Day 7: Survived 50 for One Week

Well I survived my first week as a 50 year old woman! And what a week it has been! I've spent wonderful times with friends celebrating this milestone birthday and I feel as if the celebration just keeps goin' ...

Pictured here are gal pals Stacy Bell, me, and Lissa Solomon before we went out to celebrate! Don't we look fabulous & 50!

Most of my lovely lady gal pals are turning the big 5-0 either this year or in the next one or two so we are all facing the same issues of dealing with age, what we want out of the next 50 years for ourselves, our families, and who we want to spend our precious time with. No doubt this makes for some lively & truthful conversations.

I'm in a place where really I don't want to take bullshit anymore nor be in the company of people who are toxic. So this is my new mantra... I'm tired of being nice when you have offended me so I'm not going to pretend it's okay that you have disappointed me.

As I said in one of my Robynisms, I Expect A Lot Because I Give A Lot...

It's a new decade and I'm choosing my company much more wisely!

DAY 337: RACE DAY

Oh my gosh, really... more rain today then any other day in the history of rain in Los Angeles. Are you kidding me? Let me be very clear with comments here.... the race was BRUTAL.

There are no words to describe what it is like to run for 6 hours in a DOWNPOUR of rain, wind, and very cold temperatures... and WET socks, shoes and clothing... I might as well of wrapped 10 pound weights around my ankles because that's what it was like to run today!

But let's start with the beginning... up at 3:30 a.m. Off to Dodger Stadium at 5:30 a.m. Thanks to gal pal Stacy Bell for the ride that early in the morning. Hubby Brian and gal pal Rebecca Simon were off to the Finish Line to reserve seating for a surprise cheering party for me... I didn't know that these two darlings were planning such a grand finale for me! Check out the adorable invitation and t-shirts that they designed for my cheerleaders!

I only wish their beautiful plans had worked out, but who the heck could have projected these torrential rains!

Here are Rebecca & Brian hunkering down to ensure a front row seat to view me coming across the Finish Line... I can't stand how committed and devoted they are to me! Thank you both from the bottom of my heart for making such a special plan for my special race day!


While these two were handling the end-game plans, my running partner Melody and I were at Dodger Stadium waiting for the sun to rise! Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe I was finally at the start line. A year long journey that was all on the line now...

For those who've been reading my running posts, you know what I have endured and here it was the moment I had trained for... I wasn't nervous at all, just eager to start running ... the organizers of the race deserve a failing grade for their logistics (that's a post for another day) and it started with the race beginning late!

Pictured here are my devoted fans standing in the pouring rain... my sons Harrison & Spencer, sisters Michele & Linda, nieces, Olivia, Esme & Sophia, brother Josh, gal pal Farrel, the organizers Rebecca & Brian...

Melody and I made our way out to the Stadium and on to the streets of downtown Los Angeles. We ran through Chinatown, past City Hall, through Little Tokyo, up Hill Street past Disney Concert Hall... and we just kept goin'.

The rain NEVER stopped. It was relentless, Mother Nature was pretty pissed and she was testing all 26,000 runners. No doubt fellow runners were hurting and many gave up... the weather conditions were more then most could take. Torrential rain, wind, and running in wet clothes is just not the way you want to run your first marathon ... but what could I do... I had to keep going. I was not happy. It was not a happy run.

Along the course fellow baseball Mom, Jennie Fahn came out to cheer me on, and dear friends Steve & Jenny Savitsky greeted us at mile 24... we needed their big hugs and encouragement to finish the last two miles! A big thank you to gal pals Cheri & Teresa and daughter Carrie, who volunteered at Mile 16 but who we missed as we ran by, but knowing they were out there to support us was awesome!

The BEST part of the entire course was heading up to the Finish Line and hearing my family & friends yell out "Robyn"... I was so excited to see their smiling faces and to know that I was steps away from the finish line, it was a euphoric feeling ...

I did it... Run Robyn Run!

Day 197: Trick-or-Treat

Wow, another fabulous Simon Halloween Party! If you didn't make it by our house tonight, then you missed a very festive event! We had delicious food, especially the five different chili's that our guest chefs cooked for the Chili Cook-Off! We drank lots of Black Vodka, we danced, we laughed and we celebrated! People wore terrific costumes and a good time was had by all!

If you can see in this picture I have a black pole attached to my back, I was a pole dancer, hysterical! And hubby Brian was my biggest tipper.

Check out my friend Rebecca Sanchez and her darling husband and daughter Ava ... all dressed as Raggedy Ann & Andy... too cute!


And we had Batman & Catwoman looking fabulous! Underneath their masks are Greg Germansky & Jacky Holler.

And checkout Lisa & Gregg Martin as Teletubbies, too darling !!!








Jill Offer and sis Michele were a chef & a pumpkin ...



And the Bell's, Stacy & John were Pocahontas & the Lone Ranger!


And Halloween would not be complete this year without Snooki, attending the party! Check out Rebecca Simon as the Jersey Shore's Snooki!

I can tell you I enjoy Halloween more then my boys, that's for sure! I'm just a big kid... I love all the costumes and the creativity, I love giving out the candy to all the adorable little trick-or-treaters, and I love celebrating with friends on a very fun and festive Halloween. This is a wonderful tradition the Simon Spooky House has created!

Day 88: Games Aren't Just for Kids

I love playing card games and board games and I LOVE charades too! I have the fondest memories of playing Hearts and Gin Rummie with my Mom & family when I was younger. I remember Brian and I would spend hours staying up all night playing games with Mom and family & friends. We'd have marathon sessions! When the boys were younger we'd play lots of games, mostly board games ... the standard Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scattagories. Many of these games we still play today even though the boys are teenagers.

A few years ago we vacationed with the Ross family and they turned us on to Banana Grams. We were addicted. It was like a drug. We played the entire trip! That same year up at Bass Lake we got turned on to Rummicue and I've been an addict ever since!

Games are a wonderful way to connect people and family. It is interactive as opposed to sitting and watching television or a movie. When you play games you laugh with each other and feel much more connected than most activities you can share together.

Playing Charades is also one of the best ways to enjoy family time. While it always takes me prompting my family to play the game, once we get going the laughter does not seem to stop. Watching everyone make fools of themselves as they try to act out a book, movie or theatre production is great. It takes imagination and some creativity and that's the best way to spend time with your family. Even if they resist I highly recommend sitting with your children and playing a board game! They may roll their eyes and sigh with disbelief that they are having to play a "game" with their siblings and parents, but once you get goin' it will be a blast.

So tonight was "game night" for the big gals. My gal pal and neighbor Stacy Bell gathered an impromptu group of girls for some Rummikub. I tell you the game is addictive. We had a blast laughing & playing and even welcomed a new gamer Lissa Solomon. Who knew Solomon was so competitive, wow she was on fire! Anyway, if you are looking for ways to connect with your children or friends, pull out the deck of cards, or a board game, make some yummies and have a great time being together!