13.1

I ran my first 1/2 marathon on Saturday and set the pace for those to come. In the start corral, another runner and I started chatting and she said that she hoped to run a 10-11 minute mile and I said, "me too." The next thing I knew, the start gun went off and we fell into a rhythmic pace with one another. We ran together for 12 miles before she took off ahead of me, but waited for me at the finish line! It wasn't until after we nearly collapsed at the finish that we introduced ourselves and exchanged a well-deserved high five for making it all the way. I'm not sure what I would have done without that stranger's company the entire race. Official race time: 2hrs 11 min 29 sec.

Here's my smiling face after the race with Tim who finished almost an entire hour ahead of me (1hr 20min - 2nd place overall). Yeah, he's fast.
I'm not sure if you can see the salt dried all over my body but I licked my shoulder at one point and think I'm still retaining water from it.

Baseball

I took Jim to a baseball game as part of his tour de C'ville this week. UVA played VCU and won without a fight. It was a perfect night for a ball game and although a far cry from watching the Rockies at Coors field, I think another indication that college is fun and Jim wants to go back :-)

Best Preceptor Ever

Amy Crabb is hands down the best preceptor I've ever had at UVA or Martha Jefferson. There have been some great ones but she is extraordinary. So extraordinary in fact, that she was nominated for preceptor of the year for the whole hospital. I made her wear a corsage and baked special smiley face cookies for the presentation of awards. Although she did not win the top prize as determined by a panel of people who clearly do not know her personally, she wins in my book. Amy is practical, hysterical, sarcastic, smart, witty, patient and far more experienced than I in the field of nursing. She has taught me so much over the last four months and I can't wait to be back at the bedside with her support for the duration of the summer. Cheers to you, preceptor of my life.

Jim is in Town!

I can't believe it's been five years since I began my first job out of college. It was actually June when I started and I was assigned to a client in Cherry Creek as a first-year staff with E&Y. I arrived to find the audit team working on a platform of sorts...literally, the floor that the table sat upon was raised like a stage. I was instructed to set up across from Jim, my senior and the rest is history. For the next three years we ran the show in Denver but both began to yearn for something different. He eventually left to go direct the internal audit team of a bank in Greely, Colorado and you all know that I jumped ship to join the ranks of nurses.

Well, Jim is in town for an AICPA banking conference so we've been catching up on old stories while doing all of the quintessential Charlottesville things. He's had a tour of "grounds" including the Rotunda and will get to explore Monticello tonight. He's also eaten dinner on the "corner" and in the DG house so he has a true apprecieation for my life here. I think he secretly wants to go back to college! Here are the pics so far.

Jim holding up one of the columns of the Rotunda (front)

Jim and the life size statue of Mr. Jefferson...actually TJ is on a pedestal so it's a bit deceiving

We took Jim to the best burger place in Charlottesville for his first dinner. Turns out he ate Five Guys in the airport earlier that day. But he says "I'm a guy, I'll eat anything" and he did.

Evan and I at Boylan Heights with Jim. Evan has really enjoyed having Jim in town and is helping me entertain more than I ever expected. He is wonderful :-)

This is the inside of the dome room of the rotunda. I will actually graduate from nursing school in this room on August 1st! Originally, it was the university's first library, but now it is just a kick-ass room used for all kinds of university events and tours.

Of course having company is reason enough for me to make a cake! This is Jim's cake (in yellow and black) with a subtle shout out to the UVA football stadium around the edges.

My newest cake!