I am a freaking sitcom character

I've been thinking about this post and its glorious entrance into the web world for quite some time now... well... since yesterday morning when I RAN A MILE. Well, at least I think so. We had to run 2.3 miles and I ran most of it; and walked some of the rest. I was so proud of myself. To think - all I needed was a knee brace and an inhaler and I can do it! And I did it - but I felt like such a goon. I took the shortest route and at the end of the race I came running in with my hands up, my knee brace on - waving my inhaler - I had just gone from 28 years old to approximately 72... maybe my gramma reggie was with me in spirit because I feel like that's something she would have done. But in the end - I'm proud of myself... because I didn't give up, I didn't give excuses and I ran most of the way. I just wanted to share. Thanks for being proud of me too.

Now back to my thesis - and for those of you keeping count - I'm up to page 21 now... only 60 more or so to go! Rock.On.Oh.Yah.

And a Happy Day to You Too Mr.Coffee Man!

So every morning I treat myself to a nonfat latte at my all time favorite coffee place... . I also love it because they have a new person working the windows every day that I go... so my fear of them saying "oh lord - here comes that girl again with the bright lipstick, correct change and beat up car"... so anywho ... my story. Usually these people aren't that entertaining. Just your usual college kid up early trying to make a few bucks at the coffee shop. Well today - not only was I in for a surprise but a greeat source of entertainment!

There are 2 windows... you pay at one... pick up your coffee at the other. Oh and one other thing I must add as a prep to the story - you usually pay and then you drive to the next window and they shove your coffee at you and say - thanks have a great day! and you drive off... okay so back to my story.

The first window is the same as always. New person but nothing new. The second window. I'm waiting for my coffee for a few minutes and out of nowhere - a younger guy with brown hair and a beard opens the window, looks at me, gives me a giant smile, holds my coffee up to his side (like a vanna white pose) and says "Tall skinny latte no whip?" and then gives me this smirk. Then I say "yep! that's me!" (what? what an idiot I am - yep that's me? to coffee?) He gladly swoops the coffee at me and I'm off.

But anywho - this story was so much funnier in person. I wish you all could have been there. Um yah.

Knee Update

Great news - I've figured out that if I wear a knee brace, warm up 5 minutes on the treadmill before going to bootcamp (I now wake up at 4:50 a.m. everyday), take my painkiller and inhale the medicine from my inhaler - that I can run! I can jump! I can lunge! My knee is like new. Which is great... it's not like new just yet really; it's still sore; but at least now I can walk and keep on keepin' on. As a side note - how dumb is this - I've been working out and eating less but have managed to gain 4 lbs. What on earth?! My sister and I are going to do a detox thing. I'll let you know how it goes! :)

p.s. how lame is my life that all I have to report on is my weight gain, gimp knee and meds I'm taking. ... wow ...

In Need of a Motivation Sensation

So I have a new obsession - my thesis. Although it's not really an obsession; it's just more of a thing that I CAN'T GET OUT OF MY MIND. I think about it all day and night. At work. At home. At social functions. In fact, I'm sitting here right now admist books and articles and propsals and I can't do anything but... update my blog. :) I'm also babysitting and dead tired so that could also have something to do with it. But still. I can hardly wait until it's all over with and I'll have nothing to think about except what shall I have for dinner?

I've got 7 pages written so far though... it's a start - eh?

Bootcamp Back Again

Well, I went to bootcamp on Thursday when it started up again - although this time I'm doing it through a different company. It was great! Until my knee went out. Yes. We had to run 2 miles cold turkey (no warming up or anything) so my knee definitely did not like that. It was great... the rest of the day I couldnt walk and I was the second to last one to finish the jog. I went to the dr's to get it checked out and apparently I have tendinitis in my knee. I'm to get a knee brace, not run and take some anti-inflammatories. I'll let you know the status... I'm just bummed... i need to work out and run! I'll keep ya'llz posted.

Things are Looking Up!

What's up party people? Sorry for the lack of updates in oh - the last 2 months! The good news is - things are looking up and I always knew tomorrow would be brighter. Here's a rundown of an update:

- Erik and I are talking! Working on things and taking it day by day. Yay! Breaking up is still hard to do but things are nice when they actually do start to work out :)

- Only 4 months until I have to turn in my thesis. I haven't really started working on it - that'll be this weeks project I hope! I plan to turn into a hermit and finish it by Thanksgiving. Wish me luck!

