tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1947225267937230022023-11-16T00:35:10.465-06:00Day by Day, Note by Note, Mile by MileAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-80082634441335591842017-01-31T12:34:00.002-06:002017-01-31T12:34:32.532-06:00Dear Friend<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear friend,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hurt for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not because I’ve lived in your exact same situation. Not
because I can truly understand all of your feelings. Because your situation is
just that, yours. And your feelings are just that, yours. And there is no one
else in this entire world that can truly live <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> life, or understand <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i>
feelings. The best any of us can do is empathize with feeling like the world
has broken us down. Because on some level, we’ve all felt a kind of broken at
some point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe the broken came in the form of not being invited to
that eight year old birthday party sleepover. Maybe the broken came in the form
of a terrible medical diagnosis. Maybe the broken came in the form of a broken
heart. Maybe broken came in the form of not feeling fulfillment in your life.
Maybe broken came in the form of failure. But we’ve all been broken at some
point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> broken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we don’t show people our broken parts. The exhaustion of
a career isn’t painted on Facebook, only the successes are celebrated. The
tears in a bathroom stall aren’t Instagrammed for the world so see, only the
smiles during the happy times are shared. We read passive aggressive comments on
Twitter, instead of talking to those people in real life. We avoid
confrontation and anything that might be construed as uncomfortable because we
live in generation of “I want to feel good, and please don’t share your
uncomfortableness with me, les I feel an obligation to do something to help you
in some way.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m glad I’m broken.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not a person that enjoys admitting that I need help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am independent. I am strong. I am stubborn. I don’t need
someone to complete me. I don’t want someone to take the starring role of my
life away from me. I like to be in control. I like to be right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I am broken. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And sometimes broken people need to ask for help. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because someone might put the pieces back together better
than they were before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes stubborn people need some humility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because someone else can have a gift that is greater than your
own.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes it’s ok to let someone else take the lead. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because someone else will encourage you to continue to grow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes it’s ok to be wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because someone else can lead you to what is right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The answer is not a magical elixir. It’s not an overnight
diet pill. It’s not the wave of a wand to make it all disappear. But
ironically, the answer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> a
relationship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep running, but change your direction. The track you’re
running keeps looping back to you, and so you see yourself as the problem. It
also means that you keep looking to yourself to find the solution. You are not
the problem. You are not the solution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because it’s not about you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, the race that you’re running is straight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not on a track. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, the race that you’re running is straight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It doesn’t require you to train.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, the race that you’re running is straight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no distance to be completed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, the race that you’re running is straight, get OFF
the track.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run. To. Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your solutions aren’t working? Run to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You don’t understand the why? Run to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You don’t understand the direction? Run to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’re angry about the path? Run faster to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You feel broken? Run to Him, He’ll put you back together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your failures weigh you down? Run to Him, He’ll life you up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> broken. We
all are. But you are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> beyond
repair. There’s only one relationship in this entire world that can put your
pieces back together again. Run to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He will show you your value. (Priceless)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He will show you how to love. (Perfectly)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He will never leave you. (Consistency)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He will guide your life. (Answers)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He will value you. (Fulfillment)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friend, take it to Him. Leave it at His feet. And when you
foolishly pick it back up the next day, lay it at His feet again. And when you
have the good days, sit at His feet and soak it in. And when you have the
challenging days, sit at His feet and ask for understanding. And when you have
the days you forget His message, sit at His feet and ask forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep running. But get off your track.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Run to Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-45480989642354616302016-06-14T13:10:00.000-05:002016-06-14T13:10:11.721-05:00The Post Marathon Post: Part II...8 months laterThis post was originally titled "The Post Marathon Post: Part II...7 months later." That changed this morning. I left my blog in the starting gate. Not sure if that's irony or not. It's been a hard 8 months.<br />
<br />
I started training for this marathon a year and a half ago. I remember a conversation with my good friend during the course of our training (she was in the process of training for her first full Ironman) and she had this quote that she shared with me "Remember why you started." I held that quote close to my heart because it reminded me of her and our friendship as I pushed through the long Saturday runs of training. And I thought of this as I pushed through the grueling 5 hours and 58 minutes that I ran my marathon.<br />
<br />
Sitting here, eight months removed from my marathon, I look back on why I started and what that race means to mean. I started because I wanted to lose weight. I started because I was trying to regain my life in a job that left me feeling overworked and needing mental time for myself. I started because I wanted to prove that my life was full and meaningful even without a husband or children. I started because I didn't think I could do it. Even as I gathered my things up the morning of my marathon to get on the bus to the start line, I doubted myself. I doubted that I could do it. There has to be a small amount of crazy in someone that wants to willingly run 26.2 miles in a certain amount of time. Was I crazy?<br />
<br />
The marathon experience is hard to explain to someone unless they've actually done it. It's not actually 26.2 miles, at least it wasn't to me. To me it was a series of 1 miles increments. And when a mile seemed too impossible at the end, it was running from tree to tree. And cheering section to cheering section. And then it became just putting one foot in front of another. And when I didn't think I had anything left, there was my friend who literally ran with me to the end.<br />
<br />
Three weeks later, I had knee surgery on my meniscus. I had injured it in August, but with an amazing group of physical therapists and appointments three times a week, I made it through the marathon. I'm not sure they really know how much they did for me. They weren't just there healing my body, they genuinely cared about me as a person. They were genuinely excited for me when I came back and had finished my marathon. They encouraged and pushed and supported in ways I didn't even know I was missing, until there they were.<br />
<br />
Training for and running my marathon was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. The reasons I run are endless. The things I've gained are endless. The questions I still have are endless. I'm by no means a marathon expert, but what I would tell people is to find their own marathon. Find the thing that you're not really sure if you can do, and do it. If nothing else, try. Maybe you'll fail. But what if you succeed?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-59190880575461977092015-10-10T09:42:00.000-05:002015-10-10T09:42:06.443-05:00The Post Marathon Post: Part IThe Post-Marathon Post: Part I<br />
<br />
(Editor's note: I wasn't planning on making these multiple posts, but I just finished getting to the starting line...and it's already getting pretty long. I would imagine two more posts after this one. Enjoy!)<br />
<br />
I'm just about a full week out from the completion of my first marathon. This last week was my time to reflect and relive the experience as I verbally shared parts of it with people who asked. Finally, I'm going to take the time to reflect and recount the experience of last Sunday as a whole.<br />
<br />
After having knee issues for the better part of August and into September, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the starting line. My longest training run was only 15 miles. After finding out I was sporting some torn cartilage and a torn medial meniscus in my left knee, I was down to one run a week (the long Saturday run) per my physical therapist's direction. Three days of 6am physical therapy a week. And if I'm being totally honest, those mid-week workouts on the arc trainer usually (read:always) got pushed to the side as my job became overwhelming and I usually opted for sleep over the workout. And yet, there I was last Friday, boarding the plane to head up to "chilly" Milwaukee from Phoenix. It was 102º when the plane took off and 52º when we landed. Literally a 50º temperature swing.<br />
<br />
This wasn't a trip meant for seeing friends and family (though I managed to squeeze a little bit of that in), and as I sat on the plane the life I have in Phoenix got shut off. For the entire weekend I wasn't Ms. O., I was Andrea. I turned my job off. The correcting I brought along stayed in my backpack the entire time, and instead I spent the time on the plane reading the chapters in my multiple marathon books about the actual race, mile 26, and the post-race recovery. In my head I mentally rehearsed the final three miles which I had run before I left Milwaukee last July. I looked over the course map, creating mental goal markers for myself to loosely give myself an idea as to where I was on the course route at any given time. And I enjoyed a little of the free DirectTV, courtesy of Southwest Airlines.<br />
<br />
Saturday was expo day. Walking into that expo building, stuff got real. I'm always in awe of the elite athletes. You know, the people God genetically created to be good at running. I should have taken some pictures at the expo, especially of the display of all the shirts and medals from all 35 years of the marathon. Shopped all the finisher swag. Bought none of it, because, well...I wasn't a finisher at that point! Settled for a pint glass and a coffee mug. (To those of you who know me: Shocking. Beer and coffee. Not.) Saturday afternoon I was able to grab lunch with a friend, I even allowed myself a Spotted Cow. Saturday night I spent with my fam (minus the Minnesota contingency) at one of my favorite places in the whole world, Miller Park. I started chatting with a pair of guys who were sitting behind me about the marathon the next day. They thought I was crazy for being at the ballpark the night before. I was sitting, I was relaxed, and mentally it was one of the best places I could have been.<br />
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Saturday night I got a decent night of sleep before the marathon, but my body decided to wake up just about every hour on the hour. It didn't seem to bother me, as I'd just roll back over and go back to sleep. No alarm was necessary, as my body naturally woke up just after 5am. Immediately I started putting on my race day outfit. Stuff was getting real! Pretty soon I was in the car with my cousin and headed to the Italian Community Center to catch the shuttle up to the startline in Grafton (shoutout to Chrysta for taking me down there at 5:30am).<br />
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There was a moment on the shuttle where you're about halfway up to Grafton and my mind goes "You know you have to run all the way back down to Milwaukee, right?" Shortly after that the "Am I insane?" moment hit. Before I could even process that information we were getting off the interstate and the doors to the bus were opening at Grafton High School. I had 30-45 minutes before they would start corralling us to the start line. I took advantage of using a real toilet one last time, and reassessing my apparel choices for the umpteenth time. Popped my IB, my Extreme Endurance, one last drink of watch, and ran into two of my former coworkers. It was so great to seem them and talk through my gameplan one last night. Right before Brandon (who has done multiple marathons and runs much faster than me) walked away he looked at me and said, "We'll see you at the finish line." I sarcastically commented that I didn't know if they'd still be around by the time I finished. He very confidently looked at me and said one more time, "We'll see you at the finish line." Those words ran with me the entire 26.2 miles.<br />
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I was alone again, standing in the 5:30 finish time corral. I started chatting with three ladies near me. They had all flown into town from different parts of the country to run this marathon together and they had a supporter (Robin) that was their cheerleader/fueler/encourager that met up with them every 2-4 miles on the course. They immediately adopted me as one of their own, including me in every picture they took throughout the entire day. It made me feel like my group of girlfriends that is now spread out all over the country was right there with me. All of a sudden it was 7:25am, and people started moving forward towards the start line. My heart started fluttering a little bit...this was it. The man at the starting line lifted the gun to the air and POW! we were off. Well...about 2 minutes later when we actually got across the starting mats we were off. (Those two minutes become pretty important about six hours later.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-43602097801913881072015-06-12T15:22:00.004-05:002015-06-12T15:22:52.827-05:00Coffee+Beer=Love<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ttf9H8VzvrFidu8XRiFsIrbYdXs3Exkj7h4QpJIft2-oUEzPb4lyA2Yyb_rJecwr1oLq_1cY1G1zfXDKFLuMRoAAQ0hITBRAKx1rYeREJs-ZYZic-OIWBbMtQ3mdRJl9MEELomoVL_0/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ttf9H8VzvrFidu8XRiFsIrbYdXs3Exkj7h4QpJIft2-oUEzPb4lyA2Yyb_rJecwr1oLq_1cY1G1zfXDKFLuMRoAAQ0hITBRAKx1rYeREJs-ZYZic-OIWBbMtQ3mdRJl9MEELomoVL_0/s200/IMG_0135.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
While I haven't been consistent about blogging Sundays, I have been consistent about blogging once a week. This week's blog is brought to you at <a href="http://www.sipcoffeeandbeerhouse.com/" target="_blank">Sip Coffee & Beer House</a> in Scottsdale, AZ. One of the best parts about being "off" in the summers, is that you can work remotely for a large majority of prep work. I'm not really "off." We might not have school in session, but I'm working and prepping for next year like a mad women. Music selection, travel plans, outfit selection...sometimes it feels like I have more work in the summers than I do during the school year. Haha, just kidding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9ACbmkf8Tyt6GrSYNbFt7sLbWsRculMKmaEhuJjAKJ3ZHjpRaeq088TrhPO7rPdKJCNoGXso0VgaOiTacw4x2Wcx39HRZ79zvUBpmLu29UNkhHHdUrRyUJNV8rFYWVftH5uOkK801Q/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9ACbmkf8Tyt6GrSYNbFt7sLbWsRculMKmaEhuJjAKJ3ZHjpRaeq088TrhPO7rPdKJCNoGXso0VgaOiTacw4x2Wcx39HRZ79zvUBpmLu29UNkhHHdUrRyUJNV8rFYWVftH5uOkK801Q/s200/IMG_0152.JPG" width="200" /></a>I love a good coffeehouse. Probably goes back to the many hours I spent avoiding the snow and studying at Larkspur in college, which apparently is now<a href="http://www.lolaamericanbistro.com/" target="_blank"> Lola-An American Bistro</a>. Pair a good coffee with free wifi and I am a happy girl. Add on the fact that it's also a beer house and you'll have a difficult time getting me to leave. I found this little gem on Google, gave it a try, and it's starting to become my goto place to sit and work. The mornings are pretty quiet, but the traffic definitely pics up around noon.<br />
