So What Wednesday

Hello my loves! I hope you all are having a fabulous Wednesday! I'm lacking quite a bit in the creativity department today, so I'm thinking that a "So What Wednesday" might be in order...

[So what] if the pile of clothes sitting on the floor of my closet has grown into a 4 foot tall small mountain, under which a small community of clothes gnomes may or may not be living.

[So what] if there appears to be a moth in said closet (due to the increasing amount of random holes in both Robert and my t-shirts) that I've vowed to kill with my bare hands since I flat out REFUSE to put moth balls in my closet. I will NOT smell like an 85 year old woman all day.

[So what] if I spend absurd amounts of money on my hair and clothes and still buy store brand groceries because I'm "trying to save money."

[So what] if I will run half marathons but still complain about not being able to find a close parking spot.

[So what] if I make Charley more home cooked meals than I do myself. Crappy food (which is WAY more common than you'd think) is the #1 (preventable) cause of canine abdominal cancer (the #2 most common form of canine cancer).

[So what] if I sometimes forget that he's a dog... He listens far better than most people I know.

[So what] if my "secret" chocolate chip recipe involves unwrapping the dough and placing the pieces on the baking sheet for 13-17 minutes. They're still amazingly good.

[So what] if I get just as excited about ordering takeout and watching Netflix as I do about going out. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE girls night out and date night... but there's just something so refreshing about staying in.

[So what] if I'm a total science nerd. I love what I do, and I love seeing kids faces light up when they "get it."

[So what] if I'll turn back around after driving 8 miles away from my house because I can't remember if I shut the garage door or not. It totally freaks me out.

[So what] if I'd rather get one handwritten letter in the mail in place of 100 emails. There's just something about the lost art of letter writing.

[So what] if I could go on forever with this list... I want to hear your "so what's"!

Goodnight y'all!!

Busy (excited) little bee!

Yikes... a week and a half without blogging! Major oops! on my part. Sorry y'all! To my credit, however, this past week and a half has been busier than the last year and a half (...okay, maybe a little exaggeration there, but you get the idea). In this time, I have...

1. Lost a cell phone
2. Lived for an entire week without a cell phone (extremely difficult, but still "doable")
3. Bought a new cell phone (...with entirely new cell phone carrier. Yes, I caved to the iPhone 4. Sigh...)
4. Studied like a crazy lady for the my last certification exam, the FTCE subject area exam, to (finally) be certified to teach biology in grades 6-12.
5. PASSED my last certification exam!!! Whoo hoo!!!
6. Bought way more decorations/supplies for my future classroom than I will ever need (...a little caught up in the moment!)
   
7. Lived 4 days without my computer, aka my life, while it was getting repaired at the Apple store (waaaaaay harder than the cell phone!)
8. Traveled back and forth to Jacksonville three times
   
9. Introduced Charley to my 3 month old "niece" (I say "niece" because she's technically RK's niece, but I figure 7 years of being around the family makes me at least a figurative aunt, right?!)
   
10. Actually relaxed once, maybe twice.

*Big sigh of relief*

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have all of that behind me. For the most part, things usually don't happen all at once like that, but last week was a major exception. Yay for slowing things down a bit!

As I mentioned earlier, Charley met Catherine (RK's niece) for the first time this past week. For those of you who don't know, Charley (my 1.5 year old labrador) is a big teddy bear who wouldn't hurt a fly even if it followed him around for a week straight. He's the dog that lets all the other dogs play and roll all over him without even batting an eyelash. He does give the occasional "okay Mom, I'm getting a little tired of all these youngin's" look, but would still never do anything about it. He's always had a special connection with children, and I was eager to see how he would handle a baby being in the same room. I mentioned this in a post earlier, but I've always felt that dogs know and understand so much more than we give them credit for. Sometimes I feel like he just looks at me and automatically knows what I'm thinking. I don't know, maybe that makes me a little crazy/weird. Anyway, so the moment came for the two of them to meet. The carrier sat on the couch just out of Charley's reach to let him get used to the idea of a new little person in the room. Monitoring how well he was handling it, we picked up the carrier and lowered it to where he could see her. He sat down very politely, slowly peeked inside, and suddenly got the biggest smile on his face. He looked over at me, and walked away. At first I thought he just wasn't as interested as I thought he would be. But, he completely surprised me with what he did next. He went over to the baby bag, picked up one of her stuffed dolls, brought it back over to the carrier and placed it very gently next to her. It was absolutely one of the sweetest things I had EVER seen. Granted, this will probably never happen again... but I'm okay with that. He is so gentle with her it's unreal. I can't wait to see how he handles our future children in his older years...

On a different note, I bought the iPhone 4 (with an adorable purple cover!) this past week as well. I've been a loyal Verizon-er for about 8 years now, and felt it was time for a "fresh" change of pace. RK has been with AT&T since before I met him and, of course, has had every iPhone they've come out with. He's much more of a "techie" than I am. I have to admit though, I love it! I've heard some people have issues with dropped calls and whatnot, but so far so good with this one. Anyone else have the iPhone 4? Thoughts?!

