Hardcore or Just Crazy - You Decide.

Well, Ironman training is officially underway. It hit me earlier this week when I was exhausted that yep, its week 4 of a 4-1 build-recovery cycle. The previous weekend there was ice on the ground, which meant 3 hrs 40 min on the indoor trainer in Art's basement watching Office Space and chatting away with Monique (who is signed up for Ironman Brazil) to make the time go by.

This weekend, it was a balmy 40 degrees out, and despite some residual ice on the trail, Turbo and I headed out for a 50-60 mile ride. We decided to make it a European style ride and stop for coffee along the way (to warm up, if nothing else). Its the best substitute for Sandro & Anne (our Norwegian bike tour guides) and their fully stocked Landrover we've been able to come up with, since we've yet to convince Diego (or anyone else) to follow us around in the car with coffee and hot chocolate and extra layers for us.

We had every intention of 60 miles, but even the latte and mocha didn't cure our frozen fingers and toes enough for us to stick it out past 50 miles. But you know, Ironman is still 6 months away and thankfully DC winters are usually short. Let's hope that's the case this year.

FXCM Party Night

Tony, aka "The Dragon" and newly appointed team Social Director, organized a fun night out to "get drunk with your fellow swimmers" (or at least come watch Tony get drunk) at the Clarendon ballroom.
Eight swimmers showed up (not bad for the first such event) and it was a crazy night. Julie and I knew we were in trouble when we walked in and saw Tony wearing a Hawaiian lei, googles, and a whistle around his neck and he had his finger nails painted black. And it wasn't long before the glow sticks came out. It was a sight to be seen.


The award for the evening however goes to Tami, who made the hour + drive from Taylorstown, via Susan's house in Chantilly, to Arlington to join in the fun.

I Finally Make it to Another Dougherty Wedding!

On Dec. 28, 2007 Kevin, the youngest Dougherty, married Ann Manning. Mom and I went up to Pennsylvania for the wedding. I attended Kevin's sister Maureen's wedding my senior year of college, but after missing both Jill's wedding (New Years Eve 2006 in Lake Tahoe, I was busy with funeral arrangements) and Claire's wedding (Labor Day Weekend 2007 in MD - I was flying back from Norway), I was so excited to be able to make it to Kevin's and catch up with my lifelong friends.
The wedding was gorgeous, Ann looked stunning, Kevin looked great in his Marine Corps dress uniform, and everything appeared to go off without a hitch. With so many family members in the military, they took the picture above of everyone with the bride and groom. I got to catch up with Maureen and meet the latest addition to her family - baby #4 - Samantha Maureen just 5 weeks old - and I also got to meet Jill's husband Pete for the first time.


David and Megan, Maureen's oldest 2 kids, tore up the dance floor in true Dougherty style.

EEI Door Decorating Contest

This year, the human resources department at EEI sponsored a holiday door decorating contest. Each division was to decorate their division director's door, the President and two Vice President's would be the judges, and the winning group would win a pizza party.

Our group went all out. Our boss Lou is an avid golfer, so we tied the golf theme in with the Christmas theme, and several utility industry themes for a kick ass door.

Countless hours were spent applying astroturf to the door, hot gluing trees, and putting Lou's face on a golfing Santa and the rest of our faces on elf bodies.

Real work? Ahhh....who needs that when you can be hot gluing instead! The pictures don't even begin to do the door justice. We were so convinced we were going to win. Lou even told us that we did such a good job, that if we lost he'd spring for the pizza party.

People from across EEI were coming up to us congratulating us before the judging even started on what a great door we had. We did a tour around the offices, and ours was by far the best. The President announced the results at the EEI Christmas party by first saying that every group would get second place, but that 1 door stood out among the rest and would get first place. We were stunned when it was announced that our friends down the hall has won. Not only was their door totally non-creative, they used incandescent Christmas lights! Oh the horror.

Note: If alcohol is going to be served at a company Christmas party, the office should be closed for the rest of the day.

In the discussions that followed the announcement at the Christmas Party, we may have suggested to EEI's Energy Efficiency Wiz, that he conduct an audit of the different door displays to see whose was the most energy efficient. Unfortunately, he thought this was a great idea, and proceeded back to his office for his watt meter and began measuring the output of the various door displays. He then sent an email out to all of EEI with the audit results. Some doors had no lights and got honorable mention. Our door, with 2 strands of LED Christmas lights used just 2 watts. The door that won, with its strands of regular incandescent Christmas lights was the "biggest energy hog of all" at 81 watts!

Unfortunately, this is a story that doesn't seem to die. At a retirement party for another EEI staff person the following week who works in the energy efficiency group, one of the people giving a speech to honor his years of service to EEI felt compelled to slip in a line about how "The use of incandescent light bulbs should never be rewarded, not even with a pizza party." (He was standing next to the President and Vice President at the time.)

I am quite convinced we will never ever have another door decorating contest at EEI.

Helen Kicks Butt at the Girls on the Run 5k!

So despite only getting 4.5 hrs of sleep due to flying back last night from a business trip to L.A., I decided to brave the cold rain and go watch my cousin Helen run a 5k. She did awesome! As did Tracy, who ran it with her. I can't imagine being able to run a 5k in the 3rd grade. I didn't run my first 5k until I was 24. I always had my mom right me a note to get me out of running the mile in junior high and high school for the presidential physical fitness test. Helen however is a running powerhouse! She ran more than 3 miles in a crowd of about 4,000. And she ran so fast I could barely get a picture of her! She will have to be my runner for my next triathlon relay.

FXCM Women's Christmas Party

Today I hosted the Fairfax County Master's Women's Christmas Party. As I learned from Jody, this was the 10th annual. It was a fun time, as we crammed 26 women into my tiny house! I had no idea so many people would come! We don't even get this many people to parties when all the women and men on the team are invited! It got a little loud at times with all those voices but everyone seemed to be having a good time. The food was delicious (no thanks to me, I didn't do any of the cooking) and Dori's basket of pedicure goodies was the most stolen item in the gift exchange with Lori as the lucky one to take it home in the end.



I managed to get my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree up and decorated just in time for the party. I love it! I always get a small one. I have just enough ornaments to cover it and I can put it up and take it down all by myself. It even fit in the back seat of my jetta! I think its adorable. I try to collect ornaments on my travels, so its fun to decorate the tree and remember all the places I've been. This year I added ornaments from Bergen, Heidelberg, and Prague.

Happy Birthday To Me!

October 30, 2007 -

Yep, another birthday has come and gone. This year the annual Dupont Circle High Heel Races took place on my birthday, so a group of us ventured downtown for the usual pre-race dinner at Lauriol Plaza. We then headed out on the street to witness the spectacle, which this year included the brokeback mountain cowboys and one drag queen dressed as Lisa Novak, the astronaut who drove from Texas to Florida wearing a diaper. It was quite a scene, as usual!




Later in the week, I got my happy birthday chocolate waffle at Silverado's to top off a fun week!