Dude....

Running a marathon is hard. I feel like I'm "listing" a lot lately but I'm just not in the mood to write long paragraphs about the "marathon experience". This list has no theme, it just is...

• The first mile of a marathon feels fantastic
• Port-o-potty's at 6:00am pre-marathon are foul
• For some reason, when running with my TNT buddies, things you would never hear me say in my everyday, non-running life like "you go girl!" or "you got it, girl" or "girl, you can do it!" come flying out of my mouth providing Charles plenty of lets-make-fun-of-cami fuel
• Just when you think you successfully lubed up everything on your body that could possibly chafe, you realize there were about 12 other places you should have hit when you jump in the shower post-race...ouch!
• You feel pretty silly when you are whining and begging your husband to stop running and then look over during mile 21 and see this guy jogging past you...
• Comment heard by my father-in-law as one tired guy crossed the finish: "When did the Rockies move to Atlanta?" If you didn't know or, more likely, didn't notice, Atlanta is HILLY. Just as I would finally breakthrough a particularly mental or physical block in the race, yet another hill would be around the next turn just daring me to keep running.
• Not to be rude, but people who yell "you're almost finished!" at mile nine should be shot.
• Again, not to be rude, but people who yell "this is the last big hill!" when there are actually 14 more, should also be shot.
• My husband is my hero and the only reason I finished the marathon. There were times during the course where he literally grabbed my hand and pulled me so I would keep running. He refused to let me give up and kept me going from about mile 14 on...I truly could not have done it without him. I didn't even know if he was in pain or being mentally challenged as well because he was too busy baby-sitting me to complain.
• There is an instant camaraderie among all the runners...especially toward the end of the race. You're all in the same boat, all trying to finish and if you can encourage someone that is looking particularly fatigued or discouraged you do it and what happens is you start listening to what you are saying to that person and start believing it yourself.
• I heard that you hit a wall at around mile 21 or 22...for some reason, my wall decided to plant itself right in the middle of mile 14 which just wasn't nice at all.
• One of the most ingenious elements of the ING marathon was that all of our first names were printed on our numbers so all along the course, people weren't just saying "You're looking good! Way to go!" they were saying "Great job, Cami! Looking strong, Charles!". It actually freaked me out a little at first but as I got used to it I was so thankful the spectators were taking the time to read the names and personally acknowledge us...it was really encouraging.
• Seeing your friends out on the course yelling for you makes you smile ear-to-ear, even if you are 18 miles in and wanting to die.
• The Finish Line was one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in a long time. We caught our first glimpse of it from about 50 yards away and for the first time in the race I knew I was actually going to finish. All of a sudden my legs felt fresh, I got a burst of energy and even had enough wits about me to grab Charles' hand and pose for the camera!
• I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, E-V-E-R run another marathon again. I did it once, I can say I ran one, I give all kinds of props to those people who choose to run multiple marathons (although they are obviously complete masochists and should consider therapy) but they just aren't for me. That said, I can definitely see myself running a half marathon every now and again.

Here are some pre, mid and post-race pics to prove we actually ran the thing. Thanks for all the support and patience during my many marathon-related posts!

Let the countdown begin...

I can't believe it's almost here. In less than one week Charles and I will begin our marathon and finally put an end to the months and months of training and waking up early and watching what we eat and drink on Friday nights. I am so anxious about the event I can't stand it! Am I going to finish? Am I going to get a cramp? Will i have to go to the bathroom? #1 or #2? Will I be able to walk the next day? Will Charles and I finish together? How many hills are there? Will there be a lot of Atlantans cheering us on along the way? Will i drink enough? Will i drink too much? Will I hit a wall at 14 miles or 24 miles?

If you happen to be in the ATL this weekend and see a bunch of people running around town, feel free to shout some words of encouragement to us! I'll be the one in the bright purple singlet with 150 or so of my closest friends. Not to mention, the other 14,850 people running along with us. I can guarantee you that somewhere along the course there will be beer-drinking, fried food and loud music to help pass the time...should be fun!

And, if you are looking for a little inspiration to start training for your first marathon, take a look below! The joy and pride and sense of accomplishment on our faces and in our body language will really motivate you begin your training regimen.

Wish us luck!

It's March Madness, Baby!

Over the past couple of years, I have really gotten into the excitement of March Madness. I can distinctly remember the first time I became totally engaged and hooked on the tournament...I was in a ski town in Colorado (Breck maybe?) at a restaurant with my Dad and one of the games was on TV. There was a long wait at the restaurant so we passed the time watching the game. Charles had filled out his bracket and I knew which teams he picked so automatically those were the teams I then rooted for. This one particular game playing at the restaurant was a nail-biter. Regulation went right up to the last second (as so many of the tournament games do) and then it was overtime. I think there were two or three overtime's in the game, all of which were back-and-forth and totally intense, before the game finally ended, again, at the last second. I was exhausted by the end of the game and taken by surprise at how much fun it was to watch and have a team to cheer for. I don't watch pro basketball and don't watch a second of college hoops prior to the tournament, but filling out that bracket thus knowing ahead of time which teams you want to win for 61 games all within the span of a couple of weeks, most of which are pure excitement, how can you not get wrapped up in it? Not to mention, it's great procrastination during work hours and good bonding time with the boss...so far I have him beat by one game. I go here a lot and refresh every couple of minutes during game time.

