3-Day Discount

I'm sure you've made new year resolutions or set goals for yourself for 2012. If you're interested in doing something completely remarkable, unforgettable, and meaningful, think about participating in the 2012 Susan G. Komen 3 Day!

You can register to be a walker (it's only 60 miles and they feed you along the way so you won't go hungry!). Or you can register to be a crew member (which I think might be harder than walking 60 miles!) or volunteer . And to entice you even more, a $25 discount is being offered if you register to walk or crew by January 31st at 11:55 pm CST (who doesn't like to save money?).

Of course I'm very partial to my home city of Dallas to walk in. And if you walk in Dallas, you can join me and my fantastic team as we walk the streets of the metroplex! (Some of us are walking two cities this year...more to come on that later!)

Angels for the Cure after the 2011 Dallas 3 Day Walk

Wether you decide to walk or crew, you'll be helping to create awareness for breast cancer education and research, and ultimately finding a cure!

Come on, think about it...what's stopping you?

On the Road to...

St. Louis!

Although I'm not quite ready to return to work, I have to admit that I am looking forward to traveling to the St. Louis area. Mainly because I've never been there before and I always like to travel to places I've never been.

With my job, it's possible that I could travel on any day of the week. Although today is Saturday, I love to take Saturday flights. Depending on where I am traveling to and from, Saturday flights tend to be less crowded. Business travelers typically travel the most on Sunday, Monday or Friday; and people traveling for pleasure typically travel before the weekend to get to their destination.

My flight today was no exception - thankfully plenty of empty seats (no one likes to sit cramped up next to someone else) and I had an entire exit row to myself! I love to get an exit row seat due to the extra leg room (I'm 5' 7"). And just in case there is an emergency, I always say a short prayer before each flight that everything goes well so I won't have to be responsible for the exit row door in the event of an emergency. (I also like to think that a kind gentleman will be more than willing to assist me with this responsibility if needed)

This morning as my flight left the gate, we quickly returned to the gate due to a problem with one of the instruments. The pilot was very kind to keep us updated throughout the process. Although an hour after returning to the gate an announcement was made that the plane was 'out of service' and we would need to deplane. By time we deplaned, another plane had been located for us just a few gates away. After waiting another 30 minutes, we were able to board. Only to get on the second plane to be told that there was an auxiliary unit that wasn't working properly. So after another hour on a plane we were finally off into the clear blue ski. Even after the 3 hour delay, I still stand by Saturday being a great day to fly!

The morale of the story is to make certain you bring things to keep you busy when traveling, like reading material, your iPod, or some type of electronic device (I guess kids can be entertaining too depending on their age). Unfortunately there was a problem with the Nook app on my iPad to read the books I recently purchased and downloaded. Fortunately I found out Citi/Advantage Card was offering 30 free minutes of Internet access, which allowed me time to reinstall the app and download the books again. Problem solved! This little nugget of info was only learned after checking my email during one of the delays. So see, some good can come from subscribing to emails from the airlines that you frequent.

Don't forget to check back to see what I figured out to do (in additon to working) while in St. Louis. And if you've ever been to St. Louis or the surrounding area, please feel free to recommend some things for me to do!

T.G.I.F.

I'm certain that you are pretty glad that today is Friday! Possibly the end of a short week (if you had this past Monday off for Dr. Martin Luther King Day) or a long week if you had to work everyday. Seems like everyone looks forward to Friday no matter what!

For me, today means the end of staying home and being a lady of leisure. (No more sleeping in, staying up late, or wearing my PJ's all day) Duty calls and my next work assignment begins tomorrow. Be sure to check back to see where I land!

Since I travel for my company a new aspect of my blog will be me posting about the places I travel too and what that area has to offer. (Don't worry, they don't send me anyplace too exotic!)And if you've ever been to the same area, hopefully you can point me in the direction of some cool things to do while I'm there!

Well, my bags are packed and it's time to say goodnight!

Buddha Bowl

I’m certain by now it’s no surprise that I enjoy shopping (Probably a little too much sometimes). Well, today my Buddha Bowls arrived in the mail!

Who doesn't love a cute box?

It’s kind of a looong story about how I found these bowls, but here it goes…

Somehow I came across an online website called OpenSky. I honestly have no idea how I came across this website, and this could be a case of which came first – the blogger or the website! Well on the website, I could select different people (who become my team) whose online store I wanted to follow. The ‘team' then selects items that they like to showcase in their store. Well I came across a blogger, Kath, who is a registered dietitian and writes a food blog (more on her wonderful food blog later!) and decided to follow her. And this is how I found the Buddha Bowls!

Every now and then OpenSky will give me store credits (I’m sure it’s just a marketing ploy to entice me to make a purchase. And it worked!). After I received a store credit for $10, and I decided to use it to purchase a set of Buddha Bowls. First, I love dishes that are ceramic or made of stoneware. Second, I love unique items and these bowls seemed to be a cool way to eat soup or drink tea or coffee. Thirdly, seeing Kath’s delicious looking creations in the bowls definitely sold me!

See how easy it is to hold the bowl in the palm of my hand?!

Although I have only had ramen noodles in my bowl, I love them! I love the way I can slip my thumb in the handle and then hold the bowl in my hand. The warmth from the bowl just feels comforting and makes me want to snuggle up on my couch in a big blanket! OK, about Kath’s blog….

Kath is an awesome blogger who post several times a day at Kath Eats Real Food. She posts mainly about what she cooks and eats, the bakery that she owns, and remolding her home. Kath is also a great photographer and her pictures will immediately draw you in! And if you like unique plates, bowls and glasses, you will love what she presents her food items in. What I like is that Kath is into healthy eating, although when you look at the items you might not initially think that they are good for you. Overnight oats are one of my favorite things to make. Ah ha… I just figured something out!

The blogger came first! I follow another blog in which the blogger wrote about overnight oats and referenced Kath’s blog. That’s how I first located Kath’s blog. Then once I found out about OpenSky, it was nice to see a familiar name listed and I decided to follow Kath’s online store there. So hopefully you’ll take the time to check out Open Sky and Kath’s blog. Just don’t do it on an empty stomach! You’ve been warned…

Still Not Losing...

As much as I didn't want to go to Weight Watcher's today and weigh in, I knew that I needed to keep my promise of reporting how my weight loss journey is going. Here are the results:

Weekly Loss/Gain: +2.0 pounds
Total Loss/Gain: -6.4 pounds

Honestly, I'm not surprised that I gained weight this past week. Every since I returned from vacation about a week and a half ago, it has been very hard for me to motivate myself to do the right things concerning losing weight. Although I know I will feel better once I start losing weight, that hasn't been enough of an incentive.

All I keep thinking about is how much I enjoy food...I love socializing around food, trying new dishes, going to new restaurants, and the list goes on and on. In the meeting today other members shared some of their food success stories and what they have been eating. As I heard each story, it just sounded like a big compromise to me. All I could think is that no matter how much they say they are enjoying what their eating, they certainly can't be enjoying it! I mean what's exciting about grilling chicken breasts and opening a can of black beans to go with them? To be me it just sounded like a means to an end, and that they are choosing to eat things because the point value might be low. I'm just not ready to compromise.

