Quick Catchup

It's been a while. Time for blog!! A lot has happened, and it's all really cause-and-effect, so we'll go with that.

- I had a sleep study towards the end of June for some sleep problems (overwhelming fatigue). No, it's not the kind of sleep study where I get paid. Yes, it can be very expensive. With insurance, I was expecting over $2,000 bill from the hospital.

- But my Jehovah Jireh is awesome!! My bill ended up being only $450ish!! THAT is incredible, and knocked me to my knees in praise!

-So now, I've been diagnosed with hypersomnia (essentially a narcoleptic). Yaaaay!! This is great news, honestly. It means the incredible and debilitating fatigue that has plagued me for the past 10 years has a very real cause and now we can DO something about it!!

- To try to get a better night's sleep, I bought a new bed. It's glorious. I did NOT purchase the $150 box spring, who's only purpose is to RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE BED. That's right, that's all box springs are for nowadays. Can you believe it?

- But since "natural remedies" for hypersomnia really don't do anything, my doctor started me on stimulants. After a little trial and error, we've got something down that's working amazing. I know it sounds silly because few know how ridiculously hard it was for me to just stay awake, but it feels SO GOOD to be able to work all day and not hit a wall every few hours! I'm so glad I decided to pursue medical help!

- Because I can stay awake and focused, I CAN READ AGAIN!! No more falling asleep 2 pages in! My first book? Born To Run. I bought it last Tuesday and am nearly finished with it. I'm pretty sure this is a record for me... Anyway, the book is amazing, SO inspiring, and SO good!! I recommend it!

- Being on stimulants also means I have no more excuse not to go to bootcamp when I'm tired in the morning. I've been up for bootcamp on a much more regular basis now which is great. The more I do it, the more I crave it. It IS kind of like an addiction... But honestly, I have never loved and hated something so much in my life. I want to curse Jeff sometimes because it's SO STINKIN' HARD, but I know I can't. He's incredible at what he does. If I didn't die at least once a week, it'd be hard to justify throwing $100 a month at this. (I'm going into my 7th month)

- Which leads to my most recent race....the Warrior Dash. Jeff and I drove to Kansas City and ran a 5k with a bunch of obstacles and it was so much fun! We dressed up as the birds of war (from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) - so hot, and maybe not the best idea on a high heat index day (someone died from heat stroke in kc that day from the race), but we sure looked awesome. Pictures MAYBE to come. I'll definitely be doing it again next year!!

- And finally

I know you've done it too....

Since Emma moved out a month ago to do an internship in Ohio, I've gotten into the habit of locking the deadbolt behind me when I get home, partially for safety since I'm by myself and partially to get into the habit of doing it because our new "townhouse" will be near a halfway house. (Previous tenants told us that a random man walked into their place while they were home). Yikes...

I just had a "duh" moment. I was watering my new herbs in the backyard and went to go back in through the backdoor and realized it automatically locks.

I've locked myself out of my duplex, and my landlord AND duplex-mates are on vacation, not that it would do me much good because I don't have my cell phone to call either one anyway. And of course, I do this on a day when the heat index is 109. So I'm pacing our yard, sweating it out for several different reasons, and trying to figure out how to break into my house.

I ended up stabbing the window screen, tearing it out, and shoving the very high and freshly painted window open so I can hoist myself in. (did I mention I'm only wearing a tank top and skirt?! I'm sure I could have been mistaken for a burglar were it not for my attire.)

I made it back in the house, just in time to take the pizza out of the oven!!

But now I need a new window screen...one more thing to add to the move-out checklist. Anyone know where to go to get one?

Analogies

Eating with Asian people (Asian families) at an authentic Chinese restaurant is like boiling a frog.

If you throw the frog in boiling water, it jumps out immediately, knowing somethings not right. But if you put the frog in room temp water and gradually heat it to boiling, the frog can't tell the difference in the temp change.

Likewise, if the restaurant puts all the food out at once, you're overwhelmed and only eat a little bit of this and that. But if the food comes out one dish at a time, you keep eating throughout the meal because everything looks so dang delicious and you can't say "no" (not that the Asian family would let you anyway.)

I'm pretty sure I gained weight this weekend from spending it with the Lau's, but I'm afraid to look at the scale to see.

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I bought 5 lbs of cherries. (What?! They were on sale!!)

The first dozen always taste delicious, but the more you eat, the more they taste funny.

It's kind like writing one word over and over again. Eventually, it just looks wrong, regardless of the fact that it's spelled correctly.

They're. Everywhere.

Last week, I spent about 5 days camping outside for Cornerstone Music Festival; it was a lot of fun, and HOT. And there were a ton of spiders.

