Naughty or Nice 8K - December 15, 2012

Over the weekend, Monica, Chanel and I ran in the Naughty or Nice 8K.  The most significant thing about this run that we did was it was my first 8K.  I have never run more than 5K, so this is very exciting.  Although my time wasn't great (I blame it on the fact that the illness that took over my body last week had not--and still has not--completely disappeared).  It was great practice as I recently signed up for my first Half Marathon, to take place in March 2013.

All very exciting stuff.

Anyway...the three of us DID dress up for this race.  Chanel was a candy cane (NICE), Monica was a stocking (NICE) and I was Coal (NAUGHTY NAUGHTY GIRL).  We didn't win the costume contest...but we looked pretty damn cute out there.

Here are the three of us together:



Here is a picture of Monica and Me...the Stocking and the Coal:

And finally...a picture of Monica and me after the race.  WE DID IT!!!   We were both 8K virgins!!!

Side note...the Gatorade I'm holding was probably the most delicious thing I've ever had.  It was gone so fast.

Reindeer Dash - December 8, 2012

My friend Monica and I participated in a Reindeer 5K two weeks ago as a fun event to keep us on our toes.  It wasn't very eventful and my time was not good AT ALL--I came in 6/20 in my age group.  Shameful...but it was a good workout, pretty windy and with a great girl. 

Here we are at the start of our race--we were some of the very few that didn't wear cute little Christmas socks or reindeer gear.

Bedlam 2012 - Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma

This year's Bedlam game made my blood pressure sky rocket.  The entire game was either tied or Oklahoma State was on top--until the very end when it counted.   The game went into overtime--the first for Bedlam--and although Oklahoma State got a field goal in the end, Oklahoma pulled it off with an actual touchdown.  The only time Oklahoma was in the lead, the only time it really mattered.  What a crushing blow--wind out of sails.

As you can see from the picture above, my girls are all Sooners and I'm the only Poke.  I am very happy for them--but I would have been way happier if Oklahoma State won the game.  I must have gone into some sort of Okstate depression because I proceeded to get way too drunk for my own good and ended up having a horrible night--thank God I had a doctor to take care of me!  I actually don't remember taking the above picture--clearly, my tongue is sticking out.  Very sexy.

Here is what I originally looked like...I am very proud of my face decal:

I am a true and loyal Oklahoma State Poke to the end.  I love them cowboys!!!

Turkey Day 2012

Before the table was set with a massive amount of calories, a few friends and I dragged our happy asses out of bed to run the Oklahoma City Turkey Tracks 5K.  Despite the wind conditions and the incredible amount of hills, it was a great race and allowed a guilt free face stuffing later on in the day.  Pictured above are Monica, me, Julie, Eric and Stephanie...all of us medal whores!!!

Here is a close up of my medal and me.  I must brag and say that my time was under 30  minutes.  #Happiness.

Princess Chanel

Earlier this year, I met an amazing person.  Her name is Chanel.  She is funny, beautiful, outgoing and caring...and I would consider her to be one of my closest friends.  My partner-in-crime, if you will...and definitely one of my favorite people.

Chanel just had a birthday--turning the ripe 'old' age of 27.  SHE thinks it's old...but I am willing her to have the best year of her life.  It's going to happen and I'm going to be along for the ride!

We celebrated her birthday on three different nights.  The first was a night of her and me at Saints, a pub in the Plaza District in Oklahoma City.  Drinking and shenanigans ensued and let's just say...Chanel had a really great time. 

Our photo-op:

The next night--after her full day of recovery--was dinner at Iron Starr (um, YUM) and then out to McNellie's, a pub in Midtown.

Here is a pic of Chanel, me and her cookie cake at Iron Starr:

And a picture of our group--one of the best groups I've ever been a part of--at McNellie's:

Finally, on her actual birthday, we went out for wine and dessert at a place called Vin Dolce in Edmond.  It was a quiet night with four girls--my favorites ever! :)

Happy Birthday, Chanel.  xx

Pack Pint Running

Every Thursday evening, a locally owned business holds a small running event called the Pack Pint Run.  It is a 5K course that runs through a posh neighborhood called Nichols Hills and allows runners to set their own pace while outdoor training.  With the daylight hours becoming shorter and shorter, much of my fall/winter running is on a treadmill, so I enjoy this outdoor fun run very much.  Plus, each run ends with a pint of beer which isn't so bad...if you like beer. 

A couple of weeks ago was the first official 'night' run.  I run with my little running light; however, some people were ill prepared and glow sticks were handed out.  Here is a picture taken by the Red Coyote of the group for that night.  I really like it (and I'm in the front, crouched down with my bright light on my hand!!)

Weekend Update: October 19 - 21

This Lopez chicken had an incredibly busy weekend…it’s Wednesday and I’m still in recovery.


