13 posts tagged “2008”
Show us a picture taken last night.
This was taken last night when my sweetie and I were at dinner at Kabuto's (Japanese Steak House). I had a bit more to drink than he did so that is why i look a bit crazed. We had a great day. I love spending time with him. Happy New Year, Babe!
Cody, you lived a long, happy life. You will be missed by all.
Cody was known as the family dog. He loved everyone and was there for you in good times and bad. Sadly, we had to put him down today. He had kidney failure, congestive heart failure and water on the lungs. He was 13.
You were a man among boys. You were the smile on my face and the joy in the room. You are my baby boy and I will miss everything about your wonderful face, caring heart and fluffy coat. There wasn't anything you could not do. You were the glue to our home.
I will miss your fluffy butt running down the driveway after me. I will miss your funny bark ("BURF") and most of all i will miss you comforting me after a bad day. You were the medicine to my sadness. It is so hard to let you go. To not see you running up to me after i get home to work begging me to feed you. I can still see your pretty eyes looking up to me while i open your can of food. I can still see you running over to the fridge as i'm opening the sliced cheese. I can still imagine you sitting by the fireplace cooling your belly off after a long walk in the sun. I can still see you as a puppy, scared and unsure of your new home. I see you making your first trip to the vet for your shots. I can still see myself giving you your first (and last) bath.
I remember when you jumped off the bed and broke your little leg. I signed your cast. it read, "Cody, I Love you!" You were the light of my life. You always knew how to get my attention. You would paw my feet so I would rub your belly. Or you would whine at me when you wanted to go ouside. I can still remember the day i taught you to turn in a circle when you wanted to go outside. I remember you suckling on the tiger tail we got at the gas station. I can still see your face the day we brought home Genie girl, and how sad you were the day she did not come home from the vet last year. September was a hard time for you.
Throughout your life, you lived. You really lived. And, you have shown me that i should live my life to its fullest. You ran after me everyday from the mailbox to the door. You always acted like a puppy. You never let your age determine how active you were. You were a healer to my grandma before she passed away. I think because of you and Genie girl, she lived so much happier, fuller and content. You gave her a few more years of life, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.
You have no idea how much it hurt me to see you in pain. To see you eat barely enough to get through the day. It was so hard to see you turn for the worst last week. I was so upset to see you so unhappy. I was hoping you would never leave me. You were my best friend. And, I will cherrish every memory with you. I know you no longer feel any pain and that fills my heart with joy, but it saddens me that the price to pay was ending your life. I cannot help but think of our last moments together. You laying in bed with me, snuggled in my arms like a big baby, watching a movie. I never felt so happy in so long. You have not only touched my life, but you have touched my heart and my soul. Cody, "CodyMan", "Cody Buck", 'Big Man", "Love Bug", "Hansome Man", I love you!
My sweetie and I took an amazing trip last night to see the Festival of the Purple Martins take roost downtown. It was truly amazing. There were so many birds in the sky. It was truly unbelievable. I will post photos later, but first I had to post the images from the local newspaper and the article that followed.
Enjoy Fellow Voxers!
Richmond's first purple martin festival took wing in a big way last night as nearly 1,000 people packed North 17th Street in Shockoe Bottom to watch about 5,000 birds arrive from the twilight sky.
"This was definitely the most unusual festival I've been to down here," said Richmond police officer Aaron Grayson, who worked the event.
He applauded the family atmosphere -- adults and children wide-eyed and pointing as the birds swooped into a row of pear trees -- and added, "I've got a feeling it's only going to get bigger."
Business people, city officials and bird lovers quickly created the "Gone to the Birds" festival after the martins started arriving in late June.
"If they come back next year, I don't see a reason why we wouldn't have it again, because it was a big success this year," said city spokesman Jon Baliles.
Baliles estimated the crowd at 750; Grayson figured 1,000.
For about two hours, people swarmed after free purple sherbet, chatted with martin and wildlife experts, bought martin T-shirts and put down purple martinis in Bottom bars.
But the big attraction was the martins, which are using the Bottom as a stopover en route to their winter homes in South America.
Wild animals can be unpredictable -- they basically do what they want, when they want -- so planners of the fledgling festival were a little nervous.
But the martins held up their end of the deal, darkening the sky just before dusk, swirling like a living tornado, then dropping down in intermittent squadrons, just above celebrants' heads, to roost in the pear trees on 17th Street just north of the Farmers' Market.
Like fans at a pro wrestling match, the crowd booed when a red-tailed hawk snatched a martin from a tree and ate it on top of a utility pole. The hawk ultimately got a three-martin meal.
