While We're Wishing For Stuff

The roommate and I have been playing a game recently.

It's called "While we're wishin' for stuff..."

It basically let's us wish for stuff we wouldn't otherwise wish for. It perfect for good days and bad days, and it's been an ongoing game for a few weeks now.

So I thought it would be fun if I shared some of it with you.

While we're wishing for stuff, I'd get a really awesome new job that's full time and has benefits...AKA Big Girl Job.

While we're wishing for stuff, I'd love it if people didn't act shady. Let's all just tell the truth. It's much less nasty. And it get your point across better than any other way.

While we're wishing for stuff, I'd love to run in the rain real soon.

While we're wishing for stuff, I'd move to the beach and live there forever.

I know I've been absent from blogging and social media and that whole thing. But I've been trying to work some stuff out.

While we're wishing for stuff, I'd love for all of us not to have to make choices between the ages of 18-20 that affect the way our lives works.

Some of us made good choices, and I'm not saying I didn't make good choices. I just made choices that are more challenging than other people. I chose loving my area of study over an area of study that guarantees jobs. I was thinking short term fixes verses long term solutions.

Now I am blessed. And I am very thankful. The Good Lord and my parents have provided for me in every way possible. So please don't think I'm whining. Life is just throwing me a lot of lemons, and I'm struggling with making all this lemonade.

I just don't want to settle for anything less than what I know I love.

I don't think that's a bad thing. It does make things more challenging.  But I think that's how I like it.

Fun Day Friday: Welcome the Weekend

• My mom is going to St. Louis this weekend to run a half marathon. AND she is going without me. #rude I'm trying to be cool about it because that's what "grown ups" do, but let's be honest....I really wanted to go. What can I say? Big cities just call out to me.
• I officially start my new job on Monday. I went to check out my office/storage closet on Thursday, and I ended up taking some boxes home with me. I need to look through some stuff so I have a slight idea what I'm being trained to do. To be honest, I'm a tad bit nervous. I'm hoping I will gain more clarity about everything on Monday.
• I'm doing a 5 mile hill workout today. Who wants to come with me? Not all the miles will be hills, but there will be hills........and in this case I mean the Big Dam Bridge or something similiar to it. Who wants in?
• Asher's birthday is Monday. She's going to be 4. Crazy how time flies. Her party is tomorrow. I still  have to find a costume...
• I'm running 9 miles on Sunday. Nine miles. Sometimes I can't believe it. But I'm starting to get more confident in the long runs. To be honest, I enjoy them the most. I don't have to focus on speed or time. I just have to cover the miles. The other workouts during the week are shorter, but sometimes I feel they are more difficult, hence the five miles of hill work I'm planning to do this afternoon.
• I made a to-do list yesterday. And sometimes I write stuff down that I already did just so I can mark it off. It makes me feel better about having a to-do list. I've marked one thing off already, and the day is just getting started. I have a feeling the last three things (reorganize the nook, clean out the cabinets, and clean the house) will not get done today......but that's just a prediction.
• I've been watching a lot of British tv shows on Netflix. I've finished Sherlock and Doctor Who, and I'm now watching Being Human. I can't decide if I like Being Human as much as Sherlock and Doctor Who. What tough decisions I'm faced with?
• Also, the British tv show marathons have made me want to attend high tea. I've tried to recreate the tradition in my house, but I don't have any biscuits. Does anyone know where I can have high tea?
• I'm going to be guest posting for Paige over at Approaching Joy one day in the next two weeks. I don't know what day....so that means you will have to visit her everyday until you read my macro moment. P.S. Paige is getting married and going on her honeymoon.....so show her some love while she is busy getting hitched and all.
• As soon as I hit the publish button, I will be making pumpkin oatmeal, starting the next episode of Being Human, looking through work files, and deciding when I should hit the trails for a run.
• Have a fabulous weekend!

