I DID IT....AGAIN!!!!

Just a quick TOUCH BASE to let everyone know that I completed my 2nd Breast Cancer 3 day Walk. I walked all 60 miles and had NO PROBLEMS with my feet or legs at all. A teeny blister that isn't worth mentioning and a wee bit of soreness (which ibuprofen and heat packs took care of quickly).

I did get laid up with an ass-kicking upper respiratory thing for a few days, but I'm all better now.

I will post more info and pix of the walk when I have some free time.



I do have a few personal update stories though!



A) Leopards don't change their spots and JACKASSES will be jackasses until they die. The guy that I dated many years ago, who left, but came back....? He left again. Without even a courtesy call. I was beating myself up over it for a few months but then realized that HE was the one who should be embarrassed, not me. So, I got over it and moved forward.



B) FACEBOOK IS COOL. I was looking up old high school people and, on a whim, looked up people who may have graduated from a school that I went to from 3rd-6th grade. And I found a name I recognized. In fact, he was one of my friends (and an old arch nemesis when it came to tests and spelling bees. CREPE!!!). After my family moved away, I never kept in touch with anyone at all, so I was pleasantly surprised when responded back and knew exactly who I was. We started chatting.....for hours....until 4:00 am. Turns out that he and I have some things in common.



Such as: going to school for scientific stuff. I got a chemisty degree and work for a pharmaceutical company. He got his degree in pharmacy. And, even though we grew up hours away from Phila, we both settled in the SAMN DAMN TOWN (seriously....4 miles apart from each other). Our personalities seem similar as well.....sense of humor, sarcasm (although mine is not quite as fine-tuned and cutting as his. I'M WORKING ON IT!!!).



I won't deny that it's freaking me the fuck out BUT I'm also having a blast playing "connect the dots" between 6th grade and present day. It doesn't seem like 25yrs have passed at all.

(Oh..... he made me a mean chicken noodle soup when I was sick. I don't think I've ever had a guy cook for me. EVER. Unless you count microwave popcorn).



Anyway, I guess that's all for now.

IT'S HERE!!!

In less than 24hrs I will be doing my 2nd Breast Cancer 3 day Walk.

I'M SO EXCITED!

I just hope that I survive. I did a hell of a lot of training, but this week I am tempting fate by making myself sleep deprived.

I am reconnecting with an old friend.....and playing catch up from the past 25yrs involves lots of late night phone calls (and very little sleep). As much as I enjoy playing "connect the dots" from 6th grade until present time, I have a feeling it's going to kick my ass this weekend.

Packing DONE!!!

I am not sure how I managed it, given the total LACK of energy I had all weekend, but my duffel bag is packed and ready to go.

I am very, very, VERY excited about meeting up with my teammates in 4 MORE DAYS!!!!

On a good note.....I seemed to have harnessed in the upper respiratory thing I was dealing with relatively early. FINGERS CROSSED it stays that way!

no. no. no. OH HELL NO!!!!

Woke up this morning with a stuffy nose and a scratchy throat.

NONONONO. I am not getting sick. After all of the damn work I have done to raise the money and train for this walk, there is NO WAY I AM MISSING IT!!!!

I don't care if I have to have my teammates pull me in a wagon every single mile of the way!!!

I am taking all kinds of supplements and drinking a butt-load of green tea.

BECAUSE I CANNOT BE SICK!!! I WILL NOT BE SICK!!!!

O N E M O R E W E E K ! ! ! !

National Depression Screening Day

I heard on the news that today is National Depression Screening Day.

And with the economy crumbling around us, I'm thinking a lot of people will fall into the DEPRESSED category.

Depression is a serious thing. For so many years, it was just written off as a MIND OVER MATTER thing. More and more studies show that it has a physical foundation, which leads to the emotional/mental effects.

Even with all of the scientific data supporting the physical side of depression, many people still still brush it off as "moodiness", "laziness", etc.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression a few years ago. For a very long time, I went through life feeling like I had 100 lb lead weights tied to me...like I was in a huge pit and couldn't climb out. I would miss days of work, simply b/c I didn't have the energy to get out of bed. I'd go for 2-3 days without showering. And my apartment looked more like a public dump than a place of residence. Once I began treatment, I was like an entirely different person.

I spent years suffering in silence....in the lack of knowledge and understanding of what my body was doing to me. And now I'm going to have to spend the next few years repairing the damage.

Damage to my body: when I was depressed, I tried to fix those feelings with food. Lots of food. Fattening food! As a result, I am close to 200 lbs and it will take some time to get back down to my healthy weight.

