Jason is Walking!

Jason is walking this year (I was unable to participate... *tear*)... you can follow his progress on twitter at http://twitter.com/jpwalks or his updates in the sidebar over there --------------------->

Good luck Jason!!!

ROUND 2! DING DING DING!

My feet are going to H-A-T-E me... but too bad! Suck it up feet! You'll do what I tell you, and that is to WALK!

Yup, you read right! I am at it again! My sister-in-law, Amanda convinced me to walk again this year and we have convinced Jason to walk with us (I'm sure it's because of the MANY people who told him he looked wonderful in pink... hee hee!) Amanda's friend Joyce is also walking with us as part of our team which Amanda has named "In Step for a Cure." (She is also our team captain! Woo!)

LOTS of good things coming up this spring to aid in our HUGE fundraising efforts! (Don't tell anyone I told you this, but we are raffling off 4 Red Sox vs. Yankees tickets... it chokes me up to part with them, but I wouldn't do it if it weren't for an AMAZING cause!)

I'm just getting started so rush over to my page now to donate (I don't hear you rushing... hee hee.)

Here to a great 2009!
~ Sam 8^)

PS - Stay tuned for a new blog design as well... something along the lines of my personal blog, but with more PINK! This layout is just soooooo 2008.... ;-)

"For two days, we walked as one."

We walked. We made a difference.

This past weekend was incredible but, well, to be completely honest with you, it also hurt, a lot! We started out strong on Saturday (even thought it was pouring for the first 2 hours!) Around mile 15 I started walking a little slower and my knees started to hurt. Around mile 18 (there were so many hills at the end!) I started to tell myself that I had to keep going, that there was no reason for me to stop, even though it hurt a lot! The last mile was the hardest, it was uphill and getting dark and we were so close, but still so far. But oh, what a feeling when we saw the "Mile 26" sign at the end of the day! It took us nearly 12 hours to walk 26.2 miles before (literally) collapsing into a chair at the end. It was SO nice to take my shoes off and put my feet up at the end of the day.


Waking up Sunday morning was painful. We slept in a tent all night and I was very sore (and blisters don't go away overnight!) I'm not sure how I even got to the bathroom that morning, but somehow I made it not only to the bathroom, but the last 13.1 miles as well.
Reaching the finish line was one of the best feelings ever! We did it, it's over, we made a difference, wow...

The weekend as a whole was incredible, so emotional, so uplifting, one of the most amazing feelings ever. There were 3,000 walkers and so many people helping out all weekend. There was a group of guys on motorcycles who had bras hooked to their windshields who helped us cross the streets (we were in the city a lot of the time.) These guys were so great. We would thank them for helping us and they would respond with "no, thank you for walking, you are doing great." There were also kids on the side of the roads in the residential areas that handed us lemonade and thanked us for walking. Also, handmade signs put up on trees and telephone poles, people passing out popsicles, dogs dressed in pink, women shouting from windows thanking us for fighting cancer, and (this really got me) bald women with signs on the sides of the road hugging the walkers with tears in their eyes. It was so incredible. Amazing. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I can't wait to send out thank you cards and try to describe what it was like to those who supported me and my team.

My sister came to visit for the weekend and not only did she and her friend Tara cook for us on Friday night, but they left the kitchen spotless when they left AND waited 3 hours on Saturday so that they could cheer for us and see us for 10 minutes along the route. It's a great feeling to have someone you know cheering for you! (Even if she is a little crazy and the first thing she said to me was "I'm doing this with you next year!" We'll have to see about that!)

So here it is, Wednesday. I am still quite sore, I still have blisters, and I am still incrediblly thankful that I could be a part of something like this walk. For the weekend, I was part of a community of incredibly strong, determined, friendly, encouraging, people who are all dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.

Thank you for everyone who has supported me and my team throughout this journey. You all deserved to be there last weekend, crying and laughing along with us.

To see more pictures of the walk you can visit my Picasa album by clicking here.

This will, unfortunately, be my last blog post about the walk *tear*. I do, however, have 2 other blogs (wait, 2? yes, two!) which I will be writing in the future. One will be tailored to scrapbooking, specifically projects I complete and kits I will be making. The second will be full of the absolute randomness that is me. I like getting all my thoughts down and I have enjoyed the feedback I have gotten from family members about my "humor." (I put the word "humor" in quotes because I don't find myself to be that funny and think I have a rather warped sense of humor which stems from watching a combination of SNL, Monty Python, and Scrubs way too much.) But hey, I enjoy it, so I'll keep on doing it! :-)

Scrapbooking Blog: http://allsamsidea.blogspot.com/
Personal Blog: http://samanthapiette.blogspot.com/

Rest assured these blogs will be getting more attention now that the walk is over (for this year.) *wink*

Day 1 Route:


Day 2 Route:

So Close!

I'm not sure I can explain how excited and nervous I am about this weekend. There are so many things I feel I am going to be completely surprised by. I think whether or not I make it the whole 39.3 miles, I will be surprised by how far I do make it. I think I will be surprised by how incredible the whole experience is going to be. We have already made it so far, raising over $10,500 to fight Breast Cancer, but the fundraising was really just the beginning. The experiences I will have this weekend will not be able to be described and I am so incredibly lucky to be able to experience something like this. I love being part of something bigger than myself and this weekend I will be surrounded by 3,000 people who all share my passion for making a difference in the world. There will be tears, yes, but I know they will all be good tears and that the "heaviness" of the weekend will weight down on me in the form of complete gratitude for being able to be around such strong and inspiring people. I have been told that there are women who walk who are going through Chemo right now. That idea alone makes me want to cry. There is no reason I can't complete the 39.3 miles compared to someone who just came from the hospital. There are men who walk for their wives, or daughters, or mothers, and I will certainly cry for them as well. I am incredibly passionate about this cause but it can't compare to those who have lived it or have watched someone suffer because of it. If any of you are reading this, you are in my heart this weekend and always.

I can't wait to update my blog with pictures and memories of this weekend and share with you a little bit about what it was like. On that note, I encourage everyone to become involved in a charity of your choice. It's the most rewarding experience and I know you won't regret a it for a minute. Also, if you think you can't do it, you can. Just believe me. You will muster up the courage to ask people for donations and to walk that extra mile on the treadmill because you know it will benefit everyone in the end. You will not love every minute of it, because it will be difficult at times, but the times that you will cherish will be the moments that make you feel that you have made a difference. Honestly, you can do it. No matter how crazy everyone thinks you are, you can.

So, talk to you all Monday. I won't be able to walk, but I will be able to type! I'll leave you with one last good (fingers crossed!) image of this weekend:

Forecast for Walk Weekend

Dear weather.com,

I do not like you very much right now. I hope you're happy.

Love,
- Sam

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Dear Accuweather.com,

You make my heart go "pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pit." Where have you been all my life?

Love,
- Sam

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Fundraising update:
We added up all our donations as a team and officially have (as of last night!) $26.00 left to raise! Phew... $26.00 is nothing compared to $10,000.00! (Oooh, look how many zeros!) $26... it's the cost of a shirt (an inexpensive one from Target) or the cost of 26 items from the dollar menu at McDonald's, or about 7 gallons of gas in Massachusetts right now. So, we officially have half a tank of gas to get to our team goal. I think one Real Piette of Newport, Vermont said it perfectly this morning:

[08:55] thefrontdesk27: I can't believe it

Neither can I... however, all this is merely what we intended to do. We set a goal and are thisclose to reaching it. It feels good. Ask my team members about it. I bet they will tell you it feels good too. Colbie Caillat describes it well: "I get the tingles in a silly place, It starts in my toes, And I crinkle my nose, Wherever it goes I always know."

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Because my family in Vermont seems to appreciate the intense randomness that goes on in my head, the following is a small slice of that randomness (as if you people don't get enough of this already):

This morning on the radio they said "Coming up next on Mix 98.5, the youtube video of the day!" Does everyone else see what's wrong with this, or is it just me?

