An hilarious and yet sad quote from my dad

We were walking around Fred's yesterday after our Thursday lunch and came across a new find in the coffee/tea isle. I got very excited about it and shared my excitement with dad (as I usually do). Here is a short excerpt from the conversation that followed said discovery.

Tabitha - "I am so excited about this, dad. I can't wait to come back and get some tomorrow! (insert happy dance). In fact, I might have to get some on my way home tonight cause I don't know if I can wait till tomorrow to try it."

Dad - (laughing) "You don't have much of a life, do you?"
(no more happy dancing)

Yeah, I'm a freak and even my dad knows it.

Quite a pickle

Bekah has informed me that The Office has decided to air at 9 on Thursday nights. Yes, if you are thinking that is the same time that Grey's Anatomy airs, you are correct.

This does not bode well for our little "Office, Grey's Thursdays."

WHAT THE CRAP WERE THEY THINKING?!?!?!

I can't say anything else for fear of what my fingers might type with the anger and confusion that is raging through me at this moment.

Just less than a month away folks...

Another reason why I love fall...tv shows start up again! Here are the premiers I am very much looking forward -

Monday night, September 24th:

HEROES is back!! I can't wait to see what nail biting twists they will have this season.

Thursday night, September 27th (my busiest tv night):

The Office at 8 on NBC

Grey's Anatomy at 9 on ABC

And CSI at 9 on CBS

Thursday's have been deemed "Office, Grey's Thursday's" because Bekah (and whoever else can make it) comes over and we watch The Office at 8:30 and at 9 flip over to Grey's. It's a fun night. Oh, and all the while, I'm taping CSI to watch later. Craziness!! I'm interested to see what the show will do this year with losing two of their doctors (Dr. Addison Shepherd and Dr. Burke), George not passing his exam, and a new intern named Lexie Grey. Hmmm, should be full of fun surprises and shocks and I can't wait.

One more thing...my times

Leg #5:
6.08 miles / ran it in 45 minutes and 29 seconds / averages down to 7 min. 28 second per mile

Leg #17:
5.69 miles / ran it in 41 minutes and 49 seconds / averages down to 7 min. 20 sec per mile

Leg #29
6.14 miles / ran it in 49 minutes and 17 seconds / averages down to 8 min 10 sec per mile

Hope that makes sense. :)

And Killer Snails do it again...

I'm glad it's over, but it was fun and I can't wait to do it again next year! My van was great, got to meet a few new people and get reacquainted with a few old friends.

Here is the where the teams start up at Timberline. That is not a leg I look forward to running some day.

Here are my mom and I, lookin' all ready to go: her in her Race Official shirt and I in my running clothes. Every team has to supply the race with 3 volunteers and so my mom got to participate in her own way this year. She said she had a blast. And it was great cause she was stationed at the exchange point that I ran into at the end of my leg (#5) so she had to direct me where to go. The funniest thing about her and the race official shirt was that she decided to wear it again on Saturday when she and my dad came to Seaside and lots of different people kept coming up to her and asking for help because they thought she was a volunteer. And my mom, the go with the flow helpful lady she is acted like she knew what was going on and helped them the best way she could. She's too cute.

Sorry it is such a far away picture but this is Holly, she ran our van's third legs. She was a newbie to the whole world of Hood to Coast and really did an amazing job!

Here is Barb, our van's 4th leg runner. She also did amazingly well. That's her husband, Dan (the Hulk), giving her water. He is one fast dude.

And here is Tony (the tiger). He is a quiet fellow, but very nice and a great runner. FYI: he is not good to have sit in the front seat while your running because he doesn't like to yell out the window. Here I am running up the hill (aka. mountain) that was my last leg (#29).

This year, Nike gave every team two ROAD KILL signs to put on the side of their vans. Very nice of them, I think...and smart. Here is ours at the end of our trip:Our total:
And here are me and my gals waiting for the rest of our team at the wet beach: Holly on the left and Barb on the right. Yeah, I know, I should have worn a jacket.

One more thing about Tabs

I'm all about the Fall weather. I do like Summer and Spring but Fall is where my heart is, weather wise. Yesterday solidified that fact for me when I was so excited that it was rainy and overcast all day (probably the one too). It smelled absolutely fabulously, I wish I could bottle it up and put it in my blog so you all can enjoy it too. It is so wonderful when Fall is here. There is such a crispness in the air, the leaves start turning beautiful shades of orange and yellow, and again, it smells wonderful...oh I can't wait, I'm getting so excited!

Also, I think I use exclamation points too much. What do you think?

Just so you know, I got tagged twice for this little reflective exercise. I feel so special.

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (If you don’t have a blog, email me)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

#1: I am not a camper. I hate to plan the trip, I hate to pack for the trip and I hate, hate, and hate to clean up after the trip. Everything about getting to and from the camp ground is something I despise. I don’t even really like sleeping in a tent.

#2: I need change. But then again, I don’t. It’s kind of funny. I need/have to for sanity sake change things around in my office or apartment every so often or I start to get stir crazy and start to think I need to move or something. However, I have been eating the same breakfast for 3 years now and have no desire to change it (and get a little sad when I have to). Just rearranging things on my desk or kitchen counters calms my “gotta move” nerves.

#3: I love Harry Potter!! I enjoy the movies but the books are so much better!! I just finished reading the last book and it was SO GOOD! Now I want to go back and read all 7 of them in quick succession.

#4: I love, love, LOVE living by myself. I get to decide: how the apartment will be decorated and where everything will go, who comes over and how long they stay, the temperature, and what I walk around in at any given time.

