Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and Emily's.

I'm pretty sure I have a finger this would look perfect on.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3492919.stm

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler

I don't feel so good. I'm sitting here, at work (yes, I can blog from work.) (More like, shhhh. Don't tell.) clinging to my Kleenex with a kung fu grip.

You can have this box of tissues when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Ya filthy animal.

{Source}

God bless you, Billy.

Anywho, let's do a race recap, shall we?

The Cherry Blossom 10-miler, April 3, 2011.

Whoa, what an awesome race. I ventured into DC on Saturday for packet pick up at the National Building Museum. The line (at 11:30am) wrapped around the building... and this ain't no shack. It's the NATIONAL BUILDING museum.... of course it's going to be big. So, I waited. And waited. And made friends with the runners around me. And waited some more.

Finally, I got my number and t-shirt. I was seated in the "Red Wave," which was the second to launch, I think. Plus, I purchased this puppy. Win! (Bigger win if it had been a real puppy...)

Hi, my name is Kaylan and I'm a pinkaholic.

Sunday, I got to the Metro at 7, missed the train. Whoops. So, it being the weekend and all, I had to wait 15 minutes for the next train. Whoops. Got off at the Smithsonian and booked it to the starting line were I finagled through a gate to the Red Wave. I literally waited about 2 minutes before the gun went off. Me thinks I could've had better timing. Especially since I needed to use the little lady's room. Holding it for 10 miles made me run faster? I don't want to experiment with that again. Pass.

The race itself was crazy. The first 5 miles were crazy obnoxious-- so crowded I felt like I was running with my elbows up. Definitely running on the offense, zig zagging my way through narrow spaces (aka large, sweaty men in spandex... WOOF). My mantra during this? "Goonies never say die." Weird, I know. But it worked. It's the little things in life I find most amusing.

The last 5 were crazy MARVE. Around the tidal basin to Hains Point, down trails lined with blooming Cherry trees. Ugh, I felt so lucky to be running. It didn't hurt that my pace had quickened and the route had gotten significantly less crowded. I love when running makes me smile.

{Source}

Not a picture I took, but it illustrates what I saw well. I was pretty focused on balancing my pace and not barfing. But I managed to look around every once in a while.

I wasn't able to track my pace per mile, my first mile being 8:24 (aka, my angry face was on), but I did clock my last mile, 7:13 (aka, happy dance time!). I managed to do negative splits for a ten-miler? Whammy. My chip time was 1:15.54, with an average pace at 7:35.

At first I was completely devastated. I should've run harder, faster. I should've gotten there earlier and seated myself at the front of the wave, maybe it would've been less crowded. I should've knocked people down. Yeah, I'm looking at you, father of 2 pushing a twin stroller. Babies or no babies, I WANT MY TIME.

And then I saw my race photos. And I laughed. Loudly.

Remember the part where I said I was trying to balance my pace with not tossing my cookies? Yeah. It was true. There's the proof. Side note: Remind me next time I'm having my picture taken to brush the rat's nest on top of my head. Woof.

The more I think about it, the less disappointed I feel in my time. I showed up (1 point), I ran (1 point), and I finished (1 point). Bonus points go to:

1. NOT barfing

2. PR'ing-- but only because I've never raced that distance before.

3. Negative splits

Me thinks I'm more of a middle distance runner than anything. And I cannot wait to race again. I heart running. SMILES.

diagram of my heart.

Where my heart was...

is...

And still wishes it could be...

All maps a la here.

Desperately want these prints in my room. So. Bad. More to come on my nesting. It, much like myself, is a work in progress.

Cherry Blossoms

{Source}

The time has come (apparently) for the tourists to flock from far and wide to my beloved city. Traffic. Like, whoa.

Fanny packs. Whoa (read: woe. Fashion faux pas.)

Beauty? WHOA.

With the blossoming comes the running. After a near fatal.... ok, slight scare on the dreadmill last week, I took a few days off. That always scares me, but in the end my health is more important than my sanity. Wait, no? Meh, all's well that ends well?

