Long(er) Run

RR: 5.25 miles, 576 calories. In my running experience (what is minimal), this would be considered a long run in MY books. But, not to most. I still consider it a LONG run, which is longer than my usual 3 or 4 miles. I hope to increase my mileage over the next few months to a point where 5 miles won't be long runs to me anymore!

NOVEMBER Mileage: 43.11 miles

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Well, I am looking forward to the weekend. I have quite a bit of paperwork to do this weekend, on top of working most of Saturday, so I know I will be very busy. But, I am thrilled because there is only 1 week of classes left! 1 WEEK PEOPLE!

Another thing I am going to do this weekend is work on planning my sister's bachelorette party. We're hoping to rent a cabin in February and do some relaxing, cross-country skiing, snow-mobiling, etc. It will be wonderful! So, my first task is to nail down a cabin before it gets to late. Then I will leave planning the details until Christmas Break when I have time to do it and make it exciting!

I can tell the week is coming to an end. I am tired. I am ready for friday. And my upper body aches from carrying my backpack, purse, lunch bag, and duffel bag across a parking lot covered by ice. Just a little tense. On that note, I am going to do something different tonight and crawl into bed now and finish watching the Detroit/Miami game...rooting all the way for THE HEAT!

Be Strong...Live Life....

Rest Day...again

RR: Rest day. Wasn't planned. That is for sure.

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It's been a while since I haven't run on a wednesday. It just works so perfectly to get to the gym after school at about 430 and workout until 6ish. Just enough time to shower, grab a sub, and get to class by 7.

NOT today. Let's just say this one was NOT my fault! Here's why:

• I parked in the garage last night.
• After the day had been filled with snow, that somewhat melted, leaving some sort of junk we like to call heavy slush.
• Temperature dropped from 35 degrees to 1 degree overnight.
  
• Garage door was stuck this morning.
• Had to catch a ride from a co-worker.
  
• Got home at 430...attempted to de-ice it.
• Got sis' help to pry it open.
• It worked. Thank goodness.
  

By then it was almost 5 and I had lost all ambition to drive all the way to the gym, run, shower, and eat...all before a three hour class. I think it was a sign from the paper-work god. Instead of running, I got an IEP updated and ready to be mailed out to the parents! Wahoo!

I guess everything happens for a reason... even if it is a pain-in-the-butt!


Be Strong...Live Life....

Training plans...

I don't know exactly where I am at right now with my running. All I know is that I want to keep doing it, and get better. For the past month or so, I have been thinking about goals and races for 2007 and I don't know exactly what I want to do.

Do I want to increase my speed...or increase my mileage per run?

I know I am not ready to start training for a full-marathon...not right now. I would like to do it, someday. But, I don't feel as if I am ready. Yet.

I DO want to do many 5K's and 10K's within driving distance.

I DO want to do some half marathons along the way. I just don't know when or where.

Even though I don't have a particular race in mind right now, except for the possibility of the 5K zoo run New Year's Eve, I have been looking at many different kinds of training plans. I am one who likes to have a training plan. It helps me keep motivated. But, how does one choose?

Do I follow a training plan for a 10K...increasing my mileage? Or do I follow a training plan for a 5K, working on increasing speed?

You're all probably thinking... "it depends on what I want to accomplish."

I know. That is what I need to decide.

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated!


Be Strong... Live Life...

34 Flat...Take that!

RR: 3.25 miles, 405 calories.

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Well, after a little comment made on my race report, I was a little miffed and decided to take it out on the thrillmill tonight. I went out and pushed myself and prove to myself I could pull a sub-12 on a 5K. I was able to run 3.1 miles in 34 minutes ...FLAT!

Correct me if I am wrong, but that is a sub-12 minute mile?!?!

Yeah, that is what I thought!

Take that anonymous blogger! Poof!



Happy running's, yall!

Saturday jog

RR: Sis and I did 1.73 miles..only. Our calves were still tight from thursday, and our thighs were frozen!
9:45 am
12 degrees
no wind, just brisk cool air

I will have to dip into the hot tub this evening. Aaahhh..

