So 3 weeks ago today I started the Couch to 5K challenge. When it was week 1 and I was alternating from 60 seconds of jogging to 90 seconds of walking, I was looking at week 3, which is jog 90 seconds walk 90 seconds jog 3 minutes walk 3 minutes and it scared me! I was thinking I wouldn't be able to run for 3 straight minutes! But here I am. Just finished week 3. I feel like a champion. I was unsure if I was going to be able to stick with this, but I actually find myself wanting to run every day. I even got new shoes! You can read about those in my previous blog post.
I'm not going to lie, I am nervous about my next run. It's the start of week 4 and it looks a little scary. Jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes. Even at the end of week 3, I still find running 3 minutes a challenge. I can do it, but it isn't easy. So this 5 minute jog?! It will be interesting.
I really want to sign up for a race to have a little bit more motivation, but races can actually be really expensive. So right now my motivation is my cardiology appointment. Usually they have me do a stress test. Now for those of you who don't know, a stress test is when they attach some head gear to you that includes a breathing tube that is extremely uncomfortable. They also hook you up to some wires to keep track of your vitals. Blood preassure, finger thing, heart, lungs, the works. Then they set you on a treadmill and start you off walking and after about 9 minutes you are on a killer incline going really really fast. It is no fun. I intend on running longer though. Usually when I do a stress test I have been doing no physical activity. Now I am running... so I should be able to do a lot better this time, right?
Only 5 more weeks till I should be able to run a 5K according to this program. I have no idea if this is true, but I would like to think so. The thing that discourages me so much is my weight. I lost 5 pounds, but then I went back to my starting weight. I know this is probably muscle, but when I took my measurements again, there is no change. So I am exactly the same... I just don't understand what I am doing wrong. I started drinking water, eating healthy, low carb and low cal, and I'm running now. I mean, I should at least lose some weight. The whole reason I started doing this was because I didn't want to be obese anymore. A lot of people look at me and say there is no way I'm obese, but according to the BMI chart in the Dr. office, I am obese.
I just think it kind of sucks to work so hard for 3 weeks and not have ANY results. I know it's a slow process, but a pound or two wouldn't be missed...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
What A Busy Week It Has Been
Monday: I had to work from 7:30-2:30. The shift was very enjoyable. There were only 8 schoolagers and they were all pretty good. I got out so early that I didn't know what to do with myself! So I pretty much had a very lazy day. I sat on my ass and watched TV and was on my laptop. Woo.
Tuesday: First I woke up at my lovely 9 am time. Had a quick bite, threw on my running clothes and stretched it out. I always forget to stretch before and after. I don't know why I don't do it. I know it's important and all but I just kind of forget I guess. After my run I stretched again and drank a beautiful protein shake. And a shower. Then I went to KCC and took the COMPASS test. I seriously thought it was going to take me an hour but it only took 17 minutes. I was in the math class I thought I would be in. I am pretty bad at math so I am taking Algebra. Boo. After that it is all elementary math. Woo. After the test I went to work from 3-6. A nice short day but I would rather have long days. There was also a surprise staff meeting after work. I ended up driving Darci's car home. She is a blast to drive with! No joke. It is so much fun!
Wednesday: The day of my big adviser appointment. My grandma picked me up at 9 and my appointment at KCC started at 9:30. We talked about the transfer program and that's about it. She didn't really help me map out a 2 year plan. She also gave me classes that I ended up changing because I need weekends off. It's a good thing I'm so into planning because I mapped my 2 year plan on my own. I'm pretty much doing the MACRO but I selected classes that count as classes from EMU's education major. I think I'm being really smart about all this. After the appointment I had 24 hours to sign up for a payment plan. That cost $30 and so I put my college money in the bank. It is really going to be difficult doing all out of pocket since I got no financial aid, but I think I can do it! I just really need to focus on it. Originally I had this day off but I don't like days off unless I need them. Unfortunately I need a lot (3) of days off in July so I am trying to work as much as I can. That will explain why I picked up the hours I did on Thursday and Friday. So today one of my coworkers let me have her hours. I worked an enjoyable 1-6 in the baby room. Wednesday night I got an IM from a coworker asking if I can come in for her because something came up. This was also the first night of BIG BROTHER!!!! WOOHOO!!
Thursday: So this morning I went in at 8am into the baby room. It was kind of hectic at first because the other baby room teacher called in. So I was in there not really knowing their schedules all that well. Different teachers kept coming in to help. Finally at 9:30 a teacher who knew the babies pretty well came in. I was moved down to the 3 year old room so their main teacher could do lunches. After that I clocked out for an hour because I was only scheduled 8-12 and 1-6. My grandma brought me a vi-shake and it was delish! Then at 1 I clocked in and was in my usual schoolager room. I was also asked if I could do the same thing tomorrow. Because I was going in early there was no way I could run! So I did a night run and it went pretty well. Burned off the pizza I ate for sure.
