I took off 12 inches!

Well ladies and gentlemen, I cut my hair. I really cut hairS but somehow that is always singular. I cut a LOT of hairS, 12 inches to be exact and I feel free! FRREEEEEEEDOOOOOOOM!!! For your enjoyment, I took some before and after pictures.

The Back

The Front
Sorry, I had just gone for a run.

Are you ready?

After

The back
I told her I wanted a lot of dimension.

Me and my headbands.
I can't live without them.

So whadaya think? As far as I know this is the most attention I've gotten a while which doesn't mean I like it. But it has been a nice, freeing change. Now I'm off to my cardio karate class and attempting to put it in a ponytail. Wish me luck!

A war broken with a bone

Ah Summer. Monday nights I’ve been enjoying some outdoor volleyball. Mostly guys so it works out great for me. I wish Taylor would come with me but he’s too shy. Oh brother. Anyway, playing volleyball with the guys has been a lot of fun. No one is particularly good, but there is for sure a fair share of “inexperienced” players with us. Most of it is laughing and breaking a sweat, my kind of fun. The park is huge complete with lots of trees, green grass, dogs, squirrels, and little girls playing softball.

I can’t help but think back about my days of playing. I started in 5^th grade, which in little girl time meant I was way behind. Most of the girls started at 4 years of age and some younger could practice with their big sisters in diapers. Naturally I wasn’t great, but I was not the worst! Both years I played outfield and the 2^nd year I got better enough to play short stop and 2^nd base. It was really exciting to know I was getting better and the girls on my team were really sweet. It also helped I played for Orange league because the Villa Park league had all the bratty girls I knew in school. Orange is such a sweet place to grow up and I would say it defines suburban middle class the best.

On a side note, this was 5^th grade. I’ve chronicled my friendship with Jenny before, but most people do not know we used to hate each other. She was friends with this girl named Jessica. This girl was a year older, and by far the meanest girl I knew. Her mom was friends with Jenny’s mom through church (go figure) so they were friends by association and to my dismay. I called Jenny Goldilocks, they would call me clown feet and back then the situation would mean war. I never really knew for sure why we hated each other, but that is how girls are you know? Bratty, catty, and emotional little kitties. Oi vey.

Back to softball, I’m the middle of a game. The other team had a lot of older girls, including Jessica! Crap on a stick… by that point in the game I had batted myself to second base and was about to head for third as my teammate hit the ball. The 3^rd base coach was egging me to run as fast as I could. Well I guess something changed because he got deer in the headlights eyes and told me to RUN BACK! RUN BACK! As I turned and ran back to 2^nd base, I saw Jessica. Of course she was the basemen! Of course she had the ball! But what I didn’t know was how hard she would push that ball in her glove into me. She pushed me so hard I fell on my wrist and ankle at the same time. Oh the wounds of war.

My ankle hurt the worst, but I could slowly feel the pain creep up my wrist. I sat in the dugout and contemplated my fate. Would I try to bat next turn, or would I tell our team mom I was too hurt? I chose the ladder. What’s worse than telling someone you’re wimping out of game? The team mom telling you that you have to bat or else because Miss Suzy Always “Sick” is sick again. We did not have another alternate so I made my way to the practice area. By now my wrist was really hurting. I tried a couple practice swings and quickly realized things were only going to get worse if I continued. All of a sudden, the game was over. The girl before me struck out and 3 outs made the game finished. I was not sad we lost; only sad I was not home yet.

I had pain all through the night and the next day. During my weekly Bible class work, I told my mom for the 42^nd time that my wrist hurt. After telling me for the 42^nd time that there’s nothing she could do, (even if I went to the hospital they would just give me ace bandage was my parents’ reasoning) she had had enough. They finally took me to the ER and low and behold a broken wrist. My parents are not the kind of people you can say I told you so to easily so I just kept my screaming inside. I was just happy to know it was going to be fixed.

They gave me a sling, my whole class signed it and I was cool for a little while. The first cast I got was bright neon green. They took that one off after 4 weeks and it wasn’t healed yet so the next one I got navy blue. Things with Jenny obviously got better because we’re still friends to this day. Complete opposites, but we get along famously. I don’t know what happened to Jessica. The last I heard she was going to be sent to boarding school. In my romantic head she went there, straightened herself up and graduated with honors. She went to a great school specializing in her interest and met a really swell gentleman. They got married and she’s expecting their first baby this Summer. Who knows really.

Have you ever broken a bone? Did you need a cast? Be honest, you liked the attention didn’t you?

Nurse Amanda

Poor Taylor. His back went out again.

That leaves me to take care of him.

I'm ok with that.

Here's some followup for you...

The 5 things I will not be doing this Summer.

1. Going home to California. This is by far the saddest thing I have dealt with this week. I don't want to think about it, but I must deal with my emotions.

2. Going to the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Boring waste of time!

3. Eating crap. Summer is for the most wonderful selection of produce! So colorful, vibrant, healthy! It makes me smile thinking about it.

4. Watching the same movies I always have. Any suggestions? FYI, I HATE The Notebook. Do not even go there.

5. Giving up on my blog! Blogging has been such a stress reliever. I can't promise everyday but I will at least attempt twice a week.

As I'm writing there's a thunderstorm going on. Ahh Summer, I love you.

Tired and loving it!

I made some goals for myself this Summer and I thought I'd share it with my loyal readers.

