so this is freedom?

I was just thinkin' about how long it's been since I've updated my blog...and then I see my last posts were about my upcoming "freedom" from school, homework, etc....alas, I didn't have a break and jumped right into my summer job and here I find myself with the summer half gone. Yikes! Where has the time gone? The world is a whole different place now - Sex and the City has come and gone (?) from movie theaters. We are a changed people.

But seriously...

Speaking of movies...DO NOT go see "The Happening." Do whatever you can to stay far away from that movie. Seriously.

Thanks to Jennifer for making me think of blogs and movies :)

Some may think this blog entry has been completely pointless...well...you just may be right. Peace!

Update

Update:

How many days til June 5th? NINE!!! June 5th is when I will be fully done with my first year of working on my social work masters. I CAN'T WAIT. SERIOUSLY. READY TO BE DONE. FOR REAL!!!!

How many days til this frickin' weather will warm up? Yesterday, 80. Today, 45. Seriously.

As much as we could all find to complain about (school, work, weather, gas prices, idiot presidents, etc...), I'm going to say that really, I can't complain (except for that weather complaint above...ha). Life is good. Real good.

Sunday night

It's my goal to find songs that refer to "home" - hit me up if you know some good ones!!!

Looking at you, holding my breath
For once in my life I'm scared to death
I'm taking a chance letting you inside

I'm feeling alive all over again
As deep as the sky, under my skin
Like being in love, she says, for the first time
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right
Where I belong with you tonight
Like being in love to feel for the first time

We're crashing
Into the unknown
We're lost in this
But it feels like home

~Lifehouse. Duh.

40's

Today, I paid over $46 for gas. FORTY-SIX DOLLARS. To fill up my little Toyota. That's freakin' Ridiculous, with a capital R.

Today, the weather was finally NOT in the 40's. But it'll probably be back to that tomorrow, since apparently spring does not want to last!

Today, driving home from work, I realized that I had the volume to my music playing at over the number 40. 40 used to be ridiculously loud, unbearably loud. Clearly, I listen to my music too loud.

Today was a day of 40's, or at least my being weird and noticing s@#* like that.... :)

pic

Here's a pic of us dedicated and soaked walkers at the breast cancer walk yesterday. I happen to think the picture does not quite convey just how soaked we are... :)

Breast Team Ever!

Yes, tomorrow is my second "race" of the year, but I will be walking in this one. Our team name is the Breast Team Ever - I have such clever friends :)

Weather forecast for tomorrow:
"Windy...showers. Highs in the lower 50s. North winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph at times. Chance of precipitation 100 percent."

What gives?! It's May!!! Soooo sick of this weather....especially on days that I'm out running/walking for a good cause!!!

If you haven't donated, and want to, there's still time! Here's the link:
http://main.y-me.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1241&px=2129594

Hanging By A Moment

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose
There's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world
That can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
There is nothing else

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you....

Yay for Lifehouse playing on my way home from work tonight!

Tragedy in Burma

By now you have probably heard about the devastating cyclone that hit Burma (called Myanmar now, but many residents refuse to call it this because it's the ruling military government that changed the name). My close friend, May May, who I work with in the Admissions Office, is from Burma. Specifically she is from Rangoon (which you will see as Yangon in the news reports). Communication is down over much of the country and May May is unable to find anything out about her family. Her cousin is also here in Chicago and was able to get connected for a short conversation and was told that her whole house was destroyed, but that her family was safe. They are saying as many as 10,000 could be dead - and the country has a major lack of food and clean water. Please pray/send good thoughts for May May and her whole family. It is so difficult for her to be here and trying to go on with life as usual, not knowing about her parents and the rest of her family.

I'm back

I'm back...and with nothing interesting to write about.

Well, I guess I did just return from a trip to Vegas with my familia....I think I was punished for rubbing it in to everyone that I was going somewhere warm...only in the 60's really - that's freezing to the Vegas people. haha Pics will have to wait as of course I am too lazy to download them at the moment. :)

Vegas isn't really my favorite place in the world. Nor do I think I would choose to voluntarily go there. However, I go for the good company (and my mom bought my ticket!). My great aunt Nettie is 92 years old, and moves faster than I do. Watching her and my grandma catch up, laugh, argue...there's not much better than that :)

I'm back. And I'm sleepy....

Monday night

"Then again, maybe there are some things worth gambling on."

~more Sex and the City wisdom

2 more days

Current Temp in Chicago: 37 degrees
Current Temp in Vegas: 85 degrees

Forecast for Chicago:
T:46 W:61 Th:66 F:63 S:60

Forecast for Vegas:
T:92 W:83 Th:77 F:82 S:84

Ok, so 60's in Chicago is not so bad, but after 40 over the weekend, and 30's right now....yeah I'll take the 80's and sun in Vegas!

pics

I failed to mention before that my overall time puts me at an average of 12:38 minute miles....yay!

