Well my 5K blog and Facebook announcement has gotten some buzz (more or less "so you are going to run a 5K, huh?"). It may also be getting me into trouble...
I was talking with a co-worker the other day and some how we were talking about a Thanksgiving day "Turkey Trot"... then I Googled to see if there was such a thing... Turns out... there is...
I saw that there was a 5K Turkey Trot in Bismarck on Thanksgiving morning AND it is organized by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of North Dakota, which happens to be an organization that holds a special little place in my heart... this is where I found myself crossing the line into possible danger... I thought, how awesome would it be if I ran/walked this 5K and my registration fee went to the CFA of ND?? then I thought.... who could do it with me... here is the list that immediately popped into my head:
Jason (my boyfriend)
Chris (my favorite cousin who will be visiting from Colorado)
Brian (the above mentioned cousin's dad aka my uncle)
My mom
My dad
My brother
Shana (my brother's girlfriend)
Anyone else that was willing to drive to Bismarck on thanksgiving morning :)
That would be at least $160 raised to help people with Cystic Fibrosis breathe easier!!
So I texted my cousin, Chris (who I still have not gotten a response from...) and told Jason and my parents about this brilliant plan and it seems like it could work with the football and thanksgiving schedules since the race starts at 9:15AM! It would be a great way to do something as a family, do something active, and for a good cause all at the same time!!
So two weeks from tomorrow, I should be running/walking a 5K to benefit the CFA. I just need to get some people to do it with me!!
Continuing my journey... Trotting to benefit CFA
http://www.cfanorthdakota.com/?id=13
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Magic City
I was sitting at the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting the other day and had a small revalation... I am proud to be from Minot, North Dakota...
First a little background...
I grew up here and couldn't wait to leave after I graduated from high school... I hated it here in this small town and wanted to move to a "big city" one day. I moved to Grand Forks, ND and attended the University of North Dakota... it is the biggest university in North Dakota and I thought it was a start to my big city life style...
In May of 2009 I didn't have any other option but to move back to Minot and live with my parents. I was less than thrilled and thought it would be very temporary. The first few months were pretty tough. I left my whole life in Grand Forks and just wanted to go back.
One day I got tired of feeling sorry for myself and decided to pull my head out of my... well you know...
Now back to reality...
I am sitting at the Chamber Annual Meeting and I was listening to Marney (Gellner) Mathiason speak of her successes and how she got there and I realized... Minot really isn't that terrible... She graduated from Bishop Ryan High School and is now a reporter with Fox Sports North. Now I was at this meeting because of my involvement with the Young Professional's Network. That organization is what helped me see what Minot REALLY has to offer... As I got more involved with the organization and made friends, I opened my eyes to the little treasures that Minot possessed... A community that's citizen's care about each other and go out of their way to help each other and truely love their neighbors.
Thankfully I got involved and opened my eyes to see that a small town can offer so much... Minot is thriving and I am proud to say that I live and work in this wonderful community.
Continuing my journey... a proud Minot Citizen
First a little background...
I grew up here and couldn't wait to leave after I graduated from high school... I hated it here in this small town and wanted to move to a "big city" one day. I moved to Grand Forks, ND and attended the University of North Dakota... it is the biggest university in North Dakota and I thought it was a start to my big city life style...
In May of 2009 I didn't have any other option but to move back to Minot and live with my parents. I was less than thrilled and thought it would be very temporary. The first few months were pretty tough. I left my whole life in Grand Forks and just wanted to go back.
One day I got tired of feeling sorry for myself and decided to pull my head out of my... well you know...
Now back to reality...
I am sitting at the Chamber Annual Meeting and I was listening to Marney (Gellner) Mathiason speak of her successes and how she got there and I realized... Minot really isn't that terrible... She graduated from Bishop Ryan High School and is now a reporter with Fox Sports North. Now I was at this meeting because of my involvement with the Young Professional's Network. That organization is what helped me see what Minot REALLY has to offer... As I got more involved with the organization and made friends, I opened my eyes to the little treasures that Minot possessed... A community that's citizen's care about each other and go out of their way to help each other and truely love their neighbors.
