Well, how does one encapsulate a year?? To say that 2009 was my best year yet, is a vast understatement! I know I know, the engagement thing might be the first thing that comes to mind to make this year ‘better than the rest’ however, as Simon and I had this very conversation last night, we realized there was so much more to our year.. the engagement was the hard top on a very yummy Crème Brule.
Rather than make this another small novel (which I can with ease) I’ll stick to the highlights:
More excursions to Europe!! I can now check off London, Scotland, Lux, France, and Spain off the list! The highlight of my two European visits this year is without a doubt running with the bulls in Pamplona. Simon and I have already decided that if our kids are anything like us, we better hide the running with the bulls video & pics until they are much older! I think my father is still mad at himself for showing me/telling me about his running with the bulls… and from the age of 5 I held on to the fascination and desire to one day ‘be like Dad and run with the bulls’! What on earth is gonna be our excuse when our little son or daughter says they want to do it too? “Why NOT! Both you and Dad did it!” Yeah.. we’re hiding the evidence!
I got to check two other countries off the list this year that were firsts for me: Republica Dominicana & Canada! Or as I will refer to them… the island where 25 to 40 year olds get unlimited bar tabs and golf carts that go 30+ mph, and the great white tundra of O’Canada Land.. “where it snows 365 days a year, 24 hours a day” J. I was fortunate to get to spend New Year’s with Simon’s family in Montréal & St. Jovite (his Grand-Mère’s cabin) where we toasted the New Year at a cool club in downtown Montréal that use to be an indoor swimming pool (which is now a lower level dance floor!) St. Jovite was AMAZINGLY beautiful… tucked away in the mountains about an hour and a half outside Montréal. Frozen covered lake, REAL warm fire to warm yourself by, and food… oh mon dieu! Everyone warned me that his Grand-Mère would make so much food I wouldn’t believe it… and this was no exaggeration. It was all so amazingly delicious, I welcomed the added pounds! The chocolate cake, don’t even get me started on Le gateau au chocolat….. AMAZING! 
I got to check another sport off my list: Simon took me snowboarding! We met up with Marie-Loup & Benoit, and I realized just how much of a beach girl I am! Simon & Marie-Loup were awesome on snowboard’s (which further supports my stereotype that all Canadians come out with hockey skates & ski or snowboards) and after an hour one-on-one session with an instructor and a few trips down the green trail, I actually made it down successfully… only falling a couple times.. SUCCESS! Please note however: snowboarding, while similar to surfing with a hint of wakeboarding… actually hurts when you fall… unlike water, which is much less painful! We also went snowshoeing (another new outdoor activity I had never tried) with Louis & Marie-Josée, which was a grand experience getting hitched to gigantic rackets with animal hair as the ‘net’! We went on a two hour hike up to the sugar shack (obviously not operational in the winter) with a few breaks for snow fights, which usually resulted in me lying face down with a pile of snow in my face.. I will get my revenge!! BTW if you ever get a chance to see someone sprint off in snow shoes.. it is probably one of the funniest things you will ever see.. I about broke into an asthma attack I was laughing so hard!
I returned to World Champs 70.3! After a year of transitions for work, injury, etc., I was anxious to try and re-qualify for Worlds 70.3 at Florida 70.3 this year. I did, besting my time down there (from 08’) by 15 minutes. I returned to Clearwater this year, family along for the weekend, and Rob & Emily down from Atlanta, and after spotty training due to the increased amount of work this holiday season, managed to best my time from 07’ by 14 minutes! I was very pleased with how the day went, esp considering how sporadic my training had become September through November!
I got to be a cheerleader! I got to watch Simon finish Ironman Cozumel via the internet (well, athlete tracker, which was BUSTED) and my family and I got to see him post-race via Skype. It was an exciting moment for him, 4 years after he completed his first Ironman distance race. I wish I could have been there, but the race falling on a Sunday, makes it hard to be at work by Monday.. and I had severely blown my vacation time! No worries for the next one though, because not only will I be there- I’ll be racing! Simon and I signed up for Ironman Arizona in November of 2010! Look out! We have a date in the desert this November!
