It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Well, I am beyond ecstatic that it is finally October! I love October and all that it has to offer...the cooler weather, the leaves changing and crunching underneath your feet, anything and everything about October excites me! The first day of October was spent putting up Halloween decorations. I love, love, love Halloween, not necessarily for the dressing up (which I love to do anyway), but for all of the carved pumpkins and the cute decor. I have been shopping for Halloween things since August, yes, I know that's nearly 8 weeks from the actual day, but I have fun decorating for the day!

I haven't updated as much as I should or wish I could. I get sidetracked with life, so sidetracked that I haven't been vacuuming as much as I normally do, which is roughly 3 or so times a week. Speaking of vacuuming, I got an early birthday present from my parents. When I first moved out I had to buy a ton of things, including a vacuum. Now, vacuuming has (and will always) have a place in my heart, but I couldn't afford a really nice vacuum, so I bought a cheap little thing in hopes it would get me through till I could afford a nice one. Anyway, the stupid thing crapped out on me earlier this year. I could no longer use the extension for fear cat litter would shoot back at me. It was a sad, sad day. Especially since I do live with 2 cats and cat litter is often sucked up. I mentioned it to my mom and she kept it in the back of her head that that was what I wanted for my (eek!) 25th birthday. Well, she called me a few weeks ago and announced that my birthday present was here! A brand new, very nice, vacuum. A few days later, Kenny helped me set it up, as well as the cute little vacuum that came with it, and I was off to making lines in the carpet. It's so nice. I know, I'm a huge dork for my love of vacuuming, but it is what makes me...well, me.

I found this little survey and since I enjoy doing these things, I thought I'd post this one!

A - Age: 24

B - Bed size: queen, but hope to upgrade to a king!

C - Chore you hate: oh me....I'd have to say unloading the dishes

D - Dog's Name: I don't have one...I do have 2 cats :) Lucy & Ethel

E - Essential start your day item: Honey Nut Cheerios and OJ

F - Favorite color: pink

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5’6"

I - Instruments you play(ed): none

J - Job title: sales lead manager

K - Kid(s): just 2 furballs for right now

L - Living arrangements: with my 2 kittens

M - Mom's name: Cindy

N - Nicknames: Lo Lo

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None

P - Pet Peeve: rude people

Q - Quote from a movie: "he turned the gun sideways! that's a kill shot!" date night

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: little brother

T - Time you wake up: depends on the day, at least before 10am

U - Underwear: it's an obsession I have

V - Vegetable you dislike: hmm collard greens

W - Ways you drink your coffee: I don't

X- X-rays you've had: teeth and middle finger

Y - Yummy food you make: I don't make too much food

Z - Zoo favorite: polar bears

Where were you?

Where were you today, 9 years ago? It is something that is asked every September 11th. It was one of those moments that you remember every detail and those details you will never forget. I was a sophomore in high school, it was a beautiful day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and there was enough breeze to make the warm air bearable. I was wearing light blue jeans, a yellow polo, and white tennis shoes. I remember going to 1st period, then going to 2nd. In 2nd period, which was Spanish class, we were acting out stories. It is eerie now, but we were acting out a plane crash and people needing help. Then I went to 3rd period, geometry class. I kept hearing something about the World Trade Center. I had no idea what that was or where it was or why it was being mentioned by so many people. Our teacher had the tv on, she told us what was going on, and we said a prayer. The class was silent. We literally saw the world stopping and crumbling. People were jumping out of the buildings. Smoke was filling the air, debris was filling the streets.

I remember my mom picking me up and I told her what was going on and she said she had been watching it at work. I didn't realize just how huge this was until I got home and saw all of the coverage on all of the networks. It was scary. It still is seeing the planes crash in to the WTC and the pentagon and going down in PA. It's something I'll never forget, and I hope that it's something that I'll never have to witness again. Even though we were hundreds of miles away, we still felt the effects of it. I remember hearing about how some people thought that the nuclear plant in Squatchie was going to be a target, everyone was on edge.

People say they remember where they were and what they were doing when JFK was killed or what was going on when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded. My mom was ironing and I was asleep, I was just a few months old. I remember a kid in school was born the day it exploded. It's amazing that on a day like that or even 9.11, when lives are lost, lives are also being brought in to this crazy beautiful world. I read recently that parents schedule to have their babies before 9.11 because of the date. I wonder when that will stop? Instead of living in fear of this date, we should be stronger and unite as a country.

