I hate Mondays. At my last job I loved them because it was my day off. Now I spend my Mondays at AFSS from 7-5. It doesn't help that I'm certainly not a morning person and the rest of the week I get an extra hour to sleep since I don't have to be to work until 8. The smart thing would be to get up early every day and get my workout over with to energize my day. Yet, I prefer to run in the late afternoon/early evening when its still really warm out. I have found that its actually easier for me to breath...
Anyways I ate like crap today. I started off with
Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal with everything 390 cal
Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte 160 cal
Thats what the Starbucks claims but I don't really believe it...I didn't have a snack because I was so busy at work so it was simply 3 cups of water. Around 1, I realized I wasn't going to have an opportunity to go pick up lunch and since I was running behind this morning, I hadn't brought anything. So Princess brought me a
Chik-fil-A chicken sandwich 410 cal
When I got home, I was STARVING! I had some already cooked shrimp in the fridge - no cocktail sauce or lemons :( so I threw them in a pan with some BBQ sauce and super hot salsa Princess had leftover. My mouth was on FIRE for about 20 minutes. I love spicy stuff but this was way too much
Shrimp with BBQ 200 cal
It was supposed to be a rest day for me but I was feeling a little anxious about eating that Chik-fil-A sandwich so I put in Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and did level 2. Glad I only went that far since level one was way too easy but level 2 definitely made me work! I was hungry afterward and have been craving a PB&J all afternoon since I saw a co-worker eating one. Definitely gave in...
PB&J (almond butter) 240 cal
I guess that puts me around my 1350 calorie goal but I'm still hungry. Probably because I at all that CRAP! Maybe I will snack on some bell peppers. Anyways this is about to turn into a really long post because below is something I wrote a little earlier today.
As Part of my Day Zero Project, I plan to complete the “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind” from Marc And Angel Hack Life. Instead of doing this as a simple questionnaire, it is probably more beneficial to answer a question with each blog that I write and put a little bit of thought into it. The first question is:
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
This is a little difficult. Often, I am told I am mature for my age. For the most part I disagree with this but I have been through a lot the last couple years that has definitely made me stronger. I would say I would think I as 22 if I didn't know better. I finished college later than other people and certainly haven't figured out what I want to do the rest of my life.
I guess I will begin with why I think I'm immature for my age. I like to have fun and party. When I do, I drink way too much and usually find myself in some kind of trouble. Princess frequently lectures me for this since he always ends up being the one to drive home. As much as I try to keep my home clean, I can be a total slob. I don't like cleaning up the kitchen after I cook and I refuse to take the trash out unless I'm the only one there to do it. I frequently find myself thinking petty things about some people, which I firmly believe is a very immature habit for anyone. Fortunately, I only express these things to Princess and some close friends. I want to go back to school, because I long for the college experience again. I truly feel like an 18 year old in a 24 year old's body, with the exception that working out does cause some pain in my knees in hips which might say otherwise. The fact that I feel I can barely take care of myself – I know I can but I get very self-conscious and anxious about it. When having to do something that I am unfamiliar with, the anxiety that I feel is frequently so bad that I do my best to avoid the particular activity.
Now onto the things that might make me more mature for my age. Being terrified of the possibility of losing both of my parents before I turned 25 certainly had an effect on me. As many people know my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, and at one point we had been told that it was at a stage that made things very scary for our family. Luckily, it was only in an early stage and she was able to receive treatment and recovered very well.
Shortly after her recovery, my dad had a very bad heart attack and was hospitalized for about 6 weeks. Most of which he was in an induced a coma. Mom and I practically lived at the hospital, terrified every morning about news we might receive that day. Thanks to everyone's thoughts and prayers, my dad has made a miraculous recovery and I certainly do believe in miracles to this day. In January, he became a candidate for a heart transplant and it wasn't long before they got the call – he was on the list for like 8 days! His transplant was successfully completed less than a year after his heart attack. I am so grateful for how fortunate he and our family have been in this situation.