Damage to my finances: All of that food? CHARGE CARDS!!!! I attempted to figure it out and I think I was spending close to $400/month (probably more) on take-out, fast-food, and junk food. Over a 3yr period, that adds up!

Damage to my reputation: At work, I am considered a slacker. Not because I can't do my job or don't do it well. It's b/c when the depression had me in its grip, I just DIDN'T CARE! I'd show up at 10:00 and leave at 3:00. I'd go nap in my car 2-3 times a day. I am working very hard to change people's perception of me, but unfortunately, it takes a long time for the positives to wipe out the negatives.

If you feel that you have symptoms of depression, call a local doctor or hospital to find out about a depression screening.

PREDICTION

I predict that the A-Hole will get back together with his whore of an ex by Christmas.

Love isn't blind....

IT'S F-ING RETARDED !!!!!

10 days and $200 to go!!!

TECHNICALLY, only $163 left!!!

I had a surprise donation from a family friend today. That donation put me over the $2000 mark....a hurdle that I had been trying to clear for over a month now!!!

THANKS GEORGE!!!

You know, 2 weeks ago, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to raise the money in time. That I'd have to make up the difference from my own savings account (which I would do, b/c there is NO WAY I'm sitting out!!!).

But I am continuously amazed at the generosity of the people in my life. One coworker, who faithfully buys my baked items each Friday, handed me a $50 bill a few weeks back. Another girl slipped me a $20. My grandmother, who I know is dealing with her own bills and a new mortgage payment, bought me a $30 duffel bag as well as gave me $20.

I have no doubts that I will be able to raise the remaining money needed for this year's walk. Hopefully I will even raise a little extra and be able to help my teammates reach their goal as well.

BROWNIES FOR BOOBIES!!!

I have been baking goodies at home and selling them at work to raise money for my Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk. And I've been pretty successful, with the exception of the few times that someone brought in other goodies (donuts, bagels) on my Bake Sale Days.

Last week, I was busy baking all week. And then on Thursday, I was warned that there would be bagels and such the next day. I was freaking out. I didn't want to throw the stuff away, but I just didn't think it would be fresh enough to sell on the following week.

Then I remembered that my hair dresser (Rosie) had asked me about bringing some items into the salon for her to sell in the break room. So I put in a panicked call to her and explained the situation. She told me to bring it on in.

And....

IT ALL SOLD!!! Not only did I sell out, but she told me that she had requests for me to bring in MORE items this week! So for the next few weeks, I'm on double duty in the kitchen. I should be able to make a good sized dent in the money I have left to raise!!!

I LOVE OCTOBER!!!

Actually, I just love the fall. Cooler temps, combined with the crisp autumn air and changing leaves, never fails to recharge my batteries.

This weekend I got up bright and early each day to walk. On Saturday, I spent the ENTIRE DAY in Philadelphia. In the morning I walked along Kelly Drive, which led me to an unexpected (and pleasant) surprise....the annual Dragon Boat Festival. It's a Chinese tradition but everyone is free to put their oar in the water. I took in a few races. It was very interesting.

After I finished up my first 10 miles, I decided to take a break along the Ben Franklin Parkway. There was an Obama rally going on. While I'm not overly political, I do think he's a better candidate than McCain. And Bruce Springsteen was putting on a free show. Which means that I would have been there no matter who the benefit was for.....even if it meant wearing a sticker saying "I LOVE GEORGE W !!" (thankfully, it DIDN'T....I didn't have to be a hypocrite for the entertainment).

After the show, I put in another 5 miles.

Sunday was nothing interesting....walking 10 miles and doing some last minute shopping for my walk.

SAX APPEAL!!!

This is a bit belated, b/c I've been busy.

My sister is an amazingly talented artist. And yes, I am a bit prejudiced. But obviously others feel a bit the same way because whenever she enters anything into a competition...SHE WINS!!!

This year she entered an acrylic painting (the photo above) of a saxophone into a local art show. It got her a first place in the category as well as a BEST IN SHOW. This is a repeat performance of last year when she got BEST IN SHOW for another painting she did.

MI HERMANA IS MUY AWESOME!!!!

THINGS THAT IRRITATE THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!!

WARNING...this post is full of anger, ranting, and swearing!!!!

It's PMS FROM HELL week, so I figured that I'd make a list of things that would irritate me normally but this week, make me want to rip people's heads off and shove them up their asses!!!!





