Hurricane Gustav

This has been a very emotional week for us. We left Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon and came up here to my cousins' house in Ruston, LA. I am so glad that we left. All of my friends who stayed in Baton Rouge are okay, as far as I know, but they say it was just awful. I have heard so many stories about trees on houses in Baton Rouge and I am very very scared about our little house. My coworker Ray is supposed to go by and check on it for me today. I hope it's okay. As I write this, the outer bands, what is left of them anyway, are swirling over Ruston. We lost power this morning for an hour or so. But that was it. So far.

Joey just got a report of a tree that fell onto a power line at Camp Alabama near here. He is in charge of Camp Alabama so obviousy he just left to go see about that. I'm sitting here watching CNN, as we have been this whole time, dying to see something about Baton Rouge on their coverage. Governor Jindal is speaking right now. I am still worried about the levees flooding New Orleans even today or tomorrow. There is an awful lot of water pressing against them!

So now I am just waiting. I am sad for the people I have heard about who died when trees fell on their houses. I am sad for the people who didn't die but still have lost things that I'm sure were important to them. I will write more when I know more about my friends and our house, etc.

Love,
Melissa

Remy's First Birthday!

Today is Remy's first birthday! I made cornbread, which he had never had but I had a feeling he would love. He did! Here are a few highlights:

Hope.

Hope is a word I have been hearing often lately - and I just heard it again while watching the Democratic National Convention on PBS. Yes, Tony and I are watching on PBS, because we don't have cable and they are carrying the entire thing. The announcers are hilarious on PBS. Anyway - I am getting very excited about the election and I really hope that people will take the time to educate themselves about the candidates. I know I have. At least I hope I have. I hope that people won't just do what others are telling them to do - but that they use their own minds and hearts to decide. I do hope that times will change in America - that children like Angela (more about her another time) will be able to attend college in the state where they grew up, even though their families are in the depths of poverty. I do hope that I will have the opportunity to fulfill my dreams and to work to create environments for children and families that will be supportive of their dreams. I do hope that we will bring our troops home without many more having to be honored in next year's Run for the Fallen, which we had yesterday here in Baton Rouge. I do hope that my family - Tony's and my family - will grow up in a safe, clean, progressive environment. I know that we have so many freedoms that we don't even realize that we have, and watching the Olympics and realizing some of the freedoms (of the press, etc.) that they actually don't have in China.

I do hope that Obama wins - yes - but more than that, I hope that Americans, no matter who they are, take the time to decide, for themselves, what they believe and stand by that.

A New Season, A New Goal!

... the new season is the Nike Women's Marathon season, and the new goal is another $4,000!!! I am working to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while training for the Nike Women's Marathon, in which I will participate on October 19th!

Please check back often, as I will continue to post updates on my training, my fundraising, and my Team!

If you would like to make a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, you can do so here:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/la/nikesf08/mthreatt

Until then,
Melissa

Our "Stay"cation

Tony, Remy, and I had the most wonderful weekend at home.  This was our Memorial Weekend "Stay"cation!  That's what they're calling it on TV this weekend so that's what I'm calling it; and that's what it was!  On Friday night we watched a movie and went to bed early.  I woke up early Saturday to run 8 miles with my TEAM - the last Group Training Session of this season!  After that I went to breakfast with Kelly, Ashley, Leigh and Mauri.  We went to the Broken Egg Cafe - I'd never been.  It was delicious!  I went home to Tony and Remy and we had a very lazy day.  Then Saturday night Tony took me on a date downtown.  We went to the Wine Loft and had drinks and appetizers that turned out to be all we ate that night.  Then we went to Boudreaux & Thibodeaux's and watched a really cool rock/zydeco/cajun band from Lafayette.  The guy sang primarily in Cajun French and it was really cool.  Sunday, we woke up pretty early and I made beignets from Cafe du Monde Beignet Mix and they were actually really good!!  I took pictures, because at the same time I gave Remy his crab cookie from Paws & Claws and he is so funny when he eats those!  Then we actually went back to sleep for awhile before continuing to be lazy in the afternoon.  Today, Monday, Memorial Day, we remembered the reason for the day while thinking of those we know - Tommy and others - and those we don't know who are working every minute to protect us.

I feel like we did so many little things while just being together.  We really, really needed this.  I feel reenergized and ready for my [haha] 3 day work week.  Then it's off to San Diego... wow.  Prayers welcome for my nerves, for my body, for my mind, and for my TEAM :)

Until next time... nervously and excitedly,

Melissa

This week!!!

The Rock 'n Roll Marathon is this Sunday!!!  We are leaving on Friday morning for San Diego.  I got out my suitcase and made my packing list today.  Also, Kelly, Ashley, and I went to the store and got a bunch of ribbons and safety pins and fabric paint to decorate our singlets on Saturday.  I am so excited about this event weekend!  I am excited to travel together [somewhat together anyway], to room together, to eat together, and to represent the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by running together.  

Meanwhile, the new season of Team in Training has had two good group runs and has our first fundraising clinic this Wednesday night.  That night Leigh and I will get to share our fundraising ideas with our new group and to help them figure out how best to approach the amount of money that they need to raise.

Getting excited,

I will write more soon,

Melissa

So proud...

I am proud to announce that our dear friends Hank and Joanna just had their first baby on May 7th!!! Jackson Kingsmore Burns. Yesterday I received the sweetest birth announcement - and it's perfect for them! It's a baseball card :) With his picture on the front and all of his statistics on the back :) I am so proud to say that I have loved Hank and now Joanna and Jackson for 8 years. Hank is my first very close friend to have a baby; he's so important to Tony and to me and we are so proud. I just wish that we lived closer to Raleigh so we could share with them during this exciting time!



Congratulations, Burns family. We love you!