So, currently I sit 13-3 thanks to losses by George Washington, Duke and Gonzaga (I ALWAYS choose Gonzaga, Villanova and Xavier to make it through at least the first round because I like their names...). Here is my final four:

• Florida
• Kansas
• Texas
• Memphis

I have Florida and Memphis going to the National Championship and Florida taking home the title. Wish me luck!!!

Explosions in the Sky

Late, late, late, late, very very late Tuesday night, we were excited to see a fantastic show from that oh-so-lovely band from Texas, Explosions in the Sky. I will say, I was a bit skeptical as to how exciting and entertaining the show would actually be as Charles and I fall asleep to their music most nights. Seriously, everyone should try it out. If you don't already have it, put the Friday Night Lights soundtrack on your iPod and I dare you to try and make it through 5 songs as you're laying in bed at night. It is deliciously good sleep music. That said, you can imagine my concern about attending the show even after reading countless raving reviews about the quality of the live shows and hearing first-hand from a good friend that the show they attended a couple years ago was mind-blowing. In my head I was thinking, "Should I wear my jammies and bring a pillow and blanket?"

The first two bands I could've done without. It's always a nice surprise when you show up to see the headlining band and end up really enjoying the opening acts. P.O.S. comes to mind at the Minus the Bear show...also, The Ghost and Thursday totally schooled Rival Schools at a show at the Echo Lounge many many years ago. Alas, Tuesday night's opening acts were a bit disappointing for me. The first band was trying hard to sound like Explosions but failed miserably and instead had people scrunching their faces and covering their ears in agony. The guy used volume to build energy into each song to the point where your entire head was vibrating from this big loud noise. It was pretty bad. The second band was decent enough I guess but the lead singer annoyed the hell out of me for some reason. Not to mention, it was about 90 degrees with 107% humidity in the bar so listening to a really good band was almost unbearable. After about 2 songs from the second band, Wendy and I went outside to get some air.

The lateness (especially for a Tuesday night), the heat and the mediocre opening bands were worth the wait when EITS finally began their set. They have this fantastic ability to play really slow, swaying music just long enough that right when you are about to either fall asleep or become bored with the sound, they throw in the drums and guitar and bass and the audience goes crazy bopping up and down and shaking their heads. Then, just as you are about to lose your mind with the increasing intensity of the sound, they bring everything right back down again. It's really hard to decipher when one song ends and the next begins as they tend to play almost white-noise sounding music between the songs...it made me think of these in-between periods as palate cleansers because I think if they played back-to-back songs, everything would run together and might sound too much alike. The pauses kind of make you forget what you just heard so when they start a new song that has a lot of very similar sounds you don't get a sense of monotony. There was no encore and I think the audience was a little bummed about it but I was just fine as the heat was really stifling and uncomfortable. I left with a big smile on my face and I wasn't sleepy at all! Definitely check them out if they head to your city...also, check out the guitar player, he is beautiful. See below.

**Note: I just read my husband's blog and his account of the show. So interesting how we each describe what we saw. Clearly, he is the superior writer in the family and certainly gives a more in-depth description of the show experience. Read and enjoy.

Since my last post...in Numbers

• 28: thin mints consumed
• 3 (or 4?): ben & jerry's pints consumed
• -3 (or -4?): pounds lost (gained) due to aforementioned consumptions even though i'm running my ass off
• 250: women attended my Women's Leadership Conference workshop
• 3.5: hours spent at Mall of America
• 36: points purchased to ride on two MOA (that's what the cool kids call it) attractions...see pics below
• 337: dollars spent at H&M
• 20: miles run on a beautiful Saturday morning
• 1: wedding attended
• 2: wedding showers attended
• 500: Blockbuster employees attended my sampling event
• 4: feet of snow on my cousin-in-laws back porch
• 4.5: miles run in said snow & ice
• 32: times i almost cracked my head open on said ice
• 3: cities visited
• 2: delayed plane rides
• 27: age turned on 2/28
• 0: nights spent hanging out with friends
• 100: red tag points earned (it's a work reward system), getting me a few steps closer to the kate spade purse i've had my eye on
• 64-ish: total miles run

looking forward to a full week at home, a sleepy concert, low-mileage runs, st.patty's day with old friends and a lazy sunday book club day. i hope to come back to life this week. we'll see what happens.

less than two weeks!!!

