We were handed our envelope with chip & bib, given a t-shirt…and that was it! We didn’t get one of those fabulous Whole Foods bags stuffed with stuff that we could spy peeking out of boxes meant for team pickup because they ran out of bags (and apparently all the stuff that was in ‘em, too).

But we were assured that tomorrow we’ll be able to get all those goodies at the race, it just means we have to scavenge and forage for each mini Clif bar/lip balm/key ring I think what is this?/anti-fungal sample and all the other goodness that awaits runners such as you and me. Can’t wait.

On a happy note, the Elixers are in my hot little hands and I’m doing my best not to pet and adore them.

I need more candy. Bye until tomorrow.

Did 8 easy this aftenoon and the latest breakthrough development had to do with cutting up a cotton shirt beforehand to blow my nose on during the run. What a success! For once, no shreds of soggy tissue smashed into my sleeve, no snot rockets missing their intended target and ending up on my shoulder. All in all, a brilliant addition to the running wardrobe.

Now on to the good stuff… Last night at my friend Yvonne’s urging, me, Lara, Yvonne and Laurie went to one of the most surreal outings I have ever been on and hope never again to experience: Shecky’s Girls Night Out.

We got to the Armory to find a line of women halfway around the block, waiting to show Drivers Licenses for a handstamp, only to wait in another huge line and finally be let in to a room filled with ugly things on sale surrounded by scads of women, women, and more women. It was horrifying.

I’m not a shopper at all, neither is Lara, but Yvonne did the work for both of us, spending wads of cash while we all walked around getting drunk, because they are smart with the alcohol, getting us loaded in an effort to part with the dough. Unfortunately the only food on hand was in the Lean Cuisine booth, so we got even more drunk.

Now, you may ask, why did I go if I knew I wasn’t going to shop? Two words: Goody Bags.

Blame running, but since entering my first race, I am physically unable to pass up any Bag that claims to have Goodies in it. And goodies there were.

Salon Selectives had a deal where you waited in line (while sipping your mango martini) to be seated for a white-coated assistant to stick his or her fingers in your hair, ask an inane hair question, and then write a “prescription” which got filled right there and ended up being a seperate goody bag containing a full-size shampoo and conditioner, hair clips, hairspray and a makeup bag. Not bad.

But the irritation came with the real Goody Bag, which was Lara and my reason d’etre for being there in the first place. You see, before collecting ours, we got super excited because we’d seen that there were perfumes and eye-makeup removers and all kinds of cool stuff in the bag. So we get our bags and they’re missing all the big stuff!! No perfume, no hair gel, not that much at all! All around us, women are openly admiring their winnings and we’re getting jealouser and jealouser by the minute and no, jealouser isn’t a word, but when you’re pissed off it becomes one.

So Lara gets smart and says, “let’s go ask to exchange ours” but no, they won’t listen to us, don’t give a crap, we’re stuck with our half-filled goody bags. What hurt the most was afterwards at the restaurant, Yvonne brings her bag in to admire her goodies and discovers she didn’t get just one perfume, but full-sized bottles of both Celine Dion and Kimora Lee perfumes!! Granted, it’s Celine Dion and Kimora Lee perfumes, but full-size bottles!!

I went to bed that night grumbling into the darkness, “I’m still pissed about those goody bags” as Nick patted my butt and told me to “let it go, good night”.

Today is another day and I’ve let the sting of the goody bags fade somewhat, because everything else is diminished by what day it is today: Nick and my anniversary!

We’re not actually hitched or anything, but we’ve been together for 4 passionate, tumultuous, funny years, so tonight he’s taking me to dinner at a lovely Italian joint and we’ll revel in the fact that we’re still together and that I’ve come to love his evil cat and how time flies when you’re having fun. Because we are, we do, it’s love.