Irazmi's life

AZ B-Day dinner

2010-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well I was out of town over the weekend (again) so we headed out for dinner on my ACTUAL birthday (which was on a Monday this year) We didn't go anywhere too crazy since the real celebration was to be had in Vegas a month from now. We decided to check out the White Chocolate Grill in North Scottsdale, the food was yummy! Thanks for making my birthday so much fun! You guys are awesome & I can't wait for Vegas!

Liz, Ryan, Ry, Michelle, Me, John & Brian - the AZ "crew"

trying to make it work on the couch with a timer

getting real cozy now...

St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Its fun to make custom shirts for the holidays :)

St. Patty's day was the first "celebration" I had really spent in AZ and I have to say, Scottsdale knows how to party it up! We went to the Scottsdale Block Party where $20 gets you access to 5 clubs and 3 drinks...pretty awesome. Kinda curious to see what other "holidays" are like in AZ

girl time!

Curtis is triple fisting it, wooo hooo

Scottsdale night

2010-02-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

Kelly & I

So a Saturday night out was long overdue...with cheer season in full swing Ryan (working for COA) and I (coaching/judging/run races) are always out of town. I seriously think this was the first time in 2 months that we were both in town..and Kelly hasn't been out with us either. A little adult beverages, a little dancing & a lot of fun :) Till the next time we're all out on a Saturday, it could be a while....

Ryan & I

Excite & Fierce @ Desert Showdown

2010-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Excite (youth) in the warmup room

Emily, Me & Skyler - tiny Jr Flyers

So these teams have been working hard all winter & this was our 2nd competition for both. Excite is our Youth team (11yrs and under) and Fierce is our Junior team (14yrs and under) So proud of how far they have come so far and cant wait to see how much more we can learn in the next 3 months! Whats also cool is my friend Symantha came back to coaching :) She and I coached together at Tucson Cheer Academy from 2001-2003, and not we are together again...always in the Blue, Black & White!

We are Fierce about these facials!!! Ending Pyramid

Me (Coach Izzy) & Symantha
Coaching together again 8 years after the 1st stint together

my FIRST Cuban dinner!

2010-02-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Brian digging in to the salad

Kendra trying some beans & rice

So a few months ago our little group of friends decided that we wanted to start actually "cooking". So every few weeks, whoever is the "host" decides the theme of food & the main dish and the rest of us bring something to complement. We have done Italian, Mexican, Native American, Chinese...so when it was my turn I decided that I wanted to do Cuban food (for those of you who don't know, my mom is Cuban) I have :helped" her makes lots of different dishes over the years but I have never cooked this many things all on my own! We had Ropa Vieja (shredded beef) Rice & Black Beans, Traditional Avocado & Onion Salad, Fried Plantains (or Mariquitas), Croquettes, Flan & Guava Pastelitos... it was A LOT of food!!! I ordered 2 things and made everything else myself...My kitchen literally looked like a bomb had gone off in it, but everyone really liked the food :) I guess all hope is not lost!

Fried plantains (aka - Mariquitas) YUM!

Michelle having some home-made flan

Judging in Nashville, TN

2010-01-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

Our bartender was very skilled!

Sometimes the best food is right in the hotel!

Traveling during inclement weather is always full of surprises...this particular weekend was no exception. Nashville doest normally get snow, and they had LOTS! Most of the roads were shut down when I landed on Friday night. At dinner we were discussing with the event staff if the event was even going to take place at all....several gyms had already called to say they weren't coming. We decided we would just see how the morning went the next day. So after only watching 14 teams in 4 1/2 hours, they decided to postpone the rest of the event. The judges were able to go check out some of the towns sights & see Vanderbilt University. We also made great friends with the hotel bartender trying to pass the time....

Brandon & I

longest day E-VER because most of the teams didnt even show up....

Dance party at the end

Vanderbilt University under snow

first Power Xtreme competition!

2010-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

My Juniors were awesome at their first competition!!! Least deductions out of any Power team, first place in their division & an invite to compete at the All-Level International Competition at the end of the season! We now have a month until our next competition to really up the difficulty in our stunts & tumbling :)

Judging in DC

2010-01-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

So I have to say what I enjoy the most about my side gig of judging cheer competitions are the cool people I've met along the way...and the fact that sometimes we get sent to neat places to judge. It was one of the coldest weekends on record in Washington DC when Alana & Shelia & I asked for our trip to be extended a little so that we could take in some of DC's sights. We did a very quick tour of some of the monuments. I hope we get to tour somewhere else cool soon! Miss you girlies!

We were sooooooooooooooo COLD!

Always a CALI girl!

New Year's in Pinetop

2010-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

HUGE icicles

Got to spend New Years relaxing at the cabin in Pinetop with the Arringtons & the Stapletons... Pretty much we hung out, played with the kiddos, watched lots of movies and every once in a while, went outside to brave the snow. Highlight of the trip was Sammy & Colty's first run down the mountain on the sled. Being the awesome big sister that she is, Sammy held on tight to Colty...so tight that when the sled flipped over, she was still holding on tight. His face was an awesome pillow for Sammy's encounter with the snow. It took a while to get Colty back on the sled, but he did go on a few runs with me.

Snow everywhere!

Me & Colty heading down the hill

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Me & the lil sis, Ilenia

Christmas Eve we decided to stay close to home & celebrate at the Serrano's house. its always fun there because there are more "young people" closer to my sister & my age. Here is a pic of my family, Mom, me, lil sis & Dad

Holiday time in the OC

2009-12-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

Well for those of you who don't know, I LOVE MALLS!!! And at the very top of my list is South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA (which is conveniently located 2 miles from the house where I grew up) This isn't why I love it though...I love it because its the 3rd biggest mall in the US and has stores ranging from Sears, GAP & McDonald's all the way to Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton & Cartier. The mall is especially cool during the holidays & here are a few photos showing you why. If you are ever in the area, its definitely a must see!

as always, South Coast Plaza has crazy balloons!

mini-village where Santa Claus is listening to the "good kids" wishes

HUGE Tree at South Coast Plaza! LOVE IT!!!

Father Christmas at Crystal Court

Vegas revisited

2009-12-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

Me with some of my former Magic girls who are now on CA Bullets

Ashley & Amanda

Me & Shawn

So for only being in Vegas for less than 24 hours, I sure covered a lot of ground! In addition to watching my Senior Team compete, I was also able to spend some time with some of my friends who were there for totally unrelated reasons. Shawn (who lives in Tucson) happened to be there celebrating a family members birthday. Kyle was there celebrating one of his teachers friends birthdays. So lucky me got to hang out with 2 people I don't see often enough! Good times!!! Lets hope that next time we don't have to all travel to hang out :)

Me & Kyle

ENVY gets their paid bid

2009-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Kelly & I with ENVY - Small Senior Lv 5

So I made a quick turn around trip to Vegas to see the senior team from our gym compete for their first chance at a bid for Worlds. Day 1 they hit a clean routine and that put them in first place going into finals. Day 2 the had some minor mistakes but thankfully it was still a strong enough routine to win and they now have a FULL PAID bid to the Cheerleading Worlds! Not a bad way to start off your season I would say...

Hitting the end of the pyramid, we're home free!

waiting for awards... thankfully it was worth the wait

FULL PAID BID to the Cheerleading Worlds!

Eric's PROM

2009-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

The birthday boy himself "THE" Eric Little, Shannon & me

A bunch of USA Staff rockin out 80's style!

So Eric Little was turning 4-0 and instead of just having a birthday party, his friends planned a fabulous 80s PROM....complete with snazzy invites, cheesy pictures, big hair and mega blue eye shadow! Halfway through the night, Eric called up his prom princesses, his queen and king. Then as our party favor, we all got cool t-shirts. I was lucky to have flown back to Orange County to start Christmas break that morning because I sure would have missed out on seeing a lot of people. It was really a night to be remembered by all, here's to the next 40 Eric!

Me, Matt & Mai

Jesa & I

friends & fun!

2009-12-16T23:03:00.000-08:00

Ryan & I at Phantom of the Opera @ Gammage

Kelly, Ryan & I - all dressed up for the Nutcracker

Random pics of random times!!! The holiday season is upon us and that means the weather is no longer in the triple digits, haha....no actually its been cold enough to break out the occasional scarf. It's nice to not have too many projects going on at work towards the end of the year. This leaves more time for the social circuit :) fun FUN!!!

me & Ryan

me & lil Ry

me & Randy - his last night here :(

we're just staff...

2009-12-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

my little quirky team at amex likes to be random...and in the spirit of proving how ever-helpful we are we wanted to show everyone that we are just "STAFF"

Cyndi, myself, John & Kevin

ROCK LEGEND Status!!!

2009-12-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

so what better way to show off your bling than to wear it to work???

Well on the suggestions of my colleges I did just that!