These things definitely made me a stronger person and strengthened my faith in God. Like I said, I now know that miracles are real and that what appears to be impossible certainly isn't. I grew a lot as a person because of the last two years. Being in a relationship with a man who is in flight school definitely added to the stress as well. Part of that was a long distance relationship which was certainly difficult. As we are getting closer to being separated again, I now have faith that we can make it through this if we both really want to.
And the obvious. Being an only child. Some might say that I was spoiled rotten and all the other stereotypical stuff that goes along with being an only child. Yes, I was spoiled but not as much as some might think. I got my first “job” as soon as I was capable, washing dishes and doing some cleaning at my aunt and uncles B&B when I was 12. At 14, I had a serving job at a little restaurant in my hometown. I worked there until my senior year of high school when I started only working weekends at a different restaurant where I could make more money. The only time I didn't work since I first started was my first semester of college and I HATED IT!!! I thought it would be nice to have all the free time but after about a month I found myself longing for a job. I ran things by my parents over Christmas and they agreed that I could use some extra money since I had so much free time. I certainly cannot NOT WORK. Even if I have other things to do such as school I find myself very bored and getting into trouble. Also, being an only child I was around more adults growing up than I was other children. Many of my parents' friends didn't have children until I was older if they had them at all. Also, many of their friends were older than them! This probably has something to do with why I thoroughly enjoy talking to elderly people. One of my favorite things to do when I am visiting home is see some of my parents friends rather than my own! Anyways, that about sums it up, there's probably more but this post is getting long. Adios for today!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Weekend recap
Wow this weekend has been a long one. I wish it could keep going! Friday evening Princess and I met up with a buddy of his and saw the new movie Sucker Punch. I was not very impressed. The plot - if there was one - was terrible. Maybe its more of a guy movie but I'm not into human trafficking meets Lord of the Rings meets Girl Interrupted. It was just ridiculous. This young girl gets sent to inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation and soon finds herself being forced to dance and perform favors. You never actually see her dance though because then she goes into a visionary state where she's and some girls are fighting dragons and flying airplanes. After the movie we were all ready for a beer so we hit up this bar called Wisteria.
They have so many different kinds of beers, I would say over a hundred and its in what appears to be a trailer. They have Blue Point Blueberry Ale which I absolutely love and recommend to anyone. Princess found himself a $12 beer that he seemed to enjoy. Please excuse his buddy's sign language. He was apparently a little jealous.
Yesterday I ran some errands and took a trip to Target. I planned to go for a one hour run after my trip so just for the heck of it I ventured over to the sporting goods section and they had a New Balance Hydration belt! When I run I constantly feel thirsty, so I went ahead and bought one. It also has a SMALL pocket for keys/phone/etc which I found handy since I have been having difficulty finding running shorts with pockets at a reasonable price. I can only fit my phone in it but it helped.
Then I went on my one-hour run in a neighborhood I normally don't run in. I was hoping to find some hills but didn't have much success. It was about 80 degrees so I was so happy to have my hydration belt! I ran for a half hour and ran out of water...luckily I had an extra bottle of water in my car so I went back and refilled. I only ran about 4.5 miles since I did quite a bit of walking but hey, at least I got out there. I felt pretty good for the rest of the day!
Last night we went out to the beach for my coworkers' birthday celebration. Fly By Radio was playing, and while I had heard good things about them I wasn't expecting a cover band to be as good as they were. They did everything thing from Aretha Franklin to Metallica - very well! My friend Kristy developed a little crush on the guitarist
Not a very good picture (I had too much to drink & I took this right before we left) but he was def good looking. They called all the birthday people on stage but I'm not going to post those pictures. Someone might get mad at me ;) Anyways I'm definitely feeling the aftermath today. I still went on my run but it was rough. It was only 25 minutes but it felt like an hour. I had mild shin splints and some ankle pain the whole time but I did my best. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day cuz I'm hurting.
