I'm on TV, Transformers & a Reunion

Yes, that's me with a Moon Man...I totally won Best New Artist :)

So as I mentioned in my last post - Disneyland Half Marthon Recap, I had scheduled my vacation around this race.  My sister Wendee lives in LA so it's an awesome place to visit and get in family time.  I had originally planned to fly in on Friday night and fly home Wed morning.  Then on Thursday, I would drive to KY to attend my 20 year High School Reunion.  It was going to be a GREAT week.

On the Wednesday prior to the race I received a text message from Wendee that read "Any chance you could stay a couple of extra days and go to the MTV Video Music Awards wih me on Thursday".  WHAT????  I was freaking out.  Wendee is an Ad Exec for a large company and she has had the opportunity to go to events like that alot.  She has gone to the Grammy's, the Oscars, the American Idol Finale......the list goes on and on.  But I have NEVER been to anything like this in my life.  I wanted to go so much, but I also really wanted to go to my reunion.  It was a 12  hour drive to KY from KC.  And if I didn't come home until Friday it was going to be almost impossible to make it there in time.  I stressed over it for a short time, and I looked into flights from LA to KY and from KC to KY, but couldn't justify them - it would cost me close to $1000 to fly.  Finally, after some fretting I just decided to buck up and make it all happen!  I would stay for the VMAs, I would fly home on Friday and I would drive to KY to attend my reunion.  I knew I would be completely exhuasted, but hey you only live once right???

So I will try to briefly recap the 10, yes 10 days of my vacation. 

Friday night - Fly to LA
Saturday - A brief 2 mile run to get the lead out, packet pickup, meet up wtih Caroline of Candadian Runner in Exile, shopping for VMA dress, and then check into hotel for the race
Sunday - Disneyland Half Marathon, some pool time, and a great Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner

This was the sign Jack made me and his Aunt Wendee before the race!! He's sweet and thoughtful like that!

Monday - RELAX.....Massage, Mani, Pedi & Movie

Tuesday - Universal Studios Hollywood - It was a HOT day but it was a blast.

The 3-D Transformers ride was AWESOME....if you are a total geek like me you would love it!



This guy was soooo cool!  Bumblebee :)

Just a little road work before we left!






Wednesday - A 3 mile run.  Wendee actually had to go the San Francisco for work :( but a friend of hers picked me up and we went out for Greek food and a little site seeing.

Giant plate of Greek food, couscous, humus, and chicken shawarma

Thursday - THE BIG DAY.  The VMAs.  I started the day with a 3 mile run and then a 4 mile bike ride over to the beach!!

Ahhhh...been awhile since my toes were in the sand

Then it was finally time to get ready for the VMAs.  We got invited to both a pre and post party.  Fun....both parties were for advertisers so there were no big celebrities or anything but they were still fun.  We had to be at the pre-party to get out tickets about 3:30....so it was pretty early in the day.  I knew it was going to be a long but super fun day.

Me & Wendee at the rooftop pre-party!

Pre-party....I normally couldn't imagine wearing a dress this short, but when in Rome right??

Finally - it was time for the VMAs.  We had no idea where we were going to sit.  When we walked to our seats we were 15 rows from the main stage.  AWESOME I said, these are GREAT seats!!  I have to admit, I probably would have enjoyed the VMAs a bit more maybe 10 years ago, as I wasn't a huge fan of many of the performers and even didn't know who some were - 2 Chainz???  Say what?  But the person I was looking forward to seeing was P!nk!  I LOVE HER!  Anyway, when we sat down we noticed a platform in front of us.  I didn't think much about it, but then a guy from the VMAs came over and said "You'll need to watch your feet,  there will be one performance here, and there will be a couple of other shots from here".  WHAT....we were front row for a secondary stage!!  Who is peforming I asked?  "P!nk" he responded.  I almost had a heart attack!  She was going to perform literally feet away from me.

I immediately begin texting people.  I'm going to be on TV.  I'm going to be right next to P!nk!  It's going to be an amazing night!