This week I have been rocking it. The weather has been dreary,except Tuesday when I had a smokin' hot date (swoon) to see the Tidal Basin. So, I've been boppin' on the tready-- mile intervals up to 8 miles (1 at 8:30 pace, the next at 7:30 pace...repeat for a ridiculous amount of time.) Nothing gets me going more than Beiber followed by some Avril. It helps take my mind off the fact that I do indeed sweat. No glistening here. Super hot, I know.

Gross.

My rambling leads to this: The Cherry Blossom 10 miler is Sunday. And I'm so excited.

Happy Dance.

A-Z

Here I am... in all my glory.

A. Age: 25
B. Bed size: Queen. And I bought it allllll by myself. Mommy, wow, I'm a big girl now?
C. Chore you dislike: Taking the trash out. Woof.
D. Dogs: Wedekind's Third Deacon, master of disaster. Collie. Beautiful and smart as a whip. Full sentences are hard.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee. Nummy.
F. Favorite color: RED
G. Gold or silver: Both
H. Height: 5'4 and 1/2" but I round up to 5'5"... and yes, I think it's fair.
I. Instruments you play(ed): I dabbled with a little acoustic guitar in high school, because it was cool. And I want to be cool. Still.
J. Job title: Does "Office Bitch" count?
K. Kids: Eventually?
L. Live: Arlington, VA (Metro DC)
M. Mom’s name: Momma
N. Nicknames: KayKay, DayDay and a million others.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None, knock on wood.
P. Pet peeves: Smacking. Poor table manners. Chewing with your mouth open. MAKE ME WANT TO DIE.
Q. Quote from a movie: Just one? Inconceivable. (See what I did there? HA.)
R. Righty or lefty: Righty tighty.
S. Siblings: 4 lucky brothers (and 1 cool sister in law)
T. Time you wake up: 6:38. I like waking up to even numbers.
U. Underwear: I hope so. Mornings are hard. (Kidding, Ma!)
V. Vegetables you don’t like: NONE. Ew, except fennel. Icky.
W.What makes you run late: Sitting down?
X. X-rays you’ve had: Ankle, teeth, chest, shoulders
Y. Yummy food you make: Oh snap, I can make anything yummy. I'm an awesome chef.
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Flamingos

Mush.

{source}

It's ok to be jealous.

Goals for 2011.

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things." -Albert Einstein

That Bert... smart guy. Someone should give him a prize or recognition. Bake him a cake or somesing.

I decided that 2011, my 25th year of life, will be the BEST one ever. I also decided that when I'm all old and wrinkly, that these are the days that I'll remember and cherish the most. So, let's make the most of it.

2011:

1. Run a marathon. Sub-goal: Run a marathon under 4 hours.

2. Run 2000 miles. That's like 38.5 miles/week. Child's play.

3. Start a career, not just a job. Find something I love, like working with Cause and make it happen.

4. Save some money for a trip-- funds for Dublin Marathon? Barcelona Marathon 2012?

5. Strengthen relationships with those I care about-- family, friends, most especially God. Yeah, the Big Man.

6. Be a mentor. Volunteer more. Work with a youth group. Become more involved in The Falls Church. (Whoa, that's more like 4 goals. Whatevs, my blog, my rules.)

7. Run a sub 21 minute 5k. Current PR: 22:20.

See? It's good to have goals. Potential goal #8: Own an alligator purse? I think yes. Best goal ever. (However, may conflict with goal #4.)

Ugh.

What have I become? Running shoes to commute home? WHO AM I? WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO? WHAT IS THIS WHITE STUFF FALLING FROM THE SKY? DOES GOD HAVE DANDRUFF?

All questions on my mind right now as I prepare to go from work to gym. Per usual. Except today, YES TODAY, it snowed 3 inches.

Taking off my cute riding boots so I don't bust and look foolish. So, I'll just look like a dork instead. Actually, I think I'll risk it. Update later.