Friday: So again I went in at 8 and pretty much the same thing happened except the other lead teacher was in the baby room and I only clocked out for 15 minutes. I started at noon in the schoolager room. I really like getting to know my coworkers. Especially ones that I thought didn't like me. Haha so the lead teacher in schoolager lives around me. And she asked if I wanted to go garage saling with her but those plans fell out. Friday was a pretty relaxing day.
Saturday: Mom and Leo had a surprise for me. They wanted to buy me running shoes. Leo said it was a reward for #1 not being a bitch about what happened at NMU when I should have been. And I promise I am on the inside, but I dont want to ruin my relationship with my mother, so I hold it in. #2 for working so hard and not just blowing my money. And #3 for being so mature. So mom and I drove to Gazelle's in Kalamazoo to get my feet looked at and get nice shoes. After trying on 15 pairs of shoes I was between a $120 pair that weren't that cute but felt so amazing when I ran and a $75 pair that were cute Nike's and felt okay. If I were buying I would have gotten the $120, but this was a gift so I went with the cute Nike pair. When I got home mom and I watched some TV and Leo made delicious chicken kabobs. About an hour later I had to try out these shoes!! So I got all ready and finished week 3 of C25K challenge. I'm going to post about that later. Then when I got back, while I was stretching and drinking my protein shake mom and I found that new show, WhoDunnIt and we are hooked! It's on again Sunday but we can't watch it till Monday. No biggie.
Well. That's my week for you. Today is full of nothing. Wooooooo. But next week is another exciting week! Thanks for reading!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
LB Last Night and A Busy/Exciting Week Coming Up
So LB came down yesterday and instead of doing a traditional date, which to me is dinner and a movie, we ordered take out from Fazolies and bought Independence Day on BluRay. We got back to my house and ate our scrumptious take out and watched the extended directors cut of Avatar instead. LB really liked Fazolies. I don't know why that made me so happy. Probably because that was my favorite childhood restaurant. After the movie it was time to go to bed. I mean, it was 3 hours long!! So good though. It was so hot last night. We had three fans running in my room and I still woke up all gross. After we woke up I made him lunch and warmed up the rest of my Fazolies and we started Independence Day. I had never seen the movie before, but it had a lot of people I like in it. It was a pretty good movie. After about an hour and 45 minutes LB had to leave. So we paused the movie and said those good byes again. I feel like it's getting a lot harder to do that, you know? The good bye part. I think it's because I know what's coming. In a little over 57 days, he is going to be 8 hours away. And while second semester last year I saw him at least every month, this Fall semester is going to be a lot different. I will be going to school too, so I can't just up and leave for 3 weeks. Yeah. It was really hard to say goodbye today. For me it was clenching my teeth, looking up, and telling myself that if he sees me cry it will hurt him and I won't be anything but a sadness in his life, and so I won't cry and I say all of that to myself while looking up and I swallow even though my throat doesn't want to close and I look back at him and just smile. I mean, I still have 2-3 "planned" visits left. We have the 4th of July weekend, our mini mid-July vacation, and our 11 month. After that, he's gone though. But we still have 3 more visits.
Well that took a turn that I wasn't planning on! Back to this week. Tomorrow I am running. Woo! Monday I have 7 hours at work which is pretty exciting. Tuesday I am running, taking my COMPASS test and turning in my ACT scores. LB is letting me use his calculator for that. Then Wednesday I have my adviser appt. And I will probably pick my payment plan then, too. Also one of my co-workers gave me her hours for that day because I had it off, and I didn't want it off. I am running again on Thursday then working. Same for Friday. I think I get paid Friday, too. Maybe not though. Maybe Monday. Either way, I'm getting my running shoes soon! Much excite!
Well that took a turn that I wasn't planning on! Back to this week. Tomorrow I am running. Woo! Monday I have 7 hours at work which is pretty exciting. Tuesday I am running, taking my COMPASS test and turning in my ACT scores. LB is letting me use his calculator for that. Then Wednesday I have my adviser appt. And I will probably pick my payment plan then, too. Also one of my co-workers gave me her hours for that day because I had it off, and I didn't want it off. I am running again on Thursday then working. Same for Friday. I think I get paid Friday, too. Maybe not though. Maybe Monday. Either way, I'm getting my running shoes soon! Much excite!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
KCC Orientation!
9:00 am Room 206. I sat there nervous as hell. I mean, it's the beginning of my life! Well, not totally. That was 19 years ago. But it is the start to my future career. So there is a purple packet in front of me and I went through all of it. It contained the basic stuff: financial aid info, school map, course catalog, student life info, a free T-shirt, etc. I read through it because I was accidentally 25 minutes early and there was a total of 4 people in the room. When it started we got a really quick talk then went on a tour. I had only been to KCC one time before and that was to take the ACT. It was nice to actually SEE the campus. It's really nice! Everything is so close together and there is no giant hill that I have to climb.
