Merry Christmas! part 2

We drove back to Kansas City this morning after a wonderful & crazy holiday weekend with my family.  I'm feeling a little bummed that all the holiday festivities are over, but am keeping my decorations up until the Epiphany on January 6th...or spring, whichever is more convenient. :)  I love the glow our Christmas tree casts over the living room at night when none of the other lights are on...will be sad to put it away & deal with the dreariness of winter!

On Thursday night we had a low-key dinner with Jeremy's dad, exchanged gifts, and even got to play a little Wii Mariokart.  It was a lot of fun & very relaxing.  After they went home, Jeremy & I had our own gift exchange, enjoyed a little more peace & quiet, and then headed to bed.  It had started sleeting early in the afternoon, changed over to snow around dinner time, and when we woke up i checked the weather & found this:

Blizzard!?!  Uhh...this is Missouri right? Gah!  And we're supposed to drive to St. Louis!!  There was about 6-8" of snow on the ground, and all reports said it was too treacherous to drive.  I was so bummed!  After doing a little more research, we decided that we'd plan to get on the road around noon, since reports indicated the storm would be tapering off & MODOT would have been able to get some of the snow cleared.  Four hours later we were pulling into my parents' drive, so all in all not too bad.

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting with family almost nonstop, and I just loved it.  We played lots of games, ate good food (I was even responsible & didnt STUFF myself!) and just generally enjoyed having everyone together.  I am grateful to be blessed with such kind & loving and FUN family members! (check out the photos below of my nephew Colin & Uncle Dennis - following an all-out nerf-gun war at the Emge Christmas Extravaganza!) 

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!!  It's a a little early, but since I have a rare bit of spare time, I thought I would turn the crank & get the blog rolling again, and at the same time do our first Christmas letter as a married couple.

Source

  So, 2009...what a year!  We started the year by sending out save the dates for our upcoming wedding.  Christmas Eve 2008 marked the one year anniversary of Jeremy's marriage proposal, and with the wedding date set at April 25, 09, only four short months remained.  Every time I think about the night Jeremy proposed I just get butterflies!  We spent Christmas Eve together, just the two of us, and it was the kind of night you read about, or see in the movies.  After dinner we were enjoying a quiet moment taking in the view of the Kansas City Plaza from our room on the 10th floor of the Intercontinental Hotel - softly falling snow, beautiful lights outlining the buildings - so picturesque and touching.  A magical Christmas Eve night.  I think I might be the only one who noticed all that though, because Jeremy was so nervous!  All at once, I realized he was getting down on one knee and asking me to spend my life with him. He worked so hard to plan the evening, and make it memorable, and it turned out perfectly.






Fast forward a year - we were getting ready to kick the wedding planning into high gear!  The next four months leading up to the wedding in April were a blur!  We tied the knot on Saturday April 25th, and the following Monday left for a week of sun & relaxation in St. Lucia.  Bliss!  Since then it's been all downhill.  Kidding!  Each day I am thankful for the companion I've found in Jeremy & look forward to all the adventures & challenges yet to come for us.

Aside from the wedding - which, my goodness...everything else this year pales in its shadow! (and rightfully so!)  So...yeah, that thing called life?

Well, a year ago, aside from getting ready to send out save the dates, we also made the decision for me to return to school in preparation for eventual enrollment in nursing school.  This was a big decision and a leap of faith for both of us, since it entails a pretty big change of career for me.  The first step: complete prerequisites at the local community college.  I enrolled in Chemistry and managed to eke out an A, but was so busy with wedding planning I don't think I remember much from that semester!  I took Nutrition online during the summer session, and in the fall completed Anatomy & Physiology.  Whew!  That last class was killer...four days of lecture a week, two of them with a lab after.  Still, the material was fascinating, and Jeremy got the benefit of my newfound knowledge each  night as he picked me up from class.  Most nights I was so excited with what I learned I managed to regurgitate a 50 minute lecture into the 5 minute drive home. :)  Talk about cliff notes!  In any case, with each class that passes I am more excited at the prospect of this new calling!  Now to just get into a nursing program.






Over the summer I took golf lessons, something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  I played a few full rounds with Jeremy at local courses, and played 9 holes with mom once in St. Peters, and in all cases really enjoyed being out in the nice weather & get some fresh air & exercise at the same time.  Jeremy has played golf since he was in high school, and it really is amazing how much we enjoy sharing this hobby.  Now if I can just convince him how much fun it would be to take dancing lessons!!







Between school, Jeremy's fishing expeditions in the spring, golf in the spring/summer/fall and the wedding, we have had a very full year full of growth, fun and adventure.  Factor in our periodic trips to O'Fallon & Springfield to see family & friends, and you can see we lead a life that is constantly on the go.

In all that has come about in the last year, one thing has become crystal clear.  We lead a life full of blessings, and recognize that without our Savior none of it would be possible.  May the celebration of His birth and the Christmas season stay with you all through the coming year.  Please know that we think of you often & hope you are well.

Love & hugs,
Jeremy & Katie

Father's Day

In honor of Father's day, some famous dads we all know & love:

And then of course, the best one:

That's my dad!! :) I'd like to send him some good Father's Day vibes! This weekend Dad, Tony, JN & I went to JN's dad's place at the lake for a fathers day getaway filled with fishing, napping, bbq/smoking and general relaxation. I think a good time was had by all--at least it seemed that way! We were pretty bummed that Randy was too sick to join us...it definitely wasn't the same without him there.

