Snow?

12 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland features six trains: I.B. Hearty, I.M. Brave, I.M. Fearless, U.B. Bold, U.R. Daring and U.R. Courageous.

Shawn Fun Fact: I'm currently reading Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire.

Total Money Raised: $1058
Thank you Chris & Kenyon C!

Chance of Snow

I got home from the gym this morning, poured my cup of coffee and heard the reporter on the radio say the most terrifying words a southerner can hear: "There will be a chance of snow tonight..."

A CHANCE of snow means the grocery store will DEFINITELY run out of milk and bread.  And for some odd reason we will always run out of milk and bread the day before this announcement is made.

Earlier this year, there was a "chance" of snow and ice that turned into a week of iced-over roads and several lost days of work.

Since we ran out of milk and bread the day before, we gathered with neighbors, headed downstairs to the only open restaurant and had a great day swapping stories and watching tow trucks pull vehicles.

While I hope we don't have ice and snow the day of the run, I look forward to spending time with family and friends, doing something a little crazy, and helping kids spend a week at Disney World.

Sponsor me in the 2011 Atlanta Santa Speedo Run by clicking here!

Thank You!

16 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: The “Spirits of America” statues in The American Adventure at Epcot represent Adventure, Compassion, Discovery, Freedom, Heritage, Independence, Individualism, Innovation, Knowledge, Pioneering, Self-Reliance and Tomorrow.

Shawn Fun Fact: My favorite toys as a kid were Legos!  (I'm looking forward to the new Legoland store coming to Atlanta in 2012!)

Total Money Raised: $1,033 (HOLY COW!)
Thank you Jill K., Samar B., Jane. N, Mom & Bill, Dad & Linda, Bridget R., Sheryl & Randy, Angelle & John and Blake, Kristan, Savy, Kenzie and New Baby W!

Thank you to all of my 2011 Santa Speedo Run sponsors!
Steve M.
Rebekah K.
Christa & Dave
Ryan & Stefanie (and Baby)
Ashli P.
Pam T.
Jeremy & Ken
JD M.
Diana L.
Douglas S.
Justine, David, Eben, & Esther
Courtney C.
Ric & Julian
Carolyn M.
Erin M.
Mary Grace & Floyd
Amanda P.
Jill K.
Don F.
Samar B.
Jane N.
Mom & Bill
Dad & Linda
Bridget R.
Sheryl & Randy
Angelle & John
Blake, Kristan, Savy, Kenzie and Baby W.!
and Anonymous (you know who you are!)

Thank you all for being a positive impact on my life and thank you for letting me be a part of yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Conversation With My Phone

23 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Fantasyland is located on the site of the former Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Shawn Fun Fact: I had Mono in 2001.  Ugh.  It was aweful.

Total Money Raised: $680
Thanks Mary Grace A. & Floyd F. and Amanda P!

This is how my morning went down.

Alarm on phone: Shawn, it's time for you to get up.
Me: Shut up.
Phone: Ok, I'll let you sleep in a few more minutes.

Ten minutes later...
Phone: Shawn, you got to sleep 10 extra minutes.  Get up.
Me: Do I have to?  I'm still really tired.
Phone: Get up.
Me: No.
Phone: If you don't get up, I'm gonna turn on the vibrate feature, buzz my way over there and jump on you.
Me: Are you crazy Phone?
Phone:  Don't make me do it Shawn.  If you don't get up right now, I'm going into to Roam mode and make you pay extra for every call today, then I'm going to send you a bunch of picture texts that I won't open for you but I'll make sure your phone company charges you a stupid amount of money every time one pops up.  Then, I'll drain the battery half way through the day, drop calls, and cut off the mic so callers can only hear every other word you say.
Me: Don't be such a jerk, Phone.  I'll get up.
Phone: Have a good workout!
Me: Siri wouldn't do this to me.

Sponsor me in the 2011 Atlanta Santa Speedo Run and support Bert's Big Adventure so kids with chronic illnesses can spend a week at Disney World!  Click HERE to support!

How to Stay Warm in a Speedo

25 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: Cinderella's Castle, the centerpiece of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, features 18 towers and 13 gargoyles.

Shawn Fun Fact: I started as a pre-dentistry major but changed when I spent a day with my dentist watching him pull out broken teeth.

Money Raised: $645
Thank you Carolyn M. and Erin M!

Sure, it's a SPEEDO run.  But if you think I'm going to sprint down the street in 1 square-foot of material you are quite wrong my Speedo Blog friend.

When Jeff and I started thinking, I mean REALLY THINKING, about how cold we would be during the December run, we started looking at pictures from other Santa Speedo Runs for tips on how to keep warm during the run.

Santa Hats are not just for the jolly.  They are great for keeping your head and ears warm.  Fingerless elbow length gloves aren't just for the ladies.  You can keep your arms warm and pull your ID out of your wallet easily.  Knee length socks aren't just for soccer players.  They make your legs look like candy canes.  But what about the neck?

Jeff, who has made his own Halloween costumes since 1984, is a master at the sewing machine and can spot an appropriate material in sea of cartoon character and flower fabrics.  Last year, Jeff and I sported our hand-made "Holiday Skull Scarfs" down the streets of Virgina-Highlands.  This year?  Well, come to Hudson Grille on December 10 to check out the 2011 Speedo Run scarf.