Thankfully I got involved and opened my eyes to see that a small town can offer so much... Minot is thriving and I am proud to say that I live and work in this wonderful community.
Continuing my journey... a proud Minot Citizen
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Couch to 5K Workout Plan
So a friend suggested the Couch to 5K Running Plan... Here is the agenda I plan to follow for the next 9 weeks...
Week 1
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 2:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 3:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Week 2
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 2:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 3:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Week 3
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Week 4
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Week 5
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
Week 6
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
Week 7
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Week 8
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Week 9
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Wish me luck!!
Continuing my journey... training
Week 1
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 2:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 3:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Week 2
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 2:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 3:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Week 3
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
•Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Week 4
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
•Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Week 5
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
Week 6
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
•Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
•Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
Week 7
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
Week 8
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
Week 9
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).
Wish me luck!!
Continuing my journey... training
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Fat to 5K...
Well I commited myself to running a 5K yesterday. I was asked by a friend of mine if I was interested... of course I was curious... but who would have thought I would actually commit to something like this! I filled out my Fargo Marathon Registration form and paid my enterance fee, then I mailed it... just like that... May 20, 2011 I am going to run a marathon...well 5K of it...
Now let me be perfectly clear here... I do not run... I hate running... I wouldnt be able to get away if was being chased by a lunatic... This is they reason i am fluffy. I dont enjoy this monotonous physical activity. BUT it is time to man up and get physical. I want to live a healthy life and I better get used to exercise while I am young. Now, moving along...
I have been consuming my thoughts of ways this scenario could play out... I need to "train" by eating right and running almost every day... and people do this FOR FUN... I dont get it.....so anyway, my friend Googled "how to train for a 5K" and got us some pointers and a guide to get us up and running... (pun 100% intended)
So my guide says that during Week One: I should walk 6 minutes then run 1 minute and repeat three times and do it 3 days this week- So I walked 3 minutes and ran 2 mintes and repeated three times... and did the elliptical for 25 minutes. The guide also says that you should be able to carry on a converation while running... pa-lease... I was out of breath and tired after my two minute jog...
The good part of this, is I now have at least 7 months of blogging material... stay tuned... this is gonna be interesting...
Continuing my journey... out of breath
Now let me be perfectly clear here... I do not run... I hate running... I wouldnt be able to get away if was being chased by a lunatic... This is they reason i am fluffy. I dont enjoy this monotonous physical activity. BUT it is time to man up and get physical. I want to live a healthy life and I better get used to exercise while I am young. Now, moving along...
I have been consuming my thoughts of ways this scenario could play out... I need to "train" by eating right and running almost every day... and people do this FOR FUN... I dont get it.....so anyway, my friend Googled "how to train for a 5K" and got us some pointers and a guide to get us up and running... (pun 100% intended)
So my guide says that during Week One: I should walk 6 minutes then run 1 minute and repeat three times and do it 3 days this week- So I walked 3 minutes and ran 2 mintes and repeated three times... and did the elliptical for 25 minutes. The guide also says that you should be able to carry on a converation while running... pa-lease... I was out of breath and tired after my two minute jog...
The good part of this, is I now have at least 7 months of blogging material... stay tuned... this is gonna be interesting...
Continuing my journey... out of breath
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Staying Busy
I love being busy!! I was home sick with some sort of sinus cold this past week and was forced to stay home from work for two days ... to some people this would be the best week ever... to me... not so much. When I returned to my usual routine, I felt like I had missed so much!! Life really does go on without you...
Now this week, I am back in action with a full agenda:
Monday:
YP Lunch Meeting, Showcase for Business Meeting, and Zumba
Tuesday:
United Way Photo Op, Haircut, Social Team Meeting, and two Volleyball games
Wednesday:
Flu Shot (Maybe), and Zumba
Thursday:
My FIRST YP Leadership Meeting after being picked to be Member-at-Large
Friday:
Chiropractor and Zumba
Saturday:
Zumba
Weeks that I am on the go, I get excited and look forward to getting up in the morning. I love it. If I dont have something scheduled, I try and find something to fill up my time. I just can't help it...