Rock & Roll Las Vegas

2009-12-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

Jen, Mike, Brian & me before the race...

no we weren't making a fashion statement, just trying to stay warm, hence the trash bags

the crowd at the starting line

So this race was rather long and mostly miserable...but significant for so many other reasons. For those of you that have been keeping up, this was my 7th Rock & Roll race of 2009. 3 full marathons (26.2 miles) then 3 half marathons (13.1 miles) and now this, my last full marathon of 2009 to reach "ROCK LEGEND" status. I was pretty pumped because a) I just wanted to be done, b) I was in Vegas and who doesn't like Vegas & c) it was Brian's first race & Jen's first race back with Mike & I since having Hayden. Friday was mostly devoted to the expo...since it was Brian's first he had lots of shopping to do (for more on this & to learn of the stretchy pants you really should just read his blog 20mpw.blogspot.com ) Then we went to see the Blue Man Group, totally hilarious!!! Saturday we went over to the outlet mall and did some pre-Christmas shopping and then had leisurely dinner & got ready for the race. Sunday was an anxious morning. We weren't sure if we were all going to be able to get on the shuttle since we only had 2 tickets and all that stressing was totally unnecessary since we decided we would rather pay for a cab than stand in line for the free shuttle. What did that help since as soon as we stepped out of the cab we immediately started turning into human Popsicles...this continued for the next 3 hours. The first part of the race went pretty well. We managed to lose Jen early on (she is pretty little) and we hoped she was having a good day. Brian kept up with Mike & I (not that we are anything that resembles fast...) and he was on his own to finish the last 2 miles. Once we turned off for the full course, my race took a turn for the boring. The neighborhood that we were running through was blah and the "smoke & mirrors" of Vegas was no where to be found. Needless to say, I spent quite a bit of the 2nd half walking but I did finish marathon #4 of the year & race #7. I was now officially "ROCK LEGEND"

To learn how you too can run your way to some serious hardware go to http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/heavy-medals

I finally got to Rock Legend status!!!

And yes, I really did run 26.2 miles in a gold sequin mini-skirt

(not something I recommend in case you were getting any ideas)

Mike & I with our Rock Legend bling & special made shirts

thanks to Cindy Arrington @ Sports Station for making them turn out so awesome!!!

Zoo Lights

2009-11-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

Ryan, me, lil Ry & Kelly

The Phoenix Zoo puts on a really neat program in the Winter called Zoolights and we braved the cold to go check it out. It was pretty unique but I think its a once every few years sort of an event. Needless to say, some of the pictures turned out pretty cool :)

Randy's birthday

2009-11-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Randy (the birthday boy) & I

Anthem roomies! Me & Kevin

Me, Kevin, Colin, Dylan & Maya

So it's the Friday after Thanksgiving and everyone is grateful to have had the day off work. After sleeping off yesterday's food coma, it was time to hit the town & celebrate Randy's Birthday... Unfortunately the celebrating was a bit biter-sweet because it was also his going away, he would be moving to Austin about 2 1/2 weeks later :( We will miss you!

Lil Ry & I

Colin trying to call us up on stage with him

Thanksgiving at the Dairy

2009-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

So I was a bit bummed when I discovered that this would be my first Thanksgiving (or any major holiday) away from family. Luckily for me the Arrington's are so welcoming and since their immediate family is already upwards of 20 people, they figured, whats one more??? After running in the Anthem 10K Turkey Trot early that morning, I hurried to meet Ryan halfway so I wouldn't have to make the trek all the way down to Eloy. For those of you that are not familiar with Arizona, Eloy is kinda sortof in the middle of nowhere...basically an accidental turn between Phoenix & Tucson. Well since Phoenix was booming in the late 90's early 2000's the land where the dairy previously stood was in high demand for future housing development. This opportunity gave the dairy a chance to get new land, expand and upgrade a lot of the technology being used... Check out the pictures below to see what I mean. (oh and ps - dinner was AMAZING!!! did I mention that side of Ryan's family is from Spain? ya, that's why we all get along so well)

Where the cows hang out during the day...
Milking time! One of three milking "carousels" in AZ, high-tech!!!

So while all the little cousins/nieces & nephews were working on an arts & craft project, Ryan took me to go check out the new setup of the dairy. The last time I saw the cows was in 2002 at the original dairy back in Gilbert and this one is way different! The cows are divided into several larger "barns" and are on a milking schedule. When the gates open, they walk themselves over the carousel (no joke) and their "earring" pulls up all the info for the cow. How much milk they have produced that day/week/month. In the time that it takes the cow to make one full rotation (about 7 minutes) they are done milking. The do this a max of 3 times a day. This dairy is so uber clean, we should have had dinner in there! Only bummer is Eloy is almost 2 hours away from Anthem. Good news is the casino is a good halfway point :)

Me & Ryan in the middle of all the cows being milked

goodbye social life

2009-11-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

So I bit the bullet and signed up!!! YIKES!

For those of you that didn't know, I have been debating signing up for an Ironman for about 2 years now. Well I have finally decided that now is as good a time as any and I dont really want to wait a wholeother year. I will have to work really hard to rehab the chronic injury I have had all of 2009 (after I just run these 2 lil marathons I am signed up for) and then get myself on an actual training program (hey, there's a first time for anything!)

If you didn't already know an Ironman race consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile bike & then just for shits & giggles a marathon at the end (26.2 mile run)

so mark your calendars, I am going to need all the cheerleaders I can get!

Novemebr 21, 2010 - Ironman Arizona @ Tempe Town Lake

volunteering at Ironman Arizona

2009-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

My Aid Station - Morning Clothes and in the background,

the spectators anxiously awaiting the swim start on Mill Ave Bridge

Mens Winner - Jordan Rapp - 08:13:35

Womens Winner - Samantha McGlone - 09:09:19

So I signed up to volunteer for Ironman AZ largely because I was toying with the idea of signing up to race next year & volunteers get priority registration. I can honestly say that I have never had more fun! I was there from the gun going off at 6:50 am to the last finisher crossing the line, 17 hours after they started at midnight... Such an accomplishment and what a cool thing to witness. Ryan & lil Ry came out to entertain me the last few hours cheering in the bleachers. Can't wait until next year!

me with the 2009 Winners Samantha McGlone (W PRO), Jordan Rapp (M PRO)

They came back after racing and handed out the medals to those finishing in the last hour

Talk about classy sportsmanship!!!

Horse races

2009-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

The ranch hands helping the horses get ready

The Jockey taking the horse out for a warm up lap

So my friend Kelly is from Iowa & her family grew up racing horses as a hobby, buying & selling them all over. Its funny that a one minute race can turn into a several hour ordeal but it was pretty fun! Sadly, their horse did not win but the good news is that also means he didn't get sold. Hope to see some more races before it turns into summer again.

Kelly, Ryan, Jon & me

Happy Birthday Ryan

2009-11-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to one of my besties!!! Can't believe its been only a year since your last birthday, it seems like we have shared so many mischevious adventures since...

until the next one, hope you party like a rockstar!

me, Kelly & Ryan

SYTYCD

2009-11-13T23:00:00.000-08:00

Me & Alison, waiting for showtime!

Alison & I went to see the tour of "So You Think You Can Dance" The dancers are every bit as amazingly talented in person as they make them look on TV. Maybe even more so.... I can only imagine how utterly exhausted their bodies must be after the TV show season and then embarking on this heavy duty national tour. Plan to get tickets for the next season if they pass through Phoenix again. Next time we will sit high up on the side so we can see the stage, not on the floor straight on where tall people can sit in front of us, lol...

view from our seats to the stage

SO. FAR. BEHIND....

2009-11-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

I am sorry my blog-readers (if there are actually any out there...) I hope to get caught up soon! I have to, cheerleading competition season is starting...and that means I will be M.I.A. until May...CRAP!!!

Ok, hope to write soon

A Vampire's Tale

2009-11-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

just hangin out in the coffin

I want your blood!!! me & Andrea

So there is this Modern dance company called Scorpius that has the tradition of putting on a vampire show prior to Halloween called "A Vampire's Tale" This year because of all the "Twilight" madness, the demand for tickets seemed to be bigger than ever. Cool concept, really cool sets, costumes, etc...not so cool dancing :( I was actually quite disappointed by the caliber of the dancing itself. I have seen more polished high school kids! Anyways, at least now I know first hand what all the fuss is about.

Ryan & I in the coffin

Toastmasters conference

2009-10-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

The members of Optima Toastmasters that attended:
Joyce, Delora, Ryck, Deanna & me

So I finally had the time to join Toastmasters here in Phoenix and I am working towards my Competant Communicator and Competant Leadership Certifications. I also got voted as the club Vice President of Public Relations so I attended the Fall Conference (which happened to be over Halloween) with the rest of the officers.

Ryck & Deanna getting recognized for completing their Competent Leadership Manual

Humerous speech contest - "Where are all the socks???"

Power - Halloween practice

2009-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

some of the boys from COED

Who says you can't have fun while you work hard? Practice must go on but that doesn't mean we couldn't come to workout in Halloween costumes :)

me, Kenney & Kelly is some old school uniforms

Power sleepover - Cheer Factor style

2009-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Envy - Power Xtreme Small Senior

Intense - Power Xtreme Coed

Envy vs Intense - Joust

the coaches getting ready to whoop some a$$ in Dodgeball

At the end of the evening the score was tied... rematch in Atlanta maybe

It wouldn't be a cheer event without some stunting...work it out Caroline!!!

So we coaches decided to fuel those competitive juices while mixing in some team bonding with program bonding. We had a sleepover at the gym with both senior teams to help them not only bond with their own teammates, but to get to know each other as well. While we were there we decided to play some "Cheer Factor" type games. At the end of the night the score was tied, we will have to rematch at another time

Wildcat football

2009-10-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sea of Red is slowly filling up

So I am quite lucky that the Langley's think of me every family weekend when they come out to see Matt. Since they know I am a former Wildcat, they picked up a ticket for me and we all yelled crazily for the CATS! This being after an awesome lunch at the frat house...

