tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54453163927103162702024-02-18T19:14:12.287-08:00gojo runnerSome people have mojo. I have gojo. Welcome to my blog about running, Disney races, and living and loving life! I try to keep things informative and entertaining for ya'll, so thanks for stopping by! Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-88912717147687735802019-06-10T11:31:00.001-07:002019-06-10T11:31:02.445-07:00Largest Baby in the NICU: Birth Story of Kyler James<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAuo6Ov2nJoB8rKsI4nlT0CRnftGtlsbAC8jYQhvsaO2B4AAb0nXV4fRLoycuspZEdyrpM4QcxxyWAQr1czeJXmM4MqRjK1zw27dlInS_kpkDNohmbUAYbA5M-XAKoJea0WkiiYZ0ge8Q/s1600/IMG_20190523_143305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAuo6Ov2nJoB8rKsI4nlT0CRnftGtlsbAC8jYQhvsaO2B4AAb0nXV4fRLoycuspZEdyrpM4QcxxyWAQr1czeJXmM4MqRjK1zw27dlInS_kpkDNohmbUAYbA5M-XAKoJea0WkiiYZ0ge8Q/s640/IMG_20190523_143305.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our baby Kyler spent a couple days in the NICU. Needless to say, he was by far the largest baby there.</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />11:29pm - Wednesday, May 22</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh my gosh -- this guy is HUGE," a doctor called out from behind the curtain as he pulled a baby whale out of my abdomen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or so I gathered.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlnB1EtAYeTLIvG8pB6_Z7eTLlYE8hk5wVi1sorC0b8-shsRp0ZB6JV537hYW1lT_CAWIfJfQ5Lbxo0rC0b6cOSHWJr6btSIvCoWaBpgif0gszaxiU7NnvwzXW6CcWYaurnLMlGGSXn70/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-182708.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlnB1EtAYeTLIvG8pB6_Z7eTLlYE8hk5wVi1sorC0b8-shsRp0ZB6JV537hYW1lT_CAWIfJfQ5Lbxo0rC0b6cOSHWJr6btSIvCoWaBpgif0gszaxiU7NnvwzXW6CcWYaurnLMlGGSXn70/s400/Screenshot_20190608-182708.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyler, fresh out of the womb. He had a cone head from trying to unsuccessfully enter the birth canal.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone in blue scrubs laughed and cheered the new life they had just helped bring into the world, while his inexperienced mother was laying on the operating table, struggling to stay coherent. I didn't know that cesarean surgery would mean being figuratively strapped to an old metal park merry-go-'round in Antarctica and perpetually spun at 80 miles per hour after being force-fed half a bottle of sleeping pills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After talking to my sister about delivery for months, I thought having a c section meant having the bottom half of you pleasantly numbed for a few minutes as doctors gave you a painless paper cut that sprouted into life while the top half of you smiled behind a curtain of cotton candy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, not the case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Combine the adverse reaction I was having to the anesthetic with the fever that was causing my body to shake like the 7.0 earthquake I once "enjoyed" while visiting Guatemala, to say I was vastly uncomfortable may be the understatement of the year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But allow me to back up a bit. Birth stories are all different and thankfully more interesting than wisdom teeth stories, so missing the opportunity to toot the off-key horn of my first would disappoint my mom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And moms shall not be disappointed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monday, May 20</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First day of maternity leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time to learn how to relax!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I probably would have continued working all the way up until my baby fell out (for financial reasons, not female-workplace-empowerment reasons), except the doctor thought that might not be the best idea. Turns out, she offered good advice. Crazy how doctors do that sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer took his last two finals for the semester that morning, which turned out to be perfect timing. The last thing we needed was my water breaking in the middle of a final exam when his phone was turned off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spent the day uplifting myself with the latest episode of the new <i>Chernobyl </i>mini series on HBO (crazy to think a quarter of the world was almost destroyed), sending emails for our new comedic athletic apparel business (because the easiest time to start a business is right when you start a family), packing my hospital bag (poorly), organizing random baby things so I could feel the illusion of being productive, and going on a walk with the Spencer and our dogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though walking was still getting tougher each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which made me feel like the baby was still getting bigger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And bigger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Big Baby?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the last couple months, I had suspected the baby I was carrying was large, though I could never be sure because I have no frame of reference with which to compare. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Around the 6th month of my pregnancy, a nurse confirmed to me when I called in with some questions that my latest ultrasound showed the "little" nugget was already in the 75th percentile for size. Since then, I always asked about his size at my regular appointments, but never got a clear answer. Instead, it was "he's looking healthy" or "he's definitely a boy," almost as though they suspected my baby was huge, but didn't want to tell me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I did get was that incredibly super-scientific measuring tape on my belly to tell me my baby was "right on track." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This scientific measurement technique was also used by 13-year-olds at one of my recent baby showers, proving its air-tight medical reliability.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Typically when I went to the doctor, I expected to be hooked up to the ultrasound machine and see a bunch of black and white Rorschach blobs on a screen while the doctor talked about each splotch as though it was as clear as IMAX film, while I smiled and nodded in masked confusion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the more my pregnancy progressed, the less I saw the ultrasound machine and the more I saw Mr. Measuring Tape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over time, rather than telling the doctors and midwives -- "Um, no -- I need you to instead hook me up to that machine and interpret everything on it while other patients wait," I shrugged it off and proceeded to grow like a marshmallow Peep in the microwave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was also one of those people who tracked my weight every day, more out of objective curiosity than out of concern for how I looked, and it seemed that no matter what I ate, I was gaining weight quite quickly -- sometimes two pounds in 24 hours.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4_F4ZBtz66QXwOpZrR83FpVYJOadt-1dA31y6J_HKuuR0WLDjQIEEjTsU2rxd8GptCaOCt26-6ZtqWvWueMBIWh8PrGQG_J_Ieee6w5O8kz8agfVqf6IdxA2JrbUmEiV7BPAqUwk8Dy9/s1600/weight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1032" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4_F4ZBtz66QXwOpZrR83FpVYJOadt-1dA31y6J_HKuuR0WLDjQIEEjTsU2rxd8GptCaOCt26-6ZtqWvWueMBIWh8PrGQG_J_Ieee6w5O8kz8agfVqf6IdxA2JrbUmEiV7BPAqUwk8Dy9/s400/weight.jpg" width="351" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My weight crept out of the "recommended" zone for the third trimester.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But as I gained weight, I was constantly told by others that I was "all belly," and there were times I felt like a giant belly with a few limbs attached to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time I was seven months along, I was already larger in front than many of my friends had been when they gave birth at full term. And while the "Is it twins?" question started out as a funny joke, by the ninth month, it was a full-on sincere question from random strangers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Was it because I was normally 5'3" and petite, so the baby had no where to fit? But s</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ome of my other pregnant friends had also been petite, and they never stuck out as much as I did.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6q_d66IZZavRVnVLdp6rJpaf_2bVtsAqf9DrI_2SbyuC1-I_zNP5Bl-_aOiIT1Dh8R2I4B8FW1dgCyU4ZOTL-9z6lHdr74rMQuRk8pPocITPl02KqtSDPvUCNeYIRWMORsU5n5K0Xihh6/s1600/all_belly+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1453" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6q_d66IZZavRVnVLdp6rJpaf_2bVtsAqf9DrI_2SbyuC1-I_zNP5Bl-_aOiIT1Dh8R2I4B8FW1dgCyU4ZOTL-9z6lHdr74rMQuRk8pPocITPl02KqtSDPvUCNeYIRWMORsU5n5K0Xihh6/s400/all_belly+copy.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four days before delivery.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But appointment after appointment, the baby's heart rate was always good, and the measuring tape told me I was right on track, so who was I to defiantly demand more data?</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Labor Begins...?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Without going into nastoid graphic detail that tends to go hand-in-hand with pregnancy, when Monday night rolled around, I noticed a little not-so-transparent surprise when I used the bathroom, which made me wonder if labor was actually around the corner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I called the hospital to confirm it wasn't cancer, and a nurse ensured me it was a normal sign of nearing the end of my pregnancy, though it could have meant hours, days, or even weeks remained.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Days? Even hours? It didn't really register to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">End of pregnancy meant the beginning of having a baby around. I'd never had a baby before. What do I do with a baby? Last time I brought home a puppy, I could put it in a crate when I needed to run errands. You can't crate a baby, right? Let alone command it to pee in backyard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I brushed off reality and went back to watching TV. I hadn't dilated even a millimeter by my last appointment, and it had looked like I would likely pass my due date and have to be induced days later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus, I still had hundreds more pages to read in my "What to Expect" baby prep book. The baby should have gotten the memo that he wasn't allowed to appear until I had finished the book and thus graduated parent planning class. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But he didn't get the memo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shortly after the bathroom surprise, I started feeling what appeared to be light menstrual cramps. They seemed irregular and far apart, but after 45 minutes of scientific research on Google, I figured it was nothing to worry about and went to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was woken up a few times that night by stronger versions of these cramps, but I always changed positions and drifted back to sleep. After all -- Most pregnant women will agree that waking up multiple times every night to random aches and pains is a common occurrence.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuesday, May 21</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Morning came, and I still had occasional cramping. I finally told Spencer about the cramps, to which he reacted as I expected. "Sweetie, it's labor!!" No, no. It couldn't be labor, silly husband. He thought a hangnail was a sign of labor, which is why I hadn't admitted to any cramping until now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then... the cramps became more and more regular and stronger and stronger, until I finally had to admit that maybe husband was right. Perhaps these "cramps" weren't really cramps at all, but more... dare I face it... contractions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not wanting to be one of those newb moms who shows up at the hospital way too early only to be sent back home, I consulted the trusty "When Should I Come to the Hospital?" guide that was hanging on our fridge, courtesy of my medical provider:</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqtKv9Ph0BJaU_b0oahOVXve1VG2qFgfGqHA7NVtWg91ZbdqNT8a2voYEKtjDnjH4Zk-9RvdvMP_GABUhpw1K7w4JfnQsYDQll5sEYelCpAlRTVMvCCM5JcGWfvkPjxW_ZGNOeUloUtdr/s1600/IMG_20190527_182606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqtKv9Ph0BJaU_b0oahOVXve1VG2qFgfGqHA7NVtWg91ZbdqNT8a2voYEKtjDnjH4Zk-9RvdvMP_GABUhpw1K7w4JfnQsYDQll5sEYelCpAlRTVMvCCM5JcGWfvkPjxW_ZGNOeUloUtdr/s640/IMG_20190527_182606.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hospital's guide on when to come to Labor & Delivery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It clearly stated that I shouldn't go to the hospital until my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and lasted about a minute each, for an hour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok. I can wait for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Around 4:00 p.m., I noticed that my contractions were about three minutes apart and had been that way for a while. So I called the labor and delivery department at the Irvine Kaiser Permanente hospital and they told me to come on in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dang. It was happening! Ahhh!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, no problem. I got this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got this...?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the peak of rush hour, Spencer and I grabbed the hospital bag and hopped in the truck to make the 10 mile drive to Kaiser. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1VP-QtKjo-weF2WJ2s-OfMbwyOFkbB2TP4EkyXC0Fv7WpKnm4edGKizLLgxwKMAuAZhfCQUzDBHIxKzLKjiycomBrvkwigAtMJ0QNGn3vuvwqkUns4Dx-EuUYaPbMV9VyZ0iEvM6wuXN/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-233416.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1VP-QtKjo-weF2WJ2s-OfMbwyOFkbB2TP4EkyXC0Fv7WpKnm4edGKizLLgxwKMAuAZhfCQUzDBHIxKzLKjiycomBrvkwigAtMJ0QNGn3vuvwqkUns4Dx-EuUYaPbMV9VyZ0iEvM6wuXN/s640/Screenshot_20190603-233416.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Kaiser</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we arrived, they gave me a gown and connected me up to some wizardry machine to see how frequent my contractions were, and sure enough, they were already 1 to 1.5 minutes apart.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That was a lot closer together than my fridge guide had specified for hospital admission.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSo1IWURJku1AzbmVCkQosxOPu8q3-UA6IqvUZZN2SUJN4WJA6EyxcS-CtJ0w15-UGmsYrF8nafKIFTTKSLHi8IrTn9byWCLAzn8ccyGlZqcZZ-yFdNHQa2r493zWUt5cavVTVYMHdaMr/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-233656.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSo1IWURJku1AzbmVCkQosxOPu8q3-UA6IqvUZZN2SUJN4WJA6EyxcS-CtJ0w15-UGmsYrF8nafKIFTTKSLHi8IrTn9byWCLAzn8ccyGlZqcZZ-yFdNHQa2r493zWUt5cavVTVYMHdaMr/s640/Screenshot_20190603-233656.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooked up to the contractions machine in the screening room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The friendly nurse told me it was a good thing we came in. Now we just needed a midwife to come check my dilation level to ensure my body was ready to pump out a baby in the near future.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pregnancy 101</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A brief pause in our story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those who have not been pregnant and have no idea what weird things like mucus plugs are, from what I understand, <i>dilation </i>is basically how ready or "open" your body is to be able to push out a baby. It's measured from 0 to 10 centimeters. 0 centimeters means you're as close to going into labor as your husband, whereas 7 centimeters means you're in "active labor," the pain jumps up, and the baby is on its way. 10 centimeters means the baby's head could already be sticking out and looking around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kaiser Labor & Delivery has a policy that they don't typically admit women until they are at least 5 centimeters dilated, unless their water has already broken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But water is a liquid, and liquid can't break...?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think of it more like a water balloon breaking. Basically, when the baby is living in your bulbous stomach, he is swimming around in a liquid called amniotic fluid. As labor gets closer, sometimes the lining keeping the fluid in your stomach breaks and the amniotic fluid starts spilling out of you. That's called your "water breaking," though it's more accurately your "amniotic fluid sack breaking." </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youbabyandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/water-broke-469x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="366" height="320" src="https://www.youbabyandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/water-broke-469x1024.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once your water breaks, it becomes less safe for you and your baby if too much time passes, since there's not as much protective fluid for the baby and the both of you are at risk of infection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or so I'm told. If a doctor saw this, they'd probably roll their eyes and wish I would stop contributing to stupidity on the interwebs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I digress.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>THAT </i>Dilated??</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So all I needed was a midwife to check me and tell me I was dilated at a 6 or something and we'd be on our way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as pain goes, my contractions hurt, but they weren't worse than the ruptured ovarian cyst I had experienced a few years back, and definitely not as bad as falling out of a tree and dislocating my kneecap when I was a kid. Did this mean the pain wasn't going to be terrible? Or did this mean I just had a high pain tolerance?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Neither, it turns out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I should have known better. I whine about pain when a mosquito bites me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrnAVHAoTtMZk6CZEUi2E0Dn1q6BORrlfrrOLZCNqNgXsSj3g2fTL8lS3L4_Xzp8-rSazpbUhwYRN-M6badO0aSIXebc1QRyeiA1Qfs5V6nMYHwpgTYBQZ9GRhbOg6zpf6ZItsHI60w3G/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-183211.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrnAVHAoTtMZk6CZEUi2E0Dn1q6BORrlfrrOLZCNqNgXsSj3g2fTL8lS3L4_Xzp8-rSazpbUhwYRN-M6badO0aSIXebc1QRyeiA1Qfs5V6nMYHwpgTYBQZ9GRhbOg6zpf6ZItsHI60w3G/s640/Screenshot_20190608-183211.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A midwife came into the room, checked me, and told me I was barely 1 centimeter dilated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How could I only be dilated to a 1 if my contractions were a minute apart?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was following the fridge! The fridge, I say!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With an unsuccessful attempt to mask condescension, the midwife told me I couldn't be admitted yet until I was further dilated. She then "stripped my membranes," which is some medical phrase for reaching into a pregnant woman with a pickax in an attempt to speed up their dilation. Ok, no pickax. But still...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mother oucher. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then they threw my clothes at me and told me to come back when I was more ready to have a baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Um... how was I going to know when I was more ready to have a baby? Technically, each minute that passed meant I was more ready, didn't it? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus -- the fridge was very specific about when to come to the hospital -- when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. Mine were down to a minute apart, so now what? What could I use as a measuring tool?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I posed that question to the midwife, she said to "come back when the contractions are more painful."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More painful? But how much more painful? I've never given birth before. I don't know how painful these contractions are supposed to be.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Painful enough that you can't speak through them."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have you met me? The chances of me not speaking through something are slim to nil.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It didn't matter. "You'll know," she said, and then left the room to roll her eyes and add another tally to her list of eager beaver women who came to the hospital too early to have their baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was concerned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few months ago my stepsister had also been rejected by the hospital when she started feeling close contractions, and she ended up having her baby when she got home. Since then, my stepmom's advice was "If they send you home from the hospital, stay in the parking lot."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now what? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did <i>not</i> want to go home and have my baby. I could just envision myself going into active labor as my husband passed out on the floor, and me calling 911 and telling them to treat his gaping head wound first...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But what choice did we have? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we gathered our things and left Labor & Delivery with our tails between our legs.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkufv-ynLC0JPP25w_7BrqxGIsLZA5njic0F-x1ddmljT-Pio7cU8cACEEED_4Pn8E3pbpGfLzQZcQdERntbUeku4oMy-7brTt0wCmKSfa-5kOQygSc9waq7naAWgIfhgA9x9SOMqynWY/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-234215.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkufv-ynLC0JPP25w_7BrqxGIsLZA5njic0F-x1ddmljT-Pio7cU8cACEEED_4Pn8E3pbpGfLzQZcQdERntbUeku4oMy-7brTt0wCmKSfa-5kOQygSc9waq7naAWgIfhgA9x9SOMqynWY/s640/Screenshot_20190603-234215.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting rejected from the hospital.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the moment we stepped into the hall, I felt a rush of pain. I stopped walking, gritted my teeth until the moment passed, and then took a few more steps before another strong rush of pain took over -- m</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uch stronger than before.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, the midwife's pickax had clearly done its job, because my contractions had suddenly increased in strength. They had become so strong that even I, Jolie, had trouble speaking through them. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I looked behind me. I had only made it a few steps away from the Labor & Delivery door. The midwife had said to come back when the contractions were much stronger. So... that was now. But there was no way they were going to admit the woman who had just been sent home three minutes ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So bit by bit, Spencer and I made our way back down the never-ending third floor hospital hallway toward the elevators, pausing every 60 seconds or so to breathe through a contraction. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we finally made it back to our car, I called my dad who is an anesthesiologist back in my home state of Utah. Through pulses of pain, he sympathetically explained to me that it was unlikely that I would dilate high enough in less than a few hours, so his recommendation was to go back home for a few hours, then if contractions continued to feel worse, call the hospital and see if it was a good time to come back in.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If contractions feel worse? They were already well established suckland now. Was this really what women go through before having a baby? "When the pain is that of a thousand knives, come back to the hospital." Isn't the hospital supposed to help <i>prevent</i> that kind of pain? This wasn't on my fridge!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But my dad's advice was good, as usual. We went home and basically tried to distract myself from my pain for a few hours by watching other miserable people in reality shows on Hulu, though I even began envying the comfort level of the addicts on TV. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't help but wish my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart like a normal person, instead of 60 seconds.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have never felt like I was dying before, but once 10 o'clock that night rolled around, I was pretty sure the end was near. I called and told the hospital how I was feeling, and once again, they told me to come in, so we got back in the car and headed back to Kaiser.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrrMNFW60aLPcFO1selkxcbJGgVZFUG-L714SS1XzFUhFaaDFyG54wZ98fuDXywtMJbm29PicDDTdN0VmeL_Eem3NKAx3L6S_ocThNXwQ0np-ffjc4i1zRw-BMjHLBt75ONSwz_676Uej/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-234521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrrMNFW60aLPcFO1selkxcbJGgVZFUG-L714SS1XzFUhFaaDFyG54wZ98fuDXywtMJbm29PicDDTdN0VmeL_Eem3NKAx3L6S_ocThNXwQ0np-ffjc4i1zRw-BMjHLBt75ONSwz_676Uej/s400/Screenshot_20190603-234521.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to the hospital for round 2.</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take Two</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This time it took longer to walk down the hall than it had to drive to the hospital because I had to pause every few steps for what seemed like a never-ending contraction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we arrived at Labor & Delivery, they put me in a different room, gave me another robe and hooked me up to the wizardry machines again. Sure enough, my contractions were still measuring a minute apart, except one now often led right into the next without any lull or relief in between.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't need a machine to tell me that.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAUJte2zdCP-t4HLlr6BFUwrEOnA3BMpKa6gsTUpeZnF1sU1TbhyJC5c6E2RGzp2Fo7prO0ZNbVRucdid72jE9wxHEZtgeVjHRXZPodH-bNFUapzFCueFfhIpUmbDYWExU2uwFN9npJif/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-234834.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAUJte2zdCP-t4HLlr6BFUwrEOnA3BMpKa6gsTUpeZnF1sU1TbhyJC5c6E2RGzp2Fo7prO0ZNbVRucdid72jE9wxHEZtgeVjHRXZPodH-bNFUapzFCueFfhIpUmbDYWExU2uwFN9npJif/s640/Screenshot_20190603-234834.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom line measured my contractions about a minute apart.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had a new nurse and an ob-gyn this time instead of a midwife come in and check me. This time, I wasn't dilated at a 1 anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was a 3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nooooo!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was being pounded by ultra-painful contractions constantly, sometimes without any relief in-between, and you're telling me I have to go home again because I was only dilated at a 3??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FRIDGE??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It said to come to the hospital when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart for an hour! Not 60 seconds apart leading directly into each other for half a day!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspaigUg4X_cafcDo4AvLSu8T2ZdgZScZLhJ_re1CVqNhdNSJzdt6bMYejc2R-1s5PNwPIgwP5G2bzMBJ8BtwNfiV7daCT5vyGSFVLIqis0F5aWqTWs3kUSqVLYzUd5x1_cHG9BnN158fn/s1600/Fridge_lies+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1600" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhspaigUg4X_cafcDo4AvLSu8T2ZdgZScZLhJ_re1CVqNhdNSJzdt6bMYejc2R-1s5PNwPIgwP5G2bzMBJ8BtwNfiV7daCT5vyGSFVLIqis0F5aWqTWs3kUSqVLYzUd5x1_cHG9BnN158fn/s640/Fridge_lies+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They could see I was in major pain and I could see they weren't going to bend on their dilation policy, so I asked what other options there were. They said I could either try to walk around the hospital and see if it helped me dilate further, or they could give me a shot of pain killer and send me home for a few hours to try to get some rest before coming back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If speed walking two miles every day or swimming laps a few times a week hadn't been dilating me at all, walking around the hospital wasn't going to do squat</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Plus, walking around the hospital would involve walking -- something that I was really struggling to do right now.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9wvI11a-XhsBWzvo4aKEFuFwY7w0hq-ARIJtRXh_EkktHuzBbp288L-IhOG7zlRwlRI2pngeXpMvGQqez8ZNGDJjrOj0Yl9FiGtJDoSAbFpfooJ6Zli9CidOjsnNWuHzS9vJ1k6avUdA/s1600/Screenshot_20190603-234813.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9wvI11a-XhsBWzvo4aKEFuFwY7w0hq-ARIJtRXh_EkktHuzBbp288L-IhOG7zlRwlRI2pngeXpMvGQqez8ZNGDJjrOj0Yl9FiGtJDoSAbFpfooJ6Zli9CidOjsnNWuHzS9vJ1k6avUdA/s640/Screenshot_20190603-234813.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Not feeling great...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we opted for option B. The nurse zapped my butt full of morphine mixed with a powerful antihistamine, and twenty minutes later, I was half-awake and feeling better than I had all day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went back home and I immediately fell asleep on the living room couch.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take Three</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I woke up at 4:30 a.m. as the morphine was wearing off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The death pains were back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only this time, I went to the bathroom and -- low and behold -- a clear trickle of liquid had manifested itself. Could this mean...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My water had broken?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah HA! Take that, Kaiser! You may have turned me away on your fake 3-5 minute fridge rule, but even I knew that you couldn't ignore someone's water breaking. This meant it was time to go back to the hospital, and this time, we would be staying there -- thank you very much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knowing I wouldn't be able to eat or drink anything other than ice chips upon being admitted, I fixed myself a classic Jolie breakfast of Eggo waffles and milk, woke up Spencer, and then right as we were leaving the house, I vomited up all of breakfast along with yesterday's dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Empty stomach, it would be.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAd8HEtNlvBSkS1TD7cKbV50ZcqNRSz5TSIhYZRLnjDsf3cts9clFHBfk-MQtRlmh11xGwYrBZ49x5XYDbfAkSDKSGtxsEvRqw0xqMi230Es-4CUGtomrH1fRxGBGHn5qsVjqueDGidM6/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-185003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAd8HEtNlvBSkS1TD7cKbV50ZcqNRSz5TSIhYZRLnjDsf3cts9clFHBfk-MQtRlmh11xGwYrBZ49x5XYDbfAkSDKSGtxsEvRqw0xqMi230Es-4CUGtomrH1fRxGBGHn5qsVjqueDGidM6/s640/Screenshot_20190608-185003.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to the hospital a third time... and hopefully the charm.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We pressed through morning rush hour traffic to get to the hospital and again inched our way through the long hall to Labor & Delivery, pausing every few feet for contractions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure a construction team had increased the length of the hallway overnight. It took forever to walk there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This time when we arrived at Labor & Delivery, they didn't need to take my information because they knew who I was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The lady who had been there twice already.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMq7Q31j48-CBZttqZJxsFpFTnfrUycHvqByYUIMXFLvHA-ioajQ6l4bQOIV2Kkyyc5Sfa3ocQEIa6TQlkEqCyiwQARUSf1-tk8sX-IQmPfULBUHiCF4X1Fw-dDr1c1xbFOL1ovKoPzuT/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-185401.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMq7Q31j48-CBZttqZJxsFpFTnfrUycHvqByYUIMXFLvHA-ioajQ6l4bQOIV2Kkyyc5Sfa3ocQEIa6TQlkEqCyiwQARUSf1-tk8sX-IQmPfULBUHiCF4X1Fw-dDr1c1xbFOL1ovKoPzuT/s640/Screenshot_20190608-185401.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking in again at Labor & Delivery. "Long time no see."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With poorly masked skepticism, the same nurse who had given me my butt shot asked if I had any proof that my water had actually broken. I went to the bathroom and emerged with my panty liner for analysis, though she could have just taken one look at my gray maternity pants, which looked like I had peed myself three times over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, yeah - Your water definitely broke," she said, surprised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her reaction made me wonder how many women had faked their water breaking in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But whatever. I was being admitted, and that's what mattered. </span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday, May 22: Admitted</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If the check-in room was Motel 6, the delivery room was a five star hotel. Around 6:00 a.m., Spencer and I were brought into a large room with a hospital bed, all the necessary fancy machines, a table and chairs, and enough space to hold at least a dozen twirling ballerinas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They immediately put me in bed and introduced me to my nurse, a girl named Ashley who was just plain awesome. She was so sincere and funny and genuinely cared about her patients -- she was the perfect nurse for us.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRLW36k3-Plpvk05obmTAa0Rz3sDABf4_kLTuaDRS1VZP1T_Ky-wQ9vlqHY0RxSSpU7wqGEV_gKy-tQh28gDaJU-DZXNWdgb1nFWZv1Iww8D_mT_jkq6GhgVZV1IulYtBxQ7jFS5M8khL/s1600/Ashley_en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRLW36k3-Plpvk05obmTAa0Rz3sDABf4_kLTuaDRS1VZP1T_Ky-wQ9vlqHY0RxSSpU7wqGEV_gKy-tQh28gDaJU-DZXNWdgb1nFWZv1Iww8D_mT_jkq6GhgVZV1IulYtBxQ7jFS5M8khL/s640/Ashley_en.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our awesome nurse, Ashley</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another ob-gyn came to check my dilation -- It was still only a 3. No baby was going to squeeze out through a 3 centimeter hole. Especially a baby I suspected could be north of average birth weight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The doctors pumped my IV full of Pitocin. Pitocin is a drug that is designed to speed up the labor process so I would give birth sooner. If Pitocin did its job correctly, my contractions would get stronger and I would dilate to a 10 and push a baby out by the end of the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I knew about Pitocin because I had read and heard horror stories about it. Women who have been induced with the drug say that it causes incredibly strong contractions that hurt like mad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Goody.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So where was my epidural?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those of you who don't know, an epidural is a massive needle a doctor shoves into your spine that makes you feel fantastic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which reminds me. When we arrived in the delivery room, the nurses asked me if I had a birth plan. I gave it to them:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Husband is a pass out risk and should be sitting whenever blood is present in the room</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Give me an epidural as soon as physically possible</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything else is up to you. You are the experts. We are just a couple of newbs with access to Google</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could see nurses and doctors laugh and relax as they learned the birth plan. I think they were relieved that we weren't one of those couples with a list of irrational demands or weird requests we had gotten off the internet. That alone helped us develop good relationships with the people who were taking care of us -- something I was determined to do from the moment we arrived. The last thing I needed was a nurse or doctor with control over pain management who thought I was annoying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which brings me to the epidural. I have a lot of friends who have done home natural births, or even hospital births, sans epidural.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not one of these women.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My dad is an anesthesiologist. I've known I was going to have an epidural since I was five.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nurse Ashley read my mind. "You want an epidural now, huh?" she said as I watched the Pitocin slither through my IV tube and into my veins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yes, please."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She called in the anesthesiologist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some doctors work in the medical field because they sincerely care about helping people. Other doctors work in the medical field because they get to drive a Porshe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This anesthesiologist was definitely proud of his Porshe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He wasn't horrible, but he definitely wasn't the warm and fuzzy type, nor the type to take a little extra care to help the patient avoid a little extra pain or feel less nervous at the sight of a needle. For him, it was "bend over here" - <i>push </i>- "needle goes here" - <i>stab </i>- while talking about all the ski resorts he had visited around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But to his credit, that epidural made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. It was awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though I ended up laboring so long that the anesthesiologist had to come back twice to top off the epidural when I started feeling pain again. The first time Mr. Porshe returned, he lunged at me with a syringe to my neck, causing me to jump backwards and freeze in fear. It turned out the syringe was just full of water that he was using to test out what I could and couldn't feel at a neck level, but he hadn't explained what he was doing beforehand, and I had no idea if there was a needle attached to the syringe at the time of his lunging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The look on nurse Ashley's face was a mix of disbelief and disgust. Once he left the room, she said "he should not have done that." We laughed nervously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The second time the anesthesiologist came back, he griped that topping off the epidural wasn't going to help me feel less pain, but he was going to do it anyway because nobody ever believes him. Ten minutes after topping it off, I went from wincing in pain to being back on a fluffy cloud. Yeah, no wonder nobody believes you. Because you don't seem to know what you're talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought back to watching my dad delicately care for impoverished patients in free surgery clinics on a humanitarian trip to Guatemala a few years back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not all anesthesiologists are created equal.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the moment the epidural first kicked in, "labor" for me started out awesome. My pain was gone, I was in a cozy bed with a fluffy blanket, and Spencer had figured out a way to hook our Chromecast up to the TV by way of a mobile hotspot so I could watch episodes of "The Office" whenever I was awake. Our nurse was incredibly helpful and fun to talk to, and the ob-gyns who came to check on me seemed trustworthy and not condescending.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If this was labor, sign me up for the week.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk51o8DSEGIAesFrPvpZLc24Xqo22xoo5iLN944dWDbOUwPurRCGACFZV7gFkrU_Nl1EKaUKlE0-aYOtI9ytGoRY6kQ8iG-dOIpmZkSWMcjCF8GocpGO72PHV5I1qt4FB08Cxn6cm7lJv/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-191734.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivk51o8DSEGIAesFrPvpZLc24Xqo22xoo5iLN944dWDbOUwPurRCGACFZV7gFkrU_Nl1EKaUKlE0-aYOtI9ytGoRY6kQ8iG-dOIpmZkSWMcjCF8GocpGO72PHV5I1qt4FB08Cxn6cm7lJv/s640/Screenshot_20190608-191734.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epidural + fluffy blanket = bliss.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisin2m8I0JoUHEU1UQuMQXBWwN2zvl3OO8CKOGJZdhrH2MyGuIHimgm_LXzjIpghygkZUh9mVwEE5liA7BLhgVa-5K2zjXQ2Yx8QsgVeo5gwSekOjDq4IX2GeIfrVmrGN4cIbK13jqIVpW/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-191353.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisin2m8I0JoUHEU1UQuMQXBWwN2zvl3OO8CKOGJZdhrH2MyGuIHimgm_LXzjIpghygkZUh9mVwEE5liA7BLhgVa-5K2zjXQ2Yx8QsgVeo5gwSekOjDq4IX2GeIfrVmrGN4cIbK13jqIVpW/s640/Screenshot_20190608-191353.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Office" is my comfort show, so Spencer rigged it up on the TV.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrjJcU3kR3penfsGYUPK1iFmDbPVVEDpoeSgS-Kwg_6UDbl7Po6TnQZ0wncE7a8AZXWa4g9aYA-OguTQ6kI3ZqZs3wxCZE1KXYMcysysR0dByvRMdz1UTeOhLBB9SmUfSxDetevDm2Hrl/s1600/Jolie_Labor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrjJcU3kR3penfsGYUPK1iFmDbPVVEDpoeSgS-Kwg_6UDbl7Po6TnQZ0wncE7a8AZXWa4g9aYA-OguTQ6kI3ZqZs3wxCZE1KXYMcysysR0dByvRMdz1UTeOhLBB9SmUfSxDetevDm2Hrl/s640/Jolie_Labor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer drew this picture of me on his tablet while I was passed out on the labor bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ashley was even happy to watch our baby announcement video, which I tried to sleep through because it always feels awkward watching people watch that, but whatever.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://youtu.be/V6sOiofhrKU" target="_blank">If you haven't seen our birth announcement video, click here at your own risk.</a></span><br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1J3ZNvPiHeMTK2MXnzN83dy6eR7t3FMFXcBheklziMdW6Grk9prnBs99G0-mWusUW3H2jx705ZVDdUEOCx1cymvXH72vDbTIAaQ7mHV4rwFJME1QkzCAnb2WJXxv7RDUxoOX7mGZ9S4J/s1600/Gonna-be-a-mama.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1J3ZNvPiHeMTK2MXnzN83dy6eR7t3FMFXcBheklziMdW6Grk9prnBs99G0-mWusUW3H2jx705ZVDdUEOCx1cymvXH72vDbTIAaQ7mHV4rwFJME1QkzCAnb2WJXxv7RDUxoOX7mGZ9S4J/s640/Gonna-be-a-mama.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the early afternoon, I was dilated to a 6, which was progress, and the doctors were confident I had a good shot of dilating enough to have a natural birth by the evening or possibly the next morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But as the hours went by and the contractions measured stronger and stronger on the charts, my body wasn't fully cooperating. It wouldn't budge beyond a 6 in dilation, and it was looking more and more possible that I would have to deliver by c section -- something I had already considered and accepted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And something else began to complicate the situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the late afternoon, Ashley took my temperature and realized that I was starting to get a fever. Likely, an infection had kicked in since it had been a few hours since my water broke. For me, this meant my body was hot, but was starting to feel really cold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I <i>hate</i> being cold.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm the weirdo who brings a blanket to church with me because I can't stand feeling cold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In order to avoid overheating the baby inside me, Ashley apologetically took away my fluffy blanket, and my body began to shiver. I missed that blanket so much, but thankfully I at least had a sheet still covering me.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1L4YjMMpd9M_ZDXX_GEbvG3GYqeij_-ORxnU6-7e3JU_Ihun8kyA3oB1wYR_a0fPtlaBeOo_oFdhbgMvOEfo_yi5VhY8bw_ihHLxdudznE8Gk2FJX5rvZFfMr-jMUWfrRrGKsI6UT5uji/s1600/sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1L4YjMMpd9M_ZDXX_GEbvG3GYqeij_-ORxnU6-7e3JU_Ihun8kyA3oB1wYR_a0fPtlaBeOo_oFdhbgMvOEfo_yi5VhY8bw_ihHLxdudznE8Gk2FJX5rvZFfMr-jMUWfrRrGKsI6UT5uji/s640/sheet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a fever started kicking in, they had to take away my blanket, but let me keep the sheet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't much longer before Ashley took my temperature again and then had to take my sheet away. Not long after that, she had to take away my precious socks (I am rarely caught without socks). Soon, all I was left in was a thin hospital robe in what suddenly felt like a room cooled to the temperature of a refrigerator. My body started to shiver and didn't stop shaking for hours. What had been such a peaceful day of comfort had morphed into a miserable evening of chattering teeth and a longing to be warm again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the baby was first priority, and if it meant shivering for a while to help keep his temperature down, I wasn't going to protest.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEGAsBVnk8kuiYyYE9nlO_cfvJgdBKqzRvTIWeCiE3GW4_RpijEjA-Bso4VEraCbMP1YMxIba6Ug1KqtPwAuLmnZ1oop5OPJoacanwBmY3rXXcwIuTo1m0v1aSZzLB2Bja4zmOR-5_w4M/s1600/Screenshot_20190608-185730.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEGAsBVnk8kuiYyYE9nlO_cfvJgdBKqzRvTIWeCiE3GW4_RpijEjA-Bso4VEraCbMP1YMxIba6Ug1KqtPwAuLmnZ1oop5OPJoacanwBmY3rXXcwIuTo1m0v1aSZzLB2Bja4zmOR-5_w4M/s640/Screenshot_20190608-185730.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They eventually took all my comfy blankets and socks to try to bring down my fever.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time 10:00 p.m. had rolled around, I had been having contractions for 48 hours, but was still only dilated to a 6. </span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Suddenly a beam of light and floating sparkles filled the room as the new shift ob-gyn, Dr. Tamiko Takahashi, walked in to talk to me. Spencer and I took one look at her and then looked at each other. Umm... they must have been filming <i>Grey's Anatomy </i>in the other room and she walked into our room by mistake, because she was straight off a Hollywood set. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Petite with long flowing brown hair and a smile that warmed even a refrigerated room, our hats were off to the hospital's casting director. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-UNBMuK_LJtQUc1AiJGCzfvyKYO-RvHZQW1x_so7g5zIkknqK4-x7sBqU0xxNipiTtzDSZK1k3rsccx3iTir63TWY45PTniGaTeEHh89emQyGnN3n5X51QByENXoOrrQYf4SBiE3JKCA/s1600/Dr+Tamiko+Takahashi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-UNBMuK_LJtQUc1AiJGCzfvyKYO-RvHZQW1x_so7g5zIkknqK4-x7sBqU0xxNipiTtzDSZK1k3rsccx3iTir63TWY45PTniGaTeEHh89emQyGnN3n5X51QByENXoOrrQYf4SBiE3JKCA/s1600/Dr+Tamiko+Takahashi.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Ob-gyn could have her own TV show.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only was Dr. Takahashi worthy of her own TV show, but she was also incredibly kind and a very competent physician -- a triple threat. She checked my dilation a final time, and then explained with kindness and concern that she thought it was a good idea to go ahead with a c section that she would perform. Something about her gave me the feeling that I was in good hands, and I accepted the terms fully.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At least I hadn't tried to push the baby out unsuccessfully before having been deemed a natural birth fail and rushed to a c section -- which had been a big fear of mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"My guess is that this baby is a little larger -- maybe nine pounds," Dr. Takahashi said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally, someone was being open with me about my baby's size.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's Baby Time</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They gave me a sour medical drink to help keep my stomach acid at bay during the operation and wheeled me out of the room and down the hall into an operating room where the surgical team was there to greet me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer scrambled to put on his medical scrub suit which he put on backwards and promptly broke one of the shoe covers, but the nurses helped him fix everything so he could follow me down the hall.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuowGP-YG45CDuwxVJCkl_R8elovP3VB9v8obmkqlfJeEtiKJwysAnPzC4V8sE7ONXQ7D3H1MTbKLoHwNaWJSBBPPzZ9S2d-fnJKtqCJgVzr8J4lXbPXoxXSClvYLifwZmnW_z2dfOHjqE/s1600/Screenshot_20190609-105915.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuowGP-YG45CDuwxVJCkl_R8elovP3VB9v8obmkqlfJeEtiKJwysAnPzC4V8sE7ONXQ7D3H1MTbKLoHwNaWJSBBPPzZ9S2d-fnJKtqCJgVzr8J4lXbPXoxXSClvYLifwZmnW_z2dfOHjqE/s640/Screenshot_20190609-105915.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to put on clothes correctly when your wife is being rushed into surgery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully Dr. Porshe had gone home for the day and was replaced with a different anesthesiologist who reminded me much more of my dad -- someone who was good at their job and cared about the patients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still shivering, I thanked everyone in the room in advance, then bent over and vomited all the sour medical drink into a plastic tray I had managed to snag in time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's how I punctuate gratitude.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there, they stretched my arms out from my sides on cross-like planks, draped a curtain over my chest to protect me from catching a glimpse of my surgically open self, and injected me with some fancy anesthetic.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instantly my body started shivering violently -- partly from the intense fever and partly from whatever anesthesia I had been given that my body was not a fan of. My eyelids started drooping uncontrollably and everything started spinning around me.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the most uncomfortable I can remember ever being since the time I was stuck in a snowstorm on top of Mt. Everest. Ok, that never happened. But that would have been uncomfortable.