Friday night, one of my favorite people and I dressed up in our little German girl outfits and headed up to Tulsa, Oklahoma for Oktoberfest. We were two of, like, five people who dressed up on this chilly night—which resulted in exponential attention. We were asked to take pictures with people, for people…we were asked to dance…and some party goers thought we actually worked there, so we were asked where beer lines were. It was fantastic and a great time for a newly single girl! Here are a few pictures from our night:

Saturday—well I pretty much spent the entire day in bed with a massive headache. Turns out, I am EXTREMELY addicted to caffeine. I need to figure out how to wean myself off of it, but until then…$3.85 white chocolate mochas, nonfat with whip every morning! That evening, however, I went to Evil Dead The Musical with my friends Chanel and Roxanne. It was a really funny, cheesy show and I loved it. I especially loved being drenched in fake blood—thank Goodness Chanel had seen the show before and we were all equipped with ponchos!

Sunday was pretty chill. Chanel and I participated in an afternoon Ghostrunners 5K with her dog, Luna. It was October 21st, but it felt like the middle of summer, with hurricane force winds. I may be exaggerating…but only slightly. It was pretty rough and I haven’t run in so long that my timing sucked ass. I did a lot of walking. That wasn’t a proud moment for me. Nonetheless, here is a picture of Chanel, Luna, Chanel’s cousin and me pre-race.

So that was our weekend. #goodtimes

Dirty 30 - Zombie Edition / October 6, 2012 (Hinton, Oklahoma)

My friends and I tackled another 5K over the weekend--this time filled with obstacles, mud, frigid weather and *ZOMBIES*!!!  I was not looking forward to waking up early and driving an hour West to run in freezing weather.  One saving grace was the fact that the predicted rain never arrived--so we didn't have to worry about that.  The wind and the temp were pretty brutal though.

This Dirty 30 was set up very well.  The waves of runners were small, so it was neither crowded nor miserable and we didn't have to push through packs of people to maintain a comfortable pace.  The very first obstacle was a vat of mud, which all five of us bypassed to savor any warmth we had in us and then we moved on over hay bales, through tires and man made wooden contraptions, including giant and medium sized walls.  And, of course, we were chased by zombies trying to steal the flags off our belts.  All five of us ended the race sans flags--but we kept hold of them for awhile, zig zagging left and right through groups of 10 - 15 zombies.  It was great fun.

Here is a picture of the girls before the race. 

From Left:  Monica, Chanel, Roxanne, Me and Stephanie

Here are pictures of me DURING the race:

Here are post race photos.  We were freezing.  FREEZING.

Before this run, I had vowed not to participate in any more "fun" runs.  This decision was based on my two color run experiences and the Warrior Dash...HOWEVER, the organization of this particular Dirty 30 (and once we had warmed up by actually moving rather than waiting for the race to begin) has left the option open again.  I would be down for another mud run.  I would.

The Long Walk by Stephen King

The Long Walk is the first novel I have read by Stephen King and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was under the assumption that all of King’s books were all about horror, gore and terror. Clearly mistaken.


The Long Walk is about just that…a long walk. 100 strong bodied boys volunteer to walk in this national past time…about pride, strength and courage. The rules are that the pace must be kept at 4 miles per hour, no resting and you are provided food supplements once every 24-hours; however, you may ask for a canteen or water whenever you wish. If a Walker cannot keep his pace, then he is given a warning. After three warnings, the walker is shot dead. It does not matter if he passes out, gets a cramp, has a seizure or his legs go out. Have to urinate? Open the pants and do it at 4 miles an hour. Have to defecate? A Walker usually got at least one warning doing this.

The public line the streets cheering on these boys, placing bets on who will win. They are not allowed to interfere with the Walkers or provide any extra treats, such as fruit or sodas. If they are caught doing so, they are arrested.

The boys are followed through their entire journey by a truck full of military men, waiting to blow their brains out.

Many of the Walkers went insane. A few turned vigilante. And some just sat down when they were finished and waited for their ticket.

The ending wasn’t clean cut. King left it open for interpretation. I think the winner died of exhaustion, but after my brief google search, others think he just went crazy at the end. Some think that there is no winner and once the last Walker is left, the Major (the revered psychopath in charge of this event) shoots him.

No matter what the ending, my enjoyment of the novel is unchanged. It was great—it reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games, actually, just better written—and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for their next good read.

Weekend Update: Oklahoma State and Kevin Durant

My Friday and Saturday were so jam packed full of activity that my entire day of relaxation on Sunday was not taken for granted.

Friday night I went out to celebrate a friend finishing his final medical boards tests.  We went to a new club in Bricktown and were in the VIP area.  Big deal, right?  Well...turns out Kevin Durant was celebrating his birthday party in the VIP area of the same club...with the entire Oklahoma City Thunder team.  It was certainly a rush and very exciting stuff.  I got a few pictures (as seen below)...but we were prohibited from using our flashes, so they are very dark.  They are there, nonetheless...and it was pretty fantastic.  I have to admit, though...that I didn't get that excited when Wesbrook brushed passed me to get to his section or when I saw Durant; HOWEVER, when James Harden showed up with his beard...I pretty  much lost it and turned into a teenage girl.

