May 8, 2010

reviews, races, and remembering momma.

ok... so when did i fall off the face of the blogosphere?
i have a bit to catch up with you guys!

first, can i just say how much i love robert downey jr?

om nom nom.
if going to prison is wrong, i don't wanna be right.

ahem.
iron man 2 was really good! i liked it better than the first one.

and i'm not gonna lie, as much as i want to hate her, can i trade lives with scarlett johansson?
she's absolutely crazy in this movie.

ironic how they're posing identically.

anyways, if you liked the first iron man, go see the second one.
or if you didn't give a crap abou the first one, go watch my husband robert downey jr!


on a completely related note, i got to go to a new favorite restaurant last week!
palani drive is a cute little place in the older part of richmond. the best way i know how to describe it is... fusion? like a mix of vegetarian, mexican and asian food...


...which, coincidently, is the food that will be served in heaven.
salsa? hummus? tahini? cashews? peanut sauce?
i'll take it.

i'm little sister, she's big sister

and apparently i have a killer vein attacking my neck.
... no wonder i have such an attractive boyfriend.
Spicy Thai Peanut – rice, black beans, spinach, spicy peanut sauce, tomatoes, scallions, crumbled peanuts, chile tortilla – 5.95

la mama and i split this, and also ate this:

Palani Salad – mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, scallions – 5.95

... and yes, that is a box of currants and a bottle of hot sauce in the background.
what, you don't bring your own accessories when you go out?
what do you carry in your purse then!?


also a noteworthy nosh:

from whole paycheck's hotbar, of course.
roasted beets, yeller squash, lemon asparagus, and the best 5 bean salad that must be recreated.
... jessica, get on that!
seriously, i could eat those beans every. flippin. day.


moving right along - today was one of the best days i've ever had.

bright and early, mom and i headed downtown to run the susan b. komen race for the cure,
a 5k fundraiser to fight breast cancer and increase prevention awareness.


there was a great crowd...
a few thousand people, for sure.


god totally blessed us with a perfect spring day to race.
love that breeze!



most of the race took place on the bridges over the river, which was really cool.


new favorite picture!
this fall, mom will have been in remission for 4 years.
needless to say, we were feeling a little celebratory mid-run.


the 804, baby!


home stretch...


the view from the bridge.
sometimes, va ain't all that bad.


post-race, in all our shweaty glory.


shameless health plug:
you guys, if i can encourage you to do anything this mother's day, please lovingly encourage your mom to get a yearly mammogram!

my mom, like a lot of other incredible moms, put her health on the back-burner to raise her kids. if she had just taken the time for her mammograms, though, she might not have had to endure hell fighting breast cancer.

other things also raise your risk:
- drinking alcohol, even one drink a day
- being overweight, even a few pounds!
- not exercising consistently
these things seem like "normal" parts of life, but they're not healthy habits.

so please, please, please, nag your mom to make her health the top priority this year.
she can't be a good mom if she doesn't put herself first every once in a while, and prevention through a healthy lifestyle is the only way we can stop this monster.  


phew, you bored yet?
hopefully, tomorrow i will get the chance to post the second part of my thoughts i've been working...

and i've been really thinking about your definitions of beauty.
thanks for your thoughts, and keep 'em coming!
-r

11 comments:

  1. What an amazing post; I hope your mom read it!! And I enjoyed your shameless health plug. :)

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  2. this is so beautiful!!! the whole family together and supporting a cause together. my heart is so heavy with this post. i love how amazing you guys are together. whenever i hear about family i melt.. i think its just nice to see such love uno? great post girl!!! <3 xoxo

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  3. Love that you did the Komen walk. I've ran the one in Virginia Beach (October) twice and walked it with my mom on my wedding day. She was diagnosed in 2000 and is now fight a recurrence of a small tumor on her rib, which according to tests last week is shrinking due to radiation and chemotherapy.

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  4. I love this post. It makes me warm inside, to be honest.
    Your mother is a champion. You are a champion. What a team? Give her a big hug, will you? :)
    Cancer is one of the causes closest to my heart, as a dear friend passed away two years ago and my grandmother last week. Not breast cancer with any of them, though.

    By the way, when I think of "beautiful" I think of life. Of showing love to you and the people around you. To live a life based on compassion, vitality and respect for each other. That is beautiful.
    To accept that we are different. We are different when it comes to appearance, but also opinions, beliefs etc.

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  6. yum! that restaurant sounds divine. Go momma's my mommy had cancer too, true fighters right there! and ahaha about your vein my midgetness and looking 12 are why I have boys lining up for me ;)

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  7. Ha..of course I travel with "accessories"...(no wonder I'm attracted to large purses...) my friends are like your crazy..i'm like no...I'm healthy! love the blog...mind if i put you on my blog roll?

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  8. I just have to ask... how do you find these amazing restaurants? (They look amazing!) I have trouble finding places to eat that are a viable distance to travel.

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  9. thank you guys so much for your kind words! my mom is such an inspiration - it's why i do what i do.

    you guys who know people struggling with cancer - you guys are their rock! hang in there! they are treasures.

    healthfreak - love your blog! i would be honored for you to add me :)

    alisha - i'll do a post on that soon! richmond has some really great ones. thanks for the idea!

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  10. Love ScarJo and Robert Downey Jr. too!

    Happy belated Mama's day! My mom and I did the 5k walk yesterday too. It was an amazing event.

    Congratulations to your Mom for fighting! Ironwoman perhaps? Love you girl!

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  11. i love palani drive! i haven't been in ages but we used to go there like every week when i was auditing out at genworth... the hawaiian wrap was totally my "thing"! you've got me craving this place again, definitely going to go soon!

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