Continuing my journey... on the go
Now this week, I am back in action with a full agenda:
Monday:
YP Lunch Meeting, Showcase for Business Meeting, and Zumba
Tuesday:
United Way Photo Op, Haircut, Social Team Meeting, and two Volleyball games
Wednesday:
Flu Shot (Maybe), and Zumba
Thursday:
My FIRST YP Leadership Meeting after being picked to be Member-at-Large
Friday:
Chiropractor and Zumba
Saturday:
Zumba
Weeks that I am on the go, I get excited and look forward to getting up in the morning. I love it. If I dont have something scheduled, I try and find something to fill up my time. I just can't help it...
Continuing my journey... on the go
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
When Friends Become Sisters...
Not many people my age can say that they have had a best friend for twenty years...well guess what?... I can...
Megan Marie Sartwell walked into my life at the age of 5 (I was 4). Her dad and my second cousin, Kathy, were starting to date and thought it would be nice for Megan to have someone to hang out with while they were courting (that is what they called it back in the day). I was kind of the default friend because I was the only girl in the family and happened to be around the same age. They decided to take us camping. I don't remember a whole lot about the first days but i remember I was so excited to have a girl to hang out with. I grew up with all boy cousins and a brother so I would befriend any girl at the time. I had my Minnie Mouse suitcase packed, my Cabbage Patch doll, and most importantly, my baby blanket (which I still never leave home without). I remember the car pulling up in front of my house and I was nervous and excited. By the end of that first camping trip we were best friends, especially because we both loved our baby blankets so much. That was the first of many moments of our 20 year friendship...
Throughout the years we have shared many happy and many sad moments together. We discovered boys around the same time, we cried when one of us got our heart broken, we would stay up all night talking and giggling, we would try on prom dresses together even though we were in college (and beyond)...we did everything...together.
Somehow we have remained friends despite our distance. We had never lived in the same town until last May when I moved back to Minot.
There have been moments in our friendship that I have stood back and thought about all that we have been through or experienced together. It is amazing that we have never fought! We can tell each other everything and can't wait to share things that we aren't suppose to tell anyone.
We always seem to make it to each others big events....confirmation, high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, divorce, and most recently....the birth of her first baby.
I am so thankful and blessed to have a friend that truely feels like a sister. We are always laughing (usually at something that one of us did or said) and that is what keeps our friendship fun and interesting.
I love every minute that we spend together and always look forward to our next Target run or girls night.
I can't wait to see what our future holds and no matter what life throws our way, we will laugh, cry, or talk through it...together...
Continuing my Journey...with my Soul Sister
Megan Marie Sartwell walked into my life at the age of 5 (I was 4). Her dad and my second cousin, Kathy, were starting to date and thought it would be nice for Megan to have someone to hang out with while they were courting (that is what they called it back in the day). I was kind of the default friend because I was the only girl in the family and happened to be around the same age. They decided to take us camping. I don't remember a whole lot about the first days but i remember I was so excited to have a girl to hang out with. I grew up with all boy cousins and a brother so I would befriend any girl at the time. I had my Minnie Mouse suitcase packed, my Cabbage Patch doll, and most importantly, my baby blanket (which I still never leave home without). I remember the car pulling up in front of my house and I was nervous and excited. By the end of that first camping trip we were best friends, especially because we both loved our baby blankets so much. That was the first of many moments of our 20 year friendship...
Throughout the years we have shared many happy and many sad moments together. We discovered boys around the same time, we cried when one of us got our heart broken, we would stay up all night talking and giggling, we would try on prom dresses together even though we were in college (and beyond)...we did everything...together.
Somehow we have remained friends despite our distance. We had never lived in the same town until last May when I moved back to Minot.
There have been moments in our friendship that I have stood back and thought about all that we have been through or experienced together. It is amazing that we have never fought! We can tell each other everything and can't wait to share things that we aren't suppose to tell anyone.
We always seem to make it to each others big events....confirmation, high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, divorce, and most recently....the birth of her first baby.
I am so thankful and blessed to have a friend that truely feels like a sister. We are always laughing (usually at something that one of us did or said) and that is what keeps our friendship fun and interesting.
