Traveling & Tributes...

So I'll be hitting the road in just over 24 hours to head back home! I'm so excited! Now my friend, and boss, is not excited at all that I'm leaving late at night to drive ten hours, but this way I'll be there for most of Friday as well. Plus I love driving at night! I know, I'm odd, but who didn't know this already? Maybe I'll stop and get some breakfast on the road...mmm IHOP! Hopefully that will come around 5 in the morning or so...somewhere about half way anyway. Once I get home I'll be sleeping....well okay first I'm going to meet up with some of the most amazing people in the world! So yeah, I probably won't get to bed until late Friday night, but it's so worth it! This time I don't have a lot planned which will be great because then I can just hang out with my friends and really enjoy my time there.

On a different note, I'm sitting here relaxing and trying to figure out what all I need to take, and how I'm going to fit a few things. Well there is a special on tv, it's a Paul Simon tribute, which most people my age would turn the channel, or just plain turn it off. Not me, I'm sitting here enjoying all the songs, and knowing all the songs that they're singing. Heck, I'm practically singing right along with them! Get this, James Taylor came on to sing a Paul Simon song...really not sure if it could get any better than that! Amazing! So you might think I'm like 54 or something they way that I'm talking about this music and such...eh not quite...just take off about 30 years! Ha! Yes, I'm such an old soul! I've actually been told this by a few people before. I love it though! JT & Paul Simon...can't go wrong there! Over and out!

Lo!

Half marathon re-cap!

So it's been 3 weeks now since I ran my half marathon, and I feel like I really haven't written about it yet, well other than the basic things. Anyway, so I've been thinking a lot about it and really processing the whole thing. It still boggles my mind that I ran a half marathon. Not only that I ran it but finished it in a decent time as well. I really want to run more of them, not just to compete or beat a better time, but because it gives me a goal to push towards. Not only that, but when I am running, and really focused on my training I am spiritually on track as well. These things seem to go hand in hand with me. I unfortunately haven't run really since the race. The first couple weeks my legs just couldn't take it, but this past week I was too busy and exhausted from work. I seriously need to get back to running, and get back to where I need to be in a lot of areas of my life. Eating healthy has gone out the window it seems like, although I'm sure I'm still eating better than the average American!

Anyway, so back to the race. It was one of most difficult, amazing things I have ever done! I've literally climbed mountains before, kayaked in ocean inlets, but this was something on a completely different level. I was flooded with emotions the entire day, but especially during the race. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with the adrenaline pumping through me for the first mile, and then the last 200 yards, but even in the middle of the race it was an experience that was like nothing I have ever known before. I don't know if it was because it was my first half, or if I'll experience that again, but it was amazing!

Runners are a special breed that's for sure! If you're a runner, you know what I mean! If you know a runner, you probably know what I mean as well. We, runners, will strike up a conversation in the middle of a race about random things and it doesn't matter where you are in life, or what you drive, or anything. It's just a common bond that we share. As I was running I ended up talking with more than a dozen people throughout the 2 hours that I ran that day. We don't care that we might look like crap by the time we finish, or that it may cost our feet some serious pain, or that we might not be able to walk too well after a big race. We just love to run. It's what we do, it's in our blood. Someone said to me while I was training, and injured at this point, that I should stop running. I looked at them like they were crazy and then said to them, "Running is like breathing for me; if I don't do it often enough I die." They might not have understood what I meant, but it really does keep me going, which is why this race didn't seem to drain my energy so much as give me energy. It was such an amazing event for me and I can't wait to run my next one!

Over and out!

Lo!

Work, but so much fun!

I've been working a LOT lately, but it's been worth it! We just finished our remodel and open tomorrow. It really looks like a brand new store! New colors, new fixtures, new carpet, etc. The new layout is amazing, and I think it will really help with the flow of customers. Plus the entire week that we've been working away, we've been able to listen to our own music! It really makes a HUGE difference!

One of my favorite things with the remodel is that we now have an additional 4 feet of Fresh Ink cards! They're my absolute favorite card line and I can't wait to look through them all and pick out my new favorites!

Today we were doing a lot of clean up work and finishing touches to give the store the right look. This meant taking a lot of trash out, and even at one point a hole group of us went out to move a large item into the dumpster. Well after deciding that the best way to get it in there was to open up the side and some how flip it in, we pushed and picked up as best we could. After realizing that we were going to have to hold it up while closing the door on the dumpster, I climbed up on top and did my best to hold on to it so the door could be closed and locked again. Then we cleaned up around the dumpster and then it was back up on the dumpster to smash boxes down so that nothing would stick out over the top. Seriously, I was having a BLAST jumping around on it! So yeah I've been working a lot, but it hasn't really felt all like work because our team is so great and always make it so much fun! For now, it's time for some serious rest! Over and out!

Lo!

Odd, but good!

Today was an odd day, and that would be putting it lightly! I didn't get home until 1am from working...which I had such a blast moving fixtures around and such! I really do mean that I'm not being sarcastic here, I know that's crazy in itself, but you'll get over it! Anyway, once I got home I wasn't really all that tired because I think I got a second, or maybe by that time a third wind, so I did some laundry! I finally went to bed around 3, or shortly after, to get a few hours sleep before waking back up at 7 to go to class. Thankfully class is actually interesting so it wasn't too bad!

