Cycle for Life

I'd heard of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) before, but, until recently, I didn't know a thing about it. After doing some research I've learned that CF is a life-threatening genetic disease. It affects the respiratory and digestive systems of 30,000 children and adults in the US. The disease occurs when a child receives the CF gene from both parents. What is scary is that more than 10 million in the US are unaware, symptom-less hosts of the CF gene. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is important because nearly every approved CF drug that is available today was made possible by the CFF.

On Sunday, 7 October 2012 I will ride my bike 30 miles for the CFF. The event is called Cycle for Life, and, taking place in Lake Mary, FL, it is sponsored by Aptalis. I'm happy to participate in Cycle for Life to benefit those battling CF.

A responsibility of my participation is raising funds to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My goal is to raise $150. If you are interested in supporting this cause, please visit my donation page and click the "Click to Donate" button. Thank you. = ) Know that your donation is much appreciated and will go on to help better the lives of those affected by Cystic Fibrosis.

If you are interested in participating in the ride, visit the registration page, and be sure to let me know so we can meet up on the ride!

May 2012 Cruise

To celebrate my paternal grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, my family is taking them on a 7-day Western Caribbean Carnival Cruise aboard the Liberty!

I've been on two cruises before, both to the Western Caribbean, so let me tell you from experience, these adventures are amazing! All you can eat food is probably my favorite aspect of being on a cruise, in addition to the fact that everything on the ship is included excepting drinks (I'm certain) and specialty services (I think), but here is a grand list of other things the Liberty has to offer:

• 24-hour room service
• Spa
• Shopping
• Piano Bar
• Live Music (DJ Irie)
• Arcade
• Yoga & Pilates
• Live Shows
• Formal Dinner Evenings (I'm taking ballroom dancing to prepare for the dancing opportunities after dinner)
• Cantinas & Bars
• Coffee Bar (the desserts and pastries look amazing)
• Gym
• Jogging Track
• Art Gallery
• Library
• Salon
• Pools
• Seaside Theatre
• Basketball
• Shuffleboard
• Pool
• Table Tennis
• Miniature Golf
• Comedy Clubs
• Night Clubs

Oh, I can hardly wait. I've been saving money for this trip for nearly a year! I'm so proud of my financial endurance on this one. = ) Saving is fun and so rewarding!

TSRS 2/7: Autumn Rock 'N Run 5K

Two Saturdays ago (I know, this is belated) was the second race of the Track Shack's Running Series: the Autumn Rock 'N Run 5K in Casselberry, Florida!

Here is a snap shot of my race results (I'm 3rd from the top):

Nike+ offers some neat statistics and graphical views. Here is a graphical view of my pace throughout the race:

Here is a breakdown of my time per mile:

Here is a map of the route (with start, finish and mile markers):

Overall, it was another great race. The weather for this race was still pretty warm, but it wasn't nearly as muggy as the first race in the series - thank goodness! I did walk briefly while I chugged some water at the station, but it was non-stop other than that (gotta stay hydrated). I think the potato salad through the week helped me load up on carbs because this race felt good. That and a good night's rest and good breakfast the day-of.

Added bonus: my colleague, Tash, raced with me! This was her very first 5K, and I'm super proud of her!

After the first race I was sitting fairly well in 7th place in the series for my age group (Women 19-24) because I came in 7th place. Now, after the second race, I am sitting pretty in 4th place in the series because I took 3rd. See, the key is to race consistently. I noticed that some of the top finishers in the series so far only ran one of the two races. Bwahaha! Watch out for me, and I'll watch out for this Bethany lady!

And that wraps it up for the second race in the series! Next up is the U Can Finish 5 Miler at UCF on Sunday, 23 October 2011! Here's a snap shot of the Track Shack Running Series (link to my blog about it):

Labor Day Weekend

I've never been so excited to have a

weekend. Why? Well, this year I am driving home with one of my best friends, Sam,

and my baby girl, Heidi,

to do some serious camping!

Today I vacuumed, washed, waxed and organized my car in preparation for the trip.

It's gonna be a long haul from Florida to Indiana!

We'll probably make it in about 18 hours. We will have CD books, MadLibs and snacks to make this  

a ton of fun. We're pretty excited. This will be Sam's first visit to the great Midwest!

