Tag Archives: Photo Story Friday

How a Three Mile Run Became a Three Hour Tour

Posted on by Run DMT
8

…a three hour tour…

While vacationing on the beach, I love to sneak away for some solitude with a run on the beach.  Running along the shore as the waves run back and forth beside me is my ideal moment next to a good meal or watching the sunset.  For my first morning in Sanibel, I felt like a short 3 mile run to seize some solitude and serenity.

Since Sanibel has a trail that runs the length of the island parallel to the preserve, I decided to take advantage of the trail for at least part of my run.  I left my hotel and ran about half a mile when the trail bent and a scary sign emerged that read, “Alligator Habitat. Proceed with caution”.  On an island that doesn’t permit firearms, I didn’t even want to find out how large the alligators could get.  So, I proceeded with caution by turning back and running in the direction from which I came.

When I reached my hotel, I had only run a mile therefore I continued along the trail for another half mile until I reached the footpath for the public beach access.  When I hit the beach, I already ran about a mile and a half.  Now, I just needed to run another 1.5 mile back to my hotel and I felt confident that I would recognize my hotel by the bright yellow cabanas on the beach.

At three miles, I hadn’t spotted the yellow cabanas but it could have been that I was distracted by the turtle nests, piles of pen shells and egg casings on the beach.

So I ran further down the beach.   At four miles, I still hadn’t spotted my hotel.  “Well, it couldn’t be much farther?” I thought to myself at which I turned off the timer on my Garmin and walked a bit farther.  As I walked on, nothing looked familiar.  On this stretch of the beach, I noticed large beach houses that I hadn’t seen before.  Now, I knew I needed to either turn back or cut through to the main road so I could get my bearings.

Tired and dehydrated, I finished the last of my water bottle as I cut through on a private beach path to a housing development.  Overgrown trees and shrubs shaded the limestone roads that winded through the development.  The tune of Dueling Banjos played in my head and hysteria began to set in.  “If I am killed back here, no one will find my body because my killer will have fed me to the alligators and they’ll never recover my body.  God, I just want to get back to my family.  I was only going to be gone 30 minutes.  They’ll be worried about me.”

As I kicked myself for not carrying a cell phone, I spotted a man on a recumbent bicycle and prayed he wasn’t stalking me like a shark circling its kill.  There was no way I could out run a cyclist, even one who looks as though he’s lying down.  As paranoid as I was about the cyclist, he somewhat led me into the direction of the main road, which is when I realized where I was and how far I had gone.  I found myself on Sanibel-Captiva Road about 3 miles from my hotel.  With no cell phone and no money, walking back was my only option.  My serene moment had become a surreal moment.

I desperately tried to stay calm. “As soon as I see a public place, I’ll stop and ask to use their phone,” I told myself.  About half a mile later, I spotted a walk-in clinic but I decided to keep walking for fear they would stick me with an IV in an attempt to rehydrate me.  Another half mile, I spotted the Sanibel Recreation Center and Sanibel School, the destination from which I would call my family.

After several failed attempts to contact Allan at the hotel, the school’s secretary graciously offered to give me a lift back. “You know it’s only a couple mile from here.  You could walk it,” she said.  I explained to the sweet, kind secretary that if I wasn’t so tired and dehydrated, I would.  (After all, I’ve completed three half marathons already this year!) Two miles and two minutes later, I was back in the comfort of my cool A/C hotel room with a fresh bottle of cold water in both hands.

4.92 Miles (clocked by Garmin, but really 8 miles)

54:41 (time clocked by Garmin but really 3 hours)

Ave Pace 11:06

Max Pace 8:03

I rested the next day after my long run.  The day after that, I went for a real 3 mile run along this beach.   Although I left with no money or cell phone again, I took a photo of my starting point so I wouldn’t lose my place or my mind again.

Octopus marks the spot.