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Lots of blogging topics have been swarming my mind these days. As the mileage starts to increase, so does the amount of time I have to just think. Three quick thoughts on the blog today. Race recap, minor injury, and goals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4q1ldePzmHwDhKwmOJEpD9wi9vUwIH1YTYCibIDl9elbPZGfVZg3dacBjdgEYuPCUmmTgyW6tDXEkZu2WR4FJVTwp1j3iNJIRMQTMimWEFRbNownUccw0vlPVojSK96ZaeHWTBU6qqM/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4q1ldePzmHwDhKwmOJEpD9wi9vUwIH1YTYCibIDl9elbPZGfVZg3dacBjdgEYuPCUmmTgyW6tDXEkZu2WR4FJVTwp1j3iNJIRMQTMimWEFRbNownUccw0vlPVojSK96ZaeHWTBU6qqM/s200/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpjNzeCWGpSaysWs7YqcwE6zTpcVYjIigkm3x3zHy9g5AFdUYBzISlyjmT3EekFSnTi-_QqDxIfo43prxbEl1vboPzIPmge8DACwJlsJWIODKHpSlonVnc9hj5Zif_c3MscFFljxiL7I/s1600/IMG_9779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpjNzeCWGpSaysWs7YqcwE6zTpcVYjIigkm3x3zHy9g5AFdUYBzISlyjmT3EekFSnTi-_QqDxIfo43prxbEl1vboPzIPmge8DACwJlsJWIODKHpSlonVnc9hj5Zif_c3MscFFljxiL7I/s200/IMG_9779.JPG" width="200" /></a>Race recap: FroYo5k<br />
Both the 5k and the 10k were offered, with the 10k just looping the course twice. Overall, I was fairly happy with my performance. I set my fastest 5k time in a <i>long</i> time during the race. The froyo treat at the end was AMAZING. While some people were commenting about how they were going to get sick from the froyo at the end, I thought it was a fantastic treat after a very hot race. Heat was probably my only complaint about the race. Race officials were late in starting the race, which in the AZ heat can really kill ya. My runs outside I try to start around 5:30am. Scheduled at 7am, this puppy didn't start til almost 7:15am! But one under my belt. Huzzah!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYeAgduihPIp2R08Blzh9KsBrTCVddN9P6d_d9h5Cfo5hRTKlDGfg6638Gtpa1YhN659O35sZLYjBLTobjy6stoJyqnpdLZ14nQh6r47rPlVc8_67K3I8vVVVbVEG84eTiPnvID9kjN0/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYeAgduihPIp2R08Blzh9KsBrTCVddN9P6d_d9h5Cfo5hRTKlDGfg6638Gtpa1YhN659O35sZLYjBLTobjy6stoJyqnpdLZ14nQh6r47rPlVc8_67K3I8vVVVbVEG84eTiPnvID9kjN0/s200/IMG_0147.JPG" width="200" /></a>I sidelined myself for two days this week. After my interval training on Tuesday, I experienced some pain in my right calf starting Wednesday. When I woke up and it was still present on Thursday, I decided a trip to my local running store was in order. The pain was in the same leg that I pronate on, and suspected that I might be having a cause and effect situation going on. After telling my life's running story to Flash at <a href="http://www.solesportsrunning.com/" target="_blank">Sole Running Sports Zone</a>, we determined that is was probably time to retire my pair of shoes. Lighter shoes=less mileage available on them. I tried on a new pair and holy cow...night and day difference. It was like running on clouds of air verses flat pancakes. The hardest part of the process was deciding what color to get. Kinda in love with these new turquoise <a href="http://www.saucony.com/en/kinvara-6/18953W.html" target="_blank">Saucony Kinvara 6</a>s. I spent the rest of the afternoon Thursday doing an easy pool workout and Thursday evening bonding with the heating pad. This morning I woke up to a calf that felt MUCH better, but still could use a little more time off. Since tomorrow is my long run, I figured an extra day off wasn't going to hurt. Swimming again this afternoon.<br />
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Weekly Goals!<br />
1- Drink more water. Yeah. I still suck at this.<br />
2- Keep interval training and lifting a regular part of my schedule.<br />
3- Do a better job meal planning. I'm starting to fall into the habit of going to the grocery store every other day and that is not good for the budget or the balanced diet.<br />
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Keep running everyone! Live. Laugh. Love.<br />
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AndreaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-54817506526278261822015-06-05T18:28:00.000-05:002015-06-05T18:28:17.597-05:00What's your recipe?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love to cook. (As is evidenced by the fact that I had to pause <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2883512/" target="_blank">Chef</a> to write this blog post.) In my past life I have worked in two bakeries and a deli. Days of cleaning up and prepping food gave me an insatiable love of both cooking and baking. I often get asked which one I love more, and I don't have a good answer. Both present unique and different opportunities. To me, the love of standing at the farmer's market picking out fresh veggies is just as wonderful as pulling my latest creation out of a hot stove.<br />
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My most recent cookbook purchase was <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Racing-Weight-Cookbook-Recipes-Athletes/dp/1937715159?sa-no-redirect=1" target="_blank">Racing Weight Cookbook</a>. (The picture to the left is the Nectarine Stuffed French Toast from the cookbook. It was AMAZING.) As I prepare for my upcoming marathon, and to just improve my health overall, I've taken an extra interest in the type of food I'm putting into my body. I'll admit it, a few sour gummy worms somehow manage to make their way past my lips from time to time. But I like to think that the majority of food passing through the gums are good food choices to fuel me in my workouts.<br />
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Cookbooks aren't the only type of books that I manage to collect. One of my dreams is to live in a large enough space where one room can be simply lined with bookshelves and books. When I moved to Arizona, the guys who were kind enough to come help me unload the moving truck jokingly asked if I brought anything besides my bed, papasan chair, and my books. (I don't think they were really joking though. The amount of boxes that had "books" as their label was a bit ridiculous...or awesome depending on how you look at it.) There are three bookshelves devoted to books in my small one-bedroom apartment right now, and I'm rapidly running out of space.<br />
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If you're a regular reader of my blog, or were at least paying attention in the first couple paragraphs of this post, you might have already caught that I'm planning on running a marathon. (If you haven't caught that by now, well then you might have the same attention span as some of my high schoolers.) Most of the time when I mention my marathon training to a fellow runner, they offer their favorite book of choice that has helped them reach their goal. Currently on the shelf sit:<br />
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Shout out to all my fellow runner friends for their recommendations. Daniels' Running Formula is the latest and greatest to grace my bookshelves. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming to consider all of the different options and opinions. But one of the reasons that I love being somewhat obsessed with my training is the same reason that I love cooking and baking.<br />
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Go to the bookstore. (Or Amazon...let's be real.) Pick out five different cookbooks. Look up the recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I'm willing to bet that while all five are fairly similar, each cookbook will have their own spin or variation on the recipe. However, you'll always end up with chocolate chip cookies. You personally might be drawn to one recipe over another because of your preference, but it doesn't make any of the other recipes better or worse than the one you like.<br />
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Each person is their own recipe. What might work for one person to lose weight and prepare for a marathon might be quite as "tasty" to another. Which is why I'm glad that I have different options and schools of thought to consider. But here's the flip side. You could drive yourself batty finding the "perfect" training program. It's almost like the dangers of online dating...there's always another person/recipe/training plan out there (we're going for the triple analogy here, folks). At some point you have to go with your gut and what you think is going to be the best for YOU. It's all trial and error.<br />
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Here are a couple of things I've learned so far:<br />
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1) If I'm going for weight loss, I have to take my fish oil regularly. It just helps me maintain a better balance in my body. Check out <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fish-oil-benefits-tip-the-scales-in-your-favor.html" target="_blank">this articl</a>e if you're interested in learning a little bit more about fish oil supplements.<br />
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2) I need to surround myself with like minded individuals to be successful in my weight loss. I can't be around people who don't respect my dietary choices. And as stupid as that sounds, you wouldn't believe the amount of people who give me a hard time when I opt for the salad or to skip the beer. (Ok, I am a Wisconsin girl who loves her beer. So maybe I don't <i>always</i> skip the beer, but I like to have the option.)<br />
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3) Right along with number 2 (somewhere Chandler Bing and Joey Tribiani are laughing right now...), I need people who are going to encourage me in my goals and choices. I want people around me who are going to ask me about my training and be genuinely interested. One of the worst responses that someone had when I told them I was going to train for a marathon was, "Are you crazy? I would NEVER want to do that! Who would ever want to run that far?" The snarky self inside of me wanted to respond with, "Well, no one is asking <i>you</i> to do it, but I am going to run it." But alas, my filter was kicked on that day and instead I'm now sharing it with all of you.<br />
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4) I love to make lists. Oh, wait. I knew that one already...onto number 5...<br />
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5) Interval training is where it's at if I want to slice time off of my mile. This is what I struggle with because I want to be faster, and yet I love settling into that easy, long run pace. I know those bad boys are good for me though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNtWQNf2yvf4Aft8ulqQblgnfq4LZmdAyNJ1TIOEmIuaUK-8AMeQ641cTP2agax_X_vQNg9CHpgwn3f6RyfTc2-cs8CzUSBfLLKOT9wS-zzNpicDOZooK_5QJvB4_w4QVavF_1K4mQqc/s1600/CGoBM6UUIAAAb9Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNtWQNf2yvf4Aft8ulqQblgnfq4LZmdAyNJ1TIOEmIuaUK-8AMeQ641cTP2agax_X_vQNg9CHpgwn3f6RyfTc2-cs8CzUSBfLLKOT9wS-zzNpicDOZooK_5QJvB4_w4QVavF_1K4mQqc/s320/CGoBM6UUIAAAb9Q.jpg" width="320" /></a>6) Ice the knees, heat the calves, quads, and hammies. (Ice cream optional.)<br />
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7) You have crappy knees, so strength from other areas is key. Hip flexors need attention and loving too.<br />
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8) There is no substitute for a strong core.<br />
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9) <a href="https://instagram.com/angopps/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> is an amazing place to surround yourself with strangers that are as encouraging as your best friends. And many times, that stupid picture and the likes I get from other runners and triathletes is the thing that gets me out of bed and running in the morning. #hashtageverything<br />
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10) Running on an empty stomach makes me really hangry the last ten minutes of my run. Cinnamon raisin english muffin it is.<br />
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11) Running from 5-7am in Phoenix is the only sane time to run outside in the summertime. Thankfully I'm a teachers and have the flexibility to make that my run time in the summers. The only ones subject to my non-morning person lovely self are my running shoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SteQgzRJd47ggfm8dzUl0qW6oKwdJLCQQr-1UKHPve0R-od2-gN7zjI-fPcZgfUsr-pWmqSdPIZnNfaXASHIvFfYt4w_eOsNEDYsNZICd5BehWovXd8Ob8mXeH65qtMEjXzVOFtmC9k/s1600/B0QaQKZIEAI91xK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SteQgzRJd47ggfm8dzUl0qW6oKwdJLCQQr-1UKHPve0R-od2-gN7zjI-fPcZgfUsr-pWmqSdPIZnNfaXASHIvFfYt4w_eOsNEDYsNZICd5BehWovXd8Ob8mXeH65qtMEjXzVOFtmC9k/s320/B0QaQKZIEAI91xK.jpg" width="320" /></a>12) Having pretty running shoes helps. If you're not looking forward to putting them on, you're not going to like what you're doing in them either.<br />
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13) I get bored. It's important to be training for something specific and to change it up. Right now I'm aiming for the marathon, but I'm also planning on doing a sprint tri about two months before. The swimming and biking help to break it up and give my mind some other things to think about. Plus the low-impact cardio certainly can't hurt!<br />
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14) Hit the gym. Regularly. And not just the cardio side. (See number 8).<br />
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15) Heathy people are happy people. I challenge you to go to any sort of run or multisport event. You will not find angry or frustrated people there. (Unless of course there's the occasional keys locked in the car or cell phone water injury.) Isn't it better being happy? Plus all that health stuff helps boost your immune system too.<br />
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16) It's ok to splurge. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to make a habit of eating pizza and beer every night. But I'm a realist about it too. I'm not an elite athlete. It isn't my job (although I'm currently acting like it) to run races. So it's ok if I indulge in a treat every now and then. This is one that I have a hard time with many times. As someone who has struggled with her weight the better part of her adult life, there is a lot of guilt associated with treats. I'm working remembering that they are "treats" and not "habits" and moving on with my life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAVpqGdWm9ok9DK02-YZvuyCM0QtEZtz90hS3KBZpE_3hqnzc_WaYOulrv-ET3zVZPxPcfBNXyjmjilJmjjT3rcB-sEnPSyhaA_3rRKZaZKxCqIi1UW3w3Gg3TXSCiQiq1cjo3pOLirI/s1600/11406828_596127294922_6347096651186752910_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAVpqGdWm9ok9DK02-YZvuyCM0QtEZtz90hS3KBZpE_3hqnzc_WaYOulrv-ET3zVZPxPcfBNXyjmjilJmjjT3rcB-sEnPSyhaA_3rRKZaZKxCqIi1UW3w3Gg3TXSCiQiq1cjo3pOLirI/s320/11406828_596127294922_6347096651186752910_n.jpg" width="180" /></a>17) There's a difference between a quality workout and a mediocre workshop. I need to continually strive to make them quality workouts.<br />
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18) I need to drink more water. Come on people, I live in the desert. But even if I didn't, I am <i>constantly</i> working on upping my water intake. Everything (and I mean <i>everything</i>) just functions better when you're hydrated.<br />
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Oh boy, once I got going on that list I had a hard time stopping! That's the power of the list, people. And on that note, I'm off to hit the swimming pool...that is if the thunderstorms can hold off. (Yes, thunderstorms in Phoenix today. CRAZY. Cue the crazy driving...I mean <i>crazier than normal</i> driving.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-59044527247561235302015-06-02T22:40:00.000-05:002015-06-02T22:40:06.011-05:00This one's for you...This one's for you.<br />
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This blog post is for all the people who are unhappy.<br />
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...for everyone who is scared to go to the gym.<br />
...for everyone that thinks it is hopeless.<br />
...for anyone who is sad, lonely, or depressed.<br />
...for the person who wants to feel good.<br />
...for the 8 year old inside of you that loved to swim, but you're not sure if they're still there.<br />
...for the kids who loved to ride bikes outside in the summer, but haven't in a long time.<br />
...for the person that doesn't think they can run, but desperately wants to.<br />
...for the person that is on their journey.<br />
...for the person that has journeyed before.<br />
...for every person.<br />
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This blog post is for you.<br />
