Red and White Ball... A Hollywood Night

Tonight the student government at the college (which is part of Michel's portfolio) hosted a dinner and dance. The theme was a Hollywood Night. I must say the did a fantastic job decorating... red carpet, spot light, balloons etc. I had to come back a bit early as I have to be on the road tomorrow at 5:30 am for a Girl Scout meeting in Tucson.
A funny story about balloons. We spent most of today decorating for this ball at a local hotel. The student government ordered 50 helium balloons from a grocery store so Michel, his colleague and I went to pick them up. They were packed in these gigantic bags. Michel was carrying 2 of them out the door when I big gust of wind came and oops... there went the balloons. It was too funny! We will just call him Winnie the Pooh!

Disneyland (California)

I got back late last night after spending 4 days in California. Michel brought a group of Honors Students to a conference in Anaheim and I got to tag along. It is basically a conference that allows smart students from the west coast to 'showcase' projects/studies they have been working on. We stayed at the Sheraton Anaheim which was a stone's throw away from Disneyland. I spent two days in Disneyland and the new California Adventure Park. It was fun, but it was Spring Break in California so the parks were PACKED. I was also alone, so standing in the long lines was kind of boring. I did a few rides and saw a few shows... my two favorites were Pirates of the Caribbean (which they just redid!!) and the Aladdin show.

Here are a few photos of me and a few new friends I met on the trip:







Friday night, Michel and I went to visit my Aunt Marilyn who lives in Marina Del Rey (just outside of LA). She is unbelievable.... she turns 69 this year and is still working as a Recovery Room Nurse and running 2 marathons a year! We had a nice visit. She is trying to convince me to run the LA Marathon in March... we'll see!!

Poppies

I love poppies. When I first went to Belgium I was surprised that poppies had a black center rather than a green one like the one we wear for Remembrance Day. Today I got an even bigger surprise.... ORANGE POPPIES!! Someone said orange and yellow poppies are a desert thing.. I am not sure. What I do know is they are beautiful. Enjoy!





Michel ran 40 miles yesterday. He is disappointed that he did not finish the 100 miles but was not feeling great which he thinks was due to the heat. Once it got dark, it became more and more difficult so he decided to stop. I am thankful he knew when to quit. He is a bit down today and a bit hard on himself. I think hourray for 40 miles.. that is more than most could ever dream of!