I live where the sky ends...

I am sore. It hurts to sit down. It is such a good thing, because I know that I worked hard to get sore. Actually, I'm sure I didn't have to do too much in order to be sore because I've become insanely lazy. I was way more active in college (I feel as if I'm dating myself) when I had something to do every second of the day. I would wake up early, before my 8 am classes, and go work out. I have no reason to not go work out, I need a good shove, kick, push, anything to get me going.

I've had this on going discussion with my boyfriend about bands. What bands will we listen to in 15, 20, even 30 years and say 'they were cool when we were your age?'. We haven't been able to come up with a lot, but man, there are tons of bands that we grew up listening to, that our parents listened to. I personally can remember listening to Aerosmith, I had to be about 11 or so, and my dad telling me he listened to them when he was younger. I nearly fell off my chair! I thought Aerosmith was this cool new band. Uh, no, they've been around since Sampson and Delilah. Then there's the Beatles. Come on, who hasn't heard of them? I'm sure there are people out there who haven't, but a good portion of the world has. They were legends. Those are just two out of how many bands that have been around.

Now for our generation. We've got the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day.....I refused to put Nickel Back in that category because they're popular because they're annoying (you can't go an hour in the car and not hear the same song play 8 different times on the same station). I can't remember who else, but there weren't that many to list. I'm really going for making myself feel old, but kids these days don't have that great of music choice like I did. I'm sure my parents would throw that statement into a grave; I was a hardcore, dedicated BSB fan from day one. I had every cd they ever made (including the ones that were imports), magazines, posters, action figures, you name it, I had it. I adored them. I looked forward to the day that I had my license and I could blast them in my nonexistent car. They were hot and awesome and all the rage. Loved them and still do, I'll admit it.

I'm really hitting the memories tonight and wondering what kids are doing these days. I can remember being in middle school and living to go to the mall every Saturday with my friends and begging my parents for $20. We always saw the latest movies because the movie theater was in the mall and we sometimes would see them at night. In middle school it was so cool to go to the high school football games, I pretended like I knew what was happening during the game. We would really just walk around the school and have fun. What do kids do now? They can't go to the mall on weekend nights because you have to be at least 18 to go without a parent. I know they go to the mall during the week and play dress up because I have to clean up their messes they leave in the fitting rooms.

Now that I've made myself feel completely old, I feel like I need a bath and to head to bed.

Fall, fall, come on fall!!

I can smell fall, it's right around the corner! It doesn't help that I work in the same vicinity of Bath and Body Works and can literally smell fall--they're burning a candle or oil that screams pumpkins, red and orange leaves, and apples. The weather in the mornings have been amazing. I love walking outside and being able to just breathe, it was way too hot this summer. I know that when it is below freezing in the winter, I'll be crying for summer, but man oh man, fall would be perfect right now.

Well, an update on the whole 5k. I won't be able to do the one in September. I hit a set back a few weeks ago. At the beginning of August I became sick with something horrible...a cold or sinus infection or allergies...or if I feel like being dramatic, all three. I lost my voice literally for two weeks and I'm still trying to get all of it back. I can laugh kinda loud and all that comes out is air...I am back to sounding normal though! I will say, working on tax free weekend without a voice and only coughing was a riot. I sounded very scary if I was talking on the headset, like Hobo or whoever is on the Lord of the Ring movies. I also had customers whisper back to me, I really tried telling them that they can speak to me normally, I didn't have super sensitive hearing. Anyway, this made running difficult, I could not stop coughing, I didn't get enough rest and was exhausted. I finally am feeling back to 100% and back in the gym (though...not in the gym enough!). I am very excited to say that I ran half a mile straight yesterday. That may not sound like a lot, but for me, who again was a couch potato with all of the fixings, is a huge deal for me. So, I'm slowly working on this, I am getting there though!

How old am I?

I know that my generation is supposed to be the generation that grew up with technology and should (as my dad says) "just figure something out" that has to do with technology. Well. I can't. I can't figure out this stupid following thing. I followed myself for a good 3 days before I figured out how to un-follow myself and then I can't figure out how to follow others. This is pushing the point of being stressful.

