Running towards the Bling...and Then More Bling

 As usual, this is a way over due post on my last marathon, which was waaaaayyy back in November 2020. But as I'm sure the rest of you can relate to, time has both seemed to stop but is also flying by. So now it's August 2021 and I'm just getting to this post. 

So because of our friend COVID, state numero 36 was....you guessed it in Florida. I hadn't run the sunshine state yet, so it worked out that I could run a race and not have to really travel far. I opted for the Space Coast Marathon in Cocoa Beach, near Cape Canaveral where all the space launches happen. My boyfriend of a little over a year at this point came along with my furry sidekick Dean. This was the boyfriend's first time joining me for a race and his first time also as a spectator. For some reason, he was not surprised by how much of the hotel room I took over with my race gear and supplies. I guess he'd known me long enough to know that I'd take over the room. 

The race was the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, which was great because you can eat all the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie with less guilt knowing you're going to burn all the extra calories off in a few days. Because of the pandemic, there were different rules in place. We all had to wear masks in the start corral and had to maintain a socially safe distance between other runners. We were allowed to remove them once we started, but I did keep mine on for a few miles until we were all spaced out a little more. 

It was dark when the race started, but fortunately where we started was fairly well lit. The nice thing about starting when its dark is that you get to also see the sunrise.  I can think of worse scenery to run along side. 

The boyfriend was supposed to meet me around the half way mark, but realized as I got close to that point that the halfway point was in a different place than the where the half-marathoners would be finishing. I sent a quick text to let him know so hopefully he would be in the right place, but that didn't seem to work out. Oh well, there was still 13 miles left to find him. 

The second half of the race was an out and back so there were many opportunities for him and the dog to cheer me on, which they were successful in. I think he was surprised at how complicated spectating was and how little time you have to get between spots. But I saw him probably at least 6 times. I think the last time I saw him was around mile 22 or 23. Of course I'm exhausted and not really thinking of anything other than how much it hurts and that I STILL have 3 miles left. Some part of me thought I heard him at that last point say something amidst my music about running to get a ring, but I pretty much dismissed that thinking I heard it wrong. 

I get to the finish line and didn't see boyfriend, but did find him shortly after. Little Dean was such a trooper running all over the place with him, and did so good for a 15-year-old pooch. We both took a little rest in the shade after the race. 

Because of COVID, they didn't hand out the race medals at the finish, we got them in the bag at packet pickup, so it was a little anti-climatic not getting the race bling at the finish. Regardless, it was some pretty cool hardware and pretty big as far as race medals go. 

So remember that part where I thought I heard something about a ring? Well, obviously I didn't hear that right since I made it to the finish and there was no bling of any kind waiting for me at the finish line. And to be honest, I wasn't really thinking of that at all after finishing. I was focused on showering and food. So we headed back to the hotel so I could shower, rest a bit and then think about where to get post-race oysters. Ends up though, that I did hear him right, and was surprised after my shower with some extra post-race bling and a proposal! Seems he had planned all along to do it at the finish line, but then was a little nervous with all the people around, not wanting to make a big spectacle of anything. Regardless, it was a private and perfect proposal, to which I said yes! 

Marathon complete? Check. Engaged? Check. Oysters? Not checked. Off to Jazzy's for the traditional post-race and engagement celebratory oysters. Super fun atmosphere, which I would expect nothing less from a place called Jazzy's. And for those of you know anyone who goes by the moniker, Jazzy, I'm sure, you'd agree. ; )  Definitely a very Florida vibe, with great food and fresh oysters. 

Obviously, this marathon was memorable for many reasons. It was in the middle of a global pandemic, it had a ginormous medal, and I got engaged. Number 37 was supposed to happen this weekend, but as many things in the past year and a half, it didn't happen as planned. We're not out of the woods yet with our friend COVID, who just won't leave, and it seems this Delta variant is a tricky lil' bastard, even with those who are vaccinated. This virus doesn't care if you're young, old, black, white, religious, atheist, Republican or Democrat. So vax up, mask up, and please do your part to take care of your family, your friends, your community and yourself. Ok, off my soap box.  Take care of yourself and each other. Stay safe out there! 

