I VOTED FOR KEN

Hey everyone if you haven't read Ken's blog yet please do so.

On the right side of my blog (not left LOL a little inside joke)

there is a link to vote for Ken for a deserving award. I think Ken

highly deserves this award for having the best blog about running.

He is a great mentor and friend. He is always ready to help a fellow

runner out. He gives great advice when you need it.

I think coach Kathy rocks in this department as well but since there is

no smackdown between the two of them then I have to toot Ken's horn

for this award.

I voted and so should you, so please click on the link and vote.

MY SUNMART ADVENTURE

You've heard all about Bobby & Ken's adventure at Sunmart
now here is my adventure.

Friday, the day we left for Sunmart I enjoyed caravaning with
Ken & Dana. The drive was pleasant and the weather wasn't
that bad either until we hit the dreaded Dallas traffic.


The traffic was horrible it was bumper to bumper and cars
zipping left and right all over the place. I don't know why they
have speed limit signs posted as no one there follows it. I guess
drivers ed there they teach you how to drive like a maniac. I was
a nervous wreck and ended up keeping my eyes closed all the way
through it. Finally we were out of that town thank goodness and
on our way to Houston to pick up everyones packet. When we
arrived in Houston as you all heard we had to go on a journey first
to find Bobby's vespa. I was getting a little creeped out by the area
we were in and wondered if we were going on a drug deal instead.

Now tell me if you would be a little leary buying Vespa from here.
We braved up and decided to go inside of here. The inside was a
little junky and creepy but the guy there was nice and wished
everyone luck on their race. When we left I thought to myself we
might ought to hurry in case the police come and raid us thinking
we were buying drugs. Everyone was out on their porches in this
seedy area and looking at us as if we were some junkie needing a fix.
Oh well I guess that is the fun of traveling and making memories
as you go.


We finally arrived at the Sheraton for the packet pickup and the
yummy pasta dinner. The buffet of all kinds of pasta and salad
were scrumdillyishis. We finally decided to head toward our hotel
and thankfully Roman, Brian & Kathy texted Ken ahead of time and
told him there was a traffic jam on the interstate so thanks to Ken's
GPS in his jeep he found an alternate route to get us there.


The day of the race we all met up at the state park and waited for the
race to begin. I couldn't believe how many people were there and how
beautiful the scenery was. The weather was quite chilly and my hands
were very cold. When everyone got headed out on their race Roman,
John (Ken's nephew) & myself decided we would go sightseeing and
shopping while we were waiting for them to finish. We knew we had
plenty of time for our own adventure. So we loaded up in our rental
car (Roman & I teased John about driving Dana's Jeep but he said she
would get mad since he didn't have a license yet. I don't think she will let
us babysit him anymore LOL.) and headed first to the Sam Houston
visitor center and monument park. On our way to the monument we
drove by the Texas penitentiary and was joking around about stopping
and visiting someone just out of random. WE then passed a tatoo parlor
and joked about getting a tatoo and also joked about seeing if the
penitentiary would let us buy their orange jumpsuits and when everyone
came back from their race we would be there with our orange jumpsuits
on and donning our tatoos. That would teach them to leave us alone
while they were out playing in the woods LOL.

You could go inside and browse in this building but it was closed
when we were there.

Me standing in front of this huge statue.

John (Ken's nephew) & myself standing on a bridge in a wooded
area of the visitor center.

Me standing on the porch of the visitor center.

This cat was sitting on the hood of our car when we were leaving
the visitor center. I guess he was the centers guard cat but he was
very friendly and cute.

We loaded up in the car and went to IHOP to eat breakfast and kill
some time before we headed onward to our next stop.

