Sick...eh!

So it's plan and simple...I'm feeling under the weather; sick; whatever you would like to call it. I went to class today, feeling fine, but about halfway through class, I felt like I was running a fever. I felt really hot, and generally achy all over. The second half of class today was hands on, so I opted out, and just studied my notes instead. I didn't feel like getting a massage, nor giving one to anyone, and possibly getting someone else sick. Hopefully I'll get over this real soon.

The rest of the day, I've just been resting. I had some chicken noddle soup for lunch, drank some tea, and took a hot shower. I figure one of those is bound to help, right? I sure hope so! I'm still not feeling great, but I'm not letting that keep me down. I have a mid-term tomorrow, so I'm at least going to class for that, but depending on how I feel I might leave once I'm finished. Well I'm going to go lay down again. Over and out.

Lo

Care Package! & Training

So I got a care package in the mail today! It was supposed to get here last week...but there was a slight detour. My mom was sending both my sister and I packages. Which was wonderful...but she sent the packages to the wrong places. So mine ended up in Virginia Beach with my sister, and I got hers! Anyway, so my package got here today, and my sister put something in there too! I was excited to open it up because I knew that my running tights would be in there! My mom made me some molasses cookies too! It was great!
**This pictures is just a general care package picture...you know I wouldn't have that much junk food sent to me!**

On a different note I decided that I need to figure out a new running plan. My knees are bothing me too much to continue running every day. So right now, I'm planning on running every other day and see how my knee does with that. I think I'll start running every day again in Janurary/February, and then possibly run twice a day beginning in March. So we'll see how all of this pans out, but I think it will work out okay. Over and out!

Lo!

3 Things...

Three things

Three things that scare me
1: failure
2: never seeing my friends again
3: sometimes the human mind

Three people who make me laugh
1: Melissa
2: Michael
3: Lindsay

Three things I love
1: family
2: friends
3: snail mail!!!

Three things I hate
1: 600 miles between me & home
2: people who are fake
3: people who take everything for face value

Three things I don't understand
1: migraines
2: how the Cubs haven't won in almost a century!
3: my family! haha!

Three things I love in a Girl/Boy
1: eyes
2: smile
3: back

three ways to best describe my personality
1: outgoing
2: spontaneous
3: artsy (artie for Lindsay!)

Three things I cant do
1: read music
2: fly
3: travel through time

Three favorite movies
1: Tommy Boy
2: Backdraft
3: Nemo...although, I really like any pixar movie

Three Goals for future
1: run a half marathon
2: run a marathon
3: compete in a triathlon

Three of your dumbest moments
1: I turned, to set something down and turned into a 500 degree oven...OUCH! 2nd degree burns are not fun at all! But I do have a sweet scar!
2: Other people find this dumb...I drove 18 straight hours to CO, and slept at a rest stop...never again, I know! Don't worry!

3: shaving my head...granted I can say that I've done it, but never again!

Three People I am tagging

1: Lindsay

2: Stephen

3: Lindsey

Over and out!

Lo!

VOTE! & Fiber!

Today I got my absentee ballot in the mail. Even though I can't be at the polls on November 7th, I'm making sure that my voice is heard, and I hope that you do the same. Find your polling place, and be sure to place your vote. Be an informed voter, and research your candidates. Make sure your voice heard, vote November 7th!

On a different note, I feel like for the past two weeks every day in class we have talked about FIBER! So here is my contribution to you! If you do nothing else, add fiber to your diet! Why exactly you ask? Well for the simple fact that it helps clean you out. This is a wonderful thing. It also helps to make you feel full longer. Fiber is the last thing that leaves your stomach (carbohydrates, protein, fat and then fiber). This is why after you stuff yourself with a huge pasta dinner you feel hungry an hour later! If you added fiber to your diet, you wouldn't have those hunger urges nearly as often. So there you go! Over and out!

Lo!

7-0...Only two teams left!

So today, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos in a really close game all the way to the end, with a 34-31 victory. It made the Colts the first team to go 7-0 in consecutive seasons since the 1929-31 Green Bay Packers did it three straight times. Hopefully this will carry over to the post season, all the way to the Big Dance!

