#4 - Go to an Escape Room

A few months ago, I started working for a team building company.  At my first event, we had some down time and the guy in charge asked me if any of the rest of us had ever done an escape room.  I had never heard of such a thing.  Apparently they were gaining popularity in LA and were slowly creeping down to San Diego.

The idea is that you're stuck in a room and there's a puzzle or a series of puzzles.  I think, originally, the idea was to solve the puzzle in order to escape the room.  I'm imagining that scene in Star Wars when they're in that trash compactor (or whatever. I'm a fan but I don't remember details from movies well).  I'm not sure if there are any actually like that.  There is one in San Diego where there's a zombie chained to the wall and as time goes by, the zombie's chain gets longer.

I heard of escape rooms again from college students at work.  One of the student office assistants had done one and raved about it.  One of the sport club executive board members suggested it for our presidents retreat.

I decided to do some more research.  Then, I found a Groupon.  So I suggested it to Laura Masters who was coming to visit.  Since she and Vanessa Vadnal had met in Catalina a couple years back, we invited Vanessa too.

Vanessa bought us our Groupon and booked us to go to the Houdini room at Great Room Escape in downtown San Diego.  We waited in a big, plain, dingy room and watched facts about Houdini and the human body on a TV screen.  A group of about 7 other people soon joined us.  They did not talk to us.

Then, a woman came in to explain the basic rules and premise.  Houdini's soul was stuck between worlds.  In order to release him to the afterlife, we would hold a seance and would then need to unlock a trunk where his soul was trapped.  Those are pretty much the only instructions we got.  We had to figure the rest out on our own by exploring the room and looking for hints.  I won't say anything else here about the details in case anyone reading this wants to give it a go.

At first, it was quite frustrating.  We didn't know what the clues would look like or where we'd find them.  Plus, there were plenty of decoy hints all over.  And, the group of 7 still wouldn't really talk to us.  When we would ask them what they'd found, they'd glance over their shoulders like, "oh, you're still here?"  That was weird.

Eventually, we found some clues, and the staff member in the room (Houdini's wife) was helpful... sometimes.  Once Vanessa found something, and Houdini's wife exclaimed, "Oh! You found [that thing]!"  Vanessa said something like, "Yeah, in here."  And Houdini's wife said, "I've been looking for that" and proceeded to put it back away.

I really didn't think we were going to make it.  We didn't work as a team well, so there was absolutely no system.  We definitely repeated what others had already done over and over.

But... in the last 5 minutes, we completely unlocked and opened the trunk.  Yay us!  We won!

It was only an hour, but it was one of those situations where you feel like you've been somewhere forever and yet you're not anxious for it to end.  It was super fun and I would love to try another one.

Who wants to go escape more rooms with me?!

Fail: #37 - Run 100 Miles

July 18, 2015

I just realized that I'm 32.5 miles into this goal, so I should probably at least start the post.  Most of the miles have been uneventful other than being all around the very beautiful areas of Golden Hill, South Park, North Park, and downtown San Diego.  I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful trails.  I feel unlucky having so many back problems this year.  I would definitely be running more if it weren't for my lower back acting up... and for all the hills.  Since I live in Golden Hill, I live ON a hill, which means that no matter which direction I run, I finish up a very large hill.  Sometimes that deters me and I just do another work out instead.  Plus I've been trying to play beach volleyball, surf, hike, and sail as much as possible lately, telling myself I can run in any city, but those are things I probably won't be able to do, at least not year round, once I move.  But, maybe just starting this post will keep me a little more on top of my running.

It's not that I'm not fitting in a lot of work outs, it's that when I run, I just feel better.  I work a lot of things out mentally and emotionally when I run, so encouraging myself to lace up my running shoes more often is something I should do for myself more often.  Plus, when I run fast regularly, I tend to get in pretty decent shape, which makes all of those other activities way more fun.

So far, I've mostly done solo runs.  The only exception was the Black Light Run 5k that I did with Vanessa Vadnal and Matthew Savage.  I don't do many 5k's because they've gotten so expensive, and if I run decently, I feel like I haven't even fit in a full workout for the day because I've only been active 30-45 minutes.  But, Vanessa was heads up and found a cheap entry.  I like running with her because, honestly, I haven't run an entire race, of any length, in years, but I do when I'm running with V.  