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My body was trapped inside a perpetual spinning bottle, but I knew I had to stay as conscious and alert as possible. My son was going to be born, for cryin' out loud. Time to exercise mind over matter, if it was possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kept doing mental checks with myself to make sure I didn't lose track of where I was or what I was doing there. "I'm in the operating room, getting a c section," I told myself. I tried to follow the voices of those in the room to know what was happening, step-by-step, but there were times that I must have lost consciousness because there are gaps in my memory that I can't account for.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember Spencer being brought into the room and feeling him sitting by my head, where he gave me the play-by-play of what the doctors were doing. I remember telling the anesthesiologist how horrible I felt and how I was struggling to stay coherent, and then taking comfort in the fact that he didn't seem concerned, which meant my physical state was nothing at which to be alarmed, as uncomfortable as it was.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It felt as though the room was filled with old friends having a party while I was locked on the patio during winter. The tone was jovial, yet professional, and I remember feeling envious. I wanted to join in the party. I wanted to make witty comments and be that memorable patient with a good sense of humor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But instead, I was a convulsing vegetable from the freezer aisle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not great party material.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't long after I thought I heard that my incisions were being made that I heard a doctor shout about how huge the baby was, and then everyone laughed and cheered. Dr. Takahashi exclaimed, "He looks just like his daddy!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And with that, Kyler James Price entered the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was 11:29 p.m. on May 22 -- his due date. Barely.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Why isn't he crying?" I asked Spencer through dizziness. "Why--" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then I heard him. My little boy, taking a breath and crying for the first time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Relief set over me.</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything after that was a blur. Spencer continued to give me the play-by-play, including explaining how he stepped away to cut the umbilical cord -- something I didn't know he could do without passing out, but give him complete props for doing.</span></div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tFV15jYycsztPDA5LFc-ymIkDLlym5HcjyX6fKXPS5gnygPsPbwiL8_Xot-_TcsTG0sU2S-EdiLNzxhTPEcUcEpmHP_Esm_CWpXUzAQb9eJQJqgsThGWFLvhpGM7Hlh54QdVNIkxYNtn/s1600/umbillicle_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tFV15jYycsztPDA5LFc-ymIkDLlym5HcjyX6fKXPS5gnygPsPbwiL8_Xot-_TcsTG0sU2S-EdiLNzxhTPEcUcEpmHP_Esm_CWpXUzAQb9eJQJqgsThGWFLvhpGM7Hlh54QdVNIkxYNtn/s640/umbillicle_en.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer cut the umbilical cord! I thought it would make him pass out! Joke's on me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The baby -- not crying anymore -- was quickly whisked over to my head and placed there for a moment where I could feel the warmth of his skin against my cheek. Then he was pulled away.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyY60UXn5OmxWOw9xL_YlaD91jS8C6nK6Jc6l0aRT-oImUgpBgue1Mkr0UvVmz5WtordRvQ8sukR2pd2BW6v8y-vWWyZnyuR-vV18DT05oZLEwRPGE0FthfDyr22M6QJUjBuA7BGkdbPg/s1600/Jolie_Labor-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyY60UXn5OmxWOw9xL_YlaD91jS8C6nK6Jc6l0aRT-oImUgpBgue1Mkr0UvVmz5WtordRvQ8sukR2pd2BW6v8y-vWWyZnyuR-vV18DT05oZLEwRPGE0FthfDyr22M6QJUjBuA7BGkdbPg/s400/Jolie_Labor-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer drew the moment I met baby Kyler for the first time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer told me that he was going to go with the baby while the doctors took care of me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just like that, I gave in to the narcotics and lost consciousness.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NICU</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I woke up back in my labor room about an hour later, still fighting drowsiness, dizziness, and frigid cold. Various nurses and doctors came to talk to me or check my vitals, and I had oxygen being fed through my nose through tubes I've seen on TV. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pediatrician on duty, Dr. Miller, walked in and stood a few feet from my bed. Wearing a black electrical guitar skull cap and sporting the facial hair and blunt demeanor of someone who probably rode a Harley Davidson to work, he stared at me until I opened my eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ten pounds, eight ounces," he said with wide eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What??" I exclaimed. Even my delirium wasn't strong enough to muffle that statement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yeah. I have no idea how he came out of you, but he's a big guy."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How was that even possible? My siblings and I had all weighed somewhere around seven or eight pounds at birth, and while my husband was 6'3" and bigger boned, he and his three siblings were not big babies, either. In fact, we couldn't think of a baby anywhere in our family history who had been born above nine pounds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My child basically weighed 10% of me, pre-pregnancy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I asked how he was doing, and was assured that he was doing well, but had inhaled a good amount of amniotic fluid and was being treated with antibiotics for the same infection that had caused me to shiver for the last few hours. They were treating him in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), just to be safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently after he was born, Kyler with Spencer in tow was whisked away to the NICU, where Spencer gave Kyler a quick father's priesthood blessing (a father's prayer given to a child in need) and stayed by his side as nurses and doctors ran multiple tests and hooked Kyler up to necessary tubes and machines. Dr. Takahashi even managed to sneak away between takes of filming <i>Grey's Anatomy </i>to give Spencer a hug and assure him everything went well.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9aQxFjfTCdr5c1zuajDsDff8WgMzXuRAgMNxkOH6EYCAx4taiwyr_ATvNdGUSXRdiE31z9IoJy0Ex3pcJzPr6IphxYr-1dG2D1OG-ikK4D9GPV_WHzQGdq-2sQtoHLsbe4poMxeoLs0a/s1600/to+NICU_crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9aQxFjfTCdr5c1zuajDsDff8WgMzXuRAgMNxkOH6EYCAx4taiwyr_ATvNdGUSXRdiE31z9IoJy0Ex3pcJzPr6IphxYr-1dG2D1OG-ikK4D9GPV_WHzQGdq-2sQtoHLsbe4poMxeoLs0a/s400/to+NICU_crop.png" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyler being wheeled from surgery to the NICU.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I, on the other hand, laid in the labor room, drifting in and out of consciousness as various alarms on the machines around me kept going off and nurses continued to top off my IV fluids and meds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After about three hours, I finally didn't feel like I was spinning out of control anymore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also noticed the same annoying alarm going off repeatedly, so I finally asked the nurse, "What <i>is</i> that?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's your oxygen levels," she told me. "We're not allowed to let you out of here until they're above a certain number."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, that's <i>me</i> causing that alarm?" Why didn't she say so? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could totally fix that.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The nurse left the room and I instantly started replacing my automatic breathing with deep breaths of the oxygen being fed through my nose. After a minute or so, the alarm stopped. Eureka! I continued the deep breathing, and a half hour later, the nurses were back in my room saying my levels had normalized and they could take me to see my baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yay!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few nurses and Spencer gathered around my bed and pushed it out of the room, down the hall, and into the NICU. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOxYuvL0mllc0yevYcr_VYXb7Sgl9AknwWWheKQGacihTp_MVUFYYhfnVXmApwdZpkxbO9Gs-j7JwNA8uTaqnjJa4FzMooirgYfiW2oproBHzt4Ft8mh6Otn8jvMm5Hu0up3pp6rbgOss/s1600/Screenshot_20190609-110408.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOxYuvL0mllc0yevYcr_VYXb7Sgl9AknwWWheKQGacihTp_MVUFYYhfnVXmApwdZpkxbO9Gs-j7JwNA8uTaqnjJa4FzMooirgYfiW2oproBHzt4Ft8mh6Otn8jvMm5Hu0up3pp6rbgOss/s640/Screenshot_20190609-110408.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to the NICU to see our baby Kyler.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We maneuvered the large bed passed the sweet itty bitty premature babies to the far corner, where a much larger, but just as helpless, baby was connected to many machines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our Kyler.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7R6pP9fub4QdhWabVyPDV4SBcWS-SIc-_umesgyUZHbhyphenhyphenaLFwF0dbw5PPI0i2oMOoijsXq66wQXsjNXo9m35sQzmHw85GNPNtRzE2DMAEGuSye7o8WsFTffqfFmIjFwa9CL9OWyi2ktZ/s1600/Screenshot_20190609-110540.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7R6pP9fub4QdhWabVyPDV4SBcWS-SIc-_umesgyUZHbhyphenhyphenaLFwF0dbw5PPI0i2oMOoijsXq66wQXsjNXo9m35sQzmHw85GNPNtRzE2DMAEGuSye7o8WsFTffqfFmIjFwa9CL9OWyi2ktZ/s640/Screenshot_20190609-110540.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first view of Kyler as they wheeled my bed into the NICU.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll be honest, it was so sad to see him hooked up to so many tubes, with IVs puncturing the veins in his tiny hands. But I knew it was also a blessing to have access to modern medicine, and we would not object to any treatment the medical professionals felt he needed.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIw9U4rTl_1h5v7FgdtfTqygZunm13nqf9GYTA2ZuHta80bsl_W-qURlNJn97uOYlGK4nRhPI3SbnGUBB2hLd1i7D8raJ5ZcNY-X0OFpATtWWs5An-1sEO8CXFST0AK-IZjJBeqe6ce_v/s1600/IMG_20190523_045240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIw9U4rTl_1h5v7FgdtfTqygZunm13nqf9GYTA2ZuHta80bsl_W-qURlNJn97uOYlGK4nRhPI3SbnGUBB2hLd1i7D8raJ5ZcNY-X0OFpATtWWs5An-1sEO8CXFST0AK-IZjJBeqe6ce_v/s640/IMG_20190523_045240.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though he was a c section baby, he was still really swollen from his journey into air.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's interesting. The new parent book I've been reading talks all about how you want to do skin-to-skin contact and try to nurse immediately, but they don't really say what to do when your new baby ends up in the NICU. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With me laying in the big hospital bed after being chopped open and Kyler hooked up to multiple machines, I didn't see much chance of me holding him. A NICU nurse confirmed that it probably wasn't the best idea at the moment. So I just stared at the swollen little guy, lying there.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me 'n' my big baby.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was laying curled up on his stomach with blankets and bumpers acting as padding all around him -- all big no-nos when putting an infant to sleep at home, but apparently fine when being constantly monitored by a medical team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer explained to me what the readings on all the machines were. Three main readings monitored heart rate, oxygen levels, and respiratory rate. It was apparently his respiratory rate that was the furthest off the charts as he was trying to learn how to breathe with his lungs, showing a consistent 130 breaths per minute instead of a normal 30. He would need to start breathing normally before he would be released from the NICU.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I reached out my hand and put it on his back. "It's ok, sweet boy. Mommy's here. You're a very sweet boy." I spoke softly to him as I lightly stroke his back.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4QgT5O6Knw4tnoyb3r0AT-h-LnbE-XqIYmnSyag65_oAbq8Er9ntsyNS5u0M6ndRlb8t8LvFVfT0E5C7TD6QTpw4jb23GQkimXYcuNrMLyQkKzS93XpXxy-KKcHXaAROwk0wjOCLJtUk/s1600/Screenshot_20190609-112145.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4QgT5O6Knw4tnoyb3r0AT-h-LnbE-XqIYmnSyag65_oAbq8Er9ntsyNS5u0M6ndRlb8t8LvFVfT0E5C7TD6QTpw4jb23GQkimXYcuNrMLyQkKzS93XpXxy-KKcHXaAROwk0wjOCLJtUk/s640/Screenshot_20190609-112145.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer noticed something. "Sweetie, his breathing is slowing down to normal," he said, amazed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I looked at the numbers on the machine, and sure enough, Kyler's breathing was slowing down to normal levels as I spoke to him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A NICU nurse also noticed from further away. She quickly approached us and watched the numbers for a moment. "Wow, they really are slowing down," she said, surprised. "Let's have you hold him, after all."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Quickly, the nurses lifted Kyler and all his tubes from his bed and placed him on my chest. Sure enough, from the moment he was in my arms, his breathing leveled out at normal levels -- significantly better than before -- and stayed that way for the full 45 minutes I held him. Even the nurses and doctors were impressed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"He knows his mommy," they said.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_TZSE0RuV7dkXfrVMEVgp9SGmLzw7AHFd4LqHxeUNOW70RYMM74bPt3wMH10ck-z-fqOX8wIvFA0oqBXM6Ecomw9P61yJKL4V32CtEvaVX6j07bnrDdDhsKh52w1ZKdHfRWu-kABLI4e/s1600/IMG_20190523_050753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_TZSE0RuV7dkXfrVMEVgp9SGmLzw7AHFd4LqHxeUNOW70RYMM74bPt3wMH10ck-z-fqOX8wIvFA0oqBXM6Ecomw9P61yJKL4V32CtEvaVX6j07bnrDdDhsKh52w1ZKdHfRWu-kABLI4e/s640/IMG_20190523_050753.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During my first time holding our big-little guy, his breathing leveled out for the first time in the hours since he was born.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was amazed to see it myself. I guess he had been listening to my breathing and heartbeat for months. It made sense that it could bring a sense of comfort to him now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was nothing short of remarkable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's weird to give birth and then be sent to postpartum for a few nights without your baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It makes everything seem like a dream -- like maybe that whole pregnancy thing didn't really happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then I looked down at my belly that was still huge and my legs and feet that rivaled those of an elephant's, and it solidified that yes, I had actually been pregnant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My water retention was pretty bad while pregnant, but now it was insane. I regretted leaving my compression running socks at home while I was at the hospital (I thought I'd be staying for one night instead of three), because if you would have pricked my lower extremities with a pin, water would have sprayed out like a broken pipe.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSMDPY3054enoyyJ36PPebUJ0usqQy1iggsQCnHZw-QKqtcTjsI0bWJIKQBtiRIGVBIXbmKyxKYMUPppR_ejXnGaZJNLB93-VLZTggaPZpAizD0M6v4mhOHnisD40_aWmfYrKWHQu0mnX/s1600/Legs+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1493" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSMDPY3054enoyyJ36PPebUJ0usqQy1iggsQCnHZw-QKqtcTjsI0bWJIKQBtiRIGVBIXbmKyxKYMUPppR_ejXnGaZJNLB93-VLZTggaPZpAizD0M6v4mhOHnisD40_aWmfYrKWHQu0mnX/s400/Legs+copy.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water retention in my feet - one day after delivery (top) and one week later (bottom)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I finally did get home, those compression socks were a life-saver.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compression socks' effect on my leg.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But while I was in the hospital accumulating another solid $400 copay per day to my credit card, Spencer and I spent our time resting and visiting Kyler in NICU, when I wasn't being poked and prodded by nurses and doctors monitoring my recovery. But instead of waking up and nursing our new baby every few hours at night, we just kinda slept and didn't feel much like new parents at all.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_LzNEwiQ7t_bRJXpyIsnzkSdLrLLpxYG1KzwL2K91STVDaEROhfws48-OPxOUY34Iew87FlRtSJ9BrSSgI7ZnOlVgNvlVl9mRCRuNoT7XZzeJwtc0gWi1kZwDvlfz0qz0XLRBh1VAvCU/s1600/IMG_20190523_135118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_LzNEwiQ7t_bRJXpyIsnzkSdLrLLpxYG1KzwL2K91STVDaEROhfws48-OPxOUY34Iew87FlRtSJ9BrSSgI7ZnOlVgNvlVl9mRCRuNoT7XZzeJwtc0gWi1kZwDvlfz0qz0XLRBh1VAvCU/s640/IMG_20190523_135118.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of tubes, but in good care.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will say, though, that we were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the Kaiser Irvine staff -- our nurses, doctors, techs, etc., were generally awesome and made us feel well taken care of. After a two-year nightmare of Kaiser doctors failing to correctly diagnose significant chronic back pain I was dealing with, my opinion of the Kaiser system was quite low before pregnancy. But this experience was redemptive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It hurt like crazy to move, cough, or laugh (the "no laughing" thing was the worst), or even think about moving, coughing, or laughing. That being said, I wasn't about to complain. Had I tried to give birth to Kyler 100 years ago, we both likely would have died because there would have been no way to push him out naturally. So while the pain of the c section was prevalent, it's a lot less painful than death.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And our Academy Award-winning Ob-gyn apparently did an amazing job with my incision. Every doctor or nurse who came to check it said it was one of the best they've seen -- like it was a piece of art. It didn't feel like a piece of art to me, but I'll happily be a canvas to a great incision any day I'm rushed to emergency surgery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My awesome mom drove down from Utah and spent the days with us in the hospital, which helped pass the time.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Bek3DVZLW2mb2dRpS5C6xaprabxIql_zSqeyMo_90EifVOcPshkj05TxP6AG4Gjae-afxqCw0dXGTtpnOOgjhR-x02Zr8R_gBykyTS9lPbXXmYOlAkgKh6XJeQFmHOHilersCpNf2ycj/s1600/IMG_20190524_125906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Bek3DVZLW2mb2dRpS5C6xaprabxIql_zSqeyMo_90EifVOcPshkj05TxP6AG4Gjae-afxqCw0dXGTtpnOOgjhR-x02Zr8R_gBykyTS9lPbXXmYOlAkgKh6XJeQFmHOHilersCpNf2ycj/s640/IMG_20190524_125906.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyler makes grandchild #3 for Grandma Tracy.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And</i> she's staying with us for a month, which helps our sanity and raises the chance of our baby's survival.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eventually, just in time for the last night, Kyler was discharged from the NICU and we got to spend a night with our sweet little-big guy in our room before being discharged the next day.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBPE2qSpxw4zhjfYOEPKXQI0kC6XoDz1zv929flqk7ffM2MZsxZSc9zYj9WtOgen2oQeKC1mtAsKVCdlnk_4yLrRwyT2EKwZtZ7Vh78f3hl74fm-wU16uoyg7eR9nj0KbMgY0TxXn0Bf/s1600/IMG_20190524_174544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFBPE2qSpxw4zhjfYOEPKXQI0kC6XoDz1zv929flqk7ffM2MZsxZSc9zYj9WtOgen2oQeKC1mtAsKVCdlnk_4yLrRwyT2EKwZtZ7Vh78f3hl74fm-wU16uoyg7eR9nj0KbMgY0TxXn0Bf/s640/IMG_20190524_174544.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally released from the NICU after 48 hours.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Saturday afternoon, we packed up our things, loaded our cutie into his new car seat with straps that were probably far too tight, and drove home.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUTbjjnxRYXFXsvZ4ewVepuBvo1epGcT8QY8sl6Er2SqU2xqtYoibxqLYB2BHpvM2Y0kPDxbLkn7GaFwKiF9UrahbBncfMa4NiWyNkc-Vyxk5RaFEc90fdlslG4NTzvU12jRYI75yKD5L/s1600/Car-seat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUTbjjnxRYXFXsvZ4ewVepuBvo1epGcT8QY8sl6Er2SqU2xqtYoibxqLYB2BHpvM2Y0kPDxbLkn7GaFwKiF9UrahbBncfMa4NiWyNkc-Vyxk5RaFEc90fdlslG4NTzvU12jRYI75yKD5L/s400/Car-seat.gif" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mom, I can't breathe."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Operation Baby Birth: complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kyler</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since he came into our lives, we have absolutely loved our Kyler (which is why it's taken me so long to write his birth story, because I want to spend all my time with him).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everything he does is beyond adorable to us. My mom says he is a "good baby," because he rarely cries and he sleeps pretty well, but we don't really know the difference since we've never had a kid before. He was basically born a month old, so if he's "good," that's probably why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone says he looks just like his dad, though we're waiting to see exactly what hair and eye color he ends up having. I think <i>maybe</i> he has my nose?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who the heck knows at this point? </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgERo6qUlX0LslZZm9MG-AvMO5Ye_K892sGdcYNNiSU2huvF4QwnNp-_dej1GbHa9XCuFJrzPQzTueh7L8bulW7JJQU7sW6_k3rhsL91Wm6MtBEPQUfOLZkpw-8Mro_zClu73wekVoo60c/s1600/Spencer_Kyler_comparison+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgERo6qUlX0LslZZm9MG-AvMO5Ye_K892sGdcYNNiSU2huvF4QwnNp-_dej1GbHa9XCuFJrzPQzTueh7L8bulW7JJQU7sW6_k3rhsL91Wm6MtBEPQUfOLZkpw-8Mro_zClu73wekVoo60c/s400/Spencer_Kyler_comparison+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer (left) as a baby compared to Kyler (right) - What do you think?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being home with him instead of away at work or something has been amazing, though we won't be able to financially afford that for long, so I'm enjoying every moment while I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for his size, here is how he measured at his first pediatric appointment a few days after he was born:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the >99th percentile for height, he is literally one of the tallest newborns in America. Didn't see that coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That definitely isn't something he inherited from his mom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We named him Kyler because we wanted a name that was unique without being weird, and he gets his middle name, James, from my brother who is basically me in male form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our 3-year-old whippet, Jpeg, has decided that Kyler is one of his own pups, and he constantly follows him around, sits as close to him as possible, and shows concern when he cries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In summary, I am so grateful for the gift we've been given, and I feel so blessed to be Kyler's mama. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His story is just beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And rather than bore you with more words from me, here are a bunch of pictures, courtesy of doting new parents:</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We love him.</span><br />
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-84355662844112911542017-01-28T16:02:00.001-08:002017-01-28T16:27:46.540-08:00Changing Four Lives: A Scholarship for a Dear Friend in Need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0q3RDwDclVs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0q3RDwDclVs?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meet Erick.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtom2w5slHS3EczMmAPvudkyoEPbZ8OrWsDENBmBuYJyp3JRTgxNHGz14T1X9h9dcCLW1exm6VY4F267Ol-_eTmeXqwnJsomLBfPXw0B0vHxGYVJ4xFHUZHft94yzpWQt1AB1cMEv4iJQ/s1600/Erick_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtom2w5slHS3EczMmAPvudkyoEPbZ8OrWsDENBmBuYJyp3JRTgxNHGz14T1X9h9dcCLW1exm6VY4F267Ol-_eTmeXqwnJsomLBfPXw0B0vHxGYVJ4xFHUZHft94yzpWQt1AB1cMEv4iJQ/s400/Erick_02.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erick with his sweet daughter, Kamila.</td></tr>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-6533cbbe-e3fa-c92b-dcc8-70e8a0a359ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Erick is a police officer in Guatemala. I met him when he was the police escort for the humanitarian medical team I traveled with to the jungles of Guatemala to do free surgery for people in need last year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, obviously I didn’t personally do the free surgery. These people weren’t </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">desperate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just invaded everyone’s space with my camera during the surgeries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But that’s neither here nor there.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right when I met Erick, I felt like I already knew him -- it caught me off guard how familiar he felt to me, actually. Insert your own spiritual philosophy here, but I feel like I knew him before this life. I was all the more caught off guard when he volunteered the same feeling. Talk about a trippy... trip.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hahaha, “trippy trip.”</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRECz3DUQ8qGF0gNnp9fjf4HGkXPTpQIllafPvbCv-G1aGAMMLLzvrg-VVF6vWTJ5JMcHqzDakGnOPlcuTS4sVIZR49c1ygFOmGbDTomkHkZ1TzSqgVIs6_IrHgODWzLCcBeWNTrMgl88Z/s1600/14889795_10154642152523537_749243130903616987_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRECz3DUQ8qGF0gNnp9fjf4HGkXPTpQIllafPvbCv-G1aGAMMLLzvrg-VVF6vWTJ5JMcHqzDakGnOPlcuTS4sVIZR49c1ygFOmGbDTomkHkZ1TzSqgVIs6_IrHgODWzLCcBeWNTrMgl88Z/s640/14889795_10154642152523537_749243130903616987_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very bad picture of both of us, but it's the only one we have together, so there ya go.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since traveling to Guatemala, I have gotten to know Erick and his sweet wife Elisa very well. They speak to me every day because they know I'm trying to become fluent in Spanish, and they want to help me, because they authentically love helping people. I’ve spoken to their friends. Always the skeptic, I’ve concluded there is no doubt that these are good people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve heard stories about Erick -- some he doesn’t know that I know -- about how he worked tirelessly in the mud to rescue families during a hurricane, and how as he pulled children’s bodies out from the rubble, he immediately prayed for each of them. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D_y7GfLHt0Ov0v_G7ymgj4ylYsEHyJV0QRY6v9x_KQgonh-B1ZGR8r6poZwEFyst6FtKhGJOqB5kWT6XG-Chr9ahPcZtVGRL3O5-xGLAJDKVXfgATlLk_IalTJTO9tjKfOzqSZ2IcEI/s1600/hurricanestan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D_y7GfLHt0Ov0v_G7ymgj4ylYsEHyJV0QRY6v9x_KQgonh-B1ZGR8r6poZwEFyst6FtKhGJOqB5kWT6XG-Chr9ahPcZtVGRL3O5-xGLAJDKVXfgATlLk_IalTJTO9tjKfOzqSZ2IcEI/s400/hurricanestan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guatemalan police pulled many bodies from the rubble of Storm Agatha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88Xom6p1y8lnCZDmC7kpmBDk5epgSWbMoXiHMuSFChhyphenhyphengv5lMheSqlHWAbFXC7Xmvy8GxaEZYTB_n4LAYFAzcu9EaXsSxe2yhkmIAtnbEXl0VPEW-rh00Go0CrH5SUn9L6F9IapNXDqqm/s1600/IMG_9744_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88Xom6p1y8lnCZDmC7kpmBDk5epgSWbMoXiHMuSFChhyphenhyphengv5lMheSqlHWAbFXC7Xmvy8GxaEZYTB_n4LAYFAzcu9EaXsSxe2yhkmIAtnbEXl0VPEW-rh00Go0CrH5SUn9L6F9IapNXDqqm/s640/IMG_9744_en.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The storm devastated much of the third world country. Many people did not survive.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He is an intelligent, hilarious, good man who asks for nothing for himself (except to drive my drone someday -- he is fascinated by my drone, hahaha). Elisa volunteers regularly at her community’s church and welcomes people in need with open arms. She, too, is humble and never asks for anything. Their children are sweethearts.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibROQCZNtJ5obMXroYmyJHbMdxgRjndvCxGOMDmY1nCKw9nNAMtHkRYmTDyN6I-CvnKPIV6yDfo9HJj2isru3sllLlcaoPfiS7sqes0kJ8ClIRJznQ5w1mMnWMea1BGAIDAd_-ZH6CM_dY/s1600/Erick_and_Elisa_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibROQCZNtJ5obMXroYmyJHbMdxgRjndvCxGOMDmY1nCKw9nNAMtHkRYmTDyN6I-CvnKPIV6yDfo9HJj2isru3sllLlcaoPfiS7sqes0kJ8ClIRJznQ5w1mMnWMea1BGAIDAd_-ZH6CM_dY/s320/Erick_and_Elisa_en.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erick and Elisa -- amazing human beings</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Guatemala, unless you are born with wealthy (and often corrupt) connections, it is very difficult to find opportunities to excel and provide for your family. It’s difficult to find a job that pays enough to survive -- let alone go to school and further a career. Many of them live in huts or cement blocks -- all the things you might expect from a third world country.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a full-time police officer in Guatemala, Erick is paid around $600 a month. Let me repeat that -- $600 a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">month</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. That blows my mind. In order to make even that $600, Erick has to work a 12-hour bus ride away from home. He sleeps at the police station for about 8 to 10 days in a row and returns home for a couple days at a time to see his family, and then repeats the process. And while expenses in Guatemala are not the same as they are here, they are actually not as different as you might expect, and that $600 is not much at all for a family of four. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guatemala’s working class, including its police officers, legitimately live in poverty. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youcaring.com/Scholarship4Erick">Click here to help.</a></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDevJAoJq7mLz1z2Q_K0kSmIV8xnKpBVfG3KjZuLeGdb8jURuAHKkqdC7-Y7z7wbobBmSNjVtY9ukShqoPAB_gU9QyLg4lGeMT0Wdu7ePGtG1W1uEDrUu-QE746XSL7r7ozhh9UyxUudM/s1600/Filming+the+kids_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDevJAoJq7mLz1z2Q_K0kSmIV8xnKpBVfG3KjZuLeGdb8jURuAHKkqdC7-Y7z7wbobBmSNjVtY9ukShqoPAB_gU9QyLg4lGeMT0Wdu7ePGtG1W1uEDrUu-QE746XSL7r7ozhh9UyxUudM/s640/Filming+the+kids_crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to film some of the local kids on my trip, and I loved them to pieces.</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To add to it all, a few years ago, Erick and Elisa were struck with further financial hardship when a family member they trusted unexpectedly robbed them of the savings they had -- they were victims of awful luck. And after telling me the story, Elisa firmly declared “I was angry and so upset, but I knew I needed to forgive [the family member]. And so I did. Even though we don’t have money, we have peace.”</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I’ve gotten to know Erick, I have come to believe that all his desires in life center around making </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">other</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> people happy -- especially his family. He sees his girls growing up and understandably desires opportunity for them. And rather than join some of the corrupt ranks of Guatemala’s dark side and lie or steal or cheat to provide more for his family, Erick chooses to work hard and have faith that his God will provide.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s where we come in.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztfchbHgJ1uGl_hyojzEDLd6_6Y2msX6DTW_1R5tfHgme8x3OyFrtbTi0zIwqdCFJam7PpvsBZKeJoukfSJDGxnvqcRojqVsKosJz8lB6euYVXKOQ5DVqM7eCO_qLQXD0V5EvEvu2yn_V/s1600/Perez_daughters+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztfchbHgJ1uGl_hyojzEDLd6_6Y2msX6DTW_1R5tfHgme8x3OyFrtbTi0zIwqdCFJam7PpvsBZKeJoukfSJDGxnvqcRojqVsKosJz8lB6euYVXKOQ5DVqM7eCO_qLQXD0V5EvEvu2yn_V/s640/Perez_daughters+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their daughters: Kamila and Crystal.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing that can help Erick is a promotion -- that would likely allow him to live at home and be able to watch his daughters grow up, instead of a 12-hour bus ride away. It would also mean digging out of the financial pit they’re currently in, and provide more opportunities for his daughters.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In order to be promoted, Erick needs to enroll in the local university, which he has a strong desire to do. But unlike the nation I am so blessed to live in, there are no scholarships or financial aid programs available to Erick. And even though university enrollment is comparatively cheap to what I’m used to, every dollar he pays out of pocket toward his education increases the chance of skipping lunch that day. He just doesn't have the means. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing this family struggle breaks my heart. And while I hate asking for money more than I hate when hangers in my closet get tangled up and all my clothes fall on the floor (a first world problem that I’m embarrassed to say turns me into the Hulk -- minus the muscles), the pain of not helping this sweet family is far greater.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve run the numbers, and for $5,000, Erick can attend his local university for the full four years. He can earn the degree he has his eye on. He will be eligible for promotion. And most importantly, he can live in the same house as his family. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">$5,000 can change four lives.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think I spent $5,000 on books alone when I was in college. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And let's be honest. I’ve probably spent $5,000 on total race entry fees since I started running. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow… I feel… just wow. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youcaring.com/Scholarship4Erick"><img alt="" border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFV4swz3YbsmTV8lQFfwlPM1XJMH7sfdGepGAVr-k4cZbFwqw1O_lb3oIphCfBUSRU1Llj_ljX62w0Z7W8IfBp4CmtWrLsk3QmWyMiCRa5Xz0XnPDOIK00EiuuHABdWE5-EUBA6tb4fhW/s400/Help_btn01+copy.png" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This $5,000 also supports putting honest people in governmental positions in the country of Guatemala. It teaches a willing, hard-working man to fish, who will no doubt use his blessings to bless the lives of others. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0VTt5K1zn3WXBA5JOp4NMewXdf3EU0pGqNDmUF8e2XJzs86irJDLzRCyxNFdQAO5LNPDgH-8G1aVnpnYnKgOOgCdQNexPQR_ubSiarmKnoKdcs-FbvdPwjpZ_3Avc_apGtZv0E3YWuNc/s1600/Erick_03_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0VTt5K1zn3WXBA5JOp4NMewXdf3EU0pGqNDmUF8e2XJzs86irJDLzRCyxNFdQAO5LNPDgH-8G1aVnpnYnKgOOgCdQNexPQR_ubSiarmKnoKdcs-FbvdPwjpZ_3Avc_apGtZv0E3YWuNc/s640/Erick_03_en.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erick and the other officers at his station threw a party for the "poor kids" in the neighborhood.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the way -- </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>He has no idea I'm doing this,</b> so on the off chance that we share a mutual contact, please don't let the cat out of the bag (dogs are ok). You'd be surprised -- I just found out that my husband goes to school with his niece. It's a small world after all... la la la la la... sorry about that.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know there are millions of people in Guatemala, many of whom are worse off financially than Erick and Elisa. I’ve met some of them. But I personally know </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> family, and they are at least as deserving. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">family is the one I go to sleep wishing I could help. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve done my research and tested money transfers and I feel I know how to safely ensure funds are used properly. Rest assured, I will monitor and control all the financial contributions, so as long as you trust me, you can know that your donation is going to a good place. All contributions will go directly to this cause -- I obviously won’t take squat. I’ve got my own student loans to pay (or I’d probably just hand over this whole donation myself), but I also don’t make $600 a month, so I’m good.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we are able to raise more than $5,000, that money can be used to pay for living and additional school expenses -- there is still need beyond our goal. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But as I promised, if we can reach our goal of $5,000, I will literally tie 25 balloons to myself, climb to the tallest peak at Peter's Canyon on a crowded Saturday morning, and do the Thriller dance in front of a video camera. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynl9RNlAXezVfuBaKwyoagVaERIcXA4oMKPqv6gA9ZAm2Mxlh-oIGMMpO2ifxJNjq7up4VKhIkhiIIpH7vlmYovFZoOvTL3U5zG-QFCvt3CGv2yoTlpBaArGJ1XhbafoYEtiIr0K35kDH/s1600/balloon_peak_goal+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynl9RNlAXezVfuBaKwyoagVaERIcXA4oMKPqv6gA9ZAm2Mxlh-oIGMMpO2ifxJNjq7up4VKhIkhiIIpH7vlmYovFZoOvTL3U5zG-QFCvt3CGv2yoTlpBaArGJ1XhbafoYEtiIr0K35kDH/s400/balloon_peak_goal+copy.jpg" width="381" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we raise $10,000, I'll post a fully edited pro music video of this disaster on YouTube. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So if you can spare any amount -- great or small -- whether you have a desire to be an answer to prayers, or just want to watch me make a full-on public mockery of myself -- I thank you so humbly for your support. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youcaring.com/Scholarship4Erick"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuW9kpsYLn9CIbegbmB7wztK3Vv02DR-UgindaWVKksdPtDj4Ki5TB5skME922vxPGL2aSohprYqVzyVh_5KC9VmxRNELDGqHCWqavlaITpuIAG4Ms8BTYp1Pb2dSMgyI7SITPBaVdW9Fp/s400/Help_btn02+copy.png" width="400" /></a><span id="goog_1910698256"></span><span id="goog_1910698257"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you for helping me change lives. </span></span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-74385208159428654482016-06-05T13:48:00.005-07:002016-06-06T23:05:09.793-07:00Friendship Fail: How Acting on Accidental Stalking Creeped Out a Complete Stranger<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hey, look at that license plate frame in front of us," my husband Spencer said from behind the wheel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I glanced up from the passenger seat and sat up straight. "What the heck?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What's the problem?" he asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It's that car again!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was no mistaking it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You see, for weeks, at different times of the day and in different parts of Orange County, I had begun to notice myself driving behind the exact same car: a red Honda Accord station wagon.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.andybaird.com/travels/fulltime/photos/1995-accord-wagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.andybaird.com/travels/fulltime/photos/1995-accord-wagon.jpg" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was like a ghost car that kept showing up out of nowhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember the car specifically because not only are Honda station wagons rarely seen around Orange County, but it also had a very distinct license plate frame that got my attention the very first time I was behind it at a stoplight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The frame read "Winning Group of America - Run USA."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLAqzuK9pSuy-qflzAHQ2mlzqFMFTRAeHAgBzPfM4DeQtUwIJpqcJPMZnMcTy-9-iqpEAyGnEIdC2hkuy-PypCOaozgx-4LETAZoufmEqFzBLsv2QJXVO07E6KCQhRQdpbq67JBE0XWMg/s1600/License_only_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLAqzuK9pSuy-qflzAHQ2mlzqFMFTRAeHAgBzPfM4DeQtUwIJpqcJPMZnMcTy-9-iqpEAyGnEIdC2hkuy-PypCOaozgx-4LETAZoufmEqFzBLsv2QJXVO07E6KCQhRQdpbq67JBE0XWMg/s400/License_only_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought, "Ooo, sounds interesting. I wonder what that group is. It must be some fun running club, or a running store, or maybe these license plate frames are only given to US Olympic athletes..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My detail-oriented mind joined forces with my over-active imagination to list out the possible reasons in my head for having such a license plate frame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And because I prefer to torture myself these days with the pastime of running, I took a special interest in the frame's advertised subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But not enough to give it another thought once the light turned green.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until.... dun dun dun.... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few days later, I looked up and saw the exact same car ahead of me at a different part of the day. "Weird," I thought, followed by more pondering of this Run USA Olympic athlete who must have at <i>least </i>a bronze medal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or possibly silver.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it wasn't lost on me what coincidence it was that I had seen the exact same car in front of me again, at a completely different part of Orange County, at a completely different time of day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then I shrugged and kept driving, and eventually traffic separated me from the mystery runner behind the wheel of the red Honda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then, a few days later, I found myself driving behind the exact same car. Then again, a few days after that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then three more times in the same week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, think about this. There are millions of people in Orange County, and hundreds of thousands of people within an immediate few mile radius from my house alone. We don't have empty lots here -- we'll put a house or a taco shop on any pile of dirt, if city ordinances will allow it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And just about every post-16-year-old around here owns a car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are so many cars in this county, that our freeways are better known as parking lots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, then <i>why</i> was I running into the <i>exact </i>same vehicle, not once, not twice, but half a dozen times in just a matter of days?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Was it some sort of fate?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, Jolie. That's how weird people think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After multiple run-ins with this car, I finally brought it up as a dinner table conversation topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"So... there's this car I keep seeing on the road... it's weird...." with my sweet husband taking enough of an interest to validate me until I changed the subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cut to -- a couple days later, we were both in the car together when we ended up behind none other than the red Honda station wagon again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After having a conniption fit full of "What the heck??s," I did what any normal accidental stalker would do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I pulled out my cell phone and took a picture:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYjri9eZiT8tGcT-B9Yu8LpERnApWBuCrJEuBBCPJh8AICwOYvQ7RL0ZjjcMR0hDsZg5nlmMerbtENznWT57CdiVQXVSTY1PA0S7HKl494tv2czDsssTe_0394aGFlAzGPQtDQFyvy7D/s1600/Car_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYjri9eZiT8tGcT-B9Yu8LpERnApWBuCrJEuBBCPJh8AICwOYvQ7RL0ZjjcMR0hDsZg5nlmMerbtENznWT57CdiVQXVSTY1PA0S7HKl494tv2czDsssTe_0394aGFlAzGPQtDQFyvy7D/s640/Car_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Run USA car.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Can you see who the driver is?" I asked. But before we could make out any details in his or her silhouette, traffic separated us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then the very next day, on the way to work, I was flabbergasted to find myself again behind the exact same car. And like a total-wanna-be-detective-who-is-really-just-a-weirdo, I managed to pull up next to it at a stoplight just long enough to get a glimpse of the driver.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She was a petite Asian with long hair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ah ha! I finally had a face to go with the license plate frame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But... she was pretty short for an Olympic athlete... She must just be really fast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After all, she pulled ahead of me when the stoplight turned green. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Competitive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't wait to tell my husband I had discovered what the mystery driver looked like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before I got the chance to, however, I was driving the 12-ish miles home from work that very same day in crawling traffic on the 5 freeway, when the car in front of me decided to merge into a neighboring lane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Imagine my surprise when it revealed the new driving neighbor directly ahead of me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The red Run USA Honda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seriously?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twice in one day?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I looked around me. There were hundreds to thousands of cars within my eyesight. The statistical probability of me ending up directly behind this <i>same</i> vehicle both on the way to work and on the way home from work in the same day had to be next to zero, not to mention all the other times I had driven behind her in the past few weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This needed to be a story problem in some college statistics book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Officially creeped out, I continued to drive home, unable to keep my eyes off the red Honda. About a mile before I got home, I saw her turn into nearby a neighborhood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great. Now I knew where she lived. This was weird. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I got home, I opened the door, dropped my purse on the table, and announced "She's Asian!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Run USA driver girl. I saw her both to and from work today. I know what she looks like, and I know what neighborhood she probably lives in."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I paused.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And I sound like a total stalker."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We laughed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought a moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ya know, maybe I should try to meet her."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spencer searched my expression to see if I was serious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I mean, she doesn't look like a scary person, and I don't look like a scary person. What if the next time I see her drive into her neighborhood, I just happen to drive that same direction? It's a pretty stalker-esque thing to do, sure, but maybe we all need to be a bit more friendly to each other and take a bit more risks. We already must have running in common -- what's the harm?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kumbaya for my a</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ir-tight logic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />So right then and there, I decided that if I ever saw her drive into her neighborhood again, I would try to meet her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, in that moment, I figured the chances of me seeing her turn into her neighborhood again were slim, so I wouldn't ever actually have to stalk her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But no.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was two days later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was driving home from work, when I was mortified to see none other than that red Honda station wagon with the Run USA license plate directly in front of me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my mind, I had made a commitment I couldn't back out of now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was no turning back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, the red Honda turned into the same neighborhood I had seen it enter before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only this time, a silver Tacoma also turned right behind her. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My silver Tacoma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She took a left into a residential neighborhood, and my silver Tacoma also took a left.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPbnUnoezEXM0esQAqPjPdCdDRymFAMnQGWcHMA2v8-fWgk6_2fGWYO3qcYGYo69Hf7bSkKmoibJzv_u8zYlyqmYhdyugK3GExYJo0QbfE9XnblMxGtLQMB4ftbG8F3Vt2F6dlsiwbgoL/s1600/following_car_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPbnUnoezEXM0esQAqPjPdCdDRymFAMnQGWcHMA2v8-fWgk6_2fGWYO3qcYGYo69Hf7bSkKmoibJzv_u8zYlyqmYhdyugK3GExYJo0QbfE9XnblMxGtLQMB4ftbG8F3Vt2F6dlsiwbgoL/s640/following_car_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stalking in action.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She slowed down, and I got nervous. "Ugh... she totally sees me following her... I'm such a psycho."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another left. Then she began to parallel park her car on the curb in front of a house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did not look at the house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knowing what the house looked like felt like diving too deep into stalker territory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, I just pulled up next to her and rolled down my window.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the most overly-friendly, unintimidating voice and face I could muster, I said, "Hi!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She looked up at me, understandably confused.