2012 NY Resolutions Recap

All righty - 2013 is nearly here! That means it's time for my annual blog to recap my year's resolutions' success and to announce my resolutions for the upcoming year!

The following are my resolutions for 2012 and their results. (Click here to see the related blog post.)

• pay off another significant chunk of debt - 100% successful! In 2012 I put $15,650 towards debt (and interest...)! In 2011 I paid $11,365 towards debt (and interest...). That puts me at a total of $27,015 of debt (and interest) paid in 24 months! As with last year, my student debt is a monster, so is my car payment since I bought new. Moving twice in May didn't help, but over all the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover method has continued working for me.

• finish in the top 10 of my age group (Women's 19-24) in the Track Shack Running Series (2011-2012) - 100% successful! I placed FOURTH in the series, and that was with entirely missing one of the seven events! Click any of the following to view the event's related blog.
• First
• Second
• Third
• Fifth
• Sixth
• Seventh

• run two half marathons (13.1 miles) and my first full marathon (26.2 miles) - 67% successful! I ran the Beachmania Half Marathon, missed my mark on running a second half marathon, and FINISHED my first full marathon at the Space Coast Marathon. (I know, I have yet to blog the marathon - I'm working on it!)

• earn Bs or better in all of my PSU master's courses (1 in each of the spring, summer, and fall semesters) - 100% successful! I earned an A in the spring, an A in the summer, and a B+ in the fall!

• read 10+ books of the Bible - 0% successful... I haven't read one page of my Bible this year. I'm going to set a smaller but related goal for 2013. Maybe I should shift it to be related to attending church service. I really want to study the Bible, but I'm clearly not making this a priority... I'll have to give this one some thought.

• scrapbook Heidi to the present - 2% successful... Well, another year has come and gone, and I'm not anywhere near having Heidi's scrapbook up to date. I did, however, get 2 pages done in November. That's worth something, but not much.

• make a quilt - 0% successful... This stemmed from an idea to make my parents a quilt for Christmas. Given the multiple moves, a rough summer, and school I totally had no time to devote to making a quilt. I might return to this resolution in 2014 when I'm totally done with my master's degree.

• make a baby boy blanket - 0% successful... This one also stemmed from a gift idea, but I never even picked out the yarn. This one really shouldn't have been made a resolution. My heart wasn't in this one.

• learn to ballroom dance - 100% successful! Yay! After all of those red success rates, here is a great, big green one! I took two 6-week sessions of ballroom dancing at The Longwood Ballroom. Rick, Jennifer, and William - the instructors - are wonderful - just absolutely outstanding! Over the two sessions I learned Foxtrot, East Coast Swing, the Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Tango! I really miss the dances - I think I may make a resolution to attend some ballroom and/or swing dances in 2013.

• continuously train with Heidi (agility, Schutzhund, or otherwise; formally or on my own) - 65% successful! I marked this 65% for a couple of reasons: (1) agility was only in session from January through April and from September through December since it's so hot in Florida in the summertime, and (2) because I didn't practice squat with Heidi over the summer like I should have (even though she retained quite a bit when we returned in September). So, I get credit for this one, but not full credit.

I achieved a 53.4% success rate with my 2012 New Year Resolutions. In 2011 I achieved a 64% success rate, so I'm naturally a little disappointed in myself percentage-wise - BUT! 2012 was a difficult year for me in general and financially, and I accomplished a lot of good things despite that fact - - - which leads me to 2013!

Now for my 2013 New Year Resolutions (in no particular order):

• pay off $15,000+ of debt

• run the Walt Disney World's Donal Duck Half Marathon

• run the Chicago Marathon

• earn a B or better in my final PSU master's course

• graduate my PSU master's program

• graduate my Leadership Development Program

• attend church service at least once a month (attending church service can be substituted with an hour of studying/reading the Bible)

• level up to Level 3 at Dog-On-It Agility

• compete with Heidi in 1+ Dog-On-It Agility trial(s)

• complete 5+ projects that have been on-going for (ahem) years (this could be anything from finishing my Australia puzzle, to using up the fabric purchased for making laptop sleeves, to using up some yarn that I've accumulated, to making my running t-shirt quilt, to puppy bandanas that are practically ready to be sewn)

• compete in 4+ triathlons (can be any distance - will likely compete in the Central Florida Sprint Triathlon Series again)

• read 24+ books (this year my number of books read was considerably low - probably a combined result of reading 3 of the Game of Thrones books (each is approximately 1000 pages) and having a rough year

• do 3+ pages of scrapbooking (doesn't have to be Heidi's scrapbook; it can be my general scrapbook of life)

• keep one weekend of each month deliberately open so that when that weekend arrives I can do whatever I please with no pressure or obligation; this is to help keep my stress levels in check (I've been consciously not over-busying myself since late October, and I've noticed significant benefits; if the month is truly too busy to do this, 2 free weekends must be set for the following month)

• experience the Ultra Music Festival (this is lined up for March!)