Want to win a copy of the Skull Scarf?  Sponsor me by donating $25 or more to Bert's Big Adventure by clicking HERE!

Paper and Glitter and Yarn, OH MY!

26 Days...

Disney Fun Fact:  The icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, The Tree of Life, stands 14 stories, features more than 300 animal carvings and is 50 feet wide.
Shawn Fun Fact: I was a roller coaster operator in college.  (and I still remember the "Sit down and enjoy the ride" spiel)

Money Raised: $594
Thank you JD M., Diana L., Douglas S., Jeremy T., Justine, David, Eben and Esther S., Julian P., Ric S., and Courtney C.!

Step 1 - Read the Directions

I'm not really a crafty person but I can follow directions.

Last week, my good friend Jeremy called and asked me to join him at Outwrite, a local bookstore, to support his "crafty" partner Ken.  Ken is friends with designer, crafter and author, Mark Montano who was a part of the design team on While You Were Out (during the good days of Paige Davis...how cute is she?!) and a number of other design shows.  Mark was promoting his new crafting book, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, and asked Ken to help attendees get crafty during the presentation.

I've shot a glue gun.  I can cut strips of colored paper.  I can even put up glitter staying on my hands for 3 days after I use it but I'm not creative enough to see the potential in a baby doll head, ribbon, electrical wire and mittens.  I'm more of a "follow directions" kind of a crafter.

Thank goodness Mark and Ken had tediously put together kits for us to make some pretty cool paper ornaments.  I may have missed a step and it's rumored I was short a strip of paper but I made a nice ornament that will hang on our tree this Christmas Season.  Every time I see that ornament, I'll remember spending time with my friends Jeremy and Ken, meeting Mark and getting excited about Christmas.

Help kids get excited about spending a week at Disney World with Bert's Big Adventure and make their own memories!  Click HERE to sponsor me in the 2011 Atlanta Santa Speedo Run!

Coffee. Sweet, Sweet Coffee...

37 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: The 180-foot-tall Spaceship Earth at the entrance to Epcot weighs approximately 16 million pounds.
Shawn Fun Fact: My favorite movie is "Clue."

Total Money Raised: $277 (#10 Top Fundraiser so far!)
Thank you Ashli P., Pam T, J.D. M. and Jeremy & Ken!

Pre-coffee morning

Coffee is a major staple in my day.

I got up at 6 a.m. today to go to the gym.  Everything I've read in every health magazine, ACSM's handbook, and on the interwebs tells me exercise is supposed to give you energy and help you wake up. 

This is total crap.  And I have a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology.
I can barely tie my shoes or speak more than a caveman grunt until I've had my morning cup of coffee...or two.

I didn't even start drinking coffee until I had to open the pool at the Mason YMCA when I was a lifeguard in graduate school.

"Shawn, I know it's 5:30 in the morning but (insert name here) hasn't come in and I have 5 people giving me the evil eye.  Can you PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come over and open the pool until (insert name here) can get here?  I mean, I tried calling and they didn't answer but...um, please just hurry."

Thank God there was coffee in the lobby when I got to work on those early mornings.

Today, coffee is a regular addiction for me.  And pizza.

So, can you give up coffee for a day and donate that $5 you would have spent on a Jumbo Chocolate Triple Caffeinated Super Whip Latte with Sprinkles to send some very deserving kids to Disney World?

Sponsor me in the 2011 Atlanta Santa Speedo run by clicking HERE to donate securely online!

Watch Out for Things Hitting Your Face

38 Days...

Disney Fun Fact: Both the Carousel of Progress and It's A Small World made their debut at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.

Shawn Fun Fact: My first 5K was the Harbortown 5K in Memphis, TN in 2000.

Total Money Raised: $150
Thanks Christina & Dave, Rebekah, and Ryan & Stefanie!



You want me to play sports where
things are thrown at my FACE?!

 I've never been "athletic."  I played t-ball until I freaked out at the thought of having a ball thrown at me.  I played soccer in grade school but wasn't thrilled about having a soccer ball bounce off my head.  I took volleyball and tennis in college but learned I had issues with seeing how quickly things fly at my face.  (According to an optometrist...  He actually recommended I play more sports where things move quickly towards me.  HE WANTED ME TO PLAY SPORTS WHERE THINGS ARE THROWN AT MY FACE!  DOESN'T ANYONE ELSE SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM?)

During my sophomore year of college, I took jogging.  If anything flew at my face while jogging it was a leaf falling from a tree.  I wasn't the fastest runner in the class but I did realize how good running made me feel.  It was a great de-stresser and I didn't have to worry about getting a football in the eye.

The class ended and I continued to run.  I even taught jogging in graduate school.  (Don't laugh.  It paid for my tuition and beer...oh, and books.)  But, I didn't run in a race until after I graduated.

I wasn't the fastest runner at the 2000 Harbortown race either but it felt great running with so many people who were enjoying running for a good cause.

Here we are 11 years later.  I'm not running as many 5Ks.  (I have enough t-shirts.)  But, I'm still enjoying the stress relief and enjoyment of running.

Running down Peachtree Street in a Speedo in December may seem stressful but raising money to send very deserving kids to Disney World with Bert's Big Adventure makes me feel just as good a running.  (and nothing will be thrown at my face...hopefully.)

Click here to sponsor me in the 2011 Atlanta Santa Speedo Run supporting Bert's Big Adventure!