The final days...

Monday was relaxing, doing some errands around lancaster, and going to the movie 'Fame.' It was an alright movie, nothing I would promote to anyone. It was just choppy and you never got into the character relationships. We then ate some burgers and drank some wine. Lets just say we slept in a little later than usual.

When we finally got up and going for the day we headed out to Athens for my finally day. Luckily we headed out in enough time to eat out at my favorite place in Athens, Bagel Street Deli. Lets just say it was soooooooo good. I am going to miss it. Kim and I headed off to check out some stores and david headed out to do his own errands. Kim and I finally bought one alumni shirt. I got two OU hats which I will wear a ton when I am exercising and maybe some outside activity. I then headed out to talk to the alumni association and the education abroad office. I am interested in trips abroad by myself or with a friend. I needed information and figured the best time to get it was when I was in town. After that Kim and I headed out to Brenen's to get the best strawberry banana chiller (smoothie). We sat there chatting for a bit. I realized that it was getting to around 4pm and I thought that my grandmother and aunt betsey would be in town. I called them to see where they were, they were about 45 minutes away. We waited to visit them for a short while. It was nice to see my grandmother again and see my aunt. I also visit my grandmother's friend dru. Finally Kim and I were finally tired and ready to head home. We meet David at the car and headed home. Now we are watching movies and relaxing.

I feel like my trip took such a long time to come, that it went way too fast. Tomorrow I am leaving to go home. I am not so thrilled about it, not because I have to go back to the real world and my job, but I have a job interview the day after I arrive. I am nervous, anxious, and overall not thrilled about it. My fear is that I won't be able to sleep. I am also sad to leave because I will be leaving behind my friend. I wish that we could live closer and have the ability to see each other more often.

The Trip so Far...

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent relaxing at home. We did venture to the mall one day and also went to go see a movie. At the mall I was looking for better pants. My size 12 were falling off my bum within an hour of putting them on. After having this happen for several months I finally got sick of having to do it. I went to old navy (where my other pants are from) I grabbed a size 10. It felt comfortable, but something was saying these feel like my 12s and they are going to be loose within a short time. I ventured out to grab a size 8. Now in my mind I am going 'ha, wouldn't it be funny if I fit into a 8 because recently I haven't fitted into a 10.' As I slide up the jeans and zip them up, the 8 fits. Holy C***! Now I did notice a difference with the labels that are on the pants. Some have a white label and some had a green label. I asked what that meant to one of the sale associates. She said that the green label are an updated design and the white one are a older design. So I don't know if the new design is bigger than the last one or whatever they changed in the design.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Kim and I went to my grandmother's and aunt's place. It was nice to see them. I realized that the last time I saw them was not a long time ago, but it wasn't like I had tons of time to talk. It was at my brother's wedding. I was a bridesmaid and was busy doing other things before the ceremony that kept me away from enjoying the family (on the other hand I did enjoy being a bridesmaid). I guess it is a catch 22. My grandmother was in good spirits and a joy to talk to and be around. It was also nice seeing my aunt, uncle, cousin, and aunt's in-laws. It was a short trip, but it is still hard saying good-bye. I told my grandmother not to wave when she see us leaving the parking lot. As we turned around in the parking lot still walking to the car there she was at her window waving good-bye. Kim and I waved back, I blew some kisses and received kisses in return. Why is it so hard to leave someone behind? I wish I could pack her up and take her with me where ever I go.

Sunday, this day was cloudy and drizzly in the morning, but the afternoon it was big puffy clouds and blue sky with the sun shining down. Kim had meet a girl through facebook that took pictures. When I arrived Kim was like 'ohhhh, we could totally do a photo shoot of us being us.' So on Sunday was our day to be ourselves. This girl was very nice and we felt comfortable around her. She took shots of us being us in an alley way, by ourselves, in a reflection window, at brenan's(food place), underneath the art building, against a colorful wall, radar hill(behind the ridges). Overall it was a good time. I thought it would be awful, but in the end it was me hanging out with me friend and having a moment in time captured. We did get to see some photos on facebook. Kim and I love them. Hopefully I will be able to post them as soon as I get back and rested. We took many shots, so who knows maybe my family will get something in the mail. Anyways, I think that is all that happened in the last couple of days.

Today might be a relaxing day, we might take a walk up to the overlook in Lancaster or going to a movie 'Fame,' or we might run errands, or stay at home enjoying the beautiful weather (blue skies, wind blowing threw the trees, and enjoying the fall weather). Ohh and I have a weight watchers weigh-in today, not soo thrilled about that, but will do it to keep regulating my weight loss or gain. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Will update when I get a chance, on what truly happened.