3.1 Miles

34:44

Ave Pace 11:13

Max Pace 8:34

*Proudly submitted to*

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PhotoStory Friday

A Suess Inspired Supper

Posted on by Run DMT
25

The elementary teacher in me cannot let Dr. Suess’s Birthday slip by without celebrating it somehow.  But it also could be the party planner person in me looking for any reason to celebrate something.  Either way, Dr. Suess’s body of work and contribution to children’s literature and literacy should be recognized.  So with a little research and some creativity, I found a fun Suess Supper to serve my family this week for Dr. Suess’s Birthday and this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 

Do you like Green Eggs and Ham?  Would you like them here or there?  Would like them in a house?  Would you like them with a mouse? ­(from Dr. Suess’ Green Eggs and Ham)

 

 

Well, don’t feel bad, because my kids wouldn’t eat them either.  Funny enough, they’ll eat green cupcakes and candy, but they won’t touch green eggs.  Honestly, the eggs (and the photo) didn’t turn out quite as well as I had hoped.  I followed these instructions and tried really hard not to break the yolk, but I don’t think my cage-free organic eggs were fresh enough to cooperate.  (Real mature, Denise.  Blame it on the eggs.) With each failed attempt, I just kept scrambling the eggs.  The “ham”, on the other hand, was easy to make green.  Using a dinner plate, I added two drops of green food coloring to about a Tbsp of water and soaked the “ham” (which is really tofu bologna because family won’t eat ham, green or not) in the solution.  Then, I fried the ham in a pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

 

When my family wouldn’t eat the green eggs and ham (which is probably a good thing because there’s enough dye in that food to kill a horse make even the Grinch green with envy), I let my creative juices flow.  I knew they would devour Eggie Middles (others call this dish a Nest Egg).  Instead of a circular cookie cutter, I used a star shaped cookie cutter to cut a hole in the center of each slice of 5-Grain Italian bread.  Unfortunately, the eggs wouldn’t cooperate once again and did not retain an egg shape once cooking in the pan.  But at least the star shaped toast looks nice, so the slices could have stars upon thars (The Sneetches and Other Stories).

 

 

After finding an adorable Cat in the Hat inspired cupcake, dessert was simple, but finding all the materials necessary to make the cupcakes was not.  Thanks to Felicia of Go Graham, Go, I located blue cotton candy at our local Dollar General.  But then, I couldn’t find red cupcake liners!  Not even the silicone kind!  So, I cut red large beverage cups and used the bottom portion of the cups to hide the plain white cupcake liners.  Then, I downloaded Suess font and created Thing 1 and Thing 2 tags on white cardstock.  (Pay no attention to my poor cutting skills.)

 

You will see something new.  Two things.  And I call them Thing One and Thing Two. ­(from Dr. Suess’ The Cat in the Hat)

 

 

On a side note, cotton candy does not do well in humidity.  Therefore if you live in a humid climate like me, add the cotton candy to the cupcakes right before you serve them.

 

If a cupcake loaded with icing and blue cotton candy isn’t your cup of tea, then perhaps Ten Apples Up on Top (or just three) is a healthier option for you and your family.  May I suggest one of our favorite apples, such as a Jazz, Pink Lady or Gala?

 

 

 

So there you have it: A Suess inspired supper with some healthier options too!  Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 



 

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Feeling Like a Jerk

Posted on by Run DMT
15

After visiting the Cayman Islands for our honeymoon many moons ago, Allan and I began to crave Caribbean flavors.  Fortunately living in Florida, we’re relatively close to the Caribbean, its lifestyle and wonderful foods. Whenever we spot a dish with Caribbean flair on a menu, we don’t pass it up.

 

Last summer, Allan found a Bobby Flay Jerk Grilled Chicken recipe but tweaked the recipe (as only Iron Chef Allan could do) into fabulous a Jerk marinade that sends us back to the Caribbean with every bite.

 

When Allan last prepared this dish, he cubed the chicken and grilled it on skewers as bite size morsels for wraps and as his sous-chef, I made the mango salsa. The sweet paired with the heat is simply delicious!

 

 

This marinade and mango salsa also works well with whole boneless chicken breasts for sandwiches or served on a bed of rice.

 

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken breast

1/4 cup olive oil

½ red onion

1 large Habanero pepper, stem and seeds removed

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about 1″)

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch ground clove

1 Tbsp ground allspice

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 2 fresh limes

¼ cup orange juice

 

Place all ingredients in a food processor (except the chicken) and puree until almost smooth. Place the chicken breasts into a gallon size Ziploc bag and pour marinade over the chicken.  Place bag in refrigerator and marinade for 24 hours.  The longer the chicken marinades the more intense the flavors and heat becomes.

 

Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.

 

Mango Salsa

2 mangoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (about one half red onion)

1 Habanero pepper seeded and minced

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of one lime

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Salt

Pepper

 

Combine the mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, habanero pepper and orange juice in a bowl and gently mix. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 

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Greenwise Burgers are THE BOMB!