1. Start running. Currently this goal has been accomplished to date but it does not mean I like it. Sure, some days are easier than others. I am far better than I was 2 years ago. The other day I was crazy enough to look up races. The plan is to do a Turkey Trot. How fun! There is one close to here and one back home so wherever we may be, dang it I'm running! If anyone is wondering, I REALLY hope it's in California =)

I also am working out more since Summer is like crack to these people in Michigan. Seriously you can't walk down the street without seeing 5 dogs a walkin, 4 runners running, 3 bikes a cyclin, 2 couples in love, aaaaaaand an iccccccce creeeeeeeam truck for yooooooou and meeeeeee. (What? I had Christmas on my mind...)

Fhew...

Seriously though, volleyball is 2x week, I'm been running 3x a week, I start cardio karate on Monday, dancing/boxing with the Wii, and weights at the gym are all part of the plan. I mostly like all of it. I think my knowledge of food being a nutritionist now makes things a little difficult. No diet soda (gives me heart palpitations anyway) no soy "meat" (ladies look into it, your hormones are effected with everything you eat!) no hfcs in my yogurt (yes I know it comes from corn...I don't just listen to what the commercial from CORN companies tell me.)

I'm exhausted thinking about it, but so far I've had a lot of fun challenging myself. It was a long Winter too, so this makes up for it.

2. Lose some lbs. And the SOME part I am so happy about. Before it was lose a LOT. The SOME I can deal with. Right now it's looking like...eh, I dunno... 10 to start, 15 if I want to be an overachiever. I'm not overweight like before so these are what Jillian calls "vanity pounds." You're darn tootin Jill. I want my butt singing!

3. Move smoothly. Recently Taylor and I found an apartment across town. Not nicer but a. it's across the street from our good friends b. about 4 mins from church c. closer to work d. closer to school e. closer to everything cheaper f. indoor pool g. smaller = less to clean. Oh, and we'll be saving about $350 a month. Looks like this will be our place for the next 3 or so years! Basically the goal here is to NOT do what I did last time by waiting til the last minute and freaking out. Sigh.

4. Eat at home more. Healthier, cheaper, safer really. I've been banging out some bomb recipes and getting really good results. Taylor sounds like the scene from "What about Bob?" If you haven't seen that movie, please do yourself a favor and watch it. Other than a few swear words, pretty squeaky clean and hilarious!

5. Take care of myself. Ooohh...oh no, burn, SO uncomfortable saying that...I HATE TAKING CARE OF MYSELF. I would so rather think about or help someone else before myself. But I'm taking the plunge. I'm getting my hair did on Saturday and it will be a HUGE change. I will try to post pictures if I'm being a good little bloggy girl. We'll see.

There you have it. Do you have any Summer goals? Why or why not?

Tomorrow I will post of the 5 things I do NOT plan to do this Summer. Til next time!

The New Addition

I'M NOT PREGNANT. Geez...

Having said that...

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Yes I KNOW its backwards, but still so purrrdy!
I however am not so purdy in this picture. I am still very happy and had to tell the world. Because the whole world reads my blog. Don't believe me?
Ok fine, you got me.

Let me say first, we are poor. This gift (and believe me it is a friggen God send) was a combination of things that happened to land all in place. We took back Taylor's really nice gift from his parents for his birthday, had some gift cards, and we literally found some money in a closet.

God send.

Told ya.

Since God has blessed me with it, I will be staying up too late using it. And now I must ask you. Do you have any Apple products? Because if you don't you should try them. This is not a place for anyone to say, "Yeah well a PC is better because, because...well yeah a PC is better." LAME. They aren't better. Me and my nerd husband will prove you wrong. We'll prove you wrong so much you'll walk yourself right up to the Apple store and buy one yourself. And you'll participate in the event around here known as "Appreciation of Opening the Box." You Mac lovers know what I'm talking about. I'm off to stilck another pretty white sticker to the back of my car. Sigh.

I am a friend always

I just wanted to let everyone know I like talking.

If you feel like you need a friend, I got your back.

Please don't hesitate, because being a friend is what I do.

Thanks and enjoy the weekend!

So much to say...so much to say...so much to say

I surprise myself every time I try to blog. I think about something really great (according to me) in the morning at work. I think about it all day. While I'm on the phone with customers, as I lift weights, eating lunch, on the drive home. Once I get there I do 1 of 3 things. 1. Completely forget. 2. Remember but say to myself that I'll just work on it later. or 3. Decide the topic I thought of earlier is totally stupid and no one reads anyway and why in the world do I even have a blog if no one cares? Pretty pathetic and mean to myself but as you can see, I won't let it get me down!

Here's a small update in case we aren't best buds and all. Which we should be because I'm a pretty great friend. When I remember to text. Or call. Or visit. Or...who am I kidding I suck at being a friend.

1. I'm off for the Summer with school. Thank Jesus! That was by FAR the worst semester I have EVER had. High school included. You want more details you can ask but boy am I soooo happy its over.

2. I've been running. You read that correctly. And I ain't gunna stop neither.

3. I currently know 17 preggers. Seven teen. No I'm not drinking the water. Get that KoolAid away.

4. Taylor started playing bass guitar in our church band. Besides being very proud of him, he looks so darn cute on stage! It helps that he is so "big" as well. Tall bodies with long arms look proportional to the bass.

5. On Tuesday we celebrated 3 years of marriage and 8 years together. Time flies when you're with the love of your life. You have the best of times and the worst of times. You get a little money, then you lose a lot to the government. No comment. You make friends, and one day their friends become yours. And one day we'll have a baby. But remember, don't give me no KoolAid!

So there you have it. Our boring wonderful life together. If anyone, Bueller? is reading this. Thank you.