"YOU WERE BORN TO REPORT THE GOD DAMN NEWS"

My sister always tells it how it is...


me:  shocker -- REPORT: Molly Maguires in Lansdale on fire. Heavy fire showing from second floor. Fire running the walls. Owners had recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Stay tuned for more.
Melissa:  You miss being on that beat don't you?
me:  nope lol
Melissa:  Yeah right.  This would have been a good day.  You with your neon vest, getting in the thick of it. Getting that crucial interview with your buddy the fire chief.  CMON!!
 me:  hhahaha
 Melissa:  YOU WERE BORN TO REPORT THE GOD DAMN NEWS!
 me:  we're live here from Madison parking lot as Molly McGuires is covered in heavy flames with thick smoke.
 Melissa:  Hahahahaha
 me:  "I don't know what to do, this is my local watering hole" said 55 year old Shelley Piccirilli of Towamencin. "Me and Billy go every night for our drinks. Where do we go now!?"
 Melissa:  See?!?! Mrs. Piccirilli will miss stopping in for her strong whiskey dranks.
 me:  Residents are struggling as Molly's burns to the ground and the 5th street walnut bar is gone forever
 Melissa:  You gotta get back to your roots.
 me:  A passenger on the SEPTA train saw the fire. "shit was blazin, man! I asked the conductor what he knew. He said he knew nuffin"
 Melissa:  Hahahahahahaha I'm dying hahahaha
 me:  I'm a god damn writer
 Melissa:  Hahaha Yes you are


She's right, I might miss it a little bit....but I don't miss the time I smelled like dead rotting animals after covering this fire (click here).

Bestie Pensacola Adventures

I’m so excited to write this post because it’s full of fun! So as you all know this past weekend I headed to Pensacola to visit Caroline. I had the pleasure of being with her all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and let me tell you, we lived every day to the fullest.

Thursday
It was a super early morning. My plane took off from PHL at 5:45 a.m. to Atlanta, and quickly I had to jump on my flight from Atlanta to Pensacola. I arrived in Pensacola around 8:30 a.m. and was greeted by Caroline and Miss Kai in the back seat. We headed back to her house where we sat on her couch from 9 a.m. to noon chatting and catching up on life. We were like little school girls, we should have been braiding each other’s hair! Before heading down to visit, I did a little research and found a two-hour Segway tour of Downtown Pensacola. We looked it up and there were openings for the 2 p.m. tour. So we headed downtown and grabbed lunch at the Tin Cow – “Pensacola's Custom Hamburger & Shake Spot.” Oh my gawd was it delicious! CB and I both built our own burger – mine of course had the classics but I also threw on bacon infused potato chips and tried their amazing hand-cut French fries. Nom nom! I opted out for a milkshake or beer, maybe next time though! Feeling 15lbs heavier, we headed to our Segway tour. Lucky for us, we were the only two for the 2 p.m. tour! So CB and I had a private tour with our tour guide, Chris. We mastered our Segway’s and hit the streets seeing monuments and locations including the Blue Wahoos Stadium, Belmont-Devilliers Neighborhood, Fort George, Veteran's Memorial Park, Plaza de Luna, and the spot where Florida was officially handed over from the Spanish to the United States. Very education and very fun, Caroline and I had a blast.


Fitness Friday
I say fitness Friday because Caroline and I were active all day! Me screwed up from the one hour time change and CB use to getting up early, the two of us hit the pavement early on Friday morning around 6:30 a.m. logging a 3-mile run for my marathon training. Note to self: doesn’t matter how early you run, Florida heat and humidity is gross! The next adventure for the day was standup paddle boarding. We headed to Pensacola beach and bought a two hour rental. A little nervous because it was my first time and determined not to fall, paddle boarding was awesome! The ocean water was so warm and waves were not big. We cruised around for a little over an hour and then sat on our boards in the middle of the ocean gabbing away yet again! It was so peaceful out on the water. The view in Pensacola is breathtaking; I couldn’t help but soak it in. We grabbed lunch at a little place called Native Café and went home to hit the showers. Friday night we headed to the Blue Wahoos game – they’re a AA minor league baseball team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. The bayfront ballpark was named one of the five best minor league ballparks in the nation, rightfully so with its amazing bay backdrop. It’s a great atmosphere at the games and tickers were only $8. Can’t beat that!