• go on a fun hiking trip

Lastly, I came by a neat infographic about New Year's Resolutions on Pinterest. Click here to check it out.

That's it from me for now! I hope 2013 brings you good health and an abundance of joy! Happy New Year!

Pre-Marathon Thoughts

Thoughts on Training:

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Tonight is the eve of my first marathon!

Space Coast Marathon

Sunday, 25 November 2012

26.2 Mile Run

(click here for related blog)

Since last weekend's 10-miler I have taken it very easy. Lots of walking, lots of relaxing, lots of getting excited/nervous for the big race! I did a light run on Tuesday, but that's it.

The neck/back pain from the auto-wreck last Thursday has stayed away (at least for the time being), for which I am tremendously thankful!

No last-minute injuries (whew! I fretted over that one all week. I was so sure I'd trip down a flight of stairs and literally break my leg just before the race).

Monday my right knee started piping up. A light ache on the front-outside of the patella (knee cap). It persisted until Thursday, was absent Friday, but returned today - much to my dismay. However, I wore my running shoes to take Heidi for our long walk, and the pain was completely gone. Maybe it's shoe related? *shrug - so long as it isn't an issue tomorrow.

At least that's the only injury-ish thing I've experienced! That's something for which to be thankful!

Friday I took it easy. Made myself a nice spaghetti dinner to do some carbo-loading. Got good sleep and a large number of hours. Went to the expo today to pick up my packet and meet Bart Yasso! When I learned that he was doing book signings at the expo and speaking as the keynote at the pre-race night dinner (that I opted not to attend), I picked up his book. So far it's pretty amazing! It was a pleasure meeting him, and he left me a great note and his signature in my copy of his book. I'll have to post a picture of the message later, though. The rest of the expo was fun. Everyone was helpful, and I got a cool 26.2 headband/earmuff thing that wicks moisture. I plan to put it to use tomorrow since the temperature will be low enough to warrant some light gloves and ear protection (at least for this transplant Floridian).

I have my race bib and pace bib safety-pinned to my marathon shirt. I have a change of clothes packed. I have some Clif bars and my Hammer Endurolyte powder packed. I have my tag on my running sneakers. I have eaten a satisfying meal (albeit another spaghetti one). I diligently hydrated all day. I relaxed and did some walking with Heidi (it's her 3rd birthday today, by the by!). My race outfit has been set out and is ready to be donned. I think I'm as ready for this marathon thing as I can be!

Looking forward to seeing a few friends at the 24th mile to cheer me on! Stay tuned for photos and a recap of the race! See you on the flip side!

Happy running!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my taper 10-miler (17 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

All right! I've got just a few minutes to make this post; I figured I ought to do it at least BEFORE the race. It's belated, but better late than never, they say.

Last Saturday marked the height of my marathon's taper mileage. I ran 10 miles, and it was great! Thanks to the friends who did some running with me! You guys made those 10 miles such a breeze!

During and afterwards I felt very energized, bouncy, buoyant. I think that means I did my taper properly. My legs were feeling good to go!

Not much more to say than that about that run. = ) Now for a quick pre-marathon post!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my taper 10-miler (17 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

I'm happy to report that I had FIVE friends join me for pieces of my first 20-mile run! Andrew joined me for my first lap around Lake Baldwin, and Oscar ran two quick laps with me - that put me at the 8-mile mark. At this point I drove home to grab Miss Heidi. Then we met up with Kat and did 4 miles around Baldwin Park; this brought me up to 12 miles - 8 to go! I ran out to the lake, then met up with Jenny for the last 5. Another huge thanks to my friends. You made those 20 miles a piece of cake.

Somehow 20 miles was easier than last weekend's 18. Not sure why: I got about the same amount of sleep, fueled up about the same, hydrated about the same. *shrug

I am getting pretty excited about my first full marathon. A fellow by the name of Bart Yasso is the keynote speaker at the Expo's Pre-Race Dinner. Mr. Yasso is a huge name in the running world, apparently. I'm surprised I'd not come by his name until I was reading through the marathon's website to get prepped for the race. Anyway, I'm not going to the dinner, but he'll be at the Expo the day before the race to sign copies of his book. I bought one today and aim to read it between now and the race (sorry, Cloud Atlas: bit of a time crunch on this one). He was practically begged to write a book containing his crazy running stories and experiences. I mean, this guy has done marathons on every continent. That's impressive, and I want to know more.

Aside from buying a book about running I also started a new list (I do love lists). This list is all about stuff I need to do in order to fully prepare myself for this marathon. It's not a complete list, and maybe never will be, but I'll probably blog it after the race as a guide to others interested in running a marathon.

