Breaking News in Northeast Florida

The following is tonight's weather report. I'm not making it up...


WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EST
WEDNESDAY.

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN JAX HAS ISSUED A WIND
CHILL ADVISORY.WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EST
WEDNESDAY.

STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE AREA IS BRINGING VERY COLD
AIR TO THE REGION. IN ADDITION NW WINDS WILL REMAIN AT 10
TO 15 MPH OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL TEMPS
FALLING TO AROUND 25 DEGREES LATE TONIGHT.ESPECIALLY ALONG THE
BEACHES & ST. JOHNS RIVER WHERE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR NE FL WHEN WIND
SPEEDS ARE AT OR ABOVE 10 MPH & WIND CHILLS ARE BELOW 25 DEGREES
FOR FOUR OR MORE HRS.

LOW WIND CHILLS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE & LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA
IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS.MAKE
SURE YOU WEAR A HAT & GLOVES.


Hypothermia in Florida. Isn't that statement a bit of an oxymoron? Joking aside, it is uncharacteristically cold today. I'm not looking forward to my run. But I might get to turn my heat on tonight! :)

(I'm frugile, so I have this deal with myself that I won't turn it on until it gets below 60 in the house. For the record, my thermostat loves to hover at 61.) :)

I hope you are all staying warm up in "the north"! :) (Sam feel free to read that last statement without quotation marks, since you are my only reader who truly lives in The North.) :)

Lose That Double Chin

Now that I am starting to get back in shape I really would like to start getting my muscles back. I was searching for arm toning exercizes, because that's the area I want to work on the most.

During my search, I found exercizes for your chin! Who knew these existed!? I have posted them below should anyone be interested in toning their chin or being entertained by the idea of doing so.

*Put your head on your chest and then slowly raise straight back until you can't tilt it anymore. You should have your mouth closed, and you should feel the muscles in your neck pulling. Hold this position for the count of ten, relax, and resume a more natural position. Do this exercise at least twice a day.

*Open your mouth as far as possible and stick your tongue out. Hold that position for a count of ten and then relax. Do this exercise up to ten times per day. While it may look silly, and you may feel silly, it really helps to strengthen your platysma muscle.

*Tilt your head backwards as far as possible. Now hold that position and open and close your mouth. You should feel the muscles in your neck stretching. Do this twice per day.

*Stand with your head in a comfortable position. Now try and bring your lower lip upwards as far as you can. Do this exercise twice daily.

(Do people really do these?)

The Real Me

Natalie Grant is without a doubt one of my favorite singers. She has a beautiful voice and writes many of her own songs, including this one. This song is like a page out of my journal (not that I have been writing in a journal lately...but I should be). I love how transparent she is in sharing her song (and struggles) with the world. It helps me know I'm not the "only one".

I've been really struggling this week and I came to this song once again. I have this tendency to be a perfectionist. Not that I am perfect, I just try to pretend that everything is wonderful and I have it all together. It's like when someone asks "How are you?" and we automatically say "I'm good, how are you?" But we aren't always good. Well, people keep asking me, "How's FL, How's your job?" And I keep saying, "It's good...I'm slowly settling in."

Well I guess this week I came to the realization that it's not good and I'm not settling in. I'm lonely in my big house. Most days, I don't like my job. I don't have friends or family in FL. I'm not really connecting with the church I've been going to. I just feel like I don't have a purpose in life right now. I got through the last 2 years by telling myself it would all be worth it when I was teaching again. And now, all I want to do is go back to my days teaching at Central Elementary in VA. But I have to stop spending my days living in the future or the past. I have to accept the present. And I know God has me in FL for a reason...I just don't know what that is yet.

I'm not spilling my guts for your sympathies. I've just decided that it's ok for it not to be great. I'm struggling right now, but God already knows. I have to be honest about that with myself (and my friends) or it won't change. Hiding behind a smile won't make it all magically better. But being truthful to myself and learning to rely on God and not my circumstances will help me start in the right direction.

So here it is: The Real Me.

10 Years Later

Ten years ago someone very close to me went to be with the Lord. Joe was a young man who loved God, people, and life. He was so vibrant, joyful, and kind. He was the kind of person everyone wanted to be and be around. In the short time that he was a part of my life, he made a huge impact. When he died it ripped my world apart. Why would God let a 19 year old die in a car accident? How could he have fallen asleep so close to home? Suddenly nothing made sense.

Ten years later, I (almost) understand. I look around and see the people whose lives he changed, and I begin to see reason. His impact on my life is obvious. As a deaf person himself, he was the first to introduce me to sign language and deaf culture. Now I spend my days working with deaf children. It's something I never could have imagined ten years ago. But his influence on my life doesn't end there. His life (and death) have truly made me who I am today.

I've stopped asking why it had to happen, because I look around and know. I've stopped wondering how things would be different if he were alive, and I know I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I often say that my goal in life is to impact one person. I don't know if that was Joe's goal, but if it was he was successful.

Though a few weeks ago marked 10 years since his death, there is never a time when he is far from my thoughts. I wrote this poem in rememberance of his life and the impact it had on mine.