On my way down to the lake on Friday, I got this text message from Dad: "The beers are too cold. I had three and they are just too cold." :) I know I laughed at that for a good 20 min. Once I arrived, the boys were sitting on the deck, cold beers in hand...ready for a great weekend! Everyone was in good spirits, looking forward to a relaxing couple of days. We spent the evening shooting the breeze & catching up, and later on JN, Tony & I got on the 4wheelers & took a drive to show Tony around, and even do a little off roading.

The next morning we got up early & headed out to the Lake for some fishing on dad's boat. I didnt get a fishing license until Sat. evening so i didnt fish, but was quite content chilling in the boat working sudoku, chatting with the guys & enjoying the peaceful morning on the water. There was one small catfish caught, so we brought that home, but other than that it was just casting practice & feeding the fish. :) We headed back to home base for lunch & so Tony could get the ribs into the smoker, and then we headed to the pond for a little more fishing. JN showed off his fly fishing skills (i was impressed! and i want to learn now...) and dad & tony fed the fish some more. It was getting hot so we headed back so dad & JN could nap, & tony & i went to walmart to pick up some odds & ends. When we got back, the guys were still sleeping, so we mixed some cocktails & started dinner. It was really nice to hang out with Tony--its rare that we get to spend time just us, and it reminded me of what a great guy he is--good natured, great sense of humor, and an all around loveable guy. Anywhoo, after dinner (bbq/smoked ribs...mmm...) we drove to the dam & did some more fishing. Since I had my fishing license by this time, I did get to fish...and I baited my own hook, tied some fishing knots to attach the hook to the line (i lost soo many hooks...) and actually caught 2 fish!! They were the only keepers the whole night! Woot!

When we got back JN helped me clean the fish, then i went & took a MUCH needed shower. Tony & JN took off to play cards with some neighbors & dad & i just chilled with drinks, talked & listened to music. It's been a very long time since dad & I have had that kind of quality time together just the 2 of us, and I really enjoyed it. We usually dont see too much of each other, i'm usually with mom shopping & whatnot, so i definitely appreciated having the time to spend with him. We caught up on how things are going with the fire department, things he's working on & helping out with, and how things are going with JN & I, our jobs & househunting & such.

This morning we slept in until about 9:30...since it was already warm & humid we opted to pass on fishing & head to town for breakfast instead. After breakfast we came back & packed up...kindof a downer, but we were so hot & humid, i think all of us were ready for the comforts of home (and a/c!). The weekend was a lot of fun, but passed too quickly!! Even so, i hope that dad & Tony had a good time...We didnt get either of them anything big for father's day, but I have always been a fan of quality time/memories over 'stuff' as gifts. Hopefully this was a memorable weekend for the 2 of them. It was for me! :) Happy Father's day guys!

And so the summer begins

Welcome back old friend! It's been a long, long while...over a year! So much has happened in that year...i'm into bulletted (sp?) lists these days, so here's the highlights:

• JN & I celebrated the one year mark on April 2, 2007, and the two year mark on April 2, 2008. This is now officially the longest relationship I've ever been in! And it's with BY FAR the best one in the bunch. For sure a keeper.
• To follow that last thought--he IS a keeper...and apparently thinks I might be as well because he proposed on Christmas Eve, 2007. AWWWW!!! I still get misty thinking of it. :) Mark your calendars for April 2009.
• TWO job changes--I was working at the Big C in accounting when I posted last...then I moved to HR in the following June, and this last May I returned to the company I worked for first out of college. So now I'm back to SS, under the same client (but in a diff dept), and working on the same floor as JN. So far all changes for the positive.
• Survived my 10 year HS reunion...as my cousin's husband noted "a lot of smiling & polite nodding"...but also good to see a lot of friends i hadnt seen in a bit!
• Survived the experience surrounding the 2007 Chicago Marathon. Adversity builds character, and sometimes the worst experiences in life can teach you as much or more as the best experiences. While I dont look back on that race with any trace of fondness, I am glad I experienced it--made me realize what happens when you combine a failure to seriously train for an event and the event organizers end up failing to be adequately prepared. Next time I need to do more to CMA (no...not the country music awards...its short for cover my arse). Also I realized that my mom is my biggest & staunchest supporter...that was such a low point for me as far as morale & physical ability goes, and she was still with me the whole way, doing her best to motivate me. My mom is The Best. Bar none.
• In May last year I moved in with JN...hugemongous step! We cohabitate pretty well most of the time...sans that one week or so a month when my horrible hormonal side takes over. Beyond that we do pretty well.
• Umm...not sure what else to add...i think that sums up the major highlights...i'll probably blog on it if i forget anything else...

