24 Hours in Las Vegas or The “Other Sarah” of Phantom! - July 2010

When I found out my sweet friend Sarah Combs would be going on as "Christine" in the Phantom of the Opera, I started planning how & when I could go to see her. Sarah and I did a few shows together when she was a little girl and I haven’t seen her in over a year. She has grown into a beautiful young woman with more talent than I have in my little pinky! My best friend Kim figured out a day that would work for her, and we set the date. Sarah graciously offered tickets at a great deal, then Kim was able to get us a hotel room AND flights because of all of Jeff’s accumulated travel points. The Phantom is Kim’s favorite show so she was pretty excited too.

We left on Weds. Morning and arrived in Vegas around noon. I had a gift card for P.F. Changs, so we made that our first stop.
Checked into the hotel, then thought it would be a good idea to walk to the bus stop & get a day bus pass instead of using cabs. It was about 110 degrees and 2 blocks of walking convinced us this was a bad idea. So we walked to the nearest hotel & got a cab. Good thing we didn’t spend too much time trying to hail a cab because apparently it’s illegal for them to stop on the strip. We went to the Bellagio and checked out the beautiful gardens. It was refreshingly cool in the gardens and so pretty and clever.
We also saw a little bit of the fountains “show” but decided to come back later to see the full show. So we hoofed it over to the Coca Cola and M&M stores. Again, so hot! We were dripping after a few blocks. The stores were cute though.



We saw a few creepy characters along the way, some of whom were in costume, like creepy Mickey & Minnie Mouse.
Got another cab back to the hotel to have a snack (complimentary soda, cheese & crackers in our room…Thanks again to Jeff’s points!) and get cleaned up for the show.  Another cab over to the Venetian to pick up our tickets at Will Call. That’s when I saw this!!!It was SO exciting to see her name on the marquee! We were seated IN THE 7TH ROW! with just about 10 mins. until show time. The show was fantastic, with several elements we had not seen in the L.A. version. It’s shorter, at 90 minutes, but they kept the music that everyone loves. The house is made to look like a Paris opera house, very ornate, complete with mannequins in the box seats and the famous chandelier, only this one had 4 pieces to it, and the way it came together was very cool. They had some great special effects too. And then there’s our Sarah, WOOHOO! She was beautiful and truly an “Angel of Music.” Remember that high “E” that Christine sings at the end of the title song? Well Sarah nailed it! Who needs Sarah Brightman when you’ve got Sarah Elizabeth Combs! :-)  After the show Sarah showed us around ON the stage, including trap doors & cool set pieces (not allowed to post those pics), then we visited a little and took a few pics together.

After the show we took a look around the Venetian. The gondolas were cool, and we saw a few interesting stores. The pic below is the store where Michael Jackson reportedly dropped over a million, in one visit!
Kim & I really wanted to go to Serendipity for ice cream so we decided to eat in the food court rather than waste time finding another place for our late dinner. Then we walked over to Serendipity, got there at 11:05 only to find out it closed at 11:00. Boo. Sadness. Waaa! So we walked back to the Bellagio to see the fountains show. Very cool. The 1st time the accompanying music was Faith Hill’s “This Kiss”, so of course I loved that! The 2nd was to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas!” An appropriate way to end the night.

We went back to the hotel after midnight (still 100 degrees). Thursday morning we got up around 7:45 for our complimentary buffet breakfast, then headed to the airport. The trip was short, but oh so much fun, and I got to share it with my bestie!

Faith Hill Concert - July 24, 2010

A few weeks ago I started looking at tickets to see Faith at the Pacific Amphitheater at the OC Fair. Even the cheapest seats were not so cheap so I decided I'd try winning them on the radio. Never happens, right? I listened all day to GO COUNTRY 105 and tried numerous times to be the right caller, then just before 5:00 I got through and WON!  Woohoo!

That Saturday afternoon my friend Bruce & I headed down a little early so we could hang out at the fair awhile before the concert. Good thing! Parking was crazy! We had some not-too-artery-clogging fair food and walked around the fair a bit before heading over to the amphitheater, enjoying chocolate covered strawberries and some toffee. :-)The concert was supposed to start at 8:00 with an opening act, Jennette McCurdy, but no Jennette. No announcement. Then at 8:40 Faith came out!  She looked beautiful and her voice was strong. (Photo from OC Register) I did mention to Bruce though, that she didn't seem to interact with the audience much. I mean, she didn't chit-chat between songs. She was very gracious greeting the audience at the beginning and end, but that's it. I also noticed she seemed to be having problems with her ear pieces & monitors. She pointed to them more than once, first giving a thumbs up gesture, asking for them to be turned up, then later gestured for them to turned down. And the stage manager (?) had to come out about 4-5 times. It must have been frustrating for her. She did 3 cover songs, and since the concert was kind of short, I would've preferred to hear more of her songs. I like Faith a lot, and she's always been very sweet & funny in interviews, so I'm going to chalk it up to "not her best night".  She did sing her hits like "Breathe" and "This Kiss" and I thought she sounded great. (Another photo from OC Register)I had a great time with Bruce and still enjoyed the concert. (Remember, FREE tickets!)  Never did find out what happened to Jennette, but I guess she was supposed to be from 8:00-8:40, which meant Faith came out on time. I sure wish I could've seen Faith & Tim when they toured together a few years ago! They have some beautiful duets, like the one below.

Faith Hill & Tim McGraw - "Let's Make Love"

(Apparently the video can't be embedded, but you can click on the link.)

San Diego Rock N Roll - June 6, 2010

My 10th half marathon is done!!! The course was a point-to-point race meaning the start & finish are in different areas. No parking at the start or finish, so you had to park at Qualcomm stadium and are at the mercy of the transportation they provide. A few weeks earlier I had seriously considered selling my bid and just skipping this race. I knew it would be horrid, and it was.

The alarm went off at 3:00 AM. I had everything ready so I ate a little, dressed, packed the car and left a little before 4:00 to head to the stadium. I walked to the shuttle area and boarded the bus. The bus took us to the start line at Balboa Park. Visited the potties, then sat down on the grass to try to eat some more (My tummy isn’t usually interested in bagels at 3:00-4:00 AM). A few minutes later Jay, Jill, Brandi & Casey arrived and we checked our bags. We decided we’d better hit the port-a-potties again since the lines were REALLY long! Good thing cuz we were still in line when the race started at 6:15. We all said good-bye at the potties and dispersed to our corrals. “Fortunately” I was in Corral 36 – haha! Yeah, they had over 40! I finally crossed the start line at about 7:00 AM. It was overcast & cool until the sun broke through around Mile 5. Amazing how 60-something can feel like 85 when the sun comes out! I saw Brandi about that time - Yay! There were times when the 1/2 and full course were together, then other times when we split then converged again. Mile 8 passed by Fashion Island where I saw “Coach Ron” & “Coach Cindy” from my TNT days. Cindy is still recovering from her 2nd knee surgery in a few months, but she was out there anyway to cheer us on. What a trooper! And Ron is a great supporter for all of us. Around Mile 10 I saw Jay & screamed to him. Haha :-) He was going in the same direction but the full runners were separated on the other side of the street. At about Mile 11 the runners on the other side of the street were going in the opposite direction. I assumed these were the full runners & hoped we weren’t headed for a turnaround. Unfortunately it was a turnaround & we had to go all the way back. It wouldn't matter, I mean it's still the same distance, but somehow the turnaround was discouraging. The bands on the course were a nice distraction and I would turn off my iPod when I passed them until it got quiet again, then I’d pop my music back on. Lots of costumes, Elvis, Elvis as Spongebob, the Flintstones, guys in Batman underwear...weird. After I passed Mile 12 I saw my friend Michele. It’s so fun seeing people you know on the course, especially when all you can think about is that finish line! At this point we were near Mission Bay and Sea World and even though the sun was still out, I could feel a nice breeze. My feet were really tired but other than that, I wasn’t having any pain. Usually my knees are killing me by Mile 10, especially the right one, but no pain. Yay! Crossed the finish line and got my medal. Ice cold wash cloths. Ahhhhhh.