We drove about 25 miles south of Huntsville to Conroe to do a little
shopping at the outlet mall. I had only been to an outlet mall one other
time in my life and I was so excited on how big this mall was and all the
good deals I was getting. We were having a good time and then Roman
thought we better put a little speed into our shopping since it was getting
close to everyone starting to return back from their race. So once again
we loaded up in the car and we decided to go to sonic by our hotel which
was five miles north of the park. We decided to take this road that we
thought we took previously from the park to head back to the park and it
was never ending and we never saw the turn off for the park. I kept
driving and driving and driving and I told Roman if we end up back in
Conroe I was going to cry because mind you that was 25 miles south of
the park. We finally found a turn off toward the interstate that we
needed and luckily we were only 5 miles south of the park. WE returned
just in time to see Lisa, Jason, Jenni, Janeen, Bob (Janeen's dad), Bobby,
Dana, Ken & Kathy finish. Brian & Jeff (Ken's nephew) had already finished
by the time we got there.

These 2 silly girls decided they wanted to pretend like they were doing
snot rockets while we were waiting for everyone else to finish. You have
to be silly to belong to our group LOL.

We soon feasted on this huge spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato
salad, beans and brisket. We decided to head it toward the hotel but first
Dana fell in love with this santa.

They had the park all decked out with Christmas decorations and
at night time it was a wonderland.

When we got to our rooms Bobby & I relaxed a bit while watching
OU play that great game. During half time we decided to join some
of the TATURS at this mexican restaurant that was within walking
distance from our hotel but when we were heading toward where we
thought it was we couldn't find it so Bobby was starting to get grouchy
and demanded that I go inside the dairy queen to ask them where it was.
So I went in and had to wait to ask someone for directions and Bobby
came in all huffy because I wasn't being fast enough. I was getting
perturbed at him and told him not to take his grouchiness out on me
because I didn't make him run 31 miles. I know being a runner myself
that after a long run you do tend to be a little grouchy but your still not
ready to listen to it if it is your spouse that is grouchy. We had to walk in
the busy street with the crazy drivers at night and was getting honked at
so I am sure that didn't help Bobby's mood. We finally made it there in
one peace and still civil to each other and when we got to the table
Everyone was clapping for Bobby so that changed his mood
(thanks to all the TATURS for that help). We enjoyed visiting with
everyone that was there. WE decided it was time to call it a night and
found a closer way to go back to our hotel without having to play in the street.

Sunday morning it was time to head it home so we loaded up the car and
decided to stop at IHOP for breakfast.

We finally hit the road toward home and when we got to Dallas thank
goodness the traffic wasn't quite as bad as it was coming. While we were
traveling along We had the company of John (Ken's nephew) riding with us.
WE really enjoy him and his twin brother Jeff which I have a hard time
telling apart but by the end of the trip I knew who was who. These boys are
a joy to be around. They are very polite and very helpful. I think they take
after their uncle Ken and aunt Dana in that department. I told them I was
going to adopt them since I need a son of my own.

While we were traveling home we seen this huge fire at a barbeque place,
which we figured barbeque was out of the question then. later there was
this car totally engulfed on the side of the road and there were firetrucks
and police cars all around and as we went by something under the car
exploded and threw something in the air toward us and that was a little
scary. I prayed that no one was in the car at the time it caught on fire.
That is the only thing I hate about traveling is that you sometimes see
all sorts of things along the way.

When we finally got into Oklahoma we stopped at one of my favorite
places which is Robertsons smokehouse. They have the best smoked
ham sandwiches. I got some smoked turkey and smoked bacon to bring
home and it too is yummy. So if you are ever traveling toward Texas
and you see a sign for Robertsons it is worth it to stop.

When we finally arrived in Tulsa we had to meet Roman at RunnersWorld
to drop off some of his luggage because they didn't have room in the other
vehicles for it. Roman & Kathy woke Bobby & I up early that morning before
they left to see if we had room for it so they got to see us at our finer
moment of sleepy eyes and bad hair LOL.

Now you know my Sunmart saga and all the fun I had so with all the eating
I did while there I need to go on a diet and run more.