Posted on by Run DMT
21

With my decision to lose 40 pound before I turn 40, I’ve decided to incorporate more meatless dishes into our family menu.   However, this is no easy task since my oldest daughter is a hardcore carnivore.  To keep everyone happy when planning our menu for the week, I plan a couple of meat dishes and a few vegetarian dishes.  But eating the same family favorites over and over is tedious.  My taste buds crave trying new foods.

 

Last week, while strolling through the freezer section of my supermarket, I spotted Publix’s version of veggie burgers.  Memories of eating and enjoying veggie burgers during my vegetarian days B.C. (before children) flooded my mind.   Since I love several of Publix’s store brand products, I decided to try the Greenwise Garden Style Veggie Burgers to see how my family would respond to the reasonably priced beefless burgers.

 

 

As I guessed, the Greenwise Garden Style Veggie Burgers were the BOMB!  The combination of flavors (mushrooms, carrot, red and green bell peppers) was delicious.

 

 

I grilled the burgers under the broiler to give them a little crisp and served them to my family on fresh Kaiser rolls (from the Publix bakery, of course) topped with some lettuce.  I ate mine on a wheat Kaiser, topped with a slice of low fat Provolone cheese, red onions, tomatoes, guacamole, some lettuce and a side of cole slaw.

 

 

I enjoyed every bite of my veggie burger and it was better than I remembered.

 

Now link up and see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are serving for this week’s Friday Food Fight.

 

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Sea World’s Christmas Celebration

Posted on by Run DMT
10

“Well, ya  comin’?”

Where?

“To the North Pole, of course! This is the Polar Express!”

 

 

Upon entering Sea World’s Christmas Celebration, it did indeed feel as though we stepped into magical winter wonderland.  On a cool crisp Florida evening, dazzling lights and snowflakes cascaded around my family in The Christmas Market.  My girls (Allana and Emmalynn) and their cousin (Meghan) happily danced in the drifts of snow bubbles.  Grandma and Liam giggled and played in the snow too.

 

 

 

 

Then, the animal ambassadors told us that the sea lions, Clyde and Seamore, desperately wanted Santa to stop at Sea World this year, so we scurried on our way to Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas to offer some Christmas cheer.  With the help of their trainers, an elf, an otter and a walrus, they managed to make everything merry in time for Christmas.

 

 

We couldn’t leave the park without riding the Polar Express and visiting Santa, so next we hopped on The Polar Express Experience located in the Wild Artic.  The train ride was a bit intense for our girls, but we arrived in one piece and with our dinner still down.

 

We knew we had finally reached our frigid destination from the icy cold habitat we encountered once we exited the train.  A beluga whale greeted us and guided us on the way to Santa.  The elves and Santa were very excited to see us.  Santa thanked the girls for traveling so far to see him and for staying on the nice list this year.  Although they were star struck by jolly ol’ St. Nick, they remembered to share their Christmas wish lists with him.

 

 

As we made our journey back home, we ended the evening with a big bang and a breathtaking view of Sea World’s Festive Fireworks and Dazzling Lights choreographed to joyous holiday music.  And as the Sea of Trees shined over the center lake, their reflection glistened twice as many trees over the water.

 

 

 

Many other Orlando amusements parks charge an additional fee to participate in such extravagant holiday festivities, but all this magic and wonder is included with a Sea World admission every weekend night in December until the first weekend in January.

 

 

Once my girls heard that, they begged to go back this weekend with the whole gang again, of course.

 

 

For more information about SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration or to purchase an annual pass, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com.

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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School Daze

Posted on by Run DMT
7

Last Monday, we began the back to school grind.  Although the girls were excited to start the school year, I wasn’t ready to let them go.

 

 

Every August,  I always suffer with more anxiety and butterflies about the start of a new school year than my girls do.  Will Emmalynn behave?  Will Allana be challenged? But this year, I had even more mama guilt than usual because I felt I didn’t spend as much time with them as I should have.  Our last few weeks together had been pretty uneventful due to a never ending nursing schedule with a newborn.

 

My youngest daughter, who was once referred to as my baby before the arrival of our newest baby, entered kindergarten.  To prepare for the big day, we had countless conversations this summer about how kindergarteners behave.  Kindergarteners don’t pee their pants.  Big girls need to be responsible for their belongings.  Kindergartners need to know how to write their name.