10 Years Later:
I remember... ...And you live on

I remember
A Saturday
Homework on a bus
Someone asks me for paper
It was you
And you live on

I remember
A new friend
Writing me notes
And teaching me sign language
It was you
And you live on

I remember
Sunday afternoons
Picnics in my backyard
Riding in your truck
Your friendship
And you live on

I remember
A youth trip
Rollercoaster rides
Enjoying a lazer show
Your laughter
And you live on

I remember
A parking lot
Walking to my car
Someone calls my name
It was you
And you live on

I remember
A Wednesday night
A revival service
A seemingly ordinary goodbye
Your (long) hug
And you live on

I remember
A Thursday night
News that changes my life
Praying I have misunderstood
My tears flow
And you live on

I remember
Many Years
Aware that you are gone
Knowing someone in heaven is watching
It is you
And you live on

I remember
My journey
A path with twists and turns
Someone who touched my life
It was you
And you live on

I am who I am
Because of you
And you live on

I thank you
For changing my life
And you live on

I don't ask why
I don't say goodbye

I remember
And you live on

I remember
And you live on

Can I get a Napkin, Please?

I love this, it makes me laugh every time. I needed to smile today, and I thought I'd post this in case anyone else needed laugh therapy.

Hilarious Regardless of Affiliation

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

SARAH PALIN: This chicken question will have to be reconfigured into a caribou or a moose

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure, right from Day One, that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me...

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER' side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or against us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

ANDERSON COOPER (CNN): We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

Pray for my Baby (Please)

Max is sick again (I think). I don't have the time to go into the details, but if you are reading this please pray. He's my baby and something isn't right.

He's going to the vet in the morning. Please pray that he's okay and that it's not too expensive.

Tuesday Night Update: They gave him an IV and his fever came down. They tested him for FIV (like HIV only in cats). But praise God it was negative. So for now we don't know why he's sick. He's been laying on the couch since we got home, but atleast he's not hiding. I have to take him back tomorrow. Hopefully his fever will have stayed down. If not, we'll go from there. They are suspecting some of the symptoms could be a latent reaction to a drug he was on, but that wouldn't explain the fever. So hopefully it's just a freak thing and he'll be back to normal soon. Poor little (seriously he only weighed 7.5 lbs today...that's a little cat) guy.

Wednesday Night Update: No more throwing up, his eyes look better, and his fever is staying down. Hopefully that means we're in the clear. He's still being somewhat cranky, but he's eating and moving around. So hopefully he was just fighting something off and he'll be back to new by tomorrow. I am so overprotective, it's going to be crazy when I have human children. :)

Thanks for the prayers. Max and I truly appreciate them.

A Milestone in My Running Journey

I've never been a good runner. I joined the track team once in high school. I ran the 1600 (the mile) in meets, and I'm pretty sure I came in last at every race. Okay that's not true, because I do distinctly remember a race where I passed a girl. Of course, I probably remember this because she puked on my shoes shortly thereafter. Anyway, I finished the season and stuck to cheerleading and dance after that.

It's not like I'm absolutely terrible at running. In fact, I was often the first to finish in PE classes, I'm just not competition material. Anyway, I always jogged off and on to try to stay "in shape" through high school and occasionally in college. It was never that difficult for me, because I was a dancer so I was never really "out of shape". But the most I ever ran was 3 miles and that was a rare occurrence.

When I started teaching I decided to do a triathlon with some friends. Not sure what possessed me to embark on the this adventure, but I trained hard core for several months. I lost most of the college weight I had gained and got back some of my muscle that I hadn't seen since my tumbling and dancing days. I was ridiculously dedicated. I worked out every day. Often twice a day. I did yoga, cardio and spin classes, swam, ran, and biked. Oh and did I mention I was also teaching dance classes 4 days a week at this time. After 3 months I did the race and absolutely loved it. I remember how excited I was afterwards and how I was already setting goals for the next year.

But the next year never came. I stopped teaching dance and started coaching cheerleading. And coaching sort of took over my life for the next 2 years. I did run off and on and did some (short) races. And I took a dance class. After I finished coaching cheerleading I decided to try to get back "in shape" again. So in 2006 I did a 10K, 10 miler, and a half marathon. It was awesome.but then I had a hip injury. As soon as it healed, I was in a car accident and hurt my neck/back. Between the back pain and the business of grad school, exercise dropped to the bottom of my list of priorities.

Now that I'm done with grad school I have made a newfound commitment to getting "in shape" again. I couldn't find any dance classes here, but I've started running. There have been many times in my life that I have claimed to be "out of shape". People always freak out when I make this claim. I find myself defending this statement and explaining that being thin and being "in shape" are two very different things. What can I say I'm blessed with good genes and I'm not a food person (minus ice cream...i love ice cream).

But this is truly the first time in my life that I have been "out of shape". I didn't know that before; I always thought I was at different times, but when you can go out and run 2 miles after not exercising for a few months you are not "out of shape". I guess I just took it all for granted. Being a dancer I never understood how "in shape" I was. I was so fit cardiovascularly and I was flexible. So it was nothing for me to go out and run, but now it's so different.

Seven weeks ago, I tried to start running and "out of shape" quickly had a new meaning. Running was kicking my butt! I got winded quickly and my whole body hurt. But I've signed up for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January and I wasn't going to give up. So I kept it up. The first several weeks I hated every moment. I kept asking myself "When and why did I ever enjoy this?". But then I started having good runs between the bad ones. Slowly the good runs became more of the norm. And today I finally hit a milestone.

I ran 5 miles (actually a little more, I think)! Let me clarify that when I say run I mean jog. In high school I ran 7 minute miles. In college I ran 8 minute miles. Before grad school I ran 9 minute miles. I now run 10-11 minute miles. I've decided that's not really running. It's jogging. But whatever.

I jammed out with the Beatles on my Ipod and ran in the misty rain for nearly an hour. A perfect Sunday evening; I feel so accomplished. And although I questioned why I was pushing myself to do something I was hating, the past 7 weeks suddenly feel worth it. I have 10 weeks until I run 13.1 miles in the most magical place on earth, but I think I'll be ready. :)