It Counts...

After this weekends competition, from what I have seen so far it looks like I just may have a world leading mark in the Long Jump at 6.74 meters. I'll take it. Whether or not I deserve it is questionable, however.

After Friday's competition I posted on twitter and facebook that I had jumped 6.61 and was pretty satisfied with the outcome of my first meet. I had a few missteps and it was a little shaky at times, but all that is to be expected at your first competition. The next morning though, I received a few messages asking why I had said I jumped 6.61 when the results said I jumped 6.74. Why in the world would I sell myself short like that?

Well, the truth of the matter is, I did jump 6.74. The other truth of the matter is it may or may not have been a foul. When I think back on it now, all the events seem a little hazy... Was it a red flag or a white one?...Did the judge yell fair or foul?? Who can really be sure what really happened?! Competing at altitude with a 5 hour energy and a few cups of coffee in your system is enough to make anyone a little dazed and confused. I'm going to go ahead and take the blame for being mistaken on this one, and accept my position at the top of the leader board like the gracious competitor that I am.

Whatever the case, I am satisfied with the start of my 2011 season. I am in a good place for this time of year and I also am very aware of the things I need to continue to work on and improve so that the big jumps will be there come summertime. Being able to jump over 6.70 at the beginning of the season, whether fair, foul, or flip a coin, is a very good sign of things to come.

Testing 1...2...3

Next week I leave for Russia to compete against some of the best long jumpers out there. Before I go half way around the world to compete though, I thought it would be best to shake the dust off close to home, without the added pressure of top level competition. So, I'm in Albuquerque, competing against a few college kids in what I hope turns out to be a low key, low pressure situation that allows me to slowly piece together all the things I've been working on in practice in a meet situation.

Every so often, there will be other professionals or top level competitors that spoil this plan. I remember a few years ago showing up to a college meet in April, thinking I would shake the cobwebs off and run a 200 just for fun...I ended up chasing a Jamaican who proceeded to run a world leading time and left me eating her dust. It wasn't at all what I had imagined for the day. Whoever shows up today though, my plan is to focus only on my cues that I have been working on and making sure I can execute them in a meet setting. Because I never do all out long jumps in practice, these meets act as indicators for me and let me know that I'm on target with my training (or not).

I don't get paid for doing these meets. The most I get out of it is an extra chocolate chip cookie at check-in (shout out to DoubleTree hotel cookies!) and the ability to practice in a meet situation so that I am more prepared once I get to the paying meets. In the end it is a formula that I feel has worked well for me, but I do try to keep these freebies to a minimum. After all, this is my job and those socks don't buy themselves!

Flying to Russia

Day 17

Something very horrible happened in Russia yesterday. A suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the airport that killed over 30 people and severely injured over 100 more. It was sad, senseless, and tragic. Sometimes things happen in other parts of the world that seem to not totally affect us because we are so far removed from it. But the fact of the matter is, I happen to be flying to that exact airport next week. So, when I heard about the story, it kind of hit a little more close to home.

Truth be told, I'm not nervous to fly to Russia. When something like this happens, the area becomes more secure and safe than it ever was. I remember flying the first day flights were able to resume after 9/11 and not only did I virtually have the whole plane to myself, the airport security was at such a high level, I felt like I was about to board Air Force 1. You couldn't even travel with your purse, let alone a ziplock baggy of small toiletries.

So please pray that the proverbial lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place. But also pray for all those who lost just lost their life to a senseless act of violence. And that I find someone to let me borrow a jacket that can handle a Russian winter.


To read about what happened, click here

My Twin

This weekend we had some great family time celebrating my Mom's birthday. My sister showed up with the same hair style and a knock off pair of my sunglasses, because as we all know, she secretly wants to be just like me. And I guess for some people, that's all it takes for us to look like the same person. The bartender at the winery thought I was trying to get smashed by throwing back glasses of wine one after the other because he thought we were the same person.

Here is a picture of us from Saturday.


Now, I can see how we resemble each other enough to be sisters, but definitely not the same person. I went through some of our archives and found some pictures where she tried her best to look like me.




This is something she started quite young...





As they say... Imitation is the best form of flattery!!