- I havent worked out since Kelly's wedding (and have gained like 20 lbs - no joke!) so I start a new bootcamp next week. Ill try and keep you updated in between writing, working, traveling for work and workin' out

- I also moved into my rents house for a year. It's been an adjustment (answering to my dad about where I'm going, when I'll be home and why am I not working on fridays?) but they do have a nice pool and I'm hoping to save some money.

I think that's it for now. I really want to get back into writing so I hope that I will continue to write on here more and more regularly.

In the meantime, I'll try and think of some funny stories to post. Love you all!

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do...

(deep breath)... So Erik (my boyfriend and I) broke up and boy does it suck big time. Never in a million years would I thought I would ever have a break up in my life... I went through one and I thought that would do me in for good... but alas, here I am again - alone, single, solo - you know the drill. I also seem to have things happen to me at the worst time. Not only did we end up breaking it off on the night of my sisters wedding; but it was only 5 days before my birthday... so I'll start my 28th year of life just as I came into it - single. On the bright side of things - maybe now I'll have more exciting things to talk about and blog about. I'm sure I'll continue to meet my share of random guys and can add lines to one of my books titled "the worst pick-up lines ever" or maybe we'll get back together or maybe I'll meet mr. perfect - not just mr. right - I have pretty high standards ya know :) For now, I'm taking one day at a time, remembering that I'm number one; and trying to remember that it's no good to live life sobbing all day in bed. So here's to my 28th year - a one where I have no idea where it will take me - but whatever it does... it'll be a surprise.

Round 6 ~ Not Going So Well...

It's t minus 23 days until my sister's wedding and I'm in my 6th round of bootcamp. However, even though I'm in the 3rd week - I think I've only been able to go for 4 days. I had the flu, went to South Carolina for my cousin's wedding (which is an entirely different story I'll share), came back and it's been RAINING here for 5 days straight! I'm petrified of getting sick before the wedding so I don't go when it's raining. That and I had nachos and an ice cream cone for my meals today... this isn't looking so good... I better kick my rear in gear. Blah. I hope it doesnt rain tomorrow so I can workout! Blah. wow - this post went downhill fast

I think I've bruised my abs...

Well, not really - I mean, I don't even know if it's possible to bruise one's abs - just from doing sit ups... but I've done enough in the past 2 1/2 weeks that I think I may have internally bruised them. I'm in for the long haul this week and next - going to bootcamp every day and my abs - they are a feeling it. I can sit down now though - which to me is a major improvement. I'll keep you updated - until then, it just hurts to breathe!

Bootcamp ~ Round 5

After a week of illness, lots of eating out and only t minus 3 months to wedding wonderland (my cousins and my sisters - not mine), I began another round of bootcamp. Only this time - it's back outside. Remember I live in Nebraska - so this morning at 4:5o am it was SNOWING. And I couldn't find my hat. I was in for the long haul.

It actually wasn't too bad! This group has some older ladies in it (read, I won't be the last runner in the pack) so that made me feel better and I felt very much accomplished as this time I was able to run the usual 2 laps we begin with without passing out and without walking! I was also the 3rd from the front. Quite an improvement from the last camp in which I always came in last, had to walk most of the laps and thought I would faint just after warming up.

I also got some handy dandy new running shoes which make me feel like the wind (cue - she's like the wind song from dirty dancing). I thought they were hurting my back, but when I'm actually running in them - they're terrific. All I could think was the song by Paola Nutini "I've got my new shoes on, and everything is all right".

Alas - it was a good start to the bootcamp - hopefully I'll continue to improve, firm up and lose some weight while I'm at it too.

As always - I'll keep you posted.

Only To Me...

If there is anything my friends can count on from me - it's a damn good laugh. For instance - last night while having mexican food and margaritas - I happened to spill my purse under the table. Now it's not just any table - it's a small booth with the table nailed into the wall and there is not much room to move. You must also know that I am known for carrying some of the biggest purses possible (I have a lot of stuff okay?!) so not only did my purse spill all over the grungy floor of mexican restaurant - but it took all 4 of us to gather my things up and put them back in my giant bag. At least my friends were rolling around on the floor because it was so funny - and thanks to them for helping me pick up my stuff too. :)

Friends...

