- I have a strong, loving husband who does everything he can to provide.
- The most wonderful person is donating life-saving bone marrow to my father, and there is a really good probability that he/she doesn't even know my father.
- I have extended family who is only a phone call away and will be there just as fast as my immediate family.
- I am thankful for my biological mother for doing the hardest thing she probably ever had to do in giving me up for adoption when she knew she was too young to take care of me. I had wonderful parents and an amazing life that I might not have been able to have otherwise.
- I have a beautiful house that is probably bigger than we need.
- I always have food in the fridge or cupboard.
- I am strong and healthy.
- I have friends and co-workers who really do have the best of intentions.
- I have clothes in my closet and shoes to wear.
- I have a steady job.
- I live in a free country where I am allowed to go to church, blog :) and attend school among many other things.
- We survived four really bad hurricanes several years ago and escaped with only material damage to the house and belongings, but we were OK.
- I am still, and will probably always remain, very thankful for all of those who flocked to help my neighbors and I after those horrible hurricanes with supplies and support.
- I am thankful for my education. I know that many people are not as lucky as I was in being able to afford college.
- I am thankful to God for making all of this possible.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thankful
I sit here tonight curled in a blanket in front of my laptop, trying to hold back the tears. Those of you who know me know why, those of you who don't, suffice it to say that something is missing. Because I am in such a sad mood I thought, even though Thanksgiving was several weeks ago, I should make a list of things that I am thankful for, so here goes:
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Dreams
A few days ago I had a dream, possibly a nightmare. I don't really remember it all that well except that right before I woke up, I was freaking out and crying/screaming while a woman I work with was holding me and trying to comfort me.
In real life, I know this woman, but I wouldn't say that we are necessarily close friends. I work with her and for the most part like her, but found it strange that in my dream I would seek her out for comfort. The next morning at work I found her and told her about it. She laughed, first saying that it is my subconscious saying that I know I can always come to her if I need anything (she knows I am about to go through another rough time in my life). But then she tells me that she recently got a dream book. In he dream book it says that bad dreams mean something good is about to happen.
I've never really believed in deep meaning behind dreams, I have always felt that it is just your conscious mind shutting down and all of the thoughts and dreams of the day mingling together and running wild.
I didn't think much about it anymore until later that evening when I was on my way to see my in-laws for dinner. They will be gone for Thanksgiving so we thought we would meet 1/2 way and have dinner together at a restaurant, little did I know that it was going to be a TRUE Thanksgiving dinner. As I was driving down the interstate I get a phone call telling me that they have finally found a bone marrow donor for my Dad! Daddy has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a terminal blood cancer and a bone marrow transplant was our last plan of action but until now we couldn't find anyone who was a match. While this won't kill the cancer or cure my dad, it can possibly give him many more happy years with us.
I started crying, happy tears of course, and had to pull over since it was a very busy and dangerous interstate I was driving on. I called my husband, who is out of state with the Navy, who at first thought I'd been in an accident because I was crying so much I could hardly get the words out. He of course was thrilled as well.
I finally made it back on the road and to the restaurant to meet my husband's parents where I started crying again! I think I cried all night long. I didn't even have this amount of happy tears on my wedding day. I'm still tearing and shaking up as I'm typing, I'm just so happy!
In real life, I know this woman, but I wouldn't say that we are necessarily close friends. I work with her and for the most part like her, but found it strange that in my dream I would seek her out for comfort. The next morning at work I found her and told her about it. She laughed, first saying that it is my subconscious saying that I know I can always come to her if I need anything (she knows I am about to go through another rough time in my life). But then she tells me that she recently got a dream book. In he dream book it says that bad dreams mean something good is about to happen.
I've never really believed in deep meaning behind dreams, I have always felt that it is just your conscious mind shutting down and all of the thoughts and dreams of the day mingling together and running wild.
