Thankful

My Thanksgiving was in a place that looks a little like this . . .

I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving in Arizona this year, which meant I was able to see a whole bunch of family.  I haven't been home to Indiana since July and before this trip I hadn't been able to visit my brother, who is currently living in Phoenix, so I got the best of both worlds this past week!  And, as an added bonus, I got to see my aunt, uncle, cousins, and all of their kids.

I guess I hadn't thought near as long or hard as I should have in the days leading up to Thanksgiving about all of the things that are so precious in my life.  To try and make a list of all the ways I've been blessed would take hours, and even that in itself is a blessing to be able to say.  I guess the easiest way to sum up all of the wonderful things in my life is to say this:

God has been so incredibly faithful in providing for me, teaching me, developing me, and challenging me to become a woman who is a more accurate reflection of Him each day.

Every person, situation, opportunity, and ability that is a part of my life has a place in the statement above.  And though you may catch me on days when I don't seem particularly "thankful" for His faithfulness, I know I am so incredibly lucky to be loved and pursued by the God of this universe.

I hope I can be more conscious of each and every way in which I am blessed this coming year.  And, I hope each of you had the happiest of Thanksgivings, wherever you spent your time!

195.5

Who knew reflective vests were so stylish?

That's the total distance me and 11 other crazy people ran last weekend.  And let me tell you, it was an experience like no other.

Several months ago, I decided to run in the Ragnar relay, which takes runners from Chattanooga to Nashville.  Each runner is responsible for running 3 legs of the relay, which can be anywhere from 3 to 9 miles long.  My total for the relay: 17 or 8, 4.5, and 4.5 to be more specific.

I'm going to tell you that this race was a blast, but unless you like running you probably won't believe me :)  I'm also going to tell you that only getting one hour of sleep and one shower during the whole 29 hours wasn't that bad.  But, I know you'll think I'm insane for saying that too.

And that's okay.  Because even I have to admit the whole idea is pretty ridiculous.  But, most of the time, it's the ridiculous things I've done that end up being the most fun/exciting/memorable.  And this ridiculous thing just happened to connect me with some truly amazing people that I'm so glad to now call friends.

So here's to all things that are a little off-center.  I say dive in head first.  Life is short and you only get to live it once . . . so why not throw an all-night run complete with reflective gear, headlamps, and a 15-passenger van into the mix?

Getting There

I'm trying to get to a place where I can make decisions that go along with this idea . . .

‎"Discipline is making the choice between what you want now and what you want most."

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Home Sweet Home

Photo courtesy of Google Maps Street View

I really don't like moving.  I mean REALLY dislike it.  If I made a list of the 10 things I most dislike in life, I imagine moving might make that list.  However, as a renter, it's a necessary evil.  And as much as I would like to move out of the rental world (no pun intended), there are little monsters like school loans and car payments standing in my way.  So . . . renting it is.

The good news: I get to live in the upstairs of this cute little house, which is right around the corner from Vanderbilt, a block from tons or wonderful restaurants and bars, and 3-4 blocks from the one and only Mafioazas, which home to 2-for-1 beer everand pizza every Tuesday and 2-for-1 drinks every Sunday.

The better news: My wonderful mom is coming down to help me, which means shopping for cute new house stuff.  She told me it was time to get a "style" to my bedroom, and with her help (and money), I have no doubt I will.

The best news: I get to live with the fabulous Sarah Beth Webb.  And as much as I hate moving, I have a feeling that spending 12 months or more sharing a place with her would be worth trucking my sh** more than halfway across the country. :)

So give me a few days to gripe about all the crap I've accumulated and how stupid it is that I have so much stuff crammed in such a small space.  Then let me claim that I'm never moving again and never buying anything new. 

And after all that's said and done, come over and visit!  Sarah is an excellent cook and I'll supply the drinks!

