The Stone Rabbit

Excitement in KC Again this Year!!!

 

Well....Kansas City is very happy today!  The ROYALS clinched the American League Central title last night. . . for the first time since 1985!!   That was also the year they won the World Series!!  

Last year, the ROYALS went into the playoffs as a wild card and ended up playing in the Series.....but lost to the Giants.  HOWEVER, they had an incredible season and brought sooooo much fun and pride and spirit to our town.   They've done that again this year!

Yup.....folks are pretty excited!!    Royals fever is in full swing once again. . .everybody wants their Royals flags, Royals shirts, Royals tickets. . .it's a great time to be a fan of our BOYS IN BLUE!!

 

 

Of course, we are all fans of PINK SATURDAY around here, too!!!  Just go over to Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, and you see a long list of other bloggers who fans of this weekly event, too!

Happy PINK SATURDAY!

DANA 

 

 

The PLAZA 10K. . 2015

 

 The Plaza 10K is one of my favorite area runs.  It takes place on a great route and it's a very well organized event.  Plus they have great shirts, great medals, and plenty of porta potties (this is a HUGE deal!). 

 

 

This 10K fits in perfectly with the training plan Karen (on the left) and I are using to prepare to run the Waddell-Reed Kansas City 1/2 Marathon in October!

We ran this one last year, too, and wore the same PINK shirts!  Thanks to our running pal Jacqui for the great design!  Once again, we had several folks comment on them!

 

 

No run would be complete without  the Porta Potty shot!!  Here Karen and I were last year with two other running friends ......Sherri (second from left) and Mary (on the right!)  Mary didn't do the run this year. . .and I didn't see Sherri until after the run.  Sherri has a very entertaining blog entitled  Adventures of a Middle Aged Drama Queen.

It was a cold start to the race last year as we were all sporting our long sleeves and longer pants.  

 

Here's our official Porty Potty shot for this year!!  

Carol (center), one of our new running friends, chose this race as her FIRST official 10K!!  She did a FANTASTIC job!!  It was so fun to be a part of that with her!!

 

 

This photo (taken by the race event staff) shows the runners listening to the National Anthem.  We weren't in the corral at that point.  When we did wind our way into our spot, we were located pretty close to "the back of the pack".  I have found out that the really fun loving folks are located there!  They aren't too jittery about the run. . .just enjoying the moment!

 

 

As we found our "spot" , we were so happy to locate Verna (on the right) and one of her long time running friends, Mary (far left) very near by.  Those two are AMAZING runners and such inspirations.  We run with Verna two times a week . . . she has taught us so much and keeps us very entertained!!  She's definitely a great addition to our runs, and to life in general!

 

 

 

Soon we were off!!  

And that's where my photos stopped, except for this one lonely picture that I took around the half-way point (I think).  

Folks who know me are probably surprised that I didn't take more pictures. . .and honestly, I was, too!  Usually, I'm snapping away.  

 

 

 

There were photographers located along the course.   I almost always HATE the action photos those folks get of me cuz I am not photogenic while I'm huffing and puffing, however, this one wasn't too bad considering we were pretty close to the end and I was feeling kinda tired!

 

 

 

 And here I was about to cross the finish line!  

The final stretch is a slight downhill. . .I felt like I was FLYING, but obviously (judging by the picture ) I wasn't.   It looked like I walked across that finish.   I know I didn't. . .it was just a pretty slow run by then!    :)

 

 

 

 

 This is one of the better actual "finish" pictures I've ever had taken. . .so I will share it.   Usually I look like a "bag lady" by the time I've completed a run. . .and you will NEVER see those!  :)

I was pretty happy by that point.  I knew I felt better during the entire run than I did last year.   Karen and I do anything over a 5K in run/walk intervals of 3 min. running and 1 min. walking.  I recall last year that we tossed in a couple of extra walk times.  I didn't have to do that this year, so that was an improvement for me.  My time was a little better, too.

 

 

Everyone received  a gorgeous and HUGE medal for finishing this event!!!  We were very proud of our running accomplishments and proudly displayed our "bling"!

 

 

THE STONE RABBIT is definitely impressed with that awesome medal. . .he says it's so heavy that he has to work hard to not be pulled forward by its weight!!!  

OK....he didn't say that....I just made that up!!  He's a pretty strong bunny!