Athens yesterday---Zipling today

Athens was fun to visit, I guess you do grow out of the college life. I felt like I fit in to the demographic, but I didn't fit in sociably. Kim and I walked around and visited some stores looking for an improvement to my ratty sweatshirt that has holes, tears, and paint on it. I did find one, but it doesn't have a hood, I might have to buy another one that has a hood, who knows if I will. Other than that I filled up on my favorite food, Bagel Street Deli. Ohh how I missed that toasted bagel with turkey, light mayo, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. Ahhhh, mouth is watering. I don't know why I couldn't make it at home, but it just is so delicious and juicy. Other than that I only noticed small changes in athens. I am happy I came back to visit because I realized a few things. One that I don't feel the need to come back to my university for more schooling. Second I don't have the need to relive the glory days (not that I did have glory days). Also I like the atmosphere, I think in Austin I have to drive to all places I want to go, I'm just another person that no one notices, and overall the lifestyle feels more impersonal. Here in Athens, I can walk everywhere to get anything, I feel that the community is small that you could be noticed more, and overall I don't feel like I would get lost in the crowd. I still have more food places to visit in Athens, hopefully we can fit them in.

Zipling

Okay so my new motto I am trying to try new things. Now people may not know, but I am selectively scared of heights. Why selectively? Well, it isn't like I am scared everytime that I am in a place that is high. I don't know why that is, it is just is. Certain places I have had anxiety about heights are in planes sometimes as they are going up or down, in texas there are high overpasses that are 4 or 5 high, and anything that is shaky or not look secure.

So today, Kim and I decided to Zipline. It is when you are harnessed to a wire and travel from one tree to the next. Overall it was fun and pictures will be coming, when I get home from my trip. The only part I was nervous on was a place when we had to walk over 2 shaky bridges. I made it over, but I was shaky and holding on the the tree for some feel of support. The other time was when you are clipped to the wire and you sit back into your harness over the edge of the platform that is surrounding the tree. It was hard to trust it even though they stated that the harness holds 4500lbs.

Overall the motto is working just fine. I joined a running course to help me start exercising and propel me to the another goal I have, but won't share, I have continued on weight watchers, and now I can add zipling to the list. I think that for me to stretch myself to do something is good because then I learn not everything is as bad as I think it may be. I also think that it gives me experience that I could never lose from my knowledgeable skills.

Kim had experienced that zipline about a month ago and still found it fun and fascinating. We had fun taking pictures and video. The only bad part about the day was the on and off of the rain, but luckily we were under the trees so it wasn't that bad.

Weight Watchers Update

The weight watchers meeting today was not so good I gain 2.6 pounds. I am hoping I can maintain it this week instead of gaining. I am trying. All I need to do is take it easy and not over do it. I feel like stuffing my face which in turn just was proven on the scale that is doesn't work. Tomorrow is another day and all I can do is my best.

My Trip

Okay probably for two and half months now I have been keeping a secret. I am going to surprise my friend in Ohio by visiting her. No it isn't her birthday, no there is no reason except to visit her and then swing over to my grandmother's and visit her. I am bursting with smiles and giggles when I think about it. She has absolutely no idea except that she has to keep that time open and that people know about it. Her boyfriend, David, is in on the surprise visit.

So the plan is that I am going to fly up there on Sept. 19th and arrive at lunch time. David is going to take Kim to lunch at Johnny Rockets near the airport, but not near enough to signal something is up. I am going to get a taxi over, luckily Johnny Rockets is a building near the mall so I can wait in the mall and not be seen. Upon arriving David is going to excuse himself from the table to go use the "restroom," but instead is going to call me and tell me where they are sitting. Now my fear is that I am going to giggle and be all excited to see her I won't be able to slide right in next to her and be like "So, what are you having today?" Now I am writing this about a month before hand...so updates on how it really went down will be posted. *crossing my fingers to kept the secret and be cool when I arrive at the restaurant.

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OK just passed the 13 days mark...I am kind of afraid that I blew the secret. I hoping kim didn't hear and I am just imagining things. What happened was that I was on a skype date with kim and had to called my boss because the days I was scheduled were going to interfere with my running course, I said something along the lines of "I don't want to miss the running course on Saturday because I am off next two weekends (or weeks I am not sure what I said)." I muted my volume, but I didn't unplug my microphone. She may or may not have heard, I just don't know. She didn't say anything, but I am most likely sure she heard. I am still not going to spill just in case I am freaking myself out and she didn't hear anything.