So after the tour there was a 2 hour lecture then get any questions answered by advisers. I turned in a financial aid paper, signed up for an appointment with an adviser, decided to take the COMPASS test on Thursday at 10, and got really pumped! There was no reason to be nervous. Just like LB said.
I still have some things to do before I am officially of Bruin status. I need to take that test, turn in my ACT scores, go to my appointment, register from classes, and pick a payment plan. Then that's that. I'm a KCC Bruin.
For those of you who don't know, I really want to be a teacher. An elementary teacher! What I'm trying to decide is whether or not I want to do the 2 year program or the 2 1/2 year program (5 or 4 classes a semester) just because the ECE classes are all 3+ hours long each. It is very hard for me to focus on the same thing for that long. I learned that from my 3 1/2 hour sociology class. But LB thinks the only reason I couldn't stand that class was because it was an "experimental class" where they put 4 professors (with very different views on subjects) in the class to teach us. It was just so confusing. So yeah, maybe. But this is 4 3 hour classes. Crazy. We shall see. I am not going to make any decisions until I talk to my adviser.
So excited that life is happening.
So after the tour there was a 2 hour lecture then get any questions answered by advisers. I turned in a financial aid paper, signed up for an appointment with an adviser, decided to take the COMPASS test on Thursday at 10, and got really pumped! There was no reason to be nervous. Just like LB said.
I still have some things to do before I am officially of Bruin status. I need to take that test, turn in my ACT scores, go to my appointment, register from classes, and pick a payment plan. Then that's that. I'm a KCC Bruin.
For those of you who don't know, I really want to be a teacher. An elementary teacher! What I'm trying to decide is whether or not I want to do the 2 year program or the 2 1/2 year program (5 or 4 classes a semester) just because the ECE classes are all 3+ hours long each. It is very hard for me to focus on the same thing for that long. I learned that from my 3 1/2 hour sociology class. But LB thinks the only reason I couldn't stand that class was because it was an "experimental class" where they put 4 professors (with very different views on subjects) in the class to teach us. It was just so confusing. So yeah, maybe. But this is 4 3 hour classes. Crazy. We shall see. I am not going to make any decisions until I talk to my adviser.
So excited that life is happening.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Week One Of Running: Complete
What. A. Difference. Day one I was out of breath and sweating and tired after 5 minutes. Now I can get through my current running plan with little to no problem. I was amazed this morning when I got home. Today was my last day of 60 seconds of running to 90 seconds of walking. Tomorrow I am going to start 90 seconds of running to 2 minutes of walking. I was nervous about this switch earlier this week, but I really feel like I'm ready. I am just so excited.
Today I ran in a new spot. Before I ran up and down Urbandale Ave. which is a 45 second walk from my house. But, 15 minutes away sits Urbandale Linear Park. So this morning I walked there. I wish it was a little closer because I noticed myself getting a little tiny bit tired because I was power walking my way there. Also the walk back I was pretty tired and just wanted to be home, but since it is 15 minutes away, my cool down was an extra 10 minutes. It was a beautiful spot though. Right along the river. It did stink, but I saw a crane eat a fish.
Yesterday I also got some ACTUAL running clothes. No cotton fabric. I got two pairs of capris, a pair of shorts, a shirt, and two tank tops. I also got some running socks. Next is shoes but I have to wait for my next pay check. I spent $100 on dinner for my family and running clothes yesterday. I will probably go to Dunhams unless my mom and/or grandma wants to go out to K-Zoo to the actual running store. I already sort of know what I'm looking for in a shoe, so it shouldn't take that long to get. It's just I need to save up more money.
CJ texted me today about wanting to start getting fit too! So we are going to start holding each other accountable and whatnot. Maybe eventually we can do a race together! I really want to do a color run and a zombie run someday. Maybe next year. I am currently training for a 5K so if in the middle of August I can do it, like my program says I can, I will be ready for racing.
In a week I have lost 2 pounds! I know you probably don't think this is a big deal, but it is for me. I started at 175. Yes. A whole 175. My goal weight it 140. When I want that? Well as soon as possible! When am I going to get it? Probably a year or more. But guess what! I don't care. I am going to stick with this. I am ready to go... and go... and go!
Today I ran in a new spot. Before I ran up and down Urbandale Ave. which is a 45 second walk from my house. But, 15 minutes away sits Urbandale Linear Park. So this morning I walked there. I wish it was a little closer because I noticed myself getting a little tiny bit tired because I was power walking my way there. Also the walk back I was pretty tired and just wanted to be home, but since it is 15 minutes away, my cool down was an extra 10 minutes. It was a beautiful spot though. Right along the river. It did stink, but I saw a crane eat a fish.
