Eastern European Adventure Part I: Why I Love 'Merica

"Traveling the world is truly an enriching experience. Seeing so many people leading different lives, traditions, and sure makes you miss home." ~Unknown

I have returned from the 30th birthday European adventure.  Ya'll.  YA'LL.  It was absolutely amazing.  I cannot wait to tell you guys all about it!  So beware, the next couple of weeks will be trip overload on my blog.  But today, I want to share some things that my trip to Europe reminded me to appreciate about America.

Land of the free.....water and bathrooms.  

I bet you that half of my daily budget was spent on water and bathrooms.  No lie.  There is not water for free at every restaurant in Europe.  You have to ask for it and usually pay for it (exception in Vienna where the tap water is ok to drink, but you still have to ask for it).  And you have to really specify that you want still water, or else you get this carbonated water crap that will make you gag.  And there is no ice in Europe, so all the water is hot.  I am a girl who loves her water, so I was thirsty the whole trip.

Here is an example photo I took.  They brought me water in a beaker and gave me a shot glass to drink it from.  By the time I had enough to make me not thirsty anymore, that table looked like a cross between a huge chemistry experiment and a frat party with all the beakers and shot glasses.

And as for the bathroom situation, drinking all that water obviously did not make the lack of free bathrooms go over well.  You have to either pay for a public bathroom or buy something at a restaurant to get a code.  Annoying.  Oh, and if you travel abroad and some poor girl about to have a bladder explosion asks you to borrow your bathroom code instead of having to buy a drink somewhere, do not be a jack ass.  Give her the code.

Men who wear real pants.

I am no fashionista, but on the real, men should wear real pants.  By real, I mean full length, boot cut, not colored.  I took the liberty of getting some photos to prove my point.

Are they pants?  Shorts?  If I have to ask, do not wear them!

Skinny jeans.  Not okay.

Red was the most popular male pant color.  Mustard was second.

Unless you live on Desperate Housewives AND are a woman,
no sweaters tied around the neck.

These man purses were everywhere.  Did they not watch Friends
circa 1999 when Joey ruled this out for us all?

Cinch jeans and square toed boots.

On a related note, for the love of George Strait and all things good, a girl should not have to go two weeks without seeing a man in Cinch jeans and square toed boots.  It is bad for the soul, I tell you.  Long live, God bless, and thank you for American cowboys.

Yay, America:  Where men ride horses.  Not vespas.

Real 'normal' sizes.

I am a relatively averaged size girl as far as sizes go.  I am a bit shorter than average, my feet a big larger than average, but all in all, I am pretty standard.  I will let my facebook status from last week explain the incident I had in Vienna.

Today while shopping in Vienna I was told my feet were too large for my size of shoe to be 'typical' in a European store, and I was informed that they only had jackets in 'normal' sizes (smaller than I needed).....but I showed them by buying a one-size fits all scarf and then going for gelato. Take that, Europe. Take that.

Restaurant service.

I am not a needy person.  I honestly never complain about a waiter.  But for crying out loud.  Service in Europe is not something I can handle.  They are slow, do not pay any attention to your glass being full, take forever to take your order or bring you a check, and in some places (cough, cough, Prague) are really rude.  There were exceptions, like the cute kid who waited on us in my favorite restaurant in Veinna, but everywhere else, they drove me crazy.

Pillowtop mattresses.

Now, this may have just been the places that we stayed.  We were on a budget and in rental apartments and then one night in a hotel.  All of the beds sucked.  Some places felt like I was sleeping on a board.  And do not even get me started on the overnight train situation.  You will get an earful on that next week.  Not comfy does not even begin to describe that bed. 

And while we are on this note, nothing is soft there.  Matresses are hard.  Couches are hard.  Towels are not fluffy.  I am telling you, a little softness could really improve the quality of life in Europe.  A lot. 

Ranch dressing.

I do not think of myself as a big Ranch dressing person.  I grew up in Logan, where people but that stuff on literally everything from pizza to spicy chicken to fries.  Gag me.  But after two weeks in Europe, this girl needed a salad with some full fat, unhealthy-style ranch, STAT.  That oil and vinegar stuff did not cut it.

Plug ins that do not blow up my stuff.

Last time they killed my Chi straightener   This time, the victim was my computer charger.  Even with converters, there is something about European electricity that screws me over every time.

Free church entry.

It fundamentally bothers me to have to pay money to go into a house of God. Like deep down, bothers me. Maybe from the whole time where Jesus went into the temple where they were buying and selling things, had a fit, and turned over a few tables? Anyway, I appreciate in America that I do not have to pay a fee to go into any church. Even my favorite church and one of the most beautiful--the Washington National Cathedral--lets you in for free and is upkept from donations (which I always happily make). I just think charging a fee is wrong somehow. This is also why Poland was my favorite country, because it was much more rare there to have to pay to enter a church. In Warsaw, all churches had their doors open and they were happy to have you coming in to look around, take pictures, pray, whatever you felt like.

St. Stephen's Bascilica - Vienna, Austria

Current music.

I like old music as much, maybe more, than the next guy.  But everywhere we went was like a flashback to 4th grade with the music.  The mid-1990s were not that great of a time for classic American pop music is all I am sayin.

Non-smokers.

I am quite sure that the three of us were the only non-smokers in Europe.  Everyone, and I mean everyone smokes there.  Old people, young people, kids. I swear I saw one girl on a school field trip who could not have been over 13 smoking away.  Girls, guys, rich people, homeless people, you name it.  Have they not heard that smoking, ya know, kills you??

What Happens at the Pink Adobe...

"Party hard, make mistakes, laugh endlessly. Do things you're afraid to do. After all, you're only young once."  ~Unknown

You guys already know I can throw a bachelor party.  Turns out, I'm pretty darn good at a bachelorette party as well.  Due to lack of time (the clock is ticking for me to get packed for Europe as I write this), I am not going to go into great detail, but I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.  For a much, much, much better recap of the events, check out College Roomie's recap here.

College Roomie wanted something classy, low key, and fun.  For the most part, we obliged.  Dinner at a winery, train to Santa Fe, walking around the square, progressive dinner at three amazing restaurants.  But then things got a little out of hand....sadly for you, what happens at the Pink Adobe stays at the Pink Adobe.  That is all I am at liberty to say.

The Gossip Girls

College Roomie's family (staying warm)

The OSU Contingent...Go Pokes!

Bottle of wine to be opened on their 5th Anniversary

College Roomie and her bridemaids

Night 1 group photo at St. Clair Winery

Trouble.  Dressed in black.

Sorority pose group photo

The Pink Adobe

Love.  This.  Girl.

Safety first.

Traditional OSU picture

Fearless foursome

I'll plead the 5th.

Me and the sisters

Blurry, but we're still cute!

WILW

"Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary simply by doing them with the right people." ~ Nicholas Sparks

I'm in Europe.  Loving every minute.  And every good dessert. And old church.  And lots of amazing food.  You get it.  Here are some other things I am loving today!

1.  Baby Chocolate Brown.  I finally got to meet her last weekend and she is precious and beautiful and perfect.  The Chocolate Brown family honestly is so good looking, I'm almost intimidated being in their house.  Except that they're so darn nice and I forget about it.

2.  Speaking of adorable children, I can't leave out SoulMate Friend's boys.  I had a blast spending a couple of days with Little Linebacker and Little Fullback.  I think I had two favorite parts of the weekend--first the fact that Little Linebacker can now clearly say "Aunt Tiff" and second when he played his dad's tuba.  It was amazing.

Me and the newest addition to Aunt Tiff's football team

3.  This list of 100 things you should tell your daughter.  My favorite?  "A strong man is never threatened by a strong woman."  Amen to that!

4.  This blog about the Boston Marathon attacks.  And how horrible it was to bomb the people who watch marathons because of what they mean to the runners.

5.  ND Friend's blog all about her 30th birthday gift.  The picture of the St. Therese quote....the one that is written in handwriting that might belong to a third grader....that was from me. :)  You might remember my blog about my small part in this project here.  It was an amazing and perfect way to ring in her 30th year!

6.  Mrs. F.'s response to my text that I finished my half marathon.  What did she say, you ask?  "You know that you can stop doing things just to prove that you can do them if you want to."  She's a smart lady, that Mrs. F.  I'm pretty good at doing things just to prove that I can.  Half marathons included!

7.  This song called Messin' Around.  Adorable.



8.  This video of Vince Gill and Patty Loveless singing Go Rest High On That Mountain at George Jones' funeral.  Beautiful.

