A friend asked me the other day if we just talk about Cecil the Lion all day every day while working at the Zoo.
Of course, Cecil’s death was a terrible tragedy, but it’s no new news to any of us.
I think this article sums up pretty much what we DO talk about all day every day in the Zoo world.
Yes, that’s right. This is one of those. The annoying “I’m dreadfully sorry for neglecting my blog but here are the very good reasons why” cliched post.
Well, you’ll just have to make your peace with that.
My last “real” (aka not just a picture) blog post was written on May 1. That was (yeeps!) a solid 2.5 months ago.
This time, though, I truly have an excuse. Or a few excuses, to say the least.
The amount of stuff I got done in those 2.5 months was semi-ridiculous.
Like what, you say?
-I WAS A MAID OF HONOR. TWICE.
Anyone who has ever had the privilege of being named someone’s MOH knows that this truly was the brunt of my business in the last few months. On May 30 I was the MOH for my sister Nancy and on July 18 I stood beside my cousin/best friend, Katie. The reality of this meant that literally the day after Nancy’s wedding it was time to jump into gear to plan the shower, bachelorette party, video, speech etc. for Katie’s. I loved working on all of this, but it does take time. And when my choices were A. write a blog post or B. write a speech for 300 people, well, obviously little “Khaki Shorts” was going to lose.
-FINISHED TWO BOOKS
For some reason the universe decided that my newest book Dizzy Dean and the Gashouse Gang should go to print days before Nancy’s wedding and my latest work St. Louis BOO! should be shipped off days before Katie’s. I’m not sure how that happened. Honestly, with all that was going on I probably should not have said yes to my publishers in regards to writing the BOO book, but holy cow I am SO HAPPY that I did because I LOVE the final product and I can’t wait for it to be released!
-WORKED ON SOME FREELANCE PROJECTS
(Sidenote: What is this? Is this a GIF from “The Prince of Egypt”?! Ok, it had to be used.)
Let’s just say I learned more about title insurance than I’d ever care to know.
-WENT TO A FEW SOCIAL EVENTS
Bridal showers, baby showers, Zoofari, my 10 year high school reunion and a bachelorette trip to Boston! Phew.
Suffice it to say, things have been busy. I’ve figured out that I can really only handle one extra activity on top of my work schedule. Most of the time that one thing is writing related, but sometimes big projects will nudge even that out of the way. At some point, people, I do need to grocery shop, clean and do laundry. At least, occasionally.
BUT I am ready to get back to business! And I’m very excited for the next phase of projects.
What’s next on the docket? TWO book releases (and the corresponding signings, events and promotions), a website update, a few new freelance jobs and PR for the American Association of Zookeepers Conference hosted right here at our Zoo in September.
I’m almost done resting up post-wedding craziness and ready to take on what’s next.
Hopefully, this will be my last of these lame type blog posts for awhile…
In other news, I figured out this handy dandy GIF app! So, that’ll be fun. Or possibly extremely annoying. MAYBE I went just a tad overboard. Oh well.
Happy Summer!!
I was sad to leave my family at the lake last night to go to work this morning. But it turned out to be a pretty great fourth anyway! #zoolife #stlzoo #rosiekisses
Hannah needed her picture taken. #zoodog #stlzoo #khakishorts
Peony season at the zoo! #stlzoo #khakishorts #mayflowers
Writing a serial story, especially about a topic that requires research, can be A LOT of work.
But, as all writers know, the reaction to this work can be VERY rewarding.
This week I received two great emails from my editor at the Missouri Press Association.
These emails were from teachers who read the “Gashouse Gang” serial story in their local newspapers with their classes.
Each class did a unit focused on the serial story and then sent my editor photos of class activities.
The 2nd graders drew pictures of their favorites scenes from the serial and the 6th graders culminated their study with a field trip to the Cardinals game!
The 6th grade teacher said the kids loved finding references to Dizzy and the Gashousers at Busch Stadium.
Some things to look for at your next Cards game are–”The Gashouse Grill” or “Dizzy’s Diner” the bronze statue of Dizzy out front or the large poster of Dizzy’s famous “It ain’t bragging’ if you can back it up” quote in the stairwell.
