Rambling Adventures: Celebrating my 29th++++ Birthday!

Birthday's should always be this fun (and once your birthday years exceed 30 you should always take a day or week to recover from all of the fun)!

My birthday weekend was kicked off on Friday by my coworkers who helped me celebrate with yummy sweets, a TON (literally!) of glitter and fab gifts (thanks again!!)
When I finally found my way home Matt surprised me with a balloon drop when I walked in the door (which will require some touch-up paint before we move out) and beautiful flowers. Awwww.
Post-Friday work responsibilities I took on my next set of responsibilities .... outfits for Sunday's adventures! Ok, so these responsibilities were actually shadowed by watching the end of the 2012/2013 Penguins season ... Much respect Bylsma, not so sure we'll have the opportunity to see you give it another whirl with the Pens again but it was fun while it lasted!

Good try, Malkin. "You Score" next season.

Here's hoping Duper makes a Pens Appearance in the next season.

Back to the outfits ... I didn't commit to making tutus until standing inside Jo-Ann Fabrics at 9:30AM Saturday morning knowing I didn't have too much time to make this a reality. Challenge accepted!

tutu goods

Glamour shots - Caveman style

Preparing the wigs/beards and iron-on prints for Sundays races

Store bought shirt for round one (Color Me Rad)

Home made shirt for round two - Challenge Nation

I failed to snap pictures of most of the "before" that was tackled on Saturday. Too concerned with getting everything wrapped up before heading into the city for dinner and to our hotel for the night before the birthday games began on Sunday.

Dinner at the Smiling Banana Leaf in Highland Park. Fantastic Thai food that was SUPER spicy and incredibly delicious! http://www.smilingbananaleaf.com This is my can't eat another bite and my mouth is on fire pic! Warning: A spice level of 6 is equivalent to sticking a dozen fire-charred marshmallows in your mouth over and over again!

After downing 2-gallons of ice water (and some wine of course) to return my body to a cool 98.6 degrees it was time to check in to our hotel to finish the tutu's and rest up for tomorrow's adventures.

A fine mess of tutu's

Check-in went smooth

Room was comfy

Free cupcake from the bakery "because the machines were down" was a nice surprise

Interesting movie rental (the Master)

Successful completion of the tutu's

Time for sleep! kind of ...

12am - neighbors next door were having a grand time and music was loud ... no problem we thought, they'll quiet down soon.
1am - neighbors next door invited multiple friends over to enjoy their loud music ... no problem we thought, it's nice to have friends
1:30am - friends of neighbors next door bang on our door before slamming the door to their own room ... we should say something, but maybe if we let this pass they'll finally quiet down
2:00am - neighbors next door fighting with each other and their lovely guests ... and just when we were ready to call down to the front everything quieted
2:30am - neighbors next door return and the smell of their nasty fast food permeates the hallway as they crash, bang and scream their way into their room... Matt calls down to the front to request security to address the noise
2:45am - Beth calls down to demand room change as the screams next door have now escalated to very loud crashing and banging noises.
3:00am - Trek down to the front desk with all of our stuff (yes, only 1-night but we had lots of stuff for the next day with us)
4:00am - Finally get to sleep after Matt wins the battle with the noisy air conditioning unit
6:15am - WAKE UP to get ready for race #1 - Color Me Rad

We thought staying downtown in a decent hotel (Hyatt Place near PNC Park) would be a good solution for us to get rest and cut down on our travel time to the race at First Niagara Pavilion. Didn't quite work out as we had planned BUT ... kudos to the Hyatt for honoring our request to comp the room after our restless night. We were also able to request a late 2-PM checkout time so we could return and prep for the 2nd race.

And now Color-Me-Rad - Pittsburgh 2013

What a great time! Matt was a good sport when it came to taking pictures and holding phones/keys so they wouldn't get trashed during the race.

Texting Diane to get this party started!

Our before pictures all pretty-fied for the great race. It was amazing how many other "teams" wore tutu's. But ... BUT ... not so many teams had lovely hair decorations. Genius!