-- People who don't knock before jiggling the door handle on a public restroom. Also, people who are using the restroom but don't yell out when I give a courtesy knock before trying the handle.





-- People who, at a 4 way intersection, either go when it's not their turn (which I guess is kind of an obvious one). ALSO....people at the same intersection who tell you to go when it's actually THEIR turn (which is probably less obvious....but no less irritating to me).





-- People who order the most expensive thing on the menu at a group lunch. Then divide the check up by the total number of people there. And then act like I'M the one being unreasonable when I refuse to pay $15 for my $4 lunch special.





-- People who blare their horns at you as you are sitting in the exit of a parking lot.....even though you are not moving forward or blocking lanes, therefore not causing any potential traffic accidents. And, of course, they are always on their cell phones. Meaning that they didn't see me sitting there the entire time b/c they were focused on their call rather than the road, so when they finally DID see me, their reaction was "what the fuck is she doing?!?!?!" even though I hadn't moved in at least 2 min. If you're going to talk on the phone while driving, at least take the responsibility for your own stupidity!!!





-- People who borrow money for sodas, snacks from the vending machine, or lunch on a regular basis......yet the ONE TIME you do it, they make fun of you....for the next 2-3 months.





-- People who routinely check out EBAY and Craig's List while at work, but make fun of you for checking your personal email during your lunch break.





-- People who move to the US from another country, open a business, and can't speak a word of English. No, I'm not a total bigotted bitch. The US is basically a land of immigrants. I am all for people coming here and having a better life than they could have had in their motherland. I don't care about people continuing to embrace their culture once they are here. I don't even care if they don't choose to learn English (after all, it's their own neck on the line if they need help but don't know how to ask for it). But if you are going to open a business where you deal with customers.....shouldn't you be able to at least communicate with them? As a consumer, do I not have the right to HAVE YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!





-- People who move here from another country and then CONTINUOUSLY BITCH ABOUT THE UNITED STATES!!! If you hate it so much, then GO THE FUCK BACK HOME!!!!



-- People who constantly interrupt me. This is ironic , since I am notorious for doing it myself. But, to give myself credit, I realize it's annoying and am trying to cut back on doing it (and I apologize when I catch myself doing it).

Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun is a phenomenon occurring in latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous 24 hours, mostly north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle.

It's also the working title of a book by author, Stephanie Meyer. For those who do not know, she is the author of the Twilight series of books about Bella (a mortal) who falls in love with Edward (a vampire. A nice vampire. A very, very, VERY nice vampire!).

Basically, the Twilight series is written from Bella's perspective. Ms Meyer thought that it would be great to have a book from Edward's perspective. And from what we could see (she gave as an "appetizer" by allowing us to read the first chapter on her website), she was right. I was very excited for the book to be published.

Then, some idiot decided WHAT FUN it would be to post a copy of the draft on the internet. Ms Meyer got all kinds of pissed off and decided that there was no point to finish the book.

Hello...WHAT?!?!?!?!

I understand that someone betrayed her trust. I understand her going after that person like a vampire goes after blood (well, the UN-nice vampires anyway). But how does punishing her fans right the wrong?

I'm sure there were plenty of people who looked at the leaked draft. I'm sure that there were many MORE (such as myself) who did NOT.

To be fair, Ms Meyer did post a copy of the draft on her website so that her fans could read it and get a bit of insight into Edward's mind. As much as I appreciate that, I still am feeling a bit disappointed. My books are like friends, and I like to visit them over and over again. My Twilight collection will simply not feel complete until Midnight Sun is on the shelf.

So, Ms Meyer....have your pity party. You are entitled to it. But then, think of your fans and keep the production and release of Midnight Sun moving forward.

9-11, always remember

Today is the 7 yr anniversary of 9-11.

A moment to remember those who perished. A lifetime to honor those who willingly risk their lives to keep us safe.

When Life Hands You Lemons....

This post was originally starting out as a bitch fest, but then it ended up turning into something positive.

The bitch fest was because I was upset. Several months ago, people at work got raises. I didn't. I will not go into the details, other than to say that it was a bogus deal and total BS. Finally, yesterday, I find out that my raise got approved. And then, this morning, I receive a notice from my apartment mgmt that my rent is going up $75/month AND they are now adding a $25/month pet fee (which I haven't paid in the previous 9yrs of living there and the pets have been there the ENTIRE TIME). So I was feeling all kinds of negative about the fact that I will be able to use NONE of my raise towards actually paying off my debt.