I didn't think much about it anymore until later that evening when I was on my way to see my in-laws for dinner. They will be gone for Thanksgiving so we thought we would meet 1/2 way and have dinner together at a restaurant, little did I know that it was going to be a TRUE Thanksgiving dinner. As I was driving down the interstate I get a phone call telling me that they have finally found a bone marrow donor for my Dad! Daddy has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a terminal blood cancer and a bone marrow transplant was our last plan of action but until now we couldn't find anyone who was a match. While this won't kill the cancer or cure my dad, it can possibly give him many more happy years with us.
I started crying, happy tears of course, and had to pull over since it was a very busy and dangerous interstate I was driving on. I called my husband, who is out of state with the Navy, who at first thought I'd been in an accident because I was crying so much I could hardly get the words out. He of course was thrilled as well.
I finally made it back on the road and to the restaurant to meet my husband's parents where I started crying again! I think I cried all night long. I didn't even have this amount of happy tears on my wedding day. I'm still tearing and shaking up as I'm typing, I'm just so happy!
Monday, September 24, 2007
I am Triathlete...Hear me Roar!
Now you guys can not only say that you know a marathoner, but a marathoner/triathlete! WHOOO HOOOOOOOO
Yesterday I completed the Disney Triathlon at Fort Wilderness. It was a .9 mile swim, a 36 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run and I did it in 5 hours haha :)
I was never TOO concerned about the swim portion. My only issue with the swim was people all around me as I'm trying to swim. I'm used to swimming in a pool with lanes...or with my team, even when we did open water swims in the river I would pull out in front of everyone but like 1 other person, so there was no one around me. I had a mini panic attack to begin with with everyone so close, being kicked in the stomach and nearly swam over (seriously, the one chick nearly swam on top of me!) before I was able to kick my way out (literally) and get my own spot and into a stride. Once I did get going, I was OK. I ran into one of the buoys though haha!!! It was the last one before the finish and I literally hit it with my head, knocked my already-starting-to-come-off swim cap off (my goggles were under my cap to prevent them from being kicked off - a tip I got from another triathlete). So I swam the last 75 yards or so with my swim cap in my hand!
Transition from Swim to Bike was : Run up the beach (sand) onto the road (concrete) and for about 200 yards to the transition area...all barefoot! Good thing I'm a country girl and ran around barefoot my entire life!
The bike was BRUTAL! In the interest of safety, the bike was upped from the normal 24 mile ride to a freaking 36 mile ride. 12 extra miles that were hilly! YUCK! Every time I thought "this has to be the last hill" I was wrong! For some reason I really hit a wall on the bike. I knew going in that the the cycle part was going to be my worst leg but for some reason I couldn't seem to get into that "runners high" (which yes happens on the bike too) and was just stuck in the "bite me zone" for most of it. By the time I hit mile 20 I was ready to cry, throw my bike, and curse out the next person who zoomed by me saying "On the left" lol but I got over it and was never so happy in my life to get off of a bike!
Transitioning from bike to run was funny. Can you say JELLY LEGS!?!?! I nearly fell when I did get off the bike! haha But I ran my bike up to the transition area (probably an extra 100 yds that you weren't allowed to ride, you had to be off your bike). Since I'm too chicken to clip into my bike, I didn't have to change shoes for the run so my 2nd transition was pretty fast to start the run...ok...in my case the slow jog/walk.
The run was a loop that you had to do twice, and part of it, probably about 1/2 to 3/4 miles were in ankle length grass with holes and ditches and crap. It started raining also so the grass was wet...great excuse for me to not run (didn't want to risk twisting my ankle after all) but now my shoes/socks/feet are wet and squishing. I somehow managed not to get a blister, although I do have a sore spot where I keep expecting a blister to pop up but it hasn't.
Finishing was great! My coaches were there as well as the teammates who finished before me to cheer me in the last little bit. It wasn't as big as the marathon finish but it was just as sweet!
Lessons learned for my next (yes there will be another) Triathlon:
Sunblock is my friend! I have the most hysterical tan lines from my shorts now as well as my shoulders and down my arms. We were body marked so the number "904" can clearly be seen on my arm as well as the square where my Team in Training tattoo was.