We'll be passing through Atlanta, Georgia,

Chattanooga, Tennessee,

and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Then we'll brush past Cincinnati, Ohio,

before entering

AKA:

Something I've missed out on for a couple years is Sno-Castle! We're gonna have to get some on our way to the camp site.

Then, while camping, I'll spend some time near the camp fire cooking the perfect s'more,

enjoy some boating,

and play some Euchre!

Oh, I can hardly wait! T-minus 3 days!

TSRS 1/7: Celebration of Running 5K

Today was the first race of the Track Shack's Running Series: the Celebration of Running 5K in Winter Park, Florida!

Here is a snap shot of my race results (I'm 4th from the bottom - look at the bottom page for column titles):

Nike+ offers some neat statistics and graphical views. Here is a graphical view of my pace throughout the race:

Here is a breakdown of my time per mile:

Here is a map of the route (with start, finish and mile markers):

Overall, it was a great race. I only walked briefly to drink some water at each of the two water stations. It was ridiculously hot and humid, though - we were all dripping (literally) before the race even began. I am looking forward to the cooler weather to train in and compete in soon!

Added bonus: the announcer mentioned that the Track Shack was having its final day of a store-wide 20% off regular prices sale today! So, after the race, I purchased my new Brooks Adrenalines (pictured below)! I had planned to do this Monday, but who says no to saving $20? I also picked up some energy gels in a variety of flavors for my up-coming long weekend runs as I begin training for the Walt Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

And that wraps it up for my first race in the series! Next up is the Autumn Rock 'N Roll 5K in Casselberry, Florida on Saturday, 10 September 2011! Here's a snap shot of the Track Shack Running Series (link to my blog about it):

95 Miles in 6 Weeks

I'm challenging myself to run 95 miles in 6 weeks. I'm using a training plan from The Complete Book of Running for Women which is based upon the bronze 5K, bronze Half Marathon and bronze Full Marathon  training plans. Everything is lined up time-wise for the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday, 8 January 2012 that I'm doing with my Mom!

Wish me luck and cheer for me on Facebook when you see that I'm on a run!

June & July Races

I'm really excited about my summer 5K races! I am signed up for these two fun races:

The Fighting Hunger 5K on Saturday, 25 June 2011! As the name shows, this race benefits those facing hunger. Funds go to support providing meals!

The Watermelon 5K Let Freedom Run 5K on Monday, 4 July 2011! This race supports Treats for Troops. The idea is all in the name here, too. Unfortunately shipping costs are keeping the treats from being sent ot the troops (watch the ABC Action News video here). To fight this, at the Watermelon 5K runners are asked to bring a 1-gallon zip-lock bag filled with either food or non-perishable items (shampoo, socks, etc.) and a dollar bill; this dollar will allow the 1-pound bag of treats to be shipped. Pretty cool idea.

If you have served and know these needs first hand, please comment on what is most desired! My starter list is chapstick, chocolate, socks, razors and more chocolate.

Let me know if you plan to run either of these races - I would love to meet up with you before/afterwards!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone has plans for something fun and patriotic tomorrow!

After church I will be baking chocolate chip cookies to take to Kayelee's cookout. Afterwards I will be taking Heidi downtown to Lake Eola for Orlando's Independence Day festivities. She loves going downtown and mingling with all the other dogs we meet alongside the lake. It's been rainy all week, so cross your fingers that the rain doesn't dampen the fun in store for tomorrow.


Here's a note from the Lockheed Martin head honcho, Mr. Bob Stevens, that I'd like to share with you:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident …”

These stirring words introduced a courageous statement of freedom and equality that still represents the essence of our nation.  “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” have bound Americans together since the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

In a few days, we will once again celebrate this momentous event with family and friends, fireworks and barbecues.  We will observe this occasion as a people whose breadth of diversity could hardly be imagined by those who set into motion events that made it all possible.  We are – quite literally – people from all corners of the globe united in purpose and fundamental ideals.

The patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence knew that their lives were on the line the moment they put pen to paper.  And throughout our history, Americans of all backgrounds and ethnic origins have done the same, knowing that liberty commands eternal vigilance and a willingness to pay the ultimate price.