And while we're on my thoughts of the moment: Yes, nose whistles are sexy. I've been doing it allllllll day and I just.can't.keep.the.boys.AWAY.


Toot toot!

Toot! Toot!

Blogging is hard.

But life is good, so very, very good.

Since my last post, I have done quite a bit. I wish I could remember all of it. Oh wells.

I went home for Thanksgiving, which was by far the best Wedekind holiday ever. Thanksgiving is so great-- good food, good company, good weather, and all without the added pressure of hunting for the best presents for everyone.

I ran the Outback Half again this year with Jeremy. No IT Band issues... and I was the one pulling him through the course. Until the last .1 miles, where he kicked it into overdrive and sped off. Whatevs, you can have that win Kirch.

Don't lie, you love my shirt. And my ripped quads-- HEY-OH!

I came in around 1:54, I think. Which is fine, I just run that race for funsies. Plus it allows me to stuff my face with turkey and sweet potatoes. Nummy num nums!

It was a BLAST playing with Mary Buck Buck all weekend. She is the coolest baby EVER. Don't even try to argue with me on this, I will fight you. (And you will lose. The picture does not do my guns justice.)

I flew back to Reagan at 6AM and made it to work before 9. Then, after work, I babysat until midnight. After being awake since 4AM, I was dead. (Does it make sense that my voice is missing? I've been looking for it everywhere. She's gone.)

The week went by slowly. Woke up early on Saturday and drove to Rockville, MD for the Santa Shuffle 5k.

Yeah, it was a cool long sleeved tech shirt, which may have inspired me to drive so far out of the city to run a 5k. I love me some long sleeved tees.

I'm a rock star. Not only did I PR, but also in 30 degree weather in shorts and without gloves and a voice! I won my age group (my last race as a 20-24... sad face.) and a $30 gift card to Potomac River Running store! Woop woop! Oh hey running gloves... could've used ya on Saturday, but now you're FREE and alllll mine.

Results here. Check it.

For reals though, I couldn't feel my legs during the race. And the course was super hilly. Confession: I actually had to walk for about 30 seconds after a hill that was particularly brutal. So, I could've done better, but I'm still happy.

Christmas shopping in Leesburg. Church. Hanukkuh Brunch. Whole Foods/Trader Joe's/Costco. And now I'm watching Christmas movies on Lifetime Movie Network. Does life get any better than this? No, friends, it doesn't.

Life is good. So very, very good. Especially when I have this blasting constantly:

Merry Christmas Yall.

Whoopsie Daisies

I probably should blog more often. But I just don't care enough to. Or I'm too busy. You choose.

This week I was super busy. Work, running, work, yoga, work, winning at life.

I got some good ju ju goin' on right now. I found $8 on the ground the other day. Score! Then my co-worker Jessica took me with her to this industry networking happy hour thingy. Guess who won the raffle? THIS GIRL.

And now guess who is going to Reno/Tahoe to stay in a luxury hotel for 4 nights, a $150 credit to Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, and 2 (romantic... wink!) 50 minute massages?

ME. And my bestie. It's a girlmance. You wouldn't understand.

Then my team won trivia the other night! 3 free appetizers! 2nd place got a space heater... I think we were jipped.

That's some good ju ju right there. I intend on riding this gravy train all the way to 7-Eleven to buy some scratch off tickets. What WHAT!

I ran this weekend in Richmond. Confession: I chickened out of the Marathon (whomp whomp whooooomp). So I did the half. Results. It felt great! Only minimal hip pain, which is good. I finished better than what I wanted to going into the race, but was not tired or out of breath at the end. Which means I could've run it faster. Oh well. I listened to my body, and she said "Next time we will OWN!"

Too bad next time is in 2 weeks. Yeah, Outback Classic, I'm looking at you. Running with a friend-- who apparently is LAZY and won't get off his couch to train!

Signed up for another 5k. Santa Shuffle. Aiming for under 22 minutes. I can do it.

Home in 10 days for Thanksgiving. See you soon Jville. And family. And EMILY. YAY!

