Men’s best successes come after their disappointments. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

I have always loved this quote! I try to be a glass half full kind of person. When I was a little girl, thunderstorms frightened me so much that they would actually make me sick. And after I learned the trick of counting between the lightening and thunder to tell how many miles away it was…forget about it!!! I would cry if it was anything under 2 digits! However, even at such a young age, and with the terror I felt over each storm…I ALWAYS went outside when it subsided to look for a rainbow. Here I am age 27 on a rainy day. I don’t get sick anymore, and the lightening and thunder no longer scare me (except the occasional clap of thunder catching me off guard…don’t act like it’s never happened to you. LOL) I have grown quite fond of such weather on occasion. At work today everyone was in raincoats or had umbrellas. Not me. I was told once that rain is God’s tears…why are we shielding ourselves from that?! So here I sit, blogging after a whole month of silence…hoping the rain stops before it gets dark out so I can look for a rainbow!

I found a bookmark once that said, “If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.” I bought 10 of them. I ran my fastest mile ever in the rain. I bought my first car in the rain. Test drove my Jeep for two days before I bought it…in the rain. And that scene at the end of ‘Cast Away’ where Tom Hanks & Helen Hunt kiss (in the rain) is one of my favorite scenes from any movie. Mr. Beecher spoke to my soul with this one. Rain always seems to be a disappointment for people. Wait for it though…a success will come. It may not always be in the form of stuff as awesome as kisses and cars, but look around, it’s there, sometimes you just have to find it.

I was talking to an old friend today (not old in age, rather someone I have called a friend for years…to clarify. LOL) about sharing your feelings and it, like many conversations we have had, got me thinking. I am one who, almost uncontrollably at times, says what’s on my mind. If I am upset with someone, they know it. If I do not favor something, I voice it. In some past instances, this has not gone well for me. *Under-statement of the year!* Let me rephrase that…I’ve been disciplined for this for as long as I can remember. But ONLY in instances where my diarhea of the mouth was negative. Of course the consequences will be more turbulent for telling someone to ‘get bent’ then for saying ‘i love you’. So let’s take only positive things, go all or nothing, and vote! To share or to repress…that is the question!

I hardly want to be overbearing in someones life and if this is something I honestly need to work on, then I will give it a shot. But I would rather someone know truly how I feel, and remind them of it often, as opposed to have something happen and have to wonder if they knew.

When I was 15, my best friend died. He was as much of a boyfriend as I could have with my mom & dad. I don’t remember our last kiss. (yes, I kissed a boy when I was 15. Don’t judge me! It’s probably why I’m so good at it now. LOL) I do remember our last conversation and it’s not what I would’ve wanted to leave him with. So for the last 13 years, I’ve tried to let everyone who has passed through my life know how important they were to me. I like saying what I feel, even knowing it won’t always be well received or reciprocated.

One of my most favorite cousins hates to hug! If you know me at all, you know that I am a hugger! So every time I get to spend time with her, I give her the biggest, greatest hugs on the planet! If you are thinking that it’s selfish of me to hug a non-hugger, stop. She knows how I am, that I love hugging people I care about and am an affection freak. So don’t you think any uncomfort she may feel will be over shadowed by the love and adoration I am showing her?!

Maybe I’m all wrong here. That’s why I’m asking for opinions. But I feel like I’ll just explode if I don’t say “I want to kiss you” when i’m thinking it. And I don’t want to regret not saying “I see your smile on everyone who yells at me at work.” or “you are my favorite cousin and I wanted to be just like you growing up.” or “I hope that I can have as successful a career as you. I’m very proud of what you have accomplished.” or “I love you. Truly.”

When said with sincerity, can these things be said too much? When completely heartfelt, is there still such a thing as too much information? Perhaps there are different levels? With people whom you trust implicitly…are there still verbal boundries? If so, how come? I sure wish there weren’t.

Today I love: Pink Elephants
Song of the day: Still By: Tim McGraw

Last week a stranger told me I was gorgeous. Gorgeous! That’s not a word you use for an average looking person. That’s hot stuff! I hardly ever hear words like that, and so it got me thinking about the things that make us more and less attractive to people, and why those people whom I interact with daily do not find me to be so irresistable as McStranger did.