Lastly, I'm officially a certified 6-12 Biology (potential) teacher!!! I cannot wait to finally have my own classroom, my own kids, and my own "teacher desk." Yes, I know, I'm a nerd! ;) I've completely stocked up on every supply possible (kudos to Target and their $1 school supplies!) and am so excited to start my laminating, labeling, grading, etc. I know a year from now I will be so far up to my ears in the aforementioned that I'll want to shoot myself for ever thinking that, but for now it's still exciting. I think I'll wallow in my inexperienced optimism for now. :)

Enough rambling for now... Thanks for reading til the end. I really do appreciate it! Night y'all!!

How time flies...

It feels like forever since I've updated! Oops.. sorry ya'll! Anyway, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and had at least a bit of time to relax and do something just for yourselves! Sometimes I think that's much easier said than done, but soo important to do! Anyone do anything exciting?!

For the past couple of months, RK and I have been playing in a summer softball league with my parents and a couple of other friends and family members. It's been tons of fun, but boy has it been HOT! I know, I whined about this last post but holy moly! You would think a sport that didn't require near as much running as...well, running wouldn't be as taxing on the body in terms of heat, but that couldn't be further from the truth! Just standing out on the field is exhausting... Growing up I played for almost 10 years and never remembered it being so grueling. Maybe I just never really thought about it, or maybe I'm just getting old(er). Nope, definitely the former... ;) Age is totally relative in my mind! But on the up side of things, Charley and I both got a wonderful post-game swim out of it. Soo refreshing!! I definitely would not have minded a nice cold drink (preferably something fruity and pink, of course!) but settling for just a quick swim wasn't so bad either...

Next week, RK and I celebrate 7 years of being together. It's so crazy how fast time flies! I can't even begin to tell you. We're trying to decide on where to go for a mini weekend vacay, and are thinking possibly Sea Island, GA. It looks beautiful!! Any other ideas?!

Light at the end of the tunnel!

Good news!! After a couple of months of anticipation (...and some heavy puppy rehab!) we found out on Friday that as of right now, Charley will in fact not need the second surgery we had planned for his hips! As it turns out, the hydrotherapy has done much more for his hips (and general well-being) than we originally thought. We knew it would help speed up the rehabilitation process, but the idea of it completely eliminating the next surgery never even entered my mind. Let me tell you... the little guy could not be happier! I'm starting to think that our next real estate purchase will have to have a pool, in fear of the dog going on strike if it doesn't. Okay, so I'm not completely opposed to the idea of being poolside every day myself... ;) All in all, he's a happy camper right now, and I'm right there with him!

Since we were in Jacksonville for the weekend for Charley's appointment, I joined up with some girls up there for Saturday's short group run of 3 miles. The group is training for the Chicago Marathon on October 10th, and is starting to get into the longer distances. This was the same group of women that originally got me into running in the first place and I was so happy to be able to catch up with them after my 5-month hiatus. I hadn't really thought about it until then, but I really saw how far behind I had gotten after running with my old group. They had all continued with the weekly training since our last half marathon, and you could definitely tell. With my shin splits wreaking havoc on my legs wonderfully mixed with the fact that I'm still essentially in the "starting over" stages of running, my self-esteem plummeted faster than a 14 year old boy being shot down by his life-long Kindergarten crush. It was 7am (two and a half hours later than I normally run), and it was hot. The delusional, body completely soaked, "I'm totally moving to Alaska" kind of hot. The run I was so excited about just didn't add up to all I had hoped. Looking back on it, I should have been more realistic and prepared for it... both physically and mentally. However, there's a small part of me that's glad that little mental "breakdown" happened when it did. It was only 3 miles, it wasn't raining, and it could have definitely been worse. Running isn't about out-running other runners; it's about out-running that little voice in the back of your mind that tells you to that you can't... that you can't make it that last mile, and you don't have to push yourself to become better. It tells you to settle, and accept things that are just "okay." I think this is one of the most important things to realize in running (and life), and I'm glad I figured it out now and not after I had accepted settling. So (...big sigh of relief...), I'm ready. I know that it's going to take time for me to get back to where I was, and I know that this is not the end of the world...

On a different note, RK and I are planning on going up to Vino (our neighborhood wine shop) tomorrow for our first "Wine Down Wednesday" tasting. The week has already been crazy busy (...yes, it's only Tuesday...) and I'm looking forward to this more than you know! I just found out that this cute little shop that holds tastings every Wednesday and Sunday for just $5. I'm not quite sure which rock I've been under for the past year we've been living here, but this definitely calls for making up for lost time!

Okay, enough babbling for one night! ;) I'll update more tomorrow! Goodnight ya'll!

And it begins...

