Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Part I

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Part I

Why am I posting this in parts?  Could be because I have a ton of content and am too lazy to post it all at once, or could be because I want to 'hook' you and make you come back for more!  You'll never know...

To catch you up if you are new to reading my blog, my husband, Will, is a sports enthusiast and recently completed his first Ironman Triathlon.  Ironman = 2.4 mile swim + 112 mile bike + 26.2 mile run...all in one day.

When Will told me he wanted to sign up for an Ironman in Idaho my first thought was probably something like 'great.. Idaho...can't wait to go there (sarcasm)'.   Once I looked at the resort and what part of Idaho Coeur d'Alene was in, I totally changed my mind.  It is one of the most gorgeous places I have visited in this country.  Absolutely stunning.  It is located in Northern Idaho, about 90 miles south of the Canadian border, eh. 

The weather ranged from the low 50's in the morning up to the mid 70's in the afternoon. It was windy the first few days we were there (luckily, not on race day) and sunny every day.  When I say windy, it's not nearly as windy as Texas is, and it was only windy by the lake our resort was on.

Our trip started with a 6:55 am flight from DFW, connect through Seattle, land in Spokane, WA (pronounced spo-kan'), then drive about 30 minutes to Coeur d'Alene, ID.  The Spokane Valley is surrounded by mountains and clear blue skies.  The clouds looked like little white puffs that had been painted in the sky by an artist.  I may have a bit of a slanted view, since I was coming from Texas, where it is super flat, super windy, and super hot.  Here are some photos so you can judge for yourself.

Look at those clouds!

Test swim in the 55 degree water.

Downtown CDA

Moose!

Will in a coffee shop getting some pre-race caffeine.

That's all for now.  Hopefully it was enough to get your interest peaked for more!

Little Bee

Here's a typical night at our house.

Melanie:  (Reading book on the couch).

Will: Dork.

I am not a dork, I just love to read :)   Will reads all day for his job, so of course he doesn't want to read at night.  Dork or not, lucky for you I read because I can steer you clear of really bad books or let you know about books you must buy.  My latest read is a great book, but I'm not too sure how the ending sits with me yet:  Little Bee by: Chris Cleave.

This book is beautifully written and intriguing.  I think I read the whole book in about 24 hours and only put it down when I had to. 

Below is the summary, courtesy of Chris Cleave:

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.The story starts there, but the book doesn't.And it's what happens afterward that is most important.Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

Doesn't provide much, does it?  Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think about the ending.

Send Off Dinner

Will's coach, Gayle, organized a lovely 'send-off' dinner for him last night at Kona Grill.  A few of his triathlete friends came to wish him well and see him off to Idaho.  A snapshot below from dinner, and yes, all the people featured (and almost Will) have completed at least one Ironman!

(L to R) Graham, Davis, Will, Gayle, Victoria

Do you feel just a little less accomplished knowing the above featured athletes have done 140.6 miles in one day?  I do!

Good luck, Will!

Hey, hey, hey... Tina Fey, Fey Fey!

Book Review:

Tina Fey, Bossypants by: Tina Fey

I just finished reading Tina Fey's book and was pleasantly surprised by it.  I did not have very high expectations because Will and I rented the movie she made with Amy Pholer, Baby Mama.  It was terrible.

My book club chose to read Tina's book, so being the good sport that I am, decided I would go along with it and give it a shot.  I can actually say that I laughed out loud a handful of times.  The only other time I have laughed out loud from reading a book was when reading Steven Colbert's biography, now that is funny stuff (and it comes with stickers!).

Instead of providing a synopsis of the book, I'll just say that if you are looking for some light, entertaining reading, and don't mind the occasional curse word, then this book just might be for you.  It's only in hardback version since it's new, so wait 'til Borders puts out a coupon ;)

As an aside, I also found out that Tina's husband is about a foot shorter than she is.

2011 Wedding #2

Mr. & Mrs. Luke Harris

I was a bridesmaid! I know what you're thinking...'don't you have friends having babies now... aren't you kind of old to be a bridesmaid?'

TIME OUT...My best friend Jessica had her baby! Welcome to the world, baby girl.  If you look back a few posts, you will see the baby shower for Ms. Vivian Jule Choice.  Well, she arrived yesterday afternoon weighing in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was officially named the cutest baby born all year.

Check back later for photos (I only have a few via phone right now).

Ok...TIME IN.

