Day 7

Diet: 8 (as of 2:00 pm)

Workout:
TREADMILL

SWIMMING
300 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
6 x 50 stroke (25 drill, 25 swim) on a 1:00
total: 1000 yards

WEIGHTS

Final Countdown

The countdown is on... 11 days until I take the LSAT.

And the nerves are starting to get to me.

It seems that everytime I start studying and getting very serious about it, something tragic happens. First, I came down with bronchitis. Then, I hurt my back. After that, last Sunday I came down with strep throat and then this past Sunday I caught the stomach flu!! My stomach is still a little queasy, but I am going to start studying my nose off tonight! So, any free time I have from here on out will be spent with LSAT study book in hand.

Except for Wednesday night...

As we all know, I am a twenty-something living in rural Ohio... and the night before Thanksgiving is the night to go out on the town, the night that everyone goes out. So, I will be out and about in my new town - not the one that I grew up in.

Unfortunately, due to my lack of going out in the past months - everyone at the bar misses me. Seems like either I spend too much time at the bar when I am not studying or this town is not used to people of my caliber... I would like to think that I leave such a positive impression on these folks, that they just miss my fun-loving soul at the bar.

So, I will not be drinking much tomorrow night as I will have to study up until the point that I go out and I will have to wake up early on Thursday morning to head to Thanksgiving dinner.

Days 4,5 & 6

So, I went home for the weekend to celebrate my Grandma Gregg's 80th birthday and my Grandma Gingi's 81st birthday. Needless to say, my diet and workout routine slipped. I walked 2 miles on Saturday but ate terribly. Sunday, I ate healthy and planned on going to for a run and swimming with my kids - but I ended up with the stomach flu. Yesterday, Day 6, I recovered from the flu.

Today, I will run and swim. And maybe even lift. I plan to try to lift on Tuesday's and Thursday's as I am doing abwork with the kids on Monday's and Wednesday's. Wish me luck!

Day 3

Diet: 9 (so far)

Workout:
TREADMILL
Ran 2.0 miles at an average of 6.2 mph, incline of 1.0.

SWIMMING
3 x (100 free + 50 sp)
200 dolphin kick on back
4 x (100 free + 50 back) pull
6 x 50 kick on a 1:00
3 x (100 IM hard + 50 easy)
200 cool down
total: 2200 yards

"All That I Want" by The Weepies

It is exciting to hear when some of your favorite songs have made it onto t.v. commercials or into the background music of t.v. shows. This is a Holiday song that I have listened to on my computer and iPod for months, but has recently been heard on a jewelry store's Christmas ad.

Out in the harbor

The ships come in, it's Christmastime

The kids all holler carols 'cross the water

Stars that shine

All that I want, all that I want

Above the rooftops

The full moon dips its golden spoon

I wait on clip-clops, deer might fly

Why not? I met you

All that I want, all that I want

And when the night is falling

Down the sky at midnight

Another year is stalling

Far away a good bye, good night

All that I want, all that I want, all that I want

So small a turning

The world grows older every day

An ache, a yearning

Soften when I hear you say

All that I want, all that I want

And when the cold wind's blowing

Snow drifts through the pine trees

In houses lights are glowing

Likewise in your eyes that find me here

With all that I want.

Out in the harbor

The ships come in, it's Christmastime

It's Christmastime

It's Christmastime.

Within the next 7 days...

Yesterday we had our first snow! It was so exciting to see the little snowflakes hit my windshield as I was driving through the Hocking Hills. A gorgeous site!

The snowflakes got me even more excited for the upcoming Holidays!! Thanksgiving (my favorite Holiday) is just a week from yesterday!!! I cannot wait for a little extra special family time!

Speaking of family time, I get to go today to meet up with my mother, my aunt Martha from Dallas, my older sister and her two kids. We will meet at the mall and do a little shopping. Quality girl time nonetheless. I will hopefully be getting my glasses repaired (or new ones) while we are there.

Then tomorrow, it is the BIG GAME. OSU vs Michigan at the Big House in Michigan. Hopefully OSU will win, because I would not want the game to overshadow our evening plans. We will be celebrating my grandmother's 80th birthday on Saturday night at the Alcove. Yay!

Next week, after my favorite Holiday, my best friend from high school is getting married. On Saturday I will serve with pride, and neglect thinking of myself as an afterthought, as the guestbook attendant at Sara's wedding. Ha ha ha. Funny, huh.

Anyways, despite all the things going on this coming week, I will still have to find time to study for the LSAT. Wish me luck!!

Day 2

Diet: 5 (went down from a 7)

Workout:
TREADMILL
Intervals of walking for a mile at an average of 4.2 mph, incline of 2.0 and then running for 1/2 mile at an average speed of 6.4 mph. I did this twice and then finished with a mile walk up hill, increasing to an incline of 6.0 at 4.3 mph.

SWIMMING
500 every 4th 25 no free
3 x 200 pull, breathing 3's and focusing on tight turns
6 x 50 kick on a 1:00
4 x 200 (100 free, 100 back, every 4th 25 FAST)
300 easy cool down
total 2500 yards

Yesterday was a great swim workout! I was asked by a triathelete if she could train with me and I was asked to joing a masters swim team. Yay! I felt pretty good, and wiped out!

