Miscellaneous Memoirs

FB Beta Tester

2010-06-18T16:38:00.000-05:00

I want to start blogging more about cool stuff like clothes and daily life stuff so here is a good start.
So, Facebook, my daily social networking staple, is asking for Beta Testers to submit Q&As and I am taking on the challenge. Here is a little taste of my first attempt. I have to submit three so my next one will be more brief! This didn't copy any of my hyperlinks :( so I added a few back in manually and then got lazy, I really want to take a blog class!

Q: How should I organize my closet and keep it that way?

A: If you're a ‘clothes whore’-der like me or only own the basics, your closet is something that confronts you on a regular basis. Organizing your closet can be a challenging feat for some: To fold or to hang? To organize clothes seasonally, by color, or by article of clothing? Oh, the options! A closet on its best behavior should be a place to not only store your clothing and shoes, but also make getting dressed everyday a painless task.

Though I still struggle (on a regular basis) with tackling my closet’s order; I have found several helpful items and tips that help me to keep it running smoothly. No matter what your budget or closet and wardrobe size, finding ways to better classify items you use daily will help start your day off smoothly and make getting dressed more fun! Someday, I want an Oprah closet, but until I hit the jackpot or marry a millionaire below is how I make it work.

First thing first, start a ‘donation’ pile/ hamper/ whatever vessel can carry clothes to a donation bin. Go through your clothes, undergarments, bags, shoes and everything and eliminate anything that is damaged beyond fixing, anything you haven’t used/worn in 6 months and anything that does not fit you. I understand keeping special items or costumes but most of us have some excess that can be put to better use. I know it is tempting to keep the special t-shirt from high school or the pants that used to fit but really, throw it away or donate it. You don’t want your closet to end up like Lindsey Lohan’s closet.

Second, I find it best to organize by all of the above: season, color and article. I have a skirt, pants, tops and dresses section of my closet and they are all separated by color within each section. That way if your like, ‘I am having a black pants and white top day,’ you know right where to go! There are awesome hangers like this to make hanging pants more efficient and save space. I fold sweaters (you shouldn’t hang them!) and they are in a section in a shelf, hence the seasonal separation. I also fold jeans and stack them on a shelf in the closet. If you have a dresser, use it for t-shirts, athletic clothing, etc and fabrics that should not hang. Separate each different group into drawers and try to keep them folded nicely. Some people even like to roll their folded clothes to make more room. If you don’t have one, invest in some plastic drawer sets; it is totally worth it to not have to hang all these items!

In the spirit of brevity, here are a few more tips:

· These plastic show boxes are about $2 each and keep nice shoes clean and organized. Shoe hangers on the back of a door are space savers.

· Don’t use wire hangers! They damage the posture of your clothes.

· Use the pants hangers I described above to hang your scarves, shawls, etc.

· If your feel extra OCD you can use these vacuum bags to shrink and preserve bulky items or clothes you know you wont use often.

· Use clothespins or hangers with clips to fasten clothes that don’t like to stay on hangers.

In the words of Albert Einstein, "Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." So whether that really applies to your closet or not, get organizing!

Have a great weekend people! Ironically, this weekend, I am going to organize my closet and take my huge donation pile to Goodwill!

Nashville Wrap-Up

2010-05-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

So, it has only taken me a month but I have to let everyone know how my race went! I was inspired to blog again by some really cute blogs I was introduced to this morning (more about that later). I went to Nashville with my parents, aunt Barbara, and my mom's college roomate and her husband, along with the rest of my team at the end of April. The Country Music Marathon was April 24 so we went a few days early and luckily I got to stay a few days after for a nice vacation too!

My Mom's best friend Cindy and her husband Mike w/ me after the race.

I'm sure you are all aware of what's been going on in Nashville with the terrible flooding and now recovery efforts so I feel silly having felt frustrated by the weather conditions on my race day. Straight to the point, I trained for 6 months to complete the full 26.2 mile race and on race day was diverted to only complete the half marathon (13.1 miles) because of lightening, high winds and threats of tornadoes! Nashville has really taken a beating as this weather only got 1000x worse a week later. Obviously, I had mixed emotions because I had trained for so long and was unable to finish; but, at the same time I was glad to not have to run in the constantly deteriorating weather. I was also very relieved that I got diverted BEFORE I got to the half-way point. It was a blessing to run at my slower pace because some of my fast teammates passed the half mark and were eventually pulled off at mile 19+! I would have been devistated if I had gotten to mile 23 and had to stop running, which was the case for 4 of my teammates. None of us were able to complete the full race as only the elite runners who finished in near 3 hours finished. I finished the half with pride though and was glad to have worked so hard to get even there! I was saving up my energy for the full 26 so 13 was nothing! Haha, or so I thought, until I decided not to take an ice bath or do anything I normally do to recover and I was so sore the next day I literally had to go down stairs BACKWARDS! How embarrassing!

My family and friends were so AWESOME! They cheered for me the whole time and even made shirts and signs with my face on them!

My fan club!

I also had my name across my race singlet so strangers were cheering for me by name the whole race too!

Gross and sweaty but done!

If you've never experienced this it is truly priceless and beyond encouraging to have support from the sidelines. I understand why people do multiple races because of the motivation that comes from all the spectators!

SO, I still have it in my head to complete a full marathon and would like to get it overwith this year, so I have decided I want to run the San Antonio Rock n' Roll marathon in November! I will have to start training soon through the heat of the summer which will not be fun but I really want to check this one off my non-existent bucket list! Anyone interested in joining?! I have to find a group to train with because it is literally not in my realm to run more than 10 miles alone and without support!