I went through the snacks area & picked up my checked gear, then it got confusing. I couldn’t find any signs saying where the family reunion area was. Eventually found the “H” tent and waited a little while for my friends. But then I started to feel myself fading, & noticed the line for the shuttle. It looked long & I was afraid I might not last too long so I decided to head for the shuttles. That's when I saw the real line! It weaved back & forth about 10 times in this huge area! After about 30 mins. in line I started getting dizzy. I had refueled during the race and a little after...thought I was OK...but suddenly I felt like I was about to black out, so I got out of line & sat down on a little curb. After about 10 mins. I felt OK again & begged my way back into line (the people were nice & understood.) Almost 50 minutes later we got on the bus, only now we weren’t headed to the stadium where our cars were parked. Or so I THOUGHT we were going to the stadium. We were taken to the trolley stop where we got off the bus and into another line with thousands of runners shuffling down the street to get on trolleys, which would eventually take us to the stadium. The trolleys were also running for the public so that meant extra stops. (I felt a little sorry for the public who had to pack in there with all us smelly runners!) I wondered, why couldn’t the buses just take us to Qualcomm?!!! TWO hours after getting in the 1st line, I was at my car! I was thankful that my car was parked close to the trolley station at Qualcomm. Once on my way home I really wanted to find an In N Out burger. Between stopping here & there and asking for directions (got lost again!), I finally found one & stopped to eat. Got home at 4:00 PM, exhausted, and vowing to NEVER do a race that had a course/transportation like this again. At least the bling is nice.
I went to San Diego RNR 2 years ago as a support team for my friends, and it was also a horrid experience getting around. That year it ended in the secured Marine Corp. base. They changed it this year & I thought it might be better. Wrong. Nope, I'll never do this race again!

OH! Almost forgot! I did get to meet Ryan Hall at the expo and get his autograph!

ZIP-a-dee-doo-dah!

This was one of those things on my "Bucket List" and I finally got to do it! I had planned to go with several friends to celebrate our March/April birthdays, but they weren't able to make and, after encouragement from other friends, I decided to go for it anyway!

I started the morning with plenty of time to spare, but learned my lesson in using Google Maps: Never trust it! As I neared Big Bear (or so I thought), I turned on the directed road, then another turn and suddenly I was faced with a dirt road. I knew it was possible that the zip place was slightly off the beaten path, but I decided to ask directions. I found out I was in Angelus Oaks, still a long way off from Big Bear, and the guys I asked said, "You wouldn't even want to take a JEEP on that road!" Getting there early was now out the window, and just making it in time for the tour would be a miracle. Frustration was building as I thought about how long I'd waited for this, set the date, cancellations, "do it anyway", and now may miss it because of stupid Google Maps. I went as fast as was safe & made it about 10 minutes late but they hadn't left yet! Woohoo!

I was immediately impressed by the staff! I was a bit grumpy at this point, but the tension slipped away as they welcomed me, told me "no worries" and helped me get geared up.

The 1st zip was a short one, about 40 feet so we could get a feel for it and learn how to brake and when to brake. The 2nd one was over a bigger canyon they called the Dragon's Spine because of the rock formations. Here are some pics - Part ONE:

Zip 3 - I screamed like a little girl - lots of adrenaline!

Then the 3rd was jumping right off a boulder and zipping to a platform up in a tree almost 100 feet off the ground! They wanted us to do a Tarzan yell. I tried but it was pitiful. My voice cracked, and then I started cracking up. I put my camera in one of the harnesses. It sorta worked...

Once we landed on the tree platform, they would immediately hook our harness onto the tree safety ropes, THEN unhook us from the zip cable. As each person arrived on the platform, it got a little crowded, but I felt safe. The instructor took our picture by zipping himself out a bit on the cable and dangling there while he took the pics! After that we did our last zip down to the ground. They told us to look down as we took off. I did and it was a looooooong way down!