Mo' Cowbell, Mo' Medal, Mo' Marathons

You'd think I wouldn't have waited 6 months into a pandemic, where there is nothing to do all weekend, no races to train for, remote working, etc. to write a blog post for marathons I ran in October 2019 and March 2020. But yet, I've continued to put this off. Puzzles, Netflix binge watching and home organization seem to have taken a priority. And here in Florida, we've still been able to bike, run and walk around outside at a safe social-distance. 

2000 pieces everbody! 

So I guess I'll start with the first, last race I've not shared. 

Let me take you back to October, 2019. To a time when there was no COVID-19, the country wasn't in mass-protest, travel was a thing, hands were soft and alcohol free, recycle bins weren't overflowing with wine/beer/liquor bottles, and politics were normal... well maybe not that last one. I'm not taking us back that far. But there were still marathons! My race-cation crew of Sangeeta and Bethany were along for the half-marathon, and we all met up from our respective cities in the Gateway to the West, St. Louis for the Mo' Cowbell marathon. Don't get confused, this race is not named as such to encourage race spectators to bang those dang annoying instruments more. It was named as an homage to a great skit on SNL with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. There were unfortunately still plenty of actual cowbells assaulting my ears along the race course. 

So when running in St. Louis, carb-loading at the Anheuser-Busch brewery is required, I'm pretty sure. We checked that off the list post-expo and post-tacos at Mission Taco. And we of course did the obligatory visit to the Arch. 

If you are looking to do a race in Missouri, this is one that is well organized, the course is nice and the best part is that they had no lines for the post-race massages (at least by the time I finished) :). Sangeeta and Bethany had also scoped out the best post-race vendors with the best swag.

Pre-race. Fresh and smiling

Post-race. Less fresh, still smiling

We did follow our post-race tradition of oysters. We brought our own bubbly, thinking we would just be charged a nominal corkage fee by the restaurant. For those of you in places like Chicago where BYOB is prevalent, then you are familiar with the typical $5-$10 corkage fee. We didn't really give it much thought, but then got the bill and was shocked to see it was $25! Of course, our key negotiator Sangeeta got the bartender to reduce it significantly, and we rewarded him with forgetting to sign the tab (we called back later once we realized it). 

And with that, another state and another marathon checked off the list. 

Now let me take you back to the 80s (or March 2020 in Little Rock, AR). This race was a make up from the year before, when I was stuck in travel hell and missed the race. Race directors were kind enough to let me defer my registration to this year, which I feel like was a blessing in disguise, since the 2020 theme was...drumroll..... the 80s (compared to the Space Odyssey in 2019). Who doesn't love the 80s?  

Me, I love the 80s

I felt a little bit like I just snuck this race in (which was on March 1st) just before the country went into stay-at-home mode.  But when we can travel again, and you just so happen to may your way to Little Rock, I recommend driving a bit out of the way to Hot Springs. Great hiking, great hot springs and great beer. I spent the day there pre-race. 

Hiking in Hot Springs National Park

Flight at Superior Bathhouse Brewing

When you forget flip flops and you have to buy them at the bathhouse. But you get to keep them forever!

So basically, I'm pretty sure people run this race simply for the ginormous medal. I mean, that is why I did it. It truly is probably the best medal I've ever received, in both size and detail. 

Race day 80s vibe

Detail

Perspective

I celebrated state number 35 on my journey to 50 with, you guessed it, oysters. A little joint called Flying Fish. Good seafood, good beer and great kitsch.

Oyster (shells) and beer

Kitsch

And that was the last marathon I've done. Normally I would be training to run another marathon this fall, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to run another one. I know they are still happening in some places, but I've not thought too hard about doing another one this year. Honestly, it has been kind of nice to not be training so much. I've been able to do more cycling, more strength training and I've taken up pickleball (when in Rome). I do miss the travel though, which I think for me has been one of the hardest parts of all this. Because no travel means not seeing new places, and not seeing my friends and family. But just like a marathon, this pain is temporary. And let's just hope for a big shiny medal at the end of all this!  My thoughts are with all of you who might be sick, who have lost loved ones during the pandemic or who may be struggling financially. You're stronger than you realize, and we'll get through this. Be safe! 

The Mueller Marathon: Sometimes Family Can Be Your Worst Enemy

June 8, 2019...the date the Mueller marathon tried to take me down. Make no mistake about it, sometimes your family comes down on you the hardest. If I was hoping for a break because I'm a Mueller, I was being naive.