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I took a deep breath and continued. "This is going to sound really weird, cuz it is weird, but I live in a nearby neighborhood, and I have coincidentally driven behind you about a dozen times, so I told myself that if that ever happened again, I would introduce myself and say hi."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She just stared at me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried again. "Umm... I'm actually a runner, and your license plate got my attention."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She finally spoke. "What?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She had a very strong accent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh no.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This interaction was going to be weird enough without any sort of language barrier. If she had trouble understanding English, then there was no saving it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Are you a runner, too?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She clearly did not understand what I was saying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Do you like to run? Your license plate says 'Run USA.'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She paused. "Huh?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I'll show you." I hopped out of my double-parked vehicle and walked around to the back of hers. I pointed. "See? Run USA."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She looked at it for a moment. "Oh... no, I don't know that."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart sank. "Oh... the frame maybe came with the car?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More staring.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Awkward times twelve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And in this awkwardness, apparently I was accidentally taking selfies of myself...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPMDvG7JVWSmjrRZUPVYzAGyc_mXyHDK5sX0AXwnBqg_ZmX6OFvPEk37FTvv5pKi14RA6rJDG2Au4oDxuB1Mf_pPkOwMyyvtuBbBvZFrwTkuY70_ZukpClNk-VzRZdSpO3Mh0We7ywIgY/s1600/accidental_pic_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Accidental selfie during our awkward conversation." border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPMDvG7JVWSmjrRZUPVYzAGyc_mXyHDK5sX0AXwnBqg_ZmX6OFvPEk37FTvv5pKi14RA6rJDG2Au4oDxuB1Mf_pPkOwMyyvtuBbBvZFrwTkuY70_ZukpClNk-VzRZdSpO3Mh0We7ywIgY/s640/accidental_pic_web.jpg" title="Accidental selfie during our awkward conversation." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accidental selfie via my phone during our awkward conversation.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One more try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I reached out to shake her hand. "I'm Jolie. I have a running blog, which is why I wanted to meet you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>And none of this makes any sense to you</i>, I thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I promise I'm not as creepy as I seem," I awkwardly explained.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a brief, unclear conversation, I gathered her name was something like Katzco (though it sounded like Costco), and that she moved here from Japan less than a year ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great. You haven't even been here a year yet and some random American followed you home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Welcome to the home of the brave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted to pull out my phone and show her pictures of me doing normal, nonthreatening things, like working at Disneyland or something -- anything -- to prove I wasn't going to show up on her doorstep at 2am, but there was no time. Suddenly my objective had gone from "making a friend" to "preventing this poor stranger from having nightmares for the rest of her life."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abort mission!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She opted out of taking a selfie with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a shock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finally freed her from our conversation, and openly mocked myself on the drive home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She hadn't even been a runner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She barely spoke English.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My "fun" idea of throwing caution to the wind only ended up making a stranger throw caution into everything she does from now on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And "Run USA"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, I finally went home and Googled it. Guess what it is?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtznDQRaUQmFAxxWYAZOv82ehnaqtde_8Kuw6AqcJvDAHmeNRElt-CEMWFKWQtq4YUwKEANZv_6fc-K9WdSziVT4RMe2TLdRg22Vg6gd1Yjv1866yb88I4UnBjkzL2-WbB-b56QuB2Z3s/s1600/Run-USA_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtznDQRaUQmFAxxWYAZOv82ehnaqtde_8Kuw6AqcJvDAHmeNRElt-CEMWFKWQtq4YUwKEANZv_6fc-K9WdSziVT4RMe2TLdRg22Vg6gd1Yjv1866yb88I4UnBjkzL2-WbB-b56QuB2Z3s/s640/Run-USA_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A really terribly-named tiny little used car dealership in Los Angeles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps I should have Googled it earlier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-47294472223818839072016-05-19T19:02:00.001-07:002016-05-19T19:02:45.102-07:00How to Protect Yourself from Weirdo-Creeps While Running Alone<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm a bit of a safety nut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even my dogs wear seat belts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-QEKNw6TL81fN_cQAlDPz3ncs39OmS4kAsHzL02TiexjDWUPcROTJu2NL-kxUsrBdSegquOEhvGmKw6UGUiiDdsj-KZtMeM3UQEGUKMGWaD7Yblp5PQ_d1tbawCeW3msTXcMeGcMsvuR/s1600/dogs_seatbelts_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="My dogs wear seat belts" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-QEKNw6TL81fN_cQAlDPz3ncs39OmS4kAsHzL02TiexjDWUPcROTJu2NL-kxUsrBdSegquOEhvGmKw6UGUiiDdsj-KZtMeM3UQEGUKMGWaD7Yblp5PQ_d1tbawCeW3msTXcMeGcMsvuR/s640/dogs_seatbelts_web.jpg" title="My dogs wear seat belts" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JPeg (left) and Comet (right)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shut up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And with all my safety-nuttedness, I couldn't help making a video about a unique running safety product...</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t_OnHe_yOd8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t_OnHe_yOd8?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And for all you doubters, my husband had no idea that wake-up call was coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, when I surf the web looking for "runner safety," cuz that's the kind of stuff I surf the web for, I often see the exact same advice:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't. Run. Alone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok. Sure -- no problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I were a wildebeest.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Blue_Wildebeest,_Ngorongoro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Blue_Wildebeest,_Ngorongoro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These things took out Mufasa.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As much as I appreciate that advice, I am not fortunate enough to have a plethora of nearby running pals with a remotely similar wacky schedule or training plan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used to have one of these friends, but then he packed up my safety dreams and moved away, l</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eaving me alone to fend off random weirdos.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ruvmor4mN1SGWviS0qFkHfAwqBR3q3XYPHXwRTIrTp3na6NoJ-fEx04rHpfwONnH2jnOLImbV37bDKkH9rfI60J_BUVPr3ndC70yKvvP0dBP9CE-TXPxc0iDS2TWQJF5EuMD5Vx4SxrT/s1600/Greg%2526Me_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="With my running buddy, Greg, during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon (before he moved away - booo)" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ruvmor4mN1SGWviS0qFkHfAwqBR3q3XYPHXwRTIrTp3na6NoJ-fEx04rHpfwONnH2jnOLImbV37bDKkH9rfI60J_BUVPr3ndC70yKvvP0dBP9CE-TXPxc0iDS2TWQJF5EuMD5Vx4SxrT/s640/Greg%2526Me_web.jpg" title="With my running buddy, Greg, during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon (before he moved away - booo)" width="374" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my running buddy, Greg, during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon (before he moved away - booo)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And we all know there are weirdos out there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I once had a stalker who wrote letters to my dogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is much weirder than putting them in seat belts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*shudder*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, there are all the terrifying stories you can find online -- like the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TheLaw/police-find-body-missing-runner-chelsea-king-17/story?id=9992504">murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King</a>, who was attacked while running in a <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rancho+Bernardo+Community+Park/@33.0474376,-117.0756406,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1s-Aef-3cfASL4%2FVzNUOoYb2mI%2FAAAAAAAAGyk%2FgoUmDxszLX83A3B4Sfcv6iN_2DGbz3lZACLIB!2e4!3e12!6s%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-Aef-3cfASL4%2FVzNUOoYb2mI%2FAAAAAAAAGyk%2FgoUmDxszLX83A3B4Sfcv6iN_2DGbz3lZACLIB%2Fs203-k-no%2F!7i1920!8i1088!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x8b356ffb574c545b!8m2!3d33.0471423!4d-117.0757307!6m1!1e1">park</a> near her home in San Diego. Or the terrifying story of a <a href="http://womensrunning.competitor.com/2013/09/training-tips/safety/i-will-never-run-alone-again-a-survivors-story_15583">woman who barely survived an attack</a> while she was running in Hawaii. Washington DC even has a <a href="http://www.runwashington.com/2014/05/08/assaults-runners/">map </a>that shows each place a runner has been attacked in the region -- there are dozens of orange markers over a simple 4-year period.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what do us women runners do? Heed absolute safety and never run alone? Perhaps. Though, if we all heeded absolute safety, then we really couldn't ever get into a car. Or eat a donut. Or pet a scorpion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then there's the gender equality part of me that gets a severe eye twitch when I'm told I can't do something because A. I'm a woman. And B. Men won't let me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong -- Not all men are creepazoid attackers of women. Most men out there would probably be more likely to rescue someone who was attacked, and I love them for it. But the fact remains that when I'm out there running alone, I'm usually not keeping a cautious eye out for a Jennifer or a Brittany.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, the answer lies in balance. I won't be a person who says you should or shouldn't ever run alone, but I will say that those of us who choose to do so, need to be smart about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here's how.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOaRQ8b9NMdT9R0vB5bXfTqH3cLokcjT8i2MprgZ01cNA5ffAL9aUTouSoo4wz4UQTMSMt8M4NZC0g7qwdAW6UBeaF-Z9ZM9YnRfc-z9yN83OShcBvCkxq3POhgzqRVk8QvnkkUOwzZXR/s1600/run_alone_safety_pinterest01_web.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="How to protect yourself from weirdo-creeps while running alone" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOaRQ8b9NMdT9R0vB5bXfTqH3cLokcjT8i2MprgZ01cNA5ffAL9aUTouSoo4wz4UQTMSMt8M4NZC0g7qwdAW6UBeaF-Z9ZM9YnRfc-z9yN83OShcBvCkxq3POhgzqRVk8QvnkkUOwzZXR/s640/run_alone_safety_pinterest01_web.jpg" title="How to protect yourself from weirdo-creeps while running alone" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Run in Well-Populated Areas</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you can see multiple additional runners, walkers, drivers, or cyclists at any given time, you're probably on a pretty good path. The chance of every person in sight being a weirdo-creep is pretty slim, so if one of them <i>is</i> one, having other people around may deter the punk from making any bad moves. Not to mention you have a higher chance of getting help from others if something were to happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This path was not well-populated, unless you count the two hungry vultures sitting on the rail...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgHbhuoRjRmtbkddjorKzKO9F_aA_1MsswUYVWiezPTF5tLBqZXdxezyLLdv5a34Mi9_a0ZLzlVoMDcZadK6LcVMhvaXkbxpJC8EdBKkVks3__XnOoccUJn2VPmoyTm6fpiRyjL2cFbLQ/w1679-h944-no/" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Running near vultures." border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgHbhuoRjRmtbkddjorKzKO9F_aA_1MsswUYVWiezPTF5tLBqZXdxezyLLdv5a34Mi9_a0ZLzlVoMDcZadK6LcVMhvaXkbxpJC8EdBKkVks3__XnOoccUJn2VPmoyTm6fpiRyjL2cFbLQ/w1679-h944-no/" title="Running near vultures." width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mix up the Routine</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't be predictable. Try to run different locations on different days or during different hours. If stalker-McGee doesn't know when you're going to run by the orange tree, he won't know when to go out and "pick oranges."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bring Pepper Spray</span></h3>
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<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carry it with your thumb on the trigger. I like to aim and shoot at random tree trunks for practice.</span><br />
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<a href="http://justsurvival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SABRE-RED-Pepper-Spray-Police-Strength-Runner-with-Hand-Strap-Max-Protection-35-shots-up-to-5xs-more-0-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pepper spray for runners" border="0" src="http://justsurvival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SABRE-RED-Pepper-Spray-Police-Strength-Runner-with-Hand-Strap-Max-Protection-35-shots-up-to-5xs-more-0-3.jpg" height="320" title="pepper spray for runners" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be Suspicious of Everyone</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This probably sounds really pessimistic, but I think it's essential. Whenever I'm running alone, I suspect every male I see to be a potential attacker. I confidently make eye contact with each passing person, and make sure it's clear to them that I am not a passive runner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm a friendly runner, so I'll probably nod or smile at the same time, but I do it from a safe distance with an obvious finger on the trigger of my pepper spray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some guys really get the message and quickly reciprocate with an over-friendly anxious wave of surrender, as if to say, "I'm a good guy -- please don't spray that in my face."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's similar to being a defensive driver. To be prepared for that one idiot who gets behind the wheel after drinking a bucket of vodka, you need to assume that everyone around you could potentially be that person. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6bbmgkwzmvdbaZ0tYhMD5xAeL51BuPMVtr3kWzluskj3knyen9b3aLiRHmApOyObJPCht5PY-vAMeTGD6cAB2wgMVIZ4m5N_LEaSvANOph4VrIxgJTR8ncgypmaCVG-czeBRgJX6rgOx/s1600/running_by_dude_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Defensive running in action" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6bbmgkwzmvdbaZ0tYhMD5xAeL51BuPMVtr3kWzluskj3knyen9b3aLiRHmApOyObJPCht5PY-vAMeTGD6cAB2wgMVIZ4m5N_LEaSvANOph4VrIxgJTR8ncgypmaCVG-czeBRgJX6rgOx/s640/running_by_dude_web.jpg" title="Defensive running in action" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward below-chin angle of defensive running in action</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't Blast the Music</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you wear headphones, try wearing them in one ear, or turn the volume down enough that you can still hear what's going on around you -- Whatever you need to do to be able to hear an approaching attacker. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I listen to podcasts or audiobooks ('cuz I'm a nerd) in loosely-fitting wireless headphones, which allows me to easily hear the world around me.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Use GLYMPSE on Your Cell Phone</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know, I know. My phone is the size of a Bible, too. But it is totally worth bringing it along, not only to call for help if needs be, but because of this saweet app called...</span></div>
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<a href="https://glympse.com/Content/images/pages/what-is-glympse/logomark_blue_twotone_b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Glympse GPS app for running" border="0" height="90" src="https://glympse.com/Content/images/pages/what-is-glympse/logomark_blue_twotone_b.png" title="Glympse GPS app for running" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using your phone's GPS, Glympse sends out a live map of where you are and how fast you're moving throughout your run, so people you trust can track you. It is awesome.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qYdClXxrB7DJF7aUP3G-w-uLVJO_9aEgLtnNT4h3PHfp9dgdVSR_nV1euWN0F0LsJDQtxvwh-r-lkLYnlr4bqVQc9nAD-4iFOTS0ShE1MKV6uI-9nGS1vypxnun1QMjrbnCcvi3pNfNc/s1600/Glympse_screenshot_cr_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glympse app in action" border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qYdClXxrB7DJF7aUP3G-w-uLVJO_9aEgLtnNT4h3PHfp9dgdVSR_nV1euWN0F0LsJDQtxvwh-r-lkLYnlr4bqVQc9nAD-4iFOTS0ShE1MKV6uI-9nGS1vypxnun1QMjrbnCcvi3pNfNc/s400/Glympse_screenshot_cr_web.jpg" title="Glympse app in action" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching my brother run with Glympse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every time I go running, I activate Glympse and send a notification to my husband and siblings to track me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is so detailed that my brother once noticed I was stopped in a random place, so he texted me to make sure I was ok. Love that.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay Away from Possible Hiding Places</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I steer clear of buildings (even bathrooms if they lack people traffic), bushes, trees, ditches, or anywhere Steven King could have hidden a creepy clown. It lessens the chance of a surprise attack, as well as the chances of being dragged somewhere out of sight.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwKO3lilYdim_26PMMS8LkIpi5N5OxgE1nZZN3NJmvAQtpK6iQ176zs_8Aay0JRQrocwpYJAgJLueoYhy90tom4Z2YgqcDnLVBb6QC6HoM2nHRX_Z_cm42qMRKBDDTK2DkHC5ASiy2nHJ/s1600/path_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwKO3lilYdim_26PMMS8LkIpi5N5OxgE1nZZN3NJmvAQtpK6iQ176zs_8Aay0JRQrocwpYJAgJLueoYhy90tom4Z2YgqcDnLVBb6QC6HoM2nHRX_Z_cm42qMRKBDDTK2DkHC5ASiy2nHJ/s640/path_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ditches + bushes + no one in sight = scary</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Run with a Dog Bigger Than a Hamster</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He doesn't know it yet, but my eight-month-old whippet is four months away from being my new running buddy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attackers are less likely to go after you if you have a canine companion by your side that is large enough to literally take a bite out of crime without being air launched by the flick of a finger. Not to mention dogs can bark loudly and draw attention to a scene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psh, cat people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fight Back</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If a nightmare attack does come, experts say that you need to fight back -- immediately and violently. Aim for the eyes, throat, knees, stomach, groin -- anything that will debilitate the attacker for just enough time to allow you to escape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be prepared with a response in advance so that you instinctively take action should that terrifying moment come.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other Safety Products</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just like the alarm I showed in the video review, there are other products created with the goal of making women safer while they're running alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's this "Go Guarded Self Defense Ring," which might need to be my next purchase...</span></div>
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31I85dhZQpL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31I85dhZQpL.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or the "Tigerlady Self-Defense Claw," which looks pretty bad-butt (that's Mormon-speak, but not really).</span><br />
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0652/7943/products/Product_shot_4.jpg?v=1434317495" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0652/7943/products/Product_shot_4.jpg?v=1434317495" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever your choice, if you decide to run alone, just make sure you're prepared for the worst. And then we'll hope it never happens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or just wear the Tigerlady because it'll make you feel like Catwoman.</span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-27232403034215827242016-05-10T22:27:00.002-07:002016-05-10T22:27:10.648-07:007 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Disneyland Half Marathon / 10K / 5K<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've run 14 Disneyland races to date, and I've got them down to a science.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHAgQbLeFkWE-6AnWPyysxQEPAuJ1i8pu03TCIaY0tuRiOT3kbK0_Nxpm4cinMRnK4r6ECtJIcKKXop8UB7d6KjU2hvvulHfBTVVWlOu-PxXWVKFbE63axLKbQDT-YfcbtFkCf_l4A03m/s1600/medals_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wearing all 14 Disneyland race medals" border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHAgQbLeFkWE-6AnWPyysxQEPAuJ1i8pu03TCIaY0tuRiOT3kbK0_Nxpm4cinMRnK4r6ECtJIcKKXop8UB7d6KjU2hvvulHfBTVVWlOu-PxXWVKFbE63axLKbQDT-YfcbtFkCf_l4A03m/s640/medals_web.jpg" title="Wearing all 14 Disneyland race medals" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medals + Macho Face Fail</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That sounds more boring than intended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've run 14 Disneyland races to date, and I know how to ace the awesome experience meter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Meter" still sounds like science. Blast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving on.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzRqiMxAOktbYYD3tfWvjsacjT_-sqG_O2T_G7dwo9avdeD_VvMDvvIuSQCOamzHT1RVTtRd_bWm35fUELrj2lX_CYehaGSlv5yaDcmW8sYT0ZURk3EirmQ2V5RDQjNMmYwfowSzIb9Kl/s1600/finish_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Finishing the Tinker Bell 10K, dressed as Peter Pan" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzRqiMxAOktbYYD3tfWvjsacjT_-sqG_O2T_G7dwo9avdeD_VvMDvvIuSQCOamzHT1RVTtRd_bWm35fUELrj2lX_CYehaGSlv5yaDcmW8sYT0ZURk3EirmQ2V5RDQjNMmYwfowSzIb9Kl/s640/finish_web.jpg" title="Finishing the Tinker Bell 10K, dressed as Peter Pan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing Saturday's Tinker Bell 10K <br />(photo credit: Disney PhotoPass)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disney really does know how to put on an awesome race experience. Everything is safe and organized, down to smallest detail. If you haven't signed up for a Disney race yet, <u>even if you're not a runner</u>, you should go for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your Disneyland race experience:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_FSsIFM7tdfV0w_tXQEkGRq1IBLHOcUZKG6sMbwKPsmySHbNo46vHhreRve_hOiujkg_PY5396bMWTYk9cyc2ScGTCLILEDCSB0vtrIfN-irGvAJ62U203ufH_vkykXjXoBVM-_QErvA/s1600/Tips_title2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="7 Tips to get the most out of your Disneyland Half Marathon, 10K, or 5K (RunDisney race)" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_FSsIFM7tdfV0w_tXQEkGRq1IBLHOcUZKG6sMbwKPsmySHbNo46vHhreRve_hOiujkg_PY5396bMWTYk9cyc2ScGTCLILEDCSB0vtrIfN-irGvAJ62U203ufH_vkykXjXoBVM-_QErvA/s640/Tips_title2.jpg" title="7 Tips to get the most out of your Disneyland Half Marathon, 10K, or 5K (RunDisney race)" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#1. Sign up Immediately When Registration Opens</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the registration time on your calendar and plan a way to get to a computer at that exact time, because these races fill up <i>quickly -- </i>especially the Disneyland Saturday races (10K & Kids Races).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have legitimately seen these races fill up within 45 minutes. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFxMOntJoe95z1RLDEjAI-KG8OaZEP4jKV0mhqD8xgu1rZ8NMmfgJIsAJnWHq6Xi4bhAkBF2f8qt_D51_ZImokU9KryhNovB_DdZVuyNu2izNVElertfz1A0Q5EULXA83QMFwPmjwS6sg/s1600/Register_01_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="signing up for a RunDisney race" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFxMOntJoe95z1RLDEjAI-KG8OaZEP4jKV0mhqD8xgu1rZ8NMmfgJIsAJnWHq6Xi4bhAkBF2f8qt_D51_ZImokU9KryhNovB_DdZVuyNu2izNVElertfz1A0Q5EULXA83QMFwPmjwS6sg/s640/Register_01_web.jpg" title="signing up for a RunDisney race" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signing up for the 2015 Avengers 10K. I tried to register immediately when it opened at 9:00am, and I was actually able to sign up at 9:18am.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you haven't already done so, sign up for an <a href="http://www.active.com/">Active.com</a> account before registration. Disney typically uses Active.com to manage race registration, so if you already have all your personal information in the system, registering is much easier.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivDgO_yAOVUy7dIPVGOTGcw6z4aU9yJEXJ0KsBoy7m9-RyXecX0IOh-fMIoxfh3QWggjLiEF8qGXo-cwvM-FfaarVQrw62XeiJaZzv6LLMwUQRdHnh_HehO1LAxrwdleipSZjor6JV2gP/s1600/signing_up_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="signing up for a Disneyland race" border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivDgO_yAOVUy7dIPVGOTGcw6z4aU9yJEXJ0KsBoy7m9-RyXecX0IOh-fMIoxfh3QWggjLiEF8qGXo-cwvM-FfaarVQrw62XeiJaZzv6LLMwUQRdHnh_HehO1LAxrwdleipSZjor6JV2gP/s640/signing_up_web.jpg" title="signing up for a Disneyland race" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signing up!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, you won't be able to sign up other runners on your account unless they are minors, so have each adult in your group ready to register themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're registering for the half marathon, you'll need to provide proof of time in order to be correctly assigned a corral, so have an up-to-date finish time from another half marathon on hand to type into registration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Otherwise you may end up in the last corral, where the fastest you'll be able to weave will be at a 13-minute/mile pace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Totally fine if that's your pace goal. Not so fine if you're aiming for a 7:30.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#2. Plan Something Fun to Wear in Advance</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even if it's just a pair of mouse ears, sparkle skirt, or a Disney tech shirt -- you will not feel dumb wearing it, because others around you will have much bigger and brighter reasons to feel dumber than you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I dawned yet another new costume....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG-Lq609bNFhT4kyIzP2EMkwf-3Ne0HGLJDyTKhwe7eKRxesCBUP0yuPElhDQMCF0HjZyCw2HQ0B5vbTswlTCVtyHrpUFibnbGUPNUdCDXKniXvPfzU948ykdSGaCwTCanR9a62qr7WZe/s1600/Peter_Pan_costume_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Peter Pan costume for Tinker Bell race" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG-Lq609bNFhT4kyIzP2EMkwf-3Ne0HGLJDyTKhwe7eKRxesCBUP0yuPElhDQMCF0HjZyCw2HQ0B5vbTswlTCVtyHrpUFibnbGUPNUdCDXKniXvPfzU948ykdSGaCwTCanR9a62qr7WZe/s640/Peter_Pan_costume_web.jpg" title="Peter Pan costume for Tinker Bell race" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Peter Pan costume for the 2016 Tinker Bell 10K.</span><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(I used BBQ sauce + hot cocoa mix to die the rope tie tan -- resources!)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter Pan!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't feel quite girly enough to be a pixie, so I went for the little more masculine version...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kinda dumb, 'cuz I don't think anyone really considers Peter Pan to be masculine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But crazy fun, nonetheless!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want some ideas for future Disney costumes, check out my last entry, <a href="http://www.gojorunner.com/2016/03/my-evolution-of-disney-race-costumes.html" target="_blank">My Evolution of Disney Race Costumes</a>, or search Pinterest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#3. Race Day: Get There Early</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I live 15 minutes away from Disneyland, and even though the race typically starts at 5:30am, I leave my house no later than 4:00am for 10Ks or 5Ks, and 3:30am for half marathons.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUECYTR-8ux9vYOPmDC9wChsaN4t8L5JsRcrbVzjFIW7IZK3wl43zas6HYBCJIWcpIhjNZD3cVR3PHO2tdl8WMuD6kit_A17Z83mPzYdqx1dEuEkFykxzLYaiXe3qlsddBctemMuamZxiL/s1600/parking_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUECYTR-8ux9vYOPmDC9wChsaN4t8L5JsRcrbVzjFIW7IZK3wl43zas6HYBCJIWcpIhjNZD3cVR3PHO2tdl8WMuD6kit_A17Z83mPzYdqx1dEuEkFykxzLYaiXe3qlsddBctemMuamZxiL/s640/parking_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking to friendly Len, the first cast member we came across during the parking process at the 2015 Disneyland 5K.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That gives me enough time to wait in parking and security check lines, and still have more than enough time to check a bag, use the bathroom, take some pre-race photos, dance to DJ Clark's music, watch the pre-race show, and walk to my corral without stressing or pulling my hair out.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7jh8wC7EUAuRNz_p4YyFUcUaPQjMroLFsTzOQK5BvHw-ygnW-UwLBT3e0WaFNzCNSgPb67-stZkcQJ_5C1G-nRLH5ucoMENXzJxYZ16w2__nTdE8aFIYRy7w-F_Zhr6LnIR__63pu2P-/s1600/pre-show_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7jh8wC7EUAuRNz_p4YyFUcUaPQjMroLFsTzOQK5BvHw-ygnW-UwLBT3e0WaFNzCNSgPb67-stZkcQJ_5C1G-nRLH5ucoMENXzJxYZ16w2__nTdE8aFIYRy7w-F_Zhr6LnIR__63pu2P-/s640/pre-show_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Disneyland 5K Pre-Show</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XJLaEDbttujfg75Z95jaxxza2c-pqa7bZWOhP469v080uj-Z8z2kQOmW-dWe5UvhpXIm-a-08nGGIuR09P4hF9CdpLaHsi8jCFOOkSsIKJP_uCOxKlo431PVslTm1tFrrAL2DKhMryVD/s1600/pre-show_audience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_XJLaEDbttujfg75Z95jaxxza2c-pqa7bZWOhP469v080uj-Z8z2kQOmW-dWe5UvhpXIm-a-08nGGIuR09P4hF9CdpLaHsi8jCFOOkSsIKJP_uCOxKlo431PVslTm1tFrrAL2DKhMryVD/s640/pre-show_audience.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxxFXW20-K9imDUlBjPLMEKJ4qQMlBdGxgjvj4LHnQSSu8cGH1bJd_sqoy4qx0Ruqyot-MFoyZA2I4JE5MkFGSuWd95ykcMF1y6XUkmc6hNSr34qShx_T7Ni5WWXUw_eyyDvNvtIyYUgd/s1600/GIFattempt01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxxFXW20-K9imDUlBjPLMEKJ4qQMlBdGxgjvj4LHnQSSu8cGH1bJd_sqoy4qx0Ruqyot-MFoyZA2I4JE5MkFGSuWd95ykcMF1y6XUkmc6hNSr34qShx_T7Ni5WWXUw_eyyDvNvtIyYUgd/s640/GIFattempt01.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning how to do the nae nae before the Disneyland 5K</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing messes up a race experience more quickly than nervously watching the clock tick closer to start time while you're still sixteen cars back from being able to pay for parking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose falling on your face during the race would actually mess up the race experience more quickly, but you get the idea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depending on which Disneyland race you sign up for, the walk from the holding area to the corrals could truthfully take you 20 minutes on top of the walk from your car and the other things you need to do, so plan accordingly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your pedometer will go up significantly on race days, even before and after you run.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cxl69x2opm5ZVnHVI3Qo58lu0QeAxFdPWaYwWhtUhJOcwVu1UnMmkk8p6D8zzuSC_kUY6Z-Buop5nHYD2sGVogHMWSjUHLpi1YZit47gh5hyphenhyphend1xUCr2oDHalcxCZUI-NuuEAVZivWiGM/s1600/corral_web.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="corral sign at a Disney race" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cxl69x2opm5ZVnHVI3Qo58lu0QeAxFdPWaYwWhtUhJOcwVu1UnMmkk8p6D8zzuSC_kUY6Z-Buop5nHYD2sGVogHMWSjUHLpi1YZit47gh5hyphenhyphend1xUCr2oDHalcxCZUI-NuuEAVZivWiGM/s400/corral_web.jpg" title="corral sign at a Disneyland race" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're staying at a hotel that offers a trustworthy shuttle that early (many neighboring hotels do) -- you'll save yourself a solid parking fee by taking it. Just keep in mind that you'll still have to walk from the shuttle drop-off to the holding area, and then to the corrals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news is, you'll be all warmed up for the race start! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, you are set for both race day and the expo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren't those Mickey Glove lamps super cute?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#4. Don't Run for Time</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only do you run through the parks and backstage areas, but there are music, lights, and character stops all along the in-park route = Plenty of photographic moments to capture on the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The character stops are themed to the race (example: BB8 is not going to show up during the Tinker Bell races), and they typically have lines to wait in, which grow in length as the corral letter increases.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63LhZFAg6TV-Wzk1qbyI4PhUSzul_9FHOLQGGoWEr2A8iLmTtCudWuCH11BKTXZYILwnz7raLRNmAbuxGWJ9VweoxK0lddGLnRCq5Tga1K5hH603o_Oa99mVHA9D2yKC32aTSv67kcfxs/s1600/Lisa01_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63LhZFAg6TV-Wzk1qbyI4PhUSzul_9FHOLQGGoWEr2A8iLmTtCudWuCH11BKTXZYILwnz7raLRNmAbuxGWJ9VweoxK0lddGLnRCq5Tga1K5hH603o_Oa99mVHA9D2yKC32aTSv67kcfxs/s640/Lisa01_web.jpg" title="Lisa Kanazawa and Rosetta " width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pal Lisa with Rosetta during the 2016 Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for the 5Ks? They aren't even chip-timed. So if you're running for time, that's between you and your Garmin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can tell you that while the top finishers of Disney races are crazy fast, almost everyone else isn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I've been lucky enough to collect a plethora of Disneyland photos over the years working and playing at Disneyland, I didn't stop for any photos at Saturday's 10K.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without stops, I ran it in 50:59, and I got 12th place out of 1,142 women in my age group of 30-34-year-olds, which is normally a much more competitive group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of 1,142.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's not to say "Hey, I'm so fast!!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But more to say, "Hey, no one cares about running fast!!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of people even <i>walk</i> these races, as I did with a group of former Disney Ambassadors last year for the Disneyland 5K, and that's totally OK! Even encouraged!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXkREHkQLX5bav3nBenOJUbPsu18CNrJUMs0R7Nag-ATmN6luLvi-944ZnlkwmnGbzRHAN_ntXuoGyrnc7RA-AivTRZSipZADpDIjHLfKlnec1zOUN4oRhQmr2KVRoG70zGR12rD2FIRX/s1600/speed-walking_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXkREHkQLX5bav3nBenOJUbPsu18CNrJUMs0R7Nag-ATmN6luLvi-944ZnlkwmnGbzRHAN_ntXuoGyrnc7RA-AivTRZSipZADpDIjHLfKlnec1zOUN4oRhQmr2KVRoG70zGR12rD2FIRX/s640/speed-walking_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speed-walking the Disneyland 5K with the Disneyland Ambassadors</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen -- even if you are terrified of the word "race" or the letter "K," you do not need to worry. Many people don't exactly "run" these races at all, and those who do, typically just run for fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone not trying to run for fun is kinda missing the point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#5. Engage the Spectators</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love spectators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These people wake up super early and stand out in the cold, usually just to watch a single runner breeze past them in the blink of an eye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>That</i> is selflessness.</span></div>
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<a href="http://reach-yourpeak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/dsc_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://reach-yourpeak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/dsc_0014.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And whenever you're running inside the park, the cast members (aka, Disneyland employees) are your spectators. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have worked among them -- these are hard-working, heartfelt people -- some of whom are there, off the clock, just to cheer for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of them are working their first race ever or possibly even seeing their first race ever. Cheering loudly for strangers a few feet away may be a little out of the box for them, but they happily do it anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you engage them, you might just inspire one to join you next year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in 2010, as a Disneyland cast member myself I "stage managed" 200 high school cheerleaders during a portion of the Disneyland Half Marathon route that runs by the Honda Center, and having never watched a race beyond the Olympics on TV, I was so inspired by each person who ran or walked by.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihanGF-2lktx8kmD7RsYl6u16KME0wy3sYYMUmjc4rn2WwRtKO3RDfz4IBo5KF5o3HScjhI-NGuPMjc5e6KXk4BHKW9bkOc3tYV2Kr7ADIcmNIY_-dQeppqpIQn6DisGIc3bYjUO-q3n_W/s1600/CIMG0057_c_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihanGF-2lktx8kmD7RsYl6u16KME0wy3sYYMUmjc4rn2WwRtKO3RDfz4IBo5KF5o3HScjhI-NGuPMjc5e6KXk4BHKW9bkOc3tYV2Kr7ADIcmNIY_-dQeppqpIQn6DisGIc3bYjUO-q3n_W/s400/CIMG0057_c_en.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon -- I had no clue I'd be running it the next year.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I've converted to the crazy side, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I personally run through and thank every person who is cheering, and smile and nod and those who are just staring. If I come across a big group that isn't cheering, I playfully raise my arms until they get excited. If I see a funny sign, I laugh and throw out a compliment. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLlsRllZxa4ik_5Dz982cYn_dr1-Hevg10h6FafTAfr_ADs6_69jBjGf4CmoIiG5wUtJlseEQdAxNrk6vKYxVVGJ2To0i70z71oudFrj2_VmN2e6d3Rj0TNlox0Xs11G6Y_XkaV3w34OO/s1600/Peter_cheer_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tinker Bell 10K - dressed as Peter Pan" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLlsRllZxa4ik_5Dz982cYn_dr1-Hevg10h6FafTAfr_ADs6_69jBjGf4CmoIiG5wUtJlseEQdAxNrk6vKYxVVGJ2To0i70z71oudFrj2_VmN2e6d3Rj0TNlox0Xs11G6Y_XkaV3w34OO/s640/Peter_cheer_web.jpg" title="Tinker Bell 10K - dressed as Peter Pan" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo Credit: Disney PhotoPass - they ROCKED the photography)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's all about the positivity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure, their sign might be cheering for some guy named Steven, but as far as I'm concerned, it's cheering for me, too, because they woke up early to stand there and hold it while I was running by. </span></div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2e/f6/42/2ef6425b8ce5ec2d6f91e9f819f1a730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2e/f6/42/2ef6425b8ce5ec2d6f91e9f819f1a730.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also thank the volunteers passing out water. I thank the police officers. Everyone there, paid or not, is awake earlier than they need to be, and I want to make sure they know I'm grateful for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The coolest thing is, you may think that engaging spectators may slow you down, but I've found that my pace increases after these interactions, because it raises the level of fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hooray fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Candy, puppies, and laughing babies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After finishing Saturday's 10K, I even had a few fellow runners come tell me it was fun and (somehow) inspiring to run near me. One girl even asked to get her picture taken with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's all about building a better experience for everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#6. Don't Bother With Headphones</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are the kind of person who simply can't run without pumping your playlist, go right ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if you're open to it, especially during the Disney 5Ks or 10Ks, leave the headphones at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of your running will be inside the parks, where you're surrounded by music and a unique, five-senses atmosphere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, 4 senses, unless you're licking poles along the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which I don't recommend.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gR2C3h6RfkoqN4NnhK-eYWTk3l5exnA7nC4aoYNqDBU3c8YbcQbhFSuuUPCxDF5CneIHV0xuA9VxwQ2PsrGgzvXM11vbqh-d4Rv9t7INSlFjNyTApSWRnTK-rtrtMR-EiKt1v1FH7EGQ/s1600/Cars_Land_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Running through Cars Land - Tinker Bell 10K 2016" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gR2C3h6RfkoqN4NnhK-eYWTk3l5exnA7nC4aoYNqDBU3c8YbcQbhFSuuUPCxDF5CneIHV0xuA9VxwQ2PsrGgzvXM11vbqh-d4Rv9t7INSlFjNyTApSWRnTK-rtrtMR-EiKt1v1FH7EGQ/s640/Cars_Land_web.jpg" title="Running through Cars Land - Tinker Bell 10K 2016" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running through Cars Land always reminds me of running through Southern Utah.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a person who normally wears headphones during just about all of my races or training runs, I used to bring headphones to each Disney race too, but I found myself pausing the music constantly in order to enjoy the atmosphere. During one race, I didn't turn my music on at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I just leave the headphones at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I don't miss them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only exception would be during longer stretches outside the park during half marathons, where a little extra musical motivation doesn't hurt. But even then, be prepared to pause your playlist when you run by the many high school bands, music performers, dancers, cheerleaders, and even classic car line-ups you'll come across, all there to cheer for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trust me -- your headphones become obsolete as you run by cheering grandstands at Angel Stadium.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiVAAuyneTPmNXZ2vScAgZQQDlfiWaxbUjSl4lsuWBDURPZzHwtMBNz5M6oKUAJ-T-ERe088D-MrGropewV5ONy7OIprOh24ikstjAFFfO9lsGqtdruYmaF-Yz2JFISoPD1RJFoj7JBix/s1600/crowd_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Running through Angel Stadium during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiVAAuyneTPmNXZ2vScAgZQQDlfiWaxbUjSl4lsuWBDURPZzHwtMBNz5M6oKUAJ-T-ERe088D-MrGropewV5ONy7OIprOh24ikstjAFFfO9lsGqtdruYmaF-Yz2JFISoPD1RJFoj7JBix/s400/crowd_web.jpg" title="Running through Angel Stadium during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running through Angel Stadium during the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#7. Cheer Through the Final Runner</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever possible, once you finish your race, pick up your medal, snacks, checked bag, have your picture taken, meet up with your friends and family, and then --</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Head back to the race course sidelines to cheer for those behind you.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlRFfe9Di4w_sQm_AFMSCiaC7apPNWZtCYxlOQxMBmuuoD6Zb4Xu6pegyPqzOxF6iqdRxdYi004MBV0DrSFGaXUJocvinzh0FUaKbWFeAd4j7CMrZX2uI6XO5qgEzonVI0hiZV4XbqOzN/s1600/sully_web3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlRFfe9Di4w_sQm_AFMSCiaC7apPNWZtCYxlOQxMBmuuoD6Zb4Xu6pegyPqzOxF6iqdRxdYi004MBV0DrSFGaXUJocvinzh0FUaKbWFeAd4j7CMrZX2uI6XO5qgEzonVI0hiZV4XbqOzN/s400/sully_web3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and I cheering on the rest of the runners after I crossed the finish line.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trust me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the race progresses, I find that most spectators leave their post once their runner has passed by, so the sidelines or bleachers next to the finish line empty out, sometimes completely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honestly, I think the last runners are some of the most inspiring, and they deserve and need crowd support the most. I may not be a crowd, but I can yell and clap pretty loud, and I love doing it for anyone who got their booty out of bed in the middle of the night to accomplish a healthy personal goal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People are awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually check a bag with a couple jackets and a cowbell, so I can head back over to the finish line and ring that bell for others over the next couple hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is truly almost as awesome as running the race all over again (in a good way).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you may not know is that not only is confetti shot off for the first finisher, but confetti is also shot off for the last finisher. Stick around next time to see it -- you'll be glad you did!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a seizure-inducing animated GIF to finish this off, courtesy of Google Photos:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrhKpcOcYGBC_5s7QrOdtQXU86c_KyHvWOeB8U2Yg75IrxZ_GeFNVuUK8SJrXc8uS7d-PifgwZ1wOcr1C_qyyT_8of_h0jzEn539j30xg83AdewlX-VXnh7j52zp8FayPvmUngPZRB5nX/s1600/GIF_run.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrhKpcOcYGBC_5s7QrOdtQXU86c_KyHvWOeB8U2Yg75IrxZ_GeFNVuUK8SJrXc8uS7d-PifgwZ1wOcr1C_qyyT_8of_h0jzEn539j30xg83AdewlX-VXnh7j52zp8FayPvmUngPZRB5nX/s640/GIF_run.gif" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AHHHHHHH!!!!!</td></tr>