U of A Cheerleaders

That is David Hasselhoff singing the National Anthem, apparently he is just like any other parent, visiting his kid on family weekend... he just happens to be kinda famous!

because they give out tokens...

2009-10-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Me & Michelle

Me, Ryan, Brian & Jon

So Weds nights we frequent BS for numerous reasons.... 1) Its 2-for-1 night 2) decent eye candy 3) when eye candy fails you, there are music videos playing and when all else fails 4) you can just dance your butt off!!! So if you haven't been, I recommend checking it out. It's in Old Towne Scottsdale. You can bet that's where we'll be most Wednesday :)

Randy & I

Alison's birthday

2009-10-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

We love to celebrate at work!!!

Our team took Alison out to lunch @ Macaroni Grill, Happy Birthday!

RAGNAR run.drive.sleep?repeat....

2009-10-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

The cool support truck at the start line

Me and 11 of my closest friends (really I only knew one person before this weekend, but we're all close now) running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain desert could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation.

The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant.

We call it a Ragnar Relay...

Okay, there's a little more to it. Our relay team had 12 members. During the relay, each team member runs three legs, each leg ranging between 3 - 8 miles and varying in difficulty. So, from the elite runner down to the novice jogger, it's the perfect relay race for anyone. Each team is responsible for providing two support vehicles, with six runners in each vehicle. The first vehicle will drop off the first runner, drive ahead a few miles, cheer the runner on, and provide them with water, snacks, and plenty of love. That vehicle will then drive ahead to the first exchange point to drop off the second runner, and pick up the first runner when that leg is complete. They will repeat this pattern for six legs until they hand off to their second vehicle. This leapfrogging pattern will continue all the way to the finish line.

Seriously the most fun I have ever had, can't wait for the next one!!!

getting into the spirit of things
Best sign ever!!! only one more mile, until the next turn that is

some of the girls, waiting for our turn to run

Here's the whole team at the finish line

Race Course - 171 miles from North Lake Mead to Red Rock (West of Vegas)

Rock & Roll San Jose

2009-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

from our room, the start line below!

So Rock & Roll San Jose was purely a trip just for the run...fly in Sat, expo, dinner, sleep. Sunday - run, shower, fly home. It was a nice cool day and a lot of the course was shaded. A pancake flat run got me my PR (Personal Record) 2:28 for 13.1 miles. Now I can say I have reached one more milestone, Super Six, for 6 Rock & Roll races in 2009! Only one more to go!!!

This is what Super Six looks like!

1st Time Water Skiing

2009-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at water-skiing...thats as far up as I got

So Peter (one of the AMEX folks) used to water ski competitively and he kept telling me I should get out & try it...so we finally coordinated a day we were all free and went out on Bartlett Lake. Needless to say I drank A LOT of water that day but it was fun. I think if we would have had more time I could have been a bit more successful. Oh well, maybe next summer.

"Power" Bob - the master skier

Peter let me drive the speedboat!

Legally Blonde

2009-09-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's Showtime folks!!!

So after a long hiatus from seeing shows, I finally discovered that one of my nearest & dearest friends will go with me to see shows here! yipeee!!! Typically one would next expect a show that was originally a movie to be all that good but this one was. I highly recommend it! This will hopefully be the first of many shows to be seen at Gammage.

Ryan & I at Legally Blonde in Tempe

Elle's "magic" sorority girl bracelet

Cristina & Jeremy's Wedding

2009-09-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

making the trek down from the room and into the "staging" area for photos

The girls: L to R: Angela, Jannika, Johnna, Kristen, Tiffany & me

Ithica & Elle - the flower girls

So the long awaited wedding was finally here and we were lucky we had perfect weather in San Diego. Everyone looked amazing and having the little ones run around during the ceremony was quite the amusement... They were so cute! Cristina & Jeremy had a non-denominational ceremony and the minister really took the time to get to know them individually and as a couple and did some thoughtful things. The sand ceremony was really cool because they called up Cristina & Jeremy's mom to signify the "blending" of the families. Once we made it to the reception, people made good use of the photo booth & the dance floor!

Congrats to Cristina & Jeremy!!!

I am so lucky to have you both in my life & to be a part of such a special day with you both... XOXO

Me, Ilenia, Mom & Dad

former Mater Dei Cheer buddies

Tiffany, Cristina, Jenna & me

Now I'm a ROCKSTAR!!!

2009-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well I finally accomplished THE GOAL I started on this year

5 Rock & Roll running races in one calendar year

Here's a look at how I did

Jan 17 - Rock & Roll Phoenix, AZ 26.2 miles 6:11:13

May 31 - Rock & Roll San Diego, CA 26.2 miles 7:16:28

June 27 - Rock & Roll Seattle, WA 26.2 miles 5:50:30

Aug 2 - Rock & Roll Chicago, IL 13.1 miles 3:08:28

Sept 6 - Rock & Roll Virginia Beach, VA 13.1 miles 2:47:27

Rock & Roll Virginia Beach

2009-09-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Private school that was part of the Embassy Row Trolley Tour

me @ the Capitol Building

Me @ the White House

So race #5 is done and we managed to squeeze some sight-seeing into the trip. We flew into Dulles so I could visit my longest BFF Nicole & her fam and took advantage of the extra day in Washington DC. I wont detail our horrendous trip on the Greyhound/taxi that took us from DC to Virginia Beach...lets just say I am never taking a bus like that again. Virginia Beach is a totally stereo-typical sleazy, chatcki-filled shore town and since it was Labor Day weekend it was PACKED! Both with race-goers & people taking advantage of one last long weekend before heading back to school. This was the hottest, most humid run I have ever suffered through. Thank goodness it was only a half! It actually got so bad that I ended up running in a sports bra because even my tank top was too much!!! (note the lack of photos...) But regardless, I can now claim ROCK STAR STATUS!!! Wooo Hoooo

The whole town was catering to the runners

Post race relaxation on the beach

Power Xtreme

2009-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well the coaching bug finally got me back, officially one year after moving from California I am back into coaching. I am coaching at Power Xtreme which is based out of Xtreme Gymnastics in Scottsdale, AZ check them out

www.xtremegymnastics.com

EMC boat outing

2009-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Don & Pam

me & Kelly

So a few of my coworkers from EMC and a few of my friends decided to hit up Lake Pleasant to take advantage of the end of the summer. We had a speedboat, a pontoon boat and a few jet skis. A good time and deep tan was had by all. Can't wait until next summer rolls around.

this is why you don't boat & drink...

Summer Scottsdale Fun

2009-08-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Kelly, Andrea & I

Ryan, Brian & Jon

It's the dead of summer
(yes August is still blazing hot here!!! uggh!)
So we poolside by day and dance club by night.
Here is "the usual" group at "the usual" place.

Ryan & I

Will & Derek

Rock & Roll Chicago

2009-08-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

there's always time for a pre-race picture

taking a quick break from running for a photo

Chicago skyline on the water in the background

So Rock & Roll Chicago was my first half marathon of the year & for how warm it was in that city in August I was very thankful to not be running 26.2 miles... 13.1 was pleanty long! It wasnt my best time but it wasnt my worst...sortof somewhere in the middle. Race #4 was a success, only 3 more to go for Rock Legend Status

one foot in front of the other... 13.1 miles!

This is how you celebrate finishing race #4 of the Rock Legend tour!

Chicago

2009-08-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple

The architecture of the Unity Temple by Frank Lloyd Wright represents a dramatic departure from customary design for a house of worship, even by modern standards. Great care has been taken to restore and preserve the building and weekly services are still held in this church.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House was designed and built between 1908 and 1910 and is renowned as the greatest example of his Prarie style, the first architecture style that was uniquely American.

Chicago is just one of the coolest cities ever! One of the reasons that I really love it is all the amazing architecture!!! One the top of my list of favorites is of course anything Frank Lloyd Wright. Mike & I both being major architecture nerds made sure we left some time to go to Oak Park, where there are tons of famous F.L.W. buildings...the pictures I took could be a blog in themselves and I know not everyone is as enamored so I will just share a few with you... We also did a boat tour that took us through some of the waterways of the city and got us up close & personal with the buildings. AND of course, the ever popular & famous Millenium Park. If you haven't been to Chicago I can only ask...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!