Cheese

I love cheese.  In fact, I don't know that I've ever met a cheese I didn't like.  Sometimes I get so excited to top things with cheese that by the end of my meal, all I have to show for it is a really bad stomach ache.  Last week I think I had two different types of gourmet macaroni and cheese at two different restaurants within 5 days time.  And that's in addition to the cheese calzone I had last Tuesday and the cheese pizza lean pockets I've had for lunch today and yesterday.

So imagine my delight when my love for this wonderful food group was highlighted on Man vs. Food yesterday.  The "eater", Adam, journeyed to my birth state of Ohio and took on "The Melt".  What is "The Melt" you ask? 

Well it looks like this . . .

This bad boy has 14 types of cheeses . . . yes, that's right, 14!  On the show, Matt, the owner of this restaurant, demonstrated how this masterpiece is put together, and let me tell you, it's unbelievable.  This sandwich has 3 pieces of Texas Toast that are smothered, layered, and covered with Goat, Feta, Swiss, and Pepperjack cheeses, just to name a few.

The restaurant that serves this amazing dish . . . Melt Bar and Grilled.  If you're anywhere near Cleveland anytime soon, you HAVE to check this sandwich out for me and maybe even figure out a way to get one back to Nashville for me to try :)

http://www.meltbarandgrilled.com/

Fall, Friends, and Football

I love Fall.  I love my Friends.  And I love Football.  I came across this picture the other day and it's got all three so I thought I would share it.  This is when all of my wonderful FRIENDS came in the FALL for the Vandy-UK FOOTBALL game in Nashville.  I'll always remember this weekend because it was a great group of girls, we won the game, and for the highlight- one of my wonderful friends left my number for one of the waiters at the restaurant we went to later that night.  Of course I can't blame her for the bad judgment I used that led me to actually go out with him . . . but that's another story for another day.

So, hopefully this picture encourages you to spend time this FALL enjoying FOOTBALL with your FRIENDS.

I love my memories!

Update

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged so I figured I'd just give a quick update to keep those of you who care "in the know".

• My last day at O'Charley's was August 27.  It was a surreal experience to pack up my things, turn in my computer and keys, and realized I would never be going back there.  But we celebrated my next step with a DELICIOUS mexican lunch and I even got a gift certificate for a massage (which I will definitely be needing after my half marathon in a few weeks)!  As I was saying goodbye to everyone at the end of lunch, I was aware of how lucky I was to have such good people in my life that were sad to see me go, but are excited about the opportunities I will have in my new position.  My O'Charley's "family" gave me my introduction into the working world and helped me learn a lot about myself both personally and professionally.  And for that, I am oh so thankful to them!  It also helps to know that goodbye wasn't really goodbye because I will see them for Friday Happy Hour this week!

• I started my job with Vanderbilt on September 1, and boy have I been on the go ever since.  The medical center is a huge, fascinating, and amazing place.  I'm sure it will take quite a while for me to fully understand everything that the organization includes, but I'm getting a little bit more comfortable everyday.  I can already tell that I am going to learn so much from all of the different people I'll have the opportunity to interact with, and there is no doubt that I will be stretched and challenged.  It's a little scary, but more than anything, I'm EXCITED!  Plus, I can get discount movie tickets, there is a Quizno's within walking distance, and I get season basketball tickets for next to nothing.  Talk about perks!

• This past Sunday I ran 14 miles!  I can't believe I actually did it!  That's the farthest I've ever run in my lifetime and it was awesome.  The weather was unbelievable, and I ran with a great group of people who definitely motivated me to keep going.  However, I think the thing the biggest motivator was knowing I could eat WHATEVER I wanted when I was finished.  And eat I did!  I had a wonderful Totino's pizza and delicious Menchies ice cream.  I also managed to fit in some macaroni and cheese later that night!  Even though I'm really proud of my accomplishment, I have to say I'm glad I won't have to run more than 10 miles until race day!  I think these type of achievements are definitely better if they are few and far between!

So that's about for what's been going on in my world.  These past few weeks have been quite crazy, but I'm happy for the whirlwind and all the changes.  Nothing like change to keep life interesting!