Saturday
The last days of vacation are always the worst because you’re savoring every hour of being away. Saturday morning I had my first CrossFit experience. Caroline and Ryan are avid CrossFitters and I was excited to join her in her element. Saturday workouts are partner workouts at her gym so like old times the package deal was at it again. It was a great workout and you could definitely tell I was a rookie, but I worked my ass off, dripping in sweat the entire time. The coaches are great there – the one coach would come up to me and alter my form or give me tips on how to do the movements. It’s a great group, I can see why the Bergh’s love it. We hit the showers and headed out to the Pensacola Farmers Market. With crafters and food vendors, there were lots of items to browse. There were lots of honey, jams and pound cakes – maybe a southern treat? We cooled off for a few hours before heading to Caroline’s birthday dinner. She picked The Grand Marlin located right on the beach. With a breath taking view, the food was amazing – sharing lobster mac n cheese to start, scallops and salmon as our entrees, a dark chocolate peanut butter pie for dessert and cocktails to top things off. A full belly and happy heart, it was the perfect way to end the weekend.

Of course on Sunday I was heading back home and leaving was bittersweet. Pensacola treated me well and I was beyond upset my best friend wasn’t coming home too. I know in due time the Bergh’s will HOPEFULLY be moving closer to home, but for now, we continue our long distance friendship, staying in touch with calls, texts and social media. "Invest in people who invest in you." I will forever invest in my sweet Caroline because I know she invest herself in me.

Motivation Monday IV

Sweat. Smile. Repeat. 

That’s exactly what I did over a long 4 day weekend visiting my best friend Caroline in Pensacola. We stayed active (sweat), we told stories and created new memories (smile), and continued the shenanigans for 72 hours straight (repeat). I strongly encourage everyone to sweat, smile and repeat at least once this week.

This trip could not have come at a better time. I’ve been in a funk, a really bad funk, for about three weeks and there is no better medicine then your best friend. Caroline and I always say it doesn't matter how much time passes from when we see each other or chat on the phone because we pick right up like no time has passed at all. It’s pretty amazing how one person can warm your soul and be your other half. Some higher being had us come together and I can’t thank them enough! Maybe the God of Soccer?

Thank you Caroline for welcoming me into your home and showing me the ropes of Pensacola.Thank you for helping me get life off my mind. And most of all, thank you for being YOU!  I can’t wait to visit again. Stay tuned for a blog post talking about all of them fun Caroline and I had this weekend!

Last Week Recap
I'm happy to say I kept on marathon training track despite being on the road for four days. I crushed a 5-mile pace run on Wednesday at 4 a.m. and I was able to have a 3-mile training run while in Florida. I also did some cross training with CBB – she took me to Cross Fit. You’ll hear more about our fitness activities tomorrow.

This Week’s Goals
1. I wasn’t able to get my 8-mile weekend run in so I’m running it today. Since getting up at 4 a.m., running in the afternoon makes me mental. I psych myself out before I even hit the pavement and I’m losing the mental battle already. But I have no choice. I need to get out there, no matter how slow or fast I go – just gotta MOVE!
2. Remember that Kindle I was telling you about? I’m plugging away through my first book and I absolutely love it. Looking for a good read? It’s called “Plain Truth” by Jodi Picoult.  It might still only be $1.99 for my fellow Kindle lovers. Read it! I’m one chapter away from being finished. Can’t wait to be done this week and start my next book. #BookWormMandee
3. I’m shooting a riffle for the first time this week. Yes you heard me correctly…me + a gun = happening this weekend. Taylor and I will be joining my dad at the gun club this weekend. I’ll be honest, I’m terribly scared of the kickback but my dad keeps telling me I’m a big girl and I’ll be fine. Watch out Outdoor Games, I’m coming for ya!