The Skinny on Skinny Jeans

So, i have loathed the fact that "skinny" jeans are all the rage from the moment I saw the Gap ad with Audrey Hepburn dancing around in her super-skinniness. Just what I need, I thought to myself, yet another fashion trend that celebrates those blessed few petite or long- legged thin girls. I have been watching from afar as more and more girls prance around in their skinny pants with their stylish knee-high boots over them or their flat shoes and long dress-like shirts looking like they just stepped out of the urban outfitters dressing room.

I have known from day 1 that I have absolutely no business wearing these jeans with my ghetto-booty and general big-ness throughout my entire body. Am i fat? Nope. Overweight? A little maybe but I think most would consider me normal. Can I ever find a pair of "designer" jeans that actually fit me? Not a chance. And we wonder why there are so many women out there with weight issues.

Today for some unknown reason, I decided it was time to try the skinny jeans on for size just to see if maybe i was being a little too hard on those trend-setting designer a-holes. Maybe they would actually flatter my curvy figure somehow. So, I hopped into the nearest clothier and set out to find my perfect pair of skinny jeans. Of course, as they are all the rage, I found them immediately and was pleased to actually see a size 10! For the first time in my life, I actually wish there was some creepy guy with a hidden camera in my dressing room because he would have been thoroughly entertained and ill from laughter watching me try to get these jeans on my body. Remember that Friends episode where Ross was wearing the leather pants and he couldn't get them back on after going to the bathroom? I kind of had the opposite problem trying to get them off. I knew immediately that they weren't going to work out when I noticed that my big-ass feet barely fit through the ankle holes. The next hint was when my calves barely fit through the thigh area. Had i paid a little closer attention to these clues, I may not have worked so hard to get them the rest of the way up; somehow making it about halfway up my butt when I finally gave in, defeated, and decided that I was 100% right all along and skinny jeans just aren't for girls like me.

At this point, the terror of all terrors ensued. I went to pull them off and made it down to just above my knee with only a minor struggle before everything came to a screeching halt. I pushed and pushed and pushed not making any progress trying to get them down below my knees so I figured my best bet would be to pull from the ankle the rest of the way. The problem was, with my big feet, I couldn't get a hold of enough fabric to pull with the right amount of force needed to pry the jeans off my seemingly-obese calves or elephantitis-ravaged feet. I tugged and tugged and nothing was budging. At this point I was starting to panic and kicked and jumped and shimmied every which way I could to try and dislodge the the damn things from my body. I started feeling like I was being squeezed to death by a boa constrictor or something...really, total panic in the dressing room. Somehow between the ankle pulling and being able to pinch just enough fabric around my knee area to make a little air-pocket, I was finally able to wriggle my way out of the denim death trap.

When I finally got them off me and back into my rather roomy, size 10 boot cut jeans, I started to become very curious about this mysterious size 10 woman that can fit into the size 10 skinny jeans. I am a perfect size 10...not just sometimes...almost always I fit into a size 10 and since the running, I can actually get into some size 8's. So, what does the size 10 woman look like that fits into the size 10 skinny jeans? Or, is it a well-known fact that you have to move up 4 sizes when you want to go skinny and I just didn't know? I need someone to enlighten me here because I am thoroughly confused.

Luckily, this little exercise today didn't make me feel bad about my body like it normally would, I just laughed at myself for even thinking it would work and day-dreamed about how delicious a big, fat, mint chocolate chip ice cream cone would taste right about then. Mmmm.

Reason #976 why I have no business in the kitchen...

I don't know how to re-heat pizza. We're not even talking cook here, just re-heat. Who needs a house anyway, I'm sure we have that fancy fire insurance I've heard so much about.


ps - yes, that is absolutely a bite taken off the end. don't think for a second that just because i charred this poor little slice to oblivion, i wasn't going to eat it...

When cute attacks....

Two weeks!?!?!

Yeah, I suck. I know this.

Some random thoughts during a trip to Memphis this week...

1) I am incapable of staying awake on planes. Maybe it's the hum of the engines or the fact that there is absolutely nothing I can do but sit there and relax. Whatever it is, my window seat and I love some good 'ole plane sleep.

2) I am often disappointed with food at "fancy" restaurants. Perhaps my palate isn't sophisticated enough to fully appreciate what I am eating or, as I often experience with haircuts/colors, if I am going to pay a lot for a meal, I guess I expect to be delightfully surprised with the deliciousness of it all. Maybe my expectations are too high but most of the time I would have been just as happy with a $6 vegetable plate at Carvers.

3) I love coffee. I generally don't feel right in the morning if I haven't had a cup and lately have found myself craving it all day long...I think mostly because it's so freakin' chilly outside the last thing I want to do is throw something cold down my throat. The funny thing is, I can never seem to completely finish a full cup of coffee. Whether it be one cup or several because the waitress keeps coming by topping-off my half-drunk brew, I never ever make it to the bottom of a cup of coffee.