I saw 2 strangers this morning walking their dogs. I stopped and talked to them for no other reason than they were both wearing Boston Red Sox accessories. This made me like them having never seen or heard from them in my life. I love everything Boston, but especially the Red Sox! However, this same affinity I have for my City & team could repulse someone else. For example, a Lt. where I work happens to find my passion repugnant. And I think I’d like him a lot more if he didn’t like the Mets. LOL

My recent military decision has had quite the same effect. My family has a history in the Army. We are soldiers. Now I’ve always had an elevated level of respect for someone when I find out they have so selfishly provided such a great service to our Nation. But now, when someone tells me they are Air Force, I think they took the easy way out. Marines, I assume have some psycological short coming which makes them inherently not give a fuck. Navy, well…no comment. 

I know that some of you are appauled at these thoughts right now, thinking I am judging a book by it’s cover. But I’m really not. First off…I don’t judge. Now that we are square on that…let’s clarify that in the book of someones life, their physical appearance is the cover, yes? What I am doing is merely deciding how much or how little to like someone based on what I’m reading…the characteristics we posess which make us similar or different…a person’s pages. EVERYONE does that! It’s a function of time management. We have to have some way of deciding who we spend what minutes with during our short time on earth. I’m just putting it into words.

I love tattoos! All of them. I know some look all jailhouse and some are magnificent works of art, but they ALL have a story, even if it’s just the story of where you got it and who was present! They don’t always have special meaning. Some tattoos are done just because they look cool, not necessarily to represent something or someone. I have people in my life who have voiced how much they prefer I not get anymore or wish I didn’t have the ones I have. And on the flip side, I’ve had someone tell me that they like all my tattoos…because they are on me. So, who deserves more of my time? The person who likes me even though I have these flaws in the form of tattoos?Or, the person who likes me…who sees the tattoos as part of me and would like them even if they looked jailhouse?

I want to be the police. I’m joining the Army to be a military police officer. While I made this decision based on the honor I find in the position, I know others will decide against even getting to know me simply because of my career choice. That’s fine.

I’m an athlete. I’m addicted to it. I actually like running, panting, sweating, swimming, lifting & cycling! I live for new playlists, running shoes, jogging shorts & sports accessories & I love trying new fruits & vegetables. I think eating healthy actually tastes delicious! The smell of fried foods turns my stomach & if I want to watch television I prefer it be done from an elliptical than from a couch. There are some people who read that and decided I, not Marines, have a psycological short coming. That’s fine.

McStranger found me to be gorgeous, but I wonder if he would still think that based on my choice of cities, baseball teams, body art, career & hobbies? I wonder…but i dont really care. It wouldn’t make me alter anything about my life. The people in my life who like & don’t like things about me don’t make me change things, how could he? It just got me thinking…people are strange when they are strangers. How they come to decide who is gorgeous & who isn’t is beyond me. It’s once you get to know people that you find how attractive they really are…once you read their pages. Some of the most attractive people I’ve ever come across have described themselves as old, bald & fat! But not to me…because I’ve read their pages!

The people we love won’t always love us back. They will hurt us, we will hurt them. They will die, we will die. It’s inevitable…like taxes! LOL What I’m saying is, make the book of your life something you would be proud to have published! The cover isn’t what matters, the pages are. Because if we learned anything at all from The Velveteen Rabbit, it’s that appearances don’t matter.

Song of the Day: People Are Strange By: The Doors

Today I Love: People that love me

I used to be an ‘Emergency Communications Officer’ which is just a fancy name for a dispatcher. I started when I was 22 years old & on my first day a co-worker 10 years older than I was said that I’d never make it. I didn’t have enough life experience to do the job. He said I was still a kid. Four months later, I was out of training, kicking ass on my own…and he was given a choice to resign or be fired. He resigned.

To this day I say that it was my training at that job that made me the person I am today…no matter what I do for work. I was young, yes. Life experience? I had some, but I now know what the guy meant when he said that stuff to me on day one. I was a kid. Still am in some ways…and I hope a part of me always will be. Doing that job stripped a lot of that away from me. I was ignorant. My co-workers called me a baby & they were right for a while. I had led a very sheltered and protected life. But the people that led me through life up until then, my parents, they led by example. They kept a lot of bad things from me because it wasn’t necessary for me to know about those things in order for them to teach me honor, courage, respect, etc… They were well aware I would be corrupted at some point, and I am thankful now that they kept me from that for so long.

There are defining moments in a dispatcher’s career (in all careers really)…specifically in my training…that were true make or break, fight or flight moments. While I believe all people arrive at these moments absolutely terrified…I also believe it’s how they have lived their life up to that point that determines if they will help, or haul ass.