5K Turkey Trot

November 23, 2006
9:00 am
30 degrees
brisk weather with slight breeze

My sisters, Dad, and I headed to the race around 8am. It was busy. Turned out they had over 650 runners compared to last years 450. It was wonderful to see this Turkey Trot turn into a family event. For such a small event, they figured they had raised over $20,000 for Cystic Fybrosis. Absolutely fabulous. I had about 5 aunts and uncles, 1 cousin, and my Grandma walk or run it with us. Next year, we hope to get more!

We started a little after 9:oo and the starting line congested, even though they made the walkers start 2 minutes later. I will blame the walkers standing in my way for about 5 extra seconds on my race time.

Once we started I was so excited. My adrenaline was pumping and I knew I had started too fast. I was surrounded by fast feet and found it hard to pace myself. I need to remember to listen to my breathing and pay attention to my feet. So, it was great until the half way point and I already had to walk a few feet. I started running again and a darn side stitch gave me the worst pain ever causing me to walk very slowly around mile 2. Ick. But, then there were a couple ladies behind me that I felt coming up on me and I wasn't going to let them pass me...so I ran with them. The rest of the way. They had a great pace. Towards the end I wanted to gun it but my my legs just felt like lead. It's wierd how some days you can feel as if you are running on clouds and some days it feels as if you had gained 30 pounds.

Results: 3.1 miles in 37:14 (a new PR)

Next year...I plan to run the 10K!

Keep on keeping on!

Post-run cravings

RR: I went out for a slow and easy run tonight. I wanted to take it slow, only becuase I didn't want to push myself too hard before the race thursday. So I logged 4.05 miles and 516 calories. Average heart rate was 164, maxing out at 179...I was glad to keep it below 180. Like I said, it was nice and slow and it felt wonderful!

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Okay, so can anyone tell me why I have the cravings I do after a run? I usually crave salty food and cheese. Sometimes milk. What is the reason behind this? I don't necessarily have a problem with it, just curious as to why I want to eat those things... I am sure someone out there has the answers!

Next time you hear from me...it will be a post-turkey trot report. Yippee! I am pumped!

Keep on keeping on...

Another form of Procrastination #132

Before I get into my, yet, another form of procrastination, I want to inform all you readers out there that I was able to complete not 1, but 2 large assignments this weekend before doing the following. I spent most of this afternoon at Perkins, with a classmate, working on a huge unit plan on social skills and was able to finish! For some reason, I think I got a slight pinch in my back somehow and decided not to run after spending all afternoon studying. So what did I do with my evening?? Check out the following...

Procrastination #132: Baking

Sis, cutting out the cookies! Mmm...it's my favorite cut-out cookie recipe and oh so easy!

While Sis was working on cutting out cookies, I was working on my "homemade" peanut butter cups... yummy.

Sis and her wonderful work!

By the time the cookies were ready to be frosted, Desperate Housewives was on so we decided to decorate around the livingroom coffee table... it worked out just fine!

AND....when we chose to do some dishes during a commercial break...Deja (the dog) decided to give them a little taste tester... I think she liked them...considering she licked not only one, but two cookies!

So..that was my evening. Tomorrow, I hope to get to the gym...and do a nice run before my Turkey Trot this thursday!

Keep on keeping on...

Finally Friday

RR: No running today. REST DAY! Ahhh...it feels good!

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Oh how I am so thankful that it is finally friday. Today just flew by at school. We had a very long meeting this morning and I spent a lot of the rest of day doing paperwork. But, I am not complaining becuase I started my day off with a Medium Mocha from Caribou Coffee...mmmm. That is my friday treat to myself and since we haven't had school on a friday for a few weeks, it was extra special today!

Tonight I will be doing some homework and paperwork for school. This weekend is one of the few of my last weekends to get homework done. As much as I am sooo excited for this semester to be over, I am sooo not ready for it to be over. I have a few projects left to do and don't know how long it will take me. So I hope to get AS MUCH done AS I can this weekend!

Soon it will be TURKEY DAY! Next weekend I will be back at home in the big Bis with a bunch of family, participating in the 17th Annual Cystic Fybrosis 5K Turkey Trot! My parents, one of my sisters and I will be running while my other sister will be walking with some other family, including Grandma. I am sooo pumped. I participated last year and it was my first race EVER so I hope to do better this time around!

