Mommy's Here!

My mommy came to visit!

Even though I've been living in the Twilight Zone for about a year and a half now, I still get homesick and always love when my mom comes to visit. Not only do I get a gym partner and a Dancing With the Stars buddy, but for a few days it feels like I'm home (minus my cuddly Teddy...damn this stupid No Dogs Allowed apartment rule!).

How could you say no to this face?

On Monday, I got a 9 miler in before mom came in. Monday's run had some interesting events. First, some idiot cut me off at the turn and I almost took out the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. Normally, the people at the gym run like they drive, and never look behind them before they change lanes. But this guy did! He totally looked back saw me barreling down and decided he couldn't wait and had to get in front of me.  THEN, the Gum-Chewer, who has always had a big issue with me passing him, showed up. I saw that wild look in his eye when he turned and saw me coming and predictably, he sped up to drag out the inevitable. One of these days I swear I'm going to ask him if its worth it.

So, I did what any normal runner who'd nearly taken out a fire extinguisher would do...I decided to make his life a living hell :-) . You don't want me to pass you? YOU GOT IT! I got into predator mode and quickly matched his speed juuuuuust enough so I was breathing down his neck. I could see his sweat trickling down from exertion. Mwahahahaha! I think he learned his lesson. He gave up his charade after 3/4 of a lap.

Tuesday, mom arrived and our marathon shopping day began. We visited all the stores you can't find in Cleveland (Kroger, Meijer, Home Goods, oh my!). Which we rounded out with the requisite walk to Target (I loooove living within walking distance to the bullseye!) and then heckled Brook Burke on the DWTS Results Show (really, she serves no purpose!).

Can't take her anywhere!

Wednesday was gym time again! I dropped mom off at the stationary bike and headed upstairs for the track. Best run in weeks! My speed came back and I felt like I was back to flying! I'd been a little nervous about how I'd do running two 9 milers with only one day apart. It's the first time I've done this since the reinjury! But, the hip only gave a half-hearted protest when I first started out, and then each time I'd start out after a water break..... And I happily ignored it :-)

Thursday, mom and I rode the stationaries together. The gym was stifling and I had forgotten to switch out my fan batteries! I watched in horror as the little blades slowly crept to a stop. Despite having mom to talk to, it felt like the longest bike ride ever, and my sweat lake under the bike had turned into a small ocean. Ewwwwww.

Trying to out-wit bike solitaire

Now, it's finally the weekend! Hurray! Mom is safely back in Cleveland and I am blearily typing this blog as I wait for the clock to strike 6am so I can make my dining reservations for our next trip to Disney World! Yes, that's right.. I got up before the sun on a Saturday so I could make reservations for a dinner 6 months from now. The things you'll do to have warm, scrumptious pretzel bread and the chocolatey goodness of the 'Smores dessert at Le Cellier in Epcot. Mmmmmmm......

I just drooled on the keyboard

Next week is supposed to be warmer, so I may have to run outside. Not thrilled about that since it means running in a strong head wind half the time, and zero shade. Ah well, at least my running farmer's tan will get worked on!

On My Walls

It's been a fantastic weekend that, when not sleeping, I've spent covered in paint watching a ridiculous amount of documentaries on Netflix (Did you know that "price of food included" for cruises doesn't include all the restaurants on board? Who knew!?!).

I am so excited about the painting I'm working on, and can't wait to show you when its finished! It's turning out amazing, I don't think I've ever done one so well!  Since I don't have anything new to show you yet, I 've decided to give you a peek into my lovely home, and see what hangs on my walls. Here are all of the paintings I've done for my humble abode....

The Upstair's Landing

Minnie

Mickey

As Walt once said, "It all started with a mouse." In my case, it was Minnie. One day in 2009, I saw a picture of the Minnie painting on a Disney blogsite. Both the Minnie and the Mickey painting can be found in rooms at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. When I saw the picture I knew it was a style I could replicate. And it's gone down hill from there! I became obsessed with replicating Disney paintings and covering my walls with them.

Above the Couch

Donald - based on Tom Rogerson original

Mickey & Minnie - Based on Tom Rogerson original

Goofy - Based on Tom Rogerson original

Of all the pieces I've done for our home, these 3 are my favorites. They are identical to the originals, and really gave me confidence in what I could do.

Posing with the original last year - I told you they were identical!

The Living Room

Venice - Based on James Coleman original

This piece took me foooorever! It's huge, I think its 24" x 24", and it's completely stippled (stippling is shading with tiny dots of paint rather than brushstrokes).