Hopefully I can turn my not so cheery attitude about my eating habits around. Right now I am just feeling so limited with my choices. This week one of my goals is to really review my Weight Watchers materials to see what options are available on their Simply Filling program. Maybe this will help me get around counting points and jump start me back into a positive direction.

If any of you have thoughts and suggestions about healthy food options to try, I would love to hear them!

Finisher's Medal

It finally arrived today...my finisher’s medal from the Las Vegas Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon!

Some of you might remember that I walked in the Las Vegas ½ Marathon about 6 weeks ago, and that the sponsoring company RAN OUT OF MEDALS!!! Needless to say this was the let down of the event for me. Seriously, how do you run out of medals? Seems pretty simple to me, but if you have 30,000 people registered to participate in the event, you should probably order that number of medals OR less a small percentage to account for those people who registered yet couldn’t participate for one reason or another. Doesn’t seem like rocket science to me.

OK, the medal is pretty cool and worth the wait. It actually glows in the dark!

You can faintly see the moon and stars...pretty cool, huh?!

And in case you’re wondering, no, I am not any kind of competitive athlete. I registered for the ½ earlier in 2011 because it sounded like fun to walk (not run!) the Las Vegas Strip at night.

So for those of you who might be interested in participating in the Las Vegas ½ Marathon, the following are some pros and cons:

1.      It was GREAT to walk The Strip at night and see it in a different way. Although I think this might have been the first and last year for it to be scheduled at night. This event shut The Strip down from about 3 pm until midnight.

2.      This event had over 45,000 participants for the full and the half marathon. That’s a lot of people!

3.     Due to the number of participants, I would highly recommend staying at the hotel/casino that the race begins from. I stayed at a hotel about a mile away, and it took over 2 hours to get back to the hotel once the race was over. (And after walking 13.1 miles who wanted to walk another mile to the hotel?) Side note: I stayed at the ARIA and I highly recommended it!

4.      If you are a marathoner and using this event to qualify for another marathon, this might not be the one for you. The full marathon merges into the half marathon which definitely slowed down the true runners.

If you have other questions about the ½ marathon, please let me know! And if you have other ½ marathons that you recommend, please let me know that too!

Product Expiration Dates

After my trip to Sephora, my mind slowly drifted to all of the skin care and make up products that I already have. I have so many perfumes, moisturizers, lip glosses, lotions, etc. that from the outside looking in, an outsider would think that I probably don't need to purchase any additional items. And if I were really being honest, I probably don't need to purchase any skin related products for the rest of this year. 

Some people might think this is borderline hoarding of some type but I honestly need these things!

So, since I do have all of these items, I decided to look up what expiration dates are of products. And that's when things got a little scary. Here's what I found out:

General period after opening is:
Perfumes, perfume – up to 3 years;
Powders (including blush, eyeshadows powdery texture) – 1 to 3 years;
Foundation in a jar or a cream powder – 1 to 3 years;
Liquid tone means (in tubes or jars with dispenser) – 1 year;
Nail polish – 1 year;
Sun cosmetics – 1 year (but no more than one season);
Lipstick, lip gloss – 1 year;
Pencil (Eye, Lip) – about 1 year;
Skin care products (hydrating cosmetics, wrinkle, eye contour) in a sealed packet with the pump – about a year, in a jar – from 6 to 10 months;
Solid eyeliner and eyebrow pencil – from 6 to 8 months;
Bronzing – 6 months;
Mascara – 3-6 months;
Liquid eyeliner – from 3 to 4 months;
Natural/Organic products – up to 6 months.

Yikes!

I decided to look up the expiration of a few items, and let’s just say that I will need to throw some items away. Like yesterday. And there are some items that will be expiring within the next six months.

I also learned that some items have a PAO (period after opening) date. I had always seen a symbol like a jar printed on some products, with an ‘18M’ printed inside the symbol. This means the product is good for 18 months after it has been opened. But of course if the product expiration date occurs first, then that might prevail. To be honest, trying to decipher some of this stuff started to give me a headache (and I’m sure you might be getting one too right about now). So here’s a link to the site that I used to get information AND it has a product calculator on it: http://checkcosmetic.net/

I have a feeling that I won’t be the only person throwing away some items…

Ah, Sephora

Today I made a long overdue trip to Sephora – the make-up, skincare, lotion and potion wonderland. For me, Sephora is one stop shopping for anything beauty related. And the best part is that I can test whatever I want to purchase before I actually make the purchase. (Well, today the best part was probably that I had a Sephora gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket) Which brings me to today’s testing excursion…nail polish!

For the most part, I don’t have a nail polish collection at home. I get mani’s and pedi’s on a regular basis and I typically select a color from the salon that I go to. Couple of problems with that: 1) I tend to wear the same colors over and over again and 2) if I chip a nail I don’t have the color at home to do a quick touch up. So today I decided that I would find a signature color to wear for the rest of the winter months. After trying on about 15 different colors (thankfully there was a wonderful and conditioning nail polish remover handy), I finally landed on a Sephora for OPI color named ‘Metro Chic’.

I like it because it is a neutral color that should go with just about anything that I am wearing. And to me, it is kind of grayish with a purplish undertone to it (and then again, I could be becoming colorblind) which seems to be pretty popular right now. (I am happy to announce that Sephora lists the color as ‘opaque dark smoke with a hint of purple’, so I wasn’t too far off with my description of the color!)

Other purchases for the day were a new blush brush and Urban Decay eye primer. (Since I have spoken about this amazing product before, I’ll have to later this week!) And the second best part of the Sephora excursion was that after using my gift card, it only cost me $1.42…winning!!!

Friday the 13th Update

A few days ago I posted that I received my first ever mammogram. The following is the message that I received from my OB/GYN today:

I hope you are doing well! I am happy to inform you that your mammogram is within normal limits. Please continue yearly screening.

 So see, great things can happen on Friday the 13th!

Friday the 13th

This morning when I awoke, I quickly learned from a morning show that today is Friday the 13th. I've been on vacation for the past two weeks, and I honeslty have no idea what the current date it. I'm still having trouble remembering that it is 2012. (Although I do know that Monday is 'doomsday' - the day my vacation officially ends. Sigh)

Not only is today Friday the 13th, there will actually be three Friday the 13th dates this year AND they are 13 weeks apart from one another. (Just in case you want to mark your calendar, the next dates are April 13th and July 13th)

And since I've mentioned the number '13' seven times already, that might have some people even more spooked out. Well guess what? You're not alone! People who have an aversion to the number 13 are known to have triskaidekaphobia. And people who have a fear of actually saying 'Friday the 13th' are known as having paraskevidekatriaphobia. (And I thought I had problems?!)

So, all of this probably way more than you wanted to know about Friday the 13th. I'm certain many of you are more like 'T.G.I.F'! Enjoy the day and have a great weekend!

First Mammogram

I typically don't write about things too personal, although today I have decided to. (And I promise that I won't get too personal either!) Today I went to get my mammogram. Actually I should say my first mammogram. EVER.