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I've found on my weight loss journey that there have been many ups and downs that I go through. But there is always a similar pattern. I want to share something with you from about 17 years ago.<br />
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When I was 14 our eighth grade class trip was to Washington D.C. Growing up I was very insecure about my body. We were required to wear nice clothes on the trip and I can remember going to Kohls and getting a pair of black khaki pants that were size 7. And I felt larger than any of the other girls in my class. I don't know that I felt fat or even overweight, I just felt like I didn't fit in with everyone else. And I proceeded to feel not good about my body right into college. And then I decided to do something about it. So I got moving. But the midst of my collegiate healthy awakening, I came across the picture of me in eighth grade and I remembered how I felt at the time. And you know what? I looked at that picture in college the same I view it today, I look like a pretty standard 14 year old girl.<br />
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But isn't that one of the huge hurdles in any sort of weight-loss or fitness journey? It doesn't always matter what the reality looks like if your head is some place else.<br />
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Here's the truth. First and foremost, who you are is beautiful, regardless of the size that you are. You are where you are in life right now because that's where God needs you to be. You are beautiful and special because God made you who you are and He doesn't make mistakes.<br />
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Do you remember the TLC show What Not to Wear with Stacy and Clinton? Many of the participants said they dressed the way they did was because they were planning on losing weight and were just biding time. The thing that Stacy and Clinton always responded with was that it is important for you to dress your body as it is right now, not as it could possibly be six month from now. I always thought that was good advice, but I think there's something more to it now that I didn't understand before. You dress your body now for success because it makes you feel better, which puts you in a better position to be successful in other aspects of your life (health, relationships, work, etc.). If we live in a state of constant self loathing, it is very difficult to take any steps in a positive direction.<br />
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So stop criticizing yourself! That's not going to get you anywhere besides BummedOutsville. (Go back up two paragraphs and re-read.) So now you feel good about your insides, but you want your outsides to match? Here's my encouragement to you...take a step. Take one step forward. Steps forward don't have to always be big steps. Make your big goal, and then put several smaller goals in between where you are now and the larger goal laid out in front of you.<br />
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<a href="https://mikesmith187.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/background_21_you_can_change_tomorrow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://mikesmith187.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/background_21_you_can_change_tomorrow1.jpg" width="320" /></a>You want to run? Start tomorrow with a walk. It's the same as running. Just one foot in front of the other.<br />
You want to swim? Buy a suit and don't get a rat's patootie about what other people think because you're there and we're all a work in progress.<br />
You want to bike? Find a place to rent one in your city for a day so you can fall back in love with the freedom that those two wheels can offer.<br />
You want to go to the gym? Go. The only person stopping you is you. They will be happy to have you (and your moola).<br />
You want to feel good? Turn on the 80's cardio station on Pandora and have your own private dance party at home. I have yet to find anyone who doesn't feel awesome after rocking out to Livin' On a Prayer.<br />
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Life is too short to deprive ourselves of everything it has to offer. Make tomorrow a great one!<br />
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Live. Laugh. Love.<br />
Andrea<br />
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*Editor's Note: The author of this blogpost also has to give herself this pep talk on a fairly regular basis. Nobody is perfect. We're all a work in progress trying to make tomorrow better than it was today. High five, fellow people. Go forth and be awesome.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-19956953430534748762015-05-25T18:55:00.003-05:002015-05-25T18:57:09.723-05:00Reading to hit the ground running...literally.After listening to this little gem on repeat for the last couple days...<br />
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...I was anxious to get back to the workout grindstone. The last month has really just been garbage for me when it's come to consistently working out. It wasn't until about the last two weeks that my eating habits started to tank right alongside them. So, now that I'm done teaching for the summer, and I'm moving into "prep for next year mode" I can start to work some normal hours again and get myself back on track for the marathon.<br />
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My first race of the season is coming up this Saturday. I'm not out to write any records, just finish, get my mileage in, and get back into the race mentality. This last week my local <a href="http://ww2.roadrunnersports.com/retail/tempe.html" target="_blank">RoadRunner</a> hosted a free Adventure Run which was a lot of fun, and helped to get me back in the mindset.<br />
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As a side note, for anyone who is intimidated by doing some sort of run (because I was even a little nervous for this one), listen up. Every run will have all different kinds of fitness levels. Yes, I set goals for myself when I do my races, but I am far from a professional athlete. I do them because healthy people are happy people, and those are the kinds of people with whom I want to surround myself. Happiness is infectious and am trying to do all I can to help spread the disease. And my ultimate goal is always just to finish.<br />
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This is my current race plan for the next four months:<br />
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Saturday, May 30 <a href="http://www.froyo5k.com/scottsdale/" target="_blank">FroYo 5k</a> in Scottsdale, AZ (actually a 10k for me)</div>
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Thursday, July 9 <a href="http://www.active.com/milwaukee-wi/running/races/bmo-harris-storm-the-bastille-2015" target="_blank">Storm the Bastille</a> in Milwaukee, WI</div>
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Sunday, August 2 <a href="http://www.kozevents.com/Triathlons/Solana_Beach_Triathlon.htm" target="_blank">Solana Beach Tri</a> in San Diego, CA</div>
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Sunday, October 4 <a href="http://www.milwaukeelakefrontmarathon.org/lfm" target="_blank">Lakefront Marathon</a> in Milwaukee, WI<br />
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This next month I am going to focus on eating healthy, strengthening my body, and striving towards my ideal race weight. If you're looking for a great resource on heathy eating, check out <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Racing-Weight-Cookbook-Recipes-Athletes/dp/1937715159?sa-no-redirect=1" target="_blank">Racing Weight Cookbook</a>. There are a variety of different cooking ability levels, and the recipes are easy enough so that you aren't intimidated. Plus the writing is done in a conversational way which makes for an easy read.</div>
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Goals for the week:<br />
1- Drink more water.<br />
2- Stay the course on my plan for each day for the entire week.<br />
3- Make sure I log 10k steps everyday.<br />
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Here's my plan for the next week:<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Pre-Run: Toast w/ peanut butter<br />
Breakfast: Peanut Butter granola w/ greek yogurt, fruit<br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Lean Turkey Burgers<br />
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Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Run 3mi, Swim 30 min<br />
Lifting: Core, Upper Body<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday: </b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Pre-Run: Toast w/ peanut butter<br />
Breakfast: Peanut Butter granola w/ greek yogurt, fruit<br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Lean Turkey Burgers<br />
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<br /></div>
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Run 3 mi<br />
Lifting: Core, Upper Body<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Pre-Run: Toast w/ peanut butter<br />
Breakfast: Peanut Butter granola w/ greek yogurt, fruit<br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Rosemary Garlic Chicken w/ brown rice<br />
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<br /></div>
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Run 3 mi, Bike 45 min<br />
Lifting: Core, Legs<br />
<br />
<b>Friday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Breakfast: Peanut Butter granola w/ greek yogurt, fruit<br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Rosemary Garlic Chicken w/ brown rice<br />
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<br /></div>
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Swim 30<br />
Lifting: Core, Upper Body<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Pre-Run: Toast w/ peanut butter<br />
Breakfast: <a href="http://www.froyo5k.com/scottsdale/" target="_blank">FroYo</a><br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Steak from <a href="https://www.sprouts.com/" target="_blank">Sprouts</a><br />
<br />
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Run FroYo 10k, leisure swimming<br />
Lifting: Rest Day<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Breakfast: Nectarine & Sweet Cheese-Stuffed French Toast<br />
Lunch: TBD<br />
Dinner: TBD<br />
<br />
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Walk 30 min, Bike 30 min<br />
Lifting: Core<br />
<br />
<b>Monday:</b><br />
Fuel -<br />
Breakfast: Peanut Butter granola w/ greek yogurt, fruit<br />
Lunch: Salad w/chicken, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, egg, lite ranch dressing<br />
Dinner: Spaghetti and meat and veggie sauce<br />
<br />
Fitness -<br />
Cardio: Rest, leisure swimming<br />
Lifting: Core, Upper Body<br />
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Don't forget to follow me on <a href="https://instagram.com/angopps/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>!<br />
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Live. Laugh. Love.</div>
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<3Andrea</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-49267487097660181142015-05-22T00:49:00.000-05:002015-05-22T00:49:26.916-05:00One week later...er...I had such good intentions.<br />
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Then I drove to California. Oops.</div>
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My brother, sister in law, and niece we in CA for some testing on a bike that my brother designed the engine and exhaust system for. How cool is that? They are working at Roland Sands Design in Los Alamitos, CA. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures, but they've released a couple on their Facebook page now.</div>
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While the boys were "thrashing on the bike" the girls hit the beach for a little bit on Saturday. I was due for a run over the weekend, but I get to spend such a small amount of time with my little munchkin that I just wanted to soak in all the time with her possible. I mean, look at her! How could you not?<br />
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And then came this week. The last week of school for me, which is always crazy. And honestly I am just so exhausted from this school year that I really have a hard time finding the motivation to run. I should also mention that I live in Arizona. Now that might not seem like a huge deal, but the temperatures are rising (although this spring has been pretty mild, only flirted with 100 so far) and that means you either run in the morning or in the evening at dusk. </div>
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Generally speaking, I'm not really a morning person, so the idea of getting up and running in the morning is just really rough in general. However, I think once school is out and I can get up and I don't have to be on my way to work by 6:30am, I'll be more inclined to run. I'm a fan of the 6am workout, I used to do that all the time at my last job. But the idea of a 5am workout...yeah, not so much.</div>
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I'm honestly really looking forward to the next month of working out. I have about four weeks before I head up to Wisconsin for a little visit. Looking forward to seeing some family and friends that I haven't seen in awhile. REALLY looking forward to seeing my Ironman-in-Training, Jacque B. I haven't see that girl in over 14 months and we are LONG overdue for a catchup session in real life. Anyway...</div>
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I'm planning on spending as much time at the gym as humanly possible until then. I LOVE my gym. It is huge and beautiful. It has indoor and outdoor lap pools, as well as regular indoor and outdoor recreational pools. So my plan is to get my running in, then either bike or swim, and then enjoy some time poolside reading and getting my tan on. It's going to be glorious. Don't get me wrong, there will be plenty of schoolwork to do for next year as well, but workouts get to by my number 1 priority again which is wonderful.</div>
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Last week went pretty well for goals. I hit the green smoothies four out of five days. I missed the last one trying to get my car packed and ready to head right to LA after school and still make the morning faculty meeting. The watering went great! Well, the plant watering did, the person watering not as much. The squash is starting to sprouts, which is really exciting. I also got a couple flower plants too. I'm really starting to love my patio area. Didn't get all the miles logged, but we have a new week coming to get back on the mileage horse.</div>
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Goals for the rest of this week:</div>
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- DRINK MORE WATER. Seriously Andrea, you live in the desert. Drink some more water.</div>
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- Get the rest of the runs in for this week. LOG YOUR MILEAGE.</div>
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- Finish writing out my training plan for the next four weeks, including lifting.</div>
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Live. Laugh. Love.</div>
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<3Andrea</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-48040663726537820892015-05-10T23:04:00.000-05:002015-05-10T23:04:09.774-05:00Run. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.In my mind, I've been writing posts consistently since last December. In reality, most of those posts were written while I was running or driving. However, neither of those two activities are actually very conducive to blog writing. So here I am now. May 10, 2015. 7:56pm. Started my first blog post in, well, let's just say "quite some time." <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MYXpmjVwxodQY0e8pg_nnoVzWUHqUPDXxtmyEAm16P0He96HABw_5DgKMtCwnYSKzgSDvN_71C9gY8LUC3CpENoo8IW8xNYrUiiXQzjCrvSLg-4v7zEXMk51ywEW2Xe-EQH6JSfjrvM/s1600/11240470_1565336213733749_1073259722_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MYXpmjVwxodQY0e8pg_nnoVzWUHqUPDXxtmyEAm16P0He96HABw_5DgKMtCwnYSKzgSDvN_71C9gY8LUC3CpENoo8IW8xNYrUiiXQzjCrvSLg-4v7zEXMk51ywEW2Xe-EQH6JSfjrvM/s1600/11240470_1565336213733749_1073259722_n.jpg" /></a>My marathon goals are still alive. I'm about two months into my training. Tomorrow officially marks the 10th week of training already. The last two weeks have been really tough. Stuff at school has gotten extremely busy. Trying to cram an outside run in has been tough. I've been forcing myself to keep the runs outside to try and become somewhat accustomed to this dry desert air. I chose to drop my training for the week that our school put on it's spring musical. (I direct and run sound and design the lighting, etc.) It was just getting to be too much physically and mentally. I put forth a less than desirable effort to pick it back up this past week, but I'm ready to hit the ground running...pun intended...this week. </div>