I hope you enjoy these adorable Gashouse fan pics as much as I do!
(The entire class with their Gashouse scenes.)
(This girl’s favorite scene was when Dizzy married Pat.)
(I love Jacob’s caption here, “I like the part where Dizzy dean buys a car for his wife.” Above Dizzy says, “How do you like it?” and Pat answers, “Take it back!”)
(Another fan of Dizzy and Pat’s wedding. I love that Dizzy is wearing a Cards cap with his suit in this one.)
(Gashouse fans at the Ballpark!)
(And the boys pic!)
1. There are strawberries at the grocery store.
2. The sun is up at 6 am.
3. Leaves on the trees.
4. Graduation/First Communion/Wedding season has begun…CAKE!
5. ICE CREAM!!! (always.)
HAPPY SPRING PEOPLE!
Well, it’s Friday morning and the marathon has now been over for five days. Today, I am finally walking (mostly) normally–except for the whole going downstairs thing–and, except for a little post race cold (did you know running a marathon actually sort of ruins your immune system for a few days?), I’m feeling pretty good.
So, how did it go? It went well. It went very well. Was it painful? Definitely. But John and I both ran PRs and qualified for next year’s Boston Marathon, meeting our intended goal, so we are mutually pretty stoked.
John ran a 3:04 (his previous best time was 3:09) and I ran a 3:18 (my previous best time is 3:30). So, was all of the pain worth it? Yep, definitely.
The race came with it’s challenges for me. I had to work through the IT band syndrome, which has been haunting me for the last 1.5 months, plus a few additional complications from Mother Nature which decided to surprise me the morning of the race…BUT the weather was in the 60s and cloudy, which was GLORIOUS, so I cannot complain. I have never run a marathon in less than 75 degrees and sunny, so this year’s weather made a HUGE difference for me.
I enjoyed GO! St. Louis Marathon’s new course. Was it flatter? Well, maybe it was flatter but my Garmin watch data gave me proof that it certainly was not flat (but, really, you can’t run a race in downtown St. Louis without any hills).
I loved going over the bridges crossing the Mississippi! It was fun to look down at the water, up at the sunrise reflecting off of the Arch and the STL skyline and across at the flow of runners crossing the parallel bridge. It was also kind of fun to explore East St. Louis on the other side. PLUS! The race included a 3.5 miles “Bridge Challenge” where the fastest runners in each age category for this section of the race won a prize. Even though I told myself not to get “sucked in” to this challenge so early in a marathon, I actually won 2nd place for my age group and got a medal and a giant chocolate bar!
(The view was kind of like this. Maybe a tad cloudier.)
The hardest part of the race for me was my IT band. An IT band runs from a runner’s hip to her knee and all down her thigh, so the pain was focused on my knee but radiating down my thigh and into my hip. The IT band started to hurt at mile 5. Yep, with 21 more miles to go.
The thing is though, I’d prepared for this. I knew it was going to hurt because, well, it’s injured! So, when I began to feel it I gave myself a mantra. I told myself Just because it hurts right now does not mean it will get worse. To me the idea of a sharp pain increasing for 21 more miles was too much to handle. But the idea of a pain that may or may not reoccur occasionally throughout the race was manageable. It hurt for most of the race, let’s be honest, especially going up and down hills, but giving myself this mantra really helped.
(I had to tell myself this numerable times on the course.)
Despite the pain, I was able to maintain my pace. I loved the increased distance in Forest Park because it is definitely the most gorgeous place to run in STL. Plus, home field advantage, right?! I saw my family and these signs in Forest Park, which was really helpful and gave me quite a boost.
(My sister heard these kids say Daddy, what does my sign say? haha.)
By the time I hit around 19-20 miles, I knew I was going to qualify for Boston, so I decided to try to get in around 3:15.