Today I took Apollo to the groomers for the first time. He really needs a hair cut but they were unable to do it because he wouldn't sit still so they just did a trim around his face and feet. He looks sooooo much better. You can actually see his eyes now.
But anyways thats about it for now. I'm just spending my Sunday relaxing on the couch :)
They have so many different kinds of beers, I would say over a hundred and its in what appears to be a trailer. They have Blue Point Blueberry Ale which I absolutely love and recommend to anyone. Princess found himself a $12 beer that he seemed to enjoy. Please excuse his buddy's sign language. He was apparently a little jealous.
Yesterday I ran some errands and took a trip to Target. I planned to go for a one hour run after my trip so just for the heck of it I ventured over to the sporting goods section and they had a New Balance Hydration belt! When I run I constantly feel thirsty, so I went ahead and bought one. It also has a SMALL pocket for keys/phone/etc which I found handy since I have been having difficulty finding running shorts with pockets at a reasonable price. I can only fit my phone in it but it helped.
Then I went on my one-hour run in a neighborhood I normally don't run in. I was hoping to find some hills but didn't have much success. It was about 80 degrees so I was so happy to have my hydration belt! I ran for a half hour and ran out of water...luckily I had an extra bottle of water in my car so I went back and refilled. I only ran about 4.5 miles since I did quite a bit of walking but hey, at least I got out there. I felt pretty good for the rest of the day!
Last night we went out to the beach for my coworkers' birthday celebration. Fly By Radio was playing, and while I had heard good things about them I wasn't expecting a cover band to be as good as they were. They did everything thing from Aretha Franklin to Metallica - very well! My friend Kristy developed a little crush on the guitarist
Not a very good picture (I had too much to drink & I took this right before we left) but he was def good looking. They called all the birthday people on stage but I'm not going to post those pictures. Someone might get mad at me ;) Anyways I'm definitely feeling the aftermath today. I still went on my run but it was rough. It was only 25 minutes but it felt like an hour. I had mild shin splints and some ankle pain the whole time but I did my best. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day cuz I'm hurting.
Today I took Apollo to the groomers for the first time. He really needs a hair cut but they were unable to do it because he wouldn't sit still so they just did a trim around his face and feet. He looks sooooo much better. You can actually see his eyes now.
But anyways thats about it for now. I'm just spending my Sunday relaxing on the couch :)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tore up..
Grrr I pulled a muscle or tendon in my bicep. For the last few days I haven't been able to really straighten it without some pain. Initially, I attributed it to the fact that I did a pretty good arm workout and just being sore. After a couple days of not doing much with my arms, I can still say that it doesn't seem to be getting better :( I planned to do a yoga workout tonight but decided to take the night off. Tomorrow was a scheduled rest day so if I feel better I will just go ahead and do yoga tomorrow and go easy on my left arm. If not maybe just go for a short easy run...
I talked to my girl Suzanne today and she is going to look at apartments for us in a few days. I'm so excited. Then I found one cheaper than the one she had in mind and remembered that my best friend from HS worked for the property management company so I sent her a quick text about it. She let me know that she moved about three hours away (which really saddens me now that I'm moving back), but gave me the number of a friend of hers to contact. Hopefully her friend hooks us up with a sweet deal! Especially since I have Apollo which will make things a little expensive back home. Pet deposits up there can run from half a months rent and the an additional $50/month or to a full months rent and a monthly fee. It can get pretty ridiculous, so hopefully this girl can help us out.
I'm still stressed and somewhat unhappy at work so there isn't much to talk about there. The phones were almost as crazy today as they were yesterday...but its better than working in a restaurant I guess. At least down here since people are frequently rude and don't tip well.
Ok back to the positives. I made some eggplant lasagna tonight and loved it. Princess hated it but whatever he's picky and has the body to be able to eat everything he wants! I will eat the leftovers tomorrow ;) Possibly some shrimpies as well. I still haven't heard anything from ISU - they need to get on it! I mean, I graduated with two degrees why wouldn't they accept me and my money? But mom did tell me that once I know for sure then they would help me out with getting a place since I'm pretty broke right now. That made me feel better.