I love every minute that we spend together and always look forward to our next Target run or girls night.
I can't wait to see what our future holds and no matter what life throws our way, we will laugh, cry, or talk through it...together...
Continuing my Journey...with my Soul Sister
Bella
I was thinking about the day that I met Bella at the pet store...
I was getting new tires put on my car at Sears because I had to do a lot of driving between Minot and Grand Forks during my transition. It wasn't going to take too long so I decided to walk around the mall. I had always avoided the pet store because Matt was allergic to animals so a dog was out of the question. I was walking out of Sears which happens to be right by the pet store...I passed it and walked around for a long time. On my return to Sears, I had a moment...
I stood outside contemplating going inside. Finally, I got up the courage to go in. (It sounds retarded but this was a big deal for me). My heart just melted....I saw the miniature dachsunds (my mom's dog, and our first family pet, Koby is a mini dachsund), the labs, pugs...and then...the chihuahua shiz tsu mixes...
I stared into the glass and watched Bella (the female according to the pet store) play with her brother for EVER. The pet store employee asked me three times if I wanted to hold one and I kept saying no because i knew if i held one, that i would be hooked. Finally I gave in...I walked around holding her for 20 minutes just going back and forth about whether or not I should buy her (a little spendy for an unemployed college student in the process of divorce and moving back home) My heart sank when I had to return her to her brother. I went home and thought about her all night long.
I woke up the next day and had to return to Sears to have my new tires balanced, I made a stop at Wells Fargo on the way and found myself back in the pet store just looking at Bella. I held her and walked around with her for a while and decided there was no way I could give her back. I picked out her "firsts" and then made my way back to Sears toting Bella and her accessories.
I like to think that Bella was just what I needed at the time. I was so alone and needed someone beside me during my move and divorce. Bella went everywhere with me; Target, WalMart, you name it she was toted along. I have never once regretted my decision, even when she has accidents, barks, chews apart my iPod cord, you name it. She saved me from a very dark and depressing place. She makes me smile and laugh everyday.It is comforting to know that we will always have each other and she will always be there to make me smile when times get tough. I love her and think she is one of the best investments I have ever made.
Continuing my journey...with Bella
I was getting new tires put on my car at Sears because I had to do a lot of driving between Minot and Grand Forks during my transition. It wasn't going to take too long so I decided to walk around the mall. I had always avoided the pet store because Matt was allergic to animals so a dog was out of the question. I was walking out of Sears which happens to be right by the pet store...I passed it and walked around for a long time. On my return to Sears, I had a moment...
I stood outside contemplating going inside. Finally, I got up the courage to go in. (It sounds retarded but this was a big deal for me). My heart just melted....I saw the miniature dachsunds (my mom's dog, and our first family pet, Koby is a mini dachsund), the labs, pugs...and then...the chihuahua shiz tsu mixes...
I stared into the glass and watched Bella (the female according to the pet store) play with her brother for EVER. The pet store employee asked me three times if I wanted to hold one and I kept saying no because i knew if i held one, that i would be hooked. Finally I gave in...I walked around holding her for 20 minutes just going back and forth about whether or not I should buy her (a little spendy for an unemployed college student in the process of divorce and moving back home) My heart sank when I had to return her to her brother. I went home and thought about her all night long.
I woke up the next day and had to return to Sears to have my new tires balanced, I made a stop at Wells Fargo on the way and found myself back in the pet store just looking at Bella. I held her and walked around with her for a while and decided there was no way I could give her back. I picked out her "firsts" and then made my way back to Sears toting Bella and her accessories.
I like to think that Bella was just what I needed at the time. I was so alone and needed someone beside me during my move and divorce. Bella went everywhere with me; Target, WalMart, you name it she was toted along. I have never once regretted my decision, even when she has accidents, barks, chews apart my iPod cord, you name it. She saved me from a very dark and depressing place. She makes me smile and laugh everyday.It is comforting to know that we will always have each other and she will always be there to make me smile when times get tough. I love her and think she is one of the best investments I have ever made.
Continuing my journey...with Bella
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Packing
After packing for my trip to Arizona I realized that I have a few serious problems...