Mike & I at the Fountain @ Lurie Garden

me @ Cloud Gate @ Millenium Park

Crown Fountain @ Millenium Park

Sushi @ PURE

2009-07-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

there is nothing better than happy hour at sushi place...at least not in my eyes

mid-week break at PURE in Scottsdale with Mirja, Lisa, Ryan, me, Derek & Chris

Jackson's 1st B-Day

2009-07-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

QB & Jelani

Baby Jackson

The Big Birthday Boy in his diaper plus QB and Payton helping with the candles

So I was lucky to actually be in town to celebrate Jackson McKenzy turning one! His grandma and cousins from Virginia came out to see him too :) We had an awesome time playing in the pool with the kids and enjoying a semi-tolerable day in Phoenix. Hope to hang out with everyone again soon and hopefully Nicole will be able to come next time.

the birthday boy with his dad & big brother

QB & Payton

1st time Paintballing

2009-07-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

So we did a quasi team-building and a few of us went indoor paintballing in Tempe. It was my first time paintballing and I had no idea how much those little suckers sting! I got some good bruises but I dished out a few myself :-) I didn't think I would enjoy myself as much as I did but I was actually a little bummed when our session was over. Looking forward to next time.

the EMC peeps: Brian, Reyaad, Alex, Joyce, me & Ed

Cristina's Bachelorette

2009-07-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Me, Johnna, Cristina & Tiffany @ Hard Rock

The girls in Vegas

So we did one night in Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and then 2 nights on the houseboats @ Lake Mead. Definitely an experience I will never forget. I will spare you all the details but lets just say that air conditioning is a MUST in July in the desert...and we didn't have it on our boat. pretty much we lived in our bikinis and tried to stay wet, or tipsy...or both. The boys boat seemed to be working just fine, bastards! But all technical malfunctions aside, the trip was fun & it was good to really spend some time with the rest of the wedding party & some of Cristina's other friends.

all the girls on the Houseboat

The Fray

2009-07-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

A Monday night concert is always a nice way to ease into your work-week... a last minute invite to see The Fray turned out to be lots of fun as I had never been down to a show in downtown Phoenix & the Dodge Theater turned out to be pretty cool. Here I am enjoying the show with Kevin, Ron & Eric.

Danielle's Birthday in Newport

2009-07-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ten on the Newport Peninsula
Debbie, Lissy, Tiffany, Me & Danielle

So the girls all got together to celebrate Danielle's birthday! Lucky me that I was actually in town that weekend. Hanging out on the peninsula really does make me miss living there, until I remember how much the rent was...YIKES!!! I have known most of these girls since 1995, and I met the rest in college. Good to know that some things never change & our love for sushi and celebrating always brings up back together :)

Me & Tiff

Me & Danielle (the birthday girl!)

Cristina's Shower

2009-07-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Both the Maids of Honor & the Bride-to-Be

Tiffany, Cristina & Irazmi

So Cristina & Jeremy's wedding was right around the corner and I was lucky enough to escape the Phoenix heat for Cristina's Bridal Shower in San Diego, CA. She had a ton of guests there!!! Most of the bridal party & a lot of Jeremy's relatives came out from back east. It was good to catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while and to meet a few new ones. Someone from Jeremy's family suggested making a "bow hat" instead of the traditional bouquet, you will see Cristina modeling it towards the bottom. I was also lucky to take the opportunity of being in San Diego to show my mom's cousin around, she was visiting from Cuba.

Irazmi, Giraida (mom's cousin), Yoly (my Mom) & Ilenia (lil sis)

Beautiful Bride-to-Be with her Bow Hat

4th of July

2009-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

So this has been my first summer in Arizona and I tell you I am barely surviving it... first time seeing fireworks over something other than water is a bit strange but Anthem put on quite the show...best part is that they did it on Friday the 3rd so people could still go other places for the 4th. After the show Andrea & I hit up the Outlets for some killer shopping deals!

Andrea's Birthday

2009-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Andrea!!!
So pretty much everyone was out of town since it was 4th of July weekend but we decided to party it up anyways...Pedicures in Scottsdale followed by dinner at Chelsea's Kitchen, then fireworks show up in Anthem. On the 4th we hitup Saddle Ranch at Westgate. There we all sorts of "biscuit" and "cutlet" themed gifts ;)

living in the Wild Wild West

2009-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

So now that I have been living in the Wild Wild West for almost a year, it has fully sunk in that even though Arizona is on the west side of the country, it is absolutely nothing like the west coast. Arizona really truly is cowboy country & cowboys (and cowgirls) shoot guns. So I was invited to go with some people from work to the range & I said, hey, why not...

Here I am, giving it a shot...literally!

Alison has found her new hobby!

Brian showing Kathy how to handle the big guns...

Kathy gives it her all

Brian & the big gun

random life thoughts

2009-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have found that more people than I would have thought read what I put up on Facebook...and people seem to be growing quite fond of my quotes & sayings

This is one that really, truly is me & my train of thought
(and I have found it in various places!!!)

"I have always thought something was missing from the soundtrack of my life.....as it turns out all I needed was a little MORE COWBELL!"

Seattle - out & about

2009-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Seattle skyline from one of the ferries

Snoqualmie Falls

me & the Space Needle

Seattle has long been on my list of places to go visit & even though I know several people there, I just never planned a trip. Well all I can say is that I am sorry I did not go sooner! Seattle was one of the neatest cities I have ever been to. It is very walkable & there are so many things to do & see. Being there for only 4 days was sort of like a "warmup" because I feel like I barely even scratched the surface. I was so glad that I got to stay with my Auntie Mirtha & Mitch, they were the best tour guides & we got to do some things I never would have thought of doing. I also got incredibly lucky that in 4 days I did not get a single drop of real rain...yay! It was a bit chilly for me the first few days (hey, its 106 in Phoenix and somewhere between 50-65 in Seattle) but I was able to adjust by the end. I hope that I get the opportunity to go again soon as I want to see more of the city attractions.

me, Mike & Mitch @ Red Hook Brewery doing a beer tasting (post race)

me & Auntie Mirtha in Bainbridge

another shot of the skyline...
very impressive city yet small enough to walk from one side to the other

the rest of the photos from the trip can be found here
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133119&id=535560218&l=a218d35b93

Seattle - Pike Place Market

2009-06-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Piroshky, Piroshky...

Pike Place Market was by far the highlight of my trip to Seattle. In 4 days we visted 3 times and I still left wanting more. It is foodie heaven & I think I would need to spend a whole month there just sample everything I wanted to! Beecher's Cheeses was so cool, we got to watch them make fresh cheeses the old fashioned way & then sample some famous cheeses, legendary mac & cheese (done grown-up style) and then an awesome crab & cheese sandwich. I also bought awesome flowers for my Auntie Mirtha (thanks for letting us stay @ your house), some smoked salmon for my parents, I had to have a Starbucks from THE Starbucks, we of course sampled Piroshkys and the coolest little mini cheesecakes from "The Confectional"

Mike & I in front of the FIRST Starbucks Store

mini cheesecakes

Fresh peppers: for eating, spicing or decorating

amazing flowers!

Fresh fruits & veggies

Rock & Roll Seattle

2009-06-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Inaugural Rock & Roll Seattle Race Route

who says you can't stop running for some photos???

So one of the reasons I love races is because I get to explore new places at a very leisurely pace (I call that my race pace...which isn't all that fast) Seattle had an awesome race course. Most of the first half took us near the water, the rest had us up in the city...very cool & definitely lots to see. I was pretty much in pain from mile 2 but I had a strategy to just more frequently but just not for a long time... it seemed to work out pretty well & the pain never got unmanageable. I realized somewhere around mile 15 that I was actually having a pretty decent race & just kept pluggin along. Well I was right! I managed to take over 20 minutes off my fastest time to finish in 5hr 50min. Yay me!!! So stop #3 on the Rockstar Tour is done! No more fulls for a while (thank goodness!!!) I mean who really thinks its a good idea to run 2 marathons (that's 26.2 miles in case you forgot) with only 4 weeks in between. Well apparently I did, and the nice people at Elite Racing encourage this by awarding a special medal reserved for only the truly crazy!!! I will post it when I get it.
Me in action

pretty happy to be done!

The finishers BLING

the rest of the photos are here
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133083&id=535560218&l=c7e63cbb03

Roadtrip to Okoboji, IOWA!!!

2009-06-23T13:20:00.001-07:00

you've seen one flat field, you've seen them all...this was the view most of the drive

this one is for all my Kansas peeps, who knew there were so many of you in AZ!

We finally made it!!!

So my friend Kelly is from Iowa originally, since she is a school teacher the lucky $*!@& has the whole summer off to play! Well I wasn't about to let her drive cross country on her own so I volunteered to drive with her. Needless to say we saw all kinds of stuff on the way across the US... It took us 25 hours of driving (with short breaks) to make it from Gilbert, AZ to Okoboji, Iowa. Along the way we saw AZ, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska & Iowa. I picked up Minnesota & South Dakota on my way to the airport. It was pure madness!!! Anyways, we left AZ Thurs night & got to Okoboji on Friday night, just in time for a costume change and then it was time to meet everyone out at the bars. The nightlife is hopping in Okoboji! There is a little strip full of restaurants & bars and EVERYONE hangs out; young, old, single, married... its pretty fun. Saturday we went out on the boat (duh, that's why you live on a lake!) and I went tubing for the first time. We relaxed a bit in the afternoon after getting a bit too much sun & then it was back out to "the establishments" Sunday we celebrated Fathers Day with Kelly's dad & her stepmoms family & then took the cloudy weather as a sign to go shopping, not that I ever need much of a sign...hehehe. Drive through 2 states to get to the airport & then the most miserable flight home in my life...the kid behind me decided to use the tray table as a springboard...for 2 1/2 hours!!! WTF? At one point I even asked the mom to please get her to stop & she just said, well shes just putting up her tray....riiiiight! Lady, buy your kids some books! Its a long flight for everyone. Jeez, the guy sitting next to me was ready to blow a gasket! In total, I was gone for 72 hours, but it was fun :) There is talk of heading back out for Winter Games...