Anyways, its time for bed. Goodnight!
I talked to my girl Suzanne today and she is going to look at apartments for us in a few days. I'm so excited. Then I found one cheaper than the one she had in mind and remembered that my best friend from HS worked for the property management company so I sent her a quick text about it. She let me know that she moved about three hours away (which really saddens me now that I'm moving back), but gave me the number of a friend of hers to contact. Hopefully her friend hooks us up with a sweet deal! Especially since I have Apollo which will make things a little expensive back home. Pet deposits up there can run from half a months rent and the an additional $50/month or to a full months rent and a monthly fee. It can get pretty ridiculous, so hopefully this girl can help us out.
I'm still stressed and somewhat unhappy at work so there isn't much to talk about there. The phones were almost as crazy today as they were yesterday...but its better than working in a restaurant I guess. At least down here since people are frequently rude and don't tip well.
Ok back to the positives. I made some eggplant lasagna tonight and loved it. Princess hated it but whatever he's picky and has the body to be able to eat everything he wants! I will eat the leftovers tomorrow ;) Possibly some shrimpies as well. I still haven't heard anything from ISU - they need to get on it! I mean, I graduated with two degrees why wouldn't they accept me and my money? But mom did tell me that once I know for sure then they would help me out with getting a place since I'm pretty broke right now. That made me feel better.
Anyways, its time for bed. Goodnight!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
insert off the wall creative title here
I don't have many ideas for a post today so I guess I will just give a brief synopsis of my day. I was planning to get up this morning and do a short strength training workout. When the alarm went off my arms were so sore it was a struggle to do this
but I still managed to hit snooze on all SEVEN of my alarms. By the time I got outta bed I had enough time to take Apollo
Outside and get ready. I had a "deadline" today at work and it was stressing me out, especially since I'm not at the law firm on Mondays. I had to go through and fix a bunch of stuff that I forgot to do/wasn't told to do until halfway through a project. Needless to say, the phones were ringing off the hooks and needed to be answered. Typically, I get records ordered for about 10 people/day and today I managed to get a whopping two.
By the time 5:30 rolled around I decided that I was going to get my coworker to talk about her spring break for the rest of the time she was there so I didn't get much done there either...but in my defense I did not take either of my 15 minute breaks or a lunch today. After work I was able to get some errands done at Target and Winn Dixie. By the time I got home, it was already dark but I went for my run anyway! I haven't felt safe at night in this town since I moved here - I still don't but I got passed it tonight!
I wish I could say it looked something like that, but at 7:30 there was no way I was going to drive down to the beach! Afterwards, I cooked dinner for me and my princess and I'm pretty sure they were the most amazing cheeseburgers I've had since that awesome place in San Antonio...then I prepped my lunch for tomorrow - which I haven't done in about two months. Lately I've been starving myself at work - skipping breakfast and lunch and snacking on Girl Scout Cookies and Doritos from the snack bin. For instance this is what my food intake for the day looked like
Breakfast
Nutrigrain bar and coffee
Lunch
Snack pack Doritos and a Coke
Snack
One Girl Scout Cookie that was hidden in my desk
Dinner
Cheeseburger
Mushrooms (my new favorite veggie/fungus/whatever)
Almond Milk
I think the only thing I did right today as far as my diet goes is drink 10 glasses of water and not consume any alcohol!
And now here I am. Princess is playing COD and I'm about to go to bed. Goodnight world!
but I still managed to hit snooze on all SEVEN of my alarms. By the time I got outta bed I had enough time to take Apollo
Outside and get ready. I had a "deadline" today at work and it was stressing me out, especially since I'm not at the law firm on Mondays. I had to go through and fix a bunch of stuff that I forgot to do/wasn't told to do until halfway through a project. Needless to say, the phones were ringing off the hooks and needed to be answered. Typically, I get records ordered for about 10 people/day and today I managed to get a whopping two.