Haunted

Day 15

**Edit: Due to the complete ignorance and stupidity of the poster, the picture in question has been removed due to the fact that you shouldn't really share your passport information on the world wide web. In my defense, the passport is no longer valid, but I doubt that makes too much of a difference.**

For the last ten years I have been haunted. Not by a person, not by an experience, but by a picture... A picture I have to show people multiple times a year on demand. Each time I do, there is an evident cringe, and I'd like to just take a few minutes and tell them the story.

I would explain how 10 years ago I never knew that my life would consist of flying over 100,000 miles a year and so I didn't really consider the ramifications of taking a decent passport photo or that this particular photo would be a huge part of my life for the next decade. I was so new to the whole process (this being my first passport and all), that I didn't know you couldn't just take a photo with a hat on. So, when I showed up to snap my pic and I was told to remove my hat, I had no readily available mirror to look in. I simply shook my head upside down and proceeded to put it up in a ponytail. I was alone and in a hurry. Nobody was around to tell me that I resembled Buckwheat's older sister, who also inadvertantly got stuck in lightning just after she finished plucking her eyebrows into obvlivion. If I could find that picture taker now, I'd go back and put part of the blame on him. He should have known better, really. He could have told me that there was an explosion coming out of my scull that would haunt me for the next ten years of my life, and maybe, just maybe, I'd like a redo.

I am happy to announce that my 10 years is up. My days of being haunted and feeling embarassed in passport lines will soon be behind me. Today, I took a new passport photo. I had always planned to go ahead and get professional hair and makeup done for this one, but as luck would have it, I found out last minute that I needed a new passport, like, yesterday and so there really wasn't time for that. What I did do, however, is ask to see my picture after the first take and then kindly ask for a redo. It was the least I could do.

Head Help

Day 14

There are a lot of resources available to athletes that train at the Olympic Training Center. And because they come at no cost to us, it makes them that much more valuable. One of the greatest, and possibly most overlooked resource, is our very own sports psychologists that help us with the most important part of athletics. That space between your ears has to be given the same kind of attention as all your other training. It took me a long time to realize how important it truly was, but now that I know, I'm one of the biggest proponents.

I used to cringe at the idea of talking about "feelings" and having someone try and pull things out of me while I lay on a couch and reach for a box of tissues while a soothing waterfall babbles in the background. But that's not it at all. Well, at least the type I see. I've been able to be in such better control of what I do and have a better vision of what I'm trying to accomplish, far better than I ever would without this help. I still have a long way to go, but I see the progress I make when I work on training the mental side of my sport with a qualified professional.

The longer I've been seeing him, the more I continue to broaden his uses. Technically, he's a "sports psychologist" but I tend to use him for everything. And that makes sense. Everything that goes on in your life has an impact on how you train, how you prepare for competition, and what kind of emotional state you're in on a day to day basis. Just the ability to talk to someone who is legally bound to not repeat or gossip about anything you tell them is an asset. It's to the point now where I only have to say hello and he can tell that something is bothering me. Then it's only a matter of moments before I'm spilling my guts and that release always feels better, even if all I did was talk about it.

If you're an athlete and you don't talk to a sports psychologist, I would highly recommend it. If it can be worked into the budget I promise you that at times you will find it just as important as your coach, strength coach, massage therapist, and chiropractor... combined. Making one part of your team might just be the best thing you ever did for yourself.

High School Track

Day 13

It's been years and years (and years and years) since I was an athlete in high school, but there are some things I still remember vividly. I didn't know much of anything about the sport of track and field outside my very small bubble. I knew nobody who competed in college (and certainly not a professional) and all I was worried about was how to do the least amount of work at practice and win on Thursdays. Over the years I developed an appreciation for what I was doing and knowledge that would help me accomplish bigger and better goals. But I know that there are things I could have learned a lot sooner and goals I probably would have achieved a lot faster if I had just been better informed and knew a little more.

Yesterday I spent my afternoon talking with a local high school track team here in San Diego. One of my college teammates is the head coach and he asked me to come speak to his team and share my knowledge. I have no problem getting up in front of a group of people and giving a speech on all the important aspects of being a good athlete. I can talk all day about motivation, confidence, developing a good work ethic, etc, etc. And I suppose I did touch on those things a bit. But mostly I just let them ask me questions. Any questions they could think of. I remember being exactly where they are and all the stuff I just didn't know because there was really nobody to ask.