My family and our friends had an awesome vacation in Nashville and got to see so many beautiful parks (and had several picnics with our Farmer's Market finds), historical and gorgeous mansions and plantations, heard cool music, ate (A LOT) of really awesome food and overall just had a lovely relaxing few days in a really cool city. Breakfast sports were a favorite of mine on this trip and I am not really a huge breakfast person. We ate at the Lovelss Cafe which was so wonderful despite the recent passing of Carol Fay, 'the Biscuit Lady':(. The biscuits were still phenomenol. We also went to the Pancake Pantry and waited in what we heard was a really 'short' line for about 30 minutes. Delicious. It was a good thing that I had run 13 miles the day before because I definitely took down some grub.

At the Loveless Cafe. Notice the memorial banner to the 'Biscuit Lady.'

We went and saw the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's plantation. Really cool. I got to see the Grand Ole Opry and museum before it flooded which is a gigantic masterpiece with beautiful landscaping. We also went to a great street festival in the most quaint town, Franklin, Tennessee and took a drive down the Natchez Trace. Everything was so beautiful and green we spent a lot of time just driving looking at beautiful landscapes and homes. Finally, the last favorite spot was Kix Brook's of (Brooks and Dunn) Vineyard, Arrington Vineyard. We took a picnic and bought a couple bottles and just took in the beautiful views.

Overall, Team and Training and Nashville were an awesome expereince and I am proud to have stuck with it and finished fundraising almost $4000.00 and training for such a great event! I would recommend that if you're thinking about doing it, just go for it. It's hard but worth it!

Thanks for all the support throughout!

19 days to Nashville!

2010-04-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

I have met my fundraising minimum! It doesn't reflect it on my fundraising page because I had to mail in the last few donations and it takes a while; but, YAY! My cousin Clarrissa's parents gave me the final donation to meet my goal yesterday! Thank you Freddy and Irma!

Thanks to a lovely Easter weekend with my parents and cousins Zack and Clarrissa and their families in Bastrop, today, Monday came too soon!

On Good Friday I ran 10.3 miles around Town Lake and then I got on the elliptical for 2 hours after that at the gym to simulate the cardio workout of the 20 mile run my team did on Saturday. Because of my injury, my body probably couldn't handle both 20 miles now and 26 in three weeks so my coach planned an alternate workout for me. It went well though and I was glad to finish with only some tolerable pain in my right foot. I am going to the physical therapist tomorrow to have him work out some of the pain and give me the go ahead to keep running on it! I feel good about it because now I know I can do it, even if I have to walk a lot and after a month + of frustration at least I know I can still run, even if it hurts! My cousin Alan gave me some great advice today to remember to enjoy myself, even I walk the whole thing I can still brag about having finished a Marathon! I dont want to injure myself and not finish!

I played golf with the boys on Saturday at the Pine Forst Golf Club in Bastrop where my cousin Zack used to be the pro. It is less than a block away from thier house. It was such beautiful weather and a beautiful course that I forgot how to play and did pretty bad. I think I beat my brother on one hole...terrible. Luckily the boys were patient and we all had a great time. I used this purple ball that was magical and skipped over water and bounced off trees into the fairway a few times and was almost un-lose-able and that was pretty entertaining. Zack was also nice enough to help me through some really hard times with come golf pro pointers. But it was definitely the worst I have ever played. Props to Clinton for playing really great on the front 9 and out-driving Zack twice!

Other than golf we had a super relaxing weekend at the Fleming's house and I got lots of rest, reading and relaxation in. I also didn't drink anything but water all weekend and that made me feel good! I needed a break and I have vowed to take good care of me for the race. I miss my parents and brother a lot so it's always nice to spend any time with them I can.

My brother turns 20 on Tuesday! He isn't a teenager anymore. This makes me feel old, I can only imagine how old it must make my parents and family feel. He is the baby of the family.

My uncle Ray was admitted to the hospital Saturday to start preparations for his transplant THURSDAY! Ah, this is so exciting and nerve-racking. Please continue to think about him and my Aunt Kathleen!

Another update to come soon! I soo appreciate all the encouragement! Thanks everyone!

Happy My People Day!

2010-03-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to tell everyone Happy St. Patty's/Paddy's/ Patrick's Day. This is my favorite day and I love to celebrate everything it is about. I took a half day off tomorrow and I'm pretty Irish so today is guaranteed fun! Did you know the shamrock is a symbol of this day because St. Patrick used it to illustrate the holy trinity?!

I am starting to run again, slowly but surely and getting more and more motivated everyday! I will give more updates soon! Have a great day! Don't drink and drive!

MM

Tendonitis...Sucks

2010-03-01T16:40:00.000-06:00

After the Austin Half I went to the doc and was on crutches for a week because he thought I had sprained some tendons in my right foot. THEN it got worse and my left foot had pain so I went to a sports medicine guy and I have tendonitis in both legs/feet. BOO! I was frustrated that I spent a week going through the horrible hassle of using crutches but I have been seeing the physical therapist and can thankfully walk mostly without pain now! This is just not pleasant though. I haven't run in more than two weeks and I'm worried about it and anxious to start back but I still don't think I am quite ready.

I have exercises and stretches to do daily and I am still going to PT so hopefully I can try to take an easy run early this week. I just am afraid to re-injure myself and make it worse. According to my PT and coach I should be able to ease back into it and get right back on track for my marathon that is in 54 days! They are both really encouraging and I need them!

I am still so excited to run in Nashville, injuries or not and I am trying to stay positive. It feels weird that I feel weird about not running, and I like that!

This weekend is also the Austin Sports and Social League Annual Kickball Tournament and I am pumped to be joining my championship co-ed softball team for a day of fun kickballing. I think my legs and feet should be ok, granted my easy runs before Saturday go well.

I have been trying to keep up my cardio by doing spin class and getting on the ellipitical. I also did yoga this weekend, which was super awesome. I had taken a class or two before but must not have been into it because I went this weekend and LOVED it!

Jill, my bff and roomate from ACU came in town last weekend and we had a blast. Party bus, rebels honky tonk, crazy cab drivers and so many more things Jill and I will have in our hearts forever (ha) made for a ridiculous and memorable time. I love and miss Jill and will post pictures soon.