Today, service men and women continue to answer the call of duty in such far off places as Afghanistan and Iraq.  Like you, I am proud to be part of a company that is privileged to support their mission and our nation in helping preserve “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for generations to come.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe and happy Fourth of July, and I encourage you to reflect on how fortunate we are to be part of a nation whose strength lies in our continued declaration of freedom.  Thanks for everything you do, every day, to contribute to this cause.

Researching the GSD

This week kicked off my extensive research into the German Shepherd Dog (GSD)! I have been acting as a sponge and soaking up heaps of information from books like "The Everything German Shepherd Book" and from friends who own dogs. I grew up with dogs, and that helps prepare one, but I am certain that growing up with a dog and owning a dog are two very different things. Now it won't be my parents caring for the dog, but me, etc. But it'll be worth every moment of owning a sweet little German Shepherd pup like one of these:



Which I know will eventually get quite large and look gorgeous like this one:



Why a GSD? Many reasons! A few of the top reasons (not necessarily in order):

1. companionship (I live alone with my cat who, while wonderful, doesn't provide the companionship I could have with a dog).

2. man's best friend (I've always wanted a dog of my own, and now I'm finally able to provide a healthy environment for one; I look forward to working with the pup, training it and taking it to obedience classes!)

3. protection (Living alone in a big city can be scary sometimes, especially at night. While I live in a safe area and a nice apartment complex, one can never be too sure; a dog, especially a GSD, would provide protection.)

4. running buddy (After the pup is a year old I can begin taking it on runs with me!)

I have a lot to prepare for in getting a puppy. Mentally I'm pretty much there. The biggest hurdle was realizing and coming to terms with the fact that during puppyhood I'll have to sacrifice my lunch hour daily to come home to care for the pup. I've realized that this will be very worthwhile in the end, though. In fact, I'm kind of excited about coming home midday through the work week; it'll make for a nice lift in my day, seeing the pup.

I also know it will be expensive to not only acquire but also to own the pet. I'm budgeting $1000 in expenses for the first year, not including the price of the puppy, which I'm not sure about as I've not yet began contacting potential breeders. I'm hoping everything will fall into place (financially and time-wise with the breeder) such that I'll have a puppy by late Summer 2010 or early Fall 2010.

I'm very interested in bringing a GSD into a home where there is already a cat (as in my situation). I know GSDs are have strong herding tendencies, but I also know that they are highly trainable. My plan is to teach the pup early on that Ashes is not to be herded into a corner, etc. Also, while it's a pup, I'll be keeping a constant eye, so I can definitely watch, monitor and control how things develop between the pup and Ashes. I'm still reading up on what experts have to say about GSDs and a cat(s) mixing in the home.

If you have any tips on owning a dog in general or owning a German Shepherd specifically, please send them my way! I look forward to hearing your advice!

Amanda

PS - I want a female!

Christmas Letter 2009

Merry Christmas!

2009 was an adventurous year for me! Looking back I can see how much I’ve grown and how wonderful the last twelve months have been:

In January, as a sort of graduation gift to myself, I bought a 2009 Honda Fit Sport. When I moved to Orlando, Florida that little car did me well. Even better than the fuel efficiency was the company I had during the trip. My family helped move me into my lovely apartment, which has become home for me and my cat, Ashes; being so far from Indiana isn’t quite so bad with that fur ball around to keep me company.

I moved to Orlando for my new job with Lockheed Martin. I am a systems engineer on the Test Team for the Assured Identity program. Our job is to upgrade the current Lockheed Martin employee badge system to smart cards. My job is to find and report defects in the new system as it’s being developed. Until recently I was on the Test Team full-time. Just last week I began a transition to take on a second role part-time. For this new role I gather and analyze metrics and represent the business area. I’m being challenged, and I really enjoy my job!

Indeed, the weather and nearby beaches are nice, but Orlando has given me so much more for which I am thankful! I’ve made several friends and found a fantastic church. I played on a Lockheed Martin sand volleyball team, and I am catcher for a Lockheed Martin softball team. Also, I joined a gym, a camera club, two running clubs and I even founded a book club!

I love to read and wanted to meet other readers around town, but no existing book clubs I found were working out, so I just started my own: The East Orlando Twenty-Something Book Club. Through the book club I’ve met other bookworms, and we have heaps of fun! We’re a pretty social bunch: trips to Busch Gardens, the beach, book sales, movie nights, bowling, and, of course, the actual book discussions. We read one book a month, but, in addition to that, I usually read another one or two books. The next book on my list is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Here’s the latest on the family: Mom always keeps busy whether she’s gardening, quilting or running. She’s been running up such a storm that, believe it or not, she currently holds the Bennett Family Half-Marathon Record Time! Dad is continually studying his hobbies: photography and weaponry. His Navy background gives him a leg-up on the competition at the shooting range. Chucky has buzzed his hair and is aiming to become a Navy SEAL! With his wrestling history he will go far in that endeavor! Speaking of wrestling, Sam just signed with Northern Illinois University for a wrestling scholarship! I can’t wait to see him wrestle under the lights at State!

I sure do miss my family and friends who are far away, but, lucky for me, I’ve had many visits with them! Here are a few of the year’s highlights: Mom’s visit during Spring Break, running the Indianapolis 500 Mini Half-Marathon with Mom and Dad, Kristin & Aric’s wedding in Iowa and their visit for the Fourth of July, Mom’s summer visit, hanging out with my fellow Boilermakers and my Aunt Joan in nearby Melbourne, Sam’s fall visit, turning 23, Lana & Geof’s wedding, enjoying the Colts’ season with friends, Purdue’s Homecoming and reunion with college friends, all sorts of Halloween fun, and a surprise visit home for Thanksgiving!

That brings us to Christmastime! “And so I’m offering this simple phrase, to kids from one to ninety-two, although it’s been said many times, many ways, a very Merry Christmas to you!”

Amanda Bennett

The Bubba Roll

Just a quick blurb about the remainder of Sam's visit back in August (for a quick link to the first part, click here).

After a great weekend at the beach and Busch Gardens we settled into a work-week sort of routine. I, of course, went to work as I normally do, while Sam, of course, managed to mix up his days and nights by staying up to ungodly hours of the night (well, morning, really) playing his beloved X-Box. I'm really happy I had an HDTV for him on which he could play his video games.

Through the week we hit the gym a couple times. Sam seemed to like my gym, but he wasn't as blown away as Mom was, haha. Anyway, he was glad to get a couple workouts into his visit. Aside from the gym we saw a movie: The Collector, which neither of us were impressed with. Sam was a little mislead by the preview, apparently. The movie was by the same director as the Saw movies, just to give you an idea of what the film entailed. If it had attended to a small bit of the plot towards the end it would have at least been a decent movie, despite the blood, guts and gore. Oh, well.

The other big event during the week was my taking Sam out for sushi for the first time. I'm happy to report that I've converted yet another person to enjoy sushi. One of my colleagues, Jesse Henderson III, was in town from Maryland, and whenever Jesse visits, a group of us go to Wine Down Wednesdays at Urban Flats, then we have sushi at Fuji Sushi. Sam and I skipped Wine Down and went straight for the sushi. Given that we were with Jesse, it was a fun time; always a riot! Sam and Jesse almost instantly clicked and had a couple moments that I'll chuck under "bonding," haha. Sam's favorite roll was The Bubba Roll; he didn't care at all for my spicy tuna roll, haha. Anyway, the food was delicious and we had a good night.


myself, Sam, Jesse, et. al. at Fuji Sushi


I really enjoyed Sam's company for the week that he visited. I'm so glad we've reached that point in our relationship where we can start to relate and be friends as well as siblings. (The four year age gap made that difficult until recently.) Thanks for a fun visit, Sam! Love you!

Amanda

He Doesn't Like Tea

Sam's visit so far has been quite a good time! It's been lovely having him as a guest in my home and city and state. = )

He got in Thursday evening, and professed that he was starving and craving some Chinese food. We stumbled upon a tasty buffet that proved to be perfectly satiating. We got back to my apartment, I gave him the grand tour, he exclaimed how he loved it. It was a fun surprise for him that I had recently invested in an HDTV that could be used for his Xbox gaming antics. The only thing was Ashes' reaction to Sam, haha. The cat went into hiding immediately and would hiss at Sam when we tried to get Ashes out from under the beds. I'd never seen my beloved feline act in such a way, but whatever behavior that was seems to have gone. It was bizarre, I tell you, but all is well now between the two males. (Silly males...)

After Sam got settled into his quarters we went to see The Hangover. Absolutely hilarious! I loved Allen the best, haha! We were laughing throughout the entire film. Loved it. Sam and I were quoting it the rest of the night!