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With my less than stellar running the past two weeks, has come a less than stellar diet. When you're physically and mentally exhausted, it's really easy to succumb to the quick and easy food (I'm looking at you mac and cheese!). But that doesn't help you at all, because you aren't getting what your body needs to reboot! My one standby that I hold onto for dear life is sleep. And I held onto that like there was no tomorrow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrvsdHjdpR8XkvDTzNnstl5y3Im4heFh2e9j3NCT19m96A8x75c3dITLYCDgVZWjnOuayLHn09FpMo26dQmmad4eMCXy9an9N5MCuhji-hUHerGO5tVZknxiW8yWRdMqMwlcyux7jgn4/s1600/11242289_953172491393661_254874822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrvsdHjdpR8XkvDTzNnstl5y3Im4heFh2e9j3NCT19m96A8x75c3dITLYCDgVZWjnOuayLHn09FpMo26dQmmad4eMCXy9an9N5MCuhji-hUHerGO5tVZknxiW8yWRdMqMwlcyux7jgn4/s1600/11242289_953172491393661_254874822_n.jpg" /></a>Speaking of tomorrow, tomorrow is my re-boot. Kill the bad eating and workout habits of the last two weeks, and re-boot on both fronts. Green smoothies are prepped and ready to go in the freezer for each morning this week (Shoutout to <a href="https://www.sprouts.com/" target="_blank">Sprouts</a> for having their blackberries on sale for 75¢ this weekend!). Pork roast is in the crock with lots of veggies for lunches and dinners (Yes, it smells as good as it looks). Greek yogurt and fresh fruit is stocked in the fridge for pre-workout snacks. </div>
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I've decided that I'm going to try and update the blog once a week. This seems to be a reasonable and attainable goal. Each week I'll list three goals that I'm focusing on for the week. If you need an extra helping of this crazy cat, head on over to my <a href="https://instagram.com/angopps" target="_blank">Instagram</a> account. Each run or workout usually gets its own post. I've also been known to frequent the brunch scene, travel, and/or display my love and obsession for good coffee. You know, just to keep it interesting.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WvfRoQ2pyyHsaqAVoreFM-h-nIPEHDe-q-6xTtR_1gr-r2otKfJAgQwdpjXPOl2BqOjXOb7UM6AT2BL5EtqpyMy_17ND5UhcH9KZ4jV5MraVtJnBnSzVnw9RgENxy69lx_5uezeJBkQ/s1600/576765_550752591192_1696105548_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WvfRoQ2pyyHsaqAVoreFM-h-nIPEHDe-q-6xTtR_1gr-r2otKfJAgQwdpjXPOl2BqOjXOb7UM6AT2BL5EtqpyMy_17ND5UhcH9KZ4jV5MraVtJnBnSzVnw9RgENxy69lx_5uezeJBkQ/s200/576765_550752591192_1696105548_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last tri we did together in June of 2013, <br />though I was the only one to complete the entire tri. <br />(The swim got cancelled after I finished <br />due to dangerous waters.) Since then<br />we've moved to opposite coasts <br />(Me: West Coast, Her: East Coast), <br />but I hope we can do another race together again!</td></tr>
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The end goal is the marathon. It seems like a lofty and attainable goal all at once. Usually when people hear that I'm training for a marathon they either thing I'm completely crazy and ask why anyone would ever want to run that far, OR they are super excited and ask about my training and why I decided to run a marathon. (But I'll save that last one for another blog post). Just to keep the training interesting with some cross training, I'm going to be throwing a spring tri in there as well at the beginning of August. This isn't my first tri (and most definitely NOT my last), and the goal is simply to finish. One of the best ladies that I know got me into triathlons about four years ago. Feel free to <a href="https://triathlete2210.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">follow her race</a> to her first ever Ironman! She'll be completing her race a day before my marathon. She's my go to for anything and everyone triathlon related, whether it's matters of the bike or matters of the heart. She makes sure that I always #rememberwhyyoustarted. What a peach.</div>
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Here are the races I'm currently signed up for:</div>
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Registered Races:</div>
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Saturday, May 30 <a href="http://www.froyo5k.com/scottsdale/" target="_blank">FroYo 5k</a> in Scottsdale, AZ (actually a 10k for me)</div>
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Thursday, July 9 <a href="http://www.active.com/milwaukee-wi/running/races/bmo-harris-storm-the-bastille-2015" target="_blank">Storm the Bastille</a> in Milwaukee, WI</div>
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Sunday, August 2 <a href="http://www.kozevents.com/Triathlons/Solana_Beach_Triathlon.htm" target="_blank">Solana Beach Tri</a> in San Diego, CA</div>
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Sunday, October 4 <a href="http://www.milwaukeelakefrontmarathon.org/lfm" target="_blank">Lakefront Marathon</a> in Milwaukee, WI</div>
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And last, but certainly not least, here come the weekly goals. Hold on folks, we're in for quite the ride! (or swim, or run...)</div>
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Weekly Goals:</div>
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- Water, water, water...yourself and the squash you planted today.</div>
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- Log all training miles for the week. (Tu: 2mi, Wed: 3mi, Th: 2.5mi, Sat: 5.5mi...total of 13 miles)</div>
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- Green smoothie breakfasts, greek yogurt + granola snacks.</div>
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Live. Laugh. Love.</div>
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<3Andrea</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-44187223132907309062014-12-03T16:18:00.001-06:002014-12-03T16:18:13.285-06:00one snowsparkling crystals<br />
floating from heaven<br />
guided by the silently whispering wind<br />
slowly and softly<br />
gently laying a blanket of white on the earth<br />
<br />
dreams of your footsteps<br />
walking beside me<br />
huddling close in the crisp winter cold<br />
snowflakes that sparkle<br />
eyes with a twinkle knowing we're safe from harm<br />
<br />
thoughts of the moment<br />
sparkle as snowflakes<br />
patiently waiting for answers unknown<br />
still I am searching<br />
watchfully waiting, though never aloneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-42103755185585604372014-10-06T18:47:00.000-05:002014-10-06T18:47:42.788-05:00HIMYM<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm hooked. Again. I'm obsessively watching How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) episodes. Thank you to the Netflix gods for hooking a sister up with season 9. This past summer I started back at episode one, season one and have slowly but surely been making my way through all nine seasons.</div>
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For those of you who either don't own a tv or are slightly out of tune with cultural references to modern day sitcoms, HIMYM is a legen...wait for it...dary chronicle of Ted Mosby relaying the story to his two children of how he met their mother. Throughout the course of the show the viewer learns about Ted, his friends, their current lives, their younger selves, as well as plenty of shenanigans that they get into along the way (see photo below).<br />
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<a href="http://fightinginthewarroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HIMYM-Stills-how-i-met-your-mother-301154_1920_1281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fightinginthewarroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HIMYM-Stills-how-i-met-your-mother-301154_1920_1281.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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For me, I enjoy the show for it's lighthearted nature and yet heartfelt message. Many episodes I can relate to the dating woes of someone in their twenties. The online dates. The crazies. The jerks. The stories that somehow get a bit more exaggerated each time you tell them. I feel for Ted as he watches his friends move on in their lives, meet their spouse, get married, have kids, all while sort of feeling like you're being left behind. The struggle between giving up hope that you'll ever find someone, and holding onto the hope that your special person is just around the corner at the end of the street.<br />
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<a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/04/02/arts/02WATCH/02WATCH-master675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/04/02/arts/02WATCH/02WATCH-master675.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm in the middle of Season 9 right now. We've finally met "the mother" and I'm spending the final ten episodes watching how Ted's life plays out. It's made me think a lot about my life. I don't know my ending yet, but I know I have some great upcoming episodes...because you never know what is just around the corner...stay tuned...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/13/aa028im.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/04/15/wedding-photo-poses/</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-74568494827861686442014-09-30T22:22:00.003-05:002014-09-30T22:22:56.707-05:00I'm baaaack...It's been awhile. There have been some ups and downs. But instead of reliving them all, we're moving forward from them. I'm on a new adventure.<br />
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The marathon.<br />
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No! Please don't leave! Don't get scared! There will be other things too!<br />
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This is just something I need to do. For myself. But I'm going to share it with you...whomever you are. And I'm going to be totally honest. And I hope that you come on this journey with me. No, I'm not asking you to run with me. Just read. If you're moved to leave a comment, that's always neat too.<br />
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More to come. But today is Day 2. And for today, here are my stats. I'm not particularly proud of them, but I'm still a work in progress. And everyone has to start somewhere right? So this is where I'm starting...<br />
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Name: Andrea<br />
Age: 30<br />
Weight: 187.0 (Smacks, did I just put my weight on the web for the world to read? Yup. Totally just did that. Never be ashamed of who you are. If you don't like it, work to change it. Which is what I'm doing. I'm working to change it. Own who you are. God loves you. Why shouldn't YOU love you?)<br />
Body Fat %: 37.9<br />
Bone: 5.5<br />
Water: 45.3<br />
BMI: 30.0<br />
Workout: 4 sets- run 1 minute and walk for 5 minutes<br />
Distance: 2.15 miles<br />
Time: 31:31<br />
Calories burned: 240<br />
Average Mile: 14' 39"<br />
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Goal:<br />
- Run the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, October 2015<br />
- Make healthy food/fuel choices<br />
- Reside in a physically fit body<br />
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I have one year. Ready, set...<br />
<br />
GO.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-36979279137412528632014-02-20T13:04:00.003-06:002014-02-20T13:10:57.765-06:00I am Second.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX94DUEJ4okDTMOfvBruT6Q9qlGl8HhXoX9ZvECNj9ZnZ7nug32JOcCHL7noGVMxdITkExE3j9J7I7-aWvWk2lxswhw5XiNDhjqpGh4IDDIQoxj-_ZUfigDN2WEZ3wbPchPOGUvMcNBU/s1600/Blake_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNX94DUEJ4okDTMOfvBruT6Q9qlGl8HhXoX9ZvECNj9ZnZ7nug32JOcCHL7noGVMxdITkExE3j9J7I7-aWvWk2lxswhw5XiNDhjqpGh4IDDIQoxj-_ZUfigDN2WEZ3wbPchPOGUvMcNBU/s1600/Blake_logo.png" height="200" width="190" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like to blog and I like to write. But lately I’ve been stuck in a bit of writer’s block. I’ll sit down and start to write what I think is going to be the next gripping blog post that is going to attract hundreds of thousands of readers to </span><a href="http://runtheraceclaimtheprize.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">my blog</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">...or maybe just fifty readers...or maybe only ten...and then about a third of the way through I lose interest in what I’m writing about. Or I think that it’s just not that interesting. But for the sake of promising my students to write the same assignment that they have and sharing it with them (ONLY if they all get it done), I’m going to try and plow to completion.</span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today in class we watched a <a href="http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/sean-lowe/" target="_blank">video of Sean Lowe</a> and what “<a href="http://www.iamsecond.com/" target="_blank">I am Second</a>” means to him. Recently Sean was on the reality TV show, “The Bachelorette” and then later “The Bachelor.” Along with being a participant comes the tabloids and the scrutiny of every aspect of your life. He talked about how before going on the show his professional life had crumbled and the challenges that came along with that. He looked at becoming The Bachelor as a door that God was opening to him, even as he struggled through filming with whether or not what he was doing was right.</span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.touchjesussongs.net/images/Jesus_and_girl_formetop-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" src="http://www.touchjesussongs.net/images/Jesus_and_girl_formetop-lg.jpg" height="200" width="180" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sean was very open about why he is the way he is. The driving force in his life is Jesus. Jesus is the center of Sean’s life and the reason for the decisions that Sean makes. Recently a friend of mine told me that she enjoys hanging out with me because I talk so openly about God and his role in my life. She told me that she struggles with that...being open and honest about the role that God plays in your life.</span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we go through life, we have many opportunities that helps to grow as individuals. Successes. Failures. Disappointments. Experiences. All of these opportunities provide us with a wide variety of emotions that help us to decipher what we as people see as positive and negative experiences, which in turn teach us about ourselves. As you learn about yourself, you start to become more comfortable with certain aspects of your life. For me, that comfort came when I was working in an environment where, initially, it felt like everyone was different from me. But everyone was willing to learn about me, who I was, and what I stood for. And it was their open mindedness about me, that really encouraged me to accept myself and be proud and confident in who </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> am. To be comfortable in sharing with them who I am, and why I am.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so I’m just me. I try to live my life as an honest reflection of who I am. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who am I?</span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a daughter.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a sister.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am an aunt.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a friend.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a listener.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a talker.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a runner.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a finisher.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a realist. </span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am an optimist.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a work in progress.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a seeker.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a teacher.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a student.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a baker.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a musician.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a director.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a fighter.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a leader.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a follower.</span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a dreamer.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But it all of these things…</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> am Second.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-1801959168208500682014-02-05T18:20:00.001-06:002014-02-05T18:20:20.997-06:00hurricanei don't know.<br />
so many unknowns.<br />
<br />
if i...then...<br />
but if i...then...<br />
<br />
how do i fit.<br />
where do i fit.<br />
is it supposed to fit.<br />
<br />
questions. without answers.<br />
so much time that's never enough.<br />
<br />
where to turn.<br />
<br />
step.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-25917167467779687752014-02-05T18:13:00.004-06:002014-02-05T18:13:52.229-06:00the june that got awaySome days<br />
I want to stop time.<br />
And pause.<br />
<br />
One blink<br />
one day.<br />
Another day<br />
another memory.<br />
<br />
I try to take it all in.<br />
Hold it in and close to my heart.<br />
<br />
The sand<br />
slips<br />
through my fingers.<br />