I went online to do a Google Images search about lemons (Original theme to this post: when life hands you lemons....you throw them at idiots who piss you off). And I came across this picture of Alex....a little girl who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4 back in 2000. She decided to open a lemonade stand to raise money for research into childhood cancer. Her goal was to raise a million dollars....a goal which was achieved not long before her death in 2004.

Alex's determination and "make lemonade" attitude has spawned a national movement. In 2005, the owners of Kentucky Derby hopeful, Afleet Alex, not only donated a percentage of his winnings to this cause, but brought national attention to it as well. TastyKake created an Alex's Lemonade krimpet, which will raise additional money for the cause.

Since her first lemonade stand in 2000, Alex's Lemonade Stand has raised over 20 MILLION DOLLARS!

So I'm done with my pity party. Instead of looking at the rent increase as something that has negated my raise, I will look at my raise as coming at JUST THE RIGHT TIME to negate my rent increase.

Thank you, Alex, for helping me to put my priorities in order. Now I'm going to go enjoy a nice, cold glass of lemonade!!!

Rainy Day Blues

Less than 6 weeks until the Breast Cancer 3 Day walk.

I didn't do any walking this past weekend. On Saturday, I was depressed and mopey and wanted to spend the day bathing in my mopiness.

Woke up. Stayed in bed reading. Took a nap at noon. Woke up at 2. Moved to the couch to read some more!

On a good note, I actually finished the third book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I've had the books since I was in high school (mid 80s) and have started the trilogy countless times, but have yet to finish it. Book one flies by. Book two moves a bit more slowly, but intrigues me enough to finish it. Book 3.....I don't think I've ever gotten more than halfway through it. My problem is, once I pick up a book, I can't set it down. And once I do, I'm done with it. and with the LOTR Trilogy, I feel like I need to read THEM ALL at once......which is the equivalent to having a big breakfast on Thanksgiving morning (Book One), going to a Thanksgiving dinner at lunchtime (Book Two), and then having to go to yet another Thanksgiving dinner in the evening (Book Three).

The only time I actually wasn't in bed or on the couch was the hour I spent hiding from a possible tornado in my bathroom. Tropical Storm Hannah was making it way up the east coast and we had tornado warnings in my neighborhood. To be honest, I can never remember if it's a "watch" or a "warning" that means one actually has been sighted, but when the local cable company broke into ALL of the channels saying "get yer ass to shelter, right quick", I did so (after shoving my cats into their carrier and getting them and the guinea pig situated. Gotta take care of the kids first!!!). Turned out to be nothing but better safe than sorry. I have no interest in playing Dorothy.

On Sunday, I allowed myself another sleep-in and then spent the day in a mad apartment cleaning frenzy. My housekeeping is very lax on a good day, but with all of my training, I really have let it get out of hand.

Random funny story.....my BABY sister is away at her freshman year of college. I mailed her WalMart gift card figuring that she could use it for snacks, supplies, cds...whatever. I get a text from her today, thanking me for the card. "Now I can go buy BRAS!!!" was her response. Of course, I had to ask what happened to the bras she currently owns and received the answer "I'm too lazy to do laundry and I don't have any more clean ones". AHHHH COLLEGE!!!!!

I am up to $1600 raised, which means $600 to go (in less than 6 weeks). GULP!!!

Kids are AWESOME

In this day and age, kids seem to get a reputation for being a bit more outspoken and rude than I ever remember being allowed to be. But in reality, there are a lot of amazingly generous children out there and I have two stories to share.

The first is my teammate's daughter, Storm. She came with her mom to the yard sale this weekend and spent every single second finding ways to help us. From putting up the canopy to lugging boxes. I was doing facepainting, so when she saw someone with children, she directed them to my table. She made free sno-cones to hand out to people on the last (and hottest) day. And when she got "bored" with that, she started pulling in customers!!! She made up some signs on posterboard and held them up so the cars passing by would know what this was a breast cancer fundraiser. Several people stopped to make a donation. All on her own, she raised $50 for her mom's goal. STORM IS AN AWESOME KID!!!!

The second story was about the neighbor's children. Late Sunday afternoon, they set up a little lemonade stand. We figured that they were hoping to grab some of our customers....a trickle down effect of sorts. We felt badly for them b/c it was very slow. We had actually started to pack up. After and hour, they packed up as well....

.....and then walked down the street to give us the $11 they had raised!!!

How amazing is that?!?!?!

Last year on the walk, we walked past an elementary school. Along the entire fenced in schoolyard were dozens of young children, wearing pink, and holding up signs to cheer us on.

KIDS ARE SUPER COOL!!!!