Friday I went to work and had a really dull time at the dentist in the afternoon. Sam slept until 1 or 2 and gamed the rest of the evening. That evening I decided I would purchase a Blu Ray DVD player to take full advantage of my HDTV. Naturally I had to buy my first Blu Ray DVD: Batman Begins. So Sam got to partake in the breaking in of my latest piece of technology and see an awesome movie (how he hadn't seen the entire movie before, I do not know). We stayed up until 3 AM, haha.

Saturday morning we hit Paradise Beach. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and the waves were absolutely enormous! I'd never seen them so huge. We played in them for a good while before we tuckered out and retired to layout and relax. Neither of us were burnt; quite happy about that.



Sam & I at Paradise Beach, Melbourne




yours, truly


After the beach we stopped by our Aunt Joan's house so I could work on her computer (dead hard drive). While there I shared Aunt Joan's Ice Cream Sandwiches treat with Sam (it would have been wrong of me not to). Upon returning to Orlando we had some Taco Bell that we had at my apartment complex's poolside. Turns out some of my friends from work who recently moved into my complex were hanging out at the pool. Sam and I enjoyed their company, and I proved myself in a little freestyle race, hehe. I tried to warn Jeremy that I was a bit experience in the great sport of swimming. = P Afterwards Sam and I hung out at the apartment and I got some good reading in for my first book club Meetup. I'm about half-way through Fahrenheit 451 now. I really like it, but more on that later.

Today the two of us spent our day at Busch Gardens, Tampa. Boy, was it fun! It had been a few years since I'd been to a theme park, and who better to spend a roller coaster day with than my baby brother!



Sam & I on the tram to the entrance of Busch Gardens, Tampa


I think SheiKra was our favorite; we rode it twice we liked it so much! It's a short ride, but totally awesome because of the straight-down drops!



The Big Drop on SheiKra


Busch Gardens is a great park because there is more than just roller coasters and miscellaneous rides (the Flight of the Phoenix was my second favorite, by the way - think Kings' Island's Viking Ship but one that goes all the way upside down and in full circle!). Anyway, Busch Gardens is also a zoo! I was like a little kid when we passed by the safari animals on the train ride! Elephants, rhinos, ostrich, giraffe (my favorite this time - usually it's tigers/lions but we only saw one tiger), zebra, an ant eater, and, of course, crocs and gators! I really liked the flamingos, too!



me with the flamingos


Everywhere you looked there were topiaries! I liked the tiger and the lion the best.




Me with the terrifying tiger topiary




Sam & I at the end of the day, next to the majestic lion topiary


Amanda

PS - in case you're wondering what the title of this entry has to do with anything, Sam and I had a candid conversation where he stated how he didn't like any type of tea. The way in which he stated it was very funny because it was exactly like Bubba explaining all the types of shrimp meals his momma could cook up. = ) Tea has become a bit of a running joke for me and Sam.

Folden Visit

Over the Fourth of July weekend some very dear friends of mine stopped in for a lovely visit. It was such a treat to have Kristin & Aric as guests for a few days. It was ungodly hot on the Fourth of July, but we strolled around Lake Eola and took in some of the festivities (including fishy caramel popcorn - ugh, haha!), and then I showed them my favorite place in Orlando: The Drunken Monkey, a fantastic coffee house that I frequent often. It was there that I taught Aric how to play Backgammon. We also "had" to bum around our beloved Waterford Lakes Town Center Barnes & Noble!

By the way, I've never seen Ashes take to people so well as he took to Kristin & Aric. They loved him and he sure did enjoy their company. I loved watching the three of them "race" to Ashes' "room," haha! Too funny!

The next day the Foldens (awe, it sounds so pleasant, doesn't it? The Foldens...) joined me at church. Afterwards they helped me tackle the acquisition of a TV. Aric was very manly and brought it up three flights of stairs to my apartment; the stand, too, which was considerably heavier than the TV. While Kristin and I assembled things, Aric made Folden Chili (sans corn, hehe), and it was delicious! He made lots so that I'd have some to eat through my coming work week. That evening we watched Sunshine on my brand new HDTV and I taught Kristin to play Backgammon (she came around to it) while we did Queen Helene Mint Julep facial masks.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful weekend. = )


Kristin & I



Mr. & Mrs. Folden


Amanda