not discrimination,... just public safety

For the safety of everyone.. I think once you reach a certain age you should have to re-take the driving test. Let's say 65 being that magic age. No ifs, ands, or buts - it should be mandatory.

In the last 3 days, I have almost been involved in 3 different accidents all including elderly people. The scariest being yesterday which would have been vehicle vs pedestrian.. and that pedestrian being me.

Leaving the post office.. I was walking through what seemed to this man, to be a parking spot.. now to those 64 and younger, we view this as a non-parking area, hence the blue diagonal lines. He wheels in this area on about 70 and almost hits something very precious to me... ME! I gave him my most "what the hell are you doing?" face but he seemed unaffected or unaware of the messages I was sending him telepathically. Its probably not that he didn't get what the look meant, its more like he probably couldn't see me through his jet black horse blinders.

The point of this PSA is to make others realize how dangerous these people are. Its quite scary to pull up beside a Lincoln Town Car at the red light and look over and see an 85 year old man staring off into space,... sometimes I wonder if they just get in the car and drive not knowing where they are going.

So next time you are walking in the crosswalk at Wal-Mart and see a Grand Marquis heading your way... you better move on along with your buggy.. She's probably doing about 70 and the chances of her seeing you are very unlikely. 

Happy Driving!

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Don't use face book to air your dirty laundry. Period. I should stop this blog here.. but I will go on. :)

No one wants to read comment after comment of your crass misrepresentation of facts. There are two sides to every story.. and quite honestly I don't care to hear either side. I personally did not "join" FB to read your stabbing comments towards your friends, family, exes, bosses, or whoever. I simply did not. I realize that the box at the top of your page says "what is on your mind?" but there are a few things that you should hold back from posting!

I realize that we were all given the block or hide option for each individual friend, and I do believe I need to start executing this right given to me. I look on FB several times throughout the day,.. and I am continuously shocked at the things people reveal.. not only about themselves but others as well. Some hold back names but its clear who they are referring to, while others tell it all. 

All I am saying is that it gets old. Some people need just a sliver bit of dignity & something resembling that of a filter.

Skinny chicken

I don't know much about chickens. As far as breeds and types go.. (if thats even such a thing) All I know is hen & rooster, and that chicken, white meat being my favorite, is delicious.

There is a doctor who works at the hospital with me, whom I see several times a week in Radiology who likes to call me "skinny chicken." I've known him for several years now and when I first started losing weight, that is the nickname that he gave me. Of course me being a girl.. took it as a compliment since the word "skinny" was involved.

Little did I know, he did not intend this nickname to flatter me. He actually even started calling me an "ethiopian chicken." Which can not be mistaken for words of praise. He also proceeded to tell me last week that "if he was my age, he would've never married me because I was too skinny." WOW -- thanks! That is just what a girl wants to hear! (even though Hank did marry me when I was almost at my heaviest weight.)

The point is... skinny chicken or not.. I am happier and healthier. It does not matter how others view me.. (too skinny or not skinny enough) I am happy with the way that I look. I can run 6 miles nonstop and fit into sizes that I have not seen since 7th grade. (no lie) I feel much better about myself and I don't get winded walking to my car everyday. (even though we do park about a mile away) So in the end, its what I think and feel about myself, not what others do. So I will go back to the days when "skinny chicken" were words of flattery and I just smiled and said thank you. :)

All work & no play.

Work, work, work. It seems like that's all I ever do anymore. I realize that.. yes I am a grown up and grown ups work. But geez,.. I think I need a break. And by break, I mean,... a month off.

I know where all of this is coming from. I get this way every single year when it starts warming up. SPRING FEVER! The days are too pretty to be cooped up in a hospital basement.. only seeing the light of day for a measly hour.. then being shoved back inside for the rest of the day. Yes there is still daylight when I get off work at the ripe old hour of 5 but the sun just isn't quite the same, or the day as nice. :(

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. And before this "feeling" goes away its bound to get worse. :( Until then.. I'm going to try my hardest to just get through the day... and see about planning a small road trip to free me from the J.O.B.
I can't promise there wont be a fake *coougghhhhh* or *sneeze* in the mix to get me out of one or two days of slavery.. but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. <3

In the words of Lenny Kravitz, "I gotta go, I gotta getta away, think I gotta go, I wanna fly away."

She's a runner.

I said I would blog about what is on my mind. It may not always be the most interesting or impressive thing you will read. But I do guarantee that it will be something that is honestly on my mind. hahaha.