4) I really enjoy business travel. I love flying on airplanes and renting cars and sleeping in hotel beds and eating out at different restaurants and seeing cities I wouldn't normally visit...all on someone else's dime. I also enjoy the independence of it all. I like driving around in a strange place and having to find my way around. There are definitely some parts that drive me insane like the time between landing and the point in which you actually deplane...or the people that still don't know about the shoe/laptop removal & hold on to your boarding pass rules in the security line, but for the most part, I travel just enough to keep it fresh and exciting.

5) I am fascinated by people that have lived in the same city all their lives. It's not like I've lived all over the world (only Pensacola, Atlanta, Hilton Head [very briefly] and Denver) but I have at least gotten out of my comfort zone a bit and seen a little of what else is out there. I bring this up because, while in Memphis, several of the people I was with have lived in Memphis their entire lives. So I was thinking, okay, they most know this city like the back of their hands, right? But the funny thing was, the restaurant we went to was the first time any of them had been to it (and it was my 2nd time!). Even the area of town we went to, a couple of them hadn't been to in over 20 years! This completely fascinated me.

Charles and I ran 17 miles yesterday and for the first time in all this training mess, I understand just what I have gotten myself into and to be completely honest, I'm a little freaked out. The 14-mile run was hard, really hard but I had had the flu two days before the run so I wasn't completely hydrated and knew it was going to be difficult. 100% healthy this weekend, I was looking forward to the 16 miler. About 8 or so miles in I was feeling great as the course was much less hilly than what we have been running (although, one of the few hills we had to tackle was a MONSTER...absolutely the hardest hill we've run yet) and the only discomfort I was feeling was a pulling in the arch of my right foot. No cramps, no knee pain, well hydrated, etc. Even up to mile 13 or 14 I was feeling decent; a little tired especially in the leg area but mostly just ready to get it done and over with. By the last water stop with about a mile or two to go, I was to the point where when I stopped, my legs had a tremendously difficult time getting started up again and I feared if I stopped again I wouldn't be able to continue. Everything about my body wanted me to stop but I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going. This was the first time I truly understood how mental the rest of the mileage is going to be. I was thinking of everything I could to keep my legs moving...the fact that I was healthy this week, that I didn't have very much further to go, that it will be really cool to say I've run 16 miles (we actually ended up running 17 miles because we didn't pay enough attention to the map and turned around about a 1/2 mile later than we should have), that I am blessed to have a healthy body and am able to run this distance, that I had a yummy calzone waiting for me at home, etc. Anything I could think of to keep me going. When I finished I was too tired to feel good about the run or enjoy the fact that I had just completed the longest run of my life. Immediately my legs started tightening up and by the time we made it home, both Charles and I were so sore we had to hobble out of the car and up the stairs to the couch. Sounds like fun, eh?

Today I feel great...I woke up this morning and wasn't even sore. Now, I am very proud to say I completed the run and I'm very excited about the fact that next Saturday is a low-mileage run in anticipation of the 20-miler we'll complete weekend after next. I can't imagine having to run another 9 miles on top of what I did yesterday but I am just going to have to trust my mind and body that I can do it and trust the training that it has prepared me for the 26.2 miles. I am still excited, anxious, and pleased with my progress but I will definitely be happy when I am on the other side of this damn thing.

Between the running and the fact that work is extremely busy and mentally draining at the moment, I imagine the infrequent posting will continue for at least a little while longer. I apologize as it drives me crazy when the blogs I check regularly aren't updated frequently enough but sometimes you're just a little busy actually living your life to sit down and write about it.

Training Update

Charles and I are finally into double-digit mileage. It may sound strange, but for a while now I have been looking forward to being able to say "Yeah, so I ran 12 miles today...no big deal". Well folks, that day has finally arrived! Last week Charles and I tackled a particularly grueling 10-mile course that completely kicked our asses. I started writing a post last weekend about how hard it was but I was too tired to finish it. We were thoroughly wiped out and for the first time in my training endeavors, I was truly discouraged. If 10 miles was that hard, what the hell would 26.2 feel like? We unenthusiastically carried on with our training during the week (a particularly hellish week as far as weather goes) and were really not looking forward to the 12-mile run we had to tackle yesterday.

One of the "tips" our coaches have been pressing us about is the importance of eating breakfast before we do our long runs. The trick is, we are supposed to eat two hours before we run and we start running at 7:45 which, if you're a math-wizard like me, means we would have to get up at 5:45 to eat, then go back to sleep another hour or so before getting up to run. No fun, right? Well, after we were so exhausted last week, Charles and I decided we should probably try the breakfast thing this week. So, like any good long-distance runner, I woke at 5:45 and sleep-ate my yummy(?), energy-packed Cliff bar then went back to sleep to squeeze out a few more winks before waking up to start the run.