The race itself wasn't organized all that well, especially since we were just zig zagging through the Qualcomm parking lot, but it was fun to run at night, with lights and glowing things and that colored powder that seems to be so popular lately.  We stayed for quite awhile after the race dancing to the DJ and throwing powder in the air.  Thanks for keeping me in the loop for it, V!

Thursday, October 1

I wanted to mention this run because I felt fast.  It's been a stressful past week, and it was nice to get all of those emotions burned up through a quick run.

Thursday, December 31

I didn't quite make it this year.  I put in some miles on the treadmill while in Michigan staying with Mom & Dad, but I ended somewhere around 70 miles.  I'm not counting hiking miles and I estimated all of my runs, but it looks like I need to repeat this goal next year and keep up this running routine I finally picked up again.

Fail 2014: #37 - Run 200 Miles

I ran somewhere between 10-15 miles with the support of Van 2.  Van2islife.

I've been cleaning up my blog and realized that although in 2014 I came no where near close to running 200 miles, I did run quite a bit.  Many of those miles were with Van 2, and they deserve some credit for that.

I also ran 13.1 miles with a super fun group of Michiganders in DC, and they should get that credit too.


Plus, VV won us entries into the Cowboy Run, and she stuck with me at my slow pace the entire 3.1.  Also, that race was weird.

I should also probably give my parents credit for all of the miles I put in on their treadmill.  I should probably own a treadmill.  When it's there, I use it.

#43 - Snorkel Somewhere New

I had also forgotten that snorkeling somewhere new was on my list.  Thankfully, on day 2 of our trip to Catalina, Vanessa Vadnal brought it up as something she wanted to do.  Erin Gillespie and I jumped on board quickly.  Laura Masters thought she was just going to hang at the beach, but she ended up joining us in the water too.

Laura's wet suit was super awkward.

We suited up, snorkeled up, and awkwardly walked over the very rocky beach to the water.  Then we awkwardly put on our fins.

The water in Catalina is incredibly clear.  As soon as we put our faces in the water, we could see clear to the bottom as well as fish in every direction.  There were bright orange garibaldi, the California state marine fish everywhere.  We swam further to a kelp forest where bright and muted fish darted in and out everywhere.  I swear I saw a purple-ish orange angelfish in there somewhere.  It was definitely the deepest I'd ever swam in an ocean.  If that were still on my list, like it was last year, I would have checked yet another one off!  At one point we were probably swimming above water that was 16 or so feet deep.  (No, that's not that deep, but somehow the deep ocean really freaks me out even though I'm a strong swimmer.)  I had to turn back once we got to the clear, deep area because my motion sickness set in.  On the swim back there was this huge school of fish that was barely phased with 4 humans swimming around them.

I pulled myself through the rocks to a half wall, tried to keep myself from retching, and waited for the game.  I'm still really glad we went, and I hope I can find some motion sickness solution for snorkeling because it's so exhilarating!

#93 - Go to Catalina

I'd suspect the ladies who attended this year's birthday celebration of relentless competitive drives, but none of us remembered Catalina was on this list until we were heading home.

Seriously, how did we not take a picture of all 5 of s in the sunshine?

Every year for my birthday, I leave town.  It can come off as one of those indulgent, self-obsessed birthday things.  However, it started because I had 6 or 7 birthdays in a row (starting at 17) where someone made me cry.  (By the way, never pretend to forget a 17 year old's birthday, when her friends have all just moved off to college, only to throw her a surprise party over a week later.  I now appreciate the effort but, damn, I was devastated that all of my friends had moved off to college and forgotten all about me stuck back in high school.)  I still seem to have a lot of bad luck complicated by anxiety about bad luck leading up to my birthday.

After that series of bad birthdays, I became completely preoccupied with who showed up to my birthday... or really, who didn't show up.  I was so focused on who wasn't there or who showed up late or who left early, that I didn't appreciate the people who were there.  I was so afraid of being hurt by the people who had better things to do, more important people to see, that I couldn't be present and enjoy the company of those physically around me, the people who made time to just be with me.  Then I realized I was not just doing that around my birthday but in the rest of my life too.

In 2009, I decided to try to break my miserable tradition of being miserable.  That year, I planned a Vegas trip and invited anyone who wanted to come along.  My birthday is at an inconvenient time of year being so close to Thanksgiving, so I didn't expect many people to come.  Eventually the group became 2 friends and a friend of a friend, 4 ladies total.  We were already having a fantastic time when 2 of my favorite people of all time drove in from San Diego to surprise me.