Happy Autumn.

I went for a walk this morning. And this is what I saw.
It's officially Autumn. It's cold outside. The leaves are changing. Who knew? Leaves can change colors, people.

I like you Arlington. I may keep you for a while.

Thoughts of the day...

1. Murphy's Law? Sucks. Only because it's true. Seriously, I sign up for the marathon-- something on my list-of-things-to-do-before-I-die, and run the next day and my hip hurts. Granted, I've always had a little tweak in my right hip. (I think my legs are uneven. Yeah, that's how bizarre I am.) But seriously? WHY NOW? 3 weeks. I have 3 weeks to get this taken care of. I AM NOT BACKING OUT OF THIS MARATHON. No way, no how. Now, should I post a pic of hot dogs on my hip? Eh, not as funny as hot dogs on my foot.

Isn't my nail polish pretty? Essie's Swing Velvet.

Wait, wait, let me explain. I was babysitting, you see? And the top of my foot is bruised (shoe laces were too tight for 10.4 miles. Whoopsie daisies!) and I needed to ice it. But they didn't have an ice maker. Or an ice pack. Or frozen peas. However, they did have frozen frankfurters. Yeah, that JUST happened. Don't worry-- it's Kosher.

2. Happy Belated Birthday Mary Buck-Buck! I'm sorry I missed your 2nd bday party. I also apologize for refusing to pay $20 to ship your birthday presy. I'll bring it home for Thanksgiving and you can unwrap it then. But really, do you need another presy on your birthday? It's so much more fun to celebrate it a month later. So, I'm doing you a favor. You're welcome. Your Aunt DayDay loves you very much.

You are 2! And the cutest EVER!

3. It was 40 degrees this morning for my run. I was embarrassed to show up at Iwo Jima for DCRR's SLR in a *Cotton* long sleeved shirt (that was, of course, over like 6 other layers... what? I was cold.) Mockery ensued. Sorry I come from Florida where the sun is always bright and there is no need for heavy running gear. Yes, I realize I don't live there anymore (Yay!) but I've already spent enough money on sweaters and tights and such for work. Don't worry-- I will blog my 'First Day of my Big Girl Job" Outfit. And probably all my outfits for the week. I'm gonna look sooooooo CUTE!

4. I'm glad Florida isn't playing today. I need a break from my Saturday disappointments.

5. Explored Old Town yesterday during the day. I met Kirby there earlier this week for some din-din when he was in town doing some big, burly, hardcore Marine stuff. Tres lovely. Reminds me a lot of Avondale. Except like 100x bigger.

6. Went to a DC UNF Alumni event this week. That was fun! I'm looking forward to doing more stuff with them. Perhaps a kickball team? Yeah yeah!

7. Fun tonight with Audrey and Jo in Dupont. Church tomorrow. And laundry. And grocery shopping. And being a big girl-- which, I might add, I'm pretty darn good at.

Time for frozen peas on my hip. Hmm... peas sound good for dinner.

Let's talk...

about how awesome I am.

What? Too much? Too braggy? Tough, I'm proud of myself. And once again, my blog, my rules.

So, Saturday. I ran 21 miles. 21. That's 10 + 10 + 1. (In case you were wondering how that all adds up.) My pace? Around 8:45 min miles. Do you know what that means?! If I ran 8:25 min miles for 26.2 miles... I COULD QUALIFY FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON. Wicked awesome (what? It's a Boston thing-- you wouldn't understand).

Tricky part? I haven't actually signed up for a marathon yet. Yes, my heart is pretty set on Barcelona next March. But without a job, ahem, and some income, cough cough... it would be next to impossible. The Marine Corps is sold out, and has been for months. Plus, I'm already signed up to do the MCM 10k that day. (Don't think I won't make it to Barcelona-- oh, that WILL happen. Also contemplating a trip to Ireland... duh, Dublin Marathon).

Guess what? The Richmond Marathon is open, and in a month, and isn't too far away from DC. PERRRRRFECT. I'm a cashew, let's do this. Psyched. Now, it is my first marathon and while I would LOVE to qualify for Boston, I think that's a pretty lofty goal. I have been running a lot, but not necessarily training. So, goal? Under 4 hours. Pretty sure I could do it. Nope, I AM GOING TO DO IT. How's that for some positive energy?

Wow, I'm excited.

Also, be expecting a blog update to tell the world how I am employed. This week is the week. I can feel it in my bones. Go me!

Love Letters.

1. Dear Emily,
Happy Quarter Century Birthday. It's been 6 years since we've celebrated this day together, and that makes me sad. I'm just thankful I can still celebrate October 1, 'cuz we still friends gurl. You are my BFFFE, and will be for life. Sorry, you're stuck with me. Act accordingly. Happy Birthday.
LoveYouSmoochesBYE,
K

2. Dear Almond Milk (vanilla--unsweetened),
I like you. You are delicious. And less sugary, which coincidentally, I also enjoy. Sorry, Vanilla Soy Milk, you've been replaced.
All my love,
K

3. Dear weather,
I'm not too happy with this deluge. I only ran 25 miles last week, a drastic drop compared to 45 the week before. This rain is putting a serious damper on my pursuit of happiness. Dislike. Clean yourself up and release the sun as your hostage. K, thanks.
No love,
K

4. Dear Today Show,
I don't care about the ending of the Cathy comic strip. I say, good riddance. She was TOO dramatic, even for my taste. And that's saying something.
I still love you,
K

5. Dear Jobs I've applied to,
Feel free to hire me at any point. I'm ready, let's do this.
I could love you,
K

6. Dear Americans in Europe,
(In response to recent travel advisories) Be smart. Be safe. Come home in one piece.
<3,
K


UPDATE: Just got another interview. Boom. Pray tomorrow (Tuesday at 4pm). SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association).
5*. Dear Jobs I've applied to,
Thanks for responding so quickly to my last letter.
Still think I could love you,
K

Thoughts of the day...

1. First, I think/hope the interview went well. I mean, besides the fact that I was sweatin' like a whore in church and stumbled through some questions. Forget my nervous laughter and lame attempt at making anyone laugh. Oh geez... hot.mess. I met the VP of HR and then my potential supervisor. For about an hour. And they asked for a writing sample, good sign? I think so. We will see. Oh, we will see.

2. These stinking hills are hurtin'. My shins huuuuurt. I mean, I enjoy the challenge and admire the scenery, but shoot, why? WHY? Why when I run to Georgetown (which is becoming a 2-3x/week route) I must go down and then come back up on my way home, when I'm hot and a little tired and thirsty. Yeah, thirsty. The only thing I can find to complain about living in DC right now is: NO public water fountains. What the what?! Rude.

3. The Post Office is hell on earth. Even the little neighborhood one I visited this morning. The website said "open at 8:30." LIES. It opened at 9. So I sat in the parking lot, hungry, groggy (hadn't had my morning coffee, even though I'd been up since 7:00), and now perturbed. Then when it opens the guy behind me is Mr. Obnoxious. Is it necessary for you to hum loudly? And tap your fingers against your cardboard box you're probably sending to your equally obnoxious prep school nephew? Oh, happy birthday nephew-- I'm sure you'll enjoy your new coffee mug and I heart DC t-shirt.

4. Nilla Wafers. Nabisco must put crack in those delicious little treats. Will not be purchasing them again. Would eat entire box in a sitting. And then I would be as big as a house and probably sweat MORE in interviews. Gross.

TMI? Tough. My blog, my rules.

5. Busy weekend ahead. I'm always busy. And I like it. You want some of this? You better speak up fast. Tots McGoats.

So I copied and pasted an e-mail. Call me lazy. Or genius.

Hi!!!!

Alright, here we go.