The Chicago Bears defeated the San Fransisco 49er's in what can only be called a total domination! The Bears took control early, and never looked back, with a 41-10 victory. The Bears are other team still undefeated this season (7-0).

There has already been a lot of talk about the Super Bowl being Bears vs. Colts. I would love that, I would probably pass out, and I'm sure there would be some crazy Super Bowl parties. I like the Bears, but when/if they play the Colts, no love for Da Bears...Colts all the way. Over and out!

Lo!

Linus & me!

So Linus is one of my favorite peanut characters...well characters, in general I suppose. See, I identify with him in many ways. The obvious one is the fact that he carries around his security blanket...Now, I don't actually carry it around with me, but yes, I still have my baby blankie, and yes, I sleep with it every night! He also is the one that sees the good in things even when no one else will give them a care. I love that about him! He is the one that takes this little Christmas tree, when everyone else won't even give it a day or time. I hope that I have more of that in me!

So here I am with my blankie. I've had this my entire life, and I don't care what anyone says, I'm keeping it! When I was about 5 or 6, one of my parents friends (she was actually a dispatcher at one of my dad's fire stations) told me she would give me $10 if I would get rid of my blankie! Granted that was a lot of money back then, but still there was no way I was trading any amount of money for my blankie! Anyway, so there really isn't any reason for this post, I just thought that you might get a laugh out of this, or maybe even make you think! So who is your favorite character? Who do you identify with? Over and out!

Lo!

Sleepin' In & Studyin'!

Sleeping in today was great! I haven't done that in a long time! Granted I went to bed much later than usual, but still, it was great. Once I got up, I decided that I would go for my run in the morning, rather than in the afternoon like usual. It's actually better for you anyway, for many reasons, which I won't get into on here (if you want to know, let me know and I'll get you the details!). I left, and forgot to put my watch on, so I really have no clue how fast I was going, but its not that big of a deal. I really don't care to know how fast I'm running right now. I just want to get in the habit of running daily. The run was a little chilly, but it was refreshing.

I've spent the rest of the day watching football (ND beat Navy! 38-14), and then doing some studying. I have my midterm in my nutrition class this Friday, so I figured I should look at my notes at least a little bit. That really didn't take all that long though...

Today has been really low key. I feel like I've just been sitting around all day. I think that's okay though. It's good to have a day like that every now and then. I think I'll finish the last few pages of my book I'm reading right now, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, and move on to the next one, Love Beyond Reason. Over and out!

Lo!

Puddle jumping!

Today after class I ran around doing some errands, nothing exciting really, but I didn't think I would have time to get a run in after I got home. Well I guess all my errands didn't take nearly as long as I was thinking it would. So I went out for my run. It was one heck of a course because of the rain recently. The trail that I run on is paved, but everytime it rains, it floods. So I knew I was going to be dodging some puddles, and making my own trail at times. I had run through some small puddles nothing too exciting yet....then came the bridge! I run under the bridge following the path. However, because of the rain, there is a layer of mud. This layer though, is hard to see when you are running up to it. You can't tell where it starts exactly. Needless to say, I started to slip! No worries though, I didn't fall! I ended up climbing up on these rocks to cross under the bridge. It was crazy! I thought I was going to fall a few times on the way there, as well as on the way back. The run back was painful though. I couldn't breath very well, and my chest was feeling really tight. I took it a little slower on the way back, but still made it a pretty good run. Over and out!

Lo!

"Dating & single!?" & a little randomness!

So today during one of our breaks in class one of the girls went out in the hall to go talk to a guy that she liked. I knew that she was/is having a difficult time getting over her last boyfriend, and so I said that she needs to be single for a while. So one of the other girls says, you can date and be single at the same time. WHAT!? I'm sorry, isn't that an oxymoron? I understand that just about everyone in my class has different morals & convictions that I hold to, but how can anyone think that? So I inquired a little further. I asked how that is even possible. This was the answer I got: "You can be single and still date around. You don't have to continue to date the same person, and tell them where you are and all that. You are just learning about the person, and finding out if you like them." I still didn't agree that in that circumstance you were still "single" though. So if you think this is actually possible, please explain to me how. Anyway, so after we talked about this for a few minutes, one of my classmates said to me, that I'm going to have to find some guy that is really good, someone into adventure, studious, etc. Which in my head I thought, of course the guy I marry will be really good...heck, he'll be great! I just couldn't believe what they were saying about the whole dating and being single at the same time. Totally threw me off!