My brother has for real pneumonia...It's crazy that he has it and he has been sick for almost a month now but is finally starting to feel better. Poor Clintonious. He is a trooper. I went to Waco last Sunday to help him and went to the grocery store, etc. I would be crying for my mommy if I were him.

My fundraising is going awesome! I am about $400 away from my minimum and I have raised 85% of my goal! One more fundraiser is in the works and it is going to involve April Fools, beer pong and flip cup tournaments and it will be awesome!

So lots of good and weird stuff going on but I am excited about March! My second favorite holiday, St. Patty's Day, my trip to see Bree in D.C., increased mileage, hopefully, kickball, fundraising party, etc will make for a great month!

Thanks for all your support!

Love Baths and LOVE Austin Half- Marathon

2010-02-10T10:14:00.000-06:00

I always start my posts with, 'Its been a while', so, I know its been a while. I'm still alive and running. Our Breakfast Club fundraiser was fun and not a complete fundraising failure, so thanks to everyone who came, especially Marie and Lyla...they are so cute and I love them! I finally went to Highball, too with some friends and had a great time. We bowled and played a lot of ski ball...what I call herkey ball. It's so cool! I also planned a trip to Washington, D.C. for the end of March. My cousin Bree who goes to Georgetown is graduating in May so I am going to visit her and hopefully see the cherry blossoms. I've been once before, the summer when I was 14 I think, but I was in an awkward stage and didn't really appreciate it so this time I know I will!

So, I've talked a little about taking ice baths and Epsom salt baths but I just want to sing their praises a little more. Ice baths after a long run are the strangest thing, they hurt, you freeze and kind of go numb, and then you forget all about the 10 miles that you ran because they almost totally eliminate soreness. Not to say I am not sore after 10 or 12 miles, but they seriously do help. I bundle up with a jacket and a ski cap and a swimsuit bottom, get some coffee and a book to read and the 10-15 minutes I spend in the ice is totally worth the tingly burning sensation my legs feel.

This is me about to get in with my ice bath hat on.

Watch - to time bath.

Ice - obviously

New Moon - poor book only gets attention when I'm in the ice

Delicious coffee - to warm my insides

A bearable ice bath to flush my legs of the toxins that build up when you run a lot!

It's even kind of romantic looking, but don't be fooled!

This was Saturday after my 10 miles. My parents came in town this weekend and we had such a lovely time. My dad's sister, my Aunt Barbara came too! I hosted a Silpada jewelry party for fundraising Saturday and my mom and Barbara helped make the most delicious food and just really made the party nice. It was a success too and I made some money for LLS. My party will stay open until the end of February if you are interested in buying some jewelry! My brother came in town for a few hours and it was just a great weekend. Oh and GO SAINTS! I love them and Drew Brees...I've said it before but they Cowboys better not let me down another season because I am really excited for the Saints. And I'm not on the bandwagon...I've liked them for a while, and I've like Drew Brees for longer than that...so boo yah.

Now onto Epsom salt baths. I mentioned these I think in my last post when I was resting for a possible injury. Well that turned out to be that I let my calves and lower legs get way too tight and they built up with a lot of toxins that were trapped. I had a massage and the therapist suggested salt baths. The magnesium, etc helps to draw out all the bad stuff (it draws good stuff out too so you have to hydrate really well) and help loosen your tight and sore muscles, as well as improving circulation, etc. Here is a great blurb on their benefits. I am a fan of these now too because I hardly have any calf/shin/ankle pain at all! I have one spot that is still sore on my ankle but I've been icing it and took another Epsom bath last night so hopefully this will help relieve it. The bag says pour two cups in or something like that which is pretty accurate but you should just pour about 2 lbs in. If it's a 4-pound bag, use half, and so on. Get the water as hot as you can stand it and swish the salt around so it dissolves and you don't sit on salt crystals. Soak for about 20 minutes while drinking water. Again, hydrating is important because the salt is drawing out important fluids with the bad ones. I did one like two weeks ago and one last night, some people say once a month but it's up to you. Yay for baths!

Other than that everything is going well. I was sick last week with the flu/stomach bug that is going around here and didn't get to run until Friday and Saturday. I am feeling much better and I am excited to get back into the swing of things after being sick and injured. Luckily I haven't missed any long distance runs so I still feel like I am on track. I ran 12 miles two weeks ago, 10 last Saturday and am supposed to run 14 this Saturday, but it turns out I am going to run the Austin Half Marathon on Sunday!

I missed the memo on doing a half for practice before my full race but I got really lucky and got a spot to run this Sunday!! All my other teammates will be running, too. The circumstances are unfortunate - another girl on our team had a death in the family and is unable to run - but I am thankful for the opportunity and that her race bib won't go to waste. Here I come Austin Half! The course is in my neighborhood so I am really pumped to run it and get the feel for how a race goes. My coach says to see it as a dress rehearsal. My friend Jacci is coming in town to run it too! And we have Monday off! I am getting really excited.

I bought a yoga DVD last night. Got home after track practice and realized it's an intermediate level disc:(. I am a beginner so I am going to try to find a beginner level DVD and try to take some yoga at my gym. I've heard it is great for you obviously like everyone else has, but for training it's really great for stretching your over worked muscles. I am really excited about all these new things I am learning! And I thought I knew it all;).

I will update you soon about the race and etc! Until then I am going to keep running and resting and gearing up for Sunday!

Thanks for the support!

Injury Prevention Rest

2010-01-27T09:48:00.000-06:00

I have been MIA for a few days because I finally took the time to back-up my computer and install Windows 7. It took my computer 24 hours! to back up to an online storage place, WOW. Six thousand something files. Then it took another couple of hours to upgrade to Windows 7 so my computer was out of commission all weekend. I think I like it so far though, we'll see.
I ran 8 miles on Saturday. We did part of the Austin Marathon course and some of it is in my neighborhood so it was fun. I started having bad shin pain about mile 3, stretched it out occasionally and finished the 8. Well, then Monday I ran with pain and yesterday I had to stop running at our track practice.