By the time 5:30 rolled around I decided that I was going to get my coworker to talk about her spring break for the rest of the time she was there so I didn't get much done there either...but in my defense I did not take either of my 15 minute breaks or a lunch today. After work I was able to get some errands done at Target and Winn Dixie. By the time I got home, it was already dark but I went for my run anyway! I haven't felt safe at night in this town since I moved here - I still don't but I got passed it tonight!
I wish I could say it looked something like that, but at 7:30 there was no way I was going to drive down to the beach! Afterwards, I cooked dinner for me and my princess and I'm pretty sure they were the most amazing cheeseburgers I've had since that awesome place in San Antonio...then I prepped my lunch for tomorrow - which I haven't done in about two months. Lately I've been starving myself at work - skipping breakfast and lunch and snacking on Girl Scout Cookies and Doritos from the snack bin. For instance this is what my food intake for the day looked like
Breakfast
Nutrigrain bar and coffee
Lunch
Snack pack Doritos and a Coke
Snack
One Girl Scout Cookie that was hidden in my desk
Dinner
Cheeseburger
Mushrooms (my new favorite veggie/fungus/whatever)
Almond Milk
I think the only thing I did right today as far as my diet goes is drink 10 glasses of water and not consume any alcohol!
And now here I am. Princess is playing COD and I'm about to go to bed. Goodnight world!
Monday, March 21, 2011
No More BS
Well I'm sitting here with about 20 minutes of work left thinking about how I need to be more honest with myself as well as harder on myself. This weekend I skipped my runs Thursday thru Sunday. Well Sunday I did a 20 minute Jillian Michaels workout but that didn't do much for me. I felt like I had just gotten warmed up when it was over, like I wrote last night. If I am going to acheive my fitness and health goals which include looking like this:
I can't be eating stuff like this
Or drinking this
I keep picturing how I want my body to look but my bad habits are really getting in my way. It doesn't help that my boyfriend refuses to eat healthy food unless its sushi. I actually ate TBell last night simply because he went to the store and on the way home decided that he wanted some. And today at work I had portabello shrimp and tomato soup from my favorite restaurant here in town. OMG SOOOO GOOD!!! I guess, that's going to be my last cheating meal. Its time to buckle down and start holding myself accountable.
I also keep making excuses to not work out -- telling myself I need more sleep in the mornings and hitting the snooze which then puts my workout off until I get home from work. Once I get home from work, I tell myself that I am too tired from sitting at my desk and staring at my computer all day. I need to be held accountable and I need to stop making excuses. I need someone to get in my face and tell me to stop with the bullsh*t.
So...it was time to leave before I finished this post. When I got home, I put in a different Jillian Michaels video and that one really worked my body. Tonight I did "No More Trouble Zones" and my arms are on fire! I'm sure my legs will hurt tomorrow as well. Tomorrow I have a 30 minute run on a hilly course. Since my arms are killing me I'm really looking forward to it. I really hope that its as beautiful outside as it was today!
Anyways, I also downloaded a new app on my phone that sorts to do lists into topics such as work, grocery, wants, regular to dos, and additional categories. Now I need to make this habit! I also have some financial goals that I would like to achieve though that might be difficult considering my phone carrier is currently ripping me off. I guess ya gotta take the good with the bad right? I've been through more difficult times than this and things are just gonna have to be tight the next few months.
I can't be eating stuff like this
Or drinking this
I keep picturing how I want my body to look but my bad habits are really getting in my way. It doesn't help that my boyfriend refuses to eat healthy food unless its sushi. I actually ate TBell last night simply because he went to the store and on the way home decided that he wanted some. And today at work I had portabello shrimp and tomato soup from my favorite restaurant here in town. OMG SOOOO GOOD!!! I guess, that's going to be my last cheating meal. Its time to buckle down and start holding myself accountable.