What workout do I hate doing the most?
Do I have a boyfriend and how do I balance my social life?
Do I ever cry after I don't do well?
What if your coach thinks you can do something you don't think you can?
What if you don't get along with your coach?
Do I eat well?
Is lifting going to make your arms all buff?
When did I know I wanted to be a professional?
How do I prepare for a meet?
...


After the first person was brave enough to speak up, the questions kept coming and coming. And I appreciated their curiosity and desire to know. I think back at all the things I didn't know back then and wish someone would have came by to drop just a little bit of knowledge on me. So, if you are a high schooler (or not) and you have a question, now is your time to ask. Fire away..

Pain Management

Day 12

I may look young, but my body feels very old sometimes. I woke up this morning with a stiff lower back and knee instability that always rears its ugly head first thing in the morning. As I was walking to the bathroom in a hunched position, with one hand on my back, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Who am I, a 70 year old Grandma walking around a nursing home?!It was comical almost, except I was still wincing too much to chuckle.

The truth of the matter is, I don't remember the last time my body felt completely good, I've just begun to measure how I feel in terms of it not being so bad. I saw the doctor yesterday and I was rambling off the body parts I was having issues with... my left shin that has such bad shin splints I wince from the slightest touch...my right knee that basically has arthritis and is very temperamental in the morning, but also when I jump and it just decides to buckle and not cooperate when it needs to, which is understandable seeing as how it's missing a chunk of cartilage...my shoulder that almost came out of the socket the other day during lifting that happened to be the opposite shoulder of the one I dislocated a few years ago... . But I followed up this list, with I'm feeling pretty good right now.

And in the crazy world that I live in, that's actually the truth. If my shin splints turn to a stress fracture, that will be trouble. If pieces of cartilage break off again and cause my knee to lock and be inoperable, I'd be out of commission. If my shoulder had actually dislocated and I had to wear that awful sling for six weeks, I'd be really bummed since that's my writing hand and such. But aches and soreness are par for the course. And these little issues I'm experiencing just need to be controlled so that they don't turn into something really problematic.

Athletes control the pain, but we never really expect to be pain free. I don't remember what that even feels like, and by the time I'm done beating my body up, I may never know. I'm on my way to the athletic training room before practice so I can tape things back in place, put a heating pad on my back, and do some quick rehab exercises before I go to work. And today I feel pretty good...

MLK

Day 11

Martin Luther King Day always inspires me.

To do more.
To want more.
To be more.

I hope it does the same for you.


(if you think about it, if it weren't for him there may have not been a me...)

Enjoying the Sunshine..

Day 10

People come from all over the world to train at the Olympic Training Center during the winter months. I never really thought much about it, but this week, as I see athletes training hard all day long and soaking up every last bit of sunshine, I kind of get it. It's easy to train in San Diego. While the rest of the country is shoveling snow and trying to stay dry, we are enjoying 75 degrees with a light breeze. Besides that ridiculous storm a few weeks ago, it's like that here more often than not and I've learned to appreciate the added value that brings to training. I work harder and enjoy training that much more because I get to do so in perfect weather pretty frequently.

It's Friday now...the end of my work week...and I'm absolutely exhausted. But I feel like I've put in a great week of practice and I've enjoyed working hard AND working on my tan. Now I'm going to enjoy a couple of days off, recuperate, and hit it hard again next week. I've already checked the weather and it seems I have some more sunshine coming that I must take advantage of. :)

Have a great weekend!!


(sunset last week at Sunset Cliffs)

Finding Motivation

Day 9


Today I was out at the track basically all alone. Which is fine. I sometimes like it when it's serene and peaceful versus the organized chaos that usually exists out there. But when elements of my training require me to push myself to the max, I sometimes struggle to find the right kind of motivation when it's just practice. In competition, it comes easy. The atmosphere is buzzing, you have competitors there to push you, and your adrenaline is on overdrive. But at the end of practice today, I just had myself, my coach, and a laser beam to run my flying 20's through.

The first two were mediocre. They were fine for practice, but they definitely weren't lighting up the track. For the third one I tried a little self-talk just to see if I could get a little more out of myself and it worked. Not to shabby. My coach proceeded to tell me it was the fastest time he's ever had someone run at this time of the year. Well, he's coached at BYU for the past 30 years so while that may not hold much weight in my head looking at the big scheme of things, I am guessing it was supposed to make me feel satisfied with my effort. But he then followed up with that statement by telling me I was just a hair off of the best time he's ever had any of his athletes run. It was meant as a "job well done" but I didn't take it that way. I saw it as an immediate challenge.

