The "secret sorority"

Today I finished my second half marathon! That's 13.1 miles of pure running high which is one way to explain the addiction and fun of running. Today was Disney's Princess Half Marathon where 17,000 fellow "princesses" took to the course with me bright and early to challenge ourselves. Even though I ran this course before a year ago last January for the Donald Duck half marathon, there's still a sense of excitement that comes over you as the fairy godmother starts each running group with a wave of her wand and a firework display. Running for me is about reaching personal goals but what I really noticed today was the bonding that takes place between people from all over the country who unite for a common cause. I call it a "secret sorority" because it's truly about friends new, old and people you've never met before encouraging and supporting you on the way. Maybe because the race is mostly 99.9% women (yes we had a few male Cinderellas in the mix for entertainment) but I was pleased to see strangers helping each other out, encouraging, smiling happily to take your photo even after they were exhausted themselves... the outreach among the runners just didn't end. The simple act of running towards a common goal unites the group. You get excited for the girl you breezes past you because you know she's tackling her own personal goal too. And you simply wish her success on the way.

So in the spirit of being super tired I'll keep this blog entry short and just say congrats to my fellow running princesses who completed their first ever race (Eileen and Karin aka Belle and Sleeping Beauty) pictured with me. Personal bests all around - This princess personally shaved 12 min off my last half marathon and is looking forward to more races and opportunities to bond with other fellow runners in this "secret sorority" in the future.

Goodnight from Orlando. Cinderella is getting some much needed beauty rest after today.

Crossing state lines and inviting new friends into the celebration...

This past weekend, my 40y40p celebration crossed state lines into Raleigh, NC. Mary and I flew up to NC to spend the weekend with her friend Tanya and enjoy a much needed getaway from Florida. Thankfully the snow had melted and the weather during the day was gorgeous. After a very late 3am arrival, we kicked off Saturday with a little retail therapy. After picking up a few great deals, we headed home to get ready for the evening. The night introduced us to more new friends as we enjoyed dinner in downtown Raleigh at Buku. Looking around the table and getting to know everyone I realized that no matter what you may have going on in your life at the moment everyone needs to take a step back, relax and just enjoy an evening out with new friends. After a delicious dinner, we walked over to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium to see a performance of The Producers. If you aren't familiar with the show it's a comedy meant to offend just about everyone as two producers set out to create the worst broadway show ever in order to rip off their investors. Without giving away the ending, needless to say the result is not what they intended. The real lesson true to life.

Today we woke up to a beautiful sunny day and decided to go for a hike in the Duke Forest. The trek was a little over a mile but took us down a beautiful path to a river. Just a few miles away from the city yet a million miles away from reality. A very peaceful escape.

Landing in Orlando, I was welcomed home by the most beautiful sunset. The picture above doesn't do it justice. One of my favorite things to do is to fly at night. As we approached Orlando the sun just slid under the horizon. Flying at night is so relaxing as small lights light up the neighborhoods just below us. Then with a sudden hit we're back to reality.

The takeaway this weekend is that taking a chance and trying something new can give you unexpected, good results. I had no expectations for the weekend other than seeing a show. But what the weekend actually offered was a way to connect with new people, places and a chance to try new things. It's amazing how a quick flight can clear your head and give you a new perspective on life. Here's hoping all my friends take advantage and say yes to the unexpected. You never know what you may gain in return.

It's a Brand New Day

Went & saw Joshua Radin last week at Center Stage. Never been to Center Stage before, but totally digging the indie rock vibe in their theatre. Note to self: must go back.


If you don’t recognize Joshua’s name…I’m sure you’ve heard his music before. Got his big start with a song on Scrubs. Remember that show? Full of crazy humor & angst. Joshua Radin’s music is on the softer angst side…a sweet, soulful sound.


I’m a firm believer there are two types of people. People who feel music. And people who don’t. You just can’t fake it…


Anyhow…so at his concert last week, I had the opportunity (in-between sets) to people watch. One of my favorite hobbies. And at Center Stage, there’s plenty to view. Strange mix of people all around.


Directly in front of me were a teenage girl & her boyfriend. But they were there with her parents. Whaa?? Yep, her parents. As much as I love my parents, I can’t imagine going on a double-date to a concert with them…while in high school! I can’t get over it. Who does that? At that age, I’d rather die than have my parents chaperone my date. The poor boyfriend…he was trying so hard to be cool, but obviously nervous/scared sh*tless to be sitting next to his girlfriend’s dad (a big, brawny man).


Then to my right…was a young married couple in their 20s. Very cute couple. But the girl was the most unsocial/reserved woman I’ve ever met. Never said a word to anyone. Really? At a concert (especially in-between sets), everyone’s mingling, talking, drinking, etc. Being social. But not this girl. Glued to her husband. The guy was social, though. So does this mean opposites attract? And do opposites always attract?


To my left…was a middle-aged couple. As I type middle-aged, I almost cringe. I think I’m now middle-aged. When did that happen?? Well, the couple to my left gave me hope. A funky, in-town couple. Probably in their mid-40s. Still in style (dressed cooler than everyone else, I might add). Rockin’ it at Center Stage.


I certainly don’t feel middle-aged. And luckily (or so I’ve been told), I don’t look my age. In a few weeks I’ll be rockin’ the big 4-0. Funny...what they say is true. At this age, you know yourself. You know what you want. And you know what you don’t want.


I’m honestly thankful to be done with my teens (that young couple in front of me proved it). And the quiet, reserved girl in her 20s…eh, I’m done with that, too. So I look forward to celebrating another year. Another milestone. And I look forward to starting each day after. Brand new days to celebrate & feel the music…


Brand New Day~Joshua Radin (check him out!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VqVz7f8m5g

It's Monday night already?

I can't believe how the weeks fly by. The blog is definitely on my mind throughout the week and I have to say that it does motivate me to go out when I could easily curl up on the couch at home and catch up on recorded shows. This past weekend was spent down in the Ft. Lauderdale area with my family as we "sprinkled" my sister in law in celebration of my future niece. A sprinkle as I learned is a baby shower for those who just had babies. Hmm good to know but if I get to one shower at my age that will be good. Heck I'll just go for one big splash in the pool if that helps! The theme was all about pink candy including an elaborate "candy bar" put together by yours truly and my mom. The event was fun and we all can't wait to meet Ms. Kennedy when she arrives early March. She couldn't wait just a bit longer to be an Aries like her Aunt Dee but that's ok one Aries is enough per family.

That night, truly inspired by the blog, I met up with a former co-worker who moved down to Lauderdale by the Sea. The S. Fl area has so much to offer in terms of restaurants, bars, people watching that I really don't take advantage of the area when I'm down there. I was so happy MC wanted to get together and check out Las Olas Blvd. It was a perfect S. FL night high 70's (I hear it's snowing somewhere???) not here. The restaurants were packed with outdoor diners eating, sipping wine and what else people watching. We had our recommended list of stops from a friend of hers and after strolling and peeking into a few places we started at Solita a great restaurant and bar with great music. We sat at the bar, caught up and what else do you do in S Fl - people watch. After a drink we tried one more spot YOLO (you only life once). True to S Fl fashion, the fancy cars were purposely parked up front and the velvet rope with bouncers head to toe in black were out. The locals were huddled around a huge fire pit although it was still in the 70's. We decided that this was the night for scouting out places for my next trip. YOLO seems to be a good happy hour place we determined based on the location of office buildings in the area, but that night seemed to be date night. We hung out for awhile and then called it a night by midnight.

Heading home on the drive back Sunday, I was thinking about all that we packed into a short 48 hours. I also knew that I already had made plans for tonight (Monday) so I was already thinking ahead to what could be in store.