Yesterday I also got some ACTUAL running clothes. No cotton fabric. I got two pairs of capris, a pair of shorts, a shirt, and two tank tops. I also got some running socks. Next is shoes but I have to wait for my next pay check. I spent $100 on dinner for my family and running clothes yesterday. I will probably go to Dunhams unless my mom and/or grandma wants to go out to K-Zoo to the actual running store. I already sort of know what I'm looking for in a shoe, so it shouldn't take that long to get. It's just I need to save up more money.
CJ texted me today about wanting to start getting fit too! So we are going to start holding each other accountable and whatnot. Maybe eventually we can do a race together! I really want to do a color run and a zombie run someday. Maybe next year. I am currently training for a 5K so if in the middle of August I can do it, like my program says I can, I will be ready for racing.
In a week I have lost 2 pounds! I know you probably don't think this is a big deal, but it is for me. I started at 175. Yes. A whole 175. My goal weight it 140. When I want that? Well as soon as possible! When am I going to get it? Probably a year or more. But guess what! I don't care. I am going to stick with this. I am ready to go... and go... and go!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Today Marks My First Day of Running!
I am not going to lie, I have always wanted to be a runner. Running always intimidated me though, especially because of my heart condition. When I would go in for my annual cardiology appointments I would have to do a stress test. For those of you who don't know, a stress test is when people attach things to your head, stick a giant plastic hard tube in your mouth, put you in an uncomfortable gown, and make you run in your bra on a treadmill. It starts with walking, but every like 30 seconds it speeds up and goes faster. I think I got to 9 minutes on my best. I really wanted to talk to my doctor first, but that isn't till August and I want to be able to run a 5K by September. Who knows, maybe I will blow my record stress test out of the water by August!!
I am not just running to stay fit. I want a healthy body. I want to be able to say I exercise regularly. I want to feel good about myself. And maybe get a tan while I'm doing it. I am also starting to only drink one soda a day and eat healthier. Well, starting fresh today. I really need to get rid of that little bit of ice cream in the freezer though. Eventually I will do a detox which supposedly will make me lose 10 pounds in a week.
So today's run! I am doing the C25K challenge. That stands for "Couch to 5 Kilometers." This was basically made for me! I never did any physical activity in my teens. I mean I did marching band for 2 years, but I wouldn't necessarily call that HARD work, physically speaking. I also took a dance class. I took online gym. At NMU walking up the big hill was my "exercise" and I didn't do that every day. So I basically sat on my ass every day. Still do. Well, until today!
I woke up at 9:40 this morning. This way I could run before work and have time to take a shower. Slipped on my running shoes. Tied up my hair. Threw on the headphones. And on I went. Now C25K is an amazing program. Week 1 consists of a 5 minute warm up walk, 60 seconds of jogging, 90 seconds of walking (jogging and walking 8 times) then 5 minute cool down walk. Now, I would like to say it was no problem and I didn't cheat, but I probably didn't jog for 10 seconds when I should have been. I wasn't having any issues until about the 4th time. I noticed my breathing was getting shorter and my posture was really bad. But after I realized it, I fixed it and I slowed my jogging down.
When I got home, I felt great! I mean, yeah I was tired and hot, but mood-wise, I felt fantastic. I knew that I could actually do this! To quote my cousin, "Only you can make sure you stick with it. It means going out when you don't want to. It means putting off what feels good now (cozy sweats, yummy food) for what will reap long term benefits. It means making a plan, and looking at each week with the mind of WHEN you can fit in those runs, and doing them, rather than waiting for "the moment" to dictate when you'll go. That will never happen." So I really do want to stick to this. She even pointed out a 5K race in Battle Creek on September 27th that I really want to do.
I have learned I need to start saving for running gear. Stuff like shoes, running clothes, and races. Races cost $25. Boo. So maybe add $10 to my shopping budget.
I am not just running to stay fit. I want a healthy body. I want to be able to say I exercise regularly. I want to feel good about myself. And maybe get a tan while I'm doing it. I am also starting to only drink one soda a day and eat healthier. Well, starting fresh today. I really need to get rid of that little bit of ice cream in the freezer though. Eventually I will do a detox which supposedly will make me lose 10 pounds in a week.
So today's run! I am doing the C25K challenge. That stands for "Couch to 5 Kilometers." This was basically made for me! I never did any physical activity in my teens. I mean I did marching band for 2 years, but I wouldn't necessarily call that HARD work, physically speaking. I also took a dance class. I took online gym. At NMU walking up the big hill was my "exercise" and I didn't do that every day. So I basically sat on my ass every day. Still do. Well, until today!
I woke up at 9:40 this morning. This way I could run before work and have time to take a shower. Slipped on my running shoes. Tied up my hair. Threw on the headphones. And on I went. Now C25K is an amazing program. Week 1 consists of a 5 minute warm up walk, 60 seconds of jogging, 90 seconds of walking (jogging and walking 8 times) then 5 minute cool down walk. Now, I would like to say it was no problem and I didn't cheat, but I probably didn't jog for 10 seconds when I should have been. I wasn't having any issues until about the 4th time. I noticed my breathing was getting shorter and my posture was really bad. But after I realized it, I fixed it and I slowed my jogging down.