And that was all I needed. My next run smashed his all-time coaching record. Unknowingly, he had given me my motivation to dig deeper. Because I hate. To. Lose. I create competition whenever possible and now that I had a specific challenge in front of me, I could rise to the occassion, so to speak. Sure, it existed only in my head...these athletes from the past 30 years aren't people I really know, nor do I consider them my competition, but they presented me the opportunity to make them my competition for the day.

Sometimes motivation comes in various forms. For me, when I can make something a competition and find someone to be a competitor, I am able to dig that much deeper to get the job done. I'm pretty sure I would have been the fastest gal ever to go to BYU had I gone there, but now I think it's official. :)

The Secrets of a Six-Pack

Day 8


I use 24 hour fitness facilities quite frequently when I'm not training at the Olympic Training Center. I always try to go incognito--meaning not head to toe spandex and definitely no midriff bearing tops. People stare. And then they ask questions. Many times they like to know how and what--how can they get their stomach muscles to appear and what exercises should they be doing. This past weekend I was at the gym and by the end of my core workout I was giving mini lessons. It wasn't planned, buy my ipod died on me and I happened to be in a sharing mood that day. And since I'm still in a sharing mood, I figured I would share with you as well...

Watch what you eat. I am constantly watching what I eat. I watch it sit on my plate and then find it's way to my mouth. Pizza...french fries...chocolate...you name it. But if you aren't working out hours a day and you don't have lightning fast metabolism, I would suggest you watch a little more carefully than I do.

Lower your body fat percentage. This is key. If you want a flatter looking stomach and for there to be an outline of muscles, you have to get rid of the fat that's on top of it. You can spend all the time in the world building up a strong core, but if it's hidden, the world will never see it. The main reason why people in my sport have six-packs is because our training usually creates athletes with low body fat percentage. It's also why it's easier for men than women--men just typically have lower body fat. So before you sit down to do a set of crunches, run some intervals and eat some broccoli.

Work a core routine into your your regular exercise routine. I have never been the person to do 5000 sit-ups before bed. I also don't believe in strapping some vibrating gadget to my midsection while I sit back and watch T.V. Sprinting and the type of explosive training I do engages my core and works my stomach muscles all the time. Beyond that, I just incorporate core work the same way I do flexibility and anything else that's going to help my overall training. I'm big on using the physioball, medicine balls, plates, hanging from a bar... basically I like variety. But if you're able to use a physioball and put yourself in an unstable environment that causes you to engage your core already, you're doing twice the work and getting more accomplished. Core work is part of my warm-up, cool-down, and work that I do in the weight room. That way I am always getting it in, but not feeling like it's a chore.

Blame your parents. You can either thank them or tell them it's their fault that you aren't walking around with ripped abs. I can't recall either of my parents ever having a six-pack, but I know that it has to be part of my genetics that I don't carry much fat around my midsection and I'm able to tone very easily.

Those are my secrets. If you want an actual routine to follow, try to catch me at the local 24-hour fitness with a dead ipod and a welcoming smile on my face.

I COOK!!

Day 7

I do a lot of things well. I'm sure there are a few things that I don't do very well but I can't think of them at the moment. For years though, I thought that I couldn't cook. I don't know where I got the notion from...perhaps I thought cooking was a hereditary skill so I had no chance, or maybe I thought people who cooked had to also clean...whatever the case, I just didn't really see a real need for me to be in the kitchen. I always hoped that I'd marry a man who loved to cook or eat out all the time--otherwise we'd be in trouble.

Lately though, I'm finding that I like being in the kitchen. I like making things and having people enjoy it. Of course, it's still a bit nerve-racking because not everything in my arsenal is a surefire hit, but I definitely find myself having more hits than misses. I know I'm no Paula Deen or Wolfgang, but it's a nice feeling to know people aren't secretly feeding the dog when you offer them something you've made.