Yesterday was particularly cold so we bundled up as best we could and headed out to meet up with the other hundred or so Team in Training participants. After last week's ass-kicking, we decided we might want to slow our pace a bit this week so we ran with Hillary (another first-time marathoner that I befriended early on in the training) and Debbie, our assistant coach that is my mom's age, has run 25 marathons and will beat any of us youngsters up a hill, leaving us choking on her dust. Before we knew it (aka - two hours later) we were back at the start having completed our 12 miles -- still smiling, still full of energy and ready to take on the rest of the day. I'm not sure if it was the breakfast or the slowing down (we actually ended up finishing at about the same pace as last week) but I was so, so happy to feel good after the run. Now, instead of dreading next Saturday's 14-mile run, I am looking forward to finishing it and being able to tell folks I have run a half marathon (plus a little extra). I am so proud of myself that I have made it this far and am proud of Charles for making the decision to do it with me. We are training really well together and I am so glad and thankful to have him with me, literally every step of the way.

I am also very proud of the fact that I have raised all my money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society...$1700!!! I have been amazed and humbled by how many people donated their money...old co-workers, new co-workers, family friends, family, friends and family of friends (keeping up?). I am still going to take donations and am planning a fundraising event with a TNT friend that is running the Country Music Half Marathon. Feel free to visit my fundraising website to read about my Honored Hero and read about my recent long runs.

I can't wait for my "I'm a Marathoner!!!" post!

And I'm Back

I apologize for the lack of posting over the past week or so. Two words: "running" and "television". Also, a real lack of inspirational, post-worthy subject matter...until today at least.

This will be short and completely uninteresting to some (most), but believe it or not, the last book in the Harry Potter series began taking pre-sales Thursday after the announcement that it will be released July 21. As of Friday, it is the No.1 seller on both Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com, all this a good 6 months before it will hit store shelves! It is absolutely astounding to me that J.K. Rowling has created a world so intriguing, mysterious and fanciful, yet also so realistic that you feel like you could easily be a part of her world; that millions of people from around the globe are so anxious to get their hands on the final morsel of Harry's life, they are purchasing the book now. I am not at all ashamed to say that I'm a total Harry Potter nerd and while I am looking forward to the last installment of boy-wizard genius, I am also a little sad that this book will be our last opportunity to experience Hogwarts, Quidditch, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, the Department of Mysteries and the other whimsical elements of the wizarding world...all seemingly effortlessly created by Ms. Rowling. I am planning to read the last book the way that Charlie ate his first Wonka bar...bite by bite (page by page) to draw out the experience as long as I possibly can. A week before the book goes on sale, the Fifth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will also release...I might explode with magic-joy that week. Grab your butterbeer and Chocolate Frogs and let's celebrate! Wow, I think I've gone too far.

Also, in case you missed it, our own Mr.Potter is all growed up and desperately trying to shed his boy wizard image..or at least show us that he can do more than flick his wand and fly (masterfully!) on a broom. Here are some pics from a photoshoot to promote the play, Equus, in which Daniel Radcliffe will star and allegedly have a full frontal nude scene.

Five reasons I love IKEA

Messy is the new black

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but with my super-busy life and all, i just haven't had the time. Now, on a cold, rainy, lazy Sunday afternoon, I write to tell you that finally I can be appreciated for what some might call my little "messy problem".

From day one of my existence, I have been a little messy and unorganized...even arriving in this world two weeks late...two weeks! Most pictures from my childhood are of a dirt-covered dress or food-stained face or wrinkled outfit but also a big, shining smile. I've never had a problem with my messiness, in fact, it suits me just fine. Every now and again I get frustrated if I can't find something or when I find the sweater I want to wear balled up in a corner covered in dog hair but for the most part, it's who I am love it or leave it. I learned pretty early on that my way wasn't the "right" way when every time I wanted to do something fun I was either delayed or completely forbidden until I cleaned my room. More often than not, I never made it to my fun activity because cleaning my room went a little like this: refuse to touch a single thing in protest of the fact that i was condemned to my room until it was clean...(2 hours later)...resign to the fact that unless i do something, i'll rot & die in my room, further adding to the mess...pick up random item #1 to put away...stare at said random item for a few minutes trying to figure out the easiest way to get rid of it...sigh...decide to throw it away, easy-peasy...pick up random item #2....stare at said random item for a few minutes...sigh...realize i haven't played/read/reviewed said item in a while...(4 hours later)...decide to throw it away, easy-peasy...and so on. Cleaning my room became a day-long event and I hated every second of it. It was my room after all, why couldn't it look the way I wanted it to? This routine carried on for the first 18 years of my life then it was off to college.