When I got home I thought about going for a run, but I was so tired, and my body still felt like it had been hit by a semi truck, so I opted not to run today. I instead took a nap. A really long nap. I woke up, and felt like a ton of lead. I didn't want to move. However, my mom called me to inform me that the package that she was sending to me, she accidentally sent to my sister. Which means that I'll be receiving my sister's package today. So we have to send out the packages to each other so everything is "A-Okay!" I guess my sister wanted to keep my stuff though! Not good, I need my running tights! Which is really the only time you will ever see me in tights! Haha! Yikes! Over and out!

Lo!

Deep Tissue & Half-Marathon

So today for class we had lectures for the first two hours, then it was time to trade massages! I was able to get one of the really talented seniors to work on me. I was really excited because I knew that I had some knots in my legs, and my IT bands (Iliotibial bands) were really tight too and knew she would work on them. Anyway, so she gave me a full body deep tissue massage! If you haven't had a deep tissue massage (and believe me, you would know) then let me tell you...it's painful, but a good painful. Essentially you are stripping the muscles, so the toxins will be flushed out. As an athlete, it's a wonderful thing...although, I'm sure the average person would take advantage of it as well. There are a few new students in our class now, so they were observing the massages being given, which meant I had an audience! Yeah, that's not normal! Anyway, so the senior working on me asked if it was okay if the "newbies" did a little work on me. So I said to go for it. A few times, there were three sets of hands on me! CRAZY!!! Anyway, I ended up getting about an hour and a half massage, which was so wonderful! So tomorrow I owe her a really long massage. I'm up for it though!

After I got home, I went for my usual run, right around 3 miles. Then after about 20 minutes after I felt like my body had been through a war, or hit by a semi truck or something! So now I'm chillin' on my couch relaxing for a while. I don't want to kill my body trying to get in shape for the half marathon!

Speaking of the half marathon...I went on the Sunburst website to figure out what time the race begins, cost, etc. That's when I found out that the races are always the first Saturday in June! I thought it was the second Saturday in July! So this changes a few things because had it been when I had originally thought, everything would work out great. My summer break (one week, yippie), is the first week of July, so I thought it would work out great! However, because it is the first Saturday in June, it looks like I will have to make a special trip for the race. Right now I'm thinking that I'll try and fly home the Friday, June 1st, then race Saturday June 2nd, then fly back to KC Sunday June 3rd. It would be a very quick trip, but I really want to run this race, so I feel like it's worth it. I need to figure out a few things, and hope that prices on these flights go down, but that's my plan for now. Over and out!

Lo!

In the ZONE!

So today I really wanted to go for a run. This is the first time since I started training that I actually wanted to go running. This is a huge thing! I've gotten past my first mental barrier. Granted, I know that there will be many along the way, but hey at least I'm past this one. Anyway, so I wanted to go running, but my body didn't want to go. I didn't really feel all that well so my body just wasn't up for it. I decided not to let my body win that battle though. I figured I would at least go for a walk if nothing else. So once I got out there I decided that I would at least start running...and after a few minutes I didn't feel all that bad anymore. I even ended up running right around the same split times that I have been running. I love the feeling after a run. It's great! Anyway, nothing too exciting going on. Over and out!

Lo!

Class & "Howdy!"

Today class was really small. I don't understand how people just don't show up, or show up hours late. We only have class 4 hours a day! I understand if you're sick, but the people that aren't showing up, haven't been there but sporadically throughout the past couple weeks. Anyway, besides that, class went well, and tomorrow we are working on massages again, so that will be a nice change of pace.