A Closing Door

Two years ago, I took a job as a graduate assistant for a local non-profit where I began my journey into Public Relations. I learned a lot about PR, marketing, communication and management. I got to write and create brochures, newsletters, Web content and success stories.

My journey with this non-profit is coming to an end today. And it's been an awesome ride. And while I can't say I'll miss all aspects of the job, I can say with gusto that I will miss every single person that works there.

Melody, Stephanie, Kristin, Paula, Stacy, Tiffany, Rhonda, Benson, Brian, Jenny, Susannah, Vakeyia, Debbie, Brian, Shawn and Andrew.

You have all played a part in helping me become the person I am today. Working with you has been an honor. And I can say I love you all to death and would do anything for you. I've had so many good times with each of you. Valuable conversations. Good and bad experiences. Ups and downs. And just plain ole fun.

Who would have thought God would place us on the same team? I am lucky to work with a team of incredibly talented people who care about the greater good of others. Non-profit work makes for a difficult job, and each of you are so driven and work so hard all. the. time.

Thank you for letting me become a part of your work world and real life world. Thank you for letting me stick my nose in your programs to get an assignment done. Thank you for letting me take your pictures even though you hate it. But most of all thank you for becoming my friend and a part of my life. I'm lucky to know such great people.

So please don't look at today as an ending for me. Look at it as a new beginning. I'm going places...and I'm taking parts of each of you with me.

Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand new. It's bursting out. Don't you see it? Isaiah 43: 19 The Message Bible


I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not to abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  Jeremiah 29:11 The Message Bible

Don't worry about me. I'm God's child. He will take care of me.

Stress Would Not Exist at the Beach

I've been through the ringer at work this week. It's be cray cray for realz. So bad that I woke up this morning feeling stressed and out of sorts. And I haven't been able to shake that feeling all day. Sigh. And let's not even talk about school and how my thesis advisor has yet to respond to an urgent e-mail. Double sigh.

Let's not go there. Let's go to the happy place. The beach.

I spent my days like this:

I'd start out in the chair.

Let the water lap at my toes.

Then I'd move to the beach blanket to sun my extremely white back. And take naps. Which is what happened in this picture. I'm pretty sure I drooled on my towel. Not that it matters. I was at the beach. Don't judge me.

I also had a little "accident" with the condo's coffee maker. And by accident I mean it exploded. Coffee exploded out the top and down the side and all over the counter. It was molten lava hot coffee. So after that, the roommate and I ventured out for our morning joe.

A champion breakfast of cinnamon raisin french toast and hashbrowns were also consumed during a coffee outing one morning.

Nobody was upset that the toast slices were as big as my face. And pure heaven. I'm pretty sure Jesus had a hand in creating this breakfast. Thank you Lord.

I also got to see a real live sea creature.

This little beauty washed ashore. And I have no idea what it is. It's little legs would fall off when we touched it. And it was slimy and mushy. But still a sea creature. Pretty cool.

I need to go back to this happy place to recover from my horrid work week.

But instead I will brave the grocery store and Wal-Mart because I have nan food. Or shampoo. Or conditioner. Or soap. Or detergent. So basically I stink. Ha. Just kidding. But this shopping trip MUST happen today.

I'm going to make eggplant lasagna tonight for dinner and go for an evening run. After yesterday and today, I need to pound out the pavement and get rid of this stress. Pray for a good run.