Tonight was a kickoff event for the United Arts of Central Florida's annual fundraising event. The event was held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando. I met up with my friend Danielle who serves on an art board with me. The party was full with all sorts of local art supporters and local officials. There were even a few local artists painting and performing throughout the party. A good Monday night out with a different type of crowd. As I sat there and listened to the mayor speak, I looked around the room and was proud of the support our local community gives to the arts. It's nice to finally be known for more than just a home for the "mouse". Danielle and coordinated calendars as we typically do and figured we have time to squeeze in a happy hour soon. Looking forward to that.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for next weeks update which includes a random trip to Raleigh for the weekend! Mary and I are off on a random adventure that all I know includes dinner and a show. The rest is wide open. Get out and enjoy the week! I hope my girls in Atlanta are doing the same!

"The one thing the world will never have enough of is the outrageous." Salvador Dali

Happy February! I can’t believe a whole month has already flown by. It feels like we just rang in the New Year…ringing in 2011, which we’ve deemed the year of celebrations!

My resolution this year is to do more of the outrageous. More of the out-of-the-norm. More of anything that gets me away from work! More of doing things I’ve always wanted to do. More of doing things I’ve never even thought about doing. A whole year of celebrating!

Lucky for me, I was able to squeeze into the High Museum for the final hours of their Dali exhibit last month. Dali ‘til Dawn! A 31-hour party to celebrate the art of Salvador Dali. Someone who embraced life…lived it & enjoyed it. Someone who did what he wanted. No regrets.

So now that January’s behind us, and the Dali exhibit has moved on…I look forward to the next 11 months & to experiencing more of the outrageous. Salud, Senor Dali. Salud, 2011!

Tuesday night out - BA-NA-NAS

So my friends and I decided to shake up the week with a fun "girls" night out at a local diner. While it serves the normal diner fare, the staff and entertainment is what drives people there. Bananas is truly that, a fun and entertaining experience where the wait staff is dressed to the nines in their very best drag queen fashion. Tonight was "Broadway night" and who can resist show tunes, fabulous outfits and great diner food?

Inspired by a performance from the musical "Hair", Kerri and I decided to dress for the occasion. We ended up bonding with the girls and promised to come back again. I don't think I've ever said this sentence before but I had the best Veggie Egg White Omelet served by a super cool drag queen. Probably not where we're going to meet our future husbands but a fun weekday night out.

Weekend wrap up

Sunday nights use to be rough for a singleton. It's the night where everyone is home with their families and preparing for the upcoming week. I usually find myself catching up on what's recorded on TIVO, cleaning the house or doing a few things online. The blog has given me the chance to take Sunday nights and use them for something more fun and productive.

Keeping with the spirit of the 40y40p blog, which is to get out and celebrate this year in fun and unique ways, I enlisted the help of 2 good friends Kerri and Mary to help me live up to this goal. More on that in a bit.

After a somewhat uneventful Friday night, I woke up Saturday morning to take my first Mac class at Apple. This not only proved to be very informative but I also found by the size of the crowd in the store that this is a way a lot of people spend their Saturday mornings. By the end of my 1 1/2 hr session, the place was packed with all kinds of people browsing and shopping. I think it will be worth checking out some other classes in the future. I have full intention of being a Mac pro! After a great chat with a Mac genius about how I can transfer the music off my PC, I grabbed Mac and hit Starbucks for a quick coffee. Walking out of the mall with my new computer and coffee in hand I thought "how trendy am I?" but then I remembered I had to run off to my friend Jenn son's birthday party.

The party itself is blog worthy not because of the adorable 1 year old and yummy food and cake, but because it put me out there with people I don't always hang out with socially. So after a few hours of socializing and catching up with former co-workers we agreed to do a night out in the near future referring to it as one of many possible "real housewives and singletons of waterford lakes" gatherings.