Yesterday officially kicked off my tapering for the race. Yesterday I walked around like an old gorilla because the backs of my knees were killing me (due to my going out in 4-inch heels, not all the running - I know, I'm an idiot). I walked for a while with Heidi, and that made a big difference. Today I was all back to normal. No aches or pains. I am telling you, Hammer's Endurolytes are flat out amazing. Back to the tapering stuff! I'll do some cross-training and a couple light runs through the week, a 10-miler on Saturday (easy peasy compared to that 20-miler), and then it's race weekend! Yay!

17 NOV - 10 miles
24 NOV - rest for day before my first full marathon!

Bad news bears... The Color Run 5K has been rescheduled to the WDW Marathon Weekend, so I'm not longer planning to participate. I'm all Mickey that weekend. Sorry color. I still love you.

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my my first 20-miler (10 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler (3 NOV).

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler (28 OCT).

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

Last weekend's long run (18 miles) was an interesting one, but I had great company the whole way, and for that I'm so thankful! Miss Heidi joined me for the first 3 miles, I did a lap (2.5 miles) with Kat (it was great catching up with her), 9 miles with Scott (he's a life saver, that one), and I wrapped up the last 3.5 miles with Miss Heidi (she got a workout on Saturday, for sure). A special thank you to Kat and Scott (and you, too, Heidi, even though you can't read). (I must confess something... that last set with Heidi... I didn't run it - I didn't even jog it - but I DID it by walking, and I'm okay with that.)

So, I said it was an "interesting one" because it was the first long run that really tested my dedication to this marathon training. I thought I'd have hit that wall so much sooner, and I'm happy that I held out as long as I did: I made it to just 3 weeks out from the race before I found myself starting to waver! I think this is largely due to my being of the very dedicated variety. When I dedicate myself to something, I put a plan together, and I attack it. I just do it. I like working through processes, working step-by-step (no pun intended here). So, when I decided to do this marathon, I put a training plan together, and have been executing it. Sure, the earlier portion of the training was a little flimsy, but for the last 2 months I've been very focused. In only 1 week of the last 6 have I deviated more than 3 miles from the plan for my long runs.

Anyway, I mention all of this to say that despite my tendency to be seemingly excessively dedicated, it was during this run that I found myself bouncing back and forth between doing my full 18 miles or not. It was during this run that I found myself questioning my decision to run a marathon. "Why am I sacrificing 3-5 hours of my Saturday mornings to move my body across this earth? Why am I doing this, again?"

It was during miles 12-16 that really challenged my stamina. It was a challenge to my stamina both mentally and physically, but, honestly, it's so much more mental than physical. If I don't push myself, then, physically (assuming proper hydration and energy supplements), I feel like I could run like Forest: just run and run and run. But it's a head game, you see: "sure, you can run all these miles, but will you?" It's like there's a devil sneaking up behind you when you're vulnerable, and it whispers all sorts of reasons as to why you should just quit now, and, if you do quit, if you let the devil win, then you are forced to watch your potential success float away on a cloud of guilt disguised as relief. It's the regret of having sold yourself short.

Upon reflection, and even during the run, it was quite funny to see myself ping-ponging in my determination to complete the run. I'm sure Scott got a kick out of it, listening to me banter with myself, going from "this is going to be the last lap; I'm done after this one" to "no, I really need to do the full 18 miles. I really do want to do them. I'm gonna do them" and back again to "want to do just one more lap after this, then call it a wrap?" to the right decision of "okay, I'm going to do these miles - all of them. I want this". Yes, I walked the last 3 or so miles, but I did all 18 that day. And, ya know what? I'm really proud of myself: I did 18 miles - my longest distance ran to date. That's kind of impressive, isn't it?

Something I realized over the weekend: Lake Baldwin and I, we are very well acquainted. We spend a lot of time together. There were only 2 points during the run where I thought, "gosh, I'm sick of this loop," but, really, I love it. I love the scenery, the water, the people out and about with their dogs and/or kids... I'm really happy that I moved from Waterford Lakes to Baldwin Park. I enjoy running in this area of town. I think I would have sipped on some cyanide juice if I had to run so many miles on my Waterford Lakes Town Center Loop!

Oh, my goodness! The Space Coast Marathon is just 3 weeks away!

My next long run is the big one. It's the run where I will peak in my mileage. This Saturday I'll be hoofing it for 20 miles. I'm planning to do an average of 5 miles/hour so I am done within 4 hours. That's being optimistic (it took me 4.5 hours to do last weekends 18 miles - but I putzed around for a good bit of it, too), but if I stick to my plan, I should be just fine. I've already got a Facebook event going to coordinate running buddies, though I have a feeling this one will mostly be myself out there. But that's okay; I like running with just myself.

The run after this weekend will be a tapered run of "just" 10 miles. You know you're a runner when you say "just" 10 miles. Heh. Look at me now, Anderson Highland High School Cross Country Team of 2003-2004! Boom, baby!

10 NOV - 20 miles
17 NOV - 10 miles
24 NOV - rest for day before my first full marathon!

Below you can see a list of previous training updates, upcoming races, and three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

***EDIT***

I just want to say that I am SO thankful that I have been totally injury free during this training. I seriously attribute it to my Brooks shoes. A stellar pair of running shoes (that aren't overused) does so much to ward off injury. Yay for no injuries! Now, pray that it stays that way. = )

***EDIT***

Previous Training Updates:

Click here to view the post about my training up to the week before this blog's 18-miler.

Click here to view the post about my training through my first 15-miler.

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

Last week I posted a blog about my training up to that first 15-miler, 2 weekends ago. Click here to view the post.

Last weekend's run wasn't what I'd had planned, but it wasn't bad either. I was supposed to increase my long run mileage from 15 to 18, but with ramping up for several weekends in a row I decided that it'd be okay if I only did 15.

It was a great run company-wise! For the first 5 miles I had 3 friends from work join me, and for the 2nd 5 miles I had a book club friend join me. Trouble is, my pace dropped from ~10:00 minutes/mile to ~8:00 minutes/mile between the two 5 mile sets. I was struggling to keep pace on that 2nd 5 mile set, and decided that I ought to stop at 10 miles rather than risk injuring myself - my knees were already whining and moaning. So, the distance wasn't what I'd planned/needed (though certainly better than nothing at all), but the unexpected speed was a nice change of pace (heh, see what I did there?).

Tomorrow I have another long run slated. I am so blessed to have friends who would spend a portion of their Saturday morning running with me! I already have at least one friend to run with me for 7/8 of the half hour chunks! Their companionship on these runs really makes a huge difference! The time passes more quickly and it's so much more fun!

Since it's November I guess it's okay to start counting down to the Space Coast Marathon! It's less than a month away now! 23 days to go!

3 NOV - 18 miles
10 NOV - 22 miles
17 NOV - 15 miles
24 NOV - day before my first full marathon!

I've deviated from my original plan for mileage, so I'm kind of winging it at this point. If you're a veteran marathoner and have a suggestion to the above mileage plan, please do let me know! I'd love to hear your feedback!

Below you can see what races I have lined up. Clearly I've switched from sprint triathlon mode to long-distance running mode. I've also provided three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Training Update

Thoughts on Training:

These last several weeks I've been really digging into training for my first full marathon. I have been studying Jeff Galloway's marathon attack method (walk a minute per mile on the long runs and during the race), and it is working for me. I am not at all struggling with the mileage, which is getting up there: this weekend I'm slated to crank out 18 miles. That will be 3 more miles further than my farthest distance ran in one session, which would be last week's 15 miles. Although I'm considering just doing 15 since I've been ramping my mileage up each weekend for several weeks. I could use a week off from incrementing mileage.

I know, you're thinking, "Jesus! 15 miles?! How on earth?!" My response: dedication, consistency, and time management skills are the only tools required. I honestly believe anyone can do this heavy training if they really want to do so.

And then you're thinking, "Well, wasn't running 15 miles just awful?" My response: actually, no! In fact, last weekend's 15 miles were significantly better than the previous weekend's 12 miles. (The 12 miler had better company, but the 15 miler was physically much better because I got sufficient rest, ate something beforehand (duh), and the weather was more kind.)

And for those who think running is the worst, let me just say that I used to be right there with you. As a competitive swimmer for 7 years, running did not come to me easily. Not at all. I loathed running, but when I joined the cross country team in my senior year of high school it led me to triathlon in college, and that was when I started to realize how wonderful running can be. It squeezes into our busy schedules easily, it is one of the best ways to improve and maintain overall health, there are ample events to participate in, and the running community is one of the best there is.

Below you can see what races I have lined up. Clearly I've switched from sprint triathlon mode to long-distance running mode. I've also provided three of my Pinterest boards that you might enjoy.

Happy running!

Upcoming Races:

• Space Coast Marathon - Sunday, 25 November 2012 - 26.2 Mile Run (click here for related blog)
• The Color Run - Sunday, 2 December 2012 - 5K/3.1 Mile Run
• Walt Disney World's Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 January 2013

Pinterest Boards of Interest:

    

Click here to view the Fitness board.

Click here to view the Favorite Training Stuff board.

 

Click here to view the My Races board.

Space Coast Marathon



It's official! I'm registered for my first FULL marathon! I'll be running 26.2 miles on Sunday, 25 November 2012 in Cocoa, Florida for the Space Coast Marathon!

I think this is perfect timing because I'll be running 26 miles at age 26! = )

My best half marathon time is 1:56'56", so I'm hoping to finish this full marathon just over double my half marathon time: somewhere around 4:15'00". However, my real goal is just to finish and have fun along the way.

Over the next few weeks I'll switch gears from sprint triathlon training to the Jeff Galloway marathon training plan (I have been reading his book called "Marathon: You Can Do It!"). 99 days until the big day!!!Be sure to let me know if you'll be at the race - I'd love to meet up with you at some point during the event!

If you're interested in participating in the full or half marathon, register here and be sure to apply one of the following

registration discount codes:

SCMDAYTONA - $10.00 off Marathon registration
SCHDAYTONA - $5.00 off Half Marathon registration

2012 New Year Resolutions

It's the time of year where we all think of what we'd like to accomplish in the coming year. I'll share my 2012 resolutions in a moment; first I'd like to see how I did with my 2011 resolutions (click here to read the related blog post).


2011 Resolutions and status:

• spend less time surfing Facebook - 100% successful! I'm happy with how I've reduced the amount of time I spend on the social networking site.
• pay of a significant chunk of my student loans - 100% successful! Well, sort of. Since February 2011 I've paid off $11,365 in debt. My student loans went on hold since I'm working towards my master's degree. So while I didn't do anything with my student debt, I did work wonders my other debts! As I've said before, many thanks to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover book!
• run 525 miles by Saturday, 31 December 2011 - 82.5% successful. To date I've run 432.92 in 2011. I'm just over 100 miles from my goal, but I think I did fair considering I had a majorly stressful time in May and that I pulled my back in November.
• earn B or better in all my PSU master's courses (2 in the spring semester, 2 over the summer, and another 2 in the fall) - 100% successful! I earned all As this year!
• read the Bible (or at least several books; will be difficult with all the master's work) - 100% unsuccessful. I briefly joined a Bible study group but school sort of got in the way. I'm going to work really hard in 2012 to make reading the Bible the priority I'd like it to be.
• catch up and keep up with my scrapbook for Heidi (I'm behind by about 12 months, heh) - 100% unsuccessful. I'm now behind 24 months! I have lots of pages ready to be pasted together and even more photos ready to be scrapbooked. I really need to make it a weekly thing where I sit down for a couple of hours and work at this.

So I didn't do so terribly. I achieved a 64% success rate with my 2011 New Year Resolutions.

And now, for my 2012 New Year Resolutions!

• Pay of another significant chunk of debt.
• Finish in the Top 10 of my age group (Women's 19-24) in the Track Shack Running Series (2011-2012).
• Run two half marathons (13.1 miles) and my first full marathon (26.2 miles); it will be okay if I do the full marathon in January 2013 since that's when the Disney Marathons take place.
• Earn Bs or better in all of my PSU master's courses (1 in the spring semester, 1 over the summer, and another 1 in the fall)
• Read 10+ books of the Bible.
• Scrapbook Heidi to the present.
• Make a quilt.
• Make a boy baby blanket.
• Learn to ballroom dance.
• Continuously train with Heidi be it agility, Schutzhund or otherwise; formally or on my own.

That said...

I am the Therapist

As I was clearing out some old draft blogs I came across this. I don't know when I first made the draft, but it was sometime during the year 2009.

---------

The black hole of a sky is pouring rain. She is desperately stumbling through the middle of the street in one high heel; she seems to have physically and mentally abandoned the other of the pair. Clutched in her grasp is a tattered and soaking shoe box; with white knuckles she holds the box at the corners, as if she's trying to force the length of it through her core. Her mascara is almost all washed away, her hair is a rat's nest. Her shirt slumps off to the side of one shoulder. Everything is gray. Almost tripping, she finally reaches a man. A man in a black suit - a professional - carries an umbrella too small to share... not that there's any reason to share one with this woman who approaches him frantically. With a wild grip on the box, she thrusts it towards his face, "please tell me where I can find this person! I must know where I can find this doctor!" At first the man flashes a most curious, scared, unbelieving expression, and then it's gone. Replaced by the face of a man who knows what he's doing. The man exchanges his briefcase to the same hand which holds the umbrella. With his free hand he firmly, but gently, holds the woman's left arm. He looks her straight in the eyes and says, "Ma'am, it's written here, on this shoe box lid, that that YOU are the therapist." And with that he let her arm free, returned his briefcase to his right hand, and walked away in a purposeful manner, as if he had not even stopped for the woman. She didn't turn to watch him walk away. She didn't collapse on the spot. Instead she just looked down at the box. Disbelief. The distant entertainment of the truth in the statement "I am the Therapist." She just stared at the words on the box until the sky fell away.

---------

I just had a dream that was of the story told above. When she reads the lid of the shoe box, I was suddenly her, and I felt heavy. Something significant came with that realization of "I am the Therapist," but I don't know what it was. I don't know what to make of the dream. I keep wanting to put the dream towards something religious and having to do with faith. I was scared to type up the story; I got one sentence of the dream typed before I realized I was scared. But why? What am I scared of? Why did this dream leave such an impression on me that I felt a moving desire to record it in the form of a short story? Will I transfer this blog entry (draft) to a journal entry or make it a public blog entry. Sometimes I hate the question "why."

3 LM Women Execs in Fortune Top 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen

Three of Lockheed Martin's top executives have been named in FORTUNE magazine's annual list of the top 50 leading businesswomen in America.

Appearing in its Oct. 17 issue, the FORTUNE "Most Powerful Women in Business" rankings include Marillyn Hewson, Executive Vice President of Electronic Systems at No. 27; Joanne Maguire, Executive Vice President of Space Systems at No. 29; and Linda Gooden, Executive Vice President of Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) at No. 33.

Staying in Orlando

You may have heard by now that I am no longer moving to Denver, CO. No particular thing led me to the decision to remain in Orlando, FL, but I did come to the realization that now isn't the right time. So, I'm staying in Orlando at least until I complete my masters degree, which will be in 2013.

So, if you're planning a visit to central Florida, please do let me know! I love to visit with family and friends!

Woman in Technology

My friend, Sam, shared an article with me called "Woman in Technology." Here is the link. In the article Nicole Sullivan-Haas writes about women in male-dominated fields. I particularly liked that she pointed out how women are the assistants:

I mean, just take a look at the fastest growing careers for women. We are veterinary technicians not veterinarians, dental assistants not dentists, medical assistants not doctors. We like to believe we have evolved, but the data speaks to something else. 

I can definitely relate as I was the only female in my class at Purdue University (out of about 60 students). I wanted to share this especially as some folks have asked me about my being a woman in engineering lately.

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month!



Heidi & I at the Waterford Lake Dog Park, Summer 2010


If you have been bouncing around the idea of adopting a dog, I want to take this opportunity to give you a nudge in the direction of doing it! Dogs make great companions, and you will quickly find that you are very happy when your puppy is happy. Getting Heidi has been one of my life's biggest joys. She's my baby, and I love her so much. I love knowing that when I put the key in the door she will stop whatever she's doing and come to the door to give me a warm greeting.

Here are some things I thought heavily on before I got Heidi:

• Can I afford a dog? Owning a dog is expensive in the first year with all the vaccinations, health checks, puppy food, toys, etc. After the first year the costs drop considerably, but you'll need to make sure you can afford to properly support your puppy financially for the span of its life beforehand.
• Do I have time for a dog? Dogs require a lot of attention. They have specific needs and things can quickly go down-hill if these needs aren't satisfied. For example, a dog needs to be outside to relieve himself 2-3 times a day at the minimum; MANY more times a day when he is a puppy and still potty training. By the way, by about 4 months the puppy should be potty trained; at least that's how long it was until Heidi had it down pat. She's almost 11-months-old now and has had just a few accidents inside the apartment.
• Why do I want a dog? So many reasons! Not in any order, here are some reasons that made me want a dog: protection for a young, single, white female, companionship, something to nurture, tend after, and love on (Ashes is great, but dogs are so much different than cats in this respect). The biggest reason for me was companionship.
• Can my living environment handle a dog? Be sure to take into account your home and whether it would be a good fit for a dog. German Shepherds make for great apartment dogs, so that's worked out well. On top of that, I make sure to socialize and exercise Heidi a lot since her breed needs that to stay happy and healthy. If I didn't work with Heidi and just kept her holed up in the apartment, she wouldn't make for a very good apartment dog, so keep this aspect of owning a dog and breeds in mind.
• What if the dog destroys everything in my home? This is part of the deal, especially with puppies. I made sure to keep valuables out of Heidi's reach, and so she didn't have a lot of opportunity to destroy things. To date she's only ruined a yoga mat, a broom stick, a hand towel and one pair of shoes. Not always such a happy scenario for other dog owners, but it's possible if you take the time to pick up after yourself. There are a ton of techniques and sprays which help with this. Potty training is another area where you have to accept that there will be messes. Just keep reminding yourself that it doesn't last forever. Exercise and socialization are huge ways to ward off a dog's destructive chewing nature. When they are stimulated in healthy ways they won't feel the need to go relieve some stress by chomping on your Minolos.

Besides! Against the tricky questions and situations mentioned above, there are so many benefits to having a dog! The list is really endless - from health benefits to making friends at the dog parks - they have huge potential to supplement your life. Heidi is the apple of my eye! I thank God every day for her being a part of my world.

If you have any questions about owning a dog, please don't hesitate to ask me! I would love to help you in your decision about whether adopting a dog is right for you. For more information, go here!

Woof!

Amanda

Chucky is a Sailor

Daddy, Chucky, Mom & Sam

Over the weekend my brother, Chucky, graduated Navy BASIC and is now a Navy Sailor! He is our family's second generation Sailor. We're all quite proud of him! Although, I am really sulky that I wasn't able to join the family for the ceremony and weekend visit. As I looked through the photos I almost started crying. Anyway, Chucky leaves for NAVY Pre-BUDS next week. I can't wait to recieve another letter from him! Congratulations, Chuggy!

My beautiful parents

Grandma & Grandpa with the boys

A Walk in the Woods

I freaking loved this book!

I read another of Bill Bryson's travelogues, In a Sunburned Country (about Australia), last year - a favorite!

No further along in the book than the very first page I'd already made up my mind that someday I will hike a portion of the AT. This was my favorite take-away from the book.

The book club discussion was tons of fun. Bryson provides a lot of information to ponder and funny anecdotes to relate to and laugh at. Katz is hilarious.

Mom is borrowing this book right now, so I can't flip through the pages to do any quotes or comment at length on a specific passage. Lesson learned for me: Mom likes books about places and experiencing those places.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys travel, learning about places (i.e., The US), going places, nature, and the great outdoors. It's also good if you like general humor because Bryson is a funny fellow.

PS - I think the two creatures were fox.

Website

Team Rodent

Team Rodent, in short:

Team Rodent is a non-fiction book written by Carl Hiaasen about the Walt Disney Company and its stance towards the outside world. The book's primary focus is on non-film related Disney enterprises such as Disney World and their effects on the environment and local culture. (Taken from Wikipedia's article on the book.)

My friend, Matt, a Floridian, loaned me this interesting book about the famous mouse. It was a straight-forward way of looking at the dreamy corporation where no wrong can occur. Turns out wrong does occur for Disney, and Hiaasen points out various examples. If Disney does wrong, someone complains or files against Disney and pushes hard enough, Disney will usually write a check and be done with it. I don't recall Disney ever really having admitted fault by Hiaasen's accounts.

It makes for something interesting to think about, how Disney affects everyone. You don't have to go to the park and pose with Pluto to interact with Disney; all you have to do is watch Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost or Dancing with the Stars. Disney owns ABC. Unless you're a non-TV watcher like me, I bet I just touched on everyone who reads my blog.

It's pretty absurd the lengths that Disney goes through, legally and politically, to keep it's happy, perfect, Mickey Mouse with a spotless reputation.

Personally, I'm kind of torn. I grew up watching Disney movies - The Classics, at that, and those were some darned good cartoon full-length movies for children. That being said, I feel like I'm being duped if I'm a fan of Disney. Disney is pretty sneaky. Now I'm in on a lot of dirty details about Disney that the vast majority of the public isn't even slightly aware of because of how swiftly Disney cleans up afterwards.

Disney is a hungry beast. I think any Orlando resident - probably any Florida resident - can tell you that Disney affects the world in big ways.

Anyway, interesting read for sure, especially if you live in Orlando.

Wikipedia Article

The Last Lecture

My favorite class in college was Change Management. It's a pretty unappealing class title given that most everyone fears change and management sounds mundane. The professor made all the difference. Why? He cared. I think he realized that people needed to be taught how to cope with change, and so teaching this class was his way of making a difference in the world, one Purdue student at a time. He certainly made a difference in my life. (By the way, his name is Al Crispo. Here is his Purdue faculty biography.)

Another professor who has changed the lives of many on a much larger scale was Randy Pausch. I first hear of Randy in my Change Management class. My professor gave us a "movie day," and we were drawn in to Randy's story. Basically Randy lived a pretty great life even through finding out he had terminal cancer. He found a way to tell his story, his life lessons, his wisdom in the face of death to colleagues, students current and past, and even his three young children through his Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon. I'm not going to try to cover all that he does in the video, but I urge you to take the time to watch it sometime. It will inspire you to shoot for the moon; even if you miss you will land among the stars.

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch

A while after seeing Randy's video I learned that he had made the lecture into book format. I am reading the book now, and it is excellent. It is a handbook for success and happiness, really, two things which make for a pretty nice life.

I am not going to do a book review past this entry as I've already covered what I would like to cover on this lecture and book. Except that I have great admiration for Randy: he was able to take the worst possible news (you're going to die soon) and better the world with that news; that is remarkable grace. Anyway, this book is one of those books I feel every person ought to read.

-Amanda

Heidi

On Saturday, 30 January 2010 I picked up Heidi, my German Shepherd Dog puppy! I bought her from Yuliya & Chad of Kennels von Lotta in Atlanta. It was a day filled with driving (7 hours, one way), but it was entirely worth it - plus I had a driving buddy on the way home! She did very well in the car! Here I am with Heidi, posing for our first photo:



I got back to Orlando at about 5 AM. (Thanks to Jordan for chatting on the phone to keep me awake towards the end.) When I first walked into my apartment, Ashes was waiting for me, like usual, but this time he did a full-body double-take when he saw who was with me! It was very interesting watching them say hello for the first time. I hate my hair in this photo, but Ashes' and Heidi's expressions are priceless here in their first photo together:



Here's an adorable photo of Heidi playing in the lawn outside my apartment:



Sunday afternoon I took Heidi to the vet for her 72-hour check after bringing her home from the breeder. This visit was her first to see other puppies and dogs outside of her family. She was timid around others her size, but warmed up to them after a few moments. Around large dogs she was always ducking around my feet; she's so cute. No matter the size of the person, though, she is super friendly, always giving kisses to their hands when they reach to pet her. Here's a photo of Heidi with a little girl and her mom:



Her vet check went well. The vet said she was in perfect health with the exception of a minor yeast ear infection. I am treating it, and so far her little ear is doing great. It's good that I have to clean and medicate her ear twice a day because it gets her used to me messing with her ears. I'm also making sure to play with her paws a lot so she doesn't mind when I have to clip her toe nails. I think down the road vets will appreciate her being used to these sorts of things.

She weighed 7.8 pounds the Sunday, 31 January I brought her home. This past Saturday, 6 February she had jumped up to 12.8 pounds. She's growing quickly! I found a German Shepherd Dog puppy growth chart, and, according to the chart, she is expected to reach 16 pounds in two weeks.

Speaking of keeping her tidied up, Wednesday night I gave Heidi her first bath! First I set her in the tub on a towel so she wouldn't slip around (dogs hate that feeling). Then I trickled some water from the faucet. She like it and lapped some up. Then I turned the water on a little stronger; she was okay with this. Next I turned the water on to reach a luke-warm temperature and she decided that was her cue to figure out how to escape the confines of the tub. She didn't enjoy the bath terribly, but she permitted me to lather her up and rinser her off so long as I was half-hugging her during the process. She smelled so nice afterwards! Here's a picture of her partially wet and trying to hop out of the tub:



Yesterday marked Heidi's first day of high energy levels. She has gotten used to her new home and environment, and now she's comfortable to romp and play around. She tries to get Ashes to play with her but he mostly refuses her. Yesterday was the first day she sought out to play with other pups and dogs on their walks. Before I would have to coax her over to the others. She's doing so well in socializing with other canines!

She has also taken a great interest chewing whatever I allow her to chew. She found my slippers on Monday, but I've been saying "no" whenever she gets near them or any other shoes by the front door. She seems to be learning that shoes are off-limits (at least while I'm around). Instead of shoes I've been teaching her that it's okay for her to chew on her toys. Here she is chowing down on Mr. Hippo:



View Heidi's photos albums!

Album One (Day 1-3)
Album Two (Day 3-present)

View videos of Heidi here! That link will take you to the first on my YouTube "Heidi" playlist; from there you can view other videos of Heidi (on the right-hand-side).

Someone planning to buy a puppy from Kennels von Lotta made a comment on one of my videos of Heidi, and that led me to seeing some videos that Yuliya had on YouTube. Here is a video of Kennels von Lotta's "E Litter." Heidi is from the "J Litter," but I'm sure she romped, ate and nursed just like the pups in the video.

Heidi's registered name is Johanna Adelheid von Lotta. von Lotta is the Kennel name; that part always goes last. I chose Johanna for several reasons: Heidi is from von Lotta's "J Litter" (most breeders name their litters a letter of the alphabet), so I wanted a name that started with "J." "Johanna" is a German female name. The meaning of the name "Johanna" is "God is gracious."

Before I chose her registered name I had my heart set on the call name of "Heidi." I chose "Adelheid" because it is a variant of the name "Heidi," plus it is also a German female name. "Adelheid" means "noble and kind;" perfectly matching to the character of German Shepherd Dogs.

Heidi was only 9.5 weeks old when I picked her up over the weekend. She only weighed 7.8 pounds when we were at the vet; she's all fluff!

I've been learning a lot about properly caring for a dog, especially such a young one. I am crate training her to help with potty-training, manners and behavior. She has her good days and some bad days where she'll make a mess, but she's learning. Heidi and Ashes get along famously for a cat and puppy! Ashes gives off an "I'm only tolerating her" attitude, but I know he secretly is very happy to have a friend in the home while I'm away. Besides, she's a furry ball of love!

If you have any tips for owning a puppy/dog/German Shepherd Dog, feel free to leave a comment! = )

Cheers,

Amanda