On 9/27 I ran my first 5k. The weather was beautiful for the first time in weeks and it seemed to put all 7,000 people at the race in a great mood. My friend Snare stayed by my side the entire race even though she could have finished twice as fast. She is very encouraging and it's a lot more fun to run with people than by yourself.
This year has been all about coming out of my comfort zone and trying new things. I am getting over my fear of calling people after having called nearly 30 restaurants to look for food donors for the Three Blind Wines event. Then yesterday I taught a 4th grade class for a day. I have a new-found respect for my mom and all my friends that are teachers.
My next goal is to give blood. I freak out at the thought of it and even typing this makes my face turn white but I really want to overcome this fear. What's the worst that can happen? I pass out, wake up and feel a little weak. No big deal.
Last night Jim and Pam got married. The episode was classic. Jim's brothers were so over the top in their speeches that even Michael said it was inappropriate. I loved every minute and will probably watch the whole thing again this weekend. Then, this morning there was a bigger man getting on the elevator struggling to carry a huge crock-pot full of chili. All I could think about was the episode where Kevin spills his homemade chili all over the floor.
I leave Monday for Arizona. Having never seen a desert or a cactus, I'm very excited. We will be traveling from Tucson to a little town called Sierra Vista, about ten miles north of the Mexican border. I probably should have brushed up on my Spanish a little.
I don't understand how it's still raining. Where does it keep coming from? I feel that we as East Tennesseans are being selfish. So, God, we just want to say thanks for this blessing but we want to give this gift to California. I believe this is a sacrifice we all can make in order to save their land. Furthermore, my roof is leaking and I'd prefer that the water in my shower comes from the shower head and not the ceiling.
Yesterday I went to an outdoor wedding right by the river. It was so beautiful- brightly colored flowers surround by brightly colored umbrellas. The happy couple were good sports and I think everyone had a great time. Additionally, I got to see a friend from out of town that I have been missing for months. As soon as I got home from the wedding, my new roommie and I went four wheelin in the mud on our friends farm. It was so much fun but we were soaked from head to toe by the time it was over.
On a brighter note, tonight is the premiere of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Two great shows that I would strongly recommend.
The Office season premiere is tonight!! In case you didn't know, I am in love with Jim. Yes, I know he's engaged to Pam and I know John Krasinski is engaged to some girl, but that doesn't change the way I feel about him. He is so sweet and laid back and so funny. He doesn't even have to say anything, I can just look at him and laugh.
I know some people think The Office is weird and random and awkward. But once you embrace the awkwardness and get to know the characters, it will warm your heart week after week.
Ok, enough about The Office or I won't be able to focus on work for the rest of the day. Last night a friend shared the wonder that is YouTube Literal Videos with me. Look up the Total Eclipse of the Heart Literal Video. You won't regret it.
And finally, I want to thank the manager at work who told me about Ragdoll Blast for iPhone. I can assure you Mr. S, I'm not at all playing it at work while waiting for files to load.
After about 12 years of super long hair I finally chopped off a foot and donated it to Locks of Love. It was really hard to get used to but now I'm glad I did it (even though I'm already taking vitamins to grow it back out). I don't need a foot of hair when someone else is bald because of a medical condition. Losing all that hair has been very freeing for me. Not just because it takes less time to wash and blow dry. But my hair made me feel like a woman. It made me feel beautiful and sexy. Without it I'm forced to work on my character and pray that God will make me beautiful.
Last weekend I went wakeboarding at Michael and Becca's one last time. Now that summer is over I'm finally comfortable enough to jump over the wake. Hopefully we can go snowboarding this winter to hang on to the feeling. Thanks so much to my wonderful friends for being so hospitable this summer.
PTL that my friend Snare is back in town. She is such a joy to be with. I hope she stays forever even though I know she will probably end up back in Cali next year. I'm also super blessed to have a new roommate. Friends have joked that we must have met on Roommate Harmony because we have so much in common. Here's a picture of the 3 of us compliments of Ryan.
After a whole lot of talk and very little action I have finally become consistent in working toward my goal of running a half marathon. I ran 3 miles without stopping on Sunday and on Monday. That's the farthest I've ever run before. It felt so good afterward that I can safely say I'm addicted.