I also keep making excuses to not work out -- telling myself I need more sleep in the mornings and hitting the snooze which then puts my workout off until I get home from work. Once I get home from work, I tell myself that I am too tired from sitting at my desk and staring at my computer all day. I need to be held accountable and I need to stop making excuses. I need someone to get in my face and tell me to stop with the bullsh*t.
So...it was time to leave before I finished this post. When I got home, I put in a different Jillian Michaels video and that one really worked my body. Tonight I did "No More Trouble Zones" and my arms are on fire! I'm sure my legs will hurt tomorrow as well. Tomorrow I have a 30 minute run on a hilly course. Since my arms are killing me I'm really looking forward to it. I really hope that its as beautiful outside as it was today!
Anyways, I also downloaded a new app on my phone that sorts to do lists into topics such as work, grocery, wants, regular to dos, and additional categories. Now I need to make this habit! I also have some financial goals that I would like to achieve though that might be difficult considering my phone carrier is currently ripping me off. I guess ya gotta take the good with the bad right? I've been through more difficult times than this and things are just gonna have to be tight the next few months.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
a sunny day with a large cloud...
A little over a year ago my dad had a heart attack and was in the hospital for weeks. While he was sick, a good friend of his called our family regularly. This friend also visited the hospital regularly and when dad was well he stayed in touch with our family and of course my dad. I believe my dad considered this person to be one of his very good friends. This very supportive friend passed away early this morning. I don't have all the details but some say that he was supposedly drunk and was driving home and lost control of his truck, rolled, and well he didn't make it. I called my dad, who had a heart transplant last month, to see how he was taking it and he sounded a little depressed. He didn't seem to want to talk to me, particularly about his friend. Who can blame him. It was a person who had been very supportive of my dad and family the past year and could always bring a smile to someone's face. I just want this person to know that his family is in my thoughts and prayers and I am so very appreciative of all the support that was given to my family over the past year. God works in mysterious ways and we may never know what happened last night, but everything happens for a reason.
This also stands as a reminder to all of those out there that drink and drive. DON'T DO IT! You don't get better with experience either!
As some probably know, I ran my frist 5k in 5 years last weekend for St. Patricks day courtsesy of my employers. Considering I didn't train, I have to say it went pretty well. All in all it inspired me to continue running and now my goal is to run a 10k in May. At this point, I haven't found one in the area that I am interested, but I'm sure something will come up in the next couple weeks. Anyways, I skipped my last few training runs, including todays. So, tonight I decided to get out my Jillian Michael's dvds that I bought a couple weeks ago and haven't used yet. I chose to use the 30 Day Shred video
I did level one of the video and it was too easy for me. When the workout was over, it seemed as if i had just done a warmup so I guess that next time I'm gonna have to do level two. I think I am going to do these videos in conjunction with with my 10k training. Now I just have to have the motivation to get up in the mornings and make sure I run in the evenings or on my lunch hour. I have a few fitness goals for the year.
1. Lose 5lbs
2. Cut out sweets
3. Run a 10k in May
4. Lose 10lbs
5. Get into my size 4 jeans and be comfortable!
6. Run a half marathon in July or August
7. Run a marathon in November or December
8. Eat clean and don't give into my boyfriends bad habits!
I have created a Daily Mile account. Feel free to follow me ashleyp23@gmail.com!
This also stands as a reminder to all of those out there that drink and drive. DON'T DO IT! You don't get better with experience either!
As some probably know, I ran my frist 5k in 5 years last weekend for St. Patricks day courtsesy of my employers. Considering I didn't train, I have to say it went pretty well. All in all it inspired me to continue running and now my goal is to run a 10k in May. At this point, I haven't found one in the area that I am interested, but I'm sure something will come up in the next couple weeks. Anyways, I skipped my last few training runs, including todays. So, tonight I decided to get out my Jillian Michael's dvds that I bought a couple weeks ago and haven't used yet. I chose to use the 30 Day Shred video
I did level one of the video and it was too easy for me. When the workout was over, it seemed as if i had just done a warmup so I guess that next time I'm gonna have to do level two. I think I am going to do these videos in conjunction with with my 10k training. Now I just have to have the motivation to get up in the mornings and make sure I run in the evenings or on my lunch hour. I have a few fitness goals for the year.