During my stint in headquarters I was known as a ‘shit magnet.’ I took a call, it hit the fan. I dispatched a call, it went down. I have heard peoples last breaths, people attempting to kill themselves or someone else…sometimes successfully, I’ve heard a molestation, rapes, robberies, countless houses burn to the ground, babies beaten, marriages end…I’ve given instructions to people to perform CPR on their parents, children, best friends & spouses, explained to someone how to deliver a baby, and I have had people try to trade me their soul if I could just please make sure their loved one lived!

I learned more in that job then I had in my entire life up until that point. In the three years I wore the headset and answered the calls, but I hated my job. When people call 9-1-1 they are in crisis. No matter how silly a call seemed to the call taker, I always understood that it was a crisis to the caller. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do…be there for people in their time of crisis. I hated that job because when I hung up the phone, it was over. I rarely knew if someone ended up living or dieing, happy or sad or eternally at war with themselves. So i was left eternally at war with myself. It’s a curse of the job…a life of unfinished business…of never knowing the outcome or hearing both sides of the story.

So here I am…writing tickets. Parking tickets. I hate my job…still. And my internal war still seems to be eternal. I want to be a police officer when I grown up. I’ve applied and applied and keep getting denied. So I keep trying to grow up…

I became a runner. I feel more grown now then I ever have! I wish I ran when I dispatched…who knows if my wisdom on the road wouldve transferred over to my wisdom on the phone. Who knows if finding my addiction to Nike calmed me so much, wouldve made someone on the other end of the line feel more at ease. More at peace. But I’m grown up enough to know that I can’t change the past…only the future.

I’m good at helping people. It’s what I want to do and I will never let another person tell me I won’t make it! I’m going on vacation to see my family next month. And when I get home, I’m joining the military. For now I’m joining the Reserves but maybe I will find my place there and go active duty later. Who knows? It all goes back to how I was led as a child…the courage, honor & respect I was taught…the drive to always want to help those who can’t help themselves…the duty I feel in my heart and soul to make the quality of life better for anyone that I possibly can…and the fact that I look so cute in camoflauge! (KIDDING!)

It will be a couple months before I ship out, but I’m so excited about this new venture in life…it’s like I’m already gone…

Today I Love: The American Flag (it always gives me goosebumps to see it folded or flying)

Song of the Day: Already Gone By: Kelly Clarkson

I’m laying in bed right now, hoping to fall asleep soon. Sure it won’t take long as life is wearing me out lately! My mouth is STILL numb from the dentists office, which I left over 4 hours ago! They had to shoot me up 3 times. It might be the worst feeling ever to THINK you are all good and numb and have the dentist get to drilling before you find…I CAN FEEL THAT & IT HUUURRRTTTSS!! Shot number 2 comes and you are sure that there is just no way it could happen again & OUUUCCHH!!! It happens. AGAIN! Dear God it just isn’t right to have to get 3 shots in 1 side of your mouth (in my dentists defense, she did get the left side with 1 shot only)!!

I spent the rest of the appointment clenched, waiting for the next shooting pain to come because after our first two episodes I wasn’t sure I could believe that the pain was over. As long as I could hear the drill I felt there was a pretty good chance I’d be suprised again, or not suprised…if I stood my ground.

I got out with my 4 total shots and no feeling from the neck to the nose. So why then, did I decide to meet my WOB at the gym?! It’s the toughest thing ever to breathe and sweat and need a drink and not be able to swollow one!! But I am the best, most dedicated WOB ever, and even though we couldn’t get machines together today, we were still there keeping each other going. For future reference, I advise against going to the gym post-dental work.

What’s the point? (I assure you, there is one though sometimes I admittedly take a bit to make it.) I got to thinking…in a very constructive sort of way, not all pity party like it half-way sounds…what is the better way to live life? And regardless of that answer, which way do I actually live my life?

Life hurts ya know?! People we love do stupid things over and over. People die. We get hurt physically & emotionally. So what do we do? Do we think because an incident hurt us so bad and we got over it that it couldn’t possibly happen again? Do we clench up and believe that the worst is yet to come? Or maybe a better question…how many times are you going to let somebody stick that giant painful needle in your mouth before you say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”

The third time happened to be a charm today, and because Im a dreamer, when the first & second attempts at something dont work, I always believe the next one will. The problem I find myself in more often than not is that if the third time fails I just wanna keep trying again and again and again! I’m not good at failing. I don’t do it very often but when I do, it becomes my mission to rectify it…because more so then I dream – I believe.