Project Runway: Season 4

When turning on Bravo at 10 pm last night, I was apprehensive about what to expect. The previous seasons have left me wanting more, needing more. However, without an outstanding slate of characters (aka designers), the show would die like so many reality t.v. shows have.

Last night was a taste of a season that will go far beyond the previous three seasons. Not only were the designers intriguing people, but they were absolutely amazing designers from the beginning. I cannot wait until next Wednesday night, and in the mean time will probably watch last night's episode on rerun at least twice!

Day 1

So, I decided that this would be a good place to keep track of my workouts and diet. I will write down what I did workout-wise and then rate my diet on a scale from 1-10.

Workout:
TREADMILL
Walked 1 mile at an average speed of 3.9 mph with an average incline of 2.0
Ran 1 mile at an average speed of 6.5 mph with an incline of 1.0

SWIMMING
3 x (100 free + 50 stroke)
5 x 100 fast kick, :15 sec rest in between
Ladder Set:
25 free 125 back
50 free 100 back
75 free 75 back
100 free 50 back
125 free 25 back
4 x 100 pull, breathing 3's
200 easy cool down
total: 2300 yards

Thank God for Antibiotics.

Ok, so I know I promised a post about the obsession with perfection, but that will have to wait. I have so much more to fill you in on.

First, this weekend was a mess. Friday night I decided to go out for the first time in over a month. I did, and it began as a very enjoyable evening. It was great having people at my favorite hang out tell me that they missed seeing me during the past month. However, I probably had too much fun!

I ended up meeting tons of new people and giving my number to everyone. (Mistake #1). And then ended up going to some random guys house with Meredith and another boy. We danced and played guitar hero (except I think someone - not me - might have broken it). I ended up not going to bed until 5:45 AM! (Mistake #2).

Why would not going to bed until 5:45 AM be a mistake? you might ask. Well, I had to be at the YMCA to leave for a swim meet at 6:45 AM. One hour of sleep after a wild night out is not enough. Especially to be around kids all day!! I felt terribly guilty and like an awful person.

Now, let's move on to Sunday. Sunday I had to spend all day with my boss and another co-worker at Veteran's events. The day was rainy and cold; miserable to be outside. My boss let my co-worker and I leave a bit early, at 4:00. So, since she was crashing for the night at my house, we couldn't just go back to my house. What would we do from 4 until we went to bed? So, we wasted some time perusing around Wal-Mart and then went to dinner at Max & Erma's. Exciting, I know. When we were eating dinner, I noticed that my throat was sore and that I was having a hard time warming up. Needless to say, we were on the couch in our pj's watching t.v. by 6:30. (Again, way too early). I ended up falling asleep at 8:15 (I know, I am an amazing hostess). I didn't wake up until 8:15 in the morning. I never sleep for that long. I knew something was wrong just by examining my sleep pattern.

It was also hard not to notice the fact that my throat was so sore and swollen that I couldn't swallow anything! So, I spent yet another day with my two bosses and a co-worker celebrating Veterans' Day. However, this time I could not talk nor could I turn my head because my glands were so swollen. Unfortunately, I could not get into the doctor's until the following morning.

That night I ended up sleeping for 15 hours without even trying. I actually tried to stay awake for my favorite t.v. show, How I Met Your Mother, but couldn't. Fifteen hours compared to my usual five was a red flag that I was really sick.

So, I went to the doctor. The first thing he said to me upon observing my symptoms was: "Oh my, I feel so bad for you. I haven't seen glands this swollen in over a year. I will definitely make sure I treat you well." That made me feel good...not.

Strep Throat. Just what someone in my job needs.

However, after the antibiotics, I was finally able to eat last night and didn't sleep very well. I felt so much better.

Today I worked all day, coached swim practice, ran, and swam the most yardage that I have in years.

So, I urge you all to praise antibiotics. Without them, I would probably never be allowed to leave my house.

Thank a Veteran

Today is Veterans' Day. Luckily, as part of my job, I have to attend several Veterans' Day activities to honor those who have served for our country. These events not only make me so proud of all the men and women who have defended our great nation, but they also inspire me to do what I can to help. So today, please take a moment to thank a Veteran, attend a Veteran's Day activity, or donate to a Veteran's charity.

Happy Veterans' Day!

Next Post: Obsession with Perfection

Will be coming shortly!

Who wants to go shoe shopping?

Interesting...