So here's what i hope for you to hear about in the near future/coming year:

• Wedding Preparation. When i'm online it's what i'm reading about, when i'm talking to mom it's what we're discussing, and now that another one of my friends just got engaged, it only encourages me more. :) So far I've loved the majority of the process...still have about 10 1/2 months to go, but really have not had too much stress about the details as of yet.
• Physical Fitness. Common theme huh? Yeaaahhhh....about that....So I'm at my heaviest EVER. Right before I turned in my notice to the Big C, I visited the dr & my blood pressure was elevated. My weight was at 181. I've noticed my hands swelling & tingling. I'm sure my cholesterol is horrible. I'm about to marry the love of my life, I want to be around him for a long long time, and also want to have kids & be around for them for a long long time too....So if I didnt have a good reason to do this before I most certainly do now. I risk losing all of those things if I dont, so I'm going to make the changes again and am going to try to make them stick this time. I also have a wedding dress to fit into...when i got fitted i told the lady i wanted to lose weight & she said she hears that a lot & the reality is that most of the time it doesnt happen...i REALLY want to prove her wrong. :)
• House Hunting. The longer we're in this apartment, the more we want our own place. We're saving for a house as I type, and I can see us buying a house or condo within the next year.
• SSDD. Daily drabble...fun & not so fun happenings...trials & tribulations...excitement & adventure.

See ya soon! :)

Chirp, Chirp

yeah...do you hear that? that chirping noise? it's crickets...you know, the sound of silence? heh...yeah, those crickets must be tired since they've been hanging out here since october. I figured I'd give them a break & come out of my winter hibernation.

Hmm...so what's new? Since October?? yeah, that's a lot of stuff to write. I just read the last post & in it I was talking about doing the Oklahoma City Marathon...hmm...good thing i didnt actually register for the thing, b/c i did pretty much zero running. Actually, that's not true...i probably ran a combined 20 miles total from the last time i posted, but about zero of those miles were in training for a marathon. Not long after I posted, I started working a second job, so in addition to my lack of motivation to get out of bed & start training, i also had the job taking up the time i would have spent training. Convenient huh? :) you know it's bad when i'd rather work an additional 18ish hours a week instead of work out. It's not really like that tho...i guess i really didnt want to run much, when it's cold out you just want to stay in bed & conserve energy the energy needed to shiver your way to & from work every day. I did however want to pay off my considerable credit card debt...if i keep up the current schedule, things will be paid off in a year.

I've dubbed this the year of the credit card. It's D-Day for those things!! If i have anything to say about it, the balance will be zero by this time next year. Just in time to replace my currently old but holding up alright car. Or maybe get a house. Or do something equally financially ambitious with my newfound financial freedom. We'll see. My wonderful BF is inspiring me to be more frugal with my money, so i'm giving him all the credit. :)

Hmm...this is also hopefully that i make The Change to my lifestyle. By The Change i dont mean THE Change...i'm not hoping for menopause! Umm...no, i'm hoping that i can make peace with eating better & exercising, and make it part of my life, instead of something i did once and talk about like it was the good ole days. This last week I ran/worked out monday through friday, and then--get this--i ran just under 6 miles today! WOOT! :) i have to confess, i probably walked close to 5 minutes of the total time i was out there, but am proud that i made the distance.

Mom & I are running the Chicago Marathon this fall...and the Lincoln Half Marathon this May, and the Bix7 this July, and another half marathon this fall, sometime between the Bix and the marathon itself. Why are we running all these things, you wonder? Well, the last time we ran the Chicago Marathon, we shied away from the heat of summer, and instead of actually training like we should have, we halfheartedly suffered our way through the summer, never getting the needed miles in. We hope that by planning fun runs throughout the summer, we will be inspired and motivated to keep running & get the needed miles in. I am hoping too, that i can get back to my Bermuda time, or beat it (5 hrs).

So there you go...an update, and some pipe dreams, all in one post!

xoxo
katie

lazy day

Today is one of those days when you just want to stay in bed allllll day....it's a cold, rainy, grey day outside. Guess what i'm doing? I'm still in bed!!! :) I got up around 10:00 today, but got out of be just long enough to grab breakfast & my laptop. Then it was back to bed, and i have spent the afternoon playing on my computer.

The last week has kinda been a bumpy one, so it feels good to just lay around and be lazy. I havent been too lazy though...did you notice the changes to the blog? I upgraded, added labels, some lists on the sidebar, updated my profile...oh yeah, and changed the template. This one is ok, but i would like something that is inspiring when you open up my page. I know, I know..you're saying to yourself, how can it get more inspiring than the words of wisdom in each post? ;) Hmm...well, I want something to inspire me to write more, and also to run more...i want some picture, of a place like Big Sur or something, and some runner in the middle of it. You know, inspiring! :) If you know of a blog template that's easy to install--i'm not good with the html coding thing at all--could you let me know?

In other news...
I have decided to run the Oklahoma City marathon. Training started officially (for me) 2 weeks ago...according to the schedule i should have run about 20 miles total by now. So far, the running total is...um...less than 7. :\ Guess i need to get moving, huh?

a trip home, the zoo and a pubcrawl

As the summer was coming to an end, I was looking forward to my schedule slowing down a little bit...it seemed like as soon as June hit, we had something going on every weekend through the end of August, and those somethings were always at least a 2 hr drive from home. It was definitely a fun summer, but I was looking forward to more quiet weekends, ones that didnt involve living out of a suitcase & paying for expensive gas. :)

Well...that hasn't happened so much...it's gotten better, there are more weekends that are quiet & not jam-packed with stuff to do, but there are still plenty of booked weekends in there. Such as, 2 weeks ago when I went home to visit the family. Jeremy came with me, and we had a blast taking the kids to the Pumpkin Patch, and hanging out with family. On Sunday the 2 of us had an afternoon date --we went to the StL zoo-- to sortof celebrate being together 6 months (hey-it's a big deal in this battlefield of love that is the dating world!). :) Talk about a great weekend!