"He's got to eat, too," said Bruce Mann, 46, a Henrico County salesman.
Lyle Hardin, 15 months, of South Richmond pointed up at the arriving martins and made a sound that those around him agreed was, "bird."
It's unclear how long the martins -- a type of swallow -- have been returning to the Bottom, but they burst upon the public's consciousness last summer. Many people fell in love with the chatty, gun-metal blue birds, but some complained of droppings on cars and sidewalks.
If life gives you a lemon, they say, make lemonade. And if some otherwise welcome visitors leave bird droppings, a small band of organizers decided, you get the sidewalks washed and make a festival.
The birds will probably leave in midor late August. That means, even if you missed the festival, you can still see the show.
It really was a fantastic day!!
Abdi Abdirahman captures
U.S. Men's 10k Championships at Ukrop's Monument Avenue
10k
Billy Weldon captures the AT&T Dash for the Cash to lead field of over 31,000
 |
Abdi
Abdirahman wins the U.S. Men's 10k Championships at the 2008 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k |
RICHMOND, VA – Abdi Abdirahman, of Tucson, Arizona, successfully defended his national championship title in the USA 10k Men’s Championships at today’s Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, finishing in 28 minutes,32 seconds. The 30-year-old’s second consecutive national title in the men’s 10k road race was worth $7,500. “I like this course,” said Abdi. “It’s a flat course, very fast. I’d like to come back and race it again.”
Dan Browne, 32, of Beaverton, Oregon, was second with a time of 28:36. Last month Browne placed second in the 15k National Championships in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s two national championships second place finishes in less than a month. “Second is good,” said Browne, pointing to his belly. “It keeps the fire burning.”
Both Abdirahman and Browne are serious contenders for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in the 10,000 meter event and consider today’s race a good tune-up for their Olympic preparation. Fasil Bizuneh, of Concord, MA, who was third at 29:03, also showed well for himself.
But it was Billy Weldon, of Glen Allen, Virginia, who was the day’s spoiler, as he captured the $2,500 purse as winner of the AT&T Dash for the Cash. Weldon, an everyman runner who was selected at random from Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k registrants, was given a 2.8-mile head start and the opportunity to claim the cash if he bested the field . He crossed finish line almost two minutes ahead Abdirahman, who had teased him to watch out at a press conference the day before. This is only the second time in four attempts that the Dash for the Cash runner has claimed the prize.
In the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k women’s race 32-year-old Kenyan Leah Kiprono won the $2,000 first prize with a 32:24. Richmonders Cheryl Anderson (34:22) and Maria Elena Calle (35:15) were second and third respectively.
With
a record registration of 31,158 runners and walkers, and
a record finishers’ tally of 24,055, the Ukrop’s
Monument Avenue 10k, now in its ninth year, continues its
torrid growth rate. The morning began with another registration
record as 1,891 children ages 6 through 12 participated
in the First Market Mile Kids Race presented by Minute Maid.
“This race has rapidly grown into one of Richmond’s favorite active experiences,” said Jon Lugbill, executive director of the Sports Backers. “It has become a healthy celebration for so many groups – families, friends, office groups, school groups, and people who meet each other through their training programs. We had more participants in costume, more bands, more high energy spirit groups than ever before. And our charitable partner, the VCU Massey Cancer Center expects to raise over $500,000 in donations. It’s Richmond at its best and healthiest.”
Not only were they running today at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, but they were funning. There were over 27 bands entertaining runners and spectators along the route and at the Minute Maid Race Festival. Over 20 spirit groups in the Hirschler Fleischer spirit contest rallied participants with cheers and encouragement. And four Anderson & Strudwick Party Stops spectators fashioned placards and encouraging signs for a favorite runner or walker. Stops also featured noisemakers and band accompaniment.
Almost 180 runners and walkers participated in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Dress Up and Contest, another event record. The individual winner was Boren Eam, of Midlothian, VA, whose costume as the Ultimate Warrior earned him $500. The group winner was the Tooth Troop a 13-person ensemble of themed teeth, a dentist and a tube of toothpaste who wall work together at Atkins, Maestrello & Associates Pediatric Dentistry in Richmond. They will donate half their $500 prize to the VCU Massey Cancer Center.
Another area of growth was in the Performance Food Group 10k Healthy School Challenge which recruited over 2,200 high school and middle school kids to enter the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k. The winning high school Trinity Episcopal won the high school division, claiming a $500 prize. And Millwood School in Chesterfield County won the middle school division, also good for a $500 prize.The 2009 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k will take place on Saturday, March 28th. Registration is scheduled to open on December 26, 2008.