Pink Penguin Extravaganza!!!!

Hello all. Yet another TIRED Monday after a busy, busy, CRAZY BUSY weekend (and hellishly long week beforehand).

No walking this time.....instead the focus was on fundraising. My team captain, Samantha, held a yardsale at her place in North NJ. She invited the rest of us Pink Penguins along to try and raise money for our individual efforts....we called the event the PINK PENGUIN EXTRAVAGANZA.

I spent the ENTIRE WEEK baking like a madwoman. I made 6-7 cakes. I made 4-5 batches of brownies. I made several batches of cookies.

Keep in mind, this is on top of working: 13hrs (mon), 11 hrs (tues), 10 hrs (wed/thurs). And even though I told my boss I only wanted to work 4hrs on Fri, I ended up working 6.5 (on 4hrs of sleep since I was up until 1am icing cakes the night before). I didn't get to bed before midnight all week AND I had to wake up at 4:30 am on Saturday.

I made $130 and I was happy with that. Not all of that was from the baked goods. I also had some magnetic car ribbons and other items with the pink ribbon on it. I did free face painting for the kids and some parents donated $ for that.

Samantha actually had a write up in the paper of the event...she put it in a few days ahead of time. As a result, she received many donations of items to sell. And by many....I mean MANY MANY MANY MANY!!! And people dropped by with checks already made out to the cause. She made $850 in the first day alone!!! Insane!!! And she has 2 people lined up to come take the leftovers to yard sales at their houses and donate a portion of the proceeds back to us.

I need to take a page from her book when doing my fundraising events next year. It's been a bit more difficult to have a HUGE yardsale b/c I don't have my own place. I'm hoping that will change within the next 6 months (as I have plans to take advantage of the real estate market and buy a house).

It was a great weekend. Not only did I get to subtract money from the WHAT I NEED TO GET TO MY $2200 GOAL column, but I got to hang out with my 2 crazy teamates and friends. It was a lot of fun!!!

Between the money I raised this weekend and the money I still have to add to my account from the August bake sale @ work, I should be around $1450 raised. So if anyone should happen to see a $750 bill lying on the ground, keep me in mind!!!

My Feet Rule!!!

I have been very impressed with my feet lately. I was very mean to them last year. I did the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk (60 miles in 3 days). I slacked off on my training in the 6-8 weeks before the event, which made the 3 Day Walk even more tough than it needed to be.

But my feet still love me!!! They haven't punished me once. I made it through last year without any huge blisters or losing any toenails. Sure, they scolded me a bit for 48hrs after I did the 3 Day, but it was a loving "hey.....we took care of you, so you better take good care of us next year" kind of thing. A little reminder to remember those lessons I learned.

This year, they have been awesome! I didn't start training until July. And I didn't start off easy. Hell no....I went out and walked 25 miles my first week! And each weekend after, I kept increasing the miles. 15 miles one weekend.....22 the next. This past weekend I did 27 miles.

I'm so proud of my feet. I love them as much as they love me! After I do this crazy walk YET AGAIN, they are going to get a major spa treatment!!!

9 Weeks!!

It's been shamefully long since I've posted. Not that anyone reads it all that much anyway...but still.

I got a late start but now I'm training like a mad woman. For the past few months, I didn't do any walking at all. Then, one day I looked at the calendar and said HOLY CRAP!!!! And that weekend I did 16miles (8 on Sat and 8 on Sun). AND NO SIDE EFFECTS!

I've been increasing it bit by bit each weekend. Last weekend I did 15miles on Sat and 8 on Sun. I was very tired, but still felt great. Tomorrow I will be doing 17miles.

Being a Training Walk Leader has really helped keep me going. If I submit an official walk, I have to show up. Even if nobody signs up for it, I still show up JUST IN CASE! So far I only had one long walk where nobody came out to walk and I managed to do the entire distance on my own. YAY ME!!!

Fundraising is a bit scary. I need $2200. I've raised $1169. The fundraising letters I've sent out really haven't yielded much. With a little more than 2 months left, I do feel moments of panic. During those moments, I try my best to "give it up to God" and trust that He will find a way to make it happen.

I've also been doing Fundraising Fridays at work....bringing in baked good to sell. Most weeks I sell out. First 2 months I made $75 each time. July was only $60, but that was b/c I only did it for 2 Fridays. This month, I'm already up to $100!!!!

Next weekend, my team leader is having a yard sale at her house. So I am going to set up a face painting and bake sale table in the hopes of grabbing additional donations. Even if I don't make money on it, I'll get to hang out with Miss Sammy Penguin!!!