After I got home from class, I was really tired and decided after eating some lunch, that I would take a nap. Crazy thing is I actually was able to fall asleep! I think I took about an hour nap, which was very much needed. I got up and thought about going for a run, but I really didn't want to. I didn't run yesterday, because I've decided that I'll take Sunday's off on my running schedule. So I felt like I couldn't not run today. I ended up getting out and running the usual route, and was still right around the usual time that I've been running it in. I even felt a little better running it this time. Hopefully soon I'll be able to add some distance to what I'm running. We'll see though, don't want to push myself to fast though. Anyway, so on my run, there was this man that was walking back from the store, carrying his bags. So I always say hi, or nod my head as I run by people, but usually that's all. Well this guy was so funny! He goes, "Howdy!" It made me smile! Then on my way back, I passed him. This time though, we were both trying to avoid a very large puddle and some mud. We were both careful of where we stepped, and then as I passed him he goes, "I've been walking around all these puddles!" "Yeah, they're everywhere since the rain this weekend." "Yeah, it's really bad under the bridge!" "Yeah, I know, gotta be careful under there!" "Yeah, you too!" Made me smile again! He seemed really nice, and that he was happy to talk to someone walking back to his home. Well I thought you might enjoy that little story. Over and out!

Lo!

Anger!?

Today at church I felt like the pastor had been following my life for the past six months. It totally penetrated my heart. I haven't felt so, inspired (I think that's the word I want there) to work on things in my life in a long time. I know though, that this is a process, a huge process, and one that at times will be painful. I also know though, that it is necessary. I want to move on from this too! I don't want this aspect of my life to control me.

"Behind every anger there is hurt; behind every hurt there is a problem that needs healing"

- Pastor Dan Southerland

Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
"People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness."

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 29:22 (NLT)

"An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin."

Hopefully these verses will continue to penetrate my heart, and help me through this time of pain and healing. Over and out.

Lo

Pumpkins & rain!

Well, it's that time of the year when pumpkins are being bought so fast that they can hardly be kept on the shelves! So Melissa and I picked up a few ourselves, and tried our own hand at carving them! It was quite an interesting endeavor considering a couple of her cousins joined us in the fun...that made for some serious laughter! You had to be there, otherwise I would explain, but it really wouldn't do it justice! So here are our pumpkins!

This fun creation is mine...I couldn't get it exactly how I wanted it, but it's close enough, and my hands and arms started looking orange, and smelling like a pumpkin so I stopped before it was a problem! It was fun though. I hadn't carved pumpkins in a long time...I felt like a kid again!
This is Melissa's! I thought it turned out GREAT! She sat there for quite a while getting it to look like that, but it looks really awesome! The hard part was getting the candle lit, and keeping it lit! It was windy out which created a bit of a problem...but we're both pyro's so it wasn't too terrible!

On a different note, I went running today...in the rain! It was great, other than the fact that I was just about running in a creek! My shoes are soaked and sitting out on my deck drying out! I felt like I was back in high school running cross country. It was about 50 degrees out and raining...it was like semi-state! Well, it felt like high school other than the fact that there wasn't a race that I was running in, other teams, and an added 25-30 pounds! I love running in this type of weather though! You get done and your legs are red from the cold rain smacking your legs as you continue to run through the pain. You can barely feel your ears they're so cold. Your shoe almost comes off from running through the mud (or in my case once it actually did...not today though!). Ah, how I love it! I'm so glad I went running! Over and out!

Lo!

My Door!

I finally put something on my door to my bedroom. I've wanted to do this...well, since I moved in, but finally took the time to do it. So on my door I have some of the people that I love, along with things that motivate me, and inspire me. I need to get some more pictures printed out and add them around the sides, but that's my door for now.

This door I walk by every day, multiple times. This is why I put it up. I know that it will make my heart beat fast, and take me to a place where nothing can hurt me. This is a place that God and I get to hang out, just the two of us. This is a place where I am learning to be quiet and listen to God's still small voice. This is a place where I want to frequent more than I have recently. This is my door, is my heart. These people on my door help me come back home to my heart. Some of these people tell me like it is even when it's difficult. These are the people that inspire me to follow God's plan instead of my own. This is my door!