The tour has included
2009 - Las Vegas: 4 of us
2010 - Louisville: 8 of us
2011 - Kalamazoo: 3 of us
2012 - Hollywood: 2 of us
2013 - San Juan: 5 of us
2014 - Catalina Island: 5 of us

Every trip has been filled with memories that are truly special to me.

This new tradition allowed me to truly release my expectations of all of my loved ones and at the same time truly enjoy the company of those who were around me right then, in that moment.  I have no trouble accepting that most people can't just take a weekend trip so close to Thanksgiving because of their family obligations coming up or work constraints or financial constraints or whatever.  So I never have any expectations that any one person should go.  In fact, no one person has always gone -- though Laura Masters has come close.  Once I let go of those expectations, I can just be present with the people I am with.  I am no longer preoccupied with people coming and going and having more important things to do.  I just am, exploring a new place, finding some new adventure, with new and old friends alike.

So back to the original intent of this post, this year we went to Catalina Island, 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.  It is a truly beautiful island that is apparently bumpin' in the summer with tourists but just as lovely in the late fall with tourists and townies.

I had my usual string of bad luck and was very concerned I wasn't going to enjoy the trip for once.  I wasn't able to leave work until around midnight and had to pick up Vanessa Vadnal at 6:30am to drive to Long Beach the next morning where we would be picking up Laura Masters, so we could catch the ferry.  I also get extremely motion sick, especially on very little sleep.

I eventually picked Vanessa up around 7:15am and we made it to the Long Beach airport about 30 minutes after Laura landed.  The 3 of us had a great brunch in Seal Beach before boarding the ferry.  It was a pretty rolling ride, but we managed thanks to Dramamine.  Oh, and the Catalina Express gives you a FREE ferry ride on your birthday!  Including the return trip!

We arrived on the beautiful island and checked into our place, which far surpassed my expectations.  The view was beautiful, we had plenty of room, and we had a roof deck.  Laura & I had a glass of wine on the roof deck while Vanessa walked around.  Then Tara Edberg arrived.  Then we started a puzzle.  Obviously.

We had a great dinner at the Lobster Trap and then headed out to the Marlin Club and the Locker Room, both outstanding establishments that reminded me of what Chicago dive bars would be on an island.  My kind of places.


Laura & I slept in the next day.  Tara & Vanessa went for a hike.  Erin Gillespie arrived.  Then we finished the puzzle.  Obviously.  Then Erin, Laura, Vanessa, & I went snorkeling while Tara shopped.  I have never seen water so clear.  I mean, I've only been snorkeling once before, in La Jolla Cove, but still.  It was incredible.  If only it weren't for that damn motion sickness, I could have drifted nervously in that water all day.  I say nervously because it's incredible, but I don't think I'll ever lose my awe of the ocean.

Then we had Bloody Marys, champagne, and watched the sun go down... or at least the shadow of the sun go down because the town of Avalon faces east.  The sky was still beautiful.  We then watched Step Brothers because you can't not watch Step Brothers if you're on Catalina.  We had a great dinner at the Seaport Bistro, where I had some really fantastic fried chicken -- oh, and you must specify that you want the LOBSTER mac and cheese, though the regular mac and cheese is super fantastic anyways.  Then back to the Marlin Club, obviously, El Galleon for some karaoke, obviously, and back to the Locker Room.  (We killed "Total Eclipse of the Heart," in case you were wondering.")


In the morning, we kind of went our separate ways.  Vanessa & I had breakfast with Erin and some friends nearby.  Tara and Laura shopped.

Laura, Vanessa, and I rode the ferry back together, and this time, we scored some clutch seats upstairs and outside.  I had forgotten how much I love boat rides.  I loved the wind, the ocean spray, the view, all of it.  We even lucked out with a great lunch at Alien Sandwiches, which is staffed by the greatest little group of people.  Next time you're in Long Beach, go there.  And take all of their suggestions, even if you have no idea what you're ordering.

This trip really lightened my heart after a stressful couple weeks.  I am very grateful.

Also, I really love McClure's pickles.  They are magic.

#49 - Run a Ragnar

When we were strangers.

I don't know what to say about this experience.  Mostly because, if you're not Van 2, does it even matter?  But here are some forced words about it:

We make good decisions together.  Sometimes.

Ragnar SoCal was 194 miles this year.  We ran from Huntington Beach to San Diego (the convention center), skipping Camp Pendleton (though driving through it on our way there).  12 people, 2 vans.  