**By the way, can I just pause for a moment to tell you about the most offensively smelling gas I've ever experienced coming out of my dog right now? I know this constitutes an "overshare" but it's truly amazing both in its quantity and dry-heave inducing quality. Sorry but it's so distracting I thought you should know in case you get to the end of the post and nothing makes sense...I'm being gassed here! Now, carry on...**

It's one thing for your family to know exactly how messy you are, it's quite another for the outside world to know. So, I tried really hard to neaten up my life the best I could and it worked for about the first two weeks. I will say I improved a step or two from "disgustingly filthy messy" to "why can't you ever completely close a damn dresser drawer? messy". It became glaringly clear just how messy I was when I moved in with my best friend, BJ, literally the most organized person I have ever met. Growing up the middle child in a military family, her neatness touched every part of her life...her school work, her thoughts, her schedule, her study habits, her wardrobe, her social life...it was, and remains to be, truly astounding. If you've ever done the personality colors, she is 100% gold...I'm about 108% orange. It was pretty hysterical to walk into our dorm room. It was like looking at a before and after picture of a tornado winding its way through a bedroom. On her side, everything had its place, all doors and drawers were closed, shoes were lined nicely in her closet, clothes were hanging in her closet all in one direction and organized by season and right-side out, desk immaculate, neatly decorated with pictures and knick-knacks, bed made. On my side, desk covered with papers, bed unmade, every dresser drawer open and spewing clothes (someone once compared my dresser to a waterfall...as you moved down the dresser from top to bottom, each drawer was opened a little wider with a few more clothes hanging out. I think it was a nice effect!), mountains of clothes everywhere, clothes half-hanging off hangers, clothes hung inside out in every direction possible, books and papers covering my bed...basically, a mess. I think I secretly hoped some of her neatness would rub off on me but somehow I think my messiness just increased.

My husband deals with my untidy lifestyle as best he can and over the years has resigned himself to doing most of the chores. I try to help out but am just so inconsistent...one week I'm on point straightening up, doing laundry, making the bed, etc. then the next two weeks I won't touch a thing so we're worse off than my "good week". Just when I get one room looking good, three others are a complete disaster. The thing is, no matter how hard I try, this really is the way I am and while I have improved a little over the years and learned some tricks to help at least disguise exactly how "bad" i am, what you see is what you get.

So given my mess-history, imagine my surprise and delight when I opened The New York Times on Thursday, December 21 and found "Saying Yes to Mess", an article in the House & Home section. The subtitle read "A movement is afoot to embrace disorder as the detritus of a creative mind. But the effort is a little disorganized." Intrigued and more than a little excited, I read through the article and for the first time in my life, felt okay with being messy versus feeling bad about something that is a large part of who I am. Here are some of my favorite parts of the article:
"An anti-anticlutter movement is afoot , one that says yes to mess and urges you to embrace your disorder. Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat "office landscapes") and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It's a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands...Total organization is a futile attempt to deny and control the unpredictability of life."

Now, do I think this article is a little harsh on "neatfreaks"? Yes. Do I know super-neat and organized people that are tons of fun and lovers of life? Yes. Do I think this article was written by a dirty, dirty pig of a person that makes herself feel better about her faults by putting everyone else down? Absolutely. But, hey, a girl needs a little positive reinforcement every now and again, right? I am in full support of this new movement and finally feel like a trendsetter! If only this article had been written circa 1989 so I could have had a little more fun growing up. Oh well, I'm sure all that introspection I experienced sitting alone for hours in my room was character building and helped shape me into the strong, independent woman I am today *side-splitting laughter*.

Two things that are particularly funny about this post:
#1 - The reason I am allowing myself "computer time" is because it's my reward for doing laundry and cleaning my room.
#2 - I wanted to include more from the article but I lost the second page. Ha!

(click on the picture to read the captions)

What is the What

I'm not very good at writing book or movie reviews and you're lucky if you even get a "yeah, I liked it" out of me, so bear with me as I clumsily share my praise of Dave Eggers latest novel, What is the What.

Last November I joined a local book club with my best bud, Erin. At the first meeting we attended, we discussed which books we would choose to read in 2007. Someone suggested What is the What and gave a brief synopsis of the book which I found fairly interesting: set in Atlanta, a man recalls his struggles escaping civil war and refugee camps in Sudan. I've always had a strange curiosity with Africa as a whole...once my sophomore year in college I found a tiny article on cnn.com about Sierra Leone and 4 hours later, after jumping from article to article, was numb with the horrors upon horrors recounted in the stories. I've read a little more here and there about the struggles throughout Africa and seen Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamond which further seek to explain and tell the story of the complicated, helpless, hopeless, tragic issues throughout parts of Africa and it makes me want to drop everything and help. For now, I live vicariously through my friend Courtney who works for USAID in Zambia, educating the local community about AIDS prevention. I am learning more and more about Coke's water initiatives in small villages throughout Africa and our focus on the important role women play in the development of of the continent and would like to think that one day I may have an opportunity to help with some of these projects. So, based on this interest I already have and the fact that I really enjoyed reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (another Eggers work), I was very excited about reading the book.