After class I went to work to help my friend/co-worker/boss move some fixtures to her house. That was funny just because the guys helping to put them in her van were...well interesting to say the least! Fun times, fun times! Next it was off to a friend/co-workers house to go running! We started running and no more than 2 minutes and there was a HUGE down pour! These rain drops were enormous! No joke they were the size of nickles...it was really odd! It finally slowed down and then eventually stopped, but we were still able to get in a good 3-3.5 miles. I wasn't really thinking about going much further, I was pretty exhausted, and my legs aren't used to running again yet.

After the run we decided to go to Logan's Roadhouse, which they just opened about a month ago here! Which was very exciting, but get this...in Independence you can't throw the peanut shells on the floor! Hello, that's kind of the draw of going there, well that and the amazing food, but its just fun to throw them on the floor! I was distraught! The food was well worth it though, plus after dinner we went and got some amazing ice cream! Plus while I was there Melissa dropped in to say hello and return my seasons of Friends that she had borrowed for the weekend. My day was amazing plain and simple! Over and out!

Lo!

Visual DNA

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I had a little time while waiting for my laundry to finish up! Enjoy! Over and out!

Lo!

It's been so long...

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, mainly because I've been really busy. I had my mid term this week, and worked a ton as well so blogging was put on the back burner. So here are a few highlights from the past couple weeks!

Class - 3 weeks down...got an A+ on my mid term...3 weeks to go! Then only 3 sections to go and I'm finished! Yikes! I'm so excited about that!

Work - I don't know if I can really even explain how great the people are that I work with, or how much I love my job. I always love going in to work because even if I have a bad day before I get there, I always end up changing my mood the minute I see any of the girls I work with! These girls aren't just friends, they're like family to me; I see them more than anyone else and they really care about how I'm doing and what I'm going through. Anyway, so as you can imagine with father's day just around the corner we've been a little busy! Plus we're about to go through a remodel so we've also been busy preparing for the upcoming week. I'm going to love it because it will be a lot of moving things around, organizing, planning, etc. We are going to have such a blast!

Life in general - Nothing too exciting really which is a good thing I think! I'll be home in less than 2 weeks now which is very awesome, however that means that I'll be driving for a long time! I'll be sure to have some great music with me though so it shouldn't be too bad! Plus I'll be home when I finish driving so it's totally worth it! I'm still recovering from my big run, but am planning to go on a run with one of my co-workers/friends on Monday! I'll try and post a little more regularly, but no promises on that! Over and out!

Lo!

Pictures!

Here are some more pictures from the Sunburst! Over and out!

Lo!

Fun times!

Well a lot happened the week that I was home, but I'm just going to focus on a couple. First off, Redamaks! Oh my how wonderful it was! I forgot how amazing those cheese burgers are! No worries, I demolished it in no time! It was difficult though because we rode all the way home with it in the back of the car, and anyone who knows me, knows that if I'm hungry and there is food around, it will shortly be gone! I was good though, I waited patiently until we made it home!

Me with my very much awaited cheese burger from Redamaks! YUM! I think it was gone in record time!

Second up, the main event! My first half marathon! It was the Sunburst races that start at the College Football Hall of Fame and end on the 50 yard line of the Notre Dame stadium! I ate my pasta the night before and turned in early because I was set to get up at 5:45 in the morning! I thankfully was able to get a good amount of sleep and felt well rested for the race. My morning seemed to be moving in hyper speed running around making sure that I wasn't forgetting anything and that we got there in plenty of time as well. We had two cars full of people heading down for different events and made it down town about 6:50 am. We had a few pictures taken, a prayer for safety and then final preparations. My race was to start at 7:30 so I had plenty time to stretch and get focused.

The gun went off, and shortly after the running began! My first mile was way too fast, but that's just how it goes. My first mile was at about 8:38, which isn't crazy fast, but I was planning on mid 9's, so I needed to back it off a little, which is much easier said than done. Jon and I were having a great time cheering on fellow runners as well as the spectators and police officers keeping the streets clear. We were clapping, and singing songs and making people laugh! We had a great time! Around 4 and a half miles into the run I was really starting to feel some blisters forming so I had to stop at a water stop to put some bandages on my feet to try and keep them from getting any worse. Unfortunately that didn't really seem to avert the problem! At mile 11 I was completely exhausted and didn't feel like I had anything in me left to give, but God, through Jon, wouldn't let me give up! It was awesome to get such great encouragement when you really feel like your body is about to turn into mush! We kept chugging along and eventually made it to where I could see the stadium, and then I really kicked it in. I felt like I was back in high school cross country kicking it for the finish. I finished my first half marathon in 02:03:48 which I could not be more pleased with, because I was just hoping to finish in under 02:30. It was a great day, and all who made it out had a great time! Thanks for all of the support!

This is moments before my first half marathon...completely in the zone and focused here!
Everyone after their events! It was a great day, and everyone had an awesome time! It was awesome!
Jonathan, my running buddy, and me after finishing the half marathon! I still can't believe it! 2:03:48...you could say I was happy!

Oh, and I also got my third tattoo about 3 hours after I finished the race! It's awesome...but of course I would think so! So what do you think? (13.1 is the mileage from the race.)

Over and out!

Lo!