When I got home, I felt great! I mean, yeah I was tired and hot, but mood-wise, I felt fantastic. I knew that I could actually do this! To quote my cousin, "Only you can make sure you stick with it. It means going out when you don't want to. It means putting off what feels good now (cozy sweats, yummy food) for what will reap long term benefits. It means making a plan, and looking at each week with the mind of WHEN you can fit in those runs, and doing them, rather than waiting for "the moment" to dictate when you'll go. That will never happen." So I really do want to stick to this. She even pointed out a 5K race in Battle Creek on September 27th that I really want to do.
I have learned I need to start saving for running gear. Stuff like shoes, running clothes, and races. Races cost $25. Boo. So maybe add $10 to my shopping budget.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Captian Sunday, Wedding Receptions, Drunkin' Rednecks! OH MY!
Last weekend was such a blast! After work on Friday I went to Zeeland and got to see one of my great NMU friends, Fred, in Zeeland! We went to this place called Captain Sunday and I managed to get 1/3 of my ice cream on my shirt. It was great. Then LB picked me up from Fred's and we went to Taco Bell and got some OmNomNoms. Then it was to his dad's house. We looked at pictures of their wedding and listened to some tunes. The boys played darts and then it was bed time.
The next day LB took me to his dad's wedding reception. This is where I realized A LOT of his grandparents really like me! They kept coming up to me and saying hi and asking how I was doing. It felt pretty awesome. After a few hours, we had to head down to Battle Creek.
After about an hour drive we finally got to my house. We watched some America's Got Talent and then... CJ and her sister got there!!! My goodness. I have missed CJ since MAY! She is one of my bestestest friends in the whole wide world! We stayed up for a little while, but we needed to go to bed. We had to be up at 4AM!!! So LB, CJ, and her sister all cramped up in my tiny room where we all got about 4-5 hours of sleep.
At 4, we awoke and started getting ready for birthday bash. We left a little after 5 and got there around 6. After about an hour of waiting in line, they opened the parking lot! By the way, parking costs $40. Boo! They were supposed to open at 8, but I guess they didn't want the line to get too long. So we went in, we parked, and it was off to the actual line to wait for the gates to open. This was fine because we could sit down in our folding lawn chairs. We got our meal tickets in line and since LB didn't have any cash on him, I was totally fine with getting them. So that was $40. We ended up meeting up with a big gang of Zeelanders who I knew about half of. It was nice seeing familiar faces.
So at 10, the gates opened and A ran to get good seats. I thought LB was going to help him save seats, but he wanted to wait for everyone else to get through... so wait we did. 20 minutes later we were at our seats. We still had about an hour till the show started. First was Charlie Worsham who did a cool cover and some decent music, but the sound check must not have went well because ALL I could hear was bass. Then The Henningsens who were good. I only knew one of their songs though. THEN KACEY MUSGRAVES who I LOVE. LB liked her too. I don't know why, but I was really impressed that she was a brunette. I really liked that about her. When I think country, I think T-Swizzle, Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Maines, Faith Hill, etc. All blondes. So I really like when a brunette makes it anywhere. Power to the brown!! FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE was after her!!! I was so worried they weren't going to do my favorite song because it isn't exactly their most popular, but they played it first!! Then they tricked me TWICE by convincing me Nelly was going to go on stage... And that kind of made me want to see Nelly in person. So if he releases another album... winky face... Then there was Lee Brice and Billy Currington. Two people I don't really care about.
So after Bill C. we chilled in the parking lot waiting to head out. Well, we were trying to head out but thousands of people... Yeah. Major props to LB for keeping his cool. Seriously. I don't know how I would have handled that situation. Also for not running anyone over.
We got to my house. LB and I said our goodbyes until next time. CJ, her sister, and I had some quesadillas, I took a shower, and we went straight to sleep. We were all so exausted. and 2/3 of us were sunburned. Luckily, I only got it on my chest and forearms. And only a little bit. Vary happy with how it turned out.
This morning, the girls left at 8:30. I went to work at 1:00. Everything is back to normal. What an amazing weekend though. Thanks LB and CJ for being so awesome.
The next day LB took me to his dad's wedding reception. This is where I realized A LOT of his grandparents really like me! They kept coming up to me and saying hi and asking how I was doing. It felt pretty awesome. After a few hours, we had to head down to Battle Creek.
After about an hour drive we finally got to my house. We watched some America's Got Talent and then... CJ and her sister got there!!! My goodness. I have missed CJ since MAY! She is one of my bestestest friends in the whole wide world! We stayed up for a little while, but we needed to go to bed. We had to be up at 4AM!!! So LB, CJ, and her sister all cramped up in my tiny room where we all got about 4-5 hours of sleep.