This is us before we realized what
we'd gotten ourselves into.

Maybe it was just trying to teach me a lesson because I decided to make my first trail run ever a marathon. Maybe it just was giving me some tough love. Whatever it was, I got no warm fuzzies from the Mueller Marathon in Divide, CO. Starting at 9000 feet above sea level, with an elevation gain of 4000 -5000 feet (to about 14,000 feet) it was a true test of family loyalty.  Had it not been for Bethany who also naively agreed to run this with me, I would have left the family, disowned my name. Whatever I had to do to get away from this torture.

Me trying to make it up a hill. They all started
to look the same. So, so many of them.

The inclines were so steep. Too steep to run. We basically used the the ground to claw our way up them. So we figured, well, at least we can run the downhills.  Nope. Also steep..to the point where we worried we would pummel down the hillside.  So ultimately a lot of walking.

Don't get me wrong, the course was beautiful, making its way through Mueller State Park. But we should have known this race would be ridiculously hard since a normal marathon cut off time is about 6 hours. This race..well, they were kind enough to give us 9 hours to finish.

We quickly developed a love/hate relationship with one another. True of many family relationships, right? Bethany was cursing my name. Actually we were both cursing a lot of things. (Apologies to the families with small children we accidentally happened upon during our arduous trek).

Bethany and I finished at a solid 7 1/2 hours. We were just thankful to have made it in less than 9 hours, since there were many times we weren't so sure that was going to happen.

But we did it, and now I have a medal with my name on it. No inscription fee needed! And of course a cool race tshirt with my name. I'm sure Bethany will still curse my name whenever she sees that medal or wears that shirt. She may never forgive me...

Now for the pre and post-race highlights...

I arrived a few days before the race to "try" and adjust a bit to the altitude. I met up with my friend Nicole and her 2 super cool kids in downtown Golden.

I love having a chance to get to know the cool little humans my friend's kids start to turn into as they get older. And hopefully I didn't scar either her son or daughter with my tales of horrible first dates. But Jack is already leaps and bounds ahead in the chivalry department, prepared to treat a future lucky lady to dinner.  I also squeezed in a dinner with another college friend, Ami; as always, we had a great time catching up. Aaaaaand, I also had lunch with a friend from a prior job, Megan, who I quickly realized was pregnant, exciting news I was unaware of! As I write this, she is a new mom to this little peanut who arrived just days ago. Congrats and can't wait to meet him during my next visit!



Megan suggested a nice course for a little practice run. And I thought this hill was going to be hard. So beautiful though!






My race squad arrived a day after I did, and we of course, did a little sightseeing / hiking before the race in the nearby aptly named Garden of the Gods.

And when you travel with your race squad, you buy squad t-shirts.

#squadgoals

We also enjoyed some pre-race hot springs. Well, I might have gone back without my squad pos- race while they were road tripping back to the midwest.

The view from the barrel of hot mineral water. 

Lady date in the hot tub?

In all seriousness, I would have never finished this race without Bethany pushing me to keep climbing. And that badass was using this as training for the Madison, WI Ironman, which she finished just last month (September)! And Gillian was a great addition to the race squad, bringing me ice for my ankle, running out to pick up pizza. Love both you ladies from 9000 to 14,000 feet and back!

Checking #34 and the state of Colorado off the list! Slowly but surely, making my way to 50. Up next, Mo' Cowbell in St. Charles, Missouri, joined by my race squad Bethany and Sangeeta this time around! Stay tuned for that blog.

Arkansas, a.k.a. North Carolina

So it's been a while since I posted here. And as usual this post is well after I've run the race I'm writing about. ;)  In my last post, I was 4 days into a move to Naples, FL and 2 days into a new job. It's been almost 8 months there, and I'm started to feel a bit settled in, although I miss Chicago, my friends there, and my old life there everyday. Fortunately, many of my northern friends made the transition much easier by making the trek down to escape the winter months and enjoy the beaches of Naples!

A glimpse of Shanghai

This new job has given me a some work/life balance, so I actually committed to doing some legitimate training. Intervals, speed work, strength training, all that fun stuff. Last time I posted, I was registered for the Little Rock Marathon in March with a ginormous medal in my future.  Sadly, that future did not materialize. The week before the race I had to travel to China for work (another reason to like this new job!). 

