My First 5K Caused Me To Pass On Free Booze Twice!

Saturday night Claudia and I ended up at the art festival in downtown Fort Worth. She had scored a pair of VIP tickets from work that would allow us to eat and drink (alcohol) for free. Unfortunately we got there to late to enjoy the food and ended up not drinking because we had a 5k race to run the next day.

Sunday I ran, jogged, and walked my first 5k run (3.1 miles). I only had one month to train for it and set a goal for myself to complete the race in the 25 minute range. I hadn't run for an extended period of time since last summer due to changing my workout routine and having a slight knee injury in October. After my first week of training I started to wonder if my goal was too ambitious. As I entered my fourth week of training I realized that my goal to finish in 25 minutes had been a bit ambitious, but felt I could finish in less than 30 minutes; and I did. I completed the race in 27:48. It felt really good to complete the 5k. It was the longest measured run I'd ever attempted. I'm pretty sure in high school I ran farther than 5k during numerous basketball practices, but it was never measured.

Both before and after the race free food and drinks, including beer and margaritas, were being served. I guess it was for the people who were walking the 5k because who in their right mind would drink alcohol before or right after a 5k? Some might think it is crazy to pass up free booze twice in one weekend, but given the circumstances I’m sure they would understand.

Takin' Her Home

This past weekend I took Claudia with me to my hometown to meet my family. This isn't something I make a habit of. I took Claudia to my home town because I wanted her to know more about me. What better way for someone to know more about you than to meet the people that helped make you who you are. Claudia got to meet my dad, my dad's parents, my aunt & uncle, my cousin and her husband, and one of my two best friends. She really wanted to get some dirt on me. She wanted to hear embarrassing childhood stories about me. she seemed a bit disappointed when no one could give here any good stories because the fact is I was a well behaved kid. Instead she heard stories of my dad and my brother.

Our weekend was fairly low key. Friday evening we chilled with my cousin, her husband, and my best friend. We thought about going out that night, but after sitting on a comfy coach we became tired and changed our minds. Saturday morning my awesome cousin cooked us waffles for breakfast, we stayed at her house. She even served chocolate covered strawberries with the waffles, it was awesome. After breakfast Claudia and I went for a short jog. Well, she jogged and I fell. While we were jogging side by side I stubbed my toe on an elevated section of the sidewalk and hit the ground like a two year old. I popped up and kept right on jogging out of embarrassment. I had to fall in front of a busy road.

For lunch we ate steaks at Texas Roadhouse followed by a little bit of shopping at the local mall. Later that evening we ate dinner at my aunt and uncle's house, more red meat (hamburgers), and a couple of hours of letting the food digest. Once our food digested, around 8:30, we left and ended up going to my favorite bar in Wichita Falls to play darts and pool, much like the night before we ended up going to bed before midnight. Really this was for the best since we were going to church with my cousin and her husband the next morning. After church the next morning the five of us, the fifth being my cousin's baby, went out to lunch at a local Tex-Mex restaurant. After we were done eating Claudia used her special abilities to communicate to the waitress that she wanted to pay for lunch.

Following lunch we packed our things and left my cousin's house and went visit with my dad for a while. After a couple hours of great conversation on the gazebo we left and made one last stop at my best friend's house before heading back to Cow Town. I must say that our visit was a great success. My family welcomed here with open arms and Claudia reciprocated the affection. I can only hope her family does the same for me.

Loning Money To A Woman In Peru

In September of 2007 I joined a group of people who loaned money to a man in Ecuador via a website known as Kiva.org. Over a six month period he paid us all back 100% of the loan as he promised. As do 97% of the people who are loaned money via Kiva. Today I added another $25 to my kiva account and have loaned $50 to a woman in Peru named Rosa Mary Zevallos Davilo.

Rosa Mary Zevallos Davilo runs a small market in the tropical city of Pucallpa, Ucayali. At her market she sells clothing, shoes, and tools. She started her market one year ago after running a bodega for many years. When the bodega didn’t work out she changed her focus and she now has a successful business. Rosa is 32 years old, single, and has two children. She is happy to have her business and a supportive family that helps her with her children. She works and saves daily so that one day she can send her children to study at a university.

If you want to know more about kiva you can either go to kiva.org or read this article that was published in the Wall Street Journal on March 20, 2008.