Kelly & I taking a walk on the lakefront

The Lakehouse (the one on the right with an AZ Cardinals Flag)

Kelly & I enjoying some Nutty Bars

Arnold's Park was walking distance

I was not tall enough to ride the infamous wooden roller coaster

this is how you watch a lakeside sunset...

See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil

Just Dance!

2009-06-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

me in the jazz costume...

Amy, me & Andrea in Lyrical costume

So I have dabbled in dance classes here & there my whole life...but I would have never considered myself an actual "dancer" maybe a cheerleader who could do some dance "tricks" decently. Well my move to Arizona left me with a lot of free time on my hands and I decided to take some classes at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy in Anthem. Some classes turned in to a lot of classes and next thing you know I have got: Leaps & Turns, Tap, Pilates, Modern, Lyrical & Jazz. Well soon enough I was convinced to sign up for the recital and I performed 3 pieces... Modern, Lyrical & Jazz. I hope to have some action shots soon, but in the mean time I can share these backstage pictures. I honestly don't know what I am going to do with all my open evenings now...good things classes start back up in August again. Dancing with high school kids is by far the best way to get in shape!!!

Sarah, Tammi, Andrea, me & Alyssa in Modern costume

CAPLA Reunion

2009-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

me & Laura

getting Shawn to agree to take a picture with me is near impossible...
this is the best we could get

So this reunion was a long time coming... I had been out of touch with most people (before facebook exploded anyways) since I bailed out of my architecture major in 2001, so I am really glad Madeline decided to organize this get together. Reid came from Hawaii, Julie came from Alaska, Travis from New York, and Im from Michigan. We even had a few of our professors there, which was pretty cool! Susan Moody has not lost her touch for cooking :) It was a gorgeous, warm (but not hot) night in Tucson and we just hung out, chatted, shared some adult beverages & eventually broke out in song... jk, only Nick & Mark were singing. It was a pretty mellow night overall
Congrats to Rob, Andy, Siri & Ian who have started on their families and to Laura, Nick, & Sydney on their recent nuptials

Who knows when, or if there will be another reunion... but hey, at least we have facebook ;)

It would not be a proper architecture party without someone busting out the guitars
Here are Nick & Mark jammin

me & Renee

Rock & Roll San Diego

2009-05-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

So I am on stop #2 of my Rockstar Tour...

I have never been so nervous leading up to a race in my life... I have been battling with a chronic injury since PF Changs in January. So I had not been running at all and I was not really sure what to expect. The first two miles were a brutal wake up call. My poor little legs were NOT happy with me. Good thing is that they seemed to loosen up for a bit, until we got to the freeway. For those of you not familiar with San Diego, there are quite a few hills along the way. In addition to the hills, we got to run on a freeway....so now the slope is going up & sideways....you can imagine how GREAT this felt on my knees. 5 Advil & some ibuprofen cream later, I was hobbling right along. So Mike & I were plugging right along until we got to the halfway point. Not going to lie, it was slightly annoying to see the Team in Training people get to "finish" a race that did not even exist for anyone else (but I am all about their participating) So at that point I told Mike that is was OK that he dropped me, he was feeling good & I was not. After that I pretty much lost all my desire to run... I walked, updated facebook, made friends with the superheros (yes, one of them even introduced me to his friends as his future ex-girlfriend...WTF?) Things started picking up at mile 19.... I got free beer!!! and then another free beer. Is it legal to drink in public in San Diego? The cops didn't say anything as I walked by with my Natural Ice in hand. The only thing that you really needed to know is that I finished...add another check mark next to the countdown list.

Now I have 4 weeks to recover until Seattle...

and ps - I signed up for the Virginia Beach Half over Labor Day at the expo, stop # 5

My finishers medal

San Diego weekend - pre-marathon

2009-05-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

the historic Gaslamp Quarter

So Mike & I headed down to San Diego for stop #2 of the Rock & Roll Rockstar tour. We got to spend some time after the expo crusin around downtown. San Diego has one of the coolest downtowns that is very pedestrian friendly :) We got to have dinner at Acqua al 2 (aqua - al - due - eh) which was really neat because we ate there in Italy too!) It was even better than I remember it! We then walked around a bit after dinner & got to see this cool car exhibit. I will post the race when I get the rest of the pictures

Acqua Al 2 (www.acquaal2.com)
The BEST restaurant EVER!!! 1st time in Florence, Italy...now San Diego

Dinner

Dessert

cool urban courtyard @ Hilton

love the mixture of old & new in downtown

Cool old school car @ the Classic Car Exhibit

WORK IN PROGRESS

2009-05-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

I am furiously trying to back blog before I forward blog...please bear with me as they are mostly "picture postings" and not random cute musings...those will come later

I hope to have all of early 2009 done soon, I may get inspired to go even further back

Happy Reading!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

So my Memorial Day weekend was one party day, one mellow day, one party day...

Saturday I went to a pool party @ Eric & Ron's house in Gilbert. We were mainly celebrating Eric's birthday & completion of his MBA program, wooo hoo!!! The highlight of the day was watching Lucy, the baby pup go crazy on the others, it was pretty funny! Then I headed over to meet the rest of the "usual group" at Salty Senorita's in Gilbert. It was fun but apparently not fun enough because we all packed up & left and headed over to Wildcard to see Kiki's show...

Sunday Kelly & I caught up on sleep, hung out at the pool, went to Red Robin & watched a movie...a very mellow day

Monday it was party-time again! I headed over to Zach's where we basked in the sun & bar-be-qued. Hopefully there will be lots more of that this summer

Kelly, Ryan & me

Kelly & I

The girls @ Zach's pool party

Girls night out

2009-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Girls night out @ Saddle Ranch - Westgate (Glendale)

So Kelly & I went to see Andrea's ballroom dance début and then we all went out for dinner and drinks at Westgate (this huge outdoor shopping/entertainment center in Glendale, AZ) I could not believe they had not been there before & they have both lived in AZ way longer than me! We had the largest feast you could imagine followed by people watching the bull-riding & goofy picture taking... I am glad that my midwestern girls hit it off so well (Kelly is from Iowa & Andrea is from Kansas) I see many more "girl nights" in the future :)

The big feast!

Nick is the best bartender ever! It's good to have friends with "benefits"

yes, we really ate all that cotton candy!

I don't know why, but these seem to be everyones favorite shoes!

Andrea & I

Kelly & I

We had some random passerby take a group shot

Pretty fountains, its almost like Vegas

Chihuly @ night

2009-05-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Kevin, me & Ryan

So I loved the Chihuly glass exhibit so much I had to go back & see it again...this time at night. Kevin, Ryan & Kelly came with me & stopped by Bison Witches for soup in a bread bowl & some ginormous sandwiches. I totallt thought Bison Witches was a Tucson only place but lucky for me, they have one in Tempe. The exhibit was breathtaking but I do have to say, I kinda left wishing more of the glass was lit up from within...hmmm Maybe the next installation.

Lil Ry Ry's Birthday

2009-05-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Me & Lil Ry - Celebrating his big 2-0!!!

Me & Kelly

the whole group @ PURE

Me & Ryan A

Bring on the noisemakers & confetti!!! Lil Ry Ry is 2-0!!! Crazy right? Well we had quite the adventure in Scottsdale. We started off the night with Sushi dinner at PURE where we got to sit next to some allegedly "famous" person (really, we think the bodyguard was there just so people would think there was someone worth guarding, it was pretty funny) then we headed to Z Tejas for some tasty margaritas, and later head to Salty Senorita's for MORE margaritas...hmmm, good thing we had several DD. I cant really disclose where we went next (nor could I even find it if I wanted to) all I can say is that it was a good thing we had lots of $1 on hand if you catch my drift ;)

Florida Tour with Mom

2009-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Me & Tia Lucy in Naples, FL

Mom & Tia Lucy in Naples, FL

Thats my dream house off the Ft. Lauderdale Intercoastal Waterway

more crazy houses!!!

Largest "Sailing Yacht"

My mom & I just did the most jam-packed Florida trip one could imagine!!! She met me in Orlando on Weds & we stayed at Neida's house. Thursday morning we got up, had breakfast & hit the road... First stop, the Outlet Mall :) After a small detour at the Coach store & some lunch, we were back on the road. We headed straight for St. Petersburg where my mom's friends Alicia's daughter Andrea was getting married. We checked in at 4:15...wedding was at 5:30 (did I mention we both still had to shower, hair & makeup???) the wedding was awesome (see separate post with more pics - Andrea's wedding) Friday we had breakfast with the bride & groom and other immediate family. Back on the road...a lot of ground to cover today. First stop was Naples to visit Lucy. We could have chatted all night but unfortunately we had to leave after an hour :( We were really trying to make it across "Alligator Alley" before nightfall. We finally pulled in to Miami around 8 pm (after a bit of miscommunication - meaning mom forgot to tell me I supposed to be driving to a totally different house!!!) We picked up my mom's cousin Giraida who is visiting from Cuba & we head to Ft. Lauderdale. Apparently my aunt thought we were getting there in the middle of the night and we had to track her down at the store (again, more miscommunication...seems to be the theme???) We spent Friday night catching up with the adults (Hortensia, Tennie & Daniel) Saturday we down to the Ft. Lauderdale waterfront area for a late lunch @ Shooters. then we headed over to the Las Olas district to browse the shops, we lucked out that there was a Wine & Food Festival going on!!! Sunday we went for a massive brunch at one of the casinos. then we headed back over to the waterfront to go on the Intercoastal Waterway boat tour. Some of the boats & houses we saw were just incredible! Sadly enough, I flew out early Monday morning...I didnt even get to go to the beach or have Cuban food! hmmm, guess that means I have to go back soon!