The Dining Room

Cinderella

Rainbow

'Cinderella' is based on an etching found in one of the elevators at, where else, the Contemporary Resort at Disney World (and oddly, I've never even stayed at that hotel!) 'Rainbow', I found a picture of during a random image search on Google and fell in love. It's the only non-Disney painting I have done for the house.

Upstairs Hallway

The Pearl

This was a gift for the Turtle a few years ago, in honor of his huge love of Pirate's of the Caribbean.  It's definitely not one of my favorites, but its one of the first paintings I'd done with acrylic when I was still getting used to the medium...not that I'm a huge expert now!

So there you have it, a glimpse into what I stare at every day. Of course, this doesn't include all the different posters from Disney and Hawaii we've collected on our different trips...but who cares about those, I didn't make them!

In running news, I had a pretty good indoor 9-miler last Wed. We'll see what this week has in store for me!

Easter: The Sequel

This past Friday it was time to pack up Roberto (my beautiful, be-stickered car) and headed up to Cleveland for Easter II (Turtle's Easter).

Which means..............drum roll please........another run with RRB on the tow path! Wahoo! So much for easing back with one 9 miler a week. Ha! With last Saturday, a very speedy 9 at the gym Wed., and now this, that makes for a very foolish 27 miles in one week. What's that? A&E wants to talk to me for Intervention? What? Why? Heh heh.....

We meet again

This Saturday, it was a much warmer 45 degrees as I patiently waited for RRB to show up for our run......

We decided to take it easy and not go at our usual break neck speed. And thanks to the more relaxed pace, my hip hardly bothered me at all. I didn't even notice it until the very end, and even then, it wasn't a gait-effecting hurt.

And better yet, I found $5 on the trail! And since there's really no way of figuring out who it belonged to, I stuffed it in my pocket. And then I kept expecting John Quinones to pop out with his What Would You Do? camera crew and ask me why I took the money instead of tracking down its owner. But I got over my guilty conscience as I happily munched on my free Chicken Teriyaki sub for dinner. See, running pays.

That's roughly $.56 per mile

Aside from running, it was a crazy whirlwind weekend that I feel I need another weekend to recover from. I am in serious need of a major sleep marathon. Hopefully, this weekend I'll be able to catch up on some Zzzzs and work on my paintings!

Oddly, I found sleeping in difficult this weekend

Easter Weekend

Happy Two Days After Easter everyone! And thank you all so much for the super nice comments on my last few paintings, they really mean a lot to me!

This weekend felt like a whirlwind with family, running, birthdays and kielbasa!

Saturday morning I watched the temperature drop as I drove to one of my favorite spots in the whole world, the Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path.

Good thing I brought my gloves

But who needs fingers and toes when you're finally running again, after 3 weeks of glaring at other runners from the bike?! We were so giddy to be out and back at our spot ( RRB, Running Rockstar Buddy, is recovering from a hamstring injury) that we went Jedi-style and ran the horsetrails rather than the actual path. 

It was so much fun to be back in my element, with  RRB to talk to! Granted, it was a far from perfect run. After 6 miles, my hip started to bug me a bit and I needed to take a few little water breaks to catch my breath (heaven forbid I run at a reasonable pace). I was bit sore after the run and returning to normal is going to take a bit longer than I thought. I think I'm going to have to ease back in with one 9 miler a week (with the bike the other days of course) until I feel more normal. It didn't help that the horse trails  had inexplicable patches of Waikiki-deep sand that we had to wobble through.

But we had a fabulous time, and I had such a fabulous weekend! Here are a few highlights...

The Rockstars return!

Happy 30th Dawn!

Spying on shady Clevelanders

Move over TV, camera phones are the new babysitter

He'll look like this until I come back.....or someone else pets him. So fickle.

Catching Fire

Although disappointed by the Hunger Games movie, I'm holding out hope that Catching Fire will be much much better. Either way, it doesn't change that its a fantastic story! Here is the continuation of my Hunger Games series:

It took me foooorrrrever to get the orange and yellows right. Orange and yellow acrylic paints are very transparent and take a lot of mixing with more opaque colors to get them thicker...Which then alters the color and makes for one crabby and impatient Tink.

While the original Catching Fire book cover is just plain orange, I thought the painting was a little boring so I jazzed it up with red/brown flamey branches.

"Catching Fire" 10" x 10" acrylic

I See the Lights

Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies, and not just because I am Max the noble steed

Hmph

There is a beautiful scene when the main characters fall in love that is breathtaking. Here is my interpretation:

I guess the kitchen table has a use after all...

Rapunzel & Flynn Rider..or should I say, Eugene

Realizing this is going to take a loooooong time to finish

And finally........

"I See the Lights" - 3 Canvases