This brings us to December, and the exciting experience of sharing my hometown with Simon, in addition to how we spend our Christmas. Simon arrived on the evening of the 22nd and we drove to Pensacola the following afternoon for 5 days in Pcola with the fam. On Christmas Eve, at the half way point of our MTB ride, Simon proposed! I was completely surprised, as he has been telling me for a month or so, that it might be delayed for a couple months, yada yada, to try and get me off the scent. It worked! And what was even more exciting for me, was that he combined our love for languages into his proposal- First German, then Spanish, then English, then finally Il a posé LA QUESTION à moi en Français et J’ai dit YES! Only because my brain was racing 1 million miles per hour, and I couldn’t get the Oui out… so out came English J The part I loved the most about it though… was the thought he put into it. We met in Cancun two years ago, post-race, sweaty, dirty, tired, outside, and he wanted to propose in the same manner. Although we weren’t as sweaty or tired as you are post half-ironman, we were dirty from the dirt, and outside… and I wouldn’t have it any other way :)
So 2009 ends most poetically, in a crescendo. Thankfully, being the planners that we are… 2010 will continue right where 2009 left off. How to make it better? Well, add a few trips back and forth between Canada & Florida, island adventures in the spring, triathlons in the summer, a wedding in August- followed by an international honeymoon NOT TELLING!, and an Ironman in November… and I think you have the base for a great year… speaking of base… reminds me of base camp… as in Everest base camp… stay tuned J
Life is as much of an adventure as you choose to make it.
Lola's moment to shine! For our get-away car.. it was no surprise we used Lola! Simon's "mexican mistress" and beetle he purchased when he was living in Mexico in 2007 and drove it from Puebla, Mexico to Montreal, QC!! Needless to say, Lola has been quite the little traveler herself, and Simon has rebuilt and worked on that engine as a side project for the past few years. It couldn't have been scripted better, that Simon's sister-in-law drove Lola (all clean, and dressed- complete with bow & Canadian maple syrup cans affixed to her rear bumper) to the Church, and positioned her on the Limousine row outside the church. There was Miss Lola in between two gigantic hummer limousines... smiling and happy! After we did the family photos outside the church, Simon and I were getting into Lola to drive her the 3 blocks to the reception (for photos mainly) and wouldn't fate have it: Lola did not want to start! Simon tried 4 separate times- no power from the battery!! Marie-Josée (Simon's sister-in-law) at this point is freaking out because she thought she broke Lola, or didn't turn her all the way off/causing battery to run down, or WHATEVER, but needless to say, she thought it was her fault. Louis, Simon's brother as well as my brother are leaning in Simon's window to ask what was going on.. as Simon tries starting Lola several more times. At this point, we have a massive audience of pedestrians stopping to watch the situation unfold, our entire group of wedding guests, the drivers of the other limo's (laughing) and even police! People were taking photos!! This went on for what felt like 5 minutes, and as I put my hand on the door and began opening the door to get out and walk to the reception, Simon immediately has a light bulb situation, yells out "Wait!!" and reaches behind to lift up the backseat, and jiggle the battery terminal. Two seconds later.... VROOM!!!! Lola springs to life!! I kid you not.. THE ENTIRE STREET erupted in cheer!! Strangers were yelling and whistling and taking photos. It really couldn't have been scripted better! Lola, upon her big moment to shine- got embarrassed, but held her audience in suspense just long enough before she let out the performance of a lifetime!
Last, but certainly not least- my Family & Friends! Simon and I were blessed to have our close family and friends there with us to share in the day. For me, it was especially wonderful, to have my family travel up from Florida, my Aunt from Arkansas, Aunt, Uncle, and cousins from NY, second- cousins from NY, second-cousins from Illinois, Aunt from Georgia, and my goodness- the close family friends who made it: the Quinns from NY, the Colley's from FL, and my second Mom & Dad from Pensacola- the Cooks. I was blessed to have my sister's from other mother's make the trek: Michelle (and BJ), Jill, Andre-Anne, & Katie B who would have been my bridesmaids if we had decided to have a big wedding. Of course, it was understandable that many could not make it- for all intents, it was a destination wedding for my side. The family and friends that sent me beautiful messages regretting not being able to make it- were so sweet & touching. I know they were there in spirit, and that is what matters to me.