I joined the gym again. I was becoming depressed about the itty bitty gym that is at my apartment complex. I got to the point where I was dreading going to in there. I decided to push myself (and my finances) and join the gym again. I was going to go to a Zumba class tonight, but then I thought I might want to stalk the premises before just to see what it was about. I'm not sure about it. It looked like it might be fun, but...I'm not so sure. Maybe next time. Maybe. I get bored with being on the treadmill or arc trainer, so I like to spice it up some. I'm scared to go back to spin class. I used to go minimum of 3 times a week (early in the morning too and I even went on Thanksgiving!) and I'm dreading that awful seat that my big seat will have to get used to being on again. I need to convince my mom that she needs to go back with me...hopefully it'll work!

Kenny's birthday is this Sunday and I'm excited about it, I think probably more than he is. It's silly, but I get more and more excited about my birthday as the years go on (probably because I keep telling myself that I'm only 21...). I know that when I hit a certain age, I'm sure the excitement will cease. But, we are cooking out and watching the Cowboys game...I know nothing about football. I'm probably one of the few southern girls who know 0 about football. I have 2 friends who know when to yell and get excited because they know what's going on, while I on the other hand only scream because everyone else is. It will be a good time with family and friends!

Last night, Kenny and I went to dinner with a few of my friends, Cortney and Michael. Michael is my student teaching friend, we call each other EBE buds (where we student taught together). EBE had no idea what they were getting into when they placed us together. There wasn't one week that we were there every single day. It was either going to UTC to get information about graduation, going to Central Office to fill out applications, going to...lunch :o)....every week we went some where. It was a horrible placement, I know how I do not want to teach now, but I'm glad I was able to share that experience with someone like Michael. Cortney and I go way back. Way back to middle school where we became friends over the Backstreet Boys. Ah, yes, boy bands. Love them. How can you not?! Cortney and I took several classes together at UTC and became really good friends during a trying times at UTC. Anyway, we met them for dinner (I do have about 4 friends!). We had a good time, minus the part it took an hour to get our food, so Chili's said it was on them. Thanks Chili's, you made me much happier since I didn't have to pay for it! :o)

Churros!

Well, we landed back in America yesterday and it was a sad day to leave the beautiful island of Cozumel...even if it was storming. We had tons of fun, we sea kayaked (and pushed the boundaries of how far one can go in a sea kayak...scary!!), snorkeled (God made such a beautiful world under the water, everyone should venture down there), deep sea fished (ok, so I hung on to the side of the boat trying to keep my lunch from coming up), walked around Cozumel (and indulged in grease-filled-sugar-coated dough known as Churros!--I'm not even sure it's spelled right), and I got to spend some time with some wonderful people.



I hit a bump in the road today. I got off of work and was immediately crabby that I didn't have a gym to go to and work out...I have one at my apartment complex, but it has 2 treadmills and an elliptical that is kind of painful. I was contemplating even working out (after all, I haven't worked out in over a week, what's one more day?), I felt like just feeling sorry for myself and curling up on the couch and sleeping. I didn't though. I got up and changed clothes and ran/walked for about 20 minutes or so, it felt sort of like starting back over, so don't judge!

I feel better. Still a little miserable about my financial situation, which was what got me going in the first place about the gym. But, God will provide for me, and he has thus far, so why should I doubt Him? I shouldn't doubt him and I don't.

Those of you who said were trying to comment on here, I just now realized I had a comment!, I'm not sure if you have to have a blog or not for you to be able to comment on mine or not? I'm doing good by adding pictures to this post, I'm amazed at myself ha!

Worn out

I slacked off yesterday, bad me. Today I made up for it though, I did yesterday's running and then today's cross-training. I'm actually quite proud of myself for pushing myself to do that, normally I would have thought 'oh, well no one will know', but I didn't. For the most part I'm sore. Not so sore that I can't squat down or to where I have a pimp-limp, but good sore. It just means that I am working out parts that haven't been worked out in what feels like decades.

In other news....I don't have too much news. I don't think people believe me when I tell them that I am a rather boring person. I don't mind it either. Kenny and I are going to Mexico next week with his sister and dad, that should be fun. I know I will probably end up looking Mexican since I'm already so tan and well the place we're staying at is by the beach. I love the sun, probably too much, is that possible? I am looking forward to the fall, like October, just because I love that time of the year. I know, I will bitch about it when the winter comes and I'll be so ready for the summer to be here, but I do like how the seasons change around here. I do not however enjoy the ridiculous amount of snow that we go this year. I live in the south. We shouldn't get that much snow. I had enough to last me for ten years. I know, if I lived any further north I probably would be so miserable in the winter. It can snow one time and I am pleased as punch, past that I'm sour about it. Although...I did enjoy scaring the crap out of the 2 kids last year who were scraping snow off of my car. I set my alarm off just as they were scraping snow off the hood...hahahaha they smoothed the snow back out onto the car. I felt like such an old cat lady cackling when they got scared.

I am feeling adventurous and want to cook. I can cook a handful of things; spaghetti, mac and cheese, cake...everything that is so healthy for you. But, I do want to branch out. I'd like to get a crock pot and cook (or do you crock something...????) soup or something in it. I have a cookbook that has recipes that are healthier for you, I just need to break it out and get the ingredients. Now, that I've worked out and I've been talking about food, I need to eat, I'm hungry.

From super lazy to....sore

I've decided that the only way for me to really get up and go, was to have a goal. So, on September 26, 2010 I will be *hopefully* running a 5k, I say hopefully just because I want to run the entire race. I've already received some support from this, my boyfriend is signing up right along with me and my mom was pretty excited for me. Now that I have people counting on me, maybe this will push me in the right direction. I wouldn't only let myself down, but others around me, and I think that will push me to do this.

Day 1 was yesterday. I did 25 minutes on the elliptical. I have to let it be known that if I were reading this about a year ago I'd be laughing at myself saying that I nearly died after just doing that small bit. I have become so out of shape it's not really funny. I will say that it was intervals, so that makes a difference, especially if the only exercise you're used to is going up and down a small step ladder at work or carrying in 31 pounds of cat litter into the apartment. I know I worked something out because I'm kind of sore. Small steps, small steps, small steps. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.

The way I'm doing this is with a chart from Fitness magazine. I find it funny that 3 of my 4 magazine subscriptions have to do with being fit. I'm far from fit I just like reading them...like it's working my brain out and that's enough for me. Anyway, Fitness magazine had 4 charts, Your First 5k, Your Fastest 5K, Your First 10K, and Your Fastest 10K. I decided to not over do it and chose just Your First 5K. I toyed with the idea in my mind for a few days, let it sit open on my bed and ate chips and continued to ponder on the idea. Then I was at work one day and got to really thinking. Kenny probed me with "what race are you going to run in" and my reply was "none". Well, there really wasn't a point in just running a treadmill if I didn't have a goal. So, there I am thinking at work...what race. It pops into my mind.

In March of 2007 I had to go to an Oncologist for a lump that was found in my breast. I was 22. I was scared out of my mind. I remember sitting in the waiting room and looking at all of the older people in the room who had feather-like hair or bandanna's wrapped around their head. I wasn't supposed to be in here. I was seemingly healthy, I was getting ready to graduate college in the next year, I had everything going for me, and here I was getting ready to find out if I was going to fall into the rare statistic that someone my age has breast cancer. If you know me, you know that I research something to death. When we went on a cruise, I researched every night about that dumb boat...how many people it held, best place to eat or get a drink, what to do at the ports of call, etc. For the most part, it was out of sheer excitement, but a little part of it had to do with being over prepared. I've gotten a lot better about doing things like that, but I still kind of do it...hah. Anyway, I researched as much as I could about the probability of me having cancer and what it might really be, nerdy, I know. The doctor let me know that there are 3 things we can do....take a biopsy which involved a large needle and not a good chance of getting a good enough sample of it, waiting it out to see if it go any larger and come back every 6 months, or have surgery and take it out. I chose to have surgery. We scheduled it for a few months later and a rock settled in my stomach till then. Surgery came and went, everything turned out to be fine, it was a fatty tissue tumor. I went back two more times and everything was positive. If I find something else then I need to go back, so I pray to God nightly, that something like that doesn't happen again.

Anyway, back to the 5K. I wanted to run in something that would mean something to me. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the Susan G. Komen foundation has 5k races throughout the country starting in September and going through October. This is something that hit me and even though it thankfully didn't turn out to be cancer, I did spend some time wondering what my life would be like if I had cancer, something no one should have to think about. So, there it is. It isn't necessarily why I'm running the race, but I know that if I run the race, not only will I help my self get healthier, but I will also help a foundation that means a great deal to me.

Hopefully I can keep up with this blog thing, I'm not terrific at it, but I'll try. I'm hoping to keep track of my progress...maybe. I should be able to tell how well I'm doing by whether or not I feel like croaking after my workout. Now, I'm off to start day 2. Pray for me.