So Saturday night is when the fun celebrating began. My two partners in crime (Kerri and Mary) and I started out at Funky Monkey for some yummy sushi, wine and catching up. We had the bases covered. Kerri a single mom, Mary pretty much still a newlywed and officially now our wing woman (more to come on that) and me sat around and talked about what else...men, jobs and fun ways to get out there and have fun. I realized no matter if it's a year dedicated to celebrating your birthday, you're recently married or you're a mom with an adorable little girl, there's still a need to have fun, be an individual and live life to its fullest. The girls were on board with the mission of 40y40p and promised to help however they could. Before getting the car to go to our next stop we stopped in Bananas a new local diner next door. As luck would have it, Kerri knew one of the managers and before we knew it we were signed up for Tuesday nights "Broadway themed" dinner. This IS blog worthy but you'll have to wait and don't worry pictures will be included. As you can imagine, the "Bananas" wait staff is a little out there...

After we made our reservation for Tuesday night and discussed that we should try to dress in theme of one of the shows that the night - one of which is the 60's show Hair, we headed out to see a friend of mine play guitar and sing at a local bar. Now if you would have told me ages ago that I was taking my friends to Tom & Jerry's a total dive bar I would have said you're nuts. But it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Joe is a friend I met over a year ago and we've been virtual friends since. He's started playing guitar and singing recently and has been inviting his facebook friends out to see him. The night was fun, Joe sounded great but the night really got interesting when it became official that Mary was going to be our wing woman. For those of who watch "How I Met Your Mother" Mary pulled the old "have you met my friend Deanna" trick on a cutie at the bar. We're not sure if he fully got the connection to the show but it cracked us up and has now become Mary's new pick up line. Bonus points for Mary for having the nerve to do it, bonus point for the guy for saying I was pretty and that he was checking me out but also bonus points for saying he had a girlfriend. Where was she we don't know but we left cracking up over the entire event.

So that's pretty much the celebrations for this weekend. Upcoming events include Tuesday night's Broadway themed dinner, a trip with Mary to NC in a few weeks and also a Katy Perry concert here in Orlando in June.

I haven't heard from my girls in ATL I hope they aren't frozen to death up there but I look forward to getting some of our big trips on calendar soon. Night from O-town.

D

Rainy night in Florida

It's one of those rainy Florida nights where the winds whip through from 80-100 mph, nothing is on TV but weather reporters are all standing in front of moving maps with big red marks flashing all over and people are running to the stores to buy every last loaf of bread because that's what we want to live on when we can't get to the stores right? Not this girl if we're going down I'll take the chocolate! Anyway...luckily it was one of those random "hurricane like" nights that just happens out of season. The good news is by the time I got home, picked up my "boy Mac" yes I am the new owner of a Mac and I love him! The weather just picked up in time for me to play with my new toy and update the blog.

Well the weekend did end up being pretty low key but in a good way. After the race on Saturday, I met up with my friend Kerri and her daughter for a little retail therapy and coffee talk :) Later that night my friend Mary and I went to the Enzian Theater to see the Rabbit Hole. The Enzian is a great historic theater that has an outdoor bar and serves food. It's the home of the Florida Film Festival and usually has a lot of movies with subtitles. The crowd is eclectic and great for people watching. The movie which I heard is up for some Oscars??? was great, sad but a good story.

So overall pretty low key. I'll try to kick it up a notch this weekend with hopefully a girls night out. I'm off to play with my boy Mac. I think I'm in love!

Weekend kickoff

It's a cool brisk Saturday morning in Orlando and the weekend got started off with a 5.2K race though beautiful Winter Park. The race, sponsored by my company, brought out all kinds of people ready to take on the 3.2 miles and face the "cold" for us Floridians - it was in the 50's. I'm training towards my second 1/2 marathon at the end of Feb. I probably need to kick it up a notch in the mileage department but overall not a bad time if you count time for switching music, taking off the jacket after mile 1 and browsing at the gorgeous homes along the race route.