The birthday boy, Kevin Durant:

  Russell Westbrook (kind of a douche):

Serge Ibaka:

and...THE MAN...THE LEGEND...James Freaking Harden:

Finally...here is a picture of our other party guests...shots shots shots:

After a glorious Friday night...Saturday I woke up frantically trying to get ready to do some tailgating in Stillwater, Oklahoma with my favorite people.  Although my pokies lost to Texas, the game was superb to the end.

Here is my sister and me with my BEAUTIFUL niece who I love so freaking much:

And me and my girls...who I also love so freaking much:

And that concludes the weekend for this Lopez.  Tune in next weekend...as I already have a full schedule and am exhausted just thinking about it...!

Mumford and Sons (Babel 2012)

Allow me to preface this post by informing you that I am not 'into' music.  I like music, but don't go out of my way to find new bands and I pretty much only listen to it when I'm in my car or working out.  Music is not my life...but it is enjoyable and I have such eclectic tastes that I will listen to almost anything (with the exception of the country genre...)

With that said...I must profess my love for Mumford and Sons.  Right here.  Right now.

Although they have been around since (roughly) 2010, I discovered Mumford and Sons in June of this year.  It was an instant love connection.  I listened to their album, Sign No More, on repeat.  For months.  Through yesterday.  I am in love with them.  They were on Saturday Night Live this past weekend and hell if I didn't record it and watch their two segments over and over...and over...and over.

I even watched their live show on iTunes yesterday.  It has become an obsession.  I have been counting down to their new album, Babel, (which debuted today) for months.  So you will be damned if you don't think I didn't set my alarm for midnight to download their new stuff.  I have been listening to them all day long--I really can't seem to get enough.

Here is an upclose shot of these English boys:

And here is Marcus Mumford.  I have never had a voice envelop my whole being as his does.  My entire body is affected by his voice, their music.  It's something magical.  Powerful.

So...as I stated.  I am not 'into' music.  I AM, however, into Mumford and Sons.  I love them.  I look forward to the day where I can be in the same venue as them.  That will be an incredible day.

Fair Day 2012

Yesterday was the last day of the 'great State fair of...OK-lahoma'...at the fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.  What an event--I love the little teenage couples there that drove in from their trailer parks, they are adorable.  Always dressing quite classy as well.  It's fantastic.

I go for the food.  Fried this. Fried that.  You can fry anything, how amazing is that?  I had fried cheese on a stick, fried macaroni and cheese and fried cookie dough.  I'm sure my heart appreciated that very much.  They even had fried kool-aid this year...and so much bacon.  Everywhere, there's bacon.  Bacon Brownies, Bacon Cinnamon Rolls...chocolate covered bacon.  So many clever ways to eat that shit.  Whod-a-thunk?

Here is a picture of Chanel and I eating our fried cookie dough.  I know, you probably thought it was a corn dog...or cheese on a stick.  They all look extremely similar.  I promise you, there was warm, gooey cookie dough in the middle--enough to make you sick after two bites.  Most of that was thrown away.

We also went to the fair and learned some stuff.  This little cartoon guy's message was pretty intense:

Apparently when I take a picture at the fair, if I stick my thumb in the air, it makes for a good shot.  Appreciate it.  I do.

No Easy Day by Mark Owen

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen.


I picked up this book because I caught the curiosity bug. I wanted to see what all of the media hype was about…what ‘secrets’ this former SEAL unveiled to the public which supposedly violated some governmental code. I also figured that after reading an amazing book such as Unbroken, I would maintain the military mindset and dive into this book with an open mind.

Epic failure.

Not only is this book one I would dub a ‘boy book’, but I am so not into military jargon that getting through it was torturous. I don’t care about the make of your planes and helicopters…in fact, B-52 is just the name of a band to me. I don’t care about your fancy abbreviations (night vision goggles = NVG…clever clever, you saved two syllables there)…I don’t care about your inside jokes. I just didn’t care for the book, really.

It’s amazing how the author had all of the good one-liners. He must be so smart. And reading an anecdote about a black dildo? Really? I can see how that helped in the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Oh you practical jokers…

In addition, the little jabs at the government, the white house and Obama…those were really cute. A couple of references to how the SEALS do all the hard work and the President takes credit for it was really classy. How did the SEALS know that Osama was there? Oh…CIA intelligence. So really it’s an entire system working together. Everybody plays their part—a society. And if the mission failed? The President may have taken slack for that, it may have hurt his re-election. Politics (something else I’m not too keen on).

Although I only have negative things to say about this book—I do admire the SEALs. I do. They are amazing individuals who go out every day and do things I couldn’t even fathom. They put their lives in harm’s way daily so that lame people like me can have a happy existence, family, job and security. They are clearly risking their lives so that I can blog about them in my online diary. I have the utmost respect for our military and our country. I just didn’t like this book.

As my friend delicately put it, this book could be summed up in a 10-page essay.