Over dinner tonight I told a really good friend that I went to have my first mammogram. She just looked at me for a few seconds before saying 'I am really surprised to hear you say that. I thought if anyone had had a mammogram, that it would be you.' Later when I shared my news with my mother, she also said that she was surprised. She too assumed that I had been getting a yearly mammogram.

The reason for the surprised responses from my friend and my mother is that I have been a breast cancer awareness advocate for as long as I can remember. I have participated in too many to count Susan G. Komen for the Cure Walks; and over the past three years, I have participated in 5 Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walks raising over $10,000 to create awareness and find a cure for breast cancer. And more importantly, breast cancer runs in my family.

To be honest, I don't have a reason for why I have never had a mammogram before today. Yes, my OB/GYN has repeatedly talked to me about it. And no, I wasn't afraid to have a mammogram. And most importantly, I know first hand that early detection is key since this is the reason that my family members and friends are survivors of this deadly disease.

I share my story with you today to create awareness and with the hope that you will not prolong having your yearly mammogram or to encourage someone you know to have theirs. A mammogram only takes 15 minutes...15 minutes that can give you with a lifetime.

No Longer Losing

OK, I promised whether positive or negative results that I would post my weekly Weight Watcher weigh in. Here are the results for this week:

Weekly Loss/Gain: +2.4 pounds
Total Loss/Gain: -8.4  pounds

Although I am disappointed that I gained weight, I am happy that it wasn't more than 2.4 pounds. The last date that I weighed in was two weeks ago on December 28th. And that was 2 days before I left to go to Hawaii for 10 days. Although my plan was to eat as healthy as I could, my plan fell apart pretty quickly. (I just couldn't resist the wonder shave ice!)

I believe that one thing that did help me (meaning not gaining more weight) was that I stayed active during my trip. Of the 10 days that I was gone, I walked or hiked 7 of those days. I would awake in the morning and either hike along the coastline at my resort or I would walk the resort (which was extremely hilly). So even though I didn't lose weight, I am happy that I remained active while on vacation.

So this week it is back to my Weight Watchers plan AND sticking to it. Hopefully next week I will have negative (in a good way!) results to share with you!

My Prayer for 2012

On my last day in Hawaii, I awoke early to take one last walk around the resort to take in the views and snap some final pictures (I promise I will post some pics by the end of the week!). I can hardly believe that my last day in Hawaii has arrived so quickly! The past 9 days have done me a world of good and I'm not quite ready to leave. But I guess ready or not, I'll be returning to the mainland very soon.

During my walk, I had a chance to reflect on the past year and focus more on the upcoming year. My walk quickly turned into a conversation with God, and went a little something like this:

1) I am very thankful for the opportunity to travel to Hawaii. Traveling to someplace so beautiful is a wish and dream that many have, yet many will never obtain. I am very fortunate to be able to travel to the places that I have during my life.

2) I prayed for a healthy 2012 for my family. Over the past two years my dad, my stepmom, and stepfather have experienced different medical problems. Some medical conditions extremely serious, and other conditions unexplained. Fortunately everyone is healthy and doing well right now. I pray that the upcoming year brings nothing but good health to my family and friends.

3) I prayed for a young lady, Lauren Scruggs, who was seriously injured in a helicopter accident 5 weeks ago in Dallas. Although I've never met Lauren, her story has touched me. Lauren lost her left hand, left eye, and suffered brain damage from walking into the propeller of the helicopter after it landed. In spite of all of this adversity and change, her mother writes a daily blog about Lauren's progress. I am amazed her mother's selfless act of keeping everyone updated, and I pray for healing for Lauren and continued strength for her and her family. Here is a link to Lauren's story and journal: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurenscruggs

4) Lauren's story makes me think about my own life, and feeling as though I am not living my life to its full potential. I pray for more direction and that I will be open to where I am being led. For awhile I have felt very unsettled. Typically I move to action to attempt to change what is wrong. Now I am going to be still and listen to where I am being led to see what my future has in store for me.

5) I prayed for a fresh outlook towards my current career choice. I have been feeling so burned out and slowly resenting my job due to the amount if travel, the long hours, and not feeling any purpose in what I do professionally. At one time my job brought me a sense of excitement, fulfillment, and I looked forward to my next assignment. I am prayerful that feeling returns or that a new opportunity presents itself.

6) I prayed for patience. Patience has never been a strong suit of mine, and I find what little patience I have left is slowly draining away.

This is just a short synopsis of the thoughts I had this morning on my walk. I don't know what this year will bring. Although I finally feel lie I am ready to face it.

Homeward Bound!

My trip to Hawaii is coming to an end. Sigh. Maui is so green, lush and tropical that it is sometimes hard for me to remember that I am in the United States. (I also am beginning to think that there are many uncovered treasures in the US, and that I should plan more trips exploring my great country!)

This trip was much needed to rejuvenate me and get me in the right frame of mind for 2012. So if you ever need a place to regroup, travel to Maui!

Hopefully by the end if the week I'll be able to recap my trip here and include pictures! Here's hoping for an easy breezy and safe travel day home!

Crazy or Not? You Decide

People who know me, know that I don't eat chicken. Many find it funny and interesting since I'm Black (guess all Black people don't eat chicken...LOL!) and since just about everyone (except me) does consider eating chicken a pretty basic food to eat. The other evening as I was dining with friends, the question came up about why I don't eat chicken. Well, here's the story...

In December 1999, I had three bad experiences with chicken. The first one was at a random strip mall Chinese restaurant (enough said). The following week I was at Popeye's Chicken and received some chicken strips that we're a little too pink inside for my liking. Well, the last bad experience took place at Wendy's. I'll begin by saying that it was mid day New Year's Eve and the drive thru line was wrapped around the building and out to the street. After I ordered my fried chicken sandwich combo meal, I drove home. After I took the second bite of my chicken sandwich, the inside of the chicken was completely raw! 

I like to think that if each if these occurrences had been more isolated, and not a week apart from one another, I might still be eating chicken today. As time passed on, I thought about trying chicken again, but just couldn't do it. Now that 11 years has passed chicken free, I don't believe I will ever eat chicken again. And to be honest, a grilled chicken breast doesn't even look appealing to me. Watching others eat chicken doesn't bother me (as if it would stop them from eating it), although smelling large quantities of chicken does make me queasy (like a few weeks ago when I went inside Chick Fil A to purchase a gift card for someone).

So after sharing my story, I asked my friends if they had a food phobia or aversion that others might think strange. Here are theirs in no particular order:

Friend 1: Patio Umbrellas. If she is sitting outside she can't stand to look at them because she thinks they will fall over and they make her sick. (And I have been with her when it was almost a matter of life and death if we didn't change tables or seats)

Friend 2: Bone meat. She doesn't eat meat off a bone. Example ribs, fried chicken, corn dogs, etc. She says there is a name for this, but who knows. That night at dinner she didn't realize her entree came partially on the bone. Thankfully her husband was there to cut off the bone portion.