What are your plans for the weekend?
~~~I am going to sleep later than 7:15 in the morning. Drink coffee out of my new "Life is Good mug." And maybe clean the apartment...maybe.

What do you do to de-stress?

Morning Sunshine

I should say Morning NO sunshine. Arkansas is known for its ever-changing weather craziness. In the winter, it's freaking cold with snow and ice. In the summer, it's 114 degrees with little rain. The only truly nice times of year are spring and fall, and those seasons don't stick around long enough.

The view from my balcony this morning was pretty creepy.

And the view didn't get much better on my way to work.

See the sunny line across the sky.

P.S. Don't take pictures while you drive. It's really not a good idea. Sorry Mom. I promise I won't do it again.

Once I got to the office, fat rain drops were starting to fall. So I came on inside to avoid the rainy weather. We are having a training session about budgets (yawn) at our office this week, but there is one good thing that comes from it.

Free food.

The office paid for our breakfast and lunch since they are torturing everyone with the expection of Tiffany and me. (We don't have budgets of our own, which is probably for the best.) But we are reaping the benefits of the training session A.K.A the free food.

This morning's breakfast:

Blueberry bagel with butta. Something about a nice smear of "heart healthy" butta makes everything better. It's just so simple and delish. I want another one just thinking about it. Sigh.

Switching gears: Let's talk running.

Last night, Logan, Lindsay, the roommate and I ran 25 minutes. The roommate and Lindsay had a pretty good run, while Logan and I almost died. Logan was running fever while she was running. I, on the other hand, have no excuse.

The humidity was OUT OF CONTROL. It was so sticky and unbearable that I could never get my breathing down to a comfortable, manageable level. I started out strong, but finished weak.

The only think I can think of that would cause me to have such a reaction was not drinking enough water. Which I didn't do very good yesterday.

I'm praying for a redeeming run on Thursday. We are down to the end. All our runs are 25 minutes, 28 minutes and 30 minutes. So it's not like I can catch a break. And the heat's not helping. Send up a pray to The Big Guy for me. And one for Logan, too, so she won't get sick.

Do you ever have training sessions at work? Do you take advantage of office supplied food?

What was your workout like yesterday?

Preparation

Back in April, I decided I wanted to train for a 5K. So this week is Week One of this journey.

Since school is out, I will have nothing to lament over for three whole months. I know you guys are excited. But now there will be posts about running, or I should say attempting to run. I am terrible about making excuses for not exercising, but it's time to start a regular routine before my body starts to change. (I've heard horror stories of how the body changes A LOT after 25. So I'm giving myself a two year head start.)

So I'm gonna start working on my fitness. And that is just what it is. Being fit and leading a healthy lifestyle. It's NOT about losing weight. It's about not letting my heart crap out at 30 and preventing illness.

Now don't worry. This blog will not turn in to a fitness blog because I've never really been one who enjoys working out. But it will document the changes I make in my every day life to accommodate The Fitness. The crazy stories will remain because, let's be honest, they need to be told. But fitness and health will be on the forefront of my mind this summer, now that school is officially over.

With that being said, a few things are on the agenda today. I'm working until noon, and my top priority after work is getting my toes under control. My toes have turned into claws, well maybe not claws, but they need some TLC.

I've heard/read that jogging/running/working out can cause toe nails to turn black and fall off. This is a big fear of the fitness. For most of my life, my toes have looked not pretty. I've turned over a new leaf, and now I give my toes a good scrub and polish routine regularly. So now that my toes look like what most normal human toes look like, I can't lose them or let them turn black. Pretty sure I would cry.

Next on the agenda, groceries. 'Nuff said.

And then two major things: A visit to 10 Fitness to set up a membership. (I've got a feeling interval training will happen there quite often.) And a trip to Easy Runner to get some new tenny pumps. (I know they are called tennis shoes, but let's be honest everyone says tenny shoes. I prefer tenny pumps.) My current tenny pumps are from Sophomore year, and they hurt my feet. So something's gotta give. And new shoes are a must. I can't jog to the best of my ability with shoes that hurt my feet.