Since starting SparkPeople I have lost a little over 15lbs by eating healthier and going to the gym. 15lbs is almost a whole Bruno! It's almost TWO Boogers! Food is a ridiculous thing to be controlled by and I am doing everything I can to stop that control. I would much rather be controlled by something more scary. I can see a lot more people feeling bad for me if the headline read "Local Woman Attacked by Flying-Purple-People-Eater" than "Local Woman Attacked and Held Hostage by Three Cupcakes and a Big Mac." That story and more, tonight at 11...

Lately, Jason has been looking me right in the eye and saying "I like you." It's nice, but after a week I know when he's going to do it, and if you heard him say it, you would not think it was cute, you would just have a raised eyebrow or two. He says it as though he's surprised by it. He's cute and I'm really glad he likes me, you know, considering we are married and all.

When I eat the 100 Calorie Packs of Oreo Bites I really try really hard to convince myself that I am eating a Snickers bar... I hope it starts to work soon.

What's with squirrels lately anyway? I have anyways been a fan, but lately I feel like they know something I don't. I'd like to say I DON'T think they are all plotting to take over the world and secretly hold meetings in storage space #48 of my apartment complex, but it just wouldn't be true. I think the mysterious music coming from that general area isn't a very good cover.

I'm not sure if squirrels on steriods would be really scary or incredibly funny. See previous comment before you decide.

W-O-W!

About week ago I was excited we only had $800 left to raise... Well, now, I am even MORE excited, honestly, jumping up and down excited, because we are about $170 away from our goal! That's it! Wow... we have come a LONG way! We have raised over $10,000 as a team! Wow! I'm not sure you get how incredible this is... let me spell it out for you... TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! DOLLARS! TEN THOUSAND OF THEM! Insane. Really.

I can not WAIT to post pictures from the Walk and send out thank you cards! This is an incredible feeling.

Keep thinking dry, warm, breezy thoughts... no rain, snow, sleet, hail, tornadoes, monsoons, or anything resembling a natural or unnatural disaster. *fingers crossed*

Long time no blogging...

Above is a typical screen shot of my work computer. Can you spot the one thing that is NOT typical and would cause me to be EXTREMELY happy today? (You will have to read this entire blog post to figure it out! I know, I'm sneaky... Click on the image to see it larger.)

Walk update:
My team is about $850 away from our $9,000 goal! There is a little less than a month left and we are SO close! I am so proud of us... I know we are doing a wonderful thing and it feels good. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far. You are all truly generous with your wallets AND your time and we are incredibly grateful for your help. Honestly, you deserve some warm brownies fresh out of the oven from me (however, if you ever really tasted my cooking you would know that is not such a treat after all!)

A little bit of randomness:

Jason and I are making healthier food choices in an effort to live healthier lives... so far I have developed quite the addiction to raspberry yogurt and baby carrots.

I really like Taylor Swift's song "Our Song." I haven't loved country lately but this song makes me want to take the boat out into the middle of Long Pond and either cast out a line or jump in and swim for hours knowing that I am not strong enough to pull myself back into the boat if I tried. I feel inclined to sing it with my best "Redneck" accent and secretly hope that no one other than Jason (sorry for already making you endure this honey) has to hear me sing it... ever.

I am starting Weight Watchers at Work soon. I wonder how many calories I will burn walking 40 miles... hmmm. I also wonder if Nutty Bars and Chewy Sweet Tarts are really THAT many points. Haha, I think I will have to get used to my baby carrots.

I had a great idea for Jess' wedding present the other day and will be taking (dragging) Jason to AC Moore tonight to get supplies.

Jason and I went Geocaching in Jamaica Plain on Sunday with some friends (it was their first time!) So much fun and some interesting places these caches were hidden in. One was near an old bear cage that used to be part of the Zoo. The Zoo moved and they (apparently) turned the area into a park and didn't take down any of the cages. I little creepy though, I must admit.

I am wearing mascara today and it's bugging the crap out of me. That's what I get for trying to be a girly-girl.

Last weekend when we were home I helped Jess dye some fabric rose petals blue to match her wedding colors. They came out really nice. I love being crafty. Rit Dye is amazing I tell ya.

