BostonStrongPGH Run

 Its been nearly 3 weeks since 2 bombs ripped through the crowd of spectators during the Boston Marathon. When I heard about the bombing my heart ached for those who were affected - not just the people killed and injured, but the people who witnessed the events, their friends and families, and the emergency medical responders that had to stay strong when they were suddenly thrust into chaos. I knew there would be funds set up, and I knew that I wanted to somehow contribute and give back to the running community - a community that has given me so much.

Within a day or so I came across this movement organized by San Francisco running blogger, Pavementrunner, called "#BostonStrong____".  The idea was to meet up with fellow runners a week after the bombing and run together in memory and honor of those in Boston. Any pace, any distance.

I thought that this was a brilliant idea, and I couldn't wait to attend the Pittsburgh event. However when I checked the list I saw that no Pittsburgh event existed! So, I decided I had to change that. Pittsburghers are givers. We help each other. So I immediately added Pittsburgh as the 16th city to join the movement, created a #BostonStrongPGH facebook page and started inviting everyone I knew, and trying to get the word out. Within a few hours I was contacted by Kevin Smith, the owner of one of the local running specialty stores. He had been asked to organize an event and wanted to know if they could piggyback their run with the #BostonStrongPGH run. I told him that we would LOVE to partner with the store - the more people the merrier! Not long after that the Pittsburgh Triathlon Club also decided to join us for our run!

At that point I knew the event had the potential to be big so I decided to collect funds for Boston's ONE FUND. Initially Kevin was considering selling tshirts, but decided against it in order to eliminate the cost of purchasing the shirts, thus ensuring that 100% of the donations would go directly to One Fund instead of just a portion.

Upon checking the pavement runner website that day I found that there were now OVER 100 CITIES that were hosting #BostonStrong events! New York, Baltimore, Orlando, Paris, London! The thing had gone global!!! It was amazing!

 I invited my sister Megan to come along for moral support and we showed up about 30 minutes prior to start time. When we first arrived at our location we only saw 2 or 3 other runners - 2 were wearing official 2013 Boston Marathon gear, so I knew that they had probably been there during the attack. It was kind of amazing to see them here now. But I started to get worried that no one was going to show up. Until people started to trickle down the stairs and appear on the trail. The weather was gorgeous, the sky was clear, the city looked beautiful, and everyone was wearing the Boston Marathon colors of blue and yellow. My friend Katy also showed up and I finally met fellow blogger Adrian in real life (even though I feel like I've known her for a long time)! And even though my friend Susan (of MomSwimBikeRun) couldn't make it due to the "Mom" portion of her life, she had her own #BostonStrongPGH event!

As more people began to gather I was approached by news reporters from both WPXI (NBC) and KDKA (CBS). They already knew my name, which was kind of weird. They both interviewed me and asked me how the event came to be. I did pretty extensive interviews with both stations and I was hoping they would mention One Fun on the air, however after the cuts only a few seconds of my interview made it onto WPXI on the 11pm and 6am news, and they cut out the part about One Fund. The other station went with a different approach and covered the fact that 2 local runners had been present in Boston. I was a little disappointed that it seemed like they were exploiting these people instead of informing the public how to donate to One Fund... but thats the news media for you.

interview with Gordon Loesch from WPXI

By the time I finished the interviews I looked around and there were now HUNDREDS of runners! I started to collect donations along with one of the employees from the local running store, while Kevin said a few words and thanked everyone for coming out and for donating.

 

After the announcements there was a moment of silence

And then it was time to run. So I packed the donations away tightly in my bag and we set off for a nice little run.

Megan, Katy and I started off together, but I quickly fell behind everyone else. It didn't matter though - I'm slow, but I still go. And really, who cares? I was just so beyond pleased with the turn out! We estimated around 300+ people turned out. We raised nearly $2000 in donations - $1000 collected there and another $1000 from Elite Runners and Walkers running store.

The turn out was better than I had hoped for! It really was a true testament to how strong and supportive the running community is. And even though I'm probably one of the slowest members, I'm still proud to be a part of it.

- a

wordless wednesday - BostonStrongPGH addition

BostonStrongPGH Run & Walk

  Join me next Monday.  Event info and RSVP can be found here. 

Walk or Run. Any pace.

In Solidarity. In Memory. In Honor.
To Remember. To Forget. To Heal. 
For Help. For Hope. For Peace.


Print your bibs here: 
http://www.races2remember.com/PrintBib.php?bib=BOSTON2013

Thanks to PavementRunner for the idea.