At first, I was a little confused about the novel...it's actually a biography or memoir of Valentino Achak Deng told through the author, Dave Eggars. It is written as a novel because some of the characters are fictionalized as are some of the events and parts of the story are in a different order than what Achak experienced, so were rearranged to flow a little better for the reader and further impact the story. So, although it is a bit unclear where the truth ends and the embellishments begin, I wholeheartedly believe that even if all the sad, sick, scary, unimaginably horrific events didn't 100% happen to Achak, they were experienced by other boys and worthy of including in the novel so we are all given a clear understanding of the plight of the Lost Boys, the name given to the thousands of Sudanese boys orphaned during the civil war.

What I enjoyed most about the book, although "enjoy" isn't the right word here as most of Achak's story is so dishearteningly sad it makes you ill, was getting a much better understanding of the history of Sudan. Especially within the last couple of years as more and more celebrities and organizations are bringing attention to Darfur, we get kind of a high level overview of what is going on and a little bit of why it happened but hearing Achak's story, you get a deep understanding of the situation and the affects it has had on the Sudanese. I cannot fathom living in a place where you can trust no one and you are a part of nothing and there is nowhere to turn for help or safety. Your own people will kill you just as quickly and brutally as the "enemy". You follow Achak's life from around the age of 7 when the murahaleen (Muslims from Northern Sudan) attacked his village, through his late 20's when he has finally traveled to the safety of the US where he continues to experience struggles and loss and discouragement at every turn. You begin to understand that even when the Lost Boys were able to escape their helpless situation in Africa, they were then shipped off to a new country where everything (ice, glass windows, mattresses, tampons, etc) was completely foreign and they were expected to find work and go to school and send money to those they left behind in Africa. It's not everyday you are able to read an amazing story of struggle and survival while learning about the significant historical events that have led to a country's current state.

Read the book, or at least visit www.valentinoachakdeng.com to read more about Achak and his village in Sudan, Marial Bai, and to learn more about the struggles that continue in southern Sudan.

Zachary,

A strange thing happened last night when I sat down to have a little tiny bite of your ice cream. As soon as the cold, creamy goodness hit my mouth, I totally blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up to find that all the ice cream was gone and I had a spoon in my hand and ice cream residue around my mouth. I have no recollection of polishing off the cinnamon and chocolate heaven-in-a-bowl and have decided the only possible explanation is that Charles ate it all then totally framed me to look like I did it. He must have knocked me out cold somehow or slipped something into my drink so I wouldn't be able to recall his dirty work. However it happened, I just want to tell you that I am so sorry it is gone and I feel really horrible about it. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just go to the store and buy a new half gallon to replace it but yours was one of a kind!!! Please accept my apology (for Charles).

I have a problem.

Pigs go to heaven

Made the mistake of cruising on over to cuteoverload.com and found these. I'm in love.

Goats go to hell

Sunday was Zach's birthday and what better way to celebrate his 30th year than to eat all day long? We kicked off the festivities at Alon's with blueberry muffins, apple bran muffins and a delicious ginger scone and I'm pretty sure we somehow ripped the place off because we walked out with all the aforementioned food as well as three large cups of piping hot coffee for only $8. After what felt like 5 minutes it was off to lunch on Buford Highway where I had my first ever BBQ'd goat sandwich. It was pretty tasty but after trying Charles' spicylicious chorizo sandwich mine was a little less yummy and then when I chomped down on a bone I had had enough. Luckily, not finishing my entire sandwich left just enough space in my belly for a small cup of Coldstone cheesecake, oreo and graham cracker ice cream. After a much-needed food pause to watch the awe-inspiring cinematic genius of Point Break, we headed to The Globe for dinner. I hesitantly ordered Tandoori Duck with yogurt sauce and dried fruit salad and was blown away by the deliciousness of the meal...one of the best I have had in a very long time. Three desserts and a cup of coffee later, we rolled ourselves home and finished the day with yet another movie masterpiece: Teen Wolf. Sometime during the night the goat and the duck started either breakdancing or kickboxing in my stomach. I woke up wondering if a goat and a duck were to get in a fight, who would lose? Then about 5 seconds later after just a whiff of coffee...it didn't even pass my lips...i was headed to the bathroom where i learned that when a goat and a duck get in a fight in your stomach, you're the loser.

The reason this post is a day late is because...drumroll please...I was busy painting my kitchen!!! Woo hoo! It's almost done and looks beautiful! For all my "friends" that were in the kitchen painting pool, if you chose January 15th and Copper (or maybe Cinnamon?), you won! Even though the color is fairly dark, I think the room actually looks a bit bigger as the tile on the floor stands out more and makes it look wider. The color also compliments the angel picture in our dining room quite nicely. Overall, I'm very pleased. The wait was totally worth the countless samples, trips to the paint store and taunting I've received for my indecisiveness. Thank you Mandy for the pillow inspiration, walking me through the rainbow and accompanying me to the paint store. I love it!