9.  This article written by a daddy to his little girl about her future husband.  The idea?  All of the articles we read as women about how to be sexy and fun and whatever to keep a guy interested are crap.  The guy should be interested because we are interesting, period.  Love it.

Sometimes...

via Pinterest

I'm a Human Being

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”  ~Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness


I've written before once or twice about the way that the homeless pull at my heartstrings.  When I saw this video last week on the Aggie Catholics blog, and heard Mr. Davis say, "I'm not a bum, I'm a human being," I knew I had to share.  He describes his life--how hard it is, how humiliating it is, how it's a viscous circle that he cannot get out of.  Please watch this video.  And please listen to his words.    We are all human beings.  Every one of us.  And we deserve to be treated as such.  Regardless of what material things we have or do not have.  God bless you, Mr. Davis.

30 by 30 List: Month 6

“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.” ~Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Holy moly.....another month is down on the way to my 30th birthday!  I am now officially 29 1/2.  Time flies when you're having fun, huh??

For the record, here is the official total at the halfway point.  Of the 30 items on the list, I have completed 10 of them.  I'm halfway done (and therefore on track) with another 5.  That means that at the halfway point, I'm pretty on track.  Looking forward to the next 6 months and getting the rest of these babies off the list!

3.  Run another half marathon.

Loud Oklahoma Girl and I ran the half marathon at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.  You read all about that experience here.  I had so much fun checking this item off the list!

4.  Check 5 items off my bucket list (2/5 completed).

As you might remember from this blog, I gave a stranger $100 this month in honor of ND Friend's 30th birthday.  It was an amazing moment for me, and one that I will never forget.

7.  Read 24 more books  (9/24 completed).

This month I read My Sisters The Saints, a great book suggested to me by Super Mom.  It is a book about 6 different female saints and how they inspired the author during different seasons in her life.  It was amazing.  There was a chapter when she was about my age, living in DC, and trying to decide what path her life should take that really, really resonated with me.  I'd highly recommend this book to anyone!  Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

(Talking about bearing her cross in a season of waiting)  The waiting is the cross.

It takes humility to assent to follow God when He refuses to install floodlights on your path or tell you where it will lead.

God still allows evil in the world as the price of our freedom.  Yet through his suffering, Christ transformed our trials into a means of grace, a way that we can participate in his redemptive work on earth while awaiting eternal life with him in Heaven.

A woman's greatest strength comes from silent communication with God, and sometimes the most radical thing she can do is not rant and rave, but watch and pray.

Jesus cares more about the love we put into our acts than he does the acts themselves.

If childlike dependence on God is the mark of a great soul, then there are great souls hidden in all sorts of places where the world sees only disability, decay, and despair.

God loves us no matter what mistakes we make, and our confidence in his providence should be boundless.

Therese believed that the surest way to cultivate and express this childlike abandonment to God was to offer him small, everyday acts of love:  going out of her way to befriend the crankiest nun at the convent, refusing to complain when accused of a misdeed she did not commit, choosing to cheerfully and silently endure a frigid bedroom...

I had assumed that my bold, if badly executed, act of obedience to God's will would result in a shower of blessings.  Instead, I received some devastating family news shortly afterward that left me reeling with sadness.

8.  Send little gifts to my friends once a month  (6/12 completed).

I have the best friends and family in the world.  IN THE WORLD.  They are amazing.  My Cousin Whitney is a packing genie and she spent a big part of her weekend visiting me helping me frantically pack up my house.  I would never have finished without that girl!  Then, I had a painting crew consisting of College Roomie, The Bride, and Aunt Evil Kineval.  These ladies took time out of their busy lives to come down and help me make my new house my own.  I just can't believe how great they are.  And thank goodness they did, because I swear I would never have finished this project without them.  I had fun for about an hour, and then I would have quit.  They helped me for 3 days and we got it done!

So to thank them, I decided that I would make them a little gift that related to painting.  I ended up making my own pedicure kits---nail polish, files, tweezers, toe separators, you get the idea.  On the top of the jars I wrote a little message that said, "Thank you for helping me paint my house, now you can paint your nails!"  They turned out really well if I do say so myself!

9.  Eat in 10 new restaurants  (11/10 completed).

Well I was able to get this list item completed and continue on.  Please note that the two list items that I've more than accomplished involve eating....that's the chubby girl in me!

Casa de Benavidez:  You read about the amazing surprise going away party that College Roomie threw me before.  We went to this restaurant specifically for the sopapilla burgers, and the did not disappoint.  You can read College Roomie's recap about this menu item here.  It was excellent food and I'd highly recommend this if you are in the Albuquerque area!

Ranch House:  This is a super cute old school coffee shop in Canyon, Texas where I had breakfast with The Boy from Texas, Mr. Smell Good,  and Loud Oklahoma Girl.  I love me an old school coffee shop with the old men in boots drinking coffee and talking about cattle prices.  It just warms my heart.  Plus they had really good breakfast burritos!

Louie's:  This is a new bar and grill in Stillwater and it was amazing.  SoulMate Friend, her sister and I went there during an awesome girl's day of shopping in downtown Stillwater!  I had a turkey wrap that was amazing, with a side of roasted red pepper gouda soup.  The next time you're in Stillwater, give it a try!

17.  Take Little Cowboy on a Tiff/Little Cowboy Day of Fun.

I had so much fun checking this item off.  You read all of the details on this yesterday week.  He's just a riot.  All the time!  I'm so glad I got to spend some time with him.

20.  Take a day off work just because.

You might be asking yourself how I have time to check all of these items off.  Well....the answer is that I'm not working!  Instead of taking a day off work just because, I'm taking two months.  Go big or go home, I say.  I'm sort of flittering around, visiting fun people, doing fun things, and enjoying life.  I figured that this was a great time to do these things, so I just did it.  And I'm so glad I did!

26.  Ride the tram.

The tram is a total Albuquerque must-do and I had never done it.  So I figured that before I moved away, this was one I had to check off the list.  Luckily, LOKG was in town and willing to go with me.  It was cool---great views, it was really quiet and peaceful, and I had fun.  Would I do it again?  Probably not.  But I'm glad that I did it once!

29.  Buy myself flowers once a month  (6/12 completed).    

I mixed this one up a bit when instead of buying myself cut flowers, I bought myself a plant for my new house!  I figured a little splash of orange in my front yard was appropriate for this OSU alum.  I think it turned out pretty well---I hope I can somehow keep it alive!

Aunt Tiff/Little Cowboy Day of Fun

“When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.” ~Dr. Seuss

Last week I checked off one of my favorite 30 by 30 List items when we had a Little Cowboy/Aunt Tiff Day of Fun.  I do not have the energy to keep up with a 6 year old.  I don't know how my brother and sister in law do it.  That little dude is non stop.  We had so much fun----toy car races, book reading, driving lessons, riding in the car with his head out the sunroof (we were not supposed to tell the moms about that one), fried pickle and tacos for lunch, playing t-ball, shopping for "horse stuff----you name it and we did it.  Here are a couple photos and my favorite quotes from the event.

(Upon seeing a police officer in the post office)
Little Cowboy: If you're here to arrest me, you're gonna have to deal with my lawyer.  {Yes, he seriously said it.  And yes, I'm seriously a lawyer.  Ha!}

Little Cowboy: When I get older, I'm gonna drink whiskey, fight people in bars, and chase wild women. {Moments like this make me glad I'm just the aunt and not the parent!}

Little Cowboy:  My arm hurts.
Me:  Why?
Little Cowboy:  I got shot today.
Me:  Who shot you?
Little Cowboy:  Dang Yankee.

We were doing math in the car, so I as asking him addition questions.
Me:  4 plus 2?
Little Cowboy:  *Sigh.*  6.  That one's lame.

Me:  What do you want to do today?
Little Cowboy:  Fix fence.  {Said no one else.  Ever in life.}

(After my mom told him I spent the day before working on my taxes)
Little Cowboy:  I want to stay a kid my whole life so I don't ever have to pay taxes.  {Me too, kid.  Me too!}

My mom's friend:  Do you have any guns?
Little Cowboy:  Nope.  And don't try to jip me for money because I don't have any of that either!

Little Cowboy was eating chicken strips, french fries, and gravy.  My dad stole a french fry, which was okay.  But when he got another one and dipped it in gravy, Little Cowboy was not impressed.  He smacked my dad's hand and knocked the chicken off the fork.  He doesn't share his gravy, apparently.  Except with my mom.  Since they are best buds.

Little Cowboy:  I hate Taylor Swift.  And Carrie Underwood doesn't eat meat.  I'd rather eat dirt than listen to Two Black Cadillacs.
Me:  Well what singer do you like?
Little Cowboy:  Miranda Lambert.
Me:  Why?
Little Cowboy:  Because she's a wild woman.

(After pitching a fit that I was running the OKC Half Marathon because I would die like the people in Boston)
Little Cowboy:  Fine.  I don't want you to run.  But if you're going to, I am going to help you.  Four laps around the house.  Go!

(During our driving lesson when he was driving on the wrong side of the road)
Me:  What are you, in England?  We drive on the right side of the road.  That means the driver is always in the middle.
Little Cowboy:  So the other side is the English side?
Me:  Yep.  In England they drive on the other side.
**Later on, after we turned around and were about to go again**
Me:  Okay, which side of the road do we go on?
Little Cowboy (pointing to the right):  This one.  This ain't England.  'MERICA!

Little Cowboy: You're 29. That's not so bad. But then you'll be 30. Which is pretty much 40. That's old.

9 Years

'It has been said, time heals all wounds.  I do not agree.  The wounds remain.  In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens.  But it is never gone.'  --Rose Kennedy

On this day 9 years ago, Gran went to her reward (as she always called it).  No matter how much time has passed, I still miss her every day.

So in honor of her today, her favorite song, which she was constantly playing on the piano or humming as she walked along.

She made the world a better place.  She made me a better person.  I can only hope that some of that which was in her is now showing through me.

My 30 Things List: Part 2

Today we'll continue on with my 30 things list of the items I think every woman should have/know by the time she's 30.  (In case you missed the explanation of this project or Part 1, just click here).

 Here are my next 5 items.

Every woman should know...

How to dance without caring what anyone thinks.

We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.  ~Friedrich Nietzsche

I'm a horrible dancer.  Wait, let me clarify.  I'll dance you under the table if you are talking two-step, waltz, polka, or cotton-eyed joe.  This country girl knows her business there.  But if you are talking the cool kids, MTV-style, booty shaking dancing, I'm just embarrassing.  And when I was younger, I'd just sit on the side and watch the cool kids.

San Francisco - August 2011

But now, you best believe I'll be out there gettin' down with everyone else.  Because when you sit on the sides, you miss all the fun.  Life's too short to be missing fun if you ask me.  So by the time you're 30, you need to know how to get out there and shake it.  If you're having a good time, no one will even notice you have zero rhythm and look like a white female version of Carlton Banks.  (Oh, wait, that's just me.)

Brett-Brett and Mrs. Texas' Wedding - June 2012

Her limit, be it alcohol, sun, or late nights.

“You got to know your limits. Once is enough, but you got to learn. A little caution never hurt anyone. A good woodsman has only one scar on him. No more, no less." ~ Haruki Murakami

You might remember that I started this list while laying on a beach in Costa Rica.  And getting a massive sunburn.  In not so fun places.  Which is why this baby made the list!  But I honestly do believe in knowing your limits.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica - May 2012

A woman of 30 has to know her limits.  And once she knows them, she'll realize that knowledge is a gift that 21 year olds just don't have.  That's why you see them skipping class on Friday after a party on Thursday night or throwing up in the bar bathroom.  They haven't yet figured out what their limits are (or maybe even that they have them).

By the time you're 30, you should have this knowledge.  If you wind up laying on the bathroom floor if you take more than one shot, then don't take more than one shot.  If you are super white and pasty and burn on the beach unless you put sun screen on once an hour, put sunscreen on once an hour (but be sure you get it all the way up to your swim suit because that will get you...trust me!).  Find your limits, and enjoy what knowing these limits allows you to avoid!

How to manage her money.

“Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don't want..to impress people that they don't like.” ~Will Rogers

I'm cheap.  I'll admit it.  This girl would rather put money into savings then spend it on shiny things.  So I honestly know a thing or two about this topic.  It really comes down to 5 words:  Spend Less Than You Make.  It's that simple.  Money comes in.  Money goes out.  The first has to be more than the second.  It's simple math.

Oh, one more thing.  Some of that money that comes in better be put into a savings account of some sort.  And you have to do that every month.  I mean EVERY month.  Even when you have a trip you really want to take or you see these super cute heels at the mall.  Because if you make excuses, you'll always find one and never save anything.  Treat it like a monthly bill that you have to pay.  You'll thank yourself later.

Every woman should have...

A passport.

I'm a traveler, so it's probably no surprise that this one is on my list.  I do love collecting me some passport stamps, and plan on having traveled to 10 countries by the time I turn the big 3-0 in November.  It's an amazing world that we live in that we are able to hop on a plane and be in another country by morning.  I always learn so much from seeing different places, eating different food, hearing different languages, and meeting different people.  It's something that I firmly believe we should take advantage of if we have the opportunity to do so.  And even if you can't go now, you might be able to go someday.  So get that passport and keep it handy!

Photo via La Mia Vita

Good sheets.

Because I'm cheap as discussed above, this is one thing it took me a while to figure out.  Spend money on sheets.  Cut back somewhere else---I'll sacrifice a lot of things in order to sleep on my 500 thread count Wamsutta sheets.  They make my heart happy.  And make me sleep better.  Which benefits me and everyone around me when my alarm clock goes off in the morning.  Good sheets.  Do it.  Trust me.

If Runners Ran The World...

"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."  ~John F. Kennedy

As you read about previously, two weeks ago I was in Oklahoma City running a half marathon.  As I stood there that dark, early, cold morning along with 25,000 other runners and thousands of spectators, I couldn't help but think that if runners ran the world, it might just be a better place.

LOKG and me at the starting corral

As we stood there shivering in the cold (wishing that I had worn a hoodie instead of just my hot pink arm warmers), thousands of people gathered around the Survivor Tree for a sunrise church service.  Thousands of heads bowed in prayer, thousands of voices singing the words of Amazing Grace.  In that moment, denominations did not matter.  No one cared if you were Methodist or Baptist or Catholic or LDS.  No one cared whether you went to a church that believes in sprinkling or immersion  It did not matter what version of the Bible you had on your nightstand.  Because there, in that moment, everyone stood together.  Faithful.  Together.  Undivided.

Survivor Tree Service

The entire race was about those 168 people who lost their lives in the bombing 13 years ago.  There are no bibs numbered 1-168.  Those numbers are reserved.  There are banners with the name of each victim along the race route.  And at the starting line, when it became time for 168 moments of silence--one for each of the lives lost--25,000 runners turned off their iPods, stopped their nervous chatter, bowed their heads, and made not one sound.  When one man behind us tried to whisper during this time, everyone near him shushed him and he zipped it.  These seconds were precious and sacred, and they were not going to be disrespected or disturbed.

The 168 people killed in whose honor we ran.

After the silence, the singing and cheering and jumping around began.  Everyone encouraging each other, with statements like (my favorite from a nice lady near us) that no matter your time, you are beating the couch.  Beating the Couch became my mantra for the day!

And everywhere you looked you saw some act of support for Boston.  Red socks.  Green shoe laces.  Stickers saying that we all stand together.  T-shirts promising prayers.  All of these acts--no matter how small they may be--were a perfect sign of support and unity and defiance of acts of terror.

And as the race began, nothing changed.  We may have been breathing harder and smelling worse, but the same qualities that were seen at the finish were seen during the race.  When a man fell about two miles in, several of us stopped to help him stand up and get back on his way.  We did not know him, he was hairy and sweaty, we will probably never see him again, but in that moment he was one of us, and he needed help.  So we gave it.  No questions asked.

We waved at spectators (particularly those with signs like "Chuck Norris never an a marathon!" and "If Westbrook can play the 2nd half with a broken knee, you can run a marathon!" and "Keep going, keep going, that's what she said!"), encouraged each other, and thanked the volunteers with the water.  People with shirts proclaiming that they were fueled by beef ran next to those with t-shirts screaming vegetarianism.  This country girl with an iPod full of running songs by Miranda Lambert and Reckless Kelly shouted encouragement to a man running in a pink skirt.  OU fans and OSU fans ran side by side.  There were 25,000 people, all with different backgrounds, thoughts, political beliefs, all ran toward one common goal.  And that goal was achieved.

If you ask me, the world should take a lesson or two.  About acceptance.  About kindness.  About determination.  About perseverance.  About tolerance.  Heck, just about life in general.  If it did, it might just be a better place.