I have been patiently waiting for an iPhone for the past year and a half. With only 4 months to go in my Verizon contract, my LG phone was submerged in water while resting in the cupholder at the front of the boat. So my choice was to either get a new Verizon phone and be stuck in another 2 year contract or go ahead and get an iPhone. I really believe this phone is a blessing from the Lord. I love it so so so much! I can listen to Misty Edwards and David Crowder on Pandora all day, check my email anytime, anywhere, get on Facebook in a split second and upload pictures taken only seconds before... the possibilities are endless. The other night I used the Bible app to search for verses on hope. It brings up a list of verses and then you can click on commentaries for each verse. This commentary on Proverbs 13:12 was particularly encouraging to me:
Proverbs 13:12
This is one of my favorite verses- "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes it is a tree of life."It sucks not having what your will come to pass. It sucks even more when it is demolished by a whole other set of plans- maybe the dream house fell through, he broke off the engagement, you lost the baby, the job was phased out, etc. Whatever it is that you hope for...when it's gone, you feel sick. It's hard to trust God when it seems that "one thing"you want so badly is out of reach... maybe even forever. But when God steps in and fulfills the desire, it not only pleases our hearts but provides sustenance for others. In other words, when I wait for God's timing and I let Him rule my life, sure, some things won't work out they way I thought they would- OR WHEN. But when I walk through the process of trusting God, His desires become my desires. And when His plans are accomplished, it has more impact than just "Oh yay, I got my way!" Instead, the process produced perseverance and faith in me. I walk in strength now. Now others can read the story of my walk and be encouraged when their own desires are eradicated. Now my life is more than just an apple I can eat. Now it is a tree that others can eat from and benefit from its shade. THIS is being the body. I don't just go through stuff for me...it is ALWAYS about what I can do to feed others.
Well that's it for now but I promise to be more consistent from now on so that each post isn't 10 pages long.
Several months ago my dad gave me a hand gun for protection. It's a really cool Smith & Wesson revolver from 1904, so I thought even if I never need it, it will still be a great family heirloom. I live in a really safe, quiet family neighborhood where kids ride their bikes in the streets and you don't have to worry about crime... so I thought. Today at lunch my roommate told me that in the past month she has seen someone snooping from house to house checking each car door to see if it is unlocked. One time she was sitting in our living room while the guy was 15 feet away in our driveway. Even though I talk big about me and my gun during the day, I'm a big chicken when something wakes me up in the middle of the night. So I think we're going to get a big dog to keep him out of the driveway. But I promise you if he ever comes in the house he will meet S&W.
I was sitting outside a few minutes ago, covered in bug spray and ready to catch up on some email when two bats started flying right over my head. Call me a Yankee or whatever you want to call me but we just don't have bats in Ohio. So then I wonder, where are these guys hanging out all day? The only place dark enough for a bat to rest comfortably around my house is in the shed. Eww. I saw a show on HGTV one time where a lady bought a house and later found out that a huge nest of bats was living in her attic. If anyone is not afraid of dark dingy places and wants to crawl around my attic to make sure there are no bats, please let me know.
I've been having really weird dreams lately. I should probably stop drinking wine right before bed. A few nights ago I dreamed that Mickey (my beloved cat) was torn apart in a fight. He was walking around afterward and meowing and his flesh was just hanging from his bones. It was so gross. I woke up and had to go find him and make sure he was okay. The night before that I dreamed that I was pregnant. Even though that's physically impossible, it wasn't impossible in my dream. I was at the hospital ready to give birth but while I was there I felt the baby kick for the first time. Clearly I wasn't ready to deliver so the doctor sent me home. Last night I had a dream about Nathan. we were at a Lee basketball game and I was sitting next to him at the commentator's table. I asked him how he was doing and he said, 'well, do you want the true version or the happy version?' I said, 'tell me something good that happened this week.' He told me several funny stories and I remember just gazing at him with so much love and compassion, the way I would if he was my real brother and not just my brother in Christ. It took a few minutes to realize that it was a dream when I woke up. I miss him so much and I feel like there's no one to talk to about it. Maybe that's why I'm dreaming it instead.
On 9/27 I ran my first 5k. The weather was beautiful for the first time in weeks and it seemed to put all 7,000 people at the race in a great mood. My friend Snare stayed by my side the entire race even though she could have finished twice as fast. She is very encouraging and it's a lot more fun to run with people than by yourself.
Last night Jim and Pam got married. The episode was classic. Jim's brothers were so over the top in their speeches that even Michael said it was inappropriate. I loved every minute and will probably watch the whole thing again this weekend. Then, this morning there was a bigger man getting on the elevator struggling to carry a huge crock-pot full of chili. All I could think about was the episode where Kevin spills his homemade chili all over the floor.