Before we knew it the host of the MTV Awards, was right in front us and we were on TV.  Jim sends me a text.  You are on TV, you are being such a tourist totally shifting to the side to make sure you are on TV....well of course I was :)


P!nk, yes she was that close.  I even touched her arm!

Watch the video and see me on TV.  I'm right behind P!nk, at one point it's just me and her on the screen...I'm totally texting, but still on TV.  After she goes to the main stage my TV debut is over.....so it's a quick view.

All in all we were on TV 3 times!!  Once behind the host Kevin Hart, once behind P!nk, and once behind Emma Watson...and the guy in the Mexican suit, I sitll don't know who he was.

Pic Jim sent me of us on TV.  That's Wendee on the left and me on the right behind Emma Watson and the Mexican suit guy.

It was such a fun night!!  I was so glad I had stayed.  We went to the post party for a bit (which was DJd by Pauley D from Jersey Shore) and then headed home so I could pack....... :(  Wow, my week had gone by soooo fast!

Friday - I leave LA at 9:15 am - a pretty early flight after a long day the day before.  I land in KC at 2:30 pm.  Jim meets me at the airport just so we can see each other for a few minutes since it's been a week.  He takes me to my car, and by 2:45pm I am on the road to KY.  Just like when I left, it is pouring rain!  The drive is slow....not good when I have so far to go.  The reunion actually started Friday but I knew I wouldn't make it to Friday night's event, I was just hopeful to make it to Saturday's event.  I had hoped to drive at least half way on Friday, but with the rain I didn't make it that far.  I did drive 6 hours, but only knocked off about 5 hours of the drive.  It rained all 6 hours!!  I would have 7 hours of driving the next day and I would lose another hour due to a time zone change.  It was going to be a long day.

Saturday - I got up early and showered and headed out.  I drove, and drove, and drove!  I finally reached my cousin's house where I'd be staying at 2:30 pm.  The reunion started at 6pm and was almost an hour away, so I'd have to leave just after 5pm.  Not much time at all.  I chatted with my cousin and her family and my uncle.  Tried to take a quick nap which didn't happen and then it was time to get up and get ready for the reunion.  At the last minute my cousin decided to come with me.  Yea!  I would have a date.  She graduated the year before me so knew almost all of my friends.

The reunion was awesome!  I was so glad I went.  It was great to catch up with old classmates and friends.  I just wished more people had come.  I couldn't help adding a few High Scool/20 Year Reunion pics.

Me & my friend April...one of my BFFs from high school.  We even had our Senior Pics taken together.

Me & my friend Patrick.  He's still so much fun!

Me & my friend Valetta.  I wish I could still eat giant ice cream sundaes like that!!

Group Senior Prom Pic





20 Year Reunion Pic



 Sunday - I  woke up early the next morning, too early after not getting home til 1:30 am....but I was on the road by 9:30.  I made one quick stop in Lexington to visit my friend Coy from First in Philly!  And then drove to St Louis.  I opted to only drive 8 hours instead of the full 12.  I was totally exhausted by the time I reached the hotel.

Me & Coy!

Monday - I woke up fairly early, got some Starbucks and decided to relax at the hotel for a little while before heading home.  They had a great pool!  I lounged by the pool and read a book, then finally headed home about 12:30pm.  I got home about 4:30 pm exhausted....and so not ready to go back to work the next day.

One last little bit of vacation before heading home.

In the end, I had a fabulous vacation!  In 10 days I changed time zones 5 times, spent over 24 hours in my car, spent 7 hours on a plane, stayed in 3 different hotels, and 2 different homes and experienced so many things that will leave me with memories for years to come!!  It was amazing.  I did pay for all my fun, as my body was totally run down by the time I got home, and I got to enjoy a nasty cold for the next week.....oh well it was totally worth it!!

I know this was a long post, but I hope you enjoyed sharing my journey with me!  What a great vacation!