Friend 3: Ice Chewing. Although he loves to chew ice, he can't stand to hear other people chew ice if he doesn't have some ice to chew on too.

Somehow my chicken phobia isn't looking so crazy anymore...

Weight Watchers on Vacation

For the past several weeks on Wednesday I blog about Weight Watchers and fortunately my success with it. Today I am in Maui (I know, woe is me) and it doesn't look like I will be completing my weekly weigh in (or that this will post on Wednesday either due to the time difference). Yes, there are WW locations on the island although they have strange weigh in dates and times.

Every since I started doing Weight Watchers again, I have been worried about how my trip to Maui was going to affect me staying on the right track. I did bring work out clothes with me (first ever for a vacation!) and I have managed to use them.

Every day I have taken a regular walk or hiked a trail. The trail hikes have surprised me since they are more physical than I thought they would be. The stepping motion is very different than walking, and stepping 'up' or 'down' rocks works different muscle groups (after the first day I was really amazed that I could feel some soreness in my legs!). Although the trails aren't that long, I can really feel my heart rate increasing.  I also purchased a pedometer before I left. Each day I have come close to walking 10,000 steps which helps me to know that I am being more active than I think.

As for my food choices...well, I could be doing better. Shave ice seems to be my favorite thing here. Although shaved ice on its own has zero calories, the wonderful flavored syrups and creams certainly do not! So for the remainder of my stay, I am going to try to make better choices. And maybe only have shave ice one or two more times.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday to see how my weigh in goes!

Ten on Tuesday

Ok, here's this week's Ten on Tuesday, with questions provided by Chelsea at Roots and Rings. (Actually this might be Ten on Wednesday due to the time difference that I am experiencing right now)

1. What did you get for Christmas?
Ugg Sparkle Boots, Kurieg Coffee Maker, iPad stylus, gift cards (bed, Bath and Beyond, Starbucks, Nordstrom, P.F. Chang)

2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
Anyone who knows me knows that I didn't decorate. My goddaughter gave me a musical snowman that I will need to put away when I return from vacay.

3. What did you do for New Years Eve?
I spent it in Maui with friends. We had dinner at Duke's Beach House, and afterward returned to our condo to toast the New Year in.

4. Do you like accents?
For the most part yes. Although sometimes a southern accent can drive me crazy! I live in Texas and dont think I'll ever pick up one (thankfully!).

5. What kind of television do you have?
A 42" Samsung LED TV in my living room, and a 42" Samsung LCD TV in my bedroom.

6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
So far, no. I am on vacation and will think about this more when I return home.

7. What’s the last book you read and do you recommend it?
I just finished reading 'Something Borrowed' by Emily Griffin, and yes, I do recommend reading it. Although I didn't realize it when I started the book, I believe it has been made into a movie.

8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
For the most part, yes. Between the reality email I receive daily, Twitter, and Facebook, I tend to stay in the know.

9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
Nope, nope, and nope. Should I?

10. What is your favorite educational television show?
Hmmm, great question, and I really don't know! I probably watch way too much reality TV (see question #8) which I don't consider educational.

Hawaii by Daylight

Ok, Hawaii is much better in the daylight than the dark! 

Although I awoke still a bit fatigued from traveling, I was anxious to get out to begin my day to see Hawaii. I also needed to switch resorts as well. My first night was spent at the Marriott Waliea which is a wonderful resort. (I even had my first celebrity sighting, Weird Al Yankovich!) After breakfast I walked the resort and was able to take some beautiful scenic shots before leaving.

After checking out of the resort, I headed west to the Kapalua area which is where I will be staying for the rest of my stay. On the way there, I found the most wonderful thing by accident - shave ice! And this is nothing like the Sno Cones I've had before either. Each shave ice (and yes, it is 'shave' without a 'd') has the ice shaved to order, and it looks like fine snow falling into to cup. I selected to have pineapple, blue Hawaii and guava syrup added to mine. And to top it off, I had it 'snow capped' which is sweet cream poured over the top of the shave ice. Well from the first scoop it was love at first taste for me!

For dinner that night I dined at Duke's Beach House and had a wonderful Seafood Risotto full of shrimp, scallops, and lobster. At the table we shared a slice of Hula Pie which is a macadamia nut ice cream pie on a chocolate graham cracker crust. That night we returned to the condo to toast in the new year with champagne.

After all of my festive eating, I thought it would be a good idea to get some exercise in. I walked part of one of the hiking trails and then added on another 2 miles to check out the resort.

So far the New Year is off to a great start for me!

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, and blessed 2012!

I am beginning mine looking at the beautiful ocean in Maui, feeling the warm sun on my back, and a light breeze tickle my toes. As the waves roll in and then out, I can't help but think 'in with the new, out with the old'. I can't think of a better way to start the new year, and I look forward to all of the promise that it brings!

Hawaii Bound

From yesterday's post you might have read that I traveled to Hawaii for a vacation, which is also where I will ring in 2012. When the decision was made to travel to Hawaii, the decision was also made to fly First Class (if you've never flown First Class it should be on your bucket list of things to do!). Fortunately I had enough frequent flier miles to cover the upgrade cost which made it an easier pill to swallow. 

On the first leg of the trip I was well taken care of with toasted mixed nuts, a cheeseburger, and lets not forget the FREE drinks! There was also a nice blanket to jeep me warm and headphoneS to listen to the movie that was playing. With all of the attention from the Flight Attendants, the almost 3 hour flight to Los Angeles went by before I knew it.

During a 2 hour layover in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to use a free Admiral's Club pass (I received this a few weeks ago to entice me to sign up for a yearly membership). As fabulous as the Admiral's Club is, paying $400/year is a bit steep to me (I do gave enough frequent flier miles to purchase the membership, but i think I'll use the miles fir free flights). Besides, flying from Dallas I am able to book direct flights and I very seldom get to the airport hours in advance to reap the benefits of the membership.

Once I boarded the plane to head to Maui, the First Class treatment started with pre-flight champagne. The meal was served in courses, and I was even given a menu to make my selections! After having a wonderful spring salad, cheesy four cheese ravioli, and a fruit and cheese plate for dessert, I was ready to enjoy the remaining 3 hours of my flight.

Once I landed in Maui I was beyond tired. After a short drive to the hotel, I was ready for bed, yet very anxious to see what tomorrow brings since it was already dark when I landed.

2011 Reflection

At the end of the year it always seems that everyone is very reflective of the past year while looking forward to the new year. I'm no different although I try to set new goals and plans for myself continuously throughout the year. 

As I sit waiting for a flight to Hawaii, I am thinking that I am just ready for a break. This year has been so demanding mentally and physically with pursuing and completing my masters degree, an increased work load at my company, and trying to train and walk two 3 Day for Cure events. (And lets not forget to throw in the daily curve balls that life brings.) There was a point when I knew I didn't have enough hours in the day, felt that I was disappointing many people with the choices that I made, and I felt I was so close to a meltdown. (Fortunately I believe my manager saw my desperate need for a break, and she happily extended my current vacation request.)