Over and out!

Lo!

Quizams & Running..eh!

Well for class today we had our first quiz (or quizam as our instructor likes to call them!), nothing difficult really, unless you didn't show up for a couple classes throughout the week. (That wasn't a problem for me!) I just don't understand how people have already missed 3 days of class already! We've only had 5 days of class in this section! Anyway, class is going well, other than my arm feels like it is going to fall off from writing so many notes! It's just that its been such a long time since I've taken notes for class! I think it goes all the way back to...um...Dr. Bob's Old Testament...that was in the spring of 2002! Yeah, it's been a while! For one of the answers I even drew a picture along with the written answer...my instructor laughed when he saw it. I guess we'll see how I did next week, but I feel like I did well. Oh, and speaking of grades, I got my grade from my last section...drum roll please....A 104%, yay! So far, so good! Ah, heck, it's great!

After class I decided that I should go running. Well, okay, I decided this once, I decided to start training for the half marathon. The only thing was that my head didn't want to go running. My body did, but my mind didn't. I knew once I actually was out there running I would be glad that I did, but it was just getting out there. So I decided to just start by doing some crunches (only 100 right now), and push ups (only 10...but that will go up!). After doing those, I felt a little bit more like running, and left for my run. Literally, only one minute in, I was happy to be out running! I ran about 3 miles like I have been doing, and am so glad that I ran! So I got over the three day hump! This is a great thing, because now it's starting to get into my routine!

One more thing, I got a new book this week! In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson, I've only ready about 2 chapters, but it's really good already. I think I'll finish it this weekend...which for many of those who know me, this is almost crazy talk! I usually hate reading...but get this, in the past couple months I've read Flashbang twice, Waking the Dead, and now I'm starting this book! Holy Cow! One of my classmates said that I'm a book worm! That's a name I never thought would be pinned on me! I guess an old dog can learn new tricks! I'll explain why I say that...Throughout my entire highschool career, I did not read a single book. Now I'm reading all the time! I don't get this at all! It's a great thing though...I don't mind being called a book worm, I mean, I like worms! Over and out!

Lo!

Burnt grilled cheese!?

This one is for you Lindsay! I hope you get a kick out of this!

Okay, so this picture, well it was my lunch. I know what you are thinking, you didn't possibly eat that!? Yes, yes I did! So here is why it looks like that...I was in the process of making my grilled cheese (or burnt cheese) sandwich, while also peeling (I think that's the right word) some hard boiled eggs, and checking my e-mail. So I go back in my kitchen, a whole 5 feet from where I was sitting, and flop the sandwich over, and BAM! It's burnt! Dang it! Well, needless to say, I ate it anyway, because I was still really hungry at this point! Now, let me explain a little something here...I usually am a great cook! I've cooked for many people before, in which they all agreed, I am a good cook! So, please do not think that this is a reflection of my cooking, and that I am eating burnt things while I am away from home!

So here goes...I am a good cook, but even good cooks happen to mess up from time to time. We just have to get back in the kitchen and keep working at it. It's a good lesson I do believe! Over and out!

Lo!

Movie & Running

Today for class after we did a couple hours of lecture we watched Super Size Me a documentary film that follows a guy who eats McDonald's for 30 days. I was absolutely disgusted at what some of the people were saying. It's something that is sweeping the nation, and the world for that matter, and is becoming a normal thing that a person will eat at a fast food place more than they will eat a home cooked meal. Even when they do eat at fast food places, it's usually on the run, in a car. The family dinner table has become almost non-existent! It's so sad to think that diabetes, a disease that can be prevented, is predicted to pass heart disease as the number one killer in the US in the next 4 years.

On to a slightly different subject...
Lindsay asked me to eat a Twinkie for her, because she said it would make her smile/laugh. So I figured, I would do that! I must say, I haven't had a Twinkie in a very long time...I forgot how good they were! No worries, though, I only had the one, and I don't have any at home, so I think I'll be good to go! I mean, today I had a Luna bar, an apple, some carrots, and 2 tuna sandwiches...exciting I know!