I was scheduled to arrive back in Florida Friday night, to catch a Saturday morning flight to Little Rock. I was mentally preparing for running this thing jet lagged and tired. Unfortunately, we were delayed leaving Shanghai, so I missed my connection in Montreal because somehow they decided to close US customs just as we were all rushing up to catch our flights that had not yet left. Anyway, I spend the night in Montreal and the entire day Saturday in the Montreal airport, so needless to say, I did not make it to Little Rock. But I couldn't let that training go to waste!  Fortunately, I found a marathon the very next weekend in Wilmington Beach, NC, a state I'd not yet checked off the list. So I signed myself up, booked a flight and hotel, and I was set.

Of course, I had some flight delays and was worried that again, I might miss another race. Fortunately it worked out and I made it on time to get to the expo and pick up my race packet. The weather race day was a perfect temperature, although a little bit of drizzle was there to start us off. But I didn't care too much about that.

The course was nice and flat, although not a ton of support from spectators. But great volunteers! All in all, if anyone is looking to check off a race in NC, this one isn't too bad. Plus, the finish line had some good beer from Dogfish Head did hit the spot. And, in usual tradition, I did find a spot for some post-race oysters in town. Hieronymus Seafood and Oyster Bar is a low key, unpretentious spot for some great oysters and seafood.


The day after the race, I checked out historic downtown Wilmington. Oh, and I forgot to mention I did have a great companion traveling with me, Flat Stanley (one of my best friend's daughter had a school project, so I took him along to experience some highlights of NC).  We saw old battleships, cotton exchanges, and horse drawn carriages. There was also a cool shop called Black Cat that has a gift for anyone on your gift list!


So North Carolina held the spot of my 33rd marathon.  As I'm writing this, I just finished running a marathon #34 in CO, but that deserves it's own post!

Mariachis and Marathons in Lincoln, Nebraska

This post is ridiculously delayed as I ran this race May 6th, 2018. So I may have forgotten most of this race. But let's give it a go.

So this trip was surrounded by back to back work trips for me, so I was hoping for a quiet weekend  in Lincoln (minus running 26.2 miles). I mean, it's Nebraska, how crazy can it be? Very, it turns out. Combine a weekend of Cinco de Mayo, a marathon AND the University of Nebraska's graduation and you get crowds and noise....lots and lots of noise. I arrived and just hoped to have a quiet lunch outside, since the weather was beautiful. The first stop had a nice outdoor space, where we were able to grab a table. Soon we found out why...they weren't serving food at the time. Which was probably better since there were several graduation parties going on there, and in hindsight, it was a total college bar. And at 41, that is not so much my scene anymore. So we relocated to a Mexican restaurant (remember again it is the day before the marathon...May 5th). We grabbed a spot at the bar to wait for a table. When I then remembered I'd left my wallet at the crazy college bar. So I got a quick warm up run in to dash back to see if it was still there. Thankfully it was. Phew.  So back to the Mexican restaurant where our table was now ready. Across the restaurant was a mariachi band..hoping, praying, wishing that it stays across the restaurant.  But in typical mariachi style, they covered the ground across the entire restaurant. Don't get me wrong, they were great. But I just wanted some quiet. Not in the cards for that afternoon, I guess.

Dinner was much quieter thankfully. We dined at Dish, which I recommend if you're in Lincoln to root on the Cornhuskers, or for any other reason. 

Race day was fairly good weather, although by the end of the race it was getting to be a bit on warm side. Crowds were sporadic on the course, but overall it was a pretty good course, and the volunteers were great. The race was sponsored by the National Guard, so there were several members of our military who were participating. I always find the runners in full gear, in boots, wearing full packs, so impressive. Because I'm struggling in shoes and gear made for running without a 40lb pack on my back. So thanks to them for their service and for their inspiration to the rest of us on the course.

That was not my chip time!

The best part of this race was the finish..and not just because it means the thing is over. It's because you finish right on the Cornhusker football field!
Post-race, I didn't really get a chance to see much of Lincoln, as I had to head back to Omaha to fly out for a work trip. Which totally made me realize why I don't normally travel on race days, because sitting on a plane sure does make your legs stiff! 