I never understood how people could give up! If you want something, anything…to lose weight, to fall in love, run a marathon, run a half marathon, finish a triathlon, own a home, have the job of your dreams, the car of your dreams, a family…whatever it is you want…how could you quit trying for it?! What if that next attempt was going to be it! What if the next time you asked that person out was going to be the time they realized how they felt about you? Or that run you feel is just a mile too long gives you your very first runners high?! What if that next kiss is the one that puts all the last ones to shame?! Or that next race is your PR for that race length?! If you give up, you miss out on so much good! Such victories you would never taste if you didn’t believe!

I am not so naive to say there is no pain with believing. I know that in believing my faith will be immensely tested…in everything I believe in…God, myself, my abilities, others, their abilities. I know in refusing to fail I may have more let downs than someone who quits. I may get injured where they would not. I may be embarrassed or hurt in ways they will never know…but it’s the hope of attaining the end result that drives a force stronger than any quitter will ever know! It’s a force that drives me everyday. I will not apologize for it. And I wouldn’t sacrafice any pain I am caused because the acheivement, the success, the triumph is worth all the sorrow and agony along the way!

Let me be so bold as to let you in on a winners secret: the more you go through to get where you’re going, the more the light at the end of the tunnel overshadows the bumps in the road that was your journey. I may give too many chances to people, I may push myself when people are telling me to slow down, be in the gym when the lights go out, be up before the sun rises…but I’ll still be dancing long after the music stops, run past the finish line & love with all I have, heartbreak after heartbreak. In my opinion a life less lived is no life at all.

I hope you are a dreamer. I pray you are a believer. But if you aren’t, stick with me a while…maybe I can convice you why it’s so awesome to be both!

Today I love: Novacaine

Song of the Day: Give Me Novacaine By: Greenday

I’m at my surgeons office right now in the waiting room. It’s standing room only and people are starting to get up and reschedule. There’s about 10 people ahead of me. I’ve got so much on my mind I could burst…I almost grabbed an 80 year old woman to gab with me but decided against it & am seizing the opportunity to blog! Yay me, right?! And Yay YOU for reading! I appreciate it!

I was very pumped to start training to run/walk a half marathon on Monday. Truth be told, I haven’t seen the gym yet this week! Life is getting in the way! I’d give anything for an hour and a half to myself to walk, then jog, then run! I just know if I could ride the bike for a bit, do the elliptical for a spell, and then finally get that one glorious mile I’m allowed…that all of the mess swirling around in my mind would suddenly become clear! You ever have days like that? It’s like there’s not enough time for me to just sit down with a pen and paper and plan out everything. When I run though, I don’t know if it’s the light toggle of my brain from side to side or what…my mental notepad takes control and plans it all out for me. My stress is gone because running makes room to mail my Christmas cards, wrap the presents I’ve bought, buy the presents I haven’t, make the blankets and hats and scarves that I’ve started & spend time with my Mom & Dad before they leave. RUNNING does that! It’s MAGICAL! And NOT running makes it so much worse! I WILL make time! I WILL! And my training plan was 12 weeks anyway…so as long as I get to it before Monday (when I have ANOTHER dentist appointment) I will still be good to go!

My Mom’s sister Cathy is here on vacation for the week. I’m trying to make it from Norman to Midwest City everynight to have dinner with them. Mom & Dad are planning on rolling down to Florida on New Year’s Eve morning. I feel like 3 more weeks is not enough time with them. I want them to go because their house in Florida is awesome and they have worked so long and hard to finally be retirees. But I dont want them to go because 27 years old or not…they take care of me!!!

I had a dentist appointment yesterday. It was supposed to be for a cleaning and xrays but they find that 5 of my fillings have to be drilled out and redone. FABULOUS, right? Um…NO! In February, the last time I visited the dentist, I hated the guy I saw. He gave me too much happy gas and I actually vomitted in the floor of the office. Then the shot of novacaine made me cry! It was terrible! It was the first time I saw him and I requested to never see him again. Now I find that because of him, all of the work he did has to be done again?!?! It’s like the February visit was just torture! So this coming Monday, I get the good dentist to do some work on my pearly whites to make sure I don’t get any cavities! How good does it feel to have a dentist tell you that you have a beautiful smile?!?! They also said I have a strong bottom lip. “Its from all the kissin’!” I say. They laughed for 5 minutes.