#5: I love getting all dressed up in fancy clothes to go out on the town. I also just love to wear skirts and dresses to work or to the movies or just to run errands. It makes me feel feminine and pretty, which is a good thing cause I'm a girl.

#6: I am not a concert goer. They are almost always in the middle of the week (and I do not do well staying up late in the middle of the week, or any other day for that matter), the crowds are terrible when it’s time to leave (making my night even later), and the cost is more than I care to spend. I am just fine and dandy with buying my favorite artists CD’s and listening to them croon whenever I want. If I had backstage passes and was going to be able to talk with the band/singer/whatever then maybe I’d go but since all I’m paying for is exactly what I could be doing in the comfort of my car or home, what’s the point? Now, don’t jump down my throat those of you who love going to concerts. This is only my very personal opinion and I completely understand and appreciate others wanting to enjoy this pastime. I do, however, like Concerts in the Park or Shakespeare in the Park. These are usually in the afternoons and you can bring blankets and a picnic, and its generally free, all very good things. J

#7: I have peed my pants on many occasions. And no, I am not talking about when I was a baby. I am talking about peeing my pants because someone has told me a funny story, because I am trying to unlock my front door as fast as humanly possible with one hand while trying to balance my groceries in the other, I’m running a race and don’t want to take the time to find a spot off the track to go which will then slow me down and ruin my race time.

#8: Three stores I swear by: Trader Joes. The best grocery store ever, just wish they would put one in Gresham then I would love it even more…if that is possible. IKEA. They put one in Portland and it is AMAZING!!! We don’t have to spend a whole day or weekend just to make one shopping trip anymore. I can sit in traffic, get in, shop around, eat dinner, get out and get home in less than three hours…amazing! H&M. Super fun and funky clothes with low price tags, can’t beat that. I hear they are going to be putting one in Portland and I can hardly wait.

Hmmm, who to tag. Bekah, Kristin, the red heads, Trina, Marilee, Tams, Alison V., and Faith.

It's that time of year again

HOOD 2 COAST is next Friday and Saturday!

I can't believe it's already time for Hood to Coast again...and that I still love and look forward to doing it. This relay race absolutely wreaks havoc on the body and yet over 1000 teams of 12 people each sign up every year. For me, it feels so good at the end when my whole team crosses the finish line together and I know that we have accomplished something, as a team and individually, and participated in something so huge. Check out the video on their website, it gives you some pretty good insight into this whole event and the craziness that surrounds it.

I just found out that this year I am in van #1 which means I get to be at the starting line at Timberline lodge. I've always been in van #2 so this will be new and exciting. Also, this year I am running legs 5, 17, and 29. 5 and 29 are what the Hood 2 Coast people have deemed "very hard." Last year I ran the 29th leg and yes, they are correct in saying that it is very hard. It is called Clearcut Hill and the whole time you are running up this windy road the sun is beating down on you. When you crest and go down hill that is when you are finally getting some shade. Personally that seems a little backwards but I didn't plant the trees or design the route. Anyway, I'm excited and nervous. It will be fun times as always and I'll come away walking (more like shuffling) like I've been riding a horse for about 5 years straight.

Here are a the people that were in van 2 with me last year and our teams flag The Killer Snails!

Here I am last year, cresting Clearcut Hill.

Oh, good ol' family time

Last Saturday the whole family, and by that I mean my parents, my brother, my sister and her husband, came together to help put up the awning in my parents backyard. We only all get together like this to share meals a couple of times a year. This was very much out of the ordinary and I found it to be quite commical. Here is where they tried to begin. Didn't work.

My cool do-rag and three of the 5 ladders we were using.

I am holding the poll. That was my job while we were putting up the awning. When that was done, I held the box of screws. I worked really hard. I liked my spot because I was in the middle of it all listening and laughing, it was good times.

Sam and her ever popular tongue pose. She was the awning puller. Talk about muscle woman.

my brother, Guy, the very helpful helper. One of his important jobs: keep everyone happy and argument free.

Karl: "Can someone hold my lader?"
Guy: "I got it."
We really tried to keep things safe on this little family DIY project, can't you tell?

Guy really liked holding the ladder for people. Such a helpful brother.

Getting SO close to having the project halfway done. Oh, and check out Karls hat. Mister Macdaddy. Watch ladies, he's taken.

And here you can see Sam over in the back going up onto the roof to put in all the screws to hold this sucker in place. Poor thing, she was on the roof in the heat of the day wearing a long sleeve shirt so she wouldn't burn. She was a trooper that day! We all were (me being the least trooperish). Way to go family! It was fun but I'm glad it's over and we don't have to that ever again.

The Shed

The Student Ministries shed, where we keep EVERY LAST THING that Student Ministries has used over the past...too many years. It is a crap hole, sorry, but it's true. I, among many others, have almost lost my life trying to manuever my way around in there. Just to let you know how crazy it was, I found an half empty container of peanut butter from '04. That was when I decided something had to be done. Troy was great and called a few high school boys to take everything out, toss the obvious junk and then sweep the place clean on Tuesday. Yesterday, wednesday, I literally went through every last stinkin box in that room, tossing out more junk that was just not needed anymore and then organizing it all. It took all day, I filled a dumpster to it's breaking point, but by the end the room looked great. It's fun to purge and organize once in awhile. Check out the pictures. I didn't get any before pictures which I'm mad at myself about now but at least you can see how empty and clean the place is now.