So.. around last May or April.. I started making myself run on the treadmill a few times a week. At first I couldnt even run a quarter of a mile without having to stop and walk to catch my breath. After weeks of running several times a week.. I could finally run a whole mile without stopping!!! (a huge accomplishment!) Over the next few months I just kept trying harder and harder to go further without stopping! In October of last year with hopes of finishing being my first goal. And my second goal was if I did finish I wanted it to be in less than 40 minutes. I blew my goal away with my finish time of 29:36 and the 2nd girl to finish in my age division! Ohhhhh how I loved it. Finishing was awesome, but placing was even better! Since then I have done at least one 5k a month.. each time getting faster and faster.. and placing in every one. (one 5k I was even the second girl to finish OVERALL) This was all UNTIL last month! :( Last month's 5k was on March 26th at the long leaf trace in hattiesburg. March is known for being a cooler month... but apparently this one particular Saturday did not fit the bill. The race did not start until 10 that morning and it was around 85 degrees! I wasnt prepared AT ALL! The previous race my finish time was 26:04... this one was 29:29. Wow... yep 3 minutes and 25 seconds slower. ALMOST back to my original 5k time. Needless to say I did not place, but was glad to at least finish. 

I told you all of that,.. to tell you this... My next 5k is May 7th. Which will probably be a pretty warm day as well. These next 2 weeks I am going to bust my butt to get ready for this race. I WILL not let the warmer weather slow me down. But even still.. prayers are welcome. I guess the last race just has me a bit discouraged. I knew at some point.. I wouldn't improve.. that I would end up with a bad time. But that race just put a bad taste in my mouth so to speak.. but all because I wasn't prepared.

My ultimate goal one day is to do a half marathon which is 13.1 miles. The most I've ever done at one time was running non-stop for 6.2 miles (also known as a 10k). So I do believe that I will start working now to prepare myself mentally & physically to run a half marathon this November at the Stennis Space Center. If people on biggest loser can do it... then so can I!

And for all of you who want to run but feel like you can't make it 10 steps without passing out.. YOU CAN DO IT! Believe me. Running is intimidating at first but once you actually try it a few times.. you will see that it is DOABLE. You will build up endurance ALOT faster than you think. So don't be discouraged! Try running in small increments.. taking a few moments to rest in between and then running again. If I can do it, anyone can! :)

Mums the word.

We've all heard it before. "Motherhood just kicks in and you will know when its time." For those of you who went through this feeling and then made the conscious decision to start "trying," you know exactly what I am talking about here.

I'm sure as everyone reads this, they are thinking that I am about to say that I have experienced baby enlightenment and that I'm ready to expand our little family. If those are your thoughts, then I am sad to say that you are wrong. hahhaha.

I would say (just off the top of my head) that about 80% of my friends have at least one child. Several are working on their second and some even their third. I greatly admire these women, let me tell you. I realize that being a mother, and all of the duties that come along with that title, would be one of the hardest jobs to have.. and its definitely one that never ends. 

Being around my friends who are mothers.. does to some degree make me want a child of my own. I will definitely admit that. Hank (29) and I (26) have been married for 5 years now. "When are yall having babies??" is definitely a question that we BOTH get asked a lot. We both agree that we want kids, but that "feeling"... that "need to procreate" just hasn't kicked in yet. Not saying that I am doomed if it doesn't happen to me in the next year or so. It's just always something that has intrigued me. Several of my friends have felt that "need" that "want" to have children. I'm just wondering what this mystery magic is all about and will I know that is what it is *if and when* it happens to me!!

As for now, I will enjoy my time playing with all of my friend's babies and gladly handing them back over when I am done! :)

yep, this is my blog. :)

So this is it folks. Here it is. The blog I've been yapping my mouth about for the last month or so. The one I am all for one moment and "eh" about the next! hahah! To be honest... yes I'd love to have lots of readers who care about my everyday insignificant thoughts and feelings but if not,.. hey that's okay! I've always loved English & "writing" so this has always been something I have been interested in,.. just never found the time to actually sit down and do it!

I wouldn't expect anything too immense from this first one. Actually I am quite surprised that I was able to set it up all by myself (like the big girl that I am). For all those who are interested in writing blogs themselves,.. I will go ahead and warn you that you need at least an hour of free time,... and a cigarette. Even as a non-smoker, I feel like if I had lit up a Marlboro light about 40 minutes ago I wouldn't feel so beaten and taken advantage of right about now!

So! That being said. I'm going to once again try to perk up my pitiful looking blog page and then call it a night!