1. Lose 5lbs
2. Cut out sweets
3. Run a 10k in May
4. Lose 10lbs
5. Get into my size 4 jeans and be comfortable!
6. Run a half marathon in July or August
7. Run a marathon in November or December
8. Eat clean and don't give into my boyfriends bad habits!
I have created a Daily Mile account. Feel free to follow me ashleyp23@gmail.com!
Getting to Know You
Courtesy of MannLand5 I am participating in "Getting to Know You." Check it out to link up...
1. if you won the title of miss america, what would your platform be?
Bomb Libya. Bomb Afghanistan. Bomb Russia. Bomb China. Then we will have World power and World Peace! Bahahaha...I'm a conservative and yes I think Obama made a the decision this weekend about Libya was an excellent one. Oh wait, I bet Hilary pushed for that while Obama was filling out his March Madness bracket...I used to hate her but I am liking her more and more.
2. outdoorsy or indoorsy? Outdoorsy. I grew up on a farm and had a summer cabin at the lake. I love being on the water!!! I truly enjoy camping. I def don't have a problem PEEING in the woods. I like hiking. I love the sun! Now I just need my boyfriend to like that stuff. He would rather stay in and play videogames...
3. pajama's out in public..classy or tres tacky? Depends. Lingerie or obviously pajaamas very tacky. Sweats or shorts and a tee? I will do it a second!
4. what's your favorite room in your house? My living room. I actually really dislike my condo...I wish I had more money to decorate but debt needs to be paid off so we are where we are and I can't buy pretty stuff!
5. nook, kindle, or book? I don't have a nook or kindle. I'm so old school, I refuse to try it because I believe that holding an actual book and turning the pages is one of the best parts about reading. I have tried to read books on my computer and also have a kindle app on my phone - damaging my eyes more (I stare at a computer all day at work) doesn't sound like a very good idea and I don't like it!!!
6. would you rather wear the same outfit for a week or not brush your teeth for a week? I guess I have to go with same outfit for a week. I really don't think I could go too long without brushing my teeth. Two days max and I would have to be lost in the woods or desert...
7. what's your favorite blog at the moment? Does PostSecret count? I'm not actually going to choose anyone in particular so thats the best ya'll are gonna get
8. lately i've been daydreaming about.........? Iowa!!! I saw Zac Brown Band on Friday and when they played "Colder Weather" there was a video of a a barn and snow...I got soooo homesick - even though I HATE snow! Going back to school to start my way into an occupational therapy program! Probably has something to do with my future plans as well! Can't wait to live with my girl Suzanne!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Starting over...
Good evening! I guess I will go ahead and introduce myself to everyone as Ashley. I currently live in Pensacola. Definitely not a native but rather an Iowa transplant. I moved down here about a year ago with my boyfriend - now I'm definitely ready to move away. While I love the beach, this is not the place for me and I don't think I could ever call it "home." As he is finishing flight school and getting ready to move to the west coast, I am getting ready to go back to school in Iowa. While I would love to go with him, it does not make sense financially. I am planning to go back to college and take some pre-requisite classes and then apply to an occupational therapy program.
This is a big change from my original plan to go to law school. Advice for anyone considering law...get experience in the field before you go to law school! Choosing to work in a medium sized firm is probably the best decision I have made in the past year. I initially hated it but this is probably because I using a $50,000 piece of paper in a job where I was pulling staples and scanning documents. Things got better and it wasn't long before I was working on a case. For the first couple weeks, I actually enjoyed this...and that only lasted a couple weeks. Recently I have began feeling disposable again. I am not enjoying what I do at all and I have gotten very discouraged. Honestly, I don't find it getting better. A large part of this is because I cannot sit for eight hours a day and stare at a computer screen. Maybe if I was in a recliner in my living room - and I could do my job from my couch (but not really allowed to) - I would enjoy myself a little more. Like I said, I cannot sit that long...I need to have a little flexibility, change, and opportunity for movement and/or hands on work.