Everyone @ Tennie & Daniel's House

After eating @ Shooters

Just your everyday Sunday boat ride

Andrea Kenney's wedding - St Petersburg, FL

2009-04-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

with this ring...

How do the models make the wind look so easy????
mom & me

Alicia, Andrea, mom & me

Andrea & I taking a break from the dance floor

It was quite the last minute decision for my mom & I to attend Andrea's wedding but I am glad that we did. It so happened that I had already been scheduled to be in Florida, returning on Weds and the wedding was on Thursday so I got a ticket for my mom to meet me in Orlando Weds afternoon & we drove to St. Petersburg. The ceremony was so pretty, right on the sand. The reception was up a few stories where we could look out over the ocean. My mom doesn't quite have her dancing legs back since her last surgery but we had fun people watching :)

Cheerleading Worlds - what happens off the blue mat

2009-04-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

Keri, Troy & I at the "White Party"

Marissa, Jennifer, Casey, Angela & myself - some of the USASF Event Staff

Jeff & Craig from Oklahoma Twisters

Tori & I @ Monte Carlo night

Eric Little & I @ Monte Carlo night

So truth be told, most of the fun that is had at Worlds happens at the after parties... Sunday night, after finals, we all headed over the the Gaylord Palms for the infamous "White Party" It was every bit as fabulous as it had been described, complete even with an entrance back drop & paparazzi. Then on Monday night during the coaches conference, the USASF hosted Monte Carlo night. We "staffers" probably had more fun working the door than actually in at the party but it was fun watching people lose chips playing the games. Until next year...

Me & Amy Clark, she is the one who organizes the Coaches Conference

Me & Jamie Christian, the cheer photographer of most of the big events

me & Gena Evans, she runs most of the USASF Credentialing

Cheerleadings Worlds

2009-04-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Me with the Magic Small Seniors (the team I was coaching in Cali)

Magic's pyramid during finals

me & Holly

This was my fourth time attending the World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando Florida. For the first time ever, I would be working as part of the event logistical staff. It was a bit strange for me to not be there in "coach mode" but I ended up having a blast! Friday I did coaches credentialing in the registration tent... talk about some annoyed last minutes coaches! Hey buddy, its not my fault you didnt get this taken care of ahead of time! Saturday and Sunday I was the "do not pass go, do not collect $200" girl in the Milkhouse warmup room. So what that basically means is that if the coaches could not show me their photo identification with the proper safety credentials, they did not get to go to warm up. I have never seen so many grown adults throw tantrums... it was sortof funny. Here we are at the most important event of the year, the one you have spent the last 10 months preparing your kids for their 2+ minutes on the floor & you forgot your card....hmmm But OMG, Suzy Q absolutely CAN NOT throw her double full if I am not standing there clapping...nevermind the fact that our gym has a staff of 12 for a team of 20 elite athetes, she only lets me spot her!!! REALLY LADY???? Whats she going to do on the big blue floor then??? eat mat? Come on people, get your act together! I got so good at saying no, I am pretty sure I am going to get the same job next year. Look for me, I'll be the one with the headset :) Evan, Troy & I had a blast being "the gate" How else can you work 7:30am-10:00pm standing in one spot if you arent having fun :)

I was lucky that they let me go and support my Magic girls. They had an awesome performance on Day 1 and were in 14th going in to finals... SO PROUD OF THEM!!! lets just say Day 2 did not go so well :( I know they will bring it next year. Some of the kids I used to coach are now on California AllStars Lg Coed and they won the World Championship! First time any team from the state of Calironia has won in cheer. If you want to see any videos from the competition check out youtube OR WWW.USASF.NET I must say that the coolest routine of the entire competition was Bangkok University from Thailand. I dont even know how they make up their pyramids, they were INSANE!!!

When the competition was over on Sunday it was time to switch to Coaches Conference mode. A lot more mellow and civilized event. I got to meet quite a few International coaches, its really neat how they are so eager to learn! Slovania, Italy, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Columbia, Puerto Rico, etc... I also got to credential all the spanish speaking coaches on Tuesday. Seem to have found myself a good little niche, I have been doing it 3 years in row! Hope Amy has me back next year so I can hang out with all her Ohio girlies again, it was a blast!

Me & my worker buddy Troy - same spots next year!!!

Ashley, Amanda, me & Macey - girls that I coached, were crowned World Champions in the Large Senior Coed Unlimited Division

me with Bangkok University from Thailand

Celebrating my Bday a bit late in Cali...

2009-04-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Me & Ilenia

Lissy, me, Danielle & Tiff

Mike, me & Jen

I was able to go back home to Cali the week right after my birthday and went out for a pretty mellow dinner @ Bar Louie in the Anaheim Gardenwalk with some of my closest friends. My lil sis Ilenia; Danielle, Tiffany & Lissy from high school, Jen from college & Mike from JZMK. Good food followed by great chocolate!

Art Show @ Neue Transit Studios

2009-04-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Kendra's graphic work (on left)
Skibbs work (on the right)

Chris' newest hobby is painting! I'd say its working out quite well

Kendra & myself

Ben W & myself - I was lucky to run into him before he took off for Hawaii

My friends Kendra & Chris have one of the coolest side gigs around, they run their own art gallery out of their loft in Santa Ana, CA. I was so excited to be able to catch one of their shows while I was visiting Cali because it is one of the things that I truly miss about home. Kendra does mostly graphic art, called giclee (which they print on canvas & stretch onto a frame themselves) and photography. Chris recently started painting & this show featured some of my all time favorites, paintings inspired by the case study homes. My favorite of these houses is Case Study House #22 Kendra and I even got to go visit it on an architecture tour we did in LA.. it has been featured in tons of advertisements & movies

If you are in Orange County I highly suggest you go check out the various galleries, shows are every third Saturday of the month...and hey, if you see Kendra & Chris tell them I sent you & ask for the "upstairs" tour, the house is better than most of the art ;)
www.santiagoartdistrict.com

Magic Banquet

2009-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Ali, Troy & myself

me & Keri

Daley, me & Serena - some of my Minis

Christina, me & Katherine
these girls have been in my life since 2003...
I have watched them grow up & they have seen me do the same

So after 6 seasons coaching at Magic, it was time to say goodbye... I can not even begin to express what being part of this family has meant to me. I met Troy & Keri when I first started taking gymnastics at Newhope Academy... I was 11 at the time. Who ever would have thought that we would all later be part of this crazy thing called all-star cheer and to build a program so successful that it withstood the fickleness of the industry and is still going strong after a "Decade of Excellence" This is that last season of "Magic" as they are joining forces with Pacific Coast Cheer and are going to be taking Cali by storm with "Pacific Coast Magic" I know the future holds many great things for Troy, Keri, Kelly & Jarret.

In my 6 years at Magic I have been so proud to see: summertime camp fun, sleepover madness, crazy sock infatuations, the gym field 8 teams in one season, 6 teams competing at UCA Nationals, the first ever level 5 team, Top 3 at UCA, the first ever team from Orange County to be invited to compete at the World Championships, having our first ever 5 year old & under team (patience miss ali...), the first team for Orange County to make the finals at the World Championships, girls who made their high school teams, girls who quit their high school teams (hey, they missed us...and games aren't for everyone), girl getting recruited to cheer in collage, coaches wearing spell out shirts, coaches wearing 50s costumes....coaches just being diva, haha :D but above all I will never forget the friends that I have made that will last a lifetime. I can never explain what it feels like to know that parents trust you with the life (and emotions) of their children. It has truly been one of the coolest things I have been able to do. We have all been able to grow up together along the way and I know that I will see you all again real soon!

goofiness @ the Beehlers

2009-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

I had to go by the Beehlers while I was in Cali to give Leah her birthday present. Lucky for me that Aidan & Grace also decided to come by and say hello while I was there. These kids are without a doubt my favorite munchkins and I think the pictures are pretty explanatory as to why... they are just so gosh darn cute!

me & the kiddos

Leah & Grace

Aidan & Luke

walking in Newport...

2009-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

So one thing that I did not totally take advantage of in the past was the 2 years I spent living on the Newport Peninsula. Ocean & Bay views in one flat...whats not to love! So I had to go back for old times sake (and because I had just taken a whole week off from my gym so I needed some exercise) Lucky for me most people were still working or in school and the wind seemed to scare the rest away. Once a Cali girl, always a Cali girl :)

I had the boardwalk all the myself because it was super windy!!!

Ruby's on the end of the Newport Pier, one of lifes simple favorites!

