Brooke and Tony get married

I am pleased to share a link to some of the professional wedding photos. One word: stunning.

Small-town running

I'm home in Tracy, Minn., for a few days before I leave for Italy.

I've been trying to pack in runs every day since I've been here. It's been a busy past few weeks -- between moving out of our duplex in Minneapolis, getting my sister hitched and quitting work -- and I've had little time to exercise and eat healthy.

When I go out for a job, I encounter maybe one or two bicyclists -- and they're usually kids riding downtown for candy or heading to the pool. Never a runner. And I think I've figured out why it's so rare to see a runner lapping town.

Running stinks here.

And here's why:

-The only running path is about 1.5-mile long. It takes you out to Swift Lake, a man-made lake just outside of town.

-My "long" run is a 4.4-mile loop around town. It takes me out to the Dairy Queen and the Tracy High School. I have to spend more than a mile of this route going head-to-head with semis on U.S. Highway 14.

-This is a small town, so when you're out running, everyone tends to find out about it. Not that it's a bad thing. But not a lot of people run here. So when you do, it seems either strange or heroic to the townsfolk.

-Did I mention the wind? I darn near flew into the ditch running this morning.

-You have to worry about sharing the road with huge tractors.

-There's no one to run with.

Enough said.

Headed to the Windy City

So, it's official.

Ben and I are moving to Evanston, Ill., in mid-August. Ben will attend the two-year MBA program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.

As for me, I'm job searching. If you know of any writing gigs, let me know.

Ben's last day on the job is July 10. Then he'll go to Tanzania for a vacay. I work until July 17. After resting at home for a few days, I'll head to Italy to vacay with Ben for about 10 days.

With our global travels behind us, we'll spend some quality time with our families and move to Evanston on Aug. 12.

So a fun, but busy summer is ahead of us. The countdown to our new adventure starts...NOW.

I need to run.

How quickly we forget pain.

It's been two weeks since I ran the Fargo Marathon. And although I was nearly in tears at the finish, I'm itching to do another race.

A race gives running a purpose. And I'm much, much more motivated to get out there. Even though I love to run, I really do need a purpose.

Part of me wants to sign up to do a half-marathon or 10k next Saturday. I haven't prepped for it, and it would likely be slow going, but it would feel so good to get back out there again. And I'd feel good about myself.

I need to find a race.

Pucker up

I may never qualify for the Boston Marathon, which has strict entry requirements. I would have to run a 3:40 marathon. The times slow as I advance in age.

If I ever make it, I can look forward to this guy.

Pucker up.

I'm back.

Dear blog,

You probably think I forgot about you. Well, I did.

The past few weeks have been hectic. And you're not the only thing I've neglected. Apparently I have two cavities, including one that may have reached the root in a tooth. Lesson of the year: flossing a few times a week just ain't gonna cut it.

During the past few weeks, Ben and I had to find a new place to live. Training for the Fargo Marathon kicked into high gear. Ben and I spent the night in St. Cloud Friday to run the Earth Day 20-miler. Work was busy, busy. Oh, and I've been trying to plan our trip to Italy this summer.

I will try not to forget you again, dear blog. But I probably will.


Yours truly,
Brady

Chicken salsa casserole

Bam! The chicken salsa casserole dish was finger-lickin' good. Healthy? Nope (it requires 4 cups of cheese!). But good? Heck yes.

Why you should try it:
1. It's good for a family dinner. If you're dining as a couple, you can trust you'll have leftovers. Make sure to freeze about half since there's likely no way you'll get through all the leftovers right away.
2. It has the perfect blend of spice and sweetness.
3. Fairly simple to make. I was a little perplexed by cooking the chicken in water. I'd never done it before. But it worked out.

Tips if you try it:
1. Prep time, at least for me, took about 25 minutes. Baking took 40 minutes. Prepare ahead of time (in the morning or the night before) and pop it in the oven when you get home. That way, you're not spending an hour-plus in the kitchen after work.
2. I read in the reviews that a dollop of sour cream or tortilla chips add a nice touch. Ben turned his into a salad.