The Real Deal

I found this excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit today . . .

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.
"When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
 
My hope for the New Year is that I can endure difficulties with a resilient heart, fully revel in the joys, and jump in head first to the unknown in hopes of becoming more REAL day by day.
 
Happy New Year!

Vacation Day

I am NOT on vacation today. 

As we speak, I am at work staring out my window at a dreary rainy Thursday.  I have A LOT to get done today, and yet all I can think about is my warm bed.  Unfortunately, I can't go back and start today over on vacation, but I can dream about all the things I would do (or not do) if I was taking one. 

This is not my bed but it looks just as cozy and I'm pretty sure this is where I would stay until about 10 or 11 just to make sure I squeezed every bit of extra sleep out of my morning off.

I would eat a few bowls of these for my breakfast/lunch.

Obviously, I would have to have one or two of these throughout the day.

Then of course I would spend several hours watching this.  AT&T Uverse has made me a happy girl.  And during my lazy tv-watching afteroon, I would lounge on this:

Again, not my couch but it looks like one on which I could spend several quality hours.

I think I've cooked up a pretty nice little day off for myself.  If only it could happen before 2011 . . .

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/