Getting Healthy

I wanted to give a quick update on my getting healthy goal.  In the past year and half, I have lost 27 pounds(6 just since January!), worked out for more hours than I care to keep track of, and changed my eating habits significantly.  In addition to all of these physical changes, I've started thinking differently as well.  You know, it's not fair that I have to bust my ass in the gym or that I have to keep track of every single calorie that goes on my plate and into my mouth.  However, that is my life if I want to be at a healthy weight, feel better, participate in activities that I enjoy and be generally happy with where I'm at in my life.  Additionally, working out has turned into a routine and really helped me manage the stress of taking 3 classes, working full time and working two part-time jobs.  I start to think about what the hell I'm going to do with my life once school is over and I only have one job.  Is that really going to be possible for me?  How will I be able to handle free time?  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  I'm starting to think more positively about our future.  I still worry about what might happen or if we are able to conceive, but all we can do is think positively and hope for the best.  Anyway, tomorrow is another Monday so it's time for me to sleep and rejuvenate my brain and body!  Hope this finds you all well!

Coda is "Special"

I have come to the decision that Coda is "special."  I don't mean, oh he is so precious/What a special cat.  I mean, "Is there something wrong with him?  He seems a little...special."  You all may ask why I say such a horrible thing about my pet, who might as well be my own child.  Recently, my beliefs have been affirmed on a daily basis.

Coda often will meow, which yes, is normal for a cat,  however, he meows as if he is lost and is no where near us.  As you call him he will walk a few steps, meow again and then once we respond, will take another couple of steps towards the direction of our voice.  Like a sad version of Marco Polo from childhood.  As you can imagine, this is great fun when standing in the echoing hallways and stairwell and he cannot find which direction our voice is coming from.  Deliciously cruel, but hilariously entertaining as well.  Why have pets if you can mess with them, right?  

He also brings his "sqwishy" to bed with him each night.  Its a little ball with fuzzies sticking out of it, kinda like the newer beanie babies.  It reminds me of the puff ball that Horton heard the Who on and Coda talks to it and carries it around like it is something precious and special.  Again, adding to the "special" belief.  As I write this, he sits outside of the bedroom door, pretending not to fall asleep sitting up.  He is more entertainment than I ever bargained for and I can't wait to share more about my "Special" little boy!

LOST

One piece of advice if you are going out for a run:  get directions!  I started out on the Greenbelt Trail in Clive on Saturday and thought I had an idea of where I was going and how I would get back.  Taking the trail West, it ends somewhere in rich upscale suburban hell!  All of these mansions were surrounding a "private" country club lake and though I was apprehensive, I decided I could figure it out by just taking every left I could to go around in a circle and get back to the trail.  As I was running, I went to take a left onto a street that ended in -circle.  Any reasonable and smart person, which I feel I am, would not take this road as the name in and of itself tells me I will end up where I started.  I passed up this option and continued to run.  The next left was a -drive.  Maybe this was me just being skeptical but I did not take this one either.  Something about it told me that I would be ticked off taking this road.  Sure enough, after continuing to run straight, out came the same stinking road that I am super glad I did not go down.  I ended up all the way down on University out by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, KinderCare and Panera.  To those of you unaware of Des Moines, this is very much WEST of the interstate, somewhere around 140th-ish.  While running East on University, I came across the main entrance into the country club but chose not to stay lost in the maze and continued on University, hoping to run into 128th and an "on ramp" to the trail.  Turning down 128th I thought it wouldn't be much farther until I was back on the shaded, very flat trail.  I was very wrong.  It is quite a distance and I thought I was going to have to run through the on ramp intersection to 35/80 on Hickman.  Thank God, just before I started to have a panic attack, I saw the connection point from the road to the trail.  Just in time!  I took the last mile back to the car at a pretty sloooooowww pace but I did finish, only walking for 15-20 minutes up the evil University hill.  I ended up running 6.33 miles and now have very sore calves and feet.  Good thing it's too hot out to run so I get a much needed day off!  

Case in point:  know where you are going before you get lost on a run!