At mile 24 I swore that my toenail fell off. It was so weird. I actually felt my toenail disconnecting from my toe and could feel it digging into the top of my foot. I seriously teared up at this point with such dramatic thoughts like AH! My toenail is gone! I’m not going to make it, I’ve lost my toenail!! coursing though my head. BUT, weird thing is, when I finished the race and took off my shoe to inspect the carnage, MY TOENAIL WAS STILL THERE!! WHAT?!?!?! Was I hallucinating?! Perhaps. Did I pop a blister and get confused?! Maybe. WHAT THE HECK!!! This was a weird/low point for sure. At this point in time, I have all ten toenails, but four of them are a lovely, deep shade of plum.
Alas, miles 24-26 were the hardest for me. A lot of uphill. A lot of mental struggle (i.e. the phantom toenail) so I ended up crossing the wire in 3:18, not 3:15, but I was still elated and very happy with my time. I got 7th place for women, and so was content.
John’s Big River running buddy, Andrea, actually won 1st place for women with a time of 2:54, so that was pretty exciting, to actually KNOW the winner!
I reunited with John’s family at the finish line. John’s dad ran the half which is AMAZING! It was his first major race since having open heart surgery a few years ago, so we were really proud and happy for him.
Eventually, I found John and walked around the finish area while watching him devour three Ted Drewes ice cream sandwiches (best I could manage was a Gus’ pretzel) before we collected our baggage and headed home.
The afternoon after running a marathon is simply THE BEST. I showered and laid in bed ALL day and it was truly glorious. Good for my legs? Nope. But glorious, nonetheless.
My IT band is still pretty messed up (hence the trouble descending stairs), but now that the race is over I plan to take a little break from running and get it healed, hopefully in time for my favorite race, the Zoo 5K.
The night before the race, though, I enjoyed a wonderful “Fancy Nancy” themed bridal shower for my sister, with all of my aunts. One of my aunts asked me a few questions about the marathon.
“Do your legs hurt while you’re running it?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Do your feet hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then why do you do it?!” She said.
I know I’m supposed to be a writer, but I seriously tripped on my words here. I think I said something about “Uh, well, I like to…uh, goals, I want, I can, ummm….”
Really eloquent, I assure you.
So, why do I do it? Why do any of us do it (let’s remember I was not alone out there)?
I think it’s best summed up by the marketing masters of Nike in this video below.
That’s why I do it. That’s we we do it. Because marathon runners are a different sort of breed.
I am thrilled that John and I will get the chance to join the very best of that lot next year at America’s greatest race.
See ya next year, Boston.
Until then, maybe a little rest.
(John flying around mile 18)
(Happy to see my family)
GO St. Louis Marathon 2015! See ya next year, Boston! #gostlmarathon
Yes, I know, I have been TERRIBLE about writing on my blog. I started writing a blog for Reedy Press and, to be honest, it has eaten up much of my usual Khaki Shorts time. Alas, many tasks sit on my list, still undone.
BUT I had to write a blog today because this weekend is RACE weekend and I have not given a single marathon training update!
The first half of my training went really, really well. I had several long run days in January and February when it was sunny and the temps were a perfect 40 degrees. As you may recall from earlier posts, my goal during training this year was to push myself and the pace, rather than slogging along just trying to get the miles in. That was going really well too! I tried to stick to a 7:30-7:45 minute mile pace, and I was doing just that!
Toward the middle of the training, things got a little tougher. I had some bad weather days when I was running my long runs in 10-15 degree weather, which is never fun and also hard on your joints.
Things kind of fell apart when I hit the 18 mile point. My 18 miler went really well. I ran it in 2:22, which I was very happy about, thinking if I could keep that pace up I’d BQ the race for sure. That run felt good.
The day after that run I went out to go an easy 3-4 miles and I could barely do it! I had pain shooting from my hip to my knee and all down my thigh!
The return of the RUNNER’S KNEE (bum! bum! bum!). Or so I thought.
Turns out self-diagnosing things on WebMd and making racing decisions based on those diagnoses is not a smart idea.
At this point, I’d come too far and invested too much time and energy into training to throw in the towel. So, I made an appointment to see a PT and try to fix the nasty bugger. I happened to accidentally schedule this appointment during a work day which just happened to land on St. Patrick’s day, which is how I accidentally ended up walking in the Dogtown St. Patrick’s day parade one afternoon…but that’s another story.