Yeah, I'm proud. I have to be. It's fun to have something that I'm really excited about again, cuz school and work have not been doin' it for me lately! hahaha

Enjoy the pics from the windy morning....

Team photo, Post-Race...we are about to blow away :)

my time

39:07 - not half bad for a girl who's never run 3 miles in her life, right?!!!

in other news, it's so cold that our heat is on :( yay for going to vegas in a few days!

What a day

I DID IT!!!

The 5K today went really well, and I think I may be addicted to racing now :) This morning started out quite dreadful - it was only about 40 degrees when I arrived at the check-in...along with crazy winds. We were soooo cold (I may sound wimpy, but being next to the lake when it's windy and chilly is not really ever anyone's cup of tea), and we were standing outside for about an hour and a half before the race even started. Anyway, the sun finally came out as we started running, and stayed out the whole rest of the day. It's amazing what the sun can do.

I had set a goal for myself of finishing in 45 minutes, based on the fact that Jennifer told me another friend had just finished her very first 5K in about 42 minutes. Let me tell you, nothing beats the adrenaline of running with several thousand other people! I ran for the first 2 miles without stopping, which I've never really done before believe it or not. Then I walked for about 5 minutes, and ran the whole rest. There was a point at about 2.75ish that I so wanted to stop, but I knew the finish line was nearing my line of vision, so I pressed on! It really was incredible. Crossing the finish line I was overcome with emotion and just started sobbing. It was a whole mixture of emotions - seeing all these people who were running for those who had suffered from brain tumors, and knowing I was running for Frank....it was incredibly meaningful and special. Add to that it's the first time I've done anything like this and there you have a sobbing runner :)

But seriously - I think the adrenaline and my heart were racing (no pun intended) when I finished, and that's how my body reacted. I found Jennifer and Elizabeth and hugged and cried some more, and wow. It really was a spiritual experience in a way. Within a few minutes of finishing, I was already thinking "when will I do my next race" - everyone told me once you do one, you are addicted, but I never believed them!

So if you want to start running with me, it sure would be nice to have some running buddies in Chicago :)

I don't know my exact time yet (my dumb stopwatch died during the race). They are going to post it online soon and then I'll put in on here. I will also post some pics once I get them from Jennifer.

Also - Today I reached my fundraising goal of $500!!!!! Thank you to all who supported me, both financially and in many other just as important ways. I am so grateful.

Until next time....

Look out - I'm quotin' the Bible

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
~Hebrews 12:1-2

Funny Commercial

Watch this clip on YouTube - it's only 45 seconds long, and it cracks me up :)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PDnUmE3oucg

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY! PLEASE SEND ME ALL YOUR GOOD VIBES FOR THE RACE!!

YAY

I got a new computer!!!!

Oh freeeeeeeeeeedom

Runnin', runnin', runnin'

Dear Friends,

About a year and a half ago, Frank Slagle, my dear friend's father, passed
away from complications with a brain tumor. With him as my
inspiration, I have decided to take up running, something I've always
wanted to do, but never felt motivated enough. On April 26th, I will
participate in the 3rd Annual Brain Tumor Path to Progress to raise
money for the research programs of the American Brain Tumor
Association....So that means that in just five days I will attempt to
run my very first 5K! My friends, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and their
mother, along with many friends will also be running/walking. We have
formed a team called "Running for Frank."

I am asking you to support my efforts with a donation. You can do
this easily by clicking the link below.

I appreciate any donation you give! As you can tell, this is
time-sensitive, as the race is in just FIVE DAYS! Thank you so much
for considering what you are able to give for this important research.

Here's the link:
http://hope.abta.org/site/TR/ABTAEvent/PathtoProgress?px=1610717&pg=personal&fr_id=1220

To learn more about the American Brain Tumor Association, visit their
website at www.abta.org.

In addition, this Mother's Day, I'm participating in Y-ME's Race to Empower with the Breast Team Ever! I have many friends whose lives are deeply affected by the tragedy of breast cancer. We will be walking on Mother's Day in support of all those affected. To donate to this event, please click here:

http://main.y-me.org/site/TR/MothersDayEvents/MothersDayEvents-Chicago?pg=personal&fr_id=1241&fr_id=1241&px=2129594

Thanks for supporting me in these endeavors!

quote from Lauren

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

This is from The Alchemist, a must-read according to Lauren...yay!

today's song

Should I be embarrassed that I whipped out one of my old Savage Garden albums today? (or should I be more embarrassed that I actually saw them in concert a few years back and LOVED them?!!!). Anyway, this song below was playing in the car on my way home this evening. I had an eventful day that included one of my clients (a teenage mother) finally opening up to me and sharing some heavy stuff. It's a good thing that she trusted me enough to do that, so I feel good about it, but also quite drained from the experience, and worried about her of course.

Overall, though, it was a pretty good day...and emotionally better than the past several days have been...thanks for all your warm & fuzzies sent my way!

Affirmation by Savage Garden

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self-esteem
I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair

I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye