The Tunnel To Towers Race

On September 11, 2001 Steven Siller, an off-duty firefighter from Brooklyn ran in full gear from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Towers of The World Trade Center. He helped save many lives that day, but along with 342 other firefighters, he lost his own. To read more about his story and the race, go to the Tunnel To Towers Race website.

Yesterday was the 9th annual Tunnel To Towers Race, it's just about a 5K, 3.1 miles. The path of the course retraces the steps Steven took the morning of 9/11.

My husband had watched the televised footage of the race last September and was so moved that he decided he wanted to run the race himself. He had only begun jogging a few months earlier, but vowed to himself that he wanted to be a part of the race someday.

He finished in just over 36 minutes! I am BEYOND proud of his accomplishment! When he sets his mind to something, watch out... he WILL do it!

When I crossed the finish line the clock read 1:02:36.... however it took the group of "walkers" I was lined up with quite awhile to even cross under the starting line. I think it took me about 50 minutes to finish the race. I jogged most of the way through the tunnel, and walked the rest.

Seriously, WOW, it was probably one of the most amazing experiences. I'm including several photos that I took on my iphone during my journey. I hope you enjoy!

There were over 20,000 participants, and to date, they have raised over 7 million dollars!

















The picture above with all the water shooting out is of the FDNY's newest boat, three forty three.

It's Giveaway Time!

To all of my new followers, Hello!

To everyone who has been following me for a little while, please head over to Impatiently Praying for Patience and check out Katie's blog for a chance to win $25 to spend as you wish in my etsy shop.



I've been following Katie's blog for awhile. She has some really great tutorials on her site! She and I bonded after her post which mentioned she used a paint color "dried parsley" in her laundry room, it's the same color I picked for my kitchen. It's a Benjamin Moore color, but she was SUPER smart and had Home Depot color match it with their paint with primer included! {Wish I'd thought of that!!}

Anyhow, the giveaway ends on Friday, so for those of you that are already a follower or a Facebook "fan" - you basically already earned an entry, just leave her a comment!! Easy Peasy! You should also become a follower of her blog, that's another entry!! Good Luck!

I'm leaving you with a sampling of items in my shop that you could put the $25 gift certificate towards!

Coffee, Tea, or..... Water???

Yes, that is a play on words from the book published in 1967 about stewardesses.

A few months ago, on a really hot summer day, I purchased a large Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee at JFK. I was on my way up to my gate, and had always been allowed (as a working, uniformed crew member) to bring liquids through security. The coffee cup just had to go through the x-ray machine, like everything else. I had it down to a science though. I'd wedge my coffee in the plastic bin next to my small carry on bag, and it wouldn't budge!

However, this was not to be my day.

As I was securing my coffee, the TSA agent on duty (not so politely) informed me I couldn't put my coffee cup in the plastic bin. (I guess they'd changed the rule because liquids had spilled from not so careful crew members before me... ugh) Needless to say I sucked my coffee down as quick as I could because you just don't throw away a Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee! I was then on a hunt for a travel coffee mug that could hold either hot or iced coffee.

Not an easy task!

Then, a few weeks ago, I found these great stainless steel travel mugs that you can personalize. You can put your own personal photographs inside, cute scrapbook paper, or fabric. The options are endless!

The inside of the mug is stainless steel and holds 16 ounces, and the only drawback is that I can't fit it under my Keurig coffee maker. {bummer} I've been using mine for a little over two weeks now, and am in LOVE! I put my coffee, cream, and sweetener into the mug, close the lid, and turn it over to blend. It doesn't leak! It's great! One little trick I do, too... I'll rinse out the inside of the mug with really hot water before putting my coffee inside, and it stays SUPER hot for a really long time. ~ I'm not sure about you, but I tend to start "creating" shortly after I start my coffee, and tend to walk away from it. I usually end up putting it over ice later, but not with this mug, it'll stay hot long enough for me to get back to it!

This is the one I made for myself.



And the lid options that let it go from holding "hot" to "cold".




And a few others that I've made.




Very cute, right?

They are now available to custom order at my etsy shop. They make great gifts for back to school, and the holiday season is fast approaching!