Donations can me made here:
http://onefundboston.org/ 

for more info contact amadfatwoman@gmail.com

99 Questions (tag, I'm it)

 This little questionnaire is floating around the blogosphere, and I got tagged by a friend to do it. I haven't really been updating since I've been so busy, but I have a few minutes of down time and actually feel like writing without thinking about it. Plus I needed a break from studying for my state police officer certification exam. Figured this would work well.


1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

Either...closed to keep the cats out though if I remember to do it, otherwise they'll climb up through my clothes.

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
Sometimes. Only when we stay at resorts that have designer shampoo. I keep them for when we have guests staying with us.

3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Out. Can't stand that pressing feeling from tucked sheets. I like my tootsies to be free!


4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
I plead the fifth. Okay, yes. I stole the sign that said "Hospital ↑"  that used to point to where Saint Francis Hospital was here in Pittsburgh. The hospital was torn down. Thats also where I was born. 


5: Do you like to use post-it notes?
Yes. Probably too often. I have an obsession with notes. lists. organization.  

6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?
No I cut them AND use them. I am pretty thrifty. I usually save around $20 with coupons on an average shopping trip. 

7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?
Bear. I HATE bees. Plus, I can shoot a bear. Can't shoot bees. 

8: Do you have freckles?
Not really. I used to when I was a kid, but they've kind of faded over time. 

9: Do you always smile for pictures?
Mheh... smile, scowl, make a goofy face. I always work the camera. 

10: What is your biggest pet peeve?
People with poor driving and or parking skills. 

11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
Not really. I used to when I was a kid. Guess I grew out of that, too. 

12: Have you ever peed in the woods?
More times than I can count. 

13: What about pooped in the woods?
Same. I've done a lot of camping and hiking in remote areas. Nature calls. 

14: Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing?
YES. Pretty often. I sometimes sing my own music if I am feeling sassy. 

15: Do you chew your pens and pencils?
Nope, thats pretty disgusting. 

16: How many people have you slept with this week?
Only three guys and a girl. Oh, wait, sorry... I always forget that my pets aren't people. One. Jason! 

17: What size is your bed?
Queen. For now. But I think we're getting a king size Tempurpedic now that I've gotten a decent pay raise. 

18: What is your Song of the week?
oddly, I don't have a song this week. I've been really sick and not up to listening to anything but my own snoring. I do have a thing for The Swell Season though, and the song "The Moon" has been stuck in my head lately.

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Yes! Especially when its Detox. 

20: Do you still watch cartoons?
I watched about 10 episodes of Daria last week while I was sick... so, yes. 

21: Whats your least favorite movie?
Oh god there are SO many. Mostly anything sci-fi or fantasy. 

22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
I wouldn't bury it. Why would I? I'd probably just wear it. Especially if its jewels. Or sell it and buy an private island. 

23: What do you drink with dinner?
Usually water. Unless I'm eating chinese food, then I have to have Pepsi. 

24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
Barbeque sauce, though I'm not a huge fan of chicken nuggets. I prefer ethnic food. 

25: What is your favorite food?
In general I think Thai food. My favorite dish, specifically, is Ruby Chicken (spicy basil chicken and vegetables in a red sauce) from Spice Island Tea House (also my favorite restaurant). 

26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
My all time favorite movie of all genres of all time is Jeux D'enfants (its french with subtitles). Also anything with Jennifer Lopez (except gigli). 

27: Last person you kissed/kissed you?
Jason. 

28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
Yes, and I found it to be extremely boring. My mom fought me on quitting, but she finally relented. I was more into sports. 

29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
Maybe in another life.  I've got no moral problems with nudity or the sex industry.

30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
Friday. I love handwritten letters. Its a lost art. I'm glad I still do it. 

31: Can you change the oil on a car?
Yes, but I'd rather not. Too messy and time consuming and I don't have all the right tools. 

32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Yes when I was 19. In Kilbuck township. Bastards. 

33: Ever ran out of gas?
Never! You know why? Because I'm responsible. I lose respect for people who run out of gas. hahaha. 

34: Favorite kind of sandwich?
hmmm... tough one, since I'm not much of a sandwich kind of gal. I'd have to say Ham sandwich on rye with swiss made with a ham that my Dad prepares for Easter. 

35: Best thing to eat for breakfast?
I'm not picky if it involves eggs and thick-cut center sliced smoked bacon. 

36: What is your usual bedtime?
Anywhere between 10 and 11:30pm. Even though I HATE it. I'm an evening person, but being on the daylight shift forces me. 