I am going to call her on the 11th a week before I leave and complain about my job. I am going to tell her my "fake/true" schedule about me working, I don't get the schedules until a week before hand. So on the 11th I will get the next week's schedule, I might or might not be working the 18th, but she doesn't know. Also I won't be working the 20th because I will be up there, but she won't know that either. So my plan is the tell her that my job sucks and that I am going to have to work the 18th and 20th. In addition, I am going to say that "I was told that the support team will be working the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th because we are behind on markdowns big time...yeah for standing all day...sigh" (that is false because I will be up there visiting her). I am trying to come up with plausible lies that will be like maybe she miss heard. If she asks if I am taking the next two weekends or weeks off I am going to say "No not weeks I was trying to get a couple of free weekends in before the craziness of Christmas season. This schedule is conflicting with my plans there is a Triathlon that is only women in Spicewood, TX about an hour away that I wanted to go see, if it was different with the one that I saw in Austin, but now I can't do that. Errrr this job is sucking the life out of me." Hopefully, I won't have to go that far in the lies.

Then my next plan is to be like. Enjoy your surprise hopefully sometime you could call me and tell me what it is. I probably won't talk to you much the next week (11th-18th) mostly I will talk to you after the 24th because of my crazy schedule, but I will try when I can. Then I am going to talk to her the smallest amount of time, but I have to sound exhausted or I will just text her and be like I am sorry I am totally in a funk and need a day by myself. Or I will say something that will come to mind. Gosh so many lies I am going to have to come clean too. I hope I fake her out with these lies.

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Okay so this is what truly transpired the last couple of days. I did have to work a crazy schedule leading up to my trip. I worked sunday 5-10, tuesday 5-2, wednesday, 5-2 thursday 5-2, and friday was supposely 5-2, but luckly hours got cut so it was 5-10. Then I was busy until 2 o'clock hanging out with my other friend Kendra and her daughter before they move out a week after I come back from my trip. I then went home and started printing off plane information, making sure how much money I had in my bank account, and making sure what I needed to pack. In the end the exhaustion one took over and I took a nap on my floor for about 30 minutes to an hour. It helped me last a little longer that night.

Finally I packed it all and was ready to go on my trip. The night before I left I wrote kim an e-mail about how I am doing a running class in the morning and that I was going to go home after it to go to sleep and that I was going to turn off my phone so I could no one could bother me. I also wrote that I hope her surprise is good and that I would call her in the evening about it and see how it went. It was a normal e-mail I would send to her and trying to be like giving excuses why I wouldn't be picking up the phone.

As I woke up early in the morning, I was in this calm state. I think for so long I have come up with ideas about how it would be like and doing the countdown of days that it was like okay no going back now. As I was sitting on my first flight I meet a very nice lady who was going to Haiti for six months and I told her about surprising my friend. She was very exciting about it for me. When I boarded my flight to Columbus I was finally hitting my wall of exhaustion so I started to nod off. Luckily no one was sitting next to me and I had three seats to myself. I didn't sleep very much, but I did okay for the beginning of the flight. At the end, I had a rush of energy and was excited to finally get there.

When the plane touched down I texted David that we touched down and that I will texted him when I leave the airport. I took a taxi all by myself all the way to easton town center, which is a big mall area. He said there wasn't a johnny rockets there anymore and he keep giving me other places to go. Finally he decided that there is a water feature in one part that kids can play in and that they would be there. I knew where and said okay. I texted him to say where I was and then proceeded to walk towards where they were. I was taping myself as I was looking for them and finally spotted them sitting with there backs to me. I put down my bags and started to video taping as I approached. I came around the corner and said "how do you like your surprise!?!" she was like "what!!! are you kidding me!!!! I can't believe your here!!!" We then proceed to hug and go grab my bags I had just put down. Then david and I told her how long we had been planning this and all the lies. She didn't know, not one bit.

As the shock settle in. We planned to go eat and drop off my bags at the car. The rest of the day we chatted and hung out. Later that night we went to a robbery train ride. Overall it was fun and somewhat amusing with it all. There are some good shots that we have, but will have to be posted later because I am having difficulties with this computer.

Quick Step, Jog, Quick Steps, Jog

Saturday was rainy and wet here and yet there was still my running/walking class. I am a little weird I don't like cold rain on my neck, but if I am totally drench then I don't mind. When I first stepped out of my car, I didn't like it, but once totally drench I was fine. I walked quickly for 3 min and jogged for 1 min.. The only bad part about the exercise was that a few of us were running up congress avenue towards the capitol and it was frustrating to hit every red light. Also we had to be careful not to slip on the granite, 'slippery when wet.'

My new thing to learn this week is that I can't slow myself down to walk/jog with someone, I need to go at my own pace. This week is going to be tough to get through. I had Monday off from work, but not exercise I went swimming. The rest of the week I am working full 8 hour days Tuesday thur Friday. Then after done with work I need to do my exercise. I just have to commit this week and even if I am tried, I need to go out and go for it. Saturday is my sleep day.

