Big words!  My brain on Hepatitis C.

My brain is on overload.  Last night I went to my first training on Hepatitis-C (which I spelled wrong initially.  Better memorize that one...) to prepare for facilitating a support group for my social work internship.  I learned a bunch of new terms and words, and, really, a bunch of stuff I didn't know about how pharmaceutical companies and medical insurance works in situations like this.

Hopefully not what I'll be doing... I don't like those swabby things; they make me gag a lot.

But to my great relief, everyone at the training was kind.  And friendly.  And really cool.  One woman had just got back from Uganda.  Another was a pscyho-therapist.  And a few were were vegetarians (I think vegetarians are so disciplined!).  But everyone in the room was socially active and passionate about something out in the world.  It was neat to hear about what they do every day and how they are making an impact where they can.

There's something encouraging and soul-warming about meeting individuals who care about other people enough to give their time and be in meaningful relationship with hurting people.  My breaths are a little lighter now, and I slept super well last night.  I believe (and no longer have to convince myself) that this grad school thing is going to work out alright, and it's the right thing right now.  I like it.

Pseudo-Momming

Being a mom is hard work, I think.  On Friday night I stayed overnight with the twins.  My biological clock is now on standstill for about 1,000 years.  Just kidding.  But kids around 30 sounds good.

First off I FAILED to grill a turkey burger.  Not sure what happened or why it chose not to cook right, but the meat sort of stuck to the grate and got goopy.  That seemed crazy-salmonella-like, so I left it to harden a bit before scraping it off the grill.  Oops.  I forgot to close the lid, so it attracted about fifteen wasps.  Secret fear:  Getting stung.  My mom's deathly allergic, so I run away or kill bees/wasps/yellow jackets/anything with a stinger in about -5 seconds out of habit.  And in all my outdoor and traveling adventures, I've managed to avoid a sting.  I figure it's not so much about the painful sting but more about the possibility of being allergic and kicking the bucket after getting stung like the kid on My Girl.  Unpleasant.

She's precious.

SO ANYWAY... I attempted to hit chunks of turkey burger off the grill with the scraper.  The wasps followed the chunks/my hand.  I tried to hit said chunks far away from the grill and throw them into a bag.  The wasps followed me.  Finally I closed the grill and ran away like a brave person.  After 15 minutes I opened the grill and encountered mad wasps.  I almost ran away but had a brilliant epiphany to turn on the burner to kill the wasps.  They didn't actually die; they just got pissed, but the smoke made them fly away.  And I remained unstung.

And he's too cute for words, really.

Why didn't I just ignore it?  Because I wanted the babes to play in the yard, so they would sleep nice.  Eventually all the wasps left, but the whole experience just got obnoxious and dramatic.  Gross.  Afterward the night went smoothly, and the twins fell asleep without complication.  Then I collapsed with some wine and episodes of The Office.  I discovered this was my favorite part of pseudo-momming.

Saturday mornings for mothers.

Don't get me wrong; I liked the Saturday morning cuddles as well. What I did not enjoy as much was the 3:35 AM wake-up call.  Cassidy fell back asleep promptly after uttering a blood-curdling scream, but I stayed wide awake, my heart pounding for a good 30 minutes from being awoken mid dream (which was oddly about Florida and a butler...).  Counting sheep didn't work.  Pretending I lived in a fairy-tale land didn't work.  What did work was exhaustion, and I somehow managed to get back to sleep around 5:30 only to be woke at 6:30 by a playful toddler.

By noon on Saturday, I was exhausted.  And looked awful.  My eyes were too tired to wear my contacts.  It was stellar.  Then I went to the Gap and purchased adult clothes for my internship/graduate school education.  Turns out that when you spend a lot of money to learn how to be a licensed professional, sweats and tie-dyes don't cut it.  Such a grown-up day for me.

To sum it up, I gleaned the following from the overnight:
1.  Moms needs to be thanked more frequently.
2.  Moms are probably some of the most creative people on earth.  Creative in multiple senses of the word.
3.  I bet a mom invented the happy hour.
4.  I bet Spicy Basil-and the many take-out options on Broadway-makes a lot of money on Friday nights... because of tired Moms.
5.  I bet a Mom discovered melatonin's sleepiness affects.