37: Are you lazy?
I can be, usually intentionally. There are some days when I just need to put on sweats and not do a damn thing. 99% of the time though I'm constantly working, cleaning, running errands, or doing something productive.

38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
Lots of things - a witch, a french maid, a princess, cleopatra... my mom nearly always hand sewed our costumes and did really amazing hair and make-up for us.

39: What is your Chinese astrological sign?
The boar. Which I think is the "stubborn" one. Its pretty accurate. 

40: How many languages can you speak?
Just english for now. I'd really like to learn American Sign Language and be certified as an interpreter. 

41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
Actually, no... I think I forgot to renew the one I did have. Thanks for the reminder.

42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
Lincoln Logs. I'm all about the old old school. 

43: Are you stubborn?
 See question .39

44: Who is better…Leno or Letterman?
Letterman. Though I don't really care for late night tv anyhow. 

45: Ever watch soap operas?
Yeah... there are some shows I watch right now that are like soap operas. Also... Passions for a while. hahah. 

46: Are you afraid of heights?
I get that unavoidable terror feeling in by belly, however I don't let it stop me from doing anything. In fact I am planning to skydive this summer. Something that is on my list of things to do before I'm 30 (which maybe will be my next post). 

47: Do you sing in the car?
Always. 

48: Do you sing in the shower?
Not really. Shower time is quiet time. Me time. I just get clean and think. 

49: Do you dance in the car?
Yep.

50: Ever used a gun?
Yes. I carry one for work. I carry one off-duty. I enjoy running tactical shooting drills. 

51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
At my police academy graduation. Thanks, Ver! 

52: Do you think musicals are cheesy?
I LOVE musicals! I have been a CLO summer series subscriber for about 4 years now and I am so pumped to see The Little Mermaid this year!!! 

53: Is Christmas stressful?
Yes, but mostly because of scheduling issues. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, my moms birthday, my birthday, new years eve and new years day all fall within a week. But I love spending time with my family. 

54: Ever eat a pierogi?
DUH. I'm a dirty yinzer. of course. 

55: Favorite type of fruit pie?
STRAWBERRY. from Eat n' Park. I swear they put crack in those. OMG I just realized that its almost the Merry Berry Month of May! 

56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Veterinarian, historian, forensic scientist (pathologist), detective, police officer. Glad to say I made my dream come true... maybe I'll hit detective some day. 

57: Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes. Yep. Yeah. 

58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?
Yes and it drives me crazy!

59: Take a vitamin daily?
ugh, I am so bad at remembering to do this. No. I should though. dang it. 

60: Wear slippers?
Yes. I love fuzzy slippers. 

61: Wear a bath robe?
Yes. In fact I was thinking of buying a new one soon. The one I have is too fluffy. I need a summer bath robe. 

62: What do you wear to bed?
Usually pajama pants or yoga pants and a tank top or tshirt. Sometimes my old sweat pants from Police Academy. 

63: First concert?
Marilyn Manson at the Civic Arena with my old friend Robert Papa (rip). Best first concert ever. Epic. 

64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?
Target. Walmart products are too cheap and Kmart is overpriced. Target is a nice middle road. Though I do most shopping online if I can. 

65: Nike or Adidas?
Under Armour. 

66: Cheetos Or Fritos?
neither. I'm not a big fan of junk food. Which always confuses me... you would think the fat chick would eat a lot of junk foor or candy. Wait... its probably that damn EatnPark Strawberry Crack Pie! 

67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
Almonds or Pecans. Then sunflower seeds. 

68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?
No, and probably for good reason. 

69: Ever take dance lessons?
Yes. I really truly miss dance. 

70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
well... Jason is pretty comfortable in his career, but I always want to push him to do better. He works in nuclear medicine, but we've been tossing around the idea of him going to Pharmacy School so he can be a nuclear pharmacist. We'll see. The next 5 years are going to be full of awesome life changes. 

71: Can you curl your tongue?
No. Thats a hereditary trait. I got skipped! 

72: Ever won a spelling bee?
Yes. quite a few. 

73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Yes. It was a very unusual experience. 

74: Own any record albums?
Yes. 

75: Own a record player?
No... I need to change that. I would really love to buy an old phonograph. 

76: Regularly burn incense?
Not anymore, but I have in the past. I do scented oil now. 

77: Ever been in love?
Yesssssssss. 

78: Who would you like to see in concert?
The Postal Service. And I AM going! Also, Save Ferris... but they aren't together anymore. 

