As we all know it is fun to get excited about an event that is happening in your own life but it is often more fulfilling to be excited about events that are happening in your friends’ or families’ lives. This Sunday I was afforded the unique opportunity to cheer my dear friend Carrie across the finish line of the Chicago marathon! My girl was FABULOUS! She ran the whole thing in under five hours and it was her first marathon. I could not believe the thousands of people who participated in the race. The energy level was exhilarating. My friend Tami and I were cheering her on with noisemakers and a motivational sign created by our friend Marla.

My girl Carrie looked fabulous but not distinguishable enough from other girls in light blue tops with a ponytail. So my suggestion for Carrie if she decides to do the run again in the future is to follow the lead of some of the more colorful characters I noticed at the run. There were people dressed up like Superman, Captain America, Frog Man, Cow man, Leopard Woman, The Cat in The Hat and the list goes on and on. I think Carrie should dress up as one of the characters from the old TV show the New Zoo Review. Possibly the hippopotamus character! Can’t miss a hippo! One of the other things I noticed was there were an awful lot of people on their cell phones who were running. I even saw one guy on the phone as he was crossing the finish line! That’s just a little too accessible for me but if your running it would definitely help your loved ones keep track. So next year Carrie should be dressed up like a hippopotamus with a cell phone so we can track her. I think this makes perfect sense! CARRIE, YOU DID IT!!! YOU ARE THE BOMB!!!!!