My cousin, Heather Murray, married Luke Harris on Saturday, June 11th.  It was beautiful, and of course, Heather was the star of the show.  They married in Memphis at the Presbyterian church and the reception was at Memphis Water Works.  It was a really neat reception place because it doubled as an outdoor store.  If you look at the photos you will see what I'm talking about.  She had a great mo-town band and we danced all night.  Since Will stayed in Dallas {because he has to pay for me to do all this travel, thank you, honey! and because he needs to save his vacation for South Africa}, my brother, Alan, was my dancing partner.  I use the term 'dancing' loosely because if you have seen me dance, or really any white person in general, you know it's not really dancing, but more of moving around quickly looking like an idiot.  Never the less, we had a great time.  I think Luke had the best time dancing... of course, I didn't ask him the next morning when he had to get up for their 6:00 am flight to Jamaica.  Let's just say...alcohol was involved.

Also, I must note that my brother performed the father-daughter dance.  He played the guitar and sang James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" (and, unlike my inability to dance, my brother really can play the guitar and sing).

Without further adieu...

Bridesmaid luncheon. 
Let me point out that I am not the oldest...Mom!

There's always a little time to take a trip to Mud Island...



Mom playing in the 'mock Mississippi'.
They had little signs up everywhere that said 'It's not advised to get in the water.'
Mom obviously stuck it to them.

Rehearsal dinner

Rehearsal dinner

Alan playing the 'father-daughter' dance

Luke's Ole' Miss cheesecake table

Don't know why this didn't rotate...wedding cake.

Luke 'fed' Heather cake... and proceeded to mash it all over her face.  He then continued to wipe her face off for about an hour.

MAVS WIN!

I'm sure you all know that....we are the champions, my friends!
Dallas won the title! GO MAVS!

We are having a parade through downtown tomorrow morning, paid by Mr. Cuban.  I'll let you know how that goes, maybe I can go watch it, or at least watch it from my office window.  I ran into a gentleman in the elevator yesterday who has done business with Mark Cuban and he said 'The only difference between being eccentric and crazy is money.'  Mark Cuban is obviously, eccentric.

Could they get uglier hats?

Beat the Heat!

I'm not talking about the 100+ degree weather we are already having, although, that is appropriate, too!  Ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about...YOURRRRRRRRR DAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLAAAAAAAAAAS MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVVVVERICKS! (imagine me saying it 'announcer style').  I think I would be a great announcer for sporting events, I've done some practicing and Will agrees.  The trick is to be enthusiastic and carry out your words -- and be loud.  Off topic, sorry.

We are now tied 2-2 with the Heat.  I do love LeBron James, or LBJ, as I affectionately call him, but of course, I have to go for the Mavs.

In your face, Miami!

*Photo credit of mba.com*

*Photo credit of the Dallas Mavericks*

*If anyone has tickets they'd like to give me, I'll be sure to acknowledge you in my next post!  And, if you know of any team looking for a new announcer, let me know where try-outs are.

The Secret Life of Bees

Book Review

I just finished a book while on vacation last week called The Secret Life of Bees by: Sue Monk Kidd.  I read it in about two days so highly recommend it if you are looking for an easy read.

**Warning: if you don't want to know too much about this book before you read it, then don't read the summary below**


A quick synopsis, courtesy of Borders.com:
South Carolina in 1964 is a place and time of seething racial divides. When violence explodes one summer afternoon, and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten, Lily is desperate, not only to save Rosaleen, but to flee a life she can no longer endure. Calling upon her colorful wits and uncommon daring, she breaks Rosaleen out of jail and the two of them take off, runaway-fugitives conjoined in an escape that quickly turns into Lily's quest for the truth about her mother's life.


Following a trail left ten years earlier, Lily and Rosaleen end up in the home of three bee-keeping sisters. No ordinary women, the sisters revere a Black Madonna and tend a unique brand of female spirituality that reaches back to the time of slavery. As Lily's life becomes deeply entwined with theirs, she is irrevocably altered. In a mesmerizing world of bees and honey, amid the strength and power of wise women, Lily journeys through painful secrets and shattering betrayals, finding her way to the single thing her heart longs for most.Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

On another note, I am currently reading Bossypants by: Tina Fey and Little Bee  by: Chris Cleave.  Both are good so far.  Has anyone read A Point Clear by: Jennifer Paddock or The Paris Wife by: Paula McClain?  I think they are next on my list.

The Grandman Triathlon

Mom and I completed the Grandman Triathlon this past Saturday in Fairhope, AL.  It was mom's first triathlon so I went to race it with her. The weather was as perfect as could be expected for a June day in Alabama and mom was a rock-star! 

The Setting

 The Swim: 1/3 Mile

 Transition

 The Bike: 18 Miles

 The Run: 5K

 Victory is ours!

Sorry Mom, I had to do it!

*Photos courtesy of Holbein Photography Studio (also known as 'Art and Brenda').