Happy Birthday to ME! in Scottsdale

2009-04-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

So after really strict working out & dieting for the Sweat Challenge I was finally able to cut loose & have some fun on my birthday (good timing right???) Kelly's friend Elise was in town from Tucson and we figured that after a good day of laying out, we should hit the town. We decided to hit up American Junkie & Drift in Scottsdale. It was a fun night & best of all, I did not have to plan it :)

This is before the craziness ensues... dinner at Ryan's house

Kelly, Alana, me & Ryan @ American Junkie

just us girlies in front of the firepit

this was my face of the evening... you can never show too many teeth ;)

Sweat Challenge

2009-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Part of my "deal" to myself that I made when I moved to Arizona is that I was going to make some big changes in my life & have more time for ME... I started finally working out on a regular schedule in the fall and was seeing some pretty big results. I kept hearing about this gym called SWEAT up in Anthem and after Christmas I decided to give it a try. It sounded very intense but I needed to kick it up a notch & they really hold you accountable. Well after the 3 months of their "Weight Loss Challenge" I was chosen to be in their latest ad for Freedom Way Magazine. You should check out the other before & after pictures on their website www.sweatchallenge.com

* 2nd place female winner!
* Lost 24.6 lbs
* Lost 17% body weight
* Lost 12.3% body fat
* Lost 23 inches

Here is my "after" photo

Judging....here, there, everywhere!!!

2009-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks mostly to Jamfest I had the most exhausting & fun-filled judging season ever! I really do have one of the coolest side-gigs ever! I get to travel about, watching cheerleading and meeting some of the best people ever. These are just a few of the highlights from the season...
I got to judge in the following places: Pasadena, CA; Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Shreveport, LA; Fresno, CA; Syracuse, NY; Phoenix, AZ

Omaha, Nebraska

Denver, Colorado

Syracuse, New York

Phoenix, Arizona

Anthem Condo Housewarming

2009-02-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Anthem Condo Residents - Kevin & myself

Ilenia, Liz & me

lots of people in our not so large space

So Kevin & I finally got enough stuff in the condo to throw an official "welcoming" We had people come from all over...Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tucson & even my sis Ilenia came all the way from CALI! No really, everyone always gives us such a hard time for picking Anthem as a place to live, they lovingly refer to it as "South Flagstaff"...I think its pretty cool up here & its really only 15 minutes from work. A good time was had by all & we even got red flagged (thanks Colin & Jody) Hope to have some new guests at the next one.

Ilenia's visit to Phoenix

2009-02-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

So Ilenia came out to visit me for the weekend. It was her first time in Phoenix so I tried to show her to cool sights. Friday afternoon we headed over to Mill Ave in Tempe and had a late lunch at Bison Witches & did some window shopping. We headed up to Anthem for dinner and I took her to our best little local place, Ebisu sushi. Saturday we got up early to head over to the Botanical Gardens to see the Chihuly glass exhibit. This really was the highlight of the weekend...as the pictures will show. Mani/Pedis @ Sundrops followed by an awesome lunch at Le Grande Orange....then it was time to head home for the housewarming party

yes, thats floating glass!

just so you get an idea of how HUGE some of these are!

Then I treated her to a mani/pedi at Sundrops

Lunch at a Scottsdale favorite, LGO - Le Grand Orange

Beehler's visit to AZ

2009-02-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Me, Leah, Liz, Luke, Chaos, Camille & Matthew

Me & Camille @ Ticoz

Luke hanging out in my dining room

My favorite munchkins Luke & Leah (and their parents, Camille & Matthew) came to visit me on their way through town. We got to share a very nice dinner with Liz & Dan @ Ticoz and the next morning the Beehler clan was on their way to explore more of AZ. I miss them more than they know and I hope they come back soon!!! More adventures to be had in the future :)

Rock & Roll Phoenix

2009-01-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

I wont bore you with the details really... six hours is a really freakin long time to run & those parts of Phoenix arent all that exciting, but I guess I can give you the highlights
a) Mike & I started 10 min late, then spent the rest of the race passing people... I do not recommend trying to do this on purpose
b) bands & cheerleaders on the course are always a good time & an even better distraction. Rock & Roll races are great for the first time racers
c) it is completely possible to negative split & still bonk at the end (again, not something I recommend trying)
d) going to the beer festival in Glendale the night before is not a good idea
e) eating PIE at Rock Springs Cafe as a recovery snack was the best thing that happened all day :)

all in all, glad I finished & even thought I was totally out of gas, I ran a decent race & was so shocked that not a single joint hurt all day!
1 out of 5 done!

Course Map

And they're off!!!

Slow & steady... yes that really is a hot pink leopard skirt :)

Crossing the finish of marathon #4, a personal best @ 6:11:13

Post finish... I dont really look like I ran 26.2 miles do I?

I want to be a ROCKSTAR!!!

2009-01-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

So as most of my friends know, my motivations for self punishment are not inline with most other peoples... I ran my first marathon just because I wanted the Tiffany's necklace. More specifically the Tiffany's necklace that could not be bought, it had to be EARNED. But anyways, that was a few years & a few marathons ago so its not totally pertinent to this story. Well sometime last year a seed got planted in my head that I want BIG BLING... there was only one way to get this prize and at the same time be able to call myself a ROCKSTAR. I would have to run 5 half or full marathons in 2009 (for those of you who aren't familiar, a half marathon is 13.1 miles & a full marathon is 26.2 miles) So lucky for me I have a friend who is just as crazy (or maybe just doenst know how to say no...) so I decided this was the year to go for it! Instead on taking on all the bazillion little races that I did last year, I am just going to go for broke and do only big, far, expensive races!!!

Let me know if you want to come run with me (or sightsee) I am doing Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle & Chicago for sure. the rest is yet to be determined. Knowing me, I may not stop at 5, the medal for doing 7 is even cooler! I could be a ROCKSTAR & ROCK LEGEND in the same year... keep you posted!

The possibilities are endless...

THE Rockstar Medal!!!

If I truly lose my marbles (it has been known to happen) I may go for ROCK LEGEND status... 7 races (all 13.1 miles or 26.2 miles in 2009)

New Years in Tucson

2009-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

New Years in Tucson was tons of fun, it has been several years since I had seen a lot of the Tucson folks & having them all at Kevin & Colin's house was cool. It was a night of random cucumber drink making, hulu video watching & funky hat wearing :) good times. Hope to see everyone soon!

Who needs to go out when your at home bar looks like this???

Colin & I getting the "pre-party" started early

Kevin & I

2008 Year End Recap

2008-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Family & Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well in the New Year. I want to apologize for the lateness of my early recap but then again most of you would know by now that I operate under a “better late than never” motto. 2008 was a year of many changes for me and I am excited to share these with you in this letter.

I rang in the New Year at Shari & Neal’s house with Ilenia. Their parties are always a great! In January I was asked to speak at an Urban Land Institute District Council meeting. I was able to share with the group the benefits of membership. After all the work I had done in the previous year with new member recruiting, this was quite an honor for me.

Then it was time to dive in to cheerleading competition season full force. It was very special year for Magic All-Stars as we celebrated a Decade of Excellence. With the Magic teams I was able to travel to Palm Springs, San Diego, and to Florida twice! Once for UCA Nationals and once for the Worlds competition. This year the Small Senior team did really well at Worlds and made finals for the first time in our programs history. After the competition I stayed to work for the USASF at their International Coaches conference and once again got to credential all the Spanish speaking coaches.

Somewhere in between the madness of the season I did find a few free weekends to hang out with friends. I celebrated the Super Bowl at the McMahons house. In March I traveled to Tucson for TriFest, the first event of its kind and put on by the people I know at Trisports… Tri geeks everywhere were happy. Being in Tucson also gave me the chance to meet up with Kevin & Colin for some Sushi.

In April I celebrated my 28th birthday with friends at Mosun in Laguna Beach. I got to have a roommate reunion with Erin & Nathan. Nik, Billy & Kim from Trisports in Tucson came out & then the Beehlers & I went down to San Diego to cheer them on in their triathlon. In April I also lost my job due to the housing market downward spiral but as one door closes, another opens… I had a great 4 years at JZMK and the timing could not have been any better for me personally. I was able to spend the next few months on various activities.

In May I celebrated Miss Ali’s birthday and another trip out to Arizona. This time I got to see Liz & Dan, Stephanie, Kevin, Shawn & Renee & Nik. I never seem to be able to fit everyone in…but I try. Jen & Mark had their baby shower & I got to help plan it. I also was on the committee to plan the Limelight Gala, the main fundraiser for the HomeAid organization which builds shelters and transitional housing for those in need. This years event was held at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano and in spite of a down economy, was really well attended.

I kicked off June with a bang by running the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon with Mike. I spent the rest of the month hanging out with my favorite little friends, Luke & Leah and coaching the cheerleaders at Magic and atTesoro High School.

July was a super busy month. To celebrate the record heat of the Fourth of July, Tiffany, Danielle, Lissy and I headed to Las Vegas. July 20th marked the biggest day of the year for me!!! My mom & dad both came up to Santa Rosa with me to support me in my first half-ironman triathlon. For those of you not familiar it is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run, 70.3 miles total. The next weekend I made my way out to one of my favorite cities, Dallas, TX to see my cheer friend Erin marry her college sweetheart.

Things did not slow down in August. My good college friends Jen & Mark welcomed Hayden Mary into the world on the 4th, its good to have another future Wildcat! The Tesoro High School Pep Squad starting preparing for back to school and we were able to take the captains to Disneyland for a leadership and team-building retreat. Camille and I then went up to Ventura to ride in the Cool Breeze.