The crazy thing is though, I have the aura of a non-cooking person. There is something about me...the way I talk...the way I look....the way I eat...whatever it is, that says there's no way I know how to make anything worth eating. My friends constantly act surprised and check the trash for hidden takeout trays if they taste something they actually like. So I take that as a personal challenge. I've decided I want to have regular dinner parties and get togethers where I'm the hostess with the mostess. Right now though, my surefire hits don't make up that long of a list. But I am open to ideas and recipes so please feel free to share your own hits. (with step by step directions if at all possible.) And if you've had the pleasure of not getting food poisoning after eating something I've cooked, speak up! This is a great resume builder skill I've heard. :)

My Last Set of Goals

Day 6

It doesn't seem like too many people are interested in my goal setting, but that's ok. I guess that's why they're mine in the first place. :)

My last category of goals deals with how I can do better with the people in my life. When my best friend first asked me what kind of relationship-related goals I wanted to make for 2011, I quickly responded FIND A HUSBAND! And as much as I was kidding...I wasn't totally kidding. She reminded me that I don't really have any control over that, that it's all in God's perfect timing and blah, blah, blah. And I get it, really I do. So we decided on a compromise...

RELATIONSHIP GOALS

Ask God to continue to work on the woman that I am, so that someone will want to catch a grenade for me. (If you don't listen to Top 40, I can't help you with that one.) As fabulous as I am, I still have some serious flaws...and you think this is your chance to tell me how un-fabulous I am, you are totally missing the point. I am a total work in progress and I always will be. But the more time I take to figure out who I am and grow into the woman I want to be, the more likely I am to attract the kind of person I desire to be with. And that is something I have total control over.

Be nicer to people. This may seem like a "fluff" statement, but I assure you it's not. Generally speaking, I am a nice person...to people I know. But far too often I meet people and after they get to know me, they tell me that before they knew me they thought I was mean...or stuck up...or intimidating...basically, just not nice. I have no desire to be any of those things, but I also don't want people thinking that I might be. So I think what it boils down to is putting more effort in to how I come across to people.

Learn to love. This past year I read this book called "The Five Love Languages." I think I read it a tad too late to help with the current situation I was in, but it taught me a lot about how to love. Now I need to apply it. Sure, it was written for romantic relationships, but I think it works for all the relationships in your life. Then, once I do have a stable, committed romantic relationship in my life, I can put all my newfound knowledge to use. Then it's a done deal. I will be basically perfect at that point. :)

Goals that Really Matter

Who I am off the track is something I try to share on here quite frequently. The majority of people who find this blog or decide to read might do so because I'm an athlete and they like track and like me as an athlete...or they don't like me as an athlete and that's their motivating factor for visiting. I get that. But if all I ever talked about was one facet of my life, it would be quite the lopsided picture. I've always felt like I could tell my story as an athlete better if I share more of who I am. So I do...like it or not.


SPIRITUAL GOALS

Complain less. How is this spiritual? Well that's easy. Every time I complain, I'm essentially saying that God's messing up and things shouldn't be how they are. But if things shouldn't be how they are, then either I'm doing something wrong or I'm not being patient enough for it to all make sense and work out the way it's supposed to. The point is, I'm where I'm at for a reason.

Give more. More of my time. More of my money. More of myself. I can be selfish in a lot of ways but I've learned more and more that going to Church is not nearly as important as being the Church. It takes effort, but that effort is so worth it and so rewarding that I know I need to do more.

Stay focused on what's important. Let's be honest...God doesn't care how far I jump in sand. In and of itself, that's not what's important to Him. I believe it's my talent and I know he gives us all special and unique talents for a reason, but the reason isn't always what we want it to be. It's what we do with those talents that should give glory where it belongs. I guess what I'm saying is I just need to remember that ultimately it's not about me.

Time for Goal Setting

Day 4

It's still the first week of 2011, which means I'm technically still allowed to write posts about New Years Resolutions. After this week, however, it becomes totally passé, so if you haven't gotten around to yours, you only have a few days left. I actually hadn't made any definitive resolutions but after a conversation with my best friend, she forced me to buckle down and make concrete goals for the upcoming year. These were her rules (yes, rules for goal setting): There are three categories for you goals, professionally, spiritually, and relationally...each category must have three main goals... after all that, pick one main goal out of those. I'll break it up for you and start with the first category today...


PROFESSIONAL GOALS FOR 2011

1. Be a consistent competitor. I will be better this year, I'm quite sure of it. But my main parameter for being better, is being really good all of the time. I want consistency in my performances and first and foremost that starts with a mindset.

2. Have a successful Outdoor National Championships. Nationals is an important goal because you can't make the World Championship Team without it. You can be the best jumper in the world and if you don't perform at that meet it won't matter. I want to win of course, but the goal is to be Top 3 and secure a spot on the World Team. Because the United States has such depth of talent, it requires us to peak twice during the season, and this will be my first "peak".