<br />
And no matter how I try to catch it<br />
or make it stop<br />
it continues to fall<br />
to the beach.<br />
<br />
The sand will never be the same.<br />
To pick it up<br />
again<br />
will never be the same.<br />
<br />
New<br />
and different.<br />
<br />
But always sand.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-22505475906337451512013-11-18T15:19:00.000-06:002013-11-18T15:19:12.383-06:00Sage Words of Wisdom to Myself...la deuxième partie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFZB9XJbfbjbGVXtl2CnPdtGl-z2KYnxyKoAhqZq2PMUjQgI-t4frAMp3kIcRQZOfetUTRQaoltxZcTAxToQHBpFGiEd98uYDF2L5fL7i8b0wG2KzViRnnajRXeW2mnPCDqpvVRQiPdNw/s400/words+of+wisdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFZB9XJbfbjbGVXtl2CnPdtGl-z2KYnxyKoAhqZq2PMUjQgI-t4frAMp3kIcRQZOfetUTRQaoltxZcTAxToQHBpFGiEd98uYDF2L5fL7i8b0wG2KzViRnnajRXeW2mnPCDqpvVRQiPdNw/s200/words+of+wisdom.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>
Last year on October 1, 2012 I wrote a blog with <a href="http://runtheraceclaimtheprize.blogspot.com/2012/10/sage-words-of-wisdomto-myself.html" target="_blank">Sage Words of Wisdom to Myself</a>. Today, a little over 13 months later, I went back and re-read what I wrote. Some of the things made me laugh (I really do write like I talk/think) and some made me stop and think. I'm so glad I did this a little over a year ago, I decided that I would make it an annual post. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Dear 30 year old Andrea,<br />
<br />
You've made it through almost an entire year of being 30. It wasn't that scary, was it? And I bet some pretty amazing things have happened over the course of the last year. So in honor of turning 31, here are some reminders for you.<br />
<br />
1- Be patient with the freshman, even when you haven't had your coffee. Growing up into an adult isn't easy, usually takes a long time, and includes some bumps along the way. Give them patience, but also help them as they grow and show them the way.<br />
<br />
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2- You need to make exercise a priority. I know it's hard when the school year starts up. But it will make you a better person for the rest of the world. Remember how amazing you feel after a really hard work out? Yeah, it's totally worth it.<br />
<br />
3- Failures are successes in learning what not to do. Don't let a failure discourage you...use it as energy to encourage you.<br />
<br />
4- Love. This is one from your letter to your 29 year old self. Turns out at 28 you were kinda smart when it comes to this kind of thing. Don't ever be regretful for loving someone. Even when those feelings aren't returned romantically. People are what really matter in this life, and everyone needs to have love in it.<br />
<br />
5- Be flexible. People appreciate this more than you know. You'll know this because so many people aren't, and they'll be really thankful that you are. Go with the flow.<br />
<br />
6- Along with #5, stand your ground when necessary, but be thoughtful and gentle when doing so. It's not your way or the highway. We're all on the road together. The things you do should be an encouragement to others along the way.<br />
<br />
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7- Detox from coffee every once and awhile. Don't make your life dependant on it. Realize, though, it's much better with it!<br />
<br />
8- Electronic detox. You didn't do very well at this in 2013. Keep trying. Start small...one hour a week. work up to turning off your phone for an entire vacation.<br />
<br />
9- TAKE A VACATION. Seriously. One that includes the beach and sun and not much more. It's called mental health...and you NEED that. You'll thank me later.<br />
<br />
10- If you haven't, finish your masters degree already.<br />
<br />
11- New York is a place where you feel alive. Go visit Hannah already. Lovebuckets have to stick together.<br />
<br />
12- Naan and humus make a super tasty dinner. Enjoy it.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkECIqraUAgk69nILh1DTQiqmpTG53_Z6IXkOuKWOg6-9tnQ6777uiXFpOyD-7JUkO-g3lZDgI76_syxFFvrlhZhWDd83zDOK1badzdJIlaa5vPlHa5-vGlZfK5bvyp6yRMi48HN861ew/s1600/1385381_557720836772_1103238640_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkECIqraUAgk69nILh1DTQiqmpTG53_Z6IXkOuKWOg6-9tnQ6777uiXFpOyD-7JUkO-g3lZDgI76_syxFFvrlhZhWDd83zDOK1badzdJIlaa5vPlHa5-vGlZfK5bvyp6yRMi48HN861ew/s200/1385381_557720836772_1103238640_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
13- Stay close with Chrysta. She keeps your head on straight, holds you accountable for your actions, but knows how to have fun too. She's a rare breed.<br />
<br />
14- Don't ever forget about your girlfriends. They're there through it all. They constantly help you back up when you fall and skin your knees.<br />
<br />
15- Practice simple acts of random kindness. One person can make a difference and change the world.<br />
<br />
16- Wash your car regularly and vacuum it out. Grandma car needs a good cleaning every now and then. Plus it will make you feel like you have your life more together than you actually do.<br />
<br />
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17- When it comes to the men in your life, always keep them well fed. They are much more functionable when they have happy tummies.<br />
<br />
18- Keep writing one of these every year that you're alive. Share it with the world.<br />
<br />
19- You still need to take that trip to Paris. Get a jar. Start saving. Don't let anything make you dip into the jar.<br />
<br />
20- Get your Target card paid off. Once your balance is gone, you are only allowed to spend what you can pay off each month. The interest rate is ridiculously high. Don't let them take your hard-earned money like that.<br />
<br />
21- Take five minutes of every day for yourself. It's not that much time, and if you can't find five minutes to do something you love, your life needs some re-adjusting.<br />
<br />
22- There's always tomorrow. Work hard today, but tomorrow is a fresh start every day.<br />
<br />
23- Try. You know what I'm talking about. It's gonna be hard. But you need to try to try. Even when you don't want to. Just keep trying. Someone much higher up never gives up on you. So TRY.<br />
<br />
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24- Blog more often. You enjoy writing. Don't be afraid to share it with the world.<br />
<br />
25- Do the best you can. Be gentle on yourself and others.<br />
<br />
26- Read. This is another thing that you love to do. You should do it more often. Try to.<br />
<br />
27- Don't bottle up relationship frustrations. Learn to let go and let God. He's got it in control. That doesn't mean stop using your brain. It just means stop trying to control what you can't control. Use all the opportunities that you have right now in their fullest capacities.<br />
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28- Defy expectations. Show love to someone when they don't deserve it. Show patience when you've just about run out. Show compassion when the frustrations are seeping out your temples. Defy the expectations.<br />
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29- Allow yourself Magnum bars <i>only</i> during The Bachelor/Bachelorette. These are sacred treats. Remember to treat them as such.<br />
<br />
30- You age is a number. Just like your shoe size. Or your weight. Or your height. Don't let it (or anything else) define how you feel about yourself. If you feel good about yourself, feel that. And be strong in it.<br />
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31- Learn from the past, live in the present, and work for the future.<br />
<br />
Live. Laugh. Love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-53573211944497641082013-11-15T18:25:00.005-06:002013-11-18T12:23:25.271-06:00What's your reflection?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/27/2739/64SND00Z/posters/maxi-the-giraffe-gazing-at-reflection-in-mirror-1980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/27/2739/64SND00Z/posters/maxi-the-giraffe-gazing-at-reflection-in-mirror-1980.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
What's your reflection?<br />
<br />
Have you ever wondered what your life looks like from the outside. When other people look at you, what do they see? Is that an accurate reflection of what's really on the inside?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/benkerschberg/files/2011/09/Social-Media-Icons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/benkerschberg/files/2011/09/Social-Media-Icons.png" width="200" /></a>With the rise in prominence that Facebook has taken over the last nine years (can you believe it's been that long?), it has truly changed the way that we interact with one another...across the world. Of course, it's really just one piece of the social media puzzle. <br />
Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Tinder, Yahoo, Flickr, LinkedIn, and the list goes on and on. Everyday they shape our perception of reality.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.prosofteng.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Rolls-of-Kodak-film-with-a-camera1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.prosofteng.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Rolls-of-Kodak-film-with-a-camera1.jpg" width="200" /></a>When I was growing up (which is about to make me sound old), cameras used film. You had to be selective about what you took pictures of because to see each picture, you had to pay to get it developed. If your shirt was untucked or hair looked lopsided or your smile was weird, you wouldn't actually discover that until you had your film developed. And this was usually several weeks after the event occurred, preserving your imperfections just as they were.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.remygerega.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/before_and_after_band_shoot_sweden_remy_gerega.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://blog.remygerega.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/before_and_after_band_shoot_sweden_remy_gerega.jpg" width="200" /></a>Now? Digital cameras. Photoshop. On the go photo editing. You can have that perfectly white smile (that you don't really have) with a quick swipe across the screen. The wind made your hair look weird? Don't worry, just retake it (because you checked to make sure it turned out as soon as you took it). That angle made you look like you had a double chin? Just take it again and hold the camera higher. And then...facebook it. Or Instagram it. Or tweet it. Now that you have achieved what you perceive to be a socially acceptable representation of what's going on it your life, it's time to share <i>that</i> with the world.<br />
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It's not just the pictures, it's the posts. The words you use. What do your words say about you? Are you passive aggressively posting song lyrics because you hope that one person will read it and know you're really directing it at them? Is the language you chose to display an accurate reflection of the person you truly are inside, or is it a show for your friends? Do you really think you're going to attract someone worthy of what you deserve by airing out your disappointment as a relationship doesn't work out the way that you wanted? Are you checking into a place and tagging someone you're with just because you know someone else is going to see it and be upset by it?<br />
<br />
Where is the honesty of reality in all of this?<br />
<br />
I've always promised to be honest in my blog posts. Even when it's uncomfortable. (See the one where I got fat) And if I'm being honest, I know I've done most of those things at one point or another. Readily admitting it. I'm not any better than anyone else. And you know what? When you passively aggressively post, most people will passively aggressively ignore you. Or confront you...and it won't be pleasant. And when you post crude things, people will attribute crudeness as one of your character attributes. And I can't say for sure, but I think people are generally attracted to positive people.<br />
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But it's just Facebook, right? It's not real.<br />
<br />
What's the first thing you do in the morning? I usually reach over, turn off the alarm on my phone, and then open up Twitter for my morning news. In less than five minutes I know the headlines from the New York Times, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Today's TMJ4. I know what the weather is going to be like for the day, who won the football game from the night before, and what my cousin is wearing today (thanks Snapchat). At this point I usually roll onto my back, delete my junk emails, and scroll my Facebook feed to see what happened overnight. And we've all had that moment. You know the one where you see that a certain someone "liked" one of your pictures...and it makes your morning. Or maybe you see a picture of your friend's toddler who "made their first poopy in the big boy/girl potty...and breakfast no longer seems like such a good idea. I've been awake for ten minutes, the smell of coffee percolating is starting to dance from the kitchen to my bedroom, and the tone for my day has been set by people's posts on what I perceive to be their reality based on what they've shared. All without even leaving the comforts of my bed. And how I feel is very real.<br />
<br />
<i>I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone else.</i> I'm not directly this blog post at anyone. I'm directing at me. I'm directing it at all of us. People are fragile and resilient and beautiful and flawed and confused and excited and everything in between. And it's ok to share that. And like it. And tweet it. And favorite it. That's real.<br />
<br />
Reflections are scary. You can't fake a reflection. What you see it what you get. Are you being honest with what your reflection shows? What does your reflection say about you?<br />
<br />
My favorite pictures are the blurry ones. It's when people are the most real. The blur. The laughter. The movement. The double chins. The slightly discolored teeth. The messed up hair. That's real. And scary. And as Bruno Mars so aptly puts it...that's what makes you beautiful.<br />
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Live. Laugh. Love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-68643318987837148972013-10-24T19:15:00.003-05:002013-10-24T19:15:43.514-05:00what the world needs now...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theapproach.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/I-Just-Dont-Understand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theapproach.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/I-Just-Dont-Understand.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t understand why people feel the need to do or say
something that they know is going to intentionally hurt someone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The look that you give someone that is going to make them
question what they wore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The picture on Facebook because you know it’s going to
hurt someone who sees it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Completing an assignment with an air of arrogance about
it, as if you couldn’t possibly have anything to learn from your teacher.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Making a situation appear to be something other than what
it really is to play mind games with someone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Calling someone’s opinion stupid because it’s not yours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Using a disagreement with someone as excuse to form a
void in your relationship.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of leaving it alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of not posting it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of thinking outside the box.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of showing kindness.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of opening your mind to new ideas.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of working through it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.zinterra.com/pdata/t/l-66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.zinterra.com/pdata/t/l-66.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear world,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Life is too short, too fragile. People are too important.
The saying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sticks and stones may break my
bones, but words will never hurt me</i> is crap. Words <u>do</u> hurt. And they
stick with you a long time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Memories last a lifetime. Can we fill these lives with
good ones? Can we stop hurting each other and start helping each other? Can we
stop giving each other nasty looks? And stop being passive aggressive on
Facebook? And start being respectful of those in authority over us? And be
honest with each other about what happens? And build each other up, even if
that does mean someone else looks better than you? And stop letting our
disagreements get in the way of our friendships and relationships?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can we just be patient? Kind? Encouraging? Respectful?