Diane, her two daughters Rachel & Emily and me

Diane volunteers at the clinic and invited me to join her

"Speed Divas" team.

Our heat was to begin at 9:20am. We joined the crowd just before 9 and crept closer and closer to the starting line as we were swept away into a sea of white speckled colors. All rules are broken when you know you'll be chewing on colored cornstarch for the next 3.1 miles!

A picture Diane shared on facebook - shows the color packets we used during the race. What's not shown is the handfuls of color we ran through and the sprayers used to douse us in colors.

Crazy fun!

Don't know the girl running through the color bomb but a picture still worth sharing!

Emily and Rachel getting their next round of color packets just before the finish line.

We're in here ... somewhere. Just look for the hair thing!

Nearing the finish!

What a FILTHY great time!

Next!!!

We stopped at Settler's Ridge to pick up Coal, my little brother: aka "yittle", "Coaly", "Franken" and it was back into the city for the next race!

Waiting for Nikki & Shane to visit us at the hotel. The excitement of an itchy wig and beard were just too much for Coal and Matt.

They had to get into character early.

Didn't take long for Nikki & Shane to follow suit upon arrival.

After seeing this picture I can see amish costumes in our near future! Neah ...

Shane keeping watch, scaring children, mentally preparing for the challenge!

Go team hair!

Such a lovely couple. Had to get my full use out of the tutu before it is retired.

Shane and Matt bib-pinnin'

Coal: A profile view of a champion and fierce competitor!

Goooooooo team "Running on Gas". Pre-gaming and assessing our competition. And sweating because it was sooooo hot. Fortunately, cavemen do not sweat - they glow!

A true caveman strut.

Please pay close attention to the fantastic decoration this young man did all by himself. I think you've missed your calling
Mr. Shingleton.

Now that's a "Man's Beard". Shane said he's not convinced Matt didn't just wander out from underneath one of the bridges in the city ... I'm so proud.

Some examples of other competitor's outfits. No idea what these people were supposed to be.

Mario Cart! Good job guys (we're still going to beat you)

Even crows get hungry before competing.

And finally ... the games begin!!
We were given a list of clues for this Scavenger Hunt through the city. There were more than 320 teams of 1,400 people. Crazy fun!

I will post the clues under each picture to help explain each picture for the challenge.

Clue #9: "ARRRRR you ready, ye land lubbers? Somewhere at this home of the Pirates, you will pose like fearsome pirates locked in an epic battle with another Challenge Team - but here's the catch, you have to find the correct props at a specific spot: the only hint we'll give you is "Pops." We failed to get the Willie Stargell statue in this picture. Oops!

Clue #12: Summer is almost officially here and there already tons of tourists in town. For this clue, you'll find any out-of-towner wearing some non-sports-related "hometown garb, "i.e. a shirt/hat/etc. that says where they're from - as long as it's not anywhere in Pittsburgh, it counts - other Challengers do NOT count. Take a photo with this visitor acting out what you think their home's like. This jolly fellow agreed to this picture after much coaxing and promises that we would not pick-pock him. We are acting out "hiking" in this pic.

Coal flirting with the RedBull girls, offering them a flower they kindly denied. NOT part of the challenge Coal, focus.

Clue #10: Having been stolen and replaced at least a couple of times, this small dog house has seen its ups and downs - while it may seem silly, it was actually first built by the public works department as a cover for some pipes and wiring that were tripping pedestrians. You'll find it across and down the block from where they still print the paper every day! Act out any scene in your photo that you think fits best. I didn't know there was a snoopy dog house in the city!

Clue #8: Wow, so many choices, choices, choices: take a photo with any ONE of the following: a clown, a white-painted Ford mustang, a traditional barber pole, a live horse, a person wearing overalls (not a fellow Challenger), or any pet animal other than a dog. When you snag the photo, give a big thumbs up!
We are clearly stretching the rules here - this kind popcorn enjoying man was rocking suspenders, not overalls, and nobody has an up-thumb.

Clue #7: This one allows you a bit of flexibility and creativity: take a photo with your team and the image of any President that appears on Mount Rushmore. The only restriction is that you can't pull currency or change out and pose with that or photos on a smartphone - but other than that, the more inventive the better! Thanks George!

Clue #4: A simple one, but luck can play a big role: find someone from the far edges of this great country: a resident of a state that borders the Pacific Ocean or Atlantic Ocean. When you locate them, take a photo spelling out P-G-H with them (Take a photo with the top half of their license to prove you found them ... it's best to cover up their name, address, etc.) Nancy, as her purse states, was so happy and helpful. She informed us that she was from ... "just guess, guess, you'll never guess where I live in Florida" (this was before she agreed to have us take a picture of her with her ID) "I'm from NICE, FLORIDA". Nancy cracked us up, she was so happy to share this with us (any probably many other challengers that day).

Clue #11: You knew we'd probably include this clue: 4 loooooooong years later, this Pittsburgh icon re-opened in grand fashion on Friday, in front of a crowd of 3,000 - we'll add to those numbers today. Get within 30 yards and take a silly/creative photo (think: holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, etc) using its central feature and your team.

The Bush-men Strategerizing

A rogue Bush-man

The future

Forever pensive

Back to the game! Clue #1: In 1976 while on stage at the "2001 Club", Pittsburgh funk rock band Wild Cherry came up with the #1 hit Play that Funky Music in the span of five minutes. We want you to recreate that scene. Here's the problem - they demolished the 2011 Club to build PNC Park! So instead, find some instruments to snap a pic playing your own funky music at a spot where you're sure to have an audience - your props are at the center of a public space originally known as "Diamond Square" that dates all the way back to 1764. Possibly my favorite picture of the race!

A sweaty pit-stop at Starbucks for much needed icy refreshments! Coal and Shane stayed outside and talked with the mother of the team that took 3rd place. Ha! We still had 4 clues to finish. :)

Clue #5: Today we're going to revive the lost art of letter writing: purchase any postcard in town, the sillier the better. Address it to your team's best friend or family member who couldn't make it today - and tell them what you're doing! Slap a stamp on it and take your team's photo dropping it into any mailbox!

Heading back across the Clemente bridge ... at this point it is clear - we own these streets.

Clue #2: These "surveyors" are probably trying to survey just what the heck this "forks" artwork is supposed to be. When you find the area that's home to both, grab one of these alliterative toys from our staff member and do the obvious activity for at least 2-3 seconds in your team's photo (or look silly trying, at least) - try to get the beautiful skyline in the background.

Clue # 6: How coordinated is your team? Find our staff ready to test your team's skills in the grass just west of these "H20 stairs". Once there, your team will have to sink at least one ball into a bucket! You can all try simultaneously and you only need to get on in - once you have completed the task, you'll take a photo with our staff member giving you the thumbs up.

THE END! No idea where we placed just yet but had such a great time and tons of great pics to remember the day. Thanks to Nikki, Shane, Coal and Matt for agreeing to participate in this madness with me! Although there was close to NO running in this race for our group, this was officially Coal and Matt's first 5k.

We are hopeful to win the online costume contest ... TBD. Had lots of fun taking pictures with people requesting us to pose with them.

Some more random pics ...

We will definitely have to recreate this photo 20 years from now. I think we've actually been friends for 20+ years. GASP!!!! If we could bottle our anti-aging secrets we would be millionaires! :)

The couple that beards together, stays together!

Coal, you just got photo-bombed!

Newt was jealous ... she demanded a pic.

Coal and I make our parents so very proud. :)

A well deserved dinner at Church Brew Works post race day!

And a nap for the old folks after dinner. No sleep, too much sun and lots of competitions knocked us out!

So proud in his bird shirt. Despite this restaurants claim to have the best pierogies .. we all agreed that Mrs. T's frozen delicacies still take the cake. I think she puts magic into each potato pie.