So, my coach thinks my shin and ankle pain and pressure may just be because my calves are really tight and pulling on all those other muscles. I am going to take the rest of the week off until Saturday and see how it goes. I am going to stretch really good and use the foam roller to relieve some of the pressure. I love the foam roller! It hurts so good! I am also going to go have a sports massage and hopefully the therapist can work out the pain! I got new shoes Sunday too and they rubbed a blister on my arch so that didn't help the pain. I hope I can get used to them because they feel good on my right foot and I think the discomfort in my left foot is related to the calf tightness.

I’m crossing my fingers this works because I would be devastated! Absolutely devastated if I have a real injury that prevents me from running. My parents got their flights to Nashville so it's a done deal and I'm running that race!

Also, this weekend my friend Micha and I are hosting a screening of 'The Breakfast Club' at the Alamo Draft House on South Lamar. We will also be holding a drawing for those who attend for gift certificates to restaurants and bars around town like Uchi, Saba and Lavaca Street Bar.

I'm getting a little concerned though because not many people have RSVPed and we don't want to get stuck having to pay for anything and not raising any money. So if you're reading this come and bring your friends Sunday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m.!

Thanks for the support!

Just an early morning stroll around the park....

2010-01-19T12:02:00.000-06:00

Ten miles was awesome! I seriously felt great almost the whole time and ran intervals to the finish! Ran for 10 minutes, walked for 2 min. I feel like this is a milestone in my training. Now that I have run 10 miles (in 2 hours) I feel like I can do anything. I am happy with my time too, I was afraid it might take me all day! I got a cramp below my right calf about mile 4 but was able to stretch it out and finish. It was really sore Saturday and I rested Sunday and yesterday to make sure I didn't injure it but I think I'm ready to run again!

Oh, after my ten miles I took an ice bath! This was excruciating for me and a lot harder than the run but I can actually say it worked. Besides my calf I had little to no soreness, and 10 miles can make you really sore. Although I could only sit in it for 6 minutes and my toes were throbbing and then I shook uncontrollably for 10 more minutes, I would probably take another ice bath. Maybe I will see if just cold water will work, the ice is brutal.

I had a great long weekend spending time with friends, especially my friend Megan. I loved my Mighty Fine burger after my run; it made for a nice nap Saturday afternoon. Megan and I went out Saturday night and had a blast. I ran into my brother's roommate and friends on 6th street. What a small world! The Cowboys make me angry, but other than that, my weekend was a success. I played disc golf with Bmo and friends Sunday afternoon at Zilker and went to dinner with my cousin Zack and Clarrissa Sunday night, and then rested all day yesterday, thank you, MLK, Jr. Now back to the routine. Tonight is track practice! Thanks everyone!

Manda, TX

2010-01-15T10:43:00.000-06:00

Uncle Ray is getting out of the hospital today! Thanks for the prayers. This is good because now he can still go to his appointment at M.D. Anderson on Tuesday to start another round of chemo. They gave him some blood and stuff, not sure exactly what was wrong, a complication of cancer, but now he is able to travel to get treatment. Chemo sucks but it is what you have to do. My mom is going with him so please keep them in your thoughts.

I ran 4 miles of hills last night in the rain! It hasn't been as cold this week, thank goodness. I went to all my practices this week and did great on my own all the other days! It feels good to be hardcore because today I get a rest day to prepare for tomorrow morning's 10 miles!

Today is 'recommitment' dat for our team. This means that I sent in a form confirming that I am committed to raising the full $3800 and to running the race! The team staff will now make our travel arrangements and register us of the marathon. This is exciting! I made it this far and I am going strong to finish what I started! And it's Friday, yay! And a long weekend, yay! We have a team party tonight to celebrate and then I am going to bed early to ensure I am at my best for tomorrow's run.

My friend love Megan is coming in town this weekend so I am looking forward to seriously relaxing after my run and dentist appointment on Saturday. Megan just moved to Dallas from Austin and I miss her a lot so this weekend will be great. We have Monday off too, did I mention that?!

I am also going to eat a Mighty Fine Burger with my friend Oscar after my run tomorrow. I've never had one but I hear they are super yummy. We were planning a day trip to Manda, Texas and Oscar, Texas after our lunch, haha, but since Megan is coming I am postponing. Manda, TX is a small now ghost town outside of Elgin off of 290. Who knew!? And Oscar is about an hour away from Manda near Temple. It will be a fun day trip sometime soon.

Manda, TX School House

Ok, I will let you know how the 10 miles goes, oh and how the ice bath I have planned goes. I will have a lot of firsts this weekend: Running 10 miles, taking an ice bath (eek), eating a Mighty Fine burger, and probably more. Happy Friday, Friends!