 

 

Emmalynn has never been one to give a full account of her days at school and what she does remember always seemed so random.  Therefore, I learned to rely on notes from her teachers or other moms to share information or stories about what goes on in the classroom.  When I picked her up after her first day, Emmalynn reported that she did not get a lollipop and the details behind that situation are still uncertain.  However, she happily reported, “Mommy, Kindergartners do not have rest time.”

 

 

Allana enters third grade this year and she now faces FCAT (Florida’s standardized test – Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) every academic year.  Over the summer, shifts and changes occurred at her school with the staff, including the principal which caused me to worry about her placement, because Allana needs a teacher who will challenge her.

 

 

Allana hoped for a teacher who was warm and friendly as well as challenging, but mostly she hoped that her best friend, Nikki, was in her class.  So far thankfully, everything seemed to work-out just as we hoped.

 

 

Even Emmalynn seemed off to a good start.  She may not have been given a lollipop, but a happy face, a sticker, a pencil and a new book made for a fabulous first day.

 

 

Until the next day, she “washed” her hair with hand sanitizer and by Friday, she lost her new glasses.  *sigh*  Looks like we need another conversation on responsibility and how kindergarteners don’t wash their hair at school.

 

In the end, the girls we survived the first few days daze of school and thankfully, it was a successful one.

 

 

*Proudly submitted at GMYBS, Photo Story Friday and Finer Things Friday.*

One Hip Baby

Posted on by Run DMT
25

Before Liam could be discharged from the hospital, he had to endure a final examination by the pediatrician on call.  During that exam, the doctor heard a “clunking” sound in his hip and ordered an ultrasound.  The ultrasound confirmed a shallow socket and we were referred to an orthopedic doctor.

 

A few days later, we met with an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed Liam with Hip Dysplasia.  To correct his shallow hip and prevent any further damage, the doctor advised Liam to wear a harness for 3 months.  For the first 6 weeks, Liam would have to wear the harness 23 hours a day.  Then, for the remaining 6 weeks, he would only need to wear the harness for 12 hours a day.

 

Before I saw the harness, I had visions of a little Liam running in braces like Forrest Gump and then I envisioned a large plastic diaper apparatus screwed together with huge bolts.

 

A million questions filled my head.  Would he walk normally?  Will the harness hinder his ability to develop normally?  Will he reach his milestones like rolling over, crawling and walking in an appropriate timeframe? Can he play sports?  Will he be able to run?  Will he be a NFL star?

 

The doctor eased my concerns by promising us that the harness would correct his hip and Liam would develop normally, but he couldn’t guarantee Liam becoming an NFL star.  He also stated that the harness typically upsets parents more than it upsets the infants.

 

During our consult, we also learned that Liam has to remain in a straddled, frog-like position.  This means I can’t wear him in any sort of sling.  He also cannot be left in his car seat for long periods of time, so long road trips or leaving him in his infant car seat for naps are out of the question.   He also cannot sit in his swing, because the swing would constrict his hips.

 

The first few days in the harness were a bit challenging.  I have to hold him a lot since most everything would constrict his hips, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I get to spoil him and he’s definitely giving my arms a work-out.  Also, changing Liam’s diapers were a bit tricky at first, but we got the hang of it.  We only remove the harness to change his Onesies.

 

As for Liam, I think he enjoys looking like a sky diver.

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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Peek-a-Boo! We See You!

Posted on by Run DMT
15

For my 36 week ultrasound this week, the whole family tagged along to sneak a peek at baby brother.  Allana was most excited since she has such vivid memories of viewing her baby sister for the first time five years ago.  “Remember how I knew it was a girl, Mommy?”

 

The girls giggled and laughed over the tiny 3-D image on the computer screens.

 

“He has our nose and Mommy’s lips!”

 

“We can see his boy parts!”

 

 

 

The ultrasound technician amplified his heartbeat for everyone to hear.  Emmalynn loved hearing and seeing his strong beating heart jump across the screen.  “Again!  Again!”  Emmalynn hollered out excitedly.

 

 

Although the scheduled ultrasound gave us a small sneak preview at Run DMT Baby #3, it also predicted the size of the baby.  Much to everyone’s disappointment except for me Thankfully, the U/S tech and my doctor predict under 8 pounds.  In fact, the doctor predicted around 7.5 (same birth weight as Emmalynn).

