Much ado about Neighbors

I am going to the gym twice a day now. I really rather enjoy it. Honestly, I can't say I go twice a day, everyday, however, I can say that majority of my free time is now spent at the gym!

Why on earth would you spend so much free time there!! you ask??

It's simple.

My downstairs neighbors are loud. Not just noisy, but L.O.U.D.

For example; yesterday, I come in from Calera in the evening around 9. I live in a predominately quiet area, until you get to my front door. I run up the stairs, slide in my key. Somebody sure is thumpin'! I think. Open the door, flip on the light and realize, Oh, that's my neighbor!

Currently, they are watching a montage of music videos. I just heard some Johnny Cash. Right now, it's a heavy metal song I haven't ID'd yet.

Why haven't you don't something about this??! Oh the craziness of that idea! If I had money for every time I've called the police on them and they still not turn the volume down, I wouldn't have to work anymore. And the landlord? She has sent letters and made phonecalls.

Why can't they get the point?? I think they are now turning things up out of spite! If I hadn't of already called the police on them a few hundred times, I might take initiative to knock on their door and say, "Turn that down!!" Instead, I spend most of my evenings at the gym so by the time I get home, they are already in bed asleep!!

It hasn't been all that bad, though...Right...The other night they had a party. I think it was a Mardi Gras party. Several of their friends came over and they sang karaoke till midnight! It was a great time had by all! Especially when I was in my room on the other end of my apartment and they were still in the living room singing Pearl Jam for the 8th time. Did you know drunk men tend to sing the same song over and over again?? I didn't! And the following night, they listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which is my favorite Pink Floyd album - seriously! So that night wasn't too awfully bad.

It's nights like right now where I wish I could be like Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men and take a remote to their window and turn down their TV and stereo...

So I got shot in the ass the other day...

I have a new theory. I'm sure several people nationally, globally, even universally share this theory with me. 

I had Laryngitis this week. Well, actually, it started a week ago today, the day before the race. I have been squeaking everywhere!

Tuesday, I had a day off from work. That morning, I squeaked to the doctor's office and held up my notepad. 

"I have no voice," it read.

The nurse behind the counter peered up at me like a librarian trying to see above her reading glasses. She was trying not to laugh but couldn't help it. By Tuesday, I was a little irritated. I'd been going around with a notepad for three days and it's not always the best way to get some one's attention. So to say I was slightly annoyed when she answered the phone instead of handing me the insurance forms to fill out would be polite.

"I made an appointment?" I wrote down. She just nodded her head and handed me the clipboard. 

I sighed and took a seat in the waiting room. It was filled with a plethora of people. This was my second visit to this doctor's office. The first time was three years ago, for the same problem. Think I should have my tonsils taken out? The room hadn't changed a bit. It was the same grouping of chairs, positioned against the same blue walls. The chairs lined the walls and the entrance as if to divide the room in to two groups: the sick and the non-sick. 

After several minutes of being forced FoxNews and how terrible our economy is (bullshit!), I finally heard my name called to the back.

Following the same procedures as last time, and using my trusty notepad, I told the doctor what was ailing me. He called for the xray, a shot in my ass, some cough syrup and some antibiotics.

He also asked me if I'd ever broken my nose.

"No," I wrote down.

"Are you sure?"

I looked at him puzzled. "I think I would remember that..." I jotted down quickly. "Why?"

"Oh, cause you're nose is crooked," answer the ENT Dr. like it was no big deal. He pulled up the xray and flipped the switch. His pen flew up to where my nostrils were printed on the film. "See, you're nose leans to the left."

I came here because I lost my voice! "And?" I mouthed out.

He shrugged, "No, biggie, just curious."

He wrote down the Rx's and handed them to me. Then he quickly pulled out a second sheet of paper that mimicked the Rx form. It was the same shape, font and style.

"Now you know, with this antibiotic, there is a strong chance you'll have some 'feminine issues'?" he asked.

I shook my head. I didn't understand where he was going.

"Just make sure you eat plenty of yogurt, take your vitamins and drink you're orange juice." He handed me the second sheet and I quickly glanced to the point of his warning. The word "yeast" jumped off the page.

This is where the theory comes in to play: Explain to me how an antibiotic prescribed to treat and 'infection' can cause an 'infection'?????????