Well, turns out I don’t have runner’s knee. I didn’t last year and I don’t this year. I am just an idiot. I ACTUALLY have/had IT Band Syndrome. Which is a very common running injury, and though painful, not fatal to a race season.
The treatment, for me, has been LOTS of stretching, ice, foam rolling and appointments to get laser therapy and a sort of deep tissue massage called ART.
When I found out what I was dealing with, my sister said, “Well, guess your body is not meant to run like this anymore.” This is what I thought last year too. Well, guess these legs ain’t as young as they used to be.
But that’s not it. That’s not it at all.
When I was a kid I was somewhat famous in my circle for telling people that I was ¼ wolf, ¼ chimpanzee, ¼ dolphin, ¼ hedgehog, ¼ lion and ¼ horse. I was a strange child. And clearly bad at math. I never really realized, at the time, that you CAN’T be ¼ of all of those things. It just doesn’t add up. Mathematically or…er, biologically.
I feel like, as an adult, that is sort of what I’ve been trying to do too. I try to be ¼ zookeeper, ¼ writer, ¼ runner, ¼ girlfriend, ¼ sister, ¼ daughter, ¼ friend, ¼ manager of all things in the domestic realm etc, etc…
It just doesn’t add up. And I think that is what my sore, little IT band is trying to tell me.
If I want to regularly run 15-20 miles on my weekends I have to also commit to doing things like, I don’t know, stretching?!?! That might be smart. Icing and foam rolling too.
So many times this winter I finished a long run, showered, changed and rushed off to this meeting or that school visit without stretching, hydrating, basically taking care of my body the way that a marathoner should. And I can no longer get away with it.
I’d like to say that in the final lap of my training I committed fully to the marathon (lord knows I didn’t commit fully to this blog!) and did everything perfectly, as I was supposed to. That’s not exactly true. There were days I missed foam rolling, stretching and icing. But I did focus much more on taking care of my muscles instead of asking them for more and giving nothing in return.
More importantly, I realized that if I want to continue to be an athlete I need to work on these habits, always. Am I too old to run marathons? Absolutely not. But do I need to be more than ¼ runner when I’m training for a marathon? Yes. Definitely, yes.
So, how did the training finish off? Well, I did it. I ran 20 miles, then I ran 21 miles and then I ran 14. And it hurt. A lot, sometimes. And I was slower than when I started. And sometimes I had to waddle my way around Forest Park like a duck. But, I did it. The race is Sunday and the “hay is in the barn” as they say.
Now, two nights out, my playlist is set, my outfit is ready and I’m guzzling whatever water I can find. Cause, honestly, that’s all I can do. I’m going to go out there and give it my all and that’s everything that I can ask for.
I set out this season to get a PR. I was determined to show 24 year old Carolyn a thing or two about running.
(My goal is to beat this overly enthusiastic young buck.)
And I still am aiming for those goals. I truly expect it to hurt. I know it will hurt. But I do know that I can do it and I am going to try to do it fast.
After all, as the great Jimmy Dugan once said, It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.
Happy Spring! #zoodog #stlzoo #khakishorts
Well, my “weekend” has changed. I am happy to announce that I am now off on Thursday/Friday!
This is great news for many reasons. 1). Whenever I take a Sat/Sun off I will now have a four day weekend 2). Makes bachelorette party/wedding weekend travel MUCH easier 3). A few more days off with John each year (Good Friday anyone?) 4). THANKSGIVING!!! annnnnnddd…..5). CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS ARE ON THURS/FRI THIS YEAR!!!
Holy moly I cannot believe my luck!
In
the meantime, life’s a little crazy. If you’ve never had your weekend
switched on you (which, I’m assuming all you Saturday/Sunday warriors
out there have not ever had happen) it’s a little like, um, how can I
explain….THE WORLD BEING FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN.
What day is it today? Am i off today? Am I working today? Is it my Monday or my Wednesday? What day of the week is it for the rest of the world? THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW, PEOPLE!
The other hard part of a weekend switch for a Zookeeper/Author is the fact that I typically schedule school visits months in advance. So, I had to scramble there a bit to change up that schedule.