After I left I drove around Big Bear a little. Had pizza for lunch then drove through the Village & stopped for some fudge. I also stopped to take a picture of "Dr Larry Poland - Chiropractor" since that is also the name of my boss, no relation. Drove home & saw a lot of the burned areas from the October 2007 "Old Fire". Pretty sad to see.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect, sunny and not too cold even though there was snow. A Great Day & wonderful memory! Thanks, friends, for encouraging me to go for it!

Easter 2010

Dad & I went over to Rob & Barb's house and joined the gang for Easter lunch. Bree & Sean couldn't make it, but we saw Amanda, Mike, and Jose & Leilani. She'll be two in just a few weeks, cute as ever. This is her with her new Barbie (and her boo-boo lip from a fall outside about a half hour before) Check out those curls!!!

It's the Little Things in Life!

After five and a 1/2 years in my house, we were finally able to replace the rickety, rotten, propped up, termite-infested fence with a new vinyl fence!


Mickey will miss being able to peek at me under the fence. There was a broken spot and if I went in the front yard she would watch me.

It took 2 days for them to finish, and it looks great! Here's an "after" pic, but before they put the post caps on. Mickey wanted me to take her picture:

And then with the caps:

Surf City 1/2 Marathon 2010

My 9th Half marathon in the books! I headed down to Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 6th. A big storm was coming in, and when I met Kim and Jeff at the expo, it was POURING. The goodies bags were cool, but there was nothing in them this year (not cool.)

I got there later than expected so I didn't get to see my "Running of the Ears" (ROTE) friends Jay, Brandi, Casey, & Gina. Jeff & I picked up our packets, then we all headed over to the Olive Garden for a little carb-loading! (Kim had just taken a bite of salad and I forced her to take a picture. haha)

I didn't stay overnight this time, so I was driving back & forth. On Sunday morning I drove down to HB & picked up Jeff at their hotel, then we parked at Edison H.S. & took the shuttle to the race start. No waiting, no problems! I found fellow ROTEr friend Brandi at the Port-o-potties.

Then we all headed over to the start corrals, Jeff was in #2 (speedy!) so Brandi & I said "Bye!" & headed over to our corral. So many people!!! The rain was gone, clear skies, and weather was perfect!
After another trip to the port-o-potty, I lost Brandi, and didn't see her again til mid-way through. First several miles were great. I had shed my layers before the race & checked them, and felt just right in my capri skirt & long sleeved lightweight shirt. I saw Brandi & Jay's mom around Mile 5, and then saw Brandi shortly afterwards. Mile 8 was the turnaround point where I saw Coach Ron (former Team in Training coach & now with Road Warriors). Always nice to see familiar faces, especially in the upper miles. I started feeling nauseated at Mile 10-ish, so I tried to force down some more energy/nutrition. I thought I had hydrated well, but it was also pretty humid. Sometimes it's hard to get the right balance. After I passed the pier I started to hear the announcer at the finish line. YAY! Sometimes as you approach the announcer does a quick look at your bib # to find your name on the computer, then greets you by name as you cross the finish line. So as I approached the guy was saying "And hear comes EUNICE from Redlands!" I thought, "huh? Is there someone from Redlands near me?" Then he said, "Here's EUNICE, looking great in her running skirt! Let's hear it for EUNICE!" "Eunice" was me! HAHA! I have no idea how he got "Eunice" from "Elizabeth" :-)

I saw Casey right after I crossed the finish line, but felt so sick I couldn't stop to chat. I took a few pics, then headed back. Kim & Jeff had already left, so I found my favorite place for a post-half marathon meal:

Here's a pic of my Surf City medals for the last 4 years. The smaller one is from the 2007 5K, then 1/2 Marys for 2008, 2009, and 2010. After 3 years you are automatically entered into the Legacy Club, which is the extra little thing you see on top of the last 2 medals.

Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon 2010 - DNS

I went down to Carlsbad on Jan. 23rd for the 1/2 marathon. I got a cheap hotel, met up with a fellow ROTEr Dana. Checked out the expo, then made plans to meet in the a.m. I was up around 5:00, ate, & got to the race start by 6:15. The 1/2 started at 7:30 which is pretty late for most races but great because it was light and warmer. It was in the high 30's/low 40's & was supposed to go up to high of 60. Perfect. Sunny. So I was standing in my corral, they just finished the National Anthem, and the 1st 3 corrals had gone. Then my phone rang. It was Dad. He was calm but was having shortness of breath. I told him to call 911 & I called my neighbor who went over to be with him. I still had to go by the hotel for my stuff so I knew it would take me 2+ hrs to get home. They ran a bunch of tests that came out normal. Said he was a little dehydrated which does make him weak. He came home & is supposed to follow up w/his Dr. this week. After a good night's rest, this morning he seems completely normal.

After he was home and the emergency was over, the disappointment of not doing the race set in. Beautiful race along the ocean. Sigh. I know I needed to come back and don't regret it, of course, it was just a little disappointing. Maybe next year!

Wearing my lovely throw-a-way sweater, minutes before the phone call. Now I can wear this sweater to Surf City!

Disney World 1/2 Marathon - Rain, Sleet & Snow, Oh My!

In the weeks leading up to my trip to Disney World, the weather reports were not looking good. Every day the forecast seemed to be colder &, no matter what the numbers said, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. 50’s, 40’s, 30’s?!!!Possible snow flurries? Could this be possible? It was. I tried to plan out what I would wear but kept changing my mind. They say never wear anything in a race you haven’t trained in, but we don’t have conditions like this.

The “UP!” themed 5K on Friday, January 8th at Epcot was cold enough. I wore 2 shirts & a jacket & was still cold, especially waiting at the start. I couldn’t find any my “Running Of The Ears” friends (ROTErs) so I just huddled with strangers (they didn’t know it. :-) ) There was a gorgeous sunrise (pic) & once the sun was out, it did help a little. I was thrilled to see Margaret & a few others at the finish line!

After the 5K I went back to the expo since I had very little time there the night before. The bus transfers from my hotel were a pain sometimes. Had to go to Hollywood Studios 1st to get to the expo, so on the way back from the expo I decided to visit the Studios for a bit. It was raining & I didn’t have much time, but at least I got to see some of it. Then over to Downtown Disney to see some ROTErs. I was really late so there was only a remnant left. I got to see Erica, Peggy, Chris & meet Mustapha, Jen H. & a few others.

One thing I found really odd. Several places were really HOT…inside! The expo building was heated to what must’ve been 85 (It was difficult to shop & that is tragic!) & the bus that picked us up for the 5K was about 90! It’s as if it gets below 50 in Florida & they crank the heat up!

Watching the news during 24 hours prior to the ½ was putting knots in my stomach. They were now predicting temps at the start around 33-35 with wind chill (“feels like”) of 24 with snow flurries! Again, I changed my planned outfit, then finally settled… Lightweight tech top + heavyweight ¾ zip top + fleece/tech jacket + heavy hoodie + plastic poncho for wind/rain/possible snow. On the bottom I wore running tights under a skirt with pants (“Tough Girl” for my skirt friends). Then a lightweight & heavyweight ear headband, hat, 2 pairs of gloves. My plan was to toss the hoodie & possibly shed the jacket but keep “just in case”.

Up at 2:50 a.m., ate a bagel & brought an energy bar to eat on the way, on the bus about 3:45, arrived & checked in my after-race bag (warm/dry hoodie) & headed to the “H” tent to see my ROTE friends. We huddled to keep warm. Sometime before 5:00 the snow flurries started! The forecast predicted it, but it was still a bit of a shock! Even with the layers I started getting really cold, & my hands started to feel like I had nothing on them. Erica saved the day with hand warmers! God bless her! Headed over the start area around 5:00 & made my way to my corral, the last one. There was no sound back where we were which was a little discouraging. It felt like we weren’t even a part of anything…discards in the back. Finally the speakers came on & we heard the start of the front corrals/waves, & eventually we were on our way.