Since I don't remember a lot of details on the race at this point, other than the cool finish line, I'd say if you need to do a race in Nebraska, go for this one. Just be prepared to pay a lot for a hotel room if it's the same weekend as graduation! The Marriott was the price of the Ritz in some cities! 

OMG, I can't believe I almost forgot to mention the medal!!! Another great part of this race. It looks like a penny! And since I'm a whore for the bling, totally worth it. Speaking of bling, I've registered for the Little Rock, Arkansas marathon this March, and from what I've seen from the 2018 medal, this thing is going to be bigger than the race bib. I cannot wait!!  Well, actually I can, since I've done a sad amount of running since I ran this race in Lincoln.  

I typically run a race in the fall, but this fall, my life has changed a lot. I've relocated from Chicago, the love of my life, to Naples, FL to take on a new job and adventure. So the training and travel have had to go on hold for a bit.  All the chaos with work travel, trying to plan for a move, closing out things at my prior job, has made it hard to even get short runs in, but I've done a few runs to help me manage some personal relationship issues, and as always, running is always there for me when I need it to be. Probably why I keep doing it.  Although I didn't run a race this fall, I was a legit, hard core spectator at the Chicago marathon for my superstar friend, Bethany!  Her daughter and I darted all over the city to cheer her on as many times as we could possibly manage on the course. And we even did it in the rain! If you ever want to spectate with someone, Gillian is the best partner to have!  One of the highlights of spectating is when you randomly cheer for a runner with his/her name on his/her bib, and you get a mix of reactions ranging from smiles, big grins and cheers (the best) or confusion because the person wonders if he/she knows you (also fun).  Watching all of the runners in Chicago did motivate me to get back out there and take on another race sooner rather than later. So I might tackle Alabama before Arkansas, but will have to see how things feel when I start running again, as this would be only 3 weeks before. And I'm not getting any younger folks! But I've got 32 in the books, 18 to go. Let's get this done! 

I’ve got the Mississippi Rainy Day Blues

I took to Jackson, Mississippi at the end of January with the hopes of leaving behind some holiday lbs at the Mississippi Blues marathon.  Instead I literally left my blood, sweat and tears that even the rain couldn’t wash away. Actually, it was the rain that caused most of them. Never have I experienced so much chafing in a race. For all 4 plus hours of this race, not once did the rain stop. For anyone thinking of this race as an option, it seems that historically the weather is complete shite on race day (last year it was cancelled due to ice). But I digress. Let me tell you first about visiting Jackson.

The race took place on a Saturday so I arrived Friday to pick up my race packet. Of course, Friday was a sunny, beautiful day, perfect for running. I stayed at the host hotel so didn’t have far to go to pick up the race packet. Runners were welcomed with a live blues band rocking the convention hall. Afterwards we walked around downtown to grab some lunch and see whatever there was to see in Mississippi's capital. Surprisingly, downtown Jackson, Capital City, home to trial and appellate level courts and presumably other governmental offices, was virtually empty. We there wasn't a lot to do right downtown except visit he Capitol Building, which has a pretty remarkable dome on it.

After the dome, we stopped at a bar behind the main courthouse, the Ole’ Tavern on George Street. Hoping to meet some fellow esquires, I instead ran into some fellow runners, also on the quest to finish a marathon in all 50 states. They were quite a few beers into the afternoon, impressively. We had a great conversation taking about different races we’d done and as we left to grab dinner, I wondered if they’d make it to the race the next day. (I did see them in the first few miles and it seemed they had some second thoughts on their life choices from the day before. They still finished ahead of me though).

I honestly didn’t know what to expect of the dining in Jackson, MS but was pleasantly surprised. Dinner was downtown at a pretty good place called Parlor Market, and I had an octopus dish with squid ink linguine. I have a fairly low spice tolerance, so to me this dish had a bit of a kick. Fortunately, that didn’t have an impact race day. Phew! Sorry, TMI?

Ok, so for the race itself....ugh. Rain, rain and more rain. It was horrible. And somehow, we always seemed to be running uphill, although I don’t know how that is possible. But I still haven’t figured out how the wind in Chicago can blow all directions at once, but yet it still does. And as some sort of sick joke, around mile 18 or so, you run through the “agriculture museum” which was a nice muddy path at that point. I've never had so much chafing ever, and stopping at the port-a-johns, well that was interesting. If you've ever worn a wet suit, gotten it wet, taken it off and then put it back on, well the going-to-the-bathroom experience was pretty much like that.