I just wanted to say how blessed I am to have so many caring, awesome, wonderful friends! Thank you to all of you for giving me advice, standing by my side, listening to me, cheering me on, laughing with me and sometimes at me and for being able to get together at a moment's notice! I love you all and am so excited to have you as a part of my life! THANK YOU!

I have found my match...

There are only a few "ah ha" moments that I have had in my life and the most recent ones involve my boyfriend Erik. This is why I know we're meant to be together - forever...



1. We had a serious discussion on how cool minivans are and how at some point in our lives, we will definitely own one - kids or not. They have tv's and swivel chairs in them now!



2. He sent a dozen roses to me at work on Valentine's Day - aka in my book as "Black Thursday" - he has renewed my love of Valentine's Day and has made me feel more loved than ever!



So this Bud's for you - awesome boyfriend Erik... this Bud's for you!

The Kitchen Gestapo

Holy Hairballs... if you ever want to make a bunch of people mad - heat up your lunch in the microwave at 12:09 p.m. like I did today. Imagine one microwave for a floor of 80 people. Not good when everyone else brings a microwave meal. And then they give you the evil eye and when you're done they crowd around you to get to the microwave. Geesh! From now on... peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches for me!

Welcome to "Cube Land"

As many of you know - I lost my luxurious, corner office with windows when our entire division moved from main campus to a building on the edge of the edge of campus. No longer do I have my office - but now a shoebox - I mean a cube to work in. In all honesty though - it's not as bad as I thought. Besides, now I can throw paper airplane notes at people and that's always entertaining.

Speaking of airplanes - this place reminds me of a huge intercontinental jet. Let me tell you why:

• there is always a quiet hum of a fan going so it sounds like a plane
• It's cold in here and my feet are always freezing. Just like in a plane!
• The building shakes... just like a plane does
• The aisles between the seats, I mean the cubes are about as big as those in planes
• people walk the aisles for excercise... just like on planes!
• there are snakes in here - just like on planes! (kidding)
• the people sitting next to you are always loud and annoying
• the bathrooms smell
• this place is about as big as a plane with 600 people jammed in it
• the phone rings sound like the beeps on planes when the pilot pages the flight attendant

I'm sure there are more - I'll continue when necessary.

Enjoy!

3 Down... 4th Round...

Yep, I did it. I signed up for a FOURTH ROUND of bootcamp. I think I have completely lost my mind but when I have a week off in between... I miss it... so I sign up again. It's like some weird sort of addiction. Which I guess is a "good" addiction if you're addicted to working out because then at least you're doing something good for your body.

And then, because I'm not crazy, tired or sore enough from the 5:30 a.m. workouts 3 times a week, I've decided to add some gym time on to that in the evenings. I'm looking for results here folks. The wedding (my sister's) is in less than 6 mo's and I've GOT to fit into that dress.

I'll keep you posted if you're interested.

Until next time !

Oh My Thighs

I don't understand why we must do 1 million squats in bootcamp today - my thighs are big enough - I don't need them bigger!

Here's to another day of being unable to walk...

The Wrath of Bootcamp Returns

So it's only been 2 days since I've been back in the swing of things with bootcamp and already... I CAN'T WALK. I swear to you - I'm moving slower than a turtle and can't sit down or stand up.

It's mostly my thighs. They feel like they have bruises all over the place and every time I move - the pain flares up. I hope I never get old - I feel like this might be a look into the future.

I hope my thighs at least lose a few inches!

Mouse in the House

One of the things I am afraid of is mice. Ew. Yuck. I don't like them. So you can imagine my distraught when I was changing the water cooler at work and there was a dead one, stuck, stretched out and dead on a sticky trap at work. Let me just tell you - I just about lost my lunch. 4 days later - it's still haunting me that poor little rhodent. And now, I think there is a dead one in my office - I've concluded it's dead inside of my radiator because every time the heat comes on - the stench gets worse. Again. Ew and gross. Guess there are some bright sides to moving to another office building into a cube.

Bootcamp ~ Round 3

Well bootcamp round 3 began today and this time inside - thank goodness! Instead of running laps outside at a parking lot in the dark, I now get to run laps inside of a gradeschool in the bright, blaring lights while admiring artwork from the little ones on the walls.

I felt like I was going to puke today - but I did run the entire time - I didn't let myself walk... let's see if this bootcamp kicks into the weight loss!

Stay tuned for updates!