A Journey of Epic Proportions!

4 Hotels

3 States, 1 Province

1 Angry GPS device

Way too many delicious meals

6.2 Miles, 4 Obstacles, 1 Mountain Bike

1 Extra Muddy Mud Pit

1 Celebratory Beer Garden (much deserved)

1 Outlet Mall

1 Very lucrative shopping spree at Victoria Secret

1 Very flat tire

1 Twilight audiobook- to make it through one very long state (MT)

2 Very tired, yet satisfied (and sad to be going home), partners in grime, Muddy Buddies forever!

*Some photos are courtesy of my partner in grime. Thanks luv! :)

When Mommy's Away.....

Daddy apparently cuts hair.

I came home from my great adventure (which I am planning to write about soon! I know you are waiting with baited breath!), snuck into The Child's room for a much needed kiss, to find him fast asleep missing much of his beautiful hair.

It looked something like this:

Ok, maybe not so bad. But all his beautiful, long curls in the front (and side) were gone. If anything he looked MORE like a girl as he had short, short bangs and long curls in the back.

Sigh.

During my time away I had a sinking feeling that something was going to happen to my child's hair. Mommy's always know.

You may be wondering if I was mad.

No.

Hair grows, he had good reasons (his hair was always in his eyes), and I guess it was time for a cut.

So before we could go anywhere in public (because you know that if a kid has bad hair, everyone judges that kid's Mommy, and I didn't have time to get a t-shirt made that said: "My Daddy cuts my hair"), I had to fix it.

The long, curls have been replaced by a cute, messy cut.

He looks even more like a big boy now and I can finally take him out in public.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!?!

Today I leave the cold north of Alberta and begin the long drive to Colorado.

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I should be packing, showering, checking my lists twice, but instead I'm sitting here, typing, because you, My Faithful Few, are just that important!

Do you ever make plans with a friend to do something totally outrageous, "Oh ya! We totally have to do this/that!" and then life gets in the way, reality sets in, and you realize for whatever reason (money, time, kids, work, etc), that said plan is just too outrageous?!

Today, I actually begin a journey to LIVE out such an outrageous plan.

When we first signed up, many many months ago, there was a small voice inside that said to me "This would be so much fun, but you know its probably not going to work. Another crazy plan laid to rest."

Somehow the stars and angels came together. Babysitters fell into place, money was available, time and sheer determination all came into play.

Today my journey begins on a bus to Calgary, from there my dear friend and I will embark on a trip of a lifetime. Tonight we should hopefully be in Montana, stop for a quick sleep, and then continuing onto Colorado, pulling in sometime Friday night. Approximately 20hrs of driving (including my bus ride). It sounds like a long time, doesn't it? Does it sound so much more appealing to you when I tell you that there are no kids in said car? Just me and my dear friend and a bike?

A bike?

Yup. The whole purpose of our trip is to challenge ourselves to some good ol'adventure racing. We'll be running and biking on a course, complete with obstacles and a very large mud pit at the end, for a total of 10km, 6.2 miles. Seriously. What have I gotten myself into?

Of course I've done extensive training for such a race, right?! Right?!

Ha. NO.

Again, what have I gotten myself into?

Don't get me wrong, I've been at the gym, at least 2-3 times a week, participating in intense bootcamp classes and spin/cycle. I am very confidant on the stationary bike, rocking out the spin class like its nobodies beeeswax. I've even asked to instruct said class. But a real bike? Not so confidant. I'm having a hard time remember the last time I was even ON a real bike.

Don't they say that you never forget to ride a bike? Oh goodness, I hope so! I think I will be doing laps in the hotel parking lot, getting my groove back.

As for the running portion, I've built up some pretty good endurance, but I'm still feeling pretty apprehensive about a whole 10k!

Oh, did I mention that there are obstacles sprinkled throughout the course? Yah. Obstacles.

And at the very end, to top it ALL off.... a gigantic mud pit that me and my dear friend must CRAWL through. Clothes, shoes, helmets, and all.

Welcome to Muddy Buddy!

I think I might have failed to mention the beer garden at the end of the race? :)

Classy like that

Today was a bizarre day. A very busy, bizarre day.

I say bizarre because I did a few things that were completely out of the norm for me.

The Child and I were up at at reasonable time to get fed, watered, dressed and out the door for him to be at Summer Camp by 9am.

(Summer Camp you ask? For a 3yr old? Why yes! When it means three whole, child-free hours, sign me up! Its at our local Y and he LOVES it. You should see the adorable 'dinonoculars' he made today. Anyways...)

As I was rushing out the door, The Child and his stuff in tow, along with my own work-out gear, I was internally patting myself on the back for my impeccable timing.

If you know me, you know (and hopefully love) my chronic tardiness. It has gotten better over the years, but it is a daily struggle.

So when I make it out to the car, with The Child, on time, I'm thinking its going to be a great, stress-free day. My own personal ego boost.

The Child is strapped in, ready to go, I get in the drivers seat, and wham it hits me.

I'm not wearing any make-up.

Ok. So its not life or death or anything. And I am definitely not one of those girls who wears an entire MAC store to hit the gym, but I do at least give myself some eyelashes. I'm fair and blonde, no mascara means I have no eyelashes. None. Have you ever seen someone without eyelashes? It's disturbing.

As I freeze in my seat, key almost inserted in the ignition, my internal decision making process goes on over-drive.

I could just run in quickly, brush brush, swipe swipe, and be done. 7 minutes top.

Ugh, but then I'll be late and I would have to leave The Child in the car... I was doing so well!

I can't believe I forgot to at least put on mascara? Bah! Ok, so I'm just going to the gym, not a big deal. Women go to the gym all the time without eyelashes, right?

Dang, I have 3 hours to kill and I was going to hit Starbucks after the gym to read.

Can one hang in a suburban Starbucks, eyelash free?

How much more time am I going to waste trying to decide what to do?

Quickly, I check my reflection in the mirror, thank my lucky hormonal stars that last weeks craters have cleared and decide to embrace the hippie, granola way.... bare faced to the world!

I may be eyelash free, but at least I smell good.

Wait.

Uh oh.

I do the double sniff check and realize I totally forgot deodorant, too! UGH!

There's no turning back now, as I've left the drive way, determined to maintain my rare punctuality.

So now I'm going to be the stinky, smelly, pimply, no-eyelash girl at the gym.

Awesome.

No-eyelashes I can deal with. Smelly, not so much.

As I sweat it out during the Bootcamp class, I keep a fair distance from the other gym rats. Hoping and praying that they don't clue in that I'm the one with the bad B.O.

Stay down-wind, stay down-wind!

This day does not smell like roses at all.

After my class is over, I head into the locker room to change my shoes, trying to think of a creative solution to resolve the stench that has become me. I am completely unwilling to give up my extra hour of child-free time to drive home and then back to Starbucks.

Every free minute counts.

I find myself at the nearest sink, waiting for the moment that the locker room clears.

I know I will only have a split second.

The charade of washing my hands begins.

Working up a good, bubbly, clean scrub...

No ones looking? Go!

I quickly wash the origin of my stench, those nasty pits of arms, rinse, grab a paper towel and dry before the next gym rat walks by.

Yes, I, no-eyelash girl, is now squeaky clean and daisy fresh thanks to washing my armpits in an open, public, locker room.

Because, well, I'm classy like that.