Hence, why I spent last Tuesday
rushing from work to Pacific, MO during rush hour to speak at Zitzman
Elementary’s “Writing on the Wall” night.
I ran into a fellow Reedy author, Chris Stuckenschneider, at the event, which was wonderful! Author spotlight on Chris coming soon!
I
then spent Thursday driving back and forth to Pacific for more “Writing
on the Wall” events–a daytime visit back at Zitzman and an evening
speech at Coleman.
The kids were great and the teachers so welcoming at both events. So glad I got to participate!
The next day I did absolutely nothing but domestic chores–cooking, cleaning, laundry etc. Necessary evils, I suppose, but definitely not much fodder for blog posts.
On that note, I leave you with this
picture my sister, Nancy, found of our grandpa as a child sitting on the
lap of what appears to be Mr. Andrews from Titanic.
Enjoy.
Hope you all have a great weekend–no matter which days you’re off!
Let’s be honest, now that it is mid-February New Years resolutions, winter and motivation are all sort of growing stale.
How are you doing on your New Years resolutions? I won’t lie, mine definitely need a bit of a reboot.
This time of year one of the hardest things to keep up with is exercise. It is so dark in the morning, heck, it’s so dark after work too! And really freaking cold. A perfect combination for curling up on the couch in sweatpants and forgetting all those promises made at the start of 2015.
I think that the trick to staying motivated to exercise throughout the winter is to find a regular class to hold you accountable and give you a group to go with that meets in a warm, well-lit, inside space, preferably with good music.
If you are struggling to find a perfect fit (no pun intended!) here are three solutions I’ve found that help me to get through the winter.
1. Pursuit Fitness and Performance
A good friend of mine opened this gym a few years ago and, wow, have I been impressed with its success!
John and I attended Pursuit throughout last winter. The gym offers personal training, but most people do what is called “group training” typically two or three times a week.
Never once did I dread going to PFP–even when driving out there at 5:30 in the morning for the ever popular 6 am pre-work sweat session. The workouts were always unique and effective and, oftentimes, really fun. Everyday was different and the trainers really focus on helping clients become their best selves by focusing on individual goals and areas that need improvement.
I was challenged to touch my toes while working with PFP and I am happy to report that by the end of my session I could do it! (Well, I touched my shoelaces, but that counts.) Never, ever, ever was I capable of doing this before PFP! Pretty amazing stuff.
My favorite part of PFP was the communal environment. Ryan, the owner, does a great job of making his gym members feel like a family of sorts. Everyone knows each other, motivates and cheers for each other and even participates in activities outside of the gym together. It really is inspiring.
Plus, I LOVE the loud music!
I discovered Now Fitness last Spring when Darcy, the owner, set up a boot camp class for Zoo employees after work. One class had me immediately hooked.
Darcy is full of energy, which is extremely motivating. She knows how to get her clients to work hard and pick up the pace through a grueling 60 minute workout. Going to a Now Fitness class is always hard, but that’s a good thing, after all, sore muscles and cardio bursts are what you’re paying for!
Last summer Darcy was pregnant with her second child during the workouts. She cancelled class the week she had her baby and was back at it the next Monday night! No joke, this truly changed my perspective on what a woman’s body is capable of. It was incredible, and inspiring to see.
The Now Fitness Zoo classes have given me the chance to meet and make friends with coworkers I do not normally get to see and chat with during my work day routine, and, like PFP, I never dread going to class. It’s so easy to just show up, follow the routine and cross working out off the daily to-do list!
In the summer we meet at the Zoo and in the winter we meet at The Wilson School. You can’t beat a workout right at work, it is just too convenient.
(Now Fitness group post workout)
This year I went ahead and joined the little gym up the street from my apartment. I finally caved because I wanted a place to run where I could be warm and safe anytime of day. I knew I was gambling with my safety running in the dark last winter, so I joined on a month to month basis to get me through the cold, dark days.
Snap is definitely overpriced for what is there–which is not much. Obviously, there is enough equipment to get in a good workout (especially for a runner) and I have never had to wait for a machine, but this is no mega-gym with the masseuse/tanning salon/bubbly water/protein shake barista works. It is bare bones, for sure.
