multi-purpose

one of this year's best purchases has definitely been my classic black miller bag, snagged during a fun-but-crazy vera bradley outlet sale event a few months ago. the uses for this bag are endless.

it works wonderfully as a laptop bag for my weeks back in the office.

i find it to be the perfect size for overnight work trips [although, admittedly, it can get to be a bit heavy to haul around clothes, shoes and toiletries on one shoulder and a computer on the other].

its many compartments make it a great companion for weekend trips to the farmer's market.

and i have, on occasion, also used it as a gym bag, a beach bag, and to tote around whatever craft projects i happen to be working on.

i tend to use my fave bag for carrying things. imagine my surprise when i found that it also doubles (triples? quadruples?) as a very comfortable lounge spot:)

quality friday: miami's best

business travel last week took me about as far outside of my standard west-coast territory as is possible. admittedly, i wasn't thrilled with the prospect of heading to miami - i knew that the long flight and airport travel time would fill up an entire work day, that the three hour time change would be difficult to adjust to (especially since my daily schedule started at 7am EST), and that the weather would be hot and humid (and BELIEVE me, it sure didn't prove me wrong).

i also knew that having colleagues there with me would make lunches and dinners enjoyable, and they certainly were. yet the thing that made the trip worthwhile for me on a personal level, was an opportunity to visit with a dear friend whom i haven't seen in years.

chryso and i formed a wonderful friendship during the many (manymanymany) hours that we spent in lab together doing our undergraduate independent research projects, and as teachers for a fantastic program that brought local grade school students into a university setting to learn to love biology.

six years later, we were able to pick it up right where it left off. we talked about our families as though no time had passed, and i felt thoroughly welcomed into their home and their lives. i was quickly reminded of the warmth and love that chryso and her husband lambros share, as we enjoyed a delicious dinner together and shared stories and much laughter over coffee afterwards. they are amazing, these two! not only in their professional lives where labmros is a lawyer and co-founder of a charter school, and chryso is completing her residency in pediatrics, but as parents as well. their beautiful, charming and sweet daughter, zoe, is clearly the pride and joy of their lives.

i don't think that a happier family exists in miami, and it made my week - and thoroughly brightened my trip - to spend an evening with them!

chryso, zoe and lambros in their gorgeous new home

inspiring

its stories like this one that remind me that i work in a field, and for a company, that impacts lives. take a moment to watch the video - i know it will touch your heart the way it did mine.

gus, a long-time colleague of mine, had the opportunity of a lifetime - to help save a little girl's life. the national marrow donor program helps to match donors and recipients - like gus and selena - though screening programs that help ensure successful transplants for those suffering life-threatening diseases.

consider joining the registry or donating cord blood. imagine being able to save a life.

gus meets selena for the first time yesterday

a marathon to remember

..it doesn't matter if we don't finish within our goal time -- or don't finish at all. what matters is that we tried, that we enjoyed the process. what matters is that we got out there."

~ john bingham

i woke up sunday morning ready to take on the world. every part of me was confident that by mid-afternoon i'd have completed my very first marathon, and i was looking forward to the thrill of the day. after weeks [and weeks and weeks] of living and breathing running, race day had finally arrived.

i quickly showered and applied a thick layer of spf 70 in anticipation of the expected heat, consumed my favorite race-morning meal of waffles covered with peanut butter, bananas and syrup, grabbed my race gear, and we were off.

ready to run

good 2 go

by 7:45am, i had found a spot at the start line, surrounded by nearly 35,000 other runners. i could see the 12 min/mile pace group nearby, and realized that i was further back than i wanted to be, but there was just no way to push forward to get to the 10 min/mile group. already, the temperature was in the mid 70's - much warmer than i had hoped - and i reminded myself that i was going to need to start slow.

at 7:59 the horn sounded and the crowd erupted in cheers. the elite athlete were off, and 20 minutes later my timing chip beeped as i crossed the start to music that had me pumped to go. mile 1 felt great. i had no knee pain, adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and the only thing i needed - already - was some water. as i checked my pace, i realized that i was running faster than i should have been, so i reminded myself, again, to slow down.

i saw the signs for water and gatorade as i rounded the corner, and was relieved. but as i approached, i quickly realized that there none left. "not a huge deal," i reassured myself as i moved forward, "i'll just get some at the next stop." yet i couldn't help but panic a little when i heard someone comment that if the aid stations didn't have water, they would just head off-course to buy some at a 7-11. my mind raced... what?!?! i hadn't brought any money! why didn't i think to bring money? what if there was no water for me to drink?!?!