:)

While it might be challenging and hard sometimes, I imagine that being a real mom is a privilege as well.  And a gift.  To love someone no matter what and watch a person become.  Someday, someday, but my heart's (or maybe just my sleep cycle's) glad it's not today.

Confession One:  I've watched YouTube every day this week, multiple times a day, in order to learn how to style my bangs.

Confession Two:  I made an appointment at Aveda today to have my bangs cut differently... and to learn how to style my bangs.

:)

1/2 Week 1

Today marks the first day of my first week of half-marathon training.  That's a lot of "first" and "of" in one sentence.  The game plan for week one is as follows:

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run

Hal Higdon, along with many Americans, swears system works.  We'll see.  Updates to follow!

Precious.

When I see things like this happening, my heart is happier instantly!!  Cookies saving the WORLD!

http://cookiesfornets.wordpress.com  Check it!

Goosebumps. Goose pimples. Whatevs.

I'm not sure what you call them, but this song gives them to me every time.  Completely obsessed is what I am; this song's been on repeat for three days.  Enjoy:

"Blood" by The Middle East

Mr. and Mrs. Brauer

Every once and awhile two incredible people bump into each other, fall in love, and begin to live life together.  That's how I feel about Jess and Daniel who are both called Brauer now.  I love this couple.  Absolutely love them.

Being a part of Jess' and Daniel's special day was a blessing.  They know and share so much love between each other; it's nothing short of encouraging to be around them.  Every time we hang out, I feel a special sort of grace.  The kind that draws me back toward the heart of it and pushes me forward into a deeper desire for our God.  And a kind of grace that gives me good perspective on the tumultuous world of dating, attraction, and love.  The Brauers are a power couple, and I expect nothing short of amazing.

It's funny to think that the people pictured above weren't my friends one year ago.  It's even funnier to remember that I almost didn't go back to Bible study, because I felt so young around these ones.  And different from them.  But experiencing their friendship and talking about life and God together has made me rich this year.  Sometimes the friends we don't hand-pick are the ones that grow us most in the areas we forget.

Because I Am that Lazy, yet that Hopeful...

To train or not to train for a Half Marathon?

  (This is the question.  But, really, the resolve.)

In the spring I trained for a 5K and had a stellar time of 28 minutes for my first attempt.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to run it due to a nasty, breathing-prohibited sickness which turned into a month as a cesspool-germ-incubator/allergy festival who sat on the couch and watched Felicity in it's entirety.  I'd like to say that the sickness brought on five pounds, but I know the Felicity addiction did me in.  (Anyone who thinks it's impossible to resist Noel:  you're on, and you'll buy me a drink, when I prove you wrong!)  To combat my flubber, I tried my first-ever, two-week crash tone-up diet before the Vegcation to look good for... no one?  Not one of my most shining spirals into sloth...

This summer I've dragged my body down the neighborhood gulch "to get a run in" and done Core Secrets when feeling excessively flabby.  In reality I've half-assed my fitness routine this season in exchange for summer shandy and the infinitely-flattering sundress/belt combination.  Ooh la la. 

Sundress/Belt Combination:  Results Yielded!  Try it, Ladies!

It appears that I'm doing this because of a lack of "self-esteem" or having "poor body image," but this isn't about that at all.  It dawned on me that I start graduate school in about one month, and once that new chapter of my story begins, I will go into crazy mode.  And I can be either crazy-busy yet balanced or just crazy.  So, in training to run a half-marathon in early November, I take a big step to take care of me.  And to look "good," because I care for myself, not for anyone in particular.  And to feel good, because I am healthy, not to prove that I am athletic or meet a social standard.  And to set a big, motivational goal that proves I can accomplish what I set my mind to.

The face of determination.  

I believe that we love, serve, and understand others best when we are balanced and healthy ourselves.  What I do to help, challenge, and grow myself, is ultimately an action that may help others progress as well.

If you have any tips (or desire to be my running buddy!), drop a comment.  I'll update through the process and post some pictures of sweaty-nastiness... probably not.  What are you doing to take care of you?  

Cheers to being the best we can be!