After the race we will be heading to my parents house for a good homecooked Turkey dinner; turkey mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, grandma's homemade buns (my favorite), rice(my favorite #2), asparagus, cold veggies, and the desserts.... mmm...pie...cookies..chocolate covered pretzels..buffalo chips ... .. no wonder why it is so hard to NOT gain wait between October and January. Maybe I should be doing the 10K instead of the 5K Turkey Trot!

To follow dinner will be football watching for most the boys and gossiping for the women. The kids will hopefully be doing some crafty projects. Mom usually spends the couple days before baking the pieces to 5-7 homemade gingerbread houses which I usually assemble the night before and we let the kids decorate after dinner. We don't know what we are doing this year since the gingerbread houses are SOOO much work. So I need to come up with another crafty project to possibly take the place of the houses that they will enjoy. We usually spend the evening doing some decorating, including putting up the Christmas tree and if we aren't too tired the five of us head out to check out the Christmas lights around town for a couple hours.... Family traditions are so fun. I can't wait for next weekend!

Keep on keeping on....

Eating Habits

RR: Today I hit up the gym for an easy run. I was hoping to do 4 miles, but was only able to do a few. My shin started to bother me a bit halfway through the run and so I wanted to be easy on it. I think this starts to happen when I push myself too hard. Overall, it felt great. I clocked 3.1 miles and 386 calories.

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I am so thankful it is almost friday. I need the weekend to get here...and fast!

After my run tonight I came home, showered quickly and went to dinner with Sis, her fiance and one of his roommates. It was nice to get out of the apartment, be surrounded by "kids" my age....and just laugh. But, now my tummy hurts from a few drinks and one too many fries. This girl really needs to start changing her diet if she wants to train for any kind of race down the road. Don't get me wrong, I do not have completely awful eating habits, but a few.

Don't we all?

It's easy to make excuses as to why some of us "choose" to eat what we eat, but sometimes it's just so "convenient"...right? It's those darn microwaveable dinners. I don't like many of them...actually only one in particular...the pizza by lean cuisine. But my life doesn't allow me to make a good meal every night to have lunch for the next morning. Not with classes three nights a week.

I need to find some quick fixes that are healthy and suited for "runners" for me to prepare to take to school for lunch. Any ideas out there? I would love to hear what all you other bloggers do for your lunches... I am sure I am not the only one on a time crunch during the week!!!

Keep on keeping on.....

One in a Million

RR: Before my evening class I went to the gym to do some running. I decided I needed to do something different, so attempted to do some so-called-wonderful-intervals?!?! I began with an easy pace run for a mile, and then decided to sprint for 1/4 of a mile and then walk briskly for .15 of a mile; preceding to do this 5 times and then cooling down for a 1/4 of a mile. Over all I clocked 3.1 miles and 388 calories.

________________________________________

Today was a rough day. Last night my friend who has been sick passed away. She just couldn't fight it anymore. At the age of 23, she married in August, became violently ill a few weeks after returning from her honeymoon, and passed away a couple months later. She had been awake enough to look at her wedding pictures last week, but her and her husband hadn't finished opening their wedding gifts....

Instead of heading to the school I am working at this year, I took the day and spent it at the school I worked at last year. My para from last year called me last night and the principal wanted me to be with them today.

Everyone was wearing pink... that was her favorite color.

The day began with discussing how to speak with students about death. I spent most of the morning roaming the halls and doing some projects. We put up a huge piece of paper on the wall with the words: "Mrs. H, You Touched Our Hearts". Throughout the day, the piece of paper filled up with little pink hearts with notes to her family and her as well from all the students and teachers. Some of them made us cry....and some made us laugh.

In the 2+ years I have been working in the school system, this has probably been one of the hardest days. It's so hard to see some of those kids. Some of them became so connected to her. Some of her students didn't know how to handle it. It's truly amazing...the impact this young lady had on so many people. She was always smiling...she was full of positive energy...

.... she was one in a million.... and will be missed by so many.



Keep on keeping on....

Feelin' Good!!

RN (running notes): I got up and went for a run this morning....before heading to school! It was wonderful! Well, the run wasn't wonderful but being able to get up before school to run was great! I forgot my waterbottle, which wasn't a really big deal, but just the having that thought of "wanting" it near me probably set off my run a little bit. Since this is the first time I have ran before heading to school I didn't know how to manage my time. I could have gone another 15 minutes, but I know that now...for next time. (3 miles...351 calories)



It's a new week, and this girl is feelin' good! I am kickin' this cold outta here!