I like Snap, though, because the staff is friendly and helpful, it is open 24 hours so you can workout whenever it fits into your schedule and it is a wonderfully convenient half mile from my home. I usually run there and use my “commute” as a warmup.
I will probably cancel my membership when it becomes light/warm enough to consistently run outside, but I will definitely be joining again next winter.
So, there you have it! Three little get fit gems I’ve discovered in the STL area to push me through the cold, dark days when my sweatpants are constantly singing their sweet siren song.
Right now I am being consistently challenged to stay in shape by training for the GO! Marathon in April. Eight more weeks left! Yeesh.
I only hope I can keep this motivation coming and get out there for my 16 mile run in the 5 degree temps forecasted for tomorrow morning! Brr!
On Saturday my sister and I, along with the other bridesmaids, hosted a shower for our little sister, Nancy.
People always blog about showers and wedding stuff like that, so I figured I’d write a little shower recap. Who knows, maybe it will end up on Pinterest.
The “theme,” if you will, for Nancy’s shower was winter/sparkles/frost-yourself. When choosing the theme we considered that February is definitely the worst month ever. By this time of year everyone is truly sick of winter and cold. So, why not make the season fun again? We wanted to bring back everything we loved about winter in early December. A winter shower could be beautiful, sparkly and special.
We envisioned white, sparkly everything, a roaring fire in the fireplace, snow softly falling outside, candles lit and a hot chocolate bar to toast the bride to be!
Well, as any avid Pinterest-er knows, you don’t always get what you envision.
The day of Nancy’s bridal shower dawned sunny, cheery and SEVENTY FREAKING DEGREES!
No joke. Some winter shower! No fire. No gently falling snow. And I’m pretty sure I am the only one who eventually partook in the hot chocolate bar.
I’m not really complaining. It was lovely to have the windows open and the guests sipping bloody mary’s and champagne on the porch outside. Really, our biggest challenge was getting dressed. Tights or no tights? That was the question.
All in all it was just the pure, sweet irony that made the weather so amusing. But it really turned out to be a fun, beautiful shower anyway, if I do say so myself.
(The chalkboard sign needed a little bit of editing.)
We started with a white/glittery table scape. Candles and baby’s breath, white birch branches (to whom I owe the copious amounts of glitter coating the seats of my car) and plenty of “diamonds” scattered about.
The Menu:
Stuffed Mushrooms
French bread baguettes with ricotta, honey and lemon zest
White chocolate pretzels
White cheeseboard
White veggies and dip
Popcorn bar
Chicken salad crescent sandwiches
Glitter cake balls
Drinks:
Bloody Mary Bar
Champagne and Wine
Hot Chocolate and Bailey’s Bar
I can’t say enough about these glitter cake balls from Sarah’s Cake Shop. They were truly scrumptious. Everyone knows I am somewhat of a cake connoisseur, and I must say, these were top notch.
Here are a few of my favorite details from the day:
Pine cones and pics of Nancy and Pat. Ah, this scene would have been perfect with a roaring fire.
The favors were little test tubes filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.
The hot chocolate bar that was an epic fail. But, hey, at least I got my silver polishing skills back in shape!
The bride is a big fan of Bloody Mary’s. I am a big fan of those striped straws.
We played a little “That’s what She Said/He Said” Quiz game. I had so much fun interviewing the couple and making tiny Nancy and Pat illustrations.
Probably my favorite answer was when Nancy was asked to describe Pat in six words and one of the words she chose was “assiduous."
The victor was Pat’s sister, Cara, who took home a glittery, white candle!
The first of many bridesmaid pics this year!
And finally, the blushing bride-to-be who did a great job entertaining the guests, being a classy, gracious bride and putting up with our teasing in turn.
I’d say the shower was a success, even without the fire and hot chocolate bar.
At the end of the day, who can complain about an afternoon spent with family and friends and some gorgeous, surprise February SUNSHINE!
Muddy nosed digger dog #zoodog #stlzoo #misshannah