I also need to figure out the best way to attach iPhone to my person when I run and update new songs so I can be ready to put on my new kicks and hit the road (or treadmill). Any ideas about the iPhone?  It's such a big phone, especially with the Otter Box, so I need to get that sorted ASAP.

Any good songs to add to a playlist?
My current work out playlist consists of:

"No Hands" - Waka Flocka Flame
"Right Above It" - Lil Wayne
"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" - Usher
"Firework" - Katy Perry
"X Gon' Give It to Ya" - DMX (a throwback to my high school cheerleading days)
"Lollipop" - Lil Wayne
"All I Do is Win" - DJ Khaled
"Imma Star" - Jeremih
"Turn My Swag On" - Soulja Boy

My workout music is a bit different than my every day listenings, but feel free to suggest anything and everything. I love the musics. I feel like I need upbeat, gansta rap to keep me going. Plus, it kinda makes you feel like a Bad-A. But any musical newness would be much appreciated.

Let's start this Monday off on the right foot. But for now, I gotta get to work.

Until next time...

The Last Commute

What a glorious day this is. It would be absolutely perfect if it were not rainy and cold here in Little Rock. But nothing can really steal my good mood because I'm moving Saturday, which is a day away since we don't count today or the actual day we move so it is just tomorrow.

I have a big fear that it will rain and our furniture will get all wet. I just want to get everything in without anyone getting hurt. Hauling furniture up three flights of stairs will be interesting because the stairwells are super narrow. But nobody's upset because we're finally moving.

As I was driving to work this morning, I realized I would not have to make this trip again unless I just wanted to. Huge realization. I am leaving the town I've lived in for 5 years. A little part of me is kind of sad. I am going to miss all the familiar surroundings of my college town. Of my college life. I made so many memories there.

But I'm still excited about starting new in the Big City. I can't wait to see what happens. It should be interesting and fun and scary. But all around good for me.

A small story sidenote: A lady is here (at my job) doing a training session for a formative evalution, which is a fancy word for keeping up with progress. And she is from India. Yep, that's right. India.

I love a good accent, and I have perfected a British accent thanks to the trip to Great Britian and many watchings of Bridget Jones's Diary. But Indian is slowly becoming my favorite.

So the lady is here giving a training session, making feel like I'm in class. She talked a lot about surveys, and it was a lot the first semester of grad school over again. Not the best thing to listen to in an early morning meeting. But then I caught a break.

She started talking about participants. Participants pronounced partypants. It was too much. I had to hold back a giggle. Participants will never be the same to me again. Loved it.

So thank you partypating in today's blog. I am so glad you are my partypants. You guys rock. Keep it classy. Have a great day.

Until next time...

Break de Spring

It's officially Spring Break. And I will not be breaking. I have too much homework and research and papers to work on. Plus I still have to go to work, the prison for good people.

I am building in some good things in between all of this studying and working.

Today: I got a pedicure. My toes were in need of a spring makeover, especially since flip-flop weather is just round the corner.

Tomorrow: Birthday party for my my friend Abby's boyfriend.

Sunday: MY OFFICIAL SPRING BREAK (that I am allowing myself). I will spend the day doing nothing school related. So I am going to hike Pinnacle Mountain and going to see penguins at the zoo.

Monday: Work and homework.

Tuesday: Work and homework.

Wednesday: Work and homework.

Thursday: Homework and getting my ducks in a row for a baby shower I am hosting.

Friday: My mom is coming to stay with me and help me get ready for the baby shower. I also have to do homework and clean up before mom gets here.

Saturday: Baby shower for the most deserving friend. :)

Sunday: Homework.

Monday: Homework.

Then, sadly the Spring Break is over. Hopefully you will have more luck in the fun department. I will be cracking away at my school life. Who can't wait for May? This girl.

I hope everyone who gets an official Spring Break has a safe and happy time off. As for us that don't get one, let's be thankful for our jobs and all the other good things in our lives.

Until next time...

School and Work Flu

This time last year, I got the flu. It was the sickest I have been in a long time. I have my fair share of colds and allergies. But the flu had me down for the count for a full week...plus some extra recovery days..