Sunday night, I hit the sack at 9pm. Monday morning, I woke up at and felt soooo rested!!

I spent the hours after school working on an assessment report. 5 hours to be exact. I wouldn't have left it for the night before it was due, but I was to use the computer lab in the Education Building and it was not open thursday night when I went (even though it was supposed to be) and it wasn't open on friday due to holiday. It's never open on the weekends. Let's just say I was a little miffed.

I will admit, I am really struggling with keeping motivated...not with running..but with classwork. It's REDICULOUS! I have NO motivation WHAT-SO-EVER to do ANYTHING related to school! I have only 4 weeks of class left and you have NO IDEA how thrilled I am. I only have a few projects left for the semester but still have a hard time doing ANYTHING. I JUST WANNA BE DONE WITH THIS SEMESTER! I have to finish my Assessment project. I have to finish reading Beautiful Child and looking for cognitive, behavioral, social, and ecological interventions. And...I have to finish my research project. THAT ... research project... is a BIG one. Not only because it is a research project, but becuase it WILL be my final project to present as my Independent Project for Graduation in May. So, I really need to do my BEST with it!

Ahh...I WANNA be done! All I want to do is run! 179 days people....179 days and I am DONE!


Keep on Keeping on!

Looking ahead at 2007

RN (running notes):

Today, still feeling a little bit under the weather with some congestion...I chose to hit up the gym anyway. I was shooting for 2 miles, just to get my heart pumping and do a little sweating. Well, I reached 3 miles and called it quits. I didn't over exert myself....letting my heart rate only max at 170, which is lower than it's usual max of 186. I just took it slow and steady. (3.03 miles....386 calories.)

2007 Running and Other Stuff:

It won't be long before 2007 approaches us and I am looking forward to all it will bring. It will be a busy one with job hunting in the spring, my graduation in May, Sis' wedding in June, hopeful travel to England/Europe in July/August, and a half marathon & full marathon somewhere in there.

I would really like to do the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville this spring, but don't think it will happen with school and all. It's just hard for me to imagine flying across the country in the middle of the semester and possible missing a day of school. So I am looking for races in the summer/fall. Here's where all you other bloggers out there come into play! If any of you know of any good ones, please let me know! I would like to know what all of you might be training for in 2007! I was thinking of doing the Nike Women's Marathon in Cali next fall, but don't know if that is a do-able just yet....with things being so crazy busy. Maybe.

Happy runnings, y'all!

3 miles!

There was no school today. Veteran's Day observed. So, I went to bed at a good hour last night and hit the gym at 8am with Sis. Still coughing, I hopped on the thrillmill and went at it. And, I was able to get in three miles! They weren't the greatest miles and I did a lot of walking due to some coughing, but it felt great to move...and sweat!

As for the rest of the day I will be studying until my parents arrive later this afternoon! Tomorrow? FOOTBALL!!! Go UND!

On the road to recovery ... . . I'm back!


Happy Runnings, y'all!

The gentlemen...dressed in blue..

As my eyes graze across the gym floor, trying to hold back tears, I find that I am not the only one. My eyes become fixed on that first row of gentlemen...dressed in blue. I hear the words of the first graders reciting a poem in which each of them had their own line to memorize. Some hard to hear. Some loud, but full of life.

My eyes keep wondering. Trying not to really think about what this presentation is about; knowing if I do, I am might just shed a tear.

The second graders presented next... each of them had to read a portion of a story. A story of a little girl asking her grandfather questions. Questions about America. Questions about war and what it is. My eyes are drawn back to the row of gentlemen in the front. My eyes are caught by one pulling his glasses away from his face and wiping tears... from both eyes.

The music.

The words from the music. The words from the mouths of the young children.

The meaning behind it all.

The gentlemen....dressed in blue...

And then there were the sixth graders... they recited an ever-so-powerful poem. A poem about making choices...choices that would lead to sacrifices. The tears were there. I just didn't let them go.

The music.

The words..

The gentlemen....dressed in blue...