At 4, we awoke and started getting ready for birthday bash. We left a little after 5 and got there around 6. After about an hour of waiting in line, they opened the parking lot! By the way, parking costs $40. Boo! They were supposed to open at 8, but I guess they didn't want the line to get too long. So we went in, we parked, and it was off to the actual line to wait for the gates to open. This was fine because we could sit down in our folding lawn chairs. We got our meal tickets in line and since LB didn't have any cash on him, I was totally fine with getting them. So that was $40. We ended up meeting up with a big gang of Zeelanders who I knew about half of. It was nice seeing familiar faces.
So at 10, the gates opened and A ran to get good seats. I thought LB was going to help him save seats, but he wanted to wait for everyone else to get through... so wait we did. 20 minutes later we were at our seats. We still had about an hour till the show started. First was Charlie Worsham who did a cool cover and some decent music, but the sound check must not have went well because ALL I could hear was bass. Then The Henningsens who were good. I only knew one of their songs though. THEN KACEY MUSGRAVES who I LOVE. LB liked her too. I don't know why, but I was really impressed that she was a brunette. I really liked that about her. When I think country, I think T-Swizzle, Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, Natalie Maines, Faith Hill, etc. All blondes. So I really like when a brunette makes it anywhere. Power to the brown!! FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE was after her!!! I was so worried they weren't going to do my favorite song because it isn't exactly their most popular, but they played it first!! Then they tricked me TWICE by convincing me Nelly was going to go on stage... And that kind of made me want to see Nelly in person. So if he releases another album... winky face... Then there was Lee Brice and Billy Currington. Two people I don't really care about.
So after Bill C. we chilled in the parking lot waiting to head out. Well, we were trying to head out but thousands of people... Yeah. Major props to LB for keeping his cool. Seriously. I don't know how I would have handled that situation. Also for not running anyone over.
We got to my house. LB and I said our goodbyes until next time. CJ, her sister, and I had some quesadillas, I took a shower, and we went straight to sleep. We were all so exausted. and 2/3 of us were sunburned. Luckily, I only got it on my chest and forearms. And only a little bit. Vary happy with how it turned out.
This morning, the girls left at 8:30. I went to work at 1:00. Everything is back to normal. What an amazing weekend though. Thanks LB and CJ for being so awesome.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Past, Present, Future: Part 2/3- Present/Future
So like I said before, I am getting a lot more hours at the CDC. I mean my MAIN hours are 2:30-6. Lately I have been picking up an all day shift here and there. And next week I work 12-6 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! PLUS and 8 hour shift. I don't remember the other day, but I know I have 31 hours and I am too lazy to do math! The other day I talked to my boss and I told her I was interested in taking the Summer schoolager "position" and I say "position" because I will still be a floater (go where they go when they need me) but I will be the first person thought of when the lead teacher needs help. I've heard that's three days a week! Yay hours! When school starts, I will have to talk to my boss again because my classes start at 6 and one class starts at 5:30, so I will have to be out by 5:30, three days a week. That is going to cut back my hours more than you think it will because since I am not a lead teacher, I am a closer. Lead teachers get out at 5:30. Not me. I will probably be only working when people take days off or if someone asks if I can cover their shift. I'm fine with that though. I won't really know what's going on till I talk to the boss. I will do that when it gets closer though. Early Augustish.
What's going on with LB and me? Good question. Couldn't be happier! I have seen him the last two weekends and again tonight where I am staying the night up in Zeeland then going to his father's wedding reception! I'm really excited. He has some surprise for me! I pretty much know what it is, but he likes surprises, so I will still act surprised... even though he knows I know... but acting is the least I can do! I hate surprises so much. They make me anxious. And nervous. And spastic. And I cry. Not good. LB thinks it's cute and funny... But really I'm a mess. I hate surprises so much that I ruin surprises for him! He already knows what he is getting for our 11 month. Oooops. I also really like his family. Including the new addition of a step mom. I'm taller! This is rare in my life, so I like her a lot. I've also met more of his friends and he has met more of mine. Last weekend I took him to the zoo where we met up with 9 of my friends. He got mooned within the first 5 minutes. Thanks J. But I got an awesome picture of him feeding giraffes! So much fun.
I know what you're thinking. "What about college Kennedy?? What are you going to do with your life?!" Well I am going to Kellogg Community College. I will be starting as a freshman, but I always have that truth/lie that I took a year off for medical reasons. I am going for my associates in Early Childhood Education. After that I am going to hopefully find a job that pays more than $7.40 an hour and pay off all of college. Then I am going to go to Eastern Michigan University and get my Elementary teaching degree. What is really cool about this plan is one of my favorite co-workers JUST graduated with the same associates degree and kept ALL of her books! So after I see if I need the same ones, I am going to buy what I can off of her. That will save me money somewhere! My orientation is the 18th this month!