September brought a new job & the move to Phoenix, AZ. I am now working as Project Manager for EMC. If that sounds familiar to you its because my dad also works for them, but he was not involved in this job. We provided data storage and services to the American Express Headquarters. I was lucky to stay at Liz & Dan’s “mini-farm” while I looked for a place to live. In October, Kevin and I found a condo up in Anthem, which is a large Master Planned Community north of Phoenix and I quickly settled in to some new activities (you didn’t think I was actually going to sit still did you?) I started participating in fitness “bootcamp” and I am dancing at a dancestudio. Both have been a lot of fun so far. The Langleys came out for U of A family weekend and we all went to see the Wildcats win a football game. I also did a trip out to Sedona. It is as amazing as everyone says it is and I would love for you all to come check it out with me. It is just a short drive north on I-17 from my house. November was a jam-packed month. I went back to Cali for the Tesoro vs Aliso Niguel game and got to see kids that I have coached on both sidelines and that is so cool for me! Camille came out for ride the Tour de Tucson with me and we had perfect weather. We then got to hang out with Kevin & Colin. The next day we woke up early to go cheer Nik and my former OC Tri Club team members in the Ironman Arizona. What an experience to just see a race of that magnitude. So inspiring! Then it wasThanksgiving weekend, another trip back to Cali to visit the family and to celebrate Mater Dei’s 10 year Reunion (I know, I can’t believe it either!)

In December I had back to back races (Anthem Tri & Tucson Half Marathon) in one weekend and I discovered it was a good thing; maybe day 1was the warm up for day 2? I flew to San Diego to celebrate Cristina & Jeremy’s engagement and towatch the Magic girls compete. Then I rounded out the year with a trip to Vegas to watch the Wildcatsbeat BYU, sorry BYU fans Aubrey & Jeff, it was still fun hanging out… Christmas was celebrated at the Serranos house and now it is 2009! I hope that the rest of the year brings you and your family continued good health and good spirits. I would love to hear from you if you are in Arizona or California.

Lots of Love, Irazmi

Here’s to hoping that the coming year is a happy, healthy and prosperous one for you, your family, and your friends. May life offer us the opportunities to spend more time with one another in 2009 and beyond.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
~Hal Borland

2008 Nike + Rundown

2008-12-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

2008 Nike + totals

So in 2008 I did a crazy amount of races... I really thought I was going to race my way into shape. All I really did was collect lots of t-shirts, go to a ton of places, spend more money than I will ever care to add up & coincidentally win the OC tri Club points challenge (for wearing the club uniform to the most events, 19 races to be exact!!!) In total I swam 4.8 miles, biked 350 miles and ran 141 miles during these races. I completed my first ever half-ironman triathlon in Sonoma and I had a personal best time during the Tucson Half Marathon.

I did the following events/races

Date Event Name & Course
02/03/2008 Surf City USA Marathon 2008 - Run-Half-Marathon
04/20/2008 Kring & Chung Newport Beach Triathlon 2008
05/26/2008 City of Laguna Hills Memorial Half Marathon
06/01/2008 2008 San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon - Marathon
06/14/2008 World Famous Mud Run 2008 Day 3
06/15/2008 Danskin Women's Triathlon - Disneyland
06/29/2008 San Diego International Triathlon 2008
07/20/2008 2008 - Vineman Iron Man 70.3
08/16/2008 Cool Breeze Half Century Ride
08/24/2008 Imperial Beach Triathlon & Duathlon - Sprint Tri
09/21/2008 Nathans Triathlon ~ Olympic
09/27/2008 Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K
10/19/2008 Nike + Womens Half Marathon
10/26/2008 2008 Soma Triathlon - Oly/Int'l Tri
11/22/2008 El Tour de Tucson - 109 miles
11/27/2008 Dana Point Turkey Trot - 10K
11/27/2008 Dana Point Turkey Trot - 5K
12/06/2008 Anthem Sprint Triathlon
12/07/2008 Tucson Half Marathon

for all my race results go to (all years)
http://www.athlinks.com/racer/7731437/Irazmi-Perez.aspx

The downpour during the Surf City Half Marathon in Huntigton Beach

Danskin Sprint Tri at Disneyland

Wine tasting with mom & dad in Sonoma before my Half Ironman

Crossing the finish at SOMA Quarterman in Phoenix

El Tour de Tucson + Ironman AZ

2008-11-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Camille & I before the start

So after many years of pleading, I finally convinced Camille to come ride the Tour de Tucson with me. The bummer is that I moved before the ride so she had to drive out from Cali by herself so we didn't really get to have the fun girls road trip that we envisioned. For those of you not familiar, the Tour de Tucson is a perimeter bike ride that takes you all the way around Tucson & up into Oro Valley. Its 109 miles long. If you have never been to Tucson this is a good way to see it all (and quite possibly you may never have to go back) The weather was perfect & the ride is totally manageable (take it from a girl who never hill trains) After the ride Kevin & Colin took us to this really neat Thai food restaurant & then it was off to bed, more excitement the next day

my special bike buddies, holding my bike so I could take a break

God loves cyclists...

post ride dinner with Colin & Kevin

As if we didn't have enough action on Saturday, Camille & I woke up super early to drive back up to Tempe to check out what the Ironman is all about. It was by far the coolest race I have ever watched & the course is set up in a way that it is very pedestrian & spectator friendly. I was so pumped up I wanted to sign up...but its not time yet. I will be back out there next November, just listen for the cowbell

Camille & I checking out the swimmers @ Ironman Arizona

the fun really starts when the sun goes down

The PINK bike

2008-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

My bike has been an evolutionary project over the past two years. First it went in for new wheels and it came back with more new components than I know how to identify & a new glossy coat of bubble gum pink... then I decided that solid pink wasn't attention getting enough, so I added bedazzles (because I see so many other triathletes with bedazzles right?) And then I needed Pink tires, which are near impossible to find. Now pink handle bar tape...I got the helmet and lots of pink gear to go with it. who knows where it will end??? I could still do pedals :)
stay tuned...

The PINK bike

a closer look at all the bedazzles! yes, those are real SWAROVSKI

coaching @ Tesoro High School

2008-08-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I only got to work with Tesoro from tryouts (in May) until I moved to AZ in September but they were one of the most fun group of girls around... I knew quite a few of them from Cal Elite & Magic. I thought I would share some pics

Wild Weds dress up (I am third from the left)

Varsity pyramid on "Flashback" dress up day

Varsity Scorpians

2007-12-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

2006-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

2006-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

DEC FF COVER

2005-12-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

2005-08-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

2005-05-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

going back to Cali, Cali, Cali (with a jacket & a trophy)

1997-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

I am to the left of the trophy
(the "5" is for the 5-peat... 1st team in NCA History!)

so I happened to stubble across this article on my high school cheer squad & I had to post it

Two! Four! Six! Eight! Mater Dei Squad's Great!
By SCOTT MARTELLE, TIMES STAFF WRITER
December 31, 1997
SANTA ANA — Five years. Five trips to Dallas. Five first-place finishes at the National Cheerleaders Assn.'s National Championships.

You'd think members of the Mater Dei High School coed cheerleading team would be used to it by now.

Nope.

"You never get used to winning," Irazmi Perez, 17, a senior cheerleader captain, said Tuesday just hours after returning from the weekend's competition in which the team tumbled past a squad from Humble (Texas) High School.

The competition is one of at least five held each year nationwide. Most, including the NCA in Dallas, are organized by companies that market to the cheerleading world. The NCA, for example, is run by the privately held National Sport Group Ltd. of Dallas, which records sales of about $50 million a year in cheerleading and dance outfits, according to Ward's Business Directory.

But business is the last thing the cheerleaders have on their minds during the competition season, from early December through March.

"The cheerleading is not what we remember from when we were in school, when they had pompons and looked cute," said John Shea of Huntington Beach, whose daughter, Diana, is a member of the private Catholic school's championship team. "They do back handsprings, aerials. It's very, very gymnastic. They get graded on that.

"Some of the people we talk to don't even know it's a sport."

Last weekend, about 300 teams from as far away as Chile competed in 15 categories ranging from individual honors to best varsity effort from large schools. Mater Dei's first place came in the "large coed" category.

High school being high school, only eight of the Mater Dei's 22-member squad have experience from previous NCA finals, Perez said. "It's still a struggle every year to get there."

The current team came together in May and practiced through the summer. Sessions began in earnest this fall with five weekly practices. Since early November, the team has practiced daily, about three hours each session, except for days when they cheered at football or basketball games. Members also squeeze in gymnastics classes.

It makes for a hectic schedule.

"The day of our last football game was the day of our first competition," Perez said. "And we started cheering basketball before football was even over."

The squad also plans to compete in California-based championships this winter.

The team practices at the school, on grass or asphalt, and also recently rented out space in a gymnastic studio.

It's an expensive undertaking. The team runs its own summer camp for middle-school cheerleaders and holds a Sadie Hawkins Day dance, both to raise funds. Yet each member still pays about $1,000 a year, which includes what has become the annual trip to Dallas.

"It's not that bad," Perez said. "There are schools that pay that much that don't even travel."

There's more than fame and glory involved.

For 16-year-old Shea, cheerleading brings a deep sense of satisfaction.

"To be in front of the crowd and to feel all your spirit at games and rallies is a thrill," said the junior. "Coming together as a squad is really great when we compete. We work so hard. All we wanted was this [championship].

"We got what we worked so hard for."

me & Cristina