I stumped you didn't I???

P.S.

I never saw the balloon lady!

How did I do?

So the race was Sunday.

It was awesome! That was one of the best experiences of my life and I will definately be participating in another half, maybe a full marathon, the future!!

My finish time was actually faster than I thought, 2:32:20. In women 25-29, I finished 214, overall I finished 2294 (that's out of 2954 people), I finished 1,040 out of all women and ranked 214 for my first half-marathon.

There were so many people! I don't think I've ever seen that many people before in my life! I was running down one street and watching a herd of people run down another street a few blocks away from me, meanwhile, there is still a huge mass of people behind me! It was I.N.S.A.N.E!!!!

My favorite part was the two women playing "Eye of the Tiger" under the train tracks on there accordian. Oh, and the runner in the too-too. They were great!

Rattling Nerves

The race is Sunday! I'm so nervous!

I'm so excited at the same time! I can't believe it's already here!!

I've finished all the training and right now I'm tapering so the only thing I have left to do is run 13.1 miles!

I'm still dealing with some life changing events right now so I can't tell you how good this race has ended up being for me. It's really helped me through a difficult time in my life right now. I really don't care to go into any further detail about my life - eventhough this blog is about my personal life. But believe me, there are some funny stories going on right now that I will be able to laugh about until my sides hurt! I'm just not ready to discuss it, yet, and quite frankly, I'm not sure when I will be ready. Just pray for me! And pray I don't get injured this weekend!

I'm so excited! I hope I don't get stuck behind the balloon lady!

Pray for me

I am doing something new and different.

Something I have never done before.

I am trying something that means binding of the chest area.

I am going to try Jiu-Jitsu. Oh, yeah, baby! Don't mess with me!

Pray I don't break anything. The race is in less than two weeks! And I have a perpetual foot cramp. I'm getting very nervous! But I'm excited about learning how to kick your ass!!

The Angels Obey His Word

Today's Scripture

"Praise the LORD, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His Word" (Psalm 103:20, NIV).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Did you know that when you speak words of faith, angels are commissioned to move on your behalf? The Scripture tells us that God gives His angels charge over us. That means, when God hears you declaring His Word, He says to the angels, "Do you hear what my child is saying? They are speaking faith. Angels, I have an assignment for you. Go down there and begin to turn the situation around." And the angels obey His Word!

If we could pull back the curtain on the unseen spiritual realm, we would see a host of angels and heavenly beings watching over us. That´s why it´s so important to guard what we say because with our words we either open a door for God and His angels to move on our behalf, or we open a door for the enemy and the forces of darkness.

Make the decision today to only speak words of faith and life over you, your home, and your family. Declare God´s Word and His promises and let your words set the angels into motion to help you fulfill the destiny God has planned for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, thank You for calling and equipping me. Thank You for giving Your angels charge over me to protect and guide me. I will declare Your Word over my life and choose to honor You in all I do. In Jesus´ Name. Amen.

A first for all women everywhere

I got a new pair of jeans!

I got a smaller pair of jeans!

I feel like the girl in the yoplait commercials, "Yeah, I need you to take these in."

The best part was the record timing and fittings!

I took a tissue. I don't do well buying clothes. Typically, on any given clothes shopping experience, I leave crying. I hate trying on clothes and flourescents lights are evil. Just evil!

I went to the juniors section first to see if size "Whale" had become available yet. It has!! And the size "Whale" were on size, too! It was great. I got several pair to try on in the fitting rooms. I made it to the fitting rooms, prepping myself for a few tears and didn't cry! It was great. The first pair set the evening, though.

I slide them on, zip them up and did the sit test. You know, the test where you sit down in the fitting room to make sure that you don't show ass crack everywhere you go? Yeah, all the pants I brought F.A.I.L.E.D!! I really didn't even have to sit. They pants didn't make it above the crack. Who thinks that low is cute?! How do you sit? No wonder they were on sale!

So I leave those in the room, walk out, think about leaving but decide to try one more pair. A different cut but not waist high.

I walked back in, pulled them up and then the angels sang.

I found a new pair of jeans in two fittings and in under thirty minutes!

Top that!