thankfully, i found something to drink, but it was a battle to hydrate all along the way. for the first 8 miles, the water and gatorade stops were in complete disarray. there were no filled cups neatly lined on tables, ready to be handed out by volunteers. instead, many stations were completely empty, and volunteers were yelling "keep going - water at the end of the block". i pushed my way through lines, even grabbing a used cup to have it refilled when all the new cups were gone. at one point, i even stopping a runner with a huge jug of water, and begged for a drink.

hydration aside, battling the heat was another challenge. the temperatures soared to 88 degrees, and we were all struggling to keep cool. shop owners and residents all along the route had pulled hoses out to spray us down in an effort to help keep the runners cool. i assure you, it would have been a far different day, had it not been for the support of the thousands of chicagoans lining the course. i ran through lincoln park, bucktown, greektown, little italy, i was met with encouragement. it was exhilarating to hear the cheers, the clapping, and until the letters of my name feel off my shirt, i had hundreds of people cheering for me by name. "go audrey!" "You Can Do It Audrey!" "WAY TO GO AUDREY!"

and as i ran, accepting that i was dropping further and further off pace due to the heat and humidity, all i could think about was the next time i would see another family member or friend. i kept scanning the crowds that i passed for familiar faces, and was so thrilled to see my cheering coworker at mile 5, that i stopped to give her a sweaty hug! my mom met me with a hug and a banana at mile 6, and mark and leslie with high-fives and yells of "KEEP GOING AUDREY" at mile 7.

the list goes on and on. i saw my coworker again at mile 10, just missed mark and leslie at mile 12, saw my mom two more times at miles 13 and 16. melissa, kjersten, esther and grace met me at mile 15. and brandon surprised me at mile 17, where he started to bike alongside me for a bit. it was each of these individual moments that motivated me to keep going. the oppressive heat, the pain that found its way back into my knee, the mental struggle were all but forgotten when i saw the face of yet another one of my amazing supporters.

a photo text sent by my mile 15 support crew

still, it was impossible to ignore that impact of the heat that day. every aid station along the way was full. sirens could be heard almost constantly, and chicago had to call in EMTs from neighboring suburbs to help treat and the many people who suffered from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. as i crossed the timing mat at 30K (ashland and 15th street), i saw a man surrounded by about 8 other runners as one person applied CPR and another pumped his chest. i remember slowing down to pray for him and for clarity for myself, as i evaluated for the 10th time that day how i was truly feeling. was i pushing myself too hard? should i continue on?

i was fine, but others were not. over 300 people were taken to hospitals. one man died, and i later realized that he was likely the same man i saw. devastating.

i kept going. at some point, i realized that it hurt more to walk than to run, so i ran. soon after, i heard a voice behind me, and realized that it was my dear friend, kathy, who mark and i had supported in last year's marathon - an experience that inspired me to run this year. i was elated! we hugged, and decided to finish the race together.

shortly after mile 20, a woman's voice could be heard repeating "the marathon has been cancelled due to the heat. slow down - do not run. the marathon has been cancelled". cancelled!?!? at first i didn't understand. what did she mean, cancelled? chicago had never cancelled a marathon before. i had just run 20 miles, and knew i could do 6 more (or at least, i thought i could). up ahead of us, firefighters had opened hydrants to cool us down as we slowed to a stop. i was disappointed and i started to deflate. all that wasted time and effort - my weeks and weeks of training - had been in vain. i wasn't going to finish.

i knew that mark, norman, leslie, jonathan and casandra were all waiting at mile 21, and wylene, reggie, josh and kim were at mile 23. i called them all to tell them that the race had been cancelled. i walked ahead to find my mile 21 support crew who had started to walk towards me, and we met with hugs. as we headed back towards chinatown together, we debated what to do.

at some point i decided that i wanted to at least walk to the finish. mark quickly said that he'd walk with me, and soon jonathan and casandra chimed in that they'd do it, too. we met brandon, and later my mom, and together walked to remaining 6 miles to the finish line.

i can't tell you how amazing it was to have this group with me. i thank them, again and again, for helping me to end the race on a positive note. had i taken the shortcut back, had i boarded one of th many busses sent out to cart us to the finish, i would have been even more disappointed.

brandon, jonathan, casandra and mark - my six-mile support crew!

with my biggest fan:)

reggie, wylene, josh and kim - still waiting at mile 23! AMAZING!

five down, only one more to go

crossing the finish in 6:22:29. sigh.

to keep me warm?

finisher's medal

thanks for the flowers, honey!

so almost a week later, how do i feel? will i run another marathon? i'm not sure. my knee and my body are still recovering. i have mixed emotions about the day, the events throughout, and especially about seeing my finish time published in the paper and on the marathon website. i didn't get to feel that amazing feeling as i crossed the finish-line that i've been told about by many marathon veterans. in fact, i don't even know for sure that i can run 26.2.

one thing that i do know, is that i'll never forget last sunday for as long as i live. from the start to the finish its filled with countless memories and stories that i can, and will, tell for a lifetime.

yes. it certainly was a marathon to remember.

peachy keen

baking. that's a word that i love the sound of.

when i hear it, i smell the sweetness of delectable desserts, and the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread. i think back to the many years of helping my mom with coffee cakes, amish friendship and banana breads, pan de sal, christmas cookies - the list goes on and on. i love to bake, and hope that what i lack in cooking, i make up for in this department.

sadly, since we've moved, i have done absolutely none of it. perhaps its because i'm still adjusting to my crazy travel schedule, or because the weather has been too warm. more likely, though, its because the one box that was lost somewhere in the 2000 miles between illinois and california was the one with all my pans, cooling racks, mixing bowls and other baking necessities.

when we were invited to dinner at my cousin's home in napa this past sunday, i found myself jumping at the opportunity to break the nasty no-baking streak, and excited to try my hand at a new recipe. this one was perfect for the in-between season we find here in late september. it contains peaches and raspberries reminiscent of the summer sun under a warm crisp that promises to draw you in from light chill of early autumn evenings.

i thought i'd share it with you foodies out there - aren't you proud of the use i've gotten out of my very first cookbook, signed by the contessa herself?

**********************************
ina's peach and raspberry crisp

4 to 5 pounds firm, ripe peaches
zest of 1 orange
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pint raspberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

immerse peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. peal and then slice peaches into large wedges and place in a large bowl. add orange zest [i admit that i had no fresh oranges, so i used some juice instead], 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. toss well and gently mix in the raspberries. allow to sit for 5 minutes, and add 1 more tablespoon of flour of there is a lot of liquid. pour peaches into a buttered 10 x 15 x 2 1/2 inch oval baking dish.

combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries. bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp, and the juices bubbly.

serve immediately, or reheat in the oven just before serving, as we did. vanilla ice cream was the perfect topping for this treat!

six years!

on saturday, mark and i celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. it was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed looking back on the years that have passed. as we do every year, we reminisced on about our wedding day - our favorite memories, the people that shared it with us, and how we have been blessed with a love for each other continues to grow with each passing day.

kate enjoying the flowers

we began celebrating early on the 29th. my flight home from calgary was delayed, getting me home just after midnight on friday night/saturday morning. mark welcomed me with a dozen roses and a bottle of chilled champagne, ready for us to enjoy in our wedding flutes.

the day was spent relaxing together and enjoying each other's company. we headed into san francisco for a late dinner farallon, an amazing restaurant with an underwater design that pairs well with the "coastal cuisine" menu. the meal was absolutely delicious - from the dungeness crab bisque that we started with, to the caviar that we shared, to the oysters and steamed crab that we had so been looking forward to. we were not at all disappointed. we even had room to enjoy the dessert creations of the pastry chef. we left that evening completely satisfied, and purchased chef mark franz' cookbook containing all the restaurant's secrets.

it was exactly what we we looking for, and definitely the perfect place for us to celebrate six wonderful year.

quality friday: mountains majesty

this past week, travel for work took me to the beautiful city of calgary, alberta for a few days.

immediately, the city welcomed me with the beautiful colors of autumn [which i miss, dearly] , an abundance of tall evergreens, crisp cool and refreshing air, and with unbelievable clouds filling the vast expanses of sky [no skyscrapers, no tall bridges, just beautiful blue sky].

the surroundings were a treat to my eyes and as i took in the countless golden poplars and picturesque cumulus cloud, i found myself wanting more. needing more.

thursday night afforded me some free time, and so, on the recommendation of a few locals, i quickly hopped into my rental car and headed west on trip to the nearby mountains.

as i drove, enjoying the beauty of God's marvelous creation, i filled the time with self-reflection and prayer. minutes turned to hours, as i placed my heart in His hands. enjoying every moment of the solice i found, there was a song on my lips and tears in my eyes as i realized that this was what i had been wanting. it was more of this - time with God - that i had been longing for and needing.

each person has a different place where they find themselves closest to God. for me, its the glory of His creation that draws me neigh. calming waves lapping against rocks. trees displaying the fiery colors of autumn. snow-capped mountains, pronounced and majestic.

enjoying clouds like these, all the way to the mountains

banff national park, tucked in the canadian rockies, is full of wildlife including elk and caribou

the road to the town of banff, a welcoming path lined with evergreens