After taking about 5 months off from doing sort of "organized" running, I've finally gotten back to the grind... When I really think about it, I'm not quite sure why I ever stopped in the first place. I had finished my last of 4 half-marathons and just let that be "it." Maybe it was more of a burnt out feeling, or maybe it was more of me just being lazy. Probably a mix of both. I joined up with a local running group for some early morning Tuesday/Thursday shorter, 2-4 mile runs, and a good long one on Saturday. I had definitely forgotten how great it made me feel. The 4am alarm? Not so much. But the feeling of getting the day started with a good flow of endorphins is wonderful. I finally broke down and bought a new pair of running shoes, too. It's pretty easy to forget how shoes are actually supposed to feel when they 1) fit right, and 2) aren't completely broken down (being in one, complete piece helps too!). A couple of new outfits, new tennie's, and a pair of sunglasses later, my retail therapy left me with no excuses to not get out and hit the road. Having new gear always makes me a little more excited to start back up though. Maybe it's the "fresh start" vibe that it all gives off. I'm all for starting fresh!

This Friday, Charley goes back for his second post-FHO checkup. On May 4, he had his first surgery (FHO, femoral head and neck ostectomy) of two to correct his hip dysplasia and first (of 3) steroid injections in his elbows to help with the elbow dysplasia. For those who aren't familiar with it (as I sure wasn't before this!) an FHO is a procedure where the hip joint is salvaged by removing the "ball" (of the "ball and socket") of the hip and letting cartilage form a new one. The upside to doing this in comparison to a total hip replacement is 1) no activity restrictions post surgery, 2) some dogs who go through a total hip replacement still end up needing an FHO down the road, and 3) it is a bit less expensive, especially since we were going to have to do it twice. The little guy had just had his first birthday on April 21. This condition usually doesn't present problems until much later in life, but his case was so severe (due to genetics) that he began to show pain at only 8 weeks old. :( Let me tell you... nothing breaks your heart more than watching an 8 week old puppy suffer like a dog who has lived a long, plentiful 10-15 year life. On a lighter note, he has been going to "puppy rehab" at a local hydrotherapy center and is doing great! This is his absolute favorite thing in the world. For 30 minutes, he becomes king of the pool. He swims for a bit, stops for some physical therapy (still in the pool), and swims some more. Every Wednesday and Friday he wakes up knowing that once 11am rolls around, he gets to go swimming. For anyone who has a lab, I'm convinced they're at least half fish! ;) Anyway, we find out Friday when the next surgery (and steroid injections) will be and after that he should be good to go! Please keep him in your prayers!!


Hmm... what else? The week has been absolutely crazy busy and it's only Tuesday! Whew! Luckily from here it's all down hill. I should be posting a bit more once things settle down. Just a side note... I love reading all your blogs out there! I'm adding a couple new ones each day to the list of those I follow and it's just great! Thanks to all of you who have invited me into your day to day lives, even if it's just in the slightest way. Goodnight ya'll!

First things first...

Hmm... where to start?! Well, as you can tell, this is my very first post! I'm very new to the whole process and more than welcome any comments/hints/tips, etc.!

I can't lie... I started this blog as a result of clicking on a friend's blog linked on Facebook for what I thought would be a quick read, then as my daily routine commanded, I would check my email, add a couple more pictures to FB, then clean the kitchen (exciting, right?! I know...). About 4 hours later I had literally 27 different tabs opened in my browser of different blogs I just couldn't stop reading. I don't know how I went so long without this...

A little more about me: I grew up in Florida and have been here my entire life. I'm a huge animal lover and have a special place in my heart for labs (...okay, and anything pink too!). I think CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) is an amazing organization, and if you're unfamiliar with them you should most definitely Google it. I love the beach, decorating anything, running (even though, as I mentioned in my 'about me' it's sort of a love/hate thing), teaching, and generally enjoying life. I guess you could say I'm in a transition phase of my life and I'm constantly trying to figure everything out (but who isn't?!). I like to say that I live life with no regrets, only lessons learned. If I could have a second "me", I'd be a wedding planner and/or interior designer. I could honestly sit in a pile of wedding and decorating magazines all day and be completely happy. I believe there's no problem in the world that can't be solved with a great group of friends, a glass of wine, and maybe even a good run. I try very hard to maintain a "glass is half full" perspective on life, and some days I'm more successful than others. Life is good... and I'm very excited for the journey it holds.

For future reference, here's a list of people who will most likely frequent this blog... just so you're familiar!

RK- My other half of 7 years. We've been through it all... ups, downs, and all the in-between. More often than not he knows me better than I know myself. He is truly my best friend in life and I honestly don't know what I'd do without him.

Charley- My 1-year-old yellow lab. He's the best four legged friend a girl could ever ask for. He has a personality 10 times bigger than himself and is the biggest "gentle giant" you'll ever meet. He was diagnosed with severe elbow and hip dysplasia (CHD) at only 8 weeks old. He has gone through the first of two necessary surgeries to help with the pain (and hopefully eliminate any future problems) and is doing great with his rehab!

LA- My best girlfriend since we were 10! Unfortunately, we had to leave each other during college but make it a point to stay close no matter what. No matter how long we go without talking, we always seem to pick right back up where we left off.

Okay, well I think that's good for now... I've got to get some sleep! I'll update more tomorrow. Goodnight ya'll! :)