3. Perform well at the World Championships in Daegu. I've made World Championship teams before but I consider myself a participant. This year I want to be a factor. I want to show up mentally and physically prepared to do my absolute best. I don't want to just make the final like last year, I want to make the medal stand.

So, those are my professional goals for the year, written in black and white for everyone to see, but more importantly for me to commit wholeheartedly to. It's important to write goals down, because that makes them real. So, feel free to share your professional goals since I've shared mine with you. They don't need to involve jumping in sand or anything earth shattering like that... :)

The Tree in the Forest

I've been a little down lately and have done my share of complaining. I know this. And in case I didn't know it, there have been a few people who have pointed it out to me, lest I think my problems and circumstances hold a candle to people who have real issues in life. That's hardly something you feel like hearing when you're depressed though, especially from people who don't know you personally. Everyone wants their life to seem significant and for their personal story to makes sense in a fair and understandable way.

But what if the story isn't about you?

I was struck with that question just the other day as I was reading a book about life and the story we choose to live. It's so easy to get caught up in ourselves and what's happening to us, but the story our lives tell is part of a much bigger story, with an author who has a much grander storyline. I'm a tree in a story about a forest. When I let myself get carried away with what's happening with the tree, I'm acting as if the story of the tree is more important than the story of the forest.

God is telling a story about the forest. I play a part in that story, but I'm not the story. Sometimes it's not about me. Sometimes my struggles, my pains, my failures, my hardships, my whatever, have another purpose that I don't even see. And they probably aren't that big to begin with. I imagine I'm still a small, developing tree at that...

Be Relaxed and Be Mean

I got some strange advice today. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it made a whole lot of sense. Right now I'm working with a certain level of ability but if you asked me if I thought that ability was being maximized, I'd tell you absolutely not. Luckily, every person that knows me in an athletic capacity would agree. So, without getting any better than I already am (even though i will), what could I do to perform better at my current talent level?

Be meaner and be more relaxed. At the same time.

That might not make sense to everyone, but I believe if you're an athlete and you let that ruminate for a little while, you'll begin to understand. Maybe you'd use slightly different adjectives, but the sentiment would be the same. For me personally, the combination of those two works well. My determination and focus need to be such that people see me competing and they know I mean business... that there is nothing that is going to stand in the way of me achieving what I set out to achieve. Perhaps you'd see a person in that mindset and they look slightly intimidating. Fear and doubt is nowhere to be found. I want to be that person. And in the midst of all that, I want to stay relaxed. I want to stay in control and welcome the pressure of big time situations without letting it get the best of me.

For years I would have the song Eye of the Tiger playing on my iPod while I was warming up for competitions. I think Tigers do a great job of being mean and relaxed at the same time. They have an intensity and a focus about them that let's you know they are about taking care of business and that they are in perfect control. Tigers get it. I need to take some cues from them.







What do you think....am I close?!!

Any other word combinations you can think of that get at the same sentiment? I might have to borrow them...

21 Day Challenge

Day 1


Today I'm starting my 21 days of continuous blogging to see if I can reignite my passion for sharing with friends and strangers alike all that happens in my so-called fabulous life. Im hoping to make this a habit, like it once was, and less of a chore that I get around to maybe twice a month. Anyone that knows me understands that writing is my favorite form of communication, so I hope that I can get back into the swing of things and make this fun again.

Now let's be honest, 21 days straight means there's bound to be a bunch of mindless rambling. I say this on day 1 to forewarn those people who come to this blog expecting to find me talking about how we can create world peace and find a cure for cancer. For some reason there has seem to be a misconception by some folks and I'd like to just put a few things out there so we can all be on the same page...

* The blog is about ME. That should be evident from the title, but just in case it's not, just know that if it's not related to my life in some way, I probably am not blogging about it.

* Sometimes things bum me out and I talk about it. I know that as a whole, i have an extremely blessed life, but I do get down about things every once in a while. I'm human. Shoot me.

*you get no extra credit for reading this blog. It's not mandatory and nobody is forcing you. The beauty of living in America is I can write about whatever I like, and you can choose to read it...or not. Yay for freedom!

I'd like to thank everyone for the kind words of encouragement and please continue to check back regularly...or at least for the next 21 days!