Here are a few pictures of the kids at the pumpkin patch:














































On a side note...This last weekend we had the fall pubcrawl in Westport...talk about a ton of fun! My friend Buscher flew in, and my friend Brad & his roomie Kirk drove in to be on the team. It was so much fun...altho it's been a looong time since i've had a weekend with so little sleep! Blogger's being slow so i will post the pictures next time, but rest assured, there are some gems in there! :) haha...

weariness, quarter-end and a new flavor of turkey

~sigh~
I am le tired....today I was at work & waiting in the cold morning air for the shuttle at 7:10a.m. Lately I have been an earlybird, last week i was at work before 7:30am every day! Who is this girl, you say? Well, it's a girl who has a very sweet boyfriend who helps her get up in the morning. In my more recent years, i havent been opposed to getting up early, as long as i wasnt the one who had to get me up at that ungodly hour. :) Jeremy has been the brave, brave man who attempts to wake me up at 5:15 or 5:30, so I can be ready & on the road in time to be at work by 7. What a guy, huh? :)

Lately work has been getting busier though...the quarter closes this saturday, so we are trying to get a ton of stuff done in order to get everything on the books before we close them. That is why i am so le tired...today i worked pretty much straight through until 6:20...that's 11 hours!! you wouldnt think sitting at a desk that long would wear you out, but it does!

The highlight of the day was lunch...last night at the grocery store deli i found some sundried tomato smoked turkey. YUM! you dont even need mayo on this sandwich...mustard & cheese is just fine...it was really good.

Is it sad that the highlight of my day is a turkey sandwich?

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's birthday! Happy birthday!!!!

In honor of the occasion, I thought I would blog about my mom. I dont remember every having one of those days in school where you bring your parents to school & brag on them to your class...career day? i think that was it...anywho...here's what i would say if i had a career day now. :) (i'm a dork...it's ok, you can say it...)


Looking back on my relationship with my mom over the years, the thing that stands out to me the most is how close we are, and have been. Sure, you know those teenage years were rough...I remember asking mom how she ever got through it, b/c i know i was a real pain, and she jokingly said "Prozac"...hehe...at least, i hope she was joking...in her shoes i think i would have needed something much stronger...like Jack Daniels maybe. But I digress...even through all of that we still had a better relationship i think than many of my friends and their mothers did. I remember feeling sorry for girls who just resented their moms & everything they did...my mom was my friend too, and i thought they were really missing out on having such a close confidant, someone they could always always count on to be there for them. I think that has been the biggest gift my mom has given me, her friendship and support over the years. Sure, putting me through school, roof over my head, food in my stomach...all important things...but through all the challenges she has been there for me. That is a huge thing...something everyone should be so lucky to have. Thanks mom! I hope you have a wonderful day!!


Today mom is driving to kc to spend a couple of days with me in celebration of her bday...it's kindof an annual thing, every year she comes to kc & we spend her bday together. On the agenda: shopping, pedicures, good food. I am really looking forward to it!


Here are a couple of pictures of my beautiful, amazing mom.

steal of the century

Yesterday I was reading one of my daily blogs and read about this girl, who writes for Mind of Mencia, who just ran her first marathon in Hawaii.  She wrote about her preparation for it, and then a separate entry for the first half of the marathon.  Reading that brought back all the emotions & reactions I experienced during my first marathon, in Hamilton, Bermuda.  The anxiety of preparation--do i take this? no..i wont need it...but what if i do?...better take it...well, i dont want to bring too much...what is everyone else taking?...ok, enough-i'm leaving it...ok fine, i'll bring it with me.  Imagine agonizing about this over everything you take.  Even after having made a list of what you will need.  Then there's the anticipation at the start line, the feeling of excitement as months of blood sweat & tears culminates in a few 'short' (ha! whatever!) hours of running...and then dragging yourself through those few short hours.

 

Reading that made me want that feeling back...I felt the same way after reading David and Abbie's postings about their first triathlon...David had blisters at the end, Abbie's legs were shaking from the effort.  They helped each other through it, and the same as Pamie, didnt come in first, didnt come in last, but FINISHED.  It's hard for me to get my butt off the couch, but there's no prouder moment than when you cross that finish line.  And no better feeling than when you get to sit down (collapse) afterwards in a heap of sweaty smelly exhaustion.  Doesnt that sound like fun??? :)  I want that feeling again!! 

 

So, this weekend i think mom & i are going to look into marathons to run in april.  I found a couple of international ones (London & Paris), and a few domestic ones (Nashville, OKC, Dallas, Big Sur).  Stay tuned...