I always pack too much...but to me it is for a good reason... I want to have choices. Considering there are days that I change my outfit 3 or 4 times before leaving the house, I want to make sure that I am prepared for this while I am away from home.
I am also convinced that my luggage is going to get lost... This has never happened to me before or anyone that I have traveled with but I am always assuming the worst will happen and I will be bad luck's prey...
I work hard for my belongings and I get anxious when I know other people are handling my stuff. Ever since the airlines told passengers to leave their suitcases unlocked (you know back in the day when you would be able to put a tiny padlock on the zipper in an attempt to keep people out). The airlines can now cut off these locks and rummage through your personal items while doing "routine, random searches". I assume that my bag is chosen every time... I strategically pack and keep a mental map of what my suitcase looks like when I hand it over to the enthused airline attendant, then when I get to my destination and open it up, I am SURE it was one that was chosen for a behind the scenes molestation.
Jason thinks I am mental (who could blame him, he is the one that gets to travel with this ball of anal nerves.) He just lets me tell my imagined stories and usually laughs at me for being so weird. What a guy....
I am sure anyone that reads this is thinking that I escaped from the Jamestown Mental Hospital but... I didn't... These are just a few of the many thoughts that cross my mind daily...
Continuing my journey... apprehensively traveling
I always pack too much...but to me it is for a good reason... I want to have choices. Considering there are days that I change my outfit 3 or 4 times before leaving the house, I want to make sure that I am prepared for this while I am away from home.
I am also convinced that my luggage is going to get lost... This has never happened to me before or anyone that I have traveled with but I am always assuming the worst will happen and I will be bad luck's prey...
I work hard for my belongings and I get anxious when I know other people are handling my stuff. Ever since the airlines told passengers to leave their suitcases unlocked (you know back in the day when you would be able to put a tiny padlock on the zipper in an attempt to keep people out). The airlines can now cut off these locks and rummage through your personal items while doing "routine, random searches". I assume that my bag is chosen every time... I strategically pack and keep a mental map of what my suitcase looks like when I hand it over to the enthused airline attendant, then when I get to my destination and open it up, I am SURE it was one that was chosen for a behind the scenes molestation.
Jason thinks I am mental (who could blame him, he is the one that gets to travel with this ball of anal nerves.) He just lets me tell my imagined stories and usually laughs at me for being so weird. What a guy....
I am sure anyone that reads this is thinking that I escaped from the Jamestown Mental Hospital but... I didn't... These are just a few of the many thoughts that cross my mind daily...
Continuing my journey... apprehensively traveling
Monday, March 1, 2010
My Inspiration
There are many people that we meet in our lives that leave an imprint on us. I could never have imagined even one year ago that i would be saying this particular person left the biggest imprint of all on me. One person in my life that I can honestly say has touched me, disappointed me, angered me, loved me, and most of all fought for me...Christopher Nicholas Whorley.
Growing up we were close because of our age and he always included me even though i was the only girl in the family (I have a brother and 4 male cousins on my mom's side of the family and also I have only two cousins on my dad's side who happen to be male as well...). He moved away when we were little and returned during our middle school and high school years. We would play at our grandma and grandpas house during family events and get in trouble together.
There was a time when we would go skiing up at Bottineau Winter Park with his dad, Brian and one or two of his friends. He always made me feel included even if I was his cousin and his friends were along. He never abandoned me.
After that summer, Chris moved to Texas with his family and that was when we started to differ. He was experimental, daring, and at times dangerous. I was afraid, self conscience, and safe. I felt like he abandoned me and the Chris I thought I knew was gone.
The next few years were really difficult. He had disappointed me and pissed me off more times than I could even count. Continually making bad decision after bad decision. I was trying to be the one in the family that does the "right thing."
Rarely seeing each other for years, he moved to Minot to live with my grandparents to try and get himself back to the person he wanted to be. Even then he was finding himself getting into trouble. That is when he joined the Army.
I still don't know the reason he went to the recruitment office that day. My mom told me about it and I didn't really give it much thought and continued on with my life. We were strangers at that point.
I remember this moment so vividly and will never forget the night I got the call....