Forgiving? Truthful? Trusting? Hopeful? Persistant?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That's love. All of those are ways to show love to
the people in your life. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We all have our faults and our struggles and our
hardships. I most certainly am not any better than anyone reading this. But let’s
stop hurting each other, and start encouraging each other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Live. Laugh. Love.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-36074435997668786102013-10-21T21:46:00.001-05:002013-10-21T21:46:18.777-05:00iRead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/mychannel957.com/files/2012/03/babysitters-club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/mychannel957.com/files/2012/03/babysitters-club.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
When I was a little girl, I would spend hours at the library. From Babysitter's Club books to Sweet Valley Twins and everything in between (except Goosebumps...way too scary for this little girl) I would read it. I had usually finished the required reading for the summer reading program by the end of June. I went to Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells more times than I can remember because I completed the entire summer reading program. Reading has always been a pastime with which I was completely in love.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodrepublic.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/enlarge/HappyMeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://www.foodrepublic.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/enlarge/HappyMeal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I think sometimes we get so swept up in being an adult that we forget to take time for the little things. People like to tease me for being "easily amused" by the little things. Like a new battery arriving in the mail for a remote. Or someone forgiving my library fine. Or getting a text message from someone just asking me about my day. There are so many things that are bad in this world, that I just feel like we need to take every ounce of good, no matter how small or insignificant, and appreciate it. What excited you when you were younger? A new box of crayons or sidewalk chalk? Mom or Dad taking you to McDonald's for supper and letting you get a Happy Meal? The first day of summer when you got that brand new pool pass that you knew would be wrinkly from use by the end of the summer? When Mom made homemade play dough. Catching fireflies while the baseball game across the street continued late into the night? When you got to go to the Pumpkin farm and pick out your own pumpkin?<br />
<br />
The funny thing is that almost all of these are things that I remember from my childhood that didn't <br />
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require a lot of time or energy, but sure did bring me a lot of happiness. They are also things that I still try to do as an adult, despite the fact that I don't have kids. Today I did something from my childhood that brings me joy. I read.<br />
<br />
Now normally when I come home from a day of work, I get home around 8pm (keeping in mind that I left between 6 and 6:30am). This is usually just enough time to eat something if I haven't already, packed up the bag for the next day, wash my face, and crawl into bed. Despite there being several books on my nightstand, the last thing that I want to do is read. The truth of the matter is, I've been reading emails or work for the majority of the day and I'm probably going to fall asleep within ten minutes and not remember what I read anyway.<br />
<br />
But today? Oh, today was different. You see, today...I had the day off. This is my first day off since August 12 when we started school. Weekends don't count...everybody has those (and I usually put in 12-16 hours of school work anyway). And any additional time off has been filled with teacher conferences or meetings of some sort. But today? Today was different. I didn't have to be at school for any meetings. I knew I wouldn't get called into school as tech support because there wasn't anything else going on. Today was mine.<br />
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356328634l/15753740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356328634l/15753740.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
I spent the majority of the weekend working on household tasks that haven't gotten done over the course of a couple very busy weeks. This morning I woke up to a pocket dial from the Midwest around 6:15am, but that was ok because I got up to start my day. By 9am, I had a load of laundry through the wash, the dishwasher full, and a sink full of dishes drying. I made some eggs and veggies and a big pot of coffee, and walked out onto my patio to do something that I haven't done since probably last June...read. I've been trying to get through the lastest Jodi Picoult book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Storyteller-Jodi-Picoult/dp/1439102767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382409211&sr=8-1&keywords=the+storyteller" target="_blank">The Storyteller</a>. (Sidenote: Although intense sometimes, I'd highly recommend, especially if you have any interest in the Holocaust.)<br />
<br />
There was a part of the book that really struck me as I was reading it. Two of the characters, Leo and Sage, are not a couple, though they keep getting approached and treated as one by a variety of people from the small town that the two of them are visiting.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*The following passage is from an excerpt from Jodi Piccoult's book <u>The Storyteller</u>. I do not own the content. Copyright 2013 Jodi Picoult</span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Twice more we are approached and asked if we've just moved here. The first time, Leo says that we were going to go to the movies but something was playing so we came to temple instead. The second time, he replies that he is a federal agent and I'm helping him crack a case. The man who's been chatting with us laughs. "Good one," he says.</i><br />
<i>"You'd be surprised how hard it is to get people to believe the truth," Leo tells me later, as we walk across the parking lot.</i><br />
<i>But I'm not surprised. Look at how hard I fought Josef, when he tried to tell me who he used to be. "I guess that's because most of the time we don't want to admit it to ourselves."</i><br />
<i>"That's true," Leo says thoughtfully. "It's amazing what you can convince yourself of, if you buy into the lie."</i><br />
<i>You can believe, for example, that a dead-end job is a career. You can blame our ugliness for keeping people at bay, when in reality you're crippled by the thought of letting another person close enough to potentially scar you even more deeply. You can tell yourself that it's safer to love someone who will never really love you back, because you can't lose someone you never had."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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That last line made me stop in the midst of my coffee drinking marathon. Isn't that true in a variety of circumstances? How many times have we chosen a certain path because it would be easier, and not because it was necessarily the right choice. How many of us have taken the easy path to avoid conflict? How many of us have stayed in a relationship that, if we looked deep down and were truly honest with ourselves, knew that it wasn't good for us to be in? Or that we spent so much time convincing ourselves that it was right but we knew would never really last? Because then we would be alone. And sometimes something is better than nothing? Or maybe there was someone, but giving yourself to them meant giving up control...and along with them came the potential for heartache...or even heartbreak.<br />
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Do you remember the movie <i>Along Came Polly</i>? If you haven't seen it or have forgotten, here's a little reminder...</div>
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Risk is scary. It means that there is the possibility for loss. But it also means that you have something or the potential for something that is worth losing. And I don't know about you, but I don't like to live with "what ifs." Sometimes you just need to try...jump in head first. I think of this every time I get into the pool at the gym. I know the first minute is going to be a little uncomfortable or shocking to my system. But I know the reward (in this case, sexy toned arms) are going to worth the risk. I think the same is true for lots of things in life, but especially in relationships. Sometimes you just need to jump in. Try it. Challenge yourself. Yes, there is the potential for loss. Or hurt. Or heartbreak. But these are the experiences that make us who we are...and who we are becoming. They are the experiences that are preparing us for the reward. And sometimes? Sometimes the reward far outweighs the risk.</div>
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Live. Laugh. Love.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-37144838020971834092013-09-10T14:45:00.000-05:002013-09-10T14:45:05.749-05:00Always the write time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kunocreative.com/Portals/32387/images/grammar-punctuation-lead-nurturing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kunocreative.com/Portals/32387/images/grammar-punctuation-lead-nurturing.jpg" /></a></div>
If you know me as all, you'll know that grammatical errors drive me nuts. I'm not exactly sure <i>how</i> this happened though because I didn't really have much of an English class until 7th grade (I still remember the look of panic on the new teacher's face when he realized the whole class of 18 was at a third grade English level). I still couldn't diagram a sentence for you to save myself, but I have always loved books and reading. Props to my mom for letting us kids read hours upon hours in the summers. My younger brother and I would ride our bikes down to the library during the summers (remember the summer reading program) and bask in the relief of the free air condition and free book on many hot Wisconsin afternoons.<br />
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Anyway, somewhere along the lines I fell in love with writing. I can't tell you any of the rules behind, but I love to do it. And if you use to, too, or two incorrectly (along with their, there, they're...not to mention you're and your) it'll drive me bonkers. Just don't ask me to tell you what anything is beyond the basic parts of speech. But I digress from the topic at hand...what was that again?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://wp.streetwise.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Avanti-wine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://wp.streetwise.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Avanti-wine.jpeg" width="147" /></a>Ah, yes. Writing. It has become my outlet. Especially in the last couple years. I really enjoy blogging. <strike>winey</strike> whiney? Why do I even write this for everyone to read? Shouldn't this be something I keep private?<br />
Wish I had time to do it more often. It's so honest. Well, it can be. It can also be a load of crap, just like anything else. But when I write my blogs, I try to keep it real. It seems like people crave honesty these days. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too honest. *pausing to think about that* You start to wonder what people are thinking when they read your blog posts. Can the readers relate to me? Do they think I'm crazy? Does this post sound <br />
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I guess there are two main reasons I write (can you tell I'm in teacher mode? I'd make the kids highlight or underline here...)<br />
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<li>I write to get it out. Sometimes some of this thoughts swirl around and around and around in my head and drive me CRAZY. If I can get the thoughts out of my own head, I have a better time being able to deal with them.</li>
<li>So people don't feel so alone. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. There a saying about how you should be kind to everyone that you meet because everyone is fighting a great battle. Each person is unique and different. Each person has stressors in their life. Example time!</li>
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<b>The Infant:</b> "HUNGRY! WAAAAHHHH!"</div>
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<b>The Second Grader:</b> "Is *insert best friend name here* going to play with me at recess today? If they don't play with me, who will? Why did they invite all the other kids over for a pool party and not me? I don't want the teacher to call on me to read out loud because I don't know some of those words. I lost my sidewalk chalk today and I can't find it anywhere. I miss the days when I got to stay at home with mom all day."</div>
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<b>The Middle Schooler:</b> "The popular kids don't talk to me. They were supposed to say something nice about me in class and they told me I clashed clothes well. I wish I could just fit in. I miss the days when everyone just played together."</div>
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<b>The High Schooler:</b> "I'm stressing out ALL the time. My homework is so hard. Why don't I understand it? I don't want to disappoint my parents. I need to get good grades so I get into a good college. But I need to have activities too. I'm just running out of time. I want to spend time with my friends. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my friend to a guy she likes. I know we don't have money, but I'm so sick of eating spaghetti for dinner ALL the time. I miss the days when losing your sidewalk chalk was your biggest problem."</div>
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<b>The College Student:</b> "Work, school, social life. I feel like all I do is the first two. No one tells you that once you get into a good school the work is just beginning. Now I worry about how to pay for school, how to pay for food, and getting good grades so I can 'rise above the rest' and get a good internship and get a good job. I miss the days when you went home after practice and there was dinner waiting for you, even if it was spaghetti for the third time this week."</div>
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<b>The Single 20 Something:</b> "Everyone is married. Everyone is having kids. Everyone is buying homes. Everyone is paying off their loans. Everyone that is, except for me. Here I am, living paycheck to paycheck. Just trying to stay ahead of the next round of bills. I'm tired of being alone at night. I'm sick of not having anyone to talk to when I go home. I miss the days of college when you lived in the bubble of work and school, all your friends were there all the time because you lived with them, and your biggest problem was which packet of ramen noodles you were going to eat."</div>
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<b>The Married 30 Something:</b> "I'm so jealous of all my single friends. They can do whatever they want to, whenever they want to. I love my kids. I love my spouse. But somedays, I just want to eat the last Oreo myself. I don't want to share my popsicle. If I want to vacation in Mexico...I buy a ticket. I miss the days when I just had some alone time."</div>
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<b>The Empty Nester: </b>"The kids are gone...what do I do now? How do I fill the time...the void? Sometimes I feel like my spouse is a stranger. We got so caught up in 'life' that we lost ours. I miss the days where the silence and time was filled with laughter and memories instead of reruns on Nick at Night."</div>
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Can you find yourself in any of those situations? Are you currently living one of those scenarios? One of the mistakes I think that we make as we get older is that we have the temptation to look at that second grader and think "they don't have it so bad." But at the time, those problems are very real...and <i>very</i> significant. </div>
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But I don't write to focus on the problems. (Problems are the first part...the getting it out part.) I write so we can recognize the problems...but encourage each other to see beyond them. To know that you're not alone. To encourage each other to work through the tough spots and focus on the good things. We can turn every one of those scenarios around to a positive. Don't just stop with the focus on the troubles. Acknowledge them, but instead of letting them define or defeat you, use them as encouragement for yourself and others to continue to press on. Let them become the fuel for your fire. Money will come and go. Things are just things and can be replaced with other things. </div>
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People are irreplaceable, and are what really matter. Be gentle with yourself and others. And when in doubt...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-13565694305378804512013-09-05T23:25:00.003-05:002013-09-05T23:25:41.483-05:00180ºToday was a bad day.<br />
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It was one of those days where one bad thing happens...and then another...and then another....until you hit the end of the day and you're either laughing because you honestly can't believe that a day this bad could actually be happening, or you're crying because it all just pushed you over the edge.<br />
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Today ended with the latter rather than the former. There were definitely tears...and not much laughter. The final straw came when I stepped on a carpet tack with my bare foot. But allow me to back up and relay the events of my day.<br />
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- Woke up feeling like the air had been sucked out of my lungs, coughing like an eight year old chain smoker.<br />
- Cleaning crew at school had moved my students desks and not put them back. Again.<br />