I wanted to do a Ragnar.  Somehow Vanessa was easily convinced.  We tried to form our own team.  We failed.  We followed the Ragnar SoCal facebook page and found a nice, young gentleman named Terry looking for a couple more runners for his team.  So we joined them.  So 30ish hours in a van with 4 people we wouldn't know and another van of 6 people we also didn't know.  Then more people dropped out.  So Vanessa invited her friend Alex.  And then some magic happened and everything was eventually covered.

The leg lengths kept changing, so I expected something around 14/15 miles but ended up with around 12 spread out over 3 legs.  That was probably good because I'm already slow and I did not train appropriately.  I had that half-marathon attitude of "whatever, I know I can finish, so training just makes it hurt less," which was not the best tactic in a team event.  In team events, I tend to push myself a bit more, and that meant a bit more hurt.  And I still loved it.

Van 2 for Life

So back to the timeline.  I picked up VV and Alex around 9:00am on Friday.  We drove up to Encinitas to meet the van, arranged by our fearless captain Terry, and were introduced to our teammate AJ.  Much of the conversation for the next 20 minutes was about the movie Frozen, which Vanessa, Alex, and I had not yet seen.  We packed up then picked up our 12th / 6th of our van, Wes, at Pendleton.  He hadn't seen Frozen either.

Terry gettin' tatted up.

Inked

We got to the first major exchange around noon and hung out until our 6th runner, Lydia, from Van 1, arrived.  We mulled around, listened to a painful safety speech, saw some weird costumes, and confirmed we were just Not That Kind of Team (NTKOT).  We applied tattoos.  Some came off.  Some were reapplied.  Some more went on.

Van 1 coming in hot for the first major exchange.

Eventually around 2pm Wes took off for the 7th team leg of around 10 miles.  He killed 23 other runners and then passed off to Vanessa who passed off to me who passed off to AJ who passed off to Alex who passed off to Terry who passed it back to Van 1 at Doheny State Beach.  Somewhere in there I had a perfect life moment: We were in the van; I was already loving being part of a team, had had a nice first leg, then my favorite song came on the radio, then the view of strip malls melted into the hills and the ocean.  Beautiful.

Then we ate some Chipotle, drove to Oceanside, decided to sleep, failed, decided not sleep, had a total tease of a bedtime story, didn't sing Journey at the top of our lungs, learned some facts about the Paleo diet, learned some Disney theories, put on reflective equipment, and then Wes started us off again around 12:30am.  Then Vanessa (with guest star AJ).  My leg was through Vista at 2:30am.  It was sketchy and dark and lonely and had a few sprinkles.  Then AJ.  Then Alex.  Then Terry.

Second major exchange.

My night exchange.

Then we drove to the Gliderport in LaJolla.  And we slept.  Super uncomfortably.  For what, 2-3 hours?  Still without a bedtime story.

Waiting.  Again.

I was SO HAPPY to see AJ.

Then we meandered around.  Hung out.  Stretched, foam rolled, Tiger tailed.  Then Wes took off again.  Then Vanessa.  Then me (through PB, mostly on the crowded boardwalk).  Then my fav pics of the event happened during my hand off to AJ.  Then there was a pause for the not-currently-running folks to stretch and chill in Tecolote Park with Special Guest the String Cheese I Forgot I'd Brought, which ultimately earned me Saint status.  (Yes, women can be saints.  I learned so much this event.)  Then Alex, who had to run that flippin Narragansett hill from OB to Point Loma.  So mean.  Then Terry finished the whole team from Liberty Station to the Convention Center.

Last hand off!

We searched for our team.  Found them.  Fake finished as a group.  Took some photos.  Eventually had some beers.  Drove back to Encinitas.  Cleaned out the vans.  Drove back.  I dropped V & Alex off and then went out to Stone Liberty Station for some not-at-all-needed drinks.  Then Jessica & Elizabeth came by to finally bust open that scotch my bro sent me since I hadn't found a good-enough excuse for it before.

We finished 57 out of 510 Open Mixed Teams and 106 out of 724 total teams with a time of 29 hours, 18 minutes, and 10.6 seconds.  That includes the hour-ish van delay at one of the checkpoints that didn't have enough parking.  30 hours and 194 miles from Huntington Beach to San Diego: I am so proud of NTKOT.  

I'd try to convince you all that this was all way more fun than I can explain, but you'd never believe me if you aren't Van 2.  Van 2 4 life.

Winners (at Life)