Hitched

This weekend the boys and I went down to the Chicago suburbs for my sister's wedding. We left on Friday and spied this SWEET Aston Martin in Oak Brook. I'd take it.

Then it was off to the Peabody Estate to set up for the wedding. It's a beautiful old home on Mays Lake.

Then ... Giordano's for pizza. Great Chicago-style pizza (cheese, and LOTS of it, on the bottom and sauce on the top).

As the sun was setting, we decided to head down to Main Street in Downers Grove for their weekly car show. Lots and lots of cars, old and new, and lots and lots of people. It was great to see the downtown of my youth so alive with people and fun shops/restaurants.

Lamborghini

Ferrari

As you might have noticed, I get a hoot out of looking at cars even though I drive something very "unfancy" and always will. But it's always fun to look. And it doesn't cost anything to look. :-)

Saturday morning I headed over to Waterfall Glen forest preserve to run the 9.6 mile loop through the park. It's a great running surface (tightly packed gravel) and such nice scenery. The place was packed. I'd run there twice before but never before had it been so crowded. Hundreds of vehicles and runners/cyclists.

After one loop, I was just soaked with sweat. My shoes were squishy. My water bottle was empty. And I didn't know if I had much more in me. I don't know what the dew point was, but it was right up there. I went to the car, grabbed two bottles of G2, a granola bar, and decided to go out at least a few miles and then turn back when I thought I'd had enough (or would have enough once I GOT back). Well, I backed off my pace and just kept motoring along. The CARA marathon training group that was out there was nice enough to let me refill one of my G2 bottles, so I drank 3 bottles on the second loop and it would have been nice to have had more. It was so hot, especially in the sun. Once I got past the 4 mile post (my GPS was dead) I figured that I might as well keep going forward rather than turn back. So I did just that. 19.2 miles when I got back to the parking lot. Decided 20+ miles sounded better than 19.2 so I headed out for another mile or so and called it good. I was toast. And what I wanted most of all was an ice cold Diet Coke and piece of leftover pizza and that's what I indulged in. It was worth every calorie.

Later in the day I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for what I thought was a fluffy kreme-filled donut (Bavarian Kreme). Turns out it was custard-filled. Yuck. So two bites was all I took. Then it was off to JCPenney to use my $15 off a $15 purchase coupon. I found a cute yellow top for $14.99. But you have to spend the whole $15 so I grabbed a $1.49 reusable shopping bag and checked out. Total spent? $1.60. I know how to play the coupon game.

Then went next door to Sports Authority. I had 6 "$5 off any purchase" coupons, so I grabbed 4 GUs. Total spent on 4 GUs? 43 cents. Still playin' the game.

Then, off to the wedding held at the Peabody Estate at Mayslake. It was hot, hot, hot out there.

I was the one cutting the cake.

The cake was delicious (bottom tier chocolate, top two vanilla) but it was so heavy I had to have Eric carry it from the kitchen to the patio. I'm guessing 40 to 50 pounds. I somehow managed to cut it up with several people watching me, standing in the sun, and I didn't get frosting all over that satin dress. Amazing. But I was dripping with sweat. On the way out of town, a bank thermometer said 105. I don't know how my sister didn't faint. Very nice wedding. :-)

On the way home (I was too hot to eat lunch), we stopped at McDonald's north of Madison, WI. I got a Happy Meal. Boy, it's been a long time. But the salty food hit the spot. My "toy" was "Gutsy" Smurf ... a runner. Ha!! It's now my Facebook profile pic.

A very enjoyable weekend spent with family.

Today, a nine-mile run. We (Mike, Kristin, Bri, Jim M) met at Essex Park at 7 AM for a 9-mile loop. At 5 miles I was toast and told Mike and Kristin to go on. I needed some walk breaks. My legs were so tired after the 20 yesterday and I was so hot and sweaty ...

Clothes were all stuck to me and shoes are still soaked

and I didn't want to hold them up. It was just miserable. I had nothing left.

The afternoon was spent finding more bargains (two $10  coupons at JCPenney so I got Eric two shirts and some flip flops for $6.19) and puttering around the house. Not much for outdoor activity after the run. I've just had enough with this humidity.

Well, enough for today. Have a great week. Good night.