Excuse me if I am a little crabby....

From Thesaurus.com:
Main Entry: disappointment

Part of Speech: noun
Definition: saddening situation; letdown
Synonyms: bitter pill, blind alley, blow, blunder, bringdown, bummer, bust, calamity, defeat, disaster, discouragement, downer, downfall, drag, dud, error, failure, false alarm, faux pas*, fiasco, fizzle, flash in the pan, impasse, inefficacy, lemon, miscalculation, mischance, misfortune, mishap, mistake, obstacle, old one-two, setback, slip, washout

From the above, you can probably guess that lottery number 448421 was not chosen to grace the 5 boroughs of NYC in the 26.2 mile running race held on my birthday this year.  *Sigh*  Just give me a moment to swallow my "bitter pill" and go down the "blind alley" (who comes up with these synonyms on Thesaurus.com anyway?) and I'll be done with it.
 
5 months ago, I registered for this race that I have grown up hearing about held in my native New York.  It would be one hell of a way to celebrate my 36th birthday...running up and down the streets of the city that in my eyes can not compare to any others.  
 
The day finally came (today!!) to find out if Sara, Kara and I would jetting off to NYC come November to run among 43,000 of our closest friends. Right there should have been a clue!
Sara and I had a bit of a NYC marathon party to watch the live show online and find out our fate.  After stuffing our kids faces with mac and cheese, we kindly told them to go downstairs and do whatever they pleased.  Just don't bother the mommies, as we had VERY important and special things to take care of.  Peg came over for the festivities as well.   We crammed ourselves in my office and after a few technological snaffoos (i guess that happens when 100K people across the globe are tuning into the same thing online!) we saw a few lucky people get chosen online for the marathon (one guy from Detroit, MI - University of Michigan student!). 
 
Then it was time to log into the site to find out our fate.  Sara went online first.  Then I did.  Then Kara called and I checked for her.  We all got:  NOT ACCEPTED

Peg, Sara, and I sat in my office sort of sadly staring at our computers.  We had a bit of a moment of silence. Then, I did the only thing I knew that could make the situation better.  I busted out the Oberon beers.  After the first couple of sips, Sara and I registered ourselves to run the Baltimore Marathon October 16, 2010.  We checked out the course map.  We checked out the 16 week training program we'll have to start early in June.  Hmmm...that second beer is going down a little too easy at 1 pm on a Wednesday...

  Peg, Me and Sara (and Abbey the dog) having a little party in my office.  1 pm on a Wednesday.

 

Baltimore might not be as big and bad as NYC but I am just as excited.  Baltimore is my second home.  I went to Loyola College in Baltimore where I spent (lots of) time on York Road's bar scene and Parents' weekends at the Inner Harbor and Little Italy. I spent a few years post college living downtown and enjoying the bars at Fell's Point, Federal Hill, and Canton while being in the working world.  I got married at Loyola's church and had my reception in the Inner Harbor.  Then our new family spent a few years in the 'burbs, enjoying the family friendly options that Baltimore has to offer, like the zoo and the aquarium.  When I took a peek at the course map today, I got to walk down memory lane a bit: 

The start is at Camden Yards, where I have watched many O's games (my favorite game being 2 days before my wedding: Yanks v. Orioles). We run behind the quaint rowhouse neighborhood Bolton Hill where my friend Christina and I lived for a year or two (which was right next to the projects...that's Baltimore for ya!).  We run through where the Baltimore Zoo is and pass over I-83 to Johns Hopkins University, where I went to my very first frat party and had my very first beer.  We head down St. Paul street, right past my first apartment post-college (St. Paul at Chase with that chain smoking skinny doorlady).  We cut through Federal Hill (could I just stop off at Cross Street for a big beer and crabs???) and run past Harborview Drive, which is where my wedding reception was.  Then it's through the Inner Harbor and past my first post collegiate career move: food server at the Cheesecake Factory.  Memories of eating a Bookmaker Salad and GNOCCHI will flood my memory as we jog by Little Italy and I'll for sure recollect my last-call stumbling out of Green Turtle, Cat's Eye Pub, or Miss Irene's as we run through the cobblestone neighborhood of Fell's Point (does anyone really live in Fells?  Or is it just bars?).  We'll wind through funky Canton and by the looks of it pass right by my favorite Mexican restaurant of all time (Sorry Fiesta Charros...) called Nacho Mama's.  This place has the best quesadillas and margaritas...not to mention they serve their chips and salsa in a hubcap! And at this point we'll be close to mile 16 so I hope they are handing some out! We pass through the outskirts of Johns Hopkins Hospital where I did some internships in college (and always had secret dreams of being some hotshot doctor.  I think I watched too much ER) and head up towards where the old football stadium used to be.  This is an area of B-more I don't really remember but I am sure I'll be hullucinating about some random memory since we'll be at miles 18-22.  We head into Charles Village, another fun college area with bars (Charles Village Pub) and Eddies (awesome food market).  My best friend from college Sarah gave me my bridal shower at her and Lou's first house in Charles Village a looooong time ago.  We'll eventually make it back downtown , pass by Pickles Pub, and finish at Camden Yards.
http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Assets/09+Balt+Merged+Map.pdf

Wow. All I did in Baltimore was eat and drink ;o)  I guess not much has changed!

And WOW.  I feel a whole lot better about being rejected from New York because I get to run this awesome marathon, relive fun memories and share tons of stories with my bestest running friend Sara (sorry girl...your ears are going to HURT!).  I get to have my bestest college and post-college friends cheering me on at all points in the race (they don't know it yet....but i'll bribe them if i have too!). 

YO! New York City...you ARE missing out!  HEY HON..."BAWLAMER" HERE WE COME !!!