Well, I guess that's all. Look for more updates in the NEAR future!!!

RIP Eight Belles

This Saturday was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby.

I love horses and never cease to be amazed when I see them running. I followed Smarty Jones' career (as his home track was 10min from my house, he was quite the local celebrity). I rooted for Afleet Alex. I sobbed when Barbaro broke down at the Preakness (and again when he was put down after a valient fight for survival).

The tears are flowing again, this time for Eight Belles, the only filly (that's a GIRL horse for those who don't speak the language) in the race. In the 134 years of the Derby, only 38 fillies have competed and only 3 gals have ever run. It really is a boy's club!!

Eight Belles fought hard and came in 2nd....a very impressive feat. Then, only a moment later, she collapsed onto the track with 2 broken ankles. This is a very serious injury to horses and she had to be euthanized immediately.

RIP sweet girl. And say hi to Secretariat and Barbaro for us!!!

Which came first??!!??!!

I actually have no interest in this particular question since I am of the God Created All Creatures belief.

What I am curious about is this... WHO decided that it would be a tasty idea to crack open and cook up something that comes out of a chicken's back-end??!!??!?!

I'm not complaining! I love me some eggs. Fried, scrambled, poached, hard boiled. There's really no bad way to eat them. But seriously....who was the first person to make a fried egg? Did someone crack it open thinking that they'd find a baby chick and then decided to get imaginative with the snotty substance they found inside? Did someone inadvertantly drop an egg on a sunny surface, which caused it send out appetizing aromas while it was cooking? Or perhaps, because eggs give forth new life, someone thought it would be good to eat as a symbolic gesture (although that doesn't really explain how the cooking got involved)?

I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!!

Relay For Life

I just signed up to do a Relay For Life event. Basically it means that I (along with a few hundred other people) will be walking for 24hrs straight in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

The event is May 17th and 18th at my alma mater, Southern Columbia High School. I have set a goal to raise $100, so any help would be appreciated.

I figure it will be a great way to really spur my 3 Day Walk training!

I'm on my best friend's team. My sister and some of her marching band buddies will be involved as well. It should be a good time, for a wonderful cause!!!

To donate: CLICK HERE!!!

I'ts Been One Of Those Weeks!!!!

I have had a rough week.

The upper respiratory thing I picked up has been KICKING MY BUTT all over town. There were many days where I had no strength and spent the majority of the time either in bed or being a vegetable on the couch. Fevers, stuffy head, chest congestion...you name it, I had it.

Now, 10 days later, I am starting to feel somewhat human again!

Then there's my budget. The company I work for has postponed our raises YET AGAIN! At this point, a full 2 years will have passed since our last raise cycle. What's really funny is that, the owner of the company always posts these memos talking about how "great the raises will be compared to the rest of the industry", which is laughable, b/c we are at the LOW END of the salary scale and in the 8yrs I've been here, we have never EVER had an annual raise. It's usually 15-18months in between.....24-30 during a rough year.

And b/c of not getting my raise (and having overtime cut), I am unable to do the auto maintainance I need. My car needs tires and is leaking coolant. So I basically am crossing my fingers each time I get behind the wheel, praying and hoping that I don't blow a tire or my motor.

My guinea pig, Phantom, died on Sunday. Apparently she had not been eating for awhile but I never noticed! When I weighed her, she had lost 1lb (1/3 of her body weight. NOT GOOD). I feel like such a BAD MOMMY and the guilt is making my mourning all that much worse. If I had noticed this a week ago, I may have been able to get her to the vet and get her on some meds as well as have them show me how to feed her by hand. I am sick to my stomach about it.

And last, but certainly not least, the BOYFRIEND. He never calls. When I break down and call him, he will chat with me without any problems, but he certainly doesn't act like he misses me at all. I am so sick and tired of being taken for granted. I am sick and tired of him taking his issues with his ex out on ME. I have been waiting patiently (ok...not so patiently) for him to move past his past but it doesn't seem to be in the damn cards. I guess I should start shopping around for a new one, but really, my heart just isn't ready for that.

On a good note...I received another donation for my 3 Day Walk today. I signed up to do a Relay For Life event with my best friend and her daughter in May. I have scheduled a training walk for this Friday evening. That should snap me out of my funk a little bit. Let's hope that the weekend brings better things!!!

First Training Walk!!!