 

Oh, and on the topic of the subject line....my company has a classified ads, and i found an add for a mattress.  JN has been needing one BAD--his was his great grandpa's, and i think it was worn out when he got it.  This mattress that he got, it's a Sealy pillowtop...only a couple of years old...i looked & a new one on sale was like $700 bucks.  Guess what he got it for?  $65!  and this was after the guy asked $100 OBO.  :)  We picked it up last night, and it is a ginormous improvement over his last one.  Makes me want to hit the garage sales...so i can find more steals of the century!

testing..1..2..3

This is a test to see if i can blog via email, without having to do anything of the logging in sort of stuff...

Am hoping this will be a way for me to blog more...you know, since its soooo hard to actually go to the site & log in n stuff... :)

long time no see

yeah, so about those promises to write every day, exercise all the time, blah blah blah...dont remember? yeah, me neither. nevermind then. :)

Lots of changes these days...just moved out of the HL & in with my friend denise deniserson...i'm liking living there, except its farther away from my BF. It's been an adjustment, but i think it's a definite change for the better not dealing with the stress of the wicked witch of the west anymore (the director). My evenings are now free to do whatever (yay!)...altho that 'whatever' now usually consists of anything that costs no money (boo...). JN (the BF) and i read this book his grandma gave us, The Total Money Makeover. Nothing really new in there, it was pretty much one long pep talk to spend less, get another job to make more, and pay more stuff off. oh yeah, and stop using your credit cards. It was genius. :) So...jn & i have been trying to live very cheaply, and pretty much succeeding. For less than $6 a day we have been eating breakfast, lunch & dinner. I feel like those kids in el salvador sally struthers was always going on about... "for less than 6 cents a day you can feed a child for a month!" Hmm...i wonder what we'd have to reduce our grocery shopping to in order to get it under 6 cents a day! i'm not sure i want to find out.

This weekend i have been in stL visiting family for the first time in what seems like forever! i think it has only been like 2 months, but that seems like a long time when i've been used to going home ever 4-6 weeks. what a difference an extra 2 weeks makes. Mom & i spent a lot of time working on a scrapbooking project we've been working on for awhile now...and the rest of the time was spent playing with the neice & nephews & hanging out with friends. it was great! only downside was that jn was in kc...next time i'm dragging him with me! :)

marvels of modern technology

Today is the first day of 6 consecutive days during which my only responsibility will be to put on sunscreen, get enough sleep and make sure i drink my fair share of beer. Or jack & lemonade. Or jello shots. Whatever. :) I like those kinds of responsibilities!!

Through sunday we will be floating on the current river with a bunch of my friends from high school, and then sunday afternoon through wednesday we'll be on Tablerock lake with my family. ~sigh of contentment~

The last 2 days at work have been kind of stressful...I've been stuck in all day planning & strategy meetings. Not that I dont thoroughly enjoy planning things, or working on my strategery, 8 hours a day straight of that can get kind of tiresome. Theres only so much planning you can do in your efforts to take over the world...sometimes you just gotta go on instinct. :)

During our planning & strategizing, we took time out for a team builder. I have to say, this is one of my most favorite things about working for my current employer...the effort that is put into helping you get to know your teammates & build positive relationships with all of them. I havent ever been in a group that works so hard, and so well together. The proof is found in our laser tag scores at the end of the teambuilder. Holy cow that was fun! There are some people you look at & think they are so calm and introverted, but once you put a laser gun in their hand & give them a dark warehouse to run around in, they become the craziest laser gun shootin associate you've ever seen! It was absoloutely hilarious.

So...I'm on the highway right now typing this, and we're about to go down a huge hill & lose my signal...so i'll update more later...hopefully with pics of the float trip.

Toodles!

This is the part where you want to give up...

Hey there!

I'm baaack....seems that since i don't post at work, the only real time i have to blog is tuesday nights, before i head to bed...so maybe this will be a weekly post? hmm...we'll see...

So, last week was a good week! I brought my lunch to work every day, a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, mustard (sadly, no heart-stopping mayo), and 2% american cheese...some grapes...yogurt...an apple...also some yogurt, an orange & pretzels to snack on during the day. I also managed to keep my eating out at a minimum, so i saved both calories & money. woot! :) This week is starting off well, but i have 2 lunches scheduled during the week, and a girls night out dinner on thursday, so i'm trying really hard to make good choices. Today was one of the lunches scheduled, my team at work all went out to eat together to welcome some new members of the group. We went to the ameristar casino's sports restaurant...and instead of the mushroom & swiss burger i SO wanted to have, i opted instead for a grilled chicken sandwich. i had a few of the fries that came with it, but avoided them for the most part.

On the exercise front...lets see, last tuesday I posted about my workout that night...then wednesday I didnt do anything, recovered from that madness. Thursday after work I went swimming in the pool at the gym at work...which was definitely a reality check for my fitness ego. First i had trouble finding the pool from the locker room (total blonde moment), and then i proceeded to try & drink the entire pool. or at least, that's what it felt like from the amount of water i choked down! The last time i did laps of any sort was high school, sadly almost 10 years ago. oy. i dove into the warmup (no pun intended!) :), only to find out that i was so out of swimming shape that that was more like doing my actual workout, no warmup. I suffered, stuttered & sputtered through the workout, and when i saw the cooldown part of the workout i wheezed in disgust, dragged myself out of the water & shuffled back to the locker room in defeat. ~sigh~ Why cant i just be in good shape by the want to be in shape alone? all this...this...effort! It's wearing me out! :)

After that, i took the weekend off. We went to the lake & had a great time...just slept, and slept, and sunbathed, and went riding on the 4wheeler, and slept some more. awesome.