Then there was the raising of the flag on the grounds of our school. The wind blowing it hard against the post. The kids shivering, standing close to their classmates. The high school girls chior singing the national anthem....and the group of gentlemen standing in front.... at attention.

It was our Veteran's Day program...put on for the community. The program to honor all those who have served and are serving for our country.

It was an emotional program.

It's so amazing to see it through the eyes of children. Most of them are too young to truely know the effect they had on most of those seated in that gymnasium. But they did.

There were tears shed.

Memories brought about.

And many many words of thanks.

Thanks to all of those who
have served
or are serving
this country of ours...

Blah, blah, blah...

... that is the way I feel.

Yuck.

I just want to curl up and sleep. For ever! (Well...maybe for just the next two days!)

And... it's killing me that I haven't ran since sunday. Yes, you are correct. That means that I did not get up this morning to get in an early 3 miler. Nope. I woke up at five and and said "hell no" ... in the midst of coughing up my right lung and giving my neighbors the impression that I own a 65 pound dog....

Ow. It hurts to cough. I am not coughing up anything...just coughing. Damn "tickle". It won't go away.

My head hurts.

My belly hurts.

I am tired. I have barely slept in the past 2 nights.

Grr.

I am going to go read my book in bed...and hopefully fall asleep at a decent hour. Hopefully I won't have to get up in a few hours to slam down some whiskey....but hey.... it might help!

Enjoy your runs, y'all!

....I will be dreaming of running...and sugarplums.....

One more thing....I am so not going to blog everyday this month...I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E.... It was a good idea though!

Another.... who knew Emmitt Smith could dance?!?! Or can he?!?!

Monday Madness

I just got home not too long ago...8:30ish. I hadn't been home since 7 this morning. We had parent-teacher conferences tonight and it went pretty well. I only met with a few teachers and spent the rest of the time working on progress reports. Ohhh...the lovely paperwork!

But..... to make a long day better.....

<-------I came home to this!!!

It finally arrived! My shirt! Remember the race I did almost 2 months ago? Well, this is the shirt from it and it finally arrived.... only a short time after the expected two week wait! But, it's wonderful. A little big. But wonderful. I am hoping our nice weather holds out through friday so I can wear it out running friday morning! I don't see much daylight anymore to run outside!

Now, I plan to get things ready for the morning and plan to do a few miles in the AM! We'll see how I feel when the alarm goes off at 5am...but I am going to try.... again.

Happy running, y'all!

Sunday...a day of rest....

....or not so much. Today I was able to sneak in TWO workouts, not just one! Go me! I ran and then following my run I did my Turbo Sculpt video. With the knowledge of how it left me feeling when I did it monday night, I figured I would do it today after my run .... already planning on using tomorrow as a REST/STRETCH day. I have parent teacher conferences that go until 730 tomorrow night, making it quite a long day. So, I will do nothing .... tomorrow... but recover from the sculpting!

Last night I did some babysitting. Yeah, I told my sister I was too old to babysit, mainly becuase I didn't want to watch the 4 kids I was going to be watching....and the fact that I didn't want to babysit on a saturday night. Babysitting these kids is like throwing me to a pack of wolves. But, I regret what I said, becuase they spent most the time reading and one of them was "writing" her own book. A teacher's dream. It was so great to see kids so enthusiastic about reading! I loved it! Then, once they went to bed, I did a little reading of my own...except it wasn't pleasure reading...it was class related. But, I got some homework done.

The rest of today...I will watch a little Vikings while I do some homework .... and .... do some relaxing...since it is a day of rest...right?

Week in Review Workouts:

Monday - Turbo Sculpt 40 min.
Tuesday - REST (sore)
Wednesday - Run 3
Thursday - Run 2.63
Friday - REST (feeling like crap)
Saturday - Run 2.27 (still feeling like crap)
Sunday - Run 2.5 & Turbo Sculpt 40 min.


Happy runnings, y'all!

Afternoon of studying

I woke up this morning still feeling like crap. But, I had to get to the gym and do something. So, I went and ran a little over 2 miles. That's all I could handle. My ear was killing me and I felt dizzy/nausous. So I called it quits early.

Now, I will be heading to the wonderful library for the afternoon. Yeah. But, I know I will get tons done without the distraction of the tv and internet...

Wish me luck!

Happy runnings, y'all!

...running on empty...

I am attempting to follow in a.maria's footsteps (and many other bloggers) and post everyday during the month of November. We'll see how that goes...I might miss a few days! So, don't hold it against me!

Today we didn't have school. It was a comp day for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Wonderful! So, I woke up this morning, with the intentions of getting up at a decent time, doing some paperwork, running some errands, and then working out in the afternoon. Let's just say that didn't happen.

I got up around 8ish, and felt sick. I woke myself before my alarm due to a nasty tickle, and realized that my nose was stuffy. GREAT. Just what I needed. I was partially thankful that it started over a long weekend, hoping to get most of it out of my system before monday comes. But, it has not helped me in accomplishing much today.

I spent most of my morning checking up on emails and doing a little bit of organizing my paperwork. Then I ran a couple errands and took a nice drive to the school I worked at last year. I promised them that when I had a day off, I would come and visit. I really enjoyed it. I miss them all SOOOO much! A couple of my former students almost crapped their pants when they saw me...giving me the biggest hug ever. Boy, do I miss it there. After that I went home, took a short nap and then went out to eat with sis, her fiance and a few friends. That was nice. Except for my long-island tea didn't have much flavor...must have been the cold.

I came home hoping to get some homework done, but got in the cleaning mood. I cleaned out our entryway closet...finding atleast 20 pairs of shoes. Vaccuumed that out....there were so many dust bunnies and dirt and gravel. Gross. Then I just organized stuff around the apartment including my pile of papers that needed to be filed...papers/bills dating back to august...oops. Talk about procrastination!

Now after all that little cleaning, I feel worse. I feel tight in the chest and can't breath through my nose. The air just feels very dry and coarse on my through and nasal passage... I am running on empty...So, now...I think I am going to crawl up on the couch and just watch some basketball... Tomorrow, I hope to get up and workout and do something a little more productive.

Ramblings....

Sometimes, when I sit down to make a post in my blog, I have so many things I want to write about. And still, I sit here staring at my computer screen with a loss of words. Nothing. So today, what will my post be about? I don't know. I am just going with the flow.
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First of all, I ran yesterday....AND...today. 3 miles yesterday and 2.63 miles today. I was shooting for 3 today, but I wanted to get home in time to watch Grey's Anatomy. And now, I am not even completely focussing on Grey's Anatomy, I am consumed by emails, blogging and watching the Spurs/Mavericks game. It is the opening week for NBA basketball, people. And just a side note...what in the world are they doing to basketball with the new rule of "no emotions"? Anyway....
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Ahh, it's been an emotional past couple of weeks. My job is emotionally draining, classes can be emotionally draining...and my life outside of school and class has been somewhat emotionally draining. That is why I am trying to hard to make time to exercise, relax, and reflect on everything. One might wonder why I spend so much time blogging when I have all these things to do...but for me...it is just another part of my own "therapy". This is my form of reflecting on what is going on in my life...at school...with class....and.. .... ..everywhere in between.

A friend of mine has become quite ill. She has been ill for a little over 2 months. Fighting. Fighting for her life. And it is hard to sit back and wait, just wait. Pray. Pray everyday...every time I think of her. I reflect on all the good times last school year. You see, we worked together. We were both first year teachers, we confided in each other, we had the same worries, some of the same struggles....we were in the same boat and knew what each other was going through. To top it off, she is the nicest person I have EVER met in my life. She is one that would never say anything bad about anyone. She is a big bowl of sunshine...always smiling...always cheerful. And I, I have been worrying about her for the past two months. She has been through SO much. I just would like to see her come out of this and have a healthy recovery. She is our own little angel on earth.

Thinking about all my friend has gone through...really makes me think about life. How we take it for granted. How we say "oh, I will do that tomorrow." or "I will call them later." So often we find ourselves putting things off. For what reason? I don't know. We get so caught up in everything around us we start to forget about the simple things in life. We forget to stop and smell the roses. Make the best of what we have instead of complaining. If I have learned anything from this friend, I have learned that there is something good in everything...and nothing positive comes out of anything negative.

I will leave you with this quote...remembering it to the best of my knowledge, you will get the point:

"Make the best of today.
Yesterday is gone.
Tomorrow may never come."