- In the middle of Junior religion the piano and I got into a fight. Piano, 1. Andrea, 0. Nothing like biting it in front of a class of high school Juniors.<br />
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- About ten minutes after I took my graceful float through the air I realized my foot was throbbing. Took a quick glance down and saw the top of my foot was growing. By the time I got to elevate it with some ice (almost two hours later), a lovely purple egg had taken up residence in between my ankle and toes. (This might also be a good place to mention that I booked a flight back to Milwaukee <i>yesterday</i> for my half marathon in two weeks...)<br />
- I made it through the majority of my day fairly unscathed. That is, until I tried to go home after school at 5:30pm. Drove gma car across the lot, stopped at the office to mark myself out, came back outside...click. That's all she would do. Click. We tried jumping her. Click. We bought her a new battery. Click. The man who helped me said it was probably the starter. So I drove one of the school's vans home.<br />
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I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to go swimming at the pool. I just wanted a night that wasn't filled with work, to feel like a person. I called my friend (whose tire had exploded on the interstate earlier this week) to commiserate in the car woes of gma car (my car) and silver fox (his car). Talked to my mom for a little bit. Stepped on a carpet tack while I was trying to get ice for my still throbbing foot and wash the car grease off my hands from helping with the battery. And then I cried. And my car might not be fixed until next Tuesday. It's Thursday.<br />
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Let me try this again.<br />
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I woke up.<br />
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Someone else emptied the garbages for my classroom last night.<br />
I <i>have</i> a piano in my music room.<br />
My body responded to trauma like it should, with swelling to protect the affected area.<br />
I had ice immediately accessible to me.<br />
I get to go back to Milwaukee in two weeks. For two weekends in a row.<br />
My car broke down at school. Where there were people to help me. And give me a ride to buy a new battery. And help me install it. People who smiled and waved at me after taking the time to help me after they had already coached a football practice.<br />
My principal let me take a school owned vehicle home. So I could get home.<br />
One of my co-workers knows a guy who can work on my car and won't kill me on the cost.<br />
This is really only the second major thing I've had to fix on my car since I've owned it.<br />
I have a car.<br />
I had soap to wash my hands.<br />
I have an ice cube maker in my freezer to make ice for my foot.<br />
I can call my mom up on the phone and talk to her.<br />
I have a friend that will listen to my problems, let me have the breakdown I need to have, and reach down and help me back up again.<br />
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One of my Facebook friends (who I've actually only met/hung out with once, but has truly affected my life and the way I look at/think about things) wrote a post today:<br />
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<a href="http://www.mosamuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/uniquely-beautiful-struggle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.mosamuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/uniquely-beautiful-struggle.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dear Beautiful Struggle,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Im thankful for you. Its because of you that I am humble now. I see things so different now because of you. You have taught me so much. I am a better person who appreciates everything I am blessed with now. You have given me the vision to see past the fake people that smiled in my face while I struggled with you. They laughed they joked as if it was amusing to see someone struggle with you. Its cool though. They are out of my life now. They can see me shine now. No more struggle. No more pain. CHANGE IS GOOD. GOD IS GREAT. Goodbye beautiful struggle. My destiny awaits......</span></span><br />
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There truly is beauty in our struggles. No, no one wants the struggles. No one wants to go through the hard stuff. They are not easy, pleasant, or comfortable. I don't want to go back and relive this day tomorrow, by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm alive, I have a safe place to live, and I have some incredible people in my life who love and care about me far more than I could ever deserve. If that's not beauty in the midst of struggle, I don't know what is.<br />
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One day at a time. Tomorrow's a new day.<br />
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Live. Laugh. And most importantly...love.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-48016090019936280442013-08-27T23:09:00.000-05:002013-08-27T23:09:18.412-05:00Vegetarian Lasagna with MeatI. Am. So. Full.<br />
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So full in fact, that this blog post is going to be much shorter than I originally planned. Because I can barely move.<br />
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And by that I mean I'm going to be too busy shoveling another piece into my face.<br />
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Quick backstory. I saw this recipe for <a href="http://www.makinglifebetter.com/recipes/detail/33149/1" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Spinach Lasagna</a> on my Aunt Becky's Facebook wall about a week ago. It seemed like a GREAT idea...that is until I realized my slow cookers had gotten left behind in Wisconsin <a href="http://runtheraceclaimtheprize.blogspot.com/2013/08/yum-yum-nom-nomsalsa-covered-chicken.html" target="_blank">when I moved</a>. No problem! I'll just adapt the recipe to regular lasagna.<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u><br />
1 16 oz container of ricotta cheese<br />
1/2 cupish real parmesan cheese<br />
1 egg<br />
1 envelope of Lipton Recipe Vegetable Mix<br />
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1 lb of ground turkey<br />
1 jar of your choice of spaghetti sauce<br />
1 can of diced tomatoes<br />
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1 container for fresh mushrooms<br />
2 large stalks of celery<br />
1 chunk of diced onion<br />
1 bag of frozen spinach (defrost and squeeze out remaining liquid)<br />
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12 lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat noodles)<br />
An unidentified amount of shredded mozzerella cheese<br />
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Because I've been trying to eat SUPER healthy, I try to pack in LOTS of veggies. I hit the produce aisle once a week at the grocery store to keep everything fresh. I added the ground turkey for the protein since I'm doing some pretty intense cardio workouts lately.<br />
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Here's what you do...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzVdJhcqX_ukkmkTeZFgtyGDWwjZKzPh8XCB0jTcgaJp6alePRTVt_oAedmgwbWPJjyFlYfdRMCrbO7eCq-1CZjq3FoG6BflbyPEi-FljZ8luvit8_aZbwTPntXs8f3fK1gMkaCgOFt0/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzVdJhcqX_ukkmkTeZFgtyGDWwjZKzPh8XCB0jTcgaJp6alePRTVt_oAedmgwbWPJjyFlYfdRMCrbO7eCq-1CZjq3FoG6BflbyPEi-FljZ8luvit8_aZbwTPntXs8f3fK1gMkaCgOFt0/s200/photo+3.JPG" width="150" /></a>1) In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, the egg, and the Lipton mix. Set aside.<br />
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2) Brown ground turkey in a frying pan. Add various delicious Penzey's spices. Add jar of spaghetti sauce. Add can of diced tomatoes.<br />
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3) At a same time, throw a little olive oil into another frying pan with onion. Add mushrooms. Add celery. When veggies are nice and colorful, throw the spinach on top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgobS1gohyADVY2OshDALKd0cdGc0KO5o0G10ouO_Q7ZxqjgpMAp8b1Wvw6uOM28DcUnj9lRRnpSdBK0ropfvcrz9S69vKR1kWk9bJTH686uzY_P-lRySe2fO7dxz4vX7PjOWCQBDtWTc/s1600/photo+4-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgobS1gohyADVY2OshDALKd0cdGc0KO5o0G10ouO_Q7ZxqjgpMAp8b1Wvw6uOM28DcUnj9lRRnpSdBK0ropfvcrz9S69vKR1kWk9bJTH686uzY_P-lRySe2fO7dxz4vX7PjOWCQBDtWTc/s200/photo+4-1.JPG" width="150" /></a>4) Add veggie frying pan to meat/tomato fry pan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZli6sb0D6M7xaNZJSgClguVK8T61AyxmLfruuEbj2C2n0V-jLWdyyhqhN41_0cM7tQgrIyrby20_g6EZA3F_Ljl64ANuOduT-PXTa7k1AN3Aw4S7otUIxNNWy5CfRrXKpkNttC_GIaz4/s1600/photo+2-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZli6sb0D6M7xaNZJSgClguVK8T61AyxmLfruuEbj2C2n0V-jLWdyyhqhN41_0cM7tQgrIyrby20_g6EZA3F_Ljl64ANuOduT-PXTa7k1AN3Aw4S7otUIxNNWy5CfRrXKpkNttC_GIaz4/s200/photo+2-3.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
5) Don't forget to boil your noodles sometime.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-aj2zDZrcuEfHBje7y0xcBlz0yHQEbuY1jeeV0p3goKues1wNADsikG92I_X2f54jLU6NAvmGTTHNROGLGdxM0m0uhHo5V4qF7vxPSk_TE3gPWf5UtDun7ilUmQo0JmJv2jx9zmFjk8/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-aj2zDZrcuEfHBje7y0xcBlz0yHQEbuY1jeeV0p3goKues1wNADsikG92I_X2f54jLU6NAvmGTTHNROGLGdxM0m0uhHo5V4qF7vxPSk_TE3gPWf5UtDun7ilUmQo0JmJv2jx9zmFjk8/s200/photo+2-2.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see my layers?</td></tr>
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This made me two 8x8 pans. One I'll eat now. One is going into the freezer. Spray your Pyrex container with Pam Olive Oil before layering.<br />
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6) Put down a layer of noodles.<br />
7) Put down a layer of meat/veggie mixture.<br />
8) Put down a layer of ricotta mixture.<br />
9) Sprinkle on mozzerella cheese.<br />
10) Repeat as necessary.<br />
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I threw it into the oven at 400º for about 20 minutes.</div>
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Take out of oven. Use oven mitts. (Just a friendly reminder because you're going to be so excited to eat this.) Eat. Enter food coma.<br />
Thanks for reading. I need to go eat some more. Yum!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-66481065379747778152013-08-07T00:54:00.002-05:002013-08-07T00:58:39.836-05:00Yum yum nom nom...Salsa Covered Chicken!If you've read my blog before, you'll know that I wrote a <a href="http://runtheraceclaimtheprize.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-one-where-i-got-fat.html" target="_blank">post back in March</a> where I brought up some of the struggles that I have had with maintaining a healthy weight, as some of the successes that I'd experienced thus far. That was four months ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQC28GwgbrxJGScIPqqkDBggK1_JBcBYbi9b7dKH8xTh2unKhq_szVj8SKfiDNsRpt2BslL2mGxW2um4WJ2qKQpZ99lnt8PlCDXUtw6YuAA8-QoG_6dm2Qdfx73l5ROTfpTTxr-nnuxg/s1600/8675_10201232106142624_1116971612_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQC28GwgbrxJGScIPqqkDBggK1_JBcBYbi9b7dKH8xTh2unKhq_szVj8SKfiDNsRpt2BslL2mGxW2um4WJ2qKQpZ99lnt8PlCDXUtw6YuAA8-QoG_6dm2Qdfx73l5ROTfpTTxr-nnuxg/s320/8675_10201232106142624_1116971612_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
A lot has changed in four short months...four months, two job offers (both of which were incredibly difficult decisions), buckets of tears, "one last" beers, a cross country move, a fallen bathroom ceiling, late nights, early mornings, a triathlon (which resulted in a 3 week sickness), a quarter marathon (see the picture at left), Summerfest, Brewers games, spending as much time as possible with the people I love, trying to become familiar with a new school, new routines, new procedures, more security codes than I can remember, etc. Let's just say that the last month I was in Wisconsin I didn't practice the healthiest habits. I enjoy more Spotted Cow than I normally would...because you can't get it outside of Wisconsin. Taco Bell became a regular stop because it was cheap and easy and delicious and my kitchen was already packed. Working out became a thing of the past and was replaced with packing late at night so that I could spend as much time as possible with people during normal daylight hours.<br />
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<a href="http://mandelman.ml-implode.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Arizona1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://mandelman.ml-implode.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Arizona1.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
Needless to say, by the time I had gotten to Arizona and had partially unpacked (I say partially because I am still using boxes as furniture...I really need some bookcases) I hadn't totally fallen off of the bandwagon, but I was headed down a poor path. So...after only having been here three days, I went off in search of a gym. I visited a couple different ones, considered the different pricing vs. what I was looking for. I decided that my priorities in a gym were (in no particular order):<br />
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<li>Pool. I have bad knees and ankles and it's important for me to have low-impact workout options available.</li>
<li>Hours. I need a place that I always have access to with my soon to be crazy schedule that is fairly close to home.</li>
<li>Environment. I was looking for a place where I could make some connections with people...since I was now living in a state where I could <i>literally</i> count the number of friends (that weren't 1800 miles away) on one hand. I also wanted a place environment where I could just go and get my sweat on if I didn't feel like talking to anyone.</li>
<li>Cost. I gotta be able to afford it, or at least rationalize the cost into my budget.</li>
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I joined the <a href="http://clubs.lifetimefitness.com/Tempe/11206/" target="_blank">Lifetime Fitness </a>on Tuesday, July 16th. (Seriously check out the website...it's GORGEOUS. They even had a rock wall. I love all the pools.) I have been to the gym everyday since. It's my sanity. Lots of perks when you join. One of the things that's included is a basic health assessment. They draw blood and break down things like fat and cholesterol to see what changes inside yourself you need to make, in addition to what you want to make on the outside. (I'm currently working on upping my "good" cholesterol" in case you were wondering...everything else was great numbers-wise.) Well, my metabolic specialist (fancy, right?) knew I wanted to work on dropping some pounds and suggested the <a href="http://www.lifetime-weightloss.com/90day" target="_blank">90 day weight-loss challenge</a> that was about to kick off. I figured this was a great way to throw myself back into my healthy eating habits, feel better about myself, and even meet some new people (which I totally did tonight!) Each Tuesday you weigh in, they record it, and they offer some sort of class/seminar on either some sort of physical activity or positive eating habits.</div>
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Long story short (or long story long), I'm signed up. Last Saturday morning was my weigh in (181.1 pounds) and tonight when I weighed in (which I was dreading because I HATE weighing myself at night) at 177.9 pounds. Wow. That's the last thing I expected to see at the end of the day. Yay me!</div>
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Now before y'all jump on me and tell me that's too much too fast, and I start to get the "are you eating enough" texts...let me assure you. I am eating plenty. But I've changed when I'm eating. Nice thing about starting over in a new place, is that you start over in your kitchen. If it's not healthy (with the exception of Magnum bars...bachelorette tradition with my cousin), I don't buy it. If I don't buy it, it's not in my kitchen. If it's not in my kitchen, I can't eat it. If I don't eat it, problem eliminated. On the plus side, I am eating LOTS of protein (yes little A...the means lots of chicken breasts), tons of veggies (lots of colors), a variety of fruits (mostly berries), fats that are good for me, and I'm taking my vitamins and fish oil everyday.</div>
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All of this has been a VERY long intro for the recipe that I made tonight which was SO delicious that I wanted to share it with all of you. The main body of the recipe came from my friend who is on his own journey of healthy cooking. (Side note: It's awesome to have someone to get healthy recipes from and bounce cooking ideas off of...I highly recommend!) All measurements can be altered to your particular preference...there's no <i>wrong</i> way of making this one!</div>
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<b><u>Yum yum nom nom Salsa Covered Chicken</u></b></div>
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2 large roma tomatoes</div>
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1/2 a cucumber</div>
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1/3 green pepper</div>
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1 stalk of celery</div>
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1/2 red onion</div>
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1 chunk of fresh mozzarella (emphasis on fresh...don't get the cheap brick stuff. The difference is worth it.)</div>