One-way ticket out of Cubeville

That's right, friends...I am moving up in the Corporate world! For the first time in my career, I will be moving into an office! I'll have a door and cabinets and multiple options for where I put my computer and the gem of all office gems: a dry-erase WALL. Oh yeah, I said it. Not just a little white board to put a few to-do's, I get an entire wall to satisfy all my dry erase marker-sniffing desires. I've already thought about standing in various poses in front of it and having people draw my outline (although I might freak-out when I see what an outline of my thigh/ass area looks like). Or maybe I could make a gigantic crossword puzzle and when people visit my office they can fill-in a word. Oh the possibilities! I'm also very excited about having a door. Now, instead of crawling under my desk feigning a tummy ache in order to nap, I will simply close my door leading everyone to believe I am in a super-confidential, super-important meeting when instead I will, in fact, be sleeping soundly in my spacious new digs.

The only downfall is still no window. But who needs sunlight and blue skies anyway? I hear that's totally overrated. I was going to write an entire section on how I wish I could work in the Department of Mysteries so I could conjure me up a window and choose what weather I wanted to see out of it each day, but I would hate for you to think I was into all that boy wizard crap. Who reads that anyway?

So yeah, you're now friends with an office occupant so you better watch out...I'm pretty sure that means I am better than all you cubicle-dwellers. Sorry but it's true.

New Years Pics

I think it's always better to see the action versus just read about it, so here are a few photos from the New Year's weekend. Enjoy!

the shot-ski in action

erin has a nice booty, yeah?

family photo before heading home

sweet, quiet boys...so calm, so sleepy, so sweet

"yar! we're the loudest boys that ever walked the earth and will keep you awake for hours and make you sleep in cars! party on!"

my favorite spot in the house

once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader. go generals!

another year, another vodka tonic headache

i must say, i am really, really sad to see 2006 go. i don't know why but as the end of the year came to a screaming halt sunday night i wanted to fight with all my might to keep it going and not start the new year. i have no desire for a clean slate or a fresh start or resolutions or new beginnings. blech. i like the way my 2006 was going, thank you very much. i don't know what my problem is but the idea of starting yet another year has made me really tired this time around. what i really want is for time to stop going by so quickly. i remember the first time i wanted to dig my heels in to slow things down (think fred flintstone bringing his car to a halt) was on my 21st birthday. is that sad? i remember thinking "okay, no reason to get any older...i have reached all the age milestones i want to reach". i don't feel the same way anymore. i don't mind the getting older part, it's more the responsibilities that come with getting older. i'm not sure how this post morphed into a complaint about aging so i'll stop now. just know that no, i will not be making any resolutions. are you kidding? i can't even stick to the week-long teeth whitening strip regimen. however, and note the following are not resolutions, i will continue to count my blessings, try to find joy in the little things (like ice cream and my spankin' new running cd and the excitement i feel when i discover a little gasoline dripped on my finger when i re-fueled), talk about painting my kitchen, read, read, read, love my husband as best i can, love my family as best i can and love my friends as best as i can. i will continue to consider any given day a success if 1) i accomplished something that day, and 2) i found enjoyment in something that day.

now, on to the good stuff. the annual new year's festivities continued this year in a brand new, undiscovered hot spot of the south called pigeon forge, tennessee. ever heard of it? okay, not so undiscovered as we were joined by about 37 million of our closest redneck buddies, but we sure did have a grand 'ole time at a beautiful cabin we rented nearby. chock full of beds, wood, blankets, wood, pool table, wood, hot tub, wood, air hockey, big screen tv, playstations and wood, it was a twenty-something's paradise. the shot-ski made an appearance on several occasions but unfortunately returned home severely injured and will need to be repaired before next year. after too many vodka tonics on night #1 of 4, i decided to first play knuckle air hockey and then later elbow air hockey, both leaving me bleeding, scabbed and bruised for the remainder of the trip. and, of course, it wouldn't be new year's if we didn't have a picture of someones balls. i am proud to say that for the last two years i have made it through the drink-fest without throwing up which is a big accomplishment for me after the pink-meat disaster of New Years '04 in atlanta and then puking in the grass out back and having the neighbors suggest someone take me to the hospital at New Years '05 in st.simon's. ah, the memories. i promise to post some pics from the trip soon but as i refused to take any pictures this year after being physically attacked for my picture-taking at a certain group event this year (i just can't work like that!), i have to rely on my friends to send the pics before i can post them. i ended up taking one pic from the car on the way to the cabin as we sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic in smoky mountain national park. enjoy and may you all have a prosperous new year.