It felt better to be moving, but not much. The sleet had started & was pelting our faces. Somewhere around Mile 5 I tossed my hoodie, 1 pair of gloves, & the hand warmers. Should’ve kept the hand warmers. Rookie (insert “Cali Girl”) mistake. Around this time we got to the Magic Kingdom! I CANNOT underestimate the importance of spectators! It is such a boost! At the end of Main St. was a group of hearty ROTErs to cheer us on. They had it much harder in this weather because at least we were moving!

A lot of people commented later that there were very few characters on the open course (before MK). Honestly I didn’t notice because I was so cold & didn’t want to stop for long lines. Once we got in to MK, I did take some characters pics, & made my 1st bathroom stop. I had decided if I had to strip in this weather, it had better be inside. Indoor plumbing! But I took way too long. All those stupid, wet, layers! Then I panicked when I looked at my time & where I was…behind the 16 minute max. per mile pace. No more stops! Well, one. Poor Mary Poppins & Bert were out there freezing with no coats!!!

Around Mile 11, still worried about the sweeper, I was up on an overpass & looked at the course below/behind me. I could see the sweeper vehicle still quite a distance away, but the distance was only slight comfort. I tried to run a bit around mile 12 on a little uphill, but my muscles seemed frozen. Very difficult to transition from 1 motion to another. I heard runners say later that it was hard for them to NOT run for the same reason. I guess your muscles get used to one motion & freeze there!

Finally we entered Epcot. I knew the Gospel choir was ahead & was SO looking forward to them, but I couldn't remember exactly where. My brain was frozen too. I had pretty much decided I wasn't going to see them. Either they weren't doing this race, or I had been out there so long that they had quit because of the cold. Sad. Then I came around another corner & there they were! It was so uplifting!

I saw Erica, & Colleen & a few others ahead of me at the turnaround point. Finally crossed the finish line. Second slowest time ever: 3:27:44, but I did it! I looked over at the “H” tent but no ROTErs. Too cold. By this time everyone just wanted to leave. I started for the buses…oh no…the line for my hotel bus snakes back & forth several times. We waited for about 45 minutes, shivering uncontrollably. I had to force myself to take deep breaths to calm myself down & stop shaking. I covered my lips because they felt frozen, could still see my breath, couldn’t feel my feet or hands at all. Numb stubs. I saw several people getting medical attention. I had picked up my dry hoodie at the bag check, but didn’t want to think about taking anything off to change. And it was still raining. Temps hadn’t come up much if at all. I had the mylar blanket they gave me wrapped around my hips. Tried to rub my hips but couldn’t feel them either. I thought, “I guess this is what it feels like when hypothermia is starting to set in.” I think the bus back-up was just because usually people hang out afterwards & trickle out, but EVERYONE wanted to get out of the cold.

Got back to my hotel, hot shower, tried to find a good meal (that was an ordeal, & I finally had to get dressed & walk to the food court), took a 30 mins. nap, then headed over to the ROTE dinner.

On Sunday, I slept in a little, went over to the Contemporary Hotel’s business center because I forgot to print my return flight confirmation (argh), then over to Magic Kingdom for a few of my favorite attractions. After that I headed over to Epcot to see some of my ROTE friends finish their marathon & took several pics at the finish line. The sun was out, but it was still COLD. They said the water stops had partially frozen water & Gatorade slushies! And it was really dangerous at the water stops because the water that had spilled then iced over. Sunday afternoon I went to Epcot for lunch in China, on Mission Space, & a few character pics. Then back to Magic Kingdom until after the fireworks.

Monday morning I packed up & let Disney take care of my luggage, then went over to Animal Kingdom for a couple hours before I had to catch the Magical Express to the airport. Didn’t have time for a lot but I saw a few characters & mostly enjoyed walking around on a SUNNY day. Yeah, it was sunny now that I was leaving.

I had a great time, but I was so tired and ready to be home in my own bed and see my fur-child. When I got to CA & stepped outside the terminal I couldn’t believe it. It was almost midnight and 63 degrees! Home. :-)