Left Jville at like 11:30 on Monday. 1-95 was a boring bummer. And another disappointment? Water for Elephants on CD. Woof. It was this old slurring drunk man who narrated it. I honestly couldn't even listen to the first chapter. Bust. But I listened to this other novel, Karen Kingsbury something-something. It was ok, not mind blowing, but it passed the time. I arrived in Raleigh about 6:45. Pretty easy to get to! And beautiful! And cool outside! So nice to feel cool air again. Monny took me to this cute Mexican restaurant, Cantina 18 in Cameron Village. Nummy num nums. Then we went back to her place and watched the Bachelor Pad. Best show ever? Doubtful.

Left Raleigh around 9. Got to my place in Arlington about 2ish. Met Edith, who is super great. She's 65 and upbeat and especially cheerful considering her husband just passed away. I think she's glad to have someone around. She left to run errands and I unpacked everything. Surprisingly, it all fits! I mean, my room is definitely small. Smaller than Ben's. Like dorm sized with a queen bed. But my closet is adequate. And I have drawers. It's perfect for right now. I couldn't be happier. I wanted to go run at Iwo Jima with DCRR (DC Road Runners) at 7 that night, but I didn't finish unpacking until 6:20 plus I didn't know how to get there. Should I drive? Could I run there? Should I bike? So I left it and Edith cooked a pizza and put together a veggie plate with green beans and blue cheese, and roasted peppers, eggplant, etc. We sat outside in the backyard where she has a tented patio set up and ate and chatted. Lover-ly. Oh man, best part? She split this AWESOME dessert thingy she picked up from Costco. It's an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and then dipped in almonds. Mind.Blowingly.Delicious. You can pick them up at the front, like with the churros and pizza slices as big as your head. Two thumbs up. And if I had more thumbs, they would be up too. Then I went to my room and made some phone calls (ahem, Mom and Dad) and applied to some jobs.

Woke up at 7:30 on Weds (yesterday), fixed some b-fast, made some nummy coffee in my super cool new coffee maker. Looked for some jobs. Tried to get oriented with the 'hood on googlemaps. Went for a run to Iwo Jima, which was fabulous. The run, the view, the neighborhood. EVERYTHING. Can you tell I am in hog heaven? LOVE this place. Best life decision ever! The memorial is only 3.3 miles from my place and is so easy to get to, plus I'm going straight through Ballston/Clarendon and checking out everything. I passed a Container Store, and Crate and Barrel, and Whole Foods and all sorts of fun stuff. Not that I will be purchasing anything from any of those lovely establishments anytime soon. Came home, showered, went and got a library card and explored that. Note: The Arlington Library has e-books you can rent. And if you're not a resident, you can pay for a membership for a set fee and rent them. Handy for those that are overseas (ahem, Kirbside). And cheaper than Kindle/Nook/what-have-you. Then Edith took me to (cue Hallelujah Chorus? No? Too over the top?) Trader Joe's. Loves it. Got some essentials... bananas, applesauce and peas (comfort food, just in cases. But obvi, I don't need any comforting!), frozen veggies, pita, tomatoes, rice, beans. Nope, no peach salsa. Not this go-around. Edith introduced me to TJ's Powerberries. Oh man, they are good! (She is SO bad for making me eat all this stuff!) The centers are juices from cranberries, acai, pomegranate, and blueberry and covered in dark chocolate. Whoa. Hey, new special treat. Went home, unpacked that and put on a cute black Target dress and silver TB flats to meet my friend Diana at the Verizon Center downtown. Yes, I navigated the Metro just fine. Child's play really. MB could do it in her sleep. (Miss you Mary Buck-Buck!)

She took me to this Launch Party for an "interesting" non-profit, Dog Meets World. It was started in Jville and her mom was involved in that launch, so she felt obligated to attend. And I'm up for anything, so whatevs! It was on the rooftop of the Newseum residences on Pennsylvania Ave with this ah-mazing view. Really, really cool. (Pics are up on FB) Good food, good people, good times. Then we went to a YNPN DC Networking gathering and I met a ton of youngsters with lots of information for me. But I got some more contacts and job leads that I'm going to follow up on today. Diana, her friend Sonya, and I went toNando's for some din-din, which was yummy and inexpensive (YAY!).