This weekend has turned into a no plan plan weekend which can either be very interesting or low key. Either way I'm tossing it up to the universe to lead me in the right direction. Bye for now! D

Day 17 - I'm going to try to keep track of the days in the year and not count the parties, although I am at around 4 or 5 depending on how we are counting them. It's been an interesting and unexpected holiday week. Not really a holiday, rather, an entire week of housebound in the snow. A rare and unusual issue for Atlantans, the city shuts down with a few inches of snow. Northerners don't seem to understand this, but the big issue is the ice. The 5-6" of snow we got was topped off by .25-.5" of ice, compress this on the interstates/surface streets/driveways and we aren't going anywhere. Sure, "why don't you have more snow plows?" came up a few times this week, but seriously, why would we have a bunch of snow plows? The last time it snowed this much was 1993 (some of you may remember this as the famous yet disastrous Alabama visit). So, we hunker down until it is safe, turns out that was just over 5 days. Crazy.

Despite the "snowpocalypse" I was able to venture out, fortunately I have some great neighbors who were also getting a little stir crazy. I made it out to do some sledding on Tuesday afternoon. It was a great experience. My parents chuckled as their "near 40" daughter reels in excitement over sledding, but then they realized, growing up in Florida does not offer one many chances to sled. They were more surprised to find out that I called out to sled by some of my 50+ aged neighbors.

Whizzing all the way down 8th Street was exhilarating and much easier than I thought. No injuries to report, although I did hurt myself later that night playing video games (Wii and the PS3 Move and the like aren't really mean for us elderly people). So, party 3 or so for me was a group of neighbors getting together, playing video games, remarking about the crazy weather and drinking way to much tequila (but we did make plans to go out Friday night). Kaleidoscope is a new restaurant in our neighborhood which did quite a bit of business during the "situation on the streets."

Wine tasting Tuesday night, Bunco Wednesday night, it's gearing up to be a big week already. No more saying no to fun activities during the week, just moderation on tequila.

Party 2 1/2?? Well call it 3!

For the holiday weekend, my family celebrated my adorable nephew's 3rd birthday. It's a party, with alcohol and cake so that should qualify for the blog right? :) well anyway it was fun and was complete with a bounce house which made me think..hmmm a bounce house could really enhance my next wine party :)

Cameron's friends and family were on hand to celebrate in true Toy Story fashion from balloons, bounce house, decorations and a custom made Toy Story cake made by my good friend Kerri - check out her website at kennikakes.com. The cake traveled 3 hours all the way down I-95 to North Lauderdale and arrived in perfect condition.

I drove back to Orlando on a rainy Monday morning and after uploading some pictures, paying bills it's time to work on some more social plans that involve a little more adult socializing. Still a fantastic time had by all!

Day 10 - Indefinitely Stranded at Home & Darth Righteous

It took some effort, but Steph and I refused to stay in and made it out to Youngblood Gallery and the Righteous Room. We met up with Aldo and Mike and had funny conversations, music, brownies, rehab, and art. These are my favorite photos from the night, sadly, taken in the bathroom at the Righteous Room. I have now decided that the bar will be forever known as the Darth Righteous.

The art at Youngblood was interesting, the theme was animals, but not Audubon watercolors, rather contemporary abstracts and animals representing the conflicts and issues people normally experience.

So it turns out that I could have gone on that ski trip with my family. It's looking as though we may be out of school until much later this week. I didn't go skiing because it's the second week of school, can't miss that, and here I sit. I've made a good day of it so far. I took a walk at 8:30 this morning and socialized with my new neighbors. We were busy assessing who had the most vodka and what time it would be reasonable for us to start drinking. Shannon and Jeff drove over (he's quite the professional driver - really) and we drove up to Dunkin Donuts, mostly so Jeff would have an excuse to try some donuts in the road. It was fun, scary and impressive. Though the car seemed out of control it was clear Jeff knew what he was doing. It sure looks pretty with all the snow everywhere. It was so bright in the middle of the night it was spooky. My guess is that the city lights that normally make the cloud cover glow was then bouncing off the snow and making it even brighter. Spectacular.