The only saving grace of this race were the few blues bands that stuck it out in the rain to play to us and the AMAZING volunteers who were just as cold and wet but NEVER stopped cheering us on. Thank you race volunteers, you were incredible!! You deserve all the love!

As in usual post- race tradition, oysters were had at a great seafood place, Saltine. Great for oysters and dinner!

That's about all I have to say about Jackson. As I post this, I'm gearing up for the next race in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Fingers crossed for no rain and mild temperatures!  But might have to forego the post-race oysters there!

Tupac (West Coast) vs. Biggie (East Coast)

Like the age old rivalry between L.A.'s Tupac and NYC's Notorious B.I.G., so is the battle between the San Francisco west coast marathon and Baltimore's east coast marathon.

Before the Golden Gate fog

In the Golden Gate fog

As they say, there ain't no party like a West Coast party because a West Coast party don't stop.  And the party started in San Fran with one of the earliest start times I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing with a 5:00 am start at the Bay Bridge. I was able to find Sangeeta who was running the first  half of the marathon course. Thanks Geets for keeping me entertained for the first 10 miles! We did get to run through a cloud together over the Golden Gate bridge (as you can see,
not good for your hair).

My friend Kelly, who joined as a supporter and spectator, was another friendly face on the course. Her hair held up much better, but she pretty much always has good hair.

Obligatory selfie

While the race was hilly, it was not nearly as hilly as one might expect for San Fran. I survived the race and joined fellow runners, Bethany, Gilly (who ran her first half!!) and Sangeeta at the finish line. 

Gillian's excitement is the cutest!

The best part of the San Fran marathon was the post race fun.  Oysters of course! 

Kelly and I took in the Full House house. We also took the required tourist street car ride the day before the race, with  the Rice-a-Roni jingle in our heads the entire time.  But even better was our tour to wine country the next day!

Hey Tannerinos!

Red wine, white wine, bubbles....we tried it all.  We ended our day staying in Bodega Bay, setting of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." Although the town was quaint, our accommodations unfortunately were not. At least we got to see baby goats, which sometimes make everything better. And at least it was only one night. (By the way, no one tell Kelly there was a wolf spider on her shoulder!

The birds are coming! 

After wine country, birds and baby goats, we headed up north to stay in Fort Bragg and see the Avenue of the Giants (i.e., giant redwood trees).  The drive up the coast is not for the faint of stomach! Winding roads had all of us feeling queasy and ready for a straight stretch of highway.  But it certainly was scenic! 

Yep, we drove through this.

In the Avenue of the Giants

Gone 'Squatchin!

Our album cover (if we could sing and had a band)

 There were lots of memories made, wine drank, food eaten. Debates over whether these fat rodents were squirrels, naming the seagull who stared at us during our picnic on the Glass Beach, August.

Sangeeta riding to the Glass Beach

August

And with that, we bid adieu to Northern California. 

So 3 months later, with not a lot of training, aside from running a marathon in San Francisco, I headed east to Baltimore, Maryland to check off my 30th state. Having only been to Baltimore in passing when traveling to Delaware, I had some more time to check things out. Definitely a big fan of all the markets where you can get lots of great yet different food in one place. I did hit up one of these markets for post-race oysters and crab cakes (when in Rome). Oh, and let's not forget the "crush" drinks that they make from booze and fresh citrus. 

Race weekend weather was sunny and warm.  The harbor area was beautiful, which also hosted the post-race party. It was a getting a bit hot by the finish, but I still finished one second faster than my time in San Fran. 

Baltimore was surprisingly just as hilly as San Fran, with miles 16-20 pretty much all up hill. I was so not expecting that. But there were penguins on the course, and the crab-shaped medal at the end was sorta worth it. 

So which was better? Maybe my trip to California wins this one, but because everything is better with good friends and support along the way! 2017 closed out with my 40th birthday and my 30th marathon, which gives me 10 years to finish the remaining 20 to hit all 50 states by the time I'm 50! Easy, right?  Looking forward to what 2018 holds (as of now Jackson, Mississippi, Lincoln, Nebraska and potentially Wyoming in the fall!) Stay tuned, and as always, thanks for all your support!