Now I have never had a positive attitude about my body, so after I get paid next and my little brother goes to camp (about a week from now) I am going to invest in a good pair of running shoes and a new diet. It is really a detox and we will see how long I can go. I found this running program called C25K which stands for "Couch to 5 K" and I really think it will work. With my heart condition I am kind of nervous about so much change and activity, but that is why I am scheduling a cardiologist appointment and a doctor's appointment. I know I won't see results right away, but boy, do I look forward to the day where I feel totally comfortable in my own skin.
Recently I have also started a budget plan. I put about $100 in 5 different categories then the rest of my paycheck goes in my vehicle fund. Currently taking donations. I change it as I go because it is interesting to actually see where my money goes! I write down every time I spend or get money. I use my old accounting knowledge and everything! I need to add a couple new categories like college and books. Maybe $50 in the first and $20 in the latter every pay check? So $170 would be gone from every pay check and the rest in the vehicle fund? I feel like with the more hours I am getting this would be possible.
I don't know which of the above has me most excited, but all I can say is I am really happy with how my life is going right now.
Much Liking,
Always,
Kennedy
What's going on with LB and me? Good question. Couldn't be happier! I have seen him the last two weekends and again tonight where I am staying the night up in Zeeland then going to his father's wedding reception! I'm really excited. He has some surprise for me! I pretty much know what it is, but he likes surprises, so I will still act surprised... even though he knows I know... but acting is the least I can do! I hate surprises so much. They make me anxious. And nervous. And spastic. And I cry. Not good. LB thinks it's cute and funny... But really I'm a mess. I hate surprises so much that I ruin surprises for him! He already knows what he is getting for our 11 month. Oooops. I also really like his family. Including the new addition of a step mom. I'm taller! This is rare in my life, so I like her a lot. I've also met more of his friends and he has met more of mine. Last weekend I took him to the zoo where we met up with 9 of my friends. He got mooned within the first 5 minutes. Thanks J. But I got an awesome picture of him feeding giraffes! So much fun.
I know what you're thinking. "What about college Kennedy?? What are you going to do with your life?!" Well I am going to Kellogg Community College. I will be starting as a freshman, but I always have that truth/lie that I took a year off for medical reasons. I am going for my associates in Early Childhood Education. After that I am going to hopefully find a job that pays more than $7.40 an hour and pay off all of college. Then I am going to go to Eastern Michigan University and get my Elementary teaching degree. What is really cool about this plan is one of my favorite co-workers JUST graduated with the same associates degree and kept ALL of her books! So after I see if I need the same ones, I am going to buy what I can off of her. That will save me money somewhere! My orientation is the 18th this month!
Now I have never had a positive attitude about my body, so after I get paid next and my little brother goes to camp (about a week from now) I am going to invest in a good pair of running shoes and a new diet. It is really a detox and we will see how long I can go. I found this running program called C25K which stands for "Couch to 5 K" and I really think it will work. With my heart condition I am kind of nervous about so much change and activity, but that is why I am scheduling a cardiologist appointment and a doctor's appointment. I know I won't see results right away, but boy, do I look forward to the day where I feel totally comfortable in my own skin.
Recently I have also started a budget plan. I put about $100 in 5 different categories then the rest of my paycheck goes in my vehicle fund. Currently taking donations. I change it as I go because it is interesting to actually see where my money goes! I write down every time I spend or get money. I use my old accounting knowledge and everything! I need to add a couple new categories like college and books. Maybe $50 in the first and $20 in the latter every pay check? So $170 would be gone from every pay check and the rest in the vehicle fund? I feel like with the more hours I am getting this would be possible.
I don't know which of the above has me most excited, but all I can say is I am really happy with how my life is going right now.
Much Liking,
Always,
Kennedy
Past, Present, Future: Part 1- Past
I went to NMU last Fall. While it was the worst mistake of my life, it was also the greatest thing I've ever done. How could that be, you ask? Well while I was up there I met the man of my dreams and figured out "what I want to do with my life." Cliche? Yes. Untrue? No. But it also has me $14,000 in debt. While I do not want to play the blame game and drop some names, I can honestly say that debt is not my fault. I worked my ass off to fix everything, but it was not up to me. I essentially sat at NMU at the end of the semester watching my life go down the toilet bowl. Trying to apply for loans made things even worse. Now my credit score has been looked at too many times. At the end of the semester I did what everyone else had to do and then some. I said good bye to some of the greatest people I have ever met, broke a record with LB, and moved out of my 12x12 home.