Not only did I sign up for the 2008 3 Day Walk immediately after completing the 2007 event....I also signed up to be a Training Walk Leader. I had gone on some training walks last year and found that the tidbits of information I received from the leaders I met were invaluable in helping me to prepare. I wanted to ne able to extend that knowledge to others.

This past Sunday, I held my FIRST OFFICIAL TRAINING WALK!!!!

I held it at Neshaminy State Park. I chose this location for multiple reasons. A) close to my house. B) combination of paved and "off road" surfaces. C) path goes in a "loop", which means that I simply repeat the path multiple times to reach the desired mileage (and people can drop out after completing one circuit if they don't feel up to going the full distance).

The weather was generous this weekend. I was fortunate to have dry weather for both my trip to NYC on Saturday as well as my walk. There was a bit of chill in the air, enhanced by the wind. But once we got moving, our bodies warmed up nicely.

I met 3 ladies on this walk: Mickey, Pam, and Sam. All of them are 3 Day "virgins", so I was excited to be able to pass along some of my enthusiasm for the event to them. They peppered me with lots of questions and I feel relatively confident that I was able to provide sensible and informative answers. We all had similar personalities, so there were no awkward moments along the walk.

Pam and Sam are sisters. Since I am not great at putting names to faces, I told them that I would simply combine their names and refer to them as the SPAM Sisters! They loved it so much that they are considering making it their official team name!!!

We logged in 3.2 miles, which brings my total of walking for the weekend to something around 6.5 miles. It was a great experience, which simply cemented my decision to become a Training Walk Leader.

The only downfall is that I woke up Monday with a killer upper respiratory infection and it is putting a crimp in my workout plans this week. As much as I want to get to the gym for some cross training, I know from personal experience that if I force myself to go, I will make myself sicker (and end up missing an additional week). So it's lots of green tea, oj, echinacea, and sleep for me this week.

The Big Apple!!!

Yesterday I spent the day in New York City. My sister (a senior in high school) was going there on a class trip. My mother was going as well as my best friend and her daughter. I decided to take the train and meet them up with them. I was up at 4:30 am in order to get my things together and pick up the 6:30 am train. By 9:00, I was in the Big Apple.

I walked the 25 blocks or so to join them at Carnegie Hall. What a stunning building!!! It was built in 1891 and I learned that Tchaikovsky headlined on opening night. I also learned that the building was very progressive in the fact that it was run by electricity instead of gaslights as most theaters and music halls were, as a means to prevent destruction by fire. The acoustics were absolutely amazing!!! An oboist was warming up on stage and whether we were sitting in the front row or the "nosebleeds", the sound carried to us perfectly (no amplification needed).

After the tour, we headed to Times Square for lunch and then to The Schubert Theater to see Spamalot. I have to admit that I went with some reservations. I had seen The Holy Grail when I was in high school, but wasn't exactly enthralled. However, I had a great time and laughed so hard that I had concerns about "soiling my armor". Clay Aiken starred as Sir Robin and I really love his singing......that added to the experience for me!

Next was a visit to Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum. It was an experience that was a creepy as it was fun. The figures are set up in such a way that you can get right up close and personal. You can pose with them....you can touch them. And even though you know that it's not a real person, you are expecting them to reach out and grab you. In fact, as I was walking into the exhibit, I tried to hand my ticket to the woman with an outstretched arm.....until I realized it was actually a figure of Whoopie Goldberg! They had a figure of Jon Bon Jovi (quite possibly the sexiest man on the entire planet). I posed for a picture of my giving him a kiss.....the closest I'll ever get to planting on on the hunk!!!

Dinner was at Planet Hollywood (cheeseburger and fries hit the spot after a hectic day) and then I headed back to the train. Ended up missing the train that would get me home by midnight, so I ended up not hitting the hay until 2:00 am or so Sunday morning.

I logged about 3.2-3.3 miles of walking towards my 3 Day Walk training!

RIP Faithful Friend!

Black Jack was put to sleep yesterday, at the age of 17. Although he was the "family dog", he really belonged to my younger brother. Devin was 3 yrs old when Black Jack was born, so they basically grew up together.

When my sister was much younger, Black Jack would follow her down to the creek behind our house, keeping an eye on her.

One time he got caught in some animal traps for many days. Every single day, multiple times each day, we would walk through the forest calling his name. We passed the spot where Black Jack was trapped many times but could not see him through the brush. I wondered why the dog didn't bark....my dad theorizes that he didn't think he needed to. He heard us coming and patiently, faith never wavering, awaiting his rescue.