Honestly, I could care less about spiders. Typically, they don't bug me and unless they are larger than a quarter and in the bathroom where I am most exposed, I'll leave them alone. And considering I was OUTSIDE all day during that camping trip, I couldn't really get frustrated. I was in their space, after all.

Apparently, seeing that many spiders left an impression on me though.

Every night since I've been back, I've woken up several times a night thinking about those stupid spiders and how they're probably all over my bed/room/apartment. I'm not freaked out or anything, just incredibly annoyed at the "existence" and "presence" of the spiders. Seriously, go away!!

Needless to say, I haven't slept much the past week. ~sigh~ So here's to hoping that this is a new week and I'll actually be able to sleep like a normal person. Goodnight!

Running isn't a pretty sport.

'Bout time for a blog, eh? I know, it's been a while...

I just got back from running my first 5k of the year around Ada Hayden in my brand spankin' new running shorts that I got today.

I hate them.

If all running shorts have the same function and cut, then I do not know why they exist. I don't know whether it was my running stride or the fact that I get a tad bit damp when I work out (erm....a lot. a lot of damp.) or my booty just fills up the back of them so there's no where else to go, but those shorts were riding UP. At first I thought it was normal for running shorts. "Yeah, this is severely uncomfortable, but maybe this is what everyone looks like?"

That thought lasted 10 steps and then I saw someone. Yeah...shorts aren't supposed to look like this. ~sigh~ I'll stick with my thick cotton yoga pants, I guess. (and why is there so much extra fabric up front?!)

On a more positive note, I beat my last 5k time by a few minutes. Granted, I didn't have a stopwatch to get an official time, but I left my car at 8:05 and got back just before 8:40 including a warm up and cool down walk of about 5 minutes each AND I had to stop a few times to adjust the shorts of doom and I saw my old boss so I chatted a bit. Wow....I seriously dominated that run! Whoooo!!

I'd mention again that I have lofty running goals for this summer, but I'm pretty sure that we've already proved "the boy who cried wolf" theory on that one so I'll lay it to rest for now. (Until I accomplish my goals and then I'll rub it in your face, but because we're friends, you'll be proud of me and celebrate.)

In the meantime, I'll be icing my shins and waiting for my naturally pale skin to replace the cherry red face I get for a job well done.

Greece!!

So.

30 people from our church have the opportunity to go on a study tour of Greece and see all these amazing places. In. Love. How incredible would that be?!?! I desperately want to go.

So instead of paying attention to Jeff Dodge talk (psh, I hear him talk every Sunday. GREECE!!!!), I started trying to figure out how much I'd have to save every month and if this trip is doable considering all the variables.

I could probably manage the time off....maybe. An extra $500 a month to put towards the trip? Might be tough, but definitely doable (GREECE!!!!). Yeah.....this might be possible!!

I sat back in my chair and stared in awe at the ruins of Ephesus on the front of the brochure. And then I Jesus Juked myself (sorta, only my original idea wasn't a joke).

If I applied that kind of discipline with my finances towards my debt, I would have had quite a bit of my student loans paid off (not all, or even most, but a whole lot more than I have now). Insert sad trumpet noise: "wha whaaaaaa"

~sigh~ I'm right.... and this is probably the only time I'm sad that I am. And in my sad stupor, I want to go spend money.

Ahem...I'm a spender, hard core. Not always just for me though. When someone needs money or help financially, if it's feasible for me to give, give I will do! But I most definitely do not have the disciple to stick it in savings or apply it to debt in every circumstance I can.

This is one area I really need to work in. I say all the time that one of the reasons I can't go overseas right now is because I have a lot of student loans that need paid off. But what am I doing on a regular basis to pay those loans off? ~cough~Making only my normal payments~cough~ Gahh! I need to be much better about this.

Slightly Misleading...

Today, Terry came into my office to grab the next client's file; instead of his cheery greeting, he looked me in the eye, completely serious and had the following conversation with me:

Terry: You're in big trouble! (as he swats me with the file)

Me: (with what I'm sure looks like sheer terror in my eyes) What....?

Terry: You're in trouble! You didn't go!

Me: (panicking as I'm frantically trying to think of what meeting I was supposed to go to with him, which I've never done before) I didn't....what?!

Terry: says client's name. You didn't do it!

Me: thinking, "I did everything you told me to!! What did I forget?! What would he be mad about?! He's never mad!! What did I do!?!?!" (and I'm sure that look of sheer terror has only intesified by this point)

Terry: You skipped bootcamp this morning!! (the client is in bootcamp with me)

Are you kidding me?!?! OH MY WORD TERRY!!!! NOT ok!!! I have never panicked as much as I did in those few seconds! He claims he had no intention of scaring me like that, but seriously...who does that?!?!

I have to admit, it's really funny now. And I still think he's a fantastic boss.