Although I want to completely shut everything off and not plan for the future, I can't. It's just not me. I'm always looking for a way to better myself . Although many people have asked me 'What's next?', I really don't have an answer for them. At this moment I am completely fine with saying that I don't know what I want to achieve in 2012. (OK, I do have some ideas.) I just feel that I am destined to do more with my life than I have to this point. (And that's not to diminish what I've accomplished so far.) Hopefully the warm sun and inviting waters of Hawaii will allow me time to reflect to continue my journey into 2012.

Out With the Old

I've been very fortunate to have been off work for the past two weeks, and this good fortune will continue until at least January 15th (YAY for me!). One of the best things about being off work is that I have time to do the things that I typically don't have time to do. Like...clean up my 'Favorites' list on my computer.

OK, you might be laughing or thinking 'Really? That's all she has to do?'. But seriously, when is the last time YOU cleaned up your favorites list?

One of the folders I came across was labeled 'Blogging'. There was even a sub folder with some blogs that I had intended to go back and look at when I had time. And you know what? Some of the links no longer worked. Some of the bloggers hadn't written anything new in a loooong time (which I can relate to). And you know what else? I found some pretty cool blogs to begin following!

The other thing that I found were some blogging resources. This was especially helpful since I am going to breathe new life into my blog (I can see my stepmother rolling her eyes and laughing now). OK, just wait and see, my blog is going to get better! Until then...

Still Losing...Although Barely!

For those who are anxiously awaiting my Weight Watcher update for today, here it is:

Weekly Loss/Gain: -.4 pounds
Total Loss/Gain: -10.8 pounds

I am proud to say that I managed to lose .4 pounds in light of the Christmas holiday! This past week was challenging due to an unplanned lunch with my manager, Christmas dinner, and a birthday celebration. Here's how it went down...

My manager contacted me about meeting for a Christmas and congratulatory (for my masters degree) lunch. We met at Gloria's which is a Salvadorian restaurant that I had been wanting to try for a long time (the wait is over!). Let's just say it was well worth the wait! I made a great choice by choosing Salmon Costeno (marinated salmon served with rice and grilled veggies), and a not so good choice by choosing the sangria (it did have fruit in it which should count for something!).

I wasn't feeling too bad about the unplanned lunch outing since I tracked the points for the meal (and yes, the sangria too). My adopted family, The Meyers, invited me over for Christmas dinner. I'll begin with they are from New Orleans and there was lots of New Orleans flair in all of the dishes. There was an amazing cornbread dressing with smoked oysters and shrimp in it; then there was the sweet potatoes with a buttery pecan topping on them; and let me not forget about the 'meat pie' which was a slice of heaven - a buttery delicious crust filled with chopped oysters and other unidentified goodness. Those items were the highlights of the meal, although EVERYTHING was WONDERFUL!!! And I also had a couple of glasses of wine as the evening went on.

So after the Christmas meal extravaganza, I gave over all of my daily point allowance AND weekly point allowance. Honestly, there was no way that I could begin to place a point value on the items I ate. I just hoped that I would be able to keep my cool for the next 2 days until I weighed in again.

Well, my 'hope' quickly faded because it was a friend's birthday on the night before weigh in. This outing took me to Button's, a restuarant that plays live music. The chef at this restaurant is from New Orleans (are you seeing a theme here?). As I debated between the Shrimp and Spinach Salad or Shrimp, Fish, and Grits, what little will power I had quickly came to an end. And I'll be honest, the Shrimp, Fish and Grits was worth every point that more than exceeded my daily point allowance.

So when I say I am proud to have lost .4 pounds, I really mean it...in spite of some bad choices, I still lost weight! The next couple of weeks will bring a new set of challenges since I am going on vacation. Although the bright side is that where I am going the weather should be great, there should be lots of seafood options, and the opportunity to be active (for the first time I am packing workout clothes to take with me). Wish me well and LOTS of will power!

Ten on Tuesday

Typically I receive my Ten on Tuesday questions from Chelsea at Roots and Rings. Imagine my surprise when I realized Chelsea is taking the week off from blogging AND no Ten on Tuesday questions...oh my! And just when I was counting on her to supply me with questions so I can at least one posting per week.

Well, here goes my own Ten on Tuesday. And in typical form of my blog, very random questions that someone has asked me at one time or another, wished they had asked me, or they did ask and I danced around the question.

1. Where am I from?
I was born and raised in a small, rural community named Cassopolis, Michigan. It's a village (that's what it says on the welcome sign) located in the lower southwest corner of Michigan. The nearest large city that people probably know is South Bend, Indiana (home of the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish!).

2. How did I wind up in Dallas, Texas?
While I was living in Cincinnati, Ohio (hated it!), I spent a few months in Dallas for a work assignment. A few days after the assignment ended I was offered a different position with my company. Although I was not required to move I looked at the new position as an opportunity to leave Cincinnati and move to someplace that I liked, where I knew people, and would provide other career opportunities in the future.

3. Do I have siblings?
Yes, I have three. A sister and two brothers. I am the oldest. In many ways we are very different, yet we do have underlying similarities (although half of us aren't blood related).

4. Why do I blog?
Blogging started as a way to express my feelings in an anonymous way. I think that my life is kind of random most days, and thought (OK hoped!) that someone else might think my life random enough to want to follow along.

5. What do I do when not blogging?
If you're one of the 8 followers that I have, you already know that I don't blog on a daily basis (although I really, really want to!). Hopefully 2012 will make that pipe dream a reality! I recently completed my masters degree which took up a lot of my time. Since the end of October my time has been spent watching mindless TV (anything Kardashian, Real Housewives,) and some good TV (Revenge, Person of Interest). It's the off season for the 3 Day, although very soon my focus will return to training and fundraising for a worthy cause.

6. Do I have any friends?
Other than my Tweeps (follow me @indygirl_1997 if you want to read 140 character random thoughts), Facebook friends (send me a friend request, my name is Shannon Underwood), and loyal folders here, I actually have a few friends! For the most part, I am a pretty private person yet an open book. If you ask me a question I'll answer, although I'm not that forth coming with info on my own (much to the chagrin of my few friends).

7. What is my one guilty pleasure?
I'll keep this answer to material things since I seem to have a lot of guilty pleasures in different categories. It's jewelry. I love bling which I blame on my birthstone being a diamond. I love watches (OK, specifically Michele watches). I love bracelets and bangles. One goal for 2012 is not to make any major jewelry purchases (I haven't defined the threshold for 'major' although I probably need to figure out what that means soon!).

8. Growing up what did I want to be?
I always wanted to be a Flight Attendant and longed for the day that I could apply to an airline. My dream was cut short when I shared my dream with a complete stranger. His response was 'Why would you want to do that? That's nothing more than a glorified waitress in the sky?' From that moment forward I realized the power of words and the affect (positive or negative) words can have on someone.

9. What is my favorite vacation spot?
To date it is Aruba. I've been there twice and will definitely go back again. The island is small, located outside of the hurricane zone, and everything is reasonably priced. A lot of different countries are represented there and the food is wonderful! It's one place that I would feel safe enough to travel there alone.