I actually got a chance to scrapbook this past weekend a little and created a nice mosaic page using a picture from Camp in Maine. I will have to post a picture of the layout soon.

To answer the above riddle:


Yes! It's 85 DEGREES in Cambridge right now! Mr. Spring, thank you for finally showing your beautiful face. It's amazing how us New Englanders forget what it is like to go outside without a coat. I am currently welcoming the warm (and even humid!) weather with open arms and people are looking at me weird because I look like I want to hug my computer. :-D

And just for emphasis (and because I love screen shots!)

Unbelievably Unbelievable

Today I had the pleasure of sending an email to my team to tell them how much money in donations we have so far. Now I get to tell you! The 5 of us have raised $7,462 so far! If we are all able to meet our goals (which we will!) our team will raise over $10,000 to help fight Breast Cancer! That is a lot of money! If someone handed you $10,000 right now, you would be THRILLED! You may even cry, because that much money can go a LONG way! Our team is doing amazing and I know we will be able to reach our goal and walk together in May. Only 43 days until the Walk! It's all really unbelievable when you think about it.

An update from home... Our friend's Mom who lives in Vermont had a masectomy this past Monday and is now home doing well. Please keep her in your thoughts as she recovers.

It is bittersweet to me that we are working so hard to fight this disease but we still have to deal with the pain it brings. There are too many people who know how real the struggle can be.

I recently added the date of the Walk to my weather.com page (I did this with my wedding day as well, but it didn't help to stop the rain, so I don't trust it that much.) It does say however, that the average high temperature for May 17th is 67 degrees and the average low is 51 degrees. I have my fingers crossed that it will not rain... which makes it quite difficult to type, but it's worth it if it helps! Everyone keep thinking "sun" and please don't remind me that it has snowed on Mother's Day in the past. I'm going to pretend that didn't actually happen.

SCraPbooking the Walk

This weekend was incredibly overwhelming, but in a really good way. I can't count the number if ideas running through my head right now! I attended a scrapbooking show in Framingham, MA for store owners with my Mother-in-Law, Denise. The weekend (Friday-Sunday) was filled with classes and events about scrapbooking for retailers. As you may know, Jason's family owns an office supply store, The Front Desk, in Vermont and they have a scrapbooking section of their store (I just want to go on record saying that this section was in no way my idea regardless of any email I may have sent to said store owners.) Anywho, we were at the show getting some great ideas for classes and products and came back with some wonderful ideas and inspiration! The show was informative, creative, productive, and a bunch of other "ive" words all at once! (Denise would like to add the word 'expensive' to the list... we bought over $1,000 in new scrapbooking product for the store!) I can't tell you all how excited I am to make some samples, get some kits together, and head back up to the good ol' Northeast Kingdom to teach some classes using all these great products! After the Walk (which is consuming most of my time at the moment!) you can bet I will be visiting to teach some classes and attend some crops! To hold me over until I get to do that, I have combined two things I am passionate about and created this page using our team photo (click the image to view it larger.) I can't wait to take a million pictures and scrapbook the Walk!



Also stay tuned for a link to my NEW blog! It will showcase different projects every week including (but certainly not limited to) layouts, cards, mini scrapbooks, home decor projects, and tips and techniques to try yourself! I will be teaching classes at The Front Desk this summer and I will put up all our projects and materials you will need to complete them (all of which can be found at the store or your local scrapbooking store!) It will also have projects from Denise (my Mother-in-Law), Amanda (my Sister-in-Law) and Erin (my younger sister!) We all have VERY different styles so there will definitely be something for everyone! (Sorry, I sound a little like a used car commercial... it's early!)

I have to tell you, after going to this show (and a couple others in the past) and this being my first year doing the Walk, I have noticed that it is possible that I am part of two of the most incredible networks of women (and men too!) All the walkers I have met so far, as well as the scrapbookers are such honest, hard-working, wonderful, friendly people! I consider myself very lucky to be a part of all this... (Also, it seems like all scrapbookers have a distinct laugh, like a cackle. It's hilarious to be in a room of scrapbookers and listen to them laugh!)