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Dice all ingredients. Put into bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (I used light). Season to liking. I used Penzey's Sweet Basil (French), a dash of Penzey's Oregano (Mexico), Penzey's Shallot Salt, a little Penzey's Onion Powder, a couple shakes of salt. Oh! And Penzey's Garlic Powder. Stir. Carefully. Really more like fold the ingredients together. Gently.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB81A2vEGSVoRza4zwIScH0JuxmeA41ZxpxRvfmEF0XkxGvYK-0V4teVAJsxdyVFY11e2qcCnQBpDuFz1DsM7R2wjrg-3oIzU6CzTzirlxtU0_oAvLZB0FxXK6ToeixNBWut40-mtC_pE/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB81A2vEGSVoRza4zwIScH0JuxmeA41ZxpxRvfmEF0XkxGvYK-0V4teVAJsxdyVFY11e2qcCnQBpDuFz1DsM7R2wjrg-3oIzU6CzTzirlxtU0_oAvLZB0FxXK6ToeixNBWut40-mtC_pE/s200/photo+4.JPG" width="200" /></a>While those flavors were all infusing together. I threw some chicken breasts that had been sliced on my griddle. Those got Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning sprinkled liberally on them while grilling. Once they were done, I cut them up, gave one last stir to the salsa, and then generously put the salsa on top of the chicken. (If you are not cooking with <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/" target="_blank">Penzey's Spices</a>, I insist that you stop reading for a moment and locate your closest retail store. Your cooking will never be the same. The picture at right is my cooking spice rack. There's another section for baking spices!)</div>
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Oh. My. Goodness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVz9y5TY1hCV-6X6paGZ65Nm-Cc052DbDsn9NataewhWsQM0NsAZbC29MD9AefDBP7qCBjB9QNwRO3t1irrSfCFb28b7CLCJcBtHmEAXOzttXEOI-JuHH0GwbLlnRC0qXHw3hWx0H4QE/s1600/photo+2-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVz9y5TY1hCV-6X6paGZ65Nm-Cc052DbDsn9NataewhWsQM0NsAZbC29MD9AefDBP7qCBjB9QNwRO3t1irrSfCFb28b7CLCJcBtHmEAXOzttXEOI-JuHH0GwbLlnRC0qXHw3hWx0H4QE/s320/photo+2-1.JPG" width="240" /></a>It was really good. And this from a girl who isn't particularly fond of tomatoes. I seriously couldn't shovel it into my mouth fast enough. Filling, healthy, light, and relatively easy to make (I made enough for my lunch tomorrow too)...I have a feeling that this is going to become a regular in the Arizona version of this Opps' House. And yes...I'm eating on a paper plate. Busy girl. Less clean up, more healthy cooking time.</div>
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Anyway, I should head to bed. Sleep is ALSO an important part of being healthy! Please check back (or share with others!) if you enjoyed my ramblings tonight. 89 days to go. I'll *try* very hard to keep everyone up to date on how it's going, as well as more recipes I try, and whatever else might be on my mind at the time. I'm just me...a work in progress. =) Happy Hump Day everyone!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-4599034695020697532013-07-29T01:13:00.001-05:002013-07-29T01:13:01.664-05:00I'm back...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got a message from a friend of mine the other day:<br />
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"Your blog has been mysteriously silent."<br />
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Three months. I haven't written a post in three months. Who knew so much could change in three months. (Yes, I meant that as a statement, not as a question.) Don't think that I've forgotten about you...many times I've started writing the ideas in my head while driving or at the gym or waiting to check out at the grocery store. But whenever I've come back home for whatever reason I've just felt like the thoughts had to stay inside. But something about that changed tonight.<br />
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Actually, if I'm being honest it was pretty similar to how it has been the last couple of months. I had an idea for a blog this morning, mulled it over as I went about my day, but by the time I could actually sit down and write I didn't really feel like it anymore. Until, that is, I was crawling into bed and thought about the blog. I went back and re-read what provoked my thoughts earlier and I was motivated enough to get out of my bed, grab the laptop, and feel very Carrie Bradshawish as I carried it back to my bed while wearing a bizarre outfit whose sole purpose is to assist me in not totally overheating in the desert heat. (Side note: I moved to Arizona. From Wisconsin. It's hot here. Yes, I have central air. But it's 10pm and 105ºF outside. It's just always hot.)<br />
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Do you ever have a moment where you feel like you've read something a million times, but that million and oneth time that you read, it strikes you and it feels like the first time? I was sitting in church, doing the Sunday morning thing, and there was one short sentence in the middle of the sermon that for whatever reason stopped me dead in my tracks:<br />
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<a href="http://encounterswithjesusinmylife.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/there-is-no-fear-in-love.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://encounterswithjesusinmylife.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/there-is-no-fear-in-love.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is no fear in love. Whoa. Just stop for a second and think about that.<br />
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*Taking a pause from typing.*<br />
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Now here comes the sentence right after it.<br />
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But perfect love drives out fear.</div>
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I'll be honest with you, in the last couple of months I have gone through a wide variety of emotions. I have looked at many of my relationships with a wide variety of people. Many conversations were had just trying to sort through thoughts and understand things, as well as make decisions moving forward. And it's not like I'm dying, but moving 1800 miles from all of your close friends and family to a culture that is different from what you know...by yourself...let's just say you think a lot about people and your relationships with them and why things are the way that they are. I just had a great conversation with one of my girlfriends about how validation is the driving force in so many of our life decisions and relationships. And what some of the things are that get in the way of us achieving that sense of validation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like a little 1950's fear to<br />lighten the mood a little. =)</td></tr>
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Fear.<br />
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Fear can get in our way. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the un-experienced. Fear of the unanswered. Fear of loss. Fear of loneliness. Fear of exhaustion. Fear of inability. Each of them are like another roadblock making us wonder if it's safe to proceed. Does the reward outweigh the risk?<br />
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But fear can also drive us. It can push us into the determination that we need to face the fear and overcome it. Or to try something that we aren't used to or might make us uncomfortable. It can be what causes us to strive to move ahead. To encounter the risk and take chances. Go into Google. Type "the opposite of fear" and see what comes up. (Or keep reading and I'll tell you in the text sentence.) You will find "trust," "faith," and "love."<br />
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There is no fear in love.<br />
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Loving someone here (and by here I mean in this world) is scary. At least that's what our mind tells us. Can I trust that person? Are they going to keep the secrets I tell them? Am I able to disclose my fears to them and trust that they will give me the support I need and not prey on my vulnerability? Fear and trust go hand in hand. Actually, trust is what you get when you are able to let go of the fear. And letting go of the fear is required if you ever want the trust to grow. And you can't have love if you don't have trust. (See how I'm bringing it all together now? =)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEKd-VHfnjYtXs-RPv4mQFzs97unUUXBfGx-5ZOGblOR1gjwkps23V2ncX60wvXyjreFawaZZ0Gjowj75utN3LDvAIwFTv0w2kIqCMaUyzvAmXHFRplJRKRZS5XluVCxnHUpJ93FhQFU/s1600/tumblr_m5p4nm3fhr1qbillv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEKd-VHfnjYtXs-RPv4mQFzs97unUUXBfGx-5ZOGblOR1gjwkps23V2ncX60wvXyjreFawaZZ0Gjowj75utN3LDvAIwFTv0w2kIqCMaUyzvAmXHFRplJRKRZS5XluVCxnHUpJ93FhQFU/s320/tumblr_m5p4nm3fhr1qbillv.jpg" width="188" /></a>Relationships don't stand still. It's just like the moon, they're either waxing or waning. They expand and contract. They morph from what they were into what they will be. You can't get to a place with someone that you like and feel comfortable in and put your relationship in a box and expect it to always stay the same. You can't stop your life and yourself from moving forward...in whatever direction that might be. And you can only stand still for so long. Because time continues on. So I guess the question is...do you let the fear of the unknown keep you from experiencing the rest of what life could offer you. It's unknown. And the unknown is kind of scary. And chances are, if you are afraid...it probably means that you have something that's actually worth losing. But...<br />
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There is no fear in love. Don't let the fear of losing love get in the way of growing love. And as we've heard (at a bajillion and one weddings)...love is patient, kind, protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And it <b>never</b> fails. So...let go of the fear standing in your way and experience the love that's right in front of you, whatever it might be. Because if love really <i>is</i> all those things (see two sentences ago), then it will not fail, but will continue to move you forward through the fear from who you are and where you were, into who you will be and where you are going.<br />
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...I'm back.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194722526793723002.post-64312687656670409612013-04-22T15:18:00.002-05:002013-04-22T15:18:30.254-05:00Why...<br />
If you do a Google image search for the word “overwhelmed” you will get some of the following pictures:<br />
As I started looking at all of the different pictures I realized there was a commonality between almost all of them. Before I tell you what it is…look again. Do you see it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhffVfzdI9iMqPKiVCWSeCD3CruKzgiANmj539WeGZbuleJOz0oI3tyEPwbxapN4ovH-qGnAV68WnN6m-orwuall9QVEKZ342skG65Kfb3v33RkSw3AUcYZZItpVNt6b46A8IHBHZzrE/s1600/Feeling-Overwhelmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhffVfzdI9iMqPKiVCWSeCD3CruKzgiANmj539WeGZbuleJOz0oI3tyEPwbxapN4ovH-qGnAV68WnN6m-orwuall9QVEKZ342skG65Kfb3v33RkSw3AUcYZZItpVNt6b46A8IHBHZzrE/s200/Feeling-Overwhelmed.jpg" width="138" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrubLDPyY0meo5JfmOGFUV6UOAiG5tngjmPU0HqC1FSkeXiugweQ7-sJwJ8RGDIxnkyvOiaqj3X-vLLrt3Hapfa-6iREgdBI_tCI0XPo8zCe5ExqJUjE5Zg60OWfJrX1RYDb9Ar7RCuQ/s1600/overwhelmed2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrubLDPyY0meo5JfmOGFUV6UOAiG5tngjmPU0HqC1FSkeXiugweQ7-sJwJ8RGDIxnkyvOiaqj3X-vLLrt3Hapfa-6iREgdBI_tCI0XPo8zCe5ExqJUjE5Zg60OWfJrX1RYDb9Ar7RCuQ/s200/overwhelmed2.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13KiyW9Qg0t_l88gT2u3-k16-7v4evxUuQJge4vC9kczkIOBbTQDCQp_9ICRTfQJHEesIRecOvyoRy1hZMSfjA8AOX9HOgiFUY4hNgAhmK_la7peOjC9TyutkddrsXjSWXoI_v2HDe0A/s1600/overwhelmed_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13KiyW9Qg0t_l88gT2u3-k16-7v4evxUuQJge4vC9kczkIOBbTQDCQp_9ICRTfQJHEesIRecOvyoRy1hZMSfjA8AOX9HOgiFUY4hNgAhmK_la7peOjC9TyutkddrsXjSWXoI_v2HDe0A/s200/overwhelmed_thumb.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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They’re all clutching their head with their hands in some way. And I wondered, why?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu31rDHKNHO6yv_NfzZevghUiOudW7R1FoQibGNwey5tOYl1i9ZEMr8imFlODUve16uDq7z9R-f4dt3fZBVDcjEdJL6T1aWOdJziPjIA7zYPcwxqAg_XxzaSqEqDF5PkOfoIvpSfqAzgg/s1600/coffee-bar-021412jpg-6af6170033a23cea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu31rDHKNHO6yv_NfzZevghUiOudW7R1FoQibGNwey5tOYl1i9ZEMr8imFlODUve16uDq7z9R-f4dt3fZBVDcjEdJL6T1aWOdJziPjIA7zYPcwxqAg_XxzaSqEqDF5PkOfoIvpSfqAzgg/s320/coffee-bar-021412jpg-6af6170033a23cea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of my favorite classes in college was adolescent psychology. I thought learning about people was so interesting. Why they act and react they way they do. How different events cause us to respond a certain way. If you’ve read any of my other blog posts (or if you know me at all) you know that I love people. I love talking to them, interacting with them, making up stories about where people are going and why, etc. The coffee shop is one of my favorite places to visit for this very reason. I have a pretty big personality, but there are times when I’m quiet and just sit and observe. (This is however, usually followed by someone who knows me asking me if something is wrong. =) But I love to just watch people and how they act with other people. So when I saw all of these pictures this morning, I wondered…why in times of stress, heartache, and feelings of confusion do we raise our hands to our head.<br />
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And then I had another thought. How do you pray. (Rhetorical question…hence the period and not a question mark.) A lot of times I pray when I drive. I turn off the radio and just talk to God in my head. But I’ve visited a church several times recently where at the end of the service they open up the altar (think more of the entire front of church rather than a specific piece of furniture) for people to come up and pray. On their knees. In front of other people. And more often than not, you see the people lowering their head into their hands and what I can only assume is just unloading on God. Looking for forgiveness, seeking answers, asking for direction…it’s the point at which you just can’t carry it anymore and you just let it go.<br />
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The last week in the world has been a rough one. Our nation was attacked when two bombs were unleashed in Boston at the end of the finish line of the Boston marathon. Our memories of September 11 were pricked, though the number casualties of this day were far less. Too soon, too close to home, at an event that effectively affected all of us. I challenge you to find someone that didn’t know someone who was in Boston that day at event that draws from literally around the world. But it didn’t stop there. It seemed like every time I turned around there was more bad news. Heart attacks, lawsuits, chemo treatments, divorce, alcoholism, flood warnings, flat tires, stressful situations, DUIs, difficult decisions, eating disorders, parking tickets, a major metropolitan city on lockdown, a terrorist found down the street from where my cousin lives, personal misunderstandings…seriously, these were the events I found out about in the last week. I was talking about this with a good friend and very exasperated asked “What is going on?”<br />
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Have questions. Need answers.<br />
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Have struggles. Need relief.<br />
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When I don’t understand, when I’m looking for answers and I can’t find them, this is what I know…<br />
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<b>God's in control. Nothing can separate us from His love. And He’s not going anywhere.</b><br />
Look in <i>the </i>book. After Moses had died, Joshua and the Israelites were supposed to cross the Jordan River into the land God was going to give to them. After giving Joshua instructions as to go about doing this, God reminded him, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1) Not only that, but God reminds us that worrying doesn’t get us anywhere. The birds don’t sow, reap, or gather up storehouses of supplies, and yet God provides for them. And how much more valuable to God are we than the birds? “Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take though for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”(Matthew 6) God gives us one day at a time…we don’t need to try and take on any more than that at once. When Paul wrote to the Romans he reminded that what we will endure and struggle with here on earth isn't even worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8)<br />
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“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tried or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40)<br />
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<b>God won’t allow more to come into our life than we can handle.</b><br />
This is extremely personal to me. There have been times where I truly do not understand “why.” Why is this happening. And many times…why me. Why does it have to be me? Why not someone else. Can’t it be someone else? But with the difficulties, struggles, and hardships also comes the comfort. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10) God is not the <i>source </i>of the pain/sorrow/difficulties. But He does allow those things to come into your life because they will serve His greater plan. He is the <i>solution</i>. If God allows you to come to it, He’ll bring you through it. He’ll provide a way out.<br />
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I don’t like to make my blog posts preachy or shove God in anyone's face (and I do apologize if this one happened to come off that way), but I do like to keep them honest. Because sometimes we just want someone to understand and empathize with us. About our relationships, about our health, about our lifestyles, about God, about our decisions, about our struggles and about our life. And this is me. I don’t have all the answers. Not trying to pretend that I do. And the questions? I’ll still keep asking. But I know where to start looking for answers…or at least find some relief from some of the questions.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">One day at a time. A work in progress. I’m just me.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798632277139093835noreply@blogger.com2