Your feet and shoes are linked to your sexual desires. "There's a part of the brain called the sensory strip, in which the foot area is close to the clitoral area," says Daniel Amen, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Making a Good Brain Great. "So going shoe shopping together is like foreplay."
(Women's Health Magazine)

"Realize" by Colbie Caillat

Take time to realize

That your warmth is

Crashing down on me

Take time to realize

That I am on your side

Well didn't I, didn't I tell you

But I can't spell it out for you

No it's never gonna be that simple

No I can't spell it out for you

If you just realize

What I just realized

That we'd be perfect for each other

And we'll never find another

Just realize

What I just realized

We'd never have to wonder

If we missed out on each other, now

Take time to realize

Oh oh, I'm on your side

Didn't I, didn't I tell you

Take time to realize

This all could pass you by

Didn't I, didn't I tell you

But I can't spell it out for you

No it's never gonna be that simple

No I can't spell it out for you

If you just realized

What I just realized

That we'd be perfect for each other

And we'll never find another

Just realize

What I just realized

We'd never have to wonder

If we missed out on each other, but

It's not the same

No it's never the same

If you don't feel it too

If you meet me half way

If you would meet me half way

It could be the same for you

If you just realized

What I just realized

That we'd be perfect for each other

And we'll never find another

Just realize

What I just realized

We'd never have to wonder

If we missed out on each other

Just realize

What I just realized

That we'd be perfect for each other

And we'll never find another

Just realize

What I just realized

We'd never have to wonder

If we missed out on each other, now

Missed out on each other now

Missed out on each other now

Missed out on each other now

"chemistry, either you have it or you don't."
~ meredith grey

brrrrrrr...

This is what the sign would look like in my bedroom...

Yes, I am serious. My house is freezing. Absolutely freezing. The heat has not worked since we dipped into this cold spell. The lack of heat in the rest of the apartment has caused me to hole up in one room of my apartment, huddled around a tiny little space heater.

Unfortunately due to my job, my time spent studying, and my back problems, I have not been home for long enough to have the landlady come examine our problem. Ugh! My goal today is to go home at lunch, visit JoAnn, and ask her when we can have someone come in to fix the problem.

How nice will it be to spend time in a room other than the living room...

Flashback...

Sara Spurgeon and I cheering for MVHS Soccer, either 1999 or 2000.

Last night as I was cleaning and going through some boxes that I have managed to never unpack, I ran across old pictures from my younger years. i.e. College and High School.

I sat on the floor for over an hour flipping through the pictures, reminiscing about the good times...

For your entertainment I will show you a few of the pictures... the less embarassing ones of course!

Classic drunk Cindy, even back then I did the finger dance!!
KAT House, 2001.

My older sister, Chrissie, and I pre-Phling my Freshman year and her Senior year. This is the only picture of us from the year that we went to school together!

2001.

Hanging out with Shaq on the porch of the KAT House, 2002.

Jess Case and I at the KAT House, pre-Phling 2002.

Porsche Lao and I at the ZAP Nerds Gone Wild Party 2003.

Jess, my Partner-in-Crime, and I acting like the true nerds we were.

ZAP Nerds Gone Wild, 2003.

Jess, Kelly Gallagher and I in a tee-pee in the KAT House, 2002.

Porsche, her friend, and I before Zeta Formal our Senior year, 2003.

Abbey Simon, Tori Steen, Liz Raji, and I at Fandango, 2004.

Jen Judson, Porsche and I at "The Cove" post-Fandango, 2004.

Election Day

It is election day 2007. Of course it is an off-year election, but the races are hot in my part of the world. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Chillicothe and Jackson mayoral races!

But although I am nervous for the local elections this year, I am already dreading Decision 2008!

"Gotta Have You" by The Weepies

Gray, quiet and tired and mean

Picking at a worried seam

I try to make you mad at me over the phone.

Red eyes and fire and signs

I'm taken by a nursery rhyme

I want to make a ray of sunshine and never leave home

No amount of coffee, no amount of crying

No amount of whiskey, no amount of wine

No, nothing else will do

I've gotta have you, I've gotta have you.

The road gets cold, there's no spring in the middle this year

I'm the new chicken clucking open hearts and ears

Oh, such a prima donna, sorry for myself

But green, it is also summer

And I won't be warm till I'm lying in your arms

I see it all through a telescope: guitar, suitcase, and a warm coat

Lying in the back of the blue boat, humming a tune...

The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

~Mother Teresa

As I compose my first post on my new blog, I sit here contemplating what will direct my next step in my life. Most of my life decisions stem from a practical idea or pragmatic approach to a goal. Recently, I have noticed that my decisions are coming from my heart.

I sit here thinking, "Is this wise?"

For me, NO WAY! The last time that I ended up following my heart, led me back to Ohio and away from the urban setting that I had become so very comfortable in. Thank the Lord, I am a strong believer in cliches. Everything Happens for a Reason is one of my favorites. And to think, if I would have never moved back to Ohio, I would have never thought of law school, I would have not ended up in SE Ohio, I would not have the dream job that I have now, and I would not have matured to the point I am at now.

This maturity is what is causing me to want to follow my heart. I have realized that I am head over heels for a really close friend of mine. We met Day 1 at Kenyon and were fast friends. He is one of the few people who has kept in contact with me since college. Not only has he been fun to hang out with when he is back in town, but he constantly reminds me that I should never settle, that I deserve the best. Now that I have become 100% confident in myself and happy with my current situation, I am ready to bring someone into my life. Before this point, I just was so unsure of my footing in the world and uncertain as to what was to come around the next bend. Now I know, and now I know what I want.

Although I finally know what I think I want, I have no idea how to approach it. How do you tell a friend that your feelings are more than just platonic? Any ideas? How do you know that you really want to risk your friendship?