"Ahhh it's a triathlon Zombie!"

November 9 marked the apocalypse in Tampa Bay. My father-in-law and I signed up to be zombies in our local zombie run. Although I've done warrior dash and other mud runs, this was my first zombie run. 

We were treated to makeup, complete with blood splatters. 

This is what happens when I'm deprived of my morning coffee. 

As a zombie, it isn't really a run at all. It's more a sub culture. Between the zombie brides, the farmer zombies and the character-themed zombies, it was hard to pick a favorite. 

We were instructed to wait in a clearing near the end of the race and steal flags from the runners' belts. Or, we could give flags we had stolen to runners who lost all 3 flags so they could enjoy the chase all the way until the end.

My father-in-law and I are both pretty active, so we grew pretty impatient while passing the time between waves of runners. By the time the runners got to us, most of them had lost all 3 of their flags or were too tired to dodge us. We ended up running the course backwards to catch up to more runners and then slowing down and acting "zombie-ish" as they approached, which earned us the nickname "triathlon zombies." Father-in-law got lots of laughs (and shrieks) when he attached flags he swiped from runners to his belt loops and groaned "I'm one of youuu...."

Next time, I will definitely:

Run first to get into the zombie mood

Bring more friends and family to enjoy the music and post-race festivities

Go to the zombie pub-crawl later that night (runners and zombies get one free beer)!

Cigar City Brewpub--one of our favs

Cigar City Brewpub is one of the first restaurants we visited in Tampa. It's become a tried-and-true standby, and we always take friends who come to visit. What I didn't learn until later is although CCB is a staple of Tampa brewing, The restaurant itself opened just a month before I moved to Florida! Perfect timing!

On our first visit, the hubby insisted we try the Black Bean Cakes, so I could try some of the Cuban-style dishes Tampa is known for. Didn't sound like his taste, but since I'll try anything, I agreed. Delicious! The salsa verde and chipotle sour cream are just the right hint of flavor, even for those who don't like spicy foods (i.e. The hubby). We order this as an appetizer every time we come. I always think our friends or family won't like it as much as we do (yay, more for us!), but I'm always wrong!

Hubby's favorite is the Providence Cattle Co. grass-fed burger, which is topped with plantains.

I am slowly trying to make my way through the whole menu. So far, I love the roasted veggie 'Cuban' and the ropa vieja. My go-to beer is the Florida Cracker Wit, but they introduce new beers so often that I always have something new to try!

My Gym

In Bloomington, we had a great network of baby-related classes and events. The baby had her schedule--swim lessons on Mondays, gymnastics on Wednesdays, free open swim every other weekend, and other events in between. We also tried out free Mommy-and-Me story time, crafts at the Children's Discovery Museum, and a music class offered through the park district. And all in less than a 10 minute drive, for children as young as 6 months, and for under $50 each per month. Hint hint...come on New Tampa!

Those opportunities exist here in Tampa too, but in New Tampa, most of them are held on weekdays while the hubby and I are at work, or they are for kids over age 3. Affordable activities for my 2 year old are at least a half hour away. I'm usually not opposed to driving, but between potty training and naps, we really need the shortest distance possible.

That's why I was so glad to find My Gym. They blend music, toys, games,and obstacle courses to get kids moving and having fun! It's the right balance of open, exploratory play and socializing. I love the way they manage to intersperse learning into their classes (Miss Mya: What color is this traffic cone? Is it purple? Noooo, it's not purple!"). 

We started taking classes in June, after I found a deal on Living Social. I thought it would be a good way for her to burn off some energy. I had no idea how much it would help us teach her to listen and follow directions! And the baby loves her "Stamp-a-roos" at the end of each class.

Yoga in the Park

Is there a better place to reflect and refocus? I doubt it!  

Yoga Downtown Tampa holds donation-based yoga in Curtis Hixon Park every Sunday evening from 5-6 during daylight savings time (or 6-7 in the summer and early fall), rain or shine.

"The body does not distinguish between physical exertion and mental exertion."

- Yoga quote

I love taking in the breathtaking views from Curtis Hixon after an hour of yoga practice.

Holiday festivities:

Christmas 2013

Up north, the general consensus is that Christmas isn't really Christmas without tons of layers and blankets, snow-covered everything, and nose-biting cold. I agree that it was a little strange to have a Christmas wreath on my door as I stepped outside into 80-degree weather, but the sunshine and clear roads made the holiday festivities much more enjoyable (and safer).

And we still had snow!

Tampa won the McDonald's Moments of Wonder contest, so the Sail Pavilion was transformed into a winter wonderland with real snow! The baby and her cousins loved playing in the snow for the first time.

Every night from 6-9, Wiregrass Mall hosted an incredible lighted tree show wvery hour on the hour with "snow" (soap bubbles). They had a huge kickoff on November 15 (yes, before Thanksgiving, groan) and the shows got better and better each week.

I LOVE Frosted Vine wine drinks. I used this mix to make spiced wine for a Christmas night get together and it was a big hit! I will definitely be using the more popular wine slush or mixes for many parties in the future.

How this blog got its name

My sense of direction has sort of become a running joke.

The first few weeks were ok, but it seems like as soon most people would reasonably pick up on their surroundings, my confusion truly set in. One week, I got lost every.single.day going home from work. Going to work was fine, however. Getting an up-to-date GPS helped, but new developments are popping up in and around Tampa Bay that GPS systems, and even Google at times, just can't keep up. Which is also a good thing!

I decided to avoid holiday traffic altogether. My company gives "points" for online purchases, and the shopping portal offers free site-to-store pickup, so I thought I was being doubly smart. Until I went to pick up an order.

Of course, the sales associates couldn't find my order. And that's when we discovered my mistake..."that's not our store, that's on Dale Mabry. That's...pretty far." [insert sympathetic look]

When I called the hubby to let him know I'd be a while he said, "wait, so you're going to Dale Mabry? Which store were you at in the first place?"

"The one on 41," I said.

"That IS Dale Mabry," he said.

"That's what I thought. Apparently I have to go to the 1500 block."

"You're on the 1500 block."

Sigh. He was right. And so was the sales associate. Zip codes are important.

Although I've been making an effort to get out and try new things, I hadn't been to this area (Brandon) yet. The drive wasn't as far as I'd expected, and since I hear about a lot of things going on there, I'll have to head over soon!

First!

Yes, this is the obligatory first post. The one where I proclaim all of my overly ambitious goals for this blog.

No. I won't.

As a matter of fact, as I am in the middle of typing, my dog keeps shoving her nose under my arm, commanding my attention. Forget this, she deserves a nice, long walk.

7:47 a.m. ET - Back to my point

Yes, there is a point. My past blogs have been overly planned, with catchy titles that I've pondered for weeks. They've been meant to reflect some portion of my life: my career, attempts to be a supermom, or all of the truths  I have figured out. I usually abandon them quickly, after I no longer fit the mindset I was in at that point in time.

But, when I think back, the common thread I see in those blogs is contradiction. That's me, that's who I have always been. The woman, the career professional, the geek, the mom, the former athlete, the person who keeps striving for perfection. There's nothing wrong with any of that. 

Right now, I am very into yoga, and perhaps that, especially the concept of mindfulness, influences some of this mindset. 

I don't need to have all the answers. I'm finding power in admitting I don't know. "I don't know" can be an active decision reached through exploring possibilities and being open. In elementary school, we learn that Christopher Columbus was a brave man who discovered the new world because isn't that story just easier than this?

I'm still learning to articulate this mindset with confidence. This blog is a frankenstein of my interests, experiences and moments of finding myself in a new city. It might reflect my feelings and frustrations, as this post has, but more likely, it will be pictures of people, cooking, festivals, and every day moments that, however small, are pretty amazing.