marathon scheduled for January 2012. I guess I kind of started cold turkey. I didn't really know much about running, form, distance, etc.. but I had a pretty cool condo up in the hills in Austin, and certainly took advantage of the scenery. My new training regimen allowed me to set goals- both short and long term, and it helped break up the monotony of my days while I searched for a new job. During that time, there was also some transition happening- I knew I would be moving to Houston in the fall of 2011 so my boyfriend could go to dental school, so I needed to figure out transition to a new city as well.

I started off running a couple of days a week- for shorter distances of about two miles at a time. I felt my body slowly adjust. Then, I started to read more about it and talk to some friends who were runners. I would fall in love with it after a good run, and then fall out of love just as quickly during those hot days or bad runs.

I moved to Houston and had to adjust to the humidity. I developed a few migraines after long runs, and I had to adjust my running a bit (more on the migraines in a different post), but I was still on schedule for the Aramco Half-Marathon in January.

I had a running partner- Kristen- and even though we lived in different cities at the time, we held each other accountable for our long runs on the weekend. A running partner comes highly recommended when training for a race (more on that later as well). January crept up on us. The week before the race I got sick with a cold and got bit by a red ant on my ankle (I'm allergic). My ankle swelled up and I was unable to fit my foot in my shoe. The day before the race, I was on the upswing. We were good to go.

My swollen ankle from my red ant bite! Pretty gross.

We went to the runner's expo, where I was amazed at the amount of runners and the support of the running community. We planned the first of an annual carb loading party the night before and got ready for the race. Kristen and I barely slept, and our alarms woke us around 4 a.m. I ate my pre-race breakfast, which to this day, consists of coffee and an orange, and we were on our way.

Our race bag to check in. Mine always contains a fresh pair of socks, a change of clothes, some ibuprofen and lip gloss (can't forget the lip gloss).

 As we waited to line up in our corrals, we were stretching and doing some people watching. I felt very not-hardcore compared to some of the other runners I saw. I was nervous and intimidated. Soon, it was time to line up in our corrals. They said a prayer and the gun went off. It was go time.

Kristen and I started off on our journey. We knew our friends would be there to cheer us on along the route, but it wouldn't be until later in the race. The weather was a bit chilly, but was slated to warm up just perfectly toward the end of the race. We knew we had trained the best we could, and now it was time to run the race. I settled into the run. Houston has some amazing crowd support- the best I've seen- and a ton of runners. There was live music and even some house parties right along the route. Spectators line the course the entire way!!! A great course for a first-time half-marathoner.

About halfway through the run, we happened to see Kim there to cheer us on! Then, we ran into the Tatums-one of which who took a lovely video of us and ran with us for a bit. Before we knew it, we were nearing the end. We finished the race together with a time of 2:19:41. I was in a bit of pain following the race, but I was addicted.

Since then, running has become something near and dear to my heart. I've participated in three half-marathons, a 10k and some 5k's in between. I've certainly learned some lessons along the way. I'm about the run the Aramco  Houston Half-Marathon again on January 19, and this time- I'm going for a PR.

 

Us during the race doing a sic 'em!

Sweet 16+Elite 8: Baylor Men's Basketball

As promised- here is my recap from my weekend in Houston. I drove up Friday after my lab with Mama Web, Rebecca and Blair (Ryan had to fly in later because he had work). We had seats in section 113, and if you've never been to the Reliant Stadium before- they aren't as close as they sound. We passed so many Baylor people on our way to Houston. This old man even honked when he passed us. Anyways, the game was SO much fun- we smoked St. Mary's!!!! Then it was on to the Elite 8- to play Duke!!!! Even though we lost, it was great to be able to go to support the Bears. Some of these guys have been playing since I was at Baylor, so it was SO neat to be able to see them finish out their season like this. It is a great time to be a Baylor Bear. Here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend:

I loved seeing the men play, but I loved the mini-Baylor reunion even more. Can't wait to see the Lady Bears play in the Final Four in San Antonio on Sunday!!!!!

Sic 'Em Bears x2

So... longer post coming later, but I couldn't miss out on the chance to watch the Baylor Bears play in the Sweet 16 in Houston. I toyed back and forth between going and not going, but decided work/school could come later- and that I HAD to watch Baylor play. After all, this is the first time the Bears have made it to the Sweet 16 in 60 years. Anyways, watching them play made my heart happy AND we WON!!!! So, we will be staying and watching the men play in the Elite 8 against Duke tomorrow.
Sic 'em and goodnight.