My songs for jog/walk:
Charice "Notes To God"---warm up and stretching and 2 min walk
Cobra Starship "Good Girls Go Bad" ---love running up hills with this song
Keri Hilson "Knock You Down"
Jordin Spraks "Battlefield"
Miley Cyrus "The Climb" --- like this song when I see another freaking hill in the distance and it is a good song about reaching for something you want, it is just fitting in my life
Jay Sean "Down" ---plays at Macy's and I loved it and FINALLY know who sings it
Journey "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" ---love the beginning, got to love drums

Weight Watchers
I am still on weight watchers, I hit a semi-milestone last week, I am under 150. Yeah me. Not far under, but under. I am working hard on it, but I am still struggling with the control over food. I am obsessed with food and will eat until I am fully stuffed. I don't like the feeling so I am working on eating when I am hungry and to stop when I am satisfied. I have learned that if I drink a lot of water and that doesn't satisfy the hunger pains then I need a little bit to eat. That small amount might hold me for 15 minutes or 3 hours, just depending.

When I first started weight watchers I was 187 and I am 2.2lbs away from losing 40lbs since 2007. I am also 2lbs away from hitting my 10% target for this time around, which it 16lbs. So soon I will be hitting bigger milestones, so stay tuned. Hopefully within the next two weeks.

Labor Day and Triathlon Volunteer

Happy Labor Day!

Today in downtown Austin there was a triathlon going on. It was both a Olympic and Sprint, which was open to both men and women. My dad and I were volunteers, we both worked in the transition area when the competitors change from swimming to biking. At some parts it was slow and others you couldn't screaming enough to tell them where to go. I also almost got run over by two or three bikes as they were coming in to the bike area to then go to the run. I think I stayed longer than I would have at the event because I was volunteering, but it also gave me another prospective on the whole idea of the event.

Someday I would like to finish a triathlon, but right now I am working on the running aspect and when I feel I am ready to add either swimming or biking to my routine I will. I need a bike though to do the biking, anyways small details, right? At the end it wasn't that fun, my dad and I had to corral people a certain way because even though the faster people were ready to go home and leave, there were people still on the course working their butts off, no pun intended. The best thing at the event for me was the different shapes and sizes that were competing in it. I even saw some Sprint people that could do the Olympic (they were fast). I guess when you think of any race you think all these skinny small bodies that are toned. Yeah they are, but not all of them. Gives me some ideas.

I know if I say I am going to do a Sprint Triathlon I will need a wet suit, swimming cap, goggles, bike, biking shoes, butt pad for bike, helmet, water bottles for bike, running shoes, running clothes (I use cotton right now), and get use to eating goo packages or electrolytes. Lots of things and lots of money I don't have. The one thing I am proud of, even though you watch the great competitors, is that I was not discourage to do a triathlon from all the exhausted faces I saw going out and in from the bike race/ride.

Future goals in the making.

Saturday's Blog

Went 3.1-3.5 miles this morning

I am in a group that walks 2 minutes and jogs 1 minute. I finished in 46 minutes and 30 seconds, from now on will write my time like 46.30. I didn't do the whole course as 2 min and 1 min., but I tried and I completed, so yeah for me.

In a gross way I enjoy this torture with the sweat rolling down my body. It feels like I am doing good for my body. What I need to work on now is my cardio. So next week that is my goal for the cross training, I will be jog walking hills...yeah? and maybe swimming, if I get a pool key from the management company that runs our development. We will see how it goes.

Joined a running/walking group

For sometime I have gone back and forth with myself about exercise. I am not fond of it, but I have to do it. As I continue with my Weight Watchers, I have found losing weight here at home harder rather than when I was at school. The only thing different is the exercise, at school the amenities were walking distance away, here at home most things are driving distance. So after looking at all my option and debating if I should or shouldn't spend the money, I went for it. This program prepares you to run or walk either the Half-marathon or Full marathon. I am going for the Half-marathon.

The plan is laid out for me. The next six months roughly, I will be doing walking/running on my own and on Saturdays meet with everyone in this large group (about 125+ people-which then separates into 50 or so a group depending on your run time). I like the schedule because for the next 25 weeks, I know what I have to do everyday and I don't have to think about it.

Now I have told my parents and friends about this program. My friend Kim, sent me a link to MapMyRun.com. It is useful and great. Today I had to do 20 minutes of exercise, but I didn't know the distance I went. I do know the time it took me because my dad was nice enough to buy me a Ironman Timex watch that shows me my lap times.

First Saturday August 29th: Ran/Walked 1 mile 15.02

Sept. 1st: Ran/Walked 1.4 miles
Lap one 10:32.96
Lap two 10:10.03

I am crossing my fingers that with joining this group that I will keep up with the exercise and make it all the way to the Half-marathon in February. Slowly will keep updating, maybe just on my Saturday times.