I was on my way home from work and my mom called me as I was driving home. I could tell something was wrong and I parked in my parking spot, got out of my car, started walking towards my apartment and my mom said to me, "Chris has cancer." She was crying. I literally stopped in my tracks and sat down on the curb.I started crying and we both just sat on the phone and cried for a while. Not saying anything. We didn't know much other than he had a football sized tumor in his chest and it could be dangerous to remove.
The next few months were crazy. He was going through chemo and had a surgery scheduled. They removed the tumor, did a bit more chemo and was said to be in remission. I had many emotional moments during that time. I felt guilt, sadness, and anger. I wanted to just hug him and punch him at the same time. He was in the hospital on the other side of the country and I thought, what if he dies? I have so much I want to say and ask him. He was 20 years old and a month and 10 days younger than me.
The next time I heard from or about hims was the day I heard that he would be deployed to Afghanistan for a year. And of course when Chris was recruited his daring and adventurous side was with him that day making him choose a highly dangerous position.
He survived cancer and his year in Afghanistan. He returned to the United States in January.
I saw him for the first time in over a year this past week and it felt like the old Chris. The one that accepted me and included me even if I was a pain in the ass. His life has taken him to dangerous and life altering places and he came back the kindest person with the biggest heart. He does not take life for granted anymore and the people in it mean so much to him. He is not angry or seek pity from anyone. He is outgoing and will talk to anyone. He is proud of the work he did in Afghanistan and wants to share his experiences with the world.
Seeing where he was and where he is now is inspiring. He was in a dark place for a very long time and has found his peace. He sometimes shares too much information and gets himself into weird situations but he always makes me laugh. He is tall and unforgettable. His energy is infectious.
I am proud of him in so many ways I can't even begin to describe. I want to thank him for becoming the man he is today. I want to thank him for beating cancer and never giving up.I want to thank him for fighting for my freedom. Thank you. I love you. I miss you.
Continuing my journey...Inspired...
Growing up we were close because of our age and he always included me even though i was the only girl in the family (I have a brother and 4 male cousins on my mom's side of the family and also I have only two cousins on my dad's side who happen to be male as well...). He moved away when we were little and returned during our middle school and high school years. We would play at our grandma and grandpas house during family events and get in trouble together.
There was a time when we would go skiing up at Bottineau Winter Park with his dad, Brian and one or two of his friends. He always made me feel included even if I was his cousin and his friends were along. He never abandoned me.
After that summer, Chris moved to Texas with his family and that was when we started to differ. He was experimental, daring, and at times dangerous. I was afraid, self conscience, and safe. I felt like he abandoned me and the Chris I thought I knew was gone.
The next few years were really difficult. He had disappointed me and pissed me off more times than I could even count. Continually making bad decision after bad decision. I was trying to be the one in the family that does the "right thing."
Rarely seeing each other for years, he moved to Minot to live with my grandparents to try and get himself back to the person he wanted to be. Even then he was finding himself getting into trouble. That is when he joined the Army.
I still don't know the reason he went to the recruitment office that day. My mom told me about it and I didn't really give it much thought and continued on with my life. We were strangers at that point.
I remember this moment so vividly and will never forget the night I got the call....
I was on my way home from work and my mom called me as I was driving home. I could tell something was wrong and I parked in my parking spot, got out of my car, started walking towards my apartment and my mom said to me, "Chris has cancer." She was crying. I literally stopped in my tracks and sat down on the curb.I started crying and we both just sat on the phone and cried for a while. Not saying anything. We didn't know much other than he had a football sized tumor in his chest and it could be dangerous to remove.
The next few months were crazy. He was going through chemo and had a surgery scheduled. They removed the tumor, did a bit more chemo and was said to be in remission. I had many emotional moments during that time. I felt guilt, sadness, and anger. I wanted to just hug him and punch him at the same time. He was in the hospital on the other side of the country and I thought, what if he dies? I have so much I want to say and ask him. He was 20 years old and a month and 10 days younger than me.
The next time I heard from or about hims was the day I heard that he would be deployed to Afghanistan for a year. And of course when Chris was recruited his daring and adventurous side was with him that day making him choose a highly dangerous position.