It's not that I don't care

It's been over a week since my last post. Just so you know, I've not run out of material, I've run out of time!

I am headed to the small town of Cullman here shortly. It will be a great evening. I also have several stories I would love to share with you! One about having 152 different servers when I went to get sushi last night and another about the little girl who repetitively stabbed me with my own pen, even after I broke it. I need to be tested for poisoning!

I'm looking forward to my little excursion. It's more like a mini-break for me; a time for reflection - gag me. All of us need a little escape now and again. I'm just escaping a hundred miles north to a bowling alley to get my ass kicked!

In a small town in Alabama

Got a text from husband tonight: Going to Stephen's.

Me: Again?

That's two weeks in a row. After a bit of discussion and agreeing that he absolutely must start spending some time with me, his wife, I decided I was going out tonight.

First up on the agenda: dinner. What do I eat? When we were getting ready to close up shop at the dealership, I was listing all the different places to eat where it was kosher for people to sit by themselves. That left Panera Bread and the cafe in Barnes and Nobles. While both are absolutely delicious and I hardly ever turn down a good cup of tea, I can't really have a lot of bread, something that both the restaurants are known to furnish.

So I got to thinking about what sounded good and the first thing that popped into my head was some Thai food. But then I thought about how I want my dear, sweet, loving husband to take me to Surin Saturday night to make up for the lack of anniversary dinner on Thursday. (I'm not telling you that story so stop wondering.) I got a couple of my friends from work together and we decided on the next best thing: Sushi!

I love the sushi! Rainbow roll, tuna roll, nagiri (with the salmon); oh! Yum! One of the guys from work had never been to an actual sushi bar before and so we had to eat at the bar for the full experience. Kobe, the Japanese steak house and sushi bar, opened up a few months ago and I hadn't tried it yet; there is one in Birmingham and I had been wanting to see if this one was just as good. We decided to go there and give it a shot. We sit down, place our order and eat till the fish could reassemble in our stomachs and swim again! I must have had plenty of fish eggs floating in my eyes! I was so full!!

Then the wild hair crawled up my ass.

"Hey, William," William was enjoying his first experience in the sushi bar. "Have you ever tried octopus?"

"Only at the buffet." William has been know to frequent a local joint that serves buffet sushi, AKA crap with rice.

"If I order it, will you try it?"

"I'll eat anything!"

So I ordered octopus nagiri. The plate arrived and there it sat. William picked it up, dipped it in some soy sauce and stuffed it in his mouth. Five minutes later he was still chewing so I continued to wait to ask if it tasted alright. I've always wanted to try it, just a little afraid to.

"How is it?" I asked after a few more minutes of constant but slowing chewing.

"Not too bad," he answered between chomps, "Little chewy. Flavor's good."

OK...I picked up the last piece, dipped it and tried to take a bite out of half of the octopus. If you have ever had squid, that's the kind of chewy I tried to bite in half. It wasn't working so much for me. Finally, I was able to rip the piece in half. He was right, not too shabby of a taste, very chewy. Ten minutes later, I was able to swallow the food.

Later, we decided to go catch up with another friend of ours at a local karaoke bar. I rarely frequent these places and was expecting a younger crowd on a Friday night. I. was. wrong.

When we pulled up, the windows were tinted to block out anything going on inside. As we opened the door, cigarette smoke tumbled outside. There were two pool tables to my right where four middle-aged men, one in a leather jacket, stood staring at us with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. The bar was on our left and there was not one seat left empty. I think we were the youngest people they had seen in awhile; I thought for a second we'd hear a record screech. All eyes were on us.

"Hey! Over here!" screamed a familiar voice. I turned to find Jennifer, the only face I knew in the unfamiliar crowd. She introduced us to everyone at her table and we sat down to join the conversation. They were discussing whether to stay at this bar or go to another one, arguably a gay bar.

"It's not gay," one man at the table said. He was tall and slender and wearing a cowboy hat. He was probably in his mid to late forties. I wondered about the hat. "It's owned by two lesbians. It ain't no gay bar."

"Well let's go on over there then!" Answered the other man. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. He had salt and pepper hair and a thick mustache. He seemed a bit antsy to leave the bar we were in.

Next to him sat an older woman in pink scrubs. Her hair was cropped short and colored blond. She was nursing a glass of tequila, apparently not her first. She looked at William, "Are you singing tonight?"

"Oh, William loves to sing!" I intergected. "He has the most beautiful voice!"

I looked over at William while trying to stifle my laughs. I hadn't realized that he had the karaoke book in his hands already. He looked at me like he wished he'd had a beer bottle in his hands instead of the book. Pure fear in his eyes!

"What are you going to sing?" The woman asked him. I noticed her eyes were getting crooked; I didn't think she was sober...at all. She had a very heavy southern accent, as did all the other patrons. I felt like I was in a movie stereotype.

"Oh, William! Sing for her!" I interrupted again. "He'll bring tears to your eyes, I tell ya! He loves to sing Hal & Oates Kiss on my List!" The woman's eyes crossed even more as she processed my words and excitement showed in her smile.

Another man sitting next to the woman finally spoke up. "What are you going to sing, ma'am?" He also had on a cowboy hat, a flannel shirt and tight jeans. I'd bet a hundred dollars he had on cowboy boots but I never checked. He raised his eyebrows at me when I finally realized he was asking me his question.

"Oh," I thought quick, "I'm a mute."

"You're a wha?"

"I'm a mute."

"Oh," he looked dumb-founded. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, me too." Don't laugh! Don't laugh!

I looked at William again and wondered if he was going to play along, too. His face was beat red; I couldn't look at him so I turned to Jennifer who wasn't paying any attention to the conversation.

Everyone paid for their tab and we headed to, Angie's, the gay/not gay bar. I really didn't know what to expect after the first bar. I wasn't drinking since I'm training and everyone else but William was so I just tried to go with it. I'm from a much bigger city than Tuscaloosa originally so the idea of a gay bar was no big deal and the concept of one being in T-town really didn't seem realistic at all so I really had no clue what we were walking into.

Again, the doors were tinted, but not so much. When we walked inside, the dance floor was immediately in front of us with a stage on our left. Several tables were pushed together and the bar was in the far back. Music was playing and I recognized the song. It was Hootie and the Blowfish, Let her cry. I looked for the karaoke stand confused for a second; the song sounded too good.

All of a sudden a short, pink streak holding a microphone breezed past us. It was a short man with a pot belly in a hot. pink. polo. shirt. singing Hootie. He held the microphone and spun around the dance floor singing the song. He sounded just like Darius Rucker but I'm quite positive there was no resemblance. He looked like he was about to break into Broadway dance moves. Several in our group immediately had to go to the bathroom.

We sat down and I looked to my right where several women sat with there girlfriends. To my left, it was a mixture of older women in clothes several sizes too small mingled with men in cowboy hats and tight jeans. What a mix!

I still didn't know what to think. Fortunately, a basketball game was playing on a huge TV directly ahead of me so I focused on it to keep myself from laughing in people's faces.

Some of the same people from the first bar followed us to the new bar. They talked Jennifer into singing. I agreed to sing if William went first. Nobody else in our group had balls. I must admit, that was the first time I've done karaoke sober!

The Old Man is Snoring

It is raining.

It has been raining for days.

I am sick of rain.

Why? Besides the fact it's been raining for days?

Because I have customers who want to stand outside of the car while you tell them why it's such a great product and leave you to stand in rain puddles deeper than Lake Michigan when you're 5'5 tall! I should have brought a change of pants!

Buffalo Hot Wing Dip

This is some of the best dip I've ever had - and I can't have any more of it till afer February 15...

It's so easy to make and is great on some Scoops! Warning to those who don't like spicy: This stuff is hott!!

What you'll need:

2 bricks softened cream cheese
1 bottle Frank Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce
1 package of Ranch dip mix
2 cans chicken
1 small package of bacon bits
1 package/2cups shredded sharp chedder cheese

What to do:

Heat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Use a fork to separate the chicken chunks or put mixture in a food processor. Pour mixture into a baking pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until light brown on top. Serve warm with chips.

What's that over there!?

I am definitely ADD.

I sold my first car the other night. You can look at it one of two ways: I've been at the dealership for three years and it's taken me this long to sell my first car OR I'd been a salesman for approximately 3 hours and sold my first car. I prefer that later considering that was really the case.

Yay me!

Thing is, that was pure luck. Not every customer comes in with a sheet of paper with stock number scribbled on it and says, "I've come to buy this car." I wish it always happened that way.

In reality, I have to learn product. I know, another question, "How can be there three years and not know the product?" Well, let me tell you this! If you saw all the different specs and numbers and product codes and bla bla bla's there were to all the different models we have on our lot, you'd understand. My brain feels like one big fart right now.

I have taken to studying at every given opportunity. It's hard to study answers to questions you don't know you're going to get. It makes me wonder how I ever graduated high school!

I have a little book that someone told me has all the information in it that I need know. Great! I have sat down to look at this book a hundred times. I'm on page 9!

Everything keeps distracting me. If it's not another customer, it's that I have to use the bathroom. I might have to get something to eat, the phone rings, a customer comes in, or family has arrived. This morning, I was drinking some water and at the bottom where the glass was blown together (they are handmade glasses) reminded me of a monkey...that was the distraction this morning. I never would have noticed it if I hadn't been subliminally looking for an excuse to put the book down...

Oh, I don't miss school.

The Dream

Have you ever had those dreams where you think it's reality until you wake up?

Sometimes those are the best, however, the other night - not so much.

I had a few totties New Years Eve and slept so good. Oh, I wish I could sleep like that every night!

All of a sudden, I'm in the office of my home church. I walked into the
office and Barack Obama was sitting in the secretary's chair, smiling at me.

Oh, wow, Barack Obama is the new pastor and the new
secretary.

I walked through the office doors into the main part of the office, closer to
his desk.

Stephanie, you need a black head band for that hair of yours don't
you?

I looked at him funny. How did you know that I need a black head band?
Let's go pick one out.

Together, Barack Obama and I tried on black head bands. I picked a thick,
early sixties-style head band that made my short hair poofy in the back. It
looked great. Obama had good hair band taste, ha ha!!

Then I woke up...

Now, dream interpreters, what does that mean?

I'm too aggrevated for this right now.

Alabama losing to Utah is not how I wanted to spend my evening. Maybe this game will get better and Bama will actually show up.

In other news, why is it that when shit hits the fan, it's diarrhea?

Talked with the husband just now and we'll just say that there is a disagreement over..."etiquette." This is what it's like to married you single folk; bicker and argue over he most idiotic topics. You let the irritation consume you over minuscule things until it eats you from the inside out and you eventually explode. Marriage takes work and if you think it's supposed to be easy, you need to be committed.

Trey, I'm right, you're wrong. Period. Good etiquette means being proper and secrets don't make gummy bears.

Seven minutes left in the fourth and I think Alabama has yet to come out of the locker room in the Sugar Bowl! Good grief...I need a glass of wine...

I'm sorry for the bitchiness, really I am. I hate complainers and complaining. Notice that it is past my bedtime on a very long day and I'm a little irritated that I'm sitting on the sofa without my husband whom despite our petty arguments, I do love dearly and pray he forgives me for my irrational comments - even though right now I still think he's being a pig.

One. Pissed. Bama. Fan.

What in the world is going on with Alabama football??
Is this where we suck in the first half and reign supreme in the second??

Hey, Alabama, Utah's QB has a wide opening to make another 1st down. Why don't you run away from him so he can slide and get the chains moved?

Ooh, helmet cracking football...Hopenotbody was hurt on that play. Instead, maybe it knocked some sense into the defense. Speaking of defense; why don't we go for pass interference and give Utah 15 yards...good grief! Where is the team that was no.1 for most of this season?!

People to pray for...

Today is one of those days that I'm not going to forget in the near future.

I don't want to give away too many details since it's not really my business to tell, however, I will tell you about my piece of the puzzle.

My boss called me into my office earlier today. I like my office. It's big, it's roomy, I have eucalyptus in it so it smells nice. I have a photo from my wedding day sitting behind me; always showing off my husband. Comparitively speaking to some of the other offices in the building, it's huge!

"I have to give you a choice," my boss started. It's never good to start a conversation like that. I knew today was going to be a strange day and I knew in my gut that it was going to get weird for me. I had been praying for weeks that I'd have a job after today; during this meeting, I was about to find out. My boss knew that was my first concern as soon as he started his speech.

"Don't worry, I'm not firing you. Don't freak out," my eyes must have been about to pop out of my head because I was holding my coffee in my hands so he wouldn't know I was concerned. I like to play the poker card; I don't want you to know my true thoughts sometimes. My eyes always give me away, though!!

After we finished our meeting, which I'm not going into any further detail as juicy as it may be for you, I assured him that I didn't want to go anywhere.

"I'm a team player," I promised. I'm being put into a position that kind of sucks if you look at the glass half-empty. But I'm a person who always looks at the glass as half-full. I'm not stupid either; I know what's going on, I know this has to happen. Plus, I have faith that I'll be rewarded for my hard work and loyalty.

When I write this blog, I like to pretend I'm really sitting with you discussing my day over a cup of coffee. Or you're reading a book while getting your afternoon-tea-pick-me-up. I regret not being able to really discuss this in that fashion but please understand that some things aren't meant for you to know about me but I will vent about them cryptically anyway. That being said, I hope I can be motivational enough for other people who may not always see the glass as half full.

Life is always challenging. Life is not fair. Life doesn't always give us what we want. Actually, life never gives us what we want; we have to work for it! Take for example this half-marathon. Pretend for a second that you were going to run the race tomorrow. You couldn't finish 13.1 miles automatically! It takes training and diligence to condition your body to running that distance.

Side note: Alabama is playing Utah right now and my day is getting worse because JP Wilson just threw an interception in the first minutes of the game; right after Utah just scored. What the crap!!?

My point in the marathon is, if you train hard, work hard, play hard, you'll finish faster, better and have more fun. God says we have to persevere. God also says we'll be rewarded for finishing the race.

Many of you could have the same reaction as my husband. Or you would have the same reaction: quit.

I'm not quitting.

I'm not leaving my job. I love my job. This is a great opportunity for me! I can learn -- Utah. just. scored. again. -- and get better at what I do. I can be more successful and make more money. Why would I quit a good thing? Yeah, so what if it's hard!? That makes the reward that much better!

Let me just end with this: there are many people who don't have a job right now. I could be one of those people. Your attitude has a lot to do with what you achieve in life. If you have a shit attitude, you aren't going to make it far. Everyone who may not be as fortunate as me to have a job to stress over is in my prayers tonight. It may be a scary market to not have a job in but trust me and believe me when I say it's getting better. I work in a business that is dependent upon a good market: trust me when I say I see it getting a lot better and quick! If you don't have employment right now, I dare you to learn something new and do what you're afraid to do. Even if it's hard. I promise you it will be worth it. Just keep looking at the glass as half full!

Was that motivational enough?

I left my coffee up front

It's the end of 2008 and every body is getting ready to diet and exercise again. Haha! Good luck with that resolution, it will be nice working out with you new people for one or two days. Let me know how it works out for you!

Here's a great reason to get started now rather than cheat today: I gained 10 pounds on Christmas. Don't say it's just muscle, either, because I've already lost it again but - holy crow - TEN POUNDS in one day!

I weighed in on December 22, 2008. I register XXX on the scale. I ate perfect until Christmas Day, when I hate two peanut butter balls and some corn casserole. I weighed in again on December 26, 2008 and registered XXX+10.

I ran my tootie off! Drank lots of water and have religiously followed my diet with the exception of December 28, 2008 when I had another Christmas party. I now weigh XXX again. Sigh

I just hope that now after I got rid of what was probably a bunch of water weight and hormone side effects (nasty, mean ole aunt!) I won't be gaining it back again while I take the next two days off from my training regime. Hopefully, this pain in my hip will go away soon; or I'll be running with a bottle of Advil. I'm not missing this race.

Seriously, people, if you really want to get fit in 2009, don't wait until you've finished all of your cheating. Don't go buy new work out clothes just so you're motivated. Just go do it! It's not that hard! Start with walking a little bit every day, then walk some more, then jog. Lift a few weights but don't kill yourself or you will burn yourself out!

I am on the crash diet from hell, if you haven't noticed. Fortunately, I've been hitting the gym for awhile now so changing everything for my half-marathon goal wasn't as difficult as if I'd just started my first day on a treadmill after eating six Big Macs and a biggie fry the previous day! If you don't go to the gym now, your body's not accustomed to the tough stuff you think you have to do to succeed. Take your time, start slow and push yourself but don't kill yourself!

Weight loss and good health takes time. It's not like how the Democrats perceive our economy; it won't get better overnight. Your body is a machine and you have to keep it well oiled and spend some time and effort on it to get running properly. Take your time.

Here's my advice on how to succeed in the gym in 2009:

• Make a goal. I want to be able to run 1 mile without stopping. That's a great goal to start, then move to two miles and so on..
• Give yourself a cheat day. Once a week, go to Los Torascos and eat a chicken chimichanga for me, and dip it in a lot of that cheese sauce...oh, my mouth is watering...
• Schedule gym time. Find 20-30 minutes in the day and make that your gym time no matter what. Treat it like an appointment.
• Push yourself but don't kill yourself. Every work out needs to be a challenge but if you are seeing spots in your eyes when you are doing cardio, you are working too hard! Work on the Perceived exertion scale of 1-10, 10 being the hardest and feeling like you are about to die! Try to keep it between 5-8.
• Get a partner. Nothing helps more than having someone meet you at the gym and push you when you can get one more rep. You don't want to stand them up, either. Bad form.
• Reward yourself for the small things. Weight loss will never happen overnight. When you lose your first five pounds, go buy a shirt or jewelry or something. Give yourself a pat on the back for the hard work. Five pounds really is a lot to lose considering one pound = 3500 calories (or a lot of time running on the treadmill) and the average amount of weight lost in a week is about 1-2 lbs!
• Don't make your diet too hard! Plan ahead, meal plan, but don't limit yourself to salads only. Actually, most salads have more calories and sodium than other foods which means you not only have more to burn but more salt to store water! Add fruit to your breakfast plan. Grill chicken for the week in advance and use a tasty marinade for flavor! There are tons of healthy recipes you can make yourself with little effort! It just takes a little creativity!
• Have fun. If you aren't doing something you like, you won't go back. Find a fun spinning class, go to a karate class; don't be afraid to try new things or you won't find what's fun! Keeping it fun keeps you going!
• Just Nike it! Just go to the gym and do it. Stop procrastinating and go. Actually, quit reading this and go to the gym or park or somewhere and get active. Just go do it!!

Not good.

If you've asked me about my training lately, I may have mentioned the pains in my hip I've been having along with my sprained ankle. One of my worst fears is a stress fracture during this training.

Stress fracture + less training = not ready for half-marathon in February.

Now, normally when I go running, the pain in my hip disappears. It feels find and I feel great when I run. It's when I first start my run and right after I finish my run that I hurt. Except this morning, that is.

I couldn't run. I was doing a tempo run and had to quit. It felt like my hip was dislocating. So I started walking. I couldn't put weight on my hip. I was thinking, "I have to get some activity in!" so I got on the cross trainer. Not any better. So I went home and went to WebMD and read about stress fractures.

I'm going to take a few days off from running before my next long run cause what I saw on WebMD concerns me. Say a little prayer, eh?

See you at the starting line!

I am now officially registered for the Mercedes Half-Marathon on February 15, 2009!

I can't believe how close that is; it's just around the corner! I just hit the halfway mark of my training schedule so it's six weeks till race day! I'm so excited!

Talked to Trey just a minute ago; apparently the cousin is in town tonight and wants to meet for dinner. Now that the holidays are over, I just can't wait to get a side salad and watch them eat steaks!

Don't forget that you can go to these viewing spots (family! friends! hint! hint!).

America's First Federal Credit Union: 1200 4th Avenue North, 35203
Civil Rights Institute: 520 16th Street North, 35203
McWane Center: 200 19th Street North, 35203
B&A Warehouse: 1531 1st Avenue South, 35233
University of Alabama, Birmingham Arena: 617 13th Street South
Western Supermarket: 2230 Highland Avenue, 35205
Java and Jams: 321 20th Street North, 35203
V. Richards: 3916 Clairmont Avenue, 35222
Caldwell Park: Highland Avenue and NiazumaRushton Park
Avondale Park
Marconi Park
5 Points South district (Starbucks and the Original Pancake House)

Oh, and Mum, you're my emergency contact so make sure you turn on your cell!