Wet and tired is not the time to be fiddling with safety pins and attempting to pin a number on your chest! I definitely want a race belt. No one told me anything about them and I never thought about how I was going to put my race number on after the swim.
I need an aero bar. My shoulders are still killing me!
Don't fear clipping in! If I ever plan to do a century ride, in addition to aero bars, I have to bite the bullet, get the pedals and shoes, and learn how to clip into my bike.
Bring real food. I had plenty of water, sports drinks, gu, and sport beans but I was so hungry for some reason near the end of the bike. I would have killed for a granola bar! And yes...I did eat breakfast!
Yesterday I completed the Disney Triathlon at Fort Wilderness. It was a .9 mile swim, a 36 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run and I did it in 5 hours haha :)
I was never TOO concerned about the swim portion. My only issue with the swim was people all around me as I'm trying to swim. I'm used to swimming in a pool with lanes...or with my team, even when we did open water swims in the river I would pull out in front of everyone but like 1 other person, so there was no one around me. I had a mini panic attack to begin with with everyone so close, being kicked in the stomach and nearly swam over (seriously, the one chick nearly swam on top of me!) before I was able to kick my way out (literally) and get my own spot and into a stride. Once I did get going, I was OK. I ran into one of the buoys though haha!!! It was the last one before the finish and I literally hit it with my head, knocked my already-starting-to-come-off swim cap off (my goggles were under my cap to prevent them from being kicked off - a tip I got from another triathlete). So I swam the last 75 yards or so with my swim cap in my hand!
Transition from Swim to Bike was : Run up the beach (sand) onto the road (concrete) and for about 200 yards to the transition area...all barefoot! Good thing I'm a country girl and ran around barefoot my entire life!
The bike was BRUTAL! In the interest of safety, the bike was upped from the normal 24 mile ride to a freaking 36 mile ride. 12 extra miles that were hilly! YUCK! Every time I thought "this has to be the last hill" I was wrong! For some reason I really hit a wall on the bike. I knew going in that the the cycle part was going to be my worst leg but for some reason I couldn't seem to get into that "runners high" (which yes happens on the bike too) and was just stuck in the "bite me zone" for most of it. By the time I hit mile 20 I was ready to cry, throw my bike, and curse out the next person who zoomed by me saying "On the left" lol but I got over it and was never so happy in my life to get off of a bike!
Transitioning from bike to run was funny. Can you say JELLY LEGS!?!?! I nearly fell when I did get off the bike! haha But I ran my bike up to the transition area (probably an extra 100 yds that you weren't allowed to ride, you had to be off your bike). Since I'm too chicken to clip into my bike, I didn't have to change shoes for the run so my 2nd transition was pretty fast to start the run...ok...in my case the slow jog/walk.
The run was a loop that you had to do twice, and part of it, probably about 1/2 to 3/4 miles were in ankle length grass with holes and ditches and crap. It started raining also so the grass was wet...great excuse for me to not run (didn't want to risk twisting my ankle after all) but now my shoes/socks/feet are wet and squishing. I somehow managed not to get a blister, although I do have a sore spot where I keep expecting a blister to pop up but it hasn't.
Finishing was great! My coaches were there as well as the teammates who finished before me to cheer me in the last little bit. It wasn't as big as the marathon finish but it was just as sweet!
Lessons learned for my next (yes there will be another) Triathlon:
Sunblock is my friend! I have the most hysterical tan lines from my shorts now as well as my shoulders and down my arms. We were body marked so the number "904" can clearly be seen on my arm as well as the square where my Team in Training tattoo was.
Wet and tired is not the time to be fiddling with safety pins and attempting to pin a number on your chest! I definitely want a race belt. No one told me anything about them and I never thought about how I was going to put my race number on after the swim.
I need an aero bar. My shoulders are still killing me!
Don't fear clipping in! If I ever plan to do a century ride, in addition to aero bars, I have to bite the bullet, get the pedals and shoes, and learn how to clip into my bike.
Bring real food. I had plenty of water, sports drinks, gu, and sport beans but I was so hungry for some reason near the end of the bike. I would have killed for a granola bar! And yes...I did eat breakfast!
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