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-2100928215507892722016-03-16T23:13:00.001-07:002016-03-16T23:13:09.175-07:00My Evolution of Disney Race Costumes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ran my first Disney race in 2011. And, well...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5WzpF4htiAXeDZrD0S55nhuPR0YxQXI5VdGJlZVr6u6pY3qBO92Xl7ieAcG4qA_Huc7K4xlpURg5lT-uPzZ2keISyz9TuJdcK9rX4OvaOKQqNFyLObHwMjp0kXCpC_cStssDiCnXkNhB/s1600/Evolution_strip_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5WzpF4htiAXeDZrD0S55nhuPR0YxQXI5VdGJlZVr6u6pY3qBO92Xl7ieAcG4qA_Huc7K4xlpURg5lT-uPzZ2keISyz9TuJdcK9rX4OvaOKQqNFyLObHwMjp0kXCpC_cStssDiCnXkNhB/s640/Evolution_strip_web.jpg" width="861" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You might say I have a problem. Or a bottom-less bank account. One of these is true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not the bank account.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My problem is, I apparently get a thrill out of simultaneously exhausting and embarrassing myself. <i>But...</i> only after I've handed a chunk of my paycheck to one of the largest corporations in the world and voluntarily set my alarm to ring at 3am on a Saturday morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why can't everyone relate?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong -- I've never showed up at a nerd convention wearing a homemade Mega Man costume made intricately out of blue tinfoil gum wrappers I've accumulated since 1987.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though that would be awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And an option for the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But bring on an opportunity to hand-sew a crookedly-stictched costume so I can rush by pockets of supporters intending to cheer for one person in a sea of thousands for a brief ten seconds who only see you in the dark morning air long enough to say the words -- "Hey, she looks like" fill-in-the-blank...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Totally worth it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM88WCCV8iEfPgZdsESa-mpb2Gt-rVF7zryeHMIhUmRfBv_b8yRGcF3Vk6BZsRNZnoud5ols3ohrOuwESyd4N161jlVz2x2rCsTHOwSag1DkAzBtX4YDB1wwPEU1lI0gBerCBpYvdCvYo/s1600/OC-Register_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM88WCCV8iEfPgZdsESa-mpb2Gt-rVF7zryeHMIhUmRfBv_b8yRGcF3Vk6BZsRNZnoud5ols3ohrOuwESyd4N161jlVz2x2rCsTHOwSag1DkAzBtX4YDB1wwPEU1lI0gBerCBpYvdCvYo/s400/OC-Register_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's just something thrilling about imagining a costume, bringing it to reality, and then... running in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dunno. Maybe I just feel like I'm in a parade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A long, boring parade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I especially love it at Disney races, because everyone gets in the fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Admittedly, my costumes haven't always worked out, unless you count "clueless girl lacking all sense of fashion" to be a successful costume.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I've found that the key to making a good running costume is to make sure you can do exactly that in it -- run. Or at very least, walk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That means layers must be thin, sweat-resistant, and breathable. It also means you only need to design a costume that reminds people of a character or object. Sometimes simple is better. A simple red and white polka-dot tank and some mouse ears turn you into Minnie Mouse, without the unnecessary layers of black fur and yellow heels. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because, again, you have to <i>run </i>in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That whole "running" thing comes with signing up for a race. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For instance, you wouldn't want to run in a thick padded gray sweatsuit with a 5-foot trunk and ears mimicking a pterodactyl wingspan and call yourself Dumbo. People would just strip you of the letter "o."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I once saw a full-plush Pooh Bear running the Disneyland Half marathon, and medics were clearly keeping a close eye on him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, here's a taste of my Disney costume journey, from my most recent race, back to my first. Some of the costumes I sewed from scratch, while others were modified from purchased costumes:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2016 Star Wars 10K: Rey</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDOJxYuE2tqN5QWxCPmKIXiHZ6u8NtjAfqqjx8SB-qjQ-AsjDCfmJhOC8qs0BDupGXZNt5hDxkyKNOFdncZ-8WNhsxqAwwCZbSjempUeIAAOKIaCLEkKmzGLfQfpBNzKQrYVvrG_QgIdp/s1600/Rey1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDOJxYuE2tqN5QWxCPmKIXiHZ6u8NtjAfqqjx8SB-qjQ-AsjDCfmJhOC8qs0BDupGXZNt5hDxkyKNOFdncZ-8WNhsxqAwwCZbSjempUeIAAOKIaCLEkKmzGLfQfpBNzKQrYVvrG_QgIdp/s640/Rey1_web.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the moment I saw <i>The Force Awakens</i>, I decided that I wanted to forsake my life and just be her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's not too much to ask, is it? Exchange my truck for the Millennium Falcon, and my jogger mace for a light saber? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Totally rational.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_vvMPxJs7my8i544nokOu19pBNp6z4zC3sqz4vb3g0ry2NmciweljBDnf_43mGW0QbH0U7yeoVeNdOQ0xXyB7yAwzfWr3qwm_2qs5IDrV51OUqAWyb1SpdVeHD3pZhZCZlLL24QaGdyl/s1600/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_vvMPxJs7my8i544nokOu19pBNp6z4zC3sqz4vb3g0ry2NmciweljBDnf_43mGW0QbH0U7yeoVeNdOQ0xXyB7yAwzfWr3qwm_2qs5IDrV51OUqAWyb1SpdVeHD3pZhZCZlLL24QaGdyl/s400/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_2_web.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband (left) started a new Jedi fashion trend with his Peter-Pan-style cut-offs.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was low on time before this race, so I purchased a Rey costume on Amazon, which came with the awesome shorts, top, sleeves, and cheesy-but-whatever belt/pouch imitation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But when it arrived in the mail, I realized it only came with criss-crossed material on the front, and was nothing but a white t-shirt in the back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which was lame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I sewed criss-crossing material onto the back, added brown pirate boot covers that I folded and pinned down at the right height, and put my hair in three buns -- or tried to, at least.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM46ynkO8Tz4eq3oortS2voPySGaN9nHHpVwfB-cKblOEhR0b9rmkqkF7yarAJWPm_jcMTiIbv7cOKuoU5W64Qnn8ioSgnFGxQeX1LK99kWoEj9ea06PlP1MFhp6CTgCqWnyvreGRcEU5R/s1600/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_3_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM46ynkO8Tz4eq3oortS2voPySGaN9nHHpVwfB-cKblOEhR0b9rmkqkF7yarAJWPm_jcMTiIbv7cOKuoU5W64Qnn8ioSgnFGxQeX1LK99kWoEj9ea06PlP1MFhp6CTgCqWnyvreGRcEU5R/s400/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_3_web.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was great to run in. While the crossed material added a little weight, I hardly noticed. The rest of the material was thin and light, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I felt just a smidge awesome wearing it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9ITk_xd7zgRdHAM17KNLzH64zKazDbfmI5ZzjANDhoZZJRyAS3kQRAo6jkX2voIz6t6OQqVs-JuQ49rWnQm3WNCdVLJ7FDIbm6_qrK1xXxbM5O911XVGPWYMaEuyzULnhkJyArViSJcT/s1600/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_4_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9ITk_xd7zgRdHAM17KNLzH64zKazDbfmI5ZzjANDhoZZJRyAS3kQRAo6jkX2voIz6t6OQqVs-JuQ49rWnQm3WNCdVLJ7FDIbm6_qrK1xXxbM5O911XVGPWYMaEuyzULnhkJyArViSJcT/s640/Star_Wars_10K_Rey_4_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Avengers 10K: Spider-man</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDFCySQg8X9oEb5RfgVtYNiowMgC_LfnGJo9_A_autklCYkp2kx2S_VdSg7nJTCVFG-0qi04FojWA4CqQct2uE7eBixFoGaZiUFV0nmDkvX9KnHH9cXMDnV1tFHyy6dVYSwbpcVmBTAL5/s1600/Avengers_10K_spider-man_1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDFCySQg8X9oEb5RfgVtYNiowMgC_LfnGJo9_A_autklCYkp2kx2S_VdSg7nJTCVFG-0qi04FojWA4CqQct2uE7eBixFoGaZiUFV0nmDkvX9KnHH9cXMDnV1tFHyy6dVYSwbpcVmBTAL5/s640/Avengers_10K_spider-man_1_web.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bathroom is the only well-lit room at 3am. Don't judge.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I had a dream that I ran a full marathon, and I pushed myself so much harder than I should have (half-way point time: 1:32) that I tore my hamstrings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, wait. That actually happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I might as well have been wearing a grey sweatsuit, trunk, and ears.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, I tore my hamstrings exactly one week before this 10K, but having already dropped a hundred bucks on an entry fee eight months prior, I was gonna finish this magical race, dang it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another Dumbo move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I painfully limped and hobbled my way through the course, coming in with the slowest 10K finish time I've ever had, and probably contributing to my 8-week forced running hiatus afterward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got more cheers than ever before, though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pity cheers are still cheers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I bought this costume on Amazon for like $20 or something. It came with a little jacket that I discarded, and then I shortened the straps to pull the bodice up, and added the race capris and headband, and it was completely comfortable to... hobble in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My husband even sported up a Star Lord costume, though he had to leave the mask at home.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHuCgyDoS0xCB0a4oQUZNhuaBlLUbTwPlCcS2z2LfvseYmUllBdALCfbtTO8lMXk47atN2wTYX7HmJa6Y2GfNCHRPmUv893-VNF6J1mHkYancjSbnMyqt2JWp5IUm45UNoTODKv_aFRNO/s1600/Avengers_10K_spider-man_2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHuCgyDoS0xCB0a4oQUZNhuaBlLUbTwPlCcS2z2LfvseYmUllBdALCfbtTO8lMXk47atN2wTYX7HmJa6Y2GfNCHRPmUv893-VNF6J1mHkYancjSbnMyqt2JWp5IUm45UNoTODKv_aFRNO/s400/Avengers_10K_spider-man_2_web.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was higher on pain-killers than I was on picture-taking for this race, so you just get pre-race bathroom pics. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2015 Disneyland 10K: Sully</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8PeBBPk1ArxytEkBGVNnzmgITKKOkDFMvxIgz-w0oR7kGsSisESt9at4wsOYQG2CVbNEwcUxa9C7lR0Ae70lDLvZXYpfIjuJRXEfjpqFUTKFXuG4j-5zJpUsvagu2-pVmU-kQMx3Hr3o/s1600/20150905_081033_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8PeBBPk1ArxytEkBGVNnzmgITKKOkDFMvxIgz-w0oR7kGsSisESt9at4wsOYQG2CVbNEwcUxa9C7lR0Ae70lDLvZXYpfIjuJRXEfjpqFUTKFXuG4j-5zJpUsvagu2-pVmU-kQMx3Hr3o/s640/20150905_081033_web.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sully was another modified cheap Amazon costume. It originally came with a wool hat that I replaced with a headband, and I modified the leggings and sewed on the velcro tail so they would stay on during the race.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNA1r2fblCThFCOnZMhVaRaulYwnN1FdNRKKyufg9rpA4VD8QNREPRbvvqDoB72lwwx8G11N8OVrYLZvk8hGXL0mTap-PevukTbIfgBikcxRUEq0AmJJbQAn3zN1SpN76XjOz2W2OCFbm/s1600/sulley_web2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNA1r2fblCThFCOnZMhVaRaulYwnN1FdNRKKyufg9rpA4VD8QNREPRbvvqDoB72lwwx8G11N8OVrYLZvk8hGXL0mTap-PevukTbIfgBikcxRUEq0AmJJbQAn3zN1SpN76XjOz2W2OCFbm/s400/sulley_web2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a lot thinner than it looks, but it did warm up a bit more than tech material would have. Otherwise, it worked out great.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUZPZO1JpXAhdzSjT_zOf3JytkjeIMkvFa5TwJuDkz4TkiGI8cKLV5uW9IxyDS48LflGE0ARpU_8KfOuEfvSzydXZThL1qFD61KlReIiRzmMQmZNp2fyNcGbeQLrDgcqhXPsEZ6a2qjd_/s1600/sully_web3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUZPZO1JpXAhdzSjT_zOf3JytkjeIMkvFa5TwJuDkz4TkiGI8cKLV5uW9IxyDS48LflGE0ARpU_8KfOuEfvSzydXZThL1qFD61KlReIiRzmMQmZNp2fyNcGbeQLrDgcqhXPsEZ6a2qjd_/s400/sully_web3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom flew in from Utah and sported a matching hat in support!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2015 Disneyland 5K: 1st Disneyland Ambassador</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm really happy with how this one turned out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRSwrGMTE8zuuWHH2dZG9hCVgNgbC4RFtBc5586NrVilIud8XpAq1oDuBpVEuzOBWIyOWSkXUNB7j-tDn561Tfq9GDNmkQPPT-HWlcnC6WhwrtO4jmPkabH0-7o5XPapeVXWRiO8vT6jP/s1600/Amb_01_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRSwrGMTE8zuuWHH2dZG9hCVgNgbC4RFtBc5586NrVilIud8XpAq1oDuBpVEuzOBWIyOWSkXUNB7j-tDn561Tfq9GDNmkQPPT-HWlcnC6WhwrtO4jmPkabH0-7o5XPapeVXWRiO8vT6jP/s640/Amb_01_web.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any true Disneyland fan will hopefully recognize what I was going for here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ever been to Disneyland and seen the tour guides who work at the park? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in 1965, there was a Disneyland tour guide who was selected to be the spokesperson and host of Disneyland to the World. Her name is Julie Reihm, and she became Disneyland's first Ambassador. She was later named a Disney Legend.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://questforvaultdisney.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/julie-reihm-casaletto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://questforvaultdisney.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/julie-reihm-casaletto.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julie with Walt Disney on his show "The Wonderful World of Disney" in 1965.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">After she served a year-long term, one or two new Ambassadors have continuously been chosen each year or two to represent Disney.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For 2011 and 2012, I was one of those lucky people.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhnQOxSW2Dls0MxNWaqmELvQewzIF4rt3dmKXa8J76ClIOPuk9CJ_wVp8TXT2R1TQiYA561gRg1dNdKuVt_Q9HhGfYT3qlgzpmmIGsvy-i4bgL8yhmbcpgXGL4hW1PtbUYYSZt5KHAzrn/s1600/Disney_Ambassador_Jolie_Hales_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhnQOxSW2Dls0MxNWaqmELvQewzIF4rt3dmKXa8J76ClIOPuk9CJ_wVp8TXT2R1TQiYA561gRg1dNdKuVt_Q9HhGfYT3qlgzpmmIGsvy-i4bgL8yhmbcpgXGL4hW1PtbUYYSZt5KHAzrn/s400/Disney_Ambassador_Jolie_Hales_web.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I served as a Disney Ambassador for 2011-2012.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Disney had clearly lowered their standards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This race was a special one, because some of the former Disney Ambassadors wanted to get together and speed walk the course. Eight of us showed up and got our butts handed to us by 1966 Ambassador, Connie, who can apparently speed walk at an Olympic pace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personally, I think speed-walking might be harder than running.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10382736_10153599303301411_6230904576900370849_n.jpg?oh=e7edfa8cdd2690726301b05b28405074&oe=578B0A10" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10382736_10153599303301411_6230904576900370849_n.jpg?oh=e7edfa8cdd2690726301b05b28405074&oe=578B0A10" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew Disneyland's second Ambassador ever was a champion speed-walker?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So for this costume, I wanted to make a running version of Julie Reihm's first Ambassador / Tour Guide costume.</span><br />
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<a href="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/t31.0-8/11026795_10103673330388311_8166738988707253868_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/t31.0-8/11026795_10103673330388311_8166738988707253868_o.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I modified a red tech tank into a vest, purchased a short plaid skirt from a lingerie boutique, added a couple white sparkle sleeves from Sparkle Athletic, some red knee-high socks, and to</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pped it off with Mary Jane shoe covers, a "Julie" nametag and pin, and a rider's hat I made by overlaying a styrofoam ball with blue velvet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KeaWoFu1zSrJ_jrn91bOI-27UtU7BNY1akQ7hS7RZmjLu2155jO3s-kbHvCNXWXeUZgVFrz0awSHM-Sp2eiK3y3MHryPZHTzKPyd11Tmd8Ii31ftKjO6rFnetKWO-yAHYkke-of2zveX/s1600/sewing_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KeaWoFu1zSrJ_jrn91bOI-27UtU7BNY1akQ7hS7RZmjLu2155jO3s-kbHvCNXWXeUZgVFrz0awSHM-Sp2eiK3y3MHryPZHTzKPyd11Tmd8Ii31ftKjO6rFnetKWO-yAHYkke-of2zveX/s320/sewing_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3o1qLUhWuV2PwCs_nga2AAovhqV6u42tcA2LBuulDIdbT8USqYdX4WL_MWwMzRgZGS-ZxBc175v_6st6J8IGQl9Vd2LBqpkQZJxAuXmxPRV6joo2TYZlJt9P0Odedvpim3q8kKSSTDFo/s1600/styrofoam_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3o1qLUhWuV2PwCs_nga2AAovhqV6u42tcA2LBuulDIdbT8USqYdX4WL_MWwMzRgZGS-ZxBc175v_6st6J8IGQl9Vd2LBqpkQZJxAuXmxPRV6joo2TYZlJt9P0Odedvpim3q8kKSSTDFo/s320/styrofoam_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This mess eventually became the hat.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tah dah!! Ambassa-costume!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8exgPEBf0ZEoi41YFDqLROveMg4sKQ4572lUgirZbSmQPhEaEfXEDtfGtCMmTzhxSLKfNgQn9T0eiKh3f7m0wZ7jJbB_yzqPyTjvIh1drZuhtrrLR0powBRH2zDpJu4NgDIpxLa28YJi/s1600/costume_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8exgPEBf0ZEoi41YFDqLROveMg4sKQ4572lUgirZbSmQPhEaEfXEDtfGtCMmTzhxSLKfNgQn9T0eiKh3f7m0wZ7jJbB_yzqPyTjvIh1drZuhtrrLR0powBRH2zDpJu4NgDIpxLa28YJi/s640/costume_web.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2015 Star Wars 10K: Jedi</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to stylize a running version of a Jedi costume, since actual Jedi robes are as good for running as the pope's robes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF_zHvg2z7YdifCzi6uKWholOwY8Iw-DH-oDnjxDaVKHqIX6a18x1Fz85_YftS8gD-Y5m_tXwPXWL0L6FfE1fU9m4_OIwaPnqa1PV9OqXGFRB2t0j5fXmfkP6rhcv2bMKXXRypqPEQOeE/s1600/Star_Wars_10K_Jedi_costume_wearing_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF_zHvg2z7YdifCzi6uKWholOwY8Iw-DH-oDnjxDaVKHqIX6a18x1Fz85_YftS8gD-Y5m_tXwPXWL0L6FfE1fU9m4_OIwaPnqa1PV9OqXGFRB2t0j5fXmfkP6rhcv2bMKXXRypqPEQOeE/s640/Star_Wars_10K_Jedi_costume_wearing_web.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">For this one, I started out with a white V-neck tech tank, sewed some thin criss-crossed tan material to the front (no need to do the back on this one), and added a gold sparkle skirt from Sparkle Athletic for that female flare. I bought some cheap leggings from eBay and some pirate boot covers from Party City. Then I added a hair piece and padawan braid... since I actually already own one of those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't judge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">These are not the droids you're looking for.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl9Dq_yGJIIMt-llLUpUkOpM8n0-VyVbTW94mhowXPA5FS9m3w6t1Bt6ov7qvQm7wZgDqI067Odqpr2H_lv4BUVeEbOeK2G3vCoAiEUMNoKVo-dS4EN5h2xYtnzIWHSAGGayAfo15rwpy/s1600/Star_Wars_10K_Jedi_costume_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl9Dq_yGJIIMt-llLUpUkOpM8n0-VyVbTW94mhowXPA5FS9m3w6t1Bt6ov7qvQm7wZgDqI067Odqpr2H_lv4BUVeEbOeK2G3vCoAiEUMNoKVo-dS4EN5h2xYtnzIWHSAGGayAfo15rwpy/s640/Star_Wars_10K_Jedi_costume_web.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">For the outer robe, I cut down the front of an XL men's brown tech shirt, and then cut and took in the back, keeping its baggy sleeves and length, but minimizing its width. It's covered in awkward stitching, but no one can see that at the race, so who cares? Once the robe was done, I stitched it to the bodice, so the top is actually all one piece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though I put a lot of work into my costume, my adorable husband was the one who ended up on <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/kirkdamato/the-cosplay-is-strong?utm_term=.tk51rla0mW&sub=3578065_4707639#.koDM8ylVwj" target="_blank">BuzzFeed</a> with his sweet ride:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQzhR7Q0-FmJnMAAVMBlHISvB9BogkPS_fVJU4JNz1R-hqlbCHryGIo_VPztEinVcMbr6vZ0tFP9WAGeTLvdSNuFrwia9Ku-_W75geZJJ4POfTEKhCWSY7aJCEktnky2-x8KbSjyVBT9x/s1600/Spencer-BuzzFeed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQzhR7Q0-FmJnMAAVMBlHISvB9BogkPS_fVJU4JNz1R-hqlbCHryGIo_VPztEinVcMbr6vZ0tFP9WAGeTLvdSNuFrwia9Ku-_W75geZJJ4POfTEKhCWSY7aJCEktnky2-x8KbSjyVBT9x/s400/Spencer-BuzzFeed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and his tauntaun were featured on BuzzFeed.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">6.2 miles riding on a tauntaun turned some heads, though some say it was cheating to make the animal do all the work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm glad he brought the tauntaun that year, because tauntauns were outlawed with the 2016 costume rules.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2014 Tinker Bell 10K: Anna</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the record, I made this costume when <i>Frozen </i>was new and not overly played out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3p1YIqgkE_NKuyLVwwy2Wzt2Xf4WmudRpHOww3cUBYqDLrn6bAYZbPcjfDDalNFdTSBvw-nLvCAA68r3V0fXTrdkLUlbk67bjnVdGis8rnoWKMw4AUIToa1csM14R6JaTnIewlVxrMyg4/s1600/Tinker_Bell_10K_Anna_costume_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3p1YIqgkE_NKuyLVwwy2Wzt2Xf4WmudRpHOww3cUBYqDLrn6bAYZbPcjfDDalNFdTSBvw-nLvCAA68r3V0fXTrdkLUlbk67bjnVdGis8rnoWKMw4AUIToa1csM14R6JaTnIewlVxrMyg4/s640/Tinker_Bell_10K_Anna_costume_web.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inspired by Anna, who I feel matches my clumsy side pretty impeccably, I hand-stitched a gold trim to a black tech tank, then used puff paint for the front design. I made the cape from scratch -- I just bought some lightweight material and kept cutting and sewing until it... "worked," and then added teal sparkle sleeves and a blue sparkle skirt again from Sparkle Athletic. Topped with braids, a white hair streak from the party store, and blue capris so as not to blind the world with my legs, and it was time to hit the race.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFou7fkeuquTtC7DZhUMrWG794vmRBlXSDtggsvFeAyckNDwkmuxHhGmsnuHHn61127GJWlPQGoV5UUNa0lmvpWslKt1kDaNjQvIQJEBBNiKhPAsLsew-VKn4wehPpaogFD5QlRd8lLCU/s1600/Anna_costume_floor_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFou7fkeuquTtC7DZhUMrWG794vmRBlXSDtggsvFeAyckNDwkmuxHhGmsnuHHn61127GJWlPQGoV5UUNa0lmvpWslKt1kDaNjQvIQJEBBNiKhPAsLsew-VKn4wehPpaogFD5QlRd8lLCU/s400/Anna_costume_floor_web.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RunDisney even featured a shot of me crossing the finish line on their Twitter account for National Running Day, which I didn't know existed, but was happy to learn about.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHEZ3IHd5MhciOwGsoKNPr5Eq8M6akyU5a0p62gZ1UD-kLccrmWFvh5GFpNAyhF1z04lubOtCwCwxPiR357hGyGPIK7BnyVoNW2y_-451H75obj1hSC3zlOoK4LReAjpWXENIaB3QXIs_/s1600/2014_National_Running_Day_Twitter_color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHEZ3IHd5MhciOwGsoKNPr5Eq8M6akyU5a0p62gZ1UD-kLccrmWFvh5GFpNAyhF1z04lubOtCwCwxPiR357hGyGPIK7BnyVoNW2y_-451H75obj1hSC3zlOoK4LReAjpWXENIaB3QXIs_/s1600/2014_National_Running_Day_Twitter_color.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was surprised when RunDisney tweeted this picture of me on National Running Day. Anna in action!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This picture makes it look like I won the race, which I did not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, psh. Of course I did.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2013 Disneyland Half Marathon: Jessie</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzKvYy8pHrpDYIS7t-re5a63F7Jn-TOR2M3R4RlepWU9Jc5cX42OMKuDY4ecvCgrpTmO0i5Wzw3Y4r-MHdbIZjyXR77BmlzDu7t8gfgkXSqMqVX6i_JzXeSxOlBiQBL22n_4mUNPbhub5/s1600/Disneyland_Half_Marathon_Jessie_running_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzKvYy8pHrpDYIS7t-re5a63F7Jn-TOR2M3R4RlepWU9Jc5cX42OMKuDY4ecvCgrpTmO0i5Wzw3Y4r-MHdbIZjyXR77BmlzDu7t8gfgkXSqMqVX6i_JzXeSxOlBiQBL22n_4mUNPbhub5/s640/Disneyland_Half_Marathon_Jessie_running_en_web.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me well, knows that Jessie from <i>Toy Story </i>holds a special place in my heart, since I was... shall we say... very well acquainted with her during the first few years I worked at Disneyland. Not to mention I love her tough n' tumble tomboy attitude.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_DAreGIRq5Xq6W7BWhTh0GwakzaYAH-tWTCSvDCSbcE050iXiV88S3XdldA1sVyBKGmxDk3-0wI3TVx3JmDl_MK36Sba-8pydHvL0SrB_pcxrgmvgpqxAw33OjBUkPO523IMOzFFUA5G/s1600/Jessie_Disneyland_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_DAreGIRq5Xq6W7BWhTh0GwakzaYAH-tWTCSvDCSbcE050iXiV88S3XdldA1sVyBKGmxDk3-0wI3TVx3JmDl_MK36Sba-8pydHvL0SrB_pcxrgmvgpqxAw33OjBUkPO523IMOzFFUA5G/s400/Jessie_Disneyland_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may or may not be hiding in this picture somewhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I wanted my first custom-made running costume to be inspired by her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this one, I started with a white tech tank, then hand-stitched gold material and red trim to the front. Instead of cowhide chaps, I went with a cowhide apron, and added blue capris and (*shocker*) a blue sparkle skirt. I went with gold sparkle sleeves instead of yellow cuffs, and tried to glue a small painted cowgirl hat to some hair clips, but it barely stayed clipped to my hair and 60% of the paint had chipped off by the time I hit the finish line. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/76/8a/91/768a916851bc30c00ab662e2a1b56af1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="409" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/76/8a/91/768a916851bc30c00ab662e2a1b56af1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First try!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a special race for me because I sang the National Anthem at the beginning, hopped off stage and stripped off my overdressings to reveal the Jessie costume beneath, and started the race a minute later. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvtAkMCuW000Sjql6VGML2sEjvRMGr3f6PWkMLZsZ3eLeVyf7VU9Ccwbjp6hudVLluGROxkNWeBzAhS_QB3a_zcjbI1AuotxPs0SSl27QtlTXjyPCQo6blnOgQvolhi4KYA_fIVfS9mhE/s1600/2013_Disneyland_Half_Marathon_national_anthem_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvtAkMCuW000Sjql6VGML2sEjvRMGr3f6PWkMLZsZ3eLeVyf7VU9Ccwbjp6hudVLluGROxkNWeBzAhS_QB3a_zcjbI1AuotxPs0SSl27QtlTXjyPCQo6blnOgQvolhi4KYA_fIVfS9mhE/s640/2013_Disneyland_Half_Marathon_national_anthem_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sang the National Anthem before running the race. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They wouldn't let me strip on stage for some reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you ran the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2013 -- that girl who sang the National Anthem was me! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unless you thought it sucked. Then it was someone else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And let's be honest -- if you remember how the National Anthem sounded at the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon, then it really sucked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family and buddy Greg were there to run with me, and it was my sister's birthday. Happy birthday, sis!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVhYOlapZX-HxcBp2LpL6KmJwaVZw9p-wd9JdYNmT4A0sMoLCM-9Ba50hnhQr-FMJKSa5fOsgpXbUQi2KaEd4wO3LpE55pUe92ZOVWw-FzA_K0Sr307Wc-8ZjxrzmDOY-i4KnOzsk9C96/s1600/2013_Half_M_group_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVhYOlapZX-HxcBp2LpL6KmJwaVZw9p-wd9JdYNmT4A0sMoLCM-9Ba50hnhQr-FMJKSa5fOsgpXbUQi2KaEd4wO3LpE55pUe92ZOVWw-FzA_K0Sr307Wc-8ZjxrzmDOY-i4KnOzsk9C96/s400/2013_Half_M_group_web.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2013 Disneyland 10K: Alice</span></h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafcChAvGRzh2HmDtIejL9FFORpYl3-YvF3rk6IikGDZtM1OQzGFYFyKnv3VBgSwxCFNujJIsqhTzYEjkNMiYHS_cDlduUwCAgjdUu6bhUf2gzqRb-OGt8mNUyneS3hZeW6HNHmmw3anZS/s1600/Disneyland_10K_with_dad_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafcChAvGRzh2HmDtIejL9FFORpYl3-YvF3rk6IikGDZtM1OQzGFYFyKnv3VBgSwxCFNujJIsqhTzYEjkNMiYHS_cDlduUwCAgjdUu6bhUf2gzqRb-OGt8mNUyneS3hZeW6HNHmmw3anZS/s640/Disneyland_10K_with_dad_web.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running the 10K with my Dad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I originally wasn't planning to dress up for this race (I was putting all my energy into my Jessie costume for the half), but my friend Lisa said she had an Alice dress I could borrow if I wanted to run the 10K in that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So at the last minute, I bought a pair of white tights and threw on the Alice dress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly I was a race cos-player in training.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family was there running the Dumbo Double Dare with me, though they didn't opt for mad hatter or white rabbit costumes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lrdgt8-eQmYnuWmONd970cPx_So5WDCssdoYNesftyoFlQb8bYfKtwW_ttLDaUnVYfyXwPpbXReH2wUHVPMdoXQMVK66vcbjOli9eeXSHq8jl3ob1BYipJtpzj_Ie7Pta3CrW9V7PwU-/s1600/2013_Disneyland_10K_castle_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lrdgt8-eQmYnuWmONd970cPx_So5WDCssdoYNesftyoFlQb8bYfKtwW_ttLDaUnVYfyXwPpbXReH2wUHVPMdoXQMVK66vcbjOli9eeXSHq8jl3ob1BYipJtpzj_Ie7Pta3CrW9V7PwU-/s640/2013_Disneyland_10K_castle_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad, me, my sister Christy, and our friend Greg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The highlight of the race was tripping on a road reflector around mile 2, where I smacked the ground and barrel rolled back up a second later, somehow continuing my pace without slowing down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People around me screamed when I hit, and then looked at me in confusion when I popped back up in a continued run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think you actually gained ground with that move," a guy next to me said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always knew those Nerf gun wars with my friends would pay off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though I didn't come away unscathed. But the dress did, which is what really matters.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGldtpX3iUBJmBraHp2F5j4mssZbz2igvTbKyg_DVolJimVX0nn1FlS6UBwA0Q0xkW8iwUjufgS7hSId-Kimm-ghVix8yDkd4tJH6nwNiQEHJaOtgukbduDGdOQxf9vy3BQlQAN4U7x3Q_/s1600/Boo_boo_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGldtpX3iUBJmBraHp2F5j4mssZbz2igvTbKyg_DVolJimVX0nn1FlS6UBwA0Q0xkW8iwUjufgS7hSId-Kimm-ghVix8yDkd4tJH6nwNiQEHJaOtgukbduDGdOQxf9vy3BQlQAN4U7x3Q_/s400/Boo_boo_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10K battle wounds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2012 Disneyland Half Marathon: Girl in Colored Clothes</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7LkLkLbxYQoU1G36lLins6y2p7KFOYTlAKs9vj-y2uDy-QcKgbfEmHoqwrrH_zUXgmE7BUe7e0Ua2MDu3hzgD-D80g90qkJIoC2KXMzZyAVEHvs3zuGN55xlIiD9_V4xvUOoET6xZReC/s1600/Bright_clothes_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7LkLkLbxYQoU1G36lLins6y2p7KFOYTlAKs9vj-y2uDy-QcKgbfEmHoqwrrH_zUXgmE7BUe7e0Ua2MDu3hzgD-D80g90qkJIoC2KXMzZyAVEHvs3zuGN55xlIiD9_V4xvUOoET6xZReC/s400/Bright_clothes_web.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With my third race ever, I finally thought about what I was going to wear before I got out of bed that morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not too impressive an outfit for a Disney race, but bright and cheerful, nonetheless. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5y9_YZIZ6FKQZgsjOD2CD-2a4dm0FILD8s-BkPeTV-PZcynShR02xW9U4Y0T0iaFPt9oB5oAF1nT9BkH1RfMmQIZ8ipslZZl3LZoIxqyDmoIh1xfnMG-dYiN_nAUjezHMot82aNV52yH/s1600/Bright_clothes_running_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5y9_YZIZ6FKQZgsjOD2CD-2a4dm0FILD8s-BkPeTV-PZcynShR02xW9U4Y0T0iaFPt9oB5oAF1nT9BkH1RfMmQIZ8ipslZZl3LZoIxqyDmoIh1xfnMG-dYiN_nAUjezHMot82aNV52yH/s400/Bright_clothes_running_web.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always recommend sparkle skirts to anyone running a Disney race, or any race for that matter, because it adds extra bling without extra drag.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCklwAQsvSIOcAozXbdggWQCjtgDrqV86Dh4bAsDg2k9GyidmuSALlyDGgLrj-KDZnrg1-foxREtqyfAehPY5ajIz_7nCNjIPIltzaxVOgEFu7s9zRnygLbDsKRJJZ5AFvjTH9TXNwOHf/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2012 Tinker Bell Half Marathon: ...Wings...</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCUCnLeHuvqh_jYyxdLQiUMWS4qRUT6hDrt3ri8MfIENnrv4_j1u2-KipDZxkx-onIwH8I9COlT6Nv-aTI9g4mjZLOmAjRxUuzaFpJYtsgWGwOaw5HbtpdywzC-GirQ4RlVbxe-4EEBTp/s1600/First_Tinker_Bell_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCUCnLeHuvqh_jYyxdLQiUMWS4qRUT6hDrt3ri8MfIENnrv4_j1u2-KipDZxkx-onIwH8I9COlT6Nv-aTI9g4mjZLOmAjRxUuzaFpJYtsgWGwOaw5HbtpdywzC-GirQ4RlVbxe-4EEBTp/s400/First_Tinker_Bell_web.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, so I came close to being visually ok for this race. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I say "came close," because I did purchase my first sparkle skirt for this race -- my 2nd race ever -- but then, I committed a cardinal sin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I. Tucked. My. Shirt. Into. My. Skirt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing says "fashion" like a black elastic waistband. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJiUnKiE-T-fAQn0UcRh_bmp7G4nE94AkhCnjVeWxKyqNcULIHnIJdDQJy6KXSdS7qyHP3oqyOfpfTVxhN3PRmJD30L_O2qv4Mol55XI43MonY8an1mXzUlBU63MckweJPzlrhCJw0RjE/s1600/Elastic_Tuck_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJiUnKiE-T-fAQn0UcRh_bmp7G4nE94AkhCnjVeWxKyqNcULIHnIJdDQJy6KXSdS7qyHP3oqyOfpfTVxhN3PRmJD30L_O2qv4Mol55XI43MonY8an1mXzUlBU63MckweJPzlrhCJw0RjE/s320/Elastic_Tuck_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing says "newbie" like a shirt/skirt tuck.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fashion has never been my natural forte, which my stylish sister can attest to. I often prefer comfort over cuteness, but I doubt this tuck-job was comfortable either, so who knows what my problem was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ironically, I picked up the wings at the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon press announcement that I hosted as a Disney Ambassador, where a reporter asked me if I planned to run the race, to which I responded, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A27hdBki_pdVq4_DBpm86G81D4IHVPdAZNm3hGP3AHRsGPRMuv7wUr7GZWZWnyR23WXi8h5PUcBC1xw1DafVhWPbT_hcfLkvWzmWO6ewZwHBt8WhiB_XCqYNbw1L_1uN_AYNlJ67rEMM/s1600/Tinker_Bell_announcement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A27hdBki_pdVq4_DBpm86G81D4IHVPdAZNm3hGP3AHRsGPRMuv7wUr7GZWZWnyR23WXi8h5PUcBC1xw1DafVhWPbT_hcfLkvWzmWO6ewZwHBt8WhiB_XCqYNbw1L_1uN_AYNlJ67rEMM/s320/Tinker_Bell_announcement.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my friend Lisa at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon press announcement, where I got the wings.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I said "no" in a bit more magical way, but my thought was no, nonetheless. I had just trained and run my first half marathon ever, with no plans to revisit such a race again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until my co-Ambassador friend signed me up for this one without me knowing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess I really owe it to that friend, because after signing me up for three Disney Half Marathons in a row, by the time the third one was complete, running was now a part of my lifestyle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fashion still isn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now someone just needs to sign me up for New York Fashion Week every year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2011 Disneyland Half Marathon: First-Time Runner</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E1TmJoUNTTKMDXfFOiMolLdz-eQC61SLu_2RdDC6QztdjXAogOjjEOqH6FtYp2lcOHADwh_Y3ZRTf6rS4Fb4WCL_6M3kxSiReEcfnPSnq-NtZWjOdBXORci_S5CX9X74k4F9x5gUcLMJ/s1600/First_Half_2011_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E1TmJoUNTTKMDXfFOiMolLdz-eQC61SLu_2RdDC6QztdjXAogOjjEOqH6FtYp2lcOHADwh_Y3ZRTf6rS4Fb4WCL_6M3kxSiReEcfnPSnq-NtZWjOdBXORci_S5CX9X74k4F9x5gUcLMJ/s640/First_Half_2011_web.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some Disney friends helped me at least get a tech shirt and sport capris for the race, since I think I did all my training in cotton t-shirts and basketball shorts. But low and behold -- It's the <i>same</i> outfit I wore for the next Tinker Bell! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Except for the wings and skirt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diversity!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Evidently I had a true shortage of appropriate sport apparel in my closet, and no pair of tennis shoes younger than six years old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, just in case anyone doubted that I had no idea what I was doing, I tied a cotton sweater around my waist "in case I got cold."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hahaha, I am awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is where a teacher gives me a "most improved" certificate, to which I scratch my head and try to decide if that's an insult or a compliment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Advice... For What it's Worth</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you ever considered making a running costume for yourself, here's what I learned</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep the material lightweight -- you don't want to add 71 minutes to your 5K time because you insist on getting the fur right.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Inspired by" is good enough. Slap on a pair of mouse ears and you can be Mickey, or get as detailed as you want.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've never sewn before, who cares? Grab a needle and thread and see what happens when you put it to fabric. No one is going to be looking at your stitching come race day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Safety pin loose costume pieces together once you put the costume on when race day comes. Otherwise skirts might ride up, capes might twist, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to go all out with the outfit, get shoe covers or matching shoes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Test out your costume before running the race in it -- people might think you're a weirdo when you're running through the neighborhood dressed like Tigger, but it's better than stepping on the course and not being able to bend your elbows, or you get chaffed, or worse -- lose the costume completely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check race costume rules before you design yours -- I knew a disappointed Death Star when RunDisney's new policies were released early this year. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't. Tuck. Your. Shirt. Into. Your. Skirt.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm signed up for the next couple Disneyland 10Ks, so stay tuned for more attempts at athletic cosplay...</span></div>
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-41749470269296542612015-11-03T22:20:00.005-08:002015-11-03T22:37:38.533-08:00How I Accidentally Hack-N-Slashed One of the Most Destructive Computer Viruses in the World<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ransom</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A couple weeks ago, I was running down an Irvine trail after work, distracting myself from the pains of aerobic exercise by listening to one of my all-time favorite podcasts, <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/" target="_blank">Radiolab</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This particular episode, called </span><a href="http://www.radiolab.org/story/darkode/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">"Darkode,"</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> pretty much blew my mind (highly recommended).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was about a woman who's personal computer suddenly started acting slow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, that's just about every computer. But it didn't end there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After rebooting and doing some troubleshooting, her computer wouldn't speed up. So, she left the computer alone for the weekend and figured she'd try again on Monday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monday came. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And boy, was it a Monday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When she hopped back on her computer, she suddenly found that none of her files, photos, videos, or kitchen sinks were accessible. Each time she'd click on one, an error message appeared saying the file format could not be read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What the heck?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, a big red popup sprung onto her screen. It read, "Your personal files have been encrypted" and said that unless she paid $500 US within 7 days in a digital currency called bitcoin, she would never access her files again. Her files would remain eternally encrypted, or in other words, corrupted to anyone who didn't have the key to un-corrupt them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, that key sat </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">only</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> with the encryptor -- some computer hacker punk across the rolling seas, all the way over in ever-trustworthy Russia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What then ensued was a 7-day mad dash as this poor woman, desperate to get her files back, painstakingly followed all instructions to try to convert $500 US to bitcoin and pay the ransom. And I swear, all the forces were against her -- it's quite the story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the end (*spoiler alert*), she got the ransom paid, and her files were restored. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her $500, of course, was not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those who have never heard of this kind of thing before, it's known as "ransomware" -- a type of computer virus that permanently blocks access to all your files unless you pay a sum of money within a designated time frame. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fail to pay? Bye bye, files.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently ransomware has been around for a few years now, and is becoming more and more common. It can infect your computer through email links, attachments, or even popup ads on websites. Even that cute animated GIF of a puppy you save from Google Images could come with one of these less cute infections, and you and your anti-virus software won't even realize it until it's too late.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And no, unfortunately your dark-rimmed-glasses-wearing-ultra-tech-savvy neighbor can't do squat to help you. Once your computer has been infected and your files have been encrypted, only the hacker with the key can give them back to you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terrible, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so, hackers from all over the world continue to target sweet grandmothers' family photo files, graphic designers' Adobe project libraries, and business people's spreadsheets. They tell you to pay the fee, or you'll never see the photos of your first dog or the expense reports you haven't yet turned in, ever again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many of these hackers apparently come from standard business environments outside the United States -- with cubicles, HR departments, and possibly even "employee of the month" parking spaces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The way these businesses make money? By demanding ransoms for our files.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope they sleep well at night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cuz they probably won't in the next life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, while I was listening to the podcast, I counted my blessings that I had never been a victim of ransomware, nor had any of my friends or family members, as far as I knew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So it must not have been <i>that </i>common. Thank goodness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jinxed.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Turn</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I work in multimedia, which means I overuse lots of RAM and hard drive space to manage the many digital projects my team and I work on for the company. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few days ago, I was working on a multimedia project and all was fine and dandy, when I did exactly what I do all the time. I double-clicked on a picture file to preview it before pulling it into a project. But instead of the picture opening, I got an error message:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"File format is unsupported and cannot be read."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cannot be read? Why?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried again. Same error message. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Suspicious, I tried to open a different picture in the same folder. Again, I got the same error message, and the file wouldn't open. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Odd, especially since that same file had opened without any problems just a minute ago...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I quickly tried to open a couple other file types, and each time, I was greeted by the same error. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I looked deeper into the file structure. Strangely enough, I noticed 3 new files that hadn't been there before -- they were all labeled with the same name, but one was a text file, one was an HTML file, and one was some other action-file type I didn't recognize.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being the meticulously detail-OCD weirdo that I am, I knew that I hadn't put these files on my computer. And I knew no one else on my team had put them there, either...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then it hit me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No way... it couldn't really be that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cautiously opened the unknown text file, and sure enough, it only took a second for me to recognize instructions for paying a ransom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I immediately unplugged my computer's network cable in hopes of not infecting other computers in the building, and rushed into the office next door -- straight to my boss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I need the tech team asap," I said. "I think a Russian hacker just gave us a virus that kills all the files on the multimedia drive unless we pay them a ransom."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Wait, what? Is this a joke?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fair question, considering. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No -- it's for real. I actually just learned about this kind of thing on a podcast. Can you call the tech team over?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a brief second spent studying my serious expression and determining it was legit, my boss then jumped up as though his chair had just burst into flames, and within seconds, a tech was in my office, working his anti-virus magic to stop more damage from being done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, it was ransomware.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But... we weren't supposed to know that yet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's why.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In order for a ransomware virus to encrypt your files, it has to scramble each one individually. Going from file to file, one at a time, takes time. Especially on a large multimedia drive with tens of thousands of files, where a single video file can be huge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, once the virus starts encrypting, it takes hours or even days to scramble all the files on a hard drive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It turns out, this particular ransomware starts encrypting files alphabetically -- meaning it scrambles files in folders that start with "A" before moving on to files in folders that start with "B," and so forth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had been working in a folder called "Assets."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Assets" starts with "A."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You've been educated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This means that the encryption on my computer had just barely begun at the time I had noticed it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And those 3 new unfamiliar files that had been placed on my computer? Combined, they programmed the popup window that was supposed to show itself later and give me instructions on how to pay the ransom.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I wasn't supposed to see the instructions yet. That popup window wasn't scheduled to appear until after the encryption process was completed. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just happened to be working out of an "A" folder, so I noticed the encryption early. And I just happened to recognize and read the instructional text file long before it had encrypted much of my hard drive, because I just happened to listen to a podcast about this very thing and just happened to be a detail-oriented OCD maniac.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The virus didn't get past "A." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bahaha.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WaBAM! Mic drop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd be lying if I said I didn't fear some vengeful hacker reading this and taking it as a challenge to do better next time. Por favor, no... I am but a small superhero.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, our tech team was able to isolate and remove the virus quite quickly -- in about an hour. There were commonly-used files in the "A" folders that had already been encrypted beyond recovery, but with only a fraction of a percent of the drive being touched, the damage was uncharacteristically minimal. <i>And</i> since our company had completed a regular backup of all of the multimedia data 36 hours prior, it meant I only lost files in the "A" folders that had been created during the last day and a half.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It turned out, I only lost 3 Photoshop files -- a couple hours worth of work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then, wouldn't you know it -- when I opened Photoshop, its auto-recovery feature kicked in, and it automatically opened auto-saved recovery versions of the three files I <i>thought</i> I had lost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the end, I lost ZERO work!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What kind of miracle is that?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I got to live a story straight out of my favorite podcast! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, I wasn't really hoping for that. It's much less stressful to just listen to someone else's problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But truly, the stars had aligned for me that day, for which I'm grateful to the good Lord above. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm always on a tight deadline at work -- and even losing just a couple days of work, plus the time it would have taken to recover it all from the backup copy, would have probably made me want to go outside and beat up anyone on the street who looked like a hacker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever hackers look like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Internet says hackers look like this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/12/istock_000024004885small-100221122-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2013/12/istock_000024004885small-100221122-large.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, I got to feel like a virus-destroying superhero.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which I'm not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I liked feeling like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back Up Your Data</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I still have no idea how the ransomware got on my computer. I don't even know if it was me who opened that floodgate, or someone else who has access to the multimedia drive. I'm very careful about what files I open, and our company filters and virus protectors block just about everything that isn't business-related.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth is, I'll probably never know. Which makes it that much more unsettling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ransomware is all over the Internet, waiting to infect computers -- mostly home computers, but as I witnessed, its targeting more and more business computers these days. If your computer catches it, you'll likely have to either pay the ransom to recover your files (which is not recommended, because it fuels hackers to continue demanding ransoms), or you lose them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For-ev-er (<i>Sandlot</i>, anyone?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started researching the best solutions for this problem, and multiple websites said the same thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back. Up. Your. Data.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you regularly back your computer files up on either an external drive (which you then unplug), or better yet, to a cloud service like Google Drive, then if ransomware overtakes your computer, your files are all snug and cozy and backed up. Then you can bite your thumb at the hackers, reformat, and reload all your files.