Ever since then, I have been deathly afraid of getting the flu. I was so nervous about it that I got a flu shot, which I never wanted. With grad school taking up all my time and work not allowing me any sick days, I knew getting sick would not be an option.

So I have turned into a vitamin freak. I take pre-natal vitamins and keep Emergen-C packets on hand. I can't afford to be out sick for a week. The thought of all the homework that would consume me is unbearable. What little sanity I have left would be totally gone. Character crushed. Hope deminished. Ok...Done being a drama queen.

But for real. Yesterday was a tough day. Work was crazy, and since we don't have a boss...even crazier. We decided to have weekly staff meetings to keep everyone informed. Best idea we could have ever had. It is nice knowing what everyone is doing. And it helps me do my job.

I spent most of my time at my desk writing stories for an upcoming assignment. I had to go on campus to a branding lecture...which turned out not to be a lecture, but a big waste of my time. My organization works differently than the rest of the university. Not to say we get special treatment, but we don't have to abide by the same rules and standards. We make our own ripples in the wave pool.

Then I went to Starbucks to get some caffine, and I had the opportunity to admire a super cute guy who works there that I'm pretty sure is married. But I can't tell for sure. He wears rings on both ring fingers, and I always look at the right hand and think it's the left. (Must be remnants from my blonde days).

I got my afternoon coffee fix, and then I decided to read some stuff before my class. So I sat there in what looked to be a comfy booth. Truth be told...not so comfy. I sat there for over an hour hunched over a book and numerous handouts, while the back of the booth remained ramrod straight. Not good for this girl's back.

I left there to go sit in a classroom with squeaky, rolly chairs to have the backaches from Starbucks' uber-straight booth turn into a numbness.

As I stood up, all my bones proceeded to creak and pop. My back woke up screaming for some kind of relief, which I had no idea how to provide. It felt like the flu all over again. I left achy and cranky and stressed to the max.

Moral: School and work can induce flu-like symptoms in people who are stressed and over-worked. Diagnosis equals success, and I didn't have to consult with Dr. House.

Until next time...

The Last of the Novembers

It seems like every year I get the November blues. Once Thanksgiving gets here, I just want it to be the Holidays (officially). But then we go back to school and back to work until Christmas Break, and for those who just work Christmas Eve. Thanksgiving Break makes me want to be on a longer break.

So the next two weeks of school will be unbearable. And all the big projects are due in those two weeks, so it feels like academic exhaustion has set in for me.

I can't wait for Dec. 15 when I can read for fun and hang out with my friends and family. My Wish List at barnesandnoble.com is starting to get pretty full. So I am hoping I can read a least a book or two a week because once school starts again no more reading for entertainment.

Side note---My new Food Network magazine came in the mail, and I have had a chance to look at it. I am so excited about the recipes in there. Once I look it over I will post some of my favorites.

I also have to post photos of the Christmas decorations in my house. It is so cute and jolly. Makes me feel so happy when I am home. Very exciting. Oh how I love Christmas time.

December starts tomorrow, and so start the official countdown the Christmas day. I'll keep you posted on all Holiday events and other delights throughout the next 25 days. Until next time...

Work is the Prison for Good People

How is it that it is the day before Thanksgiving and I am still cooped up inside this building. I would much rather be spending time with my family.

I have a lot of things to do this holiday weekend.

1. Put up the Jones' Family Christmas tree.
2. Start working on a research paper.
3. Finish a book.
4. Write 2 book reports.
5. Eat as much Thanksgiving food as I possibly can.
6. Go downtown to see what the festivities are like in the hometown.
7. Finish all the homework.
8. Decorate our Christmas tree.

And of course there is always sleep and other daily activities. But I have to be at work until at the latest 3:30 p.m. My brain will explode by then, I just know it.

So that is how I have gotten to this very valid conclusion that work is the prison for the good people of the world. I'm not saying I don't like my job because most days I do, but my holiday spirit is getting the best of me today. So let us all go home boss lady. Close this prison early please. Until next time...