So, the new week starts with a bang yesterday, and so i'm back trying to stay on the wagon. Got up, made my usual lunch/snacks for the day, and headed off to work. oh wait--headed off sans gym bag. d'oh! so i ran when i got home...i was out there for about an hour, did about 4 miles i bet....give or take...had to walk some, but i ran the majority of it. Given that it was so hot, and humid, and i wasnt in the shade much if at all, i felt it was an hour well spent...i mightve been able to up the effort a scotsch, but i was pretty satisfied with the workout overall.

Today, no workout...i had to work tonite at the HL, and ended up cleaning 4 rooms. i'm hoping that counts for some exercise, because let me tell you, i'm pooped!

I have lunch plans for tomorrow, but am still planning on taking the gym bag so i can get a weights session in...and then thursday i have plans to meet with a friend who is good at swimming, so he can help me with my stroke, and hopefully motivate me to not be a sputtering, floundering, uncoordinated, whale-like person in the pool. :) i'll let you know next tuesday how it goes.

have a good week!
xoxo

a couple of after thoughts....
--i stepped on the scale this morning...that damn needle hasnt moved one iota! hex on you, scale!
--not sure if i shared or not, but i got the results back from my cholesterol test...brace yourself...310 total count. doesnt your heart stop working when it hits like, 290 or something? geez. time to up the fitness/healthy efforts.
~sigh~

Aaaaand....We're Off!

Ok, so i'm making good on my last post...a week later than i wanted to, but whatever. :)

So. Today's tuesday...Yesterday I DID work out. I ran on the treadmill at the fitness center to warm up, and then did my weights routine. And then did about eleventy million crunches. (side note: Whenever I do crunches (not often) I am reminded of this blog post...not that it has ever happened to me, it's just REALLY funny. You should read it if you want a good laugh...anyways...) :)

I felt pretty good after that, like i was off to a good start.

Today I didnt work out in the gym at work b/c i had to leave early to work at the HL tonite. So, i did my cardio in the fitness room downstairs this evening, starting off with 20 min on the bike. Have you ever seen the movie Bridget Jones' Diary? There's a scene in there where she resolves to get in shape, and so she goes to the gym and gets on a stationary bike. When she's done, she gets off & falls flat on her face b/c she didnt realize her legs would stop working afterwards...That was me. Except I managed to catch myself just shy of the faceplant. Why dont they put warning labels on those bikes? "Warning--Usage of this bike converts muscle tissue & bone to jelly. Do not attempt to use your legs on risk of serious injury to yourself or others."

Anywho...after i recovered from that experience i dragged myself onto the dreaded treadmill & ran for about 20-ish minutes. Actually, i ran for 23:15. No kidding...i couldnt talk myself into finishing the 25 minutes i had planned...the jelly-legs experience just took it all out of me.

The Wagon

I'm back! Or at least I'm trying to be...I've been pretty bad about blogging lately, something about the constant need to get outside & away from my computer now that the weather isnt 20 degrees & freaking cold all the time...yeah, that's what i blame it on! :)

I've been a busy girl though! If you knew, you wouldnt blame me for not writing all that much...but also, i've come to think about writing kindof like my running. Hang on--it'll make sense in a minute! :) What i mean is, have you ever had something that you used to do pretty regularly, say, get up at the same time for work every day, clean your house, do the laundry? Then something happens & you get out of the habit & fall off the wagon, so to speak...then the motivation to do that regular thing just goes right out of the window, and the thought of having to do it again seems like this huge task that is just too much trouble...and so the task gets put off until tomorrow...or the next day....or the day after that...and before you know it like a month has gone by and tomorrow has still not arrived. Ok--so my point here is that writing in this blog, as well as exercising on a regular basis, have both gone right out the window, and i have fallen off the wagon. So...today i'm trying to climb back on. Part of this insurmountable task is me writing this here, so hopefully i will feel accountable to someone other than my procrastinating, falling off the wagon self.

Step 1: Stop procrastinating already & get your cholesterol checked.
--The followup to my last check was supposed to be done in november. guess what. it's not november anymore...as a matter of fact, that was 6 months ago. oy... Well, my employer has a clinic on-campus, and it happens to be RIGHT next door to my building. i walk past it every day. they have a lab there and accept my insurance and will do the draw for free & fwd the results to my doctor. NO EXCUSE. So, yesterday I had blood drawn & sent to my dr...I also confirmed the follow-up appointment on thursday to discuss the results. The cool thing here--i was able to make the appointment online, instant-message the lab tech with a question about the clinic, and made it to the appointment & back to my desk in less than 15 minutes. What dr's office offers that?!