I got stepsides on my Jeep this week! Next week I’m getting power windows, power locks, an alarm system & remote start! I can’t wait! Marc Heitz is giving me a car to drive, thankfully, while it’s in the shop for the week. Then all I will need is seat covers! I’ve got them picked out already of course, but after I get those I will be lucky enough to have the complete car of my dreams! It’s 4 wheel drive too, which was nice since we had a cute little ice storm this week. Did I mention I hate winter. It’s like 17 degrees right now, which isn’t bad in Fort Collins or Durango. But in Oklahoma, we get 17 degrees along with 500 mph winds! It’s madness!

I’ve been blessed in life to have lots of friends. Even MORE blessed am I to have an entire handful of people I call my BEST friends! One of them is especially strong. So strong that I idolize her. She has had an incident in her life this week that has made me examine my life. I mention it because perhaps it’s time for YOU too to examine YOURS! I settle a lot. I put others ahead of myself. I procrastinate. I let things & people get under my skin. I am unhappy with my body. I’m unhappy with some relationships in my life. I’m not where I’d like to be in my career. To an outsider looking in, it could be a recipe for disaster. LOL I like to think of it as a recipe for change. Everyday is a new jumping off point, a new recipe card. I can add a pinch of spice or a handful, but at the end of the day, I am the only one who HAS to enjoy the taste of what I’ve made. And I do enjoy it…

I know that I will not always get that run in. Ailments will creep up on me, weather will disable me, work will tire me & love will take a little extra time. But when I lay in bed at night to say my prayers…I have a list soooo long of people to pray for that sometimes I fall asleep before I finish! And I have so many people praying for me that sometimes an air of safety and contentment just envelopes me and I can FEEL it!!! So no matter how many physicals I pass to get denied a job later…no matter how many days I’m without a car…no matter how many miles seperate me & the ones I love…I HAVE the ones I love! So so many of them! So I will let the cold stiffen up my knees and I will warm them with the jogs I have time for. And when I don’t have time, I will try my best to be thankful for whatever keeps me from those miles. Because I know what’s most important in life…and I know that the ROAD will always be there!

Song of the Day: The Broken Road By: Rascal Flatts

Today I love: The things that keep me from the road

If I had to pick a number, I’d say this is probably my fourth blog…and at the same time only about my tenth blog post.  LOL  I’ve got wicked good reasoning for the change this time: efficiency!  I am not the best at figuring out all this technology, and blogging from my iPhone was just too difficult on the blogger website that I previously used.  Thank you WordPress, for making an iPhone application that is so simple even a cave man could use it!  With everything going on in my life right now, if I can’t do it from my iPhone, it doesn’t get done! (Believe it or not, I do not get kickbacks from AT&T or Apple for statements like these.  However, you will find I make them over & over.  If you are reading this & happen to be some sort of important executive @ one of the two companies, keep in mind that I am willing to be paid for such honest opinions…and I have a BRILLIANT personality!)

I stole an idea from my friend on Facebook this week called ‘Project 365′ which she stole from someone else, who probably didn’t come up with it either.  It’s like a photo blog in which you upload a picture from everyday of your life for an entire year.  It’s an awesome idea that I personally began on December 4, 2009 (which also happens to be my best friends daughters birthday: Happy 2nd Birthday Evyn Taylor!)  I’m only 2 days in, but find it easy to keep up with from the palm of my hand.  Hopefully WordPress blogging follows suit!  I’ve found myself wanting to blog on several different occasion, but my current living arraingements were not condusive to doing so…keeping my fingers crossed that this helps!

I’m back at the gym!  I say that with such enthusiasm that an exclamation point may not fully do it justice.  It has been 5 months since my knee surgery & 1 month since my last visit to physical therapy.  I’m not sure why I wasn’t prescribed physical therapy between my last Dr.’s visit & my Dr.’s visit coming up, but I wasn’t.  I feel like not having someone there telling me I can’t or am not allowed to do certain things has really helped me in the last month.  I have run a mile on two seperate occasions in the last week!  I’ve really been able to pay attention to the signs my body is giving me, rather than listening to someone tell me what to do.  My physical therapist putting me on a treadmill at 7mph was actually pretty painful & I had been unable to complete more than a minute without cutting back to walking.  This was frustrating & made me feel as though I wasn’t progressing like I should be! 