10. How hard was it to come up with 10 questions!
Let's just say that I'll be glad when Chelsea returns next week!

Still A Loser!

I mentioned last week that I am actively involved in Weight Watchers again. I'm happy to report that when I weighed in today, I was down 5 pounds! Here's the summary:

Weekly Loss/Gain: -5 pounds
Total Loss/Gain: -10.4 pounds

A Twitter friend asked me what I did different this week to lose. I have to say two things: 1) I have been eating out waaaaaaay less and 2) I have been planning my meals. And here's how I did it...

This past Saturday I had a FABULOUS meal at Bob's Steak and Chop House. Since I knew I was going, I made certain to save my weekly point allowance for my special meal. I also made the choice of have a smaller cut filet mignon which is considered a lean protein. The big change that I made was only eating half of my meal, which is rare for me! Typically I leave a restaurant feeling stuffed and wondering why I ate all of that food. And before I forget, I also had my favorite dessert creme brulee!

I have also been using Simply Fit Meals to assist me with my meal planning. The meals are prepared and don't have any additives or preservatives. The GREAT thing is that each meal has the calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber amounts listed on them making them Weight Watchers friendly! I also make certain that if I will be away from home to take my meals with me in my cute insulated lunch bag.

So see, I can be on Weight Watchers and eat whatever I want. I just need to plan for it. I mentioned earlier that I have been eating out waaaaaaay less. For me that means that I have gone from the majority of my meals being eaten out, to now only eating out 1 or 2 meals a week. Over the course of the next few weeks I would like to transition from eating the Simply Fit Meals to cooking more at home. Stay tuned to see how that goes!

Ten on Tuesday

Here's this week's Ten on Tuesday compliments of Chelsa at Roots and Rings! If you'd like to join the fun stop by her blog to sign up.

1. What is your favorite online-only store?
Hmmm, I don't believe I have one. The closest one I can think of is QVC, although I can order phone by telephone, I never do.

2. Do you enjoy wrapping gifts?
Nope! Although I do appreciate a beautifully wrapped present from someone.

3. What is the temperature in your city today?
I live in the Dallas metroplex, and right now it is 44 degrees. A little below normal temperature for this time of year.

4. What time do you eat dinner?
Typically whenever I think about it. Although I try to eat around 6 pm.

5. Will you be making New Years Resolutions?
I always use the New Year and my birthday as a time for self reflection. I like to look back at what I have achieved and set new goals for myself.

6. How old is your oldest pair of shoes that you still wear?
Today I had one a pair of leather boots that I have probably had for about 5 years.

7. Do you have any restaurant phone numbers saved in your phone?
Yes, I do! Doesn't everyone???

8. What is your favorite and least favorite letter to write in cursive?
Probably the letter 'S' since that is the letter my first name begins with. I don't write the letter 'Q' very well. Probably because I don't use it that often.

9. Do you know any good riddles?
I sure don't.

10. How do you feel about snow?
I grew up in Michigan and  have experienced enough snow to last me a lifetime. Although there is something special about it at night when it covers everything and it twinkles like tiny stars.

I'm A Loser

Yes, I know that I shouldn't call myself a loser. Although today I am pretty proud to be a loser. I lost 4.2 pounds this week! Ok, let me back up...

Last week I decided to give Weight Watchers another try (And why not? I have been paying the  monthly fee, and April was the last time I can say I was seriously following the plan). I know that Weight Watchers works because I have lost weight on the program before. Although, I did regain all the weight that I lost. So you might be wondering 'What's different this time?'

What's different is that I've finally decided to be committed to do something to lose weight and improve my overall health. Over the past couple of years, I have realized that I can accomplish anything that I want if I just put my mind to it and stay committed. How else could I train and walk five 3-day 60 mile walks, walk two 1/2 marathons, and complete my Masters degree? Each of those were possible by setting a goal and staying true to it. Why should losing weight be any different?

I've blamed my weight gain on many things: my love of food, socializing around food, my career choice and the amount of time on the road, stress, emotions...the list goes on and on. Right now, none of those things are going away. So I am choosing to manage those things:

I can still love food...I just need to love it in smaller portions.

I can still socialize around food...I just need to do it less often.

I can still travel and spend time on the road...I just need to make better choices about what I eat.

There will be stress and I will be emotional...I just need to find a healthy outlet for it.

Hopefully making the decision to write about my weight loss journey will make me more accountable to each of you. Maybe I can give someone else the push they need to take the steps toward weight loss. Maybe someone will share with me strategies that they have to eat healthy and lose weight. I know there will be good days and bad days with my journey. The important thing is to keep my journey moving forward.

Ten on Tuesday

Ok, here's this weeks Ten on Tuesday! If you want to join the fun, please check out Chelsa at Roots and Rings.

1. How do you eat your eggs?
Although I don't eat chicken, I do eat eggs from time to time. When in the mood, I like them hard boiled with salt and pepper; over easy; or scrambled with lots of cheese.

2. Do you volunteer?
I do, although it has been awhile. The last time I volunteered was earlier this year for the Rock 'n Roll Dallas Half Marathon.

3. What’s your favorite brand of jeans?
I'm not that much of a jeans person. The couple pair that I have right now were purchased at Lane Bryant.

4. What was your child’s first word? Or what was your first word?
Not applicable...no kids here! And I have no idea what my first would have been.

5. Can you french braid?
I can, although I don't believe I will win any awards.

6. Do you prefer wide rule, college rule, or blank paper?
Of the three, I pick college rule. Although I write pretty big, so I end up taking up more than one line when I write.

7. Is there a specific treat do you always make during the holidays?
Nope. Although one Christmas I made about 8 different types of Christmas cookies. I want to do that again one year when I have the time.

8. Do you have a KitchenAid mixer? Do you want one?
For someone who doesn't cook, I do have a white KitchenAid mixer! It was a wedding gift, given to me by by mother who loves to cook and bake. The marriage didn't last, but the mixer certainly has!

9. What kind of computer do you use?
Dell.

10. Favorite Christmas movie?
I'm kind of a grinch when it comes to Christmas...no favorite Christmas movies here.

Rock 'n Roll Vegas Half Marathon

Seems like I can't get enough of walking, so I decided months ago to sign up for the Rock 'n Roll Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon. Let's be honest, after walking 60 miles I know that I can walk 13. miles in my sleep. This half marathon intrigued me because it was walking the Vegas Strip at night!



Before the Half Marathon

Little did I realize that walking with 44,000 people AND doing it in Vegas would present its own challenges. My hotel was about a mile and a half from the start/finish, which I thought would be a good thing. Well, let's be honest, who really wants to walk extra miles before or after walking 13.1 miles? Note to self: next time select the hotel that the race starts from. Getting to the start wasn't that bad. Leaving the hotel afterward was a completely different story...it took about 2 hours! This was due to the amount of people participating in the event and the lack of taxis.

Walking The Strip at night was way cool since I was able to see all of the hotels and casinos lit up. Unfortunately, I really couldn't take any pictures (I know, a marathon/half marathon is a competitive event and not a sight seeing adventure). This was also a great way to see the entire strip, including the downtown strip area.