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A word of caution -- don't rely on regular timed system backups through Windows. Those can be corrupted, too. Apparently so can cloud services that are consistently paired with your computer -- like a Dropbox account that appears in your computer hierarchy as an additional drive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a filmmaker of 15 years, I have 20+ external hard drives of data I've been waiting to upload and backup on some cloud storage system, as soon as a humongous amount of cloud space became affordable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which one has.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amazon now offers <a href="https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/home" target="_blank">unlimited cloud space for $60/year</a> -- by far the most space for the cheapest price. And they're not even paying me to say that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did a very excited happy dance when I heard about the 60 bucks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though I will say -- at this upload speed, by my calculations... all my drives will be backed up by April 2016.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For most people, you don't need unlimited space, and I highly recommend <a href="http://drive.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Drive</a>. It's well-priced, and the accessibility and ease of use is awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Google is just awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't turn evil someday, k Google? Cuz I know that all your important executives do all day is read my blog, so this will no doubt leave a deep impression.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, to all you readers out there (hi mom), protect yourself and your data by backing it up. It'll save random hacker-looking people on the sidewalk from being punched in the face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For now.</span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-1153373692435578512015-09-09T21:46:00.001-07:002015-09-09T21:46:56.426-07:00Farewell, My Beloved Four-legged Family Member<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before today, it was always fish. I was probably 9 when I found my first goldfish, we'll call him... "Goldfish," belly-up in my fish bowl, surrounded by half a cup of fish food flakes, courtesy of my devastated 4-year-old brother. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What kind of animal eats itself to death? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose you could argue that mankind does that, but that's not what this is about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon after, Goldfish II lasted two days longer than its dead predecessor, for a total of 9 days of life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A record at the Hales household. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was never to be a Goldfish III.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut to 20+ years later, when I noticed that the blue beta fish on my desk at work suddenly had a new pink steak on its tail. Last time I checked, beta fish don't change colors...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently my beta fish had perished overnight, and in hopes of protecting me from potential sorrow, my team bought and replaced my fish before I knew it was dead, hoping I wouldn't notice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isn't that normally done for 5-year-olds? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me, just nods in understanding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt bad for the fish, but simultaneously laughed my head off at the guilt mixed with sincerity on the faces of my coworkers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish, I can handle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what happened this morning, felt more like being hit by a semi-truck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9 years ago, I was going through a difficult divorce (to friends who never knew -- surprise!), and although I was working at the Happiest Place on Earth at the time, my days at home were dark and lonely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent long nights on my knees praying for companionship -- for something to ease the pain in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I logged onto the computer, ran a Google search on "Italian greyhound puppies for sale, southern California," (I had grown up with that breed) and a new ad in the LA Times popped up. A woman's Italian greyhound just had puppies, and she was looking for loving homes to send them to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After driving to LA, passing a screening interview (she was serious about making sure they were loving homes), I handed her $400 in cash, and she handed me 3-month-old curious little fawn-colored Savvy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who promptly went home and peed on my carpet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was adorable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His name? "Pirates of the Caribbean" was big back then (and still worth watching at the time), and I liked the way Johnny Depp said "Savvy?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're judging me. Rightfully so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy did all the cute puppy things -- howl three octaves above middle C, hide from the vacuum, poop everywhere except outside -- the works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a few weeks of watching his whimpering disappointment when he couldn't physically touch the playful puppy in the mirror door, followed by a stern phone scolding to me from a dog trainer because I "only had one Italian Greyhound when they should always come in pairs," I went back to the LA Times ad lady and brought home Savvy's brother, Comet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From that day forward, they were inseparable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Literally, they haven't spent more than a few hours apart since that time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And suddenly the joys and craziness of raising and training two little dogs, not only distracted me from my own sadness, but it began to heal my soul. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as dog owners understand well, these two little guys came with their own personalities and innate ability to love unconditionally. Love <i>me</i> unconditionally. And do it during a time where I didn't always feel worth loving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comet -- full name is Comet Goofy Doggy Dog -- was the goofy one of the pair. He got his name by running into walls at full speed... like a comet. And he has the biggest heart -- he barks maybe twice a year only to greet people, and he would lie down and take a bullet before stepping on a gnat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy -- full name is Savvy Max Doggy Dog -- was the alpha. He was the wise one of the two -- maybe the three of us. He loved to play and cuddle -- those were his love languages, and they were right in sync with mine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my only nearby family for seven years, my dogs have seen me through holidays and birthdays, road trips and vacations, celebrations and heartbreaks. I can remember moments of sadness when I would sit on the floor in despair, only to have Savvy approach me, study me carefully, and then curl up next to me and lay his head in my lap. He was always so perceptive, and I was so grateful for his companionship and love. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7BWv9eVAtM3Cx6hQjrsXHL8aSVEhENhr9LH4E2Jt5Et7Tm4KwTRWxcRfaEQdhuVfUoTSFB0kEvbqyP6KObxvpvNJnxWO4le2zL1Nm7y-TmTvCbWiHtf0JpoWRs5rYgqrmPHNSVNPIzE8/s1600/IMAG1063_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7BWv9eVAtM3Cx6hQjrsXHL8aSVEhENhr9LH4E2Jt5Et7Tm4KwTRWxcRfaEQdhuVfUoTSFB0kEvbqyP6KObxvpvNJnxWO4le2zL1Nm7y-TmTvCbWiHtf0JpoWRs5rYgqrmPHNSVNPIzE8/s640/IMAG1063_crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took dozens of road trips to Utah over the years. Savvy was a great traveler.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I carefully trained my dogs, and they did everything from jump through hoops to wipe their butts on the grass on command. They only used the bathroom in a designated 5×3 foot outdoor litter box, always came when called (even if they didn't want to) and they walked directly on my right side, with or without a leash. They did all these things because they loved me and knew it would make me happy, and they knew that I loved them, and I filled their world with praise and appreciation constantly. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK_dghVqrpqUGsdX7lTP3yRJOb8AUItVETheh24moYweZrAxu1wV8H4myecIkCISWylxbLCxc1N_sEXdqkojoD4ZRwmTOUs1OXvyeE6uGqdHnrbOjGwdURUKCMB4wnPrTQkJIQuEmLMtQ/s1600/IMG_0966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK_dghVqrpqUGsdX7lTP3yRJOb8AUItVETheh24moYweZrAxu1wV8H4myecIkCISWylxbLCxc1N_sEXdqkojoD4ZRwmTOUs1OXvyeE6uGqdHnrbOjGwdURUKCMB4wnPrTQkJIQuEmLMtQ/s640/IMG_0966.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GCNrFf8qYHp2I8BxSRuFv5nPuhkmxqmg8GNFyzS4tHfh3laAA8uI5J0zjwiVntBhtB2iOqe5Eu28MqxWpnflFGO3PbXOYcmjHPKMxCgeUORpnyZIfnycSSQv2cCiiVecmejhSB1Ekbui/s1600/IMG_4095_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GCNrFf8qYHp2I8BxSRuFv5nPuhkmxqmg8GNFyzS4tHfh3laAA8uI5J0zjwiVntBhtB2iOqe5Eu28MqxWpnflFGO3PbXOYcmjHPKMxCgeUORpnyZIfnycSSQv2cCiiVecmejhSB1Ekbui/s400/IMG_4095_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And dog clothes? Well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years ago, I can remember seeing dogs dressed up in clothing, and saying "I will <i>never</i> do that."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut to Christmas 2013...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3b1b63uHVncZvFiP82lr4tFtS84Trqc20YDZ6OWzug7EHBBNZqZja3OLfvYcqsoCzGJ-92j1o0ANhxmTAd3K_9YoZJPvF_oLcrkNLYUoGy5hu90H13zChokQ23451ZuSbFR4bjwPkqJe/s1600/IMG_1757_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3b1b63uHVncZvFiP82lr4tFtS84Trqc20YDZ6OWzug7EHBBNZqZja3OLfvYcqsoCzGJ-92j1o0ANhxmTAd3K_9YoZJPvF_oLcrkNLYUoGy5hu90H13zChokQ23451ZuSbFR4bjwPkqJe/s400/IMG_1757_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then there's Christmas 2014...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC6ZXqVL2s1I4c-tzG4ubbiO0iWkX22NWt4Dwod-sa5gVTHXWcIzjx0fCjSD6glcXgM_bmeIagPdnFnea9W_ZpxCd-ki4K2VCcwjC9ffzuAxlHctqQMwhgQ1DZxr4XKP8UbmxtXJJQUrB/s1600/IMG_2550_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC6ZXqVL2s1I4c-tzG4ubbiO0iWkX22NWt4Dwod-sa5gVTHXWcIzjx0fCjSD6glcXgM_bmeIagPdnFnea9W_ZpxCd-ki4K2VCcwjC9ffzuAxlHctqQMwhgQ1DZxr4XKP8UbmxtXJJQUrB/s400/IMG_2550_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not my fault! Blame PetCo for selling outfits that amplify my dogs' adorable-ness!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, of course, we couldn't go on road trips without doggy seat belts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shut up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy tested them out when he jumped out of the parked truck <u>once</u> while still fastened in. He just hung there out of the door, moving his legs in attempt to walk, hanging an inch above the ground. I pointed and laughed for at least sixty seconds before freeing him. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTqkf5TKv3mVz2hppOap1OOTbkpAgi9sslZcUjxIf_ZjyNoSWtP0uTGLHAB4zacqUScFkeMX3Ot366tpm4UQ2tj-fuoWpDWfClXYRahveQxraBT3LRxcUcUXyBHjyBOtxfE0sD-4z8tMH/s1600/IMG_1792_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTqkf5TKv3mVz2hppOap1OOTbkpAgi9sslZcUjxIf_ZjyNoSWtP0uTGLHAB4zacqUScFkeMX3Ot366tpm4UQ2tj-fuoWpDWfClXYRahveQxraBT3LRxcUcUXyBHjyBOtxfE0sD-4z8tMH/s640/IMG_1792_web.jpg" width="441" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy and Comet instantly loved every human being they ever came in contact with. Anyone who visited our home was greeted by instant cuddles and kisses, and even...*gulp*... "cat people" remarked how much they loved Savvy and Comet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not trying to play a game of "my dog is better than your dog" or anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I think my dogs are pretty sweet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How could you not love something that instantly loves you so unconditionally? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Spencer and I got married and we became a family of four, Savvy was on cloud nine. Suddenly he had another loving playmate -- and a boy! While I was always his master and priority number one, Savvy always loved playing with the guys. It was his favorite. And soon, he stuck to Spencer like velcro, often climbing on his lap and making computer work a little challenging. Spencer instantly fell in love with Savvy, and often remarked, "I didn't know I could love your dogs so much. They are the best." </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpDugKJgjZoQ67Syp_lNsDllQGLq2CXVIOIyosSBC-oSmtTa4Io1aBy3SOJj2Xu6AqdA1W4XvlzTNupRHOYlQmQw1vPQ-UfU59q_5dKbj79BAfXAl5QV6JQdJVS5TLls_4SevEAs_q6rQ/s1600/20150412_172540_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpDugKJgjZoQ67Syp_lNsDllQGLq2CXVIOIyosSBC-oSmtTa4Io1aBy3SOJj2Xu6AqdA1W4XvlzTNupRHOYlQmQw1vPQ-UfU59q_5dKbj79BAfXAl5QV6JQdJVS5TLls_4SevEAs_q6rQ/s640/20150412_172540_web.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfm9nFirZ-FhjAfNiszjmbfDYK9CTiKB-ugbnOpeHL2z7SlzSkQsEqVDLu_w736xyh9m8Zcw_pekwBllHiCt0cVYEz8DiV60fLOe9W_1S82ADDovoH_SJBT65jvP-jmbUNgUdswtJ8Yp-/s1600/20150407_185939_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfm9nFirZ-FhjAfNiszjmbfDYK9CTiKB-ugbnOpeHL2z7SlzSkQsEqVDLu_w736xyh9m8Zcw_pekwBllHiCt0cVYEz8DiV60fLOe9W_1S82ADDovoH_SJBT65jvP-jmbUNgUdswtJ8Yp-/s400/20150407_185939_web.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuGqFWlxqCqeSy5DqOluNu3z6f9aWeBILOBmwxaNbNh1w3dLLn3yw-XjL2q4OjN2XFiP65eQqrG2lA2vzCshMopd1HaXNj1EF8jY0ySbbNJ0CIau9hW9fFXqfDJRS3EMKnWsDo-grM_Hu/s1600/Savvy-Spencer-GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuGqFWlxqCqeSy5DqOluNu3z6f9aWeBILOBmwxaNbNh1w3dLLn3yw-XjL2q4OjN2XFiP65eQqrG2lA2vzCshMopd1HaXNj1EF8jY0ySbbNJ0CIau9hW9fFXqfDJRS3EMKnWsDo-grM_Hu/s640/Savvy-Spencer-GIF.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is why yesterday was one of the saddest days of our lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a week ago, Spencer and I started boxing up our things to move to a small home in Tustin -- a grateful step up from our studio guesthouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around the time we started packing, Savvy started acting a little lethargic. Not greatly -- just subtly. He still walked, did his business, cuddled, came when called, etc., he just wasn't as playful as he usually was. Other dog owners and online searches told me it was probably anxiety or sadness because of moving -- which is apparently quite common for dogs. Unsure, I kept an eye on him closely, and decided I would call the vet if his condition got any worse. Both he and Comet had been through subtle lethargy before, and they always bounced right back after a couple days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple days later, we were officially moved into our new house, and while Savvy wasn't 100%, he seemed to be doing better than before. He especially perked up when my mom and brother came to stay with us over Labor Day weekend. We all went on walks, played, and had fun. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOy4_1tMbaJsQNtfnLOkiMfKRiC2GL4Ua39jx098DCZBhGtjbCJvULUt77puywNdiWlwKEeOnACSOlLIh-W-oBdH50EGsEx0-GrcIQn8F9iSDZNKLu2YGr8H4JAVCf2TpbUS7nIE7f1Zu/s1600/20150902_111249_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOy4_1tMbaJsQNtfnLOkiMfKRiC2GL4Ua39jx098DCZBhGtjbCJvULUt77puywNdiWlwKEeOnACSOlLIh-W-oBdH50EGsEx0-GrcIQn8F9iSDZNKLu2YGr8H4JAVCf2TpbUS7nIE7f1Zu/s640/20150902_111249_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He seemed just fine a couple days before.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, because it had been a few days and he wasn't 100% yet, I decided to call the vet, just to be safe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I called the vet and described Savvy's lethargic symptoms, and set up an appointment as early as they had open -- for Thursday. Because it was Labor Day weekend, that was the earliest availability they had. But the vet employee didn't seem to think Savvy's condition was an emergency, so I accepted the appointment, grateful that we had something on the calendar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Labor Day rolled around, Savvy seemed to be back to his old self. He played and ate normally, went to town on a raw hide bone, and didn't spend so much time in his bed. I was relieved, and both Spencer and I commented repeatedly on how grateful we were that Savvy was doing better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When nighttime rolled around, we put the sweet dogs to bed, and went to bed ourselves. </span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sad Day</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It gets really sad here. Reader discretion is advised. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 2:30 in the morning, Spencer nudged me awake. His voice was concerned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Jo -- Savvy's laying next to our bed, and he went to the bathroom on the floor."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I jolted awake. Savvy is very house trained -- this couldn't be good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure enough, Savvy appeared to have collapsed next to our bed, like he was trying to reach us. He was so weak, he couldn't even control his bowels. I pet him and talked to him -- he seemed aware of me and looked at me, but he couldn't do much more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We've got to get to the emergency vet," I said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spencer stepped over some fresh dog vomit, quickly scooped up Savvy in a blanket, I grabbed my purse, and we ran to the car, leaving Comet whimpering behind us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 13-minute drive to the Garden Grove emergency vet was torture. Spencer spoke loving, encouraging words of support to Savvy, trying to keep him awake, while I drove, trying to see the road through my tear soaked eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ran into the vet and they immediately took Savvy into the back room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a mess. I felt like I was losing my precious boy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a few moments, the vet doctor met with us in a private room, and told us that Savvy was in critical condition. He wanted to run some tests to see if the cause was metabolic or due to poisoning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was convinced it wasn't poisoning. Savvy was so well-behaved that he wouldn't touch a steak laying on the floor if I didn't give him permission to eat it, plus we were very careful that nothing toxic to dogs was anywhere available. Not to mention, Savvy and Comet always do everything together, and Comet was feeling fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew it had to be metabolic. But what? A severe doggy virus that literally flared up over night? Cancer? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would never find out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The doctor laid out plans that they would keep Savvy until 7am, and then we would transfer him to his regular veterinarian. I suppose I should have been comforted by such planning for the future. But I was not. Deep in my heart, I knew there would be no transferring him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked if we could see him, and they agreed, only for a moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They brought us into a private room where Savvy laid, struggling to breathe in his own. We stroked and cuddled him and told him how much we loved him and that he was a good boy. He had moments he seemed to know us, but his breathing was becoming more and more labored. Spencer knocked on the door and the doctors quickly whisked Savvy away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the lobby, I signed a $1,200 estimate without a second thought, followed by a $250 release to do CPR should he stop breathing. Only seconds after my credit card was run through the system, an employee rushed out and said they were starting CPR. Spencer and I nodded our thanks between our flow of tears. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We could only sit and wait. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This part may seem a little understandably far fetched to some of you, but I'm going to tell it anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After only a minute or two, I thought I felt Savvy's presence to my left. When I looked that direction, I could see nothing there. But I felt I knew what it meant. Savvy had died, and perhaps his little spirit stopped by for a quick comforting goodbye before he made his way home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then he was gone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A moment after the feeling went away, the doctors asked to meet with us again. Savvy had not survived. He died so quickly, they didn't even get to run most of their tests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were devastated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They let us say our last goodbyes to his poor little body, and then not believing we had any other option, we pre-paid for cremation and left, heartbroken. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Italian greyhounds typically live 14 to 18 years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Savvy was 8 and a half. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We notified friends and family by phone and social media, and continued crying throughout the day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My job doesn't offer many sick days, so I had to go to work. Feeling ill and depressed, I skipped breakfast, vouched for glasses instead of contacts, and went to my office, where I closed the shades and reclused myself away from anything with two legs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spencer, at home most of the day, comforted and walked a confused Comet, and struggled to study for his math test or unpack a single box. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The clock ticked so slowly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 5pm sharp, I was back in my truck, headed home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I pulled into our driveway, I heard an SUV pull up behind me. "Hi Jolie," a man's voice said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wiped my tears and turned around. It was our new landlord, who lived down the street. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm sorry about your dog. That's really sad. I know he meant a lot to you."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I nodded with gratitude. "Thanks, yeah, it's been a tough day for us."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He continued. "Well, I know it's not much, and I'm not sure if you've already made plans, but you can bury him in the backyard if you'd like."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I paused. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Really?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't even think that would ever be an option. Our last landlord would have billed us $200 just for asking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When he confirmed with his condolences, I rushed into the house, called the vet and asked if they still had Savvy's body. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We found a nice spot in the backyard under the blossom trees for him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spencer dug a deep hole, then we picked up his body, wrapped in his favorite blanket that I made for him, and buried him with his favorite hippo toy, a ring toy we always used to put on his head (we found more humor in it than he did, but that's ok), a Snoopy card signed by Spencer, Comet (sort of), and me, and a picture of Jesus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're religious people, so we decided our dog is religious, too. :p</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOttih9Pgb0tdlYOgyIraL8pfNhfKl0QWHUkLjTTgbU38aUSVc3XjcjJBQ8JasQHUPh6heuzN7B4t9jLVJbHHphzM1ciuFbot7idx33QcI71EvfvCXqirrs7P_nQ-iJQrR7Uie7avEMUSn/s1600/20150908_184429_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOttih9Pgb0tdlYOgyIraL8pfNhfKl0QWHUkLjTTgbU38aUSVc3XjcjJBQ8JasQHUPh6heuzN7B4t9jLVJbHHphzM1ciuFbot7idx33QcI71EvfvCXqirrs7P_nQ-iJQrR7Uie7avEMUSn/s640/20150908_184429_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer digging under the blossoms (bottom right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroZT5nwPtPY3vpo2BzFS1Yay85uEPTNWR-FU07MF1q1Q-JSINfdclSJT7y_W5ZlN2yr8QkFljho0KRoVwrAQEIErg-cXxGpudMjaetxbmTZ4-_GfcIuMCR4VlDyGSsj5p2YlBYEXgQdUx/s1600/20150908_182802_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroZT5nwPtPY3vpo2BzFS1Yay85uEPTNWR-FU07MF1q1Q-JSINfdclSJT7y_W5ZlN2yr8QkFljho0KRoVwrAQEIErg-cXxGpudMjaetxbmTZ4-_GfcIuMCR4VlDyGSsj5p2YlBYEXgQdUx/s400/20150908_182802_web.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the things we buried him with.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We said a prayer and a few words, and filled the grave. I ordered a memorial rock online to mark where he is buried. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it's been really hard for us, there is some comfort knowing he's at home with us, and that we can see his resting spot from our window. We are so grateful our landlord would think to offer the possibility. My family agreed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He is sent from God," my brother James said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mormons don't have a lot of doctrine about animals after death, but we do believe that animals have spirits and will be resurrected, just as people are. The common thought is that even our relationships with animals in this life can continue in the next. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that's true. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We miss him so much. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7osCLCc8tsOh_CXd16HS0gLqtdIubaOYRhtfrlyCCBMbsaGB9UKydg0akqdQhmUA4-xPEQiwUNsX0I7jpDpDw3LNDNWi6MhI1m0kWjLQu_41hI1ecxWLKwZJHdlRc7ajgwUOYtY8dxR_/s1600/SpenJolie_84_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7osCLCc8tsOh_CXd16HS0gLqtdIubaOYRhtfrlyCCBMbsaGB9UKydg0akqdQhmUA4-xPEQiwUNsX0I7jpDpDw3LNDNWi6MhI1m0kWjLQu_41hI1ecxWLKwZJHdlRc7ajgwUOYtY8dxR_/s400/SpenJolie_84_web.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving Forward</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people must read this and think, "it's just a dog." Maybe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll never claim the loss of a pet is comparable to the loss of a person -- that's a new level of pain. But nonetheless, Savvy was family. He understood our emotions and responded accordingly, he entertained us, he wanted nothing but to love and be loved, and during the dark times, he saved me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's "just my dog."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comet, his brother who was left behind, seems to be doing ok. He looks confused and is more skittish and reclusive, but for the time being, his tail still wags when you talk to him. We're giving him extra love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the time is right, we'll get another Italian greyhound or whippet to be a companion for him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I am so grateful I had Savvy in my life for as long as I did, and Spencer feels the same way. He was the best dog in the world for us, and gave us so many happy memories to cherish until the day we can see his little doggy tail again.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4Q9TZXlHJ9njWk35Qv6eyQGZR7WWf8iQRiV0Qn1oOHlPxwKNgpvBIBNPBu79eNjk1T0XZUwb42V6AEA9Nm-5NlNGf6p1evGOlpZERldn-qbt_Lbp-z3IikQXza8OOM1dd19xAKBc4-f7/s1600/IMG_0071.CR2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4Q9TZXlHJ9njWk35Qv6eyQGZR7WWf8iQRiV0Qn1oOHlPxwKNgpvBIBNPBu79eNjk1T0XZUwb42V6AEA9Nm-5NlNGf6p1evGOlpZERldn-qbt_Lbp-z3IikQXza8OOM1dd19xAKBc4-f7/s640/IMG_0071.CR2_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While he was with us, he loved to play tag (nothing got him more excited than hearing "on your mark, get set, go!"), fetch, tug-o-war, race and play with his brother, sunbathe, cuddle, and sit on our laps. He often ate his food by taking one piece from the bowl, bring it over to wherever we were, and eat it near us. He ripped off his dew claw at least once a year, and often wore a bandage on one paw because of it. When he took off on a fast run, his little booty scooched around until he hit full speed. He loved learning new tricks for treats or love, and had mastered all the classics - speak, play dead, roll over, shake, hoop, stay, walk on his hind legs, and others. He loved every human he encountered - with a vengeance. And they loved him too.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMIDGlfltS044fJxlrsB7csng5aLMVN8QfyZJYZ-JsUfy6V_4ElJYZ5OjA9wnU26a61mGI1UBugmQWd6LuvcvU8NvOEn0aEZ5hd1dLy4FghSOAR5pOf34Uvkusd_7RkUHnvbvzPAt8BKo/s1600/IMG_0273_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMIDGlfltS044fJxlrsB7csng5aLMVN8QfyZJYZ-JsUfy6V_4ElJYZ5OjA9wnU26a61mGI1UBugmQWd6LuvcvU8NvOEn0aEZ5hd1dLy4FghSOAR5pOf34Uvkusd_7RkUHnvbvzPAt8BKo/s640/IMG_0273_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_rjXFh1O8GkZ1oqJNvSzR_tMCWNuhwJNtajEk5Y3QNdxbpOCxlIRhazTo2kNfcTPCJQnjRw_rWklct9s-Pvy9gIzoISLva1Uz_k0FF5XLT16xnnexEn0ekrspO8830Apm95ISrm-E3Ga/s1600/IMG_0128_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_rjXFh1O8GkZ1oqJNvSzR_tMCWNuhwJNtajEk5Y3QNdxbpOCxlIRhazTo2kNfcTPCJQnjRw_rWklct9s-Pvy9gIzoISLva1Uz_k0FF5XLT16xnnexEn0ekrspO8830Apm95ISrm-E3Ga/s400/IMG_0128_web.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another torn dew claw.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will say -- I didn't realize until later what a miracle it had been that Savvy and Comet came into my life at all. Italian greyhound puppies are very rare to come by and are seldom publicized -- the fact that an LA Times ad was posted for the very breed I was looking for just hours before I ran the search, makes me feel like these dogs were -- dare I say -- picked for me as an answer to my prayers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atheist friends roll their eyes here. ;) That's okay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I continue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And recently, deep down, I've known Savvy wouldn't be with us for much longer. I just... kinda knew. On Sunday night, when Savvy seemed to be pretty healthy, I welled up with tears during a scene in the film <i>We Bought a Zoo</i> where an elderly tiger is put down. I seldom cry in movies, or frankly anywhere, but I was overcome with emotion at the distinct thought I would soon lose my precious Savvy. I tried to push the thoughts away, in hopes I was wrong. He looked happy and fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when Spencer woke me up at 2:30 Tuesday morning, I knew the time had come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother James, who had developed a special bond with Savvy during the five recent weekends he stayed with us while he competed in a random Chinese pop singing competition, said that when he said goodbye to Savvy on Labor Day, even though Savvy seemed to be in good health, he felt like it was the last time he'd see him.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34TARyD6cI21UH0QC6_bhK4qrCwOjgG8a24wM8vMLI-WpfF2EzmUfN4EaSvkOUnxZ6ftL2dyZAPCtlWLzIDmz4GL6xPrXu0dz8e5jM7HgoBM48toocRzucOKXJUTlKtUYO6FNz81fq-UK/s1600/me-and-dogs_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34TARyD6cI21UH0QC6_bhK4qrCwOjgG8a24wM8vMLI-WpfF2EzmUfN4EaSvkOUnxZ6ftL2dyZAPCtlWLzIDmz4GL6xPrXu0dz8e5jM7HgoBM48toocRzucOKXJUTlKtUYO6FNz81fq-UK/s400/me-and-dogs_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother James with the boys.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so grateful Savvy spent his last days with the people he loved -- me, Spence, James, and my mom.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QbmvaUnBSscim9T6gTMaDRCb4NduwASkxvjsGcVkMa383dwmnoSdbcWwhL1afS1mbyGfMlwP0mP6JB92HwCdgQ9ar7_idGPHx8-LCxgmvQY2Km7PyT0nL43kuf7DThrDRRcxfFfyjVwO/s1600/IMG_2731_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QbmvaUnBSscim9T6gTMaDRCb4NduwASkxvjsGcVkMa383dwmnoSdbcWwhL1afS1mbyGfMlwP0mP6JB92HwCdgQ9ar7_idGPHx8-LCxgmvQY2Km7PyT0nL43kuf7DThrDRRcxfFfyjVwO/s400/IMG_2731_web.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Mom.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know why things happen the way they do. I don't know why beloved pets die early, or why good people die young. I don't know why I live in a beautiful free country with running water while someone else fights to survive in a war-torn nation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I do know that there must be a purpose in all of this -- a purpose we may not fully understand until long after we leave this place. A purpose that connects us, possibly on more on a subconscious level than we ever realized. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I love and miss my little Sav, and pray that someday I'll see his happy little brown eyes again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lord, take care of my sweet little Savvy.</span></div>
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-73901984135202730882015-08-23T22:43:00.001-07:002015-08-24T20:19:57.274-07:00Top Idol & the Cheater I Almost Took Down<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every good story needs a villain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what began as a funny, lighthearted bucket of Chinese randomness eventually became a battle between good and evil.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3854SbLD3Okw3T7lWoa5hGVStjeqCWnXaI0gZ9TB3RKfSmcWVATCmQKQkFk1YVMPmkz-j3nyf4OIzqF0U1gKbxlSS0ZOqW2dKu-Kxn7p0ED6QrpjDqyLEaYUgmYw15Fs1HAXez3pUsSD/s1600/20150822_115135_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3854SbLD3Okw3T7lWoa5hGVStjeqCWnXaI0gZ9TB3RKfSmcWVATCmQKQkFk1YVMPmkz-j3nyf4OIzqF0U1gKbxlSS0ZOqW2dKu-Kxn7p0ED6QrpjDqyLEaYUgmYw15Fs1HAXez3pUsSD/s640/20150822_115135_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The story's hero, my brother, James/Jimmy.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a couple hours sitting in an auditorium yesterday with my friends and my "Go Jimmy" sign, I found myself feeling unexpectedly and suddenly stressed out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3kwlpi4xB7nCf7_BRtxiRhfN8GCbFSutAupgBRuqWVCLQd9hegwNsFlTnnjFEuulzks5wL9Jy8FsTXvk48NpWjVRyUzZK0IgUFY3YSQAA5-klT63Ww9MfS3yodQ725RNMw_lsLQQbQRE/s1600/20150822_135052_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3kwlpi4xB7nCf7_BRtxiRhfN8GCbFSutAupgBRuqWVCLQd9hegwNsFlTnnjFEuulzks5wL9Jy8FsTXvk48NpWjVRyUzZK0IgUFY3YSQAA5-klT63Ww9MfS3yodQ725RNMw_lsLQQbQRE/s400/20150822_135052_en_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allow me to start from the beginning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After running a 10K in Los Angeles a couple months ago, James (Jimmy outside of the fam) and I were walking through a mall when we randomly stumbled on the first audition for a Chinese-speaking version of "American Idol." When I told the crew that my brother is fluent in Mandarin, within 30 seconds they had placed a microphone in his hands and brought him to the stage, and moments later, he was an official contestant to move on to the next round.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDh7U-iukjwZ0qQqOii4zenCjb1aDGHePdahkjdxH81HFMl7-UQF0VqM3dDi6Evty1mn0vxjQpkZGoyjsKeQhNh_m8utxLvj4pX73I2VKbDT2tiFSClcMf55XrFLDoxxut-z6rQ2KxOsb/s1600/James_Singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDh7U-iukjwZ0qQqOii4zenCjb1aDGHePdahkjdxH81HFMl7-UQF0VqM3dDi6Evty1mn0vxjQpkZGoyjsKeQhNh_m8utxLvj4pX73I2VKbDT2tiFSClcMf55XrFLDoxxut-z6rQ2KxOsb/s400/James_Singing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His accidental audition.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next four rounds, actually. All the way to the finals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With both of us, minus bells on bobsleds, laughing all the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for four more weekends, James purchased a round-trip flight from Phoenix to Orange County, slept on our couch hide-a-bed, and went to ETTV studio in the City of Industry to compete in "Top Idol."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each Saturday he thought he'd get cut, and each Saturday he found himself leaving the studio only to have to jump online and purchase yet another airline ticket.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, the show had narrowed the contestants to the top 12 finalists, and they had a random white guy among them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They also had.... dun dun dun.... the villain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Competition</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I wanted to support my awesome brother on this random adventure along the way, I came to almost all of the Saturday performances. I got to know the contestants and spent the bulk of my time uncharacteristically conscious of being polite and sitting unobtrusively in a waiting room watching a patched-in TV/audio feed of the performances, not understanding what the heck anyone was saying.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt0OuvKg4e-C4UnmJsc5dVR-aIZpdNNTjy9Ypv9MDYNtR7nppNRVK8KvqgUXDRwb82Y-Rsg5U9ErQI0sCiLc94kVuU1uwgQpaj9QRRJx64OME6I1-WV2AlIGq9Zk3aNMa9FY_7mYziACG/s1600/dont-understand_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt0OuvKg4e-C4UnmJsc5dVR-aIZpdNNTjy9Ypv9MDYNtR7nppNRVK8KvqgUXDRwb82Y-Rsg5U9ErQI0sCiLc94kVuU1uwgQpaj9QRRJx64OME6I1-WV2AlIGq9Zk3aNMa9FY_7mYziACG/s640/dont-understand_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt like a fascinated fly on the wall in a world I didn't recognize. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ETTV crew was especially kind to me each day -- they thankfully spoke to me in my native tongue, since "I-don't-speak-anything-but-English" might has well been written across my caucasian forehead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then there were the contestants: all very polite, with varied levels of talent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emphasis on <i>varied</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a singer myself, I noticed some unexpected judging patterns in who was kept and who was cut each round. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For instance, while I think my brother is a pretty good singer who had a rightful spot in the finals, he and I are the first to admit that he wasn't the best singer in the competition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a 17-year-old girl named Janet who was figgin' ridiculous in the best way possible. She could sing Christina Aguilera will precision and passion, and ace all the difficult trills most female singers flop on. She was beautiful, sweet, and the total package. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And at Round 4 -- they cut her. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc0v9jQTzflNgo-SELqnPMppTrxqmJN2_NnKaIaWog4qFb_HZB0gcEE7OB5IbaQvm_nuU24nw-KDcnyP2FRhFKqmF9C0F1R8rR7l8zVLkQEpgNRbx2eiSzyOFB9FzwWc3hcn_7kMzBvIA/s1600/Janet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc0v9jQTzflNgo-SELqnPMppTrxqmJN2_NnKaIaWog4qFb_HZB0gcEE7OB5IbaQvm_nuU24nw-KDcnyP2FRhFKqmF9C0F1R8rR7l8zVLkQEpgNRbx2eiSzyOFB9FzwWc3hcn_7kMzBvIA/s640/Janet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most amazing contestant, Janet, was cut before the final round.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I almost fell off my chair. James and I were sure she would win the whole thing, and both of us were actually rooting for her to get first and for James to get second.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same thing happened at the San Francisco auditions. The two best singers -- one of whom was professional grade -- were cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, by the time the final 12 were narrowed down, while there were some good singers kept until the final round, not all of them were... well, how should I say this since Internet prose lives forever... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's just say that I might not have chosen some of them. For Round 2. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But hey, a US-based Chinese singing competition has a narrow pool to fish from, and it's all subjective anyway, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time the final round came around, I had come to realize that this competition was a dice roll. Anything could happen, and the worst singer in the room could walk away with the 10-thousand dollar prize.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plus, would they really let a white guy win?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we were okay with that. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the beginning, all James wanted to do was meet one of his idols, Jason Chen, and he had already done that. The rest of this was a random, hilarious adventure -- something he can talk about at parties when the conversation turns to wisdom teeth stories or traffic tickets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there he was, heading toward the final round.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And along with it, came the final voting. The never-ending, constant shaking of that phone app to get votes for my brother. I shook that phone during business meetings at work, and even brought it with me on my 13-mile run after work. There were times I'd wake up in the middle of the night, thinking I was still hearing, "Thanks for the vote! Keep shaking! *shake, shake, shake*" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Punch. Me. In. The. Face.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But determined to show the producers that James was worth considering for a cash prize, our family pumped social media full of "vote for Jimmy" propaganda. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so many of you awesome, amazing, loving people responded! You know who you are, so THANK YOU!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cheater</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to voting on the app, you could vote on Facebook, Instagram, or on a website, and watch the votes tally up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is where I started to notice something interesting...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One contestant, we'll call him.... Voldemort, was significantly behind in the polls, which was somewhat expected since he was... (I feel so rude, but don't know how else to say this) not exactly at the top of the charts in the talent arena.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then all of a sudden, within 1 second, he went from having 90 votes, to having 2,590 votes on Instagram, triple the next highest person -- which just happened to be Jimmy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In one second.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's less time than it takes to read this sentence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My spidey senses were tingling, so I looked at Voldemort's Facebook votes. Sure enough, in one second, Voldemort had also jumped from next-to-nothing, to thousands of Facebook votes and followers, significantly higher than any other contestant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smelling a rat (or a wannabe wizarding overlord), I checked out the votes, and sure enough, the sudden voting profiles were all completely fake, which confirmed my suspicions that this sudden surge of votes were fake. Not to mention, no one from any of these profiles bothered leaving any comments for him on Facebook or Instagram, where all the other popular contestants had hundreds of comments and shares. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was obvious. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This contestant was using an Instagram "like" generator and a Facebook "like" and "follower" generator -- free websites that instantly give you hundreds to thousands of likes and followers with the click of a button. They exist to help people appear more popular than they really are. Or in a voting contest, they can be used for an additional purpose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With just a few minutes of digging, I had a confirmed long list of proof. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows me well also knows that while I'm generally a happy and pleasant person, I do not easily sit idly by when an injustice rears its ugly head -- even when it comes to a random Chinese singing competition. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admittedly, my eye was twitching a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After debating whether I should or not, I ended up writing a very kind, polite email to ETTV that said "You are probably already aware, but just in case you aren't...." and sending them the list of proof that one of their contestants was cheating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interestingly enough, ETTV responded in denial, saying that it "made sense to them" that the contestant had so many votes because the contestant also "had a lot of followers." They completely missed the point that the followers were fake, too -- and if they did any research, they would see that they all came into existence in one single second. Not to mention, the fake Facebook profiles were all Vietnamese -- a country that doesn't have access to ETTV shows. How would they even know such a contest existed? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazing how so many people in Vietnam would suddenly take a simultaneous, instant interest in one of the most forgettable singers in the competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ouch, I know. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, it was clear that ETTV didn't want to face that it was possible to rig their system, and I didn't want to be a crazy stage mom and make waves in a losing battle, so I decided to leave it alone. The best way to defeat the cheater would be to make sure Jimmy got enough real votes to even beat Voldemort's fake ones. So shake away, we did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Finals</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final round came -- a live ticketed performance at the Baldwin Park Performing Arts Center. The set looked great, and the lobby had 12 flat-screen TVs showing various photo poses of each contestant. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looked pretty sharp, actually. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAYatPKCApqplXiAE0CPpMEMIHABR_5OvKVrQiCA17saxkdOHuvbaiaworpZbKnIDsdFByhebr-Icl50kbdPf4whD1979keUNdr-FpZe8A52Oppn_hNED_genEc_UIOfogeybUvsjq5WE/s1600/20150822_132521_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAYatPKCApqplXiAE0CPpMEMIHABR_5OvKVrQiCA17saxkdOHuvbaiaworpZbKnIDsdFByhebr-Icl50kbdPf4whD1979keUNdr-FpZe8A52Oppn_hNED_genEc_UIOfogeybUvsjq5WE/s640/20150822_132521_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a running joke in our family that TV cameras always ask me for an interview. Thanks for the training, Disney!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James was feeling happy. While it would be nice to win some money, he was surprisingly indifferent about being named a winner. All he wanted (and all I wanted for him) was to perform well and have fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I'd be lying if I didn't say he was very ready for this adventure to be over so he could have his weekends back.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the final round, each contestant would first sing one song. Then they would be lined up on the stage according to who had the highest number of votes. Then the top six contestants with the most votes would have to pick someone from the bottom six contestants to "compete" with. From that point, each person in a competing pair would then sing a second song, and then the judges would eliminate one of each pair.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sense? It's a little complicated to explain, so feel free to read the last paragraph again to make sure you've got it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, James sang his first song -- some soft, slow Chinese song with an acoustic guitar minus track -- and he did great. Phew! So far, so good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier during rehearsal, James had quietly confided in one contestant backstage that Voldemort had rigged the votes. He didn't know that his confidant happened to be friends with Voldemort, and soon Voldemort nervously stated a clearly made-up explanation about having no votes in the US because his following was all in Taiwan. <i>Or Vietnamese servers</i>, James thought, but didn't say anything because he didn't want to stir up drama.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY35k9Clx47hxoe5X28HGdz7t3sm_Hx7N6a_jI5Yw9cVbPTRAzHjJ9u2-EQPOmomM_6wBopnnVq7qZZV5dGG9pgSukg0tC1ASDEynEbpnTkAhyphenhyphenwx1PE-RhRTKtsE6Nyy3eA8jAY6Wc7hkL/s1600/11035923_798728076915332_1682338395331050800_n_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY35k9Clx47hxoe5X28HGdz7t3sm_Hx7N6a_jI5Yw9cVbPTRAzHjJ9u2-EQPOmomM_6wBopnnVq7qZZV5dGG9pgSukg0tC1ASDEynEbpnTkAhyphenhyphenwx1PE-RhRTKtsE6Nyy3eA8jAY6Wc7hkL/s640/11035923_798728076915332_1682338395331050800_n_en.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backstage at rehearsal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it came time to line up the contestants on stage according to number of votes, which I think is cruel and unusual punishment. And low and behold, who should be at the very front of the line, but--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VOLDEMORT. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheater McGee himself, with a fake 18,000+ votes, stood triumphant in his dirty little secret at the head of the line, right next to my brother.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James got 16,000+ votes. 2-thousand <i>real</i> votes short of beating Voldemort's robots.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So close!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third place contestant had half of James's votes at around 8-thousand. James had swept it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But no one would ever know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Except you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt my eye twitching again as I saw Voldemort smirking in line ahead of my brother, but shook it off. It didn't matter. At least this meant James could have a choice in who he wanted to "compete" with for his second song (which I also think is cruel and unusual punishment, for the record).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as announced, Voldemort got to choose who to compete with first. The host asked him who he wanted to select.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Jimmy," he said. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone freaked out. Could he do that? We thought he had to choose someone from the bottom six.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The host looked at the judges. They shrugged. Looks like it would be allowed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the back of the auditorium, James caught my glance and gave me an oh-my-gosh look. The cheater was trying to eliminate him because he had the <i>actual </i>highest votes, and because Jimmy was the person who knew that Voldemort had cheated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My eye was in an all-out spasm now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The contestants went off stage briefly, and my phone buzzed. It was a message from James:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Claws are coming out. I shall DANCE!"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And dance he did. For his second song, "Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias (the judges' request for him, making Spanish the fourth language James would sing in this competition after Mandarin, Taiwanese, and English), James threw all caution to the wind and danced it up in the best way a not-so-Latin dancer could, complete with spins and... a bunch of other fancy footwork neither of us know the name of... if it has a name. He sounded great and pulled off the surprise dance moves at the same time. Phew!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11866207_798826726905467_4651497813007090968_n.jpg?oh=8239b932d4f604bcb3a6a259600153d1&oe=566BDC06" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11866207_798826726905467_4651497813007090968_n.jpg?oh=8239b932d4f604bcb3a6a259600153d1&oe=566BDC06" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James connecting with his inner-Latino at a Chinese singing competition. Cuz that makes sense.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, it was Voldemort's turn to perform. Then the judges would eliminate one of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as I was concerned, this was no longer about just having fun. This was about kicking the crap out of the cheater.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before Voldemort's performance began, the host asked him how he was feeling. He then, I kid you not, began to <i>fake cry</i> about how hard his week has been because someone stole his credit card and other events that got lost in translation. The audience stifled laughs as best they could, but it was so weird. He was so obviously grasping at the pity vote, just like he had so obviously cheated with online voting. Was this guy some sort of sociopath? No conscious at all? Just doing anything to win ten grand? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was not laughing. His were not authentic tears. I couldn't believe someone would stoop so low. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then again, he did try to kill the most powerful and beloved teenage wizard in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It stayed weird when his song began. Suddenly two female back-up dancers popped out of the side-curtains and the three of them did a very strange, in-your-face-but-completely-awkward-for-the-audience intense sensual dance... with a little bit of yelling into the microphone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was so uncomfortable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't even know back-up dancers were allowed in the competition. My friend Megan, a dance teacher, cringed at the dancing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At a typical singing competition, Voldemort probably would have been eliminated rounds earlier. He clearly knew he wasn't a strong singer, so he hired a couple back-up dancers to try to use promiscuity and make up for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No dice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When James and Voldemort stood in front of the judges, one of them had to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't James.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bye bye, Cheater McGee. The judges voted in James's favor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I instantly relaxed as James took a seat in one of the six "safe" chairs on the side of the stage. Right after he sat down, he looked at me again. I shook my head in disbelief. He slowly nodded in agreement to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voldemort was gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or so we thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I should have learned in both the books and the movies, it takes a lot to defeat Voldemort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other performers all sang their second songs as judges eliminated one person from each pair. I was bummed to see some of them go, especially a girl named Story who had the best voice and performance out of the twelve, but like I said, this competition was a roll of the dice at this point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once everyone had sung their second song and the 12 had been narrowed down to 6, it was time for each remaining contestant to take 30 seconds to do whatever they wanted to impress the judges, and then they would name the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever floats their boats, I guess. Such a "unique" criteria for a singing competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as they were going to start, suddenly the host said something in Chinese (because everything was in Chinese), and then who should run back onto the stage, but--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voldemort!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I instantly tensed again. What the heck was the cheater guy doing back on stage? Was this some kind of practical joke?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I leaned over to the nearest Chinese-speaker on our row. "They decided to bring back a wild card," he told me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What? That guy is back for this 30-second round? James has to defeat him <i>again</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11892242_798848543569952_6244206034960030423_n.jpg?oh=97e062d918d290d1ada124db747fa3fe&oe=567AB210" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11892242_798848543569952_6244206034960030423_n.jpg?oh=97e062d918d290d1ada124db747fa3fe&oe=567AB210" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw surprise on James's face. Then determination, and I knew what James was going to do during his 30 seconds. I literally prayed out loud that he wouldn't land on his head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James went first. He sang a quick power series of notes, set the mic on the floor, ran and did a round-off-double-back-handspring across the stage, then picked up the mic again and finished with a final note.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People freaked out with screams and applause. No one knew he was going to do that. Except me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was awesome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other contestants followed. Most of them sang 30 a capella seconds of a song. One did a comedy act in Chinese that I obviously didn't understand. Everyone applauded for each contestant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voldemort went last. Just as he stepped forward, a music track kicked on (again -- didn't know that was allowed), and the cheater jumped out in front and lip-synched a cocky mash-up of female pop songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, you read that correctly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He lip-synched. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a singing competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once he finished, the audience was as quiet as a live audience could be. Only polite applause, if that, echoed throughout the auditorium. One thing was clear -- No one wanted this guy to win, and they didn't even know what a creep he had been during the voting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At one point, the host approached the audience and called out each contestant's name, asking for their fans to cheer for them. When Jimmy was called out, the audience joined my loud group of friends in showing what might have been the loudest support in the room. When Voldemort's name was called, you could only hear one thing;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The host had to ask a second time if he had any supporters in the audience. Nothing. Not one person clapped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a contestant who lives a few miles away from the theater who supposedly got more votes than any other performer, it was telling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked at James. He looked at me. As far as we were concerned, James had won.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Results</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James didn't win 1st place. He didn't win 2nd or 3rd either, but that was okay. He had done his best, performed well, made a bunch of new friends, and had fun. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voldemort won one prize -- a free watch for "getting the most votes," which will help him think about the voting whenever he checks the time. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps that is punishment enough.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The winner was Cydney, a cute girl with great stage presence who really brought her A-game to the final round -- she was literally twice as good as she had been at previous rounds. My hope for her is that she stays cute and doesn't try to sell herself through promiscuity as young singers often do. While Story was a better singer, Cydney was a top-3 performer, so she deserved to win something. I'm happy she did well.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11954730_798867820234691_2681006665276081777_n.jpg?oh=a7085b974126d9940973d480d30950f5&oe=5638A0C9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11954730_798867820234691_2681006665276081777_n.jpg?oh=a7085b974126d9940973d480d30950f5&oe=5638A0C9" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Announcing the 1st place winner - Cydney (far left, in red)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2nd place went to a quiet girl from New York -- total dice roll, and 3rd place went to Tony, a rapper with a genuine personality and some great rapping skills. I was happy to see him place.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen to me. I've become.... *gulp*... involved. Ugh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After everything was over, James took pictures and hung out on stage with other contestants for a bit, and I offered my happy congratulations to all the winners and shared some laughs with friends and crew members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9r5011vV5hnf17xiB8sc2xhIEHTbal2yQuXD8LsaObvNAUIsr9rHLbrjhqEMzIgHI56aLZXZbfy88ZYQxoVIEa0TtnCo8T4HoPKq1MOMxeZ-qj0Rh-zGFSaVn1Y7ehiPobMSj5vRnclB/s1600/James-and-Story_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9r5011vV5hnf17xiB8sc2xhIEHTbal2yQuXD8LsaObvNAUIsr9rHLbrjhqEMzIgHI56aLZXZbfy88ZYQxoVIEa0TtnCo8T4HoPKq1MOMxeZ-qj0Rh-zGFSaVn1Y7ehiPobMSj5vRnclB/s640/James-and-Story_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James with Story, who won "Best Performance," and yet didn't place... hmmm...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then while I waited for James, like a mama bear, I looked around for Voldemort. I couldn't see him anywhere, and I really wanted to find him. The other contestants were still around, but he had vanished. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had found him. Probably cornered him and tried to lecture him to death.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or used my wizarding wand.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, James and I spent some time talking to Jason Chen and his friends, and then went out to eat pizza with my group of friends. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/11865046_10155960559500704_9220705401397118379_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/11865046_10155960559500704_9220705401397118379_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11949449_10155960748340704_7585413865109020328_n.jpg?oh=2c8e947d53d363948ffc01fce72414ca&oe=566A3BC6" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11949449_10155960748340704_7585413865109020328_n.jpg?oh=2c8e947d53d363948ffc01fce72414ca&oe=566A3BC6" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a fun day, and a crazy ending to a very random once-in-a-lifetime adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To the Cheater</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the slim chance the cheating contestant ever sees this blog entry, this part is written for him:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I've written some harsh things about you in this post and said even harsher things, but all of it becomes obsolete if you do one thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Change.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're young, and this life is going to be filled with opportunities to rob other people to try to put yourself ahead. During those times, don't take the dishonest track because it looks like the best possible escape route. Sometimes you'll get away with it, but when it comes back to bite you, it'll hurt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think you're a bad person, which is why I haven't written your real name, but I fear you might be a good person on a bad track.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So hear this -- Instead of worrying about what others think of you, worry about what <i>you</i> think of yourself. By making yourself a better person on the inside, you'll become a better person on the outside, and then you'll get the "votes" you're looking for. The opposite just doesn't work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy your watch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-10520459226677057362015-08-16T21:11:00.001-07:002015-08-17T19:36:42.181-07:00Vote for Jimmy So He Can Win $10,000!<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--- (Scroll down to vote.) ---</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, imagine you and your brother are hiking through the mountains. It's a beautiful day, and you're laughing at some dumb inside joke. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, all of a sudden, you nearly walk right into a random roller coaster track set up right there in the middle of the trees, with a bunch Chinese people enthusiastically telling your brother to get on. It looks short and entertaining enough, so he hops in a seat, fastens the safety restraints, and gets ready for a short random adventure, while you stand aside laughing and taking pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only, as the roller coaster starts moving, it soon becomes apparent that the track is a lot longer than it first looked. A <i>lot </i>longer, and it's filled with twists and loops that none of us saw coming. And if my brother stays on until then end, he could win 10,000 dollars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I repeat -- 10,000 friggin' dollars!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />This hilarity has become serious real quick!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the Chinese ETTV "Top Idol" Competition -- like American Idol, but for those who speak Chinese. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAmcgBWDtzs" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire5BWJDADvRSW_0ev43n-MpdK65k94qFn_J-Uxd9LbATYSfM79r-EzIcxk8uiDx_ce_Gau06iI3JS13Amdb0PYlvviDciEy_wzqaxHAR3Be6i0ZJ68HCaN9ToejtFTcMo2uFkcWzUQBIh/s640/James_01-web.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAmcgBWDtzs" target="_blank">They let him sing an English song this round! (And a Taiwanese song... so he had to learn Taiwanese. I could not do this.)</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow, after my Mandarin-fluent brother James (Jimmy to the public) randomly stumbled upon the first audition when we were walking through a mall a couple months ago, he now finds himself flying back to Los Angeles for the fifth weekend in a row to compete in the final round. <a href="http://www.gojorunner.com/2015/07/my-brother-accidental-race-winning.html" target="_blank">(You can read the story of how it started, here.)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>VOTING accounts for 50% of his score!</b> You can vote all four ways, if feel so inclined. So, friends and neighbors, ladies and gentlemen, random people of the blog-o-sphere -- let's help the super-kind-hearted-random-white-guy show these judges that he deserves to win!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recommend voting via the <b>app</b> because it allows for unlimited voting, and it's FUN! Walk around shaking your phone everywhere!</span></blockquote>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDjQ206tnool57FESYkTNoZy0zX99wKgZAKtV00kISA5rTQ34AA5PPumJHMkVQzFY6Igux-RedxARDLAPtyFUaOop05jYPkq986aWL84d0g_2okFAhIFUTCBrhjSW-1QYvPwWpzU1T_pQ/s1600/how+to+vote+for+jimmy+hales+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDjQ206tnool57FESYkTNoZy0zX99wKgZAKtV00kISA5rTQ34AA5PPumJHMkVQzFY6Igux-RedxARDLAPtyFUaOop05jYPkq986aWL84d0g_2okFAhIFUTCBrhjSW-1QYvPwWpzU1T_pQ/s640/how+to+vote+for+jimmy+hales+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote by Website</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">1. Go to </span><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.ettvamerica.com/TopIdol2015/Vote">http://www.ettvamerica.com/TopIdol2015/Vote</a></u></span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Register your email address (or login if you've already registered)</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Confirm your email registration by clicking the link emailed to you (unless you've logged in)</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Vote for Jimmy Hales!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Then also vote on Facebook, Instagram, and the app!</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can vote 5 times per day<span style="font-weight: normal;">, per valid email address, so do it every day this week if you can (you only have to register your email once)!</span></span><br />
<ol style="font-weight: normal;">
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote on Facebook</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. "Like" the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EttvTopIdol?fref=ts" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">"ETTV Top Idol" Facebook page</a> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(otherwise your votes won't count!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. "Like" Jimmy Hales's contestant video (each like counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Share Jimmy Hales's contestant video (each share counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Then also vote on the website, Instagram, and the app!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like/share votes are only valid through ETTV's Top Idol Facebook page, so make sure you like/share it from there!</span><br />
<ol style="font-weight: normal;">
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote on Instagram (starts <complete id="goog_1131858356">@ </complete>noon on Monday)</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Follow <a href="https://instagram.com/ettvamerica/" target="_blank">"ETTVAmerica" Instagram page</a> (if you don't "follow" it, your votes won't count)</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Find and "like" Jimmy Hales's contestant photos/videos (each like counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Then also vote on the website, Facebook, and the app! </span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can always unfollow their Instagram after the competition is done.</span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote via App - MOST RECOMMENDED</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This method allows for </span>UNLIMITED <span style="font-weight: normal;">voting, so if you get a chance, install and shake away! It's a piece o' cake -- just follow the pictures:</span></span><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Search your Apple or Android app market for "ETTV America," and install the free app:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TOOfm8yeKxFTD2wwJEzr2TFHk60Q45PXxjEaObOSTKLSjecxFz8rlz1e3W1kP1C0GPIYJ8TXnYsVXLE-m174vBIF9p4W4rmaJnnjoOa2Yh0FG4-9RoUCo1GsaIyDH32WoF18M3d0sFDd/s1600/Step1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TOOfm8yeKxFTD2wwJEzr2TFHk60Q45PXxjEaObOSTKLSjecxFz8rlz1e3W1kP1C0GPIYJ8TXnYsVXLE-m174vBIF9p4W4rmaJnnjoOa2Yh0FG4-9RoUCo1GsaIyDH32WoF18M3d0sFDd/s400/Step1_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Tap the "X" in the upper right corner to exit out of the ad:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLRUkuv54SNJMyYI7CQWVBWU2y4Ql_ipoKBCdYwhz-zOIcdZ6d_v5v904Aw-LzHM6AwotZXKuqNrhT51j74Hn9I_zU8m2EH_MuilJjqPUbsYPEmf0KgvmmfNyFyrR5pcQoNXQqnWLHiJ/s1600/Step2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLRUkuv54SNJMyYI7CQWVBWU2y4Ql_ipoKBCdYwhz-zOIcdZ6d_v5v904Aw-LzHM6AwotZXKuqNrhT51j74Hn9I_zU8m2EH_MuilJjqPUbsYPEmf0KgvmmfNyFyrR5pcQoNXQqnWLHiJ/s400/Step2_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Select the drop-down menu in the upper left corner:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC_eQqpD0L48J7UhH8ItAU9LkL70OS-ZgZteZfJ2NItGU7Bh3oWea7f9aZylV_NPydfAFasIXfCxF7ixybVG6PFva0Qsm2OXvwh3QaufTGVZwHNsckCBkPxApQOUTiADb9bRG7Gc26SW7/s1600/Step3_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC_eQqpD0L48J7UhH8ItAU9LkL70OS-ZgZteZfJ2NItGU7Bh3oWea7f9aZylV_NPydfAFasIXfCxF7ixybVG6PFva0Qsm2OXvwh3QaufTGVZwHNsckCBkPxApQOUTiADb9bRG7Gc26SW7/s400/Step3_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Choose the long Chinese phrase with the exclamation mark (toward the bottom -- no idea what it says):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA410M2ijjxzLDSgH_QCBG5QsugP4xkCDcdPQu8azcvBAqkVU9sxZvFtQ4vQMXwO5MbpnYgICEuBmKuofCp4KSOyCrErwCk8AWH3k7Izc4zghspMqLWgxocWmQ-0RarVklJThhz5Nfmefo/s1600/Step4_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA410M2ijjxzLDSgH_QCBG5QsugP4xkCDcdPQu8azcvBAqkVU9sxZvFtQ4vQMXwO5MbpnYgICEuBmKuofCp4KSOyCrErwCk8AWH3k7Izc4zghspMqLWgxocWmQ-0RarVklJThhz5Nfmefo/s400/Step4_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Select Jimmy Hales's contestant photo (he's the first one!):</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRQ9TKlaJpDtHP8bDpbYQL8BaNd2CKTzkxMhIk4O4jFNq9LqHqlTKRLUwTJxvFGinZMPRfstmXzhY3QQYGlGKAYdAV4GOYS4iHecySYZV1yuRELZkcDOvfNNn9URLHfrjb1Vus5aM4xCB/s1600/New-voting1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRQ9TKlaJpDtHP8bDpbYQL8BaNd2CKTzkxMhIk4O4jFNq9LqHqlTKRLUwTJxvFGinZMPRfstmXzhY3QQYGlGKAYdAV4GOYS4iHecySYZV1yuRELZkcDOvfNNn9URLHfrjb1Vus5aM4xCB/s400/New-voting1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Click "Vote" in the upper right hand corner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBafvNhVNphcuRT1G9Qtm3UJbU1lPlIU_fuf-2cY3HmNVdUMIF2Ut8babWaFnkH0DTWI2SlLd_9UDECYJZUdLdS9hhvLaelrXvmU5GmD3TLnZYKoayUiVyaSlal4cRBOkC55NZbpfeUtk/s1600/New-voting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBafvNhVNphcuRT1G9Qtm3UJbU1lPlIU_fuf-2cY3HmNVdUMIF2Ut8babWaFnkH0DTWI2SlLd_9UDECYJZUdLdS9hhvLaelrXvmU5GmD3TLnZYKoayUiVyaSlal4cRBOkC55NZbpfeUtk/s400/New-voting2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Shake your phone until it counts a vote (yes, literally shake your phone around), and keep doing it until your biceps are as big as basketballs -- vote as many times as you want!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LsHLwak19wYESKN2xbspByjoI1PH-xtuDZNdPlBHqAgjGaOrG7zYDx4ICglI4E12eHUra8Vwpk7xSa6OG3x3ggxx8AEJsgB3YGvB1sa77nhnhRK1rplaTrMfgiFxgjMjqmG-z24DyBhO/s1600/Step7_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LsHLwak19wYESKN2xbspByjoI1PH-xtuDZNdPlBHqAgjGaOrG7zYDx4ICglI4E12eHUra8Vwpk7xSa6OG3x3ggxx8AEJsgB3YGvB1sa77nhnhRK1rplaTrMfgiFxgjMjqmG-z24DyBhO/s400/Step7_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Take your phone on a walk or run with you, 'cuz every natural arm swing counts as a shake, or vote while watching Netflix or sitting in a boring business meeting! The exciting opportunities to build arm muscle are endless!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Singing in Mandarin:</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TTHcakUsRlQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TTHcakUsRlQ?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Singing in English:</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAmcgBWDtzs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kAmcgBWDtzs?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Voting closes on 8/21 (Friday) at noon! Thank you so much -- Ya'll are AWESOME!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kGjcSCCZKlWQYKmmyzHUNdO6pbdcxT7XCTwnKaCg2VL08sOhuyCbuGYsZw4OwVqhBs3JB-XWC3SZLz_-ADX8QKCOh6OYVDAnezqif-NYhsYKPinXq4vFavqY1IJXVPlquHipwuzjKrKv/s1600/20150815_160514_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kGjcSCCZKlWQYKmmyzHUNdO6pbdcxT7XCTwnKaCg2VL08sOhuyCbuGYsZw4OwVqhBs3JB-XWC3SZLz_-ADX8QKCOh6OYVDAnezqif-NYhsYKPinXq4vFavqY1IJXVPlquHipwuzjKrKv/s640/20150815_160514_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</h3>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-56372488820512984942015-08-02T20:46:00.001-07:002015-08-03T20:13:38.977-07:00Help My Brother Win the Random Chinese Top Idol Competition <div dir="ltr">
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<img border="0" height="360" src="https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/11053187_10155878854620704_2632706608126939568_o.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/11053187_10155878854620704_2632706608126939568_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDjQ206tnool57FESYkTNoZy0zX99wKgZAKtV00kISA5rTQ34AA5PPumJHMkVQzFY6Igux-RedxARDLAPtyFUaOop05jYPkq986aWL84d0g_2okFAhIFUTCBrhjSW-1QYvPwWpzU1T_pQ/s1600/how+to+vote+for+jimmy+hales+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDjQ206tnool57FESYkTNoZy0zX99wKgZAKtV00kISA5rTQ34AA5PPumJHMkVQzFY6Igux-RedxARDLAPtyFUaOop05jYPkq986aWL84d0g_2okFAhIFUTCBrhjSW-1QYvPwWpzU1T_pQ/s640/how+to+vote+for+jimmy+hales+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey friends!</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently online voting counts for 50% of judging in the singing competition moving forward, so to help my random-Chinese-speaking-white-guy-brother move forward, follow any (and as many) of the instructions below </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">before 4pm on August 7th</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote by Website</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Go to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ettvamerica.com/topidol2015">http://www.ettvamerica.com/topidol2015</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Click on "VOTE" (upper right)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Register your email address</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Confirm your email registration by clicking the link emailed to you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Vote for Jimmy Hales!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can vote 5 times per day, per valid email address, so feel free to do it a few times!</span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote on Facebook</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. "Like" the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EttvTopIdol?fref=ts" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">"ETTV Top Idol" Facebook page</a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. "Like" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEttvTopIdol%2Fvideos%2F787971437990996%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNExGucbwHLbOrVu5m0LIcGPqSTIRA" target="_blank">Jimmy Hales's contestant photos/videos</a> (each like counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Share <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FEttvTopIdol%2Fvideos%2F787971437990996%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNExGucbwHLbOrVu5m0LIcGPqSTIRA" target="_blank">Jimmy Hales's contestant photo/videos</a> (each share counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like/share votes are only valid through ETTV's Top Idol Facebook page, so make sure you like/share it from there!</span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote on Instagram</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Follow "ETTVAmerica" Instagram page</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <a href="https://instagram.com/p/57qNUwBjTR/" target="_blank">Find and "like" Jimmy Hales's contestant photos/videos</a> (each like counts as </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 votes</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can always unfollow their Instagram after the competition is done.</span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Vote via App</u></span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We've figured out how to vote on the app, and it's actually pretty easy and fun (you literally shake your phone). This method allows for </span>UNLIMITED <span style="font-weight: normal;">voting, so if you get a chance, shake away!</span></span><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Search your Apple or Android app market for "ETTV America," and install the free app:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TOOfm8yeKxFTD2wwJEzr2TFHk60Q45PXxjEaObOSTKLSjecxFz8rlz1e3W1kP1C0GPIYJ8TXnYsVXLE-m174vBIF9p4W4rmaJnnjoOa2Yh0FG4-9RoUCo1GsaIyDH32WoF18M3d0sFDd/s1600/Step1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TOOfm8yeKxFTD2wwJEzr2TFHk60Q45PXxjEaObOSTKLSjecxFz8rlz1e3W1kP1C0GPIYJ8TXnYsVXLE-m174vBIF9p4W4rmaJnnjoOa2Yh0FG4-9RoUCo1GsaIyDH32WoF18M3d0sFDd/s400/Step1_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Tap the "X" in the upper right corner to exit out of the ad:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLRUkuv54SNJMyYI7CQWVBWU2y4Ql_ipoKBCdYwhz-zOIcdZ6d_v5v904Aw-LzHM6AwotZXKuqNrhT51j74Hn9I_zU8m2EH_MuilJjqPUbsYPEmf0KgvmmfNyFyrR5pcQoNXQqnWLHiJ/s1600/Step2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LLRUkuv54SNJMyYI7CQWVBWU2y4Ql_ipoKBCdYwhz-zOIcdZ6d_v5v904Aw-LzHM6AwotZXKuqNrhT51j74Hn9I_zU8m2EH_MuilJjqPUbsYPEmf0KgvmmfNyFyrR5pcQoNXQqnWLHiJ/s400/Step2_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Select the drop-down menu in the upper left corner:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC_eQqpD0L48J7UhH8ItAU9LkL70OS-ZgZteZfJ2NItGU7Bh3oWea7f9aZylV_NPydfAFasIXfCxF7ixybVG6PFva0Qsm2OXvwh3QaufTGVZwHNsckCBkPxApQOUTiADb9bRG7Gc26SW7/s1600/Step3_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC_eQqpD0L48J7UhH8ItAU9LkL70OS-ZgZteZfJ2NItGU7Bh3oWea7f9aZylV_NPydfAFasIXfCxF7ixybVG6PFva0Qsm2OXvwh3QaufTGVZwHNsckCBkPxApQOUTiADb9bRG7Gc26SW7/s400/Step3_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Choose the long Chinese phrase with the exclamation mark (toward the bottom -- no idea what it says):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA410M2ijjxzLDSgH_QCBG5QsugP4xkCDcdPQu8azcvBAqkVU9sxZvFtQ4vQMXwO5MbpnYgICEuBmKuofCp4KSOyCrErwCk8AWH3k7Izc4zghspMqLWgxocWmQ-0RarVklJThhz5Nfmefo/s1600/Step4_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA410M2ijjxzLDSgH_QCBG5QsugP4xkCDcdPQu8azcvBAqkVU9sxZvFtQ4vQMXwO5MbpnYgICEuBmKuofCp4KSOyCrErwCk8AWH3k7Izc4zghspMqLWgxocWmQ-0RarVklJThhz5Nfmefo/s400/Step4_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Select Jimmy Hales's contestant photo:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaD_iMZHqCjBuY5aEAnbPn_MHQP2PfowmNpP3EDq_5QykmItCmqBRCqqCkWIJjBqqWq9G1oRsr9BGzXe_aAQIv9qCpSADtGj0-VNFZ9EZBjVke1z3jIhRs4EogI17MNkfINeO_ACR9VhU/s1600/Step5_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaD_iMZHqCjBuY5aEAnbPn_MHQP2PfowmNpP3EDq_5QykmItCmqBRCqqCkWIJjBqqWq9G1oRsr9BGzXe_aAQIv9qCpSADtGj0-VNFZ9EZBjVke1z3jIhRs4EogI17MNkfINeO_ACR9VhU/s400/Step5_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Click "Vote" in the upper right hand corner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWsbphYjtJz1qIvjP8x7YM5Tvb8TosBPeUISDo9-PTKW6mDHi2kur2XFcJ0aS7pkkURtDkbSFLggMZdZzGmiJRfmjO-J5stNXUrubiRcbq5F9cLskbODCeDXa_hFlDBITkCfLXSOkFYTx/s1600/Step6_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWsbphYjtJz1qIvjP8x7YM5Tvb8TosBPeUISDo9-PTKW6mDHi2kur2XFcJ0aS7pkkURtDkbSFLggMZdZzGmiJRfmjO-J5stNXUrubiRcbq5F9cLskbODCeDXa_hFlDBITkCfLXSOkFYTx/s400/Step6_web.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Shake your phone until it counts a vote (yes, literally shake your phone around), and keep doing it until your biceps are as big as basketballs -- vote as many times as you want!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LsHLwak19wYESKN2xbspByjoI1PH-xtuDZNdPlBHqAgjGaOrG7zYDx4ICglI4E12eHUra8Vwpk7xSa6OG3x3ggxx8AEJsgB3YGvB1sa77nhnhRK1rplaTrMfgiFxgjMjqmG-z24DyBhO/s1600/Step7_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LsHLwak19wYESKN2xbspByjoI1PH-xtuDZNdPlBHqAgjGaOrG7zYDx4ICglI4E12eHUra8Vwpk7xSa6OG3x3ggxx8AEJsgB3YGvB1sa77nhnhRK1rplaTrMfgiFxgjMjqmG-z24DyBhO/s400/Step7_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Take your phone on a walk or run with you, 'cuz every natural arm swing counts as a shake! </span></span><br />
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<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<a href="http://www.ettvamerica.com/TopIdol2015/VoteRules" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Click here</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for more voting instructions, or to contact ETTV if something goes awry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for voting!</span></div>
</div>
</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvTF4UGDqq9s212ySLqEN8PD432RGDOoBjaqHzVcDWvD-qQRlyNESodbWN0MUCFFesk7keXPIO5HK8UKOJlmxP99IDJP4-8gqm6Sjv2Hjed_1PDNwlgzO_45t1H5Kz6YHOr4KKz_ZwTkI/s1600/divider+line+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="38" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvTF4UGDqq9s212ySLqEN8PD432RGDOoBjaqHzVcDWvD-qQRlyNESodbWN0MUCFFesk7keXPIO5HK8UKOJlmxP99IDJP4-8gqm6Sjv2Hjed_1PDNwlgzO_45t1H5Kz6YHOr4KKz_ZwTkI/s640/divider+line+copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top Idol - Round 2</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My phone buzzed. It was a message from my brother:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I have no voice. I'm sick."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In just two days, my brother James (known as Jimmy outside of the family) would be back in California for the second round of "Top Idol," a Chinese singing competition. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because apparently randomness is normal in our family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did he join such a competition? The same way anyone would. By learning fluent Mandarin on a two-year mission for the LDS church, and then accidentally stumbling upon the final minute of an audition in the middle of a mall 350 miles away from home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duh...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read the full hilarity of his first audition <a href="http://www.gojorunner.com/2015/07/my-brother-accidental-race-winning.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, two days before the next "Hollywood Round," James was sick with a hoarse voice, like a runner who sprains an ankle a couple days before the Olympics. But not really, since the Olympics are kinda a bigger deal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More like... spraining an ankle before a state track meet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless, James cheerfully shrugged his shoulders, hopped on a plane, flew from Arizona to Southern California, and the next morning he drove up to ETTV's LA studio and hung out with a bunch of Chinese singers. Thanks to his contracted illness, he was drained, sniffly, and quieter than usual, but he smiled and had fun because that's what James does.</span></div>
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<a href="https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11822731_10153499112013537_573463953094174914_n.jpg?oh=22f2113c4df5cb27583ff0b0a5d73104&oe=564F6674" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11822731_10153499112013537_573463953094174914_n.jpg?oh=22f2113c4df5cb27583ff0b0a5d73104&oe=564F6674" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELqMQEcF4d9jvqM98U-HvTS3hK2BZVNqMAnbyjcV8odGFNJpIvsBn76r58yRJVdZ08XeFnfr74m_K0WkqTTff5NMlVntR1hpaHn-wFxYVBqE9hlAfL6c8q5OWm2nrt6lMYy8Nr-PsGwND/s1600/20150801_112827_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELqMQEcF4d9jvqM98U-HvTS3hK2BZVNqMAnbyjcV8odGFNJpIvsBn76r58yRJVdZ08XeFnfr74m_K0WkqTTff5NMlVntR1hpaHn-wFxYVBqE9hlAfL6c8q5OWm2nrt6lMYy8Nr-PsGwND/s640/20150801_112827_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were 20 singers there, and after being lined up, given instructions, and then fed a nice Chinese lunch, each of them had a chance to sing one Chinese pop song before the judges decided who was eliminated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James went third.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He sang... something in Chinese. That's pretty much all I can tell you. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do not sing in Chinese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He texted me right afterwards -- "I sucked so bad, lol!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Losing even part of your voice as a singer is tough for two reasons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, there's the obvious -- it's difficult to get the sound out. You have to push your voice much harder than usual, which can feel like lighting it on fire with a blowtorch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having a hoarse voice myself a few weeks ago, I basically screamed "Defying Gravity" at a group of church teenagers, sounding like a witch being boiled in oil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not so comfortable. Especially for the audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then there's the second reason that a hoarse voice is all the less bueno. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When your voice is hoarse, it becomes a totally different and unpredictable instrument. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that control -- all those melismatic runs (when pop singers jump all round different notes at the speed of light) and sustained high belts a singer works hard to perfect, occasionally</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> pop out of your mouth going in directions totally different than where you tell them to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like shooting lasers in a house of mirrors. Bpew bpew! (Those are my laser noises.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine practicing for years to master the violin, only to wake up on the morning of a performance and find your violin has turned into a banjo. You can probably still kinda play it, but all the sounds come out sounding different and less predictable -- almost always in a bad way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At Saturday's competition, my brother had banjo voice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No offense to banjos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KE1jtyr9Uzc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KE1jtyr9Uzc?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In contrast, here's his first audition, which he didn't know he would be participating in until thirty seconds prior (singing starts at 0:54):</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/knno6bVXt68/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/knno6bVXt68?t=54feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's a sample of one of his original softer songs, that as his sister/fan club, I think is under-viewed:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After he sang and cuts were made, James was surprised that he was moving on to the next round, despite his occasional-lasers-in-all-directions performance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show's main judge and producer pulled him aside into another room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"How do you feel you did?" the producer asked in Mandarin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Not very good. I'm actually sick," James responded in like language.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oohhhh. Yeah, it was terrible." the producer said, emphasizing only the word 'terrible' in English. "And wear some less complicated clothes next time."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hahaha! I love the honesty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently the black button-up shirt with a gray front pocket was too difficult to comprehend. Surprising advice coming from a guy who wore sunglasses indoors at the first audition.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z7pp6x6yE9uXRrfW4sRrSb1m-skCf1X3eMKtFyCVU50eAm4cVgtjN3g9cK_EK4EVS7vA4FoGr77zaNY4dSW82P_4JvB2y22hmJ4k9ECrvZGBImCkb09CTjocPUtkHigVvVnPMRRB9ZJW/s1600/Top-Idol-Producer_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z7pp6x6yE9uXRrfW4sRrSb1m-skCf1X3eMKtFyCVU50eAm4cVgtjN3g9cK_EK4EVS7vA4FoGr77zaNY4dSW82P_4JvB2y22hmJ4k9ECrvZGBImCkb09CTjocPUtkHigVvVnPMRRB9ZJW/s640/Top-Idol-Producer_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then again, he might have been worried James was going to show up in another race tank and medal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When James walked in my door at the end of the day, he was laughing that he "miraculously didn't get cut" from the competition. And he was thankful that the next song he was asked to learn is a light, softer song -- much easier to sing for a voice in recovery.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHED6wb5cSTZoCyGsk4BHZfMhSmwOX6GNNL2NEcrcdjOo9AaR2WngV6TvvAt-TX6veThR_pfVGjLdE6DUhnfrFnxEYLCSYjUxhu9Lmt7z3cRBqnDUwQyLJ2XA7nILHn7w-b1uToriWFKic/s1600/20150801_174036_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHED6wb5cSTZoCyGsk4BHZfMhSmwOX6GNNL2NEcrcdjOo9AaR2WngV6TvvAt-TX6veThR_pfVGjLdE6DUhnfrFnxEYLCSYjUxhu9Lmt7z3cRBqnDUwQyLJ2XA7nILHn7w-b1uToriWFKic/s400/20150801_174036_cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm especially excited because it means he'll be back in California yet AGAIN this Friday! Hooray!! This is the best competition ever!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though it means another flight on US Airways, which so far out of his four recent flights with them, has managed to deny him boarding on one that was oversold (I don't know how that's legal), dramatically delay two, lose his bag on one, and then transfer him to a Spanish-speaking phone operator who accidentally hung up on him when he tried to renew his $200 voucher from the original denied boarding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that's another entertaining story entirely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I love most is that my brother is just an all-around awesome person. For those familiar with his backstory, I think he lives a challenging life, and somehow pulls out of each trial with a smile and desire to make others happy. Just the other day he sent me an inspirational video link of people giving random surprise Christmas gifts to those in need, with the message, "I want to do this." And he probably will.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love seeing good things happen to him.</span></div>
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-63924584027052164722015-07-31T19:29:00.001-07:002015-08-24T19:39:16.016-07:00VIDEO REVIEW: Great Wall Marathon<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ran (and walked) thousands of steps on the longest cemetery on earth, high-fived village locals who proudly spoke the same facial language, and pooped in a tent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From start to finish, this trip to China was unlike any other traveling I've done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HIGHLY recommended.</span><br />