Step 2: Exercise dammit!
One of the perks of my new job is the fitness center they have. It's WONDERFUL!!! Seriously. For something like $12 or so bucks per paycheck, pre-tax, I get full access. Access to what? They have a pool, racquetball courts, table tennis (I immediately thought of my cousin when I saw the guys playing over their lunch hour...), a huge gym with bball/vball courts, a huge beautiful new locker room (it's gorgeous!), tons of weight machines, treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, etc, and a wide range of classes, PLUS late evening hours & weekend hours to accommodate any schedule. DANG! That's awesome. In order to take advantage though, you have to sign up for a fitness assessment & get an orientation. Today was my fitness assessment...and it wasnt pretty. I stepped on the scale & nearly fainted. Seriously. Nobody would ever believe i ran a marathon in this body, let alone 3 of them! I kept it together though, & scheduled a consult this friday with the personal trainer they have on staff. I hope this person can get me back on track! My schedule with work now is totally flexible, and i have no excuse for not working out every day. Before, i only was able to go over lunch, and rarely took a lunch b/c of my workload & the deadlines. Now things are different with work, so i need to go back to this...so, i'm going to work out every weekday, cardio or weights. one or the other. Prepare yourself too...you're gonna get to hear about it! :) Which leads me to step 3...

Step 3: Mean it this time!
i'm gonna follow through on this...for real...no, really! I mean it this time! I am going to start working out on a more regular basis, get my weight & cholesterol in check, and be accountable for making that happen. Not only that, I'm going to write more often in my blog (there's the other part of getting back on track)...and report my daily workings-out to you guys...

I bet you just absolutely cannot wait, huh? :)

How to spot a new employee

Greetings all...sorry for the vacation from writing...a LOT has been going on since I've written last! New job being the main thing...but other events have been keeping me away from the blogging as well. I'll probably catch you up in installments rather than one mega-blog...

...in the meantime...here's a rare glimpse into the excitement that is my daily life. :)

So...at the new job, I have to park in a parking lot that is like 2 exits down the highway from the actual company campus...that's b/c there are so many of us it's not feasible to park on campus without the whole place being a parking lot. Anywho, yesterday I park in the garage, walk into the lobby of the building, which is similar to a hotel lobby (the building used to be part of a casino), to wait for the shuttle. As i'm standing there with about 7 or 8 other people who are also waiting, i notice that there are like 3 people outside, and wonder why we're not all out there waiting with them, since it's such a beautiful morning. At this point it's important to note that 'outside' is actually under a huge awning...where birds like to perch. Birds, such as the one pictured at left. (ok, it's not a bird...it's an owl...whatev...)

So, I'm standing there pondering this as the shuttle pulls up in front of the door, under the awning, and we all walk outside to get on. Me & this other girl are in the back of the group, patiently waiting for everyone to climb aboard the schoolbus...when we hear this splatter on the ground RIGHT next to us. I mean, RIGHT next to us. It sounded like someone poured a cup of water on the ground or something...so we look up, and there is this owl perched right over our heads. it POOPED on us!!! ok, well not on us, but RIGHT next to us!!! OMG!!!! eeeewww!! yuck!!! groty!!! I spent the next 15 minutes on the shuttle in shock. oh yea, i also spent that time frantically trying to make sure i didnt have any of that nastiness on me.

So...back to the question I was pondering as we were in the lobby...why werent we all out there waiting with those 3 people for the shuttle outside, in the beautiful morning weather? Because standing out there could get you pooped on. Apparently every employee parking at this satellite lot knows this, except for the newbies. It's like this cruel joke the seniors play on the freshman kids!! So, this is how you spot a new employee...they have bird poop on their head. :)

It's funny now...but would so NOT have been funny had I been standing just a couple of inches to the left.

you say pants i say trousers

Today was my first day at my new jobby job, and I am worn out! I was somewhat stressed about the new beginning, mostly b/c I am not a person who takes change very well (understatement of the year), and this definitely was a huge change for me.

I'm in training all this week, and it starts promptly at 8:00 a.m....which...i was worried about b/c i have a somewhat difficult time getting up early. ok, well actually it's nearly impossible. BUT, I was up at 6:15a.m., and out the door by 7:25a.m., and on campus feeling like the new kid on the block by 7:40a.m. Not too shabby! This put my first set of fears to rest, those about being able to make it to work by 8am since i cant leave home until 7:30 & wasnt sure about the commute. i'm still a little uneasy about the timing once i start my actual job, since i have to park where i'm parking now but the actual campus is about 10 min up the street & i will have to ride the shuttle. Too bad I cant find someone to drive me to work & pick me up instead of me having to worry about all this parking business...any volunteers? Where is Jeeves when you need him? :)

The other thing I was apprehensive about was making new friends at the new place. i know that i'm ok with meeting new people, but i'm still working on getting out of my shell & being more outgoing when i'm in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable setting (like meeting new ppl). BUT, my training class is so diverse, and filled with so many smart, sharp, outgoing people, it is easier. There's like 40 people in my class, and almost half are from the United Kingdom. I have to say, this has upped the interest level of the class quite a bit! I love talking to people from other countries, learning about how life is there for them. I also especially love talking to people from the UK or Australia, mainly b/c they speak english, but their slang or the meanings of words is just a little different, enough to make it kindof funny. For example...