Black Jack had been fading for the past few months......the end coming more rapidly in the past 2 weeks. It was a hard decision to make, especially for my brother. He told me, "He seems as though he's fighting to survive. I hate the idea of forcing him to die". I explained to Devin that I had been through it before and while difficult, it was a better option than letting things drag on and having Black Jack's suffering prolonged (he already wasn't able to walk more than a few steps at at time and was losing weight rapidly).

The next morning I received a text: "We are taking him to the vet now. Last night, he began to shudder while breathing, as though in pain"

I feel that Black Jack sensed Devin's struggle with this decision and "told" him that it was indeed the right time to let him go. It was Black Jack's final gift to his owner.

Devin sat in the vet's room, petting Black Jack until the dog started dozing off before allowing the needle to make that sleep permanent. Devin buried him under a tree right outside of his bedroom window, and in the ground he placed a playing card.......a black jack.

First Donation of 2008!!!

I already had $125 in the record books for the this year's 3 Day Walk, but that was actually some of the leftover checks and donations from my 2007 donors (those who donated after I did the walk told me to go ahead and get a head start on this year's fundraising).

Today, completely unexpectedly, I received my first donation in 2008!!!!! YIPPPEEEEE!!!!!!

Thanks to Tom and Connie from church. God Bless You!!!

Happy Easter!!!!

I hope that everyone had a great Easter Holiday!

Mine was jam packed. Took Friday off from work...."slept in" until 7:00 (been waking up at 5:00, so it really was sleeping in!). Went to the gym, WW, and ran errands. Came home and took a 2hr nap!

Got in the car around 8:00 pm to head up to my parents'...only to turn around 45min later b/c I though I forgot something at home (turns out I didn't. what can I say...blonde moment!). Went to bed at midnight and got BACK UP at 4:00am and left (for real this time) at 6:00am.

Picked up my niece and we spent the day together. We had breakfast, had a "play date" with my BFs kids, and went to Grandma's house to jump on the trampoline. After I dropped her back home, I went and visited another friend of mine. Then grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading out to visit with my Aunt Tina. THEN I met up with my friend, my sister, and sister's BF for a late night snack. FINALLY got to bed around 1:00am.

Here it is, Easter Morning. After I update my blog, I have to get Easter Dinner started for the family. Then will visit my BF. Then will head back home.

Aren't holidays (and long weekends) supposed to be RELAXING?!?!?!?!

Happy Spring!!!!

Spring is a time of fresh starts.......clean slates.......rebirth. It's also a time for "cleaning house"......tossing out those old things that just clutter up your life, while brushing the dust of off some older (let valuable) treasures.

This year, I plan on doing some serious Spring Cleaning. I'm not talking about my closets; I'm talking about me. My mind, body, and spirit.

Obviously, with the body, I have already taken the first step(s). Eating better, going to the gym. I'm only about 30% of the way to where I want to be with my weight loss, but that's quite an accomplishment.

Mind and Spirit are a bit more difficult to tackle. I know that I am tired of carrying around resentment, mistrust, and insecurities (baggage from past relationships). I know that I need to stop over-analyzing EVERY SINGLE THING and driving myself INSANE. I know that I want to be able to ENJOY the relationship I'm in, rather than waiting for that next shoe to fall (more baggage!!!!).

I'm not really sure where to start with any of the above things. Guess I'll have to take it Day By Day!!!

Happy St Patty's day

Yes, I know.....a day late. Better a day late than never, right?

It's been shamefully long since I've had a post. I've been very busy since November.

I'm registered for the 2008 Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk. I will be walking at the Philadelphia event, October 17-19. I am also going to be a training walk leader. I'm hoping in doing that, I will be a little more steadfast in my own training schedule. I had spurts of motivation last year, filled in with periods of stagnation. I made it through the walk with the help of my wonderful teammate Kimm, but it was a lot harder than it should have been b/c of my slacking off in the training.

I joined Weight Watchers right after the walk have lost slightly over 30lbs to date. I recently started going to the gym for some cardio and strength training. I have been incorporating some running and inclines into my treadmill routine, as well as using the elliptical machine as part of my 3 Day training. One thing I learned last year as that the cross training (of which I did NONE) is crucial. As soon as the weather gets warmer, I will take to roller blading and bike riding on the weekends in addition to my walking.

Still seeing my "old-new" boyfriend and it's been decent. Not to say that there haven't been some "hiccups" along the way, but what relationship doesn't have them?!?!?! I'm just not sure if his anger issues with his ex are surmountable or not. Guess time will tell.

I guess that's all for now. TTY Soon!!