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<br />Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-13031136127323355542015-07-12T16:30:00.002-07:002015-07-12T18:13:29.667-07:00My Brother: The Accidental Race-Winning Chinese Pop Star<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So what is this? A meet-and-greet?" I asked my brother yesterday as we walked past shoppers with purses worth more than my car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think so. I couldn't get the details to download to the app, so I don't know for sure, but I think he's just taking pictures with people."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"And.... remind me who this guy is again?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Jason Chen. He's a well-known singer on YouTube. I love his stuff. He totally inspired me to make YouTube videos."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turns out, it was NOT just a meet-and-greet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The setting? South Coast Plaza -- the wealthiest mall in the United States, bringing in more revenue annually than any other mall across the country. The kind of place where a single shoe comes with its own display wall and payment plan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And naturally, two sweaty runners wearing medals and race bibs over Walmart-brand tech clothes blended right in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not so much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The target destination of this supposed meet and greet was apparently the indoor carousel plaza at 3 o'clock. It was 2:57.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had never heard of Jason Chen, but being a stellarly supportive sister, I was happy to play paparazzi for my brother as he met one of his idols right after we finished running a 10K. James was only in town for the weekend, so why not make the most out of his trip? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So, after you get a picture with him, wanna go grab a bite--"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What the...."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stopped dead in our tracks. Next to the mall's carousel was a timid teenage girl standing on a stage and singing into a microphone, intently watched by a crowd of dark-haired audience members. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In front of the stage was a table and three seated judges facing the stage. The girl finished her song.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You need to get more practice," one judge said to the terrified teenager. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"That's him!" James pointed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked around. Nearly everyone in the vicinity was Asian. I looked at the stage backdrop and recognized Chinese characters printed all over it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I say "recognized," I mean I could tell the printed letters were not from an American alphabet, which makes them Chinese. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What is this?" I asked. "Some kind of Chinese Idol?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's exactly what it was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother, who is fluent in Mandarin after serving a 2-year Chinese mission for the LDS Church, also happens to have some ridiculously amazing pipes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I smirked and picked up an application from the check-in table and showed it to my brother. "Any interest?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short Asian lady with purple hair streaks, a hip pink netted outfit and blingy spider jewelry rushed over to us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We're not taking anymore applicants."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Really?" I asked. "Cuz this white guy speaks fluent Mandarin."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her eyes lit up, and within T-minus no seconds, James and pink spider lady were exchanging enthusiastic Mandarin as a microphone was placed in his hands and he was thrust on stage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still wearing his race medal and sweaty clothes, James charmed the judges with a Chinese introduction and then belted out an impromptu and frankly impressive-even-for-a-non-relative a capella rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jason Chen was impressed, and even pulled out his own personal camera to capture the moment.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlHEjrlCOgRiPoB9QdsZl73T4CwGH5UauarzOSF9tYrweyLBxHwNgG3D9m1vbv9-kJ7gs2a17JuE0VmQlKNnlKo4GkBiHPY7Fr-lrYyRhY4_vVdjYz5gvGVM-xwFhT6GleQBHAN2SZG5g/s1600/James_Singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlHEjrlCOgRiPoB9QdsZl73T4CwGH5UauarzOSF9tYrweyLBxHwNgG3D9m1vbv9-kJ7gs2a17JuE0VmQlKNnlKo4GkBiHPY7Fr-lrYyRhY4_vVdjYz5gvGVM-xwFhT6GleQBHAN2SZG5g/s640/James_Singing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother -- randomly thrown into the Chinese TV singing competition, "2015 Top Idol" after winning a Los Angeles 10K.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crowd and judges loved James, and I was soon chasing him around as he was whisked to photo shoots and Mandarin media interviews. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EaA5G6lF-E7lT7XkcWNx4dTwC7JaPgyoSAitBU5XYWegyi5MKes7AzQOc_oF57c-BTJ-BzXazWazpz8DjEh-fAfFoCcxSUOXM6oQgFBIWBUgwYzXL0MCkV1BPJ1tfBcK1c2oD-ZXDSNp/s1600/James_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EaA5G6lF-E7lT7XkcWNx4dTwC7JaPgyoSAitBU5XYWegyi5MKes7AzQOc_oF57c-BTJ-BzXazWazpz8DjEh-fAfFoCcxSUOXM6oQgFBIWBUgwYzXL0MCkV1BPJ1tfBcK1c2oD-ZXDSNp/s640/James_photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VvJfOBErm7IhCsxfIZDyM9kJpbO5SFvnsykKEUc2yMGrf0CNgetCj235o4mQcl39awL_vb2OsDrTh9C9YSmnRxkNs6wAzNcFMsVT01hNWDJiArHLVpoa-IjonEVH_OMs3SUdJdlcIgVd/s1600/James_media_interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VvJfOBErm7IhCsxfIZDyM9kJpbO5SFvnsykKEUc2yMGrf0CNgetCj235o4mQcl39awL_vb2OsDrTh9C9YSmnRxkNs6wAzNcFMsVT01hNWDJiArHLVpoa-IjonEVH_OMs3SUdJdlcIgVd/s640/James_media_interview.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interviewed by ETTV - a Chinese TV station that does not come on my Time Warner Cable channel list.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After another round of singing where James literally had to learn some Chinese lyrics in four minutes (thank you, Google), six semi-finalists were chosen to move on to another competition round in LA on August 1st. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James was one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent this whole entire time cheering and laughing my head off.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hTgadwEOrwNhwiZ4OaBnqODmonSo3KWYxtGWHqqUBiWfMKgAXWsjPstreQ2ug32OHSzJg51j_oAo_Ldrz3EdZ2SVOOFAMZvofcYn-IMFrcxqiHMSCNZGGvYRC9kPhVi6lDz46TWsZSZZ/s1600/Thumbs+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hTgadwEOrwNhwiZ4OaBnqODmonSo3KWYxtGWHqqUBiWfMKgAXWsjPstreQ2ug32OHSzJg51j_oAo_Ldrz3EdZ2SVOOFAMZvofcYn-IMFrcxqiHMSCNZGGvYRC9kPhVi6lDz46TWsZSZZ/s640/Thumbs+up.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James with the 6 semi-finalists, and the 3 judges (in the middle).</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turns out that this was one of four audition cities in the US for a show that airs on a Chinese television station called ETTV. We had coincidentally and accidentally arrived at the tail end of the audition (which apparently began at 2pm), and my brother just happened to speak Mandarin and just happened to be a talented singer. Apparently the competition ends in mid-August and the winner gets $10,000. The next round is August 1st, which means James gets to come back to California and visit me again!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And would you believe -- this is NOT the FIRST time something like this has happened?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When James was studying abroad in China a couple years ago, he was walking through a mall and came across a singing audition, so he walked in. A few hours later he ended up on the Chinese version of "The Voice." He was eventually cut at the fifth round weeks later when he didn't know enough Chinese songs.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWiStIdtBG8OB3G8YKcnKvIiFzc2yIoA4-b-lm_bwR73wd_fPlAZxV3Jqk_kn_eL5Kw0ai3GXoLNyIzVGNijseWomb6eR0C_K7OOk39EykcvZY9EZM-Aj98hAftbxpkdvJMcHm-7ujlpO/s1600/James_The+Voice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWiStIdtBG8OB3G8YKcnKvIiFzc2yIoA4-b-lm_bwR73wd_fPlAZxV3Jqk_kn_eL5Kw0ai3GXoLNyIzVGNijseWomb6eR0C_K7OOk39EykcvZY9EZM-Aj98hAftbxpkdvJMcHm-7ujlpO/s640/James_The+Voice.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James on "The Voice of China" in 2013.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another time, my family was on a cruise ship in Hawaii, when James disappeared for a couple hours. He eventually came back to our room with a trophy in his hand, and said he stumbled upon the ship's singing competition while he was looking for a quiet place to read, so he entered and won. We all just laughed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it came to yesterday's coincidental what-the-heck-fest, James was just super stoked to meet one of his heroes</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Jason Chen. He was all the more excited when Jason leaned over to him and said "I hope you win."</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tPJDmm4UjVziKbcln9AhaUc9ZioZR37fouGkFgTItQdrnbefq0SuRWQYk8Fhu4s_lalZFEC5ft4M0CRJHBzLh9nOj9KyQKMxQdILjIBejG3t-BZ5Br6jPnu4jjLJjcQBAtPUWBLmxD26/s1600/Jason_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1tPJDmm4UjVziKbcln9AhaUc9ZioZR37fouGkFgTItQdrnbefq0SuRWQYk8Fhu4s_lalZFEC5ft4M0CRJHBzLh9nOj9KyQKMxQdILjIBejG3t-BZ5Br6jPnu4jjLJjcQBAtPUWBLmxD26/s400/Jason_cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother James (right) with one of his YouTube heroes, Jason Cheng.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shook Jason's hand, but since I'm not an ABC (American Born Chinese), nor a random white runner who served a church mission in the Chinese-speaking part of Australia, he was like any other dude I might meet at an Orange County mall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though since yesterday, James has been Chrome-casting Jason music videos on my living room TV, so I clearly know who he is now, whether or not I wanted to. And I'll even admit, the guy's got some skill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and that 10K James and I ran in the morning? James won that, too. 1st place, overall. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLoOBPQ-Tyh7G9m0L1T44WCyA3zKIybhjHeDUUFcf3ALmEflnfAaQq31L3pBLtMfgcQKgw2b9D6-UhfrPOlhm4rDZF0Og5KcLtazl1s2TkbT5VxnbAEnOUVSCzym67ydF7kGkESctNc44/s1600/James_10K_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLoOBPQ-Tyh7G9m0L1T44WCyA3zKIybhjHeDUUFcf3ALmEflnfAaQq31L3pBLtMfgcQKgw2b9D6-UhfrPOlhm4rDZF0Og5KcLtazl1s2TkbT5VxnbAEnOUVSCzym67ydF7kGkESctNc44/s400/James_10K_web.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the finish line in first place, overall.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a bad day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got 2nd place overall in women's (random uncomfortable "me" insert). It helped that only 31 women ran the 10K. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and me after the Summer Fun 10K in Van Nuys, CA.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course, his trip to California wouldn't be complete without a stop by the Santa Monica Pier, complete with a crab omelette breakfast at Bubba Gump's, and burning $8 each for a ride on the so-pathetic-it's-awesome roller coaster.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab omelette at Bubba Gump's</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GcNxBsxly8YOvE1jJgzzqqzEQXA6fUuUisGovHGYFvKvGPF9ZaOP2tinPoAnP8a5nElfmKDrVYy1s4jRBMAmOSw4RJKd9aiQotfco_ldu1HpTUw0HiPQoCCM8ZjEiz_UBtyfnr2H0EOg/s1600/20150711_110632_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GcNxBsxly8YOvE1jJgzzqqzEQXA6fUuUisGovHGYFvKvGPF9ZaOP2tinPoAnP8a5nElfmKDrVYy1s4jRBMAmOSw4RJKd9aiQotfco_ldu1HpTUw0HiPQoCCM8ZjEiz_UBtyfnr2H0EOg/s640/20150711_110632_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amidst all the fun, the random "Top Idol" singing competition continues to be the laugh of the weekend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After James sang and we exchanged phone numbers with some of the enthusiastic TV crew, we walked back through the ritzy mall, passing people with more plastic in their faces than in their houses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What the heck just happened?" I asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I have no idea."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We laughed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So you coming back on August 1st?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I guess so."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Cool. Wanna get some pizza?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we did.</span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-79695989446551750232015-06-28T22:32:00.001-07:002015-08-24T19:39:52.731-07:00Poop & Running - My Explosive True Story<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"3... 2... 1... GO!!!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pushed off from the starting line with the first wave of Minnie Mouses, Tinker Bells, and Tiggers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had taken maybe 20 steps when...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You have got to be kidding me." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad timing for... well, you read the title.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked ahead. The chances of a row of porta-potties showing up this soon after the race's start were next to nil. And turning around and running upstream was likely to make me Disney cos-play roadkill. I had one option -- press forward and pray.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race was the Disneyland 10K over Labor Day weekend in 2014. Dressed in a recycled Jessie from <i>Toy Story</i> running costume thanks to a lack of time from planning my recent wedding, it was my eighth Disney race, but the first race where I desperately wanted to see a john more than a spencer (my husband).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No bueno. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every runner knows that before you head to the starting line, you hit up a bathroom and do your business. In fact, in order to avoid unwelcome stops on the course, you do as much business as you can before the race. Which I did. Happily. So why the heck was it business time again?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I could do was dimple my muscles together and duck-jog ahead, desperately searching for any sign of an upcoming bathroom. Every uncomfortable moment felt like an eternity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Mickey! Disney delivered. A handfull of porta-potties sat waiting in their aromatic glory at mile 1, and I found myself sprinting ahead at a 5-minute/mile pace to open the door and... do the business, right there in the dark before sun-up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phew!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With gratitude in my soul and relief in my bowels, I burst out of the throne room and back into the pack of mouse ears and race bibs, determined to make up for lost time. At least the worst was over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it wasn't over. Heavens to Maleficent, was it not over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A half a mile later, that familiar urge was back. I couldn't believe it. I had business'd TWO times this morning - with a vengeance. There was no <i>way</i> this feeling was legit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stubbornly, I tried to ignore it. I pressed forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 2: Ugh, this feeling was not going away. It was only getting worse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 2.5: We were in the parks now, and I continued to pass up each bathroom I came to, despite how magical they appeared. I was one of those weirdos who actually aimed to get a good time at Disney races, and I had lost a solid few minutes already. It was worth the risk to skip the bathrooms... wasn't it? No. But I was clearly a competitive moron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 3: Listening to "It's a Small World" on repeat in my headphones would have been bliss compared to this feeling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 3.5: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every step was like tapping a raw egg's shell harder and harder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Note: The rest of this post is not for the proper, squeamish, or bowelless. You've been warned.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mile 4: That was it. The eggshell cracked. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am ashamed and yet strangely liberated to admit, that right there in my favorite part of Frontierland, the Happiest Place on Earth became the crappiest place on earth for me and my poor Jessie costume, and I suddenly gained an even greater and unexpected appreciation for sparkle running skirts (though I doubt Sparkle Athletic would want to include this in their advertising).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I used to work for Disney, I knew dozens of people working along the race course, who kindly cheered me on along my "adventure," with no idea just how adventurous it was. And wanting to show my thanks, I forced myself to cheer them back, all the while praying they "pay no attention to the butt behind the curtain."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One friend snapped this photo of me - not exactly a great game face. I look like this is my first race ever:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq87VNyqkw5CX6AoUA9bxLPOD67EqD2MJpTUWMnz63jjAmf8jOL1qQZHM1z0WjOT1IFpDSmx2bzlDufZkqEipXuJ3ZVjTzjlL9kCsBCGRCRmWIQEzumhwBEOnh__2ycsAf-RvA9_oY2Uf2/s1600/running_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq87VNyqkw5CX6AoUA9bxLPOD67EqD2MJpTUWMnz63jjAmf8jOL1qQZHM1z0WjOT1IFpDSmx2bzlDufZkqEipXuJ3ZVjTzjlL9kCsBCGRCRmWIQEzumhwBEOnh__2ycsAf-RvA9_oY2Uf2/s640/running_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the most awkward race pictures I've ever seen. Of anyone.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since the egg had only cracked and not exploded into oblivion (thank the stars), my urge to hit up a bathroom was just as strong as ever. The only change was now I was even more uncomfortable than I was before. Hooray! But with only a couple miles left, I threw caution to the wind and decided to push forward until the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I finally saw the finish line, I might as well have seen a smoothie shop after crawling across the Sahara. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98D1wDylvGvwKCzquySH7Cdax0JWA_yX33iVm88B-OREALoWs2bw13nEzm4st0m7Md4Z2by-1Zv8VQkz_Ox19ruBUQDovQovVpaL-6IQ0D_WK6B7sjSenXU9vLMcFPdz-L3oK8QWcoMrc/s1600/finish_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98D1wDylvGvwKCzquySH7Cdax0JWA_yX33iVm88B-OREALoWs2bw13nEzm4st0m7Md4Z2by-1Zv8VQkz_Ox19ruBUQDovQovVpaL-6IQ0D_WK6B7sjSenXU9vLMcFPdz-L3oK8QWcoMrc/s640/finish_web.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward photo #2: Seeing the finish line.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes me wonder what this lady got on video...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTY4CLshMonT0wiyNFFhT_-3fI63la-slVIhyphenhyphen2u-aAzAmcWMAeUic7GKhvx62GSiwgJhVo8BRRH5HgHpX-veWb3-8lV-9-I-3z4Y_fGd7DXR76Xr-WZ5mOhOgpMi5fUJCFPHdI748_0MS/s1600/finish_camera_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTY4CLshMonT0wiyNFFhT_-3fI63la-slVIhyphenhyphen2u-aAzAmcWMAeUic7GKhvx62GSiwgJhVo8BRRH5HgHpX-veWb3-8lV-9-I-3z4Y_fGd7DXR76Xr-WZ5mOhOgpMi5fUJCFPHdI748_0MS/s400/finish_camera_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I got to the finish, I ran passed my friends with cameras, grabbed my medal at a full sprint, nearly pushed over the medal photographers, barged through the banana passers, and booked it across the parking lot to the row of porta potties just about a half mile from the finish line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is the theme for this race, I again felt like I wasn't going to make it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I threw open a door, turned around and...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is where I would place a "censored" screenshot and play classical music, if I could.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end, the unfortunate truth was that the person before me had left a not-so-desirable gift on the seat, and when my shaking hands rushed to wipe it down with toilet paper, I found that the paper roll was brand new, and I couldn't tear the wrapper off fast enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't make it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was going to be a 2-minute endeavor, turned into 45 minutes. My husband, who had seen me cross the finish line, thought I was abducted by Ultron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good thing I paid over a hundred bucks for this experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And to think it was a clean new roll of TP that finished me off.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Why Does Running Make You Run to a Bathroom?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to Kelly O'Mara of Competitor.com in her article <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2014/03/training/why-do-i-have-to-poop-when-i-run_70934" target="_blank">"Why Do I Have to Poop When I Run,"</a> GI issues during races are incredibly common for runners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even Paula Radcliffe, who was the women's world record holder for the marathon, had to stop on the side of the road on her way to win the 2005 London Marathon and take a dump in front of thousands of spectators.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dang.</span><br />
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<a href="http://images1.houstonpress.com/imager/u/original/6721709/marathon_peeing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images1.houstonpress.com/imager/u/original/6721709/marathon_peeing.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently there are a few contributors to a runner's common need to pop a squat:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The constant pounding on the pavement shakes up the intestines, which then, want a release.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bloodflow often leaves a runner's internal organs and head to exercise muscles, which slows the food absorption process.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Runners often don't drink a lot of water, and dehydration makes it difficult for a runner's organs to absorb anything lingering in them, so the body does the best thing it knows how to do - flush everything out.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eating before a run churns up your stomach and makes it more likely you'll need to hit up a bathroom.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Studies show that runners who ramp up their speed or distance too quickly while training are more susceptible.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food moves more quickly through athletes who are training.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foods in high fat, sugar, or caffeine are top contributors.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not sure how all this applied in the first 30 seconds of a race for me, but whatever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While we know many factors that contribute to the runner's runs, the exact cause is difficult to pin down, which make prevention difficult. Some people suggest avoiding fiber-rich foods 24 hours before a race, or warming up your bowels by eating something small or drinking something warm just before running, to give you a productive bathroom experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Haha, "productive bathroom experience." What am I trying to be, a nurse?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of us runners with the runs, O'Mara suggests we can take some comfort from that. She says, "All that rushing to the bathroom could be reducing your risk of colon cancer. The rate of colon cancer has been found to be lower among runners, which may be because their bowel content is not present in their colons as long as it is with non-runners."</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdNjJk-6wyLOq_t8KQIGd3uz-i3ggjvkuHQEmJg4awMAs3jXblBjEBU0KLNUbb-P0-fsBXZ4-BfLh5oQUZsAkEitClR48sdMcV7mxeg3_oSWAdrCBTZT8sKZiMuduv_k6hKYssuj386So/s1600/medals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdNjJk-6wyLOq_t8KQIGd3uz-i3ggjvkuHQEmJg4awMAs3jXblBjEBU0KLNUbb-P0-fsBXZ4-BfLh5oQUZsAkEitClR48sdMcV7mxeg3_oSWAdrCBTZT8sKZiMuduv_k6hKYssuj386So/s640/medals.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With friend Jon (not to be confused with a john) and hubby Spencer, after all the "business" was taken care of.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back, I now know that thanks to a souvenir parasite I brought home from my honeymoon in Cancun, I had stored "business" in my bowels for days. Running the race simply made it all manifest itself within a single hour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to modern medicine, that parasite is now destroyed, hopefully along with my chances of reliving my explosive race adventure.</span>Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-30322508712462860132015-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:002015-08-24T19:40:29.807-07:00Disneyland with a Bald Eagle on Her Birthday<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet Madi.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBj6avA_UyEcQt5hpMnUm5O6ILnT6Be4N4vunhSSR-OGj6SmHIpv0sdVbVE0CPEPsLHUuYbmBdMq5rQKGaIzLFfMZ88qgojaLHAOwYJrkN3hyphenhyphen0Zj4L-VexnZ4Mg4kyPLtSiEYzfaNbK-Q/s1600/20150606_090457_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBj6avA_UyEcQt5hpMnUm5O6ILnT6Be4N4vunhSSR-OGj6SmHIpv0sdVbVE0CPEPsLHUuYbmBdMq5rQKGaIzLFfMZ88qgojaLHAOwYJrkN3hyphenhyphen0Zj4L-VexnZ4Mg4kyPLtSiEYzfaNbK-Q/s400/20150606_090457_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madi is my incredibly awesome sister-in-law, and she <i>loves</i> Disneyland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for this very important anniversary of the day she was born, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madi and her hubster Alex hopped in their car and drove from Northern Utah for 700+ miles to Southern California to experience a couple days at the Diamond Celebration of the "Happiest Place on Earth." They met up with my hubby, his mom (also visiting from Utah), and me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-oC2m_fGNTCelh6RCr0a6WXIdm-SWB-08CwJfeOqsLndMEqLFMpBKHlmFG5rS1VEc2kpf7F2iynvtkzuLrn2mqRc5eOpMuuKs4ojAkrSuiAdfURoOa23h7-rPkkIsBrTthrtp7dL5mDg/s1600/20150605_084436_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-oC2m_fGNTCelh6RCr0a6WXIdm-SWB-08CwJfeOqsLndMEqLFMpBKHlmFG5rS1VEc2kpf7F2iynvtkzuLrn2mqRc5eOpMuuKs4ojAkrSuiAdfURoOa23h7-rPkkIsBrTthrtp7dL5mDg/s640/20150605_084436_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie (my mother-in-law), Alex (brother-in-law), and Madi (sister-in-law) -- so lucky to have great in-laws!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may have noticed that Madi doesn't have any hair. Madi has an auto-immune condition called Alopecia, which pretty much means she doesn't grow hair on her body. Basically, her body doesn't recognize its own tissue, so her immune system destroys her hair follicles, preventing hair from growing</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's had the condition since birth, though she was able to grow some hair while growing up, despite the condition worsening over time. It wasn't until her senior year of high school that she had to start wearing a wig to school -- a not-so-easy situation for a teenager just about to face the world on her own, but she pushed through it with a sense of humor. Eventually, all her hair fell out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Usually, Madi wears a wig. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex and Madi on their wedding day - August, 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though this last Halloween, Madi surprised the masses by showing up at a costume party with hard-to-beat homemade costume -- a bald eagle.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPr5BruSc9HA8621cYfpH5_JMaUKntA1PY5FRRbavfrwMIw0JiC1WeRfuUVMN5DGbnVePLcPr3zmRnARvBA8ndeTvjR4N6kB5LPzy_VJG1O5yJfgeR3Cx3bczhVoJuI4fRqj_CMqGIZ8i/s1600/unnamed_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPr5BruSc9HA8621cYfpH5_JMaUKntA1PY5FRRbavfrwMIw0JiC1WeRfuUVMN5DGbnVePLcPr3zmRnARvBA8ndeTvjR4N6kB5LPzy_VJG1O5yJfgeR3Cx3bczhVoJuI4fRqj_CMqGIZ8i/s640/unnamed_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How awesome is this?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days before coming to California, Madi announced she was leaving the wig behind in exchange for a bottle of sunscreen. I seriously thought that was the most awesome thing ever. I had never actually seen her without her wig on -- and I felt like her being willing to ditch the wig at such a public place showed that she doesn't need a fancy hairstyle to know who she is and value herself for what really matters. That deserves some props.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And she rocked her look.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn7pfQXxzH1Fp9m0OfkaAtr9jGnGtrmBOAoTGpHe94EdSifO9h7Sx_U6nofkw8aHtgGxKeZ0Y8AkD7Fuixooyt7uLEZKVsp8Rbv4CBwWF8Eptd3OZ4Ea0EM2lI6bfNR-C2CNKZfEKz3jx/s1600/2-shot_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn7pfQXxzH1Fp9m0OfkaAtr9jGnGtrmBOAoTGpHe94EdSifO9h7Sx_U6nofkw8aHtgGxKeZ0Y8AkD7Fuixooyt7uLEZKVsp8Rbv4CBwWF8Eptd3OZ4Ea0EM2lI6bfNR-C2CNKZfEKz3jx/s640/2-shot_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was interesting to watch other people notice Madi in the parks. Often people would smile at her in a sort of way that acknowledged that they notice her bald head, but either want to show support, or don't want to come across as rude by being caught staring blankly. I am totally one of these people -- I often smile at people with no hair, or a disability, or anything that sets them apart from the crowd. But in my defense, I pretty much smile at anyone who <i>doesn't </i>have anything that sets them apart from a crowd, as well. You're a human? Smile. You're a tree? Smile. A rock? Smile.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still -- it made me wonder what I was causing those who look a little differently to think when I smile at them (and how badly I'm confusing people who don't look different). Madi</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> says it's a little obvious people are acknowledging her head, but she says she doesn't mind. She even appreciates these people. More than likely, they probably think she's going through chemo for cancer, which she thankfully isn't. My good friend Chris, who had an amazing sense of humor, incredible life perspective, and who recently returned to live with God after fighting a rare form of cancer, often laughed that --</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"People are really nice to you when you have cancer. Everyone should experience this -- well, not the cancer part." </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People are really nice to you when they <i>think</i> you have cancer, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madi told me kids are the most fun to watch because they're so honest. Once, she took her wig off in front of a class of kids she was teaching to help demonstrate a point, and a few days later, one of the kids told her that it gave him nightmares for days. She has a good sense of humor about that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One moment that totally caught me off guard was when a passing woman grabbed Madi's arm and said "In Jesus' name, be healed," and then kept on walking. As I was picking my jaw up from off the floor, Madi shrugged and said that it wasn't the first time that had happened. When she dressed up like a bald eagle last Halloween, a woman grabbed her, pressed their foreheads together, and said a surprise prayer of healing because Jesus had told her Madi was sick. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a follower of Christ myself, I was a little conflicted with how to feel about the passing healer woman. Part of me admired and appreciated her faith in Jesus, but another part of me felt like she was popping the physical and emotional bubble of personal space. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of saying weird things, Madi's hairless arms feel like a baby's bum. Not gonna lie, I kinda want baby bum arms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Madi was a little girl, she has been a huge fan of Ariel -- the mermaid from </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Little Mermaid</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (for those of you living under a rock)</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. In order to maximize Madi's happiness quotient on her birthday, the day became a sort of "Ariel Appreciation Day," which included riding </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">seven</span></b> times. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In line for The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I happened to be a Disney Ambassador on opening day for that attraction, and even though that meant memorizing facts about the ride, walking the construction site with its designer, and riding it repeatedly beforehand, I </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">still</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> noticed so many new elements each time we rode it. Disney Imagineers are amazing (shout out to Larry Nikolai -- very talented, and incredibly humble and kind). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I laughed my head off watching Madi run out of the attraction and punch the air with shouts of how awesome it was, just as we all turned and got back in line again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, of course, we couldn't celebrate Ariel Appreciation Day without having lunch at Ariel's Grotto, where we got to meet Ariel, herself.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure what the conversation was about, but it was apparently interesting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food and desserts were amazing. We were full for the rest of the day.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzw0utco6WH3zmXkWqSDg0xR9kGINDvN5_I6KZNjV61MErWaRvW5natPGSv9dP4BcECetjxySam6nzV0gqW3LA9AL-aOZTuMKPXSnsWw28clRm5tdt_exgCd0dZVQVhUZrb7JQLJ3qTmO/s1600/20150606_140906_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzw0utco6WH3zmXkWqSDg0xR9kGINDvN5_I6KZNjV61MErWaRvW5natPGSv9dP4BcECetjxySam6nzV0gqW3LA9AL-aOZTuMKPXSnsWw28clRm5tdt_exgCd0dZVQVhUZrb7JQLJ3qTmO/s640/20150606_140906_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole day was a lot of fun. Even though it was a Saturday, we didn't have to wait in a lot of lines, and we rode pretty much everything we wanted to, which was a nice surprise.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grizzly River Rapids -- Not my first choice.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a former employee of Disneyland, I was quite happy to see so many thoughtful cast members (aka - those who work at Disneyland) wishing her a happy birthday and treating her with such kindness. I was even </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">more</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> happy to see them doing the same thing to </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">every </i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">person -- whether they were celebrating a birthday, just walking around, had hair, or didn't have hair. Disney truly attracts some of the most friendly and kind-hearted people to work there (how did I get a job there?). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The princesses were a lot of fun to talk to, too. This was my first time eating lunch at Ariel's Grotto -- thanks Madi & Alex!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should also point out that from the moment we all got together, it was obvious to the world that my husband Spencer and Madi's husband Alex were related. They laughed at the same jokes (usually their own), both have the same tall form and slightly hunched walk, and even drive the same car and have the exact same unexplained left hip injury. Since I happen to really like hanging out with my husband, it wasn't too shabby hanging out with people similar to him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And our very own bald eagle was a great example of what it means to be fearless, funny, understanding, and all-around awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Happy birthday, Madi!!</b></span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-84560045930297017462015-06-01T22:41:00.001-07:002015-06-01T22:50:09.397-07:00Running While Sick<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple weeks ago I was standing on the Great Wall of China, and I swallowed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OUCH! Throat ='d pain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My instinct was to look around me to catch sight of the Samurai who must have just climbed the wall and stabbed me in the neck. But then I remembered that Samurai come from Japan, not China.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turns out, I wasn't stabbed in the throat. I was just officially sick. I had been sick for a few days, actually. My family had been preparing for our Great Wall Half Marathon trip for a year, and despite my typically good health, consistent training, and disturbing overuse of hand sanitizing wipes, the Bad Luck Germ Monster followed me to China and waited until the very moment I crossed the country's border to attack me with a virus.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Bad Luck Germ Monster" caught up with me on my flight to China.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember sitting on the airplane, about to land in Beijing, when I first felt the twinge of throat pain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"C'monnn....allergy!" I crossed my fingers in hopes the pain was due to any other reason other than illness. But alas, the pilot's weather forecast over the loudspeaker might as well have said, "Looks like sun, smog, and a week of pain and laryngitis in Beijing for Jolie Hales."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to face the facts -- I was going to be sick for the most epic race of my life. Not to mention the rigorous touring schedule that surrounded it (which I swear, can be more exhausting).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But hey -- at least I got to go! And I didn't die! Win, win!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it Safe to Run While Sick?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did some searching, and the general consensus on running websites is that normally, if your illness is mostly above the neck (throat, nose, head, etc.), then you're probably safe to run. But if your illness is below the neck (chest, body aches, bathroom issues) or you have a fever, get in bed and stay there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's some general advice I found about running while sick:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you have flu-like symptoms (fever, body aches), don't run.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Running with a fever will likely increase the time it will take you to heal.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you only have cold symptoms (stuffy nose, scratchy throat, etc.), it's probably okay to run, but monitor your condition constantly.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you have other illness symptoms, check with your doctor before training.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Resting may help you feel better faster.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Very few people stay completely healthy during their marathon training, so remain optimistic and know you're not alone.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Research shows that staying fit can boost your immune system, but pushing yourself too hard can put you at greater risk of getting sick.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Getting back on your feet:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you've been training for at least 6 weeks, it takes around 10 days to really start losing fitness, so a short cold shouldn't hurt your training much.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Run the day after you feel normal to avoid losing more fitness.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don't try to make up missed mileage by running more after you feel better.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Depending on how much training time you missed, consider cutting your next few runs by a third or half, and build mileage back up slowly.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you start feeling worse again on a run, stop and give your healing more time.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pay close attention to your body -- don't overdo it as you get back in the game.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Taking more than a month off will affect your training noticeably, and two months off means possibly starting your training back at the beginning.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To read more about running and illness, check out the following helpful website articles:</span></span></h4>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/running-when-sick/" target="_blank">"Are You Putting Your Body in Danger by Running While Sick?" Jeff Gaudette, Runners Connect</a></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/how-to-continue-with-marathon-training-after-illness-or-injury/" target="_blank">"How to Continue with Marathon Training After Illness or Injury" Realbuzz.com</a></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.active.com/health/articles/coping-with-illness-during-aerobic-training" target="_blank">"Coping With Illness During Aerobic Training" Gale Bernhardt, Active.com</a></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/im-sick-can-i-exercise.html#b" target="_blank">"I'm Sick, Can I Exercise?" Charmaine Ann Enerio, Fitday.com</a></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"<a href="http://running.about.com/od/injuryrecovery/f/runningbreak.htm" target="_blank">What If I Have to Take a Break from Running" Christine Luff, About.com</a></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/how-to-return-to-training-after-time-off" target="_blank">"How to Return to Training After Time Off" Matthew Solan, Runner's World</a></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As Gale Bernhardt says on Active.com, "Health first, performance second. Get well soon!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To Run or Not to Run</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for me in China? To run. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm all about resting and taking a break from training to heal from illness, but here I was faced with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run a race on the Great Wall of China. I decided that if I was strong enough to even walk on race day, I was going to run that friggin' race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I did. While I normally avoid taking meds while running, on this day, I was grateful for modern medicine.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRxYcaVJGYfNDakXjaNfTszxaA3EdRvueEg4eCAeJSnAqPKGbtg8JIk0PCVflaS7jux2BUPJcjttzjG7EnO8XFVnlqlmAjO-R6D1P9RhoKXfvYmcA7feKrHIYWqatPN9VkVkRcmnWWGYU/s1600/Before-%2526-After-meds_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRxYcaVJGYfNDakXjaNfTszxaA3EdRvueEg4eCAeJSnAqPKGbtg8JIk0PCVflaS7jux2BUPJcjttzjG7EnO8XFVnlqlmAjO-R6D1P9RhoKXfvYmcA7feKrHIYWqatPN9VkVkRcmnWWGYU/s640/Before-%2526-After-meds_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It helped that my family took the race at a sloth's pace. Thanks family!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for the record, I do not recommend running while sick. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And </i>I totally think Americans should adopt the Asian policy of wearing a face mask when you're sick so you don't get others sick. Perhaps then, I wouldn't have caught this bug at work and subjected myself (and soonafter, my husband) to these weeks of blah.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking weird for a cause!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew I would probably feel much worse after the race. I just kept my fingers crossed that I wouldn't be bed-ridden. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">China was pretty awesome, but it probably would have seemed less awesome from a Chinese hospital.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Chinese hospital we drove by.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the race, I did get worse, but I thankfully didn't have to be hospitalized or anything like that, so I chalked that up to the good luck... fairy (trying to find the opposite of monster). I completely lost my voice that night (I'm still getting it back), and I struggled to remain conscious for a week at work afterward, but my coworkers were very understanding any generally steered clear of my germ-infested office.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frankly, I'm so grateful for the awesome experience, that I'll take the illness along with it if that's what it takes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Past Sick Runs</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So.... since my judgement is always top-notch, this wasn't the first time I had run while being sick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two years ago, I not only dumbly decided to run the Firecracker 10K in Anaheim while I had a fever, but I pushed myself to run faster than I should have, because I knew I was in the running for an age division award.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After running with a fever, this may have been the last time I smiled for a month.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news is, I got third place in my age division. Bad news is, I went to bed right after the race, and pretty much had to stay there for weeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then more recently, I ran the Star Wars 10K at Disneyland when I was trying to get over an illness, but instead of making me feel worse, I actually got one of my best 10K finishing times, and felt <i>better</i> after the race. So I don't get it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Star Wars 10K while sick - Felt better than I expected.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, I believe it's much better to err on the side of caution whenever we feel sick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back on the Path</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I finally got back out on the trail. Though I'm not feeling 100%, I couldn't wait another day to try to heal up. And after consulting with Dr. Internet (which is <i>never </i>wrong), since my symptoms were all above the neck, it was probably okay to run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides, after 3 weeks of not training, I was starting to feel my leg muscles turning to jello while I sat at my desk at work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ran 4.5 miles after work at an easy 8:59 pace, which was actually faster than I expected to run. While running, I could feel the loss of athleticism more than the illness -- my chest was tighter, I wasn't as fast, and I got some random blister on my toe... not sure what that was about. As for symptoms of the lingering illness, let's just say I had to spit a lot more often, I shouldn't have taken fiber tablets earlier in the day, and I coughed more when it was over.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshRiNvvBZHfRbEoswMH5dw1H1E7sef200vXfJMInhmavmGVx9Ent15Ssy_GTMzv9efmO9GVR_HtladXd3HgcpK4O7zxqNvgOXmsndGzxRUznjiwZ7DoI1EfhlosnD3ADQX8YWRxELW6f7/s1600/20150601_184621_001_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshRiNvvBZHfRbEoswMH5dw1H1E7sef200vXfJMInhmavmGVx9Ent15Ssy_GTMzv9efmO9GVR_HtladXd3HgcpK4O7zxqNvgOXmsndGzxRUznjiwZ7DoI1EfhlosnD3ADQX8YWRxELW6f7/s640/20150601_184621_001_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's run -- first day back training since getting sick three weeks ago.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess we'll see how tired I am tomorrow! Fingers crossed the relapse monster doesn't know where I live.</span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-37879607811254721922015-05-25T18:37:00.001-07:002015-05-30T14:35:18.425-07:00The Great Wall Half Marathon<head>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've run a lot of races, but I have never run a race like this before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A year ago, when my dad suggested that my family fly to China and run a half marathon on the Great Wall, I smiled and thought, "That is too epic to actually happen."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut to Saturday, May 16th, and this was us:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The experience was once-in-a-lifetime, and completely epic-tastic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I'll admit, growing up, I didn't think the Great Wall sounded too impressive. I probably looked at my bedroom walls and thought, "They're okay, I guess."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this wall is seriously cooler than my bedroom walls. Its construction began around 700 BC and didn't stop until a few hundred years ago. Throughout its thousands of years of construction, it's said to have reached a length of more than 13-thousand miles -- more than half the length of the earth's equator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a friggin' long wall! Bravo, China!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently working on the wall was so difficult that as many as a million forcibly recruited peasants, soldiers, convicts, and prisoners of war died constructing it, and instead of burying or cremating some of the bodies, wall construction continued right over some of them, and their bones are still inside the wall. For that reason, it's been nicknamed "the longest cemetery on earth."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing like running a race through a long cemetery to show respect for those who have passed on.... er.... new paragraph.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only a tenth or so of the wall length remains today, but it looks pretty amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seven us ran the Great Wall race together -- my dad, two brothers, sister, brother-in-law, and my husband. We wore team shirts that said "Run Like Hales" -- paying homage to our family name, of course. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were three race options -- a fun run (5+ miles), a half marathon (13.1 miles), and a full marathon (26.2 miles). We opted for the half, but I really want to go back and run the full someday.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheD5eEuUesS-IEHHhVcD8HiYoyALyTGgz2OKKsaRZf1o4uAOL5wc_qOJfvy7AnIORLTN4ZY24PSJ32SNFlSQYvFmLsW3RnzfDBS_UdiGw7fc_WcQFcxAtEbgnnEn5FUJBxBFae73PbyK7/s1600/Great_Wall_start_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheD5eEuUesS-IEHHhVcD8HiYoyALyTGgz2OKKsaRZf1o4uAOL5wc_qOJfvy7AnIORLTN4ZY24PSJ32SNFlSQYvFmLsW3RnzfDBS_UdiGw7fc_WcQFcxAtEbgnnEn5FUJBxBFae73PbyK7/s640/Great_Wall_start_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My poor husband -- apparently he got registered as a female somehow, so he got to sport a nice "F" on his bib. Hahaha, I guess I'm gay!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race started and ended at a place called Ying & Yang Square, just at the base of the Great Wall a couple hours from Beijing by bus, and the area has surprisingly remained undiscovered by tourists (other than us runners, of course -- perhaps a bit of culture shock for everyone when we all come to town).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All three race courses started by running 3 miles on a Chinese town road.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning of the race -- running the town streets in China.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a long run uphill, we hit the wall. Well, not in the sense that runners normally "hit the wall." We <i>got to</i> the wall. And thus began two scenic miles on the Great Wall of China itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The steps were something to be reckoned with, but the views were incredible, and the energy was contagious. It was awesome.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby Spencer and I running the Great Wall Half Marathon. (Photo credit: Marathon-Photos.com)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full marathon boasts 5,164 steps -- both up and down. I think the half runs about 2,500-ish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the wall, we passed by cheering spectators at Ying & Yang square where the fun run participants finished, and the half marathon and marathon runners continued down a few more town streets and into an amazing and completely authentic Chinese village, where many of the residents came out of their homes and cheered for the runners. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids cheered us on as we ran through their village.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local village resident gives us a thumbs up.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I <i>loved</i> meeting the amazing villagers and seeing the way they lived. It truly made me reflect on my own life. They were so kind and happy to see us, even though we didn't speak the same language. One sweet little girl gave me a flower that she had picked. She'll never know that I sentimentally dried it and pinned it to the bulletin board in my living room.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little girls were picking and handing out flowers to runners.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I pinned my flower to my wall.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full marathoners put in some additional mileage around the village, and then everyone turned around and headed back to Ying & Yang Square, where the half marathoners finished.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another group of half marathoners runs toward the finish line.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full marathoners, however, passed through the square and went on to conquer 2-thousand more steps over the final 6 miles of their race. Out of our tour group of about 40 people, two full marathoners got heat exhaustion and couldn't complete the race -- one around mile 16, and another around mile 22. <i>That's </i>how tough it is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race is named as one of the most difficult races on the planet, for obvious reasons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What race could be more difficult? Apparently there's a North Pole Marathon...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Pole Marathon -- more difficult that the Great Wall Marathon.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our family decided to stick together during the race. While we are typically sub-2 hour half marathon finishers, we decided to squelch our natural competitive nature and take it slow (though this excuse will only work once). Not to mention, three of the seven of us were injured and another one of us (lucky me) was sick -- I have lots of medications to thank for the smiley video. There was no way I was gonna sit that one out! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though I pretty much haven't gotten out of bed since. Worth it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since my brother speaks Mandarin fluently (awesome, right?), we stopped and talked to a few native Chinese. I just watched, smiled, and filmed them like any dumb American would.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We even paused and bought ice cream from a local peddler, who laughed her head off when some American runners knocked on her door and asked her for ice cream.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister Christy, running and eating an ice cream cone at the same time.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slowest half marathon any of us have ever "run." Darn proud!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honestly, if you're a runner -- put this race on your bucket list. It's organized, challenging, fun, and a cultural experience beyond anything you've been through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be posting a formal video review on the experience in an upcoming post, as well as some footage of Beijing, so stay tuned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, run like Hales!</span>Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-43803430798307761032015-05-21T23:49:00.001-07:002015-08-24T20:19:01.166-07:00How China Surprised Me - The Sequel<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continuing from my last post...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">China was full of surprises. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I think we came with a few surprises for China. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think many of the Chinese were used to seeing a crazy family taking a jumping picture in the middle of the Forbidden City. Clearly we didn't respect the location's name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, here are few more ways China surprised me...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite parts about China was their written English.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7-11? Gotta admire them getting to the point.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be honest, I was surprised that almost all street and building signs in Beijing had an English title in addition to the Chinese title. Most of the time, their English was spot-on.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I shot so much video footage, I had to go buy an external hard drive. (As you can see, Walmart is alive and well, and whether you like it or not -- much more trustworthy for electronics than the Chinese swap meet.)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But every now and then, something got a little lost in translation.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They prefer their flames fully clothed, thank you.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2tvhY2DjfbekDVAlbiiTFK7RGRVdS0DbKIDWCuNbIqj7Uz7tGrUw3kItdVstpIcyM0NY3tKn9eL-wCifckiinrE4qfZeHkL65PibmMoiy89NyQMWaE3oDJqPjYHBQ06M0-Fe4oTOMaaL/s1600/no+striding_en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2tvhY2DjfbekDVAlbiiTFK7RGRVdS0DbKIDWCuNbIqj7Uz7tGrUw3kItdVstpIcyM0NY3tKn9eL-wCifckiinrE4qfZeHkL65PibmMoiy89NyQMWaE3oDJqPjYHBQ06M0-Fe4oTOMaaL/s400/no+striding_en.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you go striding and un-cherishing those relics, now!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLyWHVS7OG-eXAz614cZFQsFlCZ0woxykgF3ddYF0TWMrjacV6Dn6hfhWz7zLNq69EtOs5wKHKNPXreO137hBP4idUHoHqIewbliYuPKhyphenhyphenp7mYnxwq7p9lBeP2N065H04qXZyIxPu1enE/s1600/cellphones+sign_en.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLyWHVS7OG-eXAz614cZFQsFlCZ0woxykgF3ddYF0TWMrjacV6Dn6hfhWz7zLNq69EtOs5wKHKNPXreO137hBP4idUHoHqIewbliYuPKhyphenhyphenp7mYnxwq7p9lBeP2N065H04qXZyIxPu1enE/s400/cellphones+sign_en.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one just confused me.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day we spent hours touring a treasured historical location called the Temple of Heaven, and the only picture our family took there together was of their construction wall:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVdmajEDfGWErrWTbAg7XbwQ3aMEt5ZVCMv8VnGTHK4zRrIUDqslqaV0KdPfCcxA-G42vRjzJAG5ria6ffbUAHmCIZs2L8t2VrBl2w-Gh7zU9FWQI1Qyz-gDCtqVtT5TsJ7jy3knMGk-8/s1600/20150513_162735_crop2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVdmajEDfGWErrWTbAg7XbwQ3aMEt5ZVCMv8VnGTHK4zRrIUDqslqaV0KdPfCcxA-G42vRjzJAG5ria6ffbUAHmCIZs2L8t2VrBl2w-Gh7zU9FWQI1Qyz-gDCtqVtT5TsJ7jy3knMGk-8/s640/20150513_162735_crop2_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This English was apparently translated by the prophet Isaiah.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know how we Americans have been known to wear shirts with Chinese writing on them, when we really have no idea what the words mean? Chinese apparently do the same thing with English. I'll admit, it's very strange and a little disturbing to see a sweet Chinese grandmother wearing pearls and a shirt that says "I wanna do bad things to you." (Not even kidding -- I saw this very thing, but couldn't get my camera out fast enough.)</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCAJXa3m3MogfSozJ1P0j-z5t_IM7V1_1qKL6Qs38hs3rNxeMgYiGPOjWKH4SgFDtZCI4kjWIma9KtcvFqcT9V3Ef9HIOgK9wZE-2wF-8ATzdehlwdt7IvQ95vzHx_GqSNeZi7AQF74Uz/s1600/grandma+shirt_crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCAJXa3m3MogfSozJ1P0j-z5t_IM7V1_1qKL6Qs38hs3rNxeMgYiGPOjWKH4SgFDtZCI4kjWIma9KtcvFqcT9V3Ef9HIOgK9wZE-2wF-8ATzdehlwdt7IvQ95vzHx_GqSNeZi7AQF74Uz/s320/grandma+shirt_crop.png" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something tells me this nice lady might not know what her shirt says.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this being said, I can smile all I want at these interpretations of my first (and only) language, but if someone from China told me I could either draw one Chinese character correctly or I would have my tongue glued to the bottom of my chin for the rest of my life, I would be inevitably subjected to looking a lot weirder than Gene Simmons, and being a whole lot less popular and wealthy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chinese might not ace the English interpretation every time around, but I'm willing to bet there are a lot more Americans walking around with tattoos they think say "strength," when they really say something like "pork rind."</span><br />