 

 

This weekend Karen and I are doing a half marathon that's new to our area!   We were scheduled to run 12 miles on our training plan, so decided this new run would fit right in with our schedule!!  We plan to take it easy, enjoying our additonal miles and the experience!

I hope you have a lot of fun activites lined up for your weekend, too!  Please add a visit to Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, to your list!!  She will have a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares. . .I'm sure you will enjoy visiting  them!!

Have a great weekend. . .and a very Happy Pink Saturday!

 

DANA

 

 

 

 

That Day Started with Beautiful Blue Skies, too......9/11/01

 

One of the best trips I ever experienced was several years ago when two friends and I went to The Big Apple for a few glorious days of sight seeing, play watching and dining out!  

We took gobs of photos.   They are all precious to me, however, the ones that still send chills down my spine are these.   They were taken from the ferry as we headed to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.  

I have to admit, seeing The Statue of Liberty was at the top of my "to do" list and it was happening that day!  I really wasn't concerned about the World Trade Towers, as impressive as they were.  I was all about Lady Liberty.

 

 

 

 

That's what I'm looking at in this picture (I'm on the right). . .The Statue of Liberty.  

It was an extremely moving experience for me then.  Now, looking back, I wish I would have focused more on the Towers.  In just five years after these pictures were taken,  the Towers and so many, many people would be obliterated by murderers.   So many lives would be personally affected by the terriost acts. . . innocents killed, families destroyed, first responders sacrificed and our country forever changed.

 

 

Today, 9-11-15, is a beautiful day in our part of the country . . .just as it was on the morning of 9-11-01. The skies were blue and the temps were starting to feel a touch of fall then,  too.  That day was filled with promise and then the unthinkable happened.

 

THE STONE RABBIT is showing you one of my souveniers from the NYC trip. . .a sweatshirt of the skyline.  I have not been able to wear that since the attack, but I cannot bring myself to get rid of it.  It hangs in my closet as a reminder of what was and what now is. . .

 

Please visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND for a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares.

DANA

 

 

Santa Cali Gon .....2015

 

 Bonnie and I met up very early this morning, at the Historic Independence Square, to attend the event that's the official (for us, anyway) start of the "fall into the Christmas holiday craft sales season". . . Santa Cali Gon Days!!!  

This is the 43rd year for the festival that  "commemorates the origin of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails".  We have only missed attending one time (I think)  in the last 15 years.   And while it's not "the same" as it was in the "good old days" (and what is????), it's still a fun time to stroll through the many huge tents of craft ( and imported ....sad face here) items, enjoy some tasty treats from the large variety of food booths and restaurants , shop at the local retail stores, and just have a good time with my friends for a few short hours!

 

 

We ALWAYS arrive before many of the vendors are set up .    "Why?" you ask?  Well, because, while they are putting the finishing touches on their booths, we . . . 

 

 

 

are getting our shopping "nourishment"!!!    Bonnie and I each had the biscuits and gravy and my daughter (who was able to join us for a bit) had one of their yummy cinnamon rolls.  We almost always eat our Santa Cali Gon breakfast at Dave's Bakery.  This establishment just recently celebrated their 30th year in business!

 

 

By the time we finished breakfast, the craft tents were starting to fill up with shoppers!

We always go through them at least twice. . .sometimes more, depending on our own schedules, our stamina and our level of "shopping interests".

 

 

 

Soon it was time for LUNCH!!  This year we decided to dine in a local restaurant as it was really getting hot and we needed some A/C!!   We ate at The Court House Exchange.

Once we were finished, we shopped a bit more then needed to head home.   I got this photo of a new addition to the weekend's festivities. . .they added "wine" to the "Beer Garden".  That place will be rocking later on today and probably the rest of the weekend!  :)

 

 

Our only photo of us was a quick "selfie" I took with the Kettle Corn in the background!!  I can't believe we didn't buy any  this year. . .but we didn't.  I know I was still stuffed from my breakfast and lunch!

 

 

They will be holding a 5K run/walk again as part of the Santa Cali Gon festivities!      It's a very, very, VERY hilly course. . . and will be a big challenge for me, but one that I am sure I'll enjoy being a part of, especially because a couple of my running pals have also signed up for it.

THE STONE RABBIT is showing you the shirt we got for signing up for the run. . . I think he looks pretty snappy in it even though it fits more like a blanket on him than a shirt.   :)

 

 

 Please add a visit to Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, to your list of "to dos" over the next few days!  There you will find a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares!

Happy Pink Saturday!!

DANA