My neighbors just brought me some chili for dinner and I will continue knitting, building furniture, doing laundry and lastly, I'll take down the Christmas tree. I know, it's the second week of January, but I missed the "Christmas" snow, and the tree is my favorite decoration of all. If I could leave it up all year and change it for each holiday I'd be so happy.

Deanna - Party #2

Kim's right. Getting back into the groove of things is tough for the new year. All those meetings that were pushed due to people's vacation schedules are crammed into the first few weeks of 2011. However that is NOT going to stop me from moving forward with the goal of 40y40p. So in the spirit of getting out there and having fun, I thought I'd mix things up for 2011 and contact some new friends to widen my social circle. Saturday night my friend Danielle and I who have known each other for years but more through past jobs and volunteer work, decided to see what downtown Orlando had to offer on a Saturday night.

We started at Ceviche on Church Street, a Spainsh Tapas Restaurant. The scene was packed more than I've seen before with a mixture of people but we were probably teetering on the top of the age range. Regardless we enjoyed our Spanish wine and tapas, catching up and people watching. We continued with a walk around downtown hopping in and out of some of our old haunts. The downtown Orlando scene has turned very young lately and there's a great need for a place that caters to the 35+ crowd. The weather was cool for Florida so we ended up sitting at the bar at Ember. For anyone who remembers O-town from the past Ember is the Old Kate O'Briens which was the Fri/Sat night hangout for me for YEARS back in the day. The charm of the old bar is gone and and a new flashy S. Beach vibe has taken over. Definetly a great place to sit at the indoor bar and people watch, wine rating OK but we definetly think it's a place worth checking out for the outdoor bar with TVs and palm trees once our nights hit 70 again.

We ended the night with a much needed coffee at the Dessert Lady a small cafe back on Church Street. A fun night out and during our conversation we made a deal to keep an eye out for men for each other. You never know right ladies? It's about expanding that circle of friends. That's all from O-town this weekend. D

Day 6, Daily Posting Not So Easy at Almost Forty

Not wanting to make this blog all about work, I haven't logged in in several days. Back to school after the winter holidays is always rough. From sleeping 10-11 hours a night to a mere 5-6 hours, combined with 36 hours of work in three days, I'm sleep deprived, barely avoiding pre-dawn vehicular accidents and doubting my ability to party 4o times in this 40th year.

But, that's why we are here to support each other. My girls have been busy at work, investigating our options for our first two planned trips.

NYC... here we come. Sometime in April we're hitting the big apple and hitting it hard (imagine that said like I was a white girl trying to be ghetto... dragging out the syllables, "har-rr-d"). After visiting New York at least five times, feeling like I've hit all the major museums and galleries, it's time to hit the nightlife scene. Of all the nightlife I've found myself involved with, I've never done the NYC nightclub scene. (Oh lord, we don't want this to be a "bucket list of things to do by 40"). Jen, Rory, we're on our way to your bar.

Costa Rica... tropical summer, beaches, cabana boys, daiquiris, zip-lines, spas, cabana boys, rain forest, right, this won't be crazy. This will be the summer trip to end all trips (although there will be plenty more trips after this one, this year and on and on...

40 Years, 40 Parties: Day One

A website dedicated to the fun fabulous women turning 40 in 2011! Join us on our journey as we celebrate our milestone through our travels, adventures and social gatherings. Our New Years Resolution is 40 parties in 2011 and quite possibly a few engagements along the way. Here's to a fantastic journey....stay tuned...

40 Years, 40 Parties: Day One: "40 years, 40 parties starts off with a bang. NYE in Atlanta, GA watching the Seminoles beat South Carolina 26 - 17. Rooftop toasts at Stats..."

There's no better way to kick off Official 40Y40P party #1 but with our Florida State Seminoles! The night was first class with 50 yard line seats (row 8) and champagne to toast a win at midnight!

Day One

40 years, 40 parties starts off with a bang. NYE in Atlanta, GA watching the Seminoles beat South Carolina 26 - 17. Rooftop toasts at Stats to ring in the new year, it's gonna be a good one, stay tuned.