I have given myself a year to move out....and that makes me proud. My S.O. anticipates graduating in May, which is wonderful. I figured that it would be easier to just move in with him rather than by myself, but i did not want to rush it. So, i thought the best way to do this was to give him time to get a job in his field and have him settled and we save money and by this time next year, we will be ready to move in together. What a large step! It is not like we will be getting married any time soon, but it will be nice for us to have a place to call our own.
We had originally talked about staying at home until we got married but after a good amount of discussion, we realized that would not work. We weren't sure when we were going to be ready to get married. And, neither one of us wanted to be at home for that long amount of time. So, we are going to move in together.
We will hold off on purchasing new cars and really taking a good vacation (except the one in June...that is already set in stone and paid for). We would much rather have a place to call our own! I cannot wait. I am sure we will disagree on things...as we often do, but we have handled a lot of things that has been thrown to us. We are stronger together. I believe in us, as does he!
I have been searching online for great places that we may have as options for when the time comes to start searching and putting our names on the lease. I would much rather have a house, but i think a condo is much more what we want. And, the good thing about where we are in relation to the city, there is tons being built near us that allow us tons of great options. The two I have been looking at is The River Lofts of Tobacco Row & Rocketts Landing! I think we may find something further away from Richmond, which may mean me changing jobs. And, I am fine with that. So long as it is a move in a good direction, job-wise. I mean, it is a ways off, but I am the type of person who wants to think about it now and get as much knowledge as i can before i go in the dark face first. You know?
I am almost scared about that day. Between the both of us, we will have to use every inch of space for what we own collectively. We are not pack rats, per say. BUTTTT, we do have tons of stuff neither one of us wants to part with! I think it is going to come down to having things put away in a VERY organized way...using tons of decorative storage!
I cannot believe it! I am running a marathon! I am really excited about it! We run Saturday morning down Monument Avenue! I am so excited!!! If you want to see the video of last years run, it is on YouTube!
I purchased a new pair of shoes a few weeks ago to break them in for the race. My old pair has over 1,000 miles on them easily. I knew they would not protect my feet on this run! So, I got a really great pair.
I will be running with my aunt (who works with the company that I do) as well as my co-workers. It should be a wonderful event! The cutest part is that this run is not just for adults! They will have a running track for kids to have their own mini-marathon! It should be an amazing day! There will be bands and food and tons of entertainment. They are blocking off major roads in downtown Richmond, Virginia to do so. I cannot wait!
If you want to see the map, go to my photos section. It will be there!
It should be a great day...so long as the weather holds up!!
I just wanted everyone to see it! I hope it will look nice on me....i am quite pale and the colors are a bit bright! I need a tan by June!!! *sob*
The search is over! You all may rest now knowing I feel completely content!
Thank you!
Wedding: June, 7th.
Time: Afternoon....starts at 5PM.
Weather: Probably Hot. (hellooo, it is June)
Type: Formal
I do not have a clue what to wear. The bride is wearing a lovely mermaid- cut dress (i believe its cream or off white). Her bridesmaids gowns are black (...yes, i know..a bit crazy). My sweetie will be in the wedding as a groomsman (formal tux, you know the drill, im sure).
I have been looking for a nice dress to wear. I already know I am wearing strappy silver shoes. I want to wear those. That is where I have started. But, the dress is another thing. I do not have the slightest idea what to wear. Let me show you what i have found that i sorta like....
This is kind of the look of the shoe i am going for. Although the heel is a bit higher than what i am thinking, this photo is as close as i have found to what i want. I am hoping for a 2" heel.
I would probably wear a necklace similar to this one. I really like the love birds charm. It is perfect for a wedding. Maybe this is something i would be set on, much like the shoes. It is really too expensive, but its close to what i am looking at.
I really wish this wedding was not so formal. I would much rather have a semi-formal where you could wear a nice dress. I think i will keep this in mind when i decide to plan my own wedding!
Two very wonderful co-workers of mine celebrated their birthday's last week. They had both decided to have their birthday celebrated on the first day of spring! I thought this was a terrific idea. We all decided to head to lunch in order to celebrate (cake would come later, of course)! The stipulation was that everyone had to wear something that reminded them of spring, since we would be going on the first day of spring (Thursday, March 20th!).
I wore a great outfit that can double as something you could wear on Easter! The sweater top, a light creamy top that ties from Express. The sleeveless top, color lilac, from Old Navy that I had purchased last spring. The pencil skirt, a new piece that I recently purchased from H&M. And, to go with such a wonderful outfit, white slides, made by Etienne Aigner.
I paired this outfit with my Etienne Aigner White Leather Satchel, silver jewelry and a birthday gift!