He survived cancer and his year in Afghanistan. He returned to the United States in January.
I saw him for the first time in over a year this past week and it felt like the old Chris. The one that accepted me and included me even if I was a pain in the ass. His life has taken him to dangerous and life altering places and he came back the kindest person with the biggest heart. He does not take life for granted anymore and the people in it mean so much to him. He is not angry or seek pity from anyone. He is outgoing and will talk to anyone. He is proud of the work he did in Afghanistan and wants to share his experiences with the world.
Seeing where he was and where he is now is inspiring. He was in a dark place for a very long time and has found his peace. He sometimes shares too much information and gets himself into weird situations but he always makes me laugh. He is tall and unforgettable. His energy is infectious.
I am proud of him in so many ways I can't even begin to describe. I want to thank him for becoming the man he is today. I want to thank him for beating cancer and never giving up.I want to thank him for fighting for my freedom. Thank you. I love you. I miss you.
Continuing my journey...Inspired...
 |
| Chris and I ... Reunited... |
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Playlist
I was downloading songs on my iPod Touch and decided that I had a playlist.
My playlists help me work through my thoughts and times in my life. Sometimes they just make me dance and smile and sing so loud my stomach aches.
Depending on what I am doing, I listen to different types of songs. Sometimes I feel ghetto, sometimes sentimental. I love listening to music while I am cleaning, getting ready, driving, walking, pretty much just whenever I can. The louder the better too. I want to get into the song and just go wild.
I am sure I am not the only one on the planet that has a playlist. I love mine. It is my lifeline and I plan to keep it on repeat!
Continuing my journey... Singing and Dancing...
My playlists help me work through my thoughts and times in my life. Sometimes they just make me dance and smile and sing so loud my stomach aches.
Depending on what I am doing, I listen to different types of songs. Sometimes I feel ghetto, sometimes sentimental. I love listening to music while I am cleaning, getting ready, driving, walking, pretty much just whenever I can. The louder the better too. I want to get into the song and just go wild.
I am sure I am not the only one on the planet that has a playlist. I love mine. It is my lifeline and I plan to keep it on repeat!
Continuing my journey... Singing and Dancing...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Live
In my relatively short life I have lived and learned. I am spontaneous in some respects and not in others. I have a tendancy to have a vision of what my life should be rather than what I want it to be. Confusing? Let me break it down for you...
My whole life I have always been anxious to get to the "next stage" in life. I like to think I was mature for my age but in reality I was a more on the immature side of the spectrum. We are all immature during our teen years, heck! even now at the age of 24 I still have my moments. Anyway, everything was going well; I graduated from high school and set out for college, found a job I really enjoyed, fell in love too quickly, got married and BAM life smacked me up side the head. Let me tell you...when it rains it pours... I lost my job because of the crashing economy and a month later my husband tells me he is not attracted to me anymore and that we should spend some time apart.
I end up divorced, living with my parents, no job, and not registered for the upcoming semester of school due to the fact that I also had to change cities during this ordeal. So what do I do?
First thing, I got a puppy (named Bella who I love even when she chews apart my iPod cord).
Second thing, found a part time job (that pays the bills but I dont exactly enjoy).
Third: planned to take the semester off from school to let my "situation" simmer after its rolling boil.
It then occured to me that I was letting "my situation" tell me how to live my life. Let me tell you, feeling sorry for yourself is a lot of work... So I put my big girl pants on and quickly enrolled at Minot State University and was bound and determined to graduate one year later.
This brings you up to date and to my point of this whole post...
By taking the time to focus on what I truely wanted out of my life, I have found out that life can be enjoyable even when shit hits the fan. I am not afraid to dive in and take a risk yet I am more conservative with my time and who I spend it with. I am not constantly worried that I am missing out on something. I value my relationships more and wish I would have harvested more of them with people in my past.
I would not be where I am today or as happy as I am today if all that crap hadn't happened. I have no regrets because the things in my past have made me a stronger individual. I thank everyone who has taught me a life lesson and you may not even know it. I value each person's uniqueness because they can teach me something everyday. I take nothing for granted and know that the there is always going to be challenges and successes and part of life is to enjoy the good and learn from the bad.