On my own, I have found success on the bicycle as well as the elliptical, so I decided to add the treadmill on to the workout this week.  My first attempt was hasty & conservative all at once.  I probably wasn’t ready to just go run a mile, but I was fed up with runless days.  I HAD to know that if I wanted to go run a mile, I COULD!  A 4 minute walk warm-up, then a 5mph jog for 12 minutes & a 4 minute walk cool-down later…SUCCESS!  During the run I had very little discomfort & minimal swelling & irritation after.  After a little ice & shower I felt good as new.  Two days later was my second post-surgical, 1 mile run.  Being that I am one of the most competitive people I know, I HAD to know that I could run a mile in less than 12 minutes!  LOL  I didn’t push it too hard and ran it in 11!  I am LOVING my Zensah Compression Sleeves & knee strap.  I’m too scared to run without the assistance of little gadgets like these, because I NEVER want to be hurt again…so I just assume they are working & continue to depend on them. 

Speaking of things I depend on: I got a new Work Out Buddy (WOB)!  I think this will be one of the things that help me the most in getting back to my pre-knee surgery shape & beyond!  It’s someone I work with, so during the day it is easy to remind each other that we have plans right after work!  This daily mid-day reminder also helps me make better food choices.  He is a pretty healthy eater as well, so when I go to lunch knowing we are working out later, I eat something light like a mini-sub & apple slices @ Subway.  I have also adopted some of his eating habits such as no or low sodium for my food.  Small, health concious decisions like these add up to make a big difference!

Weight Watchers has been bitter sweet lately!  Dad has been doing amazing!  He reached his goal weight a few weeks ago and is actually continueing to lose through his maintenance phase!  His discipline is amazing, but more so are his results!  He won a weight loss competition at his job, was featured in the newspaper where he works, but best of all…all of his blood work is perfect!  Weight Watchers can truly be a lifesaver! (I also do not get paid by Weight Watchers…yet!  I hope to once I reach my goal weight though!)  So for the bitter…my goal weight.  I was so so so close!!  THREE pounds away from it!  3!  Three!  THREE!  Now, I have over 20 lbs to lose before I am at goal.  I have faith that I will get there, but the journey will be a hard one!

WW has some rules that you follow…in summary: 1. Follow the good health guidelines 2. Get activity 3. Attend meetings.  Do all of those things together and you are pretty much guaranteed weight loss as well as a good level of fitness.  There is a science to it all involving a points system.  Everything has a points value!  All foods & beverages…& ALL exercises.  Before my surgery it was easy for me to lose weight because I could exercise at such a high intensity & for such an extended period of time, that I was able to eat more and still have a loss of fat.  This time, I am trying harder to concentrate on my food choices, so that in the instance something out of my control happens (like gallbladder surgery & then knee surgery), I will be able to remain at my pre-surgical weight after surgery, without gaining weight back due to lack of exercise.  That’s the goal anyway…I will keep you posted, and appreciate your support while I cuss food-pushers & bakeries!  I had hoped to reach goal while Mom & Dad still lived here so Dad would be at the meeting where I made it, but that is not looking promising since they are less than a month from retirement.

Monday will start my training for my first Half-Marathon since knee surgery: The Disney Princess Half!  It is the weekend of March 5-7 in Orlando, FL.  That gives me 13 weeks to train, PLUS I get to look forward to a date on the calendar when I will get to see Mom & Dad since they will only be living about an hour to hour & a half away from Walt Disney World.  It’s a women’s only race that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society & the medal is a Minnie Mouse head!  To all my runner girlfriends, Mom & Dad love to entertain!  Let me know if you are interested and we can make a girls race trip of it!

I’m getting pretty tired.  I wonder what it’s like to have a weekend.  I know that I knew at one time, but it was so long ago I don’t remember.  I get off work @ 08:00…let me rephrase that…I am supposed to get off work @ 08:00 (this morning I ended up staying here until after 10!)  then it’s back to the Em Dub for a nap.  I’m excited that one of my Aunt’s is flying in for a week long visit and arrives late tonight…and also excited to have 80% of the things I brought to Mom & Dad’s house unpacked!  With training starting, I will be in serious need of a more normal sleeping pattern…or at least as normal as it can be working 08:00-16:00 during the week & 00:00-08:15 on the weekends.

Today I Love: That my high school won the 5A Oklahoma Football State Championship

Song of the Day: What Kind of Love Are You On   By: Aerosmith