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<a href="http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/8/2/12/enhanced-buzz-11725-1375459958-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/8/2/12/enhanced-buzz-11725-1375459958-0.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodbye Google</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because the Chinese government controls pretty much everything in China, including what information gets out to their citizens, Google, Facebook, and pretty much any other time-sucking site is not accessible through WiFi (or any Internet) connections. This means no Gmail, Blogspot, Wikipedia, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, or weird online dating sites. </span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/171220/file-1695752032-png/images/Google-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/171220/file-1695752032-png/images/Google-1.png" height="235" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">China apparently has their own versions of many of these sites, but they're obviously in Chinese and regulated by the government.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://developer.simsimi.com/static/img/casestudy/ui_screenshot_renren_opacity100.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://developer.simsimi.com/static/img/casestudy/ui_screenshot_renren_opacity100.png" height="366" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chinese version of Facebook, called "Renren," has 200 million users.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few members of my family purchased month-long VPNs, which allowed them to access these blocked sites, and they let me check my email a couple times. But for the most part, I just took a vacation from the Internet for a week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Hotel Was Normal</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Admittedly, I'm a bit of an uncultured idiot when it comes to going outside of the country. I've been to Europe, but the culture there was pretty western, and I've been to Canada, which was just like the United States except my cell phone didn't work, and when I went to Mexico for my honeymoon, I stayed in an all-inclusive resort with a bunch of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans. So I wouldn't really call me "cultured" in terms of getting out and seeing how people of all different lifestyles live.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cache.carlsonhotels.com/ow-cms/pkp/images/hotels/CHNBWAN/CMSNEW/CHNBWAN_Exterior_1920x1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.carlsonhotels.com/ow-cms/pkp/images/hotels/CHNBWAN/CMSNEW/CHNBWAN_Exterior_1920x1200.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stayed in the Park Plaza Hotel, right next to the MasterCard basketball arena.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if I was expecting to stay in a hotel room that was like a motel 6 with mud walls and blankets on the ground or what, but when I opened my hotel room door for the first time and saw it looked exactly like a nice American hotel, I was quite pleasantly and naively surprised. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAcInSPEU8pnEAUd59cqXh_zQt6p_pBLScbxQ_oUf89T548nPtBGyEpEXxMeod4cSSkSSiEIMw4Rft79JV-Ua4Se8iWscOQkwbFfgwGddUhpnFHyLLruzGoCr8xU5vDRdLTe-o0ydk6wo/s1600/hotel2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAcInSPEU8pnEAUd59cqXh_zQt6p_pBLScbxQ_oUf89T548nPtBGyEpEXxMeod4cSSkSSiEIMw4Rft79JV-Ua4Se8iWscOQkwbFfgwGddUhpnFHyLLruzGoCr8xU5vDRdLTe-o0ydk6wo/s640/hotel2_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though -- apparently the Chinese government only allows specific hotels to let foreigners stay there, which makes sense, since our hotel was clearly catering to foreigners and not Chinese visitors (and after observing a few non-foreigner hotels from a distance, I suspect the experience there could be quite different). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The electrical outlets fit pretty much every plug across the globe, though make sure you bring a down-converter if you're from the U.S. and don't want to deep fry your iPad. They even provided a hair dryer, and our TV channels included CNN and HBO -- both in English.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The complimentary breakfast each morning was shockingly better than most U.S. "continental breakfasts," with bacon, eggs, rolls, cheese, fruit, and a bunch of yumminess even the pickiest eaters like myself were more than happy with.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3KX7l29IPy2xApJywH6IFXocd3kTnM3oWB_Dui1Fe9IvyjATuVHMTnd0o0ksEYs3yXQO1XxYfR4Hy2PqBDcqXM9s0z8P6ekD72_yC6n7eD1-fKYSxE86GXDWcTCxaSY7bZ5VK9oPswS9/s1600/breakfast1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3KX7l29IPy2xApJywH6IFXocd3kTnM3oWB_Dui1Fe9IvyjATuVHMTnd0o0ksEYs3yXQO1XxYfR4Hy2PqBDcqXM9s0z8P6ekD72_yC6n7eD1-fKYSxE86GXDWcTCxaSY7bZ5VK9oPswS9/s640/breakfast1_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEhIrxYd6jm5r1E7zNCHFchySA0njxxNYnAMno-gJ3FZJvNeAoar68WuyJBS3uxffMAE3UOeFR6b5mLI2-2GmTKaxyj1QTpo8JjZWLzA6Q3t592hCu49fUdol9oRyJAzTyxDJD-WEP092/s1600/20150513_081118_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEhIrxYd6jm5r1E7zNCHFchySA0njxxNYnAMno-gJ3FZJvNeAoar68WuyJBS3uxffMAE3UOeFR6b5mLI2-2GmTKaxyj1QTpo8JjZWLzA6Q3t592hCu49fUdol9oRyJAzTyxDJD-WEP092/s640/20150513_081118_crop_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only real differences with our Chinese hotel were that smoking was allowed inside, and complimentary bottled water is provided so you don't drink out of the faucet and bring home a souvenir parasite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, something was a little off about how they numbered their floors...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hx_n6ZtXlI4rNmSWR2BhT-pZvDa55pGWGVm8UsBg4YZNPzKZUF_hpYoj-LBHkSdLNLsD_xmm1DZJdUgVPZd5MwrhSZrRE1FmkmNGLH8B3mDTBG8FEoTzJsCklC0r4YP7XX7eBD4lgSSN/s1600/20150518_101446_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hx_n6ZtXlI4rNmSWR2BhT-pZvDa55pGWGVm8UsBg4YZNPzKZUF_hpYoj-LBHkSdLNLsD_xmm1DZJdUgVPZd5MwrhSZrRE1FmkmNGLH8B3mDTBG8FEoTzJsCklC0r4YP7XX7eBD4lgSSN/s320/20150518_101446_crop_web.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Great Wall <i>IS </i>Great!</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a wall. So what? So... it's awesome!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Great Wall of China was a two hour bus ride away from our hotel through narrow winding mountain roads.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7TJwH1sx2Gnn55kHkerrmnNBOijgML-hjSHLEKeM6kezobbULVqtR3FUjSQlgn80qV2IG3bRcuGPBX36pRIbU57hE0NvnXUymAQahyCkiKButO74LNnhOglUWhpFKIdBUCD4xtC7Aa1d/s1600/bus-ride-2_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7TJwH1sx2Gnn55kHkerrmnNBOijgML-hjSHLEKeM6kezobbULVqtR3FUjSQlgn80qV2IG3bRcuGPBX36pRIbU57hE0NvnXUymAQahyCkiKButO74LNnhOglUWhpFKIdBUCD4xtC7Aa1d/s640/bus-ride-2_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving to the wall for the first time.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we didn't know what to expect, whenever we saw a brick wall or a pile of rocks on the side of the road, one of us asked if it was part of the Great Wall. It might have been funnier if we had been joking.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITO9gkoynRfzJ5JkRoHCgTnfwfSG-pXQ-QKnwzleMTCxWrCisDNqtGpvWFrya1hNo-7jOkQVE9QoEroDzU_6SNVkNNNlQxO2d2N7Gbeh3G95ZeDC6M7yLlWBUIvAKhqcRXpZGFXfPexst/s1600/bus-view-1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITO9gkoynRfzJ5JkRoHCgTnfwfSG-pXQ-QKnwzleMTCxWrCisDNqtGpvWFrya1hNo-7jOkQVE9QoEroDzU_6SNVkNNNlQxO2d2N7Gbeh3G95ZeDC6M7yLlWBUIvAKhqcRXpZGFXfPexst/s640/bus-view-1_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that the Great Wall of China? No.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when we finally came around the final curve and saw the wall for the first time, it was seriously epic. Much better than a pile of rocks on the side of the road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't just sit on the mountain side, but it sits <i>high</i> on the <i>steep</i> and <i>jagged</i> mountain side, among nothing but luscious green vegetation. It blew my mind to think that human beings built that thing by hand so many years ago. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5AyxM3mAle9-PpyyRNQIaFgi55IVRi2DwhMunOhAtaTRlOxIUvoG6Ye34vpeYl2mBMYetRH2FzUFd32qcpy8xLDz_SINNyuU0qoX0w-hD4zjKEZsKBaQ1tQBO6d-qMARCG8KR2bhwyW-/s1600/20150514_100358_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5AyxM3mAle9-PpyyRNQIaFgi55IVRi2DwhMunOhAtaTRlOxIUvoG6Ye34vpeYl2mBMYetRH2FzUFd32qcpy8xLDz_SINNyuU0qoX0w-hD4zjKEZsKBaQ1tQBO6d-qMARCG8KR2bhwyW-/s640/20150514_100358_crop_web.jpg" width="622" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the best parts is that this particular part of the wall has remained virtually undiscovered by tourists (don't you all go flooding to the wall, now... though since Mom might be my only reader, I guess the risk is low). The wall and its courtyard sit just above a humble village, and most of its patrons are local Chinese. It was so natural and rustic, we were lucky to even find a Mr. Hole there.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERWGsKWsH3K6cRv8g_Xi48RIElv8JwzznMaqNIe7Q82EnJiFi2RLDH4z3AxmB5N1ViANtG8Kht5b3keqvS5Gh1Kq0bOQsbTLykhfR1-hxInejgeVrjLxj6-k_6j4w_iAy48cwUygCdvK/s1600/20150514_112933_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibERWGsKWsH3K6cRv8g_Xi48RIElv8JwzznMaqNIe7Q82EnJiFi2RLDH4z3AxmB5N1ViANtG8Kht5b3keqvS5Gh1Kq0bOQsbTLykhfR1-hxInejgeVrjLxj6-k_6j4w_iAy48cwUygCdvK/s640/20150514_112933_crop_web.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of us runners visited the wall twice -- once to walk part of the race route in preparation, and then two days later for the actual race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both visits were scenic, historic, cultural (yay!), and amazing -- totally exceeding expectations. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUex9L7HsnKq7bk0sqoSqKJbgtdgwVNld6YWWc6R3GbuARtutnc0x5iVfOqY3woO0heGURVHshJwnD3_xj4dtKUvfKnsDBmUipAovjUby572uzKhjD4x9fa06QYewPVkfh7b94MvY916Zf/s1600/running1_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUex9L7HsnKq7bk0sqoSqKJbgtdgwVNld6YWWc6R3GbuARtutnc0x5iVfOqY3woO0heGURVHshJwnD3_xj4dtKUvfKnsDBmUipAovjUby572uzKhjD4x9fa06QYewPVkfh7b94MvY916Zf/s640/running1_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I haven't even spoken about the race yet! More to come...</span></div>
Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-6006774991554244332015-05-19T22:19:00.000-07:002015-05-30T14:35:40.990-07:00How China Surprised Me<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPfCJtz6UXbOANWfA5Y0xgNHXrGaNMNmRlj2nXCQCwd0-940bzQ8ikXaESqeHzhJSdesvIAEZr0uXuvkqTkCu4dSB7MQPmNueyJOCFp06XZRbinRyAMmptlfMokL43SnwGsRw7pPPonAz/s1600/20150513_094155_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPfCJtz6UXbOANWfA5Y0xgNHXrGaNMNmRlj2nXCQCwd0-940bzQ8ikXaESqeHzhJSdesvIAEZr0uXuvkqTkCu4dSB7MQPmNueyJOCFp06XZRbinRyAMmptlfMokL43SnwGsRw7pPPonAz/s640/20150513_094155_crop_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At "T-M&M" Square -- I have no idea how to spell the actual location.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday my family and I got home from an epic adventure to Beijing, China, to run the Great Wall Half Marathon. The trip was ridiculously amazing -- I have to break it up into a few posts.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbdcO25ZIXaq3uVZtUZXf1dioeTY-EBbbytuN0LD3K-jMs3lzgzUQRgWquaJ6Wpj3sOLnvnVNx9-IUZeoiw-FBYiQNpybokJyuKTZ3o8y2OvL4CZrzvt5pUM5gRa0QMGr1R_HfsG6Mmho/s1600/20x30-GWMF0546_crop_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbdcO25ZIXaq3uVZtUZXf1dioeTY-EBbbytuN0LD3K-jMs3lzgzUQRgWquaJ6Wpj3sOLnvnVNx9-IUZeoiw-FBYiQNpybokJyuKTZ3o8y2OvL4CZrzvt5pUM5gRa0QMGr1R_HfsG6Mmho/s640/20x30-GWMF0546_crop_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the Great Wall Half Marathon as a family.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To start, I had no idea what to expect about China. I wanted to be surprised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few things that defied my expectations...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toilets are a Luxury</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right when our flight touched down at Beijing Airport, my sister and I walked into a bathroom. When I stepped into a stall to do my business, I realized the stall was missing something... the toilet. Instead, there was a hole in the ground. The heck? This was a bathroom at a large international airport that hosted the world at the 2008 Olympics -- shouldn't it have toilets?</span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn-4.bjchinatravel.com/wp-content/gallery/flights-to-beijing/beijing-capital-international-airport-ft1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn-4.bjchinatravel.com/wp-content/gallery/flights-to-beijing/beijing-capital-international-airport-ft1.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Confused, I just stood there, staring at the hole.</span></div>
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<a href="http://thestudyabroadblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/P1000003-w700-h700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thestudyabroadblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/P1000003-w700-h700.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Psst, Christy!" I whispered loudly enough for my sister to hear, while attempting to squelch the title of stereotypically loud American. "Does your stall have...." I couldn't believe I was asking this, "...a toilet?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah, why?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Uhh, mine just has a hole in the ground."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up opting out of the pop-a-squat hole in exchange for a turn at Christy's luxury throne this time around, but I would not be able to steer completely clear of Mr. Hole for long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently this flushable hole in the ground is the norm in China (yes -- for number one or number two), and that very few locations even have a sit-down toilet. This, by the way, totally takes the relaxation out of going to the bathroom -- don't bring a magazine into a Chinese squatty potty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The worst part (advanced apologies for the high nastiness factor of this paragraph) was that people just... well... can't aim, and usually a visit to Mr. Hole means standing in half an inch of other people's used-to-be orange juice, beer, or bottled water, while you struggle yourself not to be a floor content contributor.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is far cleaner than any of the ones I saw -- you're welcome.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sister was so revolted by Chinese public bathrooms that she pretty much stopped drinking liquids the whole week in order to avoid using any bathroom other than our hotel's. And I've gotta hand it to her -- she miraculously managed to never have to face Mr. Hole. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for me, with a bladder the size of a postage stamp, I became unfortunately well acquainted with Mr. Hole, though we are not, and never will be, friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red Light Means "Everyone GO!"</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beijing is packed with more people than can fit on their streets, but that doesn't prevent anyone from taking to them anyway. Everywhere you look, there are scooters, bikes, cars, buses, and pedestrians. Few people wear seatbelts or helmets, and some bikes and scooters are so packed with bags that they look like the sleigh on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wouldn't it be awesome if the Chinese could do this?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intersections have traffic lights, but from my observations, a green light for one lane actually means "everyone in sight start moving at the same time in every direction possible -- the biggest or fastest wins!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And pedestrians? They do NOT have the right of way! It blows my mind! Literally, even if a "walk" sign is lit at a crosswalk, every kind of wheeled contraption is cutting through pedestrians with millimeters to spare.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20140425/0023ae98965614c41b9141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20140425/0023ae98965614c41b9141.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The craziest part is -- no one crashes or hits anyone, and the Chinese are 100 percent unphased by this kind of sporadic and chaotic transportation culture. They honk at each other frequently, but the horn is only tapped lightly to notify others around you that you're there, as opposed to the more colorful message attached to honking in the United States. In China, there isn't road rage or yelling at each other -- it's just a cultural understanding that complete and constant chaos on the roads is not chaos at all. The lack of order, since expected, is orderly. Mind = blown.</span></div>
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<a href="http://0708.fueledbyrice.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11368&g2_serialNumber=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://0708.fueledbyrice.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=11368&g2_serialNumber=2" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Us tourists, on the other hand, gasped, held our breath, and covered our eyes on a regular basis everywhere the bus took us. By the time our bus driver flipped his seventh u-turn at a red light in the middle of a busy intersection narrowly missing a signpost, rooftop, and a woman in a wheelchair, we stopped looking out the windows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pizza Hut is AMAZING</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever had to put your name on a 30-minute wait list to be guided through glass doors, up a fancy staircase, and seated by a server holding leather-bound menus offering everything from shrimp cocktails to fancy wines -- at a friggin' Pizza Hut?</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for our name to be called to eat at Pizza Hut in Beijing.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not even kidding -- China's Pizza Hut makes the United State's pizza look like poopzza. While admittedly our craving for "normal" food after eating a dozen Chinese meals in a row may have influenced our bias toward this China pizza experience slightly, I stand by the fact that I would have been impressed regardless. The seven of us inhaled two large and deliciously cheesy pizzas in T-minus 60 seconds. It was so yummy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never thought I'd be saying this, but if you visit China, you have to go to a Pizza Hut. And to further amaze with unexpected advice, be sure to get there early so you can get your name on the wait list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foreigners are Celebrities</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we weren't running on the Great Wall, we spent much of our time exploring all the tourist-magnet hot spots in Beijing. And just like how we Americans like to tour different parts of our own country, these Beijing tourist traps were stock full of Chinese from all other parts of China, complete with group guides leading with bright flags of different colors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our tour group consisted of runners from all over the world -- Iceland, Sweden, Trinidad, England, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Spain -- the list continues. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMPHsI-vVMvqCPqbcCVwA4kznnBfYxbk_Lyx5BdLDet5BE1owl8Adc74yVs2eImZI2p2nzHJ8nqkudqkg8gT-Cr34jcSHOPoa1kCxiVbJMnUPjUqg0-ZWjmnRiANJBF4sVvY3waZGFG0N/s1600/Scan_2015-05-13-09.41.scan_crop_en_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMPHsI-vVMvqCPqbcCVwA4kznnBfYxbk_Lyx5BdLDet5BE1owl8Adc74yVs2eImZI2p2nzHJ8nqkudqkg8gT-Cr34jcSHOPoa1kCxiVbJMnUPjUqg0-ZWjmnRiANJBF4sVvY3waZGFG0N/s640/Scan_2015-05-13-09.41.scan_crop_en_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tour group of Great Wall runners -- awesome people from all around the world.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we stuck out like a sore thumb in a sea of Chinese, as we walked around, often the Chinese would approach us and either ask to take a picture with us, or just stand in front of us and have their picture taken without asking. It was hilarious.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting asked to have our picture taken.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our three friends from Trinidad were often the only black people in sight, so they might as well have all been Lebron James. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese don't see black people very often, hahaha.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And anyone with blond hair was an instant camera target, too. My family was frequently pulled into pictures just for looking like a bunch of white people, and the Chinese were so excited, it was completely endearing and we were happy to oblige. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much to write, and so little time! Stay tuned for more adventures in China!</span></div>Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-88204614750139836832015-05-10T22:29:00.002-07:002015-05-30T14:35:53.133-07:00Grandma's Last Message<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years ago, I was on a 15-minute break while working at Disneyland, and I checked my phone. I had a text from my sister, that read:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Grandma Hales was just hit by a car -- she's dying."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instantly I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. Grandma was the nicest person I knew -- always giving to others and showing love to everyone she met. She loved books, and read me story after story whenever I visited her home as a child. She was a pioneer in her younger days, being among the first local women to go to college, and then dedicated her life to teaching and helping others. And she was in perfect health.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrls2CmCPvPnCiIKYfpzZvbeXpf9COvdOKdF_HvsNP2OFtbjCfVhIKlIt8vL1v_aoiuFMXiLFAf52zIK7rgJXI75iKBbjr__ZQcDYGXLXkV_SIrHAqSwcohXZq1I2BVzMNXZ9WL-0SWKZG/s1600/92+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrls2CmCPvPnCiIKYfpzZvbeXpf9COvdOKdF_HvsNP2OFtbjCfVhIKlIt8vL1v_aoiuFMXiLFAf52zIK7rgJXI75iKBbjr__ZQcDYGXLXkV_SIrHAqSwcohXZq1I2BVzMNXZ9WL-0SWKZG/s400/92+119.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma always read with me.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I called my sister to get more information. Apparently a driver in a shopping center parking lot was briefly distracted by something (not a cell phone -- police made sure of that), and didn't see my grandma walking toward the store entrance. My sister and my dad arrived at the hospital just in time to watch her slip away from this life.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Media around the state followed the story.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was devastated. I lived a few states away from my grandma. When was the last time I gave her a hug or sat down and had a conversation with her? Eight, nine months ago? Longer than that? Did I ever even tell her what she meant to me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was excused from the rest of the week from work to travel back to Utah to be with my family for the funeral, and even though we felt peace through our faith and belief that we would someday see her again after this life, we were still very, very sad. To be honest, we had all been preparing for Grandpa to go first. His health was declining, and Grandma was the one who helped him put his socks on in the morning. But in just an instant, she was gone.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother Dallin and I with Grandpa at Grandma's funeral.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After returning home to California, I couldn't shake the sadness I felt. I missed my grandma, and I worried that she never knew how much she meant to me. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Normally a "tough girl" who doesn't give way to tears, this time I had a hard time keeping my eyes dry at all.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/hjnews/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-mcgregor-hales&pid=132175129" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCvBmFOfe9G9uIXzP-pFaboL3XkuQcQBewF6s41TsK4Js1uRRsBZL_WUVjbeZ5yufJ4J4qcFcz1qgmngytlrfcjRhaIekqjYT3Zpkq97OgjUTjweOwlp9XJi1P5tUkb6Svs81Te7mFiG5/s320/Grandma+obituary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a believer in God, I got on my knees and asked the Lord for help and comfort, and to tell my grandma how much she meant to me. I then felt calm, but still couldn't shake the sadness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days later, something happened to change that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A package wrapped in "Happy Birthday" paper suddenly showed up in the mail, addressed to me from my.... <i>grandma</i>, written in her handwriting. Confused, I looked it up and down. My birthday was 7 months ago... why (and how) was I getting a birthday present now? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I noticed the postmark date -- two and a half years earlier. It had been lost in the mail all this time.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I received the package October 22, 2009, when it was mailed March 5, 2007 (three days before my birthday).</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I opened it up to find children's books she used to read to me, along with a few small gifts and a card with a $20 bill attached, telling me how much she and Grandpa loved me and were proud of me. Instantly "tough girl" tears welled up in my eyes again. This was exactly what I needed. The package was two and a half years late, and yet perfectly on time. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcNw-PzHmCmKfP-NtlGHQL-pSbQpLnyRdeW-tz6TcJM_oPXLSP_7diSgd1Qw2Vdnfqbh8RdHClmQcgXRzcpt_RGjZOJ5DA22mqZQVpoUcRYrM66z8cB_RUHdcor8r9vFQIvo0tnBi9hLu/s1600/grandma-books_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcNw-PzHmCmKfP-NtlGHQL-pSbQpLnyRdeW-tz6TcJM_oPXLSP_7diSgd1Qw2Vdnfqbh8RdHClmQcgXRzcpt_RGjZOJ5DA22mqZQVpoUcRYrM66z8cB_RUHdcor8r9vFQIvo0tnBi9hLu/s320/grandma-books_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two children's books in the package. At my request, Grandma read me "Millions of Cats"<br />
over and over and over again when I was a kid.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes things happen in our lives that seem like coincidences, but perhaps it's through these "catered coincidences" that a Higher Power speaks to us or lets us know He's there. All I know is that from that moment, though I still missed my grandma, I finally felt the peace and comfort I had been searching for, and I'm so grateful for that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this Mother's Day, I'm left pondering just how much the relationships with those who love and raise us truly affect our lives. I love my grandma so much, but perhaps didn't express it enough while I had her with me. At the same time, I love my mom so much -- I've been so blessed to have a mother who was an incredible example of kindness and talent as she raised my three siblings and me, and I probably don't tell her how much she means to me, either.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Mom, & my brother James at the Lagoon 10K (my mom came to cheer us on, as usual) - April 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Mom, if you're reading this (you could be my only reader, haha), I want to make sure you know that you are an amazing person who has blessed my life <i>so</i> much, and I love you!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvqBfLkm-JDzjk52wwZSRRjEHeZcM3cbzruOp0kPG0b7ehZEfVz5Yv4H6G6qB0kN8LmWeGmJYynSyTKUsDOHC-7-8UEqcRxLaaQqyAtxBFeLic4zfB_M190Qrw1amGo5IPqTNLp9oAL1o/s1600/85+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvqBfLkm-JDzjk52wwZSRRjEHeZcM3cbzruOp0kPG0b7ehZEfVz5Yv4H6G6qB0kN8LmWeGmJYynSyTKUsDOHC-7-8UEqcRxLaaQqyAtxBFeLic4zfB_M190Qrw1amGo5IPqTNLp9oAL1o/s1600/85+053.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and me in 1985.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To this day, the card from my grandma still hangs on my wall as a reminder of her love and the "catered coincidence" that told me more than a card could say. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUJtIjAlLV_uUfHtjpG7gLapEZ4xCb7P-iwhgcS9HdFBEJqgbqZYHicZbdl89eOOTC_Oc2bYxTgk0a_Gct09H0ik74CxIjUg6_floCjGRyodXol9THgdXkXQQUGENyzUM3Afp-dtejsKs/s1600/grandma-card-on-wall_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUJtIjAlLV_uUfHtjpG7gLapEZ4xCb7P-iwhgcS9HdFBEJqgbqZYHicZbdl89eOOTC_Oc2bYxTgk0a_Gct09H0ik74CxIjUg6_floCjGRyodXol9THgdXkXQQUGENyzUM3Afp-dtejsKs/s640/grandma-card-on-wall_web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers and grandmothers out there -- you mean more to us than you'll probably ever know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445316392710316270.post-56162688391469359662015-05-09T15:14:00.003-07:002015-05-30T14:36:08.657-07:0010 Quasi-Interesting Facts About the GoJo Girl<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a few years of fighting it, here I am, writing a blog. So family, you win. And in case you're not my only readers, I will continue writing as though each of you suddenly contracted amnesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to GoJo Runner! I'm Jolie -- the source behind this weird "gojo" name (which is apparently also a cleaning product -- perhaps I would have known that earlier if I actually cleaned stuff).</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.gojo.com/united-states/market/automotive/products/selfdispense/~/media/GOJO/Products/Product%20Images/XL/0-3/0957-12_xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gojo.com/united-states/market/automotive/products/selfdispense/~/media/GOJO/Products/Product%20Images/XL/0-3/0957-12_xl.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog is called "gojo" because around my family and friends, my nickname has always been Jo. Not Joe -- put on the "e" and I am suddenly a plastic G.I. Anyway, I have many fond memories of hearing my loved ones yell "Go Jo!" as I crossed a race finish line or competed in musical chairs or didn't see the light turn green. Other people have mojo. I have gojo.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To induct myself and given readership into the gojo blogging experience, it's been recommended I introduce who I am</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. So, here goes: 10 quasi-interesting facts about this blogger -- in random order. As honestly painful as it will be to be self-centric for the remaining prose (thus the reason for fighting the blog), I'm going to jump in -- even if I belly flop. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpa1kmkaZ0KR2kVJxrpLZg-scVSFvZ4tm1aFe8DRootlRDrNrQSQ1_BVvzqxI-qQ6CJfcekkP31r7a81KDNPqociHdO1kUubOiCDrAksfQDZm3YvSfFY280XoMxFGW9kjO_en2agfjbCz/s1600/10-facts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpa1kmkaZ0KR2kVJxrpLZg-scVSFvZ4tm1aFe8DRootlRDrNrQSQ1_BVvzqxI-qQ6CJfcekkP31r7a81KDNPqociHdO1kUubOiCDrAksfQDZm3YvSfFY280XoMxFGW9kjO_en2agfjbCz/s400/10-facts.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#1 - I'm a Filmmaker</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like many modern day filmmakers, I started making movies when I was a teenager. My teenage movies were more dumb than good, but somehow I started winning awards at film festivals, which only encouraged me to keep going. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the set of "Weirdo Wonderland" (2004)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually I moved to Southern California, promised Chapman University all my future earnings for the next decade, and three years later they gave me a piece of paper that said "Master of Fine Arts - Film Directing" on it. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the set of "The Tragic Self-Improvement of Ross Lawson" (2006)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the last 15 years, I have been working in the film industry, making mostly narrative shorts, commercials, infomercials, and corporate videos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a short film I wrote and directed:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love filmmaking -- there's nothing like connecting with people's emotions through visual storytelling. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't be surprised to see video clips frequently sprinkled throughout my blogs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#2 - I Have Eaten an Eggo Waffle with Butter on it Every Day Since 2nd Grade</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, not on days when I'm traveling. But pretty much every day when I wake up at home, I toast and eat an Eggo Waffle for breakfast. Why? I dunno -- they taste yummy, and they're super easy to cook & eat before going to work. Weird? Probably. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The makers of Eggo will never go out of business as long as I am alive (though their stock might go down once I publish this).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#3 - I Married My Best Friend of 10 Years</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More than eleven years ago, I met my husband when my brother wrangled up a last-minute boom mic operator substitute on the set of one of my low budget films. When he (Spencer) arrived sporting his typical giant red afro, I started laughing, and I pretty much haven't stopped laughing since.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLAUKkDCTyqwff2qS7r6vGgmGSRaGQOfZdXNf38eUc43YxtnaemeX2DVmHGvfzXC7z94O3HUicfslbiAyIZwwP5sL4VwRt5i4zRSN1AnnAGs-nppVKQUbsajHulS5fT7D1pNvSkNg77mN/s1600/Spencer-Swing_light-Boy_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLAUKkDCTyqwff2qS7r6vGgmGSRaGQOfZdXNf38eUc43YxtnaemeX2DVmHGvfzXC7z94O3HUicfslbiAyIZwwP5sL4VwRt5i4zRSN1AnnAGs-nppVKQUbsajHulS5fT7D1pNvSkNg77mN/s320/Spencer-Swing_light-Boy_web.png" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer and his hair on the set of the 2nd movie we work on together -- "Light Boy"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instantly platonic friends, Spencer and I worked on other movies together, talked, and hung out for years. By the time something romantic sparked between us, we were living in separate states with no plans for one to move to the other. Eventually, I won and he made the move out to California and proposed to me on the tenth anniversary of the day we met on that movie set. Yay!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR-zdaKQEaqS0dhP2tXEIzgG3BIXps2sF7BSpaq8hVrf7NUuG_RuZr31_NrB-pCJF6dYgjvEEcQdzuJYv7jfbHFF3zU9LEzB6zYleCE8lDGp4fiiL8t0qpW8t-XctiKEjY7OAg2Q84u7r/s1600/Spencer_engagements_web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR-zdaKQEaqS0dhP2tXEIzgG3BIXps2sF7BSpaq8hVrf7NUuG_RuZr31_NrB-pCJF6dYgjvEEcQdzuJYv7jfbHFF3zU9LEzB6zYleCE8lDGp4fiiL8t0qpW8t-XctiKEjY7OAg2Q84u7r/s640/Spencer_engagements_web.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is the sweetest, most selfless person I know. Best decision ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#4 - I Used to Be an Ambassador for Disney</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beginning January 1, 2011, I served a 2-year term as a media spokesperson, representative, and host for Disney -- specifically Disneyland, California Adventure, and the three nearby Disney hotels.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosting a ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a lot of work, but crazy awesome. I was blessed to travel, speak in hundreds of media interviews, shadow different jobs from custodial to the Jungle Cruise, host ceremonies & shows, give back to the community, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">work beside amazing people,</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and dramatically deepen my smile lines, all in two years. Phew!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#5 - I'm a Dog Person</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever I meet someone who says they don't like dogs, they might as well be telling me they don't like happiness. Each day when I get home from work, my two Italian greyhounds jump up and down and wag their tails in a joy spasm like the greatest thing in the universe has just showed up. How could someone reject that? I guess if your one experience with a dog consists of it trying to bite your face off... fortunately this has not been my experience.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2do77x2yR5QjFt_N6I-3k8NZPZ2_w3qY1sr4ML3d4YSLYBYDq3I5KmSNFoWqZHsRqVVBG05eNQQWEY1CT4zc_g6Js8O_e3fcfSGREmsCJNSaeXadk7ehBWxR3QxY8kcn-dTPzDdyvuaXP/s1600/Comet+&+Spencer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2do77x2yR5QjFt_N6I-3k8NZPZ2_w3qY1sr4ML3d4YSLYBYDq3I5KmSNFoWqZHsRqVVBG05eNQQWEY1CT4zc_g6Js8O_e3fcfSGREmsCJNSaeXadk7ehBWxR3QxY8kcn-dTPzDdyvuaXP/s320/Comet+&+Spencer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comet & Spencer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy28KnounQZnTFcuC3YukWu43Uywb5ExCCXYo0ajaSUvtSn3UrjHWEhK7U91somzXXl8vVBuELN8735IG7WBum5jAo_kbYNafwv8qfnqZ4p113uLk8NBVXtrMp49aFJY0Q-ZuNwSBvtE1/s1600/Spencer_Savvy_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy28KnounQZnTFcuC3YukWu43Uywb5ExCCXYo0ajaSUvtSn3UrjHWEhK7U91somzXXl8vVBuELN8735IG7WBum5jAo_kbYNafwv8qfnqZ4p113uLk8NBVXtrMp49aFJY0Q-ZuNwSBvtE1/s320/Spencer_Savvy_web.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savvy & Spencer</td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#6 - I'm a Mormon</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only am I an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but because I got so tired of people thinking I was a polygamist or wore magic underwear or hated gay people, I made a YouTube Channel to clear up misconceptions about what Mormons really believe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To my non-Mormon readers -- don't worry. I love my faith, but the channel exists to explain Mormon beliefs factually -- not try to convert you. There's not any you-should-believe-what-I-believe stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#7 - I'm the Oldest of 4 Kids</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family and I are pretty tight, 'cuz they're awesome! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sister, <b>Christy</b> -- 2.5 years younger -- is a sassy, smart shoe collector, married to an awesome guy, and they have an adorable baby boy:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She also has a fun <a href="http://thebuhrs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>, and is acting as my tutor as I try to relearn HTML and how to manipulate widgets.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christy with her husband Ben, and their little cutie, Bentley.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother, <b>James</b> -- 5.5 years younger -- is a talented, fun guy who also has a great <a href="http://www.jimmyhales.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCurUtxpX8H8_wrQCShqc4hQ" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, where he vlogs about his experience of being a gay Mormon (yes - they do exist), and writes and performs music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My youngest brother, <b>Dallin</b> -- 12 years younger -- just got home from his LDS mission, and is just ramping up at college and writing <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/onedesiremusic" target="_blank">great music</a> himself.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dallin!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our parents are awesome too -- I'll talk more about them in a later post (too much to write, here).</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#8 - I'm a Closet Video Game Nerd</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's true. Beginning way back with <i>Joust</i> & <i>Centipede</i> on Atari, I was one of the few female gamers of the 1980s. Later in life, I conquered every Final Fantasy video game that was published in the English language -- with 100% side quest completion, <i>and</i> even dropped a few hundred bucks on collecting the resin figurines. You want to see confusion? Try inviting your prom date to see your nerd collection.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FFVIII was the first one I played</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I try to squeeze in time for some Mario Kart or Super Smash Brothers on the Wii-U. Character of choice? Sheik. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#9 - I Sing</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose everyone does! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a "Give Blood" commercial I sang the background track for -- special shout out to my talented composer/arranger friend, <a href="http://www.jongmusic.com/" target="_blank">Jared Ong</a>!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#10 - I'm a Runner</b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used to point at runners on the street and say "You won't catch me doing that unless I'm being chased by a velociraptor."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut to 2011. I was sitting at my desk as a Disney Ambassador when I was invited to run the Disneyland Half Marathon. When I opened my mouth to say "not on your life," somehow the demon of fitness possessed my tongue and I accidentally said, "Sure, why not?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I "ran" (more limped) that race in 4-year-old tennis shoes with an injured right ankle, left knee, and right hip flexor, but I crossed that finish line, dang it! I came in at 2:16:49, and was convinced and relieved that I had checked that box for good.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhlHlnAqm8o1t2O7X36tCAhjwTVgwvJ2Mu3FDoF6FoeXxgQKaBfkeSyG_XAB0xoy93fCKhboxLLDWwBT8Yy21wAojOodOraJ7Bem73cD0ZsQ9KriFdSEu44G-RFUBMT8xCIbCeMsF9cGk/s1600/Jolie_castle_DLR_Half_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhlHlnAqm8o1t2O7X36tCAhjwTVgwvJ2Mu3FDoF6FoeXxgQKaBfkeSyG_XAB0xoy93fCKhboxLLDWwBT8Yy21wAojOodOraJ7Bem73cD0ZsQ9KriFdSEu44G-RFUBMT8xCIbCeMsF9cGk/s400/Jolie_castle_DLR_Half_2011.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disneyland Half Marathon 2011 -- My first race ever.<br />
It's pretty obvious that I didn't know what I was doing.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then another time, I found myself in front of the camera at the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon press announcement, and when the reporter asked me if I planned to run the new race, that demon of fitness swooped in again and I blurted out, "Sure, why not?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months after that, I was wearing wings (though oddly the same outfit) and running across the finish line around 2:07:47, but much less injured.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5lMD_w9m9QLtOl0UCuT5wEUQwtqvp5axe1Josa2tzjNFU0yPVLuLrp1QxlLjiDP9XVWjQa4VqGI27mPeLvC27X-LNxmSmd4naTLC5GaYq1KiO3GEjLJIRCB8l4zSUQZiOxYg_E_8E7pg/s1600/Jolie07_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5lMD_w9m9QLtOl0UCuT5wEUQwtqvp5axe1Josa2tzjNFU0yPVLuLrp1QxlLjiDP9XVWjQa4VqGI27mPeLvC27X-LNxmSmd4naTLC5GaYq1KiO3GEjLJIRCB8l4zSUQZiOxYg_E_8E7pg/s320/Jolie07_en.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tinker Bell Half Marathon, 2012<br />
Tucking the race shirt into the skirt? Still obvious I don't know what I'm doing.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After training for both back-to-back half marathons, training was a regular part of my life now, and I was hooked. So really, I owe it to runDisney for getting me into running.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BlD5FVv3Ot7SzTWYUn4qSEPsJzap_S1uvDtyM1E8bakA79JVmfWlXD7qW2THkTdyBmGz94z5FrYezu-HDKn4iPHskKzak_rYjvcWmZkRFjfIrz2b6PihaQBUoiszlYYbDMV8iVp-kz_a/s1600/run-01_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BlD5FVv3Ot7SzTWYUn4qSEPsJzap_S1uvDtyM1E8bakA79JVmfWlXD7qW2THkTdyBmGz94z5FrYezu-HDKn4iPHskKzak_rYjvcWmZkRFjfIrz2b6PihaQBUoiszlYYbDMV8iVp-kz_a/s320/run-01_web.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10K Run for Homeless Children, 2015</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These days I run at least one race each month -- all different lengths (other than ultras -- good for them, but you won't catch me doing that unless I'm being chased by a velociraptor), and with all different race costumes (it's like cosplay for athletes!).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7XcLv-otirgIUzBKmnY5KHJTyPZKRLP0jhzsvgvXBjPjZCf9C0P0vNmK20YOqNIt-29myNCaNHhrfWfTPIM7a8xY-4atUpZZtwqoduO4DvaUXF1dmmibAB7pctSmhLNR0jQ_OgZLawNe/s1600/Halloween_Half.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7XcLv-otirgIUzBKmnY5KHJTyPZKRLP0jhzsvgvXBjPjZCf9C0P0vNmK20YOqNIt-29myNCaNHhrfWfTPIM7a8xY-4atUpZZtwqoduO4DvaUXF1dmmibAB7pctSmhLNR0jQ_OgZLawNe/s400/Halloween_Half.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween Half Marathon, 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coincidentally, all three of my siblings and my dad individually took up running around the same time, so now we run races together whenever possible.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUoYfHhCoUz98Vu80MB2pKB_Cp5NfG9q3iVavw_JC3RbVYt605gTtCMShtebYBltrU1_jGlfa139RJSo10pZaoaJguMrNl3g8vNLmcfTKCG9jAJHS-_g1ulb5u3EwfgX0iN2En6P-DNY/s1600/SLC+half-Marathon+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUoYfHhCoUz98Vu80MB2pKB_Cp5NfG9q3iVavw_JC3RbVYt605gTtCMShtebYBltrU1_jGlfa139RJSo10pZaoaJguMrNl3g8vNLmcfTKCG9jAJHS-_g1ulb5u3EwfgX0iN2En6P-DNY/s1600/SLC+half-Marathon+2014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt Lake City Half Marathon, 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are especially stoked, <b>because in 36 hours</b>, we all board a plane to fly to </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlXjyBSwsrQKZgMU6ENoMti2DAB0sSQAJ5tGZ7jinRo-vzVtuvyOL9U9VU6f2K586amRxIYi0N3qXt6DtCKP3lLR6zCncph7q_582ma5zx9ABAokCfd-takPgBk9DCSOep8UNU9hiWdkt/s1600/China.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlXjyBSwsrQKZgMU6ENoMti2DAB0sSQAJ5tGZ7jinRo-vzVtuvyOL9U9VU6f2K586amRxIYi0N3qXt6DtCKP3lLR6zCncph7q_582ma5zx9ABAokCfd-takPgBk9DCSOep8UNU9hiWdkt/s320/China.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to run the </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.taj-mahal-marathon.com/GWM-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.taj-mahal-marathon.com/GWM-logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">well, the HALF marathon, that is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But awesome, nonetheless!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look how fun this looks!!</span></div>
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<a href="http://great-wall-marathon.com/sites/default/files/styles/1024_desktop/public/China_GreatWallMarathon2013_062.jpg?itok=ng23vBW9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://great-wall-marathon.com/sites/default/files/styles/1024_desktop/public/China_GreatWallMarathon2013_062.jpg?itok=ng23vBW9" height="280" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People look like they're going to pass out in pretty much every picture of the race. What a party!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll bring my GoPro so you can be a part of the journey when I get back! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wish us luck!</span><br />
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Jolie Haleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09799708396166109308noreply@blogger.com2