I have been to Vegas more times that I can remember, but I always stay on The Strip and move between a few hotels and casinos. This was my first (and probably last) time going to the downtown area. As we walked away from the bright lights of The Strip, the landscape changed pretty quickly. It was pretty apparent where the money is at in Vegas. Needless to say I was happy when I was able to see the bright lights of The Strip again. And yes, this also meant that the half marathon would soon be finished!

I was excited to walk the event with my step mom and a friend of mine. This half marathon was the first endurance event that my step mom has completed since completing her treatment for breast cancer in December 2010. For my friend, this was her first (and hopefully not last!) half marathon that she has ever walked.

My biggest disappointment of the evening was that there were no finishers medals when we finished! I am all about instant gratification and was really looking forward to receiving my medal. Hopefully it should arrive in about 6 weeks.

I mentioned earlier that walking a half marathon really doesn't challenege me. I suppose I could train to walk it faster (I finished this one right at 4 hours), although I believe I am going to train to jog my next half marathon! There is another Rock 'n Roll half marathon the end of March that I am going to make it my goal to do a jog and walk combination to complete. At the very least, I want to beat my 4 hour finishing time!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday is something that I stumbled across on one of the blogs that I follow. Each Tuesday, 10 questions (sometimes very random like this week) are posted and then answered.  I think it's a great way to get conversation started AND it gives me something to post on Tuesdays!

If you're interested in participating, you can find Ten on Tuesday at Roots and Rings by Chelsea.

1. What are 3 things that are on your Christmas wish list?

I just received a friendly reminder text from my mother this morning that she hasn't received my Christmas wish list yet. So I guess that answers that question!

2. What’s your favorite Christmas song?

I am probably in the minority that Christmas music isn't one of my favorite music types.

3. Do you have a favorite band or singer that sings it especially awesome?

See the answer to Question 2.

4. Have you heard about the website GoodReads?

Never heard about GoodReads until today! And this is the reason I love reading blogs...I always find out new and relevant information for me. (And there's an App for GoodReads too!)

5. What are 3 books you want to read?

I have been working on my masters degree for the past 18 months, and haven't had much time to read for pleasure. I have been reading Emily and Einstein for almost a year and really would like to finish it!

6. Do you hunt deer?

Seriously? Uh, no.

7. Have you started Christmas shopping? Are you completely finished?

I have. I purchased items to send overseas to a fellow 3 Day Walker's brother who is deployed in Afghanistan, and I purchased a gift card for a family in need. I now need to start shopping for my immediate family.

8. Did you shop on Black Friday? What was the best deal you got?

No, I love shopping but can't take the crowds and didn't do any cyber shopping either.

9. What’s one holiday tradition your family has?

My parents are divorced and I always spend Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family. We do a gift exchange and my Dad plays Santa. And there is always great food and merriment involved!

10. How many blogs do you read? Do you subscribe/unsubscribe often or do you purge every once in a while?

Probably too many! I just counted, and right now in my FeeddlerRSS App I have 52 blogs that I am following. Some of those bloggesr are like me and don't post on a regular basis. Although the majority do post at least everyday. Now that school's out, I have more time to actually read the blogs.

And yes, it probably is time to do a purge!

2011 Dallas 3 Day Walk

The night before every 3 Day Walk is kinda like the night before Christmas for me. There is so much excitement, anticipation, and anxiousness for what the next three days will bring! I was feeling a lot of anxiousness since I had just walked in Tampa the previous weekend, and I didn't know if I would be able to walk all of the miles in Dallas. I was excited to walk in Dallas with my team, Angels for the Cure, and my friend (and first time walker!) Adrianne.

Adrianne and I arrived at Opening Ceremony and it was cold! But like the rain in Tampa couldn't dampen my spirit, neither could the cold temperatures in Dallas. There was so much excitement in the air! We took pictures, danced and waited for Opening Ceremony to begin. Four members of my team participated in Opening Ceremony which was really awesome!

One of my team members in the Survivors Circle

Walking out from Opening Ceremony there were so many people there to support and and cheer everyone on! The spectators in Dallas really come out, especially with the first day being a Friday. The schools are kind and they allow the students to come out to cheer us on. The angel wings we wear are always a hit with the kids (heck, even the adults too!).

When we arrived at camp I was able to show Adrianne around since we wouldn't be spending the night at camp. I'm not a camper and neither is Adrianne, so we opted to stay at the Crowne Plaza. We ate dinner at camp and then headed to our 'camp' for the night. Just the thought of a comfortable bed was all that I needed!

Day 2 started nice and early for us. We arrived at camp in time to have breakfast and talk to other walkers. One of the walkers shared a story with us about the fall he had on Day 1 (very soon this will become quite coincidental). From the scrapes he had on his head I could tell it was a painful fall. Yet he was there to walk on behalf of his wife who was fighting breast cancer. As Adrianne and I left camp, I was was talking to her when I decided to walk right off the track we were walking on and took a tumble myself! I hit the ground hard,and thankfully I aimed for the grass and not the track we were walking on. As I lay there I was silently praying that nothing was broken since I put my hand out to brace my fall (I know, bad move!). My right hand was in a lot of pain, yet I could kind of slowly bend my fingers and move my hand and wrist so I knew nothing was broken. I decided to forgo seeing Medical (I had miles to walk and wasn't going down over being clumsy!) and keep pressing on.

Adrianne was beginning to feel some of the affects from walking Day 1. She wanted to walk slower which was fine with me since I was starting on mile 80 of my 120 mile journey (in a weird way I think my painful hand helped me forget about my sore tootsies). Thankfully I had some personal spectators in the crowd today! My friends Tanya and Claire came out with fabulous signs and smiles to cheer us on.

Adrianne, Clare, and Tanya

As the day progressed on, we were moving slower and slower and I started worrying about staying on pace with the route time. Adrianne started experiencing blisters that she had been self treating but wanted to go to Medical to have them treat them. I encouraged her to take one of the sweep vans to go to the next Pit Stop and gain us some time on the route. But by time I made it to the Pit Stop, she decided she was done walking for the day. I decided to continue on since it was important to me to walk all 120 miles. So I set off to finish the remaining 10 miles. During the 3 Day one is never walking alone, and I met up with some other walkers to finish out the day. Then it was off to the Crowne Plaza for a hot shower and a good nights sleep!

Day 3 started and I knew we were in for a long day. My body was starting to feel like it had walked 100 miles and Adrianne's blisters were giving her lots of problems. Thankfully we only had 15 miles to walk (ok, I know that's still a loooong distance!) and I knew we could get through it. I did meet an amazing man, Jim, who is walking all 14 cities this year! Yes, that means 840 miles....unbelievable!!! So when I want to complain about anything, I just think about Jim and what he is accomplishing one step at a time.

The amazing Jim!

As we continued walking Adrianne and her tootsies were not doing well. She decided to take a sweep van and I would met her at lunch. We fueled up and decided we had plenty of time to walk leisurely to make it in. As always it is such a wonderful feeling to see that there is only one mile left to go!

1 mile to go! I can hardly believe that I have walked 120 miles!

We made it to Fair Park and then waited for the rest of the team to make it in. Then a big group of us walked in together. I can never explain what a wonderful feeling it is to walk into holding. This year it was a mix of emotions for me: I thought about all of the people I met during the 3 Day, actually walking 120 miles, the survivors that I walk for, the people frightening this disease that I will never know, and just doing something amazing to make a difference!

In case you're wondering, yes I am going to walk next year AND I have already signed up. I've already decided that I will only walk one city. Stay tuned to see which city that will be!

December NaBloPoMo

Ok, here we are at the beginning of another month that I will attempt to participate in NaBloPoMo!

For those who follow my blog, you already know that I have attempted this challenge several times and haven't been successful. To those same loyal followers, you also know that there's not much that I set my mind to that I don't accomplish!

Although the idea behind NaBloPoMo is to blog every day, my goal is just to blog more often than I have been. And in the process hopefully I will find a few more blogs to follow. So here's to December NaBloPoMo and seeing how often I blog this month!

2011 Tampa 3 Day for the Cure Walk

By now everyone who knows me knows that the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure is 'just my thing'. Who knew that walking 60 miles over 3 days would be something that I would enjoy doing?

This year I decided to walk in Tampa and Dallas. Although I knew the walks were back to back weekends (yes, that means walking 120 miles over the course of 10 days), I don't think I realized that I would have so much going on in my life right before the Tampa walk (the last week of classes for my masters program and ending a seven month work assignment). Nonetheless, I was looking forward to each and every step! I walked in Tampa with three friends from my Dallas 3 Day team, Angels for the Cure. In the end, I can't think of three better people to have shared this 120 mile journey with.

Getting ready to leave for Opening Ceremony

Day 1 of the walk started with rain although it would take a lot more than rain to dampen our spirits...we came too far for rain to keep us inside! The first day of the walk was beautiful walking in the Clearwater area. The spectators were pretty awesome too!

After a good first day of walking, we headed into camp to set up our tents for the night. Unfortunately the cot I rented to sleep on didn't have all of its parts, and I ended up sleeping on a pile of sleeping bags for comfort. Once I was able to get comfortable I was able to drift right off to sleep.

Our tents

Day 2 of the walk also started with a little rain, and some fatigue. Sleeping on sleeping bags didn't allow for the most comfortable night of sleep that I've ever had. One of the bright spots of the day was meeting Judy, one of my 'I've never met before Facebook friends'. Judy and I 'met' through a mutual 3 Day and Facebook friend Barbara (who I actually have met - long story - although Judy has never met Barbara in person) and had hopes of meeting up during the walk. Judy found me by the pink sock monkey that was attached to my fanny pack. We were able to talk and walk for several miles which helped the time to pass.

The Day 2 scenery was as equally beautiful as the day before, yet my tootsies were beginning to say 'Do you really think we can walk the next 80 miles ahead of us?'. I was beginning to have my own doubts too. By time I got to camp, I knew the tent wasn't going to work for me. I ended up getting a hotel room for the night which certainly helped! I asked my teammates to join me, but they wanted to stay to camp.

Day 3 was met with much excitement since it meant that half of our 120 mile journey would be completed! The four of us took our time and just enjoyed the walk. Although our happiest moment was probably seeing the sign that said we were one mile from holding also known as the end of the walk!

1 mile to go!

Walking Tampa was an awesome and emotional experience that I will never forget. It started with seeing a male survivor at Opening Ceremony in the Survivors Circle, all of the people I encountered during the three days, and ended knowing that I helped to create awareness for breast cancer education and finding a cure.

Finished with our 3 Day shirts

On the flight home, I couldn't help but think 'The Dallas 3 Day Walk is in 4 days...can I do this again???'

Some of you might know that for the past 18 months I have been pursuing my Master's in Education. Well I'm happy to say that I am finished!

Interesting thing is that I actually completed my last course a month ago. Two days after my last class I was on a plane to Tampa to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk. Once I returned from that walk, four days later I was participating in the Dallas 3 Day Walk. And the day after that walk was finished, I was on a plane for business reasons to Jacksonville, FL and then on to Chicago, IL. Whew! I hope you're getting the idea that my life kept moving once my last course was completed!

Well, yesterday is when it all hit me. As I was going through weeks worth of mail (remember all of the travel), a good friend who lives into another state sent me a congratulations card for completing my degree (when she asked for an updated address a few weeks ago, I never thought about why she asked). I was blown away that she even knew I had completed my degree (maybe I mentioned it on Facebook?) and the kind words that she shared with me.

Also in the stack of packages was my actual diploma. Once I opened the package and looked at my diploma, all of the emotions from the past 18 months came flooding forward: happiness (that I was finally finished!), sadness (for the relationships that suffered during that time), and exhaustion (from the long hours of studying, the late nights, and balancing a demanding career that has lots of travel). But mainly I was proud of myself for achieving something that was important to me and the sacrifices I made along the way to achieve my goal. There were so many times that I just wanted to crawl in my bed and give up. In the end, I'm glad that I didn't.

So, you might be thinking 'What's next?'. Right now I'm just going to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, walk the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon next week with family and friends, and then go to Hawaii at the end of December for some rest and relaxation!

We'll see what 2012 has in store for me...

November NaBloPoMo

What better way to revive my blog than to participate in NaBloPoMo for November!

My few dedicated followers already know that I have been pretty busy the past 18 months working on my masters degree. I am happy to report that I have finally obtained it! Hopefully now I will have more time to focus on blogging which is something that I have always wanted to do. Please be patient as I find my voice and the focus for my blog. At the very least hopefully you'll find some entertaining stories to make you laugh!

Well, here's to the next 30 days of blogging to get me back on track!

The Countdown Is On!

Well, ‘the break’ is finally over and the countdown is on…only 9 weeks until I am finished with my master’s degree! (And the crowd goes WILD!!!!)

I’ll be honest, the past 17 months have been pretty busy (and mostly stressful) working on my master’s degree. Possibility it wasn’t the smart idea to pursue this endeavor while working a job in which I travel at a moment’s notice, am away from home for long periods of time, work 12 hour days, and training for multiple 3 Day Breast Cancer Walks. In the beginning, this sounded like a great idea. And now, well, it’s just been exhausting!

I’m ready to have my life back to do things that I enjoy…sleeping in on my day off, watching hours of mindless TV shows recorded on my DVR, doing things with friends (hopefully I will still have a couple when this is all said and done!), and doing absolutely NOTHING if that’s what I want to do.

To be honest, I’m excited about being able to focus on my blog. We all know that it has suffered over the past year. I’m excited about being able to seriously focus on living a healthy lifestyle and lose the weight I’ve always wanted to lose. I’m excited about focusing more on my family and friends. As supportive as they are, I am certain they have felt neglected on more than one occasion.

So even though the countdown is on to finishing my degree, the countdown is really on to the next chapter of my life. And that within itself is pretty exciting to me!