I also decided to run today. I really didn't want to at all. It was cool out, around 45 degrees, very overcast, and just plain blah! I knew though, that I had to start training if I really am going to run a half marathon in about 9 months. I'm not concerned right now about distance or time, just getting into the habit of running daily again. It's been such a long time since I've seriously trained...this is going to be interesting! I'll be sure to post updates on how things are going. Over and out!

Lo!

Class & workshops...

Today was nothing out of the ordinary as far as class goes. I now am even more aware of what I'm putting in my mouth, which just isn't all that exciting because now I feel that I go and get new food! No more bread unless it has at least 3-5 grams of fiber; no more "empty-nutrient calories" which is seriously going to be hard being that I love munching on crackers and such. My instructor said that if you do nothing else but add fiber to your diet you'll notice it. Fiber helps to level out sugar levels.




After class I was able to head out to Westside Family Church to see Lindsay, and the other GCC people one last time before they head out. I hung out mostly, but was able to help get things cleaned up for them to get on their way. This time Lindsay and I actually got to talk for a little bit, while the workshops were in session. It was so great to just hang out with her. We made sure to take a picture this time!




After workshops were finished everyone went into clean up mode! I helped get some of the materials packed up and ready to go with them to their next destination...FLORIDA!!! From what I heard, it sounded like everyone who attended the workshops really learned a lot and really had a great time as well. I figured being that I wont see Lindsay again for a while, we would take one more picture before they left. I had such a great time with them today! Over and out.

Lo

Nutrition & Familiar faces!

Today was my first day of my second section and it went really well. I'm in nutrition & herbology for the next six weeks. I already feel like I can't eat anything anymore from what we learned today. I really would love to change some of my eating habits, but I'm sure that will take some major time to change. Our new instructor is a chiropractor, and is actually really funny, and makes learning all the information not all that bad. I was taking tons of notes, which was actually really nice. In my last section we didn't really do much note taking because we really only had the one big project. I like it this way much better.

After class I went home, changed and then headed over to Westside Family Church because some people from GCC were there setting up workshops for tomorrow. It was so great to see familiar faces again! I got to see Lindsay which was so wonderful! (Okay, so this picture is about 2 months old, but I didn't get a pic today, so this will have to do!) It was good catching up a little bit with her, but definitely not enough time at all. I helped set up the different rooms, and then was able to just hang out with everyone and catch up on how things are going back home. It was really fun seeing a few of the pastors outside of church (GCC), and laughing with them. I really had a great time helping Lindsay set up the different rooms, and feeling almost like I was back home working again. It was great. For those few hours, I felt absolutely at home. When I left, I felt like I was leaving home all over again. I mean for those few hours I felt back in my element helping to set things up for workshops, talking with fellow GCC staff, etc. I miss it so much. I know that I'm out here for a reason, as a few of the GCC folks took advantage of, but it's hard when you miss home so much. I mean, it's wonderful anytime that I get to see Melissa because I can totally be myself and not think about anything, but this is different seeing people that I used to work with. People I saw every week for hours, for almost 9 months...I love these people and miss them so much. Every time I walk into a church I have this small hope that I have opened the doors back to GCC and am home again. Maybe that's not healthy, but it's where I'm at right now. For whatever reason it's really hitting me right now. I'm sitting here almost in tears I miss it so much! I miss getting to work early, before anyone and walking around the building making sure everything is how it should be; I miss sharing life with my fellow co-workers; I miss our staff meetings; I miss hearing so many God stories all the time; I miss walking around talking to people from so many different departments and walking away from conversations that are amazing; I miss leaving work feeling like I really helped out in a bunch of different ministries; I miss talking with my boss, supervisor, co-workers, etc. and really listening to what each other is saying; I even miss running the trash all the way out to the huge trash can! Okay enough of that stuff...I don't want you to think that I didn't have a wonderful time with Lindsay, and everyone else from GCC because I did! I wish that she was in town longer so I could actually hang out with her, but I guess that will have to wait until I'm home for Christmas. Anyway, today was a really...um...I guess roller coaster sort of day. Over and out.

Lo