This brings me to Winter Break. LB came down on the 24th where his truck broke down. But that is geting fixed very soon! Then there was Christmas. That was... well, Christmas. And New Years. And on January 5th, 2013, I realized I was depressed. I was away from all of my friends, my LB, I felt like I had no future, I felt I was alone, my mom and family were acting as if they didn't want me, but I knew that was just because I wasn't SUPPOSED to be there. I know everyone "felt bad" for me. It was like everyone was in a pool and while I was on the bottom drowning, I was watching everyone above me swimming towards a better future. That feeling blows. I can honestly say it was the worst 4 months of my life. And what's worse is I didn't tell anyone or seek help. I just woke up, went to work, came home, "ate", watched TV, went to bed, repeat. I was doing nothing to help myself, but the issue was I didn't know how. I would have told my mom, but I didn't want her to think I was blaming her. This is the first time I have come out and said I was depressed. LB knows and that's it. Well, until you happened upon this. I swear there is a happy ending! On top of the lack of motive for living, I was threatened with ovarian cancer. I basically felt like some higher power was telling me I was not meant to live on this Earth anymore. They took away my reason to live then gave me a way to die. Now that sounded a lot more morbid then I meant. Anyways, it wasn't cancer. It was, well, a "thing" as my Dr. put it. Basically a benign thing. Awesome right? Well they took out the ovary, and yes, I still have a normal reproductive system. I swear I get asked that once a month.
Then, in the middle of my third visit to NMU, on the trail of recovering from my ovary removal surgery, April 27th, the depression was over. Basically a phone call with my mom changed everything. I started by looking at LSSU, which is up in the U.P. so I could be close to LB and all my friends. But I just... No. Ugly. On the way back down to West Michigan we (LB and Mr. Wilson) stopped at a hotel. There I decided on EMU. I fell in love over the internet. And while the boys went to sleep, I stayed up till about 4 in the morning planning my life. But like everything else, plans changed.
Once I got back my hours at the Lakeview CDC (the daycare I work at) picked up... A LOT. Next week I am working 31 hours!!!! More on that later. I realized I should work. Working is good. Money good. I also went and got my learners permit!! I am currently driving whenever I can (which is essentially to work) and when I feel confident enough, I will take the road test. I am saving for a car, now. So with all of that happening, I kind of came to the decision KCC would be a better option. It would save more money and I would be able to work, too. I won't be able to get 30 hours a week, but some hours are better than no hours.
Well now you all know the real, honest, true story of what happened. Soon I will post what is going on now. I appreciate it if you actually took the time to read all of that.
-Much Liking, Always,
Kennedy Smith
This brings me to Winter Break. LB came down on the 24th where his truck broke down. But that is geting fixed very soon! Then there was Christmas. That was... well, Christmas. And New Years. And on January 5th, 2013, I realized I was depressed. I was away from all of my friends, my LB, I felt like I had no future, I felt I was alone, my mom and family were acting as if they didn't want me, but I knew that was just because I wasn't SUPPOSED to be there. I know everyone "felt bad" for me. It was like everyone was in a pool and while I was on the bottom drowning, I was watching everyone above me swimming towards a better future. That feeling blows. I can honestly say it was the worst 4 months of my life. And what's worse is I didn't tell anyone or seek help. I just woke up, went to work, came home, "ate", watched TV, went to bed, repeat. I was doing nothing to help myself, but the issue was I didn't know how. I would have told my mom, but I didn't want her to think I was blaming her. This is the first time I have come out and said I was depressed. LB knows and that's it. Well, until you happened upon this. I swear there is a happy ending! On top of the lack of motive for living, I was threatened with ovarian cancer. I basically felt like some higher power was telling me I was not meant to live on this Earth anymore. They took away my reason to live then gave me a way to die. Now that sounded a lot more morbid then I meant. Anyways, it wasn't cancer. It was, well, a "thing" as my Dr. put it. Basically a benign thing. Awesome right? Well they took out the ovary, and yes, I still have a normal reproductive system. I swear I get asked that once a month.
Then, in the middle of my third visit to NMU, on the trail of recovering from my ovary removal surgery, April 27th, the depression was over. Basically a phone call with my mom changed everything. I started by looking at LSSU, which is up in the U.P. so I could be close to LB and all my friends. But I just... No. Ugly. On the way back down to West Michigan we (LB and Mr. Wilson) stopped at a hotel. There I decided on EMU. I fell in love over the internet. And while the boys went to sleep, I stayed up till about 4 in the morning planning my life. But like everything else, plans changed.
Once I got back my hours at the Lakeview CDC (the daycare I work at) picked up... A LOT. Next week I am working 31 hours!!!! More on that later. I realized I should work. Working is good. Money good. I also went and got my learners permit!! I am currently driving whenever I can (which is essentially to work) and when I feel confident enough, I will take the road test. I am saving for a car, now. So with all of that happening, I kind of came to the decision KCC would be a better option. It would save more money and I would be able to work, too. I won't be able to get 30 hours a week, but some hours are better than no hours.
Well now you all know the real, honest, true story of what happened. Soon I will post what is going on now. I appreciate it if you actually took the time to read all of that.
-Much Liking, Always,
Kennedy Smith
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