I love love love it here. Really, could not be happier.

Today's plan: Run (I'm thinking I'm going to check out Falls Church today. Find The Falls Church, so I know where I'm going on Sunday), and shoot out a bunch of e-mails. Wish me luck!

Love to all!

Kaylan

Me and Diana. And view. Oh hey, Capitol.

Old Post Office+Sunset=This.

Thoughts of the day...

And what a day it was!

1. I like Target. It's so clean and sparkly and they have cute clothes... on the cheapsies. Which is wonderful because I will soon be paying rent (yikes!) and can't afford my J.Crew/Anthropologie/Random boutique purchases.

So cute, I know. And inexpensive! And business-y! Oh joy of joys. I'm going to be a big girl with a big girl job. Can't wear t-shirts and running shorts to work anymore. (Yay! No more little kid messes!)

2. Where do kids pick up things? Like being so brand conscious? The 10 yr old, O., is obsessed with Under Armor, Nike, etc etc. I bought some new running shoes and switched brands (gasp!) and he's all like "Why? Why?" Well, because these new shoes are fitted to my feet better than my old ones... and I'm tired of getting blood blisters and wrapping my feet in duct tape before runs.

This is what I used to have to do. First layer is mole skin, then athletic wrap, then duct tape. Ridiculous, I know. So, I have new shoes. I'm a Saucony girl now. Sorry Mizunos... I still heart you.

3. Another things kids pick up: BAD words. The 4 yr old, W., dropped the F-bomb today. Really? REALLY? What do I do with that? I'm not his mom, I can't put hot sauce on his tongue or punish him really. I calmly asked him where he heard that. Do you know what he said??? "Oh, I just made it up in my head." Hmm..........

4. I'm exciiiiiiiiited about DC. YAY! I've found a church I want to try out, and a gym, and a running group, and applied to more jobs, and may have to babysit to supplement for a while. With everything that has come up recently, I feel more confident than ever that this is where I'm being led. Have faith, breathe deeply, and jump!

5. How am I going to get my bike up there?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon_Trail

6. I'm going to miss this.......

OHMYGOODNESS OHMYGOODNESS!!!!

Am I really moving to DC like NEXT WEEK!?!?

Holy Moly! This might actually be happening!

HERE I COME WOOOOOOOORLD!!!!!

(Can you feel the excitement? CAN YOU???)

Oh crap, I need a coffee maker... like PRONTO. Hmm... things to think about.... like flatware?! First things first... coffee maker.

This Morning's Thoughts

1. Vanilla extract is not good in your coffee. I thought it would be fun... it wasn't. Declared food misadventure.

2. My running hat smells bad. I can't wait for cooler weather. Cooler weather=less sweat=better smelling hat.

3. Hey, I put some new shoes on,

and suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
it so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
but long on time,
slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
and i'm running late,
and i don't need an excuse,
'cause i'm wearing my brand new shoes.

New cute shoes.

4. I'm excited to see old friends at James and MJ's party tonight! Squee!

5. I'm WAY excited about my new steal:

I'm thinking New Year's Eve? Perhaps before? Too bad I can't wear it to a wedding 'cuz I look good in white. Thanks Gilt!

6. My plan of 10 miles this morning and then beach is being thwarted by the rude weather. RUDE! 10 miles is happening... the beach, probably not. Sad face.

UPDATE: 11 miles. In 100 degrees. Needless to say, the hat smells baaaaaaaaaad.

GUESSWHATGUESSWHATGUESSWHAT!

Guess who's got two thumbs and just graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE?!

THIS GIRL! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I realize I need to update the blog on my last week in Rome (and it was a doozy) and Tivoli, but I just want to scream it from the rooftops! YEAAAAAAA.

Now, off to apply for more jobs. In D.C.... also working on a post for that.

P.S. Totally squirted a tear when I saw my transcript. SO proud.