At the end of the day our trainer was going over the dress code, what was acceptable, what was not. He had a powerpoint slide up with pictures of different men & women, each in a different outfit demonstrating what was ok & what wasn't. As he went through the different pictures, "these pants are ok, except no belt. those pants are not ok because they are denim. khaki pants are ok, flannel pants are not." After each sentence, you'd hear this giggling coming from the front row of the classroom...and he'd pause & smile at the woman, and continue. Finally he stopped & said to the class "she's laughing because in the UK these are called trousers, not pants." This woman behind me piped up & said (spelled as she pronounced it, in this THICK british accent) "nao, weah laifin becoose pahnts en thee you kay ah cnsided thee saim as oonderoos hea een thee you ess. " So every time he said pants, khaki, flannel, with a belt, without a belt, with cargo pockets, they thought he was calling them underwear! LOL!! Can you imagine?? Flannel underwear, with a belt, & cargo pockets??

It still makes me laugh... :) They must think us americans are a crazy lot.

And i have a suspicion im going to pick up a british accent by the end of the week. :)

Cheers! :)

6 weird habits

David tagged me for this...so here i go:

Six weird qualities or habits I have:

1. I sleep with one foot out of the bedcovers.

2. I need 6 different alarms to wake me up in the morning.

3. When I eat a meal I eat one thing at a time--for example: all of my salad, then all of my potatoes, then all of my jello, then the hamburger, etc. I dont generally mix & match bites of all the courses.

4. I can't go to sleep unless i have zero energy left.

5. I have a strange aversion to voicemail at work, I can't bring myself to check it more than once a week.

6. I love collecting hats & scarves, but usually am too chicken to wear them in public.

7. I am not a morning person, except when when i get up to go for a run, then i'm sunshine & rainbows. :)

I tag:

Brad (see right),

Leslie (myspace),

Danica (myspace),

Amber (see right)

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So...this week is kindof a strange one. It is my last week at my current job, and most of my daily work has been given to other people already so i can concentrate on research issues & tidying up my desk before i leave. It's kindof sad...I really like the people i work with (mostly), and since this was my first job out of college i'm kindof scared to move on...fear of the unknown, you know? I am excited though, in spite of that, because the new job is in a field I have wanted to work in since going away to college.

When i graduated from high school I wanted to be an accountant, and so that was my major starting out in college. Well, my school's accounting program was somewhat difficult, and on top of that i may have partied it up a little more than i should've (shocker, I know...), so my gpa didnt allow me to continue studying for that. So, i took the next best thing, finance, and that's what i got my degree in. Well, i still would like to go for accounting, and have been weighing going back to school for my masters degree in accountancy. About the time i would have decided to take the GRE and seriously start applying to schools, I landed this new job. It was a complete surprise to me that I was hired actually, the company I will be looking for kindof has a reputation for being hard to get on with, and so i figured it would just be good interviewing experience...and then...poof! A job offer! In accounting!! I'm stoked...i'll be working in a department that is just starting to get off the ground, so it's a good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an area with room for upward mobility. Plus it's in the field i originally wanted to work in, doing GAAP accounting (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, for those that dont know the lingo) rather than mutual fund accounting, which is what i would have been doing had i stayed where i currently am. Not that i would have minded, but in the job market, GAAP accounting is so much more marketable than mutual fund accounting...and i've always been one to want job security. nothing scares me more than the prospect of being unemployed (ok, well there's a few things, but not many)...so my goal has always been to be in a field where there is always demand. I think I'm accomplishing that with this career move....plus i'll be doing something that i love, and have wanted to do for awhile.

Still, i will really really miss my friends at my current job....we're having a big happy hour this friday at a local bar to mark my last day...i will try to get pictures & post them, or at least, the ones that arent too incriminating... :)

last easter & misc

In answer to a couple of questions about what happened last Easter...here's the story:

We had brunch at mom & dad's as is becoming the tradition...and along with brunch we had mimosas, which is also becoming the tradition. Well, mom mixed up the mimosas, and i had a few while helping cook the meal...and then had one or two while eating the meal...and maybe one while cleaning up after the meal...(man! i sound like a lush!!) So while we're cleaning up, i asked mom what she wanted me to do with the leftover pancakes. She handed me a plastic bag & said to put them in there. After putting them in there, i asked her, so what now? She said "just throw them in the freezer." Well, my brother had just opened the freezer door to get something out, so i took that as an opportunity to...well...throw the pancakes into the freezer. From across the room. Almost hitting him in the head in the process. :) To me at the time it was no different then someone saying 'can you pass me a roll' at dinner & having an uncle toss it across the table (this has happened btw)...but judging from the laughter & looks of shock on my mom & brother's faces, perhaps i had had one too many mimosas. It's not my fault they were so good!! I spent that afternoon sleeping it off, and woke up with a hangover...just in time for easter dinner at my grandmas. nice! :)

this year was a little different...i did have a couple of mimosas while helping out with cooking brunch...but with the memory of last year fresh in my mind, i kept myself in check. I did get to take a 3hr nap, but it was because i had to get up at the crack of dawn to go to mass, not because i was sleeping off a morning bender. :)

in other news....
Today after work i went for a run around the downtown airport with my friend danica...i thought for sure she would just smoke me during the run...she just got done training for a 1/2 marathon, and is one of those speedy, skinny, gazelle-like runners...but i was able to keep up!! We kept close to a 10min/mile pace, and i was even able to keep up with her during the last speedy kick at the end. :) :) We did 3.6 miles, and are planning a 5mi run on wednesday. it feels good to be back running again...i feel like i'm dusting off the cobwebs!

happy monday everyone...hope your week is off to a good start. :)

xoxo