That is why I feel occupational or physical therapy would be a great plan. Its definitely a growing field with the opportunity to make a decent income and it incorporates a lot of aspects of what I would like to see in a career. Interaction, hands on work, flexibility, and most importantly a challenge. Having worked in an acute psychiatric care facility, I am not too thrilled about getting into mental health but I would enjoy working in a hospital with children, elderly, and those that have been victims of traumatic incidents. I would also enjoy starting my own business as something like a life coach. LOL - I don't even know what I'm doing! That is my current educational/work goal and I'm going to get it!
When I was in high school, I was really into running track. I looked forward to late winter/early spring practices where we were running in the snow and having snowball fights. Not to mention the practice after a meet when Coach would hand out medals. I had a large collection of medals that I was very proud of. I ran a 5k my sophomore year of college and after that I kinda fell of the bandwagon and got on a new one that consisted of beer and partying. I recently ran a 5k without any training and was reminded of how much I enjoyed running. It felt soooo good! So, before I could talk myself out of it, I took the opportunity to register for another 5k. A week or two after that I plan to find a 10k to run.
Today I did my first training run. It was an easy 20 minute run. I actually made it 2 miles in 20 minutes. For starting out, I am definitely happy with a 10 minute pace; however, I would eventually like to see an 8 minute pace (or faster!). I know it will come with time. But anyways, I'm off to bed...got a 30 minute run tomorrow!
This is a big change from my original plan to go to law school. Advice for anyone considering law...get experience in the field before you go to law school! Choosing to work in a medium sized firm is probably the best decision I have made in the past year. I initially hated it but this is probably because I using a $50,000 piece of paper in a job where I was pulling staples and scanning documents. Things got better and it wasn't long before I was working on a case. For the first couple weeks, I actually enjoyed this...and that only lasted a couple weeks. Recently I have began feeling disposable again. I am not enjoying what I do at all and I have gotten very discouraged. Honestly, I don't find it getting better. A large part of this is because I cannot sit for eight hours a day and stare at a computer screen. Maybe if I was in a recliner in my living room - and I could do my job from my couch (but not really allowed to) - I would enjoy myself a little more. Like I said, I cannot sit that long...I need to have a little flexibility, change, and opportunity for movement and/or hands on work.
That is why I feel occupational or physical therapy would be a great plan. Its definitely a growing field with the opportunity to make a decent income and it incorporates a lot of aspects of what I would like to see in a career. Interaction, hands on work, flexibility, and most importantly a challenge. Having worked in an acute psychiatric care facility, I am not too thrilled about getting into mental health but I would enjoy working in a hospital with children, elderly, and those that have been victims of traumatic incidents. I would also enjoy starting my own business as something like a life coach. LOL - I don't even know what I'm doing! That is my current educational/work goal and I'm going to get it!
When I was in high school, I was really into running track. I looked forward to late winter/early spring practices where we were running in the snow and having snowball fights. Not to mention the practice after a meet when Coach would hand out medals. I had a large collection of medals that I was very proud of. I ran a 5k my sophomore year of college and after that I kinda fell of the bandwagon and got on a new one that consisted of beer and partying. I recently ran a 5k without any training and was reminded of how much I enjoyed running. It felt soooo good! So, before I could talk myself out of it, I took the opportunity to register for another 5k. A week or two after that I plan to find a 10k to run.
Today I did my first training run. It was an easy 20 minute run. I actually made it 2 miles in 20 minutes. For starting out, I am definitely happy with a 10 minute pace; however, I would eventually like to see an 8 minute pace (or faster!). I know it will come with time. But anyways, I'm off to bed...got a 30 minute run tomorrow!