79: What was the last concert you saw?
crap, why can't I remember this? Metric? That doesn't seem right. Maybe Metric. Or Ingrid Michaelson. 

80: Hot tea or cold tea?
Either, depending on my mood. Lately hot tea. I have a tea obsession. I keep about 16 different kinds of Tazo, Teavana, or other loose leaf tea.

81: Tea or coffee?
Both. Uh, I also have a coffee obsession. I own a french press and a keurig. And I've got more coffee than I can possibly drink. But I LOVE it! 

82: Sugar or snickerdoodles?
Neither. I don't like cookies. 

83: Can you swim well?
Very. And I am hoping to put that skill to use this year in another triathlon or two. 

84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?
Yes? Why, is that difficult or something? 

85: Are you patient?
Not my strongest character trait. 

86: DJ or band, at a wedding?
Band. String quartet preferably. 

87: Ever won a contest?
Yes, but nothing like really phenomenal. 

88: Ever have plastic surgery?
No. But I wouldn't rule it out. 

89: Which are better black or green olives?
Green. or Black. I like the marinated olives though. 

90: Can you knit or crochet?
I've never tried... I can do latch hook. Does that count? 

91: Best room for a fireplace?
living room or den. 

92: Do you want to get married?
Yes, and we are. 

93: If married, how long have you been married?
I'm not just yet! 

94: Who was your HS crush?
My highschool boyfriend was Quinn freshmen year and then Dhanan until I was finished with high school. Guess they liked me back! 

95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?
I pout when I'm sick. There aren't a lot of times when I feel helpless or needy, but being really sick the last 2 weeks put me in my place! 

96: Do you have kids?
No. Jason has a 16 year old son who lives with us. 

97: Do you want kids?
Not really. Never have. I'm selfish I suppose. I want an epic, successful, meaningful career and the freedom to travel the world with my spouse and see and do things that most people only dream of. My sister can have the kids and I'll spoil them and hand them back over once they start throwing temper tantrums.

98: Whats your favorite color?
Brown and shades of it. 

99: Do you miss anyone right now?
There are a few people I miss.... people who are gone. And one person who isn't gone, but who I just can't seem to reconnect with.


Now I feel sad. What a crappy question to end on! Oh well, sun is shining here in Pittsburgh so I can;t complain.

until next time,

-a

Thankful Thursday - Special Edition

I know I said I was taking a break from the blog, but I couldn't leave it with such a sad last post.

The day after I made that post I had just gotten back from the subaru service department where I spent about $800 having new tires put on my car. I was already having a rough month when I woke up one day and found my car had been vandalized, my laptop power jack stopped working leaving me with a dead laptop that was out of warranty literally by TWO days, and my speakers in my car were rattling and those were out of warranty by less than a month... All in all my pocketbook was hit hard this month with over $1500 in unexpected expenses. I was fortunate enough to have that kind of cash and not have to put anything on credit. Being told that I wasn't being promoted was just the rotten cherry on top of a poo sundae. The only thing keeping me sane was Jason, my awesome family, and the fact that I still have a decent job where my coworkers, union reps, chief and the business manager were pulling for me to still get promoted. In fact, they had written a proposal and sent it to the vice president of the University who then approved it and sent it on to the President. I had a lot of people working very hard to see that I got promoted and that in itself made me feel grateful.

Anyhow, so back to last Wednesday... as I was saying, I'd just walked in from dropping an obscene amount of money on tires, and I was feeling a little stressed. I made lunch and plopped down on the couch to watch an episode of "The People's Court" - my guilty pleasure. My phone rang and I immediately recognized the private office number of my Chief. I inhaled sharply and held my breath for a second before I answered the phone. The chief asked me if I was sitting down, and I told him I was. He said "I'm only going to read you the one line from this memo that matters. Its from the vice president. It says 'After consideration of your proposal we have decided to approve it and you may move forward with the promotion.'..."

silence.

I was shocked. I am not even certain what was said next but I know it was some combination of "thankyou this is fantastic, thank you so much im so excited when do i start whats next thank you thank you thank you!"

The chief explained what would happen next and what I should expect and then he let me off the phone so I could celebrate. As soon as the phone disconnected I screamed so loudly that I scared both cats and panicked the poor dog who jumped up and looked extremely confused. I then started texting and calling everyone to tell them the wonderful news. I am getting promoted. I am going to be the police! Yay!