The Roller Coaster of Cancer

2010-01-13T10:02:00.000-06:00

Bad news, my mom called this morning to let me know that my uncle Ray was admitted to the hospital last night. Apparently, my other aunt and uncle went to Ray and Kathleen's house last night to hang out and left about 8 p.m. and Ray was fine. By 9 my aunt Kathleen had to take him to the ER, :(. He was running a high fever which can be scary because his immune system is so weak. I haven't heard anymore news except that he is waiting on a bed and will be in the hospital until they can figure out what is going on. Please keep him and my aunt in your thoughts and/or prayers. As I mentioned in a TNT letter I mailed out recently, Ray is eligible for a bone marrow stem cell transplant! This is awesome news and can be life saving. After my mom and her brothers were tested and were not matches the doctors actually found one that was nearly perfect, an anonymous donor, right before Christmas. Unfortunately the donor backed out, or changed their mind, or whatever, it sucks and was obviously a big disappointment. However, there are some other possible matches that they are evaluating so this is good! This could possible save Ray's life and allow him to life cancer free! Please also keep him in your thoughts that this transplant happens, he needs it. The transplant process is a roller coaster of emotion, just like they show it on TV. I know it's really hard on Ray and Kathleen and our family to get news there is a match and that change so quickly, so I hope that we don't have to go through that again. It is apparently common for donor's to change their minds though, which is unfair and shouldn't be allowed in my opinion, so I pray that Ray and Kathleen have the strength to get through this process of finding a reliable match. Ray would receive an allogenic transplant, or one that uses a donor's marrow instead of his own. It's very interesting to hear about the process, etc and you can read about it at http://www.lls.org/all_page?item_id=5965&gclid=CJqehdLhoZ8CFRSdnAod-wpcJw. If you are interested in joining the bone marrow registry, please visit Be The Match's website at http://www.marrow.org/index.html?src=GOOG04304. It is as simple as swabbing the inside of your cheek and you can save a life. If you are skeptical just ask yourself, why not?! Do it! Thanks for the support everyone!

Running in 2KX!

2010-01-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

I was going to end my post with these photos, but am having a few issues with the blogger so pretend that they are at the end after it says I'm ending it with photos from New Year's fun! Happy New Year!

I launched a balloon. Mom and cousins.

Foosball and Jav and I.

Clintonious, my brother and I.

Aren't these glasses great!? I tried to wear them the entire night and was almost successful!

And now for the start of my post!....Hey guys! So I'm back after a small break from blogging, not running! I have to call Dell, which I am dreading, because my keyboard is acting very funky and does not want to work. I started this week of 1/11 (11 is my favorite number and day!) with a lovely run around town lake. I met my co-worker Lila and her friends. They ran at a faster pace than me so I lagged behind a little but it pushed me to run harder and I finished just a few minutes behind them (I told them to go ahead without me)! I finished the 3 miles in 35 minutes which is a little less than 12 minutes a mile, an easy run pace I am happy with today! I also got another fundraising letter out to several of my coworkers and friends. I feel like the response from this will be good so cross your fingers! I have great coworkers who periodically check in on my progress and it is so nice to have that encouragement at work. They all make my job very pleasant and I am very thankful and feel lucky to work with good people.

Anyway, I am starting week 11! Can you believe it?! I can't. This past week I only took one break to watch the Texas game. Funny thing is, I actually woke up early Thursday morning to go to practice but couldn't find my team until it was too late and they were too far ahead. This won't happen again because luckily, my coach sent us the map so if we are late or lost, we can find our way. I guess I wasn't the only one.

This weekend was freezing and I couldn't bring myself to run in the 14 degree weather Saturday morning, so I waited for it to warm up (to 35 degrees) in the afternoon and ran my long mileage alone.. I thought I mapped the full 7 miles but turns out it was only 6.4! Boo! Hopefully I won't let this 0.6 mile intimidate me because this Saturday is 10 miles. Cold or not, I am going to run with the team because I am much more confident that I can run this with them by my side. Ten miles is a lot to run and I am a little scared, but I will give it my all and finish one way or another! I have started to tell myself all these encouraging thoughts now in order to be mentally strong for the 10 miles too! You have to realize how mental it is to run that much, especially for me because I am not good at running yet. Even I don't realize how mentally challenging it will be so I will let you know. I am going to keep telling myself I can do it until then. I have my running belt and Gu ready to go! And my coach has recommended trying ice baths so I am going to take one after my run on Saturday, that should be a good story.

Now for a few updates on the holidays. My brother did a semi-long run with me while I was at home on the seawall in Corpus. He is a better running than me but was so encouraging and a nice running partner. Hills were easy because I live across the street from a parkway, I will take pictures next time. Overall, I am happy with how I kept up, it could've been better but I got some miles in!

My mom and dad did wait to decorate the tree! Below is a before and after! We even listened to music and drank eggnog! Clinton, as I predicted, helped by making drinks and putting a few hooks on ornaments. It's really not his thing but I love my family for humoring me. Before and after, all in one day!:

So, the holidays were great because of all the time I got with family AND the puppies! Jet and Crow, the two cutest boys you've ever seen. They're the two best friends anyone could ever have, ha. See for yourself:

For New Years we had a crab and shrimp boil at our house and lots of family and friends came over to celebrate. Javin went down to Corpus with me to squeeze in one more party before he left for the Army (he left a week ago today!). We spent some time together before he left and I really enjoyed it. Now he is in the Army and who knows where that will take him or when I will see him again. Here are a few pictures from New Years to end the post. We did lots of activities!: shot water balloons from the launcher in the front yard, played Foosball, ate crab, sat around the backyard fire pit and just had a great time!

This is dad and me:). The one picture I got down here. For other 'post ending' photos, see beginning of post, haha. I will get better at this!

Tomorrow is track practice and then a friends birthday but I will update again ASAP! Thanks for your support! I promise I will get better at blogging, this one is a mess, I'm still learning!

I resolve to be a better blogger!

2009-12-29T16:36:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to start my blog, and now I don't make time for it :(. Since I am already exercising more, which is my typical resolution, I resolve to blog more and to keep in touch with friends better. I called several of my good friends before Christmas but only got a few. It's always too long between visits:(, so; I vow to make more of an effort. So in my next blog I will have lots of Christmas photos and photos of the new puppies at my parents' house! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and has a great New Year if I don't get to that update before then:). Ha.

Pictures finally!

2009-12-17T15:40:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I've made an entry, time flies. I am including pictures in this post, finally! That way y'all really know I am running!

Training is going well. It has continued to be cold and wet, but it makes me feel more hardcore to run in the cold rain. Last Saturday we did 5 miles in the cold drizzly wee hours of the morning. I felt great afterward and very dedicated. It is real commitment to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning to run in the cold rain, right?! I have a whole ensemble for cold running (see picture) and I got a head lamp! It is the best thing ever and I can see while running in the dark and just as importantly, people can see me! I also have a warm headband, and several things to layer. Now I just nead a waterproof windbreaker with a hood, unlined (hint to fam).

It's hard to keep up a routine with all the holiday parties, but I feel like I am still doing a good job. Maybe I won't gain any holiday weight this year, although I have been eating a lot of goodies at the office. What is with people bringing/giving you sweets at the holidays? It's nice and all but definitely unhealthy and taunting and Jesus wants you to be good to your body, not wreak havoc on it with sugar highs and crashes. Personally, I'm over it and would prefer a donation in leiu of baked goods, FYI:).

I saw Inglorious Bastards, also finally! It yet again confirmed my love for Quentin Tarintino. Maybe that means there is something wrong with me but I'm OK with that, I think he's a genius. I also finally finished reading Twilight. On to New Moon. I was really into the book at first but then I just wanted it to be over to move onto the next one, so we will see how it goes. There are several other books I would like to get to that will stimulate my brain more so I will try New Moon and if it doesn't go quickly I may give up. I'm trying though because I did like the first movie and everybody's doing it ;).

I've done almost all my Christmas shopping. Definitely all my Christmas shopping for myself. I am redecorating my bedroom so I bought a bunch of fabric and stuff to make new bedskirt and pillows and new bathroom stuff. I am using a deep plum color along with red and green. etc. It's pretty. Now if I only had all the time in the world to finish it.

I will be driving back and forth to Corpus three times in the next two weeks! Ugh driving ugh. I'm going home this weekend to celebrate my Uncle Ray's and second cousin's Alicia's birthays and decorate our tree at home. This is me and my Uncle Ray and Aunt Kathleen! They are super awesome and I love them!

It's a little late to decorate the tree, but I insist on helping and drinking egg nog and playing Christmas music. Now that I think about it, my mom may have gone ahead and done it without me because she told me all her presents are wrapped..hmmmm. Anyway, then I'm comng back to work Monday and Tuesday, then going home for Christmas, then coming back to work for three days, then going back home for New Years...that just sounds exhausting. I thought about taking off more time from work but I really want to save up those hours to take a vacation later next year. Nevertheless, I am estatic about getting to spend time with my family. My Uncle Brian, who lives and works in Saudi Arabia, is in Corpus for the holiday also and that makes it extra special to spend so much time at home.

Congratulations to Clinton and Britt and Bree for finishing the semester and being on break. My cousin Bree will graduate from Georgetown law in May, and I know it can't come soon enough for her. I am very proud of all of them. Congratulations also to all my teacher friends who I am jealous of because of all the time they get off.

Ok, that's all for now. Thanks to those of you who have donated, it is very encouraging and great to have so much support. Now off to run hills!

The awesome gayness of 'Glee'

2009-12-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

I love Glee. Rolling Stone had an article about the "Awesome Gayness of 'Glee'," and it's right...the show is totally over the top with cliches about everything high school, glee clubs, and everything else. Sue, the Cheerio's Squad coach is completely riciculous. For example, in yesterday's episode in her local news segment, 'The Way Sue C's It' she demanded that ugly and fat poeple stay in thier homes and reminecse on thier better looking days the day after Christmas so that she could have just one day without having to see unfortunate looking people...another good example of how ridiculous the show is, the star football player/glee club co-captain/virgin, Finn, actually believes that he got his girlfriend Quinn 'pregnant by hot tub.' Again, I love Glee. It is at times excruciating to watch and awkward moments are in abundance but I can't stop! The actors/singers/dancers are multi-talented, thier voices are beautiful, and I would really like to see all of them in another context, although they are all perfect for the show. I was dying for Will to find out his wife was faking her pregnancy, just like everyone else, and it finally happened last night! Whew! Now Will and the school counselor, Emma can be together. I knew Emma wouldn't marry that gross coach guy who seriously repulses me (casting genious there). Hopefully Finn will find out that the baby is not his soon too because that is annoying me. Ok, that's my Glee bit. Running is going great this week despite the freezing cold conditions thanks to the gym. I am not loving my gym though...over time thier equipment has gone to crap, it smells like b.o. and I have had to wait in line for a treadmill almost everyday this week. It's grossing me out. I am seriously considering canceling my membership. They don't even have a comment box so I can tell them I am grossed out. Almost time to call management. I've heard we should have a bit of snow tomorrow so I am not looking forward to hill practice tonight or long distance on Saturday, both outdoors. I am going to buy a headlamp at lunch, which I'm afraid will look really dorky, but is essential for running at night. Lastly, I am sending out my last e-mail blast of fundraising letters today, hopefully. I have had a few people tell me that they will contribute which is really awesome! I am trying to think of other fundraising ideas that I can do on my own. Group things are great and I am open to them but then we have to split the money and sometimes it can be a lot more work than it is worth. Happy Thursday!

Thanksgiving aka according to Val "T-Give"

2009-11-30T11:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! My friend Val in the Peace Corps has started referring to the holiday as T-Give? Anyway, I had a great T-Give week/weekend with my family and kept up pretty good with my running. Phil and Pam came to Austin Tuesday night and Wednesday we picked up C-Mose in Waco and drove the horrible I-35 drive to Arlington. We ended up taking a farm road a little outside of Waco, which worked out really well; my cousins(shout out to Brandon and Cassy for getting engaged! Congrats!) were on 35 for nearly 5 hours between Waco and DFW. It was nice to finally arrive at our Cowboy fan filled hotel near the stadium. I ran in the hotel gym when we got there! Surprisingly, I don't really mind running on a treadmill. I get to jam out on the I-pod and its really not so bad. It helps me keep a consistant pace and track of distance and time. Running outside is definitely better though. Thanksgiving was the big Cowboys game. The stadium is what everyone says it is...huge, shiny, new and awesome! It was a fun game to watch too...the Cowboys actually scored points and Miles Austin and Keith Brooking really worked the crowd. Brooking had a blurp on the big screen in the beginning of the game encouraging the 80,000 fans to do whatever it took to be loud, etc and pumped everyone up. Throughout the game the would show him on the screen pointing with; "Remember what I said" and the crowd would go crazy. It was great. Didn't get to run but I also didn't eat as much as most Thanksgivings so I will let that one slide. It was kind of weird not being with family and having the big meal but the game was a really nice treat and I'm glad we went. We spent Friday through Sunday in Bastrop at my cousin Zack's house with his family, my Uncle Ray and Aunt Kathleen and a few other friends and fam. They gave us a re-do T-Give dinner Firday night so we didn't really miss out on anything. They have a cool hill loop in their neighborhood so I ran 5 or 6 loops around that Friday and then on Saturday I went to Jazzercise (yep, Jazzercise) with Clarrissa, Zack's wife. Jazzercise was a good work out and pretty much as ridiculous as you imagined...at one point the instructor said, "Lets get into those 80s jeans, ladies!" We went and saw Joe Ely on Saturday night at the Hyatt Lost Pines resort. Joe Ely and the resort were awesome and everyone really enjoyed it. We had a great weekend and it was really hard to wake up yesterday morning and come to work. Yesterday it was really cold and seemed to get dark really early so I just went to the gym and ran on the treadmill for 50 min. Then I went and met up with my homeboys, Brian and Barrett and we watched the Saints dominate. I really like Drew Brees and I am super excited for the Saints. Romo better not slip up because although I love the Cowboys the Saints are definitely my second favorite team to watch. I had an even harder time getting up today but I will make it. Tonight is team 'Track Practice' where we do drills and run and core exercises. I like it except for its so coolddd and dark outside at the track. So that's the running news...it's almost been a month and I feel really good and committed. It keeps getting easier and it's nice to see that it is possible, even for me, to run a marathon. I sent out fundraising letters a week or so ago and hope to start getting some of those back soon. I'm kind of nervous about fundraising but I'm really proud of this so hopefully it will go well. I also sent out an e-mail to several folks today so hopefully that will get my great friends and family, and family friends, and friends of family and of my parents, and colleagues and co-workers and haha...all those great people inspired to support me and the cause too! If you're one of those great people and you're reading this, I want you to know your support means a lot to me and I am truly appreciative of you all!

I said 'Burrr'

2009-11-17T10:35:00.000-06:00

It's freezing outside. We have had our windows open and it has been really nice until this morning when I could not get out from under the covers because I was so cold. I went running around my neighborhood last night after dark and it was a good run. It had cooled off a lot but I ended up taking off my jacket and appreciating the temperature. I felt like it wasn't much distance wise, but then I mapped it this morning and it was almost 3 miles! It's nice to have figured out a route close to home for an easy run day like Mondays, and it's even nicer that I felt like it was an easy run and not like I was going to die. This weekend was great. Clinton wanted to run with me but it turned out that we found too many other things to do. Here's the recap that I know you were dying for... Friday night we went to dinner at Ninfas with my parents and Clinton and his roommate Jon. We all decided the next day to never eat there again. The boys ended up convincing me to go out with them to this resturant/bar next to the restaurant we ate at. This was probably the first time I have gone out with Clinton and his friends in public. We had a blast playing pool and shuffleboard until his roomate got kicked out (for a really dumb reason) but it was time to go anyway. Clinton walked me from the bar to our hotel which was very close and passes right by his house. So convenient, Waco! But so much for running my long distance before the game on Saturday, needless to say I slept in and needed to. We finally got up at 10 a.m. to make the game at 11 and ate some yummy, huge breakfast tacos at this hole in the wall on the way. It was a nice surprise to have a decent taco in Waco. With my mexican food standards being so legitimately high from Corpus food, and my expectations of Waco mexican food being so low becuase of the other choices, this place was a treat! The salsa was not good but we worked with what we got. Baylor got stomped by Texas, which I was excited about, except that I felt sorry for the bears. At one point my Dad actually said, 'Man, they are doing so bad." I thought he was going to compliment UT at first, guess not, but it made me laugh. Side note: Baylor needs to learn how to tackle. They just really sucked it up, but finally scored twice in the end so it wasn't a total embarrassment. We left at the top of the 4th because it was hard to watch Texas put such a beating on another team we try to like. Clinton showed true loyalty to his school by pretending to be disappointed that they lost. Then we napped, instead of running again, and then went to eat at this awesome homemade Itlaian food place called Baris. So cheap, BYOB, and seriously deliciious. Always packed but they move people in and out quickly so it is definitely worth the wait, and did I mention how cheap it is? I recommend it to anyone going to Waco, and I hope I am not giving away some big secret. After dinner and putting Mom and Dad to bed Clinton and I played some Super Nintendo at his house before going to this frat party on the river. Another side note: There is a huge dispute between us about who actually owns the Super Nintendo, or Clinton thinks there is. I bought the thing with my own money like when he was born (literally) and now he thinks it's his and has claimed it since then, but reall the reality is that I have generously let him borrow it all these years. I will eventually recliam it or it will die, but it's awesome that it still works. Anyways, there is this river resturant bar that a couple of frats rented out for the night. One of his roomates is in one and got us 'VIP' wristbands...ooooo. It was like all the frat parties I've ever been to and kinda fun but over all, not worth the effort. The drinks were cheap, but it literally took 45 minutes to get drinks at the ONE bar with TWO bartenders; the music was good but no one would dance; the people watching was the best part as usual. We had a lot of fun hanging out for a few drinks, planning our river bar ferry transport line, and then the four of us went back to their place and hung out. College is fun and I miss it. Went to church Sunday morning and heard a sermon I have honestly never heard before about testing prophets and discovering false prophets, evil spirits, truth, etc. It was strange but definitely biblical and I appreciated hearing a new perspective. He even talked about evil possessing people and speaking in tounges, which is pretty far off from anything I grew up with, but again welcomed as a different view. Then lunch, parents dropped me back off in Austin and I didn't run again. Great weekend. My family is so much fun and I feel very lucky to be able to say that I love to hang out with them. Today is a team track practice. Drills at a high school track followed by a core workout. Im anxious to see how it goes. Afterward we are invited to go to this local BBQ brewery, Uncle Billys and work on fundraising letters, etc. All of this is pushing me out of my comfort zone a bit but the part that gets me is that Tuesday practices and several team activities are up in northish Austin. I somewhat live in my bubble and never usually go north of downtown but I'm committed, even if I am a north Austin hater. 78704 FOREVER! haha. p.s. I would sincerely appreciate someone helping me or referring me to a good blogging guide, etc so I can personalize, make this pretty, etc.

Day 1 of blogging Post #2

2009-11-12T21:51:00.000-06:00

Two posts in one day! I really want to stay motivated and this is already helping...even if no one reads it. So, I went to team practice tonight and completed 'Hill Training'! They were pretty right on when they named this practice because we just ran a loop up and down a bunch of hills for an hour. I think the first few minutes starting out running are the hardest for me. I have heard people say that before, but now I felt what they are talking about. After about ten minutes it gets easier for a little while, until I think I am going to die again after about 30 minutes. It's also true that it is really hard to start running after stopping because of lactic acid build-up, apparently. Every time I wanted to stop running up a hill it turned out that it was easier to just slow my pace and keep running. I got a good pace and breathing pattern going and was even able to carry on brief conversation with a few other runners. I ran near three other girls tonight, who all seemed really cool. There were only about ten people at tonight's practice. It's awesome to have people my age at all different levels to run with. We pretty much stuck together because it got really dark on some parts of the run. Since it gets so dark so early now I am going to invest in a head lamp/light. One of the girls had one and it definitely saved us from stepping in a few potholes and from being freaked out. We ran in this neighborhood that overlooks Lake Austin and the views and houses were UH-mazing. I have never seen that view of Austin and it made me love it even more, and was a nice distraction to the hills ahead. (By the way I am watching Vampire Diaries while writing this and just about had a heart attack. It is getting really scary and if you know me you know I don't like scary things. BUT now I am hooked on this CW Twilight knock-off show and am just going to have to endure being scared :(.) I also just remembered that I could be a millionaire right not and not even know it. I only buy lottery tickets a few times a year and 11/11 is one of my lottery ticket days. I will check them later and let you know. I'm feeling pretty good so you never know! Tomorrow is a rest day for training (Thank goodness!) and my parents are driving through Austin to pick me up on our way to Waco to see Clinton and go to the Texas v. Baylor game Saturday. I am excited to spend time with my family as usual and now I only have to convince my brother to run with me on Saturday. I will let you know how it all goes. Now I am going to stretch and relax and go to bed. This whole running thing really can take it out of you. Not only do my muscles ache (in a good hurt kind of way) but I can tell I will need to start getting more sleep. Oh crap...I still have to pack. Peace.

Manda and a Marathon...did I read this right?!

2009-11-12T14:14:00.000-06:00

Hi people! I'm sure you are excited to know that I am really going to start blogging now! I just got a new computer and am motivated to learn how and share my exciting life events with everyone. More importantly than new technology, I just started training for a marathon with Team in Training, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's training/fundraising team. I will use my blog to update you on how training and fundraising are going. I have a feeling that fundraising will be easier for me than running 26.2 miles, but you never know. Maybe I can at least give you a good laugh telling you about the aches and pains and sense of accomplishment I feel from completing small steps! http://pages.teamintraining.org/ctx/cmc10/mmosleylmm Above is the link to my fundraising page (I tried to do some HTML stuff but apparantly I'm not quite ready to use those). I am really proud to be supporting and raising money for a cause that will help my uncle and milions of other people who are battling blood cancer. I hope to raise $6500.00 by February 2010, but have to raise a minimum of $3800.00 to participate in the event. I am really encouraged that LLS spends 73% of every dollar raised on it's mission to find a cure for blood cancers. Not only do they fund research, I was surprised to hear that among many other support services, patients can apply for reimbursement for hospital parking when they go get treatment. That may sound minor, but I know it can be like $20/day to park at M.D. Anderson, and it adds up. They also host support and informational meetings and much more I hope to share with you. So now that asking you for money is over.... I already know I need all the encouragement I can get. I started running on my own a few weeks ago (thought I'd get a head start before the team started training together) and yep, it's just as hard as I thought. I have been following a beginner's training schedule I found online and I ran 18 miles in my first week!! The longest distance I have run at once is 6 miles, and I thought I was going to die. Don't get me wrong, I had to stop and walk, and it got harder and harder everytime I stopped running, but I kept reminding myself that I did it, and that it will get easier if I keep it up. Running is hard people, and I am only starting, eek. I was out of town for the Team's launch and first two practices so I am attending my first team practice today after work. Its labeled "Hill Training" on the schedule. I am frightened by this label, but I am going to do my best and try hard not to complain. Oh, and I was out of town because I went to the beautiful Denver, CO for my homeboy BJ's wedding. Shoutout to Taryn, Katy B, Eli, Kenny, Dick and Hannah, and of course Congrats Beej and Becky. It was a blast and the weather was so beautiful and in the seventies everyday, barely needed a jacket. Great trip and great to see everyone I hadn't seen in months, or even a few years! No running happnened while I was there which probably was safer because the air is so thin and I was on vacation. Ok, this seems like a good start to me. I will try to update as much as I can. Welcome and thank you fo reading my first blog!