 

 

From the U/S, we learned that little baby brother has turned, but hasn’t dropped into position just yet.  The staff could also determine that my fluids and innards look good.  Apparently, the little guy is really happy in there.

 

 

But I think he knows he’s safe in there away from the loving cuddly arms clutches of his big sisters.

 

 

ETA: These photos were a collaborative family effort between Allan, Allana, Emmalynn and me.

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily

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Warning: Groins, Feet and Tears Subject to Swelling

Posted on by Run DMT
17

This weekend, my family and I will be spending time in Treasure Island with friends for our annual beach weekend getaway.  Since our other mini-vacations were canceled this year due to allergies and illness, Allan and I chose to turn our weekend away into a mini vacation and arrived at the beach on Wednesday.

 

On our vacation agenda, Allan wanted to take the girls fishing at sunrise.  I’ve never known my husband to get up at the crack of dawn and I was pretty impressed with his initiative.  Thursday morning, the girls woke up before the crack of dawn and their excitement and a cup of coffee was all Allan needed to get moving.

 

I tagged along to capture the moment in photos.

 

 

 

 

 

It seemed it was going to be a while before anyone caught anything, so I decided to take a little stroll along the shore for some shelling and to fit in some fitness for my Juneathon efforts.  Thinking I would only be gone for a little while, I left my flip-flops and water with Allan and the girls and headed south along the shore.

 

My shelling stroll quickly turned into a beach clean-up when I found several empty beer cans in the sand.  Finding the beer cans infuriated me.  With the blankets of oil arriving on the shores of Pensacola and the rest of Florida watching and waiting for the sludge to hit our shores, some drunken idiot must have interpreted the oil spill on our beaches as a landfill.

 

 

 

Even though bending over to pick anything up in the last few weeks of my pregnancy has been pretty painful, it felt good to clean up this small stretch of the beach.  After my mini beach clean-up, it was time to return to my family.  In the distance, I could see some hot pink and brown, so it seemed they were still casting away.  But as I came closer to their fishing spot, I realized my shoes and water bottle were missing and the hot pink person appeared further in the distance.  I assumed my family chose to try another fishing spot at the pier.

 

As I made my way to the pier to join my family, I chuckled how my husband left me barefoot and pregnant on the beach, but the morning heat was no laughing matter.  As I waddled along, I began to feel dehydrated and tired.

 

 

When I arrived at the pier, there were no signs of family but plenty of other signs.  I’ve never known groins to wave, but much like the Gulf, my pelvic muscles and my feet were beginning to swell.

 

 

It then dawned on me that my family must have returned to the hotel room.  After reading all the warning signs on the pier, I contemplated waving down Turtle Patrol or the beach police for a ride back to my hotel.

 

Swallowing down my tears, my cotton mouth, the pelvic pain, my aching bare feet and my frustration for not taking my water with me or my phone, I had no other choice but to begin walking back to the hotel room.  As I added the distance in my head, the numbers and the heat made me woozy.  Visions of headlines flashed in my head.  Passed Out Pregnant Mom Mistaken for Beached Whale

 

I passed a nesting sanctuary and I wished my own nesting had been sanctified.  Why didn’t I take my water?  Why didn’t my husband leave my water bottle? Maybe he did but some other self-righteous beach lover threw it away.  Why didn’t he scratch a note in the sand for me? I realized once again that my husband and I need to work on our communication skills since sand sketches and skywriting are out of the question although texting is definitely his strength.

 

 

I finally arrived back at the hotel two miles and two hours later swollen, overheated, thirsty, tired and tearful but much wiser.

 

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily

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Manly Manhole Covers

Posted on by Run DMT
10

Allan’s obsession with manhole cover cufflinks began in New Orleans two years ago. While staying in the French Quarter, we stumbled upon a jewelry store that specialized in custom-made silver jewelry. Allan found a pair of NOLA manhole cover cufflinks that he had to have, but in the end he decided against purchasing them.

 

 

Two years later, he still talked about those cufflinks and how he wished had bought them. Then last Christmas, my sister surprised him with a pair and she mentioned how she had discovered a website that sold manhole cover cufflinks from all over the globe.

 

Upon hearing this news, Allan’s ears perked up and there was a silver glimmer in his eyes. He then devised a plan to collect silver manhole cover cufflinks from various cities as souvenirs. The next manhole cover cufflink up his sleeve would be New York City.

 

But personally, I am a bit partial to Tampa.

 

 

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecilyand Krista

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