Life is too short to dwell on misfortunes.
Continuing my jouney.... Living, Learning, and Dreaming...
My whole life I have always been anxious to get to the "next stage" in life. I like to think I was mature for my age but in reality I was a more on the immature side of the spectrum. We are all immature during our teen years, heck! even now at the age of 24 I still have my moments. Anyway, everything was going well; I graduated from high school and set out for college, found a job I really enjoyed, fell in love too quickly, got married and BAM life smacked me up side the head. Let me tell you...when it rains it pours... I lost my job because of the crashing economy and a month later my husband tells me he is not attracted to me anymore and that we should spend some time apart.
I end up divorced, living with my parents, no job, and not registered for the upcoming semester of school due to the fact that I also had to change cities during this ordeal. So what do I do?
First thing, I got a puppy (named Bella who I love even when she chews apart my iPod cord).
Second thing, found a part time job (that pays the bills but I dont exactly enjoy).
Third: planned to take the semester off from school to let my "situation" simmer after its rolling boil.
It then occured to me that I was letting "my situation" tell me how to live my life. Let me tell you, feeling sorry for yourself is a lot of work... So I put my big girl pants on and quickly enrolled at Minot State University and was bound and determined to graduate one year later.
This brings you up to date and to my point of this whole post...
By taking the time to focus on what I truely wanted out of my life, I have found out that life can be enjoyable even when shit hits the fan. I am not afraid to dive in and take a risk yet I am more conservative with my time and who I spend it with. I am not constantly worried that I am missing out on something. I value my relationships more and wish I would have harvested more of them with people in my past.
I would not be where I am today or as happy as I am today if all that crap hadn't happened. I have no regrets because the things in my past have made me a stronger individual. I thank everyone who has taught me a life lesson and you may not even know it. I value each person's uniqueness because they can teach me something everyday. I take nothing for granted and know that the there is always going to be challenges and successes and part of life is to enjoy the good and learn from the bad.
Life is too short to dwell on misfortunes.
Continuing my jouney.... Living, Learning, and Dreaming...
My Beginning
Well, I have decided to blog. Mainly because I am so busy and no one can keep track of me, but also because I usually have random thoughts that I don't usually share with people because they come to me when I am by myself...
I have many thoughts on business, management styles, classes I am taking, my personal experience at work, my personal experiences in general, my home life, my dog, my friends, my family and so on. (Just a warning to anyone that decides to continue reading).
I always thought of blogs as being symbolic and poetic like some of the ones my friends started on xanga... I would have to tear it apart in order to figure out what it was saying. That is not for me. I don't get it... I like to keep it real.
Anyway, this is how I came to write my first blog post...
My initial interest was sparked by my friend Megan who has a blog that she started after she had a baby. She updates weekly for her family in Minnesota... I live 4 blocks away and also enjoy keeping up with the Grundstrums (which Megan, if you are reading this, that is what you should name it :)
My interest was heightened when I noticed that one of my "friends" on Facebook also had a blog. It was just normal and witty and fun. I thought to myself, I could totally do that! I have random thoughts that people would get a kick out of. So I came to blogger.com and here I am.
Continuing my journey... Blogging
I have many thoughts on business, management styles, classes I am taking, my personal experience at work, my personal experiences in general, my home life, my dog, my friends, my family and so on. (Just a warning to anyone that decides to continue reading).
I always thought of blogs as being symbolic and poetic like some of the ones my friends started on xanga... I would have to tear it apart in order to figure out what it was saying. That is not for me. I don't get it... I like to keep it real.
Anyway, this is how I came to write my first blog post...
My initial interest was sparked by my friend Megan who has a blog that she started after she had a baby. She updates weekly for her family in Minnesota... I live 4 blocks away and also enjoy keeping up with the Grundstrums (which Megan, if you are reading this, that is what you should name it :)
My interest was heightened when I noticed that one of my "friends" on Facebook also had a blog. It was just normal and witty and fun. I thought to myself, I could totally do that! I have random thoughts that people would get a kick out of. So I came to blogger.com and here I am.
Continuing my journey... Blogging
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