So this is pretty much how my Wednesday, and the rest of my week looked:

Legit. I was SO PUMPED. I'm still so pumped. Things are moving forward and I couldn't be happier. I am so thankful.The whole thing may have been a blessing in disguise because otherwise I would have sat on my hands for the next year instead of continuing my education. We'll see what the next few weeks bring. Either way I couldn't be happier. I am hoping this will be the end of my streak of bad luck. I taught a CPR class of personal trainers the other night and they are opening a gym in a few weeks that I think I might join. I'm pretty excited about everything, I feel like despite the rocky start 2013 is going to be EPIC.

So, thats all for now. Hopefully things will settle down, I can get back into my routine, and I can return to blogging soon.

until then,

-a

All good things must come to an end... sort of.

Hi there. Its March. I'm sure if anyone is still reading this they have noticed that the quantity and quality of posts has greatly deteriorated over the past year. I was partially blaming it on police academy and I thought that once I graduated I would have more time to put a serious effort into maintaining and growing my blog. I even started the Fight the Fat challenge (a huge success, I might add), however that didn't help me to really write anything meaningful here.

Life has been... life. I have been working a steady daylight shift - I think its the first time I've had a sort of "9-5" type job (really its 7am-3pm) so thats kind of cool. Because of that I've been spending so much more time with Jason. Our relationship is better, stronger, more fun and exciting than its ever been. Its pretty amazing.

My career has been... challenging. I graduated in October and began the process to be hired as a full time police officer in November 2012. Despite having worked for my daprtment as a Public Safety Offcier for nearly 5 years I had to complete a full background investigation. It was insane! First there was a 38 page packet to fill out with information ranging from listing all my immediate family members, to listing each of my student loans, any outstanding debt or other loans, answering questions about my personal life, my professional life, and listing 12 different references, among other things. Then they also conducted a full credit check, a physical, eye test, hearing test, a complete cardiac stress test with VO2 max testing, a urine drug test AND a hair drug test for which I lost about an inch wide patch of hair! After all of that, and the 4 month long process, I was literally a day away from being promoted when the president of the university where I work called my chief and ordered him to lay off two police officers.  In order to avoid laying anyone off my chief was told not to move forward with my promotion at this time, and not to fill another vacant police officer position.

Basically this was me from 2pm until I went to bed last Tuesday:

...when I had to shower

...when I ate lunch

...when Jason came home from work this is pretty much how I looked, including the teddy

...when Jason took me to get dinner

...as soon as I walked in the door from getting dinner

& going to bed that night.

Good news, kind of, is that on February 6th a local Municipal Police Department borough council voted to hire me as a part-time officer. I will be starting there the first week of April. That will be a casual thing, in addition to keeping my full time job at the department where I am now. I am hoping that when the new fiscal year starts there will be money in the budget to promote me full time at my primary job. I'm keeping my fingers grossed, and positive thoughts.

Its bitter sweet - I have a job. I have a really great job actually. I make more money as a PSO than most part-time police officers, and I have probably half of the danger/risk. I also have outstanding medical, dental, eye, tuition, 403(b), sick days, holidays, vacation, personal days, disability, etc. etc. Its really difficult for me to complain about not getting promoted without feeling slightly ungrateful - especially when so many people can't even find jobs right now. I am fortunate. But my heart aches with the desire to do what I was trained to do - I feel like I am selling myself short by being in this position. I can do so much more than this job allows. I just want to do what I am passionate about. Hopefully soon I will have the chance - and I just have to keep telling myself that when one door closes another one opens: but sometimes you just have to stand around in the hallway for a while and wait.

I guess I'm working on making my own door in the meantime. I've applied for full-time positions at a few other larger departments. Even though I'd hate to leave my current job I feel like growing my career is what I need to do. I've also sent my transcripts to Point Park University to be evaluated for the accelerated criminal justice degree. I'm keeping my options open, and my chin up.

There are other life altering events kind of happening all around me. Ups and downs - typical stuff. So, the point of this post:

I will be taking a break from the blog for a while. Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months. I hope that anyone who is still here reading will hang around and wait for my return.

until next time,

-a 

FIGHT the FAT Challenge WINNERS!

And now the official winners post of the FIGHT the FAT Challenge!!!

% of weight lost:
1.) Kariann H.  $125
2.) Bernadette M.  $50
3.) Autumn H.  $25

Minutes Exercised:
1.) Genny G.  $125
2.) Amber C.  $50
3.) Arianna M.  $25

Door Prize: 
Maha K.

Congratulations everyone! Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication!