We dashed like armadillos ....

My roommate my freshman year of college nicknamed me Arma because my last name was Dillahunty and she thought “Arma” Dillahunty was hilarious.  Even though we haven’t talked in years if I called her today and said … “It’s Darla, I KNOW she would say … ARMA?”

Pretty much everyone else at Baylor called me Dilla.  My friend Laura who was my friend at Baylor and now in Houston calls me Dilla to this day.  Not sure I’ve ever heard her call me Darla … I almost think it would sound funny if she did.

So, when my friend Katie called and said we need to run the Armadillo Dash in College Station, I kind of had to say yes.  It was my destiny.  Actually I had to go because my forever friends were all going and I couldn’t miss it.  (I must say I am still not sure why a girls weekend revolved around a running event but it got us all together … and that is what mattered!)

KATIE ran the HALF marathon.  Props to her.  It was her personal record for time and the rest of us cheered her on.  Beth and I opted for the 5K which was fun, fun, fun to run together (despite the fact that twice when I told Beth it was time to pass someone in front of us, she sped off like some kind of roadrunner and I had to call her back … because this ARMA-DILLA doesn’t really dash!).  This was our post race picture:

Katie got a medal.  Beth and I didn’t get anything … except I kind of got this stuffed armadillo:

I say “kind of” because I might have accidentally stolen it.  I was asking if I could get a t-shirt and the worker said … “would you like an armadillo” and honestly … how could I turn THAT down?….so I said “yes” and she handed it to me.  I said “thank you” and walked off.

Later, when my friend Beth asked for one they told her they were $1.  The only thing I could think to say was “oops”.  But I really did think she gave it to me.  I hope so anyway … otherwise I owe someone, somewhere in College Station, $1.

Beth and I had some laughs along the route, including when we ran across this finish line and I almost tripped because I was trying so hard to find our two friends in the crowd who were cheering us on.

I now know the difference that training for a half-marathon makes.  If you remember, when I ran the Houston half in January, I forgot (didn’t make time) to train.  And for the rest of the day of the race and the next, I was sore.  Very sore.  Mostly my knees.  I can assure you I didn’t walk around much … or go play Laser Tag.   That would have been foolish (impossible).

But Katie trained and so we went and played Laser Tag.  And, in spite of the fact that some VERY ill mannered little boys kept calling us OLD LADIES, we had a very good time.  And I’m pretty sure Sharon told those boys not to sass “old” ladies again.  If she did, I have a feeling they won’t.

We had SUCH a good time being together.  Stephanie was an incredible hostess.  I had to leave early Monday morning for a speaking engagement in San Antonio and she got up with me and made me a little breakfast to-go bag.  Her husband and children were SO sweet and gracious to let us take over their house for the weekend.  Sophie and Olivia, Stephanie’s daughters, are the ones who convinced us to go to Laser Tag:

Trust me … we made ourselves right at home in their home and in their rooms.

We did leave them alone on Sunday night and went out for a post race “hoo ha” as we called it.

And we laughed and we laughed.

And we started lots of of sentences with the words … “remember the time …”.

And once again we were reminded that, to borrow a line from Michael W. Smith, …

“a lifetime is not too long … to live as friends.”

Especially these friends.

I miss you all already!